Pesquisar
Addressing the challenges of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth in national Recovery and Resilience Plans
This briefing paper provides an initial analysis of selected measures proposed by Germany, France, Italy and Poland in their respective Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs), and focuses on the areas of competitiveness, business environment/entrepreneurship, and (re)industrialisation. As the analysis has shown, targets and milestones set for the majority of the analysed measures seem to be realistic and enhance the probability of completing the planned projects on time; they are also tailored to the ...
Taking stock of progress towards the European education area
The European education area (EEA) is about promoting cooperation among European Union (EU) Member States to build more resilient and inclusive national education and training systems. The aim is also to improve access to quality education and lifelong learning for all across the EU. EU leaders first endorsed the vision for a European education area at the Gothenburg Social Summit in 2017. Following the first initiatives, the overall approach to forming the EEA by 2025 was outlined in a 2020 European ...
Legacy of the 2022 European Year of Youth
Throughout 2022, young Europeans were to be given opportunities to engage in learning and civic engagement activities, discover other cultures, improve their employment prospects, share ideas and broaden their horizons generally. Youth policy was to be mainstreamed across all relevant Union policy fields. Now that the European Year of Youth is drawing to its close, has it met its objectives?
Cohesion in the EU towards 2050: 8th Cohesion Report and stakeholder views
The 8th Cohesion Report, published by the European Commission in February 2022, paints a mixed picture of cohesion policy. On the one hand, since the 2008 financial crisis and the contraction of public spending, cohesion policy has played an increasing role in maintaining territorial integrity and public services. On the other hand, many less developed and middle-income regions, especially in the southern and south-western parts of Europe, are stagnating or falling behind. The report highlights that ...
Russia's war on Ukraine: People with disabilities
More than 8 months into Russia's war on Ukraine, there is no end in sight. The invasion has forced millions of people to flee Ukraine or seek refuge in other parts of the country, causing a European humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions. The chaos created by the conflict has increased the risk of violence and exploitation exponentially, especially for the most vulnerable people, such as those with disabilities. Estimates show that around 2.7 million people with disabilities in Ukraine face ...
Tracking the EU Commissioners’ commitments - Von der Leyen Commission, 2019 - 2024: Didier Reynders
This briefing follows up the commitments made by the commissioner in 2019.
Tracking the EU Commissioners’ commitments - Von der Leyen Commission, 2019 - 2024: Nicolas Schmit
This briefing follows up the commitments made by the commissioner since 2019.
PETI Fact-finding visit to Poland - 19-21 September 2022
This Briefing, written by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the PETI Committee, provides background information for the PETI Fact-finding visit to Poland scheduled from 19 to 21 September 2022. It investigates two main issues that were subject to specific petitions, namely the case of the Białowieża primeval forest (Petitions 0805/2017, 0812/2017 and 0623/2018) and the education of young persons and children with special ...
Energy poverty in the EU
In 2020, about 36 million Europeans were unable to keep their homes adequately warm. Energy poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, considered to be caused by a combination of low income, high energy expenses, and poor energy efficiency in buildings. The EU has been addressing this issue in various legislative and non-legislative initiatives, most recently in the context of its climate policies and energy transition. The Gas and Electricity Directives call for the protection of vulnerable consumers ...
Peace, justice and strong institutions: EU support for implementing SDG 16 worldwide
The 16th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG16) to 'Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels' represents a new milestone compared with the earlier millennium development goals. While several of its targets (such as peace, corruption-free institutions and freedom from violence) were once seen as prerequisites of sustainable development, the adoption of SDG16 marked ...