Think Tank

This comparative analysis of national legislation on rape in European Union Member States provides an overview of legal provisions on the crime of rape, with a focus on the notion of consent. According to the Council of Europe Convention on combating violence against women and domestic violence, to which the EU became a party in 2023, lack of consent from victims of rape should be made a constitutive element of the crime. This norm, together with increased social awareness of sexual violence, has ...

The prohibition of discrimination and the protection of human rights are important elements of the EU legal order. Nevertheless, discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people persists throughout the EU and takes various forms, including verbal abuse and physical violence. Sexual orientation is now recognised in EU law as grounds of discrimination. However, the scope of the provisions dealing with this issue is limited and does not cover social protection, ...

This glossary gives an overview of the definitions of performance, mainstreaming and conditionality. This glossary puts forward general definitions consistent with the way these concepts are used in the EU context while remaining, to the extent possible, consistent with commonly accepted notions found in grey and academic literature, as well as within international organisations such as the OECD and the UN. As a complement to these generic definitions, a forthcoming second part of this glossary will ...

Menstrual poverty, defined as insufficient access to menstrual hygiene products and facilities, affects an estimated 10 % of the half of the EU population who menstruate, with a higher prevalence among people with a low income, refugees, young people, and people with disabilities. Studies from Belgium, France, Germany, and Spain highlight the economic burden menstruation imposes, particularly on vulnerable persons. The COVID 19 pandemic exacerbated this issue by disrupting supply chains and intensifying ...

This study examines the implications of future enlargements for the next MFF. It reviews adjustments made to the EU budget during past enlargements and estimates the budgetary costs of the accession of all current candidate and potential candidate countries (excluding Türkiye) under three alternative scenarios which distinguish between the number of enlargement countries and the timing of enlargement. It then provides policy recommendations for adapting the next MFF to enlargement. The study was ...