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Climate change and energy transition: The end of coal?
Accounting for about one quarter of global primary energy supply, coal is used mainly for power generation, heating, and in industries such as iron, steel and cement manufacturing. It provides almost 40 % of global electricity production and is responsible for over 40 % of energy-related CO2 emissions. While the global use of coal is driven by emerging economies in Asia, the West – and Europe in particular – is seeing a sharp decline in coal use because of air pollution, climate policies and, in ...
Better regulation: Joining forces to make better laws
The purpose of better regulation is to make European Union laws and policies simpler, more targeted and easier to comply with. Since the early 2000s, better lawmaking has been high on the European agenda, and in April 2021 the European Commission published a new communication on better lawmaking. Parliament will debate and vote on the JURI committee's report on this communication during the July plenary session.
Question time: Raising EU ambition on biodiversity ahead of COP 15
Parliament will use its powers of oversight in the revived 'question time' set for the July plenary session to question the Commission on the EU's level of ambition ahead of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the main international instrument on biodiversity protection. On 22 June 2022, the European Commission tabled two core legislative proposals under the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030: an EU nature restoration ...
Digital markets act: Adoption in plenary
In December 2020, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation on contestable and fair markets in the digital sector, otherwise referred to as the digital markets act (DMA). During its July 2022 plenary session, Parliament is set to vote on the political agreement reached with the Council by its negotiators.
Adopting the digital services act
In December 2020, the European Commission published a proposal for a digital services act (DSA) designed to revamp EU content moderation rules and promote a transparent and safer online environment. Parliament is set to vote during its July 2022 plenary session on the political agreement reached with the Council.
Croatia enters the euro area
On 1 January 2023, Croatia is set to become the 20th country to join the euro area and adopt the common currency. Two independent assessments, from the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB), found that Croatia fulfils the requirements for accession to the euro area. Nonetheless, significant challenges remain in order for Croatia to be able to maintain a sustainable convergence path in the medium term.
2021 Report on Serbia
Serbia, a country with a population of 6.9 million, has been advancing towards EU accession since 2012, when it received candidate country status. Despite some progress, Serbia faces three major issues: improving internal political dialogue, reaching a comprehensive legally binding normalisation agreement with Kosovo* and ensuring better alignment with EU foreign policy. The Parliament's position on the European Commission's 2021 annual report on Serbia is expected to be voted in plenary in July ...
2021 Report on Kosovo
With a population of 1.8 million (93 % ethnic Albanians), Kosovo* unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Kosovo's perspective of a European future was stated during summits in Thessaloniki (2003), Sofia (2018) and, recently, Zagreb (2020), Brdo (2021) and Brussels (2022), where EU leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal support for the Western Balkans' European perspective. The European Parliament is expected to debate the European Commission's 2021 annual report on the country during ...
2021 Report on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), with a population of 3.8 million, became independent from the former Yugoslavia on 3 March 1992, following a referendum that was boycotted by ethnic Serbs. Bosnia and Herzegovina was offered an EU membership perspective during the EU-Western Balkans summit in Thessaloniki (2003), subsequently restated in Sofia (2018), Zagreb (2020), Brdo (2021) and, most recently, Brussels (2022). The Parliament is expected to vote on the European Commission's 2021 annual report on BiH ...
Research for AGRI Committee - Agricultural potential in carbon sequestration
To reach the climate neutrality envisaged in the Green Deal by 2050, reducing agricultural GHG emissions is not enough, and efforts to implement large scale carbon sequestration in European agricultural soils will be necessary. The renewed CAP includes improvements in environmental conditionality and foresees eco-schemes and agri-environmental measures that can help achieve this goal. Carbon sequestration in soil is cost-effective, but improvements in methodology are still required, as well as the ...