European Parliament - Eprs Policy Podcasts

The fifth generation of communication technologies, known as 5G, is fundamental to achieving a European gigabit society by 2025. But how will this affect our health and that of our children? Is 5G really safe? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)646172 Source: © European Union - EP

The Commission proposes, Parliament and Council decide … has been the traditional approach to law-making in the European Union, until now … But the increasing need to put the citizens' voice at the heart of EU law-making, giving the European Parliament greater power to propose laws, is challenging this assumption and could open the door to a more democratic Union. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)646174 Source: © European Union - EP

Serious health threats do not respect borders … Efficient cross-border cooperation and a coordinated response are therefore essential to prevent the spread of diseases or contain public health emergencies. How well prepared is the EU to tackle such a public health emergency? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)646123 Source: © European Union - EP

The Alpine region is home to 80 million European citizens. And while it's one of the largest economic regions in Europe, it also faces major challenges … That's why the 7 countries and 48 regions involved in the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region are working together to overcome the challenges and secure the region's sustainable development. Want to know more? Tour the Alps with us! https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)646109 Source: © European Union - EP

Is data really the new oil? And if so, how do we regulate this market and ensure a level-playing field? The global debate on the extent to which current competition policy rules are sufficient to deal with the fast-moving digital economy has never been more pertinent! https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2020)646117 Source: © European Union - EP

To preserve and promote our shared cultural heritage, two European cities are chosen each year to be Europe's cultural capitals. How are they chosen? And how do cities benefit from the experience? Listen to this podcast! https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)644196 Source: © European Union - EP

The poultry and egg sector is one of the most intensive farming systems in the EU. There are more than 400 million laying hens in the EU, which produce close to 7.5 million tonnes of eggs each year. Will the sector continue to thrive? What are the challenges it faces? And how does the EU support and regulate the sector to make it more humane and environmentally-friendly? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_IDA(2019)644195 Source: © European Union - EP

A record number of fires – many intentionally set – swept through the Amazon rainforest in the summer of 2019, reducing large chunks of the world's largest tropical rainforest to piles of ash. How has the international community responded to protect this precious 'global good'? And what are the plans to ensure that this ecological disaster isn't repeated? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)644198 Source: © European Union - EP

Agriculture is one of the largest water-consuming sectors, using it in particular for irrigation. But water scarcity is an increasing problem, both globally and in the EU, and the situation is expected to worsen with climate change… How will the EU deal with this challenge in the future? https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)644216 Source: © European Union - EP

Poverty affects more than a quarter of the world's population, and that is why erasing it is a principal objective for humanity, enshrined as the first of a number of goals (SDGs) in the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Poverty is more than just having insufficient income – it is a multidimensional phenomenon closely related to unequal access to education, health and other basic services. Poverty eradication is an ongoing objective of EU development policy. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)644181 Source: © European Union - EP

The United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for sustainable development includes a strong commitment by all states to respect human rights. This covers the rights of the child. No action to implement the SDGs can be detrimental to the rights of the child. Healthy, well-nourished, well-educated children, who are protected from violence and abuse, are the best guarantee of long-term sustainable development. The EU prioritises children's rights and relevant SDGs in its external action. The European Parliament has repeatedly defended the need to protect and promote children's rights through EU external action, and has asked the Commission to propose a strategy and action plan in this sense. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)642285 Source: © European Union - EP

In July 2018, the European Court of Justice gave a judgment ruling that genome-edited organisms fall under the scope of European GMO legislation. While welcomed by some, the judgment has also sparked criticism and calls for the new European Commission to amend EU GMO legislation. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)642220 Source: © European Union - EP

In recent years drones have become a more and more common sight in our cities for filming and photography purposes but also on our news outlets, with airport crises and violent attacks occuring through the use of drones. Drones are extremely versatile in their functions, can have different degrees of autonomy and can range from being the size of an insect to being several tonnes in weight. While some drones are used exclusively by the military and civil drones are mass-produced and sold to the wider public, dual-use drones in particular are posing quite some problems to lawmakers and regulators. Other challenges posed by drones range from data protection considerations, to liability, cyber defence, human control and autonomy, and a divided public opinion. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)642230 Source: © European Union - EP

Teaching – a profession that dates back through the generations – seems to have lost some of its attractiveness at present. An ageing teacher population, severe teacher shortages, difficulties with retaining younger teachers and a significant gender imbalance in staffing at different levels of education are just some of the serious challenges facing the profession. Read our briefing to find out more. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)642220 Source: © European Union - EP

The European Parliament and the Council are the budgetary authority of the EU. The two institutions, assisted by the European Commission, decide on the EU budget in the annual budgetary procedure. The briefing discusses actors, timing and possible scenarios set for adoption or non-adoption of the annual budget. The briefing sketches the life cycle of an amendment to the budget. It presents negotiations consisting of trilogue meetings and conciliation. Last but not least, the text explains what happens if there is no agreement on the EU annual budget. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)640129 Source: © European Union - EP

After electing Ursula von der Leyen as President of the Commission, the European Parliament also plays a key role in the next step of the investiture process: the appointment of the other members of the Commission. Once nominated by the Council, by common accord with the President-elect of the Commission, the Commissioners-designate must each appear before a hearing in the European Parliament. Based on the evaluation of each candidate, Parliament will then consent to, or reject, the proposed College as a whole, paving the way for the appointment of the Commission by the European Council. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)640131 Source: © European Union - EP

Sport has a growing impact both on the European Union (EU) economy and on society as a whole. Over 7 million people work in sport-related jobs, and sport-related goods and services amount to nearly 3 % of total EU gross value added. Over the years, the EU has been actively involved in tackling transnational issues such as doping, match-fixing and lack of physical activity. In recent years, various health-related EU initiatives have grown increasingly popular. As the popularity of sport-related initiatives grows, so do the Commission's plans and ambitions for the broader role of sport in society. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)640168 Source: © European Union - EP

Multinational enterprises are changing. This concerns especially their improved ability to fragment their value chains and disperse them geographically. Such global value chains have stimulated economic growth in many parts of the world over the past three decades. However, they also make it increasingly important to rethink current tax policies. On the one hand, governments seek to encourage trade and investment by multinational enterprises by removing tax and regulatory barriers they face. Some governments go even further by resorting to harmful tax competition that drives corporate income taxes to the bottom. At the same time, many multinational enterprises continue to employ enhanced tax arbitrage to minimise their tax obligations across jurisdictions; furthermore, business models are increasingly becoming borderless and highly mobile, and therefore difficult to tax. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/fr/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)637971 Source: © European Union - EP

The European Commission published a proposal for a new directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers in April 2018. The proposal would for the first time allow consumers in all Member States to collectively demand compensation from companies that infringe on their rights. The previous European Parliament adopted a first-reading position in March, but the Member States in the Council have yet to agree their position. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/fr/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2019)637978 Source: © European Union - EP

The main mechanism for incorporating human rights into the EU's bilateral agreements consists of an 'essential elements' human rights clause that enables one party to take appropriate measures in case of serious breaches by the other party. The clause, which also covers democratic principles and often the rule of law, is more than just a legal mechanism enabling the unilateral suspension of trade commitments in times of crisis. It enshrines the parties' commitments to human rights and thus puts EU relations with third countries on a solid regulatory base, opening the path to dialogue and cooperation on human rights issues. So far, the EU has clearly preferred a constructive engagement to more restrictive measures, and has not activated the clause to suspend trade preferences under any of its trade agreements. Civil society and the European Parliament have, on the other hand, encouraged the European Commission to use the clause in a more robust way. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/fr/document.html?ref