Is nuclear the overlooked solution for EU’s energy woes?
By: EBR | Friday, May 20, 2022
Following the Fukushima disaster in 2011, Germany sped up plans to shut down all its nuclear plants. Given the current energy crisis, such decisions should be revisited
MEPs aim to stick airlines with steeper carbon bill
By: EBR | Thursday, May 19, 2022
Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee have voted to include all flights departing from Europe in the EU’s carbon market while speeding up the phase out of free carbon allowances, a move that would force airlines to pay more to pollute
Social Climate Fund to help those most affected by energy and mobility poverty
By: EBR | Thursday, May 19, 2022
Parliament committees back setting up a new fund to help vulnerable citizens cope with the increased costs of the energy transition
A wake-up call for the green transition
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 18, 2022
The crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine is putting the resilience of our economies to the test once again
Europe’s new leaders are coming from the periphery
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 18, 2022
The construction of a new European architecture is underway, built around the point of relations with Russia – and new European leaders are shaping a new form, one we will live in and observe for decades to come
The Franco-German Tandem Needs a Reboot
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Putin’s war in Ukraine has shattered Germany’s illusions about bringing Russia closer to Europe. A change in Berlin’s approach to Moscow would benefit Franco-German ties and the entire EU
EU study: CAP support for ‘couch’ farmers negatively impacts farm communities
By: EBR | Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Common Agricultural Policy support for landowners not actively engaged in farming has indirectly negatively impacted farming communities, at the same time as the EU continues to haemorrhage farms at an alarming rate, a new EU study has found
NGO biofuel claims are harming climate, energy and food security aims
By: EBR | Tuesday, May 17, 2022
Environmental NGOs have been quick to attack the green credentials of biofuels, with some calling for fuels from crops to be curtailed, but their criticism ignores objective evidence
Spring 2022 Economic Forecast: Russian invasion tests EU economic resilience
By: EBR | Tuesday, May 17, 2022
The outlook for the EU economy before the outbreak of the war was for a prolonged and robust expansion
Eastern Europe’s experience can help EU’s future enlargement
By: EBR | Monday, May 16, 2022
As this year’s events have shown, hesitation about EU enlargement is short-sighted and potentially very dangerous. The bloc’s enlargement must be conceived of and executed as a geopolitical expansion
Heating neglected in EU plan to ditch Russian fossil fuels, industry says
By: EBR | Monday, May 16, 2022
The European Commission is due to table plans on Wednesday (18 May) to break free from Russian fossil fuels but, apart from a renewed push for heat pumps, there are major oversights when it comes to decarbonising heating and cooling
The European economies will take the real test of resilience at the end of 2022
By: EBR | Monday, May 16, 2022
The economic and financial context we are going through is full of challenges, being marked by exceptional situations
Does the EU Need a New Enlargement Policy?
By: EBR | Friday, May 13, 2022
Ukraine’s membership bid has placed enlargement high on the EU’s agenda. The bloc must rethink the accession process to make it more effective while maintaining democratic and rule-of-law standards
New EU laws risk promoting ‘downcycling’ of plastic bottles, industry warns
By: EBR | Friday, May 13, 2022
European Commission plans to include mandatory recycled content targets for all plastics in a makeover of packaging laws expected this summer risk derailing attempts by plastic bottle manufacturers to reach closed loop recycling, the industry has warned
Turkey Report: Persistently further from EU values and standards
By: EBR | Friday, May 13, 2022
Without clear and significant progress in EU-related reforms, Parliament cannot envisage resuming accession negotiations with Turkey, warn MEPs in a report adopted on Thursday
Fit for 55: MEPs back CO2 emission standards for cars and vans
By: EBR | Thursday, May 12, 2022
Environment Committee MEPs are in favour of a pathway towards zero-emission road mobility in 2035 for new passenger cars and light commercial vehicles
Resentment for Ukrainian refugees grows in central and eastern Europe
By: EBR | Thursday, May 12, 2022
The welcome citizens of Central and Eastern Europe first showed Ukrainian refugees is slowly waning, especially in more pro-Russian countries like Slovakia and Bulgaria, where refugee “privileges” are being criticised, and comparisons to the 2015 refugee crisis are now being made
EU lawmakers may push 70% emission cut on carmakers by 2030
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 11, 2022
The European Parliament’s environment committee (ENVI) is due to vote on mandatory CO2 standards for car manufacturers on Wednesday (11 May), with the possibility of calling for a 70% reduction target by 2030
European Commission and EIB sign an Agreement to enable further investments worldwide
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 11, 2022
European Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) signed an ambitious Guarantee Agreement through which the European Commission will support up to €26.7 billion of EIB financial operations
State of play in social economy finance in the EU
By: EBR | Wednesday, May 11, 2022
Trying to push the social economy as a flourishing sector of the economy, the EU is using a variety of ways to overcome the tension at the heart of the social economy: How do you attract money to a sector that defines itself as not being about the money?
By: N. Peter Kramer
