The EU updated risk assessment
By: EBR | Thursday, September 24, 2020
Coronavirus: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s new risk assessment shows need to step up coronavirus response in the EU
Intelligent electricity through EU structural funds
By: EBR | Wednesday, September 23, 2020
A major challenge in the spread of renewable energies is their unpredictability: supply and demand do not always match in time. To compensate for this, researchers in Bielefeld are working on artificial intelligence that distributes electricity differently, depending on the weather
SURE: financial support to help protect jobs and workers affected by the pandemic
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The Commission welcomes the activation of the SURE instrument, which will provide up to €100 billion in financial support to help protect jobs and workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Will everyone play ball for ‘operation recovery’?
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Ursula von der Leyen pulled off a bravura performance last week; there was grit, emotion, empathy and integrity in her delivery
The follies of French ecological mayors
By: N. Peter Kramer | Monday, September 21, 2020
Elected in June, the new ‘ecologist’ mayors in France are trying to put their stamp on the daily life of their communes
Boris Breaks the Divorce Treaty: What Can the EU Do?
By: EBR | Friday, September 18, 2020
The ways in which the EU can put pressure on a UK that is going rogue are very limited — and potentially vast at the same time
Commission presents next steps for Recovery and Resilience Facility
By: EBR | Thursday, September 17, 2020
NextGenerationEU: Commission presents next steps for €672.5 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility in 2021 Annual Sustainable Growth Strategy
Commission raises climate ambition and proposes 55% cut in emissions by 2030
By: EBR | Thursday, September 17, 2020
The European Commission presented today its plan to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels
Business leaders back EU’s draft 55% carbon target for 2030
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 15, 2020
More than 150 business leaders and investors have urged EU countries to set higher climate goals for 2030, backing a draft European Commission plan to aim for a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade
EU to withdraw free CO2 pollution credits to clear way for carbon border tax
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 15, 2020
The European Commission plans to withdraw free allowances given to polluting industries under the EU’s emission trading system (ETS) in order to clear the way for their inclusion in the bloc’s upcoming carbon border adjustment mechanism, the EU executive’s vice-president, Valdis Dombrovskis, said on Monday (14 September)
EU-China Leaders’ Meeting: Upholding EU values and interests at the highest level
By: EBR | Monday, September 14, 2020
The European Union and China held a Leaders’ Meeting via videoconference on 14 September 2020. An EU-China Leaders’ meeting with the participation of leaders of all EU member states was initially scheduled to take place on this date
EU lawmakers up the ante, vote for 60% climate target for 2030
By: EBR | Friday, September 11, 2020
The European Parliament’s environment committee has voted for a new EU-wide target to reduce carbon emissions 60% by 2030, setting the stage for tough negotiations with EU countries and the European Commission, which is expected to propose a 55% goal next week
European Foreign Policy After Brexit
By: EBR | Friday, September 11, 2020
The rapidly eroding trust between the UK and the EU casts a dark shadow over the future of European foreign policy cooperation. But as the eventful summer of 2020 has shown, that cooperation is much needed
EU nations breaking rules in bilateral trade deals with China
By: EBR | Thursday, September 10, 2020
Fifteen EU member states have breached bloc-wide rules in agreeing bilateral commercial deals with China as part of Beijing’s ambitious belt and road initiative (BRI), according to a damning report published by the European Court of Auditors on Thursday (10 September)
LEAK: EU to create ‘superbody’ of watchdogs to oversee digital currencies
By: EBR | Thursday, September 10, 2020
The EU will set up a new college of supervisors, including national and European authorities, to oversee “significant” digital currencies including Facebook’s Libra, according to the European Commission’s cryptocurrency draft proposal
Ecology threats likely to send more climate refugees towards Europe by 2050
By: EBR | Wednesday, September 9, 2020
More than a billion people are at risk of being displaced by 2050 due to rapid population growth, shortage of food and water and increased exposure to natural disasters, which could lead to increased migration flows to Europe, according to a new report by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)
Europe Divided Over Belarus’s Future
By: EBR | Wednesday, September 9, 2020
The people of Belarus are peacefully demonstrating for their freedom. The EU’s member states, along with the United States, should do much more to support them
How to realise our hydrogen economy (instead of dreaming about it)
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Considering the limited amount of green hydrogen available, the European Commission should prioritise its use in sectors that cannot decarbonise through other means like electrification
The EU is missing the mark on foreign policy
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 8, 2020
Over lockdown summer, there’s been a striking gendered approach to maintaining, protecting and unravelling democracy
Why a deal on energy could break the Brexit logjam
By: EBR | Tuesday, September 8, 2020
The window for a post-Brexit trade deal is closing fast but the basics are already in place for an agreement on the energy sector, and mutual benefits would be huge