Café culture in Brussels. Temperatures are dropping – and the number of remotely working employees in cafés is rising. They stay late, consume little and save money: In view of rising electricity prices, which have more than doubled in the space of a year, employees are particularly keen to lighten the load on their wallets. […]
The fire under the cauldron in the EU kitchen is at its peak. The chefs in the Council, Parliament and Commission are arguing under enormous time pressure about the right recipe for the dish called Fit for 55. It is the implementation at EU level of the Paris Agreement adopted in 2015. In other words, […]
Fiscal rules are necessary in the European Monetary Union, but unpopular. The rules are often described as a “budgetary straitjacket.” Supposedly, they would make it difficult for countries to fulfill political spending promises or provide desired public investments.However, in a monetary union like the euro area, where members have only fiscal policy as their own […]
On Tuesday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson will present the program of the Swedish Presidency. It is one of the highlights of the coming week in Strasbourg. Others include: the meeting of the ENVI committee to discuss the recently adopted elements of the Fit for 55 package (Monday), and a debate with a resolution on […]
The question of how to define green hydrogen will be at the forefront of the trilogue on the Renewable Energy Directive (RED 3) on Feb. 7. Markus Pieper (CDU), rapporteur for the revision of the RED Directive, accuses the European Commission of waiting too long to present the two delegated acts that will define renewable […]
It’s a cry from the heart. Greens and socialists, “stop the nonsense, come together“, demanded former Green MEP José Bové last month. He came to Bordeaux to support socialist MEP Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D). Glucksmann was officially appointed as the lead candidate for the joint list of the Socialist Party and Place publique, the political movement […]
When it comes to EU climate and environmental policy, Sweden is considered a progressive force. In the past, the country has repeatedly urged EU member states to be more ambitious in climate protection and to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, when it comes to its own forestry industry, which is harmful to nature and […]
The European Commission’s proposed Net-Zero Industry Act aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector to zero by 2050. By 2030, at least 40 percent of EU demand for clean technologies will be met in Europe. The regulation will require member states to develop national plans to decarbonize the industry. It will also support […]
That Chancellor Olaf Scholz recently visited African countries for the second time is to be welcomed, even if his trip had more political-symbolic than concrete economic significance. At the Chancellor’s meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in Ethiopia, the focus was not only on promoting German investment but also on issues of political stabilization in […]
Have you seen the movie “Don’t Look Up!”? The Netflix production is about two scientists who constantly warn of the approaching impact of an asteroid – and are simply not taken seriously before all life on Earth is wiped out. Now you may think whatever you want about Netflix, but the movie was oddly relatable […]