Missing The Bus

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Photo by Mollie Sivaram on Unsplash In 2021 the UK hosted the COP26 summit, designed to agree practical steps to implement the Paris Climate accords. Both India and China joined other key players in making significant commitments, and there was general agreement that real progress was being made – and widespread acknowledgment that the UK was providing a…

The Challenge of BRICS’ Development to the EU

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Photo by Sangga Rima Roman Selia on Unsplash Senior MEP Reinhard Butikofer, foreign policy coordinator of the Greens/EFA Group in the European Parliament, says last week’s BRICS summit has “set historical facts.” He was commenting on the BRICS summit in South Africa. Under China’s leadership, a decision was made to admit another six countries as BRICS members in the coming…

EU University Opportunities for UK Students

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Photo by JodyHongFilms on Unsplash A new study has found that UK students can find cheaper under graduate degrees in any EU country other than Britain. Personal finance website finder.com compared the average cost of an undergraduate degree in the UK and EU and found that every country in the EU offers a cheaper alternative to studying domestically for…

Cotton and Corporate Responsibility

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Photo by Marcus Santos on Unsplash When it comes to their use of cotton, the vast majority of international brands (89%) are “non-transparent, unsustainable and show little progress towards improving labour conditions,”, according to the 2023 Cotton Ranking, published by Solidaridad Europe and the Pesticide Action Network UK (PAN UK). This, it is further alleged, is despite a…

Influencer Advertising

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Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash Influencer advertising and marketing has been one of the fastest-growing industries of the last decade.  Perceived by consumers as closer, more authentic and more trustable than traditional advertising or celebrity endorsement, influencers are attracting more and more brand investment. However, unlike traditional advertising, which is subject to very strict rules, influencer advertising…

Toy Safety Regulation

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Photo by L N on Unsplash The EU Commission has proposed a Toy Safety Regulation revising the current rules to protect children from potential risks in toys. Toys put on the EU market are said to be already among the safest ones in the world. But the EC says the proposed rules will further improve this protection, in…

1956 Mining Disaster

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Photo by Kai Pilger on Unsplash Special commemorations will take place in Charleroi next month in memory of one of the worst ever disasters in Belgium. On 8 August 1956 some 262 miners perished in the Bois du Cazier in Marcinelle. They included 136 Italians, more than half the victims. Today, the site is preserved as an industrial heritage…

Gone to Pot

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Photo by Liam Riby on Unsplash The latest report by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), just published, announced that vehicle breakdowns in Britain caused by potholes have now reached a five-year high. The number of potholes is also increasing – a stark contrast to the proud legacy over two centuries of the country leading the world in road-building technology….

Do Advertising Bans Reduce Alcohol Harm?

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Photo by Kevin Kelly on Unsplash A new report from the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) says that although numerous EU member states are imposing stricter limits or outright bans on alcohol advertisements, these restrictions do nearly nothing to lower alcohol consumption levels. Public health campaigners have long insisted that alcohol advertising bans could help reduce sales and, by…