Photo by Sharon Pittaway on Unsplash Members of the European Parliament have approved the Parliament’s negotiations mandate for the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). Some MEPs, notably the Greens/EFA Group, had pushed for a 45 percent recycling target and for mitigating the demand for critical raw materials. The EU Commission’s legislative proposal has several aims: In…
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash A webinar on financial issues facing UK citizens living in Belgium will be held later this month. The online event, from noon to 1.30pm on 21 September, will focus on tax, pensions and social security. It is organised by the “Expat Welcome Desk” of the Brussels Commissioner for Europe and International…
Photo by Delightin Dee on Unsplash Despite the passage of anti-deforestation laws by the EU, the clearing of forests is set to continue apace with coffee companies not prepared to comply with the regulation, reveals the 2023 Coffee Barometer, an in-depth report on the state of sustainability in the coffee sector. Roughly 130.000 hectares of…
Photo by Daria Pimkina on Unsplash Although 7 out of 10 employees are satisfied with their jobs, the consequences of the global economic crisis and the war for talent are also finding their way into Belgian households. This is evident from a new global study by professional services provider PwC, the ‘PwC Global Workforce Hopes & Fears Survey’. PwC Belgium also advocates a more inclusive workplace,…
Photo by Daria Mamont on Unsplash The EU Commission has proposed steps to make it easier for Europeans to live, work and travel abroadIt tabled “concrete steps” to further digitalise the coordination of social security systems in Europe. A dedicated communication lays out actions to make access to social security services quicker and simpler across borders by making full use…
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…
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…
Photo by Christoph Schulz on Unsplash The impact of Brexit s one reason for “exodus” of entrepreneurs from the UK. Businessmen and women who may be looking to start a new business or achieve growth targets in 2023 are increasingly looking to leave the UK, according to key new research. As the cost of living pressure mounts, huge…
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…
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…
