MEPs call for a comprehensive set of measures and a coherent IT policy, as well as improved military cyber defence coordination, to strengthen EU cyber resilience. A common cyber defence policy and substantial EU cooperation on cyber capabilities are among the key issues needed for the development of a deepened and enhanced European Defence Union,…
In two reports on draft EU legislation on artificial intelligence, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) calls for an all-out ban on social scoring in the EU and for a complaint and redress mechanism for people who have suffered harm from an AI system. At its September plenary, the EESC welcomed the proposed Artificial…
In June 2020, members of the European Parliament endorsed, by a vote of 378-255, a report on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights prepared by Croatian MEP Predrag Fred Matić. The “Matić Report” called for the universal access to safe and legal abortion throughout the European Union. The Forum for Religious Freedom Europe (FOREF) takes no position regarding…
EU policies are unable to ensure farmers use water sustainably, according to a special report published today by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). The impact of agriculture on water resources is major and undeniable. But farmers benefit from too many exemptions from EU water policy that hinder efforts to ensure sound water use. In…
A major pan-European polling round, the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) asked citizens of the EU’s 12 most important member states for their thoughts on German leadership within the EU-27, both retrospectively, with regards the Merkel-era, and how they see Germany’s representation in Europe changing beyond this week’s elections. The findings include: There is enduring support in Europe for Angela Merkel…
A major new initiative has been launched by Vodafone Group Plc and ITU, the United Nations’ specialised agency for information and communication technologies, to address the global digital divide, with the aim that an additional 3.4 billion people could have the ability to access and use the internet through a smartphone by 2030. With mobile…
Two powerful European Parliament committees have called on the European Commission to promote healthy plant-rich diets as part of a sustainable EU food strategy. The NGO Compassion in World Farming EU welcomes this call, as ambitious measures are needed in order to improve our food systems for the benefit of people, animals and the planet….
Europeans still regard Angela Merkel, who will shortly step down as German chancellor, as a unifying force, and expect Germany to continue to provide leadership within the EU, according to new polling in a report published on Tuesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). In “Beyond Merkelism: What Europeans expect of post-election Germany”, the…
Widening gaps on supermarket shelves and the promise of shortages of Christmas favourites like turkey and pigs-in-blankets have exposed a major flaw in the Government’s handling of the ongoing UK labour crisis and a new report. The report highlights the scale of the problem by stating that of the 953,000 current vacancies across all sectors in the UK,…
Speaking ahead of a crucial vote this Wednesday in the European Parliament in Strasbourg, the Socialists and Democrats are calling on the Commission to better protect platform workers. The goal is to improve the working conditions for all digital platform workers, including the genuinely self-employed. Currently, platform workers are not covered by an EU legal…
