The Commission has proposed to prohibit products made with forced labour on the EU market. The proposal covers all products, namely those made in the EU for domestic consumption and exports, and imported goods, without targeting specific companies or industries. This comprehensive approach is important because an estimated 27.6 million people are in forced labour, […]
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Parliament adopts new rules on adequate minimum wages for all workers in the EU
The minimum wage should ensure a decent standard of living EU rules to respect national wage-setting practices Collective bargaining to be strengthened in countries where it covers fewer than 80% of workers Right to redress for workers, their representatives and trade union members if rules are violated Minimum wages in all EU countries should allow […]
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General Court upholds million-dollar fine against Google for unfair competition with Android
The General Court largely upholds the Commission’s decision which found that Google had imposed unlawful restrictions on Android mobile device manufacturers and mobile network operators for the purpose of strengthening the dominant position of its search engine. In order to better assess the gravity and duration of the infringement, the General Court reduces Google’s fine […]
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SOTEU 2022: Commission proposes emergency market intervention to reduce bills for Europeans
The Commission is proposing an emergency intervention in Europe’s energy markets to tackle recent dramatic price rises. The EU is confronted with the effects of a severe mismatch between energy demand and supply, due largely to the continued weaponisation by Russia of its energy resources. To ease the increased pressure this puts on European households […]
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New rules for companies to help limit global deforestation
To fight global climate change and biodiversity loss, Parliament demands companies ensure that products sold in the EU do not come from deforested or degraded land. Plenary adopted its position on the Commission proposal for a regulation on deforestation-free products with 453 votes to 57 and 123 abstentions. The new law would make it obligatory […]
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State of the EU: Ukraine, energy, climate change, economy
In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work in the past year and its upcoming plans. Opening the debate, EP President Roberta Metsola said: “It is a special honour to have Olena Zelenska with us on this important day. We are here against an alarming […]
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2022 State of the Union Address by President von der Leyen
A UNION THAT STANDS STRONG TOGETHER INTRODUCTION Madam President, Honourable Members, My fellow Europeans, Never before has this Parliament debated the State of our Union with war raging on European soil. We all remember that fateful morning in late February. Europeans from across our Union woke up dismayed by what they saw. Shaken by the resurgent […]
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Annual Research Conference 2022 – How to turn green in the European way?
The conference is organised by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN). The Annual Research Conference, now in its 19th year, is themed How to turn green in the European way? Keeping the cutting edge while remaining fair and social. It brings together leading economic […]
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AI won an art contest
AI-created artwork took first place at a state fair in the United States. Long before digital editing tools and computer-assisted design programmes, French poet and art critic Charles Baudelaire thought photography was art’s biggest undoing. Fast forward to today, and who would have thought we wouldn’t need a brush to create art anymore. In August, […]
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