Search

The EU has introduced a new ecodesign regulation that includes requirements for apparel products, such as durability, reusability, and reparability, as well as a ban on destroying unsold textiles and footwear. The aim is to encourage the purchase of environmentally friendly products, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are not initially included. The regulation also covers rules on substances that inhibit circularity, energy and resource efficiency, and carbon and environmental footprints. The European Parliament and Council reached an agreement on the regulation in December, with the goal of making sustainable products the norm in the EU. However, data from GlobalData suggests that mentions of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors in apparel company filings have declined over the past year. [Extracted from the article]

The Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) supports the European Parliament's proposed Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), which aims to improve the circularity and sustainability of products in the EU market. However, FESI has expressed concerns about certain provisions, particularly the ban on the destruction of unsold goods, as it may create uncertainty for economic operators regarding goods that infringe intellectual property rights. FESI is advocating for targeted derogations and legal clarity to avoid unintended consequences. FESI also emphasizes the need to differentiate between leisurewear and high-performance sportswear in shaping future ecodesign requirements. The ESPR now awaits approval from Member States. [Extracted from the article]

The European Parliament has passed a "right to repair" directive that requires manufacturers to offer timely and cost-effective repair services and inform consumers about their repair rights. Under the new rules, goods repaired under warranty will receive an additional one-year extension of the legal guarantee. The directive also requires manufacturers to repair common electrical household products that are technically repairable, even after the legal guarantee has expired. The aim of the directive is to strengthen the EU repair market, reduce repair costs for consumers, and promote sustainability in the fashion industry. [Extracted from the article]

The EU's deforestation law is still in effect despite calls for revisions from several member countries. The law, which was proposed in April 2023, bans the export of products linked to deforestation, such as meat, cocoa beans, soya beans, and palm oil. Companies can only sell products in the EU if the supplier confirms that their commodities do not come from deforested land. Farmers have protested against the law, but the EU remains committed to its implementation. The law includes penalties for non-compliance, and EU authorities will use satellite monitoring and DNA analysis to verify product origins. [Extracted from the article]

The European Union (EU) has agreed to limit the import of grains from Ukraine in response to protests from farmers about cheap imports. The EU will grant Ukrainian food producers tariff-free access to EU markets until June 2025, but an "emergency brake" has been extended for poultry, eggs, sugar, and now grain. This means that tariffs will be imposed if grain imports exceed the average levels of 2022 and 2023. The agreement has received a lukewarm response from Copa-Cogeca, an organization representing EU farmers, who argue that the proposal fails to address their concerns. [Extracted from the article]

The European Parliament has adopted a directive aimed at combating greenwashing and promoting sustainable practices. Under the directive, companies will be required to provide evidence to EU verifiers to substantiate their environmental claims. Non-compliance can result in significant penalties, including fines and exclusion from public procurement tenders. The directive also maintains a ban on green claims based solely on carbon offsetting schemes, but allows companies to mention such schemes in their advertising if they have already minimized their emissions. The directive has garnered support from fashion trade bodies and is seen as a crucial tool in advancing sustainability efforts across the European Union. [Extracted from the article]

The European Parliament has voted in favor of extending producer responsibility schemes for textiles in the EU, requiring producers to cover the costs of collecting, sorting, and recycling their products. The new rules would cover a wide range of textile products, including clothing, accessories, blankets, bed linen, curtains, hats, footwear, mattresses, and carpets. However, trade bodies, such as the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI), have expressed concerns about the short timelines proposed for implementing these schemes, citing potential excessive costs and red tape for the industry. FESI also advocates for a realistic timeline and harmonization of reporting obligations for companies. [Extracted from the article]

The European textile and clothing industry is a significant contributor to the region's economy, employing 1.3 million workers and generating a turnover of €167 billion. Euratex, an organization representing the industry, is calling for collaborative efforts between industry stakeholders and policymakers to create a favorable environment for innovation, creativity, and sustainability. They emphasize the importance of entrepreneurship and open dialogue between policymakers and industry players. Euratex recommends focusing on developing a smart EU industrial policy, ensuring sustainability alongside competitiveness, promoting free and fair trade, and incentivizing the demand for sustainable textiles. The organization also supports the European Commission's initiative to revise the Textiles Labelling Regulation. [Extracted from the article]

The European Council has agreed on new rules to reduce packaging waste in the EU. The proposals aim to cut packaging waste by 5% by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040. The plans cover various industries and sectors, including manufacturing, retail, and households, and aim to ensure that all packaging on the market is recyclable. Restrictions will be placed on single-use packaging for fruits, vegetables, condiments, sauces, and beverages served in the foodservice industry. However, exemptions may be allowed for organic fruits and vegetables. Additionally, EU members will be required to provide collection services for 90% of single-use plastic bottles and metal beverage containers by 2029. The new rules also include compostable tea bags and sticky labels on fruits and vegetables, as well as measures to address chemicals in packaging that hinder reuse or recycling. The legislation is currently being negotiated between the European Commission and the European Parliament. [Extracted from the article]

In 2022, it teamed up with Toyama prefecture-based plastics R&D firm Shirouma Science Co Ltd, Osaka-based packaging manufacturer Fuji Seal International Inc and Tokyo-based packaging manufacturer Rengo Co. to create a "Pure Select Mayonnaise Fresh Keep Bottle". An official from the European Fresh Produce Association, Freshfel, says while it was expecting the new law to harmonise EU packaging waste rules more closely, it is pressing EU ministers and European Parliament members to ensure it does not regulate the packaging of fresh products more harshly than canned and bottled lines. [Extracted from the article]

The EU's legislative body - the European Parliament - adopted the new law yesterday (19 April). Keywords: Confectionery; ESG; Meat; Pan-industry; Savoury Snacks; Shelf-stable; News EN Confectionery ESG Meat Pan-industry Savoury Snacks Shelf-stable News N.PAG N.PAG 1 04/25/23 20230420 NES 230420 The EU has banned products linked to deforestation in a move that could impact meat producers and cocoa and palm-oil suppliers. [Extracted from the article]

In the article, the author reports updates in blockchain and cryptocurrency market. Also cited are the resolution from the European Parliament supporting distributed ledger technologies (DLT) and Blockchains, the launching by IBM Research of the Crypto Anchor Verifier technology to detect counterfeit goods like wine, and the hacking attack by malicious hackers against Bitcoin Gold.

The article focuses on the issue of implementing a robot tax in 2017. The aim of the robot tax to be implemented in San Francisco, California is to support low income residents. It points out that the European Commission and Parliament were the first to raise the issue publicly by emphasizing the need for a legal framework around artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. The implication of a robot tax framework for the financial technology (fintech) industry is noted.

The article presents the U.S. Congressional Research Service report which provides an overview of European Parliament and U.S. interest in the same. Topics discussed include the role of European Parliament in some aspects of U.S.-European Union relations; interparliamentary exchanges between and the European Parliament; and an account of structure and organization of members of the European Parliament.

The article offers news briefs related to Europe. Topics include Polish President Andrzej Duda's request for a permanent U.S. military base in the country to check Russia aggression, voting by the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for disciplinary process against the conduct of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and intense negotiations for Great Britain's disengagement from the European Union.

The article offers news briefs related to Europe. Topics include Polish President Andrzej Duda's request for a permanent U.S. military base in the country to check Russia aggression, voting by the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) for disciplinary process against the conduct of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and intense negotiations for Great Britain's disengagement from the European Union.

The article presents the country report for Netherlands as of March 2, 2015. Topics mentioned include the improvement in government finances which prompt the 2015 budget with few fiscal adjustments, the increase the spending on military, and tackles unemployment, the remain of the economic growth vulnerability despite the recovery signs, and the results in May 2014 election of the European Parliament cemented the pro-European policy platform.

The article presents a country report on the economic, social, and political condition of Belgium, as of August 2014. Topics discussed include the federal and regional elections held by the country for positions in the European Parliament, how the country's lack of competitiveness may limit economic growth, and the value of domestic and international economic indicators. Other issues discussed are tariff and non-tariff barriers, international agreements, corruption, and labor conditions.

The article presents the Emerging Europe Monitor monthly regional report by the periodical "Business Monitor International", relating to projected economic conditions of Central Europe and the Baltic States for the years 2014 and 2015. Topics include real gross domestic product (GDP) growth in Slovakia, Estonia's fiscal policy and the European Parliament elections. Other topics include impact of pension system reform on Poland's fiscal conditions and economic forecast for Czech Republic.

The article presents a country report on Finland. Topics discussed include councils of the country planning to raise local taxes, business confidence increasing in October 2013, however, still remaining weak, and the European Parliament elections being scheduled for May 2014 while the presidential elections are to take place in February 2018.

Since its early beginnings, the member states of the European Communities have tried to establish a common foreign policy and at the same time were reluctant to implement it. Only the Maastricht Treaty introduced an institutional framework. However, the emerging Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) has been criticized for its lack of democratic legitimacy, since it has been dominated by the member states at the expense of democratic control by the European Parliament (EP). Therefore, it is puzzling that the Lisbon Treaty implemented new powers for the EP in external relations. Why was the Parliament given these new powers? Is it connected to the 'democratic deficit' of foreign relations and therefore a new strategy of the European Union (EU) to enhance legitimacy or is this process a result of interinstitutional dynamics? Are these mechanisms relevant for the integration process in general? Derived from New Institutionalism, this paper argues that the European Parliament was granted new powers due to its strong democratic profile as well as interinstitutional dynamics within the political system of the European Union. The case study on the new European External Action Service (EEAS) focuses on the consequences of the new provisions of the Treaty. Content analyses of interinstitutional documents on the construction of the EEAS suggest that the increasing recognition of the Parliament as an important policy actor by the other European institutions translated into institutional powers to an even greater extent than intended in the Lisbon Treaty. Hence, the results have important implications for institutional as well as democratization analysis of the EU and International Organizations in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines a key dimension of democratic control, namely parliamentary control of military missions and presents the findings of an in-depth case study on the EU's maritime mission Atalanta that was launched to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia. The case study finds that none of the parliaments we studied was actively involved in the decision-making process before the main decisions whether and in what form to launch an EU-led maritime mission had been made. Moreover, the competences and activities of national parliaments vary widely resulting in a patchwork of parliamentary control at the national level. Whereas some parliaments are very well informed and closely monitor government policy, others are, by and large, left in the dark. Furthermore, although the European Parliament (EP) has had no influence on the initial decision to launch an EU military mission, once Atalanta had begun, it scrutinized the mission through questions, debates, hearings and field trips. In doing so, it benefitted from its access to top militaries and key decisionmakers who frequently visited the EP and its committees. Finally, transnational parliamentary assemblies as well as more informal networks provide opportunities to gain information about military missions and about other countries' preferences, concerns etc. Party groups are an important medium for establishing such informal contacts across national boundaries. A closer look reveals, however, that these opportunities are used to very different degrees within different party groups, by different national delegations and by individual MPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002, the European Parliament and the Council concluded an Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) on access to sensitive documents in the area of security and defence. The agreement gives the Parliament privileged access to documents that are withheld from the public. This article suggests two explanations of why this agreement was established. One proposes that the Parliament was able to convince the Council of the Parliament's legitimate right of access. The other explanation puts forward that it was the Parliament's bargaining strategy that secured the deal. It is argued that both explanations are necessary to capture the key features of the negotiation process and the outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After each European election nearly half of the outgoing Members of the European Parliament re-enter the EP for an additional legislative term. Despite this being a persistent phenomenon, the reasons behind it are still unclear. In this paper I test the hypothesis that the work of MEPs in the EP affects their chances for re-election. I argue that there are reasons both in favour and against the link between MEP activity and performance and re-election. On the one hand, European elections are second-order, which means that citizens' criteria largely concentrate on domestic issues, thus constraining incentives to maximise MEPs' performance in the EP. On the other, MEPs may wish to prove to their European political group, their national party and their constituents that they are hard-working parliamentarians who deserve to be reelected and climb the EP hierarchy. The paper focuses on the quantitative aspect of MEPs' work in the EP. As sensationalist evidence on MEPs performance is more likely to resonate with the public, crude quantitative indicators cannot be dismissed light-heartedly. National media have often picked up how many reports, resolutions and questions MEPs have drafted in order to distinguish between 'top' and 'bottom' performers, and MEPs have proven particularly sensitive in this respect. Furthermore, increased activity in the EP implies expertise and political experience which may be valued by the national parties. The data analysis confirms that MEP output and re-election are associated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows that the main pattern of European democratisation has unfolded along the lines of an EU organised as a multilevel system of representative parliamentary government and not as a system of deliberative governance as the transnationalists propound. But the multilevel EU has developed a structure of representation that is theoretically challenging. In order to come to grips with this we present an institutional variant of deliberative theory, which understands democracy as the combination of a principle of justification and an organisational form. It comes with the following explanatory mechanisms: claimsmaking, justification and learning which in the EU also program institutional copying and emulation mechanisms. We show that the EU has established an incomplete system of representative democracy steeped in a distinct representation-deliberation interface, which has emerged through a particular and distinct configuration of democratisation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role and functioning of the upper chambers of Central and Eastern European (CEE) parliaments have for a long time been a minor topic on the research agenda of legislative specialists. This paper seeks to fill the gap in existing research by aiming to determine the main effects caused by the process of Europeanisation on the relationships between the upper and lower chambers of parliaments in four CEE countries; the Czech Republic, Poland, Romania and Slovenia. The paper identifies these changes on two levels - the institutional and the individual. The institutional level analysis examines changes in the formal and informal structures of CEE bicameral legislatures and their functioning. The individual level analysis focuses on changes within the recruitment and career patterns of parliamentarians within the expanded multilevel governance system. The aim of the paper is to determine whether the process of Europeanisation and EU accession establishes a common ground for formal and informal cooperation between the chambers (and their respective members) at the national level, or whether this process operates as a further constraint for the successful consolidation of parliaments in Central and Eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the run-up to the EU Treaty of Lisbon, and its failed predecessor the EU Constitutional Treaty, there has been increasing attention for the formal links between the European Parliament and national parliaments. There is however very little systematic evidence of whether and how parliamentarians actually use these formal opportunities in practice. In this paper we report on a survey among members of the sixth European Parliament (2004-2009) about the way they coordinated their work with their national parties and representatives in national parliaments. The survey results confirm our hypothesis that most inter-parliamentary engagement actually proceeds through political parties rather than through the formal inter-parliamentary institutions that have been developed. Following up on this, three more conclusions come to the fore. One is that MEPs coordinate above all with party colleagues from their own country. Contacts with parliamentarians from other countries are much rarer. Secondly, we find that initiatives from MEPs towards the domestic level outweigh initiatives the other way around, and that a majority of MEPs considers that their national party engages too little with EP affairs. Finally, our results suggest that there is considerable variation between different party families in the standing that MEPs enjoy within their national parties, the amount of inter-parliamentary coordination, and the attention national parties pay to EU decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we apply a revised version of the discourse quality index (DQI) developed by Steenbergen et al. on European Parliament debates in an attempt to evaluate the democratic quality of representation at the EU level. This updated measurement instrument, after the inclusion of new indicators, helps us identify not just the principles of EU deliberation but most importantly the favourable contextual conditions of supranational deliberation. We illustrate the new DQI coding for selected debates over the last EU parliamentary term and across six debate topics following the former three pillar structure of the Union. We discuss how these data can be employed to assess the overall quality of deliberation in the European Parliament. At the same time we demonstrate that institutional issues matter for the quality of EP discourse much like MEPs personal characteristics. Issue attributes on the other hand, influence supranational deliberation but not in the expected direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the prominence, content and justifications of Euroscepticism as a form of EU legitimacy contestation. Support of and opposition to European integration have so far been mainly measured through the positions of political parties or citizens' attitudes through public opinion polls. Against this reliance on static indicators, we focus on dynamic contestation, mediation and formation of public opinion in the public sphere. Our survey delivers original data on EU legitimacy contestation as unfolding on frequently visited political websites and blogs in 12 EU Member States and transnational websites during the European Parliament election campaign of 2009. The results are, first, that intensity of contestation varies across Member States unrelated to the amount of coverage of the elections. Secondly, the majority of contestation focuses on the current institutional set-up of the EU, rather than the principle or future project of European integration. A majority of evaluations made, particularly those by citizens, are negative in all countries included in our study. However, as these Eurosceptical contributions remain relatively underspecified, it is unclear what would alleviate citizens' discontent. Thirdly, we find that a primary concern in EU legitimacy contestation is democracy, especially for those evaluating EU legitimacy negatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Committee of the Regions is a relatively young institution in the European Union context. Since having been set up by the Maastricht Treaty, it has gone through an interesting development which saw an increase in its consultative role, an important expansion of its remit and also its resources, and a number of new initiatives in trying to act as the platform and voice of local and regional interests in the EU policy process. The present paper tries to evaluate the CoR's trajectory through the prism of the three models of EU democracy development (audit democracy, multi-national federal democracy and regional-European cosmopolitan democracy) as developed in the RECON project. It is argued that the sub-national level has to be directly involved in the EU structures in any attempt at 're-constituting' democracy at EU level. The Committee of the Regions as it stands today does have elements of all three models of democracy in it, and these different features seem to pull the Committee in different directions at times. It emerges clearly from this analysis, however, that the CoR has an important role to play in an EU conceived as a genuine multi-level system of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a country report for Austria as of October 2009. It notes the shift in voter sentiment in the June 2009 elections for seats in the European Parliament. A series of economic recovery packages designed to uplift local demand and encourage hiring and investments by businesses has been implemented by the government. In the second quarter of 2009, Austria's economy contracted by 4.7%, but it registered a decline of just 0.4% compared to the first quarter.

The article presents economic and political forecasts for Austria from 2009 to 2014. A rightward shift in voter sentiment was observed in the results of the June 2009 elections for seats in the European Parliament and was also confirmed in subsequent provincial elections. The fiscal deficit of the country is forecasted to average 4% to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2009-2010. The decline in the current account balance in the second quarter of 2009 is also noted.

The article presents the economic and political outlook of Hungary for 2009-2010. An overview of the country's political scene is given, including domestic and international relations as well as the effort of Hungarian political parties to complete their nominations for the European Parliament elections in June. The country's economic scene is also cited, including the government's plan to restructure tax system and to extend its U.S.$2.86 billion bank bail-out package to the end of 2009.

The article offers news briefs on energy industries in Europe. European Parliament's endorsement of the 20/20/20 climate change plan has created many divisions between Western and Eastern member states. European Regulators Group for Electricity and Gas notes on the need for Europe to create a single energy market regulator to reach a single energy market. The misconceptions between industry regulator, suppliers and policy makers have stimulated the decline of energy markets in Great Britain.

Presents updates on the political condition in Poland as of September 2004. Confirmation of Marek Belka as Prime Minister; Details of controversies following the Prime Minister's appointment; Assessment of the first Polish election to the European Parliament that was held on June 13, 2004.

Presents an outlook for the political and economic conditions in Greece from 2004 to 2005. Number of seats won by the Panhellenic Socialist Movement in the Greek Parliament; Dominance of the New Democracy party in the seats for the country's representation in the European Parliament; Plans of Synaspismos leader Nikos Constantopoulos for 2004.

The second quarter of 2004 was a turbulent one for the LDS, which suffered a surprise loss in the European Parliament election in June, and was then forced to oust the foreign minister, Dimitrij Rupel, from the cabinet; subsequently, Mr. Rupel left the party. Campaigning for the October parliamentary election is set to begin in September, with the outcome of the election increasingly uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest opposition party, the Social Democratic Party, was the main winner at the elections to the European Parliament in June, obtaining 32.6% of the vote. The party benefited from a well orchestrated campaign and the population's dissatisfaction with the government. Much discontent is focused on the prime minister, who is perceived to have mishandled a number of sensitive issues in recent months, notably a leak of intelligence reports on Iraq. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers news briefs related to government and politics of Europe as of October 20, 2018. Topics discussed include presence of military forces in Poland has been requested by U.S. President Donald Trump, negotiation set for Great Britain to disentangle from European Union (EU) with the Brexit, and votings by the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to trigger European Union's (EU) disciplinary against the conduct of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The article offers financial industry news brief as of July 2022. Topics discussed include the Markets in Cryptoassets (MiCA) directive approved by the Council and the European Parliament which increase investor confidence in the market; Crypto exchanges will need a license and their operations will be monitored by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) and tracking of transactions falls under the transfer of funds regulation (TFR) which is an anti-money laundering framework.

The article explains the organizational structure of the European Parliament (EP). Topic discussed include the conduct of national elections for Members of the EP (MEP), the formation of transnational groups among MEPs based on political ideology, and the basic guidelines for electing a President of the EP who will serve for two-and-a-half years. The article also mentions the existence of 20 standing EP committees for issues like education, the environment, and economic affairs.

The article examines the prospects and challenges facing the U.S. and European Union (EU) in view of the European Parliament's (EP) expanding influence. Topics discussed include the implications of the EP's enhanced powers on U.S.-EU international agreements, and the factors that led to the EP's rejection of the U.S.-EU SWIFT agreement on counter-terrorism. It mentions the EP's possible veto of information-sharing agreements following reports of U.S. intelligence operations in Europe.

The article explains the different roles of the European Parliament (EP) with respect to the various governing processes of the European Union (EU). Topics discussed include the expansion of the EP's role in affecting the legislative process, its shared responsibility with the Council of Ministers in determining and allocating the annual budget of the EU. It also explains the scope of the EP's supervisory and oversight authority over the European Commission and Council of Ministers.

The article presents a U.S. Congressional Research Service report on the European Parliament (EP). Topics discussed include the EP elections on May 22-25, 2014 for European Union (EU) member states, the effect of the Lisbon Treaty on increasing the power of the EP, and the role of the EP's standing committees in adopting EU legislation. It also examines how the EP's extended powers are affecting U.S. interests on information-sharing agreements.

In the article, the author discusses the highlights of the 2018 CryptoValley (CV) Summit, particularly the Blockchain for Finance (Blockchain4Finance) thematic competition. Also cited are the participants like BlockKeeper, EnigioTime, Pigzbe, and CapexMove, as well as the decision by the European Parliament that cryptocurrencies can be utilized as alternative to money.