06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Could
introducing more precision agriculture in Europe allow us to obtain
food resilience, while ensuring sustainability and jobs, and taking into
account the EU’s wide agricultural diversity? Precision agriculture
(PA), or precision farming, involves using technology to improve the
ratio between agricultural output (usually food) and agricultural input
(land, energy, water, fertilisers, pesticides, etc.). PA consists of
using sensors to identify crop or livestock needs precisely (in space or
time), and then intervening in a targeted way to maximise the
productivity of each plant and animal, whilst minimising any waste of
resources.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
To
address remaining discrepancies, achieve a level playing field and
reflect on market, consumption and technological changes as part of its
Digital Single Market strategy, the European Commission presented an
update of the EU Audiovisual Media Services Directive on 25 May 2016.
The overarching goal of the proposal is to bring about a balance between
competitiveness and consumer protection. It therefore aims to introduce
flexibility when restrictions only applicable to TV are no longer
justified, promote European films, protect minors and tackle hate speech
more efficiently. The proposal also reflects a new approach to online
platforms. Although the directive's increased protection for vulnerable
viewers in VOD platforms has been greeted with satisfaction, the new
rules on promotion of European works and commercial communications have
received mixed views from stakeholders. Second edition The ‘EU
Legislation in Progress’ briefings are updated at key stages throughout
the legislative procedure. Please click here for the full publication in
PDF format
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
various reports and assessments show that there are considerable
differences in the way vehicle road charges have been implemented across
Member States. This means that a fully integrated market is yet to be
reached. This is partly due to the flexibility contained in the various
legislations which allowed Member States to apply systems that first and
foremost fitted with their needs. As transport policy has increasingly
become more interlinked with reducing emissions, these differences have
become more problematic. The available evidence shows that there are
qualitative differences between the road charging systems with
distance-based charges being the most effective option. Indeed, it is
clear that a move towards this system has been happening for some time
now, and that road charges generally vary depending on emissions. The
reviews did not find evidence of discrimination against any HGV users.
In the area of electronic tolling, substantial variations can also be
found. While dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) is the most
used system, significant challenges around inter-operability remain. In
fact some argue that none of the current systems in use under EETS will
increase operability. Technological advances are nevertheless making
harmonising these services easier. Although some argue that the gradual
harmonisation seen to date has more to do with new technologies than
with EU legislation. While a harmonised system is important for the
internal market, road charges have also become closely linked with the
reduction in emissions according to the 'polluter pay' principle.
Following that logic, it would be difficult not to consider road charges
for all vehicles. Especially since passenger car emissions make up a
higher proportion of GHG emissions than HGVs. Indeed, the Commission's
consultation on the topic confirms that wide ranging options are being
considered. A broader scope raises more challenges, and as road charges
get more sophisticated, i.e. time-based for example, more care needs to
be taken that rates do not discriminate against some road users, in
particular non-nationals. However, road charges currently make up only a
very small proportion of the total costs for the transport sector,
which means that behavioural changes solely based on these charges are
likely to be limited. To significantly reduce transport emissions, much
broader actions will be required.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
People
with disabilities are among the most vulnerable in society. While
disability policy is primarily a Member State competence, the EU is
committed to improving the living conditions of all people with
disabilities and, in particular, to addressing the issue of
institutionalised care. Cohesion policy can play a key role in this
process. The cohesion policy framework sets out 11 thematic objectives
closely aligned to the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy, including
promoting social inclusion, combating poverty and any discrimination;
this objective allows Member States to focus structural funds (ESIF)
specifically on delivering support for people with disabilities. A new
emphasis on partnerships involving disability organisations in ESIF
programming as well as measures to prevent discrimination and ensure
accessibility for people with disabilities through the use of special
pre-conditions, ex ante conditionalities, aim to ensure that the views
of disabled people are taken into account and their fundamental rights
respected. Yet while operational programmes contain a broad range of
measures to support people with disabilities, with the European
Commission also reporting that Member States have respected the
partnership principle during ESIF programming and fulfilled many of the
ex ante conditionalities in place, the view of stakeholders has been
more mixed. Pointing to issues such as excessive reporting requirements
or a low level of knowledge among beneficiaries, they also have
reservations about the quality of the participation of disability
organisations in ESIF decision-making, raising questions as to the
likely impact of the planned measures. Looking to the future,
stakeholders emphasise the need to ensure the participation of
disability organisations in all ESIF decision-making, and stress the
importance of funding, potentially difficult in the context of
increasing pressures on the EU budget.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Serving
as access points to Europe, the European Union's approximately 1 200
seaports are crucial both for its transport sector and its
competitiveness. They also have significant potential for creating jobs
and attracting investors. The European Commission plans to redress the
huge disparities in performance levels by modernising the port services
offered by the EU’s 329 main seaports. The reform is aimed at
eliminating unfair competition, guaranteeing a level playing field and
improving the commercial efficiency of ports. Two previous attempts to
liberalise port services (in 2001 and 2004) provoked controversy,
particularly regarding their social/labour market aspects, and were
rejected by the European Parliament. The latest initiative combines a
legislative and a 'soft' approach. The previously contentious cargo
handling and passenger services will not be opened up to the market
through legislation. Instead, the Commission is focusing on establishing
a clear framework for market access to port services and common rules
on the transparency of public funding for ports and the charges for
users. The 'soft' approach comprises an action plan and the launch of
sectoral social dialogue. This briefing updates an earlier edition, of 6
December 2016, PE 595.829.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Approximately
14 million EU residents (mobile workers, unemployed and economically
inactive citizens) are not living in their home country. In order to
grant them the social and health benefits to which they are entitled,
coordination between the social security systems of the Member States is
necessary. However, the current Regulations (EC) No 883/2004 and (EC)
No 987/2009 no longer reflect the changing national social security
systems and the case law of the European Court of Justice. The European
Commission's December 2016 proposal aims to establish a coherent regime
for the coordination of long-term care benefits, and to clarify the
access of economically inactive citizens to social benefits. It proposes
new arrangements for the coordination of unemployment benefits in order
to enhance job-seeking, and provisions for the coordination of family
benefits, such as parental leave allowances. The proposal also seeks to
strengthen administrative rules on social security coordination for
posted workers. However, it does not intend to change existing rules on
the export of child benefits, despite demands from several stakeholders.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
EU has been working on reforming family leave policies in Member States
since the 1980s. Its efforts resulted in two currently valid
directives: the 1992 Maternity Leave Directive and the 2010 Parental
Leave Directive. Even though EU Member States’ transposition of the
current directives has been mostly satisfactory technically, in 2015 the
Commission announced a package on work-life balance which would replace
the current legislation. The rationale for the new package is
increasing female labour participation, bringing gender balance to care
activities now predominantly performed by women, and improving negative
demographic trends. The current legislative framework has been evaluated
as inadequate to deal with these challenges. While the content of the
Commission proposal is not yet fully known, an analysis of the current
situation may shed light on the direction of change, as well as the
obstacles that the new proposal may face. Even though Member States have
transposed the current directives, they have also been given much
freedom in deciding on elements which may be crucial in achieving the
aims of the new Commission proposal. Why Member States decided to
implement certain elements over others depends on their cultural, social
and economic situations, which, according to experts, play a
significant role in deciding policies of that type and may also
influence the new proposal.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
This
ex-post impact assessment analyses EU-US trade and investment relations
to assess whether and, if so, to what extent these relations have
impacted on issues related to tax evasion, money laundering and tax
transparency. The EU and US economies are highly intertwined, generating
together half the world’s gross domestic product and more than 30 % of
global trade. Overall, trade and investment relations between the
European Union and the United States do not seem to have impacted on US
efforts to combat tax evasion, strengthen anti-money laundering
legislation, and its implementation, and boost tax transparency. While
some progress has been made in the ongoing negotiation of the
Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which also aims
to establish regulatory cooperation between the EU and the USA on
financial services, progress has been below expectations. The United
States has set up mechanisms for information exchange with EU Member
States, has signed tax treaties with almost all EU Member States, and
has developed a robust legal framework to address money laundering and
combat terrorism financing. Despite being largely compliant with the
recommendations of the Financial Action Task Force, however, challenges
remain on questions of beneficial ownership, cross-border exchange of
information, privacy issues, and designated non-financial businesses and
professions.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
post-World War II order is undergoing profound changes with
globalisation and the emergence of new economic powers. The economy has
gradually taken over as the main driver of political influence and
global now transcend the old national or regional divides. As the EU was
emerging as a global economic player, the economic and financial crisis
made the need to tap into foreign markets all the greater. The creation
of the European External Action Service (EEAS), incorporating the EU
delegations, and the new EU competence for direct foreign investment
under the Treaty of Lisbon have given the Union the tools to assume an
independent identity in economic diplomacy. As a result, the EU’s
business-promotion policy evolved into a much more sophisticated
economic diplomacy strategy, handled in a more structured manner by the
Commission and the EEAS. The European Parliament must now be involved,
beyond its legislative and scrutiny roles, in devising this new
strategy. Not only could the EP add to the debate but it can also help
the Commission and the EEAS with its long-established tradition of
parliamentary diplomacy.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
This
study was commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department
for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the
Committee on Constitutional Affairs of the European Parliament. It
assesses the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon provisions on
national parliaments as well as other related developments since 2009.
The issues that are specifically investigated include the treaty
provisions regarding national parliaments, Early Warning Mechanism,
dialogue between national parliaments and the European Commission, the
extending networks of inter-parliamentary cooperation, the parliamentary
dimension of the budgetary and economic coordination and finally, the
challenges raised by the on-going developments of the European
legislative procedure.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Freedom
of movement and residence for persons in the EU is the cornerstone of
Union citizenship, established by the Treaty of Maastricht in 1992. The
gradual phasing-out of internal borders under the Schengen agreements
was followed by the adoption of Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of EU
citizens and their family members to move and reside freely within the
EU. Notwithstanding the importance of this right, substantial
implementation obstacles persist, ten years after the deadline for
implementation of the Directive.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Since
the entry into force of the Treaty of Maastricht, every EU citizen has
had the right to submit a petition to the European Parliament, in the
form of a complaint or a request, on an issue that falls within the
European Union’s fields of activity. Petitions are examined by
Parliament’s Committee on Petitions, which takes a decision on their
admissibility and is responsible for dealing with them.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
The
European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) is an important instrument of
participatory democracy in the European Union, allowing one million EU
citizens residing in at least one quarter of the Member States to invite
the Commission to submit a proposal for a legal act to implement the EU
Treaties. Since the application of Regulation (EU)
No 211/2011establishing detailed procedures and conditions for the ECI,
three initiatives have been successfully submitted to the Commission.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
There
is no codified European company law as such and Member States continue
to operate separate company acts, which are amended from time to time to
comply with EU directives and regulations. The ongoing efforts for
establishing a modern and efficient company law and corporate governance
framework for European undertakings, investors and employees aim to
improve the business environment in the EU.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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06-03-2017 12:00 AM CET
Audiovisual
policy in the EU is governed by Articles 167 and 173 of the Treaty on
the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The key piece of
legislation in this field is the Audiovisual Media Services Directive,
which is currently (2017) under revision. The main EU instrument to help
the industry (especially the film industry) is the MEDIA sub-programme
of Creative Europe. The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European
Union asks for respect of ‘freedom and pluralism of the media’.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP
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