EU Decoded

Despite the efforts made by professionals, discourse on mental health is to a certain degree still considered a stigma. But why? If we are so invested in our physical health, why aren’t we just as invested in our mental health? Because of this stigma, we will continue bringing you conversations such as the one in this week’s podcast episode. A few weeks ago, our host Jack Parrock brought together...

Even though the Polish Government says it doesn't want to see Poland leave the EU, its actions often tell a completely different story. Courts packed with politically eligible individuals, blatant disrespect for the primacy of EU law, controversial legislation and tribunal rulings. All this has forced the people of Poland to take to the streets, and has also caused friction between the Polish Gove...

In this week’s episode, our host Georgina Wright is joined by Lidia Pereira, a Member of the European Parliament since 2019 and President of the Youth of the European People's Party; Monika Grzegorczyk, a researcher at the Brussels based think tank Bruegel; and Marc Steiert, a researcher at the European University Institute in Florence. Throughout the discussion they raised some important points o...

In this week's episode we are discussing the impact of the Farm to Fork Strategy. The European Commission proposed Farm to Fork and it is expected to set certain targets, including cutting pesticide use in half and reducing the use of mineral fertilisers by 20 percent.  But - what will be the impact of these measures both on farmers and on consumers? Our host Chris Burns looked for the answer...

In this week's episode, we are bringing you a talk about the future of EU-US relations.  In light of the recent events in Afghanistan, but also in light of the AUKUS deal, the alliance between the USA, the UK and Australia, which involved a submarine deal worth billions that replaced a French deal on submarines, it's obvious that relations between Europe and the United States have taken a hit...

What do spyware and disinformation have in common? They are both a part of malicious attacks on the EU from the outside world. In this week’s episode, we are talking about these two threats. Are your phones in danger? Is that thing you read yesterday really true? Our host Chris Burns sat down with Vlado Bilcik MEP, and Monika Richter, Head of Research and Analysis at Semantic Visions, to get some...

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer. Over 355.000 women in the EU's 27 countries were estimated to be diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. It amounts to 13,3 percent of all cancer diagnoses.  In this podcast, you're going to hear from three women who are each playing a different but important role in the fight against breast cancer. Dr. Isabel Rubio is the Head of Brea...

The latest developments in Afghanistan have, once again, urged another global discussion on security and defence. And while most will automatically think of NATO on this topic, we can't go on without asking - what about the EU? What about European defence? In our latest podcast episode, Georgina Wright sat down for a talk with MEP Arnaud Danjean, and Claudia Major from the German Institute for Int...

Enlargement is often considered one of the EU's most powerful policy tools. But is it the right time for the EU to welcome new Member States? And what do citizens think about it? Are we ready? Especially given the fact that the EU is still recovering from several crises it has encountered over the past decade. In the latest episode of the EPP Group's podcast series 'What's next for the EU?', Georg...

Hate speech online against women is a growing problem, which perpetuates and exacerbates gender inequality. In fact, 1 in 10 women in Europe have experienced some kind of cyber violence since the age of 15.  And many of those who suffered it changed their habits in the online space by: censoring themselves online, opting out of participation and  limiting their engagement in our societie...

Defence research has laid the groundwork for some of our greatest technological leaps – including the modern Internet. However, in the past ten years, with the advent of deep-learning techniques, massive processing power, huge databases and near-real time information, AI has started to have profound implications for the defence world.  Yet according to the European Defence Agency, few Europea...

Today, the European Union is facing many challenges, probably more than ever before.  Inevitable changes are required to tackle the pandemic, the climate crisis, and to remain competitive in a world of turmoil. The EU has launched a new Conference on the Future of Europe, designed to ask the citizens what they want and what they expect from the EU.  To keep up with the conference, the EP...

In a moment of history where the world is tackling covid crisis, cyber threats and other global challenges, it’s vital to talk about the Future of Europe. How can we recover from this crisis? How can we defend ourselves from the cyber warfare? How can we create more equality on EU level?  We looked for answers to these questions in our latest episode on the Future of Europe. Listen to our gue...

There have been many challenges in the history of the European Union, but now, as Europe is still grappling with the coronavirus pandemic, the question in which direction we are heading seems more vital than ever. Join us for a new episode of our podcast in which the former president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker joined EPP Group's Chairman Manfred Weber in a discussion on the Fut...

This week’s episode of the EPP Group podcast on the Rights of the Child looks at the issue of child empowerment. How listened-to do children feel today compared to 10 or 20 years ago? How do children in Europe fare compared to the rest of the world, and what more can we do? To discuss all this and the potential solutions,  we are joined by MEPs Roberta Metsola and Eva Kopacz and Jana Hainswor...

The EU should support pro-democracy Russians by tightening the screws on Putin's associates with tougher sanctions while deepening ties with countries like Ukraine to show the benefits of democracy, say exiled Russian dissident Mikhaïl Khodorkovsky and EPP Group MEP Andrius Kubilius, a former Lithuanian Prime Minister.  Listen to their podcast as they also discuss the capture of Belarusian bl...

Data is the driving force behind innovation, particularly in Artificial Intelligence. But there are many different sorts of data – from commercial data, to personal data, big open source public data, to metadata – and how it is mined, managed and made useful has a huge impact on how successful the resulting AI programs will be. Getting access to the various types of data is a challenge that could...

With malicious social networks sabotaging elections and the fight against Covid, there are calls for tougher regulations to rein in disinformation on the social networks. In this EPP Group podcast, MEPs Sabine Verheyen and Vlado Bilčík talk with the head of LieDetectors.org, Juliane von Reppert-Bismarck, about quick fixes and longer-term action.  As more elections approach in the EU this year...

In 2016, more than half the child sex abuse material hosted globally was in Europe, so there is still some way to go to make children safe online. We look at the issues of cybercrime and digital literacy. Future generations must be able to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by digital technologies and this means teaching children how to protect themselves online, but also how to na...

In a post-Brexit Europe, the idea is to reconnect European citizens with the decision-making process in Brussels and Strasbourg - to give the people their say in how the EU should function. The plan is now in action with an EU digital portal being used where citizens can give their views online - the EU promises every single one will be read. With the Conference on the Future of Europe getting int...

With the new EU-UK trade accord getting the green light from the European Parliament, the road ahead can still be treacherous for people on both sides of the Channel and the Irish border. Still to work out: fishing rights, financial services, and preventing more unrest in Northern Ireland. In the latest EPP Group podcast, MEPs Deirdre Clune and David McAllister give their take on how to deal with...

Should the European Parliament ratify an Investment Accord with China when Beijing maintains its oppressive policies in Xinjiang, Tibet and Hong Kong?  And after China blacklisted five Parliament Members in a tit-for-tat against EU sanctions? Check out this EPP Group podcast with one of those blacklisted MEPs - Miriam Lexmann of Slovakia - along with Polish MEP and ex-Foreign Minister Radosła...

We delve into the issues facing cancer screening programmes within the European Union with a rundown of the dedicated hearing within the European Parliament’s Special Committee on Beating Cancer and are joined by Irish MEP Deidre Clune. To find out more follow the www.eucanbeatcancer.eu (#EUCanBeatCancer) campaign on social media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eucanbeatcancer/ (@eucanbeatca...

The recent assassinations of journalists in Malta and Slovakia are the most shocking ways to silence free media. So is hijacking justice to wage ''strategic lawsuits against public participation,'' or SLAPP cases against reporters. EPP Group Members in the European Parliament's Special Committee on Disinformation - Sandra Kalniete and Vlado Bilcik - join Michał Szułdrzyński, Deputy Editor of the P...

If Europe is to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis with renewed competitive vigor, the potential of Artificial intelligence must be fully realised. But as with all new technologies, concerts linger about how and when it should be used. Clearly there is scope for good regulation to harness A.I. for the benefit of Europeans. Listen to our EPP Group Podcast episode featuring MEPs Axel VOSS, Anna-Michell...