Raising the Game: Better Legislation

The European Parliament helps the cultural and audiovisual sectors through the Creative Europe programme. With a budget of EUR 2.5 billion for the 2021-2027 period, the European Union is investing in cultural sectors ranging from music and literature to architecture, film and news media. The programme is also helping in the fight against gender inequality in the cultural industries and promoting E...

The European Union is drawing up the world’s first Artificial Intelligence Act. Parliament wants to promote innovation in this area while protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms. The new law will ban systems with an unacceptable level of risk for people’s safety and impose rules on other systems.

As part of the ‘Fit for 55’ package, the European Commission made a legislative proposal to review the EU’s current emissions trading system. In order to achieve the ambitious climate target of a 55 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, set by the European Climate Law, the EU is further strengthening its emissions trading system. In this episode, we will cover the EU’s emissions trading scheme...

On the fifth of June, we celebrate World Environment Day. Over the past five decades, that day has grown to be one of the largest global platforms for environmental outreach. 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of World Environment Day. Tens of millions of people take part along with governments, companies, cities and community organizations. This year the host is Côte d'Ivoire in partnership with the...

According to the European Commission, buildings consume 40% of the EU’s energy and are responsible for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions. While the entire European Union is trying to limit its energy consumption, urgent measures must be taken to address this situation. In March 2023, Parliament adopted draft measures to increase the rate of renovations and substantially reduce both energy consumptio...

The European Parliament launched its revised EU pharmaceutical package in the first quarter of 2023. The fragmentation of EU health research and development, a lack of transparency and a disparity between public investment and clinical output are among the weaknesses identified. Possible solutions include the creation of a large-scale European biomedical infrastructure, and a series of targeted st...

In this episode of ‘Raising the game, better legislation’, we will talk about the uses of drones in the medical field and the measures that the European Union is taking to regulate them.

While steps have been taken over the past century to improve prospects for women and girls in science across the world, there is still a lot left to do. The global health crisis has put equalities at risk and slowed progress on a number of fronts. This podcast celebrates the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and looks at how women have contributed to the fight against the COVID-19 pa...

Ukraine is one of the world's largest producers of grains and oilseeds. But its exports heavily depend on maritime transport: prior to the war, more than 90 % of these products were exported via the Black Sea. With the ongoing war, exports have been blocked and food prices have risen worldwide. Through the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the EU Solidarity Lanes, these goods are being exported again...

Solar energy seems to have many advantages: it is cheap, clean and has been the fastest-growing energy source in the last decade. It can be used for electricity, heating, and help to reduce the EU’s dependency on energy imports. However, several challenges remain. Let’s see how the European Union will face these challenges and how the use of solar energy could help the Union in its green transitio...

Russia’s war on Ukraine started at the end of February, and there is still no end in sight. The invasion has forced millions of people to flee Ukraine or seek refuge in other parts of the country, causing one of the greatest European humanitarian crisis of recent times. The chaos created by the conflict has increased the risk of violence and exploitation exponentially, especially for the most vuln...

Since the creation of the economic and monetary union, the European Union has created various instruments to provide financial assistance for its Member States. In this episode, we will talk about these financial instruments: their names, functions and aims, and see how they have been used in recent years and by whom.

Most of the world’s farmers are engaged in small-scale agriculture. Most small farms are located in developing countries but they are found in developed countries too. In fact, the vast majority of the EU’s 10 million farms are small farms. However we define a small farm, improving the conditions of small-scale food producers is a global objective.

Worldwide, forests are being lost at an alarming rate: the equivalent of 800 football fields per hour. As deforestation is a critical contributor to climate change and a leading cause of biodiversity loss, it is becoming increasingly clear that a sustainable future cannot be achieved without tackling deforestation, and we also need to take measures to protect and sustainably manage forests. The UN...

Care work provided in homes and institutions is a public good that is under-valued by society. Care workers are more likely to have low earnings and precarious working conditions. Moreover, women carry out the bulk of unpaid care work within households. EU action in the care sector has the potential for high returns for society. Fostering the 'equal earner – equal carer model' could generate benef...

Since the start of Russia’s war on Ukraine, there has been mounting evidence of possible violations of international criminal law during the conflict. Active investigations into alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide are already under way and the EU is playing an active role in the process.

Moscow invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, but Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine have been taking place since Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. During this time, Ukraine's public, energy, media, financial, business and non-profit sectors have been the main targets. The attacks intensified just before the invasion, undermining the distribution of medicines, food and relief supplies...

The climate crisis is rapidly reshaping our world and fighting it is a priority on the EU’s agenda. Climate change is threatening to displace millions of people within countries and across borders. The UN estimates that water stress alone could displace 700 million people by 2030. If no action is taken, it will mean permanent international displacement on a massive scale.

The European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states, but a number of countries have applied to join the Union. Currently there are seven candidate countries, while three are potential candidates. However, the process to finally become a member state is long and not straightforward.

Automated decision-making by systems that use machine learning to dynamically improve performance are still seen as lacking the 'human perspective' and flexibility to adapt to the particular nuances of specific cases. But perhaps, as they lack the 'cunning' to hide their biases, automated systems actually make fairer decisions than do humans, when these decisions are based on data that have been p...

On average, women only account for around 16 % of total employees in the main transport sectors (land transport, water transport and aviation). In view of emerging labour shortages in these vital economic sectors, worsened by the coronavirus pandemic, experts say the percentage of female transport workers needs to increase.

Discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer people persists both within the EU and around the world. Measures to combat such discrimination have become part of the EU’s internal and external policies.  

Russia is the largest exporter of oil, natural gas and coal to the EU. Even before the war on Ukraine, natural gas prices had significantly increased and the current crisis will no doubt have a major impact on price levels in Europe. The EU will need to see how to diversify its supply and increase its energy independence.

The European Commission has announced 'right to repair' legislation, with the objective of cutting consumer costs and promoting a circular economy. 'Right to repair' legislation can refer to a variety of issues and circumstances: for example, the right to repair during the legal guarantee, the right to repair after the legal guarantee has expired, and the right for consumers to repair products the...

2022 is the European Year of Youth, which means that this year the policy area of education will be an important part of the European Parliament’s agenda. From the continuation of the Erasmus programme to plans for a European Education Area, there are some hurdles to cross along the way. Here is a brief overview of what the European Union is currently working on with regards to education.