Discussing policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials

Views: 35During the whole week, i.e. 9-13 December, over a thousand participants from industry, administration, civil society, research and academia will come together to discuss policies and initiatives in the field of raw materials. The week’s activities are assisted by the recent Critical Raw Materials Act, CRMA, which entered into force in May 2024; the […]

EU in the world – agreement with the Mercosur bloc

Views: 26Positive progress made during the last decades, allowed the EU and Mercosur, through an intense process of negotiations, “to adjust” their relationships according to challenges facing national, regional and global governance. During last two years both sides conducted several rounds of negotiations and committed to the present agreement, which is not only serving increased […]

European digitalised border control and management

Views: 25The EU is planning to create a Union-wide entry/exit digital border control system, EES in order to reduce identity fraud, facilitate visa processing and further reinforcing the EU’s approach to integrated border management for non-EU nationals. The EES will digitally record person’s name, travel document, biometric data (e.g. fingerprints and captured facial images) as […]

Assisting education and growth: African Leadership University

Views: 28The idea to create continental-wide centers to educate future leaders for African states appeared about a decade ago. Now there are, actually, two vital education providers: the African Leadership Academy (since 2008) and the African Leadership University, ALU (since 2014); the latter has already several campuses – in Kenya and Nigeria, Rwanda and Ethiopia. […]

Competition rules and technology transfer: facilitating incentives for research

Views: 24New European Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation, TTBER exempts certain categories of technology transfer agreements from the prohibition of anti-competitive agreements in the EU basic law. Modern legal supplements are aimed at strengthening the incentives for research and development, facilitating the diffusion of technologies and promoting competition.  

New European Commission’s College: competences and roles for next five years (Part II)

Views: 160The second article covers portfolios of twenty new Commissioners, who are popularly regarded as the European “sectoral minister”. As soon as their portfolios include numerous competences and capacities, it is appropriate limiting “presentations” in a divided form according to present College political priorities. It is also worth mentioning that the new staff starts practical […]

New European Commission’s College: competences and roles for next five years (Part I)

Views: 164In the President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposal for the new College’s political guidance this September, some new priorities have been formulated with specific tasks assigned to the future “EU-ministers” for the next 5 years. The first article deals with the College’s leadership (i.e. Commission’s executive vice presidents), the second, will “cover portfolios” of […]

First risk assessment under the Digital Service Act

Views: 38The providers of the first 19 very large online platforms (VLOPs) and very large search engines (VLOSEs) designated in April 2023 must publish their annual risk assessment and audit reports for the first time, under the Digital Services Act (DSA). The reports shall include such aspects of their services as e.g. dissemination of illegal […]

Emission reduction targets: carbon market rules and “clean” investments

Views: 29Since the European Green Deal was adopted at the end of 2019, the EU has committed to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. This objective became legally binding with the adoption and entry into force in 2021 of the European Climate Law. This EU-wide legislation sets an intermediate target of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions […]

European external trade: negotiations and perspectives

Views: 27The EU Foreign Affairs Council on Trade exercises – on behalf of the member states – trade negotiations with the outside world (so-called EU common commercial policy); this work is within the so-called exclusive EU competences. The EU trade Commissioner provided an overview of some bilateral trade negotiations: the EU already has the largest […]