European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
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The European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) provides comprehensive research and analytical support to the Members of the European Parliament, its parliamentary committees and the European Parliament as a whole. The EPRS philosophy is to provide independent, objective and authoritative information.
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
2d ago
Written by Albaladejo Román.
Ukraine enjoys excellent conditions for agriculture, including around a third of the world’s most fertile land. Three crops dominate the country’s agricultural production: wheat, maize and sunflower, intended primarily for export. Medium-sized agricultural enterprises lead crop production, although some companies farm as much as 500 000 hectares. This is a direct consequence of Soviet collectivisation, and the agricultural policies adopted after Ukraine’s independence in 1991. Only recently did Ukraine start opening up its land market.
In 2013, Russia blocked ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
4d ago
Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.
Approaching the end of the mandate, a number of debates on important legislative proposals took place during the April I 2024 plenary session: on the migration and asylum package, reform of the EU electricity market, and the pharmaceutical package. Members also debated Russia’s undemocratic elections, and in particular their extension to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, allegations of Russian interference in the European Parliament, Chinese police activity in Europe, the rule of law in Hungary, and the rule of law and media ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
6d ago
Written by Clare Ferguson with Sara Van Tooren.
Members meet in Brussels this week for the penultimate plenary session of the ninth legislature. As the main topics for debate on the agenda include subjects as weighty as migration and asylum, energy and equality, access to pharmaceuticals and scrutiny of EU budget spending – the debates and voting sessions in particular, are likely to last much longer than usual. The session begins on Wednesday lunchtime with an address in a formal sitting by His Majesty King Philippe, King of the Belgians, whose country currently holds the Council Preside ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
6d ago
Written by Gabija Leclerc and Branislav Stanicek.
In 2003, at the Thessaloniki Summit, the European Council set out its determination to fully support the EU perspective of the Western Balkan countries. However, in the context of relatively limited progress in implementing reforms needed to align with the EU, none have joined since Croatia’s accession in 2013, since when the region has been confronted by ‘enlargement fatigue’ and increasing Russian and Chinese interference. Responding to these challenges, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who took office in November 2019, def ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
1w ago
Written by Tambiama Madiega with Rafał Ilnicki.
Economic indicators show that the United States (US) is the front-runner for both private investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and venture capital in generative AI, followed by China. US companies are also developing most of the large languages models (LLMs) underpinning AI innovation. EU starts-up are beginning to scale up.
Investment in AI and generative AI Figure 1 – Private investment in AI by country, 2022 (€ billion) Source: Stanford University, 2023 AI Index Report.
The global AI market was valued at over €130 billion* in 2023 a ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
3w ago
Written by Marcin Grajewski.
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act moved close to final adoption when the European Parliament voted in favour of the text on 13 March. It will become law after the final endorsement of the Council of the European Union, making the Union the first major world power to adopt horizontal legislation governing AI.
The act defines the rules for using and selling artificial intelligence systems in the EU, and regulates general-purpose AI tools such as ChatGPT and AI-based biometric surveillance. It also requires much more transparency than up to now in high-risk AI syst ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
3w ago
Written by Anja Radjenovic (1st edition).
In November 2023, the Commission proposed a directive to modernise and strengthen the legal framework on the fight against migrant smuggling. The proposal addresses the steady rise in irregular arrivals in the EU and the rise in smuggling on all main EU entry routes. The current directive defining the offence of facilitation of unauthorised entry, transit and residence in the EU, and the framework decision on strengthening of the penal framework have both been widely criticised for their failure to provide legal certainty and uniformity of implementati ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
3w ago
Written by Eszter Fay with Niklas Dreier.
In the fast-evolving landscape of scientific research, the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) Academic Freedom Roundtable ‘Research Integrity in Open Science for Europe’ brought together researchers and European policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Open Science. Amidst insightful discussions on Open Science’s challenges and ethical dimensions, the event, held on 21 February 2024, invited us to question who truly benefits from Open Science’s promise of transparency and s ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
3w ago
Written by Ralf Drachenberg and Rebecca Torpey.
At the 21-22 March European Council meeting, discussions will focus on Ukraine, security and defence, the Middle East and enlargement. Concerning security and defence, EU leaders will consider the new European defence industrial strategy presented by the European Commission. On Ukraine, they are expected to reiterate their commitment to supporting the country, and welcome the establishment of a Ukraine Assistance Fund regarding military aid as well as the 13th package of sanctions against Russia. The leaders may also discuss anew the use of reven ..read more
European Parliamentary Research Service Blog | Empowering through knowledge
3w ago
Written by Maria Margarita Mentzelopoulou.
Present-day European children have been through a lot: a global pandemic, a global financial crisis and wars in the EU’s neighbouring regions. In just a few years, once they become adults, they will have to face the consequences of the decisions taken today. Therefore whether these decisions have to do with the protection of the environment, public health policies or demographics, governments should seek to ensure that children are sufficiently empowered to contribute to responsible choices for their generation’s future.
According to EU and internatio ..read more