Gas and electricity prices have reached record levels in 2022 and hit all-time highs. Families and companies in EU are paying an extra cost for energy. After its defeat at the last EU Energy Council to limit the bills, the Commission proposed three new measures last 12 September. One to cut electricity consumption, another
Today the European Parliament voted by a large majority a new European Directive which sets the rules for determining the minimum wage and which provides for the extension of collective bargaining coverage to 80%. The minimum wage is currently foreseen in 21 EU countries and it will always be up to the Countries to decide
Ministers agreed that the energy issue is urgent, but they decided nothing. Gathered in Brussels for an extraordinary meeting, the 27 energy ministers said no to the 5 recipes of the president of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to deal with extraordinary measures on energy. All decisions will be sent as new proposals to
On 9 September 2022, a new meeting of the Council of Energy Ministers of the EU Council. On the table 3 discussions and possibly decisions: “gas cap”, “state of alert” and “tax on unexpected extra profits on energy”. Member States are divided on these three von der Leyen’s proposals. Gas cap means two things: setting
EU is investing over €1.8 billion in 17 large-scale innovative clean-tech projects with a third round of awards under the Innovation Fund. Next projects will be financed in Autumn 2022. Grants will be disbursed from the Innovation Fund to help bring breakthrough technologies to the market in energy-intensive industries, hydrogen, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage infrastructure, and manufacturing of
Today’s EU pharmaceutical market is unsustainable, due to the fragmentation of EU players and public dependence on private interests. A recent Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) study of the EP proposes a solution involving the creation of a public European medicines infrastructure, a body that would control of the entire
You know that more than 3/4 of the EU population live in urban areas? And this figure is expected to rise to almost 85% by 2050. Being the urban areas with the highest concentration of population, they are also those which consume the largest volumes of energy and, consequently, have the highest levels of
Meeting of the EU Council of Ministers for Energy on 9 September 2022, to decide on further measures for the energy market in Europe, where prices are soaring. In the meantime, the Council adopted a Regulation for energy consumption reduction in case of EC alert and exceptional powers in the event of a major energy crisis in
Microchips are becoming increasingly difficult to find. Cars, washing machines, dishwashers, but also robots, computers, smartphones, traffic lights, satellites, planes and even smart bulbs. The whole world that revolves around us can no longer do without a wafer of a few millimeters. Today there are many causes, remote and more recent, but the fact
Political advertising is central to influencing how people vote, and may affect citizens’ perceptions of the legitimacy of their own political system, particularly when published in the run-up to elections. The EU is discussing a Proposal for a Regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. Brussels, July 2022 Electoral campaign rules, including those
