Tuesday

26th Sep 2023

Latest News

  1. Will Poles vote for the end of democracy?
  2. IEA says: Go green now, save €11 trillion later
  3. The failure of the Just Energy Transition Fund in South Africa
  4. EU and G7 tankers facilitating Russian oil exports, report finds
  5. EU trade chief in Beijing warns China of only 'two paths' forward
  6. Why should taxpayers pay for private fishing fleets in third countries?
  7. Women at risk from shoddy EU laws on domestic workers
  8. EU poised to agree on weakened emission rules

Stakeholder

Managing climate disasters from space

EU space technology is increasingly becoming an essential cog in the machinery that manages responses to emergencies like floods and fires — from providing information to firefighters to alerting citizens of danger.

School supplies rise in price twice as fast as EU wages

Up to May this year, the cost of basic school supplies rose 13 percent, while wages increased by just six percent. A situation that worsens the cost-of-living crisis and the situation of children at risk of poverty in the EU.

Job insecurity 'undermines' voting and political participation

Job insecurity affect workers' perceptions of fairness, well-being, trust, sense of social exclusion or political participation, finds a new report. "They are less likely to vote in elections and less likely to participate in demonstrations — an indicator of disengagement."

Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law

Thousands of Greek state workers are protesting against changes to the labour law proposed by the conservative Mitsotakis government. These include a six-day week, working hours of up to 13 hours and 'on-call' contracts.

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Prostitution is not work, it is 'violence', MEPs agree

The European Parliament adopted a report calling on the European Commission to draw up common guidelines to guarantee minimum rights for people in prostitution. MEPs also urged member states, which have the power to regulate prostitution, to review existing laws.

Report: EU 'single permit' risks migrant exploitation

The commission is reviewing the 2011 single permit directive for third-country nationals to live and work in the EU. A new study shows that its design facilitates the exploitation and increases the dependency of migrant workers on their employers.

EU chief links farming with climate to appease centre-right

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen announced "a strategic dialogue" on the future of EU agriculture — in response to the wave of criticism led by her own centre-right party in the European Parliament against some green policies.

Analysis

Von der Leyen overlooks cost-of-living crisis and job quality

Von der Leyen's speech focused on labour and skills shortages, inflation and improving the business environment. Some trade unions, political groups, and organisations felt that there were missed opportunities to outline a roadmap for a social Europe.

EU’s €500m gender violence plan falls short, say auditors

The 'Spotlight Initiative' was launched in 2017 with a budget of €500 million to end all forms of violence or harmful practices against women and girls in partner countries, but so far it has had "little impact", say EU auditors.

New police station promised for Brussels-Midi amid drug problem

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo announced a set of 22 measures in response to concerns about crack abuse and insecurity around the Brussels Midi station — a key interchange for local, national, and international destinations from the capital city.

Investigation

A new EU law, and the battle to protect Europe's journalists

The EU Media Freedom Act, to be voted on by MEPs, could provide crucial protections to journalists and trigger a wave of lawsuits against governments. If the law fails, the decline in media freedoms sweeping Europe could become ever worse.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  2. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  4. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch
  6. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations

Feature

Burdens hindering 87m disabled citizens moving within EU

Moving between EU states for the 87 million European citizens with disabilities is far from a reality — due to the fragmentation of disability-recognition systems and insufficient coordination of social security systems across EU countries.

Opinion

The fightback against EU's subcontracting poverty spiral

The primary victims of abusive subcontracting practices and unregulated labour intermediaries are mobile and migrant workers who, while indispensable to European agriculture, food processing, hospitality, and domestic work sectors, still struggle to attain equal treatment in the workplace.

'It's over': World Cup kiss prompts Spain's 'metoo' protests

Outrage grew in Spain when prosecutors announced an investigation into the Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales to clarify whether his kiss on the lips of Jenni Hermoso after Spain won the Women's World Cup constituted an offence of sexual assault.

AI will destroy more female jobs than male, study finds

About four percent of global female employment is subject to potential automation through generative AI technologies, compared to only 1.4 percent of male employment. The trend is even more pronounced in high-income countries, a new study reveals.

Magazine

Fermenting a revolution

Let's focus for a moment on technology. Specifically, what might be the most important environmental technology ever developed: precision fermentation.

Interview

After the alt–protein hype: a venture capitalist's perspective

EUobserver spoke to Marie Asano, head of the food and nutrition team at the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, an independent 'dark green' venture capital fund — focused on innovative companies that aim to bring bio-based foods to the general public.

Interview

Andy Zynga, CEO of EIT Food, talks to EUobserver

EIT Food sees alternative proteins, or 'protein diversification', as CEO Andy Zynga prefers to call it, as a promising avenue to address some of the shortcomings of our current food systems.

Magazine

Novel food — from safety checks to grocery shelves

Antarctic Krill oil, protein extract from pig kidneys, magnolia bark extract and the mung bean. All these and many others are on a list of approved 'novel foods' for sale on the European market.