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This briefing traces the evolution of the debates on the European Parliament's powers, and their (dis)connection to the organisation of the first direct European elections in 1979. It spans the period leading up to 1979, and also assesses the aftermath of these landmark elections. It shows that well into the 1970s, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) put great effort into de coupling the debates on organising Parliament's direct elections from those on expanding its institutional powers. MEPs ...

Im Februar wird das Europäische Parlament über den Bericht über einen Vorschlag zur Regulierung von mit bestimmten neuen genomischen Techniken gewonnenen Pflanzen abstimmen, den sein Ausschuss für Umweltfragen, öffentliche Gesundheit und Lebensmittelsicherheit (ENVI) angenommen hat. Der Text in der angenommenen Fassung bildet den Standpunkt des Europäischen Parlaments für die Verhandlungen mit dem Rat, der seinen Standpunkt noch festlegen muss.

This comparative analysis of the national legislation on rape in European Union Member States provides an overview of legal provisions with a focus on the notion of consent. According to the proposed EU directive on violence against women and domestic violence, lack of consent from victims of rape should be made a constitutive element of the crime.

The EU adopted a comprehensive and innovative regulatory framework on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) in June 2023 that will regulate crypto-asset markets. The regulation focuses on stablecoins, which are crypto-assets promising a 'stable value' against official currencies or values. The MiCA provides for strict transparency and governance rules, on the one hand, and prudential rules as per other financial institutions, on the other. By covering all aspects of the crypto-assets, MiCA is expected ...

Die Kommission hat im April 2021 einen Vorschlag für einen EU-Rechtsrahmen für künstliche Intelligenz (KI) vorgelegt. Der Entwurf eines KI-Gesetzes ist der erste umfassende EU-Rechtsakt zur Regulierung von KI und zur Bewältigung ihrer potenziellen Schäden. Das Parlament bereitet sich darauf vor, auf seiner Plenartagung im Juni eine Aussprache über den gemeinsamen Bericht des Ausschusses für Binnenmarkt und Verbraucherschutz (IMCO) und des Ausschusses für bürgerliche Freiheiten (LIBE) zu führen und ...

This study assesses the ECB’s first three progress reports on the digital euro from a legal perspective. It looks into what key design choices proposed by the ECB reveal in terms of the legal qualification of the digital euro and discusses legal aspects of the infrastructure supporting it.

Stress-testing is a promising foresight policy tool that can support the design of EU policies able to withstand the shocks and challenges of both the present day and the years to come. This study explores how the European Parliament could use stress-tests to identify weak points in EU legislation and avenues for further EU action. The study draws on the findings of a stress-test of EU rail transport policy and recommendations from an expert practitioner of foresight and regulatory policy. It finds ...

In recent decades, concern for animal welfare has been growing among citizens, businesses and policy-makers. The topic has been on the EU policy agenda for nearly 50 years, with the first EU law on the welfare of animals adopted in 1974. Since then, the EU has developed and expanded the scope of legislation in this area, achieving considerable improvements in the living conditions of farm animals and establishing some of the world's highest animal welfare standards. In 2012, the EU adopted a strategy ...

On 22 September 2022, the UK government tabled the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, also referred to as the Brexit Freedoms Bill. It aims to abolish the principle of the supremacy of EU law in the UK by the end of 2023, and proposes to give the government new powers to amend, replace or repeal the EU laws copied into UK domestic legislation following the UK's withdrawal from the EU – 'Brexit'. The bill will now undergo parliamentary scrutiny and votes in both the House of Commons and ...

Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is widely recognised as a significant environmental, economic and social problem. It represents a major threat to marine ecosystems, a disruption for the seafood market, and an unfair disadvantage for responsible fishermen. Combatting IUU fishing has become a key means for achieving sustainable management of global fisheries. While the root cause of IUU fishing is states' failure to discipline vessels operating under their flag, tackling this phenomenon ...