Zoeken

Progress on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has been insufficient, not least because of shocks such as the COVID 19 pandemic and recent wars. The cost of this lack of progress is borne by 'least developed countries' – low-income countries with low indicators of socio-economic development, as defined by the UN. This study reviews the European Union's role in policies that affect poverty in these contexts. It identifies 12 challenges that could be addressed to some extent by further ...

On 1 January 2024, BRICS – the intergovernmental organisation comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – admitted four new members: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. The group's decision to open the door to new members was taken at its Johannesburg summit in August 2023, sparking a debate about its growing international influence. According to estimates, BRICS+, as the organisation has been informally called since its expansion, now accounts for 37.3 % of world GDP ...

In November 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a regulation laying down measures for a high level of public sector interoperability across the Union (the interoperable Europe act). The initiative seeks to ensure a consistent, human-centric EU approach to interoperability, create an interoperability governance structure that helps public administrations and the private sector to work together, and establish an ecosystem of interoperability solutions for the EU's public sector. ...

This paper provides a snapshot of multilateral financial assistance provided to Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion in February 2022 by the European Union and its bodies (European Investment Bank), international financial institutions (International Monetary Fund, World Bank Group, and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) and groups of bilateral creditors (“The Group of Creditors of Ukraine”). The paper aims to increase understanding and support scrutiny of international ...

Blockchain and its applications, in particular cryptocurrencies, have grabbed the headlines, but many people still do not know how they work. This briefing provides an overview of the uses and challenges of this technology, based on published information. Blockchain originated as part of the enabling digital ledger technology (DLT) developed at the end of the 20th century. DLT works as a digital database containing information (as a record book or ledger) that can be simultaneously used and shared ...

The impact assessment uses internal and external expertise and evidence collected from targeted consultations. The problem definition is framed, the IA provides information on the extent of the regulation and the scope of conflicts of interest, the relationship between ESG rating providers and rated companies. The IA considers three options for one specific objective and two options for the other specific objective. Assessment and comparison of the options is made in terms of effectiveness, efficiency ...

In dit onderzoek wordt ingegaan op grensoverschrijdende claims tot teruggave van roofkunst, met aandacht voor naziroofkunst en koloniale toe-eigeningen, maar ook recentere culturele verliezen als gevolg van illegale smokkel. Hoewel al deze categorieën aanzienlijk van elkaar verschillen, hebben ze ook dingen met elkaar gemeen. In dit onderzoek wordt gekeken naar lacunes in wetgeving en beleid en worden aanbevelingen gedaan over manieren om die te dichten. Dit onderzoek werd in opdracht van de Commissie ...

World leaders gathered for the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, at a time of rising geopolitical tensions, including an ongoing war of aggression, military conflicts, coup d'états in western Africa, accelerating climate change crisis, food insecurity, widening inequality and sustainable development concerns. Against the backdrop in the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) the theme chosen for this year's general debate, marking ...

The European Parliament launched a process of monitoring possible future risks for the EU during the COVID-19 crisis, and has developed this further during Russia's war on Ukraine. The annual 'Future Shocks' series provides up-to-date, objective, and authoritative information on global risks through a 360° survey based on risk literature from a broad range of sources. Future Shocks 2023: Anticipating and weathering the next storms discusses 15 risks related to geopolitics, climate change, health, ...

In 2022, the EU Strategic Compass included space as a strategic domain, and called for a dedicated European strategy. In the meantime, Russia's invasion of Ukraine confirmed the key role of space for defence and resilience, but also highlighted vulnerabilities related to space systems. Another 'wake-up call' came from a different direction; SpaceX's advances in reusable rocket technology leading to Starship's first orbital flight test turned the spotlight onto launch providers and access to space ...