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European hydrogen bank
Hydrogen has an important role in helping the EU achieve its target of climate neutrality by 2050. In March 2023, the Commission announced the European hydrogen bank, to facilitate investment in the hydrogen value chain. This initiative aims to support production and imports of hydrogen in the EU. In November, the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted an own-initiative report, suggesting key improvements. The text is due to be voted by the Parliament during the December plenary session ...
Espacio Europeo de Datos Sanitarios
El 3 de mayo de 2022, la Comisión adoptó una propuesta de Reglamento por la que se establece el Espacio Europeo de Datos Sanitarios (EEDS). Su objetivo es garantizar que las personas puedan acceder a sus datos personales electrónicos y controlarlos (uso primario), estableciendo al mismo tiempo el marco para la reutilización de datos en toda la Unión (uso secundario). La Comisión de Medio Ambiente, Salud Pública y Seguridad Alimentaria (ENVI) y la Comisión de Libertades Civiles, Justicia y Asuntos ...
EU-New Zealand free trade agreement: One step closer to ratification
On 30 June 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and then New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive EU-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA). The agreement was signed on 9 July 2023. Although the 2014-2019 Commission had initially aimed to finalise negotiations before the end of its mandate, both sides raised several sensitive issues during negotiations, not least because New Zealand is a major and competitive producer and exporter ...
Corporate sustainability due diligence: How to integrate human rights and environmental concerns in value chains
Companies can play a key role in building a sustainable economy and society. At the same time, their global value chains can pose risks to human rights and the environment. A growing number of EU companies have taken initiatives to deploy due diligence processes, often using existing voluntary international standards on responsible business conduct. Some Member States have meanwhile started developing their own legal frameworks on corporate due diligence. In a legislative-initiative resolution adopted ...
The EU chips act: Securing Europe's supply of semiconductors
Semiconductors (or chips) are the foundation of the digital transition. Their production relies on complex and vulnerable global supply chains. Against the backdrop of global chip shortages, a global 'subsidy race' in the world's main producing regions, and the renewed EU industrial policy, the Commission presented a proposal for an EU chips act aimed at reinforcing the whole EU chips value chain in February 2022. The proposal for a chips act was based on a three-pillar structure, which has been ...
Nuevo marco regulador de la UE para las pilas y baterías
Las pilas y baterías son clave para la transición energética limpia de la Unión. En diciembre de 2020, la Comisión Europea presentó una propuesta para modernizar el marco regulador de las baterías y garantizar la sostenibilidad y la competitividad de las cadenas de valor de las baterías de la Unión. Tras dos años, el Parlamento Europeo y el Consejo llegaron a un acuerdo tripartito sobre la propuesta. El texto acordado se votará en el Pleno en junio.
El presente documento constituye el resumen del estudio titulado Cadenas de valor mundiales: Posibles sinergias entre la política comercial exterior y las iniciativas económicas internas para abordar las dependencias estratégicas de la UE. El estudio completo, que está disponible en inglés, puede descargarse en el siguiente enlace: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2023/702582/EXPO_STU(2023)702582_EN.pdf.
Corporate sustainability due diligence
The impact assessment (IA) accompanying the proposal on corporate sustainability due diligence received two negative opinions from the Commission's Regulatory Scrutiny Board. Additional evidence was provided in a follow-up document to the Board's second opinion, explaining how the IA's preferred options were revised in the proposal, but no change was made to the IA itself. The IA cannot therefore be read without this follow-up document. It also makes the analysis quite difficult to follow, as evidence ...
Strengthening EU chip capabilities: How will the chips act reinforce Europe's semiconductor sector by 2030?
The proposed European chips act, presented by the European Commission in February 2022, aims to mobilise €43 billion in 'policy-driven investment' for the EU's semiconductor sector by 2030. The Commission expects long-term private investment to exceed this. The plan serves to enable immediate EU coordination against supply disruptions, strengthen and scale up production and innovation throughout the EU semiconductor value chain, and further enhance the Union's technological leadership, practical ...
Commission proposal on corporate sustainability due diligence: analysis from a human rights perspective
On 23 February 2022, the European Commission (EC) published its proposal for a corporate sustainability due diligence directive. This In-depth Analysis for the European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights (DROI) initially presents the EC proposal and its main features, contextualising these against broader European and international developments in business and human rights regulations. It then undertakes an in-depth comparative analysis of the EC’s 2022 draft Directive against (i) the position ...