On April 29th, the EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager has announced a sector inquiry on the use of capacity mechanisms in the energy sector. Eleven countries, which already have introduced capacity mechanisms or are planning to, are under review. Apart from the State Aid issue, the inquiry is an occasion for Europe to encourage […]
On 21-22 May, the Fourth Eastern Partnership Summit took place in Riga, where EU leaders met with the representatives of the six partner countries – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine – to proceed with the initiative. The Riga Summit follows the one held in Vilnius in November 2013, which triggered the chain of […]
While commentators often point out the EU rather cumbersome procedures and slow machinery to launch its hard initiatives in foreign policy, the tragedy of the migrants’ death ahead of our shores is an evidence that when the EU wants, the EU does take swift action. Or better, when Member States are willing. In the previous […]
On the 1st of April the European Commission released its review to EU Council and Parliament on the application of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). The European Citizens’ Initiative is generally considered as one of the major innovations introduced by the Lisbon Treaty and should enable to involve citizens more closely in the agenda-setting at […]
On the 13th of May the European Commission presented the text of the European Agenda on Migration. The agenda has a twofold objective: a short term objective, namely to outline immediate actions to respond to the migration crisis in the Mediterranean; a long-term objective, namely to identify what will be the main areas of actions […]
The legalization of marijuana in some States of the US has reopened also in Europe the debate about a potential similar move in the Member States of the European Union. Besides the ethical considerations that the issue of drugs inevitably brings to the fore, there is a number of economic aspects that should also inform […]
Horizon 2020’s Societal Challenges funding stream includes a theme entitled Secure Societies – Protecting freedom and security of Europe and its citizens. The specific objective of this challenge is to increase the level of security and protection of European citizens and society in general, through the security of infrastructure and services. This is seen as […]
On May 1st, Tesla CEO Elon Musk introduced the Powerwall Home Battery, “a stationary battery that can power a household without requiring the grid. The battery is rechargeable lithium-ion — it uses Tesla’s existing battery tech — and can be fixed to a wall, removing much of the existing complexity around using a local power […]
Alibaba Group Holding limited is an interesting company. Founded in 1999, the Company has a lot of organized websites, in particular networks between consumers and sellers. Certainly the company’s strengths are: the efficient computer system, a policy of protection for customers cutting edge and a refined organization of products. The first public offering of Alibaba […]
The first call for proposals under the URBACT III programme has been launched. URBACT III is a European Territorial Cooperation programme financed through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and by Member States, operating within the period 2014-2020. Three different types of networks are envisaged under URBACT III: Action Planning Networks, for whom the call […]
