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Cohesion policy plays a crucial role in promoting economic, social and territorial cohesion among the EU Member States' regions. Despite efforts to reduce regional inequalities, challenges persist. This study identifies three main challenges in addressing regional inequalities. First, there is a lack of coordination and coherence between cohesion policy and other policies. Second, positive impacts of cohesion policy are not distributed evenly across regions. Third, the growing number of instruments ...

Building a European defence union is at the top of the EU's policy agenda. It is essential to preserving the security and wellbeing of EU society from current and future geopolitical threats. A reflection on the efficiency and quality of defence spending is a crucial first step in this process. Based on research carried out for the European Parliamentary Research Service, this report investigates the potential gains from deeper European cooperation on defence spending that leverages the continent's ...

Sustainable finance refers to the process of taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into account when making investment decisions in the financial sector. This could lead to investors channelling more investment into the transition to a climate-neutral, climate-resilient, resource-efficient and fair economy with a high level of quality governance requirements. Sustainable finance therefore has a key role to play in delivering on the policy objectives under the European Green ...

Better law-making has grown significantly in importance in recent years. As a methodology, its purpose is to design and to decide on regulation that is fit for purpose. This is achieved through a set of measures applied at all stages of the policy cycle, starting from agenda-setting, policy design and consultation, through to the actual moment of decision-making by the co-legislators. It also includes the phase of ex-post evaluation, when, after a period of transposition and implementation, the laws ...

The European Union stepped up its action in the area of health – a shared competence between the EU and its Member States – in response to the COVID 19 pandemic. Yet, the EU lacks a joint health policy that recognises health as a public good. This study investigates three areas where there is high added-value potential from a joint EU health policy: research and development; the availability of prescription medicines; and preventive healthcare. EU action in these areas could generate benefits for ...

This European added value assessment (EAVA) seeks to inform the European Parliament's legislative initiative 2023/2184(INL) entitled 'Promotion of the freedom of scientific research in the EU'. Freedom of scientific research forms an integral part of academic freedom, and this study confirms the de facto erosion of academic freedom, including its underlying conditions, across the EU. It also identifies new forms of threat, such as the role of new technologies, use of strategic lawsuits, increasing ...

This study has been drawn up by the European Added Value Unit within the European Parliament's Directorate-General for Parliamentary Research Services. It is part of a research project to better define the concepts of the cost of non-Europe and of European added value. The study recounts the development of these concepts and specifically how they have been used to support the European Parliament's work in setting the legislative agenda. It also presents their theoretical underpinnings and the main ...

Common foreign and security policy (CFSP) has a particular status in the EU legal framework, part of which is the unanimity rule within the Council. This report analyses decision-making rules in CFSP from a 'cost of non-Europe' perspective. It identifies CFSP challenges and the extent to which they could be attributed to unanimity. This allows us to identify the current 'cost of unanimity'. The report also analyses possible alternatives to unanimity decision-making in CFSP, such as a switch to qualified ...

Although European integration is a key driver of growth, peace, environmental protection and social prosperity, persistent challenges remain and potential crises can be anticipated. Looking forward, a number of possible pathways are open to Europe. The European Parliament favours the path of ambitious, collective EU action, where significant potential gains can be realised, not only for today, but also for various possible future scenarios. This study seeks to support the European Parliament in defining ...

This 'cost of non-Europe' report looks at the potential benefits of efficient, ambitious and united EU-level action in the space sector. The report finds that to enable the European space sector to benefit from open strategic autonomy, and to ensure EU access to and use of space, including for its security, the EU must act decisively. Moving away from fragmentation could bring large benefits, amounting to at least €140 billion per year by 2050.