Cuardaigh

This study provides an overview of the impact of commodity traders on agricultural markets. It examines the ramifications of financialisation, explores prevailing trends, and confronts the challenges that characterise the industry's landscape. Moreover, after analysing the regulatory state of play at the international level, it provides suggestions towards bolstering the sector's accountability and transparency, essential for fostering trust and sustainability. By scrutinising these aspects, this ...

By the 2030s, quantum computers might compromise traditional cryptography, putting digital infrastructure at high risk in the European Union (EU) and around the world. Specifically, it is expected that quantum computers' unique capabilities will allow them to solve complex mathematical problems, such as breaking the traditional cryptographic systems used universally. The confidentiality, integrity and authenticity of sensitive data – including health, financial, security and defence information – ...

The success of the green and digital transitions depends on their being conducted in a socially fair way, with attention paid to securing quality jobs and ensuring enough skilled workers are available to perform them. Given the existing shortages in terms of both occupations and skills, reskilling and upskilling of the EU labour force are vital. The start of the new legislative cycle has energised the debate on the EU approach to tackling skills gaps, and MEPs are due to debate a Commission statement ...

Teresa Ribera Rodríguez has held senior posts in the Spanish government since 2018, most recently serving as third vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge (2021-2024), fourth vice-president of the government and minister for ecological transition and demographic challenge (2020-2021) and minister for ecological transition (2018-2020). Since 2000, Ribera Rodríguez has been involved in the international climate negotiations for the United Nations ...

This study provides an overview of the impact of commodity traders on agricultural markets. It examines the ramifications of financialisation, explores prevailing trends, and confronts the challenges that characterise the industry's landscape. Moreover, after analysing the regulatory state of play at the international level, it provides suggestions towards bolstering the sector's accountability and transparency, essential for fostering trust and sustainability. By scrutinising these aspects, this ...

Strengthening the European Union's economy in the face of rising global economic and political competition and managing the 'twin transitions' of the digital and green transformation is a key challenge for the 2024-2029 legislative term. This briefing highlights key aspects of the debate around strengthening the EU's economy. While the term 'EU competitiveness' is not clearly defined, there is broad agreement that it entails a range of policies focusing on, but not confined to, the EU's single market ...

In 2019, the European Union (EU) adopted the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Screening Regulation (Regulation 2019/452/EU), applied since October 2020. The regulation provides the EU with a framework for screening incoming foreign direct investment (FDI) from third-countries, with the objective of better equipping the EU to identify, assess and mitigate potential risks certain FDIs pose to the security or public order of the Union or its Member States. These concern, for example, access to sensitive ...

The EU's digital decade connectivity target is designed to ensure that by 2030 a fixed gigabit network of a very high capacity (1 Gbps) will be covering all EU households and that all populated areas will have 5G. This would enable the deployment of a high-quality digital infrastructure underpinning almost all sectors of a modern and innovative economy, while also ensuring that citizens and business can reap the benefits of the internet of things, machine-to-machine technologies, cloud computing ...

In February 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation aimed at reducing the cost of deploying gigabit electronic communications networks, and repealing Directive 2014/61/EU (the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive). After three rounds of trilogue meetings, the Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement on the text in February 2024, and now need to formally adopt it. Parliament is scheduled to vote on the text during its second April plenary session.

In February 2022, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a regulation laying out harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (the data act). During its first November 2023 plenary session, Parliament is set to vote on the political agreement reached in negotiations with the Council.