Democracy Impacts

Governments Seek More Ambitious EU Climate Goals

August 02, 2018

Government officials from the “Green Growth Group,” an initiative of 16 EU member states seeking to “make EU climate policy more ambitious and sustainable,” have called on the European Commission to develop a strong strategy to fulfill the UN’s Paris climate deal and prepare ambitious greenhouse gas emissions goals prior to the next UN climate summit.
Italy Seeks EU Agency on Redistributing Migrants

July 31, 2018

Reuters reports that Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has called on the European Commission (EC) to set up a “crisis committee” to coordinate among EU member states the redistribution of African migrants rescued from the Mediterranean.
Eurostat Reviews EU Climate, Economic Progress

July 30, 2018

EU statistics agency Eurostat has published its annual review of progress member states are making toward delivering the EU’s broad “Europe 2020” strategy, which calls for the promotion of employment and economic growth alongside a “greener” society to help combat climate change.
EU Official Touts Role of Interest Groups in Energy Policy

July 30, 2018

At a recent European Economic and Social Committee meeting on the transition to renewable energy in the EU, European Commissioner for energy Maroš Šefčovič highlighted the important role environmental interest groups must play in shaping EU-wide policy toward a centralized Energy Union.
EC Issues Report on Members’ Compliance with EU Rules

July 30, 2018

The European Commission (EC) recently published its Annual Report on monitoring the application of EU law with the aim of encouraging better and smoother member-state compliance with EU rules and naming and shaming countries that failed to effectively implement EU legislation.
British PM Rejects Calls for Second Brexit Referendum

July 27, 2018

The Evening Standard reports that British Prime Minister Theresa May has stated in response to calls from various Members of Parliament for a second Brexit referendum that there will be no such vote “under any circumstances.”
Paper Calls for EU Roadmap to Zero Emissions

July 27, 2018

The European Trade Union Institute has published an article calling on EU institutions to publish a roadmap explaining how the supranational organization will fulfill an “equitable transition to a zero-carbon economy,” meaning a total phase-out of emissions by the year 2050, under the UN’s Paris climate accord.
EC Reviews Policies to Promote Subsidiarity

July 26, 2018

A European Commission (EC) Task Force has presented a report to EC President Jean-Claude Juncker on how to respond to the concerns of Europeans about the ballooning power of the EU, pushing for an “active subsidiarity” approach to encourage greater ownership of EU actions by member states.
EU Agency Seeks Emissions Limits in Transportation, Farming

July 26, 2018

A briefing from the European Environment Agency points to the road transport and agriculture sectors as the greatest impediments to EU members’ efforts to meet supranational limits on air pollution and calls for government policies clamping down on emissions from these sectors to help meet EU targets.
EU Agency Calls for More Data on National Climate Policies

July 26, 2018

The European Environment Agency has produced a report warning that EU member states must disclose more quantitative data about the impacts and costs of their policies promoting a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as part of the EU’s climate monitoring mechanism.