This note seeks to provide an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Commission's Impact Assessment (IA) accompanying the proposal for a Regulation amending Council Regulation (EC) No 111/2005 laying down rules for the monitoring of trade between the Community and third...

The odometer readings of second-hand cars traded across the EU are manipulated more frequently than those of vehicles traded on national markets. Odometer fraud is difficult to track and leaves no trace. This incurs costs and creates challenges on the EU internal market. It can also impact EU...

Whereas economic governance is now undertaken in the EU through a regulated, 'hard' framework, there is no equivalent framework for social governance. At present, social governance in the EU functions mainly within the 'soft', unregulated realms, although it is also marked by some 'hard'...

This latest Global Trendometer, produced by the Global Trends Unit within the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) seeks to contribute to the process of identifying and addressing medium- and long-term trends, and their possible implications for policy-making in the European Union. In...

This In-Depth Analysis by the European Council Oversight Unit of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) is the second in a series of annual publications examining the activity of the European Council. In 2016, the Heads of State or Government devoted most of their attention to three...

This study assesses the planning, command and control of civilian and military CSDP missions and operations, progress made in developing civilian and military capabilities, particularly rapid response capabilities in the form of the EU Battlegroups, as well as challenges encountered during the...

With the publication of this inaugural edition of the "Global Trendometer," the EPRS Global Trends Unit seeks to contribute to the process of identifying and addressing medium- and long-term trends, and their possible implications for policy-making in the European Union. Three essays and eight...

Ukraine, migration, and the economy were uppermost on the agenda of the European Council in 2023 as EU leaders sought to maximise support for the victim of Russia's military aggression, cope with a rising number of refugees and asylum seekers and halt the EU's declining global competitiveness....

Russia's invasion of Ukraine, including the military build-up before the invasion began on 24 February, dominated every one of the nine meetings of the European Council in 2022. It affected most issues with which the European Council dealt during the year, ranging from energy policy to the...

Designed to be the first in a series of annual publications, this In-Depth Analysis by the European Council Oversight Unit of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) examines in detail the activity of the European Council in 2015 in all of the six policy areas which have most...