Documents - Think Tank - Parlement européen

Analyse approfondie - Defence financing and spending under the Economic Governance framework - 27-03-2025

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

This paper covers possible defence financing and spending options under the European economic governance framework by reviewing the proposal for a ReArm Europe plan floated by the President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen. The paper also analyses flexibilities under the EU budget, EIB and ESM financing while also assessing potential market challenges and public procurement. This paper has been updated with information from the European Commission's White Paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 and related documents published on 19 March 2025.

Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

Briefing - International Agreements in Progress - EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement: Trade pillar - 17-03-2025

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:49:34 GMT

On 6 December 2024, the European Union (EU) and the four founding members of Mercosur – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – reached a political agreement on a free trade agreement that would form part of a wider Partnership Agreement including political dialogue and cooperation. The 2024 text of the trade pillar seeks to adjust an earlier political agreement of 28 June 2019 to EU demands for Mercosur to make stronger sustainability commitments, notably in respect to the Paris Agreement, and to Mercosur demands for the EU to grant greater policy space for Mercosur's industrial development. Against the background of growing geo-economic uncertainty and geopolitical tension, the agreement would be a strong signal in favour of multilateralism and against power politics in trade. It would create a strategic alliance between like-minded partners for building sustainable and resilient supply chains, including for the green and digital transitions. It could also allow the EU to regain some economic ground lost to China in the past decade. However, the trade pillar faces strong headwinds, notably for its potential environmental, climate change and food safety impacts. While the agreement enjoys the support of EU industry associations and sub-sectors of EU agriculture with offensive interests, EU farmers' associations with defensive interests have criticised it as an unfair 'cars for cows' deal. After the legal review and translation of the agreement, the Commission will submit to the Council proposals for Council decisions to sign and conclude the whole Agreement, revealing its ratification modalities. Second edition. The 'International Agreements in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the process, from initial discussions through to ratification.

Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

En bref - Current membership of the European Council - 05-03-2025

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 23:00:00 GMT

The European Council consists of the 27 Heads of State or Government of the EU Member States, who are voting members, together with the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, who have no vote (Article 15(2) Treaty on European Union). The chart shows the current members, the national office they hold, their most recent European political affiliation, and the year their membership began.

Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

En bref - What if orbital debris destroyed satellites? - 21-02-2025

Thu, 20 Feb 2025 23:00:00 GMT

Space technologies are playing an increasingly critical role in communications, defence and research. As more satellites are launched, there is a growing risk of collision, and of satellites becoming military targets. Satellite-debris collisions have the potential to destroy not just one or two but many satellites, preventing the use of those orbits for years. Although de-orbiting satellites at a faster pace may be a solution, orbital debris falling back to Earth can cause environmental harm. Europe needs to better understand the risks and take regulatory and diplomatic steps to ensure continued access to space while protecting domestic and global interests.

Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

Briefing - The gender dimension of asylum claims - 22-01-2025

Tue, 21 Jan 2025 23:00:00 GMT

In recent years, the European Union has faced a significant number of asylum applications, with over 513 000 applications received in the first half of 2024 alone. Women and girls make up a substantial proportion of asylum seekers, with one in three asylum-seekers being female. In international law, the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention is the main instrument regulating asylum. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Istanbul Convention provide a framework for protecting the rights of women who seek protection. The EU has developed a common European asylum system that has gradually incorporated gender-sensitive elements in legal texts such as the Qualification Directive, the Asylum Procedures Directive and the Reception Conditions Directive. These directives offer special protection to vulnerable individuals, including women and children. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has played a crucial role in advancing a gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law, acknowledging the specific experiences and circumstances of women and other vulnerable individuals seeking protection in the EU. The CJEU has recognised gender-based violence as a form of persecution and grounds for asylum or subsidiary protection. It has also acknowledged the importance of considering the individual circumstances and experiences of asylum seekers, particularly women and girls, who may face persecution or harm owing to their adherence to certain values or lifestyles. This aligns with a more gender-sensitive approach in EU asylum law and policy in recent years. Nevertheless continued progress is needed to address the human rights challenges faced by women and girls in asylum procedures.

Source : © Union européenne, 2025 - PE

En bref - Ratification scenarios for the EU Mercosur agreement - 18-12-2024

Tue, 17 Dec 2024 23:00:00 GMT

On 6 December 2024, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the four founding members of Mercosur – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – reached a political agreement on the trade pillar of the EU-Mercosur association agreement. Additional negotiations had taken place since March 2023 to address various concerns sparked by an earlier 2019 agreement in principle. While the legal basis of the text, now referred to as the EU-Mercosur Partnership Agreement, is still unknown, several ratification scenarios could be envisaged.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Analyse approfondie - Sur l’indépendance de la justice: Aperçu général de la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme et de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne - 09-12-2024

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 11:10:35 GMT

Cette analyse approfondie passe en revue de manière systématique la jurisprudence de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme de Strasbourg et de la Cour de justice de l’Union européenne de Luxembourg concernant les normes minimales communes d’indépendance de la justice en Europe. Les arrêts sont regroupés par thème, et une attention particulière est accordée aux décisions judiciaires les plus récentes rendues au cours des cinq dernières années.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Combating corruption in the European Union - 09-12-2024

Sun, 08 Dec 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Corruption is a major challenge for the European Union (EU), with all its Member States affected by the problem to some extent. The scale of the problem, however, is difficult to measure, both in the EU and elsewhere. Surveys on perception of corruption among citizens and experts – such as the Global Corruption Barometer and Eurobarometer surveys – are the principal measurement tools. Since the 1990s, countries around the world have joined forces to address corruption collectively. This has led to the emergence of widely recognised international laws and standards, adopted in particular by the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the United Nations. Mechanisms, such as the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), have been developed to monitor implementation of these rules. The EU has gradually adopted laws addressing a range of corruption-related issues. These include a directive on the fight against fraud to the Union's financial interests, and directives on public procurement, whistleblowers and money-laundering. However, the legal framework thus created remains patchy, the lack of minimum rules on the definition of criminal offences and sanctions in the area of corruption being one important missing element. The EU also developed its own tool for monitoring anti-corruption efforts – the EU anti-corruption report – only to abandon it after the first edition. Recently, corruption-related issues have been addressed almost exclusively within the EU rule of law framework, a development criticised by various stakeholders, including the European �Ϸ��վ. The latter has adopted numerous resolutions on corruption addressing, among other things, the impact of COVID 19, systemic challenges to the rule of law and deficiencies in the EU's fight against corruption. This briefing updates an earlier one published in 2023, which built on a study by Piotr Bąkowski and Sofija Voronova, published in 2017.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - East African Community (EAC): Economic indicators and trade with EU - 02-12-2024

Sun, 01 Dec 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Our infographic provides an overview of the EAC countries’ economic and trade relations with the EU. All eight EAC states have experienced a relatively consistent increase in their GDP per capita (PPP) since 2007. All eight countries are in the lower half of the Human Development Index ranking. EU trade in goods (imports and exports) with the EAC has risen steadily comparatively to 2007 volumes. The EU's leading trading partner for goods with the EAC is the Netherlands, while the primary partner in services is France. For the EAC region, the EU is the fourth trading partner.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - Plenary round-up – November III 2024 - 29-11-2024

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The highlight of the November III 2024 plenary session was the election of the European Commission, following the Commission President-elect's presentation of the College of Commissioners and a debate in the chamber. Members held debates on Commission statements on the outcomes of the G20 Leaders' Summit and the COP29 climate change conference. Members also debated Commission and Council statements on reinforcing the EU's unwavering support for Ukraine; continued escalation in the Middle East; and the political and humanitarian situation in Mozambique. Other debates on Commission statements addressed, inter alia, Bulgaria and Romania's full accession to the Schengen Area; prevention of the recruitment of minors for criminal acts; the need to adopt an ambitious international legally binding agreement on plastic pollution; the Commission's Autumn 2024 economic forecast; venture capital financing and safe foreign direct investments in the EU; energy prices and fighting energy poverty; the gender pay gap; critical infrastructure vulnerabilities and hybrid threats in the Baltic Sea; foreign interference and espionage by third-country actors in European universities; condemning the unilateral declaration of independence of the secessionist entity in Cyprus and efforts to legitimise it, 41 years on; and the repression of freedom of speech in Algeria. Members also posed questions to Commissioner Elisa Ferreira on challenges in the implementation of the 2021-2027 cohesion policy.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - 2024 IMF Annual Meetings: main developments and outcomes - 29-11-2024

Thu, 28 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) convene finance ministers and central bank governors to participate in the highest-level decision-making bodies of the two institutions, as well as in various committees and groups that drive the agenda on issues related to the international monetary system and development policy. The 2024 Annual Meetings took place in Washington, D.C. from 21 to 26 October 2024. This paper summarises the main developments and outcomes, focusing on IMF-related issues.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Single European Sky 2+ package - 22-11-2024

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The Single European Sky (SES) initiative is about making EU airspace less fragmented and improving air traffic management in terms of safety, capacity, cost-efficiency and the environment. Its current regulatory framework is based on two legislative packages: SES I (adopted in 2004), which set up the principal legal framework, and SES II (adopted in 2009), designed to tackle substantial air traffic growth, increase safety, and reduce costs and delays and the impact of air traffic on the environment. Nonetheless, European airspace remains fragmented, costly and inefficient. The European Commission presented a revision of the SES in 2013 (the SES 2+ package). While the �Ϸ��վ adopted its first-reading position in March 2014, in December 2014 the Council agreed only a partial general approach, owing to disagreement between the UK and Spain over the application of the text to Gibraltar Airport. Once Brexit removed this obstacle, the Commission amended its initial proposal. Following lengthy negotiations, the Council and �Ϸ��վ negotiating teams reached a provisional agreement on 6 March 2024. The Council approved the agreed text on 26 September 2024. �Ϸ��վ approved the agreed text on 22 October 2024. The final act was signed on 23 October 2024 and it was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 11 November 2024. Fifth edition of a briefing originally drafted by Maria Niestadt. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - The 2024 G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro - 22-11-2024

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

Leaders met in Rio de Janeiro on 18-19 November 2024 for the 19th summit of the G20, hosted by the Brazilian G20 presidency. The meeting was overshadowed by events that are further increasing divisions among the world's leading and emerging economies: Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, which entered its 1 000th day, the escalating conflict in the Middle East, and the election to a second term of President Donald Trump, whose 'America First' approach to foreign policy includes threats to impose tariffs on imports. The G20 leaders adopted a declaration addressing pressing global issues, including combating hunger, reforming international institutions, and climate change.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Analyse approfondie - EU trade policy implications on third countries’ domestic policies - 08-11-2024

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The European Union’s policies influence third country trading partners’ domestic policy in different ways. Unilateral legislation in the green and digital fields, for example, contribute to setting global standards as traders must comply with EU requirements to access the Single market. The digital transition cooperation between Africa and the EU could lead to further regulatory convergence in the digital field. The EU's human-centric approach to digital policy, fostering consumer protection and trust inter alia through the General Data Protection Regulation, influences the African Continental Free Trade Area. Ensuring market access between Africa and the EU including in the field of e-commerce is strategically desirable for both blocks. Green legislation will impact foreign producers including smallholder and could potentially result in changes in trade flows. The liberalisation of trade through FTAs fosters economic growth and guarantees access to critical resources such as Chilean lithium for the EU’s digital transition. However, it can also exert environmental and social pressures on trading partners. Lastly, the rules based international trading system established by the WTO can be eroded by government subsidies with significant negative spillover effects on international trade. Global dialogue between trade partners is desirable to avoid a subsidy race .

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Analyse approfondie - IMF Lending to Ukraine: State of Play and the Road Ahead - 30-10-2024

Tue, 29 Oct 2024 23:00:00 GMT

This paper provides an overview of the International Monetary Fund (IMF)’s lending to Ukraine, particularly focusing on the IMF response to the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since February 2022, given the challenging macroeconomic circumstances. If further analyses the key elements of the IMF’ Extended Fund Facility (EFF) programme for Ukraine, including the evolution of core assumptions, risks, fiscal sustainability and conditionality.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Responsibility for search and rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean - 16-10-2024

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 13:33:45 GMT

Governments and ship's masters are obliged, under international law, to assist people and vessels in distress at sea. They must provide this assistance regardless of the nationality, status, or the circumstances in which those in distress are found. They must apply these rules without prejudice to their obligations deriving from international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly the ban on refoulement. European Union (EU) Member States' search and rescue (SAR) and disembarkation activities are not currently covered by a common EU legal framework, except for activities carried out in the context of joint operations at sea led by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). In recent years, EU naval operations, EU agencies and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have rescued a significant proportion of migrants and asylum-seekers in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. Nevertheless, over the past couple of years, a large number of people have died or gone missing in the Mediterranean. The EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) reports that the estimated number of people who died or went missing when trying to reach Europe by sea in 2023 increased by some 37 % compared with 2022. In addition, a lack of coordination in SAR activities, individual countries acting alone, and criminalisation of NGOs active in SAR in the Mediterranean, have all led to migrants being forced to remain on boats. EU Member States and EU agencies (Frontex) have also been accused of pushbacks of asylum-seekers and other migrants towards Libya and Turkey and to the high seas. Individual actors dealing with migrant boats have been the subject of criticism and legal action. Their accountability is, however, not always clear, owing to varied application and interpretation of different bodies of international law. This updates and expands on a 2022 EPRS briefing written by Anita Orav.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - Établissement du mécanisme de coopération pour les prêts à l’Ukraine et octroi d’une assistance macrofinancière exceptionnelle à l’Ukraine - 16-10-2024

Wed, 16 Oct 2024 11:35:56 GMT

L’Union européenne va accorder à l’Ukraine un nouveau prêt d’un montant maximal de 35 milliards d’euros au titre de l’assistance macrofinancière (ci-après l’«AMF»), dans le cadre d’une initiative du G7 visant à soutenir l’Ukraine en lui octroyant un prêt d’un montant maximal de 50 milliards de dollars américains (45 milliards d’euros). Le nouveau mécanisme de coopération pour les prêts à l’Ukraine mobilisera des recettes provenant d’actifs souverains russes immobilisés, ce qui permettra à l’Ukraine d’assurer le service et le remboursement des prêts accordés par l’Union et par les autres partenaires du G7. Le Parlement devrait adopter la proposition au cours de sa séance plénière d’octobre II.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Asia's skyrocketing space race: A competition for peace? - 16-10-2024

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Over the past 20 years, new Asian players have emerged in the competition for space. Until the end of the 20th century, Japan – the only Asian country admitted to the International Space Station – played a leading role in the region. However, the beginning of the 21st century has seen the rise of other countries' space capabilities, fuelling a new space race. China has made sizeable progress, outpacing Russia as the main competitor to the United States. Beijing aims to be the world's leading space power by the mid-2040s and has integrated its space activities in the army structure. China is planning to build a permanent research station on the lunar south pole and a solar power station in space. China and Russia are increasingly teaming up in space projects. India has showed the capability to perform low-cost missions, including the successful landing on the Moon in August 2023, making it the fourth country to achieve this. South Korea has a relatively recent space history, but aims to rank among the world's top five space powers by 2045. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia have revealed ambitious space policies; the UAE aims to establish the first inhabitable human settlement on Mars by 2117. Meanwhile, despite the narrative of a shared vision for humanity in space, China is accumulating major counter-space capabilities, including that of seizing control of a satellite, rendering it ineffective. The Chinese army has meanwhile designated outer space as a warfighting domain. There is also concern around the claimed pacific purpose of Iran's space programme, potentially supporting its intercontinental ballistic missile capacities. North Korea is also developing a space programme. The European Union (EU) economy, society and security are increasingly reliant on space services. The April 2021 Space Regulation established the EU space programme and the EU Agency for the Space Programme. The EU's space strategy for security and defence was adopted in March 2023.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - World Mental Health Day 2024: 10 October - 07-10-2024

Sun, 06 Oct 2024 22:00:00 GMT

The purpose of World Mental Health Day is to improve knowledge, raise awareness and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world. This year's theme – 'Mental health at work' – underlines that supportive work environments foster mental health, providing purpose and stability. On the contrary, poor working environments – including excessive workloads, low job security and discrimination – can undermine mental health and lead to decreased performance and absence from work, and can also affect family members.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - La montée de l’intolérance religieuse en Europe - 01-10-2024

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 13:34:19 GMT

Lors de la période de session d’octobre I, il est prévu que le Parlement entende une déclaration de la Commission sur la montée de l’intolérance religieuse en Europe, suivie d’un débat. Ce point a été inscrit à l’ordre du jour en réponse aux préoccupations croissantes exprimées par des organismes de défense des droits de l’homme, des organisations non gouvernementales (ONG) et des communautés religieuses au sujet de la liberté et de la tolérance religieuses en Europe.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Sri Lanka's 2024 presidential elections - 12-09-2024

Wed, 11 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

With a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population of 22 million, Sri Lanka is a country strategically located in South Asia at the crossroads of major shipping routes in the Indo-Pacific region. This lower middle-income country has undergone a severe economic crisis, whose consequences have been exacerbated by its economic and monetary policies, not to mention the 2019 terrorist attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, Sri Lanka defaulted, and widespread popular protests prompted the resignation of the prime minister followed by the president, posts held by the Rajapaksa brothers. Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as president. The country has received assistance from the International Monetary Fund and negotiated a key debt restructuring deal in June 2024. India and China are competing to expand their influence in the country because of its geo-strategic location in the Indo-Pacific. The 99-year lease of Hambantota port to China in 2017, feeding the debt-trap narrative, has increased Indian and United States (US) concerns. Colombo boasts a nonaligned foreign policy, and has remained neutral on the war in Ukraine. European Union–Sri Lanka relations are based on a comprehensive cooperation agreement on partnership and development, which entered into force in 1995. Sri Lanka benefits from enhanced access to the European Union (EU) market under the generalised system of preferences plus, of which it is the third-largest beneficiary. �Ϸ��վ – like other international stakeholders – has underlined the importance of a national reconciliation process given the unaddressed legacy of the 1983–2009 civil war against the Tamil insurgency. �Ϸ��վ has also expressed concern over Sri Lanka's continuous application of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, systematically used for arbitrary arrests. Against this backdrop, Sri Lanka's presidential elections will take place on 21 September 2024. The EU has deployed an election observation mission, with MEP Nacho Sánchez Amor (S&D, Spain) as Chief Observer.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

En bref - WTO agreement on electronic commerce - 09-09-2024

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

On 26 July 2024, after 5 years of negotiations, 82 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached an agreement on the first-ever global rules on electronic commerce. The plurilateral talks were led by the co conveners Australia, Japan and Singapore, under a WTO joint statement initiative (JSI) that had attracted 91 participants, accounting for more than 90 % of global trade. While the deal is a sign that plurilateral talks have the potential to inject fresh momentum into the WTO's negotiating function, nine members participating in the talks were unable to support it. This is the likely reason for the text being referred to as 'stabilised' rather than 'final'. Moreover the agreement's integration into the WTO legal architecture and entry into force is expected to meet challenges similar to those other JSIs have faced before.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - �Ϸ��վ and the United Nations - 03-09-2024

Mon, 02 Sep 2024 22:00:00 GMT

The EU has constantly affirmed its support for multilateralism, and in particular for the United Nations (UN), with which it shares core values. Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union puts respect for the principles of the UN Charter among the guiding principles of EU action on the international scene. The EU and its Member States contribute one third to the total UN budget. Although the EU's status within the UN system varies (from full member to simple observer), the EU is the regional organisation having gained the strongest voice in the UN. The EU supports the reform agenda initiated by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. �Ϸ��վ is a strong supporter of rules-based multilateralism. It follows the EU's activity in the UN closely, and regularly adopts recommendations to the Council of the EU on the priorities to be pursued by the EU at the UN General Assembly, and at major multilateral conferences such as the UN climate change conference. �Ϸ��վ also adopts resolutions on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals. It encourages cooperation between the EU – together with its Member States – and the UN, in particular on humanitarian aid, development assistance, peace operations and crisis management. As regards specific bodies and agencies, �Ϸ��վ regularly reiterates its strong support for the International Criminal Court, and deplores the abuse of multilateral institutions, in particular by regimes seeking to neutralise human rights mechanisms within the UN Human Rights Council. �Ϸ��վ's relevant committees maintain relations with UN bodies and agencies. The committees invite UN representatives and experts to exchanges of views and hearings at the European �Ϸ��վ, and send delegations to key meetings.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Outcome of the European Political Community meeting in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, on 18 July 2024 - 25-07-2024

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 22:00:00 GMT

On 18 July, over 40 European leaders gathered for the fourth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC). It followed a series of international summits in the preceding weeks, including a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit and a G7 summit, plus two European Council meetings. Conflicts on the European continent and in its neighbourhood, as well as the upcoming United States presidential elections and their potential ramifications were most likely at the forefront of leaders' minds. European unity in its support for Ukraine was the overarching theme, alongside three roundtable topics: migration, energy, and defending and securing democracy. The reset of the relationship between the United Kingdom and its European counterparts was also a clear ambition of the newly elected UK government, hosting the event. As with the previous EPC meetings, no concrete deliverables or statements were announced at the end of the summit.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE

Briefing - Establishing an EU customs data hub and an EU customs authority - 05-07-2024

Thu, 04 Jul 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Today's massive increase in trade volumes, combined with the need to conduct border checks for compliance with the growing number of EU standards and to stay abreast of continuously evolving trade strategies, has put EU customs authorities under a lot of pressure. Concerns have been raised that the EU's customs union is burdened by an uneven level of digitalisation across Member States, suboptimal coordination between national authorities and overall complexity. This situation creates high administrative compliance costs for traders while providing criminals with opportunities to commit fraud. To tackle these issues, the European Commission tabled a customs reform package on 17 May 2023. Key to the reform is the establishment of an EU customs authority that would oversee a new customs data hub. The aim is to adopt a more centralised and digitalised approach to customs that should lower compliance costs for traders, free up resources for national authorities and ensure a more efficient, strengthened and fraud-proof customs union. The proposal is subject to the ordinary legislative procedure, requiring the support of both Council and �Ϸ��վ. Within �Ϸ��վ, the file was assigned to the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection, with Deirdre Clune (EPP, Ireland) as rapporteur. At its March 2024 plenary, �Ϸ��վ adopted its position at first reading. Negotiations at the Council are ongoing. Third edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

Source : © Union européenne, 2024 - PE