As fossil fuels become scarcer and more expensive, and as the threat of climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions increases, it is ever more important to consider alternatives in the fields of energy and transport. STOA is the Science and Technology Options Assessment body,which provides independent scientific advice to the European Parliament. STOA has… Read More Eco-efficient transport and modern energy solutions
The initiative to modernise the EU copyright framework was launched in May 2011 in the European Commission’s strategy on “A Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights” and pursuant to actions in the Commission’s Digital Agenda for Europe. In December 2012, the Commission then published a “Communication on Content in the Digital Single Market” in which it aims… Read More Adapting the EU copyright rules to the digital transformation
After a two-month ban, the Turkish government restored access to the video-sharing website YouTube in June 2014. This move was necessary to comply with a Constitutional Court (CC) ruling, which judged blocking the site as a breach of freedom of expression. In April Turkey’s highest court had ruled in a similar case, overturning the controversial… Read More Social media freedom in Turkey
In response to the financial crisis in the EU, a permanent crisis mechanism – the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) – was adopted by the euro area Member States. A number of cases, lodged with the German Federal Constitutional Court (BVerfG), aimed at blocking Germany’s participation. The BVerfG has established four requirements for German participation in… Read More German Constitutional Court decisions on EU anti-crisis measures
This note seeks to provide an initial analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the European Commission’s Impact Assessment (IA) accompanying the above proposal which was adopted on 24 March 2014. The first EU legislation on organic farming was adopted in 19911 and substantially revised in 20072. Amongst other things, this revision introduced the possibility… Read More Organic production and labelling of organic products
The “roaming charge” refers to the cost of using mobile communications (typically with a mobile phone) to make and receive voice calls, send and receive data, or access other services, when travelling outside the geographical area of the user’s home network and using another network in the location they are visiting. (Eurostat) Wholesale prices refer… Read More Roaming charges in the EU
‘Brand’ is not a legal term. It refers to the set of functions and symbols associated with a specific mark, including its cultural, legal, political and social aspects, which contribute to its market value. From a legal point of view, a brand is an exclusive channel of communication connected with the brand exploitation rights, an… Read More Legal protection of brands in EU Law
STOA is the Science and Technology Options Assessment body, established in 1987 and now part of the European Parliament Research Services Directorate General. STOA provides Members and Committees of the European Parliament with independent, science-based evidence for policy making. It carries out projects to assess the impact of introducing or promoting new technologies and the… Read More STOA: providing scientific advice to the European Parliament
In the Final Repor t of the High Level Working Group on Jobs and Growth (HLWG), (11 February 2013), both the EU and the US expressed their commitment to keep and advocate a high level of intellectual property protection (IPR). The report recommended that only a limited number of IPR issues would be addressed during… Read More Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in TTIP negotiations
A new support program for the cultural and creative sectors, Creative Europe was adopted by the European Council on 3 December 2013 and entered into force on 1 January 2014. It has two sub-programs (Culture and Media) and a cross-sectoral strand. It provides opportunities for cooperation between cultural and creative organisations from different countries and… Read More Arts and Culture: Is it about money and competitiveness?