Friday

25th Aug 2017

'Killer robots' are not about Terminator

A European signatory of an open letter about autonomous weapons says the imagery of fictional killer robots is distracting from a seriously dangerous issue.

Interview

Temporary director shakes up EU innovation agency

Martin Kern has been interim director of the European Institute for Innovation and Technology for almost three years. “I understand it must look a bit unusual from the outside.”

EU fines Google €2.4 bn over online shopping

Brussels says Google has abused a near-monopoly position in online searches to favour its shopping service, but the US company said Brussels cannot prove the charges.

No more roaming charges in EU

Major telecoms operators across all 28 EU states have scrapped roaming fees on data, text messages, and calls, as of Thursday (15 June).

Magazine

Sharing economy: Lobbyists educate EU officials

The European Collaborative Economy Forum, a trade association, has recently started doing advocacy work, while Uber increased its spending on EU lobbying significantly.

Digital currency, the Airbnb and Uber killer

The digital currency Ethereum allows people to run so-called smart contracts, potentially creating a decentralised sharing economy, and could be the beginning of the end for firms like Uber and Airbnb.

Focus

EU overestimated ICT jobs gap

EU leaders said there would be almost a million ICT vacancies by 2015, and made digital skills a priority, but in reality the number of vacancies was much lower.

Focus

Uber: Goodbye Denmark, but not farewell

Ride-sharing service Uber has announced it will shut down activities in Denmark in protest over a new law introducing the same requirements for Uber as for other taxi services.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersTrust Is the New Nordic Gold
  2. European Jewish CongressEuropean Governments Must Take Stronger Action Against Terrorism
  3. European Healthy Lifestyle AllianceDoes Genetics Explain Why So Few of Us Have an Ideal Cardiovascular Health?
  4. EU2017EEFuture-Themed Digital Painting Competition Welcomes Artists - Deadline 31 Aug
  5. ACCABusinesses Must Grip Ethics and Trust in the Digital Age
  6. European Jewish CongressEJC Welcomes European Court of Justice's Decision to Keep Hamas on Terror List
  7. UNICEFReport: Children on the Move From Africa Do Not First Aim to Go to Europe
  8. Centre Maurits CoppietersWe Need Democratic and Transparent Free Trade Agreements Says MEP Jordi Solé
  9. Counter BalanceOut for Summer, Ep. 2: EIB Promoting Development in Egypt - At What Cost?
  10. EU2017EELocal Leaders Push for Local and Regional Targets to Address Climate Change
  11. European Healthy Lifestyle AllianceMore Women Than Men Have Died From Heart Disease in Past 30 Years
  12. European Jewish CongressJean-Marie Le Pen Faces Trial for Oven Comments About Jewish Singer

Focus

Crowded race to win EU medicines agency

As cities line up to take over the European Medicines Agency some fear a kerfuffle that could destabilise the agency's work and slow down the pace of approving new medicines.

Feature

Medical technology: Advancing too fast for its own good?

The rapid advancement of medical technology has contributed to people living longer, healthier lives but consumer and campaign groups say devices should come under more scrutiny before they are used on patients.

Investigation

How the EU cosied up to the defence lobby

The EU has allowed its defence and security policies to be shaped by powerful lobbyists, many of whom are linked to firms that win lucrative contracts, an investigation shows.

EU's new strategy shuns space exploration

The commission wants to focus on the commercial potential of space rather than the educational or scientific benefits, much to the annoyance of some MEPs.

Back to the Future by Hyperloop

Cars that run on petrol or diesel are meant to be a rarity by the year 2050. Progress is slow. But some Nordic cities have radical visions of how a "Hyperloop" could change that.

EU cities try their own 'Ubers'

As some places struggle to deal with the impact of firms like Uber and Airbnb, other cities are embracing the change and seeking to learn.

The stress hormone and EU garden cities

European town planners still borrow from the “garden city” ideals of the 19th century, but they might be doing more harm than good.

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. ACCAAnnounces Belt & Road Research at Shanghai Conference
  2. ECPAFood Waste in the Field Can Double Without Crop Protection. #WithOrWithout #Pesticides
  3. EU2017EEEstonia Allocates €1 Million to Alleviate Migratory Pressure From Libya in Italy
  4. Dialogue PlatformFethullah Gulen's Message on the Anniversary of the Coup Attempt in Turkey
  5. Martens CentreWeeding Out Fake News: An Approach to Social Media Regulation
  6. European Jewish CongressEJC Concerned by Normalisation of Antisemitic Tropes in Hungary
  7. Counter BalanceOut for Summer Ep. 1: How the EIB Sweeps a Development Fiasco Under the Rug
  8. CESICESI to Participate in Sectoral Social Dialogue Committee on Postal Services
  9. ILGA-EuropeMalta Keeps on Rocking: Marriage Equality on Its Way
  10. European Friends of ArmeniaEuFoA Director and MEPs Comment on the Recent Conflict Escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh
  11. EPSUEP Support for Corporate Tax Transparency Principle Unlikely to Pass Reality Check