The EU design legislative reform package includes two texts amending Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 (the Community Design Regulation) and, in parallel, recasting Directive 98/71/EC (the Design Directive) to align the design protection system in the EU with the digital age and make it more accessible and efficient for applicants. In terms of digitalisation, the update of the requirements for representing designs will allow applicants to file new digital design types (e.g. by using 3D printing technologies). In terms of efficiency, the reform package aims to make application procedures cheaper and simpler and registration procedures faster, while also ensuring greater predictability and legal certainty for stakeholders looking for design protection in the EU. Within the European Parliament, the files were assigned to the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), with Gilles Lebreton (ID, France) as rapporteur. The EU design legislative reform package was published in the EU's Official Journal on 18 November 2024; the two texts entered into force 20 days after their publication in the Official Journal. The Community Design Regulation will apply from 1 May 2025 (with a few articles applying from 1 July 2026), whereas Member States will have to transpose the Design Directive into their national legal systems by 9 December 2027. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Road safety has improved significantly in the EU, with the number of road fatalities falling by more than 60 % in the last 20 years. However, improvements in road safety fell short of the EU goals of decreasing the number of road deaths by 50 % between 2001 and 2010, and by an additional 50 % between 2011 and 2020. Directive (EU) 2015/413 facilitating cross-border exchange of information on road safety-related traffic offences – the Cross-border Enforcement (CBE) Directive – is one of the pillars of the policy framework to improve road safety in the EU. It aims to help improve road safety by tackling the relative impunity of non-resident drivers. The revision, announced in the European Commission's sustainable and smart mobility strategy in 2020, seeks to address key shortcomings in existing rules. According to Commission estimates, 40 % of cross-border offences are committed with impunity, either because the offender is not identified or because the fine is not enforced. The Commission tabled its proposal to revise the CBE Directive on 1 March 2023 as part of the road safety package. In the European Parliament, the file was assigned to the Committee on Transport and Tourism (rapporteur: Kosma Złotowski, ECR, Poland). Following interinstitutional negotiations, the Parliament and Council negotiators reached a provisional agreement on the final wording of the text on 12 March 2024. The Parliament approved the agreed text on 24 April 2024. The Council adopted the new rules on 16 December 2024 and the final act was published in the Official Journal of the EU on 30 December 2024. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Irregular migration is hard to define and to measure. Several EU datasets provide indications of a range of aspects of irregular migration, such as attempted irregular crossings of EU external borders, detected irregular stays, loss of regular status and removals of irregular migrants. However, these datasets are often incomplete, inconsistent, and insufficient to capture the complex issues of irregular migration and return. Despite its shortcomings, data on irregular migration is highly consequential for EU policy making and contributes to the ongoing politicisation of migration in the EU. For example, the widely shared figures showing increasing numbers of people crossing into the EU irregularly, and scores of irregular migrants unwilling or unable to return to their country of origin, fuel a narrative of a long-standing migration crisis in the EU. Such figures also trigger renewed efforts to reinforce EU measures seeking to deter, criminalise, and return irregular migrants. By identifying relevant EU datasets on irregular migration and return and discussing key gaps and limitations, it can be concluded that the available data provide only a partial and sometimes misleading picture of irregular migration in the EU. New official data sources, expected to be available in the future, may alleviate some of the existing issues. However, these need to be complemented with additional indicators and approaches that focus on other important dimensions of migration and return policies, such as compliance with fundamental rights, efficiency, and policy coherence. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

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 : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Evolving from informal police cooperation in the 1970s to a fully fledged European Union (EU) agency, Europol has seen its mandate continuously strengthened in recent years. In 2016, the agency was given a new legal basis (Regulation (EU) 2016/794), which strengthened Europol's data management and protection rules and provided for enhanced scrutiny: (i) political scrutiny – by a new parliamentary oversight body made up of representatives of the European Parliament and Member States' national parliaments; and (ii) scrutiny of its data processing operations – by the European Data Protection Supervisor. Furthermore, the regulation reformed the framework for Europol's cooperation with partners such as third countries and international organisations, which also allowed for a strengthened role for the European Commission and the European Parliament. In 2022, on the basis of Regulation (EU) 2022/991, Europol was given new powers to cooperate directly with private parties, process large and complex datasets and take on a larger role in research and innovation. In 2023, the Commission proposed further changes to Europol's mandate that would strengthen its role in fighting migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings. Europol's mandate is to support actions by EU Member States' law enforcement authorities and ensure their cooperation for the purpose of preventing and combating serious crime affecting two or more Member States, terrorism, and forms of crime that affect a common interest covered by a Union policy. The agency is empowered to tackle more than 30 forms of serious crime and related criminal offences, including terrorism, drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation, and trafficking in arms and ammunition. To fulfil its objectives, Europol carries out a series of tasks, including the core activities of acting as the EU's criminal information exchange hub and providing operational support and expertise to Member States' criminal investigations. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The European Union counts representative democracy as one of its foundational tenets. In that regard, the mandate of a directly elected Member of the European Parliament plays a crucial role. A Member's mandate includes an immunity status, protecting Members' independence to exercise their mandate freely. This legal status can prevent legal action, measures or even criminal investigation against the Member suspected of wrongdoing. Nevertheless, this parliamentary immunity is not an individual entitlement putting Members beyond the reach of the legal system, but rather an institutional privilege of the Parliament. Members' parliamentary immunity is not however fully harmonised under EU law, which refers some aspects of parliamentary immunity to the Member States. The diverse national understanding of parliamentary immunity can significantly influence, among other things, when and how a Member's mandate might end. More specifically, national legal variations can affect criminal proceedings against a Member that, if leading to a conviction, represent the most obvious reason for the involuntary end of a Member's parliamentary mandate (termination of mandate) in many Member States. In addition to differing levels of parliamentary immunity, there are differences in the reasons allowed nationally for ending national parliamentary mandates. Since EU law permits Member States to apply their own reasons when terminating a Member's mandate, national laws come into play once again. To analyse this complex web of legal settings applying to the end of a Member's mandate and resulting from the combination of EU law and diverse national rules potentially applicable to Members by analogy, this briefing draws upon national responses to a survey carried out for the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The 'datafication' of everyday life and data scandals have made the protection of personal information an increasingly important social, legal and political matter for the EU. In recent years, awareness of data rights has grown considerably. The right to privacy and the right to protection of personal data are both enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and in the EU Treaties. The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty in 2009 gave the Charter the same legal value as the Treaties and abolished the pillar structure, providing a stronger basis for a more effective and comprehensive EU data protection regime. In 2012, the European Commission launched an ambitious reform to modernise the EU data protection framework. In 2016, the European Parliament and the Council, as co-legislators, adopted the EU's most prominent data protection legislation yet – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – and the Law Enforcement Directive. The framework overhaul also included adopting an updated Regulation on Data Protection in the EU institutions and reforming the e-Privacy Directive. The European Parliament played a key role in these reforms, both as co-legislator and author of own initiative reports and resolutions, seeking to guarantee a high level of data protection for EU citizens. The European Court of Justice plays a crucial role in developing the EU data protection framework through case law. In the coming years, challenges in the area of data protection will include rectifying GDPR enforcement deficits, balancing the compliance and data needs of emerging technologies, granting data access for security purposes without excessively compromising privacy and data protection, and mitigating compliance burdens for small and medium-sized enterprises. This is a further updated edition of a briefing originally written in 2020 by Sofija Voronova and updated in 2023. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

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. Towards the end of the year, events in Gaza preoccupied EU leaders as Israel responded forcefully to the horrendous terrorist attack by Hamas on 7 October. EU leaders met seven times in 2023, including via videoconference on 17 October, as events in Gaza unfolded. Two of the meetings, in February and March, lasted only one day, not the planned two days. The relatively fewer and shorter meetings of the European Council in 2023 hints at the institution's greater efficiency rather than declining importance. The European Council was fully engaged throughout 2023 in tackling a host of critical issues and planning a new Strategic Agenda, despite the increasing obstructionism of one of its members. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Clean technologies are at the forefront of the EU's ambition to pursue both decarbonisation and industrial competitiveness. The global clean tech market is expected to triple by 2035, covering sectors such as solar, wind, batteries, heat pumps and electrolysers for the production of hydrogen. While the roll-out of clean technologies is increasing in the EU, its global market share is falling and manufacturing is lagging behind. This is due to a combination of factors, such as high energy prices, import dependency on raw materials and key components, skills shortages and fierce international competition, fuelled by robust public support policies adopted by the EU's main global competitors, such as China and the United States. The EU has already taken some steps to boost manufacturing of clean technologies. The Net-Zero Industry Act of June 2024 seeks to enhance the manufacturing capacity of strategic net-zero technologies by streamlining administrative procedures, boosting investment and improving skills. It sets a target for domestic manufacturing capacity of strategic net-zero technologies to reach 40 % of EU annual deployment needs by 2030 and 15 % of global production by 2040. The Critical Raw Materials Act of April 2024 addresses the issue of import dependencies by seeking to diversify supplies and boost domestic capacity in mining, processing and recycling of critical raw materials. However, some challenges remain for EU clean tech. These include ensuring adequate private and public funding, swiftly implementing the recently adopted legislative framework and reinforcing a favourable regulatory environment for investment. The Clean Industrial Deal to be announced in February 2025 by the new European Commission, together with the Competitiveness Fund under the future multiannual EU budget, are expected to provide an additional boost to clean technologies in Europe. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The human rights situation is worsening in Belarus, with a continued climate of oppression in the country. Meanwhile, presidential 'elections' are due to take place on 26 January 2025. The democratic forces of Belarus call this vote a 'self-reappointment of Lukashenka' and urge the international community not to recognise it. The European Parliament will hold a debate on the situation and possible actions with the High Representative /Vice-President of the Commission, Kaja Kallas, during the January plenary session. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

During its January session, Parliament is due to debate a Commission statement on the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP 16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This conference concluded in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on 13 December 2024, following two weeks of negotiations. A significant outcome of the conference was the commitment to support financially land restoration and drought resilience initiatives. However, it failed to establish a legally binding global framework to tackle drought. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Insolvency laws are the rules governing the legal proceedings applicable to companies unable to repay debts as they fall due. The convergence of non-financial companies' insolvency laws across the Member States is high on the EU's policy agenda: the two reports requested from former Italian prime ministers Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi both emphasised the importance of the convergence of insolvency laws for the defragmentation and proper functioning of EU capital markets. This would help unlock capital and support both the EU's green and digital transitions and its competitiveness in general. In 2019, the EU adopted a directive to harmonise the preventive restructuring framework. The European Parliament and the Council are currently debating a European Commission proposal on the harmonisation of certain aspects of insolvency regimes. Theoretical and empirical economic literature has provided substantial evidence suggesting that insolvency regimes impact the conduct of business, in particular access to equity and debt, and their respective costs. The insolvency regime is an implicit component of the contract between a company and its financiers, and determines the chance of recovery of credits in the event of company failure. Converging corporate insolvency rules would also increase the predictability of returns on cross-border financing, enhancing volumes while decreasing costs. The European Parliament and the Council have expressed support for harmonising insolvency laws with a view to completing the savings and investment union and boosting the financing of the EU's economy. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Migrant smuggling is a key activity for criminal networks operating in the EU, sustained by continued demand for facilitation services. Geopolitical and socioeconomic instability worldwide, as well as climate change, are expected to keep driving migratory movements. Migrant smuggling is a high-profit, low-risk business, and the criminal groups involved are increasingly sophisticated, professional and violent. Many of those who willingly pay smugglers to help them cross borders do so at great personal risk. Parliament will discuss the links between organised crime and migrant smuggling during its January plenary session. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The EU's population is ageing and set to decline. The shrinking working-age population poses risks in terms of greater labour shortages, increased pressure on public budgets, worsened territorial disparities and depopulation. These can negatively impact EU competitiveness, slow down the green and digital transitions and undermine social cohesion. While managing the demographic transition is the responsibility of Member States, it has also become one of the biggest challenges the EU is facing today. The Commission is due to make a statement on addressing demographic challenges during the January plenary session. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

For the European Union to compete globally while continuing to ensure progress in environmental, social and fundamental rights, more strategic and collective action is imperative. In a world where some leading global businesses have a market capitalisation of more than €3 trillion, an integrated economic, financial and fiscal policy framework is needed to encourage innovation and growth, including for successful SMEs. As the recent Letta and Draghi reports highlight, this requires clear political priorities, enough budgetary means, lower public spending waste rates at Member State level and crucially a transnational pro-innovation perspective. As a result, EU businesses could harness the full potential of the single market and economic and monetary union and challenge competitors in fast-growing and future-oriented economic activities such as digital and clean energy production. This agenda, although largely elusive at this point, could bring substantial economic benefit. This study finds that, compared to a situation where Member States act alone, a coordinated approach at EU level could bring an additional 0.9 % of GDP in 2035. A more ambitious integrated approach could be even more positive, with a benefit estimated at 2.6 % of additional GDP in 2035. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Dark patterns are deceptive techniques used by online platforms to manipulate users' behaviour, often without their knowledge or consent. The EU regulatory framework against dark patterns is fragmented and lacks a unified legal definition. This can lead to legal uncertainty and inconsistent enforcement. Stakeholders and academics are calling for clearer definitions, stronger safeguards, and more effective enforcement of existing laws. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The three reports by Draghi, Letta and Noyer remind policy makers that capital markets channelling savings into investments is key to competitiveness and economic growth. The recommendations of these reports could give new impetus to the long-standing flagship policy of CMU. In this briefing we show how securitisation, supervision, market infrastructure and savings/pensions schemes are identified as priorities in all three reports, however with different conclusions. We also discuss all other CMU recommendations in the reports. The paper has been updated in order to include the commitments made by the new Commission towards Parliament in letters and Committee hearings. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Commitments made at the confirmation hearings of the Commissioners-designate 2024-2029 Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The Baltic has several unique features, comprising a mixture of saline and fresh water and a shallow depth, enabling a broad variety of habitats. Its fish species are rather limited in number, with the bulk of fish stocks spread among cod, herring and sprat. The sea's characteristics make it particularly vulnerable to environmental changes and many habitats and species of the Baltic Sea are not in good condition. The environmental deterioration is caused by several factors, including excessive nutrient input, pollution, climate change, invasive species and over-exploitation. The worrying situation of the Baltic Sea habitats is leading to a dramatic decline in some commercial fish stocks, with fisheries losing economic and cultural importance. A range of promising measures for specific fish species have been taken at EU level, the results of which could however be jeopardised if habitats cannot be restored. Parliament has previously expressed concern about the state of the Baltic Sea over many years, and has played an important role in adopting measures to alleviate the situation. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Equality between men and women is one of the key foundational principles of the European Union. Despite much progress, however, significant gaps persist between men and women regarding employment opportunities and income levels. Taxation can either mitigate or exacerbate these gender inequalities. On 13 January 2025, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) is due to hold a public hearing on the topic. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 14 October 2024, EU legislators adopted a new directive on platform work. The directive introduces the presumption of employment – to be applied following national rules – as well as the first EU rules to regulate algorithmic management in the workplace. The new rules will apply from 2 December 2026. Platform work is an umbrella concept covering a heterogeneous group of economic activities completed through a digital platform. Platform workers' rights are not enshrined in EU labour law and this is increasingly leading to problems relating to various aspects of their work and human development. To remedy this situation, the European Commission submitted a proposal for a directive aimed at improving the working conditions of platform workers, clarifying their employment status, and establishing the first EU rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Sixth edition of a briefing originally drafted by Monika Kiss. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In July 2023, the European Commission tabled a package of three proposals for the greening of freight transport. Among them is a proposal for a single methodology for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from transport services, referred to as CountEmissionsEU. The initiative covers both freight and passenger transport. It seeks to ensure that GHG emissions data provided regarding transport services are reliable and accurate, to allow fair comparison between transport services. It establishes a methodological framework but does not govern where it has to be used. Nonetheless, if an organisation decides to calculate and disclose information on GHG emissions from transport services it needs to use the methodology provided. To avoid extra red tape for small and medium-sized enterprises, the proposal exempts these companies from mandatory verification of adherence to the rules. In the European Parliament, the file has been dealt with through the joint committee procedure, involving the Committees on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) and on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The committees adopted their joint report on 4 March 2024. Parliament voted on its first-reading position during its April I plenary session. Parliament's TRAN and ENVI committees voted to enter into trilogue negotiations with the Council on 4 December 2024. Fourth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The recent cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated a longstanding problem with housing affordability in the EU. Higher building costs and mortgage rates, together with a related decrease in housing construction, have made access to home ownership more difficult. At the same time, investors use housing as a vehicle for investment. Growing numbers of people are struggling to access affordable housing, whether to rent or to buy, particularly in cities. Across Europe, homelessness is rising. In addition, many residential buildings need to be made energy-efficient and decarbonised in order to achieve the EU's energy and climate goals, lower energy consumption and reduce energy bills. While the EU has no direct competence in the area of housing and only a limited scope of action to address social issues, it provides relevant guidance and funding, and has carried out several initiatives to support housing. Furthermore, certain EU rules have a indirect impact on housing provision, starting with the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. In parallel, many sources of EU funding are available for various housing-related purposes in the current financing period. In the run-up to the 2024 European elections, the lack of adequate and affordable housing, and the need to address it at EU level, emerged as a concern across the whole of the EU and the entire political spectrum. The new European Commission ('von der Leyen II') is giving housing policy visibility and weight by proposing a coordinated approach. For the first time, housing has become a distinct part of a commissioner's portfolio. Dan Jørgensen, the new Commissioner for Energy and Housing, is responsible for dealing with several complex issues relating to housing. The European Parliament voted on 18 December 2024 to set up a special committee on the housing crisis in the EU. Building on recent developments, the Commission's 2025 work programme is expected to outline the next steps for the EU. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Performance-based budgeting by focusing on ‘what works’, as opposed to whether money has been properly spent, aims to improve the quality of public spending. This study examines how successful the approach has been in the EU, looking at the multi-annual financial framework and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The study looks, in particular, at the role of the European Parliament and how it could be enhanced, drawing on lessons from use of the approach in national settings. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On 14 October 2024, EU legislators adopted a new directive on platform work. The directive introduces the presumption of employment – to be applied following national rules – as well as the first EU rules to regulate algorithmic management in the workplace. The new rules will apply from 2 December 2026. Platform work is an umbrella concept covering a heterogeneous group of economic activities completed through a digital platform. Platform workers' rights are not enshrined in EU labour law and this is increasingly leading to problems relating to various aspects of their work and human development. To remedy this situation, the European Commission submitted a proposal for a directive aimed at improving the working conditions of platform workers, clarifying their employment status, and establishing the first EU rules for the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace. Sixth edition of a briefing originally drafted by Monika Kiss. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Equality between men and women is one of the key foundational principles of the European Union. Despite much progress, however, significant gaps persist between men and women regarding employment opportunities and income levels. Taxation can either mitigate or exacerbate these gender inequalities. On 13 January 2025, the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) is due to hold a public hearing on the topic. Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Article 22 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) establishes the right of mobile EU citizens – i.e. those residing in a Member State of which they are not nationals – to stand as candidates in elections to the European Parliament and municipal elections in the Member State of residence under the same conditions as nationals of that Member State. In two closely linked judgments, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled that this included mobile EU citizens' right to join political parties in the Member State of their residence. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Natural hazards, armed conflicts, human-induced or amplified disasters, and often, complex crises – a combination of these may result in humanitarian emergencies. Meeting complex humanitarian needs, especially in resource-scarce environments, requires intervention beyond national capacities. Therefore, broader humanitarian action is essential to save lives, preserve the health and dignity of victims, assist recovery, and improve prevention, preparedness and resilience. This action encompasses humanitarian assistance, its financing, advocacy, policy and legal frameworks, coordination, monitoring and evaluation efforts. The main international humanitarian efforts are run by the United Nations, facilitating resource mobilisation, coordination and consistency of humanitarian action. However, regional and bilateral actions are equally important, especially given that, due to growing humanitarian needs and scarce financial resources, the humanitarian system is facing a severe funding crisis, compromising the delivery of assistance. The EU is an important humanitarian donor and actor, with its toolbox consisting of humanitarian assistance, both through financing and operational means; international advocacy for more coordinated, efficient and prominent humanitarian assistance and increased resource mobilisation; support for the respect of international humanitarian law; and policy measures, most notably humanitarian exceptions to sanctions. Since the creation of its humanitarian office in 1992, the EU has provided needs-based humanitarian assistance to more than 110 countries and territories, in line with the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence and with a focus on gender-, age- and environment-sensitive approaches, among other things. The European Parliament is significantly involved in the EU's humanitarian action. As a co-legislator and a budgetary authority, as well as through its resolutions, diplomacy, outreach and numerous other activities, the Parliament shapes EU humanitarian policy, decides on the financing, and brings important issues into the spotlight. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Sweden aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2045 (see trajectory in Figure 1) and to further reduce its emissions in sectors covered by the Effort-sharing Regulation. In 2023, Sweden accounted for 0.16 % of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It achieved a net emissions reduction of 72.6 % from 2005 to 2023, well above the EU average reduction of 30.5 %. In the same period, the country reduced emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system by 26.5 %. Sweden's land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has consistently performed as a large carbon sink. In August 2023, Sweden updated its recovery and resilience plan and included a REPowerEU chapter. The plan dedicates 43.6 % of total funding to the green transition. Sweden submitted a draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) in July 2023. The European Commission assessed it, making recommendations for the final updated NECP, which Sweden submitted in June 2024 as one of four EU countries to meet the deadline. A 2023 Eurobarometer survey showed that 73 % of Swedes, against a 46 % EU average, find climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. While 60 % consider tackling climate change a personal responsibility, this task is also seen as the responsibility of national governments (80 %), the EU (74 %), and business and industry (55 %). Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

In 2023, Bulgaria accounted for around 1.2 % of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 22.6 % compared with 2005. The country's total emissions decreased by 27.4 % between 2005 and 2023, while its net carbon removals in the land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector declined by 41.3 % (Figure 1). Emissions from sectors covered by the effort-sharing legislation decreased by 3 % since 2005 and were higher than those from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS), which fell by 43.4 %. In 2023, Bulgaria still had the most carbon intensive economy in the EU; the European Commission considers that the country's green transition could be slowed significantly by the lack of long-term climate commitments, heavy dependence on coal, and the high energy intensity of its economy. Bulgaria submitted its draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) in February 2024. The Commission assessed it and made recommendations for the final plan, which was due in June 2024. In a 2023 survey, only 22 % of Bulgarians, compared with a 46 % EU average, identified climate change as of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect national government (48 %) and/or the EU (39 %) to tackle climate change. Only 17 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Poland does not have a national climate law or a strategy to become climate-neutral. However, it is bound by the European Climate Law and other EU legislation that obliges Member States to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in some sectors. Poland accounts for 10.7 % of the EU's net GHG emissions, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 9.3 % in the years 2005 to 2023 – significantly lower than the EU average of 30.5 % over the same period (Figure 1). Emissions under the EU emissions trading system (ETS), covering mainly energy-intensive sectors, aviation and maritime transport, decreased by 30 %. Carbon removals in the LULUCF (land use, land-use change and forestry) sectors went down by 28.2 %. In the effort-sharing sectors (domestic transport without aviation, buildings, agriculture, small industry and waste) increased by 9 %. In August 2023, Poland updated its recovery and resilience plan and introduced a REPowerEU chapter. It submitted its draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) on 1 March 2024 (only the scenario with existing measures). The European Commission assessed the partially updated plan on 26 April 2024, and deemed the existing measures insufficient to meet the 2030 targets. In a 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 28 % of Poles, compared with a 46 % EU average, identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Almost half expect national government (46 %) and/or the EU (43 %) to tackle climate change, while 17 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

This briefing provides a summary of the recent economic developments in the EU Member States and gives an overview of relevant economic projections forecasted by major international and EU institutions. Annex 1 includes latest GDP data and forecasts for all EU Member States and Annex 2 the latest inflation data and developments. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Belgium aims to reach climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1). In 2023, Belgium accounted for 3.5 % of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and reduced its net emissions by 29.3 % between 2005 and 2023, just below the EU average reduction of 30.5 % over the same period. Also during that period, the country reduced emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system (ETS) by 46.7 %. Belgium's land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has consistently performed as a small carbon sink. In July 2023 Belgium updated its recovery and resilience plan and included a REPowerEU chapter. The plan dedicates 51 % of total funding to the green transition. Belgium submitted a draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) in December 2023, to be assessed by the European Commission. In October 2024, the Commission launched an infringement procedure against Belgium and 12 other Member States that missed the June 2024 deadline for submitting the final updated NECP. A 2023 Eurobarometer survey showed that 49 % of Belgians, against an EU average of 46 %, find climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the EU (65 %) and/or business and industry (52 %) and national governments (49 %) to tackle climate change, while 40 % find it to be their personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

Spain aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1). In 2023, Spain accounted for 8.2 % of the EU's net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and achieved a net emissions reduction of 39.3 % in the years 2005 to 2023, above the EU average reduction of 30.5 %. During the same period, the country reduced emissions covered by the EU emissions trading system (ETS) by 57.5 %. Spain's land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector has consistently performed as a carbon sink, despite an increasing number of forest fires. In June 2023, Spain updated its recovery and resilience plan and included a REPowerEU chapter. The plan dedicates 39.9 % of total funding to the green transition. Spain submitted a draft updated national energy and climate plan (NECP) on 13 July 2023. The European Commission assessed it and made recommendations for the final updated NECP, which was published on 26 September 2024. In a 2023 Eurobarometer survey, 48 % of Spaniards, compared with an EU average of 46 %, consider climate change to be one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most expect the EU (56 %), national governments (56 %) and business and industry (54 %) to tackle climate change, while 36 % find it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

This handbook provides an illustrated overview of the main marine and freshwater species relevant to the EU fisheries and aquaculture sector. For each species, the handbook shows its main biological characteristics, whether it is caught, farmed or both, and by which Member States, along with some significant EU conservation measures. In addition, it indicates the name of the species in Danish, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Swedish. Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP