Mass protests in Ukraine have come one week shy of the 22nd anniversary of the USSR being signed into obsolescence. Ukrainians are protesting against a decision made by their government that will make…
Getting stuck in: David Cameron and Alex Salmond.
Anja Niedringhaus/PA
I have not become the King’s First Minister in order to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire. So Winston Churchill declared in 1942. Seventy years on, David Cameron no doubt feels something…
Could a new method of measuring structural deficits mean easing austerity pressures on troubled Eurozone economies?
Chema Sanz via Flickr
Harald Sander, Cologne University of Applied Sciences (CUAS)
The EU Commission’s autumn economic forecasts are due tomorrow. What makes this event special this year is that there are rumours about a possible change in the Commission’s approach to calculating the…
Within the European Union there is an East-West gap, in health and innovation. The gap is widening because eastern European member states (such as Poland, Romania, Latvia, Hungary and Slovakia) are winning…
The European food agency has decided to allow health claims for products containing fructose.
Broken Haiku/Flickr
The European Food and Safety Agency (EFSA) has just approved health claims for fructose-sweetened products, in a move that has astonished scientists around the world. Food and drink manufacturers can now…
Targets for abuse: Roma women outside court in Larisa, central Greece.
Nikolas Giakoumidis/AP/Press Association Images
Once again Roma people are in the news and, as ever, they are the focus of prejudice and vilification. The most recent story surrounds alleged child abduction in Greece, following a raid on a Roma encampment…
To victory: German chancellor Angela Merkel has comfortably won a third term in office.
EPA/Michael Kappeler
When the term “factor” is used in the description of political power, one is reminded of sunscreen or perfume: an ingredient to ingest. One is certainly not reminded of German chancellor Angela Merkel…
Cameron bonding with Barroso would make scientists happy.
Dominic Lipinski/PA
At a time of much business debate around whether the UK should remain in the European Union (EU), there is one critical area being overlooked regarding the relationship – science. With a growing appreciation…
EU migrants have highest rates of employment in UK.
Stephen Kelly
Hard Evidence is a series of articles that looks at some of the trickiest public policy questions we face. Academic experts delve into available research evidence to provide informed analysis you won’t…
Happier times: Catherine Ashton meets Mohamed Morsi after his election as Egypt’s president.
European External Action Service
The stand-off in Egypt continues. A sit in by supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi has been put on notice that they will be cleared out by force if necessary. The protesters for their part have…
Cheap emissions permits means industry hasn’t traded in its polluting ways.
David Davies/PA
Raphael Calel, London School of Economics and Political Science and Cameron Hepburn, London School of Economics and Political Science
When the carbon price collapsed to below €3 in April this year, EU policymakers sought to prop up carbon prices by a deal that would delay the release of carbon allowances (known as “backloading”). This…
The chances of EU reform are improving for David Cameron.
Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
There has been in a shift in the way the Conservative party leadership has talked about the European Union over the past fortnight. No longer is the talk of “giving the people a choice” about membership…
Kevin Rudd could look to the processes in Europe for a properly regional solution to asylum seekers.
EPA/Adrian Elang
The recently-signed deal between Australia and Papua New Guinea on refugees is being promoted by the Australian government as a “regional settlement arrangement”. But it is really? And how does it compare…
Companies can keep on ducking tax, despite what the OECD says.
Yahoo! Inc
The long awaited report on combating corporate tax avoidance by the OECD sadly has to deal with a corporate tax system which is unfit for purpose. It is a follow-up to the G8 meeting last month in Ireland…
Shut out: EU states have been banned from any investment in Israeli settlements.
Helga Tawil Souri via Creative Commons
After years of declarations, warnings and internal bickering, the European Union has finally done it. On Friday, Brussels is expected to announce that future agreements between the EU (or any of its member…
Reducing emissions with a trading scheme rather than a tax can be risky business.
Brian Yap
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has told Australia we’re shifting to an emissions trading scheme one year earlier than anticipated, with Treasurer Chris Bowen suggesting it will address “cost of living pressures…
Taking on water is the last thing a sinking vessel needs.
amirjina
Bailing out banks is so 2008. It seems 2013 is the year of the bank “bail in”. It started with the Co-operative Bank in the UK, when the bank’s management decided to “bail in” some of its bond holders…
Economics is at the heart of Portugal’s political crisis.
marionzetta
The current political crisis in Portugal has surprised both local economists who know little about politics and international analysts who are ill-informed about the Portuguese economy. In May, I had the…
Big farmers win big under agricultural policy, but change is in the air.
Chris Ison/PA
Reforming the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy has never been easy, and that’s hardly surprising. It’s well established that when interests are concentrated together, such as those of farmers…
Ready, steady, go - but not not everyone likes traffic systems.
Last Wednesday was a good day for those of us who have been campaigning for years for more understandable food labelling. The UK Government announced their final recommendation for front-of-pack nutrition…