Maarten Verwey, Sven Langedijk, Robert Kuenzel
The Action Plan released by the European Commission on 3 March 2021 proposes three headline targets following the principles set out in the 2017 European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR). The first headline target proposes that the employment rate of the 20-64 be increased to 78%, from 72.5% in 2020. In line with this, the gender employment gap should be halved, and the share of young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) reduced to 9%, from 12.6% in 2019.
Aiming to revive the employment agenda in the EU through concrete targets is a valuable move. The pandemic has led to major distortions in the labour market and added debt burden to the public purse. Tapping into the job growth potential of countries long mocked for their ‘inactivity traps’ could bring much welcome welfare and fiscal gains. Besides, the Commission’s plan to achieve this goal suggests a return to the concept of ‘social policy as a productive
At bilateral level, Morocco is engaged in close cooperation with some Member States, including Spain and France, with a focus on border management and combating trafficking in human beings: Morocco regularly coordinates patrols with Spain’s Guardia Civil, and France supports Morocco’s migration policy in the Souss-Massa and Oriental regions. Member States’ cooperation on border management is, in turn, supported by the EU, via
Frontex, whose cooperation with Morocco is quite unique in the region.
A joint programming exercise on a proposed Team Europe Initiative on migration is ongoing, aiming at addressing the common objectives related to migration management.
08 Apr 2021 | News
Future of green hydrogen is up in the air as the EU dithers over strategy
The gas is looked to as a key to decarbonising Europe’s energy mix. To achieve massive roll-out by 2050, decisions on the future of green hydrogen must be taken now, policymakers say
Green hydrogen technologies are still in their infancy, but the EU will have to make important decisions on the future of the gas in its energy mix within the next few months, setting out a clear roadmap for creating and regulating the market in hydrogen, scaling-up innovations and agreeing a definition of ‘low-carbon’ hydrogen.
Tuesday, March 9, 2021
The European Union (EU) continues to face COVID-19 vaccine production challenges in the bloc, along with increased COVID-19 infection cases driven by the mutating coronavirus. Whereas the United Kingdom (UK) and United States (US) have seen declines in COVID-19 cases, which is allowing for some easing of restrictions. Tension between the EU and UK remains heightened, particularly with respect to customs issues at Ireland/Northern Ireland’s border. Nevertheless, transatlantic partners came together on some sanctions actions this week.
In the US, the Biden Administration moved this week to suspend the duties imposed against UK and EU goods towards negotiating a settlement in the 16-year large civil aircraft dispute with European countries. The US Senate took another step toward confirming Katherine Tai as the next US Trade Representative this week, while Gina Raimondo officially joined President Joe Biden’s Cabinet as his Secretary of Comm