Symbolism matters in politics and there is perhaps no greater negative image shaping perceptions of the European Union than what has been dubbed the 'travelling circus': twelve times a year members of the European Parliament relocate from Brussels to Strasbourg for a plenary session.
Meat and dairy are emissions-intensive when compared to vegetables and fruit, with carnivore diets leading to roughly double the amount of a vegetarian's greenhouse gas emissions.
Seven out of eight audited EU countries "have not effectively implemented" a decade-old directive on air quality rules, according to a report published at the end of January.
A German commission recommends phasing out coal power over the next 19 years – which will provide additional arguments to build the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia, which both the European Commission and the US have reservations about.
The practice of empty chambers is not limited to the European Parliament. There are some good reasons behind it, but the pratice also highlights some problems with the EU's policy-making.
The European consumer is hardly buying any hydrogen cars, despite the EU's belief that it has a potential to reduce the use of fossil fuels.
Members of the European Parliament from countries where there are significant number of jobs in the automotive industry were less likely to support stronger climate measures than those where car jobs are less important, according to an analysis of voting patterns.
The outlook for the European sugar sector is not good at the moment, according to the director-general of the European Association of Sugar Manufacturers (CEFS).
European data protection authorities are conducting profoundly different recruitment policies to enforce the EU's upcoming new privacy rules.
