EUobserver
Nine-in-ten EU regions face revenue plunge
Almost every local government across the EU expects a sharp decrease in revenues this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Expenditure on health, social services and civil protection has boomed, while income from tourism and the economy is decreasing.
Climate action at the centre of crucial EU summit
Novelties are in the air for this week's European Council: Charles Michel will preside it for the first time, the gender balance will slightly improve, and it will probably be the last Council in which the UK takes part. Some novelties are expected also in terms of policy proposals.
EU agency: ‘Europe will not meet 2030 climate goals’
The latest report by the European Environment Agency predicts that Europe will not achieve its 2030 climate and energy targets "without urgent action during the next 10 years".
EU states fell short on sharing refugees, say auditors
A mandatory 2015 scheme to dispatch people seeking international protection from Greece and Italy across the European Union did not deliver promised results, say EU auditors.
Which parties and countries chair the EP committees?
The MEPs in the European Parliament's committees are divided up among 20 standing committees and two sub-committees (Human Rights (DROI) and Security and Defence (SEDE)), specialising in concrete areas of EU's policymaking.
Where the EU power really lies
Welcome to the EU engine room: the European Parliament's 22 committees, which churn out hundreds of new laws and non-binding reports each year and keep an eye on other European institutions.
A year of changing of the guards in the EU
The forthcoming European elections will set off a chain of events that in a few months could deeply change the European union's political landscape.
The murky perks of an MEP
MEPs' receive a gross salary of €8,757.70 per month, plus others reimbursements. But related perks are not transparent, as they don't have to show the receipts for their expenses.
The European parliament’s travelling circus
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.
