OBC Transeuropa
European arms export: methodology
Arms export data is not so easy to deal with, given that units of measurements may be unfamiliar for the wider public and, often, the data is incomplete. Here I explain some of the choices made for our latest article on European arms export to authoritarian regimes.
How we created a dashboard on internet speed in Europe
What’s the average internet speed in Europe? Our new dashboard shows the extent of the digital divide between, and within, European countries – here’s how it was made and what's the key R code behind it.
Where do we stand on the road to a European Gigabit Society?
The road towards universally accessible ultra-fast connectivity in Europe still seems long and bumpy.
Food alerts in Europe: from Polish chickens to Indian sesame seeds
Last year, more than half of the alerts issued by the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed concerned products from non-EU countries. If these countries are unable to adapt their production chains to EU food safety regulations over the next few years, the risks to European citizens will continue to grow.
A Grand Tour of global warming in south-east Europe
Drawing inspiration from the long voyages taken by well-off European youths in centuries past, OBC Transeuropa takes us on a tour of global warming hotspots in south-east Europe.
The migrant pay gap is widening
The latest ILO report shows that migrant workers have more precarious contacts and earn 13 percent less on average than domestic workers, for equal work. This gap is widening, and is particularly stark for female migrants.
Google and Facebook dominate behavioural advertising, even with the cookie crumbling
Action is being taken to increase transparency on the processing of users’ personal data on the internet, but the main digital advertisers still rely on intrusive practices that try to influence people’s behaviours. European regulation on data protection could mitigate the issue, but its enforcement is limited
Mine tailing dams: the giants we ignore at our peril
Tailing ponds are among the largest and most dangerous structures engineered by humanity, but their operation is virtually unknown to those who don’t live in their vicinity. Europe is no less at risk from incidents than the rest of the world.
CO2: the EU disincentives are not working
The EU Emission Trading System, the EU’s main mechanism to disincentivise CO2 emissions, seems not to have had the desired results. Major industrial groups, often with the support of their own governments, profit from systemic weaknesses while continuing to produce energy using fossil fuels.