Economic Outlook Quarterly: Fragmented trade, untapped potential at home
The EU’s trade-dependent economy faces uncertainty from global trade policy shifts, prompting calls to strengthen domestic demand.
Briefings
EU–NATO cooperation
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), established in 1949, is an alliance of 32 countries from Europe and North America committed to safeguarding the security and territory of its member states.
The European ocean pact: And an ocean act by 2027
The impact of the oceans on life on Earth cannot be ignored. They cover over 70 % of the planet’s surface, provide a habitat for 80 % of life forms, produce over 50 % of the Earth’s oxygen and
play a pivotal role in climate regulation.
Military drone systems in the EU and global context: Types, capabilities and regulatory frameworks
Drones have become a dominant force in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with their numbers reaching unprecedented levels. In May 2024, Ukraine’s military leadership indicated that drones were the leading cause of casualties on both sides, stating that ‘drones kill more soldiers than any other weapon’.
Hate speech: Comparing the US and EU approaches
There is no universally agreed definition of hate speech. Article 20, paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICPPR) of 1966 – a key international human rights treaty – establishes that ‘any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred
EU–CELAC relations ahead of the 2025 summit
A strategic partnership has linked the EU and Latin America since their first summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1999. In 2010, 33 Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries decided to merge the Rio Group and the Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean on Development and Cooperation (CALC) into one forum: the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).
State of the Schengen area
According to Article 3(2) of the Treaty on European Union, ‘the Union shall offer its citizens an area of freedom, security and justice without internal frontiers, in which the free movement of persons is ensured in conjunction with appropriate measures with respect to external border controls, asylum, immigration and the prevention and combating of crime’.
EU electricity grids
Stretching over a million kilometres, the EU electricity infrastructure is the most extensive and integrated grid in the world, and is a critical element of Europe’s energy system.
Trafficking in children
Besides being trafficked for the same purposes as adults, children are trafficked for child-specific purposes, such as illegal adoption.