EU Publications

No albums or photos uploaded yet.

How To Stop Brexit (And Make Britain Great Again) — 10 October 2017, 14:14 CET

There is nothing remotely inevitable about Brexit – except that it will be deeply damaging if it happens. Extricating Britain from Europe will be the greatest challenge this country has faced since the Second World War. And as negotiations with the EU expose the promises of the Brexit campaign to have been hollow, even some Brexit-voters now wish to exercise their democratic right to change their mind, seeing that the most pragmatic option is to … stop. It would certainly be the best thing for Britain. But how can it be done? Haven't the people spoken? No. In this indispensable handbook, Nick Clegg categorically debunks the various myths that have been used to force Brexit on Britain, not by 'the people' but by a small, extremely rich, self-serving elite, and explains precisely how this historic mistake can be reversed – and what you can do to make sure that it is. This indispensable handbook offers readers of every political allegiance non-partisan ways to pull together in response to the greatest crisis in a generation, reunite our country and prevent national decline.

The Escape Industry: How Iconic and Innovative Brands Built the Travel Business — 05 October 2017, 18:04 CET

The Escape Industry, by Mark Tungate, explores the evolution of the travel industry and the lessons we can take away from some of the world's leading brands. He explores the origins of these companies, and asks what it is that has enabled them to thrive, whilst others have failed and disappeared. The book explores the beginnings of some of travel's most iconic brands, including Thomas Cook, AirBnB, The Ritz, Lastminute.com, British Airways and Ryanair. Studded with exclusive interviews and alive with incidents and anecdotes, The Escape Industry takes readers on a journey into the past, and the future, of a fascinating industry in a way that will appeal to business leaders, marketers, travel industry professionals and anyone who has an interest in travel as a consumer.

Standard Essential Patents and the Quest for Faster Diffusion of Technology — 05 October 2017, 14:03 CET

Standard-essential patents (SEPs) have been critical to the ICT revolution. SEPs have allowed for the fast rates of innovation diffusion that the world has witnessed in the past 25 years. Yet the SEP system is under pressure. It suffers from a smoldering crisis of confidence as costly legal disputes across several international jurisdictions have caused unpredictable frictions in the markets for standardized technologies. Regulators in several parts of the world are now considering actions that seek to overcome obscurities in the SEP system. Asymmetric information is at the very heart of current problems in the market for SEPs, and all too often resembles a market dominated by a “confusopoly” with little transparency about products, quality and prices. In this paper, we will discuss ideas and concepts for what could be done to maintain a balanced and trusted system that supports technological innovation and at the same time conforms to economic efficiency.

Developments in working life 2016: EurWORK annual review — 26 September 2017, 23:35 CET

Developments in Working Life in Europe is part of a series of annual reviews published by Eurofound and provides an overview of the latest developments in industrial relations and working conditions across the EU and Norway. The annual review collates information based on reports from Eurofound’s network of European correspondents throughout 2016, complemented by recent research findings, including data from Eurofound’s European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). This review is divided into seven thematic chapters, which provide an overview of the current situation, explore developments at European and national level, and examine particular issues rising from the analysis of the quarterly reporting for EurWORK.

Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey (EU-MIDIS II): Muslims - Selected findings — 21 September 2017, 20:26 CET

Muslims living in the EU face discrimination in a broad range of settings – and particularly when looking for work, on the job, and when trying to access public or private services. The report examines how characteristics – such as an individual's first and last name, skin colour and the wearing of visible religious symbols like a headscarf, for example – may trigger discriminatory treatment and harassment.

Working time patterns for sustainable work - Eurofound report — 20 September 2017, 17:39 CET

Working time is a recurrent topic of study because the nature of work, its content, the conditions under which it is performed and the labour market itself keep changing. This report provides an overview of the recent evolution of working time duration and organisation in the EU and highlights the most important trends and differences between Member States. Through an in-depth analysis of data from the sixth European Working Conditions Survey carried out in 2015, it examines - from a gender and life course perspective – the links between working time patterns, work–life balance and working time preferences, on the one hand, and workers’ health and well-being on the other. Finally, the report explores the extent to which prevailing working conditions and working time patterns in EU Member States are sustainable in the long term.

Eurostat regional yearbook 2017 — 14 September 2017, 23:01 CET

Statistical information is an important tool for understanding and quantifying the impact of political decisions in a specific territory or region. The Eurostat regional yearbook 2017 gives a detailed picture relating to a broad range of statistical topics across the regions of the EU Member States, as well as the regions of the EFTA and candidate countries. Each chapter presents statistical information in maps, tables and figures, accompanied by a description of the policy context, main findings and data sources. These regional indicators are presented for the following 12 subjects: regional policies and European Commission priorities, population, health, education and training, the labour market, the economy, structural business statistics, research and innovation, the digital economy and society, tourism, transport, and agriculture. In addition, two special chapters are included in this edition: a focus on European cities and a focus on rural areas.

For a New Europeanism — 14 September 2017, 15:13 CET

Just as it did seventy years ago, European integration today has four strategic objectives: peace, security, prosperity and identity. However, 'mainstream Europeanism' - the current European consensus—seems increasingly incapable of providing the right vision for a successful continuation of the European project. To meet the present challenges of European integration and secure unity across the continent, we should develop a new Europeanism that promotes stronger integration in defence, foreign policy and border control, while putting greater emphasis on decentralisation, national autonomy, economic reforms and cultural traditions. This would put into practice the EU's motto 'Unity in diversity' and give precise content to the ideal of an EU that is 'big on big things and small on small things'. The Martens Centre “Future of Europe” series aims to contribute to the continental debate launched by the European Commission with its White Paper on the Future of Europe, published in March 2017. It is designed to stimulate frank and innovative reflections on possible ways ahead for the European project, hoping that this will ultimately contribute to strengthening it.

Tragedy & Challenge: An Inside View of UK Engineering's Decline and the Challenge of the Brexit Economy — 17 August 2017, 18:47 CET

Tragedy & Challenge offers a unique insight into the challenges facing engineering companies post-Brexit, as well as the impact engineering has on the economy, on our exports, on people's working lives, and on society as a whole. The book draws from Tom's 45 years of experience in the industry to analyse the causes of the decline in UK engineering, considering its poor leadership, original analysis of the detrimental effects of government economic policy, and the destructive influence of the City including an insider's uninhibited view of fund managers, analysts, and private equity.

Eurofound News, Issue 7, July/August 2017 — 16 August 2017, 23:18 CET

This issue contains articles on: Findings in figures; Latest developments in flexible working arrangements and work-life balance; Changing employment trends post-crisis; News in brief; and Articles online.

Report on EU customs enforcement of intellectual property rights - results of the EU border 2016 — 20 July 2017, 18:18 CET

The European Commission's 2016 report on EU customs enforcement of intellectual property rights shows that customs authorities detained more than 41 million fake and counterfeit products at the EU's external border in 2016.

Employment and Social Developments in Europe: Annual Review 2017 — 17 July 2017, 23:03 CET

The 'Employment and social developments in Europe: 2017 review', published on 17 July 2017, shows positive trends but highlights high burden on the young.

Taxation Trends in the European Union - Data for the EU Member States, Iceland and Norway — 11 July 2017, 15:35 CET

This report contains a detailed statistical and economic analysis of the tax systems of the 28 Member States of the European Union, plus Iceland and Norway which are members of the European Economic Area. In addition to the analysis of Europe-wide trends in Part 1, the report includes in Part 2 country chapters covering the 28 EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. For each country, key taxation indicators are provided on tax revenues as a percentage of GDP for the years 2003 to 2015. These are supplemented by factual tables presenting the latest tax reforms in each country. In Annex A, the reader can find more than 80 tables of the various taxation indicators, while Annex B contains a detailed description of the methodology used to calculate the indicators. The data in the report are presented within a unified statistical framework (the ESA 2010 system of national and regional accounts).

Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor - 2017 Edition — 06 July 2017, 22:56 CET

The new Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor is a tool which provides comparable data on how European cities perform across nine dimensions – covering culture and creativity – and underlines how their performance contributes to cities' social development and economic growth and job creation. Developed by the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor will help policy makers as well as the cultural and creative sectors identify local strengths and areas for improvement, and learn from comparable cities. It also sheds light on the strong relationship between cultural vibrancy and various dimensions of a city's life, starting with its social diversity and its economic activity.

Monitoring the application of European Union law - 34th annual report — 06 July 2017, 22:02 CET

Every year, the European Commission draws up an annual report on its monitoring of the application of EU law. In 2016, the Commission launched 986 new procedures by sending a letter of formal notice and issued 292 reasoned opinions. At the end of 2016, 1 657 infringement procedures remained open. The number of new late-transposition infringement cases increased sharply in 2016 (847) compared to 2015 (543).

China’s technology protectionism and its non-negotiable rationales — 28 June 2017, 13:50 CET

China's restrictions on the internet and the ICT sector are tightening, with over 50 measures targeting this sector implemented just in the last decade. The rationale for these restrictions is not merely about shielding the country from foreign competition or security threats, but also to defer politically challenging reforms. Much of the rationale behind such digital protectionism is historically unprecedented and uniquely Chinese. This paper explores the policy framework applied to the digital sector in China. More often than not, China's digital mercantilism is interlinked with non-commercial objectives, such as public order, fiscal governance and national security, making them more difficult to reform or to negotiate. China's technology restrictions protract many economic and political reforms, but inaction also comes at a cost: Digitalisation is necessary to spur consumption, improve industrial productivity and revitalise the Chinese economy.

Reforming Services: What Policies Warrant Attention? - ECIPE Policy Brief No. 1/2017 — 26 June 2017, 23:25 CET

Economic growth in the European Union has been low for more than a decade now. While some of the poor performance can be explained by the crisis, the sustained low growth is to a very large extent the consequence of sluggish productivity performance. Productivity is above all an indicator of a society’s long-term welfare and measures how effective we are at using our scarce resources in the economy. Therefore, it is critically important – and any reform effort should focus on boosting growth through higher productivity growth. The recent Services Package – a set of proposals to support Europe’s services sector – is a case in point. It has long been established that rates of productivity growth in Europe’s services sector trails the rates in the United States and other comparable economies. As the economy increasingly gets dependent on services, the risk for Europe is that the natural economic transformation will weigh down our productivity growth. Obviously, any services reform aiming at delivering growth should start from the policy barriers that hold back growth and a greater degree of economic dynamism. Few, however, do. The type of restrictive policy measures in the EU vary across different services sectors – and, hence, what is the right policy priority for one country may not be right for the other. Yet, when looking at some services policy developments in Europe more closely, some patterns do become clear. Those should now be the focus of policy reform.

EU referendum: one year on — 23 June 2017, 10:54 CET

The UK’s vote to leave the EU has given birth to new political identities, say the University of Kent’s Professor Richard Whitman and Professor Matthew Goodwin in a new report for The UK in a Changing Europe. The report, entitled EU referendum: one year on, was commissioned by the Political Studies Association and demonstrates how the referendum has produced new political allegiances based on the Leave-Remain divide.

Living and working in Europe 2016 — 22 June 2017, 23:14 CET

Living and working in Europe, Eurofound’s 2016 yearbook, provides a snapshot of developments and trends in the work and lives of Europeans as described in the research activities of Eurofound over 2016. Despite the strains on the European Union – slow economic recovery, rising euro-scepticism and the UK vote to leave the EU – Eurofound’s work reported much good news for its citizens in 2016. Full-time, permanent employment rose across all pay categories; the gender employment gap is narrowing and policy could narrow it further; working conditions have improved across many dimensions; more options around retirement are opening up for older workers; and many Member States have solid measures to ease the plight of asylum-seekers. While social developments, work and employment undeniably present challenges, Eurofound contributes to the EU’s capacity to address them through well-thought-out, evidenced-based policies. The yearbook is accompanied by the Consolidated annual activity report of the Authorising Officer for 2016, which is the Agency’s formal reporting on operations, staff and budgets - see Related content.

Legal Aspects of Brexit: Implications of the United Kingdom's Decision to Withdraw from the European Union — 22 June 2017, 13:38 CET

In Legal Aspects of Brexit, Georgetown Law professors Jennifer Hillman and Gary Horlick present an overview of many of the legal issues raised by the United Kingdom's decision to withdraw from membership in the EU, with a particular focus on international trade issues

Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Academic Staff - 2017 — 15 June 2017, 22:51 CET

The higher education sector has experienced profound changes in recent years. Student numbers have continued to increase, while the sector has diversified and experienced significant structural changes, such as new funding arrangements, and new quality assurance systems. The challenges for academic staff have also been growing. Staffs are responsible for teaching ever greater numbers of students, undertaking research, and responding to growing societal needs, while academic jobs become more competitive, and job security more tenuous. Modernisation of Higher Education in Europe: Academic Staff – 2017 explores the current realities for academic staff within this changing higher education landscape. The report focuses on the qualification requirements for academic staff, the recruitment process, employment and working conditions in academia, the impact of external quality assurance, and top level strategies for internationalisation. It also includes national diagrams showing key characteristics of academic staff categories. The report is based mainly on qualitative data gathered by the Eurydice Network, covering higher education systems in 35 countries. The data collection focused on academic higher education staff who are primarily responsible for teaching and/or research. In addition, quantitative data from Eurostat and the European Education Tertiary Register (ETER) are also used, as well as information gathered from surveys developed for this report to academic staff Trade Unions and Quality Assurance agencies.

Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of Brexit — 14 June 2017, 00:17 CET

Published on the anniversary of Brexit, David Cameron's Director of Politics and Communications, Craig Oliver takes us behind the scenes of the EU referendum. Craig Oliver's account of his time as David Cameron's Director of Communications in Downing Street during the EU referendum will almost certainly prove to be the most important document for understanding what happened and why it all ended as it did. Oliver has managed the difficult trick of being frank as well as loyal, and his words have a remarkable immediacy. I found his book utterly fascinating, and I suspect that every historian of the period will regard it as indispensable to appreciating this extraordinary phase in our history. (John Simpson) Part memoir, part diary, this is one of the most vivid, frank and exciting inside accounts to have been written for years. It points its forensic beam into the inner sanctums of power during one of the most crucial episodes in British history since the war. Stunning and highly readable. It will make uncomfortable reading for a few, but hugely enlightening and enjoyable reading for the many. (Anthony Seldon) Wish you could have been a fly on the wall of Number 10 during the EU referendum campaign? No need. This is the compelling insider's account of the man who was at the centre of the Downing Street web as David Cameron took the decisions which led to Britain voting to leave the EU. (Nick Robinson) A gripping fly-on-the-wall account of the frenzy in Downing Street during the EU campaign. (Robert Peston)

European Drug Report 2017: Trends and Developments — 07 June 2017, 00:11 CET

The Trends and Developments report presents a top-level overview of the drug phenomenon in Europe, covering drug supply, use and public health problems as well as drug policy and responses. Together with the online Statistical Bulletin, Country Drug Reports and Perspectives on Drugs, it makes up the 2017 European Drug Report package.

Circular by design - Products in the circular economy - EEA Report No 6-2017 — 06 June 2017, 15:48 CET

This report explores the circular economy from a product perspective, applying a systemic approach and transition theory. Drivers of product design and usage are discussed in the context of emerging consumption trends and business models. For governance to be effective, it has to address the product life-cycle and the societal context determining it. Indicators and assessment tools are proposed that can help fill the current data and knowledge gaps.

Attitudes of Europeans towards tobacco and electronic cigarettes — 31 May 2017, 18:40 CET

A survey published by the European Commission on 30 May 2017, on the eve of World No Tobacco Day, shows no decrease in the overall smoking rate in the EU (26%) since 2014. Amongst people aged 15 to 24 the rate has increased from 25% in 2014 to 29% in 2017. Significant differences exist between EU countries, with the highest smoking rates in Greece (37%), Bulgaria, France (both 36%) and Croatia (35%). At 7%, Sweden has the lowest smoking rate in the EU. Regular e-cigarette use remains stable at 2%, with 15% having tried such products at some point.

Contained Smart Folders:

Libcast’s Online Video Platform in the limelight at BETT 2015 — 28 January 2015, 16:17 CET

Libcast of France will be showcasing its Online Video Platform at BETT 2015 in London, in January. The specialist company’s innovative and versatile solution enables users to host, manage and broadcast lectures live or in streaming mode. With 200,000 users, Libcast’s technology has already been chosen by many universities and schools, including leading colleges in France and Norway.