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The 'datafication' of everyday life and various data scandals have made the protection of personal data an increasingly important social, legal and political topic for the European Union (EU). Privacy and data protection are recognised as fundamental rights in EU law and were strengthened when the Lisbon Treaty came into force in 2009, giving the EU a stronger legal basis for updating its data protection and privacy system. In 2012, the European Commission began reforming the outdated framework. ...

According to the Flash Eurobarometer 528 survey, released in December 2023, 81 % of Europeans believe that foreign interference in our democratic systems is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. The current geopolitical tensions highlight the following dilemma: while international cooperation calls for the involvement of third countries in the EU debate, this might also carry the risk of foreign interference in EU policymaking, through coercive, covert or deceptive means. On 12 December 2023 ...

The circular economy aims to break away from the traditional linear 'take make use dispose' model by keeping resources in circulation for as long as possible. Its goal is twofold: to lower environmental pressures and increase economic resilience by reducing reliance on virgin materials and unstable global supply chains. Against this backdrop, the planned circular economy act (CEA) must address several structural challenges currently at the centre of the EU policy debate.

According to international standards, children without parental care should grow up in a setting as close as possible to a family or in a small group. After serious concerns had been raised about residential care for children and youths, several EU countries started to transition from institutional to family-based care. In parallel, residential care in small units may still be seen as part of a continuum of services for children and youths with varying needs. In the EU, care for children and youths ...

Located in south-east Asia, Thailand is a constitutional monarchy with a long history of instability, alternating between military rule and unstable civilian governments. The Constitutional Court's decisions have often had an impact on Thai politics. King Vajiralongkorn (crowned as Rama X in May 2019) has been the king of Thailand since December 2016. Anutin Charnvirakul has been the Prime Minister since September 2025. The bicameral National Assembly consists of an elected 500-member House of Representatives ...

Timely, cost-efficient expansion and modernisation of the European energy infrastructure is one of the key challenges in the EU's ongoing energy transition. Grid development is needed to ensure energy supply security, increase the resilience of Europe's energy system and integrate the rapid roll-out of renewable energy sources. Cross border infrastructure plays a vital role in connecting national energy networks. Meeting the 2030 interconnection targets is particularly important for completing the ...

Expansion and modernisation of the energy infrastructure in Member States is one of the key challenges of the ongoing energy transition in the EU. The electricity grids need to develop in order to ensure the security of energy supply, increase the resilience of Europe's energy system, and integrate the rapid roll-out of renewable energy sources, particularly at the distribution level. Given the peristent challenges relating to permit-granting procedures and delays in grid connection approvals at ...

The highlight of the first plenary session of 2026 was the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Spain and Portugal's accession to the European Union, marked with a formal sitting addressed by His Majesty Felipe VI, King of Spain, and His Excellency Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic of Portugal. Members debated with the European Council and European Commission on the conclusions of the European Council meeting of 18 December 2025 and the geopolitical tensions currently facing Europe ...

• The European Commission intends to make a proposal to harmonise the definitions, classifications and penalties of firearms offences to place further pressure on illegal markets. • Addressing the availability of illicit firearms has been an aim within the EU for some time. Denying firearms and explosives to terrorists and criminals enhances the safety and security of EU citizens. In the EU 2020-2025 action plan on trafficking in firearms, the Commission noted the challenges that existed in minimising ...

A special plenary session will take place in Brussels on 27 January, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. The date marks the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp in 1945, and provides an opportunity to remember the victims of the Holocaust and to reaffirm the need for overcoming stereotypes and prejudice.