ISA – Interoperability Solutions for European Public Administrations – is a European Commission programme that sets out to improve electronic cooperation among public administrations in EU Member States.
The European Commission has repeatedly promised civil society that the TTIP negotiations with the US will not lead to a race to the bottom on environmental protection, health and safety standards and consumer rights. But as negotiations progress, civil society groups on both sides of the Atlantic are increasingly feeling uneasy, ten leading NGOs write in an open letter.
On 2 October 2013, the European Commission announced that it will not consider giving a legal basis to the 2012 social partner agreement in the hairdressing sector until a broader review of EU occupational health and safety legislation has been carried out in 2015. Representatives on both employers’ and employees’ sides have expressed disappointment and anger that measures which could lead to cost-savings and improve employee welfare have been delayed by political pressure.
SPECIAL REPORT / The debate on what kinds of buildings we should live and work in is shifting, with construction experts and EU policymakers moving away from focusing simply on energy efficiency to a broader appreciation of sustainable buildings, taking into account their environmental, social and economic impact.
The Financial Times and Washington Post reported on 13 June that the European Commission – before the full scope of PRISM became known – watered down its proposed Data Protection Regulation to weaken rules for transferring data to law enforcement authorities outside the EU.
The 2013 European Semester is in full swing. The Commission published the country-specific recommendations for each Member State, along with an overarching communication on what is needed to return to growth and jobs.