Facstheets Flashcards
General product safety regulation (2023)
- It provides a high level of consumer protection and a level playing field for businesses, thus improving the way the European Union’s (EU) internal market works.
- It does so by replacing the current general product safety directive and food imitating product directive, which guarantee the safety of consumer goods sold both offline and online.
The regulation:
applies to new, used, repaired or reconditioned products:
- available for distribution, consumption or use in the EU (‘placed or made available on the market’), whether for free or against payment, which are not covered by other specific EU product safety legislation,
- subject to existing specific EU safety requirements regarding the risks and aspects that are not already covered therein;
applies to products offered to consumers in the EU via all sales channels;
Goals of passenger right policy
EU legislation on passenger rights seeks to ensure that passengers enjoy a harmonised minimum level of protection, irrespective of the mode of transport used, with a view to facilitating mobility and encouraging the use of public transport.
Rules for delays in aviation, rail, maritme trasnpor
Rail: Where no reimbursement is made, entitlement to transport stands, with compensation to be paid within one month at the request of the passenger (except if they were informed of the delay before purchasing the ticket) as follows: 25% of the ticket price paid for delays of between 60 and 119 minutes and 50% for longer delays;
Maritime:
Length 25% reinmbursement 50% reimbursement
Journey ≤ 4 hours Delay ≥ 1 hours Delay ≥ 2 hours
Journey 4 to 8 hours Delay ≥ 2 hours Delay ≥ 4 hours
Journey 8 to 24 hours Delay ≥ 3 hours Delay ≥ 6 hours
Journey ≥ 24 hours Delay ≥ 6 hours Delay ≥ 12 hours
Goals EU public health policy
EU public health policy aims to:
- protect and improve the health of EU citizens;
- support the modernisation and digitalisation of health systems and infrastructure;
- improve the resilience of Europe’s health systems;
- better equip EU countries to prevent and address future pandemics.
Since Maastricht Treaty, strengthened by Amsteram with human health protection
Main strands EU drug strategy
drug supply reduction,
drug demand reduction and
addressing drug-related harm
European beating cancer plan: stats, funding, 4 goals, 2 targets for vaccination
Stats: n 2020, 2.7 million people in the European Union were diagnosed with cancer, and another 1.3 million people lost their lives to it, including over 2,000 young people. Unless we take decisive action now, cancer cases are set to increase by 24% by 2035, making it the leading cause of death in the EU.
Funding: Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan will have €4 billion of funding, including €1.25 billion from the future EU4Health programme.
Several goals:
- a tobacco-free generation: ensuring that less than 5% of the population uses tobacco by 2040
- reduce harmful alcohol consumption in line with the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals
- reduce environmental pollution by aligning the EU’s air quality standards with the World Health Organization’s guidelines and reduce exposure to carcinogenic substances and radiation
- improve knowledge and health literacy to promote healthier lifestyles
Two targets:
- HPV vaccination: 90% of girls and significant increase for boys
- HBV vaccination: Access and increase uptake for all
First introduction of social polcies in TReaties
- The 1957 Treaty of Rome established the coordination of Member States’ social security systems. It enshrined the principle of equal pay for men and women, which the European Court of Justice recognised as being directly applicable, and provided for the establishment of the European Social Fund (ESF)
- The 1986 Single European Act introduced new policy areas with qualified majority voting, including health and safety at work, social dialogue between employers’ organisations and trade unions and economic and social cohesion.
ESF spending criteria
All Member States must address youth unemployment in their spending programmes. In Member States where the number of NEETs is above the EU average, 12.5% of the fund will be spent on combating youth unemployment;
At least 25% of the budget is to be spent on promoting social inclusion, including the integration of non-EU nationals;
At least 3% of the budget is to be spent on food aid and basic material assistance for the most deprived;
All Member States must allocate an appropriate amount of their ESF+ resources to the implementation of the Child Guarantee through targeted actions to combat child poverty. Member States with a level of child poverty above the EU average must use at least 5% of their ESF+ resources to address this issue;
Adequate funding must be allocated to capacity building for social partners and civil society in Member States, and at least 0.25% of the fund should be allocated when required by the country-specific recommendations;
All operations should be selected and implemented according to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.
Principles o fsocial security cover in other MS
- Equal treatment
- Aggregation
- Principle of single applicable law
- Exportability
Agreement on Social Policy,
Treaty of Amsterdam
Goals Gender equality strategy 2020-2025
- ending gender-based violence,
challenging gender stereotypes, - closing gender gaps in the labour market,
- achieving equal participation across different sectors of the economy,
- addressing the gender pay and pension gaps,
- closing the gender care gap and
- achieving gender balance in decision-making and in politics.
Expertise providers for equality
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) is a European agency that works to promote and ensure equal opportunities for women and men across Europe and beyond through quality evidence for better policymaking;
The European network of experts on gender equality – the Scientific Analysis and Advice on Gender Equality (SAAGE) network provides external expertise to the Commission in the field of gender equality policy;
The high-level group on gender mainstreaming and the advisory committee on equal opportunities for women and men comprise representatives responsible for gender mainstreaming at national level. The group is chaired by the Commission and holds regular meetings, while the committee assists the Commission in this regard;
The European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination informs the Commission on legal developments at national level in the fields of gender equality and non-discrimination;
The mutual learning programme in gender equality aims to reinforce mutual learning among EU countries;
The **European Network of Equality Bodies (Equinet) **was set up to promote a uniform application of EU law in the field of non-discrimination and equal treatment.
Main method for achieving social inclusion and discrimination according to TFEU
In accordance with Article 153 TFEU, social inclusion is to be achieved solely on the basis of non-legislative cooperation – the open method of coordination (OMC) – while Article 19 TFEU allows the EU to take action to fight discrimination both by offering legal protection for potential victims and by establishing incentive measures.
Goals industrial policy according to Art. 173 TFEU
- speeding up the adjustment of industry to structural changes,
- encouraging an environment favourable to initiative and to the development of undertakings throughout the Union, particularly small and medium-sized undertakings,
- encouraging an environment favourable to cooperation between undertakings,
- fostering better exploitation of the industrial potential of policies of innovation, research and technological development.
targets Digital Compass
- Skills: At least 80% of all adults should have basic digital skills and there should be 20 million ICT specialists employed in the EU, with more women taking up such jobs;
- Businesses: 75% of companies should use cloud-computing services, big data and AI; more than 90% of small and medium-sized enterprises in the EU should reach at least a basic level of digital intensity; and the number of EU unicorns (high-value start-ups) should double;
- infrastructure: All EU households should have gigabit connectivity and all populated areas should be covered by 5G; the production of cutting-edge and sustainable semiconductors in Europe should make up 20% of worldwide production; 10 000 climate-neutral highly secure edge nodes should be deployed in the EU; and Europe should have its first quantum computer;
- Public services: All key public services should be available online; all citizens should have access to their e-medical records; and 80% of citizens should use an electronic identity solution.
European Defence industrial strategy
The European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) sets a clear, long-term vision to achieve defence industrial readiness in the European Union.
To increase European defence industrial readiness, Member States need to invest more, better, together, and Europe
Actions:
- Supporting a more efficient expression of the Member States’ collective defence demand
- Securing the availability of all defence products through a more responsive EDTIB, under any circumstances and time horizon.
- Ensuring that national and EU budgets support with the necessary means the adaptation of the European defence industry to the new security context;
- Mainstreaming a defence readiness culture across policies, notably by calling for a review of the European Investment Bank’s lending policy this year;
- Developing closer ties with Ukraine through its participation in Union initiatives in support of defence industry and stimulating cooperation between the EU and Ukrainian defence industries;
- Teaming up with NATO and our strategic, like-minded and international partners, and cooperating more closely with Ukraine.
The first framework programme (FP) was established in?
1983
Goals of EU energy policy according to energy union
Diversify Europe’s sources of energy, ensuring energy security through solidarity and cooperation between EU countries;
Ensure the functioning of a fully integrated internal energy market, enabling the free flow of energy through the EU through adequate infrastructure and without technical or regulatory barriers;
Improve energy efficiency and reduce dependence on energy imports, cut emissions, and drive jobs and growth;
Decarbonise the economy and move towards a low-carbon economy in line with the Paris Agreement;
Promote research in low-carbon and clean energy technologies, and prioritise research and innovation to drive the energy transition and improve competitiveness.
Eu energy targets for 2030
An increase in the share of renewable energies in final energy consumption to 42.5%, with the aim of achieving 45%;
An 11.7% reduction in primary (indicative) and final energy consumption, compared to 2020 projections;
The interconnection of at least 15% of the EU’s electricity systems.
