Articles

A new law in Turkey that would jail people for spreading “fake news” online has widened the rift with European digital regulations and human rights standards to tighten the muzzle on the press and social media users ahead of elections next year.

The UNHCR and the IOM jointly called upon Italy and all EU Member States who abide by applicable legislation, to protect people and distribute responsibility within the EU fairly. Humanity and the Rule of Law are in the EU’s most basic interests – if these go unheeded at its external borders, they can hardly be defended within.

From 6 to 18 November 2022, the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) will take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. This COP puts a focus on the support of the countries of the Global South by the richer industrialised countries, which are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions. The poorer countries are demanding financial compensation for the massive losses and damage already caused by the climate crisis. Meeting the Paris 1.5 degree limit requires a rapid phase-out of coal, oil and gas, not empty "net zero" promises that rely on risky technologies or compensation mechanisms. Moreover, COP27 comes against the backdrop of the human rights crisis and the repression of civil society in Egypt.

On 8 November 2022, a new US Congress will be elected. What are the main points of debate? What will the results mean for the transatlantic relationship, for the climate, and for the world? How do elections function in the US? The Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung's Washington, DC office tries to answer these questions and more.

The European Parliament has provided fresh impetus for a European Association Statute, yet this is by no means new. Looking back over the various initiatives of the last 35 years to create a European legal form for associations reveals the challenges the new initiative must face.

European associations and civil society organisations do not have their own legal status set out in the EU treaties to rely on. There are many good reasons to plug this gap and create a European Association Statute.

Africa will host international climate talks on 6-18 November 2022 and the African Union has been busy trying to get the rest of the world’s attention on the continent's expectations in the lead up to COP27. Of course, COP27 expectations are matched only by their disappointments. However, Africans are not leaving the fate of its people to chance.

Legislation governing digital technology and services has changed a lot over the last five years due to increasing concerns about the power and adverse influence of Big Tech. The concerns are well known, including issues with privacy, content and monopoly power; what is perhaps less clear is how to get the best out of the different initiatives and to ensure that they are not undermining each other.

This paper outlines the main types of emerging digital regulation in the UK and the EU, characterises some of their interactions, and comments upon capacities needed for coherent strategies for digital policy.

The highly technical and quickly evolving nature of the digital industry requires significant regulatory capacity. It also requires significant global co-operation, as the harms that emerge online often cross borders and are linked to entities that are partly or entirely located outside of the jurisdiction where the harm occurs. This paper analyses both the One-Stop-Shop in the General Data Protection Regulation (often called "UK GDPR") and the Proposed EU AI Act and Standardisation.