The end of the Babiš era? The Czech Republic between the past and the future Analysis Following the recent parliamentary elections, many Czechs celebrated the opposition parties’ victory over the business magnate and incumbent Prime Minister Andrej Babiš. However, the new center-right governing coalition must be careful not to return to the previous status quo that helped Babiš to power eight years ago. Adéla Jurečková
Do no harm? How the case of Afghanistan sheds light on the dark practice of biometric intervention Commentary In August 2021, as US military forces exited Afghanistan, the Taliban seized facial recognition systems, highlighting just how a failure to protect people’s privacy can tangibly threaten their physical safety and human rights. Far from being good tools which fell into the wrong hands, the very existence of these systems is part of broader structures of data extraction and exploitation spanning continents and centuries, with a history wrapped up in imperialism, colonialism and control. Ella Jakubowska
From the roads to the rails: European freight transport and green logistics European Mobility Atlas 2021 For about two decades, the logistics industry has become more serious about sustainability. Although a validated definition of “green logistics” does not yet exist, the reduction of CO2 emissions can be regarded as an important part of the concept. In freight transport, heavy goods vehicles on roads are by far the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, while rail is the smallest. Nevertheless, the shift from road to rail – a central target of EU transport policies – struggles to get off the ground. Werner Balsen
Access to justice and reparation for victims of human rights violations by business in Latin America Event recording Online discussion that took place on 13 October 2021 on the EU Due Diligence legislation, organised by Espacio de Redes and the EU-LAC Working Group, to identify recommendations for the European Union on access to justice and reparation in the framework of the new EU law on mandatory due diligence for companies in the field of human rights and the environment.
Policies and measures to counter disinformation in Germany: the power of informational communities Commentary Disinformation has become a regular plague of democratic elections. Is regulation able to tackle this problem? How promising are other initiatives by civil society and industry actors? What should be the role of the state in a new media and information order? And how do people decide what to believe or not? A diversity of information and a plurality of communities are essential to rebuild trust in public communication. Judit Bayer
Saving biodiversity Background With the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP 15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the global community wants to make a new attempt to halt the rapid and dramatic loss of ecosystems, species and genetic diversity, or biodiversity. Lili Fuhr, Kristin Funke, Dr. Christine Chemnitz, Linda Schneider , Lisa Tostado
Italian CAP plan in progress: too little, too late? Analysis On 11-12 October 2021, EU agriculture ministers are invited to share their views on design and approval of the CAP Strategic Plan, with emphasis on transparency and inclusion. With no sense of irony, this meeting will be held behind closed doors. Meanwhile Italy still limps along with its ‘tavolo del partenariato” (consultation forum). While a wide range of stakeholders are putting proposals on the table, the agri-industrial lobby is “cooking” in the kitchen. Matteo Metta
Visions for a Digital Europe 2025 | About Online conference How can we create a value-based European digital future that is innovative and internationally compatible at the same time? What influence can the EU have on the data-driven economy and digitised society through new legislative projects and further regulatory measures? To reflect on and discuss these and other questions, iRightsLab, the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, the German Research Institute for Public Administration and the German University of Administrative Sciences brought together renowned representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament, ministries, business, science and civil society, on 27 October 2021.
“We must develop a joint vision for Germany and for Europe” Interview Franziska Brantner MdB talks about her hopes that the new German government will reframe its European policy. Its priorities in this process should be the European Green Deal, defending the rule of law and bolstering the EU’s capacity to act. Dr. Christine Pütz
Queuing for fuel and scrambling for a turkey: Britain’s anxious autumn Commentary Yes, Brexit is partly to blame for Britain’s supply chain crisis, says Ros Taylor. But ending free movement has exposed deeper problems within the labour market. Ros Taylor
