Böll·Europe

Chemical inputs - such as fertilisers and pesticides - disrupt soil health in the long term, and the carbon footprint of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers is devastating. Despite this, more and more artificial fertilisers are being used in many regions of the world to increase crop yields in the short term, but what is the true price we are paying for this?

This Böll·Europe Podcast episode explores the often overlooked link between international climate politics and gender perspectives. We discuss how climate change impacts women and marginalised communities, the inclusion of gender in global initiatives, and the crucial role of intersectional feminism in climate justice.

The European Parliament elections might be over, but that doesn’t mean that the constellation of power in the EU is all set in stone.

More than 400 million people are expected to vote in the European elections on 6-9 June 2024, and decide on the next European Parliament. According to the polls, a shift to the right is expected in many EU countries, with populist, radical far right parties gaining votes and seats across the EU. What impact would this have? Conversation with Roderick Kefferpütz and Sophie Pornschlegel.

Why is legal migration useful to address the EU's most pressuring challenges? What can be done to improve the current policies and to strengthen the respect of human rights, when addressing migration?

20 years after the Thessaloniki Summit, where European Union leaders promised EU membership to Western Balkans countries, the prospects of the region joining the EU in the near future are vague. The EU's credibility has been weakened by constant obstacles, unjustified delays and Member States' vetoes.

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between the EU and China, how this relationship is shaped by national strategies adopted by EU Member States, and whether it is possible to imagine a European approach to China. Gail Rego talks to: Jacob Mardell is a research  analyst with six years’ experience exploring China’s global impact.

Climate change and disinformation on social media: at the very first sight, these topics  may appear unrelated. However, fostering the ecological transition in Europe, requires substantial effort  in terms of shaping  public discourse.

The U.S. and Europe have entered a new trade era under Biden's administration. A new cooperation agenda is being developed to tackle today's challenges, such as climate change and emerging technology, focusing on consumer protection, competition, digital issues, and energy. Despite the positive shift, trade rules are still used by some to influence domestic policies, often weakening regulations.

In February 2023, the European Commission presented a Green Deal Industrial Plan to enhance the competitiveness of Europe's net-zero industry and support the fast transition towards climate neutrality. Among other things, the Plan appears to foster the EU’s willingness to lead globally in the race for development of cleantech.

Thirty years ago, in 1993, a cornerstone of European integration was laid: the European Single Market for goods and services. The European Single Market is a tool that facilitates trade between businesses across Europe. More generally, it was built with the idea of making citizens’ lives much easier and fostering prospects of economic growth and, therefore, well-being.

Pesticides are largely known for their negative effects on people and the environment. These substances are meant to kill pests, but their toxicity also destroys biodiversity and causes poisoning worldwide. Pesticides can be found everywhere: in the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink. That is why many highly dangerous pesticides are banned in the European Union.

Achieving a climate-friendly Europe by 2050 is the EU's long-term goal.  In the short run, it means stopping using fossil gas almost entirely much sooner. To limit global warming to 1.5ºC above pre-industrial levels and stay in the Paris Agreement, the demand must end  by 2035. Yet, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine where gas is one resource caught in the war, is Europe phasing it down?

Europride is “the” pan-European international event dedicated to LGBTQI+ pride and since 1992, the event has been hosted by a different European city every year. Serbian capital Belgrade is home to the 2022 edition of Europride, although the Serbian President, Aleksandar Vučić announced that the event would be postponed or cancelled.

Climate change and the physical boundaries of our planet make it imperative to transform the way our societies work and produce goods. Let’s say it out loud: we need a deep and great turnaround. In the first part of this podcast episode, we dealt with the issue of how to finance such a turnaround.

Data from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that by mid-2021, 2.5 million people in the EU were refugees. Almost half of the latter are women. But is the journey to ‘safety’ safe for women? Refugees are people who have fled war, violence, or conflict and crossed an international border to find safety in another country.

Talking about the Green transition is all good and well. The big elephant in the room though: who is going to finance a green transformation of our economies and societies!?  Boiling it down to the essence: do we do it through the public or the private hand?

Demography was never a matter of just numbers or statistics. It was not just a question of birth rates or fertility rates. Historically, it was always part of social engineering by the state and by political elites.