Lawmakers on the European Parliament’s regional development committee are keen to see a quicker deployment of funds for the mitigation of the immediate effects of the COVID-19 crisis, but they face an uphill battle with the member states who propose less money and potentially longer procedures. The Parliament’s committee responsible for cohesion policy pushed on Monday (7 September) to maintain the additional EU resources to battle the economic fallout of the pandemic, known as REACT-EU, at €55 billion, as proposed by the Commission in spring. “People outside the glass and…
Read MoreDay: September 8, 2020
Europe must lead the way in electrifying urban mobility
Without bold and fast action to transform the way we move around in our cities, we will be unable to avoid the worst impacts of climate change and air pollution, warn Anabel Diaz and William Todts, as ride-hailing firm Uber announces a new global zero-emission goal. Anabel Diaz is Regional General Manager, EMEA, for Uber and William Todts is Executive Director of clean mobility group Transport & Environment (T&E). The pressing need to cut harmful transport emissions is one of the most urgent challenges of our era. It is both…
Read MoreEconomic weakness became East Germany’s strong point during COVID-19
The “new” East German states are economically weaker than their western counterparts, lacking large industrial hubs of international corporations. However, this proved to be an advantage during the pandemic. The first East German Growth Day should actually have taken place as a massive event, where top politicians and business leaders shake hands and discuss what East German companies need to succeed. Instead, experts met on Tuesday (8 September) in an intimate gathering in front of a live stream camera. But the pandemic changed not only the format but also the…
Read MoreLe Maire opposes Apple’s dominance in the EU market
French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire criticised the dominance of foreign firms in European marketplaces on Tuesday (8 September), directly referencing US tech giant Apple’s power in the digital arena and calling for the creation of more ‘European champions.’ Speaking at an event on digital competitiveness organised by the German Presidency of the EU, Le Maire hit out at the ‘extreme concentration’ of certain markets in Europe, where “a small number of very large international platforms are reaping most of the profits.” Giving an example of such a scenario, the…
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