Think Tank

The European Council is an EU institution with significant influence and a key role, but its accountability remains limited. Nonetheless, democratic control over its members can be exercised by their respective national parliaments, which have progressively strengthened their role in EU affairs. This publication analyses the role of national parliaments in scrutinising the meetings of the European Council and in holding their national representative to account. It examines formal rules and practices ...

The multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2028-2034, proposed by the European Commission, includes a regulation establishing a National and Regional Partnership Fund (NRPF) which would pool together most of the existing EU funds, including support for agriculture and the common agricultural policy (CAP). Regulation 1308/2013 (the CMO Regulation) sets out rules for the common organisation of markets in agricultural products, including measures currently financed under the CAP. According ...

This digest provides a collection of documents prepared by academia, think tanks, other EU institutions and bodies, as well as stakeholders that could be useful for Members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Budgets to stay informed about the debate concerning the next Multiannual Financial Framework, due to start in 2028. It is one in a series produced monthly by the Budgetary Support Unit in the Directorate-General for Budgetary Affairs (DG BUDG) and the Members' Research Service in the ...

Respect for fundamental freedoms and human rights is a core value of the European Union (EU), and one that is promoted through its policies. The European Parliament's Sakharov Prize honours the work of people who stand up for these freedoms and rights. This year's Sakharov Prize is to be awarded to journalists Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, both jailed for defending freedom of expression and democracy in their respective countries, Belarus and Georgia. The award ceremony will take place during ...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way we look for information online. Search engines increasingly offer AI-generated answers that keep users on their platforms instead of redirecting them to external websites, and many are now using generative AI tools as search engines. This convergence has intensified competition between traditional search engines and generative AI platforms. At the same time, experts warn that such reliance may lead to informational dependency and a decline in users ...