Publications Archive

Calculating redistribution in the European Union has so far been based exclusively on the EU budget. Its figures are used to determine the "net recipients" and "net contributors". In cep's view, this falls short. A comprehensive Study now shows which countries profited most from the redistribution instruments in the EU between 2008 and 2015.

The EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) is an ecologically sound and economically effective instrument for climate protection. In cep's view, the ETS can only contribute to global climate protection if carbon emissions that are reduced in the EU are not simply moved to third countries (carbon leakage).

The EU Commission has proposed a change to the Directive on the registration of persons on board passenger ships. Reporting obligations will be adapted to new technological developments so that rescue authorities have immediate access to important personal data in an emergency.

In order to improve cross-border parcel delivery, the EU Commission proposes uniform information obligations for delivery services. In addition, obligations for universal service providers to report tariffs and terminal rates, an "assessment of affordability" of these tariffs by the regulatory authorities and network access obligations applicable to universal service providers vis à vis third parties are proposed.

In view of the changing media landscape, the Commission wants to revise the rules on the provision of audiovisual media services and video-sharing platforms. In this regard, it proposes the harmonisation of competition rules applicable to television programmes and video-on-demand services. In cep's view, this is appropriate because both media services are in competition with one another.

In addition to online sales of goods, the EU Commission also wants to boost the market for digital content and ensure that it can also be offered and acquired across borders. With the proposed Directive, it wants to fully harmonise the guarantee rights and other consumer rights in contracts relating to the supply of digital content and thereby remove legal uncertainty and promote sales of digital content.

The Commission wants to create a European Open Science Cloud, strengthen data infrastructure and invest in quantum technologies. A European Cloud, in cep's view, contributes to the efficiency and quality of research. Success, however, depends on information actually being put in the Cloud.

The European Commission wants to speed up the digitisation of European industry and calls, inter alia, for an EU-wide network of "Digital Innovation Hubs". These will help small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular, to develop digital innovations more easily. In cep's view, public funds should not be channelled into such "Hubs".

Online traders avoid offering their goods across borders for reasons of cost; consumers are discouraged from online purchases abroad due to uncertainty about their rights. The EU Commission wants to change this by way of the proposed Directive. With full harmonisation of the law on legal guarantees for online sales of goods, it wants to remove legal uncertainty in crossborder online trade and thereby encourage such trade.

In its Communication, the Commission sets out how heating and cooling can be made more efficient in the EU. In cep's view, the proposed rules on energy efficiency and the use of renewables are unsuitable for reducing CO₂ emissions in a targeted and cost-effective way. Instead, all forms of heating and cooling should be included in the EU Emissions Trading System.