Feature archive

Europe rules risk increased pilot fatigue and airline disasters
European Aviation Safety Agency fatigue proposals drastically increase the total amount of time pilots could be awake for - up to 22 hours - before landing their aircraft, warns Richard Toomer

Argentina oil company nationalisation 'first big test' for EEAS
All member states and the EU's diplomatic corps must stand firmly alongside Spain to show Argentina that such behaviour 'does not pay' and trade links will be critically damaged - says Charles Tannock MEP

Is the European project unravelling before our eyes?
We take the EU for granted, but we might miss it if it were gone or if it became an irrelevance like the League of Nations, warns Michael Taylor

Germany makes €14bn in taxes from smokers, so a ban is unlikely
Germany is bottom of the class when it comes to clamping down on tobacco advertising and smoking in public - Justin Stares attempts to find out why a state that is normally seen as a leader in Europe lags behind when it comes to this important health issue

Workplace harassment 2.0 - employers snooping on social media
The EU must draft laws to prevent employers asking potential workers for their Facebook or Twitter log-in information during job interviews - says Phil Prendergast MEP

Rebuilding confidence in offshore drilling
Public confidence in offshore drilling has taken a hit since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill – but new EU safety rules should enforce the high standards that citizens expect, writes Günther Oettinger

EU must back Palestinians cut off from farmlands by Israel
By preventing Palestinian farmers from reaching their land for most of the year, Israel is reducing many of them to poverty - claims Bill Van Esveld

Modernising higher education key to Europe's future
More than ever, sustainable economic development depends on skills, knowledge and innovation – but to achieve it Europe must increase the proportion of its workforce that has a higher education qualification, writes Androulla Vassiliou

No more EU funds for North Korea until the country reforms
North Korean leaders are completely isolated - but, still, they refuse to listen to the international community - writes Anna Rosbach MEP

Wind farms are damaging ocean carbon sinks
We cannot afford to sanction the continued destruction of our remaining 'blue carbon' habitats merely to fast track wind farm development – warns Struan Stevenson MEP

The EU should follow Denmark's lead on energy efficiency
Failure to take firm action on energy efficiency would be bad news for the European economy – all member states should learn the lessons from Denmark - says Stephen Tindale

Artificial intelligence: time to 'invest in soft robotics'
Soft robotics is set to have an enormous impact on the service and manufacturing industries; and there is no need to be concerned that automation will put people out of work – the reverse is true as jobs that would otherwise be outsourced to China can be protected, writes Professor Rolf Pfeifer

Europe faces 'more, not fewer' security threats
From terrorism to cyber-attacks and climate change, the number of threats to Europe's security is on the up – and meeting these challenges is a test of European solidarity and responsibility, writes Mart Laar

Protecting environment 'inextricably linked' to global growth
It is easy to overlook the environment in a period of financial crisis – but the challenge also represents an opportunity to pursue economic growth, writes Janez Potocnik

Citizens' initiative marks 'fresh chapter' in EU democracy
The introduction of the citizens' initiative will enable the voices of ordinary people to be heard in Brussels and foster true cross border political debates – writes European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic