Think Tank

On 18 March 2025, a law was adopted in Hungary restricting the freedom of assembly, by connecting it to a previous controversial law from 2021, which prohibited the public portrayal to children of 'divergence from self-identity corresponding to sex at birth, sex change or homosexuality'. Consequently, events such as Pride marches have been prohibited in the country. On 2 April 2025, Parliament will hold a debate on recent legislative changes introduced in Hungary, including this one, and their impact ...

Based on its Treaties, the European Union (EU) has developed a multifaceted external action policy, and is seen as an important actor far beyond its borders. Through its institutions and Member States, the EU is active in international trade, humanitarian assistance, economic, financial, and technical and development cooperation, as well as through its common foreign and security policy (CFSP) and common security and defence policy (CSDP). Increasingly, the external dimension of internal EU policies ...

This study introduces Members of the European Parliament to the different estimates of the level of error affecting EU expenditure in cohesion policy. It explains how the European Commission calculates the estimated ‘risk at payment’ and ‘risk at closure’, how the European Court of Auditors calculates the ‘estimated level of error’ and how the two methodologies differ. The conclusion provides guidance on interpreting the different estimates.

On 11 February 2025, the European Commission adopted the first work programme (2025 CWP) of the von der Leyen II Commission. Building on the reports by Enrico Letta, Mario Draghi and Sauli Niinistö, and in line with the Commission President's political guidelines, the CWP places a strong emphasis on competitiveness, simplification and implementation, and preparedness. These will remain key horizontal priorities for the entire Commission mandate. In terms of structure, the CWP follows the seven headline ...

Space holds promise for both economic prosperity and the attainment of strategic goals. The EU's future role in space is contingent on fast-changing geopolitical dynamics, which can range from peaceful cooperation to heightened competition or conflict among global powers. Given the importance of this subject, the European Commission has announced plans to propose an EU space act in the second quarter of 2025. This paper aims to describe the geopolitical context of space activities that affect the ...