DOCSLIB.ORG

Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections International IDEA Discussion Paper 3/2019 Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections International IDEA Discussion Paper 3/2019 Cristina Ares © 2019 International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance This paper is independent of specific national or political interests. Views expressed in this paper do not necessarily represent the views of International IDEA, its Board or its Council members. References to the names of countries and regions in this publication do not represent the official position of International IDEA with regard to the legal status or policy of the entities mentioned. The electronic version of this publication is available under a Creative Commons Attribute-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0) licence. You are free to copy, distribute and transmit the publication as well as to remix and adapt it, provided it is only for non-commercial purposes, that you appropriately attribute the publication, and that you distribute it under an identical licence. For more information on this licence visit the Creative Commons website: <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/>. International IDEA Strömsborg SE–103 34 Stockholm Sweden Telephone: +46 8 698 37 00 Email: [email protected] Website: <http://www.idea.int> Design and layout: International IDEA DOI: <https://doi.org/10.31752/idea.2019.16> Created with Booktype: <https://www.booktype.pro> International IDEA Contents Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... 5 Abbreviations ................................................................................................................................ 6 Executive summary ....................................................................................................................... 9 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 12 2. Voter absenteeism by young people and women ............................................................... 13 3. Under-representation of young people and women in the European Parliament ............ 20 4. Are parties aware of the interests of young people and women? ...................................... 25 5. What do we know about how to foster electoral participation? ......................................... 29 6. What else can be done to obtain a more inclusive EU electoral democracy? .................. 33 7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................... 41 References ................................................................................................................................... 43 Further material ........................................................................................................................... 48 Annex A. General topics covered in the semi-structured interviews and questionnaires ... 52 Annex B. National parties and political groups in the European Parliament (2014–2019) . 53 Annex C. Programmatic statements by the Europarties on women and gender equality .... 67 About the author ......................................................................................................................... 70 About International IDEA ............................................................................................................ 71 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This paper provides an outline of the level of inclusion of young people and women in European electoral democracy. It was compiled over a short period of time at the end of 2018 to collect relevant data that could be useful for the 2019 European Parliament elections. The author would like to express her gratitude to the Office of International IDEA to the European Union for its full support, to all the interviewees for their time and contributions, and to Professor Hermann Schmitt and the entire team of the Euromanifesto Project for the provision of the original files of the manifestos that were issued by the Europarties and the national parties in preparation for the 2014 European Parliament elections. I am also grateful to my colleagues Dr Luis Bouza (Autonomous University of Madrid) and Dr Tomaž Deželan (University of Ljubljana) for their collaboration. Finally, I am indebted to the Directorate-General for Internal Policies of the EU and the Directorate- General for Parliamentary Research Services of the European Parliament, the Youth Policy Division of the Council of Europe and the European Institute for Gender Equality for the raw data and publications they have provided. International IDEA 5 Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections Abbreviations ACRE Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe AEGEE European Students’ Forum ALDA European Association for Local Democracy ALDE Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe AT Austria BE Belgium BG Bulgaria CY Cyprus CZ Czechia DE Germany DK Denmark EAF European Alliance for Freedom ECR European Conservatives and Reformists EDP European Democratic Party EE Estonia EES European Election Studies EFA European Free Alliance 6 International IDEA Abbreviations EFAy European Free Alliance Youth EFDD Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy EGP European Green Party EIGE European Institute for Gender Equality EL Greece ENF Europe of Nations and Freedom EPP European People’s Party ES Spain ESU European Student’s Union EU European Union EYC European Young Conservatives EYF European Youth Forum FI Finland FR France FYEG Federation of Young European Greens Greens/EFA The Greens/European Free Alliance GUE/NGL European United Left/Nordic Green Left HR Croatia HU Hungary IE Ireland IT Italy IYDU International Young Democrat Union LT Lithuania LU Luxembourg LV Latvia International IDEA 7 Engaging Young People and Women in European Parliament Elections LYMEC European Liberal Youth MENF Movement for a Europe of Nations and Freedom MEPs Members of the European Parliament MT Malta NGOs non-governmental organizations NL Netherlands PEL Party of the European Left PES Party of European Socialists PL Poland PPS Percentage points PT Portugal RO Romania S&D Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats SE Sweden SK Slovakia SL Slovenia YEPP Youth of the European People’s Party YES Young European Socialists YFJ European Youth Forum 8 International IDEA Executive summary Executive summary This paper is focused on two pitfalls of electoral democracy in the European Union: voter absenteeism by young people, and the under-representation of women in the European Parliament. In the 2014 elections, the average rate of voter absenteeism was 72.2 per cent for the younger age group (16–24 years). Moreover, in 14 member states, the voter turnout by young people was less than 25 per cent. The gap of electoral participation between the older (55 years and over) and the younger age groups exceeded 20 percentage points in 16 out of the 28 member states, with the average EU age gap being 23.5 percentage points. In Ireland, it was 54.5 percentage points. Only in Sweden and Belgium (voting is compulsory in the latter country) were the younger citizens more participative than the older ones. The percentage of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) who are women has improved over time. In 1979, the figure was only 16.5 per cent, while the eighth legislature (2014–2019) has reached levels of 37 per cent. However, not only has this positive trend slowed (the increase in the number of female MEPs between 2009 and 2014 was just 2 percentage points) but in 2014 it was lower than in the previous European Parliament elections (in 2009) in 15 out of the 28 member states, including countries such as Belgium, Denmark and Finland. It is also worth noting that the gender imbalance within the European Parliament varies from group to group. Indeed, it no longer exists in the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (50/50) and is also practically non-existent in the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (54.45/45.55), while in European Conservatives and Reformists, women MEPs represent just 21.43 per cent of the total composition. Europe of Nations and Freedom and the European People’s Party are also below the average (36.89 per cent). With the purpose of enriching and making EU electoral democracy stronger, this paper presents as food for thought some evidence on key elements to foster participation in European Parliament elections, as well as to reach a more balanced composition of the European Parliament in terms of age and gender. From the point of view of the author, there are three main lines of improvement: (a) national electoral rules may need to be modified to both facilitate the process of voting and provide for a more diverse composition of the European Parliament; (b) as the main actors in the European Parliament elections, national parties should make an effort to Europeanize these elections, emphasizing those issues that are particularly important to young people and women, and promoting them as candidates; (c) European-wide political parties (known as Europarties), which continue to have a marginal role in the elections to the European Parliament, could act as game-changers under the Spitzenkandidaten system, and promote awareness and civic training on matters related to the EU. International IDEA 9 Engaging Young
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Party of European Socialists, European Greens and European Left Party Respond to the Crisis1
    All anti-neo-liberal now? The Party of European Socialists, European Greens and European Left Party respond to the crisis1 Luke March University of Edinburgh [email protected] Paper for PSA 2013 Draft version 1.0. Work very much in progress. Please do not quote without author’s permission. Why has the left failed to benefit from the post-2008 economic crisis? This is a common, but perhaps slightly unfair question. It is difficult to see any one political family as a unique beneficiary, and indeed the right’s apparent earlier ideological hegemony has become unstuck with the ‘austerity medicine’ having consistently failed to revive the European patient. Nevertheless, there is still something remarkable about socio-economic conditions that should be a ‘perfect storm’ for left-wing politics regularly failing to produce anything like a clear boon for the left. The February 2013 Italian elections are just the latest that may mark a ‘no- confidence’ vote in the Centre-Left (McDonnell and Bobba 2013). The social democratic Democratic Party (PD) and its more leftist ally, the post-communist Left Ecology Freedom threw away an apparently unassailable lead to squeak ahead of the right and Beppe Grillo’s Five-Star Movement. This paper aims to contribute to answering this overarching question by comparing the policy and ideological response to the crisis undertaken by the three ‘left’ transnational party federations (TNPs) at European level, the Party of European Socialists (PES), European Green Party (EGP) and European Left Party (EL).2 Comparing the three TNPs is an apposite approach. Although TNPs are ‘timidly rising actors’, relatively weak formations that fall far short of being fully integrated parties, they at the very least aspire to a minimal level of ideological and policy co-ordination (Bardi 2004; cf.
    [Show full text]
  • Agenda EN End of the Plenary Session
    The Week Ahead 25 – 31 May 2020 Plenary and committee meetings - Brussels Plenary and committee meetings - Brussels New long-term EU budget. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will present the Commission’s revised Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Recovery Plan proposals and debate with Members in an extraordinary plenary session on Wednesday, from 13:30 to 15:00. Committees Conference on the Future of Europe. The Constitutional Affairs Committee will discuss the next steps towards the planned Conference on the Future of Europe and the EP’s role in it. In their 17 April resolution, MEPs called for the Conference to be Agenda convened as soon as possible, stressing that the EU should engage directly with citizens to bring about a profound reform of the Union (Tuesday). COVID-19/Impact on contract and cross-border workers. The Employment and Social Affairs Committee will debate the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on workers’ mobility, particularly for contract workers and cross-border workers, with Croatian Minister of Labour and Pension System Aladrović, Jobs and Social Rights Commissioner Schmit and Interim Executive Director of the European Labour Authority Curell Gotor (Tuesday). Future of EU tourism. The proposed package on tourism and transport, which includes guidelines on how EU countries could gradually lift travel restrictions, allow businesses to reopen and people to enjoy safely their holidays this summer, will be debated in the Transport and Tourism Committee (Thursday). WHO/COVID-19 outbreak in developing countries. The Development Committee will discuss with Dr Michael Ryan, Executive Director, WHO Health Emergencies Programme, on COVID-19 outbreak in developing countries and its impact on the international humanitarian and development response (Friday).
    [Show full text]
  • Green Deal – the Coordinators
    Green Deal – The Coordinators David Sassoli S&D ”I want the European Green Deal to become Europe’s hallmark. At the heart of it is our commitment to becoming the world’s first climate-neutral continent. It is also a long-term economic imperative: those who act first European Parliament and fastest will be the ones who grasp the opportunities from the ecological transition. I want Europe to be 1 February 2020 – H1 2024 the front-runner. I want Europe to be the exporter of knowledge, technologies and best practice.” — Ursula von der Leyen Lorenzo Mannelli Klaus Welle President of the European Commission Head of Cabinet Secretary General Chairs and Vice-Chairs Political Group Coordinators EPP S&D EPP S&D Renew ID Europe ENVI Renew Committee on Europe Dan-Ştefan Motreanu César Luena Peter Liese Jytte Guteland Nils Torvalds Silvia Sardone Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator the Environment, Public Health Greens/EFA GUE/NGL Greens/EFA ECR GUE/NGL and Food Safety Pacal Canfin Chair Bas Eickhout Anja Hazekamp Bas Eickhout Alexandr Vondra Silvia Modig Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator S&D S&D EPP S&D Renew ID Europe EPP ITRE Patrizia Toia Lina Gálvez Muñoz Christian Ehler Dan Nica Martina Dlabajová Paolo Borchia Committee on Vice-Chair Vice-Chair Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator Industry, Research Renew ECR Greens/EFA ECR GUE/NGL and Energy Cristian Bușoi Europe Chair Morten Petersen Zdzisław Krasnodębski Ville Niinistö Zdzisław Krasnodębski Marisa Matias Vice-Chair Vice-Chair
    [Show full text]
  • EYE2018 Programme 3 FOREWORDS
    European youthevent Programme 1-2 June 2018 Strasbourg #EYE2018 European youthevent Table of content Forewords .................................................................................................................. p. 5 The EYE follow-up ................................................................................................... p. 8 Programme overview ............................................................................................ p. 9 Activity formats ...................................................................................................... p. 10 Extra activities Collective events ............................................................................................................. p. 15 Activities without booking ............................................................................................... p. 18 Drop-in activities ............................................................................................................. p. 30 Artistic performances ...................................................................................................... p. 42 Bookable activities YOUNG AND OLD: Keeping up with the digital revolution ................................................. p. 50 RICH AND POOR: Calling for a fair share .......................................................................... p. 68 APART AND TOGETHER: Working out for a stronger Europe .............................................. p. 92 SAFE AND DANGEROUS: Staying alive in turbulent times ..............................................
    [Show full text]
  • EU-Parlament: Ausschussvorsitzende Und Deren Stellvertreter*Innen Auf Den Konstituierenden Sitzungen Am Mittwoch, 10
    EU-Parlament: Ausschussvorsitzende und deren Stellvertreter*innen Auf den konstituierenden Sitzungen am Mittwoch, 10. Juli 2019, haben die siebenundzwanzig permanenten Ausschüsse des EU-Parlaments ihre Vorsitzenden und Stellvertreter*innen gewählt. Nachfolgend die Ergebnisse (Reihenfolge analog zur Auflistung auf den Seiten des Europäischen Parlaments): Ausschuss Vorsitzender Stellvertreter Witold Jan WASZCZYKOEDKI (ECR, PL) AFET Urmas PAET (Renew, EE) David McALLISTER (EPP, DE) Auswärtige Angelegenheiten Sergei STANISHEV (S&D, BG) Željana ZOVKO (EPP, HR) Bernard GUETTA (Renew, FR) DROI Hannah NEUMANN (Greens/EFA, DE) Marie ARENA (S&D, BE) Menschenrechte Christian SAGARTZ (EPP, AT) Raphael GLUCKSMANN (S&D, FR) Nikos ANDROULAKIS (S&D, EL) SEDE Kinga GÁL (EPP, HU) Nathalie LOISEAU (RE, FR) Sicherheit und Verteidigung Özlem DEMIREL (GUE/NGL, DE) Lukas MANDL (EPP, AT) Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA (Greens/EFA, DE) DEVE Norbert NEUSER (S&D, DE) Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE) Entwicklung Chrysoula ZACHAROPOULOU (RE, FR) Erik MARQUARDT (Greens/EFA, DE) Seite 1 14.01.2021 Jan ZAHRADIL (ECR, CZ) INTA Iuliu WINKLER (EPP, RO) Bernd LANGE (S&D, DE) Internationaler Handel Anna-Michelle ASIMAKOPOULOU (EPP, EL) Marie-Pierre VEDRENNE (RE, FR) Janusz LEWANDOWSKI (EPP, PL) BUDG Oliver CHASTEL (RE, BE) Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR, BE) Haushalt Margarida MARQUES (S&D, PT) Niclas HERBST (EPP, DE) Isabel GARCÍA MUÑOZ (S&D, ES) CONT Caterina CHINNICI (S&D, IT) Monika HOHLMEIER (EPP, DE) Haushaltskontrolle Martina DLABAJOVÁ (RE, CZ) Tamás DEUTSCH (EPP, HU) Luděk NIEDERMAYER
    [Show full text]
  • Green Parties and Elections to the European Parliament, 1979–2019 Green Par Elections
    Chapter 1 Green Parties and Elections, 1979–2019 Green parties and elections to the European Parliament, 1979–2019 Wolfgang Rüdig Introduction The history of green parties in Europe is closely intertwined with the history of elections to the European Parliament. When the first direct elections to the European Parliament took place in June 1979, the development of green parties in Europe was still in its infancy. Only in Belgium and the UK had green parties been formed that took part in these elections; but ecological lists, which were the pre- decessors of green parties, competed in other countries. Despite not winning representation, the German Greens were particularly influ- enced by the 1979 European elections. Five years later, most partic- ipating countries had seen the formation of national green parties, and the first Green MEPs from Belgium and Germany were elected. Green parties have been represented continuously in the European Parliament since 1984. Subsequent years saw Greens from many other countries joining their Belgian and German colleagues in the Euro- pean Parliament. European elections continued to be important for party formation in new EU member countries. In the 1980s it was the South European countries (Greece, Portugal and Spain), following 4 GREENS FOR A BETTER EUROPE their successful transition to democracies, that became members. Green parties did not have a strong role in their national party systems, and European elections became an important focus for party develop- ment. In the 1990s it was the turn of Austria, Finland and Sweden to join; green parties were already well established in all three nations and provided ongoing support for Greens in the European Parliament.
    [Show full text]
  • Eastern Partnership Youth Forum
    Eastern Partnership Youth Forum The Eastern Partnership Youth Forum is organised by the Agency of International Youth Cooperation, which is the Lithuanian National Agency of the Youth in Action Programme, in cooperation with the European Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania and other stakeholders. The Forum will take place in Kaunas from 22-25 October 2013, in the framework of Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU and the Eastern Partnership Platform 4 'Contacts between people'. It will involve about 200 young people, youth workers, youth researchers and youth policy makers from both Eastern Partnership and Youth in Action Programme countries1. The Eastern Partnership Youth Forum aims at giving greater visibility to the Eastern Partnership and Youth in Action Programme countries' joint youth cooperation, e.g. within the framework of the Eastern Partnership Youth Window. The Forum will specifically endeavour to: enhance the recognition of youth work and non-formal learning especially in the context of social inclusion, building on the synergies between international, national, regional and local levels; raise the quality and visibility of non-formal learning and youth work at the local level and foster exchange of good practice of youth work between Eastern Partnership and Youth in Action Programme countries1; showcase current youth cooperation within the framework of the Youth in Action Programme's Eastern Partnership Youth Window and explore opportunities offered by the future EU programme for education, training, youth and sport. The Eastern Partnership Youth Forum meeting will offer participants the possibility to present their views on these topics, to share examples of good practice and discuss the latest research findings.
    [Show full text]
  • The Green Spruce Aphid in Western Europe
    Forestry Commission The Green Spruce Aphid in Western Europe: Ecology, Status, Impacts and Prospects for Management Edited by Keith R. Day, Gudmundur Halldorsson, Susanne Harding and Nigel A. Straw Forestry Commission ARCHIVE Technical Paper & f FORESTRY COMMISSION TECHNICAL PAPER 24 The Green Spruce Aphid in Western Europe: Ecology, Status, Impacts and Prospects for Management A research initiative undertaken through European Community Concerted Action AIR3-CT94-1883 with the co-operation of European Communities Directorate-General XII Science Research and Development (Agro-Industrial Research) Edited by Keith R. t)ay‘, Gudmundur Halldorssorr, Susanne Harding3 and Nigel A. Straw4 ' University of Ulster, School of Environmental Studies, Coleraine BT52 ISA, Northern Ireland, U.K. 2 2 Iceland Forest Research Station, Mogilsa, 270 Mossfellsbaer, Iceland 3 Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Department of Ecology and Molecular Biology, Thorvaldsenvej 40, Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C., Denmark 4 Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LH, U.K. KVL & Iceland forestry m research station Forest Research FORESTRY COMMISSION, EDINBURGH © Crown copyright 1998 First published 1998 ISBN 0 85538 354 2 FDC 145.7:453:(4) KEYWORDS: Biological control, Elatobium , Entomology, Forestry, Forest Management, Insect pests, Picea, Population dynamics, Spruce, Tree breeding Enquiries relating to this publication should be addressed to: The Research Communications Officer Forest Research Alice Holt Lodge Wrecclesham, Farnham Surrey GU10 4LH Front Cover: The green spruce aphid Elatobium abietinum. (Photo: G. Halldorsson) Back Cover: Distribution of the green spruce aphid. CONTENTS Page List of contributors IV Preface 1. Origins and background to the green spruce aphid C. I. Carter and G. Hallddrsson in Europe 2.
    [Show full text]
  • Response from the European Youth Forum to the Government’S Submissions on the Merits
    EUROPEAN COMMITTEE OF SOCIAL RIGHTS COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DES DROITS SOCIAUX 28 June 2018 Case Document No. 6 European Youth Forum v. Belgium Complaint No. 150/2017 RESPONSE FROM THE EUROPEAN YOUTH FORUM TO THE GOVERNMENT’S SUBMISSIONS ON THE MERITS Registered at the Secretariat on 13 June 2018 COLLECTIVE COMPLAINT 150/2017: European Youth Forum v. Belgium Case Document No. 6 European Youth Forum response to the observations submitted by the government of the Kingdom of Belgium on the merits of the complaint (Case Document No. 5) Overview 1. The European Youth Forum hereby presents its response regarding the observations made by the Belgian government on the merits of Complaint 150/2017 regarding the issue of unpaid internships. The response is structured as follows: first, it is argued that interns must be considered workers within the meaning of the European Social Charter. Second, information relating to data and supporting evidence on unpaid internships is presented. Third, it is argued that the implementation of the Volunteer Rights Act of 2005 is in violation of the European Social Charter. Fourth, a number of relevant international frameworks from United Nations, Council of Europe and European Union levels are summarised. Interns as workers 2. The Belgian government argues that interns are not, and should not be considered workers, and that they are therefore not covered by the European Social Charter (ESC). This point of view is put forward in the response of the Federal Public Service for Employment (p. 8), as well as the response of the Federal Public Service for Social Security (pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Beyond the Nation State Also by David Hanley
    Beyond the Nation State Also by David Hanley CHRISTIAN DEMOCRACY IN EUROPE: A Comparative Perspective CONTEMPORARY FRANCE (with A. P. Kerr and N. H. Waites) KEEPING LEFT? CERES and the French Socialist Party PARTY, SOCIETY, GOVERNMENT: Republican Democracy in France SOCIAL-DÉMOCRATIE ET DÉFENSE (co-editor with H. Portelli) SPANISH POLITICAL PARTIES (co-editor with J. Louglin) Beyond the Nation State Parties in the Era of European Integration David Hanley Professor of European Studies Cardiff University, UK © David Hanley 2008 Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2008 978-1-4039-0795-0 All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 4LP. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. The author has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. First published 2008 by PALGRAVE MACMILLAN Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 6XS and 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010 Companies and representatives throughout the world PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave Macmillan division of St. Martin’s Press, LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd. Macmillan is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and other countries.
    [Show full text]
  • Invasive Species in Europe: Ecology, Status and Policy
    Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Institute of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works Faculty Publications 2011 Invasive Species in Europe: Ecology, Status and Policy Reuben P. Keller Loyola University Chicago, [email protected] Juergen Geist Johnathan M. Jeschke Ingolf Kuhn Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/ies_facpubs Part of the Life Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Keller, R, J Geist, JM Jeschke, and I Kuhn. "Invasive Species in Europe: Ecology, Status and Policy." Environemtal Sciences Europe 23(23), 2011. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Faculty Publications at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Institute of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. © Keller et al., 2011. Keller et al. Environmental Sciences Europe 2011, 23:23 http://www.enveurope.com/content/23/1/23 COMMENTARY Open Access Invasive species in Europe: ecology, status, and policy Reuben P Keller1*, Juergen Geist2†, Jonathan M Jeschke3† and Ingolf Kühn4† Abstract Globalization of trade and travel has facilitated the spread of non-native species across the earth. A proportion of these species become established and cause serious environmental, economic, and human health impacts. These species are referred to as invasive, and are now recognized as one of the major drivers of biodiversity change across the globe. As a long-time centre for trade, Europe has seen the introduction and subsequent establishment of at least several thousand non-native species.
    [Show full text]
  • European Political Parties and Foundations: the ’Tissue’ That Connects?
    EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND FOUNDATIONS: THE ’TISSUE’ THAT CONNECTS? POLICY BRIEF | NOVEMBER 2019 https://eurac.tv/9R2x EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND FOUNDATIONS: THE ’TISSUE’ THAT CONNECTS? To the average European citizen, the political groups in the POLICY BRIEF | NOVEMBER 2019 European Parliament, which help shape EU-wide legislation, are https://eurac.tv/9R2x a vaguely familiar concept. But there is much less knowledge of the European political parties (as opposed to groups) and the think-tanks that are affiliated to them. The dominant players have traditionally been the European People’s Party (EPP), the Party of European Socialists (PES), and the Federation of Liberal and Democrat parties (renamed ALDE in 2012), all of which were formed in the 1970s, as confederations of national parties from across the European Union. They were joined by the European Green Party and the Party of the European Left in 2004, and then by the European Conservatives and Reformists Party in 2009. Part of that eco-system are the foundations/think-tanks, which are affiliated to each of the parties, based in part on the German Stiftung model, bringing together the think-tanks at the national level. The parties then also have women and youth networks. So what role do the European political parties and foundations play? How do they interact with the European Parliament groups and Commissioners, and how do they affect political and policy co-ordination in Brussels and across national capitals? NOV. 2019 | POLICY BRIEF | EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND FOUNDATIONS: THE ’TISSUE’ THAT CONNECTS? | EURACTIV 3 European Political Parties and Foundations: The ’tissue’ that connects? By Benjamin Fox | EURACTIV.com THE BRIDGE FROM THE BUBBLE own pre-Council summits and ministerial meetings by sector.
    [Show full text]