Shortly before the deadline on 21 January, the German government commented on the European Commission's plan to declare nuclear power and natural gas sustainable. The think tank Centrum für Europäische Politik (cep) sees a lever to legally stop the taxonomy.

The European Union wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent compared to 1990 by the end of this decade. Just one day before the EU climate package "Fit for 55" was published, France passed its own climate law. This also provides for a reduction of emissions, but only by 40 percent.

Whether it is the unanimity principle, the rule of law or geostrategic importance: the European Union is at a crossroads. Germany, France and Italy - supported by new bilateral treaties - want to make the EU more capable of acting and return it to the international stage as an important player.

Whether healthcare, work, consumption or media: artificial intelligence (AI) will change the lives of many people in various ways. The Commission therefore wants to create rules to protect the health, safety and fundamental rights of AI users. It wants to ban particularly dangerous AI systems. Other AI systems will be subject to obligations depended on their risk or voluntary codes of conduct. In some cases, there should be no obligations at all.

Sustainable investment with a clear conscience: With green bonds totalling 250 billion euros, the Commission wants to refinance about one third of the Corona recovery fund over the next five years. For these bond issuances, it is using a globally recognised market standard. However, it is not really convinced of the market standard.

Anti-inflammatories and antipyretics that have been tried and tested for decades, such as dexamethasone or remdesivir, play an important role in the fight against Corona. They are intended to reduce mortality in hospitals. This is possible because the patents on many old pharmaceuticals are expiring. Off-patent drugs can be highly effective in treating completely different diseases.

For a fortnight, the UN Climate Conference COP26 in Glasgow struggled to find solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While the EU Commission found little support for its plan to protect itself unilaterally from unfair competition with a so-called climate tariff, the CO₂ border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), Germany, among others, pleaded for a climate club of the willing. The goal: as many countries as possible should agree on a minimum price for CO₂ and use a common climate tariff against non-members to protect their industries.

As part of its Green Deal, the EU wants to oblige the financial sector to make its contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the Commission presented an action plan this summer. The goal: the financial sector should become more sustainable.

Identity cards, driving licences, digital money: according to the Commission, Member States are to introduce so-called digital wallets. Smartphone apps are to replace the paper and card economy in purses by mid-2023. Each Member State must present a technical solution by then. The Commission has presented a corresponding proposal for a Regulation.

In the EU, around ninety million tonnes of food end up being wasted every year. Ten percent of this alone is said to be due to the misunderstanding of date marks on packaging. Often, consumers do not understand the meaning of "best before" and "use by" dates. The Commission therefore wants to launch consultations on food labelling before the end of the year. Brussels is putting forward three options for discussion.