The EU Commission wants to strengthen the Single Market and, to this end, set up an online portal providing information which citizens and businesses need in order to carry out cross-border activities in the EU. In addition, they will be able to use the portal to access and implement online administrative procedures of the Member States. Certain administrative procedures of the Member States will also be digitised.

53 retail and wholesale trading companies in 22 EU Member States were asked whether and by what measures they are hampered when trading in the EU internal market. Companies were also asked whether they suffer discrimination as a result of national laws or by national authorities in other EU countries as compared with domestic companies.

In future, the EU Commission is to be able to oblige undertakings to submit information. It thereby wants to ensure better enforcement of EU law and better preparation of legislative measures. This could also allow easier investigation and proof of infringements of internal market rules.

By introducing an electronic services card (E-Card), the EU Commission wants to facilitate the cross-border provision of services. This voluntary electronic proof is intended to reduce red tape for service providers from other EU countries and strengthen the internal market. cep finds this to be questionable and the E-Card to be unlawful under EU law because it is in part disproportionate.

Global female migration is a topic frequently studied in academic literature however; the topic of female brain drain is one that has long been neglected by academic research.

The aim of this report is to gather all available information on female brain drain in Poland and Germany and its impact on labour markets, gender equality, female migration, and human capital, while noting the gaps in data and policymaking.

The United Kingdom's creditworthiness is declining. This is the result of the latest cepDefault-Index 2017. The main reason for the decline is the population’s high propensity to consume: since 2012, the population of the United Kingdom has consumed more than the total available income. Moreover, the competitiveness of the British economy declined for years.

The EU Commission wants to facilitate the use of protected content for public interest purposes by way of restrictions on copyright. At the same time it wants to ensure fair remuneration for rightholders and press publishers.

The turmoil threatening the very existence of the EU continues. Evidence for this is provided by the cepDefault-Index 2017. The cep authors point out that Greece in particular remains uncreditworthy and that there is no sign of any reversal in the trend. Apart from Greece; Italy, Latvia, Portugal, Slovenia and Cyprus indicate declining creditworthiness which has in addition become firmly established.