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When wage competition outcompetes the single European market0
- Op-ed, Social and Economic Policy
- 09/08/2016
In an utterly predictable move, Social Affairs Commissioner Marianne Thyssen fought off the EU’s third-ever yellow card. The objections to her proposed amendment to the Posting of Workers Directive signalled, as usual, more than subsidiarity-related distress. But even with the yellow card spat easily shoved aside, the disagreement spells trouble: if anything, the dispute reveals a lack of vision that puts the very idea of the internal market at risk.
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On Dinkos and the Rule of law: Bulgaria facing migration0
- Human Rights and Migration, Op-ed
- 08/08/2016
Bulgaria has a problem with migrants. But most importantly, Bulgaria has a problem with itself.
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The difficult dilemma between inequality and unemployment1
- Op-ed, Social and Economic Policy
- 05/08/2016
For decades now, European countries chose to curb inequality through rigid employment laws, strong labor unions and generous unemployment benefits – often at the expense of the young and unemployed. The dilemma between inequality and unemployment is difficult, but successful solutions should strike a balance between job flexibility and security.
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Less employment protection, more jobs?0
- Op-ed, Social and Economic Policy
- 04/08/2016
Following the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and the subsequent great recession, many of the OECD countries implemented structural reforms on employment protection legislation, aiming to enhance the flexibility of the labor market. This was believed to have a positive influence in preventing the reduction of existing jobs and promoting the creation of new ones. But do flexibility-enhancing reforms actually contribute to boosting employment?
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Pokémon GO: To regulate or not to regulate?18
Pokémons are running amok in the digital world and children and adults alike are running amok in the real world trying to catch them: since its release in July 2016, the augmented-reality mobile game Pokémon GO has taken the world by storm. The unprecedented popularity of the game and player experiences have raised safety and privacy concerns however, leading many to question whether or not policymakers should now regulate augmented-reality games such as Pokémon GO.
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Ivory trade: Back on the market?2
- Environment and Energy, Op-ed
- 29/07/2016
Recently, ivory trade has caused a great deal of furore between the EU, the public and conservation organisations. However, despite a legal misinterpretation leaving the EU misjudged, the resulting message that consumer demand for ivory is lawful, that killing these mythical creatures is acceptable and that they are a resource to be exploited, remains untouched.
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