Europeans have set ambitious goals for the defence capacities that they want to achieve in the next few years. They have increased their defence spending by 79%!

Bill that be enough?

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Mercosur, CETA, TTIP, the EU’s trade policy can sometimes feel very far away from the people who are actually affected by its decisions. In EU jargon, trade policy is an exclusive EU competence. This means that the European Union negotiates and concludes trade agreements with partner countries. Then, the rules apply across the whole of the EU.

But as we know, European regions are highly diverse, and they are equally divided over the benefits of free trade agreements.

How can we take into account the different regional interests in this area?

A podcast by Europod, in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research with policies

To read more about the ESPON report on the impact of trade agreements on regions: https://www.espon.eu/publications/starter-free-trade-agreements-mercosur

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In the United States, a group of 29 states has achieved what Congress has so far failed to do: secure real commitments from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to limit the addictive nature of these platforms for young people.

Could the EU hope to achieve something similar?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

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At this stage, there is no evidence to suggest that Russia is preparing to attack a European country in the coming years. This assessment, shared by European intelligence services, is not unanimously accepted across Europe.

So what should Europeans really fear from Russia?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

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Thirty billion euros. That’s how much the EU wants to mobilise to build data centres. But this ambition might run up against an obstacle. In recent years, protests against data centres have been emerging across the European Union.

Can local residents influence the AI race? And can Europe make progress on this issue without the support of local communities?

By Europod in co-production with the Sphera Network.

This episode is based on an article written by Alberto Mesas for El Salto and an article written by Tommaso Proverbio for VD News and is co-written with Hélène Pillon from Médianes.

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In this episode of Europe Talks Back, we look at the share of renewable energy production in the EU and how it could be expanded, with insights from Flore Belin, Energy Policy Coordinator at Climate Action Network Europe.

Production by Europod, in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research and policy.

This podcast series is cofunded by ESPON. However, the opinions and views expressed are solely those of the authors. ESPON can't be held responsible for them.

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On Saturday 29th August,, Icelanders will go to the polls to answer this question: Should Iceland restart the EU accession process?

The country could match the EU criteria quite quickly, but is it willing to do so? And what would this mean for Europeans and Icelanders?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

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Armenia could soon take another step towards closer ties with the European Union. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said on Monday, August 24th, that his country could soon submit its official application to join the EU.

Why does Armenia want to move closer to Europe now? And what could this mean for its relations with Russia?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

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All migrants, including minors, who arrived in Ceuta on July 30 are supposed to return to Morocco, according to the European Commission. But Spain recently announced it would transfer 500 unaccompanied minors from Ceuta to mainland Spain.

So what happened to the tens of thousands of migrants who entered the Spanish enclave in July?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

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The UK has a new Prime Minister: Andy Burnham, the former mayor of Manchester. Last year, he went as far as saying that he would like to see the UK rejoin the European Union in his lifetime. Since then, he has scaled back his ambitions: Burnham acknowledged a few weeks ago, that this was not the right time to reopen the debate over possible EU membership.

What should Europeans expect from Prime Minister Andy Burnham?

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