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How AB’'s new disabled cards make cross-border travel easier

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

The right to move and reside freely within the EU is the cornerstone of European citizenship. But while this is possible in theory for many people with disabilities, the reality is very different.

The new EU-wide European Disability Card and the updated EU parking card for people with disabilities aim to solve this issue by allowing users to prove their disability anywhere in the bloc.

According to the European statistical agency Eurostat’, about 101 million people, or 27 percent of EU citizens over the age of 16, are disabled.

Eight EU countries (Belgium, Italy, Finland, Malta, Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia and Romania) have been piloting the European Disability Card since 2016’. The success of the trial prompted Brussels ’ to press for full implementation throughout the bloc, and on 8 February this year the European Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement.

MEPs also agreed to update the European Parking Card for Persons with Disabilities with a standard EU design to end the confusion and fraud caused by the current fragmented nature of national cards.

The agreed text is expected to be formally adopted by both the Parliament and the Council and to be put to a vote at the last plenary meeting of the European Parliament, , from 22 to 25 April.

the European Disability Forum“ described recent policy developments as a significant victory, but stressed that they were a first step. For example, the new rules will only apply to short stays of up to three months, except for holders of disability cards who have moved to another member country for a mobility program such as Erasmus+.

In addition, member states will have 30 months to adapt the new rules and 12 months to formally implement them; This means that it will take another three and a half years for the card to become accessible throughout the EU.

Yannis Vardakastanis, President of the European Forum for Persons with Disabilities (EDF), euronews’e said: “Cards is the first step. They remove some obstacles while traveling. They make it easier, but they don't allow us to take advantage of the right to move, study, and study. Disability assessment needs to be re-evaluated. Our disability does not travel with us.”

More than just making travel easier

Both cards will replace national cards already issued by local authorities. Once the application is submitted, it will be issued in physical or digital format within ninety days, except where longer medical check-ups are required. Receiving and renewing the European Disability Card will be free of charge, except if it is lost or damaged.

Cardholders travelling to other EU countries will be able to benefit from discounts on local transport, assistance on trains and other public transport, reduced or zero entry fees, priority access and reserved parking spaces.

The new rules will also include care support staff or care support animals. Those who don't have additional support and need more help can add the letter ‘A’ to their card, earning extra help when shown.

When a provider, such as a gallery or museum, participates in the program, cardholders in other participating countries have the same rights.

Živa Rogelj, Director of Education National Gallery of Slovenia, explained that they are trying to make the gallery as accessible as possible, “not just free entrance for the people with disabilities but also personalised guided tours or personalised creative workshops free of charge, ” she said.

Former Paralympic athlete Primož Jeralič was almost completely paralyzed from the waist down after a skiing accident at the age of 24. He's using both cards today.

I have been a disabled person for about 16 years and it has been difficult to travel to introduce myself, especially in the European ’. Now that I have an EU Disability Card, I can easily be recognized as a disabled person, ” said.

“I must say that at first I was afraid to show my handicapped card. But I was really surprised because this card is recognized all over Europe’. I travel a lot and have used this card in Belgium’da, Italy’da, Austria’da, Croatia’da, Germany’da and all over Europe’.

Possible next steps

National Council of Disabled Organizations of Slovenia(NSIOS) calls for two cards to be made into a single card to avoid any confusion with local authorities and to make it less stressful for people with disabilities to travel.

Gašper Oblak, NSIOS representative, “We want to raise awareness among people with disabilities. And we want to attract more providers to the card. And finally, we hope that one day the EU card and the parking card will be combined into a single card, ” said.

Pieter is a member of Paul Moen. EDC Fan TeamBelgium’da is a pan-European volunteer organization that strives for better participation of people with disabilities. Pieter’ has autism, and Euronews’e said police sometimes confuse his disability with drunkenness.

“We also want this card to be used in emergency services. You can also use this card when you are in a panic or stressful situation and contact the police, ambulance or hospital. You can prove your disability to doctors or nurses with this condition.”

EU Equality Commissioner, Helena Dalli, He explained that the card was a step towards better integration, but also acknowledged that it had some limitations.

“With this card, all the rights that a disabled person has in a country will also apply to all disabled people who visit that country, so this recognition is very, very important.

Euronews’e said: “Of course, we have to abide by the agreements and we cannot go any further than we have done because it is in the jurisdiction of the member states. But this is definitely an improvement over what's happening right now. - ”

The EDF has been petitioning for the EU Disability Card for over a decade. While the organization acknowledges that the new rules will create greater awareness and acceptance, it argues that cards will not make things easier for people with disabilities who want to move permanently to another member country.

The disability card does not include social security, social assistance and other residence-based benefits. In the long term, people with disabilities who want to move to another state will lose their right to benefit from social security-related benefits in their own country. They may have to wait months or even years for assistance to be processed in their new country of residence.

Despite this, Commissioner Dalli explained that the legislative process was rapid: “I am happy to say that this directive is one of the fastest; I mean, I've never passed legislation this fast before. This shows that member states are keen on this card, which is very important and will greatly improve the lives of people with disabilities.”

The EDF also recommended that cards should not be issued automatically unless a disabled person requests them or explicitly agrees to the issuance or renewal of the card. This will eliminate the need for people with disabilities to show cards as proof of disability for better access to services.

If you want to learn more about the European Disability Card or how to get it, click on the link here. Click on the video in the media player above to watch the episode.

How can child care help Ukrainian mothers integrate into the host country?

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Russia’ UkraineTwo years after ’'s large-scale invasion of , how are millions of Ukrainian women and children adjusting to life in their new host country? Are they getting the support they need?

Access to childcare is a crucial step in the integration process. In this latest episode of Real Economy’, Euronews correspondent Fanny Gauret traveled to ’, Poland, to hear the words of the women who supported and benefited from these childcare facilities.

Learning a new language, looking for a job or recognizing their qualifications are just some of the challenges Ukrainian refugees face when trying to rebuild their lives elsewhere.

Ukrainian conscription laws prevent men between the ages of 18 and 60 from leaving the country; Therefore, women who run away with their families are often the sole caregivers of young children, making it almost impossible to find a job without childcare in host countries.

the Comenius Foundation2000Founded in the early years of ’ to provide better conditions for children in their first year, the company has 37 kindergartens in Warsaw’.

Not just these’ The spynkas are‘ created safe spaces for refugee children to learn and play, and also gave Ukrainian mothers time to find work in ’, Poland.

Child psychologist Maria Odinets Euronews’e said: “When we came here, my child barely spoke due to stress, but I see changes in my youngest son, he started talking and communicating with other children for the first time… made friends here; You can say you're happy. - ”

Odinets, together with his wife and three children, fled Ukraine ’ six months ago and hopes that his diploma will soon be recognized in Poland ’ in order to find a job.

“This helps me because I now have free time between 09:00 and 15:00. During this time, I can learn Polish, look for work, or help my older children and pick them up from school, ” added.

Monika Woźniak, director of the Comenius Foundation, told Euronews’e that support is vital: “A very large percentage of our children experience trauma, so our attention needed to be strongly focused on helping children who couldn't and couldn't cope in normal primary schools and kindergartens.”

Monika wants to open more nurseries and register them in the official education system.

Woźniak, “We hope to launch EU-funded programs that will help integrate Ukrainian children and their parents into the Polish early education system. We are talking about children who, if they have a good foundation, will eventually begin to live well, ” explained.

This ‘spynka is funded by the ’s UNICEFThey also receive support from the Polish government and some European funds.

Most of the staff working in these centers are Ukrainian refugees, such as Yuliana.

When former decorator Euronews’e first arrived, she said she had trouble finding a job that would give her time to pick up her children after kindergarten or school and take care of them at night. Today this ‘spynka works as an educator in one of the ’s and says that the most important thing she can do is work.

“If it wasn't for this job, I don't know… I could have been a cleaner at first, then maybe I could have found something else … but this spynka really helped me adapt” said.

What other support is being offered to Ukrainian women and children?

To date, almost two-thirds of Ukrainian refugees have found work in ’, Poland, according to government figures.

By the way, the European Social Fund Plus(ESF+) has allocated €8.9 billion to tackle child poverty in AB’. Some of this money can be used to fund and increase the number of official ‘spynka’s, as well as improve the quality of places in kindergartens.

Ewa FlaszynskaThe head of ’'s labor market department, the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy, said more Ukrainian women had found time to look for work as the number of children given to a single educator increased.

Almost 70 percent of Polish women are “i active, and statistics show that Ukrainian women who join us are also active in the labor market, ’ said.

While some Ukrainian women have already returned or hope to return in the near future, the expansion of childcare services has proven to play a key role for Ukrainian refugee families trying to find stability abroad.

Click on the video in the media player above to watch Fanny’'s full report.

A task force for the future: Europe’'s plan to equip workers with skills to reverse labor shortages

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

About 63 percent of small and medium-sized businesses in ’ say a lack of workforce and skills has left them behind in their overall business operations. The EurobarometerThe survey was found.

In an announcement to support European businesses, increase staff retention and equip professionals with the skills they will need in the future, the European Commission and its partners said: The Duchess of ValAt the end of January, ‘ announced that it had signed the Tripartite Declaration for a Developing European Social Dialogue.

The EU has pledged to bring more professionals to the European labour market, facilitate recognition of foreign qualifications, improve working conditions and provide professionals with the tools they need to work in specialized roles.

Brussels provides around €65 billion in EU funds for education. thanks the European Skills Agendaand the Agreement of SkillsAround two million workers across Europe have already received advanced training.

Creating a digital workforce in ’, Slovenia

CEO’ Rok Zajc the Thick GroupEuronews’e, the digital marketing agency in Ljubljana’, said it had a hard time hiring certain profiles, especially high-skilled professionals.

Zajc, “From design, to performance marketing, we try to find different profiles from software developers and senior designers. But, for example, you actually need a lot of personal motivation and some different courses to get to the top for what we provide, ” said.

There is a great shortage of personnel in the information and communication technologies sector (ICT). AB’ needs another 11 million people to join this sector to achieve its goal of winning 20 million ICT professionals by 2030.

“What governments can and should do is reskill the existing workforce to ensure they get the skills they need, ” said. Dr Emilija Stojmenova DuhSlovenian Minister of Digital Transformation.

Euronews’e, the engineer who became a politician, announced last year that 30,000 people in ’, Slovenia, were taking advantage of free courses to help them adapt and acquire the skills needed to meet market demands.

Stojmenova Duh, “Only 17% of experts in the ICT field are women. So maybe my favorite project is a digital project that's all about giving young women skills and improving their skills. We were collaborating with the industry so that the industry could get the right workforce, ” said.

We are all aware that digital skills are not only needed for the ICT sector, we need digital skills in every sector.

Dr Emilija Stojmenova Duh

Minister of Digital Transformation

PortugalTraining engineers in ’

22% of employers in ’'s heavy industries say they can't find the staff they need. The highly lucrative metallurgical and metalworking industry also struggles to find professionals with the right qualifications in Portugal’.

The industry has undergone a significant digital transformation. Robots currently do most of the heavy lifting, but the outdated idea that this is a physically demanding industry still exists.

Engineers and machine operators in this sector need technical skills. Nuno Teixeira CEO’ the Alsil GroupIt seeks to attract professionals from both domestic and Portuguese-speaking countries.

Teixeira, “, said that companies should provide opportunities for individuals to thrive, grow professionally, and balance this with their personal lives if they want to attract people.

Eduardo and Rui are CNC programming and operations technicians and have recently been employed by the Alsil Group. After enrolling in a professional training program, their career went in a new direction. CENFIMA public and private education centre supported by the European Social Fund Plus.

Rui, who used to work as a geological engineer at “, said that this is a very challenging area where new and challenging things come up every day, so it's something that really interests me and I see it as a promising future.

Manuel Pinheiro Grilo, director of CENFIM, “, said that in terms of employment, it represents about 230,000 jobs that are evolving not only to adapt to new technologies, but above all to respond to the work required.

According to AIMMAP’a (Portuguese Association of Metallurgical, Metalworking and Related Industries), Portuguese ’ metallurgical companies generate approximately €23 billion a year in revenue from their exports.

Ensuring that professionals take responsibility for their careers

Improving the skills of professionals is of great benefit to companies looking to fill specialized positions, while Slovenia's ’da Minister Stojmenova Duh warned that responsibility does not belong only to public and private organizations competing against the clock to hire professionals with the right skills.

“We are aware that this is not enough after finishing high school, faculty, each individual is our responsibility. The world is changing. We need to learn new skills. That's why lifelong learning is something we really need to consider. - ”

Combating homelessness in Europe’: a more ‘radical ’ approach

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

According to national data, homelessness in ’, Spain, has increased by 25 percent in the last decade. Such statistics forced the authorities and NGO ’s to find an alternative method to combat homelessness.

The proposed solution is surprisingly simple: Give a home to everyone who lives on the street. The initiative, known as Housing First, which was first developed in ABD’, is increasingly being adopted in Avrupa’.

Unlike traditional approaches, individuals do not need to meet certain criteria before receiving housing assistance. The idea is that homeless individuals have a better chance of creating a brighter future for themselves if they have a roof over their heads.

Carlos Martínez Carrasco lived in difficult circumstances for several years before the Housing First initiative provided him with an apartment on the outskirts of Madrid’in.

Real Economy’ye said the apartment changed his life in every way: I'm not missing anything from what you did on “ Street, and I can cook. I don't need to find a way to do laundry… I can go out with peace of mind because I have a place to go back to. I'm so happy today. - ”

Housing First, as laid down in the European Pillar of Social Rights Principle 19’, sees housing not as a reward but as a right. This law stipulates that:

Those in need should have access to social housing or housing assistance.
Vulnerable persons have the right to appropriate assistance and protection against forced eviction.
Adequate housing and services should be provided to homeless individuals and families to encourage social participation.

The two NGOs, ProviviendaAnd then there's Hogar Si, ,Carlos’a MadridCo-directs several Housing First initiatives in ’, including a home-giving initiative in ’, Spain. Funded by the local government of Madrid (Comunidad de Madrid) through the European Social Fund, this project has so far %It continues to have a 100 occupancy and retention rate.

Gema Gallardo, managing director of Provivienda Real Economy’ye, said: “European funds are mainly used to implement innovative initiatives and innovative solutions to homelessness, and are also used to increase the stock of social and affordable housing. SpainTwo key solutions to reduce homelessness in ’.”

What can the EU do to reverse the rising trend of homelessness?

Each EU member state shall ensure that ESF+ resources are at least ’ini to fight against social inclusion and at least %3He pledged to spend his ’ on the fight against material deprivation.

European Platform for the Elimination of HomelessnessHe's also working hard to create change. Avrupa’'s First Residential CenterFounded in 2016 by ’'s Y-Foundation of Finland and FEANTSA, It aims to give a home to everyone who lives on the street.

At the moment when Europe’ is putting hundreds of billions of euros on the table to revive the economy, we think that a very small part of that money should be used to find a solution to this extreme exclusion (homelessness) and to make our societies more inclusive.

Yves Leterme

European Platform to Combat Homelessness and Former Prime Minister of Belgium

Yves LetermeThe former Prime Minister of Belgium and the Chairman of the European Platform for Combating Homelessness believe that member states can learn from each other: “We need to bring member states together and agree on what kind of policy tools we should use based on experience – because some member states have been very successful in addressing the issue, while others are lagging behind.”

Progress in the current economic context will not be easy, but evidence shows that change is possible with the right policies and incentives.

Click on the video in the media player above for the full report.

Automation, algorithms and the need to adapt: How is AI reshaping the business world?

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

There is a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence globally right now. On Friday, December 8, member states and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act, the world's first attempt to regulate rapidly evolving technology in a comprehensive, ethically-based way.

AB’'s move to legalize artificial intelligence technology came at a time of rapid change in the workplace. According to a recent report, the companies surveyed ’i said they plan to adopt AI-powered systems by 2027.

How AI-powered technology is revolutionizing jobs in the Netherlands’

Dutch supermarket Picnic is trying to revolutionize the online grocery industry. Highly automated centers such as the Picnic’s in Utrecht’ are full of artificial intelligence technologies.

The firm says this allows it to offer food fresher, faster and cheaper, giving it a clear advantage in a highly competitive industry.

In addition, Picnic says, the adoption of artificial intelligence has created a large number of skilled new jobs, for example in areas such as data analytics, while also eliminating much of the hard work done by employees in distribution and order fulfillment centers.

Daniel Gebler, chief technical officer at Picnic’, said: "Artificial intelligence is creating an opportunity for many people to have new jobs that are not currently available and that they can do in the future. “This is about creative work, but at the same time technology replaces repetitive work and hard work.”

Picnic says the technology and business model make it more sustainable. The supermarket already offers free delivery on all-electric vehicles. However, data-driven analyses to reduce food and packaging waste are also central to their operations.

A service like “Picnic can work very sustainably, but this takes us one step further in making our service, operations and also suppliers sustainable, not only with good forecasts, added Daniel Gebler, ”.

‘ They follow everything.‘: The rise of artificial intelligence and job insecurity

Artificial intelligence, when used well, can potentially bring great benefits. So what happens when technology invades our every moment?

Joseph Skull is a bicycle courier at the leading on-demand delivery service in Amsterdam’. He says he's tired of being constantly followed by the company during shifts.

Real Economy’ye “They track everything we do while we're at work, ” said. “They can see if we're standing in a place for five minutes and ask questions about why you're taking so long when you have to do the things you need to do while you're at work.”

Dutch unions agree, saying more needs to be done to get delivery companies under control, especially with the use of artificial intelligence algorithms to increase productivity.

Frank Van Bennekom, FNV Young & United Union Official, said “, the workers' union, sees many problems.

“Fees are low. There's no security, and there's no security. For example, in some cases, bonuses are received if the driver does not deliver at a certain time. This leads to really unsafe situations. And I think it should be made illegal by law. - ”

One of the concerns is that artificial intelligence will lead to more precarious work, not less, in the so-called flexible economy, and reduce the quality of work by using artificial intelligence-powered algorithmic management tools.

Joseph Skull, “I want to feel like I can go to the toilet, eat some food, change my clothes when my clothes get wet because of the terrible weather we sometimes experience. And I want to feel like I won't be punished for it, ” said.

How will the EU protect workers' rights when it comes to artificial intelligence?

Experts and policymakers met this year at the EU Social Forum ’ in Brussels, ’, to discuss, among other pressing issues, how to reap the benefits of artificial intelligence while ensuring justice, participation and safety in the workplace.

European Commissioner for Labour and Social Rights Nicolas Schmit euronews’e said: The important thing is that we do not prevent this technological change, but we make sure that we determine the measures we need to protect workers.“

The first important directive we work on is the protection of platform employees as they are directly affected by algorithmic management. On the one hand, we are putting a lot of pressure on the adoption of this directive, which guarantees protection for workers in the context of algorithmic management, but also guarantees protection for social rights, social protection rights, health, etc. ”

In addition to the platform directive, the EU is also completing the Artificial Intelligence Act, which aims to create the world's first rulebook for such technologies.

Those working on better global regulation say good governance of artificial intelligence is urgently needed.

Virginia Dignum, a member of the UN Artificial Intelligence Advisory Board in “, said that what we are seeing now is that artificial intelligence is very similar to a car used by someone without a driver's license, without brakes and without a seat belt.

“If we leave things as they are, I'm afraid these benefits will be for those who already benefit from artificial intelligence, namely big technology and the multimillionaires of this world.

Beate Andrees, Regional Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) ’ (Europe and Central Asia), said: "We think it's important to put people in command. This means incorporating workers into business life, setting regulations, collective bargaining, and discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on the workplace.”

‘Lifelong learning mindset’: EuropeRe-skill and increase skills in ’'s workforce

Another important issue was the training and development of digital skills. In the future, 90 percent of jobs will need them. Currently, more than a third of AB’'s workforce lacks what is needed.

Christopher Pissarides, a Nobel Prize-winning economist at the London School of Economics ’, says workers should try to adapt.

Euronews’e said that they should try to find out what is going on at “Companies. They also need to learn how to train themselves according to the direction of the new technology, how to work with it, and they will feel much more satisfied, ” said.

Nicolas Schmit, “, said that we need to create a true lifelong learning mindset that knows that people need to be retrained, reskilled, their skills need to be increased, not only at the risk of losing their job, but also with the guarantee of finding another job.

Schmitt added that “Tekno is not pessimistic, and came to the following conclusion: Thanks to “ Technology, we can have a better world. We can have a better business organization by taking repetitive or boring jobs away from people. But that means we need to keep control. It's not about predicting the future or fearing the future. Ultimately shaping the future. That's what we have to do. - ”

Can Erasmus-style work placements help solve youth unemployment?

21/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

2022 European Year of YouthAnd in this chapter, the Real Economy asks: What is being done to help young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, find jobs and get an education?

In the European Union, young people aged 15-29 make up one-sixth of the population. They were among the most affected by the economic effects of the pandemic; They were often the first to lose their jobs or see a decline in their income.

Although youth unemployment is declining (in the first quarter of 2021, bruary 2022’de compared to 18.2’ ), young people are still twice as likely to be unemployed as the rest of the working-age population (average %6,2).

the European Youth Guarantee

One in eight young adults in AB’ is neither in education, employment nor education. They are known as NEET’s.

To help young people get started, AB’'s Youth Guarantee guarantees that all young people under the age of 30 enrolled will receive a job, apprenticeship, education or training offer within four months.

Since its adoption in 2013, more than 3 million young people have accepted the offer every year, and more than 36 million people have been helped so far.

Nicolas Schmit, EU’'s Commissioner for Labour and Social Rights, says that when countries implement the Youth Guarantee well, it can have long-lasting consequences.

When we look at the results two years after entering the “Youth guarantee, we see that about half of young people are still in a job or continuing their education or vocational training. So in general, I would say that the Youth Guarantee is a very, very powerful and useful tool if applied well.”

Gain work and life experience abroad

One of the ways to help implement the Youth Guarantee is to offer young people from disadvantaged backgrounds a chance to gain new skills and confidence by working abroad.

It's called a new venture. ALMAWith the goal, ,, which means Learn, Master, Achieve, will deliver exactly that across the EU towards the end of this year. It was inspired by a smaller, existing European initiative called TLN Mobility.

Real Economy, thanks to ’Expedition Ireland‘, part of TLN Mobility’ Ireland, went to meet young people in ’, Czech Republic, who spent time working in Dublin, ’.

Julie Baštová grew up in foster homes, often in difficult conditions. She trained as a social worker but recently went to Dublin’e to pursue a work placement in her passion for graphic design.

Julie explains: “I was able to work in this field without any previous experience. I couldn't do that here. I learned a lot through the program. I could see what it was really like at work. I also helped illustrate a children's book, so I have something to show for it.” explains Julie.

Building motivation and self-confidence

The total budget is around €100 million. ’i comes from the budget. the European Social Fund– This program has already supported nearly 7,000 disadvantaged young people to find jobs.

Although Julie is now working as a social worker again, she plans to become a graphic designer.

“I continue on this path, I train, and I also do extra work. I've learned to trust myself a lot more, says ”.

Throughout the project, a mentor is available at every step of the way to help participants with topics such as English lessons, finding an internship and providing support.

According to Tomke Trávníček’e, national manager of TLN Mobility’ in the Czech Republic, something of vital importance.

Tomke explains: “Disadvantaged young people with no experience of going abroad often have unfinished education. They're not leaving the Erasmus program because they're too scared. In addition, when they go abroad, their motivation increases, their self-confidence is much higher, and they also gain work experience.”

“I was kind of lost.

Denisa Hönigová suffers from social anxiety, which greatly affects her life. Denisa was unable to complete her education, and due to her condition, she has difficulty maintaining a job.

Ireland has been working in a cafe since he returned from ’ and hopes to start his own business.

Denisa, “, I was a little lost, and maybe hoping to get something better, to improve myself. I think going to a different country, experiencing all the things I've done, constantly working and talking to strangers, actually living with strangers has also helped a lot, ” says.

This experience allowed Denisa’ to develop relationships with others. The internship also helped him decide what he wanted to do in the future, that is, work in an alternative style.

“This definitely made me realize that eventually I wanted to have my own brand, so I'm working on it.”

In 2019, one in three young people spent at least two weeks abroad for work or education purposes. But this trend can put vulnerable young people with fewer opportunities at a disadvantage.

The new European project ALMA, inspired by TLN Mobility’, aims to offer the same opportunities to disadvantaged young adults.

Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Labour and Social Rights at AB’, “This provides what young people absolutely need: Trust yourself, says ”.

“ offers them a new opportunity, a chance to discover something, and at the same time, an opportunity to be autonomous. I think that's what can help these young people build their own lives later, build a career, get a stable job.”

Protection against unpaid internships

The European Youth Forum in Brussels’ warns that certain guarantees must be given to ALMA’ to ensure that placements do not become just unpaid internships.

Manon Deshayes, Policy Officer at the European Youth Forum, insists that “ALMA can be a truly great experience for young people, a real plus, but if there is no guarantee that it will not provide added value to young people, it should come with guarantees of access to salary and social protection.

Naomi Lloyd of Real Economy’ conveyed these concerns to EU Commissioner Nicolas Schmit’e and asked him how to ensure that unpaid internships do not take place.

Every young person who works as part of ALMA’ will actually receive a salary, Schmit said. “The company that employs this young person will have to pay a salary, which should be at least the minimum wage.”

He also added that “ will have – social security, the social protection undertaken by ESF by ”European funds.

“Billions of Euro” to help young Ukrainian refugees find jobs

Suddenly and unexpectedly, a new group of young people who are looking for a job or want to continue their education in Europe’, Russia, are young Ukrainians fleeing the ’'s war against their country.

The European Union gave them the right to work and study, and recently announced funding for aid.

“These are funds that are not yet used in compliance funds, but are also used in ESF’, explains Schmit, ”We are talking about billions of euros that can be used quickly.“

“ said that the member states have been invited to receive this money, and that you can use this money very flexibly to finance projects for Ukrainian refugees.

The EU Commissioner also explained how AB’ helped young Ukrainians access the labour market.

“We facilitate recognition through a system that is also translated into Ukrainian: recognition of their diplomas and skills.”

Europe’da Covid-19’da recovery: The economy is recovering, but the risks continue.

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

The European economy is on track for faster-than-predicted growth, but given the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 ’'s Omicron variant, rising inflation and supply chain bottlenecks, the path to recovery remains unclear. Real Economy takes a look at the latest forecasts for the European economy for 2022 and beyond.

The European economy: The current appearance

GDP, both across the EU and in the eurozone region, is expected to reach 5 percent ’ by the end of 2021. That's just over the previous estimate of 4.8 percent’.

As we enter ’ in 2022, the economy is expected to grow by 4.3 percent. Then a more moderate rate of 2.5 percent for the EU and 2.4 percent for the eurozone for 2023. But this growth is unequal across the EU. But it all depends on how the COVID-19 pandemic develops. The rise in cases and the Omicron variant have shaken markets, and new government restrictions may affect economic activity; Businesses, on the other hand, are at risk of being affected by further shortages and supply chain disruption.

from Italy: Overcoming the pandemic

The Italian economy has a growth forecast of 6.2%, but it is feared that supply chain problems could jeopardize the economy's recovery. One of the companies facing such negativities is electric bicycle manufacturer Atala. The Lombardy-based company in the north of the country has seen a 60 percent increase in orders since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, but struggles to meet this demand as delivery times for components increase.

The lack of …components reduced the potential for expansion.

Massimo Panzeri

CEO of Atala

Massimo Panzeri, CEO of Atala’, said that “Production increased by an average of 36 percent in 2020’, and we need to see a growth of around 10 or 15 percent in 2021’. It could have been higher in 2021’, but the lack of components has reduced its expansion potential, ” says.

Investing in environmentally friendly transport is one of the top priorities of the European improvement plan. Atala hopes to take advantage of this by moving some of its activities from Turkey ’.

But as Massimo’ explains, this will not solve all supply chain problems.

“If we send the welding or dyeing processes back to our country, but aluminum rods or carbon fiber, materials for battery cells or steel not produced in the European ’ are missing, then we only take the problem elsewhere. So, in my opinion, we need to think at the political and European level; change cannot be limited to part of the supply chain; must start from the very beginning, i.e. from raw materials.”

Attracting the best talent

EuropeLike the rest of ’, a shortage of basic materials and goods has raised fears that inflation will accelerate in ’, Italy. The country invests more than any other EU country. A total of 235 billion euros over five years, including 191.5 billion from AB’'s bailout fund. Italy received its first 25 billion in August.

But it's not just a shortage of goods and supplies. Another problem that many businesses currently face is attracting and retaining skilled workers. Turin-based Argotec produces microsatellites for the space industry. One of its products, LICIACube, is currently in use on NASA’'s asteroid diversion project DART’.

David Avino, CEO of microsatellite manufacturer Argotec’in, says the Italian economy is experiencing a renaissance. The company aims to double its workforce.

To meet the growing demand, the company plans to double its workforce, but says more needs to be done to retain young talent.

…, thinking about the future means investing.

David Avino

Argotec’in CEO’

Argotec CEO David Avino, ’As we can see from the statistics, analysis and forecasts, the economy, especially the Italian economy, is experiencing a kind of renaissance. In this case, the important thing is to think about the future and to think about the future means to invest. What we want to do with the government is have the capacity to bring back young people who have left the country to do research and development abroad for certain reasons, ” says.

Creating a more attractive business environment is one of the priorities of the European rescue plan, as well as green mobility, clean energy and digitalisation.

The Ghost of Inflation

The rapid reopening of the economy has led to supply chain bottlenecks. This and increases in energy prices drove inflation up. It was at -0.3 percent in the euro area at the end of 2020. This rate increased to 2.8% in the third quarter of 2021’.

More increases are expected in 2022’. Naomi Lloyd of Real Economy’ spoke with Laurence Boone, OECD’'s Chief Economist, to gain a global perspective on the economic outlook of Europe’.

Naomi Lloyd, euronews:

“We have seen a huge increase in the number of coronavirus cases. What does this mean for Europe’'s recovery?”

Laurence Boone, OECD:

“EuropeThe recovery in ’ continues well, but this clearly adds uncertainty to this outlook.”

Naomi Lloyd, euronews:

“How does this compare to the table you see globally on OECD’?”

What we are now observing is that employment has almost recovered in the European Union and the United States is still lagging behind ’.

Laurence Boone

Chief Economist, OECD

“Europe's economies are doing quite well compared to all countries. It was very interesting to watch how different countries protect their own people in the European ’. What governments do is pay companies to keep people in their jobs. So when you reopen the economy, you immediately start working again. The situation in the US ’ is quite different. Governments send checks to households, so they cash the money, but they don't have a job anymore. So what we're observing right now is that employment has almost improved in the European ’, and the U.S. is still lagging behind in ’.

Naomi Lloyd, euronews:

“How worried are you about the new variant and its impact on the economy?”

Laurence Boone, OECD:

“, I think you can look at this in two ways. Either this delays the recovery a bit and increases the tension in the supply chain, or it is a more difficult variant, and this can indeed create a regression in the recovery and, if this happens, surprisingly, cause enough drops in prices.”

Naomi Lloyd, euronews:

“How worried are you about this current increase in inflation?”

Laurence Boone, OECD:

“If we resolve the state of health by summer and everything returns to normal, then we are quite sure that supply tensions will begin to decrease and inflation will gradually decrease. If we fail to control the state of health and tensions continue until 22, 23’e, then we will be more concerned that this inflationary pressure will last longer.”

There is, of course, a reason for the joy of Christmas… It usually takes 10 years for the vaccine to be found.

Laurence Boone.

Chief Economist, OECD

Naomi Lloyd, euronews:

“Do we have a reason for Christmas cheer?”

Laurence Boone, OECD:

“Of course we have reasons for Christmas cheer. First of all, when you think about it, a year ago we were told that the vaccine was available in as little as nine months. It usually takes 10 years to get the vaccine. This crisis has managed to protect people and businesses as much as possible, and there has never been so much awareness of the climate problem. That's why I think we're on a good path. - ”

The author/producer: Naomi Lloyd

The reporter: Cyril Fourneris

The video editor: Silvia Lizardo

The producer is: Camille Cadet

The camera crew: Giampiero Gandolfo and Stefano Sala

From the Brussels: Pierre Holland and Eric Wathieu

Paris: Vincent Kelner and Nicolas Personne

Design of Motion: NEWIC https://www.agence-newic.com/

Brussels Economic Forum 2021: What will the European economy look like after the pandemic?

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

The Brussels Economic Forum (BEF) is the most important economic event of the EU’, which is held annually at the European Commission’.

BEF is where senior decision-makers, academics, civil society and business leaders meet to discuss the most pressing economic problems of the European Union. The event, normally attended by over a thousand people, was broadcast live from the studio at the European Commission ’ this year.

The 2021 edition comes as the latest economic forecasts show that AB’'s recovery continues and European economies are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022.

The main topic of discussion was how Europe’ would build its new economy as it emerged from the pandemic.

Small business owners, in particular, are concerned about this situation, and many are concerned about what to do when government support ends.

We interviewed some of these types of business owners to discuss the challenges they face, and talked to some of the names on BEF’ to find out what solutions they have.

Difficulties finding staff

Greg Yurkovich runs two pizza restaurants in Ljubljana’, the capital of Slovenia. He was getting government subsidies to keep his staff on the job. He says that the current problem for him is the shortage of employees all over the “otelcilik sector.

At the same time, “ worries about how to motivate people to take action again and maintain the motivation to grow economies.

European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Paolo Gentiloni confirmed ’ that small businesses have been severely affected by the crisis. But he says there are two important tools for small and medium-sized businesses to combat this. One is the European Investment Bank program, and the other is the “ program, which we call Invest EU.

The same rules for everyone

Dovile Ambrazeviciute’nin VilniusThere are two flower shops in ’. Like Greg, he was getting government help to make things work. He tells us that his biggest concern is that his company, “, has huge debts and the economy is quite slow at the moment, and he will not survive for ”. The European Union wants ’ to use similar rules for all businesses in all countries and wherever they are located.

According to Paolo Gentiloni’, “kriz was not a stabilizer”. The Commission, “, knows that differences between different incomes in different countries have increased. But the Next Generation AB expects ’ to solve this problem and create “, a more inclusive and less unjust society.

Climate change and small businesses

After Laura Cardenas Corrales lost her job, she decided to move her graphic design work to the internet. He's fine, but he's worried about the environment. He wants to know if AB’ will give incentives to small businesses or help them make their systems more environmentally friendly.

European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis says funding for research and innovation will be provided. He also adds that the carbon limit regulation mechanism will ensure that imports from countries that are less ambitious about “emission reduction are subject to this mechanism and do not affect the equal playing field.

I look closer to home

Bengt Westerholm, Finland’ is the CEO’ of Beweship’in, one of 's largest privately owned shipping companies. In December, the company left most of its cargo stranded in China’.

Bengt’'s concerns are slightly different from those of small business owners. He explains that most air transport is still closed even now. Also Far East’ to EuropeSome sea freight prices from ’ to are actually five times more expensive. “ tells us that many Finnish companies are now looking for opportunities to actually own their suppliers and source resources closer to Avrupa’ or Avrupa’, because now we all see the risk.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also spoke about BEF’te Europe’'s role in international trade. “ tells us that when the ” outbreak began, there were disruptions in international trade.

But he also adds: “What we see, for example, is a diversification towards other countries in Asia’, rather than a big move to bring things back home. He doesn't expect a huge change in sourcing and supply.

Economic inequalities around the world

Europe’'s economic forecast looks positive, but other emerging and developing economies are in a more difficult position.

According to Okonjo-Iweala’, “ is one of the main reasons we see that this difference is due to the inequality in access to vaccines. He explains that to fix this, we need to deliver vaccines to countries that don't have access to vaccines. “AB became one of the largest exporters of vaccines. However, there was an export restriction. EuropeI hope ’ will lift the restriction, ” adds.

Valdis Dombrovskis sees it differently. AB’ has an export control authorization and monitoring system. However, “ says there is no question of restricting vaccine exports in general terms. AB’ exports about 385 million vaccines to more than 100 ’ countries, which accounts for half of “AB’'s vaccine production.

The EU is the world's largest exporter of vaccines

Valdis Dombrovskis

Executive Vice President of the European Commission

The challenges ahead

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala fears the emergence of inflationary pressures due to the size of the stimulus implemented by many developing countries. Dombrovskis agrees that this should be followed. The WTO Director-General also believes that the participation of women and unemployed in particular and the recovery of the Afrika’ are issues that AB’ should focus on.

Dombrovskis confirmed that women's participation in the workplace and women's long-standing priority within “AB is ”, and Africa is a priority region in ’'s new trade policy strategy.

COVID-19 has caused countless problems not only in the field of health, but throughout the world. Europe’'s expectations are starting to look more positive, but efforts still need to be made to build a new economy as it emerges from the pandemic.

Digital technology kept us connected during the pandemic; How can Europe help ’ recover?

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

Digital technology is changing the way we live and work. Pandemics and quarantines have shown how dependent we are on it, from remote work to online medical consultations to video calls with family and friends.

But the pandemic also revealed the gap between those who own digital ‘ and those who don't own ’. the Europeans %More than 40’ don't have basic digital skills, and nearly a quarter of homes don't have broadband.

SME’s (small and medium-sized enterprises) wer than 20’ use internet cloud services or use the internet to sell their products or services.

How EU rescue funds are helping Europe’'s digital transformation

The transition to the digital world is an important element of AB’'s plan to survive the pandemic. At the heart of the plan is the €672.5 billion Recovery and Resilience Facility, which will be spent on public investments and reforms.

Member States to access the money, the money They presented national rescue plans that divided ’sini's economies into attempts to digitize them.

To ensure everyone benefits, the EU wants to invest in ultrafast broadband, educate people on digital skills, help start-ups and small businesses innovate and grow, and use technology to make it climate-neutral.

Why is it so important to invest in the digital transition?

Paolo Gentiloni is the Economic Commissioner of the European Commission. As in the USA’, in Europe’, “ says that the goal is to rebuild ” in a better way after the pandemic, and that “ is interested in all sectors of our ”economy.

“You can digitally improve how public administration works, how the healthcare system works, how companies are competitive, and how they work. This is the power of investing in digital that can impact our entire economy.”

The pandemic showed how connectivity issues increased social differences, such as children and young people receiving education from home.

Gentiloni, “This is of course unacceptable” says and adds: “We must seize the opportunity to reduce and eliminate the digital divide. It's now or never. - ”

We must seize the opportunity to reduce and eliminate the digital divide. It's now or never

Paolo Gentiloni

the European Economic Commissioner

Europe in digitalizationLeaders of ’

Northern countries and the Netherlands are leading the way in digitalization. But even there, the projects hope to help with the digital transition of the Recovery Fund money.

’ ranked Denmark ‘ as world champion when it comes to e-government. You don't need to leave the house with your driver's license in your pocket, for example, you can download it directly to your smartphone.

Other sectors of the economy are now also participating in the digital transition.

The company transformations

HMK Bilcon’ is headquartered in Jutland’. Founded in 1895 by a blacksmith, the company transitioned from car manufacturing to truck trailers during the 20th century.

Four years ago, CEO Peter Jensby launched a complete overhaul of the company to make the company fully digital, and spent two million euros to change the company.

Jensby, “This transformation meant a worldwide shift for this workplace, and we now have a company that is profitable and has lost a lot of money in the old days, ” explains.

More companies, such as HMK Bilcon, are expected to go fully digital in the coming months.

Denmark has requested 1.6 billion euros in subsidies from the European bailout plan, and will have to allocate one-fifth of that amount to the digital transition.

This fund is also of interest to those already in the digital sector but hoping to expand.

Sahra-Josephine Hjorth created artificial intelligence-based software to help teachers and HR managers create online learning programs. The company quadrupled its roster in 2021 but had difficulty finding private investors.

Hjorth, “In terms of investment, it can be difficult to attract regular investors for very high-risk features that are at the forefront of innovation, ” says.

Gentiloni supports countries that invest their Recovery Fund money in companies like Hjorth’s, and says these countries should look not only at the world of “devs, but also at the world of start-up ’s and medium-sized companies that take on their own roles in this new digital world.

Category: European competition

€134.5 billion will be allocated to digitalisation in AB’'s bailout fund, but will that be enough to make Europe’ a global leader capable of competing with the US and China?

Katrine Forsberg is a member of the Danish Business Development Board. With sufficient infrastructure and skills, AB’ believes it can compete at a global level. What matters is investments in small and medium-sized companies to create jobs and grow businesses, “ says.

Our film crew, courtesy of the Département des Hauts-de-Seine’, had the opportunity to shoot at the Parc de Sceaux’.

EU helps Moldova’ recover from COVID-19 crisis, but cash comes with some conditions

20/04/2026 by the Logistics TransportIn the the General Assembly

The EU is offering emergency loans of €3 billion to ten neighbouring countries as part of its global response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Loans known as macro-financial assistance (MFA) are offered at very favorable conditions and low interest rates. The aim of the ’ is to help countries that are geographically, economically and politically close to the EU’ to limit the economic impact of the crisis.

Why is the EU lending money to its neighbours?

Oliver Varhelyi, EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement at AB’, says the European ’ will never be a safe and prosperous place until the neighborhood is also safe and prosperous. The safe meaning of getting rid of the “COVID crisis and the prosperous meaning of getting rid of the economic repercussions created by the COVID crisis, ” underlines.

Varhelyi euronews’e said it was in Europe's interest to secure the interests of its neighbors. He explains that “ means that ’ will have predictable business environment investment opportunities ” for companies and ’ will have more shopping “ with these countries. All this, he says, will contribute to the overall stability and security of the region.

Moldova is one of the countries that will benefit from –

The average monthly income in Moldova’ is 350 Euro’, and a quarter of the workforce has migrated to other countries to work. The EU has provided macro-financial assistance to Chisinau ’e twice before since 2010’.

Moldova’ya was awarded €100 million as MFA assistance to help fight the pandemic. November 2020In ’ received the first installment amounting to 50 million Euros. This much-needed financial support, especially from Moldova, will help ’'s agriculture-based economy.

MoldovaAgrarian crisis of ’

Farmers here have suffered not only from the crisis, but also from the drought that began in 2020’. Agriculture in the country from January to September 2020, according to BalkanInsight’ %It decreased by 25.3%, which was a loss of about 1 billion Euro’.

Ana Pancrat of ’, Union of Dairy Farmers of Moldova, says that due to the pandemic, farmers cannot get the nutrients they need from abroad. Due to the fact that the shops were closed, they could not get all the supplies they needed for their farm. Since farmers couldn't start over, “people decided it was necessary to slaughter their cows for their reliability, ” adds.

Charities are taking action to help some rural areas of Moldova’, but this is not an easy task.

According to Moldovan Red Cross National Coordinator Daniela Sevciuc, “'s list of people in absolute poverty has grown, so as the list has grown, it has become difficult for the state to support them all, ” says.

Despite being one of the poorest countries in Europe, Moldova had a growth rate of 3.6 percent before the pandemic, while unemployment remained stable at 5.1 percent. This government was about to launch a public infrastructure construction program, but it has now been suspended.

The country's newly elected president Maia Sandu told us that the “economy desperately needs this help. Moldovan businesses were not supported at all last year. There is no money in the current budget to support the economy, says ”. He explains that this will lead to job loss, lost incomes and increased poverty.

Meet MFA requirements

To receive the money, countries need to enroll in a funding program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), meet conditions for respect for human rights, implement democratic, economic and governance reforms, and press against corruption.

Moldova’ must meet these requirements in order to benefit from the second MFA installment of €50 million.

The conditions for the Moldovan president are welcomed. euronews’e “ said they want to know that the people have met their demands for good governance, that the money provided by the ” and “AB taxpayers to the Moldovans has reached the Moldovans, that it has helped the Moldovans, and that it has not been misused by some corrupt people, including parliament or other government agencies” said.

Economist Dumitru Pîntea on monitoring MFA reforms

Dumitru Pîntea, an economist at Expert Grup’ta, one of the organizations responsible for monitoring MFA conditions, says he is pessimistic that MFA conditions will be met over time. “Moldova’ does not currently have a full-fledged government capable of implementing reforms, and at the same time the government does not have parliamentary support. The majority of lawmakers say ” opposes reforms and these contingencies.

EU Commissioner Várhelyi said Moldova is confident ’ can implement the conditions of economic reform to receive its second fiscal installment. He met President Sandu and believes in his devotion.

It is not in AB“'s interest to pursue these goals, these goals that we have set for us together with ’Moldova; It is in the interest of the Moldovan people to carry out all these reforms because it will make their judicial system, their economic system, much more resilient and capable of recovering much more easily from the Covid crisis, says ”.