Table.Briefings

Opinion

Maurice Obstfeld über den Umgang der G20-Mitglieder mit Russland.

The G20 must speak in plain language with Putin

The members of the G20 are not united in their dealings with Russia. A sign of greater credibility is urgently needed, since the threat of war to people and economies worldwide is immense. At the upcoming meeting, the finance ministers should at least agree on the source of the problem.

By Redaktion Table

CO2 limits for cars: key to climate protection and energy security

Cars still cause a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. In its draft "Fit for 55" package, the Commission formulates for the first time an EU-wide date for phasing out internal combustion engines and more ambitious CO2 limits for new cars. But these are not strict enough.

By Redaktion Table

Johnny Erling

There is no 'end of history' for Beijing

Beijing's approach to its own history is always worth a special look. After all, transparency is not a strong suit here either. In 2006, however, China's Foreign Ministry published a book on declassified documents for the first time. A second volume never came out. Thus, other documents have to serve as a reminder of history.

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Klimasicherheit: Dan Smith (links), Helen Clark (Mitte) und Margot Wallström (rechts)

Replace Russian oil and gas with renewables

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shaken many long-held Western assumptions about the foundations of peace in Europe. Among other things, it has renewed policymakers’ focus on energy dependence as a key strategic issue.

By Redaktion Table

Wang und Buth

China’s international coal-exit has a transparency problem

China has announced its intention to phase out financing of overseas coal-fired power. But the details remain unclear. For example, will China also stop projects that have already been started? Wawa Wang and Dr. Vanessa Buth from the non-governmental organization Just Finance International, which campaigns for more transparency in public procurement, reviewed China's numerous coal projects in the Western Balkans. They urge the EU and Germany to call on China to disclose its overseas coal policies.

By Redaktion Table

Patrick Stockebrandt und Svenja Schwind (cep) über das Recht auf Reparatur

Right to repair: not a foregone conclusion

The right to repair is the generic term for measures aimed at both strengthening consumer rights and reducing the resource consumption of products. The EU Commission will present its concrete plans on Wednesday. However, it is already clear that they are not entirely consumer-friendly.

By Redaktion Table

Ölembargo & Sanktionen Russland: Lukasz Rachel (links) und Moritz Schularick (rechts)

Energy embargo with announcement

The sanctions imposed so far are not enough to stop Vladimir Putin, argue Lukasz Rachel and Moritz Schularick. They suggest that the West should announce a gradual embargo on oil and gas. This would give the affected companies time to adjust – and the Kremlin an incentive to negotiate.

By Redaktion Table

Julian Jaursch zu Dark Patterns & Digital Services Act:-002

'Dark patterns' – how the DSA draft on platform design needs to be improved

The social media news feed that never ends. The pop-up on the booking page that screams to users "74 people are watching this too! There are only 3 offers left!". The privacy settings page or account deletion page that can only be found after a marathon of clicks: These are all corporate design decisions that define the everyday online lives of millions of people. At best, such design practices are just annoying. At worst, they are intrusions on people's freedom of choice in the name of maximizing attention and profit. That's why the European Digital Services Act ("DSA") for tech platforms needs to explicitly focus on design issues.

By Redaktion Table

Hederer zu Litauen, China und Europa

Lithuania, China and the new realities of global trade

Can and should the EU become more involved in resolving tensions with China? A coordinated European approach is all the more important today, as trade is becoming increasingly political. At the same time, actions such as the creation of the Taiwan Office in Lithuania need to be better coordinated. Otherwise, the EU will be forced to collectively represent policies that are dictated by individual member states.

By Redaktion Table