Uploaded January 2025 | Updated September 2026, 7 hours ago

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Thursday 16 January 2025 | 13:30 - 15:00

For the ninth consecutive year, the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) is starting the new year with a series of presentations by some of its own policy analysts on ten of the major issues that are likely to shape the coming twelve months. The issues are: balancing scale with innovation for productivity, setting the 2040 climate target, taking the next steps towards European economic security, strengthening capacity to invest in the future, shaping the EU's future finances, waiting to move up a gear: European electric cars, helping the EU compete on artificial intelligence, strengthening the European defence industry, speeding up the return of irregular migrants, and restoring trust within the public sphere.

Speakers include:

Victor NEGRESCU, Vice-President of the European Parliament
Jutta Schulze-Hollmén, Director for Resources, acting Director for the Members' Research Service, EPRS
Presentations by ten policy analysts from EPRS:
Naja BENTZEN: Restoring trust within the public sphere
Sebastian CLAPP: Strengthening the European defence industry
Alessandro D'ALFONSO: Strengthening capacity to invest in the future
Costica DUMBRAVA: Speeding up the return of irregular migrants
Mathias GULLENTOPS: Waiting to move up a gear: European electric cars
Martin HOFLMAYR: Balancing scale with innovation for productivity
Liselotte JENSEN: Setting the 2040 climate target
Maria NIESTADT: Helping the EU compete on artificial intelligence
Marianna PARI: Shaping the EU's future finances
Marcin SZCZEPANSKI: Taking the next steps towards European economic security
Moderation: Lasse BOEHM, Head of the Economic Policies Unit, EPRS

EPRS publication: Ten issues to watch in 2025: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document/EPRS_IDA(2025)767186