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What has the EU been up to lately?

This article was written by Grégoire, a young voter from France who supports #GiveAVote.

"Okay, but what is the European Union for? What does it do for Europeans?"

It is true, it's not always easy to answer this question. And it's not because the EU doesn't do anything for its citizens. Rather, it's because the work done is not really communicated properly. We rarely see a measure voted by the European Parliament on the front page of a major national daily newspaper or on TV, for example. And yet, decisions impacting the daily lives of Europeans are regularly taken. He is an overview of the most recent decisions taken in the last few days.

More road safety

We now have half as many road deaths in Europe as we did 20 years ago. Although European roads are considered the safest in the world, there are still too many tragedies associated with road accidents. To prevent this, the EU has just made 30 safety technologies mandatory for car manufacturers. They will be applied to all new vehicles as of May 2022. Among these new technologies, which will soon be systematically integrated into new cars, there is a warning of drowsiness and loss of attention on the part of the driver, as well as the presence of a black box, similar to the one used in plane crashes.

Protection of whistleblowers

A few days after the Ecuadorian Embassy turned Julian Assange to the British police, the European Parliament voted that whistleblowers must be given sufficient resources - particularly in terms of security - to be able to report wrongdoing. In order to contribute to the protection of democracy, the EU has therefore agreed with all Member State governments on comprehensive legal protection for whistleblowers. In addition to this protection, they will be able to communicate via specially created secure channels. Psychological support is also provided.

Consumer rights

Consumer rights are sometimes different depending on whether a product has been purchased on the Internet or in a store. These are gaps that the European Parliament wants to close with the introduction of new rules. For example, if a product is defective within 2 years of purchase, it is the merchant who will be held responsible, whether the product was bought on the internet or in a physical store.

Transparency is another point highlighted, particularly with regard to online rankings and evaluations. In this sense, websites should, for example, be able to explain which parameters are used to highlight a particular offer. In the event of non-compliance, sellers may be fined up to 4% of their turnover.

So, are these decisions good or bad? Should we go in this direction or pedal back? It's up to you to judge, it's up to you to vote!