unemployment

Prospective studies unsurprisingly show that unemployment has a causal influence on depression.

.2 Common sense dictates that depression will reduce the chance of re-employment and reintegration into an already strained economy and eventually the chronically unemployed suffer increased debts. Longitudinal data show that financial difficulties lead to increased major depression,3 with housing payment problems and consumer debt leading to poorer mental health. In short, the quintessential ‘vicious cycle’.

The signs are troubling: Egypt and Ethiopia have recently increased their aggressive posture and rhetoric over the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam in the headwaters of the Blue Nile, Egypt’s major artery since antiquity. India continues to build new dams that are seen by its rival Pakistan as a threat to its “water interests” and thus its national security. Turkey, from its dominant position upstream, has been diverting the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and increasing water stress in the already-volatile states of Iraq and Syria. States rarely, if ever, fight over water; in fact, the opposite is true. It has been claimed for decades that a confluence of factors, including water scarcity, societal unrest, and strategic maneuvering, will inevitably push states and other actors to act aggressively, perhaps even violently, to secure precious water resources. So are we finally witnessing the first flashes of the coming age of water wars?

In that way, one of the most featured project is the one that was presented by the new European Commission, headed by Ursula Von der Leyen, in December 2019: The European Green Deal.

The European Green Deal covers all sectors of the economy, notably transport, energy, agriculture, buildings, and industries such as steel, cement, ICT, textiles and chemicals.

The Just Transition Fund (JTF) will provide support to all EU Member States, while concentrating on those territories and regions where the magnitude of the climate transition is larger. The allocation method is based on objective and clear criteria.   As the JTF should contribute to mitigate the socio-economic impact in the regions and sectors most affected by the transition due to their reliance on fossil fuels or energy intensive industries, the criteria reflect the relevant economic and social indicators of the Member States and regions concerned [1]: Greenhouse gas emissions of industrial facilities in regions where the carbon intensity of those emissions exceeds the EU average.  The level of employment in the mining of coal and lignite. The level of employment in industry in the regions referred to under point 1. The production of peat. Production of oil shale [2].  The economic criteria (GHG emissions, production of peat, production of oil shale) and the social ones (employment in coal and carbon intensive regions) weigh 50% each in the calculations. In order to ensure an appropriate concentration of resources on the least developed Member States, GNI per capita is also factored in. The national shares of the allocation are increased or decreased to reflect the difference between the national GNI per capita and the average EU GNI per capita.  Secondly, an upper limit is introduced to prevent any single Member State receiving an excessive share of the JTF resources and ensure a fairer and balanced distribution between Member States. The upper limit fixed at €2 billion.  Thirdly, a minimum level of aid intensity is set so that each Member State receives an allocation allowing the support of meaningful actions. The minimum aid intensity is set at €6 per inhabitant.  This allocation method helps ensure that the distribution of funds is sufficiently concentrated on Member States where the challenges are most important, while offering a meaningful support to all Member States. Notably, the Member States with a GNI/head lower than 90% of the EU average would receive about two thirds of the JTF funding.

The European Union is committed to becoming the first climate-neutral bloc in the world by 2050. This requires significant investment from both the EU and the national public sector, as well as the private sector. The European Green Deal's Investment Plan - the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan - presented today will mobilise public investment and help to unlock private funds through EU financial instruments, notably InvestEU, which would lead to at least €1 trillion of investments.

While all Member States, regions and sectors will need to contribute to the transition, the scale of the challenge is not the same. Some regions will be particularly affected and will undergo a profound economic and social transformation. The Just Transition Mechanism will provide tailored financial and practical support to help workers and generate the necessary investments in those areas.

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “People are at the core of the European Green Deal, our vision to make Europe climate-neutral by 2050. The transformation ahead of us is unprecedented. And it will only work if it is just - and if it works for all. We will support our people and our regions that need to make bigger efforts in this transformation, to make sure that we leave no one behind. The Green Deal comes with important investment needs, which we will turn into investment opportunities. The plan that we present today, to mobilise at least €1 trillion, will show the direction and unleash a green investment wave.”

In addition to any implementation and enforcement action taken at national level, the European Commission fulfils the role of "Guardian of the Treaty": according to Article 211 first indent of the EC Treaty, the Commission is to ensure that the provisions of the Treaty and the measures taken by the institutions pursuant thereto are applied. In performing that function, the Commission may open infringement procedures.

Close cooperation between national authorities and the European Commission contribute to a better implementation. Regional and local authorities are also key players and co-operation with the European Committee of the Regions is facilitated by a Technical Platform for Cooperation on the Environment.

The European Union Network for the Implementation and Enforcement of Environmental Law (IMPEL) is a network of the environmental authorities of EU Member States, acceding and candidate countries, and Norway. It provides a framework for policy makers, environmental inspectors and enforcement officers to exchange ideas, and encourages the development of enforcement structures and best practices. Next to administrative authorities, judges in the Member States have to play a very important role since rights and obligations deriving from Community law are enforced on daily basis by national courts and tribunals. The European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment contributes to promote the enforcement of national, European and international environmental law by contributing to a better knowledge by judges of environmental law. To support the implementation and enforcement of Community environmental legislation the Community has adopted the directive on environmental liability, the recommendation providing for minimum criteria for environmental inspections and the directive on the protection of the environment through criminal law. Whatever the means used, the overall objective of the Commission is to ensure that EU environmental legislation is implemented in full, correctly and on time. This is important because legislation which is not or incorrectly implemented will not achieve the desired effect on the environment. The Environmental Implementation Review will assist in dealing with this challenge.