GENDER GAP IN DIPLOMACY | Women are still severely underrepresented in the diplomatic field, despite the multiple attempts made by some European Union countries to increase the number of female ambassadors. However, this situation is a result of many overlapping factors, including explicit bans that forbade women from entering the field, societal pressures, and burdensome traditions. This investigation by Civio describes the root causes of this phenomenon, and what could be done to break the glass ceiling.

FASHION SUSTAINABILITY | Since the early 2000s, fashion brands started having to incorporate the growing requests for more sustainable clothing into their productive processes. However, in many cases, there is a huge gap between the declared goals and objectives, and the actual steps taken to achieve those targets. This investigation by Deutsche Welle checks the level of commitment towards sustainability of several fashion brands in Europe, as well as how transparent they are in reporting their progresses.

THE MAP OF INEQUALITIES | The cohesion policy, known for its ability to successfully reduce economic disparities between EU member states, may be failing in achieving the same results at the regional level. The more regions feel left behind and find themselves in economic stagnation, the more likely it is that they will support Eurosceptic parties. This investigation by El Confidencial discusses the causes behind these growing disparities, the impacts on vulnerable groups, and the possible future consequences for the EU as a whole.

NEXTGENEU | The Covid-19 pandemic forced EU countries to find new ways to stimulate the economy. The NextGenEU, which was created to help severely affected countries overcome the crisis, made massive fundings available for Member States. However, as the deadline approaches, it becomes increasingly more evident how many of them are still behind in the implementation of financed projects. This investigation by Alternatives Economiques explores the causes behind implementation delays, and the potential risks these delays pose to the future economic development of Member States.

SOLAR ENERGY | In the last years, the solar capacity of the European Union has basically doubled. The explicit goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050, together with the need of urgently finding alternatives to Russian fossil fuels,  pushed the EU to put in place a set of subsidies to support those who switch to solar energy. This investigation by Deutsche Welle analyzed the support offered by EU governments to support the solar power expansion in the continent.

FLOODS | Data from the last decade shows that European Union countries have been massively affected by floods, not only putting people in danger, but also by damaging farmland, roads, railways, pipelines, and communication infrastructure. Despite being the most common natural disaster, there was no comprehensive on floods until now. That is why this investigation by Átlátszó and MIIR focuses on creating a massive dataset to track and analyze the phenomenon, together with a separate dataset based on satellite data that shows the extent and impact of floods.

PRIMARY HEALTHCARE| The European population is growing and aging, and the number of available doctors is insufficient to provide patients with the care they need. While many active doctors are reaching their retiring age, not enough youngsters are eager to start this career, thus making it very challenging to compensate for retiring doctors. The reasons behind this issue are multiple and include working load and conditions, wage, and significant disparities between rural and urban areas. This investigation by Voxeurop collected data on 11 European countries to understand the magnitude of the phenomenon and its possible consequences for future generations.

ENERGY | The EU path towards climate neutrality consists of several intermediate steps and goals that Member States are required to meet. The current framework is multilayered and quite complex, because data on renewable energies differ across countries, and even within the same State. This investigation, coordinated by OBC Transeuropa, portrays a diverse landscape and highlights what is needed from the EU and the Member States to complete the green transition.

RIGHTS | How hard is it to buy or rent a house or an apartment in Europe? What are the main factors influencing the increase in rent prices? This investigation, coordinated by EUrologus in collaboration with three European newsrooms, reveals the complex mechanisms that animate the housing market in Europe by looking at data on 26 major European cities.

JUSTICE | How many citizens choose not to take part in elections in the different European countries, and why?  How does abstention relate to different demographic and socioeconomic indicators? A cross-border investigation coordinated by Divergente.This investigation, led by Civio in collaboration with nine European newsrooms, aims to map patterns and levels of transparency surrounding deaths in police custody across the EU from 2010 to 2022.

RIGHTS | A collaborative investigation looking into the numbers and trends of gender-based violence across Europe, navigating through the staggering lack of recent and comparable data. 16 EDJNet members took part in the endeavour, which was coordinated by MIIR.

ENVIRONMENT | Due to climate change, large or even extreme wildfires are becoming an increasingly serious threat in many regions of Europe. How prepared are the different regions and countries in dealing with wildfires? What practices increase or reduce fire risk? How can communities and the environment recover from a large wildfire?