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Critical mineral sourcing must also be sustainable for the EU’s clean energy transition

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

The European Union has become a global leader in the movement to a clean energy transition. A central part of this movement has been the result of transitioning from traditional fossil fuels, primarily oil, gas, and coal, towards more areas producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions, such as wind, solar, hydroelectric, and electric energy. The Fit for 55 plan has served as the basis for the EU to transition to climate neutrality by 2050, and 55 percent reduction of GHG emissions by 2030 in relation to 2005 levels. More recently, the REPowerEU plan presented by the European Commission has served as a basis for future clean energy transitions within the bloc, hoping to reduce emissions, along with dependence in particular on fossil fuel imports from Russia. Such considerations can be taken in light of these recent events, including the Russian Federation’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, which has required many in the European Union to revert to burning more coal to meet energy deman...

Potential exchange of Iranian terrorist will lead to more threats on multiple fronts

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

In July, the Brussels Court of Appeals issued an order preventing the transfer of a convicted Iranian terrorist who is widely expected to be the focus of a prisoner swap agreement with the Islamic Republic for another two months. What makes the case more dramatic is that the terrorist was not an ordinary person. Rather, at the time of the plot, he was an accredited Iranian “diplomat”.The ruling was the result of multiple plaintiffs filing suit against the Belgian government immediately after it was reported that the parliament had approved a treaty clearly designed to set the stage for Assadollah Assadi’s release.Those plaintiffs included the Iranian Resistance leader Maryam Rajavi, several officials with the National Council of Resistance of Iran, and prominent politicians from a number of Western countries who had taken part in the grand gathering in support of the main Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran that Assadi targeted in June 2018. Had h...

International Women's Day: EU takes landmark decisions

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

Ahead of International Women's Day, the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy made the following statement:  “The growing oppression globally on women and girls and attacks on their human rights are alarming. We stand by women in Iran, whose freedoms are systematically restricted; and those in Afghanistan, where the Taliban are trying to erase women and girls' presence from public space, as well as everywhere else in the world where women's fundamental rights and freedoms are being threatened or denied."We are also deeply concerned about the reports that Russian Armed Forces use sexual violence against women and children in Ukraine as a weapon of war. These actions constitute war crimes and the perpetrators must be brought to justice. We will continue to work with our international partners to make Russia pay for these atrocities."To strengthen global accountability, the EU has just adopted a package of sanctions ag...

Agriculture: Record value of EU agri-food trade in November 2022

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

The Commission has published the latest monthly agri-food trade report, which shows that the monthly EU trade flows of agricultural and food products reached a new record value of €36.9 billion in November 2022. Since the beginning of 2022, EU agri-food trade reached a total of €369bn, which represents a 23% increase compared to the same period in 2021 (Jan-Nov). This can be explained by an increase of the value of both EU agri-food exports and imports, by 17% and 34% respectively. In the same period, the EU trade balance stands at €53.5bn.Compared to October 2022, EU agri-food exports slightly increased compared to the previous month, to reach €21.2 billion, a 2% increase. From January to November 2022, EU agri-food exports reached €211bn. When looking at specific sectors, the data confirm the higher EU exports of wheat from January to November 2022. The two main destinations for EU products are the United Kingdom and the United States. EU exports of pigmeat, cereals and vegetable ...

InvestEU: up to €250 million in loans for companies in Portugal to support sustainable investments, skills, as well as cultural and creative sectors

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

The European Investment Fund (EIF) and Santander Portugal have signed a guarantee agreement, supported by the InvestEU programme, for up to €250 million in loans. The targeted financing will benefit Portuguese businesses in the areas of i) sustainability, ii) education and iii) culture and creative sectors.EIF guarantee products under InvestEU signed with Santander include the Sustainability Guarantee, the Skills and Education Guarantee, and the Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee. The EIF Sustainability Guarantee supports projects that contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation to a more sustainable, circular and carbon-neutral economy. The EIF Skills and Education Guarantee has been set up to finance educational, training and re-qualification projects, in order to attract and qualify more people for the labour market. Finally, the EIF Cultural and Creative Sectors Guarantee aims to support companies that invest in these areas (such as restoration, libraries, press,...

European Education Area: 16 new Erasmus+ Teacher Academies will promote excellence in teacher education

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

On 7 March, the Commission presented 16 new Erasmus+ Teacher Academies, which will provide teachers at all stages of their careers with learning opportunities that include mobility, learning platforms and professional communities. These Erasmus+ Teacher Academies will benefit from close to €22.5 million from the Erasmus+ budget over three years. The 16 new Academies, together with the 11 already funded under the first call for proposals last year, will embrace multilingualism, language awareness and cultural diversity, as they develop teacher education in line with the EU's priorities in education policy and contribute to the achievement of the European Education Area, the EU's vision for the education and training sector.Promoting our European Way of Life Vice President Margaritis Schinas said: “A teacher who keeps learning will pass on the newly acquired knowledge to his/her students. With the new learning opportunities we are providing today, we are enriching both teachers and le...

New legislation restricting missionary work breached the European Convention  

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

 In today’s Chamber judgment1 in the case of Ossewaarde v. Russia (application no. 27227/17) the European Court of Human Rights held, unanimously, that there had been:a violation of Article 9 (freedom of religion) of the European Convention on Human Rights, anda violation of Article 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the European Convention taken in conjunction with Article 9.The case concerns a US national living in Russia, a Baptist Christian, who was fined for holding Bible study meetings in his home without notifying the authorities.The sanction was imposed on the applicant following new legal requirements for missionary work introduced in Russia in 2016 as part of an anti-terrorism package. The new legislation made it an offence to evangelise in private homes and required prior authorisation for missionary work from a religious group or organisation.The Court found in particular that the Government had not explained the rationale behin...

EU-UN co-operation: EU announces support to the UN reform for more efficiency in partner countries

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

At the UN Conference on Least developed countries (LDCs) in Doha on 7 March, the EU announced its renewed support to the UN Resident Coordinator System, a key pillar of the UN development system reform, with a contribution of €17 million for 2022 and 2023. The UN Resident Coordinator System aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of UN actions at country level through dedicated UN Resident Coordinators. They act as key interlocutor for partners and international donors, including the EU, thus ensuring more effective and efficient co-ordination.International Partnerships Commissioner Jutta Urpilainen said: “The EU is a steadfast supporter of the UN Development reform. In this time of multiple global challenges, the most effective way to deliver results on the ground for the LDCs and our other partners is multilateral cooperation and coordination. We champion renewed and more effective multilateralism.”The EU's support will benefit from the co-operation and dialogue between t...

The EU is being heavy-handed in blacklisting the UAE

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

Late last year the EU Commission decided to put the UAE on its blacklist, on the grounds that the Emirates are facilitating money laundering - writes Anthony Harris, Former British Ambassador to the UAE. This follows the FATF, the Financial Action Task Force, the group set up by the G7, putting the UAE on its "grey" watchlist at the beginning of last year. The Emirates were warned that they needed to make fundamental improvements in their monitoring of illegal financial flows, and tighten their compliance rules in areas that are vulnerable to abuse, like the trade in gold and precious stones and real estate.I believe that singling out the UAE in this manner is not only unfair, but also hypocritical. As members of the G7 and EU will be aware, the UAE has made enormous strides in recent years. In the course of a couple of decades, it has become one of the largest trading hubs in the Middle East, and is an emerging power in a turbulent region. The Emirati authorities have made consider...

Man accused of fatally stabbing high school student in L.A. taken into custody in Alhambra

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 11:44:50 GMT

9:18 a.m. update:The barricaded man has been taken into custody after surrendering "without incident," according to Cmdr. German Hurtado of the LAPD. "He is in custody now. He is not going to be able to keep anybody else in danger, and it was done in a peaceful manner," Hurtado said.Aerial footage from Sky5 showed multiple officers escorting the man into the back of a squad car.More information is expected to be released later in the day.8:40 a.m. update:Authorities are engaged in a standoff at a home in Alhambra with a man whom they believe is responsible for the stabbing death of Xavier Daniel Chavarin, 17."We have a barricaded suspect. Right now, we're treating it ... with our mental health experts to see if we can come to a peaceful resolution," Cmdr. German Hurtado of the LAPD said at a press conference near the scene Wednesday morning.Hurtado added SWAT has surrounded the home, which only contains the barricaded man, and officials are in negotiations with him in hopes that he ...