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Farzam Arbab, 1941–2020

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Farzam Arbab, 1941–2020 | BWNS
BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — Farzam Arbab, a former member of the Universal House of Justice, passed away on 25 September 2020 in San Diego, United States. He was 78 years old.

The Universal House of Justice has sent the following message to all National Spiritual Assemblies.

    *

With grief-stricken hearts we mourn the sudden passing of our former colleague, our dearly loved brother Farzam Arbab, news of which has brought us fresh sorrow. His brilliant mind, loving heart, and vibrant spirit were ever turned towards the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh, seeking to draw from it insights that, through the process of education, could build spiritual and intellectual capacity within entire populations. Born in Iran, he studied in the United States before settling in Colombia as a pioneer. His outstanding gifts fitted him, it seemed, for a distinguished career in the physical sciences—but Providence had determined otherwise. His rigorous scientific training was instead applied to the work of the Faith. He recognized that the verities contained in the Bahá’í writings concerning spiritual and social transformation and the entry into the Faith of the masses of humanity demanded persistent effort to learn how to bring them about; the investment of his whole being in this great enterprise was complete and constant. Throughout his time as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Colombia, as a Continental Counsellor, as a member of the International Teaching Centre, and finally as a member of the Universal House of Justice for two decades, his unshakeable belief in the capacity of all of God’s children, especially of young people, was the hallmark of his service to the Cause. Always insightful, always discerning, always attuned to spiritual reality, this man of exceptional vision lived a life shaped by the harmony between scientific truth and true religion.

To Sona, his beloved wife, and to Paul, his cherished son, as well as to other family members, we extend our heartfelt condolences at this unexpected loss. We supplicate in the Sacred Shrines for the progress of his illumined soul as it commences its journey into the eternal realms of God. May it be lovingly welcomed to its heavenly home. All Bahá’í communities are urged to arrange memorials, as circumstances permit, including in all Houses of Worship, to mark the passing of much-loved, illustrious Farzam Arbab.

The Universal House of Justice

Half of states deplete funds for Trump’s $300 unemployment / EU appealing ruling in Apple tax caseexpansion

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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man in black jacket and black pants carrying black and white backpack walking on sidewalk during

On The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump’s $300 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package

Happy Friday and welcome back to On The Money. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at [email protected] or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: https://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

THE BIG DEAL—Half of states run out of funds for Trump’s $300 unemployment expansion: Half of all states have depleted their funding for the extra $300 in weekly unemployment benefits that President TrumpDonald John TrumpFederal prosecutor speaks out, says Barr ‘has brought shame’ on Justice Dept. Former Pence aide: White House staffers discussed Trump refusing to leave office Progressive group buys domain name of Trump’s No. 1 Supreme Court pick MORE ordered after failing to strike a deal with Congress.

  • A congressionally approved expansion of benefits this spring provided unemployed Americans with $600 more in weekly unemployment payments, but that expansion expired in July. 
  • Democrats pushed to renew the benefits, but Republicans argued they were too high and discouraged people from returning to work.
  • After the unemployment boost expired, Trump signed an executive order to retool Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds for an additional $300 in weekly benefits.

Unemploymentpua.com, a website that follows the minutia of state-level COVID-19 unemployment relief programs, found that 25 states had reached their funding limit, though only seven had already sent out their final payments. The Hill’s Niv Elis has more here.

LEADING THE DAY

EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case: The European Union announced on Friday that it will appeal a July court ruling that annulled its 2016 finding that Apple owes Ireland up to 13 billion euros in unpaid taxes.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said it is appealing the EU general court’s opinion to the European Court of Justice, the EU’s highest court.

The commission “respectfully considers that in its judgment the General Court has made a number of errors of law,” Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president of the commission, said in a statement.

The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda walks us through the case here.

House Democratic coronavirus relief package to provide more aid for airlines: The House Democratic emergency coronavirus relief package, which has not yet been unveiled, includes additional funding for airlines, two sources told The Hill.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiDemocratic senator to party: ‘A little message discipline wouldn’t kill us’ Overnight Health Care: New wave of COVID-19 cases builds in US | Florida to lift all coronavirus restrictions on restaurants, bars | Trump stirs questions with 0 drug coupon plan Overnight Defense: Appeals court revives House lawsuit against military funding for border wall | Dems push for limits on transferring military gear to police | Lawmakers ask for IG probe into Pentagon’s use of COVID-19 funds MORE (D-Calif.) had tasked committee heads with drafting a package this week and Ways and Means Chairman Richard NealRichard Edmund NealOn The Money: Half of states deplete funds for Trump’s 0 unemployment expansion | EU appealing ruling in Apple tax case | House Democrats include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package House Democrats to include more aid for airlines in coronavirus package The Hill’s Morning Report – Sponsored by Facebook – Republicans lawmakers rebuke Trump on election MORE (D-Mass.), who is leading the charge, said the package could receive a vote by Oct. 2.

  • Under the terms of the CARES Act relief funding that passed this spring, airlines are prohibited from firing or laying off any employees until Oct. 1. Once that deadline passes, workers in the industry are expected to take a hit, barring new assistance from the government.
  • On Oct. 1, American Airlines expects to ax 19,000 jobs, and United Airlines said it plans to cut 16,370. Delta Air Lines will delay the effective date for a potential 220 pilot furloughs to Nov. 1 but will not furlough any flight attendants and front-line workers in 2020 due to the many employees who opted for early retirement.

“We have been told that airline worker relief is in the package and are grateful for the strong, bipartisan support. We are hopeful that this is the start of a negotiation that will help our industry and others in distress,” Nicholas Calio, head of the industry group Airlines for America, told The Hill in a statement. The Hill’s Alex Gangitano has more here.

ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Tuesday:

  • Federal Reserve Board Vice Chair Richard Clarida delivers remarks at the 2020 U.S. Treasury Market Conference, 11:40 a.m.
  • The House Financial Services Committee’s task force on financial technology holds a hearing on the legal framework for digital lending and payments processing, 12 p.m.
  • Fed Vice Chair of Supervision Randal Quarles discusses financial regulation at the Harvard Law School and Program on International Financial Systems, 1 p.m.
  • The Wilson Center hosts a panel discussion on Mexico’s perspective on labor provisions included in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, 1 p.m.
  • Quarles will also discuss financial stability during an event held by the Center for Financial Policy at the University of Maryland, 3 p.m.

Wednesday:

  • The Washington International Trade Association hosts a webinar entitled “Reengaging the Asia-Pacific on Trade: A TPP  Roadmap for the Next Administration,” 9 a.m.
  • The House Small Business Committee holds a hearing on COVID-19’s impact on small businesses within the food system, 10 a.m.
  • Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle Bowman speaks at a conference on community banking, 1:40 p.m.

Thursday:

  • The House Small Business Committee holds a hearing on preventing abuse of the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, 10 a.m.
  • The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis holds a hearing on the financial system and economic opportunity, 2 p.m.
  • Fed Governor Bowman speaks about the role of community banks in providing equitable mortgage access, 3 p.m.

GOOD TO KNOW

  • A group of bipartisan House and Senate lawmakers on Friday introduced legislation to increase resources to help local government, small businesses and nonprofit groups defend themselves against cyberattacks.
  • Politico: “Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-run companies that stand behind about half of the $11 trillion U.S. mortgage market, pose a potential danger to the stability of the broader financial system, a Treasury-led panel said today.”

ODDS AND ENDS

  • Six months after states began issuing stay-at-home orders, many employees have settled into working-from-home routines that are likely to persist in some form beyond the pandemic. But with that seismic shift comes concerns about productivity, fatigue and cybersecurity.

Recap the week with On The Money:

  • Monday: Shutdown clash looms after Democrats unveil spending bill | CBO: $900B a year needed to stabilize post-crisis debt | Airline CEOs plead with Washington as layoffs loom
  • Tuesday: Powell, Mnuchin stress limits of emergency loans | House seeks to salvage vote on spending bill | Economists tell lawmakers: Kill the virus to heal the economy
  • Wednesday: House panel pulls Powell into partisan battles | New York considers hiking taxes on the rich | Treasury: Trump’s payroll tax deferral won’t hurt Social Security
  • Thursday: Anxious Democrats push for vote on COVID-19 aid | Pelosi, Mnuchin ready to restart talks | Weekly jobless claims increase | Senate treads close to shutdown deadline

EU Commission to appeal Apple ruling in Ireland over $14.9 billion tax case

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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EU Commission to appeal Apple ruling in Ireland over .9 billion tax case

The European Commission is appealing a July court judgment in the ongoing saga of Apple’s taxes in Ireland. Buckle in, this one gets a bit complicated. And it’s likely to drag on for some time.

In July, the General Court of the EU annulled a 2016 ruling by the European Commission. In that ruling, the commission had determined that Ireland gave Apple a “sweetheart deal” that let the iPhone maker pay significantly lower taxes than other businesses. “Member States cannot give tax benefits to selected companies — this is illegal under EU state aid rules,” EU antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said in 2016.

The commission ordered Apple to pay €13 billion ($14.9 billion) in back taxes to the Irish government. Ireland and Apple both disputed the decision, with CEO Tim Cook calling the judgment “total political crap.”

But in the July ruling, the judges said that the commission had failed to make its case. “The commission did not succeed in showing to the requisite legal standard that there was an advantage” for Apple, they declared, and “the commission did not prove, in its alternative line of reasoning, that the contested tax rulings were the result of discretion exercised by the Irish tax authorities.”

The commission said Friday it will appeal the court’s July ruling, with Vestager saying in a statement that the court “has made a number of errors of law.”

“The General Court has repeatedly confirmed the principle that, while Member States have competence in determining their taxation laws taxation, they must do so in respect of EU law, including State aid rules,” Vestager said. “If Member States give certain multinational companies tax advantages not available to their rivals, this harms fair competition in the European Union in breach of State aid rules.”

An Apple spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Verge on Friday that it would review the commission’s appeal when it receives it, adding that the company has always abided by the law in Ireland and other places it operates. “The General Court categorically annulled the Commission’s case in July and the facts have not changed since then,” the spokesperson said. “This case has never been about how much tax we pay, rather where we are required to pay it.”

Irish Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe told The Irish Times Friday that the appeal was “expected,” and that it would likely “take a number of years further before this matter is further determined.”

World Day of Migrants and Refugees – EU Bishops: “Let’s welcome migrants with humanity”

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COMECE
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World Day of Migrants and Refugees - EU Bishops: “Let’s welcome migrants with humanity”

World Day of Migrants and Refugees

EU Bishops: “Let’s welcome migrants with humanity”

 

“Let’s welcome migrants with humanity, fraternity and solidarity. Let’s give them a place at our table”, states H. Em. Card. Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, on the eve of the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, which will be celebrated on Sunday 27 September 2020.




In the context of the dramatic events occurring in different areas of the world regarding forced movements of people, Pope Francis devotes his message for the 106th World Day of Migrants and Refugees to internally displaced persons, “an often unseen tragedy exacerbated by the global Covid-19 crisis”.

 

In this regard, the Holy Father calls on all governments and on all of us “not to forget the many other crisis that bring suffering to so many people. Jesus is present in each refugee fleeing from hunger, war and other grave dangers in search of security and of a dignified life for themselves and for their families. We are called to see the face of Christ who pleads with us to help”.

Already two years ago, in a similar message, Pope Francis urged all of us to respond to this pastoral challenge by welcoming, protecting, promoting and integrating migrants and refugees, including the internally displaced persons.

In our commitment to the weakest, he proposes to include the following practical orientations:

  • to know in order to understand;

  • to be close in order to serve;

  • to listen in order to be reconciled;

  • to share in order to grow;

  • to be involved in order to promote and;

  • to cooperate in order to build. 

In 5 May 2020, the Holy See’s Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development has issued the document “Pastoral Orientations on Internally Displaced People” in order to inspire and encourage the pastoral work of the Church in this specific area.

In its regular dialogue with the EU institutions, COMECE highlights the need to consider migrants and refugees as persons and not as numbers, people with dignity, fundamental rights, “each of them [with] a name, a face, and a story, as well as an inalienable right to live in peace and to aspire to a better future for their sons and daughters”.

Conflict, climate crisis, threaten fragile gains to advance women and children’s health

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officialinstitutions
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Conflict, climate crisis, threaten fragile gains to advance women and children’s health

Protect the Progress: Rise, Refocus, Recover, 2020 highlights that since the movement was launched 10 years ago, spearheaded by then UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, there has been remarkable progress in improving the health of the world’s women, children and adolescents, with under-five deaths reached an all-time recorded low in 2019, and more than 1 billion children were vaccinated over the past decade.

Coverage of immunization, skilled birth attendant and access to safe drinking water reached over 80 per cent. Maternal deaths declined by 35 per cent since 2000, with the most significant declines occurring from 2010. An estimated 25 million child marriages were also prevented over the past decade, says the report.

Prioritize women and girls: UN deputy chief

However, conflict, climate instability and the COVID-19 pandemic are putting the health and well-being of all children and adolescents at risk. The COVID-19 crisis, in particular, is exacerbating existing inequities, with reported disruptions in essential health interventions disproportionately impacting the most vulnerable women and children.

“We know that women and children are the foundation of our communities and of our future”, said UN deputy chief, Amina Mohammed, in a video message broadcast during the report launch online. “Plans to respond to and recover from COVID-19 must prioritize their rights, and ensure continued access to services that support health, access to clean water, nutrition and education.

“While much is still unknown and uncertain, our collective goal endures: for women, children and adolescents everywhere to survive and thrive, and for their lives to be transformed”, added the Deputy Secretary-General.  

Death ‘every six seconds’

“Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, a child under the age of five died every six seconds somewhere around the world”, said Henrietta Fore, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director.

“Millions of children living in conflict zones and fragile settings face even greater hardship with the onset of the pandemic. We need to work collectively to meet immediate needs caused by the pandemic while also strengthening health systems. Only then can we protect and save lives.”

Last year, 5.2 million children under the age of 5 and 1 million adolescents died of preventable causes. Every 13 seconds a newborn baby died. Every hour 33 women did not survive childbirth; and 33,000 girls a day were forced into marriages, usually involving much older men.

The report examines the deep-rooted inequities which continue to deprive women, children and adolescents of their rights, noting that where you are born, is a significant determinant of survival.

“For too long, the health and rights of women, children, and adolescents have received insufficient attention and services have been inadequately resourced”, said former Prime Minister of New Zealand and Board Chair of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, Helen Clark.

“We call on all partners to work together to support governments to strengthen health systems and tackle the inequities that constrain progress.” 

Narrow the gap

The report calls upon the global community to fight COVID-19 while honoring and respecting commitments that can improve the lives of women and children, and not widen the gap between promise and reality. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to turn back the clock on years of progress in reproductive, maternal, child and adolescent health. This is unacceptable,” said Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank Group.

“The GFF partnership will double down on its efforts to engage with partners and countries and honor the global commitment to ensure that all women, adolescents and children can access the quality, affordable health care they need to survive and thrive.”

The past decade of progress to advance the health of women, children and adolescents must be protected from the impact of the pandemic and the responses to it, the report emphasizes.

“As we respond to COVID-19 and reimagine a better future, with sustained peace, including at home, we must repeat unequivocally that the rights of women and girls are not negotiable. Even in times of crisis – especially in times of crisis – their sexual and reproductive health and rights must be safeguarded at all costs”, said Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UN reproductive rights agency, UNFPA.

Statement by President Donohoe on the candidates for the post of ECB executive board member

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Council of the EU and European Council
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Statement by President Donohoe on the candidates for the post of ECB executive board member

The term of the European Central Bank’s executive board member, Yves Mersch, will end on 14 December 2020. The European Council will appoint a new member on a recommendation from the Council and after having consulted the European Parliament and the ECB.

At the Eurogroup meeting of 11 September, I asked euro area members to put forward candidates for Mr Mersch’s replacement. The call for candidates ended today and I received the following applications:

  • the Netherlands proposed Frank Elderson, Executive Director of Supervision of the Netherlands Bank.
  • Slovenia proposed Boštjan Jazbec, Director of Resolution Planning and Decisions, at the Single Resolution Board

At its next meeting on 5 October, the Eurogroup will discuss these applications with a view to supporting one candidate.

The Council will then adopt a recommendation to the European Council, acting by reinforced qualified majority of euro-area members. Such majority requires the support of 72% of euro area member states (i.e. at least 14 out of the 19), representing at least 65% of the population of the euro area.

The European Council is expected to take a final decision by the end of the year.

Belarus must release opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, stress independent rights experts

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Belarus must release opposition leader Maria Kalesnikava, stress independent rights experts

In a news release, on Friday, the experts also called on the authorities to bring to justice those responsible for the enforced disappearance of Ms. Kalesnikava, who, they said was “snatched off the streets” of the capital, Minsk, threatened with death or deportation, and then secretly imprisoned. 

It is particularly troubling that the authorities have resorted to enforced disappearances in an effort to quash protests, stifle dissent and sow fear –  Independent experts

“It is particularly troubling that the authorities have resorted to enforced disappearances in an effort to quash protests, stifle dissent and sow fear,” said the rights experts.  

“We urge the authorities not to use national security concerns to deny individuals their fundamental rights, among others the rights to opinion, expression, of peaceful assembly and association.” 

Ms. Kalesnikava, a musician and political activist. campaigned for an opposition candidate, later forced to leave the country, ahead of the 9 August presidential election which is widely considered to have been rigged.

As protests swept the country, she was elected to the seven-person leadership of the self-styled Coordination Council, a body established to overcome the ongoing political crisis through negotiations. Most of its leaders have been arrested, deported or fled the country, according to the news release. 

Ms. Kalesnikava was abducted on 7 September by a group of masked men presumed to be security agents. She was driven to the border the next day, where she was told she would be deported “alive or in bits”. However, she reportedly managed to thwart deportation by ripping up her passport. 

She then disappeared for three days with no information on her whereabouts or state of health. On 10 September, authorities said she was held in pre-trial detention in Minsk, and on 16 September, she was officially charged with undermining national security, a charge that carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

Kseniya Halubovich

Protesters, young and old, have taken to the streets in Belarus over the disputed presidential election.

Demand for prompt investigations 

The experts also called on Belarus to conduct prompt and effective investigations into what happened to Ms. Kalesnikava, uphold her right to an effective remedy, and identify and hold perpetrators accountable. 

“It is unacceptable that her relatives and associates were denied information on her whereabouts for three days in clear violation of fundamental safeguards enshrined in national legislation and international law,” they said. 

Several opposition politicians have reportedly been forcibly taken to borders with Poland, Lithuania or Ukraine and expelled from Belarus. Those who refused to leave, such as Ms. Kalesnikava, have faced reprisals. 

‘Absolutely no justification’ for disappearances 

The human rights experts strongly reminded Belarus that there are “absolutely no circumstances” that can justify enforced disappearances – not political instability or any other public emergency. 

“Belarus must strictly comply with fundamental legal safeguards to prevent enforced disappearances,” they underlined. 

“These include immediate registration, judicial oversight of the detention, notification of family members as soon as an individual is deprived of liberty, and the right to hire a defence lawyer of one’s choice.” 

Culture of impunity

In the news release, the experts also raised alarm over a culture of impunity in the country, stretching back decades. 

“Regrettably, no progress has been made in the investigation and the search for several individuals who disappeared in the early 2000s,” they said, recalling a communication sent to the Belarusian government, earlier this year. 

The experts reminded Belarus that it is “obliged to protect the relatives’ rights to truth, justice and reparations regarding past cases of enforced disappearance”. 

The experts calling on the Government of Belarus include the special rapporteurs on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; on the situation of human rights in the country; on the right to freedom of expression; on the rights of peaceful assembly and association; and on violence against women; as well as members of the working groups on enforced or involuntary disappearances; and on arbitrary detention. 

The Special Rapporteurs and Independent Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. The experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.  

European Union appeals in $15 billion tax battle with Apple

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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European Union appeals in billion tax battle with Apple

The European Union is taking its fight to get $15 billion in back taxes from Apple to the continent’s highest court, officials said Friday.

The European Commission said it will appeal a July ruling from the EU’s General Court that found insufficient evidence that Apple got unfair tax breaks from the Irish government.

The commission will bring the case to the European Court of Justice because the lower court’s ruling both raised important legal issues and contained “a number of errors of law,” competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager said.

“Making sure that all companies, big and small, pay their fair share of tax remains a top priority for the commission,” Vestager said in a statement. “… If member states give certain multinational companies tax advantages not available to their rivals, this harms fair competition in the European Union in breach of state aid rules.”

The July ruling was a win for Apple, which the European Commission accused in 2016 of artificially reducing its tax burden with allegedly illegal benefits from Ireland, a nation known as a corporate tax haven.

Ireland had appealed the commission’s initial decision alongside Apple, saying it had always been clear it had not given special treatment to the tech giant.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But the iPhone maker told CNBC the commission’s appeal “will not alter the factual conclusions of the General Court, which prove that we have always abided by the law in Ireland, as we do everywhere we operate.”

Irish finance minister Paschal Donohoe noted the commission’s decision but said the government had not received a formal notice of the appeal. His office said the appeal process could take up to two years.

“When it is received, the government will need to take some time to consider, in detail, the legal grounds set out in the appeal and to consult with the government’s legal advisors, in responding to this appeal,” Donohoe said in a statement.

Apple’s stock price dipped 0.8 percent in premarket trading Friday to $107.35 as of 7 a.m.

Agrifood Brief: A State of the Agricultural Union

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Newsdesk
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Agrifood Brief: A State of the Agricultural Union
Welcome to EURACTIV’s AgriFood Brief, your weekly update on all things Agriculture & Food in the EU. You can subscribe here if you haven’t done so yet.
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Agrifood Brief: A State of the Agricultural Union

4 – New Copa President, labelling disputes, cocoa initiative

The discontent in the agri-food world has still not been allayed after Commission president Ursula von der Leyen gave agriculture little weight during her State of the Union speech last week (16 September).

We wrote on this space that, although not directly mentioned, a reference to agriculture was implicit in the renewed ambition to reach climate neutrality by 2050, which needs much effort from farmers to be delivered.

In a tweet, the Commission’s Directorate-General for Agriculture (DG AGRI) also relaunched von der Leyen’s only bit of the discourse loosely referable to agriculture, as she highlighted the need to bring rural broadband in rural areas.

But it was not enough and von der Leyen’s slip-up went undigested.

In an exclusive interview with EURACTIV.com, the newly elected president of the European farmers association COPA, Christiane Lambert, said she was “very disappointed” about this forgetfulness.

“How can a former minister of an agricultural country and now Commissioner of a large agricultural continent, whose first policy has been the Common agricultural policy (CAP) since 1960, make a speech as the head of the Union without talking about agriculture?”

According to Lambert, the lack of recognition of the agricultural sector was particularly galling in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, which she said has made everyone recognise the important role of agriculture.

For this reason, she revived the idea of taking stock of the current situation in European farming.

“[A point in] my agenda is to make a State of the Agricultural Union and to say everything that agriculture brings to the EU: food, food security, health through food,” she said.

It does not sound like a bad idea.

Over recent years, lots of words have been spent setting out plans to rethink farming as we know it.

In Spring, the Commission unveiled its pivotal food policy strategy, the Farm to Fork (F2F), with the intention to anticipate – and shape – trends in the agri-food world that still have to come.

However, there is no “what we need to be” moment without a preliminary “what we are now” one.

Many have complained about the lack of an impact assessment behind the F2F that would have taken into account not only the finish line for European farming but the starting position as well.

A state-of-the-art today in the agri-food sector could also be useful in dispelling any doubt on whether the main EU’s farming subsidies programme is still a necessity since NGOs are increasingly questioning its very existence – which is, however, heavily defended by farmers and the industry.

Perhaps one of the forthcoming EU presidencies – upcoming ones are Portugal, Slovenia and France – could get the fruit of opportunity and endorse the idea to shedding light on the actual contributions and damages of farming to Europe.

Taking into account, it goes without saying, any aspect in which agriculture can have an impact: not only from the environmental side but also from the social, economic and cultural point of view.

Agrifood news this week

EU farmers boss: Farm to Fork to be revised if negative impact was proved
The European Commission’s new food policy should be reviewed if a future impact assessment shows that it will negatively affect farmers, the newly-elected chair of farmers association COPA, Christiane Lambert, told EURACTIV.com in an exclusive interview.

EU mulls over plan to boost carbon-storage on farmlands
Farmers and foresters need to be “directly incentivised” to put in practice carbon-capture crops and other measures intended to reduce net greenhouse gases (GHG), according to an update of the European Commission’s Climate Law. Gerardo Fortuna has more.

Member states coalition presents latest challenge to colour-coded nutrition label
The fight against the supremacy of France’s Nutri-Score system as the EU-wide nutrition food label has kicked up a notch with the addition of a new non-paper backed by at least seven member states. Natasha Foote has the story.

‘Efficiency not a dirty word’: why bigger can sometimes mean better in farming
The concept of efficiency and productivity in farming is often associated with poor animal welfare and sustainability, but that is not necessarily the case and more work must be done to change this perception, stakeholders highlighted at a recent event on animal welfare. Read more here.

Farmers need financial reassurance to support uptake of agroforestry
In a clear nod to the strategic importance of agroforestry, the term has now cropped up in both the European Green Deal, the European Commission’s roadmap for making Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050, and the EU’s flagship new food policy, the Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy. Natasha Foote has more.

Targets for anti-microbials must allow for ‘massive’ variation within livestock sector 
Ambitions to lower the use of antibiotics in farming must take into account the “massive” amount of variation between member states and also between species, according to a leading livestock sustainability consultant who also highlighted the pressing need to digitalise the animal health sector. Learn more here.

“The guidelines for member states’ strategic plans are not legally binding documents, they are recommendations”

Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski during a press conference after the AGRIFISH Council this week

News from the bubble

New committee chair: This week, Green MEP Tilly Metz has been elected chair of the new Inquiry Committee on Animal Transport in the European Parliament. For more information on the Committee, see here.

Cocoa initiative: The European Commission has kicked off an initiative to improve sustainability in the cocoa sector. A new multi-stakeholder dialogue will bring together representatives of Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana – the two main cocoa producing countries accounting for 70% of global cocoa production – as well as representatives of the European Parliament, EU Member States, cocoa growers and civil society. It aims to deliver concrete recommendations to advance sustainability across the cocoa supply chain through collective action and partnerships.

Soil health report: The Missions Board presented it’s report on soil, entitled “Caring for Soil is Caring for Life“, at the European Research and Innovation Days event this week, where high-level independent experts presented their proposals to the European Commission for possible EU missions on some of our most pressing societal challenges.

Agricultural stats: Eurostat released a updated report on agriculture statistics at the regional level, focusing on four specific areas with information on: the age of farm managers; the harvested production of various cereals (common wheat and spelt; grain maize and corn-cob-mix); the number of bovine animals and milk production; the share of agricultural area that has been converted to organic farming. It also released a report on the country-by-country break down on livestock numbers in the EU.

New protected origin: The Commission has approved the addition of “Szilvásváradi pisztráng” from Hungary and of “Provola dei Nebrodi” in the register of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). “Szilvásváradi pisztráng’ is a fish belonging to the trout family, while Provola dei Nebrodi is a stretched-curd cheese from a mountain region in Sicily.

Agrifood news from the Capitals

ROMANIA
Romania wants to include pork and poultry meat on the list of products eligible for coupled payments under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), according to agriculture minister Adrian Oros. Oros told the AGRIFISH Council on Monday that Romania supports an allocation of at least 15% of the national CAP for coupled payments for pork and poultry products. (Bogdan Neagu | EURACTIV.ro)

UK
The UK House of Lords has supported amendments to the Agriculture Bill which would require food products imported under future trade deals to meet or exceed domestic standards for animal health and welfare, environmental protection, food safety, hygiene and traceability, and plant health. The proposals were intended to address concerns that British food standards may be compromised in post-Brexit trade agreements. (Natasha Foote | EURACTIV.com)

FRANCE
The High Council for Energy has rejected a proposal from the government to reduce the price of bio-methane. The potential reduction up to 15% in the feed-in tariffs for biomethane had provoked a strong reaction from farmers and politicians in the Hauts-de-France (North) region. The Minister of Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, said she wanted to start a consultation with the biogas sector in the coming weeks. According to the Agriculture Ministry, 380 methanisers existed in France in 2018. (Anne Damiani | EURACTIV.fr)

BELGIUM 
Two of Belgium’s most iconic products, beer and fries, stand to be severely affected by the effects of climate change, a new report commissioned by the National Climate Commission warned on Thursday (17 September). (Alexandra Brzozowski| EURACTIV.com)

ITALY
According to Italian dairy association Assolatte, cheese export witnessed an increase of 3% in volume and 0.8% in value during the first six months of the year. The positive trend was driven by fresh (+14.1%) and grated cheese (6.2%) (Gerardo Fortuna | EURACTIV.com)

POLAND
The National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) will offer nearly €22 million from European Funds to support new technologies in the agricultural sector. The initiative aims to increase the competitiveness of Polish companies working on projects in the field of robotisation, automation, digitisation and environmentally friendly agri-food production. (Mateusz Kucharczyk | EURACTIV.pl)

On our radar

A new European Alliance for Plant-based Foods (EAPF) has launched this week, which aims to place plant-based foods at the heart of the transition towards more sustainable and healthy food systems. The alliance, which includes industry players such as Upfield, Nestlé, and Beyond Meat, as well as NGOs and the scientific community, aims to promote policies and laws that recognise the role of plant-based foods in the sustainable transition and guarantee fair access to the EU market.

Ahead of the next round of EU-UK talks next week, FoodDrinkEurope has joined with farmers association COPA-COGECA and agricultural trade association CELCAA to warn of a “disastrous double whammy” if no deal is reached in a joint statement.

Upcoming events

25 September – There is a workshop dealing with all aspects of the European Green Deal that are directly concerning the agro-food and bio-economy sector.

25 September – #IGrowYourFood is a global action day celebrating anyone involved in growing food using organic and agroecological practices—whether you’re a farmer or a processor, producer, exporter, trader or organiser.

29 September – There is a conference on the “Farm to Fork” Strategy: Ensuring a healthy balance between Europe’s food systems and biodiversity conservation” which will discuss opportunities and challenges for the “Farm to Fork” Strategy, one of the main pillars of the EU Green Deal recently unveiled by the European Commission.

29 September – To mark the International day of food loss and waste, FAO Brussels is holding an event to discuss solutions to the food loss and waste issue and highlight the importance of working together across all actors. You can register here to attend.

Don’t miss

Watch out for EURACTIV’s upcoming special report on new terminologies in sustainable food systems.

Politicians see the EU recovery fund as key to getting a railway line as far as Marbella

By
Juan Sanchez Gil
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0
Politicians see the EU recovery fund as key to getting a railway line as far as Marbella
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