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Future EU financing and recovery: MEPs to assess summit outcome | News | European Parliament

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Future EU financing and recovery: MEPs to assess summit outcome | News | European Parliament

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Future EU financing and recovery: MEPs to assess summit outcome | News | European Parliament

To wind up the extraordinary plenary debate, scheduled from 9:30-12:30, MEPs will adopt, on the same day, a resolution on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), an Own Resources system and a Recovery Plan for Europe.

Commenting on the outcome of the European Council meeting of Heads of States or Governments from 17-21 July in Brussels, the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli said on Tuesday: “After days of discussions, European citizens expect an agreement that lives up to this historical moment. We are worried about a future where European solidarity and the Community method are lost. The European Parliament has set out its priorities and it expects them to be met. The multiannual financial framework must be able to address the main challenges facing Europe in the medium term, such as the Green Deal, digitalisation, economic resilience, and the fight against inequalities.”

“New own resources are needed immediately. We also need measures to ensure the effective defence of the rule of law. Furthermore, Parliament has repeatedly called for the end of rebates. If these conditions are not sufficiently met, the European Parliament will not give its consent. COVID-19 is still here and we are seeing new outbreaks in Europe. More than ever it is necessary to act quickly and courageously.”


Follow the plenary live on EbS or the European Parliament’s webstream.


Next steps

The Council will now finalise its mandate to enter negotiations with Parliament on the planned MFF for 2021-2027, own resources reform and the recovery plan. Parliament will have a final say on the MFF before it can enter into force. The current multiannual budget runs out on 31 December 2020.

MEPs will set out their conditions in Thursday’s plenary resolution. The EP’s negotiating team will take up negotiations with the German Presidency of the Council of the EU as soon as possible.

Europe’s Pandemic Sales Slide Quantified

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Europe's Pandemic Sales Slide Quantified

A new report by the Federation of European Publishers aims to quantify the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on European publishers. According to the report, the impact began to be felt the moment bookstores closed across much of Europe in March. “The chilling effect on demand was unmistakable: sales in bookstores dropped anywhere between 75% and 95% in most countries where a lockdown was in place,” the report states. Just looking at the second half of March, sales were down as much as 80% in Spain and 75% in Italy, two of the hardest hit countries; Germany, by comparison, saw a drop of just 30% for the same period. April was even worse, with sales at France’s larger stores dropping by 96% and German stores saw a drop of 47%.

As a result of these lost sales, publishers revenue plunged proportionally. “Overall sales were down 66% in France between mid-March and mid-April, and one of the largest publishing groups recorded a [decline of] 90% in sales in early April,” according to the report. “In Italy, close to one-third of publishers estimated a loss of more than 70% of their turnover for March.” Germany’s publishing sector lost €500 million, while Spain‘s lost €200 million.

Like in the U.S., publishers across Europe began delaying or even cancelling the publication of titles, with many facing liquidity challenges. Italy may have had the most dramatic result of all, with the cancellation or postponement of 23,200 titles, representing about a third of annual output.

Book fairs, including those in Bologna and London, were closed and the rights trade, as well as other ancillary businesses, halted.

Also as in the U.S., the online sales of books spiked in Europe. “They were up 52% in March and 180% in April in Flanders; many online platforms doubled or tripled their sales in France in early April; in the year up to mid-April, online sales in Italy for the first time ever overtook sales in stores, reaching a 47% share, and by June they had become 40% of total book sales in Romania. In the U.K, in April, WH Smith’s in-store sales dropped 85%, whereas online sales went up 400%.”

E-book sales also rose and, in France for example, digital downloads from French libraries rose five-fold. Students also shifted from physical textbooks to online learning materials. One downside of this shift was, according to the report, a sharp increase in digital piracy. The report noted, “For example, Spanish reproduction rights’ organisation CEDRO recorded a tripling of the level of digital book piracy in Spain in April.”

Perhaps the only silver lining to be found in the report is the news that 33% of people worldwide read more books or listened to more audiobooks while at home during the crisis.

In conclusion, the Federation states, “At this stage, the only thing certain is that the book sector has suffered a serious blow from the COVID-19 pandemic, of which the precise dimensions are not yet clear – not least because of lingering and dynamic effects and delayed impacts.” The Federation then makes a plea for “public authorities to take appropriate measures to repair the damages and rebuild the future.”

“Baha’i World” articles examine migration, existential stress

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“Baha’i World” articles examine migration, existential stress | BWNS

BAHA’I WORLD CENTRE — Two new articles have been published today in the online publication The Baha’i World, which is releasing, in the context of the current pandemic, a series of articles on migration and themes relevant to the well-being and progress of humanity.

“Rethinking Migration from a Global Perspective” explores the relationship between social transformation and the movement of human populations within and across borders. The article highlights insights from the Baha’i teachings and the social sciences in pursuit of greater understanding of a global phenomenon that affects virtually every society.

The concept of transformation is approached from another perspective in “The Light Was in the Darkness: Reflections on the Growth that Hides in the Pain of Suffering.” This article looks at existential stress, a form of suffering that is unique to the human experience, and probes its relationship to individual growth and development, drawing on the rich spiritual and philosophical heritage of humanity.

The Baha’i World website makes available a selection of thoughtful essays and long-form articles on a range of subjects of interest to the wider public, conveying advancements in Baha’i thought and action and reflecting the Faith’s purpose in the world.

An email subscription service is available, allowing subscribers to be informed when new articles are published.

Religion and government in the United States – eight facts from Pew

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Religion and government in the United States – eight facts from Pew

Many Americans believe in the separation of church and state, but others, often conservative evangelicals often argue that the notion is nowhere to be found in the U.S. Constitution.

Dalia Fahmy wrote for Pew Research on July that separation of church and state has come under scrutiny again this summer after the U.S. Supreme Court sided with religious conservatives in a series of rulings.


One of the rulings allows states to fund religious schools indirectly, while another protects religious schools from federal employment discrimination lawsuits.

Fahmy wrote that Americans have been debating where to draw the line between religion and government since the founding of the United States.

She notes that even as the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans rises, church and state remain intertwined in many ways – often with the public’s support.

She outlined eight facts about the connections between religion and government in the United States, based on previously published Pew Research Center analyses.

  1. Every state constitution references either God or the divine, but the U.S. Constitution does not mention God,

“God also appears in the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and on U.S. currency,” write Fahmy.

  1. The U.S. Congress has always been overwhelmingly Christian, and roughly nine-in-ten representatives (88 percent) in the current Congress identify as Christian, 2019 analysis finds.

PROTESTANTS AND CATHOLICS OVERREPRESENTED

While the number of self-identified Christians in Congress slipped down in the 2016 election, Christians as a whole – and especially Protestants and Catholics – are still overrepresented on Capitol Hill relative to their share of the U.S. population.

The religious makeup of the 116th Congress

  1. Almost all U.S. presidents, including Donald Trump, have been Christian, and many have identified as either Episcopalian or Presbyterian.

Still, two of the most celebrated presidents, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln, had no formal religious affiliation. Most U.S. presidents have been sworn in with a Bible, and they traditionally seal their oath of office with “so help me God.”

  1. Roughly half of Americans feel it is either very (20 percent) or somewhat (32 percent) important for a president to have strong religious beliefs, according to a survey in February.

But only around four-in-ten (39 percent) say it is important for a president to share their religious beliefs. Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say it is at least somewhat important for a president to have strong religious beliefs (65 percent vs 41 percent).

  1. Americans are divided on the extent to which the country’s laws should reflect Bible teachings.

Nearly 50 percent of U.S. adults say the Bible should influence the country’s laws either a great deal (23 percent) or some (26 percent), and more than a quarter (28 percent) say the Bible should prevail over the will of the people if the two are at odds, the February survey found. Half of Americans, meanwhile, say the Bible shouldn’t influence U.S. laws much (19 percent) or at all (31 percent).

Half of Americans say Bible should influence U.S. laws; and 28 percent favor it over the will of the people

  1. A total of 63 percent of Americans say churches and other houses of worship should stay out of politics.

An even higher, more than three quarters (76 percent) say these houses of worship should not endorse political candidates during elections, according to a 2019 survey. But, more than a third of Americans (36%) say churches and other houses of worship should express their views on social and political matters. (The Johnson Amendment, enacted in 1954, prohibits tax-exempt institutions like churches from involvement in political campaigns on behalf of any candidate.)

  1. Only about a third of Americans (32 percent) say government policies should support religious values. Almost two-thirds (65 percent) say religion should be kept out of government policies, a 2017 Pew Research Center survey found.

  1. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 1962 that it is unconstitutional for a teacher to lead a class in prayer at a public school, yet 8 percent of public school students ages 13 to 17 say they have experienced this, according to a 2019 survey.

(It is, however, possible that some teens who spoke of the experience, could have previously attended religious private schools where teacher-led prayer is constitutional.) This experience is more common in the South (12 percent) than in the Northeast (2 percent). Forty-one percent of U.S. teens in public schools feel it’s fitting for a teacher to lead a class in prayer, including 29 percent of teens who know that this practice is banned but say it is acceptable nevertheless.

Deforestation has slowed down but still remains a concern, new UN report reveals

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Deforestation: The finding comes in its latest Global Forest Resources Assessment report (FRA 2020), which aims to turn the tide on deforestation, or the conversion of forest to other uses such as agriculture.

“The wealth of information on the world’s forests is a valuable public good for the global community to help facilitate evidence-based policy formulation, decision-making and sound investments in the forest sector,” said Maria Helena Semedo, the FAO Deputy Director-General.

Forest area decreasing

The global total forest area stands at some 4.06 billion hectares but continues to decrease, according to the report.

FAO estimates that deforestation has robbed the world of roughly 420 million hectares since 1990, mainly in Africa and South America.

The top countries for average annual net losses of forest area over the last 10 years, are Brazil, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, Angola, Tanzania, Paraguay, Myanmar, Cambodia, Bolivia and Mozambique.

Sustainability at risk

However, there is good news as the rate of forest loss has declined substantially over the past three decades. The annual rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares between 2015-2020, compared with 12 million during 2010-2015.

The area of forest under protection has also reached roughly 726 million hectares: nearly 200 million more than in 1990.

Still, there is cause for great concern, according to FAO.

Senior Forestry Officer Anssi Pekkarinen, the report’s Coordinator, warned that global targets related to sustainable forest management are at risk.

“We need to step up efforts to halt deforestation in order to unlock the full potential of forests in contributing to sustainable food production, poverty alleviation, food security, biodiversity conservation and climate change while sustaining the production of all the other goods and services they provide”, he said.

Forests: for people and the planet

The FRA report has been published every five years since 1990. For the first time ever, it contains an online interactive platform with detailed regional and global analyses for nearly 240 countries and territories.

“These newly released tools will enable us to better respond to deforestation and forest degradation, prevent biodiversity loss and improve sustainable forest management,” said Ms. Semedo, the FAO deputy chief.

The UN agency believes forests are at the heart of global efforts to achieve sustainable development that benefits both people and the planet.

Protecting forests is critical as millions worldwide depend on them for their livelihoods or for food.

Forests also contain thousands of different tree, mammal and bird species, among other life forms, and they help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Therefore, information about forests, such as the report, play a vital role in conservation.

EU summit compromise: positive step for recovery, inadequate in the long-term | News | European Parliament

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ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== EU summit compromise: positive step for recovery, inadequate in the long-term | News | European Parliament

After five days of intense discussions, the Heads of State and Government reached a political compromise. Parliament’s negotiating team on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Own Resources (OR) welcomes the fact that at last a common position has been achieved, and that the newly created Recovery Instrument (Next Generation EU) is financed with a borrowing of EUR 750 billion. But Parliament remains critical on some essential aspects of the compromise, particularly on the long-term perspective.

“The Recovery Instrument is an important step towards a new ambition for the Union: greener, more competitive and digital. This massive borrowing is an historical moment for the European Union, and we should not disregard what just happened.” However we regret that the Member States decided to entirely abandon the ‘bridge solution’, whose objective was precisely to provide immediate crisis response to the citizens, following the Covid-19 outbreak. In a context where the virus in on the rise again, citizens need certainty. Parliament will continue working hard to ensure that the recovery starts without delays. Furthermore, democratic oversight must be substantially increased: Parliament, as one arm of the budgetary authority will fight to be fully involved in the establishment and implementation of the Recovery Instrument”, said the EP’s negotiators on Tuesday.

“The picture is much more negative when it comes to the EU long-term budget (the MFF). Parliament cannot accept the proposed record low ceilings as they mean renouncing to the EU’s long-term objectives and strategic autonomy, while citizens ask for more. More European solidarity, more European action in public health, in research and digitalisation, youth, and in the historical fight against climate change. Key programmes to reach these objectives have been considerably shrunk, and lost most of their top-ups under Next Generation EU. We will strive to secure improvements, including higher amounts, on future-oriented MFF programmes like Horizon, InvestEU, LIFE, Erasmus+. And if our conditions are not sufficiently met we will adopt the programmes on the basis of the existing MFF, as foreseen by the Treaty”, warned the members of the EP’s negotiating team.

“The compromise is also a flagrant missed opportunity when it comes to modernising the revenue side, making it fairer and more transparent. The EU is now allowed to borrow funds but there is no certainty on how the debt will be repaid. Parliament has been clear: the recovery should not reduce investment capacities nor harm the national taxpayer. This is why new genuine own resources are the solution to repay the common debt, but the plastic-based contribution will not do the trick alone! We recall our strict demand to that respect: a binding commitment for the introduction of additional own resources as soon as 2021, and still in the course of the MFF 2021-2027. Furthermore, despite the United Kingdom leaving the EU, the insistence on the rebates has been extremely tough and results in a big step back for the European project: instead of being abolished, rebates are kept and even increased.

Additionally, Parliament remains firmly against watering down the mechanism to reduce or suspend EU funding if a Member State disrespects the rule of law, and this issue should not be put off but addressed now. Parliament has stood ready to enter into negotiations under co-decision to continue building a Europe of fundamental rights.

Parliament remains ready to immediately enter negotiations in order to achieve a better agreement for Europe”, the MEPs added.


The EP’s negotiating team for the next long-term EU budget and Own Resources reform

Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE), Chair of the Committee on Budgets

Jan Olbrycht (EPP, PL), MFF co-rapporteur

Margarida Marques (S&D, PT), MFF co-rapporteur

José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Valérie Hayer (RENEW, FR), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA, DE)


Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1205126942384676866?s=20


Next steps

The Council will now finalise its mandate to enter negotiations with Parliament, which will have a final say before the 2021-2027 budget can enter into force. The current multiannual budget runs out on 31 December 2020.

Parliament will set out its conditions and take up negotiations with the German Presidency of the Council of the EU as soon as possible.

President Sassoli press conference on outcome of EU summit | News | European Parliament

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President Sassoli press conference on outcome of EU summit | News | European Parliament

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== President Sassoli press conference on outcome of EU summit | News | European Parliament

EP President David Sassoli will hold a press conference at 11.00 tomorrow morning (22 July) on the conclusions of the EU summit on the revised Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and Recovery Plan proposals. It will take place immediately after a first assessment of the EUCO deal by Parliament’s political group leaders.

  • Follow the briefing LIVE on EP MMC  or EbS.

Journalists are welcome to attend the press conference in person, respecting the precautionary measures in force (see below), or participate remotely via Skype.

Parliament will be using an interactive virtual press environment (with interpretation) based on Skype TX, in conjunction with the traditional EbS and web-streaming services.

If you are unable to attend and wish to ask a question:

  • You will need a SKYPE account;
  • Connect to VOXBOXEP and write your name and media organisation in the chat box.

Please use headphones and a microphone for better sound quality.

The system will be managed by Parliament’s media services and you will be placed in a queue (virtual waiting room) before being invited to ask your question(s).

If you have any trouble connecting, you can contact: +32 22834220 or use the Skype chat box.

After asking a question / listening to the reply (and any follow-up), you should then disconnect from Skype so that the next journalist in line can be connected to the press briefing room.

You only need to connect through Skype if you wish to ask a question.

REMINDER: working conditions in Parliament for journalists in light of Coronavirus

As of 13 May, it is mandatory to wear a community mask that covers the mouth and nose at all times while in Parliament’s buildings. This is to continue to ensure Parliament’s operational capacity, while at the same time avoiding health risks for Members, staff and other persons working in and visiting the European Parliament. In addition, as of Monday 15 June, temperature controls are being carried out on all persons entering Parliament’s premises.

However, journalists may remove their mask for the duration of a recording (stand-ups, interviews, studio recordings) or when asking a question in the press room, if the social distancing measures are respected. The press room on the ground floor (Paul-Henri Spaak building) is also now open again for those who need to work from Parliament, though social distancing rules remain in force.

Please refrain from coming to EP premises if you present any symptoms of a respiratory infection, if you have knowingly been in contact with an infected person in the last 14 days or if you have been to regions with very high transmission rates.

First-ever World Chess Day, helps calm nerves during COVID-19 pandemic

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First-ever World Chess Day, helps calm nerves during COVID-19 pandemic

“Today is a day of celebration for an intellectual game that for centuries has managed to entertain, stimulate and sometimes even confound millions of us, the world over”, Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General of UN Global Communications said, at a virtual commemorative event.

“And as we celebrate, we remind ourselves of the special value that a game such as chess is bringing to so many people during this awful COVID-19 pandemic”, she added.

In her keynote address, the UN communications chief noted that the pandemic represents a physical, social and economic crisis – imposing restrictions on everyone and rendering sports that can be played online, or at a safe physical distance, more important than ever. 

“They feed our lifelong sense of play…nurture our passion and enthusiasm… refresh our minds and bodies…distract us from troubles, and reduce our anxieties”, said Ms. Fleming.

According to reports, the pandemic has spurred a surge in chess, with more players coming together online, to compete and enjoy the game.

Multifaceted purpose

The UN has long recognized that sport, along with the arts and physical activity, has the power to change perceptions, prejudices and behaviours, as well as to break down racial and political barriers.

Playing sport can break down discrimination, defuse conflict, promote education, sustainable development, peace and social inclusion – at local, regional and international levels.

Combining sport, scientific thinking and artistic flair, chess is one of the most ancient, intellectual and cultural of games, according to the UN.

It is affordable, inclusive and can be played anywhere; across barriers of language, age, gender, physical ability or social status.

And because chess promotes fairness and mutual respect, it can contribute to an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations.

Supporting the global goals

Chess also offers important opportunities to implement the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 

“The UN is mainstreaming sport initiatives into its work towards development and peace, part of our wider efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”, affirmed Ms. Fleming.

This is being done by strengthening education; realizing gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.

“Increasingly people realize that sport can act as an enabler of sustainable development, peace and social inclusion”, she added.

A tool to improve the world

Moderating the event, Armenia’s UN Ambassador Mher Margaryan said that chess was an “essential part of Armenia’s culture, having earned our country, with a population of three million people, the title of Olympic and world champion”.

Arkady Dvorkovich, President of the International Federation of Chess (FIDE) noted that he looked forward to making chess “a tool to improve the world”.

Also taking part in the event, the fifteenth world chess champion, groundbreaking Indian grandmaster, Viswanathan Anand, reflected on the long history of chess as a masterful “game of strategy”. 

The General Assembly unanimously adopted the resolution designating the 20th of July as World Chess Day, last year. 

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== First-ever World Chess Day, helps calm nerves during COVID-19 pandemic© UNICEF/Jannatul Mawa

Teenage girls play chess at their club in Jamalpur, Bangladesh..

Young innovators vying for top UN environmental prize

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Representing five regions of the world, they will compete for the Young Champions of the Earth prize, the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) announced on Monday.

UPDATE? 35 regional finalists were shortlisted to win the @UN‘s highest environmental honor for youth, the UNEP #YoungChamps prize. Whose big ideas to protect or restore the environment will win? Stay tuned, the winners will be announced in December. https://t.co/1zwM8RkkoB

— UN Environment Programme (@UNEP) July 20, 2020

Pandemic no deterrent

“Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cutting-edge solutions presented by this year’s Young Champions finalists, are truly remarkable. It is clear that this pandemic did not shut down the fight for a better world. Instead, it has reminded us of what’s at stake in our battle for the planet, and highlights how building back better will help address the climate crisis and preserve human and planetary health”, said UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

The Young Champions of the Earth prize is the UN’s highest environmental honour for youth.

The global competition celebrates outstanding individuals aged between 18 and 30 who have big ideas to protect or restore the environment.

The 35 finalists were selected from 845 applicants who presented groundbreaking and scalable solutions to some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. More information about them can be found here.

A global jury will choose the seven overall winners: one from each region, and two from Asia-Pacific. Their names will be announced in December.

Bringing ideas to life

Each Young Champion will receive $10,000 in seed funding and tailored support to bring their ideas to life, as well as access to powerful networks and mentors.

“Young people all around the world are raising awareness about the wrong choices we have made and the impact of environmental destruction on their future”, said Ms. Andersen.

“We are committed to providing young changemakers a voice, a platform and the opportunity to make their journey a success, while inspiring millions more around the world.”

The UN environment chief will serve on the jury to choose this year’s winners. Other members will include the UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth, Jayathma Wickramanayake; UNEP’s Supporter for Creative Economy, Roberta Annan, and Chief Executive Officer of the UN Foundation, Elizabeth Cousens.

The prize is sponsored by Covestro, described as the world’s leader in polymer solutions. The company manufactures products used in many areas of daily life, serving the automotive, construction and wood processing industries, among others.

Article – Quiz: test your EU knowledge

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ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Article - Quiz: test your EU knowledge

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Article - Quiz: test your EU knowledgeHow well do you know the EU? Find out by taking part in our EU for beginners quiz.

Source : © European Union, 2020 – EP

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