Britain‘s first zero-waste theater has opened its doors in London

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29 June 2023

Solidarity with Ukraine must remain at the top of our agenda | News

The events in Russia have raised a number of questions relating to its internal dynamics and the fragility of their systems as well as its effects on the invasion of Ukraine and on European security as a whole.

Solidarity with Ukraine must remain at the top of our agenda. It is as existential to Ukraine as it is to Europe. We need to hold steady – even if in the coming months things get harder for Ukraine.

In this respect, I welcome the 11th package of sanctions and the additional €50 billion in support for Ukraine’s repair, recovery and reconstruction announced last week.

Stepping up will require that we deliver on the promises we have made on opening EU membership negotiations. Ukraine’s commitment and substantial efforts on its path for reform, including on meeting the requirements for its EU candidate status, have been extraordinary.

We must be ready to take membership negotiations to the next stage when the reform criteria have been sufficiently met – and I hope it will happen sooner rather than later.

Strengthening our defence-related industrial base, improving innovation, reducing our dependencies, becoming more autonomous and building trust must be central to our new security and defence policy. The political agreement we reached this week on the joint procurement in defence will help Member States restock their defence needs and become more interoperable. It will also help Ukrainians, who count on our delivery of weapons and ammunition.

The progress on our negotiations on the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) is also encouraging and I remain convinced that, after the Parliament adopted its position a month ago, we will reach a political agreement in the coming weeks.

Together we are matching demand with supply. We are matching rhetoric with action. We are delivering.

And now we need to deliver on a new security and defence architecture where we ensure that the EU and NATO are able to complement each other, without creating duplications or giving the impression of competition.

We also have to deliver on migration. It is urgent. Last week the cemetery of the Mediterranean claimed the lives of another 300 people, many of whom will never be identified. That’s another 300 dreams shattered. Another 300 families forever broken.

We have made important progress. The European Parliament stands ready to work – constructively – to find a way forward by the end of this legislature that respects borders, that is fair with those in need of protection, firm with those who are not eligible, and that breaks the business model of traffickers preying on the vulnerable. It must be our laws and legal framework that create the rules, not trafficking networks. The longer we wait, the stronger the networks become and the more lives will be lost. Frontex plays an important and crucial role here.

We also cannot ignore the external dimension of this issue. We have a role that allows us to invest and cooperate more with countries in Africa. However, we cannot make the age-old mistake of talking to Africa only when it comes to migration. We need to engage strategically on investments, on joint projects and in a spirit of partnership. We must talk with, not talk to, and understand that if we withdraw then countries in Africa will simply seek other partners.

We have to re-evaluate the way we interact around the globe. Re-balancing our political and economic relations with key partners across the world. With Latin American democracies on critical raw materials and trade deals that are crucial in advancing our digital and green transition.

We also need to engage more with countries like India.

The European Union is India’s third largest trading partner and second largest export destination. We share many priorities, including the fight against climate change, technology and security. There are so many opportunities that are untapped.

Europe has been the most influential global actor in advancing the international agenda on decarbonisation, energy diversification and the fight against climate change. This is important. But we need to be become better at cushioning the economic and social impact of all these decisions. We have to better explain how we are doing this and why it matters.

People must have confidence in the process and they must be able to afford it. We need to listen more and listen harder to our citizens, to our businesses, to our young people. We have to have the foresight to know how to keep people with us.

Inflation remains persistent. Households are faced with a real-wage decline. The European Central Bank is helping to tackle this through increasing interest rates. But that too has a social impact that we would be wrong to ignore.

That is why, if we want to be serious about implementing our priorities and remaining credible, we need an EU budget that is fit for purpose.

It is time to put in place new own resources. As we re-pay NextGenerationEU debt, new sources of revenue must be made available. It cannot come at the expense of long-standing Union policies and programmes.

Tied to this is the need to adapt our long-term EU budget to reflect our current reality. There can be no doubt that, since the adoption of the current Multiannual Financial Framework in 2020, the world has changed and we must change with it. We have been calling for a revision of the MFF for years and the Parliament stands ready to play its part. This – incidentally – is also critical for infrastructure projects that can help in defence and security terms – like railways that also double as critical military mobility lines. Some of these decisions require unanimity and we will all have a role to play.

It is about future proofing our economies. And how we return this project of ours stronger than we found it.

The coming months need to be about delivery. The process for us to agree on an election period already proved difficult. The default date is based on a 1979 reality when the Union only had nine Member States. We need a collective rethink on how the date is identified. We are now discussing the composition of Parliament – you have our proposal on the electoral law, but coming to a position in Council is proving too difficult. The one thing we know about our project is that if we standstill, we will stagnate.

We have a proposal for a convention building on our extensive Conference on the Future of Europe. We need to be ready for enlargement so while Moldova, Ukraine and others in the Western Balkans are reforming and getting ready – we need to do the same.

It is time for a collective shift in thinking. Many have already positioned themselves in this geopolitical change. We must be ready to do the same.

Thank you.

Child health: More focus needed on earliest years, urges WHO

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United Nations News

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29 June 2023

Child health: More focus needed on earliest years, urges WHO

The report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Children’s Fund UNICEF find that the first years of a child’s life provide “irreplicable opportunities to improve lifelong health, nutrition and well-being” according to a press release.

It tracks progress against the global Nurturing care framework, which provides guidance on supporting the healthy physical, intellectual, and emotional development of young children.

Table of Contents

Protecting development

This framework promotes an integrated approach to early childhood development, covering nutrition, health, safety and security, early learning, and responsive caregiving as essential areas for interventions.

“Early childhood development provides a critical window to improve health and well-being across life with impacts that resonate even into the next generation,” said Dr. Anshu Banerjee, Director of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing at WHO.

“While this report shows encouraging progress, greater investment is needed in these foundational early years so that children everywhere have the best possible start for a healthy life ahead.”

A child’s early experiences have a profound impact on their overall health and development.

They affect health, growth, learning, behaviour and, ultimately, adult social relationships, well-being, and earnings. The period from pregnancy to the age of three is when the brain develops fastest, with over 80 per cent of neural development happening during this time, said WHO.

Expanding commitment

According to the report, government efforts overall to boost early childhood development have increased since the framework was launched five years ago.

Close to 50 per cent more countries have developed related policies or plans, and services have expanded.

In a recent rapid survey, more than 80 per cent of responding countries reported training frontline workers to support families in providing early learning activities and responsive caregiving.

Children and caregivers

Increased investments are needed to scale up services and demonstrate impact, especially among vulnerable populations. Ensuring adequate support for children with developmental difficulties and addressing caregiver psychosocial wellbeing are also key, according to the report.

“To improve the health of children, we must not only focus on meeting their immediate physical needs, but also ensure they are able to learn effectively, and develop positive, emotionally rewarding relations with people around them,” said Dr. Bernadette Daelmans, Head of Child Health and Development at WHO.

Cohesive efforts are needed with dedicated financing, across a range of different sectors, the report notes, including health, education, sanitation, and protection services.

Family-friendly policies supporting equitable access to affordable, high-quality childcare are also important.

‘The world is failing the Haitian people’ warns UNICEF chief

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United Nations News

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29 June 2023

‘The world is failing the Haitian people’ warns UNICEF chief

Briefing correspondents at UN Headquarters in New York just a few days after visiting Haiti along with the head of the World Food Programme (WFP), Catherine Russell said “the current situation of insecurity is unacceptable.

“Women and children are dying. Schools and public spaces should always be safe. Collectively the world is failing the Haitian people.”

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‘Barely functional’

An estimated 5.2 million – close to half the population – need humanitarian support, including three million children.

Institutions and services children rely on “are barely functional” the Executive Director warned, while violent armed groups control more than 60 per cent of the capital Port au Prince, and parts of the country’s most fertile agricultural areas.

“Haitians and our team there tell me it’s never been worse” she said, with unprecedented malnutrition, grinding poverty, a crippled economy, and a continuing cholera outbreak.

All this “while flooding and earthquakes continue to remind us just how vulnerable Haiti is to climate change and natural disasters”, she added.

UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell visits a health centre in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Raped and burnt alive

Ms. Russell recounted some of the shocking testimony she had heard talking to women and girls at a centre for survivors of gender-based violence, which has now reached “staggering levels”.

“An 11-year-old girl told me in the softest of voices that five men had grabbed her off the street. Three of them raped her. She was eight months pregnant when we spoke – and gave birth just a few days later.

“One woman told me that armed men had barged into her house and raped her. She said her 20-year-old sister resisted so strongly that they killed her by setting her on fire. Then they burned down their house.”

The UNICEF chief said she had heard many similar stories, “part of a new strategy” by armed groups.

“They rape girls and women, and they burn their homes to make them more vulnerable and more easily controlled. Because if they break the women, they’ve broken the foundation of the communities.”

Room for hope

She said amid the horror, there had been “some hope” – in the form of extraordinary teachers, health workers, paediatricians, and young people themselves: “A 13-year-old girl, Serafina, told me that she picked doctor as a profession because ‘I love when people take care of other people’.

“These children are what the parents of Haiti are pinning their hopes on. We should all be doing the same.”

The UNICEF chief said she was very proud of the UN humanitarians doing their best on the ground, most of the Haitians. “Many have had to move homes, some multiple times, to find safety from the violence and kidnappings for ransom.”

Act now

She said a bare minimum of $720 million is needed for humanitarian support but less than a quarter of that had been received.

Ms. Russell outlined urgent steps she said need to be taken, including providing immediate extra funding and a better response, a long-term and sustained humanitarian effort, preparedness and resilience-building for natural disasters to come and improved protection for humanitarians.

‘Not irreversible’

Her briefing followed a statement on Wednesday from the recently-appointed independent UN human rights expert on Haiti, William O’Neill who has just concluded a 10 day fact finding mission.

The Human Rights Council-appointed expert who has long experience in the country having helped set up the National Police in 1995, said beyond the gang violence and displacement, land grabs by oligarchs in the northeast had made conditions worse for thousands already living on the edge.

In this context of chronic insecurity, the Haitian authorities face immense challenges. But the situation is not irreversible”, he said.

“Much can be done to address the structural and economic challenges that have led to the current crisis. And this, quickly, and with few means. The State has a fundamental role to play in this regard, as guarantor of the human rights of the population.”

International force needed

Mr. O’Neill said the deployment of a “specialized international force” alongside national police, was “essential to restore the freedom of movement of populations.”

He added that an embargo on arms coming mainly from the United States, established by the UN Security Council, must be immediately implemented.

He said Haiti was at a turning point. “It is urgent to take action. The survival of an entire nation is at stake. The country has the choice to recover, to demonstrate its will to overcome the crisis to move towards a better future or to resign itself and sink further into chaos.

“Ensuring the security and protection of the population, overcoming structural institutional shortcomings, and restoring confidence in public institutions are fundamental prerequisites for holding free and transparent elections and for consolidating the rule of law.”

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts such as Mr. O’Neill, serve in their individual capacity and are independent of any Government or Organization. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.

Syrians facing ‘ever worsening’ conditions, top UN officials warn

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United Nations News

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29 June 2023

Syrians facing ‘ever worsening’ conditions, top UN officials warn

“The violence and suffering of the Syrian people remind us of what is at stake as diplomatic efforts continue on Syria,” said Najat Rochdi, UN Deputy Special Envoy for the country. “Ultimately, we need a nationwide ceasefire in line with Security Council resolution 2254.”

Table of Contents

Worsening crisis

Briefing on current conditions, she said recent reports have tracked deadly drone attacks, shelling, terrorist attacks, and a spate of pro-Government airstrikes.

“Syrians face an ever-worsening humanitarian crisis,” she said.

Against this backdrop, Syrians still face massive displacement, an acute economic crisis, and the tragedy of the detained, disappeared, and missing, she said.

“All of these factors show us why it is so important for renewed diplomacy to translate into real solutions to meet the immediate concerns of the Syrian people, build some trust and confidence among the parties, and move forward towards a political solution,” she stressed.

“Syrians’ needs must be at the centre of our approach, and humanitarian action must be depoliticized,” she added.

Martin Griffiths, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria.

Humanitarian update

Martin Griffiths, the UN Humanitarian Affairs chief and Emergency Relief Coordinator, echoed that call.

“Twelve years of conflict, economic collapse, and other factors have pushed 90 per cent of the population below the poverty line,” he said, adding that a recent visit to the Syrian capital of Damascus left him “with a greater sense of the profound humanitarian challenges but also the urgent opportunities facing Syria”.

Amid the ongoing violence, sharply rising food prices, recovery from the devastating earthquakes in February, and a spreading cholera outbreak, he said the humanitarian community’s “best chance” to improve the future of the Syrian people is further expanding early recovery activities.

Cross-border aid lifelines

Equally important is the Council’s 12-month renewal of its resolution on cross-border operations, which will improve humanitarian conditions, he said.

Calling for increased international support, he said the UN and its partners currently “have limited means to help the most vulnerable people in Syria”, with the $5.4 billion UN humanitarian response plan less than 12 per cent funded.

He said a $200 million deficit will force the World Food Programme (WFP) to slash by 40 per cent its emergency food aid to Syrians for next month.

“The humanitarian response in Syria is at a critical juncture, as is the future of Syria itself,” he said. “Considerable challenges are apparent, but so are important opportunities if we can leverage recovery funding, if we can continue to be present in northwest and northeast Syria, and if we can turn our attention to sectors which have such a central role in determining basic needs”, such as electricity and water.

“We can only address these issues if we can make our presence one of partnership and support to the people who suffered these many years,” he said.

Finding 100,000 missing Syrians

On Thursday afternoon, the UN General Assembly will meet to vote on a draft resolution to establish a first-of-its-kind institution that will work to reveal the fate of an estimated 100,000 people missing or forcibly disappeared in Syria.

Deputy Special Envoy Rochdi said many of the families of the missing are looking to the world body’s vote today “with hope that a new entity dedicated to the issue of missing persons in Syria could bring some measure of relief” to those in and outside the country “who have been demanding their right to know the truth”.

Security Council extends UNDOF mandate

In other business, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Disengagement Force (UNDOF), established in 1974 to, among other things, maintain a ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

For more details on this and other meetings occurring throughout the UN system, visit our dedicated UN Meetings Coverage page.

European Parliament Press Kit for the European Council of 29 and 30 June 2023 | News

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29 June 2023

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230609IPR96211/meps-look-ahead-to-next-eu-summit

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will represent the European Parliament at the summit, address the heads of state or government at 15.00 and hold a press conference after her speech.

When: Press conference at around 15.30 on 29 June

Where: European Council press room and via EbS.

EU leaders will meet to discuss the latest developments in Russia, its war of aggression against Ukraine and the EU’s continued support for the country, as well as EU migration and asylum policy. They will also discuss cooperation on security and defence matters, the economic situation in the EU as well as relations with China and the upcoming summit with Latin American and Caribbean states.

Additional information can be found on the European Parliament’s website.

Plenary debate ahead of the European Council meeting

In a debate on 14 June, MEPs outlined their expectations for the 29-30 June EU summit, in light of recent events in Ukraine and progress towards concluding the EU’s Migration Pact. They denounced the destruction of Ukraine’s Nova Kakhovka dam, the latest war crime committed by Russia that must have consequences, called for the EU to continue to strongly support Ukraine, for new sanctions against Russia, and for the billions of frozen assets by Russian oligarchs to be used to reconstruct Ukraine.

On migration and asylum, some MEPs welcomed the agreement reached by member states as a step forward that will help improve the treatment and reception of refugees, better protect the EU’s external borders, and enable the EU to fight human trafficking more effectively. Some speakers also stressed that the EU must do more to fight the causes of migration and that it needs to cooperate more with third countries. Others criticised the debate as toxic and driven by fear, noting that strengthened borders will not lead to fewer refugees and that the deal in Council de facto abolishes the right to asylum in the EU.

Further reading

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine

In the resolution adopted on 15 June, MEPs call on NATO allies to honour their commitment to Ukraine and pave the way for Kyiv to be invited to join the defence alliance. They stress that they expect that the “accession process will start after the war is over and be finalised as soon as possible”. Until full membership is achieved, the EU and its member states, together with NATO allies and like-minded partners, must work closely with Ukraine to develop a temporary framework for security guarantees, MEPs say, which is to be implemented immediately after the war.

MEPs condemned in the strongest possible terms Russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam on 6 June, which constitutes a war crime, and call for a comprehensive and adequate EU recovery package for Ukraine that should focus on the country’s immediate, medium- and long-term relief, reconstruction and recovery.

Parliament also reiterated its support for the European Council’s decision to grant Ukraine EU candidate status last year and ask for a clear pathway for the start of accession negotiations, which, with enough support, could begin already this year.

On 9 May plenary approved a proposal to renew the suspension of import duties, anti-dumping duties and safeguards on Ukrainian exports to the European Union for another year, against the background of Russia’s war of aggression that is hampering Ukraine’s ability to trade with the rest of the world. The suspension of tariffs applies to fruits and vegetables subject to the entry price system, as well as agricultural products and processed agricultural products subject to tariff-rate quotas. Industrial products have been subject to zero duties since 1 January 2023 under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement, so they are not included in the new proposal.

Further reading

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230609IPR96214/parliament-calls-on-nato-to-invite-ukraine-to-join-the-alliance

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230524IPR91909/meps-endorse-plan-to-provide-more-ammunition-for-ukraine

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230505IPR84918/meps-renew-trade-support-measures-for-ukraine

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/priorities/ukraine

MEPs to contact:

David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew, FR) Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence

Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE) Standing Rapporteur on Ukraine

Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT) Standing Rapporteur on Russia

Security and Defence

Proceeding under the urgent procedure, MEPs endorsed on 1 June the legislative proposal on the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), tabled by the European Commission on 3 May. The aim is to deliver ammunition and missiles urgently to Ukraine and to help member states refill their stocks. By introducing targeted measures including €500 million in financing, the Act aims to ramp up the EU’s production capacity and address the current shortage of ammunition, missiles and their components.

On 27 June, Parliament and Council reached a deal on new rules to incentivise EU countries to jointly procure defence products and support the EU’s defence industry. The new regulation will establish a short-term instrument to boost the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA), until 31 December 2024. The tool should help member states fill their most urgent and critical defence needs, especially exacerbated by their transfers of defence products to Ukraine, in a voluntary and collaborative way.

It should also help to foster the competitiveness and efficiency of the European Defence Technological and industrial base, including SMEs and mid-capitalisation companies, by ramping up manufacturing and opening supply chains to cross-border cooperation. At least three member states are needed to activate common procurement, which will cover defence products as defined in Article 2 of Directive 2009/81/EC, including combat medical equipment.

Further reading

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230524IPR91909/meps-endorse-plan-to-provide-more-ammunition-for-ukraine

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230626IPR00817/eu-defence-deal-on-joint-procurement-of-defence-products

MEPs to contact:

David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

Nathalie LOISEAU (Renew, FR) Chair of the Subcommittee on Security and Defence

Michael GAHLER (EPP, DE) Standing Rapporteur on Ukraine and on EDIRPA

Andrius KUBILIUS (EPP, LT) Standing Rapporteur on Russia

Zdzisław KRASNODĘBSKI (ECR, PL), rapporteur for the Industry, Research and Energy Committee on EDIRPA

Migration and asylum policy

On migration and asylum, Parliament adopted its negotiating position for talks with Council on 20 April 2023.

Asylum and migration management

The negotiating mandate for the central piece of legislation of the Asylum and Migration Package, on asylum and migration management, was backed by MEPs with 413 votes in favour, 142 against and 20 abstentions. The draft regulation establishes improved criteria to determine which member state is responsible for processing an asylum application (the so-called ‘Dublin’ criteria) and would ensure responsibility is shared fairly between countries. It includes a binding solidarity mechanism to assist countries experiencing migratory pressure, including following search and rescue operations at sea.

Screening of third-country nationals

The decision to start negotiations on this new regulation was confirmed with 419 votes in favour, 126 against and 30 abstentions. For the centralised system on conviction information (ECRIS-TCN) negotiations, the result was 431 votes in favour, 121 against and 25 abstentions. These rules will apply at EU borders to persons who do not in principle fulfil the entry conditions of an EU member state. They include identification, fingerprinting, security checks, and preliminary health and vulnerability assessment. In their amendments, MEPs added an independent fundamental rights monitoring mechanism that would also verify border surveillance, in order to make sure that possible pushbacks are reported and investigated.

Crisis situation

The decision to start negotiations for the crisis situations regulation was confirmed with 419 votes in favour, 129 against and 30 abstentions. The text focuses on sudden mass arrivals of third country nationals leading to a crisis situation in a particular member state that would, based on a Commission assessment, include mandatory relocations and derogations of screening and asylum procedures.

Long-term resident directive

By 391 to 140 and 25 abstentions, MEPs endorsed a negotiating mandate for proposed changes to the current long-term resident directive. These include granting EU long-term permits after three years of legal residence more quickly than before and the possibility to integrate persons enjoying temporary protection status. EU long-term residents would be able to move to another EU country without additional work restrictions and their dependent children would automatically be granted the same status.

Further reading

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230419IPR80906/asylum-and-migration-parliament-confirms-key-reform-mandates

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230327IPR78520/first-green-light-given-to-the-reform-of-eu-asylum-and-migration-management

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230327IPR78519/new-rules-on-screening-of-irregular-migrants-and-faster-asylum-procedures

MEPs to contact

Juan Fernando LÓPEZ AGUILAR (S&D, ES), Chair of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, rapporteur for the regulation for Crisis and Force majeure

Tomas TOBÉ (EPP, SE), rapporteur for the Regulation for Asylum and Migration Management

Birgit SIPPEL (S&D, DE), rapporteur for the Screening Regulation

Fabienne KELLER (Renew, FR), rapporteur for the Asylum Procedures regulation

Relations with China

Against the backdrop of China’s continued rise as a political and economic powerhouse on the world stage, MEPs discussed on 18 April the need for a coherent strategy on the superpower. MEPs were united in their call for an effective, consistent and unified strategy on China. We cannot be confrontational, but our policy should be based on reciprocity, mutual respect and respect of international law, they said. The EU has to defend its economic interests and values.

Some MEPs criticised the recent statement by French President Macron on Taiwan, deeming it naive to say Taiwan does not concern Europe. They also pointed out that the delivery of arms to Russia and changing the status quo on Taiwan are not acceptable for the EU. Against the backdrop of China’s oppression of the Uyghurs and other minorities in the Xinjiang region, some Members urged the EU to keep pushing Beijing to respect human rights, saying these rights are not an afterthought to the EU’s foreign policy, but rather constitute the core of it.

Further reading

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230414IPR80115/meps-call-for-clarity-and-unity-in-policy-on-china

MEPs to contact

Reinhard BÜTIKOFER (Greens/EFA, DE),Chair of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China

EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) summit

After visiting Brazil and Uruguay from 14 to 20 May, MEPs in the International Trade Committee concluded that “there was a general mutual understanding in both countries that the upcoming months are an excellent window of opportunity” to finalise the EU-Mercosur Association Agreement and bring its ratification forward during the second half of 2023. In this regard, the upcoming third EU-CELAC summit of heads of state or government, taking place in Brussels on 17-18 July 2023, could give crucial impetus to the process, both sides agree.

On 21-22 June, a delegation of MEPs from the Foreign Affairs Committee visited Brasília for talks with high-level representatives of the Brazilian government, members of the National Congress, civil society groups and think tanks. Among other things, they also discussed trade, the EU-Mercosur agreement, geopolitical challenges in Latin America, the upcoming EU-CELAC summit, as well as how to revamp EU-Brazil relations after the election of Lula da Silva as President of Brazil.

Further reading

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230512IPR88601/trade-committee-delegation-to-visit-brazil-and-uruguay

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20230622IPR00401/foreign-affairs-committee-delegation-ends-visit-to-brazil

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/INTA-CR-749288_EN.pdf

MEPs to contact

David McALLISTER, (EPP, DE) Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs

Bernd Lange (S&D, DE), Chair of the International Trade Committee

Jordi Cañas (RENEW, ES), Chair of the Delegation for relations with Mercosur and standing rapporteur for Mercosur

Javi LÓPEZ (S&D, ES), Chair of the Delegation to the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly

How can building owners, construction contractors better see advantages to energy efficiency renovations?

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29 June 2023

A better understanding is needed of how owners, construction contractors and installers interact and perceive possible advantages of renovating their houses, apartments and other buildings to improve energy efficiency. This would help bolster European policies to shift the building sector to a carbon-neutral future. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published today explores the behaviours of these actors in the building sector and how they can influence decisions on whether and when to invest in energy renovations.

Buildings currently account for more than one third of energy-related EU greenhouse gas emissions. Renovations to improve their energy performance can contribute significantly to achieving the EU’s goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050 according to the EEA briefing ‘Accelerating the energy efficiency renovation of residential buildings — a behavioural approach’. To achieve this, the energy renovation rate needs to at least double from its current level. This will demand considerable investment.

Policy makers can better account for the drivers and barriers related to renovation investments if they take better account of human behavioural factors involved in such decisions. This requires a better understanding of the different actors involved in making decisions on improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings, as well as their respective motivations.

For instance, owners play a key role in making decisions to invest in renovations. For them, improvements to living and building conditions for themselves or for tenants are amongst the most important drivers of investing in energy efficiency renovations. Reducing energy consumption is sometimes perceived as only a side benefit, according to the EEA analysis. However, the energy price crisis of last year has increased awareness of consumption levels and the importance of improving energy efficiency to reduce energy bills. The perceived level of effort and potential disruption required to complete energy renovations, and uncertainties on the outcome of the investment are also key.

Construction contractors and installers are influential through the advice they provide to owners and in turn are influenced by factors such as the culture and social influence of their workplaces and the behaviour of their peers.

In the design of policies, considering stakeholders’ motives to invest and the heterogeneity of population groups could help to increase the rate of energy efficiency renovations. This could involve better designing communication actions (like targeting the most influential stakeholders, addressing key trigger points) and tailoring interventions (like one-stop shops, financial support) to specific target groups.

Even if the renovation rate does increase, a rebound effect may jeopardise the resulting increases in energy efficiency. Addressing behavioural factors can help to mitigate the rebound effect after renovation.

The EEA briefing concludes that behavioural initiatives should not be regarded as stand-alone solutions. Rather, they should be seen as part of a holistic approach to policymaking that combines behavioural insights and traditional approaches based on economic instruments and pricing.

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70 years of the European Parliament celebrated at the Royal Palace

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European Parliament

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29 June 2023

To mark the 70th anniversary of the European Parliament and in the run-up to the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union to be held in the first half of 2024, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola will be received by Their Majesties the King and Queen at the Château de Laeken.

Parliament political groups’ leaders, Bureau members and committees’ chairs will also be among the guests. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday from 19:00.

Background

10 September 2022 marked the 70th anniversary of the first meeting of the Common Assembly of the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC). Convened in 1952, it comprised 78 appointed parliamentarians from the national parliaments of each member state.

In 1958, following the creation of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community, the Common Assembly of the ECSC was enlarged and renamed the ”European Parliamentary Assembly”. In 1962, it adopted the name “European Parliament”.

German delegate to the OSCE encourages Scientologists to seek FoRB protection when discriminated against by state agencies

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29 June 2023

EINPRESSWIRE // OSCE Viena – The protection of freedom of religion and belief is a fundamental pillar of democratic societies, and the issue of tolerance and non-discrimination is a major one that the OSCE – ODIHR approaches with civil society and participating states during their Human Dimension Implementation meetings and other events.

Last 26^th and 27^th of June, the Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting organized by OSCE ODIHR took place in Vienna. The North Macedonian Chair-In-Person was followed by most of the representatives of the participating states of the OSCE, and hundreds of grassroots NGOs to exchange and dialogue about the challenges and proposals for solutions.

The two-day meeting delved into the crucial role played by civil society organizations in promoting and safeguarding tolerance while combating discrimination. It also assessed the effectiveness and challenges through sometimes heated discussions on how to provide them with the necessary support and space to carry out their valuable work.

Participants concentrated on three interconnected themes. The initial session shed light on the strategies employed by civil society to foster respect for diversity among young people and tackle intolerance and hatred in the online realm through public educational initiatives. Scientology representative Ivan Arjona was the organizer of one of the eight side events that took place. He explained how the Human Rights online course sponsored by Scientology, and the “How to Solve Conflicts” course (this last one based on the discoveries of L. Ron Hubbard) can be beneficial to Scientologists and non-Scientologists. He elaborated on the tools that can be used to overcome more easily any attempt of discrimination and also help others to do the same in daily life.

Before the side event, during the session entitled “Civil Society Educational Efforts in Promoting Tolerance and Non-Discrimination”, Arjona, like a dozen of others, was given the floor.

He explained to the representatives of the 57 participating states and the hundreds of NGOs that some German public schools “had fostered and sponsored discrimination to minors, teaching propaganda about which religion not to learn about, and dehumanizing in some cases members of the Church of Scientology.” He further explained that “German authorities, despite over 50 court decisions telling the political powers and the judiciary to treat Scientology and Scientologists within the protection of the right to freedom of belief enshrined in the constitution, turn a deaf ear.

Too many continue to request local administrations or companies that receive public funding, to exclude Scientologists from public and private employments such as city gardeners or architects, to name just two.”

He demanded the authorities to stop this “decade’s long discrimination that forces individuals to spend their salaries or savings on having to defend their rights in court, in addition to the dehumanization that they have to endure when such discrimination happens”.

The German government representative unexpectedly asked to use her right to reply and confirmed in front of all delegations that:

“individual persons, who live by the teachings and standards of Scientology or of other religions, depending on the circumstances of the particular case, can claim the protection of Article 4 [Freedom of religion or worldview of the German Basic Law].”

The German official continued and encouraged Scientologist to seek religious freedom protection in court saying “Provided that members of the Scientology […] in Germany in individual cases consider to have been harmed in their basic rights by state agencies, have for that purpose all available remedies under the rule of law at their disposal. In the Federal Republic of Germany it is guaranteed that violations of basic rights can each be scrutinized in individual cases and that legal protection is available” she concluded.

The Scientology representative expressed his happiness for the positive change of language, which “is an important step forward to be cultivated”, and stressed that in fact, “Scientologists and their Church have been doing that for more than 40 years.” This has brought them to win over 50 court cases in Germany alone.

Arjona raises an important question: “With all these cases won by Scientology, and considering we are now well into the 21st century, an era of diversity, tolerance, and human rights, isn’t it time for German politics to take one additional simple step and put an end to the written and unwritten policies that perpetuate intolerance and discrimination against human beings?”

And to conclude, Arjona explains that experts in religious freedom worldwide share concerns regarding the sponsorship of hate speech and discrimination by German authorities against Scientologists. The numerous victories in over 50 court decisions shed light on the unjust treatment faced by Scientologists and expose the existence of structural bias that either fosters or, at the very least, condones these violations. A recent ruling of April 2022 by the Federal Supreme Administrative Court on a so-called ‘sect filter’ case serves as a significant milestone in the struggle for religious liberty. It emphasizes the importance of upholding constitutional guarantees and equal treatment under the law. This ruling should serve as a reminder to recognize and respect the rights of all religious minorities, ultimately fostering a more inclusive and tolerant society, “as it is happening in countries such as Spain, Holland, Portugal, United Kingdom, USA, Canada, South Africa and others where Scientology has been fully recognized as a bonafide religion,” ends Arjona.

Why is the dog staring at you?

By

Gaston de Persigny

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29 June 2023