NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force conduct SERE training

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    Members of the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force conduct Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 16-18, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Cadet Montana Widowski, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, operates a compass during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 16, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Cadet Montana Widowski, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, operates a compass during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 16, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Sgt. Daniel Daley, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, saws wood during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 17, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Sgt. Keenan Wilson, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, saws wood during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 17, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Spc. Ian Sholders, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, uses wood to create a shelter during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 17, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    Sgt. Daniel Daley, assigned to the Wyoming Cowboy Aviation Task Force, uses wood to create a shelter during Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) training at the Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming, on May 17, 2025. The scenario-based training prepares aviators to survive in the event of a crash, focusing on the five basic needs of survival: signaling, personal protection, health, travel techniques and sustenance. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Cesar Rivas)

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary Noem Honors Nicholas Quets, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Murdered by the Sinaloa Cartel

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    President Trump and Secretary Noem are dismantling drug cartels that profit from trafficking, violence, and lawlessness

    WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Homeland Security released a video featuring the parents of Nicholas Quets, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran who was viciously murdered by members of the Sinaloa cartel.

    On October 18th, 2024, Nicholas Quets traveled to Rocky Point, Mexico, where upon entry, he encountered a Sinaloa cartel checkpoint. These cartel members attempted to steal his pickup truck before shooting him in the back through his heart, ultimately taking his life at just 31 years old.

    Watch the video.

    President Trump and Secretary Noem have taken decisive action to dismantle drug cartels. On President Trump’s first day in office, he signed an executive order to designate drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This designation expands law enforcement and the government’s ability to crack down on cartels’ drug and sex trafficking operations in the U.S.

    On what would have been Nicholas Quets’ 32nd birthday, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against six individuals and seven entities allegedly involved in a money-laundering network supporting the Sinaloa cartel.

    Earlier this month, HSI along with the help of the Mexican government arrested Jacobo Regalado “J3” a high-ranking member of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico. He is responsible for hundreds of homicides and smuggling illicit drugs into the U.S.

    Additionally, earlier this month, Pedro Inzunza Noriega and Pedro Inzunza Coronel, key leaders of the Beltran Leyva Organization (BLO), a powerful and violent faction of the Sinaloa cartel that is believed to be the world’s largest known fentanyl production network, were charged with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and money laundering.

    “Nicholas Quets was a patriot who served our country honorably and was killed by these cartel cowards who shot him in the back. President Trump and Secretary Noem are honoring his memory by dismantling the Sinaloa cartel and other drug cartels that profit from trafficking, violence, and lawlessness,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “President Trump’s strong leadership and these arrests and prosecutions of scum-of-the-earth cartel leaders are delivering results. The days of unchecked cartel violence are over.”

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Secretary Noem Releases Statement After ICE Arrests Illegal Alien who Threatened to Assassinate President Donald J. Trump

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    WASHINGTON – Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem released the following statement after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested an illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump.

    “Thanks to our ICE officers, this illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump is behind bars,” said Secretary Kristi Noem. “This threat comes not even a year after President Trump was shot in Butler, Pennsylvania and less than two weeks after former FBI Director Comey called for the President’s assassination. All politicians and members of the media should take notice of these repeated attempts on President Trump’s life and tone down their rhetoric. I will continue to take all measures necessary to ensure the protection of President Trump.”

    On May 21, an ICE field intelligence officer received a handwritten letter in the mail from Ramon Morales Reyes, in which he promised to self-deport after he used his gun to shoot President Trump in the head at one of his rallies.

    On May 22, ICE arrested Ramon Morales-Reyes, a 54-year-old illegal alien from Mexico.

    Morales entered the U.S. illegally at least nine times between 1998-2005. His criminal record includes arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct with a domestic abuse modifier.

    He will remain in ICE custody at Dodge County Jail in Juneau, Wisconsin, pending his removal proceedings.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Do Not Travel to Venezuela

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    The State Department is warning Americans against travel to Venezuela and bordering areas for any reason. Americans who travel to Venezuela risk being wrongfully detained in prison for months or even years.

    Our simple message for Americans: Do NOT travel to Venezuela.

    — State Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

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    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FG7sd6lj4M

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hawaiʻi Congressional Delegation Calls For Answers From Navy On Proposal To Increase Training, Inert Bombings On Kaʻula Rock

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    HONOLULU – U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representatives Jill Tokuda (D-Hawai‘i) and Ed Case (D-Hawai‘i) pressed the U.S. Navy to publicly justify its ongoing training on Ka‘ula and the proposal to more than double the number of inert bombing and gunfire training exercises conducted on Ka‘ula in Kaua‘i County. The lawmakers called on the Navy to conduct a full environmental impact statement (EIS) and provide a clear national security rationale outlining the need to conduct this type of training at Ka‘ula.
    “In Hawai‘i, there is a significant level of mistrust with the Department of Defense as a whole, and the Navy in particular,” the delegation wrote. “As the Navy has now determined it would like to double the inert bombing and gunfire training it currently carries out on one of our smaller and uninhabited islands, we write to urge the Navy to provide more information about the impacts to Ka‘ula to satisfy the concerns from Kaua‘i residents and the state writ large. This additional due diligence by the Navy should include a national security justification for this expansion and explain to the public how this training is reasonable given the impacts to Ka‘ula and the surrounding community. The onus is on the Navy to demonstrate this need with proper analysis.”
    The delegation added, “Too many pressing questions concerning the use of Ka‘ula remain unanswered. As part of a comprehensive EIS, the Navy must assure the public that it has an effective plan and will allocate resources to environmental remediation on Ka‘ula. This will also allow the public to fully understand the impacts of this increased bombing on Ka‘ula’s environment. In parallel to conducting a comprehensive EIS, we request that the Navy also submit a study to Congress clearly outlining the pressing national security requirements for training at Ka‘ula. Both of these efforts are necessary to provide sufficient information to the public about ongoing and proposed expanded training at Ka‘ula.”
    The full text of the letter is below and available here.
    Secretary Phelan,
    We write with our concerns about the Navy’s proposal to expand the usage of the island of Ka‘ula for increased inert bombing and gunfire training by the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. In Hawai‘i, there is a significant level of mistrust with the Department of Defense as a whole, and the Navy in particular. As the Navy has now determined it would like to double the inert bombing and gunfire training it currently carries out on one of our smaller and uninhabited islands, we write to urge the Navy to provide more information about the impacts to Ka‘ula to satisfy the concerns from Kaua‘i residents and the state writ large. This additional due diligence by the Navy should include a national security justification for this expansion and explain to the public how this training is reasonable given the impacts to Ka‘ula and the surrounding community. The onus is on the Navy to demonstrate this need with proper analysis. To that end, we believe the Navy must conduct a comprehensive environmental impact statement (EIS) and a study to demonstrate the national security need to retain training at Ka‘ula.
    Too many pressing questions concerning the use of Ka‘ula remain unanswered. As part of a comprehensive EIS, the Navy must assure the public that it has an effective plan and will allocate resources to environmental remediation on Ka‘ula. This will also allow the public to fully understand the impacts of this increased bombing on Ka‘ula’s environment. In parallel to conducting a comprehensive EIS, we request that the Navy also submit a study to Congress clearly outlining the pressing national security requirements for training at Ka‘ula. Both of these efforts are necessary to provide sufficient information to the public about ongoing and proposed expanded training at Ka‘ula.
    Doubling the amount of training at Ka?ula is a significant step that warrants more information on the environmental impacts to the island. The State’s seabird sanctuary on Ka‘ula is home to thousands of seabirds, and the island’s sea cliffs are a resting place for endangered species like monk seals. Despite these known populations of wildlife, the draft environmental assessment does not contain sufficient analysis that impacts on wildlife would be “less than significant.” The public deserves a clear, comprehensive, and evidence-based EIS to demonstrate that the Navy has done its due diligence on the environmental impacts of these trainings.
    Ka‘ula is also surrounded by prime fishing waters that, should training surge from 12 to 31 times per year, would further limit Kaua‘i fishermen’s access. Kaua‘i fishermen have a right to be able to access the waters around Ka‘ula on a reasonable basis. The ongoing inert bombing activity limits fishing, which would only become more difficult with the Navy’s proposed increase in training.
    As a part of the military’s study and investigation into why access to Ka‘ula has a national security requirement that outweighs potential impacts to Ka‘ula’s environment, we request that the following questions be addressed:
    While any training can be justified as necessary to national security, how would a reduction or termination of access to Ka‘ula impact readiness in units operating in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) area of responsibility (AOR)?
    Why has the Navy not already built in more redundancies to address any readiness issues due to a lack of availability of training ranges?
    What is a tangible impact to readiness lost if Ka‘ula is not available for training? What specific impacts will the services experience to units and personnel who are impacted by this loss of access?
    How has the Navy determined that there is an irreplaceable need for access to Ka‘ula that cannot be fulfilled by an alternative site?
    Additionally, we request a separate response to the below questions no later than June 16th, 2025:
    Does the Navy plan to program specific environmental remediation funding, including to address existing and future ordnance cleanup?
    How does the Navy plan to protect regular and reliable access to Ka‘ula’s waters with the proposed substantial increase in trainings? What assurances can the Navy provide to the Kaua‘i public that disruptions to access would not significantly impede their right to fish?
    How will the Navy effectively plan for increased environmental impacts to the southern end of Ka‘ula?
    While Ka‘ula provides a unique training opportunity for sustained overwater flights with overland targets that mimic environments in the region, what gaps exist in readiness that demand doubling training activity to be combat-credible? Is there a substantive scheduling and access issue at other training ranges that uniquely warrants this substantive jump in training activity at Ka‘ula?
    We look forward to your prompt response to this letter and your engagement on this issue.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – High energy prices and the functioning of EU energy markets – E-002040/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002040/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Giorgio Gori (S&D), Stefano Bonaccini (S&D), Nicola Zingaretti (S&D), Yannis Maniatis (S&D), Dan Nica (S&D), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Irene Tinagli (S&D), Dario Nardella (S&D), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Bruno Gonçalves (S&D), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Bruno Tobback (S&D), Nicolás González Casares (S&D), Elena Sancho Murillo (S&D)

    In his speech at the closing ceremony of the COTEC summit in Coimbra, Mario Draghi stressed that high energy prices, combined with the weaknesses of the energy network, are ‘a threat to the survival of our industry, a major obstacle to our competitiveness and an unbearable burden for our households, and, if not addressed, the major threat to our decarbonisation strategy’.

    One of the key measures suggested by Draghi, alongside a vast, European-level investment plan to build the networks and interconnectors needed to support the penetration of renewable energy, is action to ‘reform how our energy market operates, working to loosen the link between the prices of gas and renewables’. Draghi had the following to say about this issue: ‘it is disheartening to see how Europe has become hostage to consolidated special interests. The European Commission, which has already created a taskforce on transparency, may also want to launch an independent investigation into the overall functioning of EU energy markets’.

    Given the above:

    Does the Commission intend to open such an investigation to assess the effectiveness and transparency of energy markets and, if necessary, consider alternative market design options?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Labour inspectorate staff in Europe – E-002064/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002064/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Anthony Smith (The Left)

    Labour inspectorate staff in Europe are in a dire situation.

    The Court of Auditors in France has reported that 16 % of labour inspector positions were cut between 2016 and 2021. The country has only around 1 700 labour inspectors left, with more than 20 million employees to protect and roughly two million businesses to inspect.

    Despite this, the Ministry of Labour is planning to slash the number of labour inspector posts open for recruitment – only 45 for 2025.

    While the International Labour Organization recommends a one labour inspector per 10 000 employees, in practice the ratio is often one inspector to more than 15 000 employees.

    Many Member States are in similar situations. This state of affairs makes it impossible to transpose EU legislation.

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to ensure Member States comply with international labour inspection obligations, particularly so as to check EU rules are transposed?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to ensure Member States implement the Commission’s objective of ‘zero deaths’ by 2030?

    Submitted: 22.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – The EU’s climate action strategy – 28-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Under the European Climate Law, the EU must reduce its net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 55 % by 2030 compared with 1990, and reach climate neutrality by 2050 (see trajectory in Figure 1). Over the 2005-2023 period, net emissions in the EU decreased by 30.5 % (37 % compared with 1990). The land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector is a significant carbon sink, although its capacity to increase carbon sequestration is under pressure, while the EU emissions trading system (ETS) is one of the most effective mitigation tools, having reduced emissions by the sectors it covers by 48.1 % since 2005. Sectors for which Member States are obliged to reduce GHG emissions under the ‘effort-sharing’ legislation decreased their emissions by 17.1 % in 2023 compared with 2005. Investments tracked as climate-related spending account for 42.6 % of the total grants and loans approved under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and the REPowerEU initiative. By 30 June 2024, Member States had to update their national energy and climate plans (NECPs), aligned with the EU’s increased 2030 targets. As of May 2025, three final plans are still pending. A May 2025 assessment of submitted final NECPs show a significant gap reduction from earlier analysis, with net GHG emissions estimated to decrease by 54 % by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. In a 2023 survey, 46 % of EU citizens identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world. Most Europeans (56 %) said it was the responsibility of the EU or the national government to tackle climate change, followed by business/industry (53 %); 35 % found it to be a personal responsibility. This briefing is one in a series covering all EU Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – The 78th World Health Assembly – « One World for Health » – 28-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    This briefing summarises the main issues at stake at the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA) which will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, from 19 to 27 May 2025. The WHA is the highest decision-making body of the World Health Organization (WHO), gathering annually, and composed of delegations from all 194 Member States (MS). The WHA discusses and votes on the decisions and resolutions prepared by either WHO’s Executive Board, its Director-General, or proposed by groups of MS.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – The European arrest warrant – Key steps in the surrender procedure – 28-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The European arrest warrant (EAW) is a judicial decision issued by a Member State with a view to the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person for the purposes of a criminal prosecution or a custodial sentence. Between 2005 and 2022, some 231 005 EAWs were issued, and 69 688 persons were surrendered. The functioning of the EAW system – as set out in this infographic – requires a high level of trust between the judicial authorities of the issuing and the executing Member State, which has at times generated challenges and tensions. In the internal security strategy published on 1 April 2025, the Commission stated that it would ‘assess the need to further strengthen’ the EAW.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Use of the European Arrest Warrant – 28-05-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Arrest Warrant (EAW) is a judicial decision issued by a Member State with a view to the arrest and surrender by another Member State of a requested person for the purposes of a criminal prosecution or a custodial sentence. Between 2015 and 2022, 131 164 EAWs were issued, and 43 478 persons were surrendered, an average of more than 16 000 and nearly 5 500 per year respectively. In the internal security strategy published on 1 April 2025, the Commission stated that it would ‘assess the need to further strengthen’ the EAW.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The dissemination by Pro-Russian organisations in Italy of propaganda produced by entities on EU sanctions lists – E-002032/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002032/2025
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Pina Picierno (S&D)

    Given the current geopolitical context and the restrictive measures adopted by the European Union against the Russian Federation, I would like to bring to your attention that a number of pro-Russian organisations are currently active in Italy, where they are registered as associations, bilateral friendship groups, economic/commercial entities and Italo-Russian culture and language institutions.

    These entities have worked assiduously to organise conferences and public events and to disseminate propaganda that is clearly sanctioned by Vladimir Putin’s regime and which is predominantly produced by outlets that are on EU sanctions lists, an example being Russia Today.

    In my capacity as Vice-Chair of the Bureau’s Working Group on Communication, Awareness and Research, I have initiated monitoring activities against these organisations.

    Given the clear evidence pointing to the existence of coordinated disinformation and interference campaigns, which by their very nature violate both the EU’s sanctions and the principles of democracy:

    • 1.Is the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy aware of these ubiquitous propaganda and disinformation networks?
    • 2.What steps will she take to prevent and tackle the dissemination of Russian propaganda in Italy and to ensure the effective implementation of sanctions against those entities in the Putin regime’s influence network that are masquerading as associations and cultural organisations?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The need to revise Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 in order to protect the Italian and European leather sector – E-002035/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002035/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Roberto Vannacci (PfE)

    The Deforestation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1115) imposes burdensome obligations on operators in the Italian and European leather industry, a major employer and vital manufacturing sector[1].

    Also known as the EUDR, the regulation applies to cattle skins that are classified under customs codes 4101, 4104 and 4107 and imposes significant obligations on the entire sector.

    Though the leather industry’s activities do not in themselves cause deforestation, Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 makes it mandatory to provide geolocation and tracking data for each life stage of the animals concerned[2].

    The regulation is, in addition, unclear on how to treat the skins of animals born between the regulation’s date of entry into force and its date of application, and it is also ambiguous about the status of waste, by-products and certain species, including the buffalo.

    Operators working in the leather sector must upload a due diligence statement for each batch of animal skins onto the EU’s dedicated information systems. They bear full legal responsibility not only for these statements, but also for the data they receive from external suppliers who do not have reliable registration systems.

    The EUDR could therefore make it harder to achieve its own objectives, seeing as its bureaucratic burdens could compel EU businesses to work with suppliers based in third countries where standards are less stringent.

    In the light of the above:

    • 1.Does the Commission not think that it should introduce procedural derogations to the EUDR in order to keep the EU’s leather sector competitive, avoid relocations and prevent European companies from operating at a disadvantage?
    • 2.If it does not, is it planning to extend the requirements mentioned above to finished products derived from partially processed skins?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] https://www.laconceria.it/conceria/unic-e-i-sindacati-e-allarme-per-il-regolamento-deforestazione-ue.
    • [2] https://sustainability.unic.it/service/tracciabilita/.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Protecting cultural monuments from indirect commercialisation – E-002043/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002043/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikos Pappas (The Left)

    The recent drone show organised by a sports goods company, using the Acropolis as a backdrop without prior authorisation from the Greek authorities, highlighted serious legislative and institutional gaps in relation with the indirect commercial use of cultural heritage sites. The Acropolis, a symbol of European identity and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was indirectly used for promotional purposes, provoking political backlash and legal action in response. There have been similar cases in other Member States (involving the statue of David and the Vitruvian Man in Italy, and the image of the Eiffel Tower in France), highlighting the need for European regulation.

    Regulation (EU) 2021/818 establishing the Creative Europe programme safeguards cultural heritage by preventing its uncontrolled commercialisation. However, it does not establish a unified legal framework for the commercial use of cultural images or symbols.

    Can the Commission therefore answer the following:

    • 1.How does it view these incidents in the light of the need to maintain the protection of the EU’s cultural monuments, especially when commercial operators are involved?
    • 2.Will it propose or support the adoption of a common European legal framework to regulate the depiction, reproduction or commercial use of images of cultural monuments, particularly in cases of indirect exploitation?
    • 3.How can it help to ensure that European cultural principles and values as set out in European law are not compromised in such cases?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Workshop – Unlocking the own resources debate – 3.6.25 – Committee on Budgets

    Source: European Parliament

    © Image used under the license from Adobe Stock

    The Budgetary Support Unit organises a workshop to provide an overview of the revenue side of the EU budget, proposals for new own resources, blockages and possible ways forward. A proposal for new own resourced has been on the table since 2023 and, since it has not made progress, it should be updated in July, along with the EU long-term budget (MFF) post-2027 proposal.

    Three experts will share their insights: Zsolt Darvas (Bruegel), Rebecca Christie (Bruegel) and Niko Pankka (an independent researcher).

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Import of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin – E-002041/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002041/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sebastian Everding (The Left), Anja Hazekamp (The Left)

    Since 2015, animal welfare non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have exposed the cruelty of extracting blood from pregnant mares in order to obtain the pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) hormone, which is used to increase and synchronise the fertility of farmed animals, despite alternatives being available.

    PMSG production is in breach of EU legislation[1], but European pharmaceuticals companies continue importing PMSG from non-EU countries, inter alia from Iceland[2].

    A new NGO investigation from September 2024 again shows the semi-wild horses being subjected to mistreatment, massive stress and pain during the blood collections[3].

    • 1.In 2021, Parliament adopted a resolution on a farm to fork strategy[4] which calls on the Commission to halt the import and domestic production of PMSG[5]. Why has the Commission not heeded Parliament’s call?
    • 2.Will the Commission include high animal welfare standards in the revised Good Manufacturing Practice in order to ensure that no more cruelly produced PMSG will enter the EU market?
    • 3.Is the Commission considering restricting PMSG imports under World Trade Organization rules for reasons of animal protection and to safeguard public morals?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2010 on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, OJ L 276, 20.10.2010, p. 33, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2010/63/oj.
    • [2] www.eftasurv.int/newsroom/updates/iceland-breach-eea-rules-protection-animals-used-scientific-purposes-regards-blood.
    • [3] www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/en/blog/einsatz-in-island-blutentnahmen-zur-pmsg-gewinnung.
    • [4] Resolution of 20 October 2021 on a farm to fork strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, OJ C 184, 5.5.2022, p. 2.
    • [5] www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-9-2021-0425_EN.html (point 130).
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Green transition – risk of a slowdown in economic development and job losses in eastern Europe – E-002055/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002055/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Claudiu-Richard Târziu (ECR)

    According to the World Bank, Romania needs to invest over 350 billion dollars by 2050 just to decarbonise its energy sector – an amount equating to approximately 4 % of its annual GDP. This reflects the enormous burden that the green transition is placing on eastern European countries, with no clear guarantees as to the economic or social benefits.

    In its current form, the ‘green mirage’ could do serious harm to strategic industries, increase dependence on imports from outside the EU and put jobs at risk. While Romania is bearing huge costs, other economies are receiving subsidies or ignoring the rules set at European level.

    • 1.Why is the Commission promoting a climate agenda that is harming eastern European countries disproportionately?
    • 2.How does it justify the costs imposed on Romania in comparison with the preferential treatment of other states?
    • 3.What will it do to protect European industries from unfair competition and balance efforts between East and West?

    Submitted: 22.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Remarks by High Representative/Vice-President Kallas, Commissioner Kos and Commissioner Síkela on the Black Sea Strategy and increased efficiency of the External Action Guarantee

    Source: European Commission

    European Commission Speech Brussels, 28 May 2025 In a joint press conference today, High Representative/Vice-President Kallas and Commissioners Kos and Síkela presented the EU Strategy for the Black Sea region and the proposal for a Regulation on the External Action Guarantee.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Bankruptcy of Swedish manufacturer Northvolt – the crash of the ‘Airbus of batteries’ – E-001140/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is actively monitoring Northvolt’s situation to mitigate potential negative impacts on the European battery value chain.

    While this bankruptcy, that is mainly due to industrial issues, presents a setback, the Commission’s determination to build a resilient, cost-competitive battery ecosystem in Europe remains.

    A Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the European Automotive Industry began on 30 January 2025, and an Action Plan to enhance the sector’s global competitiveness was published on 5 March 2025[1].

    This includes a ‘Battery Booster’ to support the European value chain, in particular cell production and components through direct funding and non-price criteria for components. EUR 1.8 billion will be allocated over two years from the Innovation Fund to support EU battery manufacturing.

    The regulation (EU) 2019/631[2] on CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and for new light commercial vehicles, as amended in 2023 by Regulation (EU) 2023/851[3], provides a framework for transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, aligning with the EU’s goal to be climate-neutral by 2050[4].

    Based on Article 14a and 15 of that regulation, the Commission is preparing a report on progress towards zero-emission mobility and is reviewing the impact and effectiveness of the regulation also taking into account all the technological developments .

    The Industrial Action Plan for the automotive sector[5] calls for an acceleration of the work on this review which will be based on a fact-based analysis of technological developments.

    • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_25_636.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32019R0631.
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32023R0851.
    • [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32021R1119.
    • [5] https://transport.ec.europa.eu/document/download/89b3143e-09b6-4ae6-a826-932b90ed0816_en?filename=Communication%20-%20Action%20Plan.pdf.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Message encryption – E-002044/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002044/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Catherine Griset (PfE), Christophe Bay (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE), Séverine Werbrouck (PfE), Fabrice Leggeri (PfE), Gilles Pennelle (PfE), Pascale Piera (PfE)

    The Commission has begun to consider whether police forces could gain access to encrypted messages.

    Although useful in the fight against organised crime, any backdoor could nevertheless be exploited by malicious actors, such as hackers, unscrupulous private companies or third country intelligence services.

    As my colleague Aurélien Lopez-Liguori, Member of the French National Assembly, has noted, such backdoors would inevitably weaken encryption and therefore be a chink in the cybersecurity armour[1].

    The risk is such that a provision to that effect was rejected in a National Assembly debate a few weeks ago.

    • 1.Will the Commission take that security risk into account before introducing any legislative proposals that require the various messaging services to contain a backdoor?
    • 2.If necessary, will it ensure that any authorisation to override message encryption can only be issued by a judge, as part of a criminal investigation and for a limited period of time?
    • 3.Finally, how does it intend to require messaging services owned (as almost all are) by non-EU companies to contain backdoors?

    Supporter[2]

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] https://lcp.fr/actualites/narcotrafic-l-assemblee-refuse-l-acces-aux-messageries-chiffrees-contre-l-avis-de-bruno
    • [2] This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE)
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – SAFE: the European defence instrument’s wrongful use of Article 122 TFEU as a legal base and circumvention of the European Parliament and Member States – P-002088/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-002088/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI)

    In its proposal to the Council, COM(2025) 122 final, the European Commission proposed the SAFE mechanism to boost investment in the European defence industry. First of all, according to this proposal, the participation of non-EU countries that threaten or fail to recognise Member States is not excluded in the funding of investment projects. What is more, invoking Article 122 TFEU on procedure is contrary to the principles of institutional balance:

    — It circumvents, on the one hand, the Council’s basic rule of unanimity in the voting of common security and defence policy matters, and, on the other hand, the European Parliament as co-legislator with the power of scrutiny (Articles 13, 14 and 36 TEU), while depriving the Member States of their right of veto in foreign policy matters.

    — This article concerns economic crises or natural disasters and therefore cannot replace the specific legal bases of Title V TEU or Regulation (EU) 2021/697 on the European Defence Fund.

    In view of the above, can the Commission answer the following:

    • 1.What is the legal basis for the application of Article 122 TFEU in military/defence matters?
    • 2.How is the role of Parliament guaranteed in accordance with Articles 13, 14 and 36 TEU?
    • 3.Does it intend to review the procedure in order ensure due compliance?

    Submitted: 23.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – ‘EU aquaculture. We work for you with passion’ campaign – E-002022/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002022/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN)

    On 25 March 2025, the Commission introduced an EU-wide aquaculture campaign called ‘EU aquaculture. We work for you with passion’. The campaign is an initiative of the Commission’s Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. However, there is no information anywhere online regarding its funding. The European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) supports the EU common fisheries policy, the EU maritime policy and the EU agenda for international ocean governance.

    The Regulation establishing the EMFAF[1] provides for funding for communication campaigns:

    ‘The Commission should implement information and communication actions relating to the EMFAF, and its actions and results. Financial resources allocated to the EMFAF should also contribute to the corporate communication of the political priorities of the Union, insofar as they are related to the priorities of the EMFAF.’

    Given this, can the Commission clarify the following:

    • 1.Out of what budget was this campaign paid for?
    • 2.How much did the campaign cost?
    • 3.How was the budget for this campaign broken down, i.e., how much was dedicated to creative concepts, how much to research, how much to social media, etc.?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2021/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 (OJ L 247, 13.7.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1139/oj).
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Child marriage and pregnancy in Roma communities – E-002038/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002038/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Eleonora Meleti (PPE)

    The issue of early marriage and early motherhood in Roma communities remains a sad reality. 46 % of Roma women marry before the age of 18, while one in three becomes pregnant during adolescence. These practices violate the rights of women and children, exposing them to increased risks to their health and future well-being. Furthermore, they are not in line with the EU’s social principles and values, ​and undermine children’s innocence, personal development and free life choices. Imposing adult responsibilities on children often leads to psychological trauma, social exclusion and the perpetuation of poverty and inequality.

    The EU Roma strategic framework is a good first step, but it does not address the issue. Given that the EU condemns child marriage practices in non-EU countries as part of its foreign policy, it must also take action to combat this dangerous phenomenon in its Member States.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.What measures does the Commission intend to put in place to eliminate early marriages and pregnancies?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to enhance funding for targeted information and integration programmes for Roma communities?

    Submitted: 21.5.2025

    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Lifting of EU sanctions against Syria and repatriation of Syrian asylum seekers – E-000888/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU supports the transition process towards a unified, stable and peaceful Syria. As of 6 March 2025, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that over 356 200 Syrians have returned to Syria via neighbouring countries since early December 2024, and that almost 890 000 internally displaced persons have returned to their home region since November 2024.

    While remaining cautious due to the volatile situation in Syria and the many challenges which still lie ahead, and in line with the European Council conclusions of 19 December 2024[1], the EU is committed to help create the conditions for safe, voluntary and dignified return of refugees.

    The EU will continue to work with neighbouring countries as well as specialised agencies[2] in this regard, in particular by supporting Syrians who decide to go home and by stepping up its support for Syria’s socioeconomic recovery, including through the gradual easing of EU restrictive measures. The EU support and suspension of sanctions is commensurate with the developments in the country.

    Syrian nationals who are beneficiaries of international protection have a right to reside in the territory of a Member State that granted them protection.

    Directive 2011/95[3] provides for the conditions to assess whether the person has ceased to be a refugee or to be eligible for subsidiary protection and whether to revoke, end or refuse to renew refugee or subsidiary protection status[4].

    When a person is no longer a beneficiary of international protection and if they have no other right to stay, they fall under the scope of the Return Directive[5]. When implementing the Return Directive, Member States shall respect the principle of non-refoulement[6].

    • [1] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/12/19/european-council-conclusions-19-december-2024/.
    • [2] Such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration.
    • [3] Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (recast).
    • [4] This is subject to the procedural safeguards laid out in Directive 2013/32, including an individualised assessment and the right to an effective remedy against a decision withdrawing international protection status.
    • [5] Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals.
    • [6] Articles 4 and 19(2) of the Charter.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Request for clarification on the measures weakening the EU fruit-growing sector and benefiting third-country imports – E-000203/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Regulation (EU) 2018/785[1] banned all outdoor uses of plant protection products (PPP) containing thiamethoxam because of unacceptable impacts on bees. Thereafter, the applicant for the renewal of approval of thiamethoxam withdrew its application and the approval expired in 2019.

    Regulation (EU) 2023/334[2] lowered all Maximum Residue Levels for thiamethoxam to the technical zero[3], considering the impact on bees, which is an environmental concern of global nature. These levels also apply to products imported into the EU.

    Decisions on the approval of active substances are always based on a scientific assessment of potential effects on human health or the environment, the consideration of other legitimate factors and the precautionary principle, in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009[4] which does not explicitly include socioeconomic factors[5].

    As set out in its Vision for Agriculture and Food[6], the Commission will carefully consider any further ban of pesticides if alternatives are not yet available, unless the pesticide in question represents a threat to human health or to the environment that agriculture relies on for its viability.

    Member States can grant emergency authorisations for PPP containing non-approved active substances, if these are necessary to combat a danger to plants that cannot be controlled by other reasonable means.

    The Common Agricultural Policy supports farmers with, e.g., investments, research, production methods, replanting of orchards after mandatory grubbing.

    If phytosanitary measures require restriction of movement of fruits/vegetables within the EU, exceptional supporting market measures can be adopted. Horizon Europe[7] prioritises plant health research and innovation[8] under its cluster 6[9].

    • [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2018/785/oj.
    • [2] Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/334 of 2 February 2023 amending Annexes II and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for clothianidin and thiamethoxam in or on certain products. OJ L 47, 15.2.2023, p. 29-45.
    • [3] Technical zero is the limit of determination.
    • [4] Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market and repealing Council Directives 79/117/EEC and 91/414/EEC (OJ L 309, 24.11.2009, p. 1).
    • [5] Recital 24 of Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009: ‘The provisions governing authorisation must ensure a high standard of protection. In particular, when granting authorisations of plant protection products, the objective of protecting human and animal health and the environment should take priority over the objective of improving plant production. Therefore, it should be demonstrated, before plant protection products are placed on the market, that they present a clear benefit for plant production and do not have any harmful effect on human or animal health, including that of vulnerable groups, or any unacceptable effects on the environment’.
    • [6] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the committee of the Regions. A Vision for Agriculture and Food Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations. COM/2025/75.
    • [7] https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/funding/funding-opportunities/funding-programmes-and-open-calls/horizon-europe_en.
    • [8] AgriFactsheet on Plant Health: https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/document/e8a5772e-9fca-4583-a81b-649729068f1e_en.
    • [9] https://circular-cities-and-regions.ec.europa.eu/support-materials/funding-and-financing/horizon-europe-cluster-6-food-bioeconomy-natural-resources.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER REVEALS: AS SUMMER SEASON KICKS OFF, TRUMP’S TARIFF WAR SLAMS UPSTATE NY – CANADIAN BORDER CROSSINGS PLUNGE NEARLY 290,000 & PLUMMET A WHOPPING 22% ACROSS ALL NY PORTS OF ENTRY LAST MONTH -…

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer

    New Data Shows Border Crossings Across Upstate NY Are Nose-Diving As Trump’s Tariffs And Ludicrous Comments On Annexing Canada Drive Away Tourists, Putting Billions For NY’s Main Streets At Risk, Jeopardizing Jobs, & Restricting The Summer Tourism Economy

    Schumer Says NY House Republicans Must Stand Up For Upstate NY And The Main Street Hotels, Restaurants & Shops Across NY That Rely On Canadian Tourists And Are Seeing Major Hits To Their Bottom Lines – The House Needs To Act On The Senate-Passed Bill To End Tariff War With Canada

    Schumer: Trump Tariff War & Destructive Comments Are Burning Bridges With Canada, And Blowing A Massive Hole In Upstate NY’s Tourism Economy

    With summer tourism season kicking off and Canadians canceling trips to the United States at record rates because of Trump’s mistreatment of our closest ally and trading partner, U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer today revealed new data on how Trump’s reckless tariff war is causing border crossings to plummet across all major land ports of entry in Upstate New York. According to Customs & Border Patrol (CBP), almost 290,000 fewer travelers crossed the Upstate New York-Canadian border last month than over the same period in 2024, a whopping 22% decrease.

    “Burning bridges and ruining relationships with our closest ally and key trading partner, Canada, right when summer tourism season is arriving, is about as destructive as it gets. Upstate NY is on the frontlines of Trump’s destructive tariff war, and this shocking new data shows our tourism economy is paying the price from Buffalo to Ogdensburg,” said Leader Schumer. “Instead of lowering costs, Trump’s tariffs are raising prices for families and driving away tourists who spend billions in our shops, hotels, restaurants, and support thousands of NY jobs. If this trend of depressed tourism continues, this could be a summer in Upstate NY that no small business wants to remember.”

    According to new data from CBP, Upstate NY & Canada saw approximately 1,017,500 border crossings in April, compared to 1,307,381 during the same month in 2024, a nearly 22% decrease across road and bridge crossings frequented by tourists.  A breakdown bridge-by-bridge from the Bridge and Tunnel Operators Association shows just how steeply tourism is declining across all the major land ports of entry between Upstate NY and Canada:

    NY-Canada Bridge

    Region

    April 2024 Auto Crossings

    April 2025 Auto Crossings

    Percentage Decline

    Peace Bridge

    Western NY

    366,159

    309,317

    15.52%

    Rainbow Bridge

    Western NY

    174,395

    119,265

    31.61%

    Lewiston-Queenstown Bridge

    Western NY

    239,645

    204,222

    14.78%

    Whirlpool Rapids Bridge

    Western NY

    32,211

    25,377

    21.22%

    Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge

    North Country

    43,945

    31,857

    27.51%

    Thousand Islands Bridge

    North Country

    147,814

    117,953

    20.20%

    Seaway Bridge

    North Country

    209,524

    205,518

    1.91%

    Schumer said this steep drop is alarming and called on NY House Republicans to stand up for their constituents and Main Street small businesses – like hotels, restaurants and shops – and take up the resolution which has already passed the Senate to end this reckless, ill-conceived and harmful trade war with Canada.

    Schumer added, “This should be a bright red alarm for NY House Republicans who have stayed silent as Trump’s reckless trade war has wreaked havoc in their districts. To add insult to injury, he makes absurd declarations on annexing our neighbors to the north, which only depresses travel to the U.S. and the purchase of American products. NY House Republicans need to stand up for Upstate NY and should take up the bill which has already passed the Senate to end this reckless trade war with Canada and restore our cherished, friendly and economically dynamic relationship with our next-door neighbor.”

    Across Upstate NY, businesses are already seeing the impacts of fewer Canadian tourists and are worried that it will get worse, and Upstate New York would feel the impact of this decline first and harder than nearly anywhere else in the country. In Western New York, Canadian tourism is nearly 40% of the overall tourism economy in Buffalo. In Central New York, Visit Syracuse says web traffic from Canadians is down by half this year creating major worry for the summer season, approximately 15% of tourism dollars spent in the Syracuse area come from Canadian visitors.

    According to a recent North Country Chamber of Commerce survey, 66% of businesses are already experiencing a dip in Canadian bookings. Canada is the top source of international visitors to the U.S., with 20.4 million visits in 2024, generating $20.5 billion in spending and supporting 140,000 American jobs. Schumer said if there were even a 10% reduction in Canadian travel, it could mean as much as $2 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses across America.

    “The Peace Bridge, as a self-funded agency, is reliant on tolls generated by cross border traffic to provide service to the travelling public. We were just beginning to approach normal traffic volumes following the border restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 Pandemic,” said Ron Rienas, Chief Executive Officer of the Peace Bridge Authority. “The decline of car and truck traffic directly impacts our bottom line and that of every international crossing and hampers the ability to make investments to facilitate  the safe and efficient movement of people and commerce.”

    “As Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, and through ongoing discussions with leaders from other border communities on both sides, I have witnessed firsthand the devastating impact tariffs are having on our region. The sharp decline in Canadian visitors is hurting families, small businesses, hotels, marinas, golf courses, restaurants, and workers who depend on cross-border tourism to make a living. Beyond the economic toll, these tariffs are eroding the cultural ties that have connected our communities for generations,” said Michael S. Cashman, Plattsburgh Town Supervisor. “This isn’t about politics it’s about real people and the survival of our border region. The harmful rhetoric labeling Canada as a ‘51st state’ only deepens divisions. Canada is our oldest ally and closest friend, and our economies and cultures have long been intertwined for the benefit of us all.”

    Since taking office in January, Trump has damaged the United States’ relationship with Canada by threatening to annex Canada and levying 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. Schumer said this new data on major reductions in bridge crossings shows Trump’s threats to annex Canada and tariff Canadian goods are directly impacting commerce between the two countries, including Canadian tourism across New York State.

    Schumer said he is fighting to end this unnecessary, damaging trade war with Canada and protect tourism, small businesses, and local jobs. Earlier this year, the Senate passed a bipartisan resolution to end tariffs on Canada, and Schumer said this new shocking data shows the urgency for House Republicans to take up and pass it as well. Senate Democrats are also pushing for tariff exemptions for small businesses and putting an end to Trump’s across-the-board tariffs. Schumer said ending this costly trade war is key to protecting American families from price increases and job losses as a result of tariffs on Canada.

    “I am all for addressing trade imbalances, especially with adversaries like China, but these sweeping, ill-conceived tariffs are creating chaos and undermining those goals. Rather than uniting the world against China, Trump has united our allies like Canada against us. The Senate passed a resolution to end this disastrous trade war with Canada, and now it’s time for the House to follow. We need everyone, especially NY House Republicans, to stand up against Trump’s senseless, job-killing trade war that is hurting our tourism industry, New York’s Main Streets, and New Yorkers’ jobs,” concluded Schumer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Audit of the Polish poultry industry – E-001195/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission conducted an audit in Poland from 6 to 25 November 2024 in order to follow up on the audit report 2021-7187[1] from the Commission’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety on bovine meat, including traceability, and on poultry meat and products derived therefrom.

    The objective of the audit was to assess the implementation and effectiveness of the measures presented to the Commission to address the recommendations contained in the 2021 audit report.

    In that context, the assessment of the actions the Polish competent authorities provided to reduce Salmonella contamination in poultry meat were part of the audit.

    The report is currently being finalised and, in accordance with Article 117 of Regulation (EU) 2017/625[2], the report of this audit will be made publicly available on the Commission website[3] in due course.

    • [1] https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report/details/4520.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2017/625/oj.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/food/audits-analysis/audit-report.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Vote on ‘Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2024’ – Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs

    Source: European Parliament

    On 4 June 2025 at 14.45, ECON Members will vote on the ‘Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2024’. The draft report welcomes the strategic priorities of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for 2024-2027 and includes a strong call for the EIB to play an even bigger role in addressing Europe’s investment needs and funding common EU priorities. It also reiterates the Parliament’s call for an interinstitutional agreement between the Parliament and the EIB.

    As usual, the BUDG and ECON Committees alternate in preparing an own-initiative annual report on the EIB and this year it is ECON’s turn. Members tabled 317 amendments to the draft report by the Rapporteur, Francisco Assis, who then tabled five compromise amendments that deal with a wide range of topics. These include: closing the investment gap and fostering competitiveness; consolidating the EIB’s role as EU’s climate bank; financing peace, security and defence; addressing challenges in social infrastructure, cohesion policy and housing; promoting digital transformation and new technologies; EIB neighbourhood and Global Gateway; governance: accountability and transparency. The plenary vote is planned for the July 2025 part-session.

    Rapporteur: Francisco ASSIS (S&D) Shadows: Kinga KOLLÁR (EPP), Jaroslava POKORNÁ JERMANOVÁ (PfE), Johan VAN OVERTVELDT (ECR), Ľudovít ÓDOR (Renew), Damian BOESELAGER (Greens/EFA), Marc BOTENGA (The Left)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Tariffs on corrugated paper products imposed by Türkiye since 2024 – P-001671/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission closely monitors trade defence investigations conducted by third countries targeting EU exports. Trade defence instruments are available to all World Trade Organisation (WTO) members provided that the relevant WTO requirements are abided by.

    In January 2024 the Turkish authorities initiated a safeguard investigation by Notice 2024/1, number 32427, pursuant to the regulation on Import Protection Measures No 25486 published in the Official Gazette of Türkiye, dated 8 June 2004, which implements the WTO Safeguard Agreement into Turkish domestic legislation.

    The investigation covers imports of uncoated paper from all third countries. In June 2024 Türkiye introduced definitive safeguard measures on the product concerned in form of a specific duty of USD 87 per ton, subsequently decreasing every year.

    Since the beginning, the Commission has been actively intervening as interested party in the framework of the investigation, in close cooperation with the EU industry (Confederation of European Paper Industry).

    A first written submission dated 20 February 2024, in support of the EU producers concerned was sent to the Turkish authorities. The Commission also intervened at the public hearing[1] which took place in April 2024.

    Following these interventions certain products not produced in Türkiye were excluded from the scope. The Commission will continue to closely monitor the case and intervene as appropriate during any subsequent steps, such as a possible mid-term review.

    • [1] Communiqué No:2024/1-Paper-All Countries: https://ticaret.gov.tr/ithalat/ticaret-politikasi-savunma-araclari/korunma-onlemleri/sorusturmalar/tamamlanan-sorusturmalar-completed-investigations/teblig-no2024-1-kagit-tum-ulkeler.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – GGSC opinion on NGTs – shift of safety assessment and liability risks from biotech companies to the food industry – P-000919/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission recognises that regulatory requirements in general may be more burdensome for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

    For this reason, the Commission has adopted a number of measures aimed at creating a business-friendly environment[1], facilitating access to finance[2], improving access to markets[3], fostering competitiveness[4], and innovation for SMEs[5].

    As regards novel foods, some Member States are in addition providing financial and technical support for SMEs to prepare and submit novel food applications and others are exploring such possibility.

    Furthermore, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recently published the second Call for Expression of Interest targeting Novel Food SMEs[6], aiming at raising awareness and facilitating access for SME applicants to the pre-submission advice service by the European Food Safety Authority, specifically in the area of novel foods.

    The Commission carried out an impact assessment[7] prior to adopting its proposal on plants obtained by certain new genomic techniques (NGTs)[8], focusing on the burden and costs for food business operators and developers to bring NGT plants to the market, and not on additional potential requirements that might arise from other existing EU legislation applicable to Category c NGT plants and products .

    According to the proposal, plants verified to be Category c NGT plants would be subject to other regulatory requirements as they apply to comparable plants obtained by conventional breeding.

    The Commission notes that the Novel Foods Regulation[9] requires every operator to verify whether a food it intends to place on the market is novel or not and maintains a catalogue[10] with examples to support companies in this regard.

    • [1] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions entrepreneurship 2020 action plan reigniting the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe, COM/2012/0795 final (https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex%3A52012DC0795).
    • [2] https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/finance-funding/getting-funding/access-finance/index_en.htm.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/access-finance-smes/cosme-financial-instruments_en.
    • [4] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry_en#competitiveness .
    • [5] https://ec.europa.eu/growth/industry/policy/innovation_en.
    • [6] https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/call/call-expressions-interest-efsas-advice-novel-food-smes-2025-edition.
    • [7] SWD(2023) 412.
    • [8] COM(2023) 411.
    • [9] Regulation (EU) 2015/2283 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2015 on novel foods, OJ L 327, 11.12.2015, p. 1. See Article 4.
    • [10] https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/novel-food/consultation-process-novel-food-status_en.
    Last updated: 28 May 2025

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