Category: Energy

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CONSUMER PRICE INDEX NUMBERS ON BASE 2012=100 FOR RURAL, URBAN AND COMBINED FOR THE MONTH OF January 2025

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 4:00PM by PIB Delhi

I. Key highlights:

Headline Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of January 2025 over January 2024 is 4.31% (Provisional). There is decline of 91 basis points in headline inflation of January, 2025 in comparison to December 2024. It is the lowest year-on-year inflation after August, 2024.

Food Inflation: Year-on-year inflation rate based on All India Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI) for the month of January 2025 over January, 2024 is 6.02% (Provisional). Corresponding inflation rate for rural and urban are 6.31% and 5.53%, respectively. All India inflation rates for CPI(General) and CFPI over the last 13 months are shown below. A sharp decline of 237 basis point is observed in food inflation in January, 2025 in comparison to December, 2024. The food inflation in January, 2025 is the lowest after August, 2024.

Rural Inflation: Significant decline in headline and food inflation in rural sector observed in January 2025. It is 4.64% (provisional) in January, 2025 while the same was 5.76% in December, 2024. The CFPI based food inflation in rural sector is observed as 6.31% in January, 2025 in comparison to 8.65% in December, 2024.
Urban Inflation: Sharp decline from 4.58% in December, 2024 to 3.87% (Provisional) in January, 2025 is observed in headline inflation of urban sector. Similar decline is observed in food inflation which is decreased from 7.9% in December, 2024 to 5.53% in January, 2025.
Housing Inflation: Year-on-year Housing inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.71%. The housing index is compiled for urban sector only.
Education Inflation: Year-on-year Education inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.83%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 3.95%. It is combined education inflation for both rural and urban sector.
Health Inflation: Year-on-year Health inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 3.97%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 4.05%. It is combined health inflation for both rural and urban sector.
Transport & Communication: Year-on-year Transport & communication inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is 2.76%. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was 2.64%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.
Fuel & light: Year-on-year Fuel & light inflation rate for the month of January, 2025 is -1.38 %. Corresponding inflation rate for the month of December, 2024 was -1.33%. It is combined inflation rate for both rural and urban sector.
The significant decline in headline inflation and food inflation during the month of January, 2025 is mainly attributed to decline in inflation of Vegetables, Egg, Pulses & Products, Cereals and Products, Education, Clothing and Health.
Top five items with highest inflation: The top five items showing highest year on year Inflation at All India level in January 2025 are Coconut oil (54.20%), potato (49.61%), coconut (38.71%), garlic (30.65%), peas [vegetables] (30.17%).
Top five items with lowest inflation: The key items having lowest year on year inflation in January, 2025 are jeera (-32.25%), ginger (-30.92%), dry chilies (-11.27%), brinjal (-9.94%), LPG (excl. conveyance) (-9.29%). For other data related to All India Item Index and Inflation, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in.
Top five major states with high Year on Year inflation for the month of January 2025 are shown in the graph below.

All India Inflation rates (on point to point basis i.e. current month over same month of last year, i.e.

January 2025 over January 2024), based on General Indices and CFPIs are given as follows:

All India year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over January 2024

		January 2025 (Prov.)			December 2024 (Final)			January 2024
		Rural	Urban	Combd.	Rural	Urban	Combd.	Rural	Urban	Combd.
Inflation	CPI (General)	4.64	3.87	4.31	5.76	4.58	5.22	5.34	4.92	5.10
Inflation	CFPI	6.31	5.53	6.02	8.65	7.9	8.39	7.91	9.02	8.30
Index	CPI (General)	196.0	190.6	193.5	198.4	192.0	195.4	187.3	183.5	185.5
Index	CFPI	198.8	204.1	200.7	204.7	210.3	206.7	187.0	193.4	189.3

Notes: Prov. – Provisional, Combd. – Combined

Monthly changes in the General Indices and CFPIs are given below:

Monthly changes (%) in All India CPI (General) and CFPI: January 2025 over December 2024

Indices	January 2025 (Prov.)			December 2024 (Final)			Monthly change (%)
Indices	Rural	Urban	Combd.	Rural	Urban	Combd.	Rural	Urban	Combd.
CPI (General)	196.0	190.6	193.5	198.4	192.0	195.4	-1.21	-0.73	-0.97
CFPI	198.8	204.1	200.7	204.7	210.3	206.7	-2.88	-2.95	-2.90

Note: Figures of January 2025 are provisional.

Response rate: The price data are collected from selected 1114 urban Markets and 1181 villages covering all States/UTs through personal visits by field staff of Field Operations Division of NSO, MoSPI on a weekly roster. During the month of January 2025, NSO collected prices from 99.7% villages and 98.5% urban markets while the market-wise prices reported therein were 88.7% for rural and 93.1% for urban.
Next date of release for February 2025 CPI is 12^th March 2025 (Wednesday). For more details, please visit the website www.cpi.mospi.gov.in or esankhyiki.mospi.gov.in

List of Annex

Annex	Title
I	All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024(Final) and January2025(Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure I)
II	All-India inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Annexure II)
III	General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Annexure III)
IV	Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025(Provisional) (Annexure IV)
V	Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013 (Annexure V)
VI	Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014 (Annexure VI)

Annex I

All-India General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

Group Code	Sub-group Code	Description	Rural			Urban			Combined
Group Code	Sub-group Code	Description	Weights	Dec. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Weights	Dec. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Weights	Dec.24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)
*(1)*	*(2)*	*(3)*	*(4)*	*(5)*	*(6)*	*(7)*	*(8)*	*(9)*	*(10)*	*(11)*	*(12)*
	1.1.01	Cereals and products	12.35	198.9	199.8	6.59	196.5	197.5	9.67	198.1	199.1
	1.1.02	Meat and fish	4.38	219.1	220.9	2.73	228.7	230.8	3.61	222.5	224.4
	1.1.03	Egg	0.49	209.8	206.1	0.36	215.8	210.8	0.43	212.1	207.9
	1.1.04	Milk and products	7.72	187.3	187.7	5.33	187.9	188.2	6.61	187.5	187.9
	1.1.05	Oils and fats	4.21	189.0	189.0	2.81	174.6	175.6	3.56	183.7	184.1
	1.1.06	Fruits	2.88	189.0	192.1	2.90	192.4	193.8	2.89	190.6	192.9
	1.1.07	Vegetables	7.46	242.4	203.6	4.41	289.2	245.6	6.04	258.3	217.8
	1.1.08	Pulses and products	2.95	212.4	207.8	1.73	217.4	213.0	2.38	214.1	209.6
	1.1.09	Sugar and Confectionery	1.70	130.0	129.6	0.97	132.7	132.4	1.36	130.9	130.5
	1.1.10	Spices	3.11	229.0	227.3	1.79	224.1	222.9	2.50	227.4	225.8
	1.2.11	Non-alcoholic beverages	1.37	186.7	187.7	1.13	175.5	176.6	1.26	182.0	183.1
	1.1.12	Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.	5.56	201.2	201.7	5.54	211.7	212.9	5.55	206.1	206.9
1		Food and beverages	54.18	203.9	198.8	36.29	209.4	204.6	45.86	205.9	200.9
2		Pan, tobacco and intoxicants	3.26	208.7	208.2	1.36	212.2	212.6	2.38	209.6	209.4
	3.1.01	Clothing	6.32	200.4	200.6	4.72	190.0	190.3	5.58	196.3	196.5
	3.1.02	Footwear	1.04	193.7	193.9	0.85	175.6	176.0	0.95	186.2	186.5
3		Clothing and footwear	7.36	199.4	199.7	5.57	187.8	188.1	6.53	194.8	195.1
4		Housing	–	–	–	21.67	181.7	182.5	10.07	181.7	182.5
5		Fuel and light	7.94	182.3	183.1	5.58	170.5	170.6	6.84	177.8	178.4
	6.1.01	Household goods and services	3.75	187.0	187.3	3.87	178.3	178.8	3.80	182.9	183.3
	6.1.02	Health	6.83	200.2	200.8	4.81	194.5	195.4	5.89	198.0	198.8
	6.1.03	Transport and communication	7.60	176.7	177.2	9.73	165.8	166.1	8.59	171.0	171.4
	6.1.04	Recreation and amusement	1.37	181.5	181.6	2.04	176.7	177.0	1.68	178.8	179.0
	6.1.05	Education	3.46	192.2	192.5	5.62	187.9	188.0	4.46	189.7	189.9
	6.1.06	Personal care and effects	4.25	206.3	208.4	3.47	208.0	210.2	3.89	207.0	209.1
6		Miscellaneous	27.26	190.8	191.5	29.53	182.0	182.6	28.32	186.5	187.2
General Index (All Groups)			100.00	198.4	196.0	100.00	192.0	190.6	100.00	195.4	193.5
Consumer Food Price Index (CFPI)			47.25	204.7	198.8	29.62	210.3	204.1	39.06	206.7	200.7

Notes:

Prov. : Provisional.
CFPI : Out of 12 sub-groups contained in ‘Food and Beverages’ group, CFPI is based on ten sub-groups, excluding ‘Non-alcoholic beverages’ and ‘Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.’.

– : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

Annex II

All-India year-on-year inflation rates (%) for General, Group and Sub-group level CPI and CFPI numbers for January 2025 (Provisional) for Rural, Urban and Combined (Base: 2012=100)

Group Code	Sub-group Code	Description	Rural			Urban			Combined
Group Code	Sub-group Code	Description	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)
*(1)*	*(2)*	*(3)*	*(4)*	*(5)*	*(6)*	*(7)*	*(8)*	*(9)*	*(10)*	*(11)*	*(12)*
	1.1.01	Cereals and products	187.5	199.8	6.56	187.1	197.5	5.56	187.4	199.1	6.24
	1.1.02	Meat and fish	209.9	220.9	5.24	219.4	230.8	5.20	213.2	224.4	5.25
	1.1.03	Egg	204.8	206.1	0.63	206.1	210.8	2.28	205.3	207.9	1.27
	1.1.04	Milk and products	182.6	187.7	2.79	182.8	188.2	2.95	182.7	187.9	2.85
	1.1.05	Oils and fats	161.2	189.0	17.25	155.8	175.6	12.71	159.2	184.1	15.64
	1.1.06	Fruits	169.7	192.1	13.20	174.5	193.8	11.06	171.9	192.9	12.22
	1.1.07	Vegetables	179.9	203.6	13.17	226.2	245.6	8.58	195.6	217.8	11.35
	1.1.08	Pulses and products	202.5	207.8	2.62	207.7	213.0	2.55	204.3	209.6	2.59
	1.1.09	Sugar and Confectionery	129.7	129.6	-0.08	131.0	132.4	1.07	130.1	130.5	0.31
	1.1.10	Spices	245.9	227.3	-7.56	235.5	222.9	-5.35	242.4	225.8	-6.85
	1.2.11	Non-alcoholic beverages	182.3	187.7	2.96	169.8	176.6	4.00	177.1	183.1	3.39
	1.1.12	Prepared meals, snacks, sweets etc.	195.0	201.7	3.44	203.1	212.9	4.83	198.8	206.9	4.07
1		Food and beverages	187.7	198.8	5.91	194.2	204.6	5.36	190.1	200.9	5.68
2		Pan, tobacco and intoxicants	203.2	208.2	2.46	208.9	212.6	1.77	204.7	209.4	2.30
	3.1.01	Clothing	195.3	200.6	2.71	185.1	190.3	2.81	191.3	196.5	2.72
	3.1.02	Footwear	190.4	193.9	1.84	171.8	176.0	2.44	182.7	186.5	2.08
3		Clothing and footwear	194.6	199.7	2.62	183.1	188.1	2.73	190.0	195.1	2.68
4		Housing	–	–	–	177.6	182.5	2.76	177.6	182.5	2.76
5		Fuel and light	184.1	183.1	-0.54	175.7	170.6	-2.90	180.9	178.4	-1.38
	6.1.01	Household goods and services	182.9	187.3	2.41	173.0	178.8	3.35	178.2	183.3	2.86
	6.1.02	Health	193.2	200.8	3.93	187.8	195.4	4.05	191.2	198.8	3.97
	6.1.03	Transport and communication	172.0	177.2	3.02	162.1	166.1	2.47	166.8	171.4	2.76
	6.1.04	Recreation and amusement	177.2	181.6	2.48	172.2	177.0	2.79	174.4	179.0	2.64
	6.1.05	Education	185.8	192.5	3.61	180.8	188.0	3.98	182.9	189.9	3.83
	6.1.06	Personal care and effects	188.6	208.4	10.50	189.9	210.2	10.69	189.1	209.1	10.58
6		Miscellaneous	183.4	191.5	4.42	175.2	182.6	4.22	179.4	187.2	4.35
General Index (All Groups)			187.3	196.0	4.64	183.5	190.6	3.87	185.5	193.5	4.31

Notes:

Prov. : Provisional.
– : CPI (Rural) for housing is not compiled.

Annex III

General CPI for States for Rural, Urban and Combined for December 2024 (Final) and January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

Sl. No.	Name of the State/UT	Rural			Urban			Combined
Sl. No.	Name of the State/UT	Weights	Dec. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Weights	Dec. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Weights	Dec. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)
*(1)*	*(2)*	*(3)*	*(4)*	*(5)*	*(6)*	*(7)*	*(8)*	*(9)*	*(10)*	*(11)*
1	Andhra Pradesh	5.40	199.5	199.1	3.64	199.4	199.2	4.58	199.5	199.1
2	Arunachal Pradesh	0.14	199.1	197.6	0.06	—	—	0.10	199.1	197.6
3	Assam	2.63	200.1	198.4	0.79	196.7	194.8	1.77	199.4	197.7
4	Bihar	8.21	195.7	189.7	1.62	203.1	199.1	5.14	196.8	191.1
5	Chhattisgarh	1.68	193.1	188.9	1.22	185.9	182.6	1.46	190.3	186.5
6	Delhi	0.28	176.5	175.2	5.64	171.2	171.7	2.77	171.5	171.9
7	Goa	0.14	183.6	183.1	0.25	181.9	182.7	0.19	182.6	182.9
8	Gujarat	4.54	193.4	191.0	6.82	182.8	179.9	5.60	187.4	184.7
9	Haryana	3.30	200.3	197.5	3.35	186.3	184.7	3.32	193.7	191.5
10	Himachal Pradesh	1.03	182.9	180.9	0.26	187.4	185.3	0.67	183.7	181.7
11	Jharkhand	1.96	191.5	186.7	1.39	193.6	191.0	1.69	192.3	188.3
12	Karnataka	5.09	200.2	199.9	6.81	200.9	201.2	5.89	200.6	200.6
13	Kerala	5.50	204.2	205.4	3.46	199.1	200.3	4.55	202.4	203.6
14	Madhya Pradesh	4.93	196.6	193.4	3.97	196.0	193.8	4.48	196.4	193.6
15	Maharashtra	8.25	196.3	193.8	18.86	188.2	186.8	13.18	190.9	189.1
16	Manipur	0.23	239.4	233.9	0.12	193.0	191.0	0.18	224.7	220.3
17	Meghalaya	0.28	179.5	177.8	0.15	187.3	187.4	0.22	181.9	180.8
18	Mizoram	0.07	207.7	207.4	0.13	183.1	181.9	0.10	192.7	191.8
19	Nagaland	0.14	202.5	201.1	0.12	187.7	186.9	0.13	196.2	195.1
20	Odisha	2.93	204.9	201.3	1.31	191.8	189.4	2.18	201.2	198.0
21	Punjab	3.31	191.3	189.4	3.09	181.8	179.9	3.21	187.0	185.1
22	Rajasthan	6.63	193.6	192.0	4.23	191.3	189.2	5.51	192.8	191.0
23	Sikkim	0.06	205.9	203.7	0.03	189.9	189.0	0.05	200.7	198.9
24	Tamil Nadu	5.55	204.2	203.8	9.20	200.8	200.2	7.25	202.2	201.7
25	Telangana	3.16	207.3	205.9	4.41	200.2	199.4	3.74	203.4	202.3
26	Tripura	0.35	216.5	209.9	0.14	207.7	203.4	0.25	214.2	208.2
27	Uttar Pradesh	14.83	198.5	194.9	9.54	193.8	191.2	12.37	196.8	193.6
28	Uttarakhand	1.06	190.8	188.5	0.73	195.8	193.7	0.91	192.7	190.4
29	West Bengal	6.99	201.9	198.2	7.20	195.1	193.4	7.09	198.7	195.9
30	Andaman & Nicobar Islands	0.05	206.1	203.2	0.07	192.0	191.8	0.06	198.9	197.4
31	Chandigarh	0.02	195.8	192.0	0.34	181.2	179.3	0.17	182.0	180.0
32	Dadra & Nagar Haveli	0.02	183.8	182.2	0.04	190.5	188.5	0.03	188.3	186.4
33	Daman & Diu	0.02	200.6	199.5	0.02	190.3	189.0	0.02	196.3	195.1
34	Jammu & Kashmir*	1.14	205.8	204.7	0.72	199.6	197.5	0.94	203.6	202.2
35	Lakshadweep	0.01	199.9	197.5	0.01	190.8	185.5	0.01	195.2	191.4
36	Puducherry	0.08	210.8	208.1	0.27	199.4	198.8	0.17	202.3	201.2
All India		100.00	198.4	196.0	100.00	192.0	190.6	100.00	195.4	193.5

Notes:

Prov.: Provisional
–: indicates the receipt of price schedules is less than 80% of allocated schedules and therefore indices are not compiled.
*: Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir

and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

Annex IV

Year-on-year inflation rates (%) of major^@ States for Rural, Urban and Combined for January 2025 (Provisional) (Base: 2012=100)

Sl. No.	Name of the State/UT	Rural			Urban			Combined
Sl. No.	Name of the State/UT	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)	Jan. 24 Index (Final)	Jan. 25 Index (Prov.)	Inflation Rate (%)
*(1)*	*(2)*	*(3)*	*(4)*	*(5)*	*(6)*	*(7)*	*(8)*	*(9)*	*(10)*	*(11)*
1	Andhra Pradesh	191.4	199.1	4.02	191.5	199.2	4.02	191.4	199.1	4.02
2	Assam	189.3	198.4	4.81	186.4	194.8	4.51	188.7	197.7	4.77
3	Bihar	180.9	189.7	4.86	188.0	199.1	5.90	181.9	191.1	5.06
4	Chhattisgarh	176.8	188.9	6.84	175.2	182.6	4.22	176.2	186.5	5.85
5	Delhi	169.9	175.2	3.12	168.4	171.7	1.96	168.5	171.9	2.02
6	Gujarat	183.9	191.0	3.86	173.2	179.9	3.87	177.8	184.7	3.88
7	Haryana	187.1	197.5	5.56	176.6	184.7	4.59	182.2	191.5	5.10
8	Himachal Pradesh	173.6	180.9	4.21	178.2	185.3	3.98	174.4	181.7	4.19
9	Jharkhand	183.3	186.7	1.85	184.1	191.0	3.75	183.6	188.3	2.56
10	Karnataka	190.0	199.9	5.21	191.8	201.2	4.90	191.0	200.6	5.03
11	Kerala	191.4	205.4	7.31	189.3	200.3	5.81	190.7	203.6	6.76
12	Madhya Pradesh	183.9	193.4	5.17	187.5	193.8	3.36	185.4	193.6	4.42
13	Maharashtra	188.9	193.8	2.59	179.9	186.8	3.84	182.9	189.1	3.39
14	Odisha	188.5	201.3	6.79	182.0	189.4	4.07	186.7	198.0	6.05
15	Punjab	180.6	189.4	4.87	173.7	179.9	3.57	177.5	185.1	4.28
16	Rajasthan	184.3	192.0	4.18	183.3	189.2	3.22	183.9	191.0	3.86
17	Tamil Nadu	193.4	203.8	5.38	191.3	200.2	4.65	192.2	201.7	4.94
18	Telangana	201.2	205.9	2.34	195.2	199.4	2.15	197.9	202.3	2.22
19	Uttar Pradesh	185.5	194.9	5.07	184.3	191.2	3.74	185.1	193.6	4.59
20	Uttarakhand	180.6	188.5	4.37	183.4	193.7	5.62	181.6	190.4	4.85
21	West Bengal	191.0	198.2	3.77	187.9	193.4	2.93	189.5	195.9	3.38
22	Jammu & Kashmir*	194.3	204.7	5.35	190.2	197.5	3.84	192.9	202.2	4.82
All India		187.3	196.0	4.64	183.5	190.6	3.87	185.5	193.5	4.31

Notes:

Prov. : Provisional.
* : Figures of this row pertain to the prices and weights of the combined Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).
^@ : States having population more than 50 lakhs as per Population Census 2011.

Annexure V

Time Series Data for All India General CPI (Base 2012 =100) Since January 2013

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2013	104.6	105.3	105.5	106.1	106.9	109.3	111.0	112.4	113.7	114.8	116.3	114.5
2014	113.6	113.6	114.2	115.1	115.8	116.7	119.2	120.3	120.1	120.1	120.1	119.4
2015	119.5	119.7	120.2	120.7	121.6	123.0	123.6	124.8	125.4	126.1	126.6	126.1
2016	126.3	126.0	126.0	127.3	128.6	130.1	131.1	131.1	130.9	131.4	131.2	130.4
2017	130.3	130.6	130.9	131.1	131.4	132.0	134.2	135.4	135.2	136.1	137.6	137.2
2018	136.9	136.4	136.5	137.1	137.8	138.5	139.8	140.4	140.2	140.7	140.8	140.1
2019	139.6	139.9	140.4	141.2	142.0	142.9	144.2	145.0	145.8	147.2	148.6	150.4
2020	150.2	149.1	148.6	151.4	150.9	151.8	153.9	154.7	156.4	158.4	158.9	157.3
2021	156.3	156.6	156.8	157.8	160.4	161.3	162.5	162.9	163.2	165.5	166.7	166.2
2022	165.7	166.1	167.7	170.1	171.7	172.6	173.4	174.3	175.3	176.7	176.5	175.7
2023	176.5	176.8	177.2	178.1	179.1	181.0	186.3	186.2	184.1	185.3	186.3	185.7
2024	185.5	185.8	185.8	186.7	187.7	190.2	193.0	193.0	194.2	196.8	196.5	195.4
2025	193.5*

Notes:

* :Index Value for January 2025 is Provisional.

Annexure VI

Time Series Data for All India Year-on-year inflation rates (%) based on General CPI (Base 2012=100) Since January 2014

Year	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
2014	8.60	7.88	8.25	8.48	8.33	6.77	7.39	7.03	5.63	4.62	3.27	4.28
2015	5.19	5.37	5.25	4.87	5.01	5.40	3.69	3.74	4.41	5.00	5.41	5.61
2016	5.69	5.26	4.83	5.47	5.76	5.77	6.07	5.05	4.39	4.20	3.63	3.41
2017	3.17	3.65	3.89	2.99	2.18	1.46	2.36	3.28	3.28	3.58	4.88	5.21
2018	5.07	4.44	4.28	4.58	4.87	4.92	4.17	3.69	3.70	3.38	2.33	2.11
2019	1.97	2.57	2.86	2.99	3.05	3.18	3.15	3.28	3.99	4.62	5.54	7.35
2020	7.59	6.58	5.84	–	–	6.23	6.73	6.69	7.27	7.61	6.93	4.59
2021	4.06	5.03	5.52	4.23	6.30	6.26	5.59	5.30	4.35	4.48	4.91	5.66
2022	6.01	6.07	6.95	7.79	7.04	7.01	6.71	7.00	7.41	6.77	5.88	5.72
2023	6.52	6.44	5.66	4.70	4.31	4.87	7.44	6.83	5.02	4.87	5.55	5.69
2024	5.10	5.09	4.85	4.83	4.80	5.08	3.60	3.65	5.49	6.21	5.48	5.22
2025	4.31*

Notes:

* :Inflation Value for January 2025 is Provisional.
– :Inflation was not compiled and released due to Covid-19 pandemic outbreak.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India – France Joint Statement on the visit of Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India to France

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:22PM by PIB Delhi

At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, paid a visit to France on 10-12 February 2025. On 10 and 11 February 2025, France and India co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, gathering Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, small and large enterprises, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists and members of civil society, in order to build on the important milestones reached during the Bletchley Park (November 2023) and Seoul (May 2024) summits. They underlined their commitment to take concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on France’s successful organization of AI Action Summit. France welcomed India’s hosting of the next AI Summit.

This was Prime Minister Modi’s sixth visit to France, and follows President Macron’s visit to India in January 2024 as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India. Prime Minister Modi and President Macron held bilateral discussions on the entire gamut of the exceptionally strong and multifaceted bilateral cooperation and on global and regional matters. Both leaders also went to Marseille where President Macron hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Modi, reflecting the excellent relationship between the two leaders. They jointly inaugurated India’s Consulate General in Marseille. They also visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility.

President Macron and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in the Joint Statement issued following President Macron’s State Visit to India in January 2024 and in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap published during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to France in July 2023 as the Chief Guest of the Bastille Day Celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. They commended the progress achieved in their bilateral cooperation and committed to accelerating it further across its three pillars.

The two leaders reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains. The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral fora, including on UNSC matters. France reiterated its firm support for India’s permanent membership of the UNSC. The two leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on regulation of use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions.

Acknowledging the paramount importance of advancing scientific knowledge, research and innovation, and recalling the long and enduring engagement between India and France in those areas, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi announced the grand inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation in New Delhi in March 2026 by launching its Logo.

Partnership for Security and Sovereignty

Recalling the deep and longstanding defence cooperation between France and India as part of the Strategic Partnership, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the continuation of the cooperation of air and maritime assets in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024. Both leaders commended progress in collaboration in construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenization, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines. Both leaders welcomed the commissioning of the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, on 15 January 2025.Both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines. They also welcomed the excellent cooperation between the relevant entities in the Safran group and their Indian counterparts. Prime Minister Modi also invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBLR, emphasizing that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties. In addition, President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer to the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR, which is another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes.

Both leaders appreciated the regular conduct of military exercises in all domains including maritime exercises and joint patrolling by maritime patrol aircraft. They noted the recent visit of the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle to India in January 2025, followed by the Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and the future conduct of the Varuna exercise in March 2025.

They welcomed the launch of FRIND-X (France-India Defence Startup Excellence) in Paris on 5-6 December 2024, involving the DGA and the Defence Innovation Agency, in line with the vision enshrined in HORIZON 2047 and the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap. This collaborative platform brings together key stakeholders across both defence ecosystems, including defence startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, and academia, fostering a new era of defence innovation and partnership.

In order to deepen the research and development partnerships in defence, both leaders stressed on the early launch of an R&D framework through a Technical Arrangement for cooperation in defence technologies between DGA and DRDO. Inaddition, both leaders welcomed the ongoing discussions between L’Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to identify technologies for R&D partnerships. Further, India welcomes the participation of Indian students, alongside French students, in the challenge on distributed intelligencelaunched recently by Interdisciplinary Center for Defence and Security from the Institut Polytechnique de Parisand encourages organizing of more joint challenges in the future to evoke the interest of students in defence.

Both leaders had a detailed conversation on international issues, including on the Middle-East and the war in Ukraine. They agreed to pursue their efforts to coordinate and remain closely engaged on a regular basis.

The two leaders recalled the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023 and agreed to work together more closely on implementing the initiative. Both leaders stressed the importance of IMEC to foster connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories and access to clean energy across these regions. In this regard, they acknowledged the strategic location of Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea.

They underlined the key importance of strengthening EU-India relations, in view of the upcoming India-EU summit at the earliest possible in New Delhi.

They appreciated the growing cooperation in trilateral format with Australia and with the United Arab Emirates. They commended the joint military exercises that took place between France, India and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the participation of India, France and Australia in each others’ multilateral military exercises. At the invitation of the United Arab Emirates and India, France joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate. They directed their concerned officials to work together with officials from the Governments of United Arab Emirates and Australia, towards identifying concrete projects of trilateral cooperation in the field of economy, innovation, health, renewable energy, education, culture, and the maritime domain, including under the IPOI and IORA as identified during the focal points meeting held virtually last year for both the trilateral dialogues.

The two leaders underlined their common commitment to a free, open, inclusive, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.

They reiterated their desire to continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in the space sector. Taking note of the substantial contribution of the first two sessions of the India-France Strategic Space Dialogue to furthering this objective, they agreed to hold its third session in 2025. They commended the strength of the partnership between CNES and ISRO and supported the development of collaborations and synergies between their space industries.

The two leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They called for the disruption of terrorism financing networks and safe havens. They further agreed that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts. The leaders also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations of individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. The two sides emphasized the importance of upholding international standards on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, consistent with Financial Action Task Force recommendations. Both countries reiterated their commitment to work together in FATF, No Money For Terror (NMFT) and other multilateral platforms.

They commended the cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) for agency-level cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. The two leaders welcomed the outcomes of the counter-terrorism dialogue held in April 2024, reflecting the growing India – France counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation. The two leaders also looked forward to the successful organization of Milipol 2025 in New Delhi.

They welcomed the ongoing discussions to create a comprehensive framework for an enhanced bilateral cooperation in the civil aviation sector, which are at advanced stages.

Prime Minister Modi and President Macron launched an India-France Roadmap on Artificial Intelligence (AI), rooted in the philosophical convergence in their approaches focusing on the development of safe, open, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. They welcomed the inclusion of Indian startups at the French Startup Incubator Station F. They also welcomed the expanded possibilities for using India’s real-time payment system – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – in France. The two leaders reiterated the strategic significance of cyberspace and their wish to strengthen their coordination at the United Nations regarding the application of international law and the implementation of the framework for responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, as well as the need to address issues arising from the proliferation of malicious cyber tools and practices. They looked forward to the next India-France Strategic Cybersecurity and Cyberdiplomacy Dialogues to be held in 2025.

Partnership for the Planet

Prime Minister Modi and President Macron stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy. Both leaders acknowledged the India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, notably in relation with the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project. They welcomed the first meeting of the Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy, and welcomed the signing of a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) and the Implementing Agreement between India’s GCNEP, DAE and France’s INSTN, CEA for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals.

The two leaders reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to jointly address the environmental crises and challenges including climate change and promoting sustainable lifestyles. The leaders welcomed the renewal of bilateral cooperation in the field of environment between the Ministries of Environment. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles established by the Paris Pact for People and the Planet for reform of the international financing system towards supporting vulnerable countries in addressing both the eradication of poverty and the preservation of the planet. Both leaders affirmed the significance of United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC-3) as an important milestone in international efforts towards conservation and sustainable use of oceans. In the context of upcoming UNOC-3 to be held in Nice in June 2025, France and India recognize the importance of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of Natural Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), as one of the pillars of inclusive and holistic international ocean governance. Having already signed the treaty, they called for its entry into force at the earliest. Prime Minister Modi offered India’s support to France for UNOC-3 in June 2025.

They lauded the launching of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation, aiming to support climate- and SDG-focused projects from third countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders welcome the partnership between Proparco and the concerned Indian microfinance institutions for an equity agreement of 13 million Euros in the areas of financial inclusion and women empowerment. They also commended the strong and fruitful cooperation within the framework of the Franco Indian presidency of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Solar Alliance.

Noting the record level of bilateral trade in 2024, they acknowledged that there is vast untapped potential for trade and investment between the two countries. Both leaders highlighted the need to maintain strong confidence for companies investing in France and in India. They commended the numerous economic cooperation projects announced in 2024 in the field of urban development. They recalled the participation of India as guest of honor of the 7th Choose France Summit in Versailles in May 2024. The two leaders were delighted with the organization of the bilateral CEOs Forum in November 2024 and February 2025.

The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the unprecedented momentum initiated for cooperation between the two Ministries of Health, with the first mission in Paris of India’s Ministry for Health and Family Welfare last January. Digital health, anti-microbial resistance and exchange of health professionals have been identified as the main priorities for bilateral cooperation in 2025. The two leaders welcomed the signature of a Letter of Intent between PariSante Campus and the C-CAMP (Centre for Molecular Platforms), and the creation of the Indo-French Life Sciences Sister Innovation Hub.

Partnership for the People

Recalling the ambition underpinning the Letter of Intent signed on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France in July 2023, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the signature of the Agreement between the National Museum in Delhi and France Muséums Développement in December 2024. This agreement paves the way for further collaboration as well as broader museum cooperation including training of Indian professionals. France offered to continue consultations on its participation in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex.

To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the first cultural agreement between India and France in 1966, both sides agreed to undertake multiple cultural exchanges and programs in the context of the Year of Innovation 2026 which is a cross-sectoral initiative that includes culture.

Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on the successful organization of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 and thanked President Macron’s willingness to share France’s experience and expertise regarding the organization and securing of major international sporting events in the context of India’s bid to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036.

Both Leaders welcomed the launch of a regional edition of the Raisina Dialogue focusing on Mediterranean issues in Marseille in 2025, to foster high-level dialogue involving representatives of governments, industry leaders, experts on trade and connectivity issues and other relevant stakeholders with an aim to enhance trade and connectivity between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions.

Both leaders welcomed the successful launch in September 2024 of the International Classes Scheme under which Indian students are taught French as a foreign language, and methodology and academic contents in highly reputed French universities in France during one academic year, before entering their chosen curricula in France. It will create conducive conditions to increase student mobility and meet the target of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030. In that regard, they welcomed the rising number of Indian students in France, with 2025 figures expected to reach an unprecedented 10,000.

Both leaders also welcomed the operationalization of the Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) under India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) which will facilitate two way mobility of youth and professionals, further strengthening the bonds of friendship between people of India and France. Moreover, both leaders stressed on early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation in the fields of skill development, vocational education and training which will create opportunities for both countries to strengthen cooperation in this field.

To foster their dynamic and comprehensive Strategic Partnership, both countries committed to constantly deepen their long-term cooperation following the ambitions expressed in the bilateral Horizon 2047 Roadmap.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: List of Outcomes: Visit of the Prime Minister to France

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:20PM by PIB Delhi

S. No.	MoUs/ Agreements/ Amendments	Areas
1.	India France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI)	Technology & Innovation, S&T
2.	Launch of the Logo for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026	Technology & Innovation, S&T
3.	Letter of Intent between Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) France to establish the Indo-French Center for the Digital Sciences	Technology & Innovation, S&T
4.	Agreement for hosting 10 Indian Startups at the French Start-up incubator Station F	Technology & Innovation, S&T
5.	Declaration of Intent on establishment of partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors and Small Modular Reactors	Civil Nuclear Energy
6.	Renewal of MoU between Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India and Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives of France (CAE), France concerning cooperation with Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP)	Civil Nuclear Energy
7.	Implementing Agreement between DAE of India and CEA of France concerning cooperation between GCNEP India and Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN) France	Civil Nuclear Energy
8.	Join Declaration of Intent on Triangular Development Cooperation	Indo-Pacific/ Sustainable Development
9.	Joint Inauguration of India’s Consulate in Marseille	Culture/ People-to-People
10.	Declaration of Intent between The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries and The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Field of Environment.	Environment

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister holds bilateral talks with President of France

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:24PM by PIB Delhi

In a special gesture reflecting the personal rapport between the two leaders, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron flew together from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft yesterday. They held discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral relations and key global and regional issues. This was followed by delegation level talks after arrival in Marseille. The leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the India-France Strategic Partnership, which has steadily evolved into a multifaceted relationship over the past 25 years.

The talks covered all aspects of the India-France strategic partnership. The two leaders reviewed cooperation in the strategic areas of Defence, Civil Nuclear Energy and Space. They also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the fields of Technology and Innovation. This area of partnership assumes greater salience in the backdrop of the just concluded AI Action Summit and the upcoming India-France Year of Innovation in 2026. The leaders also called for enhancing trade and investment ties and in this regard welcomed the report of the 14th India- France CEOs Forum.

⁠Prime Minister and President Macron expressed satisfaction at the ongoing collaboration in the fields of health, culture, tourism, education and people-to-people ties. They committed to further deepen engagement in the Indo-Pacific and in global forums and initiatives.

A Joint Statement outlining the way forward for India- France ties was adopted after the talks. Ten outcomes in the areas of Technology and Innovation, Civil Nuclear Energy, Triangular Cooperation, Environment, Culture and People to People relations were also finalized (list attached).

President Macron hosted a dinner in honour of Prime Minister in the coastal town of Cassis, near Marseille. Prime Minister invited President Macron to visit India.

List of Outcomes: Visit of the Prime Minister to France (10-12 February 2025)

S. No.	MoUs/ Agreements/ Amendments	Areas
1.	India France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI)	Technology & Innovation, S&T
2.	Launch of the Logo for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026	Technology & Innovation, S&T
3.	Letter of Intent between Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) France to establish the Indo-French Center for the Digital Sciences	Technology & Innovation, S&T
4.	Agreement for hosting 10 Indian Startups at the French Start-up incubator Station F	Technology & Innovation, S&T
5.	Declaration of Intent on establishment of partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors and Small Modular Reactors	Civil Nuclear Energy
6.	Renewal of MoU between Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India and Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives of France (CAE), France concerning cooperation with Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP)	Civil Nuclear Energy
7.	Implementing Agreement between DAE of India and CEA of France concerning cooperation between GCNEP India and Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN) France	Civil Nuclear Energy
8.	Join Declaration of Intent on Triangular Development Cooperation	Indo-Pacific/ Sustainable Development
9.	Joint Inauguration of India’s Consulate in Marseille	Culture/ People-to-People
10.	Declaration of Intent between The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries and The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Field of Environment.	Environment

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: List of Outcomes: Visit of the Prime Minister to France (10-12 February 2025)

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:20PM by PIB Delhi

S. No.	MoUs/ Agreements/ Amendments	Areas
1.	India France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI)	Technology & Innovation, S&T
2.	Launch of the Logo for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026	Technology & Innovation, S&T
3.	Letter of Intent between Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India and Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) France to establish the Indo-French Center for the Digital Sciences	Technology & Innovation, S&T
4.	Agreement for hosting 10 Indian Startups at the French Start-up incubator Station F	Technology & Innovation, S&T
5.	Declaration of Intent on establishment of partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors and Small Modular Reactors	Civil Nuclear Energy
6.	Renewal of MoU between Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India and Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives of France (CAE), France concerning cooperation with Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP)	Civil Nuclear Energy
7.	Implementing Agreement between DAE of India and CEA of France concerning cooperation between GCNEP India and Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN) France	Civil Nuclear Energy
8.	Join Declaration of Intent on Triangular Development Cooperation	Indo-Pacific/ Sustainable Development
9.	Joint Inauguration of India’s Consulate in Marseille	Culture/ People-to-People
10.	Declaration of Intent between The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs and Fisheries and The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the Field of Environment.	Environment

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India Energy Week 2025 Showcases India’s Clean Cooking Gas Model: A Blueprint for the Global South

Source: Government of India (2)

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 3:06PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Hardeep Singh Puri chaired a Ministerial Roundtable on Clean Cooking on the second day of India Energy Week 2025. Shri Puri highlighted India’s remarkable success in ensuring universal access to clean cooking gas through targeted subsidies, strong political will, digitization of distribution networks by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), and nationwide campaigns promoting cultural shifts towards clean cooking.

The session brought together representatives from Brazil, Tanzania, Malawi, Sudan, Nepal, and industry leaders including the International Energy Agency (IEA), Total Energy, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

Shri Puri emphasized that India’s model is not only successful but also highly replicable in other Global South nations facing similar energy access challenges. The Union Minister noted that under India’s Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY), beneficiaries receive LPG access at a highly affordable cost of just 7 cents per day, while other consumers can avail themselves of clean cooking fuel at 15 cents per day. This affordability has been a game-changer in driving widespread adoption.

During the discussion, international representatives shared their experiences and challenges in expanding access to clean cooking solutions. Hon. Dkt. Doto Mashaka Biteko, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Tanzania outlined its strategy to enable 80% of households to transition to clean cooking by 2030, leveraging subsidies and a mix of energy sources, including LPG, natural gas, and biogas. However, he acknowledged significant challenges, including financing constraints, the high cost of infrastructure, and the need for regulatory reforms to encourage private-sector participation.

H.E. Dr. Mohieldien Naiem Mohamed Saied, Minister of Energy and Oil, Sudan, emphasized the need for private sector engagement to bridge gaps in LPG supply, as the country still imports a significant portion of its energy needs. Encouraging local cylinder production and ensuring cost-effective imports remain key hurdles in achieving broader adoption. Representatives of Rwanda and Nepal shared their efforts in reducing firewood dependency through electric stoves and biogas expansion.

Mary Burce Warlick, Deputy Executive Director of IEA noted that India’s success offers valuable lessons for other countries, particularly in tackling challenges related to affordability, access, and infrastructure. She further emphasized the role of concessional financing and public-private partnerships (PPP) in expanding clean cooking access globally. Addressing cultural acceptance and regulatory adjustments, such as tax reductions, were also highlighted as crucial measures for large-scale adoption.

Rahool Panandiker, Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) highlighted India’s clean cooking transformation, underscoring its strong political commitment, effective subsidy targeting, and robust public awareness campaigns. He further credited India’s Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) for enabling last-mile LPG delivery through digital platforms, making adoption seamless. Panadiker also underscored the need for refining the cylinder refill model to ensure sustained usage and balancing affordability with economic sustainability.

Responding to the potential of solar cookers in expanding clean cooking technologies across the Global South, Shri Puri highlighted that IOCL’s advanced solar cookers, featuring integrated solar panels, are priced at approximately $500 per unit with no additional costs over their lifecycle. The Union Minister added that while the current price point remains a challenge for widespread adoption, leveraging carbon financing and collaborating with the private sector could drive costs down, making solar cooking a viable alternative for millions.

This initiative aligns with India’s broader efforts to diversify clean cooking options beyond LPG, reinforcing the country’s commitment to reducing reliance on traditional biomass fuels and cutting carbon emissions.

Shri Puri concluded the discussion by reaffirming India’s commitment to supporting energy access initiatives worldwide. He underscored that the Indian model, backed by smart subsidies and sustainable policies, provides a scalable solution for other developing nations striving to achieve clean cooking access. He stressed that achieving universal clean cooking access is not merely an economic imperative but a moral one, given the severe health and environmental impacts of traditional biomass cooking.

This roundtable reaffirmed India’s position as a global leader in energy transition and clean cooking solutions, setting the stage for greater international cooperation in achieving universal access to clean energy.

About India Energy Week 2025

India Energy Week was envisioned as more than just another industry conference—it was designed to be a dynamic platform redefining global energy dialogues. In just two years, this self-funded initiative has achieved precisely that, becoming the world’s second-largest energy event. The third edition, scheduled from February 11-14, 2025, at Yashobhoomi, New Delhi, represents a significant milestone in shaping the global energy narrative.

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Establishing a European Day for Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles – E-000234/2025

Source: European Parliament

Question for written answer E-000234/2025/rev.1
to the Commission
Rule 144
Antonio Decaro (S&D), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR), Matteo Ricci (S&D), Manuela Ripa (PPE), Valentina Palmisano (The Left)

For 20 years, Radio Rai 2’s ‘Caterpillar’ programme led the ‘M’illumino di meno’ (‘Dim the Lights’) campaign, which was awarded the Medal of the President of Italy and enjoys the patronage of the European Parliament. The campaign resulted in the Italian institutions enshrining 16 February – the date when the Kyoto Protocol entered into force in 2005 – in law as the ‘National Day for Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles’.

Energy saving plays a key role in the fight against climate change, so it is crucial we spread the word among the EU public, while also highlighting responsible energy use and, more generally, sustainable lifestyles.

In this regard, could the Commission say whether it is considering making 16 February the ‘European Day for Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles’ and complementing the event with relevant initiatives in all Member States?

Submitted: 21.1.2025

Last updated: 12 February 2025

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet
Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister
1. Participants from over 100 countries, including government leaders, international organisations, representatives of civil society, the private sector, and the academic and research communities gathered in Paris on February 10 and 11, 2025, to hold the AI Action Summit. Rapid development of AI technologies represents a major paradigm shift, impacting our citizens, and societies in many ways. In line with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and the principles that countries must have ownership of their transition strategies, we have identified priorities and launched concrete actions to advance the public interest and to bridge digital divides through accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Our actions are grounded in three main principles of science, solutions – focusing on open AI models in compliance with countries frameworks – and policy standards, in line with international frameworks.
2. This Summit has highlighted the importance of reinforcing the diversity of the AI ecosystem. It has laid an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach that will enable AI to be human rights based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy while also stressing the need and urgency to narrow the inequalities and assist developing countries in artificial intelligence capacity-building so they can build AI capacities.
3. Acknowledging existing multilateral initiatives on AI, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI, the African Union Continental AI Strategy, and the works of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe and European Union, the G7 including the Hiroshima AI Process and G20, we have affirmed the following main priorities:
- Promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides
- Ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all
- Making innovation in AI thrive by enabling conditions for its development and avoiding market concentration driving industrial recovery and development
- Encouraging AI deployment that positively shapes the future of work and labour markets and delivers opportunity for sustainable growth
- Making AI sustainable for people and the planet
- Reinforcing international cooperation to promote coordination in international governance
To deliver on these priorities:
- Founding members have launched a major Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator, to support, amplify, decrease fragmentation between existing public and private initiatives on Public Interest AI and address digital divides. The Public interest AI Initiative will sustain and support digital public goods and technical assistance and capacity building projects in data, model development, openness and transparency, audit, compute, talent, financing and collaboration to support and co-create a trustworthy AI ecosystem advancing the public interest of all, for all and by all.
- We have discussed, at a Summit for the first time and in a multi-stakeholder format, issues related to AI and energy. This discussion has led to sharing knowledge to foster investments for sustainable AI systems (hardware, infrastructure, models), to promoting an international discussion on AI and environment, to welcoming an observatory on the energy impact of AI with the International Energy Agency, to showcasing energy-friendly AI innovation.
- We recognize the need to enhance our shared knowledge on the impacts of AI in the job market, though the creation of network of Observatories, to better anticipate AI implications for workplaces, training and education and to use AI to foster productivity, skill development, quality and working conditions and social dialogue.
1. We recognize the need for inclusive multistakeholder dialogues and cooperation on AI governance. We underline the need for a global reflection integrating inter alia questions of safety, sustainable development, innovation, respect of international laws including humanitarian law and human rights law and the protection of human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights. We take notes of efforts and discussions related to international fora where AI governance is examined. As outlined in the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN General Assembly, participants also reaffirmed their commitment to initiate a Global Dialogue on AI governance and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and to align on-going governance efforts, ensuring complementarity and avoiding duplication.
2. Harnessing the benefits of AI technologies to support our economies and societies depends on advancing Trust and Safety. We commend the role of the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit and Seoul Summits that have been essential in progressing international cooperation on AI safety and we note the voluntary commitments launched there. We will keep addressing the risks of AI to information integrity and continue the work on AI transparency.
3. We look forward to next AI milestones such as the Kigali Summit, the 3rd Global Forum on the Ethics of AI hosted by Thailand and UNESCO, the 2025 World AI Conference and the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 to follow up on our commitments and continue to take concrete actions aligned with a sustainable and inclusive AI.
Signatory countries:
1. Armenia
2. Australia
3. Austria
4. Belgium
5. Brazil
6. Bulgaria
7. Cambodia
8. Canada
9. Chile
10. China
11. Croatia
12. Cyprus
13. Czechia
14. Denmark
15. Djibouti
16. Estonia
17. Finland
18. France
19. Germany
20. Greece
21. Hungary
22. India
23. Indonesia
24. Ireland
25. Italy
26. Japan
27. Kazakhstan
28. Kenya
29. Latvia
30. Lithuania
31. Luxembourg
32. Malta
33. Mexico
34. Monaco
35. Morocco
36. New Zealand
37. Nigeria
38. Norway
39. Poland
40. Portugal
41. Romania
42. Rwanda
43. Senegal
44. Serbia
45. Singapore
46. Slovakia
47. Slovenia
48. South Africa
49. Republic of Korea
50. Spain
51. Sweden
52. Switzerland
53. Thailand
54. Netherlands
55. United Arab Emirates
56. Ukraine
57. Uruguay
58. Vatican
59. European Union
60. African Union Commission
MIL OSI Canada News –
February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: E.ON and Coventry City Council launch drone scans with tech startup Kestrix to drive warmer homes at scale

Source: City of Coventry

This pilot scheme will analyse thousands of Coventry homes to devise community-scale energy upgrade plans.

The Strategic Energy Partnership between E.ON and Coventry City Council is working with tech startup Kestrix to use thermal camera drones and advanced 3D heat loss modelling at scale, providing real-world data on the performance of thousands of homes in Coventry at once. This will allow better – and faster – targeting of energy efficiency improvements with the aim of making homes more energy efficient and, ultimately, cheaper to heat.

Described as the ‘Google Maps of heat loss’, Kestrix uses drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to scan a bird’s-eye view of homes from about 50 metres high, quantifying precisely how and where heat escapes from buildings. The drone survey takes a few minutes rather than the current model of home visits which can typically last hours.

The 3D heat loss models highlight opportunities for building improvements at scale, with machine learning insights recommending what improvements could work best and at lowest cost.

The new solutions give a far clearer picture of how much it costs to run a house and how to fix heat loss issues. Capturing this data at scale gives a clear blueprint of which homes are performing the worst across whole areas, meaning energy efficiency improvements can be targeted to those who need it most in a more efficient way.

The data captured could also help social landlords and local authorities to plan and prioritise the work and, over time, aspire to build up a map of heat losses community-wide.

The collaboration between E.ON and Kestrix grew out of the Free Electrons open innovation programme, in which E.ON and other leading global utilities work together with promising start-ups to develop innovative solutions for the world of new energy. As a finalist in the 2024 edition of Free Electrons, Kestrix was brought into the organisation by E.ON Group Innovation, E.ON’s incubator for innovative technologies. Through Free Electrons, E.ON Group Innovation has helped launch a number of pilot projects across Europe, with Kestrix being the latest.

Vijay Tank, Chief Operating Officer at E.ON Infrastructure Solutions, said:

“At E.ON we have improved hundreds of thousands of homes going back many years, but if the UK is to meet its net zero targets we are going to need to improve 1.8 homes every minute from now to 2050. “We need to go further and faster, and that’s where our relationship with Kestrix and our Strategic Energy Partnership with the City of Coventry come in. Bringing together the city and this cuttingedge technology means we can deliver accurate data at scale and take away any guesswork in where exactly are the worst performing homes and what help we can get to those who need it most.”

Councillor Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs, regeneration and climate change, said:

“This new technological innovation will allow E.ON, our strategic energy partner, to assess heat loss from homes at scale and get vital data on where and how we can encourage or support local people to make improvements – in turn saving them cash on their heating bills. It will also mean that some people who might not qualify for support will be able to have a look at the data for their home in case there is action they want to take.”

Lucy Lyons, co-founder of Kestrix, added:

“There is no scalable, cost-effective way of knowing reliably how heat is lost across the millions of buildings we all live, work and play in – let alone how to fix it and how much fixes will cost. We need to upgrade millions of homes across the UK and with scarce finance, time and resources it’s critical to put insulation where it’s needed – with partners like E.ON and Coventry City Council we have the ambition and scale to make a real difference in people’s lives.”

The Coventry trial is the largest scale application of the Kestrix system in the world, and the drone thermal imaging will analyse more than 4,000 homes, centred on the Hillfields area in the east of the city.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Flex Perpetuals opens FLP Surge – a new era of DeFi market making

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

GEORGE TOWN, Grand Cayman, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Flex Perpetuals has officially launched its FLP Surge, an innovative liquidity initiative designed to democratize market making in DeFi. With FLP Surge, traders and investors of all sizes can earn sustainable yield by participating in liquidity provision, capturing a share of trading fees on one of the most anticipated & fastest-growing decentralized perpetuals exchanges on Base.

FLP Surge: the future of market making for everyone

Traditionally, market making has been reserved for institutional players with deep liquidity and specialized trading infrastructure. Flex Perpetuals’ Flex Liquidity Pool (FLP) is changing that narrative by opening market-making rewards to everyone, from retail to large institutional investors.

Earn from day one: FLP holders receive 45% of all platform trading fees paid out in USDC
Capital-efficient liquidity: FLP is structured as a blue-chip index token with 40% cbBTC, 40% USDC, and 20% ETH
Bonus incentives: Participating in FLP Surge offers massive incentive bonuses, making it one of the most rewarding liquidity events in DeFi. If you are considering a deposit of over $50K, even more exclusive benefits await, including up to 15% extra rewards on top of existing incentives.
Flexible liquidity: After an initial one-month lock-up, investors can withdraw funds anytime.

With FLP Surge now live, early participants are securing their share of one of DeFi’s most attractive liquidity opportunities. Deposit now – https://go.flex.trade/deposit

Why FLP Surge stands out

The launch of FLP Surge is more than just another DeFi liquidity event. It introduces a fair, transparent, and sustainable liquidity model designed for long-term adoption. Unlike traditional liquidity mining, which often relies on inflationary incentives, FLP Surge rewards providers directly from real trading volume.

Real yield: Unlike staking programs reliant on token emissions, the majority of FLP’s yield is driven by actual trading activity
Smoothed volatility: FLP’s balanced cbBTC, ETH, and USDC allocation ensures stable long-term exposure
Open to all: Whether you’re deploying $100 or $1M, FLP Surge is structured to provide accessible, efficient market-making rewards

By leveraging its deep liquidity, efficient trade execution, and strong integration within the Base ecosystem, Flex Perpetuals is setting a new benchmark for decentralized liquidity provision.

The platform behind FLP Surge: Flex Perpetuals

While FLP Surge is a major milestone, it’s only one part of the broader Flex Perpetuals ecosystem. Built on the hugely exciting Base Chain by Coinbase, the Flex Perpetuals platform is designed to offer a CEX-like trading experience in a fully decentralized and permissionless environment.

Low trading fees: Competitive fees starting at 0.02% on BTC and ETH trades
Gasless trading: Intent-based execution ensures instant transactions without high network costs
Cross-Margin & multi-asset collateral: Trade using BTC, ETH, and USDC as collateral for maximum capital efficiency
Sub-accounts: Manage multiple trading strategies with isolated risk in one seamless interface
Web App for mobile trading: Access the full Flex Perpetuals platform from anywhere with a smooth mobile-friendly interface

Security, partnerships, and the roadmap ahead

Security and transparency are at the core of Flex Perpetuals. The platform has undergone comprehensive audits from Code4rena, Foobar, WatchPug, and Cantina, ensuring the infrastructure is resilient and secure.

Strategic partnerships further enhance the ecosystem:
Aerodrome: The hub of liquidity, supported by Flex Perpetuals’ veAERO Treasury, incentivizing deep trading pools on Base
Chainlink & Pyth: Providing accurate, real-time price feeds for seamless trading execution

The Flex Perpetuals team is committed to a feature-driven roadmap, continuously improving the trading experience with new pairs, automation tools, and liquidity innovations to ensure long-term success.

Be part of FLP Surge today

With FLP Surge now open, investors have a limited-time opportunity to participate in a new era of DeFi market making. FLP Surge closes on February 16th at 16:00 UTC, making now the best time to secure rewards and maximize incentives. Whether you’re looking for a stable, passive yield or an active role in decentralized liquidity, Flex Perpetuals is providing a gateway to high-performance trading opportunities.

About Flex Perpetuals

Flex Perpetuals is a decentralized perpetuals exchange built on Base, a layer-2 solution by Coinbase. With a focus on democratizing market-making opportunities, Flex Perpetuals enables traders and investors of all sizes to participate in liquidity provision and earn sustainable yield. The platform’s Flex Liquidity Pool (FLP) offers an innovative liquidity model that rewards participants from real trading volume, rather than relying on inflationary incentives.

Backed by comprehensive security audits and strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Aerodrome, Chainlink, and Pyth, Flex Perpetuals is committed to creating a transparent, efficient, and sustainable DeFi ecosystem.

For more information, visit Flex Perpetuals or follow us on Twitter and Telegram.

FLP Surge deposits are open now! Secure your position today at https://go.flex.trade/deposit

For more information, join the conversation on X and Telegram and check out the project documentation:

Contact:
Stuart Blair
COO
Marketing@flex.trade

Disclaimer: This content is provided by Flex. The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the content provider. The information provided in this press release is not a solicitation for investment, nor is it intended as investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is strongly recommended you practice due diligence, including consultation with a professional financial advisor, before investing in or trading cryptocurrency and securities. Please conduct your own research and invest at your own risk.

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/bf71d511-ad90-42a2-9f20-7fc3fb032534

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6e1b4e4b-e655-484e-a355-2c39fee3d08b

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/18b000d8-ce3a-4c29-aef5-01563072c7ca

The MIL Network –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK stands up for working people by boosting economic, clean energy and climate links with India
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Energy Secretary travels to New Delhi to champion UK businesses, strengthen our partnership with India and accelerate work to tackle climate change.
UK and India agree action to accelerate economic growth from global clean energy transition

Energy Secretary travelled to New Delhi to champion for British interests; supporting UK businesses, increase clean energy investment opportunities and deliver on the government’s Plan for Change

closer working through fourth UK-India Energy Dialogue to boost renewables and cut emissions, protecting British families and businesses from the climate crisis

The UK and India joined forces this week to unlock economic growth from the clean energy transition, supporting new jobs, creating export opportunities and tackling the climate crisis.

During a visit to New Delhi, the Energy Secretary Ed Miliband backed British businesses at India Energy Week – a major international energy event. He met with UK companies who are using their expertise to speed up India’s transition from fossil fuels to clean power, including offshore wind, solar, battery storage and hydrogen.

He met a number of UK companies who are using the UK’s world leading technology to speed up the global clean energy transition, create job opportunities and protect the climate. These include:

Sherwood Power – Sherwood Power has developed energy storage technology that converts excess, low-cost, renewable energy into compressed air and heat. When demand is high, this stored energy is released to generate electricity, reducing grid load and customer costs. The company is based in Richmond, North Yorkshire.

Oomph EV – Oomph EV designs and manufacture a range of rapid, mobile, electric vehicle charging solutions. They are addressing the Indian market with a view to local manufacture. They offer hardware, software and data services to the global EV market and are based in Cambridge.

Flock Energy – London based Flock Energy is building the digital infrastructure for the global energy transition. Using advanced AI, Flock Energy enables energy providers to analyse customer energy data usage in detail, all on one digital platform, to improve demand forecasting, demand-side management and energy efficiency.

Venterra Group – Venterra Group, established in 2021, is a London based offshore wind services company. Venterra operates globally with over 700 employees and specialises in providing comprehensive technical services across the wind farm lifecycle to reduce project risks, time, and costs.

India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and one which is projected to be the fourth largest global importer by 2035. Delivering on the UK Government’s Plan for Change, the Energy Secretary used his visit to increase UK clean energy investment opportunities and place British businesses at the forefront of the global race for renewables.  

As one of the world’s biggest emitters, working with India on clean energy and climate is crucial to protecting British families and businesses from the threat of climate change. Increasing investment in renewables and clean technology supports the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower, protecting households from unstable fossil fuel markets and helping keep bills down for good.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

We are standing up for the British people by fighting for investment into our country, and setting the example for all countries play their part in protecting our planet for future generations.

The UK and India are strengthening our partnership under our Plan for Change to unlock investment and accelerate the global transition to clean, secure, affordable energy.

Both our countries are determined to address the climate emergency to protect our way of life, while reaping the rewards of the industrial and economic opportunity of our time.

The Energy Secretary took part in the fourth UK-India Energy Dialogue with India’s Minister of Power Manohar Lal Khattar, and met with G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant.

Both countries agreed:

a new shared ambition on offshore wind, including a UK-India Offshore Wind Taskforce to drive the progress needed across the offshore wind supply chains and financing models

funding to reform in India’s power sector to support decarbonisation through UKPACT, which aims to deliver grid transformation as part of India’s renewables rollout

an extension of the bilateral Accelerating Smart Power and Renewable Energy in India (ASPIRE) programme, which will work to deliver round-the-clock power supply, accelerate industrial decarbonisation and roll out renewables

This builds on the UK and India’s close collaboration to tackle climate change through innovation agreed as part of the Technology Security Initiative in 2024, from using AI to increase resilience, to bringing together experts to safeguard the critical minerals needed for renewable technologies like wind turbines and batteries.

Talks come ahead of expected negotiations with India on a Free Trade Agreement and Bilateral Investment Treaty, led by the Business and Trade Secretary, at the end of the month.

Striking a deal would increase economic growth across both countries, facilitating the trade of renewable technologies and sustainable materials, supporting the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower.

There are over 950 Indian-owned companies in the UK and over 650 UK companies in India supporting over 600,000 jobs and driving innovation across both economies.

Engagement with India comes ahead of COP30, due to take place in Brazil later this year, where both countries will be pushing for ambitious outcomes to address the climate emergency.

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Published 12 February 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft has introduced contactless payment services for fuel at its filling stations in Khakassia

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Rosneft continued its joint work with the Yandex Zapravki service to expand the geography of contactless payment for fuel. The service became available at all Rosneft gas stations in the Republic of Khakassia. You can now refuel your car using a mobile application at 95% of the network’s stations in almost all regions where the Company operates.

Today, Rosneft has one of the largest retail sales networks in Russia, including about 3,000 petrol stations/gas stations. The geography of the Company’s retail business covers 61 regions of Russia. In the Republic of Khakassia, the Rosneft petrol station network covers highways in the main directions – Abakan-Krasnoyarsk, Abakan-Ak-Dovurak, Abakan-Sayanogorsk. Almost all stations of the network are presented in a new format – with a set of services and an expanded range of cafes “ZERNO”.

Yandex Gas Stations are integrated into Yandex Go, Maps and Navigator, and are also available in a separate application. Drivers can select the pump number, fuel brand, volume and pay for refueling with a bank card or through the Fast Payment System without leaving their cars.

You can also use points to pay for fuel – members of the Family Team loyalty program can accumulate them by adding their card details to the Yandex Fueling service profile, as well as if you have an active Yandex Plus subscription. In addition, for motorists who refuel using the digital service, there is a special offer until March 7, 2025.

Developing convenient customer services to increase the speed and improve the quality of customer service is one of the priority goals of Rosneft’s retail business.

Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft February 12, 2025

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Minutes – Tuesday, 11 February 2025 – Strasbourg – Final edition

Source: European Parliament 2

PV-10-2025-02-11

iPlPv_Sit

Minutes
Tuesday, 11 February 2025 – Strasbourg

IN THE CHAIR: Christel SCHALDEMOSE
Vice-President

1. Opening of the sitting

The sitting opened at 09:00.

2. Preparedness for a new trade era: multilateral cooperation or tariffs (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Preparedness for a new trade era: multilateral cooperation or tariffs (2025/2551(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Maroš Šefčovič (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Jörgen Warborn, on behalf of the PPE Group, Iratxe García Pérez, on behalf of the S&D Group, Klara Dostalova, on behalf of the PfE Group, Daniele Polato, on behalf of the ECR Group, Karin Karlsbro, on behalf of the Renew Group, Anna Cavazzini, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Manon Aubry, on behalf of The Left Group, René Aust, on behalf of the ESN Group, Michał Szczerba, Kathleen Van Brempt, Christophe Bay, Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, who also answered a blue-card question from Manon Aubry, Diana Riba i Giner, Lynn Boylan, Fabio De Masi, Juan Ignacio Zoido Álvarez, who also answered a blue-card question from Petras Gražulis, Yannis Maniatis, Anna Bryłka, Svenja Hahn, who also answered a blue-card question from Damian Boeselager, Majdouline Sbai, Rudi Kennes, Lídia Pereira, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Bernd Lange, Jorge Buxadé Villalba, who also answered a blue-card question from Cristina Maestre, Sophie Wilmès, Virginijus Sinkevičius, Željana Zovko, Stefano Bonaccini, András László, who also answered a blue-card question from Radan Kanev, Barry Cowen, Luděk Niedermayer, who also answered a blue-card question from Maria Grapini, Raphaël Glucksmann, Ľubica Karvašová, Sebastião Bugalho, Javier Moreno Sánchez, Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, Loucas Fourlas, Dirk Gotink and Salvatore De Meo.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Sebastian Tynkkynen and Billy Kelleher.

IN THE CHAIR: Roberts ZĪLE
Vice-President

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Lukas Sieper.

The following spoke: Maria Grapini on the organisation of the debate.

The following spoke: Maroš Šefčovič and Adam Szłapka.

The debate closed.

3. Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia’s war of aggression (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Continuing the unwavering EU support for Ukraine, after three years of Russia’s war of aggression (2025/2528(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Marta Kos (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Michael Gahler, on behalf of the PPE Group, Yannis Maniatis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Csaba Dömötör, on behalf of the PfE Group, Adam Bielan, on behalf of the ECR Group, Petras Auštrevičius, on behalf of the Renew Group, Villy Søvndal, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Danilo Della Valle, on behalf of The Left Group, Petras Gražulis, on behalf of the ESN Group, Rasa Juknevičienė, Kathleen Van Brempt, Pierre-Romain Thionnet, Reinis Pozņaks, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, who also answered a blue-card question from Alexander Sell, Mārtiņš Staķis, Jonas Sjöstedt, Petar Volgin, Ľuboš Blaha, Sandra Kalniete, Sven Mikser, Viktória Ferenc, Alberico Gambino, Hilde Vautmans, Sergey Lagodinsky, Hans Neuhoff, Fabio De Masi, Michał Szczerba, Thijs Reuten, Petra Steger, Jaak Madison, Bernard Guetta, Markéta Gregorová, Zsuzsanna Borvendég, Pekka Toveri, Pina Picierno, Michał Dworczyk, Helmut Brandstätter, Nicolás Pascual de la Parte, Raphaël Glucksmann, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Davor Ivo Stier, Marcos Ros Sempere, Arkadiusz Mularczyk, Reinhold Lopatka, who also answered a blue-card question from Alexander Jungbluth, Tonino Picula, Mika Aaltola, who also answered a blue-card question from Merja Kyllönen, Tobias Cremer, Riho Terras and Ana Miguel Pedro.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Hélder Sousa Silva, Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Dainius Žalimas, Siegbert Frank Droese and Ondřej Dostál.

The following spoke: Marta Kos and Adam Szłapka.

Motions for resolutions to be tabled under Rule 136(2) would be announced at a later stage.

The debate closed.

Vote: next part-session.

(The sitting was suspended for a few moments.)

IN THE CHAIR: Roberta METSOLA
President

4. Resumption of the sitting

The sitting resumed at 12:22.

5. Formal sitting – Address by Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada

The President made an address to welcome Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada.

Ruslan Stefanchuk addressed the House.

(The sitting was suspended for a few moments.)

6. Resumption of the sitting

The sitting resumed at 12:42.

7. Voting time

For detailed results of the votes, see also ‘Results of votes’ and ‘Results of roll-call votes’.

7.1. Conclusion of an agreement between the European Union and the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on certain aspects of air services *** (vote)

Recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on certain aspects of air services [10844/2024 – C10-0111/2024 – 2015/0188(NLE)] – Committee on Transport and Tourism. Rapporteur: Tomas Tobé (A10-0005/2025)

(Majority of the votes cast)

DRAFT COUNCIL DECISION

Approved (P10_TA(2025)0008)

Parliament consented to the conclusion of the agreement.

(‘Results of votes’, item 1)

7.2. Conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol (2024-2029) implementing the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cabo Verde *** (vote)

Recommendation on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol (2024-2029) implementing the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Cabo Verde [11267/2024 – C10-0087/2024 – 2024/0133(NLE)] – Committee on Fisheries. Rapporteur: Paulo Do Nascimento Cabral (A10-0004/2025)

(Majority of the votes cast)

DRAFT COUNCIL DECISION

Approved (P10_TA(2025)0009)

Parliament consented to the conclusion of the agreement.

(‘Results of votes’, item 2)

7.3. Renewal of the Agreement on cooperation in science and technology between the European Community and Ukraine *** (vote)

Recommendation on the draft Council decision on the renewal of the Agreement on cooperation in science and technology between the European Community and Ukraine [14848/2024 – C10-0196/2024 – 2024/0240(NLE)] – Committee on Industry, Research and Energy. Rapporteur: Borys Budka (A10-0007/2025)

(Majority of the votes cast)

DRAFT COUNCIL DECISION

Approved (P10_TA(2025)0010)

Parliament consented to the renewal of the agreement.

(‘Results of votes’, item 3)

7.4. European Central Bank – annual report 2024 (vote)

Report on European Central Bank – annual report 2024 [2024/2054(INI)] – Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. Rapporteur: Anouk Van Brug (A10-0003/2025)

The debate had taken place on 10 February 2025 (minutes of 10.2.2025, item 13).

(Majority of the votes cast)

MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION

Adopted (P10_TA(2025)0011)

(‘Results of votes’, item 4)

(The sitting was suspended at 12:53.)

IN THE CHAIR: Javi LÓPEZ
Vice-President

8. Resumption of the sitting

The sitting resumed at 12:58.

9. Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

The minutes of the previous sitting were approved.

10. The need to address urgent labour shortages and ensure quality jobs in the health care sector (debate)

Commission statement: The need to address urgent labour shortages and ensure quality jobs in the health care sector (2025/2529(RSP))

Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President of the Commission) made the statement.

The following spoke: Dennis Radtke, on behalf of the PPE Group, Gabriele Bischoff, on behalf of the S&D Group, Gerald Hauser, on behalf of the PfE Group, Ruggero Razza, on behalf of the ECR Group, Vlad Vasile-Voiculescu, on behalf of the Renew Group, Maria Ohisalo, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Leila Chaibi, on behalf of The Left Group, Tomislav Sokol, Estelle Ceulemans, Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain, Aurelijus Veryga, Brigitte van den Berg, Tilly Metz, Catarina Martins, Jan-Peter Warnke, Liesbet Sommen, Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Pál Szekeres, Adrian-George Axinia, Olivier Chastel, Pernando Barrena Arza, Maria Zacharia, András Tivadar Kulja, Marianne Vind, Margarita de la Pisa Carrión, Michele Picaro, Kathleen Funchion, Adam Jarubas, Nicolás González Casares, Marie Dauchy, Beatrice Timgren, Elena Nevado del Campo, Johan Danielsson, Valérie Deloge, Mariateresa Vivaldini, Romana Tomc, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, and Alessandra Moretti.

IN THE CHAIR: Roberts ZĪLE
Vice-President

The following spoke: Philippe Olivier, Claudiu-Richard Târziu, Marit Maij, Malika Sorel, Francesco Ventola, Victor Negrescu and Evelyn Regner.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Sérgio Humberto, Maria Grapini, Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez, Ana Miranda Paz, João Oliveira, Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos, Dennis Radtke, Idoia Mendia and Rudi Kennes.

The following spoke: Roxana Mînzatu.

The debate closed.

11. Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Boosting vocational education and training in times of labour market transitions (2025/2530(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Roxana Mînzatu (Executive Vice-President of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Dennis Radtke, on behalf of the PPE Group, Romana Jerković, on behalf of the S&D Group, Catherine Griset, on behalf of the PfE Group, Chiara Gemma, on behalf of the ECR Group, Brigitte van den Berg, on behalf of the Renew Group, Li Andersson, on behalf of The Left Group, Marcin Sypniewski, on behalf of the ESN Group, Maravillas Abadía Jover, Hannes Heide and Pál Szekeres.

IN THE CHAIR: Pina PICIERNO
Vice-President

The following spoke: Georgiana Teodorescu, Laurence Farreng, Nikos Pappas, Fidias Panayiotou, Gheorghe Falcă, Idoia Mendia, Elisabeth Dieringer, Marlena Maląg, Anna-Maja Henriksson, Andrzej Buła, Marc Angel, Mélanie Disdier, Ivaylo Valchev, Sérgio Humberto, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Sabrina Repp, Annamária Vicsek, Elena Donazzan, Eleonora Meleti, Isilda Gomes, Juan Carlos Girauta Vidal, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė and Marie Dauchy.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Nina Carberry, Nikolina Brnjac, Marcos Ros Sempere, Alicia Homs Ginel, Kateřina Konečná and Lukas Sieper.

The following spoke: Glenn Micallef (Member of the Commission) and Adam Szłapka.

The debate closed.

12. Wider comprehensive EU-Middle East strategy (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Wider comprehensive EU-Middle East strategy (2024/3015(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Dubravka Šuica (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: David McAllister, on behalf of the PPE Group, Yannis Maniatis, on behalf of the S&D Group, Jorge Martín Frías, on behalf of the PfE Group, Ana Miranda Paz, on certain remarks made by the previous speaker, Rihards Kols, on behalf of the ECR Group, Hilde Vautmans, on behalf of the Renew Group, Hannah Neumann, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Lynn Boylan, on behalf of The Left Group, Petras Gražulis, on behalf of the ESN Group, Antonio López-Istúriz White, Hana Jalloul Muro, António Tânger Corrêa, Joachim Stanisław Brudziński, Urmas Paet, Villy Søvndal, João Oliveira, who also answered a blue-card question from Ana Miranda Paz, Alexander Sell, Nikolaos Anadiotis, Hildegard Bentele, Francisco Assis, György Hölvényi, Marion Maréchal, Irena Joveva and Martin Schirdewan.

IN THE CHAIR: Nicolae ŞTEFĂNUȚĂ
Vice-President

The following spoke: Ruth Firmenich, Ingeborg Ter Laak, Lucia Annunziata, Cristian Terheş, Abir Al-Sahlani, Elena Yoncheva, Andrey Kovatchev, Evin Incir, Emmanouil Fragkos, Billy Kelleher, Alice Teodorescu Måwe, Davor Ivo Stier, Michał Szczerba, Wouter Beke, Nicolás Pascual de la Parte and Reinhold Lopatka.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Ana Miranda Paz, Marc Botenga and Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă.

The following spoke: Dubravka Šuica and Adam Szłapka.

The debate closed.

13. Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Escalation of violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (2025/2553(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Dubravka Šuica (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Ingeborg Ter Laak, on behalf of the PPE Group, Marit Maij, on behalf of the S&D Group, Thierry Mariani, on behalf of the PfE Group, Alberico Gambino, on behalf of the ECR Group, Hilde Vautmans, on behalf of the Renew Group, Sara Matthieu, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Marc Botenga, on behalf of The Left Group, Petras Gražulis, on behalf of the ESN Group, Wouter Beke, Francisco Assis, György Hölvényi, Charles Goerens, Majdouline Sbai, Marcin Sypniewski, Lukas Mandl, Laura Ballarín Cereza, Jan-Christoph Oetjen, Saskia Bricmont, Hildegard Bentele, Murielle Laurent, Yvan Verougstraete, Giorgio Gori and Udo Bullmann, who also declined to take a blue-card question from Lukas Sieper.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Juan Fernando López Aguilar.

The following spoke: Dubravka Šuica and Adam Szłapka.

The following spoke: Hilde Vautmans, again on the subject of the debate.

Motions for resolutions tabled under Rule 136(2) to wind up the debate: minutes of 13.2.2025, item I.

The debate closed.

Vote: 13 February 2025.

14. Welcome

On behalf of Parliament, the President welcomed a delegation from the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, who had taken a seat in the distinguished visitors’ gallery.

15. Political crisis in Serbia (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Political crisis in Serbia (2025/2554(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) made the statement on behalf of the Council.

IN THE CHAIR: Katarina BARLEY
Vice-President

Marta Kos (Member of the Commission) made the statement on behalf of the Commission.

The following spoke: Davor Ivo Stier, on behalf of the PPE Group, Tonino Picula, on behalf of the S&D Group, Annamária Vicsek, on behalf of the PfE Group, Alessandro Ciriani, on behalf of the ECR Group, Helmut Brandstätter, on behalf of the Renew Group, Vladimir Prebilič, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Konstantinos Arvanitis, on behalf of The Left Group, Petr Bystron, on behalf of the ESN Group, Loucas Fourlas, Alessandra Moretti, Thierry Mariani, Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza, Eugen Tomac, Gordan Bosanac, Kostas Papadakis, Reinhold Lopatka, Thijs Reuten, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Rasmus Nordqvist, Zoltán Tarr, Matjaž Nemec, Irena Joveva (The President explained how the interpreting system worked), Matej Tonin, Andreas Schieder, Dan Barna and Tomislav Sokol.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Seán Kelly, Nikos Papandreou, Sebastian Tynkkynen, Lukas Sieper and Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă.

The following spoke: Marta Kos and Adam Szłapka.

The debate closed.

16. US AI chip export restrictions: a challenge to European AI development and economic resilience (debate)

Question for oral answer O-000001/2025 by Borys Budka, on behalf of the ITRE Committee, to the Commission: US AI chip export restrictions: a challenge to European AI development and economic resilience (B10-0002/2025) (2025/2539(RSP))

Borys Budka moved the question.

Henna Virkkunen (Executive Vice-President of the Commission) answered the question.

The following spoke: Wouter Beke, on behalf of the PPE Group, Matthias Ecke, on behalf of the S&D Group, Kris Van Dijck, on behalf of the ECR Group, Bart Groothuis, on behalf of the Renew Group, András László, on behalf of the PfE Group, Virginijus Sinkevičius, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Dario Tamburrano, on behalf of The Left Group, Eszter Lakos, who also answered a blue-card question from András László, Lina Gálvez and Barbara Bonte.

IN THE CHAIR: Ewa KOPACZ
Vice-President

The following spoke: Francesco Torselli, Michał Kobosko, Alexandra Geese, Aura Salla, Maria Grapini, Paulius Saudargas, Elisabeth Grossmann, Mirosława Nykiel, Brando Benifei, Paulo Cunha and Oliver Schenk.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Kamila Gasiuk-Pihowicz, Marc Botenga, Kateřina Konečná, Seán Kelly and Lukas Sieper.

The following spoke: Henna Virkkunen.

The debate closed.

17. Protecting the system of international justice and its institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (debate)

Council and Commission statements: Protecting the system of international justice and its institutions, in particular the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice (2025/2555(RSP))

Adam Szłapka (President-in-Office of the Council) and Michael McGrath (Member of the Commission) made the statements.

The following spoke: Alice Teodorescu Måwe, on behalf of the PPE Group, Francisco Assis, on behalf of the S&D Group, András László, on behalf of the PfE Group, Małgorzata Gosiewska, on behalf of the ECR Group, Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, on behalf of the Renew Group, Mounir Satouri, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group, Mimmo Lucano, on behalf of The Left Group, Hana Jalloul Muro, Alessandro Ciriani, who also answered a blue-card question from Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, Catarina Vieira, Gaetano Pedulla’, Brando Benifei, Jaume Asens Llodrà, who also answered a blue-card question from João Oliveira, Rima Hassan (the President reminded the speaker of the rules on conduct), Chloé Ridel, Benedetta Scuderi, Alessandro Zan and Ana Miranda Paz.

The following spoke under the catch-the-eye procedure: Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Billy Kelleher, Tineke Strik, João Oliveira, Lukas Sieper and Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis.

The following spoke: Michael McGrath and Adam Szłapka.

The following spoke: Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle, concerning the last intervention by the Council (the President gave explanations).

The debate closed.

18. Explanations of vote

Written explanations of vote

Explanations of vote submitted in writing under Rule 201 appear on the Members’ pages on Parliament’s website.

19. Agenda of the next sitting

The next sitting would be held the following day, 12 February 2025, starting at 09:00. The agenda was available on Parliament’s website.

20. Approval of the minutes of the sitting

In accordance with Rule 208(3), the minutes of the sitting would be put to the House for approval at the beginning of the afternoon of the next sitting.

21. Closure of the sitting

The sitting closed at 20:52.

ATTENDANCE REGISTER

Present:

Aaltola Mika, Abadía Jover Maravillas, Adamowicz Magdalena, Aftias Georgios, Agirregoitia Martínez Oihane, Agius Peter, Agius Saliba Alex, Alexandraki Galato, Allione Grégory, Al-Sahlani Abir, Anadiotis Nikolaos, Anderson Christine, Andersson Li, Andresen Rasmus, Andriukaitis Vytenis Povilas, Androuët Mathilde, Angel Marc, Annemans Gerolf, Annunziata Lucia, Antoci Giuseppe, Arias Echeverría Pablo, Arimont Pascal, Arłukowicz Bartosz, Arnaoutoglou Sakis, Arndt Anja, Arvanitis Konstantinos, Asens Llodrà Jaume, Assis Francisco, Attard Daniel, Aubry Manon, Auštrevičius Petras, Axinia Adrian-George, Azmani Malik, Bajada Thomas, Baljeu Jeannette, Ballarín Cereza Laura, Bardella Jordan, Barley Katarina, Barna Dan, Barrena Arza Pernando, Bartulica Stephen Nikola, Bartůšek Nikola, Bay Nicolas, Bay Christophe, Beke Wouter, Beleris Fredis, Bellamy François-Xavier, Benea Adrian-Dragoş, Benifei Brando, Benjumea Benjumea Isabel, Beňová Monika, Bentele Hildegard, Berendsen Tom, Berger Stefan, Berg Sibylle, Berlato Sergio, Bernhuber Alexander, Biedroń Robert, Bielan Adam, Bischoff Gabriele, Blaha Ľuboš, Blinkevičiūtė Vilija, Blom Rachel, Bloss Michael, Bocheński Tobiasz, Bogdan Ioan-Rareş, Bonaccini Stefano, Bonte Barbara, Borchia Paolo, Borrás Pabón Mireia, Borvendég Zsuzsanna, Borzan Biljana, Bosanac Gordan, Bosse Stine, Botenga Marc, Boyer Gilles, Boylan Lynn, Brandstätter Helmut, Brasier-Clain Marie-Luce, Braun Grzegorz, Brejza Krzysztof, Bricmont Saskia, Brnjac Nikolina, Brudziński Joachim Stanisław, Bryłka Anna, Buchheit Markus, Buczek Tomasz, Buda Daniel, Buda Waldemar, Budka Borys, Bugalho Sebastião, Buła Andrzej, Bullmann Udo, Burkhardt Delara, Buxadé Villalba Jorge, Bystron Petr, Bžoch Jaroslav, Camara Mélissa, Canfin Pascal, Carberry Nina, Cârciu Gheorghe, Carême Damien, Casa David, Caspary Daniel, Cassart Benoit, Castillo Laurent, del Castillo Vera Pilar, Cavazzini Anna, Cavedagna Stefano, Ceccardi Susanna, Ceulemans Estelle, Chahim Mohammed, Chaibi Leila, Chastel Olivier, Chinnici Caterina, Cifrová Ostrihoňová Veronika, Ciriani Alessandro, Cisint Anna Maria, Clausen Per, Cormand David, Corrado Annalisa, Costanzo Vivien, Cotrim De Figueiredo João, Cowen Barry, Cremer Tobias, Crespo Díaz Carmen, Cristea Andi, Crosetto Giovanni, Cunha Paulo, Dahl Henrik, Danielsson Johan, Dauchy Marie, Dávid Dóra, David Ivan, Decaro Antonio, de la Hoz Quintano Raúl, Della Valle Danilo, Deloge Valérie, De Masi Fabio, De Meo Salvatore, Deutsch Tamás, Dibrani Adnan, Diepeveen Ton, Dieringer Elisabeth, Dîncu Vasile, Disdier Mélanie, Dobrev Klára, Doherty Regina, Doleschal Christian, Dömötör Csaba, Do Nascimento Cabral Paulo, Donazzan Elena, Dorfmann Herbert, Dostalova Klara, Dostál Ondřej, Droese Siegbert Frank, Düpont Lena, Dworczyk Michał, Ecke Matthias, Ehler Christian, Ehlers Marieke, Eriksson Sofie, Erixon Dick, Eroglu Engin, Estaràs Ferragut Rosa, Ezcurra Almansa Alma, Falcă Gheorghe, Farantouris Nikolas, Farreng Laurence, Farský Jan, Ferber Markus, Ferenc Viktória, Fernández Jonás, Fidanza Carlo, Firea Gabriela, Firmenich Ruth, Fita Claire, Flanagan Luke Ming, Fourlas Loucas, Fourreau Emma, Fragkos Emmanouil, Freund Daniel, Frigout Anne-Sophie, Friis Sigrid, Fritzon Heléne, Froelich Tomasz, Funchion Kathleen, Furet Angéline, Furore Mario, Gahler Michael, Gál Kinga, Gálvez Lina, Gambino Alberico, García Hermida-Van Der Walle Raquel, Garraud Jean-Paul, Gasiuk-Pihowicz Kamila, Geadi Geadis, Geese Alexandra, Geier Jens, Geisel Thomas, Gemma Chiara, Georgiou Giorgos, Gerbrandy Gerben-Jan, Germain Jean-Marc, Gerzsenyi Gabriella, Geuking Niels, Gieseke Jens, Giménez Larraz Borja, Girauta Vidal Juan Carlos, Glavak Sunčana, Glück Andreas, Glucksmann Raphaël, Goerens Charles, Gomart Christophe, Gomes Isilda, Gómez López Sandra, Gonçalves Bruno, Gonçalves Sérgio, González Casares Nicolás, González Pons Esteban, Gori Giorgio, Gosiewska Małgorzata, Gotink Dirk, Gozi Sandro, Grapini Maria, Gražulis Petras, Gregorová Markéta, Grims Branko, Griset Catherine, Gronkiewicz-Waltz Hanna, Groothuis Bart, Grossmann Elisabeth, Grudler Christophe, Gualmini Elisabetta, Guarda Cristina, Guetta Bernard, Guzenina Maria, Hadjipantela Michalis, Hahn Svenja, Haider Roman, Halicki Andrzej, Hansen Niels Flemming, Hassan Rima, Hauser Gerald, Häusling Martin, Hava Mircea-Gheorghe, Hazekamp Anja, Heide Hannes, Heinäluoma Eero, Henriksson Anna-Maja, Herbst Niclas, Herranz García Esther, Hetman Krzysztof, Hohlmeier Monika, Hojsík Martin, Holmgren Pär, Hölvényi György, Homs Ginel Alicia, Humberto Sérgio, Ijabs Ivars, Imart Céline, Incir Evin, Inselvini Paolo, Iovanovici Şoşoacă Diana, Jalloul Muro Hana, Jamet France, Jarubas Adam, Jerković Romana, Joński Dariusz, Joron Virginie, Jouvet Pierre, Joveva Irena, Juknevičienė Rasa, Jungbluth Alexander, Kabilov Taner, Kalfon François, Kaliňák Erik, Kaljurand Marina, Kalniete Sandra, Kamiński Mariusz, Kanev Radan, Kanko Assita, Karlsbro Karin, Kartheiser Fernand, Karvašová Ľubica, Katainen Elsi, Kefalogiannis Emmanouil, Kelleher Billy, Keller Fabienne, Kelly Seán, Kemp Martine, Kennes Rudi, Kircher Sophia, Knafo Sarah, Knotek Ondřej, Kobosko Michał, Köhler Stefan, Kohut Łukasz, Kokalari Arba, Kolář Ondřej, Kollár Kinga, Kols Rihards, Konečná Kateřina, Kopacz Ewa, Körner Moritz, Kountoura Elena, Kovatchev Andrey, Krah Maximilian, Krištopans Vilis, Kruis Sebastian, Krutílek Ondřej, Kubín Tomáš, Kuhnke Alice, Kulja András Tivadar, Kulmuni Katri, Kyllönen Merja, Kyuchyuk Ilhan, Lagodinsky Sergey, Lakos Eszter, Lalucq Aurore, Lange Bernd, Langensiepen Katrin, Laššáková Judita, László András, Latinopoulou Afroditi, Laurent Murielle, Laureti Camilla, Laykova Rada, Lazarov Ilia, Lazarus Luis-Vicențiu, Le Callennec Isabelle, Leggeri Fabrice, Lenaers Jeroen, Lewandowski Janusz, Lexmann Miriam, Liese Peter, Lins Norbert, Løkkegaard Morten, Lopatka Reinhold, López Javi, López Aguilar Juan Fernando, López-Istúriz White Antonio, Lövin Isabella, Lucano Mimmo, Luena César, Lupo Giuseppe, McAllister David, Madison Jaak, Maestre Cristina, Magoni Lara, Maij Marit, Maląg Marlena, Manda Claudiu, Mandl Lukas, Maniatis Yannis, Maran Pierfrancesco, Marczułajtis-Walczak Jagna, Maréchal Marion, Mariani Thierry, Marino Ignazio Roberto, Marquardt Erik, Martín Frías Jorge, Martins Catarina, Marzà Ibáñez Vicent, Matthieu Sara, Mavrides Costas, Mayer Georg, Mazurek Milan, Mažylis Liudas, Mebarek Nora, Mehnert Alexandra, Meimarakis Vangelis, Meleti Eleonora, Mendes Ana Catarina, Mendia Idoia, Mertens Verena, Mesure Marina, Metsola Roberta, Metz Tilly, Mikser Sven, Milazzo Giuseppe, Minchev Nikola, Miranda Paz Ana, Montero Irene, Montserrat Dolors, Morace Carolina, Moreira de Sá Tiago, Moreno Sánchez Javier, Moretti Alessandra, Motreanu Dan-Ştefan, Mularczyk Arkadiusz, Müller Piotr, Mureşan Siegfried, Nagyová Jana, Nardella Dario, Navarrete Rojas Fernando, Negrescu Victor, Nemec Matjaž, Nesci Denis, Neuhoff Hans, Neumann Hannah, Nevado del Campo Elena, Nica Dan, Niebler Angelika, Niedermayer Luděk, Niinistö Ville, Nikolaou-Alavanos Lefteris, Nikolic Aleksandar, Ní Mhurchú Cynthia, Noichl Maria, Nordqvist Rasmus, Novakov Andrey, Nykiel Mirosława, Obajtek Daniel, Ódor Ľudovít, Oetjen Jan-Christoph, Ohisalo Maria, Oliveira João, Olivier Philippe, Omarjee Younous, Ó Ríordáin Aodhán, Ozdoba Jacek, Paet Urmas, Pajín Leire, Palmisano Valentina, Panayiotou Fidias, Papadakis Kostas, Papandreou Nikos, Pappas Nikos, Pascual de la Parte Nicolás, Patriciello Aldo, Paulus Jutta, Pedro Ana Miguel, Pedulla’ Gaetano, Pellerin-Carlin Thomas, Peltier Guillaume, Penkova Tsvetelina, Pennelle Gilles, Pereira Lídia, Pérez Alvise, Peter-Hansen Kira Marie, Petrov Hristo, Picaro Michele, Picierno Pina, Picula Tonino, Piera Pascale, Pimpie Pierre, Piperea Gheorghe, de la Pisa Carrión Margarita, Pokorná Jermanová Jaroslava, Polato Daniele, Polfjärd Jessica, Popescu Virgil-Daniel, Pozņaks Reinis, Prebilič Vladimir, Princi Giusi, Pürner Friedrich, Rackete Carola, Radev Emil, Radtke Dennis, Rafowicz Emma, Ratas Jüri, Razza Ruggero, Rechagneux Julie, Regner Evelyn, Repasi René, Repp Sabrina, Ressler Karlo, Reuten Thijs, Riba i Giner Diana, Ricci Matteo, Ridel Chloé, Riehl Nela, Ripa Manuela, Ros Sempere Marcos, Roth Neveďalová Katarína, Rougé André, Ruissen Bert-Jan, Ruotolo Sandro, Rzońca Bogdan, Saeidi Arash, Salini Massimiliano, Salis Ilaria, Salla Aura, Sanchez Julien, Sancho Murillo Elena, Saramo Jussi, Sardone Silvia, Šarec Marjan, Sargiacomo Eric, Satouri Mounir, Saudargas Paulius, Sbai Majdouline, Sberna Antonella, Schaldemose Christel, Schenk Oliver, Scheuring-Wielgus Joanna, Schieder Andreas, Schilling Lena, Schwab Andreas, Scuderi Benedetta, Seekatz Ralf, Sell Alexander, Serrano Sierra Rosa, Serra Sánchez Isabel, Sidl Günther, Sienkiewicz Bartłomiej, Sieper Lukas, Simon Sven, Singer Christine, Sinkevičius Virginijus, Sippel Birgit, Sjöstedt Jonas, Śmiszek Krzysztof, Smith Anthony, Smit Sander, Sokol Tomislav, Solier Diego, Solís Pérez Susana, Sommen Liesbet, Sonneborn Martin, Sorel Malika, Sousa Silva Hélder, Søvndal Villy, Staķis Mārtiņš, Stancanelli Raffaele, Ştefănuță Nicolae, Steger Petra, Stier Davor Ivo, Storm Kristoffer, Stöteler Sebastiaan, Stoyanov Stanislav, Strack-Zimmermann Marie-Agnes, Streit Joachim, Strik Tineke, Strolenberg Anna, Sturdza Şerban Dimitrie, Stürgkh Anna, Sypniewski Marcin, Szczerba Michał, Szekeres Pál, Szydło Beata, Tamburrano Dario, Tânger Corrêa António, Tarczyński Dominik, Tarquinio Marco, Tarr Zoltán, Târziu Claudiu-Richard, Tavares Carla, Tegethoff Kai, Teodorescu Georgiana, Teodorescu Måwe Alice, Terheş Cristian, Ter Laak Ingeborg, Terras Riho, Tertsch Hermann, Thionnet Pierre-Romain, Timgren Beatrice, Tinagli Irene, Tobé Tomas, Tolassy Rody, Tomac Eugen, Tomašič Zala, Tomaszewski Waldemar, Tomc Romana, Tonin Matej, Topo Raffaele, Torselli Francesco, Tosi Flavio, Toussaint Marie, Tovaglieri Isabella, Toveri Pekka, Tridico Pasquale, Trochu Laurence, Tsiodras Dimitris, Tudose Mihai, Turek Filip, Tynkkynen Sebastian, Uhrík Milan, Vaidere Inese, Valchev Ivaylo, Vălean Adina, Van Brempt Kathleen, Van Brug Anouk, van den Berg Brigitte, Vandendriessche Tom, Van Dijck Kris, Van Lanschot Reinier, Van Leeuwen Jessika, Vannacci Roberto, Van Overtveldt Johan, Van Sparrentak Kim, Varaut Alexandre, Vasconcelos Ana, Vasile-Voiculescu Vlad, Vautmans Hilde, Vedrenne Marie-Pierre, Ventola Francesco, Verougstraete Yvan, Veryga Aurelijus, Vešligaj Marko, Vicsek Annamária, Vieira Catarina, Vilimsky Harald, Vincze Loránt, Vind Marianne, Vistisen Anders, Vivaldini Mariateresa, Volgin Petar, von der Schulenburg Michael, Vondra Alexandr, Voss Axel, Vozemberg-Vrionidi Elissavet, Vrecionová Veronika, Vázquez Lázara Adrián, Waitz Thomas, Walsh Maria, Walsmann Marion, Warborn Jörgen, Warnke Jan-Peter, Wąsik Maciej, Wawrykiewicz Michał, Wcisło Marta, Wechsler Andrea, Weimers Charlie, Werbrouck Séverine, Wiesner Emma, Wiezik Michal, Wilmès Sophie, Winkler Iuliu, Winzig Angelika, Wiseler-Lima Isabel, Wiśniewska Jadwiga, Wölken Tiemo, Wolters Lara, Yar Lucia, Yoncheva Elena, Zacharia Maria, Zalewska Anna, Žalimas Dainius, Zan Alessandro, Zarzalejos Javier, Zdechovský Tomáš, Zdrojewski Bogdan Andrzej, Zijlstra Auke, Zīle Roberts, Zingaretti Nicola, Złotowski Kosma, Zoido Álvarez Juan Ignacio, Zovko Željana, Zver Milan

Excused:

Andrews Barry, Di Rupo Elio, Strada Cecilia, Temido Marta

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI: Year End Report 2024

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Highlights

The Company added a total of 50 GWh of annual long-term proportionate power generation through acquisitions in 2024, reflecting a five percent increase in long-term power generation, of which 20 GWh was added in the fourth quarter.
Power generation amounted to 907 GWh for the year, in line with the updated outlook, and power generation of 287 GWh during the fourth quarter marks the Company’s highest ever quarterly production.
Reached the ready-to-permit milestone for the Company’s first large-scale project in the UK, a 1.4 GW solar and 500 MW battery project, and initiated a sales process to assess divestment options.
Achieved carbon neutrality for Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions.

Consolidated financials – 12 months

Cash flows from investing activities amounted to MEUR 32.6 and was positively impacted by the sale of the Leikanger hydropower plant in the second quarter.
Cash flows from operating activities amounted to MEUR -6.3.

Proportionate financials – 12 months

Achieved electricity price amounted to EUR 34 per MWh, which resulted in a proportionate EBITDA of MEUR 7.0.
Proportionate net debt of MEUR 65.0, with significant liquidity headroom available through the MEUR 170 revolving credit facility.

Financial Summary

Orrön Energy owns renewables assets directly and through joint ventures and associated companies and is presenting proportionate financials to show the net ownership and related results of these assets. The purpose of the proportionate reporting is to give an enhanced insight into the Company’s operational and financial results.

Expressed in MEUR	1 Jan 2024- 31 Dec 2024 12 months	1 Oct 2024- 31 Dec 2024 3 months	1 Jan 2023- 31 Dec 2023 12 months	1 Oct 2023- 31 Dec 2023 3 months
Consolidated financials
Revenue	25.7	7.1	28.0	8.4
EBITDA	-1.6	-2.5	-5.1	-0.9
Operating profit (EBIT)	-17.5	-6.3	-17.0	-4.4
Net result	-13.3	-6.6	-7.6	8.0
Earnings per share – EUR	-0.05	-0.02	-0.03	0.03
Earnings per share diluted – EUR	-0.05	-0.02	-0.03	0.03
Proportionate financials¹
Power generation (GWh)	907	287	765	226
Average price achieved per MWh – EUR	34	30	47	43
Operating expenses per MWh – EUR	17	14	18	16
Revenue	30.7	8.7	36.2	9.6
EBITDA	7.0	0.1	5.3	1.3
Operating profit (EBIT)	-12.9	-4.8	-11.0	-3.2

¹ Proportionate financials represent Orrön Energy’s proportionate ownership (net) of assets and related financial results, including joint ventures. For more details see section Key Financial Data in the Year End Report 2024.

Comment from Daniel Fitzgerald, CEO of Orrön Energy AB
“2024 marks another year of good progress despite challenging market conditions. We added around 50 GWh of long-term annual power generation through value-accretive acquisitions in Sweden, strengthened our balance sheet with the sale of the Leikanger hydropower asset, and launched our first sales process in the UK having reached the ready-to-permit stage on a project with 1.4 GW solar generation capacity and a 500 MW battery. In response to the volatile market conditions experienced in 2024, we initiated voluntary production curtailments across a portion of our portfolio, and started providing ancillary services to the market via some of our windfarms. These initiatives have helped us to reduce the impact of negatively priced hours and take advantage of alternative revenue streams. We remain focused on delivering profitable growth and are consistently looking for ways to improve performance during challenging market environments.

Proportionate power generation amounted to 907 GWh for the year, which was in line with our updated outlook. We delivered a record quarterly power generation of 287 GWh in the fourth quarter, despite the impact of voluntary production curtailments during periods of low electricity prices. While the overall power generation in 2024 was impacted by lower-than-average wind speeds, we hope to see more normalised weather conditions in 2025, following four consecutive years of wind speeds below the historical long-term average. Taking into account this variability, the acquisitions made in 2024, and the potential for future curtailment, we expect our power generation in 2025 to be between 900 and 1,050 GWh, which gives some margin both for weather and market conditions.

Capitalising on market opportunities
The renewable energy industry continued to face headwinds in 2024, as elevated interest rates, inflation, and periods of low electricity prices led to downward pressures on valuations and stock prices across the sector. Uncertainty in the US and political shifts across Europe further impacted investor confidence regarding the pace and support for the energy transition. However, the long-term fundamentals for renewable energy remain strong, where onshore wind and solar continue to have the lowest breakeven cost by a significant margin compared to other sources. Despite political or economic headwinds, these investments are poised to stand the test of time. We maintained our strategic focus, adding over 50 GWh of long-term proportionate power generation in 2024 at a cost of less than 0.5 MEUR per MW. We have now replaced 50 percent of the production sold of the Leikanger asset, at a significantly lower unit cost, demonstrating a highly accretive and efficient recycling of capital.

In the Nordics, electricity prices remained highly volatile, which impacted our financial results. This was largely driven by periods of oversupply due to lower seasonal demand, high hydrological balances, elevated gas storage and surplus electricity from interconnected European markets. Looking ahead, energy demand is forecast to grow, fuelled by GDP growth, continued electrification and increased power needs for data centres and artificial intelligence.

First UK project reached ready-to-permit stage, sales process commenced
We continued advancing our project development platform in the fourth quarter, and I am excited to announce that we achieved a significant milestone by having our first large-scale project in the UK reach the ready-to-permit stage. The project is a 1.4 GW solar and 500 MW co-located battery development, and we have initiated a sales process to evaluate divestment options. This is the first project from our pipeline to reach this milestone, and we expect to have a number of follow-on projects reaching the same stage in 2025 both in the UK and Germany. In the UK, two key regulatory reforms are currently ongoing; the Clean Power 2030 Action Plan and the grid connections reform. Both aim to simplify and enhance the ability for renewable energy projects to obtain a grid connection more efficiently based on zonal capacity expectations. These reforms have had an impact on our prioritisation of projects and created some uncertainty for investors in the UK, and we will continue to monitor developments aiming to ensure our projects remain well-positioned in this evolving regulatory landscape.

Financially resilient
We remain in a financially robust position, with liquidity headroom exceeding MEUR 100. Proportionate revenues and other income amounted to MEUR 8.9 for the fourth quarter and MEUR 42.1 for the year, which was impacted by low electricity prices, resulting in a proportionate EBITDA of MEUR 0.1 for the fourth quarter and MEUR 7.0 for the year. Our full-year expenditure guidance for 2025 remains largely in line with 2024 and the business strategy remains unchanged as we enter the new year.

Entering the next chapter of growth
Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, I believe this will be a transformational period for Orrön Energy on many fronts. The Nordic business continues its organic growth with a good pipeline of projects, 1,000 GWh of long-term proportionate power generation and plenty of acquisition opportunities. The UK and German teams are rapidly reaching key milestones and we expect to see results from our project sales throughout 2025, with a material pipeline of opportunities to follow. We have now passed the halfway point of the Sudan legal case, and expect the District Court trial to finish during the second quarter of 2026, which will significantly reduce our future legal costs and positively impact our financial results thereafter. With the end of the Sudan trial in sight and our two organic growth platforms running, we can now start shaping the next strategic growth chapter for our business, and over the next year we will explore new opportunities to expand our portfolio and unlock additional value for our shareholders. I would like to thank our shareholders for their continued support and look forward to sharing updates on the exciting growth opportunities that lie ahead of us.”

Webcast
Listen to Daniel Fitzgerald, CEO and Espen Hennie, CFO commenting on the report and presenting the latest developments in Orrön Energy and its future growth strategy together with members of Orrön Energy’s management team at a webcast during the Company’s Capital Markets Day today at 14.00 CET. The presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Follow the presentation live on the below webcast link:
https://orron-energy.events.inderes.com/cmd-2025

For further information, please contact:

Robert Eriksson
Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
Tel: +46 701 11 26 15
robert.eriksson@orron.com

Jenny Sandström
Communications Lead
Tel: +41 79 431 63 68
jenny.sandstrom@orron.com

Orrön Energy is an independent, publicly listed (Nasdaq Stockholm: “ORRON”) renewable energy company within the Lundin Group of Companies. Orrön Energy’s core portfolio consists of high quality, cash flow generating assets in the Nordics, coupled with greenfield growth opportunities in the Nordics, the UK, Germany and France. With financial capacity to fund further growth and acquisitions, and backed by a major shareholder, management and Board with a proven track record of investing into, leading and growing highly successful businesses, Orrön Energy is in a unique position to create shareholder value through the energy transition.

This information is information that Orrön Energy AB is required to make public pursuant to the Securities Markets Act. The information was submitted for publication, through the contact persons set out above, at 07.30 CET on 12 February 2025.

Forward-looking statements
Statements in this press release relating to any future status or circumstances, including statements regarding future performance, growth and other trend projections, are forward-looking statements. These statements may generally, but not always, be identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “seek”, “will”, “would” or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that could occur in the future. There can be no assurance that actual results will not differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements due to several factors, many of which are outside the company’s control. Any forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date on which the statements are made and the company has no obligation (and undertakes no obligation) to update or revise any of them, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Attachment

Q4 2024 Report English

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: Inter-agency cooperation on climate change and resilience fosters better understanding of and preparedness for climate phenomena in the Latin America and the Caribbean region

Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

The United Nations Regional Collaborative Platform (RCP) for Latin America and the Caribbean unites all UN entities working on sustainable development to ensure full collaboration and coordination of UN assets in addressing key challenges that transcend country borders. It provides policy support and access to expertise at the service of the specific needs and priorities of each region and in support of the work of Resident Coordinators and UN country teams at the country level. The RCP comprises 7 Issue-Based Coalitions (IBC) and Thematic Working Groups, and 6 Operational and Programmatic Working Groups.

The Issue-Based Coalition on Climate Change and Resilience is a collaborative effort involving 22 UN entities, with UNDRR and UNEP leading the coalition. The primary goal of this Thematic Coalition is to facilitate a cohesive and synchronized implementation of global agendas, specifically focusing on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), including the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. By promoting inter-agency coordination and accountability, the IBC seeks to strengthen the United Nations System’s collective efforts in addressing climate change, resilience, and disaster risk reduction at both regional and subregional levels in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In 2023, in partnership with UNEP, the IBC on Climate Change and Resilience conducted a comprehensive series of capacity-building activities addressing key topics requested by the United Nations Country Teams/Resident Coordinators (UNCT/RCs) in the Latin America and the Caribbean region. These sessions, held from February to December of 2023, aimed to 1) enhance participants’ knowledge and capabilities in the domains of climate change and disaster risk reduction; 2) ensure the effective integration of DRR into the Common Country Analysis and the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework; and to 3) provide support and guidance to country offices on how to systematically integrate Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation with the principle of leaving no-one behind, economic impacts, and other relevant factors.

In 2023, as El Niño impacts were expected towards the later part of the year, a webinar, reaching over 5,000 ,people was held on the Preparation for the Impact of the El Niño Event in Latin America. It aimed to provide information and tools to support decision-makers in the region in implementing urgent preventive measures across various levels and strategic sectors. A meeting with RCs and UNCTs was organized to follow up on the webinar, providing a platform for country offices to ask questions to IBC members regarding the El Niño event. After the webinar, a brief on El Niño in Latin America and the Caribbean was published, which forecast the El Niño impacts in the region and provided key recommendations to prepare for them. Based on the success of the webinar and forecasts, the IBC will be leading a WMO-facilitated session on La Niña events in the region in 2024.

A series of six regional dialogues were held in preparation for COP28, with 5,800 participants between April and October 2023, gathering inputs to assist UN negotiators and country teams in Latin America and the Caribbean. The outcomes contributed to the preparations for the XXIII Forum of Ministers of Environment in October 2023. More than 20 side events were organized by two or more IBC members during the Regional Climate Week. After COP28, the IBC led a webinar with RCOs/UNCTs to discuss the implications of COP28 outcome for the Americas and the Caribbean.

In February 2023, FAO, UNEP, UNDRR, and WMO, along with the participation of other IBC members and co-organized with DCO, presented to UN Country Teams (UNCTs) the Technical Brief on Wildfires developed in 2022 in response to the severe wildfire seasons of 2020 and 2021 in the Gran Chaco and Amazonia region. This agreed inter-agency approach on wildfires is based on the Sendai Framework. Uncontrolled fires significantly affected societies, economies, and the environment, and insufficient resources and technical capacities hindered effective mitigation measures, which highlighted the need for standardized international methodologies to record and analyze historical wildfires for informed policy and decision-making. The report will further be shared with key stakeholders and members states that have been impacted by wildfires.

Pathways for sustainable development and policy coherence in the Caribbean region through comprehensive risk management is a study revealing that all sixteen Caribbean countries have achieved a partial level of coherence in aligning their national policies and plans with Sustainable Development Goals, Climate Change Adaptation, and Disaster Risk Reduction. The study was then followed up by a webinar attended by 350 participants, most importantly by RCOs/UNCTs of the Caribbean region in January of 2024.

The regional brief Gender Mainstreaming in Climate Change, Resilience, and Disaster Risk Reduction aims to provide strategic information and tools for decision-makers, UN Resident Coordinators, and country teams, supporting coherent implementation of global agendas and enhancing coordination, accountability, and gender mainstreaming. Agencies that supported the development of the brief include UNEP, UNDRR, UNDP, OIT, UN Women, ECLAC, UNICEF, UNHCR, and IOM. For 2024, the launch of the brief is planned, accompanied by a webinar to present the brief to RCOs and UNCTs and other events.

A regional brief on Energy Transitions in the Latin America and the Caribbean provided a concise overview of the current state of the energy sector in the LAC region, highlighting Greenhouse Gas Emissions, economic and social development, environmental commitments, investment trends, global dialogues prioritizing energy transitions, and identifies four key areas where the UN can influence and promote sustainable energy transitions. The brief was developed in collaboration with UNDRR, UNEP, ECLAC, FAO, ILO, IOM, OCHA, UNDP, UNESCO, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOPS, WFP, UNFCCC, UN Women, DCO, and presented to RCOs/UNCTs in December 2023. For 2024, meetings are planned to facilitate discussions on additional support needed.

The strengthened interaction between the Issue-Based Coalition at the regional level and the RCOs/UNCTs in 2023 through webinars and the community of practice is expected to lead to an increase in requests for regional inter-agency collaboration within the scope to the IBC’s Terms of Reference going forward.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Private sector urged to act as world faces $23 trillion loss from land degradation

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

By Daniel Dickinson, in Riyadh

5 December 2024 Climate and Environment

The private sector has been urged to make the sustainable management of land a key part of corporate and financial strategy going forward, as the world risks losing half of global GDP – estimated at $23 trillion – due to degradation.

Business leaders have been meeting at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) conference being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which is focusing on drought, land degradation and restoration issues.

According to the UN, droughts have surged by nearly 30 per cent in frequency and intensity since 2000, threatening agriculture and water security, while up to 40 per cent of the world’s land is degraded, which means its biological or economic productivity has been reduced

© FAO Saudi Arabia

Saplings are planted Al Adhraa national park in Saudi Arabia as part of efforts to protect the land from degradation.

Drought and land loss will have dire consequences for the climate, biodiversity and people’s livelihoods as well as businesses, large and small.

The global economy could lose $23 trillion by 2050 through degradation UNCCD has warned, while halting this trend would cost around $4.6 trillion, a fraction of the predicted losses.

The private sector can play a key role in supporting the sustainable use of land, according to the Executive Secretary of UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw.

Speaking at the Business 4 Land Forum at the COP16 conference, he said they provide “a critical momentum to make sustainable land management a core part of corporate and financial strategies.”

COP16 is the biggest global meeting of its kind on land degradation and restoration and the presence of a wide range of business leaders suggests they recognize the urgent need to support the healthy use of land.

© FAO/Giulio Napolitano

Women in Niger prepare fields for the rainy season as part of an anti-desertification initiative.

“Shifting towards nature-positive operations, supply chains, and investments, is not only about environmental sustainability,” said Ibrahim Thiaw, “but about the long-term profitability and resilience of businesses.”

Members of the Business 4 Land initiative are urged to act in three key areas.

Speaking to delegates at the meeting, Philippe Zaouati, CEO of the MIROVA sustainable investment fund, said that “companies stand to gain significantly by transforming their value chains to incorporate sustainable practices, not only to reduce their impact on nature but also to seize economic opportunities,” adding that “mobilizing funding for land restoration requires a concerted effort by the public and private sectors.”

There have been some early successes during the first days of COP16 in terms of unlocking international funding with $12 billion pledged to land restoration efforts.

The Arab Coordination Group pledged $10 billion while the OPEC Fund and the Islamic Development Bank committed $1 billion each to the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, alongside the $150 million dollars provided by Saudi Arabia to operationalize the initiative.

Henri Bruxelles, the Chief Sustainability Officer of the global food and beverage company, Danone, reiterated the importance of global collaboration.

“Collaborating across sectors of society is vital to address the intertwined climate and water challenges, to guarantee food security and nutrition and to secure the livelihoods of the communities that feed the world,” he said in order to “build a sustainable food system.”

More about Business 4 Land (B4L)

B4L is UNCCD’s main initiative to engage the private sector in sustainable land and water management. It helps companies and financial institutions manage risks and seize opportunities tied to land degradation and drought.

B4L aims to restore 1.5 billion hectares of land by 2030, contributing to Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN), a global commitment to achieve net zero land degradation by 2030, as well as enhancing drought resilience.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: 2024 to become the hottest year on record

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

30 December 2024 Climate and Environment

The year 2024 is set to be the warmest on record, capping a decade of unprecedented heat fuelled by human activities, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

“Today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the New Year.

“This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose,” he gravely emphasised.

WMO will publish the consolidated global temperature figure for 2024 in January and its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March 2025.

Climate catastrophes

Throughout 2024, a series of reports from the WMO community highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on every aspect of sustainable development.

Record-breaking rainfalls were documented as well as catastrophic flooding, scorching heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50°C, and devastating wildfires.

The organization found that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems in their report When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather.

Climate change also intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3700 people and displaced millions.

Celeste Saulo, the WMO Secretary-General, described the year as a sobering wake-up call.

“This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent,” she stated.

“Every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and increases climate extremes, impacts and risks,” she underscored.

Hope amid crises

Despite the grim realities, the year 2024 saw notable advancements with the adoption of the Pact for the Future – a landmark agreement to promote disarmament, financial reform, gender equality, and ethical technological innovation.

The COP29 UN climate conference also recently discussed ways to increase finance for poor countries to support them in coping with the impacts of extreme weather.

Developing countries are responsible for a small amount of historic carbon emissions, but as WMO research has highlighted, are being hit the hardest by extreme weather.

Moreover, in response to the Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, a targeted group of experts representing 15 international organizations and 12 countries convened at WMO headquarters in December to advance a coordinated framework for tackling the growing threat of extreme heat.

2025: A pivotal year

With 2025 designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, WMO and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aim to prioritise efforts to protect the cryosphere – the Earth’s frozen regions, critical to regulating global temperatures.

Additionally, WMO is advancing initiatives like the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch which aims to improve the monitoring of greenhouse gas (GHG) net fluxes globally.

By 2027, the organization also aims to ensure universal protection from hazardous environmental events through life-saving anticipatory systems currently developed in the Early Warnings for All programme.

Reflecting on WMO’s upcoming 75th anniversary, Ms. Saulo reinforced the shared responsibility to act.

“If we want a safer planet, we must act now. It’s our responsibility. It’s a common responsibility, a global responsibility,” she firmly stated.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy system risks nuclear disaster: Rights experts

Source: United Nations 2

25 November 2024 Human Rights

Independent UN human rights experts have warned of an escalating risk of nuclear disaster in Ukraine following Russia’s continued attacks on the country’s electrical infrastructure, with the most recent strike occurring on 17 November.

Their warning comes amid growing international concern about the vulnerability of Ukraine’s nuclear facilities which rely on a stable power grid to maintain critical safety systems.

“The latest large-scale Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s electricity system has led to further significant damage to electric substations that are essential to the operation of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants,” the experts emphasised.

Severe damage, civilian casualties

The strikes occurred overnight and reportedly caused severe damage, power outages and civilian casualties. The timing of this attack raises additional concerns as Ukraine enters the winter months, when power demands typically surge.

This latest assault came despite earlier warnings from 13 UN Special Rapporteurs and Working Groups, who had formally communicated with Moscow on 22 October about the prohibition of such attacks under international humanitarian law.

Further, the attacks occurred despite earlier arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in June 2024 for high-ranking Russian government officials specifically related to strikes against Ukraine’s electric power infrastructure.

Adding to the nuclear safety concerns, the UN Human rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine has documented extensive civilian harm from these long-range attacks on the power system.

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant concerns

The experts further recalled credible allegations of Russian forces subjecting staff at Europe’s biggest nuclear energy facility, the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), to intimidation, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance and torture.

“Having reportedly lost two-thirds of its power generation capacity, further damage to Ukraine’s electricity system could lead to an electricity blackout which would increase the risk of operating nuclear reactors losing access to the grid for powering their safety systems,” the experts cautioned.

They warned that such a scenario could trigger a nuclear disaster potentially exceeding both the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident in Japan and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine.

While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) agreed to expand its mission to Ukraine to include inspection of electric substations, progress has been limited.

“Despite the urgency of the situation, full implementation of an expanded monitoring mission had yet to be announced by the IAEA,” the experts noted. Only one mission was completed in October 2024, with no subsequent missions scheduled.

Stop attacks, avert risk

“We reiterate our urgent appeal for Russian armed forces to immediately cease their attacks against Ukraine’s power generation plants, substations, transmission and distribution lines and other energy infrastructure and to avert the risk of nuclear disaster,” the experts concluded, emphasising the immediate need for action to prevent catastrophic consequences.

Independent experts are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues. They work on a voluntary basis, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work.

Hostilities ongoing

Meanwhile, the UN humanitarian affairs office OCHA said attacks and hostilities across Ukraine continued over the weekend and on Monday

The attacks resulted in scores of casualties, including children, and significantly damaged civilian infrastructure, particularly in Kharkiv, in Odesa and Zaporizhzhia, according to local authorities and UN partners on the ground.

As a result of the damage, nearly 150,000 families, as well as hospitals, schools and businesses, are currently without heating in the Dnipro and Ivano-Frankivsk regions, where temperatures have dropped below zero degrees centigrade, OCHA said, citing local authorities.

Humanitarian organizations mobilized swiftly and provided emergency assistance in Kharkiv and Odesa, among other affected areas, delivering food, repair materials and psychosocial support.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Dreams of returning home dashed by reality in Gaza City

Source: United Nations 2

30 January 2025 Humanitarian Aid

People continue to stream back into Gaza City in the wake of the temporary ceasefire across the Strip, with some 500,000 reportedly returning so far, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Thursday.

Tess Ingram, Communications Manager for UNICEF Middle East and North Africa, is in the northern city where she witnessed people moving through the streets on donkeys, in cars, or by bicycle.

“There’s a lot of people with shovels trying to remove rubble, and of course you can see people setting up makeshift shelters or tents on what I’m guessing used to be their homes,” she told UN News.

Hope and heartache

Ms. Ingram believes that many people were filled with hope and joy as they were finally able to come back to the place they had hoped to return to for more than 15 months.

“But now, as I speak to people, I think that joy is being replaced somewhat by a sense of heaviness as they discover the reality of what has happened here in Gaza City,” she said.

“They were hoping to return to a home that is not there, or to a loved one who has been killed, and I think that that heaviness is really sinking in for people.”

Soundcloud

Living conditions also remain very difficult. Ms. Ingram visited a school-turned-shelter which is housing returnees along with people who had been living there throughout the war.

She met a mother and her five children who desperately need winter clothes and food, but mostly a place to stay because the home where they had hoped to return is gone.

This story is not uncommon. “It is not one person. It is not 100. There are probably thousands of people who are in a similar situation,” she said.

Danger on the way

Ms. Ingram noted that families are making long, treacherous journeys to get back to Gaza City.

On Wednesday she travelled from Al Mawasi, located in the central Gaza Strip, which took 13 hours. However, some families took as long as 36 hours to make the trip.

“And of course the journey itself over those 36 hours is incredibly dangerous,” she said.

“We’ve heard reports of people being killed by unexploded remnants of war on the way, because these very dangerous unexploded ordnance are buried underneath the rubble.”

Soundcloud

Support for returnees

UNICEF is supporting returning families with the basics that they need to survive. The agency is bringing in nutrition supplies, medical supplies, fuel to run bakeries and hospitals, and water pumps so that people have access to clean water.

On Wednesday, UNICEF and other UN agencies brought in 16 trucks of fuel that will be provided to water wells, hospitals and bakeries to get essential services back up and running again.

They are also providing services for mental health and psychosocial support for children to help them deal with the trauma they have experienced over the past 15 months. Nutritional screening and immunization services are forthcoming.

Keeping families together

Hundreds of children have also reportedly been separated from their families while making the journey to the north, and UNICEF is responding to the situation.

Staff have been providing children under the age of four with identification bracelets that have their names, their families’ names and phone numbers, on them.

“So, if in the worst case they did get lost in the wash of people there would be some hope of reconnecting them soon with their loved ones,” Ms. Ingram said.

© UNICEF/Eyad El Baba

Displaced Palestinians walk along a street in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.

People on the move

Humanitarians report that more displaced families are returning to northern Gaza as the ceasefire continues to hold.

More than 462,000 people have crossed from the south since the opening of the Salah ad Din and Al Rashid roads on Monday.

The UN and partners are providing water, high-energy biscuits and medical care along the two routes, while the World Food Programme (WFP) plans to set up more distribution points in the north this week.  

Displaced Palestinians are also moving from north to south, though in smaller numbers, with about 1,400 people making the journey as of Thursday.

Restoring critical services

Across Gaza, extensive efforts are underway to restore critical services, including civilian infrastructure, which the UN and partners are supporting.

WFP has delivered more than 10,000 metric tonnes of food to the enclave since the ceasefire took effect.

On Thursday, 750 trucks entered Gaza, according to information obtained by the UN on the ground through interactions with the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire deal.

The previous day, UNICEF distributed 135 cubic metres of water to communities in Jabalya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, located in North Gaza governorate. These areas had been besieged for over three months.

Furthermore, 35,000 litres of fuel were delivered to northern Gaza to sustain the operations of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, while water trucking in Rafah is being scaled up.

Humanitarian partners are also coordinating with the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company to repair the damaged power line that feeds the South Gaza desalination plant, which is currently running on fuel.

West Bank violence continues

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, Israeli military operations in northern areas have expanded beyond Jenin and Tulkarm to the nearby governorate of Tubas.

Ten people reportedly were killed on Wednesday when an Israeli air strike hit a group of Palestinians in Tammun, a village in Tubas governorate.

This brings the death toll from the ongoing Israeli operation in the northern West Bank to 30, including two children.  

Overall, more than 3,200 families have been displaced from Jenin refugee camp in the context of Palestinian Authority and Israeli operations since December, according to local authorities.

Humanitarian partners continue to deliver aid, including food parcels, kitchen kits, baby supplies, hygiene items, medicines, and other essential supplies.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI: Prairie Provident Announces up to $9.1 Million Brokered Equity Financing with $7.35 Million in Lead Orders and Basal Quartz Horizontal Drilling Program

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Provident Resources Inc. (TSX:PPR) (“Prairie Provident” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”), for a brokered “best efforts” equity financing for aggregate gross proceeds of up to approximately $9,100,000, comprised of:

(a) an offering up to 96,470,589 units of the Company (“Units”) at a price of $0.0425 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $4,100,000, on a prospectus-exempt basis pursuant to the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ (LIFE) under applicable Canadian securities laws (the “LIFE Offering”), with (i) each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one Common Share purchase warrant (“Warrant”), and (ii) each Warrant to entitle the holder to subscribe for and purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.05 for a period of 36 months following closing; and

(b) a private placement of up to 117,647,059 Common Shares at a price of $0.0425 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $5,000,000, pursuant to available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws (the “Private Placement” and, together with the LIFE Offering, the “Offerings”). Warrants will not be issued to purchasers under the Private Placement.

The Company’s principal and largest shareholder, PCEP Canadian Holdco LLC (“PCEP”), along with certain directors and officers of the Company, have indicated an intention to participate in the Offerings in an aggregate amount of approximately $7,350,000 (collectively, the “Lead Orders”). It is expected that the Private Placement will be fully subscribed through the Lead Orders, and that the balance of the Lead Orders not fulfilled under the Private Placement will be fulfilled under the LIFE Offering. All subscriptions on account of Lead Orders will be subject to insider participation limits under applicable Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) rules.

Prairie Provident intends to use the net proceeds from the Offerings to drill two additional Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025 and for working capital and general corporate purposes, including expenses related to the Offerings. Including the above two Basal Quartz horizontal wells, the Company anticipates drilling a total of three Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025.

Prairie Provident’s Basal Quartz Play in Michichi: A Unique Publicly Traded BQ Junior

Prairie Provident has established its Basal Quartz (“BQ”) play in the Michichi core area as a significant growth driver, supported by robust well economics, an extensive drilling inventory, and strategic infrastructure. In December 2024, Prairie Provident reported strong initial results from its first two BQ wells, effectively proving the play concept. The first horizontal well achieved an IP30 (initial 30-day average production) rate of approximately 415 boe/d (66% liquids)¹ and the second delivered an IP21 (initial 21-day average production) rate of approximately 375 boe/d (64% liquids).² Continued production in the weeks following has yielded IP60 (initial 60-day average production) rates of approximately 333 boe/d (66% liquids)³ and approximately 305 boe/d (62% liquids)⁴, respectively. A focus on operational efficiency brought both wells on-stream within 25 days of their respective spud dates.

Prairie Provident has a Michichi-area land position of approximately 153,000 net acres (239 net sections) on which it has identified over 40 horizontal BQ drilling opportunities, providing ample room for growth. None of the Company’s BQ drilling opportunities are booked locations to which any reserves were attributed in the most recent independent evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023, by Sproule Associates Limited.

Activity in the BQ play is primarily led by private operators. Prairie Provident has a unique position as the only publicly-traded company actively drilling in this play.

Basal Quartz: A Top-Tier Play in the WCSB

The BQ fairway, extending from Brooks to Drumheller (Michichi) in central Alberta, has rapidly become, in the Company’s view, one of the premier oil-producing plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). The availability of extensive 2D and 3D seismic data, along with legacy vertical wells penetrating the Mannville group, has significantly de-risked this play. Modern horizontal drilling techniques combined with enhanced frac completion designs have unlocked substantial economic potential, making the BQ competitive with other leading plays in the WCSB, including the Montney and Clearwater. Publicly-available industry data indicates that production along the BQ trend has surpassed 40,000 boe/d (77% liquids), with operators having drilled over 100 horizontal wells in 2024 alone, further de-risking the play. Offset competitor wells in analogous zones have demonstrated peak production rates exceeding 1,200 bbl/d, further validating the play’s potential.

Basal Quartz Well Economics: High Returns, Quick Payouts

The Company estimates that the average drill, complete, equip, and tie-in cost for a single BQ horizontal well in Michichi is approximately $3.5 million. The BQ play offers attractive returns and payouts, making it, in the Company’s view, one of the most competitive plays in the WCSB. Based on internal estimates, the Company’s BQ wells have the potential to deliver impressive internal rates of return (“IRRs”) greater than 300% (based on WTI US$70/bbl and AECO C$3.00/mcf) with payout periods of approximately eight months or less.

Strategic Land Base with Multi-Year Inventory

Prairie Provident holds a strategic and concentrated approximately 153,000 net acre (239 net sections) land base in Michichi and with multi-zone potential. In addition to the BQ, the acreage offers development opportunities in the Banff and other formations. With over 40 identified BQ drilling opportunities, Prairie Provident has the scalability to support long-term growth, benefiting from the de-risked nature of its lands due to offsetting competitor activity.

Company-Owned Infrastructure and Significant Tax Pool Coverage

Prairie Provident benefits from a combination of legacy and third-party infrastructure in the Michichi area, providing advantageous egress solutions. The Company owns two oil batteries (one LACT-connected) and two gas plants with a combined inlet capacity of 10 MMscf/d. Year-round access, existing surface leases and on-site facilities combine to facilitate cost-efficient operations with reduced downtime, supporting Prairie Provident’s development strategy.

Prairie Provident has significant tax pool coverage with approximately $590 million in tax pools, including approximately $330 million of non-capital losses.

Additional Financing Details

The Agents will be granted an option to increase the size of the LIFE Offering by up to an additional 14,470,589 Units (up to $615,000), exercisable in whole or in part up to two business days before closing.

Closing of the Offerings is expected to occur on or about February 24, 2025, or such other date or dates as Prairie Provident and the Agents may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including receipt by Prairie Provident of all necessary approvals from the TSX.

The LIFE Offering will be made in accordance with the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ in Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”), to purchasers in any province of Canada, except Québec. The Units issued and sold under the LIFE Offering will not be subject to a ‘hold period’ pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

There is an offering document related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company’s issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at www.ppr.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

The Private Placement will be made in reliance on available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, and the Common Shares issued and sold thereunder will subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

In consideration for their services, the Agents will receive a cash commission of 8.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offerings (reduced for Lead Orders) and non-transferable broker warrants equal to 8.0% of the total number of Units sold under the LIFE Offering (except for Lead Orders). Each broker warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Unit at an exercise price of $0.0425 per Unit for a period of 36 months following closing.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons or persons in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which, or to or for the account or benefit of any other person to whom, any such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. These securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“), or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States except in compliance with, or pursuant to an available exemption from, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. “United States” and “U.S. person” have the meanings ascribed to them in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.

ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT

Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta, including a position in the emerging Basal Quartz trend in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.

For further information, please contact:

Prairie Provident Resources Inc.
Dale Miller, Executive Chairman
Phone: (403) 292-8150
Email: info@ppr.ca

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain statements (“forward-looking statements”) that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future performance, events or circumstances, are based upon internal assumptions, plans, intentions, expectations and beliefs, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or suggested therein. All statements other than statements of current or historical fact constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “budget”, “forecast”, “target”, “estimate”, “propose”, “potential”, “project”, “seek”, “continue”, “may”, “will”, “should” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or events or statements regarding an outlook.

Without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to: Basal Quartz drilling opportunities, including estimated payout periods on potential Basal Quartz wells; completion of the Offerings; the expected closing date of the Offerings; the successful completion of the Lead Orders; the intended use of proceeds from the Offerings; and the intended number of Basal Quartz wells that are anticipated to be drilled by the Company in the first quarter of 2025.

Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors, expectations or assumptions of Prairie Provident which have been used to develop such statements, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are inherently uncertain and depend upon the accuracy of such expectations and assumptions. Prairie Provident can give no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained herein will prove to be correct or that the expectations and assumptions upon which they are based will occur or be realized. Actual results or events will differ, and the differences may be material and adverse to the Company. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: results from drilling and development activities; consistency with past operations; the quality of the reservoirs in which Prairie Provident operates and continued performance from existing wells (including with respect to production profile, decline rate and product type mix); the continued and timely development of infrastructure in areas of new production; the accuracy of the estimates of Prairie Provident’s reserves volumes; future commodity prices; future operating and other costs; future USD/CAD exchange rates; future interest rates; continued availability of external financing and internally generated cash flow to fund Prairie Provident’s current and future plans and expenditures, with external financing on acceptable terms; the impact of competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which Prairie Provident operates; the general continuance of current industry conditions; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of Prairie Provident to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the ability of the operator of the projects in which Prairie Provident has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through acquisition, development and exploration; the timing and cost of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of Prairie Provident to secure adequate product transportation; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which Prairie Provident operates; and the ability of Prairie Provident to successfully market its oil and natural gas production.

The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance or promises of future outcomes and should not be relied upon. Such statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward- looking statements including, without limitation: reduced access to external debt financing; higher interest costs or other restrictive terms of debt financing; changes in realized commodity prices; changes in the demand for or supply of Prairie Provident’s products; the early stage of development of some of the evaluated areas and zones; the potential for variation in the quality of the geologic formations targeted by Prairie Provident’s operations; unanticipated operating results or production declines; changes in tax or environmental laws, royalty rates or other regulatory matters; the imposition of any tariffs or other restrictive trade measures or countermeasures affecting trade between Canada and the United States; changes in development plans of Prairie Provident or by third party operators; increased debt levels or debt service requirements; inaccurate estimation of Prairie Provident’s oil and reserves volumes; limited, unfavourable or a lack of access to capital markets; increased costs; a lack of adequate insurance coverage; the impact of competitors; and such other risks as may be detailed from time-to-time in Prairie Provident’s public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and Prairie Provident’s current Annual Information Form dated April 1, 2024 as filed with Canadian securities regulators and available from the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) under Prairie Provident’s issuer profile).

The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and Prairie Provident assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, or otherwise, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

Oil and Gas Reader Advisories

Barrels of Oil Equivalent

The oil and natural gas industry commonly expresses production volumes and reserves on a “barrel of oil equivalent” basis (“boe”) whereby natural gas volumes are converted at the ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil. The intention is to sum oil and natural gas measurement units into one basis for improved analysis of results and comparisons with other industry participants. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead nor at the plant gate, which is where Prairie Provident sells its production volumes. Boe’s may therefore be a misleading measure, particularly if used in isolation. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency ratio of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.

Analogous Information

Information in this news release regarding initial production rates from offset wells drilled by other industry participants located in geographical proximity to the Company’s lands may constitute “analogous information” within the meaning of National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101). This information is derived from publicly available information sources (as at the date of this news release) that Prairie Provident believes (but cannot confirm) to be independent in nature. The Company is unable to confirm that the information was prepared by a qualified reserves evaluator or auditor within the meaning of NI 51-101, or in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation (COGE) Handbook. Although the Company believes that this information regarding geographically proximate wells helps management understand and define reservoir characteristics of lands in which Prairie Provident has an interest, the data relied upon by the Company may be inaccurate or erroneous, may not in fact be indicative or otherwise analogous to the Company’s land holdings, and may not be representative of actual results from wells that may be drilled or completed by the Company in the future.

Potential Drilling Opportunities vs Booked Locations

This news release refers to potential drilling opportunities and booked locations. Unless otherwise indicated, references to booked locations in this news release are references to proved drilling locations or probable drilling locations, being locations to which Sproule Associated Limited (Sproule) attributed proved or probable reserves in its most recent year-end evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023. Sproule’s year‑end evaluation was in accordance with NI 51-101 and, pursuant thereto, the COGE Handbook. References in this news release to potential drilling opportunities are references to locations for which there are no attributed reserves or resources, but which the Company internally estimates can be drilled based on current land holdings, industry practice regarding well density, and internal review of geologic, geophysical, seismic, engineering, production and resource information. There is no certainty that the Company will drill any particular locations, or that drilling activity on any locations will result in additional reserves, resources or production. Locations on which Prairie Provident in fact drills wells will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, commodity prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information and other factors. There is a higher level of risk associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and not booked locations. Prairie Provident generally has less information about reservoir characteristics associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and, accordingly, there is greater uncertainty whether wells will ultimately be drilled in such locations and, if drilled, whether they will result in additional reserves, resources or production.

Type Well Information

Information contained in this news release regarding estimated payout periods and internal rate of return (IRR) on potential Basal Quartz wells is based on the Company’s internally-defined type wells. Type well information reflects Prairie Provident’s expectations and experience in relation to wells of the indicated types, including with respect to costs, production and decline rates. There is no assurance that actual well-related results (including payout periods and IRR) will be in accordance with those suggested by the type well information. Actual results will differ, and the difference may be material.

Payout

Prairie Provident considers payout on a well to be achieved when future net revenue from the well is equal to the capital costs to drill, complete, equip and tie-in the well based on project economics. Forecasted payout periods disclosed in this news release are based on the following commodity price and CAD/USD exchange rate assumptions: USD $70.00/bbl WTI, CAD $3.00/Mcf AECO, CAD $1.35-to-USD $1.00.

Initial Production Rates

This news release discloses initial production rates for certain wells as indicated. Initial production rates are not necessarily indicative of long-term well or reservoir performance or of ultimate recovery. Actual results will differ from those realized during an initial short-term production period, and the difference may be material.

Non-GAAP Measures

This news release uses the financial measure internal rate of return (IRR). IRR is a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws , which does not have a standardized or prescribed meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-GAAP measures should not be construed as a substitute or an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. IRR is a measure used in financial analysis to estimate the profitability of potential investments and/or projects, and means the discount rate that makes the net present value equal to zero in a discounted cash flow analysis.

¹ Comprised of approximately 275 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 850 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

² Comprised of approximately 240 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 800 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

³ Comprised of approximately 221 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 674 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

⁴ Comprised of approximately 189 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 697 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Welch Urges Opposition to Tulsi Gabbard; Cites Lack of Experience, Questionable Judgement, Capacity to Do the Job

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) tonight took to the Senate floor to speak on his opposition to Tulsi Gabbard, President Trump’s pick to serve as Director of National Intelligence (DNI). Senator Welch expressed concerns about Gabbard’s judgment, integrity, and character, and how her lack of independent thought and devotion to President Trump could endanger national security.
“On the basis of lack of experience, of questionable judgment, and lack of confidence that I think many of us have in the capacity of this person to be the Director of National Intelligence, I urge that we vote no on her nomination,” said Senator Welch.
Watch Senator Welch’s speech below:
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration
Senator Peter Welch has spent the bulk of his life working to improve the lives of folks who too often get left behind. After fighting housing discrimination in Chicago, he enrolled in law school at the UC-Berkeley, and later settled in White River Junction, Vermont, where he worked as a public defender before founding a small law practice. He was first elected to represent Windsor County in the Vermont Senate in 1980. Peter was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served for 16 years before being elected to the Senate in 2022. In the Senate, he’s focused on lowering costs for Vermonters, making Washington work better for Vermont, and protecting civil rights and democracy in America and abroad.
Learn more about his work by visiting his website or by following him on social media.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA News: Industry, Lawmakers Applaud President Trump’s Section 232 Tariffs

Source: The White House

Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump took decisive action to protect critical American industries by restoring a 25% tariff on steel imports and elevating the tariff to 25% on aluminum imports — building on the successful tariffs from his first term, which have since been undermined by loopholes and exemptions.

The moves were quickly met with praise from industry, unions, and lawmakers:

Steel Manufacturers Association President Philip K. Bell: “The steel industry in America faces serious threats from foreign actors that seek to destroy domestic production. China and other countries routinely violate trade laws and dump heavily subsidized steel products into the United States at the expense of American workers. By imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports, President Trump is leveling the playing field for American manufacturers and workers and helping America defeat direct threats to our jobs.”

United Steelworkers President David McCall: “Our union welcomes President Donald Trump’s efforts to contain the global overcapacity that has for too long enabled bad actors like China to flood the global market with its unfairly traded products, resulting in surging imports into the United States, especially from Mexico.”

Aluminum Association President Charles Johnson: “We appreciate President Trump’s continued focus on strong trade actions to support the aluminum industry in the United States. During his first term the president was early to recognize the genuine threat that non-market actors pose to U.S. manufacturing industries like ours … Today, there is not enough smelting capacity in the United States to supply the growing aluminum industry with the input materials it needs.”

American Iron and Steel Institute President Kevin Dempsey: “We look forward to working closely with the President and his administration to implement a robust and reinvigorated trade agenda to address the many foreign market-distorting policies and practices that create an unlevel playing field for American steelmakers.”

American Primary Aluminum Association President Mark Duffy: “Today is a great day for the U.S. aluminum industry. Unfair trade practices have devastated the domestic aluminum industry and President Trump’s actions today will protect thousands of American workers and their families.”

Coalition for a Prosperous America Chairman Zach Mottl: “President Trump’s decision to implement global tariffs is a critical step toward restoring stability to American industry, safeguarding domestic production, and ensuring these critical sectors are not harmed by a surge of imports. The only way to rebuild domestic industrial capacity is through strong and enforceable trade policies, and these tariffs are a major step in the right direction.”

Nucor Corporation President Leon Topalian: “Nucor strongly commends the actions taken today by President Trump to reimpose tariffs on all steel imports. America’s national security depends on a robust and healthy American steel industry, which continues to be harmed by massive global steel overcapacity and the resulting surge of illegally dumped and subsidized imports from around the world. Many of our trading partners have taken advantage of our open market for far too long and have intentionally circumvented our trade laws or allowed other bad actors to transship illegally dumped and subsidized steel. The President’s actions will help level the playing field for American steel producers.”

Energy Fair Trade Coalition Executive Director Bret Manley: “President Trump’s bold leadership will strengthen the backbone of America – our steel and aluminum industry. E-FTC is proud to support initiatives that will level the playing field, foster domestic job growth, and promote fair reciprocal trade.”

Century Aluminum Company CEO Jesse Gary: “We strongly support today’s Executive Order from President Donald J. Trump imposing a 25% tariff to stop the flood of aluminum imports into the United States. President Trump’s decisive action will protect national security and help level the playing field for America’s aluminum workers. On behalf of our employees, I thank President Trump for putting America first and strengthening the Section 232 tariffs, which will help drive the resurgence of domestic aluminum production.”

Lowell Iron and Steel Company President Dennis Scanell: “The tariffs, thank God they’re coming … Maybe this evens the playing field for us, but this hits right at home. There’s no way we can compete with Canada.”

America First Works: “President Trump promised to put America First and make our nation wealthy again; that is exactly what tariffs do. In his first term, President Trump’s bold trade policies created over 4,000 new American jobs and higher wages for hardworking patriots. Foreign nations will no longer be able to take advantage of the United States. If they don’t like the tariffs, they can come to the table and make a deal. In fact, that is what President Trump does best. China will no longer exploit trade loopholes to undermine American workers. Now is the time to stand strong, fight for fair trade, and put America FIRST where it belongs!”

Sen. Jim Banks (R-IN): “Too many politicians in Washington take our domestic steel industry for granted. That hurts our workers and disrespects our history.”

Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA): “If you have a high tariff on our product, and we have a low tariff on your product, we ought to level them out. That just seems fair to me.”

Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS): “President Trump is a leader who brokers deals that put AMERICAN workers first. The days of unfair, one-sided trade deals that let foreigners take advantage of our country are over. The sky is not falling. @POTUS is protecting our Steel and Aluminum industry workers — and in the end, America will have the upper hand. As it should be.”

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC): “President Trump’s approach to tariffs is designed with the long-term benefits of American consumers and national security in mind. By prioritizing fair trade policies and a balanced approach to tariffs, we’ll secure the economic prosperity of American workers across the country.”

Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL): “The media is in full meltdown mode after President Trump imposed duties and retaliatory tariffs this week on countries who have been ripping us off for decades. Both aluminum and steel are critical to our national security — and we make some of the best in the world right here at home. President Trump’s strategic tariffs will strengthen and revitalize our nation’s economy by making sure our trade deals are fair to taxpayers and the American worker.”

Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN): “President @realDonaldTrump is a master negotiator, especially when it comes to tariffs. Don’t just take my word for it — even Biden’s own commerce secretary admitted that the tariffs President Trump placed on foreign steel and aluminum during his first term were effective.”

Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-MI): “Millions of Americans are cheering for @POTUS’s tariff negotiations. He has proven his effectiveness in this arena time and time again. This will be no different. He is sending a message to the world. Compete fairly, or pay the price.”

Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO): “President Trump is wasting no time moving forward with his America First trade policy. The days of the United States allowing our trading partners to steam roll us are over. President Trump successfully used tariffs in the past to grow our economy and protect American jobs. He imposed steel and aluminum tariffs in 2018, and now he is eliminating exceptions countries like China have used to circumvent them. I look forward to continuing to work with @POTUS to put America First and hold our trading partners accountable.”

Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA): “President Trump is sending a loud and clear message: America is DONE letting foreign countries undercut our economy. Once again, he’s delivering on his promise to PUT AMERICA FIRST!”

Rep. Carlos Gimenez (R-FL): “President Trump is ABSOLUTELY RIGHT to tariff & combat Communist #China!”

Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN): “Unfair trade practices have led to our nation being on the wrong end of too many bad deals. That’s coming to an end. President Trump is taking action to protect America’s steel and aluminum industries with his latest executive order, continuing to put America first.”

Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA): “President @realDonaldTrump is taking action to protect the American steel industry by closing loopholes that allow other countries to bypass U.S. tariffs through Mexico and Canada. This move will strengthen domestic production and encourage critical investment in U.S. Steel.”

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL): “Trading with the United States is a privilege, not a right. President Trump’s America First trade policy will advance our priorities abroad and grow prosperity at home!”

Rep. Keith Self (R-TX): “President Trump KEEPS HIS PROMISES! @realDonaldTrump is delivering on his promise to rebalance trade from unfair foreign competition. In the Golden Age, we are building a stronger America.”

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Senate Colleagues Demand Answers from USDA on Wildfire Mitigation Projects, Firefighting Hiring Halted by Trump’s Funding Freeze

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined Senators Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Ranking Member of the Senate Interior-Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member on the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, in sending a letter demanding answers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regarding the unlawful halt of federal funds needed to mitigate and fight wildfires.
Even though President Donald Trump did not apply the hiring freeze to positions related to “public safety,” federal firefighters are not currently exempt, and many have reported that their job offers were rescinded. In their letter to Acting Secretary Gary Washington, the senators pressed for more information on the stalled projects and hiring of thousands of federal firefighters, which are critical to protecting our nation’s forests and American families.
“We write with significant concerns regarding the impact of halting the disbursement of funds for forest management and restoration projects, as well as the universal hiring freeze for Department of Agriculture personnel, including permanent and seasonal firefighters,” the senators wrote. “[A]ddressing the threat of wildfire—even in winter months—should remain a top priority for the Forest Service and the Department of Agriculture. The funds provided by Congress for this work led to record-breaking accomplishments in forest management in 2024. Halting these payments is not only unlawful but also endangers our rural communities by removing a vital component of their economies and delaying critical work to mitigate the threat of wildfire.”
“Significant questions remain around which projects, grants, and agreements have been affected by these executive actions, but there is no doubt that these actions will damage essential programs that Americans rely on to keep them safe,” the senators continued, requesting additional information and responses to a number of questions about the ongoing funding freeze at USDA.
The full text of the letter is available HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AI Action Summit co-chaired by France and India (February 10-11, 2025)
Source: France-Diplomatie – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development

Statement on inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet
1. Participants from over 100 countries, including government leaders, international organizations, representatives of civil society, the private sector and the academic and research communities gathered in Paris on February 10 and 11, 2025 to hold the AI Action Summit. Rapid development of AI technologies represents a major paradigm shift, impacting our citizens and societies in many ways. In line with the Paris Pact for People and the Planet, and the principles that countries must have ownership of their transition strategies, we have identified priorities and launched concrete actions to advance the public interest and to bridge digital divides through accelerating progress towards the SDGs. Our actions are grounded in three main principles of science, solutions – focusing on open AI models in compliance with countries’ frameworks – and policy standards, in line with international frameworks.

2. This Summit has highlighted the importance of reinforcing the diversity of the AI ecosystem. It has laid an open, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach that will enable AI to be human rights based, human-centric, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy while also stressing the need and urgency to narrow the inequalities and assist developing countries in artificial intelligence capacity-building so they can build AI capacities.

3. Acknowledging existing multilateral initiatives on AI, including the United Nations General Assembly Resolutions, the Global Digital Compact, the UNESCO Recommendation on Ethics of AI, the African Union Continental AI Strategy, and the works of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Council of Europe and European Union, the G7 including the Hiroshima AI Process and G20, we have affirmed the following main priorities:

Promoting AI accessibility to reduce digital divides;

Ensuring AI is open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure and trustworthy, taking into account international frameworks for all

Making innovation in AI thrive by enabling conditions for its development and avoiding market concentration driving industrial recovery and development

Encouraging AI deployment that positively shapes the future of work and labour markets and delivers opportunity for sustainable growth

Making AI sustainable for people and the planet

Reinforcing international cooperation to promote coordination in international governance

To deliver on these priorities:

Founding members have launched a major Public Interest AI Platform and Incubator, to support, amplify, decrease fragmentation between existing public and private initiatives on Public Interest AI and address digital divides. The Public Interest AI Initiative will sustain and support digital public goods and technical assistance and capacity-building projects in data, model development, openness and transparency, audit, compute, talent, financing and collaboration to support and co-create a trustworthy AI ecosystem advancing the public interest of all, for all and by all.

We have discussed, at a Summit for the first time and in a multi-stakeholder format, issues related to AI and energy. This discussion has led to sharing knowledge to foster investments for sustainable AI systems (hardware, infrastructure, models), to promoting an international discussion on AI and environment, to welcoming an observatory on the energy impact of AI with the International Energy Agency, to showcasing energy-friendly AI innovation.

We recognize the need to enhance our shared knowledge on the impacts of AI in the job market, though the creation of network of observatories, to better anticipate AI implications for workplaces, training and education and to use AI to foster productivity, skill development, quality and working conditions and social dialogue.

4. We recognize the need for inclusive multistakeholder dialogues and cooperation on AI governance. We underline the need for a global reflection integrating inter alia questions of safety, sustainable development, innovation, respect of international laws including humanitarian law and human rights law and the protection of human rights, gender equality, linguistic diversity, protection of consumers and of intellectual property rights. We take notes of efforts and discussions related to international fora where AI governance is examined. As outlined in the Global Digital Compact adopted by the UN General Assembly, participants also reaffirmed their commitment to initiate a Global Dialogue on AI governance and the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and to align ongoing governance efforts, ensuring complementarity and avoiding duplication.

5. Harnessing the benefits of AI technologies to support our economies and societies depends on advancing Trust and Safety. We commend the role of the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit and Seoul Summits that have been essential in progressing international cooperation on AI safety and we note the voluntary commitments launched there. We will keep addressing the risks of AI to information integrity and continue the work on AI transparency.

6. We look forward to next AI milestones such as the Kigali Summit, the 3rd Global Forum on the Ethics of AI hosted by Thailand and UNESCO, the 2025 World AI Conference and the AI for Good Global Summit 2025 to follow up on our commitments and continue to take concrete actions aligned with a sustainable and inclusive AI.

Signatory countries:

1. Armenia

2. Australia

3. Austria

4. Belgium

5. Brazil

6. Bulgaria

7. Cambodia

8. Canada

9. Chile

10. China

11. Croatia

12. Cyprus

13. Czechia

14. Denmark

15. Djibouti

16. Estonia

17. Finland

18. France

19. Germany

20. Greece

21. Hungary

22. India

23. Indonesia

24. Ireland

25. Italy

26. Japan

27. Kazakhstan

28. Kenya

29. Latvia

30. Lithuania

31. Luxembourg

32. Malta

33. Mexico

34. Monaco

35. Morocco

36. New Zealand

37. Nigeria

38. Norway

39. Poland

40. Portugal

41. Romania

42. Rwanda

43. Senegal

44. Serbia

45. Singapore

46. Slovakia

47. Slovenia

48. South Africa

49. Republic of Korea

50. Spain

51. Sweden

52. Switzerland

53. Thailand

54. Netherlands

55. United Arab Emirates

56. Ukraine

57. Uruguay

58. Vatican
MIL OSI Europe News –
February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Racing ahead: Australia’s roadmap to bidirectional charging launched
Source: Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Overview
- Category
  Uncategorised
- Date
  12 February 2025
- Classification
  Electric vehicles
Australia’s energy future is taking a giant leap forward with the announcement of the recently published National Roadmap for Bidirectional Electric Vehicle Charging (the Roadmap), commissioned by ARENA in partnership with RACE for 2030 and delivered by enX Consulting.

The Roadmap lays the foundation on which key industry and government stakeholders can identify and adopt policy settings and strategy initiatives to realise the benefits of bidirectional EV charging for Australians.

Bidirectional charging refers to the ability of an electric vehicle (EV) or other energy storage systems to not only draw power from the grid to charge its battery, but also to send power back to the grid, your home or directly to other devices. This capability allows the EV to act as an energy source when needed – essentially turning cars into batteries on wheels.

Bidirectional charging has the potential to become one of the largest forms of flexible energy storage in Australia and to materially reduce electricity costs for millions of Australians and accelerate national emissions reduction.

While not yet directly available to Australians, the technology has been successfully tested through small-scale trials and future benefits could include:
- Energy storage: Your EV can act as a backup power supply for homes or businesses in case of a power outage in place of a dedicated home battery.
- Reduced power bills: Once the technology becomes widely available, consumers with V2G-enabled EVs will have the opportunity to take advantage of their own ‘battery on wheels’ to respond to dynamic electricity pricing and make further savings.
- Grid support: It can help stabilise the power grid by supplying power back during times of high demand.
ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, said bidirectional charging, and particularly Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) technology, means EVs won’t just be vehicles; they’re the future of distributed energy storage and represent a game-changing opportunity for Australia’s energy future.

“By the early 2030s, the battery capacity of our electric vehicle fleet is projected to outstrip all other forms of energy storage in the National Electricity Market”, Mr Miller said.

“With estimates suggesting 1.5 million EVs on Australian roads by 2030, even 10% of those adopting V2G could meet 37% of the NEM’s total storage needs while also giving Australians control over their contribution to the clean energy transition”

“This innovation isn’t just beneficial for the grid – it could also save Australians up to $5 billion in total by reducing the need for large-scale battery storage investments.

Bidirectional charging is a small but important step toward creating an Australian energy network that’s more renewable, more reliable and more affordable for all Australians”.

ARENA has been active in this space for several years. The Bidirectional Roadmap is the latest in a series of Australian-first studies and projects initiated by ARENA since 2019.

This included ARENA’s first V2X strategy, which committed to developing a national V2X market activation strategy, in partnership with wider government, industry and academic institutions.

ARENA media contact:

media@arena.gov.au

Download this media release (PDF 143KB)

MIL OSI News –
February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Debates – Monday, 10 February 2025 – Strasbourg – Revised edition

Source: European Parliament

Verbatim report of proceedings

403k

Monday, 10 February 2025 – Strasbourg

IN THE CHAIR: ROBERTA METSOLA
President

1. Resumption of the session

President. – I declare resumed the session of the European Parliament adjourned on 29 January 2025.

2. Opening of the sitting

(The sitting opened at 17:03)

3. Statements by the President

President. – First of all, regarding what happened on 29 January 2025, on behalf of this House, I want to extend my deepest apologies for the incident that took place on 29 January during the European Parliament’s solemn session on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

The interruptions during our guest’s speech, 92-year-old Corrie Hermann, and during the minute of silence for Holocaust victims were disgraceful. The gravity of such behaviour cannot be overstated. It is a dark and stark reminder of why remembrance is not just a symbolic act, but a fundamental duty that this Parliament – that we all – must uphold.

The appropriate consequences shall be drawn after the relevant procedures are followed. I thank the services for their assistance in this regard, and I thank all of you for being present that day.

Dear colleagues, this month marks three years since Russia launched its unprovoked, unjustified and illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Three years on, Ukraine remains resilient and this Parliament stands with Ukraine. Tomorrow, we are honoured to welcome Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk of the Verkhovna Rada to mark this sombre anniversary. I ask you all to be present.

Also, dear colleagues, last Tuesday we were devastated to hear of the horrific mass shooting at Risbergska school in Örebro, the worst in Sweden’s history. This was a senseless act of violence that claimed innocent lives, shattering families and scarring communities. Europe mourns with those who have been lost and our thoughts are with their loved ones, with all those who have been injured and with the people of Sweden in this moment of profound sorrow.

Hatred and violence have no place in Europe. The values that unites us – peace, democracy and the dignity of human life – will always prevail.

I now invite you to join me in observing one minute of silence in memory of the victims.

(The House rose and observed a minute’s silence)

4. Approval of the minutes of the previous sittings

President. – The minutes and the texts adopted of the sittings of 23 January and 29 January are available.

Are there any comments? I see that is not the case.

Then the minutes are approved.

5. Penalties

President. – First of all, pursuant to Rules 10 and 183 of the Rules of Procedure, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, I have decided to impose a penalty on Grzegorz Braun.

At the sitting of 27 November 2024, Mr Brown repeatedly used offensive and discriminatory language in the framework of the debate of the recent legislation targeting LGBTQI persons.

This penalty consists of the forfeiture of his entitlement to the daily subsistence allowance for a period of two days, as well as a temporary suspension from participation in all the activities of Parliament for a period of two days on which Parliament meets, starting from today, 10 February 2025, without prejudice to his right to vote in plenary and subject to strict compliance with the Members’ standards of conduct.

The Member concerned has been notified of these decisions and has not launched an internal appeal with the Bureau pursuant to Rule 184. The penalties are therefore final.

6. Composition of committees and delegations

President. – The ECR, Greens/EFA and ESN groups and non-attached Members have notified me of decisions relating to changes to appointments within committees and delegations.

These decisions will be set out in the minutes of today’s sitting and take effect on the date of this announcement.

7. Negotiations ahead of Parliament’s first reading (Rule 72)

President. – The AFET and BUDG Committees have jointly decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations, pursuant to Rule 72(1) of the Rules of Procedure.

The report, which constitutes the mandate for the negotiations, is available on the plenary webpage and its title will be published in the minutes of the sitting.

Pursuant to Rule 72(2), Members or political groups reaching at least the medium threshold may request in writing by tomorrow, Tuesday 11 February, at midnight that the decision be put to the vote.

If no request for a vote in Parliament is made within the deadline, the committees may start the negotiations.

8. Negotiations ahead of Council’s first reading (Rule 73)

President. – The IMCO Committee has decided to enter into interinstitutional negotiations ahead of the Council’s first reading, pursuant to Rule 73 of the Rules of Procedure.

The position adopted by Parliament at first reading which constitutes the mandate for those negotiations is available on the plenary webpage, and its title will be published in the minutes of the sitting.

9. Signature of acts adopted in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (Rule 81)

President. – I would like to inform you that, together with the President of the Council, I shall, on Tuesday, sign one act adopted under the ordinary legislative procedure, in accordance with Rule 81 of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

The title of the act will be published in the minutes of this sitting.

⁂

I would also like to inform the House that I have received three requests for points of order.

I will give the floor in the order that we have received them, first with Petras Auštrevičius. Please quote the rule under which you are making the point of order.

Petras Auštrevičius (Renew). – Madam President, dear colleagues, taking the floor under Rule 164, and while appreciating our Wednesday debate on the need for targeted support to EU regions bordering Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, let me draw your attention to the great action which happened last weekend once the Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian energy was finally synchronised with the European continental energy ring.

And this is the way we have to go and streamline, cutting down our decades‑long dependencies with eastern countries and synchronising into the single market, whatever it takes, economic, energy or whatever. So, our talk on Wednesday will be about this, about achievements and what we can do together.

Stefano Cavedagna (ECR). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, ho un richiamo al regolamento ai sensi dell’articolo 202 del nostro regolamento del Parlamento europeo.

Infatti oggi è il 10 febbraio e in Italia, dalla legge 92 del 2004, celebriamo il Giorno del ricordo, che tutela l’onore dei martiri delle foibe e degli esuli di Istria, Fiume e Dalmazia, condannati a morte ed esiliati per colpa delle brigate comuniste del dittatore Tito jugoslavo. Se vogliamo pacificare, dobbiamo ricordare tutte le vittime del comunismo e anche queste, che hanno toccato in particolare il mio paese, e ricordare i martiri delle foibe.

Per la prima volta ci sarà una esposizione qui a Strasburgo.

10. Order of business

President. – We now come to the order of business. The final draft agenda, as adopted by the Conference of Presidents on 5 February pursuant to Rule 163, has been distributed.

With the agreement of the political groups, I wish to put to the House the following proposals for changes to the final draft agenda.

For today, Monday, Parliament statement on the situation in Sweden in the midst of the recent mass shooting in Örebro, with one round of political group speakers, is added as the first point.

For tomorrow, a formal sitting with an address by Ruslan Stefanchuk, Speaker of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, is added at 12:00. As a result, the voting session will start at 12:30.

For Thursday, the order of debates will change as follows. The debate on ‘EU-Mercosur trade agreement’ will be taken as the first point on the agenda, whereas the debate on ‘Threats to EU sovereignty through strategic dependencies and communication infrastructure’ will be the second point.

If there are no objections, then these changes are approved.

We will move now to a change requested by a political group. For Wednesday, the ESN Group has requested that a Commission statement on ‘Condemning all politically motivated violence, in particular the slingshot attack in Germany and other violent attacks in Europe’ be added as the third point in the afternoon. As a consequence, the sitting would be extended to 23:00.

I give the floor to Christine Anderson to move the request on behalf of the ESN Group.

Christine Anderson, im Namen der ESN-Fraktion. – (Beginn des Redebeitrags bei ausgeschaltetem Mikrofon) … die Tagesordnung gerne um einen Punkt erweitern, unter dem sich dieses Haus geeint gegen jedwede politische Gewalt aussprechen kann. Anlass ist ein Angriff auf einen unserer Wahlkämpfer am Samstag, der mittels einer Zwille mit einer Stahlkugel beschossen wurde. In Hannover haben 250 Angreifer einen Wahlstand umzingelt. Nur mühsam konnte die Polizei mit Schutzschilden die Menge noch in Schach halten. Später zog der Mob dann weiter und bedrohte einen Stand der CDU. Ein Mitglied der CDU berichtete, er habe Angst um seine Parteimitglieder gehabt.

Liebe Kollegen, Gewalt im Wahlkampf dürfen wir nicht tolerieren. Lassen Sie uns also mit einer Debatte gemeinsam ein Zeichen gegen jede Form von Gewalt setzen! Das sind wir unserer Demokratie schuldig. Lassen Sie uns demonstrieren, dass dieses Haus vereint gegen jede Form politischer Gewalt steht, egal, von wem sie ausgeht, und egal, gegen wen sie sich richtet! Vielen herzlichen Dank!

(The sitting was briefly suspended)

PRÉSIDENCE: YOUNOUS OMARJEE
Vice-Président

11. Resumption of the sitting

(La séance est reprise à 17h19)

12. Situation in Sweden in the midst of the recent mass shooting in Örebro (debate)

Heléne Fritzon, för S&D gruppen. – Herr talman! En vanlig tisdag på en vanlig skola i Sverige, ett utbildningscenter för vuxna. Så förvandlas denna vanliga dag till en av de mörkaste dagarna i Sveriges historia. En svensk ung man skjuter besinningslöst inne på en skola. Han dödar tio människor, flera av dem med utländsk bakgrund.

I dag, efter detta massmord, är det många med annan bakgrund i Sverige som känner rädsla och otrygghet. Och det är ett misslyckande för vårt samhälle, i Sverige, i Europa och i världen, när våld och splittring släcker människors liv. Eller som vår drottning i Sverige, drottning Silvia, uttryckte det när hon var i Örebro. Vart tog det fina Sverige vägen?

Ord spelar roll. Det måste vi veta, inte minst i den offentliga debatten. Vi har alla ett ansvar. Hat och hot hör inte hemma här. För en skola, en helt vanlig dag, det ska vara en plats som är trygg. En plats som möjliggör människors drömmar om framtiden.

Våra tankar finns i dag med alla de drabbade. Hos mamman i Örebro som inte kom hem till sina barn. Våra tankar finns med alla dem som stängdes in på skolan i skräck och hörde och såg skjutningar och blod. Och hos alla dem som gjorde en fantastisk insats med att rädda människors liv. Nu är vi i en tid när vi behöver komma samman. Så stort tack till alla er som står tillsammans med oss i Sverige i vår sorg.

Sebastiaan Stöteler, on behalf of the PfE Group. – Mr President, dear colleagues, the recent tragic mass shooting in Örebro, Sweden has left us all in mourning. Eleven lives taken in an act of senseless violence that left many others injured remind us of the fragility of peace in our societies.

This incident is not just a Swedish issue: it’s a European one. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive security measures, vigilant community involvement and a reassessment of our policies on public safety. We must stand with Sweden, offering our solidarity and support, but also demand accountability and action.

Tomorrow, we call upon European leaders to prioritise the safety of our citizens. We need policies that protect our schools, our public spaces and our communities from such tragedies. We need a Europe where our children can learn in safety, where our citizens can live without fear. But today, Mr President, our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire Swedish community. Today, we mourn with Sweden.

Abir Al-Sahlani, för Renew gruppen. – Herr talman! Mitt Sverige är i sorg och i chock. Förra veckan hände den värsta masskjutningen i svensk historia. Tio människor fick sätta livet till. En lärare, vars dröm var att hjälpa andra uppnå sina drömmar. En mamma, som aldrig kom hem till sina fyra barn, och en personlig assistent, som var älskad och som skulle gifta sig nu till sommaren.

Den gemensamma nämnaren mellan dessa är att de hade sina rötter någon annanstans än i Sverige. Varje människa hade drömmar, en historia de kom ifrån och en framtid som togs ifrån dem.

Jag besökte Örebro i fredags för att hedra offren, för att lägga ljus och blommor utanför skolan och för att visa att även Europa står tillsammans med örebroarna och hela Sverige i vår sorg. Jag möttes av en bottenlös sorg, av ilska, av många frågor, men framför allt också av oro. Många föräldrar undrar hur de kan släppa iväg sina barn till skolan. De undrar själva om de kan få vara utanför. Många känner sig inklämda mellan rasismen och våldsbrotten.

Många är frågorna och därför är det otroligt viktigt att polisen får gå till botten med vad som låg bakom. För vi behöver få riktiga svar.

Jag möttes också av ett enat civilsamhälle i Örebro. Moskéerna och kyrkorna hade öppnat sina portar och var en varm famn för de som sökte stöd. Rädda barnen, Röda korset, socialtjänsten och ungdomsgårdarna var alla öppna där och fanns som stöd och hjälp för alla de som sökte. Jag vill rikta ett innerligt och varmt tack till polis, räddningstjänst och vårdpersonal som var där på plats och som fortfarande är där och hanterar situationen.

Jag är ganska omskakad själv, för det här kunde ha varit mina föräldrar som hade varit där på plats. Det är exakt de här människorna det här våldet berör. Vi har en utmanande och svår tid framför oss i Sverige, men vi kan använda den för att tillsammans bygga Sverige. Ett Sverige för alla.

René Aust, im Namen der ESN-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Meine sehr geehrten Damen und Herren! Ich möchte in dieser schwierigen Stunde den Angehörigen mein Beileid ausdrücken und garantieren und versichern, dass wir in dieser schwierigen Stunde an der Seite des schwedischen Volkes stehen und ihm unsere Solidarität aussprechen möchten. Wir möchten dankbar sein für diejenigen, die in den ersten Minuten mutig waren, als Polizisten in diese Schule gegangen sind und versucht haben, Schlimmeres zu verhindern. Und natürlich den Rettungskräften, die unmittelbar den Verletzten geholfen haben, damit es nicht noch mehr Opfer gab.

Ich kann nur hoffen, dass alle Hintergründe dieser Tat aufgeklärt werden und dass mögliche Mitwisser auch dafür bestraft werden, falls es welche geben sollte. Ich möchte Schweden eines wünschen: Sie waren lange Jahrzehnte dafür bekannt, dass Sie eines der sichersten Länder dieser Erde sind, und ich hoffe, dass Schweden auf diesen Weg wieder zurückfindet. In diesem Sinne: Alles Gute den Hinterbliebenen, und dem schwedischen Volk unsere Solidarität!

Le Président. – Je remercie l’ensemble des collègues pour la très grande dignité de cette discussion et la charge émotionnelle très forte qui dit combien nous sommes solidaires avec tout le peuple suédois.

13. European Central Bank – annual report 2024 (debate)

Anouk Van Brug, rapporteur. – Voorzitter, mevrouw Lagarde, Europa was ooit een continent van stabiliteit, waar hard werken werd beloond, waar je spaargeld groeide en waar je plannen kon maken voor de toekomst. Je kon iedere maand een deel van je salaris opzijzetten voor een groter doel — een huis, een pensioen of een welverdiende vakantie. Dankzij een fatsoenlijke rente kwam dat doel stap voor stap dichterbij.

Maar die zekerheid is verdwenen. Steeds meer mensen kunnen niet meer rondkomen. Niet omdat ze niet hard werken, maar omdat het leven onbetaalbaar wordt. Sparen voelt als luxe, terwijl het voorheen een vanzelfsprekendheid was. Geld dat opzij werd gezet, verdampt. Want terwijl lonen achterblijven, stijgen de prijzen van boodschappen, energie en woningen tot onhoudbare hoogten.

De Europese Centrale Bank had als belangrijkste taak de prijsstabiliteit te bewaken. Maar toch werden we de afgelopen jaren verrast door torenhoge inflaties. Hoe kon dit gebeuren? Wat ging er mis? Ja, de Russische invasie in Oekraïne heeft een grote rol gespeeld. Opeens werden energieprijzen onvoorspelbaar, raakten toeleveringsketens verstoord en schoten voedselprijzen omhoog. Maar deze crisis was niet de eerste schok voor onze economie. En zij zal ook niet de laatste zijn.

Ik zeg niet dat de ECB stil heeft gezeten, maar de vraag is: waren we wel voorbereid? Terwijl de ECB druk bezig was met het onderzoek naar klimaat en duurzaamheid — belangrijke thema’s, zonder twijfel — werden andere risico’s onderschat, vooral geopolitiek. Oorlog en conflict.

Mevrouw Lagarde, waarom had de ECB geen scenario’s klaarliggen voor een geopolitieke schok als deze? Waarom stonden we niet paraat om de gevolgen voor de inflatie en de economie te verzachten? Dit is namelijk geen hypothetische discussie. Vandaag is het de oorlog in Oekraïne die de economie onder druk zet. Maar wat is het morgen? Morgen kan het zomaar iets anders zijn. Want wat als de spanningen rond Taiwan escaleren en de wereldwijde chipleveranties opdrogen? Of wat als de Verenigde Staten binnenkort nieuwe handelsbeperkingen opleggen aan Europese bedrijven? Wat als de energieprijzen opnieuw omhoogschieten door geopolitieke instabiliteit in het Midden‑Oosten?

De ECB moet niet alleen reageren op crises, maar moet ze voor zijn. We kunnen het ons niet veroorloven om keer op keer verrast te worden, terwijl de inflatie opnieuw door het dak schiet en miljoenen Europeanen daar de prijs voor betalen. Want laten we niet vergeten wie de uiteindelijke rekening betaalt. Dat zijn de gewone mensen thuis: de hardwerkende Nederlander, de jonge Europeanen die hun eerste huis proberen te kopen of de gepensioneerden die hun spaargeld langzaam zien verdampen. Zij verwachten leiderschap. Zij verwachten dat wij, als beleidsmakers, en u, vanuit de ECB, vooruitdenken en niet achter de feiten aan lopen.

Dus ik vraag u, mevrouw Lagarde, om geopolitieke risico’s net zo serieus te nemen als klimaatverandering, om scenario’s te ontwikkelen, om voorbereid te zijn op de volgende economische schok, zodat we niet opnieuw verrast worden, zodat we niet opnieuw onze koopkracht laten wegslippen. Want uiteindelijk gaat dit niet over cijfers, rentepercentages of inflaties. Dit gaat over mensen, dit gaat over hun dromen en dit gaat over hun toekomst.

Europa moet weer een continent worden waar mensen vol vertrouwen vooruit kunnen kijken, waar hard werken weer loont, waar sparen opnieuw mogelijk is en waar je plannen kunt maken en die ook echt kunt waarmaken. Dat is de opdracht. Dat is de verantwoordelijkheid, en de tijd om die verantwoordelijkheid te nemen, die is nu.

Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank. – Honourable Vice-President of the European Parliament, Commissioner Albuquerque, honourable Members of the European Parliament, Madam rapporteur, all of you, good afternoon, it’s an absolute pleasure to be back here, in the European Parliament, to discuss your draft resolution on the ECB’s annual report.

At the ECB, we are deeply committed to dialogue, transparency and accountability. In particular, we are very keen on how we communicate with the people of Europe, who we consider very highly and we treat very seriously in their aspirations. Also, obviously, because you are representatives of the European people, we are very keen to make sure that we communicate with all of you as much as possible. In fact, in the last parliamentary term – for those of you who were Members of Parliament in the last parliamentary term – we interacted with this Parliament more frequently than in previous terms, the record shows.

At the same time, it’s not just about us being accountable to you, it’s also the opportunity to hear your views and, through you, the views of European members and European people. Your debate and resolution are an important pillar of the ECB’s accountability framework and a key channel for you to share your views with us – and I can assure you that we listen and we pay great attention. For instance, next week will mark the 10th anniversary since the ECB started publishing the accounts of the Governing Council’s monetary policy meetings, and that was a major step in order to enhance our monetary policy communication and one that you, Parliament, had advocated for ten years ago. We have done that ever since, and we were followed through by other central banks around the world as a result.

This year’s draft resolution covers key issues that are central to the ECB’s mandate and the future of the euro area, including our response to inflation, the digital euro and the ECB’s role in supporting the EU’s broader economic policies. It also reflects the dynamic challenges we face in Europe today, and I look forward to hearing you thoughts on all of these issues and having a constructive dialogue with you.

But, before we do that, let me first outline our view on the current economic situation, explain what our monetary policy stance is and also address the broader economic challenges we are facing and what implications they have for our monetary policy.

When I look at the euro area economy today, I can attest that it grew – but it grew modestly – in 2024. While output stagnated in the fourth quarter of 2024, it was still 0.9 % higher than in the last quarter of 2023. Surveys indicate that manufacturing continues to contract while services activity is expanding. Consumer confidence – you will hear more about that – is still fragile and, despite rising real incomes, households are hesitant to spend more.

And yet, the conditions for a recovery remain in place. A solid job market and higher incomes should strengthen consumer confidence and allow spending to rise and consumer consumption to be a driver of growth. More affordable credit should boost consumption and investment over time. Exports should also allow and support the recovery as global demand rises, although in that respect it’s obviously conditional upon changes and developments that we will observe in international trade policies.

Inflation stood at 2.5 % in January and has recently developed broadly in line with staff projections. Core inflation – that is, taking out energy and food – has remained at 2.7 % in recent months, reflecting a sideways movement in both services and goods inflation. Wage growth is moderating as expected, although it remains elevated, while at the same time profits are partially buffering the impact of wage increases on inflation.

Inflation is set to return to our 2 % medium-term target in the course of 2025, this year, with risks on both the upside and the downside. It’s clear that greater friction in global trade would make the euro area inflation outlook more uncertain.

In total, the ECB has lowered interest rates by 125 basis points since last June, and the deposit facility rate, which is the rate through which we steer the monetary policy stance, now stands at 2.75 %. At our last meeting in January, we decided to lower our key interest rates by another 25 basis points, based on an updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the underlying inflation and its dynamics, as well as the strength of monetary policy transmission. In particular, the disinflation process in the euro area is well on track. Most measures of underlying inflation suggest that inflation will settle at around our targets on a sustained basis. And while financing conditions continue to be tight, our recent interest rate cuts – 125 basis points – are gradually making borrowing less onerous for both corporates and households.

We are determined to ensure that inflation stabilises at our 2 % medium-term target. We will follow a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting approach to determining the appropriate monetary policy stance, and we are not pre-committing to any particular path.

So let me now turn to the broader economic environment and its implications for monetary policy. Europe has faced – and you know that – a series of unprecedented challenges in recent years, each with its own far reaching impact, and probably more far reaching than we could all anticipate when they hit our radar screen. From the COVID-19 pandemic to surging energy prices and the geopolitical upheaval caused by Russia’s unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine, we have navigated our way through a storm of supply shocks, predominantly. Is that it? Probably not, because as we look ahead, notably because of geopolitical developments, the frequency of these shocks is likely to remain high.

While we have weathered these crises, the past few years have also revealed missed opportunities and underinvestment in areas such as the digital transformation and the green transition, and the uncertainty surrounding trade and economic policy continues to weigh on consumption and on investment. As a result, and as was very well highlighted by the respective reports of Enrico Letta and Mario Draghi, Europe finds itself lagging behind international competitors in both productivity and growth.

In a world driven by shifting global dynamics and rapid technological change, Europe must strike that delicate balance between achieving strategic autonomy and preserving its openness to the global economy. As President von der Leyen and I highlighted in a recent article, Europe’s response to these challenges must be bold and strategic. While the outlook may seem daunting, the prospects are more promising than they might appear.

One of Europe’s first priorities should be to deepen the internal market. By removing the very barriers that we impose upon ourselves – barriers that actually operate almost like internal tariffs – we can unlock economies of scale, encourage innovation and reduced costs for consumers and producers alike. We are already home to a wealth of ideas and innovators. Our challenge is to transform these ideas into technologies that effectively fuel economic growth. To do so, we need to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and foster an innovation-friendly environment.

Another critical area is enhancing Europe’s autonomy in payments, which form the backbone of our economy and our single currency. At present, a few foreign – foreign – providers dominate Europe’s payments landscape. Yes, there are a few Member States that have their own respective payment system, but overall it is dominated by foreign players, leaving us vulnerable to external pressures. As we face an increasingly digital future, we must prepare the ground for a digital euro. This will ensure the resilience and public good nature of our payment systems. It will also provide a platform for private innovation in digital payments – private innovation that banks can take the initiative of.

With substantial substantial savings at its disposal, Europe must channel more resources into private investment and scale up financing to support its innovators. A genuine capital market union designed for citizens and businesses alike will be instrumental in that respect. I have advocated that for years and so have you. But we need to make sure that it comes through as a reality, not as an aspiration.

More broadly, investment must be the cornerstone of Europe’s economic transformation. The focus must be on investing in physical and digital infrastructure, research and development, and green technologies. These are not optional but essential investments required to drive productivity and guarantee Europe’s competitiveness on the global stage. In addition, they will address our energy dependence and help us meet our climate goal – both pressing imperatives.

In this regard, we welcome the European Commission’s Competitiveness Compass as a concrete roadmap for action, which will also support the ECB in maintaining price stability by reducing Europe’s susceptibility to supply shocks.

Having said that, the European Central Bank is not standing still. We are committed to learning from the experiences of recent years. As part of the ongoing assessment of our monetary policy strategy, we are preparing for the risk of an increasingly volatile future. We are taking stock of a changed inflation environment and economic context. We are also focusing on the implications for monetary policy, our experiences with our evolving policy toolkit, our reaction function and how to better deal with risk and uncertainty in policy setting and communication. While the ECB continuously evaluates and adapts its economic models – a topic raised in your resolution, I know that – assessing new analytical needs will be one component of this assessment.

So, in conclusion, the challenges facing Europe are immense, but solutions are within our reach. Our opportunity lies in more and better Europe.

As Konrad Adenauer said 70 years ago, ‘European unity was the dream of a few. It became the hope for many. Today it is a necessity for all of us’. This sentiment, and I quoted him, rings true today more than ever.

To jointly tackle Europe’s challenges, I’m counting on Parliament’s commitment. Within its mandate, the ECB will play its part. Ever since the introduction of the euro, the ECB has continuously adapted to changing economic environments to fulfil its mandate. And we will remain fully committed to delivering on this very mandate. We are equally committed to maintaining our active and meaningful dialogue with all of you, as Members of the European Parliament, and I thank you for your attention.

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, President Lagarde, honourable Members, it is a pleasure to discuss the draft report on the ECB Annual Report prepared by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs. I would like to thank the rapporteur Ms Anouk Van Brug and the members of the Committee.

The assessment of the ECB’s activities by the European Parliament is an important part of the democratic accountability of the ECB. The Commission welcomes the ECB’s monetary policy measures, which have helped to keep inflation expectations anchored, and have contributed to the disinflationary processes over the last two years. The Commission acknowledges the ECB’s strong commitment and decisive action to ensuring price stability.

Last year, the EU economy resumed moderate growth amidst a further abatement of inflationary pressures; unemployment remained very low, and employment reached record levels. Overall, the EU economy has shown remarkable resilience amidst the series of severe shocks. This is in no small measure thanks to our collective policy actions, including those of the ECB. Looking ahead, and in line with the ECB, the Commission expects inflation to return to around 2 % in the course of the year. GDP growth is set to pick up as private consumption gains strength and investment recovers from a weak performance in 2024.

At the same time, the European economy suffers from a series of structural breaks on its competitiveness, holding back our growth and threatening our future prosperity. As the world has entered an era of harsh geostrategic competition, boosting our competitiveness and productivity has become even more urgent. This requires urgent action on several fronts.

To steer the work, two weeks ago, the Commission proposed a competitiveness compass. It is centered on three transformational imperatives: closing the innovation gap, a joint roadmap for decarbonisation and competitiveness, and reducing excessive dependencies and increasing security. These enablers are complemented by action on horizontal enablers, such as completion of the single market, simplification, promotion of skills and quality jobs, better coordination of policies and financing. Over the next weeks and months, the Commission will roll out a series of policy initiatives to implement the strategy. The Commission looks forward to working closely with Parliament to deliver on them.

A key foundation for a competitive economy is economic stability. Therefore, in line with the calls in your report to ensure sound fiscal policies, we have proceeded swiftly with the implementation of the new economic governance framework. We approved the medium‑term plans for 21 Member States. Those plans contain commitments for prudent fiscal policies, as well as reforms and investments in line with our EU priorities. Now, the time for delivery has come to bring deficits and debt down where they are too high.

Overall, the implementation of the EU Member States’ plans will result into a slightly contractionary fiscal stance in 2025, which is appropriate following a long period of expansion.

Honourable Members, our challenges are numerous. The actions we need to take are ambitious and urgent. Together with the support of this House and underpinned by the crucial policies of the ECB, we will be able to improve our competitiveness, secure our social market economy and build our future prosperity.

Markus Ferber, im Namen der PPE-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Frau Kommissarin! Frau Präsidentin, liebe Christine Lagarde! In der Vergangenheit war der Jahresbericht zur Europäischen Zentralbank oft ein hartes Stück Arbeit. Und in schwierigen Verhandlungen ist manchmal auch die klare Linie abhandengekommen. Dieses Mal ist es anders. Und dafür möchte ich auch im Namen unseres Verhandlungsführers Marco Falcone, der Berichterstatterin und dem gesamten Verhandlungsteam ganz herzlich danken.

Der Bericht gibt ein klares Bekenntnis zum Ziel der Preisstabilität, das immer der Fixstern des Handelns für die EZB sein sollte. Daraus folgen die Kernprinzipien wie das der monetären Dominanz und der Marktneutralität. Der Aspekt der Marktneutralität ist für uns als EVP-Fraktion von ganz besonderer Bedeutung. Denn für uns ist entscheidend, dass die Europäische Zentralbank in ihren geldpolitischen Entscheidungen den Wettbewerb und die Marktmechanismen nicht verzerrt. Das mag hier in diesem Haus nicht jedem gefallen, denn so mancher will die EZB gern für politische Ziele einspannen. Aber das ist nicht ihre Aufgabe. Im Sinne eines fairen Wettbewerbs und einer effizienten Kapitalallokation sollten wir deswegen der Versuchung widerstehen. Deswegen ist das Prinzip der Marktneutralität so entscheidend. Ich freue mich, dass wir dieses Mal endlich einen Text gefunden haben, der hoffentlich alle Seiten entsprechend berücksichtigt.

Neben der Geldpolitik haben wir uns auch mit dem digitalen Euro beschäftigt. Hier liegen zwar Vorschläge auf dem Tisch, aber diese Vorschläge lassen noch viele Fragen offen. Und auf die müssen wir im Gesetzgebungsverfahren Antworten finden. Wir sollten auch in diesem Jahresbericht keine Vorfestlegungen treffen. Das gilt aber auch für die Europäische Zentralbank, die akzeptieren muss, dass momentan der Gesetzgeber der Herr des Verfahrens ist und nicht die Europäische Zentralbank. Es handelt sich nämlich nicht nur um eine reine geldpolitische Entscheidung, sondern um eine politische Entscheidung von großer Tragweite. Und das sollten wir in aller Ruhe hier in diesem Haus miteinander diskutieren. Ich bitte Sie wirklich, diesen Passus sehr intensiv zu lesen, auch Ihrem Stellvertreter mitzugeben, der sich hier besonders engagiert. Dann sind wir auf dem richtigen Weg.

Evelyn Regner, im Namen der S&D-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin Lagarde! Sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin Albuquerque! Die Europäische Zentralbank ist viel mehr als nur eine Bank: Sie ist das Rückgrat unserer Wirtschaftspolitik, Stütze der Europäischen Union. Ihre Geldpolitik bestimmt unsere wirtschaftliche Zukunft, und wer ihr die Hände bindet, blockiert den Fortschritt, gefährdet den sozialen Frieden und stellt sich gegen die gemeinsame Verantwortung.

Preisstabilität ist der Kern, um nicht zu sagen die heilige Kuh der Geldpolitik. Doch Geldpolitik geht weit über die bloße Preisstabilität hinaus. Daher hat die Europäische Zentralbank auch zwei Mandate, und das zweite Mandat umfasst die Verantwortung für den Wohlstand der Menschen, für Arbeitsplätze, Innovation und auch für Chancengleichheit. In einer Zeit, in der der Klimawandel und soziale Ungleichheit immer mehr auf die Menschen niederprasseln, ist das zweite Mandat der Europäischen Zentralbank dadurch dringlicher denn je.

Wir Sozialdemokratinnen und Sozialdemokraten stehen fest an der Seite der EZB, denn ihre Rolle ist unverzichtbar – auch im Kampf gegen den Klimawandel. Tatsächlich: Preisstabilität und Klimaschutz sind untrennbar miteinander verbunden. Denn die Klimakrise bedroht Menschen, bedroht unseren Planeten und die Wirtschaft gleichermaßen, und wer das nicht begreift, der lebt in einer Illusion. Leider gibt es noch immer Kräfte in diesem Haus, die die EZB auf eine marktneutrale Linie zwingen wollen, als ob dies ein unantastbares Dogma wäre. Aber wir wissen: Marktneutralität ist kein Naturgesetz, sondern maximal ein von Menschen erdachtes Konzept, das uns im Klimakampf im Stich lässt. Diese Politik der Marktneutralität würde die Probleme der Menschen und des Planeten verschärfen, statt Lösungen zu bringen.

Die Erkenntnis also, dass Klimawandel, soziale Gerechtigkeit und Preisstabilität eng miteinander verknüpft sind, muss uns den Leitfaden geben, wie Geldpolitik zu gestalten ist. Denn nur eine nachhaltige und gerechte Wirtschaft kann langfristige Stabilität für uns alle gewährleisten.

Sebastiaan Stöteler, namens de PfE-Fractie. – Voorzitter, mevrouw Lagarde, ik spreek vandaag ten behoeve van mijn delegatiegenoot Zijlstra, die schaduwrapporteur op dit dossier was en helaas vandaag wegens ziekte niet kan spreken.

Toen de Europese Centrale Bank op 1 juni 1998 door Wim Duisenberg boven het doopvont van het Verdrag van Maastricht werd gehouden, dachten we allemaal dat we een centrale bank zouden hebben die tot doel had het prijspeil stabiel te houden. Zo staat het ook nog steeds in het mandaat.

Bijna dertig jaar later blijkt daar echter weinig van over te zijn. Volgens cijfers van het CBS bedraagt de Nederlandse inflatie sinds 2020 ongeveer 20 %. Gevolg: bijna nergens in de EU is alles zo snel zo duur geworden als in Nederland. De mensen komen steeds moeilijker rond. Door de hoge inflatie van afgelopen jaren verdampte ongeveer 30 miljard EUR aan Nederlands spaargeld, maar konden failliete eurolanden wel hun staatsschuld weginflateren.

Dit perverse systeem moet gestopt worden. De Nederlandse spaarder, gepensioneerde en ondernemer worden belazerd door een centrale bank die enkel oog heeft voor de belangen van ministers die hun overheden onverantwoord geleid hebben en begrotingen niet op orde krijgen. Het wordt tijd dat de Europese Centrale Bank de mensen die sparen, werken en ondernemen weer in het vizier heeft en niet langer straft, maar beloont. Dat zo’n koerswijziging wellicht het faillissement van een of meerdere eurolanden betekent, is een spijtige zaak, maar het mag geen argument zijn om de Nederlander verder financieel uit te roken.

Denis Nesci, a nome del gruppo ECR. – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, signora Presidente Lagarde, oggi ci troviamo a discutere il rapporto annuale della BCE, un documento che fornisce una panoramica sulle politiche monetarie adottate, sull’attività di vigilanza e sulle altre funzioni svolte dal Sistema europeo di banche centrali.

In qualità di relatore ombra del gruppo ECR, ho lavorato affinché il testo mantenesse un approccio pratico, bilanciando l’indipendenza della BCE con la necessità di garantire una politica monetaria efficace.

Il rapporto affronta temi come la politica monetaria, l’euro digitale, gli obiettivi secondari della BCE e il rafforzamento del ruolo internazionale dell’euro e sottolinea l’importanza della stabilità dei prezzi nella lotta all’inflazione, fondamentale per un ambiente favorevole a investimenti, crescita e occupazione.

Riguardo all’euro digitale, si chiarisce che dovrà affiancare il contante senza sostituirlo, garantendo la privacy ai cittadini. Si evidenzia inoltre la necessità di maggiore trasparenza nella gestione delle obbligazioni societarie e di un approccio equilibrato nella decarbonizzazione.

Infine, chiediamo alla BCE di intensificare il dialogo con i parlamenti nazionali e di collaborare strettamente con gli Stati membri su un programma di educazione finanziaria, strumenti fondamentali per aumentare la consapevolezza e la preparazione di consumatori e imprese.

È cruciale che la BCE adotti un approccio più pragmatico e improntato al buon senso, sempre con l’obiettivo di salvaguardare le famiglie, le imprese e i consumatori. Solo con politiche che riflettono una comprensione concreta delle sfide quotidiane, la BCE potrà rafforzare ulteriormente la fiducia nell’euro e migliorare l’efficacia delle sue azioni, promuovendo un equilibrio tra la stabilità economica e il benessere dei nostri cittadini.

Gilles Boyer, au nom du groupe Renew. – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, Madame la rapporteure, Madame la Présidente Lagarde – merci pour votre présence et pour vos propos –, nous pensons que la Banque centrale européenne doit pouvoir réagir avec la souplesse nécessaire, en respectant évidemment le mandat établi par les traités, pour assurer la stabilité monétaire au sein de notre Union.

Le principe de neutralité de marché a donc toute sa place dans la politique monétaire de la Banque centrale européenne, mais nous devons l’appliquer avec intelligence et avec flexibilité, comme tout ce que nous faisons. Il faut permettre à la Banque centrale européenne de réagir aux changements économiques et sociétaux, a fortiori lorsqu’ils sont systémiques, comme c’est souvent le cas en ce moment.

La réalité s’impose à nous. Je prends l’exemple des accords internationaux que nous avons pu conclure, tels que l’accord de Bâle sur la régulation du système bancaire. Lorsque nos partenaires dans les autres juridictions décident de ne pas appliquer les règles mondiales décidées en commun et créent une situation de concurrence déloyale, nous devons pouvoir réévaluer nos positions pour nous assurer que nos banques soient toujours en mesure de financer nos PME, les ménages européens et les transitions vertes et numériques qui sont si essentielles. Le tout, évidemment, dans le cadre d’un système financier sécurisé.

Ce sera un des enjeux de ce mandat européen, ici. Notre Union européenne s’est beaucoup tournée vers elle-même, et à juste titre, par le passé. Elle doit à présent regarder davantage vers l’extérieur.

Rasmus Andresen, im Namen der Verts/ALE-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Die geldpolitische Debatte in diesem Haus ist in Teilen unehrlich und auch durch Widersprüche geprägt. Finanzstabilität ist 2025 etwas anderes als in den 90er- oder in den 2000er-Jahren. Deshalb muss sich auch die Arbeit der Zentralbanken weiterentwickeln. Wer zum Beispiel möchte, dass die Inflation sinkt und dass die Preise bezahlbar werden, muss sich mit den Ursachen auseinandersetzen. Und die Ursachen für die hohe Inflation in den letzten Jahren – zumindest in der Europäischen Union, im Euro-Währungsgebiet – sind die hohen Energiepreise und zum Teil auch die Profitgier. Denn einige Konzerne haben die Energiepreisexplosionen ausgenutzt und – während wir über Sanktionen gegenüber Russland beraten haben – ganz gut Kasse gemacht.

Wer möchte, dass unsere Währung und unsere Wirtschaft stabil bleiben, der kann die Augen nicht vor der Klimakrise verschließen. Und wer möchte, dass wir in moderne Infrastruktur investieren, kann nicht ignorieren, dass auch hohe Zinssätze darauf einen Effekt haben. Es ist sehr schade, dass der aktuelle EZB-Bericht, über den wir morgen abstimmen, alle diese Fragen nicht befriedigend beantwortet, sondern – im Gegenteil – vor einem Großteil der Probleme die Augen verschließt. Es ist gut, dass die EZB in diesen Fragen viel weiter ist als einige Abgeordnete hier im Haus, denn es ist dringend notwendig. Und es wäre auch notwendig, sich damit auseinanderzusetzen, welche Rolle eigentlich die USA auch für die Geldpolitik in den nächsten Jahren spielen werden. Trump macht Geldpolitik, die vor allem im Interesse von Krypto-Milliardären ist. Das sollten wir nicht auch tun.

Deshalb ist es wichtig, dass wir eine eigene Geldpolitik formulieren und dass wir uns über diese Fragen auseinandersetzen. Dazu sind wir Grüne bereit. Und wir freuen uns, Frau Lagarde, dass wir das auch in den nächsten Jahren mit Ihnen und Ihrem Team weiter tun werden.

Jussi Saramo, The Left-ryhmän puolesta. – Arvoisa puhemies, jokaisesta ostoksestani menee siivu amerikkalaiselle kartellille. Suurin osa korttiostoksista – kännykälläkin tehdyistä – tehdään Visan ja Mastercardin kautta. Oikeaa kilpailua ei ole, vaikka yksityinen monopoli tai kartelli on kaikkein huonoin tapa järjestää pakolliset asiat.

Miksi eurooppalaiset yrittäjät joutuvat tilittämään osan myynnistään yhdysvaltalaiselle duopolille, joka sanelee hinnat? Samalla Trump uhkaa meitä tulleilla, veronkierrolla, jopa sotilaallisella hyökkäyksellä. Yhteiskunnan perusjärjestelmät eivät voi olla arvaamattoman valtion hybridisodan uhan alla. Nyt on laitettava tavallisten eurooppalaisten kuluttajien ja pienyrittäjien etu pankkien ja Yhdysvaltain suurvaltapolitiikan edelle.

Digieuro, oikein tehtynä, lisäisi Euroopan itsenäisyyttä parantamalla maksujärjestelmämme kestävyyttä ja palauttamalla julkisen vaihtoehdon maksamiseen. Vastustan käteisestä luopumista, mutta jos ja kun kauppiaat, pankit ja markkinat ajavat käteisen alas, on meillä oltava tulevaisuudessakin julkinen rahan muoto. Kuluttajien lisäksi digieurosta hyötyisivät erityisesti kauppiaat, joiden neuvotteluasema suhteessa maksunvälittäjiin paranisi lisävaihtoehtojen myötä. Oikein tehtynä digieuro myös vapauttaisi tavalliset pienituloiset ihmiset pankkien pakkoasiakkuudesta. Tähän ei tunnu olevan vielä poliittista tahtoa, mutta tulevaisuudessa digieuro voisi olla paljon, paljon enemmän kuin mihin konservatiivit ovat olleet valmiina.

Tämänvuotinen mietintö Euroopan keskuspankin toimista on valitettavasti puutteellinen muutenkin kuin digieuron osalta. Siinä ei oteta riittävässä määrin huomioon, että keskuspankin asettama korkotaso on edelleen liian korkea monelle euroalueen jäsenvaltiolle, kuten omalle kotimaalleni Suomelle. Mietintö on pettymys myös ilmastotoimien ja vihreän siirtymän suhteen. Se jopa vaatii EKP:ta jarruttelemaan ilmastonmuutoksen vastaisissa toimissa. Modernilla keskuspankilla on oltava muitakin tavoitteita kuin hintavakaus. Keskuspankit voivat – ja niiden täytyy – tukea työllisyyttä ja siirtymää kohti kestävää taloutta.

René Aust, im Namen der ESN-Fraktion. – Herr Präsident! Meine sehr geehrten Damen und Herren, unsere Währung muss sicher sein! Denn nur eine stabile Währung sichert den Wohlstand unserer Bürger. Eine stabile Währung schützt Wohlstand und Kaufkraft. Sie sorgt dafür, dass Preise berechenbar bleiben, dass sich Arbeit lohnt und jeder auch morgen noch genauso viel oder mehr für sein Geld bekommt wie bisher.

Die Europäische Zentralbank hätte den Auftrag, genau das zu gewährleisten. Doch seit Jahren verfolgt sie andere Ziele: Finanzierung von Staatsschulden; sie griff in die Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik von Nationalstaaten in den Zeiten der Troika ein; und jetzt macht sie sogar Klimapolitik. Die Folgen spüren wir alle: Ersparnisse schrumpfen, Investitionen gehen zurück.

Landsleute und Bürger Europas! Wir brauchen keine Experimente der EZB mit unserem Geld. Wir brauchen Verlässlichkeit! Deshalb ist jetzt ein klarer Kurs nötig: Das Eurosystem muss reformiert werden; die Stimmgewichte im EZB-Rat müssen sich an der Kapitalbeteiligung orientieren, Deutschland hat heute eine Stimme wie auch Malta – das muss verändert werden; TARGET2-Salden müssen jährlich mit Werten wie Gold, Bitcoin oder handelbaren Wertpapieren ausgeglichen werden; keine Schuldenpolitik durch die Hintertür, die EZB darf weder direkt noch indirekt Schulden der Staaten finanzieren.

Das Mandat der EZB muss wieder gelten, und zwar wortgetreu! Eine solide Geldpolitik schützt Einkommen und Vermögen, sie gibt den Menschen Sicherheit, sie hält unsere Wirtschaft stark. Es braucht klare Regeln und eine Zentralbank, die sich an ihren Auftrag hält! Dafür ist Präsidentin Lagarde die Falsche.

Fernando Navarrete Rojas (PPE). – Mr President, Commissioner, President Lagarde, I want to begin by recognising the successful job the ECB has done under your leadership in ensuring price stability amid major shocks. A soft landing is now within reach – well done.

Dear colleagues, this recognition, however, should not blur our judgement on the digital euro initiative. We all agree on the need to digitally proof the single currency, but does this require giving citizens a direct access to the ECB balance sheet, thus facilitating bank runs? Can untested safeguards like holding limits withstand political and financial stress? Should an innovation be led by the private sector? Is a digital euro based on central bank money the best solution to our dependencies in the payment area?

Regardless of our answers, the potential issuance of a digital euro would be one of the most consequential decisions in financial policy. It will have far‑reaching consequences beyond monetary policy in areas like financial stability, innovation in payments and citizens’ privacy, just to name a few.

Dear colleagues, regardless of our standing on the substance, the only thing we cannot do as parliamentarians is to relinquish our duty by a massive delegation of power in these domains. Don’t you think it is for us, co‑legislators, to co‑decide if and when the conditions for the issuance of a digital euro are met? I do think so, not least because I truly believe in central bank independence when conducting monetary policy.

Jonás Fernández (S&D). – Señor presidente, señora comisaria, señora presidenta, un placer tenerla aquí y aprovechar este debate que tenemos cada año no solamente para discutir los detalles del informe que votamos mañana, sino para hablar de política monetaria y de la actividad del Banco Central Europeo.

Y yo creo que, a la vista de los indicadores, de las estimaciones, de los datos que conocemos, hay aún margen para reducir los tipos de interés, y creemos que por ahí debemos ir porque las tasas de crecimiento además están muy muy apagadas en el conjunto de la Unión Europea.

Pero créanme que en ese margen para reducir tipos de interés hay una notable incertidumbre —hablaba usted de ella previamente—, y no es otra que el nuevo Gobierno de Donald Trump en Estados Unidos y la guerra arancelaria que parece que hemos iniciado. Yo creo que es importante ser contundente: creo que es importante que Europa refuerce su autonomía estratégica y responda con fuerza, y hay instrumentos para hacerlo que pueden no entrar en colisión con el objetivo de estabilidad de precios, y hay muchos.

Pero, hablando de autonomía estratégica, yo quiero decir también a la Comisión y al BCE que mi Grupo, el Grupo de Socialistas y Demócratas, está preparado para negociar el euro digital y esperamos avanzar en los próximos meses, y que, además, si queremos mejorar la autonomía estratégica, tenemos que garantizar la seguridad de nuestro sistema bancario europeo. Y cuando otras jurisdicciones como la estadounidense parece que retrasan sine die la implementación de Basilea, yo creo que en Europa tenemos que empezar a hablar de revisar los regímenes de equivalencia de los bancos estadounidenses: no podemos compartir una carrera de reducción de la regulación en la supervisión.

Pierre Pimpie (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, je vous le dis, le mal est fait. La BCE a déversé sur les marchés des milliers de milliards d’euros. C’était le fameux assouplissement quantitatif. Tel un dealer, elle a pendant des années donné le goût de l’argent gratuit, de la facilité, de l’absence d’efforts, pour mieux ferrer ses clients.

Des pays comme la France sont devenus drogués, dans l’incapacité de se passer du roulement de la dette. Ils ont renoncé à leur souveraineté financière en contrepartie de doses d’argent de plus en plus létales.

Désormais, la BCE cesse d’acheter les dettes souveraines sur le marché secondaire. Le sevrage risque de s’avérer critique. Le piège se referme. Les États sont devenus dépendants de la BCE. L’argent gratuit est devenu très cher et la crise financière s’annonce plausible, sinon probable, dans les prochains mois. J’augure que le drogué suppliera son dealer de lui fournir une injection redoublée.

Quel cynisme de la part de l’Europe de Francfort, qui appelle à la rigueur budgétaire après avoir prôné la relance à toute berzingue! Comme tout dealer responsable de l’addiction de ses clients, la BCE devra rendre des comptes.

Engin Eroglu (Renew). – Herr Präsident! Sehr geehrte Frau Präsidentin Lagarde! Sehr geehrte Frau Kommissarin! Vielen Dank, Frau Lagarde, dass Sie wieder bei uns im Haus sind. Ich freue mich sehr, immer wieder mit Ihnen hier oder im Ausschuss diskutieren zu können. Denn ich denke, der Austausch in so schwierigen Zeiten ist wirklich von Bedeutung und wichtig.

Frau Lagarde, ich möchte auf den aktuellen Bericht eingehen – aber das bezogen auf ein Interview von Ihnen, das ich am 31. Januar in der Financial Times lesen durfte. Herzlichen Glückwunsch zu diesem tollen Interview! Sie haben es gemeinsam mit Frau von der Leyen geschrieben oder gegeben.

Da ist genau das Problem, Frau Lagarde, Sie hören es hier von vielen Kollegen: die Marktneutralität, die Preisstabilität. Viele unserer Kollegen im Haus, die wirkliche Experten für Finanzen sind, haben das Gefühl, dass irgendwo die Neutralität unserer EZB verloren gegangen ist – und dass Sie eine gefährliche Nähe zur Kommission und zu Staatschefs haben. Deswegen halte ich es wirklich für schwierig, dann ein gemeinsames Interview zu lesen, obwohl Sie, und da möchte ich Sie ausdrücklich loben, Frau Lagarde – die Punkte, die Sie in dem Interview benannt haben, sind genau richtig. Sie haben gesagt, wir müssen die Überregulierung im Bankensektor abbauen. Die Antwort ist sehr simpel. Hier in diesem Haus der große Fehler: Taxonomie und ESG – eine völlige Überregulierung des Bankensystems. Dann haben Sie zu Recht bemängelt, dass die Unternehmen nicht ausreichend Finanzmittel zur Finanzierung unserer Unternehmen herausgeben. Ja, harte Eigenkapitalquote runter, das ist die Antwort darauf. Dann ein anderer Punkt: die Energiepreise. Natürlich sind die Energiepreise viel zu hoch. Die Antwort darauf: Wir brauchen mehr fossiles Gas von so vielen Anbietern wie möglich.

Frau Lagarde, meine inständige Bitte: Kommen Sie zur Neutralität zurück und hören Sie nicht auf den linken Teil dieses Hauses. Eine Marktneutralität infrage zu stellen bedeutet, den Euro kaputt zu machen und damit unsere Demokratie an die Wand zu fahren.

João Oliveira (The Left). – Senhor Presidente, Senhora Lagarde, a sua política de combate à inflação a partir do Banco Central Europeu é errada, é injusta e tem de ser alterada. É errada porque quer combater a inflação, esmagando o poder de compra do povo em vez de intervir nos preços. É injusta porque arruína a vida dos trabalhadores e das pequenas e médias empresas, mas garante lucros escandalosos aos bancos e aos grupos económicos. A rapidez da subida das taxas de juro não foi a mesma na descida, e a situação é insustentável. As famílias continuam sufocadas com os custos do crédito à habitação. As pequenas e médias empresas enfrentam dificuldades com o aumento dos custos do crédito, mas o custo de vida não para de aumentar porque os grupos económicos continuam a fixar os preços «à Lagardère» como bem querem e lhes apetece. Os lucros dos bancos em 2024 renderam aos seus acionistas 123 mil milhões de EUR de dividendos. Só em Portugal, em 2024, os maiores grupos económicos e financeiros tiveram 32 milhões de lucros por dia. Senhora Lagarde, mude de política porque com esta política arruína a vida do povo. O caminho certo e justo é o da rápida descida das taxas de juro para aliviar as famílias e as pequenas e médias empresas. O caminho certo e justo é o do combate à inflação, com medidas de controlo, fixação ou tabelamento de preços, sobretudo de bens essenciais, cujos preços aumentaram de forma especulativa nos últimos anos. É esse o desafio que lhe fazemos.

Rada Laykova (ESN). – Mr President, the term inflation originates from price inflation or monetary inflation, the latter referring to an increase in the money supply. Price inflation inevitably follows monetary inflation. Yet, this report does not mention monetary inflation, not even once. Instead, it falsely attributes price increases solely to external factors, such as energy markets and the war in Ukraine. But inflation in the Eurozone is fundamentally driven by monetary policy, and the only institution controlling the money supply is the ECB.

In the ECON Committee, we have observed continued support from some political groups for expansionist monetary policies, primarily to finance deficit spending. Instead of ensuring price stability, the ECB is now expected to counterbalance consequences of unsustainable EU economic policies by printing more money. This approach not only contradicts the ECB statute but also risks worsening the economic situation.

The ECB was created with a single mandate: price stability. Yet today, it has expanded its role to include climate change, economic redistribution and even global peace efforts. Can an institution struggling to fulfil its core responsibility effectively take on such additional tasks?

Rather than relying on continuously monetary expansion, the EU should focus on addressing its economic policy failures, excessive regulations and the unintended consequences of self‑sanctioning. Europeans are increasingly aware of these issues, and they’re questioning the policies that have led to economic uncertainty and the declining value of the euro. They understand exactly where the responsibility lies – within the ECB and this very institution.

Lídia Pereira (PPE). – Senhor Presidente, as taxas de juro estão a descer, mas, mais do que anúncios e notícias, as famílias precisam de sentir um alívio real no custo de vida. Há dois anos, com taxas de inflação acima dos 10 %, só podíamos estar apreensivos. Hoje, esse tempo parece longínquo, mas temos de evitar triunfalismos. A inflação estabilizou, sim, mas ainda está acima do objetivo de médio prazo; e, numa Europa que queremos que cresça em conjunto, não podemos ter taxas de inflação de 1 % num país e de 5 % noutro. Temos de crescer juntos e para isso também temos de agir juntos.

O que também me parece longínquo, mas que recordamos bem, foi o alinhamento da extrema‑esquerda e da extrema‑direita contra decisões de política monetária do Banco Central Europeu. E também nos recordamos bem da cedência dos socialistas a essa pressão mediática. Como sempre, as eleições estiveram à frente do sentido de responsabilidade. Já nós, estamos onde sempre estivemos, no respeito pela independência do Banco Central. Com opiniões, é certo, mas sem ceder à tentação de mentir às pessoas sobre os poderes de umas e outras instituições europeias. A minha opinião não é de agora: a política monetária tem de se normalizar, mas os efeitos das descidas têm de chegar mais rapidamente ao bolso das famílias. E, por outro lado, não podemos esperar tudo do Banco Central Europeu e não fazer a nossa parte, assumindo reformas que teimam em não sair dos relatórios. As pessoas já não precisam de mais anúncios, precisam das consequências desses anúncios. Do BCE espera‑se independência e deste Parlamento espera‑se ação.

Aurore Lalucq (S&D). – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Présidente, Madame la Commissaire, les moments de crise sont de vrais révélateurs: révélateurs de la qualité des personnes, de leur courage, de leur intégrité, de leur fiabilité ou non, révélateurs des lignes politiques et des valeurs profondes qui nous animent, des moments où les masques tombent. Et nous sommes exactement dans l’un de ces moments.

Si les démocrates critiquent, parfois débattent, se débattent, les populistes attaquent toujours. Ils attaquent à la fois la démocratie, les institutions et in fine la souveraineté. Notre monnaie, notre banque centrale n’y échapperont pas. Or, c’est bien sur la Banque centrale européenne que nous avons pu compter à chaque crise. C’est bien la Banque centrale européenne qui anticipe les crises. Et nous, allons-nous les anticiper un jour?

Nous devons défendre la Banque centrale européenne et notre monnaie, nos piliers institutionnels de souveraineté en leur donnant deux outils. Le premier outil est l’euro numérique – je ne comprends pas ce que nous attendons, chers collègues –, le second, le budget pour prendre le relais de la politique monétaire.

J’attends de nous que nous soyons responsables, que nous ne soyons pas populistes. Faisons bien attention à ce que nous disons sur la Banque centrale européenne et l’euro dans le moment actuel.

Angéline Furet (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, Madame Lagarde, le rapport 2024 de la Banque centrale européenne confirme une réalité alarmante: sous prétexte de résilience et de stabilité, la BCE a continué d’imposer des politiques monétaires qui étouffent nos économies nationales. Elle a persisté à maintenir des taux directeurs élevés, pénalisant nos PME et nos agriculteurs, déjà fragilisés par des réglementations environnementales absurdes et un marché unique asphyxiant.

Pire, ce rapport ignore l’essentiel: la souveraineté des États. La BCE, inféodée à la vision fédéraliste, instrumentalise la politique monétaire pour renforcer le pouvoir bruxellois au détriment des nations. Quand elle évoque une approche fondée sur les données, elle oublie les données humaines: chômage, désindustrialisation et détresse rurale qui frappent la France. Au nom de la transition verte, elle encourage des investissements pharaoniques dans des technologies inaccessibles à nos territoires, tandis que nos paysans croulent sous les normes et les coûts énergétiques.

La compétitivité de l’Europe? Un leurre, quand nos entreprises sont étouffées par des prix de l’énergie structurellement plus élevés qu’ailleurs. Nous devons refuser cette fuite en avant technocratique. La France a besoin de retrouver le contrôle de sa politique économique, de sa monnaie et de son destin.

Plutôt que de suivre aveuglément les dogmes de Francfort, exigeons une BCE au service des peuples, pas des idéologies.

Bogdan Rzońca (ECR). – Panie Przewodniczący! Pani Prezes! W imieniu ECR chciałem bardzo jednoznacznie powiedzieć, że ten dokument, który przygotował Parlament, jest lepszy niż dokumenty z poprzednich lat.

Jako ECR uważamy, że Europejski Bank Centralny powinien przede wszystkim brać pod uwagę podstawowe parametry gospodarcze poszczególnych państw. Wtedy jego interwencje będą bardziej wiarygodne. I jeśli jest coś nadzwyczajnego, to oczywiście tak, EBC powinien pomagać. Europejski Bank Centralny musi być odporny na ideologię – absolutnie się z tym zgadzamy. Tak zwany zdrowy rozsądek naprawdę jest bardzo, bardzo potrzebny w działaniach tego banku. Nie powinno być preferencji żadnych firm, żadnych branż. Tylko czysta gospodarka i czyste interwencje banku właśnie w obszary kryzysowe.

Jeśli chodzi o cyfrowe euro, to tu potrzeba więcej informacji, więcej rozmów, więcej debat na ten temat, ale prawdziwa wolność gospodarcza jest zawsze przy użyciu wolnych środków, żywej gotówki – i tego nie możemy blokować. Nie wolno bać się Stanów Zjednoczonych, należy brać stamtąd najlepsze rozwiązania. Wtedy Unia Europejska też będzie lepsza.

Alexander Jungbluth (ESN). – Herr Präsident! Wenn man die Ausführungen heute hört, dann klingt das so ein bisschen, als hätte man ein Meisterwerk der Preisstabilität im EU-Währungsgebiet geschaffen. Aber ist es das wirklich? Nein, es ist ein Blendwerk, das die eigentlichen Versäumnisse dieser Institution verschleiern soll.

Die EZB agiert längst als politischer Akteur und nicht als unabhängiger Hüter der Preisstabilität. Man möge sich fragen, wie das Ziel der Inflationsbekämpfung bei 2 % gelingen soll, wenn die EZB Märkte durch endlose Anleihenkäufe manipuliert. Damit wird keineswegs die Inflation gezähmt, sondern das Prinzip der Marktwirtschaft mit Füßen getreten. Wer zahlt am Ende die Zeche? Es sind unsere Sparer, es sind unsere Rentner.

Ein weiteres Kapitel in diesem Trauerspiel ist der digitale Euro, angeblich eine Ergänzung zum Bargeld, doch in Wahrheit der perfekte Hebel zur totalen Überwachung und Kontrolle. Es ist nichts weiter als eine neue Dimension des staatlichen Eingriffs in das selbstbestimmte Leben der Bürger der Europäischen Union.

Darüber hinaus verstrickt sich die EZB in zweifelhafte Projekte, die wie green bonds daherkommen. Man spricht von Klimaschutz, doch was steckt wirklich dahinter? Ein versteckter Umverteilungsmechanismus, bei dem unsere Bürger die Kosten für unhaltbare Schulden anderer Länder tragen sollen! Es ist ein Bruch europäischer Verträge, und es ist eine klare Beugung des geltenden Rechts.

Dirk Gotink (PPE). – Voorzitter, president, commissaris, de afgelopen jaren hebben mensen in heel Europa koopkracht ingeleverd door de ongekende inflatie. Covid, de Russische invasie, het hakt er allemaal heel hard in, in het spaargeld, de pensioenen en in de algemene bestaanszekerheid. Dat merken mensen iedere dag door de hoge energieprijzen en de voedselprijzen. Deze inflatie in de eurozone is hardnekkig.

Tegelijkertijd zie ik een Europese economie die niet vooruit te branden is door een tekort aan innovatie en een overschot aan detailwetgeving. U noemde het al: de barrières op de interne markt zijn nog veel te groot. Denk aan de territoriale leveringsbeperkingen waardoor onze boodschappen iedere dag te duur zijn in de supermarkten.

Daarbij komt vergrijzing. Hoe gaan wij de zorgkosten en pensioenen financieren in de komende jaren, zeker in landen waar de pensioenen worden betaald uit de lopende begroting? Hoe houdbaar is dat op de lange termijn?

En als klap op de vuurpijl hebben we Trump die op het punt staat om een waanzinnige handelsoorlog te ontketenen waardoor het dagelijks leven van honderden miljoenen mensen duurder kan worden. Dat zijn gewoon ordinaire Trump‑belastingen.

In deze cocktail van onzekerheid heeft de ECB een sleutelrol om de inflatie te beteugelen en de randvoorwaarden te scheppen voor stabiele economische groei. Dat is haar oorspronkelijke mandaat. Ik zou dan ook de ECB en ook de Commissie willen oproepen om aan dat oorspronkelijke mandaat te hechten. Ook wil ik graag collega van Brug complimenteren voor het degelijke verslag dat zij hierover heeft geschreven.

Matthias Ecke (S&D). – Herr Präsident! Frau Präsidentin Lagarde! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Die Inflationsraten im Euro-Währungsgebiet sind gesunken, von einem Rekordhoch von 10,6 % auf nun nahe 2 %. Das ist erst einmal ein wichtiges Signal der Stabilität in Europa und eine gute Nachricht für Millionen von Menschen. Denn gerade wer ein kleines oder mittleres Einkommen hat, der musste unter der Kostenexplosion der letzten Jahre besonders leiden. Inflation ist nicht nur eine ökonomische Frage, sondern auch eine soziale Frage. Und deswegen ist es richtig, den Kampf gegen die Inflation nicht allein der EZB zu überlassen.

Die von Olaf Scholz geführte deutsche Bundesregierung zum Beispiel hat das erkannt und hat mehr gegen steigende Preise unternommen als alle anderen Regierungen in der EU – mit Energiepreisbremsen, Entlastungspaketen und einem günstigen Deutschlandticket. Das war klug und richtig. Als Sozialdemokraten sagen wir auch deutlich: Preisstabilität ist wichtig, aber reicht allein nicht aus. Die EZB muss auch zur wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Entwicklung der EU beitragen. Umso mehr freue ich mich, dass unsere diesbezüglichen Forderungen jetzt Gehör gefunden haben und der Bericht entsprechend angepasst wurde, was den Bereich secondary mandate angeht. Mit Trumps Politik der Willkür-Zölle drohen uns nun allerdings neue Preissteigerungen und Krisen. Wir erwarten, dass die EZB ihrer Verantwortung für Europas wirtschaftliche Entwicklung auch dabei gerecht wird.

Γεάδης Γεάδη (ECR). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, την τελευταία τετραετία στην Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση καταγράφηκαν εξαιρετικά υψηλά επίπεδα πληθωρισμού, με αποτέλεσμα να μειωθεί η αγοραστική δύναμη των σταθερών εισοδημάτων, των αποταμιεύσεων και των συντάξεων, στρεβλώνοντας την αποτελεσματική κατανομή των πόρων με αρνητικό αντίκτυπο στην οικονομική σταθερότητα. Μπορεί ο πληθωρισμός, σύμφωνα με την έκθεση να έχει υποχωρήσει, όμως οι επιπτώσεις ακόμα παραμένουν βαθιά χαραγμένες στους πολίτες.

Παραδείγματα: πρώτον, η αύξηση των τιμών ενέργειας με αλυσιδωτές επιπτώσεις στην οικονομία. Δεύτερον, τα υψηλά επίπεδα πληθωρισμού επηρεάζουν δυσανάλογα τα νοικοκυριά με χαμηλότερα εισοδήματα, τα οποία ξοδεύουν μεγαλύτερο ποσοστό του προϋπολογισμού τους σε είδη πρώτης ανάγκης, δημιουργώντας αναπόφευκτα συνθήκες δυσπραγίας, φτώχειας και κοινωνικού αποκλεισμού.

Ως εκ τούτου, επιβάλλεται προσοχή και καλός σχεδιασμός για το μέλλον, με πολιτικές που δεν θα θυσιάζουν τους πολίτες στον βωμό των συμφερόντων των τραπεζών, όπως το 2013 που από άλλη θέση κλέψατε τα χρήματα των καταθέσεων των Κυπρίων πολιτών. Τέλος, αναφορικά με το ψηφιακό ευρώ, υπογραμμίζω τη θέση μας ότι πρέπει να χρησιμοποιηθεί ως συμπλήρωμα του χαρτονομίσματος και σε καμία περίπτωση ως αντικατάστασή του.

Kinga Kollár (PPE). – Tisztelt Elnök Úr! Örömmel olvasom az EKB-jelentésben, hogy Európa visszatért az alacsony infláció világába. Így lehetőség nyílik a kamatok csökkentésére, ami olcsóbb lakás- és vállalati hiteleket jelent.

Ez jó hír Európának. Azonban ki kell jelenteni, hogy Magyarországon a különutas gazdaságpolitika kudarcot vallott a vásárlók kezelésében. Ennek az árát pedig az emberek fizették meg. Öt év alatt 81%-kal emelkedett az élelmiszerek ára, az inflációt csak 13%-os rekord alapkamattal sikerült valamelyest megfékezni.

Miközben az állam évek óta rekordmagas hiány mellett működik, tollvonással töröltek kritikus állami beruházásokat. Nem jut elég forrás kórházakra, az iskolákra, az utakra és vasútfejlesztésre.

Az Orbán-rezsim kegyeltjeinek persze továbbra is nyitva vannak az állami pénzcsapok, így jutott például méregdrága irodaházakra. És a választási költekezés még csak most fog kezdődni Magyarországon.

Pedig a túlköltekezés hatalmas kamatteherrel párosul. Csak tavaly a kormány 4000 milliárd forintot költött kamatokra, többet mint a teljes egészségügyre.

Ezért minden magyar ember érdekében és nevében felszólítom a magyar kormányt, hogy ne gyermekeink és unokáink terhére próbálják megtartani hatalmukat.

Megalázó szavazatvásárlás helyett a Tisza hazahozza az uniós forrásokat, és magyarok millióival együtt épít egy modern, békés és élhető Magyarországot.

Carla Tavares (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, Senhora Presidente Lagarde, Senhora Comissária Maria Luís Albuquerque, no artigo que assinou há duas semanas no Financial Times, com a Presidente Ursula von der Leyen, assegurou que está pronta para fazer tudo o que seja necessário para trazer a Europa de volta. Essa foi a atitude que salvou o euro em 2010 e evitou uma crise financeira durante a COVID. Nessas crises, o BCE soube apoiar as políticas gerais da União, tal como está escrito no seu mandato secundário. É preciso desistir dos dogmas. Não podemos combater a inflação de forma cega ou deixar que a neutralidade de mercado seja um princípio escrito na pedra. Precisamos de ação e resultados. Por exemplo, ter uma coordenação mais próxima da política monetária e orçamental da União ou usar o mandato secundário para sermos mais ambiciosos nas políticas e instrumentos monetários. O atual clima de incerteza nos Estados Unidos abre também uma oportunidade para reforçarmos a promoção internacional do euro como uma alternativa credível ao dólar e avançarmos mais rapidamente no euro digital. Como refere no seu texto no Financial Times, em que me revejo, há muito em jogo. Não podemos mais desperdiçar as nossas forças com desvantagens autoimpostas.

Regina Doherty (PPE). – Mr President, Commissioner, President Lagarde, we are here today discussing the ECB annual report. At times of enormous uncertainty, following on from Canada, Mexico and China, President Trump is threatening the EU with steep new tariffs. Billions of euros of investments and thousands of jobs depend on the trade between Europe and the United States. I have heard the concerns from people and businesses in Dublin about how America may soon be closed for business.

European Member States, including my own, have strong historic, cultural and huge economic links with the United States, and we need to do everything we can to preserve this, and ensure that EU‑US relationships remain functional. Yet there are those who would have us turn away from one of our closest historic allies. And this literally would be the definition of cutting off your own nose to spite your face.

President Lagarde, I want to welcome your words in the Financial Times recently with President von der Leyen, where you highlighted the need for Europe to be better at helping businesses to grow and thrive. We need to see the reforms to boost competitiveness and innovation.

I also want to welcome the work that has taken place to bring down inflation by the ECB. This is why the ECB can now reduce our interest rates, which is very welcome. But for this to continue, all the Member States must be prudent. The time for talk is over and the time for action absolutely is now.

Angelika Winzig (PPE). – Herr Präsident! Frau Kommissarin! Frau Präsidentin Lagarde! Krieg, Energiekrise, unzuverlässige Lieferketten und steigende Lebensmittelpreise haben in den letzten drei Jahren für die Europäerinnen und Europäer zu einem massiven Kaufkraftverlust geführt. Und eines darf man auch nicht außer Acht lassen: Sie haben in einigen Mitgliedstaaten auch zu politischen Veränderungen geführt.

Während die US-Notenbank frühzeitig gehandelt hat, hatte man den Eindruck, die EZB hat zu lange gezögert – mit spürbaren Folgen für die europäische Wirtschaft und für die Bürgerinnen und Bürger. Eine Währung ist nur so stark wie die Wirtschaft, die hinter ihr steht. Daher muss Europa seine Wettbewerbsfähigkeit steigern, um den Euro langfristig abzusichern. Weniger Bürokratie, mehr Innovationen, gezielte Investitionen für Wirtschaft und Banken braucht es jetzt dringend, um nachhaltiges Wachstum zu sichern.

Auch Sie, Frau Präsidentin, werden dazu einen entscheidenden Beitrag leisten. Nur mit echten Reformen sichern wir Europas wirtschaftliche Zukunft und sorgen dafür, dass Wohlstand nicht nur ein Versprechen bleibt, sondern für alle Europäerinnen und Europäer auch spürbar ist.

Interventions à la demande

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, doamnă comisară, doamna Lagarde, am văzut că ați fost felicitată de colegi și am fost foarte atentă la ce ați spus dumneavoastră. Între altele, ați criticat gospodăriile că nu cheltuie mai mult. Doamna Lagarde, știți câți oameni sunt în sărăcie? Cum să cheltuiască mai mult când nu știu ce se întâmplă, când n-au suficienți bani, decât să-și plătească lumina, curentul?

Din punctul meu de vedere, BCE n-a făcut cât ar trebui să facă, din punctul de vedere al politicii monetare, din punctul de vedere al presiunii care e suportată de cei mai săraci, de fapt, inflația, dobânzile. Știți cât e dobânda în țara mea, în România? Cum? IMM-urile sunt spulberate.

Deci, din punctul meu de vedere, dumneavoastră sunteți responsabili. Ați spus că veniți la întâlniri cu noi. Foarte bine, dar aveți niște specialiști pe salarii foarte mari acolo. Ei trebuie să facă politica monetară. Ei trebuie să ne asigure existența și rezistența în piața internă a economiei, până la urmă, pentru a putea să fim în competiție globală.

Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (S&D). – Posėdžio pirmininke, gerbiama Europos Centrinio Banko pirmininke ponia Lagarde, komisare. Suprantama, didelis pasiekimas, kad suvaldyta infliacija, be galo didelis pasiekimas, kad garantuotas euro stabilumas. Be galo svarbu toliau atkreipti mums visiems dėmesį į be galo sudėtingą tarptautinę aplinką. Jungtinių Amerikos Valstijų dabartinė administracija grasins tarifais. Komisija Jean’o-Claude’o Junkerio laikais jau turėjome patirtį, kaip atremti Trumpo tarifų karą. Dabar taip pat reikia galvoti apie tai. Reikia būtinai galvoti apie kuo didesnes pastangas kurti bankų sąjungą Europos Sąjungoje. Priešingu atveju mes labai nesuvaldysime bankų nesąžiningos veiklos. Reikia paskatinti skaitmeninio euro įvedimą, ir tai reikia daryti ypatingai greitai, nes šiuo atveju mes turime atremti mums gresiančias tikrai tarifų karų, kainų karų situacijas. O tuo tarpu bendros pastangos Europos Centrinio Banko ir nacionalinių bankų turi būti stiprinamos.

Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN). – Herr Präsident! Madame Lagarde, ich hatte Ihrem Bericht gelauscht, und ich muss ehrlich sagen, ich hatte Mühe, nicht einzuschlafen.

Wenn wir zu unserem wichtigsten Partner, den USA, schauen: Dort gibt es Aufbruch, dort wird aufgeräumt, dort wird gerade das goldene Zeitalter ausgerufen. Die USA bereiten gerade ihren Platz in der neuen Welt des 21. Jahrhunderts. Lagardes Bericht fehlt jede positive Vision für die Zukunft Europas: kein Wort zum Ende des Green Deals durch Donald Trump, kein Wort dazu, dass BlackRock, Vanguard – große Investoren – in Zukunft nicht mehr in grünen Klimairrsinn investieren werden.

Ein bisschen Resilienzgedöns, ein bisschen Digitalisierungsblabla und Wettbewerbsappelle sind zu wenig. Madame Lagardes Rede war blutleer und hoffnungslos. Es kann einem damit nur angst und bange werden um die Zukunft Europas.

Lukas Sieper (NI). – Herr Präsident! Liebe Menschen Europas, heute haben wir hier über die Europäische Zentralbank gesprochen. Und ja, auch im Namen der Partei des Fortschritts muss ich sagen: Kritik ist berechtigt. Die EZB beeinflusst das Leben von Millionen von Menschen und muss sich auch solch einer Debatte stellen. Aber während ich hier aus der politischen Mitte dieses Hauses von den Moderaten konstruktive Vorschläge wahrgenommen habe, höre ich von den Extremen, die EZB sei voreingenommen, politisch motiviert gesteuert. Diese Behauptung ist nicht nur falsch, sie ist gefährlich. Aber diese Rhetorik passt ja zu Ihnen: Ja, alle sind miteinander verschworen, wollen es dem kleinen Mann schwer machen und erlauben sich auch noch, das Klima retten zu wollen.

Ich sage Ihnen: Wer seine ganze Politik darauf aufbaut, das Vertrauen in die demokratischen Institutionen zu untergraben, ist kein Demokrat. Frau Lagarde, ich habe 26 meiner 27 Lebensjahre mit der EZB gelebt. Sie wissen, da ist immer noch Luft nach oben. Aber weiter so!

(Fin des interventions à la demande)

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, I am pleased to see that there is a significant convergence in the views of our three institutions on many aspects of the report. As already mentioned in my introductory remarks, the EU has high ambitions and urgently needs to regain competitiveness. This requires massive investments and, hence, financing.

Open, deeper and more integrated capital markets will be key to improve the competitiveness of the EU economy. This is why we will present a savings and investments union strategy in the coming weeks. The savings and investments union will leverage the enormous wealth of European savers to create growth in Europe. Fundamentally, greater liquidity pools and the EU markets operating at a greater scale are absolutely necessary if we want to see stronger economic growth, compete internationally and finance our political ambitions. There is simply no other way.

As a last point, let me also recall the importance of making progress on the digital euro, given the challenges we face in terms of innovation and global competition. Today, Europeans increasingly pay digitally, and this trend will continue, reflecting the digitalisation of our societies. But, at this moment, we don’t have a European offer that allows for digital payments across the EU and for all the use cases. In fact, Europeans mainly rely on a few non-European providers, as was mentioned here today.

The Commission stands ready to support efforts to accelerate the negotiations. It is equally important to progress on the proposal for the legal tender of cash. These regulations will safeguard the acceptance and availability of cash for our citizens. Also here, the Commission stands ready to support the ongoing discussions on this, so that we can make swift progress.

Christine Lagarde, Présidente de la Banque centrale européenne. – Madame la Commissaire, en ayant pris note de vos observations…

Let me now move back to English, but I thought a little bit of French would not hurt, because you are still around, Mr Vice-President, although you’re leaving – that’s okay.

So let me tackle three points that I would like to address in response to your many, many questions, and with gratitude for some of your candid points, some of your documented points, but certainly some that you have expressed with great passion. And I’m very attentive and very sensitive to it.

Let me just make a few points about the mandate under which we operate, so a little bit about how we took the fight against inflation and finished with the digital euro – and I think that I will have tried to focus on those areas where you have really yourself tried to target your questions.

So, on my first point, I am constantly reminded of the mandate that we have under Article 127 of the Treaty we know – at the European Central Bank at all levels of the institution – that our primary objective is price stability. There is no debate about that. We also know that there is a second paragraph, which refers to secondary objectives, which have to do with your economic objectives and how we can support those objectives. But this second article is very specific and starts with ‘without prejudice to price stability’. So it goes without saying that price stability is the driving force, and that alternative options have to be without prejudice to that driving force of our action. Price stability is what is guiding us.

Now, I would like to just mention, because this has been also raised and many of you have actually raised it, this issue of market neutrality. And you, Madam rapporteur, focused some of the remarks and some of the points in the resolution on this aspect, and I am delighted that you could reach a consensus as to exactly what the report would say.

But I just want to mention the fact that market neutrality has not always been absorbed invariably, and there have been moments in the history of the ECB, prior to my time, when market neutrality was derived from because it was necessary and appropriate in order to deliver on price stability. What we are doing when we pay attention in particular to the externality of the risk of climate change, is that we are looking after and securing the balance sheet of the ECB to make sure that the risks, which are not otherwise reflected by market mechanisms, can actually be embedded into our management of the portfolio. Now, this, in many ways, is a story of the past because, as you know, we are no longer in the business of purchasing assets and in particular not purchasing corporate assets anymore.

A few points about the fight against inflation, because many of you have actually mentioned this – one of you actually said that we had done a good job and, you know, those are moments when you enjoy the minute and a half that was given to I think it was Mr Navarrete, who actually said that he was satisfied with the work that we had done. And yes, we did take the fight against inflation and, as your resolution report indicates, we could have started earlier. We started effectively signalling that we were going to take action in December 2021 and then we took very vigorous action by actually raising interest rates by 450 basis points in a fast, robust way, and more so than any time before. And we have now seen the result of it. One of you mentioned that we went from a high of 10.6 % in October 2022, which was the highest reading that we had on an average basis, not on a per country basis, I know, because some Member States have much higher and have had much higher inflation, but on average we went from that 10.6 % in October 2022 to 2.5 % now in January. So I’m not saying that the fight is over because we need to get to the target that we have, but we have closed the gap significantly by taking robust and rapid measures.

And you cannot compare one central bank to the other. The circumstances are different. The fundamentals of the economy are different. The rates of inflation suffered by different countries are different. And the tools that are available are different as well. But, you know, I don’t take huge satisfaction about what we have done, but I think that for all European compatriots, certainly there has been a difference. Does it mean to say that prices have gone down? No. And the level of prices is something that is very different from inflation. Prices have gone up, their level has stayed high. And the inflation that we are now trying to keep under control, hopefully at 2 % in the course of 2025, that is the measure by which the level continues to go up in a relatively modest way and the one that we have defined as our price stability objectives.

Let me now touch on a point that many of you have addressed, and that is the issue of the digital euro. Let me preface that with the fact that the digital euro is not intended to replace cash – absolutely not. Cash is around, will be around, no question about it. So much so that we are currently – as you may have seen – working on the new face of our European banknotes so that the euro will have a more relatable aspect to it, so that a European – and non-European for that matter – using the euro will actually appreciate the aspects that embody Europe, whether it is by way of reference to culture or by way of reference to nature. The jury is still out as to what it will end up being, but certainly cash will be around.

Some of you have mentioned that the digital euro is a tool of our European sovereignty, and I would beg you to keep that in the back of your mind when you have that debate in Parliament. Many of you have called for that debate. I heard honourable Member of Parliament Ferber mention that. I have heard an honourable Member Navarrete referring to the debate and calling for it, actually. I have heard many other Members ask for that debate to take place. So please, as quickly as is possible, let us have that debate, because the digital euro is a necessary tool of this sovereignty. It’s not the only one. It needs to operate at retail level, at wholesale level, and it needs to be combined so that we have solidity of payment infrastructure, as well as the tools that will enable us to effect payment on a cross-border basis.

The issues that have been referred to as issues to be debated – financial stability, innovation, privacy, threshold – all of that needs to be debated. Do not assume that it is something that the European Central Bank will decide from the main building sitting on the River of Main in Frankfurt. No, we are waiting for you and the ball is in your camp. I very much hope that the honourable rapporteur will actually mandate as many of goodwill around the table as possible in order to move that debate. I would very much dislike to see myself in this position in a year’s time, still arguing that the digital euro is an instrument of our sovereignty. A lot of things are going to happen between now and a year from now. We should not underestimate the geopolitical movements, fractures, cracks and divides that we might be seeing in the future.

For that, we should be equipped with the digital currency that will help the defence of our sovereignty – and I turn to you who didn’t find me very passionate about the future, but you’re not listening to me really. Doesn’t matter. I passionately believe that we have, internally in Europe, barriers that we have imposed upon ourselves that we can remove, whether it is in the goods circulation equivalent of 40 % custom duties that we impose on ourselves, as opposed to 15 % inside the United States, or 110 % equivalent of custom duties that we impose on ourselves on services. We have the tools at hand to be more productive, which will lead to better competitiveness. So I’m very passionate about that. But my real passion is to deliver on our mandate, which is price stability for all our citizens.

IN THE CHAIR: SOPHIE WILMÈS
Vice-President

Anouk Van Brug, rapporteur. – Voorzitter, vandaag spreekt de Europese politiek met een duidelijke stem. De ECB toont een sterke ambitie op het gebied van klimaatverandering, maar lijkt de impact van geopolitieke spanningen op inflatie te onderschatten. Wij roepen u daarom op: neem geopolitiek serieus.

De wereld verandert snel. Oorlog en conflict hebben de afgelopen jaren keer op keer laten zien hoe ze inflatie kunnen aanwakkeren en onze economie kunnen ontwrichten. De energiecrisis die volgde op de Russische invasie in Oekraïne was geen incident, maar een waarschuwing. Geopolitieke instabiliteit zal de komende jaren een grote rol blijven spelen in de economie.

Daarom is het essentieel dat de ECB scenario’s ontwikkelt en voorbereid is op toekomstige crises. Want wanneer je hard werkt in Nederland, moet je leuk kunnen leven en je geen zorgen hoeven maken over een nieuwe rekening of een wasmachine die kapotgaat. Het is tijd om de geldzorgen van de mensen thuis serieus te nemen. Dit is mogelijk wanneer de ECB geopolitieke risico’s serieus neemt, maar ook haar eigen rol scherp bewaakt.

Echte onafhankelijkheid betekent: geen politiek bedrijven. De ECB heeft één taak: prijsstabiliteit handhaven. Dit vereist strikt marktneutraal beleid zonder dat de ECB politieke keuzes maakt in haar opkoopprogramma’s en andere instrumenten. De ECB mag zich niet laten leiden door politieke druk of ideologische agenda’s — dat ondermijnt haar geloofwaardigheid en effectiviteit.

Wij vragen u dan ook: behoud de neutrale rol van de ECB. Laat de financiële markten functioneren zonder onnodige verstoringen en zorg ervoor dat de ECB onafhankelijk blijft in daden, niet alleen in naam. Alleen zo kunnen we inflatie effectief bestrijden en de koopkracht van ons allemaal beschermen.

President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will be held tomorrow.

14. Escalation of gang violence in Sweden and strengthening the fight against organised crime (debate)

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Madam President, honourable Members, the horrendous attack in Örebro – one of the worst attacks in Swedish history – has shocked as all to the core. And I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends who lost their loved ones. Such attacks have no place in Europe.

The first thing European citizens expect from us is protection. That is also true when it comes to the topic of today’s debate: gang violence. Gang violence is not only a big threat to life and security; it is a huge threat to democracy and society too, and it is part of the bigger structures of organised crime infiltrating our legal economies and processes.

As outlined by President von der Leyen at the beginning of this mandate, there can be no hiding place for organised crime in Europe, either offline or online. The threat to our internal security by organised crime networks is unprecedented and increasingly visible. And it is not only an impression that we get following the news – the figures speak for themselves. Last year, Europol identified 821 high-risk criminal networks active in the EU. Nearly 90 % of them have infiltrated the legal economy, running businesses, investing in real estate. They are strong and operate freely across borders, including online. They are active in drug trafficking, fraud, property crime, migrant smuggling, and trafficking in human beings. To avoid prosecution, these groups are increasingly recruiting young people to perpetrate even violent crimes.

Most of this violence is directly linked to organised crime and drug trafficking. Drug-related violence has spread from secluded port areas to the streets of Swedish cities, as criminal organisations fight for control over distribution networks. Innocent bystanders are often caught in this violence, underscoring the urgency of action.

We see similar patterns across Europe: drug markets in Brussel’s streets, gang wars in Germany and France, threats to port workers in the Netherlands, drug-related killings in Spain and the Western Balkans. This is a global phenomenon that needs to be tackled through stronger cross-border cooperation within the EU and with third countries. Drugs are now Europe’s most lucrative criminal market, worth EUR 31 billion annually, and 70 % of organised crime groups use corruption to enable their crimes.

The Commission will put forward an EU strategy against corruption. Money is the lifeblood that drives and sustains all these criminal activities. Our response to organised crime must be clear: disrupt their finances, take down their bankers and brokers, tackle the infiltration in the legal economy and disrupt their corrupt networks.

Since last spring, we have new confiscation rules to eliminate the profits of criminal groups. We need to follow the money to get to those who are behind the crimes. Any investigation should pursue arrests and asset recovery as two sides of the same coin. With Eurojust we need to enhance judicial cooperation within the Union and beyond its borders. The rapid transposition of the new Asset Recovery Directive will provide stronger tools to confiscate illicit profits. It will also strengthen the asset recovery offices to identify, trace and freeze criminal assets.

The Commission will step up the fight against serious and organised crime with the forthcoming European internal security strategy. The strategy will cover all forms of organised crime online and offline. We plan to involve all stakeholders in a ‘whole of society’ approach to be more effective in dismantling high-risk criminal networks and their ringleaders. We will propose to revise the rules to fight organised crime, starting with an updated definition of ‘organised crime’ and strong investigative tools. The strategy will build on the serious and organised crime threat assessment that Europol will present in the spring. We will enhance Europol support to Member State investigations, especially in areas where the authorities need it the most. We will strengthen Frontex to ensure it can protect our borders in all circumstances.

As regards the online dimension, online service providers have a duty to protect their users online. We will continue to strongly enforce the Digital Services Act, which establishes effective measures for tackling illegal content and mitigating societal risks online. And we will continue to step up our efforts in disrupting the recruitment of young people online by organised criminal gangs. Next year we will also set out the framework for an EU critical communication system to strengthen internal security and preparedness.

We know that many of the threats to our internal security originate from outside the EU. Security within the Union cannot be achieved without targeted and comprehensive external action through third country partnerships that also benefit our security. The strategy will also address cross-cutting security challenges and hybrid threats such as border management, the weaponisation of migration, and countering sabotage and espionage.

Honourable Members, as one of the first deliverables of the new internal security strategy, the Commission will launch a new EU action plan against firearms trafficking with more pressure on criminal markets and safeguarding the illicit market. Illicit firearms feed organised crime within the EU, and are regularly used by lone actors. The EU already has rules on the illegal possession and acquisition of firearms and rules on the legal import, export and transit of firearms. However, there are no EU rules on the definition of criminal offences and penalties on firearms-related crimes. This has to change.

The fight against drug trafficking must also remain a top priority. For this, it is paramount to tackle the constant inflow of drugs to our continent, mainly through our ports. Over 90 million containers are processed yearly in EU ports. Only a small percentage are inspected, leaving room for criminal exploitation. Sweden, as a major maritime destination and transit country is not immune to this threat. We will build on the work set out in the EU roadmap and the EU Ports Alliance to dismantle criminal business models and to shut down supply routes. Currently, 33 ports, including Helsingborg, Gothenburg and Stockholm are members, and the list is growing.

The challenges facing the Union are increasingly complex, interconnected and transnational. This means that we need to approach security in an integrated way, taking all relevant threats, including hybrid ones, into consideration. Internal security is our shared responsibility, and we want the forthcoming strategy to be also the Parliament’s strategy. We count on your cooperation to make rapid progress on our common agenda.

Evin Incir, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, politics must join forces across party lines to break the cycle of violence. This painful reality is the reason why I decided to engage in politics 25 years ago. Since then, the situation has unfortunately only worsened. More children have become both victims and perpetrators to violence.

Last year alone, 44 people lost their lives to shootings, and, alarmingly, the number of children under 15 suspected of involvement in murder cases surged by 200 % in comparison to the year before in Sweden. Just in the first month of this year, we witnessed 33 bombings. The perpetrators are nowadays so young that the term ‘child soldiers’ has become a buzzword. Gang violence is creeping down in age, instilling fear in our neighbourhoods and robbing children of their childhood. No one should wake up to a sound of a bomb, instead of a gentle ring of a clock. And let’s be clear – no one is born a child soldier.

Our actions as lawmakers matter. The current Swedish right‑wing and far‑right Government looks to Denmark’s hard gang laws – like visitation zones and harsh penalties – but neglects the essential ingredient of Denmark’s success: social investments in schools and communities. A school that provides every child with the opportunity to succeed is our most powerful weapon against gang recruitment. It is also absurd that criminals in 2025 can start businesses and exploit the Swedish welfare system, while the parties in government and their supporters in Sweden Democrats are watching.

Where is the crisis commission that we have asked for? Also, the EU has an important role in putting an end to the cross‑border gang crime, which poses a serious threat to all our Member States. According to Europol, 70 % of gangs in the EU operate in at least three countries simultaneously. I’m glad that the conservative EPP Group has woken up and realised the importance of acting, but yet they have only presented what they call ‘European security pact against organised crime’, which is more or less a copy paste of former Commissioner Ylva Johansson’s ‘EU roadmap to fight organised crime and drug trafficking’.

Instead of creating new titles on existing measures, we social democrats demand a specific strategy against recruitment, with a coordinator working alongside European authorities such as Europol and Eurojust to prevent children and young people from falling into the claws of the gangs. Politics must unite across party lines, and so must other parts of the society, such as the social media platforms.

We therefore need an EU anti‑organised crime law, including addressing the social media platforms responsibilities. It is unacceptable that these platforms are exploited for recruiting child soldiers. Tech giants must be held accountable. Their platforms are today’s modern streets and squares. It is about time for the society to get as organised as organised crime. The society must always be stronger than organised crime.

Fabrice Leggeri, au nom du groupe PfE. – Madame la Présidente, la Suède, autrefois un modèle de sécurité en Europe, est aujourd’hui gangrenée par la violence de gangs. Fusillades en pleine rue, explosions criminelles, quartiers entiers sous l’emprise de mafias: ce chaos est le résultat direct d’années de laxisme migratoire et d’un aveuglement idéologique coupable.

Les chiffres parlent d’eux-mêmes. En 2023, la Suède a enregistré 53 homicides liés aux guerres de gangs, un taux parmi les plus élevés d’Europe. 76 % des membres des principaux gangs sont des immigrés ou des enfants d’immigrés. Cette criminalité, alimentée par l’immigration massive et l’échec total de l’intégration, transforme des pans entiers du pays en zones de non-droit.

Même le ministre suédois de la justice reconnaît aujourd’hui que cette violence prendra plus d’une décennie à éradiquer. Après des années de laxisme, le gouvernement suédois tente désormais de sauver les meubles en envisageant l’expulsion des criminels étrangers. Car la responsabilité de ce fiasco sécuritaire est politique.

Il faut rappeler que c’est la famille politique d’Ylva Johansson, ancienne commissaire européenne aux affaires intérieures, qui a gouverné la Suède en appliquant cette politique d’ouverture migratoire sans contrôle. Cette même commissaire, qui expliquait, il y a encore quelques mois, que l’Europe n’a pas de problème d’immigration, porte une lourde responsabilité dans cette catastrophe sécuritaire.

Nous devons tirer les leçons de cet échec suédois et être fermes. Ce qu’il faut à présent, c’est une impunité zéro pour les criminels étrangers et une expulsion immédiate. Il nous faut un véritable réarmement juridique et matériel des forces de l’ordre. L’Union européenne n’a plus le choix, elle doit mettre fin à l’immigration massive qui nourrit l’échec de l’intégration et alimente cette violence.

La Suède est un avertissement. Si nous n’agissons pas maintenant, la France, par exemple, connaîtra le même destin. Ce que nous attendons aujourd’hui, c’est une Europe qui protège ses peuples, pas une Europe du chaos migratoire et du laxisme sécuritaire.

Charlie Weimers, on behalf of the ECR Group. – Madam President, broken shards of glass hang like jagged teeth from a shattered window, the frame barely holds. Inside colourful children’s posters decorate the walls. A criminal threw an explosive device into a child’s bedroom. One man was injured. This isn’t fake news – this is a daily occurrence. This is last night in Sweden.

Gang criminals have vowed in secret chats to make 2025 the worst year ever for bombings. Only Albania has more gun deaths than Sweden. Albania!

A few years ago, Sweden’s former security chief admitted: ‘We are in a low‑intensity civil war’. Yet Swedish media still plays word games. ‘Gate explodes in Nacka’. Did the gate self-destruct? ‘Missed shooting in Växjö’: a miss because the bullet hit the wrong innocent?

Meanwhile, the Swedish Social Democrats are criticising the tough measures that we in the liberal conservative majority in Sweden are taking against criminality, like visitation zones. Well, go have a debate with your own party that suggested that half of Stockholm was to be done a visitation zone. ‘Flip‑flop’ is what it’s called.

Now, this is what the EU must do. Acknowledge that this is the result of uncontrolled immigration. Accept that we must secure the border. And yes, as the EPP finally has joined our stance, to limit free movement of criminals under Schengen. Act decisively to deport the illegals, fake asylum seekers and terrorist sympathisers. It must be done today. It should have been done yesterday.

Alexander Sell, im Namen der ESN-Fraktion. – Frau Präsidentin! Schießereien, Vergewaltigungen, Bombenterror: Wer das Ergebnis linker Politik sehen möchte, muss nach Schweden schauen – jeden Tag Bombenanschläge durch afrikanische Banden, jedes Jahr 10 000 schwedische Frauen vergewaltigt, Malmö gefährlicher als Bagdad.

Die Gewalt in Schweden ist das Ergebnis linker Migrationspolitik. Das haben die Wähler dort begriffen und unsere Kollegen von den Schwedendemokraten in die Regierung gewählt – trotz jahrelanger Beschimpfungen durch Politik und Medien. Die Propaganda wirkt nicht mehr. Die schwedischen Wähler haben den Ernst der Lage erkannt. Aus Schaden wird man klug.

In der Regierung setzen die Schwedendemokraten jetzt das Programm um, für das in Deutschland nur die AfD steht: Grenzkontrollen, Sachleistungen, Remigration. Und zwar in Koalition mit den Christdemokraten. Wir müssen von den Schweden lernen. Auch in Berlin, Hamburg oder Duisburg gibt es Stadtteile, die von kriminellen Banden beherrscht werden: jeden Tag zwei Gruppenvergewaltigungen, allein in Berlin zehn Messerstechereien täglich.

Wir müssen das ändern. Wir brauchen den Mut der Schweden in deutschen Wahllokalen. Am 23. Februar gilt: Schluss mit Feigheit und Brandmauer. Es ist allerhöchste Zeit.

Lena Düpont (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin! Frau Kommissarin! Über 70 % der kriminellen Netze arbeiten grenzüberschreitend. Sie verdingen sich in Menschenhandel, Drogenhandel, Geldwäsche – zunehmend gewaltbereiter und brutal. Sieben der zehn gefährlichsten Netzwerke in Europa – im Übrigen 55 insgesamt an der Zahl – umfassen mehrere Nationalitäten. Acht von zehn arbeiten unter dem Deckmantel legaler Unternehmen. Organisierte Kriminalität war und ist immer eine immense Gefahr für unsere Ordnung, unseren Rechtsstaat, für unsere Wirtschaft, unsere Gesellschaft.

Genauso wie diese Netzwerke jedes Schlupfloch, jede Möglichkeit nutzen, müssen auch wir das tun. Unsere Antwort muss koordiniert, unmissverständlich und vor allen Dingen unnachgiebig sein. Entziehen wir ihnen über die Arbeit der AMLA mit der Beweislastumkehr und der Konfiszierung von Vermögen endlich die finanzielle Grundlage. Unsere Sicherheitsbehörden müssen alle verfügbaren Instrumente zur effizienten Datenanalyse und -verknüpfung an die Hand bekommen. Zoll, Polizei, Dienste, Justiz, unsere Joint Investigation Teams brauchen Zugang zu allen für sie relevanten Informationen und Datenbanken. Sie sind nicht nur integraler Bestandteil einer Sicherheitsunion, sie stehen zugleich an vorderster Stelle, um unser Leben und unser Eigentum zu schützen. Wir müssen ihnen im Gegenzug Schutz gewährleisten. Das allein wird aber nicht reichen. Mit der Internal Security Strategy, mit der Preparedness Strategy, dem Whitepaper on Defence werden wir die nächsten Schritte gehen müssen, um diese, unsere Europäische Union gegen Bedrohungen und hybride Attacken von innen und außen abzusichern. Eine widerstandsfähige Demokratie wartet nicht auf Angriffe. Sie antizipiert sie, passt sich an und antwortet entschlossen. Das und nicht weniger müssen wir leisten.

Ein letzter Kommentar zu meinem Vorredner: Am 23.2. wird jede Stimme für die AfD in Deutschland eine verlorene Stimme sein. Es wird keine Koalition geben.

Sandro Ruotolo (S&D). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, nello scorso mese in Svezia c’è stata in media un’esplosione al giorno. Ma non è un caso isolato, è un campanello d’allarme per tutta l’Europa.

Io penso che lo Stato debba intervenire prima, sottraendo i nostri ragazzi alla manovalanza del crimine, alla morte civile. Ci sono poi i social network, moltiplicatori del disagio. Pensiamo all’omicidio di Salwan Momika, famoso per aver bruciato una copia del Corano in pubblico e ucciso a gennaio durante una diretta su TikTok.

Lo Stato deve esserci prima, l’Europa deve esserci prima della violenza e noi dobbiamo esserci prima che sia troppo tardi. Servono investimenti nelle nostre periferie economiche, sociali, culturali.

András László (PfE). – Madam President, ‘that we do not have control over the wave of violence is quite obvious’. This is a quote from the Swedish Prime Minister and a damning confession. Migrant gang wars have been plaguing Sweden for years now, and bomb attacks surged to a level comparable only to failed states. Citizens are scared and outraged for a reason.

Who is to blame? The current government’s responsibility is limited in this mess. This is the fault of left‑wing elites who allowed mass immigration and adhered to the open borders ideology of George Soros. The EU’s migration policy is madness. More and more countries refuse to apply the rules. They bring chaos, violence, death and the breakdown of rule of law.

Even in Sweden, even if you are one of the wealthiest and most respected nations on earth: Swedes, this may happen. Swedes simply deserve better. Yet the European Commission is still looking to punish those who defend our common external borders, like my country, Hungary.

We need zero tolerance regarding illegal immigration. We need to support all the countries that defend our external borders, and we need to remove all illegals from the EU, and we need to severely punish all violent criminals. Gang warfare in European cities is un‑European. The European Commission’s weakness on border protection is anti-European. We need to make Europe great again. We need to make European borders secure again.

Nicolas Bay (ECR). – Madame la Présidente, les gangs criminels ravagent la Suède. Après des décennies d’irresponsabilité et de laxisme migratoire, la population suédoise paie aujourd’hui le prix du sang avec deux tristes records: le premier, c’est celui d’être le premier pays en termes de mortalité par arme à feu de toute l’Europe, le second, c’est d’avoir 20 % de sa population qui est étrangère, soit deux millions d’immigrés sur dix millions d’habitants.

La Suède a récemment essayé de changer de cap sous l’impulsion de la droite conservatrice et des démocrates suédois. On a enfin un changement de cap et, désormais, on a le plus faible nombre de demandeurs d’asile depuis quarante ans en Suède. Mais, évidemment, la situation est dramatique, et la situation de la France n’est d’ailleurs pas meilleure que celle de la Suède.

Aujourd’hui, au Parlement européen, le ministre de l’Intérieur, Bruno Retailleau, vient parler de la directive retour. La directive retour ne sera réellement utile et efficace pour les Européens, pour nos nations et pour nos peuples que si elle permet la simplification, la fluidification et la rapidité des expulsions: faire en sorte que tous ceux qui sont entrés par ruse, par effraction ou grâce au laxisme en Europe n’aient qu’une seule certitude, celle d’être tôt ou tard expulsés d’Europe, avec l’impossibilité d’y revenir.

Abir Al-Sahlani (Renew). – Fru talman! Sverige skakas av det brutala gängvåldet. Barn som agerar drogkurirer, tonåringar som agerar torpeder och giriga gängledare vars hänsynslöshet och brutalitet inte har några gränser och som styr sina olagliga verksamheter utanför Sveriges gränser. Detta är sannerligen ett europeiskt problem.

Från 1 januari till i dag har det skett 33 detonationer och sprängningar runt om i Sverige. Vi har en regering i Sverige som i valrörelsen lovade ett paradigmskifte. Vi kan tyvärr inget annat än konstatera att den nuvarande regeringens politik inte har lyckats.

Det finns många saker som borde ha gjorts annorlunda, som borde ha gjorts tidigare. Inte minst borde politiken fokusera mer på att strypa nyrekryteringen till gängen. Vår första försvarslinje här är föräldrar, lärare, skolpersonal, socialsekreterare och fältassistenter. Det är skolan och det är vårt förebyggande arbete som kommer att avgöra om dessa gäng finns kvar i framtiden.

Än så länge är de digitala plattformarna, där mycket av rekryteringen av dessa ungdomar sker, inte tvingade av lagen att ta bort innehåll som annonser där man rekryterar barn.

Pratar man med tullen i Sverige så ser man ganska snabbt att de är underbemannade. De är i dag 200 personer. De skulle egentligen behöva vara 400 personer, och EU:s hamnallians har kritiserat Sverige just för detta underskott. Men i stället för att satsa mer på skolan och ge ungdomar ett alternativ, i stället för att satsa på att ha bättre tullarbete, mer personal och bättre maskiner, så har politiken kokats ner till en tävling i hårdare straff och hårdare tag mot invandrare. Migrationspolitiken är inte verktyget för att lösa gängvåldet.

Och en fråga: Hur vet du att det är afrikanska gäng som håller på i Sverige? När var du senast i Bagdad? Vad är det här för skitsnack?

(Talaren godtog en fråga (“blått kort”).)

Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE). – Règlements de comptes, fusillades, assassinats se multiplient dans les rues européennes, de Stockholm à Bruxelles. Des scènes inimaginables qui font peur pour notre sécurité et celle de nos enfants. Le crime organisé affecte les communautés en profondeur. Il présente aussi un risque bien plus large pour nos démocraties et l’État de droit, tant par ses effets directs que par les réponses liberticides qui sont actuellement apportées.

Aucun discours simpliste, belliciste ou xénophobe n’apportera les réponses qu’attendent légitimement nos concitoyens. Oui, nous devons être exemplaires, agir de manière coordonnée et systémique avec des moyens allant de la prévention à la répression, de nos communes à l’Union européenne.

Poursuivons le travail de réseau ici, au niveau européen: renforçons la lutte contre la corruption en élargissant les compétences du Parquet européen. Montrons de l’ambition pour la directive anticorruption, Madame la Commissaire, et assurons des moyens, du niveau local au niveau européen. Développons également la coopération judiciaire internationale en faisant pression sur les États, comme Dubaï, qui accueillent les narcotrafiquants, en permettant aussi que soient conclus rapidement des accords de coopération entre Eurojust et les pays d’Amérique latine. Enfin, harmonisons la réponse européenne face au crime organisé par une réponse législative pénale européenne.

Alvise Pérez (NI). – Señora presidenta, ¡anda!, pero si hoy toca hablar de la criminalidad récord en Suecia, ese Disneyland progresista que han convertido desde la Comisión Europea y desde el propio Gobierno en un polvorín de casi ciento cincuenta atentados terroristas en solo diez años.

Antes este país exportaba muebles y pop depresivos y ahora exporta bombas terroristas y narcotraficantes, algunos a mi país, a España. ¡Qué cosas! Aunque en realidad no mintieron a nadie, nos vendieron el cuento de la integración, de la convivencia y de la prosperidad, y lo han cumplido: integración del crimen, convivencia con el miedo y prosperidad para las mafias y para algunos políticos que se aprovechan de eso. Pero, bueno, no hay problema, porque en Suecia —lo han anunciado hace poco— han encontrado la solución mágica, que es pagar hasta treinta mil euros a los inmigrantes para que se larguen de su país. Es decir, primero los trajeron a Europa con cheques y ayudas, luego les concedieron barrios enteros y ahora les pagan para irse. Suecia, más que un país, parece una agencia de viajes para criminales. ¿El siguiente paso cuál es? ¿Repartir vales de avión para la vuelta a Kabul? ¿Un todo incluido en Somalia con dinero de los europeos?

Y mientras tanto la Unión Europea sigue con su plan maestro, que es importar más problemas, prohibir que se hable de ellos y subvencionar a las ONG que los alimentan. Esta no es la Europa que a los españoles nos prometieron y no queremos formar parte de ella.

Ana Miguel Pedro (PPE). – Senhora Presidente, Senhora Comissária, de Estocolmo a Paris, de Berlim a Bruxelas, assistimos à ascensão de cartéis de crime organizado que operam como verdadeiros grupos terroristas. E, perante isto, a Europa tem sido, demasiadas vezes, lenta e hesitante. A liberdade de circulação, um dos pilares fundamentais da União Europeia, tem sido instrumentalizada para facilitar o tráfico de seres humanos, narcotráfico, contrabando e lavagem de dinheiro. Sabemos que mais de 70 % das redes criminosas operam além-fronteiras e que sete em cada dez das mais perigosas envolvem cidadãos de múltiplas nacionalidades. Em primeiro lugar, estas organizações devem ser reconhecidas como uma ameaça direta à segurança nacional e combatidas com as mesmas medidas aplicadas ao terrorismo. Segundo, precisamos de reforçar a cooperação europeia. O crime não conhece fronteiras, e a nossa resposta também não pode conhecer. Nenhum criminoso pode encontrar refúgio apenas porque mudou de país. Defendemos o alargamento de poderes para a confiscação de ativos e a restrição da circulação de grupos criminosos, incluindo a imposição de proibições de entrada e limitações para cidadãos condenados por crimes graves. É igualmente urgente reforçar o mandado de detenção europeu e reforçar o combate ao tráfico ilegal de armas que alimenta esta escalada de violência. A Europa assenta na liberdade e no Estado de direito. Sem segurança, a liberdade é apenas um conceito vazio, esmagado pelo medo e pela violência. Não podemos aceitar que a nossa resposta seja tímida quando os criminosos agem sem medo.

(A oradora aceita responder a uma pergunta «cartão azul»)

Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D). – Señora presidenta, debatimos en esta sesión plenaria el incremento de la criminalidad organizada en Suecia, pero, en realidad, estamos hablando de un síndrome que recorre toda Europa: en primer lugar, la criminalidad organizada es la criminalidad de nuestro tiempo. En segundo lugar, sube el número de adolescentes —menores de edad— en la comisión de esos delitos, reclutados por las mafias. Y, en tercer lugar, la técnica de reclutamiento consiste en Instagram y en las redes sociales.

No está pasando eso en todos los Estados miembros de la Unión Europea, no cabe ninguna demagogia —como la que utilizó, por cierto, la derecha contra el Gobierno socialdemócrata sueco— cuando lo cierto es que, bajo el Gobierno de la derecha sueca apoyado por la extrema derecha, esa criminalidad no ha hecho sino incrementarse.

Por tanto, la receta está a la vista: el incremento de la cooperación policial y judicial especializada. En segundo lugar, aprovechar todo el caudal de experiencia de Eurojust y de Europol para confiscar no solamente las armas de fuego, sino también los beneficios ilícitamente obtenidos y su blanqueo. Y, en tercer lugar, la especialización digital en la lucha contra esta criminalidad: pruebas digitales y, por tanto, incremento de la tecnología en la eficacia contra el delito.

Y —no puedo evitar mencionarlo— hay que combatir también la segregación, la exclusión de la que proviene la desigualdad, de la que proviene el incremento de la criminalidad.

Mathilde Androuët (PfE). – Madame la Présidente, la Suède, autrefois l’un des pays les plus sûrs d’Europe, est aujourd’hui ravagée par la violence des gangs issus de l’immigration. En 2023, la Suède a recensé 363 fusillades liées à des règlements de comptes, causant 53 morts. Le taux d’homicides par arme à feu y atteint quatre tués par million d’habitants, contre 1,6 en moyenne en Europe. Aucun autre pays du continent européen n’a connu une hausse aussi vertigineuse. De la violence criminelle, fusillades, attentats à l’explosif, corruption, fraude sociale et proxénétisme, toute la panoplie du crime est assurée avec des exécutants recrutés parfois dès l’âge de douze ans.

Les autorités suédoises l’admettent elles-mêmes: cette explosion criminelle est le fruit de décennies d’aveuglement migratoire et de communautarisme majoritairement islamiste. En vingt ans, la population étrangère est passée de 2 % à 15 %. Un bouleversement qui a favorisé la montée de bandes ethniques comme Foxtrot, Asir ou le réseau syrien, gangrenant jusqu’aux tribunaux et étendant leur menace jusqu’au Danemark, la Norvège ou la Finlande. Une situation comparable à bien d’autres pays européens, dont la France avec sa DZ mafia, où la loi du crime remplace la loi du droit et de la justice.

Face à cette menace, la Suède amorce enfin un tournant avec l’expulsion de criminels étrangers, la déchéance de nationalité pour les délinquants binationaux ou encore le durcissement de l’asile.

L’Europe doit prendre exemple de ce réveil politique post-traumatique. Appliquons un contrôle strict des frontières nationales comme européennes, ayons une double frontière, et amorçons la fin du laxisme généralisé, la tolérance zéro face à la délinquance. Ne laissons plus les mafias s’emparer des institutions, de vies humaines. Agissons avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.

(L’oratrice accepte une question carton bleu)

Mathilde Androuët (PfE), réponse carton bleu. – Je suis quelque peu désarçonnée par votre réponse politique qui consiste donc à investir dans les écoles, ce qui est une réalité éducative, mais qui n’enraiera aucunement la violence importée. Parce que je pense qu’on parle d’un des pays où le niveau d’investissement et de soins apportés à la croissance des enfants est important – c’est le cas, je pense, en Suède. En l’occurrence, tous les chiffres parlent d’eux-mêmes et montrent – pas uniquement en Suède d’ailleurs, mais partout en Europe – que, oui, cette violence est largement importée, ne vous en déplaise. Je sais.

Paolo Inselvini (ECR). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, qualcuno evidentemente ha bisogno di occhiali nuovi, perché ciò che sta accadendo in Svezia, come ciò che sta accadendo nelle città di tutta Europa, ha reso chiaro come le lenti ad alta gradazione ideologica della sinistra facciano vedere una realtà che non esiste.

La realtà è che le gang, le violenze, gli stupri e lo spaccio di droga sono ormai all’ordine del giorno in tutta Europa, e questo a causa del perbenismo, del buonismo e dell’immigrazionismo della sinistra.

È arrivato il momento, quindi, di mettersi gli occhiali della verità. Bisogna bloccare l’immigrazione incontrollata, combattere ogni droga e sostenere le forze dell’ordine, una strada, infatti, che il governo Meloni in Italia sta cercando di seguire da tempo.

Infatti, tutti gli europei chiedono la libertà di poter vivere le proprie città, la libertà di essere sicuri.

Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle (Renew). – Madam President, Madam Commissioner, let me begin by expressing my deepest condolences with the families and friends of the shooting in Sweden and, of course, to the Swedish people as a whole.

The far right of this Chamber has only one solution for fighting organised crime: let’s close our borders and take back our country. But here comes a reality check. Criminals are laughing at your obsession with closing borders. For them, it’s just a line. It’s the point where they can shake off the national police. They operate extremely efficiently across borders, using bribes, laundering money through your beloved cryptocurrency, trafficking in weapons and recruiting new – very often very young – members for their gangs.

Stop misleading Europeans with your naive idea of sovereignty and invest instead in our EU police and justice cooperation. At the beginning of the 20th century, when the American government was fighting their own criminal gangs, the Mafia, they tried closing state borders in and demonising migrants. You know, Mr Inselvini, those Italians, they were really bad. And to the colleagues from PiS: the Poles? Very bad. No good.

Well, that did not work. But you know what worked? Founding the FBI. That did the trick. What Europe needs is a truly operational Europol. A European FBI with reinforced means, with oversight and with accountability. Also, Eurojust and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office urgently need more competences, as they have shown to be extremely effective and instrumental in fighting organised crime.

Commission, absent Council, step up to the challenge. Give our common security the priority it needs. And to my colleagues, if you are really serious about fighting crime, then you will support every single effort in this House at European level. And if you’re not, then you’re just interested in creating clickbait for your socials and I suggest you sit this one out.

(The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Lukas Sieper (NI). – Madam President, the people of Europe, the title of this debate is, in my humble opinion, all wrong. As many colleagues have pointed out, the problem that we are facing is not a Swedish one – it is European, with a strong worldwide aspect to it.

Just last week, the Ambassador of Ecuador told us that it’s the Albanian mafia being in control of the cocaine shipping out of the port of Guayaquil in Ecuador. Albanian mafia in Ecuador. Let that sink in for a moment. It is always drug-trafficking gangs that enact the worst violence, and these gangs do not fight about the market of Sweden, of Italy or of Luxembourg – they fight about Europe. And so there can only be a European solution.

We need to strengthen Europol and let it take over some responsibilities from the national police forces. We need to expand funding for the European Union Drugs Agency, and we need to legalise or criminalise the same drugs in the same countries all over Europe. Only if we start tackling this European issue as such, we will stand a chance.

Alice Teodorescu Måwe (PPE). – Fru talman! “Låt oss spränga och skjuta, grabbar!” “Vi gör 2025 till historiens bästa med sprängningar!” Det skriver gängkriminella i kanaler där morduppdrag läggs ut på entreprenad till köande barnsoldater. Under 28 januaridagar utsattes Sverige för 32 sprängningar, utöver de 18 skjutningarna som också ägde rum.

Det som nu sker saknar motstycke i västvärlden, och det liknar närmast ett inbördeskrig som ingjuter skräck och skadar tilliten till staten och mellan människor. Friheten för den skötsamma majoriteten kan bara återerövras genom att den kringskärs för den kriminella minoriteten. EPP-gruppens Stockholmsdeklaration pekar ut vägen: stärk Frontex, Europol och den europeiska åklagarmyndigheten. Skärp penningtvättslagstiftningen och underlätta möjligheten att beslagta kriminellas tillgångar. Begränsa, också preventivt, den fria rörligheten för gängmedlemmar.

Gängkriminaliteten har inte uppstått i ett vakuum. Den är konsekvensen av politiskt pådrivna samhällsförändringar, oftast från vänster, av värderingskonflikter och kravlös integrationspolitik. Det är politikens uppgift att vid sidan av repressiva åtgärder adressera att varje samhälle behöver en grundläggande uppsättning värderingar, ett etiskt minimum. Dessa grundläggande, icke valbara, värderingar är förutsättningen för att människor ska vilja, och välja att, skapa – i stället för att spränga – det samhälle som de har fått till låns. Den som drivs av andra ambitioner har inget i Sverige att göra.

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Doamnă președintă, doamnă comisară, stimați colegi, discutăm un lucru trist și nu e prima dată. Vreau să transmit condoleanțe celor care și-au pierdut copiii, nu numai în Suedia. Să ne amintim ce a fost de Crăciun în Germania, ce a fost recent în Bruxelles. Doamnă comisară, cred că trebuie să ne asumăm să spunem adevărul: nu s-a gestionat bine democrația. Democrația nu înseamnă să renunțăm la securitate. Din contră, cred că securitatea trebuie să sporească.

Atunci, haideți să vedem ce facem, pentru că sunt state care au legiferat, de exemplu, consumul de droguri. Toate au legătură: drogurile, armele. Am reglementat aici regimul armelor. Și? Ce s-a întâmplat? Toată lumea are armă acasă, toată lumea scoate arma și trage în copii, la școală sau pe stradă. Deci, dacă nu ne asumăm să schimbăm regulile – democrația nu înseamnă haos, democrația înseamnă ordine, democrația înseamnă și responsabilități, nu numai drepturi.

Nu avem curajul să spunem acest lucru, de teamă să nu ne spună cumva cetățenii că, vezi Doamne, nu suntem democratici. Eu așa înțeleg democrația: să sporească securitatea, dreptul omului de a fi singur în casa lui, pe stradă, în orașul lui.

Pascale Piera (PfE). – Madame la Présidente, une criminalité organisée hors de contrôle, des fusillades, du racket, des activités criminelles en tout genre, partout, sans qu’aucune part du territoire ne soit désormais épargnée. C’est une véritable descente aux enfers pour la Suède, alors que la moyenne européenne des tués par balle est de 1,6 par million d’habitants, elle est de quatre tués en Suède. 363 fusillades en 2023, dix morts en une seule fusillade, il y a six jours.

Le Premier ministre suédois a le courage de regarder les choses en face. Cette situation est la lourde rançon que paie la Suède à une politique d’ouverture migratoire irresponsable.

Aujourd’hui, c’est 200 gangs issus de l’immigration qui font la loi, de l’Afrique subsaharienne, des Turcs, des Kurdes, un réseau syrien, partout c’est la loi de la mafia qui s’installe, s’introduisant dans toutes les sphères de la société. Les méthodes de recrutement sont vertigineuses: les garçons de 15 à 20 ans cherchent eux-mêmes des mineurs de 12 à 15 ans, les filles sont séduites avant d’être prostituées. Il est temps de regarder les choses en face.

Ces vingt dernières années, la Suède a vu la part de sa population non occidentale passer de 2 % à 15 %. Voici le fruit d’une politique migratoire aveugle et pour finir criminelle.

Le gouvernement suédois se donne dix ans pour gagner la bataille. Et nous, en France ou ailleurs, partout où la criminalité est omniprésente, où en serons-nous dans dix ans?

Joachim Stanisław Brudziński (ECR). – Szanowni Państwo! Kiedy w 2015 roku Angela Merkel włączała piąty bieg w ramach realizacji tej idiotycznej polityki multi-kulti, ogłaszając Herzlich Willkommen i otwierając szeroko granice europejskie, ówczesny lider opozycji w Polsce, szef mojej partii Jarosław Kaczyński przestrzegał Europę, odwołując się do przykładów właśnie w Sztokholmie, kiedy powiedział o ponad 50 strefach szariatu, do których to stref nie ma wejścia szwedzka policja i szwedzkie prawo, rozległ się krzyk od Sztokholmu, bo interweniował ówczesny ambasador Szwecji w Polsce, przez Strasburg po Brukselę. A nieodrodny uczeń Angeli Merkel, ówczesny szef Rady Europejskiej Donald Tusk straszył tych, którzy nie będą przyjmować nielegalnych imigrantów karami.

Proszę państwa, dzisiaj wszyscy jesteśmy z ofiarami tych zbrodni, jesteśmy z obywatelami Szwecji. Chcemy, aby nasze dzieci bezpiecznie wracały ze szkół do swoich domów. Ale nie wygramy z tym przestępstwem, jeżeli będziemy nadal sparaliżowani polityczną poprawnością i strachem przed nazywaniem rzeczy po imieniu. Nawet w tym, co powiedziała Pani Komisarz, nie sposób się z nią nie zgodzić, tak, wzmacniajmy prawo. Ale co zrobiliśmy z policją? Pamiętacie obrazki brytyjskich policjantów klękających przed osiłkami, którzy dewastowali ulice Londynu? Zwolniliście szefa Frontexu za to, że wspierał rząd polski przed wpuszczaniem nielegalnych imigrantów do Polski. Hipokryci o was powiedzieć to mało.

Loránt Vincze (PPE). – Madam President, Commissioner, reality cannot be ignored anymore. From France, all the way up to Sweden, there are more and more terrorist street shootings linked to drug and human trafficking and gang-related assassinations. More and more innocent victims and ruined lives. These are criminal acts, predominantly involving individuals and groups with a migration background.

How did we get there? We know the answer: the pretence that cultural differences are irrelevant, the illusion of an inclusive society, procedures granting fast track citizenship, the tolerance of illegal migration.

In reality, tens of thousands of second-generation EU citizens of migrant backgrounds have become socially marginalised and pushed to the periphery. From there, for many of them, it was only a short step towards religious radicalisation or organised crime.

We do not have years to correct the mistakes of past decades. The safety of citizens in Sweden, in Belgium, in France must be ensured today. Law enforcement must be strengthened both in numbers and weaponry. Investigative procedures must be accelerated. Criminal gangs must be dismantled. Migrants in irregular situations must be returned, and the EU can and shall assist through coordination.

(The speaker agreed to take a blue-card question)

Loránt Vincze (PPE), blue-card answer. – Well, I believe that for the EU it is important to find the right way for coordination, institutional and financial support, for cross-border law enforcement.

Yes, education is important, but it’s equally important the environment in which those children live. We know, unfortunately, in many western European societies, parallel societies, parallel neighbourhoods grew up. That made it impossible for children to be integrated in those societies and they went on the road of radicalisation and they were reached out by criminal gangs.

This is something we need to tackle and it will not be easy. National efforts and coordination, both are extremely important.

Silvia Sardone (PfE). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, non avete il coraggio di dire che è l’immigrazione irregolare ad aver causato la diffusione di gang criminali sempre più pericolose in Europa.

Svezia, Germania, Belgio, Francia, Italia: ci troviamo sempre più reti di delinquenza, che spesso coinvolgono giovanissimi che sono protagonisti di risse, spaccio, vandalismi e persino omicidi e attentati.

Questa criminalità è figlia di anni di buonismo, di accoglienza indiscriminata, di finta integrazione, di porte aperte. Sono i danni collaterali delle politiche della sinistra, che ancora nega l’evidente correlazione tra immigrazione irregolare e criminalità. Periferie che diventano ghetti di degrado e insicurezza, territori che perdiamo e dove la polizia fa fatica ad entrare, zone in cui le leggi e le regole non esistono più.

Quando capirete che chi spinge per più immigrazione mette a rischio la sicurezza dei cittadini europei?

(L’oratrice accetta di rispondere a una domanda “cartellino blu”)

Lukas Sieper (NI), Frage nach dem Verfahren der „blauen Karte“. – Illegale Migration führt zu Kriminalität. Man muss nicht mutig sein, um das zu sagen. Das bestreitet ja auch keiner. Aber glauben Sie nicht, dass, wenn man Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund, wenn man Geflüchtete nicht ghettoisiert hätte, in die Armut gedrängt hätte, in schlechte Stadtviertel gedrängt hätte, wenn man ihnen eine Arbeitserlaubnis gegeben hätte, wenn man sie als gleichwertige Mitglieder unserer Gesellschaft behandelt hätte, glauben Sie nicht, dass es dann weniger Kriminalität aus diesem Teil der Bevölkerung geben würde?

Silvia Sardone (PfE), risposta a una domanda “cartellino blu”. – Guardi, io le dico quello che succede nel mio paese. Nel mio paese, chi arriva, chiunque arrivi come immigrato in regola, ha tutti i diritti che hanno i cittadini italiani. Quindi, non c’è una spinta da parte dello Stato a portare questa gente alla delinquenza.

Però le faccio una domanda: se fosse vero quello che dice Lei, e quindi se avesse ragione la sinistra, perché in in Svezia, che è lo Stato del quale stiamo parlando, ha vinto il centro-destra, di fatto certificando il fallimento di anni di sinistra? Probabilmente perché i comunisti hanno sbagliato anche stavolta.

Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR). – Arvoisa puhemies, Ruotsi on ollut maa, jota monet katsoivat ihailevin silmin. Sittemmin tämä onnellinen ja vauras kansankoti on menty turmelemaan sellaiseksi, ettei sitä enää tunnista entisekseen. Täysin rajoittamattoman muuttoliikkeen on annettu pyyhkäistä Ruotsin yli hyökyaallon lailla. Se on turmellut naapurustoja no go -alueeksi, tehnyt katuja turvattomiksi sekä aikaansaanut räjähdysten ja ammuskelujen värittämän jengirikollisuusepidemian, joka ei Ruotsin hallituksen mukaan ole enää edes hallinnassa. Kuvitelkaa missä kaaoksessa maan pitää olla, että pääministeri joutuu toteamaan näin: “Tilanne ei ole enää hallinnassa”. Mutta alkavat ne silmät avautua nyt Ruotsissakin. Nimittäin, pääministerin mukaan, tiukennetun maahanmuuttopolitiikan linjan täytyy jatkua, jotta Ruotsi voi selviytyä. Siinäpä on ohje koko Euroopalle. Älkäämme toistako Ruotsin hirveää ihmiskoetta, vaan tiukentakaamme maahanmuuttolinjaa, jotta Eurooppa voi selviytyä.

Verena Mertens (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Die massive Bandengewalt, die wir seit einigen Jahren in Schweden erleben, ist alarmierend. Auch in anderen EU-Staaten nimmt die Waffengewalt zu, wie auch jüngst die Schüsse in Brüssel gezeigt haben.

Diese Herausforderungen können wir nur europäisch lösen, denn organisierte Kriminalität macht nicht an Grenzen halt. Die Täter profitieren von der Freizügigkeit, weil unsere Strafverfolgungsbehörden an Grenzen und Nationalstaaten gebunden sind. Deshalb müssen wir die Strafverfolgungsbehörden in Europa besser vernetzen – untereinander, und mit Europol und Eurojust und der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft, die mehr Kompetenzen braucht.

Die guten Projekte, die es schon gibt, müssen mehr werden, und viel größer. Denn nur mit Nadelstichen können wir nicht gegen die großen Krebsgeschwüre ankommen, die unser Europa krank machen. Die Strafverfolgungsbehörden müssen effizienter und endlich schlagkräftiger bei Ermittlungen werden, aber auch in der Justiz. Ein digitaler Durchsuchungsbeschluss ist essenziell, um die Drahtzieher zu fassen und Netzwerke zu zerschlagen. Wir brauchen mehr Zugang zu digitalen Daten, um die Hintermänner überführen zu können. In der Justiz brauchen wir effizientere Strafprozesse europaweit. Hier können wir die best practice voneinander lernen.

Europa muss handlungsfähig bleiben. Unsere Freiheit darf nicht zur Schwäche werden. Sie muss unsere Stärke sein.

France Jamet (PfE). – Madame la Présidente, la guerre des gangs qui ensanglante la Suède semble émouvoir aujourd’hui l’Union européenne. Ce qui surprend la classe politique, en fait, c’est que la Suède est un pays prospère, avec l’un des taux de criminalité les plus bas du monde. Mais c’est l’angélisme des Suédois qui les a conduits à une politique migratoire complètement folle, qui a fait exploser la criminalité organisée.

Alors, on pourrait considérer ça comme un avertissement, comme à Bruxelles, à Dijon, à Berlin, en Italie, à Marseille, en Seine-Saint-Denis, à Montpellier: la liste est longue. Le temps de réaction aussi, d’ailleurs.

Parce que, face à cela, nos gouvernants, sous la férule de l’Union européenne, ont pris le parti des criminels et des délinquants. Sclérosés par le politiquement correct, pétrifiés face aux juridictions européennes, ils ont pris le parti de regarder ailleurs. C’est le dévoiement de l’État de droit par l’Union européenne qui a sapé notre souveraineté dans nos territoires, nos prétoires, nos frontières, nos prisons, notre quotidien. Ce sont les dealers et les caïds qui imposent aujourd’hui leurs lois à coups de kalachnikov dans nos rues et jusque devant nos écoles.

Alors oui, il est temps d’y mettre fin. Il est temps de défendre enfin la sécurité de nos compatriotes et leurs intérêts, avant ceux des criminels, des clandestins, en commençant par soutenir nos forces de police.

Małgorzata Gosiewska (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Strzelaniny, zamachy, gwałty, gangi terroryzujące mieszkańców to codzienność Szwecji – jeszcze tak niedawno bezpiecznego kraju. To skutek polityki otwartych drzwi, którą przez lata prowadzili lewicowi politycy. Wszystkim, którzy sprzeciwiali się ówczesnej polityce imigracyjnej Unii Europejskiej, w tym mojemu ugrupowaniu, zarzucano ksenofobię. Przez osiem lat rządów Prawa i Sprawiedliwości skutecznie broniliśmy Polskę przed napływem uchodźców, w tym także tych ze wschodu ściąganych przez Łukaszenkę. Wtedy to obecny premier Donald Tusk, wasz pupil, straszył Polaków karami za nieprzyjęcie migrantów, a jego partyjni koledzy atakowali polską straż graniczną. To wszystko, aby uzyskać wasze wsparcie w wyborach, za które płaci teraz bezpieczeństwem Polski.

Dziś biurokracja europejska przymusza mój kraj do przyjęcia migrantów. Tusk udaje, że nie ma na to jego zgody, ale wszyscy wiemy, że to zwyczajne oszustwo na potrzeby kampanii prezydenckiej. Wkrótce Polacy, podobnie jak Szwedzi, Niemcy, Francuzi, zaczną mierzyć się ze skutkami waszych szkodliwych decyzji. Chcecie rządzić światem, a ciągniecie Europę na dno.

Lukas Mandl (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! In Schweden gibt es eine Explosion der Bandenkriminalität unvorstellbaren Ausmaßes. Ich danke ausdrücklich Tomas Tobé und den anderen schwedischen Kolleginnen und Kollegen dafür, dass sie das auf die Tagesordnung des Europäischen Parlaments bringen.

Schweden ist exakt gleich lang Mitgliedstaat der Europäischen Union, wie mein Heimatland Österreich das ist. Wir wissen in diesen 30 Jahren: Grenzüberschreitende Herausforderungen können wir nur gemeinsam europäisch lösen. Deshalb ist dieses Parlament der richtige Ort, an dem das diskutiert gehört. Das ist der europäische Familientisch, an dem das diskutiert, bearbeitet und selbstverständlich auch gelöst gehört.

Ich möchte drei Kerben einschlagen für die Lösung. Erstens, den Problemen ins Auge zu sehen. Auch in dieser parlamentarischen Debatte haben wir die einen gehört, die die Bandenkriminalität ausschließlich auf die Migration zurückführen. Und wir haben die anderen gehört, die ausdrücklich gesagt haben, das hat mit Migration nichts zu tun. Selbstverständlich ist beides falsch. Mit illegaler Migration hat die Bandenkriminalität zu tun, und die Sanktion ist wichtig. Die über die Grenzen hinausgehende Zusammenarbeit der Polizei- und Strafverfolgungsbehörden ist wichtig.

Aber nicht nur die Sanktion ist wichtig, auch die Prävention ist wichtig. Hier geht es um Werte, um zivilisatorische Werte, um Menschenwürde und Freiheitsrechte. Darum, dass jeder Mensch gleich viel wert ist und dass es nicht nur die Freiheit von einem Zwang gibt, sondern auch die Freiheit, um etwas zu tun und zu unternehmen im Leben.

Zur Freiheit gehört auch die Verantwortung. Und das ist es, was sowohl Migrantinnen und Migranten als auch Ansässigen vermittelt werden muss.

Nikola Bartůšek (PfE). – Paní předsedající, dámy a pánové, jedna bomba denně. Ano, tak taková je bilance útoků ve Švédsku za poslední měsíc. Převaděči, drogové gangy, organizovaný zločin zaplavili švédská města. Švédsko bývalo kdysi symbolem evropské prosperity. Idylická, bezpečná země s nízkou kriminalitou, proslulá svou spravedlivou politikou a rovností. To už ale neplatí. Švédsko se stalo obětí vlastní naivity a má druhou nejvyšší míru úmrtí způsobených střelnými zbraněmi.

Toto je obrovské varování před tím, abychom zaplavili pracovní trh levnou pracovní silou, rádoby v dobré víře, a přitom to nazývali humanitární pomocí. S touto masovou levnou pracovní silou přichází k nám domů kriminalita a terorismus. Místo toho, aby Švédsko zůstalo nejbezpečnější zemí v Evropě, zažívá nejvíce teroristických útoků. Vždyť ani nevíme, kdo se nám po Evropě pohybuje. Je čas čelit pravdě. Tento experiment založený na masové migraci selhal. Buďme chytří a poučme se z chyb, než bude příliš pozdě. Společně musíme přestat zavírat oči, zavést přísnější tresty za násilné trestné činy, tvrdší opatření proti praní špinavých peněz a tvrdý zásah proti drogovým gangům. Vždy jde o bezpečnost našich občanů.

PRESIDE: JAVI LÓPEZ
Vicepresidente

Tomislav Sokol (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, Švedska, nekada poznata po svojoj sigurnosti, posljednjih godina suočava se s alarmantnim porastom nasilja i kriminala. Eksplozije, pucnjave i ubojstva postale su uobičajena pojava na ulicama Stockholma, Göteborga i Malmöa. Posebno zabrinjava porast broja mladih koji su počinitelji teških kaznenih djela. Broj počinitelja teških kaznenih djela sa smrtnim ishodom u dobnoj skupini od 15 do 20 godina gotovo se učetverostručio od 2014. E, sada, što se promijenilo u švedskom društvu unutar zadnjih deset godina, a što bi moglo biti uzrok ovakvog stanja? Možda, samo možda, sve skupa ima veze s velikim porastom imigracije u istom razdoblju. Hoćemo li zbog političke korektnosti izbjegavati raspravu o pravim problemima i nastaviti živjeti u oblacima? Kolegice i kolege, potreban je žestok odgovor na povećano nasilje koji mora uključivati zaustavljanje masovne imigracije, uvođenje strožih kazni za počinitelje kaznenih djela, jačanje policijskih ovlasti, ali i deportaciju ilegalnih migranata bez milosti. Trenutna švedska vlada djeluje u pravom smjeru, a mi trebamo postupati mnogo oštrije prema imigraciji i na razini EU-a. Dame i gospodo, ovo je pitanje opstanka Europe.

Solicitudes incidentales de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»)

Dariusz Joński (PPE). – Panie Przewodniczący! Tematem debaty jest sytuacja w Szwecji, tymczasem politycy partii Kaczyńskiego z Polski wpadli na pomysł, aby po raz kolejny kłamać na tej sali. Dlaczego to robią? Bo w Polsce są wybory i myślą, że po raz kolejny mogą bezkarnie tutaj kłamać. Otóż tak na dobrą sprawę, jeśli ktokolwiek odpowiada za handlowanie bezpieczeństwem w Polsce, to byli politycy właśnie partii Kaczyńskiego. Jeden z ministrów spraw zagranicznych, który odpowiadał za politykę wizową, został złapany przez Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne. W tej sprawie jest komisja śledcza w polskim Sejmie i działa prokuratura, bo ktoś handlował wizami. Można było kupić tanio wizę między innymi z krajów afrykańskich, azjatyckich.

Otóż to trzeba głośno mówić, bo mam dość tych kłamstw polityków partii Kaczyńskiego. I żeby przeciąć jakiekolwiek spekulacje. Donald Tusk razem z Urszulą von der Leyen w zeszłym tygodniu powiedzieli, że Polska nie będzie implementować paktu migracyjnego. Koniec, kropka. I wszyscy w Polsce i nie tylko w Polsce wiedzą dlaczego? Przyjęliśmy 2 miliony uchodźców z Ukrainy. Pomagamy jak mało kto. I dlatego Polska nie będzie implementować paktu migracyjnego.

Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI). – Domnule președinte, v-am auzit aici dând vina de la stânga la dreapta și de la dreapta la stânga. Cu tot respectul, au murit niște oameni, mor copii, mor tineri. Cred că singurul lucru care ne lipsește în toată Europa aceasta, ca și în întreaga lume, este educația, educația care lasă de dorit! Și cred că ar trebui să ascultați psihologii care nu sunt plătiți de dumneavoastră să vă spună cum copiii au nevoie de autoritate, au nevoie de reguli, au nevoie să fie și pedepsiți. Nu omorâți în bătaie, dar pedepsiți, cum am fost și noi. Au nevoie să li se traseze niște reguli, pentru că devin niște abuzatori când cresc.

Aveți arme la liber? Da, migrația este foarte gravă, e o problemă gravă! V-ați gândit câte arme vin din Ucraina? Știți că prin Portul Constanța vin cele mai multe cantități de droguri, de când ați permis ucrainenilor să vină în Europa? Este raportul Organizației Națiunilor Unite, nu al meu! Cred că ar trebui să vă treziți și să începeți să schimbați învățământul, să opriți inclusiv ucrainenii să mai plece din Ucraina, să opriți finanțarea războiului și să încetați cu Interpolul și cu forțele de violență.

(Fin de las intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»))

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, having listened to this debate, I think we all agree that we need to do a lot and fast. That is why, next month, the Commission will propose a comprehensive internal security strategy. It will be a strategic blueprint for the Commission’s security priorities. This long‑term planning will shape our approach to research, innovation, procurement and operational deployment, improving our joint fight against organised crime and drug trafficking. We will put all our energy into ensuring a stronger, more effective and better coordinated EU‑wide response to organised crime.

We must put an end to this escalating threat and restore the control over our communities and our borders to protect the safety of citizens in Sweden and across the EU.

El presidente. – Se cierra el debate.

15. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the need for the European Union to contribute to resolving the humanitarian crisis of persons missing in wars and conflicts (debate)

Lukas Mandl, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, when a person goes missing and remains missing, not only is this person affected in one way or another, but many people around; friends and family, parents and children would be affected by that. It is a pity that we have to say today the absolute rule to avoid persons going missing also in armed conflict is not respected anymore. There are more and more missing persons. Particularly Ukraine is suffering; Ukrainian children, men and women are suffering. Especially, as we all know, children from Ukraine in a large number would be brought to Russia and maybe other places. We don’t know about their whereabouts. They go missing.

The International Red Cross documents that more and more persons go missing. This is why, in the European Parliament, we time and again have to underline and emphasise the importance of human rights, of humanitarian law, and among humanitarian law rules, avoiding persons going missing is a major rule.

Of course, also the migration routes which are caused by human trafficking, by smugglers, by organised crime, are places where persons go missing: 60 000 and more in Ukraine, 40 000 were documented by the Red Cross, nearly 30 000 only in the last years in the Mediterranean when it’s about illegal migration routes. There are also regimes on this planet who purposely use persons going missing against their own population. This is something that happens in North Korea. This is something that happens in the Iranian mullah regime. And this is something that’s also used against Europe when it comes to illegal migration, many times purposely. This is why it is so important to emphasise this issue and to bring it to the table of this very European Parliament.

Costas Mavrides, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, in 2001, the European Court of Human Rights found Turkey guilty for a continued violation of a number of conventions and articles, specifically with regard to the whereabouts and faith of Greek Cypriot missing persons during the Turkish invasion of 1974. Since then, as the European Parliament, we condemn Turkey for its actions, specifically for the intentional removal of human remains in its efforts to cover up its regional crimes committed by the Turkish Army under state orders. Despite court decisions, Turkey refuses still today to provide crucial information, such as access to military archives and access to so-called military zones. This behaviour is simply an extension of the original crime 50 years ago, and this country remains in the accession process.

Γεάδης Γεάδη, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας ECR. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, άρθρο 3 της Οικουμενικής Διακήρυξης Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων: «Κάθε άνθρωπος έχει δικαίωμα στη ζωή, στην ελευθερία και την προσωπική του ασφάλεια». Δυστυχώς όμως, η φρικαλεότητα του πολέμου δεν κάνει διακρίσεις. Χιλιάδες αγνοούμενοι μετά τη ρωσική εισβολή στην Ουκρανία, εκατοντάδες αγνοούμενοι και μετά την τρομοκρατική επίθεση της Χαμάς στο Ισραήλ.

Στον μαύρο κατάλογο και η Κύπρος, που εδώ και 50 χρόνια βιώνει τις συνέπειες της τουρκικής εισβολής και της συνεχιζόμενης παράνομης κατοχής. Η τουρκική βαρβαρότητα άφησε πίσω της 1.619 αγνοούμενους σε ένα μικρό νησί όπως η Κύπρος. Άμαχοι, γυναίκες, γέροντες και μικρά παιδιά συμπεριλαμβάνονται στον μακρύ αυτόν κατάλογο των απαχθέντων.

Η Τουρκία δεν συνεργάζεται. Κωφεύει στις διεθνείς εκκλήσεις, περιφρονεί την απόφαση του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου, αγνοεί το ψήφισμα 34/50 των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και αντ’ αυτού οργανωμένα μετακινεί οστά από τους ομαδικούς τάφους. Και γιατί να το πράξει άλλωστε, όταν υψηλόβαθμοι αξιωματούχοι της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, αντί να τη θέσουν ενώπιον των ευθυνών της με αυστηρότατες κυρώσεις, την χρηματοδοτούν αποκαλώντας της στρατηγικό εταίρο;

Έχουμε χρέος απέναντι στις τραγικές φιγούρες, τις μάνες των αγνοουμένων που έφυγαν χωρίς να ξέρουν την τύχη του δικού τους ανθρώπου. Μόνο τότε θα μπορούμε να κοιτάζουμε στα μάτια τα τότε κοριτσάκια που σήμερα έγιναν μητέρες, γιαγιάδες και ακόμα ψάχνουν τι απέγινε ο δικός τους πατέρας.

Mounir Satouri, au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, derrière chaque disparition, il y a des familles et des communautés qui souffrent de l’incertitude quant au sort de leurs proches. Cependant, selon l’endroit où cela se passe dans le monde, le problème peut devenir secondaire pour la communauté internationale.

Ces disparitions sont pourtant monnaie courante dans tous les conflits: c’est le cas des enfants ukrainiens arrachés à leur famille par le régime russe. C’est le cas des otages israéliens capturés par le Hamas. Mais c’est aussi le cas des milliers de civils palestiniens tués anonymement ou emprisonnés dans le secret. C’est le cas des familles séparées par la guerre ou des enfants enrôlés de force en RDC ou au Soudan. C’est le cas des fosses communes retrouvées en Ukraine, à Gaza, en RDC ou en Syrie.

Notre indignation ne doit pas être sélective. Toutes ces horreurs sont proscrites par le droit international humanitaire. Les belligérants sont obligés d’empêcher les disparitions et de fournir des informations sur la mort ou la détention des personnes. Pourtant, c’est l’impunité qui règne et les familles des disparus continuent d’être dévastées.

Peut-on espérer la paix si nous ne garantissons pas l’application du droit international par la justice?

J’appelle donc à protéger les outils de justice internationale, au premier rang desquels la Cour pénale internationale, qui enquête en RDC comme au Soudan, qui a engagé des poursuites contre Vladimir Poutine, contre Benyamin Netanyahou ou les cadres du Hamas pour leurs crimes contre l’humanité. Les familles des disparus ont droit à la justice. C’est le seul chemin viable vers la paix.

Γιώργος Γεωργίου, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας The Left. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, μου κάνει εντύπωση που κάποιοι βλέπουν αγνοούμενους μόνο στην Ουκρανία. Και για την Γάζα πάλι μιλάνε, αλλά δεν μας λένε ότι εκεί στη Γάζα οι αγνοούμενοι είναι μόνον οι Παλαιστίνιοι. Ούτε μας λένε για τους δεκάδες χιλιάδες αγνοούμενους που προέκυψαν από τα φασιστικά δικτατορικά καθεστώτα στην Ευρώπη.

Είναι βέβαια και οι αγνοούμενοι στην Κύπρο. Δυστυχώς, για πολλές δεκαετίες το ζήτημα των αγνοουμένων της Κύπρου, ίσως η πιο τραγική πτυχή αυτού του προβλήματος, συνεχίζεται. Ο κατάλογος βέβαια είναι εμπλουτισμένος από Ελληνοκύπριους και Τουρκοκύπριους αγνοούμενους και ο πόνος για τις μανάδες, τα αδέλφια, τους συγγενείς είναι κοινός.

Στηρίζεται βέβαια η Διερευνητική Επιτροπή των Αγνοουμένων από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, όμως αυτή η στήριξη δεν είναι αρκετή, διότι η Τουρκία συνεχίζει να προβάλλει εμπόδια, να δυσκολεύει και να παραπληροφορεί. Έτσι, οι ευθύνες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και της διεθνούς κοινότητας είναι σήμερα ακόμα πιο σημαντική προς την κατεύθυνση να πιεστεί η Τουρκία, να αναγκαστεί να ανοίξει τα στρατιωτικά της αρχεία, να δώσει πληροφορίες και στοιχεία για τους αγνοούμενους.

Αναφέρομαι χαρακτηριστικά στην περίπτωση των αγνοουμένων της Άσσιας, του χωριού μου. Εκεί, ο τουρκικός στρατός εκτέλεσε εν ψυχρώ 70 ανθρώπους και τους έριξε σε ένα πηγάδι. Το ’96 τους μετακίνησαν σε ένα σκυβαλότοπο στο Δίκωμο. Εκεί βρίσκεται και ένας θείος μου, ο θείος μου Κλεάνθης. Θέλουμε πίσω τα οστά τους, να τους θάψουμε όπως αρμόζει στους νεκρούς. Δεν ζητάμε πολλά. Θέλουμε να δράσουμε τώρα. Το οφείλουμε στη μνήμη των θυμάτων. Το οφείλουμε στις οικογένειές τους που πρέπει να μάθουν την αλήθεια.

Željana Zovko (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, govorit ću danas o univerzalnoj deklaraciji o ljudskim pravima u kontekstu rata, sukoba i geopolitičkih napetosti. Podsjećamo se da je nastala upravo u takvim okolnostima, kao odgovor na nepravdu, patnju i kršenje temeljnih prava.

Agresija na Republiku Hrvatsku 91. godine donijela je nezamislivu patnju. Tisuće hrvatskih branitelja i civila bili su zatočeni, nestali ili nasilno odvedeni. Unatoč svim naporima i mjerama, i dalje se suočavamo s najtežim posljedicama rata. 1782 osobe i dalje se vode kao nestale. Nažalost, u Bosni i Hercegovini još se uvijek traga za 7608 osoba. Ova pitanja ne smiju ostati otvorena. Pravda za nestale ne može biti prepuštena zaboravu.

Pozivam Srbiju i Crnu Goru da konačno preuzmu odgovornost, otvore arhive, podijele informacije i omoguće rješavanje sudbina onih koji su nepravedno nestali. Europska unija mora iskoristiti svoju pregovaračku moć i osigurati da se ovo pitanje stavi visoko na dnevni red pretpristupnih pregovora. Pristup Europskoj uniji podrazumijeva vrijednost istine, pravde i ljudskih prava i u tome ne može i ne smije biti kompromisa. Dok obitelji s neizmjernom boli još uvijek tragaju za svojim najmilijima, a njihovi domovi odzvanjaju najglasnijom tišinom, mi imamo odgovornost. Neprihvatljivo je da oni koji imaju informacije o nestalima i dalje šute. Otvorite arhive, bez toga nema zaključavanja pregovora.

Antonella Sberna (ECR). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, oggi, 10 febbraio, in Italia celebriamo il Giorno del ricordo, una giornata dedicata alla memoria delle vittime italiane delle foibe e delle centinaia di migliaia di persone costrette all’esodo dalle terre giuliano-dalmate, una ferita ancora aperta, perché molti di loro restano senza nome e molte famiglie senza una verità.

Ma il dolore dei dispersi non è solo un ricordo del passato. Ancora oggi, in troppi conflitti, migliaia di persone scompaiono senza lasciare traccia. A Cipro, a cinquant’anni dall’invasione turca, oltre 2 000 persone risultano ancora disperse. Nei Balcani, durante le guerre degli anni ’90, sono molti i casi irrisolti, così come in Ucraina migliaia di bambini sono stati deportati, separati dalle loro famiglie, vittime di un’ingiustizia che segnerà intere generazioni.

La tecnologia, a questo punto, può essere un alleato prezioso nella ricerca delle persone scomparse. L’uso del telerilevamento satellitare e della tecnologia LiDAR può aiutare a individuare fosse comuni e raccogliere prove fondamentali per identificare le vittime e restituire loro la dignità.

L’Unione europea deve investire in queste tecnologie, ma oltre alla tecnologia serve la volontà politica. L’Unione europea deve farsi promotrice di meccanismi vincolanti per la ricerca delle persone scomparse, affinché nessun paese possa ostacolare la verità.

Cari colleghi, il diritto alla verità non ha scadenza. Le famiglie di chi è scomparso continuano a cercare, senza scelta e senza tempo. È nostro dovere stare al loro fianco, trasformando i valori dell’Europa in azioni concrete.

Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, ‘Bring out the dead dogs’. That’s how prison guards ordered inmates to carry out the bodies of those who died overnight in Sednaya Prison in Syria. What happened to those bodies? Nobody knows. For decades, the Assad regime has used forced disappearances as a tool of repression. More than 100 000 people have disappeared under his rule. Over 100 000 remain missing today. Now, for the first time in decades, there is a real chance to uncover the truth. Syrian experts are already on the ground, documenting crimes, exhuming mass graves, protecting evidence. But they need our support, financially and politically, to fund Syrian civil society working for truth, justice and reconciliation, to press Syria’s new rulers to make transitional justice a priority, to strengthen the UN mechanism on missing people, to ensure independent investigations. Because this is the only way to hold perpetrators accountable, to help families find out what happened to their loved ones, and to support Syrians rebuilding a country that heals its wounds and will be a free country for everyone.

Fidias Panayiotou (NI). – Mr President, my uncle has been missing since the Turkish invasion of my country, Cyprus, in 1974. This had a huge impact on my family. My father was seven years old when he witnessed a suicide attempt by my grandmother because she couldn’t handle it. My uncle is one of the 2 000 Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots who had disappeared, mainly during the Turkish invasion in 1974 and the intercommunal fighting of 1964. The remains of these communities’ people are being searched for by communal committee, and by today half of them have been identified and returned to their relatives, who, unlike my grandmother, were lucky enough to live until that day of relief.

I want to thank the European Union because it is the biggest funder of this committee, giving so far EUR 35 million. Please continue to fund this project, which not only brings peace to families like mine, but also encourages cooperation between the two communities of the island, increasing the chance of a potential solution to the Cyprus problem.

Φρέντης Μπελέρης (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, η Οικουμενική Διακήρυξη για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα ξεκαθαρίζει πως όλοι έχουν το δικαίωμα στην αξιοπρέπεια και τη δικαιοσύνη. Αλλά ποια αξιοπρέπεια, ποια δικαιοσύνη υπάρχει για εκείνους των οποίων η μοίρα παραμένει άγνωστη;

Θέλω να επικεντρωθώ σε δύο κράτη, την Κύπρο, όπου πενήντα χρόνια μετά την τουρκική εισβολή, χιλιάδες οικογένειες αναζητούν τους οικείους τους, και την Αλβανία, όπου εξακολουθούν να αγνοούνται περίπου 6.000 άνθρωποι που χάθηκαν κατά τη διάρκεια της κομμουνιστικής θηριωδίας. Το ίδιο φαινόμενο έχει παρατηρηθεί και σε άλλες χώρες. Έχουμε λοιπόν την ηθική και πολιτική ευθύνη να βοηθήσουμε στην αποκατάσταση αυτής της αδικίας.

Το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο το 2015 έκανε το πρώτο βήμα, εγκρίνοντας ψήφισμα σχετικά με ομαδικούς τάφους αγνοουμένων στο χωριό Ορνίθι, στο κατεχόμενο τμήμα της Κύπρου. Ήρθε η ώρα να το ξανακάνουμε. Γιατί πίσω από κάθε αγνοούμενο υπάρχει μια οικογένεια, μια ιστορία και ατελείωτος πόνος. Πίσω από κάθε αλήθεια που δεν έρχεται στο φως υπάρχουν οι δικές μας ευθύνες.

Leire Pajín (S&D). – (inicio de la intervención fuera de micrófono) … aquí este debate, pero les invito a que sea un debate sincero, fuera hipocresías.

Porque la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos es una declaración de paz para que todas las personas vivan libres e iguales en dignidad y derechos, y hay grupos en esta Cámara que diferencian las crisis humanitarias y también las víctimas: solo hay que ver lo que dicen o cómo responden a las víctimas de Gaza o de otras crisis; tampoco lo hacen en mi país donde tiempo después, mucho tiempo después de esa declaración, todavía sufríamos una larga dictadura llena de desapariciones y de muertes.

Señorías, una Europa sin memoria es una Europa que no puede mirar al futuro ni a la convivencia en paz; una Europa sin memoria es aquella donde los jóvenes no saben lo que pasó ni lo que fue la conquista de la libertad. Por eso queremos una Unión Europea que garantice el derecho a la memoria, a la reparación y a la justicia en todo el mundo, también en España, y que impida la derogación de leyes de la memoria que condena a las víctimas a seguir en las cunetas.

Por eso, dejémonos de hipocresía y luchemos por la memoria y la dignidad de todas las víctimas en el mundo, también en Europa y en España.

Sebastian Everding (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Wie soll an vielen Stellen auf der Welt ein dauerhafter Frieden vermittelt werden, wenn Familien keine Antwort auf das Schicksal ihrer Angehörigen haben? Dies stellt eines der größten Hindernisse für die Heilung, Versöhnung und den Wiederaufbau von Gesellschaften dar.

Die Zahlen sind dabei mehr als erschreckend, denn mehr als 71 000 Menschen in Afrika gelten als vermisst und rund 42 000 Menschen in der Ukraine. Dabei sind es wohlgemerkt nicht nur Soldaten, sondern auch viele Zivilisten. Aber wir müssen gar nicht so weit wegschauen, denn auch in Zentraleuropa werden rund 10 000 Menschen vermisst, deren sterbliche Überreste nach dem gewaltsamen Zerfall Jugoslawiens nie gefunden wurden.

Die internationale Gemeinschaft und auch die EU müssen dringend Schritte ergreifen, um einen wirksamen Weg zur Klärung des Schicksals und Verbleibs vermisster Menschen zu finden. Denn ohne Fortschritte kann es aufgrund der Schmerzen, des Verlustes und der empfundenen Ungerechtigkeit keinen dauerhaften Frieden in vielen Regionen geben.

Ich schließe mit den Worten von George Bernard Shaw, der sagt: Krieg ist ein Zustand, bei dem Menschen aufeinander schießen, die sich nicht kennen, auf Befehl von Menschen, die sich zwar kennen, aber nicht aufeinander schießen.

Ana Catarina Mendes (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, caros colegas, acabo de chegar de uma difícil missão a Palestina e a Israel, onde pude testemunhar a destruição, o desespero e as condições precárias nas quais tentam sobreviver milhares de pessoas, das quais muitas crianças. Gaza é uma das regiões com maior densidade populacional no mundo, que enfrenta há anos desafios diários devido às restrições sistémicas e aos recursos limitados. Desde o terrível ataque de 7 de outubro de 2023 que as condições pioraram ainda mais. Todas as guerras e conflitos, e este não é exceção, deixam também as marcas dos desaparecidos. As mães da Praça de Maio, na Argentina, as Mães de Sábado, na Turquia, livros e filmes como o recente Ainda Estou Aqui, sobre Rubens Paiva, no Brasil, mostram a desumanidade dos desaparecimentos e a apneia da procura de respostas em que os seus familiares mergulham durante décadas. Juntemos a isto a Síria, Chipre, a Ucrânia. Nos dias de hoje, a Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos pretende garantir que os seus apelos por verdade, justiça e pela não repetição da história sejam ouvidos. Lutemos pela memória para continuarmos a viver em liberdade, com respeito pelos direitos humanos.

(A oradora aceita responder a uma pergunta «cartão azul»)

François-Xavier Bellamy (PPE). – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, 50 ans après l’invasion de Chypre par la Turquie, des centaines de Chypriotes sont encore aujourd’hui formellement portés disparus. Leurs familles n’ont pas seulement perdu ceux qu’elles aimaient, elles ont été privées de la vérité et, sans cette vérité, elles ne peuvent pas faire leur deuil. Ce n’est pas une abstraction. Notre collègue Fidias Panayiotou vient de nous donner un exemple très concret de ce que peuvent signifier dans une vie, dans la vie d’une famille, ces personnes qui manquent à l’appel.

Chers collègues, je parlais moi-même avec un ami chypriote, il y a quelques semaines de cela, qui me disait: «Bien sûr, la guerre a été terrible, mais plus terrible encore, peut-être, aura été, après la guerre, d’être privés de savoir où sont ceux que nous avons perdus.»

Aujourd’hui, nous avons un devoir, tous ensemble, et comme rapporteur de ce Parlement pour cette mission qui nous réunit, je veux travailler avec toutes les forces politiques de cet hémicycle, parce que si une question doit dépasser les clivages, c’est bien celle-là.

Notre devoir, c’est de faire en sorte qu’enfin la Turquie coopère et qu’elle dise la vérité. Que nous puissions savoir enfin offrir à ces familles endeuillées la vérité à laquelle elles ont droit, parce que le temps passe et le temps court et, ce temps qui court, c’est celui des générations qui vont bientôt nous quitter et qui ont le droit de connaître le sort de ceux qu’elles ont aimés avant de partir.

Cette urgence absolue, la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme l’a rappelée à de très nombreuses reprises. C’est à notre Parlement aujourd’hui de faire en sorte que la Turquie puisse enfin rentrer dans cette coopération dont nous avons tellement besoin, parce que la justice en dépend, la vérité en dépend, ainsi que le salut de ces familles dont nous parlons, qui est la cause qui nous réunit.

Murielle Laurent (S&D). – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, chers collègues, en 2024, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge a annoncé que, pour le seul continent africain, plus de 71 000 personnes étaient portées disparues en raison des conflits armés, de la violence et du contexte migratoire, soit 75 % de plus qu’en 2019.

Ces disparitions sont l’une des conséquences humanitaires les plus désastreuses et durables des conflits. Souvenons-nous que, derrière chaque personne disparue, beaucoup d’autres souffrent de l’incertitude et c’est inconcevable. Si cela avait lieu en Europe, il serait inimaginable de ne pas chercher les disparus, et en particulier les enfants.

Il est urgent de parler de ces personnes, de reconnaître la souffrance, le désespoir des familles et d’attirer l’attention de l’Union européenne, de prévenir et de résoudre les disparitions des personnes, quelles que soient les circonstances.

Enfin, je souhaite rappeler que de nombreux migrants disparaissent au cours de leur déplacement, trop souvent périlleux, vers l’Europe, ou une fois arrivés.

Il est essentiel que l’Union européenne évalue l’impact de ses politiques migratoires sur le risque de disparition des migrants et facilite les opérations de secours en mer afin d’éviter les tragédies, qui font trop souvent la une de nos journaux.

Maria Guzenina (S&D). – Mr President, right now, as we speak, thousands of Ukrainian children have been ripped from their homes, torn from the arms of their families, forcefully deported to Russia and Belarus, detained in Russian prisons, forced into adoption, stripped of their identities. These children are being erased. A grave violation of international law.

Even in this room, I have heard Russian propaganda attempting to twist this horror into something it is not. Let me say this plainly: this is not a topic for propaganda. This is a moral line that demands the united will of the entire European Parliament. We must act. We must act now. The EU must impose sanctions against those responsible for these atrocities. And more than that, we must demand that these children, these stolen lives, are returned to their homes, to their families, to their loved ones. These children are not just numbers in a report; they are lives stolen. And we cannot, we must not let them be forgotten. So bring them home.

Solicitudes incidentales de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»)

Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR). – Arvoisa puhemies, kun terroristijärjestö Hamas otti viattomia israelilaissiviilejä panttivangiksi, omaisten tuskan voi vain kuvitella. Ajattele, jos joutuisit itse miettimään taukoamatta, tuleeko itselle rakas ihminen koskaan takaisin, ja jos tulee, millaisia kauheuksia kokeneena. Samaa joutuvat miettimään lukuisat ja lukuisat perheet parhaillaan Ukrainassa. Käveleekö oma poikani enää koskaan tuosta kotiovesta? Jos ei kävele, millaiset mahtavat olla hänen viimeiset hetkensä?

Kun me vahvistamme Euroopan turvallisuutta, oli kyse sitten puolustuksen ylösajosta tai terrorismin kitkemisestä, kyse ei ole vain poliittisista päätöksistä. Kyse on eurooppalaisten perheiden suojelusta. Kun Euroopalta tällaisten uhkakuvien edessä vaaditaan kovaa linjaa, vasemmisto yhä edelleen vastustaa. En voi käsittää, ja siksi kysyn, mikä teidän arvoissanne on oikein vialla?

Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI). – Domnule președinte, vorbiți de drepturile omului și sunteți instituția care le încalcă cel mai mult. Începând cu plandemia, ați distrus tot ceea ce înseamnă drepturile omului. Vorbiți de Israel, le luați apărarea, dar nu vedeți că au murit peste 45 000 de femei și copii.

Vorbiți de Ucraina, dar de ce nu vorbiți, vă rog, de românii din Ucraina, peste un milion care sunt supuși exterminării de Zelensky, pe care dumneavoastră îl luați în brațe? Nu vedeți nici măcar că Ursula von der Leyen l-a sprijinit pe Președintele României, domnul Klaus Werner Iohannis, care are dosare pentru vânzare de copii.

Vă anunț că astăzi, domnul Klaus Werner Iohannis, la presiunea politică, inclusiv a partidului meu, pe care îl conduc, S.O.S. România, și-a dat demisia. Ați încălcat dumneavoastră și ați permis încălcarea drepturilor omului, ați omorât oameni în pandemie, omorâți oameni, trimițând arme în Ucraina și vă bateți joc de tot ceea ce înseamnă, din Fâșia Gaza, palestinienii. Nu așa se face politică! Cu tot respectul, învățați să (…)

(Președintele a retras cuvântul vorbitoarei)

Γεώργιος Αυτιάς (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, πρέπει να κινηθούμε αποφασιστικά, με μέτρα κοινωνικά, γιατί χωρίς τον άνθρωπο, οι κοινωνίες δεν μπορούν να προχωρήσουν. Μισθοί, συντάξεις, ασφαλιστικό, ακρίβεια, στέγαση. Όλα αυτά, λοιπόν, απαιτούν από εμάς άμεση δράση, άμεση κινητοποίηση. Καμία κοινωνία δεν μπορεί να στηριχθεί, αν δεν έχει τον άνθρωπο μπροστά σε όλες τις δραστηριότητες.

Παράλληλα, θα πρέπει να στηρίξουμε τους ανθρώπους οι οποίοι απειλούνται από την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη. Είναι οι συγγραφείς, είναι οι δημιουργοί, είναι οι καλλιτέχνες. Ζουν μια ανηλεή αντιγραφή στα έργα τους. Άπειρη προσοχή, λοιπόν, να κινηθούμε προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση. Να στηρίξουμε ανθρώπους, να στηρίξουμε τη γνώση, γιατί η κοινωνία δεν μπορεί να περιμένει άλλο.

Carola Rackete (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Ich muss sagen, diese Debatte erfüllt mich auch mit wahnsinnig viel Wut, denn es gibt Tausende von Opfern, deren Überreste auf dem Boden des Mittelmeers liegen. Menschen auf der Flucht, die von der EU sterben gelassen wurden und die niemand gerettet hat, als sie noch gelebt haben.

Diese Krise ist das Resultat der Abschottungspolitik, die in diesen Sälen entschieden wird. Eine Schande! Ich selber habe, als ich auf dem Schiff gearbeitet habe, doch wirklich so häufig der Küstenwache die Leichen gemeldet, und nie haben sie eigentlich Lust, die Leichen aufzunehmen, die DNA zu nehmen, die Leute zu identifizieren oder einfach die Leichen dann ordentlich zu beerdigen.

Es gibt Tausende und Abertausende von Familien in Afrika, die ihre Verwandten suchen. Diese Leute hätten alle – alle – lebend gerettet werden können, wenn die EU sich zu einer vernünftigen Seenotrettungsmission, staatlich finanziert, entscheiden würde.

Bedanken möchte ich mich hier wirklich und sehr ernsthaft bei den Hunderten und Tausenden von Freiwilligen des Roten Halbmonds in Tunesien und Libyen, die sich um die Leichen kümmern, die dort angeschwemmt werden.

Κώστας Παπαδάκης (NI). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, μόνο στην Ουκρανία βλέπετε αγνοούμενους. Για τους χιλιάδες Παλαιστινίους στη Γάζα ούτε κουβέντα. Πενήντα ένα χρόνια, όμως, μετά από την τουρκική εισβολή και κατοχή στην Κύπρο, που και αυτή οδήγησε σε χιλιάδες νεκρούς, αγνοούμενους και εκτοπισμένους.

Είναι απαράδεκτο μετά από τόσα χρόνια οικογένειες αγνοουμένων με τους συλλόγους τους σε Κύπρο και Ελλάδα να επωμίζονται το βάρος, όχι μόνο της απουσίας και απώλειας των ανθρώπων τους, αλλά να αναλαμβάνουν ευθύνες που βαρύνουν κράτη και κυβερνήσεις για τη συγκέντρωση στοιχείων, τη διακρίβωση της τύχης των αγνοουμένων πολιτών και στρατιωτών, παράλληλα με τη Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων.

Η έρευνα αυτή υπονομεύεται από τη στάση του κράτους της Τουρκίας, που κρατά κλειστά τα στρατιωτικά αρχεία για τους χώρους ομαδικής ταφής των αγνοουμένων με αλλοιώσεις τόπων ταφής, μετακίνηση λειψάνων, εμποδίζοντας τις έρευνες. Να ανοίξει τώρα η τουρκική κυβέρνηση τα κρατικά και στρατιωτικά αρχεία. Να γίνει αποτελεσματική έρευνα στα κατεχόμενα για την ταυτοποίηση και απόδοση των λειψάνων, την αποζημίωση και στήριξη των οικογενειών των αγνοουμένων, μέχρι να διακριβωθεί και ο τελευταίος αγνοούμενος.

(Fin de las intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»))

El presidente. – Se cierra el debate.

16. One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Branko Grims (PPE). – Gospod predsednik! V Sloveniji se že ves čas njenega članstva v Evropski uniji očitno zlorablja pravosodje za onemogočanje opozicije, zlasti SDS in njenega predsednika Janeza Janše. Najprej je bil to kafkovski proces Patria, potem sedaj absurdni proces Trenta, nekaj, za kar se je zgodilo pred dvajsetimi leti. Vedno to oživi pred naslednjimi volitvami. Sodnik Radonjić, ki je razgalil pritiske globoke države, je bil zaradi tega sam obtožen, privlečen v lisicah na sodišče in obsojen, čeprav je imel potrdilo zdravnika, da zaradi hude bolezni ni sposoben obrambe na sodišču. Evropsko komisijo sem obširno in argumentirano seznanil z vsemi temi očitnimi kršitvami človekovih pravic v pismih in intervjujih. Vendar Evropska komisija molči, in v pravu velja “Kdor molči, se strinja”. Zato jo pozivam, da pojasni, kako bo ukrepala, da bo tudi v Sloveniji zagotovljen pravni red in da bo vsakomur zagotovljeno pošteno sojenje. Bog vas živi, Bog živi Evropo, Bog živi Slovenijo!

Philippe Olivier (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, les carburants alternatifs sont l’illustration d’une certaine inconséquence de l’Union européenne. Vous édictez des règles, les imposez à nos filières, en l’occurrence l’aérien et le maritime, puis vous laissez le marché décider. Le résultat, ce sont des filières qui ne savent pas à quels procédés techniques se vouer, des infrastructures, par exemple dans les aéroports, dont vous ne vous préoccupez pas, mais surtout des filières de production qui profitent aux Chinois, comme par exemple la phase d’électrolyse pour certains carburants.

Que dire des distorsions de subventions? Quand les USA subventionnent à 3 tout le secteur, vous, vous subventionnez à 0,5 en étant exagérément sélectifs.

L’Europe doit rapidement sortir de sa naïveté et protéger ses industries émergentes en mettant en œuvre une protection économique. Sans cela, la révolution des nouveaux carburants surviendra, certes, mais hors de l’Europe, et surtout à son détriment.

Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE). – Señor presidente, ¿saben qué significa la palabra facha? Se lo explico. Vean los vídeos y fotografías del cónclave de fachas que se celebró en Madrid el fin de semana pasado: Abascal, Orbán, Le Pen, Wilders, Salvini, André Ventura. Lo peor de cada casa pagado por el Grupo Patriotas por Europa del Parlamento Europeo. Teorías conspiranoicas, negacionismo climático, discursos de odio contra la democracia y la Europa de los pueblos, contra los colectivos más vulnerables, contra el colectivo LGBTIQ+, contra nosotras, las mujeres. En definitiva, una exaltación y un ataque fascista y a la democracia. Fascismo que campa a sus anchas, que ya controla y marca la agenda en algunos Estados miembros de la Unión Europea. ¿Cuándo va Europa a despertar y parar este monstruo de fanatismo contra los derechos y libertades?

En 2018 fui ponente de este Parlamento para la Resolución sobre el auge de la violencia neofascista en Europa, para pararles los pies y resistir contra esta nueva embestida. Esa Resolución decía claramente que no se debía exaltar el neofascismo. Poco ha hecho Europa para pararles; les lava la cara, sobre todo el PP español, que permite y blanquea esos cónclaves fachas.

Recuerden la palabra, señores de allí: fachas. Que no se les olvide. Una peste para Europa.

Hélder Sousa Silva (PPE). – Senhor Presidente, a segurança e a defesa finalmente tornaram‑se prioridades da nossa União. A segurança e a defesa, depois da alimentação e da água, estão na base da pirâmide das necessidades humanas. Sem segurança e defesa não há direitos sociais. E o investimento na defesa não é apenas uma despesa, tem um efeito multiplicador na economia, tal como a criação de emprego, na investigação científica e no desenvolvimento social. O reforço da defesa pode e deve ser financiado sem sacrificar o modelo social europeu, por exemplo, através de empréstimos europeus tipo PRR de maior envolvimento do Banco Europeu de Investimento, assim como de maior liberdade fiscal para os Estados-Membros. A diplomacia só é eficaz quando está apoiada numa capacidade de defesa credível. Países que não têm meios militares próprios tornam‑se dependentes da boa vontade de outros. Portanto, a Comissão Europeia não pode esperar até 2028 para agir, porque isso seria perder mais três anos e dar vantagem competitiva aos nossos adversários.

Séverine Werbrouck (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, en ce moment même, plus de 450 navires de pêche sont bloqués à quai à cause de la brutale et irrationnelle reconduction de l’interdiction de pêche dans le golfe de Gascogne.

En plus de pénaliser les pêcheurs qui ont déjà consenti à d’importants efforts, cette mesure a entraîné des pertes considérables pour l’ensemble des métiers à terre. Il est essentiel de rappeler qu’un emploi en mer génère trois à quatre emplois à terre: mareyeurs, mécaniciens, électriciens, forgerons maritimes, poissonniers dépendent directement de l’activité des bateaux. Sans indemnisation, ces professions subissent de lourdes pertes économiques avec des baisses de chiffre d’affaires sans aucune compensation.

Les pêcheurs sont nos paysans de la mer. Ils ne demandent pas à vivre de subventions, mais à vivre de leur travail artisanal, à assurer leur rôle essentiel pour la souveraineté alimentaire et à transmettre leur savoir-faire aux générations futures. Ils appellent à des solutions pérennes, conciliant protection de la biodiversité et survie économique, plutôt qu’à des fermetures récurrentes et inefficaces qui mettent en péril de manière irréversible une filière qui fait notre fierté.

Waldemar Buda (ECR). – Szanowni Państwo, wczoraj kanclerz Olaf Scholz przyznał w debacie z Friedrichem Merzem, że po prostu łamie prawo, to znaczy odsyła imigrantów, przewozi z własnego kraju do sąsiadów, w tym do Polski. W 2024 r. to było już kilkanaście tysięcy osób. To jest jawne i oczywiste łamanie przepisów, również europejskich. Dlatego z tego miejsca żądam reakcji Komisji Europejskiej.

Dzisiaj pakt migracyjny jeszcze nie obowiązuje, w związku z tym nie można robić tego typu zabiegów w celu ratowania własnych obywateli, ponieważ my jako Polacy się z tym nie zgadzamy. Informacja o tym, że polski premier Donald Tusk wyraził na to zgodę, jest skandaliczna. I chciałbym państwa poinformować, że Donald Tusk nie ma zgody obywateli na tego typu działania, nie ma zgody na podpisanie paktu migracyjnego, czego już dokonał. I przygotowujemy w Polsce referendum, które pokaże sprzeciw wobec was, wobec Komisji Europejskiej, Niemców i wobec tego nierządu, który dzisiaj mamy w Polsce.

Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, even loving your parents is a crime under the brutal rule of the Iranian regime. Nima was three years old when his mother, Sakharov laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, was thrown into prison. Her crime? Defending women’s rights. Nima grew up visiting her through glass barriers. His father, Reza, held the family together while the regime tried everything to tear it apart. And now they have come for Reza to punish Nasrin for not wearing hijab. Nima, now 17, wanted to see his father in prison. But in Iran even that is a battle. When he protested the sudden cancellation of an in-person visit, they beat him up, smashed his head against the stairwell, ripped out his earring, left him handcuffed and bleeding. Nasrin screamed until she lost her voice. For years, Nasrin and Reza have tried to shield their children from the horrors of the regime, but in that moment it all collapsed. Yet Nasrin’s message is clear: she will not surrender. She will keep fighting for a future beyond this darkness. And we will stand with her. We will stand with Nima, with Reza, with the countless families shattered by this regime. Until the mullahs open the doors of Evin. Until no child goes up into the shadows of prison walls anymore. (The speaker concluded in a non-official language.)

Victor Negrescu (S&D). – Domnule președinte, să cumpărăm local, să susținem producătorii și fermierii – asta spuneam în urmă cu câțiva ani, tot aici, în Parlamentul European. Între timp, am promovat o petiție aprobată de legislativul european, am interpelat comisia, am amendat legislația, am obținut fonduri europene suplimentare pentru fermierii și producătorii români și am îmbunătățit drepturile lucrătorilor din supermarketuri și ale celor care lucrează pentru platformele online.

Extremiștii din România tăceau atunci și făceau cumpărături în magazine de lux. Nici acum nu vin cu vreo soluție viabilă, copiind și suindu-se pe un trend european pe care nici măcar nu îl înțeleg. Dincolo de gălăgia eurosugativelor suveraniste, avem responsabilitatea să ne concentrăm pe soluții: mai puțini intermediari, accesul micilor producători în supermarketuri, fără taxe de raft, susținerea brandurilor locale, mai puțină birocrație și subvenții mai mari pentru fermieri.

Doar prin măsuri comune la nivel european putem să sprijinim micii fermieri. Să nu abordăm acest subiect cu populism! Să ne concentrăm pe soluții reale pentru oameni!

Rody Tolassy (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, Haïti sombre dans le chaos absolu. Cinq mille morts en un an, des corps mutilés, brûlés, des massacres ciblés, un État en ruine, livré aux gangs, qui contrôlent 80 % de Port-au-Prince. Et pourtant, des milliards d’euros ont été investis pendant des décennies de coopération. Pour quel résultat? Éducation en lambeaux, insécurité alimentaire, dignité humaine piétinée. L’échec total.

Ce chaos déborde. Une bombe migratoire menace nos territoires et tout le bassin caribéen. La pression devient insoutenable. L’Union européenne peut-elle cautionner, continuer de se cacher derrière des discours creux et des programmes inefficaces? Où sont les résultats? Quelles actions concrètes allons-nous prendre pour garantir la sécurité et la survie du peuple haïtien?

Nous devons rompre avec cette logique d’échec. Exigeons des résultats immédiats de la mission multinationale et agissons. Une mission de codéveloppement immédiate est indispensable pour stabiliser Haïti et lui offrir un avenir.

L’heure est à l’action, pas au constat.

Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE). – Señor presidente, este fin de semana en Madrid ha habido un cónclave de ultras, lo mejor de cada casa de la internacional reaccionaria. También se ha emitido una serie documental de una periodista, Mònica Terribas, sobre el Opus Dei, organización a la que muchos de ellos pertenecen. ¿Y qué relación tiene una cosa con la otra? Pues que mientras en su particular cruzada religiosa contra las comunidades musulmanas han puesto otra vez el grito en el cielo contra estas, en cambio, han callado, no han dicho nada, frente a los abusos que ese documental ha puesto sobre la mesa: amenazas, coacciones, secuestros, explotación laboral y sexista, privación de la libertad, etcétera.

Ese es el modus operandi de una organización que actúa en más de sesenta países como una secta peligrosa, como una organización criminal, y desde Europa no podemos quedarnos callados: debemos actuar y dar protección a las víctimas, que puedan ejercer su derecho a la verdad, a la reparación y a la justicia, como hicieron los menores abusados sexualmente por la Iglesia católica.

Carola Rackete (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Vor sieben Monaten hat das Berliner Kammergericht eine Person, Maja T., nach Ungarn ausgeliefert, und letzte Woche hat dann das Bundesverfassungsgericht Majas Beschwerde darüber stattgegeben und festgehalten, dass die Auslieferung ein schwerwiegender Eingriff in Majas Grundrecht ist, der immer noch andauert. Explizit genannt wurde in der Begründung die unmenschliche Behandlung in Ungarn, die gegen die EU-Grundrechtecharta verstößt. Frankreich und Italien haben sich in ähnlichen Fällen gegen Auslieferungen nach Ungarn entschieden.

Maja T. ist seit sieben Monaten in Isolationshaft, und schon 15 Tage sind laut UN Folter. In der Zelle gibt es Kakerlaken und Bettwanzen. Die Dokumente für das Gerichtsverfahren wurden nicht übersetzt. Ich selbst habe Maja schon zweimal besucht, und auch die Justizbeamten haben mir gesagt, dass die Haftbedingungen von oben angeordnet wurden – und zwar, denke ich, weil Maja eine antifaschistisch motivierte Tat vorgeworfen wird. Die Forderung von 24 Jahren Haft ist ebenfalls politisch.

Ich fordere alle europäischen Mitgliedstaaten auf, keine Menschen mehr nach Ungarn auszuliefern, denn wir wissen ja, wie die Haftbedingungen dort sind. Die deutsche Bundesregierung fordere ich auf, Maja T. so schnell wie möglich zurückzuholen.

Δημήτρης Τσιόδρας (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, όλοι αναγνωρίζουμε ότι ζούμε σε ένα καινούργιο γεωπολιτικό και οικονομικό περιβάλλον. Επίσης, συζητάμε για τις μεγάλες προκλήσεις. Παράλληλα, όμως, θα πρέπει να δούμε και τις ευκαιρίες. Η Ευρώπη πορεύτηκε πάντα μέσα από δυσκολίες.

Είναι ευκαιρία, λοιπόν, για κοινές πολιτικές. Να δώσουμε απαντήσεις στα ερωτήματα των πολιτών. Γιατί, όσο δεν δίνουν αυτές τις απαντήσεις οι φιλοευρωπαϊκές δυνάμεις, δίνουμε τον χώρο σε ακραίες φωνές, οι οποίες θέλουν επιστροφή στο παρελθόν.

Πρέπει να δούμε πρώτα από όλα το ζήτημα της ασφάλειας και της άμυνας. Πρέπει οι Ευρωπαίοι πολίτες να αισθάνονται ασφαλείς. Πρέπει να νιώθουν ότι υπάρχουν κοινά ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα, τα οποία προστατεύονται. Πρέπει να υπάρχει κοινή δέσμευση στην άμυνα και παράλληλα να νιώθουν ότι, με τις πολιτικές που εφαρμόζονται σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, εξασφαλίζεται ένα καλύτερο μέλλον για αυτούς και τα παιδιά τους. Οι καιροί δεν περιμένουν και είναι η ώρα να δράσουμε αποφασιστικά τώρα.

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, doamnă comisară, politica energetică pe care a făcut-o Comisia Europeană – nu dumneavoastră, cea care a fost – este dezastruoasă. Efectele asupra competitivității, mai ales pentru întreprinderile mici și mijlocii, se văd acum. Doamna comisară, vă propun să discutați în Colegiul comisarilor, să faceți o adevărată politică energetică.

Nu se poate să închidem întâi producerea de energie, înainte de a avea alternativă. Și este clar că s-a intrat în criză. Atât timp cât întreprinderile din Uniunea Europeană plătesc de trei, patru ori mai mult prețul energiei decât cele din Statele Unite sau din Asia, evident că nu mai sunt competitive, evident că sunt într-o competiție inegală, evident că sunt scoase din piață.

Așadar, politica energetică a Uniunii Europene trebuie făcută în sensul susținerii producției industriale. Avem un program de reindustrializare a Uniunii Europene. Cum să-l facem cu aceste costuri? Cel care face producție știe că inputurile sunt importante pentru prețul final. Sper, de la această Comisie, că într-adevăr – din păcate, avem același dirijor, pe același președinte al Comisiei – dar sper să puneți, într-adevăr, o strategie energetică pentru a crește competitivitatea Uniunii Europene.

Isabella Tovaglieri (PfE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, l’industria dell’auto sta morendo sotto i colpi dell’estremismo green della Commissione europea e i responsabili sono seduti qui in quest’Aula.

Invece di fare marcia indietro, però, vi siete inventati il dialogo strategico sull’automotive, che altro non è che fumo negli occhi e voi ne siete i primi ad essere consapevoli. Riunioni avvolte nella nebbia, lontane da occhi indiscreti, nessuna agenda pubblica, nessun obiettivo preciso. E come finirà? Ve lo dico io: in chiacchiere da bar, che servono solo a pulirvi la coscienza, più che a dare risposte concrete a uno dei settori più strategici dell’industria europea, che voi avete messo in ginocchio.

Invece di tante inutili conferenze e riunioni segrete, fate l’unica cosa che vi chiedono i cittadini europei: cancellate lo stop ai motori tradizionali al 2035, mettete fine alla stagione dell’ideologia green e diamo inizio a quella del pragmatismo.

Andi Cristea (S&D). – Domnule președinte, tehnologia informațională accelerează până la derapaje toate procesele sociale, politice, economice, cu care noi suntem obișnuiți. Ăsta este motivul pentru care astăzi, în același timp, lucrurile sunt mult mai bune decât erau în trecut, dar și mult mai rele.

Domnule președinte, avem nevoie să echipăm cetățenii europeni cu modele mentale, cu instrumente cognitive care să le ofere posibilitatea să navigheze cu succes acest nou mediu informațional.

Propunerea mea pentru Comisia Europeană și îndemnul meu este să folosim bani europeni, pentru programe europene de alfabetizare digitală, alfabetizare tehnologică și alfabetizare media – sunt singurele modalități prin care vom avea cetățeni pregătiți pentru ziua de mâine. Acesta este apelul meu și vă îndemn să acționați!

Virginie Joron (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, grâce à Donald Trump, nous apprenons que la BBC est financée par les Américains, mais aussi par Bruxelles: 1,3 million de livres en 2023. Un chiffre invisible dans le système de transparence financière de la Commission, qui indique 39 millions d’euros payés à la chaîne anglaise depuis 2014.

Pourquoi Bruxelles finance des médias? Est-ce que Reactive, un média europhile, peut critiquer la Commission s’il reçoit 36 millions d’euros de la part de la Commission?

Pourquoi financer des médias étrangers?

Pourquoi financer Internews, dont personne n’a jamais entendu parler, qui reçoit de l’argent de M. Soros ou de lobbys des vaccins? À Paris, leur bureau rue Jeanne d’Arc est désert. Pourtant, Bruxelles leur aurait versé 72 millions d’euros et les Américains, via USAID, près d’un demi-milliard de dollars. Sa présidente gagnerait près de 400 000 dollars par an et, l’année dernière, à Davos, elle a recommandé de démonétiser des sites d’information en développant des listes d’exclusion de publicités.

La Commission doit nous expliquer et surtout doit cesser ces subventions occultes de contrôle des médias et de corruption potentielle.

Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D). – Señor presidente, cada semana que transcurre continúan llegando a Canarias esas embarcaciones frágiles, repletas de personas desesperadas que provienen del continente africano. Canarias es Unión Europea, pero continúan llegando también al Caribe las embarcaciones repletas de cadáveres de aquellos desdichados que no lo consiguieron.

Y la lección de tanta tragedia es imperativa: urge que la Comisión acelere la plena aplicación de todas las leyes obligatorias para los Estados miembros que componen el Pacto sobre Migración y Asilo y, particularmente, que acelere la puesta en marcha del coordinador de la UE para la solidaridad, que permita una redistribución ordenada, justa, equitativa y solidaria de aquellas personas en situación muy vulnerable: mujeres con menores, mujeres víctimas de trata y de explotación de personas, y menores no acompañados, que requieren también en España solidaridad, impedida hasta la fecha por la oposición de la derecha.

Urge una reforma legal que la haga posible, pero sobre todo urge que la Comisión exija a todos los Estados miembros el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones con el Pacto y diga con claridad que no es admisible que un jefe de Gobierno —como hemos oído esta semana a Donald Tusk en Polonia— diga que no va a aplicar el Pacto sobre Migración y Asilo, como si ignorase que el Derecho europeo es obligatorio en su primacía y en su eficacia directa para todos los Estados miembros.

Valérie Deloge (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, un nouveau scandale éclabousse les institutions européennes. La Commission européenne a financé des ONG dites environnementales pour faire pression en faveur du pacte vert. Ce green deal, symbole de l’écologie punitive, veut imposer plus de normes, restreindre les agriculteurs et les entreprises et interdire les moteurs thermiques en 2035.

Des millions d’euros d’argent public ont été utilisés via le programme LIFE et distribués à des lobbies. Objectif: influencer les décisions du Parlement européen et les députés, manipuler les débats et durcir la législation verte.

Le commissaire à l’agriculture, M. Hansen, incarne cette dérive. Chargé de préparer une vision sur l’agriculture et l’alimentation, il consulte Greenpeace, WWF, BirdLife. Mais où sont les agriculteurs? Qui écoute ceux qui nous nourrissent?

Pendant que ces groupes dictent la politique agricole, les vrais acteurs de terrain sont méprisés, ignorés. L’Europe n’a pas à être gouvernée par des lobbies qui ne produisent rien, mais qui veulent tout contrôler. Les amis de Mme Von Der Leyen, qui n’ont jamais semé un grain de blé, ni produit un litre de lait, n’ont pas à nous imposer leur utopie.

Ce scandale rappelle d’autres affaires, comme le Qatargate ou les financements troubles d’associations islamistes proches des Frères musulmans. Stop, Bruxelles doit rendre des comptes! Le Parquet européen ainsi que les autorités antifraude doivent faire toute la lumière sur ces affaires. Nous ne lâcherons rien.

Gabriela Firea (S&D). – Domnule președinte, dragi colegi, în România este cutremur politic. Președintele României și-a dat demisia și avem mai bine de trei luni de când agenda publică este ocupată doar de incertitudine. Însă nu trebuie să uităm adevăratul cutremur, mișcare telurică, ce ne poate lovi oricând.

Nu vreau să induc panică, dar este un avertisment al specialiștilor: 7 din 10 români trăiesc în zone cu pericol seismic. Sunt copii care învață în școli nesigure, familii care dorm în blocuri fragile, pacienți care merg să se trateze în spitale pericol public. Și totuși, în ultimii 5 ani, în România și în București, unul dintre cele mai expuse orașe, aproape nimic nu s-a consolidat. În martie se împlinesc 48 de ani de la ultimul mare cutremur.

Da, există un miliard de euro alocat, dar acești bani acoperă doar 55 de clădiri, adică doar 5 % din necesar. Birocrația sufocă măsuri vitale. Fondurile europene sunt insuficient folosite. Și să nu uităm cel mai important lucru: acești bani nu sunt pentru beton și pentru pereți, sunt pentru a proteja oamenii, sunt pentru viață.

De aceea, fac un apel clar: Europa, care și-a asumat protecția cetățenilor săi, trebuie să acționeze acum: fonduri suplimentare, mecanisme simple, prevenție reală, iar autoritățile locale să folosească la maximum resursele financiare ale Uniunii Europene!

17. Agenda of the next sitting

El presidente. – La próxima sesión tendrá lugar mañana, martes 11 de febrero de 2025, a las 9.00 horas.

El orden del día se ha publicado y está disponible en el sitio web del Parlamento Europeo.

18. Approval of the minutes of the sitting

El presidente. – El Acta de la presente sesión se someterá a la aprobación del Parlamento mañana al comienzo de la tarde.

19. Closure of the sitting

(Se levanta la sesión a las 22.08 horas).

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia – B10-0116/2025

Source: European Parliament

Urmas Paet, Petras Auštrevičius, Malik Azmani, Dan Barna, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Engin Eroglu, Karin Karlsbro, Michał Kobosko, Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Nathalie Loiseau, Jan‑Christoph Oetjen, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Sophie Wilmès, Dainius Žalimas
on behalf of the Renew Group

B10‑0116/2025

European Parliament resolution on the further deterioration of the political situation in Georgia

(2025/2522(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its previous resolutions on Georgia, in particular its resolution of 9 October 2024 on the democratic backsliding and threats to political pluralism in Georgia [1], and of 28 November 2024 on Georgia’s worsening democratic crisis following the recent parliamentary elections and alleged electoral fraud [2],

– having regard to the joint statement by the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Chair of the Delegation for relations with the South Caucasus and the Standing Rapporteur for Georgia of 29 November 2024 on the Georgian government’s decision to pause its accession to the European Union,

– having regard to the Association Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and Georgia, of the other part [3],

– having regard to the Council conclusions of 17 December 2024 on Enlargement,

– having regard to the statement by the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas and Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos of 1 December 2024 on Georgia,

– having regard to the joint statement by the Foreign Ministers of France, Germany and Poland on 31 December 2024,

– having regard to Rules 136(2) and (4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas at the end of November 2024, Irakli Kobakhidze announced the decision by Georgian Dream not to pursue the opening of EU accession negotiations and to reject EU financial support until 2028, thus violating Georgia’s Constitution; whereas part of this funding had, in reality, already been suspended by the Commission on account of Georgia not fulfilling the nine criteria for starting the accession process, as set out by the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 on EU Enlargement Policy (COM(2023)6900);

B. whereas this announcement followed the parliamentary elections of 26 October 2024, which failed to meet international democratic standards and Georgia’s commitments as a participating state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; whereas Parliament strongly condemned widespread electoral violations, did not recognise the results of the elections, and called for new elections in an improved electoral environment;

C. whereas the current Georgian regime, led by the Georgian Dream party and its founder, Bidzina Ivanishvili, has orchestrated an unconstitutional usurpation of power, systematically dismantling democratic institutions, undermining judicial independence and eroding fundamental freedoms, thereby deepening Georgia’s political and constitutional crisis; whereas this illegitimate consolidation of power has sparked massive grassroots protests, with hundreds of thousands of citizens peacefully demonstrating every evening throughout the country in support of democratic values and European integration;

D. whereas the protests have been met with an alarming escalation of state violence, repression and democratic backsliding, with arbitrary detentions of activists, opposition leaders and journalists, and targeted violence by police and informal groups linked to Georgian Dream, and with over 50 political prisoners currently being detained; whereas civil society organisations and the Public Defender of Georgia report credible cases of torture and inhumane treatment without accountability;

E. whereas riot police deliberately lacking force identification numbers have forcefully dispersed protesters with tear gas and water cannons; whereas numerous journalists reported being targeted and beaten, and having their equipment destroyed and personal items stolen; whereas dozens of protesters were brutally assaulted, and several hundred people were arrested; whereas Georgia’s Public Defender has revealed that 80 % of those detained reported experiencing violence and inhumane treatment at the hands of law enforcement officers;

F. whereas independent media outlets, such as TV Formula, TV Mtavari and TV Pirveli, face severe operational and financial constraints due to the regime’s interference, while dozens of media representatives are being subjected to various forms of intense physical and psychological pressure; whereas Ivanishvili’s regime and its propagandists continue to disseminate anti-EU disinformation based on lies and conspiracies about the ‘Global War Party’ and ‘Deep State’;

G. whereas Mzia Amaglobeli, director of the prominent independent media outlets Batumelebi and Netgazeti, was unlawfully arrested twice in January 2025 and is facing politically motivated charges that highlight the misuse of the justice system to suppress dissent; whereas the Public Defender has contested Amaglobeli’s pre-trial detention, citing insufficient evidence and procedural violations of Georgian law and European Court of Human Rights decisions; whereas Mzia Amaglobeli has been on hunger strike since her arrest, and her health has deteriorated, putting her life at risk;

H. whereas on the night of 14 January 2025, Giorgi Gakharia, opposition leader of the For Georgia party and former Prime Minister, and Zviad Koridze, journalist and Transparency International activist, were physically assaulted by Georgian Dream officials in separate incidents at the same venue in Batumi;

I. whereas on 2 February 2025, Nika Melia, a leader of the pro-European Akhali party, and Gigi Ugulava, the former mayor of Tbilisi, were arrested during the anti-government protests and subjected to physical violence in detention;

J. whereas recent amendments by Georgia’s Parliament to the Criminal Code, to the Code of Administrative Offences and to the Law on Assemblies and Manifestations severely restrict freedoms of assembly and expression, expand police powers and introduce penalties for verbal insults of government officials, public servants and law enforcement officers, enabling widespread repression and further undermining democratic rights; whereas these measures, which impose disproportionately harsh punishments, are a direct attack on rights guaranteed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Constitution of Georgia ;

K. whereas new decrees criminalising road blockades aim to intimidate citizens and suppress peaceful assembly; whereas the de facto authorities have increased the maximum term of administrative detention to 60 days and have banned protests in indoor spaces; whereas Georgian Dream has announced plans to introduce new laws targeting media and civil society organisations;

L. whereas on 14 December 2024, in a process lacking democratic legitimacy, the electoral college controlled by Georgian Dream elected former football player Mikheil Kavelashvili, the sole nominated candidate, as President of Georgia; whereas the EU and most Member States have not formally recognised this sham election; whereas President Salomé Zourabichvili left the presidential palace of her own volition while stating that she would remain in office until new elections are held;

M. whereas Georgian Dream has announced its intention to introduce new restrictive measures in the coming months, such as a media law that would limit the possibility of receiving financial support from foreign sources, and other measures that include the removal of mandatory civil society participation from the public decision-making process, the further tightening of restrictions on civil society organisations through the adoption of another version of the ‘foreign agent’ law, forcing them to register foreign funds, the tightening of drug policy and legislation, and of juvenile justice, and the banning of civil servants from participating in international projects; whereas the intended education reform, in particular the ‘transformation’ of the university system, targets opposition-minded professors and students; whereas Georgian Dream’s propaganda falsely presents some of the proposed legislative changes as mirroring similar legislation in Western democratic countries;

N. whereas from the very beginning of its activity, the current Georgian Parliament operates as a one-party (Georgian Dream) organ, which is incompatible with the essence of pluralistic parliamentary democracy; whereas at a plenary session on 5 February 2025, Georgia’s illegitimate parliament voted to strip 49 opposition members of parliament of their mandates, so as to remove their immunity and facilitate their arrest and prosecution, while the remaining parliamentary opposition party, Gakharia for Georgia, has remained in parliament but is boycotting parliamentary activities; whereas the same parliament established a commission to punish former ruling party United National Movement;

O. whereas the Member States have agreed to suspend visa-free travel for Georgian officials holding diplomatic passports but failed to impose personal sanctions in response to the continued crackdown; whereas several Member States, including Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Czechia, have imposed bilateral sanctions on some Georgian politicians, judges and other officials responsible for the brutal crackdown on protesters, as well as violations of human rights and abuse of the rule of law;

P. whereas oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, the Georgian Dream leader, who holds EU citizenship and owns properties and assets in the EU, wields considerable influence over Georgia’s economy and has played a defining role in the country’s democratic backsliding and in undermining its Euro-Atlantic orientation;

Q. whereas the shift away from EU aspirations has coincided with a move towards Russia-aligned foreign policy and Russian-style laws; whereas there are reports of EU sanctions targeting Russia being circumvented through the Tbilisi Free Zone;

R. whereas in December 2024, the United States sanctioned Bidzina Ivanishvili, alongside Georgia’s Minister of Internal Affairs Vakhtang Gomelauri and Deputy Head of the Special Tasks Department Mirza Kezevadze, for their involvement in brutal crackdowns on media representatives, opposition figures and protesters; whereas the UK and Ukraine imposed similar sanctions on high-level Georgian officials; whereas Ivanishvili, through hastily adopted laws tailored to his personal situation, is moving his offshore assets to Georgia in anticipation of further sanctions;

S. whereas despite international condemnation, the illegitimate Georgian Government has awarded medals to officials involved in the crackdown;

T. whereas the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has imposed conditions on the Georgian Dream regime including new elections and the release of political prisoners, prompting Georgia to suspend its participation in PACE;

1. Condemns the violent repression of protesters, the media and opposition leaders; demands the immediate release of all detainees and an end to political persecution and torture, emphasising the need to uphold fundamental rights in line with Georgia’s Constitution and its international obligations;

2. Recalls that the adoption of anti-democratic laws had effectively suspended Georgia’s EU integration process; demands the repeal of the legislation undermining the rule of law and a pluralistic democracy, including laws on the ‘transparency of foreign influence’ and on ‘family values and protection of minors’ and the newly adopted laws severely restricting the freedom of peaceful assembly and targeting the civil service; regrets the authoritarian illegal power grab of the current Georgian Dream regime and the betrayal of the Georgian people’s pro-European aspirations;

3. Condemns the propaganda of Georgian Dream and its justification of repressive laws against civil society and independent media on the pretext that the same laws apply in democratic Western countries, and reiterates its call for the immediate repeal of anti-democratic laws;

4. Reiterates its unwavering support for the Georgian people’s legitimate European aspirations and their desire for a prosperous and democratic country that upholds fundamental freedoms and human rights and guarantees an independent media and free and fair elections; notes that anti-government and pro-European protests in Georgia have continued for more than 70 consecutive days; urges the Georgian de facto authorities to protect citizens’ right to assemble, and to refrain from using unwarranted force against them;

5. Reiterates its rejection of the legitimacy of the October 2024 elections and the subsequent Georgian Dream government; considers Georgia as a state captured by the illegitimate Georgian Dream regime; calls for the EU and its Member States, as well as national parliaments and interparliamentary institutions, not to recognise the legitimacy of the current Georgian Dream one-party parliament and the President, appointed on 14 December 2024; continues to recognise Salomé Zourabichvili as the legitimate President of Georgia and representative of the Georgian people; calls for the EU and its Member States to uphold this recognition and to fully support her efforts aimed at settling the current political and constitutional crisis in Georgia;

6. Underlines that the settlement of the current political and constitutional crisis in Georgia can be achieved only by way of new, free and fair parliamentary elections, with the process conducted in an improved electoral environment by an independent and impartial election administration, under international observation;

7. Calls for the EU and its Member States not to include Georgian officials in international meetings and to suspend high-level engagements until the political and constitutional crisis is resolved; calls for the EU and the Member States issue clear statements of non-recognition of the illegitimate authorities and call for new elections; welcomes PACE’s decision to challenge the credentials of Georgia’s parliamentary delegation due to democratic backsliding and human rights abuses;

8. Calls for the immediate release of Mzia Amaglobeli from detention as well as a thorough investigation into the ill treatment she endured during and after her arrest;

9. Condemns the politically motivated assaults on Giorgi Gakharia and Zviad Koridze and the arrests of and violence against Nika Melia and Gigi Ugulava as a concerning escalation of political violence, recognising them as part of broader efforts to intimidate opposition figures and undermine democratic processes in Georgia;

10. Calls for the EU and all Member States to join the US and the UK in immediately imposing effective and comprehensive personal sanctions – at the EU level if possible, and otherwise on a bilateral and coordinated basis – on officials and political leaders in Georgia who are responsible for democratic backsliding, violations of electoral laws and standards, administrative abuses, violence and inhumane treatment, as well as on judges issuing politically motivated sentences, media propagandists and members of the business elite who tacitly or openly support the regime; reiterates its call for the EU and its Member States to impose sanctions on Bidzina Ivanishvili, his family and his companies and to strip him of honorific titles and orders for his role in the severe deterioration of the political process in Georgia;

11. Emphasises that respect for fundamental rights is vital to the EU’s visa liberalisation benchmarks; reiterates its call on the Commission and the Council to review Georgia’s visa-free status, with the possibility of suspension if it is considered that EU standards on democratic governance and freedoms are not being upheld;

12. Expresses alarm at the climate of intimidation and polarisation fuelled by Georgian Dream representatives; underlines that anything but the full restoration of Georgia’s democratic standards will entail a further deterioration of EU-Georgia relations and result in additional sanctions;

13. Expresses its concern about recent announcements by Georgian Dream on introducing new legislation, such as a new media law, aimed at further tightening the rights and freedoms of civil society and independent media;

14. Supports the Council’s decision to redirect funding from the Georgian authorities to civil society; urges the EU institutions responsible to accelerate the process of providing grants to civil society, grassroots movements and independent media, especially since slow EU processes and recently frozen support from the US Agency for International Development (USAID) are putting the activities of many civil society organisations and media channels at risk; calls for the EU and its Member States to increase their support to Georgian civil society and ensure it effectively benefits the media outlets currently threatened with closure;

15. Reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of former President Mikheil Saakashvili on humanitarian grounds for the purpose of seeking medical treatment abroad;

16. Calls on the President of the European Council to invite President Zourabichvili to represent Georgia at an upcoming European Council meeting and at the next meeting of the European Political Community;

17. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the de facto authorities of Georgia.

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI: Evolution Petroleum Reports Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Results and Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend for Fiscal Third Quarter

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

– Fiscal Q2 Production Up 10% Y/Y to 6,935 Average BOEPD –
– Declares Quarterly Dividend of $0.12 for Fiscal Third Quarter 2025 –

HOUSTON, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Evolution Petroleum Corporation (NYSE American: EPM) (“Evolution” or the “Company”) today announced its financial and operating results for its fiscal second quarter ended December 31, 2024. The Company’s diversified portfolio continues to deliver production growth, with fiscal Q2 volumes increasing 10% year-over-year to 6,935 BOEPD. Further reinforcing its commitment to shareholder returns, Evolution declared its 46^th consecutive quarterly cash dividend of $0.12 per common share for the fiscal 2025 third quarter.

Financial & Operational Highlights


($ in thousands)	Q2 2025			Q2 2024		Q1 2025		% Change vs Q2/Q2		% Change vs Q2/Q1		2025 YTD			2024 YTD		% Change vs YTD’24
Average BOEPD		6,935			6,304		7,478	10	%	(7	)%		7,212			6,380	13	%
Revenues	$	20,275		$	21,024	$	21,896	(4	)%	(7	)%	$	42,171		$	41,625	1	%
Net Income⁽¹⁾	$	(1,825	)	$	1,082	$	2,065	NM		NM		$	240		$	2,556	(91	)%
Adjusted Net Income⁽¹⁾⁽²⁾	$	(841	)	$	1,082	$	728	NM		NM		$	(103	)	$	2,556	NM
Adjusted EBITDA⁽³⁾	$	5,688		$	6,832	$	8,125	(17	)%	(30	)%	$	13,813		$	13,535	2	%

^{(1) “NM” means “Not Meaningful.”}
^{(2) Adjusted Net Income is a non-GAAP financial measure; see the non-GAAP reconciliation schedules to the most comparable GAAP measures at the end of this release for more information.}
^{(3) Adjusted EBITDA is Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization and is a non-GAAP financial measure; see the non-GAAP reconciliation schedules to the most comparable GAAP measures at the end of this release for more information.}

Fiscal Q2 production increased 10% year-over-year to 6,935 average barrels of oil equivalent per day (“BOEPD”), with oil increasing 13%, natural gas increasing 9%, and natural gas liquids (“NGLs”) increasing 9%.
$4.1 million returned to shareholders in the form of cash dividends during the fiscal second quarter of 2025.
Three gross SCOOP/STACK wells brought online during the quarter — currently, 8 wells in progress or permitted.
Subsequent to quarter end, completed drilling two of four gross wells in the 2^nd Chaveroo Field development block and expect to finish drilling the remaining 2 wells in the block by early March.

Kelly Loyd, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “Driven by our favorable near and long-term outlook for sustainable cash flow generation from our diversified asset base, we are pleased to announce our 11^th straight dividend at the rate of $0.12 per share for the upcoming quarter, payable March 31, 2025. Despite operational issues and downtime at Chaveroo and Williston, which resulted in approximately 90 BOEPD lower production for the quarter, our balanced portfolio delivered strong year-over-year production growth of 10%. These issues have been resolved, and rates were restored before the end of January. Lower commodity pricing, particularly for natural gas, was the main contributor to a modest revenue decline and net adjusted loss. However, towards the end of the quarter and beyond, we have seen a strong recovery throughout the natural gas futures curve and substantially improved natural gas price realizations to date, while oil and natural gas liquids pricing has remained relatively stable to slightly improved.

We continue to see above-average results from new wells in the SCOOP/STACK area and are excited about new well proposals from several operators within our acreage. We remain very excited about the upcoming four gross wells (two net) in the second development block at Chaveroo. As of today, two of these new wells have been drilled, the third is underway and the fourth will follow immediately thereafter. We expect all four wells to be completed and turned in line during our fiscal fourth quarter.”

Mr. Loyd concluded, “Looking ahead, we remain committed to driving long-term shareholder value with pursuing high-quality, low-decline assets at attractive valuations, expanding our drilling inventory, and maintaining our strong financial foundation. We are evaluating multiple acquisition opportunities that have the potential to enhance our long-term growth strategy and further improve our cash flow generation — all at very compelling valuations that would be materially accretive to earnings. Given our track record of executing disciplined investments, we are confident in our ability to deliver sustainable growth, create value through accretive M&A, and continue supporting our dividend program for years to come.”

Fiscal Second Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Total revenues decreased 4% to $20.3 million compared to $21.0 million in the year-ago quarter. The decline was driven primarily by a 12% decrease in average realized commodity prices which offset an increase in production volumes. The increase in production volumes was largely due to the Company’s SCOOP/STACK acquisitions in February 2024 and subsequent drilling and completion activities, as well as new wells at Chaveroo that came online at the same time.

Lease operating costs (“LOE”) increased to $12.8 million compared to $12.4 million in the year-ago quarter. The overall increase was driven by the addition of the Company’s SCOOP/STACK properties and Chaveroo wells since the prior year period, collectively adding $1.2 million in lease operating costs this quarter. The overall increase was partially offset by the reduction in CO2 purchases at Delhi Field due to maintenance on the pipeline that began in February 2024. CO2 purchases restarted in late October 2024. The increase in production from the Company’s SCOOP/STACK properties and Chaveroo wells, which incur lower relative operating costs compared to other areas, has also driven down LOE on a per-unit basis. On a per unit basis, total LOE decreased 6% to $20.05 per BOE compared to $21.30 per BOE in the year-ago quarter.

Depletion, depreciation, and accretion expense was $5.4 million compared to $4.6 million in the year-ago period. On a per BOE basis, the Company’s current quarter depletion rate increased to $7.87 per BOE compared to $7.31 per BOE in the year-ago period due to an increase in depletable base related to the Company’s SCOOP/STACK acquisitions and capital development expenditures added since the prior fiscal year.

General and administrative (“G&A”) expenses, excluding stock-based compensation, increased slightly to $2.0 million compared to $1.9 million in the year-ago period. On a per BOE basis, G&A expenses decreased to $3.13 compared to $3.34 in the year-ago period. The decrease on a per unit basis is the result of increased production.

The Company reported a net loss of $1.8 million or $(0.06) per share, compared to net income of $1.1 million or $0.03 per share in the year-ago period. Excluding the impact of unrealized losses, adjusted net loss was $0.8 million or $(0.03) per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $1.1 million or $0.03 per diluted share in the prior quarter.

Adjusted EBITDA was $5.7 million compared to $6.8 million in the year-ago period. The decrease was primarily due to decreased revenue as a result of lower commodity prices and higher total operating costs due to the SCOOP/STACK acquisitions.

Production & Pricing


Average price per unit:	Q2 2025		Q2 2024		% Change vs Q2/Q2
Crude oil (BBL)	$	65.72	$	73.96	(11)%
Natural gas (MCF)		2.73		3.35	(19)%
Natural Gas Liquids (BBL)		25.90		28.48	(9)%
Equivalent (BOE)		31.78		36.25	(12)%

Total production for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 increased 10% to 6,935 net BOEPD compared to 6,304 net BOEPD in the year-ago period. Total production for the second quarter of fiscal 2025 included 1,946 barrels per day (“BOPD”) of crude oil, 3,848 BOEPD of natural gas, and 1,141 BOEPD of NGLs. The increase in total production was driven by the closing of the Company’s SCOOP/STACK acquisitions in February 2024 and production from the initial three wells in the Chaveroo oilfield coming online at the same time. Total oil and natural gas liquids production generated 71% of revenue for the quarter compared to 69% in the year-ago period.

The Company’s average realized commodity price (excluding the impact of derivative contracts) decreased 12% to $31.78 per BOE, compared to $36.25 per BOE in the year-ago period. These decreases were primarily driven by a decrease of approximately 19% in realized natural gas prices year over year.

Operations Update

At SCOOP/STACK, the Company’s operators brought three gross wells online during fiscal Q2 2025, which is in addition to the seven gross wells brought online during fiscal Q1 2025. Additionally, Evolution has agreed to participate in eight gross new horizontal wells across the acreage. Since the effective date of the acquisitions, a total of 32 gross wells (or 0.5 net wells) have commenced first production.

Chaveroo production for fiscal Q2 was down due to gas interference in the downhole pumps. However, these issues have since been resolved, and production rebounded back to expected rates in January 2025. The Company has preliminarily agreed to six additional horizontal wells in Drilling Block Three, which are anticipated to begin operations in early fiscal 2026. Drilling activities began in January 2025 on the four new gross wells in the Company’s second development block. As of today, Evolution has finished drilling two of the four gross wells and expects to finish drilling the remaining wells by early March.

In the Williston Basin, a compressor failure on a third-party-operated gathering system caused temporary downtime for 30 days at the beginning of fiscal Q2, resulting in reduced natural gas sales for the period. Correspondingly, NGL production saw a decline during this period as well. Oil sales volumes were also negatively impacted during the quarter due to delays in sales of oil at the end of December. Those volumes were subsequently sold in January.

At Delhi, CO2 injections resumed during fiscal Q2 2025, which has positively impacted production. Following the quarter end, one new well has been drilled at Test Site V and the Company is awaiting results.

Balance Sheet, Liquidity, and Capital Spending

On December 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalents totaled $11.7 million, and working capital was $10.5 million. Evolution had $39.5 million of borrowings outstanding under its revolving credit facility, and total liquidity of $22.2 million, including cash and cash equivalents. In fiscal Q2, Evolution paid $4.1 million in common stock dividends and $0.8 million in capital expenditures. During the period ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold a total of approximately 0.4 million shares of its common stock under its At-the-Market Sales Agreement for net proceeds of approximately $2.0 million, after deducting an initial $0.2 million in fees for due diligence incurred with the offering.

Cash Dividend on Common Stock

On February 10, 2025, Evolution’s Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.12 per share of common stock, which will be paid on March 31, 2025, to common stockholders of record on March 14, 2025. This will be the 46^th consecutive quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock since December 31, 2013. To date, Evolution has returned approximately $126.6 million, or $3.81 per share, back to stockholders in common stock dividends.

Conference Call

As previously announced, Evolution Petroleum will host a conference call on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. CT to review its fiscal second quarter 2025 financial and operating results. Participants can join online at https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=HS7VesBT or by dialing (844) 481-2813. Dial-in participants should ask to join the Evolution Petroleum Corporation call. A replay will be available through February 12, 2026, via the provided webcast link and on Evolution’s Investor Relations website at www.ir.evolutionpetroleum.com.

About Evolution Petroleum

Evolution Petroleum Corporation is an independent energy company focused on maximizing total shareholder returns through the ownership of and investment in onshore oil and natural gas properties in the U.S. The Company aims to build and maintain a diversified portfolio of long-life oil and natural gas properties through acquisitions, selective development opportunities, production enhancements, and other exploitation efforts. Properties include non-operated interests in the following areas: the SCOOP/STACK plays of the Anadarko Basin in Oklahoma; the Chaveroo Oilfield located in Chaves and Roosevelt Counties, New Mexico; the Jonah Field in Sublette County, Wyoming; the Williston Basin in North Dakota; the Barnett Shale located in North Texas; the Hamilton Dome Field located in Hot Springs County, Wyoming; the Delhi Holt-Bryant Unit in the Delhi Field in Northeast Louisiana; as well as small overriding royalty interests in four onshore Texas wells. Visit www.evolutionpetroleum.com for more information.

Cautionary Statement

All forward-looking statements contained in this press release regarding the Company’s current and future expectations, potential results, and plans and objectives involve a wide range of risks and uncertainties. Statements herein using words such as “believe,” “expect,” “may,” “plans,” “outlook,” “should,” “will,” and words of similar meaning are forward-looking statements. Although the Company’s expectations are based on business, engineering, geological, financial, and operating assumptions that it believes to be reasonable, many factors could cause actual results to differ materially from its expectations. The Company gives no assurance that its goals will be achieved. These factors and others are detailed under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

Contact
Investor Relations
(713) 935-0122
ir@evolutionpetroleum.com

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)


	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	December 31,						September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2024			2023
Revenues
Crude oil	$	11,763		$	11,759		$	14,737		$	26,500		$	24,375
Natural gas		5,793			6,531			4,285			10,078			12,083
Natural gas liquids		2,719			2,734			2,874			5,593			5,167
Total revenues		20,275			21,024			21,896			42,171			41,625
Operating costs
Lease operating costs		12,793			12,358			11,790			24,583			24,241
Depletion, depreciation, and accretion		5,433			4,598			5,725			11,158			8,860
General and administrative expenses		2,654			2,502			2,527			5,181			5,105
Total operating costs		20,880			19,458			20,042			40,922			38,206
Income (loss) from operations		(605	)		1,566			1,854			1,249			3,419
Other income (expense)
Net gain (loss) on derivative contracts		(1,219	)		—			1,798			579			—
Interest and other income		52			104			57			109			220
Interest expense		(764	)		(34	)		(823	)		(1,587	)		(66	)
Income (loss) before income taxes		(2,536	)		1,636			2,886			350			3,573
Income tax (expense) benefit		711			(554	)		(821	)		(110	)		(1,017	)
Net income (loss)	$	(1,825	)	$	1,082		$	2,065		$	240		$	2,556
Net income (loss) per common share:
Basic	$	(0.06	)	$	0.03		$	0.06		$	—		$	0.08
Diluted	$	(0.06	)	$	0.03		$	0.06		$	—		$	0.08
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:
Basic		32,934			32,693			32,722			32,828			32,676
Diluted		32,934			32,900			32,868			32,994			32,940

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except share and per share amounts)

	December 31, 2024		June 30, 2024
Assets
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	11,667	$	6,446
Receivables from crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids revenues		10,675		10,826
Derivative contract assets		1,073		596
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		3,572		3,855
Total current assets		26,987		21,723
Property and equipment, net of depletion, depreciation, and impairment
Oil and natural gas properties, net—full-cost method of accounting, of which none were excluded from amortization		131,722		139,685

Other noncurrent assets
Derivative contract assets		250		171
Other assets		1,258		1,298
Total assets	$	160,217	$	162,877
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Current liabilities
Accounts payable	$	10,771	$	8,308
Accrued liabilities and other		5,249		6,239
Derivative contract liabilities		439		1,192
State and federal taxes payable		—		74
Total current liabilities		16,459		15,813
Long term liabilities
Senior secured credit facility		39,500		39,500
Deferred income taxes		6,673		6,702
Asset retirement obligations		19,993		19,209
Derivative contract liabilities		1,277		468
Operating lease liability		13		58
Total liabilities		83,915		81,750
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders’ equity
Common stock; par value $0.001; 100,000,000 shares authorized: issued and
outstanding 34,076,846 and 33,339,535 shares as of December 31, 2024
and June 30, 2024, respectively		34		33
Additional paid-in capital		44,140		41,091
Retained earnings		32,128		40,003
Total stockholders’ equity		76,302		81,127
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	160,217	$	162,877

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)
(In thousands)

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	December 31,						September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2024			2023
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	$	(1,825	)	$	1,082		$	2,065		$	240		$	2,556
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depletion, depreciation, and accretion		5,433			4,598			5,725			11,158			8,860
Stock-based compensation		659			564			559			1,218			1,036
Settlement of asset retirement obligations		(182	)		—			(98	)		(280	)		—
Deferred income taxes		252			(567	)		(281	)		(29	)		(642	)
Unrealized (gain) loss on derivative contracts		1,368			—			(1,868	)		(500	)		—
Accrued settlements on derivative contracts		9			—			(66	)		(57	)		—
Other		(1	)		3			(2	)		(3	)		3
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Receivables from crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids revenues		29			447			(37	)		(8	)		(2,239	)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		(1,494	)		(443	)		1,929			435			(274	)
Accounts payable, accrued liabilities and other		3,471			2,123			(238	)		3,233			2,443
State and federal taxes payable		—			(753	)		(74	)		(74	)		(365	)
Net cash provided by operating activities		7,719			7,054			7,614			15,333			11,378
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of oil and natural gas properties		(69	)		—			(262	)		(331	)		—
Capital expenditures for oil and natural gas properties		(758	)		(3,878	)		(2,740	)		(3,498	)		(5,705	)
Net cash used in investing activities		(827	)		(3,878	)		(3,002	)		(3,829	)		(5,705	)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Common stock dividends paid		(4,082	)		(4,021	)		(4,033	)		(8,115	)		(8,034	)
Common stock repurchases, including stock surrendered for tax withholding		(103	)		(108	)		(88	)		(191	)		(213	)
Issuance of common stock		2,259			—			—			2,259			—
Offering costs		(236	)		—			—			(236	)		—
Net cash used in financing activities		(2,162	)		(4,129	)		(4,121	)		(6,283	)		(8,247	)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents		4,730			(953	)		491			5,221			(2,574	)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period		6,937			9,413			6,446			6,446			11,034
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	11,667		$	8,460		$	6,937		$	11,667		$	8,460

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Non-GAAP Reconciliation – Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited)
(In thousands)

Adjusted EBITDA and Net income (loss) and earnings per share excluding selected items are non-GAAP financial measures that are used as supplemental financial measures by our management and by external users of our financial statements, such as investors, commercial banks, and others, to assess our operating performance as compared to that of other companies in our industry, without regard to financing methods, capital structure, or historical costs basis. We use these measures to assess our ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures. Our Adjusted EBITDA and Net income (loss) and earnings per share, excluding selected items, should not be considered alternatives to net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our Adjusted EBITDA and Net income (loss) and earnings per share excluding selected items may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of another company because all companies may not calculate Adjusted EBITDA and Net income (loss) and earnings per share excluding selected items in the same manner.

We define Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) plus interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation, depletion, and accretion (DD&A), stock-based compensation, ceiling test impairment, and other impairments, unrealized loss (gain) on change in fair value of derivatives, and other non-recurring or non-cash expense (income) items.


	Three Months Ended								Six Months Ended
	December 31,					September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023		2024			2024			2023
Net income (loss)	$	(1,825	)	$	1,082	$	2,065		$	240		$	2,556
Adjusted by:
Interest expense		764			34		823			1,587			66
Income tax expense (benefit)		(711	)		554		821			110			1,017
Depletion, depreciation, and accretion		5,433			4,598		5,725			11,158			8,860
Stock-based compensation		659			564		559			1,218			1,036
Unrealized loss (gain) on derivative contracts		1,368			—		(1,868	)		(500	)		—
Adjusted EBITDA	$	5,688		$	6,832	$	8,125		$	13,813		$	13,535

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Non-GAAP Reconciliation – Adjusted Net Income (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share amounts)

	Three Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	December 31,						September 30,			December 31,
	2024			2023			2024			2024			2023
As Reported:
Net income (loss), as reported	$	(1,825	)	$	1,082		$	2,065		$	240		$	2,556

Impact of Selected Items:
Unrealized loss (gain) on commodity contracts		1,368			—			(1,868	)		(500	)		—
Selected items, before income taxes	$	1,368		$	—		$	(1,868	)	$	(500	)	$	—
Income tax effect of selected items⁽¹⁾		384			—			(531	)		(157	)		—
Selected items, net of tax	$	984		$	—		$	(1,337	)	$	(343	)	$	—

As Adjusted:
Net income (loss), excluding selected items⁽²⁾	$	(841	)	$	1,082		$	728		$	(103	)	$	2,556

Undistributed earnings allocated to unvested restricted stock		(100	)		(24	)		(14	)		(178	)		(51	)
Net income (loss), excluding selected items for earnings per share calculation	$	(941	)	$	1,058		$	714		$	(281	)	$	2,505

Net income (loss) per common share — Basic, as reported	$	(0.06	)	$	0.03		$	0.06		$	—		$	0.08
Impact of selected items		0.03			—			(0.04	)		(0.01	)		—
Net income (loss) per common share — Basic, excluding selected items⁽²⁾	$	(0.03	)	$	0.03		$	0.02		$	(0.01	)	$	0.08


Net income (loss) per common share — Diluted, as reported	$	(0.06	)	$	0.03		$	0.06		$	—		$	0.08
Impact of selected items		0.03			—			(0.04	)		(0.01	)		—
Net income (loss) per common share — Diluted, excluding selected items⁽²⁾⁽³⁾	$	(0.03	)	$	0.03		$	0.02		$	(0.01	)	$	0.08

________________________________
^{(1) The tax impact for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, is represented using estimated tax rates of 28.0% and 28.4%, respectively. The tax impact for the six months ended December 31, 2024 is represented using estimated tax rates of 31.4%.}
^{(2) Net income (loss) and earnings per share excluding selected items are non-GAAP financial measures presented as supplemental financial measures to enable a user of the financial information to understand the impact of these items on reported results. These financial measures should not be considered an alternative to net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flows provided by (used in) operating activities, or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and earnings per share may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of another company because all companies may not calculate Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and earnings per share in the same manner.}
^{(3) The impact of selected items for the three months ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, were each calculated based upon weighted average diluted shares of 32.9 million, due to the net income (loss), excluding selected items. The impact of selected items for the three months ended September 30, 2024, was calculated based upon weighted average diluted shares of 32.9 million due to the net income (loss), excluding selected items. The impact of selected items for the six months ended December 31, 2024, and 2023, was each calculated based upon weighted average diluted shares of 32.8 million and 32.9 million, respectively, due to the net income (loss), excluding selected items.}

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Supplemental Information on Oil and Natural Gas Operations (Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per unit and per BOE amounts)

	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	December 31,				September 30,		December 31,
	2024		2023		2024		2024		2023
Revenues:
Crude oil	$	11,763	$	11,759	$	14,737	$	26,500	$	24,375
Natural gas		5,793		6,531		4,285		10,078		12,083
Natural gas liquids		2,719		2,734		2,874		5,593		5,167
Total revenues	$	20,275	$	21,024	$	21,896	$	42,171	$	41,625

Lease operating costs:
Ad valorem and production taxes	$	1,441	$	1,272	$	1,414	$	2,855	$	2,550
Gathering, transportation, and other costs		2,889		2,496		2,790		5,679		4,399
Other lease operating costs		8,463		8,590		7,586		16,049		17,292
Total lease operating costs	$	12,793	$	12,358	$	11,790	$	24,583	$	24,241

Depletion of full cost proved oil and natural gas properties	$	5,024	$	4,238	$	5,325	$	10,349	$	8,148

Production:
Crude oil (MBBL)		179		159		204		383		320
Natural gas (MMCF)		2,125		1,951		2,228		4,353		3,976
Natural gas liquids (MBBL)		105		96		113		218		191
Equivalent (MBOE)⁽¹⁾		638		580		688		1,327		1,174
Average daily production (BOEPD)⁽¹⁾		6,935		6,304		7,478		7,212		6,380

Average price per unit:⁽²⁾
Crude oil (BBL)	$	65.72	$	73.96	$	72.24	$	69.19	$	76.17
Natural gas (MCF)		2.73		3.35		1.92		2.32		3.04
Natural Gas Liquids (BBL)		25.90		28.48		25.43		25.66		27.05
Equivalent (BOE)⁽¹⁾	$	31.78	$	36.25	$	31.83	$	31.78	$	35.46

Average cost per unit:
Ad valorem and production taxes	$	2.26	$	2.19	$	2.06	$	2.15	$	2.17
Gathering, transportation, and other costs		4.53		4.30		4.06		4.28		3.75
Other lease operating costs		13.26		14.81		11.03		12.09		14.73
Total lease operating costs	$	20.05	$	21.30	$	17.15	$	18.52	$	20.65

Depletion of full cost proved oil and natural gas properties	$	7.87	$	7.31	$	7.74	$	7.80	$	6.94
_______________________________
^{(1) Equivalent oil reserves are defined as six MCF of natural gas and 42 gallons of NGLs to one barrel of oil conversion ratio, which reflects energy equivalence and not price equivalence. Natural gas prices per MCF and NGL prices per barrel often differ significantly from the equivalent amount of oil.}
^{(2) Amounts exclude the impact of cash paid or received on the settlement of derivative contracts since we did not elect to apply hedge accounting.}

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Summary of Production Volumes and Average Sales Price (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,								September 30,
	2024				2023				2024
	Volume		Price		Volume		Price		Volume		Price
Production:
Crude oil (MBBL)
SCOOP/STACK		35	$	70.52		—	$	—		49	$	75.38
Chaveroo Field		9		67.55		—		—		16		73.69
Jonah Field		7		64.54		8		80.25		7		65.77
Williston Basin		30		64.64		35		71.71		33		68.87
Barnett Shale		2		65.99		2		76.77		2		70.30
Hamilton Dome Field		35		57.53		36		62.03		35		62.37
Delhi Field		60		68.66		78		79.02		61		77.22
Other		1		71.61		—		—		1		78.32
Total		179	$	65.72		159	$	73.96		204	$	72.24
Natural gas (MMCF)
SCOOP/STACK		314	$	2.89		—	$	—		354	$	2.48
Chaveroo Field		—		—		—		—		—		—
Jonah Field		803		3.21		883		4.87		830		2.08
Williston Basin		18		1.41		14		1.91		27		1.43
Barnett Shale		990		2.31		1,054		2.10		1,017		1.62
Total		2,125	$	2.73		1,951	$	3.35		2,228	$	1.92
Natural gas liquids (MBBL)
SCOOP/STACK		18	$	21.34		—	$	—		19	$	21.67
Chaveroo Field		—		—		—		—		—		—
Jonah Field		9		30.08		10		25.88		9		28.15
Williston Basin		2		17.86		4		20.41		7		17.93
Barnett Shale		57		25.86		60		30.07		56		26.03
Delhi Field		19		29.13		22		26.90		20		29.48
Other		—		—		—		—		2		13.06
Total		105	$	25.90		96	$	28.48		113	$	25.43

Equivalent (MBOE)⁽¹⁾
SCOOP/STACK		105	$	35.48		—	$	—		127	$	39.20
Chaveroo Field		9		67.55		—		—		16		73.69
Jonah Field		150		22.14		165		31.60		154		15.85
Williston Basin		35		57.00		41		63.22		45		54.62
Barnett Shale		224		17.29		238		17.61		227		14.21
Hamilton Dome Field		35		57.53		36		62.03		35		62.37
Delhi Field		79		59.37		100		67.63		81		65.28
Other		1		71.61		—		—		3		61.15
Total		638	$	31.78		580	$	36.25		688	$	31.83

Average daily production (BOEPD)⁽¹⁾
SCOOP/STACK		1,141				—				1,380
Chaveroo Field		98				—				174
Jonah Field		1,630				1,793				1,674
Williston Basin		380				446				489
Barnett Shale		2,435				2,587				2,467
Hamilton Dome Field		380				391				380
Delhi Field		859				1,087				880
Other		12				—				34
Total		6,935				6,304				7,478
_____________________________
^{(1) Equivalent oil reserves are defined as six MCF of natural gas and 42 gallons of NGLs to one barrel of oil conversion ratio, which reflects energy equivalence and not price equivalence. Natural gas prices per MCF and NGL prices per barrel often differ significantly from the equivalent amount of oil.}

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Summary of Average Production Costs (Unaudited)

	Three Months Ended
	December 31,								September 30,
	2024				2023				2024
	Amount		Price		Amount		Price		Amount		Price
Production costs (in thousands, except per BOE):
Lease operating costs
SCOOP/STACK	$	1,050	$	9.97	$	—	$	—	$	1,156	$	9.10
Chaveroo Field		122		12.92		—		—		118		7.38
Jonah Field		2,196		14.62		2,392		14.45		2,162		13.95
Williston Basin		1,190		34.12		1,205		28.74		1,238		27.51
Barnett Shale		4,030		18.03		3,883		16.31		3,598		15.83
Hamilton Dome Field		1,188		34.18		1,404		39.43		1,531		43.48
Delhi Field		3,017		38.15		3,474		35.00		1,987		24.30
Total	$	12,793	$	20.05	$	12,358	$	21.30	$	11,790	$	17.15

Evolution Petroleum Corporation
Summary of Open Derivative Contracts (Unaudited)

For more information on the Company’s hedging practices, see Note 7 to its financial statements included on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

The Company had the following open crude oil and natural gas derivative contracts as of February 11, 2025:

Volumes in

Swap Price per

Floor Price per

Ceiling Price per

Period

Commodity

Instrument

MMBTU/BBL

January 2025 – March 2025

Crude Oil

Collar

42,566

68.00

73.77

January 2025 – June 2025

Crude Oil

Fixed-Price Swap

51,992

73.49

February 2025 – March 2025

Crude Oil

Put

3,277

75.00

February 2025 – March 2025

Crude Oil

Fixed-Price Swap

3,278

71.02

April 2025 – June 2025

Crude Oil

Collar

41,601

65.00

84.00

April 2025 – December 2025

Crude Oil

Fixed-Price Swap

32,229

72.00

July 2025 – December 2025

Crude Oil

Fixed-Price Swap

81,335

71.40

January 2026 – March 2026

Crude Oil

Collar

43,493

60.00

75.80

January 2025 – February 2025

Natural Gas

Fixed-Price Swap

312,286

3.56

January 2025 – March 2025

Natural Gas

Basis Swap

305,607

0.66

March 2025 – December 2026

Natural Gas

Fixed-Price Swap

3,170,705

3.60

January 2026 – March 2026

Natural Gas

Collar

375,481

3.60

5.00

April 2025 – December 2027

Natural Gas

Fixed-Price Swap

3,729,540

3.57

This press release was published by a CLEAR® Verified individual.

The MIL Network –

February 12, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Welch on Trump’s Chaotic and Cruel Second Term: “The law matters. Respect for your opponents matters. And focusing on the everyday needs of everyday people is what matters most.”

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) took to the Senate floor to speak on President Trump’s exaggerated claims of winning the 2024 election by a ‘landside,’ and called on the Trump Administration to focus not on political retribution and his agenda of ‘overreach and failure,’ but on the issues that matter to everyday Americans.
“As long as President Trump and his allies pretend that he has this massive mandate to literally disrupt and throw out the traditions and norms and guardrails of democracy, that is something I and so many of my colleagues will resist. We can’t do that. The law matters. Respect for your opponents matters. And focusing on the everyday needs of everyday people is what matters most. It’s what is the goal all of us should be looking to accomplish,” said Sen. Welch.
Watch Senator Welch’s speech below:
Read the Senator’s remarks as delivered here.
Senator Welch’s Committee and Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress include:
Senate Committee on Finance
Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, & Forestry
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit
Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on the Constitution
Senate Committee on Rules & Administration

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 02.11.2025 Sen. Cruz, Rep. Jackson Reintroduce Tax Relief Bill for Panhandle Wildfires Victims

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas-13) reintroduced the Wildfire Victim Tax Relief and Recovery Act. The bill would provide tax relief for victims who suffered significant losses in the Panhandle last year when wildfires burned 1.2 million acres, destroyed homes, and killed thousands of cattle.
Upon reintroduction, Sen. Cruz said, “Last year, historic wildfires destroyed the Panhandle, taking the homes and livelihoods of thousands of Texans. This bill will deliver much needed tax relief to support these communities in their ongoing recovery efforts. I urge my colleagues to pass this bill without delay.”
Rep. Jackson said, “The historic wildfires that tore through the Texas Panhandle last year have left a lasting mark on all the ranchers, families, and communities involved. I’m honored to reintroduce this critical legislation and am committed to making sure those hit hardest by this catastrophic disaster can use the assistance they’ve received to rebuild their farms, ranches, and livelihoods, not pay the federal government.”
Read the bill text here.
BACKGROUND
The Wildfire Victim Tax Relief and Recovery Act:

Exempts government relief payments and settlement payments from Xcel Energy from income taxes.
Provides tax relief to producers who were forced to sell livestock due to the Panhandle fires.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025

Category: Energy

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