NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Leasehold London: How can the Mayor support Londoners?

    Source: Mayor of London

    London has more than double the proportion of leasehold homes than in the rest of England,1 meaning the capital’s residents are particularly affected by increasing service charges.

    While there is limited data on leasehold costs at a local level, the Property Institute’s Service Charge Index showed a 41 percent increase in average service charges over the past five years across England and Wales.2

    Tomorrow, the London Assembly Housing Committee will ask what extent service charges make ‘affordable’ home ownership tenures funded by the Mayor unaffordable, what more the Mayor can do to help leaseholders, and the extent to which freeholders and managing agents are working to improve transparency in service charges in London.

    The guests are:

    • Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development
    • Charmaine McQueen-Prince, Chair of the Residential Freehold Association’s Leasehold Reform Subcommittee
    • Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), L&Q and Chair, G15
    • Andrew Bulmer, CEO, The Property Institute

    The meeting will take place on Wednesday 26 February from 2pm, in the Chamber at City Hall, Kamal Chunchie Way, E16 1ZE.

    Media and members of the public are invited to attend.

    The meeting can also be viewed LIVE or later via webcast or YouTube.

    Follow us @LondonAssembly.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: RN-Yuganskneftegaz produced 570 million tons of oil at the fields of the Maysky region

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    RN-Yuganskneftegaz, the largest oil producing asset of Rosneft, has produced the 570 millionth ton of oil at the Maysky region fields in the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug-Yugra.

    The Maysky region is a group of 20 fields, including Malobalykskoye, Yuzhno-Balykskoye, Petelinskoye, Ugutskoye and others. A powerful production complex has been created in the region. The area of the oil field reaches 3.5 thousand square kilometers. Production is provided by about 3.4 thousand wells. In 2024, more than 360 new wells were commissioned in the region and more than 2.2 thousand hydraulic fracturing operations were carried out.

    To increase the oil recovery factor, including at fields with complex geological structure, RN-Yuganskneftegaz specialists use advanced technologies and engineering solutions, such as infill drilling, construction of directional and horizontal wells with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing operations, and increasing the length of horizontal sections of wellbores. Drilling multi-hole wells using fishbone* technology has become new for the region. In 2024, four wells of this type were commissioned with an average starting oil flow rate of 327 tons/day.

    Increasing the efficiency of production and introducing innovative technologies ensures high oil production rates at mature fields in the May region.

    *”Fishbone” (English fishbone – “fish bone”) is a multi-hole well with a special trajectory, in which numerous branches depart from one horizontal shaft. The well’s shape resembles a fish skeleton – hence the name.

    Reference:

    RN-Yuganskneftegaz is the largest asset of Rosneft Oil Company, accounting for approximately 34% of the Company’s total production. The company conducts geological exploration and development of fields in 40 license areas with a total area of over 21 thousand km2 in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug – Yugra.

    The company’s cumulative production since the beginning of its operations exceeds 2.7 billion tons of oil.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft February 25, 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 –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Germany and WFP join forces to reach crisis-affected children in northern Togo with nutritious school meals

    Source: World Food Programme

    LOME – TOGO: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has welcomed a contribution of EUR 11 million from the Government of Germany, facilitated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

    The funding channelled through the German Development Bank (KfW), will enable WFP to provide daily nutritious meals to 28,000 pre-school and primary school children in the Kara and Savanes regions of northern Togo.

    With Germany’s funding, WFP will rehabilitate school kitchens, provide fuel-efficient stoves, establish school gardens and grain milling units, and support nutrition education to children, parents and teachers, ensuring a holistic approach to food security, health, and education. 

    ““Through this collaboration with Germany, we are extending our activities to some of Togo’s most vulnerable populations, building sustainable systems that connects local production with school feeding, creating a powerful cycle of development.” said Dr Moïse BALLO, WFP’s Country Director and Representative in Togo. “Our school feeding programme not only improves children’s education and nutrition but also empowers local communities.”

    WFP will target 110 schools within communities hosting refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), from the spillover of the Sahel crisis. Food commodities for school meals will be sourced locally from smallholder farmers and women’s cooperatives, thereby stimulating the local economy. 

    “We are pleased to be able to work with WFP to make an important contribution to food security for children in a region that is affected by spillover of the Sahel crisis,” said Dr. Claudius FISCHBACH, German Ambassador to Togo. “Germany is supporting Togo and the other states in the Gulf of Guinea through various measures in the areas of stability, social cohesion and development. It is particularly important to us that the chosen approaches can be continued in a sustainable way.” 

    In collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the Ministry of Agriculture and local organizations, WFP will provide agricultural inputs, equipment and technical training to 8,250 smallholder farmers and 1,000 members of food transformation cooperatives most of whom are women.

    WFP’s Home-Grown School Feeding programme in Togo targets 45,500 children in 160 primary schools in the northern regions of the country.

    #                 #                   #

    About WFP

    WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters, and the impact of climate change. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government committed to fostering business climate, enhance Ease of Doing Business: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Government committed to fostering business climate, enhance Ease of Doing Business: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal

    PM’s visit to USA, France paved the way for greater investment and collaboration: Shri Goyal

    Small & Medium enterprises have a transformative role in driving Viksit Bharat: Shri Goyal

    Posted On: 25 FEB 2025 5:02PM by PIB Delhi

    The Centre is committed to creating a favourable investment climate, ensuring regulatory stability, and enhancing the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in the country. This was stated by Union Minister of Commerce & Industry Shri Piyush Goyal during his virtual address at the Pune International Business Summit 2025, which was organised by Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries, and Agriculture (MCCIA) on January 24, 2025.

    The Minister stressed that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s recent visits to the USA and France have paved the way for greater investment and enhanced collaborations. Emphasising that the 2-day summit will delve into emerging trade trends, build robust alliances and highlight the transformative role of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in driving Viksit Bharat, Shri Goyal pointed out that representatives from over 20 countries will participate at the event, reflecting global confidence in India’s resilience.

    Minister Goyal emphasised that the Union Budget reinforces its commitments with a ₹10k Cr Fund of Funds for Startups and a Deep Tech Fund empowering entrepreneurs. He further stressed that a significant investment committed towards R&D with an initial estimation of Rs 20,000 crore for Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) along with a high-level committee, an investment-friendly index & Jan Vishwas 2.0 further bolster trust-based governance.

    Noting that Pune known as the ‘Detroit of the East’ is the hub of innovation, the Minister stressed that the city is setting benchmarks across industries, making it the ideal venue to host events that foster collaborations and drive India’s growth story.

    Shri Goyal praised MCCIA for bringing together an inspiring confluence of industry leaders and visionaries and said that the 90-year old Association has played a transformative role in fueling progress, empowering entrepreneurs and driving growth across Maharashtra and India.

    ***

    Abhijith Narayanan/Asmitabha Manna

    (Release ID: 2106145) Visitor Counter : 26

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Secretary Steve Reed – NFU Conference speech

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed – NFU Conference speech

    Speech by Environment Secretary Steve Reed at the NFU Conference

    Thank you very much Tom for inviting me to speak today.  

    I’ve been to the NFU Conference before of course – but this is my first time attending as the Secretary of State for Defra. I want to personally thank Tom for our work together since I took up this role last July.  

    You were the first visitor to my office after the election and you’ve been back more since then than anyone else since. That conversation between us is invaluable as we navigate the farming transition together. 

    And I’m grateful for your views Tom – even where we’ve disagreed.  

    You set that out in your speech and I was listening to it, plain speaking as you always do. And I know it’s reflected here today, and the protests in Westminster and around the country. But even if the conversation gets difficult – I will always show up to have it. Because I respect this union and I respect British farming.

    Now, I can’t give the answer I know many of you want on inheritance tax. But I want you to know that I understand the strength of feeling in the room and in the sector, we can see and example of that right in front of me right now. And I am sorry it’s a decision that we’ve had to take.   

    Like I said I am always going to turn up to have the conversation with you, there’s an opportunity to ask questions afterwards and it might be better to ask them in that way because I have an awful lot that I think will be of interest to other people who are here in the room today that might want to hear what I have to say about that.

    Now I’ve heard many farmers describing that decision as ‘the final straw’ – and the truth is those straws have been piling up for many years. Tom you were outlining many of them in your speech.

    This sector is facing high input costs, tight margins, and unfairness in the supply chain. You’ve struggled to get enough workers to pick your fruit and veg. Frankly, you’ve been sold out in past trade deals. Farmland is increasingly at risk from severe flooding and drought.  

    And this all comes as we face the biggest transition for farming in generations, moving away from the Basic Payment Scheme to more sustainable methods of farming. 

    The underlying problem in this sector is that farmers do not make enough money for the hard work and commitment that they put in.   

    I will consider my time as Secretary of State a failure if I do not improve profitability for farmers up and down this country. 

    Today I can announce I will set up a new farming profitability unit within the department to drive that goal. I want to outline what the Government is doing to tackle the deep-rooted problems holding the sector back. Because time and again, I hear farmers say that they do not make a fair profit for the food they produce. And it is only by overcoming these long-standing challenges that we can create the conditions for your farming businesses to succeed. Achieving this starts by treating farms as the businesses they are. That’s something, in my view, the previous government forgot.  

    Farmers have repeatedly told me they want to stand on their own two feet. They are proud people and rightly so. But it is paternalistic and patronising for government to treat farmers as if they are not operating in a marketplace in which they need to turn a decent profit. 

    I worked in business for 16 years, with responsibility every year for driving up profit and driving down cost. British farming has some of the hardest working, most creative people anywhere in the British workforce. But a sector that isn’t profitable doesn’t have a future. I know that from my own long experience in business.   

    My focus is on ensuring farming becomes more profitable – because that is the best way to make your businesses viable for the future. And that’s how we ensure the long-term food security this country needs.   

    This approach will underpin our 25 Year Farming Roadmap and our Food Strategy, where we will work in partnership with farmers to make farming and food production sustainable and profitable. We will work with farmers and stakeholders to build the roadmap together, covering every part of the sector, and the first workshops will start next week. 

    The roadmap stands on three principles. 

    First, a sector that has food production at its core. The role of farming will always be to produce the food that feeds our nation. The instability we see across the world shows us why it’s so important we help farmers to get this right.  

    Second, a sector where farm businesses are more resilient in withstanding the shocks that periodically disrupt farming – severe flooding, drought, animal disease. We will help farmers who want to diversify their income to put more money into their business so they can survive these more difficult times when they come.   

    Third, a sector that recognises restoring nature is not in competition with sustainable food production, but is essential to it. 

    It is only by pursuing all three of these principles – and recognising that farms are businesses that need to be profitable, that we can guarantee national food security and a thriving food production and farming sector.  

    Our New Deal for Farmers is supporting farmers to produce food sustainably and profitably.  

    It won’t all happen overnight, but we are already making changes. 

    Tom has repeatedly told me farmers need certainty about seasonal workers. I’ve listened Tom, and I’m pleased to announce that we’re extending the Seasonal Worker visas for five years. That on it’s own is not the long-term solution. We will reduce the number of seasonal workers coming to the UK in the future.  

    But I recognise your business needs stability over the coming years as we work at pace to embrace innovation, develop the agri-tech and invest in farming practices so you can reduce your reliance on seasonal workers as quickly as possible. 

    We are making the Supply Chain fairer, with new regulations for the pig sector coming in by the end of next month in March to make sure contracts clearly set out expectations and only allow changes if they’ve agreed by all parties. We are engaging with industry on similar proposals for eggs and fresh produce. 

    For the first time ever, we are measuring where the public sector buys food from so we can use the Government’s own purchasing power to back British produce wherever we can. I have worked with my colleague Pat McFadden in the Cabinet Office to create new requirements for government catering contracts to favour high-quality, high-welfare products that British producers are well placed to meet.  

    This means British farmers and producers can compete for a fairer share of the £5 billion pounds a year the public sector spends on food. That’s money straight into farmers’ bank accounts to boost turnover and boost profits.  

    Ours is an outward-facing trading nation. But I want to be clear, we will never lower our food standards in trade agreements. We will promote robust standards nationally and internationally and will always consider whether overseas produce has an unfair advantage. British farming deserves a level playing field where you can compete and win and that is what you’ll get. We will use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors. 

    Innovation and technology will help farmers produce more food more sustainably and more profitably. I’m delighted to announce the legislation to implement the Precision Breeding Act for plants in England has been laid in Parliament today. This offers huge potential to transform the plant breeding sector in England by enabling innovative products to be commercialised in years instead of in decades, and we are reinstating the Precision Breeding Industry Working Group so the whole food supply chain can work together to bring new food and feed products to market faster. 

    We are investing in the UK Agri-Technology sector with a further £110 million pounds in farming grants being announced today. In Spring we will launch new competitions under our Farming Innovation Programme for groundbreaking research that will help the sector transition towards net zero, and unlock opportunities from the Precision Breeding Act.  

    This is not just for the biggest farms. We will help farms of any size access technology that makes a real difference to the bottom-line over the years ahead. Like the chemical-free cleaning for integrated milking equipment by Oxi-Tech – funded through FIP, which boosts profits by lowering energy costs and chemical use. Our new ADOPT programme will fund farmer-led trials that bridge the gap between these new technologies and their use in the real world,  showing farmers that their investments in technology will deliver financial returns and boost profits. And once technologies and equipment hit the market, we are making them available through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund. Products like the electric weeder developed by Rootwave to reduce chemical use. We will launch another opportunity this Spring to bring more products to the farmgate. 

    Farms must be resilient to future challenges if they are to remain financially viable and strengthen food security. That includes severe flooding and droughts through to animal disease, and geopolitical tensions that increase demands on our land for energy generation. 

    I know new tech doesn’t bring the same benefits for every type of farm. We are investing to help farm businesses build resilience against animal diseases that can devastate livelihoods and threaten our entire economy. Like the Bluetongue Virus, Avian Flu, or the recent case of Foot and Mouth that we saw in Germany. 

    That’s why we’re investing £208 million pounds to set up a new National Biosecurity Centre, modernising the Animal and Plant Health Agency facilities at Weybridge, to protect farmers, food producers and exporters from disease outbreaks that can wipe out businesses in a moment. 

    We are helping keepers of cattle, sheep and pigs in England improve the health, welfare and productivity of their animals by expanding the fully funded farm visits offer. 

    Tom had raised with me, and he just did in his speech, the risk from illegal meat imports. More than 92,000 thousand kilograms of illegal meat products were seized at ports across the UK over the last year. They carry huge risk of diseases such as African Swine Fever and Foot and Mouth getting into the country. We can’t tolerate this.   

    I am working with the Home Office and Border Force on plans to seize the cars, vans, trucks and coaches used by criminal gangs to smuggle illegal meat into our country and crush them so they can’t be used again.   

    I’ve listened to your concerns about other forms of crime as well. Crime damages farm profitability as you are forced to wait for farm or construction machinery to be replaced, or clear rubbish that has been dumped in your gateways or on your land. The National Rural Crime Unit is already supporting forces to tackle rural crime around the country.   

    To strengthen our approach and protect your profits, the Home Secretary Yvette Cooper will lay the legislation this year to better protect agricultural equipment like all-terrain vehicles, by requiring immobilisers and forensic marking as standard.  

    At the Oxford Farming Conference earlier this year, I announced new ways to help farmers remain profitable and viable, even in a challenging harvest. We will consult on national planning reforms this Spring to make it quicker for farmers to build new buildings, barns and other infrastructure to boost food production.  And ensure permitted development rights work for farms to convert larger barns into a farm shop, holiday let, or a sports facility if that suits their business planning. We will get red tape out of the way so you can invest to become more profitable.   

    I’m working with Ed Miliband and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero so more farm businesses can connect their own electricity generation to the grid much faster, so you can sell surplus energy and diversify your income.   

    The third element of our vision is nature. Restoring nature is vital to food production, not in competition with it. It is healthy soils, abundant pollinators and clean water that are the foundations farm businesses that they rely on to produce high crop yields and turn over a profit. Without nature thriving, there can be no long-term food security. 

    I want to thank everyone – upland, tenant, grassland farmers and others – everyone who is involved in our farming schemes. Almost 50 thousand farm businesses are now in schemes and around half of farmed land in England is being managed to enhance nature while producing food. 

    I recognise the frustration when we had to pause the Capital Grants offer last year without proper warning because of unprecedented demand. I promised to update you as soon as I could. And I can confirm today that every application submitted for capital grants before the pause in November will be taken forward, and following this, we will reopen the ELM capital grants offer this summer. 

    I’m also pleased to announce that we’re investing £30 million pounds to increase payment rates in Higher Level Stewardship with immediate effect to bring them more closely in line with our other farming schemes. Something the NFU and others have long called for. You just called for it again, Tom. These farmers are the pioneers of nature-friendly farming, often based in upland areas. They deliver high-quality environmental outcomes; now, finally, they will get a fair price for their work.  

    There’s a lot to be done to make British farming profitable and viable for the long term. I know we can only get there if we build the future together.   

    We will work with Tom, the NFU and farmers around the country to support farmers to keep producing the food we love to eat. This requires a new approach that recognises farms are businesses, and businesses need to turn a fair profit.  

    I’ll play my part in creating the conditions for that to happen. I know you’ll play your part in building resilient businesses that will innovate and succeed. Together, we will overcome the challenges this sector faces and give British farming the bright future this country knows you deserve.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Charles University Prague builds partnerships with 6 UK universities

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    World news story

    Charles University Prague builds partnerships with 6 UK universities

    A delegation from Charles University visited the UK to build strategic partnerships with 6 UK universities. It creates collaborative research and development opportunities.

    The delegation from Charles University at Imperial College London.

    Charles University is the oldest university in central Europe (established in 1348) with 17 Faculties and 50,000 students including more than 10,000 from abroad. It has 8,600 staff, 3,900+ are academics. The university is the best (world TOP150) in the following 5 subjects:

    • anatomy and physiology
    • economics
    • geography
    • linguistics
    • political science and international studies

    Charles University currently has bilateral agreements with 58 British universities. About 95 British students come to study in Prague every year.

    Between 27 and 31 March 2023, 18 delegates from Charles University led by the first ever female Rector Milena Králíčková and her 2 Vice-Rectors (Jan Kuklík and Ladislav Krištoufek) travelled round the UK to enhance strategic partnerships with 6 respected British universities:

    • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
    • Imperial College London
    • University College London
    • Cardiff University
    • University of St. Andrews
    • University of Edinburgh

    They were met by Vice-Chancellors or their deputies and large delegations of their counterparts.

    Prague UK Science and Innovation Network supported the idea of the mission from its beginning, contributed to the organisation of the mission and accompanied the Rector and Vice-Rectors to their key meetings.

    There were also many side meetings directly between faculty members and researchers in various sectors from pedagogy to biomedical and sport sciences. Overall, more than 20 meetings took place during the week and over 40 British leaders and researchers participated.

    Impact

    The mission itself is a great success on its own right. It highlights that the UK is a partner of choice for science and research at Charles University and a quality of British Higher Education is well recognized. The rector prioritized the UK for her first longer foreign visit and showed how important British networks for Charles University are.

    There was a huge interest to join from faculty members (Deans and Vice-Deans) and a formerly planned 5 people team turned to a large group of 18 delegates. The mission was self-funded by Charles University with no HMG financial support, showing high commitment to the collaboration.

    In all meetings, a part of the discussions focused on students and teachers’ mobility, celebrating already existing exchanges, for example, a cooperation between Charles University with Realistic graphics and Imaging Group at Imperial College London and Parasitology at LSHTM. New annual exchanges of 5 law students with Cardiff University have been agreed.

    Discussions also focused on research – matching strengths of institutions and finding ideal areas for collaboration. One early success of the visit was a Horizon Europe Teaming bid worth €1 million, submitted by the Faculty of Arts of Charles University together with the University College London and KTH Leuven to Brussels. The bid has not received funding, but the research teams of universities continue cooperating.

    Policy discussions focused on research security and exchanges of best practice between Charles University and British institutions. A common approach to privacy, research integrity and ethics is needed. Sustainability of Universities and Net-Zero pledges as well as energy security and high-inflation were also on minds of university leaders in both countries.

    The Rector of Charles University established a “strategic partnership seed fund” for Charles University staff to facilitate collaborations between staff from Charles University and their British counterparts that have a strong potential to establish mutually beneficial educational and research connections and make a valuable contribution to the international advancement of both universities.

    Expected outputs from this seed fund are mobility, teaching opportunities, joint publications, workshops and grant applications. An average of £5,000 is planned for one project with an estimated annual limit of 6 new collaborative opportunities between Charles University and 6 UK counterparts every year!

    SIN Officer Contact: otakar.fojt@fcdo.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ukraine, Sudan & other topics – Daily Press Briefing | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:

    – Secretary-General Travels
    – Ukraine
    – Sudan
    – Sudan/Humanitarian
    – Deputy Secretary-General
    – West Bank
    – Occupied Palestinian territory
    – Peacekeeping
    – Haiti
    – DR Congo/Humanitarian
    – DR Congo
    – Mozambique
    – Colombia

    UKRAINE
    The Secretary-General issued a statement in which he affirmed that the war in Ukraine stands as a grave threat not only to the peace and security of Europe but also to the very foundations and core principles of the United Nations.
    After three years of death and destruction, he once again calls for urgent de-escalation and an immediate end to the hostilities.  The Secretary-General welcomes all efforts towards achieving a just and inclusive peace. The United Nations stands ready to support such efforts.
    This afternoon, at 3pm, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, will brief the Security Council on Ukraine.

    SUDAN
    The Secretary-General is deeply concerned at the announcement by the Rapid Support Forces and affiliated civilian actors and armed groups of a political charter that expresses an intention to establish a governing authority in Rapid Support Forces areas of control. This further escalation in the conflict in the Sudan deepens the fragmentation of the country and risks further entrenching the crisis. Preserving Sudan’s unity, Preserving Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remains key for a sustainable resolution of the conflict and the long-term stability of the country and the wider region.
    The Secretary-General also condemns the persistent violence perpetrated against civilians across Sudan by both parties to the conflict, including ethnically motivated attacks. Sudanese women, Sudanese children and men are paying the heaviest price for the continued military offensives by the belligerents in this conflict.
    The Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Ramtane Lamamra, is engaging the warring parties and all other relevant stakeholders to achieve progress on a cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and humanitarian access and to promote de-escalation.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=24%20February%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdimuXYptgU

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Sustainable economic development takes centre stage at the International Cooperation Forum 2025 in Zurich

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    The fourth edition of the International Cooperation Forum Switzerland (IC Forum) will take place at ETH Zurich on 27 and 28 February 2025. Together with representatives from politics, business, research, philanthropy and NGOs, federal councillors Guy Parmelin and Ignazio Cassis will be looking for innovative ways to promote economic development in developing and partner countries. More than 1,500 people from over 120 countries are expected to attend in Zurich or participate online.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Support for professions affected by the 2035 expiry date for combustion engines – E-002715/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    When putting forward the European Green Deal and the Fitfor55 package, the Commission conducted several impact assessments, including for the revised Regulation setting CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and vans, which upholds the principle of technology neutrality[1],[2].The Commission will prepare a progress report by 2025, notably covering employment impacts[3].

    The EU has enacted measures and provides funding to ensure a fair transition , also in the automotive sector. This includes the European Skills Agenda, supporting Member States in up and reskilling of workers, and its Pacts for Skills such as the Automotive Skills Alliance aiming at upskilling 5% of the sector’s workforce each year.

    Moreover, the Council Recommendation on a fair transition[4] provides guidance to Member States on these topics. These measures are also supported by EU funds[5]. Further, the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund supports workers suffering from displacements following restructuring.

    In addition, the Commission plans to present the Union of Skills in early March, supporting upskilling and reskilling, among other things. The Commission will also present a Quality Jobs Roadmap in the second half of 2025, with the aim to ensure a fair transition for all.

    The Commission continues working on supporting the transition, through various initiatives and in consultation with social partners and other stakeholders.

    The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of the Automotive Industry was launched on 30 January 20 25, bringing together key stakeholders from the industry to propose and implement measures needed for the sector[6].

    Thematic discussions are held as part of the Strategic Dialogue, including on skills and social considerations in the sector.

    • [1] The regulation establishes a 100% CO2 emission reduction target for new cars and vans registered from 2035 onwards. http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/851/oj
    • [2] Impact assessment accompanying Proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2019/631 as regards strengthening the CO2 emission performance standards for new passenger cars and new light commercial vehicles in line with the Union’s increased climate ambition.
    • [3] Article 14a(f) of Regulation (EU) 2019/631, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/631/2024-01-01
    • [4] Council Recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality (2022/ C 243/04).
    • [5] such as the European Social Fund Plus.
    • [6] Including actions addressing jobs, skills, and other social elements in the sector https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_6542

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Erosion of the rule of law in Slovenia – E-000735/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000735/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Matej Tonin (PPE)

    Recent developments threatening democratic governance and institutional independence have raised alarms regarding the erosion of the rule of law in Slovenia:

    First, budget cuts to independent institutions: the Slovenian Government has imposed unjustified budget reductions on independent institutions, compromising their operational capabilities and political impartiality.

    Second, illegal surveillance of a state prosecutor: reports indicate the unauthorised surveillance of a state prosecutor by Slovenian police without a judicial warrant, violating fundamental rights and legal protections with regard to judicial independence.

    Third, unlawful changes to parliamentary procedures: the Government has altered parliamentary rules in contravention of standing orders, effectively removing essential procedural safeguards and diminishing the opposition’s ability to scrutinise legislation.

    Given these concerns, I ask the Commission:

    • 1.How does it assess these actions concerning the rule of law in Slovenia?
    • 2.Will the Commission take specific measures, such as monitoring or infringement procedures?
    • 3.Is there a possibility of sending a fact-finding mission to Slovenia to evaluate the situation?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Depleted uranium in Sardinia – E-000741/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000741/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Thomas Bajada (S&D)

    Several studies carried out in Salto di Quirra, Sardinia, have raised concerns about environmental, food safety and human health risks. In 2010, a technical committee of experts in the Italian Senate (III Committee on Depleted Uranium, DU) suggested the potential presence of high levels of thorium, cadmium and lead in soil. The 2010 veterinary report by the Cagliari and Lanusei local health board warned that these substances might also have entered the local food chain. Additionally, the Senate’s III Committee on DU reported elevated levels of particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5 in the area and the presence of anthropogenic nanoparticles in human tissue.

    In the light of the Ambient Air Quality Directives, the Environmental Liability Directive, the Environmental Crime Directive and the Industrial Emissions Directive:

    • 1.Does the Commission believe that these substances, which may have entered the local food chain, represent a threat to human and animal health and pose a threat to the quality of EU food products?
    • 2.Will the Commission investigate the potential correlation between the high number of leukemia and tumour cases reported in Quirra and the cited environmental contamination?
    • 3.Does the Commission intend to address these concerns with the Italian authorities, invoking the precautionary principle set out in the cited reports?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Possible violation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union by the Italian Highway Code – E-000726/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000726/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Isabella Tovaglieri (PfE)

    Article 122(2) of the current Italian Highway Code (Law Decree 121/2021, as amended by Law 177/2024) states that a person over 65 years of age may not accompany a learner driver practising for their test. This rule does not apply to professional driving instructors.

    In view of this, can the Commission say whether it considers this rule to be compatible with Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, which prohibits any form of age-based discrimination?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – The future of ArcelorMittal and the steel industry in the EU – E-000737/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000737/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Anthony Smith (The Left), Manon Aubry (The Left), Marina Mesure (The Left), Emma Fourreau (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Leila Chaibi (The Left)

    On 11 February 2025, the management of the ArcelorMittal Europe group announced that it was considering relocating certain activities to India. This decision follows Donald Trump’s introduction of 25 % tariffs on European steel and aluminium.

    In November 2024, ArcelorMittal announced the suspension of all its European decarbonisation projects, including the flagship hydrogen furnace project in Dunkirk, despite having received state aid to the tune of EUR 850 million. The company also chose to invest almost a billion dollars in a new ‘electrical steel’ plant in the USA, rather than in Europe.

    But this is not an isolated case. The entire European metallurgical industry is in crisis, with the threat of tens of thousands of direct and indirect job losses.

    Can the Commission say whether:

    • 1.it intends to reform the European electricity market to combat high electricity prices?
    • 2.it intends to respond to the US proclamations on raising tariffs by imposing retaliatory measures?
    • 3.it reaffirms its intent to exempt 80 % of European companies from the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, even though it protects European metallurgy from unfair competition?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Strategic importance of aviation and inclusion of sustainable aviation fuels in the Clean Industrial Deal – E-000740/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000740/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Cynthia Ní Mhurchú (Renew)

    A competitive and sustainable European aviation sector requires clear political recognition and a supportive regulatory framework.

    The priority now is to accelerate investment in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production and close the price gap. Boosting investment in next-generation SAF – such as eSAF and power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels – is critical to meeting the 2030 mandates under ReFuelEU.

    Europe can lead this transition and ensure the aviation sector’s competitiveness by accelerating these investments through a dedicated EU aviation industrial strategy.

    A strong policy signal is essential to encourage Member States, businesses and investors to support the sector’s transition. The Clean Industrial Deal represents a crucial opportunity to reinforce this recognition and provide the necessary incentives for SAF production and aviation decarbonisation.

    Can the Commission clarify:

    • 1.What concrete actions it is taking to acknowledge the strategic importance of the aviation sector in the EU and secure its competitiveness?
    • 2.Whether it intends to include aviation and SAF in the Clean Industrial Deal to provide a clear political signal to Member States, businesses and SAF investors that the sector is a priority for the EU and worth investing in?

    Submitted: 18.2.2025

    Last updated: 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – China’s increasing presence in Latin America: Implications for the European Union – 25-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Within just two decades, China has transformed from an insignificant player to a dominant force in Latin America, alongside the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). Predictions suggest that by 2035, China may even overtake the US as Latin America’s most important trading partner. China has been South America’s top trading partner for quite some time. The region holds strategic importance for the future of the global economy due to its abundance of resources and critical raw materials, such as lithium and copper. In parallel to maintaining economic ties with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), China is also enhancing its political relationship with the region, primarily through the China-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) forum. In 2018, China extended its vast global infrastructure development strategy – the Belt and Road Initiative – to Latin America. A recent example of Chinese strategic investment in the region is the Chancay megaport in Peru, which could be a game changer in Latin American logistics, as it will reroute trade between Latin America and Asia, bypassing the Atlantic and the Panama Canal. Recent actions by the Trump administration aimed at countering China’s influence in LAC may inadvertently strengthen China’s position in the region even further, as was seen during the first Trump administration. For the EU, which is in urgent need of a diversified supply of critical raw materials to navigate the clean and digital transition of its economy, the LAC region is now more strategically important than ever. The EU’s envisaged partnership agreement with Mercosur, the South American trading block, will test the EU’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Latin America through the conclusion of this agreement. The European Parliament is expected to vote on the proposed agreement during its current legislative term.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 25 February 2025: The Arrival of the ‘West – East’ Irish Sea Border

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Jim Allister KC MP responds to the commencement of the enforcement of the West – East Irish Sea Border from today, 25 February.

     “For years we were told that the Irish Sea border was a one-way issue and that while goods moving from GB to NI would be subject to fettered access, that at least goods could move freely from NI to GB.

    “That was always a nonsense because if the border was not on the international border there would have to be a way of checking goods to differentiate those coming from the Republic from those coming from Northern Ireland.

    “Today we will begin to see it enforced on goods going from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.”

    In coming to terms with this important date in the division of the UK Mr Allister has highlighted two key implications:

    1. New Export Procedures Dividing the United Kingdom

    “Under the mis-named Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024, published with the Safeguarding the Union deal, export procedures are to be applied to the movement of NI goods from NI to GB in five different areas for the first time.

    “No matter how minimal the effects, they still amount to cementing in the Irish Sea border because no such export procedures are required for the movement of any goods within the rest of the UK. This is wrong!

    2. Recognition that a Hard Border is Not Necessary

    “It would seem that having submitted their customs and SPS forms electronically in advance, lorries will be told, before leaving home, whether to attend an inland border control posts or other place away from the border, including their destination, for checks.

    “This arrangement removes any justification for the Irish Sea border. It was only imposed because we were told there could not be a hard border on the actual international border and so the border must be moved to the Irish Sea. However, the revelation – through these new arrangements – that it was not necessary to have a hard border across the island of Ireland in the first place, because checks can take place elsewhere, is a game changer.

    “Going forward the government has to explain why, knowing: i) that such a solution is workable, and ii) that the proportion of goods entering the Republic from Northern Ireland in 2020 was tiny (only worth 0.003% of EU GDP in 2020), they agree with a border ‘solution’ that is giving the EU the right to both make Northern Ireland an EU colony in 300 areas of laws and then imposing a hard border interrupting a far greater flow of goods from one part of the UK, GB, to another, NI.

    “Moreover, the act of running a border, while removing hard infrastructure from that border, constitutes a very significant step towards Mutual Enforcement, the solution proposed by my Bill and which was first set out within the EU by Sir Jonathan Faull who served as EU Commission ‘Director General of the Task Force for Strategic Issues related to the UK Referendum’, together with Prof JH Weiler and Prof Daniel Sarmiento.

    “The Government should now abandon introducing the next part of the border, the Parcels Border, on 31 March and work to replace the Irish Sea border with Mutual Enforcement, the only morally acceptable solution because it avoids a hard border without disenfranchising 1.9 million people and disrespecting the territorial integrity of the UK.”

    Notes to Editors

    Details about the application of the West -East Irish Sea Border from tomorrow can be found:  Moving non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain – GOV.UK

    The new export procedures being applied to some goods moving from NI to GB are set out by S. 45B of the Internal Markey Act, inserted by the  Windsor Framework (UK Internal Market and Unfettered Access) Regulations 2024

    The regulations that make provision for a border without hard infra-structure on the border are: The Official Controls (Amendment) Regulations 2024

    Mr Allister’s Mutual Enforcement Bill can be accessed: European Union (Withdrawal Arrangements) Bill – Parliamentary Bills – UK Parliament

    The Five Categories to which export procedures will be applied to goods moving from NI to GB are:

    ‘In respect of all goods moving from Northern Ireland to other parts of the United Kingdom’s internal market, the United Kingdom confirms that export procedures under Regulation (EU) No 952/2013 will apply only where goods:

    1. are placed under a procedure listed in Article 210 of that Regulation,
    2. are in temporary storage in accordance with Article 144 of that Regulation,
    3. are subject to provisions of Union law falling within the second sentence of Article 6(1) of the Windsor Framework1 which prohibit or restrict the exportation of goods,
    4. are placed under the export procedure within the Union in accordance with Title V and Title VIII of that Regulation, or
    5. do not exceed EUR 3 000 in value and are packed or loaded for export shipment within the Union, in accordance with Article 221 of Regulation (EU) No 2015/2447.’

    https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1145715/Unilateral_Declarations_by_the_United_Kingdom_of_Great_Britain_and_Northern_Ireland_and_the_European_Union_in_the_Withdrawal_Agreement_Joint_Committee_on_export_procedures.pdf

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister’s Ukraine reception remarks: 24 February 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Prime Minister’s Ukraine reception remarks: 24 February 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke at a 10 Downing Street reception marking three years since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    It’s a privilege to welcome you all here to Downing Street this afternoon.

    This, of course, is not only my office and the centre of our government but it is also my home. So it is appropriate that I throw open the doors to my home to you and make you feel welcome in this building, which is where you should be.

    And particularly fitting that you are here in my home today as we recognise people who have been welcomed into homes across the country, and I know there are many of you here.

    I’ve just had the privilege and the opportunity to talk with a number of you who have been here some for some little time now and often with children. There are people here who have come, people here who have opened their doors and there are many others across the country.

    We are really proud of the people who have opened their doors, opened their hearts as well – because it’s not just a shelter, it’s opening hearts and making you feel welcome particularly in this time of conflict and uncertainty.

    And I said to the people I was talking to just now, I would love to be able to get you all together here again on a future occasion that isn’t an anniversary of an awful conflict because that is, of course, what it is today.

    Because in the face of that conflict, I do think the bond between our two countries has got stronger and stronger. I think it was a good strong bond anyway, but it has got much stronger and that’s happened across the kitchen tables up and down the nation, as well as the meeting tables.

    And of course, I have had the privilege of meeting President Zelenskyy very many times now, on a number of occasions in different places, including here in Downing Street and, of course, in Kyiv.

    I’ve actually been to Kyiv four times. I went twice before the conflict, because before I was a politician, I was the chief prosecutor and we were working with criminal justice colleagues in Kyiv. And so I have seen Kyiv in peace – a brilliant, fantastic city – and I’ve seen it twice, once as leader of the opposition and just a few weeks ago as Prime Minister, in this terrible conflict.

    When I was there just a few weeks ago, I was able to express our solidarity and support, and I was struck again by the resilience and strength of the Ukrainians, because that sense of civic duty, going and doing everyday work, and treating it as work for the nation was very, very strong.

    When I was there four weeks ago, I went to the burns unit at one of the hospitals and saw for myself some of those who have been on the frontline who were being treated in hospital with terrible burns from blasts, really life-changing injuries, and civilians as well who had been caught up in blasts.

    In one sense, it’s obvious when you’re in conflict you are going to see things like that but when you’re there and you see it right there, the human impact is huge.

    Because this isn’t just about discussions of defence and security in Europe, although it is that, it isn’t just about sovereignty and it is that, it is about the impact on human beings.

    When I was there I met children in a school in Kyiv, they were primary-school age so they were 8, 9, 10-years-old, living under the threat of bombardment all of the time. It’s what they are growing up with and I met some of them who had already lost their parents on the frontline at that tender age. That is really humbling, it really brought home to me the human impact of all of this.

    Politics is about the decisions you make but it is also about who you have in your mind’s eye when you make your decisions. And I think it is very important that we have you in our mind’s eye.

    When I was there with President Zelenskyy just a few weeks ago, we then went to have our discussion as two leaders and at that point a drone – a Russian drone – was up in the sky and had to be shot down right above the presidential palace, which for me was just a real reminder of what it is like to live in Kyiv and to have that threat every day now with the drones going up. It brought home to me the uncertainty and the fear – not just obviously for yourselves and the people living in the conflict, but all of their loved ones, and your family and extended family, and friends, and communities who are there and must be in your mind’s eye all of the time. And for your children and your country in the years to come.

    So, amongst my messages here this afternoon is you are not alone.

    We stand with you, and we have stood with you throughout this conflict and we will walk with you through this conflict, and we will continue to do so for as long as is necessary.

    I am proud that we opened our homes; I’m proud of our NHS workers in the hospital I went to Kyiv, who had gone out there with their skills to try and work with those working in the hospitals; the soldiers that are training Ukrainian troops.

    This is incredibly humbling work. I went to see it for myself down in Salisbury. Not only the professionalism of our troops who are doing the training but also the Ukrainian civilians, as they were, who had come to do the training. Through interpreters I talked to a number of them and they had been plumbers, they had been architects, working in local government, and here they were training to go to the frontline. And it was training that would normally take months being truncated into weeks. It was a real sense of what it is like to go through this awful conflict.

    Because we know that this fight is about Ukraine – it is about you, your communities – but it is also about us. This is bigger than Ukraine – it is, of course, about Ukrainian sovereignty but it not just Ukrainian sovereignty. It is about our way of life, our freedoms, about security and defence in Europe, and security and defence here in the United Kingdom, and the values that we hold dear. 

    That’s why last time I was there I signed a 100-year partnership with Ukraine which is to signal the ongoing relationship that we want to build over many, many decades to come. 

    It’s why we are sending £4.5 billion in military aid to Ukraine this year – that’s more than ever before. And working with our international partners to guarantee the security of Ukraine for generations to come.

    Because I strongly believe that whatever happens next, Ukraine must be in the strongest possible position. We must, we must, we must get peace through strength. 

    The temptation is always there to think that it is job done, or something is about to happen. We have got to make sure that we continue with our full support, whether that is capability, whether that is money, whether that’s training – all the other support that we can put in. And that’s my constant message in the discussions I am having with international leaders 

    We also need to be really clear as there are lots of discussions at the moment about negotiations: we can’t negotiate about Ukraine without Ukraine – you just can’t – and we must be absolutely clear about this.

    After everything you and your people, your country has been through, all the suffering and hardship – this is about the future of Ukraine and Ukraine must be at the table. It’s an absolute pre-condition.

    And we must work for a lasting peace. One of my biggest fears is that there is a ceasefire which is a temporary reprieve but simply gives Putin the space to come again and that would be the worst of outcomes.

    It must be a lasting peace for you, your children and your children’s children, so that you can live as you should be able to live, in a proud, safe and sovereign Ukraine; able to make sovereign decisions as a country about the alliance that Ukrainians want to make; the partnerships that Ukrainians want to make, and the way of life that Ukrainians want.

    So we will not falter in our support.

    We will not stop our efforts to end this war.

    And we will not rest until the people of Ukraine can live peacefully and safely in their own country.

    So thank you for being here; I do hope that I can have the privilege of seeing you here or elsewhere on an occasion where we are not celebrating another anniversary of this conflict but genuinely celebrating freedom and peace for Ukraine and for Europe.

    Thank you very much.

    Slava Ukraini.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Students of SPbGASU learned how to get a grant to implement their ideas

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Lecture by Alena Zinkevich

    On February 21, the lecture “The Ecosystem of Youth Policy in Russia” was held in the “Growth Point” space of SPbGASU. The head of the media department of the charitable organization “Anna Helps”, expert-mentor of Rosmolodezh, expert of the “Movement of the First”, lecturer of the Russian society “Knowledge” Alena Zinkevich told students about organizations that work in the field of youth policy, and about the opportunities that young people have today.

    According to Alena Zinkevich, youth policy at various levels is implemented by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh), the Committee for Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations of the Administration of St. Petersburg, educational institutions, and youth centers.

    Alena Zinkevich spoke in detail about the Rosmolodezh forums, which provide the opportunity to travel for free, communicate with like-minded people, and receive funding for your projects.

    The speaker reviewed various projects and programs of Rosmolodezh, explained what grants are, what types of grants exist, and where to look for them. Thus, until March 17, you can apply for the correspondence competition “Rosmolodezh. Grants Season I”. Alena Zinkevich shared useful tips and offered assistance in filling out applications. Those interested could make a request and receive a gift from the speaker – a checklist on social design. After the lecture, we asked the students if they had projects that they dreamed of bringing to life.

    Anna Bogolyubova, a first-year undergraduate student at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Urban Management, has not previously participated in grant competitions. She does not have a project yet, but she has ideas. Anna learned a lot of new things at the lecture.

    Anna Kozhemyak, a second-year bachelor’s student at the Faculty of Civil Engineering, actively attends lectures at Tochka Rosta. She has several ideas aimed at solving student problems. Anna is a participant in the World Youth Festival in Sochi. She wants to continue the experience she gained there.

    Lecture audience. In the center is Lev Zadumkin

    The lecture was attended by Lev Zadumkin, the leading system administrator of the information technology department of SPbGASU. His project is a youth cycling school. “It’s like a driving school, only on bicycles, where we teach traffic rules and city riding in the format of a full course, with theory and practice. After classes, students stop being afraid of the roadway, understand road signs, and can provide first aid,” he said. In 2023, Lev, as part of a team from the “Let’s Go” association, applied for a grant (subsidy) competition from the Committee on Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations.

    “We won then, but not last year, but we are not giving up and will try again this year, with the project of the school of urban mobility, which will include training in riding not only bicycles, but also SIM (individual mobility devices – electric scooters, unicycles and others). This innovation gives the project additional relevance in connection with the increase in demand for urban micromobility as an affordable and environmentally friendly alternative to public transport and private cars,” Lev continued.

    Lev Zadumkin reported that as a public project, “Bike School” has existed for more than 10 years thanks to activist Alexander Kozhanov and the public movement “Bicycling of St. Petersburg”. “Previously, these were one-time classes for a wide audience, video lectures, performances at festivals, then we tested the format of courses for residents of the municipal district (MO-72) and released several streams,” he said, specifying that he himself has been actively involved in the project since 2023.

    “As far as I know, there are no similar schools to ours yet, we are pioneers. There are schools that teach how to ride a bike (mainly for children), there are “electric scooter schools” from sharing companies, but there is a problem everywhere – they do not prioritize the use of bicycles and SIMs as transport and do not teach traffic rules. And classes at the bike school are free!” – concluded Lev Zadumkin.

    “Our university offers many opportunities for young people to realize themselves. On February 26 at 19:00, Rosmolodezh. Grants and Dvizhenie Perviy ambassadors will hold individual consultations at the Growth Point. This is a good social lift. Come with your ideas!” urged Ekaterina Kovalenko, Deputy Head of the Youth Policy Department.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The ‘lab-leak origin’ of Covid-19. Fact or fiction?

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Florence Débarre, Directrice de recherche CNRS, chercheuse en biologie évolutive, Sorbonne Université

    In a January 24 interview with the far-right-wing outlet Breitbart News, newly appointed CIA director John Ratcliffe stated that assessing intelligence on a potential Wuhan lab leak was a top priority. The following day, The New York Times reported that the agency had shifted from an undecided stance to favoring a possible Chinese lab leak, albeit with a “low confidence” rating–the lowest on a three-tier scale (low, medium, high)–indicating the evidence remains inconclusive.

    The CIA has thus joined the ranks of the FBI and the Department of Energy (DOE), which has scientific jurisdiction, in supporting the possibility of a laboratory-related incident.

    Findings from a 2023 reportshow that, among the U.S. agencies that have investigated the pandemic’s origins, one remains undecided, while four others, along with the National Intelligence Council, support the natural origin hypothesis.

    What does ‘laboratory origin’ really mean?

    According to The New York Times, the CIA’s revised assessment is based not on new evidence, but on a reinterpretation of existing data. However, the reasoning behind its reassessment, along with the supporting data, has not been made public, making it impossible to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the agency’s conclusions.

    Adding to the complexity, “laboratory origin” is an umbrella term encompassing multiple, sometimes contradictory, scenarios. Confirming CNN’s 2023 report on the Department of Energy’s revised stance, The New York Times notes that while the DOE identifies the Wuhan Center for Disease Control (WCDC) as the outbreak’s likely source, the FBI attributes it to a lab leak at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). As of now, the CIA has not disclosed which scenario it deems most plausible.

    Though WCDC is not an actual research laboratory, some of its employees were participating in wildlife sampling campaigns at the time of the outbreak. In late 2019, WCDC moved to a location close to the Huanan Market. A theory implicating the WCDC confirms evidence that the earliest detected cases are epidemiologically and geographically linked to the market, suggesting the virus emerged naturally.

    In contrast, the WIV is a research institute operating across two campuses–one located 12 kilometers from the market and the other, which houses the P4 laboratory, 27 kilometers away. Scenarios implicating the WIV generally posit that “gain-of-function” coronavirus experiments–intended to enhance a virus’s transmissibility or virulence–were conducted under unsafe biosecurity conditions. The WIV is a biosafety level 2 facility, two levels below the high-security P4 standard.

    The interactive map above highlights Wuhan laboratories–the two WIV campuses in purple and the WCDC in yellow–and the Wuhan Huanan market in red. Click the symbol in the top left corner to view the legend. Since the WCDC is located near the market, please zoom in to see it.

    The Covid-19 virus originated from a single source. If it did escape from a Chinese laboratory, it could not have simultaneously leaked from two separate labs conducting different types of research.

    The lab leak scenario, supported by mutually incompatible hypotheses, doesn’t hold up–even before considering theories that the virus was engineered in a U.S. lab and then sent to Wuhan.

    Beyond determining the virus’s origin, it is equally important to identify the exact nature of the virus–further complicating the lab-accident hypothesis. Was it a natural occurring virus contracted during a sampling campaign? A laboratory-cultivated virus transferred to cells or animals? Or even a directly genetically modified virus?

    Again, SARS-CoV-2 cannot be both a natural virus and the result of lab experiments. Arguments built on conflicting premises do little to strengthen the case for a research-related incident.

    No evidence of a laboratory-related incident

    The lab-incident hypothesis would carry much more weight if definitive proof emerged that, by late December 2019, a Wuhan laboratory possessed a progenitor of SARS-CoV-2–meaning a virus identical or nearly identical to SARS-CoV-2.

    In the case of the 2007 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in southern England, for example, virus sequencing quickly led investigators to nearby high-security laboratories conducting research on a similar virus. The inquiry ultimately traced the outbreak to faulty effluent pipes at the facilities.

    To date, no virus has been identified that could be used in a laboratory as a direct progenitor of SARS-CoV-2. If the virus did emerge from a research-related incident, two possibilities remain: it was either an uncharacterized natural virus, unknown even to researchers, or it was a previously characterized virus that had not been disclosed–either because it was recently identified or part of a classified program–and is still being kept under wraps by scientists in Wuhan.

    Especially if SARS-CoV-2 were the result of genetic engineering. A lab-modified virus would mean its genetic sequence was known before the pandemic and accessible to researchers. However, by 2021, the U.S. intelligence community had determined that researchers at the WIV had no prior knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 before the outbreak. While absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, concrete data has yet to emerge supporting the hypothesis of laboratory modification.

    Theories about a potential lab outbreak have also fueled speculation about external involvement, both within China and abroad. A U.S. Senate committee report put forward an all-Chinese scenario, citing the suspicious 2020 death of a Beijing-based researcher working on a new vaccine.

    Other theories center on the NGO EcoHealth Alliance, which collaborated with WIV to collect and study natural coronavirus strains before its funding was abruptly cut off at Donald Trump’s request in Spring 2020. The organization’s president has since been banned from federal funding for five years, facing criticism over oversight issues, including delayed reporting of an experiment on a chimeric coronavirus and failure to provide WIV’s laboratory notebooks.

    Among the most high-profile figures implicated in U.S.-based complicity theories is Anthony Fauci, the former White House Covid advisor and head of the agency that funded the EcoHealth Alliance/WIV collaboration. But allegations against Fauci go far beyond simply approving research grants. One narrative claims he deliberately suppressed discussions about the pandemic’s point of origin, pressuring researchers to alter their conclusions in exchange for funding. No evidence has surfaced to support this claim.

    Anticipating potential retribution from his successor and the Republican Party, Former President Joe Biden preemptively granted Fauci a presidential pardon. However, newly elected President Donald Trump has since revoked Fauci’s personal security detail, and Republican Senator Rand Paul has vowed to continue efforts to prosecute him.

    The natural-origin theory faces hurdles as well

    Since these competing lab leak theories have emerged from a lack of conclusive evidence anything is possible. However, available data suggest the virus may have originated naturally from animals sold at the Huanan Market.

    Multiple sources, including research from Chinese institutions, support this hypothesis: two early SARS-CoV-2 strains were detected at the market, with the earliest cases reported in homes within the vicinity, even for patients without direct epidemiological links to it, and findings from the Chinese Center for Disease Control (CCDC) indicate that raccoon dogs and masked palm civets–species implicated in earlier SARS outbreaks–were present in the market’s southwest corner, where traces of SARS-CoV-2 were frequently detected.

    However, by the time the China CDC team arrived at the Huanan Market–just hours after its closure for sample collection–raccoon dogs and civets were no longer present. As a result, no direct traces of infection were detected, and the definitive evidence some are hoping for may never be uncovered.

    But even if such proof were to emerge, it’s unlikely to settle the debate. Additional confirmation would be needed to show that the contamination originated in the animals rather than being a secondary infection transmitted by humans. Moreover, skeptics could argue that the animals themselves came from a laboratory. In other words, the controversy is far from over.

    For now, with the new Trump administration focused on finding a culprit, the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic will remain in the spotlight. Senator Rand Paul, now chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC), has made the issue his favorite hobbyhorse.

    While declassifying additional information from the U.S. intelligence community could help clarify competing conclusions, there are concerns that the administration’s efforts may unfairly target researchers, potentially resulting in more innocent victims.

    Florence Débarre received funding in 2022 from the MODCOV19 platform of the National Institute for Mathematical Sciences and their Interactions (Insmi, CNRS) to model the initial dynamics of an epidemic.

    – ref. The ‘lab-leak origin’ of Covid-19. Fact or fiction? – https://theconversation.com/the-lab-leak-origin-of-covid-19-fact-or-fiction-250462

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ukraine on Ukraine – Security Council Media Stakeout

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Joint Statement by Ms. Betsa Mariana, Deputy Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, on Ukraine – Security Council Media Stakeout.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnlQOh4ivOs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Vote on Ukraine: General Assembly adopts resolution

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    The UN General Assembly adopts a draft resolution calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

    The resolution passed with 93 votes in favor, 18 against and 65 abstentions.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHgPNWpO46g

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The First Minister’s challenge to Anas Sarwar on the eve of the Budget

    Source: Scottish National Party

    Dear Anas,

    I welcome the response from the Prime Minister to my call last week for the UK Government to provide support for Grangemouth.

    I know you share my concern that the decision to close the Grangemouth refinery is premature and fundamentally short sighted and the UK Government’s commitment to additional investment is a step in the right direction. We all have a responsibility to work collaboratively to secure Grangemouth’s long-term future, its workforce and Scotland’s transition to net zero.

    My announcement last week that the Scottish Government will make a further £25 million available to enable businesses to bring forward investable propositions for Grangemouth, will be put to Parliament as an amendment at Stage 3 of the Budget Bill tomorrow. This funding will be made immediately available from the beginning of the next financial year without requiring match-funding. I hope that when the UK Government provide more details on the announced £200 million being available through the National Wealth Fund that this will also be available for timely deployment on a similar basis as the funding I have set out and that these funds align to best support a just transition for Grangemouth.

    In that spirit of cooperation, I trust that you and Scottish Labour colleagues will now be in a position to vote for the Budget at Stage 3 tomorrow and work constructively to deliver the nearly £90 million investment for Grangemouth, supporting the jobs, livelihoods and businesses which depend on it.

    Yours sincerely,

    John Swinney

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: 13 community initiatives benefit from £1.9 million investment

    Source: City of Winchester

    Communities across the district reaped the benefits of a £1.9 million investment last year as 13 projects funded through Winchester City Council’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) reached fruition.

    The district CIL, raised from levies on new developments across the wider Winchester area and administered by the city council, helps fund local initiatives that contribute to communities and improve the lives of residents.

    Among the projects realised last year was a new solar panel array on Jubilee Hall in Bishop’s Waltham, which completed in September.

    Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council received £40,000 from the city council for the project which involved the installation of over 100 new solar panels at the hall.  This is now helping reduce the parish council’s carbon emissions and lowering the running costs of the building.

    With help from CIL, as well as other funding sources, the Parish Council has been working to make its operations more sustainable. A spokesperson from Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council said:

    “Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council would like to thank Winchester City Council for providing two thirds of the funding for the installation of Solar Panels to the roof of The Jubilee Hall. The remaining funds came from Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) neighbourhood funds. 

    Bishop’s Waltham Parish Council have also been successful in obtaining further funding from an SSEN Grant for additional solar battery storage. We are already seeing a reduction of our energy costs, and this is a significant milestone in the Council’s work towards decarbonisation of the Jubilee Hall.”

    Another project, at Wickham Community Centre, received £30,000 towards installation of new access doors and flooring, helping visitors to access the centre. Speaking about the difference the funding had made, a centre spokesperson said:

    “Wickham Community Centre, at over 30 years old, was showing signs of its age. The single-glazed front doors resulted in significant drafts, making the foyer cold and uncomfortable during winter, and driving up our utility bills. Additionally, the Long Room’s appearance had deteriorated to the point where it was no longer suitable for showcasing. The floor was in poor condition, and the ceiling’s soundproofing looked unsightly. 

    “We applied for CIL funding from Winchester City Council to undertake several refurbishment projects, including new front doors and a complete refurbishment of the Long Room. These were improvements we couldn’t have financed independently, and we are extremely grateful for the funding. The new doors look fantastic and have made the centre more accessible, while also eliminating the drafts.

    “The Long Room refurbishment has had a transformative effect. Long-term users, such as the Wickham Rifle Club, who have been with us since the centre opened 34 years ago, are particularly pleased. The new look has also attracted new hirers, boosting our trading income.”

    Winchester’s Cabinet Member for Place and the Local Plan, Cllr Jackie Porter, said:

    “CIL funding is a huge benefit to the Winchester district’s communities and I’m enormously proud that we’ve been able to provide a boost for a variety of initiatives that will help make improve our residents’ lives and make our local communities more sustainable.”

    “It is exciting to local initiatives come to fruition for our growing communities across the whole breadth of the district, from Wickham to Alresford, using CIL funding.”

    Other projects that received support from the district CIL fund during 2024 included new play equipment at Eversley Park (£12,000), toilet refurbishments at Otterbourne Village Hall (£12,850) and works to upgrade allotments in New Alresford (£25,000).

    Funding was also put towards council-led projects, including £300,000 towards a new 3G pitch for Winchester Football Club and £1,250,000 spent on the new Pavilion at King George V Playing Fields.

    The City Council also recently published a funding statement that details funding allocations for the 2023/ 2024 financial year.

    The statement can be viewed on the City Council’s website at www.winchester.gov.uk/CIL-spending

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Labour must act to stop energy price hikes

    Source: Scottish Greens

    25 Feb 2025 Energy

    It it time to break the link between global gas prices and electricity bills.

    More in Energy

    The Labour government is badly failing in its promise to lower energy bills, says Scottish Green co-leader Lorna Slater.

    Ms Slater’s comments come as Ofgem has announced the energy price cap will rise by 6.4% this April, or £111 a year for an average household.

    Ms Slater said:

    “The fossil fuel giant executives are laughing their way to the bank and toasting eye watering profits, but households and families across our country are being plunged into poverty by a broken energy market.

    “Scotland has renewable resources that any country would envy, but bill payers are not seeing the benefit of them.

    “Labour promised to cut costs, but this is the third increase in a row since Keir Starmer took office. It simply isn’t good enough. People want to know when they will stop being hit with one increase after another.

    “We need radical and urgent reform of our energy markets and to break the link between global gas prices and electricity bills. Renewables have helped cut the cost of generating electricity, this should be reflected in household bills.

    “The shift to clean, green renewable energy is crucial for our environment, and it is key to lowering bills and building a system that works for people and planet.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An overpass will be built across the MCD-2 tracks in Skhodnensky Tupik

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A new automobile overpass will appear in the northwest of the capital. It will replace the existing single-level crossing over the tracks of the second Moscow Central Diameter (MCD-2) at Skhodnensky Tupik. This was announced by Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “Due to the increased intensity of rail traffic on MCD-2, there was a need to build an overpass. The diameter essentially divided the area into two parts, which creates difficulties for transit traffic. The length of the new overpass with approaches will be 385 meters. There will be two traffic lanes in each direction and sidewalks on both sides of the structure. According to the contract, the project is planned to be completed by the end of 2027,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The overpass will be built on the stretch between Tushinskaya and Trikotazhnaya stations. The new road infrastructure facility will significantly improve the transport situation in the Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo area north of Volokolamskoye Highway.

    “The construction will be only part of a large project for the reconstruction and construction of transport infrastructure in the Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo area. The contract also includes the construction of an extension of Skhodnenskaya Street, an exit-entrance to Volokolamsky Proezd and its reconstruction,” added the head of the capital’s Department of Construction of Transport and Engineering Infrastructure Vasily Desyatkov.

    Earlier Sergei Sobyanin told, that since 2011, more than 100 overpasses have been built and reconstructed in the capital.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150508073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Genius of the Place”: HSE School of Design Holds Competition Among Applicants

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Competition projects will be useful for admission

    Works submitted to the “Genius Loci” competition may be presented during entrance examinations for the following bachelor’s degree programs: online bachelor’s degree “Design” at HSE Perm, “Design” at HSE Nizhny Novgorod, “Design” at HSE St. Petersburg, “Design” at the HSE School of Design in Moscow.

    The points received in the competition may differ from the points received in the entrance examinations due to the different levels of preparation of the participants and the number of works submitted.

    Participation in the “Genius of the Place” competition does not exempt you from the mandatory entrance exam upon admission. Do not forget to submit documents and upload a creative project.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The route network of ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group can be combined through code sharing

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    ITA Airways and Lufthansa Group are moving closer together for their customers. The respective route networks of ITA Airways and the other network airlines of the Lufthansa Group will be linked for the first time through mutual code sharing, making it possible to combine them seamlessly in a single booking. With today’s sales launch, over 100 new codeshare connections can be booked by both ITA Airways and the Lufthansa Group (Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti) for flight dates starting with the summer 2025 schedule. 

    By sharing or adding codeshare flight numbers to an existing flight, customers have a wider choice of flights and more flexibility. Despite traveling with different airlines, passengers will in future have just one ticket with the flight number of a single airline for transfer connections thanks to codeshares, and they will be able to check in their baggage conveniently to their final destination. Members of the Miles & More or Volare loyalty programs will also be able to collect and redeem miles or points on codeshare flights. 

    Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer, Lufthansa Group, said: “ITA Airways is now an integral part of the offering for our joint passengers. With just one booking, a customer of the Lufthansa Group can use ITA Airways’ synchronized connecting flights with its airline’s flight numbers. Codesharing will further improve and harmonize the travel experience of all passengers at the Lufthansa Group’s hubs. The integration of ITA Airways as part of the Lufthansa Group is progressing rapidly and now enables far-reaching advantages in the offering for our joint customers through code sharing.” 

    With the start of the summer flight schedule on 30 March 2025, selected ITA Airways flights will also operate under a flight number of Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines or Brussels Airlines. These are both year-round, domestic Italian connecting flights from Rome-Fiumicino and international routes from Rome to Malta, Athens, Sofia and Tirana. ITA Airways destinations such as Alghero (Sardinia), Pantelleria (Sicily) and Reggio di Calabria can be booked by Lufthansa Group customers for the first time. In addition, the codes will also be added to ITA Airways flights between Italy and the other Lufthansa Group hubs. 
    For example, from the summer flight schedule, a Lufthansa customer can book a trip with Lufthansa from Frankfurt to Rome under flight number LH236 and then combine it with ITA Airways from Rome to Brindisi under flight number LH5078, thus obtaining an additional travel option to the Lufthansa Group’s existing flight connections to Brindisi. 

    Conversely, ITA Airways passengers will in future be able to plan their journey with connecting flights from other network airlines of Lufthansa Group. Initially, this new codeshare offer with ITA Airways will cover flight routes within Europe. Destinations in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe can be conveniently reached in future with an ITA ticket from Italy. Once the codeshare program is fully implemented, ITA Airways passengers will be able to choose from over 250 destinations offered by the Lufthansa Group. 
     

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Ukraine’s destiny is Europe’s destiny and Europe will stand with Ukraine

    Source: European Commission (video statements)

    On February 24 2022 Ukraine, a peaceful nation, was invaded.
    It is not only Ukraine’s destiny that is at stake, Europe’s destiny is also at stake.

    We will stand with Ukraine. Slava Ukraini!

    One Fine Day by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG9zJLM0Tp8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: New Supervision Rulebook to Enhance Support for Social Welfare Workers in Sarajevo Canton

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: New Supervision Rulebook to Enhance Support for Social Welfare Workers in Sarajevo Canton

    Presentation of the Rulebook on Supervision in Social Welfare Institutions in Sarajevo Canton for directors and professionals in these institutions held in Sarajevo. (OSCE) Photo details

    To improve working conditions for social welfare professionals, the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons, and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton, in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina (Mission), organized a presentation of the Rulebook on Supervision in Social Welfare Institutions in Sarajevo Canton for directors and professionals in these institutions.
    Maria Caterina Ghobert, Human Rights Advisor at the Mission, emphasized the importance of the Rulebook: “This Rulebook introduces systemic support for social welfare professionals, fostering teamwork, reducing burnout risks, and helping them navigate workplace challenges. As social welfare professionals provide critical support to those in need, it is essential that they alsoreceive the necessary support.”
    Supervision within social welfare institutions serves as an essential support mechanism for professionals, offering guidance, facilitating experience-sharing, and promoting continuous development. Rather than serving as a control measure, it enhances work quality, addresses challenges, and strengthens collaboration,
    “With the adoption of the new Rulebook on Supervision in Sarajevo Canton in 2024, the supervision process has been formally launched, enabling institutions to appoint supervisors based on their specific needs. This initiative reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to strengthening the social welfare system by ensuring professionals with the necessary support, ultimately improving the quality of care for beneficiaries,” stated Minister Enda Pavić-Pečenkovic of the Ministry of Labour, Social Policy, Displaced Persons, and Refugees of Sarajevo Canton. “The Ministry will closely monitor the implementation of the Rulebook and the supervision process in the coming period.”

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government to increase Higher Level Stewardship payments and re-open Capital Grants Offer

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Government to increase Higher Level Stewardship payments and re-open Capital Grants Offer

    The government is increasing payment rates for those in existing Higher Level Stewardship and confirming the ELM standalone Capital Grants offer worth £45m in 2025/26 will re-open in the summer.

    Farmers and land managers who have been at the forefront of nature-friendly farming in England will see an uplift to Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates, the government has announced today (Monday 24 February).   

    The increased payment rates, which will apply for agreement holders across a range of HLS options will provide a boost for farmers – often living and working in upland areas – who have been the pioneers of nature-friendly farming.  

    It will bolster support for farmers delivering high-quality environmental outcomes to maintain species-rich grasslands, managing our most important habitats and delivering a range of high-quality environmental outcomes.  

    In a further boost for nature recovery and the environment, the popular standalone ELM Capital Grants scheme will re-open in the summer, worth around £45 million in 2025/26. 

    The Rural Payments Agency is now processing the remaining 4,000 applications held when the scheme paused. These agreements will be worth £120 million over their lifetime. 

    We are also supporting farmers to improve productivity and protect the environment with a £110 million investment in equipment and technology grants.  

    The newly designed grant competitions launching this spring will focus on helping the sector transition to net zero and unlock opportunities from the Precision Breeding Act. 

    Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said:   

    This government’s focus is on ensuring farming becomes more profitable and businesses are viable for the future – delivering the long-term food security this country needs. 

    Investing in innovation and technology will help farmers produce food more sustainably and profitably, and get the equipment they need to help their bottom line. 

    And with nature being so crucial to long-term food security, we’re rewarding the pioneers of nature-friendly farming – including many upland farmers.

    Our £110 million investment in innovation, equipment, technology includes:  

    • The launch of one round of the Farming Equipment and Technology (FETF) Fund in the spring, providing grants of between £1,000 and £25,000. 
    • New Farming Innovation Programme (FIP) grants worth more than £42.5 million, including competitions focussed on unlocking the benefits of precision breeding and supporting the net zero transition. 
    • Our new ADOPT fund will provide £20 million of additional funding for farmer-led trials that bridge the gap between new technologies and their real-world application, giving farmers the confidence investments in tech will deliver the returns they need. 

    Alongside these grants, we are also extending the Farming in Protected Landscapes (FiPL) programme to continue to support and improve England’s most precious areas of natural beauty, and improving animal health and welfare through government funded vet visits.  

    Through the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway farmers will be able to apply for visits to cover every eligible species they have from this week, and from summer they will also be able to apply for a visit for every eligible herd or flock of the same species. 

    Additionally, the recruitment campaign for the Commissioner for Tenant Farming Sector role is now live. The Commissioner will encourage behaviour in the sector to meet standards set out in the Agricultural Landlord and Tenant Code of Practice for England.   

    As part of the government’s Plan for Change, we are delivering on the Government’s New Deal for Farmers, with the first steps set out by the Secretary of State at the Oxford Farming Conference.

    We will work with the sector to boost profitability through fair competition across the supply chain, use planning reforms to support food production and monitor food currently bought in the public sector and where it is bought from. 

    We will help farmers diversify income streams and make additional money from selling surplus energy from solar panels and wind turbines by accelerating connections to the grid.

    We are going further to develop a 25-year farming roadmap to make the sector more profitable in the decades to come.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –