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Category: Europe

  • MIL-Evening Report: The AI sexbot industry is just getting started. It brings strange new questions – and risks

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Raffaele F Ciriello, Senior Lecturer in Business Information Systems, University of Sydney

    DALL-E via Shutterstock

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is getting personal. Chatbots are designed to imitate human interactions, and the rise of realistic voice chat is leading many users to form emotional attachments or laugh along with virtual podcast hosts.

    And that’s before we get to the really intimate stuff. Research has shown that sexual roleplaying is one of the most common uses of ChatGPT, and millions of people interact with AI-powered systems designed as virtual companions, such as such as Character.AI, Replika, and Chai.AI.

    What does this mean for the future of (human) romance? The prospects are alarming.

    Better be nice to your AI overlord

    The most prominent AI companion service is Replika, which allows some 30 million users to create custom digital girlfriends (or boyfriends).

    While early studies indicate most Replika users are male, Caucasian and under 30, other demographics are catching up. Male sex robots have been in the making for some years. And they’re more than just vibrators with integrated jar openers.

    For a subscription fee, users can exchange intimate messages or pictures with their AI partners. Over half a million users had subscribed before Replika temporarily disabled its “erotic roleplay” module in early 2023, fearing regulatory backlash — a move that users dubbed “The Lobotomy.”

    The Replika “lobotomy” highlights a key feature of virtual companions: their creators have complete control over their behaviour. The makers of apps can modify or shut down a user’s “partner” – and millions of others – at any moment. These systems also read everything users say, to tailor future interactions and, of course, ads.

    AI is coming to the physical sexbot industry too.
    Shutterstock

    However, these caveats don’t appear to be holding the industry back. New products are proliferating. One company, Kindroid, now offers voice chats with up to ten virtual companions simultaneously.

    The digital world isn’t the limit either. Sex doll vendors such as Joy Love Dolls offer interactive real-life sexbots, with not only customisable skin colour and breast size, but also “complete control” of features including movement, heating, and AI-enabled “moans, squeals, and even flirting from your doll, making her a great companion”.

    For now, virtual companions and AI sexbots remain a much smaller market than social media, with millions of users rather than billions. But as the history of the likes of Facebook, Google and Amazon has taught us, today’s digital quirks could become tomorrow’s global giants.

    Towards ethically sourced AI girlfriends?

    The availability of AI-driven relationships is likely to usher in all manner of ethically dubious behaviour from users who won’t have to face the real-world consequences.

    Soon, you might satisfy any kink with your AI girlfriend for an extra fee. If your AI wife becomes troublesome, just ask the corporate overlord to deactivate her envy module — for a price, of course. Or simply delete her and start fresh with as many AI mistresses as you like in parallel.

    The way people form relationships has already been disrupted by dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble.

    What will happen if, in the future, people looking for love are competing against perfect synthetic lovers that are always available and horny? Well, at least they’ll be able to create virtual replicas of those hot dates they didn’t land.

    And for those who lack the skills to create their own virtual companions, there will be plenty of off-the-shelf alternatives.

    An ABC investigation revealed the use of generative AI to create fake influencers by manipulating women’s social media images is already widespread. This is generally done without consent to sell pornographic content. Much of this content depicts unattainable body ideals, and some depicts people who appear to be at best barely of consenting age.

    Another likely application? Using AI sexbot technology to bring celebrities such as Marilyn Monroe and Clara Bow back to life. After all, dead people cannot deny consent anymore.

    Replika itself was inspired by its founder’s desire to recreate her late best friend through a chatbot. Many use the app to keep deceased loved ones around. What a time to be alive (or dead)!

    The potential for emotional manipulation by inventive catfishers and dictators is alarming. Imagine the havoc if figures like Russia’s Vladimir Putin or North Korea’s Kim Jong-un harness this technology to complement their nations’ already extensive cyber-espionage operations.

    Perhaps before long we will see corporations offering “responsibly sourced” AI girlfriends for the more ethical consumer – organically grown from consensually harvested content, promoting socially acceptable smut.

    Society and the state must act now

    With loneliness rising to epidemic levels — surveys suggest up to one in four people in OECD countries lack human connection — the demand for sexbots is only going to grow. Corporations will meet this demand unless society and the state set clear boundaries on what’s acceptable.

    Sex and technology have always co-evolved. Just as prostitution is “the oldest profession”, porn sites are some of the oldest corners of the internet. However, the dystopian potential of sexbots for mass-customised, corporate-controlled monetisation of our most intimate sphere is unprecedented.

    Users aren’t entirely blameless, either. There’s something vicious about replacing a real human being with a totally submissive lust machine.

    Early studies suggest narcissism is prevalent among users of this technology. Normalising harmful sexual behaviours such as rape, sadism or paedophilia is bad news for society.

    However, going after users isn’t likely to be the best way to tackle the issue. We should treat sexbot use like other potentially problematic behaviours, such as gambling.

    As with other problematic behaviours where the issue lies more with providers than users, it’s time to hold sexbot providers accountable. As our links to AI are growing ever more intimate, there’s not much time to waste.

    Raffaele F Ciriello does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The AI sexbot industry is just getting started. It brings strange new questions – and risks – https://theconversation.com/the-ai-sexbot-industry-is-just-getting-started-it-brings-strange-new-questions-and-risks-238998

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynzi Armstrong, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    It has been two decades since New Zealand decriminalised sex work. And while sex workers have workplace rights, they still worry about the risks of discrimination in everyday life.

    In my recent research, local sex workers explained the benefits of decriminalisation – and what still needs to change. Their experiences highlight that while much has changed for the better, stigma remains an issue. Further change is needed to better protect sex workers from it.

    New Zealand’s experience is relevant right now, as a number of governments elsewhere are reviewing their laws around sex work.

    Scotland, for example, is considering a proposal that would criminalise the purchase of sex – known as the Nordic model due to its initial adoption in some Nordic countries.

    Supporters argue this will help sex workers and extend gender equality. But evidence suggests the Nordic model actually harms sex workers: it impedes safety strategies, increases the risk of violence, limits access to justice, and enables discrimination.

    What is decriminalisation?

    The other options are decriminalisation and legalisation. While these terms are often used interchangeably, they are different. Legalisation of sex work (in Germany and the Netherlands, for example) means legalising an act that was previously against the law.

    For sex workers, this means restrictive government regulation and control, which may include mandatory registration with authorities, compulsory sexual health checks, and permission to work in specific areas only.

    Decriminalisation, on the other hand, means repealing laws that make an act or behaviour a crime, but not necessarily introducing restrictive regulations specific to the sex industry.

    That said, decriminalisation does not mean there is no regulation. Instead, regulations are comparable to other businesses. The focus is not on regulating sex workers, but providing them with rights.

    Under New Zealand’s Prostitution Reform Act (2003) it is an offence to induce or compel a person to do sex work. Sex workers have the right to refuse to see clients for any reason at any time. If a sex worker wishes to stop doing sex work, they can access unemployment benefits immediately (rather than having the normal stand down period ).

    Impacts of decriminalisation in New Zealand

    Research three years after the law came into force found a majority of participants felt they had more rights and were more able to refuse to see clients than before. Several participants felt police attitudes towards them had improved.

    Subsequent research found relationships between street-based sex workers and police had improved. Decriminalisation supported the safety strategies of these sex workers better.

    There have also been several high-profile cases where sex workers have exercised their legal rights. Brothel-based sex workers won sexual harassment cases against business owners, and convictions of rape against two clients who covertly removed condoms during their bookings.

    Among the 26 sex workers we interviewed in New Zealand, participants described feeling fortunate to work in the decriminalised context. They also felt working conditions for sex workers were better than in other countries.

    One participant said:

    I also feel that we shouldn’t have to say “oh we’re so lucky” but we are compared to other people in other countries.

    Another felt decriminalisation gave sex workers a “protective layer”.

    This meant, as one participant put it, “we have rights, full stop”.

    Participants appreciated sex work being defined as work and the rights that accompany this. Decriminalisation was considered both ideal and normalised. As another explained,

    it’s been decriminalised for a long time now, like it’s part of our reality.

    Room for improvement?

    While participants felt grateful to work in the decriminalised context, this doesn’t mean there weren’t issues.

    Decriminalisation in New Zealand doesn’t include legal protection from discrimination. Sex workers have little recourse if they are treated unfairly because of their job.

    The sex workers we spoke with believed the social stigma of sex work was gradually fading, and instances of discrimination described by participants were rare. But they still feared the consequences of discrimination (such as being denied accommodation or premises to work from if their work became known to a landlord).

    They supported further legal protection from discrimination. For one participant this meant,

    I could tell people my job without […] any fear of backlash, and that would be fantastic.

    Participants also wanted the protections of decriminalisation extended to temporary migrants. People who hold temporary visas face deportation if they are found to be working in the sex industry, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

    Falling behind

    After two decades of decriminalisation, New Zealand risks falling behind as more jurisdictions (such as Victoria and Queensland in Australia) adopt decriminalised frameworks that build in protection from discrimination.

    Such protections mean it is no longer legal to deny a person accommodation or a job based on their sex work experience, or deny them a bank loan or mortgage.

    To keep up, New Zealand needs to follow suit. The next step is therefore to strengthen and expand the rights sex workers have.

    Perhaps then, in another 20 years, the country will still be seen as one that put the human rights of sex workers first and showed the rest of the world what equality really looks like.

    Lynzi Armstrong received funding from the Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund (2019-2024)

    – ref. Two decades after decriminalisation, NZ’s sex workers still need protection from discrimination – https://theconversation.com/two-decades-after-decriminalisation-nzs-sex-workers-still-need-protection-from-discrimination-240787

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 100 years of surrealism: how a French writer inspired by the avant-garde changed the world forever

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexander Howard, Senior Lecturer, Discipline of English and Writing, University of Sydney

    Andre Breton

    A century ago, French writer André Breton published a manifesto that would go on to become one of the most influential artistic texts of the 20th century. Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism launched a movement that transformed not only visual art, but also literature, theatre and film.

    Surrealism drew on developments in psychology to herald a revolutionary new way of doing, seeing and being. It is, as art critic Jonathan Jones once noted, “the only modern movement that changed the way we talk and think about life”.

    Surrealism also fundamentally changed the way we make art. Its cultural impact and legacy can be felt in, to pluck three random examples, the cinematic dreamscapes of David Lynch, the lyrical cut-ups of Bob Dylan and the monumental sculptures of Louise Bourgeois.

    The term itself has entered our everyday lexicon. By the same token, some question its significance and aesthetic merits. Moreover, to borrow a couple of rhetorical questions posed by Mark Polizzotti in a book marking the movement’s centenary: “Does Surrealism still matter? Has it ever mattered?”

    These questions are hardly new. They’ve been around since the movement’s inception – and continue to be asked in our historical moment of catastrophe. As Polizzotti writes:

    young people of the 21st century could hardly be faulted for wondering what a bunch of eccentric writers and artists showing off their dream states could have to do with such pressing concerns as social and racial injustice, a faltering job market, gross economic inequities, the decimation of our civil liberties, questions of gender identity and equality, environmental devastation, education reform, or, once again […] the spectre of world war.

    The answer, Polizzotti points out, is simple: “Surrealism engaged with all of these crises.”

    While Surrealism started as a literary movement, it quickly evolved into a formidable platform for critiquing dominant sociopolitical inequalities and systems of oppression.

    In both word and deed, the surrealists opposed warmongering and colonial expansion. They railed against religious dogma and championed the freedom of sexual expression.

    Breton perhaps put it best in 1935. “From where we stand,” he said, while tipping his hat to Karl Marx, “we maintain that the activity of interpreting the world must continue to be linked with the activity of changing the world.”

    WWI and meeting Jacques Vaché

    Born in Normandy in 1896, André Breton was the only child of a policeman and a seamstress.

    While studying medicine, Breton developed an interest in mental illness. He also had a passion for poetry. At an early age, he started exchanging letters with the prominent avant-gardist Guillaume Apollinaire, who coined the term “surrealism” in 1917.

    André Breton, a founder of the surrealist movement, died in Paris in 1966.
    Wikimedia

    Breton’s interests were disrupted when he was conscripted into the French army in 1914. During World War I, he served as a stretcher bearer, dealing firsthand with shellshocked soldiers. He also worked as a nurse in Nantes, France, where he met a wounded Jacques Vaché.

    According to art historian Susan Laxton, the dandyish Vaché was in equal measure “disdainful and deeply cynical”, seeming to live “in a perpetual state of insubordination”. His unconventional approach to life and creativity had a profound impact on Breton’s thinking about Surrealism.

    Vaché had little patience for most writers and artists. He was, however, a big fan of Alfred Jarry – best known for his scandalous drama Ubu Roi (1896). Jarry is frequently cited as an influence on Dadaism, an anarchic art movement that was developed in Europe in 1915 and led by Tristan Tzara.

    The Dadaists thumbed their noses at convention and embraced chaos, irrationality and spontaneity. As Tzara explained, Dadaism was vehemently opposed to “greasy objectivity, and harmony, the science that finds everything in order”.

    Breton was impressed. Keen to establish his credentials as an artist, he set out to build his own avant-garde coalition.

    The rise of automatism

    Enlisting Louis Aragon and Philippe Soupault, Breton set up Littérature. Running from 1919 to 1924, this review published many key surrealist works, including excerpts of Breton and Soupault’s book The Magnetic Fields (1920).

    Drawing on Sigmund Freud’s concept of the unconscious, this groundbreaking collaboration marked the first sustained use of a practice called surrealist automatism.

    The Magnetic Fields was written in secret over the course of a single spring week in 1919. The guidelines Breton and Soupault established for themselves were simple. They would engage in writing sessions that could last for several hours at a time – often inducing a state of shared euphoria – without any chance for reflection or correction.

    The aim was to bypass rational modes of thinking and tap directly into the imagination, thereby producing a revolutionary new kind of poetry. In the words of art historian David Hopkins, this practice “was predicated on the conviction that the speed of writing is equivalent to the speed of thought”.

    Following this breakthrough, Breton and the surrealists continued to refine the technique, pushing it further into new, untrammelled realms of creative possibility. With the subsequent publication of the Manifesto of Surrealism, Breton solidified the movement’s core principles. In it, he offers a definition:

    Surrealism is based on the belief in the superior reality of certain forms of previously neglected associations, in the omnipotence of dreams, in the disinterested play of thought. It tends to ruin once and for all all other psychic mechanisms and to substitute itself for them in solving all the principle problems of life.

    In other words, Surrealism was not just an artistic endeavour, but a philosophical stance that sought to radically rethink experience and existence.

    One example of early surrealist filmmaking.

    Elsewhere in the manifesto, Breton introduces the key surrealist concept of “the marvellous”. For the surrealists, the marvellous could be found in poems, paintings, photographs and everyday objects. It was experienced as a shock or jolt, a moment of recognition that allowed one to transcend the ordinary and glimpse the sublime hidden within the apparently mundane.

    By rejecting traditional modes of understanding and embracing the unconscious, the surrealists attempted to upend the established order of things. They viewed automatism and the marvellous as ways to access deeper truths, free from the constraints of rationality which they believed had long dominated Western thought.

    A movement transcending borders

    The events that followed the publication of Breton’s Manifesto of Surrealism supported his claim, made during a 1934 lecture, that the movement had “spread like wildfire, on pursuing its course, not only in art but in life”.

    Surrealism’s public profile expanded internationally, along with its adherents. Luis Buñuel, Frida Kahlo, Aimé Césaire, Lee Miller, Salvador Dalí and Leonor Fini are just some of the important figures who embraced the movement.

    Salvador Dalí’s 1931 painting The Persistence of Memory is one of the most famous surrealist artworks.
    Salvador Dali

    And as the raft of high-profile exhibitions currently taking place confirms, the surrealist spirit lives on, decades after the movement wound down. Unabated, the search for the marvellous continues.

    Alexander Howard does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. 100 years of surrealism: how a French writer inspired by the avant-garde changed the world forever – https://theconversation.com/100-years-of-surrealism-how-a-french-writer-inspired-by-the-avant-garde-changed-the-world-forever-237464

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: DG Okonjo-Iweala at World Food Forum: Trade is vital for ensuring food security

    Source: World Trade Organization

    The Director-General recalled the strengthened partnership between the WTO and the FAO in the areas of food and agriculture. She highlighted the WTO’s ongoing efforts to update trade rules, stressing that the multilateral trading system must be complemented by domestic policies that reduce distortions and enhance competition. She pointed to the importance of “policies that provide essential public goods to farmers such as research, pest and disease control, efficient water management, and extension services that are needed to improve productivity and sustainability.”

    Her full remarks are below:

    Director-General QU Dongyu,
    Your royal highnesses,
    Excellencies,
    Distinguished delegates,
    Ladies and gentlemen,

    I’m delighted to join you in opening this year’s World Food Forum.

    My main message to you is that trade — and the World Trade Organization — are vital parts of an agrifood system that can deliver good food for people now and in the years ahead.

    My remarks today will look at three areas: the challenges ahead for farming and food security; how trade can help; and the role of the WTO.

    First, the challenges.

    The FAO’s latest figures show around 733 million people are facing hunger — most of them in Africa and South Asia [1]. At our current pace, we won’t meet Sustainable Development Goal to end hunger and malnutrition by 2030.

    Climate change is a growing threat to food security, affecting every aspect of our food systems, and exacerbating the sector’s problems with water and land management, biodiversity loss, and deforestation. 55% of the world’s food production occurs in areas experiencing drying or unstable trends in total water storage.

    Agricultural production and consumption continues to be distorted by trade restrictions and subsidies

    In 54 countries analysed by the OECD, support provided to individual producers averaged USD 630 billion per year [2] from 2020 to 2022.* This support often has environmentally harmful effects, encouraging the overuse of fossil fuels, energy and water.

    The distance between business as usual and truly sustainable food systems is considerable. The FAO has estimated that our current agri-food systems impose “hidden” health, environmental, and social costs equivalent to at least USD 10 trillion per year. [3]

    Turning now to trade, the case for how it can help is straightforward: about one in four calories consumed is traded.

    Between 2000 and 2022, agricultural trade grew five-fold, rising across all world regions. [4] The average applied tariff on agricultural goods has fallen [5] from 13 percent in 2005 to just 5.8 percent in 2022, helping make food more affordable and available, while incentivizing exporters to ramp up production in response to international demand.

    Trade has contributed to food security and resilience: For example, when the war in Ukraine cut off Ethiopia from its traditional source of wheat imports, the existence of deep and diversified global markets meant it could source from Argentina and the United States instead.

    The Global Commission on the Economics of Water, which I co-chair, will issue a report later this week that highlights the role of ‘virtual water trade’ in agriculture, through the water used to grow or make a traded product. It notes that trade can help mitigate water-related pressures, provided water’s price reflects its value and scarcity with targeted subsidies to those who cannot afford to pay, by allowing countries with abundant hydrological resources to specialize in producing water-intensive goods for export to water-scarce nations.

    For example, there are export opportunities here for several African countries who have been found to have abundant and shallow under-utilized ground water resources as well as land resources,  provided  of course these resources are well and innovatively managed.   In fact, based on these land and water resources, Africa not only can and should feed itself, using intra Africa food trade to manage supply and demand gaps but can also respond to external world demand. 

    Beyond trade’s contribution to ensuring that food is available, trade-led growth and income gains have contributed mightily to bringing down hunger in countries including China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, to name a few. [6]

    Now we need to help others replicate this success, sustainably — including elsewhere in Asia and Africa.

    This brings me to the role of the WTO.

    The WTO provides a negotiating forum where members could lower trade barriers and reduce trade-distorting support, helping agricultural markets function better and freeing up billions of dollars’ worth of resources that could be put to better use. But the fact is that at a time when a comprehensive update to the global agricultural trade rulebook is long overdue, we have not been so successful in moving forward agricultural trade negotiations at the WTO. But we will never give up trying. Agriculture and a well- functioning agricultural trading system is too important to the world. 

    This past Thursday, I chaired a meeting of all WTO members, where we looked at how to revitalize the negotiations and set the stage for delivering at least some concrete results by our next Ministerial Conference in Cameroon in early 2026. We have hard work ahead of us and we also need political will. I implore all the Food Security and Agriculture Ministers here to back your Trade ministers and their Geneva based WTO ambassadors to exhibit appropriate flexibility in their negotiating positions so we can move past 2.5 decades of stagnation to a new era of modern agricultural trade rules fit to help feed the 21st century world. 

    In this regard, cotton, both a food and non food commodity, is of paramount importance to several countries worldwide. 

    Last week, I was in the Republic of Benin to mark World Cotton Day. And while we are supporting exciting efforts  there and in the Cotton Four plus countries in West and  Central Africa to add value to their products and tap into global markets for textiles and clothing, particularly in the sports apparel sector, I want to note for all concerned that this does not mean we are paying attention to the issue of trade  distorting domestic support that lowers cotton prices and weighs on the livelihoods of millions of farmers in cotton producing countries  around the world. 

    On the bright side, in pursuing agriculture reforms at the WTO, we have some recent accomplishments to build on.

    At our 12th Ministerial Conference in 2022, members committed to refrain from imposing export controls on humanitarian purchases by the World Food Programme — a step that the agency has said is helping to source food more quickly, and from more countries.

    Our landmark Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies will help ease pressure on the marine fish stocks that millions of people rely on for food and livelihood security. I urge you to help fast-track ratification of this agreement in your countries, and support the rapid conclusion of negotiations on Phase 2 of the Fisheries Subsidies Agreement on some outstanding issues so that the USD 22  billion being spent annually on harmful fisheries subsidies that can be repurposed to more beneficial uses. 

    I want to take a moment here to highlight the WTO’s appreciation for the work we do with the FAO.  In this regard, let me thank DG Qu Dongyu and Chief Economist Maximo Torero Cullen and their team for the excellent collaboration with the WTO. Our joint MoU signed last December ranges from work on fisheries and the associated trust fund, to supporting cotton, the Standards and Trade Development Facility and — last but not least — the Agriculture Market Information System. We look forward to continuing this collaboration whose aim is to assist FAO and WTO members. Collaboration between multilateral organizations brings coherence and congruence to helping members and the people they represent. 

    In conclusion, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen. A free, fair, open and predictable MTS and modernized agricultural trade rules are critical to an agrifood system that can deliver good food to the world’s people today and tomorrow. But such a trading system must be complemented by domestic policies that reduce distortions and improve competition. It must be complemented by policies that provide essential public goods to farmers such as research, pest and disease control, efficient water management, and extension services that are needed to improve productivity and sustainability. 

    I am convinced that we can all work together, Multilateral organizations,  Governments, Farmers, Civil Society, Private sector, to enable people around the world to access the food and nutrition they need in a changing climate  and a changing and uncertain world.

    Thank you.

    *(NOTE: “support” is not the same here as “subsidies”, as it includes transfers from consumers to producers that result from border measures such as tariffs, in addition to budgetary outlays.).

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    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ESPRIT module for Lunar Gateway orbital outpost set for a significant upgrade

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: ESPRIT module for Lunar Gateway orbital outpost set for a significant upgrade

    Thales Alenia Space and ESA sign contract amendment to extend and optimize ESPRIT module

    Milan, October 14, 2024 – Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed an amendment to its contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop the ESPRIT[1] communications and refueling module for the future Lunar Gateway orbital outpost. Worth €164 million, the amendment provides for extending and optimizing the ESPRIT module for which Thales Alenia Space in France is the prime contractor, in collaboration with OHB, alongside Thales Alenia Space in Italy and in the UK.

    ESPRIT module on the Gateway ©Thales Alenia Space

    The ESPRIT module is composed of two main elements: Lunar Link[2] will ensure communications between the Gateway and the Moon, while Lunar View[3] will supply the station with xenon and chemical propellants to extend its lifetime. Lunar View features a pressurized volume with six large windows, offering a 360° view on the outside of the Gateway and the Moon, and will include a logistics area for storing cargo and supplies intended for the crew.

    This amendment to the ESPRIT contract provides for a significant increase in the size of Lunar View, which will now span 4.6 meters and be 6.4 meters long, with a total mass of 10 metric tons (versus 3.4 meters, 3 meters and 6 metric tons initially). This evolution is the result of NASA’s choice to launch Lunar View alongside a crewed Orion vehicle aboard the SLS Block 1B launcher, which offers more lift capacity than the launch vehicle previously planned.

    In particular, the extended Lunar View will:

    • Provide more storage space (6.5 m3) on-orbit and accommodate up to 1.5 metric tons of cargo at launch, thus reducing resupply flights to the Lunar Gateway;

    • Enable installation of two attachment points to accommodate the Canadarm3 mobile robotic arm system, supplied by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), for operations such as inspecting, maintaining or repairing the Gateway, assisting astronauts during spacewalks, handling science experiments in lunar orbit, or catching spacecraft visiting the Gateway;

    • House the avionics suite equipment (computer, etc.) inside the module for easier maintenance and to avoid extravehicular activities if repairs are required.

    These upgrades will require all of Lunar View’s subsystems to be adapted, especially the electrical power and avionics subsystems and the software and crew interface equipment.

    Lunar Link is scheduled to launch in 2026 with the HALO module, while Lunar View is planned for delivery in 2029 for launch a year later, on the Artemis V mission.

    “I would like to thank ESA for supporting our industry and renewing its trust in our company’s expertise,” said Hervé Derrey, CEO of Thales Alenia Space. “Thanks to the perfect complementarity of our competences in Italy and in France, we are proud to be contributing our know-how to the Artemis program and to the Lunar Gateway orbital outpost, which are set to push the boundaries of lunar exploration and pave the way for future crewed deep-space exploration missions, with Mars in sight.”

    This contract consolidates Thales Alenia Space’s key role in crewed and robotic exploration of the Moon and deep space. The company is supplying critical systems for the Orion capsule’s European Service Module (ESM) and is currently developing two more pressurized modules for the Lunar Gateway: the Lunar International Habitat module (I-HAB) for ESA and the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) for Northrop Grumman. Thales Alenia Space has also signed a major contract with the Italian space agency ASI to launch the project to build the very first lunar Multi-Purpose Habitat (MPH).

    Industrial contributions to the ESPRIT module

    Thales Alenia Space in France is the program prime contractor. Thales Alenia Space in Italy is supplying the pressurized tunnel and windows and Thales Alenia Space in the UK is contributing to the chemical propellant refueling system, while OHB – as a main team member – is in charge of the mechanical and thermal subsystems for the non-pressurized parts of the module and the xenon refueling system. Thales Alenia Space in Belgium was selected after competitive bidding to supply the Remote Interface & Distribution Unit for Lunar Link and the Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers. Thales Alenia Space in Spain will develop the S-band communication transponder and Thales Alenia Space in Italy the K-band transponder.

    A cislunar orbital station

    The Lunar Gateway orbital outpost is one of the pillars of NASA’s Artemis program to establish a sustained human presence on the Moon as a staging post for future interplanetary exploration missions. This program is an international collaboration between NASA (United States), ESA (Europe), JAXA (Japan) and CSA (Canada). The 40-metric-ton station will be assembled in space and placed in an elliptical lunar orbit. It will be equipped with a robotic arm and docking ports, and made up of habitation modules to accommodate long-duration crewed missions and provide electrical power, propulsion, logistics and communications. While not designed to be manned permanently, it will be able to support up to four astronauts for one to three months. Acquiring new experience on and around the Moon will prepare NASA to send the first humans to Mars in the years ahead, and the Lunar Gateway is set to play a vital role in this endeavor.

    ABOUT THALES ALENIA SPACE

    Drawing on over 40 years of experience and a unique combination of skills, expertise and cultures, Thales Alenia Space delivers cost-effective solutions for telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, environmental management, exploration, science and orbital infrastructures. Governments and private industry alike count on Thales Alenia Space to design satellite-based systems that provide anytime, anywhere connections and positioning, monitor our planet, enhance management of its resources and explore our Solar System and beyond. Thales Alenia Space sees space as a new horizon, helping to build a better, more sustainable life on Earth. A joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), Thales Alenia Space also teams up with Telespazio to form the parent companies’ Space Alliance, which offers a complete range of services. Thales Alenia Space posted consolidated revenues of approximately €2.2 billion in 2023. Thales Alenia Space has around 8,600 employees in 9 countries, with 16 sites in Europe and a plant in the US.

    http://www.thalesaleniaspace.com

    THALES ALENIA SPACE – PRESS CONTACTS

    Tarik Lahlou
    Tel: +33 (0)6 87 95 89 56
    tarik.lahlou@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Catherine des Arcis
    Tel: +33 (0)6 78 64 63 97
    catherine.des-arcis@thalesaleniaspace.com

    Cinzia Marcanio

    Tel.: +39 (0)6 415 126 85
    cinzia.marcanio@thalesaleniaspace.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 14.10.2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nokia Corporation
    Stock Exchange Release
    14 October 2024 at 22:30 EET

    Nokia Corporation: Repurchase of own shares on 14.10.2024

    Espoo, Finland – On 14 October 2024 Nokia Corporation (LEI: 549300A0JPRWG1KI7U06) has acquired its own shares (ISIN FI0009000681) as follows:

    Trading venue (MIC Code) Number of shares Weighted average price / share, EUR*
    XHEL 1,318,062 4.01
    CEUX 791,646 4.01
    BATE – –
    AQEU – –
    TQEX – –
    Total 2,109,708 4.01

    * Rounded to two decimals

    On 25 January 2024, Nokia announced that its Board of Directors is initiating a share buyback program to return up to EUR 600 million of cash to shareholders in tranches over a period of two years. The first phase of the share buyback program started on 20 March 2024. On 19 July 2024, Nokia decided to accelerate the share buybacks by increasing the number of shares to be repurchased during the year 2024. The post-increase repurchases in compliance with the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 (MAR), the Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1052 and under the authorization granted by Nokia’s Annual General Meeting on 3 April 2024 started on 22 July 2024 and end by 31 December 2024 with a maximum aggregate purchase price of EUR 600 million for all purchases during 2024.

    Total cost of transactions executed on 14 October 2024 was EUR 8,460,351. After the disclosed transactions, Nokia Corporation holds 167,654,631 treasury shares.

    Details of transactions are included as an appendix to this announcement.

    On behalf of Nokia Corporation

    BofA Securities Europe SA

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Inquiries:

    Nokia Communications
    Phone: +358 10 448 4900
    Email: press.services@nokia.com
    Maria Vaismaa, Global Head of External Communications

    Nokia Investor Relations
    Phone: +358 40 803 4080
    Email: investor.relations@nokia.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Issues in the control systems of the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food in the sectors of food safety, farming, livestock production, veterinary issues and fisheries – E-001960/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001960/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Konstantinos Arvanitis (The Left)

    According to the DG SANTE horizontal inspection (as described in the document on the subject with Ref. 2023-7655 General Follow Up Audit)[1], there appear to be serious issues in the control system implemented by the Hellenic Ministry of Rural Development and Food in the sectors of farming, livestock production, veterinary issues and fisheries.

    The above-mentioned document highlights distortions, shortcomings and structural problems, in particular the fragmentation, overlapping responsibilities and understaffing of the control mechanisms, the absence of a single, coherent and simplified control framework, the ensuing lack of coordination and supervision and the risk-shy approach to imposing effective sanctions and administrative measures. The corresponding deficiencies have made for a landscape of arbitrariness and impunity.

    It goes without saying that the above factors jeopardise consumer protection, because of gaps in ensuring the import, production and distribution of safe food, and shortcomings in the certification of suitability, quality checks and the improvement of food quality.

    The EU and its Member States have an obligation to protect consumers and ensure they are not misled as to the safety, composition, labelling and price of food. In view of this:

    • 1.Has the Commission received a reply from the relevant Ministry and has it been informed of any compliance measures taken to date?
    • 2.What steps will it take to ensure that these distortions are remedied?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    • [1] As stated in the Ministry’s document (Ref. No: 39/90413 – 28/03/2024)
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Rwanda: EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development

    Source: European Investment Bank

    EIB

    • €2 million support unlocks early-stage development of vaccine manufacturing.
    • Investment to accelerate development of vaccines against tuberculosis, HIV, Ebola and other diseases

    Early-stage vaccine development in Rwanda by Akagera Medicines Africa Limited will be supported by €2 million financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB Global). The new backing will accelerate research and development as well as manufacturing of new vaccines to treat infectious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV, Lassa fever, and Ebola.

    The new financing will also be used to strengthen technical skills and expertise of Rwanda based teams to support home-grown discovery, manufacturing, and development of vaccine delivery systems within Rwanda.

    The latest health financing from the EIB Global is part of the wider EU Global Gateway initiative for Africa and is designed to unlock crucial investment to improve access to public healthcare. EIB Global supports high impact investment to enhance healthcare and pharmaceutical manufacturing across Africa, strengthen health resilience on the continent, and support equitable access to healthcare in Africa.

    Africa bears the highest disease burden globally and more home-grown or continent based solutions need to be supported. Vaccination is a critical activity to ensure and guide investments in universal health and has a crucial role to play in achieving 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

    Akagera Medicines, Africa was established in Rwanda in July 2022 to develop the pharmaceutical sector in Rwanda and elsewhere in Africa. The company is majority-owned by the Republic of Rwanda through the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB).

    Speaking at the World Health Summit in Berlin, Germany, where the financing announcement was made, Michael Fairbanks, Chief Executive Officer of Akagera Medicines said: “We are a public private partnership and enjoy the support of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) in Norway, the Gates Foundation, and the National Institute of Health in Washington. With the significant support of the European Investment Bank, we are now a clinical company and moving faster to build human capacity and specialized infrastructure in Africa to support vaccine development. “

    RSSB CEO, Regis Rugemanshuro said: “European Investment Bank’s financial support to Akagera Medicines represents an important contribution to the realization of Rwanda’s vision to become a biotech hub, and to the vision of Africa becoming self-reliant in vaccine and medicine manufacturing. RSSB is looking forward to deepening partnerships with EIB and other international institutions to build resilient healthcare ecosystems in Rwanda and in Africa.”

    EIB Vice President, Thomas Ostros said: “The partnership with Akagera demonstrates the European Investment Bank’s close cooperation with public and private partners to accelerate development of innovative solutions for combating deadly diseases and scaling up healthcare financing and delivery. The EIB is committed to further strengthening our partnership with local and international players, to scale up investment and support innovative technology together.”

    EU Ambassador to Rwanda Belen Calvo Uyarra, said: “Through Global Gateway, the EU is focused on advancing equitable access to health products and local manufacturing in Africa. This investment by EIB with Akagera Medicines marks another important milestone on this journey.”

    The financing to Akagera complements other EU initiatives in Rwanda and the region under the Global Gateway Flagship – Manufacturing and Access to Vaccines, Medicines and Health Technologies (MAV+), which focus mainly on supporting the necessary ecosystem for vaccine manufacturing.

    This is supported by the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund (EU-AITF), established to increase investment in infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa dedicated to projects in Africa with the aim of reducing poverty and fostering economic growth in the region.

    Background information

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals.

    EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner in Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027, around one third of the overall target of this EU initiative. With Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships, alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices around the world.

    About Akagera:

    Akagera Medicines develops novel liposomal formulations of drugs to treat tuberculosis, RSV, influenza, avian flu, and HIV. The clinical stage company was founded in 2018 in Kigali, Rwanda. It is well-funded, majority-owned by the people of Rwanda through the Rwanda Social Security Board (RSSB), registered as a Delaware corporation, and has laboratories in Boston and San Francisco. Akagera registered a 100%-owned subsidiary in Kigali in 2022 to do manufacturing and clinical trials. Founding board members include Ambassador Dr. Albrecht Conze, Dr. Paul Farmer, and Dr. Donald Kaberuka. Dr. Daryl Drummond and Dr. Dimitri Kirpotin are cofounders who translate their successful delivery system from oncology to infectious diseases.

    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
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    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    ©EIB
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    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    ©EIB
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    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    EIB Global Backs Akagera Vaccine Development in Rwanda
    ©EIB
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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – ‘Blue Homeland’, including EU territories, in teaching material used in schools in Türkiye – E-001741/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001741/2024/rev.1
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI)

    On 7 December 2023, Greece and Türkiye signed the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations. Türkiye, however, instead of toning down its aggressiveness, is unfortunately doing the exact opposite. It has fully and officially adopted the ‘Blue Homeland’ (or ‘Mavi Vatan’ in Turkish) doctrine which, although it does not refer to it, is reminiscent of the concept of ‘living space’.

    In fact, not content with issuing a plethora of declarations, since September 2024 it has also incorporated the doctrine into the teaching material used in its schools. The new 9th-grade geography textbook includes, on page 62, a section devoted to ‘Mavi Vatan’, with maps, military aircraft and historical information.[1] Furthermore, it refers to the National Oath of 1920, sworn by the most extreme elements in the country, which declares that ‘the lawful frontiers of Türkiye include regions such as Western Thrace, the Dodecanese and Northern Iraq’. The first two of these regions belong to Greece!

    In view of this:

    • 1.Has notice been taken of these facts?
    • 2.What is the Commission’s reaction to the above references by Türkiye, in its teaching material, to territories belonging to the Union?

    Submitted: 17.9.2024

    • [1] https://www.kathimerini.gr/politics/563217235/toyrkia-apokalyptiria-tis-galazias-patridas-se-scholiko-vivlio/
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Briefing – Setting the European political priorities 2024-2029 – 14-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU’s priorities for the 5-year institutional cycle are outlined in the European Council’s Strategic Agenda. Subsequently, the European Commission sets its priorities in the president’s political guidelines, which are a first step in operationalising the EU priorities outlined in the Strategic Agenda. These priorities will then be translated into concrete initiatives included in the Commission’s annual work programmes, before being submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in the form of legislative (and non-legislative) proposals. This briefing outlines the main policy priorities for the EU in the coming years, and analyses the differences in views of the European Council and the European Commission. With some exceptions, the European Council’s and the Commission’s policy priorities generally converge, as both documents, although organised differently, focus on three main priorities: democracy, security and competitiveness. When comparing them with the political priorities of the previous institutional cycle, it becomes evident that democracy and defence have gained in importance, while climate and energy are less salient than before. The analysis shows that the political guidelines pay significantly more attention to social issues than the Strategic Agenda. Conversely, the two policy clusters ‘external policies’ and ‘climate and energy’ receive more attention in the Strategic Agenda. However, external policy in general now feeds into all policy areas, intertwining with internal policies. While this is more explicit in the Strategic Agenda, the emphasis on Europe’s role in the word runs like a red thread through both documents, reflecting a major shift away from past political priorities. The comparison identifies the topics that are missing from one or the other document, points out where different approaches are being taken on specific policy issues and where particular concepts have changed since the last institutional cycle. The briefing also outlines the specific initiatives mentioned in the political guidelines by policy cluster, notably those with a timeline.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Transport and Tourism Committee in 2019-2024: Summary of key achievements – 14-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) worked on a number of legislative packages and proposals tabled by the European Commission during the 2019-2024 legislative term, including several proposals for legislative acts that were not concluded during the term. This paper gives a short overview of the key legislative files dealt with in TRAN over the past five years.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Balkan route – call for EU action to contain the influx of immigrants – E-001963/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001963/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Anna Maria Cisint (PfE), Aldo Patriciello (PfE), Silvia Sardone (PfE), Roberto Vannacci (PfE)

    The irregular immigrants invading Europe pose a threat, since the Islamic extremists behind acts of violence and attacks arrived via the Mediterranean and Balkan routes.

    Israel’s efforts to defend itself against terrorist groups in Gaza, Lebanon and Yemen make the Balkan route – the main land-based migratory path into the EU – a source of even greater danger, as a potential entry route for highly hazardous material. With many of the arrivals heading to north-eastern Italy, this is one of the areas most at risk.

    Bosnia appears to be the Achilles’ heel, while some EU support dressed up as humanitarian aid could indirectly help fuel this influx.

    Faced with these new risks, action must be taken to stem these flows and cut off the funds that are supporting this ‘asylum tourism’.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to take action – and how will it do so – to protect Europe’s borders and regulate access from Bosnia and elsewhere, perhaps even by providing police?
    • 2.Will it take steps to thwart this lucrative traffic by revising the rules on pushbacks and improving centres in third countries?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Guidance on how to proceed when banned and highly carcinogenic pesticides are detected – E-001938/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001938/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Arkadiusz Mularczyk (ECR)

    There is a growing global crisis in apiculture which is reflected in very high bee mortality. Against this backdrop, the situation in the European Union is becoming increasingly alarming. On Thursday, 12 September, ENVI Committee members rejected the Commission’s proposal to cut the maximum residue levels of certain pesticides and fungicides in imported food. The Committee rejected the proposal because these agricultural chemicals are not permitted in the EU. Imported products containing residues of substances not permitted in the EU should also therefore be covered by the ban on these products entering the EU market. This decision is of great importance as it bans the entry into the EU of agricultural products containing chemicals that are not permitted on our market.

    Beekeepers warn that beeswax that has been contaminated with banned pesticides, such as the carcinogen Prepargite, are still entering the EU market, which is directly threatening the health of bees and of people consuming honey.

    In connection with the above, I would like to address the following question to the Commission (Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG Sante)):

    What should the control authorities do when they identify the presence of banned, illegal and highly carcinogenic pesticides such as Prepargite in beeswax intended for direct contact with bees in hives or direct contact with honey intended for human consumption, bearing in mind that there are currently no prescribed limits on pesticides in beeswax?

    Submitted: 3.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Contempt for the Prespa Agreement shown towards 12 EU ambassadors and four representatives of European bodies – E-001967/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001967/2024
    to the Council
    Rule 144
    Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI)

    From the date when she was sworn in on 12 May 2024 until the present, President Gordana Siljanovska, as ‘President of Macedonia’, has been engaged in violating the Prespa Agreement. From the very first of her meetings in the city of Skopje with ambassadors of Member States (Czechia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany, Croatia and Sweden) and representatives of European bodies [the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the OSCΕ and the European External Action Service (EEAS)], among others, she issued official communications that referred to the country as ‘Macedonia’.

    Five hundred incidents of this kind have been recorded; they are not merely violations, but constitute systematic ‘material breaches’, according to the international terminology[1]. It should be borne in mind that, pursuant to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, for a bilateral treaty, when one party is in ‘material breach’ of the treaty the other party is entitled to request the suspension and termination of that treaty (Article 60(1)).

    In view of the above:

    • 1.Is the Council aware of the contempt for the Prespa Agreement, the Member States and the European institutions shown by President Siljanovska, who is a head of state, and what is more, of a country that is a candidate for accession?
    • 2.How does it intend to formally express its displeasure?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    • [1] https://www.epitropiellinismou.gr/post/3080
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Contempt for the Prespa Agreement shown towards 12 EU ambassadors and four representatives of European bodies – E-001966/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001966/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI)

    From the date when she was sworn in on 12 May 2024 until the present, President Gordana Siljanovska, as ‘President of Macedonia’, has been engaged in violating the Prespa Agreement. From the very first of her meetings in the city of Skopje with ambassadors of Member States (Czechia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany, Croatia and Sweden) and representatives of European bodies [the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the OSCΕ and the European External Action Service (EEAS)], among others, she issued official communications that referred to the country as ‘Macedonia’.

    Five hundred incidents of this kind have been recorded; they are not merely violations, but constitute systematic ‘material breaches’, according to the international terminology[1]. It should be borne in mind that, pursuant to the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, for a bilateral treaty, when one party is in ‘material breach’ of the treaty the other party is entitled to request the suspension and termination of that treaty (Article 60(1)).

    In view of this:

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of the contempt shown by President Siljanovska for the Prespa Agreement, the Member States and the European institutions, despite the fact that she is a head of state, and what is more, of a country that is a candidate for accession?
    • 2.How does it intend to formally express its displeasure?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    • [1] https://www.epitropiellinismou.gr/post/3080
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Israel’s murderous operations in the West Bank – E-001939/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001939/2024
    to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
    Rule 144
    Lefteris Nikolaou-Alavanos (NI)

    A new cycle of barbarous attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank has been launched by the occupying state, Israel, in conjunction with the massacre and genocide of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, using tanks, drones and helicopters.

    The Israeli army attack has left a large number of Palestinians in the West Bank dead and wounded, while Israeli settlers are carrying out murderous attacks. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli Army has killed more than 40 000 Palestinians, and the number of those wounded has risen to more than 94 000. Incalculable damage has been done to buildings. In many cases, it has not even been possible to provide health care, and the population are stricken by hunger, thirst and disease.

    Israel’s aggression is supported by the EU, the United States and NATO, which defend Israel’s so-called ‘right to defend itself’, equating the perpetrator with the victim.

    Israel’s aim is to expel the Palestinians from their territories by force and maintain the barbaric occupation.

    Will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy state what his position is on the following matters:

    • 1.the unacceptable escalation of Israeli atrocities against Palestinians following the recent military operations in the West Bank aimed at permanently expelling the Palestinians from their territories;
    • 2.the call for condemnation of the criminal policy of Israel, which has murdered thousands of Palestinians, and for the ending of the EU’s economic, political and military cooperation with it?

    Submitted: 3.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Members adopted support for displaced Belgian workers – 14.10.2024 – Committee on Budgets

    Source: European Parliament

    © Image used under license from Adobe Stock

    Members adopted the report prepared by Michalis Hadjipantela (EPP) on the European Commission’s proposal for a decision to mobilize the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund for Displaced Workers (EGF) to support 513 displaced Belgian workers from the Match-Smatch supermarket.

    The EGF would contribute with the amount of 2 660 000 € to the financing of personalized services for the workers. The vote on the report is planned for 14 October 2024.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Debt sustainability analysis framework – E-001956/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001956/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Irene Tinagli (S&D), Jonás Fernández (S&D), Nikos Papandreou (S&D), Carla Tavares (S&D), René Repasi (S&D), Evelyn Regner (S&D), Elisabetta Gualmini (S&D), Aurore Lalucq (S&D)

    Debt sustainability analysis (DSA) plays a key role in the reformed EU fiscal rules. DSA is used to assess how much fiscal adjustment is required to ensure that the public debt ratio is on a plausible downward trajectory. For the first round of ‘reference trajectories’ submitted to Member States in June 2024, the Commission used its existing DSA framework based on the last Debt Sustainability Monitor. It assumes a constant short-run fiscal multiplier of 0.75, a fast dissipation of the output effect of fiscal adjustment, and that fiscal consolidation efforts by trading partners do not spill over into domestic economic activity.

    Against this background:

    • 1.Can the Commission provide a justification for these assumptions?
    • 2.How does the Commission justify its hypothesis according to which fiscal adjustment by a given government only affects domestic economic activities and does not spill over into other countries, considering its oft-repeated emphasis on the importance of accounting for how individual fiscal stances affect the euro area aggregate as a whole?
    • 3.Can the Commission explain whether including spillover effects into other countries in the methodology could alter the results of the DSA, and if so, how?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – EU aid to curb the decline in fruit production in Guadeloupe – E-001962/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001962/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    André Rougé (PfE), Rody Tolassy (PfE)

    Fruit production in Guadeloupe has slumped since 2013, by about 50 %, according to a study published by the Ministry of Agriculture’s Statistical Service on 1 October 2024. Production volumes have been particularly poor since 2020: the number of producers has fallen 18% and crop areas 23% in the last three years.

    Several factors are at play here: crop areas have shrunk, diseases such as yellow dragon (also known as ‘citrus greening’) have been circulating and producers have aged. As a result, Guadeloupe has become largely dependent on imports to meet its own demands: 75 % of the fruit consumed there has been produced elsewhere.

    This state of affairs undermines Guadeloupe’s food sovereignty and the very survival of many farms. Generational renewal is insufficient to compensate for ageing producers’ departure from the industry, and climate events and diseases affect most crops except export bananas.

    Against that backdrop, is the Commission planning to take specific steps to support Guadeloupe’s farming sectors, specifically, stronger action to tackle the problem of yellow dragon disease and measures to encourage young farmers to join the industry?

    Submitted: 4.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – BUDG adopted 2025 EU Budget Resolution – 14.10.2024 – Committee on Budgets

    Source: European Parliament

    Following the vote on the 978 budgetary amendments to the Council’s reading of the 2025 EU Budget on 7 October, the Committee on Budgets, at its 14 October meeting, adopted a report prepared by the General Rapporteur on the 2025 budget (Section III – Commission), Mr Victor Negrescu (S&D), and the Rapporteur for other sections, Mr Niclas Herbst (EPP), which will reflect and accompany the outcome of the budgetary vote.

    The Resolution and the budgetary amendments will be debated and adopted in the European Parliament’s plenary sitting in Strasbourg on 21-24 October.

    The first conciliation meeting between the Council and the Parliament is scheduled for 5 November.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Federal Councillor Baume-Schneider on working visit to Spain to discuss digital healthcare

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    Bern, 14.10.2024 – On 14 and 15 October 2024, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider is in Madrid on a working visit, focused on sharing experience on the digital transformation of healthcare. The visit by the Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA) included a meeting on Monday with the Spanish Health Minister Mónica García Gómez. The second day of this working visit is dedicated to equality and the fight against violence against women.

    The talks between Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and her counterpart Mónica García Gómez focused on healthcare digitalisation, and in particular on the electronic patient record. The ministers discussed the opportunities and challenges arising in this area. Spain’s institutional organisation, as in Switzerland, is decentralised, and the country has extensive experience with electronic health records, use of which has been standard practice for Spanish patients since 2015. Other topics covered were primary care and the ongoing negociations between Switzerland and the European Union concerning a health agreement.

    In addition, the Head of the FDHA met with the Health Minister for the autonomous community of Madrid, Fátima Matute Teresa, to discuss the application of electronic health records in practice. Federal Councillor Baume-Schneider also discussed the topic of digital transformation in healthcare with doctors, researchers, patients and officials.

    Combating violence against women

    The second day of the working visit to Spain is devoted to the topic of gender equality and efforts to combat violence against women. After a planned exchange at the Ministry of Equality Federal Councillor Baume-Schneider will be visiting the COMETA Control Centre, which is responsible for electronic monitoring of offenders. COMETA receives and coordinates alarms triggered by monitoring devices when restraining orders are breached (offenders entering an exclusion area). This system helps to protect victims and to prevent gender-based domestic violence.

    Address for enquiries

    Communication GS-FDHA, tel. +41 58 462 85 79, media@gs-edi.admin.ch

    Publisher

    Federal Department of Home Affairs
    http://www.edi.admin.ch

    Federal Office for Gender Equality
    https://www.ebg.admin.ch/en

    Federal Office of Public Health
    http://www.bag.admin.ch

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Press release – Ukraine: Trade Committee endorses financial support backed by Russian assets

    Source: European Parliament

    MEPs in the Trade Committee voted on Monday to support a loan of up to €35 billion to Ukraine as the EU’s contribution to the G7’s support initiative.

    The Trade Committee voted by 31 in favour, 4 against and no abstentions on the Commission proposal to support Ukraine with an exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan of up to €35 billion. This is the EU’s contribution under the G7’s initiative to support Ukraine with up to $50 billion (approximately €45 billion) to address Ukraine’s urgent financing needs in the face of Russia’s brutal war of aggression.

    The repayment of this exceptional MFA loan and of the loans from other G7 countries will come from the extraordinary revenues made from immobilised Russian Central Bank assets, and enabled by the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism, newly established under the Commission’s proposal.

    The future revenues from frozen Russian assets, as well as possible contributions from EU member states and other countries, are set to be made available to Ukraine through the mechanism in order to assist the country in repaying the exceptional MFA loan, as well as loans from other G7 partners considered as eligible by the Commission. These funds will only be used for servicing and repaying eligible loans and the MFA loan.

    The new MFA loan is undesignated, allowing Ukraine to allocate the funds as it deems appropriate. The management and control systems outlined in the Ukraine Plan, along with specific measures to prevent fraud and other irregularities, will also apply to the MFA loan. The new MFA funds will be made available by the end of 2024, and disbursed until the end of 2025. The MFA loan is conditional upon Ukraine’s continued commitment to uphold effective democratic mechanisms, respect human rights, and further policy conditions to be set out in a memorandum of understanding.

    Quote

    ”Using profits from immobilised Russian assets sends a clear signal that the burden of rebuilding Ukraine must be shouldered by those responsible for its destruction, namely Russia. The new macro-financial assistance and loan cooperation mechanism supports Ukraine to maintain important basic functions in society. Making Russia pay is an important step. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own existence and freedom, but also ours. This proposal underscores the EU’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and economic resilience,” rapporteur Karin Karlsbro (Renew, SE) said.

    Next steps

    Parliament is expected to vote on the proposal during its 21-24 October session. The Council endorsed the proposal last week, and it plans to adopt the regulation by written procedure after Parliament’s vote. The regulation is expected to enter into force on the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the EU.

    Background

    In September, the Commission announced a €35 billion EU loan for Ukraine as part of a plan by G7 partners to issue loans of up to $50 billion (€45 billion). Future revenues coming from the frozen Russian state assets would finance the loans. Approximately 210 billion euros assets from the Central Bank of Russia are held in the EU and have been frozen under sanctions imposed over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. EU governments decided to set aside the extraordinary revenues from these assets, and use them to support both military efforts and reconstruction in Ukraine. Setting up the Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism underlines the EU’s continued support to Ukraine.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Persistent supply shortages of critical medicinal products in the EU, in particular isotonic saline solution – P-002037/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    12.10.2024

    Priority question for written answer  P-002037/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Friedrich Pürner (NI)

    For years, the EU Member States have faced shortages of important medicines, including antibiotics, insulin, painkillers and syrups lowering fever. In Germany, supply shortages are now even affecting isotonic saline solutions, which are needed for infusions, rinses and surgery, among other things.

    The shortage of medicines is a persistent public health problem.

    In light of this, the Commission adopted a set of actions in 2023 to address the shortage of medicines and strengthen security of supply in the EU, which included a reform of pharmaceutical legislation.

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of this situation in Germany and are other EU Member States also facing a shortage of isotonic saline solution? If so, which, and how big is the deficit in each country and in the EU as a whole?
    • 2.What is the impact of these supply shortages on patients and users and how are prices affected?
    • 3.What precautionary measures and early warning systems does the European Commission, in cooperation with the Member States, have in place in order to prevent shortages or minimise deficits as far as possible?

    Submitted: 12.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Common agricultural policy subsidies for coriander producers in Occitania – E-001976/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001976/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Julien Leonardelli (PfE)

    At a time when the sowing season has already started, producers of coriander in the Occitania region in France have been displeased to learn, by means of an order of the regional prefect, that common agricultural policy subsidies, including those for the organic sector, would be subject to a particularly strict cap: EUR 2 700 per holding for applications including the crop code ‘AAR-précision 004 coriandre, cumin’. EUR 20 000 per holding had originally been budgeted for that subsidy, and farmers based their investments on that figure.

    That cap is seriously harmful to coriander producers in the Occitania region. It seems all the more unjustified and incomprehensible given that coriander production has shot up in France recently (from 1 850 hectares to 3 520 hectares between 2019 and 2020, an increase of81 %). What is more, markets in France and the other Member States of the European Union are currently gaining ground back, including in the light of the state of affairs in Ukraine.

    Will the Commission reconsider its position and propose a significant increase to the subsidy cap for this year?

    Submitted: 7.10.2024

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Combating the import of adulterated honey – E-001969/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001969/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Pascal Arimont (PPE)

    According to the German Professional Beekeepers Association (Deutscher Berufs- und Erwerbsimkerbunds e. V.), adulterated honey in supermarkets remains a major problem. The association had samples of honey from German supermarkets tested in a laboratory, which showed that 25 out of 30 samples had been diluted with cheap sugar syrup. The association noted that the typical sugar profiling methods – NMR, IRMS and LC/MS testing – did not reveal any anomalies in the 30 samples. Only DNA sequencing was able to prove that 80 % of the samples were inauthentic[1]. Beekeepers suspect that fructose syrup produced by genetically modified bacteria was added to the honeys.

    The European Parliament and the Council have adopted a reform of the EU Honey Directive, whereby the countries of origin will have to appear on the label of honey blends in descending order by weight with the percentage share of each origin. Nonetheless, the Member States can decide that, for honey placed on the market in their territory, only the percentages of the four largest shares need to be indicated, provided that these countries represent more than 50 % of the blend. What is more, the detection of this fraud highlights the need for comprehensive and better analyses to combat the import of cheap, counterfeit products.

    What is the Commission’s response to the findings of the above-mentioned investigation and what measures is it proposing to better and more efficiently detect such fraud in the future?

    Submitted: 7.10.2024

    • [1] https://berufsimker.de/schock-nach-dna-test-80-prozent-beprobter-honige-gefaelscht/
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Plans to build a waste incineration plant with a capacity of 600 000 tonnes/year in Santa Palomba (9th administrative subdivision of Rome Capital) – P-001454/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. EU law requires Member States to ensure proper waste management, including to prepare for reuse or recycle at least 65%[1] and not landfill more than 10%[2] of their municipal waste by 2035. Incineration with energy recovery can provide appropriate treatment of non-recyclable residual waste[3] by extracting energy and valuable materials, diverting it from landfilling or illegal dumping, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution. To align waste infrastructure with the recycling targets, overcapacity in residual waste treatment should be avoided. No information indicates that this incinerator would contribute to incineration overcapacity or cause significant damage to the EU’s environmental objectives.

    2. Decisions on the type and location of waste treatment plants are in the competence of the Member States and are part of their waste management plans to implement EU waste legislation, ensuring a high level of environmental protection and the application of the principles of the waste hierarchy, proximity, self-sufficiency and polluter-pays. Without prejudice to the Commission’s role as guardian of the Treaties, Member States are primarily responsible to ensure compliance with EU law, including as regards assessing possible environmental impacts of projects and verifying individual cases of potential breaches of the rules.

    3. The waste hierarchy lays down a priority order favoring waste prevention and preparing for re-use, followed by recycling, and only then recovery, including energy recovery, while the least preferred option is disposal, such as incineration without energy recovery and landfilling of waste[4]. The Commission considers that the place of energy recovery in the waste hierarchy is still valid.

    • [1] Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140.
    • [2] Council Directive 1999/31/EC of 26 April 1999 on the landfill of waste, OJ L 182, 16.7.1999, p. 1-19, amended by Directive (EU) 2018/850 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 100-108.
    • [3] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions ‘The role of waste-to-energy in the circular economy’, COM(2017) 34 final.
    • [4] Article 4 of Directive 2008/98/EC.
    Last updated: 14 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Diminishing water resources in the EU – E-001602/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The political guidelines[1] of the President of the Commission announced the development of a water resilience strategy to ensure water resources are properly managed, water scarcity addressed and the competitive innovative edge of the water industry enhanced by a circular economy approach.

    The aim, inter alia, is to better support Member States in strengthening their water security, as water is increasingly under stress from uses and climate change.

    It will build on ongoing efforts to tackle water scarcity and droughts and enhance drought management, taking into account the impacts of climate change[2], including through a working group on water scarcity and droughts[3], as well as the EU Climate Adaptation Strategy[4].

    The Commission has been assessing the severity of droughts[5], drought impacts[6] and future drought risks[7] and offered support to Member States to either establish or improve national and regional drought observatories by leveraging the European Drought Observatory of the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

    The EU is also providing significant support to water resilience investments. Between 2021 and 2027, some EUR 13 billion of Cohesion Policy funds[8] will be invested in water management. Moreover, the Common Agricultural Policy[9] supports more efficient irrigation and measures to render farming more sustainable for ground and surface water.

    Horizon Europe[10] also supports research and innovation on water resilience[11], through partnerships, Missions and the Work Programme .

    Last updated: 14 October 2024

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Study – Issues at stake at the COP16 to the Convention on Biological Diversity – 14-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    The Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework (GBF), adopted in 2022, aims to drive global biodiversity conservation through 23 targets and four overarching goals. As COP16 approaches in October 2024, the study looks at overall progress in implementation since COP15 and examines the major issues at stake, including a review of the state of implementation at national level, establishing a financial mechanism and adopting a multilateral agreement on digital sequence information. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI).

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – World Food Day 2024: Still struggling with hunger – 14-10-2024

    Source: European Parliament

    World Food Day is celebrated every year on 16 October to promote awareness and action in support of those who suffer from hunger. What is more, over 2.8 billion people – around one third of the world’s population – were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. The average cost of such a diet continues to increase globally reaching 3.96 purchasing power parity dollars per person per day in 2022. Read our infographic to dig deeper into the topic.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis attends annual foreign ministers’ meeting of German-speaking countries in Luxembourg

    Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration in English

    The foreign ministers of the five German-speaking countries met today in Luxembourg to discuss cross-border and multilateral cooperation. They also discussed the role of the United Nations Security Council, which Switzerland is chairing for the second time this October, in the current geopolitical context.

    MIL OSI Europe News –