Source: European Parliament
There will be a Joint EUDS-CULT Public Hearing on The State of the Media in the EU and Media Resilience taking place on Monday 19 May 2025, 15.00-17.30 in meeting room SPINELLI 3G2.
The next CULT Commmitee meeting will take place on Tuesday 20 May 2025, 10.00 – 12.00; 12.00 – 13.15 (Coordinators’ meeting) in meeting room SPINELLI 3G2 and on Tuesday 20 May 2025, 14.30 – 18.30 in meeting room ANTALL 6Q2.
Source: European Parliament
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section IV – Court of Justice of the European Union,
– having regard to Rule 102 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0050/2025),
A. whereas in the context of the discharge procedure, the discharge authority wishes to stress the particular importance of further strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the Union institutions by improving transparency and accountability, and by implementing the concept of performance-based budgeting and good governance of human resources;
B. whereas the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) is the judicial institution of the Union, having the task of ensuring compliance with Union law by overseeing the uniform interpretation and application of the Treaties and ensuring the lawfulness of measures adopted by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
C. whereas the CJEU helps preserving the values of the Union and, through its case-law, works towards the building of Europe;
D. whereas the CJEU comprises two courts: the Court of Justice and the General Court;
E. whereas Parliament and Council amended Protocol No 3 on the Statute of the CJEU (the ‘Statute’)(1) in 2024 with respect to the transfer of preliminary rulings in specific areas to the jurisdiction of the General Court;
1. Notes that the budget of the CJEU falls under MFF heading 7, ‘European public administration’, which amounted to EUR 12,3 billion in 2023 (representing 6,4 % of the total Union budget); notes that the CJEU’s budget of approximately EUR 0,5 billion represents approximately 3,9 % of the total administrative expenditure of the Union;
2. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the ‘Court’), in its Annual Report for the financial year 2023 (the ‘Court’s report’) examined a sample of 70 transactions under the heading ‘Administration’, 10 more than were examined in 2022; the Court further states that administrative expenditure comprises expenditure on human resources, including expenditure on pensions, which in 2023 accounted for approximately 70 % of the total administrative expenditure, and expenditure on buildings, equipment, energy, communications and information technology (IT), and that its work over many years indicates that, overall, this spending is low risk;
3. Notes that 21 (30 %) of the 70 transactions contained errors but that the Court, based on the five errors which were quantified, estimates the level of error to be below the materiality threshold;
4. Notes that the Court’s report did not identify any specific issues concerning the CJEU;
Budgetary and financial management
5. Notes that the budget allocated for the CJEU in 2023 amounted to EUR 486 025 796, which represented an increase of 3,9 % compared to 2022; notes that this increase was mainly related to salary adjustments forecasted for 2023; stresses that the budget of the CJEU is essentially administrative, with around 75 % of the appropriations related to expenditure for its members and staff, and almost all of the rest related to expenditure for buildings and IT;
6. Notes that the overall implementation rate of the budget at the end of 2023 was 97,72 %; notes that five transfers were submitted to the budgetary authority in accordance with Article 29 of the Financial Regulation to reinforce the budget lines for ‘Energy consumption’, ‘Purchases, work, servicing and maintenance of equipment and software’ and ‘buildings’ from other budget lines, mainly the budget line for staff ‘Remuneration and allowances’; notes that Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine continued to create budgetary pressure for the CJEU, including through rising inflation and salary adjustments, strongly increasing energy costs and costs for a number of goods and services;
7. Notes with satisfaction that the authorising officer by delegation declared that the resources allocated had been used for the purpose intended and in accordance with the principle of sound financial management and that the control procedures put in place provided the necessary guarantees as to the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions;
8. Notes that the average payment time stood at 23,1 days in 2023 compared to 24,32 days in 2022; calls on the CJEU to continue its efforts to reduce the time for payment, particularly considering that 81 % of invoices were received electronically in 2023;
9. Notes that the CJEU’s mission budget, which stood at EUR 638 000 for both staff and Members in 2023, continued to decrease by 3,3 % in 2023 compared to 2022; notes that 85,1 % of the appropriations for missions in 2023 were used compared to 46,6 % in 2022 due to the persistent travel restrictions in application at that time;
Internal management, performance and internal control
10. Notes the significant steps taken by the CJEU in 2023 towards its judicial reform which has led to the partial transfer of jurisdiction to give preliminary rulings from the Court of Justice to the General Court; notes that a political agreement with Parliament and Council was reached at the end of 2023 in view of the amendment to the Statute of the CJEU and with a view to improving the functioning of the CJEU against the background of a steady increase in the caseload and in the complexity and sensitive nature of questions raised; notes that, further to the adoption of the reform in 2024, detailed rules and procedures were adopted in order to complete the reform and allow the implementation of the new regulatory framework as of 1 October 2024;
11. Notes that, in 2023, the Court of Justice ruled on five cases concerning the principle of primacy in the context of four preliminary rulings brought by the courts in Germany, Ireland, Poland, and Romania, as well as one infringement case concerning Poland; stresses the fundamental importance of the principle of primacy of Union law, which ensures the uniform interpretation and application of Union law across all Member States and safeguards the rule of law as a core value of the Union; strongly reaffirms that the primacy of Union law is the cornerstone of the Union’s legal order and highlights the pivotal role of the CJEU in upholding the rule of law across the Union. Furthermore, notes that the General Court ruled on six cases related to measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law by the Hungarian government, which systematically undermines core Union values; urges the Commission to take decisive enforcement actions against any Member State that challenges or disregards the binding nature of CJEU rulings; highlights that, in cases relating to the investigation of the Union budget, the principles of due process and fundamental rights must be fully respected by all competent authorities;
12. Notes that Article 4(2) of the Treaty on European Union states that “The Union shall respect the equality of Member States before the Treaties as well as their national identities, inherent in their fundamental structures, political and constitutional, inclusive of regional and local self-government. It shall respect their essential State functions […]”;
13. Condemns any national measures or legislative actions that seek to undermine the codification and enforcement of CJEU judgments; calls for the establishment of a formal monitoring mechanism to track Member State compliance with CJEU rulings and recommends linking compliance with EU funding disbursement under the rule of law conditionality framework;
14. Notes that 821 new cases were submitted to the Court of Justice in 2023, compared to 806 in 2022, out of which 63 % were references for preliminary ruling and 28,6 % were appeals against decisions of the General Court; notes that the General Court saw a major increase of cases with 1 271 new cases in 2023 compared to 904 in 2022, including an exceptional series of 404 joint cases submitted in October 2023; notes that in 2023 for the General Court, 37 % of the new cases, including the series of 404 joint cases, concerned actions relating to institutional law, 24,3 % concerned actions relating to intellectual property and 6 % concerned disputes between institutions of the Union and their staff; notes that the total number of pending cases remains stable when compared to previous years: considering the previously mentioned 404 cases as a single case, 2 587 cases were pending at the end of 2023, compared to 2 585 at the end of 2022 and 2 541 at the end of 2021;
15. Notes that the Court of Justice closed 783 cases in 2023, compared to 808 in 2022, and that the General Court closed 904 cases in 2023, compared to 858 in 2022;
16. Welcomes the decrease in the average length of proceedings for the cases closed by the Court of Justice, whereas in 2023 that average was 16,1 months, compared to 16,4 months in 2022; notes that the average duration for the cases closed by the General Court was 18,2 months, compared to 16,2 months in 2022, which the General Court explained was due to the nature and related complexity of the proceedings managed in 2023;
17. Notes the decrease in the average time taken to deal with direct actions before the Court of Justice (from 23,5 months in 2022 to 20,8 months in 2023) and with references for preliminary rulings (from 17,3 months to 16,8 months); notes that, as regards the litigation before the Court of Justice, there was a significant increase in the number of direct actions, in particular in the field of the environment, and that the questions referred to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling in 2023 related principally to the area of freedom, security and justice, followed by taxation, consumer protection and transport; notes that, as regards the litigation before the General Court, there was an increase of cases in the fields of intellectual property and economic and monetary policy, including banking;
18. Notes with satisfaction the high use rate of e-Curia in 2023, with 10 502 e-Curia accounts being registered: 94 % of lodgements before the General Court were made via e-Curia, which is the same as in 2022, while the use rate of e-Curia at the Court of Justice went up to approximately 89 %, compared to 87 % in 2022;
19. Appreciates the progress made in digitising the judicial archives with a view to preserving documents for future consultation and facilitating access for researchers and the public by means of a digital portal;
20. Welcomes the performance-based approach developed by the CJEU, allowing the CJEU to take decisions based on performance outcomes and the level of achievement of its objectives, measured through a set of workload and operational indicators; notes that the key performance indicators used by the CJEU cover a wide range of specific areas in support of the five management objectives relating to the proper functioning of the CJEU, digitalisation and emerging technologies, openness and transparency, multilingualism and human resources management;
21. Notes that the internal control framework of the CJEU was subject to an in-depth evaluation in 2022-2023, which confirmed its soundness; notes that, as part of that evaluation, the financial control circuits were adapted in order to make the controls more efficient;
22. Notes that the main internal audits carried out in 2023 concerned the CJEU’s expenditure on the cleaning of buildings, the effectiveness of the internal control system to safeguard the CJEU’s IT assets and the staff selection procedures; notes that an internal audit also carried out a study on the use of artificial intelligence in the area of justice in relation to the implementation of a “strategy for integrating tools based on artificial intelligence into the operation of the CJEU”; notes that, in many cases, the services of the CJEU took actions to implement the internal audit recommendations before the formal finalisation of the internal audits and that those actions were considered satisfactory by the internal auditor;
Human resources, equality and staff well-being
23. Notes that, at the end of 2023, the CJEU employed 1340 officials (58 %), 765 temporary agents (33 %) under Articles 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) of the Conditions of Employment of Other Staff of the EU, and 198 contract agents (9 %); notes that, at the end of 2023, the occupation rate of the establishment plan stood at 97,11 %; notes further that the annual turnover of staff was 7,8 % in 2023, which was particularly due to the 20 % of those staff who left the CJEU by taking retirement;
24. Notes that the Court of Justice is composed of 27 Judges and 11 Advocates General and that no new Judge or Advocate General took office in 2023; notes further that the General Court is composed of 54 Judges and that two new Judges, one woman and one man, took office during 2023; notes further that a new Registrar for the General Court was elected in 2023;
25. Welcomes the CJEU’s detailed responses to the questionnaire from Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control, provided as part of the current discharge procedure, particularly regarding staff distribution at the end of 2023; notes that the gender composition of the Court of Justice and the General Court continues to be very unbalanced; expresses its appreciation of the letter from the President of the General Court to the President of the Conference of the Representatives of the Member States in 2024, calling on Member States to take the need for gender balance into account when nominating candidates for the replacement of Judges and Advocates General; calls on Member States to take the need for gender balance into account when nominating candidates for the replacement of judges;
26. Takes note that, of the 2 303 officials and agents serving at the end of 2023, 61 % are women; welcomes the fact that the proportion of women in administrative positions is 55 %, and especially the fact that, in managerial posts, the proportion has increased to 43 %, compared to 40 % in 2022 and 2021, confirming the upward trend recorded since 2018 (41 % in 2020, 39 % in 2019 and 37,5 % in 2018); notes however that representation of women was the highest in assistant grades, whereas it was the lowest in senior management positions; calls on the CJEU to ensure a greater representation of women in senior management positions and take further measures to promote gender balance at all levels; welcomes the efforts deployed by the CJEU in favour of equality, inclusion and diversity, especially at recruitment stage;
27. Calls on the CJEU to publish an annual Gender and Diversity Report to provide transparency on gender representation at all levels of the institution, including Judges, Advocates General, and administrative staff, as well as to provide for concrete measures of improving gender parity in senior positions;
28. Welcomes that all Union nationalities are represented in the staff of the CJEU, but notes that certain nationalities are more represented than others; welcomes the continued efforts of the CJEU to promote a better geographical balance among its staff, in particular by fostering the visibility and attractiveness of its job vacancies, creating and offering more favourable job conditions to attract temporary agents from certain less-represented Member States and communicating widely to varied audiences on the job opportunities at the CJEU in 2023; notes that a significant effort was made to attract many talented young people from different Member States though the CJEU’s internship programme; invites the CJEU to examine whether trainees are proportionally represented from all member states;
29. Urges the CJEU to promote a multilingual working environment, recognizing its potential to enhance the fair distribution of nationalities among its staff; calls on all EU institutions to uphold and ensure the principle of multilingualism;
30. Welcomes the work done by the High Level Interinstitutional Group on enhancing the attractiveness of Luxembourg as a place of work for staff; calls on the CJEU to maintain and enhance cooperation with other Luxembourg-based institutions across different initiatives; notes with appreciation that the budgetary authority approved for the financial year 2025 the necessary appropriations in order to allow the granting of a housing allowance to staff at lower grades, as recommended by the High Level Interinstitutional Group; asks that Parliament be updated on the progress of such initiatives intended to improve the attractiveness of Luxembourg as a place of work;
31. Notes that, in 2023, the CJEU implemented several initiatives to promote physical and mental wellbeing of staff through specialised workshops and awareness-raising activities; notes that the teleworking scheme, which entered into force on 1 May 2022, was assessed positively by the managers, among whom 92 % replied that the productivity of staff teleworking was either equivalent or better than prior to the existence of the teleworking scheme; notes that, with a view to achieving a better work and personal-life balance, in 2023, the CJEU renewed the possibility for its staff to telework from outside the place of employment up to 10 days per year, especially during the judicial vacations;
32. Welcomes the ongoing awareness-raising, information and training campaigns aiming at promoting inclusion, mutual respect, cooperation and support for people with disabilities and their helpers;
33. Notes that the number of working days of sick leave was 20 198 in 2023, corresponding to a reduction of 14,78 % compared to 2022; notes with concern that the medical service reported 11 cases of burnout in 2023; welcomes a thorough analysis of diagnostic reports undertaken by the CJEU to identify instances of professional burnout and the CJEU’s focus on preventive measures, especially the reinforcement of its medical and social workers’ team, the prevention of psychosocial risks in the workplace and the introduction of awareness-raising activities for management on the right to disconnect and the risks of over-performance; encourages the CJEU to maintain focus on this problem in order to prevent any further cases associated with burnout and inform the Parliament of the measures taken in this regard;
34. Notes that an administrative enquiry was launched in 2023 on an alleged case of sexual harassment concerning a member of staff and that this case was closed in 2024 with a sanction; expresses concern that a procedure of assistance for alleged harassment concerning a judge was also filed in 2023 but no harassment was established in that case; notes that an interdepartmental working group, established in March 2023, therefore ahead of the ratification of the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, examined the rules and procedures in place in the CJEU to prevent harassment and made some recommendations with a view to improving these rules and procedures; encourages the CJEU to follow up and continue to show no tolerance for harassment in the workplace by introducing mandatory training on unconscious bias and ethical standards for all judges and senior officials to prevent abuse of power;
Ethical framework
35. Notes with satisfaction that, as requested in previous discharge recommendations, the new code of conduct on the rights and obligations of officials and other servants of the CJEU reflecting the CJEU’s values and commitment to ethics was drawn up in 2023 and adopted in March 2024; notes that the code of conduct includes provisions on conflict of interests, duty of loyalty, duty of confidentiality and discretion, outside activities, occupational activities after leaving the service and publications and also applies to seconded national experts and trainee judges hosted under the European Judicial Training Network; notes that, in 2023, awareness-raising activities and revamped training on the code of conduct were organised for staff and managers, with a particular focus on newcomers; calls for a mandatory training for all staff on a regular basis and asks that Parliament be kept informed about the implementation of the code of conduct;
36. Notes that, before the code of conduct entered into force, two potential cases of conflict of interest were declared and handled in accordance with the procedures in place, with the aim of ensuring that the new members of staff concerned were not involved in the management of files that they knew from a previous job;
37. Notes that, further to the adoption of the code of conduct for Members and former Members of the CJEU, the declaration of interests of the Members have been published online to avoid any potential conflict of interest in the handling of cases; notes that the CJEU is constantly reassessing its internal rules on this matter with a view to updating those rules and to ensuring the highest possible standards of ethical behaviour; calls on the CJEU to establish an independent ethics committee to oversee compliance with the code of conduct and investigate potential breaches; calls for mandatory annual ethics training for all CJEU personnel, including Judges and Advocates General to preserve the integrity of the CJEU; asks the CJEU to inform Parliament about the results of any further assessment of the effectiveness of that measure aimed at the prevention of conflicts of interest;
38. Welcomes the publication of the declarations of interests of the Members of the CJEU but calls for the introduction of a standard pre-appointment screening process to identify and mitigate potential conflicts of interest at an early stage; urges the Council to establish transparent guidelines for Member States when nominating candidates for judicial positions at the CJEU;
39. Urges the CJEU to introduce a mandatory recusal policy for judges in cases where they have past professional affiliations with litigants appearing before the CJEU; calls for stricter conflict-of-interest screening for judges and high-ranking staff, including regular updates to financial disclosure requirements; asks for the publication of real-time recusal decisions in cases where judges declare a conflict of interest, ensuring greater transparency in the judicial process and reinforcing public confidence in the impartiality and integrity of the CJEU;
40. Notes that in 2023, all Members of the CJEU were resident of Luxembourg in accordance with Article 14 of the Statute;
41. Notes that the list of external activities carried out by the Members of both the Court of Justice and the General Court has been published on the CJEU website since 2018; further notes that the list is difficult to read for the general public and recommends its revision to ensure greater clarity and informativeness; notes that the prior authorisation by the general meeting of the Court of Justice or by the plenary conference of the General Court is only granted when the external activity is compatible with the requirements of the code of conduct and with the Members’ obligations to be available for judicial activities; asks the CJEU to inform the discharge authority about any initiatives to improve the readability of the information related to external activities, in line with previous discharge recommendations;
42. Notes that the rules governing Members’ travels, missions and use of drivers and cars, as updated in 2021, provide that only the running costs resulting from the car use for purposes related to the execution of a mission order or to the exercise of his or her mandate within a limit of 10 000 km are borne by the CJEU; reiterates its opinion that the use of the car fleet outside of the strict performance of the duties of the Members of the CJEU should not take place under any circumstances, notes that the CJEU reported to be in discussion with other institutions in order to obtain a harmonised set of rules for the use of official vehicles, while respecting the autonomy of each institution; invites all Union institutions to agree on a single system to be applied horizontally, which would reduce the confusion and increase transparency and efficiency in the use of public money; asks the CJEU to keep Parliament informed of any progress in this matter;
43. Notes that an OLAF case, referred to in previous discharge resolutions, which dealt with the conduct of a member of staff that might have constituted a serious failure to comply with their obligations, was closed in 2023; notes that the CJEU is not aware of any new OLAF investigation or recommendation in 2023;
44. Notes that the CJEU did not report any cases of fraud, corruption or misuse of Union funds in 2023; notes that the CJEU’s anti-fraud strategy is an integral part of its integrated internal control and risk management framework, with a particular focus on the risks of improper disclosure of information;
Transparency and access to justice for citizens
45. Welcomes the CJEU’s engagement to enhance transparency, access to justice and public openness, thus contributing to foster public trust in the Union institutions;
46. Notes that, in 2023, the CJEU consolidated the streaming service for hearings of the Court of Justice and of the General Court on the Curia website, thus facilitating the access of citizens to the judicial activities of the CJEU; welcomes the improvement of the CVRIA website, in terms of its structure, functionalities and content; welcomes that the delivery of judgments of the Court of Justice, the reading of opinions of the Advocates General, the hearings of the Grand Chamber and certain hearings of chambers sitting with five Judges have been broadcast live on the Curia website since 2023; calls on the CJEU to further improve transparency by broadcasting all hearings of both the Court of Justice and the General Court on its website and permanently storing them online;
47. Welcomes that, further to the reform of its Statute, the CJEU will publish statements of case or written observations lodged in preliminary ruling proceedings after the closure of such proceedings, except in cases of objection to the publication of a person’s statement of case or observation; underlines that such publication will improve transparency and access to justice for citizens and calls on the CJEU to publish all documents related to a file on its website; calls on the CJEU to implement a procedure that could be used by any person to access in house all the documents related to a case;
48. Notes that rules on the use of videoconferencing were adopted by the General Court in April 2023 and by the Court of Justice in September 2024, according to which a party may request the use of videoconferencing where security or other serious reasons prevent that party’s representative from participating in a hearing in person;
49. Notes that the rules laid down by the CJEU decision of 26 November 2019 concerning public access to documents held by the CJEU in the exercise of its administrative function do not apply to judicial documents for which access is governed by the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice or the Rules of Procedure of the General Court; notes that the CJEU registered 21 requests of public access to administrative documents in 2023 and granted access to administrative documents in 12 cases; notes that the European Ombudsman found no instances of maladministration on the part of the CJEU in 2023;
50. Invites the CJEU to simplify the process of finding specific rulings on e-curia; welcomes efforts to make the interface more client-friendly and intuitive;
Digitalisation, cybersecurity and data protection
51. Notes that compared to 2022 the budget expenditure increased by 10,9 % for IT projects, by 13 % for IT equipment, by 59 % for cybersecurity projects and by 72 % for cybersecurity services, licences and equipment in 2023;
52. Notes that the implementation of major digitalisation projects under the digital transformation strategy remained a priority for the CJEU in 2023, such as the development of the integrated case management system (SIGA), the promotion of the use of the e-Curia application for the lodging and notification of procedural documents by electronic means, the adoption of eSignature and the adoption of HAN/Ares electronic document record and management system; notes that the CJEU tracks the return on investment in digitalisation projects in terms of costs and resources efficiency and asks the CJEU to keep the discharge authority informed of its findings in that area;
53. Notes that, as part of its comprehensive initiative to increase accessibility and inclusion for persons with vulnerability, the CJEU has continued to implement the “accessibility by design” approach for any change and evolution of its IT systems; notes that, following an audit of the Curia website, the CJEU started to improve the site’s accessibility to a wide range of users, such as people with visual impairments, hearing impairments or learning disabilities;
54. Notes that the CJEU implemented several projects based on artificial intelligence (AI), such as the automation of document analysis for references to applicable legislation and assistance with invoice verification through robotic processes and hearing transcription, in line with its new AI integration strategy adopted in June 2023; underlines that it is of vital importance that AI is used in a manner which fully preserves the independence, the quality and the serenity of the legal processes, is in full consideration of ethical matters and is used under human oversight and allowing human intervention in order to avoid negative consequences or risks, or stop the system if it does not perform as intended; notes that, as part of that strategy, the CJEU set up an AI management board composed of members of the Court of Justice and of the General Court to oversee the ethical aspects of AI use within the CJEU and to set clear boundaries for its application; welcomes the staff guidelines on the use of AI issued by the board; welcomes the initiatives in place to upskill employees in digital competencies through the training path developed in cooperation with the Interinstitutional Committee for Digital Transformation (ETA); emphasises that the digitalisation of justice and the adoption of emerging technologies such as AI will offer significant advantages for the efficient functioning of the CJEU; recommends however that the CJEU anticipate the associated cybersecurity risks and strengthen even more its collaboration with the EU Agency for Cybersecurity and CERT-EU;
55. Notes that no EDPS enquiries were communicated to the CJEU in 2023; notes that, in 2023, EDPS had not addressed any specific recommendation to the CJEU following its investigation regarding the use of cloud services by Amazon web services; notes that EDPS published a decision in 2023 confirming compliance of the CJEU’s use of cloud videoconferencing services with data protection law; reiterates however its concerns regarding the use of external cloud services, given the growing threats about cybersecurity and digital sovereignty;
56. Welcomes the CJEU adoption of a cyber roadmap in 2023 and strengthening of its cybersecurity operational capabilities to better protect its systems against the increasing number of cyberattacks; underlines furthermore that a robust cybersecurity strategy is an essential tool to fight against foreign interferences aiming to undermine the integrity of the European Institutions; notes that the CJEU has taken various measures to reinforce its cybersecurity preparedness and ability to recover from security incidents, including through its participation in the governance of the Interinstitutional Cybersecurity Board and through a combination of cybersecurity controls and tools in line with the recommendations of CERT-EU; notes that the budgetary authority approved for the financial year 2025 the necessary appropriations for two additional posts in order to reinforce the CJEU’s staff capacities in the field of cybersecurity;
57. Welcomes the measures taken, such as cybersecurity audits, staff training and rapid incident response protocols, to protect the CJEU’s technological infrastructure from cyber threats; stresses that the digitisation of justice and the use of new technologies such as artificial intelligence will bring many benefits in terms of the smooth functioning of the CJEU, but also entail risks that the CJEU needs to pre-empt and protect itself against; suggests in this regard that the CJEU develop a cybersecurity strategy and step up collaboration with other Union institutions, in particular ENISA (the EU Agency for Cybersecurity), on the prevention of cyber-attacks, the number and sophistication of which are growing exponentially in Europe;
58. Welcomes the initiative to assign fictitious names to anonymised cases, by using a computerised automatic name generator, in order to strengthen the protection of personal data and facilitate the identification of individual cases;
59. Notes with satisfaction the amendment to the Rules of Procedure of the General Court, which will clarify and simplify judicial procedures, including the possibility of using videoconferencing for hearings, electronic signature of decisions and the designation of pilot cases;
Buildings
60. Notes that, following-up on the cross services reflection about the most efficient use of the CJEU’s premises, that was concluded in 2023, pilot projects were launched; notes that the results of those projects, together with other factors, such as environmental and budgetary aspects, quality of justice, well-being at work, inclusion, accessibility and the attractiveness of the CJEU, will be taken into account in the final decision on the use of the CJEU’s buildings; asks that Parliament be kept informed about the implementation of those conclusions and the consequences for the organisation of the workspace;
61. Notes that, in 2023, the CJEU further pursued its comprehensive initiative to increase accessibility and inclusion for persons with disabilities, with the aim of guaranteeing access to the CJEU, physically or virtually, to all individuals, participants in proceedings and visitors; notes further that, in 2023, the CJEU started to make an inventory of its infrastructure with a view to complying with the new national accessibility legislation as of 1 January 2032; asks that Parliament be kept informed about further initiatives in this area;
Environment and sustainability
62. Notes with satisfaction that, in 2023, the CJEU continued to significantly reduce its energy consumption and carbon footprint compared to 2015, which is the baseline for the implementation of the CJEU’s eco-management and audit scheme strategy, thanks to energy-saving measures and optimisation of its heating, cooling and lighting infrastructures; notes that heating consumption was reduced by 33,5 %, electricity by 28,7 %, water by 20,1 %, office paper by 63 %, office and canteen waste by 43 % and greenhouse gas emissions by 30,2 % in 2023 compared to 2015; welcomes that the CJEU applied green procurement criteria in 10 calls for tender above EUR 60 000; welcomes the CJEU’s commitment to the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS); encourages the CJEU to continue its efforts in reducing its environmental impact, with a strategy to reach carbon neutrality by 2035;
63. Welcomes that the CJEU has taken several initiatives to support and increase sustainable mobility for its staff and Members, including subsidies for public transportation, subsidies for self-service bicycles, improved bike parking facilities and improved facilities for hybrid and electrical cars;
Interinstitutional cooperation
64. Welcomes the budgetary savings achieved through cooperation with other institutions and in particular the shared applications and hosting services based on service-level agreements with the Commission as well as the participation in interinstitutional procurement procedures, which have allowed the CJEU to optimise costs and resources;
65. Welcomes the efforts of the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) in training national judges on EU law; notes with appreciation that, in line with the CJEU’s declaration entitled “Supporting the EJTN to shape a sustainable European judicial culture”, the CJEU and the EJTN sought to increase the diversity of long-term trainees in 2023, with the aim of ultimately increasing their number to one per Member State; notes that the measures taken have already been successful since the CJEU has trainees from some Member States which previously did not actively participate in the programme; notes that 15 remunerated traineeships were offered for the year 2023-24; calls on the CJEU to further develop its knowledge-sharing initiatives, including joint case-law databases and virtual collaboration platforms to support national courts in complex legal interpretations;
66. Emphasises that traineeships should be remunerated in compliance with the European Parliament’s resolution of 14 June 2023 on Quality Traineeships in the Union (2020/2005(INL)), which calls for all internships in Europe to be paid; welcomes that currently all trainees at the CJEU receive a grant during their stay, mainly from the CJEU and, in some specific cases, from other sources; take notes that the CJEU only accepts a few trainees (less than 10 per year) paid by other sources, and for short periods (on average 2 months); welcomes that in such cases, the CJEU administration carefully checks that these trainees receive a grant, allowance or remuneration for this traineeship, paid directly by their employer or academic institution;
67. Appreciates that the CJEU fully cooperates with OLAF, the Court, the EDPS and the European Ombudsman; notes that, in 2023, the CJEU has continued to work towards maintaining the established dialogue with national courts, and in particular with the constitutional and supreme courts, and that the CJEU hosted a number of meetings, including the annual meeting of national judges; encourages deeper cooperation between the CJEU and national courts to strengthen uniform application of Union law; recommends establishing a permanent judicial exchange programme for judges from Member States to work alongside their CJEU counterparts, fostering best practices in the interpretation of Union law;
Communication
68. Notes that, in 2023, the CJEU strengthened its efforts to engage with Union citizens by enhancing its outreach on social media; notes that, at the end of 2023, the number of subscribers to the CJEU’s LinkedIn account increased by 32 % and the number of followers on the CJEU’s two accounts on X (formerly Twitter) by 9 %,while the views on its YouTube channel increased by 84,96 % compared to the previous year;
69. Welcomes the CJEU’s efforts to enhance strategic communication and transparency towards Union citizens on the judicial activities of the CJEU, especially through the organisation of an open day, the offer for visitors, in particular the special virtual visits, in which 800 students participated in 2023, and the review of the drafting of its press releases and online publications in an accessible style, about matters of media interest or which have an impact on the lives of citizens.
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Source: European Parliament
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023(1),
– having regard to the consolidated annual accounts of the European Union for the financial year 2023 (COM(2024)0272 – C10‑0068/2024)(2),
– having regard to the report on budgetary and financial management for the financial year 2023, Section I – European Parliament(3),
– having regard to the Internal Auditor’s annual report for the financial year 2023,
– having regard to the Court of Auditors’ annual report on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023, together with the institutions’ replies(4),
– having regard to the statement of assurance(5) as to the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions provided by the Court of Auditors for the financial year 2023 pursuant to Article 287 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to Article 314(10) and Article 318 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 July 2018 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union, amending Regulations (EU) No 1296/2013, (EU) No 1301/2013, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 1304/2013, (EU) No 1309/2013, (EU) No 1316/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) No 283/2014, and Decision No 541/2014/EU and repealing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 966/2012(6), and in particular Articles 260, 261 and 262 thereof,
– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union(7), and in particular Articles 266, 267 and 268 thereof,
– having regard to the Bureau decision of 10 December 2018 on the Internal Rules on the implementation of the European Parliament’s budget, and in particular Article 34 thereof,
– having regard to Rule 102 and Rule 106(3) of, and Annex V to, its Rules of Procedure,
– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs,
– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0062/2025),
A. whereas the President adopted Parliament’s accounts for the financial year 2023 on 19 June 2024;
B. whereas the Secretary-General, as the principal authorising officer by delegation, certified, on 18 June 2024, his reasonable assurance that the resources assigned for Parliament’s budget have been used for their intended purpose, in accordance with the principles of sound financial management and that control procedures established give the necessary guarantees concerning the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions;
C. whereas the Court of Auditors stated in its audit that, in its specific assessment of administrative and other expenditure in 2023, it did not identify any serious weaknesses in the annual activity reports of the institutions and bodies it examined as required by Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046;
1. Grants its President discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Parliament for the financial year 2023;
2. Instructs its President to forward this decision to the Council, the Commission and the Court of Auditors, and to arrange for their publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (L series).
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Source: European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank’s development arm (EIB Global) and Kenya-based Family Bank are mobilising €100 million (14.7 billion Kenyan shillings) in financing for businesses, with a focus on women-owned/led enterprises and youth entrepreneurs in the country. EIB Global is providing a €50 million credit line to Family Bank, which will match the sum in an agreement to expand loans for Kenyan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and Mid-Caps.
The financing accord, announced during the second edition of the European Union-Kenya business forum in Nairobi, seeks to bolster the working capital and investments of Kenyan SMEs and Mid-Caps active mainly in the trade and agriculture sectors. At least 50% of the financing will target businesses owned or run by women while a further minimum of 30% will be extended to youth entrepreneurs.
“SMEs represent over 80% of our customer base. As a result of our growth efforts, our market revenue from this segment continues to increase, further underscoring the sector’s strong growth potential,” said Family Bank Chief Executive Officer Nancy Njau. “This partnership not only supports our 2025–2029 strategy to scale SME lending and deepen market segmentation but also enables us to better address the specific needs of SMEs across various value chains for sustainable growth and long-term value.”
In addition to the credit line, EIB Global will provide Family Bank with technical assistance to enhance its gender strategy and product offering. This includes a potential certification under a 2018 initiative called 2X Challenge launched by development and multilateral finance institutions to invest in women worldwide.
“We recognise that beyond access to financing and investment opportunities, small businesses, especially those led by women, also need education, information and networking opportunities with like-minded enterprises,” said Njau. “This partnership enables us to offer that holistic support.”
The agreement is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy to promote trade, manufacturing, agriculture, climate action and services, which are key priorities in Kenya. It also feeds into a European initiative called Investing in Young Businesses in Africa (IYBA) that operates across Africa with the goal of creating sustainable jobs and expanding business opportunities. The EIB currently chairs the IYBA.
“The financing partnership we now have with Family Bank will inject much-needed capital into Kenya’s private sector to support businesses and create employment,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Ostros. “Investing in women and youth entrepreneurs is not only the right thing to do but also the smart thing to do. It holds much promise to bring growth and prosperity to the Kenyan economy. This is a cause that is very important to us.”
The agreement signed between EIB Global and Family Bank represents the fourth time that the banks are partnering
“European Fund for Sustainable Development Fund Plus (#EFSD+) is a testament to our commitment to fostering sustainable economic growth by empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in partner countries,” said European Commission Director for International Partnerships – Africa, Hans Stausboll. “Through this strategic partnership with the European Investment Bank, we’re unlocking vital financial resources for SMEs in Kenya, via Family Bank. This collaboration not only fuels female-led entrepreneurship and innovation but also spurs climate smart and sustainable value chains across the Kenyan landscape. More in general, it contributes to Global Gateway strategy in Kenya across various economic sub-sectors including manufacturing, services, trade and competitiveness.”
Background Information
About EIB Global
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.
EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. EIB Global aims to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 — around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through offices across the world. High-quality, up-to-date photos of the organisation’s headquarters for media use are available here.
About Global Gateway
The Global Gateway strategy is the EU’s positive offer to reduce the worldwide investment disparity and boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems. In a Team Europe approach that brings together the European Union, EU Member States, and European development finance institutions, together we aim to mobilise up to €300 billion in public and private investments from 2021 to 2027, creating essential links rather than dependencies, and closing the global investment gap.
The EU-Africa Global Gateway investment package consists of €150 billion in investments to help accelerate Africa’s digital and green transition as well as support sustainable jobs growth and stronger health systems. More information on the investment package as well as country specific flagships can be found here.
About Family Bank:
Family Bank is a financial institution that prides itself in growing a strong retail customer base, with a strong focus on SME banking, anchored on the positive transformation of people’s lives in Africa. Family Bank is the eighth-largest bank in Kenya, in terms of branch network with 95 branches across 32 counties. The Bank has over 1.2 million customers, 6,000 bank agents and 75,000 merchants across the country with total assets of KES.168.5 billion and a deposit base of KES 126.4 billion as of 31st December 2024.
A pioneer in digital banking innovation, Family Bank was the first in Kenya to introduce paperless banking through smart card technology, mobile banking, and PesaPap. It also made history as the first bank in Africa to launch the mVisa service, reinforcing its commitment to seamless and accessible financial solutions.
In 2024, Family Bank was recognized for its commitment to excellence, winning the Excellence in Customer Responsiveness award at the Innovation & Excellence Awards East Africa. The Bank was also voted the third-best overall bank and the best tier-two bank for the fifth consecutive year in the Kenya Bankers Association Customer Satisfaction and Digital Banking Experience Survey. Additionally, Family Bank emerged as the winner of the 2024 Banking on Women Awards and received the prestigious Service Excellence Award in the CX Social Impact & Sustainability category from the Institute of Customer Experience.
Previously, in 2021, Family Bank’s highly successful Corporate Bond Campaign, which achieved a 147.3% subscription rate, raising KES 4.42 billion through public placement, earned the Financial Communication Campaign of the Year and Overall Public Relations Campaign of the Year at the Public Relations Society of Kenya Annual Awards for Excellence.
Other notable accolades include Best-Performing Young Bankers in Africa at the 2023 Battle of the Banks Africa Competition and Best in Internal Customer Experience at the 2023 Service Excellence Awards. In 2022, Family Bank was named Bank of the Year for high-impact agricultural lending to SMEs by Aceli Africa. The Bank also received the Best SME Bank in Kenya award at the 2017 Banker Africa East Africa Awards, a prestigious initiative recognizing excellence in African financial institutions. Additionally, Family Bank was honored with the Think Business Fastest Growing Bank Award for three consecutive years (2013-2015) and was the 1st Runner-Up for Best Bank in Microfinance at the Think Business Awards in 2013 and 2014.
Source: European Parliament
European Parliament resolution of 8 May 2025 on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified soybean MON 87705 × MON 87708 × MON 89788 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D105678/03 – 2025/2647(RSP))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: European Parliament
Amendments adopted by the European Parliament on 8 May 2025 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the screening of foreign investments in the Union and repealing Regulation (EU) 2019/452 of the European Parliament and of the Council (COM(2024)0023 – C9-0011/2024 – 2024/0017(COD))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –
12.05.2025
14:46
In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on 12.05.2025, 14-46 (Moscow time), the values of the upper limit of the price corridor (up to 123.38) and the range of market risk assessment (up to 1406.34 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 37.5%) of the security RU000A10AV23 (RESOLiBP16) were changed.
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: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –
Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News
BEIJING, May 12 (Xinhua) — Li Xi, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, met in Beijing on Monday with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, who is in China to attend the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum.
As Li Xi, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, noted, under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the construction of the China-Cuba community of shared future continues to continuously yield new brilliant results.
He pointed out that this year marks the 65th anniversary of the establishment of China-Cuba diplomatic relations, and China will, as always, firmly support Cuba in advancing along the path of socialist development suited to its national conditions.
China also hopes to deepen political mutual trust with Cuba, strengthen exchanges and mutual learning, establish closer strategic coordination, and promote the continuous development of the special friendly relationship between the two parties and countries, Li added.
B.R. Parrilla, for his part, expressed gratitude to China for its enormous support for Cuba’s socio-economic development. He stressed that the Cuban side firmly adheres to the one-China principle and wishes to further deepen the friendly relations between the two countries, as well as promote the development of ties between China and Latin America. –0–
Source: European Parliament
Amendments adopted by the European Parliament on 8 May 2025 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 as regards the role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season (COM(2025)0099 – C10-0041/2025 – 2025/0051(COD))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: European Parliament
1. European Parliament decision of 7 May 2025 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section VIII – European Ombudsman (2024/2027(DEC))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: European Parliament
1. European Parliament decision of 7 May 2025 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section VII – Committee of the Regions (2024/2026(DEC))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: European Parliament
1. European Parliament decision of 7 May 2025 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budget of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators for the financial year 2023 (2024/2030(DEC))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: European Parliament
1. European Parliament decision of 7 May 2025 on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section V – Court of Auditors (2024/2023(DEC))
Source : © European Union, 2025 – EP
Source: United Nations – Geneva
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this morning opened its ninety-ninth session, which is being held in Geneva from 12 to 30 May, during which the Committee will review reports on the efforts to adhere to the Convention on the Rights of the Child of Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and Romania, as well as on Brazil’s efforts to implement the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
In an opening statement, Andrea Ori, Chief, Groups in Focus Section, Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Representative of the Secretary-General, said the Committee’s work was more crucial than ever. Significant progress in children’s rights, which seemed secure until recently, was now severely disrupted. Children worldwide were increasingly affected by a convergence of crises, including economic downturns, climate change, public health emergencies, and armed conflicts.
Mr. Ori warned that the recent global funding crisis exacerbated the situation of children, with a daunting forecast ahead. The United Nations Children’s Fund had projected that in 2025, at least 14 million children would experience interruptions in vital nutrition support and services due to current and anticipated funding cuts, putting them at increased risk of severe malnutrition and death. The capacity to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children against measles in fragile and conflict-affected countries would also be drastically reduced.
Considering the troubling outlook for children, Mr. Ori said, there was an urgent need for coordinated global efforts to safeguard children’s rights and ensure their well-being. Now, more than ever, it was crucial for governments to fulfil their commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Mr. Ori concluded by wishing the Committee all the best for a productive session.
During the meeting, the Committee elected a new Chair and Bureau. Sopio Kiladze (Georgia) was elected as Chair, and Cephas Lumina (Zambia), Thuwayba Al Barwani (Oman), Philip D. Jaffe (Switzerland), and Mary Beloff (Argentina) were elected as Vice-Chairs.
The Committee also welcomed four new members – Timothy. P.T. Ekesa (Kenya), Mariana Ianachevici (Republic of Moldova), Juliana Scerri Ferrante (Malta), and Zeinebou Taleb Moussa (Mauritania) – and welcomed back Mr. Lumina, who previously served as a member from 2017 to 2021. They made their solemn declaration.
Ms. Kiladze said it was a pleasure and honour to be elected as Chair of the Committee. She said her election came at a difficult time in which many children around the world were affected by violations of their rights. She said it was vital that the Committee continued to work for the protection of the rights of children everywhere.
Before adopting the session’s agenda, the Committee also heard statements from representatives of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Children’s Fund, Child Rights Connect, and the Secretary of the Committee.
Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, and webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s ninety-ninth session and other documents related to the session can be found here.
The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m. this afternoon to consider the seventh periodic report of Norway (CRC/C/NOR/7).
Statements
ANDREA ORI, Chief, Groups in Focus Section, Human Rights Council and Treaty Mechanisms Division, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Representative of the Secretary-General, welcomed the four new members of the Committee: Timothy Ekesa (Kenya), Mariana Ianachevici (Republic of Moldova), Juliana Scerri Ferrante (Malta), and Zeinebou Taleb Moussa (Mauritania), and the returning member Cephas Lumina (Zambia). Each member brought valuable and diverse experiences that would greatly enhance the Committee’s work. Additionally, he congratulated the members who had been re-elected for another term: Rinchen Chophel (Bhutan); Sopio Kiladze (Georgia); Benyam Dawit Mezmur (Ethiopia); and Benoit Van Keirsbilck (Belgium).
The Committee’s work was more crucial than ever. Significant progress in children’s rights, particularly in health and education, which seemed secure until recently, was now severely disrupted. Children worldwide were increasingly affected by a convergence of crises, including economic downturns, climate change, public health emergencies, and armed conflicts. The recent global funding crisis exacerbated their situation, with a daunting forecast ahead.
The United Nations Children’s Fund had projected that in 2025, at least 14 million children would experience interruptions in vital nutrition support and services due to current and anticipated funding cuts, putting them at increased risk of severe malnutrition and death. The capacity to vaccinate over 15 million vulnerable children against measles in fragile and conflict-affected countries would be drastically reduced. Immunisation services, disease surveillance, and outbreak responses in nearly 50 countries were already facing disruptions.
Mr. Ori said, quoting the High Commissioner for Human Rights, “human rights are like air: we need them to live— but we only notice them when we are suffocating.” Today, countless children worldwide were suffocating as their rights were denied and overlooked. Considering the troubling outlook for children, there was an urgent need for coordinated global efforts to safeguard their rights and ensure their well-being. Now, more than ever, it was crucial for governments to fulfil their commitments under the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The global funding crisis was also affecting the Committee’s work directly. Its pre-sessional working group, scheduled to be held after this session, was cancelled as funding was not available. Altogether, 15 sessions across 10 treaty bodies were at stake, and it was highly likely that, for those treaty bodies with three sessions, the Office of the High Commissioner would not be able to secure the funding to hold the third session. The lack of predictability and the piecemeal approach with last-minute confirmation created huge uncertainty, led to wasted time and effort, and higher costs.
The Office of the High Commissioner had received only 73 per cent of its approved regular budget in 2025, and 87 per cent of its approved regular budget in 2024. As a result, the United Nations Secretariat was implementing a hiring freeze until August 2025. This would impact on regular budget posts approved to support the treaty body system, which currently could not be filled. The Secretariat was in a similar situation last year, and this had led to increased backlogs in reviewing State party reports and backlogs in registering and analysing individual communications.
The United Nations Office at Geneva’s conference services had also adopted cash conservation measures, which would impact on the conference support provided to the United Nations human rights treaty bodies, particularly in terms of documentation, meeting time, and interpretation, with an overall reduction of 10 per cent. This meant treaty bodies’ mandated activities would be even more affected in 2025 than in 2024, impacting their ability to have dialogues with States parties and to make decisions on individual communications, resulting in further delays and backlogs. The Office was also forced to significantly reduce treaty body capacity building activities, which provided support for States to report to, and interact with, treaty bodies.
All this caused real damage to predictability, which was so important for States, civil society organizations and rights-holders to engage with treaty bodies. Given the overall reduction in funds and availability of support services, “business as usual” would no longer be possible and the treaty bodies needed to plan on doing less with less.
On a more positive note, the annual meeting of Chairpersons of human rights treaty bodies would be held in Geneva from 2 to 6 June. The Chairs would dedicate the meeting to the liquidity crisis, which was affecting the very existence of treaty bodies if they could no longer fulfil their mandates, and to discuss what could be done to increase predictability within the current financial and human constraints, including reviewing the decisions and recommendations from their last meeting and their working methods.
The 2025 full-day meeting on the rights of the child at the Human Rights Council on 13 March, which focused on early childhood development, featured speeches by children and an informal dialogue on the topic between a group of young people, Member States and the High Commissioner.
The first session of the Open Ended Inter-Governmental Working Group on an Optional Protocol to the Convention on education would be held from 1 to 5 September in Geneva. The Office was working closely with the sponsors of the resolution to establish the modalities for the process leading up to the first session of the Inter-Governmental Working Group and its programme of work. A call for submissions was issued in March for the attention of States, civil society, United Nations agencies and children, for whom a toolkit for consultations had been prepared.
In conclusion, Mr. Ori wished the Committee all the best for a productive session, saying that he looked forward to working with the new Chair and Bureau of the Committee for the next two years.
SOPIO KILADZE, newly elected Committee Chair, said it was a pleasure and honour to be elected as Chair of the Committee. She said her election came at a difficult time in which many children around the world were affected by violations of their rights. It was vital that the Committee continued to work for the protection of the rights of children everywhere.
Regarding the session’s agenda, Ms. Kiladze said that the Committee would hold dialogues to consider the reports of six States parties: Brazil, Indonesia, Iraq, Norway, Qatar and Romania. The scheduled review of Pakistan was postponed to a later session at the request of the State party.
During the session, the Committee would continue its discussions on how its cooperation with various relevant bodies could be further strengthened to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of the child. It would also discuss the organisation of its future work and consideration of States parties’ reports, focusing on issues related to its methods of work and follow-up to the treaty body strengthening process.
In addition, the Committee would consider any communication and information it had received through its communication procedure and would continue to consider how to integrate days of general discussion into the process of developing general comments. The Committee would also continue its work on its new general comment on children’s right to access to justice and to an effective remedy.
ALLEGRA FRANCHETTI, Secretary of the Committee, said that no reports had been received under the Convention since the last session, with the total number of reports pending consideration remaining at 62. The total number of ratifications of the Convention remained at 196, while 64 periodic reports were overdue, of which 10 for more than five years and five for more than 10 years.
There had been one new accession to an Optional Protocol to the Convention since the last session, with Estonia acceding to the Optional Protocol on a communications procedure. The total number of ratifications of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the involvement of children in armed conflict remained at 173, while ratifications of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography remained at 178, and ratifications of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on a communications procedure was now at 53.
No new reports had been received under any of the Optional Protocols. There were 37 initial reports overdue under the Optional Protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict; and 47 overdue under the Optional Protocol on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.
Statements by United Nations Bodies and Civil Society Representatives
Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said the current global political and financial environment was difficult and complex.
The Office introduced reports to be presented at the upcoming June session of the Human Rights Council related to children’s rights, including the second report of the High Commissioner on child rights mainstreaming, a report on the use of digital technologies to achieve universal birth registration, and a report on ensuring quality education for children.
The Office was also preparing a report on the rights of the child and violations of the human rights of children in armed conflicts, which would be presented at the September session of the Human Rights Council, and a report on the safety of the child in the digital environment, which would be presented at the Council in 2026.
In addition, the Office had held a capacity-building roundtable with Member States on 5 June on strengthening child participation at the Human Rights Council, and it continued to contribute to the civil society and academia-led process to develop global guidelines on child participation in global events, helping to convene two participatory surveys that had reached over 200 children worldwide.
The Office encouraged Committee members and other parties to participate in the Fifth World Conference on Justice for Children, to be held in Spain for 2 to 4 June. The Office would work with the Committee to protect children’s rights in this difficult time.
United Nations Children’s Fund commended the work of the Committee’s outgoing bureau and expressed its desire to work with the new Bureau and all Committee Experts. Perhaps more than ever, the Committee was meeting at a time of great constraint for the international human rights system. It was regrettable that the pre-sessional working group was cancelled. The Fund was discussing with the Committee regarding alternative means of engaging with children and civil society from the countries concerned in preparation for the next session.
Armed conflicts, climate change, poverty, violence and inequalities, among other trends, continued to deprive millions of children of their rights, and the mere recognition that children had rights continued to be challenged in all parts of the world. There was a normative pushback against children’s rights at the last Human Rights Council. Most statements focused exclusively on children’s vulnerability and their right to protection, and did not highlight children’s agency, empowerment and participation. In negotiations on a resolution on child rights defenders, there was much resistance to attempts to recognise their contributions.
The Fund had held consultations with more than 7,000 children related to the Committee’s general comment 27 on children’s right to access to justice and to an effective remedy and had worked to develop a child-friendly version of the draft general comment.
The Fund had also worked on a child rights training course for its staff and had updated its handbook on the jurisprudence of the Committee. Later in the year, the Fund would start to develop guidance on general measures of implementation, following the online guidance on children’s rights legislative reform launched last year.
Child Rights Connect expressed its renewed commitment to supporting the Committee. It welcomed the holding of the session, despite uncertainty due to the United Nations’ liquidity crisis, and requested the Committee to discuss the organisation of its future work, including how and when it would engage with children and civil society.
Child Rights Connect raised deep concern about the impact on children of the funding crisis affecting the child rights sector. Despite these circumstances, it continued to collaborate with stakeholders and carry out its mandate. It welcomed the development of general comment 27, and had mobilised children and civil society around it, producing a methodology for consulting with children along with supporting child-friendly materials. It had also recently launched a global survey on the digital protection of child human rights defenders, which collected the opinions and experiences of children who had stood up to protect human rights in the digital space.
At a time when manifold crises affected children of the world, all persons holding mandates for children needed to strengthen joint efforts and find new ways of working with creativity to better serve children.
___________
Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.
CRC25.009E
Source: US State of Connecticut
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences recently celebrated the achievements of six outstanding alumni during its inaugural CLAS Alumni Awards Ceremony.
The event brought together faculty, staff, alumni, and family members to honor graduates whose careers reflect the excellence and impact of a liberal arts and sciences education.
“Our alumni are among UConn’s greatest ambassadors, and we take immense pride in their accomplishments,” said UConn President Radenka Maric. “These awards in CLAS and across the University reflect the transformative power of a UConn education and the positive impact Huskies make in Connecticut and around the world.”
“The launch of our alumni awards program reflects our enduring commitment to celebrating the lifelong impact of a liberal arts education,” said CLAS dean Ofer Harel.
With more than 130,000 alumni, CLAS is UConn’s largest and most academically diverse college. The new awards program was created to recognize alumni who exemplify the College’s core values of community, creativity, dedication, diversity, empowerment, and integrity.
“These individuals reflect the depth, diversity, and impact of a CLAS education in their work and their lives,” Harel said in his opening remarks. “The awards were established to celebrate individual achievement, but also the power of a liberal arts and sciences education to open doors, fuel ambition, and inspire change.”
The winners were honored on April 30 at the Alumni House in Storrs. Their work spans science, policy, media, and the environment.
Bryan Pollard ’85 (CLAS) graduated magna cum laude in political science as a UConn Honors Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa member. He earned his JD from Yale and led a 35-year legal career, including roles at Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., Day, Berry & Howard in Hartford, CT, and United Technologies Corporation (now RTX Corporation). He has served on multiple nonprofit boards and two terms on Middletown’s Ethics Commission. A Past President of the UConn Alumni Association, he is now serving a second term as Alumni Trustee. In 2021, he and his wife established a UConn CLAS scholarship fund and support the annual Alumni and Student of Color Networking Night.
Mike Soltys ’81 (CLAS) began his career as an intern at ESPN in 1980 and went on to serve in corporate communications for 43 years, including 20 as vice president. He led strategic publicity and issue management for ESPN’s networks and platforms, helped launch ESPN’s corporate blog and media site, and managed major campaigns such as ESPN’s 25th anniversary. He served as a registered lobbyist for Connecticut issues and was ESPN’s longest-serving Editorial Board member. Mike holds a master’s from the University of Hartford and now serves as ESPN Historian. He was recognized in 2024 with a Lifetime Achievement Award from UConn’s Department of Communication. In memory of their parents, Mike and his sisters have established an annual scholarship at UConn for students pursuing careers in athletic communications.
Kevin Bohacs ’76 (CLAS) is a sedimentary geologist who earned his Ph.D. from MIT and spent over 40 years in industry research, primarily at ExxonMobil. His work has focused on mudstone systems, basin analysis, and Earth systems modeling, with applications on Earth and Mars. He has conducted research in over 40 countries, published more than 100 scientific works, co-authored and edited several books, and is listed as co-inventor on three patents. He has held roles in scientific lecturing and field training, and supports student education through the Earth Sciences Nugget Fund at UConn.
Richard Piacentini MS ’84 (CLAS) is President and CEO of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, where he has led initiatives in sustainability and regenerative design since 1994. Under his leadership, Phipps Conservatory built the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, which is one of the greenest buildings in the world and produces as much energy and water as it uses. Among other accomplishments, he oversaw the creation of the first LEED certified greenhouse, a zero-energy modular classroom called the Nature Lab, and the highly sustainable Exhibit Staging Center, which meets the highest green building standards. Piacentini holds an MS in Botany from UConn, an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a BS in Pharmacy from the University of Rhode Island.
Prabhas KC ’22 (CLAS) At UConn, economics major Prabhas KC served as a Board Member and Student Representative on the Mansfield Downtown Partnership, received the Department of Economics’ Dr. Joseph W. McAnneny, Jr. Award, and delivered the commencement address at his graduation in 2022. He joined tech firm ServiceNow after graduation and earned the company’s “Hungry and Humble” Award. KC is the self-published author of “Nani, Let’s Count to 10!,” a bestselling bilingual children’s book, and founded Babu’s Books to promote cultural identity among second-generation immigrants through partnerships with schools and nonprofits.
Tanisha Williams ’19 Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Plant Biology at the University of Georgia and Director of the UGA Herbarium. She studies plant conservation, climate change adaptation, and the role of Indigenous knowledge in ecosystem resilience, and her work spans the U.S., South Africa, and Australia. Williams previously held a postdoctoral fellowship at Bucknell University, where she described two new plant species and mentored more than 40 students. A Fulbright Fellow and Alumni Ambassador, she also founded Black Botanists Week and has received honors including the ASPT Peter Raven Award and the Linnaean Society’s Bicentenary Medal.
Learn more about the CLAS Alumni Awards.
Source: US State of Connecticut
Alumnus Rich Eldh ’81, an entrepreneur who created a $300 million global research and advisory firm, told business undergraduates that servant leadership is one of the most important, and misinterpreted, components of business success.
“Servant leadership means leading with strength, for the benefit of others,’’ he told more than 700 graduates, their family and friends, during the Commencement ceremony on Saturday at Gampel Pavilion. “It means empowering your team, fostering growth, and creating environments where others can shine.’’
Eldh is the co-founder of SiriusDecisions, Inc., a B2B research and advisory firm, which he ran from 2001 until its sale in 2018. The company, which employed 400, provided advisory, consulting, and learning services to help executives improve the performance of their sales, marketing, and product strategies. Clients included Adobe, IBM, GE, Cisco, and Motorola.
“Servant leadership has been misinterpreted over the last 10 to 15 years,’’ Eldh said prior to his Commencement address. “So-called leadership gurus have considered it passive or weak. That is a total misinterpretation.’’
“Servant leadership is doing what is right by three constituencies: your employees, your customers/clients, and your shareholders,’’ he said. Honesty, integrity, selflessness, curiosity, respectfulness, and humility are some of the traits of a servant leader, Eldh said. Those values spread through an organization and create a culture that’s a joy to work in and to lead.
At SiriusDecisons, that philosophy was paramount.
“We displayed our values through our business decisions,’’ he said. For example, to retain its talent, the company provided an environment that respected them as individuals and paid well for high performance.
“For many years, even as a startup company, we paid for all employee benefit premiums,’’ he continued. “This seemingly simple, but expensive, decision was one of the top reasons people with families chose to stay versus pursue jobs at other companies. If it is critical to one’s security and peace of mind, why wouldn’t we, as an employer, pay for our associates’ insurance?’’
Eldh also reassured the new graduates that almost all of their experiences will be valuable and that nothing happens by chance.
“The universe has your back—and will conspire, inspire and guide you, as long as you’re listening,’’ he said.
As a sophomore at UConn, Eldh shattered his ankle playing intramural basketball.
“I was in a brace and on crutches for nine months,’’ he recalled. “All my classes were across campus, and most days that felt like too much effort. Needless to say, that year was difficult academically.’’
By the end of the year, he felt like he was wasting his time and his parents’ money. He convinced a friend to leave UConn with him and move to Germany. His adviser thought he was crazy and his parents were shocked, but that September he began his adventure.
“I have to be honest, I was scared,’’ he said. “I remember thinking, ‘What have I done?’ I truly thought I had made a huge mistake.’’
But he had mentioned his plans to a friend’s father who helped him get a job in Kempten, Germany, writing code for a manufacturing firm.
“That job, and that year abroad, changed my life,’’ Eldh recalled. “I was completely out of my comfort zone and I discovered my love for technology. I discovered a love for travel, and for the world.’’
“That experience, which began with what seemed like a rash decision, became the foundation for my life and career,’’ he said. A year later, he returned to UConn and completed his degree, majoring in finance.
“I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but I do believe—with all my heart—that if you make decisions that feel right for you, the universe will put you in the right place at the right time,’’ he said.
He also told the graduates to work hard and not believe the myth of overnight success. Consistent hard work, like compound interest, leads to greater knowledge, promotions, a bigger income, and a competitive edge, he said.
“Graduates of the UConn School of Business, you have the brains, you have the insight, you have the passion…and more than anything, you have the power to shift the world!,’’ he said.
Source: European Commission (video statements)
Regarding the Slovak and Serbian leaders’ visit to Moscow for this year’s May-end World War II celebrations, the EU states that Russia has used this event for propaganda and justification for their full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU does not legitimise Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine and remains united in its support for Ukraine.
Source: European Parliament
In the area of civil protection, Member States have the primary role in coordinating disaster response in their country, including search and rescue operations . In the event of a disaster that overwhelms national response capacities, countries can request assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM)[1]. In case of such request, the Emergency Response Cooperation Centre (ERCC) coordinates the support from other Member States and UCPM participating states, such as specialised equipment and response teams.
Under the guidelines of the United Nations advisory body International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, various technologies are utilised to identify the exact location of victims in search and rescue operations . Urban Search and Rescue teams rely on information provided by national authorities managing the overall response efforts.
So far, Member States have not expressed the need for an EU-wide web platform for missing persons as an area where EU support is sought. Relevant national authorities may however use the Cohesion Policy instruments[2] or various financing tools made available under UCPM, such as the Knowledge for Action in Prevention and Preparedness[3] call for proposals, or the Technical Assistance for Disaster Risk Management[4] call for proposals to test new ideas for disaster risk management applications or to carry out feasibility studies and draw technical specifications for tools, including Information technology (IT) platforms.
Source: European Parliament
The Commission’s preliminary review into potential distortions in the internal market linked to potential foreign subsidies in the wind sector is ongoing. At this stage, it is too early to draw any conclusions.
Critical technologies used in connected and automated vehicles (CAV) could have cybersecurity associated risks. They can potentially be remotely accessed and manipulated. They can also potentially collect and store sensitive data about citizens, infrastructure, and external environments which could be exposed to malicious actors. Member States, together with the Commission and European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), are currently working on a risk assessment on CAV within the framework of Article 22 of the Network and Information Systems (NIS) 2 Directive with the objective to identify and assess cybersecurity risks posed by those vehicles, taking into account both technical and non-technical factors. The risk assessment will be finalised in the coming months.
The Commission is taking steps to ensure that the deployment of energy from renewable sources includes appropriate cybersecurity risk management measures. Article 26(1)(a)(ii) of the regulation (EU) 2024/1735 on establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s net-zero technology manufacturing[1] provides that auctions to deploy renewable energy sources shall include pre-qualification criteria related to cybersecurity and data security.
Additionally, the Commission is conducting a cybersecurity risk assessment for wind energy infrastructure, in collaboration with the industry, following Action 5 mentioned in the Wind Power Action Plan[2].
Source: European Parliament
The Great Sea Interconnector (formerly known as ‘EuroAsia Interconnector’) is recognised as a project of common interest (PCI) of the EU in the field of energy, notably under the fifth EU list of projects of common and mutual interest adopted in 2021[1]. The project has been received a EUR 657 million EU grant under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) and has also been awarded a EUR 100 million grant from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility[2].
The EU has repeatedly expressed its expectation by Türkiye to de-escalate tensions in the interest of regional stability in the Eastern Mediterranean[3].
In particular, the Commission has underlined in the 2024 enlargement report on Türkiye[4] that, as stemming from obligations under the Negotiating Framework, Türkiye is expected to make an unequivocal commitment to good neighbourly relations, international agreements and the peaceful settlement of disputes including through the International Court of Justice. Türkiye must avoid threats and actions that damage good neighbourly relations and respect the sovereignty of all Member States over their territorial sea and airspace as well as all their sovereign rights, including inter alia the right to explore and exploit natural resources in accordance with EU and international law, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
This is essential to ensure a stable and secure environment in the Eastern Mediterranean and the development of a cooperative and mutually beneficial relationship between the EU and Türkiye[5].
Source: European Parliament
The Role of Non-Profit, Cooperative, Public Housing Models and Public-private partnerships in Tackling the Crisis with a particular focus on vulnerable people and youth
On 15 May 2025, the HOUS Committee will hold a public hearing entitled “The Role of Non-Profit, Cooperative, Public Housing Models and Public-Private Partnerships in Tackling the Crisis–with a Particular Focus on Vulnerable People and Youth.”
The hearing will be structured around two thematic panels. The first panel will explore innovative housing models for a sustainable future, bringing together HOUS Members and expert speakers for an exchange of views on emerging solutions such as non-profit, cooperative, and public-private partnership models. The second panel will focus on housing inequality, with particular attention to the challenges faced by vulnerable groups and young people across the EU.
The hearing aims to highlight how alternative housing models are key to delivering affordable, sustainable homes and promoting social inclusion. HOUS Members stress that bold, inclusive strategies are essential to address the EU’s housing crisis and shape people-centred policies.
Source: European Parliament
Presentation of the Committee of Regions opinion: The role of cities and regions in the EU Affordable Housing Plan
On the afternoon of 14 May, a key presentation will took place on the role of cities and regions in shaping and implementing affordable housing policies across the EU.
The event featured high-level speakers, including Kata Tüttő, President of the Committee of the Regions (CoR); Jaume Collboni Cuadrado, Mayor of Barcelona and CoR Rapporteur; and the mayors of Rome, Paris, Milan, Athens, and Ghent.
The hearing was structured around two main panels. In the first, Mr. Collboni presented the key points of the recently adopted CoR Opinion on affordable housing. In the second, the participating mayors shared concrete experiences from their cities, highlighting how local authorities are addressing the housing crisis and expanding access to affordable homes.
Members reaffirmed their support for the essential role of cities and regions in delivering inclusive, sustainable housing solutions, emphasising that housing must remain a core priority of future EU social and territorial policy.
Source: European Parliament
Presentation by the Commission of the legislative proposal on Mid-term review of cohesion policy – in particular on affordable housing aspects
On 14 May, the morning session included a presentation by the European Commission on the legislative proposal for the Mid-term Review of Cohesion Policy, with a particular focus on new measures to support affordable housing.
The Commission outlined the proposed amendments and their impact on boosting affordable and sustainable housing investments across the EU. Members strongly reaffirmed that affordable housing must remain a central priority of cohesion policy.
Chair Tinagli stressed the importance of continued cooperation to ensure that sustainable, inclusive, and innovative housing solutions reach those who need them most–particularly young people and vulnerable groups.
Source: European Parliament
Priority question for written answer P-001760/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Bruno Gonçalves (S&D)
In view of the widespread blackouts that hit a number of Member States, most notably Portugal and Spain, impacting the lives of millions of citizens, and given the importance of the power grid for the EU’s energy security, can the European Commission clarify:
Supporters[1]
Submitted: 29.4.2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001770/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Paolo Inselvini (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR)
In recent years, two non-native species of ibis – the African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) and the black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus) – have been found in some parts of the European Union.
The African sacred ibis, initially introduced into Europe (mainly in France and Italy) for ornamental purposes or in wildlife parks, has given rise to stable wild populations, which are considered invasive in several wetlands. Containment plans have already been put in place in some Member States due to the risk that the species poses to native birds, in particular to species that nest on the ground or in sensitive environments.
Regarding the black-headed ibis, a species classified as ‘Near Threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are reports of sightings in the wild due to escapes from private collections or zoos. Its rapid expansion in European habitats is having a similar impact.
In the light of the above:
Supporter[1]
Submitted: 30.4.2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001782/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Rima Hassan (The Left), Mélissa Camara (Verts/ALE), Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Damien Carême (The Left), Nela Riehl (Verts/ALE)
On 25 April 2025, 22-year-old Aboubakar Cissé was brutally murdered inside a mosque in La Grand-Combe, France, in a hate-fuelled attack. The attacker reportedly filmed the dying victim while shouting Islamophobic slurs.
This tragedy is not an isolated incident. As documented by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights[1], Muslims across Europe are consistently subjected to high levels of discrimination, hate crimes and violence, with France among the most affected Member States.
In light of the Commission’s commitments under the EU anti-racism action plan and the urgent need for action, can the Commission answer the following:
Submitted: 2.5.2025
Source: European Parliament
A hearing on “Interference using online platforms, the role of algorithmic manipulation, and responsibility and effects of online platforms on democracy” will be held on 20 May. The hearing aims to explore the alarming decline of democracy and the growing threats to media freedom across Europe.
Media organisations are navigating new challenges such as disinformation, the concentration of media ownership, and political pressures. Experts will analyse not only the state of media resilience in the EU, but also assess relevant existing and planned legislation and policies to further detect possible loopholes, gaps and overlaps in policies on media and information literacy, aiming to strengthen media pluralism, independent journalism and prevent undue influence from both state and corporate powers.
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001786/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Sigrid Friis (Renew), Heléne Fritzon (S&D)
Trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), an ultrashort per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) and a degradation product of several PFAS chemicals, has emerged as a significant yet largely overlooked contaminant in European water sources.
TFA pollution is extensive, with concentrations several orders of magnitude higher than those of other PFAS pollutants, including in drinking water, throughout Europe. Given TFA’s persistence and mobility in the water cycle and considering recent evidence about its toxicity potential to human reproduction[1], its accumulation poses a significant challenge to water resilience and public health. Recent scientific warnings have identified TFA as a planetary boundary threat due to the increasing global exposure and the potential for irreversible impacts[2]. According to recent scientific findings, the use of PFAS pesticides is a major source of TFA in the environment[3]. Currently, more than 30 PFAS pesticide substances are approved for agricultural use in the EU, contaminating our food and water resources with TFA.
Fifty Members of the European Parliament have written to the Commission, urging it to ban all PFAS pesticides.
As the Water Resilience Strategy is being developed, will the Commission consider adopting stricter regulations on TFA in water and phasing out its primary sources, including PFAS pesticides?
Submitted: 2.5.2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001713/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez (Renew)
The Pact on Migration and Asylum entered into force on 11 June 2024. However, Member States have until 12 June 2026 to bring their laws into line with the Common Implementation Plan for the Pact, presented by the European Commission on 12 June 2024.
Spain submitted its National Implementation Plan in December 2024, with the national government affirming that it ‘always works placing human rights centre stage and with the utmost respect for international law’. However, access to this roadmap is restricted, so that it is not possible to cross-check the central government’s approach for implementing the Pact.
In light of the above:
Submitted: 29.4.2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001785/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Vicent Marzà Ibáñez (Verts/ALE)
The Montegancedo urban development project, which has not been subject to an appropriate environmental assessment, poses a threat to a Mediterranean ecosystem of high ecological value, affecting habitats and species protected under Directive 92/43/EEC. The felling of centuries-old holm oaks and umbrella pines has caused public concern and led to sanctions. The area is an essential habitat for species such as the Iberian imperial eagle, red and black kites, black vulture, eagle owl and common buzzard.
Madrid Administrative Court No 9 has suspended the works as a precautionary measure due to the risk of irreversible damage to biodiversity. However, the continuation of the project, without environmental guarantees, raises serious doubts about its compatibility with the Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and the European Green Deal.
In light of the above:
Submitted: 2.5.2025