Category: Fisheries

MIL-OSI USA: ICE HSI New England investigation leads to recovery of over $300,000 to victim of a computer support scam

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

HARTFORD, Conn. — U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced on Feb. 7 the return of $328,573 to the victim of a computer support scam as the result of an ICE HSI cybercrime investigation.

According to the complaint (3:24cv840), in February 2024, an elderly woman was tricked by a scammer who mimicked Microsoft customer support. The victim transferred approximately $550,000 to the scammers in two wire transfers. Within two days of the transfers, the victim and a family member reported the incident to the Simsbury Police Department, who then partnered with HSI to investigate the crime. Fortunately, one of the wire transfers, in the amount of $221,000, was reversed by the bank and returned to the victim. ICE HSI special agents traced the remaining money, totaling approximately $328,573, and seized it. The U.S. Attorney’s Office then filed a civil asset forfeiture action to forfeit the money to the government, and HSI special agents and the U.S. Attorney’s Office then worked with the Department of Justice’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section to return the money to the victim on Feb. 4, 2025.

“Cyber scams run by foreign malign actors are becoming more common and more sophisticated every day,” said ICE HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol. “The victim in this case contacted authorities quickly resulting in the recovery of most of her money by the bank and by HSI — a best case scenario and rare result. It is essential for victims of these kinds of cybercrimes to come forward as soon as possible. We want the public to know that help is available and to reach out immediately if they’ve been victimized by international scammers.”

“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to helping victims of crime, and civil asset forfeiture is a powerful tool that allows the government to return money to victims of fraud schemes,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman. “As we continue to pursue criminal prosecution of the individuals responsible for this and other computer crimes, it is equally important to ensure that the government uses all of its tools to minimize, and in this case, undo, the financial impact these crimes have on victims. This case represents the best case scenario, where nearly every dollar taken from the victim was returned to her. While it can be difficult to come forward and admit that you have been victimized by online scammers, know that federal law enforcement and our state and local partners stand ready to help you to the fullest extent possible.”

This case was investigated by ICE HSI New England’s Hartford Resident Agent in Charge office. If you or someone you know is a victim of elder fraud, call the HSI Tip Line at 877-4-HSI-TIP or the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 833-FRAUD-11.

Follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @HSINewEngland to learn more about HSI’s global missions and operations.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump White House’s disengagement from HIV/AIDS response could have lethal consequences

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Yolaine Frossard de Saugy, PhD Candidate, International Relations, McGill University

With the endless stream of announcements, reversals, measures and countermeasures coming from the new administration of United States President Donald Trump, it has become difficult to make sense of what is just noise or opening negotiation offers and what constitutes actual policy change.

Unfortunately, in the case of the global response against HIV/AIDS, it seems the attacks go beyond bluster.

The methods used in the fight against HIV/AIDS have long been disputed, but overall commitment to the response was one of the few deeply bipartisan endeavours left, until now. Undercutting this decades-long consensus would mean endangering millions of lives.

U.S. role in global HIV/AIDS response

As a PhD candidate in international relations working on the politics of the response to HIV/AIDS, I am very aware of the central role that the U.S. has played in building and sustaining a global response to the epidemic in the past 25 years.

The U.S. is the largest provider of funds for HIV/AIDS programs worldwide. It does so mainly through the bilateral President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) as well as through its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Overall U.S. funding for global AIDS reached $7 billion in 2020, 2021 and 2022. PEPFAR alone is estimated to provide treatment to 20 million people.

The U.S. is also a fundamental participant in HIV/AIDS research, including through the work of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as well as USAID.

All of this involvement has already been dangerously jeopardized by the actions taken by the White House since Trump took office for his second term.

Many activities of the CDC and NIH have been halted. Funding for PEPFAR was caught in the freeze on foreign aid announced in January. Though an exemption was later made and the order has since been blocked by a federal judge, it has already forced recipients of aid to lay off personnel and close clinics and programs in places like Kenya and South Africa.

USAID, the primary implementer of bilateral HIV/AIDS funds, is at risk of being dismantled.

Current changes

The chaos wrought by these measures has impacted the response to HIV/AIDS in deep ways, even if they may be contested or reversed by the courts and Congress.

The uncertainty in itself is damaging for programs that need reliable funding and long-term planning, not to mention the clinical trials that have been brutally interrupted. What’s more, there are indications the Trump administration and other Republicans have abandoned the longstanding commitment to the response itself, which may lead to irreparable damage.

American involvement in the global response to HIV/AIDS has long been shaped by domestic politics. Most notably, PEPFAR’s first rounds of funding were deeply constrained by the views of George W. Bush’s evangelical constituency, including in its focus on abstinence as prevention and denial of funding for sex workers.

But the overall commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS had enjoyed bipartisan support for over two decades. Even during the first Trump administration, the U.S. maintained its involvement, though this was also due to Congress’s resistance to the White House’s attempts at reducing funding.

There are indications that things might be different this time. Entire pages on HIV/AIDS have disappeared from government websites.

The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think-tank behind the potential blueprint for Trump’s government known as Project 2025, has referred to HIV/AIDS as a lifestyle disease, like tobacco consumption. This language is reminiscent of the 1980s playbook of opponents on AIDS action and negates both the nature of the epidemic and the realities of those who live with the virus, casting doubts on the need to engage meaningfully with the response.

Most ominously, the last reauthorization of PEPFAR in 2024 was limited to one year instead of the customary five, as some Republican representatives sought to end it altogether. This means the entire program is to be re-examined this March with no guarantee of how the debates will unfold, especially in the current climate.

Read more:
As the United States disavows the World Health Organization, Canada must double down on its support

Ultimately most will depend on Congress, including the amount pledged by the U.S. to the Global Fund at its replenishment conference sometime this year.

Its decisions will be the real test of the depth of change on this matter, though everything that has unfolded so far hints at a far-reaching shattering of the consensus. If conservative Republicans maintain their pressure on PEPFAR, the program could be significantly diminished, and it is unlikely that a White House that withdrew from the World Health Organization on day one will act decisively to save it or insist on a sustained contribution to the Global Fund.

Consequences of U.S. disengagement

The consequences of a U.S. retreat from the global response to HIV/AIDS would be immense.

In the short-term, millions of people would lose access to the treatment they depend on for their survival. In the long term, shrinking American funding would undermine health systems around the world and risk the resurgence of the pandemic and the rise of resistant virus strains.

This would jeopardize 40 years of progress, returning us to a time when AIDS was considered a key security risk and threat to development.

Even if funding is maintained, all of this shows that for the next few years the U.S. is unlikely to be reliable. This means others will have to take up the leadership to ensure the worst-case scenario is avoided.

Among these, Canada could have a crucial role to play. It has long been a key entity in its own right — the seventh largest contributor to the Global Fund — though Ottawa has remained discreet in this area so far. Washington’s withdrawal from the field may force it to step into a more visible role and contribute to reframe Canada’s international involvement.

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

– ref. Trump White House’s disengagement from HIV/AIDS response could have lethal consequences – https://theconversation.com/trump-white-houses-disengagement-from-hiv-aids-response-could-have-lethal-consequences-249261

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Peters and Young Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Federal Funding and Protections for the Great Lakes

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Todd Young (R-IN) are leading bipartisan legislation to extend federal funding and protections for the Great Lakes. The senators introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through 2031 and increase the program’s annual authorized funding levels from $475 million to $500 million. The GLRI is the most significant investment ever made to restore and protect the Great Lakes. The GLRI combines federal and nonfederal efforts to stop the spread of carp and other invasive species, restore coastline and habitats connecting streams and rivers, clean up environmentally damaged Areas of Concern, and prevent future contamination. While providing vital support for these efforts, the GLRI also helps ensure we can address new and emerging threats to the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are a national treasure and central to our economy, environment, and way of life in Michigan. Since its creation, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made significant headway in cleaning up Areas of Concern, protecting vital habitats, and restoring coastlines around the Great Lakes Basin,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan legislation will provide GLRI with the resources needed to build on that success and help protect and preserve the Great Lakes for future generations of Michiganders. I’m proud to again help lead the charge to strengthen this essential program.”

“The Great Lakes are an important part of Indiana’s ecosystem and economy,” said Senator Young. “The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is a results-driven program that addresses the most serious issues threatening the wellbeing of the Great Lakes basin, including toxic substances, pollution, debris, and invasive species. Reauthorizing this program will continue to protect and preserve these lakes for generations to come.”

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jon Husted (R-OH), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Tina Smith (D-MN), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Fetterman (D-PA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL).

Since its inception, the GLRI has spurred tremendous progress throughout the Great Lakes region including nearly half of a million acres of habitat protected, restored, or enhanced, a five-fold increase in the successful cleanup and delisting of Areas of Concern, a ten-fold increase in the remediation of environmental and public health impairments, and reducing the threat of harmful algal blooms. The GLRI’s efforts have also resulted in economic returns of more than 3 to 1 across the region.

“The simple fact is the GLRI funds critical projects that make life better for the millions of Americans that depend on the Great Lakes. It also delivers a positive economic return on the government’s investment in cleaner water and healthier communities. Senator Peters and Senator Young along with other Great Lakes senators have our gratitude for introducing this important bill,” said Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes President and CEO.

“The GLRI is a landmark program that is making significant progress in restoring the waters, ecosystems, economies, and communities that make up the Great Lakes region,” said Erika Jensen, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Commission. “The Great Lakes Commission applauds Senators Peters and Young for introducing this important legislation, which will safeguard the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes region for generations to come.”

“This bill is a winner for millions of people in the region,” said Laura Rubin, Director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We thank Sens. Gary Peters and Todd Young for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to tackle the serious threats to our region’s drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life. Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes have been producing results, but serious threats remain. We look forward to working with the Great Lakes congressional delegation to pass this bipartisan bill that supports common sense solutions. If we scale back investments now, the problems will only get worse and more expensive to solve.”

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provides critical investments in the health of the Great Lakes and the communities and businesses that rely on clean water. Communities across the region realize the lasting benefits of clean and healthy lakes, which attract visitors, create jobs, and sustain the Great Lakes way of life,” said Peter Laing, Great Lakes Business Network Co-Chair.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 enjoys broad support from Great Lakes advocates, including the Council of Great Lakes Governors, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, American Great Lakes Ports Association, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, American Sportfishing Association, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Audubon Society – Great Lakes, Environmental Law & Policy Center, MI League of Conservation Voters, Save the Dunes, Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Clean Wisconsin, Ohio Environmental Council, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, and Minnesota Environmental Partnership.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Repatriation to Indigenous groups is more than law, it’s human rights − an archaeologist describes the day that lesson hit home

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Christopher Wolff, Associate Professor of Anthropology, University at Albany, State University of New York

Leola One Feather of the Oglala Sioux Tribe observes as Native American artifacts are photographed at the Founders Museum in Barre, Mass., in 2022, before their return. AP Photo/Philip Marcelo

As an archaeologist, you picture yourself traveling to some remote location, digging into the ground, and returning to a lab in a university or museum to study the remains of past civilizations, with hopes of answering important questions.

In contrast, I’ve often found myself working to return those remains to their rightful cultures. Repatriation is the process of returning ancestral human remains and important objects to descendant populations. Since the passing of the National Museum of the American Indian Act in 1989 and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act in 1990, it has become an increasingly important part of archaeological practice, yet about 110,000 ancestors remain in collections.

This work is about more than legal obligations. To many researchers such as myself, it is a matter of human rights.

When first enacted, these laws were controversial among archaeologists. Much of this anxiety stemmed from worries about losing access to research opportunities. Some concerns were shaped by legal battles surrounding the remains of “Kennewick Man,” whom Indigenous people refer to as the “Ancient One.” This man’s remains were found in Washington state in 1996 and dated to over 8,000 years ago. Scientists won the legal right to study them, in opposition to local tribal nations’ requests, until a 2016 law returned the remains of the individual to those groups.

Over time, many archaeologists have seen that while repatriation requirements limit research in some ways, in others they have been beneficial and improved aspects of archaeologists’ relationships with Indigenous communities.

More importantly, repatriation laws have served as a partial remedy for the historical trauma of those peoples.

This is not an idea I was exposed to as a graduate student. Like many others in my field, I had virtually no exposure to the actual process of repatriation, even more than a decade after the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, called NAGPRA, was signed into law. Rather, it is one that developed while I served as a repatriation archaeologist for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History from 2009-2011, and in the following years as a professor of archaeology.

Dancers from the Haida Tribe perform at the Field Museum in Chicago in 2003, celebrating the return of Haida human remains to their descendants.
AP Photo/M. Spencer Green

Careful process

Repatriation includes important steps that are required by law, as well as other ethical considerations. First, any human remains or objects that fall within certain categories – such as sacred objects, or funerary objects – should be stored where they can be properly cared for with respect. For instance, Indigenous groups may ask that tobacco be placed with the remains, as an offering to their ancestors’ spirits.

Researchers must compile information about these human remains into an itemized list containing the number of individuals and objects, brief descriptions of them, where they were found, and how they came into the institution’s possession. This list is then provided to representatives of communities that may be descendants, or possible living relatives.

If those communities decide to request the remains’ return, then the formal process of assessing “cultural affiliation” begins. This is a thorough analysis of any evidence demonstrating a connection between the remains or objects and a particular group today. Evidence can include many things, including physical characteristics of the human remains or objects, written documents, oral history, or distinct cultural attributes of the artifacts.

Legally, this process is required only for federally recognized Indigenous groups. However, institutions can choose to apply the same consideration to other communities if they believe it is appropriate, such as the hundreds of Indigenous groups that lack federal recognition.

The analysis is officially submitted to the national NAGPRA database, and a public notice is posted so that other interested parties could potentially make a claim on the remains or objects.

If researchers confirm there is a cultural affiliation, after a 90-day waiting period an official repatriation statement is filed with the national office. Researchers then consult with the requesting parties about how to conduct the physical return. What happens next is in the hands of the affiliated groups, and their wishes must be accommodated.

Kurt Riley, then the governor of the Pueblo of Acoma, speaks at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian in 2016, protesting a French auction house’s plans to sell Indigenous artifacts.
AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Unfortunately, many remains have already suffered significant damage by the time repatriation begins. A great many of them have sat on shelves unstudied, sometimes for decades or longer – even those that came into the collection legally and in collaboration with Indigenous groups.

Powerful moment

One such individual was the key to a major shift in how I viewed repatriation – no longer as a research hindrance but as a question of human rights. Out of respect for the Indigenous nation, I cannot discuss specifics – only a broader picture of this “aha” moment.

One day at work, I found myself looking at an individual who had died several centuries ago, but was so well preserved that his death looked much more recent. It can be too easy to look at a collection of human bones and forget that they were once a living person, despite trying to teach students otherwise. However, that day I looked down and clearly saw a man: his face painted, his hair neatly done, earrings in his ears, laid out in a beautiful box.

Obviously, whoever tended to him after his death had taken great care, placing him in a sacred place where he had every expectation that he would be left undisturbed. He could not have perceived that centuries later someone would collect his remains and ship him away from his traditional lands to be studied in a museum.

That hit home for me. I would not want someone to go against my final wishes, or those of my family, and felt this man should have the same human rights I have in that regard.

I regret it took me so long to see that. Ever since, I’ve worked hard to make up for that by teaching my students to see the past full of people with expectations, hopes and emotions, and to extend ethical obligations to them as we would want applied to us. Archaeology is about learning from the past, and working in repatriation and meeting this individual provided me with one of the best lessons of my career.

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

– ref. Repatriation to Indigenous groups is more than law, it’s human rights − an archaeologist describes the day that lesson hit home – https://theconversation.com/repatriation-to-indigenous-groups-is-more-than-law-its-human-rights-an-archaeologist-describes-the-day-that-lesson-hit-home-247763

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Peacock speech at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Speech by the Minister for Civil Society and Youth at on philanthropy and impact economy at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum.

Good morning everyone, thank you Neil for that really kind introduction and thoughtful speech – the challenge you outlined is an important one.

It’s great to be here with you at the Beacon Philanthropy and Impact Forum today.

I want to start by thanking The Beacon Collaborative for organising this event, and the Charities Aid Foundation for sponsoring it and the City of London for hosting at this beautiful building.

You’re here today, and are part of organisations like Beacon Collaborative, and Charities Aid Foundation, because you believe in the power of organisations and people using their resources to deliver social impact.
And it’s a belief this Government shares.

The UK has a vibrant culture of service and generosity, and philanthropy is so often the outlet for that culture.

Every week hundreds of thousands of people – in our villages, towns and cities – come together and do what they can to support others. They devote their time, their money or both, to improve the lives of people less fortunate than themselves.

That is something we should never take for granted.

Philanthropy sustains over 170,000 charities in the UK and thousands of others who are so small they’re not actually registered.

And it does things Governments can’t do – reaching into communities, and applying local knowledge and insight.

I see it all the time in my own area of Barnsley.

I can tell you so many examples, organisations such as Barnsley Youth Choir, Barnsley Hospices and BIADS, a local dementia charity I am patron of, all rely on charitable donations and giving from the local community to sustain their vital work. As Neil said, they all have their own stories, as I know you all will.

But you recognise, as I do, that more is possible.

And forums like this are a vital opportunity for the sector to come together and look at how we take philanthropy in the UK to the next level.

The instinct people have to help is always there.

It’s the job of the Government, working with organisations like the ones you represent, to find new, creative ways to make it not only easier to give, but more rewarding.

That is part of why we started a new chapter in the relationship between Government and civil society through a Civil Society Covenant.

We launched the Covenant at No10 Downing Street with the Prime Minister in October, in order to reset the relationship between Government and Civil Society. To make it a partnership that is built on a foundation of trust and respect.

And it reflects our view that our charities, social enterprises and community groups have a huge and vital role to play in helping us deliver on this Government’s missions.

Civil society groups can help make our streets safer, they can create opportunities for our young people, and they can reduce the burden on the NHS by supporting people to live healthier lives.

And philanthropists, social investors and impact investors will have an important role to play in the Covenant, when it’s fully established in the coming months.

This Government also recognises the enormous contribution social investors, philanthropists and businesses can provide in the delivery of our Plan for Change.

Our impact investment market, worth £76 billion, leads the way in Europe and really sets the standard, and it reflects the fact that people want to see a connection between their investment and real social impact on the ground.

As the Minister responsible for the impact economy, encompassing both philanthropy and impact investment, I see not only the incredible work happening in this space, but the huge potential for growing the money invested in public good.

That is why I’m proud we are building on the UK’s strong industry leadership in social impact investing and working in partnership with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to establish the Government’s Social Impact Investment Advisory Group. And I was really pleased to speak to Darren Jones about this last night.

We are committed to backing private investment that delivers positive social impact right across the country, and this newly announced Advisory Group will help achieve this.

Philanthropy is a vital part of the impact economy.

So I’d like to be clear with everyone here today on our three priorities for philanthropy.

Firstly, the Government wants to help to connect philanthropic investment with the places that need it most.

Secondly, we want to unlock extra philanthropic investment.

Thirdly, we want to partner with civil society, communities, donors and businesses to celebrate a culture of giving.

On our first priority, this Government has been clear since our first day in office that we are committed to putting local people, communities and places first.

Supporting philanthropic growth across the country is a really important route to generating more private capital that can deliver public good.

That’s why the Secretary of State has committed to setting out a place-based philanthropy strategy so we can create an environment where the benefits of philanthropy are felt in communities everywhere.

I know this is an area that many of you are invested in or connected to.

Made-in-Stoke, which I was really pleased to visit a few months ago, Blackpool Pride of Place and Islington Gives are brilliant examples of what can be achieved with a place-based approach. I know many representatives of these networks are here with us today.

By creating a community of philanthropists who are invested in the future of a city or town and who want to contribute to its success, they are blazing a trail for others to follow. And Neil, you rightly referenced the impact of place in your remarks.

In areas that need it most, these networks are delivering programmes supporting young people’s skills development, from sports activities to dance and ballet classes for children.

We can learn a great deal from these models of giving – by people motivated by the idea of helping give back to the community that helped to shape them.

My officials and I will continue to explore how this Government can best support the growth of these innovative initiatives.

When it comes to the second priority of unlocking additional philanthropic investment, there are already some excellent examples of what philanthropy can deliver.

Family Foundations such as the Reece’s Foundation in the North East are working to address some of the most complex problems in the region, supporting innovations like the National Geothermal Energy Centre whilst providing new opportunities for local people.

But, as I said earlier, we need the right structures in place to make it as easy as possible for philanthropists to give more and would-be philanthropists to give for the first time.

Gift Aid is a vital part of the already existing system, and it gives charities and donors important tax relief.

And for businesses, payroll giving provides companies an easy way for employees to give in a tax-efficient way to the causes they care about.

We want to raise awareness of just how straightforward that scheme is, and there couldn’t be a better time as February is Payroll Giving month, as I’m sure you all know.

The final part of the equation is changing how we talk about and celebrate philanthropy.

In 2023 we collectively gave £13.9 billion to charity. It’s a phenomenal amount of money and it’s testament to the generosity that exists across our country.

But if you look deeper, you find that the number of donors is actually decreasing.

Clearly there’s no one single reason why that would be the case, but I think it’s all of our responsibility to do our bit in championing and celebrating those who do donate.

Last year I had the privilege of attending the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, seeing first hand some of our most exceptional athletes perform on the biggest stage of all.

Over the last decades, philanthropists like Barrie Wells have supported the training success of athletes including Jessica Ennis-Hill, who started her career in Sheffield, just down the road from my constituency of Barnsley.

After winning Gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, she went on to engage and inspire the next generation of young people through philanthropy funded workshops in the Athletes4Schools programme.

Similarly, businesses continue to contribute to society, like Barclays, who support young people and create opportunities for all, through their community grass roots football grants.

5,500 community groups have been supported across the UK with the aim of helping to reduce inequalities in football.

If you look at a sector like the arts, that is one that’s always relied on a variety of funding sources.

And that’s why, for over 20 years, DCMS has partnered with the Wolfson Foundation to deliver the DCMS/Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund.

But these are just some of the examples of what can be done when we work together to build things that deliver long term benefits.

You share in our ambition to raise the amount donated and the number of people donating it, and I urge you all to talk loudly and proudly about some of the great work going on in the regions across the country.

That just leaves me to thank you all, once again, for inviting me to join you all today.

By working together we can fulfil the huge untapped potential that exists in the impact economy, in our civil society, and across our philanthropic landscape.

There are no simple answers to how we do it but, by focussing on the areas I’ve set out today, I am certain we can meet the challenge head on.

Together we can grasp the opportunity to improve people’s lives and give back to communities we all care deeply about.

Updates to this page

Published 12 February 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Cameroon: Greenpeace Africa calls on the covernment to cancel the decree creating Ma Mbed Mbed Park

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Yaoundé, 12-02-2025 – In 2020, the Cameroonian government issued a decree establishing Ma Mbed Mbed Park, covering an area of more than 12,000 hectares. This decree has sparked reactions from local communities, who have taken to the streets demanding its cancellation. They fear the project could lead to conflicts between humans and wildlife, particularly elephants, and result in the loss of their land. They also criticize the government for not sufficiently consulting them during the decision-making process.

Professor Ngoussandou Bello Pierre, National Coordinator of Jag Sir, the National Toupouri Cultural Association, said:
“The Toupouri community believes this is a scheme against their land and their livelihoods. Elephants do not distinguish between ethnic groups, religions, or professions—their presence is a threat to everyone, including the BIR camp, which is less than 12 km away. Kidnappers frequently operate in Taibong and Guidiguis before seeking refuge in a protected area in Chad. Expanding this area with the new park would only worsen insecurity. The government must acknowledge its mistake and revoke the decree to ease tensions. Given the determination of the local population, if the government persists, the extermination of elephants will become inevitable.”

Cameroon’s Far North is already facing significant challenges, particularly concerning security, and is one of the regions most affected by climate change. Last year, it experienced multiple waves of flooding. Food insecurity remains a persistent issue.

Dr. Lamfu Fabrice, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, said:
“This park was created to combat climate change and promote social and professional integration—objectives that are commendable. However, the project significantly reduces the land and resources available to local populations. This is why their essential role in the sustainable management of their land and environment must be recognized. When decisions are made without their free, prior, and informed consent, it can unfortunately lead to delicate situations like this one. We call on the government to reconsider the project. This is one threat too many for the people of the Far North.”

This protest follows a similar demonstration that took place a few weeks ago in the southern region, where local residents of the Camvert project in Campo took to the streets, demanding that the company revise its specifications. According to the residents, the document does not sufficiently account for their rights. The current situation in the Far North presents similar challenges to those faced by the people of Campo, particularly regarding human-wildlife conflicts, land grabbing, and the lack of consultation with local communities before project development.

Media Contacts:

Luchelle Feukeng
Communications and Storytelling Manager, Greenpeace Africa
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +237 656 46 35 45 (WhatsApp)
Greenpeace Africa Newsdesk: [email protected]

Dr. Lamfu Fabrice
Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +237 678 06 57 58

MIL OSI NGO –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh inaugurates 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14AFAF)

Source: Government of India (2)

Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh inaugurates 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14AFAF)

India has risen as the world’s second-largest fish producer under the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership: Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh

Kisan Credit Card scheme extended to the fishers & fish farmers: Union Minister

Research institutes should undertake capacity building initiative involving KVKs to improve the adoption of scientific practices by fishers and farmers: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh

Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh also inaugurates the 14AFAF Expo

Posted On: 12 FEB 2025 5:03PM by PIB Delhi

Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and Panchayati Raj Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh inaugurated 14th Asian Fisheries and Aquaculture Forum (14AFAF) at Pusa Campus in New Delhi today, marking a significant milestone in global fisheries and aquaculture. Speaking on the occasion, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh highlighted the Government of India’s commitment to sustainable fisheries. He accentuated that India has risen as the world’s second-largest fish producer under the Prime Minister’s visionary leadership and Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The Minister also emphasized that India is implementing cutting-edge digital solutions such as National Digital Fisheries Platform and vessel monitoring, transponders, and emergency alerts to ensure the safety of fishermen at sea. He also informed that the Kisan Credit Card scheme has been extended to the fishers and fish farmers and various insurance schemes to the fisheries’ sector were also introduced. He further applauded the ICAR for its technological offerings, recognizing its contributions in the fisheries development in the country. Further he stressed that the research institutes should undertake capacity building initiative involving KVKs to improve the adoption of scientific practices by fishers and farmers. He also inaugurated the 14AFAF expo, a major highlight, bringing together the stakeholders from state fisheries departments, academia, research institutions and the industry to showcase technological advancements.

Dr. Himanshu Pathak, Secretary, DARE, and DG, ICAR highlighted that 75 new fisheries technologies and improved fish varieties developed by ICAR, emphasizing ICAR’s commitment to sustainable, carbon-neutral fisheries and aquaculture for long-term industry resilience.

Dr. Abhilaksh Likhi, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India, highlighted the Government’s transformative initiatives, substantial investments, and the vital role of startups in driving innovation for India’s blue economy.

‘Padma Shri’ Dr. S. Ayyappan, former Secretary, DARE, and DG, ICAR, highlighted India’s leadership in fisheries research and described 14AFAF as the Mahakumbh of fisheries researchers from Asia.

Dr. Essam Yassin Mohammed, Director General, WorldFish, Malaysia, spoke on global innovations in fisheries and applauded India for its transformation initiatives in sustainable aquaculture.

Prof. Neil Loneragan, President, Asian Fisheries Society, Kuala Lumpur, emphasized the significance of international collaboration in advancing the fisheries sector globally.

Dr. J.K. Jena, Deputy Director General (Fisheries Science), ICAR, and Convener of 14AFAF, in his welcome address, stated that the forum will play a crucial role in shaping the future of fisheries and aquaculture. He highlighted that the event features over 20 lead presentations by renowned experts from India and abroad, with 1,000 participants from 24 countries.

The session also saw the release of different publications & technologies by the dignitaries. The event was organized by the Asian Fisheries Society (AFS), Kuala Lumpur, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Government of India, and the Asian Fisheries Society Indian Branch (AFSIB), Mangalore.

Hosting the 14th AFAF in India after 15 years highlights the country’s growing prominence in global fisheries and aquaculture. With a rapidly expanding blue economy, progressive policies, and scientific advancements, India is emerging as a key player in sustainable fisheries. This forum serves as an opportunity to showcase India’s contributions, strengthen global partnerships and drive sustainable aquaculture initiatives for the future.

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MG/KSR

(Release ID: 2102338) Visitor Counter : 14

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sols 4450-4451: Making the Most of a Monday

Source: NASA

Earth planning date: Monday, Feb. 10, 2025
Last Saturday around 20:00 Pacific Standard Time I saw a 22-degree halo encircling our mostly-full Moon and Mars; an entire planet hanging in the sky between our Moon and the atmospheric phenomenon. As I took in the view I wondered what our rover was doing at that moment… turns out the Sun had just risen over Gale crater and Curiosity was still asleep, waiting for her alarm to go off in about 2.5 hours for another full day of science.
She wouldn’t start the weekend’s drive until Monday morning about 1:30, while I was still asleep waiting for my alarm to sound at 5:15. The drive’s data arrived on Earth about 5:30, and told us we drove until our time-of-day limit for driving — stopping about 36 meters (about 118 feet) away from Friday’s location. Unfortunately, our right-front wheel was shown to be perched on some tall rocks and we couldn’t quantify the drop risk if we unstowed the arm. We decided to play it safe and keep the arm stowed instead.
Today’s two-sol plan would normally be in “nominal” sols — meaning we’d get a full day of science and a drive on the second sol — but due to some DSN downtime on Earth we moved our drive to the first sol, therefore switching to “restricted” sols a bit earlier than usual after our last soliday. Even though we couldn’t plan contact science, we’re making the most of our plan with almost 90 minutes of remote sensing. Mastcam will take an approximately 24-frame stereo mosaic of Wilkerson butte to the north, and ChemCam will shoot their laser at a rock in our workspace named “Carbon Canyon,” as well as three separate RMI mosaics! We’ll then attempt to drive until our time-of-day limit of about 15:00 local Gale time, hopefully getting us to a more stable spot on Wednesday for contact science. The second sol contains our usual dust-devil surveys with Navcam, atmospheric opacity measurements with Mastcam, and a blind LIBS on a piece of bedrock the rover chooses autonomously.
Written by Natalie Moore, Mission Operations Specialist at Malin Space Science Systems

MIL OSI USA News –

February 13, 2025

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

Source: Government of India (2)

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

I. Key highlights:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notes: Prov. – Provisional, Combd. – Combined

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

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

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

Note: Figures of January 2025 are provisional.

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

List of Annex

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

Annex I

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

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

Notes:

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

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

Annex II

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

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

Notes:

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

Annex III

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

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

Notes:

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

and Ladakh (erstwhile State of Jammu & Kashmir).

Annex IV

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

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

Notes:

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

Annexure V

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

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

Notes:

* :Index Value for January 2025 is Provisional.

Annexure VI

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

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

Notes:

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

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

February 13, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: Amur tiger, anteaters and potto: how the Moscow Zoo’s scientific department helps preserve rare animals

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Balancing the diet of African potto primates, making recommendations for improving the conditions of rare and endangered species, and trying to collect data on the world’s most secretive and least studied animals are the challenges facing Moscow Zoo. On February 12, it celebrates its 161st birthday. The zoo is not only an entertainment venue where you can see exotic representatives of the fauna and, without leaving the capital, take a trip through the jungle, savannah and desert. Scientists also work here who study the behavior and characteristics of animals, try to create conditions for them close to the natural environment, and make every effort to preserve and reproduce rare species on the planet.

We tell you what the zoo’s scientific department is working on, why giant anteaters have become the focus of specialists’ attention, and whether it is possible to see a Pallas’s cat in the steppe.

From the South American sector to zoological books

The Moscow Zoological Garden was founded in 1864 by Professor of Natural Sciences Karl Roullier and his students Anatoly Bogdanov and Sergey Usov. From the very beginning, scientists planned to collect here rare animals, birds and fish living not only in different parts of the Russian Empire, but also in distant hot countries. Inquisitive visitors were allowed here, but the zoo was never a fairground attraction, but a serious research center.

“It is thanks to the efforts of zoos that we have managed to save species that are on the verge of extinction. Among them are the sable, the Przewalski’s horse, David’s deer, the bison, and the California condor,” says Sergei Khlyupin, head of the scientific department of the Moscow Zoo.

Today, the scientific department has a team of five employees. It also includes a sector of South American inhabitants, where giant anteaters, capybaras, llamas, vicuñas and guanacos are kept.

“For example, giant anteaters last lived in the Moscow Zoo in the late 1970s. When they were brought here again, we began collecting information about the care of these animals, observing their behavior, and sharing data with colleagues from other zoos around the world,” notes Sergei Khlyupin.

In addition, the scientific department includes a library. “It contains 16 thousand books on zoology, some of which were published back in the 19th century. The collection is constantly being expanded. Now access to scientific literature is open to everyone. You can come with your passport, sign up, get a user card and read the publications in the reading room,” says the mos.ru source.

Natural habitat

According to Sergei Khlyupin, one of the main tasks of his employees is to help preserve endangered representatives of the planet’s fauna.

“Zoos create conditions as close to natural as possible so that animals do not lose their behavioral repertoire. In this way, we will have the opportunity, if necessary, to release extinct species into the wild (this is one of the main goals of zoos), where they can survive,” notes Sergey Khlyupin.

During the day, zoologists watch animals on monitors: the broadcast from video cameras is conducted around the clock. They process the received data, enter it into computer programs and tables.

In 2024, Moscow Zoo staff began working on a project to assess the welfare of capybaras.

“We answer questions from a special questionnaire every day: how the animals behave, what they react to, how often they eat, and so on. This protocol was adapted to assess the conditions of keeping capybaras, methodological recommendations were developed, and a background assessment of the level of well-being was conducted. At the end of the year, together with colleagues from the Sakhalin and Leningrad zoos, the Limpopo zoo (Nizhny Novgorod) and the Moskvarium, we assessed the well-being of the capybaras. Next, we plan to adapt the methodology for other animals,” says Sergey Khlyupin.

The results are published in the annual collection of scientific research of the Moscow Zoo. It was first published in the 90s of the 20th century under the direction of Vladimir Spitsyn, who held the position of director at the time. The publication also includes articles from zoological organizations of the world, translated into Russian.

Zen, bamboo and native climate: how pandas Rui and Dingding spent their first five years at the Moscow Zoo “Katyusha is a mother’s girl”: how a baby panda lives in the Moscow Zoo House on the lawn: how capybaras live in the Moscow Zoo

The right diet for potto

The staff of the scientific department are currently preparing the next collection of scientific research of the Moscow Zoo in two volumes for publication. Among the articles there will also be works devoted to the African primates potto.

“There are six pottos in the zoo: three males and the same number of females. These are small primates native to Africa. They cannot jump and move quite slowly. Visitors are often surprised that these animals are primates. Pottos are rare representatives of the fauna, and you will hardly ever see them in other zoos. The difficulty is that these semi-apes are endemic to the western part of Central Africa, live in forests, become active at night, move silently, can sit motionless for hours, hiding from predators, and almost never come down from the trees. Therefore, it is not easy to observe them in the wild,” explains Anna Kizik, a senior researcher at the Moscow Zoo.

Previously, when pottos were brought to zoos, the animals were fed dairy products and fruits, thinking that this was suitable food for mammals from the tropics. However, such a diet led to metabolic disorders in the prosimians, and their lifespan was shortened. Employees of the scientific department of the Moscow Zoo tested more than 50 types of products and found out that the inhabitants of Africa do not like sweets, eat watery fruits from trees only in the rainy season, and in drought they feed on resin and hunt insects.

“Although they have the same conditions in the zoo all year round, the air temperature is always 23 degrees, their biological clocks work properly: pottos clearly sense the change of seasons, so they need to be fed in accordance with these internal ‘sensors’,” adds the mos.ru interlocutor.

It was also possible to find out that pottos are social animals and love to communicate with their relatives. At the same time, they can have different characters and habits. For example, some prefer to sleep longer, while others do not.

Pottos at the Moscow Zoo have created three families, and one of the females is the daughter of an older couple. “The birth of a baby is our achievement, since pottos usually do not reproduce in captivity. When we introduced the female to a single male, their relationship was very touching. At first, they looked at each other for a long time, and then the future husband gave his favorite hammock to his bride,” laughs Anna Kizik.

From the Zoo to Expeditions

Another area of activity for the scientific department employees is participation in expeditions. Thus, in the spring of 2024, a delegation from the Moscow Zoo went to the Kalmyk reserve “Chernye Zemli”.

“We usually go on an expedition when we need to help animals in trouble or collect additional information about their life in the wild. In Kalmykia, we had to assess the health of saigas and check them for infectious diseases, including pasteurellosis, which is dangerous for them. In the spring, the animals have a breeding season, during which veterinarians can notice weak individuals leaving the pack and collect the necessary material. We also visited Altai, where we discussed with colleagues the preservation of snow leopards and manuls in the wild – the rarest cats in Russia. We installed camera traps to observe them. We managed to see one manul in person, despite the fact that they almost always hide from people,” says Sergey Khlyupin.

And in October last year, specialists from the Moscow Zoo visited the Land of the Leopard National Park, the Sikhote-Alin Nature Reserve, the Utes rehabilitation center, the Tiger Center interregional public organization, and the Primorsky Zoo in the Far East. “We discussed wolverines, Far Eastern leopards, Amur tigers, Himalayan bears, and yellow-throated martens, as well as the goals and objectives of further cooperation,” says our interlocutor.

The Moscow Zoo’s scientific department cooperates with various research institutes, reserves, national parks and other nature conservation organizations throughout the country and beyond. After all, the planet is one and maintaining its ecosystem is a common cause.

Slow and careful: Moscow Zoo’s collection has been replenished with pottos “Active Citizens” have chosen a name for the cub of the endangered brown hyena An American mink has taken up residence at the Moscow Zoo for the first time in 40 years Two more Malayan bear cubs have arrived at the Moscow Zoo Workaholic meerkats and artist pandas: what the inhabitants of the Moscow Zoo are learning

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.

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https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149997073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: What’s the difference between ageing and frailty? One is inevitable – the other is not

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julee McDonagh, Senior Research Fellow of Frailty Research, University of Wollongong

PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Ageing is a normal part of the life course. It doesn’t matter how many green smoothies you drink, or how many “anti-ageing” skin care products you use, you can’t stop the ageing process.

But while we’re all getting older, not everyone who ages will necessarily become frail. Ageing and frailty are closely related, but they’re not the same thing.

Let’s break down the difference between the two.

What is ageing?

On a biological level, ageing is the result of the build-up of cellular and molecular damage in the body over time.

The ageing process causes a gradual decline in physical and mental function, a higher risk of disease, and eventual (and unavoidable) death.

Still, some people think they can cheat the system, spending millions trying to stay young forever. While we may be able to reduce the appearance of ageing, ultimately there’s no magic pill to increase our longevity.

Around one in six Australians are over the age of 65 (16% of the total population). Yet as individuals and a society many of us still have a fear of ageing.

But what is it about ageing we are so afraid of? When it comes down to it, many people are probably less afraid of ageing, and more afraid of becoming frail.

Ageing is inevitable – but frailty isn’t.
Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

What is frailty?

Frailty is defined as a state of vulnerability characterised by a loss of reserve across multiple parts of the body.

Frailty is generally characterised by several physical symptoms, such as weakness, slow walking speed, exhaustion, unintentional weight loss, and low activity level.

Lower bone density and osteoporosis (a condition where the bones become weak and brittle) are also associated with frailty, increasing the risk of falls and fractures.

Notably, someone who is frail is less able to “bounce back” (or recover) after a stressor event compared to someone who is not frail. A stressor event could be, for example, having a fall, getting a urinary infection, or even being admitted to hospital.

Frailty is more common in older people. But in some cases, frailty can affect younger people too. For example, people with advanced chronic diseases, such as heart failure, can develop frailty much younger.

Frailty is more common in people who are older.
Fit Ztudio/Shutterstock

Frailty is dynamic. While it can get worse over time, in some cases frailty can also be reversed or even prevented through health and lifestyle changes.

For example, we know physical inactivity and a sedentary lifestyle can significantly increase a person’s risk of becoming frail. On the flip side, evidence shows doing more exercise can reduce frailty in older adults.

There are other lifestyle modifications we can make too. And the earlier we make these changes, the better.

Preventing frailty

Here are some key things you can do to help prevent frailty:

1. Get moving

Exercise more, including resistance training (such as squats and lunges, or grab some stretchy resistance bands). Many of these sorts of exercises can be done at home. YouTube has some great resources.

You might also consider joining a gym, or asking your GP about seeing an accredited exercise physiologist or physiotherapist. Medicare subsidies may be available for these specialists.

The physical activity guidelines for older Australians recommend at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity on most days or preferably every day.

The guidelines also highlight the importance of incorporating different types of activities (such as resistance, balance or flexibility exercises) and reducing the time you spend sitting down.

2. Stay socially active

Social isolation and loneliness can contribute to the progression of frailty. Reach out to friends and family for support or contact local community groups that you may be able to join. This might include your local Zumba class or bridge club.

3. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to regularly check your medications

“Polypharmacy” (when someone is prescribed five or more medications) is associated with an increased risk of frailty. The presence of frailty can also interfere with how the body absorbs medicines.

Home medicine reviews are available for older adults with a chronic medical condition or a complex medication regimen. These reviews aims to help people get the most benefit from their medicines and reduce their risk of experiencing adverse effects.

Always consult your doctor before making any changes to your current medications.

4. Eat a protein-rich diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables

Low nutrient intake can negatively impact physical function and may increase your risk of becoming frail. There’s some evidence to suggest eating more protein may delay the onset of frailty.

A food-first approach is best when looking to increase the protein in your diet. Protein is found in foods such as lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, legumes and nuts.

Adults over 50 should aim to eat 64 grams of protein per day for men and 46g per day for women. Adults over 70 should aim for 81g per day for men and 57g per day for women.

Ask your GP for a referral to a dietitian who can provide advice on a dietary regime that is best for you.

Supplements may be recommended if you are struggling to meet your protein needs from diet alone.

Dr Julee McDonagh receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the NSW Office of Health and Medical Research. She is also a member of the executive committee of the Cardiovascular Nursing Council of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and the Emerging Leaders Committee of the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance.

Professor Caleb Ferguson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund, Heart Foundation (Australia) and Stroke Foundation (Australia). He is a Board Director of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand and Chair of the Cardiovascular Nursing Council. He is Associate Editor for European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing and Heart Lung and Circulation. He was a co-author of the Australian Heart Foundation & Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand clinical guidelines for the management of atrial fibrillation. He is co-leads the Western Sydney Clinical Frailty Registry, a clinical quality registry of older adults.

– ref. What’s the difference between ageing and frailty? One is inevitable – the other is not – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-ageing-and-frailty-one-is-inevitable-the-other-is-not-247450

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

February 12, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Powerless – another Asia-Pacific angle on the long siege of USAID

COMMENTARY: By Robin Davies

Much has been and much more will be written about the looming abolition of USAID.

It’s “the removal of a huge and important tool of American global statecraft” (Konyndyk), or the wood-chipping of a “viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America” (Musk) or, more reasonably, the unwarranted cancellation of an organisation that should have been reviewed and reformed.

Commentators will have a lot to say, some of it exaggerated, about the varieties of harm caused by this decision, and about its legality.

Some will welcome it from a conservative perspective, believing that USAID was either not aligned with or acting against the interests of the United States, or was proselytising wokeness, or was a criminal organisation.

Some, often more quietly, will welcome it from an anti-imperialist or “Southern” perspective, believing that the agency was at worst a blunt instrument of US hegemony or at least a bastion of Western saviourism.

I want to come at this topic from a different angle, by providing a brief personal perspective on USAID as an organisation, based on several decades of occasional interaction with it during my time as an Australian aid official.

Essentially, I view USAID as a harried, hamstrung and traumatised organisation, not as a rogue agency or finely-tuned vehicle of US statecraft.

Peer country representative
My own experience with USAID began when I participated as a peer country representative in an OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) peer review of the US’s foreign assistance programme in the early 1990s, which included visits to US assistance programmes in Bangladesh and the Philippines, as well as to USAID headquarters in Washington DC.

I later dealt with the agency in many other roles, including during postings to the OECD and Indonesia and through my work on global and regional climate change and health programmes, up to and including the pandemic years.

An image is firmly lodged in my mind from that DAC peer review visit to Washington. We had had days of back-to-back meetings in USAID headquarters with a series of exhausted-looking, distracted and sometimes grumpy executives who didn’t have much reason to care what the OECD thought about the US aid effort.

It was a muggy summer day. At one point a particularly grumpy meeting chair, who now rather reminds of me of Gary Oldman’s character in Slow Horses, mopped the sweat from his forehead with his necktie without appearing to be aware of what he was doing. Since then, that man has been my mental model of a USAID official.

But why so exhausted, distracted and grumpy?

Precisely because USAID is about the least freewheeling workplace one could construct. Certainly it is administratively independent, in the sense that it was created by an act of Congress, but it also receives its budget from the President and Congress — and that budget comes with so many strings attached, in the form of country- or issue-related “earmarks” or other directives that it might be logically impossible to allocate the funds as instructed.

Some of these earmarks are broad and unsurprising (for example, specific allocations for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment under the Bush-era PEPFAR program) while others represent niche interests (Senator John McCain once ridiculed earmarks pertaining to “peanuts, orangutans, gorillas, neotropical raptors, tropical fish and exotic plants”) — but none originates within USAID.

Informal earmarks calculation
I recall seeing an informal calculation showing that one could only satisfy all the percentage-based earmarks by giving most of the dollars several quite different jobs to do. A 2002 DAC peer review noted with disapproval some 270 earmarks or other directive provisions in aid legislation; by the time of the most recent peer review in 2022, this number was more like 700.

Related in part to this congressional micro-management of its budget — along with the usual distrust of organisations that “send” money overseas — USAID labours under particularly gruelling accountability and reporting requirements.

Andew Natsios — a former USAID Administrator and lifelong Republican who has recently come to USAID’s defence (albeit with arguments that not everybody would deem helpful) — wrote about this in 2010. In terms reminiscent of current events, he described the reign of terror of Lieutenant-General Herbert Beckington, a former Marine Corps officer who led USAID‘s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) from 1977 to 1994.

He was a powerful iconic figure in Washington, and his influence over the structure of the foreign aid programME remains with USAID today. … Known as “The General” at USAID, Beckington was both feared and despised by career officers. Once referred to by USAID employees as “the agency’s J. Edgar Hoover — suspicious, vindictive, eager to think the worst” …

At one point, he told the Washington Post that USAID’s white-collar crime rate was “higher than that of downtown Detroit.” … In a seminal moment in this clash between OIG and USAID, photographs were published of two senior officers who had been accused of some transgression being taken away in handcuffs by the IG investigators for prosecution, a scene that sent a broad chill through the career staff and, more than any other single event, forced a redirection of aid practice toward compliance.

Labyrinthine accountability systems
On top of the burdens of logically impossible programming and labyrinthine accountability systems is the burden of projecting American generosity. As far as humanly possible, and perhaps a little further, ways must be found of ensuring that American aid is sourced from American institutions, farms or factories and, if it is in the form of commodities, that it is transported on American vessels.

Failing that, there must be American flags. I remember a USAID officer stationed in Banda Aceh after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami spending a non-trivial amount of his time seeking to attach sizeable flags to the front of trucks transporting US (but also non-US) emergency supplies around the province of Aceh.

President Trump’s adviser Stephen Miller has somehow determined to his own satisfaction that the great majority (in fact 98 percent) of USAID personnel are donors to the Democratic Party. Whether or not that is true, let alone relevant, Democrat administrations have arguably been no kinder to USAID than Republican ones over the years.

Natsios, in the piece cited above, notes that The General was installed under Carter, who ran on anti-Washington ticket, and that there were savage cuts — over 400 positions — to USAID senior career service staffing under Clinton. USAID gets battered no matter which way the wind blows.

Which brings me back to necktie guy. It has always seemed to me that the platonic form of a USAID officer, while perhaps more likely than not to vote Democrat, is a tired and dispirited person, weary of politicians of all stripes, bowed under his or her burdens, bound to a desk and straitjacketed by accountability requirements, regularly buffeted by new priorities and abrupt restructures, and put upon by the ignorant and suspicious.

Radical-left Marxists and vipers probably wouldn’t tolerate such an existence for long. Who would? I guess it’s either thieves and money-launderers or battle-scarred professionals intent on doing a decent job against tall odds.

Robin Davies is an honorary professor at the Australian National University’s (ANU) Crawford School of Public Policy and managing editor of the Devpolicy Blog. He previously held senior positions at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and AusAID.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: COP29 countdown: Failure on climate finance ‘not an option’, says Guterres

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

Having just returned from the G20 Summit in Rio, Mr. Guterres shared the resounding message he delivered there: an ambitious climate finance goal is not only essential, but urgent.

“Failure is not an option,” he emphasized, warning that the result of inaction could be catastrophic.

Just 24 hours before COP29 is due to wrap up in the Azerbaijan capital, negotiators reportedly remained at loggerheads over a new climate finance goal to help developing countries combat flash flooding, drought, wildfires and other natural shocks made worse by human activity.

The first draft text on a potential outcome dropped in the early morning hours on Thursday and received mixed reactions from government negotiating teams and civil society groups.

Largely divided in two parts, the draft reportedly sets out proposals from developing and developed countries, with some sticking points still unresolved, including on funding goals.

‘Clock is ticking’

Emphasizing the urgency of the moment, the Secretary-General said: “The clock is ticking. COP29 is now down to the wire.”

While progress has been made and areas of convergence are emerging, significant differences still remain, the UN chief continued.

But without decisive action, the consequences could ripple far beyond this summit, potentially undermining near-term efforts and complicating preparations for COP30 in Brazil, he noted.

“Failure might jeopardize both near-term action and ambition in the preparation of new national climate action plans,” Mr. Guterres warned, adding that it could accelerate the approach of irreversible climate tipping points.

A clear path forward

The Secretary-General underscored the critical need for an ambitious new climate finance goal: a comprehensive financial package designed to mobilize resources for developing countries, enabling them to implement climate action plans aligned with the 1.5-degree Celsius target.

He emphasized the importance of financing initiatives that support nations in transitioning to clean, affordable energy while reducing emissions.

Additionally, he highlighted the necessity of strengthening disaster resilience by securing funds to protect vulnerable populations from the escalating impacts of climate disasters. Restoring trust between nations was also a key focus, with a call to build solidarity through international cooperation under the framework of the Paris Agreement.

Mr. Guterres underscored the significance of this agreement as more than a mere negotiation. “This is a COP to deliver justice in the face of climate catastrophe,” he said.

An investment, not a handout

Challenging the notion of climate finance as a form of charity, the UN chief argued that it is a critical investment in the planet’s future. “It’s a downpayment on a safer, more prosperous future for every nation on Earth,” he asserted.

He recalled that multilateral development banks have pledged to increase their climate finance to $120 billion annually by 2030, with an additional $65 billion mobilized from the private sector.

Meanwhile, the Pact for the Future – adopted in New York this past September by the 193-member UN General Assembly – commits to improving access to finance and increasing the lending capacity of development banks.

A call for unity

Recognizing the geopolitical divisions that could undermine progress, the Secretary-General urged leaders and negotiators to “soften hard lines”, navigate their differences and “keep eyes on the bigger picture”.

Appealing for unity and reminding all parties of what is at stake – a liveable planet for future generations – he stated: “Never forget what is at stake…This is not a zero-sum game.”

Deliver for all humanity

Wrapping up his remarks, Mr. Guterres said: “The need is urgent. The rewards are great. And time is short.”

He emphasized that COP29 must deliver not only for those in the negotiation halls but for all humanity.

Alongside the Secretary-General’s press conference and the ongoing intense negotiations, discussions at COP29 today also spotlighted the critical importance of gender equality in combating the climate crisis.

UNFCCC/Kiara Worth

Participants at the High-Level event on Gender Transparency, a highlight of ‘Gender Day’ at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

A high-level session on gender and transparency emphasized the necessity of integrating gender considerations into climate policies.

Women, particularly in low-income and marginalized communities, often bear the brunt of climate-induced disasters due to their roles as primary caregivers and food providers.

Meanwhile, in many regions, their limited access to resources, education, and decision-making power further deepens their vulnerability. Women frequently shoulder the burden of securing water, food, and fuel for their families, often at great personal risk.

By ensuring that women have equal access to resources, education, and opportunities to participate in climate solutions, more effective and sustainable strategies can be created for mitigating and adapting to the effects of our rapidly warming planet.

UN News/Nargiz Shekinskaya

Jemimah Njuki, Chief of the Economic Empowerment section at UN Women, speaks to UN News at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

‘200 million hours fetching water’

“Women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa are spending 200 million hours [daily] just fetching water,” said Jemimah Njuki, Chief of Economic Empowerment and Head of the Economics Division at UN Women, in an interview with UN News.

“To put this into context, this is equivalent to the entire workforce of the UK’s working hours per day.”

Ms. Njuki said women and girls are more likely to face food insecurity as a result of climate change.

“Our analysis already shows us that in the worst climate case scenario, 236 million more women and girls will become food insecure, and 158 million more women and girls will fall into poverty,” she warned, ad added: “We also see climate change significantly increasing the unpaid care work performed by women and girls.”

While noting that there has been significant progress on girls’ education, reducing maternal mortality, and reducing child mortality, she underscored that at the same time, “we are seeing huge pushbacks against women’s rights.”

With all this in mind, Ms. Njuki stressed the vital importance of the outcome of COP29 for gender equality.

“As people working on gender equality, we are concerned not just about the quantity of climate finance but also about its quality,” she said.

She posed a few questions that negotiators could consider: “How do we make the financing more gender-responsive? How do we ensure that we are directing funds toward issues of gender equality? How do we ensure that feminist movements, indigenous movements, and the women working on climate action can actually access this finance?”

Courtesy of Dr. Jessica Hernande

Dr. Jessica Hernandez (Binnizá & Maya Ch’orti’) is an Indigenous scholar, scientist, and community advocate based in the Pacific Northwest.

Indigenous women and land rights

UN News also spoke with Jessica Hernandez, an indigenous scholar, scientist, and community advocate based in the Pacific Northwest. In her current role at Landesa, a non-profit organization, she advocates for indigenous peoples’ land rights and tenure in the Global South.

“One of our goals for COP29 is to advocate for the inclusion of land rights and tenure into the nationally determined contributions (NDCs),” she said.

“We know that 2.5 billion people in rural and indigenous communities worldwide already safeguard these ecosystems, especially land ecosystems crucial for human survival.”

Ms. Hernandez, recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 100 most powerful and influential women in Central America, highlighted the critical role of indigenous women in sustainable land and resource management and food security.

“Unfortunately, only a minority of this land is legally recognized, leaving these communities vulnerable to exploitative land grabs and without the foundations needed for long-term planning and access to government services,” she added.

Carolina Santos from Engajamundo, a youth-led civil society organization in Brazil, told UN News, “I would like to see more women and girls taking leadership roles in discussions about land rights and access to climate financing, as their bodies are also on the line when it comes to the climate crisis.”

Want to know more? Check out our special events page, where you can find all our coverage of COP29, including stories and videos, explainers and our newsletter.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: COP29 gets boost from Rio as G20 leaders back scaling up climate finance from ‘billions to trillions’

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

19 November 2024 Climate and Environment

The high-level diplomatic push for climate action shifted southward on Tuesday as G20 leaders meeting in Rio sent a clear signal to negotiating teams at stalled UN climate talks in Baku on the need to rapidly and substantially ‘scale up climate finance from billions to trillions from all sources.’

While the statement from the world’s leading economies – and biggest emitters – stopped short of explicit reference of ‘transitioning away from fossil fuels’, to which all nations agreed last year at COP28 in Dubai, the G20 leaders did ‘welcome the balanced, ambitious outcome’ of those talks.

The G20 communiqué comes as the clock ticks down on COP29, which is set to wrap up this Friday in the Azerbaijan capital, Baku. The complex negotiations on new and significantly scaled-up funding for loss and damage and accelerated clean energy goals are moving slowly, as some countries dig into their positions while waiting for others to pull back from their own.

UN climate chief Simon Stiell who earlier warned against brinkmanship and what he called ‘you-first-ism’, said today that G20 leaders sent a clear message to their negotiators at COP29: “A successful new finance goal… is in every country’s clear interests.”

“Leaders of the world’s largest economies have also committed to driving forward financial reforms to put strong climate action within all countries’ reach,” said Mr. Stiell, who is the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which convenes that annual COP meetings.

He added: “This is an essential signal in a world plagued by debt crises and spiraling climate impacts, which are wrecking lives, disrupting supply chains, and fueling inflation in every economy.”

‘Failure is not an option’

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who is in Rio to participate in discussions on sustainable development the combat against poverty and hunger, as well as climate change, noted during a session earlier this morning that Brazil is set to host COP30 next year in the eastern Amazon region.

“Failure [in Baku] is not an option. It might compromise the ambition in the preparation of the new national climate action plans, with potential devastating impacts as irreversible tipping points are getting closer. The preservation of the Amazon is a case in point,” he said.

Missing the opportunity to reach agreement on a new climate finance deal in Baku “would inevitably also make the success of COP30 in Brazil much more difficult,” the Secretary-General said, and added: “I appeal to the sense of responsibility of all the countries around this table to help ensure that COP29 will be a success.”

Some climate and environment activists in Baku said they were cautiously optimistic about the communique, while others gave it a mixed verdict, saying the statement was vague on climate finance and failed to explicitly mention the need to transition away from fossil fuels.

Harjeet Singh, a climate activist who is the Global Engagement Director for the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, shared his views with UN News: “Developed nations remain unmoved, failing to quantify the trillions needed or to ensure these funds are provided as grants – essential for achieving climate justice.”

He added: “Their rehashed rhetoric offers no solace for the fraught COP29 negotiations, where we continue to see a deadlock on climate finance.”

Agrifood solutions

Alongside the negotiations, dozens of meetings and events are underway COP29, with the bulk of today’s activities focused on agriculture, food security and water. Delegations from around world shared experiences on sustainable food production practices and addressed agriculture-related challenges.

Just in time for COP29, new analysis from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has found that nearly all countries identify agrifood systems as a priority for climate change adaptation (94 per cent) and mitigation (91 per cent) in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

According to the FAO, this highlights the tremendous potential of agrifood systems as climate solutions, especially as countries prepare to submit their third round of NDCs in 2025.

“Agrifood systems are key to achieving food security and hold the solutions to multiple challenges: climate change, biodiversity, land degradation, and water scarcity,” FAO Assistant Director-General Viorel Gutu said, as climate change is a significant driver of food insecurity in a world where around 730 million people still live in hunger.

He noted, “Unfortunately, current financing and investment are not sufficient to affect the transformation we need.” He added that, over the past two decades, funding for agrifood systems has declined from 37 per cent to 23 per cent of all climate-related development finance.

While agriculture contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, if done right, the industry can also help overcome the climate crisis.

Also spotlighting the importance of agriculture – for climate action and broader sustainable development efforts – was Jemimah Njuki, Chief of Economic Empowerment and Head of the Economics Division at UN Women

In an interview with UN News, she called on governments to provide special support to women-led farms.

“Without women, we will not be able to feed the world,” Ms. Njuki stressed. At the same time, she lamented that women are less likely than men to own the land they cultivate, and it is more difficult for them to secure loans to develop their businesses.

It is not only women who are affected but also other vulnerable groups, such as Indigenous peoples.

Andrea Echiverri of the Global Forest Coalition, an international nongovernmental organization advocating for social and gender justice for rural communities, said that she believes current agricultural practices are destructive to the environment.

“Take livestock, for example, which requires more and more pasture, meaning forests continue to be cut down, and Indigenous peoples are being expelled from their lands,” Ms. Echiverri said.

Governments, she emphasized, do not pay enough attention to the sustainability of livestock farming, although this industry accounts for about 16 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions and 15 per cent of all fossil fuels consumed.

UN News

View of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku from the Caspian Sea

Action on Water

Elsewhere in the giant Baku Stadium complex where COP29 has been running since last Monday, water-related challenges were in the spotlight at a panel discussion where experts and participants stressed that floods, droughts, shrinking water sources, and rising water levels threaten the well-being of populations, provoke forced displacement, and undermine food security.

For example, in countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, glaciers are shrinking rapidly, threatening long-term water supplies.

“The climate knows no borders, and water knows no borders,” emphasized Sonja Koppel, Secretary of the UN Water Convention. “At the same time, water can be both the cause of conflict and the key to its resolution.”

Speaking to UN News, she noted that 153 countries share water bodies with other nations, but only 28 per cent of them have agreements with their neighbors to cooperate most of their shared water resources. One successful example is the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, which have overcome differences and established cross-border cooperation on the Chu Talas River.

Ms. Koppel called on countries to use water resources to establish peace with their neighbors and effectively manage shared natural resources.

Formally the Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, the treaty is a unique international legal instrument and intergovernmental platform which aims to ensure the sustainable use of transboundary water resources by facilitating cooperation. Initially negotiated as a regional instrument, it has been opened for accession to all UN Member States in 2016.

Want to know more? Check out our special events page, where you can find all our coverage of COP29, including stories and videos, explainers and our newsletter.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Clearland — Missing person: Help the RCMP find Steven Creaser

Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Lunenburg County District RCMP is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 28-year-old Steven Creaser who was last seen in Clearland.

Creaser is described as 5-foot-8 and 130 pounds. He has blonde hair, blue eyes. He is known to wear fisherman rubber boots.

When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Steven Creaser is asked to contact the Lunenburg County District RCMP at 902-527-5555. To remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips app.

Note: A photo of Steven Creaser is attached.

MIL Security OSI –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Strict rules: how veterinary experts check the quality of fish and seafood

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

High-protein products of animal origin require particularly careful control. The Moscow-on-the-Wave fish markets have special laboratories where employees of the state budgetary institution Mosvetoedinenie monitor the products. We tell you what stages of testing fish and seafood go through.

Veterinary examination is not only a check of food products. Since fish is a very demanding product, the conditions of its transportation are of great importance, and therefore the condition of the vehicle. Thus, in addition to checking the veterinary accompanying documents, a specialist of the state veterinary service inspects the internal surfaces of the car. They must be smooth, easy to wash and disinfect. The temperature maintained in the cargo compartment of the vehicle is also checked. For example, chilled food fish products must be stored at a temperature of up to five degrees, but above the freezing point of tissue juice, and frozen fish products – at a temperature of no higher than minus 18 degrees.

Then the veterinary expert starts checking the organoleptic indicators, carefully examining the appearance. It is important that the products do not have cuts, cracks and subcutaneous yellowing that occurs when fats oxidize.

The next stage of the examination is dosimetric and radiometric studies. In addition, specialists check the consistency, smell and temperature of the products. If all indicators are in order, the batch is accepted.

The Moscow-on-the-Wave fish market opened in the Kosino-Ukhtomsky district in November 2023, and in Mitino on September 25, 2024. How reported earlierSergei Sobyanin, last year they were visited by more than 1.5 million people, and over one thousand tons of products were sold.

The Moscow-on-the-Wave fish markets offer a wide range of fish and seafood from three oceans and 13 seas that wash Russia. Residents and guests of the capital can buy fresh carp, chilled Murmansk salmon, red mullet on skewers, northern omul and whitefish in fresh-frozen and smoked form, lightly salted tugunok, Olyutor herring and much more.

More information about the activity Department of Trade and Services can be found in the official telegram channeldepartments.

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

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

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/149956073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Peters and Slotkin Lead Bipartisan Legislation to Extend Federal Funding and Protections for the Great Lakes

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Michigan Gary Peters

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senators Gary Peters (MI) and Elissa Slotkin (MI) are leading bipartisan legislation to extend federal funding and protections for the Great Lakes. The senators introduced the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 to reauthorize the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) through 2031 and increase the program’s annual authorized funding levels from $475 million to $500 million. The GLRI is the most significant investment ever made to restore and protect our Great Lakes. The GLRI combines federal and nonfederal efforts to stop the spread of carp and other invasive species, restore coastline and habitats connecting our streams and rivers, clean up environmentally damaged Areas of Concern, and prevent future contamination. While providing vital support for these efforts, the GLRI also helps ensure we can address new and emerging threats to the Great Lakes.

“The Great Lakes are a national treasure and central to our economy, environment, and way of life in Michigan. Since its creation, the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative has made significant headway in cleaning up Areas of Concern, protecting vital habitats, and restoring coastlines around the Great Lakes Basin,” said Senator Peters. “This bipartisan legislation will provide GLRI with the resources needed to build on that success and help protect and preserve the Great Lakes for future generations of Michiganders. I’m proud to again help lead the charge to strengthen this essential program.”

“Our Great Lakes power our Michigan economy, and the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative ensures we are protecting our Lakes for generations to come,” said Senator Slotkin. “From controlling invasive species to responding to algal blooms to building up our waterways infrastructure – the GLRI is a critical tool. Time and time again the Trump administration has tried to zero out this program, and it’s more important than ever we protect it. It’s why I am honored to take up the mantle from Senator Debbie Stabenow, and work alongside Senator Peters to get this bill done.”

Since its inception, the GLRI has spurred tremendous progress in Michigan and throughout the Great Lakes region including nearly half of a million acres of habitat protected, restored, or enhanced, a five-fold increase in the successful cleanup and delisting of Areas of Concern, a ten-fold increase in the remediation of environmental and public health impairments, and reducing the threat of harmful algal blooms. The GLRI’s efforts have also resulted in economic returns of more than 3 to 1 across the region.

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative is the most successful effort to protect and clean up our Great Lakes in U.S. history,” said Lisa Wozniak, Executive Director of Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Our Great Lakes face emerging challenges, like toxic PFAS contamination, invasive species, rapidly warming temperatures and the impacts of climate change, which makes the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) Act of 2025 more important than ever. Protecting our treasured Great Lakes, the source of drinking water for millions of people, is something all Michiganders can get behind, and we look forward to working with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to get this legislation signed into law.”

“The simple fact is the GLRI funds critical projects that make life better for the millions of Americans that depend on the Great Lakes. It also delivers a positive economic return on the government’s investment in cleaner water and healthier communities. Senator Peters and Senator Young along with other Great Lakes senators have our gratitude for introducing this important bill,” said Joel Brammeier, Alliance for the Great Lakes President and CEO.

“The GLRI is a landmark program that is making significant progress in restoring the waters, ecosystems, economies, and communities that make up the Great Lakes region,” said Erika Jensen, Executive Director of the Great Lakes Commission. “The Great Lakes Commission applauds Senators Peters and Young for introducing this important legislation, which will safeguard the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes region for generations to come.”

“This bill is a winner for millions of people in the region,” said Laura Rubin, Director of the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition. “We thank Sens. Gary Peters and Todd Young for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to tackle the serious threats to our region’s drinking water, public health, jobs, and quality of life. Federal investments to restore the Great Lakes have been producing results, but serious threats remain. We look forward to working with the Great Lakes congressional delegation to pass this bipartisan bill that supports common sense solutions. If we scale back investments now, the problems will only get worse and more expensive to solve.”

“The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative provides critical investments in the health of the Great Lakes and the communities and businesses that rely on clean water. Communities across the region realize the lasting benefits of clean and healthy lakes, which attract visitors, create jobs, and sustain the Great Lakes way of life,” said Peter Laing, Great Lakes Business Network Co-Chair.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2025 is also supported by the League of Conservation Voters, National Wildlife Federation, Sierra Club, National Parks Conservation Association, Council of Great Lakes Governors, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, American Great Lakes Ports Association, Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative, American Sportfishing Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, National Audubon Society – Great Lakes, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and other key stakeholders in Great Lakes protection.

Peters and Slotkin have been champions for the GLRI. Peters and Slotkin helped enact the single-largest-ever investment in the GLRI through the bipartisan infrastructure law to accelerate the restoration of nine high-priority areas in Michigan whose lakes, rivers and watersheds flow into the Great Lakes.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Six bold environmental leaders named 2024 Champions of the Earth

Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

10 December 2024 Climate and Environment

Brazil’s first-ever Minister of Indigenous Peoples and an initiative promoting sustainable agriculture in Egypt are among the six recipients of the 2024 Champions of the Earth award, announced by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya, on Tuesday.

The laureates were honoured for their outstanding leadership, brave actions and sustainable solutions to tackle land degradation, drought and desertification.

Protecting people and the planet

The Champions of the Earth award is the UN’s highest environmental honour and recognizes trailblazers from the public and private sectors, civil society and academia who are at the forefront of efforts to protect both people and the planet.

It has been presented annually since 2005, with122 laureates to date.

This year, nominations focused on finding champions who are restoring degraded land, increasing drought resilience and preventing desertification.

Honouring ‘extraordinary individuals’

UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen noted that almost 40 per cent of the world’s land is already degraded. At the same time, desertification is on the rise and devastating droughts are becoming more regular.

“The good news is that solutions already exist today, and around the world, extraordinary individuals and organizations are demonstrating that it is possible to defend and heal our planet,” she said.

“The efforts of the 2024 Champions of the Earth stand tall as a reminder that the fight to protect our land, our rivers and our oceans is a fight we can win. With the right policies, scientific breakthroughs, system reforms, activism, as well as the vital leadership and wisdom of Indigenous Peoples, we can restore our ecosystems.”

Meet the Champions

Sonia Guajajara, Brazil’s Minister of Indigenous Peoples, was honoured in the Policy Leadership category.

Ms. Guajajara has been advocating for Indigenous rights for more than two decades. She became Brazil’s first Minister of Indigenous Peoples and the country’s first female Indigenous minister in 2023. Under her leadership, 10 territories have been recognized as Indigenous land to ward off deforestation, illegal logging, and drug traffickers.

Amy Bowers Cordalis, an Indigenous rights advocate, received the award in the Inspiration and Action category

Ms. Cordalis is using her legal expertise and passion for restoration to secure a better future for the Yurok tribe and the Klamath River in the United States. UNEP said her work to restore the river ecosystem and encourage the adoption of sustainable fishing practices demonstrate how bold environmental action can bring significant positive change, while upholding Indigenous Peoples’ rights and livelihoods.

Gabriel Paun, a Romanian environmental defender, was honoured in the Inspiration and Action category.

Mr. Paun is the founder of Agent Green, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which has been helping save thousands of hectares of precious biodiversity in the Carpathians since 2009 by exposing the destruction and illegal logging of Europe’s last old growth forest.

He has received death threats and been physically attacked for his work in documenting deforestation in an area that is vital for the ecosystem and supports unique biodiversity such as endangered lynx and wolves.

Chinese scientist Lu Qi was honoured in the Science and Innovation category. He has worked in science and policy sectors for three decades, helping China reverse degradation and shrink its deserts

As Chief Scientist of the Chinese Academy of Forestry and founding President of the Institute of Great Green Wall, Mr. Lu has played a key role in implementing the world’s largest afforestation project, establishing expert research networks and partnerships, and boosting multilateral cooperation to stem desertification, land degradation and drought.

Madhav Gadgil, an Indian ecologist was named as the laureate in the Lifetime Achievement category. He has spent decades protecting people and the planet through research and community engagement.

“From landmark environmental impact assessments of state and national policies to grassroots environmental engagement, Gadgil’s work has greatly influenced public opinion and official policies on the protection of natural resources.

“He is renowned for his seminal work in the ecologically fragile Western Ghats region of India, which is a unique global biodiversity hotspot,” said UNEP.

The SEKEM initiative in Egypt was honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category for helping farmers transition to more sustainable agriculture.

Its promotion of biodynamic agriculture plus afforestation and reforestation work has been transforming large swathes of desert into thriving agricultural business, advancing sustainable development across the country.

© World Bank/Andrea Borgarello

A woman carries a baby and a water container as she walks across arid land in Niger.

Restoring the world’s ecosystems

Roughly 3.2 billion people worldwide are currently threatened by desertification, according to UNEP. Additionally, by 2050, more than three-quarters of the world’s population is expected to be affected by droughts.

In March 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring 2021–2030 the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

Led by UNEP and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and supported by partners, it aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the loss and degradation of ecosystems worldwide to revive billions of hectares of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

The announcement of the 2024 Champions of the Earth on 10 December coincides with Human Rights Day and the Resilience Day at the 16th Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: China is committed to dialogue, ‘not throwing gas on the fire’, Foreign Minister Wang says

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

28 September 2024 UN Affairs

Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China reiterated on Saturday his country’s commitment to playing a constructive role and engaging in mediation for peace, not exploiting volatile situations for “selfish gains”.

To that end, China, jointly with Brazil and other countries of the Global South, launched a Group of Friends for Peace, he said in his address the UN General Assembly.

“Its very purpose is to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, build consensus for a political settlement of the crisis and contribute to a prospect of peace,” the Minister said.

He noted that the question of Palestine is the “biggest wound” to the human conscience.

The ongoing conflict in Gaza is causing more casualties with each passing day, he said, adding that fighting has started again in Lebanon.

“But might cannot replace justice. Palestine’s long held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore.”

The Foreign Minister also noted China’s partnerships with African nations as well as with some least developed countries (LDCs), while highlighting its opposition to unilateral coercive measures, such as sanctions and blockades, and disruption of supply chains.

“Sanctions and pressure will not bring monopolistic advantages. Suppressing and containing others will not solve problems at home. The right of people of all countries to pursue a better life should not be taken away,” he said, calling on the United States to completely lift its blockade, sanctions and terrorism related designation against Cuba.

Mr. Wang also emphasized China’s commitment to a “path of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development”.

“We will move from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest time span in world history, contributing China’s efforts to harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature at the global level,” he said.

He also highlighted that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be upheld, and that the Paris Agreement on climate change must be implemented in earnest.

Developed countries should also assist developing nations in building their capacity to cope with climate change, he added.

Foreign Minister Wang further highlighted China’s support for UN reform and modernization, as well as for international financial systems to be fit for current times. China would also continue fulfil its obligations, providing financial support and qualified human resources.

He urged the Organization to “respond to the legitimate calls” of developing countries and increase the representation and voice of those in the Global South.

Concluding his address, Mr. Wang said next year will mark the 80th anniversary of end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations.

“China stands ready to work with all countries to renew the founding purposes and mission of the UN, reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the UN Charter, advocate and practice true multilateralism, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly usher in a better world.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Saudi Arabia promotes ‘appeasement and development’ in the Middle East and beyond

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

28 September 2024 UN Affairs

The Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia highlighted the country’s work to support peace efforts in the region and beyond in his address to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud said the world is seeing an increase in crises, and unfortunately the international community is just looking to manage them, rather than find concrete solutions.

“In this context of tensions between countries, we wish to warn against political polarization,” he said, underlining the need for dialogue and cooperation.

He said Saudi Arabia categorically rejects “all crimes perpetrated by Israel against the kindred Palestinian people”, with the war in Gaza representing just the latest chapter in their suffering.

Last November, the kingdom hosted the joint Arab-Islamic Summit on the crisis and works “to adopt resolutions and decisions that reflect the will of Arab and Muslim people and to stop the bloodshed, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and realize the legitimate demands of the Palestinian people – in particular, the creation of an independent State.”

Saudi Arabia therefore welcomed the 10 May 2024 adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution which said that the State of Palestine fulfills the conditions to become a UN Member State.

Prince Faisal said his country has provided more than $5 billion to aid the Palestinian people since the start of the war in Gaza last October, and it is working with international and UN aid agencies to bring $106 billion in humanitarian projects. Some $106 billion in services, food, medications and other needs is being provided together with the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

He stressed that it is essential to find a fair solution to the Palestinian crisis, adding that “the prevalence of impunity, the lack of respect of legal obligations, is encouraging Israel to continue its escalation.”

Turning to the wider region, he said that Saudia Arabia has taken measures towards ensuring “appeasement and development”, such as concluding an agreement with Iran on restoring diplomatic relations.

“We hope that Iran will cooperate with the international community, in particular, vis-à-vis its nuclear programme and its ballistic missile programme,” he added.

The kingdom has resumed relations with war-ravaged Syria to strengthen cooperation on common issues “because we are convinced that finding a solution to this crisis will enable us to entrench peace and stability in our region,” he continued.

Furthermore, Saudi Arabia is supporting all efforts towards a solution to the crisis in Yemen and in the Red Sea, where attacks launched by Houthi rebels in the country are threatening international shipping.

“In Sudan, we reaffirm our staunch position to preserve peace and stability”, he said. Engagement has included hosting peace talks in Jeddah, with a third round in the works.

Meanwhile, “Afghanistan cannot be left by the waysides of its region and the international community, or be a prey to terrorists,” he said.

“That’s why it’s necessary to put an end to the humanitarian and security situation in Afghanistan that is providing fertile ground to different groups and militias to continue their activities.”

The Foreign Minister said the international community must bring an end to “the Russian-Ukrainian crisis” and the Saudi Arabian Crown Prince is continuing efforts in this regard.

“We have announced the freeing of several prisoners of different nationalities. We hosted a meeting of different officials from different countries, with the participation of several different States and international organizations. We stand ready to continue our mediation efforts between the parties to the conflict,” he said.

Click here for the statement (in Arabic).

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Kazakhstan tightens laws to combat trafficking of newborns

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

By Kulpash Konyrova, in Kazakhstan

30 July 2024 Law and Crime Prevention

Babies are being sold for up to $4,500 in Kazakhstan, but the government is cracking down on traffickers with a new law adopted earlier this month.

To fight against trafficking newborns, the new legislation facilitates the criminal prosecution for such crimes as kidnapping, illegal deprivation of liberty, human trafficking, involvement in prostitution and more.

Approved ahead of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked annually on 30 July, the law responds to a grim reality.

Last year, 19 cases of trade in newborns were registered in the country, for which more than 15 people were brought to justice, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

So far in 2024, six cases of trade in newborns have been registered, with the ministry reporting prices for each child range from $200 to $4,500.

© Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan

Doctors check the condition of a newborn baby who needs medical assistance at a hospital in Kazakhstan.

True extent of the problem

But, that is just the surface, said Gulnaz Kelekeyeva, head of the project Kazakhstan’s Actions in Combating Child Trafficking project at Winrock International, a United States-based non-governmental organization (NGO). Ms. Kelekeyeva said she believes that official statistics do not reflect the real state of affairs.

“Unfortunately, in Kazakhstan, there has been virtually no nationwide research on socially vulnerable children and the vulnerability of children to trafficking and exploitation,” she told UN News. “There are also no accurate statistics to assess the true scale of the problem.”

The only study on vulnerable Kazakhstani children who have been victims of human trafficking in and outside the country, as well as sexual exploitation, was conducted in 2012 by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan.

Trafficking moves online

Since then, human and child trafficking has moved online, Ms. Kelekeyeva warned.

“Much has changed over the past 12 years, in particular, human and child trafficking is now increasingly taking place in cyberspace,” she said. “It is necessary to conduct a new analysis of the current situation in the country regarding the protection of children from trafficking and exploitation.”

Human and child trafficking is now increasingly taking place in cyberspace

Today, there is only isolated information about cases of child trafficking that gets into the media from crime reports, she emphasised.

Last fall, media reports spotlighted a case about the sale of an abandoned baby by obstetricians at a maternity hospital in Kazakhstan. The doctors were found guilty of selling a newborn for $3,000 and sentenced to eight years of imprisonment.

Another case involved a 23-year-old mother tried to sell her two children. The eldest was about a year old, and the second was less than a month old. The children are now under state protection.

Protecting children

Unfortunately, those tasked with caring for children are often unaware of the role they play in preventing and combatting child trafficking, Ms. Kelekeyeva said. That includes health and education authorities, maternity hospitals and schools, children’s homes, guardianship and trusteeship institutions, visiting nurses and paediatricians at clinics, emergency wards and private medical centres in Kazakhstan.

“Often, they mistakenly believe that this issue falls within the competence of purely law enforcement agencies,” she said. “Although it is precisely in this issue that there should be interaction between all interested services.”

Child trafficking is not only the adoption of children, but also sexual exploitation, forced labour and the sale of organs, she said.

Digital tools are helping

The new Kazakh law is toughening penalties for human trafficking requires healthcare workers to report abandoned newborns or face administrative liability, and digital technologies are helping to identify such cases.

Since last year, a pilot project has been tested in one of the maternity hospitals Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Each newborn was immediately given an individual identification number, which eliminates the possibility of criminal transactions.

This year, the pilot is being rolled out across the country.

Legal support

Scientific achievements at the time, such as the possibility of artificial insemination, are now causing many difficulties in developing a law aimed at preventing the trafficking of newborns, explained member of parliament Sergei Ponomarev, who took part in developing the new anti-trafficking legislation.

Today, cases have been encountered where women from Kazakhstan, especially from the southern regions of the country, are used as incubators to bear other people’s children, he said.

The child’s DNA is then taken to determine parental rights with a man who is a citizen of another country, he said, noting that when determining kinship, the biological father has every right to take his child abroad.

“Regarding this matter, we are open to studying the experience of other countries,” he said.

A Kazakh sold abroad returns home

When 21-year-old Eddy Jean (born Zhanibek) was born, he was adopted by a single Belgian woman who reportedly paid €12,000. In 2022, he came to Kazakhstan in search of his birth mother.

“I don’t need anything; I just want to see my mother’s face, hug her at least once and calm my heart,” Eddy said at the time on a popular talk show that aired on national television. “I still worry, especially when I talk about my mother.”

I just want to see my mother’s face, hug her at least once and calm my heart

Renowned journalist Kymbat Doszhan told UN News that she was so moved by Eddy’s story that she became his official representative in Kazakhstan in the search for his biological mother.

She said Eddy’s biological mother had asked to leave the maternity hospital with a receipt in 2002, but never returned. In those years, when the nation’s economy was recovering after the Soviet Union’s collapse, she said many Kazakhstani children were adopted by foreigners and taken abroad.

The Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that foreigners can now pay as much as $50,000 for a trafficked newborn. But, Ms. Doszhan said “it is still very difficult to find Eddy’s biological mother.”

She said archival documents from the orphanage have either disappeared or do not contain accurate information.

“Perhaps this was done intentionally,” she continued. “There were two meetings with Eddy’s alleged mothers, but the DNA results did not confirm the relationship. When we contacted his adoptive mother from Belgium, it turned out that she had paid the orphanage staff €12,000.”

Today in Kazakhstan, issues of child adoption are regulated by law. In the event of the detection of a crime, in particular an act of purchase and sale or other transactions in relation to a minor, the fact is registered under article 135, on trafficking minors, of the Criminal Code.

Still, the search for Eddy’s birth mother continues, Ms. Doszhan said.

“We were faced with the fact that we had no one to even file claims against,” she said. “Those who sold children in those years have long since left Kazakhstan.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: The climate crisis: 5 things to watch out for in 2025

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

By Conor Lennon

29 December 2024 Climate and Environment

The Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, will be the global focus of efforts to tackle the climate crisis in November 2025, when it hosts one of the most significant UN climate conferences in recent years.

However, throughout the years there will be plenty of opportunities to make important progress on several climate-related issues, from the staggering levels of plastic pollution to financing the shift to a cleaner global economy.

1 Can we keep 1.5 alive?

“Keep 1.5 alive” has been the UN’s rallying cry for a number of years, a reference to the goal of ensuring that average global temperatures don’t soar beyond 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. The scientific consensus is that a lack of action would have catastrophic consequences, not least for the so-called “frontline States”, such as developing island nations which could disappear under the ocean, as sea levels rise.

© UNICEF/Lasse Bak Mejlvang

A man fishes sitting on sandbags which protect the Pacific Ocean island nation Tuvalu against sea erosion.

At COP30, the UN climate conference scheduled to take place between 10 and 21 November 2025, mitigation (in other words, actions and policies designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures) is likely to a key focus.

The nations of the world will arrive with upgraded, more ambitious commitments to lowering greenhouse gases. This is both a recognition that existing pledges are wholly inadequate, in terms of getting temperatures down, and part of the deal that Member States signed up to in 2015 at the Paris COP (nations are expected to “ratchet up” their commitments every five years. The last time this happened was at the 2021 Glasgow COP, delayed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

2 Protecting nature

Holding COP30 in the Amazonian rainforest region of Brazil is of symbolic importance. It harks back to the early days of international attempts to protect the environment: the pivotal “Earth Summit”, which led to the establishment of three environmental treaties on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

© Unsplash/Sreenivas

A parrot stands on a tree branch in Maharashtra, India.

The location also highlights the role that nature has to play in the climate crisis. The rainforest is a massive “carbon sink”, a system that sucks up and stores CO2, a greenhouse gas, and prevents it from entering the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming.

Unfortunately, rainforests and other “nature-based solutions” face threats from human development, such as illegal logging which has devastated huge swathes of the region. The UN will continue efforts begun in 2024 to improve the protection of the rainforest and other ecosystems, at biodiversity talks due to be resumed in Rome in February.

3 Who’s going to pay for all this?

Finance has long been a thorny issue in international climate negotiations. Developing countries argue that wealthy nations should contribute far more towards projects and initiatives that will enable them to move away from fossil fuels, and power their economies on clean energy sources. The pushback from the rich countries is that fast-growing economies such as China, which is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, should also pay their share.

© UNFCCC/Habib Samadov

Activists protest against fossil fuels at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, a breakthrough of sorts was made, with the adoption of an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing countries, to $300 billion per year, by 2035. The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis.

Expect more progress to be made on financing in 2025, at a summit in Spain at the end of June. The Financing for Development conferences only take place once every 10 years, and next year’s edition is being billed as an opportunity to make radical changes to the international financial architecture. Environmental and climate concerns will be raised, and potential solutions such as green taxation, carbon pricing and subsidies will all be on the table.

4 Laying down the law

When the attention of the International Court of Justice turned to climate change in December, it was hailed as a landmark moment with regards to States’ legal obligations under international law.

© UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

Vanuatu often experiences destructive extreme weather, such as typhoons, which are being exacerbated by climate change.

Vanuatu, a Pacific island state particularly vulnerable to the crisis, asked the court for an advisory position, in order to clarify the obligations of States with regard to climate change, and inform any future judicial proceedings.

Over a two-week period, 96 countries and 11 regional organizations took part in public hearings before the Court, including Vanuatu and a group of other Pacific islands States, and major economies including China and the USA.

The ICJ will deliberate for several months before delivering its advisory opinion on the subject. Although this opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to guide future international climate law.

5 Plastic pollution

UN-convened talks on getting to grips with the global epidemic of plastic pollution edged closer to a deal during negotiations in Busan, South Korea.

Some key advances were made during the November 2024 talks – the fifth round of negotiations following the 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution calling for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

Agreement on three pivotal areas needs to be ironed: plastic products, including the issue of chemicals; sustainable production and consumption; and financing.

UNDP India

Plastic bottles are collected for recycling in India.

Member States are now charged with finding political solutions to their differences before the resumed session begins, and with landing a final deal that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics and delivers on the growing global momentum to end plastic pollution.

“It is clear that the world still wants and demands an end to plastic pollution,” said UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen. “We need to ensure we craft an instrument that hits the problem hard instead of punching below its potential weight. I call on all Member States to lean in.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Deadly floods in Spain highlight need to cut greenhouse gas emissions

Source: United Nations 2

1 November 2024 Climate and Environment

The record-breaking rainfall and deadly flash floods that hit Spain this week underscore why saving lives as climate change turbocharges extreme weather must be a top priority, the World Meteorological Office (WMO) said on Friday.

The UN weather agency is highlighting the importance of early warning systems for all corners of the planet and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change.

“The flooding that we’re seeing in Spain is just one of many, many, many, extreme weather and water-related disasters that have been taking place around the world this year. Almost every week we’re seeing such shocking images,” spokesperson Clare Nullis told journalists in Geneva.

Lives lost as rains continue

More than 150 people have been killed in Spain, where a massive search and rescue operation is ongoing even as the rains continue.

The Valencia region was worst affected, and “some areas received more than the equivalent of a year’s amount of rainfall in the space of eight hours.”

Spain’s meteorological and hydrological service, AEMET, has been issuing constant advisories and alerts throughout the week via the common alerting protocol, she said, referring to the standardized message format for all media, all hazards, and all communication channels.

A red alert – the top level – was issued on Friday in the southwest province of Huelva, “so, unfortunately, this episode is not finished yet”.

Extreme weather increasing

Ms. Nullis recalled that other areas in Europe have been badly affected by floods this year. In mid-September, parts of Central Europe experienced very heavy rainfall, breaking local and national records.

“According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, extreme weather events causing highly impactful floods and droughts have become more likely and more severe due to anthropogenic climate change,” she said.

She pointed to WMO’s recently released report on the State of Global Water Resources. Commenting at the time, the agency’s chief, Celeste Saulo, said that the hydrological cycle has accelerated due to rising temperatures.

As a result, the world is facing growing problems of either too much or too little water. Furthermore, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, which is conducive to heavy rainfall.

Ms. Nullis said this is what is happening in Spain.

“As the air warms, it becomes more moist. So, every additional fraction of warming increases the atmospheric moisture content, and this increases the risk of extreme precipitation, flooding,” she explained.

World must act now

Asked what action can be taken to avoid the devastation caused in Spain and elsewhere, Ms. Nullis said the international community “can make a good start by reducing greenhouse gas emissions which are the driver behind this.”

Countries also “need to ensure that early warnings lead to informed early action.”

WMO will publish its latest State of the Global Climate update at the COP29 UN climate change conference in Azerbaijan later this month. The report will provide more details about extreme events around the world over the past year.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Assembly President calls for global unity as high-level debate concludes

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

By Vibhu Mishra

30 September 2024 UN Affairs

The President of the General Assembly on Monday reminded UN Member States that the Organization’s strength “lies in our diversity” and ability to unite around common goals, as the curtains drew on the 79th session’s high-level debate.

This year’s general debate opened with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressing UN’s membership.

Over six days, 190 Member States took to the iconic green marble podium, highlighting the pressing challenges confronting the international community and the need for global unity to overcome. In addition, three Observers also spoke.

As these leaders addressed global challenges, Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, closed the session with a powerful reminder of the ongoing conflicts and the urgent need for peace.

Conflicts raging in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine are unfortunately not an exhaustive list, he said.

“In the last few days, the world has seen an extremely dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. That escalation risks causing war in the entire Middle East region.”

“This must stop, and it must stop now. The world must not allow an all-out war to happen in this volatile region,” he stressed, calling on all parties – Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah – to urgently come to a ceasefire.

“And for all remaining hostages to be freed immediately and unharmed.”

Move forward together

Mr. Yang emphasized that only by working together can the international community confront and overcome the complex and discouraging challenges before it.

“Only through dialogue, listening, and collective action, can we find solutions that benefit all of us.”

He emphasized that the theme for the 79th Session – Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone, everywhere – is not just a guiding principle, it is a call to action.

“The theme reminds us that our strength lies in our diversity, and our ability to unite stakeholders around our common goals,” he said.

“Let us all move forward together with this spirit of unity and shared responsibility. Let us continue our work, with the clear aim of building a peaceful, just, and dignified future for all.”

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI China: View of kelp breeding area in China’s Shandong

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

View of kelp breeding area in China’s Shandong

Updated: February 12, 2025 08:25 Xinhua

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on Feb. 11, 2025 shows fishermen working at the kelp breeding area in Rongcheng City, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Haiti: ‘I was deported to a country I never lived in’

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

By Antoine Lemonnier in Haiti

3 February 2025 Human Rights

Migrants who have been deported from the Dominican Republic to Haiti – the two Caribbean nations that share the island of Hispaniola – have been talking to the UN about the challenges of returning to a crisis-ridden country they barely know.

Mireille

Pregnant and exhausted and clutching a small bag with all that was left of her belongings, Mireille* stood under the relentless Haitian sun, not sure what to do next.

She had just been deported from the Dominican Republic, a country she had called home since she was eight years old.

Over the years she has seen Haiti, the land of her birth, overcome by gang violence as well as humanitarian, political and economic crises.

© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

Mireille gazes through the protective bars at the GARR facility, reflecting on her journey back to Haiti.

“I was deported to a country I never lived in,” she said, filled with a mix of anger and despair.

The Dominican Republic had been her home for nearly three decades. It was where she built her life, forged relationships and created memories. But overnight, she became an outsider, stripped of her dignity and forced to return to a country she didn’t know.

Mireille’s ordeal began in the early hours of the morning, five days before she crossed the border into Haiti when she was taken to a crowded and uncomfortable detention center, where she stayed for several days before being transported to the border.

© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

A deportation truck arrives at the Belladère border crossing between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

“I arrived in Haiti feeling scared and unsure of what to do,” Mireille said. “I barely know this country, and I’m struggling to figure out where to start. It’s disorienting and difficult.”

Guerson and Roselène

Guerson and Roselène* had spent over a decade in the Dominican Republic, building their lives in Loma de Cabrera, not far from the border with Haiti.

Guerson worked as a mechanic at a small garage fixing cars, motorbikes, and agricultural equipment. His hands, often smeared with grease, were a source of pride. “People trusted me with their vehicles,” he said. “It was hard work, but I could provide for my family.”

Roselène, meanwhile, managed their modest home. She prepared meals and supplemented the family income by selling patés and fried plantains to neighbours.

Soundcloud

A simple life

Their daily life was simple but stable. Their son Kenson attended a local preschool, and Roselène spoke of her pride seeing him learn to write his name.

Then the Dominican authorities arrived. “My children didn’t understand,” said Guerson. “Kenson asked if we were going on a trip. I didn’t know how to answer him.”

The family was herded onto a truck “I held my baby so tightly. I was afraid we wouldn’t survive the journey,” Guerson recalled.

Crossing the border into Haiti felt like stepping into chaos.

The town of Ouanaminthe, already struggling with a sharp increase in deportations, lacked the capacity to respond to the growing crisis.

Families stood on dusty roads, clutching bags and children, unsure of where to go.

“We stood there for hours, lost,” Roselène said. “The children were hungry. I didn’t know how to comfort them because I had nothing left to give.”

Crisis country

Mireille, Guerson and Roselène are just three of the more than 200,000 Haitians who were forcibly repatriated to their homeland in 2024, some 97 per cent of them from the Dominican Republic.

Nearly 15,000 people were returned from across the border in the first two weeks of January alone.

They returned to a country in crisis.

© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

Guerson (left) and Roselène are beginning a new life in Haiti.

Armed groups now control large parts of the country, including key roads in and out of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The years of violence have displaced over 700,000 people, forcing families into precarious shelters including abandoned schools and churches. In these places, access to food, water and healthcare is limited, leaving many extremely vulnerable.

Nearly 5.5 million people, half of Haiti’s population, require humanitarian aid to survive.

Safety net across the border

Fortunately, when migrants cross over the border into Haiti, they are not alone.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) works with the Support Group for the Repatriated and Refugees (Groupe d’Appui aux Rapatriés et Réfugiés, GARR) to ensure the returnees have access to a range of services to meet their immediate needs, including psychosocial support, health referrals, for example pre-natal care, and the distribution of basic items such as clothing, hygiene products, and toiletries.

Temporary accommodation is also available for the most vulnerable, so they can rest and take stock before moving forward with their lives.

© IOM/Antoine Lemonnier

IOM staff prepare to assist deported Haitians as they re-enter their home country.

For unaccompanied children, family reunifications are organised and in cases of gender-based violence, survivors are provided with specialised care.

IOM also works with the Office National de la Migration (ONM), Haiti’s government agency for migration.

ONM leads the registration process, ensuring that each individual is accounted for and works with IOM to assess vulnerabilities and provide individual assistance.

The future remains unclear for many returnees in a country where the vast majority of people struggle to get by on a daily basis.

Guerson and Roselène remain somewhat hopeful that they will return to the Dominican Republic someday. “In the meantime, I will find a way to work,” Guerson said softly, his words conveying uncertainty. “I do this for my children.”

*Names have been changed for their safety

Fact box:

The work of IOM as well as GARR and ONM is supported by international donors, including the European Union’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), Global Affairs Canada (GAC), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: At Davos, Guterres slams backsliding on climate commitments

Source: United Nations MIL OSI

22 January 2025 UN Affairs

The world’s political and business elite present in Davos on Wednesday faced an uncompromising address from UN chief António Guterres as he rounded on a lack of multilateral collaboration in an “increasingly rudderless world” at risk from two existential dangers: climate change and unregulated Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Mr. Guterres was speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the exclusive event held high in the Swiss Alps where senior politicians, Heads of State and CEOs of some of the world’s biggest and most influential companies rub shoulders.

The UN Secretary-General took aim at the theme of this year’s meeting, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age, maintaining that there has been scant proof of either collaboration or intelligence and plenty of evidence that many of the world’s problems are worsening, from conflicts to inequality and assaults on human rights.

Nuclear war is no longer the only existential threat to humanity, he said, pointing to the climate crisis and the “ungoverned expansion” of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

‘Fossil fuel addiction’

Likening fossil fuel addiction to Frankenstein’s monster – “sparing nothing and no one” – the Secretary-General noted the irony that 13 of the world’s biggest ports for oil supertankers are set to be overwhelmed by rising sea levels, a consequence of rising temperatures and sea ice melt, caused overwhelmingly by burning coal, crude oil and natural gas.

A number of financial institutions and industries are backtracking on climate commitments, noted Mr. Guterres.

A move that is, he said “short-sighted, and paradoxically, it is selfish and also self-defeating. You are on the wrong side of history. You are on the wrong side of science. And you are on the wrong side of consumers who are looking for more sustainability, not less.”

Looking ahead to the UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Brazil at the end of the year, the UN chief reminded world leaders that they must keep their promise to produce new, economy-wide national climate action plans well before the event.

Developing countries need a “surge in finance” for climate action, he declared, urging not just governments but all businesses and financial institutions to create robust and accountable transition plans.

AI’s untold promise

The next existential threat, AI, is a double-edged sword, Mr. Guterres continued, as it is already revolutionizing learning, diagnosing illnesses, helping farmers to increase their yields and improving the targeting of aid.

But it comes with profound risks if it is left ungoverned: it can disrupt economies, undermine trust in institutions and deepen inequalities, the Secretary-General warned.

The Global Digital Compact – part of the Pact for the Future adopted by UN Member States last September – offers a “roadmap to harness the immense potential of digital technology and close digital divides” with a shared vision of AI serving humanity, not the other way around.

Despite the challenges, the UN will never halt its demand for peace grounded in the UN Charter, international law and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and the territorial integrity of States, he said.

Reforming institutions, from the global financial architecture to the UN Security Council, is, the UN chief asserted, a necessity because systems of governance are often ill-equipped to deal with today’s challenges. But achieving these essential changes – which world leaders committed to at last September’s Summit of the Future – will only be possible with political will, he said, cautioning: “I am not convinced leaders get it.”

The Secretary-General concluded his remarks with a return to the theme of this year’s Davos event, appealing to the global community to face these existential challenges head on and work as one.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Tuberville in OutKick: Defending and Protecting Women and Girls’ Sports

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
“Congress needs to act on this to make sure the next Democrat administration can’t take the same steps to destroy Title IX that the Biden administration took”
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) penned an op-ed in OutKick urging the Senate to pass his legislation to make President Trump’s Executive Order protecting women’s sports permanent.
Sen. Tuberville has introduced two pieces of legislation this Congress that would preserve Title IX protections for female athletes: the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act and the Protection of Women in Olympic and Amateur Sports Act. He attended the signing of the Executive Order at the White House, where President Trump shouted out Sen. Tuberville for the work he’s done to champion women’s sports both in Congress and throughout his coaching career.
Read excerpts from the piece below or here.
“Nov. 5, 2024, is the day the American people sent shockwaves to the swamp in D.C. when they overwhelmingly reelected Donald J. Trump as President of the United States. Seventy-seven million Americans voted for President Trump and his ‘America First’ agenda. A critical part of the agenda includes prioritizing the safety of women and girls in sports and protecting their privacy in bathrooms and locker rooms.
Since the beginning of time, people have agreed that sex is assigned at birth and determined by God. But under the Biden administration, people were claiming that men can get pregnant. Pure insanity. Democrats weren’t content to just erase gender norms, they wanted to allow transgender men to participate in women’s and girls’ sports.
As a result, young women have been forced to compete against men – and even to share locker rooms with them. On top of that, American taxpayer dollars are paying for it. Under Joe Biden, 900 women’s medals went to men. That’s just wrong.
This one is personal for me. My first coaching job was in women’s basketball. Title IX was just starting to be implemented when I took that job. I saw firsthand the immediate difference it made. Back then, there were more than 10 times as many male athletes in college as female athletes. After Title IX that quickly changed. […]
Recently, President Trump signed an Executive Order ending Democrats’ intentional destruction of Title IX. He is 100% committed to saving women’s sports. I’m very thankful for his leadership on this. The Executive Order makes sure women’s sports are protected for at least the next 4 years.
But unfortunately, Executive Orders can be reversed. Congress needs to act on this to make sure the next Democrat administration can’t take the same steps to destroy Title IX that the Biden administration took. I introduced a bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act, that would make President Trump’s Executive Order permanent. My bill prevents a school from receiving federal funding if it lets boys compete in women’s sports. It also defines gender as male and female for this purpose.
My bill already passed the House on a bipartisan basis. I’m grateful that 38 of my colleagues, along with every member of Senate Republican Leadership, have cosponsored this important legislation.
We have a lot to accomplish in the first 100 days of the Trump administration, and my bill should be a part of it. Leader John Thune has assured me he will bring it up for a vote in the Senate soon.”
MORE:
Tuberville Thanks President Trump for Signing Executive Order Protecting Women’s Sports, Urges Senate to Bring Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act to the Floor for a Vote
Tuberville Takes Action to Protect Women’s Olympic Sports in Honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day
ICYMI: Tuberville Joins “The Megyn Kelly Show” to Advocate for Senate Leadership to Schedule Title IX Legislation for a Vote
ICYMI: Tuberville in OutKick: Senate to Consider My Bill, the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act
Tuberville Introduces Hallmark Legislation to Preserve Title IX, Protect Women’s Sports
ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Harris Faulkner on Fox News to Discuss Title IX, Save Women’s Sports
Tuberville Leads Colleagues in Fight to Save Title IX, Women’s Sports
Tuberville, Blackburn Urge NCAA President to Keep Men Out of Women’s Sports
The Globalist-Left’s Assault on Female Athletics
Tuberville Sponsors Resolution to Overturn Biden’s Attack on Title IX, Save Women’s Sports
Tuberville Takes Action to Recognize October 10th as ‘American Girls in Sports Day’
Tuberville Demands Answers on Biden Administration’s Radical Rewrite of Title IX
ICYMI: Tuberville Joins Lou Holtz: There’s an Attack on Title IX
ICYMI: Tuberville on Newsmax: Democrats are Trying to Destroy Women’s Sports, Title IX
Tuberville Leads Roundtable on Protecting Title IX and Saving Women’s Sports
ICYMI: Tuberville Hosts Roundtable About Saving Women’s Sports
What Democrats’ Vote Against Women Reveals About the Future of Sports
Tuberville Forces Senate Vote to Protect Women’s Sports
Tuberville Demands Answers from NCAA, Dept of Ed on Title IX
Tuberville Introduces Legislation to Prohibit Men from Competing in Women’s Olympic Sports
Senator Tuberville joins Fox and Friends to discuss the 50th Anniversary of Inflation and Title IX
Tuberville Calls for Fairness in Women’s Sports
Ahead of 50th Anniversary of Title IX, Senator Tuberville Warns Biden Admin is Hacking Away at Women’s Progress
Senator Tuberville: Biden Title IX Modifications Will Destroy ‘Opportunities For Generations Of Women And Girls’
Biden executive order will ruin women’s sports and erode Title IX
Dr. Ben Carson, Sen. Tuberville Break Down Why They Think Trans Athletes Shouldn’t Compete In Women’s Sports
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville says Biden administration pushing women to the sidelines
Tuberville on Biden Administration’s Upcoming Title IX Proposed Rule: ‘It would take a wrecking ball to the five decades of Title IX success and tilt what was a level playing field to the far left’
Tuberville Presses Under Secretary of Education Nominee on Title IX, Free Speech on Campus
Tuberville: The Real March Madness
Tuberville Warns Secretary Cardona Against Weakening Title IX Protections
Tuberville Emphasizes Importance of Title IX Protections
Tuberville Offers Amendment Protecting Women’s Title IX Rights
Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 12, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fisheries consultation must put sustainability before profit

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to prioritise long-term prosperity of our oceans in its consultation on the Fisheries Act.

“Our oceans are in a state of decline, continuing to put short-term profit before long-term sustainability will see the health of our ocean life wash away,” says Green Party’s Oceans and Fisheries spokesperson Teanau Tuiono.

“Minister Jones has stated ‘sustainability will always be the bottom line for fisheries management,’ but we have seen decisions from the Government completely contradict and undermine this. Today’s proposed changes seem to reward industry for overfishing, posing a significant threat to the sustainability and longevity of our oceans.

“If the Minister truly cared about sustainability he would ban bottom trawling and champion sustainable, adaptive fishing practices, which will increasingly be required in the context of climate change.

“If we want our oceans to thrive for generations to come we must commit to protecting more of our waters. We campaigned on doing exactly this by establishing a Healthy Oceans Act that would create a legally binding framework to protect at least 30 per cent of Aotearoa’s ocean by 2030.

“The crisis facing our ocean is growing more urgent by the day – and it is communities who depend on the moana for their livelihoods, including Māori and Pasifika communities, who will be impacted most of all. This Government needs to prioritise the sustainability of our oceans, which in turn prioritises long-term wellbeing of tangata whenua and tagata moana.

“It is high time the Government turned the tide on the exploitative and extractive fishing practices that have seen our ocean environment’s health decline and our fisheries be depleted.

“Our oceans are the lifeblood of Aotearoa. It is incumbent upon us to protect them, not only for their beauty, but for their essential role in sustaining life on our planet,” says Teanau Tuiono.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

February 12, 2025

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

Source: European Parliament

Verbatim report of proceedings

403k

Monday, 10 February 2025 – Strasbourg

IN THE CHAIR: ROBERTA METSOLA
President

1. Resumption of the session

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

2. Opening of the sitting

(The sitting opened at 17:03)

3. Statements by the President

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4. Approval of the minutes of the previous sittings

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

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

Then the minutes are approved.

5. Penalties

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

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

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

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

6. Composition of committees and delegations

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

⁂

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

10. Order of business

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(The sitting was briefly suspended)

PRÉSIDENCE: YOUNOUS OMARJEE
Vice-Président

11. Resumption of the sitting

(La séance est reprise à 17h19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Interventions à la demande

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Fin des interventions à la demande)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IN THE CHAIR: SOPHIE WILMÈS
Vice-President

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

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

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

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

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

President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will be held tomorrow.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(L’oratrice accepte une question carton bleu)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Loránt Vincze (PPE), blue-card answer. – Well, I believe that for the EU it is important to find the right way for coordination, institutional and financial support, for cross-border law enforcement.

Yes, education is important, but it’s equally important the environment in which those children live. We know, unfortunately, in many western European societies, parallel societies, parallel neighbourhoods grew up. That made it impossible for children to be integrated in those societies and they went on the road of radicalisation and they were reached out by criminal gangs.

This is something we need to tackle and it will not be easy. National efforts and coordination, both are extremely important.

Silvia Sardone (PfE). – Signora Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, non avete il coraggio di dire che è l’immigrazione irregolare ad aver causato la diffusione di gang criminali sempre più pericolose in Europa.

Svezia, Germania, Belgio, Francia, Italia: ci troviamo sempre più reti di delinquenza, che spesso coinvolgono giovanissimi che sono protagonisti di risse, spaccio, vandalismi e persino omicidi e attentati.

Questa criminalità è figlia di anni di buonismo, di accoglienza indiscriminata, di finta integrazione, di porte aperte. Sono i danni collaterali delle politiche della sinistra, che ancora nega l’evidente correlazione tra immigrazione irregolare e criminalità. Periferie che diventano ghetti di degrado e insicurezza, territori che perdiamo e dove la polizia fa fatica ad entrare, zone in cui le leggi e le regole non esistono più.

Quando capirete che chi spinge per più immigrazione mette a rischio la sicurezza dei cittadini europei?

(L’oratrice accetta di rispondere a una domanda “cartellino blu”)

Lukas Sieper (NI), Frage nach dem Verfahren der „blauen Karte“. – Illegale Migration führt zu Kriminalität. Man muss nicht mutig sein, um das zu sagen. Das bestreitet ja auch keiner. Aber glauben Sie nicht, dass, wenn man Menschen mit Migrationshintergrund, wenn man Geflüchtete nicht ghettoisiert hätte, in die Armut gedrängt hätte, in schlechte Stadtviertel gedrängt hätte, wenn man ihnen eine Arbeitserlaubnis gegeben hätte, wenn man sie als gleichwertige Mitglieder unserer Gesellschaft behandelt hätte, glauben Sie nicht, dass es dann weniger Kriminalität aus diesem Teil der Bevölkerung geben würde?

Silvia Sardone (PfE), risposta a una domanda “cartellino blu”. – Guardi, io le dico quello che succede nel mio paese. Nel mio paese, chi arriva, chiunque arrivi come immigrato in regola, ha tutti i diritti che hanno i cittadini italiani. Quindi, non c’è una spinta da parte dello Stato a portare questa gente alla delinquenza.

Però le faccio una domanda: se fosse vero quello che dice Lei, e quindi se avesse ragione la sinistra, perché in in Svezia, che è lo Stato del quale stiamo parlando, ha vinto il centro-destra, di fatto certificando il fallimento di anni di sinistra? Probabilmente perché i comunisti hanno sbagliato anche stavolta.

Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR). – Arvoisa puhemies, Ruotsi on ollut maa, jota monet katsoivat ihailevin silmin. Sittemmin tämä onnellinen ja vauras kansankoti on menty turmelemaan sellaiseksi, ettei sitä enää tunnista entisekseen. Täysin rajoittamattoman muuttoliikkeen on annettu pyyhkäistä Ruotsin yli hyökyaallon lailla. Se on turmellut naapurustoja no go -alueeksi, tehnyt katuja turvattomiksi sekä aikaansaanut räjähdysten ja ammuskelujen värittämän jengirikollisuusepidemian, joka ei Ruotsin hallituksen mukaan ole enää edes hallinnassa. Kuvitelkaa missä kaaoksessa maan pitää olla, että pääministeri joutuu toteamaan näin: “Tilanne ei ole enää hallinnassa”. Mutta alkavat ne silmät avautua nyt Ruotsissakin. Nimittäin, pääministerin mukaan, tiukennetun maahanmuuttopolitiikan linjan täytyy jatkua, jotta Ruotsi voi selviytyä. Siinäpä on ohje koko Euroopalle. Älkäämme toistako Ruotsin hirveää ihmiskoetta, vaan tiukentakaamme maahanmuuttolinjaa, jotta Eurooppa voi selviytyä.

Verena Mertens (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Die massive Bandengewalt, die wir seit einigen Jahren in Schweden erleben, ist alarmierend. Auch in anderen EU-Staaten nimmt die Waffengewalt zu, wie auch jüngst die Schüsse in Brüssel gezeigt haben.

Diese Herausforderungen können wir nur europäisch lösen, denn organisierte Kriminalität macht nicht an Grenzen halt. Die Täter profitieren von der Freizügigkeit, weil unsere Strafverfolgungsbehörden an Grenzen und Nationalstaaten gebunden sind. Deshalb müssen wir die Strafverfolgungsbehörden in Europa besser vernetzen – untereinander, und mit Europol und Eurojust und der Europäischen Staatsanwaltschaft, die mehr Kompetenzen braucht.

Die guten Projekte, die es schon gibt, müssen mehr werden, und viel größer. Denn nur mit Nadelstichen können wir nicht gegen die großen Krebsgeschwüre ankommen, die unser Europa krank machen. Die Strafverfolgungsbehörden müssen effizienter und endlich schlagkräftiger bei Ermittlungen werden, aber auch in der Justiz. Ein digitaler Durchsuchungsbeschluss ist essenziell, um die Drahtzieher zu fassen und Netzwerke zu zerschlagen. Wir brauchen mehr Zugang zu digitalen Daten, um die Hintermänner überführen zu können. In der Justiz brauchen wir effizientere Strafprozesse europaweit. Hier können wir die best practice voneinander lernen.

Europa muss handlungsfähig bleiben. Unsere Freiheit darf nicht zur Schwäche werden. Sie muss unsere Stärke sein.

France Jamet (PfE). – Madame la Présidente, la guerre des gangs qui ensanglante la Suède semble émouvoir aujourd’hui l’Union européenne. Ce qui surprend la classe politique, en fait, c’est que la Suède est un pays prospère, avec l’un des taux de criminalité les plus bas du monde. Mais c’est l’angélisme des Suédois qui les a conduits à une politique migratoire complètement folle, qui a fait exploser la criminalité organisée.

Alors, on pourrait considérer ça comme un avertissement, comme à Bruxelles, à Dijon, à Berlin, en Italie, à Marseille, en Seine-Saint-Denis, à Montpellier: la liste est longue. Le temps de réaction aussi, d’ailleurs.

Parce que, face à cela, nos gouvernants, sous la férule de l’Union européenne, ont pris le parti des criminels et des délinquants. Sclérosés par le politiquement correct, pétrifiés face aux juridictions européennes, ils ont pris le parti de regarder ailleurs. C’est le dévoiement de l’État de droit par l’Union européenne qui a sapé notre souveraineté dans nos territoires, nos prétoires, nos frontières, nos prisons, notre quotidien. Ce sont les dealers et les caïds qui imposent aujourd’hui leurs lois à coups de kalachnikov dans nos rues et jusque devant nos écoles.

Alors oui, il est temps d’y mettre fin. Il est temps de défendre enfin la sécurité de nos compatriotes et leurs intérêts, avant ceux des criminels, des clandestins, en commençant par soutenir nos forces de police.

Małgorzata Gosiewska (ECR). – Pani Przewodnicząca! Strzelaniny, zamachy, gwałty, gangi terroryzujące mieszkańców to codzienność Szwecji – jeszcze tak niedawno bezpiecznego kraju. To skutek polityki otwartych drzwi, którą przez lata prowadzili lewicowi politycy. Wszystkim, którzy sprzeciwiali się ówczesnej polityce imigracyjnej Unii Europejskiej, w tym mojemu ugrupowaniu, zarzucano ksenofobię. Przez osiem lat rządów Prawa i Sprawiedliwości skutecznie broniliśmy Polskę przed napływem uchodźców, w tym także tych ze wschodu ściąganych przez Łukaszenkę. Wtedy to obecny premier Donald Tusk, wasz pupil, straszył Polaków karami za nieprzyjęcie migrantów, a jego partyjni koledzy atakowali polską straż graniczną. To wszystko, aby uzyskać wasze wsparcie w wyborach, za które płaci teraz bezpieczeństwem Polski.

Dziś biurokracja europejska przymusza mój kraj do przyjęcia migrantów. Tusk udaje, że nie ma na to jego zgody, ale wszyscy wiemy, że to zwyczajne oszustwo na potrzeby kampanii prezydenckiej. Wkrótce Polacy, podobnie jak Szwedzi, Niemcy, Francuzi, zaczną mierzyć się ze skutkami waszych szkodliwych decyzji. Chcecie rządzić światem, a ciągniecie Europę na dno.

Lukas Mandl (PPE). – Frau Präsidentin! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! In Schweden gibt es eine Explosion der Bandenkriminalität unvorstellbaren Ausmaßes. Ich danke ausdrücklich Tomas Tobé und den anderen schwedischen Kolleginnen und Kollegen dafür, dass sie das auf die Tagesordnung des Europäischen Parlaments bringen.

Schweden ist exakt gleich lang Mitgliedstaat der Europäischen Union, wie mein Heimatland Österreich das ist. Wir wissen in diesen 30 Jahren: Grenzüberschreitende Herausforderungen können wir nur gemeinsam europäisch lösen. Deshalb ist dieses Parlament der richtige Ort, an dem das diskutiert gehört. Das ist der europäische Familientisch, an dem das diskutiert, bearbeitet und selbstverständlich auch gelöst gehört.

Ich möchte drei Kerben einschlagen für die Lösung. Erstens, den Problemen ins Auge zu sehen. Auch in dieser parlamentarischen Debatte haben wir die einen gehört, die die Bandenkriminalität ausschließlich auf die Migration zurückführen. Und wir haben die anderen gehört, die ausdrücklich gesagt haben, das hat mit Migration nichts zu tun. Selbstverständlich ist beides falsch. Mit illegaler Migration hat die Bandenkriminalität zu tun, und die Sanktion ist wichtig. Die über die Grenzen hinausgehende Zusammenarbeit der Polizei- und Strafverfolgungsbehörden ist wichtig.

Aber nicht nur die Sanktion ist wichtig, auch die Prävention ist wichtig. Hier geht es um Werte, um zivilisatorische Werte, um Menschenwürde und Freiheitsrechte. Darum, dass jeder Mensch gleich viel wert ist und dass es nicht nur die Freiheit von einem Zwang gibt, sondern auch die Freiheit, um etwas zu tun und zu unternehmen im Leben.

Zur Freiheit gehört auch die Verantwortung. Und das ist es, was sowohl Migrantinnen und Migranten als auch Ansässigen vermittelt werden muss.

Nikola Bartůšek (PfE). – Paní předsedající, dámy a pánové, jedna bomba denně. Ano, tak taková je bilance útoků ve Švédsku za poslední měsíc. Převaděči, drogové gangy, organizovaný zločin zaplavili švédská města. Švédsko bývalo kdysi symbolem evropské prosperity. Idylická, bezpečná země s nízkou kriminalitou, proslulá svou spravedlivou politikou a rovností. To už ale neplatí. Švédsko se stalo obětí vlastní naivity a má druhou nejvyšší míru úmrtí způsobených střelnými zbraněmi.

Toto je obrovské varování před tím, abychom zaplavili pracovní trh levnou pracovní silou, rádoby v dobré víře, a přitom to nazývali humanitární pomocí. S touto masovou levnou pracovní silou přichází k nám domů kriminalita a terorismus. Místo toho, aby Švédsko zůstalo nejbezpečnější zemí v Evropě, zažívá nejvíce teroristických útoků. Vždyť ani nevíme, kdo se nám po Evropě pohybuje. Je čas čelit pravdě. Tento experiment založený na masové migraci selhal. Buďme chytří a poučme se z chyb, než bude příliš pozdě. Společně musíme přestat zavírat oči, zavést přísnější tresty za násilné trestné činy, tvrdší opatření proti praní špinavých peněz a tvrdý zásah proti drogovým gangům. Vždy jde o bezpečnost našich občanů.

PRESIDE: JAVI LÓPEZ
Vicepresidente

Tomislav Sokol (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, Švedska, nekada poznata po svojoj sigurnosti, posljednjih godina suočava se s alarmantnim porastom nasilja i kriminala. Eksplozije, pucnjave i ubojstva postale su uobičajena pojava na ulicama Stockholma, Göteborga i Malmöa. Posebno zabrinjava porast broja mladih koji su počinitelji teških kaznenih djela. Broj počinitelja teških kaznenih djela sa smrtnim ishodom u dobnoj skupini od 15 do 20 godina gotovo se učetverostručio od 2014. E, sada, što se promijenilo u švedskom društvu unutar zadnjih deset godina, a što bi moglo biti uzrok ovakvog stanja? Možda, samo možda, sve skupa ima veze s velikim porastom imigracije u istom razdoblju. Hoćemo li zbog političke korektnosti izbjegavati raspravu o pravim problemima i nastaviti živjeti u oblacima? Kolegice i kolege, potreban je žestok odgovor na povećano nasilje koji mora uključivati zaustavljanje masovne imigracije, uvođenje strožih kazni za počinitelje kaznenih djela, jačanje policijskih ovlasti, ali i deportaciju ilegalnih migranata bez milosti. Trenutna švedska vlada djeluje u pravom smjeru, a mi trebamo postupati mnogo oštrije prema imigraciji i na razini EU-a. Dame i gospodo, ovo je pitanje opstanka Europe.

Solicitudes incidentales de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»)

Dariusz Joński (PPE). – Panie Przewodniczący! Tematem debaty jest sytuacja w Szwecji, tymczasem politycy partii Kaczyńskiego z Polski wpadli na pomysł, aby po raz kolejny kłamać na tej sali. Dlaczego to robią? Bo w Polsce są wybory i myślą, że po raz kolejny mogą bezkarnie tutaj kłamać. Otóż tak na dobrą sprawę, jeśli ktokolwiek odpowiada za handlowanie bezpieczeństwem w Polsce, to byli politycy właśnie partii Kaczyńskiego. Jeden z ministrów spraw zagranicznych, który odpowiadał za politykę wizową, został złapany przez Centralne Biuro Antykorupcyjne. W tej sprawie jest komisja śledcza w polskim Sejmie i działa prokuratura, bo ktoś handlował wizami. Można było kupić tanio wizę między innymi z krajów afrykańskich, azjatyckich.

Otóż to trzeba głośno mówić, bo mam dość tych kłamstw polityków partii Kaczyńskiego. I żeby przeciąć jakiekolwiek spekulacje. Donald Tusk razem z Urszulą von der Leyen w zeszłym tygodniu powiedzieli, że Polska nie będzie implementować paktu migracyjnego. Koniec, kropka. I wszyscy w Polsce i nie tylko w Polsce wiedzą dlaczego? Przyjęliśmy 2 miliony uchodźców z Ukrainy. Pomagamy jak mało kto. I dlatego Polska nie będzie implementować paktu migracyjnego.

Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI). – Domnule președinte, v-am auzit aici dând vina de la stânga la dreapta și de la dreapta la stânga. Cu tot respectul, au murit niște oameni, mor copii, mor tineri. Cred că singurul lucru care ne lipsește în toată Europa aceasta, ca și în întreaga lume, este educația, educația care lasă de dorit! Și cred că ar trebui să ascultați psihologii care nu sunt plătiți de dumneavoastră să vă spună cum copiii au nevoie de autoritate, au nevoie de reguli, au nevoie să fie și pedepsiți. Nu omorâți în bătaie, dar pedepsiți, cum am fost și noi. Au nevoie să li se traseze niște reguli, pentru că devin niște abuzatori când cresc.

Aveți arme la liber? Da, migrația este foarte gravă, e o problemă gravă! V-ați gândit câte arme vin din Ucraina? Știți că prin Portul Constanța vin cele mai multe cantități de droguri, de când ați permis ucrainenilor să vină în Europa? Este raportul Organizației Națiunilor Unite, nu al meu! Cred că ar trebui să vă treziți și să începeți să schimbați învățământul, să opriți inclusiv ucrainenii să mai plece din Ucraina, să opriți finanțarea războiului și să încetați cu Interpolul și cu forțele de violență.

(Fin de las intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»))

Maria Luís Albuquerque, Member of the Commission. – Mr President, honourable Members, having listened to this debate, I think we all agree that we need to do a lot and fast. That is why, next month, the Commission will propose a comprehensive internal security strategy. It will be a strategic blueprint for the Commission’s security priorities. This long‑term planning will shape our approach to research, innovation, procurement and operational deployment, improving our joint fight against organised crime and drug trafficking. We will put all our energy into ensuring a stronger, more effective and better coordinated EU‑wide response to organised crime.

We must put an end to this escalating threat and restore the control over our communities and our borders to protect the safety of citizens in Sweden and across the EU.

El presidente. – Se cierra el debate.

15. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: the need for the European Union to contribute to resolving the humanitarian crisis of persons missing in wars and conflicts (debate)

Lukas Mandl, on behalf of the PPE Group. – Mr President, when a person goes missing and remains missing, not only is this person affected in one way or another, but many people around; friends and family, parents and children would be affected by that. It is a pity that we have to say today the absolute rule to avoid persons going missing also in armed conflict is not respected anymore. There are more and more missing persons. Particularly Ukraine is suffering; Ukrainian children, men and women are suffering. Especially, as we all know, children from Ukraine in a large number would be brought to Russia and maybe other places. We don’t know about their whereabouts. They go missing.

The International Red Cross documents that more and more persons go missing. This is why, in the European Parliament, we time and again have to underline and emphasise the importance of human rights, of humanitarian law, and among humanitarian law rules, avoiding persons going missing is a major rule.

Of course, also the migration routes which are caused by human trafficking, by smugglers, by organised crime, are places where persons go missing: 60 000 and more in Ukraine, 40 000 were documented by the Red Cross, nearly 30 000 only in the last years in the Mediterranean when it’s about illegal migration routes. There are also regimes on this planet who purposely use persons going missing against their own population. This is something that happens in North Korea. This is something that happens in the Iranian mullah regime. And this is something that’s also used against Europe when it comes to illegal migration, many times purposely. This is why it is so important to emphasise this issue and to bring it to the table of this very European Parliament.

Costas Mavrides, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Mr President, in 2001, the European Court of Human Rights found Turkey guilty for a continued violation of a number of conventions and articles, specifically with regard to the whereabouts and faith of Greek Cypriot missing persons during the Turkish invasion of 1974. Since then, as the European Parliament, we condemn Turkey for its actions, specifically for the intentional removal of human remains in its efforts to cover up its regional crimes committed by the Turkish Army under state orders. Despite court decisions, Turkey refuses still today to provide crucial information, such as access to military archives and access to so-called military zones. This behaviour is simply an extension of the original crime 50 years ago, and this country remains in the accession process.

Γεάδης Γεάδη, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας ECR. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, άρθρο 3 της Οικουμενικής Διακήρυξης Ανθρωπίνων Δικαιωμάτων: «Κάθε άνθρωπος έχει δικαίωμα στη ζωή, στην ελευθερία και την προσωπική του ασφάλεια». Δυστυχώς όμως, η φρικαλεότητα του πολέμου δεν κάνει διακρίσεις. Χιλιάδες αγνοούμενοι μετά τη ρωσική εισβολή στην Ουκρανία, εκατοντάδες αγνοούμενοι και μετά την τρομοκρατική επίθεση της Χαμάς στο Ισραήλ.

Στον μαύρο κατάλογο και η Κύπρος, που εδώ και 50 χρόνια βιώνει τις συνέπειες της τουρκικής εισβολής και της συνεχιζόμενης παράνομης κατοχής. Η τουρκική βαρβαρότητα άφησε πίσω της 1.619 αγνοούμενους σε ένα μικρό νησί όπως η Κύπρος. Άμαχοι, γυναίκες, γέροντες και μικρά παιδιά συμπεριλαμβάνονται στον μακρύ αυτόν κατάλογο των απαχθέντων.

Η Τουρκία δεν συνεργάζεται. Κωφεύει στις διεθνείς εκκλήσεις, περιφρονεί την απόφαση του Ευρωπαϊκού Δικαστηρίου, αγνοεί το ψήφισμα 34/50 των Ηνωμένων Εθνών και αντ’ αυτού οργανωμένα μετακινεί οστά από τους ομαδικούς τάφους. Και γιατί να το πράξει άλλωστε, όταν υψηλόβαθμοι αξιωματούχοι της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, αντί να τη θέσουν ενώπιον των ευθυνών της με αυστηρότατες κυρώσεις, την χρηματοδοτούν αποκαλώντας της στρατηγικό εταίρο;

Έχουμε χρέος απέναντι στις τραγικές φιγούρες, τις μάνες των αγνοουμένων που έφυγαν χωρίς να ξέρουν την τύχη του δικού τους ανθρώπου. Μόνο τότε θα μπορούμε να κοιτάζουμε στα μάτια τα τότε κοριτσάκια που σήμερα έγιναν μητέρες, γιαγιάδες και ακόμα ψάχνουν τι απέγινε ο δικός τους πατέρας.

Mounir Satouri, au nom du groupe Verts/ALE. – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, derrière chaque disparition, il y a des familles et des communautés qui souffrent de l’incertitude quant au sort de leurs proches. Cependant, selon l’endroit où cela se passe dans le monde, le problème peut devenir secondaire pour la communauté internationale.

Ces disparitions sont pourtant monnaie courante dans tous les conflits: c’est le cas des enfants ukrainiens arrachés à leur famille par le régime russe. C’est le cas des otages israéliens capturés par le Hamas. Mais c’est aussi le cas des milliers de civils palestiniens tués anonymement ou emprisonnés dans le secret. C’est le cas des familles séparées par la guerre ou des enfants enrôlés de force en RDC ou au Soudan. C’est le cas des fosses communes retrouvées en Ukraine, à Gaza, en RDC ou en Syrie.

Notre indignation ne doit pas être sélective. Toutes ces horreurs sont proscrites par le droit international humanitaire. Les belligérants sont obligés d’empêcher les disparitions et de fournir des informations sur la mort ou la détention des personnes. Pourtant, c’est l’impunité qui règne et les familles des disparus continuent d’être dévastées.

Peut-on espérer la paix si nous ne garantissons pas l’application du droit international par la justice?

J’appelle donc à protéger les outils de justice internationale, au premier rang desquels la Cour pénale internationale, qui enquête en RDC comme au Soudan, qui a engagé des poursuites contre Vladimir Poutine, contre Benyamin Netanyahou ou les cadres du Hamas pour leurs crimes contre l’humanité. Les familles des disparus ont droit à la justice. C’est le seul chemin viable vers la paix.

Γιώργος Γεωργίου, εξ ονόματος της ομάδας The Left. – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, μου κάνει εντύπωση που κάποιοι βλέπουν αγνοούμενους μόνο στην Ουκρανία. Και για την Γάζα πάλι μιλάνε, αλλά δεν μας λένε ότι εκεί στη Γάζα οι αγνοούμενοι είναι μόνον οι Παλαιστίνιοι. Ούτε μας λένε για τους δεκάδες χιλιάδες αγνοούμενους που προέκυψαν από τα φασιστικά δικτατορικά καθεστώτα στην Ευρώπη.

Είναι βέβαια και οι αγνοούμενοι στην Κύπρο. Δυστυχώς, για πολλές δεκαετίες το ζήτημα των αγνοουμένων της Κύπρου, ίσως η πιο τραγική πτυχή αυτού του προβλήματος, συνεχίζεται. Ο κατάλογος βέβαια είναι εμπλουτισμένος από Ελληνοκύπριους και Τουρκοκύπριους αγνοούμενους και ο πόνος για τις μανάδες, τα αδέλφια, τους συγγενείς είναι κοινός.

Στηρίζεται βέβαια η Διερευνητική Επιτροπή των Αγνοουμένων από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση, όμως αυτή η στήριξη δεν είναι αρκετή, διότι η Τουρκία συνεχίζει να προβάλλει εμπόδια, να δυσκολεύει και να παραπληροφορεί. Έτσι, οι ευθύνες της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης και της διεθνούς κοινότητας είναι σήμερα ακόμα πιο σημαντική προς την κατεύθυνση να πιεστεί η Τουρκία, να αναγκαστεί να ανοίξει τα στρατιωτικά της αρχεία, να δώσει πληροφορίες και στοιχεία για τους αγνοούμενους.

Αναφέρομαι χαρακτηριστικά στην περίπτωση των αγνοουμένων της Άσσιας, του χωριού μου. Εκεί, ο τουρκικός στρατός εκτέλεσε εν ψυχρώ 70 ανθρώπους και τους έριξε σε ένα πηγάδι. Το ’96 τους μετακίνησαν σε ένα σκυβαλότοπο στο Δίκωμο. Εκεί βρίσκεται και ένας θείος μου, ο θείος μου Κλεάνθης. Θέλουμε πίσω τα οστά τους, να τους θάψουμε όπως αρμόζει στους νεκρούς. Δεν ζητάμε πολλά. Θέλουμε να δράσουμε τώρα. Το οφείλουμε στη μνήμη των θυμάτων. Το οφείλουμε στις οικογένειές τους που πρέπει να μάθουν την αλήθεια.

Željana Zovko (PPE). – Poštovani predsjedavajući, govorit ću danas o univerzalnoj deklaraciji o ljudskim pravima u kontekstu rata, sukoba i geopolitičkih napetosti. Podsjećamo se da je nastala upravo u takvim okolnostima, kao odgovor na nepravdu, patnju i kršenje temeljnih prava.

Agresija na Republiku Hrvatsku 91. godine donijela je nezamislivu patnju. Tisuće hrvatskih branitelja i civila bili su zatočeni, nestali ili nasilno odvedeni. Unatoč svim naporima i mjerama, i dalje se suočavamo s najtežim posljedicama rata. 1782 osobe i dalje se vode kao nestale. Nažalost, u Bosni i Hercegovini još se uvijek traga za 7608 osoba. Ova pitanja ne smiju ostati otvorena. Pravda za nestale ne može biti prepuštena zaboravu.

Pozivam Srbiju i Crnu Goru da konačno preuzmu odgovornost, otvore arhive, podijele informacije i omoguće rješavanje sudbina onih koji su nepravedno nestali. Europska unija mora iskoristiti svoju pregovaračku moć i osigurati da se ovo pitanje stavi visoko na dnevni red pretpristupnih pregovora. Pristup Europskoj uniji podrazumijeva vrijednost istine, pravde i ljudskih prava i u tome ne može i ne smije biti kompromisa. Dok obitelji s neizmjernom boli još uvijek tragaju za svojim najmilijima, a njihovi domovi odzvanjaju najglasnijom tišinom, mi imamo odgovornost. Neprihvatljivo je da oni koji imaju informacije o nestalima i dalje šute. Otvorite arhive, bez toga nema zaključavanja pregovora.

Antonella Sberna (ECR). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, oggi, 10 febbraio, in Italia celebriamo il Giorno del ricordo, una giornata dedicata alla memoria delle vittime italiane delle foibe e delle centinaia di migliaia di persone costrette all’esodo dalle terre giuliano-dalmate, una ferita ancora aperta, perché molti di loro restano senza nome e molte famiglie senza una verità.

Ma il dolore dei dispersi non è solo un ricordo del passato. Ancora oggi, in troppi conflitti, migliaia di persone scompaiono senza lasciare traccia. A Cipro, a cinquant’anni dall’invasione turca, oltre 2 000 persone risultano ancora disperse. Nei Balcani, durante le guerre degli anni ’90, sono molti i casi irrisolti, così come in Ucraina migliaia di bambini sono stati deportati, separati dalle loro famiglie, vittime di un’ingiustizia che segnerà intere generazioni.

La tecnologia, a questo punto, può essere un alleato prezioso nella ricerca delle persone scomparse. L’uso del telerilevamento satellitare e della tecnologia LiDAR può aiutare a individuare fosse comuni e raccogliere prove fondamentali per identificare le vittime e restituire loro la dignità.

L’Unione europea deve investire in queste tecnologie, ma oltre alla tecnologia serve la volontà politica. L’Unione europea deve farsi promotrice di meccanismi vincolanti per la ricerca delle persone scomparse, affinché nessun paese possa ostacolare la verità.

Cari colleghi, il diritto alla verità non ha scadenza. Le famiglie di chi è scomparso continuano a cercare, senza scelta e senza tempo. È nostro dovere stare al loro fianco, trasformando i valori dell’Europa in azioni concrete.

Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, ‘Bring out the dead dogs’. That’s how prison guards ordered inmates to carry out the bodies of those who died overnight in Sednaya Prison in Syria. What happened to those bodies? Nobody knows. For decades, the Assad regime has used forced disappearances as a tool of repression. More than 100 000 people have disappeared under his rule. Over 100 000 remain missing today. Now, for the first time in decades, there is a real chance to uncover the truth. Syrian experts are already on the ground, documenting crimes, exhuming mass graves, protecting evidence. But they need our support, financially and politically, to fund Syrian civil society working for truth, justice and reconciliation, to press Syria’s new rulers to make transitional justice a priority, to strengthen the UN mechanism on missing people, to ensure independent investigations. Because this is the only way to hold perpetrators accountable, to help families find out what happened to their loved ones, and to support Syrians rebuilding a country that heals its wounds and will be a free country for everyone.

Fidias Panayiotou (NI). – Mr President, my uncle has been missing since the Turkish invasion of my country, Cyprus, in 1974. This had a huge impact on my family. My father was seven years old when he witnessed a suicide attempt by my grandmother because she couldn’t handle it. My uncle is one of the 2 000 Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots who had disappeared, mainly during the Turkish invasion in 1974 and the intercommunal fighting of 1964. The remains of these communities’ people are being searched for by communal committee, and by today half of them have been identified and returned to their relatives, who, unlike my grandmother, were lucky enough to live until that day of relief.

I want to thank the European Union because it is the biggest funder of this committee, giving so far EUR 35 million. Please continue to fund this project, which not only brings peace to families like mine, but also encourages cooperation between the two communities of the island, increasing the chance of a potential solution to the Cyprus problem.

Φρέντης Μπελέρης (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, η Οικουμενική Διακήρυξη για τα Ανθρώπινα Δικαιώματα ξεκαθαρίζει πως όλοι έχουν το δικαίωμα στην αξιοπρέπεια και τη δικαιοσύνη. Αλλά ποια αξιοπρέπεια, ποια δικαιοσύνη υπάρχει για εκείνους των οποίων η μοίρα παραμένει άγνωστη;

Θέλω να επικεντρωθώ σε δύο κράτη, την Κύπρο, όπου πενήντα χρόνια μετά την τουρκική εισβολή, χιλιάδες οικογένειες αναζητούν τους οικείους τους, και την Αλβανία, όπου εξακολουθούν να αγνοούνται περίπου 6.000 άνθρωποι που χάθηκαν κατά τη διάρκεια της κομμουνιστικής θηριωδίας. Το ίδιο φαινόμενο έχει παρατηρηθεί και σε άλλες χώρες. Έχουμε λοιπόν την ηθική και πολιτική ευθύνη να βοηθήσουμε στην αποκατάσταση αυτής της αδικίας.

Το Ευρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο το 2015 έκανε το πρώτο βήμα, εγκρίνοντας ψήφισμα σχετικά με ομαδικούς τάφους αγνοουμένων στο χωριό Ορνίθι, στο κατεχόμενο τμήμα της Κύπρου. Ήρθε η ώρα να το ξανακάνουμε. Γιατί πίσω από κάθε αγνοούμενο υπάρχει μια οικογένεια, μια ιστορία και ατελείωτος πόνος. Πίσω από κάθε αλήθεια που δεν έρχεται στο φως υπάρχουν οι δικές μας ευθύνες.

Leire Pajín (S&D). – (inicio de la intervención fuera de micrófono) … aquí este debate, pero les invito a que sea un debate sincero, fuera hipocresías.

Porque la Declaración Universal de Derechos Humanos es una declaración de paz para que todas las personas vivan libres e iguales en dignidad y derechos, y hay grupos en esta Cámara que diferencian las crisis humanitarias y también las víctimas: solo hay que ver lo que dicen o cómo responden a las víctimas de Gaza o de otras crisis; tampoco lo hacen en mi país donde tiempo después, mucho tiempo después de esa declaración, todavía sufríamos una larga dictadura llena de desapariciones y de muertes.

Señorías, una Europa sin memoria es una Europa que no puede mirar al futuro ni a la convivencia en paz; una Europa sin memoria es aquella donde los jóvenes no saben lo que pasó ni lo que fue la conquista de la libertad. Por eso queremos una Unión Europea que garantice el derecho a la memoria, a la reparación y a la justicia en todo el mundo, también en España, y que impida la derogación de leyes de la memoria que condena a las víctimas a seguir en las cunetas.

Por eso, dejémonos de hipocresía y luchemos por la memoria y la dignidad de todas las víctimas en el mundo, también en Europa y en España.

Sebastian Everding (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Liebe Kolleginnen und Kollegen! Wie soll an vielen Stellen auf der Welt ein dauerhafter Frieden vermittelt werden, wenn Familien keine Antwort auf das Schicksal ihrer Angehörigen haben? Dies stellt eines der größten Hindernisse für die Heilung, Versöhnung und den Wiederaufbau von Gesellschaften dar.

Die Zahlen sind dabei mehr als erschreckend, denn mehr als 71 000 Menschen in Afrika gelten als vermisst und rund 42 000 Menschen in der Ukraine. Dabei sind es wohlgemerkt nicht nur Soldaten, sondern auch viele Zivilisten. Aber wir müssen gar nicht so weit wegschauen, denn auch in Zentraleuropa werden rund 10 000 Menschen vermisst, deren sterbliche Überreste nach dem gewaltsamen Zerfall Jugoslawiens nie gefunden wurden.

Die internationale Gemeinschaft und auch die EU müssen dringend Schritte ergreifen, um einen wirksamen Weg zur Klärung des Schicksals und Verbleibs vermisster Menschen zu finden. Denn ohne Fortschritte kann es aufgrund der Schmerzen, des Verlustes und der empfundenen Ungerechtigkeit keinen dauerhaften Frieden in vielen Regionen geben.

Ich schließe mit den Worten von George Bernard Shaw, der sagt: Krieg ist ein Zustand, bei dem Menschen aufeinander schießen, die sich nicht kennen, auf Befehl von Menschen, die sich zwar kennen, aber nicht aufeinander schießen.

Ana Catarina Mendes (S&D). – Senhor Presidente, caros colegas, acabo de chegar de uma difícil missão a Palestina e a Israel, onde pude testemunhar a destruição, o desespero e as condições precárias nas quais tentam sobreviver milhares de pessoas, das quais muitas crianças. Gaza é uma das regiões com maior densidade populacional no mundo, que enfrenta há anos desafios diários devido às restrições sistémicas e aos recursos limitados. Desde o terrível ataque de 7 de outubro de 2023 que as condições pioraram ainda mais. Todas as guerras e conflitos, e este não é exceção, deixam também as marcas dos desaparecidos. As mães da Praça de Maio, na Argentina, as Mães de Sábado, na Turquia, livros e filmes como o recente Ainda Estou Aqui, sobre Rubens Paiva, no Brasil, mostram a desumanidade dos desaparecimentos e a apneia da procura de respostas em que os seus familiares mergulham durante décadas. Juntemos a isto a Síria, Chipre, a Ucrânia. Nos dias de hoje, a Declaração Universal dos Direitos Humanos pretende garantir que os seus apelos por verdade, justiça e pela não repetição da história sejam ouvidos. Lutemos pela memória para continuarmos a viver em liberdade, com respeito pelos direitos humanos.

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

François-Xavier Bellamy (PPE). – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, 50 ans après l’invasion de Chypre par la Turquie, des centaines de Chypriotes sont encore aujourd’hui formellement portés disparus. Leurs familles n’ont pas seulement perdu ceux qu’elles aimaient, elles ont été privées de la vérité et, sans cette vérité, elles ne peuvent pas faire leur deuil. Ce n’est pas une abstraction. Notre collègue Fidias Panayiotou vient de nous donner un exemple très concret de ce que peuvent signifier dans une vie, dans la vie d’une famille, ces personnes qui manquent à l’appel.

Chers collègues, je parlais moi-même avec un ami chypriote, il y a quelques semaines de cela, qui me disait: «Bien sûr, la guerre a été terrible, mais plus terrible encore, peut-être, aura été, après la guerre, d’être privés de savoir où sont ceux que nous avons perdus.»

Aujourd’hui, nous avons un devoir, tous ensemble, et comme rapporteur de ce Parlement pour cette mission qui nous réunit, je veux travailler avec toutes les forces politiques de cet hémicycle, parce que si une question doit dépasser les clivages, c’est bien celle-là.

Notre devoir, c’est de faire en sorte qu’enfin la Turquie coopère et qu’elle dise la vérité. Que nous puissions savoir enfin offrir à ces familles endeuillées la vérité à laquelle elles ont droit, parce que le temps passe et le temps court et, ce temps qui court, c’est celui des générations qui vont bientôt nous quitter et qui ont le droit de connaître le sort de ceux qu’elles ont aimés avant de partir.

Cette urgence absolue, la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme l’a rappelée à de très nombreuses reprises. C’est à notre Parlement aujourd’hui de faire en sorte que la Turquie puisse enfin rentrer dans cette coopération dont nous avons tellement besoin, parce que la justice en dépend, la vérité en dépend, ainsi que le salut de ces familles dont nous parlons, qui est la cause qui nous réunit.

Murielle Laurent (S&D). – Monsieur le Président, Madame la Commissaire, chers collègues, en 2024, le Comité international de la Croix-Rouge a annoncé que, pour le seul continent africain, plus de 71 000 personnes étaient portées disparues en raison des conflits armés, de la violence et du contexte migratoire, soit 75 % de plus qu’en 2019.

Ces disparitions sont l’une des conséquences humanitaires les plus désastreuses et durables des conflits. Souvenons-nous que, derrière chaque personne disparue, beaucoup d’autres souffrent de l’incertitude et c’est inconcevable. Si cela avait lieu en Europe, il serait inimaginable de ne pas chercher les disparus, et en particulier les enfants.

Il est urgent de parler de ces personnes, de reconnaître la souffrance, le désespoir des familles et d’attirer l’attention de l’Union européenne, de prévenir et de résoudre les disparitions des personnes, quelles que soient les circonstances.

Enfin, je souhaite rappeler que de nombreux migrants disparaissent au cours de leur déplacement, trop souvent périlleux, vers l’Europe, ou une fois arrivés.

Il est essentiel que l’Union européenne évalue l’impact de ses politiques migratoires sur le risque de disparition des migrants et facilite les opérations de secours en mer afin d’éviter les tragédies, qui font trop souvent la une de nos journaux.

Maria Guzenina (S&D). – Mr President, right now, as we speak, thousands of Ukrainian children have been ripped from their homes, torn from the arms of their families, forcefully deported to Russia and Belarus, detained in Russian prisons, forced into adoption, stripped of their identities. These children are being erased. A grave violation of international law.

Even in this room, I have heard Russian propaganda attempting to twist this horror into something it is not. Let me say this plainly: this is not a topic for propaganda. This is a moral line that demands the united will of the entire European Parliament. We must act. We must act now. The EU must impose sanctions against those responsible for these atrocities. And more than that, we must demand that these children, these stolen lives, are returned to their homes, to their families, to their loved ones. These children are not just numbers in a report; they are lives stolen. And we cannot, we must not let them be forgotten. So bring them home.

Solicitudes incidentales de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»)

Sebastian Tynkkynen (ECR). – Arvoisa puhemies, kun terroristijärjestö Hamas otti viattomia israelilaissiviilejä panttivangiksi, omaisten tuskan voi vain kuvitella. Ajattele, jos joutuisit itse miettimään taukoamatta, tuleeko itselle rakas ihminen koskaan takaisin, ja jos tulee, millaisia kauheuksia kokeneena. Samaa joutuvat miettimään lukuisat ja lukuisat perheet parhaillaan Ukrainassa. Käveleekö oma poikani enää koskaan tuosta kotiovesta? Jos ei kävele, millaiset mahtavat olla hänen viimeiset hetkensä?

Kun me vahvistamme Euroopan turvallisuutta, oli kyse sitten puolustuksen ylösajosta tai terrorismin kitkemisestä, kyse ei ole vain poliittisista päätöksistä. Kyse on eurooppalaisten perheiden suojelusta. Kun Euroopalta tällaisten uhkakuvien edessä vaaditaan kovaa linjaa, vasemmisto yhä edelleen vastustaa. En voi käsittää, ja siksi kysyn, mikä teidän arvoissanne on oikein vialla?

Diana Iovanovici Şoşoacă (NI). – Domnule președinte, vorbiți de drepturile omului și sunteți instituția care le încalcă cel mai mult. Începând cu plandemia, ați distrus tot ceea ce înseamnă drepturile omului. Vorbiți de Israel, le luați apărarea, dar nu vedeți că au murit peste 45 000 de femei și copii.

Vorbiți de Ucraina, dar de ce nu vorbiți, vă rog, de românii din Ucraina, peste un milion care sunt supuși exterminării de Zelensky, pe care dumneavoastră îl luați în brațe? Nu vedeți nici măcar că Ursula von der Leyen l-a sprijinit pe Președintele României, domnul Klaus Werner Iohannis, care are dosare pentru vânzare de copii.

Vă anunț că astăzi, domnul Klaus Werner Iohannis, la presiunea politică, inclusiv a partidului meu, pe care îl conduc, S.O.S. România, și-a dat demisia. Ați încălcat dumneavoastră și ați permis încălcarea drepturilor omului, ați omorât oameni în pandemie, omorâți oameni, trimițând arme în Ucraina și vă bateți joc de tot ceea ce înseamnă, din Fâșia Gaza, palestinienii. Nu așa se face politică! Cu tot respectul, învățați să (…)

(Președintele a retras cuvântul vorbitoarei)

Γεώργιος Αυτιάς (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, πρέπει να κινηθούμε αποφασιστικά, με μέτρα κοινωνικά, γιατί χωρίς τον άνθρωπο, οι κοινωνίες δεν μπορούν να προχωρήσουν. Μισθοί, συντάξεις, ασφαλιστικό, ακρίβεια, στέγαση. Όλα αυτά, λοιπόν, απαιτούν από εμάς άμεση δράση, άμεση κινητοποίηση. Καμία κοινωνία δεν μπορεί να στηριχθεί, αν δεν έχει τον άνθρωπο μπροστά σε όλες τις δραστηριότητες.

Παράλληλα, θα πρέπει να στηρίξουμε τους ανθρώπους οι οποίοι απειλούνται από την τεχνητή νοημοσύνη. Είναι οι συγγραφείς, είναι οι δημιουργοί, είναι οι καλλιτέχνες. Ζουν μια ανηλεή αντιγραφή στα έργα τους. Άπειρη προσοχή, λοιπόν, να κινηθούμε προς αυτή την κατεύθυνση. Να στηρίξουμε ανθρώπους, να στηρίξουμε τη γνώση, γιατί η κοινωνία δεν μπορεί να περιμένει άλλο.

Carola Rackete (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Ich muss sagen, diese Debatte erfüllt mich auch mit wahnsinnig viel Wut, denn es gibt Tausende von Opfern, deren Überreste auf dem Boden des Mittelmeers liegen. Menschen auf der Flucht, die von der EU sterben gelassen wurden und die niemand gerettet hat, als sie noch gelebt haben.

Diese Krise ist das Resultat der Abschottungspolitik, die in diesen Sälen entschieden wird. Eine Schande! Ich selber habe, als ich auf dem Schiff gearbeitet habe, doch wirklich so häufig der Küstenwache die Leichen gemeldet, und nie haben sie eigentlich Lust, die Leichen aufzunehmen, die DNA zu nehmen, die Leute zu identifizieren oder einfach die Leichen dann ordentlich zu beerdigen.

Es gibt Tausende und Abertausende von Familien in Afrika, die ihre Verwandten suchen. Diese Leute hätten alle – alle – lebend gerettet werden können, wenn die EU sich zu einer vernünftigen Seenotrettungsmission, staatlich finanziert, entscheiden würde.

Bedanken möchte ich mich hier wirklich und sehr ernsthaft bei den Hunderten und Tausenden von Freiwilligen des Roten Halbmonds in Tunesien und Libyen, die sich um die Leichen kümmern, die dort angeschwemmt werden.

Κώστας Παπαδάκης (NI). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, μόνο στην Ουκρανία βλέπετε αγνοούμενους. Για τους χιλιάδες Παλαιστινίους στη Γάζα ούτε κουβέντα. Πενήντα ένα χρόνια, όμως, μετά από την τουρκική εισβολή και κατοχή στην Κύπρο, που και αυτή οδήγησε σε χιλιάδες νεκρούς, αγνοούμενους και εκτοπισμένους.

Είναι απαράδεκτο μετά από τόσα χρόνια οικογένειες αγνοουμένων με τους συλλόγους τους σε Κύπρο και Ελλάδα να επωμίζονται το βάρος, όχι μόνο της απουσίας και απώλειας των ανθρώπων τους, αλλά να αναλαμβάνουν ευθύνες που βαρύνουν κράτη και κυβερνήσεις για τη συγκέντρωση στοιχείων, τη διακρίβωση της τύχης των αγνοουμένων πολιτών και στρατιωτών, παράλληλα με τη Διερευνητική Επιτροπή Αγνοουμένων.

Η έρευνα αυτή υπονομεύεται από τη στάση του κράτους της Τουρκίας, που κρατά κλειστά τα στρατιωτικά αρχεία για τους χώρους ομαδικής ταφής των αγνοουμένων με αλλοιώσεις τόπων ταφής, μετακίνηση λειψάνων, εμποδίζοντας τις έρευνες. Να ανοίξει τώρα η τουρκική κυβέρνηση τα κρατικά και στρατιωτικά αρχεία. Να γίνει αποτελεσματική έρευνα στα κατεχόμενα για την ταυτοποίηση και απόδοση των λειψάνων, την αποζημίωση και στήριξη των οικογενειών των αγνοουμένων, μέχρι να διακριβωθεί και ο τελευταίος αγνοούμενος.

(Fin de las intervenciones con arreglo al procedimiento de solicitud incidental de uso de la palabra («catch the eye»))

El presidente. – Se cierra el debate.

16. One-minute speeches on matters of political importance

Branko Grims (PPE). – Gospod predsednik! V Sloveniji se že ves čas njenega članstva v Evropski uniji očitno zlorablja pravosodje za onemogočanje opozicije, zlasti SDS in njenega predsednika Janeza Janše. Najprej je bil to kafkovski proces Patria, potem sedaj absurdni proces Trenta, nekaj, za kar se je zgodilo pred dvajsetimi leti. Vedno to oživi pred naslednjimi volitvami. Sodnik Radonjić, ki je razgalil pritiske globoke države, je bil zaradi tega sam obtožen, privlečen v lisicah na sodišče in obsojen, čeprav je imel potrdilo zdravnika, da zaradi hude bolezni ni sposoben obrambe na sodišču. Evropsko komisijo sem obširno in argumentirano seznanil z vsemi temi očitnimi kršitvami človekovih pravic v pismih in intervjujih. Vendar Evropska komisija molči, in v pravu velja “Kdor molči, se strinja”. Zato jo pozivam, da pojasni, kako bo ukrepala, da bo tudi v Sloveniji zagotovljen pravni red in da bo vsakomur zagotovljeno pošteno sojenje. Bog vas živi, Bog živi Evropo, Bog živi Slovenijo!

Philippe Olivier (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, les carburants alternatifs sont l’illustration d’une certaine inconséquence de l’Union européenne. Vous édictez des règles, les imposez à nos filières, en l’occurrence l’aérien et le maritime, puis vous laissez le marché décider. Le résultat, ce sont des filières qui ne savent pas à quels procédés techniques se vouer, des infrastructures, par exemple dans les aéroports, dont vous ne vous préoccupez pas, mais surtout des filières de production qui profitent aux Chinois, comme par exemple la phase d’électrolyse pour certains carburants.

Que dire des distorsions de subventions? Quand les USA subventionnent à 3 tout le secteur, vous, vous subventionnez à 0,5 en étant exagérément sélectifs.

L’Europe doit rapidement sortir de sa naïveté et protéger ses industries émergentes en mettant en œuvre une protection économique. Sans cela, la révolution des nouveaux carburants surviendra, certes, mais hors de l’Europe, et surtout à son détriment.

Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE). – Señor presidente, ¿saben qué significa la palabra facha? Se lo explico. Vean los vídeos y fotografías del cónclave de fachas que se celebró en Madrid el fin de semana pasado: Abascal, Orbán, Le Pen, Wilders, Salvini, André Ventura. Lo peor de cada casa pagado por el Grupo Patriotas por Europa del Parlamento Europeo. Teorías conspiranoicas, negacionismo climático, discursos de odio contra la democracia y la Europa de los pueblos, contra los colectivos más vulnerables, contra el colectivo LGBTIQ+, contra nosotras, las mujeres. En definitiva, una exaltación y un ataque fascista y a la democracia. Fascismo que campa a sus anchas, que ya controla y marca la agenda en algunos Estados miembros de la Unión Europea. ¿Cuándo va Europa a despertar y parar este monstruo de fanatismo contra los derechos y libertades?

En 2018 fui ponente de este Parlamento para la Resolución sobre el auge de la violencia neofascista en Europa, para pararles los pies y resistir contra esta nueva embestida. Esa Resolución decía claramente que no se debía exaltar el neofascismo. Poco ha hecho Europa para pararles; les lava la cara, sobre todo el PP español, que permite y blanquea esos cónclaves fachas.

Recuerden la palabra, señores de allí: fachas. Que no se les olvide. Una peste para Europa.

Hélder Sousa Silva (PPE). – Senhor Presidente, a segurança e a defesa finalmente tornaram‑se prioridades da nossa União. A segurança e a defesa, depois da alimentação e da água, estão na base da pirâmide das necessidades humanas. Sem segurança e defesa não há direitos sociais. E o investimento na defesa não é apenas uma despesa, tem um efeito multiplicador na economia, tal como a criação de emprego, na investigação científica e no desenvolvimento social. O reforço da defesa pode e deve ser financiado sem sacrificar o modelo social europeu, por exemplo, através de empréstimos europeus tipo PRR de maior envolvimento do Banco Europeu de Investimento, assim como de maior liberdade fiscal para os Estados-Membros. A diplomacia só é eficaz quando está apoiada numa capacidade de defesa credível. Países que não têm meios militares próprios tornam‑se dependentes da boa vontade de outros. Portanto, a Comissão Europeia não pode esperar até 2028 para agir, porque isso seria perder mais três anos e dar vantagem competitiva aos nossos adversários.

Séverine Werbrouck (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, en ce moment même, plus de 450 navires de pêche sont bloqués à quai à cause de la brutale et irrationnelle reconduction de l’interdiction de pêche dans le golfe de Gascogne.

En plus de pénaliser les pêcheurs qui ont déjà consenti à d’importants efforts, cette mesure a entraîné des pertes considérables pour l’ensemble des métiers à terre. Il est essentiel de rappeler qu’un emploi en mer génère trois à quatre emplois à terre: mareyeurs, mécaniciens, électriciens, forgerons maritimes, poissonniers dépendent directement de l’activité des bateaux. Sans indemnisation, ces professions subissent de lourdes pertes économiques avec des baisses de chiffre d’affaires sans aucune compensation.

Les pêcheurs sont nos paysans de la mer. Ils ne demandent pas à vivre de subventions, mais à vivre de leur travail artisanal, à assurer leur rôle essentiel pour la souveraineté alimentaire et à transmettre leur savoir-faire aux générations futures. Ils appellent à des solutions pérennes, conciliant protection de la biodiversité et survie économique, plutôt qu’à des fermetures récurrentes et inefficaces qui mettent en péril de manière irréversible une filière qui fait notre fierté.

Waldemar Buda (ECR). – Szanowni Państwo, wczoraj kanclerz Olaf Scholz przyznał w debacie z Friedrichem Merzem, że po prostu łamie prawo, to znaczy odsyła imigrantów, przewozi z własnego kraju do sąsiadów, w tym do Polski. W 2024 r. to było już kilkanaście tysięcy osób. To jest jawne i oczywiste łamanie przepisów, również europejskich. Dlatego z tego miejsca żądam reakcji Komisji Europejskiej.

Dzisiaj pakt migracyjny jeszcze nie obowiązuje, w związku z tym nie można robić tego typu zabiegów w celu ratowania własnych obywateli, ponieważ my jako Polacy się z tym nie zgadzamy. Informacja o tym, że polski premier Donald Tusk wyraził na to zgodę, jest skandaliczna. I chciałbym państwa poinformować, że Donald Tusk nie ma zgody obywateli na tego typu działania, nie ma zgody na podpisanie paktu migracyjnego, czego już dokonał. I przygotowujemy w Polsce referendum, które pokaże sprzeciw wobec was, wobec Komisji Europejskiej, Niemców i wobec tego nierządu, który dzisiaj mamy w Polsce.

Hannah Neumann (Verts/ALE). – Mr President, even loving your parents is a crime under the brutal rule of the Iranian regime. Nima was three years old when his mother, Sakharov laureate Nasrin Sotoudeh, was thrown into prison. Her crime? Defending women’s rights. Nima grew up visiting her through glass barriers. His father, Reza, held the family together while the regime tried everything to tear it apart. And now they have come for Reza to punish Nasrin for not wearing hijab. Nima, now 17, wanted to see his father in prison. But in Iran even that is a battle. When he protested the sudden cancellation of an in-person visit, they beat him up, smashed his head against the stairwell, ripped out his earring, left him handcuffed and bleeding. Nasrin screamed until she lost her voice. For years, Nasrin and Reza have tried to shield their children from the horrors of the regime, but in that moment it all collapsed. Yet Nasrin’s message is clear: she will not surrender. She will keep fighting for a future beyond this darkness. And we will stand with her. We will stand with Nima, with Reza, with the countless families shattered by this regime. Until the mullahs open the doors of Evin. Until no child goes up into the shadows of prison walls anymore. (The speaker concluded in a non-official language.)

Victor Negrescu (S&D). – Domnule președinte, să cumpărăm local, să susținem producătorii și fermierii – asta spuneam în urmă cu câțiva ani, tot aici, în Parlamentul European. Între timp, am promovat o petiție aprobată de legislativul european, am interpelat comisia, am amendat legislația, am obținut fonduri europene suplimentare pentru fermierii și producătorii români și am îmbunătățit drepturile lucrătorilor din supermarketuri și ale celor care lucrează pentru platformele online.

Extremiștii din România tăceau atunci și făceau cumpărături în magazine de lux. Nici acum nu vin cu vreo soluție viabilă, copiind și suindu-se pe un trend european pe care nici măcar nu îl înțeleg. Dincolo de gălăgia eurosugativelor suveraniste, avem responsabilitatea să ne concentrăm pe soluții: mai puțini intermediari, accesul micilor producători în supermarketuri, fără taxe de raft, susținerea brandurilor locale, mai puțină birocrație și subvenții mai mari pentru fermieri.

Doar prin măsuri comune la nivel european putem să sprijinim micii fermieri. Să nu abordăm acest subiect cu populism! Să ne concentrăm pe soluții reale pentru oameni!

Rody Tolassy (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, Haïti sombre dans le chaos absolu. Cinq mille morts en un an, des corps mutilés, brûlés, des massacres ciblés, un État en ruine, livré aux gangs, qui contrôlent 80 % de Port-au-Prince. Et pourtant, des milliards d’euros ont été investis pendant des décennies de coopération. Pour quel résultat? Éducation en lambeaux, insécurité alimentaire, dignité humaine piétinée. L’échec total.

Ce chaos déborde. Une bombe migratoire menace nos territoires et tout le bassin caribéen. La pression devient insoutenable. L’Union européenne peut-elle cautionner, continuer de se cacher derrière des discours creux et des programmes inefficaces? Où sont les résultats? Quelles actions concrètes allons-nous prendre pour garantir la sécurité et la survie du peuple haïtien?

Nous devons rompre avec cette logique d’échec. Exigeons des résultats immédiats de la mission multinationale et agissons. Une mission de codéveloppement immédiate est indispensable pour stabiliser Haïti et lui offrir un avenir.

L’heure est à l’action, pas au constat.

Jaume Asens Llodrà (Verts/ALE). – Señor presidente, este fin de semana en Madrid ha habido un cónclave de ultras, lo mejor de cada casa de la internacional reaccionaria. También se ha emitido una serie documental de una periodista, Mònica Terribas, sobre el Opus Dei, organización a la que muchos de ellos pertenecen. ¿Y qué relación tiene una cosa con la otra? Pues que mientras en su particular cruzada religiosa contra las comunidades musulmanas han puesto otra vez el grito en el cielo contra estas, en cambio, han callado, no han dicho nada, frente a los abusos que ese documental ha puesto sobre la mesa: amenazas, coacciones, secuestros, explotación laboral y sexista, privación de la libertad, etcétera.

Ese es el modus operandi de una organización que actúa en más de sesenta países como una secta peligrosa, como una organización criminal, y desde Europa no podemos quedarnos callados: debemos actuar y dar protección a las víctimas, que puedan ejercer su derecho a la verdad, a la reparación y a la justicia, como hicieron los menores abusados sexualmente por la Iglesia católica.

Carola Rackete (The Left). – Herr Präsident! Vor sieben Monaten hat das Berliner Kammergericht eine Person, Maja T., nach Ungarn ausgeliefert, und letzte Woche hat dann das Bundesverfassungsgericht Majas Beschwerde darüber stattgegeben und festgehalten, dass die Auslieferung ein schwerwiegender Eingriff in Majas Grundrecht ist, der immer noch andauert. Explizit genannt wurde in der Begründung die unmenschliche Behandlung in Ungarn, die gegen die EU-Grundrechtecharta verstößt. Frankreich und Italien haben sich in ähnlichen Fällen gegen Auslieferungen nach Ungarn entschieden.

Maja T. ist seit sieben Monaten in Isolationshaft, und schon 15 Tage sind laut UN Folter. In der Zelle gibt es Kakerlaken und Bettwanzen. Die Dokumente für das Gerichtsverfahren wurden nicht übersetzt. Ich selbst habe Maja schon zweimal besucht, und auch die Justizbeamten haben mir gesagt, dass die Haftbedingungen von oben angeordnet wurden – und zwar, denke ich, weil Maja eine antifaschistisch motivierte Tat vorgeworfen wird. Die Forderung von 24 Jahren Haft ist ebenfalls politisch.

Ich fordere alle europäischen Mitgliedstaaten auf, keine Menschen mehr nach Ungarn auszuliefern, denn wir wissen ja, wie die Haftbedingungen dort sind. Die deutsche Bundesregierung fordere ich auf, Maja T. so schnell wie möglich zurückzuholen.

Δημήτρης Τσιόδρας (PPE). – Κύριε Πρόεδρε, όλοι αναγνωρίζουμε ότι ζούμε σε ένα καινούργιο γεωπολιτικό και οικονομικό περιβάλλον. Επίσης, συζητάμε για τις μεγάλες προκλήσεις. Παράλληλα, όμως, θα πρέπει να δούμε και τις ευκαιρίες. Η Ευρώπη πορεύτηκε πάντα μέσα από δυσκολίες.

Είναι ευκαιρία, λοιπόν, για κοινές πολιτικές. Να δώσουμε απαντήσεις στα ερωτήματα των πολιτών. Γιατί, όσο δεν δίνουν αυτές τις απαντήσεις οι φιλοευρωπαϊκές δυνάμεις, δίνουμε τον χώρο σε ακραίες φωνές, οι οποίες θέλουν επιστροφή στο παρελθόν.

Πρέπει να δούμε πρώτα από όλα το ζήτημα της ασφάλειας και της άμυνας. Πρέπει οι Ευρωπαίοι πολίτες να αισθάνονται ασφαλείς. Πρέπει να νιώθουν ότι υπάρχουν κοινά ευρωπαϊκά σύνορα, τα οποία προστατεύονται. Πρέπει να υπάρχει κοινή δέσμευση στην άμυνα και παράλληλα να νιώθουν ότι, με τις πολιτικές που εφαρμόζονται σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο, εξασφαλίζεται ένα καλύτερο μέλλον για αυτούς και τα παιδιά τους. Οι καιροί δεν περιμένουν και είναι η ώρα να δράσουμε αποφασιστικά τώρα.

Maria Grapini (S&D). – Domnule președinte, doamnă comisară, politica energetică pe care a făcut-o Comisia Europeană – nu dumneavoastră, cea care a fost – este dezastruoasă. Efectele asupra competitivității, mai ales pentru întreprinderile mici și mijlocii, se văd acum. Doamna comisară, vă propun să discutați în Colegiul comisarilor, să faceți o adevărată politică energetică.

Nu se poate să închidem întâi producerea de energie, înainte de a avea alternativă. Și este clar că s-a intrat în criză. Atât timp cât întreprinderile din Uniunea Europeană plătesc de trei, patru ori mai mult prețul energiei decât cele din Statele Unite sau din Asia, evident că nu mai sunt competitive, evident că sunt într-o competiție inegală, evident că sunt scoase din piață.

Așadar, politica energetică a Uniunii Europene trebuie făcută în sensul susținerii producției industriale. Avem un program de reindustrializare a Uniunii Europene. Cum să-l facem cu aceste costuri? Cel care face producție știe că inputurile sunt importante pentru prețul final. Sper, de la această Comisie, că într-adevăr – din păcate, avem același dirijor, pe același președinte al Comisiei – dar sper să puneți, într-adevăr, o strategie energetică pentru a crește competitivitatea Uniunii Europene.

Isabella Tovaglieri (PfE). – Signor Presidente, onorevoli colleghi, l’industria dell’auto sta morendo sotto i colpi dell’estremismo green della Commissione europea e i responsabili sono seduti qui in quest’Aula.

Invece di fare marcia indietro, però, vi siete inventati il dialogo strategico sull’automotive, che altro non è che fumo negli occhi e voi ne siete i primi ad essere consapevoli. Riunioni avvolte nella nebbia, lontane da occhi indiscreti, nessuna agenda pubblica, nessun obiettivo preciso. E come finirà? Ve lo dico io: in chiacchiere da bar, che servono solo a pulirvi la coscienza, più che a dare risposte concrete a uno dei settori più strategici dell’industria europea, che voi avete messo in ginocchio.

Invece di tante inutili conferenze e riunioni segrete, fate l’unica cosa che vi chiedono i cittadini europei: cancellate lo stop ai motori tradizionali al 2035, mettete fine alla stagione dell’ideologia green e diamo inizio a quella del pragmatismo.

Andi Cristea (S&D). – Domnule președinte, tehnologia informațională accelerează până la derapaje toate procesele sociale, politice, economice, cu care noi suntem obișnuiți. Ăsta este motivul pentru care astăzi, în același timp, lucrurile sunt mult mai bune decât erau în trecut, dar și mult mai rele.

Domnule președinte, avem nevoie să echipăm cetățenii europeni cu modele mentale, cu instrumente cognitive care să le ofere posibilitatea să navigheze cu succes acest nou mediu informațional.

Propunerea mea pentru Comisia Europeană și îndemnul meu este să folosim bani europeni, pentru programe europene de alfabetizare digitală, alfabetizare tehnologică și alfabetizare media – sunt singurele modalități prin care vom avea cetățeni pregătiți pentru ziua de mâine. Acesta este apelul meu și vă îndemn să acționați!

Virginie Joron (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, chers collègues, grâce à Donald Trump, nous apprenons que la BBC est financée par les Américains, mais aussi par Bruxelles: 1,3 million de livres en 2023. Un chiffre invisible dans le système de transparence financière de la Commission, qui indique 39 millions d’euros payés à la chaîne anglaise depuis 2014.

Pourquoi Bruxelles finance des médias? Est-ce que Reactive, un média europhile, peut critiquer la Commission s’il reçoit 36 millions d’euros de la part de la Commission?

Pourquoi financer des médias étrangers?

Pourquoi financer Internews, dont personne n’a jamais entendu parler, qui reçoit de l’argent de M. Soros ou de lobbys des vaccins? À Paris, leur bureau rue Jeanne d’Arc est désert. Pourtant, Bruxelles leur aurait versé 72 millions d’euros et les Américains, via USAID, près d’un demi-milliard de dollars. Sa présidente gagnerait près de 400 000 dollars par an et, l’année dernière, à Davos, elle a recommandé de démonétiser des sites d’information en développant des listes d’exclusion de publicités.

La Commission doit nous expliquer et surtout doit cesser ces subventions occultes de contrôle des médias et de corruption potentielle.

Juan Fernando López Aguilar (S&D). – Señor presidente, cada semana que transcurre continúan llegando a Canarias esas embarcaciones frágiles, repletas de personas desesperadas que provienen del continente africano. Canarias es Unión Europea, pero continúan llegando también al Caribe las embarcaciones repletas de cadáveres de aquellos desdichados que no lo consiguieron.

Y la lección de tanta tragedia es imperativa: urge que la Comisión acelere la plena aplicación de todas las leyes obligatorias para los Estados miembros que componen el Pacto sobre Migración y Asilo y, particularmente, que acelere la puesta en marcha del coordinador de la UE para la solidaridad, que permita una redistribución ordenada, justa, equitativa y solidaria de aquellas personas en situación muy vulnerable: mujeres con menores, mujeres víctimas de trata y de explotación de personas, y menores no acompañados, que requieren también en España solidaridad, impedida hasta la fecha por la oposición de la derecha.

Urge una reforma legal que la haga posible, pero sobre todo urge que la Comisión exija a todos los Estados miembros el cumplimiento de sus obligaciones con el Pacto y diga con claridad que no es admisible que un jefe de Gobierno —como hemos oído esta semana a Donald Tusk en Polonia— diga que no va a aplicar el Pacto sobre Migración y Asilo, como si ignorase que el Derecho europeo es obligatorio en su primacía y en su eficacia directa para todos los Estados miembros.

Valérie Deloge (PfE). – Monsieur le Président, un nouveau scandale éclabousse les institutions européennes. La Commission européenne a financé des ONG dites environnementales pour faire pression en faveur du pacte vert. Ce green deal, symbole de l’écologie punitive, veut imposer plus de normes, restreindre les agriculteurs et les entreprises et interdire les moteurs thermiques en 2035.

Des millions d’euros d’argent public ont été utilisés via le programme LIFE et distribués à des lobbies. Objectif: influencer les décisions du Parlement européen et les députés, manipuler les débats et durcir la législation verte.

Le commissaire à l’agriculture, M. Hansen, incarne cette dérive. Chargé de préparer une vision sur l’agriculture et l’alimentation, il consulte Greenpeace, WWF, BirdLife. Mais où sont les agriculteurs? Qui écoute ceux qui nous nourrissent?

Pendant que ces groupes dictent la politique agricole, les vrais acteurs de terrain sont méprisés, ignorés. L’Europe n’a pas à être gouvernée par des lobbies qui ne produisent rien, mais qui veulent tout contrôler. Les amis de Mme Von Der Leyen, qui n’ont jamais semé un grain de blé, ni produit un litre de lait, n’ont pas à nous imposer leur utopie.

Ce scandale rappelle d’autres affaires, comme le Qatargate ou les financements troubles d’associations islamistes proches des Frères musulmans. Stop, Bruxelles doit rendre des comptes! Le Parquet européen ainsi que les autorités antifraude doivent faire toute la lumière sur ces affaires. Nous ne lâcherons rien.

Gabriela Firea (S&D). – Domnule președinte, dragi colegi, în România este cutremur politic. Președintele României și-a dat demisia și avem mai bine de trei luni de când agenda publică este ocupată doar de incertitudine. Însă nu trebuie să uităm adevăratul cutremur, mișcare telurică, ce ne poate lovi oricând.

Nu vreau să induc panică, dar este un avertisment al specialiștilor: 7 din 10 români trăiesc în zone cu pericol seismic. Sunt copii care învață în școli nesigure, familii care dorm în blocuri fragile, pacienți care merg să se trateze în spitale pericol public. Și totuși, în ultimii 5 ani, în România și în București, unul dintre cele mai expuse orașe, aproape nimic nu s-a consolidat. În martie se împlinesc 48 de ani de la ultimul mare cutremur.

Da, există un miliard de euro alocat, dar acești bani acoperă doar 55 de clădiri, adică doar 5 % din necesar. Birocrația sufocă măsuri vitale. Fondurile europene sunt insuficient folosite. Și să nu uităm cel mai important lucru: acești bani nu sunt pentru beton și pentru pereți, sunt pentru a proteja oamenii, sunt pentru viață.

De aceea, fac un apel clar: Europa, care și-a asumat protecția cetățenilor săi, trebuie să acționeze acum: fonduri suplimentare, mecanisme simple, prevenție reală, iar autoritățile locale să folosească la maximum resursele financiare ale Uniunii Europene!

17. Agenda of the next sitting

El presidente. – La próxima sesión tendrá lugar mañana, martes 11 de febrero de 2025, a las 9.00 horas.

El orden del día se ha publicado y está disponible en el sitio web del Parlamento Europeo.

18. Approval of the minutes of the sitting

El presidente. – El Acta de la presente sesión se someterá a la aprobación del Parlamento mañana al comienzo de la tarde.

19. Closure of the sitting

(Se levanta la sesión a las 22.08 horas).

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 12, 2025

Category: Fisheries

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