Category: Internet

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Josh Stein Announces More NC Counties to Receive High-Speed Internet

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Josh Stein Announces More NC Counties to Receive High-Speed Internet

    Governor Josh Stein Announces More NC Counties to Receive High-Speed Internet
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, Governor Josh Stein announced more than $31 million in Completing Access to Broadband (CAB) program projects, which will connect 10,810 households and businesses in 14 counties to high-speed internet. 

    “No matter where you live in the state, you should have access to high-speed internet,” said Governor Josh Stein. “Broadband is critical to providing more economic opportunity to every corner of the state, and I am proud to create a stronger and more connected North Carolina for every person and small business owner.”

    “Thanks to these projects, North Carolinians across the state will be getting high-speed internet access so they can work, access online learning opportunities, participate in telehealth, and build a stronger state economy,” said NCDIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Teena Piccione. “We will continue to announce CAB project awards every two weeks throughout April in order to help connect more homes and businesses.”  

    These projects will be funded by more than $22.1 million from the federal American Rescue Plan, which is awarded by NCDIT, and by nearly $9.6 million from selected broadband providers:

    • Avery: SkyBest Communications, Inc. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 805 homes or businesses (99.38% of the county’s 810 eligible locations).
    • Beaufort: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 414 homes or businesses (92.83% of the county’s 446 eligible locations).
    • Buncombe: Frontier Communications of the Carolinas, LLC. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 132 homes or businesses (6.35% of the county’s 2,079 eligible locations).
    • Cumberland: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 496 homes or businesses (60.71% of the county’s 817 eligible locations).
    • Dare: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 20 homes or businesses (19.61% of the county’s 102 eligible locations).
    • Hyde: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 1,282 homes or businesses (95.25% of the county’s 1,346 eligible locations).
    • Jones: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 79 homes or businesses (49.38% of the county’s 160 eligible locations).
    • Nash: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 5,693 unserved and underserved homes or businesses (86.04% of the county’s 6,646 eligible locations).
    • Pamlico: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 100 homes or businesses (61.35% of the county’s 163 eligible locations).
    • Pasquotank: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 87 homes or businesses (84.47% of the county’s 103 eligible locations).
    • Swain: Zito West Holding, LLC (Zito Media). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 509 homes or businesses (42.74% of the county’s 1,191 eligible locations).
    • Transylvania: Citizens Telephone Company (Comporium Communications). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 473 homes or businesses (31.94% of the county’s 1,481 eligible locations).
    • Wake: Connect Holding II, LLC (Brightspeed). This award will provide high-speed internet access to 144 homes or businesses (11.51% of the county’s 1,251 eligible locations).
    • Yancey: French Broad Electric Membership Corporation. This award will provide high-speed internet access to 576 homes or businesses (80.67% of the county’s 714 eligible locations)

    The CAB program’s procurement process creates a partnership between counties and NCDIT to identify areas that need access and solicits proposals from prequalified internet service providers. Awardees must agree to provide high-speed service that reliably meets or exceeds speeds of 100 Mbps download and 100 Mbps upload.

    As part of Governor Josh Stein’s initiative to close the digital divide, these CAB program awards will be added in April to NCDIT’s dashboards, which show details and progress on programs funded by the federal American Rescue Plan Act. The awards add to the existing $516 million in Growing Rural Economies with Access to Technology (GREAT) grants, as well as previous CAB projects that will connect close to 190,000 North Carolina households and businesses to high-speed internet.

    For more information about the NCDIT Division of Broadband and Digital Opportunity, visit ncbroadband.gov.    

    Apr 1, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Receives 10 Nominations for the 29th Annual Webby Awards

    Source: NASA

    Since it began in 1958, NASA has been charged by law with spreading the word about its work to the widest extent practicable. From typewritten press releases to analog photos and film, the agency has effectively moved into social media and other online communications. NASA’s broad reach across digital platforms has been recognized by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS), with 10 nominations across multiple categories for the academy’s 29th annual Webby Awards.

    Michelle R. Jones
    Acting Associate Administrator for Communications

    Public Voting Opportunities
    Voting for the Webby People’s Voice Awards—chosen by the public—is open now through Thursday, April 17. Voting links for each category are listed below.

    29th Annual Webby Award Nominees
    AI, Immersive & Games
    NASA’s Snap It! An Eclipse Photo AdventureNASAKids and Family
    Social
    NASA InstagramNASAEducation and Science
    Matt Dominick’s X Account: A Visual Journey from SpaceNASA, LeidosBest Photography & Design
    NASA’s 2024 Total Solar Eclipse CampaignNASAEvents and Live streams
    NASA’s Webb Telescope: Unfolding a Universe of WondersNASA GoddardEducation and Science
    Video & Film
    2024 Total Solar Eclipse: Through the Eyes of NASANASA, LeidosEvents and Live
    NASA Streams Historic Cat Video From Deep SpaceNASA’s Jet Propulsion LaboratoryEvents and Live streams
    Websites & Mobile Sites
    NASA WebsiteNASAGovernment & Associations
    NASA+ Streaming ServiceNASATelevision, Film & Streaming
    NASA NewsletterNASABusiness, News and Technology

    About the Webby Awards
    Established in 1996 during the web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the IADAS—a 3000+ member judging body. The Academy is comprised of Executive Members—leading Internet experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries, and creative celebrities—and associate members who are former Webby winners, nominees and other internet professionals.
    The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category—the Webby Award and the Webby People’s Voice Award. Members of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS) select the nominees for both awards in each category, as well as the winners of the Webby Awards. In the spirit of the open web, the Webby People’s Voice is chosen by the voting public, and garners millions of votes from all over the world.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bemidji Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Advertising, Distributing Images of Child Sexual Abuse Over the Dark Web

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ST. PAUL, Minn. – Craig James Myran, a Bemidji man, was sentenced today to 262 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for his involvement with a site on the dark web dedicated to the advertisement and distribution of images and videos depicting child sexual abuse and his possession of similar material in his apartment.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Craig James Myran, 47, of Bemidji, Minnesota, was an active participant on a site on the dark web that was dedicated to discussing and trafficking in child sexual abuse material.  For years, he used an account with a unique username to make over a thousand posts in which he shared images of child sexual abuse on the site. In at least one post, Myran requested specific files of known child sexual abuse material from other users. And in another post, he advertised over 100 images depicting the sadomasochistic sexual abuse of two prepubescent minors.  FBI special agents executed a search warrant on Myran’s apartment in Bemidji on Dec. 8, 2022, where they found numerous hard drives and a cell phone. Forensic analysis of these devices uncovered evidence establishing that Myran was the user of this unique account on the dark web site — including files of the child sexual abuse material that he shared and requested on the website, as well as a message directed to his unique alias — and thousands of other images of child sexual abuse material.

    According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Myran’s sexual exploitation of minors was not limited to his activity on this particular dark-web site. He was simultaneously an active participant on multiple other dark-web sites dedicated to trafficking in child sexual abuse material and reported that he previously produced his own child sexual abuse material by screen-recording minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct during online webcam interactions.  
    On Nov. 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Myran for advertising, distributing, and possessing material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Judge Eric C. Tostrud.  In handing down the sentence, Judge Tostrud remarked, “The defendant’s crimes reflected disregard for the victims’ humanity.  He treated society’s most vulnerable victims, young children, as sex objects and nothing more.”  Judge Tostrud added that Myran’s “crimes were far from impulsive.  He did not stumble onto the dark web by accident. He used it in an effort to conceal his activities, because he knew what he was doing was very wrong.” Judge Tostrud concluded that Myran’s “depraved mind” and his “refusal to accept any responsibility” for his crimes created a “serious need to protect the public.”

    “Crimes involving the sexual abuse of children are incalculably serious,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Lisa D. Kirkpatrick.  “For decades, believing he was protected by the dark web’s cloak of anonymity, Myran proudly trafficked in child sexual abuse material. He was deeply enmeshed in dark-web communities —sprawling criminal enterprises and flourishing online communities where offenders from around the world gather to normalize and encourage their sexual interest in children. This depraved behavior is sick, it is wrong, and it is not acceptable in Minnesota.”

    The case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Minneapolis Field Office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green for the District of Minnesota and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: India – Chile Joint Statement (April 01, 2025)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 6:11PM by PIB Delhi

    At the invitation of Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, the President of the Republic of Chile, H.E. Mr. Gabriel Boric Font is on a State visit to India from 1-5 April, 2025, commemorating the completion of 76 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries. President Boric is accompanied by Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Mining, Women and Gender Equality and Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Members of Parliament, Senior Officials and a large number of business leaders. Apart from New Delhi, President Boric will visit Agra, Mumbai and Bengaluru. This is the first visit of President Boric to India. Both President Boric and Prime Minister Modi had first met on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November 2024.

    President Boric was accorded a warm and ceremonial welcome on arrival at Air Force Station Palam. Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with President Boric at Hyderabad House on 1 April 2025. He met President Droupadi Murmu who also hosted a Banquet in his honour and his accompanying delegation. Dr S Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India called on President Boric.

    President Boric and Prime Minister Modi recalled the historic diplomatic ties that were established in 1949, growing trade linkages, people-to-people linkages, cultural ties and also the warm and cordial bilateral relations between both countries. They expressed desire for further expanding and deepening of the multifaceted relationship between the two countries in all areas of mutual interests.

    During their meeting, the two leaders comprehensively reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations spanning a wide range of sectors, including trade and investment, health and pharmaceuticals, defence and security, infrastructure, mining and mineral resources, agriculture and food security, green energy, ICT, digitization, innovation, disaster management, cooperation in science and technology, education and people-to-people linkages. The two sides agreed to continue regular exchanges at various levels to give further momentum to the bilateral relationship.

    The two leaders noted that trade and commerce has been a strong pillar of the bilateral relations. While highlighting the positive effects generated by the expansion of the India-Chile Preferential Trade Agreement in May 2017, which has resulted in substantial increase in bilateral trade, the two leaders emphasized the need for further strengthening of bilateral trade mechanisms that could open new opportunities for expansion of bilateral trade. The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the recent increase in visits of business delegations from both sides, which is strengthening trade and economic relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Modi thanked President Boric for bringing in a large business delegation, which will help in intensifying business interaction between the two countries. Both agreed to continue the discussions for further enhancement of the trade relations.

    President Boric conveyed that India is a priority partner for Chile in the global economy and stressed the need to explore strategies for enhanced and diversified trade between the two countries. The President and the Prime Minister acknowledged signing of the mutually agreed Terms of Reference and welcomed the launch of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) negotiations for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive, and mutually beneficial agreement to achieve a deeper economic integration. The CEPA will aim at unlocking the full potential of the trade and commercial relationship between India and Chile, boosting employment, bilateral trade, and economic growth.

    To further promote trade relations as well as people-to-people interactions, President Boric announced Chile’s decision to grant a Multiple Entry Permit for Indian businesspersons which will streamline the visa process. Prime Minister Modi welcomed and valued this measure, as it reflects the willingness of both parties to facilitate trade and investment and the shared commitment to deepening bilateral relations between Chile and India. Acknowledging the people-to-people linkages as an important pillar to promote bilateral ties and to facilitate business, tourism, student and academic exchanges, Indian side has already put in place a flexible visa regime, including by extending e-visa facility for Chilean travellers to India.

    Both leaders recognised the strategic importance of critical minerals for emerging technologies, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy transitions, both leaders agreed to accelerate collaboration in exploration, mining and processing along with research and development to promote investment across the entire critical mineral value chain for mutual benefit. They stressed on the need for building trusted and resilient supply chains including for critical minerals and advanced materials. The two sides agreed to work together on initiatives to strengthen supply chains and local value chains by fostering mutually beneficial partnerships and understandings in mining and minerals, including the possibility of long-term supply of minerals and materials from Chile to India.

    Both leaders agreed to explore the opening up of new avenues for cooperation in health and pharmaceuticals, space, ICT, agriculture, green energy, traditional medicine, Antarctica, Science & Technology, management of natural disasters, sports, Startups, cooperatives, and audiovisual co-production, through the exchange of experiences and good practices among the agencies responsible for these matters.

    President Boric acknowledged the role of the Indian pharmaceutical industry as one of the world leaders, and an important partner for Chile in the supply of affordable and high-quality products. Both sides agreed to facilitate private sectors of the two countries to increase trade in pharmaceuticals, vaccines, and medical devices. Both sides agreed to work on enhancing cooperation in healthcare and pharmaceuticals sectors and address market access issues for Indian pharmaceuticals, as well as advancing in the recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia by Chile.

    The two leaders noted the importance of traditional medicines and Yoga in preserving health and wellbeing of people and directed their officials for an early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding on Traditional Medicines to promote a more sustainable lifestyle. Towards this, both countries agreed to collaborate and intensify the promotion and use of evidence-based, integrative, Traditional Medicine, Homeopathy, and Yoga by signing an MoU.

    Both sides agreed to work on promoting investments in infrastructure projects in each other’s countries. Chilean side welcomed Indian companies to participate in infrastructure projects including in railway sector.

    The two leaders encouraged the two sides to work together to explore substantial areas for bilateral defence cooperation, including capacity building and defence industrial collaboration. Both agreed to share knowledge in developing and enhancing each other’s capabilities under the existing formal defence cooperation agreement in place. Indian side highlighted that Chile has been kept on priority while offering opportunities in training at Defence Services Staff College, NDC, NDA and HDMC, apart from slots for specialised courses in mountain warfare and peacekeeping operations previously made available. Indian side expressed its desire to receive and train Chilean military in areas of mutual interests.

    Both leaders expressed their happiness on signing of the Letter of Intent to strengthen existing Antarctic cooperation, which will further facilitate partnership in Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources agendas bilateral dialogues, joint initiatives and academic exchanges related to Antarctica and Antarctic policy. Both India and Chile are Consultative Parties to the Antarctic Treaty and reaffirmed their commitment to deepen scientific understanding of Antarctic for the benefit of both parties and the global community.

    The two sides welcomed the adoption and opening for signature of the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ), as a key legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction and reiterated the resolve of their respective countries to preserve, protect and promote biodiversity, from land to sea, and agreed to work together and support each other in international forums dealing with these issues. Both countries reaffirmed their intention to strengthen a vision from the Global South in multilateralism, through cooperation and joint efforts, based on the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and the right to development.

    Recalling the two countries’ decades-long partnership in space, the two leaders noted the ongoing engagements in the space sector between the two countries, including the launching of a satellite belonging to Chile (SUCHAI-1) by India in 2017 as a co-passenger under a commercial arrangement. Both leaders emphasized the importance of further cooperation to promote training and capacity building and research in space and astrophysics. In this regard, they welcomed the constitution of Space Executive Committee by Chile to work on cooperation including in the areas of exploration in space, R&D, training, satellite building, launch and operation and peaceful use of outer space with ISRO, IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) and Startups.

    Both leaders noted their respective dynamic information and digital technology sectors and stressed the need to explore synergies to enhance cooperation in this field. They expressed mutual interest in growth of investment, joint ventures, technological development and markets in the IT and digital space, including promoting collaboration in Digital Public Infrastructures (DPI), thereby democratizing access to digital services for people and businesses. Both leaders acknowledged the efforts by the two sides in exploring early implementation of cooperation in the digital payments sectors. They committed to work for developing closer cooperation between the vibrant Startup ecosystems of the two countries. Both leaders expressed their desire for advancing on signing of an understanding on cooperation in the areas of Digital Transformation to facilitate deeper engagement between tech communities of both countries.

    The leaders reaffirmed their commitment to reformed multilateralism and for comprehensive reforms of the UN Security Council, including its expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership to make it more representative, accountable, transparent, inclusive and effective, reflecting the geopolitical realities of the 21st Century. The Chilean side reiterated its support for India’s candidature for a permanent membership in a reformed and expanded UN Security Council. The two sides agreed to work together for promotion of democratic principles and human rights to strengthen the world peace stressing the importance of resolving all disputes through peaceful dialogue.

    Both leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross border terrorism and shared their resolve to stand together in common fight against global terrorism. They agreed that terrorism must be combated through concerted global actions.

    The two leaders called upon all UN member countries to implement the UNSC Resolution 1267 and work towards eliminating terrorist safe havens and infrastructure and disrupt terrorist networks and all terror financing channels. Both reiterated their commitment to work together in Financial Action Task Force (FATF), No Money For Terror (NMFT) and other multilateral platforms to combat terrorism. The two leaders also reiterated the importance of early finalization of Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.

    The two leaders committed themselves to the vision of a rules-based international order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, ensures freedom of navigation and overflight as well as unimpeded lawful commerce, and that seeks peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, notably the UNCLOS.

    Prime Minister Modi appreciated the participation of Chile in all the three editions of the “Voice of Global South” Summits, reflecting the commitment in bringing together countries of the Global South to share their development perspectives and priorities. Prime Minister Modi thanked President Boric for sharing his valuable perspectives and ideas at the 3rd Voice of Global South Summit held in August 2024 and noted that both countries have strong convergence on several contemporary global issues, including on the need for effective global governance reforms and equitable access for Global South countries to clean and green technologies. President Boric welcomed India’s leadership in strengthening engagements between countries of Global South.

    President Boric appreciated India’s leadership in G20 which brought the development agenda to centre stage and acknowledged the transformative and inclusive role of technology, with a focus on unlocking the potential of digital public infrastructure (DPI). Both Leaders recognized that India’s G20 Presidency has championed Voice of the Global South by bringing to fore key initiatives and outcomes, such as inclusion of African Union in G20, promotion of Lifestyles for sustainable development (LiFE), advancements in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), reforms of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) and focus on women-led development. In this regard, and with the aim of promoting greater integration and representativeness within the G20, India will support the inclusion of Chile and Latin American countries in the discussions as G20′ guest countries.

    The two sides recognized the challenges for their economies presented by climate change and the transition to low emissions climate resilient economies. Accordingly, they expressed keen desire to promote clean energy and sustainable development through development of more efficient energy technologies. The two leaders called for increased joint investments in renewable energy, green hydrogen, utilization and storage technologies, energy efficiency, and other low-carbon solutions that will have the potential to accelerate sustainable economic growth and foster job creation.

    President Boric welcomed India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and reiterated strong support as a member since November 2023. Prime Minister Modi appreciated Chile joining the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) in January 2021 aiming to make systems and infrastructure resilient to achieve the objectives of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Additionally, both leaders valued Chile’s offer of hosting the 7th Meeting of the ISA Regional Committee for Latin America and the Caribbean.

    Recognizing the growing significance of technology enabled learning solutions, skills development, and institutional capacity building, India and Chile reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation in these areas. Both countries have agreed to facilitate partnerships between EdCIL (India) Limited and key Chilean institutions, including the Council of Rectors of Chilean Universities (CRUCH), the Chilean Ministry of Education, and technical training centres (CFTs), thereby focusing on digital learning, research exchanges, smart education infrastructure, and vocational training programs, leveraging the strengths of both nations to drive innovation and knowledge-sharing in education.

    Prime Minister Modi, highlighting the transformational changes taking place in education sector in India under National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, encouraged leading Chilean universities to strengthen academic and research partnerships with Indian institutions and build institutional linkages through joint/dual degree and twinning arrangements. Given mutual strengths of both countries in astronomy and astrophysics, both leaders agreed to strengthen institutional engagements in these domains. The two leaders welcomed the proposal for establishment of an ICCR Chair on Indian Studies in one of the universities in Chile and directed the officials to examine the feasibility for an early implementation.

    Both leaders welcomed the ongoing cooperation in training and capacity building in the field of diplomacy and noted the potential for further enhancement for cooperation in this area, in line with global diplomatic endeavours and new technology making diplomacy more efficient.

    The two leaders acknowledged the role of cultural ties in bringing the people of the two countries closer to each other. They lauded the rich and diverse cultural heritage of India and Chile and appreciated the long-standing cultural exchanges between the two nations. The leaders applauded the growing interest in the study of the cultures and languages in both countries with Spanish being among the popular foreign languages in India. They stressed the mutual interest in further strengthening India – Chile cultural cooperation and the reinforcement of cooperation among cultural institutions of the two countries. They welcomed the signing of new Cultural Exchange Program to promote bilateral exchanges in music, dance, theatre, literature, museums and festivals.

    The two leaders expressed satisfaction on the progress made to finalise the agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters which will lead to strengthening linkages between the relevant agencies to counter illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and, in general, to investigate, prevent and suppress contraventions of Customs laws, as well as sharing of best practices and capacity building. They also welcomed the efforts by two sides to sign an agreement on cooperation in the disability sector which would contribute to a more humane and just society where no one is left behind. The two leaders directed their officials to conclude these documents at an early date.

    Both leaders agreed on the importance of maintaining regular interaction on matters of mutual interest. They reiterated their willingness to build on opportunities to promote and expand the bonds of cooperation and understanding that characterizes the bilateral relationship.

    President Gabriel Boric thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for warmth and hospitality accorded to him and his delegation during the visit and invited him to pay an official visit to Chile at a mutually convenient time.

    *****

    MJPS/SR/BM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Competition Commission of India (CCI) approves acquisition of additional voting rights by certain shareholders of Billionbrains Garage Ventures Private Limited (Groww) and issuance of bonus compulsorily convertible preference shares to all existing equity shareholders of Groww

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 6:31PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of additional voting rights by certain shareholders of Billionbrains Garage Ventures Private Limited (Groww) and issuance of bonus compulsorily convertible preference shares to all existing equity shareholders of Groww.

    The Proposed Combination comprises of: (i) collapse of the differential voting rights held by the Founders of Groww; and (ii) the bonus compulsorily convertible preference shares to be issued to all existing equity shareholders of Groww (namely Peak XV Partners Investments VI-1, Ribbit Capital V L.P., Ribbit Cayman GW Holdings V, Ltd., and GW-E Ribbit Opportunity V, LLC, YCCG21, L.P., and YC Holdings II, LLC, Internet Fund VI Pte. Ltd., ICONIQ Strategic Partners VI, L.P. and ICONIQ Strategic Partners VI-B, L.P. and Founders of Groww).

    Peak XV Partners Investments VI-1 is an investment fund of Peak XV Partners, a venture capital and growth investing firm primarily focused on investing in startups in India and South East Asia region.

    Ribbit Capital V L.P., Ribbit Cayman GW Holdings V, Ltd., and GW-E Ribbit Opportunity V, LLC (collectively, Ribbit) is a global investment organization that invests in early-stage companies.

    YCCG21, L.P., and YC Holdings II, LLC (collectively, YC) is a startup accelerator and early-stage venture investor.

    Internet Fund VI Pte. Ltd. (Tiger Global) is held by funds ultimately managed by Tiger Global Management, LLC and is primarily an investment holding company.

    ICONIQ Strategic Partners VI, L.P. and ICONIQ Strategic Partners VI-B, L.P. (collectively referred to as ICONIQ) are private equity funds managed by ICONIQ Strategic Management, LLC.

    Groww, through its affiliates, operates an online trading platform and mobile application called “Groww”, which inter alia allows investors to invest in stocks, mutual funds and other financial instruments. Groww, through its affiliates, also has its own asset management business (as a mutual fund house).

    Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

    *****

     NB/AD

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Sets New Benchmarks in FY 2024-25

    Source: Government of India

    Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) Sets New Benchmarks in FY 2024-25

    A Year of Historic Achievements and Transformation

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 9:16PM by PIB Delhi

    Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), a key subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), has delivered an extraordinary performance in FY 2024-25, achieving unprecedented milestones in coal production, financial success, sustainability, and social responsibility. With record-breaking operational feats, cutting-edge digital innovations, and a bold commitment to clean energy and community welfare, BCCL reaffirms its key position in India’s coal sector.

                                       

    Unmatched Production and Operational Excellence 

    BCCL has rewritten its history with highest-ever coal production in the 4th quarter (11.44 million tonnes) and March 2025 (4.33 million tonnes) since inception. The company also recorded its highest-ever overburden removal (181.30 million cubic meters) and second-highest annual coal production (40.50 million tonnes), despite facing the heaviest rainfall in 50 years (1747 mm). Offtake reached a second-highest-ever 38.25 million tonnes, bolstered by a 6% growth in rail dispatch, even with high coal stocks at powerhouses. Underground coal production surged by an impressive 49% over last year, while 16 new hired patches were identified this year with a capacity of 13.30 million tonnes annually, out of which 7.0 million tonnes were awarded. For the first time, coal production under the Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) mode commenced at NTST-Kujama, Lodna Area, in April 2024. Additionally, grade confirmation through third-party sampling stood at 94%, exceeding the Ministry of Coal’s 90% guideline.

    Financial Achievements

    BCCL paid its maiden dividend of ₹ 44.43 crore to CIL on August 5, 2024. This milestone follows BCCL’s achievement of clearing its accumulated losses. The company achieved its highest-ever scrap sale of ₹ 18.01 crore. BCCL secured an income tax refund of ₹ 104 crores (₹ 63.87 crore principal, and ₹ 40.12 crore interest), and the company also paid the highest income tax of ₹406.00 crores in the last 10 years. BCCL also exceeded its CAPEX target for the fourth consecutive year, achieving ₹ 1,100 crore against ₹ 1,000 crore. At the same time, GeM procurement soared to ₹ 4,155.83 crore (136% of the ₹ 3,060 crore target), including ₹ 68.06 crore for heavy machinery and ₹ 120.47 crore for IT initiatives.

    Washery Innovation and Monetization 

    BCCL’s washeries set new records. Raw coal feed reached 56 lakh tonnes (highest in 25 years, up 15%), and washed coal supply to the steel sector peaked at 17.02 lakh tonnes (highest in 20 years, up 16%). By-product disposal excelled with washery rejects at 8.67 lakh tonnes (up 77%) and washed power coal at 28.95 lakh tonnes (up 5%). Pioneering India’s first ever coal washery monetization, BCCL leased old & idle Dugdha Washery (2.0 MTPA) for ₹ 762 crore over 25 years. Also, RFP issued for monetization of Sudamdih Washery (1.6 MTPA) on March 28, 2025.

    Digital Transformation and Operational Efficiency 

    One of the leading CIL subsidiaries, BCCL, implemented the SAP BG module, saving ₹ 86 lakh in upkeep allowances. Its in-house team developed ground-breaking ERP solutions, including the BPCL DDUs interface, alerts for sensitive posts and long absences, quarter management, integrated HEMM maintenance reports, and equipment transfer tracking. The Integrated Command Control Centre (ICCC) enhances e-security and surveillance, while automated road weighbridges with RFID-based boom barriers streamline operations. Digital pension claims processing achieved 99% PF claim settlements, boosting transparency.

    Sustainability and Net Zero Commitment 

    BCCL advanced its Net Zero goals with 4.088 MWp of rooftop solar power commissioned, work orders for 25 MW at Bhojudih and 20 MW at Dugdha washeries, and a tender for 2 MW more in Central Township. Energy efficiency measures include 100% LED lighting, energy-efficient ACs, 762 super fans, 45 efficient motors, and autotimer switches across its areas. The company strategically moved towards electric vehicles in its official transportation fleet, supported by an EV charging station at Koyla Bhawan, resulting in fuel saving of approximately 2.50 lacs per month as the running cost is less than ₹ 1/Km. In Coal Bed Methane (CBM), Jharia Block-I is under exploration with 5 core holes drilled, while Jharia Block-II’s feasibility report was approved.

    Environmental and Infrastructure Initiatives 

    BCCL planted 22 hectares over the degraded land and established two new eco-parks at Akashkinari (4.5 Ha) and Moonidih (0.9 Ha), adding 4 mechanical sweepers and 16 fog cannons to its fleet during the year. Infrastructure highlights include 21.69 MGD water supply via filter plants, and 8 km of PQC roads completed with 14 km under construction. Two bridges over Katri and Khudia rivers, upgrades to Nehru Complex, Jubilee Hall, and community halls, and hospital enhancements (including a new OPD at Central Hospital Dhanbad) underscore BCCL’s civil achievements.

    Land and Mine Re-Operationalization 

    BCCL paid ₹ 24.80 crore for government land transfers, acquired 14.23 acres of tenancy land for ₹ 25.86 crore, and provided employment to 6 individuals. It shifted 170 encroachers, vacated 2.245 acres, and uploaded 16,381.09 Ha of land data to the PM GatiShakti portal. For discontinued mines, BCCL signed an agreement for Amalabad Colliery to reopen with 6.2 MT production target over 25 years, with a lucrative 4.1% revenue sharing. Mining plans for 3 discontinued mines (ASGKCC, Madhuband & PB project) also approved, driving growth and development.

    Empowering People and Communities 

    BCCL’s CSR expenditure reached ₹ 21.89 crore (117% of the ₹ 18.76 crore target), training of 200 Project Affected Persons (PAPs) in petrochemical engineering (100% placement offered), 75 rural youth at MSME Tool Room, CTTC Kolkata with 100% placement offered, 150 in medical equipment, and 60 in fashion design (42 placed). BCCL installed smart classes & ICT labs in 79 schools in Dhanbad district (₹ 10.69 crore) and piloted STEM education in 5 schools. Welfare efforts included ₹ 66.98 lakh in fee reimbursements, ₹ 9.34 lakh in scholarships for 91 wards, and a harassment-free workplace for women. Medical upgrades featured a new DNB course, ICU expansion (8 to 16 beds), and a modular kitchen. BCCL recruited 77 Jr. Overmen and provided compassionate employment to 564 dependents during the year.

    A Vision for the Future 

    FY 2024-25 marks a transformative year for BCCL, blending record production, financial strength, and sustainable innovation. BCCL is committed to performing as a key player in effectively meeting India’s energy demands while building a brighter, greener future. With the installation of two heavy crushers (750 TPH each) in its Lodna Area, BCCL further strengthens the modern coal processing while corroborating its emphasis on better customer satisfaction and services. 

    BCCL’s stellar performance positions it as a vital player in the coal sector with a commitment to solidifying India’s energy and industry needs with sustainable growth.

     

    ****

     

    Sunil Kumar Tiwari

    (Release ID: 2117548) Visitor Counter : 112

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Global announces digitalisation grant for Montenegrin schools

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • Provided under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative Fund, the grant will enable the purchase of digital equipment for schools, supporting the Montenegro Education Programme.
    • The project will promote digital education and skills development to enhance youth employability and digital transformation, leading to higher productivity.
    • To date, EIB Global has invested €29 million in the Montenegrin education sector.

    At a ceremony held today at the European Investment Bank (EIB Global) headquarters in Luxemburg, EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot and Montenegro’s Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Anđela Jakšić Stojanović have signed a grant agreement for €2 million. The funding is earmarked for the purchase of digital equipment for Montenegrin schools, to improve learning conditions and digital literacy among students and teachers.

    Provided under the EIB’s donor-funded Economic Resilience Initiative Fund, the grant builds on previous investments by EIB Global in the Montenegro Education Programme to upgrade education infrastructure and services across the country. These include an €18 million EIB loan, an €11 million EU grant channelled through the Western Balkans Investment Framework, as well as a €2.5 million technical assistance grant under the Economic Resilience Initiative. The new digital equipment, coupled with teacher training and upskilling, is expected to promote the integration of digital tools in education and equitable access to digital learning resources for all pupils.

    EIB Vice-President Robert de Groot, who is responsible for operations in Montenegro, said: “As a long-standing partner of the Montenegrin Ministry of Education, we are pleased to be part of this latest initiative and to further support digitalization in schools. The new ICT equipment funded by this grant will increase digital usage and skills, broaden access to learning, and improve the overall learning environment. It will enhance access to quality education, contribute to youth employability, and lead to a future-ready workforce that meets market demands.”

    Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation of Montenegro Anđela Jakšić-Stojanović underlined that the acquisition of additional computer equipment creates a strong foundation for the digitalization of the educational process and enables young people to acquire the digital skills and competencies for the 21st century.

    “This agreement marks a significant milestone in enhancing the Montenegrin education system, greatly contributing to better learning conditions and the advancement of our students. Education is one of the pillars of every society, and the continuous improvement of its quality should be a priority at all levels.”, Minister Jakšić-Stojanović said.

    The grant will be used to purchase additional digital equipment for Montenegrin schools, including tablets, laptops, desktop computers, projectors and interactive whiteboards, as well as printers, scanners and servers. To date, EIB Global has invested €29 million in Montenegro’s education sector.

    Background information

    About EIB Global

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives.

    EIB Global is the EIB Group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, and a key partner of Global Gateway. We aim to support €100 billion of investment by the end of 2027 — around one-third of the overall target of this EU initiative. Within Team Europe, EIB Global fosters strong, focused partnerships alongside fellow development finance institutions and civil society. EIB Global brings the EIB Group closer to people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world. High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

    About the Economic Resilience Initiative Fund

    The Economic Resilience Initiative Fund, which backs this grant, was established by the EIB in 2017 to channel donors’ resources to impactful projects in the Southern Neighbourhood and Western Balkans to help meet the challenges posed by forced displacement and migration. The fund donors are Bulgaria, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Lithuania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland and the United Kingdom.

    About the EIB in Montenegro

    The EU bank has been an active partner of Montenegro, providing almost €1.1 billion in loans to the country, mostly in support of SMEs, education and transport infrastructure. For more information on EIB projects in Montenegro, visit https://www.eib.org/en/projects/regions/enlargement/the-western-balkans/montenegro/index.htm.

    About the EIB in the Western Balkans

    The EIB is one of the leading international financiers in the Western Balkans. For detailed information on the EIB’s activities in this region, visit www.eib.org/en/publications/the-eib-in-the-western-balkans.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Felon Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearms After Being Intercepted with Guns on Reinhardt University Campus

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ATLANTA – Joshua Timothy Rex has pleaded guilty to possession of two firearms by a convicted felon after law enforcement officers intercepted him on his way to confront a student on the campus of Reinhardt University.

    “Rex is a repeat violent offender who placed the citizens of Cherokee County and the Reinhardt University community at serious risk by bringing guns to campus in anticipation of an encounter with a student,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie, Jr.  “We are relieved that local law enforcement intervened before Rex harmed anyone, and we are grateful for the collaborative efforts of our federal and local law enforcement partners who aided this successful prosecution.”

    “Rex posed a serious threat to the public,” said Special Agent in Charge Benjamin Gibbons.  “Identifying and apprehending Rex shows that ATF and our law enforcement partners will continue to utilize all resources to protect the community.” 

    According to Acting U.S. Attorney Moultrie, Jr., the charges and other information presented in court: Joshua Rex is prohibited by law from possessing firearms due to his record of prior felony drug convictions and a prior conviction of domestic violence.  But in spite of his previous criminal history, on July 20, 2024, he drove to the campus of Reinhardt University armed with two fully loaded firearms and extra magazines of ammunition.  Law enforcement was alerted to Rex’s apparent violent intentions when they received a 911 call stating that Rex was en route to the school to confront and potentially harm a student.

    Officers of the Cherokee County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office and Reinhardt University Department of Public Safety prevented a potentially life-threatening incident when they intercepted Rex just as he entered the campus and arrested him for driving under the influence of alcohol and bringing firearms to the campus.  Rex later admitted to federal agents that he had armed himself in anticipation of an encounter with a Reinhardt University student.

    Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. before Senior United States District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. 

    This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with valuable assistance provided by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and Reinhardt University Department of Public Safety.

    Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Wylly is prosecuting the case.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo, New York Man Charged with Transporting a Minor Victim Across State Lines with Intent to Engage in Sexual Activity

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on January 22, 2025, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Ian Blochwitz, 33, of Buffalo, New York, with transporting a minor victim from Vermont to New York with intent to engage in sexual activity for which Blochwitz could be charged with a criminal offense in New York.

    Blochwitz entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on March 20, 2025, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. United States Magistrate Judge Jerome Niedermeier held a detention hearing on March 26, 2025, and ordered that Blochwitz be detained during the pendency of this matter.

    According to court records, Blochwitz met his twelve-year-old victim on an anonymous chat platform. In February 2023, Blochwitz drove a rental car from Buffalo, New York, to Vermont to meet the minor victim. He then took the minor victim to a short-term rental location in Whitehall, New York, where he engaged in sexual activity with the minor victim. He then drove the minor victim back to Vermont before returning to Buffalo.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Blochwitz is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Blochwitz faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years of imprisonment and up to a lifetime of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Blochwitz is represented by Attorney Robert Singer, of Williamsville, New York.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alaska Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    An Alaska man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents, William Steadman, 35, of Juneau, a registered sex offender, enticed a young boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which Steadman recorded and posted on the dark web. After the CSAM was posted, law enforcement began working to determine who had created and posted the images. Even though Steadman attempted to hide his identify from law enforcement by using the dark web, a cryptocurrency payment for additional CSAM and thorough analysis of online statements tied to his alias led to his identification and arrest. A search of Steadman’s residence led to the discovery of over 4,000 images and videos of CSAM on his devices.

    Steadman pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska; Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

    The Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Alaska Man Pleads Guilty to Producing Child Pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    An Alaska man pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

    According to court documents, William Steadman, 35, of Juneau, a registered sex offender, enticed a young boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct, which Steadman recorded and posted on the dark web. After the CSAM was posted, law enforcement began working to determine who had created and posted the images. Even though Steadman attempted to hide his identify from law enforcement by using the dark web, a cryptocurrency payment for additional CSAM and thorough analysis of online statements tied to his alias led to his identification and arrest. A search of Steadman’s residence led to the discovery of over 4,000 images and videos of CSAM on his devices.

    Steadman pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska; Special Agent in Charge Glen Peterson of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

    The Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.

    Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mac Caille Petursson for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Boston Warns Quit Claim Deed Fraud is on the Rise

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

    Landowners and Real Estate Agents Urged to Take Action to Protect Themselves

    The Boston Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is warning property owners and real estate agents about a steady increase in reports of quit claim deed fraud it has received—scams that have resulted in devastating consequences for unsuspecting owners who had no idea their land was sold, or was in the process of being sold, right out from under them.

    Known as quit claim deed fraud or home title theft, the schemes involve fraudsters who forge documents to record a phony transfer of property ownership. Criminals can then sell either the vacant land or home, take out a mortgage on it, or even rent it out to make a profit, forcing the real owners to head to court to reclaim their property.

    Deed fraud often involves identity theft where criminals will use personal information gleaned from the internet or elsewhere to assume your identity or claim to represent you to steal your property.

    “Folks across the region are having their roots literally pulled out from under them and are being left with no place to call home. They’re suffering deeply personal losses that have inflicted a significant financial and emotional toll, including shock, anger, and even embarrassment,” said Jodi Cohen, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. “We are urging the public to heed this warning and to take proactive steps to avoid losing your property. Anyone who is a victim of this type of fraud should report it to us.”

    Law enforcement and the FBI have been alerted to the fraud at all points in the process and have received reports involving a variety of fraudulent scenarios, including:  

    • Scammers who comb through public records to find vacant parcels of land and properties that don’t have a mortgage or other lien and then impersonate the landowner, asking a real estate agent to list the property. Homeowners whose properties have been listed for sale don’t know it until they’re alerted, sometimes after the sales have gone through.
    • Family members, often the elderly, targeted by their own relatives and close associates who convince them to transfer the property into their name for their own financial gain.
    • Fraudsters known as “title pirates” who use fraudulent or forged deeds and other documents to convey title to a property. Often these scams go undetected until after the money has been wired to the scammer in the fraudulent sale and the sale has been recorded.

    The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), which provides the public with a means of reporting internet-facilitated crimes, does not have specific statistics solely for quit claim deed fraud, but it does fall into the real estate crime category. Nationwide, from 2019 through 2023, 58,141 victims reported $1.3 billion in losses relating to real estate fraud. Here in the Boston Division—which includes all of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island—during the same period, 2,301 victims reported losing more than $61.5 million.

    • 262 victims in Maine lost $6,253,008.
    • 1,576 victims in Massachusetts lost $46,269,818.
    • 239 victims in New Hampshire lost $4,144,467.
    • 224 victims in Rhode Island lost $4,852,220.

    The reported losses are most likely much higher due to that fact that many don’t know where to report it, are embarrassed, or haven’t yet realized they have been scammed.

    FBI Boston is working with property owners, realtors, county registers, title companies, and insurance companies to thwart the fraud schemes but it’s no easy task. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way business was and continues to be conducted. More and more people have grown accustomed to conducting real estate transactions through email and over the phone. The remote nature of these sales is a benefit to bad actors.

    Tips for Landowners:

    • Continually monitor online property records and set up title alerts with the county clerk’s office (if possible).
    • Set up online search alerts for your property.
    • Drive by the property or have a management company periodically check it.
    • Ask your neighbors to notify you if they see anything suspicious.
    • Beware of anyone using encrypted applications to conduct real estate transactions.
    • Take action if you stop receiving your water or property tax bills, or if utility bills on vacant properties suddenly increase.

    The FBI can work with our partners to try to stop wire transfers and recover the funds within the first 72 hours. We urge folks to report fraud and suspected fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Nigerian National Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions in Criminal Proceeds Linked to Romance Scams and Business Email Compromise Schemes

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Olumide Olorunfunmi, 39, a Nigerian national, appeared in federal court in Charlotte today and pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy for laundering millions in criminal proceeds linked to romance scams and business email compromise schemes, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.  According to documents filed with the court and today’s plea hearing, the scheme caused more than 125 victims to transfer over $4.5 million of proceeds stemming from illegal activities.

    Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.

    Two of Olorunfunmi’s co-conspirators, both Nigerian nationals, have also pleaded guilty to federal charges and are awaiting sentencing. Specifically, Samson Amos, 53, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. Emmanuel Unuigbe, 42, pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business.

    As Olorunfunmi admitted in court today, from 2020 through 2023, Olorunfunmi conspired with Amos, Unuigbe, and others to launder the criminal proceeds of various illegal activities, including romance scams that typically targeted elderly victims, and business email compromise schemes (BECs). Court records show that the victims of the schemes were directed to transfer funds into domestic and international bank accounts controlled by Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators. Upon receiving the fraud proceeds, Olorunfunmi and his co-conspirators transferred the funds to other bank accounts, in the U.S. and overseas.

    Olorunfunmi, Amos and Unuigbe profited by keeping a portion of the criminal proceeds obtained through the schemes. They also profited by agreeing to “pay” for the domestic deposits received by others by transferring Nigerian Naira from accounts the co-conspirators controlled in Nigeria to other accounts in Nigeria, based upon a “black market” exchange rate for United States Dollars to Naira.

    The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.

    In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI for the investigation of the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Ryan with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.

    Business Email Compromise Schemes

    BEC schemes, also referred to as “cyber-enabled financial fraud,” are sophisticated scams that often target individuals, employees, or businesses involved in financial transactions or that regularly perform wire transfer payments. Fraudsters are usually part of larger criminal networks

    operating in the United States and abroad. There are many variations of BEC schemes. Generally, the schemes involve perpetrators gaining unauthorized access to legitimate email accounts or creating email accounts that closely resemble those of individuals or employees associated with the targeted businesses or involved in business transactions with the victim businesses. The scammers then use the compromised or fake email accounts to send false wiring instructions to the targeted businesses or individuals, to dupe the victims into sending money to bank accounts controlled by perpetrators of the scheme. Generally, the money is quickly transferred to other accounts in the United States or overseas. More information on BEC schemes can be found here.

    Romance Scams

    In romance scams, fraudsters use a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The fraudsters then use the illusion of a romantic or close relationship to manipulate and/or steal from the victim. The fraudsters want to establish a relationship as quickly as possible, endear themselves to the victim, and gain trust. Fraudsters may propose marriage and make plans to meet in person, but that will never happen. Eventually, they will ask for money. The fraudsters who carry out romance scams are experts at what they do and will seem genuine, caring, and believable, and are present on most dating and social media sites. They also claim to be in the building or construction industry and/or are engaged in projects outside the U.S. That makes it easier to avoid meeting in person and more plausible when they ask for money for a medical emergency or unexpected legal fees. More information on romance scams can be found here.

    If you have been the victim of an online scam or know someone who has been victimized, it is important to report it to law enforcement. Please visit ic3.gov, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), to file a complaint. 

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Warns Public to Beware of Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    The FBI Philadelphia Field Office is warning the public of fraud schemes in which scammers impersonate law enforcement or government officials in attempts to extort money or steal personally identifiable information.

    Government and law enforcement impersonation scams can come in various forms, most commonly email or phone calls.

    On the phone, scammers often spoof caller ID information, so fraudulent calls appear to be coming from an agency’s legitimate phone number. Recipients should hang up immediately and report the call to law enforcement.

    Fraudulent emails may give the appearance of legitimacy by using pictures of the FBI Director and/or the FBI seal and letterhead. Common hallmarks of a scam email include misspellings, missing words, and incorrect grammar.

    Be advised, law enforcement does not call or email individuals threatening arrest or demanding money.

    To avoid becoming a victim of this scam:

    • Be wary of answering phone calls from numbers you do not recognize.
    • Do not send money to anybody that you do not personally know and trust.
    • Never give out your personal information, including your Social Security number, over the phone or to individuals you do not know.

    The FBI will never:

    • Call or email private citizens to demand payment or threaten arrest. You will also not be asked to wire a “settlement” to avoid arrest.
    • Ask you to use large sums of your own money to help catch a criminal.
    • Never request you send money via wire transfer to foreign accounts, cryptocurrency, or gift/prepaid cards
    • Call you about “frozen” Social Security numbers or to coordinate inheritances.

    If you believe you are a victim of a law enforcement or government impersonation scam:

    • Cease all contact with the scammers immediately
    • Notify your financial institutions and safeguard any financial accounts
    • Contact your local law enforcement and file a police report
    • File a complaint with the FBI IC3 at www.ic3.gov.
    • Be sure to keep any financial transaction information, including prepaid cards and banking records and all telephone, text, or email communications.

    If you think you are a victim of this, or any other online scam please file a report with your local law enforcement agency and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at ic3.gov.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Societe Generale offer to purchase certain of its debt securities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SOCIETE GENERALE OFFER TO PURCHASE CERTAIN OF ITS DEBT SECURITIES

    Press release

    Paris, April 1, 2025

    NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN OR INTO OR TO ANY PERSON LOCATED OR RESIDENT IN ANY JURISDICTION WHERE OR TO WHOM IT IS UNLAWFUL TO RELEASE, PUBLISH OR DISTRIBUTE THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.

    Societe Generale announces today the launch of an offer to purchase for cash (the “Offer”) any and all of its outstanding Undated Deeply Subordinated Resettable Interest Rate Notes (the “Notes”), upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the offer to purchase dated April 1, 2025 (the “Offer to Purchase”) and the related notice of guaranteed delivery.

    The following table sets forth the Notes subject to the Offer and the key economic terms of the Offer:

    CUSIP No. ISIN Title of Security Principal Amount Outstanding Amount to be Accepted Tender Offer Consideration
    83368J FA3 F43628 B41 US83368JFA34 USF43628B413 Undated Deeply Subordinated Resettable Interest Rate Notes (the “Notes”) $1,250,000,000 Any and all $1,007 (1)

     (1)   The amount to be paid for each $1,000 principal amount of Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and accepted for purchase, excluding accrued and unpaid interest.

    The Offer will commence on April 1, 2025 and will expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on April 7, 2025 unless it is extended or terminated by Societe Generale. The expected guaranteed delivery date is 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on April 9, 2025. The deadlines set by any intermediary may be earlier than the above deadline.

    Consideration for Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn and accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer is $1,007 per $1,000 principal amount of Notes. In addition, Societe Generale will pay all accrued and unpaid interest on the Notes purchased pursuant to the Offer up to, but not including, the settlement date.

    The purpose of the Offer is to efficiently manage Societe Generale’s regulatory capital while providing liquidity to Holders.

    The Notes are governed by English law, which, following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union, has become a third country law. Because the Notes do not include a contractual recognition of bail-in clause, the Notes will cease to qualify as Additional Tier 1 on June 28, 2025.

    If any Notes remain outstanding after the consummation of the Offer, Societe Generale intends to consider future optional redemption rights in respect of the Notes in accordance with their terms and conditions, including pursuant to condition 8.3 “Redemption upon the occurrence of a Capital Event” for which it has received the European Central Bank’s permission. Any future decision by Societe Generale to redeem the Notes then outstanding will be made on an economic basis, considering current and future regulatory value, relative funding cost, rating agency considerations, and having regard to the prevailing circumstances at the relevant time.

    With respect to the other notes issued by Societe Generale and governed by English law listed below, which will cease to qualify as Tier 2 on June 28, 2025, Societe Generale intends to consider future optional redemption rights in accordance with their terms and conditions, including pursuant to condition 7.2 “Redemption upon the occurrence of a Capital Event” and condition 6(c) “Redemption upon the occurrence of a Capital Event with respect to Subordinated Notes”, as the case may be:

    • USD 1,000,000,000 Subordinated 4.750% Notes due November 24, 2025 (144A ISIN: US83367TBR95, RegS ISIN: USF8586CBS01)
    • AUD 150,000,000 4.875% Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due October 13, 2026 (ISIN: XS1503159219)
    • EUR 70,000,000 fixed rate resettable callable Subordinated Tier 2 Notes due October 21, 2026 (ISIN: XS1308623658)

    Societe Generale and SG Americas Securities, LLC are acting as Dealer Managers for the Offer, and D.F. King Ltd. is acting as Tender and Information Agent. For detailed terms of the Offer, please refer to the Offer to Purchase which, subject to offer and distribution restrictions, can be obtained from the Dealer Managers and the Tender and Information Agent. Questions regarding the Offer may be directed to the Dealer Managers and the Tender and Information Agent at the contact details set forth below:

    D.F. King Ltd.
    Email: SGCIB@dfkingltd.com
    Offer Website: https://clients.dfkingltd.com/sgcib

    In New York

    48 Wall Street, 22nd Floor
    New York, New York 10005
    United States of America

    Banks and Brokers, Call Collect: (212) 269 5550

    All others, Call Toll-Free: (800) 848-2998

    In London

    51 Lime Street
    London EC3M 7DQ
    United Kingdom

    Tel: +44 20 7920 9700

     
    Societe Generale

    17, cours Valmy

    BP 18236

    92987 Paris la Défense Cedex

    France

    Tel: +33 (0)1 42 13 32 40

    Email: liability.management@sgcib.com

    SG Americas Securities, LLC

    245 Park Avenue

    New York, New York 10167

    United States

    Tel: + 1 (212) 278-7631

    Toll-Free: 1 (855) 881 2108

    Press contacts:
    Jean-Baptiste Froville_+33 1 58 98 68 00_ jean-baptiste.froville@socgen.com

    Fanny Rouby_+33 1 57 29 11 12_ fanny.rouby@socgen.com

    Societe Generale

    Societe Generale is a top tier European Bank with around 119,000 employees serving more than 26 million clients in 62 countries across the world. We have been supporting the development of our economies for 160 years, providing our corporate, institutional, and individual clients with a wide array of value-added advisory and financial solutions. Our long-lasting and trusted relationships with the clients, our cutting-edge expertise, our unique innovation, our ESG capabilities and leading franchises are part of our DNA and serve our most essential objective – to deliver sustainable value creation for all our stakeholders.

    The Group runs three complementary sets of businesses, embedding ESG offerings for all its clients:

    • French Retail, Private Banking and Insurance, with leading retail bank SG and insurance franchise, premium private banking services, and the leading digital bank BoursoBank.
    • Global Banking and Investor Solutions, a top tier wholesale bank offering tailored-made solutions with distinctive global leadership in equity derivatives, structured finance and ESG.
    • Mobility, International Retail Banking and Financial Services, comprising well-established universal banks (in Czech Republic, Romania and several African countries), Ayvens (the new ALD I LeasePlan brand), a global player in sustainable mobility, as well as specialized financing activities.

    Committed to building together with its clients a better and sustainable future, Societe Generale aims to be a leading partner in the environmental transition and sustainability overall. The Group is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Refinitiv Diversity and Inclusion Index, Euronext Vigeo (Europe and Eurozone), STOXX Global ESG Leaders indexes, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index (World and Europe).

    In case of doubt regarding the authenticity of this press release, please go to the end of the Group News page on societegenerale.com website where official Press Releases sent by Societe Generale can be certified using blockchain technology. A link will allow you to check the document’s legitimacy directly on the web page.

    For more information, you can follow us on Twitter/X @societegenerale or visit our website societegenerale.com.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes statements that constitute forward-looking statements. Such statements can be understood through words and expressions like “will,” “expect,” “project,” “anticipate,” “should,” “intend,” “probability,” “risk,” “target,” “goal,” “objective,” “estimate,” “future,” “commitment,” “commit,” “focus,” “pledge” and similar expressions. They include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the conduct and completion of the Offers. However, risks, uncertainties and other important factors may lead to developments and results that differ materially from those anticipated, expected, projected or assumed in forward-looking statements, including those discussed in the Offer to Purchase under the heading “Risk Factors” and under similar headings in other documents that are incorporated by reference into the Offer to Purchase. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release, and Societe Generale undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, regardless of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

    Offer Restrictions
    This press release does not constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell Notes, and tenders of Notes for purchase pursuant to the Offer will not be accepted from Holders in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful, including under applicable securities or “blue sky” laws.

    United Kingdom
    The communication of the press release and any other documents or materials relating to the Offer is not being made, and such documents and/or materials have not been approved, by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (the “FSMA”). Accordingly, such documents and/or materials are not being distributed to, and must not be passed on to, the general public in the United Kingdom. This electronic transmission is made only to, or directed only at (1) those persons in the United Kingdom falling within the definition of investment professionals (as defined in Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the “Financial Promotion Order”)), (2) those persons falling within Article 43(2) of the Financial Promotion Order, including existing members and creditors of the Societe Generale, or (3) any other persons to whom it may otherwise be lawfully made under the Financial Promotion Order (together being referred to as “relevant persons”), and must not be acted on or relied upon by persons other than relevant persons. Any investment activity referred to in this communication is available only to relevant persons and will be engaged in only with relevant persons.

    Republic of Italy
    None of the Offer, this press release or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer have been or will be submitted to the clearance procedure of the Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB) pursuant to Italian laws and regulations and therefore the Offer may only be made or promoted, directly or indirectly, in or into the Republic of Italy as exempted Offer pursuant to Article 101-bis, paragraph 3-bis of Legislative Decree no. 58 of February 24, 1998, as amended (the “Financial Services Act”) and article 35-bis, paragraph 4 of CONSOB Regulation No. 11971 of May 14, 1999, as amended.
    Holders or beneficial owners of the Notes that are resident and/or located in the Republic of Italy can tender Notes for purchase in the Offer through authorized persons (such as investment firms, banks or financial intermediaries permitted to conduct such activities in the Republic of Italy in accordance with the Financial Services Act, CONSOB Regulation No. 20307 of 15 February 2018, as amended from time to time, and Legislative Decree No. 385 of 1 September 1993, as amended) and in compliance with applicable laws and regulations or with requirements imposed by CONSOB, the Bank of Italy or any other Italian authority.
    Each intermediary must comply with the applicable laws and regulations concerning information duties vis-à-vis its clients in connection with the Notes or Societe Generale or this press release or any other documents or materials relating to the Offer.

    European Economic Area
    This press release does not constitute a prospectus for the purposes of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017, as amended (the “Prospectus Regulation”) and has not been approved, filed or reviewed by the Commission de surveillance du secteur financier (“CSSF”) in Luxembourg, nor has the CSSF issued any report regarding the accuracy or adequacy of this press release.
    In any European Economic Area Member State (each, a “Relevant State”), this press release is only addressed to and is only directed at qualified investors in that Relevant State within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.
    This press release has been prepared on the basis that the Offer in any Relevant State will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation from the requirement to produce a prospectus.
    Each person in a Relevant State who receives any communication in respect of the Offer contemplated in this press release will be deemed to have represented, warranted and agreed to and with each Dealer Manager and Societe Generale that it is a qualified investor within the meaning of Article 2(e) of the Prospectus Regulation.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Provident Financial Services, Inc. Schedules First Quarter Earnings Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ISELIN, N.J., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: PFS) announced that it expects to release financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 on Thursday, April 24, 2025 after market close. A copy of the earnings release will be immediately available on the Company’s website, www.Provident.Bank, by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Press Releases.

    Representatives of the Company will hold a conference call for investors on April 25, 2025 at 10:00 a.m. (ET) to discuss the Company’s first quarter financial results. Information about the conference call is as follows:

      Participant Toll-Free Dial-In Number:   1-888-412-4131
      Participant Toll Dial-In Number:   1-646-960-0134
      Conference ID:   3610756
           

    Internet access to the call will be available (listen only) at www.Provident.Bank by going to Investor Relations and clicking on Webcast.

    A replay of the call will be available beginning at 12:00 noon (ET) on April 25, 2025 until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on May 9, 2025.

      Toll Free Dial in Number:   1-800-770-2030
      Toll Dial in Number:   1-609-800-9909
      Conference ID:   3610756 followed by # key
           

    The call will also be archived on the Company’s website for a period of one year.

    Provident Financial Services, Inc. is the holding company for Provident Bank. As of December 31, 2024, the Company reported assets of $24.05 billion. The Bank currently operates a network of full-service branches throughout New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, and Orange, Queens, and Nassau Counties, New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company, and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc.
    SOURCE: Provident Financial Services, Inc.

    CONTACT: Investor Relations, 1-732-590-9300

    Web Site: http://www.Provident.Bank

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: GLACIAL LAKE OUTBURST FLOOD MITIGATION

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 APR 2025 3:51PM by PIB Delhi

    Strengthening of Early Warning Systems is prerequisite for preparedness measures and is the most important element of entire cycle of disaster management. 

    The Prime Minister has enunciated ten-point agenda on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) during the Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (AMCDRR) held in New Delhi in November 2016. The all-inclusive agenda includes the following: –

    “Leverage technology to enhance the efficiency of disaster risk management efforts.” and “Build on local capacity and initiative to enhance disaster risk reduction”.

    The Government effectively deploys technologies for improved early warning and forecasting of disaster in the vulnerable areas. Central Government has designated nodal agencies for early warning of different natural disasters.

    To promote the use of modern technologies and to strengthen the early warning  system  for  natural  disasters,  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  has

    launched a Multi-faceted transformative approach namely “Mission Mausam” for the period 2024-2026 with the goal of making India a “weather-ready and climate smart” nation.

    Under the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) Early Warning Systems have been installed in the Coastal States, which have proved to be of great help in alert dissemination to the coastal community during recent cyclones.

    ‘Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) based Integrated Alert System’ has been initiated with an outlay of Rs. 354.83 Crore, for dissemination of geo targeted early warnings/alerts related to disasters to the citizens of India for all 36 States/UTs using various disseminating medium like SMS, TV, Radio, Indian Railways, Costal Sirens, Cell broadcast, Internet (RSS feed & Browser Notification), Satellite Receiver of GAGAN & NavIC etc., through integration of all alerting agencies, [India Meteorological Department (IMD), Central Water Commission (CWC), Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Defence Geo-informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Forest Survey of India (FSI)]. 

    In CAP system, the alerts related to various disasters are generated by Alert Generating Agencies like IMD, CWC, INCOIS, DGRE & FSI and moderated by SDMAs of concern States/UTs.  The alerts are sent to geo targeted areas in regional languages. There is a web-based dashboard to disaster managers for approving/editing alerts and choosing media for dissemination. The system has been used successfully in recent disasters.  More than 4500 crore SMS alerts have been disseminated so far using CAP.

    National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also initiated a project for Pan India, end-to-end secure and foolproof Disaster Grade Cell Broadcasting System (CBS) to improve faster dissemination of alert / early warning messages to the citizen.

    Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), Chandigarh under Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is also the nodal agency for studying and developing avalanche mitigation technologies.  DGRE has installed 72 Snow Meteorological Observatories and 45 Automated Weather Stations (AWS).  

    India Metrological Department (IMD) issues regular and precise weather forecasts & warning bulletins including for cyclones to all the affected/ likely affected States/ UTs.

    IMD uses a suite of quality observations from Satellites, Radars and Conventional & Automatic Weather Stations for monitoring of cyclones developing over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. It includes INSAT 3D, 3DR and SCATSAT satellites, Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) along the coast and coastal Automated Weather Stations (AWS), High wind speed recorders, Automatic Rain Gauges (ARGs), Meteorological buoys and ships.

    NDMA also conducts capacity building programmes, organizes awareness workshops and fosters community-based risk reduction strategies and also trainings for monitoring and alert mechanism to ensure last mile connectivity. 

    Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) monitors the glaciers and provides comprehensive analysis of factors that trigger hazards and its associated downstream risks to significantly enhance early warning capabilities and disaster preparedness.   WIHG has prepared glacial lake

    inventories for Uttarakhand (2015) and Himachal Pradesh (2018), identifying 1,266 lakes (7.6 km²) in Uttarakhand and 958 lakes (9.6 km²) in Himachal Pradesh.

    Central Water Commission (CWC) monitors 902 Glacial lakes and water bodies, to enable the detection of relative change in water spread areas of Glacial lakes and water bodies as well as identifying those ones which have expanded substantially during its monitoring months.

    Central Government has approved National Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risk Mitigation Project (NGRMP) for its implementation in four states namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttarakhand at a financial outlay of Rs. 150.00 crore.

    NGRMP is aimed at reducing the risks associated with glacial lake outburst floods, particularly in regions that are highly susceptible to such natural disasters.  The objectives of NGRMP project are:

    (i)      Prevent loss of life and reduce economic loss and damage to critical infrastructure due to GLOF and similar events.

    (ii)     Strengthen the early warning and monitoring capacities based on last mile connectivity.

    (iii)    Strengthen scientific and technical capabilities in GLOF risk reduction and mitigation at local levels through strengthening of local level institutions and communities.

    (iv)    Use of indigenous knowledge and scientific cutting-edge mitigation measures to reduce and mitigate GLOF risk.

    NGRMP, approved by the Government, has one of its components as GLOF monitoring and Early Warning Systems (EWS) including remote sensing data, community involvement for monitoring, alerting / dissemination.

    Two Automatic Weather Stations (AWS) have been installed in Sikkim with further deployments of EWS planned in collaboration with C-DAC, ISRO and Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad to provide early warning to local communities in case of any GLOF event.

    CWC has finalized the criteria for Risk Indexing of Glacial Lakes offering a structured approach for identifying and ranking such lakes based on their likelihood of failure and potential damage they could cause in the event of GLOF.  

    A Committee on Disaster Risk Reduction (CoDRR) under NDMA involving representatives from six Himalayan States / Union Territories and other Stakeholders, has identified a set of high risk glacial lakes for sending expeditions to directly assess these lakes and prepare comprehensive mitigation strategies in terms of setting up EWS / other structural and non-structural measures.

    Subsequent to Teesta-III Hydroelectric dam collapse in October, 2023, CWC has decided to review the design flood of all the existing and under construction dams vulnerable to GLOFs to ensure their adequate spillway capacity for a combination of Probable Maximum Flood / Standard Probable Flood and GLOF. Further, GLOF Studies has been made mandatory for all new dams planned having Glacial Lakes in their catchments.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ***

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2117268) Visitor Counter : 67

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Protecting children from targeted online advertising – E-000181/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Digital Services Act (DSA)[1], the regulation on the targeting and transparency of political advertising (Political Advertising Regulation)[2], the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)[3], and the Audiovisual Media Services Directive[4] contain specific rules to protect children online.

    The Better Internet for Kids Strategy[5] aims to ensure that every child is respected, protected and empowered online. Under the GDPR, children’s personal data may only be processed with consent of their parent or guardian when they are under a nationally specified age.

    Under the DSA, Article 28 requires all online platforms accessible to minors to ensure a high level of privacy, safety, and security for minors and bans advertisement to minors based on profiling.

    Article 26 requires platforms to make sure that adverts are clearly labeled so users can easily recognise them . The Commission is developing guidelines to facilitate compliance with Article 28. The Commission is committed to enforcing the DSA and ensuring that the rules are rigorously upheld.

    The Political Advertising Regulation prohibits the use of personal data to deliver political advertising to an individual known to be at least one year under the voting age.

    The preparatory work on a Digital Fairness Act (DFA) aims at placing a strong emphasis on the protection of children as consumers.

    The 2024 Commission Fitness Check of consumer legislation informs the preparation of the DFA[6], which will include an impact assessment and consultation.

    This work is intended to close gaps in consumer protection, addressing matters such as unfair personalisation practices, marketing by social media influencers, addictive design and gambling-like elements in games.

    • [1]  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32022R2065
    • [2]  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32024R0900
    • [3]  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj/eng
    • [4]  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/1808/oj/eng
    • [5]  https://eur-lex.europa.eu/EN/legal-content/glossary/safer-Internet-for-kids.html#:~:text=In%202022%2C%20the%20European%20Commission,are%20in%20children’s%20best%20interests
    • [6]  https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_24_4901

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: MEXC Confirms Listing of GUNZ (GUN), Launches 180,000 USDT Prize Pool for Users

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, confirms the upcoming listing of GUNZ (GUN) on March 31, 2025(UTC). To celebrate this listing, MEXC is launching a special event with a prize pool of 180,000 USDT for new and existing users.

    GUNZ (GUN) is a Layer-1 blockchain developed by Gunzilla Games, designed to power AAA Web3 gaming. Originally created to support the community-driven economy for Gunzilla’s flagship title, Off The Grid (OTG), GUNZ has evolved into a full-featured platform offering blockchain-native infrastructure essential for modern game development. By leveraging blockchain technology, GUNZ aims to provide both developers and players with the tools needed for a decentralized, secure gaming ecosystem.

    To celebrate the listing of GUNZ (GUN) on MEXC, the exchange has launched an exclusive Airdrop+ event with substantial rewards for participants:
    Event Period: Mar 28, 2025, 11:00 (UTC) – Apr 11, 2025, 11:00 (UTC)
    Benefit 1: Deposit and share 90,000 USDT in Futures bonus (New user exclusive)
    Benefit 2: Spot Challenge — Trade to share 10,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)
    Benefit 3: Futures Challenge — Trade to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)
    Benefit 4: Invite new users and share 30,000 USDT in Futures bonus (For all users)

    The listing of GUNZ (GUN) not only broadens MEXC’s asset portfolio but also underscores MEXC’s first-mover advantage in bringing innovative blockchain projects to its users. MEXC has solidified its position as an industry leader through its efficient asset listing strategy and broad selection of trend tokens. In 2024, MEXC introduced 2,376 new tokens, with 1,716 of those being initial listings.

    According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC leads the industry with the highest number of spot listings at 461 and the fastest listing speed. Additionally, the exchange consistently adds new tokens in bi-weekly cycles, showcasing its exceptional ability to quickly capture market trends.

    MEXC will continue to provide users with early access to promising projects, while leveraging platform advantages such as low fees, deep liquidity, and daily airdrops to ensure an optimal trading experience.

    For full event details and participation rules, please visit here.

    About MEXC
    Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being “Your Easiest Way to Crypto.” Serving over 34 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering secure and efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding.
    MEXC Official WebsiteXTelegramHow to Sign Up on MEXC

    Risk Disclaimer:
    The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.

    Source

    Contact:
    Lucia Hu
    PR Manager
    lucia.hu@mexc.com

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by MEXC. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing in crypto and mining related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector–including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining–complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4e55c540-5a05-4e80-9b5b-44990c34d787

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange Platform Deployed Across T-Mobile Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif., April 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zscaler, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZS), the leader in cloud security, collaborated with T-Mobile in late 2023 to rapidly deploy hybrid zero trust throughout its operations. In just three months, T-Mobile implemented the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ AI-powered cloud security platform, which is designed to secure access to applications and the internet, regardless of user location or device. Now, one year later, the roll-out has further secured the Un-carrier’s infrastructure against potential cyber threats and over that time, T-Mobile is retiring its traditional VPNs. By reducing the need for traditional VPNs and providing secure and direct access to applications, T-Mobile’s employees and other team members can access needed resources efficiently and effectively, whether they are in the office, at home or on the go.

    “As T-Mobile is continually focused on making enhancements to our cybersecurity approach to stay ahead of bad actors, working with Zscaler to roll out these tools is another positive step forward in that mission,” said Jeff Simon, senior vice president and chief security officer, T-Mobile. “Zscaler’s tools help us ensure that only verified and authorized users and devices can securely access the systems they need to do their job — and nothing more. This is critical to significantly reducing the risk of cyber threats.”

    Modernizing Security with the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange
    The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform is designed to secure access to applications and the internet, regardless of user location or device. T-Mobile’s deployment includes:

    • Secure internet access with Zscaler Internet Access™ (ZIA™) to eliminate the need for backhauling, delivering full TLS/SSL traffic inspection and zero-trust access for internet and SaaS applications.
    • Secure private access with Zscaler Private Access™ (ZPA™) to replace traditional VPNs and provide direct access to applications from any location.
    • Advanced threat detection with Zscaler Deception technology to detect and neutralize threats by using decoys and false user paths to lure bad actors away from resources.
    • Optimized User Experience with Zscaler Digital Experience™ (ZDX™) that detects and resolves issues with application connectivity and performance issues that could impact productivity.

    “The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is a cloud native cybersecurity platform built on the concept of zero trust. Following the principle of least-privileged access, the platform establishes trust based on user identity and context — including location, device, application and content — and creates secure, direct user-to-app, app-to-app and machine-to-machine connections,” said Mike Rich, chief revenue officer and president of global sales at Zscaler. “We’re proud that Zscaler reduced T-Mobile’s use of legacy firewalls and VPNs to enhance secure and efficient access to applications and information.”

    Watch a video from Zscaler and T-Mobile here. For more on the Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange, visit zscaler.com.

    About Zscaler
    Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 150 data centers globally, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange™ is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.

    Media Contact
    Natalia Wodecki
    Sr. Director, Global Integrated Communications & PR
    press@zscaler.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026 – A10-0048/2025

    Source: European Parliament 2

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

    on Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2026

    (2024/2111(BUI))

    The European Parliament,

     having regard to Article 314 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

     having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021-2027[1] and to the joint declaration agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission in this context[2] and the related unilateral declarations[3],

     having regard to Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2022/2496 of 15 December 2022 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[4],

     having regard to the Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/765 amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[5] (”MFF Revision”),

     having regard to its legislative resolution of 16 December 2020 on the draft Council regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[6],

     having regard to its resolution of 15 December 2022 on upscaling the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework: a resilient EU budget fit for new challenges[7],

     having regard to its resolution of 3 October 2023 on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the multiannual financial framework 2021-2027[8],

     having regard to its resolution of 27 February 2024 on the draft Council regulation amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027[9],

     having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (recast)[10] (the “Financial Regulation”),

     having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources[11],

     having regard to the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2025[12] and the joint statements agreed between Parliament, the Council and the Commission annexed hereto,

     having regard to the Secretary-General’s report to the Bureau on drawing up Parliament’s preliminary draft estimates for the financial year 2026,

      having regard to the preliminary draft estimates drawn up by the Bureau on 10 March 2025 pursuant to Rules 25(7) and 104(1) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,

      having regard to the draft estimates drawn up by the Committee on Budgets pursuant to Rule 104(2) of Parliament’s Rules of Procedure,

      having regard to Rule 104 of its Rules of Procedure,

      having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgets (A10-0048/2025),

    A.  whereas the budget proposed on 10 February 2025 by the Secretary-General for the Parliament’s preliminary draft estimates for 2026 amounts to EUR 2 641 609 620 and represents an increase of 4,30 % or EUR 108 914 512 compared to 2025 budget;

    B.  whereas the Union annual inflation was 2,8 % in January 2025 according to Eurostat, up from 2,7 % in December 2024; whereas the level of expenditure in Heading 7 of the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2021-2027 is based on a 2 % yearly increase;

    C.  whereas the credibility of the Parliament depends on its ability to deliver on its core budgetary, legislative and scrutiny work to the highest standard, while setting an example vis-à-vis other Union institutions to plan and conduct its spending prudently and efficiently and to reflect the prevalent economic realities;

    General framework

    1. Is concerned with the situation of Heading 7 in the current MFF; recalls that the constraints are the results of the cuts applied by the Council to the Commission’s already very low initial proposal when agreeing on the current MFF 2021-2027; regrets the Council’s opposition to the Commission’s proposal to increase the ceiling of Heading 7 in the MFF revision as from 2024; points out the failure to address the issue of the ceiling of Heading 7 in the MFF revision; highlights that the forecasted negative margin for 2026 presupposes the use of special instruments in Heading 7 for that purpose;

    2. Endorses the agreement reached in the Conciliation between the Bureau and the Committee on Budgets on 18 March 2025 to set the increase over the 2025 budget at 4,09 %, corresponding to an overall of estimates of EUR 2 636 241 620 for 2026, and to reduce accordingly the appropriations proposed on the following budget lines for a total of EUR 12 378 000:

    1 0 0 6 — General expenditure allowance, 1 4 2 — External translation services, 2 0 0 0 — Rent, 2 0 0 7 — Construction of buildings and fitting-out of premises, 2 0 2 4 — Energy consumption, 2 1 0 1 — Business applications management, 3 2 0 — Acquisition of expertise, 3 2 4 3 — European Parliament visitors’ centres, 3 2 4 8 — Expenditure on audiovisual information, 4 4 — Meetings and other activities of current and former Members;

    furthermore, it was decided to increase the level of expenditure of the preliminary draft estimates approved by the Bureau on 10 March 2025 by EUR 7 010 000 and to increase accordingly the appropriations proposed on the following budget lines:

    1 2 0 0 — Remuneration and allowances, 1 6 3 0 — Social welfare: welfare expenditure, 4 0 0 — Current administrative expenditure and expenditure relating to the political and information activities of the political groups and non-attached Members, and 4 0 3 — Funding of European political foundations;

    finally, it was agreed to modify the budgetary remarks of item 1 6 3 0 — Social welfare: welfare expenditure to include the reference to the APA Committee;

    3. Recalls that almost two-thirds of the budget is fixed by statutory obligations; notes that out of the increase of EUR 103,5 million compared to the 2025 budget an increase of EUR 85,3 million is due to statutory financial obligations, mainly for salary updates of officials and temporary staff (EUR 52,7 million), of contract agents (EUR 9,2 million) and of accredited parliamentary assistants (EUR 15,1 million); recalls that the salary indexation, in line with the Staff Regulations and Statute for Members of the European Parliament, is currently forecasted by the Commission for April 2025, July 2025, April 2026 and July 2026 at 1,2 %, 4,6 %, 0,6 % and 3,4 % respectively;

    4. Notes that the Parliament does not request any additional posts for 2026, the third year in a row;

    5. Notes that the increase for non-statutory expenditures between 2025 and 2026 is 1,96 %;

    6. Welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to conduct a major screening exercise aimed at identifying opportunities for administrative simplification, eliminating inefficiencies and ensuring tangible cost reductions, thereby increasing efficiency and ensuring a smart use of resources; asks the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with semestrial updates on the actions taken and on the Action Plan on Simplification as well as their impact in terms of budget and staff; underlines that administrative procedures and human resources management represent a heavy burden for Members, in particular when hiring local assistants, and calls for simplification in that regard;

    7. Notes that Parliament’s budget should be established on a realistic basis, in compliance with the principles of budgetary discipline and sound financial management; highlights that it is essential to ensure that financial prudence and security remain key priorities while guaranteeing that these measures do not impede the efficiency, effectiveness and operational capacity of the institution and its essential staff in carrying out their duties successfully; stresses that, given the geopolitical context and the investments that the Union will have to make for its strategic autonomy, the Parliament must set an example in the management of its budget;

    8. Highlights Parliament’s role in building European political awareness and promoting Union values and policies such as the digital and green transition; stresses that transparency, accountability, gender equality and integrity are essential principles within the Union institutions and particularly Parliament as a house of European democracy;

    Strengthening Parliament’s core functions

    9. Takes note of the four new thematic Directorates-General (DGs) created in September 2024, responsible for legislative, budgetary and scrutiny activities, from the previous Directorate-General for Internal Policies, in order to improve the functioning of Parliament as a co-legislator, as one arm of the budgetary authority, and as discharge authority; requests the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with regular updates on the evolution of work and staff in these DGs;

    10. Recognises the need for more political decision-making based on evidence and facts; takes note of the budget of EUR 16,75 million to strengthen Parliament’s administrative capacity in supporting Members in their parliamentary work and reinforcing its capacity to navigate complexity and uncertainty;

     

    11. Stresses the crucial role of political groups in providing expertise and political support to Members in their legislative and parliamentary work; underlines the need to ensure the important objective of strengthening Parliament’s capacity to support the work of Members;

    Digital transition

    12. Underlines that Parliament’s cybersecurity is a key priority; notes that the overall IT budget represents 7,40 % of the total budget in the 2026 estimates; stresses the importance of a sound cybersecurity infrastructure in geopolitically turbulent times and welcomes the increase in the appropriations dedicated to cybersecurity; supports the planned gradual increase of the cybersecurity financial appropriations to 10 % of Parliament’s ICT budget by 2027;

    13. Welcomes the adoption by the Bureau on 10 February 2025 of the Framework on an internal cybersecurity risk management, governance and control framework; recalls that investments in cybersecurity are key to protect the democratic voice of the Parliament and the Union;

    14. Welcomes investments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) amounting to EUR 1 million; calls for the use of AI to be increased in order to gain efficiencies, while keeping in mind the related risks, including ethics and data protection; highlights the potential of AI to streamline administrative processes; stresses that AI deployment must balance innovation with necessary safeguards; notes that the development of AI will be closely monitored in line with the principles established by the Bureau, which include among others a thorough risk assessment with the use of new technologies; calls the Secretariat to provide solutions, such as applications and tools, to be made available to Members and staff as soon as possible;

    Green transition

     

    15. Welcomes Parliament’s environmental management system (EMAS) targets for 2025-2029; recalls that energy efficiency investments are a good method of achieving value for money; takes note of the budget of EUR 8,45 million for investments on energy efficiency and environment in the 2026 estimates to further improve the environmental performance of its buildings; notes that this corresponds to an increase of 74 % compared to 2025 budget; acknowledges however, that these environmental actions are part of the 2007 ‘Construction of building and fitting out of premises’ budget line whose grand total has decreased by EUR 3,7 million in 2026 vs 2025;

     

    16. Recalls that nearly two-thirds of Parliament’s carbon footprint originate from the transportation of people; calls for a reasonable decrease of travel for meetings that can be effectively conducted remotely or in hybrid mode and to promote a shift to low carbon alternatives for all remaining travel, in so far as this does not affect the quality of legislative and political work;

     

    17. Takes note of the projected increase in carbon credits prices, that with the current emissions levels would need an estimated EUR 900 000 for 2026; calls the administration to continue decreasing, in line with sound financial management, Parliament’s emissions over buying carbon credits; welcomes the introduction of an enhanced train offer for missions to Strasbourg as of July 2025, as a positive step towards reducing CO2 emissions;

     

    18. Notes that Parliament has installed and is continuing to install photovoltaic solar panels to further increase the share of renewable energy produced on-site to reach the target of 25 %; takes note of the answers provided by the Secretary-General to Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2024 pointing out that a study on the use of photovoltaic panels for Strasbourg buildings was carried out in 2022 and was completed in 2023 and that further studies were to be conducted in 2024 for viable solutions, in particular for the WEISS building;

    Multilingualism, communication and disinformation

     

    19. Highlights that multilingualism is a key principle on which Parliament’s work is based; takes note of the revision of the Code of Conduct on Multilingualism planned for spring 2025; asks that, where appropriate, Parliament capitalise on major technological evolutions in multilingualism-related services, including the development and use of AI; asks the Secretary-General to timely inform the Committee on Budgets on any budgetary impacts following this revision;

     

    20. Highlights the role played by European Parliament Liaison Offices (EPLOs) in countering foreign interference and disinformation; takes note in that regard of the work of EPLOs proactively promoting the work of Parliament in their local languages across multiple channels; highlights EPLOs’ role in the UK as the main contact point for Union nationals resident in the UK, providing them with information about the Parliament and encouraging them to vote in the European elections; requests the Bureau to expand the production and dissemination of communication materials in an accessible and inclusive manner;

     

    21. Highlights the low participation rate of young people in the recent European elections in some regions of the Union and Parliament’s role in strengthening EU citizenship education;

     

    22. Recalls the importance of the European Parliament Ambassador School programme to promote active engagement among young Europeans and of the training programme for young journalists named in honour of David Sassoli to strengthen the understanding of the Union and its functioning amongst journalists, as the best antidote against disinformation, in light of recent trends demonstrating a worrying decline in media freedom and independence across the Union;

     

    23. Recognises the importance of visitors groups as an important tool to connect citizens with the work of Members; welcomes in that regard the increase of the ceilings and cost factors for the calculation of the financial contribution to sponsored visitors as from 1 January 2025; requests the Bureau to assess the impact of the revised rules related to visitors groups in relation to travel costs taking into account market fluctuation and to avoid indirect geographical discrimination for visitors; notes that about 15 % of the quota for visitors is historically not being used by Members; calls the Secretary-General to propose to the Bureau to make the unused quota available to interested Members; notes that the budget for visitors groups represents 22 % of the overall budget of the Directorate-General for Communication;

     

    24. Notes with concern the internal rules governing Members’ visitor groups, which result in 30 % of the up-front costs having to be incurred by Accredited Parliamentary Assistants (APAs) in some circumstances; stresses the impracticability of these rules and the financial burden this places on APAs; takes note of the answers provided by the Secretary-General to Parliament’s estimates of revenue and expenditure for the financial year 2024 in regard to the rationale of the two-step approach; understands the rationale but emphasises the growing challenges this presents for APAs, particularly with the continuous shift towards more stringent rules;

    25. Stresses the increasingly challenging communication landscape and the multiple ways in which political communication should be performed, including through engaging in various social media platforms and other media; underlines the need for the political groups to convey and communicate their message across all Member States as a key principle of a well-functioning European democracy;

    Infrastructure

     

    26. Acknowledges the new approach related to buildings, where, after a period of acquisition, Parliament has entered an era of consolidation of buildings, taking into account sustainability, accessibility and mobility of Members and staff;

     

    27. Takes note that EUR 4 million are included in the 2026 estimates for studies and the contractor’s preparatory works related to the SPAAK building renovation while the overall costs are estimated at EUR 36 million; notes therefore that EUR 32 million of costs related to the SPAAK building renovation are not included in the 2026 estimates; notes that the Secretary-General intends to cover these costs by a mopping-up transfer or the use of a loan; requests the Secretary-General to provide the Committee on Budgets with detailed information on a possible loan to cover these costs, in accordance with Article 272 (6) of the Financial Regulation, as soon as possible as well as the full planning of the works including the planning of the costs; insists that costs not directly linked to the renovation works should also be clearly listed and budgeted; notes that as of December 2024, the direct costs of the SPAAK project amount to EUR 14,12 million;

     

    28. Welcomes the pilot project of DG INLO aimed at removing legionella from the pipeline sanitary system of the Parliament and highlights that the only effective way to fight the further spreading of legionella is to bring the water temperature inside the pipelines to 55 degrees Celsius for a limited time;

     

    29. Notes that it is planned to invest EUR 11,45 million in Europa Experiences in 2026; takes note of the decision by the Bureau in November 2024 to revise the concept of Europa Experience and expects the revised concept to be more cost-efficient and more attractive to visitors; regrets that there are still no Europa Experiences in Bucharest, Riga, Madrid, Lisbon, Nicosia, Valletta or Vilnius; calls for the establishment of Europa Experiences in all Member States as soon as a revised concept has been established; recalls that Europa Experiences should allow citizens to have a better understanding of the functioning of the Union and learn about our shared values; reiterates therefore that Europa Experiences are an integral part of Parliament’s ongoing engagement with Union citizens;

     

    30. Takes note that no additional financing is needed for the opening of Parliament offices in Moldova and the Western Balkans, as these would be set up within EEAS premises; stresses the importance of Parliament’s presence in these countries as a sign of European solidarity and a sign of Parliament’s commitment to the accession process;

     

    31. Takes note of the early termination of the contract with the previous provider of the Crèche Wayenberg after a number of serious allegations against the contractor; welcomes the agreement with a new provider that foresees better working conditions of the nursery staff and better quality of the service for the children; acknowledges, however, that this results in an increase of the budget necessary for this purpose, but emphasises that decent working conditions for external staff should, where relevant, be a priority consideration in public procurement of Parliament as a matter of principle;

     

    32. Reiterates the need for high quality nursing rooms in Parliament’s premises and calls on the competent services to upgrade the current facilities in terms of equipment, space and accessibility in order to make them child-friendly; calls for an impact assessment on the need for a family room within the premises of the Brussels seat of the Parliament, for children of Members without permanent residence in Brussels, mirroring the arrangements in Strasbourg;

    Others

    33. Reiterates its request, adopted at Plenary level at several occasions, for the relevant bodies to reflect on a solution enabling Members to exercise their right to vote remotely, during benefiting from maternity or paternity leave, during a certified long-term illness, taking advantage of the lessons learnt during the pandemic on the technical aspects of this voting method;

    34. Reaffirms its call for the Secretary-General to emphasise the fundamental principle that all recruitment should be based on competency while also ensuring geographical balance among all Member States at every staff level; calls on Parliament to build its own outreach capacity, with the goal of attracting to competitions quality candidates that Parliament needs, in terms of profile, age, gender and nationality and especially from under-represented countries; underscores that achieving fair geographical representation is essential to fostering a genuinely European public service; notes that Parliament has consistently taken measures to support this objective, including the organisation of nationality-specific competitions while maintaining a strict merit-based selection approach;

    35. Believes that Parliament should lead by example concerning the rights of persons with disabilities, both as an employer and as a public institution; welcomes Parliament’s policy aiming to ensure the fully independent use of Parliament buildings by persons with disabilities and supports further measures and adaptations that will be necessary in this regard; notes that the budget foresees EUR 3,7 million for this purpose;

     

    36. Stresses the fact that Parliament having a single seat could reduce the financial and environmental costs; recalls that, according to the Treaty on European Union, Parliament is to have its seat in Strasbourg; notes that permanent changes would require a Treaty change for which unanimity is needed;

     

    37. Notes that mission expenses of Members and staff amount to EUR 116 million in Parliament’s budget; calls for Parliament’s bodies to reflect on mission practices and a revision of mission rules and practices with the overall aim of continuing to improve the nature of missions and further diminishing the associated financial and environmental costs; encourages Members to use low-carbon transport alternatives and advocates for responsible and measured use of best-value flights options, and the preference for train travel where it is a viable option;

     

    38. Takes note that Article 46(2) of the Implementing Measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament provides for the possibility to finance extra costs linked to the parliamentary assistance budgets with appropriations from their General Expenditure Allowance (GEA); calls on Parliament’s administration to take the necessary measures to enable Members who wish to do so to use their GEA to cover the cost of APA missions; highlights that such a measure would address increasing costs in Members’ offices while being budgetary neutral;

     

    39. Calls on the Bureau not to index the GEA and not to grant GEA to former Members, thus allowing for significant savings in the statutory costs;

     

    40. Takes note of the Conference of Presidents’ decisions of March 2025 on the Implementing provisions governing the missions outside the three places of work of the European Parliament; recalls that Parliament has consistently voted in the Plenary since 2018 to consider lifting the overall ban on APAs participating in official delegations and missions;

    41. Welcomes the work of the APA Committee which represents around 2 000 APAs, whose work is crucial to the smooth operation of the MEP’s daily activities; notes the earmarking of EUR 10 000 in order for the APA Committee to fulfil its role and ensure sufficient resources to effectively support and properly represent the APAs;

    42. Welcomes the exceptional 10 % increase in scholarships for each trainee in 2026, budgeted for EUR 1 million in 2026 to help them cope with growing housing costs in Brussels and Luxembourg;

    43. Expects that requests voted by the Plenary should be treated by the responsible bodies as a matter of high priority;

    44.  Adopts the estimates for the financial year 2026;

    45.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution and the estimates to the Council and the Commission.

     

     

    ANNEX: DRAFT ESTIMATES

     

     

    PART III – PRELIMINARY DRAFT ESTIMATES 2026

     

     

    1. REVENUE/EXPENDITURE

    2. ESTABLISHMENT PLAN

    3. NOMENCLATURE

     

     

    1. REVENUE/EXPENDITURE

     

     

     

     

     

    Contribution of the European Union to the financing of the expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2026

     

     

     

    Heading

    Amount

     

     

    Expenditure

    2 636 241 620

    Resources

    265 378 397

    Contribution due

    2 370 863 223

     

     

     

    REVENUES

    Title – Chapter – Article – Post

    Heading

    2026 budget

    2025 budget

    Outturn 2024

    3

    ADMINISTRATIVE REVENUE

     

     

     

    3 0

    REVENUE FROM STAFF

     

     

     

    3 0 0

    Taxes and levies

     

     

     

    3 0 0 0

    Tax on the remunerations

    111 692 059

    105 869 539

    100 337 194

    3 0 0 1

    Special levies on remunerations

    17 507 648

    16 162 194

    14 891 422

     

    Article 3 0 0 – Subtotal

    129 199 707

    122 031 733

    115 228 616

    3 0 1

    Contributions to the pension scheme

     

     

     

    3 0 1 0

    Staff contributions to the pension scheme

    131 172 690

    121 092 129

    103 628 794

    3 0 1 1

    Transfer or purchase of pension rights by staff

    5 000 000

    6 000 000

    7 338 881

    3 0 1 2

    Contributions to the pension scheme by staff on leave

    5 000

    40 000

    0

    3 0 1 4

    Contributions by Members of the European Parliament

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

     

    Article 3 0 1 – Subtotal

    136 177 690

    127 132 129

    110 967 675

     

    Chapter 3 0 — Total

    265 377 397

    249 163 862

    226 196 291

    3 1

    REVENUE LINKED TO PROPERTY

     

     

     

    3 1 0

    Sale of immovable property — Assigned revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    556 948

    3 1 1

    Sale of other property

    p.m.

    5 000

    9 203

    3 1 2

    Letting and subletting immovable property — Assigned revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    2 383 687

     

    Chapter 3 1 — Total

    p.m.

    5 000

    2 949 838

    3 2

    REVENUE FROM THE SUPPLY OF GOODS, SERVICES AND WORK — ASSIGNED REVENUE

     

     

     

    3 2 0

    Revenue from the supply of goods, services and work — Assigned revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    18 857 643

    3 2 1

    Refunds by other institutions or bodies of mission allowances — Assigned revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    3 2 2

    Revenue from third parties in respect of goods, services or work — Assigned Revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    4 952 720

     

    Chapter 3 2 — Total

    p.m.

    p.m.

    23 810 363

    3 3

    OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE REVENUE

     

     

     

    3 3 0

    Repayment of amounts wrongly paid — Assigned Revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    22 491 561

    3 3 1

    Revenue for a specific purpose (income from foundations, subsidies, gifts and bequests) — Assigned Revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    3 3 3

    Insurance payments received — Assigned Revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    34 996

    3 3 8

    Other revenue from administrative operations — Assigned Revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    3 3 9

    Other revenue from administrative operations

    1 000

    1 000

    1 622 926

     

    Chapter 3 4 — Total

    1 000

    1 000

    24 149 483

     

    Title 3 — Total

    265 378 397

    249 169 862

    277 105 975

    4

    FINANCIAL REVENUE, DEFAULT INTEREST AND FINES

     

     

     

    4 0

    REVENUE FROM INVESTMENTS AND ACCOUNTS

     

     

     

    4 0 0

    Revenue from investments, loans granted and bank accounts

    p.m.

    p.m.

    4 411 026

     

    Chapter 4 0 — Total

    p.m.

    0

    4 411 026

     

    Title 4 — Total

    p.m.

    0

    4 411 026

    6

    REVENUE, CONTRIBUTIONS AND REFUNDS RELATED TO UNION POLICIES

     

     

     

    6 6

    OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS AND REFUNDS

     

     

     

    6 6 8

    Other contributions and refunds — Assigned revenue

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

     

    Chapter 6 6 — Total

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

     

    Title 6 — Total

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

     

    GRAND TOTAL

    265 378 397

    249 169 862

    281 517 001

     

     

     

    EXPENDITURE

    General summary of appropriations (2026 and 2025) and outturn (2024)

    Title – Chapter – Article – Post

    Heading

    Appropriations 2026

    Appropriations 2025

    Outturn 2024

    1

    Persons working with the institution

     

     

     

    1 0

    Members of the institution

    250 087 000

    257 937 492

    249 427 210

    1 2

    Officials and temporary staff

    982 330 058

    914 759 154

    853 989 951

    1 4

    Other staff and external services

    259 041 175

    245 453 683

    206 535 274

    1 6

    Other expenditure relating to persons working with the institution

    29 619 939

    27 939 603

    24 937 797

     

    Title 1 — Total

    1 521 078 172

    1 446 089 932

    1 334 890 232

    2

    Buildings, furniture, equipment and miscellaneous operating expenditure

     

     

     

    2 0

    Buildings and associated costs

    250 475 000

    245 925 000

    252 616 845

    2 1

    Data processing, equipment and movable property

    232 008 000

    227 708 050

    253 569 292

    2 3

    Current administrative expenditure

    7 388 000

    7 386 000

    4 830 070

     

    Title 2 — Total

    489 871 000

    481 019 050

    511 016 207

    3

    Expenditure resulting from general functions carried out by the institution

     

     

     

    3 0

    Meetings and conferences

    37 728 429

    37 121 800

    27 628 546

    3 2

    Expertise and information: acquisition, archiving, production and dissemination

    154 530 519

    153 261 150

    153 271 532

     

    Title 3 — Total

    192 258 948

    190 382 950

    180 900 078

    4

    Expenditure resulting from special functions carried out by the institution

     

     

     

    4 0

    Expenditure relating to certain institutions and bodies

    146 800 000

    140 000 000

    125 403 172

    4 2

    Expenditure relating to parliamentary assistance

    279 165 340

    263 855 176

    222 263 343

    4 4

    Meetings and other activities of current and former members

    632 000

    620 000

    593 204

     

    Title 4 — Total

    426 597 340

    404 475 176

    348 259 719

    5

    The authority for european political parties and european political foundations and the committee of independent eminent persons

     

     

     

    5 0

    Expenditure of the authority for european political parties and european political foundations and the committee of independent eminent persons

    436 160

    428 000

    100 840

     

    Title 5 — Total

    436 160

    428 000

    100 840

    10

    Reserve

     

     

     

    10 0

    Provisional appropriation

    p.m.

    3 100 000

    0

    10 1

    Contingency reserve

    6 000 000

    7 200 000

    0

    10 3

    Enlargement reserve

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    10 4

    Reserve for information and communication policy

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    10 5

    Provisional appropriation for immovable property

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    10 6

    Reserve for priority projects under development

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

    10 8

    Emas reserve

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0

     

    Title 10 — Total

    6 000 000

    10 300 000

    0

     

    GRAND TOTAL

    2 636 241 620

    2 532 695 108

    2 375 167 076

     

     

    Revenue — REVENUE

    Title 3 — ADMINISTRATIVE REVENUE

    Chapter 3 0 — REVENUE FROM STAFF

    Article 3 0 0 — Taxes and levies

    Item 3 0 0 0 — Tax on the remunerations

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    111 692 059

    105 869 539

    100 337 194,29

    Legal basis

    Protocol on the privileges and immunities of the European Union, and in particular Article 12 thereof.

    Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 260/68 of the Council of 29 February 1968 laying down the conditions and procedure for applying the tax for the benefit of the European Communities (OJ L 56, 4.3.1968, p. 8, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1968/260/oj).

    Item 3 0 0 1 — Special levies on remunerations

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    17 507 648

    16 162 194

    14 891 421,72

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 66a thereof.

    Article 3 0 1 — Contributions to the pension scheme

    Item 3 0 1 0 — Staff contributions to the pension scheme

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    131 172 690

    121 092 129

    103 628 793,79

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 83(2) thereof.

    Item 3 0 1 1 — Transfer or purchase of pension rights by staff

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    5 000 000

    6 000 000

    7 338 881,09

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 4, Article 11(2) and (3) and Article 48 of Annex VIII thereto.

    Item 3 0 1 2 — Contributions to the pension scheme by staff on leave

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    5 000

    40 000

    0,—

    Item 3 0 1 4 — Contributions by Members of the European Parliament

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Legal basis

    Rules governing the payment of expenses and allowances to Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Annex III thereto.

    Chapter 3 1 — REVENUE LINKED TO PROPERTY

    Article 3 1 0 — Sale of immovable property — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    556 948,00

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record revenue from the sale of immovable property belonging to the institution.

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Article 3 1 1 — Sale of other property

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    5 000

    9 203,22

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record revenue accruing from the sale or part-exchange of other property belonging to the institution.

    Article 3 1 2 — Letting and subletting immovable property — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    2 383 686,62

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Details of expenditure and revenue resulting from loans or rents or the provision of services under this budget item shall be set out in an annex to this budget.

    Chapter 3 2 — REVENUE FROM THE SUPPLY OF GOODS, SERVICES AND WORK — ASSIGNED REVENUE

    Article 3 2 0 — Revenue from the supply of goods, services and work — Assigned revenue

    Item 3 2 0 2 — Revenue from the supply of goods, services and work for other Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    18 857 643,13

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    This item is intended to record revenue from the repayment of welfare expenditure incurred on behalf of another institution.

    Article 3 2 1 — Refunds by other institutions or bodies of mission allowances  — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    This article is intended to record revenue from the repayment of welfare expenditure incurred on behalf of another institution.

    Article 3 2 2 — Revenue from third parties in respect of goods, services or work  — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    4 952 719,42

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Chapter 3 3 — OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE REVENUE

    Article 3 3 0 — Repayment of amounts wrongly paid — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    22 491 561,95

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Article 3 3 1 — Revenue for a specific purpose (income from foundations, subsidies, gifts and bequests) — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(2) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Article 3 3 3 — Insurance payments received — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    34 995,58

    Remarks

    In accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations in the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    This article is also intended to include reimbursement by insurance companies of the salaries of officials involved in accidents.

    Article 3 3 8 — Other revenue from administrative operations — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record other contributions and refunds in connection with the administrative operation of the institution.

    In accordance with Article 21 of the Financial Regulation, this revenue is to be considered as assigned revenue and gives rise to the entry of additional appropriations against the headings which bore the initial expenditure giving rise to the corresponding revenue.

    Article 3 3 9 — Other revenue from administrative operations

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    1 000

    1 000

    1 622 925,87

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record other revenue from administrative operations.

    Details of expenditure and revenue resulting from loans or rents or the provision of services under this article shall be set out in an annex to this budget.

    Title 4 — FINANCIAL REVENUE, DEFAULT INTEREST AND FINES

    Chapter 4 0 — REVENUE FROM INVESTMENTS AND ACCOUNTS

    Article 4 0 0 — Revenue from investments, loans granted and bank accounts

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    4 411 025,89

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record revenue from investments, loans granted and bank and other interest on the institution’s accounts.

    Title 6 — REVENUE, CONTRIBUTIONS AND REFUNDS RELATED TO UNION POLICIES

    Chapter 6 6 — OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS AND REFUNDS

    Article 6 6 8 — Other contributions and refunds — Assigned revenue

    Figures

    2026 estimate

    2025 estimate

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This article is intended to record, in accordance with Article 21 of the Financial Regulation, any revenue not provided for in other parts of Title 6 which is used to provide additional appropriations to finance expenditure to which that revenue is assigned.

    Expenditure — EXPENDITURE

    Title 1 — PERSONS WORKING WITH THE INSTITUTION

    Chapter 1 0 — MEMBERS OF THE INSTITUTION

    Article 1 0 0 — Salaries and allowances

    Item 1 0 0 0 — Salaries

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    100 920 000

    96 171 430

    91 951 742,92

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the salary provided for by the Statute for Members.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 9 and 10 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 1 and 2 thereof.

    Item 1 0 0 4 — Ordinary travel expenses

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    79 160 000

    78 700 000

    71 950 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenses in connection with travelling to and from the places of work and with other duty travel.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 25 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 20 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 10 to 21 and 24 thereof.

    Item 1 0 0 5 — Other travel expenses

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    5 260 000

    4 800 000

    5 100 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover reimbursement of additional travel expenses and travel expenses incurred in the Member State of election.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 1 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 20 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 22 and 23 thereof.

    Item 1 0 0 6 — General expenditure allowance

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    44 410 000

    44 100 000

    45 734 819,18

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover, in accordance with the Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, expenses resulting from the parliamentary activities of Members.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 90 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 20 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 43 to 47 thereof.

    Item 1 0 0 7 — Allowances for performance of duties

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    219 000

    212 000

    205 852,17

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the flat-rate subsistence and representation allowances in connection with the duties of the President of the European Parliament.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 20 thereof.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 17 June 2009.

    Article 1 0 1 — Accident and sickness insurance and other welfare measures

    Item 1 0 1 0 — Accident and sickness insurance and other social security charges

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    3 142 000

    3 393 000

    3 083 137,39

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover accident insurance and reimbursement of medical expenses for Members and loss and theft of Members’ personal effects.

    It is also intended to cover the provision of insurance cover and assistance during a trip funded by the European Parliament or a political group, as a result of a serious illness, an accident or an unforeseen event that prevents them from continuing their journey. Such assistance involves organising the Member’s repatriation and defraying the related costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 200 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 18 and 19 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, in particular Articles 3 to 9 and 25 thereof.

    Common rules on the insurance of officials of the European Union against the risk of accident and of occupational disease.

    Joint rules on sickness insurance for officials of the European Communities.

    Commission Decision laying down general implementing provisions for the reimbursement of medical expenses.

    Item 1 0 1 2 — Specific measures to assist disabled Members

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    700 000

    1 000 000

    550 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover certain expenditure required to provide assistance for a seriously disabled Member.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 26 thereof.

    Article 1 0 2 — Transitional allowances

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    2 287 000

    15 544 645

    18 921 436,05

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the transitional allowance after the end of a Member’s term of office.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 13 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 48 to 51 and 84 thereof.

    Article 1 0 3 — Pensions

    Item 1 0 3 0 — Retirement pensions (PEAM)

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    11 077 000

    11 144 000

    9 522 406,74

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the payment of an old-age pension after the cessation of a Member’s term of office.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 150 000.

    Legal basis

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 82 thereof, and Annex III to the Rules on Payment of Expenses and Allowances to Members of the European Parliament (‘PEAM rules’).

    Item 1 0 3 1 — Invalidity pensions (PEAM)

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    102 000

    96 138

    88 257,11

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the payment of a pension to Members who become incapacitated during their term of office.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 82 thereof, and Annex II to the Rules on Payment of Expenses and Allowances to Members of the European Parliament (‘PEAM rules’).

    Item 1 0 3 2 — Survivors’ pensions (PEAM)

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    2 160 000

    2 126 279

    1 919 559,71

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the payment of a survivor’s or orphan’s pension in the event of the death of a Member or of a former Member.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 15 000.

    Legal basis

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 82 thereof, and Annex I to the Rules on Payment of Expenses and Allowances to Members of the European Parliament (‘PEAM rules’).

    Item 1 0 3 3 — Optional pension scheme for Members

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the institution’s contribution to the additional voluntary pension scheme for Members.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 500.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 27 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 83 thereof, and Annex VII to the Rules on Payment of Expenses and Allowances to Members of the European Parliament (‘PEAM rules’).

    Article 1 0 5 — Language and computer courses

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    650 000

    650 000

    400 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of language and computer courses for Members.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 42 thereof.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 23 October 2017 on language and computer courses for Members.

    Chapter 1 2 — OFFICIALS AND TEMPORARY STAFF

    Article 1 2 0 — Remuneration and other entitlements

    Item 1 2 0 0 — Remuneration and allowances

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

     

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 2 0 0

    973 382 485

    906 471 880

    846 335 205,79

    Reserves(10 0)

     

    3 100 000

     

    Total

    973 382 485

    909 571 880

    846 335 205,79

    Remarks

    This appropriation is mainly intended to cover, for officials and temporary staff holding a post provided for in the establishment plan:

     salaries, allowances and other payments related to salaries,

     insurance against sickness, accident and occupational disease and other social security contributions,

     flat-rate overtime allowances,

     miscellaneous allowances and grants,

     payment of travel expenses for officials or temporary staff, their spouses and dependants from their place of employment to their place of origin,

     the impact of salary weightings applicable to remuneration and to the part of emoluments transferred to a country other than the country of employment,

     unemployment insurance for temporary staff and payments made by the institution to allow temporary staff to constitute or maintain pension rights in their country of origin.

    This appropriation is also intended to cover the insurance premiums in respect of sports accidents for users of the European Parliament’s sports centres in Brussels, in Luxembourg and in Strasbourg.

    This appropriation includes an envelope of EUR 633 245 related to the staff of the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 450 000.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Item 1 2 0 2 — Paid overtime

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    57 573

    52 764

    55 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the payment of overtime under the conditions set out in the legal basis.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 56 thereof and Annex VI thereto.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Item 1 2 0 4 — Entitlements in connection with entering the service, transfer and leaving the service

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    4 100 000

    3 779 912

    3 700 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     travel expenses due to officials and temporary staff (including their families) entering or leaving the service or being transferred to another place of employment,

     installation and resettlement allowances and removal expenses due to officials and temporary staff obliged to change their place of residence on taking up duty, on transfer to a new place of employment and on finally leaving the institution and resettling elsewhere,

     daily subsistence allowance for officials and temporary staff who furnish evidence that they must change their place of residence on taking up duty or transferring to a new place of employment,

     the compensation for a probationary official who is dismissed because his or her work is obviously inadequate,

     compensation for a member of the temporary staff whose contract is terminated by the institution,

     the difference between the contributions paid by contract staff to a Member State pension scheme and those payable to the Union scheme in the event of reclassification of a contract.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Article 1 2 2 — Allowances upon early termination of service

    Item 1 2 2 0 — Allowances for staff retired or placed on leave in the interests of the service

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    4 790 000

    4 454 598

    3 899 745,48

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the allowances payable:

     to officials assigned non-active status in connection with action to reduce the number of posts in the institution,

     to officials placed on leave to meet organisational needs associated with the acquisition of new skills within the institution,

     to officials and temporary management staff for political groups holding posts in grades AD 16 and AD 15 retired in the interests of the service.

    It also covers the employer’s contribution towards sickness insurance and the impact of the weightings applicable to these allowances (except for beneficiaries of Article 42c of the Staff Regulations, who are not entitled to a weighting).

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Articles 41, 42c and 50 thereof and Annex IV thereto, and Article 48a of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Item 1 2 2 2 — Allowances for staff whose service is terminated and special retirement scheme for officials and temporary staff

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     the allowances payable under the Staff Regulations or Council Regulations (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2689/95 and (EC, Euratom) No 1748/2002,

     the employer’s contributions towards sickness insurance for the recipients of the allowances,

     the impact of the weightings applicable to the various allowances.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Articles 64 and 72 thereof.

    Council Regulation (EC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2689/95 of 17 November 1995 introducing special measures to terminate the service of temporary staff of the European Communities as a result of the accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden (OJ L 280, 23.11.1995, p. 4, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1995/2689/oj).

    Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1748/2002 of 30 September 2002 introducing, in the context of the modernisation of the institution, special measures to terminate the service of Officials of the European Communities appointed to an established post in the European Parliament and temporary staff working in the Political Groups of the European Parliament (OJ L 264, 2.10.2002, p. 9, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2002/1748/oj).

    Chapter 1 4 — OTHER STAFF AND EXTERNAL SERVICES

    Article 1 4 0 — Other staff and external persons

    Item 1 4 0 0 — Other staff — Secretariat and political groups

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    100 945 810

    94 484 929

    81 664 730,14

    Remarks

    This appropriation is mainly intended to cover the following expenditure:

     the remuneration, including allocations and allowances, of other staff, including contract staff and special advisers (within the meaning of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union), employer’s contributions to the various social security schemes, the bulk of which are paid in to the Union institutions’ own scheme, and the impact of salary weightings applicable to the remuneration of this staff,

     the employment of temporary agency staff.

    This appropriation is not to cover expenditure on:

     other staff within the Directorate-General for Security and Safety who perform duties relating to the safety of persons and property, information security and risk assessment,

     other staff working as drivers in the Secretariat.

    Part of this appropriation is to be used for the recruitment of persons with disabilities as contract staff members, in accordance with the Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 7 and 9 July 2008.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 4 100 000.

    This appropriation includes an envelope of EUR 421 487 related to the staff of the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations.

    Legal basis

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (Titles IV, V and VI).

    General implementing provisions governing competitions and selection procedures, recruitment and the grading of officials and other servants of the European Parliament (decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 17 October 2014).

    Item 1 4 0 1 — Other staff — Security

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    57 780 573

    52 771 404

    46 021 651,49

    Remarks

    This appropriation is mainly intended to cover the expenditure on other staff within the Directorate-General for Security and Safety who perform duties relating to the safety of persons and property, information security and risk assessment.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 500 000.

    Legal basis

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (Title IV).

    General implementing provisions governing competitions and selection procedures, recruitment and the grading of officials and other servants of the European Parliament (decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 17 October 2014).

    Item 1 4 0 2 — Other staff — Drivers in the Secretariat

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    10 316 589

    9 725 704

    9 027 760,87

    Remarks

    This appropriation is mainly intended to cover the expenditure on other staff working as drivers in the Secretariat or coordinating the work of those drivers.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union (Title IV).

    General implementing provisions governing competitions and selection procedures, recruitment and the grading of officials and other servants of the European Parliament (decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 17 October 2014).

    Item 1 4 0 4 — Traineeships, seconded national experts, exchanges of officials and study visits

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    15 912 203

    13 929 850

    11 341 160,19

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     emoluments for graduate trainees (scholarships), including any household allowances,

     travel expenses of trainees,

     contribution to the cost of lunches of trainees at the European Parliament’s canteens,

     additional costs directly related to a trainee’s impairment,

     sickness and accident insurance for trainees,

     costs connected with the holding of information or training sessions for trainees,

     payment of a grant to the Robert Schuman Trainees’ Committee,

     communication and outreach actions and the financing of a trainee alumni network,

     expenditure arising from movements between the European Parliament and the civil service in the Member States and candidate countries or international organisations specified in the rules,

     expenditure arising from the secondment of national experts to the European Parliament, including allowances and travel expenses,

     accident insurance for national experts on secondment,

     allowances for study visits and study grants,

     the organisation of training schemes for conference interpreters and translators, inter alia in cooperation with schools of interpreting and universities providing training in translation, as well as grants for the training and further training of interpreters and translators, purchase of teaching materials, and associated costs,

     costs related to creating distance-learning opportunities for conference interpreting agents, like e-courses on subjects related to areas of parliamentary activity or professional skills or the recruitment of trainers for courses specific to conference interpreting agents.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 7 March 2005 on the rules governing the attachment of European Parliament officials and temporary staff of the political groups to national public authorities, bodies treated as such public authorities and international organisations.

    Decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 29 April 2021 on the internal rules governing traineeships in the Secretariat of the European Parliament.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 22 November 2021 on the rules governing the secondment of national experts to the European Parliament.

    Item 1 4 0 5 — Expenditure on interpretation

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    64 850 000

    64 841 796

    55 479 971,94

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the following expenditure:

     the fees and related allowances, social security contributions, travel expenses and other expenses of contract conference interpreters recruited by the European Parliament to service meetings organised by the European Parliament to meet its own needs or those of other institutions when the necessary services cannot be provided by European Parliament interpreters (officials and temporary staff),

     expenditure on conference agencies, technicians, welcoming staff and administrators used to service the above meetings where they cannot be serviced by officials, temporary staff or other European Parliament staff,

     expenditure for contracts in interpreting services concluded by the DG LINC for providing interpretation, including remote simultaneous interpretation, for non-core meeting of the European Parliament and/or requested by other institutions and entities authorised to hold meetings on European Parliament premises,

     expenses in connection with services provided to the European Parliament by interpreters who are staff members of regional, national or international institutions,

     expenses in connection with interpretation-related activities, in particular preparations for meetings and interpreter training and selection,

     expenses paid for administering payments to conference interpreters,

     expenses in connection with preservation and development of external interpretation capacity or availability schemes.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 2 600 000.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Agreement on working conditions and the pecuniary regime for auxiliary conference interpreters (ACIs) (and the implementing rules therefor), as established on 28 July 1999, amended on 13 October 2004 and revised on 31 July 2008.

    Item 1 4 0 6 — Observers

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the payment of expenses relating to observers, in accordance with Rule 13 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Article 1 4 2 — External translation services

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    9 236 000

    9 700 000

    3 000 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the translation, editing, typing, coding and technical assistance work sent to outside suppliers.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 50 000.

    Chapter 1 6 — OTHER EXPENDITURE RELATING TO PERSONS WORKING WITH THE INSTITUTION

    Article 1 6 1 — Expenditure relating to staff management

    Item 1 6 1 0 — Expenditure on recruitment

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    496 600

    371 520

    152 378,85

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenditure on organising the competitions provided for in Article 3 of Decision 2002/621/EC and travel and subsistence expenses for applicants invited to tests as part of a competition or selection procedure, or called for recruitment interviews or to pre-employment medical examinations,

     the costs of organising and promoting competitions and procedures for selecting staff and raising awareness of employment opportunities in the European Parliament.

    In cases duly justified by operational needs, the institution may use this appropriation to organise its own competitions and selection procedures.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Articles 27 to 31 and Article 33 thereof and Annex III thereto.

    Decision 2002/620/EC of the European Parliament, the Council, the Commission, the Court of Justice, the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Ombudsman of 25 July 2002 establishing a European Communities Personnel Selection Office (OJ L 197, 26.7.2002, p. 53, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2002/620/oj) and Decision 2002/621/EC of the Secretaries-General of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission, the Registrar of the Court of Justice, the Secretaries-General of the Court of Auditors, the Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions, and the Representative of the European Ombudsman of 25 July 2002 on the organisation and operation of the European Communities Personnel Selection Office (OJ L 197, 26.7.2002, p. 56, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2002/621/oj).

    Item 1 6 1 2 — Learning and development

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    8 958 400

    8 987 950

    8 490 662,44

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on training for improving staff skills and the performance and efficiency of the institution, e.g. via language courses for the official working languages.

    It is also intended to cover expenditure on other training courses for Members.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 1 700.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 24a thereof.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Article 1 6 3 — Measures to assist the institution’s staff

    Item 1 6 3 0 — Social welfare

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    350 000

    328 350

    135 748,07

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     action taken in respect of officials and other servants in particularly difficult situations,

     the financing of a grant for the Staff Committee, the APA Committee, and incidental expenditure in the Medical Services. Contributions or defrayal of expenses by the Staff Committee for participants in welfare activities will be aimed at financing activities that have a social, cultural or linguistic dimension, but there will be no subsidies for individual staff members or households,

     other institutional and interinstitutional welfare measures for officials, other servants and retired staff,

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 70 000.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 9(3), third subparagraph, and Article 76 thereof.

    Item 1 6 3 1 — Mobility

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    2 110 000

    2 110 000

    2 340 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure relating to mobility at the various places of work.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Item 1 6 3 2 — Social contacts between members of staff and other social measures

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    290 200

    285 000

    265 819,34

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to encourage and provide financial backing for schemes to promote social contact between staff of different nationalities, for example subsidies for staff clubs, sports associations and cultural societies, and to make a contribution to the cost of a permanent centre (for cultural and sports activities, other hobbies, a restaurant) for use during leisure time.

    It also covers financial support for interinstitutional social activities.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 600 000.

    Article 1 6 5 — Activities relating to all persons working with the institution

    Item 1 6 5 0 — Health, Safety and Inclusion

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    3 615 219

    4 088 866

    3 327 922,83

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the operating costs of the Medical Services, the Medical Leave Service, the Medical Preparedness and Crisis Management Unit, the Prevention and Well-Being at Work Unit and the Equality Inclusion and Diversity Unit in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg.

    In the medical field, this includes in particular:

     medical check-ups, the purchase of materials and pharmaceutical products,

     expenditure on medical examinations, particularly in an occupational-medicine context, on pre-recruitment medical examinations, on periodic examinations and health screening in connection with security-related, safety-critical and specific-risk posts,

     medical expert reports and on ergonomic measures,

     expenditure arising from the operation of the Invalidity Committee and in connection with adjudications and expert opinions,

     expenditure on services provided by outside medical and paramedical specialists deemed necessary by the medical officers.

    It also covers expenditure involving the purchase of certain work tools deemed necessary on medical grounds, together with expenditure on medical or paramedical service providers or personnel on short-term stand-in assignment.

    In relation to disability management and support, this appropriation is intended to cover as part of an interinstitutional policy to assist persons with a disability in the following categories:

     officials and other agents in active employment,

     spouses of officials and other agents in active employment,

     dependent children within the meaning of the Staff Regulations,

     orphans who have lost both parents and who are in receipt of an orphan’s pension,

    the reimbursement, to the extent permitted by the budget and after national entitlements in the country of residence or the country of origin have been exhausted, of expenses (other than medical expenses) recognised as necessary, resulting from the disability, supported by documentary evidence and not covered by the Joint Sickness Insurance Scheme,

     other institutional and interinstitutional welfare measures for officials, other servants and retired staff,

     the financing of specific reasonable accommodation measures or expenditure on medical analyses and welfare assessments for officials and other servants with disabilities during recruitment procedures or requiring accommodation measures as a result of events during their career, and trainees with disabilities during selection procedures, in application of Article 1d of the Staff Regulations, in particular personal assistance at the workplace, including transport, or during missions.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 1d, Article 1e(2), Article 33, Article 59, and Article 76 thereof and Article 8 of Annex II thereto. Council Directive 89/391/EEC of June 12, 1989 also lays ground on provisions in relation to workplace risk management.

    Item 1 6 5 2 — Expenditure on catering

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    800 000

    1 360 000

    736 268,23

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on catering for official high-level events and meetings and certain social measures agreed by the European Parliament.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Item 1 6 5 4 — Childcare facilities

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    11 751 520

    9 237 967

    8 651 259,44

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the European Parliament’s contribution to all the organisational expenditure and expenditure on services for the internal childcare facilities and outside childcare facilities with which an agreement has been concluded.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 3 300 000.

    Item 1 6 5 5 — European Parliament contribution for accredited Type II European Schools

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 248 000

    1 169 950

    837 737,52

    Remarks

    Implementation of Commission Decision C(2013) 4886 of 1 August 2013 on the putting into effect of the EU contribution paid on a pro-rata basis to schools accredited by the Board of Governors of the European Schools according to the number of children of EU staff enrolled, replacing Commission Decision C(2009) 7719 of 14 October 2009 as amended by Commission Decision C(2010) 7993 of 8 December 2010 (OJ C 222, 2.8.2013, p. 8).

    This appropriation is intended to cover the European Parliament’s contribution for Type II European Schools accredited by the Board of Governors of the European Schools or the reimbursement of the contribution paid by the Commission on behalf of the European Parliament for Type II European Schools accredited by the Board of Governors of the European Schools. It covers costs relating to children of European Parliament staff coming under the Staff Regulations who are enrolled in such schools.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Title 2 — BUILDINGS, FURNITURE, EQUIPMENT AND MISCELLANEOUS OPERATING EXPENDITURE

    Remarks

    Since risk cover has been revoked by insurance companies, the risk of industrial conflicts and terrorist attacks for the European Parliament buildings needs to be covered through the general budget of the Union.

    The appropriations of this title accordingly cover all expenses in connection with damage resulting from industrial conflicts and terrorist attacks.

    Chapter 2 0 — Buildings and associated costs

    Article 2 0 0 — Buildings

    Item 2 0 0 0 — Rent

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    31 110 000

    26 900 000

    29 318 124,71

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover rent for the buildings or parts of buildings occupied by the European Parliament.

    It also covers property tax. The rentals are calculated over 12 months on the basis of existing leases or leases in preparation, which normally provide for cost of living or construction cost index-linking.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 3 000 000.

    Financial contributions from Member States or their public agencies or entities in the form of financing or repayment of costs and of associated charges relating to the purchase or use of land, buildings, as well as of charges in relation to buildings and facilities of the institution, shall be considered as external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2) of the Financial Regulation.

    Item 2 0 0 1 — Lease payments

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    751 000

    700 000

    21 420 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the annual lease payments for buildings or parts of buildings under existing leases or leases in preparation.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 50 000.

    Financial contributions from Member States or their public agencies or entities in the form of financing or repayment of costs and of associated charges relating to the purchase or use of land, buildings, as well as of charges in relation to buildings and facilities of the institution, shall be considered as external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2) of the Financial Regulation.

    Item 2 0 0 3 — Acquisition of immovable property

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    340 000

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the acquisition of immovable property. Subsidies for land and its servicing will be dealt with in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 810 000.

    Financial contributions from Member States or their public agencies or entities in the form of financing or repayment of costs and of associated charges relating to the purchase or use of land, buildings, as well as of charges in relation to buildings and facilities of the institution, shall be considered as external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2) of the Financial Regulation.

    Item 2 0 0 7 — Construction of buildings and fitting-out of premises

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    74 357 000

    78 010 000

    75 581 353,02

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     building construction costs (works, consultants’ fees, initial fitting-out work and supplies to make buildings operational, and all related costs),

     fitting-out costs and related expenditure, and in particular architects’ or engineers’ fees.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 472 000.

    Financial contributions from Member States or their public agencies or entities in the form of financing or repayment of costs and of associated charges relating to the purchase or use of land, buildings, as well as of charges in relation to buildings and facilities of the institution, shall be considered as external assigned revenue within the meaning of Article 21(2) of the Financial Regulation.

    Item 2 0 0 8 — Other specific property management arrangements

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    8 190 000

    6 665 000

    4 227 493,47

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on property management not specifically provided for in the other articles in this Chapter, i.e.:

     waste management and treatment,

     mandatory inspections, quality checks, expert opinions, audits, compliance monitoring, etc.,

     technical library,

     management support (building helpdesk),

     taking care of building drawings and information media,

     other expenditure.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 268 000.

    Item 2 0 0 9 — Construction and fitting out of Buildings: Idea Lab

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover investments in innovative building solutions and pilot projects, namely:

     building construction costs (works, consultants’ fees, initial fitting out and supplies to make buildings fit to meet the European Parliament’s needs and all related costs),

     fitting-out costs and related expenditure, as well as architects’ and engineers’ fees.

    Article 2 0 2 — Expenditure on buildings

    Item 2 0 2 2 — Building maintenance, upkeep, operation and cleaning

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    83 870 000

    81 550 000

    78 288 453,35

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the maintenance, upkeep, operating and cleaning costs, on the basis of current contracts, for the buildings (offices, other areas and installations) rented or owned by the European Parliament.

    Before renewing or concluding contracts, the institution will consult the other institutions on the contractual terms each of them has obtained (prices, currency chosen, index-linking, duration, other clauses) with due regard for Article 167 of the Financial Regulation.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 479 000.

    Item 2 0 2 4 — Energy consumption

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    25 457 000

    28 950 000

    21 604 075,08

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover, in particular, water, gas, electricity and heating costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 150 000.

    Item 2 0 2 6 — Security and surveillance of buildings

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    22 610 000

    19 760 000

    18 818 361,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover essentially the costs of caretaking and surveillance in respect of buildings occupied by the European Parliament at its three habitual places of work, its information offices in the Union, the Europa Experiences and its offices in third countries.

    Before renewing or concluding contracts, the institution will consult the other institutions on the contractual terms each of them has obtained (prices, currency chosen, index-linking, duration, other clauses) with due regard for Article 167 of the Financial Regulation.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100 000.

    Item 2 0 2 8 — Insurance

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    3 790 000

    3 390 000

    3 358 982,59

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover payments in respect of insurance policy premiums.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Chapter 2 1 — DATA PROCESSING, EQUIPMENT AND MOVABLE PROPERTY

    Remarks

    In connection with public procurement, the institution will consult the other institutions on the contractual terms each of them has obtained.

    Article 2 1 0 — Computing and telecommunications

    Item 2 1 0 0 — IT governance and cyber security

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    11 004 000

    9 563 800

    10 169 079,47

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the purchase, hire, servicing and maintenance of hardware and software and on outside assistance from IT consultants to provide assistance and support related to ICT security, enterprise architecture, market exploration and studies in the domain of information and communications technology.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Item 2 1 0 1 — Business applications management

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    79 323 800

    77 681 050

    80 586 736,76

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the purchase, hire, servicing and maintenance of hardware and software and related work, and on outside assistance from ICT consultants for operations connected with ICT user applications management in the institution, and IT project support. It is also intended to cover expenditure on ICT tools financed jointly in the context of interinstitutional cooperation in the field of languages, provided for by the decisions taken by the Interinstitutional Committee on Translation and Interpretation.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 64 000.

    Item 2 1 0 2 — Infrastructure and operations management

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    81 745 300

    80 041 200

    86 398 356,95

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the purchase, hire, servicing and maintenance of hardware and software and on outside assistance from IT consultants to ensure that the European Parliament’s computing and telecommunications infrastructure functions properly. That expenditure relates mainly to systems at the computer and telecommunications centre including cloud-related services, network, cabling, telecommunications and videoconferencing systems. It also relates to the voting system infrastructure, the renting or acquisition of multifunctional devices (photocopiers) and costs associated with the printing of documents.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 385 000.

    Item 2 1 0 3 — Digital workplace services and equipment

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    22 841 500

    25 209 000

    34 500 141,30

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the purchase, hire, servicing and maintenance of hardware and software and on outside assistance from IT consultants to provide assistance, support and IT equipment for users of the European Parliament’s computing and telecommunications systems. That expenditure mainly relates to the acquisition and maintenance of individual IT equipment and to the IT support services for Members and other users.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 192 000.

    Article 2 1 2 — Furniture

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    7 470 000

    7 990 000

    8 345 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the purchase, hire, maintenance and repair of furniture, including the purchase of ergonomic furniture, the replacement of worn-out and broken furniture and office machines. It is also intended to cover miscellaneous expenditure on managing the European Parliament’s furniture stock.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Article 2 1 4 — Technical equipment and installations

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    23 468 400

    21 322 000

    28 604 422,99

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the purchase, hire, maintenance, repair and management of technical equipment and installations, and in particular of:

     miscellaneous fixed and mobile technical installations and equipment in connection with publishing, security (including software), canteens, buildings, staff training and the institution’s sports centres, etc.,

     equipment in particular for the canteens, staff shops, security, conferences, and the audiovisual sector, etc.,

     special equipment (electronic, computing and electrical) and related external services.

    This appropriation also covers publicity costs for the resale and scrapping of inventoried items and the costs of technical assistance (consultancy) with matters on which external expertise is needed.

    This appropriation also covers the cost of transporting the equipment needed to provide technical conference services anywhere in the world when requested by a Member, delegation, political group or governing body of the European Parliament. It covers transport costs and all related administrative costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 190 000.

    Article 2 1 6 — Transport of Members, other persons and goods

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    6 155 000

    5 901 000

    4 965 558,61

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the purchase, leasing, maintenance, use and repair of vehicles (fleet of cars and bicycles) and the hire of cars, taxis, coaches and lorries, with or without drivers, including the necessary insurance cover and other management costs. When replacing the car fleet or purchasing, leasing or hiring vehicles, preference will be given to cars that are the least polluting for the environment, such as hybrid cars.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100 000.

    Chapter 2 3 — CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE

    Remarks

    In connection with public procurement, the institution will consult the other institutions on the contractual terms each of them has obtained.

    Article 2 3 0 — Stationery, office supplies and miscellaneous consumables

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    200 000

    296 000

    168 615,80

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the purchase of paper, envelopes, office supplies, supplies for the print shop and document reproduction workshops, etc., together with the related management costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 28 000.

    Article 2 3 1 — Financial charges

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    350 000

    1 850 000

    80 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover bank charges (commission, agios and miscellaneous charges) and other financial charges, including ancillary costs for the financing of buildings.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Article 2 3 2 — Legal costs and damages

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 795 000

    1 635 000

    844 750,49

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     the cost of hiring bailiffs to represent the European Parliament for the purpose of notification of its decisions,

     costs which may be awarded against the European Parliament by the Court of Justice, the General Court or national courts,

     the cost of hiring outside lawyers to represent the European Parliament in Union and national courts, and the cost of hiring legal advisers or experts to assist the Legal Service,

     reimbursement of lawyers’ fees in connection with disciplinary and equivalent proceedings,

     damages and interest expenses,

     compensation agreed through amicable settlement pursuant to Chapter 11 and Chapter 11a of Title III of the Rules of Procedure of the General Court or Chapter 7 of Title IV of the Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice,

     administrative fines issued by the European Data Protection Supervisor.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Legal basis

    Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).

    Article 2 3 6 — Postage on correspondence and delivery charges

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    268 000

    270 000

    296 196,49

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover charges for postage, processing and delivery by national postal services or private delivery firms.

    This appropriation is also intended to cover mail-handling services.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 12 000.

    Article 2 3 7 — Removals

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 437 000

    700 000

    1 592 272,11

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of removal and handling work carried out by removal firms or by temporary handling staff supplied by outside agencies.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Article 2 3 8 — Other administrative expenditure

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    2 388 000

    2 385 000

    1 837 968,98

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     insurance not specifically provided for in another item,

     the purchase and maintenance of uniforms for ushers, drivers, receptionists, warehouse staff, removal men and staff in the Visits and Seminars Unit, the Parlamentarium, the medical services, the security and building maintenance services and various technical services,

     miscellaneous operating and management expenses, including fees payable to the Office for the Administration and Payment of Individual Entitlements (PMO) for managing pensions payable to former Members under the Statute, expenses related to the security clearance of external persons working on the premises or in the systems of the European Parliament, purchases of goods or services not specifically provided for against another heading,

     miscellaneous purchases in connection with European Parliament’s corporate social responsibility, including Eco-Management Auditing Scheme (EMAS),

     miscellaneous services in connection with European Parliament’s financial and inventory management.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Article 2 3 9 — EMAS and sustainability activities, including promotion, and the European Parliament’s carbon offsetting scheme

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    950 000

    250 000

    10 267,38

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure related to sustainability activities in the European Parliament and Eco-Management Auditing Scheme (EMAS) activities aimed at improving the environmental performance of the European Parliament, including the promotion of these activities, and to the European Parliament’s carbon offsetting scheme.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Title 3 — EXPENDITURE RESULTING FROM GENERAL FUNCTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE INSTITUTION

    Chapter 3 0 — MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES

    Article 3 0 0 — Expenses for staff missions and duty travel between the three places of work

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    29 470 000

    28 850 000

    21 855 556,57

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on duty travel by staff of the institution, seconded national experts, trainees and staff of other European or international institutions invited by the institution between place of employment and any of the European Parliament’s three places of work (Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg) and on missions to any location other than the three places of work. Expenditure is made up of transport costs, daily allowances, accommodation costs and compensatory allowances for unsocial hours. Ancillary costs (including cancellation of tickets and hotel reservations, electronic invoicing costs and mission insurance costs) are also covered.

    This appropriation is also intended to cover any expenditure on carbon offsetting relating to staff missions and duty travel.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 200 000.

    Legal basis

    Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, and in particular Article 71 thereof and Articles 11, 12 and 13 of Annex VII thereto.

    Article 3 0 2 — Reception and representation expenses

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 093 128

    1 028 900

    886 086,07

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenses related to the obligations of the institution regarding receptions, including in connection with work relating to the assessment of scientific options (STOA), other research and forward-looking activities and representation expenses for Members of the institution,

     representation expenses of the President when he or she is travelling outside the places of work,

     musical projects,

     representation expenses and the contribution to the secretarial expenses of the President’s office,

     the Secretariat’s reception and representation expenses, including the purchase of items and medals for officials who have completed 15 or 25 years’ service,

     miscellaneous protocol expenditure, such as on flags, display stands, invitation cards and printed menus,

     travel and subsistence expenses incurred by VIP visitors to the institution,

     visa costs relating to official travel by Members and staff,

     reception and representation expenses and the other specific expenses for Members performing official duties at the European Parliament.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Article 3 0 4 — Miscellaneous expenditure on meetings

    Item 3 0 4 0 — Miscellaneous expenditure on internal meetings

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    320 000

    370 000

    142 335,23

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the costs of the beverages, refreshments and occasional light meals served at meetings held by the European Parliament or interinstitutional meetings organised on its premises, together with the management costs for these services.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Item 3 0 4 2 — Meetings, congresses, conferences and delegations

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    3 185 301

    3 282 900

    1 351 568,80

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover, inter alia, expenses other than those covered under Chapter 1 0 and Article 3 0 0, connected with:

     the organisation of meetings outside the places of work (committees and committee delegations, political groups), including, where appropriate, representation expenditure,

     the organisation of interparliamentary delegations, ad hoc delegations, joint parliamentary committees, parliamentary cooperation committees, parliamentary delegations to the WTO, and the Parliamentary Conference on the WTO and its Steering Committee,

     the organisation of delegations to the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the EuroLat Parliamentary Assembly and the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly and their bodies,

     the organisation of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfMPA), its committees and its Bureau; this expenditure includes the European Parliament’s contribution to the budget of the autonomous secretariat of the UfMPA or the direct defrayal of expenses representing the European Parliament’s share of the budget of the UfMPA,

     the affiliation fees in respect of international organisations to which the European Parliament or one of its bodies belongs (Interparliamentary Union, Association of Secretaries-General of Parliaments, Twelve Plus Group within the Interparliamentary Union),

     the reimbursement to the Commission, on the basis of a service agreement concluded between the European Parliament and the Commission, of the European Parliament’s share of the cost of producing EU laissez-passer (equipment, staff and supplies), in accordance with the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union (Article 6), Article 23 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, Articles 11 and 81 of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union and Council Regulation (EU) No 1417/2013 of 17 December 2013 laying down the form of the laissez-passer issued by the European Union (OJ L 353, 28.12.2013, p. 26, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2013/1417/oj),

     participation in meetings of the Steering Board of the InvestEU Programme and official meetings with the competent parliamentary committees’ members (including travel expenses, accommodation and catering) of persons appointed by the European Parliament in the Steering Board of the InvestEU Programme.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Item 3 0 4 9 — Expenditure on travel agency services

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    3 660 000

    3 590 000

    3 393 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the running costs of the travel agency under contract to the European Parliament.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 6 000.

    Chapter 3 2 — EXPERTISE AND INFORMATION: ACQUISITION, ARCHIVING, PRODUCTION AND DISSEMINATION

    Article 3 2 0 — Acquisition of expertise

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    9 961 999

    6 485 000

    3 134 202,80

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     the cost of contracts with qualified experts and research institutes for studies and other research activities (workshops, round tables, expert panels or hearings, and conferences) or technical assistance activities that require specific skills and that are carried out for the European Parliament’s governing bodies, for the parliamentary committees, for the parliamentary delegations and for the administration,

     acquisition or hiring of specialised information sources, such as specialised databases, related literature or technical support, when needed to complement the expertise contracts mentioned above,

     the travel, subsistence and incidental expenses of experts and other persons, including petitioners to the European Parliament, invited to take part in committee, delegation, study group or working party meetings and in workshops,

     costs of participation of petitioners, including travel, subsistence and incidental expenses, during the official missions of the Committee on Petitions outside of the European Parliament premises,

     costs of dissemination of internal or external parliamentary research products and other relevant products, for the benefit of the institution and of the public (in particular by means of publications on the internet, internal databases, brochures and publications),

     expenditure on calling-in outside persons to take part in the work of bodies such as the Disciplinary Board,

     the cost of checks by specialised external service providers on the accuracy of documents supplied by candidates for recruitment.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 74 000.

    Article 3 2 1 — Expenditure on European parliamentary research services, including the library, the historical archives, scientific and technological options assessment (STOA) and the European Science-Media Hub

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    10 063 320

    10 134 000

    8 393 552,80

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the work of DG EPRS and the Historical Archives of the European Parliament, particularly:

     acquisition of specialised expertise and support for the European Parliament’s research activities (including articles, studies, workshops, seminars, round tables, expert panels and conferences) which may, if necessary, be carried out in partnership with other Institutions, international organisations, research departments and libraries of national parliaments, think tanks, research bodies and other qualified experts,

     acquisition of specialised expertise in the fields of impact assessment and of ex ante and ex post evaluation, European added value, and scientific and technological options assessment (STOA),

     acquisition or hiring of books, journals, newspapers, databases, press agency products and any other information medium for the library in various formats, including costs of copyright, the quality assurance system, materials and work involved in rebinding and conservation, and other relevant services,

     the cost of outside archiving services (organisation, selection, description, transfer to different media and to paperless form, acquisition of primary archive sources),

     acquisition, development, installation, operation and maintenance of special library and archiving documentation and of special media-library materials, including materials and electrical, electronic and computerised systems, and materials for rebinding and conservation,

     costs of dissemination of internal or external parliamentary research products and other relevant products, for the benefit of the institution and of the public (in particular by means of publications on the internet, internal databases, brochures and publications),

     travel, subsistence and associated costs of experts and authors invited to attend presentations, seminars, workshops or other such activities organised,

     participation by the services responsible for Scientific and Technological Options Assessment (STOA) in the activities of European and international scientific bodies,

     the European Parliament’s obligations under international and interinstitutional cooperation agreements, including the European Parliament’s contribution to the costs of managing the Union’s historical archives in accordance with Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83,

     the costs of the European Science-Media Hub, the operations of which are overseen by the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA), in enhancing the interface between the European Parliament, the scientific community and the media, in order specifically to promote networking, training and knowledge dissemination. This includes for example:

     organising activities and dealing with expenses (including travel expenses, accommodation and catering) in connection with invitations to journalists, stakeholders and other experts to cover the activities concerned,

     setting up and maintaining networks at the interface between the European Parliament, the scientific community and the media,

     organising seminars, conferences and training courses on current scientific and technological developments and issues and on the nature and effectiveness of science journalism,

     harnessing expert information and analysis from academia, the media and other sources in the field of science and technology for the benefit of policy-makers and citizens,

     making European Parliament research and other relevant material in the field of science and technology more widely available by written, audiovisual and other means,

     developing techniques and methods for increasing the ability to identify and disseminate trustworthy sources in the field of science and technology,

     supporting the installation, upgrading and use of state-of-the-art technical equipment and media facilities in support of such dialogue,

     developing closer cooperation and, more generally, links between the European Parliament, relevant media outlets and universities and research centres in this field, including through promotion in the media of the role, and work of the European Science-Media Hub as well as its accessibility for citizens.

    This appropriation may also be used to support dialogue between the European Parliament and the university community, the media, think tanks and citizens with regard to foresight work on the long-term trends to be addressed by European Union decision-makers, both in the field of science and more broadly, through seminars, publications and other activities set out above.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom) No 354/83 of 1 February 1983 concerning the opening to the public of the historical archives of the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community (OJ L 43, 15.2.1983, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/1983/354/oj).

    Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents (OJ L 145, 31.5.2001, p. 43, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2001/1049/oj).

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 28 November 2001 on rules governing public access to European Parliament documents, as last amended on 22 June 2011 (OJ C 216, 22.7.2011, p. 19).

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 2 July 2012 on rules on document management in the European Parliament.

    European Parliament resolution of 8 October 2013 on forward policy planning and long-term trends: budgetary implications for capacity-building (OJ C 181, 19.5.2016, p. 16), and in particular paragraphs 7 and 9 thereof.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 10 March 2014 on procedures governing the European Parliament’s acquisition of private archives of Members and former Members.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 15 April 2019 on the STOA rules.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 17 June 2019 on the rules of the European Parliament Library.

    Article 3 2 2 — Documentation expenditure

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    2 973 500

    3 115 000

    3 221 682,79

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals and news agencies and to the publications thereof and online services, including copyright fees for the reproduction and dissemination of the above in written and/or electronic form and service contracts for press reviews and cuttings,

     subscriptions or service contracts for the supply of summaries and analyses of the content of periodicals or the storage on optical media of articles taken from such periodicals,

     utilising external documentary and statistical databases (computer hardware and telecommunications charges excepted),

     the purchase of new dictionaries and glossaries, or the replacement thereof, regardless of medium, including for the new language sections, and other works for the language services and the Legislative Quality Units.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Article 3 2 3 — Support for democracy and capacity-building for the parliaments of third countries

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 400 000

    1 400 000

    517 672,34

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenditure on programmes for the exchange of information and cooperation between the European Parliament and the national parliaments of the pre-accession countries, in particular the Western Balkans and Turkey,

     expenditure committed for promoting relations between the European Parliament and democratically elected national parliaments from third countries (other than those referred to in the previous indent) as well as with corresponding regional parliamentary organisations. The activities concerned are notably aimed at strengthening parliamentary capacity in new and emerging democracies in particular in the European Neighbourhood (South and East),

     expenditure on promoting activities in support of mediation, and programmes for young political leaders from the European Union and from countries in the wider European Neighbourhood: the Maghreb, Eastern Europe and Russia, Israeli-Palestinian dialogue and other priority countries as decided by the Democracy Support and Election Coordination Group,

     expenditure on organising the Sakharov Prize (in particular the amount of the prize, travel expenses of the winner(s) and other finalists and the costs of receiving them, operating costs of the Sakharov network and duty travel by members of the network) and on activities to promote human rights.

    These activities include information visits to the European Parliament in Brussels, Luxembourg or Strasbourg and visits to Member States and third countries. This appropriation covers, wholly or partially, the expenses of the participants, particularly travel, accommodation and daily subsistence.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 12 December 2011 establishing the Directorate for Democracy Support in the Directorate-General for External Policies of the Union.

    Article 3 2 4 — Production and dissemination

    Item 3 2 4 0 — Official Journal

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the institution’s share of the Publications Office’s expenditure on publishing and dissemination and other ancillary costs with regard to the texts to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000.

    Item 3 2 4 1 — Digital and traditional publications

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    1 579 800

    1 619 600

    2 137 349,13

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     all costs for digital publishing (Intranet sites) and traditional publishing (miscellaneous documents and printed matter subcontracted out), including distribution,

     upgrading and evolutive and corrective maintenance of editorial systems.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 10 000.

    Item 3 2 4 2 — Expenditure on publication, information and participation in public events

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    26 530 000

    27 640 000

    36 366 874,13

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenditure on communication relating to the values of the institution by means of information publications, including electronic publications, information activities, public relations, participation in public events, trade fairs and exhibitions,

     expenditure on communication in order to give the European Parliament a recognisable, coherent and positive public image, to develop communication products from the creative concept to the final product and capacity building towards an internal communication agency, including access to industry tools and external expert advice,

     co-financing of communication actions through a grants program in order to promote and multiply a better understanding of the identity, role and political nature of the European Parliament and to stimulate collaboration with multiplier networks,

     the cost relating to public opinion monitoring,

     the cost linked to monitoring, countering and raising awareness on the reputational risks, disinformation and hybrid threats,

     the cost of cultural projects of European interest, such as the European Parliament LUX Prize for European Cinema,

     the cost of organising and running events for young people, raising the European Parliament’s social media profile, and monitoring youth trends,

     costs relating to the mobile internet, interactive technologies, socialising spaces, collaborative platforms and changing internet user behaviour, with a view to bringing the European Parliament closer to citizens,

     the cost of in-house production, distribution and hosting by the European Parliament of web clips and other broadcast-ready multimedia material, in line with the European Parliament’s communication strategy,

     expenditure on works of art for the European Parliament, covering both the cost of acquiring and purchasing specific material and the current expenditure relating thereto, such as experts, conservation, framing, restoration, cleaning, insurance and ad-hoc transport costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 50 000.

    Item 3 2 4 3 — European Parliament visitor centres

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    25 180 000

    27 150 000

    26 687 400,69

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to finance installations, material and exhibitions at European Parliament visitor centres, in particular:

     the Parlamentarium — the European Parliament Visitors’ Centre in Brussels, including the mobile information points,

     reception facilities, ‘Europa Experience’ centres and information outlets away from Brussels,

     the activities of the House of European History, such as carrying out specific fitting-out work, acquiring collections, the cost of contracts with experts, and organising exhibitions, as well as its running costs, including expenditure on books, magazines and other publications related to the House of European History’s activities.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 4 000 000.

    Item 3 2 4 4 — Organisation and reception of groups of visitors, Euroscola programme and invitations to opinion multipliers from third countries

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    38 223 000

    38 496 000

    33 108 635,98

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     subsidies granted for group visits and associated supervision and infrastructure costs, the financing of traineeships for opinion multipliers from third countries (EUVP) and the running costs of the Euroscola, Euromed-Scola and Euronest-Scola programmes. The Euromed-Scola and Euronest-Scola programmes shall take place each year, with the exception of election years, on an alternating basis, on the European Parliament’s premises in Strasbourg or in Brussels,

     activities to promote the EUVP,

     expenditure related to the implementation of the new visitors’ strategy and the organisation of the open days,

     media campaigns and the organisation of the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme.

    This appropriation shall be increased every year using a deflator that takes into account movements in GNI and prices.

    Each Member of the European Parliament is entitled to invite a maximum of five groups each calendar year for a total of 100 visitors. Visitor groups officially sponsored by a Member may take part in the Euroscola programme if invited to do so by that Member.

    An appropriate amount is included for visitors with disabilities.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 525 000.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 16 December 2002 on rules governing the reception of groups of visitors and the Euroscola, Euromed-Scola and Euronest-Scola programmes, consolidated on 3 May 2004, as last amended and consolidated on 11 September and 2 October 2023.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 3 October 2016 on rules launching the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme in all Member States and Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 16 September 2019 on the continuation of the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme beyond 2019.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 16 December 2020 on the participation of UK citizens and EU27 citizens living in the UK in Parliament’s communication programmes.

    Item 3 2 4 5 — Organisation of symposia and seminars

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    5 056 400

    4 803 050

    4 413 205,23

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenditure or subsidies connected with the organisation of national or international symposia and seminars for opinion multipliers from the Member States, the accession countries and the countries in which the European Parliament has a liaison office or antenna, and the cost of organising parliamentary symposia and seminars,

     expenditure on special events in the Chamber in Strasbourg and Brussels in accordance with the annual programme adopted by the Bureau of the European Parliament,

     expenditure on conference management services, conference management and multilingualism support measures and tools such as seminars and conferences, meetings with providers of training for interpreters or translators, measures and actions to raise awareness of multilingualism and the profession of interpreter or translator, including a programme of grants for universities, schools and other organisations offering interpreting or translation courses, virtual communication solutions, organisation or participation in events for promotion and awareness of European Parliament careers, including events organised to enhance the attractiveness of the Luxembourgish site as well as participation in similar actions and measures organised jointly with other services in the context of interinstitutional and international cooperation,

     expenses connected with the organisation of symposia and seminars on information and communication technologies,

     the cost of inviting journalists or other opinion multipliers to plenary sittings, committee meetings, press conferences and other parliamentary activities,

     expenses related to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize,

     expenditure for the training of and scholarship for young journalists.

     expenditure relating to the organisation of conferences, seminars and other activities covering budgetary and financial issues of relevance to European Parliament’s administration and Members’ finance, including Members’ empowerment and the financing of political structures,

     expenses connected with the organisation of symposia and seminars on security and on parliamentary democracy at interinstitutional and international levels including outreach and awareness raising, through events and communication tools such as digital communication, visual design, promotional items, printing or audio-visual productions, etc.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 25 000.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 5 October 2020 regarding the Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for journalists.

    Item 3 2 4 8 — Expenditure on audiovisual information

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    22 087 500

    21 072 500

    24 575 954,24

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     the purchase, hire, maintenance, repair and management of audiovisual equipment and installations,

     the operating budget of the audiovisual sector (including services under its own control and outside assistance such as technical services for radio and television stations, provision, production and co-production of audiovisual programmes, the hiring of lines, the transmission of television and radio programmes, and other measures to develop relations between the institution and audiovisual broadcasting bodies),

     expenditure on live internet broadcasting of plenary sittings and parliamentary committee meetings,

     the establishment of appropriate archives ensuring uninterrupted media and public access to that information,

     expenditure relating to the management and maintenance of the IT infrastructure in the press room in Strasbourg.

     service contracts for (i) the supply of media monitoring and analysis in the form of summaries of news and full-text articles from media outlets, (ii) the development and maintenance of a dedicated database for the storage of such data, and (iii) the (external) human resources needed to exploit that data.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 50 000.

    Legal basis

    European Parliament Resolution of 12 March 2002 on the guidelines for the 2003 budgetary procedure (OJ C 47 E, 27.2.2003, p. 72).

    European Parliament Resolution of 14 May 2002 on the estimates of revenue and expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2003 (OJ C 180 E, 31.7.2003, p. 150).

    European Parliament Resolution of 14 May 2003 on the estimates of revenue and expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2004 (OJ C 67 E, 17.3.2004, p. 179).

    Item 3 2 4 9 — Information exchanges with national parliaments

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    262 000

    258 000

    142 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     expenditure committed for promoting relations between the European Parliament and national parliaments. It relates to parliamentary relations other than those covered by Chapters 1 0 and 3 0, exchanges of information and documentation, and assistance in the analysis and management of that information, including exchanges with the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD),

     funding of cooperation programmes and training schemes for officials of the European Parliament and national parliaments and, in general, activities to strengthen their parliamentary capacities.

    Training schemes include study visits to the European Parliament in Brussels, Luxembourg and Strasbourg; the appropriation is intended to cover all or part of the expenditure incurred by participants, in particular travelling costs, travel expenses, accommodation and daily allowances,

     cooperation measures, including those linked to legislative work, and measures linked to documentation, analysis and information and making the www.ipex.eu domain secure, including those carried out by the ECPRD.

    This appropriation aims at financing the cooperation between the European Parliament and national parliaments in the parliamentary scrutiny of the CFSP/CSDP, in accordance with the TEU and the TFEU, and in particular Articles 9 and 10 of Protocol No 1 on the role of national parliaments in the European Union.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Conferences of Speakers of European Parliamentary Assemblies (June 1977) and of European Union Parliaments (September 2000, March 2001).

    Article 3 2 5 — Expenditure relating to liaison offices

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    11 213 000

    11 088 000

    10 572 999,41

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure by the European Parliament’s liaison offices and antennas in the Member States and third countries:

     communication and information expenses (information and public events; internet — production, promotion, consultancy; seminars; audiovisual productions),

     activities designed to strengthen inter-parliamentary ties and legislative and stakeholders dialogue, promoting parliamentary democracy including engagement with relevant interlocutors,

     general expenditure and miscellaneous incidental expenditure (office supplies, telecommunications, delivery charges, handling, transport, storage, standard promotional items, databases and press subscriptions, etc.),

     media campaigns and the organisation of the European Parliament Ambassador School Programme.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 10 000.

    Title 4 — EXPENDITURE RESULTING FROM SPECIAL FUNCTIONS CARRIED OUT BY THE INSTITUTION

    Chapter 4 0 — EXPENDITURE RELATING TO CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS AND BODIES

    Article 4 0 0 — Current administrative expenditure and expenditure relating to the political and information activities of the political groups and non-attached Members

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    75 800 000

    70 000 000

    65 579 003,98

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover, in respect of the political groups and the non-attached Members:

     secretarial, administrative and operational expenditure,

     expenditure on political and information activities conducted in connection with the Union’s political activities.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 1 000 000.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 30 June 2003 on rules on the use of appropriations from budget Item 4 0 0 as last amended on 4 July 2022.

    Article 4 0 2 — Funding of European political parties

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    46 000 000

    46 000 000

    37 953 095,70

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to finance political parties at European level. Good governance and robust scrutiny of the use of funds must be ensured.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 5 000 000.

    Legal basis

    Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof.

    Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 224 thereof.

    Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1141/oj).

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 1 July 2019 laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ C 249, 25.7.2019, p. 2).

    Article 4 0 3 — Funding of European political foundations

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    25 000 000

    24 000 000

    21 871 071,50

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to finance political foundations at European level. Good governance and robust scrutiny of the use of funds must be ensured.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100 000.

    Legal basis

    Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 10(4) thereof.

    Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 224 thereof.

    Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1141/oj).

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 1 July 2019 laying down the procedures for implementing Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ C 249, 25.7.2019, p. 2).

    Chapter 4 2 — EXPENDITURE RELATING TO PARLIAMENTARY ASSISTANCE

    Article 4 2 2 — Expenditure relating to parliamentary assistance

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    279 165 340

    263 855 176

    222 263 343,15

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover:

     costs relating to staff and service providers responsible for the provision of parliamentary assistance to Members, as well as costs relating to paying agents,

     mission and training expenses (external courses) for accredited parliamentary assistants and expenditure on any carbon offsetting in connection with their missions and duty travel,

     exchange differences to be met from the budget of the European Parliament in accordance with the provisions applicable to reimbursement of parliamentary assistance expenses, as well as expenditure on parliamentary assistance management support services,

     emoluments for trainees (scholarships),

     contribution to the cost of lunches of trainees at the European Parliament’s canteens,

     compensation of study visits with Members,

     travel expenses of trainees and study visitors with Members,

     sickness and accident insurance for trainees and study visitors with Members,

     costs connected with the holding of information or training sessions for trainees.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 775 000.

    Legal basis

    Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Article 21 thereof.

    Implementing measures for the Statute for Members of the European Parliament, and in particular Articles 29 to 41 thereof.

    Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union, and in particular Article 5a and Articles 125 to 139 thereof.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 14 April 2014 on implementing measures for Title VII of the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants of the European Union.

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 10 December 2018 on the rules concerning Members’ trainees.

    Decision of the Secretary-General of the European Parliament of 29 April 2021 on the internal rules governing traineeships in the Secretariat of the European Parliament.

    Chapter 4 4 — MEETINGS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES OF CURRENT AND FORMER MEMBERS

    Article 4 4 0 — Cost of meetings and other activities of former Members

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    316 000

    310 000

    300 000,00

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of meetings of the association of former Members of the European Parliament plus any other associated costs, if appropriate.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 14 January 2008 on rules governing contributions to Parliamentary associations (Budget Articles 4 4 0 and 4 4 2) as last amended on 18 October 2021.

    Article 4 4 2 — Cost of meetings and other activities of the European Parliamentary Association

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    316 000

    310 000

    293 203,56

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of meetings of the European Parliamentary Association plus, if appropriate, any other associated costs.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Decision of the Bureau of the European Parliament of 14 January 2008 on rules governing contributions to Parliamentary associations (Budget Articles 4 4 0 and 4 4 2) as last amended on 18 October 2021.

    Title 5 — THE AUTHORITY FOR EUROPEAN POLITICAL PARTIES AND EUROPEAN POLITICAL FOUNDATIONS AND THE COMMITTEE OF INDEPENDENT EMINENT PERSONS

    Chapter 5 0 — Expenditure of the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations and the Committee of independent eminent persons

    Article 5 0 0 — Operational expenditure of the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    416 160

    408 000

    100 839,83

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the expenditure of the Authority for European political parties and European political foundations to ensure its full and independent operation.

    It covers, in particular, the expenditure specific to the Authority’s remit with regard to specialised professional training, mandate-related meetings and coordination with other Union bodies and national authorities, acquisition of tailor-made software and IT services, acquisition of expertise, consultancy services, including studies, and documentation, legal costs and damages, and publishing and information activities. It also covers expenditure to cover any invoicing by an institution in the event of an overrun as regards the volume or cost of goods or services made available to the Authority by institutions under service agreements pursuant to Article 6(4) et seq. of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 416 160. That revenue includes, in particular, support for the operation of the Authority by institutions other than the European Parliament, pursuant to Article 6(6) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014.

    Legal basis

    Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1141/oj), and in particular Article 6(1) and (7) thereof.

    Article 5 0 1 — Expenditure related to the committee of independent eminent persons

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    20 000

    20 000

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the expenditure linked to the secretariat and the funding of the committee of independent eminent persons.

    The amount of assigned revenue in accordance with Article 21(3) of the Financial Regulation is estimated at EUR 100.

    Legal basis

    Regulation (EU, Euratom) No 1141/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 on the statute and funding of European political parties and European political foundations (OJ L 317, 4.11.2014, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2014/1141/oj), and in particular Article 11(2) thereof.

    Title 10 — OTHER EXPENDITURE

    Chapter 10 0 — PROVISIONAL APPROPRIATIONS

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    3.3100.000

    0,—

    Remarks

    The appropriations entered in this chapter are purely provisional and may only be used after the adoption of the legal basis for the payment of a ‘housing allowance for staff in Luxembourg’ and after their transfer to other budget lines in accordance with the Financial Regulation.

    Chapter 10 1 — CONTINGENCY RESERVE

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    6 000 000

    7 200 000

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure resulting from budgetary decisions taken in the course of the financial year (expenditure that cannot be estimated).

    Chapter 10 3 — ENLARGEMENT RESERVE

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover the cost of the institution’s preparations for enlargement.

    Chapter 10 4 — RESERVE FOR INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION POLICY

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on information and communication policy.

    Chapter 10 5 — PROVISIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR IMMOVABLE PROPERTY

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover property investments and fitting-out work carried out by the institution. The Bureau of the European Parliament is requested to adopt a coherent and responsible long-term strategy in the area of immovable property which takes into account the particular problem of increasing maintenance costs, renovation needs and security costs and ensures the sustainability of the European Parliament’s budget.

    Chapter 10 6 — RESERVE FOR PRIORITY PROJECTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    This appropriation is intended to cover expenditure on the institution’s priority projects under development.

    Chapter 10 8 — EMAS RESERVE

    Figures (Non-differentiated appropriations)

    2026 appropriations

    2025 appropriations

    2024 out-turn

    p.m.

    p.m.

    0,—

    Remarks

    Further to the decisions to be taken by the Bureau of the European Parliament for implementation of the EMAS action plan, in particular following the European Parliament’s carbon audit, this appropriation is intended to endow the relevant operational headings.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI China: Huawei reports rise in sales revenue in 2024

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese tech giant Huawei generated 862.1 billion yuan (about 120.1 billion U.S. dollars) in sales revenue in 2024, up from 704.2 billion yuan the previous year, according to its 2024 annual report released on Monday.

    The company generated 62.6 billion yuan in net profits last year, the report said, adding the company’s performance was in line with forecast.

    In 2024, Huawei invested 179.7 billion yuan back into research and development (R&D), which accounted for approximately 20.8 percent of its annual revenue. Altogether, the company’s R&D investment over the past decade exceeded 1.249 trillion yuan, according to the annual report.

    As of Dec. 31, 2024, the company’s R&D workforce comprised approximately 113,000 employees, accounting for 54.1 percent of the total staff. Huawei holds over 150,000 valid authorized patents worldwide, according to statistics as of the end of last year.

    The report showed highlights in the tech giant’s performance. With 10 years of preparation in the computing domain, the company was able to seize new opportunities in AI and achieve substantial growth, it said.

    Huawei devices are now back in the fast lane, with historic breakthroughs in HarmonyOS ecosystem development, it added. HarmonyOS, or Hongmeng in Chinese, is an open-source operating system developed by Huawei. Moreover, Huawei’s intelligent automotive solutions turned a profit in 2024 for the first time.

    Huawei will continue to open up its platform capabilities to ecosystem partners and provide developers with easy-to-use tools and products in domains like HarmonyOS, Kunpeng, Ascend, and cloud computing, said Meng Wanzhou, the company’s rotating chairwoman.

    Based in Shenzhen, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. Since 2021, Huawei’s revenue has experienced year-on-year growth, achieving global sales revenues of 636.8 billion yuan in 2021, 642.3 billion yuan in 2022, and 704.2 billion yuan in 2023. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU launches course on cybersecurity basics for seniors

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    A course of lectures on financial and computer literacy “Basics of Cybersecurity for the Senior Generation” was launched at Novosibirsk State University on March 28. Its students were pensioners from the Sovietsky District of Novosibirsk. This course on financial literacy is conducted by Sber specialists with the support of Faculty of Economics, NSU. It is organized within the framework of the mandatory course “Service Learning”, which is being implemented in various formats in all universities of the country and is aimed at developing citizenship, responsibility, leadership qualities and patriotism in combination with professional competencies through the implementation of socially oriented projects. The tasks for students are set by social partners. They also supervise the activities of students throughout the academic semester.

    — The mandatory course “Service Learning” is an important platform for revealing the potential of young people in solving project tasks that have practical significance, and the social focus helps to more accurately build internal motivation for their solution. This is a subtle educational approach that develops the idea of volunteering, adding to it the experience of team solutions, reflection at all stages and mentoring from curators from both the university and the social partner. As part of the course, students receive a project result and reflect it on the Dobro.RF platform. It is open to everyone and can also be implemented by other regions in the course of solving similar problems, — said Elena Obukhova, PhD in Economics, Associate Professor of the Department of Management of the Faculty of Economics of NSU.

    One of such projects was a course of lectures on financial and computer literacy for pensioners, organized jointly with the Administration of the Sovietsky District of Novosibirsk with the support of State Duma deputy Alexander Aksenenko. The course consists of 4 lectures and three practical classes.

    — In the modern world of technological progress, fraudsters are moving into the category of cyberspace, that is, pickpocket fraud and apartment thefts are becoming less common, because people have stopped keeping paper money at home and carrying it in their wallets. Now it is a cashless world and fraudsters are already trying to steal non-cash money, so it is important to protect yourself in cyberspace, — said Nadezhda Volkova, Head of Financial Literacy and Sales Efficiency at Sberbank Siberian Bank.

    Unfortunately, the most vulnerable category of citizens to cyber fraudsters are people of retirement and pre-retirement age. Our lectures are aimed at telling about the methods of cyber fraudsters and teaching the population to identify fraudsters and not fall for their tricks.

    The information campaign about recruiting students for the 2025 course was held among the active pensioners of the Sovetsky District who had previously participated in various educational programs, including the Silver Age University, Our Favorite Front Garden, and 20 Meetings with Interesting People, which had been held since 2022. The course on cybersecurity interested the audience, and almost 200 people signed up for it.

    — The topics covered in the course are particularly relevant given the growing statistics of fraudulent actions against citizens of our country. People of retirement age are in a particularly vulnerable position. In Novosibirsk, the level of defrauded citizens is especially high in the Sovetsky District — this is noted by representatives of the local government. And the issues of financial stability and savings strategy are relevant in our unstable times. The accelerated pace of digitalization poses challenges for us and pushes us to continuous learning. The older generation is faced with new tasks, not only related to performing everyday activities using various devices and programs, but also more complex ones, such as promoting communities on social networks, preparing materials and data, — Elena Obukhova explained.

    The first part of the course of 4 lectures from Sber experts will be held at NSU. It is dedicated to financial literacy and protection from fraudsters. On April 28, Nadezhda Volkova gave a lecture on “Cybersecurity Basics for the Older Generation”. On April 4, there will be a lecture on “Data Protection on the Internet. Drops”. It will continue the topic of cybersecurity. Representatives of the older generation will be told how to protect themselves on the Internet, how to create passwords correctly so that they are memorable only to you and at the same time meet the requirements of reliability and security. Listeners will learn who drops are (this is what attackers call people with the help of whom they hide stolen funds) and how not to become a dropper yourself. On April 11, the lecture will be dedicated to digital financial assets. It will be about a new type of money, as well as what it was created for and how to handle it correctly. The first part of the course will end on April 18 with a lecture on a long-term savings program for senior citizens.

    The second part of the classes, dedicated to computer literacy, will be conducted by a team of first-year students from the Business Informatics department: Mark Roninson, Artem Kuleshov and Alexander Zhuravlev. It was developed taking into account questions and wishes from the pensioners participating in the program. It will cover topics such as storing and sending data (between devices/applications), booking tickets and hotels, shopping on marketplaces, working with messengers, a short course in preparing content for social networks, including video editing, etc.

    The first lecture was met with great interest by the audience. Its listeners left the following comments:

    “Thanks to all the organizers! The guys met us, quickly checked the lists, saw us off, and met us. A very interesting lecture! The students are great! They prepared, waited for us, cared, and tried! Thank you very much!”

    “The lecture went by in one breath. Thanks to Nadezhda Volkova – she presented the information in an interesting, accessible way and with real examples. Thanks to the organizers of this lecture course. Special thanks to the students of the NSU Economics Department for meeting us and paying attention to us until the very end of the lecture.”

    “What an interesting lecture on cybersecurity was today! Nadezhda Volkova enthusiastically shared her knowledge in this area. The hall was full, young students helped, showed the way, were attentive and polite. It was very nice!”

    “A great start to the course. Organized in a very modern way: fast, comfortable, friendly, high-quality presentation. An unexpected pleasant bonus was a tour of NSU. Thank you!”

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

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 90

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL0

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 90
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    405 PM EDT Mon Mar 31 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Central into Southern North Carolina
    Northeast South Carolina
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Monday afternoon and evening from 405 PM until
    1000 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph likely

    SUMMARY…Small thunderstorm clusters and a linear band of
    thunderstorms will move east across much of the Watch area this
    afternoon into the evening. The stronger thunderstorms will pose
    primarily a risk for scattered damaging gusts (55-70 mph).

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 75
    statute miles east and west of a line from 40 miles north northeast
    of Raleigh NC to 40 miles southeast of Florence SC. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch area.
    Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for threatening
    weather conditions and listen for later statements and possible
    warnings. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 87…WW 88…WW 89…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 450. Mean storm motion vector
    26040.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW0
    WW 90 SEVERE TSTM NC SC CW 312005Z – 010200Z
    AXIS..75 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    40NNE RDU/RALEIGH NC/ – 40SE FLO/FLORENCE SC/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 65NM E/W /34NNE RDU – 35SE FLO/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 450. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 26040.

    LAT…LON 36397716 33757792 33758053 36397985

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU0.

    Watch 90 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low ( 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Florida Hurricane Recovery DR-4834-FL RU-033

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: Florida Hurricane Recovery DR-4834-FL RU-033

    Florida Hurricane Recovery DR-4834-FL RU-033

    Florida Hurricane Recovery   Marc  31, 2025 (Distributed on Mondays) Key MessagesMore than 1,100 FEMA staff are on the ground in Florida to help survivors recover from Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby

     FEMA will continue to process applications, receive and manage appeals, conduct inspections and assist applicants and local officials with questions and information about recovery programs

    FEMA may call Floridians who applied for disaster assistance from unknown phone numbers

    It is important to answer these calls

    Survivors should return any missed phone calls

    Survivors who applied for FEMA assistance should continue to stay in touch with the agency to update their application

    Missing or outdated information could result in delays

    Homeowners and renters can update their contact information online at DisasterAssistance

    gov,by using the FEMA App or by phone at 800-621-3362

     Lines are open every day and help is available in most languages

    Hazard Mitigation Community Education Outreach FEMA Mitigation staff are onsite at big box stores to help homeowners learn ways to build back stronger against future storms

    These specialists can offer free improvement tips and proven methods for rebuilding in a way that can lessen damage from future disasters

    Insurance specialists are also available to answer NFIP questions

    As of March 31, the state of Florida has removed more than 36 million cubic yards of debris

    FEMA specialists will be available from March 27 through April 5 from 8:00 a

    m

    to 4:30 p

    m

    ET, Monday – Friday and on Saturday from 8:00 a

    m

    to 2:30 p

    m

    ET, at the following location:Charlotte County: Home Depot, 12621 McCall Road, Port Charlotte, FL 33981FEMA specialists will be available from March 31 through April 12 from 8:00 a

    m

    to 4:30 p

    m

    ET, Monday – Friday and on Saturday from 8:00 a

    m

    to 2:30 p

    m

    ET, at the following location:Lee County: Lowe’s, 285 SW 25th Lane, Cape Coral, FL 33914Debris RemovalAppealsSurvivors who applied for FEMA assistance will receive a decision letter in the mail or via email

    If survivors disagree with the decision about their eligibility, they can appeal within 60 days from the date on that letter

      If survivors have questions about their letter or how to appeal, they can call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362

     FraudWe encourage survivors to be aware of fraud and scams and report any suspicious activity to local authorities

    For more information, visit: Be Alert to Fraud After Florida Hurricanes | FEMA

    govIndividual AssistanceAs of March 31, FEMA has approved a total of more than $1

    5 billion to help Floridians with losses from Milton, Helene and Debby, including: $734

    3 million approved for Hurricane Milton $753

    7 million approved for Hurricane Helene $56

    8 million approved for Hurricane DebbyFEMA may provide financial assistance to help displaced survivors rent temporary housing

     FEMA Rental Assistance is intended to cover the monthly rent amount, which may include a security deposit, at a place other than a damaged home

    The rental can be near the survivor’s job, home, school and place of worship

    The assistance may include essential utilities such as gas, oil, trash, sewer, electricity, and water, but not cable or Internet

    Public AssistanceFEMA has obligated over $1 billion in Public Assistance funds to aid Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Milton

     In just over two months from the date Hurricane Milton was presidentially declared, Public Assistance was able to obligate more than $1 billion to the state of Florida – something that has never been done before in Florida

    This rapid response highlights the partnership with the State of Florida to aid local governments’ efforts to help communities recover

    Milton: Category A (Debris) total obligated: $338,280,729      Milton: Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) total obligated: $647,677,699Helene: Category A (Debris) total obligated: $86,995,225       Helene: Category B (Emergency Protective Measures) total obligated: $348,183,066National Flood Insurance ProgramAs of March 31, NFIP has paid $6

    6 billion in claims to 60,884 claimants from Milton, Helene and Debby

    NFIP Information available online at https://www

    floodsmart

    gov/

    U

    S

     Small Business AdministrationDR-4806DR-4828DR-4834Applications: 1,949Applications: 21,361Applications: 44,612Dollars Approved: $39,401,071Dollars Approved: $758,941,081Dollars Approved: $672,442,659Additional ResourcesActivate Hope: Displaced survivors can apply for State Non-Congregate Sheltering by visiting the Activate Hope website at hopeflorida

    com and filling out the Assistance Request Form or by calling the Hope Florida support line at 833-GET-HOPE (833-438-4673)

    Florida 211: Whether it’s a natural or human-caused disaster, a mental health issue, searching for job training or a food pantry, Florida 211 connects people to help, with a caring human on the other end of the phone

    It’s a go-to, 24/7 free resource that can connect you with a wide range of social services and resources, including food, housing, utilities payment assistance, health care, transportation, childcare, employment opportunities, mental health crises, disaster information and assistance, and more

    FDEM Statewide Debris Dashboard: Debris Survey Results (Milton)

    Clean & Sanitize: FEMA may be able to provide up to $300 in one-time financial assistance to help with cleanup

     Clean and Sanitize Assistance | FEMA

    gov

    Multi-Agency Resource Centers: Florida Division of Emergency Management and local communities are operating these centers to assist residents with storm recovery

    FEMA specialists are available at most centers

     U

    S

    Department of Agriculture/Farm Services Agency: emergency_disaster_designation_declaration_process-factsheet

    pdf  FEMA & Citizenship: You or a member of your household must be U

    S

    citizen, non-U

    S

    citizen national or qualified non-citizen to qualify for FEMA assistance

    FEMA Rumor Response: Know what’s true and what isn’t

     Hurricane Rumor Response | FEMA

    govSmall Business Hurricane Recovery Grant Program FAQs | U

    S

    Chamber of Commerce FoundationMental health resources for Floridians For help with cleanup: Call 833-GET HOPETips for Mold CleanupFlorida Division of Emergency Management Updates: floridadisaster

    org/disaster-updates/storm-updates/Disaster Legal Hotline: 833-514-2940 
    lindsay

    tozer
    Mon, 03/31/2025 – 18:04

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Juneau man pleads guilty to producing child pornography

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    JUNEAU, Alaska – A Juneau man pleaded guilty today to producing child pornography.

    According to court documents, William Steadman, 35, a registered sex offender, met a pre-pubescent boy in his community and enticed him to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Steadman documented the conduct and posted the content on the dark web.  Steadman first came to the attention of law enforcement when he distributed his newly produced child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. Steadman attempted to obscure his identify from law enforcement by using the dark web, but tips from law enforcement, a cryptocurrency payment for additional CSAM, and analysis of his online statements led to his identification and arrest. A residential search resulted in the discovery of over 4,000 images and videos of CSAM on his devices.

    Steadman pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. He is scheduled to be sentenced on a later date and faces a mandatory‑minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Matthew R. Galeotti, Head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska and Glen Peterson, U.S. Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s Seattle Field Office made the announcement.

    The Secret Service’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, and William Reed for the District of Alaska and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Milton, Vermont Man Charged with Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 27, 2025 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Willard Perry, 66, of Milton, Vermont, with possession of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), also known as child pornography.  

    Perry entered a plea of not guilty to the charge during an arraignment on March 28, 2025 before United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford. Judge Crawford ordered that Perry be released on conditions, including that Perry provide the probation officer with a complete and current inventory of the number of media storage devices and electronic devices capable of internet access that he uses or possesses, and that he not use an internet-capable device until an Internet Use Plan is developed and approved by the Probation Officer.

    According to court records, law enforcement uncovered on Perry’s computer thousands of photos and videos, most of which law enforcement believes contain child sexual abusive material, including content involving the sexual assault of prepubescent girls.

    The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Perry is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Perry faces up to 20 years’ incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.

    Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

    The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Perry is represented by Brooks G. McArthur, Esq.

    This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: IDEX Biometrics ASA – Information about the second exercise period for warrants (Warrants B) issued in connection with the Private Placement and Subsequent Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES, CANADA, AUSTRALIA, THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA OR JAPAN OR ANY OTHER JURISDICTION IN WHICH THE DISTRIBUTION OR RELEASE WOULD BE UNLAWFUL. OTHER RESTRICTIONS ARE APPLICABLE. PLEASE SEE THE IMPORTANT NOTICE AT THE END OF THIS STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT.

    Oslo, Norway – 31 March 2025 – Reference is made to the stock exchange announcements from IDEX Biometrics ASA (the “Company”) dated 17 September and 12 December 2024 regarding the exercise period for Warrants B (ticker: IDEXS), ISIN NO0013380055, issued in connection with the private placement in September 2024 and subsequent offering in December 2024.

    The exercise period for Warrants B commenced today, on 31 March 2025, and ends on 11 April 2025 at 16:30 CET. Each Warrant gives the holder a right to subscribe for one new share (“New Share”) in the Company at a subscription price of NOK 0.15. All Warrants B not exercised within this period will lapse without compensation to the holder. Arctic Securities AS is acting as manager in connection with the exercise of Warrants B (the “Manager”).

    Exercise procedure

    Warrants are exercised through the submission of a duly completed exercise form for the Warrants (the “Exercise Form”) to the Manager at the address or email address set out in the Prospectus and the Exercise Form and payment of the aggregate subscription price for the New Shares. The Exercise Form can be found at the websites of the Company (https://www.idexbiometrics.com/investors/), and Arctic Securities AS (www.arctic.com/secno/en/offerings). By completing and submitting an Exercise Form, the holder of the relevant Warrants irrevocably undertakes to acquire a number New Shares equal to the number of Warrants exercised at the relevant exercise price.

    For more information relating to the Warrants, please refer to the Prospectus approved and published by the Company on 13 November 2024.

    For further information contact:

    Marianne Bøe, Head of Investor Relations, +47 91800186
    Kristian Flaten, CFO, +47 95092322

    E-mail:ir@idexbiometrics.com

    For information about the Warrants please contact the Manager: Arctic Securities AS, tel.: + 47 21 01 30 40

    About IDEX Biometrics IDEX Biometrics ASA (OSE: IDEX) is a global technology leader in fingerprint biometrics, offering authentication solutions across payments, access control, and digital identity. The company’s solutions provide convenience, security, peace of mind, and seamless user experiences worldwide. Built on patented and proprietary sensor technologies, integrated circuit designs, and software, IDEX Biometrics’ biometric solutions target card-based applications for payments and digital authentication. As an industry enabler, the company partners with leading card manufacturers and technology companies to bring its solutions to market.

    For more information, please visit www.idexbiometrics.com (https://www.idexbiometrics.com).    

    –  IMPORTANT INFORMATION –

    This announcement does not constitute an offer of securities for sale or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities of the Company in the United States or any other jurisdiction. The securities of the Company may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”). The securities of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act. Any sale in the United States of the securities mentioned in this communication will be made solely to “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in Rule 144A under the U.S. Securities Act. No public offering of the securities will be made in the United States.

    This announcement has been prepared on the basis that any offer of securities in any Member State of the European Economic Area, other than Norway, which has implemented the Prospectus Regulation (EU) (2017/1129, as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”) (each, a “Relevant Member State”) will be made pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation, as implemented in that Relevant Member State, from the requirement to publish a prospectus for offers of securities. Accordingly any person making or intending to make any offer in that Relevant Member State of securities which are the subject of the offering contemplated in this announcement, may only do so in circumstances in which no obligation arises for the Company or any of the Managers to publish a prospectus pursuant to Article 3 of the Prospectus Regulation or supplement a prospectus pursuant to Article 16 of the Prospectus Regulation, in each case, in relation to such offer.

    In the United Kingdom, this announcement is only addressed to and is only directed at Qualified Investors who (i) are investment professionals falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (as amended) (the “Order”) or (ii) are persons falling within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order (high net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) (all such persons together being referred to as “Relevant Persons”). This announcement are directed only at Relevant Persons and must not be acted on or relied on by persons who are not Relevant Persons. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Persons distributing this communication must satisfy themselves that it is lawful to do so.

    Matters discussed in this announcement may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may be identified by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intends”, “may”, “should”, “will” and similar expressions. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, these assumptions are inherently subject to significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors which are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond its control. Such risks, uncertainties, contingencies and other important factors could cause actual events to differ materially from the expectations expressed or implied in this release by such forward-looking statements. The information, opinions and forward-looking statements contained in this announcement speak only as at its date, and are subject to change without notice.

    This announcement is made by and, and is the responsibility of, the Company. The Manager is acting exclusively for the Company and no one else and will not be responsible to anyone other than the Company for providing the protections afforded to its respective clients, or for advice in relation to the contents of this announcement or any of the matters referred to herein.

    Neither the Manager nor any of its affiliates makes any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this announcement and none of them accepts any responsibility for the contents of this announcement or any matters referred to herein.

    This announcement is for information purposes only and is not to be relied upon in substitution for the exercise of independent judgment. It is not intended as investment advice and under no circumstances is it to be used or considered as an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities of the Company. Neither the Manager nor any of its affiliates accepts any liability arising from the use of this announcement. Any offering of the securities referred to in this announcement will be made by means of a prospectus.

    This announcement is an advertisement and is not a prospectus for the purposes of the Prospectus Regulation. Investors should not subscribe for any securities referred to in this announcement except on the basis of information contained in the Prospectus dated 13 November 2024 and stock exchange announcements published in connection with the private placement, subsequent offering  and the Warrants. Copies of the Prospectus is available from the Company’s registered office and, subject to certain exceptions, on the websites of the Company (www.idexbiometrics.com), Arctic Securities AS (www.arctic.com/secno/en/offerings).

    Each of the Company, the Manager and their respective affiliates expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to update, review or revise any statement contained in this announcement whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

    The distribution of this announcement and other information may be restricted by law in certain jurisdictions. Persons into whose possession this announcement or such other information should come are required to inform themselves about and to observe any such restrictions.

    About this notice
    This notice was published by Kristian Flaten, CFO, 31 March 2025 at 22:10 CET on behalf of IDEX Biometrics ASA.  This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to the Norwegian Securities Trading Act section 5-12.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Thales to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles

    Source: Thales Group

    Headline: Thales to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles

    • The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a contract to provide hybrid networking kits for French Army vehicles, an innovative solution that can be installed without the need to make design changes to the platforms.
    • Installed on military vehicles such as the Griffon, VBCI and Serval, the kits provide access to commercial communication services (OneWeb1 and 5G), integrate them with theatre-wide networking capabilities and tie together communication systems at every level from combined/joint forces command to infantry fighting vehicles.
    • With developments in collaborative combat driving a growing need for connectivity, hybridisation solutions will complement existing hardened communications systems (SYRACUSE IV military satellite communications, CONTACT radios, HF radios) to provide higher data rates, longer range capabilities and improved resilience.

    “Thales will be supporting the French Army in its strategic transition to hybrid communication networks. This latest stage in the ASTRIDE 3 programme will combine technological innovation with a deep understanding of operational requirements to provide the hyperconnectivity needed for collaborative combat in high-intensity conflict scenarios,” said Alexandre Bottero, Vice President, Networks and Infrastructure Systems, Thales.

    This hybrid networking technology has been developed in an agile, incremental approach with the DGA and operational users to augment the communication capabilities of French Army vehicles. With current developments in collaborative combat, the ability of the armed forces to deploy operational networks of sensors and effectors calls for enhanced capabilities in terms of massification, usability and resilience of military communication systems. With this innovative hybridisation solution, commercial networks will complement existing hardened communication systems including the LOS radios developed for the ASTRIDE programme, the secure, high-data-rate, jam-resistant military satcom services provided by the SYRACUSE satellites, the latest-generation software-defined radios developed under the CONTACT programme and the MELCHIOR series of HF radios.

    The hybrid networking solution for OneWeb satcom and 5G services is packaged as a non-intrusive kit, overcoming the need for design changes to the vehicle. It offers significant improvements in connectivity to enhance operational capabilities in the theatre of operations by supporting more extensive data sharing and closer multi-domain collaboration. The hybrid networking kit offers a combination of high performance and usability, and its modular design is part of an end-to-end approach encompassing communication systems at every level, from combined/joint forces command to infantry fighting vehicles.

    Thales will provide an initial batch of 25 kits for field trials during the EXTO SJO 2025 exercise at the end of this year, with an additional 25 kits scheduled for delivery in 2026. Ultimately these hybrid networking kits are expected to equip all French Army vehicles that require them.

    The ASTRIDE 3 programme’s central role in collaborative combat

    Thales has been involved in the ASTRIDE 3 programme since 2022 and has designed a range of modular mobile communication stations offering the NATO-interoperable networking capabilities needed to provide a secure, resilient command infrastructure for deployed forces. The addition of this hybridisation solution further underscores the programme’s decisive role in making collaborative combat a reality while guaranteeing technological sovereignty.

    1OneWeb is a constellation of approximately 650 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) telecommunications satellites providing broadband Internet access to private and professional users in regions that are poorly served by terrestrial networks.

    About Thales

    Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global leader in advanced technologies for the Defence, Aerospace, and Cyber & Digital sectors. Its portfolio of innovative products and services addresses several major challenges: sovereignty, security, sustainability and inclusion.

    The Group invests more than €4 billion per year in Research & Development in key areas, particularly for critical environments, such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, quantum and cloud technologies.

    Thales has more than 83,000 employees in 68 countries. In 2024, the Group generated sales of €20.6 billion.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FEHD launches multifunctional portal to assist public with after-death arrangements

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (March 31) launched the Platform for Cemeteries and Crematoria Services (service platform) (app.fehd.gov.hk/ccsp). This one-stop portal provides online services for all cemeteries and crematoria facilities under the FEHD’s management, streamlining the electronic application process and offering personalised services to further facilitate the handling of after-death arrangements for members of the public.

    Starting today, members of the public can submit applications for all cemeteries and crematoria services managed by the FEHD via the service platform, including cremation services, allocation of public niches, cemetery services, green burial, cremation or keeping services for abortus, free memorial sails and the establishment of the Internet Memorial Service Website (Advanced Planning Version). The service platform features a key function that allows members of the public to create an integrated service account to manage after-death arrangements for multiple deceased individuals, reducing cumbersome procedures. Users can also manage multiple applications for the same deceased in a single account and track the application progress of each service at a glance.

    The service platform also supports multiple electronic payment methods, saving time for the public by eliminating the need to visit cemetery and crematorium offices in person for applications and fee payments.

    Applicants must register and complete authentication on the service platform before applying for cemetery and crematorium services. The FEHD encourages the use of the “iAM Smart” electronic identity verification, which automatically fills in parts of the online forms to expedite the application process.

    To facilitate the public in registering as users of the service platform and understanding how to handle after-death arrangements through the new system, the FEHD has produced a series of demonstration videos and pamphlets. For details, please visit the following website: www.fehd.gov.hk/english/cc/platform_for_cemeteries_and_crematoria_services.html.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News