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Category: Scandinavia

  • MIL-OSI: NOTICE OF VIRTUAL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF COINSHARES INTERNATIONAL LIMITED ON 30 MAY 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of CoinShares International Limited (the “Company”) will take place on Friday, 30 May 2025 at 14:00 BST in the form of a hybrid virtual event at 2 Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4UA.

    The entire Annual General Meeting will be broadcast live online (audio and video) via Wavecast.io and will be open for all shareholders who are entered in the Company’s stock register on the record day of the Annual General Meeting. The exercise of shareholder rights, in particular the exercise of voting rights, requires registration for the meeting in due time and in the proper form and will be performed by poll during the meeting or by granting power of attorney to Company proxies. The location of the Annual General Meeting for the purposes of the minutes is the Company’s registered office, 2 Hill Street, St Helier, Jersey, JE2 4UA. 


     RIGHT TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND NOTICE

    Shareholders wishing to attend the Annual General Meeting must:

    1. on the record date, which is 16 May 2025, be registered in the Company’s share register maintained by Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders, whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee, must temporarily register the shares in their own name at Euroclear Sweden AB. Shareholders whose shares are registered in the name of a nominee must, no later than 15 May 2025, via their nominee, temporarily register the shares in their own name in order to be entitled to participate at the general meeting. In order to re-register shares in time, shareholders should make the request via their nominee in good time before this date.
    2. notify the Company of any intended participation at the general meeting no later than 15 May 2025. Notice of participation at the general meeting may be given by following the registration instructions detailed on the Reports Portal on the Company’s website or here. Upon notification, the shareholder must state their full name, personal identification number (date of birth for non-Swedish investors) or corporate registration number, postal and email address, as well as the number of shares held.

    PROPOSED AGENDA

    1. Opening of the Annual General Meeting
    2. Election of the Chairman of the Annual General Meeting
    3. Preparation and approval of voting list
    4. Approval of the agenda
    5. Determination of whether the general meeting has been duly convened
    6. Election of one person to certify the minutes
    7. Presentation of the Annual Report, consolidated financial statements and the audit report
    8. Resolution regarding the adoption of the group income statement and group balance sheet
    9. Determination of the number of members of the Board of Directors and the number of Auditors
    10. Determination of remuneration to the Board of Directors and the Auditor
    11. Election of the Board of Directors and the Auditor
    12. Resolution on the approval of the Board of Director’s Remuneration Report
    13. Resolution regarding authorising the Board of Directors to decide on repurchase and transfer of own shares
    14. Resolution regarding amendments to the Company’s articles of association
    15. Closing of the Annual General Meeting

    PROPOSALS FOR RESOLUTIONS

    ITEM 2: OPENING OF THE MEETING AND ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL MEETING

    The Nomination Committee, appointed in accordance with the instruction for the Nomination Committee as resolved by the Annual General Meeting on 20 June 2022 and comprising of the Chairman of Nomination Committee, Michael Carlton (appointed by Daniel Masters), Jean-Frédéric Mognetti (appointed by Mognetti Partners Limited),  Paul Davison (appointed by Russell Newton) and Johan Lundberg (representative of the Board of CoinShares International Limited), proposes that Daniel Masters, Chairman, be appointed as the Chair of the Annual General Meeting 2025.

    ITEM 3: PREPARATION AND APPROVAL OF THE VOTING LIST

    The voting list proposed for approval is the voting list drawn up by the Company Secretary, based on the register of shareholders provided by Euroclear Sweden AB, shareholders having given notice of participation and being present at the Meeting, and postal votes received.

    ITEMS 9-11: DETERMINATION OF REMUNERATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE AUDITORS, ELECTION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE AUDITORS AND ELECTION OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

    The Nomination Committee proposes that:

    Item 9

    The Board of Directors shall consist of 6 directors and that the Company should have one registered public auditor’s firm as auditor. 

    Item 10

    To increase the remuneration of the Board of Directors to the amount of GBP 70,000 per annum to each of the non-employed Directors, which includes all committee membership and committee chair positions. The proposed increase in the remuneration reflects the increased responsibilities associated with the move to the regulated segment of Nasdaq Stockholm in 2022, as well as ensuring that the Company can continue to attract and retain the right candidates for the Board of Directors. It is proposed that remuneration to the Chairman remain unchanged at GBP 125,000 per annum, provided that the Chairman is not an employee.

    Remuneration to the Auditor be paid in accordance with approved invoices.

    Item 11

    For the period up to the end of the Annual General Meeting in 2026, Jean-Marie Mognetti, Carsten Køppen, Johan Lundberg, Viktor Fritzén and Christine Rankin be re-elected as members of the Board of Directors and that Daniel Masters be re-elected as the Chairman of the Board.

    Baker Tilly International (including any of its affiliates or member firms) (collectively, “Baker Tilly”) be elected to serve as the Company’s auditor for the period ending at the conclusion of the Annual General Meeting in 2026, unless the Board elects to appoint another audit firm that, at the time of appointment, audits an equal or greater number of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) registrants than Baker Tilly, based on the most recent data published by a recognized and independent provider of audit industry data, such as Audit Analytics or a comparable organization that tracks and reports on the number of SEC registrants audited by accounting firms. Information regarding the candidates nominated by the Nomination Committee for re-election to the Board of Directors is available on the Company’s website under the Investor Relations section.

    ITEM 12: RESOLUTION ON APPROVAL OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTOR’S REMUNERATION REPORT 

    Under the Swedish Corporate Governance Code, the Board of Director’s is required to prepare a report for each financial year regarding paid and outstanding remuneration to Board members, the CEO and the deputy CEO who are covered by the guidelines. As the Company has no deputy CEO and the Board members do not receive any remuneration other than that decided by the Annual General Meeting, the report for the financial year 2024 only covers the Company’s CEO. According to the Swedish Corporate Governance Board’s rules on remuneration to senior executives and on incentive programs, the report must contain an overview of each of the outstanding and concluded incentive programs completed during the year.

    The Board of Directors suggests that the Annual General Meeting approve the remuneration report for the financial year 2024.

    ITEM 13: RESOLUTION REGARDING AUTHORISING THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS TO DECIDE ON REPURCHASE AND TRANSFER OF OWN SHARES 

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on purchases of the Company’s own shares in accordance with the following, main terms:

    1. Share repurchases may be made on Nasdaq Stockholm or any other regulated market.
    2. The authorisation may be exercised on one or more occasions before the 2026 Annual General Meeting.
    3. The maximum number of own shares that may be repurchased so that the Company’s holding of shares at any given time does not exceed 15% of the total number of shares in the Company.
    4. Repurchases of the Company’s own shares on Nasdaq Stockholm (or any other regulated market) may only be made at a price of no more than 5% above the average trading price of the 5 business days prior to the repurchase.
    5. Payment for the shares shall be made in cash.

    In addition, the Board of Directors proposes that the Annual General Meeting resolves to authorise the Board of Directors to decide on transfer of own shares, with or without deviation from the shareholders’ preferential rights, in accordance with the following, main terms:

    1. Transfers may be made on (i) Nasdaq Stockholm or (ii) outside of Nasdaq Stockholm in connection with the acquisition of companies, operations, or assets.
    2. The authorisation may be exercised on one or more occasions before the 2026 Annual General Meeting.
    3. The maximum number of shares that may be transferred corresponds to the number of shares held by the Company at the point in time of the Board of Directors’ decision on transfer.
    4. Transfers of shares on Nasdaq Stockholm (or any other regulated market)  may only be made at a price of no more than 5% above the average trading price of the shares 5 business days prior to the transfer. For transfers outside of Nasdaq Stockholm, the price shall be set so that the transfer is made at market terms, except for delivery of shares in connection with employee stock option programs.
    5. Payment for transferred shares may be made in cash, through in-kind payment, or through set-off against claims with the Company.

    The purpose of the authorisations is to give the Board of Directors greater scope to act and the opportunity to adapt and improve the Company’s capital structure and thereby create further shareholder value, and/or capitalise on or take advantage of any attractive acquisition, investment or related opportunities. The authorisation may also be used in order to enable delivery of shares in connection with employee stock option programs.

    The Board of Directors shall have the right to decide on other terms for repurchases and transfers of own shares in accordance with its authorisation. The Board of Directors also has the right to authorise the Chairman, the CEO, or the person designated by the Board to make such minor adjustments that may be necessary in connection with the execution of the Board’s decision to repurchase or transfer shares.

    A valid resolution in favour of the Board’s proposal requires the approval of shareholders with at least sixty-seven percent (67%) of the votes and shares represented at the Annual General Meeting.

    ITEM 14: RESOLUTION REGARDING AMENDMENTS TO THE COMPANY’S ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION

    The Board of Directors proposes that the Company’s Articles of Association be amended by deletion of the existing articles 3.6.2, 17.2.7 and 24.12 and the insertion of new articles 3.6.2, 17.2.7 and 24.12 as follows:

    “3.6.2            the Directors may, by unanimous consent only, during any period of two consecutive calendar years, resolve to allot and issue in one or more tranches such number of ordinary shares (including, for the avoidance of doubt, any shares issued pursuant to, in connection with or upon conversion of any subsequently issued convertible bonds) as does not in the aggregate exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the total number of ordinary shares in issue (excluding any ordinary shares held in treasury) at 9am on 1st January of such year (rounded down to the nearest whole share), without the offer, issue  or allotment of such shares or the issue or conversion of any subsequently issued convertible bonds being subject to the provisions of Article 3.2 provided always that any such allotment, issue, or conversion is effected solely in connection with bona fide transactions for business purposes only (and for the avoidance of doubt the terms of this Article 3.6.2 shall not include the issuance of shares or convertible securities as consideration or compensation  for services rendered by employees, consultants, directors, or any other individuals in a personal capacity) and provided further that any issuance or allotment to any natural person pursuant to this Article 3.6.2 shall be subject to the unanimous approval of the remuneration committee as required by and in accordance with the terms of reference for such remuneration committee and shall not in aggregate in any calendar year exceed five percent (5%) of the total number of ordinary shares in issue at the time of such offer;” 

    “17.2.7          the creation of any charge or other security over any assets or property of a Group Company to secure borrowings, or indebtedness in the nature of borrowings, of that Group Company which, when aggregated with all other such borrowings or indebtedness, would exceed £200,000,000 (OTHER THAN in the ordinary course of its Business, and, DISREGARDING any amounts borrowed from other Group Companies) provided always that, subject to applicable law, nothing in these Articles (including without limitation this provision) shall restrict or prevent or be deemed to restrict or prevent the issuance by the Company of any corporate or convertible bonds or other debt instruments on an unsecured basis.”

    “24.12           Notwithstanding anything to the contrary within these Articles, meetings of the Board shall be held at such locations and in such manner, and resolutions of Directors passed in writing shall be signed, so as to cause the Company to:

                         24.12.1    be resident for taxation purposes in Jersey; and

                         24.12.2   comply with the Taxation (Companies – Economic Substance) (Jersey) Law 2019.”,

    (such proposed amendments together, the “Board Proposals”).

    A valid resolution in favour of the Board Proposals requires the approval of shareholders with at least sixty-seven percent (67%) of the votes and shares represented at the Annual General Meeting.

    NUMBER OF SHARES AND VOTES

    The total number of shares in the Company as of the date hereof amounts to 66,678,210 shares, with a corresponding number of votes. The Company holds 883,259 own shares.

    FURTHER INFORMATION

    Copies of accounts, audit report, remuneration report, proxy form, complete proposals and all other relevant documents are available on the Company’s website.

    The shareholders are hereby notified regarding the right to, at the annual general meeting, request information from the Board of Directors and the CEO.

    Jersey, 1 May 2025
     CoinShares International Limited
    The Board of Directors

    About CoinShares

    CoinShares is Europe’s largest and leading digital asset investment and trading group by AuM, managing billions of assets on behalf of a global client base. Our mission is to expand investing into digital assets with our trusted, regulated, best-in-class product suite that provides investors with trust and transparency when accessing cryptocurrencies. We believe that Bitcoin and blockchain networks are landmark innovations that will fundamentally reshape the global financial system and the way we interact digitally, and investors should be able to participate in this transformation. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF. CoinShares has multiple touchpoints with financial regulatory bodies around the world, including the AMF, JFSC and FINRA.

    For more information on CoinShares, please visit: https://coinshares.com
    Company | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com
    Investor Relations | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitdeer Announces First Quarter 2025 Earnings Conference Call for May 15, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SINGAPORE, May 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitdeer Technologies Group (NASDAQ: BTDR) (“Bitdeer” or the “Company”), a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining, today announced that it has scheduled its first quarter 2025 earnings conference call and webcast for Thursday, May 15, 2025 at 8:00 AM EST. During the call, Bitdeer management will discuss the unaudited financial and operational results for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, followed by a question-and-answer session.

    Bitdeer will release the first quarter results before the call at approximately 7:00 AM EST on May 15, 2025. A copy of the earnings release will be available on the Company’s Investor Relations website at https://ir.bitdeer.com.

    Conference Call Information:

    • Date: May 15, 2025
    • Time: 8:00 AM EST / 8:00 PM SGT
    • Participant Call Links:
      • Live Webcast: Link
      • Participant Call Registration: Link

    Participants wishing to join the conference call by phone should register using the Participant Call Registration link provided above. After completing the registration, the participants will receive an email with the necessary details to access the call including dial-in number, passcode, and PIN. To ensure a timely start, the Company encourages all callers to connect about 5 minutes before the scheduled time.

    A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Investors section of Bitdeer’s website at https://ir.bitdeer.com.

    About Bitdeer Technologies Group

    Bitdeer is a world-leading technology company for Bitcoin mining. Bitdeer is committed to providing comprehensive Bitcoin mining solutions for its customers. The Company handles complex processes involved in computing such as equipment procurement, transport logistics, datacenter design and construction, equipment management, and daily operations. The Company also offers advanced cloud capabilities to customers with high demand for artificial intelligence. Headquartered in Singapore, Bitdeer has deployed datacenters in the United States, Norway, and Bhutan. To learn more, visit https://ir.bitdeer.com/ or follow Bitdeer on X @ BitdeerOfficial and LinkedIn @ Bitdeer Group.

    Investors and others should note that Bitdeer may announce material information using its website and/or on its accounts on social media platforms, including X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Therefore, Bitdeer encourages investors and others to review the information it posts on the social media and other communication channels listed on its website.

    For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

    Investor Relations
    Orange Group
    Yujia Zhai
    bitdeerIR@orangegroupadvisors.com

    Public Relations
    BlocksBridge Consulting
    Nishant Sharma
    bitdeer@blocksbridge.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: G20 Working Group advances its 2025 agenda and with Africa at the forefront

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    The second meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group put the issues facing Africa in focus as it made progress on its agenda for the year in the lead-up to the Ministerial meeting in October.

    Held under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) serving as Secretariat, the Working Group met for two informal days (8 and 9 April) and two formal days of discussions (10 and 11 April) in eThekwini, South Africa.

    The centrality of disaster risk reduction to development and prosperity was reaffirmed by the Chair of the meeting, Mr. Mbulelo Tshangana, Director-General of South Africa’s Department of Cooperative Governance, who said at the opening: 

    “Disaster risk reduction is not merely a technical agenda. It is a development imperative, it speaks to equity, justice, and sustainability. And it requires our unwavering commitment, political will, and solidarity.”

    This was echoed by Dr. Abhilash Panda, Deputy Chief of the Intergovernmental, Interagency Cooperation and Partnerships Branch at UNDRR, who emphasized the important role of the G20 in driving cooperation around disaster risk reduction:

    “Disasters have far-reaching impacts on growth, stability, and development gains. By embedding DRR into the G20’s economic agenda, we have the opportunity to drive smarter investments, protect livelihoods, and build more resilient economies for the future.” 

    The meeting highlighted for the first time Africa’s unique challenges and innovations in disaster risk reduction —through site visits, side events on early warning and extreme heat, and examples of locally led solutions from across the continent. 

    The Working Group also made progress in advancing the priorities and deliverables that were presented at the first meeting, especially around financing.  In this regard, UNDRR presented to the group an initial draft of the “high-level principles for financing in DRR” for the group’s consideration, and Norway briefed the group on the outcomes of the Oslo Policy Forum on DRR Financing that it hosted with UNDRR in March. 

    Looking ahead, the third meeting of the Working Group will be held in Johannesburg from 7 to 10 July, which will set the stage for the Ministerial-level meeting in October 2025.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dusty Days Are Here Again for El Paso

    Source: NASA

    Spring and early summer are generally dusty in the Borderplex region of the Chihuahuan Desert—a transnational area that spans parts of southern New Mexico, West Texas, and the Mexican state of Chihuahua. With the region gripped by exceptional drought, this has been especially true in 2025.
    The latest in a string of storms lofted particles from dried lakes and other parched sources in northern Chihuahua and New Mexico and sent them streaming toward El Paso, Juárez, and Las Cruces. The MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image on April 27, 2025. The event followed a large dust storm that hit the region a week earlier, as well as other major dust storms in early and mid-March.
    Research indicates that March, April, and May are typically the most active months for airborne dust in El Paso. But the dust season so far this year has been “truly exceptional—one for the record books,” said Thomas Gill, an environmental scientist at the University of Texas at El Paso. For decades, Gill has used satellite observations and models to track dust activity around the planet and in the Borderplex region.
    He said this latest event is the tenth “full-fledged dust storm” of the year in El Paso, meaning it was dusty enough to restrict visibility to less than half a mile. For comparison, the average is 1.8 storms per year. “You would have to go back to 1936—during the Dust Bowl—to find a year with more,” Gill said. During the Dust Bowl years of 1935 and 1936, El Paso had 13 and 11 dust storms, respectively.
    Unusual drought and windy conditions are fueling the surge in dust. “We’re in the worst drought we’ve seen in at least a decade, and this March was the windiest we’ve seen in more than 50 years,” Gill added.
    Research shows dust storms can pose considerable hazards. In a 2023 analysis, Gill and several colleagues pointed out that the dangers of dust are often underappreciated. They contribute to deadly traffic accidents and elevate the risk of cardiorespiratory problems that lead to emergency room visits.
    Dust may also help spread a fungal infection called Valley Fever, though the precise role of dust storms remains a topic of ongoing research and debate. In another analysis, Gill and colleagues estimated that dust storms cause more than $150 billion in economic damage each year, with farmers, the health care sector, the renewable energy industry, and households bearing large costs.
    Several tools powered by NASA data and satellites are available to meteorologists, scientists, and others tracking dust storms. The Worldview browser hosts timely data and imagery from several satellites, and NASA’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office has tools for real-time weather analysis and reanalysis.
    Gill collaborates frequently with a NASA-sponsored health and air quality team led by George Mason University’s Daniel Tong. That team is working to develop better ways of forecasting and analyzing how dust storms can affect air quality. Researchers with NASA’s SPoRT (Short-term Prediction Research and Transition) project have also developed a new technique that uses machine learning to improve the tracking of dust plumes at night.
    “It should be interesting to see how far the dust from this event travels,” noted Santiago Gasso, a University of Maryland atmospheric scientist based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “Some of it could be headed to the Great Lakes, New England, and maybe even to Greenland, as happened after one of the storms in March.”
    Up to this point in the 2025 season, the Borderplex region has seen 28 days with dust. Over the past quarter century, the average for an entire year is 22 days. “We still have several more weeks of the dust season to go,” added Gill, noting that forecasters are warning of more dust as early as this weekend.
       
    NASA Earth Observatory image by Wanmei Liang, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. Story by Adam Voiland.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Soars to New Heights in First 100 Days of Trump Administration

    Source: NASA

    Today is the 100th day of the Trump-Vance Administration after being inaugurated on Jan. 20. In his inaugural address, President Trump laid out a bold and ambitious vision for NASA’s future throughout his second term, saying, “We will pursue our manifest destiny into the stars, launching American astronauts to plant the Stars and Stripes on the planet Mars.” NASA has spent the first 100 days in relentless pursuit of this goal, continually exploring, innovating, and inspiring for the benefit of humanity.
    “In just 100 days, under the bold leadership of President Trump and acting Administrator Janet Petro, NASA has continued to further American innovation in space,” said Bethany Stevens, NASA press secretary. “From expediting the return of American astronauts home after an extended stay aboard the state-of-the-art International Space Station, to bringing two new nations on as signatories of the Artemis Accords, to the historic SPHEREx mission launch that takes us one step closer to mapping the secrets of the universe, NASA continues to lead on the world stage. Here at NASA, we’re putting the America First agenda into play amongst the stars, ensuring the United States wins the space race at this critical juncture in time.”
    A litany of victories in the first 100 days set the stage for groundbreaking success throughout the remainder of the term. Read more about NASA’s cutting-edge work in this short, yet dynamic, period of time below:
    Bringing Astronauts Home Safely, Space Station Milestones

    America brought Crew-9 safely home. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, and Nick Hague, along with Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, returned to Earth after a successful mission aboard the International Space Station, splashing down in the Gulf of America. Their safe return reflects America’s unwavering commitment to the agency’s astronauts and mission success.
    A new, American-led mission launched to space. The agency’s Crew-10 mission is currently aboard the space station, with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, joined by international partners from Japan and Russia. NASA continues to demonstrate American leadership and the power of space diplomacy as we maintain a continuous human presence in orbit.
    The agency welcomed home NASA astronaut Don Pettit, concluding a seven-month science mission aboard the orbiting laboratory. Pettit landed at 6:20 a.m. Kazakhstan time, April 20 on his 70th birthday, making him NASA’s oldest active astronaut and the third oldest person to reach orbit.
    NASA astronaut Jonny Kim launched and arrived safely at the International Space Station, marking the start of his first space mission. Over eight months, he’ll lead groundbreaking research that advances science and improves life on Earth, proving once again that Americans are built to lead in space.
    The four members of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-11, NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Mike Fincke, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov were named by NASA. Launching no earlier than July 2025, this mission continues America’s leadership in long-duration human spaceflight while strengthening critical global partnerships.
    NASA announced Chris Williams will launch in November 2025 for his first spaceflight. His upcoming mission underscores the pipeline of American talent ready to explore space and expand our presence beyond Earth.
    NASA is inviting U.S. industry to propose two new private astronaut missions to the space station in 2026 and 2027 – building toward a future where American companies sustain a continuous human presence in space and advance our national space economy.
    NASA and SpaceX launched the 32nd Commercial Resupply Services mission, delivering 6,700 pounds of cargo to the International Space Station. These investments in science and technology continue to strengthen America’s leadership in low Earth orbit. The payload supports cutting-edge research, including:

    New maneuvers for free-flying robots

    An advanced air quality monitoring system

    Two atomic clocks to explore relativity and ultra-precise timekeeping

    Sending Humans to Moon, Mars

    Teams began hot fire testing the first of three 12-kW Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) thrusters. These high-efficiency thrusters are a cornerstone of next-generation spaceflight, as they offer greater fuel economy and mission flexibility than traditional chemical propulsion, making them an asset for long-duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. For Mars in particular, SEP enables three key elements required for success:

    Sustained cargo transport

    Orbital maneuvering

    Transit operations

    NASA completed the fourth Entry Descent and Landing technology test in three months, accelerating innovation to achieve precision landings on Mars’ thin atmosphere and rugged terrain.
    NASA’s Deep Space Optical Communications experiment aboard Psyche broke new ground, enabling the high-bandwidth connections vital for communications with crewed missions to Mars.
    Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost Mission One successfully delivered 10 NASA payloads to the Moon, advancing landing, autonomy, and data collection skills for Mars missions.
    Intuitive Machines’ IM-2 mission achieved the southernmost lunar landing, collecting critical data from challenging terrain to inform Mars exploration strategies.
    NASA cameras aboard Firefly’s Blue Ghost lander captured unprecedented footage of engine plume-surface interactions, offering vital data for designing safer landings on the Moon and Mars.
    The agency’s Stereo Cameras for Lunar Plume-Surface Studies (SCALPSS) 1.1 aboard Blue Ghost collected more than 9,000 images of lunar descent, providing insights on lander impacts and terrain interaction to guide future spacecraft design.
    New SCALPSS hardware delivered for Blue Origin’s Blue Mark 1 mission also is enhancing lunar landing models, helping build precision landing systems for the Moon and Mars. The LuGRE (Lunar Global Navigation Satellite System Receiver Experiment) on Blue Ghost acquired Earth navigation signals from the Moon, advancing autonomous positioning systems crucial for lunar and Mars operations.
    The Electrodynamic Dust Shield successfully cleared lunar dust, demonstrating a critical technology for protecting equipment on the Moon and Mars.
    Astronauts aboard the space station conducted studies to advance understanding of how to keep crews healthy on long-duration Mars missions.
    NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture Workshop gathered industry, academic, and international partners to refine exploration plans and identify collaboration opportunities.

    Artemis Milestones

    NASA completed stacking the twin solid rocket boosters for Artemis II, the mission that will send American astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. This is a powerful step toward returning our nation to deep space.
    At NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, teams joined the core stage with the solid rocket boosters inside the Vehicle Assembly Building.
    Engineers lifted the launch vehicle stage adapter atop the SLS (Space Launch System) core stage, connecting key systems that will soon power NASA’s return to the Moon.
    Teams received the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage and moved the SLS core stage into the transfer aisle, clearing another milestone as the agency prepares to fully integrate America’s most powerful rocket.
    NASA attached the solar array wings that will help power the Orion spacecraft on its journey around the Moon, laying the groundwork for humanity’s next giant leap.
    Technicians installed the protective fairings on Orion’s service module to shield the spacecraft during its intense launch and ascent phase, as NASA prepares to send astronauts farther than any have gone in more than half a century.
    The agency’s next-generation mobile launcher continues to take shape, with the sixth of 10 massive modules being installed. This structure will carry future Artemis rockets to the launch pad.
    NASA and the Department of Defense teamed up aboard the USS Somerset for Artemis II recovery training, ensuring the agency and its partners are ready to safely retrieve Artemis astronauts after their historic mission around the Moon.
    NASA unveiled the Artemis II mission patch. The patch designates the mission as “AII,” signifying not only the second major flight of the Artemis campaign but also an endeavor of discovery that seeks to explore for all and by all.

    America First in Space

    NASA announced the first major science results from asteroid Bennu, revealing ingredients essential for life, a discovery made possible by U.S. leadership in planetary science through the OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer) mission. The team found salty brines, 14 of the 20 amino acids used to make proteins, and all five DNA nucleobases, suggesting that the conditions and ingredients for life were widespread in our early solar system. And this is just the beginning – these results were from analysis of only 0.06% of the sample.
    NASA was named one of TIME’s Best Companies for Future Leaders, underscoring the agency’s role in cultivating the next generation of American innovators.
    NASA awarded contracts to U.S. industry supporting Earth science missions,  furthering our understanding of the planet while strengthening America’s industrial base.
    As part of the Air Traffic Management-Exploration project, NASA supported Boeing’s test of digital and autonomous taxiing with a Cessna Caravan at Moffett Federal Airfield. The test used real-time simulations from the agency’s Future Flight Central to gather data that will help Boeing refine its systems and safely integrate advanced technologies into national airspace, demonstrating American aviation leadership.
    NASA successfully completed its automated space traffic coordination objectives between the agency’s four Starling spacecraft and SpaceX’s Starlink constellation. Teams demonstrated four risk mitigation maneuvers, autonomously resolving close approaches between two spacecraft with different owner/operators.  
    In collaboration with the National Institute of Aeronautics, NASA selected eight finalists in a university competition aimed at designing innovative aviation solutions that can help the agriculture industry. NASA’s Gateways to Blue Skies seeks ways to apply American aircraft and aviation technology to enhance the productivity, efficiency, and resiliency of American farms. 
    In Houston, United Airlines pilots successfully conducted operational tests of NASA-developed technologies designed to reduce flight delays. Using technologies from the Air Traffic Management Exploration project, pilots flew efficient re-routes, avoiding airspace with bad weather upon departure. United plans to expand the use of these capabilities, another example of how NASA innovations benefit all humanity. 
    On March 11, NASA’s newest astrophysics observatory, SPHEREx, launched on its journey to answer fundamental questions about our universe, thanks to the dedication and expertise of the agency’s team. Riding aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, SPHEREx will scan the entire sky to study how galaxies formed, search for the building blocks of life, and look back to the universe’s earliest moments. After launch, SPHEREx turned on its detectors, and everything is performing as expected.

    Also onboard were four small satellites for NASA’s PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which will help scientists understand how the Sun’s outer atmosphere becomes solar wind. These missions reflect the best of the agency – pushing the boundaries of discovery and expanding our understanding of the cosmos.

    On March 14, NASA’s EZIE (Electrojet Zeeman Imaging Explorer) mission launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base. This trio of small satellites will study auroral electrojets, or intense electric currents flowing high above Earth’s poles, helping the agency better understand space weather and its effects on our planet. The mission has taken its first measurements, demonstrating that the spacecraft and onboard instrument are working as expected.
    The X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft cleared another hurdle on its way to first flight. The team successfully completed an engine speed hold test, confirming the “cruise control” system functions as designed. 
    NASA researchers successfully tested a prototype that could help responders fight and monitor wildfires, even in low-visibility conditions. The Portable Airspace Management System, developed by NASA’s Advanced Capabilities for Emergency Response Operations project, safely coordinated simulated operations involving drones and other aircraft, tackling a major challenge for those on the front lines. This is just one example of how NASA’s innovation is making a difference where it’s needed most. 
    NASA’s Parker Solar Probe completed its 23rd close approach to the Sun, coming within 3.8 million miles of the solar surface while traveling at 430,000 miles per hour – matching its own records for distance and speed. That same day, Parker Solar Probe was awarded the prestigious Collier Trophy, a well-earned recognition for its groundbreaking contributions to heliophysics. 
    In response to severe weather that impacted more than 10 states earlier this month, the NASA Disasters Response Coordination System activated to support national partners. NASA worked closely with the National Weather Service and the Federal Emergency Management Agency serving the central and southeastern U.S. to provide satellite data and expertise that help communities better prepare, respond, and recover. 
    As an example of how NASA’s research today is shaping the transportation of tomorrow, the agency’s aeronautics engineers began a flight test campaign focused on safely integrating air taxis into the national airspace. Using a Joby Aviation demonstrator aircraft, engineers are helping standardize flight test maneuvers, improving tools to assist with collision avoidance and landing operations, and ensuring safe and efficient air taxis operations in various weather conditions.
    NASA premiered “Planetary Defenders,” a new documentary that follows the dedicated team behind asteroid detection and planetary defense. The film debuted at an event at the agency’s headquarters with digital creators, interagency and international partners, and now is streaming on NASA+, YouTube, and X. In its first 24 hours, it saw 25,000 views on YouTube – 75% above average – and reached 4 million impressions on X. 
    Finland became the 53rd nation to sign the Artemis Accords, reaffirming its commitment to the peaceful, transparent, and responsible exploration of space. This milestone underscores the growing global coalition led by the United States to establish a sustainable and cooperative presence beyond Earth.
    In Dhaka, Bangladesh, NASA welcomed a new signatory to the Artemis Accords. Bangladesh became the 54th nation to commit to the peaceful, safe, and responsible exploration of space. It’s a milestone that reflects our shared values and growing global momentum, reaffirming the United States’ leadership in building a global coalition for peaceful space exploration. 
    At NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, engineers conducted calibration flights for a new shock-sensing probe that will support future flight tests of the X-59 quiet supersonic demonstrator. Mounted on a research F-15D that will follow the X-59 closely in flight, the probe will gather data on the shock waves the X-59 generates, providing important data about its ability to fly faster than sound, but produce only a quiet thump.
    In its second asteroid encounter, Lucy flew by the asteroid Donaldjohanson and gave NASA a close look at a uniquely shaped fragment dating back 150 million years – an impressive performance ahead of its main mission target in 2027.
    A celebration of decades of discovery, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope celebrated its 35th anniversary with new observations ranging from nearby solar system objects to distant galaxies – proof that Hubble continues to inspire wonder and advance our understanding of the universe.
    The SPHEREx team rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, spotlighting NASA’s newest space telescope and its bold mission to explore the origins of the universe.
    NASA received six Webby Awards and six People’s Voice Awards across platforms – recognition of America’s excellence in digital engagement and public communication.
    The NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed and Advanced Air Transport Technology project concluded testing of a 2.5-megawatt Wright Electric motor designed to eventually serve large aircraft. The testing used the project’s capabilities to simulate altitude conditions of up to 40,000 feet while the electric motor, the most powerful tested so far at the facility, ran at both full voltage and partial power. NASA partnered with the Department of Energy on the tests.
    U.S. entities can now request the Glenn Icing Computational Environment (GlennICE) tool from the NASA Software Catalog and discover solutions to icing challenges for novel engine and aircraft designs. A 3D computational tool, GlennICE allows engineers to integrate icing-related considerations earlier in the aircraft design process and enable safer, more efficient designs while saving costs in the design process.

    For more about NASA’s mission, visit:

    Home Page

    -end-
    Bethany StevensHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1600bethany.c.stevens@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Iceland: Sidekick Health Secures €35 Million Venture Debt from EIB to Accelerate R&D and Global Expansion

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €35 million venture debt facility with Sidekick Health, a leading digital health and therapeutics company operating across Europe and the US.
    • The funding will accelerate Sidekick’s therapy development and AI-driven platform innovation across multiple chronic and specialty care areas.
    • The R&D-focused facility is backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU initiative and complemented by a €7M capital injection from existing and new investors to accelerate Sidekick’s commercial growth.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Sidekick Health — a global leader in integrated digital health and therapeutics — today announced the signing of a €35 million venture debt facility, backed by a dedicated life science venture debt window of the European Commission’s InvestEU programme. It provides Sidekick with dedicated capital to accelerate R&D activities, expand its digital therapeutics portfolio, enhance AI capabilities, and strengthen its data and platform infrastructure — delivering scalable, secure, and impactful solutions for patients, payers, and pharmaceutical partners worldwide. The agreement represents the EIB Group’s first venture debt transaction in Iceland, where Sidekick is headquartered.

    In parallel, Sidekick closed an additional €7M growth-focused financing, reflecting strong investor confidence and providing additional capital to scale its commercial footprint and strategic partnerships.

    At the signing ceremony today in Luxembourg, Tryggvi Thorgeirsson, MD, MPH, CEO and Co-Founder of Sidekick Health, commented:

    “This strategic financing from the EIB enables us to double down on our mission to improve and save lives by digitizing care. It strengthens our ability to invest in R&D, therapy development, and AI, while focusing future equity on scaling our commercial impact. Together with the strong backing of our investors, our diversified funding strategy — now including non-dilutive venture debt — positions Sidekick to accelerate innovation, deepen our partnerships, and continue transforming healthcare at scale.”

    Thomas Östros, Vice-President of the EIB, said:

    “The EIB has a solid track record in financing European med-tech companies through its venture debt instrument. The competitiveness of these companies is very important for our EU strategic autonomy. This is already the fifth InvestEU project in Iceland, building on a long tradition of EU-guaranteed funding for Icelandic projects.”

    Sidekick partners with leading pharmaceutical companies, health insurers, and healthcare providers to deliver AI-enhanced digital health and therapeutics solutions across chronic and specialty care, including oncology, cardiovascular, metabolic, women’s health, and inflammatory conditions. The company’s platform has demonstrated improved patient outcomes and supported cost reduction in collaboration with partners, helping drive the shift toward personalized, proactive care.

    EU Ambassador to Iceland Clara Ganslandt added:

    “It was only in January last year, 2024, that Iceland’s participation in InvestEU was formally launched but we now already have five InvestEU projects in Iceland. That is certainly worth celebrating. The EU is committed to fuelling research and innovation and making use of impactful investments – in a world of increased global competition, it is in our common interest for Iceland and the European Union to work together. For three decades, since 1994, Icelandic organisations have been remarkably active, valued and successful participants in EU programmes, and Sidekick Health will certainly make this financing agreement a success.”

    Background information  

    EIB 

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

    High-quality, up-to-date photos of our headquarters for media use are available here.

    InvestEU

    The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable economy. It helps generate additional investments in line with EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal, the digital transition and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. This guarantee increases their risk-bearing capacity, thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

    Sidekick Health

    Sidekick Health is a digital health innovation company offering a uniquely broad portfolio of digital health and therapeutic programs across oncology, cardiovascular, metabolic, women’s health, and inflammatory conditions. Our solutions engage and empower people to improve health outcomes and quality of life. Sidekick works with health insurers, including leading national US health plans, pharmaceutical companies, including half of the world’s top 10 life sciences companies, and develops fully regulated prescription digital therapeutics — prescribed by over 17,000 physicians — designed to improve patient outcomes, enhance clinical efficiency, and reduce the cost of care.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Finland: Helsinki to get new tramline and a depot with €400 million EIB package

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • EIB lends total of €400 million to Helsinki and its transport company to build tram connection to eastern suburbs.
    • The project also features new pathways for cyclists and pedestrians, includes the construction of a new tram and bus depot for Helsinki, and involves acquiring new trams for the city’s entire network.
    • Three major bridges to be built for new tramline.

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €400 million financing package to help the Finnish capital Helsinki build a tramline to three suburbs, construct a new tram and bus depot, purchase new trams, and add pathways for cyclists and pedestrians. The EIB support involves loans of €150 million to the City of Helsinki and €250 million to metropolitan transport company Metropolitan Area Transport Ltd (Pääkaupunkiseudun Kaupunkiliikenne Oy) for the “Crown Bridges Light Rail” project.

    The goals are to extend Helsinki’s tram system to the eastern suburbs of Laajasalo, Korkeasaari and Kalasatama with a new line that will halve travel times to 20 minutes and to increase the city’s bike and pedestrian paths. The project is due to be completed by 2027.

    “Investing in sustainable transport is a priority for the EIB and provides a key step toward advancing climate action and enhancing connectivity in the city,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “This project will play an important role in improving the quality of life for Helsinki’s residents.”

    Crown Bridges Light Rail reflects a commitment by Helsinki, which has a population of 685,000, to expand clean public transport. That step should in turn stimulate urban development and regeneration.
    Because Laajasalo and Korkeasaari are islands – Helsinki has around 300 of them – the project features three major bridges over which the new tramline will travel. The longest, Kruunuvuorensilta Bridge, will be 1,200 metres and have a pylon rising to 135 metres. The two other bridges – Merihaansilta and Finkensilta – will have lengths of 400 metres and 300 metres, respectively.

    All three bridges will have bike lanes that are three metres wide and pedestrian pavements with widths of between two and six metres.

    The project includes constructing Helsinki’s Ruskeasuo depot, Finland’s first combined tram and bus depot. It offers storage for about 80 trams, daily maintenance and repair facilities, and a wheel lathe track. The depot also serves regional bus traffic, with roof parking and maintenance spaces for buses.

    The EIB financing covers 40% of the project costs and will go towards building the tramline and the depot as well as buying new tram sets.

    The support aligns with EIB pledges to advance efforts in Europe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality.

    Background information

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, the EIB finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.   

    In 2024, EIB Group investments in Finland rose to €2.3 billion from €992 million the year before, focusing on green projects and business innovation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Commission kicks off EU Diversity Month with winners of the 2025 European Capitals of Inclusion and Diversity Award

    Source: European Commission

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 29 Apr 2025 …and the winners of fostering diversity and inclusion are from the Netherlands, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Poland. Cities and municipalities from these countries are this year´s leading examples that promote inclusion on the grounds of sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a temporary derogation from certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as regards a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System – A10-0082/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

    on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on a temporary derogation from certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as regards a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System

    (COM(2024)0567 – C10‑0207/2024 – 2024/0315(COD))

    (Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2024)0567),

    – having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 77(2) points (b) and (d) and Article 87(2) point (a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C10-0207/2024),

    – having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

    – having regard to Rule 60 of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A10-0082/2025),

    1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

    2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

    3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

    Amendment  1

    AMENDMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT[*]

    to the Commission proposal

    ———————————————————

    REGULATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

    on a temporary derogation from certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as regards a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System
     

    THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

    Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 77(2) points (b) and (d) and Article 87(2) point (a), thereof,

     

    Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

     

    After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

     

    Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure[1],

     

    Whereas:

    (1) Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 of the European Parliament and of the Council[2], establishing the Entry/Exit System (‘EES’), provides that the Commission is to decide the date from which the EES is to start operations, provided that certain conditions are met.

    (2) However, the Commission has not received all notifications pursuant to Article 66(1), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, which is one of the conditions for deciding on the start of operations of the EES.

    (3) Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 only allows for a full start of operations, requiring all Member States to start using the EES fully for all third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES and to use the EES simultaneously at all their border crossing points. However, a full start of operations of all EES functionalities at all border crossing points simultaneously constitutes a risk for the resilience of the EES as a whole and for passenger flows at the external borders.

    (4) In order to ensure a smooth launch of the EES and facilitate its timely roll-out in all Member States, to provide Member States with the necessary flexibility to start using the EES within a clearly defined period of time and to facilitate technical and operational adjustments when starting to operate the EES, it is necessary to lay down rules for a progressive start of operations of the EES during which Member States should be able to opt for a phased roll-out of the EES. To ensure these adjustments take account of potential travel flows and seasonal peaks, such a progressive start should have a duration of 180 calendar days.

    (5) To enable a progressive start of operations of the EES it is ▌necessary to derogate from certain provisions of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 of the European Parliament and of the Council[3] (‘Schengen Borders Code’). Other rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 that are not affected by this Regulation apply as provided for in that Regulation. In particular, the data recorded in the EES throughout the progressive start of operations follow the rules set out in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and are considered reliable and accurate. This Regulation does not affect the validity of the notifications already provided to the Commission by Member States under Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    (6) Member States that do not intend to use the EES simultaneously at all their border crossing points from the start of operations, should progressively start operating the EES to record, on entry and exit, the data of third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES at one or more border crossing points, or at one or more lanes of such border crossing points. If possible and applicable, Member States should include a combination of air, land and sea border crossing points. To ensure a controlled launch of the EES and to better manage and avoid potential long waiting times at the borders, where relevant, and if necessary, Member States should deploy all the functionalities of the EES progressively and register the data of all third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES gradually. To ensure the full use of the EES at all border crossing points in the Union, where Member States choose a progressive start of operations it should be implemented in phases, which should set the minimum requirements to be reached by Member States. Member States will retain the possibility to accelerate implementation at national level or start operating the EES fully from the start of operations. The gradual processing of data in the EES should be carried out in full respect of the rights of data subjects as set out in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council1a and should not lead, directly or indirectly, to any form of discrimination or profiling. The Commission, in consultation with the European Data Protection Supervisor, should issue guidelines on the processing of personal data in the EES during the progressive start of operations.

    (7) To facilitate a smooth deployment of the EES, the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) should develop a high-level roll-out plan to support the effective and continuous operation of the EES Central System, include fall-back procedures for the functioning of the EES Central System and provide guidance to the end-users, including the Member States and Union agencies on planning and executing the EES deployment during its progressive start of operations and should submit it to the European Parliament, the Commission, Member States and Union agencies. ▌

    (8) To facilitate a smooth deployment of the EES, Member States should develop national roll-out plans in consultation with the Commission and eu-LISA and present those plans to the Commission. For each of the phases of the progressive start of the EES operations, the national roll-out plans should include the information on the set thresholds and requirements, in particular: (i) the date from which the EES will operate at each border crossing point; (ii) the percentage of the estimated number of border crossings to be registered in the EES out of the total number of third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES; and (iii) where applicable, the biometric functionalities to be operated at each selected border crossing point. When preparing their respective national roll-out plans, Member States should appropriately coordinate with the operators of infrastructure where border crossing points are located. and inform relevant stakeholders of the border crossing points where they plan to start operating the EES and of their planned use of the biometric functionalities of the EES. To monitor compliance with the progressive start of operations, Member States should provide the Commission and eu-LISA monthly reports on the implementation of their roll-out plans unless and until the EES is used fully for all third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES and is used simultaneously at all border crossing points in the Member State. Such monthly reports should include corrective measures, where necessary, to ensure compliance with the progressive start of operations. The Commission should issue guidelines to facilitate the adoption of national roll-out plans and monthly reports by the Member States that are concise and proportionate.

    (8a)  To facilitate a smooth deployment of the EES, it is important that neither the start nor the end of the progressive start of operations of the EES coincide with the peak travel seasons in summer, June to August, or winter, December to February.

    (9) Due to the progressive start of operations of the EES and resulting incompleteness of the data recorded in the EES, travel documents of third-country nationals should be systematically stamped on entry and exit during the progressive start of operations of the EES. National authorities should take into account the possible incompleteness of entry/exit records or of refusal of entry records and should consider stamps as prevailing over the information registered in the EES. In addition, when providing information to third-country nationals about the maximum remaining duration of their authorised stay, national authorities should base their assessment on the stamps affixed in the travel documents. The data recorded in the EES should be used in the calculation of maximum remaining duration only in case a stamp is missing.

    (10) Considering that the data registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations of the EES might be incomplete, national authorities should not take into account the results provided by the automated calculator on the maximum remaining duration of the authorised stay of third-country nationals registered in the EES. Similarly, when carrying out their tasks, national authorities should not take into account the automated mechanism to identify or flag the lack of exit records following the date of expiry of an authorised stay or the records for which the maximum duration of authorised stay was exceeded, as well as the generated lists of persons identified as overstayers.

    (11) To provide Member States with the necessary time to adjust to the start of the EES, for the first 60 calendar days of the progressive start of operations, the use of biometric functionalities at border crossing points should not be mandatory. However, Member States are encouraged to make use of those functionalities during that period in order to support a smooth operational transition and to enable the timely detection and resolution of any potential implementation issues. No later than the 90th calendar day of the progressive start of operations, Member States should operate the EES with biometric functionalities at least at half of their border crossing points. Providing biometric data should not be an entry condition for third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES at the border crossing points where the EES is operated without biometric functionalities.

    (12) To accommodate the need to progressively deploy the EES with biometric functionalities at some border crossing points, the biometric verification of third-country nationals subject to registration in the EES should only be carried out at the border crossing points at which the EES is operated with biometric functionalities.

    (13) To ensure coherence of the operations of the interoperability between the Visa Information System (VIS) established by Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council[4] and the EES, the VIS should only be accessed directly at those border crossing points at which the EES is not operated. At the border crossing points at which the EES is operated, border authorities should make use of the interoperability between the EES and the VIS.

    (14) Third-country nationals whose data are to be recorded in the EES should be informed about their rights and obligations regarding the processing of their data in the form of a template as provided in Article 50(5) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. The information to be provided to third-country nationals subject to the EES registration should refer to the progressive start of operations of the EES. Third-country nationals should be informed in the template of their obligation to provide biometric data at border crossing points where it constitutes an entry condition. They should be made aware in the template of the consequences of not providing biometric data. They should be informed in the template that it will not be possible for them to verify the remaining duration of the authorised stay by automated means. National authorities should make all reasonable efforts to provide those third-country nationals with details of the duration of their authorised stay based on the stamps in their travel documents.

    (15) To reflect the progressive start of operations of the EES, the Commission should, at least every month, introduce relevant updates on the EES website.

    (16) The aim of raising awareness among third-country nationals on their specific rights and obligations would be best achieved if Member States customise the implementation of the campaign based on how the EES will operate at their borders at which the EES is operated in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. The information materials developed by the Commission, in cooperation with the supervisory authorities and the European Data Protection Supervisor, and with the support of Member States in the context of Article 51 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 should therefore be adapted to carry out the information campaign accompanying the progressive start of operations.

    (17) During the progressive start of operations of the EES, the web service will not enable third-country nationals to electronically verify the exact duration of their authorised stay.

    (18) This Regulation does not affect the obligations of air carriers, sea carriers and international carriers transporting groups overland by coach as set out in Article 26(1) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement[5] and Council Directive 2001/51/EC.[6] In this respect, carriers should verify the stamps affixed in travel documents. To ensure effective communication with carriers about the distinct application of the EES at the border crossing points, ultimately benefiting travellers, it is crucial that Member States are transparent about the deployment of the EES at their border crossing points.

    (19) Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Article 12a of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 provide for a transitional period and transitional measures referring to the start of operations of the EES. It is necessary to derogate from those Articles to ensure that the transitional period and the transitional measures apply only as of the end of the progressive start of operations. That derogation should cease to apply 5 years and 180 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    (20) To ensure that national authorities and EU agencies, in the performance of their tasks, avoid taking decisions exclusively based on data registered in the EES, they should take into account that individual files registered in the EES may contain incomplete data sets and should in any case not take decisions adversely affecting individuals exclusively on the basis that a registration of an alleged entry or exit is absent in the EES. That derogation should cease to apply 5 years after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 to reflect the 5-year retention period for data sets for which the exit record is missing as set out in Article 34(3) of that Regulation.

    (21) When ensuring compliance with the provisions in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 on the amendment of data and advance data erasure, Member States should complete the incomplete data to the extent permitted by the limited availability of the sets of data registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations.

    (22) The European Border and Coast Guard Agency should refrain from using data registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations for carrying out risk analyses and vulnerability assessments due to the incompleteness of the data that could lead to misleading risk and vulnerability assessments.

    (23) To ensure effective management of the external borders during the progressive start of operations of the EES, at the border crossing points at which the EES is not operated, border checks should be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as applicable [the day before the date from which the EES is to start operations as decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226]. At the border crossing points at which the EES is operated, border checks should be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and the Schengen Borders Code. However, specific derogations from these Regulations should apply with regards to the verification at the border crossing points at which the EES is operated without biometric functionalities to enable the progressive start of operations. This should happen without prejudice to verifications of visa holders by using fingerprints, in accordance with Regulation (EC) 767/2008.

    (24) To enable an effective adjustment of technical and organisational arrangements ▌and to address potential exceptional circumstances of failure of the EES Central System, national systems or communication infrastructure, or excessive waiting times at their borders, during the period of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States should have the possibility to suspend the operations of the EES at certain border crossing points, fully or partially. In case of partial suspension, the registration of biometric data in the EES should be suspended. In case of full suspension, no data should be registered in the EES. In both cases, Member States should promptly inform the operators of infrastructure hosting border crossing points and carriers. No later than 6 hours after the start of the suspension, Member States should notify to the Commission and eu-LISA the reason for the full or partial suspension and its expected duration.

    (24a)  To mitigate additional risks related to the deployment of the EES with biometric functionalities, Member States should have the possibility, in exceptional circumstances leading to traffic of such intensity that the waiting times at borders become excessive, to suspend the registration of biometric data in the EES after the end of the progressive start of operations. Such a suspension should be possible for a limited period of 60 days after the end of the progressive start of operations of the EES.

    (25) eu-LISA should publish reports on the statistics on the use of the system, which should serve to evaluate the system’s performance, assess Member States compliance with the eu-LISA high-level roll-out plan and the national roll-out plans, identify areas for improvement, monitor compliance with the progressive start of operations of the EES, and support decision-making relating to the system’s further development and optimisation. Furthermore, eu-LISA should continue its regular reporting to its Management Board, which will in turn oversee the gradual roll-out of EES operations.

    (26) The preparatory work related to the roll-out plans should be triggered by the date of the entry into force of this Regulation. Member States which have not yet submitted their declaration of readiness are urged to do so within 30 days after the entry into force of this Regulation. The progressive start of operations should apply from the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of EES Regulation. As this Regulation provides for temporary derogations, it should cease to apply 180 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.  However, the derogatory rules on the application of transitional period and transitional measures, access to EES data, verification by the carriers of stamps affixed in the travel documents and the suspension of the EES should apply for a limited period after the end of the progressive start of operations.

    (27) The objective of this Regulation, authorising derogations from Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 to provide for a progressive start of operations of the EES, cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States but can rather, by reason of the scale and impact of the action, be better achieved at Union level. Therefore, the Union may adopt measures, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union. In accordance with the principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives.

    (28) In accordance with Articles 1 and 2 of Protocol No 22 on the position of Denmark, annexed to the TEU and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark is not taking part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application. Given that this Regulation builds upon the Schengen acquis, Denmark should, in accordance with Article 4 of that Protocol, decide within a period of six months after the Council has decided on this Regulation whether it will implement it in its national law.

    (29) This Regulation does not constitute a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis in which Ireland takes part in accordance with Council Decision 2002/192/EC. Ireland is therefore not taking part in the adoption of this Regulation and is not bound by it or subject to its application.

    (30) As regards Iceland and Norway, this Regulation constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement concluded by the Council of the European Union and the Republic of Iceland and the Kingdom of Norway concerning those states association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis, which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point A of Council Decision 1999/437/EC.

    (31) As regards Switzerland, this Regulation constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis, which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point A of Decision 1999/437/EC, read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2008/146/EC.

    (32) As regards Liechtenstein, this Regulation constitutes a development of the provisions of the Schengen acquis within the meaning of the Protocol between the European Union, the European Community, the Swiss Confederation and the Principality of Liechtenstein on the accession of the Principality of Liechtenstein to the Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis which fall within the area referred to in Article 1, point A of Decision 1999/437/EC read in conjunction with Article 3 of Council Decision 2011/350/EU.

    (33) As regards Cyprus, the provisions of this Regulation relating to the VIS constitute provisions building upon, or otherwise relating to, the Schengen acquis within the meaning of Article 3(2) of the 2003 Act of Accession. The operation of the EES requires the granting of passive access to the VIS. As the EES is only to be operated by those Member States that fulfil the conditions related to VIS at the start of the operation of the EES, Cyprus will not operate the EES from the start of operations. Cyprus is to be connected to the EES as soon as the conditions of the procedure referred to in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 are met.

    (34) The European Data Protection Supervisor was consulted in accordance with Article 42(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 and delivered its opinion on [xx].

    (35) This Regulation establishes strict rules concerning access to the EES, as well as the necessary safeguards for such access. It also sets out the individuals’ rights of access, rectification, completion, erasure and redress, in particular the right to a judicial remedy and the supervision of processing operations by public independent authorities. This Regulation therefore respects the fundamental rights and observes the principles recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, in particular the right to human dignity, the prohibition of slavery and forced labour, the right to liberty and security, respect for private and family life, the protection of personal data, the right to non-discrimination, the rights of the child, the rights of the elderly, the integration of persons with disabilities and the right to an effective remedy and to a fair trial. 

    (36) This Regulation is without prejudice to the obligations deriving from the Geneva Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees of 28 July 1951, as supplemented by the New York Protocol of 31 January 1967.

     

    HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

    Article 1
    Subject matter

    This Regulation lays down rules on a progressive start of operations of the Entry/Exit System (EES) at the borders of the Member States at which the EES is operated in accordance with Article 4 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and temporary derogations from Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399.

    Article 2
    Definitions

    For the purposes of this Regulation, the definitions in Article 3(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 apply. In addition, the following definitions apply:

    (a) ‘progressive start of operations of the EES’ means the period of 180 calendar days starting from the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (b) ‘national authorities’ means the authorities referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (c) ‘estimated number of border crossings’ means a Member State’s estimate of the number of border crossings of third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 in each Member State based on the yearly average of the total number of border crossings of third-country nationals travelling for a short stay in that Member State calculated for the preceding two calendar years from the date of application  referred to in Article 8(1), second subparagraph, of this Regulation.

    Article 3
    Roll-out plans and monthly reports

    1. By [the 30th calendar day after the entry into force of this Regulation], the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (eu-LISA) shall provide the European Parliament, the Commission, Member States, as well as Europol, with a high-level roll-out plan on the progressive start of operations of the EES, taking into account the phases set out in Article 4. That roll-out plan shall support the effective and continuous operation of the EES Central System, include fall-back procedures for the functioning of the EES Central System and provide guidance on the use of the EES to the end-users, including Member States and Europol ▌. 

    2. By [the 60th calendar day after the entry into force of this Regulation], in consultation with the Commission and eu-LISA, Member States shall develop  national roll-out plans on the progressive start of operations of the EES, taking into account the high-level roll-out plan referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article and present those plans to the Commission. Where a Member State does not start operating the EES fully from the beginning of the progressive start of operations of the EES, the national roll-out plan shall specify how the thresholds and requirements set out in Article 4 shall be met. EU-Lisa shall assess whether the national roll-out plans are consistent with the high-level roll-out plan and shall confirm that they do not contain any deficiencies which could further delay the entry into operation of the EES. Member States shall inform relevant stakeholders of the border crossing points where they plan to start operating the EES and of their planned use of the biometric functionalities of the EES.

    3. ▌

    4. From the 30th calendar day after the date from which the EES is to start operations as decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, Member States shall provide monthly reports to the European Parliament, the Commission and eu-LISA on the implementation of their national roll-out plans, including corrective measures where necessary to comply with the obligations set out in Article 4.

    5. At the request of the Commission, eu-LISA shall provide the Commission with the statistics necessary for the Commission to monitor the implementation of the high-level roll-out plan and the national roll-out plans, in accordance with Article 63(6) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    5a. The eu-Lisa Management Board shall adopt the high-level roll-out plan referred to in paragraph 1. The Management Board shall also monitor the stability of the EES Central System during the progressive start of operations and suggest additional actions where appropriate.

    5b. The Commission shall issue guidelines to facilitate the provision of concise national roll-out plans and monthly reports by the Member States.

    5c. The Commission, in consultation with the European Data Protection Supervisor, shall issue guidelines on the processing of personal data in the EES during the progressive start of operations.

    Article  4
    Progressive start of operations

    1. By way of derogation from Article 66(6) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 during the progressive start of operations of the EES, the Member States shall use the EES as set out in this Article.

    2. From the first day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, each Member State shall start using the EES on entry and exit at one or more border crossing points with, if possible and applicable, a combination of air, land and sea border crossing points, to record and store data of third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. No later than the 30th calendar day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States shall register in the EES at least 10% of the estimated number of border crossings in that Member State.

    For the first 60 calendar days of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States may operate the EES without biometric functionalities, and national authorities may create or update individual files without biometric data.

    3. No later than the 90th calendar day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States shall operate the EES with biometric functionalities at least at half of their border crossing points. Member States shall register at least 35% of the estimated number of border crossings in that Member State. The individual files of third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 that are registered in the EES shall contain biometric data.

    4. No later than the 150th calendar day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States shall operate the EES with biometric functionalities at all their border crossing points and shall continue registering in the EES at least 50% of the estimated number of border crossings in that Member State.

    5. No later than the 170th calendar day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States shall operate the EES with biometric functionalities at all their border crossing points and shall register in the EES all third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    6. Refusals of entry, decided at a border crossing point at which the EES is operated, shall be recorded in the EES, as set out in Article 18 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. Where the EES is operated with biometric functionalities, refusals of entry shall be recorded with biometric data. Where the EES is operated without biometric functionalities, refusals of entry shall be recorded without biometric data.

    7. From the first day of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Europol shall use the EES as provided for in Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    Article 5
    Other derogations from Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399

    1. In addition to the rules of Article 4, the rules set out in this Article shall apply to all Member States during the progressive start of operations of the EES.

    2. Border authorities shall systematically stamp the travel documents of third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 on entry and exit.

    The stamping obligations referred to in Article 42a(1), second subparagraph, and Article 42a(2), (5) and (6) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 shall apply mutatis mutandis in the Member States operating the EES.

    3. For entering, amending, erasing and consulting the data in the EES, national authorities that are competent for the purposes laid down in Articles 23 to 35 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall consider stamps as prevailing over the EES data, including in cases of discrepancy or in cases referred to in Article 16(4) of that Regulation. The data recorded in the EES shall prevail in case a stamp is missing.

    4. In the absence of a stamp affixed in the travel document and of an individual file created in the EES for a third-country national present in the territory of the Member States, national authorities may presume that the third-country national does not fulfil or no longer fulfils the conditions relating to entry or stay in the Member States.

    This presumption shall not apply to third-country nationals who can provide, by any means, credible evidence that they enjoy the right of free movement under Union law, ▌ or that they hold a residence permit or a long-stay visa.

    This presumption may be rebutted where the third-country nationals provide, by any means, credible evidence that they have respected the conditions relating to the duration of a short stay.

    Where the presumption is rebutted, national authorities shall perform one or more of the following tasks at the border crossing points at which the EES is operated, to the extent allowed by this Regulation:

    (a) create an individual file for that third-country national in the EES, if necessary;

    (b) update the latest entry/exit record by entering the missing data;

    (c) erase an existing file where Article 35 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 provides for such erasure.

    5. Border authorities shall make use of the interoperability between the EES and the VIS referred to in Article 8(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 only at the border crossing points at which the EES is operated. Border authorities shall continue accessing the VIS directly:

    (a) at the border crossing points at which the EES is not operated;

    (b) where the EES is suspended in accordance with Article 7 of this Regulation.

    6. National authorities and Europol shall disregard the following:

    (a) the results of the automated calculator that provides information on the maximum duration of the authorised stay referred to in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (b) the automatically generated list of overstayers and its consequences in particular as referred to in Article 6(1), points (c) and (h), Article 12(3), Article 16(4), Article 34(3), Article 50(1), points (i) and (k), Article 63(1), point (e) of that Regulation.

    7. Processing operations by Member States that comply with this Regulation shall not be considered as unlawful or not compliant with Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 for the purposes of Articles 45 and 48 of that Regulation.

    8. Verification of the identity and previous registration of third-country nationals pursuant to Article 23 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall be carried out on the third-country nationals referred to in Article 2(1) and (2) of that Regulation at the border crossing points at which the EES is operated with biometric functionalities, including through self-service systems, where available.

    9. In addition to the specific information referred to in Article 50(5) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 that is to be added by the Member States in the template to provide information to third-country nationals about the processing of their personal data in the EES, Member States shall accompany the template to be handed over to third-country nationals at the time the individual file of the person concerned is being created  with the following information:

    ‘The Entry/Exit System is being progressively rolled out. During this roll-out period [from …], your personal data, including your biometric data, might not be collected for the purposes of the Entry/Exit System at all Member States’ external borders. If we need to mandatorily collect this information and you choose not to provide it, you will be refused entry. During this period of the progressive roll-out your data will not be automatically added to a list of overstayers. In addition, you will not be able to check how much longer you are authorised to stay using the website or equipment available at border crossing points. You may address any queries regarding the duration of your authorised stay to the relevant national authorities at the external borders.

    Please note that when the progressive roll-out of the EES is completed, your personal data will be processed according to the information provided in the document accompanying this form.’

    10. The information on the EES website referred to in Article 50(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall be adapted by the Commission to reflect the progressive start of operations.

    11. The information campaign referred to in Article 51 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 accompanying the start of operations of the EES, shall reflect the specific conditions at the border crossing points, ensuring that the relevant information is communicated to those affected, and taking into account the phases set out in Article 4 of this Regulation. The Commission, in cooperation with the European Data Protection Supervisor and national supervisory authorities, shall support Member States in preparing the adapted materials of the information campaign.

    12. The application of Article 12(1) and (2), Article 13(1) and (2), Article 20 and Article 21 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall be suspended.

    13. By way of derogation from Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Article 12a of Regulation (EU) 2016/399, the transitional period and the transitional measures set out in those Articles shall apply from the first day after the progressive start of operations of the EES has ended.

    14. At the border crossing points at which the EES is not operated, border checks shall be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/399 as applicable on the day before the date from which the EES is to start operations as decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    At the border crossing points at which the EES is operated, border checks shall be carried out in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 and Regulation (EU) 2016/399.

    By way of derogation from the second subparagraph, at the border crossing points where the EES is operated without biometric functionalities, Article 6(1), point (f)(i), and the provisions on the verification of third-country nationals based on biometric data, solely for the purposes of the EES, referred to in Articles 6, point (f) (ii) and Article 8 (3), points (a) and (g) of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 shall not apply.

    For the purposes of this Regulation, Article 9(3) and Article 12 of Regulation (EU) 2016/399 shall be suspended.

    Article 6
    Access to the EES data

    1. When accessing the entry and exit records registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations of the EES in the performance of their tasks:

    (a) national authorities and Europol shall take into account that, due to the variable operations of the EES in each Member State during the progressive start of operations of the EES, the data could be incomplete;

    (aa)  national authorities and Europol shall not take decisions adversely affecting individuals solely on the basis that a registration of an alleged entry or exit is absent in the EES;

    (b) national authorities shall take into account that the data could be incomplete when communicating data in accordance with Articles 41 and 42 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (c) the ETIAS Central Unit shall take into account that the entry and exit records registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations of the EES could include incomplete sets of data for the purpose of verification in accordance with Article 25a(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. 

    2. Competent authorities, the Commission and relevant Union agencies shall take into account that the data registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations of the EES may be incomplete when accessing data for reporting and statistics as referred in Article 63 of Regulation EU 2017/2226.

    3. By way of derogation from Article 13(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, carriers may start using the web service referred to in that Article from the 90th calendar day of the progressive start of operations of the EES. Carriers shall verify the stamps affixed in the travel documents with a view to fulfilling their obligations under Article 26(1) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement and under Council Directive 2001/51/EC for the duration of the progressive start of operations of the EES.

    For a period of 180 calendar days after the end of the progressive start of operations of the EES, carriers shall, in addition to using the web service as referred to in Article 13(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 continue verifying the stamps affixed in travel documents with a view to fulfilling their obligations under Article 26(1) of the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement and Council Directive 2001/51/EC.

    4. When fulfilling the obligations referred in Articles 35 and 52 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 in relation to the completion of personal data recorded in the EES, Member States shall complete the relevant data only to the extent possible taking into account the limited availability of the sets of data collected during the progressive start of operations of the EES. Where applicable, the administrative decision referred to in Article 52(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall refer to the conditions set out in Article 4 of this Regulation that allow for the registration of incomplete files.

    5. By way of derogation from Article 63(1), second subparagraph, of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226, the duly authorised staff of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency shall not access the data registered in the EES during the progressive start of operations of the EES for the purpose of carrying out risk analyses and vulnerability assessments.

    Article 7
    Suspension of the EES

    1. During the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States may fully or partially suspend operating the EES at certain border crossing points in case of failure of the EES Central System, national systems or communication infrastructure, or events leading to traffic of such intensity that the waiting time at a border crossing point becomes excessive.

    In case of partial suspension, the data referred to in Articles 16 to 20 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 shall be collected, with the exception of biometric data.

    In case of full suspension, Member States shall completely suspend the EES operations and shall not collect the data referred to in Articles 16 to 20 of that Regulation.

    In both cases, Member States shall promptly inform the operators of infrastructure hosting border crossing points and carriers. No later than 6 hours after the start of the suspension, Member States shall notify to the Commission and eu-LISA the reason for the partial or full suspension and its expected duration ▌. Once the ▌circumstances that led to the suspension cease, Member States shall end the suspension and promptly notify the Commission, eu-LISA and the operators of infrastructure hosting border crossing points and carriers thereof.

    2. For a period of 60 calendar days after the end of the progressive start of operations of the EES, Member States may partially suspend operating the EES as referred to in paragraph 1, second subparagraph, at a certain border crossing point for a limited time of maximum 4 hours within a day and only in exceptional circumstances leading to traffic of such intensity that the waiting time at a border crossing point becomes excessive. Member States shall be relieved of their obligation set out in Article 21(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226 as regards biometric data. In those cases, Member States shall promptly and no later than 6 hours after the start of suspension notify the reason for the suspension and its expected duration to the Commission and eu-LISA.

    3. ▌

    4. ▌

    Article 8
    Entry into force and application

    1. This Regulation shall enter into force on the fourth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

    It shall apply from the date from which the EES is to start operations as decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226.

    However, Article 3 of this Regulation shall apply from the entry into force of this Regulation.

    2. This Regulation shall cease to apply 180 calendar days from the date from which the EES is to start operations as decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) Regulation (EU) 2017/2226. However:

    (a) Article 5(13) shall cease to apply 5 years and 180 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (b) Article 6(1), (2), (4) and (5) shall cease to apply 5 years and 180 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (c) Article 6(3), second subparagraph, shall cease to apply 360 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

    (d) Article 7(2)) shall cease to apply 240 calendar days after the date decided by the Commission in accordance with Article 66(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2226;

     (e) ▌.

    This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

    Done at Brussels,

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Sales of alcoholic beverages in Sweden on producers’ sites – E-001654/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001654/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Jonas Sjöstedt (The Left)

    In July 2024, Sweden gave notification of a legislative proposal to introduce sales of alcoholic beverages in Sweden on producers’ sites. The proposal was subject to the standard notification process, with one Member State, as well as a number of stakeholders, regarding the proposal as contrary to the EU Treaties under Articles 34 and 36.

    The Commission opted not to comment on the notification. With that in mind:

    • 1.Does the Commission regard the Swedish proposal on sales on producers’ sites as compatible with a continued retail monopoly under Article 37 TFEU?
    • 2.Does the decision by the Commission not to comment during the TRIS process mean that it shares the Swedish Government’s interpretation of the EU Treaties and therefore does not see any risk of discrimination against other Member States’ producers?
    • 3.Why did the Commission opt not to set out its legal appraisal during the notification procedure?

    Submitted: 24.4.2025

    Last updated: 30 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tourism to the US is tanking. Flight Centre is facing a $100m hit as a result

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anita Manfreda, Senior Lecturer in Tourism, Torrens University Australia

    Doubletree Studio/Shutterstock

    Flight Centre, one of the world’s largest travel agencies, has warned it could lose more than A$100 million in earnings this year, citing weakening demand for travel to the United States.

    In a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) this week, the company pointed to “volatile trading conditions” linked to changes in US entry policies.

    This is the first major indication from an Australian company that travel to the US is becoming a serious concern. It follows growing consumer fears linked to US immigration checks, reports of tourists being detained, and rising costs.

    Australian visitor numbers to the US fell by 7% in March compared with the same time last year – the sharpest fall since the COVID pandemic.

    Australians are not the only ones staying away. New US data for March show sharp drops in visitors from key markets: Germany (down 28%), Spain (25%), the United Kingdom (18%) and South Korea (15%), to name a few. In total, inbound tourism fell 11.6%.

    Even Canadian travellers, traditionally the US’s most reliable market, dropped by more than 900,000 or 17% in March, as growing numbers of Canadians opt to boycott US holidays.

    What was once a reliable flow of high-spending international travellers is becoming a much quieter stream.

    America’s welcome mat is wearing thin

    The US, long marketed as the land of opportunity and adventure, is increasingly perceived as unwelcoming. Tighter border scrutiny, aggressive immigration enforcement, and a sharp shift in political tone have made travellers wary.

    The international arrivals terminal at Atlanta airport: Tourists are rethinking their US travel plans.
    Shutterstock

    While the Flight Centre statement used careful language, its chief executive Graham Turner was clear, saying:

    People from Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia really don’t want to go to the States, given what’s happening there. We’re hearing more and more people don’t want to go through passport control.

    Reports of tourists being detained, shackled and deported at US airports over minor alleged visa issues or misunderstandings have circulated widely. In some cases, visitors have had their phones and electronic devices searched without clear cause. For many travellers, that is a risk not worth taking.

    Governments have started to respond. Several countries, including New Zealand, Germany, France, Denmark and Finland, have updated their official travel advice for the US, urging citizens to exercise caution when visiting. The message filtering through international media is clear: the US is not as easy, safe or welcoming as it once seemed.

    But while diplomatic warnings grow louder, the economic costs of America’s hardening stance are only beginning to register.

    Tourism: America’s forgotten export

    While President Donald Trump has slapped tariffs on goods imports from most countries, he has ignored the contribution of services trade to the economy. The US actually runs a surplus in services such as education and tourism. Trump has dismissed the decline in visitors as “not a big deal”.

    The trade wars have focused on goods – cars, steel, farm products – but the service sector, which makes up a larger share of the economy, bears the hidden costs.

    Tourism is the US’ biggest service export, contributing more than US$2.3 trillion to the economy and one in ten jobs. That’s a bigger contribution than manufacturing jobs, which account for about 8% of total US employment.

    As a driver of economic prosperity, tourism isn’t simply about leisure; it sustains local businesses, rural economies and millions of livelihoods.

    A double blow to the tourism experience

    While the decline in arrivals has been widely reported, the experience for those who still choose to visit is also likely to change.

    Tourism relies on global supply chains, from food to hotel amenities to rental car fleets. Trade war tariffs have raised input costs across the board. Hotels, restaurants, airlines and attractions are passing those higher costs onto customers.

    Miami Beach, Florida: Tourism accounts for one in ten American jobs.
    MDV Edwards/Shutterstock

    Labour shortages are intensifying the problem. Nearly 20% of the US hospitality workforce was born overseas. Cuts to seasonal work visas and heightened deportation fears have left many businesses struggling to find staff, compounding existing labour shortages.

    The burden is heaviest on small- and medium-sized enterprises, which form the bedrock of the US economy and play a central role in accommodation, dining and local tourism experiences.

    A quiet but costly erosion

    Tourism is not just a big part of the economy; it’s also a soft power, shaping how the world perceives a nation through its culture, values and hospitality.

    Every visitor who feels unwelcome, scrutinised or disappointed is not just a lost sale, but a lost connection.

    Research group Tourism Economics forecasts the US could lose up to US$10 billion in international travel spending in 2025 if current trends continue.

    And while manufacturing job announcements grab headlines, the slow erosion of America’s tourism brand may leave a longer, deeper scar on its culture, its communities and its place in the world.

    The Flight Centre downgrade is not an isolated warning. It is a symptom of a broader shift, one that risks turning visitors away for good.

    And for thousands of US businesses, workers and communities – and now Australian ones too – the losses may not be so easily shrugged off.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Tourism to the US is tanking. Flight Centre is facing a $100m hit as a result – https://theconversation.com/tourism-to-the-us-is-tanking-flight-centre-is-facing-a-100m-hit-as-a-result-255498

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Suspended trading due to national holiday

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

                                                                                                              Lysaker, 1 May 2025

    The below funds are suspended from the live trading on Nasdaq Copenhagen 1st May due to national holiday in Norway.

    As noted in the Financial Calender, the funds may not be available for trading on 1st May and 17th May due to official holidays affecting the Management Company’s staffing.

    The share classes will resume trading on 2nd  May.

    Regards

    Storebrand Asset Management AS

    Contacts:

    Henrik Budde Gantzel, Director, henrik.budde.gantzel@storebrand.no

    Frode Aasen, Product Manager, fdc@storebrand.com

    Fund name and share class Symbol ISIN
    SKAGEN Focus A SKIFOA NO0010735129
    SKAGEN Global A SKIGLO NO0008004009
    SKAGEN Kon-Tiki A SKIKON NO0010140502
    SKAGEN m2 A SKIM2 NO0010657356
    SKAGEN Vekst A SKIVEK NO0008000445
    Storebrand Indeks – Alle Markeder A5 STIIAM NO0010841588
    Storebrand Indeks – Nye Markeder A5 STIINM NO0010841570
    Storebrand Global Plus A5 STIGEP NO0010841604
    Storebrand Global Solutions A5 STIGS NO0010841612
    Storebrand Global Multifactor A5 STIGM NO0010841596

    Storebrand is Norway’s largest private asset manager with an AuM of around DKK 900 billion, and a leading Nordic provider of sustainable pensions and savings. The company has been a global pioneer in ESG investing for over 30 years, offering broad and scalable solutions for both institutional and private investors in the Nordic region and other European countries. In Denmark, Storebrand delivers sustainable investment solutions and client value through a multi-boutique platform, with the brands Storebrand Funds, SKAGEN Funds, Cubera Private Equity, Capital Investment and a majority ownership of AIP.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Higher turnover with payment cards in the first quarter of the year

    Source: Danmarks Nationalbank

    Payments

    Statistics period: 1st quarter of 2025

    The total turnover with payment cards in Denmark was almost kr. 157 billion in the first quarter of 2025. That is 5.6 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2024. The card turnover covers the nominal value of all transactions carried out in Denmark with both Danish and foreign payment cards. It includes both physical store purchases and online transactions but excludes cash withdrawals. Data from Danmarks Nationalbank on daily payment card transactions in the card acquiring market in Denmark indicates that the increase is in particular driven by higher card turnover in grocery stores.

    The turnover with payment cards is 5.6 per cent higher than in the first quarter of 2024

    Note:

    The figure shows the annual percentage change in the nominal value of all payment card transactions made in Denmark by both Danes and foreigners, calculated in relation to the first quarter of the previous year. The transactions cover both physical store purchases and online transactions but exclude cash withdrawals. The turnover with payment cards is affected by several factors, including changes in consumption and payment habits, price developments and seasonal patterns. Find chart data in the Statbank.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Alm. Brand A/S – Interim Report for Q1 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Satisfactory profit leads to DKK 50 million upgrade of guidance for insurance service result

    • The insurance service result for Q1 2025 was a profit of DKK 337 million (Q1 2024: DKK 291 million), corresponding to a combined ratio of 88.2 (Q1 2024: 89.3), driven in particular by sustained growth in Personal Lines, fewer weather-related claims and an improved expense ratio.
    • The guidance for the full-year insurance service result is lifted by DKK 50 million to DKK 1.55-1.75 billion excluding the run-off result for Q2-Q4 2025.
    • Insurance revenue grew at a satisfactory rate of 5.2% to DKK 2,858 million (Q1 2024: DKK 2,717 million), driven in particular by growth of 8.2% in Personal Lines.
    • The undiscounted underlying claims experience improved by 0.7 of a percentage point to 65.2%, driven by a positive development in both Personal Lines and Commercial Lines, which reflects the effects of the profitability-enhancing measures implemented and synergies realised. Adjusted for a one-off gain in Q1 2024, the undiscounted underlying claims experience improved by 1.9 percentage points year on year.
    • The implementation of synergy initiatives is progressing according to plan and generated a positive accounting effect of DKK 145 million in Q1 2025.
    • The expense ratio improved strongly to 18.6 (Q1 2024: 20.2) in line with the planned trajectory.
    • The investment result was satisfactory at DKK 96 million (Q1 2024: DKK 167 million), in particular in light of the fact that the quarter was characterised by geopolitical turmoil, with bonds and illiquid credit contributing favourably to the investment result.
    • The divestment of the Energy & Marine business was completed on 3 March 2025. As a result, Alm. Brand Group initiated a share buyback programme for a total amount of DKK 1.6 billion.

    Rasmus Werner Nielsen (CEO) considers the Q1 performance satisfactory:

    “In an increasingly unstable world, we’re pleased that we were able to help our customers with some 105,000 claims in the first quarter.

    We recorded yet another satisfactory quarterly performance, showing that more and more customers are turning to Alm. Brand Group for insurance. Our performance was driven not least by the dedicated efforts we’ve made to lower our costs and thereby further enhance our competitive strength. Moreover, our personal customers were less affected by weather-related events than in the first quarter of 2024, and major claims expenses were below the level normally expected.

    After completing the divestment of the Energy & Marine business in March, we’re now a fully-focused Danish non-life insurer with a healthy balance between Personal Lines and Commercial Lines. The first quarter also yet again demonstrated that we’re on track to meet the ambitious targets we set in connection with the merger of Alm. Brand and Codan.”

    Webcast and conference call
    Alm. Brand will host a conference call for investors and analysts today, Thursday 1 May 2025 at 11:00 a.m. The conference call and presentation will be available on Alm. Brand’s investor website here.

    Conference call dial-in numbers for investors and analysts (pin: 743033):

    Denmark: +45 8987 5045
    UK: +44 20 3936 2999
    USA:  +1 646 664 1960

    Link to webcast: https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/173001933

    Contact
    Please direct any questions regarding this announcement to:

    Investors and equity analysts:                       

    Head of Investor Relations & ESG                 
    Mads Thinggaard                             
    Mobile no. +45 2025 5469              

    Press:                                                                                      

    Head of Communications and Media Relations
    Mikkel Luplau Schmidt
    Mobile no. +45 2052 3883

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Indigenous Activist from Greenland | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Ms. Sara Olsvig, International Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, talks about critical issues surrounding the Inuit in the Arctic, including her native Greenland. She acted as a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals in 2024 and is a speaker for the thematic dialogue on the financing of Indigenous Peoples’ work and participation, with a focus on critical minerals, during the 24th Session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (21 April – 2 May 2025).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=patM0oZo2wM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Energy Sector – Equinor first quarter 2025 results

    Source: Equinor

    30 APRIL 2025 – Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion and USD 2.25 billion after tax in the first quarter of 2025. Equinor reported net operating income of USD 8.87 billion and net income at USD 2.63 billion. Adjusted net income* was USD 1.79 billion, leading to adjusted earnings per share* of USD 0.66.

    • Strong financial and operational performance
    • Strong financial results and cash flow
    • Solid oil and gas production 
    • Strategic progress 
    • Successful start-up of the Johan Castberg and Halten East fields
    • Final investment decision on Northern Lights phase 2.

    Capital distribution

    First quarter cash dividend of USD 0.37 per share
    Proposed second tranche of share buy-back of up to USD 1.265 billion
    Expected total capital distribution for 2025 of up to USD 9 billion.

    Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA:
    “Equinor delivers strong financial results in the first quarter. I am pleased to see the good operational performance and solid production capturing higher gas prices. With the current market uncertainties, Equinor’s core objective is safe, stable and cost efficient operations and resilience through a strong balance sheet.”

    “We maintain a competitive capital distribution and expect to deliver a total of USD 9 billion in 2025.”

    “The production start-up of the Johan Castberg field strengthens Norway’s role as a reliable energy exporter to Europe. The field opens a new region in the Barents Sea and is expected to contribute to energy supply, value creation and ripple effects for at least 30 years to come.”

    “We have invested in Empire Wind after obtaining all necessary approvals, and the order to halt work now is unprecedented and in our view unlawful. This is a question of the rights and obligations granted under legally issued permits, and security of investments based on valid approvals. We seek to engage directly with the US Administration to clarify the matter and are considering our legal options.”

    Solid production

    Equinor delivered a total equity production of 2,123 mboe per day in the first quarter, down from 2,164 mboe in the same quarter last year.

    The operational performance for most of the fields on Norwegian continental shelf is strong, including the Johan Sverdrup and Troll fields. This almost offsets the negative production impact from the shut-in at Sleipner B after the fire in fourth quarter 2024 and planned and unplanned maintenance at Hammerfest LNG.

    In the US, production increased from the same period last year. This was due to increased production from the fields and transactions increasing Equinor’s ownership interest in onshore gas assets in 2024.

    The production from the international upstream segment, excluding US, is down compared to the same quarter last year, due to exits from Nigeria and Azerbaijan in 2024.

    The total power generation from the renewable portfolio was 0.76 TWh, on par with the same period last year.

    In the quarter, Equinor completed five offshore exploration wells on the NCS with two commercial discoveries.

    Strong financial results

    Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 8.65 billion. and USD 2.25 billion after tax* in the first quarter of 2025. The results are driven by solid gas production and higher gas prices.

    Equinor realised a European gas price of USD 14.8 per mmbtu and realised liquids prices were USD 70.6 per bbl in the first quarter.

    Adjusted operating and administrative expenses* increased from the same quarter last year driven by overlift, higher maintenance activity and some one-off costs. This was partially offset by active measures to reduce costs for business development and early phase projects in renewables and low carbon solutions.

    A strong operational performance generated a cash flow from operating activities, before taxes paid and working capital items, of USD 10.6 billion for the first quarter. Equinor paid one NCS tax instalment of USD 3.09 billion in the quarter.

    Cash flow from operations after taxes paid* ended at USD 7.39 billion.

    Organic capital expenditure* was USD 3.02 billion for the quarter, and total capital expenditures were USD 4.50 billion.

    Equinor continues to demonstrate capital discipline and strengthen financial robustness with a net debt to capital employed adjusted ratio* of 6.9% at the end of the first quarter, compared to 11.9% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Empire Wind 1

    After quarter close, Equinor received a halt work order from the US government on the offshore construction on the outer continental shelf for the Empire Wind project. The lease was obtained in 2017 and the project was fully permitted in 2024. It has a potential for delivering power to half a million New York homes, and is approximately 30% to completion.

    Equinor is complying with the order and is seeking dialogue with the proper authorities and assessing legal options. The Empire Wind project has per
    31 March 2025 a gross book value of around USD 2.5 billion, including South Brooklyn Marine Terminal.

    Strategic progress

    A major milestone was reached when production was started from the Johan Castberg field in the Barents Sea on 31 March. Production also started at the Halten East development in the Norwegian Sea, with estimated recoverable reserves of 100 million boe and one year pay-back time.

    Equinor continues to optimise and strengthen long-term value creation on the NCS, and was awarded 27 new production licenses in the Awards in Predefined Areas round (APA) in January. The ambition is to drill around 250 exploration wells on the NCS by 2035.

    In the quarter, the Bacalhau floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) arrived at its destination in the Santos Basin in Brazil’s pre-salt region. First oil is expected in 2025.

    Within low carbon solutions, Equinor together with partners Shell and TotalEnergies made a final investment decision to progress phase two of the groundbreaking Northern Lights carbon transport and storage development in Øygarden. The NOK 7.5 billion investment is expected to increase the total injection capacity from 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year (Mtpa) to at least 5 Mtpa and further develop the commercial market for transport and storage of CO2.

    The appraisal wells for carbon storage at Smeaheia were completed in the quarter on time and on cost.

    Competitive capital distribution

    The board of directors has decided a cash dividend of USD 0.37 per share for the first quarter 2025, in line with communication at the Capital Markets Update in February.

    Expected total capital distribution for 2025 is USD 9 billion, including a share buy-back programme of up to USD 5 billion. The board has decided to initiate a second tranche of the share buy-back programme of up to USD 1.265 billion. The second tranche is subject to an authorisation from the company’s annual general meeting 14 May 2025 and will commence after this. The tranche will end no later than 21 July 2025.

    The first tranche of the share buy-back programme for 2025 was completed on 24 March 2025 with a total value of USD 1.2 billion.

    All share buy-back amounts include shares to be redeemed by the Norwegian State.

    *For items marked with an asterisk throughout this report, see Use and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the Supplementary disclosures.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Senate Floor Speech, Senator Murray Calls Out Trump’s Staggeringly Lawless and Inhumane Immigration Policy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    60 Minutes: U.S. sent 238 migrants to Salvadoran mega-prison; documents indicate most have no apparent criminal records

    ***WATCH: Senator Murray’s remarks on the Senate Floor***

    Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, took to the Senate floor to deliver a speech on President Trump’s lawless immigration policy. Senator Murray highlighted the absence of any semblance of due process for—in many cases—legal residents with no criminal record being detained and deported—and even sent to a prison in El Salvador with no outside contact and no end date. She also discussed how Trump’s crackdown has caused confusion for international students, fear among farmworkers, and led to U.S. citizens being detained, having their homes raided, and even to some U.S. citizens who are children being deported with their parents.

    Emphasizing the complete lack of transparency from the Trump administration on why the people sent to El Salvador are being detained and what is being done to bring them home, Senator Murray demanded more information from the Trump administration about its recent actions—from the full details of the secret agreement with El Salvador, to the names of all the individuals sent to El Salvador, their current status, what sort of evidence and process has been afforded them, and what sort of contact they can make with lawyers and family. She also pressed for a good faith effort to follow Supreme Court orders, to return everyone wrongly sent to El Salvador, and to establish lines of communication for individuals to speak with their lawyers and families.

    “I heard from one of my Republican colleagues say last week ‘I don’t see any pattern here.’ Well, I ask him now—I ask everyone now—to pay attention to the full picture. Because of course you won’t see the pattern if you just look at one case and you ignore the many, many others,” said Senator Murray. “There is the case of Andry Hernandez Romero, he’s a barber who came here legally, he has no criminal record. There is the case of Arturo Suárez Trejo, he’s a musician, he came here legally, he has no criminal record. There is the case of Merwil Gutiérrez, who—you guessed it—came here legally, no criminal record. In fact, he was apparently grabbed by mistake. One officer reportedly said ‘No, he’s not the one,’ and another said, ‘Take him anyway.’ Trump sent them all to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador—with no trial. Disappeared. They have no contact with their lawyer. No contact with family. We do not know if they are alive, and they don’t know if anyone is even advocating for them. How hopeless that must feel. How dark. So, is that enough of a pattern for my Republican colleagues? Do you still need more?”

    Senator Murray has championed comprehensive and humane immigration reform throughout her Senate career, repeatedly pushing for legislative solutions that would offer a fair pathway to citizenship for the more than 11 million undocumented immigrants living in America, including Dreamers, farmworkers, and those with Temporary Protected Status. During Trump’s first administration, Senator Murray helped lead the charge in pushing back against Trump’s appalling treatment of migrant children and families at the southern border— cosponsoring the Fair Day in Court for Kids Act, which would require unaccompanied children and vulnerable individuals to be provided with legal assistance during immigration court proceedings, the Stop Cruelty to Migrant Children Act to end family separations at the border, and legislation to prevent the separation of families at sensitive locations such as schools, religious institutions, and hospitals, among many other efforts.

    Senator Murray’s remarks, as delivered, are below, and video is HERE:

    “Thank you, M. President.

    “Over the past month we have seen a wave of righteous outrage across the country in response to President Trump’s completely lawless move to disappear hundreds of people to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador, without even the barest semblance of due process.

    “And as I join my colleagues in calling for the Trump Administration to abide by the Supreme Court ruling, and facilitate the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia—a man they said, in court, was sent to El Salvador by mistake—I have to emphasize, his case is one of many where Trump has completely shredded our norms and laws. In addition to Garcia, Trump sent off some two hundred people—including innocent people who were in our country legally—to a foreign prison without any due process whatsoever.

    “And they did it all on the basis of some arrangement negotiated in secret and paid for with millions of taxpayer dollars. What we do know, is that many of these people were sent there without any criminal conviction—the Administration actually admitted that! In their own court filing the Trump Administration acknowledged that many of these people have no criminal records in the U.S. And yet, all of these people have now been imprisoned in a foreign country with no end date in sight—unconstitutional doesn’t even begin to cover that.

    “There are so many questions, basic questions, about this that we all should be demanding answers to. At the barest, smallest, slimmest minimum, and I mean as a starting point, the Administration must release more details about this secret agreement where it is paying El Salvador with our taxpayer dollars to imprison people without a trial. Details like: who all is being imprisoned, how long is El Salvador holding these people with  Trump’s orders, how many people is El Salvador going to imprison under this agreement, what outside contact is possible for those people, and how do we learn their status and condition—are they alive, are they healthy? What are those details?

    “Most of these details we do have are from reporting—and news reports say the deal was only for El Salvador to take convicted criminals—so why did Trump send people with no criminal record? And importantly: where in the world is this money coming from? Does anyone here remember voting to pass a single dollar in appropriations to fund a torture prison in El Salvador? Because I sure don’t! And last I checked Congress has the power of the purse.

    “You know what else we don’t know? We still don’t know the names of everyone they did this to. Think about that. We don’t even have their names! That information should be released immediately. Today. Because there are families who still have no confirmation where their loved ones are, and the only list we have right now was not even released by the Administration! It was reported by the press.

    “Some families only learned their son was gone, their husband was gone, their father was gone, through photos of them being marched into a torture prison. This is the first, last, and only update we have on just about all of those people. We don’t know if they are alive. We don’t know if they are being treated decently. We don’t even know if they have been moved. Even their lawyers can’t reach them.

    “Here’s what we do know: there are many names on the El Salvador list of people who were here legally, who had no criminal record. That seems to be getting lost in the debate for some of my Republican colleagues. This is not about any one case, or any one person, it is about a lawless system for the President to deny due process. And when you cut out due process, you put innocent people in harm’s way.

    “I heard from one of my Republican colleagues say last week ‘I don’t see any pattern here.’ Well, I ask him now—I ask everyone now—to pay attention to the full picture. Because of course you won’t see the pattern if you just look at one case and you ignore the many, many others.

    “There is the case of Andry Hernandez Romero, he’s a barber who came here legally, he has no criminal record.

    “There is the case of Arturo Suárez Trejo, he’s a musician, he came here legally, he has no criminal record.

    “There is the case of Merwil Gutiérrez, who—you guessed it—came here legally, no criminal record. In fact, he was apparently grabbed by mistake. One officer reportedly said ‘No, he’s not the one,’ and another said, ‘Take him anyway.’

    “Trump sent them all to a maximum-security prison in El Salvador—with no trial. Disappeared. They have no contact with their lawyer. No contact with family. We do not know if they are alive, and they don’t know if anyone is even advocating for them. How hopeless that must feel. How dark. 

    “So, is that enough of a pattern for my Republican colleagues? Do you still need more?

    “Because there’s also Jerce Reyes Barrios, he’s a soccer player, he came here legally. Again—no criminal record.

    “There’s Gustavo Aguilera, a food delivery driver. Legally here. No criminal record.

    “Or Anyelo Sarabia. Here legally. No criminal record.

    “I mean, how many more before my colleagues can actually admit this is a pattern? How many people have to be disappeared with no due process before it becomes a problem? Because for me—one is too many. And the pattern isn’t even over yet. Trump was reportedly ready to disappear even more people to El Salvador—before the Supreme Court put its foot down. In this latest round, the Trump Administration was preparing to disappear a man who came here legally, had no record, except traffic violations!

    “Another was a young man accused of being a gang member because of a photo with a toy water gun. That is the level of so-called ‘evidence’ that gets you locked away in a foreign torture prison under President Trump. And I will keep saying it Mr. President, most of the people they disappeared have no criminal records, and many were even here legally. They came here for a better life, and Trump disappeared them based on nothing more than tattoos that say ‘mom’ and ‘dad,’ or that they celebrate soccer teams, or a daughter’s birth, or autism awareness.

    “And Mr. President, I realize, I keep hammering home that—many of these people are not criminals—and many of these people came here legally. But I do want to remind my colleagues, this question is not whether someone who was vanished to El Salvador without a trace is good or bad, the question is whether everyone in this country—including American citizens—have the rights they were promised in our Constitution.

    “At the end of the day, this is not about who these people are, it is about who we are—whether we are a country of due process, or not. A country of laws, or not.

    “Trump has said where he stands. He literally said ‘We don’t have time’ to give them due process. If the Trump Administration think’s someone is a criminal, if they are really bad and dangerous, prove it in court. Prove it! Just simply prove it! It shouldn’t be hard. That is how this works. Everyone in this country understands that.

    “You can’t just say ‘criminals don’t get due process’—when due process is how you determine who is a criminal in the first place! I mean, in the case of one person they sent to El Salvador, not only did the government’s file against him show no criminal record, it also got his name wrong several times, and used two different identification numbers! Those are pretty major errors to make when you are locking someone away. The kind of errors that due process helps to avoid.

    “That’s not some theory—we are seeing that happen in another case right now. There is a couple that Trump is saying are part of a gang, but instead of just disappearing them with no trial to speak of, the Administration was forced to prove it, to prove it in court. And you know what happened? The government failed. The judge found the government’s claims, ‘completely and wholly unsubstantiated’ and ordered the couple to be released.

    “That just goes to show, if we ignore our laws, if we tear down the guardrails that saved that couple, it’s not criminals who pay the price, it is innocent people. Because due process protects them too! Due process allows us to confirm whether people are lawfully present. Due process lets us confirm whether Trump is about to send them to a foreign prison. Due process lets us confirm whether people are guilty—instead of going off how they look, or what tattoo they have.

    “And at the end of the day, due process means they get an actual determination of guilt or innocence, instead of getting disappeared with a question mark. But no one here was told they are facing ‘X’ years in a foreign prison.

    “There is no end date in El Salvador! Because there was no sentence! Because there was no trial! There was just Trump, ignoring our laws, ignoring our courts, and sending people to gulags to rot, to die, to never be heard from again. How can anyone ignore that outrageous breach of our laws—of our values!

    “And M. President—as a co-equal branch of this government, I want to impress upon my colleagues: It is not just due process that is getting trampled here, it is basic checks and balances. Trump is imprisoning these people under the Alien Enemies Act. He is using a war power. We are not at war! Everyone here should know that. After all, Congress, we, have to vote to declare war. I remember every war vote we have taken in my time here in Congress—and I can tell you—there has never been a vote on this so-called war Trump declared all on his own.

    “As if that weren’t enough, earlier this month the National Intelligence Council, the National Intelligence Council, determined that Venezuela is not directing an ‘invasion’ by gangs. That directly undercuts what Trump claimed when he announced his illegal end run around Congress. Here’s a simple question for everyone, there is no invasion, there is no war, so why is Trump invoking a wartime authority?

    “But add on top of that—that Trump has reached some secret, multi-million-dollar deal to pay El Salvador to imprison these people without a trial. I’m Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee—I can tell you, we did not include a single cent—not one penny!—for running torture prisons in El Salvador in our last funding bill.

    “Congress has the power of the purse, but Trump is picking our pockets to fund his own personal gulag. And by the way, while we talk about checks and balances, let’s not forget how the Trump Administration is arresting judges, his allies and advisors are attacking judges publicly and calling to impeach those who disagree with him, and of course, Trump is blatantly ignoring the courts. And worse than that, the White House is in open defiance of the Supreme Court.

    “The Supreme Court wrote the Administration must facilitate Mr. Garcia’s release. The White House wrote that he is never coming back.

    “The Supreme Court wrote people being targeted under the Alien Enemies Act must have a reasonable opportunity to file for habeas corpus. The Trump Administration said, ‘no—we will give them 12 hours.’

    “Foreign policy is not an end run around the courts or the constitution. The President cannot just be given unilateral authority to cut completely unethical deals with foreign nations. What happens when a President negotiates in secret to have his political rivals detained abroad? Is that allowed? Can he argue the courts can’t require him to call such a deal off? Or maybe he just denies it and says any agreements are state secrets? Does that work?

    “If President Trump said he would pay El Salvador $6 million to assassinate his rivals—I think we would all agree that is blatantly unconstitutional. And if the court said he had to facilitate a reversal of that deal, and he said ‘well.. it’s a sovereign nation… I can’t stop them from assassinating anyone,’—I think we all would have a huge problem with that. So, do we want to say that is wrong now—or are we going to have to wait until he tries it?

    “What are we waiting for? We cannot just all stand by silent as the President pries open a pandora’s box that is all together unprecedented—and that poses a direct threat to our Republic. And let’s cut through this BS where Trump and El Salvador are both trying to pretend there is no way to facilitate the return of people sent there wrongly.

    “Cause here’s the thing: El Salvador has already sent back people that Trump tried to disappear. El Salvador immediately sent back a Nicaraguan individual. And they sent back women—yeah, Trump tried to disappear women to their all-male torture prison in El Salvador. If anyone wants to try and pretend this was some careful vetting process, pleaseexplain that to me. So it’s not like El Salvador can’t send people back—they have already done that.

    “The Administration should be making clear—one: that these people were wrongly sent, and two: that, as with others wrongly sent, they need to be returned. Though, I want to keep in mind of course, that ‘wrongly sent’ is still an enormous understatement. The reality is these people were completely denied due process. The reality is President Trump is not just disappearing these people to El Salvador, he is disappearing our most basic constitutional rights, and he is doing it in plain sight.

    “Not just in El Salvador either! Right here, in America, his immigration crackdown is upturning lives, and overturning some of our most basic values, like freedom of speech. We have people who are here legally—who are being detained and threatened with deportation. Not for any crime, not for any violence, but for speech, for protest, for things as simple and fundamental as writing an op-ed the Administration disagreed with.

    “In America, the land of the free and the land of free speech, is dissent the bar for deportation now? Is that what this country has come to? What next? How far does Trump’s new standard apply? Can you get deported for saying we shouldn’t invade Canada? Can you get detained for an op-ed saying Greenland is not going to be a state? Are you going to have legal status revoked for admitting Biden won the 2020 election?

    “Because that may seem outrageous—but it also seems perfectly in line with Trump’s new policy which amounts to—disagree with the President and your rights are gone. That is fundamentally un-American.

    “And beyond people who are being targeted for protest, there are thousands of students in this country, that Trump is trying to push out over minor issues; fishing citations, jay walking, speeding tickets, even charges that were dismissed. So far, some 1,800 foreign students are having their visa revoked with little to no explanation, to say nothing of due process.

    “That includes students in Washington state, my homes state, at the UW, at Gonzaga, at Shoreline Community College—where I once worked—my alma mater WSU, and more! It’s not clear whether these students have done anything wrong, and it’s not clear in some cases—what exactly they are supposed to do next. Because when the Administration can’t revoke visas—it has been trying to remove students’ records—something courts have already ruled against.

    “One of the judges really put it best. And I want to read this and quote it to you. This is a judge. ‘I’ve got two experienced immigration lawyers on behalf of a client who is months away from graduation, who has done nothing wrong, who has been terminated from a system that you all keep telling me has no effect on his immigration status, although that clearly is BS. And now, his two very experienced lawyers can’t even tell him whether or not he’s here legally, because the court can’t tell him whether or not he’s here legally, because the government’s counsel can’t tell him if he’s here legally.’

    “M. President, the point seems to be, if we can’t deport you, we can scare and confuse you. And to add even more confusion, DOJ announced they were reversing course on some of this, only to then say they are still working on a plan to push out all these students. And by the way, we are only still scratching the surface of just how inhumane Trump’s immigration crackdown has become.

    “Trump is slashing funds to ensure 26,000 migrant kids have legal assistance—meaning more four-year-olds are being marched in front of immigration judges, expected to make their own legal case with a plushy toy. Trump is also trying to mass cancel protected status for people who came here who were fleeing harsh conditions and dictators. Trump is sending Christian refugees and women back to live under the Taliban—where they will face near certain persecution. Trump is sending ICE officials to elementary schools, where they have tried to gain access by lying about having permission from parents to speak with their kids.

    “ICE officials are arresting people with maximum violence and lawlessness—showing up without a judicial warrant, since the Trump Administration says it is fine to storm into someone’s house without one, showing up in masks, grabbing people off the streets without any badge or identification to distinguish them from a kidnapper, whisking people away in unmarked cars, and even smashing in windshields.

    “M. President, back in my home state of Washington—I have heard from folks who saw that firsthand. Last month, ICE aggressively detained Lelo, a farmworker in my state—and it appears he may have even been targeted because of his advocacy for better working conditions for his fellow farmworkers. They are still denying him bond—despite no criminal charges. I spoke with his wife last week—who watched in horror as they arrested her husband shortly after he dropped her off at work. She told me through tears about how officers broke his window and pushed him against the car. And how, Lelo wants to be free so he can take care of his brothers and sisters and work so they can study. He wants to continue doing his work in the community and with the union. And they are working right now to try and get bond—something I strongly support. This is not someone M. President, with a dangerous record—it is someone with a record of hard work, and of trying to make his community better.

    “Skagit County is known for its agricultural industry—and that industry doesn’t survive without the immigrant farmworkers who help power that local economy. Period.

    “More than that, we are talking about many families who have been here for decades. They are part of our community—they’re not just the people who feed this country. These people work hard, they follow the law. They should not be terrorized as if they were violent criminals. Last week, I met with farmworkers there who told me there have been days they have been afraid to go to work, because an unmarked vehicle was seen in their neighborhood. They are absolutely terrified of being grabbed off the street by ICE and locked up with no semblance of due process, regardless of their legal status.

    “And this situation is not unique to Skagit County or even to my state. It’s happening across the country. Let’s not forget, Trump is trying to deport a cancer researcher to Russia where she fears retaliation for protesting the war in Ukraine. Sending her away would both put her in danger and completely upend groundbreaking cancer research—her colleagues say her role is irreplaceable.

    “But it’s not just cancer research, Trump also deported a little girl, a U.S. citizen, who was on her way to get cancer treatment! She was with her mother, an undocumented immigrant—who was forced to choose between being separated from her 10-year-old daughter or being sent away together. What an unthinkable choice to force on a mother. What an unthinkable thing to do to a child, a citizen, a citizen who is fighting cancer.

    “And Trump has done that twice. That’s right twice, he has deported a mother—along with a kid who is fighting cancer—a kid who is an American citizen. And he is doing that without giving these parents any meaningful time to talk to a lawyer, or a spouse, to figure out what is best for their child. We know that because Trump deported another U.S. citizen last week—that’s right another one. Trump deported a two-year-old, an American citizen. They refused to tell this kids’ father where his wife and kid were being held. They refused to let him talk to his wife for more than a minute. They even forced him to hang up the phone when he tried to give his wife their lawyer’s number. And then, as the judge put it, they seem to have ‘deported a U.S. citizen with no meaningful process.’

    “And now we are hearing about a family in Oklahoma—U.S. citizens who recently moved in who had their home raided by ICE. A mom and her daughters—forced out of their house, in the rain, in underwear. ICE agents seized phones, laptops, even their full life savings—and didn’t leave so much as a number they could call to get their stuff back. That happened to U.S. citizens, who did nothing but move into a new house.

    “These horror stories underscore something important—Trump’s cruel war on immigrants is hurting American citizens too. U.S. citizens are having their spouses ripped away, even servicemembers are seeing their families targeted. They are having their parents ripped away. They are having their lives turned upside down.

    “And—let’s not forget—U.S. citizens are even being detained by this administration. We have several instances now—where American citizens have been caught up in Trump’s immigration crackdown. American citizens have been detained and wrongly locked up—even after someone showed them their birth certificates. Even for days! And let’s keep in mind—if you are a citizen who is mistakenly detained, and you are being denied due process, and you can’t reach someone to show your birth certificate, how are you supposed to get released? What if you are put on the next plane to El Salvador before you get the chance to set the record straight? And let’s not pretend that’s far-fetched.

    “Not when citizens havealready been mistakenly detained. Not when the government hasalready admitted it sent some people to El Salvador by mistake. Now when Trump has already disappeared some people who were here legally, and many people who had no criminal record—with no due process. And not when Trump hasalreadysaid he wants to send U.S. citizens to El Salvador prisons. He was caught on mic telling the President of El Salvador he needs to build more jails, telling him the ‘homegrowns’ are next. What happens when you get sent there, and you can’t contact a lawyer? These are serious questions—what happens? Because if there is nothing we can do for the people there now, what precedent does that set for the people that are sent there next?

    “M. President—I’ve been speaking for a while now and I’ve posed a lot of questions, and I hope my colleagues think about this carefully. So, I am going to wrap it up, but I will end now with just one more.

    “Where will Republicans draw the line? Because we are well past the bounds of law—and we are well past the bounds of basic humanity. So, I hope more of my colleagues will join me in saying enough is enough. And in demanding transparency, accountability, and justice from the Trump Administration. That starts with some very basic things.

    “First—accurate, up-to-date information on the names of people who are being detained in, and deported from, ICE facilities across the country—including by the way, the Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma, so that their loved ones and community members can at least know where they are!

    “And we need a clear list of every person who was disappeared to El Salvador, along with what evidence—if any—the government has. As well as the full terms of whatever agreement the Trump administration has negotiated with El Salvador’s dictator.

    “But it doesn’t stop there. We need to see clear, good faith efforts to abide by court orders, and to bring back everyone wrongfully, unjustly sent to a foreign prison. We need to have lines of communication so these people can talk to their lawyers, or talk to their loved ones, and let us know if they are okay.

    “And we need due process—with evidence, with judges, and a meaningful opportunity for people to present a defense. Let’s be clear we are not saying everyone is innocent. We are saying no more than what the constitution says, no more than what the courts have said time and again: Everyone, in the United States of America, gets due process.

    “Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Donald Trump has cast a long shadow over the Australian election. Will it prove decisive?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

    Donald Trump is everywhere, inescapable. His return to power in the United States was always going to have some impact on the Australian federal election. The question was how disruptive he would be.

    The answer is very – but not in the ways we might have thought.

    As soon as Trump was elected president, the political debate in Australia focused on whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese or Opposition Leader Peter Dutton would be best suited to managing him – and keeping the US-Australia security alliance intact.

    Initially, at least, this conversation was predictable.

    The Coalition looked set to continue an ideological alignment with Trumpism that had flourished under the prime ministership of Scott Morrison. Dutton prosecuted the argument that given his party’s experience with the first Trump administration, it would be better placed than Labor to handle the second.

    Albanese, meanwhile, appeared caught off guard by Trump’s victory and timid in his response.

    But as has become all too clear, the second Trump administration is radically different from the first. That has rattled the right of Australian politics and worked to Labor’s advantage.

    A turning point at the White House

    In January, the Coalition announced that NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price had been appointed shadow minister for government efficiency – a direct importation of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) being led by Elon Musk in the US.

    In a barely disguised imitation of the Trump administration’s attacks on “diversity, equity and inclusion” (DEI) measures, members of the Coalition, including Price, singled out Welcome to Country ceremonies as evidence of the kind of “wasteful” spending it would cut.

    When the Coalition seemed to be riding high in the polls, Dutton, too, nodded at “wokeism” and singled out young white men feeling “disenfranchised”.

    Soon after, however, this began to change. The first few weeks of Trump’s second term were marked by a cascade of executive actions targeting trans people, climate action and immigration. Trump and his new appointees began the process of radically reshaping the United States and its role in the world.

    In February, polling by the independent think tank The Australia Institute found Australians saw Trump as a bigger threat to world peace than Russian President Vladimir Putin or Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

    And then Volodymyr Zelensky went to the White House.

    The Ukrainian president was humiliated in an Oval Office meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, laying bare how the administration was willing to treat the leader of an ally devastated by a war it hadn’t started.

    Trump’s territorial threats towards Canada and Greenland, in addition to his dismissive statements about European allies, shattered the long-held assumptions about the US as a force for stability in the world.

    MAGA ideology isn’t ‘pick and choose’

    After this incident, Dutton was careful to distance himself from Trump’s abandonment of Ukraine. He even went so far as to say that leadership might require “standing up to your friends and to those traditional allies because our views have diverged”.

    Similarly, influential Coalition powerbroker Peta Credlin wrote in The Australian:

    it’s hard to see America made great again if the Trump administration’s message to the world is that the strong do what they will and the weak suffer what they must.

    Therein lies the bind for the Coalition – an ideological alignment with “Make America Great Again” cannot be fully reconciled with a nationalism that puts Australian interests first.

    MAGA ideology is all-or-nothing, not pick-and-choose.

    During the election campaign, the Coalition attempted to walk the path of “pick-and-choose”. And Labor quite successfully used this against them. Assertions the opposition leader was nothing but a “Temu Trump”, or “DOGE-y Dutton”, stuck because they had at least a ring of truth to them.

    The opposition’s pledge to dramatically reduce the size of the public service, for example, was clearly linked to Musk’s efforts at DOGE to take a chainsaw to the public service in the US. This idea has been deeply unpopular with Australian voters, and the Coalition has faced innumerable questions about it.

    For all the talk of “shared values” and how essential the US alliance is to Australian security, this campaign shows that Australia is not like America.

    Most Australians concerned about Trump’s impact

    When Trump’s tariffs arrived on “Liberation Day” in early April, both leaders claimed they were best placed to negotiate.

    Albanese insisted Australia had got one of the best results in the world, while Dutton asserted, without evidence, that he would be able to negotiate a better one.

    More broadly, the Trump tariffs have contributed to a growing sense of unease in the electorate.

    A recent YouGov poll found that 66% of Australians no longer believe the US can be relied on for defence and security. According to Paul Smith, the director of YouGov, this is a “fundamental change of worldview”.

    In the same poll, 71% of Australians also said they were either concerned or very concerned Trump’s policies would make Australia worse off.

    While neither party has signalled it would make a fundamental shift in Australia’s alliance with the US if elected, that doesn’t mean changes aren’t possible.

    Independents and minor parties may well play a significant role in the formation of the next government. Some, like Zoe Daniel and Jacqui Lambie, are increasingly vocal about the risks the Trump administration poses to Australia.

    A limit to Trumpism’s appeal

    As election day approaches, many of the assumptions driving conventional Australian political thinking are under pressure.

    Labor’s recovery in the polls, and the Liberals’ election win in Canada, suggest assumptions about the dangers of incumbency might have been misplaced. The dissatisfaction with incumbent governments last year may have had more to do with unresponsive political parties and systems.

    There’s evidence emerging, instead, that in more responsive democracies with robust institutions like Australia and Canada, Trumpism does not have great appeal.

    The idea that “kindness is not a weakness” may yet prove to be a winning political strategy.

    Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

    – ref. Donald Trump has cast a long shadow over the Australian election. Will it prove decisive? – https://theconversation.com/donald-trump-has-cast-a-long-shadow-over-the-australian-election-will-it-prove-decisive-255422

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft announces new European digital commitments

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft announces new European digital commitments

    Includes datacenter operations in 16 countries and Digital Resilience Commitment.

    Forty-two years ago, Microsoft released the very first version of Microsoft Word. It was a major milestone in the company’s journey to enhance people’s productivity through innovation. It also marked the young and growing company’s first big step in Europe with the first Microsoft product localized in multiple European languages, starting with German and French.

    Since then, our economic reliance on Europe has always run deep. We recognize that our business is critically dependent on sustaining the trust of customers, countries, and governments across Europe. We respect European values, comply with European laws, and actively defend Europe’s cybersecurity. Our support for Europe has always been–and always will be–steadfast.

    In a time of geopolitical volatility, we are committed to providing digital stability. That is why today Microsoft is announcing five digital commitments to Europe. These start with an expansion of our cloud and AI infrastructure in Europe, aimed at enabling every country to fully use these technologies to strengthen their economic competitiveness. And they include a promise to uphold Europe’s digital resilience regardless of geopolitical and trade volatility.

    As a multinational company, we believe in trans-Atlantic ties that promote mutual economic growth and prosperity. ​We were pleased the Trump administration and the European Union recently agreed to suspend further tariff escalation while they seek to negotiate a reciprocal trade agreement. We hope that successful talks can resolve tariff issues and reduce non-tariff barriers, consistent with the recommendations in the recent Draghi report.

    We will always be dedicated to creating jobs, promoting economic opportunities, and strengthening cybersecurity on both sides of the Atlantic. The five commitments below, like the very first European version of Microsoft Word, take our support for Europe another step forward.

    1. We will help build a broad AI and cloud ecosystem across Europe

    We recognize that European nations want and need a world class and broad AI and cloud ecosystem. Today, we are announcing plans to increase our European datacenter capacity by 40% over the next two years. We are expanding datacenter operations in 16 European countries. When combined with our recent construction, the plans we’re announcing today will more than double our European datacenter capacity between 2023 and 2027. It will result in cloud operations in more than 200 datacenters across the continent.

    This expansion will play an important role in boosting Europe’s economic growth and competitiveness. We believe that broad AI diffusion will be one of the most important drivers of innovation and productivity growth over the next decade. Like electricity and other general-purpose technologies in the past, AI and cloud datacenters represent the next stage of industrialization. They are creating real-world capabilities to fuel business and manufacturing innovation, run national health systems, enable secure government services, and support digital tools in education—all while keeping data and operations close to home, subject to European laws and regulations.

    Public cloud datacenters

    Our public cloud datacenters are a foundation for the diversified cloud ecosystem we are committed to supporting across Europe. This includes the Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty, a package of technologies and configurations to help governments and other customers run on Azure in our public cloud datacenters with greater control over data location, encryption, and administrative access.

    Sovereign cloud datacenters

    A second aspect of our diversified approach involves sovereign cloud datacenters. In France, Microsoft has partnered with Capgemini and Orange, who formed a joint venture named Bleu. Designed as a “cloud de confiance” (trusted cloud) platform, Bleu offers a broad range of Microsoft Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 productivity tools operated under French control. In Germany, a similar sovereign cloud initiative is underway through a partnership between Microsoft, SAP, and Arvato Systems (a Bertelsmann IT subsidiary). This effort, through SAP’s subsidiary, Delos Cloud GmbH, is creating a sovereign cloud platform for the German public sector, hosted in German datacenters and operated by German personnel.

    Support for European cloud providers

    A third aspect of our work involves our collaboration with European cloud providers to offer Microsoft applications and services on their local cloud infrastructure. This partnership provides these European providers with the opportunity to run Microsoft applications on more favorable terms than we make available to Amazon and Google. Additionally, we are developing new technology and licensing solutions tailored for these European providers and the markets they serve.

    Emerging options

    Given recent geopolitical volatility, we recognize that European governments likely will consider additional options. Some of these may involve public financing to support European home-grown offerings. We recognize the importance of a diversified technology ecosystem, and we are committed to collaborating with European participants across the tech ecosystem.

    Respect for European laws

    Microsoft is investing tens of billions of dollars annually in expanding its datacenters across Europe. These investments aren’t on wheels. They are permanent structures and subject to local laws, regulations, and governments. Like every citizen and company, we don’t always agree with every policy of every government. But even when we’ve lost cases in European courts, Microsoft has long respected and complied with European laws.

    We understand that European laws apply to our business practices in Europe, just as local laws apply to local practices in the United States and similar laws apply elsewhere in the world. This includes European competition law and the Digital Markets Act, among others. We’re committed not only to building digital infrastructure for Europe, but to respecting the role that laws across Europe play in regulating our products and services.

    2. We will uphold Europe’s digital resilience even when there is geopolitical volatility

    By building a European cloud for Europe, Microsoft is committed to helping Europe navigate the uncertain geopolitical and trade environment and better manage risk by strengthening the continent’s digital resilience. We will always strive to be a voice of reason that promotes mutual opportunities and stable ties across the Atlantic. We in fact believe that even amidst current trade and tariff disputes, there is a strong consensus in Washington supporting the sustained flow of digital services from the United States to Europe.

    We also are listening closely to the views of European governments and leaders. We recognize that European countries, like nations everywhere, need to have rock-solid confidence in the digital infrastructure on which they rely. To ensure this confidence, we will take the following three steps:

    A European cloud for Europe

    Microsoft is headquartered in the United States, but we provide cloud services to Europe through corporate entities headquartered in Europe. To further cement the nexus between Microsoft and Europe, going forward our European datacenter operations and their boards will be overseen by a European board of directors that consists exclusively of European nationals and operates under European law.

    A Digital Resilience Commitment

    In the unlikely event we are ever ordered by any government anywhere in the world to suspend or cease cloud operations in Europe, we are committing that Microsoft will promptly and vigorously contest such a measure using all legal avenues available, including by pursuing litigation in court. By including a new European Digital Resilience Commitment in all of our contracts with European national governments and the European Commission, we will make this commitment legally binding on Microsoft Corporation and all its subsidiaries.

    Microsoft has a demonstrated history of pursuing litigation when that has been needed to protect the rights of our customers and other stakeholders. This includes four lawsuits we filed against the U.S. Executive Branch during President Obama’s tenure, including to protect the privacy of our customers’ data in the United States and Europe. It also included, during President Trump’s first term, a successful decision before the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the rights of employees who are immigrants. When necessary, we’re prepared to go to court.

    We are confident of our legal rights to ensure continuous operation of our datacenters in Europe. And we are prepared to back this confidence with our contractual commitments to European governments.

    Business continuity partnerships

    Finally, we will designate and rely upon European partners with contingency arrangements for operational continuity in the unlikely event Microsoft were ever required by a court to suspend services. We are already enabling our partners in France and Germany to do this for the Bleu and Delos datacenters, and we will pursue arrangements for our public cloud datacenters in Europe. We will store back-up copies of our code in a secure repository in Switzerland, and we will provide our European partners with the legal rights needed to access and use this code if needed for this purpose.

    3. We will continue to protect the privacy of European data

    Microsoft has long been at the forefront in designing and implementing technology solutions to protect customer data. We enable customers to control where their data is stored and processed, how it is encrypted and secured, and when Microsoft can access it. We offer customers robust capabilities across the entire cloud stack from infrastructure to platform to software as a service, from Azure to Microsoft 365 to Dynamics 365. We back our technical solutions with strong contractual commitments and, as noted above, a demonstrated history of going to court on behalf of our customers.

    The EU data boundary project

    Reflecting our continuing commitment to innovation, we recently finished implementing our EU Data Boundary project. This offers European customers the ability to have their data stored and processed in Europe. Since January 2024, our European commercial and public sector customers have been able to store and process their data and personal identifiers for Microsoft core cloud services—including Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Power Platform, and Azure services—within the EU and EFTA regions. Three months ago, Microsoft completed the project by extending the EU Data Boundary to include professional services data from technical support interactions. And, critically, we make these solutions available in all our European cloud regions and throughout our tech stack, from IaaS, to PaaS, to SaaS, including M365 Copilot.

    Additional security and encryption options

    In addition to the EU Data Boundary, we provide European customers with multiple options for securing and encrypting their data. Our Confidential Compute offerings in Azure eliminate the ability of third parties—including Microsoft—to access customer data by ensuring data is processed within a trusted environment the customer alone controls. We enable customers to create a “lockbox” around their data across Azure, Dynamics 365, and Microsoft 365 by giving them the ability to review and approve before Microsoft accesses their data for customer and service support operations. We also enable customers to secure their data with encryption keys that they, not Microsoft, control with Azure Key Vault and Microsoft Purview Customer Key. Our Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty offers customers a range of other tools to secure data, protect against unauthorized access, and satisfy legal requirements.

    A strong legal track record

    In addition to technical measures, we will continue our fight to protect the rights of European customers. Microsoft has a strong track record of going to court in the rare instances that we need to protect European data from unauthorized access. We have consistently fought legal demands that conflict with European law and have taken our challenges all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2018, as a direct result of litigation Microsoft brought on behalf of our European customers, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation that guarantees our right to object to U.S. law enforcement demands to access European data that conflict with EU law.

    We codified our promise to protect our European customers’ data with our Defending Your Data commitment, in which we agreed to challenge any government demand for EU public sector or enterprise customer data where we have a legal basis for doing so. We have included that commitment in our customer contracts and backed it up with a promise to compensate customers if we disclose their data in violation of EU law.

    New opportunities for innovation

    Today we commit to further strengthen and expand solutions that allow European customers to control and protect their data. We are embarking on new steps to listen to and consult with European customers to build on what already is the most complete, widest range of privacy, security, and sovereignty solutions that any cloud services provider now offers to customers in Europe. We look forward to sharing in the coming months the conclusions that emerge and the new steps we decide to take.

    For more details about Microsoft’s data protection and compliance programs, see the Microsoft Trust Center.

    4. We will always help protect and defend Europe’s cybersecurity

    As war erupted in 2022, Microsoft immediately helped evacuate Ukraine’s critical data and technology services to our datacenters across Europe. This move ensured Ukraine’s continued digital operation outside the range of cruise missile and air attacks. In many ways, this illustrates the role that a broad network of datacenters plays in supporting not only digital but broader resilience, both for a country and a continent.

    Uninterrupted, world-class cybersecurity protection

    In addition to safeguarding the country’s data, we immediately helped Ukraine’s officials and citizens defend their nation from Russian cyberattacks. Since the start of the war, Microsoft has provided more than $500 million of free technology and financial assistance to Ukraine and has sustained our substantial support to this day. Without interruption, we have provided cybersecurity support to NATO, Ukraine, and other European governments, including by sharing cybersecurity threat intelligence, protecting elections, and disrupting attacks against European governments, companies, and citizens.

    New measures to protect against new threats

    More than three years since the start of the war in Ukraine, European governments and countries confront ongoing cyberattacks from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. As these threats grow in number and sophistication, strong cybersecurity protection and coordination are more important than ever, as is the ability to respond rapidly to regional demands. That is why today we are announcing the following cybersecurity steps, which will be followed by additional announcements in the coming weeks.

    A new Deputy CISO for Europe

    Today, our Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Igor Tsyganskiy announced that we are appointing a new Deputy CISO for Europe as part of the Microsoft Cybersecurity Governance Council. This senior executive will be dedicated to Microsoft’s security responsibilities in Europe. Last year we created this council, consisting of our Global CISO and Deputy Chief Information Security Officers (Deputy CISOs) representing each of our technology services. This Council oversees the company’s cyber risks, defenses, and compliance across regions and domains.

    The appointment of a Deputy CISO for Europe reflects the importance and global influence of EU cybersecurity regulations and the company’s commitment to meeting and exceeding those expectations to prioritize cybersecurity across the region. This new position will report directly to Microsoft’s CISO. The Deputy CISO for Europe will be accountable for compliance with current and emerging cybersecurity regulations in Europe, including the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the NIS 2 Directive, and the Cyber Resilience Act (CRA). These laws will prove transformative not only in EU markets, but worldwide, and Microsoft is actively engaged in preparing for what lies ahead.

    New security steps under the Cyber Resilience Act

    We believe the CRA will reshape the regulatory landscape as a new gold standard for cybersecurity, much as the GDPR did for privacy. We will build on the work of our Secure Future Initiative and dedicate additional resources to comply with the CRA. As its deadlines approach, we look forward to continuing our years of engagement with the European Commission, industry partners, and customers on CRA implementation efforts. We are committed to our role as a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on Cybersecurity of Products with Digital Elements.

    To that end, Microsoft will continue to engage with stakeholders across a range of CRA topics. These will include incident and vulnerability reporting, security by design and default, cybersecurity best practices and improving open-source security and attestation. We will share our innovations that support implementing the CRA essential security requirements to help European economic operators also prepare for CRA compliance.

    Security is the foundation of trust. To sustain that trust, we will engage an independent auditor to verify and validate our commitments to Europe. We know that people will only use technology that they trust, which is why we are dedicating resources to accelerate our compliance with the CRA and committing to independent validation.

    5. We will help strengthen Europe’s economic competitiveness, including for open source

    Our AI Access Principles

    We recognize the importance of ensuring open access to our AI and cloud platform and infrastructure across Europe, including for open-source development. That is why we announced last year a set of AI Access Principles and we will introduce new enhancements to these commitments in the coming months.

    Open access across Europe

    These principles have ensured that our Azure AI platform and infrastructure is open to a variety of business models—both open-source and proprietary. We now host more than 1,800 AI models. Most of these models are open-source models, such as those from European-based AI developers Mistral and Hugging Face. And they are all available via public APIs to facilitate interoperability. This means that customers can choose which models to use and where to build their AI-powered solutions: on Azure, in another public cloud, or in their own datacenter. Finally, we enable customers to export and transfer their data. Last year we eliminated fees for the transfer of data when customers choose to switch to another cloud provider.

    A foundation for European competitiveness

    Over the past year, we have seen European startups, established businesses, and other organizations take advantage of the open access to models and tools that we provide to innovate, grow, and compete in the new AI economy. This includes technology startups such as Factorial in Spain to build AI-driven automation for HR professionals, iGenius in Italy to develop AI solutions for regulated industries, and Visma in Norway to provide AI solutions for companies in accounting, payroll, invoicing, and beyond. And it includes the Institute Curie in France to research new therapies for cancer, UBS in Switzerland to create the future of banking, and Heineken in The Netherlands to boost employee productivity.

    Building European infrastructure for Europe’s future

    We recognize that Microsoft must constantly remain focused on earning and sustaining our “license to operate” in each country across Europe. With datacenters and digital technology, this starts with each local community and country and includes officials with continental-wide responsibilities.

    Since we first brought the first version of Microsoft Word to Europe 42 years ago, digital technology has changed the ways people work many times over. Yet as we look forward, we believe the second quarter of the 21st century may bring even bigger changes ahead. Artificial intelligence offers what may become the most powerful tool for people in the history of humanity. And like all tools, there will be some who will seek to turn it into a weapon.

    More than ever, it will be critical for us to help Europe harness the power of this new technology to strengthen its competitiveness. We will need to partner with smaller and larger companies alike. We will need to support governments, non-profit organizations, and open-source developers across the continent. And we will need to listen closely to European leaders, respect European values, and adhere to European laws. We are committed to doing all these things well.

    As we celebrated Microsoft’s 50th birthday earlier this month, we recognized that our longstanding presence in Europe has been a lynchpin of our success. Europe has treated us well. Our support for Europe has always been—and always will be—steadfast.

    Tags: Digital commitments, Europe

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Jimmy Panetta’s Statement on President Trump’s First 100 Days

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Washington, DC – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) released the following statement on the Administration’s first 100 days in office:

    “The first 100 days of the Trump Administration have been chaotic, costly, created economic uncertainty, challenged our constitution, and weakened our institutions, alliances, and credibility.  During the campaign, the President promised that on day one that he would reduce inflation, end the war in Ukraine, bring home the hostages from Gaza, and support America’s working families.  Instead, he has failed to fulfill any of those promises, overwhelmed us with a deluge of executive orders, and tried to distract us from his failures by talking about stealing Greenland, annexing Canada, running for a third term, and more.  Although the most successful part of the Administration’s agenda, increasing immigration enforcement, has significantly reduced the flow of crossings at the southern border, his deportation policy has become mired in legal challenges by disregarding due process, administrative carelessness, and defying courts of law.  The President’s self-imposed, short-sighted, and sweeping tariff policies have hurt our economy and are set to raise prices even higher with retaliation from our trading partners.  By giving Elon Musk unbridled power to cut federal programs and jobs, the Administration has jeopardized vital services like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, food assistance, and scientific research.  Without a clear strategy in the Administration’s trade and foreign policies, our nation has pushed away our allies and created strategic opportunities for our adversaries.

    “President Trump made his intentions abundantly clear during the campaign. However, his chaotic actions, including instituting massive tariffs, challenging our constitution and courts, continued cozying up to dictators, and pardoning January 6 rioters appear to have no long-term strategy, degraded our credibility, and led to a steady decline in his national polling numbers on all major issues over the past 100 days. 

    “As I said from day one of this Administration, America’s system of checks and balances must flex its muscles. The courts don’t act as fast as the executive branch, but they continue to be the bulwark against the Administration’s overreach and violations of our Constitution.  Although the President has shown little interest in working with Congress to pass any long-term legislation, we will continue to work on bills that constrain the Administration’s destructive actions, investigate any abuses of power, and serve our constituents.  Over the past few decades, Congress has relinquished its authority to the executive branch on trade, commerce, agency oversight, and even warfare.  However, the actions of this Administration must be a wake-up call for Democrats and Republicans to come together and take back our constitutionally mandated power. But ultimately, as we have seen throughout the history of our nation, our democracy isn’t about one person, one court, or one legislative body.  It’s about the collective power of Americans.  The President’s first 100 days will not be anywhere near as important as the remaining 1360 days of his term, and why our system of checks and balances must stay strong, and we the people must stay together in our fight for our shared democratic values.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Mr. Jens Wandel of Denmark – Adviser on the UN80 Initiative

    Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

    nited Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today that he has invited his Special Adviser on Reforms, Jens Wandel of Denmark, to also act as an Adviser on the UN80 Initiative, reporting through Under-Secretary-General for Policy, Guy Ryder, to the Secretary-General.  This will ensure complementarity between the ongoing reform streams and the UN80 Initiative.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How dandelions conquered concrete to bring nature back to cities

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yannick Woudstra, Postdoctoral Researcher in Asexual Plant Evolution, Stockholm University

    A dandelion in full bloom on the pavement of a busy street in Gothenburg, Sweden. Yannick Woudstra/Stockholm University

    “Nothing is so uncommon as a common dandelion” say Karst Meijer and Erik van den Ham, Dutch botanists who started an international day (April 27) to celebrate this yellow flower in 2020. The pair hoped to showcase the immense diversity and fascinating ecology of dandelions, which are often maligned as noxious weeds.

    Intensive farming and weeding have drastically diminished dandelions in the Dutch countryside. Insects, many of whom feed on the pollen and nectar of these plants, have been the first to suffer. Between 1990 and 2017, Dutch protected areas reported a 75% decline in flying insects which has prompted another precipitous drop in the numbers of plants that rely on insects to pollinate them.

    However, hope comes from unexpected corners and dandelions are thriving in cities.

    A small crack in the pavement is sufficient for a dandelion to grow a long taproot that can access water and nutrients in the soil below the concrete. But don’t be fooled – that dandelion you stepped over is withstanding extreme pressure to thrive in your neighbourhood. There’s pollution, trampling, the heat that radiates from the concrete after a hot day and artificial light from street lamps to contend with.

    Having found ways to resist these pressures, dandelions grow prolifically in unfriendly cities, helping other wild species to survive as well. How do they do it?

    Many people think of plants as nice-looking greens. Essential for clean air, yes, but simple organisms. A step change in research is shaking up the way scientists think about plants: they are far more complex and more like us than you might imagine. This blossoming field of science is too delightful to do it justice in one or two stories.

    This article is part of a series, Plant Curious, exploring scientific studies that challenge the way you view plantlife.

    King of the urban jungle

    Cities are islands of heat. On average, a city like Amsterdam is 2°C warmer than its rural surroundings. On a hot summer day, it could be more than 11°C warmer. You can feel the heat when you walk a city’s streets in summer – how nice and cool does a park with trees and shade feel then?

    This heat is a challenge for plants too. Fortunately for dandelions, evolution has offered a helping hand. I discovered that dandelions evolved to use urban heat to their advantage: urban dandelions grow better and faster than their rural relatives at higher temperatures by making more efficient use of photosynthesis.

    Not only do urban dandelions cope better with summer heat, they can also avoid the problems other plants experience with warming winters caused by climate change.

    Plants are programmed to respond to changes in temperature; when a cold snap yields to milder weather, that’s a cue for plants to start flowering. Timing is crucial, as flowering must correspond with the emergence of pollinators. Milder city winters might weaken this signal and ensure plants miss their cue to flower. I discovered that urban dandelions have finetuned this process and can start flowering even after a very short and mild winter.

    Winter also brings frost. The salt sprayed on roads to keep traffic safe can stress the plants which grow on the roadside verge, but several dandelion species have, fortunately, become experts in dealing with high salt concentrations. The exact mechanisms are yet unknown, but it looks like these dandelions can store the toxic salts and metals that are typical of roadside pollution in their leaves, without being bothered by it.

    Urban dandelions even have a solution for feet and lawnmowers trampling and shredding them: growing low to the ground, so lawnmowers pass right over and feet do not cut the flowers away from the plants.

    Protector of the realm

    City plants cycle from eradication by concrete and asphalt to reconquest in the nooks and cracks that subsequently form. A group of artists from Sweden likened cities to disturbed gardens and said that people and plants alike are gardeners of this dynamic landscape.

    The dandelion is a pioneer of this disturbed garden: the first to arrive with its windborne seeds and the best equipped to conquer the pavement with its long taproots. Once established, dandelions enable others to arrive by providing a buffet for insects in early spring. A survey of urban meadows in Edinburgh, Leeds, Bristol and Reading in the UK revealed that dandelions were providing 90% of the nectar (carbohydrates) and 80% of the pollen (proteins) in the diets of pollinators. As a result, more than 200 species of insects (that we know of) are supported by dandelions. These are the necessary pollinators that allow other plant species to establish, such as clover, mallow, mustard and poppy.

    A survey showed that 20% of insects visiting dandelions were solitary bees, like mining bees. Bumblebees were next most common (17%), then hoverflies (13%) and pollen beetles (6%).
    Yannick Woudstra/Stockholm University

    Because dandelions can grow almost anywhere there is a sliver of soil, they provide essential refreshment stops for urban pollinators on their way between gardens and parks. Not only does the dandelion rule the streets, it also protects and supports its inhabitants. And so, the dandelion can rightly be called king of the urban jungle.

    Next time you see one in your garden, think about what it does for friendly pollinating insects. Without dandelions, your garden plants would struggle to reproduce. And if all this talk about food makes you hungry, try some dandelion leaves in your salad for a tangy bite.

    Don’t hate dandelions. Let them spice up your life, your street and your garden.

    Yannick Woudstra receives funding from The European Commission (Horizon Europe; Marie-Skłodowska Curie Actions), The Sven & Lily Lawski Foundation (Sweden), The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, The Physiographical Society in Lund (Sweden) and the Lars Hiertas Memorial Foundation (Sweden).

    – ref. How dandelions conquered concrete to bring nature back to cities – https://theconversation.com/how-dandelions-conquered-concrete-to-bring-nature-back-to-cities-254849

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Atlantic Petroleum Posts Net Profit of DKK 1,4MM for 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, 2025-04-30 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — P/F Atlantic Petroleum (NASDAQ OMX: ATLA DKK) today announces its Annual Results for 2024. This company announcement should be read in conjunction with Atlantic Petroleum’s Consolidated Annual Report

    Highlights are:

    • The result after tax for 2024 was a net profit of DKK 1.4MM (2023: loss of DKK 20.7MM).
    • The Group had a gross profit of DKK 0MM in 2024 (2023: Gross profit of DKK 0MM).
    • Exploration expenses amounted to DKK 0.0MM in 2024 (2023: DKK 0.0MM).
    • General and administration costs amounted to DKK 2.4MM in 2024 (2023: DKK 2.3MM).
    • Loss before taxation was DKK 2.4MM in 2024 (2023: loss of DKK 20.7MM).
    • Total shareholders’ equity amounted to DKK -112.8MM at the end of 2024 (2023: DKK -115.9MM).
    • Net cash provided from operating activities amounted to DKK 0.5MM in 2024 (2023: DKK 1.7MM).
    • Cash and cash equivalents totalled DKK 0.0MM at the end of 2024 (2023: DKK 1,1MM).

    Mark T. Højgaard, CEO commented:

    The overhead costs remain at a very low-cost base. General and administration costs in 2024 were DKK 2.4MM which is slightly higher than the general and administration cost in 2023 of DKK 2.3MM.

    The main focus has been to get a solution on the bank debt from Betri Banki and the convertible debt from London Oil and Gas in Administration.

    Atlantic Petroleum reached an agreement on the 4thApril 2025 with its main creditors to reduce the Company’s debt. The total debt will be reduced by at least DKK 90MM. However, the debt restructuring is not finalized. The Directors believe that finalization of the agreed upon framework will be in place in May 2025.

    The ability of the Group to continue as a going concern is dependent on the finalization of the debt restructuring, and the cash flows generated from the interest in the Orlando field.

    Atlantic Petroleum in brief:

    Atlantic Petroleum participates in oil and gas joint ventures with reputable, international partners. Atlantic Petroleum P/F is based in Tórshavn, Faroe Islands, and the Company has subsidiaries and offices in the UK and Ireland. Atlantic Petroleum’s shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen.

    Further Details:

    Further details can be obtained from Mark T. Højgaard, (markh@petroleum.fo). This announcement will be available, together with other information about Atlantic Petroleum, on the Company’s website: www.petroleum.fo.

    Announcement no.: 5/2025

    Issued: 30-04-2025

    P/F Atlantic Petroleum
    Lucas Debesargøta 8
    P.O.Box 1228
    FO-110 Torshavn
    Faroe Islands

    Website: www.petroleum.fo

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Landsbankinn hf.: Financial results of Landsbankinn for the first three months of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Landsbankinn’s after-tax profit during the first three months of 2025 was ISK 7.9 billion, compared with ISK 7.2 billion for the same period of 2024.
    • Return on equity (ROE) in the period was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% for the same period the previous year.
    • Net interest margin as a ratio of average total asset position was 2.7%, compared with 2.9% for the same period of 2024. The net interest margin of domestic households was 2.1%, unchanged from 2024.
    • Net interest income amounted to ISK 14.8 billion and net fee and commission income was ISK 3.0 billion. Both items are up between years.
    • The cost-income ratio was 38.7%, compared with 33.6% for the same period of 2024.
    • The total capital ratio was 23.6% at the end of the period. The Financial Supervisory Authority (FSA) of the Central  Bank of Iceland sets the total capital requirement at 20.4%.
    • In February, the Bank finalised the sale of Additional Tier 1 securities (AT1) in the amount of USD 100 million. This was the Bank’s inaugural AT1 issuance. The Bank also issued senior non-preferred bonds in the amount of NOK 500 million and SEK 1,300 million. There was considerable over-demand for the bonds.
    • The Bank’s AGM on 19 March 2025 approved payment of a dividend of ISK 18.9 billion to shareholders. Total dividend paid by the Bank since 2013 will amount to ISK 210.6 billion at the end of the year.
    • Settlement of the purchase by Landsbankinn of TM tryggingar hf. and delivery took place 28 February 2025 and the Bank has assumed operation of the company.

    Lilja Björk Einarsdóttir, CEO of Landsbankinn:
    “The Bank’s performance in the first three months of the year was solid. Profit amounted to ISK 7.9 billion and return on equity was 10.0%, compared with 9.3% in the same period last year.

    This is the first financial statement since the Bank took over operation of TM and the collaboration is off to a good start. In the first few weeks since the acquisition, significant progress has been made, including the merger of three of the Bank’s and TM’s branches, and the completion of a complex IT systems transfer. We are experiencing goodwill and interest from customers regarding these changes and will be introducing various innovations in insurance services in the near future. The joint operation of an insurance company and a bank is a good fit and offers opportunities for better and more diverse financial services. TM is included in the Bank’s financial reporting from the beginning of March, so this financial statement reflects one month of its operations. The insurance segment performed well in March, but a decline in investment assets due to volatility in capital markets led to an overall negative result.

    In Akureyri, Landsbankinn and TM have come together in new and impressive facilities at Hofsbót, in the town centre. Landsbankinn offers interconnected services across the country. In addition to an excellent app and online banking platform, customers can receive service from branch staff at 34 locations nationwide, through the Bank’s strong service centre and a chatbot capable of resolving various queries on landsbankinn.is. We see strong customer satisfaction with the Bank’s services, which we attribute directly to powerful and integrated service, fair terms and outstanding employees.

    On Monday, it was announced that international rating agency S&P had upgraded the Bank’s credit rating to the A category, from BBB+ to A-. We are thrilled with this change, as we have taken strategic steps to improve the Bank’s credit rating by improving its capital structure. In recent years, requirements for systemically important banks regarding capital structure have increased and S&P’s rating is a significant recognition of our efforts. The higher credit rating reflects the Bank’s solid access to markets, sound operation and strong capital position.

    Market volatility and global uncertainty impacted the quarter in various ways. Lending growth has slowed, both among individuals and corporates, some of which are holding off on investments and other decisions. Under such circumstances, it is reassuring to note that the overall financial position of both corporates and individuals remains strong. Uncertainty often brings opportunities as well and, during the quarter, Landsbréf completed the financing of a new ISK 15 billion private equity fund, Horn V, following the strong performance of the previous four Horn funds.

    Landsbankinn continues to offer highly competitive interest rates on both deposits and loans. The Bank’s solid operation allows us to maintain a 2.1% interest margin for households while still delivering satisfactory profitability and consistent dividends to shareholders. The Bank has the most satisfied customers among the domestic commercial banks. The Bank’s performance is sound and our team is dedicated to providing customers with excellent service. Despite a challenging external environment, the Bank is in a strong position to support Icelandic society.”

    Landsbankinn’s financial calendar

    • Q2 2025 17 July 2025
    • Q3 2025 23 October 2025
    • Annual results 2025 29 January 2026

     

    For further information contact:

    Public Relations, pr@landsbankinn.is

    Investor Relations, ir@landsbankinn.is

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: INVL Technology Interim information for 3 months of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Equity of INVL Technology and the Company’s net asset value as of 31 March 2025 was EUR 51.36 million or EUR 4.2767 per share (31 December 2024 these figures were EUR 51.43 million and EUR 4.2896 respectively). 

    Investments of the Company into managed companies amounted to EUR 54.16 million at the end of March 2025 and EUR 45.35 million at the end of March 2024.

    The net loss of the Company for 3 months of 2025 amounted to EUR 0.079 million; the net profit of the Company for 3 months of 2024 was EUR 0.279 million.

    Additional information:

    The equity and the net asset value of INVL Technology, a company that invests in IT businesses, were EUR 51.36 million at the end of March this year, or EUR 4.2767 per share. The figures decreased by 0.1% and 0.3%, respectively, from the start of the year. 

    The company had an unaudited net loss of EUR 0.079 million in the first quarter of 2025; in the same period last year it had a profit of EUR 0.279 million. 

    “The contracts that the businesses have signed and plan to sign allow us to expect growth this year, even despite negative effects from the change in the US dollar exchange rate,” says Kazimieras Tonkūnas, the Managing Partner of INVL Technology. 

    Performance of INVL Technology’s business holdings 

    INVL Technology’s portfolio companies had aggregated revenues of EUR 12.9 million in January-March 2025, which is 8.1% less than in the same period last year. Their gross profit increased 0.6% in the same period of comparison to EUR 4.3 million, while their aggregated EBITDA decreased 26.4% to EUR 0.8 million. 

    INVL Technology owns and manages the cybersecurity company NRD Cyber Security, the GovTech company NRD Companies, and the Baltic IT company Novian.  

    The consolidated revenue of NRD Cyber Security, which also owns NRD Bangladesh, increased 28.2% year-on-year in the first quarter to EUR 1.97 million. Its gross profit grew 25.2% compared to the same period of 2024 to EUR 1.09 million and its EBITDA rose 26.3% to EUR 0.33 million. 

    NRD Companies had consolidated revenue of EUR 2.73 million in the first quarter of 2025, 5.7% more than in same period last year. Its gross profit of EUR 1.24 million was 0.5% less than in the first quarter of 2024. The EBITDA of the NRD Companies group decreased 36.1% to EUR 0.18 million. Norway-based NRD Companies has the subsidiaries Norway Registers Development in Norway, with a branch in Lithuania, and NRD Systems and Etronika in Lithuania. 

    Novian had consolidated revenue of EUR 5.99 million in January-March this year and a gross profit of EUR 1.43 million – 27.0% and 17.5% less, respectively, than in the first quarter last year. The Novian group’s EBITDA decreased 51.0% in the same period of comparison to EUR 0.26 million. The group consists of Novian in Lithuania with the technology-area businesses Novian Technologies, Zissor in Norway, Novian Eesti in Estonia, Andmevara in Moldova, and Novian Rwanda in Rwanda, and the software services businesses Novian Systems and Novian Pro in Lithuania. 

    In mid-March last year, the company announced that it had signed an agreement with the Zurich branch of M&A intermediation service provider Corum Group’s Luxembourg-based unit Corum Group International, to advise and serve as M&A intermediary on the sale of the company’s portfolio of businesses. 

    INVL Technology, which is managed by INVL Asset Management, the leading alternative asset manager in the Baltics, is a closed-end investment company which must exit its investments no later than mid-July 2026 and distribute the money to shareholders. 

    The person authorized to provide additional information:
    Kazimieras Tonkūnas
    INVL Technology Managing Partner
    E-mail k.tonkunas@invltechnology.lt

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia demonstrates the power of its flagship Wi-Fi 7 solution at Apex Legends Global Series esports gaming event

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia demonstrates the power of its flagship Wi-Fi 7 solution at Apex Legends Global Series esports gaming event

    • Nokia Beacon 24 Wi-Fi 7 residential gateway with advanced gaming optimization applications from Corteca delivers world class connectivity and ultra-low latency for ultimate gaming experience.
    • Fans and gamers attending Apex Legends Global Series (ALGS) can visit Nokia’s booth to test the power of its Wi-Fi 7 solution in a unique 1:1 Apex Legends match against a mystery pro.
    • Nokia WiFi Beacons allow players to compete and excel on the world gaming scene

    30 April 2025
    Espoo, Finland – Nokia today announced it will showcase its Beacon 24 device at the ALGS esports gaming event, allowing fans and gamers to see firsthand the power of its Wi-Fi 7 solution for eGaming applications. Located in the heart of the convention center’s challenging Wi-Fi environment, Nokia’s demonstration, in partnership with Qualcomm, SONY, CORSAIR and EA, offers visitors an exclusive chance to battle a mystery pro head-to-head in the Apex Legends game, powered solely by Nokia’s Wi-Fi device. Visitors will also be able to take on some of their favorite gaming content creators as part of a “take-over” event taking place at the Nokia booth.

    The Nokia WiFi Beacon 24 embeds unique latency and queuing technology to give service providers a powerful Wi-Fi gateway solution that can rival any commercial and retail device on the market. Equipped with an advanced gaming optimization application available on Nokia’s Corteca platform, the Wi-Fi 7 device delivers the ultimate end-user experience, delivering gaming-level latency that optimizes performance.

    “As a gamer, I thought Wi-Fi gaming was a fantasy—speed is everything, and lag can kill your game. But Nokia is changing that with devices that can deliver a wireless gaming experience as good as wired, if not better. I was blown away by how easy the gateway was to set up and by its overall performance. I’m all in for Wi-Fi gaming with Nokia,” said Josh Zlatinszky aka NMoose, a professional gamer and content creator.

    “Last year, our Beacon devices powered the first Wi-Fi Apex Legends tournament, proving wireless eGaming is possible. Today, we’re upping the ante, showcasing their strength in one of the world’s most difficult environments for Wi-Fi, a busy convention center hosting an esports event. This can be a game changer for operators that want to offer more advanced Wi-Fi, latency, and performance management features to deliver the ultimate gaming experience,” said Gino Dion, Head of Innovation Solutions, Bell Labs Fellow at Nokia.
    ALGS attendees that want to try their hand at beating the best in Apex Legends or want to see the latest WiFi Nokia devices powerful enough to support virtually any eGaming environment, can visit its booth in Hall J at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

    Multimedia, technical information and related news 
    Product Page: Nokia WiFi Beacon 24
    Web Page: Apex-over-WiFi

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

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation. 

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Disposal of own shares based on performance share plan of Siili Solutions Plc

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Disposal of own shares based on performance share plan of Siili Solutions Plc

    Siili Solutions Plc Stock Exchange Release 30 April 2025 at 15:30 EEST

    A total of 27 256 of Siili Solutions Plc’s treasury shares are conveyed without consideration and according to the plan terms to the key employees participating in the Performance Share Plan 2022 – 2024. More details of this Performance Share Plan have been announced in a stock exchange release issued on 17 December 2021.

    The directed share issue is based on an authorization given by the Annual General Meeting held on 3 April 2024.

    Following the directed share issue, the number of treasury shares now stands at 698 shares. 

    SIILI SOLUTIONS PLC

    Board of Directors

    For more information, please contact:

    Taru Kovanen, General Counsel
    Phone: 040 4176 221 
    Email: taru.kovanen(at)siili.com 

    Distribution:
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Main media
    www.siili.com/fi

    Siili Solutions in brief:

    Siili Solutions Plc is a forerunner in AI-powered digital development. Siili is the go-to partner for clients seeking growth, efficiency and competitive advantage through digital transformation. Our main markets are Finland, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Germany. Siili Solutions Plc’s shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange. Siili has grown profitably since its founding in 2005. www.siili.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Solicitation of expressions of interest for the role of bookrunner(s) in the upcoming offering of the State’s holding in Íslandsbanki hf.

    Source: Government of Iceland

    On 23 June 2024, the Icelandic Parliament passed legislation authorising the sale of the State’s remaining shares in Íslandsbanki hf. The legislation stipulates that the State’s shares are to be sold through one or more market-based public offerings, which may be structured in multiple tranches. The offering must adhere to the key principles of transparency, efficiency, objectivity, and equality, as outlined in the Public Finance Act. The law includes provisions specifying the structure of the offering, including the use of two separate order books, pricing methodology, and allocation criteria. Priority in allocation will be given to subscriptions submitted by individuals. On 14 March 2025, a proposed amendment to the legislation was introduced by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, seeking i.a. to authorise a third order book to be used in the offering to ensure the participation of all investor groups. The proposed amendment is currently under review by the Icelandic Parliament.

    On 5 July 2024, Landsbankinn Corporate Finance was appointed as the Ministry’s independent financial advisor. On 21 August 2024, the Ministry announced the appointment of Barclays, Citi, and Kvika as joint global coordinators in connection with the offering.

    In accordance with the Act, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs hereby invites expressions of interest from entities interested in acting as bookrunner(s). To be eligible, applicants must be authorised to place offerings of financial instruments without underwriting in Iceland, as provided for in the Act on Markets in Financial Instruments.

    Legal entities requesting to participate and that fulfil the requirements set out in the Act are invited to apply via email to [email protected]. Submissions should include:

    • A brief overview of the party’s relevant qualifications and experience;
    • Information on prospective investor reach and potential demand sources;
    • Any additional details the party deems relevant in support of their appointment.

    Submissions must be received before 16:00 GMT on 2 May 2025.
    All inquiries regarding the above should be directed to [email protected].

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Taiwan donates €4 million to EBRD’s Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility to help revitalize Ukrainian insurance market

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Taiwan donates €4 million to EBRD’s Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility to help revitalize Ukrainian insurance market

    Date：2024-12-14
    Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    December 14, 2024  
    No. 461  

    To assist Ukraine in revitalizing its domestic insurance market and to boost international investment interest in Ukraine, Taiwan has agreed to allocate €4 million from the TaiwanBusiness-EBRD Technical Cooperation Fund for the Ukraine Recovery and Reconstruction Guarantee Facility (URGF) initiative led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The donation agreement was signed in Taipei on December 2 at a ceremony witnessed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tien Chung-kwang. It was signed on behalf of Taiwan by Jonathan C. Y. Sun, Director General of the Department of International Organizations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and by Director for Donor Partnerships Camilla Otto on behalf of the EBRD. 
     
    The EBRD held a ceremony to launch the URGF in its London headquarters on December 12, which was attended by Taiwan Representative to the United Kingdom Vincent C. H. Yao. In his remarks at the event, Representative Yao said that Taiwan staunchly supported Ukraine and looked forward to working with like-minded democratic allies to assist in Ukraine’s reconstruction through the URGF mechanism.
     
    Due to the Russia-Ukraine war, international reinsurance companies have had reservations about providing coverage for businesses operating in Ukraine. The EBRD thus aims to raise €110 million via the URGF mechanism so as to provide additional guarantees for potential losses incurred by war-related risks. This will increase international investor confidence and, in turn, accelerate economic recovery and improve the lives of the Ukrainian people. France, the United Kingdom, Norway, the European Union, and Switzerland have also pledged to donate to the URGF. (E)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Municipality Finance issues a EUR 100 million tap under its MTN programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Municipality Finance Plc
    Stock exchange release
    30 April 2025 at 10:00 am (EEST)

    Municipality Finance issues a EUR 100 million tap under its MTN programme

    On 2 May 2025 Municipality Finance Plc issues a new tranche in an amount of EUR 100 million to an existing benchmark issued on 28 January 2025. With the new tranche, the aggregate nominal amount of the benchmark is EUR 1.350 billion. The maturity date of the benchmark is 14 December 2029. The benchmark bears interest at a fixed rate of 2.625 % per annum.

    The new tranche is issued under MuniFin’s EUR 50 billion programme for the issuance of debt instruments. The offering circular, the supplemental offering circular and final terms of the notes are available in English on the company’s website at https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/for-investors.

    MuniFin has applied for the new tranche to be admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange maintained by Nasdaq Helsinki. The public trading is expected to commence on 2 May 2025. The existing notes in the series are admitted to trading on the Helsinki Stock Exchange.

    Danske Bank A/S acts as the Dealer for the issue of the new tranche.

    MUNICIPALITY FINANCE PLC

    Further information:

    Joakim Holmström
    Executive Vice President, Capital Markets and Sustainability
    tel. +358 50 444 3638

    MuniFin (Municipality Finance Plc) is one of Finland’s largest credit institutions. The owners of the company include Finnish municipalities, the public sector pension fund Keva and the State of Finland.
    The Group’s balance sheet is over EUR 53 billion.

    MuniFin builds a better and more sustainable future with its customers. MuniFin’s customers include municipalities, joint municipal authorities, wellbeing services counties, corporate entities under their control, and non-profit organisations nominated by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland (ARA). Lending is used for environmentally and socially responsible investment targets such as public transportation, sustainable buildings, hospitals and healthcare centres, schools and day care centres, and homes for people with special needs.
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    MuniFin’s customers are domestic but the company operates in a completely global business environment. The company is an active Finnish bond issuer in international capital markets and the first Finnish green and social bond issuer. The funding is exclusively guaranteed by the Municipal Guarantee Board.

    Read more: https://www.kuntarahoitus.fi/en/

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