Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT containing a motion for a non-legislative resolution on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark – A10-0103/2025

Source: European Parliament

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT NON-LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark

(COM(2024)0479 – C10‑0227/2024 – 2024/0263M(NLE))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, on the other (2025-2030) (14652/2024),

– having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, on the other (2025-2030) (14781/2024),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C10‑0227/2024),

– having regard to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the European Union on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark on the other hand, and the Implementing Protocol thereto,

– having regard to Article 62 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,

– having regard to the Convention of the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC),

– having regard to the Convention of the North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO),

– having regard to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR),

– having regard to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework,

– having regard to the Agreement to prevent unregulated high seas fisheries in the Central Arctic Ocean,

– having regard to Protocol No 34 to the Treaty on European Union and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union on special arrangements for Greenland,

– having regard to the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations,

– having regard to the EU Competitiveness Compass,

– having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, and in particular Articles 29 and 31 thereof [1],

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 [2],

– having regard to Council Decision (EU) No 2021/1764 of 5 October 2021 on the association of the Overseas Countries and Territories with the European Union including relations between the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other (Decision on the Overseas Association, including Greenland)[3],

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 13 October 2021 entitled ‘A stronger EU engagement for a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous Arctic’ (JOIN(2021)0027),

– having regard to the ex ante and ex post evaluation study of the 2021-2024 protocol and of a possible new implementing protocol to the SFPA between the European Union and Greenland,

– having regard to EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 19 February 2025 entitled ‘A Vision for Agriculture and Food – Shaping together an attractive farming and agri-food sector for future generations’ (COM(2025)0075),

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 24 June 2022 entitled ‘Setting the course for a sustainable blue planet – Joint Communication on the EU’s International Ocean Governance agenda’ (JOIN(2022)0028),

– having regard to its non-legislative resolution of 5 October 2021 on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, on the other hand, and the Implementing Protocol thereto [4],

– having regard to the reports of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) entitled ‘Greenland Sea Ecosystem Overview’ of 2023, and ‘Greenland Sea Ecoregion – Fisheries Overview’ of 2024,

– having regard to its legislative resolution of …[5] on the draft decision,

– having regard to Rule 107(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0103/2025),

A. whereas Greenland, as an autonomous territory, is responsible for managing its fisheries resources and regulating commercial fishing in Greenland and its exclusive economic zone, and for regulating who is allowed to fish in its waters;

B. whereas Greenland’s fisheries comprise coastal fisheries and deep-sea fisheries;

C. whereas 88 % of Greenland’s population identifies as Greenlandic Inuit;

D. whereas small-scale coastal fisheries and subsistence fisheries form an integral part of the traditional culture, economy and social structure of Greenland’s coastal communities and of the Greenlandic Inuit people, providing both livelihoods, in particular for isolated settlements, and cultural heritage;

E. whereas inshore fisheries are key to ensuring food security in Greenland and contribute to addressing social challenges;

F. whereas the SFPA between the EU and Greenland is the second most significant fisheries agreement for the EU in financial terms; whereas, according to the findings and conclusions of the ex post evaluation, the SFPA and the Protocol thereto have significantly contributed to Greenland’s fisheries policy, in particular by enhancing cooperation and collaboration and supporting sustainable fisheries management, thus creating a mutually beneficial arrangement between the EU and Greenland;

G. whereas the EU-Greenland SFPA and the EU-Norway agreement are closely interlinked, with the EU exchanging fishing opportunities in Greenland for access to Norwegian waters; whereas in recent years, following the exchange of quotas with Norway, fishing opportunities have been granted to around 10 Community vessels under the Protocol;

H. whereas the EU maintains a close relationship with Greenland, including through the fisheries partnership agreement that has been in place since 1984; whereas Greenland is the overseas country and territory (OCT) that receives the most EU funding by far; whereas EU support to Greenland for the period from 2021 to 2027 comes to EUR 225 million, which is equivalent to the total amount received by the other 12 OCTs combined;

I. whereas, according to scientists, the Arctic region is warming up almost four times faster than the rest of the world, with rapid increases in ice melt and implications for fish populations, marine ecosystems and coastal communities, as well as for the fishing industry and the livelihoods of fishers, which depend on Arctic waters;

J. whereas healthy fish populations and marine ecosystems are crucial for resilience to the growing effects of climate change and for guaranteeing the future of coastal fishing communities;

K. whereas the accelerating pace of global warming in the region underscores the urgent need for coordinated global action, including in fisheries;

L. whereas Greenland efficiently manages fishing activities within its EEZ, with the Greenland Fisheries and Hunting Control Authority (GFJK) responsible for registering and monitoring both domestic and foreign catches and landings and for ensuring compliance with international control and enforcement agreements, while also facilitating daily data exchanges with the countries that have fisheries agreements with Greenland;

M. whereas the evaluation of the previous protocol reveals that overfishing can be ruled out with certainty for only five of the fifteen stocks exploited under the Protocol, but that there is a lack of scientific data for some of the stocks, and four of them are regarded as still overexploited;

N. whereas fishing opportunities are established by a joint committee on the basis of the best available scientific advice and the recommendations made by NAFO, NEAFC and ICES;

O. whereas fisheries are a crucial economic sector for Greenland, providing a livelihood for many; whereas it is essential to ensure that fishing practices do not harm marine ecosystems, particularly given that according to ICES, the greatest physical disturbance of the seabed and benthic habitats in the Greenland Sea ecoregion is caused by mobile bottom-contacting fishing gear and there is a considerable overlap between the distribution of corals, sponges and sea pens and the areas trawled [6]; whereas to safeguard both the marine environment and the future of fisheries, it is vital that all forms of trawling are conducted in a manner that minimises damage to the seabed; whereas according to the ex post and ex ante evaluation study, the management measures applicable to EU vessels operating in Greenland, and the risk levels of EU vessels having negative impacts on ecosystems, mean that bycatch levels and impacts on ecosystems are minimal;

P. whereas ICES also points out that other activities causing marine pollution, marine litter or underwater noise, as well as climate change, are having an impact on the marine ecosystems and upsetting the balance of the ecoregion;

Q. whereas the European Union and Greenland, on behalf of Denmark, hold seats on NEAFC and NAFO;

Context and general principles of the SFPA

1. Notes the importance of the fisheries sector for Greenland, given that seafood exports account for over 90 % of the autonomous territory’s total exports, and that fishing and the fishing industry together account for 15 % of all jobs; highlights the great professionalism of Greenlandic people in the fishing sector and their extensive knowledge, skills and experience in fisheries management and maritime operations; notes that their deep-rooted expertise reflects a strong commitment to maintaining the economic and cultural significance of fisheries in Greenland; stresses that the share of Greenlandic total allowable catches (TACs) allocated to the EU under the Protocol is relatively small;

2. Recalls Greenland’s geostrategic position within the Arctic region; underlines the importance of the SFPA for relations between the European Union and Greenland in the current geopolitical context, particularly in the light of the recent diplomatic and geopolitical tensions caused by the new US Government, but also given the reality of the climate crisis and its impact on the region;

3. Highlights the importance of using the SFPA as a key framework for addressing common challenges such as the climate crisis and geopolitical, security and preparedness concerns, for promoting sustainable fisheries policy, scientific cooperation and environmental resilience in Arctic waters, and for fostering economic cooperation; points out the need to strengthen the EU’s Arctic policy and its cooperation with the Government of Greenland;

4. Underlines that, while guaranteeing fishing opportunities for the EU fleet, the SFPA should contribute to the exploitation of fisheries resources within sustainable limits and the preservation of marine biodiversity in Greenland’s waters, in line with the standards laid down by the European Union and international forums such as regional fisheries management organisations, in order to achieve economic, social and environmental benefits; recalls that EU vessels are to fish only the available surplus, as established in Article 3 of the SFPA;

5. Highlights that the agreement has provided benefits to both parties, including EU and Greenlandic stakeholders, particularly in terms of sustainability, transparency, equity, scientific research, capacity-building and national development;

6. Points out that the sectoral support available under the Protocol will help the Government of Greenland to implement its national fisheries and maritime economy strategy, including in the fight against illegal, unreported and undeclared (IUU) fishing, while promoting decent working conditions for fishing activity;

7. Notes that the new Protocol has been concluded for a term of six years, which means improved visibility for stakeholders, in particular the fisheries sector;

8. Notes the increase in the total financial contribution paid by the European Union and the fees paid by fishing operators, which ensure that Greenland receives economic benefits from access rights to its waters and that EU vessels operate under regulated and monitored conditions, reducing risks of overfishing or environmental damage;

9. Underlines the high value of the SFPA and that every EUR 1 invested from the EU budget in the compensation payment for access supports the creation of EUR 6.88 of added value, with EUR 4.32 for the EU and EUR 2.12 for Greenland;

Sustainability of fisheries under the SFPA

10. Welcomes the robust monitoring system, the comprehensive framework for managing bycatch and the ban on discards that apply in Greenland waters; considers positively the effort made in terms of controls of fishing operations and the presence of observers in these activities, to which the sectoral support provided under the SFPA has contributed; highlights that all catches, including bycatches and discards, must be recorded and reported by species according to the applicable Greenlandic legislation; acknowledges the fundamental role of observers in ensuring compliance with the applicable rules, contributing to transparency and supporting sustainable fisheries management in the region;

11. Reaffirms its concerns regarding the lack of precise scientific data about the state of fish stocks, which are assessed with limited data or using a precautionary approach; regrets, in particular, the situation of the Northern prawn, targeted by both Greenland vessels and Community vessels (which account for a more marginal share); notes, in this respect, the positive step taken by reducing indicative annual fishing opportunities for several fish stocks on the basis of the available scientific data;

12. Remains concerned by the exploitation of the Northern prawn, particularly in certain areas of West Greenland, where stocks have shown signs of decline as a result of fishing pressure, global warming and increased predation by cod; emphasises the importance of strengthening sustainable management measures, including adjusting catch quotas on the basis of scientific recommendations from ICES and NAFO, and of improving fishing practices to reduce bycatch and preserve the marine ecosystem; calls on the Commission to enhance cooperation with the Greenlandic authorities to ensure a sustainable and balanced exploitation of this resource, which is essential to the local economy;

13. Reiterates that, on the basis of the SFPA, the Commission and Greenland should continue to apply a precautionary approach and use the best available scientific advice, including the scientific recommendations issued by the relevant regional fisheries management organisations, as a basis for setting annual fishing opportunities, while also taking into consideration the socio-economic aspects;

14. Notes that a considerable share of the fishing opportunities granted to the European Union by Greenland go to Norwegian vessels in connection with the exchange of quotas; recalls that the same sustainability standards and fisheries control rules followed by EU vessels must apply to Norwegian vessels in order to ensure that they are treated equally;

Improvement of scientific advice and data collection

15. Recalls that reliable and robust data is required to calculate the available surplus; reiterates its concerns regarding the existing gaps for some stocks; recommends, in this regard, that particular attention be given to calculating available surpluses; welcomes the efforts of the fisheries sector to cooperate with scientific monitoring and data collection and invites the Commission to step up scientific and financial cooperation with Greenland, including, for instance, by continuing to support the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources;

16. Underlines the limited availability of data about benthic habitats in the Greenland Sea ecoregion, such as habitats that could potentially be considered vulnerable marine ecosystems; stresses the need to obtain more comprehensive scientific data in order to map these habitats, to adopt appropriate measures, particularly technical and spatial measures aimed at mitigating the impact of fisheries on these ecosystems, and to encourage the reporting of encounters with vulnerable marine ecosystem species (VMEs) by vessels; invites the Greenlandic authorities to consider dedicating a share of sectoral support to consolidating the mapping and detection of VMEs;

17. Recalls that use of vessel monitoring systems is crucial for monitoring fishing activities, as it allows the real-time tracking of fishing vessels, thus making it possible to monitor compliance with the applicable rules, including in sensitive marine areas;

18. Calls on the Commission and on Greenland to provide a further assessment of the impacts on fish stocks of other activities affecting the ecosystems, such as maritime transport, seismological research, pollution and climate change;

Support for fisheries policy in Greenland

19. Notes that the SFPA has generated employment opportunities for Greenlandic nationals and that sectoral support is being implemented effectively, providing significant environmental, social and economic benefits to Greenland; underlines, nevertheless, the small share of landings carried out by the EU fleet in Greenland and the limited number of seafarers from Greenland signed on with EU vessels (five, according to the evaluation of the previous agreement, accounting for 2.5 % of total jobs);

20. Recalls, in this regard, the limited number of EU vessels fishing in Greenland under the Protocol (8-10 vessels), and notes that the majority do not land in or visit Greenlandic ports; encourages operators to maintain good cooperation and further enhance employment opportunities; highlights that according to the ex ante and ex post evaluation study, there has been no reciprocal interest in establishing joint enterprises/ventures given the priorities of the private sector in Greenland and in EU Member States;

21. Considers that the indirect added value delivered to Greenland’s economy by the Protocol has the potential to be higher than with previous protocols; believes that the goal is to ensure a mutually beneficial agreement for the EU and Greenland, and for Greenland to derive an overall benefit from such agreements through the sustainable development of fisheries and auxiliary sectors in Greenland, which will have a lasting positive impact on the local economy;

22. Points out that resources for sectoral support under the previous protocol helped to strengthen Greenland’s scientific research and administrative capacity and contributed to better ocean governance in Greenland;

23. Stresses the importance, for both sides, of respecting all the relevant international commitments when implementing the Protocol, including the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

24. Welcomes, too, the fact that a significant share of the sectoral support paid under the previous protocol was used to step up the monitoring of fisheries, scientific research and data collection, administration and support for small-scale coastal fisheries;

25. Encourages the Commission and Greenland, within the framework of the SFPA, to provide further support to Greenland’s small-scale coastal fisheries, in line with the FAO’s Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries and the priorities and needs of the Greenlandic authorities;

26. Considers that sectoral support can contribute to securing the livelihoods of coastal fishing communities through such measures as, but not limited to, access to training, support for co-management in coastal areas or measures to adapt fishing activities to climate change and improve data, including data about their fishing effort;

27. Supports the appropriate inclusion of Greenland’s fishing communities and civil society throughout the process leading to the adoption of the protocols, and stresses the importance of helping to ensure their participation in the implementation of the SFPA;

28. Highlights that EU vessels fish beyond 12 nautical miles from the baseline of Greenland, which prevents competition with small-scale coastal fisheries;

29. Encourages both parties to facilitate the exchange of best practices in arrangements for access to and preservation of fisheries resources;

30. Notes Greenland’s willingness to develop its fisheries sector further; takes note of the recent reform of its fisheries legislation; highlights that the SFPA can support the continued development of Greenland’s fisheries policy; notes that this policy includes elements such as ensuring the long-term health and productivity of Greenland’s marine ecosystems and the distribution of fishing resources, including for coastal fisheries communities; recalls that Greenlandic lawmakers have exclusive competence for such developments;

Regional governance of fisheries and challenges for the Arctic

31. Underscores the importance of repositioning the fisheries agreement in the broader context of post-Brexit fisheries governance and regional fisheries management, relations between the European Union and Norway, and other coastal states, in the area of fisheries and the European Union’s policy on the Arctic; stresses the critical need to maintain a strong and productive partnership with Greenland and its Nordic neighbours;

32. Encourages Greenland to continue strengthening its already strong transparency and cooperation within the framework of regional fisheries management organisations and agreements between coastal states for the management of certain stocks;

33. Calls on the Commission to further utilise the opportunities that the Commission office in Nuuk provides, especially in terms of strengthening cooperation with the Greenlandic Government;

34. Recalls the joint communication of 13 October 2021 entitled ‘A stronger EU engagement for a peaceful, sustainable and prosperous Arctic’;

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35. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of Greenland.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

At the end of 2024, Greenland and the European Union signed a new Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) (2025-2030). This is a mixed agreement that allows the European Union’s vessels to fish species such as cod, Greenland halibut, redfish and Northern prawn. In return, the European Union pays a financial contribution of EUR 17,296,857 per annum, comprising EUR 14,096,857 for access rights and EUR 3,200,000 for support and implementation of Greenland’s fisheries policy, plus the fees paid by vessel owners. In recent years, the fisheries agreement has allowed around 10 of the European Union’s vessels to operate in the autonomous territory’s waters. The new Protocol provides details of the rules and provisions governing this access.

Fisheries in Greenland

The fisheries sector is of central importance for Greenland in socio-economic and cultural terms. It accounts for 15% of the territory’s jobs and over 90% of its exports. Coastal fisheries mainly involve small vessels (dinghies), and sustain an economy and local jobs. Many remote Inuit communities rely on subsistence fishing. The territory also has a highly developed deep-sea fishing fleet, and has concluded fisheries agreements that allow foreign vessels to fish in the deep-sea fishing area. Greenland’s fisheries are suffering the effects of climate change on a vulnerable Arctic marine environment, with particular impacts on the species caught. Greenland has put measures in place to limit the impact of fisheries on the marine environment; these include a ban on discards, a plan for the management of bycatch etc.

New Protocol implementing the SFPA

The new Protocol that has been signed has a term of six years, providing stability and visibility for stakeholders. It contains provisions aimed at providing a framework for access to waters by European vessels and cooperation with Greenland: fishing opportunities, bycatch, scientific cooperation, monitoring, controls, surveillance, fishing areas, observers etc.

A specific characteristic of the agreement is that catches are regulated on the basis of fishing opportunities that are set annually. Your rapporteur is concerned about the fact that, according to the ex-post evaluation, the TACs for several of the targeted species exceed the limits set on the basis of scientific advice. These proven cases of overfishing, or of uncertainty owing to a lack of data, pose a threat to fish populations and the sustainability of fisheries, as in the case of the Northern prawn. Several indicative fishing opportunities have been reduced. The second noteworthy point is linked to the need for additional data regarding the targeted species and marine ecosystems.

The programming of sectoral support will be adopted in the three months following the application of the Protocol. The sectoral support allocated in recent years has made it possible to support research and scientific assessments, the administration of Greenland’s fisheries, controls and also small-scale coastal fisheries. This is assessed positively in the evaluation of the last Protocol.

Findings and recommendations

In the context of current diplomatic tensions with the United States and the climate crisis in the Arctic, your rapporteur recalls the importance of the SFPA and relations between Greenland and the European Union in the area of fisheries. Through its sectoral support, the fisheries agreement offers assistance that is welcomed by the authorities and a number of civil society actors in Greenland. Positive developments include the increase in the financial contribution paid by the European Union, in the amount of sectoral support and in the fees paid by vessel owners.

Your rapporteur invites the European Union to provide increased support to coastal fishing communities, with respect for the rights of the indigenous peoples and the FAO’s Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. It is advisable to ensure that these peoples, as well as NGOs, are involved in the agreement. Another positive development is the European Union’s support in areas such as controls, the fight against IUU fishing, the collection of data and scientific research.

Your rapporteur underlines the environmental challenges associated with the agreement. As already requested by Parliament in 2021, it is essential to continue efforts in relation to data collection and the fight against overfishing, by following the scientific advice for setting TACs in Greenland and allocating annual fishing opportunities to the European Union. Even though it fishes smaller quantities, the European Union must follow the precautionary principle. The definition of the surplus is controversial in certain cases. The fishing carried out by the European Union’s vessels furthermore has an impact on seabed ecosystems and the emphasis must be on identifying and protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems, with the sector’s help.

Finally, your rapporteur asks for this fisheries agreement to be repositioned in the context of regional fisheries governance. Quota exchanges mean that post-Brexit relations with coastal countries, including Norway, are closely linked to the agreement. The European Union and Greenland must strengthen cooperation and transparency within the RFMOs and the agreements between coastal states. More broadly, the European Union must do more to protect species and the marine environment in the Arctic.

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Quarrying in Pentadaktylos destroying the natural environment and amending the regulation on trade across the Green Line – E-002402/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002402/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Costas Mavrides (S&D)

The Pentadaktylos mountain range in the occupied part of Cyprus has suffered incalculable damage and irreparable alteration of the natural landscape due to uncontrolled and illegal quarrying, in gross violation of all principles of environmental management and protection. Rare local species of flora and fauna are at risk of total extinction. What is more, many products produced in the Occupied Territories, as well as illegally extracted aggregates, are not subject to environmental or other certifications and checks (relating to health, safety or working conditions), creating unequal and unfair competition, as similar undertakings in the free areas operate under strict control and face higher production costs in order to comply with legislation.

In view of this, can the Commission say:

1.Is Republic of Cyprus able to prohibit the entry of such products into free areas in order to protect legitimate businesses and ensure that environmental and other laws are upheld?

2.Will it revise the Green Line Regulation to explicitly prohibit the transport of aggregates from the Occupied Territories, taking into account the serious impact thereof on the environment and on healthy competition in the market, and adapt the regulation’s provisions to safeguard the rights of natural and legal persons, including property rights, as in the EU’s other regulation on financial assistance to the Turkish Cypriot community in the Occupied Territories?

Submitted: 14.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Commission President’s participation at the WEF – E-000243/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

1. On 20, 21 and 23 January 2025, the President of the Commission participated in the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission met with Her Excellency Karin Keller-Sutter, President of the Helvetic Confederation, and the President of the United States National Academy of Medicine.

The President participated in the following events:

— Opening remarks and question and answer (Q&A) session at ‘Deutsche Meets Davos’ Event;

— Opening remarks and Q&A session ‘Europe‘s Competitiveness Compass: A Conversation with Ursula von der Leyen and International Business Council’;

— Opening remarks at the launch of the Energy Transition Forum ‘All Hands on Deck for the Energy Transition’, together with the President of Peru;

— Opening remarks and Q&A session at Financial Times lunch;

— Remarks at the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ high-level event, organised by Global Citizen as a follow up to the campaign launched with South Africa in November 2024.

3. The President’s mission costs will be published on a dedicated website[1].

2. At the WEF 2025, the President of the Commission delivered a keynote speech, where she addressed topics like competitiveness, simplification, decarbonization, energy supplies and the relations with China and the United States[2]. Following her address, she provided more details by replying to questions by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chairman of the World Economic Forum. The keynote address and the exchange can be watched online[3].
- [1] https://ec.europa.eu/transparencyinitiative/meetings/mission.do?host=a2c7c963-a9ad-4c47-aa73-4bb46b06dd5d.
- [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_25_285.
- [3] https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-265956.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 23, 2025 [Image 6 of 11]

Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

Issued by: on

NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 23, 2025) Hospitalman Anthony Carretocardona conducts an eye exam for a local resident at Vaiola Hospital as part of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) in Nuku’alofa, Tonga, June 23, 2025. PP-25 medical teams are providing free eye exams and prescription glasses at Vaiola Hospital and Mu’a Health Center while in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Courtesy Asset)

Date Taken: 06.23.2025

Date Posted: 06.23.2025 23:29

Photo ID: 9128314

VIRIN: 250623-N-RM599-9743

Resolution: 4032×3024

Size: 3.05 MB

Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO

Web Views: 7

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This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 23, 2025 [Image 11 of 11], by LCDR Andrew Bertucci, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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Source: Verizon

Headline: Verizon launches new military benefit, providing even more flexibility

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Building on its commitment to the military community, Verizon has introduced a new short-term military suspension option designed to meet the unique needs of service members. Alongside exclusive discounts and benefits across mobile and home, Verizon is substantially improving flexibility, choice and value to those who serve.

Military customers deployed for less than 90 days, even within Verizon’s coverage area, can now take advantage of Verizon’s new Military Short Term Suspend option. During deployment, the customer’s line will be temporarily suspended and charged $10/month or their monthly service price, whichever is lower.

Additionally, long-term suspension options remain available for eligible customers on deployment from 90 days to 3 years, allowing them to avoid charges for services and features on the suspended line, including device payment installments, for the entire duration of the service suspension. For disconnection, customers have two options: they can either pay off the remaining balance or return their device in good working order to have the remaining installment balance waived. To learn more and check your eligibility, please visit verizon.com/support/military-veterans-faqs/

These enhanced benefits are a part of Verizon’s customer experience transformation, announced earlier today, which aims to empower customers with simpler, more personalized support. This evolution, a key component of Verizon’s multi-year consumer plan, brings immediate and ongoing improvements to customer care, digital services, and retail, setting a new industry standard across every aspect of service.

“We have set standards in network reliability, choice and innovation on behalf of customers, and are committed to continuously raising the bar on how we support their individual needs – which means reliability and flexibility so they can stay connected, on their terms,” said Sowmyanarayan Sampath, Verizon Consumer CEO. “Our military personnel in training or those on short-term domestic assignments deserve an option tailored to their needs.”

Exclusive Offers and Benefits for Those Who Serve

Eligible military customers can enjoy 4 lines starting at $25/line per month on Unlimited Welcome¹ (plus taxes and fees) and Fios Home Internet from just $45/month with Auto Pay. By bundling mobile and home services, customers with the military discount can unlock an additional $15 in savings on Fios Home Internet for as low as $30/mo with Auto Pay², while retaining myPlan benefits such as Verizon’s 3-year price lock guarantee (applicable to base monthly rate only), depending on the choice of plan.

Verizon also provides career opportunities, competitive savings and exclusive benefits for military members, veterans and their families. These include:
- 25% off accessories online and 10% off in-store
- Dedicated parking at select Verizon retail locations
- Premium phone setup experience at select locations
- Extensive career tools and resources
To learn more about these benefits, resources and Verizon’s investment in those who serve, please visit verizon.com/military.

Special Pricing For Military Personnel With Tracfone

Tracfone, a leading prepaid brand powered by Verizon’s award-winning network, is paving the way in the no-contract industry by honoring those who serve. Tracfone is proud to support veterans and active-duty personnel customers with 10% off all $20/mo or higher Unlimited Talk and Text Plans, providing even more value for those who serve. Veterans and active-duty personnel can easily verify their eligibility through secure ID.me, making it simple to start saving. For more information, visit Tracfone.com/deals/military-discount.

1 For eligible military; approved verification documents req’d. Unlimited Welcome: $30/line/mo for 4 lines, less $20 account discount. Auto Pay and paper-free billing req’d. Unlimited 5G / 4G LTE: For Unlimited Welcome plan, in times of congestion, your data may be temporarily slower than other traffic. Domestic data roaming at 2G speeds.

2 For eligible military. Approved verification documents req’d. One offer per account. New Fios 300 Mbps customers receive a $5/mo. discount. Auto Pay: $10/mo. discount with Auto Pay & paper-free billing. Mobile + Home Discount: Enrollment req’d. for $15/mo discount. For existing postpaid mobile customers with a Verizon mobile plan (excludes prepaid, business and data-only plans) and Fios home internet. Fios 300 Mbps: $99 setup and other terms may apply. Availability varies. Subj. to credit approval. Wired and wireless speeds vary due to device limits, multiple users, network & other factors. See verizon.com/yourspeed for more info.
MIL OSI Economics –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: UK: Misrepresentations of Article 8 fuel hostility, mistrust and bad law
Source: Amnesty International –

Amnesty International is accusing successive UK governments of dismantling domestic safeguards against wrongful immigration decisions, forcing claimants to rely solely on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and then attacking Article 8 for the inevitable outcome: appeals allowed on Article 8 grounds rather than on previously established ministerial rules.

In two new briefings published today, Amnesty details how political decisions and media distortions have misled the public about the role of Article 8, stoking hostility, undermining justice, and paving the way for damaging legal reforms.

The briefings explain how post-2006 changes – including the removal of key protections in deportation decisions and the 2014 restriction of appeals to human rights grounds only – have made Article 8, the right to private and family life, the sole legal safeguard for many facing removal, even those with deep roots in the UK.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme Director, said:

“This is a classic Catch-22: governments dismantled their own safeguards, forcing people to rely on Article 8 and then blamed Article 8 for simply doing the job they required it to do.

“People threatened with exile from their homes, families and communities after years, decades, even lifetimes in the UK, are left with only Article 8 to defend them. Lawyers and judges have no choice but to centre legal cases on it.

“Article 8 has become a lightning rod for attacks on the European Convention, often based on myths that omit key facts or include absurd inventions about the significance of cats, chicken nuggets, or other nonsense.

“When governments respond by proposing to limit human rights law, they validate false narratives, and conceal their role in creating the crisis now threatening fundamental justice.

“We need leadership that tells the truth. Article 8 doesn’t block deportations; it blocks injustice. It says you can’t tear someone away from their child or partner without strong, proportionate reason. That’s not weakness. That’s decency. And it’s the law.

“But the Government could reduce the pressure on Article 8, by reinstating rules that recognise the complex human realities behind immigration cases.”

Not a loophole: Article 8 is the last line of defence

Until 2006, deportation decisions took account of a person’s full circumstances including their age, long residence, family ties, and community links. But successive governments stripped away these safeguards, leaving human rights, especially Article 8, as often the only meaningful legal basis for appeal.

Today, in most non-asylum immigration cases, Article 8 is the only legal protection left standing. For many, it’s the final barrier to unjust separation from loved ones.

Absurd myths, real consequences

Amnesty’s briefings expose how politicians and media figures have distorted judicial decisions misrepresenting rulings by highlighting trivial details and omitting core reasons. This creates the false impression that judges act irrationally or are out of touch.

Examples include:
1. Presenting irrelevant details (e.g. owning a pet, preferring a type of chicken nugget) as the basis for a ruling.
2. Selectively reporting parts of decisions to give a misleading impression.
One notorious case saw a former Home Secretary falsely claim that a man avoided deportation because of his cat. In fact, the real issue was his legally recognised relationship and the Home Office’s own failure to follow its policy.

These myths help justify bad legislation and rules that obscure the human impact of government policy and leave courts and Article 8 as the sole defence against injustice.

Yvette Cooper’s review must confront – not compound – misrepresentations

Amnesty is urging the Home Secretary to ensure that her review of Article 8’s role in immigration law starts with honesty and accuracy.

Successive governments created this dependency on Article 8 by stripping away other safeguards. Any serious review must acknowledge this history, not add to the misinformation.

Steve Valdez-Symonds said:

“The Government is at a crossroads. It can restore fair, domestic rules so people aren’t forced to rely solely on Article 8. Or it can continue the pattern of blaming the law for its own failures.

“If ministers choose the latter, they fuel false hostility and undermine public trust in human rights altogether. That path leads to the legal Wild West, where no one’s rights are safe.”

Amnesty’s recommendations

To restore fairness, integrity, and public confidence, Amnesty International UK is calling for:
1. Public correction of misleading narratives about Article 8 and deportation;
2. Reinstatement of broader decision-making criteria including long residence, caregiving responsibilities, and community ties;
3. Repeal of harmful laws, including:
- Automatic deportation under the UK Borders Act 2007;
- Appeal restrictions introduced in 2014;
1. Protection from deportation for people with a right to British citizenship, especially those born or raised in the UK;
2. Full and principled commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights in both policy and public messaging.
Full briefings on Article 8 and Deportation and Article 8: Private and Family Life are available at https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/rmr-programme-specific-issues-brie…
MIL OSI NGO –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Misrepresentations of Article 8 fuel hostility, mistrust and bad law
Source: Amnesty International –

Amnesty International is accusing successive UK governments of dismantling domestic safeguards against wrongful immigration decisions, forcing claimants to rely solely on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and then attacking Article 8 for the inevitable outcome: appeals allowed on Article 8 grounds rather than on previously established ministerial rules.

In two new briefings published today, Amnesty details how political decisions and media distortions have misled the public about the role of Article 8, stoking hostility, undermining justice, and paving the way for damaging legal reforms.

The briefings explain how post-2006 changes – including the removal of key protections in deportation decisions and the 2014 restriction of appeals to human rights grounds only – have made Article 8, the right to private and family life, the sole legal safeguard for many facing removal, even those with deep roots in the UK.

Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty UK’s Refugee and Migrant Rights Programme Director, said:

“This is a classic Catch-22: governments dismantled their own safeguards, forcing people to rely on Article 8 and then blamed Article 8 for simply doing the job they required it to do.

“People threatened with exile from their homes, families and communities after years, decades, even lifetimes in the UK, are left with only Article 8 to defend them. Lawyers and judges have no choice but to centre legal cases on it.

“Article 8 has become a lightning rod for attacks on the European Convention, often based on myths that omit key facts or include absurd inventions about the significance of cats, chicken nuggets, or other nonsense.

“When governments respond by proposing to limit human rights law, they validate false narratives, and conceal their role in creating the crisis now threatening fundamental justice.

“We need leadership that tells the truth. Article 8 doesn’t block deportations; it blocks injustice. It says you can’t tear someone away from their child or partner without strong, proportionate reason. That’s not weakness. That’s decency. And it’s the law.

“But the Government could reduce the pressure on Article 8, by reinstating rules that recognise the complex human realities behind immigration cases.”

Not a loophole: Article 8 is the last line of defence

Until 2006, deportation decisions took account of a person’s full circumstances including their age, long residence, family ties, and community links. But successive governments stripped away these safeguards, leaving human rights, especially Article 8, as often the only meaningful legal basis for appeal.

Today, in most non-asylum immigration cases, Article 8 is the only legal protection left standing. For many, it’s the final barrier to unjust separation from loved ones.

Absurd myths, real consequences

Amnesty’s briefings expose how politicians and media figures have distorted judicial decisions misrepresenting rulings by highlighting trivial details and omitting core reasons. This creates the false impression that judges act irrationally or are out of touch.

Examples include:
1. Presenting irrelevant details (e.g. owning a pet, preferring a type of chicken nugget) as the basis for a ruling.
2. Selectively reporting parts of decisions to give a misleading impression.
One notorious case saw a former Home Secretary falsely claim that a man avoided deportation because of his cat. In fact, the real issue was his legally recognised relationship and the Home Office’s own failure to follow its policy.

These myths help justify bad legislation and rules that obscure the human impact of government policy and leave courts and Article 8 as the sole defence against injustice.

Yvette Cooper’s review must confront – not compound – misrepresentations

Amnesty is urging the Home Secretary to ensure that her review of Article 8’s role in immigration law starts with honesty and accuracy.

Successive governments created this dependency on Article 8 by stripping away other safeguards. Any serious review must acknowledge this history, not add to the misinformation.

Steve Valdez-Symonds said:

“The Government is at a crossroads. It can restore fair, domestic rules so people aren’t forced to rely solely on Article 8. Or it can continue the pattern of blaming the law for its own failures.

“If ministers choose the latter, they fuel false hostility and undermine public trust in human rights altogether. That path leads to the legal Wild West, where no one’s rights are safe.”

Amnesty’s recommendations

To restore fairness, integrity, and public confidence, Amnesty International UK is calling for:
1. Public correction of misleading narratives about Article 8 and deportation;
2. Reinstatement of broader decision-making criteria including long residence, caregiving responsibilities, and community ties;
3. Repeal of harmful laws, including:
- Automatic deportation under the UK Borders Act 2007;
- Appeal restrictions introduced in 2014;
1. Protection from deportation for people with a right to British citizenship, especially those born or raised in the UK;
2. Full and principled commitment to the European Convention on Human Rights in both policy and public messaging.
Full briefings on Article 8 and Deportation and Article 8: Private and Family Life are available at https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/rmr-programme-specific-issues-brie…
MIL OSI NGO –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall & the Trump Administration to Streamline the Prior Authorization Process in Medicare

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Department of Health and Human Services Secretary (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz in laying out six specific pillars of agreement on plans to improve patient outcomes and reduce administrative burdens in Medicare Advantage.
“I am grateful for the Trump Administration’s support of my legislation, the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which will greatly benefit the speed and quality of care that our Seniors rely upon,” said Senator Marshall. “Likewise, I am proud to support the administration in its noble goal to streamline the prior authorization process and remove burdensome regulations from the patient-doctor relationship.”
In the six pillars of agreement, the Trump Administration and Senator Marshall have the following overlap, thanks to the Senator’s Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act:
Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization – establishing an electronic prior authorization program and requiring MA plans to adopt electronic prior authorization capabilities.
Reducing the Scope of Claims Subject to Prior Authorization – streamlining the prior authorization process for routinely approved services.
Ensuring Continuity of Care When Patients Change Plans – protecting patients from disruptions in care due to prior authorization requirements when transitioning plans
Enhancing Communication and Transparency on Determinations – increasing transparency around prior authorization use.
Expanding real-time responses – requiring HHS to review items and services eligible for real-time decisions.
Ensuring Medical Review of Non-Approved Requests – ensuring prior authorization requests are reviewed by qualified medical personnel.
Background:
Senator Marshall reintroduced the Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act in May 2025. The full text of the legislation can be found here.
Prior authorization is a tool used by health plans to reduce unnecessary care by requiring health care providers to get pre-approval for medical services. However, the current system often results in multiple faxes or phone calls by clinicians, which takes time away from delivering care.
Prior authorization continues to be the number-one administrative burden identified by health care providers, and nearly three out of four Medicare Advantage enrollees are subject to unnecessary delays due to the practice.
The bill would codify and enhance elements of the Advancing Interoperability and Improving Prior Authorization Processes (e-PA) rule that was finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on January 17, 2024.
Last Congress, the bill was supported by a super majority of members in the Senate (60) and a majority in the House (232), and was unanimously passed by the House in 2022.
In 2018, the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) raised concerns after an audit revealed that Medicare Advantage plans ultimately approved 75% of requests that were originally denied.
In 2022, the HHS Office of Inspector General released a report finding that MA plans incorrectly denied beneficiaries’ access to services even though they met Medicare coverage rules.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand Statement On The Third Anniversary Of The Dobbs Decision

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand
Today, on the third anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, which overturned Roe v. Wade, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement:
“Three years ago, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court overturned women’s rights to bodily autonomy, privacy, and reproductive care. Since then, states across the country have criminalized abortion, threatened access to IVF, and denied millions of women access to basic medical care. And now, as part of President Trump’s so-called ‘Big Beautiful Bill,’ the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are trying to bar Medicaid patients from seeking services like STI testing, cervical cancer screenings, and contraception at Planned Parenthood clinics. These attempts to strip women of their rights remain as disgusting today as they were three years ago.
Despite ongoing attempts to restrict reproductive rights, most Americans believe that women should have the right to choose what to do with their bodies. The vast majority of state ballot initiatives regarding reproductive rights have passed in favor of expanding or protecting them enshrining these rights in state constitutions from New York to Missouri to Arizona.
But relying on the states is not enough. We must continue to do everything we can to make sure every woman, regardless of where she lives, has access to safe, legal reproductive care. That’s why I support the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would codify a national right to abortion, restoring Roe v. Wade as the law of the land. I’m also fighting to pass federal legislation to guarantee access to contraception, IVF, and other health care and resources that are necessary to give women the reproductive choices they deserve.
I will not stop fighting until every American regains the right to reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy.”

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend the Voices of Afghan Women and Girls Demanding Justice, Ask about Discriminatory Laws and Edicts and the Ban on Education

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan, with Committee Experts extending profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan demanding justice, while raising concerns about the discriminatory laws and edicts imposed since the military takeover by the Taliban in 2021, and the ban on education.

Bandana Rana, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, extended profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan, whose voices continued to resonate across the world, demanding justice. Another Expert urged all States parties to amplify the voices of Afghan women.

A Committee Expert said the dismantling of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replacing it with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue was a violation of article 3. The law on vice and virtue silenced women’s voices in public and muffled their voices in private. A March 2024 announcement enforced public flogging, and there had been numerous women publicly flogged for crimes ranging from adultery to dress code violations. The reinstation of the stoning edict constituted torture and violated the rights to women’s liberty.

Another Committee Expert said education was one of the most important conditions for securing women and girls’ rights to equality. Hence, it was deeply concerning that all eight sub-articles under article 10 were being violated by the State party. Following the de facto authorities order to close secondary schools in 2021, schools today remained closed. A shocking 30 per cent of girls in the State party did not even receive primary education. All Afghan women and girls were entitled to receive full education. Another concern was that young boys and girls were sent to religious madrasas where the curriculum was aligned with the most extreme versions of Islam.

In response to these comments and questions, the delegation said the edicts imposed by the de facto authorities amounted to gender apartheid. The discrimination that women in Afghanistan faced was unparalleled globally. There were no laws ensuring human rights in the country. Women had been left to view these values as unattainable. The Taliban de facto authorities had stated that Sharia law was the applicable legal framework in Afghanistan. The Taliban had abolished mechanisms promoting gender equality, and projects promoting gender equality had ceased operations.

The delegation said the issue of education had been at the forefront of all of Afghanistan’s struggles and the international community’s demands. The international community had continually emphasised the need for schools to open, and now there was no hope this would occur. There were currently efforts to implement small-scale education programmes on the ground. This was better than nothing but could not address a systematic ban and an increasing number of jihadi madrasas. There needed to be a mechanism to push the education project into Afghanistan, going over the Taliban’s restrictions, using technology.

Introducing the report, Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said that during the last review before the Committee in 2020, the delegation had been led by a woman from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which had since been abolished from the Government and replaced by the Ministry of Virtue and Vice. Since August 2021, there had been over four years of systematic, widespread assault on every aspect of life of women and girls, a complete and total erasure and dehumanisation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

The laws, policies and institutions that were once enacted to promote and protect women’s rights had been replaced with an intentionally designed edifice of oppression, including discriminatory edicts, decrees, declarations, orders, culminating in a so-called law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice, Mr. Andisha said.

In closing remarks, Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, said every member of the Committee was concerned and stood in solidarity with Afghanistan. This had been one of the most important considerations of a country report. Ms. Haidar thanked all those from Afghanistan who came to share their views.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Andisha appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Committee. The Committee had created a vital pathway to ensure the voices of Afghan women and girls were heard. Since August 2021, the situation for Afghan women and girls had deteriorated into a system of gender apartheid, which went against every article of the Convention. It was time to listen, support and stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan. They must be at the centre of every solution.

The delegation of Afghanistan was comprised of representatives of the National Human Rights Commission of Afghanistan; the Afghanistan Parliament; the Afghanistan Senate; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Canada; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Australia; the Ambassador of Afghanistan in Austria; the Administrative Reform Commission; Afghan diplomats; human rights activists; and the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninety-first session is being held from 16 June to 4 July. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage. Meeting summary releases can be found here. The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, 25 June to begin its consideration of the combined initial to fifth periodic reports of San Marino (CEDAW/C/SMR/1-5).

Report

The Committee has before it the fourth periodic report of Afghanistan (CEDAW/C/AFG/4).

Presentation of Report

NASIR AHMAD ANDISHA, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, thanked the Committee for undertaking this exceptional process despite the extraordinary situation in Afghanistan, where dark clouds overshadowed the lives of women and girls. Afghanistan had ratified the Convention in 2003, without reservation, marking a landmark step forward for women’s rights in the country.

During the last review before the Committee in 2020, the delegation had been led by a woman from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which had since been abolished from the Government and replaced by the Ministry of Virtue and Vice. Since August 2021, there had been over four years of systematic, widespread assault on every aspect of life of women and girls, a complete and total erasure and dehumanisation of women and girls in Afghanistan. The laws, policies and institutions that were once enacted to promote and protect women’s rights had been replaced with an intentionally designed edifice of oppression, including discriminatory edicts, decrees, declarations, orders, culminating in a so-called law on the promotion of virtue and the prevention of vice.

Despite challenges in the preparation of the report, it aimed to provide a comprehensive and accurate account of the situation on the ground since 15 August 2021, reflecting an inclusive and participatory approach. The report strove to ensure the international community took effective action based on verified information by proposing concrete recommendations for the path forward. These recommendations aimed to offer hope, a vision, and a path forward towards the transformation of Afghanistan’s society through practical pathways for change in the lives of women and girls at a time when the Taliban de facto authorities had called the situation of women and girls an ‘internal’ matter”.

The Committee would hear how girls who still could attend school felt they needed to make the desperate choice to end their lives or were forced into marriage. The dialogue today aimed to fulfil Afghanistan’s commitment to the international system. Regardless of the Taliban’s approach, Afghanistan was taking its commitments to the international system seriously.

SIMA SAMAR, Former President of the National Human Rights Commission, said the dialogue today was exceptional. The staff of the Afghanistan embassy did not have to defend themselves regarding the implementation of the Convention in the country. The Committee and the Ambassador were on the same page. The situation in Afghanistan was exceptional. After the removal of the Taliban in 2001, use of the word gender apartheid had stopped, and everyone thought they would never have to deal with this regime again. Unfortunately, there was no other definition for what was happening in Afghanistan today.

Afghanistan had a unique situation. The de facto authority aimed to erase women from public life and put restrictions on women without accountability and justice; this was a key core of their policies. All protection mechanisms established over the past 20 years had been abolished by the Taliban. Afghanistan was the only Islamic country which had ratified the Convention without reservation. The normalisation of the present violations of the human rights situation in Afghanistan was a scary concept. The way Afghanistan now treated women led to a continuation of conflict.

FAWZIA KOOFI, Former member of the Afghanistan Parliament, thanked the Committee for listening to the women and girls of Afghanistan. The women before the Committee were in a unique and tragic position; they were here to represent a State but they did not have a State. It was emotional and heart wrenching. Since the Taliban returned to power, women had been systemically excluded from every sphere of political and public life. All mechanisms enabling women to participate in governance had been dismantled. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs had been abolished and replaced by the Ministry of Vice and Virtue, which used the police to supress women’s autonomy. Women had been entirely excluded from the civil justice system. Female prosecutors had been dismissed and faced security threats, particularly from former Taliban prisoners released on 15 August.

No female leaders were engaged in any decision-making processes at any level in Afghanistan. Women and girls were deliberately excluded from diplomatic negotiations and from international forums and engagements. Just one month after the Doha meeting, where no women were included, the law on vice and virtue was instigated, which effectively rendered women as second class citizens. Girls could not attend school after a certain age but could attend madrasa schools which promoted radicalisation. The Taliban needed to be held accountable for violations of the Convention.

SHUKRIA BARAKZAI, Former member of the Afghanistan Parliament, said today, Afghanistan was facing the worst system of gender apartheid. The de facto authorities had erased the legal identity of women and removed their presence from work and public life. These were clear violations of international law and the Convention. Yet despite this situation, Afghan women were showing resilience; their bravery must not go unnoticed. The Committee was urged to recognise gender apartheid as a grave violation of the Convention; hold the de facto authorities accountable for systematic discrimination; and to support Afghan women inside and outside of the country.

In Iran, Afghan women could not buy food or use their credit cards. Embassies had been shut down and were not providing simple documents. Recently, a new order was announced by the Taliban that female doctors and nurses could not go to their work without a male member of their family accompanying them (mahram). The Convention should not just be a Convention, but an obligation.

Questions by a Committee Expert

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, extended profound appreciation to the women and girls of Afghanistan, whose voices continued to resonate across the world demanding justice. The dialogue transcended mere procedure; it unfolded against the stark reality of one of the gravest human rights catastrophes confronting women and girls. It was hoped that today’s exchange would prove constructive, anchored in mutual respect, steadfast commitment to strengthening accountability for the rights of Afghan women and girls.

Since the de facto authorities assumed control, Afghan women and girls had suffered an unprecedented and systematic obliteration of their rights. The prohibition of girls’ education beyond primary school, limitation to access to justice and healthcare, the wholesale exclusion of women from public and civic participation, and the systematic dismantling of constitutional protections constituted flagrant violations of the Convention’s fundamental principles.

The Committee bore a solemn obligation, a legal, international and moral imperative, to examine these developments with unflinching clarity and uncompromising resolve. The Committee remained steadfast in its openness to future engagement. To the de facto authorities, to States wielding influence, and to the international community at large: silence was complicity, not neutrality. It was hoped that today’s dialogue would serve to deepen the accountability of all stakeholders, and galvanise a renewed and unified commitment to restore the inalienable human rights of Afghan women and girls.

Since the takeover in August 2021, the de facto authorities had issued a sweeping series of edicts and decrees that institutionalised gender-based discrimination, directly violating article 1 of the Convention. This discrimination was systemic and far-reaching, affecting every aspect of public, political, social, economic and cultural life. Women and girls were barred from secondary and tertiary education, excluded from most forms of employment, severely restricted in their freedom of movement, and denied participation in political and public life. The Committee expressed its profound concern regarding these deep and entrenched violations. The abolition of Afghanistan’s 2004 Constitution, and the dismantling of key legislative protection, including the law on the elimination of violence against women, were grave violations of article 2. The inconsistent and opaque application of religious and customary law reinforced patriarchal norms, especially in areas such as family law, inheritance, and protection from violence, further entrenching gender inequality.

The Committee was deeply alarmed by the erosion of legal institutions and access to justice. The dissolution of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, closure of family courts, termination of women’s protection centres, and the cessation of legal aid services, dismantled essential accountability mechanisms for survivors of gender-based violence. Since August 2021, many non-governmental organizations had been forced to cease operations, suspend activities, or function underground. Women human rights defenders were subjected to arbitrary detention, harassment and threats.

Prior to the 2021 takeover, Afghanistan had adopted a national action plan on United Nations Security Council resolution 1325, establishing a foundational framework for women’s participation in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and reconstruction. This framework had now been dismantled. Afghanistan currently ranked last on the global women, peace and security index, reflecting the acute deterioration in women’s inclusion, access to justice, and personal safety. The Committee remained gravely concerned about the systematic and institutionalised discrimination endured by women and girls in Afghanistan, and urgently called upon the de facto authorities and the international community to intensify its efforts, and to uphold the rights of Afghan women and girls in compliance with the Convention.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation had categorically rejected the Taliban’s assertion that its actions were based on Sharia law. The 2004 Constitution had been dismantled by the Taliban. Since August 2021, the Taliban had issued over 100 decrees which had the effect of segregating women and girls. Every new decree aimed to further oppress women. The Taliban had contravened every article in the Convention. In its recommendations to the international community, the Committee was urged to refrain from normalising the Taliban’s activities; ensure any engagement with the Taliban de facto authorities was contingent on respect for the human rights of all, and promoted an equitable gender government; recognise and codify gender apartheid as an international crime; and adopt a new legitimate Constitution through a consultative process, among other measures.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said the dismantling of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replacing it with the Ministry of Vice and Virtue was a violation of article 3. The law on vice and virtue silenced women’s voices in public and muffled their voices in private. A March 2024 announcement enforced public flogging, and there had been numerous women publicly flogged for crimes ranging from adultery to dress code violations. The reinstation of the stoning edict constituted torture and violated the rights to women’s liberty. Impunity in the criminal justice system eroded international law. There were numerous punishments of women being beaten with whips, for cases such as making eye contact with men who were not family members.

The application by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants broke new grounds, marking the first time gender persecution had been charged as a standalone charge. Rape and other forms of sexual violence and forced marriage were violations of the Rome Statute. These crimes may rise to the level of what was increasingly being recognised as a form of gender apartheid, which must be codified in the draft Convention on crimes against humanity. All States parties were asked to amplify the voices of Afghan women.

Another Expert said the Committee expressed its deep concerns regarding the abolished efforts in the State party to increase women’s participation in public life through temporary special measures. Between 2001 and 2021, several special measures were introduced by the previous government with the goal of achieving greater equality for women. Among other policies, the election law reserved at least 25 per cent of the seats in each Provincial, District, and Village Council for female candidates. Such laws and policies managed to increase the representation of women in Community Development Councils to almost 50 per cent in 2019 and in civil service from almost zero per cent during the previous regime (1996–2001) to 28 per cent in 2020. Yet, since taking power in 2021, the de facto authorities had dismantled all measures and programmes aimed at eliminating gender-based prejudices and promoting equality.

The Committee called for all countries to employ whatever tools at their disposal to aid Afghan women and girls, including by putting in place special measures to deliver funding to local and international aid organizations, increasing quotas for resettlement of Afghani female refugees, and cooperating with neighbouring countries to ensure the safety of Afghani women in their territories.

Responses by the Delegation

The edicts imposed by the de facto authorities amounted to gender apartheid, the delegation said. The discrimination that women in Afghanistan faced was unparalleled globally. There were no laws ensuring human rights in the country. Women had been left to view these values as unattainable. The Taliban de facto authorities had stated that Sharia law was the applicable legal framework in Afghanistan. The Taliban had abolished mechanisms promoting gender equality, and projects promoting gender equality had ceased operations. All gender offices had been eliminated. Women were left with no legal recourse. Women faced considerable challenges to legal representation.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said Afghan women underwent the worst forms of violence. The Committee was alarmed by information provided by United Nations Women, including that instances of gender-based violence against women and girls had increased substantially. The decrees published by the de facto authorities had remained dead letters due to the culture of impunity surrounding these acts. These harmful practices did not respect the implementation of article 5 of the Convention and were flagrant violations of international law.

Another Expert said Afghanistan continued to serve as a transit and destination country for forced labour and sexual exploitation. Many women had been coerced into prostitution and forced marriage. There were now not merely inadequate trafficking efforts, but the creation of conditions which made trafficking inevitable. The December 2024 ban on women attending medical institutions had eliminated their last pathway to higher education. This systematic exclusion violated several articles of the Convention and created a desperate situation which drove women towards trafficking.

The criminalisation of trafficking victims was highly alarming. Women and girls could be charged for “zina” (sex outside of marriage) after being forced into trafficking. It was acknowledged that the de facto authorities issued a decree around trafficking, however, this decree was inadequate compared to previous legislative frameworks. The previous government’s efforts to coordinate trafficking efforts had been dismantled and there were no forms of victim identification. There could be no effective trafficking response without full restoration of women’s rights.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Islam and Sharia recognised and supported the rights of women and girls. The Taliban de facto authorities had weaponised their interpretation of culture and religion and systematically restricted every part of women’s lives. These interpretations undermined the agency of women and girls. Space for women was being limited under the pretence of “culture”. The term “gender apartheid” should be codified.

Women and girls made up the majority of trafficking victims inside and outside Afghanistan. The de facto authorities made no effort to stop these crimes; shelters had been shut down and systems to prosecute traffickers had been dismantled. Girls faced a higher risk due to being denied their rights to education. Many women were especially vulnerable, including those who were internally displaced. The recent statement by some countries in support of women in Afghanistan was welcomed. The Committee was urged to recommend that the international community took strong actions to protect women at risk. The right to live free from violence, exploitation and trafficking was not optional.

Digital abuse had not received proper attention, and this was something which needed to be addressed.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said previously, Afghan women had been active participants in politics, and by 2020 women comprised around one fifth of civil servants. However, even during this period of progress, women had faced numerous threats in political life. Women’s voices in peace processes remained largely ceremonial. Since August 2021, the erasure of Afghan women from public and political life was deeply concerning. The Expert condemned the dismantling of the Constitutional guarantee for 27 per cent of female political participation. Not a single women served in the de facto administration. This stance starkly contravened the Convention. The complete exclusion of women from the judiciary was extremely concerning.

Another Expert said the Committee was deeply concerned at the ongoing violations of Afghan women regarding their right to identity, including their inability to have access to identity documents. Women in Afghanistan could not register the birth of their children and had to rely on a man to do it for them. They were denied the possibility of transmitting their nationality to their children. This situation was complicated when it came to women in situations of heightened risk. The lack of civil documentation affected a high percentage of women, putting them at a major risk of ending up as a victim of human trafficking. There was a pressing need for States, multilateral organizations and those with a presence on the ground to work on a coordinated basis to support documents relating to civil documentation with a gender perspective. It was essential to roll out awareness raising campaigns targeting community and religious leaders.

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee expressed concern regarding the exclusion of Afghan women from international discussions, including the Doha talks. Refugee and asylum-seeking women must have access to gender sensitive asylum procedures. All host and transit States were urged to uphold their obligations under the Convention.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said female representation across Afghanistan had previously been comprised of 35 per cent of women and was now at zero per cent. Now that public space was completely closed to women, this space was only provided by the United Nations. Recently, there had been reports that United Nations female staff were detained by the Taliban.

It was currently much more difficult for women in Afghanistan to receive a passport. If they were single, then they needed a man to go with them to apply. This had stripped women from fully enjoying their rights as country nationals. It was difficult to see the de facto authorities appointing females to represent Afghanistan on an international level.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert said education was one of the most important conditions for securing women and girls’ rights to equality. Hence, it was deeply concerning that all eight sub-articles under article 10 were being violated by the State party. In 2017, more than one third of the student population were girls. The Constitution and national law provided the right to education without discrimination, and women regularly entered higher education. Following the de facto authorities order to close secondary schools in 2021, schools today remained closed. A shocking 30 per cent of girls in the State party did not even receive primary education. All Afghan women and girls were entitled to receive full education.

Another concern was that young boys and girls were sent to religious madrasas where the curriculum was aligned with the most extreme versions of Islam. The exclusion of half the population from education aimed to erase women and girls from public and intellectual life. These restrictions had led to a rise in early marriage and child labour, and deepened poverty in an already poor country. The de-facto authorities must reverse all education bans and allow girls to receive an education; there must be pressure from the international community to ensure this occurred.

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said host countries were obliged under the Convention to ensure equal education opportunities for Afghan girls who were refugees.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the issue of education had been at the forefront of all of Afghanistan’s struggles and the international community’s demands. The international community had continually emphasised the need for schools to open, and now there was no hope this would occur. There were currently efforts to implement small-scale education programmes on the ground. This was better than nothing, but could not address a systematic ban and an increasing number of jihadi madrasas. In a few years, there would be female Taliban supporters leaving these institutions. There needed to be a mechanism to push the education project into Afghanistan, going over the Taliban’s restrictions, using technology.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the Committee expressed deep concern at the erosion of Afghan’s women’s right to work. Most female civil servants had been barred from returning to their jobs since the de facto authorities assumed power in 2021. In 2022, Afghan women were banned from working for non-governmental organizations, as well as United Nations organizations. The requirement for a male guardian had resulted in women being stopped from commuting to work all together. Women in formal labour dropped from around 14 per cent in 2021 to just five per cent in 2023. Women headed households had been disproportionately impacted by poverty. This was a national development crisis requiring urgent international action. The right to work was a core human right, fundamental to human dignity and social stability.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the Taliban de facto authorities had banned women from working in non-governmental organizations. The loss of this infrastructure had most severely affected the country’s most vulnerable. Today the majority of Afghan women were excluded from income-generating activities. Unleashing women’s economic potential would unlock the future of the country. Excluding women had cost the Afghan economy almost a billion dollars. Previously, women had been very active in the private sector and in the civil service. It had been almost two years that women who had retired were not receiving their pensions, which made the situation even more difficult.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the Committee was concerned about the health situation of women in Afghanistan and their access to basic health services. The systematic restrictive measures taken by the de facto authorities had seriously impacted women’s access to health care. They faced greater barriers to accessing health care owing to scarce resources and cultural norms, which only allowed women to be treated by women. Afghanistan had one of the highest child mortality rates in the world, with around 625 deaths per 100,000 births. This rate was higher in rural and remote areas. Women had reported high rates of bad mental health and accounted for the majority of suicide attempts. The Taliban’s disregard of the health of women was a violation of the Convention. The de facto authorities must lift relevant restrictions to create a social and cultural environment conducive to women’s physical and mental health. It was also hoped that the international community would call on Afghanistan to rebuild its healthcare system and reintroduce the training of female health care professionals.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said access to health, and the reduction in maternal and child mortality had been areas where Afghanistan had made phenomenal progress before 2021. Unfortunately, the past four years of reversal had almost washed away all these achievements.

Reports of desperation, anxiety and suicide were widespread and worsening. No mental health support was available to women. The ability of women to access medical treatment had been severely constricted, as they were denied healthcare without a male guardian. Many women in rural areas died during childbirth due to a lack of resources. The number of female doctors and midwives had already been insufficient before the ban. The closing of midwife schools could mean that in 10 years, there would be no trained midwives. The Committee was urged to consider increasing offers to support medical and consulting services and create a safe space, shelter and support centre for those in exile.

Access to education was the strongest tool for empowerment; the Taliban was denying this access to restrict the empowerment of women and control them. The connection between health and education was undeniable, as education gave women and girls the opportunity to choose their profession and their lives. The radicalisation of girls in the family was also a frightening concept for the country.

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said following the Taliban takeover, sanitation and water infrastructure in Afghanistan had collapsed, drastically impacting women and girls. The restriction of hammams had also restricted women’s hygiene.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the policies of the Taliban directly attacked the mental health of women in Afghanistan. Young girls also did not receive iron tablets from the schools under Taliban rule, and periods were considered taboo. Vaccinations had now been banned and Afghanistan was the only country with cases of polio.

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said it was alarming that over 90 per cent of the population had been plunged into poverty. Women were banished from economic activity and struggled to meet basic needs. The economy had sharply declined. It was perturbing that only 6.8 per cent of women had a personal or joint bank account, compared to 21 per cent of men. There was grave concern that the lockout of women and girls from businesses had stifled the economy. The international community and private sector trading partners were urged to increase pressure to uphold women and girls as critical contributors to the economy.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said since the Taliban’s military takeover, all economic activity by women had ceased after it had been driven underground or was conducted by male intermediaries. Women-led households were confronting impossible choices, including forced marriage or the sale of children. Families were trading household belongings or their daughters for survival. There was no functioning social safety net; pensions had been stripped away. Women were increasingly barred from inheriting or owning land, homes or other assets. Over 40 public libraries and community art centres had been shut down since April. Female artists had fled to exile and those who remained lived in fear. Women’s access to financial resources needed to be enhanced, as did women’s access to cultural opportunities. These were essential to rebuilding Afghanistan.

Questions by a Committee Expert

An Expert said rural women no longer had access to land or credit and had been nearly totally erased from public spaces. The Committee was alarmed about the near collapse of maternal and reproductive healthcare in rural areas. Women with disabilities faced systemic neglect and heightened exposure to abuse. The Committee was also concerned about the forced and mass return of Afghan nationals from Iran and Pakistan since 2023. The plight of child widows and orphaned girls in rural regions was also alarming. This violation represented a widespread denial of the rights recognised under the Convention. Women and girls were also being excluded from technology, including artificial intelligence.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the discrimination faced by women in Afghanistan was even worse for rural women, and those from diverse ethnic groups. Women human rights defenders were especially at risk. Rural women were also hit harder by climate change and disasters, with no system to help them recover. The Committee was urged to ensure that women and civil society inside Afghanistan were able to participate in the development of strategies conducive to the Convention. Even a cell phone in Afghanistan was not considered personal property; all communications were checked. All Afghan women were facing the same type of discrimination, whatever their ethnicity, religion or where they lived. The Olympic Committee in Afghanistan was under the control of the Taliban; the Committee was called on to show support for Afghan athletes, who were largely based outside of Afghanistan.

Questions by a Committee Expert

A Committee Expert said the access of women to inheritance was an area where there had been modest progress. Courts were currently led by male religious leaders. Forced marriage and child marriage were other concerning areas. Divorce for women had become almost impossible in practice. Gender-based violence in Afghanistan had increased significantly in a context of impunity. The authorities were recommended to establish basic guarantees for women and girls in line with international human rights standards. The explicit prohibition needed to be outlined, and 18 needed to be laid out as the minimum age for marriage.

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the arbitrary arrests of women human rights defenders and activists further undermined the Convention. Nearly 80 per cent of young women were now excluded from education and employment opportunities. As such, forced and child marriage increased significantly. Forced marriage denied women autonomy and led to gender-based violence and risk of death. The international community was urged to support grassroots organizations working for women’s equality, especially women-led organizations.

The decline of gender equality was a global trend. It was hard for Afghan women and girls to find their way; sometimes they were banned by their own international allies. How could the women make themselves relevant? The Committee had a huge responsibility in this regard. Due urgency had not been given while Afghanistan was losing generations of women. There needed to be space for the people of Afghanistan to create their own narrative for their country. Women should be put in the driving seat; they knew how to fix their country.

The Taliban had engaged in acts of polygamy with underage girls. They had cancelled all court orders for women seeking divorce. There was no longer a body to make law in Afghanistan and there was no Constitution. The Committee must be more than a monitoring body; it needed to be a defender of justice. Afghan women needed more than a statement; they needed action.

Closing Remarks

NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, said every member of the Committee was concerned and stood in solidarity with Afghanistan. The Committee Experts did not represent Governments, but they could speak to all States parties. Within their limited authority and mandate, they were doing all they possibly could to carry the voices of the women in Afghanistan to those who could take action. It was frustrating when the Committee’s concluding observations did not translate into action. The action was not necessarily in the hands of the Committee, but they would pave the way for it. This had been one of the most important considerations of a country report. Ms. Haidar thanked all those from Afghanistan who came to share their views.

BANDANA RANA, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said the Committee would do everything within its mandate to improve the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan. The Committee called on the de facto authorities to restore women’s rights as a matter of urgency, and for the international community’s support. Ms. Rana thanked all those from Afghanistan who had shared their experiences with the Committee.

SIMA SAMAR, Former President of the National Human Rights Commission, thanked the Committee for protecting women’s rights around the world. Having a lack of female representation was a threat to peace and security. Ms. Samar thanked the Committee Experts for their solidarity with the women of Afghanistan.

NASIR AHMAD ANDISHA, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said he appreciated the opportunity to engage with the Committee. The Committee had created a vital pathway to ensure the voices of Afghan women and girls were heard. Since August 2021, the situation for Afghan women and girls had deteriorated into a system of gender apartheid, which went against every article of the Convention. Afghanistan’s women and girls may be denied their dignity, but they were the strongest advocates of human rights.

The Committee was urged to expand its procedures in response to the situation in Afghanistan, including to cooperate with the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which allowed for individual complaints. States were urged to establish a gender response and accountability mechanism. The human rights system should improve coordination across the United Nations system, with a view to promoting and protecting human rights. It was time to listen, support and stand in solidarity with the women and girls of Afghanistan. They must be at the centre of every solution.

___________

Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media;
not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

CEDAW25.017E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: iFLYTEK and Xunfei Healthcare launches Hong Kong office to drive AI innovation ecosystem (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

iFLYTEK and Xunfei Healthcare launches Hong Kong office to drive AI innovation ecosystem (with photo)
The Director-General of OASES, Mr Peter Yan, attended the inauguration ceremony and stated, “iFLYTEK – Xunfei Healthcare has achieved remarkable success in the field of AI. Its technological applications are closely aligned with Hong Kong’s direction for I&T development. The company’s decision to establish its international headquarters and research institute in Hong Kong will contribute significantly to the development of the local industry chains such as AI and models. With particular regard to smart healthcare, it is expected to enhance the efficiency and quality of healthcare services, ultimately benefitting a broader patient population. OASES will continue to support strategic enterprises in expanding their presence in Hong Kong and help build the city into a globally competitive I&T hub.”

The Chairman of the Board of iFLYTEK Co Ltd, Dr Liu Qingfeng, stated, “With its world-class scientific research infrastructure and vibrant innovation ecosystem, Hong Kong provides an ideal regional strategic base for iFLYTEK – Xunfei Healthcare. Going forward, we will deepen collaborations with local universities and institutions to strengthen technology exchange and broaden applications. We also plan to actively expand into Southeast Asia, ‘Belt and Road’ markets, and other overseas regions to promote AI technology on a global scale.”

iFLYTEK – Xunfei Healthcare continues to drive breakthroughs through innovative algorithms and has achieved significant results in various fields, including smart education, smart healthcare, and intelligent office solutions.
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For more information about iFLYTEK – Xunfei Healthcare, please visit: www.iflytek.comIssued at HKT 19:58

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 123 arrested in ImmD anti-illegal worker focused operations (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

123 arrested in ImmD anti-illegal worker focused operations
The ImmD has long been highly vigilant against the problem of illegal employment and has taken vigorous and effective enforcement actions. In the past month and a half, the ImmD has mounted intelligence-led focused operations against illegal employment in the catering, cleaning and renovation industries. From May 19 to June 23, ImmD investigators conducted raids at 815 targeted locations across various districts in Hong Kong, resulting in the arrest of 89 illegal workers, 31 employers and three aiders and abettors. During an operation targeting the catering industry, ImmD investigators employed strategies including decoy operations at targeted restaurants, and conducted focused investigations at popular gathering spots for food delivery riders across multiple districts. A total of 60 illegal workers related to the catering industry were arrested, including dishwashers, kitchen workers, waiters, waitresses and food delivery riders. Furthermore, the ImmD conducted operations at housing estates and premises under renovation across various districts, arresting 14 illegal workers engaged in renovation and cleaning work.

The arrested illegal workers, aged between 21 and 67, comprised 45 non-ethnic Chinese persons (21 men and 24 women, including 14 men and nine women holding recognisance forms prohibiting them from taking any employment) and 44 Mainlanders (12 men and 32 women). Among the illegal workers arrested, 18 persons were suspected of using and being in possession of forged Hong Kong identity cards, while three persons were suspected of using and being in possession of another person’s identity card. Additionally, 34 Hong Kong residents (18 men and 16 women) were arrested for suspected involvement in employing illegal workers or aiding and abetting others in breaching their conditions of stay in Hong Kong.

Among the arrested illegal workers, 58 persons have been prosecuted for offences under the Immigration Ordinance, including breach of conditions of stay, using and being in possession of a forged Hong Kong identity card, and taking employment while being an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land. Among them, 46 persons have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 54 days to 22 months. The enforcement actions are ongoing, and the ImmD does not rule out the possibility of further arrests or prosecutions.

The spokesman said that the ImmD will continue to combat illegal employment activities. The ImmD is committed to combating illegal employment by illegal immigrants, visitors, foreign domestic helpers, and imported workers bound by specific employment conditions in order to protect the local labour market. If illegal activities are suspected, citizens may contact the ImmD’s dedicated hotline (2824 1551), email (anti_crime@immd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 19:00

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MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Interior designer and contractor fined $260,000 in total for contravention of Buildings Ordinance

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

â€‹An interior designer and a contractor were fined $260,000 in total at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts today (June 24), for contravention of the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO).

â€‹The case involved the removal of part of a structural wall in a unit at The Capitol, Lohas Park, between 2022 and 2023. An investigation by the Buildings Department (BD) found that the interior designer and the contractor responsible for the renovation of the unit concerned knowingly carried out the works without prior approval and consent from the BD, thereby contravening section 40(1AA) of the BO. Moreover, the removal of part of the structural wall by the contractor was carried out in such a manner as was likely to cause a risk of injury to any person or damage to any property, thereby contravening section 40(2B)(b) of the BO. Hence, the BD instigated prosecution action under the BO against the interior designer and the contractor in May last year. The interior designer and the contractor were convicted and fined $60,000 and $200,000 respectively at the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court today.

â€‹In addition, the BD has also instigated prosecution action against the owner of the concerned unit for contravening sections 40(1AA) and 40(2B)(b) of the BO. The hearing is adjourned to August 28.

â€‹A spokesman for the BD said that any person who intends to carry out alteration and addition works should consult building professionals for advice, including the feasibility of the works, and where necessary, apply for approval and consent from the BD to ensure building safety and compliance with the Buildings Ordinance (BO). Building professionals and contractors are required to carefully examine the approved plans and other relevant documents to observe the relevant requirements under the BO, and to ascertain whether prior approval from the BD should be obtained before commencement of the works to ensure the safety of the occupants and the structural safety of the building.

â€‹Pursuant to section 40(1AA) of the BO, any person who knowingly contravenes section 14(1) of the BO (i.e. commences or carries out any building works without having first obtained approval and consent from the BD) shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of $400,000 and to imprisonment for two years, and a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence continues.

â€‹Pursuant to section 40(2B)(b) of the BO, any person directly concerned with the relevant building works, who carries out or authorises or permits such works to be carried out, in such manner that it is likely to cause a risk of injury to any person or damage to any property, shall be guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: UN OCEAN CONFERENCE IN NICE (FRANCE) – PARTICIPATION OF PM FIAME NAOMI MATA’AFA

Source:

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[PRESS RELEASE] – Since Monday 9th June and until Friday 13th , more than sixty heads of state and government, including many leaders from the Pacific and Latin America, are meeting in Nice, on the French Riviera, for the 3rd United Nation Ocean Conference (UNOC3) aimed at better protecting an overheated, polluted and overfished ocean. This UNOC3 is co-chaired by France and Costa Rica.

The Samoan delegation is led by Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa. Minister for Natural Resources and Environment Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster is accompanying the Prime Minister.

Independently, the Apia-based Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) has sent an important delegation to Nice.

This conference will lead to the adoption of the Nice Ocean Action Plan that will consist of a political declaration and a list of voluntary commitments from all stakeholders.

The priorities of this Conference were set out by the President of the French Republic at the “SOS Ocean” event in Paris on March 31 and include the entry into force of the International Agreement for the Protection of the High Seas and Marine Biodiversity (the so-called “BBNJ” Agreement), the decision to at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 (Global Biodiversity Framework target 30×30), a declaration to fight against plastic pollution and the promotion of sustainable fisheries respectful of ecosystems, for our global food sovereignty.

Decarbonisation of maritime transport and supporting science and research to better understand the ocean are additional goals of this conference.

In his opening address, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that” While the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling” He called for “mobilization”;, explaining that “The first response is therefore multilateralism,”.

“The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion, it is a matter of scientifically established facts,” he also insisted. Later on, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also took this view, denouncing “the threat of unilateralism” hanging over the oceans: “We cannot allow what happened to international trade to happen to the sea,” declared President Lula, calling for “clear action” from the International Seabed Authority, while Donald Trump plans to unilaterally authorize the industrial exploitation of minerals at the bottom of the Pacific.

President Macron also insisted that Greenland, which he is due to visit at the end of the week but is coveted by Donald Trump’s United States, was “not for sale.”

“The abyss is not for sale, and no more than Greenland is for sale, nor is Antarctica or the high seas for sale,” the French president declared.

Shortly after, UN Secretary General, who visited Samoa in 2024, declared that the deep seabed must not become a “Far West.” “I hope we can turn this around. That we can replace plunder with protection,” Mr Gutteres added.

Mr. Macron also assured that the High Seas and Marine Biodiversity (the so-called “BBNJ” Agreement) would be ratified by enough countries to enter into force. “In addition to the fifty ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, fifteen countries have formally committed to joining them,” Emmanuel Macron declared.

Samoa is one of them. “This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this High Seas Treaty will be properly implemented. So it’s a done deal,” he added, without specifying a timeline. The treaty, signed in 2023, will enter into force 120 days after the sixtieth ratification. France initially hoped to obtain these sixty ratifications by the Nice conference.

Finally, several countries could also use the Nice summit to announce the creation of new marine protected areas or the banning of certain fishing practices, such as bottom trawling, in some of them.

France announced on Saturday, through Emmanuel Macron, a limitation of bottom trawling in its marine protected areas (MPAs) to preserve the seabed, but failed to convince NGOs, who criticized the “lack of ambition” of these announcements.

Many side events are also taking place during this week during this largest conference ever organized for the protection of the oceans.

Prime Minister Fiame addressed the audience in her capacity of a leader of an island country that is a victim of climate change, in particular the sea rise. Samoa has taken very strong decision recently in favour of the protection of the environment. And sent a good signal before the UN Conference of Nice, in adopting on 6 June its Marine Spatial Plan, a milestone step to fully protect 30 per cent (%) and ensure sustainable management of 100 per cent (%) of its vast ocean 120,000-square-kilometer ocean territory.

Doing such, Samoa became one of the first Pacific Island nations to adopt a legally binding plan.

END.

Photo credits: SPREP / French Embassy in Samoa).

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June 24, 2025

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected ketamine and suspected MDMA worth about $4.9 million at airport (with photo)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs seizes suspected ketamine and suspected MDMA worth about $4.9 million at airport (with photo)

Hong Kong Customs today (June 24) detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. About 10.4 kilograms of suspected ketamine and 2.1kg of suspected MDMA, with a total estimated market value of about $4.9 million, were seized.

A 27-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Amsterdam, Netherlands, today. During Customs clearance, the batches of suspected ketamine and suspected MDMA were found in his rucksack, carry-on travel bag and carry-on suitcase. The man was subsequently arrested.

The arrested person has been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (June 25).

Customs will continue to step up enforcement against drug trafficking activities through intelligence analysis. The department also reminds members of the public to stay alert and not participate in drug trafficking activities for monetary return. They must not accept hiring or delegation from another party to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong. They are also reminded not to carry unknown items for other people.

Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.

Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.

Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Ends/Tuesday, June 24, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:00

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Water cycle restoration and focusing on nature-based solutions – E-002417/2025

Source: European Parliament

Question for written answer E-002417/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
César Luena (S&D)

According to the EU Water Resilience Strategy, water management should prioritise nature-based solutions. However, using human-made infrastructure alone or in combination with nature-based solutions is also necessary, provided that the environmental impacts of this are carefully assessed and that all relevant stakeholders are involved. In addition, these actions must form part of an integrated and sustainable water management strategy that fully reflects long-term climate reference scenarios and projections to avoid stranded investments.

The strategy also stipulates that the Nature Restoration Regulation provide an opportunity to support water quantity management and enhance resilience against droughts and floods with nature-based solutions. Water and climate resilience must be fully integrated in the national restoration plans that are to be prepared by 2026.

In light of this:

How will the Commission ensure that Member States effectively prioritise nature-based solutions over grey infrastructure in restoring the water cycle, and that they take heed of long-term climate scenarios to avoid new investments becoming stranded assets?

Submitted: 16.6.2025

Last updated: 24 June 2025

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Toxic cloud in Kefalonia – Public health risk and need for immediate European support – E-002459/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002459/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Sakis Arnaoutoglou (S&D)

A few days ago, a fire broke out at an illegal landfill in the Langada area of Kefalonia, causing the release of a toxic cloud which has affected the island’s capital (Argostoli), Lixouri and the surrounding areas. The event is causing serious concerns regarding the health of residents and the impact on the local environment.

In addition to the dangerous nature of the phenomenon, there are complaints regarding the competent authorities’ inability to prevent it and their delayed response, as well earlier warnings that were allegedly ignored.

This is a serious incident of environmental degradation with potential cross-border impacts (due to the atmospheric transport of pollutants) and serious risks to public health.

Accordingly:

1.Has the Commission received official information from the Greek authorities regarding the fire in Langada, Kefalonia, and its environmental impact?

2.Does the Commission intend to mobilise EU technical assistance and/or take scientific steps to measure pollution and assess the risks to the health of residents?

Submitted: 18.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Need for attention to risks in the EU beauty industry – E-002454/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002454/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Peter Agius (PPE)

Reports from practitioners in the beauty industry, including tattoo artists, massage therapists, beauticians and manicurists, indicate that inadequate regulatory oversight at both national and EU levels is leading to a rise in the number of unqualified practitioners performing treatments. In some cases, this poses significant health risks, including scarring, burns and infections. Furthermore, the initial treatments may be performed poorly, requiring multiple corrective interventions.

A key issue is the complete lack of harmonisation in beauty education standards across Member States, which results in inconsistencies in training quality, course duration and certification requirements. Moreover, non-EU nationals are entering EU Member States and delivering substandard services, which gives rise to concerns about consumer safety and fair competition.

The industry is further disrupted by impromptu educators offering rapid certification courses that allow individuals to enter these professions without adequate training.

Given this:

1.What measures can the Commission consider to address the safety and health concerns resulting from the number of unqualified practitioners in the beauty sector, which poses a risk to European citizens?

2.How does the Commission plan to address the issue of unqualified practitioners operating within the beauty sector and posing a risk to their clients, particularly practitioners from non-EU countries?

Submitted: 18.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The disproportionate burden Greece bears in managing migration – E-000885/2025(ASW)
Source: European Parliament

Since 2015, the Commission and the EU Agencies active in the field of migration[1] have provided significant operational support, while the financial support made available to Greece under the Home Affairs Funds is over EUR 5 billion[2], providing Greece with the means for an ambitious and comprehensive migration management policy.

In the context of the reform of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, the EU has a permanent, legally binding but flexible solidarity mechanism as laid down in the Asylum[3] and Migration Management Regulation[4], guaranteeing that no Member State will be left alone when under pressure.

Greece has so far benefitted from various solidarity schemes, for example the relocation schemes established by the 2015 Commission Decisions, the 2020 voluntary relocation scheme[5], and the ongoing Voluntary Solidarity Mechanism (VSM)[6].

The Commission supports external border management through policy, funding, and operational support. This support includes the multiannual strategic policy for European integrated border management by the European Border and Coast Guard[7], strengthened European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) operations, and deploying digitalised systems[8].

Under the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, Greece is benefitting from more than EUR 1.1 billion under the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI)[9] to implement measures related to border surveillance and integrated border management.

The Commission also enhances cooperation with third countries and implements crisis response mechanisms to address irregular migration, migrant smuggling, and security risks.

Finally, the management of EU external borders is closely linked to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, particularly through the Screening Regulation[10] and contingency planning.
- [1] EU Agency for Asylum (EUAA), European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).
- [2] During the 2014-2020 programming period, more than EUR 3.39 billion were made available to Greece to manage migration and borders under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), the Internal Security Fund (ISF- Borders and Visa, Police) and the Emergency Support Instrument (ESI). Under the 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, so far more than EUR 1.66 billion have been made available under the Home Affairs Funds (AMIF, Border Management and Visa Policy Instrument, ISF) to support the implementation of existing and upcoming priorities in the area of migration, border management and internal security.
- [3] Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions on a New Pact on Migration and Asylum, COM/2020/609 final.
- [4] Regulation (EU) 2024/1351 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on asylum and migration management, amending Regulations (EU) 2021/1147 and (EU) 2021/1060 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 604/2013, PE/21/2024/REV/1, OJ L, 2024/1351, 22.5.2024; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1351/oj.
- [5] More than 5,300 vulnerable persons were relocated from Greece, including 1,500 unaccompanied minors (UAMs).
- [6] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/migration-management/relocation-eu-solidarity-practice_en#:~:text=Voluntary%20relocations%20from%20Greece&text=Under%20this%20plan%2C%20following%20the,Greece%20to%20other%20European%20countries.
- [7] The national authorities of Member States responsible for border management, including coast guards to the extent that they carry out border control tasks, the national authorities responsible for return and Frontex constitute the European Border and Coast Guard.
- [8] Like the Entry Exit System and the European Travel Information and Authorisation System.
- [9] Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing, as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund, the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy PE/57/2021/INIT, OJ L 251, 15.7.2021, p. 48-93.
- [10] Regulation (EU) 2024/1356 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 introducing the screening of third-country nationals at the external borders and amending Regulations (EC) No 767/2008, (EU) 2017/2226, (EU) 2018/1240 and (EU) 2019/817, PE/20/2024/REV/1, OJ L, 2024/1356, 22.5.2024.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: EIB and Andalusia regional government sign €133 million loan to finance projects in education, healthcare, labour inclusion, the energy transition, sustainable transport and digitalisation in Andalusia
Source: European Investment Bank

EIB
- The loan will co-finance projects included in the 2021-2027 plan of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other EU funds.
- The EIB loan will enable the Andalusia regional government to co-finance projects in various provinces of the region, from healthcare and education infrastructure improvement to sustainable urban transport and digitalisation.
- The agreement highlights efforts to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, one of the EIB Group’s cross-cutting strategic priorities.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €133 million loan with the Andalusia regional government (the Junta de Andalucía) to co-finance social, green and digital investment in the Spanish region. The EIB loan and co-financing from the Junta de Andalucía will make it possible to back projects contributing to the dual green and digital transition, social infrastructure development, jobs and training, and cohesion in Andalusia.

The loan is part of the EU operational programme for cohesion policy funding 2021-2027, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Just Transition Fund.

The loan will co-finance projects in various provinces of the autonomous community, including the renovation and improvement of infrastructure like hospitals, health centres, music conservatories or primary and secondary schools where climate change adaptation works will also be undertaken; job incentives, training and labour inclusion; support for research, development and innovation in universities; and digitalisation, sustainable urban mobility and energy transition projects.

The agreement highlights the commitment of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) to economic, social and territorial cohesion, which is one of the cross-cutting priorities set out in the Group’s strategic roadmap for 2024-2027. All the projects will be implemented in Andalusia, which is considered to be a cohesion region by the European Union.

This is the third loan signed by the Junta de Andalucía and the EIB under the 2021-2027 plan of the European Regional Development Fund, with the first €195 million loan being signed in December 2022, and the second €215 million loan signed in April 2024.

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, 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.

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.

In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the green and digital transition , economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for citizens in Spain.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the EIB Group’s headquarters for media use are available here.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Spain: EIB and Andalusia regional government sign €133 million loan to finance projects in education, healthcare, labour inclusion, the energy transition, sustainable transport and digitalisation in Andalusia
Source: European Investment Bank

EIB
- The loan will co-finance projects included in the 2021-2027 plan of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other EU funds.
- The EIB loan will enable the Andalusia regional government to co-finance projects in various provinces of the region, from healthcare and education infrastructure improvement to sustainable urban transport and digitalisation.
- The agreement highlights efforts to promote economic, social and territorial cohesion, one of the EIB Group’s cross-cutting strategic priorities.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has signed a €133 million loan with the Andalusia regional government (the Junta de Andalucía) to co-finance social, green and digital investment in the Spanish region. The EIB loan and co-financing from the Junta de Andalucía will make it possible to back projects contributing to the dual green and digital transition, social infrastructure development, jobs and training, and cohesion in Andalusia.

The loan is part of the EU operational programme for cohesion policy funding 2021-2027, particularly the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the Just Transition Fund.

The loan will co-finance projects in various provinces of the autonomous community, including the renovation and improvement of infrastructure like hospitals, health centres, music conservatories or primary and secondary schools where climate change adaptation works will also be undertaken; job incentives, training and labour inclusion; support for research, development and innovation in universities; and digitalisation, sustainable urban mobility and energy transition projects.

The agreement highlights the commitment of the European Investment Bank Group (EIB Group) to economic, social and territorial cohesion, which is one of the cross-cutting priorities set out in the Group’s strategic roadmap for 2024-2027. All the projects will be implemented in Andalusia, which is considered to be a cohesion region by the European Union.

This is the third loan signed by the Junta de Andalucía and the EIB under the 2021-2027 plan of the European Regional Development Fund, with the first €195 million loan being signed in December 2022, and the second €215 million loan signed in April 2024.

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, 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.

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.

In Spain, the EIB Group signed €12.3 billion of new financing for more than 100 high-impact projects in 2024. This financing is contributing to the green and digital transition , economic growth, competitiveness and improved services for citizens in Spain.

High-quality, up-to-date photos of the EIB Group’s headquarters for media use are available here.
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Alleged illegal exports of protected wildlife to India’s Vantara zoo raise concerns over CITES compliance and EU-funded conservation in the DRC – E-002411/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002411/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE)

Since 2022, tens of thousands of wild animals, mostly protected species, are reported to have been exported to the ‘Vantara’ zoological complex, located within an oil refinery complex in India. Numerous sources indicate that these exports do not comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) requirements, particularly for species listed in Appendix I. The European Union is among the main exporters, having sent over 5 400 specimens from its Member States. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also implicated: chimpanzees, declared as captive-bred by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) despite the lack of known CITES-compliant breeding facilities, are being exported to Vantara. Yet the ICCN receives significant EU funding for conservation projects.

The CITES Secretariat has been tasked with investigating this matter, while non-governmental organisations are urging the Commission to take action.

1.What checks has the Commission carried out to ensure the legality of exports from the EU?

2.What evaluations have been carried out concerning the ICCN, and does the Commission plan to suspend its funding until the CITES technical assessment and verification mission is completed?

Submitted: 16.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Alleged illegal exports of protected wildlife to India’s Vantara zoo raise concerns over CITES compliance and EU-funded conservation in the DRC – E-002411/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002411/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE)

Since 2022, tens of thousands of wild animals, mostly protected species, are reported to have been exported to the ‘Vantara’ zoological complex, located within an oil refinery complex in India. Numerous sources indicate that these exports do not comply with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) requirements, particularly for species listed in Appendix I. The European Union is among the main exporters, having sent over 5 400 specimens from its Member States. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is also implicated: chimpanzees, declared as captive-bred by the Congolese Institute for the Conservation of Nature (ICCN) despite the lack of known CITES-compliant breeding facilities, are being exported to Vantara. Yet the ICCN receives significant EU funding for conservation projects.

The CITES Secretariat has been tasked with investigating this matter, while non-governmental organisations are urging the Commission to take action.

1.What checks has the Commission carried out to ensure the legality of exports from the EU?

2.What evaluations have been carried out concerning the ICCN, and does the Commission plan to suspend its funding until the CITES technical assessment and verification mission is completed?

Submitted: 16.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Targeted, linguistically and culturally accessible mental health support for Hungarian women in Transcarpathia – E-002405/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002405/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Viktória Ferenc (PfE), Tamás Deutsch (PfE), Kinga Gál (PfE), Enikő Győri (PfE), András Gyürk (PfE), Annamária Vicsek (PfE), András László (PfE), György Hölvényi (PfE), Csaba Dömötör (PfE), Ernő Schaller-Baross (PfE), Pál Szekeres (PfE)

The ongoing war in Ukraine has had a severe impact on society as a whole, including women on the home front. Due to mass conscription and the constant existential threat of war, many of these women are alone, left caring for multigenerational families under increasing psychological strain. Rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD and burnout are rising.

At the same time, women belonging to the Ukraine’s Hungarian community often face additional linguistic and cultural barriers that limit their access to appropriate mental health services. Identity – especially cultural, national and linguistic identity – is one of the most powerful psychological protective factors, especially in crisis situations. Any efforts to promote mental health regeneration must recognise that mental health interventions cannot work in a culturally neutral environment.

1.What concrete measures has the Commission taken, or is it planning to take, to ensure targeted, linguistically and culturally accessible mental health support for Hungarian women in Transcarpathia, in view of the war-related challenges and the heightened vulnerability of these women?

2.When does the Commission plan to publish the EU4Health 2025 work programme, and how will it support mental health interventions targeting national minority populations in war-affected areas, such as the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia?

Submitted: 16.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Rosatom’s plans to resume operations at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – E-002422/2025
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-002422/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Liudas Mažylis (PPE)

Since the Russian Federation began its occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in 2022, this piece of strategically important infrastructure has become the focus of constant military action and geopolitical blackmail. On 6 June 2025, Russian nuclear energy chief Alexey Likhachev informed the IAEA that a detailed plan to restart the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant had been drawn up. There have also been reports that Russia intends to disconnect the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant from Ukraine’s electricity grid and integrate it into Russia’s energy system. Given Russia’s ongoing military operations around the nuclear power plant, restarting it would only increase the risk of a nuclear disaster.

In light of this, could the Commission answer the following questions:

1.Is the Commission aware of Russia’s plans to restart the reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and has an assessment been carried out in cooperation with the IAEA on the possible consequences for nuclear safety?

2.How does the Commission assess the role of Rosatom in this process, and would it consider urgently adding this company and its subsidiaries in Europe to the EU sanctions list for its direct involvement in the reckless operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant?

3.Given that some Member States, such as Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland, have already imposed national sanctions on Rosatom and its management, will the Commission consider adopting measures to coordinate these national decisions at EU level in order to ensure the overall effectiveness of the sanctions regime?

Submitted: 16.6.2025
Last updated: 24 June 2025
MIL OSI Europe News –
June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Possibility of triggering extraordinary Erasmus+ measures to support students impacted by the conflict in Gaza – E-002413/2025

Source: European Parliament

Question for written answer E-002413/2025
to the Commission
Rule 144
Marco Squarta (ECR), Pietro Fiocchi (ECR), Ruggero Razza (ECR), Mario Mantovani (ECR), Francesco Torselli (ECR), Alberico Gambino (ECR), Carlo Ciccioli (ECR), Paolo Inselvini (ECR), Francesco Ventola (ECR), Daniele Polato (ECR), Sergio Berlato (ECR), Giuseppe Milazzo (ECR), Lara Magoni (ECR), Denis Nesci (ECR)

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip has had serious educational consequences in recent months in that it has jeopardised access to higher education for thousands of young people. Article 16 of Regulation (EU) 2021/817 governing the Erasmus+ programme for the period 2021‑2027 provides for the possibility of targeted measures being triggered in crisis situations or exceptional circumstances so as to ensure continuity of education.

Such flexibility has already been used in response to the Ukraine crisis, through ad hoc measures such as Erasmus 4Ukraine, extraordinary scholarships and facilitated mobility.

In view of the need to support the right to education of young people impacted by conflicts in order to promote academic cohesion, resilience and cooperation at international level, it would be appropriate to consider extraordinary instruments for Gaza too, without ignoring the need to carefully check that all the requisite security conditions are fulfilled.

In the light of the above, can the Commission state whether it plans to assess, within the framework of the Erasmus+ Regulation and its flexibility clauses, the possibility of triggering an extraordinary call for proposals or specific measures to support the academic mobility of students from Gaza, conceivably also through hybrid (online or in person) learning, in partnership with European universities?

Submitted: 16.6.2025

MIL OSI Europe News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Trahan to RFK Jr.: “You Don’t Have a Grip on Your Department”

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, pressed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a congressional hearing on how Medicaid cuts proposed by Republicans in Congress and supported by President Donald Trump will cause hospital closures and service cuts.
“People are going to die. These hospitals are going to close. Labor and delivery units are going to disappear. If mental health services are stripped away, that’s the consequence of your policies,” Congresswoman Trahan said. “And you’ve already shown that you don’t have a grip on your department. You don’t know basic things that are on your website or programs that are closing.”
CLICK HERE or the image below to view Trahan’s line of questioning. A transcript is embedded below.

According to an analysis issued by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, the Republican reconciliation proposal backed by the Trump Administration will place more than 300 rural hospitals at risk of closure or severe service reductions. Specifically, steep cuts to Medicaid and provisions limiting states’ ability to invest in hospitals that serve predominantly lower-income and Medicaid-covered patient populations will undermine rural and community hospitals that already operate on the thinnest of margins. In Massachusetts, at least one rural hospital – Bay State Franklin Medical Center in Greenfield – will be at immediate risk of closing or cutting services.
Other community hospitals, particularly those operating in Gateway Cities, will also be devastated. According to Third Way, Massachusetts hospitals will lose over $177 million in hospital revenue under the GOP legislation, including $19 million for Massachusetts General Hospital, $19 million for Boston Medical Center, $15 million for UMass Memorial Medical Center, $11.8 million for Brigham and Women’s Hospital, $4.3 million for Lowell General Hospital, $3.4 million for Lawrence General Hospital, and $2 million for Holy Family Hospital.
Republicans’ reconciliation package, crafted behind closed doors with President Trump and voted on in the House just hours after the text was released, would strip health care away from 16 million Americans and cut billions in federal Medicaid and Affordable Care Act funding to states. According to the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO), the bill will explode the deficit by $3.8 trillion due to its tax provisions that will increase incomes for the wealthiest 10 percent of Americans while decreasing take home pay for the poorest 10 percent. A separate analysis projects 5.4 million people will be forced into medical debt under the legislation, increasing the total medical debt held by Americans by $50 billion.
—————————————
Congresswoman Lori Trahan
Remarks as Delivered
House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing: “The Fiscal Year 2026 Department of Health and Human Services Budget”
June 24, 2025
Trahan: Thank you. Mr. Secretary, during your confirmation, you told Senator Barrasso that rural hospitals are “closing at an extraordinary rate.” You called them economic drivers – lifelines in our communities – and you gave your word to protect them.
Republicans on this Committee also promised they wouldn’t support a bill that led to more closures. Yet here we are. The Republican tax bill slashes Medicaid and the ACA by over a trillion dollars, leaving 16 million more people uninsured and driving up uncompensated care.
At the same time, it guts provider taxes and state-directed payments, the few tools that states have to keep hospitals afloat.
Cutting coverage and cutting payments – well that’s a perfect storm for closures, Mr. Secretary. So yes or no, with Republicans in Congress set to cut more than a trillion dollars and counting from our health care system, will hospitals be forced to cut services or close altogether?
Kennedy: We’re not cutting coverage for any American patient.
Trahan: Well, it sounds like you don’t want to admit the reality that your department –
Kennedy: I’m happy to explain if you want to give me a chance.
Trahan: Well, that’s part of my next question. I want to hear what your funding mechanism looks like, because hospitals across the country have warned that this bill is what they referred to as a “death knell,” even before Republicans in the Senate doubled the cuts in provider taxes and state directed payments, bringing estimates of hospital uncompensated care alone to more than $443 billion.
Hospitals are raising a huge warning flag that the Big Ugly Bill will result in closures and service reductions across the country, in all our communities. I ask unanimous consent to enter into the record several of their statements and analyses.
Mr. Secretary, if you claim the hospitals in our districts that are already operating in the red and serving mostly Medicaid and Medicare patients are going to survive then where exactly is that money going to come from? What is your plan to keep them open and deliver the same level of service?
Kennedy: Well the issue of state directed payments, I think as you understand, is a complicated one because the essential agreement under Medicare is that the states will pay a certain amount and the federal government will pay a certain amount. The states have learned to game that – some states – have learned to game that system so the federal government is paying a hundred percent.
Trahan: If you could just get to the part where when that revenue stream is cut, how are you going to ensure that services aren’t cut and hospitals don’t close? I mean, many times there’s just no alternative on the table for a funding mechanism. So, what’s your plan?
Kennedy: Well, that is a decision ultimately that’s got to come from Congress, so that’s going to be up to you. But what I would say to you is that I would like to work with you on this because it’s a complicated issue. It’s not that simple.
Trahan: I’m happy to work with you on this, Mr. Secretary, but this is going to happen in the next couple of weeks. And if there isn’t a funding mechanism in place – if there isn’t an act of Congress to replace that revenue stream – hospitals are going to close. People are going to die.
When hospitals are pushed to the brink, they cut maternity wards, they cut mental health, they cut emergency rooms. That’s who they cut first. This isn’t hypothetical – it’s already happening. From 2011 to ‘23, dozens of hospitals in states like Iowa and Texas eliminated obstetrics entirely. These are Medicaid-department services, and under Donald Trump’s bill, they’re the first to go.
And it’s not just rural hospitals. We’re seeing it in my district, too. The only maternity ward in North Central Massachusetts shut down last year. Then the collapse of Steward forced two more hospitals to close, including one that served thousands of families. Boston Children’s, one of the best in the country, is also at risk.
Your budget slashes Medicaid, which covers over 40 percent of kids, and eliminates programs that trains most pediatricians. Hospitals are already bracing – they’re pausing projects, they’re canceling expansions, they’re shelving cost-saving investments. The chaos that your budget creates, including decimating NIH, is driving up costs.
Kennedy: We’re not cutting Medicaid. There’s no cuts to Medicaid. There’s simply restrictions to the growth of Medicaid over the next decade.
Trahan: People are going to lose their coverage. Uncompensated care is going to rise. Hospitals are not prepared for that reality. Look, here’s the truth. People are going to die. These hospitals are going to close. Labor and delivery units are going to disappear. If mental health services are stripped away, that’s the consequence of your policies.
And you’ve already shown that you don’t have a grip on your department. You don’t know basic things that are on your website or programs that are closing.
###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: NREL Publishes Method for Recycling All Components in Carbon Fiber Composites

Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Technology Helps Overcome Affordability Barriers to Wider Use and Manufacturing of a High-Value Material Found in Aircraft, Bicycles, Cars, and More

Ajinkya Pal (left), Sydney Reiber, Stephen Dempsey, and Ciaran Lahive are part of a team of researchers from the BOTTLE consortium at NREL that is developing a robust method to break down composite carbon fibers, keeping the waste out of landfills. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

Deconstructing epoxy resins with hot acetic acid has the potential to provide a scalable and affordable solution for recycling a material used in a range of high-value consumer products, according to new research from the Bio-Optimized Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) consortium.

Carbon fiber composites (CFCs) are high-strength, low-weight materials made from epoxy-amine resins that encase long carbon fibers. CFCs enable lighter and more efficient bicycles, planes, and automobiles and are a critical component of the pressure vessels used for compressed natural gas shipping and storage. However, the cost and energy-intensive production of CFCs limits their application, and there is a near total lack of scalable and economically viable recycling methods for these important materials.

CFCs are generally made with epoxy-amine resins, similar in chemistry to many epoxies commonly found in hardware stores. These composites form a stiff and resistant plastic, but also one that cannot be dissolved or melted. While the resins are relatively cheap, the fibers they surround are not, so the resulting composites are quite expensive—many CFCs can cost well over $50 per pound.

“For a reasonable analogy, imagine a cake,” said Stephen Dempsey, a postdoctoral researcher at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and one of the first authors of the study. “Once the egg, flour, and sugar are in the batter and that cake is baked, it’s basically impossible to get them back out. It is similar here: The resin is chemically interlocked, and the bonds are quite strong. We have to do something intense to get the fibers out, but we also must be careful not to degrade the chemicals in the resin beyond what’s necessary, as that would waste all the time, energy, and raw materials that went into making them in the first place.”

But even then, there is a bit more complexity than in baking, because these resins are often made of highly complex mixtures of molecules. Some of these compounds are common, and shared across many industries that use CFCs, but others are not. In addition, it is currently challenging to identify exactly what the resin chemistry is before recycling. A recycling method for CFCs must therefore be extremely robust and capable of handling diverse resin formulations.

The BOTTLE team’s solution ended up being surprisingly simple. Hot acetic acid, the same compound that is found in vinegar, can cleave all the key bonds within these resins. Former NREL postdoctoral researcher Ciaran Lahive (now at University of Manchester), and co-first author on this study, demonstrated this reaction during an intensive reaction screening effort for another project.

The team learned something remarkable: Not only do the polymer networks in the resin solubilize rapidly, but the acetic acid also stabilizes their chemical components, enabling high yields of reusable chemical building blocks. Extensive optimization work from NREL interns Katie Stevenson (now at Columbia University) and Sydney Reiber (now at the University of Graz) led to a process effective on end-of-life waste from a variety of industries.

Importantly, the researchers also determined there was no impact on the strength of the recycled carbon fibers (rCF), which is critical to ensuring they retain their value after being extracted from the composite. To demonstrate this, they took 80 grams of a scrap mountain-bike frame made of composite material and deconstructed it. Using the carbon fibers they had just extracted, they then made new composites that exhibited more than twice the strength-to-weight ratio of steel.

Not only is the cost of rCF predicted to be quite low compared to virgin fiber, with a price of just $1.50 per kilogram, but the energy consumption is also practically zero when factoring in the recovered epoxy building blocks. The process is not limited to CFC only—glass fiber composites like those found in turbine blades, boat hulls, or automobile bumpers and hoods could also be treated.

“Long-term, this technology could be used to create value from challenging composite waste streams that are currently piling up in landfills,” said BOTTLE CEO Gregg Beckham, the senior author of the study and a senior research fellow at NREL. “Current technologies are not yet able to make a dent in that waste stream, but we think that this process could be useful for this application as well.”

The discovery holds the potential to energize the U.S. composite manufacturing industry.

“If we can scale this process and deploy it in the real world, we see no reason that whole panels on cars or trains couldn’t be made of rCF composites instead of steel or aluminum,” Dempsey said.

The paper, “Acetolysis of epoxy-amine resins for carbon fiber-reinforced polymer recycling,” appears in the journal Nature. The other coauthors from NREL are William Michener, Hannah Alt, Kelsey Ramirez, Erik Rognerud, Clarissa Lincoln, Ryan Clarke, Nicholas Rorrer, and Katrina Knauer.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office and Bioenergy Technologies Office, the work was performed as part of the BOTTLE consortium. Additional funding was provided as part of a BOTTLE funding opportunity announcement with the University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 25, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: FEDERAL CHARGES FILED AGAINST PENSACOLA MAN FOR SERIAL ARMED ROBBERY OFFENSES

Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Deshawn I. Donson, 21, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on charges related to eighteen armed robberies of gas stations and convenience stores in Escambia County. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.

Donson is scheduled for arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida on June 24, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

The Indictment charges Donson with Interference with Commerce by Threats or Violence, Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon for eighteen armed robberies between 2022 – 2025.

Court documents reflect that Donson was captured by law enforcement after an armed robbery on May 18, 2025, which resulted in a high-speed vehicle chase and a vehicle immobilization technique utilized by sheriff’s deputies to stop and apprehend Donson.

If convicted, Donson faces up to life imprisonment.

The case is jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Pensacola Police Department; and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jennifer H. Callahan.

An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline ) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.

MIL Security OSI –

June 25, 2025

Date Taken:	06.23.2025
Date Posted:	06.23.2025 23:29
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