Category: Universities

MIL-OSI Global: How redefining just one word could strip the Endangered Species Act’s ability to protect vital habitat

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Mariah Meek, Associate Professor of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University

Green sea turtles, like this hatchling in Florida, are endangered due in part to habitat destruction and fishing nets. Keenan Adams/USFWS

It wouldn’t make much sense to prohibit people from shooting a threatened woodpecker while allowing its forest to be cut down, or to bar killing endangered salmon while allowing a dam to dry out their habitat.

But that’s exactly what the Trump administration is proposing to do by changing how one word in the Endangered Species Act is interpreted.

For 50 years, the U.S. government has interpreted the Endangered Species Act as protecting threatened and endangered species from actions that either directly kill them or eliminate their habitat.

Most species on the brink of extinction are on the list because there is almost no place left for them to live. Their habitats have been paved over, burned or transformed. Habitat protection is essential for their survival.

The golden-cheeked warbler breeds only in Texas, primarily in Texas Hill Country. It has been losing habitat as development expands in the region.
Steve Maslowski/USFWS, CC BY

As an ecologist and a law professor, we have spent our entire careers working to understand the law and science of helping imperiled species thrive. We recognize that the rule change the Trump administration quietly proposed could green-light the destruction of protected species’ habitats, making it nearly impossible to protect those endangered species.

The public, which has long supported the Endangered Species Act, has until May 19, 2025, to comment on the proposal.

The legal gambit

The Endangered Species Act, passed in 1973, bans the “take” of “any endangered species of fish or wildlife,” which includes harming protected species.

Since 1975, regulations have defined “harm” to include habitat destruction that kills or injures wildlife. Developers and logging interests challenged that definition in 1995 in a Supreme Court case, Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon. However, the court ruled that the definition was reasonable and allowed federal agencies to continue using it.

In short, the law says “take” includes harm, and under the existing regulatory definition, harm includes indirect harm through habitat destruction.

Critical habitat throughout the U.S., including many coastlines and mountain areas. Note: Alaska is not to scale.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Trump administration is seeking to change that definition of “harm” in a way that leaves out habitat modification.

This narrowed definition would undo the most significant protections granted by the Endangered Species Act.

Why habitat protection matters

Habitat protection is the single most important factor in the recovery of endangered species in the United States – far more consequential than curbing direct killing alone.

A 2019 study examining the reasons species were listed as endangered between 1975 and 2017 found that only 17% were primarily threatened by direct killing, such as hunting or poaching. That 17% includes iconic species such as the red wolf, American crocodile, Florida panther and grizzly bear.

In contrast, a staggering 81% were listed because of habitat loss and degradation. The Chinook salmon, island fox, southwestern willow flycatcher, desert tortoise and likely extinct ivory-billed woodpecker are just a few examples. Globally, a 2022 study found that habitat loss threatened more species than all other causes combined.

As natural landscapes are converted to agriculture or taken over by urban sprawl, logging operations and oil and gas exploration, ecosystems become fragmented and the space that species need to survive and reproduce disappears. Currently, more than 107 million acres of land in the U.S. are designated as critical habitat for Endangered Species Act-listed species. Industries and developers have called for changes to the rules for years, arguing it has been weaponized to stop development. However, research shows species worldwide are facing an unprecedented threat from human activities that destroy natural habitat.

Under the proposed change, development could be accelerated in endangered species’ habitats.

Gutting the Endangered Species Act

The definition change is a quiet way to gut the Endangered Species Act.

It is also fundamentally incompatible with the purpose Congress wrote into the act: “to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered species and threatened species depend may be conserved [and] to provide a program for the conservation of such endangered species and threatened species.” It contradicts the Supreme Court precedent, and it would destroy the act’s habitat protections.

Northern spotted owls, like these fledglings, living in old growth forests in the Pacific Northwest are listed as threatened species because of habitat loss.
Tom Kogut/USFS, CC BY

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum has argued that the recent “de-extinction” of dire wolves by changing 14 genes in the gray wolf genome means that America need not worry about species protection because technology “can help forge a future where populations are never at risk.”

But altering an existing species to look like an extinct one is both wildly expensive and a paltry substitute for protecting existing species.

The Catalina Island fox is endemic to Catalina Island. Habitat loss, diseases introduced by domestic dogs, and predators have diminished the population of these small foxes to threatened status.
Catalina Island Conservancy/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

The administration has also refused to conduct the required analysis of the environmental impact that changing the definition could have. That means the American people won’t even know the significance of this change to threatened and endangered species until it’s too late, though if approved it will certainly end up in court.

The ESA is saving species

Surveys have found the Endangered Species Act is popular with the public, including Republicans. The Center for Biological Diversity estimates that the Endangered Species Act has saved 99% of protected species from extinction since it was created, not just from bullets but also from bulldozers. This regulatory rollback seeks to undermine the law’s greatest strength: protecting the habitats species need to survive.

Congress knew the importance of habitat when it passed the law, and it wrote a definition of “take” that allows the agencies to protect it.

Mariah Meek has received funding from the National Science Foundation, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and several state agencies. In addition to being a professor, she is also the Director of Research for The Wilderness Society.

Karrigan Börk receives grant funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and several California state agencies. He is on the Advisory Board of Water Audit California, an organization that works to protect California’s public trust resources.

– ref. How redefining just one word could strip the Endangered Species Act’s ability to protect vital habitat – https://theconversation.com/how-redefining-just-one-word-could-strip-the-endangered-species-acts-ability-to-protect-vital-habitat-256424

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Preparing science educators to use and teach AI in the classroom

Source: US Government research organizations

Researchers use fossil shark teeth to excite middle school teachers and students about artificial intelligence

An interdisciplinary team of researchers funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation has created a teacher-driven curriculum called Shark AI. This optional online program introduces Florida middle school teachers and students to artificial intelligence through the science of paleontology. With Shark AI, science teachers learn how to incorporate AI and machine learning concepts into their classrooms to help their students build essential skills and prepare for 21st-century STEM careers.

“Most K-12 AI learning occurs with computer science standards and learning goals,” said Bruce MacFadden, University of Florida (UF) distinguished professor and principal investigator (PI) on the project. “Shark AI takes a novel approach by using AI to teach concepts that are connected to biology, paleontology and the nature of science, while at the same time connecting to computer science education goals as well,” he said.

Image showing the Google Teachable Machine model built to identify fossils. Students use this free, online machine learning tool to create their own models to classify fossil shark teeth.

Developed with and for teachers, Shark AI is a free, optional online curriculum with five flexible modules — all aligned with middle school science standards — that teachers can choose to integrate into their instruction plans. The lessons aim to demystify AI by teaching students about data collection and object classification using fossil shark teeth, showing students how to train and evaluate machine learning models while recognizing a model’s limitations, and supporting students as they create unique AI models.

But to best prepare students to use AI, teachers must also know how to use the technology. One critical component to using Shark AI is having access to real fossils.

Credit: Christine Wusylko, University of Florida

Students measuring real shark teeth fossils.

“With Shark AI, students have access to high-quality, real fossils that they can touch and feel,” MacFadden said. “The kids love having that, and so do the teachers.”

The other key piece is the support provided through professional development for Florida middle school educators who are voluntarily implementing Shark AI in their classrooms.

“If teachers aren’t given opportunities to learn, they can never bring that knowledge back to their schools,” said Seema Naik, an engineer-turned-sixth and eighth grade educator, and this year’s Career Technical Education Rookie Teacher of the Year for her school in Broward County. “I never imagined that you could actually make a connection between fossils and AI, that you can train a model and do this. That was quite fascinating,” she said.

The Shark AI team hosts a weeklong summer workshop to support teacher cohorts. The educators learn from various experts, including other middle school ‘teacher leaders,’ who use the curriculum.

Credit: Erika Nortemann/Florida Museum

Shark AI teacher professional development session showing educators looking at fossil shark teeth.

“One thing the teacher cohorts enjoy most about the professional development is working with other teachers — their peers — who facilitate a lot of these AI learning experiences,” said Pavlo “Pasha” Antonenko, UF professor of educational technology and co-PI on the project. “From this project, we have learned that teachers can use AI. Teachers are using AI. We just need to help them do it more effectively,” Antonenko said.

Importantly, this peer-to-peer engagement helped teachers like Naik unpack some of the common misconceptions she and others held about AI.

“I had several questions and concerns about the technology before I went through the training, but now I am comfortable using AI in my class,” she said. “Learning how AI could be used positively, that was pretty powerful.”

Credit: UF College of Education, University of Florida

Shark AI teacher professional development session, where teachers are learning how to use Google Teachable Machine.

The community teachers develop while participating in the Shark AI training is also key as they navigate the new curriculum. For example, Naik mentioned that some Florida schools use Microsoft applications while others use Google. This caused a few technical hurdles for some of the Shark AI teachers, but they worked together to troubleshoot and ultimately share their best practices.

And to help teachers make clear connections for their students between the science classroom and the STEM workforce, the project offers “role model visits,” where a research team member visits science classes to engage directly with the students using Shark AI.

“Going to a class and saying: ‘I am a real scientist, and if you want, you can be too. You are classifying fossils using machine learning tools, and that is exactly what I do as a scientist.’ That is very powerful for teachers, not only for the content support, but also for the science identity that the students might come away with,” MacFadden said.

Shark AI role model visits, seen here, allow students to learn directly from Shark AI research team members. Starting with 180 students in 2022, Shark AI’s reach has grown exponentially to engage 1,350 total students over three years. And that number is a testament to the research team and the participating teachers.

For Naik, Shark AI has not only given her a better understanding and confidence to use AI in her science classes, but she recognizes how the curriculum is giving her students “ownership of their learning,” something she says is key as they move into high school and become more self-sufficient.

“This project really champions teachers,” emphasized Christine Wusylko, UF postdoctoral researcher on the team. “Shark AI teachers feel special, and they feel part of a club. The curriculum is flexible, and it’s led by teachers. And as a former science teacher myself, that is invaluable.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Workshop on Consent-based rape legislation in the EU – Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Source: European Parliament

On Monday, 19 May 2025, the Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture, at the request of the FEMM Committee, will organise a workshop entitled ‘Consent-based rape legislation in the EU’.

The workshop will examine key aspects of consent, the state of play of consent-based rape legislation throughout the EU, as well as awareness raising and capacity building in this regard. The workshop proceedings will feed into the joint LIBE-FEMM own-initiative report on the ‘Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU’. Members will debate with Sara Uhnoo (University of Gothenburg), Kristien Michielsen (KU Leuven) and Donna von Allemann (Women against Violence Europe Network (WAVE)).

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 14, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Discharge 2023: EU general budget – Commission, executive agencies and European Development Funds – P10_TA(2025)0077 – Wednesday, 7 May 2025 – Strasbourg

Source: European Parliament

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its decision on discharge in respect of the implementation of the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2023, Section III – Commission,

– having regard to its decisions on discharge in respect of the implementation of the budgets of the executive agencies for the financial year 2023,

– having regard to Rule 101 of and Annex V to its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinions of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Development, the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs, the Committee on the Environment, the Committee on Transport and Tourism, the Committee on Regional Development, the Committee on Culture and Education, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality,

– having regard to the letter from the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Budgetary Control (A10-0074/2025),

A. whereas the eleventh EDF has reached its final stage as its sunset clause came into effect on 31 December 2020; whereas, however, specific contracts for existing financing agreements were signed until 31 December 2023, and the implementation of the ongoing projects funded by the EDF will continue until their final completion;

B. whereas the ninth, tenth and eleventh(1) EDFs were not incorporated into the Union general budget and continue to be implemented and reported on separately until their closure;

C. whereas, for the 2021-2027 MFF, development cooperation aid to ACP countries is integrated in the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (‘NDICI-Global Europe’) as part of the EU general budget, and development cooperation aid to OCTs, including Greenland, has been incorporated into the Decision on the Overseas Association;

D. whereas the EDFs are managed almost entirely by the Commission’s DG INTPA with a small proportion (7 %) of the 2023 EDF expenditure being managed by DG NEAR;

Political priorities

1. Underlines its strong commitment to the Union’s fundamental values and principles which are enshrined in the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU); in the framework of the discharge process, stresses especially the principles of sound financial management as set out in Article 317 TFEU and the combatting of fraud and protection of the financial interests of the Union as set out in Article 325 TFEU;

2. Underlines the importance of the principle of separation of powers in the Union and recalls that according to the Treaty, the institutions shall practice mutual sincere cooperation; believes that under no circumstances the actions of one Union institution should affect the independence of another institution; urges all other institutions to respect the role of the Parliament as the sole Union institution directly elected by the citizens and to refrain from any undue, direct or indirect interference in its legislative processes, thereby ensuring that Parliament’s decision making-process remains free and independent from other Union institutions or any other entities;

3. Highlights the importance of the Union budget for achieving the Union’s political priorities, as well as its role in assisting Member States in unforeseen situations such as international conflicts or crises and their consequences; points out in this regard the continuing relevance of investments and support from the Union budget for reducing disparities between Member States and regions, for promoting economic growth and employment, for combating poverty and social exclusion, and thus for improving the daily life of European citizens;

4. Notes that the Court of Auditors (the Court) for the financial year 2023 has issued a clean opinion concerning the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of revenue; at the same time, regrets that the Court has had to issue for the 5th consecutive year an adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of Union budget expenditure and a qualified opinion on the legality and regularity of expenditure under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF);

5. Expresses its deep concerns that the overall error rate estimated by the Court has been on a rising trend since the financial year 2020 and has reached 5,6 % for the financial year 2023; notes that there are significant differences in the error rates between headings which range from spending areas with error rates below the materiality threshold of 2 % up to an error rate of 9,3 % in the case of cohesion policy; further notes that discharge is a political process where all issues related to a specific financial year may be taken into consideration and that the decision on whether to grant or refuse discharge should remain factual and anchored in the Union acquis, and that it is taken for the budget as a whole; urges the Commission, finally, to take into account the Court’s recommendations and to reduce the overall error rate over the coming years; further asks the Commission to present an Action Plan within the four months on reducing the error rate;

6. Is concerned that the Commission and the Court have different interpretations of what the “error rate” represents, thus generating confusion; expresses its support for a common audit approach and methodology and strongly calls on both institutions to find a solution to the divergent approaches before the 2024 discharge; is concerned that the Commission is systematically underestimating the existing error level and that this could lead to an ineffective protection of the financial interests of the Union;

7. Expresses again its deep its concern that the accumulated outstanding commitments (RAL – reste à liquider) have reached a record level of EUR 543 billion, equivalent to 3,2 % of the total GDP of the Union at the end of 2023 and representing more than double the Union annual budget for 2023; underlines that such a record high level of outstanding commitments risks creating challenges for the future smooth implementation of extraordinary high levels of payments and/or leading to significant decommitments to the detriment of the implementation of Union policy objectives;

8. Further expresses its concern that the outstanding debt from borrowing has reached EUR 458,5 billion, equivalent to 2,7 % of the total GDP of the Union at the end of 2023; notes that the increase in outstanding debt during 2023, equivalent to EUR 110,5 billion, has made the Union one of the largest debt issuers in Europe; further notes that the amount of outstanding debt is projected to increase further during the coming years, especially due to increased borrowing linked to the RRF and financial assistance to a number of countries including Ukraine which is the victim of a war of aggression by Russia; reiterates its deep concerns that the increase in debt makes the Union budget more vulnerable to increases in interest rates since a part of the debt will have to be serviced and repaid by the Union budget;

9. Recalls the importance of a strict application of the financial rules of the Union in all programmes and on all beneficiaries, in order to avoid all forms of fraud, conflicts of interest, corruption, double funding and money laundering;

10. Underlines the importance of the rule of law as one of the fundamental values of the Union and stresses that the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism is crucial in order to ensure that Member States continue to respect the principles of the rule of law; reiterates its deep concerns about the deteriorating rule of law situation in certain Member States including attacks or restrictions to the activities of civil society organisations, which not only poses a significant threat to democratic values but also leads to an increased risk of financial losses for the Union budget; calls for the provision of adequate support to civil society organisations active in the field; acknowledges the emergence of new forms of rule of law violations by national governments and calls on the Commission to address these evolving challenges; calls on the Commission to ensure strict and fast implementation of all elements of the mechanism when Member States breach the principles of the rule of law where such breaches affect, or risk affecting, the financial interests of the Union; at the same time, underlines the need for complete and timely information on decisions related to the implementation of the Rule of Law Conditionality Mechanism; encourages the Commission to explicitly assess when shortcomings in the rule of law are of a systemic nature; calls for a stronger emphasis on the implementation of country-specific recommendations, coupled with effective follow-up mechanisms and measurable benchmarks; proposes the establishment of a comprehensive rule of law monitoring framework involving all Union institutions, Member States, and candidate countries, aimed at ensuring coherence and uniformity across the Union, while at the same time ensuring a fair and impartial application; calls on the Commission to propose measures to ensure the protection of final beneficiaries in cases of breaches of the rule of law by national governments without undermining the application and effectiveness of the regulation;

11. Takes note of the innovative nature of the RRF and its contribution to supporting Member States in recovering from the economic and social consequences of the pandemic and creating a more resilient European economy; is of the opinion that any shift to a performance-based approach based on the RRF as a model requires addressing the many issues identified in its implementation, as well as assessing data on its full impact, before using such a model; recalls the many problems identified in the implementation of the RRF which would need to be addressed, including, but not limited to: the lack of adequate consultation of the regional and local authorities and other relevant stakeholders, such as social partners and civil society organisations and the lack of their involvement in the implementation; the weak cross border dimension, which may hint to a reduced EU added value in that respect; the lack of a clear definition of the milestones and targets and their satisfactorily fulfilment; the insufficient flexibility; the common debt with long-term debt payment as a consequence; the serious transparency, audit and control problems of the program which make it impossible for the citizens to be informed about the final beneficiaries of actions funded by the Union and pushes Member States to use RRF funds to cover projects very similar to those financed by Cohesion funds but with a much more limited capacity of control; reiterates the concern about the interpretation of the Commission and Member States on what a “final recipient” of RRF funding represents, which is not in line with the agreement of the REPowerEU negotiations and maintains that ministries, public authorities or other contracting authorities cannot be listed as final recipients of RRF funding; further expresses concern about the findings of the Court in relation to the risk of double funding and financing of recurring budgetary expenditure which are not in line with the RRF legal basis;

12. Notes that the set-up of the NGEU mechanism implies that the repayment of NGEU loans must start before the end of 2027 and be completed by 2058 at the latest; is concerned that the increase in interest rates over the last years has increased the borrowing costs under the NGEU significantly compared with original estimates; reiterates the need to fully respect the timeline of the legally binding roadmap for the introduction of new own resources and underlines that swift progress on new own resources is essential to repay NGEU and safeguard the current and future MFFs;

13. Stresses the urgent need for significant de-bureaucratisation, streamlining and simplification of all Union policies and their funding in line with the recommendations in the Draghi report(2) in order to ease the burdens for European businesses and increase European competitiveness, while ensuring the protection of the financial interests of the Union; underlines that simplification will also have a positive effect on error rates in the implementation of policies because many errors happen because of overcomplicated rules which are difficult to navigate, especially for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), new applicants, spin-offs and start-ups;

14. Reiterates the need to balance the further simplification of rules and procedures with much more systematic use of digitalised reporting, better and more robust controls and adequate ex post checks on the most repeated areas of irregular spending that do not add excessive bureaucratic complexity for beneficiaries, develop training sessions and practical information for applicants, in particular new applicants, and improve the assistance and guidelines for SMEs, spin-offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies and all other relevant stakeholders; reminds that a robust control system under the responsibility of the Commission is particularly needed for the RRF;

15. Stresses the need and highlights the importance of the NDICI programme for the support to global challenges, the promotion of human rights, freedoms and democracy; underlines the importance of reinforcing the Eastern Neighbourhood line in order to support political, economic and social reforms in this challenged region;

16. Underlines that it is imperative for the credibility of the Union that the Commission ensures that no Union funds are allocated to individuals or organisations linked to any kind of terrorist movements or any other movement expressing extremist views, inciting violence and/or hatred, that are directly in opposition to the European Union’s fundamental values, including Islamist anti-Semitic, anti-Christian and anti-Islamic movements; in this context, recalls that there have been allegations that 19 of 13 000 UNRWA employees in Gaza were involved in the despicable terrorist attacks by Hamas against Israel on 7 October; recalls that in 9 cases their employment was formally terminated in the interests of UNRWA; takes note of the results of the investigation launched by the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS); underlines that the Commission should also establish better controls ensuring that no such funding happens indirectly through third parties and organise better traceability of Union funds to final beneficiaries;

17. Reiterates deep concerns about the increase in the exploitation of Union funds against Union principles and values, especially when the use of funds and transfers to other organisations are not entirely traceable; warns of the danger of Union funds ultimately being used within corrupt circles and being subject to fraud and irregularities, foreign interference or entrism; emphasises the importance of ‘final beneficiary transparency’ for Union funds;

18. Emphasises the importance of maintaining institutional integrity and preventing potential foreign interference; condemns any improper attempt to influence the legislative activities of the European Parliament; insists on the responsibility of OLAF to conduct all necessary in-depth investigations; stresses the importance of the work carried out by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in protecting the European Union’s financial interests; insists to provide to the EPPO adequate financial and human resources; recalls the Agreement establishing an interinstitutional body for ethical standards for members of institutions and advisory bodies referred to in Article 13 of the Treaty on European Union, and insist on its swift implementation in all EU institutions;

19. Recalls the crucial role of civil society organisations (CSOs), including NGOs, in upholding democratic values to support a vibrant and lively democratic society, ensuring a sound basis for broad coverage of all relevant views in different debates and highlights that CSOs may receive support from Union funds to exercise these functions, as provided in Article 11 of the Treaty on European Union;

20. Notes that there have been allegations from some Members of the Budgetary Control committee that grant agreements, concluded by the Commission included detailed lobbying activities which could be interpreted as potentially interfering with internal decision making in the Union Institutions; notes that the Commission took a series of measures to address the allegations by adopting guidance on funding for activities related to the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation and policy, stating that while such grant agreements did not breach the EU legal framework, they could potentially entail a reputational risk for the Union; notes that all grant agreements include a disclaimer stating that ‘views of the beneficiary do not in any way represent views of the EU and that granting authority cannot be held responsible for them’; notes that such a disclaimer was further added in the 2024 call for proposals for operation grants;

21. Notes that a screening of grant agreements in all portfolios to verify their alignment with the new guidance is ongoing and that, so far, the Commission has not communicated to the Parliament the full results of the screening nor other measures that the Commission might take, if necessary; calls the Commission to keep the discharge authority informed at all times; emphasises that transparency in stakeholder meetings is fundamental to democratic integrity and should apply equally to all entities engaging with Union institutions; stresses that clear documentation and disclosure of such interactions strengthens public trust and democratic accountability;

22. Recalls that EU funding requires stringent accountability and transparency standards; in line with the ECA recommendations in the Special Report 05/2024(3) and the recent special Report 11/2025(4), urges the Commission to ensure that the information disclosed in the Financial Transparency System is frequently updated, reliable, comparable and useful; stresses the need to allocate additional resources to the EUTR Secretariat to enable a systematic and thorough monitoring of the Transparency Register; this should include allocating resources towards AI implementation to develop an AI based search mechanism; recalls the need to proactively check that all entities beneficiaries of EU funds respect EU values;

23. Welcomes the reply of Commissioner Serafin to the written question(5), once again confirming EU funding was granted and used by NGOs in full respect of EU Treaties and LIFE Regulation(6); takes further note of the recent ECA Special Report on transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs(7), which, while stating that the use of EU funding for NGO advocacy is legal, also confirms it is in line with EU’s legal transparency requirements as laid down in the EU Financial Regulation; at the same time ECA SR 11/2025 points to the fact that more should be done to improve transparency of EU funding received by all beneficiaries; calls in this regard on the Commission to implement ECA recommendations regarding screening of self-declarations in the EU’s Financial Transparency System, as well as proactive monitoring of the respect to EU fundamental values and principles by the beneficiaries;

24. Welcomes the entry into force of the recast of the Financial Regulation; welcomes, in particular, the enhancements related to tracking Union funds through digital tools and interoperability that will bolster the protection of the Union Financial Interests, the targeted extension of the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) to shared management following MFF 2027, the reference to the Rule of Law conditionality mechanism and the introduction of a conditionality based on Union values as enshrined in Article 2 TEU, as well as the opportunity to streamline SMEs and individual applicants with the introduction of very low-value grants;

CHAPTER 1 – Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF)

The European Court of Auditors’ statement of assurance and budgetary and financial management

Reliability of the accounts

25. Welcomes the Court’s conclusion in its annual report on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023(8), that the consolidated accounts of the European Union for that year are reliable; notes that the Court has issued a clean opinion on the reliability of the accounts every year since 2007;

26. Notes that on 31 December 2023, total liabilities amounted to EUR 679,9 billion, and total assets amounted to EUR 467,7 billion; notes that the difference of EUR 212,2 billion represents the negative net assets, comprising debt and the portion of expenses already incurred by the Union up to 31 December 2023 that must be funded by future budgets;

27. Notes that at the end of 2023, the estimated value of incurred but not yet claimed eligible expenses due to beneficiaries, recorded as accrued expenses, was EUR 155,2 billion (2021: EUR 148,7 billion), of which EUR 7,4 billion is related to accrued RRF expenditure;

28. Welcomes the Court’s conclusion that the assets, liabilities, revenue and expenses, including those related to NextGenerationEU (NGEU), the estimate related to the UK’s withdrawal process, and the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, are presented fairly in the consolidated annual accounts;

Legality and regularity of Union revenue

29. Notes the Court’s conclusion that the Union’s revenue is free from material error and that the managing systems examined by the Court were generally effective;

Legality and regularity of Union expenditure

30. Strongly regrets the adverse opinion on the legality and regularity of the Union budget expenditure issued by the Court for the fifth year in a row; considers this increasingly problematic, as the Commission seems unable, or unwilling, to identify the cause and address the underlying issues; regrets the Commission is not accepting some recommendations of the Court of Auditors; notes in particular the importance of reinforcement of financial management of the Commission and Member States, that is considered as not reliable by the Court and therefore compromises the reliability of the Annual Management and Performance Report; calls on the Commission to present a clear action plan on reducing the error rate within the following four months; stresses that Parliament shall duly scrutinise such an action plan;

31. Is seriously concerned by the Court’s estimation of the error level of 5,6 % in 2023 expenditure; notes that this is an accelerated deterioration compared to the previous two years (4,2 % in 2022 and 3.0 % in 2021); notes with concern that the Court continues to detect substantial issues in reimbursement-based expenditure where the estimated level of error is 7,9 %; notes that the effect of the errors found by the Court is estimated to be both material and pervasive; calls for the Commission’s financial management to be tightened up, in accordance with the recommendations made by the Court in its Annual Reports and Special Reports, in order to resolutely tackle the high error rate over the next few years; underlines the Court’s warning that the increasing European debt is placing growing pressure on the Union budget;

32. Notes that the Commission in its Annual Management and Performance Report categorises the expenditure into higher, medium and lower risk categories, in order to focus action on high-risk areas; while the Court uses only two risk categories in order to produce an opinion on the legality and regularity of the expenditures; is worried that the Court’s work revealed limitations in the Commission’s ex-post work, which, taken together, affect the robustness of the Commission’s risk assessment; notes with concern that one of the areas most impacted was ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’, where the Court assessed the majority of the spending to be high risk, while the Commission classified only a minority in this way;

33. Reiterates the concerns about the Court observation that the Commission’s risk assessment is likely to underestimate the level of risk in several areas; is also worried by recurrent weaknesses identified by the Court in Member States’ management and control systems, which are still not still preventing or detecting irregularities in heading 2, thus limiting the reliance that can be placed on their work, while the Commission’s error rates do still rely on these national systems, which do not work effectively;

34. Notes that the increase is primarily caused by the estimated level of error under MFF heading 2 – cohesion, resilience and values, where the Court found 9,3 % of expenditure to be in breach of Union rules and regulations; recalls the underlying issues that are reported by the Court and that have been known for several years;

35. Underlines that the estimated level of error in the Union’s expenditure, as presented in the Court’s statement of assurance, is an estimate of the money that should not have been paid out because it was not used in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations; considers that, though not an indicator of fraud or corruption, the estimated level of error represents expenditure where corrective actions are necessary, and thus shows a wasteful use of resources; regrets that, while being a problem in itself, this will also give a negative impression to citizens, and may even call into question the Commission’s ability to effectively protect the Union’s financial interests;

36. Notes with concern that the Commission´s own estimate of the risk at payment is only 1,9 % for 2023 and has been at that level since 2020; notes that the Commission estimates its capacity to correct and recover irregular expenditure during implementation of the associated programmes at 1,0 %, resulting in a risk at closure of 0,9 %; is concerned that again for this year the Commission’s risk at payment is not only below the Court estimated level of error of 5,6 % but also below the Court range, which is between 4,4 % and 6,8 %; highlights that the divergence between the Court’s overall error rate and the Commission’s risk at payment is also evident in some of the specific spending areas, in particular in heading 2, even more than in the past; welcomes the Court’s estimate of the level of error as an important indicator for the existing risks;

37. Notes the multi-annual perspective of the Commission’s risk at closure, as corrections and recoveries after year-end are not reflected in the Court’s estimate of the level of error; regrets, however, the confusion caused by the Commission’s presentation of the risk at payment;

38. Recalls the positions expressed in the 2022 discharge resolution and the exchanges of views in the discharge hearings for the financial year 2023 on the diverging methodologies and estimates between the Court and the Commission of errors made in Union expenditure; notes in particular that the Court’s error rate is based on a statistical sample, whereas the Commission’s risk at payment is to a large extent compiled from the error rates reported by national auditing authorities in Member States and calculated only after corrections and repayments; reminds that the Court’s error rate includes the errors that remained undetected by the Member States and the Commission, which demonstrates that the Commission’s error rates are an underestimation; notes with concern an even wider gap between the Court’s and Commission’s estimates; further notes that the Commission and the Court are organising joint workshops on this issue; notes that the Court recently aligned its methodology on procurement in the decentralised agencies with the methodology of the Commission; reiterates its support for the independent audit approach and methodology of the Court and invites the Commission to cooperate with the Court with a view to increasing harmonisation and providing for more comparable estimates of the level of error;

39. Recalls that the discharge authority needs a statement of assurance, provided by the Court, on the reliability of the accounts and the legality and regularity of the underlying transactions at year-end for its decision on discharge for that year; notes that Union spending programmes are multiannual and that their management and control systems cover multiple years, allowing for corrections and recoveries after year-end;

40. Recalls that the Commission is responsible for preventing and detecting fraud; notes that the Court, in the exercise of its mandate, is obliged to report any cases of irregularity; notes that the Court forwards to the EPPO suspicions of criminal offences falling under its competences and to OLAF suspicions of fraud, corruption or other illegal activity affecting the Union’s financial interests; notes that, in 2023, the Court reported 20 cases of suspected fraud to OLAF, and in parallel reported 12 of these cases to the EPPO, resulting so far in four OLAF investigations and nine EPPO investigations; commends the Court for its reporting of cases of irregularity to OLAF and the EPPO, as information resulting from audit engagements usually has a high degree of reliability; reminds in this framework of the key role played by the whole Union’s anti-fraud architecture and expresses some concerns about the refusal of some Member States to cooperate with one of its elements, the EPPO;

Budgetary and financial management

41. Notes that in 2023, 98,9 % of the available commitment appropriations were used (EUR 184,4 billion out of EUR 186,5 billion); notes that the available appropriations were higher than the MFF ceiling of EUR 182,7 billion due to the use of special instruments for new or unforeseen events; notes that 90,0 % of payment appropriations were used (EUR 162,0 billion of EUR 165,2 billion available);

42. Notes with concern that the total outstanding commitments, which represent future debts if not decommitted, reached an all-time high of EUR 543 billion (2022: EUR 450 billion); notes that the Commission foresees a decrease from 2025 to 2029 when committed amounts for both NGEU and the 2021-2027 programming period should be paid out; notes however that the actual amounts for 2023 (EUR 543 billion) are much higher than the forecasted amount (EUR 490 billion), calling the Commission’s estimates into question;

43. Recalls that the time available for implementing shared management funds under the 2021-2027 MFF is shorter than under previous MFFs because of the n+2 for the last year, which, coupled with the high RAL, will raise the risk of decommitments; notes the Court’s observation that the Commission has increased its forecasted amount of decommitments from EUR 7,6 billion for 2023-2027, to EUR 8,1 billion for 2024-2027 to EUR 8,8 billion for 2025-2027, a 15 % increase in 2 years; underlines with concern that the Commission has underestimated its projections for the RAL in the last two years, and that the Commission therefore likely underestimates the amount of decommitments that will be made until 2027; notes the introduction of the “cascade mechanism” following the mid-term review of the MFF 2021-2027 and the incentive to use decommitted amounts to cover increased interest costs for amounts borrowed by the Commission for NGEU;

44. Notes that the latest long-term payment forecast produced by the Commission foresees substantial decommitments as of 2027 unless Member States undertake additional efforts and implement at a much faster pace than in the period 2014-2020; notes that for the CF, ERDF, and ESF+ cohesion policy funds, the Commission forecast total decommitments for 2024-2027 at EUR 2,2 billion, more than five times its 2022 forecast of EUR 0,4 billion; warns that for the Just Transition Fund (JTF), the low implementation in 2023 puts important amounts at risk from 2025 onwards; calls on the Commission and on the Member States to use all of the available possibilities to avoid decommitments;

45. Notes with concern that Union debt increased from EUR 344,3 billion in 2022 to EUR 458,5 billion in 2023, 60 % of which is related to NGEU; notes that only for the debt issued for NGEU, associated interest costs need to be paid directly from the Union Budget and that, due to increased interest rates, these costs for the current MFF (until the end of 2027) are estimated to be between EUR 17 billion and EUR 27 billion higher than the initially forecasted EUR 14,9 billion;

46. Notes with concern that the total exposure of the Union budget because of guarantees and contingent liabilities for loans rose to EUR 298,0 billion; notes that assumptions on capital-market interest should be made conservatively, both for existing debt and new debt and that for both categories a viable plan for its repayment is necessary; notes that the Court received information from the Commission that indicates that the exposure will steadily increase in the coming years, putting additional pressure on the headroom of the budget and further reducing the flexibility of the Union budget; supports the Court recommendations to the Commission to act more proactively to ensure that its mitigating tools (such as the Common Provisioning Fund) have sufficient capacity as well as to provide more transparent reporting on total annual budget exposure, making its estimate public;

47. Notes with concern that the Court in its Special Report 07/2024(9) observed that a significant share of recovery orders issued between 2014 and 2022 were still outstanding at the time of their audit; further notes that the Commission, in its replies to the Parliament’s Committee on Budgetary Control’s (CONT Committee) written questions for the 2023 discharge, mentioned that there are 1 357 overdue recovery orders for a total outstanding amount of approximately EUR 335 million for the period 2014-2023; calls on the Commission to prioritise collecting monies under overdue recovery orders and to keep the Committee on Budgetary Control informed about progress made;

48. Highlights that equality is a founding value of the Union and is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; recalls the commitment of the Union to gender mainstreaming in its policy-making and implementation of Union funds, including gender budgeting; encourages the Commission to continue the efforts made in gender budgeting and in tracking the impact of the Union budget to foster gender equality; recalls the obligation of the Commission to accompany all legislative proposals with an impact assessment when they are projected to have a significant economic, social, and environmental impact in order to guarantee, among other things, fair distribution of funds;

49. Notes that the review of the Interinstitutional Agreement on the Transparency Register is due by July 2025; calls on the Commission to ensure that the process is as open as possible, to align financial reporting requirements across all categories of registrants (including funding sources and lobbying budgets), addressing also the risk identified in the Court’s Special Report on the EU Transparency Register (SR 05/2024) regarding self-declarations on the category of interest representation; believes that, in order to address the recommendations of the Court, the resources of the secretariat of the Transparency Register should be increased;

50. Recalls the following findings of the Court of Auditors’ Special Report 11/2025: (i) that the identification and registration of entities as NGOs are not always consistent and reliable; (ii) that despite a more streamlined granting process, issues with the completeness and accuracy of data remain; (iii) that the lack of a reliable overview of Union spending on NGOs hampers useful analysis; (iv) that the calls for proposals in the Court’s sample were transparent; (v) that respect for Union values is not pro-actively verified; and (vi) that transparency practices vary widely in the Court’s sample, with larger NGOs performing better. calls on the Commission to fully implement the recommendations in the Court’s Special Report;

Recommendations

51. Strongly supports the recommendations of the Court in its annual report on the implementation of the budget for the financial year 2023 (annual report for the 2023 financial year)(10) as well as in related special reports; calls on the Commission to implement them without delay and to keep the discharge authority informed on the progress of the implementation;

52. Calls on the Court to look for ways, together with the Commission, to align their methodologies for the general budget, as in the case of procurement for the decentralised agencies, while respecting the different roles;

53. Calls on the Commission, in particular, to:

	(i)	continue to engage with the Court in order to increase understanding, convergence and comparability of the two approaches to the diverging estimates of errors in Union expenditure;
	(ii)	qualify the impact of corrective measures on the overall level of error;
	(iii)	look for ways, together with the Court, to align their methodologies as regards the evaluation of procurement errors, and the estimation of the level of error for the general budget, as in the case of procurement for the decentralised agencies, while respecting the different roles;
	(iv)	present the discharge authority with a strategy to strengthen the use of funds for their intended purpose, increase absorption and prevent decommitments in order to maximise the EU-added value of the Union Budget;
	(v)	increase the reliability of the forecast of the outstanding commitments with a more realistic estimate of the absorption of Union funds to give the discharge authority a better forecast of the development of the RAL over the years and better protect the Union budget;
	(vi)	report on, and provide sufficient measures to, protecting the Union budget from the different risks identified beyond the RAL, such as decommitments in cohesion policy, the increasing debt, increased budget exposure and the impact of increasing inflation;
	(vii)	provide more transparent reporting on total annual budget exposure by presenting, in the Annual Management and Performance Report, a multi-annual outlook on the exposure of the Union Budget to budgetary guarantees;
	(viii)	substantially simplify rules and procedures and improve the assistance to, and ensure consistent and user-friendly guidelines for SMEs, new applicants, spin-offs, start-ups, administration and payment agencies, CSOs and all other relevant stakeholders, without compromising the quality of the controls;
	(ix)	make sure that the mitigation tools in place have sufficient capacity to effectively face the exposure risks of the Union budget;
	(x)	boost efforts to improve transparency in the use of funds, including as regards information on final beneficiaries, including on the funds that are allocated for the preparation of policy and legislative proposals;
	(xi)	put in place all necessary means for ensuring that all interest representatives that approach Union institutions are registered in the Transparency Register; further asks the Commission to set up an effective mechanism to ensure that entities funded by the Union in the Transparency Register are aligned with Union values and demand full transparency on their financing, providing a deeper insight into the financing of all entities registered and which should be the condition to approach all Union institutions, bodies and agencies;
	(xii)	together with Parliament and Council, guarantee adequate resources for the secretariat of the Transparency Register in order to ensure that the entries on the lobbying activities of all interest representatives can be checked for accuracy and that lobbying become more transparent as requested in the Court in Special Report 05/2024 on the EU Transparency Register; calls on the Commission to allocate adequate resources to identify irregularities to guarantee a wide range of search capabilities;
	(xiii)	require interest representatives in the Transparency Register to list their financial supporters by self-declaring that they are only representing their interests or the collective interests of their members and to propose an amendment to Annex II to the Interinstitutional Agreement of 20 May 2021 to require them to list their financial supporters in the EU Transparency Register, even if they state in that register that they are only representing the interests of their own members; urges entities already registered that have not listed their financial resources by self-declaration to declare them voluntarily before the interinstitutional agreement is amended;
	(xiv)	continue to support Member States in improving both the quality and the quantity of checks and to share best practices in the fight against fraud and corruption;
	(xv)	address the situation regarding late recovery orders and to take all necessary measures to recover the majority of the amount outstanding for the period 2014-2023, including implementation of corporate escalation mechanisms, and keep the discharge authority informed on the progress made in recovering the sums;
	(xvi)	reinforce the capacity of the Anti-fraud Architecture of the Union, including the provision of sufficient financial and human resources, and facilitate the cooperation between them;

Revenue

54. Welcomes that for 2023, the Court is also able to issue a clean opinion on the legality and regularity of revenue; at the same time, stresses that the problems with customs duties not being declared or being incorrectly declared (a customs gap) leading to a shortfall in collected import duties has been a persistent problem for many years and could potentially entail a loss of traditional own resources for the Union and for the Member States;

55. Notes with serious concern that the Court has examined the implementation of the Commission’s Customs Action Plan, which has the potential to lead to a significant reduction of the customs gap, and has again identified insufficient progress in the implementation of some actions from this plan; notes that the Commission, as part of this plan, proposed a customs reform in May 2023(11), including the establishment of the EU Customs Authority and EU Customs Data Hub;

56. Recalls that the Court has highlighted the risks to the EU’s financial interests from inadequate or ineffective customs controls of imported goods; commends the efforts made by OLAF on the fight against Fraud linked to customs duties and VAT; underlines the rise of the ecommerce and the online platforms risks due to potential security and safety threats and risk of non-compliance with EU taxation and customs rules, product standards, intellectual property rights, prohibitions and restrictions;

57. Notes with concern that the Court revealed that the Commission did not charge late interest payments for six cases related to late corrections to GNI data by Member States where the Commission has expressed reservations; agrees with the Court that the Commission, as a matter of principle, ought to charge late interest payments in such cases in order to create an incentive for Member States to address the reservations within the deadlines;

58. Notes with satisfaction that the new own resource based on non-recycled plastic packaging waste generated by Member States in 2023 amounted to EUR 7,2 billion, equivalent to 4,0 % of the EU’s total revenue; further notes that the Court identified(12) some problems related to the reliability and comparability of data; stresses that it provides an excellent example of a new own resource, as it creates positive incentives for Member States to reduce the volume of non-recycled plastic packaging while at the same time generating a new revenue stream for the Union;

59. Stresses that the Commission’s proposals concerning new own resources from 2021 comprising three elements, the first based on revenues from emissions trading (ETS), the second drawing on the resources generated by the Union’s carbon border adjustment mechanism, and the third based on the share of residual profits from multinationals that will be re-allocated to Member States under the OECD/G20 agreement on a re-allocation of taxing rights (“Pillar One”) are obvious candidates for such new resources; at the same time, points out that other sources might also be considered if they should prove to be easier for Member States to approve; welcomes other initiatives that may lead to new own resources for the Union budget;

60. Calls on the Commission, in particular, to:

	(i)	increase focus and pressure on the implementation of the Customs Action Plan and not least the proposal for a significant customs reform from May 2023, including the establishment of the EU Customs Authority and EU Customs Data Hub; ensure that Member States implement effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties for non-compliance with reporting obligations; initiate infringement proceedings in those cases where there is sufficient evidence that Member States are implementing a manifestly inadequate penalty system for breaches of the Directive on Administrative Cooperation 6(13) (DAC 6);
	(ii)	insist on the importance of intensifying and diversifying the International customs cooperation with trade partners and stresses the need to strengthen the fight against cross-border tax and customs fraud in the context of the expansion of e-commerce;
	(iii)	create incentives for Member States to address reservations related to corrections of GNI data by Member States within the deadlines by charging late interest payments;
	(iv)	continue work towards the introduction of additional new own resources;

Single market, Innovation and Digital

61. Notes that the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 1 ‘Single Market, Innovation and Digital’ was EUR 25,3 billion (13,2 % of the Union budget) distributed as follows: EUR 15,3 billion (60,5 %) for Research, EUR 4,1 billion (16,1 %) for Transport, Energy and Digital, EUR 2,3 billion (9,1 %) for the InvestEU Programme, EUR 2,2 billion (8,7 %) for Space, and EUR 1,4 billion (5,6 %) for other areas;

62. Notes that the Court has examined 127 transactions covering the full range of spending under this MFF heading, notably the Horizon 2020 programme (90 transactions), Horizon Europe (7 transactions), the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), space programmes and financial instruments, and also that it has reviewed the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency’s (CINEA) ex ante control system for CEF grants in the transport and energy sectors and the regularity information given in the annual activity reports of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation (DG RTD) and the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA);

63. Notes that the Court estimates that the level of error in spending on ‘Single Market, Innovation and Digital’ in 2023 was material at 3,3 %; notes the Court’s observation that research and innovation expenditure is most affected by error, particularly in the area of personnel costs; further notes that the Commission estimates the risk at payment as 1,4 % for this heading, which is in the lower half of the range of the Court’s estimate; is concerned by the Court’s conclusion that the Commission’s risk at payment for this heading remains an underestimate, because of weaknesses identified by the Court in the Commission’s ex post audits in this area since the financial year 2019(14);

64. Notes with concern that 39 (31 %) of the 127 transactions that the Court examined contained errors; is deeply concerned that for seven cases of quantifiable errors made by beneficiaries, the Commission (or the auditors contracted by the beneficiaries) had sufficient information to prevent, or to detect and correct the error before accepting the expenditure, and thus, had the Commission made proper use of all the information at their disposal, the estimated level of error for this chapter would have been 1,4 percentage points lower; highlights that this points to weaknesses in the Commission’s controls;

Research and innovation

65. Highlights the importance of Union research and innovation (R&I) funding programmes for the scientific, societal, economic and technological development of the Union, reducing inequalities, achieving the green and digital transitions and decreasing the Union’s energy dependency on Russia; recalls that Horizon Europe is the most significant research and innovation programme in Europe, with a total budget of EUR 95,5 billion for 2021-2027, including EUR 5,4 billion from the NGEU instrument; notes that the RRF has allocated around EUR 48 billion in investments to R&I; underlines that in order to enhance the Union’s competitiveness and close the innovation gap, additional funding for R&I is needed, taking into account the Draghi report’s pertinent recommendations; highlights, in particular, the need to increase defence-related R&I spending due to the current geopolitical conditions, which could serve as an important component of the innovation policy strategy;

66. Notes that its predecessor, Horizon 2020, with a budget of EUR 75,6 billion funded more than 35 000 projects between 2014 and 2020 and its calls attracted over a million individual applications from 177 countries; further notes that in her hearing for the 2023 discharge, Commissioner Ivanova underlined the EU added value of EU R&I funding programmes, explaining that the final evaluation of Horizon 2020 estimated that, for each euro of costs linked to the programme five euros worth of benefits would be generated for society by 2040; deeply regrets that 74 % of proposals assessed as high quality by independent experts could not be funded due to budget constraints; notes that an additional EUR 159 billion would have been needed to fund all high-quality proposals; stresses the importance of ensuring sufficient funding for Union research and innovation, not the least to increase the Union’s competitiveness and prosperity, in line with the Union’s strategic agenda for 2024-2029;

67. Notes the late adoption of the Horizon Europe legal bases in 2021 and welcomes that the Commission managed to reach close to 100 % budget implementation in 2023; notes that the number of grant agreements signed by the end of 2023 was 10 674 and a further two framework agreements were signed;

68. Notes with concern that the Court found errors relating to ineligible costs in 30 of the 97 research and innovation transactions in its sample, and that these errors represent 71 % of the Court’s estimated level of error for this heading in 2023; reiterates its concern that after 9 years of implementation of the Horizon 2020 programme, the calculation of personnel costs remains a major source of errors, as 22 of the 30 research transactions with quantifiable errors in the Court’s sample (around 73 %) are affected by the incorrect application of the methodology for calculating personnel costs; acknowledges both the Commission’s and the Court’s continued efforts to remedy this situation; welcomes that the Commission has accepted the Court’s recommendations to enhance beneficiaries’ compliance with the daily-rate rules and to ensure clarity concerning daily-rate rules in Horizon Europe documents;

69. Underlines the importance of simplifying the rules and procedures governing Union R&I funding; notes that in 2023 the Commission has continued the roll out of simplified cost options such as lump sums and unit costs in Horizon Europe; further notes the remarks made by the Director-General for Research and Innovation in the exchange of views with the CONT Committee that the Commission intends to increase the disbursement of Horizon Europe funds through lump sums to 50 % by 2027; welcomes that the Commission, taking the Court’s recommendations issued in its annual reports for 2022 into account, will further specify the requirements defining the proper implementation of lump sum grants, including the elements of each work package triggering payment, and will also provide detailed guidance to those involved in assessing the implementation of projects; further notes that, as described in the Commission’s assessment of Lump Sum Funding in Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe 2018-2024, beneficiaries would welcome more clarity on how lump sum grants would be audited; is concerned that the ex post audit strategy for Horizon Europe is not yet developed;

70. Stresses the crucial role of the private sector in addressing the innovation gap in the Union and improving the Union’s competitiveness and prosperity; believes, in particular, that it is imperative to continue to promote and facilitate as much as possible the participation of SMEs in Union R&I funding programmes; notes the Court’s conclusion that SMEs and newcomers are more prone to making errors than other beneficiaries since they lack the experience and resources to administer the funds; welcomes the efforts made by the Commission to support SMEs specifically, for example through information campaigns, contacts with the system of National Contact Points and the dedicated helpdesk of the Research Enquiry Service; considers that the simplification of rules and procedures is the major driver for increased participation of SMEs;

Energy, Transport and Digital

71. Highlights the importance of Union investments in the development of high performing, sustainable and efficiently interconnected trans-European networks in the fields of transport, energy and digital services and notes that the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), with EUR 4,1 billion of expenditure in 2023, is a key Union instrument in delivering these objectives;

72. Draws attention to the need to simplify the application procedures under the Connecting Europe Facility for Transport (CEF-T) in order to enable greater participation of smaller entities and local initiatives in the development of European transport infrastructure; regrets that the CEF-T budget does not cover all the needs for sustainable transport investments and that most of the CEF-T budget has already been allocated, leaving a funding gap until 2027;

73. Recalls that the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the resulting sanctions imposed on Russia continued to adversely impact the Union’s transport sector in 2023, leading to traffic shortages, supply chain bottlenecks, and the necessity to bypass traditional routes, thereby extending journey times and increasing costs; points out that the Eastern border regions, especially in the Baltic states, Finland, Poland, and Romania, have been particularly affected by economic losses and a halt of cross-border mobility as a consequence of the Russian aggression; calls on the Commission to introduce targeted measures, including in the next MFF, to facilitate recovery of the affected regions;

74. Calls on the Commission to conduct a comprehensive review of the funding allocated to the cross-border and multi-country infrastructure projects, facing significant implementation challenges, financial difficulties, or delays, such as Rail Baltica; points out that this review should address inefficiencies in planning and management as well as escalating construction costs that threaten project timelines and objectives; reiterates that greater transparency in the management of public funds increases citizens’ trust in the Union institutions;

75. Notes with concern that the Court found two errors in CEF projects in its 2023 sample, and that one of these relates to a serious breach of the Union’s public procurement rules, and has led to the contract being awarded to a consortium that did not fulfil the selection criteria and that this error contributed 28 % to the estimated error rate for heading 1;

76. Is deeply concerned by the Court’s findings in relation to the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency’s (CINEA)ex ante control system for CEF grants in the transport and energy sectors, in particular the Court’s conclusion that while the strategies for both CEF1 (2014-2020) and CEF2 (2021-2027) are based on a sound analysis of risks and past irregularities, the guidelines for ex-ante checks on procurement were not detailed enough; fully supports the Court’s recommendation that the Commission should further develop these guidelines;

Recommendations

77. Calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	secure the provision of adequate resources to support high-quality research and innovation project proposals with an EU added value in the short-term through the 2026 draft budget and in the medium-term through the Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework;
	(ii)	continue to simplify rules and procedures in line with the new financial regulation, to support training sessions and user-friendly, consistent and practical information for applicants in Member States, in particular for SMEs, new applicants, spin-offs, start-ups, CSOs or local action groups and to encourage applications from beneficiaries in Member States with more limited participation, as well as from smaller entities;
	(iii)	continue to apply simplified rules and procedures, digitalisation measures and simplified cost options (SCOs) while addressing, in particular, the risk of irregularities and fraud and the costs of controls, and finalising the ex post audit strategy for Horizon Europe as soon as possible;
	(iv)	further specify the requirements for defining proper implementation of lump sum grants, taking into account the Court’s pertinent recommendations from its 2022 Annual Report, and verify the actual implementation of projects using lump sums;
	(v)	undertake a thorough analysis of procurement errors found and further develop the guidelines describing the extent of the checks to be performed for ex ante controls on procurement for CEF projects, as recommended by the Court;

Cohesion, Resilience and Values

78. Stresses the importance of Union cohesion policy for economic and territorial convergence and development in the regions of the Union, as well as for supporting the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; notes that the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 2 ‘Cohesion, resilience and values’ was EUR 73,3 billion (38,4 % of the Union budget) distributed as follows: 47,8 % for the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and other regional operations, 18,9 % for the European Social Fund (ESF), 9,8 % for the Cohesion Fund (CF), 3,8 % for Erasmus+, 2,1 % for CEF Transport, and 3,8 % for other areas;

79. Notes that the Court has examined a sample of 238 transactions covering the full range of spending under MFF Heading 2; notes with concern that the Court’s estimated overall level of error in expenditure under this heading in 2023 increased to 9,3 %, which is significantly above the materiality threshold; draws attention to the marked increase in the overall level of error estimated by the Court in 2023 compared to previous years (6,4 % in 2022, 3,6 % in 2021);

80. Is concerned about the Court’s observation that the significant additional resources made available under the Recovery Assistance for Cohesion and the Territories of Europe (REACT-EU), the approaching end of the eligibility period for 2014-2020 programmes (31 December 2023), and parallel implementation of the NGEU programme have put additional pressure on Member State’s administrations, increasing the risk of errors; is in particular concerned by the practice of reducing Member States’ co-funding, as is the case under REACT-EU, the Coronavirus Investment Initiative (CRII) and CRII+, which reduces the ownership and associated incentives for properly overseeing expenditure; notes from the Commission replies the acknowledgement that some authorities may have carried out less effective controls and verifications due to the heavy overload and increasing pressure of parallel implementation of 2014-2020 programmes and of additional funding under NGEU;

81. Notes the Court’s analysis of transactions with additional funding through REACT-EU and flexibility through CRII+ and Cohesion’s Action for Refugees (CARE) and their contribution to the estimated levels of error; notes in particular the conclusion that errors found in 100 % EU-funded priorities contributed 5,0 % to the total estimated level of error of 9,3 %; is concerned that increasing flexibilities, without either decreasing requirements or increasing preventive checks and controls at the same time, contributed to the high error rate;

82. Notes the Court’s Review 03/2024 “An overview of the assurance framework and the key factors contributing to errors in 2014-2020 cohesion spending” that provides a multi-annual overview covering six years of audit results, including an assessment of management and control issues, aiming to strengthen the assurance model; is concerned by the Court’s conclusion that, although the assurance framework for cohesion policy has helped to reduce the level of error, it has not been effective in bringing the overall level of error below the materiality threshold of 2 %; is worried that the Commission can rely only to a limited degree on the work of the national audit authorities, because of the systematic weaknesses; supports the Court’s recommendation to the Commission to strengthen the implementation of the assurance framework for the 2021-2027 cohesion spending; reminds the Commission of the discharge authority’s call to work closely with the Member States to improve the management and control system for Union expenditure to reduce the high error rate to below the 2 % materiality threshold;

83. Notes the Court’s observation in its review on the reliability of the work of key actors in the control system for cohesion policy; is concerned by the Court’s finding that during a 6-year period managing authorities, the first line of defence for detection and prevention of errors, are not sufficiently effective in mitigating the inherent high risk of error in cohesion policy; considers it even more worrying that the Court found that the second line of defence, the Member States’ audit authorities, are not able to determine the correct error rate for the packages of expenditure they audit and provide assurance on, since the Court detected additional errors in at least 39 % of these packages; notes that these errors have been detected and reported by the Court annually for more than 6 years and that there is therefore a systemic issue;

84. Notes the Court’s categorisation of errors found in cohesion expenditure, with ineligible projects accounting for 29 %, ineligible costs for 26 % and serious non-compliance in public procurement procedures accounting for 21 % of errors and ERDF and CF related expenditure accounting for the largest share of errors (80 %); notes that expenditure under the ESF+, YEI and FEAD are proportionally less affected by error, as they together account for 16 % of errors, while they together account for around 20 % of the budget under this heading;

85. Notes the study commissioned by the Committee on Budgetary Control on ‘Lessons learned from the implementation of crisis response tools’ that shows that absorption of uncommitted cohesion resources was supported by the flexibilities introduced under CRII and CRII+; is concerned by the finding of the researchers that quality of fast-tracked projects might not have reached the same level as investments before the pandemic; is further concerned by the researchers’ observation that the risk of low-quality projects is entirely borne by the Union Budget, because of 100 % EU-funding in CRII, CRII+ and REACT-EU; considers that 100 % EU-funding might help absorption, but that absorption is not a goal in itself;

86. Stresses that, in its most recent discharge opinions, the Committee on Regional Development called for additional advisory support from the Commission to national, local and regional authorities to avoid a situation of administrative overload; recognises the Commission’s efforts but, observes that, regrettably, these have not been sufficient to mitigate the risk of error; warns that a similar administrative overload might occur at the end of the RRF eligibility period and the final years of the MFF; underlines the need to address the insufficient administrative capacity of national, local and regional authorities as a matter of urgency; calls on the Commission, in this regard, to provide them with clear guidance, and to increase its support for administrative capacity building, including through staff training, best practice sharing, peer-to-peer reviews and technical assistance to ensure effective fund management;

87. Notes the public discussions on the post-2027 multiannual financial framework that may indicate a shift towards a performance-based model, coupling investments and reforms, and a desire to simplify rules and procedures; calls on the Commission to prioritise the financial responses to the current threats resulting from the geopolitical situation; warns that any decision on the future design of spending programmes must not be to the detriment of oversight and control of Union expenditure in terms of transparency and information at Union level about non-compliance with rules and regulations; considers that the errors identified by the Court and the way the Commission handles those errors are also an indication of a properly functioning management and control system and notes that both institutions stated their commitment to improve the system and bring down the error rate;

88. Notes, as in previous years, the Court’s observation that the Commission’s desk reviews, to review and assess the work of audit authorities, are aimed at checking only consistency of regularity information, and that they are therefore too limited to confirm the residual error rate reported by the national authorities in their assurance packages; notes the Commission’s reply that it complements its desk review with on-the-spot audit work covering the programmes and assurance packages, which enables it to establish a reasonable and fair estimate of the error rates for each programme; considers that the Court’s observation is about the scope of the desk reviews and the fact that they are only aimed at consistency and therefore too limited to provide the Commission with information that is sufficiently reliable;

89. Is concerned about the persistent shortcomings observed by the Court in the work of national audit authorities as visible in the weaknesses identified in the assurance packages, with a residual error rate above the materiality threshold for more than 60 % of the value of assurance packages audited in 2023; stresses with concern that managing authorities consistently do not effectively succeed in preventing or detecting irregularities in expenditure declared by beneficiaries and that this reduces the extent to which the Commission can rely on their work;

90. Reminds that in shared management, it is the Commission’s responsibility to make sure that Member States set up management and control systems that function effectively during the implementation of programmes; is worried that both the Commission and the Court have identified that not all Member States’ management and control systems function effectively, thus negatively effecting the reliability of the Commission error rates, as they rely on these national systems, which do not work effectively; calls into question the possibility for the Commission to continue to rely on national systems;

91. Considers that for the single audit approach to work well, and in order to achieve reduced administrative burden for beneficiaries and managing authorities, adherence to audit standards at all levels of control and audit is of essential importance; is therefore worried by the Court’s finding in its annual report that essential supporting documents about compliance with eligibility conditions were not presented by programme authorities and beneficiaries, and also by the finding by the Court presented in its review that insufficient documentation of audit work from audit authorities limits the reliance that can be placed on audit work of national audit authorities;

92. Recalls that following Article 15 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council(15) (CPR) for the programming period 2021-2027, Member States need to comply with horizontal and thematic enabling conditions, which need to remain fulfilled and respected throughout the implementation period of the funds; recalls that when enabling conditions are not fulfilled at the time of submission of a payment application to the Commission for the specific objective concerned, the related expenditure will not be reimbursed from the Union budget until the Commission is satisfied that the enabling condition has been fulfilled; recalls the strong regrets of the discharge authority in relation to the Commission decision of 13 December 2023(16) considering that Hungary fulfilled the horizontal enabling condition related to judicial independence that enabled the Hungarian authorities to submit reimbursement claims of up to EUR 10,2 billion; notes with concern that since the release of these funds, the Hungarian government has not taken steps to reinstate the independence of the judiciary but on the contrary; reiterates its worries about the lack of adequate control mechanisms or unreliable public procurement procedures to guarantee sound financial management and the protection of the Union budget; believes that this decision politically contradicts the prolongation of the measures adopted under Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092(17) (the ‘Conditionality Regulation’);

93. Expresses deep concern over the findings in the 2023 Rule of Law Report regarding the rule of law situation in Hungary, particularly the persistent and systemic challenges in the judiciary and the media sectors; notes with alarm the increasing pressure on judicial independence, including concerns over the selection and promotion of judges, and recent reports of intimidation and interference in judicial decisions, as exemplified by the resignations of judges in protest against political influence; notes with concern in the same vein that the head of the Hungarian Integrity Authority, a key institution established as a condition set by the Commission for the release of Union funds under the Rule of Law Conditionality Regulation, is facing increasing pressure from the Hungarian government; calls on the Commission to ensure a coordinated and holistic approach across all relevant Union funds and legislative tools, emphasizing that Union funds must not be allocated to activities undermining democracy or reinforcing authoritarianism;

94. Recalls that the Conditionality Regulation establishes a mechanism and measures to protect the Union Budget from breaches of the rule of law when other procedures set out in Union legislation would not protect the budget more efficiently; recalls that this mechanism was activated on 15 December 2022 in the case of Hungary over concerns related to its system of public procurement, resulting in a temporary suspension of 55 % of budgetary commitments for three cohesion policy programmes; recalls that the same regulation, in line with Article 6 of Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093(18) (the ‘MFF Regulation’), stipulates that suspended commitments of 2022 (year n), may not be re-entered into the budget beyond 2024 (year n+2) and that therefore 55 % of commitments from 2022, around EUR 1 billion, were decommitted in December 2024; notes that no other procedures under the Conditionality Regulation are ongoing;

95. Notes that the Commission allocated an equivalent of five full-time staff members to the implementation of the Conditionality Regulation and reiterates the European Court of Auditor’s concerns raised in its Special Report 03/2024 that current staff numbers appear to be insufficient to ensure a strict and coherent application of the Regulation;

96. Reiterates the need to treat as a single, integral package all the measures required for the release of Union funding under the Conditionality Regulation, the CPR and Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council(19) (the ‘RRF Regulation’); stresses the importance of the protection of the Union financial interests also for disbursement of pre-financing;

97. Notes that some investments which would have been eligible for financing under cohesion are included in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans; recalls that the general objective of the RRF enshrined in Article 4 of the RRF Regulation is to promote the Union’s economic, social and territorial cohesion, and that one of its six pillars is specifically dedicated to this purpose; acknowledges that the wide scope of the RRF results in limited overlap with other Union funding programmes, as intended by the co-legislators when establishing the Article 9 of the RRF Regulation, which establishes additionality and complementarity funding as key principles; draws attention, however, to the risks of double funding emerging from such situations;

98. Expresses its preoccupation about the visible delays in implementation of cohesion policy in Member States and the lack of capacity of national administrations to deal in parallel with different spending programmes (e.g. cohesion programmes and RRF programmes) covering complementary or even similar objectives; calls on the Commission to ensure that sufficient technical assistance is provided to Member States facing difficulties in order to address existing delays in the implementation of cohesion programmes;

99. Recognises the disproportionate impact of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine on eastern regions of the Union bordering Russia and Belarus; draws attention to the costs borne by these regions and Member States as a result of their shared border with hostile neighbouring countries, notably their need to increasingly direct public funding into security, defence and preparedness, while facing dramatically reduced resources due to a disruption in economic activities, cross-border trade and other exchanges, and in cohesion programmes, particularly Interreg programmes; notes the measures taken by the European Commission to support these regions, notably through flexibilities provided under cohesion policy; welcomes that providing support to eastern border regions most affected by Russia’s aggression is included in the mission letter of the Executive Vice President for Cohesion and Reforms; calls on the Commission to ensure the provision of adequate support for eastern regions of the Union bordering Russia and Belarus to cope with the disproportionate consequences of the Russian war of aggression, both in the short-term through the 2026 draft budget and in the medium-term through the Commission’s proposal for the next MFF;

100. Stresses the importance of ESF+ which aims to achieve high employment, fair social protection, a skilled and resilient workforce, and inclusive/cohesive societies as key in eradicating poverty; expresses the need to provide it with the continued financial and political support of the Union, national and regional institutions in the delivery of its objectives and targets in the years to come; underlines the importance of closely involving regional actors, in particular civil society organisations and social partners working on the ground in the implementation of ESF+ funded activities;

101. Welcomes the frontloading of EUR 100 million from the 2027 budget of Erasmus+ to the 2023 budget of Erasmus+, which enabled continued support to pupils, students, teachers and qualified staff fleeing from Ukraine, and the extra EUR 20 million awarded to Erasmus+ in 2023 as a result of Parliament’s insistence; stresses that frontloading must remain an exception to rapid response to unforeseen acute crisis situations; underlines that any frontloading of Erasmus+ cannot result in cuts for the programme at the end of current MFF; emphasises that every effort must be made to respond to such situations preferentially with additional funding;

102. Emphasises the need for strict oversight of the allocation of funds to prevent misuse within the Erasmus programme; asks the Commission to gather evidence to investigate any case of fraudulent or suspicious recipients, in accordance with its duties outlined in the Financial Regulation and Erasmus+ grant agreements; calls for adequate safeguarding of the programme from abuse by organizations whose activities are not aligned with the fundamental values of the Union (human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights); recalls that the Commission is legally bound to ensure that programme beneficiaries commit to and ensure the respect of these values and do not commit professional misconduct;

103. Notes that in 2023, the budget of the EU4Health programme, the main financial instrument to support Union health initiatives, was EUR 735 million, mainly managed by Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety and the Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) and implemented through the European Health and Digital Executive Agency; acknowledges the progress of initiatives funded under this programme, notably in the areas of health emergency preparedness, the Beating Cancer Plan, the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe and in the implementation of Union health legislation;

Recommendations

104. Calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	re-consider the practice of 100 % Union funding in Union crisis response instruments, where increasing pre-financing might provide faster availability of funds, while maintaining a shared financial budgetary control responsibility in implementation of the funds by maintaining financial involvement from both national and Union level;
	(ii)	ensure selection of qualitatively good projects with cohesion policy funds by favouring long-term investments, and duly justifying 100 % Union funding while limiting its application;
	(iii)	address the systemic issue of non-detection of errors at Member State level in cohesion policy spending with an action plan, aimed at reporting an accurate error rate in assurance packages, and detection of errors at the first lines of defence by making available more, and/or better targeting existing resources and increase detection capacity at Member State and Commission level;
	(iv)	calculate and report to the discharge authority the cost of control for all expenditure handled by national authorities concerning cohesion policy funds, and NGEU, and compare these figures with the cost of control when only Cohesion policy funds were handled by the same authorities;
	(v)	address the recurrent issue of insufficient documentation at beneficiary, programme authority and audit authority level, not only through checks, awareness raising and information on requirements, but also through increased digitalisation and where possible, through financial incentives to penalise non-respect of the requirements for sound financial management;
	(vi)	expand the scope of its desk review of assurance packages to review more quality criteria in addition to consistency to make a reliable estimate of the residual error rate for the assurance package under review, as well as of the risk at payment as a whole;
	(vii)	step up its monitoring of the horizontal and thematic enabling conditions in all Member States to identify potential threats for the protection of the Union Budget and ensure enhanced transparency and stakeholder participation in the application of this tool;
	(viii)	closely align the rule of law report with the Conditionality Regulation and report in more detail on the breaches of the principles of the rule of law that can be used as input to trigger the Conditionality Regulation;
	(ix)	continuously monitor the implementation by the Hungarian Government of measures foreseen in Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 of 15 December 2022; assess to what extent the situation has improved or worsened, including in relation to the challenges faced by the Hungarian Integrity Authority, and take all necessary actions in accordance with the Conditionality Regulation;
	(x)	provide Member States with increased technical assistance in order to address delays in the implementation of national programmes in order to increase the absorption rate;
	(xi)	closely monitor and mitigate the increasing risk of double funding between Cohesion programmes and RRF funding and address any such occurrences without delay;
	(xii)	further enhance simplification in the implementation of cohesion programmes and work closely with Member States to identify best practices regarding the digitalisation of practices and procedures;
	(xiii)	take all necessary measures to bring down the error rate in close cooperation with the Court of Auditors;
	(xiv)	ensure the provision of adequate support for eastern regions of the Union bordering Russia and Belarus to cope with the disproportionate consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, both in the short-term and in the medium-term;

Natural resources

105. Notes that the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 3 ‘Natural resources’ was EUR 59,5 billion (31,1 % of the Union budget) distributed as follows: 65,0 % for direct payments under the European Agricultural Guarantee fund (EAGF), 27,6 % for the Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), 4,2 % for market-related expenditure under the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF), 1,9 % for Maritime and Fisheries, 0,9 % for Environment and Climate (LIFE), and 0,4 % for other areas;

106. Notes that the Court has examined a sample of 218 transactions covering the full range of spending under this MFF heading; notes that the Court also examined the regularity information given in the annual activity reports of the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development (DG AGRI) and the Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), as well as selected systems in 20 Member States and the United Kingdom; notes that the Court estimates the level of error for ‘Natural Resources’ to be 2,2 % (2,2 % in 2022) and that the majority of the errors found affected rural development transactions;

107. Points out, however, that this is partly due to the complexity of environmental schemes in rural development programmes and the recognized negative issue of “gold plating” at national level;

108. Notes, in this context, the lower-than-expected implementation rate of EAFRD funding for the period 2023-2027, with an absorption rate of only 1 % at the end of 2023, with payments amounting to EUR 0,7 billion, and expects the absorption rate to increase significantly in the course of the next reporting period;

109. Notes that the Court found 16 quantifiable errors in rural development, 15 in direct payments, three in expenditure related to market measures, and three in non-CAP expenditure; is reassured by the Commission’s assessment that most errors concern clerical mistakes and by the actions taken by the Commission to prevent errors in the future;

110. Notes the categorisation of errors by the Court, with ineligible claims accounting for 35 % of the errors, and administrative errors and inaccurate information on areas or animals for 21 % and 20 % respectively; notes with concern, that as in previous years, that the Court found in several cases that the Member State authorities and the Commission had sufficient information to prevent, or to detect and correct the error before accepting the expenditure and that, had the Member State authorities and the Commission made proper use of all the information at their disposal, the estimated level of error for this chapter would have been 1.0 percentage point lower;

111. Notes that 2023 was the first year of the CAP 2023-2027 new delivery model, which integrates performance elements, agreed with the Member States in Strategic Plans, as basis for payments; notes that 2023 was a modest start of the new delivery model, EUR 63,65 million declared on the basis of generated outputs and therefore subject to a ‘performance clearance’ by DG AGRI out of EUR 215,52 million declared under the CAP Strategic plans under sectoral interventions and rural development; notes that in 2024 payments under the new delivery model will have increased substantially; notes the Court’s observations as regards processing performance data for the Annual Performance Reports where Member States are in the process of setting-up systems and procedures and at times manually aggregate data, with associated risks for the reliability of data;

112. Recalls the farmers’ protests across Europe towards the end of 2023 and early 2024 and the Commission’s response aimed at simplification, in particular for small farmers, and increasing discretionary powers for Member States; stresses that simplification should go hand in hand with sound financial management and take into account the Union’s climate commitments; welcomes the Commission’s targeted approach, especially concerning the distinction between farm size in terms of agricultural land and number of farms; cautions that discretion given to Member States should also be accompanied by thorough oversight by the Commission;

113. Recalls that both the Commission and Member States are responsible for addressing fraud in CAP spending; welcomes in that regard the work done in terms of anti-fraud risk assessments and the update of its anti-fraud strategy by DG AGRI;

114. Notes the Court’s Special Report 07/2024 on the Commission’s systems for recovering irregular expenditure, and the Commission’s reply; notes the Court’s observation that recoveries concerning agricultural expenditure have been relatively successful, attributed in part to the so-called 50-50 rule that incentivised Member States to recover funds; notes that this rule has not been retained in the 2023-2027 CAP and the Court’s warning that this might lead to a deterioration of the rate of recovery for agricultural expenditure;

115. Notes the Court’s Special Report 20/2024 on Common Agriculture Policy Plans and the Commission’s reply; stresses the importance of ensuring that all key elements for assessing performance are provided; considers that plans need to account for specific situations in specific Member States and that therefore a certain level of divergence is even desirable, is however worried that divergence in ambitions may mean that there is no level playing field for farmers across Member States; is further disappointed by the Court’s finding that although the new monitoring framework has been simplified, the CAP objectives lack clarity and indicators focus on outputs rather than results, and that important result indicators are missing; notes that the Court recommends the Commission to promote exchange of best practices in the plans and strengthening the future CAP monitoring framework;

116. Notes the Court’s Special Report 19/2024 on Organic farming in the EU, and the Commission’s reply; is once more worried by the Court’s finding that a weak strategic framework and data constraints prevent the measurement of the impact of the policy; considers that the increased focus on performance and definition of targets and indicators, and the related monitoring of results across Union policies needs to be supported by an equal increase of the Commission’s capacity to define performance frameworks and monitor performance;

117. Welcomes the increased competitiveness achieved through market measures in the wine sector and encourages the Commission and Member States to persevere in their efforts to replicate this success in other sectors;

118. Recalls that democracy and pluralism are fundamental values of the Union enshrined in Article 2 TEU; further recalls that, in line with Article 11 TEU, Union institutions shall give citizens and representative associations the opportunity to make known and publicly exchange their views in all areas of Union action in order to maintain an open, transparent and regular dialogue; underlines that separation of powers between the institutions as laid down in Article 13 TEU must always be respected and that Union institutions shall practice mutual sincere cooperation;

119. Recognises the importance of the LIFE programme; recalls the provisions of the LIFE+ Regulation, including those related to operating grants, the eligibility conditions, the award criteria, the overall allocation for 2021-2027 and the distribution of funds within the programme;

120. Notes that some members of the Budgetary Control committee requested access to a series of grant agreements under the LIFE programme, as well as other Union funding programmes, and after scrutinising them expressed concerns on the content of several of the programmes in February 2024; notes that the Commission, including the Internal Audit Service (IAS), was initially not aware of any issue, but adopted a series of measures with the aim of addressing the concerns; recalls the discharge written questions and hearings with the Secretary-General of the Commission on 5 November 2024, the responsible Commissioners for MFF Heading 3 on 12 November, and the Commissioner responsible for Budget and administration on 9 December 2024 where the concerns and the Commission’s response were discussed;

121. Notes the concerns expressed by some members of the Budgetary Control Committee that certain grant agreements between the European Union Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and beneficiaries, such as CSOs and private companies, under the LIFE Programme include ‘work plans’ containing detailed advocacy actions towards Union institutions or their representatives, as well as other actions directed towards certain trade agreements which the Union was negotiating, or litigation measures to be pursued by the respective entities; acknowledges that this could be potentially interpreted as interfering with internal decision making in Union institutions; notes that the Commission has performed a legal analysis of the grant agreements that raised concerns of some Members of the CONT Committee, which concluded that there was no evidence that the entities concerned had breached their contractual or code of conduct obligations, yet the Commission asked some beneficiaries to make amendments to the grant agreements that contained the specific provisions that potentially entailed a reputational risk; further notes that all grant agreements include a disclaimer stating that ‘views of the beneficiary do not in any way represent views of the EU and that granting authority cannot be held responsible for them’;

122. Underlines that Union financing should not contribute to undermining the rule of law, nor the values on which the Union is founded; recalls the provisions of Article 163 of the Financial Regulation; considers it crucial that there should be no funding without traceability of funds;

123. Notes the actions taken by the Commission to address the allegations which included the issuance of guidance for Commission services on funding activities related to the development, implementation, monitoring and enforcement of Union legislation and policy and screening of their contract portfolios to determine which agreements were not in line with the guidance; takes note of the measures adopted so far by the Commission while awaiting the results of the screening of the grant agreements with all the beneficiaries, which was requested by the Commission’s Corporate Management Board;

124. Notes the decision-making structure, including the evaluation board within CINEA, for deciding on contracts between the Commission and beneficiaries; urges the Commission to ensure that the decision-making structure of CINEA for deciding on contracts to be awarded features clear accountability, clear responsibilities and a practical structure;

125. Notes that the executive agency conducts annual bottom-up risk management exercises and that these bottom-up risk management exercises did not identify any critical risks; notes that irrespective of the financing programme, evaluation procedures should be constantly reviewed and adapted if needed;

126. Notes reports in the media that the President of the Commission hired a paid special adviser to deliver a report on the “Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture” who received a salary equal to a Director-General in the Commission; is concerned by the remuneration of all the special advisers and the discretion the Commission has in deciding their remuneration, which creates arbitrary inequalities;

Recommendations

127. Calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	closely monitor the Member States’ progress as regards the processing of performance data and the aggregation of data for the annual performance report and keep the discharge authority informed about issues with reliability of performance data, in particular where it concerns manually aggregated data;
	(ii)	inform the discharge authority why the Court concludes that for several years several errors could have been prevented, had the Commission and Member States used all information at their disposal and why the Commission and Member States do not manage to address this issue appropriately;
	(iii)	apply the lessons learned as regards the reduction of the administrative burden from its response to the farmers’ protests in future policy initiatives, while taking due account of the risk of abuse of funds where control measures are reduced, or risk of too much divergence between Member States when discretionary powers are used without proper oversight;
	(iv)	keep the discharge authority informed about the recovery rates of agricultural expenditure, in particular if the rate deteriorates in comparison to the recovery rate under the previous CAP and swiftly mitigate the causes for the deterioration, including considering the introduction of new incentives for Member State authorities to recover funds;
	(v)	assess the differences in ambition of strategic plans and inform the discharge authority whether there is divergence between Member States, threatening the level-playing field for farmers, and assess how the Commission addresses those differences;
	(vi)	make better use of its capacity for setting-up performance frameworks, for defining objectives and indicators and holding those contributing to the achievements, be they Member States or beneficiaries, accountable for their contributions;
	(vii)	update the Commission’s anti-fraud strategy to devote attention to advocating for and upholding a clear separation of executive and legislative power in the Union;
	(viii)	have a clear and comprehensive strategy at Commission level as to how to better protect the financial interests of the Union and ensure that Union funds are spent for their intended purposes and diligently apply the Financial Regulation provisions, including by ensuring that grant agreements can be suspended or terminated when beneficiaries violate the Union’s legislation;
	(ix)	ensure a fair distribution of Union funds to CSOs to contribute to a pluralistic and vibrant society;
	(x)	ensure that the Commission’s guidance adopted in 2024 is applied by all authorising officers and, if necessary, further develop guidance to fully align grant agreements with Treaty provisions and existing legislation;
	(xi)	make the results of the screening of grant agreements available to the discharge authority in order to allow an assessment of the extent to which the Commission may be exposed to a reputational risk;
	(xii)	adequately address issues such as revolving doors, transparency in financing and donations, the fight against money laundering, limiting foreign interference, independence from political and economic influence, whistleblowing and transparent governance structures, in respect of all entities receiving Union funds;
	(xiii)	review the template for MoUs between the Commission and executive agencies to ensure clearer division of responsibilities;
	(xiv)	instruct the audit structure to review contracts with beneficiaries and to flag in case they identify contracts that are not in line with applicable financial rules;
	(xv)	have the IAS review contracts between the Commission and grantees, specifically to search for content that is not in line with applicable financial rules within work packages;
	(xvi)	evaluate the decision-making structure in the areas of the awarding of contracts and instruct Commission services and executive agencies to perform better checks on the content of contracts at all stages, including by ensuring that work packages and key performance indicators as listed by applicants align with the objectives of respective funding programmes;
	(xvii)	adopt more precise categorisation of entities listed in the Financial Transparency System;
	(xviii)	review its rules for special advisers to remove the arbitrary selection and remuneration;
	(xix)	further enhance simplification in the implementation of programmes and work closely with Member States to identify best practices regarding the digitalisation of practices and procedures;
	(xx)	improve the quality of dialogue with farmers from all Member States;
	(xxi)	react more quickly when serious concerns of the discharge authority are flagged to the Commission;
	(xxii)	perform adequate checks of entities listed in the Transparency Register, in order to ensure that they comprehensively list their activities in the Register;
	(xxiii)	draw clearer lines of responsibility when implementing collaborative platforms;
	(xxiv)	instruct the Corporate Management Board to submit consolidated information on the list of critical risks to the internal audit service and ensure executive agencies address potential risks and ensure a transparent selection of independent evaluators to prevent conflict of interest and guarantee their independence;
	(xxv)	instruct all DGs and executive agencies to review the distribution of funds dedicated to auditing in order to ensure sufficient resources;
	(xxvi)	ensure that proposals for Multiannual Work Programmes of any Union funding instrument have clear guidelines on the activities eligible for funding, clearer rules on screening of applications and on admissible content as well as clearer requirements for transparency and traceability of the use of Union funds, including in relation to the disclosure requirements under the EU Transparency Register;
	(xxvii)	ensure that all grant agreements respect the necessary requirements related to transparency, traceability and visibility of funds;

Migration and Border management

128. Notes that in 2023 the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 4 ‘Migration and Border Management’ was EUR 2,7 billion (1,4 % of the Union budget spending) distributed as follows: 1,2 billion (46,5 %) for three decentralised agencies, the European Boarder Coast Agency (FRONTEX), the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA) and the European Union Agency for the Operational Management of Large-Scale IT Systems in the Area of Freedom, Security and Justice (EU- LISA); 1 billion (38,6 %) for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), and 0,4 billion (14,9 %) for the Integrated Border Management Fund (IBMF);

129. Notes that in 2023 a significant portion of the spending under MFF heading 4 still concerned the completion of projects remaining from the 2014-2020 MFF; notes that 18 % of AMIF national programmes for 2014-2020 remained undeclared at the end of 2023 and that the last annual accounts and the request for payment of the final balance for these funds will be provided by the Member States as part of the closure package by 31 December 2024 at the latest;

130. Notes that the Court examined a sample of 23 transactions, which is not large enough to be representative of the spending under MFF headings 4 and 5 and, thus, it cannot provide a separate estimate of the error rate for these headings; further notes that the Court’s audit results show that the expenditure under MFF headings 4 and 5 is affected by eligibility and procurement issues and that it is a high-risk area (7 out of 23 transactions audited, i.e. 30,4 %, were affected by errors); is concerned that the Court detected four quantifiable errors which had a financial impact on the amounts charged to the Union budget and that it also found further ten cases of non-compliance with legal and financial provisions (which had no direct financial impact on the Union budget); therefore, invites the Court to provide a clear estimate of the error rate for heading 4; notes that the Commission concludes that the risk at payment in 2023 is 1,1 % for the expenditure on migration and border management;

131. Notes that the Commission has accepted the Court’s recommendation made in its annual report for 2023 to provide further guidance on applicable rules to the Member State authorities responsible for implementing DG HOME funding via shared management; regrets that the Commission has not yet fully implemented the Court’s previous recommendations that were due to be addressed by the end of 2023; notes that DG HOME is undertaking a reassessment of its ex-ante methodology to ensure the respect of the rules applicable to post-2021 generation of grants, and that this reassessment will also address the Court’s relevant recommendations and those of the IAS audit on the preparedness for closing actions and programmes funded under the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the AMIF 2014-2020 through direct and shared management;

132. Notes with concern that two reservations on the declaration of assurance were issued in DG HOME’s Annual Activity Report for 2023 and that one reservation concerns the implementation of AMIF and ISF 2014-2020 in several Member States and the other reservation concerns the implementation of Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI) 2021-2027 in one Member State; welcomes the Commission’s commitment to take remedial measures for the underlying issues that necessitated the reservations;

133. Welcomes the progress identified by the Court in its review of the preparatory work done by five member state audit authorities in managing the transition of the AMIF, BMVI and ISF funds to the CPR of the 2021-2027 MFF; observes that these audit authorities reported to the Court that the support and guidance DG HOME provided to them was satisfactory; notes with concern that at the time of the Court’s audit four out of five Member State audit authorities had not finalised their audit strategies;

134. Takes note of the adoption of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum; welcomes that the mid-term revision of the MFF 2021-2027 allocated an additional EUR 2 billion to migration and border management for 2024-2027 to address the growing challenges in migration and border management resulting from the current geopolitical context; notes, however, that additional funds might be needed with a view to ensuring the full implementation of the Pact; calls for the quick implementation of the Pact in the Member States;

135. Stresses that securing the Union’s external borders is a pillar of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum; notes with concern that the Commission reported that the number of irregular border crossings in the Union increased in 2023 to 380 000, compared to 330 000 in 2022; observes that the BMVI can support frontline Member States to ensure they have the resources for infrastructure, facilities and installations necessary to secure the external borders of the Union, including electronic border security enhancements and other tools for border surveillance as provided for in annex III of the BMVI regulation; notes the European Council conclusions of 9 February 2023 that the Union will step up its action to prevent irregular departures and loss of life, to reduce pressure on the borders of the Union and on reception capacities, to fight against smugglers and to increase returns; underlines the need to better protect vulnerable people from smuggling and trafficking networks and address the negative effects of the instrumentalisation of migrants as part of hybrid attacks, notably by pro-Russian forces, as well as by the Belarusian regime;

136. Recalls that, according to Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, Member States and the Commission must ensure respect for fundamental rights and compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union in the implementation of Union funds;

137. Notes the Court’s conclusion that the AMIF 2014-2020 was performing below expectations in terms of facilitating returns of migrants: also takes note of the fact that the Court and the Commission agree that progress in this area was particularly affected by COVID-19-related travel restrictions; further notes that in 2023 return measures were supported with EUR 29,8 million from the AMIF; considers that the Commission must provide stronger efforts to assist Member States in addressing irregular border crossing and in successfully implementing returns of third-country nationals, as well as the integration of legal migrants; looks forward to receiving consolidated information in 2025 on progress in this regard through the ex-post evaluation AMIF 2014-2020; highlights that the Commission should continue to take action on migration and asylum within the framework of external action, including the ‘Team Europe’ approach while also increasing the transparency of the programming and implementation of the Union home affairs funds in third countries and safeguarding the role of the Parliament;

Recommendations

138. Calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	address the Court’s recommendations in a thorough and timely manner and share DG HOME’s revised ex-ante methodology, once completed, with the discharge authority;
	(ii)	continue to support the Member State managing and audit authorities in the timely finalisation of their audit strategies for MFF 2021-2027 funds, paying particular attention to eligibility and procurement issues, as well as all other recurrent findings of the Court;
	(iii)	take action to improve the performance of actions funded by the Union in terms of effective returns and combatting irregular migration, while ensuring the full respect of Union legislation and the fundamental values of the Union;
	(iv)	take action to increase the efficiency of Union spending on the protection and management of the European Union’s external borders;
	(v)	monitor, assist in and scrutinise the timely progress of the administrative, operational and legal steps required by Member States and Union agencies for the full implementation of the New Pact on Migration and Asylum by 2026;
	(vi)	increase the transparency of the programming and implementation of the Union home affairs funds in third countries, while safeguarding the role of Parliament in ensuring the democratic scrutiny of Union spending;
	(vii)	continuously assess, in the implementation of the Union Budget, compliance with the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Union values enshrined in Article 2 TEU, in accordance with Article 6 of the Financial Regulation;

Security and Defence

139. Notes that in 2023 the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 5 ‘Security and Defence’ was EUR 1,4 billion (0,7 % of the Union budget spending) distributed as follows: 500 million (38,4 %) for the European Defence Fund (EDF), 300 million (19 %) for military mobility, 200 million (17,1 %) for decentralised agencies, namely the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), Europol and European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), 200 million (13,1 %) for the ISF, and 200 million (12,4 %) for nuclear safety, decommissioning and other areas;

140. Notes that in 2023 a significant portion of the spending under MFF heading 5 still concerned the completion of projects remaining from the 2014-2020 MFF; notes that 25 % of ISF national programmes for 2014-2020 remained undeclared at the end of 2023 and that the last annual accounts and the request for payment of the final balance for these funds will be provided by the Member States as part of the closure package by 31 December 2024 at the latest;

141. Notes with concern that, for the reasons explained in the section on migration and border management, the Court cannot provide a separate estimate of the error rate for MFF heading 5 ‘Security and Defence’ and that, based on its audit results, the Court considers expenditure from this heading to be high-risk; therefore, invites the Court to provide an estimate of the error rate for this heading as well; notes that the Commission concludes that in 2023 the risk at payment was 0,5 % for the expenditure on security and defence;

142. Observes that the Commission has not accepted the Court’s recommendation to carefully check and document the technical aspects of military mobility grant applications to the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) during the grant award procedure and that the Commission considers that its current processes already ensure a check on whether dual-use infrastructure projects meet the eligibility conditions;

143. Recalls the highly unstable geopolitical situation in the Union’s neighbourhood giving rise to greater security and defence challenges, including hybrid threats, and thereby to greater investment needs in security, defence and preparedness, since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine; draws attention to the fact that MFF heading 5, dedicated to security and defence, is the smallest of all MFF headings and regrets that the Union’s current budget for ensuring the security and defence of its citizens is not equal to the challenges to be met either in the short or the long term; notes that in 2023 Union funding in support of the defence industry came exclusively from the EDF; recalls the role played by the EDF in supporting European technological expertise in emerging and disruptive technologies; welcomes that submissions to the 2023 EDF calls increased by 72 % compared to the previous year, demonstrating the strong and constantly growing interest of European defence industry actors and research organisations in the EDF and the high demand for funding in this sector; notes that under the 2023 calls, the Union committed EUR 1,15 billion for 61 defence R&D projects, benefiting 581 legal entities from 26 Member States and Norway; notes that on average 17 entities from eight different Member States and Norway participate in each project; underlines the importance of a level playing field in supporting cross-border defence R&D cooperation;

144. Welcomes the Commission’s actions to enhance support for SMEs in the defence sector, in particular appreciates that the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), which provides a diverse range of instruments tailored to support SMEs within the defence ecosystem, became fully operational in 2023, with EUR 224 million allocated to it from the EDF budget; appreciates, further, the role of the SME bonus under the EDF in facilitating the access of smaller actors and innovators in defence supply chains; notes that in the 2023 EDF calls, 42 % of the entities selected for funding were SMEs, an increased share compared to 2022 (38,2 %), and that 18 % of the total funding available through the EDF calls is allocated to SMEs;

145. Recalls that the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) was a precursor programme of the EDF with a budget of EUR 90 million that funded 18 research projects selected following calls for proposals in the years 2017 to 2019; further recalls that the Court, in its Special Report 10/2023 ‘The Preparatory action on defence research’, has observed that the Union still lacked a long-term strategy for the projects under the EDF, particularly in terms of impact, additional research, development, manufacturing and procurement; welcomes that the Commission has accepted all of the Court’s recommendations and has confirmed that their implementation is ongoing; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission’s adoption of a European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and legislative proposal establishing the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) as well as its commitment to build up the EDF; nevertheless, in view of the geopolitical realities the Union faces, is concerned that the full implementation of the Court’s recommendations is expected only in 2026;

146. Recalls the Court’s observations in its Special Report 10/2023 regarding the limited availability of human resources at the Commission and the subsequent risk for the EDF; notes that the growing number of proposals to evaluate and projects to manage puts considerable pressure on human resources; further notes the large share of seconded national experts (17 %) among DG DEFIS staff in 2023 and DG DEFIS’s intention to reinforce staff by the selection of officials through specialised EPSO competitions in the field of space and defence, for which the reserve lists were finalised in November 2023;

147. Notes that the implementation of ‘Action Plan on Military Mobility 2.0’ is ongoing, with EUR 1,74 billion allocated for dual-use transport infrastructure projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) between 2021-2027; notes that so far the Union has co-funded 95 military mobility projects in 21 Member States and that 94 of these projects are still ongoing and most of them are expected to be finalised between 2026 and 2027; notes with concern that following three calls for proposals organised in 2021, 2022 and 2023, the entirety of the military mobility envelope under the CEF for the current programming period has thereby already been exhausted; considers that although making the budget quickly available by frontloading amounts into the 2022 and 2023 calls responded to the need to take into account the evolution of the security situation in Europe following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, it simultaneously led to Union funding being unstable and unpredictable by leaving a gap of more than four years with no more Union funds available for military mobility calls to finance dual-use infrastructure projects until the post-2027 MFF; recalls the Court’s conclusions in its Special Report 04/2025 that the Action Plan was not built on sufficiently solid foundations and that progress towards its objective, namely ensuring swift and seamless movement of personnel, materiel and assets at short notice and on a large scale, has been variable due to design weaknesses and remaining obstacles to implementation; notes that the Commission considers that more action is needed to strengthen dual-use transport infrastructure corridors, including on regulatory issues such as cross-border movement permission procedures; notes the Court’s observation that the Commission had not carried out a robust assessment of the overall funding required to make its objectives and targets achievable; regrets that only EUR 300 million was spent on military mobility in 2023 and is concerned that calls for proposals under the military mobility envelope faced a four-time oversubscription rate, demonstrating the increased interest among Member States and project beneficiaries;

148. Expresses deep concern over the Commission’s decision to proceed with the adoption of the “Rearm EU” initiative without prior consultation of the European Parliament; regrets that such a decision bypasses the principle of institutional balance and undermines Parliament’s role as co-legislator in shaping strategic and budgetary priorities; urges the Commission to refrain from initiating substantial policy instruments that impact the Union’s financial and strategic architecture without ensuring full respect for the prerogatives of the Parliament;

149. Notes that the European Parliament has called on the Union and its Member States to put in place a legal framework enabling Russia to be classified as a State sponsor of terrorism;

Recommendations

150. Calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	develop a longer-term strategy for the EDF, building on the experience with Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) and the Court’s recommendations, as soon as possible;
	(ii)	secure the provision of adequate resources to enhance Union defence cooperation, in the short-term through the 2026 draft budget and the timely recruitment of expert staff, and in the medium-term through the Commission’s proposal for the next MFF;
	(iii)	further strengthen military mobility in the Union by substantially increasing the funding available to improve dual-use transport infrastructure corridors and by taking action to eliminate administrative, procedural and regulatory barriers to cross-border military movements, while prioritising Union funding to projects that best respond to the current European threat landscape; taking into account the Court’s findings and recommendations in special report 04/2025;
	(iv)	take action to ensure due diligence in relation to project criteria for dual-use military mobility infrastructure projects, in line with the Court’s recommendation;

Neighbourhood and the world

151. Notes that the budget for the programmes under MFF heading 6 ‘Neighbourhood and the world’ was EUR 15,2 billion (7,4 % of the Union budget) distributed as follows: 63,4 % for the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI-Global Europe), 16,4 % for Humanitarian Aid (HUMA), 16 % for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA III) and 4.2 % for other actions and programmes; notes that in total, payments for ‘Neighbourhood and the world’ reached 15,2 billion in 2023, representing approximatively 8 % of the overall Union expenditure excluding RRF;

152. Notes that the Court examined a sample of 72 transactions, which is not adequately representative of the spending under this MFF heading and, therefore, cannot provide an estimate of the error rate; considering that the Court’s audit results show that this is a high-risk area (of 37 out of 72 transactions audited, i.e. 51.4 %, were affected by errors), invites the Court to provide a clear estimate of the error rate for this chapter; notes that the Court found 31 errors that had a financial impact on the Union budget, relating to ineligible beneficiaries, ineligible costs, expenditure not incurred, and breaches of public procurement rules, areas that could point to risks of unreliable functioning of control mechanisms;

153. Notes, additionally, that the Court detected 19 cases of non-compliance with legal and financial provisions, none of which had direct financial impact on the Union budget, and which included issues such as ambiguous cost allocations, non-compliance with visibility rules, and inadequate documentation;

154. Is concerned that the Court found a significant non-compliance with visibility rules in an EU-funded project under indirect management by DG NEAR, which concerned a contribution agreement worth EUR 21,2 million signed with an international organisation in a project where the aim was to support Eastern partnership countries in tackling COVID-19; notes that the Court found that most donation certificates it checked did not contain any acknowledgment that the medical equipment donated was funded by the Union; recalls that beneficiaries of Union funds are required to clearly publicise the fact that the Union has financed or co-financed the action they are implementing; notes the Commission’s replies that it is discussing new communication and visibility guidelines with the United Nations to reduce the risks of errors on compliance with visibility rules;

155. Expresses concern that the Court, in its IT audit on the information system OPSYS’ component for managing user access and rights, found three shortcomings including (i) that the Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) had not formalised a procedure for granting and removing access rights for system administrators and to standard users; (ii) four cases in which standard users had more access rights than they needed for their jobs, which is not in line with the Commission’s IT standards; and that (iii) DG INTPA did not manage all administrator accounts belonging to staff of other directorates-general; is concerned that these weaknesses increase the risks of both inappropriate access to the system and non-compliance with the rules and procedures for implementing external action projects, and also undermine the integrity of system processes and data;

156. Notes that the Commission intensified communication with international organisations in order to raise awareness of the need to ensure that the Court’s auditors obtain full access to documents when auditing projects funded by the Union, and that the Commission has supported initiatives to find permanent solutions to the issues of access to and retention of documents; notes, however, the Commission’s acknowledgment that despite efforts, some constraints regarding access to documents persist due to the existing legal frameworks of the implementing partners, which are not expected to change in the near future;

157. Urges the Commission to enhance the rule of law conditionality-based approach of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) III funding in order for the instrument to serve its purpose of effectively preparing accession countries to fulfil the conditions of becoming Member States of the Union; reiterates its calls on the Commission to implement the recommendations of the Court’s Special Report 01/2022 in order to ensure an effective impact of Union financial assistance in support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans, in particular by developing guidelines on the application of the provisions on modulation and conditionality under IPA III;

158. Stresses that Union aid should under no circumstances – directly or indirectly – be financing terrorism, hence it should not support any entity connected to Hamas or any other terrorist or extremist organisation; notes to this end, it is legitimate and necessary to be able to clearly know and identify all the final beneficiaries of European aid in third countries; emphasises the need for strict control over the distribution and use of aid to ensure no misuse of funds;

159. Notes with regret that the European Commission financed the Gaziantep Islamic Science and Technology University, which has proven ties to terrorist organisation of Hamas; calls on the Commission to cancel all ties to this university and other universities with ties to terrorist organisations;

160. Urges the Commission, in the context of delivering enhanced support and humanitarian aid to the Palestinian population, to also make full use of trusted partners, such as the WHO, WFP UNICEF or different Red Crescent organisations; recalls the importance for the Commission to guarantee independent controls of UNRWA by external experts, the Court and experienced international partners;

161. Notes that the Commission has been working in the last months with UNRWA, to enhance the neutrality processes and control systems in the Agency, in line with findings of the investigations by the UN OIOS on the allegations of involvement of 19 of its staff in the 7th October 2023 attack, and to monitor the application of the action plan presented by UNRWA on the implementation of the recommendations of the Independent Review Group led by former French Minister of Foreign Affairs Colonna to strengthen control and oversight; notes that the Commission has reassessed the Union’s 2024 funding decision for UNRWA and that, through an exchange of letters between Commissioner Várhelyi and UNRWA Commissioner General Lazzarini in April 2024, the Union reached an agreement about the Union’s conditional assistance for UNRWA, linked to a number of milestones in relation to three work streams, including the screening of UNRWA staff, an audit by the Union, as well as the reinforcement of the Department of Internal Investigations and Ethics office; notes that Union assistance was resumed;

162. Recalls the necessity for the Palestinian Authority to remove all educational materials and content that fail to adhere to UNESCO standards by the next school year, in particular those that contain antisemitism as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance classification endorsed by the Union, incitement to violence, hate speech, and glorification of terrorism; recalls the provisions of previous discharge resolutions; stresses that financial support from the Union for the Palestinian Authority in the area of education should be provided on the condition that textbook content is aligned with UNESCO standards, that all anti-Semitic references are deleted, and that examples which incite to hatred and violence are removed, as repeatedly requested in the resolutions accompanying the discharge decisions; recalls the findings of the Georg Eckert Institute’s report funded by the Union, which revealed a complex picture on the textbooks; notes that the Union does not fund the Palestinian textbooks, and that neither are they the responsibility of UNRWA, which nevertheless reviews all issued textbooks to address any problematic content;); notes that the Commission will carry out close scrutiny to ensure that no Union funds are allocated, directly or indirectly, to the drafting, teaching, or exposure of such educational materials to Palestinian children, including those provided by UN organisations;

163. Notes DG NEAR’s acknowledgement in its AAR 2023 that projects in Kyiv received regular visits but security constraints limited on-site monitoring and project visits in other Ukrainian regions; further notes that the constraints on adequately monitoring projects in Ukraine led to a renewed reservation in the 2023 AAR of DG NEAR and that corrective actions are being implemented, such as monitoring progress on project implementation through desk reviews, remote solutions and using a service provider;

164. Welcomes that OLAF provides targeted anti-fraud assistance to authorities and supports the accession of Ukraine to the Union Anti-Fraud Programme; notes that the Framework Agreement for the Ukraine Facility, which entered into force in June 2024, provides for legally binding arrangements for the management, control, supervision, monitoring, evaluation, reporting and audit of funds under the Facility, as well as measures to prevent, investigate and correct irregularities, fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest, and provisions on the roles of OLAF and EPPO; welcomes, in addition, that, pursuant to article 36 of the Ukraine Facility Regulation, the Commission established in June 2024 an Audit Board, with the mission of assisting the Commission in assessing the effectiveness of Ukraine’s management and control systems regarding the funds provided under the Facility and in fighting mismanagement of Union funding under the Ukraine Facility; calls on the Commission to keep the European Parliament regularly informed about the activities and findings of the Audit Board in order to ensure proper parliamentary oversight;

165. Notes with concern the recent reports on the findings of a draft audit report paid for by the Commission on the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS) Secretariat which allege to suspected fraud, unpaid salaries and further liabilities; notes that as reported the Commission has contributed EUR 3,7 million to the Secretariat in 2023 and is trying to recover EUR 3,6 million as of March 2024; asks the Commission to ensure full transparency and accountability, grant access to the audit report and inform the members of Parliament on the concrete steps taken;

166. Calls on the Commission in line with the Court’s recommendations in its opinion 03/2024 to integrate into the new MFF legislative proposal the recommendations of the External Action Guarantee complementing the Commission’s evaluation, including increased use of blending (grants) in LDCs, fragile or conflict-affected countries and engaged coordination with stakeholders such as civil society;

167. Is concerned about the allocation of EFSD+ under the new flexible ‘Support to Investments’ envelope in favour of benefiting countries where the Global Gateway investments are easier to implement at the expense of prioritising LDCs, and fragile and conflict-affected countries; calls for reporting on the volume of EFSD+ amounts allocated and contractualised in these countries and for transparency on how the quota of allocations to LDCs within country MIPs is respected within allocations of the regional MIPs;

168. While recognising the Global Gateway strategy as a concerted Union response to global challenges, reiterates that actions bringing together public and private investment must always be guided by the legal framework as provided by the NDICI Regulation, the Agenda 2030, and the needs of partner countries, as communicated by way of an honest dialogue at eye level; is concerned about inconsistencies surrounding Global Gateway programmes; calls, therefore, for improved transparency, democratic accountability, robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in Global Gateway and Team Europe initiatives; calls for a centralised, publicly accessible platform, regularly updated, to detail Global Gateway projects, including their objectives, funding sources, implementing partners, and expected outcomes;

European Development Fund (EDF)

169. Notes that to audit the regularity of transactions, the Court examined a sample of 140 transactions, representing the full range of spending from the EDFs; notes, furthermore, that this comprised 31 transactions related to the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, 87 transactions authorised by 14 EU delegations(20) and 19 payments approved by Commission headquarters;

170. Notes with concern that, out of the 140 transactions examined, 62 (44,3 %) contained errors, compared to 57 (40,7 %) in 2022 for the same number of transactions; stresses, moreover, that the Court quantified 52 errors (48 in 2022), on the basis of which it estimated the level of error for the financial year 2023 to be 8,9 % (7,1 % in 2022);

171. Highlights with concern that the three most common types of errors in the financial year 2023 related to expenditure not incurred at 45 % (51 % in 2022), to absence of essential supporting documents at 31 % (7 % in 2022) and to ineligible expenditure at 23 % (24 % in 2022);

172. Notes the Commission’s replies to written questions to Commissioners Jutta Urpilainen and Oliver Varhelyi that in 2023 approximately 45 % of the total errors are due to excess clearing, a practice where expenditure not incurred is included in the accounts as expenditure incurred, and that therefore such errors are temporary, since they will no longer exist after the final clearings; notes furthermore that, to reduce these temporary errors, the Commission has requested its partners to review their reporting templates to allow for easier identification of incurred expenditure, and that DG INTPA launched a special working group to screen the compliance of relevant organisations through a risk management framework; also notes that DG INTPA is currently reviewing its control strategy, which aims also to identify how ex-ante controls can be strengthened and to improve the reporting of the pillar-assessed organisations to the Commission; calls on the Commission to report to the discharge authority on the effects of these actions;

173. Notes that the expected outcomes of DG INTPA’s ongoing review of its control strategy include the reinforcement of guidance on financial reporting and also on enhanced ex-ante controls so as to prevent errors including on excess clearing; calls on the Commission to report to the discharge authority on the remedial measures taken upon finalisation of this review;

174. Is concerned that, as in previous years, some international organisations provided only limited access to documents (e.g., in read-only format), which hindered the planning, execution and quality control of the Court’s audit and led to delays; notes that audit and control issues were discussed with UN entities on several occasions, including in the context of joint technical reference group meetings and the relevant EU-UN Financial and Administrative Framework Agreement (FAFA) working group; notes furthermore that the Commission is working with the International Organisations concerned and has intensified communication with them on the Court’s access to documents; encourages, as in previous years, the Commission to increase these efforts;

175. Stresses that, according to Court’s assessment, the Residual Error Rate (RER) study does not constitute an assurance engagement or an audit and is based on the RER methodology and manual provided by DG INTPA; notes that DG INTPA clarifies that the RER study is meant to be a key indicator for the estimated financial impact of residual errors, i.e., it measures the proper functioning of the internal control system and thus, demonstrates the Commission’s corrective capacity; stresses that, as in previous years, the Court has found limitations in the study; notes, furthermore, the Court’s opinion, as in previous years, that the RER methodology allows the contractor to rely entirely on the results of DG INTPA´s controls, and that relying on the work of other auditors is contrary to the purpose of an RER study; highlights the Court’s finding that in cases where these previous checks were carried out under the FAFA between the European Commission and the United Nations, the contractor is not always able to carry out additional substantive testing as the FAFA limits the Commission’s verification rights; highlights the Commission’s reply which recognised the limitations in terms of controls set in the FAFA; urges the Commission to look for workable solutions to resolve this issue;

176. Recalls that two EUTFs were created under the EDFs; recalls that EUTF for Africa has mobilised over EUR 5 billion, with 88 % of contributions (EUR 4,4 billion) coming from the EDF and the Union budget; deplores that, despite several requests from Parliament, the process of managing and allocating these funds still lacks transparency; is concerned by the Court’s findings in its Special report 17/2024 “The EU trust fund for Africa Despite new approaches, support remained unfocused; notes that, despite an innovative approach to identifying human rights risks in a difficult environment, these risks were not comprehensively addressed and that the Court found that the assessment of potential risks to human rights was not comprehensive; recalls that the Commission is unable to identify and report on the most efficient and effective approaches to reducing irregular migration and forced displacements in Africa according to the Court; regrets that the new monitoring system aggregates information from all EUTF projects, but suffers from issues of data accuracy; notes that the Union’s Africa trust fund is set to be phased out in 2025;

Recommendations

177. Calls on the Commission to act on the Court’s recommendations:

	(i)	as regards the OPSYS application system, formalise and enhance the procedure for granting and removing access rights for system administrators and to standard users, enhance the quality of the new software, and allocate resources needed to enhance its maturity and robustness;
	(ii)	strengthen guidance and controls to ensure that organisations implementing contracts under indirect management, including international organisations, international financial institutions and state agencies, comply with visibility rules;
	(iii)	continue to intensify its communication with international organisations in order to provide the Court with complete, unlimited and timely access to documents necessary to carry out its task in accordance with the TFEU, and not just in read-only format;
	(iv)	put in place adequate ex ante and ex post control measures in unstable or conflict zones to ensure the proper control of spending of Union funds and ways to recover the Union funds;
	(v)	take measures to improve controls systems for the clearing of pre-financing paid to international organisations;
	(vi)	strengthen ex ante controls before accepting expenditure;

178. Furthermore, calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	strictly monitor through all available mechanisms and work with UNRWA to ensure the implementation of all agreed actions to guarantee that UNRWA works in full compliance with humanitarian principles and neutrality, including in the forthcoming EU-UNRWA joint declaration and the upcoming financing decisions for conditional Union assistance;
	(ii)	ensure that all contracts involving Union funds fully respect applicable Union legislation, including accountability, transparency, and sound financial management, and that this includes verifying that there are no subcontractors, natural persons, participants in workshops and/or trainings or recipients of financial support made to third parties subject to Union restrictive measures or involved in the financing of terrorism or acts of terrorism as well as other acts of hatred and incitement to hatred;
	(iii)	increase evidence-based targeting of geographical areas and beneficiaries, and improve the accuracy of reported achievements of future development action, including through the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe;

European public Administration

179. Notes that the Commission is directly responsible for the implementation of 59,1 % of the overall administrative budget of the Union, equivalent to EUR 7,2 billion; further notes that 70 % of the administrative expenditure relates to human resources including pensions while the remaining primarily covers expenditure related to buildings, equipment, energy, communications and IT; notes with satisfaction that also for 2023 the Court concludes that the spending area is low risk;

180. Notes that during 2023, 2152 civil servants left the Commission primarily due to retirement, resignation or the end of their contracts; notes that this represents a relatively high turnover, which should give the Commission ample possibilities to address persistent imbalances in geographical representation throughout the services;

181. Encourages the Commission together with EPSO to ensure that necessary technical systems are put in place as quickly as possible and that processes are accelerated in order for the Commission and other Union institutions to be able to rely on EPSO for the selection of highly qualified and motivated candidates for all types of jobs in the institutions;

182. Appreciates that female representation in management positions increased from 46,1 % in December 2022 to 47,8 % in December 2023; encourages the Commission to continue to focus on ensuring and maintaining gender balance on all levels of management;

183. Notes with satisfaction that the Commission has implemented policies to enhance work-life balance and staff well-being, including the right to disconnect; at the same time commends that a new decision on the prevention and fight against harassment was adopted which establishes the position of a Chief Confidential Counsellor as key figure in the fight against harassment; stresses the need to provide this position with the appropriate resources to effectively carry out multiple challenging tasks;

184. Acknowledges the progress of the Commission with regard to the internalisation of crèche staff;

185. Notes with satisfaction that the Commission issued updated versions of the guidelines on ethical standards for participation of the Members of the European Commission in the election campaign to the European Parliament and guidelines for the participation of Members of the Commission in election campaigns at Member State level; further commends that in March 2023, the Commission adopted much needed strengthened rules on missions and costs paid by third parties;

186. Stresses the need to ensure that all the Union Institutions in Luxembourg can attract staff to all types of jobs and careers; notes that especially for servants in lower pay grades Luxembourg can be a less attractive option due to the costs of living; notes that with the agreement on the budget for 2025 the first step has been taken by establishing a special housing allowance for staff in lower grades working in Union institutions in Luxembourg;

187. Notes that the Commission has an ambitious goal of reducing the overall office space of the Commission by 25 % and the number of buildings by 50 % by 2030 compared to 2020; notes that the total reduction in overall space reached a little over 83 000 m2 in 2023, equal to a reduction of 11 %; welcomes that this goal is an important element in the Commission achieving carbon neutrality and reducing administrative costs; stresses that it is important that the reduction in the number of building and office space and the resulting roll-out of collaborative work spaces and other significant administrative changes happens in close cooperation with staff;

188. Is concerned about the severe delays, including delays of up to 6 months, faced by civil servants across the institutions when receiving the reimbursements of healthcare costs under the institutions’ sickness insurance scheme; is also concerned about the inadequate treatment of civil servants and MEPs with autoimmune diseases, neurological disorders, COPD (obstructive pulmonary disease), long COVID, undiagnosed and rare diseases by the sickness insurance scheme of the institutions; notes that patients with these symptoms are often not reimbursed for their diagnostic tests;

189. Notes that, in 2023, the Ombudsman launched 398 inquiries concerning the Commission; further notes that during 2023 the Commission received 187 closing decisions without remarks and 17 decisions of maladministration; notes with concern that the Ombudsman receives many citizens’ complaints about extreme delays in gaining access to requested documents from the Commission and encourages the Commission to strive to speed up the processing of such requests and further reduce the number of decisions of maladministration and establish clear rules concerning access to all types of written texts whether on paper, email, text messages or any other form of communication, which is part of an administrative process related to Commission policies or decisions; notes that out of the nine investigations related to the Commission concluded by OLAF in 2023, seven were closed with recommendations; calls on the Commission to ensure transparency and accountability in the follow-up to these cases;

190. Expresses deep concern that there has been allegations of corruption linked to the Commission; at the same time deplores that there has been allegations about officials from the Commission that allegedly accepted gifts from a country that the Union was negotiating an agreement with; stresses the need for a clear and systematic approach to ensure that all OLAF cases involving relevant potential criminal offences are promptly referred to the EPPO and the competent national authorities; calls on the Commission to reinforce relevant rules and procedures in order to ensure that all cases are handled in a strict, correct and efficient way;

191. Notes that only very few cases of psychological and sexual harassment have been recognised as such in the past years and expresses concern that this may point to institutional blind spots in the Commission, given the significant number of employees of the institution;

192. Expresses deep concern regarding reports of an ongoing investigation involving the former Commissioner for Justice, who is alleged to have been engaged, during his time in office, in money laundering activities involving funds of unknown origin; calls on the Commission to fully cooperate with the Belgian authorities and to urgently clarify whether these activities were in any way connected to his official duties within the Commission;

193. Calls on the Commission to prioritise permanent staff over external consultants and contractual staff, in order to guarantee high quality working conditions and to prevent knowledge and experience from being lost; calls for flexibility for DGs with a high proportion of seconded national experts (SNE) in the establishment plan to convert SNE posts into temporary agent posts with the aim of ensuring better expertise retention, operational functionality and business continuity; further insists on avoiding the externalisation of tasks to consultancies when available know-how can be found in-house;

194. Notes that, in recent years, the Commission has increasingly outsourced impact assessments to external companies, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest; calls on the Commission to strengthen provisions to prevent possible conflicts of interest and to provide better guidance to staff handling public procurement procedures for policy-related service contracts;

195. Regrets the alleged espionage organised by the Hungarian Government against OLAF staff during an investigative mission; calls for the swift establishment of robust protection measures to safeguard Union institutional staff on mission in Member States and to prevent any violations;

196. Welcomes the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2023/2841(21); takes note of cybersecurity investments, including EUR 30 million allocated to enhancing digital security in the Commission; calls on the Commission to spare no effort in further developing a cybersecurity culture, promoting training and awareness within the Union institution; stresses the importance of continued adequate investments in cybersecurity towards the longer term indicative target in the order of at least 10 % of total IT spending;

197. Reiterates its concern that the significant risks to the security and protection of the registry and operating mechanism of the Union system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading against cyberattacks have still not been adequately addressed; points out that this issue has been highlighted in the Annual Activity Reports (AARs) since 2010, with reservations raised in each report; notes that this concern is once again emphasised in the Directorate-General for Climate Action’s 2023 AAR, further underscoring the persistent failure to prioritise the security of the system;

European Schools

198. Notes that the European Schools’ overall budget for 2023 was EUR 417,5 million primarily funded by the Commission, other Union institutions, Member States and fees from parents; further notes that almost 80 % of the budget was spent on staff costs;

199. Notes with satisfaction that the Court is able to conclude that nothing has come to their attention that causes them to believe that the consolidated accounts for 2023 are not prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the International Public Sector Accounting Standards;

200. Observes that the Court found some systematic or recurrent weaknesses in payments and related human resources (HR) and procurement procedures including insufficient verification of supporting evidence affecting the regularity of some HR procedures and payments;

201. Calls on the Commission, in particular, to:

	(i)	ensure that Union Institutions can rely on EPSO to efficiently organise and complete selection procedures and other staff related procedures in order to provide Union Institutions with sufficient highly qualified and motivated candidates for open positions;
	(ii)	explore all possibilities to correct significant geographical and gender imbalances in different categories of the staff;
	(iii)	continue work on measures that will ensure that Union Institutions based in Luxembourg can continue to attract highly qualified staff for all types of job profiles;
	(iv)	ensure that the roll-out of collaborative work spaces and other significant administrative changes happens in close cooperation with staff;
	(v)	make more staff available for processing of reimbursement requests for the sickness insurance scheme, to improve staff training and to have better IT software available to process requests more quickly;
	(vi)	act as a role model, particularly for diseases that do not fall into classical fields and rare diseases; urges the Commission to expand their technical knowledge and handling of these cases; urges the Commission to expand the catalogue of tests eligible for reimbursement to include a wider bandwidth for laboratory tests and other diagnostic procedures and exams as well as treatments; urges the Commission to do this promptly;
	(vii)	ensure the rapid introduction of strong protective mechanisms for Union institutional staff on mission in Member States and third countries, safeguarding their rights;
	(viii)	support the European Schools in their implementation, as soon as possible, of recommendations by the Court from previous years and the recommendation from the report concerning the financial year 2023 which asks the schools to perform systematic checks of supporting evidence on allowances paid to seconded staff;
	(ix)	prepare a report analysing the reasons why the vast majority of harassment complaints (requests for assistance) in the Commission are dismissed, most of them without even opening an administrative inquiry, and recommending how such dysfunctionality of the formal procedure can be addressed;
	(x)	ensure that as of 2025, requests for assistance in harassment cases are followed up with a proper administrative inquiry by the Investigation and Disciplinary Office (IDOC) or OLAF so as to ensure that harassers are held accountable and sanctioned proportionately to their wrongdoing;

CHAPTER II – Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)

General remarks

202. Notes that in 2023, 27 recovery and resilience plans (RRPs) were revised, and that these revisions had an impact on the pace of implementation of the existing plans, causing delays; notes at the same time that the political priorities in Member States can change; notes that increased energy prices, high inflation and supply chain disruptions caused by Russia’s unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine, and, in some cases, natural disasters, contributed to the revision of the RRPs; underlines that the delays caused by the revisions of the RRPs came in addition to existing ones, as shown by the significant differences between the foreseen calendar of payments requests and the actual transmission of these requests by the Member States to the Commission; remains concerned by the risk of under-implementation and of failure to reach the milestones and targets (M&Ts) as agreed in the RRPs; emphasises the need for enhanced monitoring mechanisms to ensure that delays do not disproportionately impact key projects;

203. Notes that there should be a clear thematic link between reforms and investments and that there may be, in certain cases, a long delay between the creation of the national recovery plans and the completion of milestones and targets; regrets that the RRF design does not allow for sufficient flexibility to respond to emerging crises in a prompt manner;

204. Draws attention with utmost concern to the statement of the President of the Court, arguing that approximately half of the RRF disbursements had not reached the real economy, and questions if the other half may have been used either to substitute recurring budgetary expenditure or generate profit to Member States from the increased interest rates;

205. Recalls that the RRF is a temporary recovery instrument based on performance, i.e. that payments are linked to the satisfactory fulfilment of M&Ts related to reforms and investments included in the national RRPs; stresses that the effectiveness of the RRF must be assessed, not only in terms of disbursement, but also in terms of its ability to generate tangible, long-term improvements of the consequences of the pandemic; recalls that there is no definition in the RRF Regulation of the “satisfactory fulfilment of M&Ts”; recalls that each national plan should effectively address all or a significant subset of challenges identified in the European Semester, particularly the country- specific recommendations (CSRs) adopted by the Council; notes the fact that, thanks to the RRF, the percentage of CSRs with progress has increased by 17 % between 2021 and 2023;

206. Notes that in 2023, the Commission disbursed a total of EUR 75 billion, and additional pre-financing payments of EUR 7,1 billion, which brought the total disbursements by the end of 2023 to EUR 220,8 billion, divided into EUR 141,6 billion in grants (40 % of the total EUR 357 billion for grants under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) envelope) and EUR 79,2 billion in loans (27 % of the total EUR 291 billion for loans under the RRF envelope); mandates detailed reporting requirements on how Member States allocate funds, preventing substitution of recurring budgetary expenditures, and ensuring funds reach intended beneficiaries;

Court’s observations

207. Notes that the Court issued a qualified opinion on the legality and regularity of the RRF expenditure in 2023; is concerned that the Court concluded that seven out of 23 RRF payments made in 2023 were affected by quantitative findings and that six of these payments were affected by material error; notes that in the Court’s opinion, except for those matters, the RRF expenditure accepted in the accounts for the year 2023 is legal and regular in all material respects; notes that the nature of the RRF spending model relies on the assessments of milestones and targets (M&Ts) to be made by the Commission; notes that in 2023, the Court checked 452 M&Ts included in 23 grant payments and that it does not provide an error rate due to the nature of the RRF’s spending model but estimates the minimum financial impact of its findings to be above the materiality threshold; is convinced that Member States should also bear responsibility for errors detected in post-disbursement;

208. Expresses deep concern that the Court was unable to verify the actual financial impact of erroneous or ineligible RRF payments due to the inherent limitations of the milestone and target-based assessment model; calls on the Commission to develop a more transparent error-tracking methodology to prevent misallocation and inefficiency;

209. Notes that the Court audited 325 out of 542 milestones and 127 out of 135 targets included in 2023 payment requests for grants; regrets that the Court considers that 16 of them were affected by regularity issues (2.4 % of the total); is concerned by the fact that the Court considers that the requirements had not been satisfactorily fulfilled for seven M&Ts in six payments and that the Commission had still made the corresponding payments; notes that the Court’s conclusions are based on extensive audit work and regrets that the Commission contests some of the Court’s conclusions; notes that all of the RRF payments must be assessed against the framework communicated and applied by the Commission, which must take into consideration for each payment the opinion of the Economic and Financial Committee and the scrutiny by Member State experts under the comitology procedure; requests the Commission to ensure that all disputed payments related to unsatisfactorily fulfilled M&Ts undergo independent external review to strengthen public trust in the process; recommends an introduction of real-time tracking systems for disbursements and expenditures to prevent misallocations under the RRF and the MFF;

210. Notes with particular concern that the Court has identified nine potential cases of ineligible M&Ts linked to the continuation of a pre-existing project that either started before the eligibility period, or that were a substitution of recurring national budgetary expenditure; regrets the lack of clarity in the RRF Regulation, and does not share the Commission’s interpretation that the eligibility period concerns only the date of start of works on a specific project rather than the beginning of the preparatory or projection phase; regrets that such a view led to measures which were planned before the RRF eligibility period being included in the RRPs, and acknowledges that any measure must respect the scope, objectives and eligibility conditions set by the RRF Regulation; calls on the Commission to implement stricter verification mechanisms to prevent the inclusion of pre-existing projects that do not provide added value under the RRF framework;

211. Recalls that RRF funds shall not be used to replace recurring budgetary expenditure, unless in duly justified case; and is preoccupied by the Court’s findings that some M&Ts that were a substitution of recurring national budgetary expenditure were not adequately justified in the RRPs;

212. Notes with concern the Court’s finding that NGEU borrowing may more than double by 2026 while the bulk of repayment is deferred to future MFFs; recalls that the repayment of NGEU borrowing must start before the end of 2027, if unused appropriations remain available in the budget line to cover NGEU financing costs, and be completed by 2058 at the latest; notes that the Union budget exposure at the end of 2023 is expected to rise in 2024 and 2025, mainly due to RRF loans; is concerned that potential changes in market conditions might result in higher borrowing costs which, for the NGEU debt relating to grants, will have to be borne by the Union budget; is concerned that there is to date still no repayment plan for the NGEU common debt, and that the Union’s debt continues to rise, with a large share of this increase attributed to the temporary recovery instrument, NGEU; is concerned that the increased debt and the associated higher interest costs will have long-term consequences for the Union’s fiscal stability, potentially leading to greater financial strain and a reduced capacity to respond to future challenges or invest in key strategic areas;

213. Notes the Court’s finding that payments from RRF were lower than expected in 2023; emphasises that the Court has criticised the slow disbursement and absorption of RRF funds; is concerned by the Court’s findings in Special Report 13/2024 that absorption of RRF funds has progressed with some delays, that Member States may not be able to complete all measures at the end of the RRF’s implementation period for which a significant proportion of funds have already been paid out, and that the second half of the RRF’s implementation period is more challenging with an increase in number of M&Ts, a shift from reforms to investments and more advanced stage of implementation, and a high proportion of measures to be completed in the last year;

214. Notes, conversely, that according to the Commission the achievement of M&Ts is broadly on track, as by 31 August 2024, over 40 % of the available RRF funds had been disbursed to Member States, with the disbursement of grants reaching 48 % and loans slightly exceeding 30 %; notes that the pace of payment requests has also accelerated since the second half of 2023 with the revision of the RRPs linked to the introduction of the REPowerEU chapters was finalised in 2023;

215. Notes the Court’s findings in Special Report 13/2024 that additional reasons for slow absorption included measures not being suited to the RRF’s timeframe and underestimation of the time needed to implement them (due to public procurement and state aid rules); as well as uncertainties on implementing rules and how they should be applied including lacking guidance on the ‘do no significant harm’ principle (DNSH) and how to ascribe to it;

216. Expresses strong concerns about the Court’s observation that point to persistent weaknesses in the implementation of Member States control systems as this poses a risk to the availability of complete and accurate data underlying payment requests, access to those requests for control purposes, and the effective functioning of Member State control systems to protect the Union’s financial interests; recalls that, according to the RRF Regulation, Member State control systems have a key role to play in ensuring that the financial interests of the Union are protected effectively; urges the Commission to take decisive and swift action whenever necessary, including imposing financial corrections, and to make full use of the provisions of the RRF Regulation if deficiencies persist in the control systems of Member States;

217. Expresses concern about the Court’s findings in Special Report N°22/2024 on ‘Double funding from the EU budget: Control systems lack essential elements to mitigate the increased risk resulting from the RRF model of financing not linked to cost’; highlights that Member States can propose so-called ‘zero cost measures’, i.e. measures estimated to have no costs to be financed by the RRF, and for which there is no check at all for double-funding, as the Commission considers that measures which receive no RRF funds are free of risk from that perspective; also notes with concern the Court’s findings that from Member States’ perspective, the many layers of governance involved including national, regional or municipality level, make coordination and oversight very challenging; is concerned that when checks are performed, (i) they suffer from a very complicated environment with different IT tools used often not interoperable and data recorded in an often non-standardised way, leaving manual cross-checks across databases as the only possible tool to check for double funding, and (ii) Member States’ control systems rely to a large extent on self-declarations by recipients of Union funds; notes, however, that the Court did not find any case of double funding;

218. Notes the Commission’s observation that, according to the RRF Regulation, double funding is explicitly linked to budgetary costs and thus, there can be no double funding if the Member State has not submitted any cost estimate linked to a specific measure as part of its national plan; notes that the Commission underlines that no-cost reforms do not increase the financial envelope but are nevertheless essential criteria for the Commission’s positive assessment of RRPs, as well as their full implementation for the relevant payments; points out that the Commission, shortly after the Court audit field work, acknowledged it had identified the first two potential cases of double funding;

219. Recalls that Article 9 of the RRF Regulation establishes additionality and complementarity between Union programmes and instruments funding as key principles; believes that, to respect these principles but avoid the risk of double financing, the same measures already included in other national plans benefiting from Union funding (e.g. cohesion, agriculture, etc.) should either not be included in RRPs or more thoroughly described, even if they do not incur any costs, in order to avoid double funding; underlines that due to the different model of implementation, double funding between RRF and other Union financing instruments might be more difficult to identify, and urges the Commission to remain vigilant and pro-active in identifying any potential situation of double funding;

220. Regrets the lack of adequate safeguards to prevent double funding of projects under both the RRF and other Union financial instruments; calls for an automated cross-checking system between RRF and cohesion Funds, the Common Agricultural Policy, and other Union funding programmes to detect and eliminate duplicate claims;

221. Expresses concern about the Court’s finding in its Review 01/2023: ‘EU financing through cohesion policy and the RRF: A comparative analysis’ that reporting of fraud involving RRF expenditure still lacks a standardised approach with strong coordination and cooperation between Member States, which are obliged to report on cases of suspected fraud not in an integrated IT system, but in the management declaration accompanying every payment request, although Member States have also reported cases outside of the management declarations; regrets that there are no clear guidelines about exactly when a case of suspected fraud should be reported, whether there is a reporting threshold, and what standard information should be reported for each case and about the remedial measures taken; furthermore supports the request made by the Court to the Commission in the same review 01/2023 to obtain sufficient assurance from the Member States on the effectiveness of national systems to prevent, detect and correct fraud, corruption and conflicts of interest;

222. Expresses concerns that in 2023 the Commission had to introduce 10 additional control milestones for seven Members States to address the weaknesses identified in their control systems; reminds and supports the Court’s evaluation that the fact control milestones were introduced, which means that Member states systems were not fully functional when the plans started to be implemented, posing a serious risk to the regularity of the of the RRF expenditure and to the protection of financial interests;

223. Regrets the findings of the Court’s Special Report No 26/2023 that several policy areas in the RRF’s pillar containing health policies lack a corresponding common indicator to measure progress; is concerned that this impedes the proper monitoring and understanding of progress made towards achieving milestones and targets linked to health policies;

224. Welcomes that, in 2023, the Commission made progress in eliminating any possibility of misinterpretation of figures of the Recovery and Resilience Scoreboard and that the Scoreboard further addressed the related recommendation of the Court to improve the presentation of data displayed on the Scoreboard and to improve explanations with regard to its limitations, in particular by better explaining the underlying methodologies and explicitly stating, where applicable, that the data is estimated;

Audit and control

225. Welcomes that, based on the Court’s recommendations and the experience gained, the Commission, in 2023, published three methodological notes to clarify the application of the RRF Regulation, including its framework for (i) assessing the satisfactory fulfilment of M&Ts, upon conducting an assessment, and (ii) the application of the provisions related to the reversal of M&Ts, as well as a methodology to determine the amount to be suspended if a milestone or target is not satisfactorily fulfilled; takes note of the updated Guidance on RRPs, adopted on 19 July 2024, which provides additional guidance to ensure the continued adequacy of controls to identify and avoid any risk of double funding as well as the methodology for reductions and recoveries under the RRF in accordance with Article 24(8) of the RRF Regulation;

226. Calls on the Commission to increase the number of ex-post audits and on-the-ground inspections for RRF-funded projects, particularly in high-risk sectors such as digital infrastructure, energy where previous Union funding programmes have identified significant irregularities;

227. Warns that the inclusion of pre-existing projects and the substitution of recurring budgetary expenditures within the RRF framework undermines the additionality principle, effectively converting the instrument into a backdoor financing mechanism for Member States’ regular budgets, rather than fostering genuine post-crisis recovery and resilience; calls for an urgent review to prevent further dilution of the RRF’s purpose;

228. Advocates more decisiveness on the part of both the Commission and Member States in order to detect irregularities in the spending of RRF funds and to recover undue payments;

229. Is concerned with the Court’s counter-reply to the Commission’s replies on the existence of an assurance gap at Union level regarding compliance with Union and national rules on public procurement and State aid; notes that the Commission argues that the assurance provided by DG ECFIN covers the effectiveness of Member States’ controls on compliance with public procurement and state aid rules. however, stresses that while DG ECFIN’s AAR refers to Commission assessments of the existence and effectiveness of Member States’ controls, there is no conclusion regarding their effectiveness; expresses concern that, according to the Court, this represents an important limitation of the scope of the Commission’s declaration of assurance, meaning that the Commission still does not provide full assurance as to whether RRF expenditure – which the Commission manages directly – complies with the rules;

230. Stresses that delays in disbursement and absorption of RRF funds not only slow down economic recovery but also create substantial risks of last-minute, low-quality spending towards the end of the RRF period; calls on the Commission to introduce stricter interim evaluations to prevent a ‘use-it-or-lose-it’ rush that could lead to waste and misallocation;

231. Notes with serious concern that Member States may strategically forego their final payment requests to avoid fulfilling politically sensitive milestones and targets, thereby evading necessary but unpopular reforms; calls on the Commission to introduce financial penalties for incomplete RRF implementation to prevent manipulation of the payment structure;

232. Notes that the Commission’s replies that it extended the scope of its audit work beyond that required by the RRF Regulation to verify that the control procedures put in place in the Member States give the necessary assurance that Member States regularly and effectively verify compliance with public procurement and State aid rules and eligibility for RRF measures, but disagrees with the Commission’s opinion that the conclusions of DG ECFIN’s Annual activity report cover this;

233. Notes with concern that, as stated by the Commission in its mid-term evaluation of the RRF of 21 February 2024, a majority of Member States consider that the payment suspension methodology remains unclear when it comes to reforms because of the discretion given to the Commission in applying the methodology; urges the Commission to revise this methodology in order to avoid any double standards in its application;

234. Notes that the Commission’s IAS, in its audit on ex-ante controls of the RRF payment requests carried out in 2023, identified a very important issue according to which DG ECFIN, in cooperation with the Recovery and Resilience Task Force, should further develop and formalise the existing guidance for the cases where DG ECFIN requests that Member States make additional commitments concerning action stemming from audit and control milestones, in particular that the guidance should define (i) how DG ECFIN should follow up the fulfilment of the formal confirmation on the Member State’s commitment, (ii) the criteria for determining the deadlines for the Member States to fulfil the commitments, and (iii) the relations between the ‘commitment framework’, the ‘framework for assessing M&Ts under the RRF Regulation’ and the ‘Reversal of M&Ts under the Facility’;

235. Notes that the Commission checks during its “Protection of the Financial Interest of the Union” audits that Member States have a clear and codified process for transmitting cases of fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and double funding to all competent authorities, including the EPPO where relevant;

236. Is concerned by the Court reporting in its annual reports that by the end of 2023, the EPPO had 206 active investigations related to funds used to implement RRF measures and estimated potential damages of over EUR 1,8 billion (concerning both national and Union funding); notes that the 206 open investigations concern ten Member States, with around 75 % of these cases coming from one country; is worried that at the end of 2023 the Member States’ management declarations had not reported a single case of detected suspected fraud, meaning that none of the EPPO open cases were reported by Member States themselves, casting doubts on Member States’ ability to detect and fight frauds; stresses that, while no investigation has yet been completed, the figures presented by the EPPO confirm that the risk of fraud is present in the RRF, and that they call into question the reliability of Member State management declarations in terms of reporting detected fraud and the remedial measures taken; calls for urgent reinforcement of fraud detection mechanisms, including a mandatory fraud risk assessment for all large-scale RRF projects; calls on the Commission to ensure that the EPPO has adequate resources to investigate cases of fraud related to RRF expenditure, given the increasing number of investigations and high estimated damages;

237. Warns that Member States’ self-reported fraud cases under RRF remain significantly underreported, creating a misleading picture of financial integrity;

238. Strongly regrets the lack of transparency in reporting fraud linked to RRF funds and insists that all Member States comply with standardised reporting obligations and use the Irregularity Management System (IMS);

239. Recalls that the Financial Regulation recast in force since 30 September 2024 (‘FR recast’) provides for the extension of its scope of the Early Detection and Exclusion System (EDES) to shared management and direct management in cases where the budget is implemented with Member States, for programmes adopted or financed as from 1 January 2028; calls on the Commission to act on the most serious grounds for exclusion in order to better protect the financial interests of the Union;

240. Notes that, with a view to reducing the margin between the Commission and the Court, for different interpretations of M&Ts, the Commission has published its approach to the concepts of the start date of a measure and the concept of ‘substitution of recurring national budgetary expenditure’ as Annex II and Annex III of its 2024 Annual Report on the implementation of the RRF; re-iterate its calls on the Commission to keep working with the Court in order to bring the interpretation of M&Ts as close together as possible;

Implementation and impact

241. Urges the Commission to minimise risks that Member States might chose not to receive parts or the entire amounts of the last payment request, thus avoiding the fulfilment of the last M&Ts and jeopardising the overall implementation of the RRPs; is extremely concerned about the additional risks of measures being reversed after the RRF lifetime, and urges the Commission, when making the final payments, to ensure that such situations will not occur;

242. Emphasises that, according to the Commission’s mid-term evaluation of the RRF of 21 February 2024, Member States highlighted the need to mobilise more resources than initially planned to revise the RRPs, and that the efficiency of the performance-based approach is reduced by the ‘excessively complex procedures’ for the plan modifications, which do not distinguish between major or minor amendments and require Council approval for any modification;

243. Stresses that for control and audits in the RRF, Member States should put in place arrangements to prevent, detect and correct corruption, fraud and conflicts of interests, and that the Commission performs ex-post and system audits on M&Ts; stresses that some confusion persists with respect to the role of the Court, which has developed a strategy (2021-2025 Strategy) for carrying out its responsibilities for the NGEU programme and the RRF, which some Member States perceive as an unnecessary overlap and administrative burden; is concerned that the Commission, both in its mid-term evaluation of the RRF of 21 February 2024 and its RRF Annual Report of 10 October 2024, acknowledged that Member States’ authorities at all levels found the audit and control procedures to be too complex, and that Member States complained about overlapping audits by national authorities, the Commission and the Court; fully supports the Court work on the RRF; welcomes that the Commission has admitted and accepted that the Court has a full audit mandate on RRF, which is one of the foundation for the Parliament discharge on the RRF funds; recommends to the Member States to cooperate with the European Court of Auditors;

244. Is concerned that the Commission Annual Report of 10 October 2024 on the RRF implementation highlighted the entry costs for Member States’ administrations, with room for further simplification; notes, according to this Commission’s Annual Report, that concerning the design of the instrument, in the mid-term evaluation Member States referred to the combined obligations linked to (i) the evidence needed to prove fulfilment of M&Ts, (ii) demanding reporting requirements, for example the common indicators and the bi-annual data; and (iii) the audit and control framework; recalls that Member States see room for simplifying control and audit procedures, ensuring better coordination among the actors involved and avoiding multiple checks; also notes, again according to the Commission RRF Annual Report 2024, that some national authorities also pointed to inflexibility in the Commission’s assessment of milestones and targets and the rigid and resource-intensive procedures to revise RRPs;

245. Notes that one of the objectives of the RRF is to help Member States to implement ambitious reforms and investments that make their economies and societies more sustainable, resilient and prepared for the green and digital transitions; highlights with concerns the finding of the Court in its Special Report 15/2024 underlining the lack of relevance, quality and comparability of data submitted by the Member States, with data insufficient to evaluate progress on climate adaptation in the Member States, and thus paving the way for possible greenwashing; expresses concern that the RRF could become a financial vehicle for superficial rebranding of conventional expenditures as ‘green’; encourages the Commission to introduce a mechanism within the RRF framework to track the environmental impact of investments and ensure alignment with the Union’s climate objectives;

246. Highlights the RRF impact on the Union business and SMEs; notes that RRF has provided EUR 78 billion in direct support to SMEs, representing 12 % of total RRF expenditure, and that broader measures benefiting businesses amount to EUR 152 billion (23 % of total RRF spending); notes that EUR 2,75 million SMEs, approximately 11 % of all active SMEs in the Union, have received support through the RRF; underlines that nearly 600 000 businesses have benefited from digitalisation initiatives, while EUR 5,2 billion have been allocated to green transition projects, including renewable energy and hydrogen;

247. Highlights with concern that the facilitation of cross-border projects has not worked out; deplores that, despite the inclusion in the RRPs of several measures linked to Important Projects of Common Interest (‘IPCEIs’) and cross-border measures in the REPowerEU chapters, the national governance of the Facility has not sufficiently promoted cross-border cooperation; strongly insists that Union financing should be better linked with the achievement of common Union objectives and should generate EU added value;

248. Emphasises that the Commission Annual Report of 10 October 2024 on the RRF implementation acknowledged the insufficient involvement of Member States of regional and local authorities, civil society organisations, social partners, and other relevant stakeholders in the preparation and the implementation of the national RRPs; calls for their close involvement in the implementation of the national RRPs on the ground;

249. Urges the Commission not to approve any revision of RRPs, which may lead to a re-packaging of planned reforms or investments into the RRPs if they don’t respect the conditions of the RRF Regulation; notes that any revision should always aim to create added value and increase synergies;

Transparency

250. Recalls that, while Member States are not required to publish all data on final recipients, Regulation (EU) 2023/435 of the European Parliament and of the Council(22) amending the RRF Regulation requires Member States to publish information on the 100 final recipients receiving the highest amount of funding under the RRF; welcomes that on 10 October 2024, the Commission published, as part of the RRF Annual Report 2024, a dedicated Annex to provide further clarity on the concept of final recipients under the RRF Regulation and the scope of the publication of data on the largest 100 final recipients; expresses deep concern over the interpretation of the Commission of the concept of “final recipient” under the RRF, as often they are listed only at the ministry level, and that the descriptions are vague, with many examples available in almost all lists provided by Member States; reiterates its demand that the list of 100 largest final recipients provides the factual natural person or entity that is the last in a chain of money transfers to be made available in a publicly accessible database to enhance accountability and enable independent oversight, while respecting the legal framework of Union data protection; is concerned that otherwise it will be problematic to measure the impact and guarantee visibility of the RRF funds to the citizens, although also takes into account the RRF Scoreboard and the project map; stresses that, should the Commission continue to refuse to ensure full transparency, Parliament must consider all available measures to enforce compliance, to prevent a similar interpretation from being applied to the transparency provisions in other financial regulations;

251. Reminds the Commission that the letter and spirit of the RRF Regulation must be strictly followed, and that the adoption of guidelines or other internal documents must be fully in line with the results of the negotiations between the co-legislators; is convinced that this has not been the case when the Commission adopted the provisions related to the interpretation of what a “final recipient” is in its Guidance on RRPs in the context of REPowerEU;

252. Notes that not being able to ascertain final recipients of RRF funding poses a severe risk to the transparency and traceability of Union funds and thus to the protection of the financial interests of the Union;

253. Recalls that a robust IT infrastructure is essential for data collection, programme monitoring and evaluation, and that managing authorities and beneficiaries are critical of the level of information required and duplication with other domestic systems; notes that, in contrast to the Cohesion Policy, the Court under the RRF pointed to the different structures and approaches used by national monitoring authorities, which could be perceived as less reliable by providing non-homogeneous information and leaving room for a potentially high number of errors; stresses that, in this respect, centralised interoperable systems facilitate efficient data collection and reporting, while fragmented systems underscore the need for streamlined approaches;

254. Welcomes that the ‘FR recast’ establishes horizontal measures for a centralised website (Financial Transparency System) at Union level, covering all recipients of Union funding, and notes that this website is due to overcome the current fragmentation, enhance transparency, and facilitate public scrutiny of recipients; notes that the Commission, as from the next MFF (i.e. post 2027) will be required to use the relevant data stored in the data mining and risk-scoring tool, Arachne, to feed the centralised website for transparency purposes, and that, in line with data protection rules, the website will include only public data, e.g. relevant data on recipients, contractors, subcontractors, and beneficiaries; further stresses that all Member States will have an obligation to provide the Commission with access to this data, to be fed into Arachne by automated means; regrets that the use of Arachne by Member States is not compulsory;

255. Notes that the final M&T of the national RRPs must be completed by 31 August 2026 according to Articles 18(4) and 20(5) of the Regulation; recalls the need for the Commission to work closely with every Member State to speed up implementation on the ground including through providing regular guidance and, upon request, technical assistance to help the implementation of the plans; re-iterates its concerns about the possibility of the reversal of M&Ts after the lifetime of the RRF, and urges the Commission to prevent such situations;

256. Calls on the Commission to reject any request of revision of RRPs which would lower the overall ambition of the plan or would eliminate important structural reforms from the RRPs, and to prioritise the completion of measures related to CSRs in RRPs; further calls on the Commission to step up its technical assistance to Member States lagging behind in the RRF implementation;

Recommendations

257. Calls on the Commission to act on the Court’s recommendations from its Annual Report as well as those of its related special reports, and welcomes that the Commission accepts the vast majority of them; calls on the Commission to implement them and to keep the discharge authority informed on the progress of the implementation;

258. Calls on the Commission to grant full access to the Court to the new reporting tool on the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), FENIX as soon as possible;

259. Furthermore, calls on the Commission to:

	(i)	carefully balance auditing and control requirements with the administrative burden imposed on Member States and beneficiaries of future performance-based instruments, while maintaining a sufficient level of control and audit that would grant a solid protection of the Union financial interests;
	(ii)	closely monitor the continued fulfilment of M&Ts, in particular those related to audit, monitoring and control and ensure an adequate monitoring of any potential reversal of previously completed M&Ts;
	(iii)	use the results of its checks on Member States control systems to express a clear conclusion on their effectiveness and take all appropriate measures;
	(iv)	establish one single contact point for Member States on the Statement of Assurance at the Commission to which the Court can have access without further burdening Member States with requests for additional proofs;
	(v)	record and monitor systematically all irregularities and all frauds affecting RRF funds;
	(vi)	consistently and accurately apply the provisions related to the “final recipients”, of the RRF Regulation, by revising its Guidance on RRPs in the context of REPowerEU, and to communicate with Member States on the correct application of the definition of “final recipients”; calls on the Commission to come forward with proposals requiring Member States to publish details of all final recipients;
	(vii)	streamline its control on the M&Ts through the implementation of a Single Audit approach, which would allow reduction of the administrative burden, the consolidation of audit responsibilities between the Commission and the Court, the coordination of audit timelines and requirements to avoid duplication and overlapping controls and audits, but at the same time ensuring the full protection of the Union financial interests;
	(viii)	support Member States in making IT systems truly interoperable, so as to facilitate efficient data collection, reporting and exchange between various government departments and agencies to allow the minimisation of the risks of double funding, actively cross-check between relevant databases, and communicate with Member States about their administrative capacities to ensure double funding does not occur; notes in this regard, the positive examples provided at the Court Conference on Transparency and Traceability of EU Recovery and Resilience Funding in October 2024;
	(ix)	work closely with Member States to ensure that M&Ts, in particular those of a structural nature or linked with CSRs, are fully and diligently implemented, and that no revision of RRPs will be approved in cases where ambition has been lowered or important measures have been weakened; avoid, to the extent possible, the revision of plans that would represent a “re-packaging” of planned measures into the RRPs if they don’t respect the conditions of the RRF Regulation;
	(x)	strictly apply the provisions of the RRF Regulation, including those regarding suspension of payments or recoveries of amounts, in particular if the protection of the financial interests of the Union is not ensured;
	(xi)	apply very strictly the methodology on partial payments, including as regards structural measures and measures linked to the implementation of CSRs;
	(xii)	develop a methodology based on quality and comparability of data to evaluate progress on green and digital transitions, as well as the tangible benefits, in the Member States;
	(xiii)	ensure that Member States diligently apply the visibility provisions of the RRF, making sure that measures implemented through the Facility are adequately flagged as funded by the Union;
	(xiv)	provide technical assistance, administrative support and advice to Member States to strengthen their administrative capacity, including through the organisation of regular meetings of the Informal Expert Group on the implementation of the RRF to discuss technical aspects and encourage the exchange of good practices amongst national authorities;
	(xv)	perform, whenever a revision of the RRPs is proposed, a comprehensive analysis of new and existing measures and whether they would substitute recurring budgetary expenditure or would be in breach of other eligibility conditions of the RRPs;
	(xvi)	provide training and support to Member States to increase administrative capacities including training on specialised skills, knowledge and providing examples of best practices;
	(xvii)	keep working with the Court in order to bring the interpretation of M&Ts as close together as possible;
	(xviii)	use the recommendations of the Court from its work on the RRF and the experience gained in the implementation for the design of the next multiannual financial framework architecture including the implementation of future Union performance-based instruments;
	(xix)	strengthen the design of future performance-based instruments by ensuring a closer link between disbursements and progress in implementation;
	(xx)	ensure that any future revision, as well as the overall implementation, of RRPs is done in close cooperation with and consultation of local and regional authorities, and other relevant stakeholders in order to maximise the RRP’s impact;
	(xxi)	analyse the weaknesses present in performance-based instruments, and address these weaknesses when designing new programmes in the future;
	(xxii)	build, in the next MFF, on a high-level of interoperability and data exchange between various government departments and agencies to facilitate efficient data sharing and real-time updates across multiple platforms in order to allow to track overlapping projects, minimising the risks of double counting and double funding.

(1)	The 11th EDF covers the 2021-2027 MFF.
(2)	‘The future of European competitiveness’, 9 September 2024.
(3)	Special report 05/2024: EU Transparency Register – provides useful but limited information on lobbying activities.
(4)	Special Report 11/2025 Transparency of EU funding granted to NGOs – despite progress, the overview is still not reliable.
(5)	https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/P-10-2025-000595-ASW_EN.pdf.
(6)	https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32021R0783.
(7)	https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/P-10-2025-000595-ASW_EN.pdf.
(8)	OJ C, C/2024/5882, 9.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5882/oj.
(9)	ECA Special Report 07/2024: The Commission’s systems for recovering irregular EU expenditure – Potential to recover more and faster.
(10)	OJ C, C/2024/5882, 9.10.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/5882/oj.
(11)	COM(2023) 258.
(12)	ECA Special Report 16/2024: EU revenue based on non‑recycled plastic packaging waste – A challenging start hindered by data that is not sufficiently comparable or reliable.
(13)	Council Directive (EU) 2018/822 of 25 May 2018 amending Directive 2011/16/EU as regards mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation in relation to reportable cross-border arrangements (OJ L 139, 5.6.2018, p. 1; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2018/822/oj).
(14)	ECA 2023 Annual Report para 1.35.
(15)	Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund Plus, the Cohesion Fund, the Just Transition Fund and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund and financial rules for those and for the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, the Internal Security Fund and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 159; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1060/oj).
(16)	Commission Decision of 13.12.2023 on the reassessment, on the Commission’s initiative, of the fulfilment of the conditions under Article 4 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 following Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/2506 of 15 December 2022 regarding Hungary, C(2023)8999.
(17)	Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2092 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2020 on a general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 1; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2092/oj).
(18)	Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 (OJ L 433I, 22.12.2020, p. 11; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/2093/oj).
(19)	Regulation (EU) 2021/241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 February 2021 establishing the Recovery and Resilience Facility (OJ L 57, 18.2.2021, p. 17; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/241/oj).
(20)	Angola, Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Fiji, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, The Gambia, Togo and Uganda.
(21)	Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2023/2841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2023 laying down measures for a high common level of cybersecurity at the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the Union (OJ L, 2023/2841, 18.12.2023, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/2841/oj).
(22)	Regulation (EU) 2023/435 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 February 2023 amending Regulation (EU) 2021/241 as regards REPowerEU chapters in recovery and resilience plans and amending Regulations (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) 2021/1060 and (EU) 2021/1755, and Directive 2003/87/EC (OJ L 63, 28.2.2023, p. 1; ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/435/oj).

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 14, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Consent-based rape legislation in the EU – Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

Source: European Parliament

On Monday, 19 May 2025, the Policy Department for Citizens, Equality and Culture, at the request of the FEMM Committee, will organise a workshop entitled ‘Consent-based rape legislation in the EU’.

The workshop will examine key aspects of consent, the state of play of consent-based rape legislation throughout the EU, as well as awareness raising and capacity building in this regard. The workshop proceedings will feed into the joint LIBE-FEMM own-initiative report on the ‘Importance of consent-based rape legislation in the EU’. Members will debate with Sara Uhnoo (University of Gothenburg), Kristien Michielsen (KU Leuven) and Donna von Allemann (Women against Violence Europe Network (WAVE)).

MIL OSI Europe News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SCMA visits Hungary and Egypt to promote development opportunities in GBA

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

SCMA visits Hungary and Egypt to promote development opportunities in GBA
While in Beijing, Mr Tsang led the HKSAR Government delegation to meet with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Hua Chunying and leaders of various bureaus to deepen their understanding of the country’s foreign policies and the latest developments of the international situation. He expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its staunch and continuous support for the HKSAR and hoped it would continue to provide support and guidance the HKSAR Government in handling external affairs of Hong Kong, to support Hong Kong in intensifying international interaction and co-operation, and to showcase the successful implementation of “one country, two systems” to the world.

In addition to the visit to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Tsang also met with the Hong Kong Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress and the Committee on Liaison with Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Overseas Chinese of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and toured the China Foreign Affairs University. Before leaving Beijing tomorrow, he will visit the Museum of Early Revolutionary Activities of the Communist Party of China in Beijing (the Red Building of Peking University), one of the main venues of the May Fourth Movement, meet with Hong Kong students in Beijing, and visit the Office of the Government of the HKSAR in Beijing to receive briefings on its work.

Mr Tsang will depart Beijing for Budapest, Hungary, in the early hours of May 15. He will attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Europe (Hungary) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference co-organised by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao on May 16. The conference aims to promote the enormous business opportunities brought about by the GBA to the Hungarian business community and how Hong Kong can play its important function as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” between the two places.

During his stay in Hungary, Mr Tsang will meet with local political and business representatives to learn about the latest developments in the region and explore ways to further strengthen co-operation between Hungary and Hong Kong, with a view to opening up new opportunities for enterprises of both places.

After completing his visit to Hungary, Mr Tsang will depart for Cairo, Egypt, on May 17 and attend the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – Africa (Egypt) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Conference on May 19 to promote the latest developments and the development potential of the GBA, as well as Hong Kong’s unique advantages under “one country, two systems”. During his stay, he will exchange views with representatives of the local political and business circles to understand the local development trends and promote interface between the industries of Hong Kong and Egypt.

The Commissioner for the Development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Ms Maisie Chan, and the Director-General of Investment Promotion, Ms Alpha Lau, will join the visit.

Mr Tsang will depart from Egypt on the evening of May 19 and return to Hong Kong on May 20. During his absence, the Under Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Clement Woo, will be the Acting Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs.
Issued at HKT 19:24

NNNN

CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Russia-China ties on full display on Victory Day – but all is not as well as Putin is making out

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

Chinese troops participating in Russia’s Victory Day parade in Red Square, Moscow, on May 9 is a clear indication that President Xi Jinping is fully committed to his “no-limits” partnership with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.

Xi’s own attendance of the parade, which came as part of a state visit to Russia, underlines that China is not only supporting Russia. It signified that Beijing wants this support to be understood clearly in Kyiv, Washington and European capitals.

Travelling to Moscow and having his troops goose-step down Red Square was not a last-minute decision by Xi. Nor was the multitude of agreements signed by the two leaders and their joint declaration anything but part of a well established pattern of deepening relations between Russia and China.

This trend has accelerated since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But the breadth and depth of China’s commitment to Russia at this particular moment is undoubtedly related to the broader upheaval in the international order that has been worsened since Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

The Trump administration, possibly spooked by market wobbles, has taken steps to restore stability. China and the US have agreed a deal to slash the import tariffs they have imposed on each other. But uncertainty remains – above all about how the complex relationships in the triangle of Washington, Beijing and Moscow will work out and where this will leave the rest of the world.

Read more:
Trump, Xi and Putin: a dysfunctional love triangle with stakes of global significance

On May 8, in the wake of Xi and Putin’s meetings in Moscow, Russia and China released a joint statement. It stressed the intention of the two leaders to “enhance the coordination of their approaches and to deepen the practical cooperation on maintaining and strengthening global strategic stability, as well as to jointly address common challenges and threats in this sphere”.

They reiterated this determination in their press statements afterwards. Putin emphasised that he and Xi “personally control all aspects of [the] Russia-China partnership and do all we can to expand the cooperation on bilateral issues and the international agenda alike”.

A Chinese read-out from the talks was similarly clear on the alignment between the countries. Xi reportedly said that “in the face of unilateralist countercurrents, bullying and acts of power politics, China is working with Russia to shoulder the special responsibilities of major countries and permanent members of the UN Security Council”.

This unequivocal display of how close Moscow and Beijing are – as well as Putin and Xi personally – is important for both nations. For Russia, it remains important to demonstrate that western attempts at international isolation have not succeeded.

For China, the very public consolidation of ties with Russia is above all a signal to the US. China is keen to stress that Trump’s efforts to engineer a split between Moscow and Beijing, which the American president described as necessary to “un-unite” the two nations during an interview with US talk show host Tucker Carlson in November 2024, have largely failed.

However, beyond the glossy surface of the celebrations in Moscow, all is not as well for Russia as Putin is trying to make out. For all the public displays of friendship between Xi and Putin, the relationship between the two countries remains highly asymmetrical.

Russia would not be able to continue to wage its war against Ukraine without Chinese support. Trade between Russia and China is critical to propping up the Russian war economy, reaching a record high of nearly US$250 billion (£190 billion) in 2024. Their trade has increased by more than 60% since 2021, yet it is only marginally up since 2023.

China’s diplomatic clout is also helpful for Russia. If Beijing had taken an unequivocal stance opposing Moscow’s aggression, fewer leaders in the developing world would have sided with Putin.

In this case, Russia would probably have lost organisations like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Brics group of emerging economies as platforms to further its broader agenda of restoring its erstwhile status as a great power.

In that agenda, Putin has been moderately successful. But with South Africa and India’s leaders absent from Russia’s Victory Day commemorations, the list of attendees was shorter than at the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.

A doubled-edged sword

Notably absent from the celebrations in Moscow was high-level representation from North Korea and Iran. These are two key allies of Russia with whom Moscow signed strategic partnership agreements in June 2024 and January 2025, respectively.

Tehran simply sent its ambassador to Moscow to attend. However, it may have compensated Putin in a different and materially more significant way.

According to reports, Iran is readying a delivery of launchers to enable Russia to use the short-range ballistic missiles already delivered last year. This would further add to Russia’s reliance on Iranian hardware in Ukraine, which has so far been most visible in the use of Iranian-made Shahed drones.

North Korea dispatched a military delegation led by three-star general Kim Yong-bok. Kim is widely considered the commander of North Korean forces fighting alongside Russian troops in the Kursk region of western Russia, where Ukrainian forces seized territory in August 2024 as a possible bargaining chip in future negotiations with Russia.

Putin officially acknowledged the participation of North Korean troops in this operation in a statement on April 28. This acknowledgment came two days after he had announced the defeat of Ukrainian forces there in a highly choreographed and televised meeting with his chief of general staff, Valery Gerasimov.

The demonstration of Russia’s close relationships with its three core allies – China, Iran and North Korea – is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it clearly indicates that Putin is far from isolated on the international stage.

But it also signals that Russia has become a lot more dependent on these relationships than would befit Putin’s dreams of restoring Russia’s great-power status. Neither can be much comfort to Ukraine and its allies, unfortunately.

Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

– ref. Russia-China ties on full display on Victory Day – but all is not as well as Putin is making out – https://theconversation.com/russia-china-ties-on-full-display-on-victory-day-but-all-is-not-as-well-as-putin-is-making-out-256385

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Arctic ice is vanishing – our bold experiment is trying to protect it

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Shaun Fitzgerald, Director, Centre for Climate Repair, University of Cambridge

The author and colleagues exploring in the Canadian Arctic. Real Ice

Like ice in a drink, Arctic sea ice keeps things cold – until it melts. Using the same principle, some scientists are investigating whether they can make sea ice thicker and better able to cool the planet. I recently returned from Cambridge Bay in the far north of Canada, where I saw some early experiments in practice.

Over the winter months, the build-up of sea ice around Cambridge Bay and across the Arctic helps keep the sea water underneath close to the freezing temperature, which for saltwater is around -1.8°C.

These conditions are broadly maintained even through the early summer until the ice begins to melt and break up. The white ice cover, which reflects a large portion of the sun’s energy, is then replaced by dark blue water, which has the opposite effect. Now absorbing more sunlight, the water warms up.

Such has been the balanced perennial cycle of sea ice in the Arctic, but recent decades of global warming might be putting it in jeopardy.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Over the past 30 years, sea ice in the Arctic has decreased. Rising air temperatures coupled with warmer water flowing in from further south have meant the ice starts to form later in the year and melt earlier.

With less sea ice, there are longer periods in summer where more of the sun’s energy is absorbed rather than reflected into space. This creates a feedback loop – the warmer the water, the less sea ice is formed; the less sea ice there is, the warmer it gets.

The author (in blue) and colleagues on the ice near Cambridge Bay in March 2025.
Real Ice

My trip to Cambridge Bay was as part of a team of scientists and engineers who have gathered together with local communities in the Arctic and two umbrella projects: Real Ice and Arctic Reflections. These groups want to research whether anything can be done to temporarily slow down or even reverse the loss of sea ice.

The ultimate solution is, undoubtedly, deep and rapid reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. But with slow progress over the past few decades, additional measures may buy us time.

Buying time

Several big ideas are currently being explored. The first involves pumping seawater on top of existing ice to try and promote ice growth on top of the sea ice.

Usually, any new sea ice that forms naturally does so on the underside of the ice. The process of freezing gives off some energy, which must escape through the ice above – a good insulator.

The idea of pumping on top of the ice is that by bypassing the insulating effect, more sea ice might form – and the heat it gives off can be transferred to the cold winter Arctic air or directly radiated out to space.

The author, pumping water onto ice.
Real Ice

The second idea stems from the realisation that snow is an even better insulator than ice. The proposal is therefore to pump just enough water onto the snow to flood it.

As it freezes and turns into solid ice, it becomes much more conductive than snow. In turn, this will enable more sea ice to form naturally on the underside of sea ice.

A third idea is derived from the observation that as sea ice melts in the early summer, melt ponds form on the surface. These melt ponds are much darker and absorb more heat than the original ice.

So the idea is to explore whether it might be possible to drill small holes in the ice to drain them, exposing reflective ice and slowing the melt.

These ideas might sound fanciful, but the dramatic changes in the Arctic warrant investigation into interventions that could have an impact sooner than cutting emissions or removing greenhouse gases.

Can we really save sea ice?

Crucially, the research is focused on developing our understanding of these potential ideas. The research could show that they are impractical, unfeasible or would potentially make things worse.

For example, if pumping sea water onto sea ice leads to thicker ice at the end of the winter, that may not be much use if the ice is so much saltier that it melts more quickly.

Therefore, researchers are using a combination of mathematical modelling, laboratory experiments, and limited-scale field experiments to address fundamental questions. A research project funded by the UK government has just been launched which includes modelling of thickening of sea ice.

A further one including additional outdoor experiments will be starting soon funded by the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria) as part of its Exploring Climate Cooling programme.

These experiments will be conducted in close collaboration with local communities and under Aria’s stringent governance framework, prioritising safety and environmental monitoring. The goal is to gather essential real-world data to rigorously assess if this intervention warrants further consideration.

The initial results and observations from preliminary field experiments are inconclusive but encouraging. For example, the ice formed by pumping sea water onto sea ice appears to become less salty (and therefore less prone to melting) over a few weeks.

The brine which forms as seawater freezes on the surface is more dense than the ice and appears to migrate downwards through the ice. This seems theoretically plausible, but it is too early in the experiments to be confident in the results.

If this research suggests that thickening sea ice works, then the next step will be to engage with more Arctic locals and various policymakers, and determine whether scaled-up testing of some of these approaches would be appropriate.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Shaun Fitzgerald currently receives funding from NERC on a project which includes modelling of Rethickening of Arctic Sea Ice. Shaun will also shortly be receiving funding from ARIA on a further project on Rethickening of Arctic Sea Ice.

– ref. Arctic ice is vanishing – our bold experiment is trying to protect it – https://theconversation.com/arctic-ice-is-vanishing-our-bold-experiment-is-trying-to-protect-it-254534

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Amazon’s new robot has a sense of touch, but it’s not here to replace humans

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kartikeya Walia, Lecturer, Department of Engineering, Nottingham Trent University

Amazon has just unveiled its newest warehouse robot called Vulcan, which has a “sense of touch”. Designed to gently stow items using pressure-sensitive gripping and artificial intelligence (AI), Vulcan is now being tested in two Amazon facilities, in Spokane, Washington state, US, and Hamburg, Germany.

The robot is part of Amazon’s long-term investment in warehouse automation. The inevitable question that always comes up is: will robots like this replace human workers? In short: not yet, and probably not completely. In fact, Vulcan is a good example of how robotics are being designed to work with people, not against them.

Vulcan is designed to assist warehouse workers in stowing – the process of placing items into storage bins (called pods) before they’re picked, packed and shipped. Human pickers often work at different height levels when they’re stowing, with repetitive bending, reaching or climbing of steps.

Amazon has divided the workspace into zones: the “kneel and lunge” zone (low height), the “power” zone (mid height), and the “ladder” zone (high height). Vulcan is designed to operate in the lowest and highest zones – the most physically demanding areas for humans – to reduce the risk of injury and improve efficiency.

Amazon’s new Vulcan robot.

The “sense of touch” comes from Vulcan’s force-sensitive gripper. This adjusts how firmly it should hold each item. Using AI, Vulcan can predict the right amount of force to use, squeezing gently for soft, squishy items, and more firmly for flat or rigid ones.

It also uses a clever flat prong to make space inside the bins, packing things more
efficiently, almost like playing a game of Tetris.

Right now, Vulcan can match the speed of a human worker and operate for around 20 hours a day. The movements are fast, hence it still works behind a protective safety fence. However, it’s not flawless – it can only handle objects up to about 8lbs (3.6kg) and struggles with round items.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

The human factor

So, does this mean fewer jobs for humans? New technologies often raise concerns about job losses – and in some cases, with good reason. Some roles will inevitably disappear as robots become more commonplace, especially those that are dull, dirty, or dangerous. But that’s only part of the picture.

From what I’ve seen in my own research and experience with robotics, automation
doesn’t usually eliminate jobs entirely – it changes them. Amazon insists that
Vulcan is being introduced not to replace staff, but to reduce the physical strain of repetitive tasks and support faster, safer warehouse operations.

Importantly, Amazon also runs a Mechatronics and Robotics Apprenticeship Program – a free course for workers to upskill and move into more technical roles,
often with a pay increase of up to 40%. The company also runs other upskilling programmes.

Though it’s also worth repeating here that Amazon has been the subject of criticism and complaints from employees about its intensive working conditions (Amazon says its employees’ safety and health is its top priority and that some inaccurate information has gone around), these kinds of upskilling initiatives are key to the future of work in environments that use robots. As machines take over the repetitive tasks, humans will move into roles involving assembly, commissioning, maintenance, quick repair, and eventually, system reconfiguration.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

In theory, a fully automated, 24/7 “lights-out” warehouse sounds like a dream for
business – no breaks, no injuries, no wages. But in practice, completely removing
humans from the shop floor is incredibly risky. Robots and automation systems,
especially those that are used in an environment as complex as Amazon’s logistics and warehouse management chain, can break down.

If even one component in the workflow fails – a sensor, a motor, or a software module – and there are no humans around to spot it or fix it quickly, the entire operation could grind to a halt. In high-volume environments like Amazon warehouses, even an hour of downtime could cost a fortune.

Keeping humans in the loop provides the flexibility and quick thinking that complex
systems still depend on. It’s a safety net no algorithm can yet replace. It’s also a way to adapt to changes quickly, something that rigid automation often can’t do.

Vulcan isn’t Amazon’s first robot, and it won’t be the last. Earlier systems like Sparrow could handle about 60% of the company’s inventory. With Vulcan, that number jumps to 75%. That’s certainly progress, but it also shows the limits of automation.

There’s still a long way to go before a robot can match the flexibility, judgement and care of a human worker. The future of robotics in warehouses won’t be about replacing people, it will be about working alongside them, easing physical strain, increasing efficiency, and creating new types of jobs.

We’re already seeing shifts in the industry. Modular robots are built using a core set of hardware “modules” that can be combined and recombined to form a customised machine. These are making it easier to tailor automation.

An example of a reconfigurable modular robot.

At the same time, vendor lock-in – where companies rely on proprietary hardware and software from a single supplier – is becoming less common. Instead, firms like Amazon are increasingly developing their own bespoke components to better suit their operational needs. A shift towards in-house, self-deployable robotics would mean that companies will need more technically skilled workers who can assemble, modify, and maintain these systems.

For now, Vulcan is a glimpse of what’s coming: smarter robots, safer work and
hopefully, a future where technology supports people, not the other way around.

Kartikeya Walia receives funding from the EPSRC and UKRI.

– ref. Amazon’s new robot has a sense of touch, but it’s not here to replace humans – https://theconversation.com/amazons-new-robot-has-a-sense-of-touch-but-its-not-here-to-replace-humans-256273

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The trend for ‘quiet’ and ‘soft’ quitting is a symptom of our deteriorating relationship with work

Source: The Conversation – UK – By John-Paul Byrne, Lecturer, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences

shutterstock Hananeko_Studio/Shutterstock

How do you feel about your work? Do its daily demands leave you burned out and drained of energy?

Do you find yourself reducing how much effort you make to engage in some “quiet” or “soft” quitting? Or maybe you dream of taking a more decisive step and joining the “great resignation”.

The prevalence – and popularity – of these responses suggests that there has been quite a change in many people’s attitude to the way they earn a living. Some think that this change stems from a post-COVID evaluation of work-life balance. Others say it’s an individual form of industrial action.

However, these explanations keep the spotlight firmly on workers rather than the work itself. Perhaps the truth lies in a fundamental deterioriation in people’s relationship with their work and maybe the work needs to shoulder some of the responsibility.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Our experience of working, and its impact on our lives, is about more than what goes on within the office or school or hospital or factory which pays our wages. Even something as simple (yet important) as the number of hours someone works might be the result of a complex combination of national law, professional expectations and an organisation’s resources.

This is where something known as the “psychosocial work environment” comes in – an approach (especially popular in Scandinavia) which examines the various structures, conditions and experiences that effect an employee’s psychological and emotional wellbeing.

Research in this field suggests that there are three conditions vital to the modern work experience: autonomy, boundary management and “precarity”.

Autonomy is about how much control and influence you have when it comes to doing your job and is key to how most employees feel about their work.

Low levels of autonomy can leave people feeling overwhelmed and powerless. But high levels can also be detrimental, leading to excessive levels of individual responsibility and overwhelming hours.

Ideally, you should have enough autonomy to feel a sense of flexibility and self-determination – but not so much that you feel you need to always be available and constantly on the clock.

Setting boundaries

Boundary management is the ability to manage the physical and mental boundaries between work and non-work lives. Achieving a suitable work-life balance has become even more important in a world of hybrid working.

But in jobs with high levels of autonomy and responsibility, boundaries can become blurred and unpredictable. Phones ping with work related notifications, and leisure becomes work at the swipe of a screen.

All of this can lead to feelings of anxiety and exhaustion. The goal here is to set clear boundaries that bring predictability and clarity around work time and demands. This provides flexibility which is empowering rather than exploitative.

Finally, “precarity” refers to a lack of stability and security in life. It refers specifically to a harmful state of uncertainty which is typically associated with job insecurity (zero hours contracts for example).

This uncertainty and insecurity can dominate daily work time (and free time), leading to feelings of stress and anxiety. It can also have a negative impact on personal finances and career plans.

Looking for a way out.
Aleutie/Shutterstock

Income and contract security can help here, although people working in insecure jobs often have little power when it comes to persuading their employers to make the necessary changes.

But addressing the deteriorating relationship between employees and their work means confronting certain core conditions. Reflecting on the psychosocial elements of employment can help to identify the gap between expectation and actual experience.

Before experiencing burnout or resorting to quitting (in any of its forms), this approach encourages employees and employers to reflect on two key questions. How does work make you feel? And what are the things that cause those feelings?

Research on psychosocial work environments provides some guidance. It suggests that workers are more likely to thrive when they have autonomy that feels like control rather than abandonment, and flexibility and clarity that allows for a good work-life balance. They also need security that offers certainty in the present – and confidence in the future.

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

– ref. The trend for ‘quiet’ and ‘soft’ quitting is a symptom of our deteriorating relationship with work – https://theconversation.com/the-trend-for-quiet-and-soft-quitting-is-a-symptom-of-our-deteriorating-relationship-with-work-248787

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Vice Chairperson Appointed to the Labour Relations Board

Source: Government of Canada regional news

Released on May 13, 2025

Linda Zarzeczny, K.C. has been appointed to the Labour Relations Board as vice chairperson.

Ms. Zarzeczny joins Kyle McCreary, Chairperson and Carol Kraft, Vice-Chairperson on the Labour Relations Board. Her appointment is for five years, beginning April 30, 2025.

“Ms. Zarzeczny’s background in private law and her time spent in the Ministry of Justice make her an excellent addition to the board,” Deputy Premier and Labour Relations and Workplace Safety Minister Jim Reiter said. “Ms. Zarzeczny’s appointment will ensure timely service and continuity for hearings before the board.”

Zarzeczny received her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Saskatchewan and spent time in private practice in Alberta before returning to Saskatchewan where she served in the Ministry of Justice as the Senior Crown Counsel, executive Director of the Civil Law Division, the first assistant Deputy Attorney General of the Legal Services Division and most recently as the Deputy Minister and Deputy Attorney General for Saskatchewan.

The Saskatchewan Labour Relations Board is a quasi-judicial tribunal that adjudicates disputes under The Saskatchewan Employment Act and deals with applications for union certification or decertification. The board operates independently of government and is comprised of equal numbers of employee and employer representatives.

-30-

For more information, contact:

MIL OSI Canada News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Alberta takes action: Ending gender-based violence
[. It often goes unnoticed or unreported and whether directly or indirectly, all Albertans are affected by it. A made-in-Alberta strategy is required to end the violence and create a safer home for every Albertan.

Building on our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence is a bold, provincewide plan that addresses all forms of gender-based violence. The strategy implements clear, immediate, short- and long-term actions that strengthen the work already underway. This foundational strategy outlines initiatives that ensure efforts across government and community partners are coordinated, so that Alberta can put an end to gender-based violence. Central to the strategy are commitments to engage men and boys as partners, enhance women’s economic empowerment and ensure targeted programs are Indigenous-led.

Alberta’s 10-year strategy is focused on building an understanding around what appropriate behavior is, raising awareness on every form of gender-based violence and increasing coordination across all sectors. The strategy builds on the excellent work of dedicated organizations across the province and outlines a reasonable and responsible approach to grow programs that work, address service gaps and ensure prevention, early intervention, crisis response and long-term supports are available in all corners of the province, when and where they are needed.

“Our government is proud to release Building on our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence, the most comprehensive strategy of its kind in Canada. Through this strategy, our government will lay the groundwork for lasting change while addressing the root causes of gender-based violence and supporting survivors.”

Tanya Fir, Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women

“Our commitment to public safety is reflected in Alberta’s approach to preventing and responding to gender-based violence by supporting victims, preventing violence and ensuring high-risk offenders are held accountable. This strategy is a bold step forward – one that brings together government, community partners and front-line professionals. United, we are proud to unveil Alberta’s decade-long commitment to ending gender-based violence, a crucial step towards a safer future for all.”

Mike Ellis, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services

“By releasing Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender Based Violence, our government is leading the charge to eradicate domestic and family violence in our communities. This will empower and support the important work of women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to ensure that every woman and child is protected and able to receive the supports they need.”

Searle Turton, Minister of Children and Family Services

“Our justice system must be a place where survivors of gender-based violence feel heard, protected and supported. This strategy is a critical step towards building a safer Alberta where accountability and compassion go hand in hand.”

Mickey Amery, Minister of Justice

“Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit plus people disproportionately face gender-based violence. This must stop. The strategy announced today is a beacon of hope and includes tangible actions for everyone working to end gender-based violence. It builds on other work already underway to address the root causes of gender-based violence and prevent it before it occurs, such as work done by the Premier’s Council on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Plus People, and the First Nations and Métis Women’s Councils on Economic Security, and work done under the Human Trafficking Action Plan. I am honoured to continue this important work.”

Rick Wilson, Minister of Indigenous Relations

Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence complements and enhances existing initiatives such as the Premier’s Council on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Plus People and the Human Trafficking Action Plan to address the root causes of gender-based violence and prevent it before it occurs.

Alberta’s strategy is the most comprehensive of its kind in the country, with actions that will:
- Increase awareness of what gender-based violence is and what Albertans should do when they see it.
- Prevent gender-based violence before it begins by addressing its underlying causes and implementing early-intervention strategies.
- Empower women to be economically independent, supporting them with financial and social resources to achieve true financial independence, enabling them to live safely and build strong, independent lives.
- Support Indigenous-led solutions and incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing and being into programs that address the unique needs, lived experiences and practices of Indigenous people, families and communities.
- Support those affected how, where and when they need it, with timely, culturally informed, accessible and responsive support for survivors, families, those at risk, perpetrators and potential perpetrators, ensuring they receive the help they need in their own communities.
“As Chair of the Premier’s Council on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Plus People, I am pleased that the Government of Alberta is taking a comprehensive and coordinated approach to ending gender-based violence. The Premier’s Council looks forward to working with the Government of Alberta to implement Building on Our Strengths: Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-Based Violence, especially in areas that intersect with factors related to missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two spirit plus people and the Alberta Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Roadmap. We are stronger when we work together.”

Rachelle Venne, chair, Premier’s Council on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls and Two Spirit Plus People

“By prioritizing financial empowerment and Indigenous-led solutions, this strategy will help more Alberta women avoid or leave high-risk situations. Women Building Futures applauds the Government of Alberta for this farsighted, whole-of-government approach to the pervasive and complex problem of gender-based violence.”

Carol Moen, president and CEO, Women Building Futures

“This strategy signals a shift: to end gender-based violence, we must engage men and boys as part of the solution. By investing in prevention and including men in efforts to shift norms and behaviours, Alberta is paving the way for a safer, more just future.”

Lana Wells, associate professor, Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, and founder of Shift2Learn

Budget 2025 invests $19.8 million to support Alberta’s 10-year Strategy to End Gender-based Violence. This funding will be used to make targeted investments to ensure provincial programs are coordinated, collaborative, effective and sustainable. In total, Alberta’s government invests more than $188 million in related programming and services across government.

The strategy was informed by extensive engagement with more than 500 Albertans and organizations, including survivors, community organizations working on the front lines, Indigenous communities and academics.

Quick facts
- From fall 2023 to spring 2024, Arts, Culture and Status of Women conducted extensive engagement with the public and key stakeholders, including an online survey for Albertans, specific engagement with Indigenous groups and meetings with more than 500 stakeholders in 11 communities across the province.
- Gender-based violence refers to harmful acts directed at an individual based on their gender. It can take many forms, including physical assault, sexual assault, murder, femicide, family violence, intimate partner violence, human trafficking, stalking, financial control, threats, hate speech, cyber-bullying, cyber-stalking, pornography and coercive control.
- Alberta’s government invests more than $188 million annually in gender-based violence related programming across several ministries, including:
  - Expanding voluntary and court-ordered programming for perpetrators and those at risk of causing harm.
  - Implementing electronic monitoring technology to monitor offenders under court ordered supervision.
  - Supporting women’s shelter programming to focus on access to safety and inclusive services.
  - Improving the reporting and prevention efforts at post-secondary institutions and First Nations colleges to address campus sexual violence.
  - Increasing service provider access to education and resources related to elder abuse.
  - Supporting academic research on gender-related injury and illness in the workplace.
  - Strengthening support for Albertans navigating the justice system, including developing more survivor-centered, culturally sensitive, trauma-informed services.
  - Implementing Indigenous-led initiatives that advance the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Roadmap.
  - Strengthening safe, accessible and reliable transportation options for victims, survivors and their families seeking GBV support and services.
  - Specialized 24-7 support to patients experiencing domestic and family violence.
  - Working with professionals to help seniors who are experiencing GBV.
  - Raising awareness of Clare’s Law to allow people to make informed choices about potentially harmful intimate partners and how it is an important tool in protecting Albertans from domestic violence.
Related information
- Ending Gender-Based Violence
Multimedia
- Watch the news conference
- Ending Gender-Based Violence Video
MIL OSI Canada News –
May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: C is for Commencement

Source: US State of Connecticut

The University of Connecticut awarded 524 doctoral degrees on Monday, May 12 at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts in the conclusion to three days of commencement ceremonies at Storrs. The doctorate recipients might have been well past their Sesame Street phase, but the letter of the day was unquestionably C.

“Commencement. That’s why we’re here,” said the Honorable Sethuraman Panchanathan, former director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the keynote speaker for the ceremony who was also awarded an honorary doctorate.

Sethuraman Panchanathan, former director of the National Science Foundation, accepts an honorary degree from UConn President Radenka Maric during the doctoral graduate Commencement ceremony in the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on Monday, May 12, 2025. (Sydney Herdle/UConn Photo)

Panchanathan went on to list nine attributes beginning with the letter C that the doctoral recipients should hold as fundamental values to uphold, including curiosity, creativity, convergence, collaboration, change, courage, can-do spirit, communication, and commitment. And then he gave them an additional challenge.

“There is so much potential across all this great nation,” he said. “Each of you take 25 people to mentor, make the difference to 25 people who would otherwise not have had the opportunities” you have had, Panchanathan said. “This is your quest.”

The letter C re-emerged later in the ceremony when the nominator for UConn linguistics professor Željko Bošković, who won the Edward C. Marth mentorship award, said Boskovic exhibited “complete commitment” to his graduate students.

UConn President Radenka Maric added a few more Cs when she spoke of the challenge of fostering innovation, and remarked on all the children in the room. To all the parents, and to the graduates, she gave one final C.

“Congratulations!”

[embedded content]

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: CREA Foundation Creates Two Scholarships, Bonus Opportunities for Real Estate Students

Source: US State of Connecticut

CREA Foundation, Inc. has created two, renewable scholarships for UConn students interested in studying commercial real estate, and they include bonus opportunities to set them up for success.

“We’re excited and eager to partner with CREA to introduce more students to the real estate industry,’’ said David Wharmby, director of the Center for Real Estate and Urban Economic Studies at UConn. “This gift will ensure that they are not just career-ready but have solid work experience in the industry.’’

Open to rising juniors, CREA Foundation will award a $10,000 renewable scholarship for two students majoring or minoring in real estate. CREA Scholars will also have the opportunity to have an internship with CREA, LLC or local partners, and will have a CREA mentor to answer questions and offer guidance. Scholarship applications are now open and will be awarded in late summer.

CREA has created similar programs with Indiana University, Indianapolis, and California State University, Northridge, and they are going exceptionally well, said UConn alumnus and CREA CEO Tony Bertoldi ’89. He said he and his team are excited to welcome a new generation of industry experts, engage with them, and help them find their career path.

“We want to improve the pipeline of talent coming into our business,’’ he said. “When we’re in the interview process, I look for applicable experience. It’s a great advantage to have that exposure beyond the classroom.’’

CREA is a national tax-credit syndicator, working with developer and investor partners to create affordable housing. Its Foundation supports access to higher education and introductory work experiences.

“Tony has hired lots of our graduates and knows they have the skills to succeed and contribute right away,’’ Wharmby said.

“I had a great experience at UConn,’’ said Bertoldi, who has served as a guest speaker in real estate courses and is a serial UConn donor. A recent trip back to campus reignited his enthusiasm. “I saw the opportunity to do something meaningful for UConn.’’

“It’s a fantastic gift,’’ Wharmby said. “I think real estate offers a really exciting, broad, diverse career opportunity. Not a lot of students know about it until they get to college. With these scholarships, we’re exposing the industry to a broader set of students.’’

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: ‘The red Welsh way’: Welsh Labour attempts to distance itself from the UK party

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nye Davies, Lecturer in Politics, Cardiff University

David Michael Bellis/Shutterstock

More than two decades ago, Rhodri Morgan, then first minister of Wales, put “clear red water” between Welsh Labour and the UK party. It’s a phrase that became one of the most enduring cliches in Welsh politics.

Now, his successor Eluned Morgan is trying to chart a fresh course with a new slogan: “the red Welsh way”. In a recent speech, Morgan set out Welsh Labour’s core values ahead of the 2026 Senedd (Welsh parliament) election: “Solidarity, equality, sustainability and justice.” These, she argued, are progressive principles rooted in Wales’ political traditions.

But the speech also had a clear strategic purpose: to reassert Welsh Labour’s distinct identity at a time when its dominance in devolved politics is under pressure.

Morgan pledged to stand up for Wales whenever she believed it was being neglected by Westminster or when UK government policies disproportionately harmed the nation. Deploying nationalistic language, while insisting she is not a nationalist, Morgan invoked a history of exploitation in Wales and vowed that such injustices would not be tolerated under Welsh Labour’s watch.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

It was also a notable shift in rhetoric. During the 2024 general election, Welsh Labour leaned heavily on the idea of “two governments at both ends of the M4” working together. Morgan’s speech also represents her most forthright attempt yet to replenish the red waters between the Welsh government and Keir Starmer’s leadership, and her most passionate defence of Welsh Labour as a distinct entity.

Poll pressure

On the very same day, a new poll placed Welsh Labour in third place, behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK. The polling comes with the familiar caveats. It is only one poll, a lot can change in the course of a year and it would be unwise to underestimate the strength of Welsh Labour’s electoral machine.

Nevertheless, while the Senedd is expanding from 60 to 96 members, Welsh Labour’s presence within it is at risk of shrinking.

Morgan’s speech implicitly recognises that the Labour brand is tainted. With the UK government chasing Reform UK’s voter base in light of recent election results, the red Welsh way feels like an effort to reclaim ground from Plaid Cymru, to which Welsh Labour appears to be losing support, particularly from left-leaning and Welsh-identifying voters.

Morgan will hope that formulating a new image (or, rather, resurrecting an old one) can revive the party’s fortunes and allow it to continue its over 100 years dominance of Welsh politics.

There is logic to this strategy. I have argued before that Welsh Labour thrives when it articulates a clear, values-driven Welsh identity. But there are now formidable obstacles in Morgan’s path.

First, trying to position a party that has been in government for 26 years as an insurgent force is challenging. The clear red water rhetoric, rooted in progressive principles, has not always been matched in reality.
Strained public services and entrenched poverty in Wales undermine Welsh Labour’s claims to achieving social justice. While constitutional constraints and funding limitations from Westminster are real, slogans alone do not shield people from hardship.

Read more:
Devolving justice and policing to Wales would put it on par with Scotland and Northern Ireland – so what’s holding it back?

Ultimately, after years of austerity, people in Wales are looking for a party that will offer them hope of a brighter future. Instead of slogans, Welsh Labour will need to show the electorate that it is making a tangible difference to people’s lives. As Morgan herself insisted in the speech: “Less chat, and more do.”

Second, Morgan faces a further challenge from an emboldened Welsh parliamentary Labour party (PLP). A recent Politico article documents the various ways in which the central Labour party is attempting to have a greater say in Welsh Labour’s affairs, from manifesto writing to candidate selection. One Labour figure was quoted as stating: “The Welsh PLP hate the Senedd group.”

Amid reports that Morgan accused Welsh MPs of not standing up for Wales, a Labour Senedd member has warned of “simmering discontent” with Westminster.

A party at a crossroads

Among these challenges, Welsh Labour will struggle with its claim to be standing up for Wales when judged against outcomes. Repeated failures to secure rail funding, further devolution and even consideration for the effects of policy changes on Wales, suggest that Welsh Labour’s voice in Westminster still struggles to carry weight. That’s even under a Labour-led UK government.

In truth, the red Welsh way reflects a party caught in a strategic bind. It’s eager to differentiate itself, but hamstrung by its own long-term incumbency, internal divisions and limited power.

As the 2026 Senedd election draws closer, Welsh Labour will throw everything at shifting the narrative. But as things stand, the clear red water that once symbolised distance from Westminster has become muddied.

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

– ref. ‘The red Welsh way’: Welsh Labour attempts to distance itself from the UK party – https://theconversation.com/the-red-welsh-way-welsh-labour-attempts-to-distance-itself-from-the-uk-party-256496

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How breast tissue density affects your risk of breast cancer

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Justin Stebbing, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University

Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Breast density is a significant yet often overlooked factor in breast cancer awareness, risk assessment and screening practices. Understanding what breast density is, how it affects breast cancer risk and what it means for screening can help women make informed decisions about their health.

Breast density refers to the proportions of glandular and connective tissue compared to fatty tissue in the breast, as seen on a mammogram. Simply put, dense breasts have more glandular and fibrous tissue and less fat.

On a mammogram, both dense tissue and tumours appear white, making it harder to detect abnormalities in women with dense breasts. This masking effect can lead to cancers being missed during routine screening, which is why breast density is not just a risk factor for developing breast cancer, but also for having it go undetected until it is more advanced.

Recent large-scale studies have confirmed that women with dense breasts face a higher risk of developing breast cancer compared to women with less dense, fattier breasts. For example, a major study involving more than 33,000 women found that those with dense breasts were nearly twice as likely to develop breast cancer than those with low breast density.

This increased risk is seen across both pre-menopausal younger women and post-menopausal older women, although the proportion of women with high breast density tends to decrease with age.

In practical terms, women with the lowest breast density have about a 6% lifetime risk of developing breast cancer after age 50, while those with the highest density face a risk closer to 15%.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

The impact of breast density on cancer detection is also significant. Mammography, the standard screening tool, is less sensitive in women with dense breasts. While mammograms can detect about at least nine out of ten cancers in women with mostly fatty breasts, the sensitivity drops to about seven out of ten in women with extremely dense breasts.

This means that tumors can be missed, leading to what are known as “interval cancers”, cancers that are diagnosed between regular screenings, often at a more advanced stage.

Supplemental screening methods, such as MRI scanning, can help detect cancers that mammography might miss in women with dense breasts, and some pilot studies have shown that additional cancers are found this way.

Breast density is now recognised as one of the most important risk factors for breast cancer, even as much as family history or other commonly discussed risk factors.

About 40% of women fall into the higher density categories, and dense breasts are common in younger women, those taking hormone replacement therapy, and those with certain genetic backgrounds and ethnicities. However, breast density can also be influenced by lifestyle and hormonal factors, and it tends to decrease with age and higher body mass index and obesity.

Given the importance of breast density, there has been a growing movement to ensure women are informed about their own breast density after mammograms, and to address this appropriately. A recent UK survey showed that most women aren’t aware of their breast density.

In the US, new regulations require that all women undergoing mammography be notified if they have dense breasts and be advised about the associated risks. This aims to empower women to have more informed discussions with their healthcare providers about their personal risk and the potential need for additional screening.

Despite the increased risk, it is important to remember that the majority of women with dense breasts will not develop breast cancer. Breast density is just one factor among many, and decisions about screening and risk reduction should be made on an individual basis.

For women with dense breasts, discussing options for supplemental screening with their doctor is recommended. While there is currently no widely accepted intervention to reduce breast density, in my own research, I’m exploring new ways to address this risk factor.

In summary, breast density is both a common and significant risk factor for breast cancer, and it can complicate the detection of cancer through standard mammography.

Women should be aware of their breast density status, understand its implications for both risk and screening, and work with their doctors to determine the best approach for their individual situation. As awareness grows and screening practices evolve, the hope is that more cancers will be detected earlier, improving outcomes for all women.

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

– ref. How breast tissue density affects your risk of breast cancer – https://theconversation.com/how-breast-tissue-density-affects-your-risk-of-breast-cancer-256028

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Everyone isn’t ‘a little bit autistic’ – here’s why this notion is harmful

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aimee Grant, Senior Lecturer in Public Health and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow, Swansea University

MDV Edwards/Shutterstock

I recently had a medical appointment and explained that I’m autistic. It affects how I communicate and understand information, and sometimes I’m misinterpreted as being rude. The person nodded and replied: “Well, everyone’s a little bit autistic.” They then shared something they struggle with, sometimes, when they haven’t had enough sleep.

It wasn’t the first time I’ve heard that line, and I doubt it’ll be the last. It happens often – not only in doctors’ surgeries but in social situations, on social media and many other places besides. And it’s not just me. Online spaces are full of autistic adults and the parents of autistic children expressing frustration at this phrase.

So where does the idea come from, that autistic traits are merely universal human behaviour, just to an exaggerated degree in autistic people?

To answer that, we need to understand what autism is. Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental difference. You’re either born autistic, or you’re not. It’s not something you develop over time.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Historically, autism has been underdiagnosed among many groups of people, although least affecting white boys. That isn’t because other people are less likely to be autistic.

It’s because diagnostic practices and clinical assumptions have been based on a narrow idea of what autism “looks like”. It fails to recognise that many autistic people – but especially girls and women – “mask” their autism. This means they suppress their natural autistic behaviour to reduce the chance of a negative response from those around them. Fortunately recognition of masking is changing, albeit slowly.

Challenges

The challenges an autistic person faces, and the distress we may experience, arise from our interactions with other people or the environment around us as a result of our neurological differences.

Autism affects how we experience the world, how we communicate and how we process sensory information. Communication can be challenging for us, especially in settings where social expectations aren’t clearly defined.

We may also struggle with certain lights, sounds or textures. These experiences can fluctuate depending on how many difficult things have already happened to us that day, our hormone levels, and consequently how overwhelmed we already are.

Autistic people often find comfort in familiarity and routine, and can become overwhelmed by unexpected change. To manage that, many autistic people “stim”, which is short for self-stimulatory behaviour, and can include doing things like rocking or tapping, or fidgeting with an object. These repetitive movements can help calm us down or regulate sensory overload.

When I teach about autism, I sometimes ask students to think about how they react to sensory discomfort or disruption. There’s usually a long list of things. For instance, being irritated by roadworks, bothered by scratchy clothes or stressed out by a house move. These are all human traits. But they don’t mean you’re autistic.

Life is often stressful, so cortisol levels rise accordingly. That doesn’t mean you’re autistic. It means your nervous system is working as it should. Likewise, noticing loud noises or being anxious about change is perfectly normal. But it doesn’t mean your brain is wired the same way as someone who is autistic.

There are clear differences between autistic and non-autistic people, not just in the kinds of challenges they experience, but in how often and how intensely those challenges occur. Research shows that autistic people have significantly higher rates of sensory sensitivity, communication differences, repetitive behaviour and social difficulties than non-autistic people. For most autistic people, these aren’t things that happen once in a while. They are constant features of life.

If you think this sounds like you, there is a chance that you could be autistic. While we expect around 3% of people to be autistic, only around 1% of adults are diagnosed.

So, when someone says “everyone is a little bit autistic”, they’re relying on a myth that flattens those differences. It suggests a spectrum from “not autistic” to “very autistic”, with everyone fitting somewhere on that line.

That’s understandable, because we don’t have a biological test for autism, to give a clear yes or no answer. Instead, questionnaires are often used to initially assess the likelihood of being autistic. But you can’t be a “little bit” autistic.

The term “autism spectrum disorder” was first used in 1994 in diagnostic manuals, to bring together people diagnosed with autism and Asperger’s syndrome, a contentious name linked to Nazi genocide.

Many autism researchers argue that we shouldn’t be dividing autistic people into different groups, as support needs can vary from day to day. Others dislike the term “autism spectrum” because it can be misleading. It’s too often misunderstood as a fixed linear scale. In reality, autism is multidimensional. Different people have different combinations of strengths, needs and experiences. Two autistic people may have little in common apart from their diagnosis.

Read more:
Why the autism jigsaw puzzle piece is such a problematic symbol

The “everyone’s a bit autistic” myth can be actively harmful. It’s often used to dismiss the challenges we face or to argue that autistic people don’t really need support. It also contributes to a culture where autism becomes the punchline. Non-autistic people do something like parking in the same space each day, but attribute it to being “a little bit autistic”.

For decades, autistic people weren’t given a platform to share our experiences. The stories told about us, especially in the media, were often created by non-autistic people, and were full of stereotypes. That’s starting to change, but those outdated ideas persist.

Use empathy

So, the next time an autistic person tells you what they’re struggling with, please don’t respond by comparing it to your own mild discomfort. Try empathising instead: “I’m sorry” or “that sounds really hard”. And if you can, ask if there’s anything you could do to help. Even small accommodations can make a big difference to someone’s comfort and wellbeing.

Because no, not everyone is “a little bit autistic”. And saying that doesn’t help us – it makes it harder for us to be seen, heard and supported.

Aimee Grant receives funding from the Wellcome Trust and UKRI. She is a non-executive director of Disability Wales.

– ref. Everyone isn’t ‘a little bit autistic’ – here’s why this notion is harmful – https://theconversation.com/everyone-isnt-a-little-bit-autistic-heres-why-this-notion-is-harmful-256129

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Could the assisted dying bill fall at the next hurdle?

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daniel Gover, Senior Lecturer in British Politics, Queen Mary University of London

Almost six months after MPs backed the principle of assisted dying, the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill – sponsored by Labour backbencher Kim Leadbeater – is set to return to the House of Commons chamber on May 16 to undergo further debate.

This is the report stage of the bill’s passage, during which MPs will consider whether to make further amendments to the bill, followed by a third reading, when MPs vote on the bill in its final form. After this, the bill would then need to complete a similar process in the House of Lords.

There had been fears that because this is a backbench private member’s bill, the assisted dying bill would not be subjected to meaningful scrutiny. But these fears have not been borne out in practice.

Between January and March, a committee of MPs considered the bill over 29 separate sittings, heard evidence from around 50 expert witnesses, and received hundreds of written submissions from the public – all unheard of on backbench bills. The committee made many detailed amendments to the bill, informed partly by this evidence. It is the amended version of the bill that is now being put to MPs.

Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.

When MPs debated the bill’s second reading in November, an absolute majority supported the legislation – by 330 to 275. But second reading is a vote only on the bill’s principle.

Several MPs indicated that they could vote the other way next time if changes were not made to the specifics of the legislation. So it is not certain that the bill will pass so easily at third reading – or indeed that it will pass at all.

During the bill’s committee scrutiny, over 150 amendments were made. Although the majority of these were put forward by Leadbeater herself – for instance to improve the bill’s operability after discussions with civil servants – around 40 of them were proposed by other MPs – including many led by MPs who voted against the bill at second reading.

They cover a range of topics, including the training for medical staff involved in assisted dying to identifying domestic abuse and coercive control, and a requirement that those considering an assisted death should be given information about palliative care alternatives.

Concerns raised by some disability groups have also led to a new requirement for a disability advisory board that will feed into the implementation of the law and report on its impact on disabled people. Such changes may provide some reassurance to wavering MPs.

But other issues remain unresolved. One example is the question of whether medical practitioners may raise assisted dying with a patient rather than leaving it to them. This is now the subject of a change proposed by Meg Hillier, the senior Labour MP who chairs the high-profile Liaison Committee and a vocal opponent of the bill.

A bumpy road ahead?

Even if MPs can agree on the text of the bill itself, it nonetheless faces significant procedural hurdles. This is because there is very little House of Commons time for private members’ bills – typically just 13 Fridays per annual session for all bills. This in practice means they must usually complete their report stage in a single five-hour sitting to stand any chance of passing.

The key challenge is that MPs could table large numbers of amendments, and speak at length, meaning that the bill runs out of time. The bill’s supporters can counter this by attempting to move the “closure” – which if successful brings that part of the debate to a close – but this requires at least 100 MPs to vote in support. This is a high threshold on most Fridays, though may be possible in this case.

Even then, it may not be enough. Much will depend on key decisions by the Speaker – in particular, how he groups the amendments up for debate. In recent years, the trend has been towards all amendments being discussed together in a single group.

But if he splits them up into more than one group, this would likely mean “closure” is required multiple times – creating a high risk that the debate overruns the available five hours.

If the bill does not complete report stage in a single day, it would then drop down the queue behind any other bills awaiting report on the next available Friday. This is usually fatal to a bill’s passage.

Yet something unusual may be about to occur in this case. As things stand, the next bill in line is scheduled to begin its committee stage only this week, after a long – and quite possibly tactical – delay. It is therefore possible that the assisted dying bill could secure a second day for report.

To the Lords…and back?

Yet any delay in the bill’s Commons passage would present further complications down the line. If the bill requires two days for report, this would push the final third reading vote to June 13 or 20. If it passed, the bill would then need to go through an equivalent series of stages in the House of Lords.

Lords scrutiny is likely to be rigorous on the bill. The chamber contains many members with expertise directly relevant to this bill – including medical, legal, disability advocacy and health. They are likely to want to scrutinise the bill in depth and to make their own amendments. Yet if peers make any changes, these would then need to be approved by the Commons.

As things stand, the last available sitting Friday for private members’ bills in the Commons is scheduled for July 11, potentially leaving less than a month for Lords scrutiny. This is a very tight timetable, and it is very possible the bill could run out of time.

One way of addressing this would be for the Lords to expedite its scrutiny of this bill. If not, ministers would need to provide additional time for any final Lords amendments to the bill to be considered – something for which there is recent precedent. Since 2010, two regular private members’ bills have had stages for MPs to approve Lords amendments (in 2019 and 2023); in both cases these required ministers to make available additional Fridays.

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

– ref. Could the assisted dying bill fall at the next hurdle? – https://theconversation.com/could-the-assisted-dying-bill-fall-at-the-next-hurdle-256512

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Closing off social care jobs to migrant workers will only harm a sector that’s already in crisis

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Majella Kilkey, Professor of Social Policy, University of Sheffield

shurkin_son/Shutterstock

One big talking point to emerge from the UK government’s recently announced plans to reform the immigration system was the proposal to end recruitment of social care workers from overseas. Anyone who has experienced the sector recently will know that it is hugely dependent on workers from abroad. So the move – laid out in a new white paper which went further than many expected – will have huge implications.

For those international workers already sponsored to work in the sector, a transition period will allow them to extend their visa until 2028. Other overseas nationals already in the UK with the right to work will be able to switch to a job in social care.

Critics have argued for overhauling the visa system that allows employers to recruit care workers from overseas amid evidence of widespread and systemic exploitation of workers. But the plan to completely axe the health and care visa, without any proposed alternative, was unexpected.

In fact, a 2024 strategy for adult social care, published by industry body Skills for Care, acknowledged that international workers are “crucial” for the sector. It also recommended that the UK’s immigration policy recognise the sector’s need to recruit care workers from abroad.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

The government’s decision to make reducing net migration the central plank of its immigration policy explains its apparent disregard of the care sector’s recommendation. This is based on the belief, contradicted by research, that becoming even tougher on migration will fight off the electoral threat posed by the rightwing Reform party.

In fact, the share of net migration taken up by the care worker visa has been falling. This is not least because of the previous government’s decision to ban those on the visa from bringing their dependants.

Care work was categorised as “low-skilled” work by the previous Conservative government when it introduced its new global points-based immigration system in January 2021. This categorisation made the sector particularly vulnerable in the context of the white paper’s preference for migration into “higher-skilled” jobs because of its purported economic benefits.

This approach privileges particular sectors over others, leaving the care sector facing huge labour gaps. Yet, in contrast to the white paper’s position, evidence shows that 54% of people in the UK favour making it easier for people to come to the UK to do care work, implying that the public recognise the value of this sector.

In contrast, while only 27% favour making it easier for people to come to work in the financial sector, the white paper proposes to give preferential treatment to this sector.

The government’s vision is that “British workers” will replace migrants in the care sector. The white paper, however, presents no evidence that migrant workers have been displacing “British workers” in the industry. Instead, it acknowledges that low rates of domestic recruitment and retention are “largely driven by historic levels of poor pay and poor terms and conditions”.

This is a systemic issue. Despite care being crucial to human survival and society’s functioning, the work that it requires is either unpaid or hugely underpaid.

Labour unions and research evidence highlight the the key barriers to recruitment and retention: low rates of pay in the sector, the prevalence of zero-hours contracts (21% in March 2024), the limited opportunities for training and career progression, as well as the low status of care work.

The government has defended its white paper by pointing to its plans to address these recruitment and retention challenges, most notably through measures like the fair pay agreement, the employment rights bill and the care workforce pathway, which aim to improve pay and conditions in the sector. But Care England has said these initiatives are “years away from delivery” and underfunded.

The proposed fair pay agreement, through which the government hopes to tackle the staffing crisis in social care, would give care workers stronger collective bargaining powers and provide stricter enforcement of agreements on pay, terms and conditions. The government’s impact assessment suggests, however, that the agreement will increase costs to councils, as well as those funding their own care. Higher costs to councils would need to be mitigated by increased investment from central government.

Martin Green, chief executive of Care England, and Christina McAnea, general secretary of trade union Unison, have said that the white paper’s depiction of care work as “low-skilled” adds to its low social status. It also runs contrary to the professionalisation agenda set out in the government-endorsed care workforce pathway. And, of course, it undermines efforts to attract “British workers” into the sector.

A crisis in staffing

In the meantime, the latest data from industry body Skills for Care show that the sector has 131,000 vacancies in England alone. Its vacancy rate at 8.3% is higher than the 6.9% for the NHS, and significantly higher than the 2.8% for the economy as a whole.

The same data source estimates that 540,000 new social care posts will be needed by 2040 to meet rising demand, as more people live longer with major illnesses and disabilities. Relatives are put under immense pressure to fill these care gaps, without the pay or resources to do so.

Without the international care workers who have helped the social care sector keep its head above water since Brexit, the prospects look unimaginably bleak for the health and wellbeing of workers in the sector. And this is before we consider the impact on some of society’s most vulnerable people who need their care and support, as well as their families and kin.

Majella Kilkey receives funding from UKRI-ESRC.

Jayanthi T. Lingham receives funding from the Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF).

– ref. Closing off social care jobs to migrant workers will only harm a sector that’s already in crisis – https://theconversation.com/closing-off-social-care-jobs-to-migrant-workers-will-only-harm-a-sector-thats-already-in-crisis-256626

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Threat of enslavement hangs over reported plans to deport migrants from US to Libya

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Martin Plaut, Senior Research Fellow, Horn of Africa and Southern Africa, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

Human rights organisations have expressed alarm at possible US plans to send a group of migrants from Vietnam, Laos and the Philippines to Libya on a military flight. They have pointed to the appalling conditions migrants face there, which the US State Department described as “harsh and life-threatening” in its 2023 Libya review.

The review quoted the UN support mission in Libya and civil society groups as saying they had “numerous reports of women subjected to forced prostitution in prisons or detention facilities”. A UN fact-finding mission to Libya, also in 2023, made similarly shocking allegations about conditions in Libya’s network of official migrant detention centres.

Such centres are run by the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration, an official entity of the Libyan interior ministry. But, in reality, it is Libya’s complex patchwork of militias that is in control.

Based on interviews with more than 100 migrants, the report concluded that it had “reasonable grounds to believe that migrants were enslaved in detention centres … in Abu Salim, Zawiyah and Mabani, as well as in places of detention in al-Shwarif, Bani Walid, Sabratah, Zuwarah and Sabha”.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

There is no evidence that the proposed US scheme is in any way connected to the Libyan organisations involved in slavery. Trump has also denied any knowledge of the Libya deportations, referring journalists questioning him about it to the US Department of Homeland Security.

But the situation is dire for the tens of thousands of refugees and migrants who wind up in Libya each year in an attempt to cross into Europe. The threat of enslavement poses a real threat to anyone sent there.

Concern about slavery in Libya was perhaps most visibly highlighted in a CNN report from 2017. After receiving grainy footage of a slave sale, CNN sent journalists to Libya to gather evidence. They reported uncovering nine migrant slave auction sites.

In their report, which gained widespread international attention, the journalists wrote:

Carrying concealed cameras into a property outside the capital of Tripoli last month, we witness[ed] a dozen people go ‘under the hammer’ in the space of six or seven minutes.

‘Does anybody need a digger? This is a digger, a big strong man, he’ll dig,’ the salesman, dressed in camouflage gear, says. ‘What am I bid, what am I bid?’ Buyers raise their hands as the price rises, ‘500, 550, 600, 650 …’ Within minutes it is all over and the men, utterly resigned to their fate, are being handed over to their new ‘masters’.

After the auction, we met two of the men who had been sold. They were so traumatised by what they’d been through that they could not speak, and so scared that they were suspicious of everyone they met.

Unlike the Libyan media, which questioned the credibility of the CNN report, Libya’s authorities denounced the migrant slave auctions and said they would launch a formal investigation. But there is no indication that the proposed investigation has changed the operation of the detention centres.

CNN journalists witnessed migrants being sold at auctions in 2017.

CNN’s findings were replicated by other investigations. Shamsuddin Jibril, a Cameroonian migrant who saw men traded publicly in the streets of the Libyan town of Sabha, told the Guardian in 2017: “[The slave traders] took people and put them in the street under a sign that said ‘for sale’. They tied their hands just like in the former slave trade, and drove them … in the back of a Toyota Hilux”.

These practices are still happening. David Yambio, who himself experienced enslavement in Libya, is now the president of the Refugees in Libya movement. I spoke to Yambio while writing my book, Unbroken Chains: A 5,000 year history of African enslavement. He told me:

From my own experience, and through my daily work with Refugees in Libya, I can confirm that slavery is taking place inside Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration detention facilities.

I was held in places in such conditions between 2019 and 2022. To this day, people are still being enslaved inside these centres: Tariq al-Sikka, Ain Zara, Abu Salim, Al-Nasr in Zawiya, Al-Mabani, Bir Al-Ghanam, Al-Assah, Al-Maya, Ganfouda and Ajdabiya. The list goes on.

Just hours ago, I was in contact with around 130 women still enduring the same conditions inside Al-Nasr detention centre (known as Osama Prison) in Zawiya. It is concerning and it is an indisputable fact.

The Libyan route

Libya is one of the leading destinations for migrants attempting to reach Europe through Africa. In April 2025 alone, the European border force, Frontex, recorded 15,718 migrants from across the world making what they term “illegal border crossings” by traversing the central Mediterranean from Libya.

One of the largest groups seeking to reach Europe via Libya are Eritreans. Work led by Mirjam van Reisen of Leiden University has provided firsthand accounts of Eritreans describing the situation in the Tajoura detention centre, where Libyans come to select people to work.

The labourers are often referred to as slaves. One interviewee said: “Every morning when someone comes there, he says: ‘We need five eubayd, which means five slaves. I need five slaves.’ Everybody that is hearing that one, they are feeling angry.” Their forced labour ranges from farm and construction work to road work and garbage collecting.

Some refugees manage to raise funds from friends and family members to escape captivity. They are held in detention centres until they are deported or traffickers receive fees for taking them across the Mediterranean. Research by the UN suggests this ranges between US$850 (£644) and US$4,500 (£3,400) per crossing.

US officials say the military could start flying migrants to Libya imminently. However, authorities in Tripoli have rejected the use of Libyan territory as a destination for deporting migrants without its knowledge or consent.

There are also judicial hurdles. On May 7, a federal judge in Massachusetts ruled that the deportation of immigrants to Libya would be in violation of a court order he issued in March.

However, the Trump administration’s record suggests it does not always follow such rulings. This leaves the migrants in considerable jeopardy.

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

– ref. Threat of enslavement hangs over reported plans to deport migrants from US to Libya – https://theconversation.com/threat-of-enslavement-hangs-over-reported-plans-to-deport-migrants-from-us-to-libya-256145

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: From blood clots to rare cancers, a plastic surgeon explains the risks to consider before going under the knife – or the needle

Source: The Conversation – UK – By James D. Frame, Professor of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, Anglia Ruskin University

RomarioIen/Shutterstock

A series of ads for Brazilian butt lifts (BBL) on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook were recently banned by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). These ads were found to be misleading and irresponsible, often downplaying serious health risks and pressuring consumers with time-limited offers.

This move highlights growing concerns over how cosmetic surgery is marketed online and the safety of BBL procedures. But BBLs are not the only cosmetic surgeries under scrutiny.

Liposuction has a high rate of post-operative complications, and even non-surgical procedures like lip fillers and liquid BBLs have raised health concerns among experts.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

According to recent data from the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS), there were 27,462 cosmetic procedures performed in 2024 – a 5% rise from 2023. More than nine out of ten (93.5%) of these procedures were performed on women.

Body contouring – including liposuction, abdominoplasty and thigh lifts – are the most popular surgeries, while facial rejuvenation procedures, particularly face and neck lifts, brow lifts and eyelid surgery have all increased in popularity since 2023.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

Risk factors

Many of these popular procedures are also among the riskiest. Body contouring surgeries like liposuction, tummy tucks and fat grafting, for example, are major operations that typically take hours and involve general anesthesia.

And the aesthetic outcomes are not always as expected either. Fat removal can sometimes lead to uneven body contours, lumps, or skin irregularities, which may worsen as the body continues to age.

All surgeries carry risks, but complications from cosmetic procedures are often downplayed or misunderstood. These risks can manifest immediately after surgery or even weeks later, ranging from minor issues like infection and scarring to life-threatening conditions such as blood clots or organ failure.

One of the most dangerous risks is pulmonary embolism, which occurs when a blood clot travels to the lungs. In the US, around 18,000 cases of venous thromboembolism (VTE) occur annually among plastic surgery patients, with about 10% resulting in death within just one hour of symptoms appearing.

This already serious threat has become even more pressing in the post-COVID era, as VTE cases are rising. COVID is known to increase the body’s tendency to form blood clots – even in those with mild or no symptoms.

These lingering effects can persist for weeks or months and, when combined with the usual surgical risks like immobility, tissue trauma and inflammation, they significantly increase the likelihood of a life-threatening event like a pulmonary embolism. As a result, people undergoing plastic surgery today may face a higher baseline risk than before the pandemic.

Fat embolism is another potentially deadly complication, often associated with procedures like liposuction or BBLs. This occurs when fat particles enter the bloodstream and travel to vital organs, leading to serious medical emergencies.

Read more:
Brazilian butt lifts are the deadliest of all aesthetic procedures – the risks explained

After surgery, some patients may wake up disoriented, confused, or with lingering neurological symptoms – signs of a serious medical emergency. Fat embolism can have immediate, life-threatening effects and, in severe cases, can cause permanent brain damage, organ failure, or sudden death.

Procedures like rhinoplasty (nose reshaping) or breast augmentation can come with relatively high rates of dissatisfaction. Implants, in particular, can cause issues like rupture, deflation, capsular contracture (hardening around the implant), or asymmetry. There is also some concern about a rare form of cancer – breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) – linked to certain types of implants.

Even if surgery doesn’t result in major complications, many patients still walk away unhappy. A common issue is that procedures don’t account for how the body continues to age. A facelift or tummy tuck might look great initially, but the natural ageing process can quickly undo or distort those results.

The problem is that many cosmetic procedures fail to account for the inevitable changes our bodies undergo with age. Our bodies change over time – skin loses elasticity, fat distribution shifts and trends evolve. What feels like a good decision in your 20s might look very different in your 40s.

Non-surgical treatments

One of the most troubling issues in the cosmetic industry is the lack of consistent regulation. This is particularly true for non-surgical treatments, where injectable products can be administered by anyone, from trained doctors to self-taught beauty influencers. Cosmetic tourism adds another layer of complexity. Many people travel abroad for cheaper procedures, only to face complications once they return home – with limited recourse or support.

Non-surgical treatments like dermal fillers and Botox have become increasingly popular due to their quick results and minimal downtime. However, they are not without risk.

Read more:
The hidden health risks of lip fillers

Modern fillers like hyaluronic acid are generally safer than older materials such as silicone. They’re less likely to cause issues like granulomas – as long as they don’t become infected – and they can even be reversed if needed. However, when injected incorrectly, especially into a blood vessel, fillers can cause serious complications like tissue death, permanent scarring, or even blindness.

Botox injections also carry risks, including muscle paralysis, nerve damage, and uneven facial results – particularly when performed by unqualified practitioners.

Before undergoing any cosmetic procedure – whether surgical or non-surgical – it’s essential to research a qualified practitioner, understand the risks and set realistic expectations.

Cosmetic surgery can be empowering for many people, helping them feel more confident in their own skin. But the decision to alter your appearance permanently should never be taken lightly. Behind the glamour and glossy Instagram stories lies a more serious picture – one where the risks are real and the consequences, sometimes irreversible.

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

– ref. From blood clots to rare cancers, a plastic surgeon explains the risks to consider before going under the knife – or the needle – https://theconversation.com/from-blood-clots-to-rare-cancers-a-plastic-surgeon-explains-the-risks-to-consider-before-going-under-the-knife-or-the-needle-229093

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Can AI help prevent suicide? How real-time monitoring may be the next big step in mental health care

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ruth Melia, Associate Professor in Clinical Psychology, University of Limerick

Nan_Got/Shutterstock

Suicide represents one of the most complex and heartbreaking challenges in public health. One major difficulty in preventing suicide is knowing when someone is struggling.

Suicidal thoughts and behaviour can come and go quickly, and they’re not always present when someone sees a doctor or therapist, making them hard to detect with standard checklists.

Today, many of us use digital devices to track our physical health: counting steps, monitoring sleep, or checking screen time. Researchers are now starting to use similar tools to better understand mental health.

One method, called ecological momentary assessment (EMA), collects real-time information about a person’s mood, thoughts, behaviour and surroundings using a smartphone or wearable device. It does this by prompting the person to input information (active EMA) or collecting it automatically using sensors (passive EMA).

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Research has shown EMA can be safe for monitoring suicide risk, which includes a range of experiences from suicidal thoughts to attempts and completed suicide.

Studies with adults show that this kind of monitoring doesn’t increase risk. Instead, it gives us a more detailed and personal view of what someone is going through, moment by moment. So how can this information actually help someone at risk?

Adaptive interventions

One exciting use is the creation of adaptive interventions: real-time, personalised responses delivered right through a person’s phone or device. For example, if someone’s data shows signs of distress, their device might gently prompt them to follow a step on their personal safety plan, which they created earlier with a mental health professional.

Safety plans are proven tools in suicide prevention, but they’re most helpful when people can access and use them when they’re needed most. These digital interventions can offer support right when it matters, in the person’s own environment.

There are still important questions: what kind of changes in a person’s data should trigger an alert? When is the best time to offer help? And what form should that help take?

These are the kinds of questions that artificial intelligence (AI) – and specifically machine learning – is helping us answer.

Machine learning is already being used to build models that can predict suicide risk by noticing subtle changes in a person’s feelings, thoughts, or behaviour. It’s also been used to predict suicide rates across larger populations.

These models have performed well on the data they were trained on. But there are still concerns. Privacy is a big one, especially when social media or personal data is involved.

There’s also a lack of diversity in the data used to train these models, which means they might not work equally well for everyone. And it’s challenging to apply models developed in one country or setting to another.

Still, research shows that machine learning models can predict suicide risk more accurately than traditional tools used by clinicians. That’s why mental health guidelines now recommend moving away from using simple risk scores to decide who gets care.

Instead, they suggest a more flexible, person-centred approach – one that’s built around open conversations and planning with the person at risk.

Person viewing real-time mobile phone data.
Ruth Melia, CC BY-SA

Predictions, accuracy and trust

In my research, I looked at how AI is being used with EMA in suicide studies. Most of the studies involved people getting care in hospitals or mental health clinics. In those settings, EMA was able to predict things like suicidal thoughts after discharge.

While many studies we looked at reported how accurate their models were, fewer looked at how often the models made mistakes, like predicting someone is at risk when they’re not (false positives), or missing someone who is at risk (false negatives). To help improve this, we developed a reporting guide to make sure future research is clearer and more complete.

Another promising area is using AI as a support tool for mental health professionals. By analysing large sets of data from health services, AI could help predict how someone is doing and which treatments might work best for them.

But for this to work, professionals need to trust the technology. That’s where explainable AI comes in: systems that not only give a result but also explain how they got there. This makes it easier for clinicians to understand and use AI insights, much like how they use questionnaires and other tools today.

Suicide is a devastating global issue, but advances in AI and real-time monitoring offer new hope. These tools aren’t a cure all, but they may help provide the right support at the right time, in ways we’ve never been able to before.

Ruth Melia received funding from the Fulbright Commission as part of a Health Research Board Fulbright HealthImpact Award. This award supported a visiting scholarship at Florida State University to facilitate international collaboration in the area of suicide research.

– ref. Can AI help prevent suicide? How real-time monitoring may be the next big step in mental health care – https://theconversation.com/can-ai-help-prevent-suicide-how-real-time-monitoring-may-be-the-next-big-step-in-mental-health-care-255993

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How optical fibres are transforming cancer care

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sinead O’Keeffe, Senior Research Fellow, Limerick Digital Cancer Research Centre, University of Limerick

asharkyu/Shutterstock

In rural areas, the arrival of high-speed internet is often a game-changer. Homes are more connected, businesses have new opportunities and telehealth becomes more accessible.

At the heart of this transformation is a tiny but mighty piece of technology: the optical fibre. Known for transmitting data at incredible speeds, these hair-thin strands of glass or plastic have become symbols of modern digital life. But what many don’t realise is that the same fibres helping us stream movies and connect with loved ones are also quietly transforming cancer care.

Optical fibres are being repurposed in the medical world in fascinating ways. One particularly exciting application lies in radiation therapy, the treatment of cancer using targeted radiation to destroy cancerous cells. Because precision is vital in these treatments, optical fibres provide a powerful way to monitor, in real time, the exact amount of radiation reaching the tumour and surrounding organs.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Traditionally, it has been difficult to measure radiation doses inside the body as the treatment is happening. Radiation therapy, particularly brachytherapy, where radioactive sources are placed inside or very near the tumour, is generally safe and effective.

But things can shift. The tumour or surrounding organs like the bladder, bowel, or urethra can move slightly during treatment. Even a small change in position can result in radiation hitting healthy tissue instead of the tumour, leading to side effects such as urinary and bowel problems, erectile dysfunction, or fertility issues.

This is where optical fibres come in. I’m part of a research team at the University of Limerick that has developed special fibre optic sensors capable of being inserted into the body to measure radiation levels in real time. These fibres are tipped with a special material that lights up when exposed to radiation.

The light then travels through the fibre to an external detector, providing instant feedback on the radiation dose being delivered inside the body. This allows doctors to adjust the treatment on the fly, delivering the maximum dose to the cancer while sparing healthy tissues.

Optical fibres are ideal for this role because they are biocompatible, non-toxic, flexible, and do not conduct electricity. They’re safe to use inside the body and don’t interfere with other medical equipment. Their small size, comparable to a strand of hair, means they can be inserted with minimal discomfort to the patient.

This innovative technology is particularly valuable for treating pelvic cancers, such as prostate and cervical cancers, where nearby organs are at high risk of accidental radiation exposure. With real-time monitoring, side effects can be significantly reduced, improving the patient’s comfort, outcomes, and overall quality of life.

Not just sensors

But this is only part of the story. Optical fibres are not just passive sensors, they can be active diagnostic tools too. Researchers in Italy have pioneered a technique called lab-on-fibre, which integrates various sensors at the tip of a fibre.

This essentially transforms a single optical fibre into a tiny, high-tech lab that can assess tissue properties, detect cancerous changes, and even help predict how a tumour will respond to treatment.

Lab-on-fibre technology has the potential to replace larger, more invasive diagnostic tools. Imagine being able to detect cancer or track treatment progress through a tiny sensor embedded in a needle, without the need for bulky machines or repeated invasive biopsies. That’s the future these technologies are making possible.

In addition to cancer care, optical fibres have been used in other areas of medicine too, from monitoring blood pressure and glucose levels to checking for signs of infection. The possibilities are growing rapidly as researchers continue to develop new fibre-based sensors and integrate them into clinical practice.

As we marvel at how high-speed broadband is connecting our world, it’s worth pausing to appreciate the dual role of this technology. While we stream our favourite shows or take Zoom calls from the countryside, optical fibres are also quietly saving lives, helping doctors deliver safer, smarter, and more personalised cancer treatments.

These tiny strands are doing far more than connecting us to the internet. They’re helping connect us to a healthier future.

Sinead O’Keeffe receives funding from The Royal Society – Research Ireland University Research Fellowship Award, and the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement n° 871324.

– ref. How optical fibres are transforming cancer care – https://theconversation.com/how-optical-fibres-are-transforming-cancer-care-255378

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What to look out for from the music of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Samuel Murray, Lecturer in Music Management, University of Leeds

I’m in Basel, Switzerland – host city of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – to present research about treatment of songwriters in the contest. While I’m here, I’ll be conducting field research and attending one of the shows. Here’s what I’ll be looking out for during this year’s competition.

One of the joys of Eurovision is hearing songs in different languages and different musical styles. Of the 37 entries in this year’s contest, 23 songs include languages other than English (13% more than in 2024), and 17 of those are entirely sung in languages other than English (14% more than in 2024).

With more than half of the entries now featuring languages other than English, the chances of a non-English song winning have increased. Among these entries, there are some particularly interesting language choices.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

One of the biggest controversies regarding language this year has been the Maltese entry Serving, performed by Miriana Conte. The song was originally titled Serving Kant. Kant is the Maltese word for singing but is pronounced in the same way as the English swear word “cunt”.

It is a knowing reference to the phrase “serving cunt”. Drawn from black queer ballroom culture, popularised through shows like Rupaul’s Drag Race, it means to do something in a powerfully feminine manner.

Read more:
They’re serving what?! How the c-word went from camp to internet mainstream

Despite therefore provocatively sounding as though it includes a word many viewers will find offensive, the Maltese broadcaster PBS has robustly defended Conte’s right to sing in her native Maltese.

This was deemed within the rules, but then the BBC complained that it couldn’t broadcast the song. Subsequently the European Broadcasting Union have made Malta change the lyrics – although don’t be surprised if you hear fans in audience fill in the missing word.

The controversy around the song has provided it with priceless PR and firmly placed it in contention for the win. I rather suspect this may have been the plan all along.

Another interesting linguistic choice has been this year’s entry from The Netherlands. C’est La Vie, sung by Claude Kiambe, is in the French language, not Dutch, as a tribute to his Congolese roots.

C’est La Vie by Claude.

In an interview for the official Eurovision website Kiambe explained: “C’est La Vie is a tribute to a parent and for me that’s my mother. As a little boy and throughout my youth, she taught me to see the positive in the things you experience in life, even when you experience setbacks.”

French allows Kiambe to authentically express his identity and personal story. This song is significant as it becomes the first from The Netherlands to be sung in French.

Unusual song topics

It wouldn’t be Eurovision without songs that cover unusual subject matters. The current favourite to win the contest is the Swedish entry Bara Bada Bastu, or Let’s Just Sauna, by the group KAJ. KAJ are from Finland where sauna is a core fundamental of culture.

Bara Bada Bastu by KAJ.

Ireland’s entry Laika Party, meanwhile, takes the unusual approach of creative lyrical speculative fiction. The song ponders what would happen if Laika, the first dog in space, was still alive and partying above Earth.

Another unusual offering is Tommy Cash’s Espresso Macchiato, representing Estonia. Some viewers have interpreted the song as mocking Italian culture. It has attracted criticism from Italian politicians including senator Gian Marco Sentinaio who produced a flyer in response with the message: “Whoever insults Italy must stay out of Eurovision.”

The songwriters

Quite often in Eurovision, songwriters are overlooked for their role in the contest. As you read this article, many writers are already locked away at songwriting camps working away on entries for next year. In fact the Norwegian songwriting camp has already taken place for next year’s Eurovision.

This year 134 songwriters are behind the 37 songs performed across the contest.

In popular music songwriting it is now quite commonplace for writers to work in large groups, with each team member making contributions to creating the melody, harmony or the production of the track. This year the Armenian song Survivor, performed by Parg, has the most writers. Ten people were involved in its creation, including Parg himself. The UK comes a close second with seven writers contributing to the entry What the Hell Just Happened?, performed by Remember Monday.

Survivor by Parg has ten songwriters.

Another notable statistic this year is that in 30 out of 37 songs, the singer has a songwriting credit. This makes it very likely that we will see a songwriter lift the Eurovision trophy. This year many artists share personal stories in their songs, including France’s Louane who pays tribute to her mother with Maman and Italy’s Luca Corsi, who reflects on his childhood in Volevo Essere un Duro.

Many of this year’s songwriters have competed in the contest before. Swedish songwriters Peter Boström and Thomas G:Son, who are no strangers to Eurovision having won the contest twice writing Loreen’s entries Euphoria (2012) and Tattoo (2023), are back once again, this time co-writing Survivor for Armenia.

Another winning Swedish songwriter returning is Linnea Deb. She wrote Sweden’s winning song Heroes in 2015. This time she has co-written Hallucination for Denmark. Alongside the returning Swedes are fellow serial contest writers Dimitris Kontopoulos and Darko Dimitrov, who between them have over 20 contest entries under their belt but are yet to have a victory.

There will also be a return to the contest for Teodora Špirić, better known a Teya, who alongside Salena, performed Who the Hell is Edgar? for Austria in 2023. This year she is the songwriter for Austrian entry Wasted Love performed by JJ. It’s currently the bookies favourite.

There are also many new British writers in the contest to keep an eye on, including Emma Gale who has co-written the Croatian entry Poison Cake.

This year’s contest brings a diversity of languages, subject matter and songwriters together to present 37 unique offerings from which the juries and voters of Europe will choose a winner. While the bookies and fans may have favourites, at this stage a clear winner is not a given – all can change when the songs are performed live.

Samuel Murray is affiliated with the Musicians’ Union and a writer member of PRS for Music.

– ref. What to look out for from the music of the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest – https://theconversation.com/what-to-look-out-for-from-the-music-of-the-2025-eurovision-song-contest-256388

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Hosts the 2025 Pfluger Student Leadership Conference

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

Rep. Pfluger Hosts the 2025 Pfluger Student Leadership Conference

Killeen, May 13, 2025

KILEEN, TX — Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) hosted 8th-grade students from Killeen ISD at Texas A&M University-Central Texas for the 2025 Pfluger Student Leadership Conference in Killeen last week. The conference featured personnel from NASA and Fort Cavazos. It also included a static display tour, a NASA space suit presentation, a leadership dialogue between Rep. Pfluger and Lt. General Kevin Admiral, comments from Glenn Hegar, the incoming Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, and more.

“It was wonderful spending the day with so many young and inspiring leaders who want to make a difference in our communities. Our students are the future of this nation, and it is incredibly important to facilitate experiences like this for them. I sincerely appreciate everyone who took the time to speak at the conference, and those who helped make the day possible,” said Rep. Pfluger.

Pictures from the day are available for broadcast and distribution HERE.

Check out this story highlighting the Conference:

Hundreds of eighth graders from across Killeen middle schools attended a student leadership conference Friday hosted by U.S. Rep. August Pfluger at Texas A&M University-Central Texas.

Pfluger, who represents a House district stretching from Killeen to Midland, sat down with III Corps commander Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral for a dialogue about leadership and to answer questions from students.

Middle school student leaders also took the stage to participate with their own presentations.

Also included in the event was a static display of military vehicles by the Army’s III Armored Corps, a presentation on space travel by personnel from NASA.

Read the full story HERE.

Check out Rep. Pfluger’s interview on KWTX:

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Hagerty Introduces Adam Telle, Trump’s Nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
Telle has served as Hagerty’s Chief of Staff for the past four years
WASHINGTON—Today, United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced his Chief of Staff Adam Telle, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

*Click the photo above or here to watch*
Remarks as prepared for delivery:
Chairman Wicker and Ranking Member Reed, thank you for holding this hearing.
I am privileged today to introduce my good friend and esteemed colleague, Mr. Adam Telle—who is President Trump’s nominee to be Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
As you all know, the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works has a range of important responsibilities, including oversight of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Corps and its 26,000 civilian and military personnel play a vital role for the United States—not just for the Department of Defense, but also for the safety, security, and prosperity of the many Americans who benefit from the ports, waterways, and flood control infrastructure maintained by the Corps across our nation.
When you consider Adam’s background and expertise, it is no surprise why the President picked him for this key role.
As a native of Northport, Alabama, and magna cum laude graduate in computer science and communication from Mississippi State University’s Bagley College of Engineering, Adam hails from some of the very states that depend greatly on the critical civil works that he is now called to lead.
Indeed, Adam knows firsthand how the work of the Army Corps of Engineers will impact the lives of people in the United States and around the world.
Moreover, Adam is a true patriot and has served in the U.S. government faithfully and with great distinction for the last 20 years.
Adam began his Senate career in the Office of Senator Richard Shelby in 2005.
Starting in 2007, he worked for the next 10 years in the Office of the late Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director.
Adam then worked as the chief staff member on the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Homeland Security Subcommittee, serving under the chairmanship of Senators Thad Cochran, Richard Shelby, John Boozman, and Shelley Moore Capito.
In this role, Adam served as the point person in the Senate for an organization comprised of nearly 20 agencies, 260,000 personnel, and an annual budget of approximately $70 billion dollars.
From 2019 to 2021, Adam led the Senate team at the White House’s Office of Legislative Affairs, a position that included managing all national security and appropriations matters.
Of note, Adam played a critical role in helping to conclude and implement President Trump’s historic Abraham Accords that brought peace and security to Israel and four Arab nations.
He also played an outsized role in working with the Armed Services Committee on the establishment of the Space Force, the first new branch of the military to be authorized in more than 70 years.
Adam is now my Chief of Staff, where each and every day I rely on his expertise, experience, and judgment.
I have seen Adam bring people together to solve problems, mentor and grow staff, and provide thoughtful and effective strategic direction on some of the toughest problems facing our nation.
In short, Adam is just the leader that our nation needs in the Pentagon.
His native roots, work ethic, and intelligence make him more than qualified.
The kindness, mentoring, and heart that he demonstrates with his teams will make him an inspirational leader of this critical organization.
I urge this Committee to move quickly in consideration of Adam Telle’s nomination and confirm him as quickly as possible.
Thank you for your time this morning.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Booker, Schiff Reintroduce Bicameral Legislation to Boost Teacher Compensation

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
WASHINGTON, D.C. — During Teacher Appreciation Week, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) reintroduced the bicameral Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators (RAISE) Act, legislation that would boost teacher compensation by putting tax money back in their pockets and help diversify the teaching workforce. The bill would provide educators with a minimum of $1000 in refundable tax credits and as much as $15,000.
Teachers play a critical role in shaping young lives throughout our nation. Currently, public elementary and secondary teachers earn about 27 percent less than similarly educated professions. Based on a worldwide comparison, the average salary gap between teachers and others with comparable educational backgrounds is greater in the U.S. than in any other OECD country with available data.
There were over 41,000 unfilled teacher positions that same year. Teacher shortages across the U.S. leave instruction in high-need subjects like science, math, special education, and English language development understaffed. Furthermore, according to a recent analysis of state-reported teacher shortage data, 49 states plus the District of Columbia employed over 365,000 teachers who were not fully certified for their teaching assignment in 2024. Additionally, high poverty districts also experience higher rates of teacher turnover, leaving students from families with low incomes at greater risk of experiencing a shortage. Low wages are often cited as a source of high turnover and teacher vacancies.
Through refundable tax credits, the RAISE Act will help boost the compensation of early childhood, elementary, and secondary school teachers. Depending on the level of poverty in the schools educators serve, public school teachers would be eligible for a tax credit up to $15,000. The bill would also double the educator tax deduction, which teachers can use to offset the cost of school supplies and expand eligibility to early childhood educators.
“Teachers are the backbone of our education system, and tasked every day with the responsibility to help shape and develop the minds of our nation’s children,” said Senator Booker. “It’s unacceptable that despite the invaluable role they play in our society, teachers are still underpaid and undervalued. This legislation aims to provide up to $15,000 in tax credits for public school teachers so we can close the wage gap and finally give our educators a much needed raise.”
“Public education is the foundation of upward mobility in our society and the chance for a better life, and our teachers play the most vital role. If we want to attract and retain the best teachers amidst all of the challenges of staffing shortages, large classrooms and aging facilities, they need our support. We must provide teachers with the long-overdue wage increases they deserve for shaping the next generation of citizens and leaders,” said Senator Schiff.
“The Trump agenda of gutting the Department of Education while slashing taxes for the ultra-wealthy will ultimately take money out of the pockets of hard-working New Jersey educators and families,” said NJEA President Sean Spiller. “Trump’s cuts to education funding and his billionaire tax giveaways will mean fewer resources for children, especially students with special needs, and less money to support New Jersey’s educators and our best-in-the-nation public schools. We applaud Senator Booker for the RAISE Act of 2025, which provides tax breaks where they belong: to working class educators and to parents.”
“The RAISE Act introduced by Senator Booker recognizes the commitment and dedication of our early childhood, elementary and secondary school teachers. While giving tax credits doesn’t solve the underpaying of teachers, it will help with a school district’s recruiting and retention efforts. The bill also rewards districts that maintain or increase salaries with additional grants that can be used for more recruiting and retention efforts especially in our neediest districts. AFTNJ thanks Senator Booker for introducing and continuing to advocate for this important and necessary legislation,” said Jennifer S. Higgins, President, American Federation of Teachers New Jersey (AFTNJ).
The RAISE Act would improve financial compensation for elementary, secondary, and early childhood teachers to help address the teacher shortage and wage disparity. Specifically, the legislation would:
Create Refundable Tax Credits for Educators:
A sliding scale tax credit of up to $15,000 for public school teachers, with the highest credits for educators in high-poverty schools.
Up to $15,000 for early childhood educators with a bachelor’s degree and up to $10,000 for those with an associate degree or CDA credential.
$1,000 refundable tax credit for all eligible early childhood and K–12 educators.

Increase the educator tax deduction to $500 to offset teacher’s purchases of school supplies.
Increase, by nearly $3 billion, annual mandatory funding for the Elementary and Secondary Education Act’s Title II, which supports educator recruitment, retention, professional development, and class size reduction.
Create and fund a federal grant program to incentivize local educational agencies to increase teacher salaries and strengthen, retain, and diversify the educator workforce.
The RAISE Act is endorsed by the following organizations: National Education Association (NEA), New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), Prepared To Teach, Public Advocacy for Kids (PAK), The Teacher Salary Project, Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), National Writing Project, First Five Years Fund, Education Law Center (ELC), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), Center for Black Educator Development, Educational Testing Service (ETS), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), AASA – The School Superintendents Association, National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), Early Edge California, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), The Education Trust (EdTrust), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), First Focus Campaign for Children, Deans for Impact (DFI), National Parents Union, All4Ed, NAACP, Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children, Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL), Center for American Progress (CAP), American Association of School Personnel Administrators (AASPA), Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL), TEACH, Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE), Education Reform Now, National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS), Leading Educators, Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA), Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), Public Advocates, ZERO TO THREE, National PTA, National Center for Languages and International Studies, Advance CTE, AFL-CIO California Federation of Teachers (CFT), American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), UnidosUS, American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), MomsRising, and Educators for Excellence, the Southern Education Foundation.
The bill is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), and Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD).
To read the full text of the bill, click here.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: HBC’s artworks and collections help us understand Canada’s origins — and can be auctioned off

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Norman Vorano, Associate Professor of Art History and Head of the Department of Art History and Art Conservation, Queen’s University, Ontario

The proposed liquidation of many of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s (HBC) collections that together trace over three centuries of Indigenous and European interaction across this continent represents a profound threat to Canada’s collective memory and identity.

An Ontario Superior Court judge ruled that the company could move forward with an auction of 4,400 items — including historic artifacts and artworks.

Several government and non-government cultural agencies, including the Manitoba Museum and the Indigenous Council of the Canadian Museums Association, have expressed concern to HBC and the financial advisory firm it’s working with.

First Nations leaders and scholars say many of the objects likely have profound significance to Indigenous Peoples and are calling for repatriaton.

As an art history professor who has researched curatorial and museum practices, I can attest to the cultural and scholarly value of keeping documentary and cultural collections intact, rather than being scattered across the globe or disappearing into private hands.

This situation exposes the reach and limits of Canada’s Cultural Property Export and Import Act (CPEIA). The act has provisions to delay or block export of cultural property, defined broadly as “any cultural or heritage object, regardless of its place of origin, which may be important from an archaeological, historical, artistic or scientific perspective.” Yet, this legislation offers no guarantees that the objects will end up in Canadian museums or under Indigenous stewardship.

Importance for memory

After moving its head office from London to Canada in 1970, HBC first loaned records to the Archives of Manitoba in 1974 and then donated them in 1994 to the province. The vast collection includes about 130,000 images and all minute books from meetings of HBC’s governor and committee from 1671 to 1970.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated a substantial part of that collection as part of the Memory of the World Register. Items with this designation are recognized as showcasing and preserving the most significant documents of human heritage.

If the items heading to auction are similar, they, too, would be embedded with stories of political negotiation, cultural exchange and economic transformation that helped forge Canada over three centuries.

Some HBC records have provided a window into Canada’s climate history and ecology, offering valuable long-term data to environmental researchers. Others show evidence of Indigenous trade, land occupation and cultural presence relevant to genealogical research, band membership documentation and land claims.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, citing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, has called for transparency and consultation in any discussion concerning the disposition of HBC items and stopping any sale or transfer of artifacts that “may belong to or be linked with First Nations.”

1977 legislation

Prior to Parliament passing the CPEIA legislation in 1977, the federal government had few legal mechanisms to safeguard cultural heritage at home or abroad.

The 1951 Massey Report into the development of Canadian arts and culture acknowledged the sale and export of important collections, including Indigenous cultural belongings. It noted that some Canadian museums had been requesting “an embargo on the sale abroad of objects of particular national significance as well as for suitable grants to the museums which should preserve these objects ….”

Global concern for cultural property

An emerging global consensus on the need for a stronger cross-border regulatory system also shaped CPEIA’s development. The 1954 UNESCO Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict was the first international legal framework for the protection of moveable “cultural property.” This was created in response to the Nazi looting of private and public collections.

By the 1960s, Canada was studying British and French laws, particularly the U.K.’s 1952 Waverly Report, as models for export controls.
Borrowing from the Waverly Report, CPEIA relied upon, in the words of Canadian diplomat Ian Christie Clark, a “co-operation of the collector-dealer fraternity” working together with the government to ensure compliance.

The final push to develop national policies flowed from the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. This obliged signatory states to develop their own laws to protect cultural heritage and facilitate the return of illegally exported property. To claim the reciprocal benefits of the convention, Canada had to act.

Relevance of the CPEIA

An independent committee of specialists, established through the CPEIA, can designate parts, or the entirety, of the HBC collection as “of outstanding significance and national importance” if the HBC proposed to donate or sell items to a designated Canadian institution.

Read more:
More than a department store: The long, complicated legacy behind Hudson’s Bay Company

In such a circumstance, the HBC, in tandem with a collecting institution, can request a review to unlock generous tax incentives if certified.

This designation could also arise if the owner — either the HBC or a successful buyer — applied for an export permit to move the collection out of Canada. This application would be screened against CPEIA’s export control list, which covers everything from archaeological and scientific specimens to documentary records and artworks that exceed age and value thresholds.

If those thresholds were met, and an export permit is denied, the works would be referred to an expert examiner for a full Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board assessment. A private sale within Canada would not alone prompt the review.

Receiving a cultural property designation would, at least temporarily, restrict the possibility of exporting items.

Importantly, the delay would give federally designated institutions like public museums or archives, as well as Indigenous-led organization with the mandate to preserve and support Indigenous heritage, an opportunity to purchase cultural property that has been denied an export permit. For this, CPEIA offers grants and loans for designated institutions to match the appraised value. Those grants and loans can also be used to repatriate collections that are abroad.

HBC’s historic archive is a prism through which we view Canada’s origins.

Dispersing or exporting this collection would significantly diminish our understanding of Canada. While CPEIA may play a role in retaining it, it offers no certainties.

Norman Vorano received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation.

– ref. HBC’s artworks and collections help us understand Canada’s origins — and can be auctioned off – https://theconversation.com/hbcs-artworks-and-collections-help-us-understand-canadas-origins-and-can-be-auctioned-off-256044

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why the future of workplace mental health support may be self-guided online tools

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ehsan Etezad, PhD Candidate in Applied Organizational Psychology, Saint Mary’s University

As the gap between what employees need and what is available to them, businesses are recognizing that conventional methods are no longer cutting it. (Shutterstock)

Employee mental health, once a silent and often overlooked issue, has now become an urgent workplace concern. In Canada, the rate of depression and anxiety has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Mental Health Commission of Canada reports that one in five adults experiences mental illness, but stigma remains a significant barrier, with 60 per cent of those affected choosing not to seek help.

These mental health challenges directly translate to workforce challenges: 7.5 per cent of employees have taken time off because of stress or mental health concerns, leading to an average loss of 2.4 work days per employee.

With 77 per cent of employees acknowledging that work-related stress adversely affects their physical health, the demand for innovative wellness solutions has never been greater.

Traditional mental health support is falling short

For decades, employers have relied on employee assistance programs to address the mental health needs of their employees.

These programs typically refer individuals to short-term counselling, which can be effective for immediate concerns. However, their overall impact remains limited, with usage rates hovering around five per cent across industries.

Traditional counselling is also expensive, with waitlists that can stretch for weeks, and may require employees to take time off during work hours, which many avoid due to fear of stigma or judgment.

One in five adults experiences mental illness.
(Shutterstock)

Stigma associated with seeking traditional counselling has left many mental health challenges unaddressed until they escalate to burnout, presenteeism, absenteeism, turnover or mental health disability leave.

As the gap between what employees need and what is available to them widens, businesses are recognizing that conventional methods are no longer providing the accessible and responsive care that today’s workforce demands.

Single-session digital interventions

Many mental health interventions have demonstrated remarkable success with just a single, well-designed session. This offers intriguing evidence and sets the stage for an innovative advancement in mental-health care. The research has shown that, when carefully crafted, single-session interventions may serve as an efficient and scalable alternative to multi-week commitments, especially when access to therapy is limited.

Self-guided single-session digital interventions (SSDIs) are carefully crafted, evidence-based programs designed to require only one focused interaction with a digital platform.

Unlike the traditional one-size-fits-all model, SSDIs are personalized and can adapt content based on individual responses and needs.

For instance, an employee struggling with insomnia might receive cognitive-behavioral techniques specifically aimed at improving sleep, while a manager experiencing burnout could access modules for building resilience and managing work stress.

The strength of SSDIs lies in their accessibility, adaptability, immediacy, affordability, scalability and confidentiality. They offer practical strategies without the prolonged wait times of traditional therapy.

A growing body of research supports the effectiveness of single-session digital interventions as effective tools for initiating meaningful change.

Research into single-session digital interventions is still in its early stages, but the available evidence suggests they can be both effective and highly scalable. This is particularly important at a time when access to traditional therapy is often limited by a lack of resources.

Real-world examples of digital tools

The growing success of SSDIs can be seen in a number of real-world programs that translate these principles into practical, measurable outcomes. Although these initiatives are not yet publicly available, they were successful in demonstrating early positive results during the initial research phases:

1. Happy@Work

Happy@Work is an online, guided self-help intervention designed for employees experiencing symptoms of depression. Drawing on both problem-solving therapy and cognitive therapy, it addresses areas ranging from learning problem-solving methods and identifying maladaptive thoughts to managing work-related challenges and preventing relapse.

Each lesson combines psychoeducation, structured exercises and personalized feedback. The program also incorporates stress management and burnout prevention techniques with the goal of bolstering employees’ psychological wellness.

In a randomized controlled trial, Happy@Work showed small but statistically significant benefits in reducing anxiety and exhaustion among the participants.

2. Three Good Things

Three Good Things is a digital gratitude-based intervention designed to enhance well-being among healthcare workers.

Participants receive three text messages each week that prompt them to record and reflect on three positive experiences from their day. This structured reflection is intended to amplify positive emotions and nurture a sense of gratitude.

A randomized controlled trial found that Three Good Things produced small and short-term increases in positive emotions among participants.

77 per cent of employees acknowledging that work-related stress adversely affects their physical health.
(Shutterstock)

3. Beating the Blues

Beating the Blues is a structured cognitive behavioural therapy program targeted at employees dealing with stress-related absenteeism.

It guides participants through techniques like cognitive restructuring to challenge unhelpful thoughts, problem-solving skills, relaxation training and behavioural activation to organize daily activities. It also addresses sleep management and introduces graded exposure to reduce anxiety.

A randomized controlled trial found that Beating the Blues successfully reduced depression symptoms and negative attributional styles immediately following the treatment, with lower anxiety scores noted one month post-treatment.

Why these digital interventions work

Digital mental health interventions are proving to be effective for a number of reasons:

1. They break the stigma cycle

Digital self-help tools offer a discreet and accessible way for employees to address mental challenges, allowing individuals to engage anonymously and at any time, on their own schedule.

And, since these tools are available online and can be used anonymously, they offer an added layer of privacy and comfort. This flexibility helps minimize the stigma often linked to taking time off for traditional counselling sessions.

2. They are cost-effective and scalable

Traditional employee mental health programs, which often rely on therapist-centred models, can be prohibitively expensive and difficult to scale. By contrast, SSDIs provide an accessible solution that significantly reduces the financial burden on businesses and employees. Their digital format ensures support is available 24/7, providing employees with immediate access to help at a fraction of the cost of conventional approaches.

3. They deliver rapid and measurable results

When it comes to addressing burnout and other workplace mental health challenges. SSDIs provide quick access to coping strategies and stress relief techniques, helping employees strengthen their psychological well-being before issues escalate as an effective preventive tool.

The future of workplace mental health is digital. Self-guided single-session digital mental health interventions offer a pragmatic and immediate way to reduce stigma, cut costs and foster resilience. These tools can complement and integrate with traditional therapy to provide employees with an accessible and immediate resource to help them cope with stress and build resilience.

Ehsan Etezad provides private consulting at MEUS Science with a focus on Workplace Wellness & Psychological Health & Safety.

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

– ref. Why the future of workplace mental health support may be self-guided online tools – https://theconversation.com/why-the-future-of-workplace-mental-health-support-may-be-self-guided-online-tools-254271

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 14, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: 15 Years and Counting: A Unique Solution for Transportation Data Sharing

Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Transportation Secure Data Center Is Growing Its Data Offerings

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Transportation Secure Data Center features data from more than 19 million miles of in-vehicle and wearable GPS data, more than 26 million miles of data from household travel diaries, and more than 515,000 transit trips from transit studies.

This year, the Transportation Secure Data Center (TSDC) turns 15 years old, continuing to increase the availability and usability of travel and transit surveys and studies from municipalities, transit agencies, and other entities that want to share their results while protecting participant privacy.

The TSDC, developed and managed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), provides a secure platform for data owners to contribute their data and for interested researchers and others to study them from new angles, all while prioritizing security to keep survey participants’ private information safe.

“Often, organizations conducting these surveys are reluctant to share the data because of privacy concerns or simply due to limited staffing,” said NREL’s Joe Fish, a transportation research engineer who oversees TSDC operations. “The TSDC solves these challenges in a creative way and has a strong track record of success.”

Over the past 15 years, the TSDC has accrued more than 5,000 registered users from universities, automakers, governmental organizations, nonprofits, national laboratories, and other arenas. Building on its foundation of household travel data, the recent addition of transit data expands the variety of offerings found on the platform and informs critical crosscutting research on transportation energy, congestion mitigation, and more, while painting in ever growing detail the picture of how people get around.

On the Cutting Edge of Transportation Data

Even from the start, the TSDC was at the forefront of advanced transportation research. Back in the mid-2000s, the transportation data environment saw rapid change with the rise of GPS-based travel surveys. GPS sensors could generate high-fidelity, second-by-second data on people’s travel patterns. This was a boon to travel survey creators, who could use it to track people’s location information without having to rely on participants to recall and document their movements. NREL saw the potential for this detailed GPS data to inform a great variety of mobility research at the lab and beyond.

In 2010, NREL launched the TSDC with support from the U.S. departments of Transportation and Energy. In the past decade and a half, the TSDC has grown from hosting a few datasets to providing access to more than 19 million miles of in-vehicle and wearable GPS data and more than 26 million miles of data from household travel diaries. To date, data sourced from the TSDC have informed more than 260 research projects and related publications, demonstrating the value of the platform for researchers around the country.

For NREL, too, the TSDC has informed not only original research but also innovations in other tools and platforms. For example, other NREL-supported data offerings—such as Fleet DNA, FleetREDI, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Livewire Data Platform—were born out of the same approach to data security as the TSDC, providing multiple layers of access to various kinds of transportation data. Additionally, results from travel studies powered by NREL OpenPATH™—an open-source platform that generates unique datasets of partially automated travel diaries—are also housed in the TSDC. Plus, the GPS data found in the TSDC has informed NREL modeling tools focused on analyzing vehicle operations and mobility behaviors in different travel environments.

“Advanced NREL modeling tools such as FASTSim™, EVI-Pro, and RouteE were all developed and trained using the millions of data points available in the TSDC, allowing the lab to boast some of the most advanced, accurate, and adaptable tools in the field,” said NREL’s Jeff Gonder, a senior transportation research analyst and the founding project lead for the TSDC. “These tools are as robust as they are because of the TSDC.”

Not Just a Database

The TSDC platform provides two layers of access to meet different user needs. The public-facing portal lets anyone access cleansed travel survey data processed to remove any private location information pertaining to survey participants. It also includes detailed spatial data that users can access through the TSDC’s secure portal environment in which researchers can conduct analyses but not export raw data.

To access the secure portal, users must submit a request to NREL explaining why they want to access the spatial data and how they will use it. Once in the portal to conduct analyses, researchers can reach out to TSDC staff for support, similar to using a digital research library.

“Interfacing this way with external researchers allows us to better understand the types of data users are seeking and to keep our finger on the pulse of transportation research priorities and potential future partnerships,” said Brennan Borlaug, an NREL research analyst who leads advanced transportation modeling activities at the lab.

The partners who provide data to the TSDC also benefit, knowing that their data is being carefully stewarded and used for legitimate purposes.

“Atlanta Regional Commission fully takes advantage of the TSDC as a way to post data and especially to refer folks to the site for data requests and data downloads within a controlled environment,” said Guy Rousseau, transportation models and travel surveys manager for the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Hands-on engagement from NREL researchers extends from fielding data requests to processing and standardizing incoming datasets. Because every organization developing a travel or transit survey words their questions and organizes their surveys and data differently, NREL processes every incoming dataset to standardize data fields, streamlining how data are presented and allowing for easier data comparisons. The TSDC’s data standardization process greatly expands the number of comparable data points available for analysis, enhancing the collected survey data into something more than the sum of its parts.

“You don’t have to read hundreds of pages of survey documentation to understand what one data field means—we’ve done that for you,” Borlaug said. “The TSDC’s added value includes routines of data quality control checks and standardized data fields that make it faster for users to glean insights they are looking for.”

Growing Into the Future

The TSDC continues to expand, adding new datasets and making connections with more entities to store their data. True to the ethos of making data available for more users, in 2022, the TSDC incorporated the Metropolitan Travel Survey Archive (MTSA), a set of 70 historical travel surveys dating back to the 1960s from numerous public agencies across the United States. The archive was originally curated by a former University of Minnesota professor with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation. MTSA was transferred to NREL to ensure its continued public availability.

“NREL’s TSDC provides a reliable, long-term support infrastructure for the Metropolitan Travel Survey Archive,” Fish said.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Transportation Secure Data Center recently added transit survey data to its repository. Photo by Werner Slocum, NREL

Starting in 2023, the TSDC also branched out to include a different kind of travel survey—transit surveys. It now contains data from more than 515,000 transit trips.

Transit surveys are usually structured differently and provide different kinds of information from household travel surveys, meriting their own new section in the TSDC. Transit agencies conduct surveys to collect data to plan operations and infrastructure and assess performance. The same transit survey data can illuminate ridership patterns, trip purpose, barriers to transit, rider preferences, and more, helping researchers connect the dots between multiple personal modes of transportation tracked in household surveys and the public transportation studied in transit surveys.

“Transit surveys can help answer a variety of research questions,” Fish said. “It is important to understand how well transit is serving different groups, so you can look at service performance by different demographic characteristics, household characteristics, and spatial distribution around the city.”

“Transit is also an important part of the transportation energy equation—increasing transit use and reducing single-occupancy vehicle travel could offer significant energy benefits,” Fish added. “So, understanding how the system currently is and isn’t working is valuable for informing future transit system improvements.”

Continuously on the leading edge, the TSDC provides a means for mobility data, collected for a single use, to live on and be accessed for other purposes in support of answering new research questions and informing transportation decision-making around the country.

Learn more about NREL’s transportation and mobility research, the Transportation Secure Data Center (TSDC), and other transportation data and tools. And sign up for NREL’s quarterly transportation and mobility research newsletter to stay current on the latest news.

MIL OSI USA News –

May 14, 2025

Category: Universities

The legal gambit

Why habitat protection matters

Gutting the Endangered Species Act

The ESA is saving species

A doubled-edged sword

Buying time

Can we really save sea ice?

The human factor

Setting boundaries

Quick facts

Related information

Multimedia

Poll pressure

A party at a crossroads

Challenges

Use empathy

A bumpy road ahead?

To the Lords…and back?

A crisis in staffing

The Libyan route

Risk factors

Non-surgical treatments

Adaptive interventions

Predictions, accuracy and trust

Not just sensors

Unusual song topics

The songwriters

Rep. Pfluger Hosts the 2025 Pfluger Student Leadership Conference

Importance for memory

1977 legislation

Global concern for cultural property

Relevance of the CPEIA

Traditional mental health support is falling short

Single-session digital interventions

Real-world examples of digital tools

Why these digital interventions work

Transportation Secure Data Center Is Growing Its Data Offerings

On the Cutting Edge of Transportation Data

Not Just a Database

Growing Into the Future