BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — Violette Haake, a former member of the International Teaching Centre, passed away on 24 September 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. She was 92 years old.
The Universal House of Justice has sent the following message to all National Spiritual Assemblies.
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Our hearts sorrow at the passing of dearly loved Violette Haake. Reared in a distinguished family tracing its roots to the early history of the Faith, she served the Cause of God with utter dedication over many decades, first in her native Iran, and later in the United States and Australia. Whether when pioneering, or during her time as an Auxiliary Board member, or as a Continental Counsellor in Australasia, and most especially in the ten years she served as a member of the International Teaching Centre, her intrepid spirit and radiant enthusiasm for teaching were ever in evidence as she rallied the friends, particularly the youth; poured out encouragement; and fanned the flame of love for Bahá’u’lláh in the hearts. Violette possessed a character that blended extraordinary resilience, steadfastness, and inner strength with unfailing kindness, a nurturing instinct, and true joy. To the last, hers was a life devoted to the service of the Lord.
To her husband, Roderic, and her daughter, Susanne, we extend our heartfelt condolences, with an assurance of our supplications at the Sacred Threshold for the progress of Violette’s luminous soul as it plunges into the sea of light in the world of mysteries. The believers in every land are asked to arrange memorials in her honour, including in all Houses of Worship, as circumstances permit.
NEW DELHI: A group of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) — Anna Bonfrisco, Matteo Adinolfi, Valentino Grant, Marco Dreosto, Luisa Regimenti, Alessandro Panza, Stefania Zambelli, Simona Baldassarre, Gianna Gancia and Francesca Donato of the Identity and Democracy Group have asked for reshaping the EU-China relations framework.
Back in February 2020, when China needed help the most, the EU sent tons of goods/equipment to China, spending millions of euros on the process. Germany, France and Italy were major contributors to the aid relief.
In return, when Europe faced the pandemic, the EU Member States received help from China, but China sold for a purchase and did not donate the PPE to Italy, and charged for the very PPE Italy had previously donated to China – Such practice is discouraging and alarming. Spain was forced to return faulty test kits to China, and the Netherlands had to recall 600 000 faulty coronavirus face masks imported from China.
In April, the Italian Identity and Democracy Group MEPs raised a parliamentary question to the European Commission asking that considering the EU-China investment agreement should be signed this year, is the Commission willing “to reshape the EU-China relations framework?” and “to launch a public consultation on the future of EU-China relations?”
In July, High Representative/Vice-President Borrell responded that “the European Commission is working with the Member States and international partners on all fronts to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak” and that “the first priority is to guarantee the health and safety of all EU citizens: protecting people from the spread of the virus, supporting the health systems and health workers while maintaining the flow of goods, mitigating the effects on the economy and helping people get back to their homes”.
High Representative/Vice-President Borrell confirmed that “the COVID-19 website was set up to keep all citizens updated about the evolution of the disease in the EU and informed of the comprehensive response by the Commission”. He further clarified that “following wide consultation, the EU adopted its China strategy in 2016, updated with the Strategic Outlook of March 2019” and that “both remain valid”. He said “as outlined in the Strategic Outlook, the European Union pursues a realist and multi-faceted and differentiated approach to the implementation of its strategic partnership with China”.
High Representative/Vice-President Borrell went on to emphasize that “China is simultaneously a partner with whom the EU has closely aligned objectives, a negotiating partner, with whom the EU needs to find a balance of interests, an economic competitor in pursuit of technological leadership, and a systemic rival promoting alternative models of governance” and that “the EU will continue to engage with China on all aspects of the relationship — the opportunities and the challenges — on issues on which it agrees and on which it does not”.
In closing, the High Representative/Vice-President reported that “the EU will also continue to adapt to changing economic realities by strengthening its autonomy, reinforcing its industrial base and diversifying its supply chains” and that “the EU is working for a more balanced and reciprocal economic relationship with China, including through the negotiation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment and the Agenda 2025”. He also reassured the MEPs that “launching a public consultation on the future of EU-China relations is not currently in the plans of the Commission”.
European countries have denied assertions by a top US official that Lebanon’s Hezbollah has moved and stored bomb-making material throughout Europe to “conduct major terror attacks whenever its masters in Tehran deem it necessary”.
Speaking in his official capacity to the American Jewish Committee (AJC) on 17 September, US State Department counter-terrorism coordinator Nathan Sales said he “can reveal” that Hezbollah has moved caches of ammonium nitrate through many European states, including Greece, Italy, Belgium, France, Spain and Switzerland.
Sales’s allegations about Hezbollah-linked explosives in Europe came weeks after an enormous explosion caused by tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the Beirut port that killed more than 200 people and injured thousands.
Ammonium nitrate is a highly explosive substance often used in fertilisers. Sales said that the Lebanese group has used first aid kits with cold packs that contain the chemical compound to move it throughout the continent.
Since he delivered his remarks, France and Spain have challenged Sales’s account, and according to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, an inquiry by law enforcement agencies in Athens failed to substantiate the US official’s claims.
‘No tangible information’
“The Spanish authorities have no evidence to suggest that Hezbollah’s armed wing has introduced or stored chemicals in Spain for the manufacture of explosives,” Spain’s embassy in Washington told Middle East Eye in an email earlier this week.
The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs also cast doubt on the American assertion.
“To our knowledge, there is currently no tangible information that would allow us to confirm such an allegation with respect to France,” a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.
“Any illegal activity committed by a foreign organization on our soil would be met with the harshest possible sanctions by French authorities.”
UN states have ‘responsibility’ to enforce Iran sanctions, Pompeo says Read More »
Similarly, Kathimerini reported that an investigation involving Greek police and intelligence services “has not turned up evidence of Greek authorities having handled or intercepted information suggesting that the militant group may be using this country to store such material”.
The Athens-based newspaper cited unidentified sources as saying that the US official’s remarks were aimed at pressuring European countries to blacklist Hezbollah as a terror group.
The Swiss embassy in Washington refused to confirm or deny Sales’s comments against Hezbollah, saying that the country’s Foreign Ministry “does not comment on allegations published in the media”.
During his virtual appearance at the AJC, Sales urged Europe to impose a blanket ban on the Lebanese group. The European Union designated Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organisation in 2013, but it does allow for political activities by the Iran-backed organisation.
Britain and Germany outlawed Hezbollah in 2019 and 2020 respectively. Last week, Sales lauded the decisions of both countries and called on the rest of Europe to follow suit, rejecting the distinction between Hezbollah’s political and military branches.
“Hezbollah represents a clear and present danger to the US today,” Sales said.
Maximum pressure campaign
Joe Macaron, a fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC, said the US official’s claims are part of Washington’s effort to push Europe to adopt a more aggressive stance against the Lebanese group.
“This approach by the Trump administration comes as France tries to mitigate tensions between the US and Iran in Lebanon and beyond,” Macaron told MEE.
“It is obvious that the US maximum pressure on Iran is in full-court press mode to put Tehran on the defensive as the US-sponsored Arab-Israeli normalisation deals take effect, and they are timely, just weeks ahead of the US elections.
“The message is to France as much as it is to Iran that a deal between Washington and Tehran before the US elections is not in Trump’s electoral interests and maximum pressure will continue until then.”
‘Spanish authorities have no evidence to suggest that Hezbollah’s armed wing has introduced or stored chemicals in Spain for the manufacture of explosives’
– Spain’s embassy in Washington
US President Donald Trump has ruled out talks with Iran before the elections in November as his administration has imposed additional sanctions on the Islamic Republic as part of what it calls snapback measures, which Washington’s European allies have rejected.
The US administration has also been piling sanctions on Hezbollah itself, blacklisting Lebanese companies and politicians linked to the group.
There has been no credible evidence linking Hezbollah to the port explosion. The tonnes of the dangerous chemical substance held in the port came from a Russian-owned, Moldovan-flagged ship that was headed to Mozambique before it was abandoned in Lebanon in 2013.
It sat at the port for years under the supervision of successive Lebanese governments in which both Hezbollah and its Western-backed rivals were represented.
On Wednesday, the US State Department backed Sales’s remarks, noting previous plots attributed to the Lebanese group in Europe, including the 2015 sentencing of a Hezbollah operative in Cyprus in connection with stockpiles of bomb-making chemicals.
“The State Department stands by the new information unveiled by Ambassador Sales during the AJC event on Hezbollah’s caching of ammonium nitrate in Europe,” a State Department spokesperson told MEE.
“Hezbollah’s involvement in terrorist plotting and other activities in Europe in recent years is well documented, including its use of ammonium nitrate to fuel explosive devices.”
Previous allegations
This is not the first time the Iran-backed group has been accused of storing explosives in Europe. Last year, the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported that in 2015, British authorities found a warehouse in London filled with explosives linked to Hezbollah.
The British government has not corroborated that report, and no arrests linked to the alleged incident have been made public. Still, the State Department cited the incident in its statement to MEE on Wednesday.
US and France disagree on approach to Hezbollah, American official says Read More »
In May, Israeli media outlets reported that a Mossad tip about large amounts of Hezbollah-linked ammonium nitrate in Germany is what led to Berlin’s move to ban the Lebanese group.
Last week, during the same AJC virtual event, German State Secretary Hans-Georg Engelke confirmed that Berlin had found bomb-making material linked to Hezbollah in the southern part of the country. “It was an amount that really worried us,” he said.
Hezbollah, which has deep political, financial and theological ties to Iran, says its main focus is “resistance” against Israel in Lebanon, although it has been involved in the civil war in Syria and participated in an advisory capacity in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq.
Detractors say the group has a global network, including in South America, Europe and the Arabian Peninsula.
In 2013, Bulgarian authorities accused Hezbollah of being behind a bomb attack that targeted a bus of Israeli tourists, killing six people.
The Lebanese group has denied involvement in the incident.
– This article has been updated to include a response by the US State Department.
The coronavirus pandemic has thrown up an interesting paradox in European countries that have banned the full-face veil.
In some French cities, for example, failure to cover your face and protect against COVID-19 can land you a €135 fine.
Yet, officially at least, you could also be fined as much as €150 for covering your face in public places if the covering is a full-face veil.
In 2011, France became the first European country to ban the full-face veil in public. Other European countries have followed by introducing total or partial bans of the burqa, including Denmark, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Latvia and Norway.
Now, with many Europeans told they must wear face masks to combat the spread of COVID-19, some are highlighting the apparent contradiction.
“What’s the difference when you cover your face for religious reasons or when you cover your face for health reasons?” said Moana Genevey, gender policy officer at Equinet. “And when is it acceptable?”
The new ‘living together’
In 2014, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) dismissed France’s arguments to ban the wearing of the full-face veil in public on the grounds of public security and protection of gender equality.
However, it upheld the ban by accepting it constitutes an infringement of the French principle of “living together” (‘le vivre ensemble’).
Three years later, two Belgian women also took their case to the ECHR, arguing the so-called burqa ban was breaching human-rights law. Samia Belcacemi had stopped wearing the veil in public, fearing jail or a fine, while Yamina Oussar chose to stay at home.
Likewise, the ECHR ruled that Belgium did not violate any right to freedom of religion or discrimination law as it had the right to impose restrictions to ensure the principle of “living together”.
In the French case, the violation of the concept of “le vivre ensemble” was defined as “a denial of fraternity, constituting the negation of contact with others”.
However, the pre-COVID “living together” has little to do with the current coexistence in European countries based on safety distance.
“The discourse has completely changed and people are asked to cover their faces to be able to live together in a democratic society,” said Dr Jone Elizondo Urrestarazu, legal and policy officer at Equinet. “Living together doesn’t mean what it used to, so maybe it’s time to rethink the volatility of this argument.”
Genevey said COVID has raised the issue: “Some women were asking whether or not the ban would apply to them in the context of the pandemic. Now the question is: will we go back to normal afterwards?”
COVID-19 and public safety
Belgium is one of the European countries where covering one’s face with a piece of cloth is banned, but wearing a face mask is now mandatory.
The so-called “burqa ban” was first implemented in Belgium in 2011, forbidding any face-covering clothing in public that could conceal someone’s identity.
One of the main justifications was that “people in public spaces should be ‘recognisable’ and ‘identifiable’ on the grounds of public security”. Exceptions are allowed for labour regulations or festivities, but not for health reasons.
But because of the health emergency, this public safety principle seems to have been put to one side.
“In the short term, we might experience an increase in common criminality, as they go unrecognised wearing face masks,” said Professor Kenneth Lasoen, an intelligence and security expert.
“To offset the situation, municipalities are investing in CCTV cameras to monitor those wearing a face mask in the streets.”
But, in the longer term, there are concerns the coronavirus pandemic has weakened the argument against banning full-face veils.
“We are very likely to face a constitutional challenge, as the current situation sets a precedent for people who want to wear any kind of face-covering in public,” added Prof Lasoen.
But on the streets of Brussels, some people question the link between the coronavirus pandemic and the ban on other types of face-covering, including the burqa.
“I see why some would say that, but we are talking about two different levels,” says Vanessa, a 21-year-old student. “Wearing a mask now has nothing to do with the fact that people could cover their faces with a burqa”.
Her friend Victoria, 20, agrees.
“It is different, we are experiencing a world health crisis and face masks are for everybody’s health, it’s not just about someone’s religion,” she said.
Stephanie, a 40-year-old teacher, thinks “some people might find it disturbing, or even scary if they do not see a face”.
”Back in Tunisia I used to feel a bit unsettled when I saw women wearing a burqa, as I couldn’t see their features,” said Samia, a Brussels expat.
“I also had a sense of guilt, because maybe they felt unsettled by the fact that I didn’t wear a veil at all.”
Samia doesn’t think the comparison between masks and full-face veils is fully valid, because “with a mask, you can still see the features, and whether the person is female or male”.
“The [main] principle should be not to repress people’s rights on [the] grounds of public security,” she said.
“European countries should find ways to minimise the security issues without stigmatising part of the population and prevent them from wearing whatever they want.”
A question of women’s rights?
“If the burqa ban is only justified on religious grounds, it is a discriminatory law,” said Genevey.
“And we cannot ignore that this is something that is affecting an intersectional group, which is women of a certain religion,” said Dr Elizondo.
The ban affects a minority in Europe: less than 1% of Muslim women wear a burqa or a niqab.
“It’s ironic how these measures were supposed to liberate and empower Muslim women who chose to wear a niqab yet it ended up limiting them,” said Dr Sanja Bilic, operations and policy manager at the European Forum of Muslim Women.
“Some women are still going out and paying fines. Others decided to stay home. Prior to the ban, they were active citizens, participating in the life of their community and they had to stop doing that after the niqab ban was implemented”.
For Dr Bilic, the issue is not the niqab or the hijab per se, but the fact that these bans “criminalise a piece of clothing and no other piece of clothing is criminalised in Europe. This is problematic and it leads to Islamophobia, a gendered Islamophobia because it only targets Muslim women”.
She also sees that the ban leads to the growing intolerance towards women wearing a hijab, as was the case of French MP Anne-Christine Lang who walked out of an inquiry meeting because a student union leader wore a hijab.
Some argue these women are pressured to wear a niqab or a burqa by their families or communities. And that the decision to stay at home because they cannot wear a burqa it’s not theirs.
“There is always a component of societal pressure, even if not driven by religion” argues Dr Bilic. “We would have to interview each woman to know their motives, but I believe that here in Europe if they were to be forced to wear a burqa or niqab, they have the tools and freedom to seek help”.
“In the European context, no other group of women, particularly those coming from the minority and non-Christian background, would be questioned on their ability and capacity to choose yet Muslim women’s choices are always treated as suspicious.”
Genevey argues the burqa ban is the opposite of feminism: “Pretending to free women by not allowing them access to the public space is a fundamental contradiction.”
Every weekday at 1900 CEST, Euronews brings you a European story that goes beyond the headlines. Download our app to get an alert for this and other breaking news. It’s available on Apple and Android devices.
New proposals to bring an end to overcrowded encampments of people living in desperate conditions on the fringes of Europe were unveiled in Brussels on Wednesday in a bid to break years of deadlock over how to manage migration into the EU.
<p class="no_name">The plans set out by the <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_organisation=European+Commission">European Commission</a> involve quickly sending home people whose claims for asylum are rejected, in a compromise package aimed at reducing irregular migration and reassuring eastern and northern countries that are fiercely opposed to accepting a quota of refugees.</p>
<p class="no_name">Plans to create a more coherent system of managing migration into the <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_organisation=European+Union">European Union</a> have stalled since 2016, to the frustration of border countries such as <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Italy">Italy</a> and <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Greece">Greece</a> who have long called for more help to deal with what they consider an outsize burden of arrivals that has caused a bottleneck on their shores.</p>
<p class="no_name">A fire that tore through the Moria encampment on the Greek island of Lesbos earlier this month turned thousands of people out on to the roads without food or shelter, adding fresh urgency to attempts to reach a deal.</p>
<p class="no_name">“Moria is a stark reminder that the clock has run out on how long we can live in a house half-built,” said Margaritis Schinas, European Commission vice-president charged with promoting “Europe’s way of life”.</p>
<p class="no_name">“The pact provides the missing pieces of the puzzle for a comprehensive approach to migration,” he said.</p>
<h4 class="crosshead">Fierce debate</h4><p class="no_name">National leaders have long acknowledged that the migration system needs reform but have struggled to agree on how to do it, and the new proposals are likely to be the subject of fierce debate, pitting border states looking for more help against hardline governments opposed to immigration, such as <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Hungary">Hungary</a> and <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_location=Poland">Poland</a>. </p>
<p class="no_name">Home affairs commissioner <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_person=Ylva+Johansson">Ylva Johansson</a> emphasised that the number of irregular arrivals into the EU had fallen to 140,000 last year – a small fraction of overall migration – and that the majority of those given residence permits were the spouses of European citizens.</p>
<p class="no_name">“Sometimes in a debate we try to make a link between migration and crisis. But most of the migrants that come to the European Union come here legally,” she said. “Migration is normal. Migration has always been here, migration will always be here.”</p>
<p class="no_name">Under the proposals, all irregular migrants who arrive in the EU would be subject to a screening process that would take a maximum of five days. Those who have arrived from countries with a low rate of successful asylum claims – below 20 per cent – would be fast-tracked and likely be quickly deported, the commission said.</p>
<p class="no_name">Countries that do not accept the return of their citizens could be penalised on visa applications into the EU, while those who accept deportees could be treated favourably.</p>
<h4 class="crosshead">Alternative options</h4><p class="no_name">All member states must agree to play a role in helping to manage migration under the plans, but there are alternative options for member states who refuse to take in a quota of refugees. Instead, those member states can take over responsibility for deporting failed asylum seekers to their home country.</p>
<p class="no_name">Rights groups criticised the plan as pandering too much to the wishes of member states with anti-immigration governments. </p>
<p class="no_name">The Catholic Church’s humanitarian network <a class="search" href="/topics/topics-7.1213540?article=true&tag_organisation=Caritas">Caritas</a> Europa expressed concerns that the plan’s “top priorities seem to be deterrence, preventing migration to the EU” and that the strengthening of asylum and return procedures could come “at the cost of asylum and human rights safeguards”.</p>
The pandemic is the first in history in which technology and social media are being used to both inform people and keep them connected, but also to undermine global response to the crisis and jeopardize measures to contain the disease, they explained.
“WHO & partners are calling on: -all countries to put in place natl. action plans to promote science-based health information & to combat misinformation -media, tech companies, civil society, researchers & people everywhere to keep the infodemic from spreading”-@DrTedros#UNGA
“Misinformation costs lives. Without the appropriate trust and correct information, diagnostic tests go unused, immunization campaigns (or campaigns to promote effective vaccines) will not meet their targets, and the virus will continue to thrive”, the partners said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
“We call on Member States to develop and implement action plans to manage the infodemic by promoting the timely dissemination of accurate information, based on science and evidence, to all communities, and in particular high-risk groups; and preventing the spread, and combating, mis- and disinformation while respecting freedom of expression.”
Authorities also were urged to empower communities to develop solutions and resilience against the infodemic.
Stakeholders such as the media and social media platforms were called on to collaborate with the UN system, and each other, “to further strengthen their actions to disseminate accurate information and prevent the spread of mis- and disinformation.”
Communications emergency
The statement signed by the United Nations, eight of its entities, and the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC), followed a virtual meeting organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
“As soon as the virus spread across the globe, inaccurate and even dangerous messages proliferated wildly over social media, leaving people confused, misled and ill-advised”, he recalled.
“The antidote lies in making sure that science-backed facts and health guidance circulate even faster, and reach people wherever they access information.”
Science, solutions, solidarity
Throughout the pandemic, the UN chief has highlighted the need to fight the tide of harmful health advice, hate speech and wild conspiracy theories that has surfaced alongside COVID-19.
In May, the UN launched the Verified initiative, encouraging people everywhere to serve as “digital first responders”, who share trusted, accurate information on their social media platforms.
“Working with media partners, individuals, influencers and social media platforms, the content we spread promotes science, offers solutions and inspires solidarity,” he said.
As Mr. Guterres told the meeting, fighting misinformation will be critical as the UN and partners work to build public confidence in the safety and efficacy of any COVID-19 vaccines being developed.
Catching up on routine vaccinations
That message was echoed later on Wednesday at another WHO virtual meeting to galvanize governments and humanitarians to safeguard immunization campaigns during the pandemic, and to ensure infrastructure is in place for the future equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
Although the UN estimates some 80 million children worldwide have not received routine immunizations due to the pandemic, services are resuming with the goal of “catching up to build better”, according to Kate O’Brien, Director of WHO’s Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals.
She said partners are also working “closer than ever”, and with greater integration; principles that will be applicable for the future delivery of any COVID-19 vaccines.
“Our goal is to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines against COVID-19 for all countries, harnessing the partnerships to work together to bring safe and effective and affordable vaccines…and do it because nobody is safe until everybody is safe”, said Ms. O’Brien.
A ‘global insurance policy’
WHO along with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) spearhead a global initiative that has pledged to put COVID-19 vaccines in the hands of anyone, anywhere who needs them.
GAVI chief Dr. Seth Berkley described the COVAX Global Vaccines Facility as a “global insurance policy”, committed to ensuring no one is left behind. The goal is to produce two billion vaccine doses by the end of 2021.
Dr. Berkley reported that more than 160 countries either have committed to the Facility, or are eligible to receive vaccines, with others expected to join this week.
“Gavi right now helps vaccinate half the world’s children. But the global delivery of COVID vaccines will be the single largest and most rapid deployment the world has ever seen”, he said.
“Also, with the levels of rumours and false information, we will need to work with communities everywhere to provide accurate information.”
The COVAX Facility is part of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator which aims to speed up the development and production of tests, medicines and vaccines that will be available to all countries.
The ACT Accelerator was launched in April and has so far received around $2.7 billion. The UN Secretary-General recently appealed for a “quantum leap in funding” to meet the $35 billion still needed.
In a pre-recorded video address, Mr. Džaferović thanked those who came to the aid of Bosnia and Herzegovina during the crisis, and expressed his appreciation for the EU’s decision to include the country in its public procurement programme, which means that it has been able to purchase material needed to combat COVID-19, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) in a cost-effective way.
“Just like any other great misfortune”, he said “this one has also reminded us how important it is to have friends.” At a time when multilateralism and international organizations, including the UN, are coming under attack, the pandemic, he added, has shown that major challenges can only be tackled at a transnational, multilateral level, based on dialogue and cooperation of as many states as possible.
The unity shown by the European Union in agreeing a historic package for economic recovery, declared the Bosnian leader, is an example to the rest of the world. The fact that the EU has not just supported its members, but other countries as well, is a sign of its strength. Bosnia and Herzegovina, he added, has benefited from strong support for its economy and health system, which increases the prospects for continued stability in the country.
25 years of peace
The end of 2020 marks 25 years of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accord, which ended the brutal conflict in the former Yugoslavia but, said Mr. Džaferović, the Accord now requires an update. This will only be possible, he said, through a wide political consensus, adding that there is a consensus in the country about the “irreplaceable significance of preserving peace and, thus, the Peace Accord on which it is based”.
Mr. Džaferović described the country as having made a “complete turn”, from being one that required international assistance, to providing soldiers and police officers to take part in peace missions around the world.
Illegal migration support needed
However, he said that more support is needed to help Bosnia to cope with illegal migration: due to the closure of other routes, most migrants attempting to enter the EU are now passing through Bosnia and Herzegovina. “They pose an enormous security and humanitarian problem, and our county does not have enough resources to solve it.”
The Bosnian leader called on nations whose citizens are in Bosnia and Herzegovina to sign up to agreements that will enable these citizens to be returned to their home countries.
Building a stable society
The emigration of young, and educated, Bosnians to the EU, where they have greater job prospects, is also a problem for the country, according to Mr. Džaferović, who said that this can only be overcome by building a “a society which will be based on the principles of equal opportunities, political stability and legal security, where it is possible for young people to plan their future”. Eventually achieving EU membership, he said, is the way to achieve this goal.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, concluded Mr. Džaferović, is slowly making progress, and is committed to building a safe, stable and prosperous State.
The bleak news from ILO Director-General Guy Ryder coincided with an updated mid-year forecast from the UN body.
Lower and middle-income countries have suffered most, with an estimated 23.3 per cent drop in working hours – equivalent to 240 million jobs – in the second quarter.
Previously, the ILO had suggested a 14 per cent average drop in global working time, equivalent to the loss of 400 million jobs, relative to the fourth quarter of 2019.
Incomes cut by 15 per cent
Workers in developing nations had also seen their income drop more than 15 per cent, ILO Director-General Guy Ryder told journalists in Geneva.
“On top of this, these are the places where there are the weakest social protection systems, so there are very few resources or protections for working people to fall back upon”, he said. “If you look at it regionally, the Americas were worst-affected, with losses of 12.1 per cent.”
Mr. Ryder highlighted that while the Governments of richer countries had shored up their economies with hundreds of billions of dollars, poorer nations had been unable to do the same.
Without such fiscal stimulus, working hours losses would have been 28 per cent between April and June, instead of 17.3 per cent, he insisted.
Our latest estimates of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic paint a bleak picture for job markets, says @GuyRyder. But effective fiscal stimulus plans have offered some signs of hope. pic.twitter.com/bQjdHrZQMV
Nonetheless, State financial support has led to the emergence of an extremely worrying “fiscal stimulus gap” between wealthy economies and the developing world, amounting to $982 billion, Mr. Ryder warned.
“It runs a risk of leading us to post-COVID world with greater inequalities between regions, countries, sectors and social groups,” he said. “It’s a polar opposite to the better world that we want to build back, and it reminds us all, that unless we are all able to overcome and get out of this pandemic, none of us will.”
Although the $982 billion global stimulus package was a staggering sum, the ILO Director-General noted that low-income countries needed a fraction of this figure – $45 billion – to support workers in the same way as wealthier nations had done, while lower-middle-income countries required the remaining $937 billion.
Other data from the ILO Monitor indicates that for the third fiscal quarter covering July to September, 12.1 per cent of global working time will be lost, which is equivalent to 345 million full-time jobs.
Final quarter challenges
The final quarter of the year envisages a significant worsening of the situation for workers since the UN agency’s last assessment in June, with a minimum 8.6 per cent drop in global working time – up from up from 4.9 per cent mid-year – corresponding to 245 million full-time jobs.
To protect workers and economies everywhere, Mr. Ryder warned against any premature loosening of support for health measures aimed at combating the pandemic, in view of increasing infection rates in many countries.
Support for jobs and incomes should be sustained into next year, he insisted, while also calling for finding ways to increase technical help and official develop assistance to emerging economies.
It was also important to prioritise income support for the hardest-hit groups, namely women, young people and informal workers, he added.
A range of new restrictions came into effect in Austria on 21 September, as a rise in confirmed cases accelerated to reach levels last seen in late March.
Masks are required in shops and on public transport, while moving around in bars and restaurants, and shopping at outdoor markets.
Bars/restaurants can only serve seated customers, at tables of no more than 10.
Private indoor gatherings are limited to 10 people.
Schools are open, with class sizes halved.
Belgium
As cases have risen the government has tinkered with existing restrictions rather than impose a nationwide lockdown. Regions and cities can go further than restrictions at the national level.
Masks are compulsory for everyone aged over 12 in public buildings and on public transport.
Bars/restaurants are allowed to open with table service only until 1am, as long as people leave their contact details.
People can have regular gatherings with the same five friends or family members in their social bubble, although if a distance of 1.5 metres can be maintained, groups of up to 10 are allowed. Public gatherings of up to 200 people (indoors) or 400 (outdoors) are allowed if people wear masks.
Schools have reopened, but students over 12 and teachers are required to wear masks. After-school clubs and activities for secondary school pupils are suspended.
Croatia
The country had low numbers in spring, but welcoming tourists throughout the summer has led to rising numbers.
Masks are mandatory on public transport, in shops and at public events.
Bars and clubs must close by midnight, while restaurants can only serve customers outside.
Private gatherings arecapped at 20 people, with distancing measures observed, except for weddings and funerals, which are capped at 100.
Some schools are open, some are partially open, and a few are closed.
Czech Republic
The country has record new infections in the central and eastern Europe region, after touting its success in spring as one of the first countries to introduce mask-wearing. Restrictions vary by region.
Masks are mandatory in indoor public spaces including public transport.
Bars/restaurants must shut by midnight.
Gatherings of up to 500 people, or 1,000 people outdoors, may be held with distancing measures enforced.
Schools are open unless there is an outbreak among pupils.
Denmark
Back in March the country was one of the first countries to impose a light-touch lockdown. Some new restrictions were reimposed on 19 September.
Mask-wearing was never enforced for shops or supermarkets, and only made mandatory on public transport in late August.
Bars/restaurants must close by 10pm.
Public gatherings capped at 50.
In April Denmark became one of the first western countries to reopen schools, with teaching carried out in “micro groups” of no more than 12 and staggered starting times, but without compulsory mask-wearing.
Finland
New infections, which were in single figures in July, are increasing steadily and now averaging 60 a day.
Masks are recommended on public transport.
Customers in bars and restaurants must be seated.
Limits on indoor and outdoor public gatherings were reduced from 500 people to 50 earlier this month.
Schools are open as normal, without masks, but with online lessons when an outbreak is detected
Employees are advised to work from home wherever possible in areas where the number of cases is increasing. Testing capacity is about 20,000 a day, with priority given to healthcare professionals and people displaying possible symptoms.
France
After imposing one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe between March and May, the government has been slowly delegating the job of making rules to local prefects and authorities. Consequently, the rules vary from place to place.
Masks are obligatory in all buildings receiving the public – including shops – on public transport, in schools for staff and pupils over the age of 11, in almost all workplaces, and in bars and restaurants for staff and customers “when moving around”. They are also obligatory outside in Paris and in some other cities and urban areas.
Bars/restaurants are fully open but with table service only. Some outside terraces in some areas have to close at certain hours. Physical distancing must be respected.
Rules on gatherings differ from region to region. Some do not allow public gatherings of more than 1,000 people, others no more than 5,000 people. Private gatherings also vary from area to area.
All schools are open except those that have reported cases. Chairs must be at least 1 metre apart and classrooms/common areas regularly disinfected.
Anyone can get a test without a prescription and without symptoms and the cost is paid for by the health service. Because of long waits caused by anyone who wants to get tested, a priority system is being introduced.
A queue for Covid-19 tests outside a laboratory in Paris. Photograph: Kiran Ridley/Getty Images
Germany
Decision-making on restrictions is taken for the most part at the regional level, but the federal government has called in general upon Germans to restrict their social contacts as much as possible.
Masks are obligatory in any public place – including shops, railway stations, public transport, and outside – where 1.5-metre distancing cannot be observed.
Rulesfor bars and restaurants are set at the regional level but broadly speaking tables must be spread out and guests must give their contact details if sitting down to consume food or drink.
Large gatherings, such as sport events, concerts and festivals, are banned nationwide until at least the end of 2020. Rules on small gatherings are set at the federal level.
Schools are open but children are kept in bubbles containing two or three year groups.
Greece
As cases have risen the government has reimposed targeted restrictions in islands and towns. Restrictions vary by region. Athens has been subjected to stricter measures than elsewhere.
Masks are mandatory nationwide in all enclosed spaces including public transport.
Bars/restaurants must close by midnight.
Gatherings are limited to nine in the greater Athens area, with religious events restricted to 20 people.
Schools have been open since 14 September, but close when cases are detected.
Hungary
The country is experiencing a second wave with much higher daily case numbers than the first. This time the government has chosen a Sweden-type model, determined to avoid a full lockdown.
Masks are mandatory in most public places, with fines recently introduced for non-compliance.
Bars/restaurants must shut by 11pm.
Gatherings are capped at 500 people.
Schools are open with temperature checks for pupils from 1 October.
Ireland
Ireland is applying pandemic measures according to an escalating five-level alert system unveiled on 15 September. It is being tested by surging infection rates. Most of the country is at level 2 while Dublin city and county, which have especially high coronavirus rates, are at level 3 until 10 October.
Masks are compulsory on public transport and in shops, theatres, beauty salons, libraries and certain other indoor settings.
Outside Dublin, bars and restaurants are open to groups of six from three households. In Dublin they can operate as takeaways or serve food outdoors, but no indoor dining.
Outside Dublin indoor gatherings of up to six people from no more than three households are allowed. In Dublin you can host one other household in your home.
Schools are open nationwide. Students under 13 do not need to wear masks. Those over 13 and teachers must wear them when a physical distance of 2 metres is not possible.
Italy
Infections rose rapidly in mid-August, prompting the closure of all nightclubs and the introduction of tests for people arriving from at-risk countries.
Masks are compulsory in enclosed spaces such as shops, bars, museums, airports and all forms of public transport. They are not mandatory outside, apart from between 6pm and 6am in busy places.
Bars/restaurants are open with no limits on opening hours. Tables have to be sanitised after each customer and must be at least 1 metre apart.
There are no restrictions on gatherings, whether outside or in homes.
Schools reopened in the majority of regions on 14 September. Teachers and pupils over the age of six must wear masks except when sitting at desks, as long as physical distancing is maintained. Temperatures are taken upon arrival.
A class of teenagers back at school in Turin, Italy. Photograph: Getty Images
Netherlands
The prime minister, Mark Rutte, has emphasised his intention to take a “regional and local approach”. Extra restrictions are imminent in six regions.
Masks are mandatory for those aged 13 and over on public transport. Face masks do not need to be worn in stations or on platforms. Local authorities have powers to require that masks are worn in public places but there are no national rules.
Bars/restaurants must close by 1am, with capacity limited to 50 people. Reservations and pre-entry health checks are mandatory. Everyone must have their own seat.
Gatherings at home are limited to six, not including children under 13. Large gatherings are limited to 100 inside and 250 outside.
Schools provide the regular number of teaching hours to all pupils.
Norway
Norway’s prime minister called a halt earlier this month to the gradual reopening of society after a strict nationwide lockdown, saying the country was “still on insecure ground”. The country is recording about 100 new cases a day, up from single figures in July.
Masks are recommended on public transport in and around Oslo.
Bars/restaurants cannot serve alcohol after midnight.
Private gatherings are limited to 10 people in Oslo and the western city of Bergen.
Schools reopened in April and schoolchildren have not so far proved a significant driver of new infections.
Poland
Poland relaxed most measures in summer, and daily case numbers have remained steadily higher than they were in spring over the past six weeks.
Masks are mandatory indoors (in spring they were also mandatory outdoors) and on public transport.
Bars/restaurants are open with no restrictions on hours.
Gatherings are allowed, but physical distancing rules are in place for indoor buildings such as theatres.
Schools are following a hybrid in-person/ online system.
Portugal
After winning plaudits for its early response and swift action, cases have risen in Portugal.
Masks are mandatory on public transport, in shops, and in closed or busy places.
Bars/restaurants must close by 11pm. Cafes and restaurants near schools can serve groups of no more than four customers per table.
Gatherings are limited to 10 people.
Schools reopened in mid-September.
Slovakia
One of Europe’s champions in terms of low numbers in spring, Slovakia has reintroduced some prevention measures heading into autumn.
Masks are mandatory indoors in public spaces, including public transport.
Bars/restaurants must close by11pm.
Large gatherings are prohibited except weddings and funerals, which have a limit of 30 people, though this will increase on 1 October, depending on region.
Schools are open, though 17 schools have been temporarily closed due to outbreaks.
Spain
Three months after its strict – and successful – 13-week lockdown was lifted, Spain has become the worst-affected country in western Europe, with Madrid its worst-hit region.
Masks are compulsory in outdoor and enclosed spaces.
Bars/restaurants are open, but subject to varying restrictions by region.
Limits on gatherings vary by region. Gatherings in the Madrid region are limited to groups of no more than 10.
Schools are open and social distancing is being observed. Masks are compulsory for all students aged six and above.
A woman walks past closed restaurants in Madrid, which is currently Spain’s worst-hit region. Photograph: Javier Barbancho/Reuters
Sweden
New infections are increasing steadily and last week were running at about 250 a day.
Masks are not recommended. Public health officials say it is more important to respect physical distancing and hand-washing recommendations.
Customers must be seated in bars and restaurants, and groups of customers separated by at least 1 metre.
The government has proposed raising its limit on gatherings from 50 to 500 – as long as physical distancing can be observed – from 1 October.
Schools for under-16s were never closed and all schools and universities are now open.
Switzerland
Federal authorities have delegated many decisions to the cantonal authorities.
Masks are compulsory on public transport, and schools, bars and restaurants, and where 1.5-metre distancing is not possible.
Bars/restaurants are open with no nationwide restriction on opening hours.
The limit of 1,000 people on gatherings was lifted from 1 October, but where relevant attendees must be seated.
Reporting by Daniel Boffey, Rory Carroll, Kate Connolly, Angela Giuffrida, Jon Henley, Sam Jones, Philip Oltermann, Jennifer Rankin, Helena Smith, Shaun Walker, Kim Willsher
• The text and graphics in this article were amended on 24 September 2020 to add shops to the places in France where wearing a face mask is mandatory.
Guitarist Li Jianhong is fairly unknown in the U.S., but he’s one of the most important experimental musicians in China. Like Sonic Youth and Japanese rock collective Ghost, he straddles and/or blasts his way across the line between psychedelic rock and exploratory noise; he also frequently incorporates a spiritual component inspired by Buddhism and traditional Chinese art. The tracks on his latest album, Father, and a Wild Trail Zigzagging Down, were recorded in 2018 at various venues on his first European tour, and together they make for a lovely summation of his range and focus. The track “At Dusk, Man at the Stream” sounds like Li is slicing his guitar apart with pieces of scrap metal—it’s as though an unaccompanied rock musician wandered into an ambush and came out with an instrument stripped of its parts. “At Dusk, Daffodils at the Stream” spins its ominous ambience from feedback, drones, clicks, and warbles, and the 27-minute title track also starts out diffuse and quiet—before building into an ecstatic wah-wah drone. Its thick, harsh, sustained blast of grimy lyricism is equal parts Jimi Hendrix and Iannis Xenakis. Listeners won over by this excellent set of songs are advised to move on to Li’s 2008 magnum opus, the 51-minute, one-track San Sheng Shi—or, for something completely different, D!O!D!O!D!, his early, Ruins-esque punk duo with drummer Huang Jin. v
In a newly published book, WHO/Europe provides up-to-date guidance for ensuring healthy nutrition and physical activity of primary school-aged children while cultivating good habits that will last into adulthood. The guidance is published in the Russian language and can be used by parents and other adults working with children across the Russian-speaking countries in the WHO European Region.
Keeping children healthy and fit
Healthy nutrition and physical activity remain a serious challenge for countries of the Region. The findings of the latest round (2016–2017) of the WHO European Childhood Obesity Surveillance Initiative (COSI) indicate that 29% of boys and 27% of girls aged seven to nine years were overweight, while 12% of boys and 9% of girls were obese. In addition, the latest WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children report reveals that levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity among schoolchildren across Europe have declined by approximately one third since 2014.
To help parents keep their children healthy and fit, WHO has developed the Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide. In addition to parents, the guide may prove to be a useful tool for other adults (such as grandparents or caregivers) working with primary school-aged children.
“Good nutrition and physical activity habits are key to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals related to health, education, reduction of inequalities and more. Commitments to reduce inequalities and improve health have been made by the Member States and their national governments in a series of regional and global political documents, including the European Programme of Work for the WHO European Region”, said Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“The Global report of the WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity underlines how important it is for public health officials to promote actions to improve child nutrition and physical activity patterns across the Region”, he added.
The Child Nutrition and Physical Activity Guide is published only in the Russian language with support from the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation for use in Russian-speaking countries. It addresses the urgent need in some countries to improve child nutrition, particularly in areas that face a double health burden characterized by coexistence of undernutrition and overweight, obesity or noncommunicable diseases. Many children in those countries never eat breakfast, and their diet consists of large quantities of sweets and sugar-sweetened beverages with almost no vegetables and fruit.
The WHO guide also offers ideas on how to stimulate children’s interest in physical activity, such as active play, exercise or sports. This is especially relevant for countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), where, according to the latest findings, schoolchildren have a low participation in organized sports and exercise. On the other hand, a high proportion of schoolchildren walk to school every day. This could be a good starting point for CIS countries to make physical activity a daily habit that not only improves children’s physical health, but also promotes better mental health and well-being.
Habits for sound adulthood
“It is crucial that we tackle childhood obesity if we are to improve public health. Primary school age is a very important period of life in which nutritional and physical activity habits begin to take shape – habits which lay the foundation for health and are carried on into adulthood”, explained Dr João Breda, Head of the WHO European Office for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Diseases and lead author of the guide.
The guide aims to ensure that children obtain the knowledge and skills to make healthy food choices, critically evaluate their diet and integrate physical activity into daily life.
The guide is divided into five parts:
Teaching the main principles of healthy nutrition
Establishing healthy nutrition habits
Breakfast as one of the most important meals for primary school-aged children
Water and its role in nutrition and the environment
Physical activity
Each part consists of a theoretical introduction and practical lessons for children. The lessons are presented in a game and quiz format to help parents and teachers educate children with ease and enjoyment. In addition, the book includes healthy recipes and out-of-school activities that will encourage children to engage with the ideas.
“With the help of this book we can create conditions to establish healthy habits among children and give them the confidence to make healthy choices when they reach adulthood”, added Dr João Breda. “This will not only have a positive impact on economies across the WHO European Region, but good habits will in fact contribute to better health of future generations. It is a good example of how every one of us can play a role in creating a world where all people have access to the highest standards of health and well-being.”
While recognising the positive role of forests in mitigating global warming, the European Commission has riled the agroforestry and biomass industries by stating its intention of limiting growth in the sector.
Will the EU impose a cap on the number of trees that can be felled in Europe each year? Judging by the Commission’s 2030 climate plan, presented last week, this is now looking like a distinct possibility.
The capacity of forests to act as a “carbon sink” – absorbing more CO2 than they emit – is decreasing and needs to be reversed, the Commission said in its new climate plan for 2030.
The EU executive argues that “we need a growing sink in order for the EU to achieve climate neutrality by 2050” and calls for improved forest management as well as “re- and afforestation” initiatives to restore degraded land and preserve biodiversity.
“We really have to take care of our forests,” said Frans Timmermans, the EU executive vice-president in charge of climate action. “We need to make sure our forests stay healthy and this is going to be a momentous task,” he told journalists.
Forest owners wouldn’t contradict the Commission on this point. Time and again, they have highlighted the role of “sustainable forest management practices” in environmental conservation and how those can support the EU’s biodiversity and climate objectives.
However, they say the Commission’s 2030 climate plan places too much emphasis on the role of forests as carbon sinks.
“This approach is rather unfortunate as it omits two other major climate benefits provided by forests: carbon storage in EU forests and wood products and carbon substitution with wood replacing fossil-based products and energy,” said Fanny-Pomme Langue, secretary-general of the Confederation of European Forest Owners (CEPF).
For forest owners, the key is to maintain forests as “productive” economic tools providing them with the revenues necessary to take care of their land. And that implies thinning, harvesting and replanting trees as part of “active” forest management practices.
“Forest owners are custodians of forests’ future and their focus is to maintain productive, healthy and vital ecosystems,” said Sven-Erik Hammar, board member of CEPF.
This was the view espoused by the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, which backed a report earlier this month charting “the way forward” for the EU’s upcoming forest strategy, expected to be published in the coming months.
Carbon sink and carbon stock
Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, seemed to acknowledge the role forests can play for the climate. In her state of the union speech last week, she said Europe’s buildings could be turned “from a carbon source into a carbon sink if organic materials like wood” are being used.
Because trees absorb CO2 as they grow, harvesting them to make wood products is indeed considered as a “climate positive” economic activity which sequesters carbon in the form of furniture or building materials.
More controversial however is when wood is burned in biomass plants to produce electricity, or as a way of heating people’s homes.
Critics say burning wood immediately releases CO2 which took years or even decades to accumulate during the tree’s growth phase. This, they argue, creates a “carbon debt” for future generations until new trees can grow back and suck an equivalent amount of CO2.
And since time is running out to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 2°C, they argue urgent action must be taken now to prevent a further increase in biomass burning for energy generation.
The European Commission seemed to pay heed to those concerns when it placed the emphasis on the need to restore carbon sinks in Europe.
“Projected increases in bioenergy use by 2030 are limited compared to today,” the Commission pointed out in its 2030 climate plan, guarding against any “further increases in harvesting” that could see the EU’s carbon sink decline further.
“Any unsustainable intensification of forest harvesting for bioenergy purposes should be avoided,” the EU executive warned, saying “the use of whole trees and food and feed crops for energy production – produced in the EU or imported – should be minimised” in order to limit the impact on climate and biodiversity.
Bioenergy producers dispute this, saying “active forest management” practices “will optimise the carbon flow” and promote carbon sinks in addition to providing much-needed jobs and economic activity for rural areas.
“It is important to stress that bioenergy is not a driving force of forest harvesting,” said Bioenergy Europe, a trade association. In fact, forest cover in the EU increased by 5.8% in 1995-2015 while bioenergy consumption “more than doubled” during the same period, it points out.
“The increase in bioenergy has been possible thanks to a better use of residues from the forest-based industries and increased synergies with the wood-based industry,” said Jean-Marc Jossart, secretary-general of Bioenergy Europe.
Importantly, Jossart said a distinction should be made between “carbon sinks” – the capacity of forests to capture carbon – and the “carbon stock”, which is the total amount of carbon stored in the forest at a certain moment in time.
“A forest management based on maximising the carbon stock will not deliver efficiently against climate change because of maturation of trees and carbon losses” due to fires and insects, which are becoming more frequent because of climate change, he argued.
In reality, “a better managed forest reduces the risks of forest fires as there will be less dead wood on the ground helping the propagation of fire,” Jossart told EURACTIV in emailed comments, saying landowners need to be incentivised to take care of their land.
“Planting, thinning, harvesting and replanting are part of virtuous operations of climate-friendly forests, as well as taking infected trees out of the forests,” he said.
Incentives for ‘sustainable’ biomass
The Commission doesn’t deny this, saying “the promotion of sustainable forest management” combined with strict enforcement of EU green criteria for biomass will help make the sector more sustainable.
But it wants guarantees that biomass used in Europe is genuinely sustainable. Although it keeps the door open to bioenergies in general, the Commission’s 2030 climate plan says “a shift towards growing woody biomass,” and “advanced biogas and biofuels could alleviate the situation” and help restore healthy forests.
“Bioenergy production should come from better use of biomass wastes and residues and sustainable cultivation of energy crops, rather replacing the production of first-generation food-crop-based biofuels,” the EU executive says.
If those solutions are implemented swiftly in the coming years, “this could already reverse the current trend of a diminishing EU land carbon sink by 2030, increasing it again to levels above 300 million tons CO2eq,” it adds.
The European Commission intends to push a “transformative approach” to all forms of bioenergy – including biofuels and woody biomass – as part of a biodiversity strategy due to be unveiled on Wednesday (20 May).
By the end of the year, the Commission is expected to publish an extensive review of biomass policies. And much of the debate from now on is expected to focus on the incentives that are needed to support sustainable forestry practices and carbon removals.
“Definitely, we want to recognise the removals that are being done in agriculture and forestry more strongly than what we did in the past,” said a senior EU official who was briefing journalists after the Commission presented its 2030 climate plan last week.
“That will require incentives for those who are responsible – and that’s the farmers and the foresters,” the official said.
In Germany, the government is currently debating a “tree premium” of €125 per hectare as a way to reward forest owners for reducing carbon emissions. The premiums would be linked to the EU carbon market, meaning that if CO2 prices rise, the tree premium would also increase.
Another option is to bring agriculture under an EU regulation dealing with land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF).
“For somebody who is responsible for agriculture and forestry, it’s probably much easier to handle that as a policy field and to make the right trade-offs within the sector,” the official explained, saying any EU proposal on the matter would need to be backed by a cost-benefit analysis and fall in line with the Common Agricultural Policy.
For the bioenergy sector, incentives are fine as long as they allow foresters to “actively manage their forests through planting, thinning, harvesting and replanting”.
“If conversely, these subsidies are there to leave the forests untouched, this will have the adverse effects of reducing their resilience,” it argues.
At the next European summit, Austria wants to speak openly about sanctions against Ankara, including the possibility to break off accession talks with Turkey, the country’s EU Minister Karoline Edtstadler told EURACTIV Germany.
Karoline Edtstadler has been Austria’s Federal Minister for EU and Constitution since January 2020. In the last government, she was a state secretary in the interior ministry. In the 2019 EU elections, she moved into the European Parliament until she was sworn in as minister.
A wide range of topics will be discussed at the EU summit this week: The EU budget, the internal market, Brexit and the situation in the Mediterranean are just some of them. What are Austria’s priorities?
This broad agenda shows that some decisions are now pending. It is important that we are now informed about the state of negotiations on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) {EU’s long-term budget] and on Brexit.
Furthermore, we must strengthen the European internal market and competitiveness by presenting a new industrial strategy and adjusting state aid regulations, because Europe must become independent. The resources of the Recovery Fund should be used primarily for digitalisation and climate protection.
We must also clarify how we as the EU will continue to deal with China and Turkey. Austria advocates discussing all options and breaking off the accession talks with Turkey.
On the positive side, the rule of law proceedings against Poland and Hungary are back on the agenda for tomorrow’s General Affairs Council. The German Presidency plans to hold a hearing with the two countries in November and December.
Belarus opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya on Monday (21 September) urged the EU to show courage and impose sanctions on Alexander Lukashenko’s government, as the bloc continues to face internal squabbles about sanctions ahead of a crucial foreign policy summit later this week.
How can these consultations help make Article 7 procedures more effective?
As Hungary’s neighbour, we know that these procedures are an emotional issue, but we must not make any concessions here. That is why I am strongly in favour of linking EU funds and the rule of law. But of course, all parties involved must be given the opportunity to get out of these proceedings. To find such an exit strategy, you have to listen to all positions.
In fact, the states agreed in July to link EU funds to the rule of law, albeit in a weakened form. Is Austria nevertheless satisfied with this?
I am glad that conditionality is anchored. It could have been stronger, but the important thing is that it is inside. Now it’s a question of whether the European Parliament approves the budget.
The European Parliament is linking its approval to a stricter rule of law mechanism. Do you think it will succeed with this?
This is a point of discussion. There have now been four trilateral meetings, in which the Council and the Commission demand concrete proposals from Parliament. It is important to hear the Parliament’s position and there may be smaller movements.
However, it has been signalled that they do not want to undo the budget again and thus jeopardise the agreement. EU leaders negotiated for five days and four nights in July to reach this result. After that, it is a good tradition to exchange views in negotiation rounds. I appeal to Parliament to approve this huge budget.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has held a series of contacts with EU leaders in recent days, aiming to find allies who would block potential sanctions against Turkey at the 24-25 September EU summit over its illegal drilling activities in the Eastern Mediterranean.
One point of contention during these budget negotiations in July was the EU’s own resources. There is a precise timetable for the plastics tax, while only vague approval has been given for the digital tax and CO2 tax, which is to come in 2022. Wasn’t that a bit optimistic?
In politics, optimism and drive are needed. We will do everything we can to ensure that this comes about.
So Austria is in favour of these taxes?
Austria is doing everything it can to contribute to solutions that secure our future cooperation.
Turkey: Can Ankara’s actions in the Mediterranean remain unpunished?
Of course, it is not acceptable for a neighbouring state to break international law and raise warships. It is the unanimous opinion of all member states to rely on de-escalation in this case. But it will be necessary to discuss all possibilities, including sanctions.
Also, we have been in favour of breaking off the accession talks since 2016, because Turkey was already distancing itself from European values back then.
High Representative Josep Borrell said at the end of August that sanctions were in the works if there was no progress in dealing with Turkey. So there has not been any?
It is necessary to openly discuss the whole range of reactions.
Brexit also belongs to the wide range of topics for the special summit. The UK is now threatening not to adhere to the divorce agreement of spring. Did that surprise you?
In fact, I expected Britain to abide by international law. Of course we want an agreement, but we only have six weeks to settle future relations. It is a tense situation.
We are counting on the British to recognise the gravity of the situation. The EU will not be brought to its knees by blackmail.
This Wednesday (23 September), the Commission will also present its plans for a common European asylum system. What are your expectations?
It is time for a pan-European system. From the Austrian point of view, three components must be included: external border protection, cooperation with third countries and flexible solidarity.
“Flexible solidarity” means: No mandatory quota for the admission of refugees?
Exactly, we are against forced admissions. That has always been our red line, which we defend with all our strength.
Since 2015, Austria has taken in the second most refugees of all EU countries. One thing is clear: every country must make a contribution. Either by accepting people, sending officials to support the asylum authorities or by helping on the spot. In doing so, what has been achieved so far must always be taken into account. In the case of Austria, therefore, this cannot mean accepting more refugees.
Ms. Grazioli, a self-proclaimed social butterfly who loves to cook for guests, still hasn’t had friends over for dinner since the virus struck. “Am I overdoing it?” says Ms. Grazioli. “Maybe, but we had a national tragedy of epic proportions and you don’t quickly forget something like that.”
Italy, the first nation outside Asia to suffer a major coronavirus outbreak, had one of the world’s worst death tolls this spring. Overflowing hospitals in parts of northern Italy had to choose which patients got the last intensive-care beds. The Italian army drove truckloads of victims out of the city of Bergamo, which couldn’t cope with the dead.
That shocking experience helps explain why Italy is so far having greater success than many other European countries in limiting the pandemic’s second wave.
Infections in Europe are rebounding partly because millions of people have grown tired of social-distancing rules, mask-wearing and hand-sanitizing, and have relaxed their behavior, health experts said. The public’s fatigue and yearning to get back to normal life are two of the greatest challenges facing governments as they try to keep a lid on infections as winter approaches.
Experts had hoped that mask-wearing and keeping a distance would become everyday habits, at least as long as Covid-19 remains a public-health threat. East Asian societies such as South Korea, Hong Kong or Singapore have been the model for widespread acceptance of such precautions.
That has proved a tougher sell in Western nations with less experience containing viral outbreaks and especially in politically polarized countries where face masks have become another focal point for antiestablishment anger. Protests against mask-wearing and government restrictions have drawn fewer people in Rome than in Berlin or London.
But both Italy’s left-leaning national government and right-leaning opposition, which governs northern Italian regions that were badly hit by the virus, cooperated in containing the worst phase of the pandemic. Across Italy, masks are mandatory in indoor public places, on public transport and outdoors in crowded areas.
In Italy, the new precautions have become a widespread part of everyday life, more than in many other Western countries. Millions of Italians continue to wear masks outdoors, even when it isn’t obligatory, and carry hand sanitizer.
New habits and a relatively effective test-and-trace regime have helped Italy to limit the rise of infections since August. Increases in Europe have been driven by people traveling on their summer vacations and by more relaxed attitudes among young people who wanted to return to socializing.
Over the past week, Italy detected an average of under 1,500 infections a day, compared with about 3,700 in the U.K., 10,400 in France and 10,500 in Spain.
“People were very afraid in March and April and that has an effect on short-term behavior, but it’s not clear how long it will last,” said Guendalina Graffigna, a psychology professor at Milan’s Catholic University. “We’re a Mediterranean country and often we act on our emotions more than in other countries.”
Giovanni Ferrante, a 30-year-old building manager from Rome, is among those who are being extra careful. When he visited his family in southern Italy over the summer, he self-quarantined for two weeks on arrival to avoid potentially infecting them, though it wasn’t required by Italy’s rules and he had no symptoms.
“There is a bit of fear and because of that we behave appropriately,” said Mr. Ferrante, who was walking in central Rome wearing an N95 face mask, which provides more protection than a surgical mask.
Nearby, a bank put up a sign telling clients to stop applying hand sanitizer to its ATM keyboard because it was causing damage.
About 85% of Italians said they wear a mask in public places, more than anywhere else in Europe except for Spain, which is now battling Europe’s biggest outbreak, according to a coronavirus behavior survey by Imperial College London and YouGov. Italians are also more likely to say they avoid crowded public places than most other Europeans, according to the survey, which was updated last week.
It isn’t just about individual behavior. Italy has done a better job than most at detecting infected people through its testing and tracing regime. Over two-thirds of Italians who tested positive for the coronavirus in recent weeks were identified not because they had symptoms, but through contact tracing and widespread screening tests, according to the National Health Institute.
The percentage of tests that come back positive—a measure of whether testing is sufficiently comprehensive—is 2.1% in Italy, higher than it was in June but lower than in most of Europe, according to official data. A low positivity rate indicates that testing is widespread and not restricted to people who show symptoms. The World Health Organization recommends a positivity rate of 5% or less as a condition for reopening.
The percentage of positive tests is lower still in Lombardy, the epicenter of Italy’s pandemic, according to the regional government.
In Spain, by comparison, government data shows 11.9% of tests are positive, suggesting many infections go undetected.
Italian authorities fear infections could rise more strongly as a result of the reopening of schools on Sept. 14, and as fall weather leads Italians to spend more time indoors again. Italy was the first Western country to close its schools and was among the last to reopen them.
Italian schools have reorganized their classrooms to ensure social distancing, sometimes splitting up classes or moving them to other buildings.
In the Milan school attended by Ms. Grazioli’s two sons, some classes are held in the cafeteria, where there is more space, and lunch is served in the classrooms. Face masks are required except when students are seated. There is no interaction between classes, so that if a student tests positive for the virus, their class is quarantined at home, but the school stays open.
Despite the precautions, several classes were quarantined across Italy in the first week after reopening. Administrators at Ms. Grazioli’s school are waiting for test results from several students who turned up with fevers and coughs.
As schools reopen and children begin to socialize again, scientists say a priority for Italian families should be to keep the young away from the old. Ilaria Capua, an Italian virologist at the University of Florida, warned that big family dinners—part of the fabric of Italian life—are especially risky.
“Families need to organize themselves differently: grandparents are still vulnerable,” she said. “Intergenerational segregation is key.”
That has placed many Italian parents in a pickle as they manage the interactions between their elderly parents and school-age children. After school hours, many Italian grandparents look after children whose parents are working. Three-generation households are common.
But there are signs that Italy’s grandparents have absorbed the lessons of the pandemic.
“I hear lots of grandparents saying, ‘If you don’t really need me, I think I won’t pick up the children for now,’ ” said Ms. Grazioli. “I still have to see what my parents are comfortable with.”
Young adults are much less attentive to the rules than their parents and grandparents, a problem that came to light this summer as infections surged among people in their 20s and 30s. The generational divide continues in September as balmy weather draws crowds of mask-free 20-somethings to bars and restaurants.
On a recent Saturday evening, Mirko Marin, who works in corporate relations at Milan’s Polytechnic University, headed out to the city’s trendy Navigli canal district for a stroll with his wife and three children. They quickly returned home when they saw the crowds.
“During the day the rules are respected, and then at night the young people suddenly forget what happened in March and April,” said Mr. Marin. “We have to remember so we never live that nightmare again.”
Write to Eric Sylvers at eric.sylvers@wsj.com and Margherita Stancati at margherita.stancati@wsj.com
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On the eve of the opening of the Gothenburg Book Fair, which runs September 24-28, fair director Frida Edman, along with Frankfurt Book Fair director Juergen Boos, co-signed an editorial in Dagens Nyheter, Sweden’s largest newspaper, called “Why we need book fairs more than ever.” The piece offers their perspective on the role of book fairs in fostering the literary community and asserting the need to for live, in-person fairs to persist.
Edman supplied PW with a translation of the editorial, which reads as follows:
Today, the Nordic region’s largest cultural event, the Book Fair in Gothenburg, begins, and in a few weeks, the Frankfurter Buchmesse, the world’s most important book fair for the industry will launch its virtual Special Edition and its festivals BOOKFEST city and digital. By writing these words, we want to emphasize how important book fairs are – not only for publishers, authors and readers, but also for our communities.
Book fairs nourish our communities because they put stories and storytelling in the spotlight. They bring together authors, spark debates and literary conversations, they organize readings and provide first-hand information on book markets. Moreover, they are an immense tribute to free speech, a concrete manifestation of literature and public discourse. And, of course, our fairs are big festivals for the publishing industry and for all book lovers.
In 2020, the coronavirus has forced many book fairs to cancel or go completely digital. In doing this, we embrace a new experience: we learn a lot and develop, make new collaborations and reach new (and broader) target groups. But we also hear questions about the book fairs’ future existence. Has the physical meeting played its role now that everything is going digital?
Our answer is crystal clear: absolutely not. The physical encounter between people will always be a cornerstone of a democratic society – it is essential for driving one’s business and for maintaining successful business relations. Plus, book fairs around the world are a strong engine for the international literary economy.
Every year, more than a hundred Nordic and international agents participate in the Book Fair in Gothenburg, and a few thousand exhibitors from around 100 countries attend Frankfurter Buchmesse. It is not possible to describe in numbers the value that is lost by agents not meeting and negotiating international rights – often the first bids are placed in Gothenburg, stressed during intensive negotiations in Germany and then sold in the world.
Göran Wiberg, Sales Manager, Bonnierförlagen, believes that 50% of book sales at the Gothenburg Book Fair are dependent on the meeting between authors and readers. At Frankfurter Buchmesse last year, for the first time, publishers were allowed to sell their books to the public on Saturday and Sunday of the fair, making a significant amount of revenue. This is indicative of the importance of book fairs for publishers’ financial position in the future.
A prerequisite for this to remain the case is that book fairs take place and that publishers, agents, readers and not least politicians realize how important the book fairs are, and that in the future they secure their participation, visit or support. This year, their participation shows by each group taking part in and getting involved in supporting these book fairs.
Book fairs around the world remind us every year of the importance of literature, reading, and free speech. Book fairs are a prerequisite for the story’s survival and future. Without book fairs, there will be fewer publishers and authors. With fewer authors, we lose readers. Without readers, there is no strong democracy.
The world would be poorer without book fairs. This year we try to cater to the needs of publishers, authors, the industry and the audience with as many formats and offers as we possibly can. But in the uncertain future, we think that for us, as organizers of book fairs, it’s absolutely crucial that we take additional responsibility to create conditions for physical meeting. Together with the industry. And with the support of politics.
The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.
Sep 22, 2020 (AmericaNewsHour) --
This latest Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing report published by Global Market Monitor covers the current market dynamics, and provides effective competition strategies and market guidelines for the majority of practitioners.
Competition Analysis Major enterprises in the global market of Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing include: Mitsubishi Rayon Siemens Toray industries Inc. Graver Technologies Meissner Pore technology Inc. Polymem fluXXion BV 3M Membranes Hyflux Ltd. Koch Membranes Systems Inc. Aquamarijn Micro Filtration BV Donaldson Co. Inc. Xylem GE Water Treatment & Process Technologies Dow Liquid Separations/Filmtec Corp. Asahi Kasei Corp. Filtration Products Inc.
Application Outline: Food Industry Beverage Industry
Market Segments by Type Reverse Osmosis (RO) Nanofiltration (NF) Ultrafiltration (UF) Microfiltration (MF)
Table of Content 1 Report Overview 1.1 Product Definition and Scope 1.2 PEST (Political, Economic, Social and Technological) Analysis of Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market … 2 Market Trends and Competitive Landscape 3 Segmentation of Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market by Types 4 Segmentation of Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market by End-Users 5 Market Analysis by Major Regions 6 Product Commodity of Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market in Major Countries 7 North America Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Landscape Analysis 8 Europe Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Landscape Analysis 9 Asia Pacific Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Landscape Analysis 10 Latin America, Middle East & Africa Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Landscape Analysis 11 Major Players Profile …
Key Regions Overview The report covers the major countries analysis in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the rest of the world. Furthermore, policy mobilization, social dynamics, development trends, and economic development in these countries are also taken into consideration.
Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market Intended Audience: ? Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing manufacturers ? Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing traders, distributors, and suppliers ? Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing industry associations ? Product managers, Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing industry administrator, C-level executives of the industries ? Market Research and consulting firms
Key Questions Answered by This Report: What is the size and CAGR of the Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market? What are the key driving factors of the most profitable regional market? Which are the leading companies in the global market? How will the Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market advance in the coming years? What are the main strategies adopted in the global market? Which region may hit the highest market share in the coming era? What trends, challenges, and barriers will impact the development and sizing of the Membrane Technology for Food and Beverage Processing Market?
About Global Market Monitor Global Market Monitor is a professional modern consulting company, engaged in three major business categories such as market research services, business advisory, technology consulting. We always maintain the win-win spirit, reliable quality and the vision of keeping pace with The Times, to help enterprises achieve revenue growth, cost reduction, and efficiency improvement, and significantly avoid operational risks, to achieve lean growth. Global Market Monitor has provided professional market research, investment consulting, and competitive intelligence services to thousands of organizations, including start-ups, government agencies, banks, research institutes, industry associations, consulting firms, and investment firms.
Contact Global Market Monitor One Pierrepont Plaza, 300 Cadman Plaza W, Brooklyn,NY 11201, USA Name: Rebecca Hall Phone: + 1 (347) 467 7721 Email: info@globalmarketmonitor.com Web Site: https://www.globalmarketmonitor.com
Is there a problem with this press release? Contact the source provider Comtex at editorial@comtex.com. You can also contact MarketWatch Customer Service via our Customer Center.
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<em>The MarketWatch News Department was not involved in the creation of this content.</em>
… Western Europe, as the consumers in these regions are more aware that organic … beverages, soft drinks, food, and overseas. The … coffee systems. The company offers prune juice under the super fruit … ;
KEYWORD:
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: FOOD/BEVERAGE RETAIL
SOURCE …
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