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State of the Union: Urusla von der Leyen goes hard on China

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State of the Union: Urusla von der Leyen goes hard on China

If you find yourself about to be any individual’s visitor, likelihood is you discover some good phrases of reward on your host beforehand – simply to ensure your go to goes nicely.

European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen took the other strategy on Thursday.

Simply days earlier than her deliberate journey to China subsequent week, she was brutally trustworthy about Beijing.

In a crucial speech, hardly ever seen in worldwide diplomacy, she attacked China for its stance on Putin and Ukraine, its human rights violations at house and its financial retaliation towards nations that don’t share Beijing’s standpoint.

She additionally accused China of being extra repressive at house and extra assertive overseas.

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“The Chinese language Communist Get together’s clear purpose is a systemic change of the worldwide order, with China at its centre,” she stated throughout her first-ever speech on EU-China relations.

“We’ve got seen it with China’s positions in multilateral our bodies, which present its dedication to advertise an alternate imaginative and prescient of the world order.”

Nonetheless, Europe ought to hold its strains of communication open with Beijing, she added, however be bolder in standing up for democratic values.

Her remarks got here towards the backdrop of US President Joe Biden’s second Summit for Democracy, a digital world occasion with co-sponsors in 4 continents and the Netherlands representing Europe.

Biden promised billions of {dollars} to fund efforts to advance democracy around the globe, to which the Chinese language authorities reacted with scorn.

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One of many members, France’s Emmanuel Macron, who will journey with Von der Leyen to China, voiced doubts that the present world structure is less than the duties forward.

“We completely want sturdy and bonafide establishments,” the French president stated this week.

“I basically imagine that we should rethink collectively, collectively, democratically, our worldwide establishments, in order that they’ll meet present challenges.”

Inflation stays stubbornly excessive

Away from geopolitical tensions, in the case of our each day lives, folks will most likely proceed to really feel the pinch for a while to come back nonetheless, with core inflation throughout the eurozone hitting an all-time excessive of 5.7% in March, in response to preliminary figures.

The numbers are a bleak reminder of how entrenched the phenomenon of rising costs has change into.

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Core inflation excludes the unstable costs of power, meals, alcohol and tobacco, and provides a extra correct analysis of the present state of the financial system.

The indicator is intently watched by the European Central Financial institution to determine new will increase in rates of interest, which are supposed to curb shopper demand and funky down costs.

Core inflation has by no means been this excessive because the introduction of the euro.

Trying on the broader image, annual inflation throughout the eurozone stood at 6.9% by the tip of March, a steep lower from the 8.5% price registered in February, in response to the flash estimate launched by Eurostat on Friday morning.

“Inflation sharply down within the eurozone. Excellent news!” stated Paolo Gentiloni, the European Commissioner for the financial system. “However core inflation stays excessive, pushed by meals and companies.”

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Renewable power will get a lift

In some optimistic information for the continent, EU member states and members of the European Parliament reached an settlement on Thursday to double the manufacturing of renewables throughout the bloc by the tip of the last decade.

Underneath the provisional deal, the share of renewable power within the EU’s total consumption will have to be 42.5% by 2030 with an extra “aspirational” 2.5% top-up in a bid to achieve 45%.

In 2021, renewable power represented 21.8 % of power consumed within the EU, in response to Eurostat.

The brand new binding goal set within the Renewable Power Directive is beneath the 45% requested by MEPs however above member states’ most well-liked 40% and ups the present goal in vigour by simply over 10 proportion factors.

The brand new guidelines, that are a part of the Match for 55 bundle introduced in summer time 2021 to hurry up the power transition and slash EU emissions by 55% by 2030, now should be formally authorised by member states and by your complete European Parliament.

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Cambodia's prime minister bans musical horns on vehicles to curb dangerous street dancing

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Cambodia's prime minister bans musical horns on vehicles to curb dangerous street dancing
  • Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane has issued a ban on musical horns after videos on social media depicted people dancing on roadsides.
  • Mane instructed the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and police nationwide to remove tune-playing horns from vehicles.
  • The ban has already been put into effect by provincial authorities, and Hun Manet voiced its nationwide enforcement.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Mane has ordered a ban on musical horns, after videos posted on social media showed people dancing on roads and roadsides as passing trucks blasted rhythmic little tunes.

Hun Manet, who last year took over the wheel of government from his father, Hun Sen — who led Cambodia for 38 years — called on the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation and police across the country to immediately take action against any vehicle whose normal horn has been replaced by a tune-playing one by ripping it out and restoring the standard honking type. 

He said the measure has already been implemented by provincial authorities, but he wanted to announce it publicly to make sure it was enforced nationwide.

CAMBODIA’S PIONEERING POST-KHMER ROUGE ERA PHNOM PENH POST NEWSPAPER WILL STOP PRINT PUBLICATION

He commented on his Facebook page on Monday that recent social media posts had shown “inappropriate activity committed by some people, especially youth and children, dancing on the roadside to the musical sounds from trucks’ horns.”

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet greets garment workers on Aug. 29, 2023, at Prey Speu village outside Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mane has ordered a ban on musical horns, after videos posted on social media showed people dancing on roads and roadsides as passing trucks blasted rhythmic little tunes. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith, File)

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Hun Manet said such dancing affects public order and poses a traffic hazard that is a threat to life and limb, not least of all to the dancers themselves. 

2 ANTI-GOVERNMENT ACTIVISTS IN CAMBODIA CHARGED WITH INSULTING KING ON SOCIAL MEDIA

One video shows three young people dancing in the middle of a road while a large trailer truck coming their way lays down a beat.

For Cambodians, there will be no more dancing in the street.

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Biotech strategy launch, Newsletter

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Biotech strategy launch, Newsletter

Key diary dates

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Tuesday 19 March: European Parliament’s committee vote on the reform of EU pharmaceutical rules.

Wednesday 20 March: Presentation of the European Commission‘s first ‘EU Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative’.

Tuesday 19-Friday 22 March: European Commission organises Digital Markets Act workshops with gatekeepers.

In spotlight

This Wednesday (20 March) the European Commission is expected to unveil a new ‘EU Biotech and Biomanufacturing Initiative’ .

Despite half-hearted attempts at regulatory simplification in the sector in the past, life science technologies are increasingly drawing attention from policymakers.

Last month Euronews first reported on the health component of this initiative based on a leaked draft document that highlighted a focus on the vibrant biopharmaceutical sector – responsible for providing breakthrough messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules playing an essential role in COVID-19 vaccines.

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But biotech applications are not limited to the health sector, ranging from sustainable sourcing of advanced materials to climate-smart production and other components essential to a fossil-free and circular economy.

A ‘blue’ biotech is also emerging, with new research on aquatic organisms and microalgae fermentation ready for commercial exploitation – not to mention the potential of new genomic techniques (NGTs) for food production, already under discussion by EU lawmakers.

The main goals of this initiative will be to survey the status quo and track future challenges facing the biotech sector to orientate policy efforts in readiness for the next legislative mandate.

Some policy ideas are likely to be proffered, such as a one-stop shop to permit and authorise biotech manufacturing – while a controversial proposal for an R&I tax credit for biotech companies is rumoured to have been shelved for the moment.

This first dedicated attempt to address the sector won’t be the last, with economic security and strategic autonomy likely to be key buzzwords for the next commission.

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Biotech is expected to be a new beat to keep a close eye on and it has already been listed as a critical technology for the continent, together with semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

The defence imperative dominating current commission thinking involves European independence from military aircraft to sourcing these critical new technologies.

Policy newsmakers

@Hahn                                                                                                                   @Wiewiórowski

Commission under data notice

The European Commission was ordered last week to bring its use of Microsoft 365 office programs in line with its own rulebook, after European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski found following an investigation that the commission breached EU rules on transfers of personal data outside the EU. The commission now needs to suspend all data flows resulting from its use of Microsoft 365 to Microsoft and to its affiliates and sub-processors located in countries outside the EU/EEA that are not covered by a data transfer agreement. The commissioner responsible for admin, Johannes Hahn, will have to demonstrate compliance with the orders by 9 December 2024.

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Subscribe here to see the results of last week’s poll and stay informed on the latest EU policy developments with our weekly newsletter, “The Policy Briefing”. Your weekly insight on European rulemaking, policy issues, key events, and data trends.

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Reuters Institute: Research shows women only make 24% of news top editors / FIP

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Reuters Institute: Research shows women only make 24% of news top editors / FIP

New research by the Reuters Institute analyses the gender representation of senior editors in major news outlets across five continents, recording that women fill only 24% of senior editorial roles in the markets surveyed. The findings highlight how gender inequalities can reinforce misperceptions, imbalances, and perceived differences both within journalism and as covered by journalists.

The research “Women and leadership in the news media 2024: Evidence from 12 markets” took examples from five continents, and analysed the gender breakdown of editorial leaders.  Two hundred and forty major online and offline news outlets provided data. 

According to the factsheet, among the 33 news top editors appointed across brands covered this year and last, 24% are women. In some of these countries, however, women outnumber men among working journalists.

Reuters contrasts its new findings with data from the past five years. The proportion of women among the top editors has increased by only 2% since 2020, going from 23% to 25% in 2024. The Institute’s analysis anticipates that, at this pace, gender parity will be reached in such positions only by the year 2074.

Change is not consistent throughout countries, however. If the percentage has increased relative to 2020 in six countries (name them all), it has decreased in Germany by 2% and it has highly decreased in South Africa, from 47% to 29%. 

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Reuters Institute makes clear that “top editorial leadership matters both in terms of how journalism is practised and how it appears in society,” insisting on  how top editors represent the wider public “in all its difference and diversity.”

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