European Union

On 11 April 2017, the Council extended until 13 April 2018 its restrictive measures responding to serious human rights violations in Iran. These measures consist of: 

• a travel ban and an asset freeze against 82 people and one entity
• a ban on exports to Iran of equipment which might be used for internal repression and of equipment for monitoring telecommunications

These measures were first put in place in 2011. The legal acts are published in the Official Journal of 12 April 2017. They were adopted by written procedure.

Climate change is the single most pressing global injustice facing present and future generations, and one of the greatest human rights challenges of our time.

But climate change is not gender neutral. Women are disproportionately affected by climate change, but only a small part of climate funding is allocated specifically to the needs of women in the most affected countries.

And while there is a gender gap on climate funding, there is also a gender gap when it comes to the increasing problem of climate change denial.

Recently-published research shows that climate change denial is strongly correlated with accepting patriarchal or hierarchical structures. One extremely visible example of this is the new President of the United States, Donald Trump. He has attacked women’s reproductive rights and produced a litany of sexist remarks; he has also referred to climate change as a “hoax” and promised to withdraw the US from the 2015 Paris climate change agreement.

Climate denial is also on the rise in Europe, linked to an old faith in oil and coal as job-creating money machines, and to nationalism. Climate change is an inconvenient truth for nationalism: it is a problem that cannot be solved at a national level; it requires collective action between states and between all actors in society at all levels. And perhaps more provocatively, it calls for gender equality and the renouncement of a western masculine identity with its links to consumption patterns.

“Climate change is an inconvenient truth for nationalism: it is a problem that cannot be solved at a national level”

Lifestyles with a larger carbon dioxide footprint are linked to a high income, while lower incomes are linked to lower energy consumption. The traditional distribution of money and power, with men in possession of greater wealth and freedom of movement, therefore results in men being responsible for higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. While rich women in the western world are responsible for higher CO2 emissions than poor men in developing countries, they are still likely to have a lifestyle that emits less CO2 than men with the same income do.

Research shows that polluting habits attributed to men are the result of the norms and values which define traditional masculinity and femininity. These images are very strongly embedded in our minds, reinforced by advertising aimed at increasing consumption. A car, for example, is sold as symbol of a man’s wealth and social status; we are told that ‘real’ men eat meat. Hegemonic masculinity explains why some forms of masculinity become dominant and others subordinate, and why certain traits come to define a ‘real man’. These traits change over time and vary between cultures, but are usually associated with power, strength, domination and aggression.

Breaking with traditional norms of consumption can therefore encourage a more gender-equal society and combat climate change, with both genders encouraged to use public transport and adopt a vegetarian diet. While this presents no problem for many progressive men, others – including many on the conservative right – have their identities increasingly tied up with notions of traditional masculinity. This makes green policies even more provocative: they challenge a gendered identity.

Considerations of gender are also necessary as we work to limit the negative impact of climate change upon the world’s population. Globally, women are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change than men, primarily because women constitute two-thirds of the world’s poor and because their livelihoods are more dependent on the natural resources that are threatened by climate change.

In 2015 the World Bank published a report showing that climate change in poorer regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia could force more than 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030. Without a fair distribution of resources we face a world with millions of climate refugees: the United Nations estimates that there will be 200 million climate refugees by 2050. But with a rapid, inclusive and gender-sensitive development agenda focused on adapting to changing climate conditions, most of these impacts can still be prevented.

“Globally, women’s livelihoods are more dependent on the natural resources that are threatened by climate change”

Raising awareness of climate justice, the need for gender mainstreaming and the consequences of climate change is a prerequisite to tackling the challenges we face. The balance between adaptation and mitigation is unjust, and those who need the most frequently receive the least. Climate funding has become ‘big business’, and the most affected and most vulnerable are not part of the deal. The Paris agreement offers, for the first time, a chance for climate policymakers to focus on human rights and gender equality. This is crucial to ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation policies do not endanger the full enjoyment of human rights.

Women and men living in rural areas within developing countries are especially vulnerable. They face great challenges in securing water, food and fuel for cooking and heating. For women this issue is frequently coupled with limited mobility and unequal access to both resources and decision-making processes. In short, women often face social, economic and political barriers that limit their coping capacity. It is vital to identify gender-sensitive strategies to respond to the environmental and humanitarian crises caused by climate change.

Integrating gender into climate policy is efficient policymaking and a necessary tool to achieve climate justice on a global level. By introducing gender aspects into climate measures, policymakers will have to consider how different social factors, such as gender, education, income and age, determine our access to resources and our opportunities to act in a climate-friendly way.

The result of a gender-sensitive approach is that the diversity of social groups is more likely to be taken into account when formulating climate policies. That is why gender analysis is the starting point in making climate policy socially fair – and why climate change is certainly a feminist issue.

IMAGE CREDIT: CC/Flickr – Annette Bernhardt

The post Climate change is a feminist issue appeared first on Europe’s World.

Plenary sessions : Social media not only serves as a source of news for nearly half of Europeans, but it also has made spreading fake news easier and faster. Six out of ten news items are shared without actually being read. MEPS raised concerns about the spread of disinformation, political propaganda and hate speech in plenary on 5 April. However, they disagreed on the best way to respond to the problem. Watch our video above for an overview of the debate.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Plenary sessions : Social media not only serves as a source of news for nearly half of Europeans, but it also has made spreading fake news easier and faster. Six out of ten news items are shared without actually being read. MEPS raised concerns about the spread of disinformation, political propaganda and hate speech in plenary on 5 April. However, they disagreed on the best way to respond to the problem. Watch our video above for an overview of the debate.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Recent proposals to expedite the return of migrants who are not entitled to refugee status will be debated in the Civil Liberties Committee on Tuesday morning.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Recent proposals to expedite the return of migrants who are not entitled to refugee status will be debated in the Civil Liberties Committee on Tuesday morning.
Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Length of video : 109'
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Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : Following last week’s plenary session in Strasbourg, members are back in Brussels where committees are meeting before Parliament goes on a short recess for Easter. Among the issues on this week’s agenda are the latest developments in Syria and how to combat food waste. Members of the civil liberties committee discuss new proposals for the EU’s migrant return policy, while the human rights and women’s rights committees hold a joint hearing on child marriages.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : Following last week’s plenary session in Strasbourg, members are back in Brussels where committees are meeting before Parliament goes on a short recess for Easter. Among the issues on this week’s agenda are the latest developments in Syria and how to combat food waste. Members of the civil liberties committee discuss new proposals for the EU’s migrant return policy, while the human rights and women’s rights committees hold a joint hearing on child marriages.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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Committee meetings, Brussels

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

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Stockholm joined a miserable list on Friday. The Swedish capital became the latest European city – after London, Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Nice – to be hit by a recent terror attack.

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The Informal Economic and Financial Affairs Ministers meeting takes place on 7 and 8 April in Valletta.

Download this video here.

From 3 to 14 April 2017 in the Western Mediterranean, 1 000 French soldiers participate in SKRENVIL operational training. This joint exercise between the French Army and the Navy is designed to ensure amphibious deployment procedures.

As part of this operational training, an amphibious group is deployed in the Mediterranean. It is composed of the Dixmude (Projection and Command Ship,BPC), Cassard (Antiaircraft Frigate, FAA), Montcalm (Anti-submarine Frigate, FASM) and the Mediterranean demining group (GPD Med). Command Landing Group / CLG is provided at the 2nd Foreign Infantry Regiment (2nd REI).

A Joint Battle Group (GTIA) of the 6th Light Armored Brigade composed of different units of the 2th REI, 1st REG (Foreign Regiment of Engineers), 1st REC (Foreign Cavalry Regiment), 3rd RAMa (Marine Artillery Regiment) of the 5th RHC (Combat Helicopter Regiment), is created for the occasion. The major equipment involved is 15 VBCI (Armored Infantry Combat Vehicle) and a dozen VAB (Front Armored Vehicle), as well as 4 Puma and Gazelle helicopters.

The amphibious detachment boarded the Diksmuide with its 2 Equipment Chalands (CTM) and a Rapid Amphibious Landing Craft (EDAR).
This training consists of two phases:
- evacuation of nationals,
- followed by a grounding of the GTIA.
In total, some 20 vehicles, maneuver helicopters and attack helicopters will have to land in a coordinated way to make a progression of about 30 kilometers.

This training is characterized by a suitable training ground, the realism of the scenario, the means and the military capabilities. These are all specific features that allow the Army and the Navy to maneuver jointly and to be sufficiently reactive in the event of an amphibious operation.

Tag: SKRENVIL-2017

Tuesday 11 April 2017
13.00 Meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker 

In response to the air strike that hit the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province on 4 April 2017, with many victims displaying symptoms of gas poisoning, the EU (in its Declaration 193/17 of 6 April 2017) has been unequivocal in its condemnation of the use of chemical weapon: the use of chemical weapons or chemical substances as weapons amounts to a war crime and identified perpetrators must be held accountable for this violation of international law.

The US has informed the European Union that, based on their assessment that the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, they launched a strike on Shayrat Airfield in Syria with the understandable intention to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons. The US also informed us that these strikes are limited and focused on preventing and deterring further use of chemical weapons atrocities. The EU will continue to support the efforts and work of the OPCW, in particular in Syria, including the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism, with regard to the investigation of the use of chemical weapons.  Those found responsible should be sanctioned within the framework of the United Nations.

The EU firmly believes that there can be no military solution to the conflict and is committed to the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Syrian State. Only a credible political solution, as defined in UNSCR 2254 and the 2012 Geneva Communiqué will ensure peace and stability in Syria and enable a decisive defeat of Da'esh and other UN-designated terrorist groups in Syria.

The EU reiterates its support to the UN-mediated intra-Syrian talks in Geneva to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict. This is even more urgent now, as reaffirmed by the International Conference "Supporting the future of Syria and the region" that the European Union hosted in Brussels on 4-5 April 2017.

Good afternoon and welcome to this press conference, here after the Eurogroup in Valletta. I want, first of all, to thank the Maltese hosts for the excellent organisation and the wonderful venue for today's discussions. Today in the Eurogroup, we welcomed Danièle Nouy of the ECB Supervisory Board and Elke Koenig of the Single Resolution Board. They joined us to speak about their work, as they do on a regular basis. 

Let me start with Greece. We have achieved significant progress on the second review since the last Eurogroup in March. As you remember, then, on my initiative, we had changed the strategy, we had changed the order of things and we had intensified talks to, first of all, reach an agreement between the institutions and the Greek government on the key elements, the overarching elements, of the policy package, let's say the big reforms, and once that was achieved, to finalise details and solve the remaining smaller issues. We have been successful in doing so. So that is the news I can bring you today. We have an agreement on those overarching elements of policy, in terms of size, timing and sequencing of the reforms, and on that basis, further work will continue in the coming days, with a view for the mission to return as soon as possible to Athens to complete the work. 

Let me give you some headlines. We have agreed on a 2% reform package, 1% in 2019 mainly based on pensions, 1% in 2020 in principle, mainly based on personal income tax. And we agreed that the Greek government can also, in parallel, legislate expansionary measures, on the assumption that the economy is doing better and the fiscal path is doing better than expected, and using the fiscal space that then will be created by these additional reforms. 

We invite the institutions and the Greek authorities to continue the work putting the last dots on the "i's" and to reach a full Staff Level Agreement as soon as possible. 

Once a Staff Level Agreement is reached, the Eurogroup will come back to the issue of the medium-term fiscal path for the post-programme period and debt sustainability, building on what we have already agreed in May 2016, in order to reach that overall political agreement. And it is very important for Greece that we do this as soon as possible. But, as we said, the big blocks have now been sorted out and that should allow us to speed up and go for the final stretch. 

Moving on to the banking sector. Danièle Nouy and Elke Koenig gave a timely update on recent developments in the financial sector, as well as on the key challenges and priorities that both institutions have in the coming months. 

We welcomed the news that the banking sector in the Eurozone, or should I say in the banking union, is in a better shape. But, of course, some important legacy issues still remain; are being addressed; have been clearly identified and we will take the necessary decisive actions within the banking union framework. Overall, we commended them for the excellent work done by these still relatively new institutions and encouraged both them and the Commission to continue to work closely together. Looking forward to our next debrief by them in the autumn. 

Third, we held one of our regular thematic discussions on growth and jobs, today on supporting investment in the euro-area. Investment in the euro-area is running still at lower levels than before the crisis, particularly in some member states. Addressing barriers to investment is therefore a clear priority for euro-area member states and the euro-area as a whole. If we address these weaknesses, we can also work on the convergence of member states' economies, and that element of convergence should be our top priority in economic terms. 

We started this work with a first exchange of views in July 2016 and followed it up in February, with a discussion on ease of doing business, particularly looking at public administration and sector-specific bottlenecks. 

Today, we were able to build on that previous work and agreed on three common principles. These cover, in general terms: first of all, promoting private investment; secondly, prioritising productivity-enhancing public investment; and third, developing market-based sources of finance, broadening the sources of finance throughout the Eurozone. A document has been prepared by the Commission and will be published. Our common principles and statement has been drawn up by the Eurogroup. Our common principles will help us to focus on these reforms, we will exchange best practices, the Commission will monitor these topics for us, allowing the Eurogroup to regularly take stock of the progress that is made.

Finally, the institutions briefed us on their post-programme surveillance of Cyprus, one year after the end of the programme. There is very good news on the economic recovery which, together with progress in previous years in fiscal consolidation, has led to a strong primary surplus. If we go back to the debt of the Cypriot crisis, you will remember that there was a contraction of, I believe, minus 6%. There is now a growth rate in Cyprus of, I believe, 3% or maybe even over 3%. Our Cypriot colleague commemorated that before the crisis of course,  the Cyprus was also at high growth figures, but then it was based on over expenditure on the public side and over-crediting in the banking sector. Now, it is solid growth and not based on risky economic developments. So, very strong and very good performance in Cyprus, on which, of course, we complimented the Cypriot authorities. The Cypriot government also reconfirmed its commitment to the reform effort. The time that they still have will be used to the max to work further on dealing with some of the remaining vulnerabilities in Cyprus, as in the financial sector, NPLs and any budgetary challenges. So that was a good news to end with.

Anyone getting too comfortable with the idea that Paolo Gentiloni and his competently low-key Italian government can make it until 2018 was given quite a jolt this week. Mr Gentiloni, who took over as prime minister last December from Matteo Renzi, is in fact skating on pretty thin ice.

This week brought a vivid reminder of that reality. In Italian politics, there is an ever-present danger that even the smallest accidents can spiral out of control.

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The Eurogroup is fully committed to supporting economic growth and jobs and holds regular thematic discussions to explore and define common policy ambitions to this end. 

Investment in the euro area still shows signs of weakness, especially in Member States heavily hit by the crisis. At its meeting on 11 July 2016, the Eurogroup highlighted that addressing barriers to investment is a clear priority for euro area Member States. Investment is explicitly addressed in the 2017 Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area as well as in the 2016 Country-Specific Recommendations for several euro area Member States. 

The Eurogroup considers that addressing investment weaknesses can increase the convergence of Member States' economies and foster the rebalancing process, thereby improving the resilience of the economic and monetary union. In this regard, the Eurogroup acknowledges the importance of EU-level initiatives, which are of specific relevance for the euro area, inter alia the Investment Plan, further deepening the Single Market and building a fully-fledged Capital Markets Union. At national level, further efforts should be made to improve the conditions for investment, not least to reap the full benefits of these initiatives. 

The Eurogroup thus endorses the following common principles, which should guide initiatives at Member State level when implementing reforms in this field: 

Reforms should aim at promoting private investment and facilitating resource reallocation. Improving the business environment and the quality of public administration and addressing sector-specific bottlenecks will contribute to making product markets more reactive and flexible. These efforts should be complemented by labour market policies aiming at facilitating geographical, sectoral and occupational mobility. 

Productivity enhancing public investment can play a crucial role and should be prioritised to boost growth in the short run as well as potential growth in the medium to long run, while ensuring full compliance with the SGP. In particular, investment in network infrastructure can have an important impact on growth and productivity. Public investment can also be mobilised to leverage private investment. In addition, fostering knowledge-intensive and sustainable growth, including via subsidies and incentives for investment in R&D and improvements in the quality of education can help increase the returns on investment. 

Market-based sources of business financing should be developed to widen the range of available forms of financing. The availability of non-bank sources of financing - including venture capital, crowdfunding and market-based finance - can improve the resilience of euro area firms, and in particular SMEs, when confronted with an adverse shock and provide new opportunities for cross-border activities. 

Reforms to support investment should be complemented by flanking policies aiming at improving the quality and governance of public institutions. This includes measures for an effective judicial system and insolvency framework, fighting corruption and promoting more transparent, open and efficient public procurement.

The Eurogroup also approves these common principles as a reference point for reviewing national reform efforts. These will help Member States identify examples of policy successes and also help address investment weaknesses for euro area Member States, whilst taking due account of country-specific situations. The Eurogroup thus invites the Commission to assess developments in this field within its usual surveillance processes, with a view to allowing periodic monitoring by the Eurogroup, including in the context of the discussions on the Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area. The Eurogroup also invites its preparatory committees and the Commission to develop an exchange of best practices across a selected number of relevant areas. The Eurogroup expects to revisit this workstream and examine the feasibility of developing appropriate benchmarking in this area on the basis of progress achieved at technical level.