L’Algérie a émis une déclaration ferme condamnant les récentes attaques terroristes qui ont plongé le Mali voisin dans le deuil. Dans un communiqué officiel publié […]
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Written by Aidan Christie.
The September plenary session is always an important moment in the Parliamentary year, with Members returning to Strasbourg to hear the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen’s annual statement on the State of the Union, as well as setting to work on a very full agenda. Other highlights are set to include an address to a formal sitting of Parliament by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the exiled Belarusian opposition leader (and 2020 Sakharov Prize laureate). Members will also vote on the appointment of Iliana Ivanova as a member of the European Commission. On Tuesday, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission Josep Borrell is expected to attend question time to discuss the situation in west and central Africa following the coups d’état that have rocked the region in recent months.
Weather patterns over the summer months have highlighted the need to raise the EU’s ambition when it comes to the share of renewables in energy consumption to tackle current climate and energy security challenges. Members are scheduled on Monday to consider the final text of an agreement reached with the Council on a new revision of the Renewable Energy Directive, setting a target for a 42.5 % share by 2030. If agreed, the new legislation should simplify permitting procedures for renewable energy projects. It would set specific targets for the buildings sector and use of biofuels in the transport sector and aims at promoting innovation and cooperation on cross-border projects.
Members are also set to discuss a Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) report on the ReFuelEU aviation initiative, in a debate scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. A provisional regulation agreed in trilogue negotiations places requirements on the uptake of aviation fuel at EU airports, to fight fuel tankering practices (when carriers avoid high fuel prices at a destination airport by refuelling an aircraft with more fuel than is necessary at departure, which increases emissions). The text also places progressively increasing requirements on the minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels suppliers must provide to EU airports, as well as on the proportion of synthetic fuels in the fuel mix.
As clean water is essential for healthy ecosystems, as well as for drinking, bathing, and agriculture, on Monday, Members are set to debate Parliament’s position for trilogue negotiations on a Commission proposal to update water pollution legislation. If adopted, the legislation would add over two dozen substances, including glyphosate, to the lists of priority surface and groundwater pollutants that EU government authorities must monitor and control. Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) wishes to amend the proposal to set much lower threshold values for groundwater than surface water, as groundwater environments are more vulnerable to stressors than surface ecosystems. The ENVI report also calls for a system of extended producer responsibility for water pollutants, and adds provisions on access to justice in cases of breach of the Water Framework Directive.
The largest environmental health risk in the EU, however, is air pollution, causing chronic disease and early death. Members are due to consider an ENVI committee report on a proposal to revise EU air quality legislation on Tuesday afternoon. The committee seeks stricter limit and target values for several pollutants, to be put in place by 2030. It proposes strict rules on compensation, and suggests Member States finance measures to improve air quality with money collected from penalties. The report proposes aligning future monitoring and review with World Health Organization guidelines and using comparable air quality indices across the EU. Adoption of the report would set Parliament’s position for negotiations on cleaner air with the Council.
As Russia persists in its war on Ukraine, highlighting gaps in EU defence investment, the Commission has proposed a €300 million fund to incentivise joint procurement of urgent and critical defence products – the European defence industry reinforcement through common procurement act (EDIRPA). On Monday evening, Members are due to consider the text agreed in trilogue negotiations, which would make funding available for purchases by consortia of at least three EU Member States. Contractors would have to be established (or have their executive management structures) in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Norway. If adopted, the agreement would set rules on the portion of component costs that may come from third countries. A 5 % funding bonus would also be added when manufacturing involves small or medium-sized enterprises, or, following Parliament’s position, when defence procurement benefits Ukraine or Moldova.
In the face of growing geopolitical challenges, Members are set to debate a report from the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on establishing a framework to ensure a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials (‘CRMs act’). While the proposal seeks to list 34 CRMs, including 16 ‘strategic’ raw materials and strengthen EU capacity to extract, process and recycle them, the committee would like to see higher benchmarks, more regular review of these lists and greater support for ‘strategic projects’ eligible for streamlined permitting processes and easier access to financing. Members will debate the ITRE report on Wednesday afternoon. If adopted, this would set Parliament’s position for negotiations with the Council.
Aiming to plan ahead against future shocks to the EU internal market that disrupt the free flow of goods, services and people, such as the recent pandemic, Members are set to consider a report by the Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) regarding the proposed single market emergency instrument (SMEI) package, in a debate scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. The IMCO report proposes changing the instrument’s name to the ‘Internal market emergency and resilience act’ (IMERA), as well as its governance structure. The report underlines the importance of accountability in making emergency decisions and of protecting supply chains, and seeks a greater role for the Parliament in triggering the proposed ’emergency mode’ during a crisis. As during the pandemic, IMCO proposes to formalise the use of ‘fast lanes’ to facilitate the free movement of goods, services and workers, especially where relevant to an emergency affecting the internal market.
As EU border regions face specific challenges when working together on many projects, on Wednesday afternoon Members are expected to debate a new Committee on Regional Development (REGI) legislative-initiative report seeking to revive proposals for a European cross-border mechanism (ECBM). The committee proposes that Member States establish cross-border coordination points to coordinate and monitor projects that would remove obstacles to cross-border development. Member States would be free to decide whether to use the mechanism, which could also be used in regions bordering candidate countries.
With inflation impacting household spending, it is more important than ever to protect consumers who need to obtain credit to pay for goods and services. On Monday afternoon Members are therefore due to debate a provisional agreement reached between the co-legislators on a proposal for a new consumer credit directive. If adopted, the new legislation would ensure consumers have all the information they need to make an informed choice before they sign for a loan. Creditors would also have to make prior checks on their creditworthiness. As the financial landscape has changed since the original rules were set, the new consumer credit directive should also cover risky loans, those under €200, and loans offered through crowdfunding. Another new financial feature, the fast-moving crypto-asset sector, hampers tax authorities’ efforts to ensure citizens who invest in crypto contribute their fair share of the income they make to society. On Wednesday afternoon, Members are set to vote on a Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) report on the European Commission proposal to revise the directive on administrative cooperation in the field of taxation (‘DAC8’). The committee strongly supports introducing a reporting framework requiring crypto-asset service providers report on crypto-transactions, to fight tax fraud. However, the ECON report also points to a need for broader rules, covering ownership information on assets such as yachts and private jets, or valuables held at free ports and customs warehouses.
Another domain that has advanced beyond recognition in the 20 years since EU legislation was introduced to protect donors and recipients is medical treatments involving substances of human origin (SoHOs), such as blood transfusions, stem cell, cornea and skin transplants, and in vitro fertilisation. On Tuesday, therefore, Members are set to vote on an ENVI committee report on a proposal to bring EU law up to date and create more flexibility to cope with future developments. The proposal seeks to improve donation collection rates and planning for emergencies, with better registration and reporting by entities working with SoHOs, as well as to develop an EU platform to gather information and increase transparency. The ENVI report seeks to reinforce these measures, particularly those that improve protection for citizens who donate or are treated with human blood, tissues or cells. If adopted, the report will set Parliament’s position for future negotiations with the Council.
While the EU has well‑established geographical indication schemes for food and drink products, protection of regional non‑food craft and industrial products (CIs) is handled – if at all – at the national level. A proposed regulation on CIs would establish intellectual property rights to protect products whose quality, reputation or other characteristic is attributable to a specific geographical area. At least one step of the production must take place in the defined area, and, as a result of Parliament’s push during trilogue negotiations, Member State authorities will be required to facilitate the application process for micro-, small and medium‑sized enterprises and keep fees to a minimum. The resulting provisional text is scheduled for debate on Monday.
On Tuesday, Members are scheduled to vote on a provisional agreement for a regulation on the labelling of organic pet food. Pet food has been included under the rules for labelling of organic feed (intended for food-producing animals) since 2022. The agreement brings the labelling requirements for organic pet food closer into alignment with those for organic human food: pet food will be eligible for labelling with an EU organic production logo if 95 % of its agricultural ingredients are organic (compared to the 100 % required for organic feed).
Further afield, the Commission’s 2022 annual report on Türkiye notes ‘serious deficiencies’ in the functioning of the country’s democratic institutions, and points to a lack of progress on relations on Cyprus. On Tuesday afternoon, Members are scheduled to debate the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) assessment of the Commission’s report. The AFET report reiterates EU commitment to and support for refugees in Türkiye, as well as underlining the humanitarian situation arising from the earthquake in February. However, the committee emphasises that, although Türkiye remains an EU accession candidate, this process cannot resume under the current circumstances, and calls for ‘a parallel and realistic framework’ for EU-Türkiye relations.
The EU is a contracting party to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which manages the stock of eastern bluefin tuna in the Atlantic. The EU is therefore obliged to update fisheries laws to match ICCAT recommendations, which are adjusted regularly. Thanks to fishing quotas and other restrictive measures, bluefin tuna populations have recovered, leading the ICCAT to move to a management plan in June 2019. However, while Parliament’s Committee on Fisheries (PECH) adopted its report, supporting quotas for small-scale fisheries, in September 2020, the Council rejected the agreement reached in trilogue negotiations. Talks resumed in 2022, and Parliament will vote at second reading on a new agreement on Tuesday. The agreed text largely follows Parliament’s original position on fishing quotas for bluefin tuna, and sets new rules reflecting the latest ICCAT management plan.
Le ministère chargé des finances à travers la Direction Nationale du Contrôle Financier a élaboré une nouvelle version du Répertoire des Prix de Référence (RPR).
Instauré depuis 2007 pour répondre au besoin d'encadrement des prix des commandes publiques en Ré- publique du Bénin, le Répertoire des Prix de Référence à l'usage de l'ad- ministration publique est un outil technique d'aide à la décision, d'éva- luation financière, un instrument de maîtrise des prévisions budgétaires et de leur fiabilité dans le domaine des commandes publiques.
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Written by Marcin Grajewski.
Ukraine has made progress in recapturing its territory seized by Russia, 18 months after Moscow started its unprovoked war against its neighbour, as part of the counter-offensive launched in June. Ukrainian analysts say the drive to capture a succession of villages is paying off. Russia has dismissed the offensive as a failure, while admitting that things are not easy in parts of south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region.
Russia has unleashed a barrage of drone strikes on various targets, including the port city of Odessa. Some have reached the border of NATO member Romania, according to Ukrainian officials, and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has said that strikes were less than a kilometre from Romania’s border.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Kyiv on 6 and 7 September to discuss how the counter-offensive is going and to assess battlefield needs, as well as any steps required to shore up Ukraine’s energy security ahead of winter. Meanwhile, Turkey has said that, together with the UN, it has prepared new initiatives to revive the grain deal, recently blocked by Russia, which had allowed Ukraine to transport the commodity safely through the Black Sea.
This note gathers links to the recent publications and commentaries from many international think tanks on Russia’s war on Ukraine. Earlier analyses on the war can be found in a previous edition of the ‘What Think Tanks are Thinking’ series. Publications on NATO ahead of its July summit can be found in another item in the series.
Scars on their souls: PTSD and veterans of Ukraine
Globsec, September 2023
The impact of the war in Ukraine on the European defence market
Institut des relations internationales et stratégiques, September 2023
Russian offensive campaign assessment, September 2023
Institute of the Study of War, September 2023
The Russian imperial movement, the war in Ukraine and the future of Russian state
International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, September 2023
Russia drives Switzerland closer to NATO
International Institute for Strategic Studies, September 2023
Russia is losing in Ukraine but winning in Georgia
Atlantic Council, August 2023
Putin’s Russia must not be allowed to normalize nuclear blackmail
Atlantic Council, August 2023
Ukraine’s remarkable resilience may prove decisive in long war with Russia
Atlantic Council, August 2023
Here’s what F-16s will (and will not) mean for Ukraine’s fight against Russia
Atlantic Council, August 2023
Putin’s Russia is trapped in genocidal denial over Ukrainian independence
Atlantic Council, August 2023
The return of the enemy: Putin’s war on Ukraine and a cognitive blockage in Western security policy
Brookings Institution, August 2023
Republicans are turning against aid to Ukraine
Brookings Institution, August 2023
The war in Ukraine is about Europe’s future
Carnegie Europe, August 2023
Ukrainians are slowly adapting to life in Germany
Centre for Eastern Studies, August 2023
The end of Prigozhin: The Kremlin disciplines the elite
Centre for Eastern Studies, August 2023
Partial success: Russia’s oil sector adapts to sanctions
Centre for Eastern Studies, August 2023
The twilight of the Russian-Indian strategic partnership
Centre for Eastern Studies, August 2023
Pushing Ukraine to negotiate now would be disastrous
Chatham House, August 2023
Who killed Yevgeny Prigozhin?
Council on Foreign Relations, August 2023
Three lessons from Europe’s response to Ukrainian migration
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2023
How tomorrow never comes: Russia’s war against Ukraine and its impact on Taiwan
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2023
EU-Ukraine wartime trade: Overcoming difficulties, forging a European path
European Policy Centre, August 2023
An opportunity for Ukraine’s allies
German Marshall Fund, August 2023
The wind rose’s directions: Russia’s strategic deterrence during the first year of the war in Ukraine
Institut français des relations internationales, August 2023
Russia’s war on Ukraine: A sanctions timeline
Peterson Institute of International Economy, August 2023
Seeking ways to exclude Russian vendors from UN procurement system
Polish Institute of International Affairs, August 2023
Russian aggression speeding up changes in religious situation in Ukraine
Polish Institute of International Affairs, August 2023
Hard times for U.S.-Russian nuclear arms control
Rand Corporation, August 2023
China ponders Russia’s logistical challenges in the Ukraine war
Rand Corporation, August 2023
Resisting Russia: Insights into Ukraine’s civilian-based actions during the first four months of the war in 2022
Rand Corporation, August 2023
Why Biden was justified to send cluster munitions to Ukraine
Rand Corporation, August 2023
The Russo-Ukrainian war has bolstered Ukraine’s non-state alliance network
Rand Corporation, August 2023
Nuclear rhetoric and escalation management in Russia’s war against Ukraine: A chronology
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, August 2023
Did Russia commit a war crime in leaving the Ukraine grain deal?
Atlantic Council, July 2023
Ukraine must not forget fight against corruption while battling Russia
Atlantic Council, July 2023
Ukraine’s digital revolution is proving vital for the country’s war effort
Atlantic Council, July 2023
Want Ukraine in the EU? You’ll have to reform the EU, too
Brookings Institution, July 2023
Ukraine has not transformed EU foreign policy
Carnegie Europe, July 2023
NATO gives Ukraine no finishing line
Carnegie Europe, July 2023
How frozen Russian assets could pay for rebuilding in Ukraine
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2023
Russia killed the Black Sea grain deal: These countries could suffer most
Council on Foreign Relations, July 2023
The 2024 U.S. elections and Ukraine
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, July 2023
Cluster munitions and international law
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, July 2023
The Ukrainian counteroffensive: Why Western allies should keep calm and carry on
European Council on Foreign Relations, July 2023
In Ukraine I saw a brave but ravaged land in limbo: It needs a future, it needs NATO
European Council on Foreign Relations, August 2023
Russia’s weaponisation of grain exports must not be tolerated
European Policy Centre, July 2023
The China nuclear taboo and Russia’s war in Ukraine
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2023
Ukraine’s NATO membership will strengthen Europe’s security
Istituto Affari Internazionali, July 2023
The EU can’t treat Ukrainian refugees like short-term visitors
Rand Corporation, July 2023
Making military aid work
Rand Corporation, July 2023
China and the war in Ukraine
Fundacion Real Instituto Elcano, July 2023
Read this briefing on ‘Latest on Russia’s war on Ukraine‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.
Un réseau de recharge de bouteilles de gaz domestique a été démantelé, jeudi 7 septembre 2023, à Owodé, une ville frontalière avec le Nigéria.
A la suite d'un contrôle de conformité des poids de bouteilles de gaz domestique menée par l'Agence Nationale de normalisation, de Métrologie et du contrôle qualité (ANM) sur instruction du Ministère de l'industrie et du commerce, un réseau illégal a été mis à nu.
L'opération a été menée, jeudi 7 septembre 2023 à Owodé, ville frontalière avec le Nigéria.
Les faussaires, sans équipement adéquat et aucune mesure de sécurité, procèdent à des recharges de bouteilles de gaz domestique des compagnies gazières du Bénin.
Les bouteilles sont remplies en deux ou trois minutes grâce à des raccords et de la glace. Le gaz utilisé pour recharger les bouteilles proviendrait du Nigéria.
A l'arrivée de l'équipe de l'ANM et d'agents de la Police républicaine, les faussaires ont pris la fuite. Mais ils ont été appréhendés.
Il a été procédé à la saisie des bouteilles de gaz domestique rechargées et non rechargées et des balances retrouvées sur les lieux.
M. M.
Le parti Bloc Républicain (BR) présidé par le ministre d'Etat Abdoulaye Bio Tchané, tiendra son Congrès extraordinaire ce samedi 09 septembre 2023.
Une relecture des textes fondamentaux et l'élection d'un nouveau Bureau politique sont les principales activités prévues au Congrès extraordinaire du Bloc Républicain (BR).
Un élargissement du nombre des membres des instances dirigeantes du parti du cheval cabré est également annoncé.
En prélude au Congrès, un comité préparatoire présidé par le député Barthélémy Kassa a été mis en place.
C'est le Secrétaire général national et président du BR, Abdoulaye Bio Tchané qui procédera à l'ouverture des travaux du congrès, samedi 09 septembre 2023.
M. M.
Le franco-allemand Gernot Rohr était en conférence de presse d'avant match ce vendredi 08 septembre 2023 à l'hôtel VIP de Maputo. Le sélectionneur béninois s'est expliqué sur l'état d'esprit de ses joueurs à 24h du coup d'envoi de la rencontre décisive Mozambique vs Bénin.
Le sélectionneur des Guépards s'est prêté à l'exercice de tous les jours des entraîneurs ce vendredi. Il était bien évidemment face aux journalistes locaux mozambicains pour aborder le match choc de ce samedi qui va opposer sa formation à celle du Mozambique. Dans l'enceinte de l'hôtel VIP de Maputo, Rohr n'a pas de trop été titillé par les hommes des médias. Mais il avait à répondre à une question. Celle d'expliquer si son équipe est prête pour le match de demain.
"Je pense que oui. Le voyage a été relativement aisé parce qu'on a eu la chance d'avoir un vol direct. Nous sommes arrivés dans de bonnes conditions. L'équipe s'est reposée et elle sera aujourd'hui à l'entraînement. Tout le monde a l'air d'être disponible. Il y avait une petite contracture pour Rodrigue Kossi, mais je pense que c'est bon maintenant. On aura l'occasion de le tester tout à l'heure à l'entraînement.", a déclaré Gernot Rohr avant de dévoiler comment il compte aborder le match demain.
"On va attaquer ce match en conquérant. L'objectif, c'est la victoire. On sait que ça va pas être simple face à une bonne équipe du Mozambique, qui joue bien au football. A Cotonou, elle a mérité sa victoire et demain, c'est à nous de répondre et d'essayer de gagner ce match.", a-t-il ajouté.
Le coup d'envoi de la rencontre sera donné ce samedi à 15h, heure béninoise.
J.S
Le vernissage de l'exposition "Monzonla" de l'artiste plasticienne béninoise, Sika Da Silveira a eu lieu jeudi 7 septembre 2023 à l'Institut Français du Bénin.
Exposition ‘'Monzonla'' (pèlerin en langue Ewé) de l'artiste plasticienne béninoise Sika Da Silveira à l'Institut Français du Bénin. Elle propose une centaine d'œuvres peintes, des photographies etc. « Le pèlerin, c'est vous et moi. C'est nous tous qui marchons sur terre. Au-delà de tout ce qui se joue, il y a un but ; celui de nous retrouver, de nous reconnecter à notre source, de savoir qui nous sommes réellement et marcher ici en tant que tel », a confié l'artiste.
Sika da Silveira a pris la liberté de traduire à travers ses œuvres la prochaine évolution de l'espèce humaine. « Elle sera une espèce plus ancrée dans une conscience cosmique, d'où l'homo cosmic », a-t-elle expliqué.
L'artiste s'ouvre à la peinture, l'installation mais aussi à la photographie et la performance. « Je suis une exploratrice de médiums dans l'art », a indiqué l'artiste.
Présent au vernissage, le ministre du Tourisme, de la Culture et des Arts a félicité l'artiste pour l'évolution de sa pratique artistique. « On voit bien qu'elle commence à être absolument mature dans ses réalisations. Elle a pris le temps de travailler sa technique et ses inspirations », a souligné Jean-Michel Abimbola.
À travers ses œuvres, poursuit-il, elle transmet des messages relatifs à l'environnement, la nature, la place de l'homme dans l'univers, la communication entre l'humain et les esprits.
« Je pense que ce sont des messages très forts qu'elle exprime à travers une technique et des médiums qui lui sont propres », a ajouté le ministre du Tourisme, de la Culture et des Arts. Il rassure que le gouvernement sera toujours prêt à accompagner les artistes qui révèlent leur talent et le Bénin.
L'artiste plasticien Dominique Zinkpè a apprécié la singularité des œuvres de Sika da Silveira. « Elle réussit à faire un travail qui n'est pas standard. Elle a aussi une écriture particulière », a confié l'artiste. Pour lui, Sika da Silveira a encore beaucoup de choses à dire sur l'art contemporain béninois et dans le monde. « Je suis très heureux de remarquer que ma soeur Sika ait trouvé une voie merveilleuse », s'est-il réjoui. L'exposition "Monzonla" est ouverte au public du 8 au 30 septembre à l'Institut Français du Bénin.
Akpédjé Ayosso
En cette rentrée scolaire, une décision importante a été prise par le Conseil d’État français concernant l’interdiction de l’abaya dans les écoles, collèges et lycées […]
L’article Le Conseil d’État approuve l’interdiction de l’abaya dans les écoles en France est apparu en premier sur .