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CONTRE-POINT - Le premier ministre s’adressera aux maires ce jeudi, à l’occasion du congrès qui les réunit. Ces élus pâtissent autant qu’ils profitent de l’exposition que leur donne leur élection au suffrage universel, mais perdent toujours un peu plus de pouvoir de décision et de marge de manœuvre.

À l’approche des négociations sur le budget 2028-2034 de l’UE, Paris et Berlin affichent des positions divergentes. Réunis avec sept autres grands États contributeurs lundi 17 novembre, ils ont peiné à s’entendre sur la proposition budgétaire de la Commission.

The post La France et l’Allemagne divisées sur le prochain budget de l’UE appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Die fehlende Gesamtstrategie beim Abbau von Bürokratie erschwert Unternehmen und Bürgern den Alltag und hemmt den Standort Deutschland.  Das Ziel der aktuellen Bundesregierung, die Bürokratiekosten um 25 Prozent bis zum Ende der Legislaturperiode 2029 zu senken, ist grundsätzlich zu begrüßen. Die ...

DÉCRYPTAGE - L’examen parlementaire des deux textes budgétaires se poursuit cette semaine avec des incertitudes de plus en plus grandes sur les chances de réussite de l’exécutif.

En Géorgie se tenait, ce lundi 17 novembre, la dernière audience au tribunal de première instance de Tbilissi du journaliste français Clément Girardot. Après plus de dix ans de vie à Tbilissi, à couvrir la région du Caucase pour les plus grands titres internationaux, il a été refoulé à la frontière le 12 février 2025, sans aucune explication. Il se bat pour pouvoir à nouveau rentrer dans le pays, alors que les conditions de travail des journalistes locaux et internationaux deviennent de plus en plus précaires.

Willkommen bei Rapporteur! Jeden Tag liefern wir Ihnen die wichtigsten Nachrichten und Hintergründe aus der EU- und Europapolitik. Das Wichtigste: Brüssel: Kaja Kallas gerät mit von der Leyen aneinander – Haushaltsengpass legt Grenzen des EAD offen Ukraine: Kommission räumt ein, dass 140-Milliarden-Euro-„Reparationskredit“ Risiko für Finanzmärkte sein könnte Berlin: Merz empfängt Macron und Starmer im Rahmen […]

Plus Zelenskyy in Madrid, while Kubilius wants Ukraine in Vilnius

Given New Delhi’s limited defense budget, can India make do with logistical hubs and listening posts abroad rather than spending on a full-scale base?

Bienvenue dans Rapporteur. Je suis Eddy Wax, avec Nicoletta Ionta, à Bruxelles. Vous avez une info à nous communiquer ? Écrivez-moi. À savoir : Bruxelles : Kaja Kallas s’oppose à von der Leyen alors que les restrictions budgétaires révèlent les limites du SEAE Ukraine : la Commission reconnaît qu’un « prêt de réparation » de […]

The post Kaja Kallas en difficulté à la recherche d’argent et de pouvoir appeared first on Euractiv FR.

The European Union aims to reach climate neutrality by 2050, with a 55% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Meeting these goals will not only require decarbonising our energy system but also fundamentally transforming industrial production. As part of its efforts to decarbonise energy-intensive industries, the European Commission is designing the legislative proposal […]

In today's edition: GDPR reboot, spectrum for 6G, DSA review, more Space Act lobbying

Le détournement massif de produits pétroliers subventionnés depuis la fragmentation politico-militaire causée par la révolution de 2011 nourrit l’instabilité aux frontières libyennes, révèle un rapport de l’ONG américaine The Sentry.

Ismét megrendezik az Európai Uniós online infónapot az I3 eszköz Strand 2b felhívásáról.

INFO LE FIGARO - La présidente de la Chambre basse, Yaël Braun-Pivet, propose aux présidents de groupe du Palais Bourbon une nouvelle formule test. En cas de consensus, les séances de nuit disparaîtraient provisoirement dès janvier.

La chambre des appels de la CRIET a rendu ce lundi 17 novembre 2025 son verdict dans le procès en appel de Désiré Vodonou et de ses co-prévenus. L'ex-député a vu sa condamnation à 14 ans de prison dans l'affaire de la casse d'une banque réduite à 7 ans de prison. Ses co-prévenus, le banquier Sylvestre Attadé et son informaticien sénégalais, Sy Sérigne Abdoul Aziz s'en sortent également avec la même peine de prison et d'amendes réduites.

La condamnation de l'ex-élu de Zogbodomey Désiré Vodonou et de ses co prévenus a été revue à la baisse en appel. Condamnés à 14 ans de prison et à 2 milliards FCFA d'amendes par la chambre correctionnelle de la Cour de répression des infractions économiques et du terrorisme (CRIET) à travers un jugement rendu le jeudi 02 avril 2024, l'ex-député Désiré Vodonou et ses coprévenus ont interjeté appel. Après plusieurs mois d'instruction devant la chambre des appels, le verdict est tombé ce lundi 17 novembre 2025, rapporte l'envoyé spécial de Libre Express.

Dans la décision rendue, la chambre des appels a infirmé partiellement le jugement rendu le jeudi 4 avril 2024 en première instance. Évoquant et statuant à nouveau, ladite Cour a réduit les peines de prison de Désiré Vodonou, de l'ex-chef d'agence Godomey de la BGFI, Sylvestre Attadé et de l'informaticien sénégalais Sy Sérigne Abdoul Aziz de 14 ans à 7 ans de prison ferme. En ce qui concerne l'amende, elle est réduite par la Chambre des appels à ⅓ soit plus de 600 millions.

Par ailleurs, la chambre des appels a confirmé la confiscation de tous les biens de Désiré Vodonou et de ces deux co-prévenus à l'exception de ceux réservés à l'usage familial. Le juge en appel a également confirmé l'interdiction de séjour le Sénégalais Sy Sérigne Abdoul Aziz à la fin de sa peine de prison. Il est aussi confirmé en appel l'interdiction de façon définitive l'exercice de la fonction de banquier au prévenu Sylvestre Attadé, rapporte l'envoyé spécial de Libre Express.

Les faits

Dans l'affaire casse d'une banque au Bénin, l'ex-député de Zogbodomey et ses coprévenus ont été placés en détention préventive depuis novembre 2022. Selon le ministère public lors du procès devant la chambre correctionnelle de la CRIET, l'ex-député Désiré Vodonou et ses deux co-prévenus ont été arrêtés dans le cadre d'une affaire de server to server qui consisterait à s'immiscer dans le système informatique de la banque BGFI pour introduire de l'argent en provenance de Russie. Mais sentant le danger, l'ex-député s'est retiré de cette affaire, affirmait le magistrat.

Le procureur signale que l'objectif visé est de ramener virtuellement de l'argent de Russie, de le mettre sur le système informatique de BGFI et de le remettre dans le circuit normal. Il s'agit de brouiller les pistes en introduisant de l'argent illicite dans un système licite, renseigne-t-il. « C'est du blanchiment de capitaux », précise le procureur. Le substitut du procureur spécial de la CRIET précisait que le banquier Sylvestre Attadé a facilité l'opération avec l'appui de l'informaticien sénégalais.

Source : https://libre-express.bj/justice/4054/proces-en-appel-de-laffaire-casse-dune-banque-devant-la-criet-condamne-a-14-ans-de-prison-lex-depute-desire-vodonou-voit-sa-peine-reduite-a-7-ans

In today's edition: Food safety, novel foods, tuna

Dans une nouvelle étude, Jean-François Daguzan, Vice-président de l’Institut Choiseul et spécialiste des questions stratégiques, propose une relecture contemporaine des stratégies d’influence culturelle. Il y analyse les mutations profondes d’un concept longtemps stabilisé — le soft power — à travers les stratégies adoptées par plusieurs pays : États-Unis, Corée du Sud, Algérie et Inde. À […]

In Europe, superbugs cause 35,000 deaths annually

Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), briefs reporters on UNRWA's services across the occupied Palestinian territories and UNRWA' s ongoing operations. Credit: UN Photo/Mark Garten

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 18 2025 (IPS)

After nearly two years of conflict between Hamas and Israel, displaced Palestinians in Gaza have begun returning home as humanitarian organizations work to restore essential, life-saving services. Despite recent progress, the United Nations (UN) and its partners continue to face major obstacles in reaching the most vulnerable populations due to ongoing insecurity and heightened restrictions. With winter fast approaching—and expected to further worsen living conditions—sustained aid operations remain critical.

Roughly one month into the ceasefire, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported ongoing daily bombardments of residential areas in zones where Israeli forces remain deployed, particularly in eastern Khan Younis and eastern Gaza City. The agency has also documented multiple ceasefire violations along the “Yellow Line,” leading to numerous civilian casualties.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, between October 29 and November 5, bombardments resulted in 15 Palestinian deaths and 24 injuries. An additional 31 bodies were recovered from the rubble of collapsed buildings. The Ministry further reports that since the start of the ceasefire, 241 Palestinians have been killed and 609 injured.

Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), observed that the humanitarian situation in Gaza firmly hinges on the stability of the ceasefire. “A ceasefire that merely prolongs the absence of war without charting a viable path to peace would only repeat the disastrous mistakes of the past,” Lazzarini wrote in a Guardian op-ed on November 10. “A truly peaceful future requires a genuine investment in a definitive political solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.”

Additionally, Lazzarini underscored the urgent need for an international stabilization force to protect key civilian infrastructures and facilitate a smooth flow of humanitarian operations, as well as increased accountability measures to acquire justice for victims of violations of international humanitarian law. On November 12, Lazzarini informed reporters at the UN headquarters that accountability is crucial in establishing a sustainable end to violence and a path to recovery for Palestine as a whole.

“The starting point could at least be a board of inquiry,” said Lazzarini, “More broadly, if we want to promote any lasting peace, I don’t think we would succeed if we aren’t going for the delivery of justice and healing, and recognizing the scope of atrocities that have been committed.”

Despite the UN recording considerable improvement in the humanitarian situation of Gaza, conditions remain dire, with famine and disease remaining imminent threats for most Gazans. The UN and its partners continue to face significant access constraints imposed by Israeli authorities. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres informed reporters that the UN is far from having “what is necessary to eliminate famine quickly and create conditions for the people in Gaza to have the very, very minimum that is necessary for dignity in life”.

Philippe Lazzarini (right), the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) briefing on UNRWA’s operations in the occupied Palestinian territory. Credit: Oritro Karim/IPS

OCHA further notes that access to humanitarian aid and agricultural fields beyond the Yellow Line remains prohibited, with yellow-painted concrete blocks being set up to demarcate prohibited areas, as ordered by the Israeli Minister of Defence. Access to the sea also remains barred, with Israeli forces detaining at least five fishers since November 4.

According to OCHA, several essential aid items remain barred from entering Gaza—including humanitarian vehicles, solar panels, mobile latrines, x-ray machines, food and educational supplies, and generators—many of which Israeli authorities classify as outside the scope of humanitarian assistance. OCHA also reports continued restrictions on maintenance tools needed for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems. Dozens of UNRWA vehicles and equipment, including water tankers and jetting trucks, have yet to be cleared for entry.

UNRWA and its partners have expressed alarm over the continued imposition of such restrictions during the ceasefire, particularly with the approaching winter season projected to exacerbate living conditions for Palestinians in displacement shelters. The Shelter Cluster estimates that at least 259,000 Palestinian families, or more than 1.45 million Gazans, will be adversely affected by the winter if adequate protection services are not put in place soon.

In a November 5 joint statement from several UN agencies, including UNRWA, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), the UN and its partners have been collaborating with Gaza’s Ministry of Health to prepare an “integrated catch-up campaign” for immunization and nutritional support, aiming to reach approximately 44,000 children who have been cut off from lifesaving services since the beginning of this conflict.

An estimated one in five children under age three are zero-dose or under-vaccinated due to the conflict, leaving them highly vulnerable to preventable disease outbreaks. The campaign will be carried out in three rounds to provide children with missed routine vaccinations, including Pentavalent, Polio, Rota, Pneumococcal, and two doses of the MMR vaccine.

Vaccination services will be available at 149 health facilities and 10 mobile vehicles across the enclave, with the first round scheduled for November 9-18. The second and third rounds of the vaccine campaign are planned for December 2025 and January 2026, respectively.

Alongside vaccinations, UNICEF and partners will screen children for malnutrition, provide treatment and follow-up for those affected, and refer severe cases to WHO-supported stabilization centers. UNICEF is also rehabilitating 15 health centers, while WHO is restoring an additional 20 facilities that were partially or fully destroyed.

On 14 October 2025 in Gaza’s Middle Area, State of Palestine, 4-year-old Abd Al Kareem eats from a sachet of Lipid-Based Nutrient Supplements (LNS) during a malnutrition screening. Credit: Rawan Eleyan/UNICEF

“This immunization campaign is a lifeline, protecting children’s health and restoring hope for the future,” said Dr Richard Peeperkorn, WHO Representative in the occupied Palestinian territory. “It’s a crucial step in strengthening essential health services and protecting vulnerable children in Gaza who have been cut off for far too long. Yet this is only one piece of the puzzle. Much more is needed, and WHO is working to rebuild Gaza’s fragile health system so every child, every community, can access the care they deserve.”

Additionally, Lazzarini informed reporters on November 12 that UNRWA has been a lifeline for Gaza since the beginning of this crisis. Over the past two years, UNRWA has supported over 15 million primary health consultations, providing over 14,000 consultations on average on a daily basis.

UNRWA has also been instrumental in keeping the water system in the enclave from collapsing, with Lazzarini stating that roughly “40 percent of clean water is thanks to the work of (UNRWA’s) engineer(s) on the ground.” Furthermore, UNRWA has supported more than 48,000 children across 96 UNRWA schools five days a week, alongside bringing online education back to about 300,000 children.

“I do believe that we are and remain an extraordinary asset at the disposal of the international community, especially for securing critical services for the population of Gaza and any effort in stabilization and success,” said Lazzarini. “The main challenge is that we need to safeguard the operational space of the agency in Gaza. That’s challenge number one, to acknowledge that the agency is a vital key partner and an invaluable asset to the international community to help consolidate the ceasefire and ensure a successful recovery.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Written by Pieter Baert.

Achieving ambitious climate objectives while supporting robust economic growth and safeguarding tax revenue requires simple and well-targeted tax incentives that encourage sustainable investment. The European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Tax Matters (FISC) is due to hold a public hearing on this topic on 20 November 2025.

Clean industrial deal – tax recommendations

Launched in February 2025, the clean industrial deal is a package of wide-ranging actions aimed at ensuring that decarbonisation is a driver of economic growth for the European economy. Next to concrete action to lower energy prices, the European Commission published a (non-binding) recommendation to guide Member States when introducing and designing tax incentives to support the clean industrial deal objectives.

Firstly, the Commission recommends that Member States allow companies to deduct investment in green technology from their taxable income more quickly (‘accelerated depreciation‘), or even immediately (‘full or immediate expensing’). By enabling companies to deduct the cost of the asset faster – rather than spreading the cost evenly over time – accelerated depreciation effectively raises the after-tax rate of return on investment and helps mitigate distortions caused by inflation. While this incentive does not ultimately increase the nominal value of deductions, it does enhance their real value by allowing firms to claim them earlier, thereby improving businesses’ cash flow.

FranceInvestment in renewable energy equipment or energy-saving technologies can be depreciated at 2, 2.5 or 3 times the normal rate.Germany75 % of costs on electric company vehicles acquired after 30 June 2025 and before 1 January 2028 can be deducted in their first year.IrelandThe Accelerated Capital Allowance (ACA) scheme allows companies to deduct the full cost of investment in energy-efficient equipment in the year of purchase, rather than over the standard eight-year period.SpainSince 2023, Spain allows companies to apply accelerated depreciation for new electric and hydrogen company vehicles, at twice the standard depreciation rate. This also applies to investment in new electric vehicle charging infrastructure, both normal and high-power.

Accelerated depreciation for green assets – Member State examples (non-exhaustive)

Secondly, the Commission recommends that Member States, where feasible, use cost-effective and targeted tax credits for investment that creates sufficient manufacturing capacity in clean technologies, supports industrial decarbonisation, or strengthens the EU’s strategic resilience (for example, the production of a net-zero product where the EU is currently highly dependent on a single third country). The Commission notes that empirical evidence generally ranks input-based tax credits – for example, those covering R&D costs for green investment – higher than income-based credits, such as patent boxes, arguing that the former are more cost-effective in stimulating additional investment.

Action on these recommendations should be combined with other policy measures, such as the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies, whether provided through tax expenditure or direct grants.

The Council welcomed the Commission’s recommendations, but underlined the need for flexibility, allowing Member States to adapt tax incentives to their specific fiscal contexts and budgets.

Revision of the Energy Taxation Directive

The proposal to revise the Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) remains the only unfinished file in the Commission’s ‘fit for 55‘ package, tabled in 2021, aiming to reduce emissions by 55 % by 2030.

The ETD lays down EU-wide minimum excise duty rates on motor/heating fuels and electricity. Member States are free to set their own tax rates as long as they respect the ETD’s minimum rates. The Commission’s proposal aims to update the directive – unchanged since 2003 – to bring it into line with the EU’s climate objectives and modern green technology, while maintaining Member States’ capacity to raise tax revenue. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions and preserving tax revenues are not inherently contradictory objectives, concern is growing about potential long-term future revenue erosion for national budgets, as excise duties on fossil fuels decline with the green transition.

Some of the proposal’s key provisions to revise the ETD include:

• Shifting from volume- to energy content-based taxation: Minimum rates would no longer be expressed per litre or kilogram, but rather per gigajoule of energy content, removing the existing tax bias against low-energy-content biofuels.
• Environmental ranking of minimum rates: A new structure would tax energy products according to their environmental performance, ensuring that electricity is always taxed at the lowest rate and fossil fuels at the highest.
• Gradual rate increases: Minimum rates for certain energy products, such as natural gas, would rise by one-tenth each year over a ten-year transitional period, to balance social costs, climate objectives, and fiscal stability.
• Annual indexation: Minimum rates would be automatically adjusted each year to preserve their real value over time and prevent erosion through inflation.
• Phasing out exemptions and reductions: The proposal removes several existing tax advantages, including the mandatory exemptions currently granted to maritime and aviation fuels.

Over the four years of negotiation, reaching the required unanimous support in the Council has proven difficult, aggravated by the energy cost crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and rising concerns about the resilience of European industry. Several Council presidencies have tried to break the impasse by proposing prolonged transitional periods and the possibility for Member States to provide total or partial exemptions for certain sectors and services, or the installation of an ’emergency brake’ on the increase in taxation rates when countries are faced with a sudden increase in energy prices.

The Danish Council Presidency had invited ministers to reach a general approach on the proposal on 13 November 2025, but a number of Member States expressed reservations about the proposed compromise text. Consultation on the file (2021/0213(CNS)) in the European Parliament continues.

Read this ‘at a glance note’ on ‘Encouraging clean investment: The role of tax incentives‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.