Brussels: Flags of the European Union fly outside the EU headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, May 21, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)
“By 2040 most coffees-to-go will come in a reusable cup, or a cup we bring ourselves,” said Timmermans…reports Asian Lite News
The European Commission has proposed a raft of measures aimed at reducing unnecessary and wasteful packaging. These include a 15 per cent reduction in unnecessary packaging by 2040.
Another key target is to make packaging fully recyclable by 2030, the EU executive said.
The average European generates 180 kg of packaging waste per year, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Commission.
It has now proposed banning certain types of single-use packaging for food and beverages in restaurants, and for fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as banning miniature packaging for toiletries in hotels.
“The way goods are packaged can and should be done a lot better,” the European Commission’s executive vice president Frans Timmermans said at a press conference.
“I think everyone has experienced it: you order something online and it comes in a massive box that’s half empty or contains double layers to make the product look larger than it is. Or you go to a cafe and instead of being served on regular plates, you get food in single-use containers, so you leave behind a mountain of waste. Such overpackaging is a nuisance to us and increasingly damaging to our environment,” he said.
The proposed measures include the clear labeling of reusable packaging, banning certain packaging, mandatory return systems for plastic bottles and aluminium cans, and new mandatory rates of recycled content in new plastic packaging.
“By 2040 most coffees-to-go will come in a reusable cup, or a cup we bring ourselves,” said Timmermans.
“For the first time, we are establishing targets for packaging waste reduction for member states, and mandatory reuse targets for selected packaging groups and for economic operators,” Virginijus Sinkevicius, EU Commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries said.
While the EU aims to become climate neutral by 2050, Germany is seeking to reach this target five years earlier, in 2045…reports Asian Lite News
The industrial landscape in Germany and the European Union (EU) is undergoing a “historic transformation”, Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said at an industry conference.
Industrial companies in Europe are facing multiple “mammoth tasks”. These include the digital transformation, the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the changing geopolitical environment as well as demographic change, the minister was quoted as saying by Xinhua.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck.(photo:wikipedia)
The ongoing pandemic is still causing supply chain disruptions and material shortages worldwide. If the German industry had been able to process all orders, gross domestic product (GDP) in Europe’s largest economy would have been 1.2 per cent higher in 2021 and even 1.5 per cent higher after the first six months of this year, according to a study published on Monday by the Macroeconomic Policy Institute (IMK).
Ecological transformation is another vital element of the current changes, according to Habeck. “We want to achieve the European and national climate targets with the help of an efficient and competitive industry,” Habeck stressed.
While the EU aims to become climate neutral by 2050, Germany is seeking to reach this target five years earlier, in 2045.
“There is an urgent need to make the path to climate neutrality resilient and couple it with a growth strategy,” Siegfried Russwurm, president of the Federation of German Industries (BDI), said at Tuesday’s conference.
Last year, businesses in Germany made climate protection-related investments worth 55 billion euros ($57 billion), according to a recent survey by the state-owned promotional bank KfW. In the coming years, however, companies have to more than double their current investments to meet the country’s climate targets.
The private sector has made a “good start, but more needs to happen”, KfW chief economist Fritzi Koehler-Geib said in a statement. The current energy crisis is an incentive to switch to renewable energy due to high prices. Extreme uncertainties, however, are an obstacle to investment plans.
After peaking in October, inflation in Germany slipped back to 10 per cent in November, according to preliminary figures published by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Energy prices were still up 38 percent year-on-year and continued to have a “substantial impact on the inflation rate”. (1 euro = $1.04)
According to a Ukrainian call handler, the evenings are the busiest, when troops have more spare time and can sneak off and make a call…reports Asian Lite News
Kiev, Nov 30 (IANS) A scheme set up by the Ukraine government which under which Russian soldiers can call a hotline or enter details through messenger apps if they want to surrender, is getting about a 100 enquiries a day, the media reported.
According to officials in Kiev, through the “I Want To Live” scheme which started in September, Russian troops can choose the best way by either calling on the hotline number or texting on Telegram and WhatsApp to surrender to Ukrainian forces, reports the BBC.
The officials said that they have had over 3,500 contacts from invading personnel, as well as their families.
The BBC report said that there has been an increase since Russian President Vladimir Putin mobilised hundreds of thousands of Russian men, and since the city of Kherson was liberated.
Once they surrender, the Russian prisoners of war (PoWs) can be used as currency in future exchanges, it added.
According to a Ukrainian call handler, the evenings are the busiest, when troops have more spare time and can sneak off and make a call.
“First of all, we hear a voice, mainly male,” she told the BBC.
“It’s often part-desperate, part-frustrated, because they don’t fully understand how the hotline works, or whether it’s just a set-up. There’s also curiosity because many call not to surrender but to find out how they could if needed. It’s different every time,” she added.
The call handler however, did not give out the exact number of Russians she helped, or exactly how the process takes place.
They are just told to share their location before being given further instructions, she told the BBC.
Vitalii Matviyenko, who leads the project, said that it was created to help save lives of those who surrender.
“We especially want to target the partially mobilised who not only can’t fight but are thrown in as cannon fodder. This project was created so their lives will be guaranteed if they surrender voluntarily,” he was quoted as saying.
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) goes pan-India.(photo:IANSLIFE)
The Virtual film festival is a great opportunity for all cinema lovers and people who are generally interested in discovering new cultures & stories to get access to films that are not easily available and may not ever have a theatrical release…reports Asian Lite News
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) wrapped off its physical edition in New Delhi on November 13 and launched its virtual version from November 15 through December 15 of 2022. The Indian audience will have access to 35 films in 25 languages, spanning 6 genres, and they may stream them whenever and whenever they want.
The virtual avatar of the 27th edition of EUFF will bring to the audience a boutique of 30 days of handpicked, high-quality cinema that’s curated to delight them. It brings award-winning movies across three sections: Eurorama: screening latest, award-winning movies from across 27 EU member states; India @ European Film Festivals: curated by Dharamshala International Film Festival it’s a selection of outstanding Indian films that have participated at prestigious European film festivals; and Green Cinema: Addressing Climate Change.
The specially curated “India@ European Film Festival” section celebrates 60 years of diplomatic relationship between the EU and India and puts a spotlight on the works of some of the most watched filmmakers from India such as Rajan Khosa, Shrihari Sathe, Rima Das and Shubhashish Bhutiani.
The Virtual film festival is a great opportunity for all cinema lovers and people who are generally interested in discovering new cultures & stories to get access to films that are not easily available and may not ever have a theatrical release. The European Union Film Festival is by design the cinema through a completely new lens- the lens of curators who search the world of stories that have the capability to take us by surprise and provide an absolutely new perspective on cinema.
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) goes pan-India.(photo:IANSLIFE)
The “free for all” festival organised by the Delegation of the European Union to India, Embassies of EU Member States and regional partners, will feature movies from India and 27 EU member states – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Highlighting individual stories yet reflecting universal experiences, these films offer a ‘Window to Europe’ and demonstrate the power of cinema to transcend boundaries and create shared experiences.
Commenting on the festival, H.E. Ugo Astuto, Ambassador of the European Union to India said: “It gives me great pleasure to bring the virtual edition of the European Union Film Festival to a larger audience in India. The festival will take audiences on a journey across Europe & India through different genres such as comedy, action, drama and animation. As we mark 60 years of EU-India diplomatic relationship this year, the film festival is a testament to our long-standing cultural ties. To celebrate this landmark, the ‘virtual leg of the festival’ will showcase a special section on ‘India @ European Festivals’ featuring the best of Indian cinema. Cinema is a bridge between different cultures; it provides insights into everyday lives, experiences, aspirations beyond geographical boundaries. I invite you on an unparalleled cinematic journey across Europe. Happy viewing!”
Talking about the line up, curators Veronica Flora and Valerio Caruso said: “The line up at the 27th edition of the European Union Film Festival is aimed at creating a dialogue while also taking a viewer on a cathartic journey. The festival offers an exciting mix of genres and styles, from new spectacular frontiers of documentary to the ever more sophisticated and lively field of animation, from the bittersweet laughs of sharp comedy to the emotional touch of moving drama and the power-packed world of action. Our selection underlines the crucial role of intergenerational and intercultural dialogues as a way to banish stereotypes.”
They added: “Europe & India share a long-standing love for stories that has manifested over the years through mutual inspiration, learning and inter-cultural dialogues. And the European Union Film Festival this year is a celebration of this deep bond and stories that restore the depth of the human experience, beyond limits and borders.”
The films to be screened at the virtual edition of EUFF 2022 are: European films
Austria/Fox in a Hole; Belgium/Playground; Bulgaria/The Naked Truth About Zhiguli Band (Golata istina za grupa Zhiguli); Croatia/Even Pigs Go to Heaven (Nosila je rubac crleni); Cyprus/Dog; Czech Republic/Even Mice Belong in Heaven (Mysi patri do nebe); Denmark/Riders of Justice; Estonia/Rain; Finland/Force of Habit (En vanefraga); France/Les Parfumes; Germany/Coup; Greece/Tailor I Raftis; Hungary/Wild Roots (Kulon falka); Ireland/Rose Plays Julie; Italy/Easy Living (Easy Living- La Vita Facile); Latvia/The Pit (Bedre); Lithuania/Feature Film About Life; Luxembourg/Io Sto Bene; Malta/ Luzzu; Netherlands/Romy’s; Portugal/My Grandfather’s Demon (Os demonios do meu avo); Romania/The Island; Slovenia/Sanremo; Slovakia/Chlieb Nas Kazdodenny (Liquid Bread); Spain The Volunteer (La voluntaria); Sweden/ Comedy Queen
The European Union Film Festival (EUFF) goes pan-India.( Photo:IANSLIFE)
Ukrainian Film
My Thoughts Are Silent
Climate Change Films
Denmark/ Into the Ice; France / The Velvet Queen; India / Jharia ; India/ The Climate Challenge
Indian Films
Ek Hazarachi Note; Gattu: Mukti Bhawan (Hotel Salvation) ; Village Rockstars
Registration Process to watch the films virtually:
Login to www.euffindia.com
Click on the film you want to see
You will be redirected to Festival Scope
If it is your first visit, you will have to register here
EU officials say that the US Inflation Reduction Act risks unfairly discriminating against its own products and that it goes against international trade rules…reports Asian Lite News
European trade ministers gathered in Brussels to discuss the “discriminatory” US Inflation Reduction Act but with just over a month to go before the legislation comes into force, there appears to be no concrete solution on the table yet.
The main issue for Europe is to ensure it doesn’t enter into a trade war with the US which could splinter western unity in the face of Russia’s illegal war on Ukraine.
“The Inflation Reduction Act as it stands now is quite worrisome, very worrisome, to be honest,” Liesje Schreinemacher, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, said upon her arrival at the Foreign Affairs Council.
“We have to take it step by step. I want to avoid a trade war by any means because it hurts the US economy, it hurts the European economy. So no one benefits from any trade war.”
Her Irish counterpart, Leo Varadkar, meanwhile said that the US legislation has “put a spanner in the works” in trade relations between the US and EU.
Washinton’s $430 billion anti-inflation bill includes state aid to boost US manufacturing and incentives for consumers to buy American products including cars, batteries and renewable energies. It was signed into law in August and will come into force next year.
EU officials say that the bill risks unfairly discriminating against its own products and that it goes against international trade rules.
“There are $367 billion of US subsidies, of which $200 billion are actually not WTO (World Trade Organisation) compliant,” Olivier Becht, French Minister for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness told reporters.
And with energy prices much higher in Europe than in the US as a result of the war in Ukraine, there is an added fear that many flagship European industries could relocate across the Atlantic to take advantage of local state aid and lower energy costs.
A joint EU-US Task Force to resolve the issue has been set up and two meetings have now taken place. A third is to be held soon. The bloc’s position is that its manufacturers should be granted the same access to the US market as those from Mexico and Canada.
Valdis Dombrovkis, the Commissioner for Trade, also said during a press conference held after the meeting that “we want and expect European companies and exports to be treated in the same way in the US as American companies and exports are treated in Europe.”
The issue will also be addressed between the two sides when they convene on 5 December for a Trade and Technology Council. Launched in June 2021, the forum aims to bolster cooperation between the EU and US in strategic economic areas.
Johan Forssell, Sweden’s Minister for Foreign Trade and International Development Cooperation, had earlier forecasted that “the need for action will be pretty soon”.
“The Task Force has another couple of weeks to go, very forced time schedule here,” he went on. “I think we cannot wait too long until we make a decision because I mean, the IRA, the decision has already been made in the US and this has started happening now.”
Varadkar also said that Ireland hopes that a solution can be found at the negotiating table but also emphasised that “I think it’s fair to say that absent that, there will have to be a response from the European Union”
“Nobody wants to get into a tit-for-tat or a subsidy race. But what the US has done really isn’t consistent with the principles of free trade and fair competition,” he added.
Taking the matter to the WTO is largely deemed a dead-end as efforts to reform the organisation have been stalled for years. The main issue is its dispute settlement system which the US has more-or-less abandoned, turning instead to a bilateral approach to resolve its issues with other countries.
“We also know that taking the dispute to the WTO if the Dispute Settlement Body is not changed, well that is also a risk,” France’s Becht noted.
The solutions he mentioned “could be either coercive or obviously support our own companies, here on European soil.”
France has publicly supported a so-called “Buy European Act” to counter the Inflation Reduction Act and the large subsidies the Chinese state gives to its own companies.
President Emmanuel Macron is largely expected to address the topic with US President Joe Biden when he visits Washington next week.
But Czech trade Minister Josef Sikela also warned against a subsidy race, calling it a “very dangerous game and usually the winner might then sit on the other continent and not in Europe and not on the American one”.
US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron (Credit twitter @POTUS)
Dombrovskis argued instead that the bloc needs to work on boosting its attractiveness for investments and industrial production.
“Part of the response is obviously in (the) energy sector because it is (the) current high energy prices which are causing substantial problems and loss of competitiveness for our industries, something which we need to address.”
“Obviously we need to take a look also at our own subsidies because we’re also providing large amounts of subsidies in the context of greening our economy but in a sense look at how we can make them in a more targeted and efficient way to reach those results,” he said.
“The infrastructure of Ukraine will be destroyed, and Ukraine will be sent back to the 18th century,” the member of Putin’s United Russia party declared…reports Asian Lite News
Vladimir Putin will “send Ukraine back to the 18th century” by pushing ahead with attacks on the country’s energy facilities, one of his top allies has claimed, said a media report.
Pyotr Tolstoy, the deputy speaker of the Duma, warned that there would be no let-up in the Russian strikes on Ukrainian power stations ahead of winter, Daily Mail reported.
“The infrastructure of Ukraine will be destroyed, and Ukraine will be sent back to the 18th century,” the member of Putin’s United Russia party declared, Daily Mail reported.
In a tirade on French broadcaster BFM, the MP from Russia rubber-stamp parliament, who has been sanctioned by the US, the EU and Britain, warned that Ukraine’s allies “will pay the price.”
Russia plans induction of 300,000 reservists, ramping up arsenal to counter Ukraine.(photo:IN)
He added that the West should “prepare itself for a war that will last years.” But Tolstoy’s bizarre intervention appears to be at odds with a statement made by the Russian defence ministry on Thursday.
Officials in Moscow made the baseless claim that the damage to the Ukrainian capital’s critical infrastructure had been caused by “foreign and Ukrainian” air defence missiles.
“Not a single strike was made on targets within the city of Kyiv,” the Russian defence ministry said, although it failed to address similar attacks that knocked out power elsewhere.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said Ukraine could “end the suffering” by backing down in “such a way as to fulfil the requirement of the Russian side”.
“The leadership of Ukraine has every opportunity to bring the situation back to normal,” Peskov, Putin’s long-serving propagandist, said, Daily Mail reported.
Moscow has repeatedly rejected Ukraine’s demand that they pull out of the country before peace talks can begin.
Since the start of October, Russia has fired a barrage of missiles and sent Iranian-made drones towards energy targets across Ukraine to cripple its power grid as temperatures plummet below freezing.
The recent Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter…reports Asian Lite News
In his address to the UN Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has accused Russia of committing “crimes against humanity” after a new barrage of missile strikes have caused widespread power outages across the war-torn nation.
“Russia has long been trying to turn the UN Security Council into a platform for rhetoric. But it was created as the world’s most powerful platform for decisions and actions. Therefore, the Security Council must give a clear assessment of the actions of the terrorist state,” he told the UN body in a video address on Wednesday.
“Ukraine proposes that the Security Council adopt such a resolution condemning all forms of energy terror. I confirm the invitation from Ukraine regarding the mission of UN experts to critical infrastructure facilities of our country that have been or may be hit by Russian missiles.
“It is necessary to give a proper assessment of damage and destruction. It should be stated that these are strikes against the very infrastructure that ensures the lives of tens of millions of people.
“The world should not be held hostage by one international terrorist,” the President added.
The recent Russian attacks have damaged almost half of Ukraine’s energy system and millions of people are without power as temperatures drop for winter.
Blackouts, both scheduled and unscheduled, have become common in many parts of Ukraine, as Russia aims regular waves of missile attacks at parts of the energy infrastructure.
According to the President, at least seven people were killed and more than 20 million others were left without electricity on November 8 when Russia carried out over a 100 missile strikes in what is believed to be Moscow’s biggest wave of missile strikes since the invasion began on February 24.
As a result, nuclear power plants in the country also went off-line.
Later in his nightly video address to the nation, Zelenksy said that due to the missile strikes which even continued on Wednesday, the situation in Kiev remained “very difficult” and efforts would continue through the night to restore electricity.
European Union flags fly outside the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium, on June 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong/IANS)
The market correction mechanism will be triggered when two conditions are met, the Commissioner explained…reports Asian Lite News
A European gas price cap at 275 euros ($283) per megawatt hour (MWh) has been proposed, Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson announced.
“We propose an upper ceiling on the month-ahead TTF (Title Transfer Facility) price in case it exceeds 275 euros per megawatt hour. Beyond that price, transactions will not be able to take place,” Xinhua news agency quoted Simson as saying
The market correction mechanism will be triggered when two conditions are met, the Commissioner explained.
Firstly, when the gas price exceeds 275 euros for two consecutive weeks. Secondly, when the spread between the TTF price and global liquefied natural gas (LNG) price is 58 euros or more for ten consecutive trading days.
When both these conditions are in place, the mechanism will be automatically activated, and will not require any additional procedures or decisions, he added.
Simson told a press conference that this is not a regulatory intervention to set the price on the gas market at an artificially low level; rather, it is a last resort solution to prevent episodes of excessively high prices which are not in line with global price trends.
“This is not a silver bullet that will bring gas prices down. But it provides a powerful tool that we can use when we need it, complementing our more structural efforts to lower prices, namely by controlling our demand and ensuring sufficient gas supply for Europe through joint purchasing and active external energy policy,” she added.
The proposals will be debated by energy ministers from the bloc’s 27 member countries on Thursday.
However, the Association of European Energy Exchanges said that the mechanism poses a serious threat to the region’s security of supply and financial stability, and will do little to achieve the goal of lowering energy costs.
In August, prices on the TTF virtual trading point surged from 220 euros to almost 320 euros per MWh, while global LNG prices were significantly lower.
Since then, gas prices have fallen considerably, to 116 euros currently.
This summer, tensions rose between Serbia and Kosovo over the latter’s decision to oblige Serbian vehicles to use Kosovan license plates…reports Asian Lite News
Serbia and Kosovo have failed to reach an agreement on a long-standing dispute over car license plates, leading to a risk of violence in the coming days, the European Union’s foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said.
“After many hours of discussion, from eight o’clock this morning, the two parties did not agree to a solution today,” Borrell said on Monday after hosting eight hours of talks in Brussels with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovan government head Albin Kurti.
The meeting was held to help solve the latest crisis over a phase-out of Serbian license plates in Kosovo.
“I think that there is an important responsibility for the failure of the talks today and for any escalation and violence that might occur on the ground in the following days,” Borrell said.
The EU has submitted a proposal “that could avoid this dangerous situation”, the top EU official said. However, this was accepted by Vucic, but not by the Kosovan leader. Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Serbia However, rejects it and considers Kosovo its own province.
This summer, tensions rose between Serbia and Kosovo over the latter’s decision to oblige Serbian vehicles to use Kosovan license plates.
In July, ethnic Serbs blocked roads and erected barricades in Northern Kosovo to protest the move. However, Borrell said the issue “went beyond license plates”.
Hundreds of police officers, judges, prosecutors, and other state workers from the Serb minority quit their jobs earlier this month, he said, which has led to a “security vacuum”.
Borrell stressed that both the Kosovan and Serbian heads of government should show “leadership and commitment”, in order to restore their relations.
NASA, Google to help track air pollution at local level.(photo: nasa.gov)
At the core of the present controversy lies the ECT’s obscure system of private arbitration…reports Asian Lite News
The European Union’s attempt to reform the controversial Energy Charter Treaty has fallen apart after four EU countries abstained in a key vote, effectively blocking the whole process.
Signed in 1994, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) promotes cross-border cooperation in the energy sector and protects investors from unexpected circumstances that might impact their profit expectations.
With 53 signatories, it is considered the most litigated investment agreement in the world.
Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands, who previously announced plans to withdraw from the ECT altogether, chose to abstain during an ambassadors meeting on Friday, fearing the treaty would curtail their climate ambitions, an EU diplomat said.
The move prevented the European Commission from obtaining the necessary mandate to lead the negotiations on behalf of all 27 member states.
As a result, the Commission asked the Energy Charter Conference, the treaty’s governing body, to remove the proposed reform from the agenda of a high-level meeting scheduled to take place on Tuesday in Mongolia.
“On next steps, we will need to discuss with member states, but at this stage, we will not speculate on what will happen,” a Commission spokesperson said on Monday.
At the core of the present controversy lies the ECT’s obscure system of private arbitration.
This allows investors and companies to sue governments and claim compensation over policy changes, such as net-zero goals, that threaten their business ventures and revenues.
As of today, parties that withdraw from the ECT are vulnerable to litigation for 20 years.
Critics say this provision provides disproportionate protection for fossil fuels at a critical time when they need to be phased out to fight the climate crisis.
The value of fossil fuel infrastructure in the EU, the UK and Switzerland covered by the treaty is estimated to be worth €344.6 billion, according to the magazine Investigate Europe.
In a bid to align the treaty with the EU’s green agenda, the European Commission proposed a reformed text that would have reduced the contentious sunset clause to 10 years for old investments and only nine months for new energy projects.
The executive had emphatically defended the reform, arguing member states were better off inside a modernised ECT rather than outside.
But this was not enough to convince the sceptics.
In fact, the four countries who abstained on Friday are not alone: Poland, Luxembourg, Belgium and Austria are contemplating an exit from the decades-old treaty.
Given the ECT’s increasingly negative perception, it is unclear when, how or even if the reform process would be re-launched. A Commission spokesperson refused to provide any estimated timeline.
A senior EU diplomat said “more time” was needed for member states to design a common position.
“I would suggest a deeper reflection on the future and the process ahead,” the diplomat said.
