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Protests in Bangladesh and Nepal toppled governments, but equally massive demonstrations in India and the U.S. never go that far – at least, not yet. 

La Commission européenne a accepté les engagements pris par Microsoft de dissocier Teams de son logiciel Office, mettant ainsi fin à une longue enquête sur la concurrence.

The post Concurrence : Microsoft accepte de proposer sa suite Office 365 sans l’application Teams à ses clients européens appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Written by Clare Ferguson and Katarzyna Sochacka.

The highlight of the September 2025 session was the debate on the State of the Union, following Ursula von der Leyen’s first address under her current mandate as President of the European Commission. Another important debate took place to express Parliament’s solidarity with Poland following Russia’s deliberate violation of Polish airspace, added to the agenda in reaction to drone attacks the previous day.

Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova addressed Parliament in a formal sitting. On external policy, Members debated: EU action to ensure security guarantees and a just peace for Ukraine; the situation in Gaza; strengthening Moldova’s resilience against Russian hybrid threats and malign interference; the violence against protesters in Serbia; and the situation in Colombia following recent terrorist attacks.

Among other debates were: implementation of the recent EU-United States trade deal; the need for a strong European Democracy Shield to enhance democracy, protect the EU from foreign interference and hybrid threats, and protect electoral processes in the EU; serious threats to aviation and maritime transport from global navigation satellite system interference; the rule of law and management of EU funds in Slovakia; and the devastating wildfires in southern Europe and summer of heatwaves in the EU.

Cohesion policy

Members held a joint debate and later adopted three reports from Parliament’s Committee on Regional Development (REGI) calling for increased EU cohesion policy support for citizens. The first proposed strengthened cohesion policy support for regions most affected by the need to transition towards a climate-neutral economy. Acknowledging that geopolitical shifts are disrupting the economy, the committee recommends prioritising just transition funding for areas where traditional industries are disappearing, and calls for continued and increased cohesion policy funding for a just transition, beyond 2027. It also proposed simplifying access to cohesion funding, establishing special economic zones, and greater investment in education and training. The second REGI report recommended increased and more flexible cohesion policy funding for housing, beyond the current focus on social housing and energy efficiency. As housing availability has become a major issue throughout the EU, the committee also suggested cohesion policy funding for housing prioritises increased access to housing, through innovative approaches that increase affordability. Finally, the third report considered plans to simplify EU cohesion funds more generally, where the REGI committee sought assurance that modernisation to improve implementation can be carried out without sacrificing the current focus on long-term investment and place-based rationale. The report reiterated the importance of local involvement in programming, delivering and monitoring projects, and recommended simplifying cohesion funds by earmarking resources for integrated territorial development tools, direct funding for cities, and eliminating duplication of national oversight.

Future of agriculture and the post-2027 CAP

In line with the EU’s simplification priority, several files on the agenda focused on streamlining EU policy and cutting red tape. One such initiative responded to the need to simplify EU funding, as well as to widespread farmer protests, by proposing new rules for the common agricultural policy (CAP) from 2028. Members adopted a report from the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) that opposes the Commission’s plans to include agricultural funding in a single fund covering structural and cohesion policy, fisheries, security and defence. The AGRI committee suggested increasing funding for agriculture in the post-2027 CAP budget instead, and to reinforce direct income support for farmers, regardless of their size, as well as increasing support for smaller and family-run farms.

Public procurement

National, regional or local public bodies spend around €2 trillion of citizens’ contributions per year in the EU through the public procurement process. Open public procurement in a competitive market should deliver good quality works or goods and services that represent value for money. However, complexity may have contributed to a decline in competitive procedures where EU rules apply to contracts above a certain threshold. Members debated a report from Parliament’s Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee (IMCO), which calls on the Commission to simplify the procedures to make it easier for companies to bid for such contracts. The IMCO report also highlights the need to uphold social and environmental standards and support local economic development through public procurement rules.

2023 and 2024 Commission reports on Ukraine

Following a statement by the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission on EU action to ensure security guarantees and just peace for Ukraine, Members also debated and adopted a Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) report on the Commission’s 2023 and 2024 reports on Ukraine. The committee noted Ukraine’s consistent commitment to its European path, despite Russia’s war of aggression, and stressed the need for a peaceful solution that respects the will of the Ukrainian people. It also called for an EU contribution to robust security guarantees for Ukraine, and recommended opening negotiating clusters. Nevertheless, the AFET committee also emphasised that Ukraine needs to step up its fight against corruption, including by granting greater independence to the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office.

Revising rules on food and textile waste

In the EU, we waste 60 million tonnes of food, and 12.6 million tonnes of textiles, every year. To protect the environment and ensure the sustainable use of our resources, the Commission has proposed to update the Waste Framework Directive. Members adopted a provisional agreement, reached between Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and Council negotiators earlier this year. The agreed text introduces binding food waste reduction targets, where Parliament succeeded in ensuring the rules will facilitate donations of unsold food. The revised Waste Framework Directive also includes new, harmonised extended producer responsibility rules covering fast fashion practices for all producers – even if not based in the EU – except, on Parliament’s insistence, those involved in reuse and recycling.

Taxation of large digital platforms in light of international developments

On behalf of the Economic Affairs (ECON) Committee, Members asked questions of the Commission regarding the fair taxation of large digital platforms. As international corporate tax rules were comprehensively overhauled under the umbrella of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in 2021, Members asked the Commission if a unilateral EU-level digital tax could be considered in the absence of an international agreement on taxation of digital platforms. Currently, under Pillar One, countries where customers or users are located are granted the right to tax a share of those profits, irrespective of the company’s physical presence. Pillar Two establishes a 15 % minimum effective corporate tax rate for multinational companies. While Pillar Two is in force in the EU since 2024, Pillar One has yet to be enforced, as the US argues it disproportionately targets American firms.

Opening of trilogue negotiations

One decision to enter into interinstitutional negotiations from the AGRI committee, on unfair trading practices in business-to-business relationships in the food supply chain: cooperation among enforcement authorities, was approved by a vote.

Another, from the Committee on Fisheries (PECH) on the subject of a General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, was approved without vote.

Read this ‘at a glance’ note on ‘Plenary round-up – July 2025‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Delegations

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Cette décision intervient à un moment où Bruxelles s'efforce de couper tous les liens énergétiques avec Moscou en réponse à la guerre menée par la Russie en Ukraine.

The post Le Tribunal de l’UE annule l’autorisation par la Commission d’une subvention hongroise pour des réacteurs nucléaires conçus par la Russie appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Autrefois étranger, Bolsonaro a eu un impact durable sur la démocratie brésilienne.

Belgien ist nach eigenen Angaben der weltweit zweitgrößte Importeur von Känguru-Produkten – insbesondere über Flandern. Das könnte sich nun bald ändern.

Plana Radenovic, journaliste police-justice à RTL, est notré invitée.

The West Bengal government canceled the event to avoid ruffling the feathers of Muslim hardliners.

Située au cœur de Paris, la cathédrale Notre-Dame est un symbole emblématique de l’histoire et de l’architecture françaises. Chef-d’œuvre de l’art gothique, elle fascine par ses vitraux, ses gargouilles et ses impressionnantes voûtes.

Leurs vidéos sont devenues virales : des jeunes femmes en robes boubou qui dansent sur les tubes du moment. Nouvelle tendance populaire en Afrique de l’Ouest, les "soirées Dior" suscitent une vive polémique. Ces moments de fête entre femmes sont considérés par certains comme un symptôme de débauche, au point que le Mali vient de les interdire sur son territoire.

Der US-Anteil an den LNG-Importen der EU lag im August bei 70 Prozent; die Vereinigten Staaten sind auf dem Weg, Norwegen als wichtigsten Lieferanten der EU abzulösen.

In der heutigen Ausgabe: Gaza: Europaparlament fordert Mitgliedstaaten auf, Palästina anzuerkennen; Polen: Frankreich sagt Lieferung von Kampfflugzeugen im Rahmen der NATO-Aufrüstung zu; Belarus: Festgehaltener EU-Mitarbeiter Mikalai Khilo in Gefangenenaustausch freigelassen.

STRASBOURG, 12 September 2025 — National anti-trafficking co-ordinators and rapporteurs reaffirmed their commitment to forge stronger cross-sector partnerships and integrate crisis resilience into anti-trafficking strategies at their largest annual meeting, held from 11 to 12 September at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, France.

“Twenty-five years after the adoption of the Palermo Protocol, human trafficking is pervasive in both the digital and physical realms, as criminals adapt to exploit every crisis and vulnerability. While traffickers thrive, victims face crushing barriers to assistance and justice. This stark mismatch between the scale of the crime and our limited results demands transformative action,” said Kari Johnstone, OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.

Representatives from 54 countries across both the OSCE and Council of Europe regions and beyond discussed current human trafficking-related challenges and how to implement international legal standards set out in the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings and the OSCE political commitments.

In her opening remarks, Petya Nestorova, Executive Secretary of the Council of Europe’s Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, said: “This year marks the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings, which has triggered significant changes in national legislation, policies, and practice. At the same time, new challenges and persistent gaps in the implementation of the Convention require continued commitment and increased investment in training, technological infrastructure, and victim assistance measures.”

Participants discussed crisis-related provisions in National Action Plans for combating human trafficking to enhance preparedness of the national counter-trafficking mechanisms, the links between human trafficking and drugs and forced criminality, and engagement with the private sector in combating human trafficking.

The meeting was co-organized by the Office of the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings and the Council of Europe.

Nous avons suivi le parcours exceptionnel de l’équipe nationale de paracyclisme du Sénégal. À sa tête, Macoumba Sarr, athlète paraplégique, qui entraîne ses coéquipiers vers un défi inédit : une course d’endurance de 450 kilomètres aux côtés d’athlètes valides. Un grand reportage de Sarah Sakho.

Ann Maina of BIBA addressing the media at the Africa Climate Summit. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

By Isaiah Esipisu
ADDIS ABABA, Sep 12 2025 (IPS)

African climate negotiators and civil society organizations at the second Africa Climate Summit (ACS 2) have called on governments to include sustainable farming approaches and other Africa-led solutions in their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plans (NAP) ahead of COP 30, as the only way to have their priorities on the global climate negotiation agenda.

NDCs are climate action plans submitted to the UNFCCC by individual countries under the Paris Agreement, outlining their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change, while NAPs outline how countries will adapt to climate change in the medium and long term.

“Most of the issues we discuss in the negotiation rooms carry political inclinations and economic implications,” said Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, the Lead of Ghana’s delegation at the UNFCCC climate negotiation conferences and the incoming Chair for the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN).

“If we fail to prioritize sustainable farming practices and other innovations through our NDCs and NAPs, the developed nations will happily keep the status quo because Africa remains an important market for their farm inputs, particularly fertilizers, pesticides, and fossil fuel-powered machinery, among other items,” said Amoah.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr. Abiy Ahmed backed this call, saying that Africa must lead in championing its solutions.

“We are not here to negotiate our survival; we are here to design the world’s next climate economy,” he told delegates at the ACS2, ahead of the 30th round of climate negotiations (COP 30) later this year in Belem, Brazil.

According to Ann Maina of the Biodiversity and Biosafety Association (BIBA), such solutions include advancing food sovereignty by rejecting exploitative industrial animal agriculture, rejecting high use of synthetic fertilizers, rejecting the grabbing of Africa’s resources in the name of greening projects, and rejecting carbon markets that come at the expense of communities while opening up polluting opportunities, especially for the Global North.

“Having Africa-led solutions will encourage just transition, which will lead to decentralized energy that should power agroecology, territorial markets, and resilient livelihoods, breaking (away from) dependence on imported fossil fuels and exploitative ‘green grabs,’” she said.

“If we make the right choices now, Africa can be the first continent to industrialize without destroying its ecosystems,” reiterated Ethiopia’s Prime Minister.

Evidence-based studies consistently show that the most viable and sustainable farming practice in Africa is the use of agroecological approaches, which emphasizeecological balance, social equity and cultural integration, thereby presenting viable strategic opportunities to address impacts of climate change while supporting sustainable development.

Yet, the progress has been very slow. A recent report by the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) in all 53 African countries reveals that integration of agroecology into the NDCs and NAPS across the continent remains alarmingly low, with only 22 percent of NDCs explicitly mentioning agroecology.

“This study exposes a critical gap in policy integration and calls on all industry players to act with urgency,” said Dr. Million Belay, AFSA General Coordinator. “Agroecology is not just a farming method; it is a bold climate solution rooted in African realities, which governments should be promoting instead of working towards subsidizing harmful chemical farm inputs.”

Some of the inputs, particularly pesticides exported to Africa, are banned in countries of their origin due to their negative impact on human health, environment and important insects.

According to Amoah, recognizing agroecology at the UNFCCC level will require up to 50 countries to explicitly include it in their NDCs. “Without a deliberate and united push for sustainable farming approaches for Africa, I can foresee very serious resistance from developed countries because while such approaches benefit African economies and food systems, they are a threat to economic and political interests in the global north,” he said.

The AFSA report shows that incorporating agroecology into NDCs and NAPs, supports the dual goals of adaptation and mitigation by enhancing carbon sequestration, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and fostering climate-resilient farming systems.

So far, Africa has consistently faced a lack of adequate finance to meet the costs of adaptation. Less than two percent of global climate finance reaches small-scale actors in the entire food system.

According to the African negotiators, financing projects that foster business interests of developed countries will always be accepted in the negotiation rooms without much struggle, unlike approaches like agroecology, for which negotiators from the global north often demand evidence—just to frustrate the process.

“As followers of agroecology, we need to be very strategic because negotiations are about consensus building,” said Amoah. “It is one thing to talk about a subject and another thing to convince other parties to accept it.”

So far, African countries are in the process of updating their NDCs to be submitted to the UNFCCC probably ahead of COP 30. “AFSA is currently working with individual African countries towards integrating agroecology into their NDCs,” said Belay.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP