fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
EU says: Turkey’s activities are compounding the contention over the gas investigation in the Mediterranean
By: Hira Menon
Tags: European Union, Greece, Josep Borrell, Erdogan, Turkey

The European Union’s unfamiliar pastor says Turkey has neglected to assume a function in settling the disagreement regarding petroleum gas assets in the eastern Mediterranean. Turkey has deliberately ignored the European Union’s danger to force sanctions on its contested energy investigation exercises in the eastern Mediterranean. EU pioneers have taken steps to force sanctions on Turkey in the event that it neglects to stop what European nations see as unlawful examination concerning the waters guaranteed by Cyprus and Greece.

The 27 EU clergymen, entrusted with evaluating the explanations behind overwhelming assents on Turkey, focused on that Turkey was worsening pressures and was not prepared to be important for the arrangement. Turkey has not yet come up with a climate of shared agreement and adaptability after EU pioneers voiced the dangers of assents against Erdogan’s administration. In the interim, Greece’s unfamiliar pastor this week blamed Turkey for attacking European solidness and directing military tasks in the area. He said Turkey was giving over fear-based oppressors to European nations and had delivered a large number of travelers who could endanger European security.

It was as of late that the Turkish president proposed a change of his nation’s legal strategy in light of political weight from the worldwide network. The move, in the interim, has been deciphered as a demonstration of adaptability for recently chose US President Joe Biden and the tension on European countries.EU Commissioner Josep Borrell told columnists two months prior that it was “tragic” that no advancement had been made on the sea contest among Turkey and Greece when EU pioneers gave Ankara time to locate a strategic arrangement. He additionally said there was no adjustment in Turkish hostility conduct. All things being equal, the circumstance has compounded.

The European Governments, in light of Turkey’s investigation of the contested waters, have proposed a resumption of talks or endorses because of Turkey’s aspirations. Then, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his nation would not “prostrate to dangers and terrorizing from European nations” yet repeated his call for chats on the contested regional waters between Greece, Cyprus, and Turkey and Turkish rights to accessible energy sources. The meeting said that the EU offers Turkey expectations and close ties and exchange collaboration if Ankara “goes into the discourse in compliance with common decency”. Ankara, then, has not yet straightforwardly acknowledged the EU’s call. He contends that marine assets are his right.
Looking into the Future Strategic Foresight in National and EU Institutions
Tags: Strategic Foresight, European Union, Government, Future Thinking, Democracy

Public decision-makers have always tried to anticipate future events to handle efficiently new regulatory challenges. In recent years, however, public administrations have engaged more structurally and systematically with strategic foresight. The scale, haste and complexity of issues to be regulated, on the one hand, and the necessity for public sector institutions to adopt inclusive, innovative and adaptive methods in the exercise of regulatory powers, on the other, have contributed to the growing relevance of horizon-scanning and future-thinking into the public sector.

This paper sets out by analysing how strategic thinking and oversight have expanded at the public sector level. It firstly provides an overview of European governments. The approaches of European policy-makers vary both in terms of substance and administrative structures dedicated to foresight. Depending on the case, they may opt for centralised or decentralised foresight bodies or they can rely more or less frequently on external expertise. The same applies to non-EU countries’ approaches to future-thinking, to which this briefing dedicates a cursory analysis.

Supranational regulators, and specifically the European Union, make no exception in this regard. Foresight activities at the Union level are carried out through dedicated structures and developed through collaboration with strategic policy advice mechanisms. The new European Commission has committed to strengthen strategic foresight in EU policy-making in order to help EU institutions to better design laws, as well as developing future-oriented policies. The plan includes the set-up of a EU Network of Strategic Foresight, bringing together the best of EU institutions and the member states, as well as the preparation of a yearly Foresight Report on the most relevant emerging trends.

The analysis of strategic foresight by national and Union institutions shows that foresight activities and civic engagement are dependent on each other. Supported by technology, policy-makers can crowdsource the ‘civic surplus’ (ideas and skills) held by individuals and communities, thus providing smarter solutions to future regulatory challenges. The conclusive remarks of the briefing stress this aspect, by pointing at the relevance of collective intelligence in foresight studies.

Read the full paper here: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3742775
Vaccines: Not so quick!
By: Eric B.
Tags: Coronavirus, Pfizer, European Union, Vaccines, Biontech

This is the news that Europe has eagerly awaited: Two pharmaceutical laboratories — Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech — have applied for approval of their COVID 19 vaccines. But the vaccination hype should be treated with caution.

After all, the application does not mean that the vaccines will be delivered quickly — and that they will work as desired. There are still several critical stages to go through.

First, the EU Medicines Agency (EMA) must examine and approve the applications. For Pfizer/Biontech, this should be done by 29 December at the latest, for Moderna by 12 January.

Thereafter, the EU Commission must authorise the use of the vaccines. This will be done after consultation of the 27 EU Member States under the so-called comitology procedure, i.e. behind closed doors.

Only then — i.e. in a third step — can Germany and the other member states place their national orders. This is likely to take a few more days.

Then the vaccine will also have to be delivered. This is a logistical challenge, given the need to cool the Pfizer/Biontech product at -70 degrees.

The European Commission is already pointing out that some countries may be overburdened. It is possible that the “Civil Protection Mechanism” could then help, according to Brussels.

Last but not least, vaccinations must be organised locally. In Belgium, this should not be possible until mid-January, reports “Le Soir”.

Against this background, the reports that it is “starting now” and that vaccination will start “as early as next week” should be treated with caution.

Moreover, it is unclear whether the vaccines are actually having the promised effect. Possible weaknesses and side effects might only become apparent after a few weeks or months.

It is then unclear who is liable for possible risks and damage. The EU Commission, which negotiated the vaccine contracts, keeps all the details in the dark. Even the costs are not known…

The original post (in German) is here
The human rights abuses in Belarus are massive and systematic
By: Urmas Paet
Tags: European Union, United Nations, Belarus, Osce, Human Rights

The protests in Belarus are continuing for over 100 days now despite repressions by state authorities. Unfortunately, the list of human rights violations committed against the people of Belarus is also growing ever longer. The shocking death of Raman Bandarenka shows that the peaceful protestors are facing extreme danger each time they take to the streets to express their legitimate demands, the most important of which is still the holding of free and fair elections.

Photo by Jana Shnipelson on Unsplash

Beyond the use of brute force there are also more petty measures, such as systematic destruction of murals, shrines and even smallest symbols that carry the message of protest. People are left without electricity and water in their homes as a punitive measure. Last Sunday again hundreds of people were arrested during protest marches across the country.

Major human rights abuses are massive and systematic and proven beyond doubt. Nevertheless, the authorities in Belarus are refusing to investigate numerous complaints from victims and to bring the perpetrators to justice. In the absence of any real legal remedies under the current regime, international efforts to investigate and document the evidence of such violations are particularly important.

This was recognised in the European Parliament resolution on the continuous violations of human rights in Belarus, in particular the murder of Raman Bandarenka, adopted on 25 November, which calls on the EU member states and the European External Action Service to provide full support to the efforts of the UN Human Rights Council and the OSCE Moscow Mechanism, as well as human rights defenders and civil society, to ensure documentation and reporting of human rights violations and subsequent accountability and justice for victims.

The EU member states also have an important role to play. The EU needs to join our forces at international, European and national levels and, most importantly, to follow up its statements with meaningful actions to support the brave people of Belarus during this challenging time.
[The American Conservative] The Problem with "European Values"
By: Jorge González-Gallarza
Tags: Hungary, European Union, Covid 19, Politics, Poland

[The American Conservative] The Problem with "European Values"

Ploys like conditioning Covid-19 relief on “rule of law” in Hungary and Poland won’t make the EU stronger. They may end up breaking the bloc apart. Jorge González-Gallarza ·Dec 5, 2020

A timeless axiom of statesmanship is catching up with the European Union (EU), one the bloc hoped it would never confront. If advancing lofty ideals requires foul plots against your own, then the real aim may be different — ulterior, baser, more unsavory — than initially advertised.

Continue reading the entire piece at The American Conservative (TAC) here.
The EU Digital Finance Strategy
By: Calogero Fontana
Tags: European Union, Strategy, Digital Finance, Payments, Eu

At a glance…

The EU adopted a Digital Finance Strategy on Sep-20 including

Digital Finance and Retail Payments Strategies

Legislative proposals on crypto-assets and digital resilience

The pillars of this strategy are:
The European Union attempts to spare the atomic arrangement with Iran
By: Hira Menon
Tags: European Union, Iran, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, United States, Nuclear Deal

The European Union Vice-president and Foreign Affairs High Representative, Joseph Borrell, reported Wednesday that the EU is getting ready for a gathering of clergymen of State gatherings to the Iran atomic dossier arrangement before Christmas, after a call with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif. “I have spoken on the telephone with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, Javad Zarif, and I will assemble a pastoral conference before Christmas to relaunch the atomic arrangement,” Borrell said in a public interview from Bruxelles. He focused on that this arrangement is the best way to keep Iran from turning into an atomic force.

A gathering of the joint board on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is booked for December 16 in Vienna. Borrell divisions have clarified that it will unite agents of the European coalition in addition to two (France, Germany, United Kingdom, China, and Russia). Helga Maria Schmidt, Secretary-General of the European General Affairs Committee will coordinate the gathering.

The EU division demonstrated that the members will talk about continuous work to keep up the joint worldwide work plan and how to guarantee the full and successful execution of the arrangement by all gatherings. Borrell didn’t indicate the date or spot of the pastoral gathering. Strains raised after U.S. President Donald Trump singularly pull out from the arrangement in 2018 and reset intense financial authorizations on Iran. Nearly 12 months after, Tehran has bit by bit dropped a large number of the key-commitments under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s atomic program(JCPOA), came to in Vienna on 14 July 2015.

The JCPOA is planned to guarantee that Iran’s atomic plan will be solely tranquil and accommodates the extensive lifting of UN, EU, and US atomic related authorizations. Following the death of the atomic researcher Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, one of the most famous researchers of the Islamic Republic, behind whom Iran charged Israel, the entryway to the interior discussion on atomic commitments was returned, particularly by the parliamentarians of the Shura Council, which traditionalists have overwhelmed after the races.

Iran’s leader on Saturday joined other high ranking representatives in reprimanding Israel for killing the nation’s top researcher, an episode fanning the flares of strain in the region.”The Europeans have stayed joined on keeping this arrangement alive,” Borrell added, focusing on the EU plans to bring the US and Iran back into the understanding and anticipates that Tehran should re-visitation of full concurrence with its atomic obligations.”We will do whatever we can to make this arrangement be a security supplier for the entire district,” Borrell closed.
The German Federal Minister of Finance, urged the European Central Bank to step-up their preparation for the digital Euro.
By: Xcel Trip
Tags: European Union, France, Xceltrip, German, Crypto

As the public continues to search for more solutions to digital payment, the quest for central bank digital currency (CBDC) grows stronger. In order to meet the increasing demand for digital money, the German’s Federal Minister of Finance, Olaf Scholz, urged the European Central Bank on Friday to step-up their preparation for the digital Euro. Digital currency would play a very important role in improving both local and international payments, he explained.

Central bank digital currency comes with its benefits for the users. Launching a digital Euro would also raise the competition for other digital payments, including cryptocurrencies and internet banks. A digital Euro can enable the public to process payment both online and possibly offline, as the minister explained.

European Central Bank is among the biggest central banks with plans to launch a digital currency. ECB announced, earlier in November, it would open public consultation for the proposed digital Euro. The program was aimed to ascertain the minds and knowledge of the public about CBDCs and possibly challenges associated with them.

Blockchain technology is growing fast. Join the crypto community today and see all advantages of using crypto in everyday life.

Book your next flight at our Next-Gen Blockchain powered Travel Platform XcelTrip. If you want to book a hotel or flight in Vienna using Bitcoin or other Cryptocurrencies, do it at XcelTrip! You could book on both the web and app of XcelTrip. Choose from over 400+ Airlines, 2.3m hotels worldwide. To get started, ensure you are registered with XcelTrip at the time of the transaction. Take a break… Flight with XcelTrip today.
A year in the EU Cybersecurity
By: Thess Mostoles
Tags: European Union, Cyberwar, Diplomacy, Cybersecurity, Europe

In its plan, the Commission included a review of the Network and Information Systems Directive, and it called for the need for a Joint Cyber Unit, and a specific Cybersecurity Strategy. But with Covid 19 hitting in early 2020, how much much of this plan has been implemented in its first year?

The EU plan focused on threats to “critical facilities of one country can affect the EU as a whole,” meaning that EU countries still have to implement their own cybersecurity for internal protection. They are also expected to share relevant information with other EU countries.

An overview

As we have covered in this publication Cyberwar in the EU, the European Union as a collective and its individual Members have taken many steps to modernize and adapt to a new playfield.

ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security)

As we have seen ENISA provides support to Member states and serves as a union point for collaboration in the EU, as well as the implementation of the NIS Directive.

5G

One of the current challenges to the EU is the new 5G networks, which bring potential entry points for attackers. The 5G system has a less centralized architecture than its predecessors, and it has an increased dependency on software. The EU guidance for its members when it comes to installing 5G, is to guarantee diversification of vendors and restrict those suppliers considered high risk.

Cybersecurity made in Europe

The works for an EU-wide certification framework is expected to make EU companies more competitive and establish requirements for the protection of European networks with the expansion of the IoT and 5G.

This could be important for EU companies because, as big of a number as €25 billion might look, the EU market for cybersecurity is half of the US, although the EU has about double of the population.

Digital Europe Programme (2021–2027)

The Digital Europe Programme will invest €1.9 billion into cybersecurity and deployment of cybersecurity infrastructures and tools across the EU, for public administrations, businesses, and individuals. This is as part of the efforts to both continue to modernize the infrastructures and as part of the Covid 19 recovery. Investments in cybersecurity will also be made through InvestEU

Joint Cyber Unit

As of now, most EU countries have some kind of cyber unit in their defense system, and until now the strategy has been a focus on establishing a collaboration between the units. But it is in development to start an EU-wide Joint Cyber Unit to coordinate cybersecurity operational capabilities across the EU.

Women4Cyber

The gap is acute in the EU, too, with only 7% of cybersecurity jobs occupied by women. In the world, women represent less than 1% of senior positions in the industry.

The EU also began a registry for women who work in Cybersecurity, the Women4Cyber Registry by the European Cybersecurity Organisation (ECSO). The Registry aims to work as a point of reference for those organizations of companies looking for experts. European Cyber Security Month

Cyber diplomacy
Dialogue exceptionnel entre Valéry Giscard d’Estaing et Herman Van Rompuy (discours d’ouverture)
By: Paul Lignières
Tags: European Union

Paul is Head of Public Law at Linklaters and he specialises in Governance and Government-related areas. He is listed in Legal 500’s “Hall of Fame”.
The EU aims to make hate speech a crime.
By: Barbara Da Rosa Lazarotto
Tags: European Union, Hate Speech, Hate Crimes, European Commission, Mediafreedom

Photo Credit: Getty Images

The internet has brought us several advancements such as the spread of knowledge and information. But along with these advancements it also created problems that did not exist yet or that were much smaller offline, two of the problems are disinformation and hate speech.

As the internet becomes more and more a part of our lives, influencing how we think and act it is necessary to address these issues. This is precisely what the EU is doing on the European Democracy Action Plan.

The European Democracy Action Plan was created by the European Commission and it aims to “ensure that citizens can participate in the democratic system through informed decision making free from unlawful interference and manipulation” which was presented today on December 3rd of 2020 by Vice-President Vera Jourová.

It has three pillars that are the key to its success, they are Elections, media pluralism and freedom, and Countering disinformation.

Regarding the pillar of media pluralism and freedom there is the possibility of protecting journalists from hate speech, although Vice-President Jourová did not mention the intention on her speech, President Ursula von der Leyen did mention it in her State of the Union Address on September 16th, 2020.

But how can the EU extend the list of crimes and turn hate speech a crime?

The answer is on article 83 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The article allows the European Parliament and the Council to establish minimum rules, by means of directives, concerning the definition of criminal offenses and sanctions regarding serious crimes with cross-border dimensions. As we know hate speech as a whole has been spreading online and has the main characteristics of being a cross-border crime that can affect media pluralism and freedom deeply.

The expectations over the European Democracy Action Plan are very high and the stakes are too. It is time for the EU to have a stronger plan to protect democratic freedoms by assuring all citizens decision-making based on truthful facts and free and plural media.
Sword, Shield and Social Media: Europe’s Digital Dilemma
By: Accidental European
Tags: European Union, Tech Policy, Privacy, Gdpr, Digital

Big Tech companies may well know the “digital you” better than yourself. Every click, like and search on your Android or iOS device imprints your digital footprint. Your political views, sexual orientation, even your latest embarrassing Google search for “how to spell “necesary” all are prime targets for digital giants like Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon to exploit.

As these tech titans tighten their grip on the digital market, how can the EU best use their shield, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), to stave off these encroaching invaders to protect our digital privacy while also influencing global tech competition?

Read more at : https://accidentaleuropean.com/sword-shield-and-social-media-europes-digital-dilemma/

Originally published at https://accidentaleuropean.com on December 2, 2020.
The Joint Cyberspace Command
By: Thess Mostoles
Tags: European Union, Spain, Cyberwar, Cybersecurity, Nato

Based in Pozuelo de Alarcón, north of Madrid, the MCCD is not there to protect the cyberspace when related to Spain, it is also in charge of ensuring free and secret access by the Armed Forces to cyberspace and to needed telecommunications.

“Our first mission is to protect the Ministry of Defense systems from any type of threat. In the cyber world, there is not absolute peace, there is always activity, […] this means there is constant training. A individual can hurt you on the same level than a state.” General Carlos Gómez López de Medina

In 2013, it wasn’t clear what the MCCD would be focusing on: defense, intelligence gathering, or offense. Spain was ranked 12 in the world for cyberwarfare capabilities, and 5th for its strong position when it comes to destroying or disabling an adversary’s infrastructure and capabilities by a recent study at Harvard.

“Imagine we are building a ship. We have laid the keel down, but as we continue to build the ship, we are not so sure if it will be a Frigate or a different type of ship, but we have to get used to everything we need it to do. Not only that, but we have put an unfinished ship in the water and we are fighting with it. We feel like pioneers, we are writing doctrine and procedures that don’t exist, like the people who arrage air forces before WWI.” General Carlos Gómez López de Medina

In 2017, Spain registered 120.000 cyberattacks, of which only 1% were serious. In 2020, the increase has been of 160%. People live now in two worlds, the real one and the cyber world, and “those ones and zeros define us as much as our DNA,” Ángel Gómez de Ágreda, Air Force

colonel and Spanish Representative at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, said.
Cybersecurity threats trends for the EU to look out for 2021
By: Thess Mostoles
Tags: European Union, Ransomeware, Wannacry, Enisa, Cybersecurity

The risks of AI-based attacks

As AI becomes more present, the world of cybercrime and cyberwar also becomes smarter in the use of these tools. AI could theoretically improve the effectiveness of the attacks by learning how to respond to the defense systems in real-time.

We have already seen how AI can be used for the transmission of misinformation campaigns and the exponential threat of deep fakes, as the technology that makes it possible continues to improve. However, AI can also be used for defense, as it might be able to respond faster than humans to an attack.

“Like electricity in the past, AI is transforming the world. […]The coordinated action plan will ensure that Europe reaps the benefits of AI for citizens and businesses and competes globally, while safeguarding trust and respecting ethical values.” Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society.

Ransomware on the rise
Germany joins with Israel for EU vaccine programme
By: Lucas Bakker
Tags: European Union, Covid 19, Israel, Palestine, Europe

The deal to consist of Israel withinside the EU vaccination deal programme will come as no wonder to many Palestinians.

According to current reviews withinside the Israeli media, Germany has promised to consist of the usa withinside the EU’s coronavirus vaccination deal this is being made with huge pharmaceutical companies. The pledge become made via way of means of German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Health Minister Jens Spahn to Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi as a continuation of the usa’s “unique relationship” due to the Holocaust.

Germany — extensively taken into consideration withinside the EU as a strict enforcer of the bloc’s guidelines — seemingly bent the guidelines this time to make sure that an EU-produced vaccine might first take delivery of to European international locations and Israel. The Palestinian territory of Gaza, however, might not be so lucky.

The virus in Israeli blockaded land which is likewise densely populated has reached a “catastrophic stage.” Gaza become already laid low with a scarcity of clinical device after greater than a decade of a lethal Israeli siege leaving hospitals with out essential device had to deal with a pandemic.

Pleas via way of means of Palestinian medical doctors in Gaza that the fitness machine ought to collapse, have in large part long gone unheard and the Berlin-Tel Aviv deal most effective underscores that which makes no point out of Palestinians.

There were no commitments made via way of means of Germany toward the Palestinians who’re presently below an Israeli profession which has its very own ancient motives that may be carefully related to Germany’s actions.

In 2015, Germany bought Israel 4 warships at a substantial cut price as a part of what it considers an atonement. Israel has visible greater than 337,000 thousand coronavirus instances and nearly 3,000 deaths up to now.

Palestinians, on the opposite hand, have visible coronavirus infections method the 100,000 mark and greater than 770 dead. In August of this year, the EU signed a address pharmaceutical agency AstraZeneca to deliver it with four hundred million vaccines from which now Israel can also be capable of buy stock.

Palestinians, however, up to now will need to probable wait as soon as there’s a greater fashionable rollout of the vaccine. Israel’s overseas minister stated that Israel’s early get admission to to the vaccine might “permit the financial system to go back to complete interest in Israel.”
Advocating for Etsy Sellers in Upcoming EU Platform Regulation
By: Laura Blanco
Tags: Microbusiness, Platform Regulation, Digital Services Act, European Union, Economic Impact

Photo by Valeriia Miller from Pexels

These days, it feels like everyone is discussing the impact technology companies have on society and the need for new regulations better suited for the digital economy. We agree. We believe that marketplaces like ours have a responsibility to help protect consumers from goods, services, or content that violates regulatory policy, including unsafe products. Our sellers — and Etsy itself — will not succeed unless buyers believe that Etsy is a safe place to shop. That’s why we continue to invest in the people and technology that underpin our marketplace trust and integrity functions, and move quickly to identify and remove potentially harmful content.

Yet, for all the talk of platform regulation in Europe these days, you don’t hear much about how the upcoming proposals will specifically help the self-employed microbusinesses who sell goods on Etsy. That’s why we continue to work hard to educate lawmakers about the needs and concerns of our community.

In fact, we recently responded to the European Commission’s public consultations on the upcoming Digital Services Act (DSA) and the review of the General Product Safety Directive (GPSD), where we argue that any upcoming measure should avoid imposing overbearing compliance burdens on small and microbusinesses.

Etsy sellers need legal certainty and transparency. For example, the idea that all businesses must designate an economic operator established in the EU must recognize that microbusinesses do not have the resources to find, appoint, or pay a representative to manage their compliance obligations. For this reason, we urge policymakers to enable Etsy sellers to comply with EU legislation in a simplified manner, and provide educational resources tailored to their unique circumstances.

All in all, while it is increasingly clear that all parties in the online ecosystem must collaborate to ensure safety online, the upcoming legislation and corresponding obligations will only succeed if they are designed with small businesses in mind.

We’ll keep encouraging lawmakers to prioritize the needs and concerns of Etsy sellers, and to adopt meaningful legislation that makes it easier for our sellers to start and grow their creative businesses.

You can find more detailed information on our recent positioning on the upcoming DSA and the review of GPSD here and here respectively.
EU sanctions cyber-attackers for the first time
By: Thess Mostoles
Tags: European Union, Cybercrime, Enisa, Cybersecurity, Europe

In 2017, the Ransomware WannaCry encrypted the data of numerous Microsoft Windows operating systems around the world and demanded a cryptocurrency payment to recover the data. The attack became the first instance where Member States in the EU shared information and came up with a set of guidelines.

The European Union Agency for Network and Information Security, ENISA, coordinated the Member States collaborating to address WannaCry. Three years later the progress in EU collaboration for Cybersecurity has paid off. The Council has imposed for the first time restrictive measures against six individuals and three entities responsible for or involved in various cyberattacks.

The cyberattacks include an attempted attack against the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, OPCW, and attacks known as NotPetya, Operation Cloud Hopper, and the infamous WannaCry. The EU celebrated this as a win against the vast impunity in cybercrime today.

“The unanimous decision of the EU member states to apply restrictive measures is proof of the growing determination in the fight against cyberattacks that threaten the security of the Union.” ENISA statement.

The sanctions the Council has imposed consist of a travel ban and an asset freeze. These sanctions come from the EU cyber diplomacy toolbox. The framework for it was adopted in 2019 and renewed this year. The framework that allowed the design of these tools comes from the 2017 Framework for a Joint EU Diplomatic Response to Malicious Cyber Activities.
EU’s Cybersecurity Month
By: Thess Mostoles
Tags: Cyberstalkers, European Union, Spam, Cybersecurity, Europe

ENISA coordinates the campaign with the European Commission. It is a public-private campaign with hundreds of partners from Europe, all together to provide training and awareness for good practices for starting secure online. Partners include universities, think tanks, NGOs, and professional associations.

Each October since 2012, hundreds of events take place all over Europe. This year many were online due to Covid 19, but they were maybe more needed than ever, given the increase in cyberattacks since the pandemic began. The ECSM includes conferences, workshops, training, webinars, presentations, and more, to promote digital security and cyber hygiene.

“Just like land, sea or air space, the digital information space sometimes has security loopholes that need to be closed. Our ambition is to offer EU citizens the safest information space in the world.” Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market

The reasoning behind the campaign is that Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and by increasing awareness, one can reduce the human factor in cybersecurity. This year’s campaign is targeting citizens who might be more vulnerable to cyberattacks under the motto “Think before U click.” The ECSM tries to prepare citizens to prepare for and identify the most common cyber threats for the average user: scams, spam, fishing, etc…

This year the campaign also dedicates time to promote “Digital Skills” and “E-privacy.” This last will cover problems such as cyberbullying and cyberstalking and provide tools for general personal data protection.
Lithuania considers EU as a tool to get money and punish opponents
By: Kristupas Gavelis
Tags: Belarus, Money, European Union, Lithuania

The latest Lithuanian political initiatives could leave to breaking basic policies of the European Union.

As we know, the idea of European unity led to the creation and development of the European Union. The EU was established when the Maastricht Treaty came into force in 1993.

Today, the European Union is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. EU policies aim to ensure the free movement of people, goods, services and capital within the internal market; enact legislation in justice and home affairs; and maintain common policies on trade, agriculture, fisheries and regional development. Due to its global influence, the European Union is often described as an emerging superpower.

The EU does not focus only on the development of its member states, but on the involving neighbour countries in its sphere of influence. Thus, within the EU the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) was developed to promote prosperity, stability and security within the EU’s neighbours and to avoid new dividing lines between the enlarged EU and its neighbours. This Neighbourhood Policy is designed not only to assist neighbour countries but to benefit from cooperation with them.

At present, the EU works with 16 partners: its immediate neighbours by land or sea — Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Moldova, Morocco, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Syria, Tunisia and Ukraine.

Lithuania became a full-fledged member of the European Union on 1 May 2004 and still economically is not among the strongest members. By the way, it is one of the largest beneficiary of the EU financial support. It is used to get large sums of money on its development.

It seems as if Lithuania continues to consider the EU as a non-dissecting source of money and as a tool to punish those countries which act contrary to its national interests.

Lithuania and Poland called for EU sanctions for Belarusian companies supporting the Lukashenko regime, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said on Tuesday, November 17. The existing sanctions «have not yet produced the result we expected», the Lithuanian leader said.

Nonetheless, there is a result which Lithuania did not expect and which is not beneficial for the EU as an organization. Vladimir Makei, the Belarus minister of foreign affairs said that “Belarus does not see much point in working fully within the Eastern Partnership initiative. All these measures are only a response to the destructive steps that our European partners have taken towards Belarus.”

So, Lithuania, calling to impose sanction on Belarus, achieved the opposite effect. It is ruining the basic aim of the EU Neighbourhood Policy.
European Union helps Albania rebuild after devastating earthquake
By: Un Development Programme
Tags: European Union, Rebuilding, Albania, Earthquake, Undp

Education — the best investment for the future

Moza Shehu, her husband Jetim, and their two sons, have been living in a rented apartment for almost a year, while the Durres Municipality reconstructs their house. The family still remembers how the house started shaking near dawn, and then having to run for their lives.

The earthquake turned Moza’s son Liku’s usual excitement to go to kindergarten into anxiety and distress.

Fortunately, their rental apartment is close to “1Qershori” kindergarten.

“Two months ago — about one or two weeks before the new school year started — Liku and I were passing by the ‘1 Qershori’ Kindergarten and the colorful EU4Schools logo surrounding the kindergarten grabbed his attention. We were told that children in this neighbourhood will get a completely new and modern kindergarten, built to the highest international standards. When I explained this to Liku, he immediately said he wants to go there. Hearing him speak excitedly again could not make me happier,” she said.

The kindergarten is one among the 58 education facilities in the EU4Schools Programme, being implemented by UNDP in Albania. Funded by the European Union to the amount of US$77 million, and complemented with a contribution of $905,000 from UNDP, the programme will repair or reconstruct 58 education facilities in 11 municipalities, home to around 20,000 students, children and teachers. Around 440,000 will benefit from the construction work.
Locked Down, in a Good Way: Nuclear Energy — Accidental European
By: Accidental European
Tags: European Union, Nuclear Energy, Nuclear, Green Deals, Green Energy

Nuclear power is often-talked about, but how much do we really know about it? How is nuclear energy kept safe & secure? What measures are put in place to protect citizens today? And what measures need to be put in place tomorrow to ensure greater safety? With these questions in mind, I attempt to explore the ‘3S’ approach to nuclear energy: safety, security & safeguarding, and its implications for Europe.

If you’re not a big Simpsons fan, you may not think about nuclear energy too often.1 But as the climate crisis becomes increasingly urgent, and governments are implored to take measures which reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, nuclear energy is becoming the subject of conversations in cabinets across the globe.

While Springfield’s Nuclear Power Plant2 is dangerous, unstable, and poorly guarded, real nuclear energy sources are anything but. The nuclear industry — like others in the energy sphere — is very strictly regulated to avoid causing significant harm to people or the world.

More on the subject at : https://accidentaleuropean.com/locked-down-in-a-good-way-nuclear-energy/
EU sanctions against Turkey over actions in Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus
By: Lucas Bakker
Tags: European Union, Turkey, Europe

EU sanctions against Turkey over actions in Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus Lucas Bakker ·Nov 26, 2020

Turkey is all over again dealing with the hazard of sanctions as calls develop in the EU to impose punitive measures in opposition to it.

The go back of the Turkish studies ship, Oruc Reis, to disputed waters withinside the Eastern Mediterranean has revived tensions among Greece and Ankara, and the choice via way of means of the North-Cypriot’s Prime Minister, Ersin Tatar, to reopen the island’s occupied ghost metropolis of Varosha, has additionally angered officers in Nicosia.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has time and again omitted calls from the EU to desist and has alternatively been more and more more competitive withinside the region.
Germany searches Turkish ship for weapons headed to Libya
By: Desert Talks
Tags: European Union, Turkish, Germany, Libya, Erdogan

Soldiers from the frigate Hamburg, part of an EU mission enforcing a U.N. arms embargo, boarded the Roseline A overnight but withdrew after Turkey raised objections with the EU mission, which had ordered the search, the German Defence Ministry said.

Turkey released footage showing armed men in military uniform marshalling sailors with their hands on their heads on the bridge of what it said was the Roseline A, at sea southwest of the Greek Peloponnese peninsula.

The incident comes at a time of friction between Turkey and the European Union. The EU’s foreign policy chief has said ties are reaching a “watershed moment” over Turkish oil prospecting in waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus, and that sanctions could be imposed next month.

Ankara said the vessel was carrying humanitarian aid and that the Hamburg had violated international law by not waiting for permission from Turkish authorities to board. It summoned the EU, German and Italian ambassadors to hear a protest.

But Germany said that, after four hours had passed with no reply to a request to board, it was standard practice to consider this as implicit permission. “All procedures were followed correctly,” a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said.

The German Defence Ministry said the soldiers had not found anything suspicious by the time they were ordered off the ship.

Turkey is backing the internationally recognised government in Libya in its fight against Russian- and Egyptian-backed rebels in the east.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the Roseline’s captain had shared information with the Hamburg about his ship’s freight and its course.

“Despite this, at 17:45, armed forces from the Irini Operation boarded the ship and carried out a ‘monitoring’ that lasted long hours,” he said.

“We protest this act, which was carried out by force and without authorisation (and) retain the right to seek compensation.”

The 16,000-tonne container ship left the Turkish port of Gemlik near Bursa last week, and was last seen heading southwest towards Libya, according to Refinitiv Eikon data.
Sanctions Top-5 for the week ending 20 November 2020
By: Nicholas Turner
Tags: European Union, Sanctions, Iran, Biden, Belarus

Here are five things that happened this week in the world of economic sanctions that I think you should know about.

Sign up here if you would like to receive these summaries by email. Click here for an index of past Sanctions Top-5 briefings.

Comments

Another week, another Iran sanctions update. (Newly ascertained) President-elect Biden has signaled his intention to reenter he Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran (among other agreements). Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week warned in a statement that easing of Iran sanctions would be a “dangerous choice” and said the United States would continue to “impose new sanctions on Iran, including using our nuclear, counterterrorism, and human rights authorities” in the “coming weeks and months.”

After four years of heaping on sanctions, it will be interesting to see which ones the Biden administration could offer to bring Iran back to the negotiating table. There are lots to choose from. At the same time, Tehran could demand a premium, if not a guarantee the sanctions will stay lifted. What do you think? Does the United States need Iran’s OK to reenter the JCPOA? Will the Biden administration use its leverage to demand new concessions? Would Iran get a better deal or a worse one under a hypothetical JCPOA 2.0?

I’m looking forward to talking later today about detecting sanctions circumvention at the virtual AML/CTF Annual Summit hosted by Fintelekt and the Philippines Anti-Money Laundering Council. Checkout the details of the five-day program at this link.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Did I miss something? Send me a message or comment on LinkedIn.

(The views expressed are my own and do not constitute legal advice. Photo from Vladislav Reshetnyak.)
It Was Meant to Be Perfect
By: Louise Foerster
Tags: Celebration, Inspiration, Poetry, Gifts, Poetry Sunday

Poetry Sunday

It Was Meant to Be Perfect

It chose to be itself.

Photo by James Wainscoat on Unsplash

In her mind’s eye, the table gleams with heirloom china and polished sterling,

Graced with perfect abundance of bold magnolias and sweet roses and

Huge, open-faced white flowers with no names (but from the greenhouse

So the gardener knows so she doesn’t have to).

In her studio apartment, the table tilts to the right, couch threatens to burst,

The neighbors are fighting or having a party — whatever it is, it is too loud

For the magic she hoped to summon to transform today’s dismal drab

To that far-off, impossible place where the fruit is ripe and invites savor.

When they came, they brought desperation — purchased chocolate

To make up for botched cookies they brought to share anyway.

The fruit in the basket was soft, sad, and slumped

Like her secondhand couch except you could eat it.

The wind-scarred pears came from Oregon

Where the fires scorched, destroyed homes and dreams,

And made possible a gift of presence,

A moment of sweetness despite unending onslaught of strange.

It was not at all what she had in mind when she invited them

To raise a glass and toast the year they’d survived (but barely),

But somehow, someway, the imperfect was perfect

With friends to share the strange, wild wonderful.
Financial Education for My Child: Why He Didn’t Get His Favorite Gift for Christmas
By: Bianca Zagan
Tags: Financial Education, Children, Christmas Gifts, Gifts

And no, I didn’t mean any punishment, but the start financial education for my child.

@khosrork on Shotzr

For my firstborn, I often went an extra mile to get him everything I thought he might need, like or maybe remotely be interested in.

He’s recently turned four, and now he can express preferences. For the past six months before Christmas, he told me he wants a Lego Duplo set with Mickey Mouse, a guitar, a PJ Masks car and some other smaller items he mentioned only once, so I don’t recall.

Until recently, all of those items — I would have purchased them — not after seeking the best deals possible!

But this year, as I was looking for Lego sets, I realized I had purchased so many already! He has three large bags with building blocks that I rotate every month — because otherwise he doesn’t notice them any longer.

Every time my son showed any interest about something, I was eager to buy that for him. Part of me was the proud mommy, happy he’s interested in helicopters, space rockets or planes — part of me was the child who wanted to have the ‘perfect’ childhood — through witnessing my son’s early years.

I was making the choices.

I had made the distance between wish and manifested reality of days, even hours.

But what is this teaching my child?

The gift of patience? Delayed gratification, the great indicator of success later in life? Not at all.

That he has to do something of value to others to receive something he values? No.

The concept of accumulating money, so that one day, he’ll be able to buy what he wants? No.

In other words, was my behavior good financial education for my child? No.

When I woke up to these facts, I easily found in me the power to say ‘no’.

‘You won’t have this toy now’.

‘We have money for necessities this month, not for extra toys’.

‘We may buy one extra book about PJ Masks now, if you want. Also. we’ll put aside money each month so in three months, we’ll have enough to buy the car’.

I’m not sure which is the best approach. I’m still learning.

But if I continue my old path, by 16 he’ll want a Ferrari or a spaceship. I want to give him the best chance for a sound financial education.

Therefore, little by little, we build his financial knowledge.

I used to think it’s too early or too hard to explain such concepts, but I had a surprise noticing how he absorbed the little fragments of information we gave him about microbes and why it’s important to wash hands.

If within 6 to 9 months, he learned that ‘microbes are everywhere,’, ‘when hands are dirty, they carry germs,’; ‘we wash hands with water and soap to have clean hands and remain healthy’.

So… why would money be much different? He doesn’t have to learn everything in one week. I am pleased to see that my concept of tiny daily steps is working wonderfully for teaching children complex ideas.

It will take years — and I am in for the journey.

How do you approach financial education for your child?