Tag: cities
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EU Missions for major challenges
The ongoing
climate and health crises facing all of us are forcing us to join efforts in
new and innovating ways. We need a courageous and ambitious policy, setting
clear goals to help us shape the future that we desire. This is the view of the
European Union, which is seeking answers to some of the most important current
challenges. These include fighting cancer, adjusting to climate change, protecting
oceans and waters, greener cities, a healthy soil and healthy food. New EU
missions have been initiated for all of these areas. Why is joint action
necessary? MEP Victor Negrescu attempts an answer:
Victor Negrescu: I believe the pandemic has once again proved how important it is for us
to work together. Global challenges require joint responses. We had to come up
with a joint response in the healthcare field, we had to come up with a joint response
in terms of economic recovery. And there is no doubt that in order to cope with
the new challenges related to the environmental and digital transition, we
still need a EU-wide, joint response. I think this pandemic has brought us all
together, helped us to better understand the importance of the European project
and is, somehow, a common starting point that we share regardless of our
political views. So I hope we will take advantage of this context, which
unfortunately is not in the least favourable, and understand the importance of
resetting the EU agenda and of a substantial development of what the EU will
mean in the future.
What
are these missions? A co-ordinated effort, says the European Commission, to
bring together the necessary resources in terms of financing programmes,
policies and regulations, as well as other activities designed to contribute to
fulfilling the goals. With research and innovation as their starting points, the
EU Missions set ambitious, concrete and measurable objectives, to be
accomplished in clearly defined timelines, in order to obtain tangible results
for all Europeans.
One goal
of these missions is to mobilise and actively involve stakeholders in the
public and private sector, member states, regional and local authorities,
research institutes, entrepreneurs and investors, as well as citizens, in order
to encourage the adoption of new solutions and approaches at society level. Not
least, the Missions are a novelty of the largest publicly funded research and
innovation programme, Horizon Europe, to be held until 2027. MEP Cristian
Bușoi explains:
Cristian Bușoi: Obviously, this Horizon Europe programme was
bound to take into account the challenges facing the EU at present, as well as
the Union’s strategic goals. This is why an important part of the programme
focuses on climate change, on digitisation, on artificial intelligence and, of
course, on healthcare, with special emphasis on beating cancer.
Supporting at
least 150 European regions and communities in becoming resilient to the effects
of climate change by 2030 is one of the EU objectives. In order to fulfil it, Mission
Adaptation to Climate Change intends to make 100 million euros available for
large-scale action related to major climate threats like flooding, adjusted to
local circumstances.
Mission
Conquering Cancer plans to introduce a new, common governance model able to
ensure systematic and effective integration of research, innovation and
political developments with respect to cancer across Europe. Its targets
are equally ambitious: cooperation with Europe’s
Beating Cancer Plan to improve the lives of over 3 million people by 2030 through
prevention, treatment and solutions for better and longer living. The implementation
will go beyond research and innovation, but this mission too originates in the
Horizon Europe programme.
Mission
Restore our Oceans and Waters will create a network of lighthouses and
broaden the networks of protected maritime areas.
As part
of Mission 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, the selected cities will get
their citizens involved in drawing up contracts for climate-neutral cities so
as to contribute to ensuring climate neutrality by 2030. This is yet another ambitious
goal, whose reaching would entail substantial benefits, particularly
considering that, according to the UN, over two-thirds of the total carbon
emissions come from cities.
Not least,
Mission A Soil Deal for Europe will encourage people to take part in
scientific citizen initiatives to collectively improve the soil health.
The EU
Missions will help turn Europe into a greener, healthier continent, more
favourable to inclusion and more resilient, says Brussels. It is a set of actions
– research and innovation projects, policy measures and legislative
initiatives, citizens’ involvement – to achieve concrete goals with large
societal impact. We want
to deliver solutions to key global challenges by 2030!, said Margrethe Vestager, Executive
Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age. (tr.
A.M. Popescu) -
Large retailers, outside cities
In Romania, talks about relocating large stores outside city centres have been rehashed. So far, the opening of hypermarkets in major cities has resulted in the closing of many Romanian stores, and even people in rural communities are now doing their shopping in superstores. Moreover, the policy of large retailers is to protect imported goods, say the Romanian Product Distribution Companies, which propose changes in the legislation to the effect of stopping the construction of hypermarkets within cities and consequently of giving a chance to Romanian businesses as well.
Here is the president of the National Federation of Trade Unions in the Food Industry, Dragos Frumosu: “From now on, retailers should operate outside cities, so as to allow small producers or medium and small companies to operate within cities. Obviously, this means an increase in the number of jobs, in the amounts collected to the state budget, as well as an adjustment of prices in the market. Because today the prices charged by retailers are rather high, they include a lot of taxes and charges, so the end price of products may be up to 30% higher.”
Dragos Frumosu agrees that a change in the legislation, so as to ban the construction of hypermarkets within cities, will be a lengthy process, and one impossible to see through without the understanding of the situation by the political class: “I find it hard to believe that this will happen very soon. The start of a dialogue may lead to a construction process, provided that the political class are willing to do this and provided that there is no pressure, as we all know there is, from the representatives of the countries of origin of these hypermarkets. I believe that through constructive dialogue, all stakeholders will understand the situation and we will be able to create something to benefit everybody.”
As far back as in 2015, two MPs from the National Liberal Party, in opposition, tabled a draft law under which hypermarkets should be closed on Sundays and they should be located outside cities. They believe that, with superstores outside cities, Romanian producers will be able to sell their fruit and vegetables more easily, and locals will be free of the heavy traffic around hypermarkets.
The Association of Large Retail Chains however are against the idea. They say they have secured all the required permits, and they already sell Romanian products, based on partnerships with local farmers. They also claim this legislative initiative will lead to massive layoffs and huge losses in state budget revenues.
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October 8, 2018 UPDATE
REFERENDUM – 21.10% of the Romanian eligible voters took part in the referendum for rephrasing the constitutional definition of family as being based on the marriage of a man and a woman, rather than of “spouses, as it is at present. According to final data provided by the Central Election Bureau, the voter turnout in the 2 days of the vote, Saturday and Sunday, was below the validation threshold. To be validated, the referendum needed a minimum 30% turnout. Out of the participants in the referendum, some 91.5% voted in favour of changing the Constitution article, and only 6.5% voted against. The bill revising the Constitution was passed in Parliament and was based on a citizen initiative signed by 3 million people. On the other hand, the minister delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu announced that a bill regulating civil partnership will be tabled to Parliament next week. The bill is finalized, and it has been discussed with partners in political parties and civil society, Negrescu said.
INTERVIEW – The Prosecutor Department of the Higher Magistracy Council in Romania Monday issued a negative opinion on Adina Florea, nominated by the Justice Minister, Tudorel Toader, for the position of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate. The Councils opinion is consultative, and the appointment decision must be made by President Klaus Iohannis. In the project with which she applied for the post, Adina Florea says that, apart from the good things, the activity of anti-corruption prosecutors in recent years also comprised deviations from the requirements of the rule of law. The office of chief prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate has been vacant since July, when Laura Codruţa Kovesi was removed from office by President Klaus Iohannis, who was forced to implement a Constitutional Court ruling. In this respect as well, the Higher Council of Magistracy issued a negative consultative report.
MOTION – The Chamber of Deputies Monday debated a simple motion filed by the National Liberal Party, in opposition, against Economy Minister Danut Andrusca. The Liberals accuse Andrusca of deliberately destabilizing the country’s economy. According to the motion text, “industrial activity failed nearly to zero in August, the lowest level since February, economic growth is offset by inflation and managers expectations for the next 6 months remain pessimistic. Meanwhile, Liberal Deputies also filed on Monday a simple motion against the Culture Minister George Ivascu, whom they accuse of being unable to coordinate the historical celebration of December 1, when Romania marks the Union Centennial.
HEARING – The High Court of Cassation and Justice Monday postponed for November 5th the first hearing in the appeal filed by Social-Democrat leader and Chamber of Deputies Speaker Liviu Dragnea against a 3-and-a-half-year prison sentence from the court of first instance. In June, the court handed Dragnea this sentence for instigation to abuse of office. Anticorruption prosecutors say Liviu Dragnea ordered the fictitious employment of two party members at the Social Assistance and Child Protection Directorate. The two were paid with taxpayer money, although they allegedly worked exclusively for the Social-Democratic Party. Liviu Dragnea denied the accusations. In 2016, Dragnea was handed a suspended 2-year prison sentence for attempted election fraud. This summer the High Court cancelled the ruling to suspend the prison sentence. Dragnea is also prosecuted for abuse of office in 2 other cases, one of them re-opened last week, further to reports coming from the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF).
JUDICIARY – The Romanian Supreme Court postponed for November 5 an appeal filed by the National Anti-Corruption Directorate against the acquittal of constitutional court judge Toni Grebla. In May, a Constitutional Court 3-judge panel dismissed the charges against Grebla, who had been indicted in 2015 for influence peddling, forgery, financial operations incompatible with his office, and setting up an organised crime group. In a government re-shuffling announced for October, Toni Greblă might become a secretary general of the Government. The president of the Social Democratic Party in power, Liviu Dragnea, proposed Grebla for this office in a late September meeting of the partys National Executive Committee.
EUROPEAN WEEK OF REGIONS – The 2018 edition of the European Week of Regions and Cities started in Brussels on Monday, in the presence of European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, the head of the European Committee of the Regions, Karl-Heinz Lambertsz and European Parliament vice-president, Pavel Telicka. This year’s edition is a special one, devoted to the European Commission’s cohesion policy proposal for 2021-2027. Decision-makers and local, regional, national and European experts will take part in a series of debates as part of the most important event devoted to cohesion policies at European level.
NOBEL – The Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded this year to the Americans William Nordhaus and Paul Romer, for integrating climate change and technological innovation into long-run macroeconomic analysis. The Nobel in economics was introduced in 1968 by Swedens Central Bank and was first granted in 1969. Unlike the other Nobel prizes, which are funded by the Nobel Foundation, this award is financed by the Central Bank of Sweden. The 2018 Nobel season has concluded with the award of this last prize.
INTERPOL – The Interpol chief, Meng Hongwei, is probed into for bribe taking and other alleged offences, Chinas Ministry of State Security announced on Monday. Beijing confirmed that Meng Hongwei, who is also the deputy Minister for State Security in China, has resigned as Interpol chief. Meng Hongwei, 64, was announced missing last week, while on a trip to his home country. The Interpol will elect a new president at the General Assembly scheduled for next week in Dubai.
(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)