European Union

FPÖ politician Christian Schilcher has resigned from his party and as deputy mayor of the Austrian city of Braunau amid a scandal over a xenophobic text. He had published a poem entitled "The City Rat" in the local party paper in which he compared migrants with rats. Is the FPÖ fit to be part of the Austrian government?

Those who don’t think 16-year-olds should have a vote, should listen to the powerful and awe inspiring speech by the 16-year-old climate change activist, Greta Thunberg.

Then, you might consider, that not only are 16-year-olds capable of voting; they are more capable of leading the world than many of our current leaders.

In a rousing speech to MEPs and officials at the European Parliament in Strasbourg this week, the teenage campaigner berated EU leaders for holding three emergency summits on Brexit and none on the threat posed by climate change.

Greta, the founder of the climate change school strike movement that’s gone global, said if politicians were serious about tackling climate change, they would not spend all their time “talking about taxes or Brexit”.

She added that politicians were failing to take enough action on climate change and the threats to the natural world, which could mean our way of life being destroyed by 2030.

“Our house is falling apart and our leaders need to start acting accordingly because at the moment they are not,” the 16-year old schoolgirl from Sweden told the standing room-only meeting.

“If our house was falling apart our leaders wouldn’t go on like we do today,” she said.

“If our house was falling apart, you wouldn’t hold three emergency Brexit summits and no emergency summit regarding the breakdown of the climate and the environment.”

She said politicians told her that they could not do anything too dramatic on climate change because it would be “unpopular” with voters.

“They are right of course,” said Greta, “because most people are not even aware why those changes are required.”

She added:

“That’s why I keep telling you to unite behind the science; make the best available science at the heart of politics and democracy.”

Now, if only grown-up politicians would act like that, what a better world we’d have.

It’s unlikely that we would now even be on the road to Brexit, because there’s no science or evidence to support it.

Instead, we would be putting massive resources behind a serious, co-odinated, world-wide effort to tackle climate change before it really is too late.

Just as this 16-year-old has urgently demanded.

Greta continued:

“The EU elections are coming up soon, and many of us who would be affected the most by this crisis, people like me, are not allowed to vote.”

She added:

“You need to listen to us, those who cannot vote. You need to vote for us, for your children and grandchildren.”

And in her concluding comments, that inspired a 30-second standing ovation, Greta said with a trembling voice:

“It’s ok if you refuse to listen to me, I am after all just a 16-year-old school girl from Sweden.

“But you cannot ignore the scientists, or the science, or the millions of school striking children, who are striking for the right to a future.

“I beg you, please do not fail on this.”

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The post Climate changes dwarfs Brexit appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

The EP concluded the last plenary session of its 8th term on 18th April

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

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Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Power to gas technology could go further to save the environment from fossil fuel emmissions, by increasing the use of clean fuel from sources of wind, solar and tidal power in rural areas. Companies such as ITM Power in the United Kingdom are already manufacturing electrolyser systems used for power to gas storage and hydrogen refuelling stations, but there are still many new opportunities for how this technology could be used in agriculture.

If the hydrogen fuel station could be brought to the farm yard or the village, then it could serve both the needs of local transport as well as agricultural vehicles and equipment. At the moment few manufacturers of tractors are aware of the full potential of hydrogen fuel cell technology for their industry, but it is worth looking at how hydrogen to electric power is being used in other heavy vehicle applications.

The REVIVE (Refuse Vehicle Innovation and Validation in Europe) project has developed 15 hydrogen fuel cell refuse trucks in 8 different cities across Europe. The cities involved in the project are Breda; Helmond; Amsterdam; Groningen; Antwerp; South Tyrol (Bolzano and Merano); and Freiburg. The trucks built for this project are useful, because they carry out their tasks of waste disposal, as well as being zero emission heavy duty vehicles, which means they do not run on diesel or any other fossil fuel, so they can meet the challenges of climate change and air polution. This project is funded by the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen 2 Joint Undertaking (FCH2JU), a public private partnership supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, the New European Research Grouping on Fuel Cells and Hydrogen (N. ERGHY), and Hydrogen Europe.

According to the project’s website h2revive.eu: “Most refuse trucks operate from a single depot, allowing them to be incorporated into captive fleets. This improves the utilisation of local hydrogen refuelling infrastructure, and thus the infrastructure’s economics.”

If heavy duty vehicles can operate from a single depot, then likewise a farm yard that has a hydrogen refuelling facility on site – powered by a wind turbine, solar panels or biomass plant – could easily provide the fuel needs of the farm’s hydrogen fuel cell powered tractors. The storage of hydrogen energy from renewable energy sources is ideal for decentralized infrastructure, which could provide the electricty supply to a rural community.

Sources

https://h2revive.eu/

http://www.itm-power.com/

©Jolyon Gumbrell 2019

The post Hydrogen cells and agriculture: The future of green energy in the countryside appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Plenary session, Strasbourg

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2019 - EP

Esta entrada resume el capítulo publicado por la Fundación Alternativas el 1 de abril de 2019

 

La “crisis de los refugiados” ha expuesto las divergencias existentes entre los Estados miembros en la aplicación efectiva y uniforme de las leyes y políticas de la UE adoptadas en materia de migración, asilo y gestión de fronteras. Entre las medidas presentadas por la UE para hacer frente a este déficit de implementación nacional se encuentra la transformación de la Agencia Europea para la Gestión de la Cooperación Operativa en las Fronteras Exteriores de los Estados miembros de la Unión (FRONTEX) en la Guardia Europea de Fronteras y Costas (GEFC), el refuerzo del mandato de la Oficina Europea de Policía (EUROPOL), la promoción de la cooperación interinstitucional operativa de estas agencias descentralizadas sobre el terreno a través del enfoque de los hotspots y el desarrollo de una operación militar naval (EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA) con el fin de desarticular las redes de trata y tráfico ilícito de migrantes que operan en el Mediterráneo.

La “crisis de los refugiados” a su vez revela el creciente nexo entre el Espacio de Libertad, Seguridad y Justicia (ELSJ) y la Política Común de Seguridad y Defensa (PCSD), así como la necesidad de establecer una coordinación reforzada entre la dimensión interna y externa de seguridad a nivel europeo. Esto es, se precisa de una PCSD capaz de hacer frente a las amenazas externas para garantizar la efectiva seguridad interna de la UE y un sistema de seguridad interno que promueva el desarrollo de políticas externas de seguridad. Si bien la PCSD fue en sus orígenes diseñada como una herramienta centrada en gestionar aquellas crisis que aconteciesen fuera del territorio de la UE, lo que excluía cualquier cuestión de seguridad interna, la seguridad está actualmente experimentando una significativa volatilidad e hibridación tal y como el terrorismo, la inestabilidad en los territorios vecinos de la UE, el tráfico ilícito de migrantes o la “crisis de los refugiados” ejemplifican. El carácter transfronterizo de estos desafíos acentúa la actual inseparabilidad entre la seguridad interna y externa y la necesidad de promover una mayor coherencia entre el ELSJ y la PCSD.

La “crisis de los refugiados” ha revelado que la garantización de la seguridad en las fronteras de la UE exige una mayor coordinación y coherencia de actuación entre todos los actores implicados. Estamos ante desafíos híbridos o esencialmente transfronterizos que no solo exigen el desarrollo de vínculos reforzados entre la dimensión interna y externa de seguridad, sino que también suponen un cambio en la concepción clásica de soberanía nacional pues la gestión efectiva de las fronteras y de los flujos migratorios exige la promoción de la solidaridad y una respuesta coordinada a nivel europeo. Así, el papel operativo de estas agencias se ha visto reforzado, presentan un mayor peso en la asistencia operativa a los Estados miembros, así como en su capacidad de actuación fuera del territorio de la UE y colaboración con misiones militares de la UE como EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA.

EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA es la primera misión militar naval de la UE centrada en el fenómeno migratorio. Si bien la operación ha sido criticada por su falta de transparencia, por no abordar las verdaderas causas del tráfico ilícito de migrantes y la trata y por la discutible consecución de sus ambiciosos objetivos, es previsible que nuevas operaciones militares de la PCSD se diseñen y desarrollen en el ámbito de la migración, la gestión de fronteras exteriores y el desmantelamiento de las redes de tráfico y la trata. Asimismo, si bien la cooperación entre las agencias del ELSJ y las misiones de la PCSD es aún incipiente, esta se desarrollará con mayor peso en el futuro bien mediante una mayor “militarización” de estas agencias descentralizadas de la UE, o bien mediante la difuminación de los tradicionales contornos entre la seguridad interna o externa ante desafíos que ya no pueden responderse desde una concepción clásica de soberanía nacional sino desde una cooperación reforzada ante retos transnacionales.

The post La operación naval EUNAVFOR MED SOPHIA: El creciente vínculo entre la dimensión interna y externa de la seguridad en la UE appeared first on Ideas on Europe.

Czech Republic v Parliament and Council
Industrial Policy
Advocate General Sharpston: the Court should dismiss the Czech Republic’s action against EU legislation introducing more stringent rules for the acquisition and possession of firearms

At the end of the European Council (Art. 50) meeting, President Donald Tusk announced a further flexible extension of the Article 50 period until 31 October 2019.

The European Council (Article 50) on 10 April 2019 adopted a decision on extending the period under Article 50 TEU.

On 10 April 2019, the European Council (Art. 50) adopted conclusions on Brexit.

Donald Tusk sent the invitation letter for the special meeting of the European Council (Art. 50). EU27 leaders will meet to discuss the UK request of a further extension of the Article 50 period.

At the press conference concluding the 21st EU-China summit held in Brussels, President Tusk highlighted the main subjects of the discussions during the meeting, setting the direction for a partnership with China based on reciprocity.

During the 21st EU-China summit held in Brussels, leaders reaffirmed the strength of the EU-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and their resolve to work together for peace, prosperity, sustainable development, commitment to multilateralism and respect for international law. They agreed a joint statement.