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Tag: European Union

  • Does Russia have enough money for war?

    Despite Western sanctions and an expected drop in oil and gas revenues, Russia has enough money to continue its aggression Ukraine.

    The Russian army launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine nine months ago. What was supposed to be a quick military operation to destabilise the Ukrainian government has turned into a protracted war that has claimed the lives of tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel.

    Although the war is being fought on Ukrainian territory, which is suffering the greatest human and material losses, Russia has also faced severe economic challenges.

    The European Union, the United States and their allies have imposed a series of sanctions on Moscow, targeting government officials, imports and exports, heavy industry and oil and gas revenues.

    Many experts believe the sanctions will significantly affect the Russian economy and thus force the Kremlin to halt its war of aggression. However, my analysis of the Russian state budget shows that such assumptions do not reflect reality. Moscow will not experience significant economic constraints in the short term that could force it to change its policy.

    Sanctions and windfall profits

    Economic sanctions imposed by Western countries have led to an economic decline in Russia, but perhaps not as big as many expected. According to the Russian government, in 2022, the GDP will fall by about 2.9 percent and the Central Bank says it will fall by 3 to 3.5 percent, or half of what some experts calculated back in March.

    Shortly after the sanctions were imposed, Russia faced a surge in inflation. Consumer prices rose by 10 percent in the eight weeks after the invasion, but by May, they levelled off.

    The Russian rouble also dipped significantly in February and March from 75 roubles for a dollar to 135, pushing up inflationary expectations and increasing panic among the general population. Realising the danger of continued devaluation, the Russian authorities imposed severe financial and currency restrictions on current and capital transactions. The rouble eventually fell to 50 for a dollar and stabilised at 60.

    The Western sanctions, alongside falling demand, also led to a significant reduction in imports to Russia; they fell by 23 percent and 14 percent in the second and third quarters of 2022, respectively. This, in turn, has resulted in a 20 percent fall in budget revenues related to imports – including taxes and customs duties – in the first 10 months of the year.

    The confrontation with the West over the war in Ukraine also affected Russia’s hydrocarbon exports, which in 2021 accounted for nearly 50 percent of total exports and 45 percent of federal budget revenues. Even before the Russian invasion, Gazprom had started reducing its gas supply to Europe in 2021, which resulted in a price spike.

    In April, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree requiring payments for Russian gas by European companies to be made in roubles only. A number of European countries refused to comply and gas supplies to them were halted. In April and May, the flow of Russian gas through the Ukrainian pipeline system and the Yamal-Europe pipeline via Poland was also disrupted. Then sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline cut off gas to Germany in September.

    Thus, by mid-November, Gazprom’s exports to Europe (including Turkey) decreased by 43 percent. The company – Russia’s biggest gas exporter – cut production by nearly 20 percent.

    But this did not lead to a fall in revenue; on the contrary, Gazprom and the federal budget have seen a windfall in profit due to the sharp rise in gas prices. In August, at the peak of this trend, gas prices were up 460 percent year on year.

    Gazprom’s profits increased so much that the government introduced a temporary tax on its revenues from September to November, bringing 1.248 trillion roubles ($20bn) into the state coffers.

    The situation in the oil sector has been similar. The EU’s plan to introduce restrictions on imports of Russian oil and petroleum products forced Russian companies to look for new consumers and agree to a significant discount on the price – as high as 25 percent.

    However, due to high oil prices, reaching $120 in the spring and summer, the price of Russian oil was still higher than in 2021, even with the discount.

    Overall, in the first 10 months of 2022, Russia saw a 34 percent increase in budget revenues from hydrocarbon production and exports compared with 2021.

    The cost of war

    While high prices of hydrocarbons have resulted in high revenues, the Russian budget has also seen a sharp increase in military expenditures this year.

    In mid-September, the Ministry of Finance reported that by the end of the year, defence spending would increase by 31 percent from 3.573 trillion to 4.679 trillion roubles ($57bn to $74bn). This includes the additional 600 to 700 billion roubles ($10 to 11bn) that the defence ministry is spending on purchases and repair of weapons this year.

    Another item on the federal budget that saw an extraordinary increase in 2022 is “General National Issues”; it jumped by 50 percent to 2.629 trillion roubles ($42bn). Expenses under this title normally come from administrative activities of all branches of the government. If one supposes that the excess funds in this item are related to the war, then that’s an additional 869 billion roubles ($13.8bn) of defence spending.

    Federal spending for the security apparatus has also increased by more than 19 percent compared with 2021 to 2.788 trillion roubles ($44.5bn). Some of these extra funds are allocated to the Russian National Guard whose forces are actively involved in supporting the Russian occupation regime in Ukraine.

    Shortly after the planned budget was released, the Kremlin announced “partial mobilisation”. As a result, some 318,000 persons were drafted into the army, which will require an additional increase in defence spending, by at least 372 billion roubles ($6bn) to pay for their salaries and other expenses till the end of the year.

    The 2023 budget was drafted by the government and submitted to the parliament before the presidential decree on mobilisation thus it would not be a surprise if the actual military expenditures for both 2022 and 2023 are higher than what was officially announced. In any case, even with these numbers, Russia’s military spending in 2022 will exceed 5 percent of GDP, which is unprecedented.

    Still, the windfall earnings from oil and gas are compensating to a certain extent war-related spending. Thus, Russia will end this year with a deficit of 0.9 percent of GDP or about $15bn.

    Because the external debt financing markets are closed for Russia after the introduction of the Western sanctions and the potential for domestic borrowing is limited, the deficit will be financed, mainly, from accumulated reserves, as Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has announced.

    In October, the fund held some 10.7 trillion roubles ($171bn); the liquid part of it, which can be used for such payments, amounted to 7.5 trillion roubles ($120bn) – more than enough to pay for the 2022 deficit.

    A challenging 2023

    In the 2023 budget, the government has put in a 6.5 percent increase in defence spending, which amounts to compensating for inflation. This assumes that war expenditure will not grow next year.

    I have some doubts regarding this assumption. The expenses for the additional mobilised troops were not included in the 2022 budget, which, along with the possible delay in payments of compensation to the families of war casualties, will likely force the government to revise this number.

    Moreover, defence minister Sergey Shoigu announced a 50 percent increase in military procurement for next year and he did so after the State Duma passed the 2023 budget. I do not see space for this in the budgetary figures.

    Revenues, like spending, also cannot be easily foreseen for 2023. The windfall profits from hydrocarbons inspired some optimism in the Kremlin, which was reflected in the estimates the government put forward of economic growth resuming in the first quarter of next year.

    Many experts do not share the government’s optimism. Even the official forecast of the Bank of Russia suggests that Russian economic growth will resume in the second half of 2023.

    A key unknown in next year’s budget is also the revenue from hydrocarbons, specifically oil. The EU stopped imports of Russian crude oil on December 5 and will halt the purchase of Russian oil products on February 5. The Union, along with G7 and Australia, is also imposing a price cap of $60 on Russian oil.

    As a result, it is unlikely that Russia will be able to increase oil exports next year to match pre-war levels. The average price of Russian export oil in 2021 was $69 per barrel. The current rouble-dollar exchange rate is 15 percent higher than the 2021 average, which is likely to continue into the new year. These factors may reduce 2023 budget revenues from hydrocarbon production and exports by 15 to 20 percent ($22bn to $29bn) of 2021 levels.

    In response to the expected drop in revenues, the government has announced an increase in taxes on oil and gas companies as well as on metal and coal producers. These could bring in enough revenue to compensate for up to 75 percent of the revenue reduction.

    Thus, the risk of not reaching the planned revenues in 2023 remains, but it will be limited to 5-6 percent of total budget revenues, according to my estimates.

    Enough money for the war, unfortunately

    Although the budget is planned under high uncertainty, it cannot be called unstable. Under different circumstances, its revenues may turn out above or below the planned level. Still, the scale of this deviation, according to my assessment, does not exceed 1 percent of GDP ($17.2bn) in either direction.

    Consequently, even if revenues are lower, the budget deficit would not exceed 3 percent of GDP ($52bn), which can be entirely financed from reserves (currently at $120bn).

    At the same time, there seems to be no opportunity or desire on the part of Western countries to intensify sanctions pressure on Russia. This means the Russian budget would not face any sanctions-related shocks in 2023.

    With all of this in mind, I do not foresee any major financial constraints that could force the Kremlin to radically change its aggressive policy towards Ukraine.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: Aljazeera.com 

  • Ukraine war: Price cap on Russian oil will hit Putin immediately – US

    A cap on the price of Russian oil will restrict Russia’s revenues for the “illegal war in Ukraine,” the US says.

    The cap, approved by Western allies on Friday, is aimed at stopping countries paying more than $60 (£48) for a barrel of seaborne Russian crude oil.

    The measure – due to come into force on Monday – intensifies Western pressure on Russia over the invasion.

    Ukraine said the Western-proposed cap should be halved. Russia said it would not supply to countries enforcing it.

    The price cap was put forward in September by the G7 group of industrialised nations (the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the EU) in a bid to hit Moscow’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine.

    In a joint statement, the G7, the European Union and Australia said the decision was taken to “prevent Russia from profiting from its war of aggression against Ukraine”.

    US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the price cap would also further constrain Russian President Vladimir Putin’s finances and “limit the revenues he’s using to fund his brutal invasion”, while avoiding disrupting global supplies which could send petrol prices soaring around the world.

    “With Russia’s economy already contracting and its budget increasingly stretched thin, the price cap will immediately cut into Putin’s most important source of revenue,” she said in a statement.

    UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the UK would not waver in its support and would continue to look for new ways to “clamp down on Putin’s funding streams”.

    The agreement of a price cap comes just days before an EU-wide ban on Russian crude oil imported by sea comes into force, also on 5 December.

    The price cap – which is meant to affect oil exports worldwide – is meant to complement that.

    Countries which sign up to the G7-led policy will only be permitted to purchase oil and petroleum products transported via sea that are sold at or below the price cap.

    Ukraine’s Western allies also plan to deny insurance to tankers delivering Russian oil to countries that do not stick to the price cap. This will make it hard for Russia to sell oil above that price.

    Senior Russian politician Leonid Slutsky told Tass news agency the EU was jeopardising its own energy security with the cap.

    Though the measures will most certainly be felt by Russia, the blow will be partially softened by its move to sell its oil to other markets such as India and China – which are currently the largest single buyers of Russian crude oil.

    Graphic showing the percentage of total oil imports coming from Russia to selected European countries.

    Before the war, in 2021, more than half of Russia’s oil exports went to Europe, according to the International Energy Association. Germany was the largest importer, followed by the Netherlands and Poland.

    But since the war, EU countries have been desperately trying to decrease their dependency. The US has already banned Russian crude oil, while the UK plans to phase it out by the end of the year.

  • EU encourages Ghanaian businesses to export finished products to Europe

    For Ghanaian businesses to add value to the nation’s raw materials and export them to the European market, the European Union (EU) has committed its help.

    Under the EU-Ghana Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA), a project that governs trade in commodities between Ghana and the EU, the EU declared it was prepared to assist local enterprises in importing machinery and technology at a lower cost for the manufacturing of completed goods.

    At a presentation on the iEPA on Monday in Accra, Mr. Irchad Razaaly, the EU Ambassador to Ghana, told journalists that the Union had a sizable market for processed goods and invited Ghanaian entrepreneurs to investigate potential there.

    “Our wish is to help the Ghanaian corporate industry, economy, entrepreneurs to have the tools to go and sell to the European market the best of products,” Mr Razaaly said.

    From the EU side, the iEPA has been effective since 2016 and from the Ghana side, the Agreement took effect on July 1, 2021.

    The agreement aims at increasing trade and reducing trade barriers, particularly on the tariffs imposed on imports of products originating in the EU and Ghana.

    The conference was organised by the Compete Ghana Programme together with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the EU Delegation in Ghana.

    The Conference sensitised stakeholders on the iEPA and discussed challenges faced by businesses and individuals in their quest to export their products to the EU and in Ghana.

    The EU import market is estimated to be worth over €2 trillion. Recent data from the EU puts Ghana’s export to the EU to the tune of €2 billion.

    Mr Razaaly said prior to the commencement of the iEPA, it was “more difficult” for Ghanaian companies to import machinery with preferential tariffs to transform products and make it valuable for the EU market.

    He said the EU had also identified lack of awareness as among the challenges businesses face who desired to export to Europe and assured all that the Union would continue to organise such conferences to raise awareness on existing opportunities.

    “On the daily basis, I have got Ghanaian businesses and individuals approaching me that they would like to export but they do not know how to begin.

    “Rules of origin can be technical and as a businessman, you are not necessarily aware of all these and we are here to support and make sure you are able to make it to the European market,” he said.

    Mr Nicolas Gebara, Team Leader, Compete Ghana Programme, said following the signing of the iEPA, Ghana’s exports to the EU increased from €1.19bn in 2016 to €2.27bn in 2019.

    “Ghana’s non-traditional exports to the EU increased by two-thirds between 2010 and 2020, equivalent to an annual growth rate of 5 per cent,” he said.

    Mr Herbert Krapa, a Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry, said the Government would continue to support local businesses to build their capacity to be able to take advantage of the iEPA and other initiatives to access external markets.

  • The European Union reiterates its desire to strengthen ties with Africa

    The European Union (EU) has expressed its commitment to expand cooperation with Africa in a range of aspects, including energy, food, and migration.

    Following their 11th Commission-to-Commission meeting, co-chaired by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and African Union Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, the EU and the African Union issued a joint statement, noting that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine had harmed the economies of Europe and Africa. It was noted that current conflicts and tensions have exacerbated global food and energy security.

    European Union Reiterates Desire To Expand Cooperation With Africa (News Central TV)

    “Africa and Europe are bound by geography and a common destiny. Through sustainable investments worth at least €150 billion, the Global Gateway Africa-Europe Investment Package is the EU’s positive and substantial offer, which will help strengthen the continent’s resilience,” said von der Leyen.

    Talking about the need to expand cooperation between the European Union and Africa, Mahamat, for his part, said: “We value our strategic partnership with the European Union and its active support to Agenda 2063. The destinies of our two continents are interlinked and we want to continue building a partnership of equals for the benefit of sustainable development for all.”

  • EU donates items worth €1m to Ghana Immigration Service

    European Union (EU) has donated five motorbikes with helmets and 50 document verification devices to the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS).

    The donation, according to the EU, is to augment efforts by GIS to strengthen border security in Ghana. The donation is estimated at EUR 1Million.

    Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, the Ambassador of the EU to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, stated that “It will also be supporting Ghanaian law enforcement
    agencies to acquire knowledge, skills, and tools to reinforce their efforts against international organised crime and insecurity on land.”

    Receiving the donation on behalf of GIS, the Deputy Minister for the Interior, Naana Eyiah, commended the EU for their kind gesture. Expressing her appreciation, Madam Eyiah said, “we treasure the continuous support the EU continues to give the Ghana Immigration Service, as the Services strives to secure and protect Ghana’s borders, which in the long run strengthens regional security.”

    This is not the first time the EU has donated to GIS. In August 2020, the EU provided COVID-19 emergency assistance to the GIS, by donating 15 laptops, five vehicles (three pick-ups and two minibuses), five motorbikes and personal protective equipment worth over €280,000.

  • Women call for tougher EU stance on Poland’s abortion laws

    At least six women have died in Poland after doctors refused to terminate their pregnancies due to the constitutional court’s ruling on abortions.

    Fighting for justice and women’s rights in Poland has become an integral part of Barbara Skrobol’s life since September 22, 2021.

    This was the day her sister-in-law, Izabela Sajbor, died of sepsis at a hospital in southern Poland after doctors refused to terminate her pregnancy after finding foetal defects, due to Poland’s stringent abortion rules.

    “Iza was like a sister to me. She was always full of life and was also a role model to her nine-year-old daughter Maja. Her death shook our family,” Skrobol told Al Jazeera.

    “When she got pregnant again, the news made all of us very happy. But 22 weeks into her pregnancy, Poland’s new abortion law dictated the course of her life,” she added.

    Poland has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. In October 2020, the country’s Constitutional Tribunal ruled that abortion due to foetal defects was unconstitutional.

    The court added that pregnancies could be terminated only in cases of rape, incest or if the mother’s life is in danger. This legislation was ratified by the Polish government in January 2021.

    Izabela Sajbor became one of the first known victims of this de facto abortion ban and Skrobol has been lobbying hard for justice. She is also keen to ensure that no other woman endures a similar experience as her sister-in-law.

    Barbara Skrobol, sister in law of Izabela Sajbor, the first known victim of the de facto abortion ban in Poland, shows a picture of Izabela on her phone at the European Parliament headquarters in Brussels,
    Skrobol shows a picture of Izabela on her phone [Valeria Mongelli/Al Jazeera]

    Speaking at a public hearing on Poland’s abortion law at the European Parliament in Brussels on November 17, Skrobol described Izabela’s last moments at the hospital in Pszczyna.

    “We were not let to visit her but received text messages from her saying the doctors were waiting for her fetus’s heartbeat to stop,” Skrobol said, adding that the doctors were following Poland’s abortion law of not terminating a pregnancy due to foetal issues.

    “Iza knew her life was in danger but was keen to live for her family. Just hours before she died, her last text message said: ‘Women are being treated as incubators’,” Skrobol said.

    She summoned the European Union to take a tougher stance on the matter so that stringent laws do not continue shaping women’s lives in Poland.

    Widespread protests

    Izabela’s death sparked widespread protests in Poland with women condemning the abortion law. Since her death, many have also become apprehensive about becoming pregnant.

    According to an October 2022 report by the Polish newspaper Dziennik Gazeta, 52 percent of Poles believe the new abortion rules have made them less keen to have children. This is a 45 percent rise from last year.

    Kamila Ferenc, lawyer at the Warsaw-based Foundation for Women and Family Planning (FEDERA), told Al Jazeera that since Poland’s restrictive family planning act was introduced in 1993, women have not been guaranteed their reproductive rights.

    “The strong position of the Catholic Church has stigmatised abortion and our conservative government ratifying the October 2020 abortion legislation has made it very hard for many women. Even accessing contraceptives is hard,” Ferenc told Al Jazeera.

    She highlighted that since the October 2020 legislation came into force, more than 70,000 Polish women have been affected and six women have died the same way as Izabela, as doctors refused to terminate their pregnancies.

    “The case is against the doctors as well, because by not providing medical services when needed, they are neglecting the patient’s life,” Ferenc said.

    While she is aware that some doctors are not carrying out abortions when needed due to fear of getting caught by government authorities, her organisation is trying to cooperate with them and help them.

    “We organise workshops for them and try to change their attitude by making them aware of how brutal the government’s rules are, and how they as doctors should prioritise saving a person’s life over following a discriminatory law out of fear,” Ferenc said.

    EU’s stance

    The European Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, has criticised the Polish abortion law.

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution in November 2021, calling on Warsaw to lift the de facto ban that threatens women’s lives.

    At a hearing in the European Parliament in Brussels this week, Polish politician Robert Biedron, who is also the chair of the European Parliament’s Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee, reported on a recent visit to Poland.

    “We met many women, NGOs supporting pregnant women in need, government leaders and opposition party members. Under the current situation, access to legal abortion is still very limited,” he told reporters at a news conference at the European Parliament in Brussels.

    “It is important for the EU to call on Poland to lift this ban and also ensure that every EU nation gives women the right to undergo abortions. This should be a part of the bloc’s strategy on health and reproductive rights,” Biedron added.

    Ukrainian refugees

    Biedron also pointed out that the European Parliament’s delegation met several Ukrainian refugee women in Poland, who are also subject to the abortion ban.

    Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, millions of Ukrainians have fled to neighbouring Poland and other EU nations.

    Poland’s strict abortion rules have come as a brutal surprise to Ukrainian women, according to Ferenc.

    “These women were used to a more liberal abortion legislation in Ukraine, and now, they are surprised that in Poland, which on one hand is giving them shelter, is not letting them exercise their fundamental reproductive rights on the other hand,” Ferenc told Al Jazeera, adding that they have not protested against the law but are instead “suffering in silence”.

    Another challenge for Ukrainian women is how Polish law deals with abortion after rape. While abortion is allowed, women have to be able to prove they have been raped.

    “This is already difficult for Polish women and will be even harder for Ukrainian women. But we at FEDERA help them get a certificate from a prosecutor,” Urszula Grycuk, the organisation’s coordinator for international advocacy, told Al Jazeera.

    To support Ukrainian women further, Biedron told Al Jazeera that the EU should consider including a clause to let them seek abortion services freely in every EU country as a part of the bloc’s temporary protection directive, which gives Ukrainians the right to live and avail medical care, work opportunities and education till 2024 in the EU.

    ‘Let women protest’

    Caroline Hickson, regional director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network, highlighted the importance of protecting women’s rights to protest as the global battle to have abortion bans lifted magnifies with women protesting not only Poland’s laws but also more recently, the US’s abortion laws.

    “Many women like Marta Lempart, who are leading the Polish women’s strike, have been slapped with charges for protesting the government’s laws. The right to peacefully protest needs to be protected in the EU because it can make a difference as it has in countries like Ireland,” she said at the European Parliament hearing.

    “If it is not protected, more women will die and we will be here at a hearing again in 10 years,” she added.

    Skrobol shared a similar view.

    “Izabela’s daughter Maja takes her school artwork and a teddy bear and goes to visit her mother’s grave every single day,” she said.

    “Let us not take away wives from their husbands and mothers from their children and continue fighting for our rights,” Skrobol added.

    DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana

    Source: Aljazeera.com 

     

  • EU, 4 member countries to provide over 1bn euros for climate adaptation in Africa

    The European Union (EU) climate policy chief Frans Timmermans told the COP27 summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on Wednesday that the bloc and four member countries will provide more than one billion euros for climate adaptation in Africa.

    He added that the four members are France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark and that other countries could join.

    The sum is a starting point, he said.

    Timmermans also said the EU will provide 60 million euros for loss and damage and will present ideas today on how to take loss and damage negotiations forward.

    No fewer than 154 countries signed the UNFCCC in June 1992, agreeing to combat harmful human impacts on the climate.

    Since then, COP meetings have been held (almost) annually to discuss how exactly that should be achieved, and monitor what progress has been made.

    At COP26 in Glasgow in 2021, many were shut out due to vaccine inequity, travel restrictions, and high costs.

    Those who did manage to attend had to navigate a range of logistical issues which plagued the conference, from massive queues to a shortage of entrance permits.

    Combating the devastating effects of climate change requires mobilizing governments, corporations, finance, and civil society.

    And so, at COP27, currently ongoing, public and private sector leaders have united in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to seek solutions alongside BCG, the exclusive COP27 consulting partner.

  • Hundreds of jobseekers thronged to second edition of the SNV GrEEn Regional Job Fair

    Hundreds of jobseekers thronged to the Prempeh Assembly Hall in the Kumasi Metropolis to participate in the second edition of the SNV GrEEn Regional Job Fair, to explore employment opportunities in the Ashanti Region.

    The fair, which was held on Tuesday November 15, 2022, brought together jobseekers and employers with the aim of matching both parties with available vacancies while creating networks for future employment opportunities for those unable to get jobs.

    Held under the theme, “Green and Circular Economy: A sure way to creating decent & sustainable employment and jobs’’, the fair brought together over 500 job seekers, employers, and exhibitors from the green and circular economy.

    Over 46 businesses were present with more than 120 vacancies and openings being offered to qualified job seekers.

    Speaking to OTEC News Kwame Agyenim Boateng at the sidelines of the event, Project Manager of the GrEEn Project at SNV Ghana, Laouali Sadda said prior to the 2022 Green Regional Job Fair, SNV Ghana organised a CV Review Clinic in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Labour Department, AGI and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs to edit the CVs of job seekers and prepare them for the job openings at the fair as well as educate and sensitise job seekers on Ghana’s labour laws.

    He added that, the job fair was held with support from the Ministry of Employment and Labour Relations, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Labour Department and the Ghana Chamber of Young Entrepreneurs.

    He pledged the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation’s commitment to training the youth in green and circular businesses.

    “Our experiences and leanings from these job fairs have resulted in our gathering here today. Today’s Green Regional Job Fair has, as main objective: to properly match job seekers, who we call talents, to employers. We will also be providing business development support to entrepreneurs and inspiring more youth to kick starts their green businesses”. He said.

    He commended the European Union in Ghana for their consistent support in creating sustainable jobs in the green economy.

    “I would like to deeply acknowledge the wonderful work of the European Union for their dedication to skills development, sustainable job creation and support for Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs)”. He added.

    He disclosed that, SNV Ghana and the European Union through the GrEEn Project, aside supporting job creation and skills development also promote growth of local businesses and SMEs that are green in their operations by making use of waste materials or not engaging in activities that adversely affect the environment.

    “Businesses with innovative ideas also receive matching grants so they can scale up and create jobs at the local level. In 2021, under the GrEEn Innovation Challenge, 12 businesses received a totalling matching grant of GHS 1.17 million. In September while 51 green businesses received matching grants totalling GHS 1.5 million under the second GrEEn Innovation Challenge in 2022?”

    The Minister for Employment and Labour Relations, Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, Commended the SNV Netherlands Development Organisation for their efforts in training and support start-ups in the country.

    In a speech read on his behalf by Gloria Bortele Noi Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, at the Ministry, Hon Baffour Awuah said the youth need the requisite employable skills to get job opportunities.

    He therefore urged the youth to take advantage of opportunities in the SNV GrEEn Project to develop enough employable skills.

    About SNV

    SNV Netherlands Development Organisation is a not-for-profit international development organisation that makes a lasting difference in the lives of people living in poverty by helping them raise incomes and access basic services. SNV specialises in three sectors: agriculture, renewable energy and Water and we are present in over 25 countries. SNV has been working in Ghana since 1992.

    About GrEEn Project

    The Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana (GrEEn) project is a four-year action from the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).

    The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities  for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting  sustainable, green businesses and providing employable skills training to  youth job seekers in two selected regions in Ghana: Ashanti and Western in  partnership with the Ministry of Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural  Development.

    GrEEn is implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa with a total contribution of EUR 20,600,000.

  • Hunger striker’s sister to lobby for his release at the COP27 in Egypt

    At the climate summit, Sanaa Seif said she will put pressure on leaders to release her activist brother Alaa Abd el-Fattah.As British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other world leaders kicked off the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, the sister of Egyptian-British hunger striker Alaa Abd el-Fattah arrived to campaign for his release.

    “I’m here to do my best to try and shed light on my brother’s case and to save him,” said Sanaa Seif, Abd el-Fattah’s sister, after arriving in Sharm el-Sheikh in the early hours of Monday.

    “I’m really worried. I’m here to put pressure on all leaders coming, especially Prime Minister Rishi Sunak,” said Seif, who had recently been leading a sit-in outside the British Foreign Office in London.

    Sunak has said he will raise Abd el-Fattah’s case with Egypt’s leadership. Abd el-Fattah had informed his family that he would stop drinking water on Sunday in an escalation of his protest.

    The 40-year-old political activist rose to prominence with Egypt’s 2011 uprising but has been jailed for most of the period since. Sentenced most recently in December 2021 to five years on charges of spreading false news, he has been on hunger strike for 220 days against his detention and prison conditions.

    Egyptian officials have not responded to calls for comment on Abd el-Fattah’s case, but have said previously that he was receiving meals and was moved to a prison with better conditions earlier this year.

    Abd el-Fattah’s family said he was only consuming minimal calories and some fibre to sustain himself earlier in the year. After family visits in October, Seif said: “He looks very weak. He’s fading away slowly. He looks like a skeleton.”

    Some rights campaigners have criticised the decision to allow Egypt to host COP27, citing a long crackdown on political dissent in which rights groups say tens of thousands have been imprisoned and raising concern over access and space for protests at the talks.

    President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi has said security measures are needed to stabilise Egypt after the country’s 2011 revolution. Egypt is hoping to raise its diplomatic profile by hosting the United Nations climate talks.

    Low expectations

    More than 100 world leaders are preparing to discuss a worsening problem that climate scientists call Earth’s biggest challenge – greenhouse gas emissions – which leads to global warming.

    The climate events are being held amid multiple global crises surrounding food, energy and rising inflation, and expectations for  breakthroughs are seen to be low.

    Dozens of heads of states or governments will take the stage on Monday, the first day of “high-level” international climate talks, in Egypt, with more to come in the following days.

    “The fear is other priorities take precedence,” top UN climate change official Simon Stiell told a news conference.

    The “fear is that we lose another day, another week, another month, another year – because we can’t”, he said.

    In 2009, developed countries pledged to provide $100bn a year by 2020 for climate protection in poor countries. The pledge remained largely unfulfilled.

    Only 29 of 194 countries have presented improved climate plans, as called for at the UN talks in Glasgow last year, Stiell noted.

    French President Emmanuel Macron urged the United States, China and other non-European rich nations to “step up” their efforts to cut emissions and provide financial aid to other countries.

    “Europeans are paying,” Macron told French and African climate campaigners on the sidelines of COP27. “We are the only ones paying.”

    ‘Loss and damage’

    Fresh from his election victory, Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to attend the summit later on, with hopes that he will protect the Amazon from deforestation after defeating climate-sceptic leader Jair Bolsonaro.

    Sunak, another new leader, reversed a decision not to attend the talks and is due to urge countries to move “further and faster” in transitioning away from fossil fuels.

    On Sunday, the heads of developing nations won a small victory when delegates agreed to put the controversial issue of money for “loss and damage” on the summit agenda.

    Pakistan, which chairs the powerful G77+China negotiating bloc of more than 130 developing nations, has made the issue a priority.

    “We definitely regard this as a success for the parties,” said Egypt’s Sameh Shoukry, who is chairing COP27.

    The US and the European Union have dragged their feet on the issue for years, fearing it would create an open-ended reparations framework.

    But European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans welcomed the inclusion of loss and damage, tweeting that the “climate crisis has impacts beyond what vulnerable countries can shoulder alone”.

  • Iran protests: Iran blacklists EU officials, entities for allegedly ‘inciting terrorism’

    Tehran sanctioned several media outlets and a French town mayor in addition to parliament members.The Iranian government has blacklisted a number of European Union officials and organizations, primarily because of their stance on the country’s ongoing protests, which Iran claims are “inciting terrorism.”

    While the bulk of the sanctions is related to recent developments concerning the weeks-long protests that erupted last month after the death of a young woman in custody, others deal with Tehran’s repeated grievances with the bloc’s officials and member states over issues that have led to longstanding political disputes.

    The Iranian foreign ministry said on Wednesday it had imposed sanctions on 12 individuals and eight organizations for their “intentional actions in supporting terrorism and terrorist groups, inciting terrorism and propagating violence and hatred that has led to riots, violence, terrorist acts and violation of human rights of the Iranian nation”.

    The sanctions entail an entry and visa ban for the individuals in addition to the confiscation of any assets they may have in Iran.

    The targeted entities include the Friends of Free Iran and the International Committee in Search of Justice, two informal groups in the European Parliament, in addition, to Stop the Bomb, an organization that has advocated sanctions on Iran with the stated goal of preventing it from acquiring nuclear weapons – which Tehran maintains it will never seek.

    The Persian-language services of Germany’s Deutsche Welle and France’s RFI were also targeted, extending Iran’s push against foreign-based channels that it says are promoting “terrorism” on Iranian soil. Two directors of the German newspaper Bild were also blacklisted.

    The Karl Kolb and Rhein Bayern Fahrzeugbau companies were blacklisted for “delivering chemical gases and weapons” too late Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein, who is said to have used them against the nascent Islamic Republic during the eighth-year conflict that began with Iraq’s invasion of Iraq in 1980.

    A number of European Parliament members were also targeted, in addition to Martine Valleton, the mayor of Villepinte, a commune in the northeastern suburbs of Paris where French authorities said a plot had been uncovered to bomb a 2018 rally of the Mojahedin-e-Khalq group, which is outlawed in Iran. This led to the arrest of Iranian diplomat Asadollah Assadi, who served at Iran’s embassy to Austria, in Germany, and his subsequent sentencing in a Belgian court.

    The measures mark the first time Iran has officially sanctioned EU officials and institutions, a move that comes as a reaction to the bloc’s sanctions on Iran’s so-called morality police and others earlier this month over their alleged roles in what it called the “brutal repression” of the protests that have gripped Iran since the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini in custody 40 days ago.

    Separately, Iran has previously blacklisted a group of British individuals and organizations in retaliation for their sanctions related to the protests.

     

  • EU pledges €18bn for Ukraine next year

    The European Union has promised to give Ukraine €18 billion next year to keep the country running while it fights Russian troops.

    European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen made the announcement after the bloc’s 27 leaders met in Brussels.

    She said the EU has so far given €19bn, adding: “It is very important for Ukraine to have a predictable and stable flow of income.”

    It is estimated Ukraine needs about €3-4bn a month “for the basics” and the EU will finance €1.5bn of this, with the rest to come from other countries and international institutions.

    “That will give a total of €18bn for the next year – an amount Ukraine can count on and where there is a stable and reliable, predictable flow of income,” she said.

    The bloc is divided over further strengthening sanctions on Russia and Iran over claims that Russia is using Iranian-made drones in its war.

    Poland and the three Baltic states suggested banning Russian diamond imports and phasing out steel trade more quickly, but Belgium and Italy are among those opposed.

    Hungary is against any sanctions on Russia, while Germany and France have said current measures already go far.

     

  • Ghana receives 10m euros from EU to combat food insecurity

    The Government of Ghana has received 10 million euros from the European Union to support food security in the country following the adverse impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict on the economy.

    The financial support is expected to complement government’s flagship ‘Planting for Food and Jobs’ programme.

    Speaking at the handing over ceremony of the facility, the European Union Deputy Head, Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, said the gesture is to support Ghana’s agric value chain in the wake of global uncertainties.

    “I am glad to announce EU is allocating 10 million euros to Ghana and we will sign the cheque in due course.  The funds will support families to grow crops so that they can generate income and make food readily available and affordable in local markets”.

    “The action will also promote climate smart and ecological approaches in a number of agri-business including soya-beans, shea vegetables”, he added.

    On his part, Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru said the support is timely and will go a long way to support the Agric sector.

    “The programe is consistent with the sector’s flagship ‘Planting for Food and Jobs Programmes’ and ‘Planting for Export and Rural Development. I have no doubt that it will go a long way to improve the livelihood of beneficial regions and the country at large. This 10-million-euro pledge by the EU has therefore come at an opportune time to support the most vulnerable populations to cope with the ramification of the Russia invasion of Ukraine and the resultant impact on food security”.

    Receiving the cheque on behalf of government, a Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare, commended the EU for the gesture and stated that it will help support the sustainable development of selected number of agri-business value chain.

    “The support from the EU which is aimed at enhancing food production and the resilience of food systems is welcomed. The proposed action we note, will promote crops specific, agro ecological system and approaches as well as support the sustainable development of selected number of agri-business value chain, including shea, bee-keeping, soybeans and vegetable”.

    Source: Myjoyonline

  • Global food crisis: EU allocates EUR10m to Ghana

    A further EUR 10 million has been pledged by the European Union (EU) to Ghana in order to assist “the most vulnerable communities” who are being affected by the unlawful and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by Russia.

    The Deputy Head of the European Union Mission to Ghana, Mr. Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, announced the new Special Measure in Accra and stated: “These additional monies will enable households to cultivate crops, generate income, and enhance food availability on local markets.
    By encouraging sustainable food production and fortifying integration into local and national food value chains, the EU’s assistance will also help Ghanaian farmers become more crisis-resistant.

    The allocation will support the sustainable development of a number of agribusiness value chains, including shea, soybean, beekeeping, and vegetables, the two parties announce in a joint statement.

    “This will complement efforts by the Ghanaian government to mitigate further increases in poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in vulnerable areas affected by high prices of food, fertiliser, and fuel”.

    Ghana’s Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, commented: “With this Special Measure we will strengthen our support to address our food security needs while contributing to sustainable and resilient food systems.”

    Also, Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei Asare, intimated: “We as a country have been faced with a number of challenges in recent times. The COVID-19 pandemic and lately Russia – Ukraine war have particularly had worrying effects on Ghana’s economy. The conflict has resulted in a rapid increase in the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer, with its attendant consequences on the country’s foreign exchange reserves used to purchase commodities imported for public consumption as well as inputs for industries. Food inflation continues to contribute highly to overall inflation. Ghana’s inflation for September 2022 stood at 37.2% with food inflation contributing largely at 37.8%”.

    The support will focus on the Northern part of Ghana with the following outcomes:

    More economically sustainable and inclusive food systems
    Reinforced environmental sustainability of food systems
    Enhanced social sustainability and gender responsiveness of food systems (incl. Food and nutrition security) and
    Improved governance and institutional sustainability of food systems

    Background

    A recent study by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) indicates that the global food, fuel, and fertiliser crisis linked to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has caused GDP and employment in Ghana to contract.

    These GDP and employment losses largely originate from Ghana’s agri-food system, both on-farm (primary agriculture) and off-farm (food processing, food trade and transport, and food services).

    Employment losses are especially large in the off-farm environment (-2.6%), with losses concentrated in the food processing and food trade and transport sectors.

    Considering that Ghana’s food production has traditionally been well integrated with local, regional, and global markets, these losses will severely impact local and regional markets in a highly food-insecure region, also affected by climate change and erratic rainfalls.

    For example, nominal maize prices in Accra rose 65% between September 2021 and May 2022.

    Overall, these price shocks have resulted in a decline in consumption for all households in Ghana, especially affecting lower-income households.

    This is also leading to greater poverty, particularly in rural areas.

    This current EUR10m allocation to Ghana represents the commitment of the EU and Member States Team Europe approach to mobilising political, policy and financial means to safeguard food security today while transitioning to more resilient food systems tomorrow.

  • EU provides €10 million support for Ghana’s food security

    The European Union (EU) on Friday signed an agreement to provide €10 million support Ghana’s food security and agribusiness value chain sectors.

    The support is part of the € 600 million the EU has allocated to finance humanitarian food aid and food production in Africa.

    The funds will specifically support families in the country to grow crops so that they can generate income and make food readily available and affordable on the local market.

    It is also expected to help promote climate smart (adapting agricultural methods to climate change) and ecological initiatives in a number of agribusiness value chains including soybean, beekeeping and vegetable production in the country particularly in Northern Ghana.

    The funds comes in the wake of global food shortages, hunger and economic shocks being experienced by people across the World due to the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

    The EU Charge d’ Affaires, Pieter Smidt Van Gelder accompanied by a six-member EU delegation presented a dummy cheque of €10 million to a Deputy Minister of Finance, Abena Osei-Asare who received it on behalf of government at a short ceremony at the Ministry of Finance in Accra.

    The EU delegation were Ambassadors Daniela D’Orlandi of Italy, Jean Claude Galea Mallia of Malta and Jeroen Verheul of the Netherlands.

    The rest were Jose Javier Blanco-Navarette of Spain, Tamas Endre Feher of Hungary and Franziska Jebens, Head of Cooperation of Germany.

    Prior to the presentation, Mr Gelder said the emergency measure was adopted “in record time directly following the outbreak of the war and its negative consequences on global food security”.

    He explained that the EU mobilised its member states to “join forces and fight together against the global food security crisis”.

    He indicated that the new funds comes on top of “our 203 million Euro joint programming support already dedicated to Ghana for 2021-2024″.

    Mr Gelder stated that the intervention will complement government’s efforts to reduce poverty, hunger and malnutrition especially in vulnerable areas most affected by high prices of food, fertiliser and fuel.

    He said the funds would also strengthen the ongoing €132 million EU-Ghana Agricultural Programme (EU-GAP) which aims at increasing agricultural productivity, protection of natural resources, access to markets, infrastructure and capital for smallholder farmers.

    Mrs Osei-Asare in her response, expressed gratitude to the EU for the support saying “we are grateful to the EU for its continuous support to Ghana’s development agenda since the beginning of our relationship in 1975”.

    She noted that the EU had been a strategic partner of Ghana over the years with support to the country in sectors such as infrastructure development, good governance, agriculture and public financial management among others.

    She recalled vividly the “flexibility” exhibited by the EU in the provision of €86.5 million to the country as Emergency Budget Support during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • EU allocates 10 million euros to address Ghana’s Food Security needs

    The European Union (EU) has pledged an additional 10 million euro to Ghana to support the most vulnerable populations facing escalating global food security crisis exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

    Mr. Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, the Deputy Head of the European Union Mission to Ghana, announcing the new Special Measure in Accra said, “These new funds will support families to grow crops, generate income and improve food availability on local markets.”

    Mr Gelder, who presented the dummy cheque to the Ministries of Finance and Food and Agriculture said the EU support would also make Ghanaian farmers more resilient to crisis by promoting sustainable food production and strengthening integration into national and regional food value chains.

    He said the allocation would support the sustainable development of a number of agribusiness value chains, including shea, soybean, beekeeping, and vegetables.

    The Deputy Head of the EU Mission said this would complement efforts by the Ghanaian government to mitigate further increases in poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in vulnerable areas affected by high prices of food, fertilizer, and fuel.

    He said the current 10 million euro allocation to Ghana represented the commitment of the EU and Member States Team Europe approach to mobilizing political, policy and financial means to safeguard food security, while transitioning to more resilient food systems.

    He said the food security situation was a very serious concern and that was why the EU had allocated 600 million euro to countries mainly in Africa to finance humanitarian food aid and food production and to strengthen local food production systems.

    He said the support would help 19 countries to cope with the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, notably the current food security and related economic shock.

    “Of this envelope, the EU is allocating the 10 million euro to Ghana,” he added.

    He said the new funding comes on top of the EU’s 203 million euro joint programming support already dedicated to Ghana for 2021-2024.

    THE Deputy Head of EU Mission said the extra funding announced today would strengthen the ongoing programme as well as the EU’s upcoming support to the agriculture sector in Ghana.

    Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, a Deputy Minister for Finance, said “We as a country have been faced with a number of challenges in recent times. The COVID-19 pandemic and lately Russia – Ukraine war have particularly had worrying effects on Ghana’s economy.”

    She said the conflict had resulted in rapid increase in the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer, with its attendant consequences on the country’s foreign exchange reserves used to purchase commodities imported for public consumption as well as inputs for industries.

    She said food inflation continued to contribute highly to overall inflation with Ghana’s inflation for September 2022 at 37.2 per cent with food inflation contributing largely at 37.8 per cent.

    She said the support would focus on the Northern part of Ghana as a more economically sustainable and inclusive food systems, reinforced environmental sustainability of food systems, enhanced social sustainability and gender responsiveness of food systems (incl. Food and nutrition security) and improved governance and institutional sustainability of food systems.

    She said the EU had been a strategic partner of Ghana over the years and had supported the country in the areas of infrastructure development, good governance, agriculture, and public financial management.

    “The flexibility exhibited in the provision of €86.5 million to Ghana as Emergency Budget Support during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic is one that cannot be forgotten,” she added.

    Mrs Osei Asare said the support to food security would complement an action for agribusiness foreseen under the Annual Action Programme for 2023.

    He said the action was part of a larger support aimed at mitigating the effects of food crisis in

    vulnerable Member States and regions of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), occasioned by the Russia Ukraine war.

    “This singular decision by the EU, together with its Member States, to mobilise €600 million from the reserves of the European Development Fund (EDF) to support ACP countries and regions is particularly commendable,” she said.

    Mr Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, said  the EU-Ghana Agriculture programme, sought to modernize agricultural production processes.

    This will address binding constraints to agricultural productivity through the development of selected value chains including rice, soybean, groundnut, cashew, mango, and vegetables, building resilience against climate change and investment in infrastructural development such as roads and irrigation facilities.

    The programme is consistent with Sector’s flagships- Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development.

    He said it would go a long way to improve the livelihoods of communities in the beneficiary regions and the country at large.

    He said the 10 million euro pledge by the EU had come at an opportune time to support the most vulnerable populations to cope with the ramifications of the Russia invasion of Ukraine and the resultant impact on food security.

    He said the proposed support had been earmarked for the sustainable development of a selected number of agribusiness value chains, including shea, soybean, beekeeping, and vegetables, which are all priority areas for the sector.

    Source:GNA 

  • EU will not slap more sanctions on Iran over alleged drone deal with Russia

    European Union foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg on Monday would not take any decisions on additional Iran sanctions after reports of drones delivered from Tehran to Moscow, Reuters has reported, citing an unnamed senior EU official.

    The official added that the 27-nation bloc is still trying to find independent evidence for the alleged use of Iranian drones by Russia in Ukraine.

    Iran, which blames NATO as the root of the Ukraine conflict, has denied supplying Russia with arms.

    “The Islamic Republic of Iran has by no means supplied any side with arms to be used in the war in Ukraine, and its policy is to oppose arming either side with the aim of ending the war,” Hossein Amirabdollahian, Iran’s foreign minister, told his Polish counterpart on Sunday.

    Source: Aljazeera.com

     

  • EU allocates 10 million euros to address Ghana’s Food Security needs

    The European Union (EU) has pledged an additional 10 million euro to Ghana to support the most vulnerable populations facing escalating global food security crisis exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

    Mr. Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, the Deputy Head of the European Union Mission to Ghana, announcing the new Special Measure in Accra said, “These new funds will support families to grow crops, generate income and improve food availability on local markets.”

    Mr Gelder, who presented the dummy cheque to the Ministries of Finance and Food and Agriculture said the EU support would also make Ghanaian farmers more resilient to crisis by promoting sustainable food production and strengthening integration into national and regional food value chains.

    He said the allocation would support the sustainable development of a number of agribusiness value chains, including shea, soybean, beekeeping, and vegetables.

    The Deputy Head of the EU Mission said this would complement efforts by the Ghanaian government to mitigate further increases in poverty, hunger, and malnutrition in vulnerable areas affected by high prices of food, fertilizer, and fuel.

    He said the current 10 million euro allocation to Ghana represented the commitment of the EU and Member States Team Europe approach to mobilizing political, policy and financial means to safeguard food security, while transitioning to more resilient food systems.

    He said the food security situation was a very serious concern and that was why the EU had allocated 600 million euro to countries mainly in Africa to finance humanitarian food aid and food production and to strengthen local food production systems.

    He said the support would help 19 countries to cope with the consequences of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, notably the current food security and related economic shock.

    “Of this envelope, the EU is allocating the 10 million euro to Ghana,” he added.

    He said the new funding comes on top of the EU’s 203 million euro joint programming support already dedicated to Ghana for 2021-2024.

    THE Deputy Head of EU Mission said the extra funding announced today would strengthen the ongoing programme as well as the EU’s upcoming support to the agriculture sector in Ghana.

    Mrs Abena Osei-Asare, a Deputy Minister for Finance, said “We as a country have been faced with a number of challenges in recent times. The COVID-19 pandemic and lately Russia – Ukraine war have particularly had worrying effects on Ghana’s economy.”

    She said the conflict had resulted in rapid increase in the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer, with its attendant consequences on the country’s foreign exchange reserves used to purchase commodities imported for public consumption as well as inputs for industries.

    She said food inflation continued to contribute highly to overall inflation with Ghana’s inflation for September 2022 at 37.2 per cent with food inflation contributing largely at 37.8 per cent.

    She said the support would focus on the Northern part of Ghana as a more economically sustainable and inclusive food systems, reinforced environmental sustainability of food systems, enhanced social sustainability and gender responsiveness of food systems (incl. Food and nutrition security) and improved governance and institutional sustainability of food systems.

    She said the EU had been a strategic partner of Ghana over the years and had supported the country in the areas of infrastructure development, good governance, agriculture, and public financial management.

    “The flexibility exhibited in the provision of €86.5 million to Ghana as Emergency Budget Support during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic is one that cannot be forgotten,” she added.

    Mrs Osei Asare said the support to food security would complement an action for agribusiness foreseen under the Annual Action Programme for 2023.

    He said the action was part of a larger support aimed at mitigating the effects of food crisis in

    vulnerable Member States and regions of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), occasioned by the Russia Ukraine war.

    “This singular decision by the EU, together with its Member States, to mobilise €600 million from the reserves of the European Development Fund (EDF) to support ACP countries and regions is particularly commendable,” she said.

    Mr Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, a Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, said  the EU-Ghana Agriculture programme, sought to modernize agricultural production processes.

    This will address binding constraints to agricultural productivity through the development of selected value chains including rice, soybean, groundnut, cashew, mango, and vegetables, building resilience against climate change and investment in infrastructural development such as roads and irrigation facilities.

    The programme is consistent with Sector’s flagships- Planting for Food and Jobs and Planting for Export and Rural Development.

    He said it would go a long way to improve the livelihoods of communities in the beneficiary regions and the country at large.

    He said the 10 million euro pledge by the EU had come at an opportune time to support the most vulnerable populations to cope with the ramifications of the Russia invasion of Ukraine and the resultant impact on food security.

    He said the proposed support had been earmarked for the sustainable development of a selected number of agribusiness value chains, including shea, soybean, beekeeping, and vegetables, which are all priority areas for the sector.

    Source: GNA 

  • Russia to  evacuate inhabitants of Kherson as Ukrainian military advance

    In a sign that Russia is losing control of the territory it purports to have annexed, the government agrees to evacuate the Kherson people in response to a request from the Moscow-installed governor.

    People from Ukraine’s southern Kherson region are anticipated to start arriving in Russia after a Moscow-installed administrator in the partially controlled region urged inhabitants to evacuate for their own safety.

    In a sign of Moscow’s weakening hold on territory it claims to have annexed, Moscow said it would help residents evacuate amid an advancing Ukrainian counteroffensive.

    “The government took the decision to organise assistance for the departure of residents of the [Kherson] region,” Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said on Thursday.

    The Russian-installed governor of Ukraine’s southern Kherson region earlier told residents to take their children and flee, after Kyiv said it had retaken five settlements in the southern region.

    In a video statement on Telegram, Vladimir Saldo had publicly asked for Moscow’s help transporting civilians to safer areas.

    “Every day, the cities of Kherson region are subjected to missile attacks,” Saldo said. “As such, the leadership of the Kherson administration has decided to provide Kherson families with the option to travel to other regions of the Russian Federation to rest and study.”

    “We suggested that all residents of the Kherson region, if they wish, to protect themselves from the consequences of missile strikes … go to other regions,” he said, advising people to “leave with their children”.

    Residents on the west bank of the Dnieper River had priority, he said. That includes the regional capital, the only major Ukrainian city Russia has captured intact since its February 24 invasion.

    Russia’s TASS news agency reported the first group of civilians fleeing from Kherson was expected to arrive in Russia’s Rostov region as soon as Friday.  Others are expected to head to Crimea, which Moscow annexed in 2014.

    Kherson is one of four partially occupied Ukrainian provinces that Russia this month announced it had annexed, and arguably the most strategically important. It controls both the only land route to the Crimean peninsula and the mouth of the Dnieper, the giant river that bisects Ukraine.

    Since the start of October, Ukrainian forces have burst through Russia’s front lines there in their biggest advance in the south since the war began.

    They have since moved rapidly along the river’s western bank, aiming to cut off thousands of Russian troops from supply lines and potential routes of retreat.

    Kyiv says it has recaptured more than 400 square kilometres (155 miles) in the Kherson region in less than a week, with its forces bearing down towards the three-kilometer-long (two-mile-long) Nova Kakhovka dam that provides one of the last river crossings.

    Mykolaiv, the nearest big Ukrainian-held city to Kherson, came under massive Russian bombardment on Thursday, with civilian facilities hit, local officials said.

    Regional governor Vitaly Kim said the top two floors of a five-storey residential building were destroyed and the rest was under rubble. Video footage provided by state emergency services showed rescuers pulling out an 11-year-old boy who Kim said had spent six hours trapped under the destroyed building.

    In the east, three Russian missiles exploded on Thursday morning near the central market in Kupiansk, a major railway junction city that Ukrainian forces recaptured during their big advance there in September.

    The missiles destroyed shops, carpeting surrounding streets with glass shards, rubble, and twisted metal sheets.

     

    ‘Dangerous times’

    On Thursday, NATO allies meeting in Brussels unveiled plans to jointly beef up Europe’s air defences with Patriot and other missile systems.

    “We are living in threatening, dangerous times,” said German Minister of Defence Christine Lambrecht at a signing ceremony where Germany and more than a dozen European NATO members committed to jointly procuring weapons for a “European Sky Shield”.

    Moscow said more military aid for Kyiv made members of the US-led military alliance “a direct party to the conflict” and said admitting Ukraine to NATO would trigger a global conflict.

    Meanwhile, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell sent a strong message to the Kremlin after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s veiled threats of resorting to nuclear weapons to stem growing battlefield losses.

    “Putin is saying he is not bluffing. Well, he cannot afford bluffing, and it has to be clear that the people supporting Ukraine and the European Union and the Member States, and the United States and NATO are not bluffing either,” Borrell said.

    “Any nuclear attack against Ukraine will create an answer, not a nuclear answer but such a powerful answer from the military side that the Russian Army will be annihilated.”

     

  • Putin proposes to increase gas supplies to Europe through Nord Stream 2

    The Russian leader says a mothballed pipeline can ferry energy exports west if it is proven safe following a spate of recent explosions.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow is ready to resume gas supplies to the European Union via a link of the Germany-bound Nord Stream 2 pipeline under the Baltic Sea – an offer quickly rejected by Berlin.

    Speaking at a Moscow energy forum on Wednesday, Putin said that one of the two links of the pipeline remained pressurised despite a series of ruptures last month which caused major leaks, sending gas spewing out off the coast of Denmark and Sweden.

    The Nord Stream 1 pipeline was also ruptured by powerful underwater explosions in September.

    Western officials have linked the incidents to “sabotage” but have held back from attributing responsibility for the blasts while investigations by German, Danish and Swedish officials continue.

    Putin said that if checks prove the Nord Stream 2 link is safe to operate, Russia stands ready to use the pipeline to pump gas to Europe, adding its capacity stands at 27 billion cubic meters (bcm) a year.

    The Nord Stream 2 pipeline has never brought natural gas to Europe because Germany prevented the flows from ever starting just before Russia launched military action in Ukraine on February 24.

    Putin also repeated an earlier accusation that the United States was likely behind the blasts on the Nord Stream pipelines, without providing any evidence to support his claim, and floated the idea of creating an alternative European gas hub via Turkey.

    “The act of sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 is an act of international terrorism aimed at undermining energy security of the entire continent by blocking supplies of cheap energy,” Putin said, alleging that the US wants to force Europe to switch to importing more expensive liquefied natural gas.

     

  • Missile strikes: Ukraine announces cut of power supply to EU

    The thermal generation and electrical substations were struck by today’s missile strikes, according to the Ukrainian ministry of energy, which means that starting tomorrow, it will no longer be able to supply electricity to the European Union.

    The interruption will help Ukraine stabilise its own energy system, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

    Ukraine started exporting power to the European Union on 1 July. At the time, President Volodymir Zelensky said the launching of power transmissions was the start of a process that could help Europe reduce its dependence on Russian hydrocarbons, Reuters reported then.

     

  • EU allocates €200,000 to combat Ebola outbreak in Uganda

    The European Union has mobilised 200,000 euros to help the Ugandan Red Cross in the face of a fresh Ebola outbreak.

    The outbreak has already left more than 40 people dead in the country.

    The European Commission in a statement on Tuesday in response to an urgent appeal for help launched by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

    Uganda declared an Ebola outbreak on 20 September after confirming a case in Mubende district in central Uganda, where a 24-year-old man died from the Ebola virus after contracting the rare strain from Sudan.

    This strain is not only less transmissible but also has a lower mortality (40-100%) than the Zaire strain (70-100%).

    There is currently no approved vaccine against this Sudan strain, unlike the Zaire strain, which has been recorded in epidemics of the disease in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which on 24 September announced the end of its last Ebola outbreak.

    Countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Somalia are on the alert to prevent the possible spread of the virus.

    Source: Africanews

  • Ghana’s cocoa not banned – EU Ambassador

    European Union Ambassador, Mr Irchad Razaarly, says there is no ban on Ghana’s cocoa into the European market as speculated in the media space.

    “We want more cocoa, and we are supporting Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire to produce cocoa and other commodities in a socially and environmentally sustainable manner,” he said.

    The Ambassador said this on Monday at the second edition of the Orange Cocoa Day on the theme: ” Exploring How Improved Access to Land and Tree Tenure Promote Sustainability in the Cocoa Value Chain.”

    The event was organised by the Embassy of the Netherlands together with the European Union Delegation to Ghana in partnership with the European Forest Institute, Solidaridad West Africa, Meridia, and others.

    Mr Razaarly said the call for sustainable cocoa production was growing globally and particularly in Europe, stressing that EU citizens were increasingly demanding measures to ensure that cocoa and other commodities were produced in an environmentally sustainable way.

    He said the EU had proposed a regulation, which was aimed at reducing the impact of products placed on the Union’s market for six commodities – palm oil, soya, wood, cattle, cocoa, and coffee.

    The purpose of the regulation, the Ambassador said, was to minimise the EU’s contribution to global deforestation and to promote the consumption of products from deforestation-free supply chains.

    Touching on EU ongoing support, Mr Razaarly said the Union had supported COCOBOD to roll-out the Cocoa Management System through a sensitisation campaign, training of extension staff to verify the data collected and the provision of equipment.

    “We work with COCOBOD and the Forestry Commission on the mapping and deforestation risk assessment. Ghana has good experience in Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade, which could be replicated in the cocoa sector”

    He re-iterated the EU’s commitment to the dialogue on sustainable cocoa and support to the sector and stated that Ghana’s efforts towards sustainability were aligned with the Union’s priorities.

    “Providing a decent living income for cocoa farmers and ensuring the sustainability of the value chain, both in terms of labour rights and environmental protection, are key priorities for the EU,” he said.

    Ms Katja Lasseur, the Deputy Dutch Ambassador to Ghana, said the theme was timely because investment in the cocoa sector thrived when the lands were secured free of any litigation.

    “As part of our global strategy, the Netherlands will continue to support efforts to promote the sustainability of the cocoa sector and improve land and tree tenure arrangements that mostly affect cocoa farmers across Ghana’s cocoa growing areas,” she said.

    Nana Kwaw Asante Bediatu II, the Sefwi Divisional Chief of Asempaneye, called for better remuneration of farmers to motivate other prospective farmers to venture into cocoa farming.

    He called for more investment in the documentation of farmlands to ensure the sustainability of cocoa production for socio-economic development.

    The participants called for a dialogue to address challenges in the sector, saying, farming and production of cocoa beans were largely poorly regulated in the country.

    Source: GNA

  • There is no ban on Ghana’s cocoa – EU Ambassador to Ghana

    Irchad Razaarly, the ambassador of the European Union to Ghana, has refuted accusations that Ghana may soon be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some foreign markets because of new European legislation.

    She claims that the EU has not prohibited Ghana’s cocoa from reaching the European market.

    Irchad Razaarly said, “The EU’s legislation on afforestation and forest degradation must not be considered as a danger to Ghana’s cocoa business,” during the second Orange Cocoa Day 2022 in Accra.

    She said the EU was in support of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire among all of the producers who meet the export requirements.

    “The call for more sustainable cocoa production is growing globally. And our citizens in Europe are increasingly demanding measures for ensuring that cocoa and other commodities are produced in a socially environmental sustainable way. This explains EU’s legislation on afforestation and forest degradation and must not be seen as a threat to Ghana’s cocoa,” Irchad Razaarly stated.

    “There is no ban on Ghana’s cocoa. On the contrary, we want more of Ghana’s cocoa, and we are in support of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire amongst all of the producers who meet these requirements,” the European Union Ambassador to Ghana stated.

    Her comment comes on the back of a report by Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah warning that Ghana might soon be unable to export cocoa and coffee to some international markets.

    According to Oppong-Nkrumah, the ban might happen because of a new legislation in Europe.

    In a post shared on Facebook, the minister indicated that the government was warned of this move by the Ghana Embassy in Belgium, which has started working to ensure that the ban does not come into force.

  • Sustainability requirements shouldn’t be a ruse to block our cocoa, coffee – Oppong Nkrumah

    Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Information, has urged the European Union (EU) to collaborate with ACP nations to avoid burdening the local cocoa and coffee industries with its proposed ethical and sustainable supply chain requirements.

    Though the new legislation is a means of promoting better practices within the cocoa and coffee subsector, Nkrumah argues that it is more crucial that the EU collaborate with ACP nations to achieve these sustainability standards because failing to do so runs the risk of driving players within the value chain out of business.

    He made the call when he chaired a two-day forum on the future of Ghanaian cocoa and coffee value chains in the face of this new EU legislation at the “Alliances in Ghana: Coffee and Chocolate at the table” in Brussels, Belgium organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ghanaian Mission in Brussels last week.

    “At a time where farmlands are coming under threats for competing and more rewarding economic activities, sustainability is a matter that requires some more attention. By no means however should sustainability be used as a pretext to limit market accessibility. Exchange of best practices and technical assistance is necessary so that we can have a win-win situation in all of this,” he said.

    “Farmers deserve a recompense for their hard work and should not be left out in any business or policy negotiation. Their social reality and cultural context must be considered when designing legislation so they may meet their demands and not bear a disproportionate burden for complying with the regulation,” he said.

    EU lawmakers have backed a proposal for a law that will ban the sale of agriculture products linked to the destruction of forests, and human rights violations. The bill was supported by 453 votes, to 57 with 123 abstentions.

    The EU Parliament will now start negotiations on the final text with EU member states.

    Once approved, the law would force companies and producers to give assurances that products are deforestation-free and meets EU’s sustainability standards.

    Businesses will be forced to verify that agricultural goods sold in the EU have not been made on deforested or degraded land anywhere in the world.

    This, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said could soon make Ghanaian cocoa and coffee unexportable to many international markets within the 27-nation bloc.

    He said Ghana must act quickly to ensure the two industries meet the interests of European markets else millions of households and the economy in general could be significantly affected by this proposed legislation.

  • Sustainability requirements shouldn’t be a ruse to block our cocoa and coffee – Oppong Nkrumah

    Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah has called on the European Union (EU) to work with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to prevent its proposed ethical and sustainable supply chain rules from becoming a burden for the local cocoa and coffee industry.

    According to Nkrumah, though the new legislation is a way to drive better practices within the cocoa and coffee subsector, more importantly, the EU must work with ACP countries in achieving these sustainability standards else, it risk putting players within the value chain out of business.

    He made the call when he chaired a two-day forum on the future of Ghanaian cocoa and coffee value chains in the face of this new EU legislation at the “Alliances in Ghana: Coffee and Chocolate at the table” in Brussels, Belgium organized by the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Ghanaian Mission in Brussels last week.

    “At a time where farmlands are coming under threats for competing and more rewarding economic activities, sustainability is a matter that requires some more attention. By no means however should sustainability be used as a pretext to limit market accessibility. Exchange of best practices and technical assistance is necessary so that we can have a win-win situation in all of this,” he said.

    “Farmers deserve a recompense for their hard work and should not be left out in any business or policy negotiation. Their social reality and cultural context must be considered when designing legislation so they may meet their demands and not bear a disproportionate burden for complying with the regulation,” he said.

    EU lawmakers have backed a proposal for a law that will ban the sale of agriculture products linked to the destruction of forests, and human rights violations. The bill was supported by 453 votes, to 57 with 123 abstentions.

    The EU Parliament will now start negotiations on the final text with EU member states.

    Once approved, the law would force companies and producers to give assurances that products are deforestation-free and meets EU’s sustainability standards.

    Businesses will be forced to verify that agricultural goods sold in the EU have not been made on deforested or degraded land anywhere in the world.

    This, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said could soon make Ghanaian cocoa and coffee unexportable to many international markets within the 27-nation bloc.

    He said Ghana must act quickly to ensure the two industries meet the interests of European markets else millions of households and the economy in general could be significantly affected by this proposed legislation.

    Source:ghanaweb.com

  • Nord Stream: Mystery leaks in Russia gas pipelines spark warnings

    European countries are investigating three mystery leaks in two major gas pipelines between Russia and Europe.

    The cause of the damage to Nord Stream 1 and 2 is unclear, but authorities have not ruled out sabotage.

    The operator of Nord Stream 1 said the undersea lines had simultaneously sustained “unprecedented” damage in one day.

    Both pipelines have been flashpoints in the energy tussle between Moscow and Europe.

    Whatever the cause of the damage, it will not immediately affect the supply of gas to Europe as neither pipeline was operational.

    The European Union has previously accused Russia of using a reduction in gas supplies to blackmail Europe, but Moscow denies this. It says sanctions against Russia make it impossible to properly maintain the gas infrastructure.

    Map showing the route of the Nord Stream pipelines between Russia and Germany.

    Unconfirmed reports in German media said authorities are not ruling out an attack on the undersea gas network.

    Denmark’s Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, said it was too early to come to conclusions, but that it was hard to imagine the multiple leaks could be a coincidence.

    A Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, said he was “extremely concerned” about the incident, and the possibility of a deliberate attack could not be ruled out.

    The Nord Stream 1 pipeline – which consists of two parallel branches – has not transported any gas since August when Russia closed it down for maintenance.

    It stretches 745 miles (1,200km) under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany. Its twin Russian-owned pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was halted after the Russian invasion of Ukraine began.

    Although neither pipelines are in operation, they both still contain gas.

    German, Danish and Swedish authorities are all investigating the incidents.

    The operators of Nord Stream 2 warned of a loss of pressure in the pipeline on Monday afternoon. That led to a warning from Danish authorities that ships should avoid the area near the island of Bornholm.

    The Danish energy authority told the Reuters news agency that the leak could continue for several days, and perhaps even a week.

    Hours later, the Swedish Maritime Authority also issued a warning over two leaks in Nord Stream 1.

    The pipeline’s operators – Nord Stream AG – said it was impossible to estimate when the system’s infrastructure would be restored.

    Energy prices have soared since Moscow invaded Ukraine and scarce supplies could push up costs even further.

    There are growing fears families in the EU will be unable to afford the cost of heating this winter.

    Poland is leading the effort to curb reliance on Russia, once Europe’s main energy supplier, with the inauguration of a new gas pipeline.

    The Baltic Pipe will be a new link for Norwegian gas to Europe, which will allow countries to the south of Poland, including Slovakia and the Czech Republic, to access it.

  • Giorgia Meloni: The far-right party in Italy wins the election and promises to rule fairly

    Giorgia Meloni, a leader of the far right, has declared victory in the Italian election and is on track to become the nation’s first female prime minister.

    The most right-wing government in Italy since World War Two is anticipated to be formed by Ms. Meloni.

    Giorgia Meloni, a leader of the far right, has declared victory in the Italian election and is on track to become the nation’s first female prime minister.

    The most right-wing government in Italy since World War Two is anticipated to be formed by Ms. Meloni.

    That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy.

    However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust.

    “Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome, holding up a sign saying “Thank you Italy”.

    She is set to win around 26% of the vote, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the center-left. Mr Letta told reporters on Monday that the far-right victory was a “sad day for Italy and Europe” but his party would provide a “strong and intransigent opposition”.

    Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s center-right Forza Italia – will take control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with around 44% of the vote.

    Four years ago, Brothers of Italy won little more than 4% of the vote but this time benefited from staying out of the national unity government that collapsed in July.

    The party’s dramatic success in the vote disguised the fact that her allies performed poorly, with the League slipping below 9%, and Forza Italia even lower.

    Their big advantage, however, was that where they were able to put up one unified candidate in a constituency, their opponents in the left and centre could not agree a common position and stood separately.

    Giorgia Meloni appears certain to become prime minister but it will be for the president, Sergio Mattarella, to nominate her and that is unlikely to happen before late October.

    Although she has worked hard to soften her image, emphasizing her support for Ukraine and diluting anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists.

    Earlier this year she outlined her priorities in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right Vox party: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”1px transparent line

    The center-left alliance was a long way behind the right with 26% of the vote and Democratic Party figure Debora Serracchiani argued that the right “has the majority in parliament, but not in the country”.

    In truth, the left failed to form a viable challenge with other parties after Italy’s 18-month unity government fell apart, and officials were downbeat even before the vote. The Five Star Movement under Giuseppe Conte won a convincing third place – but did not see eye to eye with Enrico Letta even though they have several policies in common on immigration and raising the minimum wage.

    Turnout fell to a record low of 63.91% – nine points down in 2018. Voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including Sicily.1px transparent line

    Italy is a founding father of the European Union and a member of Nato, and Ms Meloni’s rhetoric on the EU places her close to Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban.

    Her allies have both had close ties with Russia. Mr Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Vladimir Putin was pushed into invading Ukraine while Mr Salvini has called into question Western sanctions on Moscow.

    Ms Meloni wants to revisit Italian reforms agreed with the EU in return for almost €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans, arguing that the energy crisis has changed the situation.

    Italy is already the second most indebted country in the eurozone and Prof Leila Simona Talani of King’s College London believes the next government will face a clutch of serious issues.

    “They have no experience economically. Tax cuts will be a problem, so Italy will have less revenue and it’s heading for a recession, so it’ll face problems with the financial markets and with Europe. How will they find the money to tackle the rising energy prices?”

    People stand next to a poster of Enrico Letta, secretary of the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), at the PD headquarters, during the snap election, in Rome, Italy, September 25, 2022
    IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERS Image caption, There was little cause for joy at Enrico Letta’s Democratic Party headquarters on Sunday night

    The Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”

    In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally said Italian voters had given European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a lesson in humility. She had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”.

    However, Prof Gianluca Passarrelli of Rome’s Sapienza University told the BBC he thought she would avoid rocking the boat on Europe and focus on other policies: “I think we will see more restrictions on civil rights and policies on LGBT and immigrants.”

    Ms Meloni wants a naval blockade to stop migrant boats from leaving Libya, and Matteo Salvini is known to covet the job of an interior minister which he held three years ago. However, he is currently on trial for barring a boat from docking as part of his policy to close ports to rescue boats.

    This election marks a one-third reduction in the size of the two houses, and that appears to have benefited the winning parties.

    The make-up of the Chamber and Senate is not yet clear but a YouTrend projection said the right-wing alliance would hold as many as 238 of the 400 seats in the lower house and 112 of the 200 seats in the upper house.

    As for the center-left, they are projected to have 78 seats in the Chamber and 40 in the Senate.

  • EU blasts Eritrea’s reported offensive in Tigray

    The reported deployment of Eritrean forces into the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia, according to the European Union, will only help to intensify the conflict.

    “The EU urges once again all parties to forget about any military solution and join efforts for the benefit of their populations,” said Josep Borrell, EU’s foreign affairs and security policy chief.

    It comes amid a reported full-scale offensive by Eritrean troops along the Eritrea-Tigray border.

    The Tigrayan forces spokesman, Getachew Reda, said the Eritreans were fighting alongside Ethiopian federal forces and regional militia.

    But neither the Eritrean nor the Ethiopian governments have spoken about the reported entry of Eritrean forces.

    An American envoy on Tuesday condemned the fighting, noting that the US was aware of Eritrean troops crossing into Tigray.

    Eritrea has been allied with Ethiopian government soldiers in their almost two-year-long war against Tigrayan rebels.

    Thousands of people have been killed and millions have been displaced in the conflict.

  • European Union launches programme to fight terrorism in Ghana

    To prevent and combat violent extremism, terrorism, and organised crime in Ghana, the European Union (EU) has launched the third phase of a security programme dubbed: “Preventing Electoral Violence and Providing Security to the Northern Border Regions of Ghana (NORPREVSEC)”.

    The project seeks to strengthen security and resilience in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah, and the North East regions.

    Over the next 27 months, the project will focus on reducing the risk of political violence, building the capacity of police officers in intelligence gathering, peace building, and taking steps to prevent radicalization and violent extremism.

    This would be established in three areas of action: decreasing the likelihood of political violence, promoting peace and early warning systems, and bolstering the Ghana Police Service’s intelligence, counterterrorism, and violent extremism prevention capabilities.

    The EU Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Irchad Razaaly who spoke during the launch in Tamale, said empowering civil society and local NGOs through their involvement in NORPREVSEC would help tackle violent extremism and radicalization, especially among the youth.

    Despite the fact that no terrorist attacks had been reported in the country, recent changes in regional and global dynamics have exposed it to new security risks.

    This has necessitated the programme, under which national and international experts would cooperate to minimize the terrorist threats in the five regions of the north, build resilience and secure peace, he said.

    The launch was attended by the relevant security agencies, representatives of civil society organisations, local government authorities, community stakeholders, and international actors such as Interpol, Europol, and Frontex.

    It will be funded by the EU and implemented in parallel by three actors to combat terrorism from every conceivable angle.

    These actors include the National Commission for Civic Education, leading the process of public awareness, COGINTA, a Swiss non-governmental organisation supporting government and non-governmental actors to resolve conflicts and reduce violence, and the Foundation for Public Policies and Administration, a Spanish cooperation entity.

    Also speaking at the Launch, Spanish Ambassador to Ghana, Mr Jose Javier Gutierrez also stated that “NORPREVSEC will contribute to peace and stability in the northern regions of Ghana and prevent violent extremism and terrorism.”

    “This a threat of growing concern, particularly because of the spill-over from the Sahel. Spain is committed to fighting against this scourge in Ghana, in the region and globally.”

    The Northern Regional Minister Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu lauded the programme, saying it had come at the right time when national efforts at maintaining security needed to be strengthened.

    The Ministry for National Security

    launched a citizens’ awareness campaign “See something, say something” aimed at protecting the country against terrorist attacks on May 25 2022.

    The campaign is part of efforts to help deal with the terrorist threat in the West African sub-region.

    This means any person who notices anything unusual about the security situation should inform the various agencies by dialling 999 or using any of the security agencies’ phone numbers or social media handles.

    Security agencies have announced that those who do not want to be identified for fear of being labelled as snitches can file complaints anonymously.

    You can also report to assembly members, District Chief Executives, chiefs, opinion leaders, presiding members, and community leaders.

    Source:The Independent Ghana |

  • New rule: Russians to pay €45 more to enter EU under new rule

    The European Union wants to increase the cost and difficulty of obtaining a visa for Russian nationals.

    The application process would take longer and the charge will increase from €35 (£30; $34) to €80 (£69; $79) for Russians seeking entry to the EU.

    This should continue as long as Moscow wages its war of aggression

    against Ukraine, the EU Commission said.

    More than a million Russians have travelled to EU countries since the invasion of Ukraine in February.

    Margaritis Schinas, an EU Commission vice-president, said Russia had “completely undermined” the trust on which the existing EU-Russia visa agreement was based.

    Under that agreement, Russians had for 15 years enjoyed a streamlined process for getting EU visas.

    EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen tweeted to say that the visa agreement should be suspended as there “can be no business as usual” with Russia.

    Tuesday’s move follows a decision last week by EU foreign ministers when they agreed in principle to suspend the existing visa agreement with Moscow.

    The plan had been seen as a compromise, with Ukraine and some EU member states calling for a blanket ban – but others like France and Germany opposed to going that far.

    Some EU countries bordering Russia had already begun to tighten border controls.

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov last week admitted that the EU decision would make life more difficult for Russian travelers, calling the proposal “another ridiculous decision in a series of ongoing absurdities”.

    Under the proposals, Russian citizens will face:

    Separately, the EU Commission is proposing that the member states refuse to recognize Russian passports issued in occupied Ukraine.

    “Russians should not have easy access to the European Union and traveling to the EU as a tourist is not a human right,” said EU home affairs commissioner Ylva Johansson.

  • EU ministers look to set up central military training for Ukraine

    Senior European Union ministers are meeting in the Czech Republic, with defence ministers set to discuss setting up a centralised military training mission for Ukraine.

    Individual members have been training Ukrainian troops for a while, mostly in operating new weapons, but the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has said he hopes more “high-level training” can be offered.

    He said a central training system would allow EU members to be “more predictable and to provide stronger support” to Ukraine.

    Meanwhile, EU foreign ministers are also set to meet this week, with a debate introducing visa restrictions on Russian citizens expected to dominate discussions.

    EU members are set to continue discussions in the Czech capital Prague on Wednesday.

    Source: BBC

  • Fighting human trafficking successfully- Gender Minister

    The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) has revealed that a lot has been achieved in relation to the rescue and prosecution of offenders of human-trafficking and irregular migration.

    The number of investigations increased from 87 in 2020 to 108 in 2021.

    Similarly, the total number of prosecutions increased from 13 to 22, with the total number of victims increasing from 587 to 831.

    The Minister-designate of MoGCSP, Lariba Zuweira Abudu, announced this during the opening of a three-day capacity building programme for law enforcement agencies on counter-trafficking and irregular migration held in Kumasi last Wednesday.

    Human trafficking is the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring, trading or receipt of persons within and across national borders by the use of threats, force or other forms of coercion, abduction and fraud among others.


     

    Capacity building

    The three-day workshop was held in collaboration with Expertise France, with financial support from the European Union (EU) on the theme: “Combating human trafficking and irregular migration in Ghana”, and aimed at equipping officers to effectively implement the Human Traffic Act 2005 (Act 694).

    The beneficiaries, drawn from across the country, were trained in human rights issues, victim identification, rescue operation, victim protection, investigation, building dockets, among others, to bring them to speed on modern ways in handling human-trafficking issues.

    They were selected from the Ghana Revenue Authority-Customs Division, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

    Madam Abudu said the feats were made possible through regular education, law enforcement and awareness creation.

    Monitoring

    For his part, the Project Manager, Expertise France, Serge Akpalou, said throughout the year, monitoring visits were conducted across the country and its borders to understand the state of affairs on the menace and to effectively tackle the issue at hand.

    He said so far, over 375 officers had been trained and 80 other officers had also benefited from an advanced level training programme.

    Source: graphiconline

  • Gas prices soar as Russia cuts German supply

    Gas prices have soared after Russia cut gas supplies to Germany and other central European countries after threatening to earlier this week. Further

    European gas prices rose 9%, trading close to their earlier all-time high after Russia invaded Ukraine.

    Critics accuse the Russian government of using gas as a political weapon.

    Russia has been cutting flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, with it now operating at less than a fifth of its normal capacity.

    Germany imports 55% of its gas from Russia and most of it comes through Nord Stream 1 – with the rest coming from land-based pipelines.

    Russian energy firm Gazprom has sought to justify the latest cut by saying it was needed to allow maintenance work on a turbine.

    The German government, however, said there was no technical reason for it to limit the supply.

    Ukraine has accused Moscow of waging a “gas war” against Europe and cutting supplies to inflict “terror” on people.

    The latest reduction in flows puts pressure on EU countries to reduce their dependence on Russian gas even further, and will likely make it more difficult for them to replenish their gas supplies ahead of winter.

    Since the invasion of Ukraine European leaders has held talks over how to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels.

    Map showing the Nord Stream pipelines from Russia

    On Tuesday, the European Union agreed to cut gas use in case Russia halts supplies but some countries will have exemptions to avoid rationing.

    EU members have now agreed to voluntarily reduce 15% of gas use between August and March.

    However, the deal was watered down after previously not having exemptions.

    The EU has said its aim of the deal is to make savings and store gas ahead of winter, warning that Russia is “continuously using energy supplies as a weapon”.

    The voluntary agreement would become mandatory if supplies reach crisis levels.

    The EU agreed in May to ban all Russian oil imports which come in by sea by the end of this year, but a deal over gas bans has taken longer.

    Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February the price of wholesale gas has already soared, with a knock-on impact on consumer energy bills across the globe.

    The Kremlin blames the price hike on Western sanctions, insisting it is a reliable energy partner and not responsible for the recent disruption to gas supplies.

    While the UK would not be directly impacted by gas supply disruption, as it imports less than 5% of its gas from Russia, it would be affected by prices rising in the global markets as demand in Europe increases.

    UK gas prices rose 7% on Wednesday, almost six times higher than a year ago, but still 20% below the peak seen in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    UK energy bills increased by an unprecedented £700 in April, and are expected to rise again to £3,244 a year for a typical household in October.

    Gas prices have soared after Russia further cut gas supplies to Germany and other central European countries after threatening to earlier this week.

    European gas prices rose 9%, trading close to their earlier all-time high after Russia invaded Ukraine.

    Critics accuse the Russian government of using gas as a political weapon.

    Russia has been cutting flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany, with it now operating at less than a fifth of its normal capacity.

    Germany imports 55% of its gas from Russia and most of it comes through Nord Stream 1 – with the rest coming from land-based pipelines.

    Russian energy firm Gazprom has sought to justify the latest cut by saying it was needed to allow maintenance work on a turbine.

    The German government, however, said there was no technical reason for it to limit the supply.

    Ukraine has accused Moscow of waging a “gas war” against Europe and cutting supplies to inflict “terror” on people.

    The latest reduction in flows puts pressure on EU countries to reduce their dependence on Russian gas even further, and will likely make it more difficult for them to replenish their gas supplies ahead of winter.

    Since the invasion of Ukraine European leaders has held talks over how to reduce its dependence on Russian fossil fuels

    On Tuesday, the European Union agreed to cut gas use in case Russia halts supplies but some countries will have exemptions to avoid rationing.

    EU members have now agreed to voluntarily reduce 15% of gas use between August and March.

    However, the deal was watered down after previously not having exemptions.

    The EU has said its aim of the deal is to make savings and store gas ahead of winter, warning that Russia is “continuously using energy supplies as a weapon”.

    The voluntary agreement would become mandatory if supplies reach crisis levels.

    The EU agreed in May to ban all Russian oil imports which come in by sea by the end of this year, but a deal over gas bans has taken longer.

    Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February the price of wholesale gas has already soared, with a knock-on impact on consumer energy bills across the globe.

    The Kremlin blames the price hike on Western sanctions, insisting it is a reliable energy partner and not responsible for the recent disruption to gas supplies.

    While the UK would not be directly impacted by gas supply disruption, as it imports less than 5% of its gas from Russia, it would be affected by prices rising in the global markets as demand in Europe increases.

    UK gas prices rose 7% on Wednesday, almost six times higher than a year ago, but still 20% below the peak seen in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

    UK energy bills increased by an unprecedented £700 in April, and are expected to rise again to £3,244 a year for a typical household in October.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Russian oil: EU agrees compromise deal on banning imports

    European Union leaders have agreed on a plan to block more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports.

    The ban will only affect oil that arrives by sea but not pipeline oil, following opposition from Hungary.

    European Council chief Charles Michel said the deal cut off a huge source of financing for the Russian war machine.

    It is part of a sixth package of sanctions approved at a summit in Brussels, which all 27 member states have had to agree on.

    Russia currently supplies 27% of the EU’s imported oil and 40% of its gas. The EU pays Russia around €400bn ($430bn, £341bn) a year in return.

    So far, no sanctions on Russian gas exports to the EU have been put in place, although plans to open a new gas pipeline from Russia to Germany have been frozen.

    EU members spent hours struggling to resolve their differences over the ban on Russian oil imports, with Hungary its main opponent.

    The compromise followed weeks of wrangling until it was agreed there would be “a temporary exemption for oil that comes through pipelines to the EU”, Mr Michel told reporters.

    Because of this, the immediate sanctions will affect only Russian oil being transported into the EU over sea – two-thirds of the total imported from Russia.

    But in practice, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the scope of the ban would be wider, because Germany and Poland have volunteered to wind down their own pipeline imports by the end of this year.

    “Left over is around 10-11% that is covered by the southern Druzhba,” Ms Von der Leyen said, referring to the Russian pipeline supplying oil to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

    The European Council will revisit this exemption “as soon as possible”, she added.

    Image shows oil pipelines

    1px transparent lineThe ban on Russian oil imports was initially proposed by the European Commission – which develops laws for member states – a month ago.

    But resistance, notably from Hungary, which imports 65% of its oil from Russia through pipelines, held up the EU’s troubled latest round of sanctions.

    Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban declared the agreement a victory for his country.

    “We succeeded in defeating the proposal of the European Council which would have forbidden Hungary from using Russian oil,” he said in a Facebook video.

    Other landlocked countries, such as Slovakia and the Czech Republic, also asked for more time due to their dependence on Russian oil. Bulgaria, already cut off from Russian gas by Gazprom, had likewise sought opt-outs.

    The cost of living crisis being felt across Europe has not helped either. Sky-rocketing energy prices – among other things – have curtailed some EU countries’ appetite for sanctions which could also hurt their own economies.

    Source: BBC

  • Cutting gas supply is an instrument of blackmail, says EU

    Russia’s decision to stop delivering gas to customers in Europe is “an instrument of blackmail”, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen says.

    The move is “unjustified and unacceptable” and shows the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier, she adds.

    She says EU member states have contingency plans in place for this scenario and the European Commission is in close contact with them to ensure alternative deliveries and the best possible storage levels across the bloc.

    A meeting of the gas coordination group is taking place now to map out the EU’s coordinated response, von der Leyen adds.

    “We will also continue working with international partners to secure alternative flows – and I will continue working with European and world leaders to ensure the security of energy supply in Europe,” she says.

    “Europeans can count on our full support.”

    Source: bbc.com

  • ‘EU must stock up on gas before winter’

    Europe needs to find new sources of gas now in order to meet its energy demands this winter, energy expert Samuel Ciszuk from the ELS Anaylsis consultancy tells the BBC.

    He says there’s pressure on all EU countries to start increasing gas storage supplies in preparation for the colder months, when demand is higher.

    “Going into the summer, everything is about stocking up.”

    “There have been orders going out from several governments to companies in their countries to buy as much as possible in order to fill their storages,” he said. “Even including buying as much Russian gas as possible.”

    Ciszuk added that one unanswered question is what will happen to Russian gas originally destined for Poland and Bulgaria.

    “What remains to be seen is whether Russia will offer some of these volumes to buyers other than Poland,” he says.

    Source: bbc.com

  • EU and Burundi agree to resume dialogue

    Burundi and the European Union have agreed to relaunch a political dialogue with hopes of normalising diplomatic ties after a five-year suspension, the presidency has announced

    President Evariste Ndayishimiye on Monday hosted the EU representative in Burundi together with ambassadors of European countries.

    The two sides “agreed to break free from the past and look to the future by rebuilding their relationship”, according to the president’s office.

    Burundi had accused the EU of “sponsoring instability” in the country following a failed coup in May 2015. The EU subsequently cut off budgetary support to the government citing concerns of human rights violations.

    President Pierre Nkurunziza was in power at the time. He died earlier this year and was replaced by President Ndayishimiye.

    EU Ambassador to Bujumbura Claude Bochu has tweeted photos of the meeting, which he said was held in a “relaxed and constructive climate”.

    Source: bbc.com

  • Election 2020: NCCE receives 1m Euros grant from EU

    The European Union (EU) has presented an amount of 1 million Euros to the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) ahead of the December polls.

    The presentation which was done on Thursday, November 26, 2020 is aimed at helping the NCCE intensify public education as well as be responsible for the prevention of electoral violence on December 7.

    The NCCE has been tasked by the EU to provide security for most vulnerable areas in the country, especially the Northern part of Ghana.

    The Commission, according to Madam Acconcia has been equipped with the necessary tools needed to resolve disputes peacefully during and after the elections.

    Speaking at the launch of the contract, EU Ambassador to Ghana, Diana Acconcia said, “The programme I have been honoured to launch today will provide 1 million Euros to the NCCE to coordinate joint efforts to sustain peace and prevent electoral violence. The programme will address various security threats in the most vulnerable Northern regions of Ghana.”

    The Deputy Chairman of the National Commission for Civic Education, Samuel Akuamoah, promised that the Commission will be vigilant in the vulnerable regions to prevent violent extremist groups from operating in the country.

    He also assured the EU of making good use of the resources made available to them, adding that the outcome of the project will be great.

    Mr. Akuamoah called on Ghanaians, Civil Society Organisations and other relevant institutions especially the security institutions to collaborate with the NCCE to work efficiently.

    Source: www.ghanaweb.com

  • Africa-Europe relations: 2020 was a lost year

    There was a sense of optimism about the European Union’s relationship with the African continent in March 2020 when EU development commissioner Jutta Urpilainen and EU High Representative Josep Borrell announced their new Africa Strategy.

    “The European Union is Africa’s first partner by all accounts: trade, investment, development, cooperation, security. We want this to remain, to scale it further and make it even more efficient,” Borrell told journalists.

    2020 was expected to be a crucial year for the two continents to develop their relationship.

    The new strategy announcement was seen as a curtain-raiser with a planned AU-EU summit rounding off the year.

    In October 2020, the heads of state from 55 African Union and 27 EU nations and their delegations were supposed to celebrate the new partnership at a summit in Brussels.

    In addition, a successor to the Cotonou Agreement, which regulates economic relations between the EU and more than 70 former colonies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific region, was to be hammered out.

    With Germany holding the EU Council presidency from July to December, the country was expected to play a decisive role.

    “Africa is an important aspect of our foreign policy,” promised German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a keynote speech in May.

    Two continents that need each other

    Things turned out differently than expected, though.

    The EU-Africa summit has been postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic, while a proposition for a virtual meet-up failed to find support.

    The new Africa strategy still hasn’t been approved by EU member states.

    And a replacement for the Cotonou Agreement, which expires in December 2020, is nowhere in sight.

    “The EU is very much preoccupied with itself — partly due to the COVID-19 crisis,” says Mathias Mogge from VENRO, an umbrella organization for development NGOs in Germany. “Partnerships with Africa have since faded into the background.”

    But it’s not just the Europeans who are pulling the hand brake. African nations are also frustrated with the current relationship with Europe.

    “Relations between Europe and Africa were never fair. Despite terms like ‘international cooperation,’ it’s an unequal exchange where Europe plays the role of a mentor and Africa plays the role of a school pupil,” says Nigerian researcher Lynda Iroulo from the German-based GIGA Institute of African Affairs.

    Those working for civil society in Africa have a similar view. According to a recent VENRO poll of 221 employees from various African NGOs, half of them said cooperation with Europe “does not work well” or “not at all.”

    Conflicts over trade and migration

    Economic relations are a major point of dispute. With 31% of exports and 29% of imports, the EU is an important trading partner for Africa.

    But the relationship is extremely unequal. European states import mainly raw materials from Africa while exporting valuable manufactured goods to the continent. African economies barely stand a chance of escaping a vicious dependence cycle.

    “This lopsided structure doesn’t help eliminate the continent’s problems like high unemployment rates and a large informal sector,” says Robert Kappel, a political scientist focusing on Africa.

    Migration is another hotly contested topic. The EU routinely pressures African countries to secure their borders to stem the influx of irregular migrants crossing into Europe. Those who do so are rewarded with hefty sums of money from Europe.

    It’s difficult for most Africans to legally migrate to Europe unless they belong to specific professional groups desperately needed by Europe.

    “African governments are certainly not satisfied with this,” Ghanaian migration expert Stephen Adaawen told DW last year.

    Well-educated African returnees are important for developing local economies. In addition, governments benefit from the remittances sent by citizens living abroad, Adaawen pointed out.

    Little enthusiasm

    Also, the EU’s new Africa Strategy has failed to draw much interest. The EU wants to work more closely with Africa in five key areas: green transition, digital transformation, sustainable growth and jobs, peace and governance, and migration and mobility.

    But, says Mathias Mogge von VENRO, the strategy is one-sided.

    “We would like to develop such strategies with the African Union, and African and European civil society. That way, it wouldn’t look as if the EU was dictating something that Africans have to react to,” he says.

    Whether 2021 will now become the crucial year for EU-Africa relations depends on whether the planned AU-EU summit takes place early in the year.

    Critically, leaders on both continents need to agree on the summit’s objectives.

    “Relations between Europe and Africa can’t continue as is,” says political scientist Kappel. “A completely new start is needed.”

    Source: dw.com

  • Austrian court confirms end to Eurofighter fraud investigation

    Vienna prosecutors upheld a decision to end a criminal probe into alleged fraud by aviation and defence group Airbus and Eurofighter in connection with a two-billion-dollar (€1.7 billion) fighter jet purchase in 2003, the counsel for Austria said Wednesday evening.

    A criminal complaint brought by Austria’s Defense Ministry in 2017 prompted the investigation.

    A lower court ordered an end to the probe in April, which the appeals court supported on the grounds that Austria had not provided enough of its own evidence after spending three and a half years investigating for fraud, the office of Austria’s chief legal counsel Wolfgang Peschorn said in a statement.

    “With that, all criminal investigations in Austria that were initiated as a result of the criminal complaint in 2017 on suspicion of fraud in connection with the Eurofighter purchase have now been brought to an end, ” the statement said of the court ruling dated November 4 and communicated a week later.

    While Peschorn said the ruling must be accepted, he disapproved that it runs counter to decisions by German and US legal authorities.

    EU countries probe Airbus

    The ruling is a blow to Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner, who had threatened a lawsuit against Airbus, which holds a major stake in the Eurofighter company.

    Tanner had also threatened to reverse the acquisition of Austria’s 15 Eurofighter jets, on suspicions that the government paid €183 million too much — as kickbacks to middlemen were priced into the contract.

    Austria’s 2017 complaint against Airbus and the Eurofighter consortium alleged they had misled it about the price, deliverability and features of the jets.

    In February, Airbus was ordered in Germany to pay $81.25 million in penalties for dubious money flows related to the Austrian aircraft deal.

    In January, Airbus announced it had agreed to settle corruption investigations probes in the US, France and the UK, resulting in total penalties of just under €3.6 billion.

    The Vienna appeals court has not yet commented on the ruling.

    Source: dw.com

  • EU silent on West Africa’s political crises

    Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara should not have even been on the ballot. But the already two-term leader wanted a third stint in office, and through a legal loophole, Ouattara stood for re-election. Despite bitter opposition and risking peace in the Ivory Coast, the ploy worked. The Ivorian election commission said Ouattara won a staggering 94% of the vote, boycotted by the opposition.

    Ivory Coast’s political crisis is far from over. The opposition has refused to recognize the election results, and violent protests have already resulted in deaths.

    The European Union has hardly reacted. The powerful bloc said it had taken note of the results, according to foreign minister Joseph Borrel. “The EU expects all parties involved to contribute to calming the situation and resuming dialogue,” Borrel said rather pleadingly while urging “reconciliation through concrete measures.”

    Words of warning, but no action

    If the EU’s inaction seems familiar, it’s because it is. In 2020, Guinea’s 83-year-old President, Alpha Conde, had the nation’s constitution changed, stood for election, and won. There too, violent protests and accusations of voting manipulation were rife. But Brussels had only words of warning for Guinea even though the election’s credibility was in question.

    Events in Nigeria have received similar treatment. The government is under increasing pressure as primarily young people led mass protests against suppression, police violence, and state corruption. Police have responded brutally, leaving at least 12 people dead so far. And still, the EU has remained silent.

    Brussels bets on regional solutions

    Many people in affected West African countries are dismayed at the EU’s apparent passivity. “This indifference shows the international community doesn’t want to get involved beyond a certain point,” says Ramadan Diallo, a political scientist at the University of Sonfonia-Conakry in Guinea.

    “We will have to resort more to regional resources to solve our problems. We can’t expect anything from this international bloc, based on the EU’s current attitude,” Diallo told DW.

    The EU does get involved in African crises, counters Robert Kappel, a scholar specializing in economy and politics in Africa. He points to training programs for local and regional military forces in Mali. The EU also backs a regional unit hoping to defeat extremists in the Sahel, he says.

    According to Kappel, the EU is publicly shying away from the disputed election in the Ivory Coast for a simple reason. “The EU entrusts regional authorities such as ECOWAS to solve the crisis,” Kappel told DW.

    ECOWAS has intervened in numerous political crises in West Africa, such as in Mali in 2013 and The Gambia in 2017. The EU intervening in Africa is no longer constructive, Kappel says. For example, some African governments see the International Criminal Court as an instrument to preserve Western and European interests on the continent.

    EU working behind the scenes?

    Behind the scenes, it’s a different story, says Thilo Schöne, Ivory Coast’s country representative of Germany’s Friedrich Ebert Foundation, associated with the Social Democrat Party.

    “The EU is one of the decisive actors in mediation efforts between the government and the opposition,” Schöne said. “In fact, ambassadors from several EU member states have been active in talks with the Ivorian government,” Schöne told DW.

    The EU Commission and other member states have issued a rare foreign policy statement on the situation. The EU also sent election observers, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the mission was considerably smaller than in other elections.

    Schöne said the EU finances substantial reports on the elections and peacekeeping missions. Still, the EU wants to stay out of internal conflicts and avoid taking sides as a Western power.

    At arm’s length

    This is a policy change the EU seems keen on embracing. In March, the EU Commission introduced a new Africa Strategy. It referenced peace and security on the African continent. The strategy requires an equal partnership, Robert Kappel said. African governments will have to take more responsibility.

    “There is much more emphasis now on supporting African institutions, the military, and civil society. This is a departure from military interventions,” Kappel said. This move came after a string of unsuccessful military interventions over the past few years.

    The EU’s new approach is urgently needed, according to Kappel, because for Africa to achieve peace and safeguard democracy, African institutions need to be strengthened.

    Source: dw.com

  • EU ambassadors reportedly condemn Odododiodio violence

    European Union ambassadors in Ghana to observe the December 7 elections have condemned the act of election-related violence especially in the Odododiodio Constituency between supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

    Head of the EU delegation Diana Acconica told journalists on Monday, November 2 in an interview after a courtesy call on former President John Dramani Mahama, who is a presidential candidate, that they “condemn” the action.

    Three persons have, so far, been arrested by the police over the incident.

    President Nana Adoo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as part of his campaign tour to the Constituency has also condemned the violence and instructed the police to act.

    He said only politicians without ideas will incite their followers to engage in violence.

    Source: 3 News

  • Ghanas exclusion from EU list should not be taken out of context – Diaspora Affairs

    The Director of the Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President (DAOOP),
    Akwasi Awua Ababio has asked Ghanaians not to panic over the exclusion of Ghana from countries that can enter their member countries.

    He explained the decision is not something we should be scared or take it out of context.

    Speaking with Kwabena Agyapong on Rainbow Radio 87.5Fm, he said the exclusion of Ghana is not surprising.

    He stated that authorities are working to address the issue and are hopeful the confidence in Ghana will soon be restored.

    Ghana has been excluded from the list of countries that have been allowed to enter EU countries.

    The EU in a statement said the criteria to determine the countries for which the travel restrictions should be lifted included “the epidemiological situation and containment measures, including physical distancing, as well as economic and social considerations” in respective countries.

    Reacting to the issue, Mr. Awua Ababio said Ghana has not opened its borders and that could have contributed to the decision by the EU.

    He said Ghana has imposed travel restrictions and for that reason, there is no movement into the country, and so, this not surprising.

    He gave the hint authorities were working on the situation and will take, a decision when they are comfortable and convinced that we reduced the numbers significantly.

    Source: rainbowradioonline.com

  • EU shuts borders as virus deaths exceed Asia toll

    The European Union sealed off its borders Wednesday to try to put the brakes on the ferocious spread of the coronavirus pandemic, as the number of deaths on the continent soared past the toll in Asia.

    Millions of people are on strict lockdown in Europe, now the epicentre of COVID-19 with more than 3,400 deaths now recorded, according to an AFP tally.

    The United States and Britain led a multi-billion-dollar global fightback against the economic havoc unleashed by COVID-19 but financial markets were unimpressed, with Asian and European stocks plunging further.

    Governments across the world have imposed draconian measures to try to slow the pace of infections, confining people to their homes, closing shops, restaurants and schools, dramatically changing life as we know it.

    The coronavirus outbreak, which first emerged in China late last year, has quickly marched across the globe, infecting nearly 200,000 people and killing almost 7,900.

    Europe has now recorded 3,421 deaths — including 2,503 in Italy — leapfrogging Asia with 3,384, according to an AFP tally at 1100 GMT.

    As the spectre of a deep global recession looms large, London and Washington Tuesday announced massive economic stimulus packages after coming under fire over their response to the crisis.

    US President Donald Trump said the White House was discussing a “substantial” spending bill with Congress that would include immediate cash payments to Americans.

    Officials did not give hard numbers but The Washington Post reported the amount could reach $850 billion, with a chunk destined for airlines fearing ruin.

    “We’re going big,” Trump told reporters.

    British finance minister Rishi Sunak unveiled an “unprecedented package” of government-backed loans worth 330 billion pounds ($400 billion) for businesses struggling in the sudden economic paralysis caused by mass self-quarantine.

    Similar measures have been introduced by France and Germany, the two leading members of the 27-member European Union.

    EU leaders decided Tuesday to impose an entry ban on travellers from outside the bloc for 30 days, the most significant emergency measure from Brussels, which has struggled to develop a unified response.

    EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told Germany’s Bild newspaper that politicians had initially underestimated the virus threat.

    “But now it is clear that this is a virus that will keep us busy for a long time yet,” she said. “We understand that measures that seemed drastic two or three weeks ago, need to be taken now.”

    The World Health Organization has called for every suspected coronavirus case to be tested and says Europe needs to take the “boldest actions” against the disease.

    Drugmakers are scrambling for a breakthrough, and it could still take more than a year before a safe vaccine is ready to market. US officials have said the first human trial for a possible vaccine has begun.

    In the United States, restrictions continued to build, with Maryland becoming the latest state to delay presidential election primaries and New York City considering curfews.

    Australia’s government urged citizens to not travel abroad and banned gatherings of more than 100 people as cases topped 500.

    Asian hotspots China and South Korea have seen new infections and deaths level out in recent weeks — China reported just one new domestic case for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

    Africa, with its fragile healthcare systems, has also recorded more than 500 cases, and Burkina Faso reported the first confirmed death in sub-Saharan Africa.

    Latin America has more than 1,100 recorded infections, with the continent’s most populated country Brazil announcing its first fatality.

    – ‘Invisible enemy’ –

    Trump, who for weeks has been accused of playing down the crisis, appeared determined to take control of his messaging, declaring he would do everything to fight an “invisible enemy”.

    “We have to win this war,” he said at the White House, where staff and journalists now have to undergo regular temperature checks.

    Battered US stocks — which Trump considers a key metric of his success ahead of the November presidential election — closed higher after the stimulus announcement.

    But markets slumped again in Asia and Europe on Wednesday.

    Trump had acknowledged on Monday that the economy might be sliding into recession.

    In France, President Emmanuel Macron also likened the outbreak to war and ordered almost the entire population to stay at home for at least two weeks.

    Britain stepped up its measures following scientific advice that infections and deaths would spiral without drastic action.

    Usually joyful — and alcohol-fuelled — Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations were cancelled in Dublin, New York and Boston.

    Anthony Whyte, 49, looked out onto the cobbled streets of Dublin from a bar and likened the scene to “a ghost town”.

    “It’s like armageddon,” he said.

    G7 leaders have vowed to “do whatever it takes” to prevent a financial meltdown.

    However, every sector from tourism to food to aviation is affected as the global economy effectively goes into shutdown.

    Major world airlines have axed almost all flights temporarily, triggering pleas to help carriers survive.

    The outbreak has also shredded the global sporting and cultural calendar.

    In football, The European and Copa America championships have been postponed until next year, and the French Open tennis tournament has been delayed to the autumn.

    The International Olympic Committee acknowledged there was no “ideal” solution, after some top athletes said they were being forced to take health risks should the summer extravaganza go ahead.

    And the organisers of the annual Glastonbury music festival in England have cancelled this year’s 50th anniversary event.

    Source: France24

  • Manchester City’s two-year European ban explained

    Manchester City have been banned from UEFA club competitions for the next two seasons after being found to have committed “serious breaches” of financial regulations.

    The reigning Premier League champions, who have also been fined £24.9m, intend to appeal against the sanctions to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

    City have been found to have overstated sponsorship revenue and break-even information in accounts submitted to UEFA between 2012 and 2016. UEFA acted on the decision of the independent Adjudicatory Chamber of the Club Financial Control Body (CFCB) following a hearing held last month.

    UEFA opened an investigation into City following a series of new allegations about the club in the media, led by German magazine Der Spiegel.

    In the absence of a successful appeal, City will be unable to play in Europe in the 2020/21 and 2021/22 seasons.

    Yes. City have been drawn against 13-time European champions Real Madrid in the last-16 of this season’s competition. The first leg of that tie will be played on February 26 at the Bernabeu, with the return match scheduled for March 10 in Manchester.

    May, 2014 – City were handed a £49m fine by UEFA – £32m of which was suspended – for failing UEFA Financial Fair Play rules and were restricted to a 21-man Champions League squad for the 2014-15 season.

    November, 2018 – German magazine Der Spiegel, citing documents and emails provided by the whistle-blowing platform Football Leaks, published a series of articles which accused City of trying to get around European football’s FFP rules. City had repeatedly described Der Spiegel’s reports as the product of a “clear and organised” attempt to tarnish their reputation.

    March 7, 2019 – UEFA announced it had launched a formal investigation into alleged breaches of FFP rules by City following a series of fresh allegations in the media. City said in a statement: “Manchester City welcomes the opening of a formal UEFA investigation as an opportunity to bring to an end the speculation resulting from the illegal hacking and out of context publication of City emails. The accusation of financial irregularities are entirely false. The club’s published accounts are full and complete and a matter of legal and regulatory record.”

    March 8 – The Premier League confirmed it was investigating City over alleged FFP breaches.

    May 16 – UEFA’s club financial control body chief investigator referred City’s case to UEFA’s adjudicatory chamber following the conclusion of his investigation.

    June 6 – City asked the Court of Arbitration for Sport to throw out the FFP case brought against them by UEFA.

    Nov 15 – City failed in their bid to get UEFA investigation kicked out.

    Feb 14, 2020 – City were banned from UEFA club competitions for the next two seasons and fined £24.9m after being found to have “committed serious breaches of the UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations”. City announced they would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    What is Financial Fair Play (FFP)?

    FFP was introduced by UEFA as an attempt to prevent clubs falling into serious financial difficulty by overspending. Clubs are expected to operate within their means and meet break-even targets, while dealings have to be transparent.

    What are the rules?

    Regulations, which must be adhered to by all clubs participating in UEFA competitions, were drawn up in 2009 and introduced at the start of the 2011/12 season. Clubs must balance their books over the course of three years. Income needs to be generated by the club, including for example matchday takings, TV revenue, advertising, sponsorship, player sales and prize money.

    What are the punishments for breaking the rules?

    There are a variety of sanctions available for non-compliance. These range from warnings and reprimands, to disqualification from a competition, exclusion from future competitions and being stripped of a title. Fines, points deductions and restrictions on the registration of players are also possible.

    How could a European ban affect the club?

    City have been Champions League regulars for the past decade. An absence of European football would result in a major loss of revenue. Additionally, big-name transfer targets may be deterred and choose rival clubs, while current City players desperate for European glory could question their futures.

    Who would benefit from City’s European expulsion?

    At the moment, Sheffield United. With City on course for a top-four Premier League finish, UEFA regulations dictate their Champions League place being passed to the team which finishes fifth, a spot currently occupied by the Blades. Tottenham, Manchester United, Everton and Wolves are the main contenders just behind Chris Wilder’s side.

    Source: skysports.com

  • EU delays vote on approving Brexit extension

    The European Union said Friday it will delay voting on another extension for Britain to leave the European Union, until as late as Tuesday.

    The EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said there has been no decision yet from EU ambassadors about Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s request to push back the departure deadline to Jan. 31.

    Johnson wrote in a letter to the EU that his government wants the option to leave the 28-nation bloc earlier than the end of January, if he can get an agreement through Parliament. Johnson’s deal, brokered with the union last week, has yet to receive enough support among British lawmakers.

    Read:Brexit deal in the balance as EU leaders gather

    Johnson has said he would grant Parliament more time to debate the proposal if they agreed to an early general election in December, so new lawmakers and a new government would be in place by Christmas. He’s also sought to pressure opposition Labor Party leader Jeremy Corbyn to make a decision by telling him to “Man up.

    “Let’s have an election on Dec.12,” he said.

    The move could prove divisive for Corbyn, as the Labor Party is split on the issue of an early December vote.

    Read:Brexit: Deal essentially impossible, No 10 source says after PM-Merkel call

    British Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid said an election would “put an end to this dysfunctional parliament.”

    “If we don’t have this election then we will continue with this zombie parliament,” he said.

    Corbyn, however, said he will only back an early election if Johnson abandoned his pledge to leave the EU without an agreement, if necessary.
    “I’ve said all along, take [a no-deal exit] off the table, and we’ll have the election,” he said.

    Source: Ghananewsagency.org

  • Marine litter a global challenge EU Ambassador

    Mrs Diana Acconcia, the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Ghana, has said marine plastic littering remains a major challenge in the fight against plastic waste worldwide.

    This, she noted, was a major threat to biodiversity, and exposed the world to bad effects of climate change.

    The Ambassador made these remarks at the EU Beach Cleanup exercise at James Town in Accra.

    Read: Greater Accra Regional World tourism day marked in Accra

    It was held in partnership Plastic Punch, a non-governmental organisation, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

    Mrs Acconcia said every year eight million tonnes of trash ended up in the ocean with plastics accounting for 85 per cent of marine litter, having negative impacts on ecosystems, biodiversity and human health.

    She said plastic management should be a concern for all, since it contributed largely to marine litter.

    “It is estimated that by 2050 there could be more plastics than fish in the sea,” she said.

    The EU was leading the way with the new single-use plastics legislation to address 70 per cent of marine litter, she said.

    “Plastics play an important role in our economy and our daily lives, but the way plastic products are designed, produced, used and discarded is harming the environment all around the world,” she added.

    Mrs Acconcia, therefore, called on producers and users to avoid single-use plastics, and patronize those that could be reused and recycled to avoid environmental degradation.

    Read: Professor Asiama calls for review of Land Bill

    Ms Victoria Michaels, a Model, who is also the brand ambassador for the EU GHANA cleanup exercise, expressed gratitude to all volunteers and groups for participating in the exercise.

    She said the beach cleanup was timely and called on all Ghanaians to actively participate to make it a success.

    Ms Michaels said she was glad to join the cleanup as she was a climate change activist to help mitigate its adverse effects.

    She called on all Ghanaians to commit themselves to a clean environment, especially at tourist sites, saying; “A clean Ghana is a Better Ghana.”

     

    Source: ghananewsagency.org