Our friends in Finland celebrated earlier this year before lockdown with a fast-stepping polka dance. They have sent us a timely reminder on these dark rainy nights of what life after COVID may be like when we can socialise again.
Millions of laying hens in Czechia will no longer be confined in cruel cages from 2027. On Friday, the Czech Senate, the upper house of Parliament, voted to confirm the ban on cages passed by the lower house in September. Compassion in World Farming warmly welcomes this new step towards ending the caging of farm…
312,556 passengers passed through Brussels Airport in October, barely 13% of the number of passengers in October 2019. Freight transport continues to grow, with volumes transported increasing by 12% in October. ‘The passenger figures for the last few months are obviously catastrophic,’ explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company. “The current situation is untenable for all players…
The Conference of Peripheral Maritime (CPMR) says it welcomes the political agreement reached by the European Parliament and the EU Council on the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027. The deal marks a decisive step towards providing the regions with adequate and timely means to deliver the recovery in this uncertain moment. The agreement foresees to reinforce…
Following complaints from hundreds of truckers and freight transport businesses concerning road blockades and banditry in the El Guergerat region in the Moroccan Sahara, Morocco’s security forces today took action to restore the free movement of goods and people in the region. The “Polisario” and its militias entered the area on 21 October, carried out…
We are perhaps one step closer to understanding the conundrum in Romania that the country’s two biggest prosecution offices, the National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) and the Section for the Investigation of Justice Criminal Offences (SIJJ), both bring a record number of cases, yet those same cases either fail or end with dubious results. It…
The logistics and supply chain sector has experienced extreme challenges during the Coronavirus pandemic, writes Alistair Binks. A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Supply Chain Management found that nearly 75 per cent of companies reported supply chain disruptions in one form or another due to Covid-19-related transportation restrictions. The importance of global supply chains…
The European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, invites nominations for the third biennial ‘Award for Good Administration’ in the EU institutions. Nominations for the award – to be submitted by end January 2021 – can be made by EU staff, or by businesses, associations or civil society groups. The nominated work should have a visible and positive impact on…
MEPs have voted on the EU’s health action programme (“EU4Health”). The current programme runs until the end of the year; EU4Health is the successor programme for 2021-2027. In the negotiations on the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, the European Parliament tripled the proposed funding for EU4Health to €5.1 billion. The programme will not only finance actions against…
COVID-19 Wipes Over US$13 Trillion Off Top Nation Brand Values Belgium retains its position as world’s 24th most valuable nation brand, brand value down 19% to US$505 billion Top 100 nation brands in Brand Finance Nation Brands 2020 ranking lose US$13.1 trillion of brand value in 2020 as they negotiate devasting COVID-19 pandemic China continues to close gap…
