Brussels Airport Baggage Handling

Alyzia SAS has been awarded a new licence to be the second baggage and ramp handler at Brussels Airport For the next five years, Alyzia will remain active as ground handler at Brussels Airport. Following a European tender process, the French ground handling services supplier was awarded a licence for the baggage and ramp handling…

Chinese Crimes in Xinjiang

MEPs debated and voted on a resolution last week on forced labour and the situation of the Uyghurs in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.  The Parliament vote, strongly pushed for by the Greens/EFA group, is in response to ongoing human rights violations, internment and forced labour of more than one million Uyghurs in China’s autonomous…

Protection of Diversity

Earlier this year, over one million citizens in the EU signed the European Citizens’ Initiative “Minority SafePack”, which asks for the EU to strengthen the protection of the cultural and linguistic diversity in the union.  Following this, MEPs will today vote on a resolution that corresponds to the Minority SafePack.  The resolution states that cultural…

Strengthening Digital Infrastructure

Vodafone Institute has released a new report in partnership with the Borderstep Institute and the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany. Key highlights include: CO2 emissions from data centres have been declining in Europe for 5 years, despite a massive increase in processing power; Politics must invest in research and funding in areas such…

Albania: Police attack and arrest journalists covering protests

Four journalists were arrested on 11 December and 12 December while covering protests against the murder of Klodjan Rasha, a 25 years-old Albanian citizen, in Tirana. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its affiliate, the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA) strongly condemn the harassment and arbitrary…

The Party Box

The confinement has been depressing for us all and, despite an imminent vaccine, there is no end in sight. But, happily, there is some good news and that includes a few go ahead initiatives in Belgium that have emerged during the confinement. At a time of many business closures, this includes the creation of a…

‘Deadly coronavirus, domineering China and divided America: What the new geopolitics means for Europe’

New essay published by Charles Grant of the Centre for European Reform is a must read. For the third time this century, the geopolitical kaleidoscope has been severely shaken. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the financial crisis, the double whammy of Donald Trump’s presidency and COVID-19 is causing further disruption to the global order. Each of…

Study says hydrogen can be a “vital” tool in the decarbonisation of energy systems

There has never been a greater focus on the development of a clean hydrogen market.  However, the focus of policy to date has been directed towards increasing production using electricity generated by renewables, ignoring the potential role of other low-carbon power sources, notably nuclear power.  A new report by the New Nuclear Watch Institute analyses…

Climate Change Performance Index 2021: Morocco Regional Role Model in Africa

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 was published on 7th December. Since 2005, the CCPI has provided analysis of countries’ climate protection performance. Produced by German Watch, Climate Action Network International and the New Climate Institute, it creates transparency in climate policy, makes it possible to compare climate protection efforts, and lets you see…