The European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Steering Board in the composition of Defence Ministers discussed today how to sustain EU capability development in times of disruptive challenges. Defence Ministers pointed to the need for more collaborative projects, efficiency gains and economies of scale as the most effective way of navigating the current crisis while ensuring that…
Good news for health professionals engaged in the battle to halt the spread of coronavirus. Morocco has designed the first 100% Moroccan diagnostic kit for Covid-19, tested and validated by national agencies and the world renowned Pasteur Institute in Paris. The kit has been designed by the MAScIR Foundation (Moroccan Foundation for advanced science, innovation…
We publish here in full the text of a petition from the Patriots of Ukraine Worldwide addressed to the Heads of State and Governments of the EU Member States. For the seventh year in a row, Ukraine and Ukrainians have been fighting at the forefront of international efforts to repel Russian armed aggression and the…
In a brotherly act of solidarity, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has given instructions for the delivery of medical aid to several African countries. This aid aims at providing preventive medical equipment to assist Morocco’s African neighbours in their efforts to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a communiqué from the minister of foreign affairs,…
Moroccan scientists have designed an artificial respirator (Oxylife) made from 100% Moroccan components, as well as a temperature measuring device for patients suffering from coronavirus (Covid-19). These technological innovations, made of materials fully available on the Moroccan market, can be used in both urban and rural areas. The patent for the respirator has already been…
More than 50 scientists have signed a statement calling for action by the European Commission, European Parliament and EU member states to end overfishing “as an urgent and necessary response to biodiversity and climate crises”. The scientists are urging the EU to set fishing limits within scientific advice, and recognise that “ecosystem-based fisheries management is critical to…
The Vietnamese National Assembly has approved both the EU-Vietnam free trade agreement and ratified the International Labour Organisations (ILO)’s Core Convention against Forced Labour as part of a comprehensive labour reform. During the negotiation of the trade deal, the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament had led the drive to obtain important labour and…
A new global survey shows that over eight in ten drinkers are drinking less or the same amount of alcohol as before the lockdown, with the figures for Europe even more encouraging. The survey of more than 11,000 people across nine countries, conducted by YouGov for the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD), found that…
Yesterday (9th June) on the 20th anniversary of the agreement of the e-Commerce Directive, EDiMA (The European Digital Market Association) has called on legislators to build on the strong foundations offered by the Directive in the future Digital Services Act. Speaking on the anniversary, Siada El Ramly, Director General of EDiMA said: “The many millions…
Tomorrow, 11th June, the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a closed consultation on EU-China Relations with Gunnar Wiegand, Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific at the EEAS. In a statement last week, the ECR Group expressed its grave concerns about the unilateral introduction of national security legislation by Beijing against Hong…
