Due to the continued imprisonment of two prominent opposition leaders, the Brussels-based organisation Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) has filed a report with the United Nations ‘Universal Periodic Review’ (UPR) for Benin, voicing concerns about human rights abuses in the country. The report focuses on the situation of two opposition figures Reckya Madougou and Joël…
Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan have been urged to forge “ever closer” relations in order to see off the potential threat from “belligerent” neighbours. This was one of the messages from foreign policy expert John C. Hulsman who was speaking at a Brussels conference on Kazakhstan and Central Asia. Hulsman, a Board Member of the…
A new report says that industrial rubber plantations in West and Central Africa have been linked to an area of tropical deforestation 16 times the size of Brussels since 2000. This, it is claimed, establishes it as the leading European driver of deforestation in the region – despite being left out of proposed rules to…
The European Commission’s proposal on human rights obligations of companies bears damaging marks from a successful business campaign, a new report claims. A report by lobby watchdog Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), Friends of the Earth Europe (FOEE) and Friends of the Earth Germany (BUND) has, they say, “uncovered the astonishing extent to which pro-corporate voices…
Most Europeans want an end to the war in Urkaine as soon as possible, even if it means territorial losses for Ukraine, says a major new survey. While Europeans are in solidarity with Ukraine, only in Poland it is the most popular view that punishing Russia for its aggression should be an immediate priority. The survey…
A new report shows that scientific evidence proving that glyphosate is carcinogenic has so far been dismissed in the EU scientific assessment that will form the basis for the re-approval discussion of its EU market license. The “serious scientific shortcomings and distortions in the interpretation of EU and international scientific standards” highlighted in the report…
In a vote with 6 in favour to 23 against and 1 abstentions in the dischards. MEPs in the Budgetary Control Committee postponed the decision on the 2020 accounts of the EU’s border control agency, Frontex. They cited, as reasons behind the decision, a failure to fulfil the conditions set out in Parliament’s report, as…
The European Commission has released a report of the public consultation in the context of the revision of the animal welfare legislation. “These results serve as additional confirmation of what EU citizens have been repeatedly calling out loud. We sincerely hope this clear demonstration of compelling public interest will serve as driver of ambition for the…
The number of cyberattacks on EU bodies is increasing sharply. The level of cybersecurity preparedness within EU bodies varies and is overall not commensurate with the growing threats. Since EU bodies are strongly interconnected, a weakness in one can expose others to security threats. This is the conclusion of a special report by the European…
The proportion of businesses using cloud technology must significantly increase in order to meet the European Commission’s Digital Decade 2030 goal, according to a new report out on Wednesday. The EU’s Digital Decade, which sets key targets on different digital areas until 2030, is the EU’s vision for Europe’s digital transformation and a critical element…
