Last night (16th October) a reception was held at the European Parliament to celebrate the inauguration of the Formosa Club – an international body to co-ordinate and strengthen the many parliamentary friendship organisations that promote relations with Taiwan. The name of the Club comes from the name given by Portuguese traders to the island of…
Coal-producing regions should receive money from the European Union to support their move away from fossil fuels, the European Committee of the Regions said on 9 October. However, the EU’s assembly for local and regional leaders insisted that support should not be at the expense of other regions. The call by local and regional leaders…
October marks the kick-off of the European Cyber security month coordinated by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), the European Commission and supported by the Member States. This campaign will focus on expanding awareness about cybersecurity to citizens across Europe. The 2019 campaign focuses on different themes addressing the need for behavioural change and…
In recent years the European Parliament has made great efforts in addressing issues of corruption and graft. However, despite these moves forward, there remains much to be done, starting with the matter of money laundering, and the ease with which wanted criminals and fugitives can find sanctuary in Europe. Europe is currently the base of…
The Financial Sector Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking has released its final report, “Unlocking Potential: A Blueprint for Mobilizing Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking,” during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. With the release of the report, the Liechtenstein Initiative launches Finance Against Slavery and Trafficking, a project based at the United Nations…
An attempt by Russia to re-write the history of World War II has angered many Central and East European member states and been the subject of a debate in the European parliament to mark the 80th anniversary of the Ribbentrop-Molotov pact. Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed the non-aggression pact one week before the start…
On the 15th September, Sven Gatz, Brussels Minister of Finance, Budget, Promotion of Multilingualism, Tourism and Image of Brussels, officially gave a “swim start” to the Schoolyard14 campaign at Molenbeek’s public pool. Members from Rotary Club Brussels Cantersteen, 15 school children from Molenbeek, their teachers and the director of Ket & CO gathered to practice…
The legal team representing the founders of JSC TBC Bank, Mamuka Khazarade and Badri Japaridze, held a press conference in Tbilisi stating that they already have enough evidence to bring a case at the European Court of Human Rights regarding the treatment of Khazaradze and Japaridze. One of the lawyers, Zviad Kordzadze, added that two…
An international expert has defended the upcoming launch of the world’s first ever floating nuclear power station. Despite attracting criticism from some green activists, the massive vessel, called “Akademik Lomonosov”, is due to be launched on 23 August. Oscar Voss, of the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, said that any perceived risks involved may be…
While the newly elected Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is still busy with recruiting members for her college, the existing EU Commission outlined future priorities in the field of anti-money laundering (AML). The ne Communication ‘Towards a better implementation of the EU’s AML/CTF framework’ gives an overview of the four reports published this week…
