Congratulating Sheikh Hasina on her recent re-appointment as Prime Minister of Bangladesh, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said she looks forward to continue working with PM Hasina towards further strengthening the relations between the European Union and Bangladesh in the coming years. “The European Union is committed to cooperating with Bangladesh on sustainable development, climate change, migration, and other issues of shared interest,” said the head of the European Commission in a letter to PM Hasina. Bangladesh, EU to work together against disinformation: State Minister Arafat The European Commission President said she had the pleasure of meeting PM Hasina in Brussels in 2023 on the occasion of the Global Gateway Forum. “This also marked the formal launch of negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement, which aims to broaden and modernize the framework for our partnership,” she mentioned. “Within the framework of our long-term partnership with Bangladesh, the European Union will continue to work with Bangladesh to uphold and advance the shared priorities of democracy, human rights and the rule of law that underpin our relations,” said the European Commission President, wishing PM Hasina every success. Together, we’re building an inclusive, equitable environment: EU Ambassador

The new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with the European Union (EU) can be “something very broad” to discuss future Bangladesh-EU relations, said a senior official at the EU headquarters ahead of the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum. Talking to UNB virtually, he mentioned joint launching of negotiations on a new Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on October 25 last year in Brussels to expand and develop the multi-dimensional relationship between Bangladesh and the EU. PCA is a legally binding agreement and it is one of three special types of international agreements. By means of a PCA, the EU works to support the democratic and economic development of a country. EU eyes a "step change" in relations with Bangladesh in next 5 years: Charles Whiteley A PCA is typically entered into for ten years, after which they are automatically extended each year provided no objections are raised. The third EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will be held in Brussels on February 2 and it will be chaired by the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Josep Borrell. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud is scheduled to attend the forum who is also likely to have a number of meetings on the sidelines of the forum. It will include an opening plenary session, three roundtable discussions and a closing session. The Brussels Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum builds on the success of the previous two EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forums held in Paris in February 2022 and in Stockholm in May 2023. It will provide a platform for dialogue, for shaping a collective vision for the region’s future and for identifying practical ways to enhance cooperation and deepen solidarity. Europe and the Indo-Pacific are highly interconnected and interdependent, that is why the EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum serves as a crucial platform for fostering dialogue and cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Asked whether the EU’s strategy for cooperation with the Indo-Pacific countries will concentrate on the security or economic dimensions, the EU senior official referred to the seven pillars of EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy. The seven priority areas for the EU action are sustainable and inclusive prosperity; green transition; ocean governance; digital governance and partnerships; connectivity; security and defence; and human security. He said Bangladesh is a massive country in terms of population and it has a very impressive economic growth. Commending the EU as Bangladesh’s largest export market, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud recently requested for EU’s Everything But Arms (EBA) trade concessions until 2032 to support Bangladesh’s smooth graduation from the LDC status as well as EU’s import of diversified products from Bangladesh including jute and jute goods along with traditional products like apparels and shrimps. The Indo-Pacific region is of key strategic importance, both in economic and geopolitical terms. The 2021 EU Strategy for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific sets out how the EU is stepping up collaboration with Indo-Pacific partners to contribute to the region’s stability, security and prosperity. The EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum will bring together the EU and its Member States with countries from the East coast of Africa in the West to the Pacific islands in the East. The EU and Indo-Pacific partners will discuss how to address the increasing number of complex economic, environmental, geopolitical, and security challenges that affect both regions. Climate change and environmental degradation are existential threats for all. It is clear that close cooperation is key to addressing these challenges effectively, achieving sustainable economic growth, and strengthening resilience to shocks and disruptions. The digital economy, in particular, holds the potential for significant innovation and growth. EU-ASEAN Ministerial Meeting The 24th EU-ASEAN Ministerial meeting also takes place in Brussels on February 2. The meeting will be co-chaired by EU High Representative Josep Borrell and the Philippines’ Secretary of Foreign Affairs Enrique Manalo. It will review the implementation of decisions adopted at the EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit held one year ago in December 2022 and agree on future steps in developing the EU-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. During last year's EU-ASEAN Commemorative Summit, the EU pledged to mobilize EUR 10 billion for connectivity projects in ASEAN under the Global Gateway initiative. To emphasise the centrality of ASEAN in the EU Indo-Pacific Strategy, ASEAN Foreign Ministers have also been invited to participate in the EU’s 3rd Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum, to be held on the same day. EU allocates €300,000 in humanitarian aid to gutted Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camps

The European Commission has said addressing the root causes of the protracted crisis, including the systematic abuses suffered by the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya remaining in Rakhine State, must remain an international priority. "In this regard, the European Union (EU) fully supports the work of the International Court of Justice," said High Representative/Vice-President Borrell, Commissioner Lenarcic and Commissioner Urpilainen on the 5th anniversary of the Rohingya crisis. The EU continues to advocate for the "safe, sustainable, dignified, and voluntary" return of the Rohingya refugees to their places of origin. The EU also continues to support the work of the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar to ensure full accountability for the crimes committed against them, reads the statement. On 25 August 2017, the world witnessed the beginning of the forced displacement of more than 750 000 Rohingya people from Rakhine State in Myanmar, fleeing violence and persecution from the Myanmar military. The vast majority of them settled temporarily in the Cox's Bazar District of Bangladesh, whereas others fled across the region. Read: UNHCR seeks more support from international community for Rohingyas Five years later, and despite international efforts and calls on Myanmar to create the conditions for their return to their homeland, the future of the Rohingya remains uncertain, reads the statement. Bangladesh, in particular, has been hosting Rohingyas for decades, and since 2017 has expended considerable effort to ensure their protection and provide shelter and vital humanitarian assistance to almost one million Rohingya refugees. "Whereas the EU will - also through international organisations - continue to support Bangladesh in its fundamentally human and laudable response to the crisis, five years later, the provision of humanitarian assistance alone is reaching its limits," reads the statement. It is necessary to also identify and implement more sustainable interim solutions addressing the humanitarian, development, and peace dimensions of this crisis, pending their return, it said. In this context, the EU will continue to support international dialogue for peace and reconciliation efforts. Appalling crimes, including reported war crimes and crimes against humanity, have been committed against Rohingya and persons belonging to other minorities in Myanmar. "These crimes call for accountability. Today, the same military leadership responsible for the crimes against the Rohingya is leading Myanmar's junta," reads the statement. The EU reiterated its strong condemnation of the 1 February 2021 coup and of the grave human rights violations committed by the Myanmar Armed Forces against all the people of Myanmar since then. The EU expressed its unequivocal support for all the people of Myanmar, including Rohingya and other minorities, and their democratic aspirations.

The European Commission is providing €2 million in funding for emergency assistance to those affected by the current floods in Bangladesh and India.For Bangladesh, the EU has released € 1.2 million in humanitarian aid funding to people affected by the flooding in the north-east and northern regions of the country, according to message received here on Friday.The floods this year are considered worse than those experienced in 1998 and 2004. Also read: IFC blames flood disaster on unplanned development Bangladesh and India’s Meghalaya, Assam For India, the EU provides € 800,000 in emergency assistance with a focus to support people in the most flood affected areas of the Assam state.The support will benefit affected and displaced people in the worst-hit regions of the two countries and it will be channelled through the EU's humanitarian aid partners on the ground.Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic said the severe monsoon and flooding in Bangladesh and India has left behind a trail of destruction. Also read: Abdul Monem Ltd to provide support to flood affected people in Sylhet"With many people having lost their family members, homes, belongings and sources of livelihoods, the humanitarian situation is grave and expected to worsen in the upcoming days. This is why the EU has released €2 million in emergency funding to ensure our partners on the ground can provide support to those most in need.”

The European Union’s executive arm on Wednesday proposed setting legally binding targets to reduce the use of chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 and a ban on all pesticide use in areas such public parks, playgrounds and schools. The European Commission said the current rules limiting the use of pesticides were too weak and have not been applied consistently across the EU. A study by the group Pesticide Action Network Europe last month said the contamination of fruit and vegetables produced in the European Union with the most toxic pesticides has substantially increased over the past decade. To facilitate the transition from chemical pesticides to alternative methods, farmers would be able to use EU funds to cover the cost of the new requirements for five years, the European Commission said. The commission also wants to introduce a law aimed at repairing environmental damage by 2050. Also Read: Natural Collagen-Rich Foods for Healthy Joints, Skin, Hair “The aim is to cover at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea areas by 2030 with nature restoration measures, and eventually extend these to all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050,” the commission said. The proposed measure includes plans to stop the decline of pollinators by 2030 and then increase their populations. In recent years, there’s been an alarming drop in bee populations, which has stoked fears of an ensuing impact on crop production. According to recent figures released by the European Parliament, about 84% of crop species and 78% of wildflowers across the EU depend to some extent on pollination, and almost 15 billion euros ($16.5 billion) of the bloc’s annual agricultural output “is directly attributed to insect pollinators.” The commission’s proposals need to be endorsed by EU lawmakers and member countries. “When we restore nature, we allow it to continue providing clean air, water, and food, and we enable it to shield us from the worst of the climate crisis,” said commission Vice President Frans Timmermans, who oversees the European Green Deal. “Reducing pesticide use likewise helps nature recover, and protects the humans who work with these chemicals.”

European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic arrives here on Tuesday on a three-day visit to see the situation at Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and discuss ways of further cooperation on humanitarian issues. His visit will focus on DG ECHO (European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations)-supported activities. Read: Rohingya camp attack: 275 people sued It includes visits to the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar and disaster preparedness initiatives in Dhaka and surrounding areas. He will meet senior government figures, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said the Embassy of the European Union in Bangladesh. ECHO has delivered almost 30 million euro in support to Bangladesh so far this year. Read:Gun attack on madrasa in Cox’s Bazar Rohingya camp; 6 dead Bangladesh is hosting over 1.1 million Rohingyas in Cox’s Bazar and Bhasan Char.

The European Union took on vaccine producer AstraZeneca in a Brussels court on Wednesday with the urgent demand that the company needs to make an immediate delivery of COVID-19 shots the bloc insists were already due. AstraZeneca’s contract signed with the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, on behalf of member states foresaw an initial 300 million doses for distribution among all 27 countries, with an option for a further 100 million. The doses were expected to be delivered throughout 2021. But only 30 million were sent during the first quarter. Deliveries have increased slightly since then but, according to the European Commission, the company is set to provide only 70 million doses in the second quarter. It had promised 180 million. EU lawyer Rafael Jafferali told the court that the company now expects to deliver the total number of doses by the end of December, but he added that “with a six-month delay, it’s obviously a failure.” Read: Malawi destroys 20,000 expired doses of AstraZeneca vaccine His main argument is that AstraZeneca should have used production sites in the bloc and the U.K. for EU supplies as part of a “best reasonable effort” clause in the contract. He said that 50 million doses that should have been delivered to the EU went to third countries instead, “in violation” of their contract. Jafferali has said that the company should use all four plants listed in their contract for deliveries to the EU. He also accused the company of misleading the European Commission by providing data lacking clarity on the delivery delays. “The information provided by AstraZeneca did not allow us to fully understand the situation before mid-March 2021,” he said. The EU has insisted its gripes with the company are about deliveries only and has repeatedly said that it has no problems with the safety or quality of the vaccine itself. The shots have been approved by the European Medicines Agency, the EU’s drug regulator. While the bloc insists AstraZeneca has breached its contractual obligations, the company says it has fully complied with the agreement, arguing that vaccines are difficult to manufacture and it made its best effort to deliver on time. Lawyers for the company will address the court later Wednesday. As part of an advanced purchase agreement with vaccine companies, the EU said it invested 2.7 billion euros ($3.8 billion), including 336 million ($408 million), to finance the production of AstraZeneca’s serum at four factories. The long-standing dispute drew media attention for weeks earlier this year amid a deadly surge of coronavirus infections in Europe, when delays in vaccine production and deliveries hampered the EU’s vaccination campaign. Cheaper and easier to use than rival shots from Pfizer-BioNTech, the AstraZeneca vaccine developed with Oxford University was a pillar of the EU’s vaccine rollout. But the EU’s partnership with the firm quickly deteriorated amid accusations it favored its relationship with British authorities. While the U.K. made quick progress in its vaccination campaign thanks to the AstraZeneca shots, the EU faced embarrassing complaints and criticism for its slow start. Concerns over the pace of the rollout across the EU grew after AstraZeneca said it couldn’t supply EU members with as many doses as originally anticipated because of production capacity limits. Read:Indonesia suspends AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine batch after death The health situation has dramatically improved in Europe in recent weeks, with the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths on a sharp downward trend as vaccination has picked up. About 300 million doses of vaccine have been delivered in Europe — a region with around 450 million inhabitants, with about 245 million already administered. About 46% of the EU population have had at least one dose. In total, the European Commission has secured more than 2.5 billion of vaccine doses with various manufacturers. It recently sealed another major order with Pfizer and BioNTech through 2023 for an additional 1.8 billion doses of their COVID-19 shot to share between the bloc’s countries. Following Wednesday’s hearing, a second one is slated for Friday, with a judgment to be delivered at a date to be announced. In addition to the emergency action, the European Commission has launched a claim on the merits of the case for damages for which a hearing hasn’t yet been set by the court.

The European Union reached a tentative climate deal that should make the 27-nation bloc climate-neutral by 2050, with member states and parliament agreeing on the targets on the eve of a virtual summit that U.S. President Biden will host. “Our political commitment to becoming the first climate neutral continent by 2050 is now also a legal commitment. The Climate Law sets the EU on a green path for a generation,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen early Wednesday. Under the provisional deal reached after officials negotiated through the night, the EU also commits itself on an intermediate target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. “It was high time for the agreement, as Europe has to show where it stands in view of the positive developments in the USA and China,” said MEP Peter Liese, the negotiator for the EPP Christian Democrat group. Also Read: Calls for immediate action to tackle climate change Up to now, the 2030 target had been 40% but under the pressure of increasing evidence of climate change and a more environmentally-conscious electorate that target was pushed up, even if the EU legislature had wanted at 60% target. The Greens specifically complained that too many accounting tricks had been used to reach the level of 55% while in reality the reduction would be lower. The United States, the world’s second-biggest polluter after China, is preparing to announce its new target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. Under Biden, the United States has returned to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement and all global partners will be meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, to push for strong targets. Both Washington and Brussels are aiming to go “carbon neutral” by midcentury, a goal scientists say needs to be achieved to keep average global temperatures from rising above 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) by the year 2100. The Paris accord’s more ambitious target of capping global warming at 1.5 C (2.7 F) by the end of the century compared with pre-industrial times would likely require even more drastic worldwide cuts in emissions. Wednesday’s EU deal still needs to be officially approved by the member states and the legislature but should be little more than a rubber stamp.  

In Spain, residents now have to be over 60 to get an AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. In Belgium, over 55. In the United Kingdom, authorities recommend the shot not be given to adults under 30 where possible, and Australia’s government announced similar limits Thursday to AstraZeneca shots for those under 50. A patchwork of advice was emerging from governments across Europe and farther afield, a day after the European Union’s drug regulator said there was a “possible link” between the AstraZeneca vaccine and a rare clotting disorder while reiterating the vaccine is safe and effective. Regulators in the United Kingdom and the EU both stressed that the benefits of receiving the vaccine continue to outweigh the risks for most people, and the EU agency maintained its guidance that the vaccine can be used in all adults. But experts fear the confusing messages about the vaccine could still dampen enthusiasm for it at a time when Europe and many other parts of the world are facing surging cases. Experts hammered home the rarity of the clots Thursday. “The risks appear to be extremely low from this very rare side effect,” Anthony R. Cox, of the University of Birmingham’s School of Pharmacy, told the BBC. “I mean it’s the equivalent of the risk of dying in the bath, drowning in the bath, for example, it’s that rare, or a plane landing on your house.” Also read: UK advises limiting AstraZeneca in under-30s amid clot worry Dr. Sabine Straus, chair of the EU regulator’s Safety Committee, said the best data was from Germany, where there was one report of the clots for every 100,000 doses given, although she noted far fewer reports in the U.K. Still, that’s less than the clot risk that healthy women face from birth control pills, noted another expert, Dr. Peter Arlett. The agency said most of the cases reported were in women under 60 within two weeks of vaccination, though it was unable to identify specific risk factors based on current information. The EU is trying, but so far failing, to avoid different policies among its 27 nations, which all look to the European Medicines Agency for guidance. Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides called Wednesday evening for a coherent approach to ensure that “on the basis of the same set of evidence, similar decisions are taken in different member states.” News of the tiny risk already is already having an effect. In Croatia, the government said that one in four people due to get an AstraZeneca shot Thursday didn’t show up. Poland, too, has also seen people cancel or not appear for appointments to get the vaccine. French general practitioner Dr. Joel Valendoff said many of his patients were still coming to get their shot, but many others were canceling. When vaccines first became available, “I was refusing people because I had a lot of demand and not enough vaccines. Today I am facing the opposite. I have vaccines but not enough volunteers.” Also read: EU agency: Rare clots possibly linked to AstraZeneca shot Mbaye Thiam, a 59-year-old Parisian, was among those who got vaccinated. “I am closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation throughout the world. I am not worried. In an exceptional situation we need exceptional measures,” he said. “It is true that the vaccine was created in a record time, but the world has stopped and we need solutions to make it start again, and the vaccine is one of the solutions.” European Commission spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker said the EMA’s findings were based on its stringent monitoring system and that should promote trust among the bloc’s 27 member states. “We want to avoid, of course, a vaccination hesitancy,” he said. Any such reluctance is worrying since experts say the shots are key to stamping out the coronavirus pandemic, but AstraZeneca’s role is especially vital. The vaccine, which is cheaper and easier to store than many others, is critical to immunization campaigns in Europe and the U.K. and is also a pillar of the U.N.-backed program known as COVAX that aims to get vaccines to some of the world’s poorest countries. John Nkengasong, the top official with the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said his group is not issuing new recommendations and that the overarching message from the U.K. and EU regulators was clear. Also read: UK regulator says AstraZeneca jab safe after 7 clot deaths “The benefits outweigh the risks because these are very rare occurrences that they are picking up due to very strong surveillance systems that they have put in place,” Nkengasong told a briefing. “So, I think these vaccines continue to be safe.” Africa’s target is to vaccinate 60% of its 1.3 billion people by the end of 2022 — a goal that could prove extremely hard to achieve without widespread use of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, whose country’s vaccination program leans heavily on AstraZeneca’s shot, announced that the Pfizer vaccine should be adopted as the preferred vaccine for people under 50. “We’ve been taking the necessary precautions based on the best possible medical advice,” Morrison said. “It has not been our practice to jump at shadows.” Some EU nations were at pains to stress the safety and did not change their advice. The Polish state TV broadcaster used a headline declaring, “AstraZeneca is safe.” The head of Italy’s drug regulator, Nicola Magrini, appealed for calm even as she said late Wednesday that Italy will pivot from primarily using the AstraZeneca vaccine for people under 65 to using it on those over 60. Also read: What we know about AstraZeneca blood clot reports Underscoring how such changing rules were causing confusion and anxiety, the governor of the Veneto region said operators had fielded 8,000 calls about AstraZeneca in recent days. “Obviously there is some uneasiness spreading,” Luca Zaia told reporters. Hungarian government minister Gergely Gulyas called the EMA announcement “a clear decision which is in line with the point of view of Hungarian authorities: AstraZeneca is reliable and provides protection.” German officials made clear that they will stick to their current recommendation — issued March 30 when concerns about the rare clots were already circulating — to restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to people over 60 in most cases, in line with larger European nations including Spain and Italy. In the Croatian capital, Zagreb, Josip Pavlic was among a large group of masked people who lined up for an AstraZeneca vaccination. He said he would take any shot, as infections rise sharply in the country. “They are all the same to me. The most important is the we have vaccine, and that we can have some protection with vaccine,” he said.

International tourist arrivals fell by 87 percent year-on-year in January due to the coronavirus pandemic, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) said on Wednesday. After a drop of 74 percent in 2020 due to the global pandemic, "all world regions continued to experience large drops in tourist arrivals in the first month of the year," the UNWTO said in its World Tourism Barometer. Mandatory testing, quarantines, and in some cases the complete closure of borders, have all hindered the resumption of international travel, the Madrid-based organization said. Also read: Damage to int'l tourism in 2020 estimated at $1.3 trillion amid pandemic "In addition, the speed and distribution of the vaccination roll-out have been slower than expected, further delaying the restart of tourism," it said. Vaccination is underway worldwide, with the already-authorized coronavirus vaccines and 267 candidate vaccines being developed worldwide in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the United States. The Asia and the Pacific region saw a 96-percent fall in international tourist arrivals in January, while there was an 85-percent drop in Europe and Africa respectively, 84 percent in the Middle East and 77 percent in the Americas. Also read: Indonesia: Bali set to welcome tourists in July "(The year of) 2020 was the worst year on record for tourism. The international community needs to take strong and urgent action to ensure a brighter 2021," the UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said in a press communique. He asked for "improved coordination between countries," and urged for "harmonized travel and health protocols" to restore confidence in tourism and allow international travel to resume safely ahead of the peak summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. Polilikashvili on Tuesday discussed the "green digital pass" with Margaritis Schinas, vice-president of the European Commission. Also read: Sri Lanka reopens to tourists after 10 months The pass was not a vaccination certificate but would be "proof that you don't present any risk," Schinas said. He explained that the European Commission hoped to implement the certificate by the start of June and reach reciprocal agreements with non-EU member states.