European Union
Bangladesh hopeful of France's support for its bid for GSP+ facility beyond 2029
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has expressed his optimism that France will continue to support Bangladesh's bid for a GSP+ facility beyond 2029 under the European Union's new GSP Regulation.
Bangladesh is widely considered as a success story for the EU’s Everything-but-Arms (EBA) scheme.
The EBA scheme removes tariffs and quotas for all imports of goods (except arms and ammunition), coming into the EU from least developed countries (LDCs).
Read more: Dhaka-Tokyo relations to reach new heights; hopes Shahriar Alam
More questions than answers as EU corruption scandal unfolds
No one answers the door or the phone at the offices of the two campaign groups linked to a cash-for-favors corruption scandal at the European Union’s parliament, allegedly involving Qatar. No light is visible inside.
No Peace Without Justice (NPWJ), a pro-human rights and democracy organization, and Fight Impunity, which seeks to bring rights abusers to book, share the same address, on prime real estate in the governmental quarter of the Belgian capital.
The heads of the two organizations are among four people charged since Dec. 9 with corruption, participation in a criminal group and money laundering. Prosecutors suspect certain European lawmakers and aides “were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence parliament’s decisions.” The groups themselves do not seem to be under suspicion.
Qatar rejects allegations that it’s involved. The Gulf country that’s hosting the soccer World Cup has gone to considerable trouble to boost its public image and defend itself against extensive criticism in the West over its human rights record.
The lawyer for Fight Impunity President Pier Antonio Panzeri is not talking. He declined to comment about his client’s role in an affair that has shaken the European Parliament and halted the assembly's work on Qatar-related files.
The secretary-general of NPWJ, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, has left jail but must wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. On its Italian website, after he stepped down, the group praised his work, saying it hopes “the ongoing investigation will demonstrate the correctness of his actions.”
Charged along with them are Eva Kaili, who was removed as an EU parliament vice president after the charges were laid, and her partner Francesco Giorgi, a parliamentary assistant. Pictures they've posted on social media project the image of an attractive and ambitious Mediterranean jet-set couple.
Read more: Asian shares decline after retreats on Wall Street, Europe
Following months of investigations, police have so far launched more than 20 raids, mostly in Belgium but also in Italy. Hundreds of thousands of euros have been found in Brussels: at an apartment and in a suitcase at a hotel not far from the parliament.
Mobile telephones, computer equipment and the data of 10 parliamentary assistants were seized.
Taking to Twitter, Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne described what he calls the “Qatargate” investigation as a “game changer.” It was achieved, he said, “partly thanks to years of work by State Security,” the country’s intelligence agency.
According to what Italian newspaper La Repubblica and Belgian daily Le Soir said were transcripts of his Dec. 10 statements to prosecutors, Giorgi allegedly confessed to managing money on behalf of an “organization” led by Panzeri that dealt with Qatari and Moroccan representatives.
“I did it all for money, which I needed,’’ Giorgi told prosecutors, according to La Repubblica. He tried to protect his partner Kaili, a 44-year-old Greek former TV presenter with whom he has an infant daughter, asking that she be released from jail. Kaili’s lawyer has said she knew nothing about the money.
Giorgi arrived in Belgium in 2009. He made a career at the parliament with the center-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group. He met Panzeri, at the time an EU lawmaker, at a conference. “I asked him to give me an internship, and he did,’’ Giorgi said in his statement.
Panzeri became his mentor, made him an assistant and introduced him around, the Italian newspaper said. Giorgi expressed relief that the scheme had been uncovered. He described himself as a simple person who got in over his head due to a moral obligation he felt toward Panzeri.
Up until his arrest, Giorgi worked as an assistant for another S&D lawmaker, Andrea Cozzolino. Italy’s center-left Democratic Party suspended Cozzolino on Friday while the probe goes on. He temporarily withdrew from the S&D.
Read more: Musk's Twitter tweaks foreshadow EU showdown over new rules
In Italy last weekend, Panzeri’s wife, Maria Dolores Colleoni, and daughter, Silvia Panzeri, were taken into custody on a European arrest warrant. A court in Brescia ordered them to be placed under house arrest, one of their lawyers told AP.
On Friday, a Milan judicial source confirmed to AP that 17,000 euros ($18,075) were seized during a search of Panzeri’s house, where his wife is staying, in Calusco d’Adda in the Bergamo province northeast of Milan. Police also seized computers, cell phones, watches and documents.
Police separately found a key to a safe deposit box in the house of Giorgi’s parents in the Milan suburb of Abbiategrasso, leading investigators to discover 20,000 euros ($21,260) in cash.
Panzeri’s wife is expected to appear in court again on Monday, when a panel of judges will decide whether to extradite her to Belgium. A similar hearing will be held Tuesday for their daughter. Kaili is due to face court in Brussels on Thursday.
The source in Milan, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly, said Italian investigators were looking at other people but declined to identify them. The source said they were not EU lawmakers or people associated with the campaign groups.
Many questions remain unanswered about the scandal. What Qatari officials, if any, were involved? Why target the EU’s parliament? How wide is the investigators' net? What was the role of Panzeri, the former lawmaker and president of Fight Impunity?
No light shines in his office, but Panzeri’s own words on his group’s website could point the way: “Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.’ If we are to continue to move towards justice, accountability must be our guiding light.”
EU proposes UN-backed court to investigate Russia's war crimes in Ukraine
The European Union proposed Wednesday to set up a U.N.-backed specialized court to investigate possible war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine, and to use frozen Russian assets to rebuild the war-torn country.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the EU will work with international partners to get “the broadest international support possible" for the tribunal, while continuing to support the work of the International Criminal Court.
Since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, his military forces have been accused of abuses ranging from killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha to deadly attacks on civilian facilities, including the March 16 bombing of a theater in Mariupol that an Associated Press investigation established likely killed close to 600 people.
Read more: Lull in Russian attacks against Ukraine energy, aid pledged
Investigations of military crimes committed during the war in Ukraine are underway around Europe, and the Hague-based International Criminal Court has already launched investigations.
Von der Leyen said it is estimated that more than 20,000 Ukrainian civilians and more than 100,000 Ukrainian military officers have been killed since the start of the war.
Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska on Tuesday also urged that Ukraine’s invaders be held account as she addressed lawmakers in London.
“Victory is not the only thing we need. We need justice,” she said, comparing Russian war crimes to the atrocities committed by Nazi Germany in World War II.
She called on Britain to lead efforts to set up a criminal tribunal to prosecute senior Russians over the invasion, similar to the postwar Nuremberg trials of leading Nazis.
Read more: Pockets of shelling across Ukraine as wintry warfare looms
Von der Leyen on Wednesday added that the 27-nation bloc wants to make Russia pay for the destruction it caused in neighboring Ukraine by using Russian assets frozen under sanctions.
She estimated the damage to Ukraine at 600 billion euros.
“Russia and its oligarchs have to compensate Ukraine for the damage and cover the costs for rebuilding the country," von der Leyen said. “We have the means to make Russia pay."
Von der Leyen said 300 billion euros of the Russian central bank reserves has been immobilized, and that 19 billion euros of Russian oligarchs' money has been frozen.
“In the short term, we could create with our partners a structure to manage these funds and invest them," she said. “We would then use the proceeds for Ukraine, and once the sanctions are lifted, these funds should be used so that Russia pays full compensation for the damages caused to Ukraine."
The EU said the lifting of the restrictions on Russian assets could be linked to conclusion of a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia that would settle the question of damages reparation.
Bangladesh, EU willing to sign “partnership cooperation” agreement to elevate ties
Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) on Thursday expressed willingness to sign a "partnership cooperation” agreement to elevate” the relations to next level.
However, it is still at an initial stage as it requires extensive discussions and negotiations.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam together with Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) Enrique Mora conveyed two sides' willingness regarding such a mechanism.
They jointly briefed the media on the first ‘political dialogue’ at State guesthouse Padma Thursday evening.
“We’re not signing any agreement today. We are trying to get deeper into the issues. We can’t give you any time frame for signing the partnership cooperation agreement,” Alam said while responding to a question.
He, however, said the relations need to be taken to a newer height which means taking the relationship to a level of partnership.
The launching of the "Political Dialogue" marks a widening of cooperation between Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) into strategic and thematic areas of mutual interest and is a landmark in Bangladesh-EU partnership which will complete 50 years in 2023.
In view of the increasing importance of EU-Bangladesh relations, including in the international domain, the EU proposed to initiate discussions towards concluding a Partnership Cooperation Agreement (PCA) with Bangladesh.
The PCA will enhance the dialogue between both sides on issues of global concern and give more scope for mutually-beneficial cooperation in a wide range of policy and strategic areas.
The PCA will give Bangladesh-EU relations a new legal foundation, which is "more comprehensive and up-to-date" and will respond better to current and evolving challenges.
The Bangladesh side thanked the EU for the proposal and expressed readiness to engage in discussions towards concluding a PCA.
Read more: PM’s visit to be delayed for political situation, Covid restrictions in Japan: FM
Mora said such an agreement will provide a legal framework for cooperation in every single area including climate change, connectivity, digital sphere, security and defence.
He said Bangladesh’s “spectacular growth and achievements” allowed them to go for a broader cooperation with Bangladesh.
Mora noted the impressive growth of Bangladesh over the last one decade and said the launching of political dialogue between the two sides is a very good beginning for the next stage of cooperation.
“We are opening a new chapter in our relationship. It is important for us to work with our partners together,” he said, adding that this is the recognition of the impressive achievements of Bangladesh.
The two sides met for the first time in such high level political dialogue for providing strategic guidance and intensifying foreign and security policy cooperation.
State Minister Alam led the Bangladesh delegation at the dialogue while Deputy Secretary General of EEAS Mora led the EU side.
Issues of shared interest such as peacebuilding, conflict prevention, Indo-Pacific, Ukraine issue, connectivity, climate change, trade, security and counter-terrorism were discussed at the dialogue.
Issues related to the Rohingya crisis were also discussed both on security and humanitarian perspectives.
The EU side highlighted their efforts to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis as Bangladesh seeks safe and quick repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland.
State Minister Alam said the EU signed similar agreements (partnership cooperation agreement)with the major Asean economies.
He said they discussed overall security issues and cooperation in the region including conventional and nonconventional security issues, cyber security and transnational organized crimes.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley was also present.
In October 2021, the two sides agreed to launch the political dialogue when Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen met the Deputy Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels.
The EU acknowledged Bangladesh’s growth momentum and new confidence as a nation and looked forward to engaging further with Bangladesh on issues of shared interest, including through focus on the Indo-Pacific.
Read more: Iran’s deputy foreign minister and Shahriar Alam discuss bilateral cooperation
Bangladesh, EU partners in principles as well as practice: European Commissioner
Appreciating Bangladesh's support for the Rohingyas, European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson on Thursday said Bangladesh and the European Union (EU) are partners in principles as well as practice.
"I am very impressed by the Bangladeshi Government and people’s continued hospitality to the Rohingya refugees. Monumental work has been done by the Government of Bangladesh," she said.
The European Commissioner said much as the European Union has this year hosted 4 million Ukrainians under direct threat, Bangladesh has also been standing up to help those people on its borders who are victims of persecutions and violence.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, warmly welcomed the European Union’s generous contribution of EUR 3 million to support the continued protection and humanitarian assistance for Rohingya refugees living on Bhasan Char.
The announcement was made at a ceremony with Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, who is on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, and Ita Schuette, Head of UNHCR in Cox’s Bazar, in the presence of Md. Enamur Rahman, State Minister of Disaster Management and Relief.
"This contribution from the European Union will enable us to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char, for them to live in safety and with dignity, and to participate in a meaningful life until a durable solution is achieved,” said Ita Schuette.
Read: EU announces € 3m for Rohingyas in Bhasan Char
“As the United Nations is committed to provide protection and life-saving assistance to the Rohingya refugees on Bhasan Char, complementing the project led by the Government of Bangladesh, the sustained and generous support of the European Union remains invaluable”.
Enamur Rahman said he is very happy to know that European Union is giving 3 million Euro for the forcefully displaced Rohingya people as humanitarian assistance in Bhasan char.
Rich countries fail to keep climate finance promise: PM Hasina
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday (November 10, 2022) said that the rich countries responsible for global warming are not keeping their promise to help developing nations deal with its consequences though financial assistance.
“The rich countries are not keeping their promises,” she told a five-member delegation of European Union led by EU Commissioner for Home Affairs YIva Johansson during a meeting at her office.
PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters after the call on.
In 2009, the developed countries most responsible for global warming pledged to provide $100 billion per year by 2020 to help developing nations deal with its consequences.
Read more: Honour COP26 commitments, double provisions for adaptation by 2025: PM Hasina writes
The commitment has still not been met, generating mistrust and reluctance among some developing nations to accelerate their emissions reductions.
Ihsanul Karim said that the EU delegation congratulated the PM for massive development of Bangladesh under her leadership.
She said that next year the EU and Bangladesh will celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations.
They also discussed the migration issue including the Rohingya.
Read more: Don’t resort to violence in name of movement: PM Hasina warns BNP
PM Hasina said that Rohingyas are big burden for Bangladesh.
The number is increasing with the birth of new babies every day, she added.
Hasina also said the EU should take steps to end the Russia-Ukraine war, for which the whole world is suffering now.
Talking about the migration of Bangladeshis using risky paths, she said that the government is taking steps to stop this.
Read more: AL has no problem with non-violent BNP protests: PM Hasina tells MPs
“With the help of IOM we have taken back some Bangladeshis,” she said.
YIva Johansson Said that EU will continue to support Bangladesh on Rohingya issue.
She mentioned that the EU is currently hosting 4.5 million Ukraine refugees.
She said that there are many Bangladeshis living in the EU countries.
Read More: COP27: Bangladesh prioritises realisation of green climate fund, Environment Minister tells UNB
“Some people try to enter the EU countries through the Mediterranean Sea taking risks of their lives. We need manpower, if people from here (Bangladesh) come through legal way then it will be a win-win situation for both,” she said.
They also discussed about the climate change issue.
Johansson wanted to know the steps of the Bangladesh to address the impact of climate change.
The prime minister said that Bangladesh government already with its own resources has taken steps for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Read More: Bangladesh balances energy needs with climate, conservation
She mentioned that many trees are being planted across the country as part of government’s efforts at mitigating the effects of climate change. “Bangladesh is able to manage any kind of disaster.”
Talking about women empowerment, the prime minister said women are now working well in every sector because of the policies adopted by her government.
Hasina said her government believes in development from the grassroots. “Our aim is to develop the socioeconomic status of the grassroots people.”
Ambassador at Large M Ziauddin and Principal Secretary Ahmad Kaikaus were present among others.
Read Climate-impacted countries like Bangladesh need financial, tech support: UN Resident Coordinator
EU employed over 1.3 million people in sports sector in 2021
The European Union (EU) created more than 1.37 million jobs in sports, 0.7 percent of its total employment, in 2021.
The number of people working in sports in the EU recovered after falling during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns (1.37 million in 2019; 1.31 million in 2020), according to the EU's statistical office Eurostat.
Employment in sports includes sports-related occupations (professional athletes, professional coaches in fitness centres), non-sports occupations (receptionists in fitness centres), and sports-related jobs outside the sports sector (school sports instructors).
In recent years, several European plans and programmes gave sports a significant profile.
The EU countries with the highest share of people working in sports were Sweden (1.4 percent of total employment), Finland (1.3 percent), Spain and France (1.1 percent).
European Union plans to ban products made with forced labour
The European Union unveiled plans Wednesday to ban products made with forced labour, in an effort to crack down on a modern-day form of slavery that a UN agency estimated affects more than 27 million people worldwide.
The European Commission, which proposes EU laws, said the policy would remove from the 27-nation bloc’s markets all products made with forced labour. It would also stop them from being made in the world’s biggest trading bloc or shipped through it.
The move does not target specific companies, industries or countries.
“Our aim is to eliminate all products made with forced labour from the EU market, irrespective of where they have been made. Our ban will apply to domestic products, exports and imports alike,” commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis said.
The EU’s executive arm defines forced labour as a situation where a person is coerced to work through violence or intimidation, or in more indirect ways by having their debt manipulated, their identity papers stolen or being threatened with denunciation to immigration authorities.
Under the plans, the commission would set up and operate a public database containing information about suspect products and practices. EU countries would designate an authority to enforce the rules, and customs officers would have responsibility for ensuring compliance at the bloc’s borders.
The aim is to focus on high-risk products. Investigations would be launched if national authorities believe forced labour may have been used. Suspected cases involving bigger operators that make the most products would be the preferred target, rather than small businesses.
If a product made with forced labour is already sold in the EU, the company involved would be required to pull it off the market and dispose of it. If the company refuses, it would face penalties under the law of the country it operates in.
Europe’s main union umbrella organization, the European Trade Union Confederation, welcomed the plans.
“Many of the people in forced labour are manufacturing goods destined for sale in Europe, so a properly enforced ban should cripple the profits of the criminals behind these violations,” ETUC Deputy General-Secretary Claes-Mikael Stahl said.
The International Labour Organization estimated that in 2021 around 27.6 million people were forced to work on any given day, including 3.3 million children. Women and girls accounted for 11.8 million of that number.
Textiles, mining and agriculture are among the industries most notorious for the practice.
The commission’s proposal must now be debated by the EU member countries and the European Parliament. The rules would enter force two years after an agreement is concluded.
Also read: 28 million victims of forced labour: report
151 Bangladeshi students get Erasmus+ scholarships
The European Union (EU) in Bangladesh, together with EU Member States, hosted a reception on Thursday for 151 Bangladeshi students who will benefit from an Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarship under the Erasmus+ programme.
The Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters programme offers fully-funded scholarships and the beneficiaries are awarded a joint, double degree, or multiple degrees, upon graduation.
Hans Lambrecht, Chargé d'Affaires of the EU said a flagship programme like Erasmus+, with a strong external dimension that aims to promote people-to-people exchanges, can and should be a game-changer.
Read: Top European Countries Offering Free Education for International Students
"The new, larger programme for the period 2021-2027 has an increased budget of €26.2 billion," said Lambrecht.
It enables the EU to support new initiatives and attract an even greater number of participants.
"Worldwide and in Bangladesh, the demand for highly skilled, socially engaged people is increasing. We are proud to contribute to Bangladesh’s future through the Erasmus+ scholarships," said the diplomat.
Read Free Education in Germany for International Students in Bachelor, Masters, PhD
"Erasmus+ helps the Bangladeshi beneficiaries to build resilience, adapt to the changing global environment, seize new opportunities and be the connector between Europe and Bangladesh.’’
Bangladesh is ranking third this year in terms of number of awarded scholarships
A total of 151 Bangladeshi students have received Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters scholarships to study in various European cities for completing a Masters degree in areas such as data science, engineering, climate change, gender studies, circular economy, public health, public policy and human rights.
Read Study in the Netherlands: Scholarship Opportunities for Bangladeshi Students
The knowledge and skills gained will be applied in Bangladesh and contribute to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka.
EU contributes to strengthening social security in Bangladesh with EUR 2 million
The European Union (EU) has transferred EUR 2 million (around Tk 20 crore) to the government of Bangladesh to strengthen key areas of its social security system.
It has a specific focus on strengthening institutional set-up, the overall Monitoring and Evaluation Framework of the social security services, introduction of a nutrition sensitive child benefit programme and having an improved social security framework for workers.
EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Charles Whiteley said “We encourage the government to ensure an appropriate social protection system and measures that protect those who are in need.”
Beyond the immediate Covid-19 response initiated by Team Europe, he said, this programme represents a concrete first step towards the longer-term objective to establish an adequate and sustainable social security system.
“The EU and its Member States are committed to support efforts to establish adequate and sustainable social security for workers, with the shared objectives to protect lives and livelihoods,” said the EU member.
Read: EU wants full implementation of labor roadmap for trade facility
The disbursement of this payment comes after a “positive decision” of the Budget Support Steering Committee (SSC) of the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development in July 2022, said the EU Embassy in Dhaka on Thursday.
The European Consensus for Development enshrines the commitment from both the EU and its Member States to promote “adequate and sustainable social protection”.
With the proactive political commitment of the government of Bangladesh (GoB) to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to ‘leave no-one behind’, the EU has been a committed development and humanitarian partner to Bangladesh since 1973.
The EU supports the Government of Bangladesh to implement its national social security reform agenda with the ultimate aim to streamline social protection services and to reach out to vulnerable communities, with a special emphasis on the Child Benefit Programme and workers at risk in the export-oriented sector and as such to contribute to Bangladesh’s overall development goals.
A EUR 247 million budget support programme is in place since 2019 to support the reform activities of the NSSS. Budget support is a means of delivering effective aid and durable results for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Budget support is directly linked to reforms and developmental results. This ensures development of effective systems to collect information on results, to monitor progress, and evaluate impact, based on which the sectoral reform process in funded.
It also aims to strengthen the capacity of the partner country in the implementation of the policy and public finance systems, also in improving the accountability of the government towards its citizens.