DAILY NEWS
Brussels, 17 July 2023
European Health Union: EU steps up action to prevent shortages of antibiotics for next winter
The European Commission, the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) are today issuing recommendations for actions to avoid shortages of key antibiotics used to treat respiratory infections for European patients in the next winter season. These recommendations, which have been developed through the Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG), complement the process to develop an EU list of critical medicines. In close cooperation with the EU Member States, the Commission will take operational follow-up actions, including, if necessary, possible joint procurements.
Recommendations to ensure sufficient supply for EU patients
If the demand in the coming winter season is similar to an average level of consumption in previous years, the data collected suggest that supply to the EU of oral formulations of key first and second-line antibiotics for respiratory infections will match demand in the coming winter season. EMA and the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) will continue to work with marketing authorisation holders to strengthen measures to increase the supply of some intravenous antibiotics.
To be better prepared for the winter season, the EMA's Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG) agreed on the following recommendations for pro-active actions:
Next steps
In line with the European Council conclusions of June 2023, EMA and the Commission through HERA will continue to closely monitor demand and supply and interact with marketing authorisation holders throughout the rest of the year to detect early any unexpected shortfalls of supplies and take any necessary measures. A dedicated HERA Board meeting with representatives of the member States' Ministries of Health, the Commission and the industry will take place on Thursday 20 July to discuss the matter further and agree on possible additional steps.
Background
Data on key antibiotics
The recommendations are based on data collected by EMA and HERA on estimated demand and supply of a number of key antibiotics used to treat respiratory infections (amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, penicillin V, azithromycin, clarithromycin, ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and piperacillin-tazobactam). The antibiotics selected are included in the WHO Access and Watch groups of antibiotics emphasising the importance of their appropriate use and availability. Data on supply forecasts and production capacity were provided by the key marketing authorisation holders. These were then matched to demand estimates that were derived from historical sales data for these medicines for the winter season in the EU/EEA.
EU list of critical medicines
The actions on antibiotics form part of the wider framework in place in the EU to prevent and reduce shortages of medicines. They will complement the process to develop an EU list of critical medicines. The creation of this list is progressing as planned under the guidance of the joint HMA/EMA Task Force on the Availability of Authorised Medicines for Human and Veterinary Use (TF AAM). The purpose of the list is to help to ensure that medicines that are most critical for health systems across the EU/EEA are available at all times. This list will catalogue medicines with a significant impact on public health for which measures should be taken to strengthen their supply to ensure continuity of care for patients at all times. It is anticipated that a first version of the EU list of critical medicines will be released by the end of 2023.
EMA and the Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products
Under its new mandate (Regulation on EMA's Reinforced Role (Regulation (EU) 2022/123)), EMA has new responsibilities to monitor critical medicines shortages that might lead to a crisis situation. The Executive Steering Group on Shortages and Safety of Medicinal Products (MSSG) was set up to ensure a robust response to medicine supply issues caused by major events or public-health emergencies. The members of the MSSG include representatives of EU Member States; one representative of the European Commission; one EMA representative as well as an observer from EMA's Patients' and Consumers' Working Party (PCWP) and its Healthcare Professionals' Working Party (HCPWP). The group is co-chaired by EMA Executive Director Emer Cooke and Karl Broich, Head of the German Federal Institute for Medicines and the chair of the HMA.
For more information about EMA responsibilities for monitoring and mitigating medicine and medical device shortages under Regulation (EU) 2022/123, see Crisis preparedness and management.
The Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)
The Commission's Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA)'s mission is to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to health emergencies. HERA was established in September 2021 to replace ad hoc solutions to pandemic management and response with a permanent structure with adequate tools and resources to plan ahead the EU action in case of health emergencies. A core goal of HERA is to ensure the development, manufacturing, procurement, and equitable distribution of key medical countermeasures to address any possible gap in its availability and accessibility.
HERA is a key pillar of the European Health Union and a fundamental asset to strengthen the EU's health emergency response and preparedness.
For More Information
HERA website
EMA website
Pharmaceutical Strategy
Quote(s)
The availability of medicines is a crucial component of a strong European Health Union. It is essential that we take action now to prepare ahead of next winter and ensure that potential shortages of antibiotic medicines are avoided. Today we are taking an important step on measures to address our immediate needs for key antibiotics, complementing the on-going process to develop an EU list of critical medicines. Operational follow-up by HERA and EMA will now follow as a matter of priority.
Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety - 17/07/2023
Based on the data received we are working to ensure that we are better prepared for the upcoming winter season. These early projections will allow the European medicines regulatory network to work with stakeholders to take measures in advance and prevent potential shortages for patients in the upcoming winter season.
Professor Karl Broich, chair of the Heads of Medicines Agencies (HMA) - 17/07/2023
It is important that manufacturers take early action, ahead of the winter season, so that they can ramp up manufacturing capacity where necessary.
Emer Cooke, Executive Director of EMA - 17/07/2023
Haiti: EU releases €10 million to tackle unprecedented humanitarian crisis
Today, the EU announced the release of an emergency funding of €10 million to respond to the unprecedented increase in humanitarian needs in Haiti. This brings the humanitarian funding committed for Haiti this year to €18.5 million.
People in Haiti face the consequences of overlapping crises fuelled by widespread violence, the ongoing economic collapse, and a cholera epidemic. The number of people in need of humanitarian assistance in Haiti has doubled over the past five years reaching 5.2 million, nearly half of the country's population. In relation to the total population, the percentage of Haitians facing levels of emergency food insecurity is the second highest in the world.
The rapid worsening of the situation in Haiti has also induced a mass exodus and a spillover of the humanitarian crisis to other countries in the region.
The emergency funding released by the EU aims to enable humanitarian organisations to step up the response and tackle the most urgent needs, primarily focusing on food and nutrition. The funding will also support healthcare, cash assistance, protection and logistics, in both rural and urban areas.
The humanitarian crisis in Haiti is one of the most complex and acute worldwide, aggravated by a context of socio-political instability. Natural hazards and disasters also regularly impact the country, worsening the situation and affecting the already scarce resources of the population.
Insecurity in Haiti has reached unprecedented levels, with at least 1.5 million people living in gang-controlled areas (approximately 10% of the country's population), deprived of freedom of movement and lacking access to food or safe water.
Children, the elderly and women are particularly exposed to abuse, exploitation, and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence.
The EU has been providing assistance to Haiti since 1994, with a humanitarian funding totalling over €482 million. European humanitarian aid also supported the country in the aftermath of major crises and disasters including the 2021 and 2010 earthquakes, the flooding emergency in 2022, COVID-19 and the impact of Hurricane Matthew in 2017, among others.
Factsheet: Haiti
“Hunger, widespread violence, disease outbreaks, disasters. When we ask ourselves how much suffering a human being can take, we should remember that people in Haiti are enduring all of this and much more. The EU has not forgotten them. While celebrating this fruitful partnership between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing relief to people in Haiti remains our utmost concern and priority in the region.”
Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management - 17/07/2023
New media hub to support independent Russian and Belarussian journalists in the EU
The European Union supports a new project to upscale support to existing and established independent Russian and Belarusian media working in the EU and that maintain significant audiences back home. The Free Media Hub EAST project, led by the Prague Civil Society Centre, is set to award over €2.2 million in grants, provide assistance and psychological support, invest in technological solutions and strengthen cooperation between local hubs where these exiled media are located in the EU (mainly Czechia, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania).
Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, said: “Many brave Russian independent journalists are taking great risks to continue their work, and have no choice but to do it in the European Union. To fight the Kremlin's war propaganda, we need independent media telling the truth about Russia. And we need to support them. It is our moral duty and in our strategic interest. Today's new project is part of these efforts. It brings together civil society organisations with great expertise in supporting those striving for freedom of expression and democracy.”
Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, added: “Russian independent media and civil society play an important role in ensuring the continued flow of factual information to Russian-speaking audiences and countering Russian state disinformation. By supporting the production and dissemination of independent content produced without any editorial interference, this project will contribute to our efforts to fight Russian propaganda.”
The Free Media Hub EAST pilot project is the result of a call for proposals launched in April 2023. It is part of wider efforts to defend EU values in the time of the war, as well as to support independent media in the EU and beyond.
(For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32 2 296 69 53; Christian Wigand - Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Thomas Regnier – Tel.: +32 2 299 10 99; Cristina Torres Castillo - Tel.: +32 2 296 34 44)
Digital Public Services: Member States step up efforts in value-based and interoperable digital government
Today's report on the implementation of the 2020 Berlin Declaration on value-based digital government shows that Member States are improving in digital literacy and in introducing innovative technologies in their public services. However, they need to work more on social participation and digital inclusion, as well as on trust and security in digital services.
Progress matters because fair, inclusive, open and trusted digital public services are major drivers for successfully digitalising European society and economy. Digital and interoperable public services are instrumental for the EU to stay resilient, competitive and innovative. EU Member States collectively spend more than €48 billion using instruments such as the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Technical Support Instrument to digitalise and transform public services and administrations. Signed in December 2020, the Berlin Declaration puts fundamental rights and democratic values at the heart of this digital transformation. This will help to deliver human-centric digital public services to meet the digital targets for 2030, set by Europe's Digital Decade. In addition, aligning transformation efforts across Member States will increase efficiency, effectiveness and interoperability, at reduced cost, in line with the proposed Interoperable Europe Act, Single Digital Gateway and the European Digital Identity.
Framework for digital society
The Berlin Declaration is a commitment to a digital society based on fundamental rights, democratic values, and value-based digital government, and re-affirms Europe' strong commitment to digital transformation and European values. It focuses on shaping a human-centred digital transformation and interoperability as a key enabler for digital public services in the EU, with the target of 100% online provision of key public services in the European Union by 2030.
The Berlin Declaration provides input for the monitoring of the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 and the associated European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles. This is the second report on the implementation of the Berlin Declaration, prepared under the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, following the first one of May 2022. It provides an overview of the progress made by the Member States in implementing the Policy Actions of the Berlin Declaration compared to the previous year. It shows positive trends across most policy areas, notably the following:
However, the Member States progressed less in enhancing social participation and inclusion, and they need to work more on strengthening trust through security in the digital sphere.
With insights into these findings set out by country, the report offers plenty of examples of good practices for policymakers, businesses and citizens.
The Berlin Declaration builds upon the 2017 Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment and takes the user-centricity principles formulated in the Tallinn Declaration a step further – it commits to a digital transformation in Europe firmly based on democratic values and ethical principles.
Second report on the Monitoring of the Berlin Declaration
Digitalisation is a powerful tool to tackle the challenges of rapidly evolving societal and technological developments. The second edition of the Berlin Declaration Monitoring Report highlights the progress made in utilising digital technologies to improve our lives, while emphasising the alignment with fundamental rights and values.
Johannes Hahn, Commissioner for Budget and Administration - 17/07/2023
Commission launches registrations to the 2024 Access City Award rewarding accessibility in EU cities
Applications are now open for the 2024 Access City Award competition. The award honours cities that have gone above and beyond to become more accessible for persons with disabilities and are committed to continuously improve. This year, the European Commission will also award a ‘New European Bauhaus' special mention to a city whose efforts on accessibility are aligned with the values of the New European Bauhaus: sustainability, aesthetics, and inclusiveness.
Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli, said: “A lack of accessibility makes everyday activities such as getting on a bus or searching for information on the internet difficult or even impossible for more than 87 million persons with disabilities in Europe. Society is changing rapidly, and cities are investing in digital and green transitions, creating more accessible places. With the EU Access City Award, we reward these efforts and make them more visible."
The competition is organised by the European Commission in partnership with the European Disability Forum. It is open to cities with over 50,000 inhabitants in the EU. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners of the 2024 Access City Award will receive prizes of €150,000, €120,000 and €80,000 respectively.
The winners will be announced at the award ceremony at the European Day of Persons with Disabilities conference on 30 November and 1 December 2023. Examples of best practices by the 2023 winner and finalists can be found in the 2023 Access City Award brochure. The deadline for applications is 18 September 2023 at 12:00 CEST and all applications should be made via the 2024 Access City Award webpage.
(For more information: Christian Wigand - Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Marajke Slomka - Tel.: +32 2 298 26 13)
Brazil: EIB lends €300 million to Banco Santander Brasil for small-scale solar energy investments
The Global Gateway project will contribute to climate action to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Solar photovoltaic plants will be installed on homes and on local business premises.
The European Investment Bank (EIB), the world's largest multilateral public bank, and Banco Santander (Brasil), the largest foreign bank in Brazil, have signed an agreement to foster the use of renewable energy in Brazil. Ricardo Mourinho Félix, Vice-President of the EIB, and Carlos Rey de Vicente, Banco Santander's Regional Head for South America, signed a €300 million loan in Brussels on 17 July 2023 during the EU-CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government and the EU-LAC Business Forum.
The project is part of the European Union's Global Gateway investment strategy supporting infrastructure and improving global and regional connectivity in the digital, climate, transport, health, energy and education sectors.
The loan will support the installation of a series of small-scale self-consumption solar photovoltaic plants in Brazil, predominantly on rooftops, for a total combined capacity of around 600 MWp. The plants will be installed on homes and on the premises of small and medium businesses.
This Global Gateway project will contribute to climate action to mitigate the effects of climate change. The project will also help Brazil reach its targets for increasing the share of renewable energy sources in its annual electricity generation, and to achieve its ten-year national energy expansion plan. As a low-carbon power generation project, it will reduce carbon emissions and air pollution. It will also build new generation capacity as part of a self-consumption system that will reduce electrical losses and foster energy efficiency.
The operation signed today strengthens the EIB's role as a global climate bank and will mean that almost 80% of its total financing in Latin America in 2022 is linked to climate action and environmental sustainability. Furthermore, it contributes to Santander's climate strategy, which is committed to becoming net zero by 2050. Santander also strongly supports sustainable initiatives: in 2022 alone, more than BRL 32 billion (€6 billion) in sustainable business was made possible by the organisation in Brazil.
“I'm very pleased to announce this project with Banco Santander (Brasil) that will enable private sector investments in renewable energy, reduce carbon emissions and air pollution, and support additional renewable generation capacity in Brazil. This operation under EIB Global, the arm of the EIB created in 2022 for activities outside the European Union, builds on our global climate engagement and our support for climate action in Brazil over the last three decades,” said EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix.
Commissioner for International Partnerships at the European Commission, Jutta Urpilainen, said: “This project will have a significant positive impact for Brazilian families and small businesses. Through the EU-Latin America and the Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda, we are committed to work together to promote fair green and digital investment, and also help to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.”
“This partnership with the EIB will help us to continue moving towards a green economy that is prepared to face the challenges of the future. In a large and sunny country like Brazil, solar energy generation can play a fundamental role in our energy mix. With these resources, we will be able to support thousands of people and small companies have access to solar energy, and generate clean energy and savings for families across the country,” said Carlos Rey de Vicente, Banco Santander's Regional Head for South America.
Background information
EIB Global is the EIB Group's specialised arm dedicated to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance. EIB Global is designed to foster strong, focused partnership within Team Europe, alongside fellow development finance institutions, and civil society. EIB Global brings the Group closer to local people, companies and institutions through our offices across the world.
https://twitter.com/EIBGlobal
https://www.linkedin.com/company/eib-global/
About EIB Global in Brazil:
The EIB is the largest multilateral public bank in the world. In 2022 it financed around €10.8 billion in investments outside the European Union via EIB Global, the arm of the EIB created that same year for activities beyond Europe. Brazil is the biggest beneficiary of EIB financing in Latin America. Since the EU bank started working there in 1997, it has provided over €5.4 billion to finance investments on favourable maturity and interest terms, with the aim of improving the quality of life of Brazilians. Brazil represents more than 40% of the EIB's portfolio in Latin America.
About EIB Global in Latin America:
EIB Global facilitates long-term investment with favourable conditions and provides the technical support needed to ensure that projects deliver positive social, economic and environmental results. Since the EIB began operating in Latin America in 1993, it has provided total financing of around €13 billion to support more than 150 projects in 15 countries in the region.
About the Global Gateway initiative:
EIB Global is a key partner in the implementation of the European Union's Global Gateway initiative, supporting sound projects that improve global and regional connectivity in the digital, climate, transport, health, energy and education sectors. Investing in connectivity is at the very heart of what EIB Global does, building on the Bank's 65 years of experience in this domain. Alongside our partners, fellow EU institutions and EU Member States, we aim to support investment of €100 billion (around one-third of the overall target of the initiative) by the end of 2027, including in Brazil and the rest of Latin America.
About the EU - Latin America and the Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA):
The European Commission coordinates the development and implementation of the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda, which is a political commitment to work together, identifying fair green and digital investment opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will benefit from the open environment generated by trade and investment agreements and will help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It will be delivered through Team Europe initiatives: the EU, its Member States, development financing institutions including the European Investment Bank (EIB), export credit agencies and all other public sources of funding will be working together with the private sector.
About Banco Santander (Brasil):
Banco Santander (Brasil) (SANB11) started its activities in Brazil in 1982 and, through mergers and acquisitions of more than 70 banks and companies, created competitive wholesale and retail structures. It is part of the Santander Group, one of the largest banks in the world by market value with a major presence in ten key countries in Europe and America. The only international financial institution with a strong presence in retail banking, it has more than 53 000 employees who serve 31.7 million active customers. Selected as one of the most sustainable companies in 2022 by ESG's Guia Exame Melhores, the bank seeks to increasingly promote inclusive and environmentally responsible business. More information: www.santander.com.br.
Press contacts
EIB: Enrico Possenti, e.possenti@eib.org tel.: +352 4379 82144, mobile: +352 691 28 55 32
Website: www.eib.org/press — Press Office: +352 4379 21000 — press@eib.org
Commission presents Global Gateway Investment Agenda with Latin America and Caribbean
During today's EU-LAC Business Round Table as part of the EU-CELAC Summit, President Ursula von der Leyen has presented the EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA), which revolves around the following pillars: a fair green transition, an inclusive digital transformation, human development and health resilience and vaccines. She also announced that Team Europe has committed over €45 billion to support the reinforced partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean until 2027.
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: “I am pleased to announce that Team Europe will invest over €45 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean until 2027 via our programme Global Gateway. We shaped a high-quality investment agenda together, to the benefit of both our regions. We agreed on sectors and value chains to prioritize, from clean energy and critical raw materials to health and education. And it's not just about how much we are spending, but also how we are investing. Global Gateway comes with the highest environmental and social standards, and with transparency. This is Europe's way of doing business.”
The GGIA includes a list of more than 130 projects to make the fair green and digital transition a reality on both sides of the Atlantic. The list has been composed in close cooperation with the Spanish Presidency and is the basis for further dialogues with the Latin American and Caribbean partners.
Some examples of projects
· The EU will work with LAC partners on Critical Raw Materials (such as lithium and others) in the region (Argentina, Chile), as well as with the Critical Raw Materials Club to strengthen sustainable supply chains.
· Brazil: the EU will collaborate with the Brazilian government and EU private sector to expand telecoms networks in the Amazon region.
· Costa Rica: The EU and will help with the electrification of public transport. Conversion of urban bus fleet to electric: 40 public e-vehicles contributing to a reduction of 5000 CO2 ktons per year.
· Colombia: Construction of a metro line.
· Jamaica: Deployment of 5G to reach island-wide broadband access.
· Paraguay: Upgrade of the electricity networkwith support to the Administración Nacional de Electricidad.
· EU-LAC Digital Alliance: EU-LAC digital cooperation activities are underway such as the extension of the BELLA cable and the creation of two regional Copernicus centres for disaster risk reduction, climate change, land and marine monitoring.
· In Chile, the EU has developed a Team Europe Initiative (TEI) on Green Hydrogen (GH2), to promote investment opportunities.
· The GGIA will support LAC countries' policies towards a climate-neutral economy and a resilient society that lives in harmony with nature. The EU and its Member States have pooled their resources to jointly establish the Team Europe Initiative ‘Brazil Tropical Forests'. The EU will also contribute to the Amazon Fund.
· LAC-Health Resilience initiative, supporting the development of local medicines and vaccine manufacturing and health systems resilience, including regulatory frameworks.
· LAC-Global Green Bonds Initiative, fostering the development of the green bond market in LAC, thus mobilisingcapital for financing a sustainable transition.
· In Panama, the EU supports a joint project on universal access to energy.
· ‘Inclusive Societies' programme to tackle inequalities, reduce poverty and social exclusion, and enhance social cohesion within Latin American and Caribbean countries. It will promote gender and social policies, education and skills development, protection and social inclusion, with a specific emphasis on women and youth and focus.
The European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are key partners in strengthening the rules-based international order, standing together for democracy, human rights and international peace and security.
This is more true in 2023 than ever before: The fast-changing global context, with its increasing geopolitical challenges, makes this a critical moment to renew this partnership and enhance bi-regional cooperation to tackle the global climate and environmental crises, to harness technological changes and to combat rising inequalities.
The EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda will be delivered through Team Europe initiatives: the EU, its Member States, development financing institutions including the European Investment Bank (EIB), export credit agencies and all other public sources of funding will be working together in public-private partnerships with the private sector.
The EU-LAC Business Round Table was co-organised with the Inter-American Development Bank and the Development Bank of Latin America, who have also been crucial in preparing the GG IA with the Spanish government and the Commission.
Related links
Global Gateway (europa.eu)
EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (europa.eu)
EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda - Infographics (europa.eu)
EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda - Factsheet
Related documents
Joint Communication on a New Agenda for Relations between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean
I am pleased to announce that Team Europe will invest over €45 billion in Latin America and the Caribbean until 2027 via our programme Global Gateway. We shaped a high-quality investment agenda together, to the benefit of both our regions. We agreed on sectors and value chains to prioritise, from clean energy and critical raw materials to health and education. And it’s not just about how much we are spending, but also how we are investing. Global Gateway comes with the highest environmental and social standards, and with transparency. This is Europe’s way of doing business.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission
The EU and Latin America and the Caribbean are natural partners, but now they must become partners of choice. As a key deliverable of the Summit, the Global Gateway Investment Agenda is our positive partnership offer. It responds to the needs of our partner countries, while supporting our mutual ambitions on tackling climate change and biodiversity loss, harnessing digital transformation and reducing inequalities. Backed by Team Europe’s financial firepower, it will contribute to strengthening the partnership for the people and the planet, while advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships
The European Union and Tunisia: political agreement on a comprehensive partnership package
Today, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in a Team Europe spirit, alongside the President of Tunisia, Kaïs Saied have agreed to implement the comprehensive partnership package announced jointly on 11 June 2023.
In Tunis, they witnessed the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding by Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Secretary of State of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Mounir Ben Rjiba opening a new chapter in relations between the European Union and Tunisia.
The Memorandum of Understanding covers five pillars: macro-economic stability, trade and investment, green energy transition, people-to people contacts, and migration. It will be implemented through the various strands of cooperation between the European Union and Tunisia, following the relevant regulations and applicable procedures.
Enhanced political and policy dialogue within the EU-Tunisia Association Council before the end of the year will offer an important opportunity to reinvigorate political and institutional ties, with the aim of addressing common international challenges together and preserving the rules-based order.
Press statement by President von der Leyen with Tunisian President Saied, Dutch Prime Minister Rutte and Italian Prime Minister Meloni
Good evening,
Team Europe is back in Tunis. I am glad to be here with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Prime Minister Mark Rutte. We were here together on 11 June, to offer a new partnership with Tunisia. And today, just over a month later, we deliver. Earlier, we witnessed the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on a strategic and comprehensive partnership. Our teams have worked very hard – and I want to thank them – to deliver rapidly on a strong package. This is an investment in our shared prosperity, stability and in future generations. The reasons for it are compelling. Tunisia and the European Union are bound by a shared history and geography, and we share strategic interests. In times of geopolitical uncertainties, it is important to deepen cooperation with our strategic partners. So we agreed with Tunisia on a comprehensive package of measures that we will now put into practice swiftly.
As you know, it is built on five pillars. The first one is about people-to-people connections. Tunisia has a young and energetic population. And it is in our mutual interest to bring our people together. So we are creating opportunities for young people, in particular. We will be opening a Tunisia window in the Erasmus+ programme, worth EUR 10 million, to boost the student exchange. We will also get started on ‘Talent Partnerships' to give Tunisia's youth opportunities to study, work or train in the European Union. So they will gain expertise in the European Union and they will acquire new skills that will be important for Tunisia's economy back home. We will also work together to modernise schools. For instance, we are supporting 80 schools to get ready for the digital and green transition, with a EUR 65 million contribution from Team Europe.
The second pillar is economic development. We will partner to build a robust Tunisian economy that is more resilient to shocks and conducive to growth. We remain ready to support Tunisia by mobilising macro-financial assistance as soon as the necessary conditions are met. And as bridging step, we are ready to provide immediate budget support.
The third pillar is in investment and trade. The European Union is already the largest foreign investor and trade partner for Tunisia. And we are willing to do much more. We will work together to improve the business environment to attract more private investments. For that, we are planning together to organise an investment forum this autumn, bringing together investors and international financial institutions. We will also explore the possibility to conclude a Comprehensive Air Transport Agreement. This will benefit the tourism sector and of course will improve the connectivity, which is so important for our people and for our businesses. An important focus on our investments will be the digital sector. We already have good projects in the pipeline, like the Medusa submarine cable, which will connect Tunisia with Europe. It will link 11 countries around the Mediterranean, from 2025 on, and EUR 150 million will flow into this important project. Another priority sector will be water management and sustainable agriculture. This is essential to adapt to a drier climate and to strengthen the resilience of the food system. We will pool expertise, share technologies and generate investments in this critical sector.
This brings me to my fourth point. Tunisia has a huge potential for renewables. This is well known. It needs to develop this sector. And we are reliable suppliers of technology that is necessary, and we know that Europe needs reliable supply of clean energy. So as we are decarbonising our economies, and for that, we need clean energy sources – like for example green hydrogen – and electricity produced from renewables. So it is a win-win situation. It is in both our shared interest. We are already working on several projects, like ELMED, the undersea cable linking Tunisia to Italy, bringing electricity to Europe. Here, we are investing over EUR 300 million in this project. And this is just the beginning. We will conclude with Tunisia a strategic partnership on energy to accelerate the energy transition and create good jobs locally. The aim is to improve security of supply and to provide both our people and our companies clean energy at affordable prices.
The fifth pillar is migration, where we need an effective cooperation, more than ever. The tragic shipwreck a few weeks ago, in which many people lost their lives, was yet another call for action. We need to crack down on criminal networks of smugglers and traffickers. They are exploiting human despair, and we have to break their reckless business model. So we will work with Tunisia on an Anti-Smuggling Operational Partnership. We will also increase our coordination on search and rescue operations. And we agreed that we will cooperate on border management, anti-smuggling, return and addressing root causes, in full respect of the international law. For this, we will make available more than EUR 100 million of EU funding. Equally important is our work to facilitate legal regular migration. This includes the Talent Partnerships I mentioned at the beginning. And with this, I am back where I started – the importance of people-to-people connections.
In conclusion, we have a good package. Now it is time to implement it, to deliver for our people on both sides of the Mediterranean.
Press statement by President von der Leyen with Brazilian President Lula da Silva
Dear President Lula,
It is a pleasure for me to have you here in Brussels, after the very warm welcome I received in Brasilia last month. I want to thank you for your participation to the EU-CELAC Summit. Your presence adds to a historic dimension. This is the first Summit between the European Union and our Latin American and Caribbean partners in eight years. The world has certainly changed during that time. We went through a global pandemic, we have a major war on European soil, and we are confronted with the generational challenge of climate change. So we need our close friends to be at our side in these uncertain times.
Therefore, I welcome Brazil's re-emergence as a major actor on the global stage. It is timely, and it is already giving positive momentum to the strategic partnership between our two regions. We want to work hard hand in hand with you to address the biggest challenges of our time. We want to discuss today how to connect further our people; how to connect further our businesses; how to de-risk, strengthen and diversify our supply chains; and how to modernise our economies in ways that reduce inequalities and benefit all.
All of this is within reach if we get the EU-MERCOSUL agreement across the finish line. Our ambition is to settle any remaining differences as soon as possible, so that we can conclude this agreement. We want to be a partner that has with you a win-win agreement of which both sides benefit.
In the meantime, I am glad to announce that the European Union will invest strongly in Latin America and the Caribbean. And we will invest in a way that benefits local communities and creates good jobs. In a few minutes, we will open the Business Round Table and we will discuss with business partners about these investments and how to achieve the best results.
Once again, a very warm welcome here to Brussels. It is a pleasure to have you, President Lula.
Opening speech by President von der Leyen at the EU-LAC 2023 Business Round Table
"Check against delivery"
President Lula,
Prime Minister Sánchez,
President Goldfajn,
President Díaz-Granados,
It is a great pleasure to be with you here in Brussels. Today's Summit marks a new beginning for our partnership. But it is a new beginning that builds on decades of friendship. Our two continents are brought together by a shared culture, a shared belief in the UN Charter, but also by the vital role that businesses play. Digital start-ups from Latin America are expanding in Europe, in fields spanning from AI to farming. Latin American companies produce radioisotopes for cancer treatments in European hospitals. And European investments are creating jobs, and good ones, in Latin America and the Caribbean – in sectors ranging from finance to the automotive, from chemicals to clean energy. Businesses are the lifeblood of our partnership. And they build the bridges that link our two continents.
These connections have driven up for years trade and investment flows between our continents, but also technology transfer and technical cooperation, and new people-to-people contacts. But there is still so much untapped potential within our partnership. And this is why I am very pleased that the two days of our Summit begin with this Business Round Table.
Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe need each other more than ever before. The world we live in is more competitive and conflictual than ever before. Still reeling from the heavy toll of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is taking a hard impact from the Russian aggression against Ukraine. And this happens against the backdrop of China's growing assertiveness abroad. So what does this mean for our two continents, and especially for business? It means that we need to make our economies more resilient to external shocks. And we have to fight inequality and poverty in our societies. It means that we need partners we can trust. We want to engage with investors and trade with countries who share common values and common priorities, and who prove reliable in the short term and in the long term.
Europe aspires to be the partner of choice for Latin America and the Caribbean, just like we choose to be a partner to the region. We believe that Europe's offer to the region is different and significant. We have the mutual interest in seeing Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe unleash the full potential. We share the common interest in seeing both our industries grow, local value chains develop, and more and more people rise into the middle class. We do not just want to trade together, but we want to thrive together.
For all these reasons, we have decided to step up our cooperation. Today I am glad to launch our investment agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean. We call it Global Gateway. Under the banner of Global Gateway, we propose to bring over EUR 45 billion of high-quality European investment to Latin America and the Caribbean. Over 135 projects are already in the pipeline, from clean hydrogen to critical raw materials, from expanding the high-performance data cable network to producing the most advanced mRNA vaccines. But only together can we agree on sectors and value chains to prioritise, and on how we can best boost these investments with skills, standards and technical support. So, let us use this Summit to shape the investment agenda to the benefit of both our continents.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Global Gateway has not only the size to make a difference, but it lays out a new approach to big infrastructure projects. European investment will come with a strong focus on creating local value chains. Together, we can build resilient supply chains. Important is that the added value stays in Latin America or the Caribbean. This is also in our interest. Let me give you two examples: clean hydrogen and raw materials. Latin America and the Caribbean have the potential to become a global powerhouse for renewable energy. Your wind and solar sectors are growing exponentially, also thanks to European investment. The natural next step is to turn clean energy into clean hydrogen. On the one hand, clean hydrogen can be easily exported to other continents. On the other hand, and crucially, clean hydrogen can also fuel new industries on your continent. Just imagine clean steel and concrete, clean fertilisers, clean trains and buses – all of them made in Latin America. Your continent has the potential to be a global leader in the clean industries of tomorrow.
Second example: For green and digital technologies, our industries need access to critical raw materials. And here too, Europe wants to be your partner of choice. Unlike other foreign investors, we are not only interested in investing in the pure extraction of raw materials. We want to partner with you to build local capacity for processing, for making batteries and for final products like electric vehicles. Besides investment, we can contribute world-class technology, and high-quality training for local workers. This is precisely the kind of investment for which we created Global Gateway.
Europe wants to launch a new partnership with the region. And this is why today's Summit is so important. For the first time in eight years, the leaders of our two continents are coming together to discuss, among other things, a shared investment agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean. We need to hear from you about the sectors you want to focus on and the bottlenecks we need to address together so that Europe can invest right where you need it the most. It is a new beginning for old friends for which we need to join forces.
I wish you a very good roundtable.
Welcome to Brussels.
EU-CELAC Summit: a renewed strategic partnership
On 17 and 18 July, the EU–CELAC Summit will take place in Brussels for the first time in eight years. Heads of State and Government of EU Member States and of the 33 Community of Latin American and the Caribbean States (CELAC) will gather for this key political milestone with the purpose of reinvigorating the EU-LAC partnership, working together to achieve fair green and digital transitions, and demonstrating a shared commitment to upholding the rules-based international order.
During the Summit, leaders will address a wide range of topics, from enhanced cooperation in multilateral and global peace and stability, to trade and investment, economic recovery, efforts to combat climate change, research and innovation and justice and security. Global Gateway, the EU's global connectivity strategy to put the Sustainable Development Goals back on track, will be at the heart of the exchanges on how to ensure a just green and digital transition on the ground, tackle inequalities, develop strategic industries and build solid, diverse supply chains between the EU and its partners.
President von der Leyen will participate in the Summit, which will be co-chaired by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, in his role as CELAC pro-tempore president.
Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell, Vice-President Dubravka Šuica, and Commissioners Janez Lenarčič, Jutta Urpilainen, and Kadri Simson, will participate on behalf of the Commission.
Presidents Michel and von der Leyen will hold a joint press conference following the Summit, on Tuesday 18 July, which can be followed live on EbS at ca. 14:45 CEST.
Just before the EU-CELAC Summit, on Monday morning, the Commission is convening an EU-LAC business summit to discuss the new investment and trade opportunities offered by Global Gateway and how to bring the private sector on board. President von der Leyen, President Lula of Brazil and Prime Minister Sanchez of Spain will deliver remarks during the opening of the roundtable, which you can follow on EbS.
The EU-CELAC Meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers that took place in Buenos Aires in October 2022 relaunched the high-level political dialogue between the two regions and endorsed a bi-regional Roadmap as a tangible sign of a forward-looking and positive agenda. The adoption of a New Agenda for Relations with Latin America and the Caribbean on 7 June 2022, is also a clear proof of the renewed strategic partnership between the EU and LAC.
(For more information: Dana Spinant — Tel.: +32 229 90150; Nabila Massrali – Tel.: +32 229 88093; Jennifer Sanchez Da Silva – Tel.: +32 2 295 83 16)
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