The European Commission and the European Investment Bank will jointly support 34 energy-related projects in nine EU countries. Funded by revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System, the €3.66 billion investment will help modernise energy systems in the EU to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Source link
EU invests in more than 90 transport projects to boost sustainable travel across Europe
The EU has selected 94 transport projects across the trans-European transport network to help better connect European regions and cities. The largest share of the €2.8 billion funding will go towards modernising railways, but work will also be carried out on building greener ports and road safety.
EU invests in more than 90 transport projects to boost sustainable travel across Europe
The EU has selected 94 transport projects across the trans-European transport network to help better connect European regions and cities. The largest share of the €2.8 billion funding will go towards modernising railways, but work will also be carried out on building greener ports and road safety. Source link
NCCs host cross-border matchmaking event to support consortium building
The event, titled “Digital Europe Cybersecurity: Cross-Border Matchmaking & Partner Search“, offered participants a targeted platform to pitch project ideas and organisations and initiate international collaborations in response to the open call DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08. Following the opening remarks, the participants were welcomed with a presentation by the ECCC on the 2025 call topics and the priorities […]
NCCs host cross-border matchmaking event to support consortium building
The event, titled “Digital Europe Cybersecurity: Cross-Border Matchmaking & Partner Search“, offered participants a targeted platform to pitch project ideas and organisations and initiate international collaborations in response to the open call DIGITAL-ECCC-2025-DEPLOY-CYBER-08.
Following the opening remarks, the participants were welcomed with a presentation by the ECCC on the 2025 call topics and the priorities of the DEP Cybersecurity Work Programme.
The core of the event consisted of moderated breakout sessions, each dedicated to one of the call topics currently open or planned for later this year:
- Transition to Post-Quantum Public Key Infrastructures (open as of June 2025)
- Dedicated Actions to Reinforce Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (open as of June 2025)
- Coordinated Preparedness Testing and Other Preparedness Actions (expected to open in September 2025)
In each room, pre-registered active participants had the opportunity to pitch their organisation or project proposal, aiming to establish new partnerships and form cross-border consortia for joint project submissions.
The event concluded with a joint wrap-up session and Q&A.
This matchmaking event is a practical example of how NCCs contribute to connecting expert communities across Europe. It facilitates access to EU funding, supports the formation of international consortia, and provides targeted assistance to organisations preparing proposals—fully in line with the core tasks and role of the NCCs.
EU sets out steps to becoming global leader in quantum
From diagnosing diseases more quickly to performing complex computational tasks, quantum science has huge social and economic potential. The EU has launched a new plan to develop the quantum sector and turn Europe into a global leader in quantum by 2030. The plan will create thousands of new jobs.
EU sets out steps to becoming global leader in quantum
From diagnosing diseases more quickly to performing complex computational tasks, quantum science has huge social and economic potential. The EU has launched a new plan to develop the quantum sector and turn Europe into a global leader in quantum by 2030. The plan will create thousands of new jobs. Source link
Seville’s commitment: a vital step to rebuild confidence in global cooperation
Activists, many southern south, attend talks in Spain, call for higher leadership and commitment of richer nations to help treat long -standing structural inequalities.
Le 4th International Conference on Development Financing (FFD4) has a strong symbolic weight, reflected in the Agreed priorities of Seville’s commitment.
Paula Sevilla, International Institute of Environment and Development.
However, organizations warn that there is still a long way to go before the promises resulted in a tangible action.
Good timing
This is the message of Paula Sevilla, a representative of the International Institute for the Environment and Development (IIED) – a research center based in London – which has worked for decades on sustainability and climate justice in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
“This summit came at a crucial time to try to restore faith in international cooperation, especially after the pandemic, which exposed a lack of global solidarity,” she said.
One of the main objectives of the IIED in Seville was to ensure that the announced financial commitments really reach local communities at the forefront of the climate crisis.
To this end, the organization emphasizes the need to solve problems such as external debt – emptying public budgets – and supporting innovative mechanisms such as mixed finance to direct resources to those who need it most.
“We see that countries spend more on debt payments than for health care or education, while inequalities are deepening,” warned the expert, speaking shortly after a respectful but energetic protest in the conference center.
A place to call at home
Housing solutions related to sustainable development are notably absent from the final document of the summit.
“It is regrettable that it is not even mentioned, at a time when we are faced with a global crisis in the cost of living – not only in the world of world, but also here in Spain. Housing is a source of anxiety and distrust among citizens, and it was completely ignored, “said Ms. Sevilla.
Despite this, its organization strives to take advantage of Seville’s result to find ways to channel funding to provide more affordable houses.
Commenting on the initiative led by Spain and Brazil to work towards fair taxation and to repel tax evasion by the richest in the world – favoring more transparency and responsibility – the representative of the IIED said that it could be a useful path to correct structural inequalities.
Development tax
“” We need leadership in the world of world, where many main fiscal avoidance companies in the world are based. Without their commitment, we will not go ahead, ”she said.
She also criticized the absence of the United States of the Summit-not only as a diplomatic setback, but also as a disturbing precedent following the dismantling of her international development agency, USAID.
“We are talking about people who count their pills to understand how many days of life they have left. It’s dramatic, ”she said.
With only five years to meet the Sustainable development objectivesMs. Sevilla warned that time is exhausted – and that Seville’s commitment will be meaningless without real change.
“” We need political leadership, a desire for cooperation and a commitment to protect democratic space. In the end, they are organized people who keep hope alive and hold responsible leaders, ”concluded Sevilla.
Seville’s commitment in short:
- THE Seville engagement defines a New world roadmap To increase the thousands of dollars required each year to carry out sustainable development, based on previous international agreements
- He asks fair tax systemsreducing tax evasion and illicit financial flows, and strengthening public development banks to support national priorities
- The agreement highlights the need to New tools to facilitate debt pressures On vulnerable countries, including debt exchange plans, options to suspend payments during crises and better transparency
- Committed countries Stimulate the capacity of multilateral development banksincrease the use of special drawing rights and attract more private investment to support development
- It also aims to make the more inclusive and responsible global financial systemwith improved coordination, stronger data systems and wider participation in civil society and other
The commitment launches the Sevilla platform for action,, which includes more than 130 initiatives already underway To transform promises into real world results.
Originally published at Almouwatin.com
Church of Scientology Hungary hosted a packed conference on International Day Against Drug Abuse
KINGNEWSWIRE / Press release / On June 25, 2025, the Drug-Free World Foundation held an awareness-raising conference in the chapel of the Church of Scientology in Budapest.
The purpose of the packed-out event was to raise awareness of the importance of drug prevention and provide practical answers on how to recognize the danger, how to talk about it, and what we can do to prevent young people from becoming victims.
Parents, teachers, and family protection specialists listened attentively to the experiences and professional insights shared by the guest speakers. Attila Miklovicz, President of the Church of Scientology, welcomed the participants and briefly explained why the Church considered it important to support the conference—highlighting the relevance of the research and inspiration provided by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. He then handed over to the host of the event, Szilvia Nemes-Nagy, who emphasized:
“The drug issue is not just a social problem, but also a personal concern for many families—according to statistics, the majority of young people in our country encounter some kind of drug by the age of 14.”
Four speakers—two doctors, a former drug user, and the Hungarian director of the Drug-Free World Foundation—shared their experiences and knowledge at the conference. The speeches focused on how drug use can be effectively prevented, how to communicate effectively with young people, and what should be said – or not said – in order to prevent drug use.
“Drugs first alter your judgment”
Dr. György Lenkei, a physician, spoke about the true nature of drugs and emphasized:
“How much better it would be if young people understood just one thing: drugs change the judgment of the user! The first thing they change is the ability to distinguish between facts.”
This is what makes drug addiction such a vicious circle. Before young people realize what is happening to them, they have already lost the ability to recognize it. “In reality, drug users want something to have an effect on them, so that things no longer happen because of them, but because of the drugs.”
“In fact, any chemical that the body does not need at all is a drug,” said the doctor. “It doesn’t matter if it’s natural or artificial, legal or illegal. There are currently more than 600 psychotropic substances, but only 141 of these are officially classified as narcotics. And when it comes to synthetic drugs, the law often lags behind drug manufacturers.”
He emphasized that this is precisely why the key to prevention is not punishment, but moral judgment, setting a good example, and honest dialogue.
One of the most moving moments of the conference was the testimony of Ákos Bodnár, a former drug user. His story revealed with raw honesty his fifteen-year downward spiral, which involved the slow loss of goals, energy, and human relationships. With tears in his eyes, he recounted how he watched a fellow sufferer fight for his life in a tragic car accident, but even that was not enough to make him stop.
“What did drugs give me? A few good moments. What did they take away? My motivation and my love of life,” he summed up.
He also talked about how the foundation later helped him return to a sober, responsible life.
How should we talk to children?
In the next presentation of the event, Gergő Németh, head of the Drug-Free World Foundation in Hungary, provided practical guidance on how to talk to our children about drugs. He emphasized that we should not approach them with fear, but with trust, relationship building, and accurate information. He stressed that it is not necessary to prepare for a single “big talk”; the key is regular, simple, and honest dialogue.
What can doctors do, what can we do?
Dr. Péter Lerner spoke about recognizing drug use and the importance of intervention. “Poison stimulates in small doses, then numbs and dulls, and in large doses it kills. The difference is only in the dose,” he explained the dose-effect relationship.
He described the visible physical symptoms and behavioral changes in detail, then gave practical advice on how to deal with acute situations. His most important message: “If there is even the slightest doubt about whether to call an ambulance, it is better to call.”
When talking about treatment, he emphasized the importance of vitamin supplementation, but stressed: “We need to find the reason why someone starts using drugs and treat that too.”
At the end of the conference, participants were able to ask questions to the speakers. Drug prevention is not just the responsibility of individual organizations or institutions, but a shared social responsibility. The event clearly showed that dialogue and knowledge can save lives—and that every life saved is invaluable.
CEF Transport: €2.8 billion in 94 projects to boost sustainable and connected mobility across Europe
The European Commission selected 94 transport projects to receive nearly €2.8 billion in EU grants under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). By modernising railways, inland waterways and maritime routes across the trans-European transport network (TEN-T), the projects will not only help better connect European regions and cities – north to south, east to west, but also make the EU’s internal market more competitive, and more resilient.
Europe’s green transition runs on rail
Rail transport will receive the largest share of the funding – 77% of the total – with investments directed towards major infrastructure upgrades across the TEN-T core and extended networks, particularly in cohesion countries. This includes the construction of Rail Baltica in the Baltic region and Poland, and improvements in Greece and Slovakia. High-speed rail lines will also be developed in the Czechia and Poland.
In addition, 46 projects in 11 Member States – including Austria, Germany, Hungary, Italy, and Sweden – will implement the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) on trains and tracks, improving rail safety and interoperability across borders.
Greener ports and increased resilience
The EU is investing in a range of projects to reduce the environmental impact of maritime and inland waterway transport. This includes upgrading ports in Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Croatia, and Poland with shore-side electricity to reduce emissions from ships at berth. Support will also go to the construction and upgrading of multi-purpose icebreakers in Estonia, Finland and Sweden to strengthen the security and resilience of submarine cables, in line with the EU’s recent action plan. In France and Spain, digital traffic management systems will be deployed to improve the safety and efficiency of short-sea shipping, and reduce congestion.
For inland waterways, France will see upgrades along the Rhine, while digitalisation of waterborne transport will be advanced in Belgium.
Smarter and safer transport networks
In road transport, safe and secure parking areas will be built or upgraded across 10 Member States, including Germany, France, Italy and Romania. Projects will also support the roll-out of Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS), improving road safety and traffic flow, particularly in urban areas.
Air traffic management projects will continue to contribute to the development of the Single European Sky, to create a safer, more efficient and sustainable aviation system. This will reduce congestion, lower emissions, and improve the overall air travel experience.
Urban mobility will also benefit, with funding to prepare for the construction or upgrade of multimodal passenger hubs in cities such as Leuven (Belgium), Norrköping (Sweden), Nice and Marseille (France), and Bolzano (Italy). These hubs will provide seamless connections between different modes of transport, making it easier for people to get around cities.
Strategic and solidarity investments
The EU is building on its efforts to strengthen the EU-Ukraine Solidarity Lanes, with projects to improve rail connectivity and border crossing points between Slovakia and Ukraine, and between Romania and Moldova. EU support will help Ukraine adopt the standard EU railway gauge, facilitating seamless cross-border rail traffic and boosting regional trade.
Additionally, the EU will support one project to enhance accessibility and infrastructure resilience in the Arctic region, ensuring secure supply routes and developing dual-use infrastructure capable of withstanding climate change impacts.
Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas said:
“With nearly €2.8 billion in EU funding, we are delivering on Europe’s promise of a modern, sustainable, and resilient transport network. These 94 projects will not only boost cross-border connectivity and efficiency but also boost competitiveness across the continent. From Rail Baltica in the north, to shore-side electricity in our southern ports, and from secure road networks to a smarter Single European Sky – this investment is a cornerstone of our Green Deal and our geopolitical resilience.”
His comments were echoed by the Director of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), Paloma Aba Garrote, who stated:
“We are delighted to have concluded the evaluation of the project proposals under the last CEF Transport calls foreseen under the current work programme. We will start the grant agreement preparation with the beneficiaries of projects located in the EU and Ukraine. We are proud that, with these new projects, our CEF Transport portfolio is increasing to over 1861 projects since the Connecting Europe Facility was created in 2014.”
Next steps
Yesterday, the CEF Committee approved the list of 94 selected projects. The Commission will now formally adopt the selection decision, and CINEA will start preparing grant agreements for the chosen projects. These agreements are expected to be finalised by October 2025. The results are currently provisional and will only become official once the Commission adopts the corresponding award decision.
Background
The 94 projects have been selected from a pool of 258 applications submitted under the recent call for proposals, which closed on 21 January 2025.
EU funding for these projects will be provided in the form of grants, which are used to co-finance total eligible project costs.
The CEF Transport program for 2021-2027 has a total budget of €25.8 billion. It is available to fund projects in all EU Member States as well as in Ukraine and Moldova – two CEF associated countries. With the current selection, 95% of this budget has already been allocated.
Since its launch in 2014, the Connecting Europe Facility supported 1861 projects (including the current selection of 94 projects) with a total of €47.34 billion in the transport sector.
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