Reducing waste or recovering its value by extending product lifespans or recycling are key parts of Europe’s efforts to create a circular economy which contributes to the European Green Deal’s sustainability goals. However, according to the European Environment Agency’s assessment, published today, many EU Member States are at risk of not meeting at least one of the main recycling targets for municipal waste and packaging waste by 2025. A second briefing highlights successful strategies used by those Member States that have achieved high recycling rates.
The EEAbriefing on assessing progress towards EU waste recycling targets shows that 9 Member States — Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia — are currently on track to meet the main recycling targets for municipal waste and packaging waste for 2025 while 18 are at risk of missing one or more of them. The briefing summarises the main findings of 27 more detailed country profiles.
The EEA analysis informs the European Commission’s early warning report on the performances of EU countries in waste management. The report aims to improve the implementation of EU waste laws and assist Member States at risk of missing targets. It identifies the main implementation gaps and their underlying root causes and suggests priority actions to improve performance and facilitate exchange of good practices amongst Member States.
55% recycling and preparing for reuse of municipal waste;
65% recycling of total packaging waste;
and material-specific packaging waste recycling targets (75% for paper and cardboard, 70% for glass, 70% for ferrous metals, 50% for aluminium, 50% for plastic and 25% for wood).
The briefing shows that those Member States with highest recycling rates — Germany, Austria, Slovenia, the Netherlands and Luxembourg — all have implemented well-designed landfill taxes, or landfill bans, make bio-waste collection convenient for many residents, and effectively use economic incentives to encourage citizens to sort their waste.
The briefing also notes that to improve overall recycling rates, collecting bio-waste separately also plays a key role as it is constitutes the largest fraction (37%) of all municipal waste.
The EEA analysis highlights that improving recycling rates requires a coherent combination of several well-designed and consistently implemented measures, such as landfill taxes and convenient, separate collection systems accompanied with good information to citizens.
The European Parliament released today its Spring 2023 Eurobarometer survey showing citizens’ strong support for democracy and a high awareness of the upcoming European elections.
One year ahead of the next European elections, public interest in these elections has measurably increased. A clear majority of citizens (56%) are interested in the next European elections, 6 points higher compared to 2018, one year before the last European elections.
Around two thirds of respondents (67%) say they would be likely to vote if the European elections were held next week. A similar question was included in the EP Eurobarometer survey in April 2018, when 58% said they were likely to do so, indicating that citizens are currently more inclined to vote in the 2024 European elections than they were at a similar point in time before the 2019 elections.
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, commenting on the results of the survey, said: “Elections matter. Voting is your chance to stand up for the issues important to you. I call on everyone and particularly our young people to go to vote and shape the European Union you want to live in.”
With elections being a cornerstone of every democracy, European citizens consider democracy the most important value for the European Parliament to defend: 37% of respondents see the defence of democracy as a priority, followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (28%) as well as freedom of speech and thought (27%).
54% of respondents are satisfied with the way democracy works in the EU. Looking at various elements of democracy in the EU, citizens are most satisfied with free and fair elections (70%), freedom of speech (70%) and the respect for fundamental rights (66%), while being less satisfied with the fight against disinformation and corruption.
Four years into the European Parliament’s current legislative term, citizens acknowledge the EU’s leading role on tackling the consecutive crises that have marked this period. A vast majority of EU citizens is aware of the impact the EU has on their daily lives: Around seven in ten (71%) share this opinion, including close to a fifth (18%) for whom the EU’s actions ‘very much’ have an impact. The role of the European Parliament is recognised as well – 62% recall having recently heard about the EP.
The EU’s support for Ukraine stands out as the accomplishment citizens are by far most satisfied with: 69% are satisfied with these actions. Satisfaction is highest in the Netherlands (90%), Sweden (87%), Finland (87%) and Ireland (87%). Respondents in Slovakia (45%) and Greece (48%) have the lowest satisfaction rates. Satisfaction with EU action is also relatively high in the areas of protecting democratic rights and the respect for the rule of law (64%) as well as foreign policy (54%).
The past years’ multiple crises are clearly visible when looking at the state of the economy and the financial situation of citizens. Half of respondents (50%) see a decline in their standard of living and expect this to carry on over the next year. Another 29% have not yet experienced such a reduction but expect it to happen over the next year. This also increases expectations for concrete solutions: Close to two thirds (65%) are not satisfied with the measures taken by their own country to tackle the cost of living crisis, and 57% are not satisfied with what the EU has done to alleviate the situation.
In line with this, citizens want the European Parliament to put the fight against poverty and social exclusion first (38%). This priority is followed by public health (33%), action against climate change (31%) and support to the economy and the creation of new jobs (31%).
The European Parliament’s Spring 2023 Eurobarometer survey was carried out by Kantar between 2 and 26 March in all 27 EU Member States. The survey was conducted face-to-face, with video interviews (CAVI) used additionally in Czechia, Denmark, Finland and Malta. 26 376 interviews were conducted in total. EU results were weighted according to the size of the population in each country.
Drugs // “It is better and more useful to meet a problem in time than to seek a remedy after the damage is done” explains a Latin saying of the mid-13th Century. According to the Council of the European Union (Review August 2022):
Drugs are a complex social and health phenomenon that affects millions of people in the EU. Illicit drugs can have tremendous negative consequences, not only for the people who use the drugs but also for their families and communities. The use of drugs generates enormous costs for and harm to public health and safety, the environment and labour productivcity. It also poses security threats linked to violence, crime and corruption.
Curiously, the history of drugs is linked to the existence of life on Earth, which appeared some 3.5 billion years ago, first aquatic and then on the surface. In parallel with the development of life, a fundamental problem arises: how to survive and be part of the food chain while ensuring the survival of the species.
Living organisms have therefore developed means of defence: the constitutive ones such as claws, horns, spines, etc. and the so-called inducible ones which are at the origin of the synthesis of toxic substances in the form of secondary metabolites not necessary for the life of the organism but necessary for its survival against predators. And the human being is one of these formidable predators! So there is a close relationship between survival and existing toxins or drugs.
At the origin of the times, human health was in the world of spirits, magical practices and beliefs. Traditional healing systems are back to prehistoric times and the curing traditions already included the use of psychoactive plants. In Europe, it was in Ancient Greece, in the 5th century BC, that Hippocrates laid the foundations of rational medicine and medical ethics. His oath was taken up at the world level by the World Medical Association, created in 1947, then in the Geneva Declaration of 1948 (revised in 2020) and also by pharmacists/apothecaries and dentists.
A distinction must be made between drugs and medications. The main difference lies in the purpose of use or consumption:
-The medicine has a dosage, a curative purpose, a precise and repetitive action. But the medicine is not always without toxicity. Paracelsus (1493-1541) a Swiss doctor, philosopher and theologian even said:
“Everything is poison and nothing is without poison; the dose alone makes a thing not a poison”.
-A drug is any substance, natural or synthetic, which has a modifying effect on the state of consciousness, mental activity and behavior, likely to cause addiction. Some medicines could correspond to this definition but the drug is consumed without a medical prescription and its current use does not have a curative goal. It could be to experience new or pleasant sensations, to escape from reality, anxiety, relationship problems, past traumas, by conformity or rebellion, to be efficient or withstand pressure. But, whatever the reasons and patterns, drug use is not without risk with uncontrolled consequences…
Drugs and Humanity
The history of drugs also merges with the history of humanity as for:
a) the Hemp (cannabis) that was known in Asia since the Neolithic, around 9000 BC. The seeds were used in Egypt for their anti-inflammatory properties, and in China for their nutritive richness and in 2737 BC hemp is included in the Treaty of the medical herbs of the emperor Shen Nong; the hemp canes appear in Europe imported by the Romans and with the various invasions coming from Asia. It was also the “sacred herb” of the shamans’ rituals and part of the medical practices of the monks of the 12th century.
b) the Coca leaves, from the plant Erythroxylum coca, were used since 3000 years BC in the Andes. For the Incas, this plant had been created by the Sun God to quench thirst, cut hunger and make you forget the fatigue. It was also used during religious ceremonies as in Peru and Bolivia. The West discovered the coca use and properties in the 16th century with the Spanish “conquistadores” of Pizarro (1531), missionaries and settlers. Coca leaves were then used to enslave and send the Indians to work in the silver, gold, copper and tin mines. In 1860, German chemist Albert Niemann isolated the active anesthetic substance in the coca leaves. In 1863, Corsican chemist Angelo Mariani launched the famous French tonic wine “Vin Mariani” made with Bordeaux wine and coca leaf extracts. Meanwhile, in 1886, John Stith Pemberton (1831-1888), a pharmacist from Atlanta (USA), wounded at war and using cocaine, inspired by Mariani wine produced a stimulating drink made from coca, kola nuts and soda. Then the businessman Asa Griggs Candler (1851-1929) bought the formula and in 1892 created The Coca-Cola Company. In 1902 caffeine replaced cocaine in Coca-cola.
Cocaine is a powerful stimulant of the central nervous system. After the “high” wears off (15-30 min), the person may feel anxious, depressed, with an intense need to use cocaine again. Cocaine is one of the most difficult drugs to withdraw from.
It was in the 1960s, popularized by music and the media, that drugs became symbols of youthful rebellion, social upheaval and began to invade all aspects of society. In many ways, this was the pharmaceutical decade of the century with a plethora of new substances -and drugs- available.
Drugs classified
If we make a foray into the world of drugs, we can classify them according to their effects, such as:
Dissociatives: Nitrous oxide (N2O, the laughing gas) is used as an anesthetic and analgesic in surgery and dentistry.And currently used for whipped cream siphons. It is very appreciated by young people during parties for the euphoric effect but it can cause severe neurological, hematological and cardiac disorders. It destroys vitamin B12. It also includes the Ketamine, PCP (angel dust), GBL (a sedative) and GHB (a solvent), etc.
Delusional and entactogenic (desire for contact, empathy): Scopolamine, Atropine, etc.
Stimulants: amphetamines, crystal meth, methamphetamine (WWII Pervitine), etc.
Pharmaceutical stimulants: Adrafinil, Modafinil, Bupropion, etc.
Psychedelic stimulants (hallucinogens): LSD, MDMA (ecstasy), Psilocybin, Bufotenin (alkaloid secreted by the skin of the toad that amateurs lick) and Ibogaine (from the Central African Iboga plant) are both from the family of tryptamines deriving from neurotransmitter serotonin.
Should also be mentioned The New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) which imitate traditional psychoactive substances -cannabis, cathinone (from the khat leaves), opium, cocaine, LSD or MDMA (amphetamine). But, they are more powerful and more addictive. More than 900 synthetic drugs have already been identified in Europe, uncontrolled, and illicit but sold on the Internet, and classified. (more in EMCD Drug profiles).
Examples of NPS:
1) Synthetic cannabinoids, are found in the: Spice, Yucatan, etc. as JWH-18 & 250, HU-210, CP 47 & 497, etc., having affinity for the CB1 receptors.
2) Synthetic derivatives of cathinone (an alkaloid extracted from the khat leaf, sympathicomimetic): 3-MMC (3-methylmethcathinone) and the 4-MMC (Mephedrone) which creates euphoria, blue-knee syndrome, risk of heart attack, etc.
MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone), from “bath-salts”.
Overdose leads to hyperthermia, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, episodes of psychosis and violent behavior.
3) A synthetic psychoactive opioid product: fentanyl, 100 times more powerful than morphine and more addictive, with unpredictable effects. It is considered the most lethal drug by overdose.
4) Krokodil, a Russian “flesh-eating” drug. Based on desomorphine synthesized in Germany in 1922 from morphine/codeine, a powerful sedative and analgesic that has since been abandoned. Solvents, gasoline, HCl, etc. are added to produce the drug with irreversible necrosis.
2022 European report on drugs
The European Drug Report 2022 of the EMCDDA (European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction), noted that Europe had 83.4 million people aged 15-64 using drugs, 29% of the population. This represents:
22.2 million for cannabis, the most consumed drug (7% of Europeans), of which 16 million were aged 15 to 34;
3.5 million for cocaine, including 2.2 million aged 15-34;
Ecstasy or MDMA concerns 2.6 million people;
2 million for amphetamines, mostly aged 15-34;
1 million for heroin and other opioids, with 514,000 receiving substitution treatments.
The biggest cannabis smokers are young people in the Czech Republic with 23% of aged 15-34, followed by France (22%) and Italy (21%). The Netherlands and Belgium with 110 tons of cocaine seized in the port of Antwerp in 2021, are currently the drug hubs in Europe.
EMCDDA reports that in 25 European countries, 80,000 people are in treatment for cannabis use, representing 45% of all drug treatment entrants in 2020.
The increased availability of a wider variety of illicit drugs including NPS has led to different poly-drug use practices which complicate the clinical picture. The number of illicit drug overdose deaths in the EU is estimated to be in 2019 a minimum of 5,150 and 5,800 including Norway and Turkey. The age group most affected is 35-39 with double the number of deaths of the general average.
*In the State of Washington (USA), a study of 2021 shows that deaths by suicide increased by 17.9% among 15-24-year-olds after the legalization of cannabis.
To protect the physical and moral health of humanity and based on the Conventions of 1925 and 1931, three international Conventions on Drug Control of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) were signed. These are the 1961, 1971 and 1988 Conventions against the illicit traffic of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Children, drugs and decriminalisation
In 1989, the Convention on the Rights of the Child was also ratified. Its Article 33, too often forgotten by governments, stipulates that:
States Parties shall take all appropriate measures, including legislative, administrative, social and educational measures, to protect children from the illicit use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances as defined in the relevant international treaties.
In Europe, several countries have decriminalized cannabis use. This is particularly the case in Spain, Portugal, Italy and the Netherlands, where consumers are not liable to fines or imprisonment if for personal use.
Only Malta has fully legalized the recreational use of cannabis following a law passed in December 2021 that allows not only consumption but also cultivation.
In Germany, the Minister of Health intends to follow this pattern and legalize the recreational use of cannabis by 2024. His purpose by decriminalising cannabis is to ensure better protection for children and young people and also to provide better health protection!
France considers that the decriminalization/legalization results are still not conclusive and that the legalization of cannabis has led to a trivialization of the product, without reducing drug trafficking, and without preventing dealers from continuing to sell other illicit products.
In the Czech Republic, the Report 2022 on Illicit Drugs mentioned that
“the topics of political, professional and public discussions included cannabis used for both medical and non-medical purposes, the inadequacy of penalties for cannabis-related offences and the use of psychedelics for treatment of mental disorders and for self-development” .
In Hungary cannabis is illegal but a“ personal quantity“ (1 gram) is tolerated.
The above justifies the successive EU Drugs Strategies as 2021-2025 of the Council of the European Union aimed ” to protect and improve the well-being of society and of the individual, to protect and promote public health, to offer a high level of security and well-being for the general public and to increase health literacy” and in its point 5: Prevent drug use and raise awareness of the adverse effects of drugs.
Drugs, celebrities and education
Since the 1960-70ies, starting with the Beat Generation, and then with celebrities (many having subsequently faced an unexpected tragic destiny), young people with a lack of factual data and information on the drug subject, became easy and vulnerable targets. Currently, the youth are exposed to drugs earlier than ever due to the easy availability of drugs, the aggressive promotions in the media and on the Internet, and due to the constant innovations in the digital illicit drug market.
It is crystal clear when talking with youth and even with parents that they are eager to know more about the drug’s harmful effects to be able to have facts to make the right decision and for the parents to dialogue efficiently with their children. So, facing the drug problem, the master word is Education! Indeed:
Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance wrote the philosopher Will Durant (1885-1981). This is the best prevention and basic action to oppose the pressure and lobbying of the drug industry.
The single most destructive element present in our current culture is drugs said the humanist L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). In Europe, cannabis (marijuana) is with alcohol the most used drugs by 15,5% of the 15-34 years old. And cannabis appears to be the entrance gate into the destructive universe of drugs.
This is why the actions of the Foundation for a Drug-Free Europe and its hundred of Say No To Drugs associations and groups of volunteers across Europe, aware that every year drugs destroy thousands of lives and hopes, are actively contributing through The Truth About Drugs campaign, to preventively educate the youth and the public at large with factual data on the harming effects of drug use.
How is the level of air pollution where you live? Now you can use the European Air Quality Index App on your mobile phone in any of the EU’s 24 official languages. The significant update, which the European Environment Agency released today, also introduces new features, allowing users to better compare air pollution data levels and trends from more than 3500 monitoring stations across Europe.
The European Air Quality Index App, first launched in 2021, provides instant access to up-to-date air quality monitoring data from monitoring stations located in European cities and towns and includes air quality forecasts and health recommendations. The app, which is free of charge, allows users to understand more about air quality where they live, work or travel. Users can gain insights into the air quality in individual countries, regions and cities.
The updated version is available in 24 European languages, making reliable and comparable air quality information easier to access for every EU citizen.
Advanced air quality statistics allows users to dive into data from the last days, weeks and years and also allows you to compare selected stations and learn when the best air quality is to be expected.
New features also include the ability to create personal user profiles, a colour-blind scheme and a newsfeed from the EEA’s Twitter account.
About the European Air Quality Index
The European Air Quality Index is based on hourly information from more than 3500 air quality monitoring stations in Europe. The index offers users insights into the air quality in individual countries, regions and cities. It is calculated using a combination of up-to-date data reported by EEA member countries and forecast data of the air quality level as provided by Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS).
Data from the application is linked to the EEA’s air quality monitoring platforms. The European Air Quality Index is based on concentration values for up to five key pollutants, including:
Event on Syria hosted by MEP György Hölvényi ( Holvenyi )
15 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance – MEP György Hölvényi together with AVSI Foundation held a conference, titled “What kind of help are Syrians asking for?” on Tuesday at the European Parliament.
During the event ahead of the Brussels VII Donor Conference Supporting the future of country and the region, the Christian Democrat politician said:
“if we fail to remove the barriers to providing assistance, we will face another wave of migration”.
At the conference organized by MEP György Hölvényi and attended by local experts from Syria and EU politicians, the MEP stated that 15 million people in Syria are in need of humanitarian assistance, simply to ensure their day-to-day existence. 12 million are starving, 16 million have no access to clean drinking water and 2 million children have never went to school.
All this in a country of 22 million, the MEP pointed out to the dramatic situation in the country, as he has visited the disaster-stricken areas of Aleppo and Lattakia just before Easter.
In this situation, the Syrian people have lost all hope. They must now be given a chance to stay in their homeland. The work of the local Churches, which are already playing a major role in providing healthcare and education, is indispensable, said the Christian Democrat MEP.
Civil society from Syria shared their experiences
Event on Syria hosted by MEP György Hölvényi ( Holvenyi )
At the conference, Mario Zenari, the Apostolic Nuncio to Syria, Fadi Salim Azar Franciscan priest and the Director of the hospital in Lattakia, and Roy Moussalli, the Executive Director of the St. Ephrem Patriarchal Development Committee have also shared their experiences.
Based on their testimonies and his own personal experience, MEP György Hölvényi emphasised that it is clear that the sanctions against the country’s regime are making humanitarian assistance and reconstruction much more difficult. Therefore, with the participation of ministers, EU representatives and like-minded partners, the Donor Conference is opening the door to explore the possibilities to address the crisis in the region and reconsider the sanctions without giving up the political objectives. This is what local humanitarian organisations are unanimously asking from us, the EPP Group politician concluded.
Press conference by Gwendoline DELBOS-CORFIELD, rapporteur Isabel WISELER-LIMA, Thijs REUTEN, Sophie IN 'T VELD and Malin BJÖRK, shadow rapporteurs on the rule of law situation in Hungary
In its latest resolution, Parliament raises serious concerns over developments in Hungary, in light of the upcoming Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU.
Following a plenary debate on Wednesday on the situation of rule of law and fundamental rights in Hungary and frozen EU funds, the text was adopted on Thursday (442 for, 144 against, 33 abstentions).
Further backsliding for EU values
MEPs have repeatedly expressed concerns over the state of EU values in Hungary, which have further deteriorated due to the “deliberate and systematic efforts of the government” and despite Parliament’s activation of the Article 7 mechanism. Their latest concerns relate to laws being adopted without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny and public consultation, as well as the abusive invocation of the ‘state of danger’, the misuse of whistleblower protection to undermine LGBTIQ+ rights and freedom of expression, and the infringement of teachers’ social and labour rights.
The resolution condemns the Hungarian government’s anti-EU campaigns, which aim to divert attention away from a lack of compliance with European values and systemic corruption. MEPs urge the government to bring elections in line with international standards, especially in light of the upcoming European elections in 2024. They also sound the alarm on reports of intimidation, such as visits by the secret police to some companies’ offices, of “strategic” parts of industry, with the aim of bringing them under the control of the Prime Minister’s close circle. The 2022 annual budget was modified 95 times by government decree, they stress, which precluded proper scrutiny and points to lack of sound financial management.
Parliament also raises an array of concerns in relation to the “frozen” recovery funds and corresponding reforms.
Parliament underlines the important role the Presidency of the Council has in driving forward legislation, ensuring the continuity of the EU agenda and representing the Council in relations with the other institutions. It questions how Hungary will be able to fulfil this task credibly in 2024, given its lack of compliance with EU law and values, and the principle of sincere cooperation. Therefore, it asks the Council to find a proper solution and recalls that Parliament could take appropriate measures if such a solution is not found.
In adopting this resolution, Parliament is responding to citizens’ expectations to systematically uphold the rule of law across all EU countries, especially by protecting European values and the EU budget, as set out in Proposals 25(1), 25(4), 16(6), and 38(1) of the conclusions of the Conference on the Future of Europe.
Quote
Parliament’s standing rapporteur for Hungary Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield (Greens/EFA, FR), commented: “Once again, the European Parliament is united in expressing its deep concern over the deterioration of the rule of law situation in Hungary. Unlocking the frozen funds at this stage would give Fidesz a carte blanche to continue their attacks on fundamental rights. It is time for the Council to question whether a member state under Article 7 procedure can credibly hold the Presidency of the EU.”
Watch the press conference with MEPs co-signing the draft resolution.
Although they are an indispensable part of the cinema, popcorn is also considered a healthy snack between main meals. But is popcorn really that healthy? The short answer is, yes, they can be healthy. Popcorn does have potential health benefits by providing you with some vitamins and minerals. There are other ingredients that can add nutrients to the food, such as the butter used for the crackling or any other added seasonings.
Health benefits of popcorn
Corn (even popcorn) is a whole grain. Whole grains are an important source of key vitamins, minerals and fiber. Corn, in particular, contains nutrients such as magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, B, and E. Whole grains are filling because they include the whole grain, unlike refined grains, which are stripped of fiber and nutrients. People who eat popcorn consume more whole grains and fiber than people who don’t. Popcorn consumers may also have a 12% total intake of polyphenols, compounds that may have antioxidant properties. In addition, research shows that eating whole grains is associated with less inflammation and a lower risk of several health conditions such as: coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and more. Eating whole grains is even associated with a lower body mass index and less fat around the belly. Is popcorn really healthy?
Popcorn, in its basic form, can be healthy on its own. One thing to note is the quantity. A serving size of popcorn is usually three to three and a half cups, but it’s easy to gobble up a whole bag while at the movies or at home in front of the TV. Also, extra sodium can cause fluid retention, which causes bloating and overall bloating.
Pay attention to the spices
Various spices and toppings are used to flavor popcorn. In packaged popcorn, seasonings may be simpler such as sea salt and pepper. However, other ingredients may include conventional dairy products such as butter and cheese. Most popcorn options are also laced with sugar or other unhealthy sweeteners. However, if you’re making your own popcorn, you can get creative and add interesting toppings like: preservative-free dried fruit, nuts or seeds, turmeric and black pepper, cinnamon and cocoa powder, or nutritional yeast. Using these supplements can potentially increase the amount of certain nutrients you consume. For example, nuts or spices can add to the popcorn’s antioxidant content. Also, with homemade popcorn, you can control the amount of salt.
In other words, popcorn can be a healthy snack. They are whole grains, so they may provide you with benefits, such as reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, the nutritional quality of popcorn can vary greatly depending on the ingredients used to make it.
Today, Caritas Europa launches its new analysis on the implementation of the Temporary Protection Directive (TPD), based on a survey carried out in 21 countries. A vast majority of refugees struggle to access affordable accommodation and other rights. We call for continued support to all people in need of protection.
Since the start of the war, over 8 million people have fled Ukraine to seek refuge in Europe. Caritas welcomes the unprecedented triggering of the TPD and similar temporary protection statuses in Europe that grant immediate access to a series of rights, such as residence permit, health, education, accommodation, access to the labour market and welfare support. However, important barriers to accessing these rights remain, as we reveal in our new publication “Europe’s welcome of refugees from Ukraine and lessons learnt”.
One of the key challenges from our findings relates to the difficulties for the refugees to transition from hosting families to independent living. This is due to an acute housing crisis across Europe. Many refugees are also in difficult financial situations with limited access to welfare state support. Those with disabilities often face additional administrative challenges and struggle to receive the allowances they are entitled to.
Furthermore, public healthcare services are often restricted and emergency services are the only option in many cases to receive care in several countries.
Difficult access to education and school also raises concerns about the continuity of education. Direct access to the labour market is one of the key benefits of the TPD; yet, in practice, refugees from Ukraine are often forced to take on low-skilled and low-paid jobs, typically below their level of qualifications. The lack of childcare facilities and kindergarten places also prevents women from working.
These challenges hinder social inclusion, which is further exacerbated by uncertainty about the future, including what legal status people will receive when temporary protection ends and when return to Ukraine will be possible.
Challenges for the future
Limited funding and solidarity fatigue make us doubt the future support to refugees from Ukraine, let alone the needed effort to overcome the challenges highlighted above. In addition, as asylum and reception systems in many countries are already strained, we are concerned that political will to support all refugees in the EU is decreasing and that governments will not commit to ambitious pledges to resettle people in need of protection.
While our analysis identifies some cases of differentiated treatment based on a refugee’s country of origin, the strong welcome of refugees from Ukraine shows that where there is a will there is a way. Thus, we urge European governments to leverage the good practices we have identified, such as involving local communities and diaspora, having efficient registration processes, wide provision of information and support, wider access to the labour market and more flexible reunification procedures.
Maria Nyman, Caritas Europa Secretary General, stated:
“Caritas provides support to all people in need, regardless of their origin, and we will continue to do so in line with our mission. We urge countries to build upon the solidarity shown to the people fleeing the war in Ukraine and to duplicate the good practices put in place to ensure a dignified welcome and protection to all refugees.”
The 5.5 magnitude quake struck in the department of Grand’Anse, following torrential rains which have displaced more than 13,000 people.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of life, destruction of property and suffering of the Haitian people caused by the earthquake”, said UN Spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric. “The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.”
He said the UN stood ready to work with the Haitian authorities and other partners, to help ease the suffering of those impacted by this latest natural disaster.
On Monday, the World Food Programme (WFP) said that it was already providing immediate assistance to those affected by the massive rainfall over the weekend, providing hot meals to those displaced, and mobilizing ready-to-eat rations and dry food.
Mr. Dujarric said that Grand’ Anse was among the areas impacted by the rains, prior to the earthquake.
According to news reports, Tuesday’s quake was the second to strike the area in just two days, with a 4.4 magnitude tremor registered on Sunday morning.
In August 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the same southern peninsula region, leaving hundreds dead.
Urban areas of Haiti have been flooded following torrential rains.
Resources for flood victims
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, OCHA, is working with UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, WFP and the International Organization for Migration, IOM, to support communities around the capital Port-au-Prince that were hardest hit by the floods and landslides, he added.
WFP is ready to distribute some 350,000 hot meals and other food assistance overall, to those who need it the most, he confirmed.
“Our colleagues say that ongoing insecurity and damage to roads are obviously hampering any relief efforts.”
According to UN humanitarians, the floods and landslides affected seven of Haiti’s 10 departments, and authorities say at least 51 people have been killed, 140 others injured and 18 are still missing. In the affected areas, nearly 32,000 homes were flooded.
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, and its mandate has become a powerful vehicle for change, progress, dignity, and justice, yet “this is far from enough to meet today’s challenges”, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in his keynote address at the +30 Symposium, Vienna World Conference: 30 Years On: Our Rights – Our Future.
Convened to mark the third decade of the adoption of the landmark Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the symposium aims at highlighting achievements and outlining challenges ahead.
“While there have been massive gains in human rights since the Vienna Declaration, today, all around the world, we are seeing dramatic rollbacks”, he said. “The common language of human rights is our compass to guide us towards progress.”
The global agreement remains a “living document that can guide us today in our ambitions”, the High Commissioner said.
Rolling back rights
From Afghanistan to Ukraine, he said, the world is witnessing pushbacks on rights, a rise in hate speech, shrinking civic space, and a changing geopolitical landscape that has revealed a disturbing trend of deepened divisions within and across countries threatening national cohesion, he warned.
The 21st century has also seen the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution alongside digital shifts, including artificial intelligence developments, that are rapidly transforming the world, “moving faster than the regulators who should be setting up careful human rights guardrails to protect us from their dangers”, he said.
Rights foundations
“Today’s emerging human rights challenges will continue to test us,” he said. “It would be naïve to say we can pass all these tests, but it would be dangerous and counter-productive to stop trying.”
Recalling his youth in post-Second World War Austria, he said the “echoes of trauma and of grave human rights violations were palpable”.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which turns 75 this year, was “a powerful unifying force for equality, social progress, justice, and respect” in an era of profound social transformations amid dynamic movements for social justice, feminism, LGBTI rights, anti-apartheid, decolonization, and environmental protection, he said.
When UN Member States adopted the Vienna Declaration in 1993, the agreement had shattered the long-held fallacy that social, economic, and cultural rights have less value than civil and political rights, he said.
The landmark agreement also confirmed the conviction that human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated, and boldly rejected the view that certain human rights could be considered optional while paving the path for numerous other breakthroughs, from establishing the International Criminal Court, to historical advances on the rights of women, children, and indigenous peoples.
Learning from mistakes
“Anniversaries are arbitrary unless we seize them as meaningful opportunities to reflect on our achievements, learn from our mistakes, and take fearless steps towards progress and transformation,” he said.
“The task before all of us today, this year, and in the future is to apply the Universal Declaration’s visionary words to our current global challenges,” he said, urging all participants to constructively join the symposium with pledges and positive impact stories.
“Restoring faith and certainty in human rights at a time of profound global turmoil is the focus of this symposium, and it must be the focus of our future,” he added.
