More than €1 billion has been allocated by the European Defence Fund for the development of critical defence technologies and capabilities. Around €100 million each is set aside for critical fields such as ground combat, space, air and naval combat, energy resilience and environmental transition.
Europol investigated some 52 organised crime groups as part of a global effort to crack down on the trafficking of fake medicines and illicit doping substances. More than €11 million’s worth of fake medicines were taken off the markets, as a result of the investigation.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) Group’s new financing in Hungary last year amounted to €314 million, supporting projects to improve rail services, meet electricity demands from major local manufacturers and support small and medium enterprises (SME). This includes financing from both members of the EIB Group – the EIB and the European Investment Fund (EIF).
“Our 2024 results are good news for Hungary and the EU,” said EIB Vice-President Teresa Czerwinska. “They are a testament to our ability to support national and EU priorities and ensure our citizens and businesses can thrive, contribute towards a globally competitive, sustainable and green future and ensure equal opportunities and a higher quality of living. With more than €25 billion invested in the country since 1991, the EIB Group has established itself as one of the most reliable sources of financial and advisory support for Hungary. We are ready to pursue this role in the years ahead.”
Modern rail and power networks
The biggest operation in Hungary to receive EIB Group funding last year was a €160 million EIB loan to regional railway operator GYSEV to improve network infrastructure and replace old diesel-powered trains with new electric ones. The loan will significantly improve the reliability of train connections between Hungary and Austria. The credit will also accelerate modernisation of the national rail network – a development priority for Hungary. In addition, the financing will boost economic activities in cohesion regions in western Hungary, reduce travel times and increase comfort for hundreds of thousands of rail commuters annually and cut air pollution.
The EIB Group also provided a €90 million EIB financing to Hungary to support investments undertaken by the energy companies E.ON and MAVIR to expand power grids to meet the electricity needs of key industrial sites, including ones that will boost the European Union’s ability to produce electric vehicles strengthening the EU’s strategic autonomy in this area. The investment boosts economic activity in cohesion regions in Hungary.
Some €64 million in EIB Group financing supported Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises and Mid-Caps, the backbone of the national economy and a major source of employment for Hungarians.
EIB Group Results
For more details on EIB group results please visit EIB Group press conference on annual results
With a look at the past challenges and achievements, they also looked to the future and potential of collaboration and community projects. Among the attendees there were also Ambassadors and personnel of the European institutions.
Scientologists from Belgium and from abroad celebrated two anniversaries on January 23, 2025: 50 years of the Church of Scientology in Belgium and 15 years of the organization’s headquarters on the Boulevard de Waterloo in Brussels.
The night started with a light and healthy dinner. Right after, the master of ceremonies Ivan Arjona-Pelado, Scientology’s representative to the European institutions and the United Nations, introduced violinist Ilona Raasch for a live musical performance, played through classical violin pieces that set an intimate and warm atmosphere for the evening.
The impact of Scientology’s journey in Belgium was reflected on by attendees, including prominent figures from religious and civil society groups.
Arjona-Pelado, European representative since 2017, took the audience through the history of Scientology in Belgium. It originated in the 1950s and 1960s when believers of the faith found the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard abroad and began to share them in small home groups in Belgium. The initial establishment of the first official Scientology mission at the end of 1974 provided the foundation for a rapidly reinforced religious community and structured religious activities and public engagement, who attended lectures, workshops and seminars, often improvised by the veteran yet new members.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Scientology continued to grow internationally, and Belgium was an important country in its European growth. In 1980 incorporated the Church of Scientology of Belgium, and the establishment of the first European Scientology human rights office in Brussels took place in 1990-1991 marking a significant step on the role of the Church to promote and ensure human rights for everyone in alignment with European and International covenants. Thus, Brussels was not only the political capital of Europe but also the moral and ethical capital, where Scientology further increased its dialogue with other religions and social organizations. This period saw the church’s growing role in social outreach programmes, going beyond the provision of religious services to include advocacy and education.
However, all this was not without distractions for Scientology, as there were certain attacks in Belgium. In 1997, a Belgian parliamentary report classified 189 religious groups in a black-list which led to the public stigma and an increase of discrimination. In 1999 brought about a police raid, in which 120 officers entered the Church of Scientology, while Scientologists were hosting a religious freedom marathon through the city. The unjustified raids led to an 18-year-long legal battle, disrupting the lives of Scientologists and relatives. However, “with a strong belief that the truth will always prevail” as Arjona explained during his presentation, the Scientologists continued with their social activities such as the war on drugs and human rights education.
It was only in 2016 when the major milestone was reached in Brussels, when the court acquitted the church and Scientologists of all suspicions and attacks in a 173-page verdict, which pointed out serious violations of the defense’s rights and the presumption of guilt based only on “religious prejudice of a prosecutor and some policemen who had taken the power of the state to carry out their personal witch hunt” states Arjona. This verdict was not only a victory for Scientology but also for religious freedom in Belgium. It also reinforced the position that religious minorities should not be subjected to unjustified discrimination, and therefore paved the way for the church’s vindication of religious freedom victory in the Belgium society.
Another significant progress in this journey was the establishment of the new church called “Churches of Scientology for the European Communities” on the Boulevard de Waterloo 15 years ago, which was gifted by the International Association of Scientologists. The facility, which surpasses 8,000 square meters, is used for religious services, study, seminars and interfaith events. “Our Chapel has seen ceremonies and lectures held by Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Hindus, Jewish, Sikhs, Freemasons and others,” says Ivan Arjona, “as a true religion of religions”. The building is an architectural marvel and at the same time a warm welcome for all Scientologists and indeed visitors of all faiths and none. Arjona further reminded, during the celebration of the 50th Anniversary, that the building is an open and welcoming place for all religious and community groups to come together. It is an interreligious meeting place, and it hosts conferences and discussions with the aim of establishing good relations “that help to work together for a world in peace,” explained Arjona.
Besides the religious functions, the headquarters has also a role to play in humanitarian and educational work. Many events and actions of drug prevention, improving literacy and promoting human rights are coordinated from this central hub, thus showing the social responsibility of Scientology and its many friends. The facility, “one of the most beautiful buildings in Brussels” says Arjona, has been a venue for many workshops, meetings, and community activities that reinforce its position as a positive contributor in Brussels.
The event also featured some of the social campaigns of Scientology. Its drug prevention campaign channelled through “Foundation for a Drug Free World” is aimed at young people and is designed to ensure that they have clear information about substances and their effects to make informed decisions. The organization’s human rights education program “United for Human Rights” is based on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the group works to ensure that these rights are actualized in people’s lives and not just theoretical concepts. Also, there is The Way to Happiness, a non-religious moral code written by L. Ron Hubbard and which deals with universal values like honesty and respect. These materials are provided free of charge to schools, municipalities and community groups to reach the general population.
In addition, the programs of Scientology have tangible results; thousands of educational booklets of are annually distributed, and many workshops are held for students and professionals. Thus, the church combines advocacy with practical tools to guarantee that its social initiatives result in positive change and better ethical and social behaviour of the community.
A particular part of the evening was the appreciation of the volunteers and the staff who make the church and its programs possible. Several people were called forward and applauded for their great contribution. Their contribution was recognized as an important determinant of the church’s progress in the recent past. The dedication and resilience of these volunteers have enabled Scientology to remain strong in Belgium, and have shown that individuals can make a big difference in the improvement of the community. Arjona also recognized some of those Civil Society activists that have been working alongside the Church, be it on human rights, drug prevention, promoting culture and peace and as well as helping the needy in the streets.
The 50th anniversary of Scientology in Belgium was not just the celebration of the past, it was a proclamation of the future. To finalize the event, the public was taken through the church’s informational exhibition to see the various outreach programs and materials that the church has, and were invited to champagne and a birthday cake cut with a replica of the Excalibur sword.
Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Head of the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), provided a detailed briefing from Goma, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation and the need for “urgent and coordinated international action” to stop the fighting between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces – as they battle for control of the city.
She reported that the recent clashes have led to massive displacement, with over 178,000 people fleeing Kalehe territory after the M23 took control of Minova.
More than 34,000 of those on the run have sought refuge in already overcrowded IDP sites in and around Goma, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis and overwhelming the city’s infrastructure.
“Despite the appeals from Member States during the Security Council meeting on 26 January, the M23/RDF [Rwanda Defence Force] launched an attack on Goma, using heavy direct and indirect fire,” Ms. van de Perre stated.
“These attacks have resulted in numerous civilian casualties, further displacement, and significant trauma among the population.”
She emphasised the critical role of MONUSCO in providing refuge and protection, noting that the mission has received a large number of people seeking safety, including officials and armed elements who have surrendered.
“MONUSCO’s bases are not able to accommodate the large number of surrendering elements and civilians seeking refuge,” she said. “The Uruguayan Battalion (URUBATT) alone has taken in approximately 1,200 Congolese soldiers and over a thousand civilians, placing immense pressure on resources.”
The situation is further complicated by damage to water tanks, compromising the security of UN personnel and property.
“Our bases are not safe: two mortars have hit MONUSCO bases and compounds in the last three days, as well as numerous bullets,” Ms. van de Perre reported.
“Installations of [formed police unit] staff in Jambar camp have been destroyed and burnt.”
Casualty evacuation efforts remain a significant challenge, with peacekeepers injured during the fighting in Sake.
Despite the closure of Goma airport, MONUSCO continues to facilitate medical evacuations with the help of SAMIDRC – the Southern African Development Community mission in DRC.
“We continue to do our utmost to ensure timely evacuation of injured peacekeepers and other casualties to our level 3 hospital in Goma despite continued challenges,” Ms. van de Perre said.
The M23 and Rwandan forces’ capture of Goma’s international airport and their advance from multiple directions have heightened the risk of weapons proliferation, as combatants blend into the civilian population, the Deputy UN Special Representative continued.
The mass influx of IDPs, separation of families, and escape of prisoners from Goma prison have increased the vulnerability of women and children to sexual and gender-based violence.
Ms. van de Perre called on all parties to guarantee the protection of life and access to basic services, and to prevent sexual violence.
“The degree of suffering that the population here in Goma and its environs is enduring is truly unimaginable,” she said.
“Let us please draw on our humanity and do our utmost to bring an immediate end to such levels of violence and suffering.”
In light of the ongoing conflict, Ms. van de Perre urged the establishment of humanitarian corridors between Goma, Minova and Bukavu, and the reopening of critical airports and border points.
She emphasised that military action cannot resolve the conflict and called for a resumption of the Luanda Process under the auspices of the Angolan Government to ensure de-escalation and “avert the looming threat of a third Congo war.”
The briefing concluded with a call for urgent and coordinated international action to address the crisis in Goma. Despite the challenges, MONUSCO remains a vital lifeline for vulnerable groups, but its effectiveness is being severely tested by the ongoing violence and logistical difficulties.
“The protection of civilians and the pursuit of a peaceful resolution must be prioritised to end the suffering in Goma,” MONUSCO’s deputy head stressed.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst are providing a €70 million funding package through the EU-Catalyst Partnership to INERATEC, a Germany based e-fuel company. The EIB is providing a €40 million venture-debt-loan, backed by the EU`s InvestEU-program, while Breakthrough Energy Catalyst is awarding a grant of €30 million. The package will support the financing of INERATEC’s carbon neutral e-fuel production plant in Frankfurt, as well as further research and development. The Frankfurt plant is set to be Europe`s largest when opening in 2025.
E-fuel production uses CO2 and hydrogen to produce synthetic fuels and chemicals that are carbon neutral or close to carbon neutral when used. They have significant potential in hard-to-decarbonize sectors such as aviation, where commercial demand is underpinned by clear regulation. Therefore, long-term market growth can be expected.
The EU’s ReFuelEU Aviation regulation requires that aviation fuel suppliers provide jet-fuel with 1.2 per cent minimum synthetic fuel content by 2030, rising to 35 per cent in 2050. Based in Karlsruhe, Germany, INERATEC is well placed for this growing market, offering an efficient, scalable modular design.
INERATEC’S Frankfurt plant will produce up to 2,500 tons of e-fuels and e-chemicals, including e-sustainable aviation fuel (e-SAF). The plant will also incorporate an upgrading facility, enabling the e-crude oil to be refined into certifiable, ready-to-use sustainable aviation fuel on site. The fuel will support compliance with the EU’s synthetic aviation fuel mandate.
EIB-Vice-President Nicola Beer said: “E-fuels are a crucial part of achieving a competitive net-zero economy, particularly in the mobility and transport sector. Game-changing technologies like Ineratec’s play a vital role in this transition. Together with the European Commission and Breakthrough Energy, through the EIB’s venture debt product, we are supporting an innovative startup in scaling up production and advancing research to make e-fuels a viable, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.”
INERATEC CEO Tim Boeltken said: “INERATEC’S Frankfurt production plant will show that e-fuel production is no longer a technological concept but a scalable reality. Reliable production of certifiable e-SAF is possible in the near-term – at commercial scale, that will be a breakthrough for sustainable aviation. This investment from EIB and Breakthrough Energy Catalyst is a sign of confidence in the INERATEC technology and approach.”
Mario Fernandez, Head of Breakthrough Energy Catalyst, adds: “We are delighted to be working with INERATEC. This ground-breaking project will bring us a decisive step closer to the decarbonisation of aviation.”
The financing reinforces EIB position as the ‘The Climate Bank’, a priority in the EIB Group’s 2024-2027 Strategic Roadmap, and supports the objectives of the European Commission’s RefuelEU aviation regulations.
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investments for the European Union’s policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU programme brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments currently available to support investment in the European Union, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
EIB venture debt is a quasi-equity investment product suitable for early and growth stage ventures, combining a long-term loan with an instrument linking the return to the performance of the company. Since 2015, the EIB has invested €6 billion in Venture Debt, backing over 200 companies and realising over 50 exits. With the backing of InvestEU, the EIB aims to support European ventures and scale-ups in the cleantech, deep-tech and life sciences sectors.
INERATEC is committed to defossilizing and decarbonizing the world. The company produces e-Fuels and e-chemicals: carbon-neutral fossil fuel substitutes for use in the aviation, shipping and chemical industries. Its modular, scalable plants use renewable hydrogen and biogenic CO2 to produce synthetic kerosene, gasoline, diesel, waxes, methanol or natural gas. It is building what will be the world’s largest e-fuels plant to date, in Frankfurt, which will produce up to 2,500 tonnes of ultra-low-carbon aviation fuel per year. The company is based in Karlsruhe, Germany and backed by diverse international investors.
Breakthrough Energy is committed to accelerating the world’s journey to a clean energy future. The organization funds breakthrough technologies, advocates for climate-smart policies, and mobilizes partners around the world to take effective action, accelerating progress at every stage.
Breakthrough Energy Catalyst is a novel platform that funds and invests in first-of-a-kind commercial projects for emerging climate technologies. By investing in these opportunities, Catalyst seeks to accelerate the adoption of these technologies worldwide and reduce their costs.
Catalyst currently focuses on five technology areas: clean hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuel, direct air capture, long-duration energy storage, and manufacturing decarbonization. In addition to capital, Catalyst leverages the team’s energy-infrastructure-investing and project-development expertise to work with innovators on advancing their projects from the development stage to funding and ultimately, to construction. Learn more about Breakthrough Energy and Catalyst at breakthroughenergy.org.
The internet also remains down in the provincial capital and only mobile phone networks are functioning, with M23 fighters apparently in control of “a significant portion of the city” after intense clashes with the Congolese army, UN agencies reported on Wednesday.
Aid teams from the UN World Health Organization (WHO) “cannot move freely to support the hospitals, even ambulances cannot run. It’s a situation that in public health is a nightmare,” said Dr Boureima Hama Sambo, WHO Representive in DRC.
Speaking to UN News, Dr Sambo added: “We just hope that the situation will return to normal for the Government … vulnerable people really need us.”
Conditions in provincial capital Goma remain “dire”, he added, with no running water, electricity cut and civilians trapped – including health professionals.
Echoing those concerns, a senior UN peacekeeping official warned that the level of suffering among those caught up in the violence was “unimaginable”.
Vivian van de Perre, Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations in the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) told the Security Council late Tuesday that there was a need for “urgent and coordinated international action” to stop the fighting between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese forces as they battled for control of Goma.
Before M23 fighters closed in on Goma, more than 700,000 internally displaced people lived around the provincial capital. But hundreds of thousands fled in anticipation of clashes between the Rwanda-backed rebels and DRC troops, prompting renewed alarm about the further spread of deadly disease.
“When you have as many as 700,000 people living in camps, you can imagine the human suffering,” the WHO official told UN News, pointing to “a lot of ongoing [disease] outbreaks” in North and South Kivu – two mineral-rich regions close to the Rwanda border, where dozens of armed groups have held sway for decades.
Repeated mass displacement in DRC has created ideal conditions for the spread of many endemic diseases in camps and surrounding communities in the Kivus, including cholera (more than 22,000 cases and 60 deaths in 2024), measles (close to 12,000 cases and 115 deaths) and malaria, as well as chronic child malnutrition.
In August last year, WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also declared the mpox outbreak a public health emergency of international concern.
Despite a “robust” initial response to the mpox threat by WHO and national partners that has been coordinated from Kinshasa and field offices in Goma and South Kivu, Dr Sambo warned that mpox patients had fled at least one camp’s treatment centre and were now living now in host communities and with families.
“So, we are there’s a fear for the disease to be spreading widely in communities, but at this point we cannot say because we have not been able to get there and assess what’s happening right now.”
Children’s agency UNICEF‘s Representative in DRC, Jean Francois Basse, described the situation in Goma as “extremely grave,” further complicating an already dire humanitarian crisis.
He highlighted the severe hardships faced by the displaced population, including exposure to traumatic events, hunger, thirst, and exhaustion.
Beyond the health risks, he said there has been a surge in the number of children separated from their parents, making them vulnerable to kidnapping, recruitment by armed groups, and sexual violence.
The agency is urgently calling for $22 million to continue providing life-saving support, including clean water, proper sanitation, medical supplies, treatment for severely malnourished children, and protection services.
Mr. Basse emphasised the need for parties to the conflict to halt the military escalation, which is exacerbating the suffering of children and worsening the already appalling humanitarian conditions.
The move from the UN agency dedicated to ending the disease came in response to an immediate 90-day funding pause for all foreign assistance laid out in an executive order by President Trump, including the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).
PEPFAR is the world’s leading HIV initiative which directly supports more than 20 million people living with HIV, representing two-thirds of all people receiving HIV treatment globally.
The waiver approves the continuation or resumption of “life-saving humanitarian assistance,” which applies to core life-saving medicine and medical services, including HIV treatment, as well as supplies necessary to deliver such aid.
“UNAIDS welcomes this waiver from the US Government which ensures that millions of people living with HIV can continue to receive life-saving HIV medication during the assessment of US foreign development assistance,” said UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima.
“This urgent decision recognises PEPFAR’s critical role in the AIDS response and restores hope to people living with HIV.”
The funding pause of development assistance for “assessment of programmatic efficiencies and consistency with United States foreign policy,” was one of the first major foreign policy decisions of the new administration.
UNAIDS will continue efforts to ensure that all people living with or affected by HIV are served and that other key components of PEPFAR’s life-saving efforts, including service delivery and services for HIV prevention, care, and support for orphans and vulnerable children, are continued.
Earlier, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) expressed deep concern about the implications of the funding pause for HIV programmes in low and middle-income countries.
These programmes provide access to life-saving HIV therapy to more than 30 million people worldwide. Globally, 39.9 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2023.
“Such measures, if prolonged, could lead to rises in new infections and deaths, reversing decades of progress and potentially taking the world back to the 1980s and 1990s when millions died of HIV every year globally, including many in the US,” said WHO in a statement issued before the Secretary of State’s emergency waiver was announced.
PEPFAR has been a flagship initiative of the global HIV response since its establishment over 20 years ago, WHO stressed.
Any funding pause for PEPFAR would have a direct impact on millions of lives that depend on the predictable supply of safe and effective antiretroviral treatment.
PEPFAR works in over 50 countries around the world and has saved more than 26 million lives over the past two decades. Currently, PEPFAR is providing HIV treatment for more than 20 million people living with HIV globally, including 566,000 children under 15 years of age.
WHO said that over the past year, PEPFAR and partners – including WHO – “have been working on sustainability plans with countries for greater country ownership and reduced donor support up to and beyond 2030.”
A sudden and prolonged stop to programmes would hamper a managed transition and puts the lives of millions at risk.
The agency said it would remain committed to supporting PEPFAR and other partners, as well as national governments, in managing change processes effectively to minimise the impact on people living with HIV.
A new framework to rekindle economic productivity and secure the EU’s competitive edge has been presented by the European Commission. The Competitiveness Compass builds on the recommendations set out in Mario Draghi’s report on the future of European competitiveness. It will steer the EU’s work on competitiveness over the next five years and translate the report’s recommendations into concrete actions for the EU’s future prosperity.
The EU enjoys a strong system of rights and values, a Single Market, top-notch infrastructure and a skilled workforce, but the Compass recognises that more must be done to ensure Europe keeps pace with other major economies in a challenging and increasingly competitive world. While all the time looking to secure the EU’s climate neutrality, it sets a path for Europe to become the place where future technologies and clean products are invented, manufactured, and put on the market.
The Compass identifies 3 core areas of action:
Underpinning these actions will be five cross-cutting activities:
The Competitiveness Compass is the first major initiative of the Commission in the 2024-2029 mandate.
For more information
Strengthening European competitiveness
Communication – A Competitiveness Compass for the EU
A factsheet on the Competitiveness Compass
Press release: An EU Compass to regain competitiveness and secure sustainable prosperity
