The Council approved conclusions today setting a tax decluttering and simplification agenda to contribute to the EU’s competitiveness.
Nine out of 10 Gazans unable to access safe drinking water: UNICEF
The situation has deteriorated further following Israel’s decision on Sunday to cut power to the enclave – in a bid to increase pressure on Hamas over hostage releases – disrupting vital desalination operations.
Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF official in Gaza, reported that 600,000 people who had regained access to drinking water in November 2024 are once again cut off. “It’s really vital for thousands of families and children to restore this connection,” she said.
UN agencies estimate that 1.8 million people – over half of them children – urgently need water, sanitation and hygiene assistance.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, the UN aid agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini expressed that “the situation is similar to the one which prevailed in October 2023.”
West Bank displacement
Mr. Lazzarini highlighted the escalating crisis in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli security operations have led to the largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967.
Around 40,000 people, many of them refugees, have been forced to flee their homes, with entire communities emptied due to intensified military activities.
The Commissioner-General condemned what he called the systematic dismantling of UNRWA’s operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem following Israel’s ban on agency operations, pointing to the “increased pressure from the municipality to vacate its premises and halt service provision,” with international staff denied entry or expelled.
Mr. Lazzarini warned that efforts to undermine UNRWA – through funding suspensions, legislative restrictions and disinformation campaigns – pose a severe threat to regional stability.
Calls for unhindered access
Humanitarian Coordinator Muhannad Hadi called for the entry of lifesaving aid to resume “immediately,” as any further delays will affect the progress achieved during the ceasefire.
Meanwhile, Mr. Lazzarini further emphasised the importance of a political framework to prevent the crisis from escalating.
He referenced ongoing diplomatic efforts, including proposals led by Saudi Arabia, the European Union and the League of Arab States, to implement a two-State solution and transition humanitarian services to Palestinian-led institutions.
“When there is political will, humanitarian assistance can be unhindered and uninterrupted,” he underscored.
Funding crisis
As the crisis unfolds, UNRWA is also grappling with severe financial constraints, exacerbated by funding suspensions from key donors.
Mr. Lazzarini urged Member States to sustain UNRWA’s operations until a clear political solution emerges, warning that cutting support prematurely will only intensify calls for Palestinians’ return or resettlement.
“The rights of Palestinian refugees exist independently of the agency,” he said, underscoring that ending UNRWA’s mandate without a viable alternative will only deepen civilian suffering.
Remarks by Paschal Donohoe following the Eurogroup meeting of 10 March 2025
Remarks by Eurogroup President Paschal Donohoe after the Eurogroup meeting on macroeconomic developments, fiscal policy, global trade challenges, crypto assets, and the progress of the capital markets union and digital euro.
Commission 2024-2029: First 100 days
As the world sees tectonic shifts, the European Union must rise to new and unprecedented
challenges to ensure our competitiveness and security.
The events of the last weeks make that
clearer than ever. Our Union needs to be more independent, more autonomous, and more able
to defend itself against any threats.
In the first 100 days of its mandate, the von der Leyen Commission has already made important steps towards those goals. The Commission launched many initiatives to boost the EU’s competitiveness, strengthen its defence capabilities, and increase its level of preparedness.
Ukraine reels from one of the deadliest days of war
“With 21 civilians reported killed, 7 March was one of the deadliest days for civilians in Ukraine so far this year,” UN mission chief Danielle Bell said
Russian’s full-scale invasion in February 2022 has killed thousands and left millions displaced by the ongoing war.
The UN monitoring mission said all the civilian deaths and 79 of the 81 injured on 7 March occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine. Right now, the mission is working to verify the casualty numbers according to its standard methodology.
Deadly attacks in Donetsk
Most of the casualties occurred in Donetsk region, including in Dobropillia town where a Russian attack with multiple weapons late on Friday evening killed 11 civilians and injured 47, including seven children, the UN mission reported.
According to local authorities, the attacks destroyed or heavily damaged at least eight five-story residential buildings, an administrative building and a shopping centre.
Only two other days in 2025 have seen as many people killed, the UN monitoring mission said. Local authorities reported 21 civilians killed on both 8 January and 1 February. For both dates, the UN mission was able to verify 19 of them.
Though casualty numbers have fluctuated over recent months, they overall remain higher than in 2024.
The UN monitoring mission said it will release its monthly protection of civilians update for February on its website on 11 March.
UN rights chief raises alarm over escalating violence in Syria
The killing of civilians in coastal areas in northwest Syria must cease immediately, the UN rights chief said on Sunday following a series of coordinated attacks reportedly launched by elements of the former government and other local armed men.
