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UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres is in the Belgian capital to participate in the second high-level dialogue between the global body and the European Union (EU), following on from a meeting last July.

The two days of talks will centre around issues that include Russias invasion of Ukraine and its ripple effects worldwide, climate change, and the promise and perils of the digital revolution.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed the blocs steadfast commitment to the strong partnership with the UN in the face of these unprecedented challenges.

We both know that we can only tackle these through international cooperation, now more than ever. And in other word words, this means that the world needs the United Nations now more than ever, she said.

Ms. von der Leyen provided an overview of the agenda for their talks, including the big topic of Ukraine grain exports amid the ongoing war.

She thanked the Secretary-General for his tireless efforts to extend the Black Sea Grain Initiative, the UN-brokered deal signed last July that is set to expire within days.

The world needs it, she said. Russia has a responsibility to prolong it, otherwise global food insecurity will be the consequence. So now the ball is in President Putin's court, and the world is watching.

She also underlined EU support for the peace plan put forward by Ukraines President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy because it is based precisely on the principles of the UN Charter and every word is deducted from UN resolutions.

Mr. Guterres noted that the dialogue is taking place at a time when international cooperation is challenged at its core. He thanked the EU for its contributions to UN efforts in areas such as climate action, sustainable development, peace and security, human rights and gender equality.

We live in an ever more multipolar world, and this calls for enhanced forms of cooperation and multilateral governance, anchored in international law. And the European Union must be an essential pillar of this new global order, he said.

He underscored the need to work together to bridge political divides and rebuild trust among countries, warning that we do not have a moment to lose.

With sustainable development efforts off-track, Mr. Guterres highlighted how the EU can play a role in transforming the global financial system so that it works for everyone and fulfills its role as a global safety net.

On climate change, he underlined the need for greater international cooperation on both mitigation and climate justice. The UN chief repeated his call for a climate solidarity pact that would see wealthier polluting nations make an extra effort to cut emissions.

He further stressed the need for governments, regional organisations, the private sector and civil society to ensure that technology serves both human rights and the common good.

The initial high-level dialogue between the EU and the UN was held in July 2022 just outside New York City.

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UN needed 'now more than ever': European Commission President - UN News

The February earthquakes disrupted daily life in the 11 provinces in Trkiye, including the functioning of the health system. While access to healthcare services became one of the most urgent needs in the earthquake area, European Union (EU) Member States set up field hospitals to contribute to meeting the demand.

Hospitals and pharmacies were destroyed in the earthquake. Doctors and medics died. In such a case, field hospitals played a vital role in the earthquake zone, says academician Bar Turul, a volunteer interpreter at Spanish Field Hospital in Hatay.

Bar Turul, the volunteer interpreter at Spanish Field Hospital.

Turul states that on his first day at the field hospital, he worked from 9 in the morning to 11 at night, except for half an hour for lunch and dinner. He says: The doctor with whom I worked that day treated 115 patients. I was not the only interpreter because it was a big field hospital; there were two pharmacies and many polyclinics, from obstetrics and paediatrics to physiotherapy and surgery. He adds that the Spanish staff established good relationships with

the region's people and people were grateful for both the hospital and this solidarity.

The field hospitals treated thousands of earthquake savers.

Solidarity in the field of health

Doctor Servet Alkan, a survivor of the earthquake in Hatay, emphasises the importance of solidarity in the field of health. He says:

Lots of my doctor friends, including me, brought their families to the safe cities and voluntarily returned to Hatay. We started to work with colleagues coming from other cities in the infirmaries established by associations, syndicates and NGOs after the earthquakes. Accessing medical equipment was a problem on the first days. Some friends from Antalya and Bolu sent us a truck of blood serum and medical equipment on the third day. This support from other cities continued for the next few days. Then we had great support from friends from the Turkish Pharmacists Association. Meanwhile, the field hospitals set up by many countries cared for earthquake victims and provided a transfer service to full-fledged hospitals.

The Italian Field Hospital team.

Solidarity diminishes the pain

Ambassador Kemal Bozay, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Trkiye Republic, in the inauguration of the digital photography exhibition Stronger Together on the 9 of May, "solidarity" themed Europe Day, said:

We know that solidarity brings more joy and happiness, and also, it diminishes the pain. In the aftermath of the earthquake, which affected 11 provinces and about 16 million people, EU institutions and member states were in solidarity with us which is very valuable.

The EU has supported Turkiye since day one.

Solidarity by the EU

After the earthquakes, the Netherlands deployed a medical evacuation plane via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Some 2,000 tents, 8,000 beds and 500 relief-housing units equipped with 2,500 beds were mobilised via the reserves of the rescEU in Romania and Sweden, an extra layer of citizen protection integrated into the Mechanism. Via the Mechanism, 21 EU Member States, together with 4 Participating States under the Mechanism, offered 32 search and rescue teams and 7 medical teams, some of them arriving at the earthquake sites already on the first day to start their search for survivors. In addition to first responders, five field hospitals from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Spain were sent to Trkiye via the Mechanism. These field hospitals allowed them to treat thousands of people, and some medical equipment was later donated to Trkiye.

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut visited Belgian Field Hospital in Hatay.

EU funds the largest field hospital in the world

Ambassador Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut, Head of the EU Delegation to Trkiye, who visited the Belgian Field Hospital in Krkhan, Hatay, on the 28th of February, says, All field hospitals from the European Union provided very professional and high-quality services to Turkish citizens. They helped to relieve the burden on existing Turkish hospitals after the earthquake. The operations in the earthquake area were a perfect example of a successful and coordinated European approach. And now, besides the EU continuing to assist the people in the earthquake area, the European Commission is allocating 106.2 million to 8 countries, including Trkiye, to develop the new rescEU Emergency Medical Team capacity following natural or man-made disasters. With this joint initiative, we'll reach the capacity of the biggest field hospital in Europe. As I mentioned before in Krkhan, Trkiye can count on our support and solidarity, now and beyond.

The European Commission is allocating 106.2 million to 8 countries, including Trkiye.

The countries allocated budget by the European Commission are Trkiye, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, and Romania, within the scope of rescEU.

Emphasising the spirit of solidarity, Lus Meira, the President of the Portugal National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), tells Lusa News Agency, The countries response capacity is not sufficient to respond to situations that often do not respect the countries borders.

Due to this reason, being part of this project is vital for the countries. Hans Das, the European Commissions Director of Emergency Management, says that the rescEU EMT project will strengthen the countries emergency teams during natural disasters or pandemics.

According to Hans Das, the field hospital is very necessary and will be more necessary because of the constant risk of large natural hazards in Europe and the world, such as volcanos, earthquakes and other sudden-onset disasters, but also because of the changing risk landscape, which exposes us to new types of disaster risks. He adds that it is expected to be the largest field hospital in the world.

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The field hospitals from the European Union played a vital role in the earthquake zone | EEAS - EEAS

The full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has had devastating consequences for the health-care system. Keeping essential and resilient health services up and running in the country is a herculean task. Despite the heroic efforts of health-care staff treating patients close to the frontline, those in need of specialized treatment have to be treated in more centrally located hospitals or, in some cases, outside of Ukraine.

The Ukrainian Ministry of Health coordinates medical evacuation (medevac) operations, which involve hundreds of daily patient transfers inside the country and dozens of cross-border transfers each week. This includes the European Union (EU) medevac pathway which has been running since the full-scale invasion began.

Thanks to the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, more than 2350 Ukrainian patients have been transferred to hospitals in 21 European countries. The patients suffer from severe war wounds or conditions that cannot currently be easily treated inside Ukraine, such as cancers requiring specialized treatments and conditions necessitating rehabilitation support. Over 370 patients have requested and been supported to return to Ukraine once the acute phase of their treatment has ended.

On 22June, WHO/Europe in Copenhagen, Denmark, hosted the launch of an 18-month project funded by the European Commissions Service for Foreign Policy Instruments (FPI) entitled Strengthening the Ukrainian Ministry of Health accountability framework for medical evacuation and repatriation systems and services.

The project will help the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to further develop and formalize the procedures of their dedicated Medevac Coordination Unit, particularly the new efforts being made to ensure the safe return of patients who have finished acute treatment abroad and wish to continue rehabilitation in their home country.

The new project will provide technical and resource support to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, the Medevac Coordination Unit and the Emergency Medical Services. Targeted expertise and specialist service support include burns care, multidisciplinary war trauma surgical care, and critical care patient transfers and rehabilitation inside Ukraine, which will strengthen the trauma care systems and pathways.

Health-care staff in Ukraine will also benefit from training, including shoulder-to-shoulder and bedside teaching approaches, which will strengthen their ability to manage complex health-care cases in Ukraine.

Medical evacuations are an essential part of the EUs emergency support to Ukraine, commented MrPeter M.Wagner, Head of the FPI. Russias full-scale invasion leaves military and civilians heavily wounded while also ruining health-care infrastructure. In coordination with the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, our new project will further help alleviate the pressure on Ukraines health-care system, helping evacuated patients to return and integrate into national rehabilitation schemes, while also supporting provision of the best possible care for patients.

The event also served as the first meeting of the steering committee working collaboratively with all stakeholders involved in medevac and repatriation activities managed by the Ministry of Healths Medevac Coordination Unit. The meeting was attended by representatives from all implementing partners and institutions to present their roles in the project and strengthen working relationships to ensure successful implementation of the activities.

Medevac remains an essential component of the humanitarian effort to meet the health needs of patients who cannot be treated inside Ukraine at this moment, explained DrGerald Rockenschaub, WHO Regional Emergency Director for Europe.

Safe transfer of patients across borders requires all partners to work together effectively and efficiently to ensure that people can get the lifesaving treatment they desperately need. We welcome this opportunity to build on our relationship with our partners, both in the EU and other institutions.

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European Union and WHO join forces to further strengthen medical ... - World Health Organization

Biological invasions are a major threat to ecosystems, biodiversity, and human well-being, resulting in ecosystem degradation and causing economic costs in the multi-trillions of euros globally. A study led by McGill University sheds light on the stark economic cost resulting from biological invasions in the European Union (EU).

The European Union continues to be exposed to thousands of invasive alien species -- harmful species introduced by humans from outside of their natural habitat. The EU is particularly vulnerable because the region's volume of economic activity via trade and the transportation of goods increases the risks of biological invasions, according to the study published in Environmental Sciences Europe.

Most invasive alien species are not adequately assessed for their actual and potential economic impacts therefore most cost estimates are grossly underestimated, say the researchers. To fill this gap, the team quantified the economic costs of biological invasions to the European Union, while estimating future invasion costs using predictive models.

Costs potentially 501% higher than previously recorded

Their findings are alarming -- of the approximately 13,000 invasive alien species known to have established populations in the European Union, only 259 (around 1%) have reported costs, showing substantial knowledge gaps in cost assessments regionally. The researchers' models projected unreported costs to be potentially 501% higher than currently recorded, reaching a staggering 26.64 billion (US$28.0 billion) in the European Union, led by countries such as Lithuania, Malta, and Czech Republic.

The study's projections for future estimates revealed a substantial increase in costs, with estimates soaring to more than 142.73 billion (US$150 billion) by 2040 in the absence of effective management.

"Our study reveals a shocking underestimation of the economic costs of biological invasions in the European Union. These costs are not only a huge burden for the European Union's economy, but also jeopardise the ecological balance and well-being of societies," says lead author Morgane Henry, a PhD student under the supervision of McGill University Professor Brian Leung.

"It is imperative that we take immediate action to enhance cost reporting, identify the most concerning economic impacts, and work together on a global scale to address the threat posed by invasive alien species," she adds.

The researchers warn that policymakers, scientists, and stakeholders should take heed of the implications of the study and collaborate to protect ecosystems, safeguard biodiversity, and ensure the well-being of communities. Otherwise, biological invasions will create an insurmountable financial burden unless the EU and its governments take swift action to address the devastating ecological impact that's happening.

"The costs are potentially huge, but in most cases we just don't know. Notably, our fivefold increase in cost estimates included only 1% of species with existing data, by extrapolating to other countries where they are known to have invaded, but where costs have not been estimated yet. We don't know about the other 99% of the species," says Professor Brian Leung of McGill University's Department of Biology.

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Alien invasion: Study reveals alarming economic costs of biological ... - Science Daily

ByEmma Wiesner, European Parliament Member Updated:14/07/2023 -14:32

These are measures that the European Union must immediately put in place in order to build a sustainable society for 2040 and put a stop to harmful emissions, MEP Emma Wiesner writes.

The EU must continue to take its global responsibility to cut emissions.

When the European Commission starts work on our 2040 climate targets, we must put targets in place in line with the long-term goal of climate neutrality and policy in line with the 1.5C-degree target.

To achieve this, we need to expand the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and put price tags on emissions from more sectors.

On top of this, a large piece is missing in the EU climate policy toolbox: it is time we made it easier for consumers to distinguish between products made from fossil materials and products made from renewable materials.

The bottom line is, the EU should phase out fossil contents from all goods.

Today, the EU ETS has a huge impact on CO2 emitted directly into the atmosphere, but products based on fossil material still dont.

We should put up a market fee or a quota system for fossil material in products by 2040, and the EU must make sure that all products that add to the consumption-based emissions in Europe are labelled with their carbon footprint.

To this end, all electricity sold and produced in the EU must be transparently marked. Guarantees of origin in real-time and clear information about carbon footprint must therefore be the European standard for electricity.

The science is clear: to reach our global climate targets, we have to both cut emissions and create technology to capture and store greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

The EU needs new policies to quickly stimulate the creation of carbon sinks and large-scale capturing of atmospheric and biogenic CO2.

For this technology to develop fast enough, we need financial instruments and models that can help with the transition.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, it is clear to everyone that fossil energy has played its role.Let us work to really put it behind us.

In order to create a faster transition to green energy, we need steady cooperation that will ensure energy security and increase investments in renewable energy.

EU policies for a real energy union must be strengthened.

Additionally, biogas will have to play a key role in breaking our dependence on fossil energy, increasing energy security and circularity, and ensuring the sustainability and competition of the agricultural sector.

As the European Commission is planning ahead for the 2040 climate goals, I have sent these concrete ideas to them on how to step up the EUs climate action.

First of all, we needa new EU climate target for 2040 where the emissions will be cut by 95% compared to 1990. To aid that process, there should be amarket fee or quota system for fossil inputs in products andcompulsory labelling of the carbon print of all products sold on the EU single market.

We should also expand the EU ETS, as soon as possible, to include emissions from the transport, housing and waste sectors, and other sectors, and that free allowances are completely phased out.

Furthermore, every member state must start paying their carbon debt and be given a technical carbon removal target for 2040 based on the countrys accumulated emissions into the atmosphere between 1890 and 1990.

A common auctioning system should be set up, separate from the ETS, where private actors and member states can buy and sell carbon removals to reach their targets.

More instruments in the Common Agriculture Policy are needed to increase carbon farming and to incentivise further climate action for the agricultural sector.

We also need to create a market for private actors to finance carbon farming within the farming and forestry sectors.

To help increase renewables, we need a complete ban on fossil fuels in energy production by 2040, as well as an increase intargets for EU energy cooperation from 15% to 25%.

We should also double the budget for the Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) to facilitate grid connection across the EU and implement mandatory labels with guarantees of origin and carbon footprint for all electricity produced and sold in the EU.

Finally, 75% of the manure in the EU should be used to create a competitive production of biogas by 2035 and 100% by 2040.

This should be accompanied by an EU strategy for biogas, including measures to stimulate domestic production, distribution, financing, and taxation.

The European Union is a climate union, an energy union, and an action union. We must foster a culture of cooperation where we get things done for a better union and a better world.

Emma Wiesner (Renew Europe) is a Member of the European Parliament (MEP).

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This is what is missing from the EU's 2040 climate policy goals - Euronews