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HR/VP Blog Post For decades, Somalia has suffered from beinga failed state and the current drought is making things worse. The EU is providingeconomic and humanitarian support to the country while our crisis management missions are helping to stabilise the security situation in a region that is of critical importance for Europes security. During my recent visit, I could see first-hand how our operations make a key contribution to maritime and wider security.

Somalia is located in theHorn of Africaand has the longest coastline onAfrica's mainland. For more than 30 years, it has been suffering from an ongoing humanitarian crisis and enduring political and social instability. The poverty rate of the 17 million population is around 70%; more than 50% are illiterate; and the average life expectancy is just 48 years. In recent years, the humanitarian situation has worsened further, due to a severe a drought and the risk of famine (the UN justsaid this weekthat hunger levels leave more than 500,000 children at risk of dying) and climate change affecting above all the lives of the most vulnerable, plus the lingering impact of COVID-19 and enduring conflicts. Finally, Russias war of aggression against Ukraine has further increased food insecurity with soaring food and fuel prices.

Why does this matter for Europe, given that Somalia seems so far away? To start, because around 40% of world shipping lanes and 25% of the EU maritime supply transit through the Gulf of Aden. Although piracy has been largely suppressed through international efforts, and above all the EU Operation Atalanta, it remains an underlying threat to maritime security including illegal trafficking and illicit trade. And because international terrorism threatens us all if we dont tackle it. The security situation remains highly volatile, with the terrorist groups Al-Shabaab and Daesh remaining active, as illustrated by the attack against the Hayat hotel in Mogadishu last August, with 20 persons killed and 120 injured.

That is why . The European Union needs to sustain its efforts in this part of the world, as elsewhere, to promote stability and security. And this is what we have been doing. From 2014 to 2022, the EU has invested more than 3.5 billion to support Somalias political, security and economic reform efforts and to address the humanitarian situation. We do so through humanitarian aid and cooperation programs on governance and the rule of law, peace-building, social inclusion and education, and on resilience and adaptation to climate change.

Crucially, we support Somali through three Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions to support peace and stability in the country and to help it to be able to take full ownership again for its own security:

Last Sunday I met Somalias President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who has been elected by members of Parliament in May 2022 (the new Cabinet was only appointed in August 2022). I also visited our two land-based CSDP missions and the Naval Force Operation Atalanta flagship, the Spanish frigate Numancia, which is patrolling the Somali coast.

Atalanta was the first EU naval operation ever, launched in 2008 and it has made a big difference in the fight against piracy. Indeed, it is one of the most remarkable success stories of the CSDP. Beyond piracy, it is now also engaged in other maritime security challenges, like the fight against narco- and arms-trafficking and illegal fishing.

Atalanta has turned into a maritime security actor of reference, offering a platform to develop our partnerships and for joint exercises with India, Indonesia, Oman and Japan. The operation is our main asset in the Indian Ocean, protecting freedom of navigation and demonstrating the EU's ability and commitment to enforce a rules-based order. It has been a pioneer shaping the maritime dimension of the CSDP and that continues to do this.

However, while Atalanta is a success, it is fair to recognise that our operations EUTM and EUCAP Somalia on shore have achieved only limited results. The Somali National Army (SNA), coast guards and police continue to face considerable force generation and efficiency challenges and we did not progress to the extent we had wished for, in terms of providing capacity building through advice and training to Somali authorities. However, having trained 8,000 Somali military so far, we will continue to do so and the SNA has already increased its capacity to train its personnel by itself.

We do this as part of wider efforts of the international community. The African Union Transition Mission (ATMIS) has an UN mandate that authorises AU states to deploy some 19,000 uniformed personnel in the country and the EU is the missions main financial supporter. Other countries are also active, with for instance Turkey running a big training mission and controlling the port of Mogadishu.

Visiting the missions and speaking to our soldiers and trainers, gave me first-hand insight on how our staff work on the ground, how they bring our security and defence policy to life. I praised our staff for their hard work and commitment in Mogadishu, as well as in Hargeisa, Garowe and Berbera. This work, far from home and in often very tough and difficult living conditions, takes courage and resilience and the dedication of our people in the field is a key element to promote and protect the EUs values and interests. It a fundamental work, to preserve regional security and to demonstrate that the EU is Africas most reliable partner, supporting African peace efforts with in eleven missions across the continent.

We intend to continue to strengthen the Somali security institutions while diminishing gradually our support. The aim is that Somalia takes full ownership for its own security by the end of 2024. Iassured President Hassan Sheikh Mohamudthat our missions would stand by the army, the police and the coast guards to help them fulfil this objective. I also acknowledged the new leadership's efforts to promote economic and social reform and advance state-building in cooperation with federal member states underlining that indeed cooperation between the federal government and the federal member states is crucial.

However, I also stressed that we are moving towards a more transactional partnership with the Somali authorities. EU support cannot be taken for granted and European citizens need to see that our engagement in Somalia bears fruit. For that, Somalias leaders have to deliver a more secure, stable and democratic Somalia, delivering basic services and security to its people.

See more here:
Building Somalia's state and security and stabilising the Horn of Africa | EEAS Website - EEAS

Looking at the major challenges ahead, we, the Ministers for European Affairs of France, Germany and Poland reaffirm our joint commitment to take responsibility, to promote answers meeting our citizens concerns, to strengthen resilience of the European Union and to secure our European future based on EU common founding values.

Russias war of aggression against Ukraine has most brutally attacked peace and security in Europe. This war is an attack on our European model based on freedom, democracy and a rules-based order. A firm and united reaction of the European Union and its Member States condemning the war, offering shelter to refugees, adopting restrictive measures against Russia and providing support to Ukraine notably in the form of significant military assistance, has been and remains key. It is crucial to continue on this path since the European assistance is essential for Ukraine to continue its fight in defence of its sovereignty and European values. We recognize that helping sustain Ukrainian forces in the long run entails going beyond the provision of equipment, notably by setting up a dedicated European training and assistance mission in the EU for Ukrainian forces that would also ensure maintenance and repair of military equipment.

France, Germany and Poland also reiterate their support for Ukraines legal proceedings against the Russian Federation including by intervening in Ukraines proceedings before the International Court of Justice under the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which seek to establish that Russia has no lawful basis to take military action in Ukraine on the basis of false allegations of genocide. Moreover, Russia is using hunger as a weapon and taking the world hostage with a food security crisis it has caused and exacerbated. We strongly support the EU initiative EU Solidarity Lanes which helps to export Ukraine grain as well as other products and cherish the special commitment of all EU Member States neighboring Ukraine in this regard. France, Germany and Poland reiterate their firm stance with Ukraine and continuous strong support for Ukraines overall economic, military, social and financial resilience. The European Union civil protection mechanism [EUCPM] proofs to be an important tool for coordinated support and united action beyond its borders. We stay committed to continue our humanitarian assistance for the people of Ukraine. As Russias war of aggression against Ukraine marks a fundamental turning point in EU-Russia relations, we need to re-define key guiding principles of the European Unions policy towards Russia. We also advocate for a strategic approach involving international partners to address the reconstruction of Ukraine in a concerted and sustainable manner. We welcome the agreement by EU Finance Ministers to provide an additional macro financial assistance package of 5 billion Euro, as a clear sign of the EUs continued commitment to support Ukraines resilience and call to further step up our endeavors in order to reach an expeditious agreement on the remainder of the European Councils 9 billion euro European Councils pledge.

Additionally, our countries are convinced that we have to join efforts to enable the European Union to defend our core values and secure stability against challenges from the outside. Referring to the European Council Conclusions of 23 and 24 June 2022 - which recognized the European perspective of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia and granted the status of candidate country to Ukraine and Moldova - , France, Germany and Poland jointly state that enlargement of the European Union is an important element in this context. Thus, we have discussed ways to support these countries on their reform path to meet the Copenhagen criteria. We have also agreed on the need to further reflect on internal reforms and compromise solutions to ensure the European Unions capacity to maintain and deepen its own development. In this context, we also see merit in following up on and discussing the final proposals of the Conference on the Future of Europe. Poland, France and Germany attach great importance to the integrity of national and European elections and better resilience against disinformation and interference. We therefore support the Commissions proposal for a regulation on the transparency and targeting of political advertising. We also support a coherent electoral law to be in place for the next European elections 2024.

We reaffirm our full and unequivocal commitment to the EU membership perspective for the six Western Balkans countries. France, Germany and Poland welcome progress reached in the accession process of Albania and North Macedonia. We stand ready to support the reform processes in the region, where progress, notably in the area of rule of law and the fight against corruption, as well as in reconciliation and resolving outstanding bilateral and regional disputes, is of particular importance. We are concerned about the political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina and call on all parties to ensure fair and free elections on 2 October 2022. We fully support the EU-led Kosovo-Serbia dialogue and stress the need for a comprehensive agreement that allows for Kosovo and Serbia to advance on their respective European paths and contributes to the stability in the region. We call for progress regarding the visa liberalization for Kosovo. Our countries are strongly committed to the Berlin Process as an additional means to foster regional cooperation and EU accession of the Western Balkan countries; we highlight the importance of implementing the historic decision by the six Western Balkan countries to create a Common Regional Market. Given the importance we attach to the region and as a sign of our joint support, we have agreed on a trilateral visit to this region and advocate for further strengthening the ties between the EU and the Western Balkans.

France, Germany and Poland share the view that fostering a wider area of stability and economic prosperity and strengthening resilience in Europe is in the EUs core interest. Thus, we welcome the objective to foster political dialogue and cooperation through a European Political Community that acts as a broader platform to address issues of common interest for European countries across the continent, as discussed at the European Council of 23 June 2022. Reaffirming that this shall not generate a substitute to the EU enlargement process nor double existing institutions, alliances or platforms in Europe, we jointly look forward to continuing this strategic discussion with our EU partners and welcome the holding of a first meeting on 6 October 2022 in Prague.

Russias war of aggression and use of energy as a geopolitical weapon, notably the stop or significant reduction of gas supplies to certain member states, has raised concerns of people across the EU regarding a possible gas shortage paired with already high energy prices. We share the view that security of supply for our countries, affordability of energy for citizens and economies, and climate and energy transition in line with the Paris Agreement get ever more urgent.

While France, Germany and Poland agree on the need to join efforts also in countering Russian disinformation on the cause of this crisis, we advocate for a concerted approach based on the spirit of European solidarity to develop a successful answer to this immediate and essential challenge to our economies and societies.

We, the Ministers for European Affairs of France, Germany and Poland, aspire the Weimar Triangle, founded as a means to strengthening links between our people and countries in all aspects of life as well as promoting sustainable common structures in Europe, to be a driving force in developing answers to the challenges Europe is confronted with within and beyond its borders today.

Thus, we will continue close political coordination, look forward to our next meeting and will further strengthen civil society cooperation with concrete projects and exchanges to foster bridges and strengthen unity in Europe. We will strive to further develop cooperation between our civil societies, especially between the youth of our three countries, as well as cultural projects and European memory and reconciliation projects, as well as exchanges between young diplomats. We commit ourselves to support decentralized cooperation and we welcome the fact that the cooperation in the Weimar format between our cities and communities has been given new impetus with the reception of refugees from Ukraine. We encourage meetings of young people in the Weimar format with Ukrainian refugees hosted in our countries on EU-related topics and Ukraine's accession to the EU.

Read more:
Joint statement by the Ministers for European Affairs of the Weimar Triangle - Auswrtiges Amt

European Union flags flutter outside the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Yves Herman

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BUDAPEST, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Hungary will create an anti-corruption authority and a working group involving non-government organisations to oversee the spending of European Union funds, the government said in a decree in its official gazette late on Monday.

The move by Budapest is aimed at unlocking EU funds as nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's government is locked in battles with Brussels over corruption, migration, LGBTQ rights and democratic standards.

The European Commission has been withholding its approval for Hungary to draw on money meant to help lift economies from the COVID-19 pandemic, accusing Orban's government of undermining the rule of law.

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Hungary also faces financial penalties from the European Union over the same rule of law issues, including public tender procedures that fall short on anti-corruption safeguards.

The government will introduce a bill in parliament creating an independent anti-corruption authority by Sept. 30 and expects it to be set up by Nov. 21.

The new body will step in if Hungarian authorities do not take sufficient steps to "prevent, investigate and fix cases of fraud, conflict of interest, corruption or other crimes and abuses" as European Union funds are spent, the decree said.

The government will also create an anti-corruption working group to advise the authority. Half the members of the group will be government delegates and the others will be representatives of non-governmental organisations.

Orban's government has come under increased pressure in recent months to strike a deal with Brussels as the forint currency hit new lows and inflation keeps surging.

PM Orban's chief of staff said last month that Hungary will amend by the end of October several laws criticised by the European Commission if an agreement on financial aid is reached with the EU executive.

Gergely Gulyas also said Hungary would create a "stricter than ever" and most transparent system for overseeing the use of EU funds and procurement contracts. read more

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Reporting by Anita Komuves, editing by Ed Osmond

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Hungary to set up anti-corruption body in bid to unlock EU funds - Reuters

Indivumed and CELLphenomics Announce Partnership for Improved Cancer Patient Care

BERLIN and HAMBURG, Germany, Sept. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Indivumed GmbH ("Indivumed") and CELLphenomics GmbH ("CELLphenomics") today announced a partnership to create a unique platform for faster and more efficient discovery and validation of therapeutic targets. The new platform combines Indivumed's AI-driven oncology analytics with CELLphenomics' expertise in creating organoid models to identify therapeutically relevant targets and validate these targets in-vitro. The partnership will accelerate cancer drug development by linking in-silico target discovery and development with matched patient-derived tumor models for downstream validation.

"Leveraging our multi-omics database and AI-driven oncology analytics is what allows us to decipher the complex mechanisms of cancer in order to drive the development of precision oncology," said Prof. Dr. Hartmut Juhl, CEO and Founder of Indivumed. "By partnering with CELLphenomics, we will be able to quickly validate therapeutically relevant targets to identify new treatment approaches and accelerate cancer drug development in the future."

The partnership announcement comes after Indivumed was awarded 4.3 million by the European Union Structural Fund ERDF to accelerate drug development and personalize treatments for cancer. CELLphenomics was selected by Indivumed as a partner due to the company's technological capabilities and scientific expertise. Initially, the partnership will focus on cancer types with the greatest current medical need.

"Indivumed's comprehensive database and advanced AI capabilities are critical for identifying therapeutically relevant targets," said Dr. Christian Regenbrecht, CEO of CELLphenomics. "Combining these targets with CELLphenomics patient-derived models and in-vitro assays will enable reliable conclusions to be drawn about the treatability of the tumor and its functional causes of therapeutic success and failure."

Based on the highly standardized cancer biospecimen collections through Indivumed's Clinical Network, capturing the molecular reality of each patient's disease is key to the project. Having generated the most comprehensive and deepest multi-omic dataset for cancer biology worldwide, Indivumed will leverage advanced analytical techniques to extract biological insights from this complex data. Indivumed's analytical platform, nRavel, will identify, characterize, and prioritize potential targets for the selected tumor types. The patient-based cellular models provided by CELLphenomics will now be derived from the same tumors. This means that the whole process from tissue and data collection to identification and validation will utilize the same data and tissue.

About CELLphenomics

CELLphenomics GmbH is a Berlin-based biotech company founded in 2014. Our core competence is the establishment and cultivation of patient-derived organoid cultures (PD3D) from various tumor entities, and their application for research and high-throughput as well as personalized toxicity testing.Our PD3Dmodels robustly recapitulate the original tissue and we thrive on harvesting their potential to accelerate oncology drug development.Our proprietary precision medicine PD3D platform offers high-throughput efficacy testing, drug combination screening, toxicity profiling, target validation, drug sensitivity correlation with clinical response, and biomarker identification.

About Indivumed

Driven by our mission to unveil the complex mechanisms of cancer and to advance precision oncology, Indivumed combines the world's most comprehensive multi-omics data with extensive medical experience, bioinformatics expertise, and AI-integrated advanced analytics. Our global clinical network enables us to collect and analyze thousands of patient samples using a standardized approach to ensure biospecimen quality across three business units IndivuServ, IndivuTest, and IndivuType. The unparalleled depth and quality of our data coupled with our robust product and service offerings gives us the ability to obtain novel insights and accelerate cancer research. For more information, visit http://www.indivumed.com.

Background of the Development Program

The REACT-EU crisis recovery fund was established as an instrument to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in connection with the EU's ERDF and ESF structural funds. Funds from the REACT-EU crisis recovery fund are intended to help overcome the social repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and to support a green, digital, and sustainable recovery of the economy. The fund is endowed with a budget of 47.5 billion euros for 2021 and 2022, of which 2.4 billion euros are earmarked for Germany. The federal distribution plan for Germany allocates about 47 million euros from the REACT-EU funds for Hamburg. Two focus areas have been determined for the life science sector: fighting infectious diseases and pandemics, and digitization.

Media Contact: Patrick Renegar919-623-5577[emailprotected]

Melanie Alperstaedt+49 30 235 9467 76[emailprotected]

SOURCE Indivumed

Excerpt from:
European Union-Funded Project to Result in Novel Treatment Approaches for Several Solid Tumor Types - PR Newswire

Recently, Trkiye and the EU have both agreed that their Customs Union (CU), which has played a concrete role in enhancing their relations, requires a comprehensive modernisation. To this end, a Delegation of European Chambers of Commerce Presidents met with European Union legislators and influential stakeholders to discuss business cooperation between the European Union and Trkiye, in Brussels on 6 September.

In the wake of global events, there are enormous challenges for the European business sector. The immediate economic ramifications of the Russian invasion in Ukraine, the recovery from the shutdowns stemming from the coronavirus pandemic and the continued geopolitical and competitive threats from China.

It is the right moment, I believe, to discuss and find ways to channel the opportunities in Trkiye, especially with regard to the modernisation of the EU Trkiye Customs Union Agreement.

European companies and their representations, now more than ever, need to keep a close eye on European legislation and market trends. This is particularly relevant in the fields of big data, the boom in e-commerce, remote workers and the move to greener, more sustainable manufacturing and supply chain processes.

There is a new momentum in the European business sector that is constantly reshaping, with innovative practises, increased digitalisation as well as innovative and best practises. Consequently, the European Union, national governments, international organisations and decision-makers are looking for ways to facilitate and enhance trade flows between countries to create supply chain resilience and adhere to the ambitious sustainability goals.

All the institutions here today work on the same objective, which is to strengthen the diplomatic relations between Trkiye and the EU. We work together to stimulate trade and to facilitate networking. We hope that this visit will create a solid basis for future dialogue.

Dr Markus Christian Slevogt, President of the German-Turkish Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Trkiye) started the meeting by presenting a joint position paper assessing the benefits and impact of a modernised CU between the two blocs.

The paper highlights how the CU, which was created 25 years ago, is becoming outdated and needs to be updates to the changing times. We didnt even have internet when the Customs Union was implemented, Dr Slevogt pointed out.

New factors need to be taken into consideration and included in the CU, such as e-commerce, services and the strong agricultural field in Trkiye. Moreover, geostrategic needs, like the pandemic and war in Ukraine have shown that the value chain built around Asian countries, be it China or Vietnam, needs to be taken closer to Europe, Dr Slevogt continued. Assets coming from China and the US take 2, 3, 4 months, Trkiye could be a closer supplier, Franck Mereyde, President of the French Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul, added.

We believe that this country, as it is, is substantially undervalued. People who want to take advantage of an undervalues asset need to position themselves early and anti-cyclical.

The same point was made by Livio Manzini, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Istanbul, who remined the room that the first trade agreement the UK made after Brexit was with Trkiye. It only took a few weeks to negotiate, not years. The US Trade Department also had a lengthy meeting in the country which concluded with a trade agreement. The EU should realise the moment to enhance economic ties with Trkiye is now.

We are missing the train! The US is taking it, the UK is taking it, the EU is missing out.

Furthermore, as of June 2020, more than 5 million people are working in agriculture in Trkiye, which is 19% of the total employment in Trkiye and 4% of total employment in the EU. The country has the potential to replace Russia and Ukraine, or at least heavily aid, in providing agricultural goods to the EU, but it has one of the highest tariff rates on agricultural products among OECD countries.

Regarding the EU standards for business, like the contents of the EDG, Dr Slevogt indicated that the companies investing in Tukey are still respecting the standards of their mother companies. Spill-over I think is the best term for this, when you are entering certain production sites in Trkiye, he said, adding that foreign investors are also pushing very hard for digitalisation.

Not only digitalisation, but the private sector is also pushing very hard for CO2 taxation. Trkiye is ready to step up to the standards of the investors, with the collaboration of the EU I think Trkiye can overcome all these challenges.

Lastly, Mr Mereyde stressed that although the CU was started in the context of Trkiye joining the EU, now they should be approached as completely separate issues.

Improving the Customs Union is not a tool for joining the EU. Our aim is only to improve business. And business is not only money, it is also people.

If we improve the Customs Union, we have more people working for EU and Turkish companies. These companies have to bring the same values between the EU and Trkiye, which requires a delicate balance. Again, we are here for the Customs Union, not EU membership. This will create a better understanding between the EU and Trkiye, he concluded.

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Is Trkiye again attractive to the European Union? - Travel Tomorrow