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The European Union is a collection of 28 member states located in Europe. This unified body eliminates border control allowing for the flow of people and goods. Member states also receive technologies and are represented by the EU within judicial and legislative institutions. In return, member states are subject to binding laws as a condition of their membership, and must adopt laws implemented by the EU in areas including foreign policy and defense. The total population of the EU is 512,596,403, according to the most recent estimates taken in 2018.

As mentioned, 28 states are a part of the European Union. These states are (in alphabetical order): Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. However, it is important to note that the United Kingdom will be exiting the EU in 2019.

The predecessor of the EU was formed in 1957. This was known as the European Economic Community. The founding members included France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and West Germany. This organization became known as the EU in 1958. Throughout the years, it has grown with more members, with the most recent, Croatia, joining in 2013. Common policies on trade, agriculture and development are shared by the member states.

The largest member state of the EU by area is France, which is also the second largest by population. The largest by population is Germany, which is estimated to have 82,437,641 residents. All but three of the member states have populations that exceed one million residents. Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta are the three least-populated member states, with Maltas population falling just under 500,000 people. Malta is also the smallest member state by area.

The most populated city in the EU is London, UK, which has a population of over 12 million. Paris, France only falls slightly behind with a population rapidly approaching 12 million. The third most populous city is Madrid, which has over 6.6 million residents.

When breaking down the population of the EU as a whole, just 9.4% of residents were born outside of their resident country. There are 24 official languages spoken throughout the EU, with 51% of residents speaking English. Other languages include German, French, Italian, Spanish and Poland, just to name a few. There are also over 150 regional and minority languages spoken by about 50 million residents. There is no official religion observed in the EU. Most residents are Christian, with over 71% following this religion. Of this number over 45% are Catholic, while other Christian religions include Protestant and Eastern Orthodox. Other religions observed in the UK include Muslim and other faiths, although these are minority religions.

The European Union has seen slight growth in recent years. The birth rate is about 10 per 1,000 people, which falls below the world average. According to estimates from 2016, the population rose just 0.23%. Slow growth is expected in the near future, but the population will decrease significantly when the UK withdraws from the EU in 2019.

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European Union Population 2022 - worldpopulationreview.com

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

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BRUSSELS, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Greenpeace and other environmental campaigners have launched legal challenges against the European Commission over its decision to include natural gas and nuclear energy in the EU's list of "green" investments.

They argue the European Union violated its own climate laws by doing this, citing the greenhouse gas emissions produced by gas power plants, and say the move risks diverting investments into fossil fuels instead of renewable energy.

Greenpeace said it had requested an internal review of the Commission's decision to label gas and nuclear energy as green. Four other environmental groups - WWF, Friends of the Earth Germany, Transport & Environment and ClientEarth - focused on gas.

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The Commission said it would reply to the requests in due course.

In focus is the European Union's 'taxonomy', a rulebook defining which investments can be labelled climate friendly and designed to guide investors towards green projects that will help deliver the bloc's emissions-cutting targets.

The Commission has until February to respond. If the Commission does not withdraw the rules, the groups said they would take their challenges to the European Court of Justice.

"Gas is a leading cause of climate and economic chaos, while there is still no solution to the problem of nuclear radioactive waste and the risk of nuclear accidents is far too significant to ignore," Greenpeace campaigner Ariadna Rodrigo said.

The Commission had excluded gas power plants from its original taxonomy proposal, but added them later, amid a fierce political debate among EU countries - who disagree on whether the fuel deserves a 'green' label.

Brussels said it had added "strict conditions" to the final rules for gas plants, including an emissions limit and a requirement to switch to low-carbon gases by 2035.

Representatives from five non-profit groups quit their roles advising the Commission on the taxonomy last week, citing the EU's handling of the gas and nuclear rules. read more

Separately, Luxembourg and Austria, which both oppose nuclear power and have warned against labelling gas as green, are preparing a legal challenge to the EU rules.

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Reporting by Kate Abnett; Editing by Susan Fenton

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Greenpeace takes legal action over EU's 'green' label for gas and nuclear - Reuters

NNA -President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, affirmed that he is working to form a government with full powers that, in the event of a presidential vacancy after October 31, this government would assume the full powers of the president.

He believed that Lebanon needs political and sovereign reform in addition to structural changes in the system, which must be strengthened and reformed.

The president pointing out that it is difficult to run a state with three heads, and stressed that the forensic financial audit of the accounts of theBanquedu Liban is continuing, and the first report will be submitted at the end of September.

President Aouns statement came during his meeting this morning at Baabda Palace, in the presence of the Minister of Social Affairs Hector Hajjar, the ambassadors of the EU in Lebanon headed by Ambassador RalphTarraf. The discussion covered the current economic and social crisis in the country.

AmbassadorTarraf

AmbassadorTarrafthanked President Aoun for the meeting and stressed that this gathering was to express deep concern about the current situation in Lebanon.

He said: "We share with many Lebanese, especially decision-makers, the feeling that the current situation is very sensitive and full of challenges, but it can and must be addressed through decisive and courageous measures."

He added: "more than three years have passed since the economic system started to decline and more than two and a half years since Lebanon failed to pay its debts and the government submitted a financial recovery plan. The Lebanese decision-makers are still unable to implement the necessary measures to get Lebanon out of the crisis.

He stressed that the decisions taken and the measures implemented are not enough, which is evidenced by the expectations of the GDP, the public debt and the significant decline of the Lebanese pound as a result of excessive inflation and the loss of purchasing power for the majority of the Lebanese and the diminishing ability of companies to operate normally.

We know that the Lebanese decision-makers are working in a very complex context and that there is a regional and international geopolitical environment full of challenges, in addition to the existing pandemic and the presence of a large number of refugees and sectarian political system, theparliamentary elections that took place, the presidential elections and the issue of government, but all These matters cannot be an excuse for postponing reforms, stressing the need to pay more attention to rebuilding the economic, financial and monetary space in Lebanon as a first step to put the economy back on the path of recovery. He referred to the consensus that the IMF has, the appropriate experience and tools to be a partner in rebuilding this space, he considered that "there is no better solution than the IMG stressing the need to carry out reforms, including restructuring the financial sector to protect small depositors.

French Ambassador

The French Ambassador, AnneGreu, spoke about the current Lebanese crisis, noting that France has stressed since the CEDRE conference on the need to adopt new rules for work.

She said: "We are all witnessing the decline of the Lebanese institutions, and we are in daily contact with the ministries and ministers, as members of the EU, we are ready to help Lebanon and play our role in the international community in this context, but in return we must be able to convince the concerned authorities of the commitment of the Lebanese authorities to the required reforms. These reforms must be implemented to adopt a special program of the IMF, which represents the only option that will allow the injection of funds into Lebanese institutions and constitutes an indicator of confidence.

She believed that there should be a government with full powers alongside the Parliament, and the need to respect the constitutional requirements, foremost of which is the presidential election. She expressed fear that non-respect of the due dates would exacerbate crises and divisions in the country.

President Aoun

President Aoun pointed out that Lebanon was impacted by the Syrian war, which led to the closure of all its crossings to the Arab world, which is the vital extension of its economy, in addition to the financial and economic crisis that began in 2018 and had its previous roots, which led the country to the unprecedented financial fall and for the Central Bank and Lebanese banks that led to the loss of the Lebanese to savings, in addition to the demonstrations that took place in the Lebanese regions in 2019, leading to the impact of the Corona pandemic and the disaster of the Beirut Port explosion and its repercussions on the Lebanese economy as a whole.

The President of the Republic considered that the political and economic reasons are at the forefront of the crisis factors that Lebanon is currently witnessing, he referred to the corruption that plagued the system that was ruling in the past, in addition to committing mistakes in managing money in the Central Bank.

He stressed that Lebanon today needs political and sovereign reform, in addition to structural changes in the system that must be strengthened and reformed, pointing out that it is difficult to run a three-headed country, "that is why we are witnessing today this kind of constitutional chaos in the presence of a caretaker government and parliament."

President Aoun made it clear that he is working to form a government with full powers that, in the event of a presidential vacancy occurring after October 31, would assume the full powers of the president.

He referred to the appeal he made to the judicial authority, which is facing difficulties in its work, speaking of the obstruction in the investigation process into the explosion of the Port of Beirut and the investigation into the responsibility of theBanquedu Liban in the current monetary management, noting that the forensic financial audit of the accounts of theBanquedu Liban is continuing in the hope that the first report will be presented by the end of this September.

Minister Hajjar

Minister Hajjar talked about what was achieved in the "Aman" program, and it was not possible to complete the financing card because the ministry did not obtain the necessary funding,

He addressed the issue of the Syrian refugees and the great burden that Lebanon bears as a result.

He said : We consider this displacement an important part of our economic and social problem in Lebanon, especially in light of the many circumstances that have occurred in Lebanon recently and the Corona pandemic."

He said, "No country in the world can receive displaced persons whose number reaches half of its population and remains healthy. The number of Syrians today on Lebanese territory is two million, moving between Lebanon and Syrian territory, and the largest number of them are not displaced. The approach to the economic and financial solution in Lebanon is through the assistance the World Bank and addressing the situation of the displaced Syrians. This matter is as important as the World Banks assistance and economic and financial reforms.

The EU delegation included AmbassadorTarraf, political official in the EU delegation in Lebanon, Ms. Hanna Severin, AbdelBitat, Deputy Head of Cooperation in the EU Delegation in Lebanon, and the ambassadors of: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland, in addition to the Charg d'Affairs of the Hungarian and Slovak embassies, and the Deputy Head of Mission at the Irish Embassy in Lebanon.

On the Lebanese side, in addition to Minister Hajjar, former minister SalimJreissatiand advisors Rafik Chelala, OsamaKhashaband RaymondTarabayattended the meeting.

Archimandrite Dib and Archbishop George Iskandar.

President Aoun met with the General President of the Basilian Savior Order Archimandrite AntoineDeeb, and the elected Metropolitan of the Diocese of Tyre and its Dependencies for the Melkite Greek Catholic, Archbishop George Iskandar, who invited President Aoun to attend the episcopal ordination of Archbishop IskandarAl-Mukhlisiin the Diocese of Tyre, on Saturday, October 8 at 5:00 pm in at the Monastery of the Savior in JohnChouf. President Aoun wished the new bishop success in his new spiritual responsibilities. It was an occasion during which the general situation in the country was discussed in light of recent developments as well as the current social conditions. -- Presidency Press office

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President Aoun receives ambassadors of the European Union: Efforts to form a government with full powers - National News Agency - International

The disagreement between the EU parliament and the Ugandan government arose from the recent partnership between Uganda and Tanzania on oil excavation.

Uganda and Tanzania are developing a cross-border oil extraction and pipeline project comprising the installation of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will transport oil produced from Ugandas Lake Albert oilfields to the port of Tanga in Tanzania.

This new development spurred a protest from concerned citizens, over the environmental damage that could ensue. Some of the protesters have been arrested and the EU is calling on the Ugandan Government to release those placed in custody.

Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, elaborated that the EUs decision is a deterrent to Uganda's oil and gas developments and by extension, the country's socio-economic growth and development.

He stated: "It also seeks to deny Ugandans and East Africans the benefits and opportunities from the oil and gas sector. This represents the highest form of economic racism against developing countries,"

EUs parliament at Strasbourg, France, advised its members, the international community, and project promoters and stakeholders to put an end to the extractive activities in protected and sensitive ecosystems, including the shores of Lake Albert.

The pipeline will run from Kabaale, Hoima district in Uganda to the Chongoleani Peninsula near Tanga Port.

The EU has also revealed that its delegates were barred from entering the oil zone late last year. They have advised the stakeholders in the pipeline project to find alternative routes for its pipelines, as pollution from the drilling could affect the water source in the vicinity.

Environmentalists have noted that about a third of the pipeline will run through the basin of Africas largest lake, Lake Victoria. Over 40 million people depend on this lake for water and food production. They argue that this could have very devastating effects on crop production in the area, noting that the pipeline runs under 200 rivers and thousands of farms.

Concerns about the devastation the project could have on the wildlife reserves in the area have also been tabled.

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The Ugandan Government and the European Union butt heads, as Uganda accuses the EU of economic racism - Business Insider Africa

Supported by Eurojust and Europol, authorities in Spain and Italy have taken action against two organised crime groups (OCGs) with suspected links to the Ndrangheta mafia and allegedly involved in drug trafficking, money laundering and extortion. The OCGs operated in Italy (Milan area) and Spain (Ibiza).

In an action carried out in Spain, 32 suspects were arrested and a total of 40 places were searched across Ibiza, Barcelona, Malaga and Tenerife. Furthermore, EUR 300.000 in cash, 18 kilograms of amphetamine and 4.5 kilograms of cocaine were seized, as well as firearms and ammunition. Also, during the operation a cannabis plantation with 600 plants was dismantled.

The investigation in Italy focused on a mafia-type criminal organisation based in Milan that also operated in Ibiza. The head of the OCG is assumed to be related to the boss of one of the most powerful Calabrian Ndrangheta families. The OCG is allegedly involved in extortion, drug trafficking and money laundering, through many economic activities, and linked also with the Sicilian Cosa Nostra mafia.

It is believed that the OCG was able to fully exert its power on the territory of Ibiza according to the mafia modalities and patterns that normally are exercised only in Italy.

In Spain, the investigation focused on an OCG involved in drug trafficking and money laundering. The suspects allegedly used sailing boats to import large quantities of cocaine from South America to be sold in Ibiza. The criminal network also ran several businesses in Ibiza to mask their illegal activities, including real estate businesses and rental apartments for tourists.

Thanks to the information provided by Italian authorities, it was established that two members of the OCG who had settled in Ibiza allegedly belong to the Ndrangheta family and are involved in committing extortion in Ibiza to the detriment of local businessmen.

The case was opened at Eurojust by the Italian authorities in April 2022. The Agency hosted two coordination meetings to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts, including the organisation of an action day in Spain.

Europol supported this investigation by providing tailored expertise and extensive analysis support and facilitating the exchange of information through its secure channels. During the live phase of the operation, a Europol mobile office was deployed to Spain to facilitate the real-time exchange of information.

This case falls under the EMPACT Operational Action 2.3 on Ndrangheta and the Sicilian mafia, the first EMPACT action led by the National Antimafia Directorate (Direzione Nazionale Antimafia) in which Eurojust is co-leader with Europol.

EMPACT tackles the most important threats posed by organised and serious international crime affecting the European Union. EMPACT strengthens intelligence, strategic and operational cooperation between national authorities, EU institutions and bodies, and international partners. EMPACT runs in four-year cycles focusing on common EU crime priorities. Fraud, economic and financial crimes are among the priorities for the 2021-2025 Policy Cycle.

The following authorities took part in the investigation:

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Action against Italian mafia in Spain: 32 arrests | Eurojust | European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation - Eurojust