Many countries have applied vaccine passports to track citizens’ Covid-19 vaccination history, making it convenient for them to enter and exit. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), applying vaccination certification is an important tool to respond to the pandemic and restart safe international travel. Belize : Travelers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 can now visit Belize without quarantine. Vaccine passports must be valid for at least 2 weeks prior to entry. In addition, travelers can also present a negative test for Covid-19 within 96 hours before entry (48 hours with the rapid test). Each rapid test on arrival at the airport costs about 1.1 million VND. Visitors come Ecuador , including the Galápagos Islands, are allowed entry if they carry a complete certificate of vaccination. Persons aged 2 years and older who do not have a vaccine passport must have a Covid-19 negative test certificate, confirmed within 3 days before arriving in this South American country. A negative test for Covid-19 must be taken within 96 hours before visiting the Galápagos Islands. Mandatory quarantine in Estonian will be exempted for guests who have been vaccinated. Visitors will be required to provide vaccination records including manufacturer information and vaccine batch number in English, Russian or Estonian languages. Those who have tested negative for Covid-19 within 6 months before entry are also not required to go through quarantine. Republic of Cyprus : From May 10, vaccinated travelers from 65 countries, including the US and UK, will not need to go through quarantine nor test for Covid-19 in this island nation. Visitors need to upload their vaccination certificate to the country’s system before entering the country. Georgia : International visitors can enter the country by air if they can prove they have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The country is still banning entry via land and water. There are separate entry rules for unvaccinated travelers based on their address. Georgia requires all travelers who have traveled through the UK 2 weeks before entry to undergo a 12-day quarantine. Greek now open to vaccinated travelers from EU member states. In addition, some travelers with vaccine passports from the UK, USA, Serbia, Israel, UAE, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, are also allowed to enter. These travelers do not need to be quarantined or tested for Covid-19. Land, air and sea transportation of Guatemala Open traffic to stimulate international tourism. Visitors can visit the country if they have a negative test for Covid-19. In addition, visitors are also allowed to enter the country if they have a valid vaccination certificate at least 2 weeks before the trip. Iceland: According to the Icelandic government, from June 1, less stringent border quarantine measures will be applied to citizens of countries identified as low-risk areas. Visitors will skip the tests if they present an approved, digital or paper vaccination certificate in English, Icelandic, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish. Iceland is the first country in the EU/Schengen region to allow entry to vaccinated passengers from anywhere in the world. Poland quarantine is not required for people coming from countries in the Schengen area, having negative results for Covid-19 within 48 hours before entry. Citizens of countries outside this area are required to quarantine. Romania loosened quarantine requirements for travelers who have been vaccinated since January 18. However, American tourists are not allowed to enter this European country. Citizens in the group of countries allowed to enter Romania will be exempted from isolation and testing within 10 days after receiving the last dose of the vaccine. According to Lonely Planet

EU-US summit Brussels and Biden – the sticking points

Status: 15.06.2021 2:04 p.m. Subsidies, punitive tariffs or relations with Beijing – the European Union and the USA are still fighting over a whole range of explosive problems after the change of power in Washington. An overview. The United States and the European Union are clearly trying to improve their relations again after the Trump presidency. Disputes in economic and geopolitics have been simmering for years. The new US President Joe Biden is as tough on some issues as his predecessor Donald Trump. On other questions, however, he showed a willingness to compromise in advance. When he meets EU leader Ursula von der Leyen today, these issues will be the main focus:

Subsidy dispute over Airbus and Boeing

For 17 years, the EU and the US had been fighting because they accused each other of improperly subsidizing their aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing. Since Biden took office, there was a kind of armistice until July 11th. In the run-up to the summit, both sides had hoped to be able to resolve this dispute. In fact, the EU and US reached an agreement at today’s meeting. There is a breakthrough on the subject, said EU Commission President von der Leyen. This will open a new chapter in relationships – with cooperation instead of legal disputes. During Trump’s tenure, the United States had received permission from the World Trade Organization (WTO) to impose punitive tariffs of $ 7.5 billion on goods and services from the EU. Airbus aircraft were subject to a tax of 15 percent. A year later, Brussels also received WTO approval to impose punitive tariffs on US imports totaling four billion dollars.

October 18, 2019

Punitive tariffs on steel and aluminum

At the meeting between Biden and the EU leaders, the trade conflict over steel and aluminum will also come on the table. The commission hopes that the guest from Washington will agree to lift the punitive tariffs of 25 percent on European steel exports to the USA by December 1st. After Trump was voted out of office, Brussels decided not to raise its tariffs on whiskey, jeans or Harley-Davidson motorcycles as planned on June 1. Now it is up to the USA to turn words into deeds, says Deputy EU Commission President Valdis Dombrovskis. Trump had accused the EU of unfair trade practices and imposed punitive tariffs on imports in this area in June 2018. As a result, European steel exports to the USA rose by 25 percent and exports of aluminum by ten percent.

05.03.2021

Digital tax and data security

Brussels also sees a need for discussion regarding the taxation of digital content from US technology companies such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Facebook. The EU accuses companies of skilfully shifting their sales and profits to avoid tax payments in the EU. A Europe-wide tax for digital corporations has therefore been discussed in the EU for years. France and other EU countries have already introduced national digital taxes. In the meantime, both sides within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have agreed to start negotiations on the taxation of digital content. Brussels and Washington are also looking for a new agreement to enable the exchange of personal data from the EU to the US. This is important for the business models of the US digital corporations. The European Court of Justice overturned the so-called Privacy Shield Agreement last year because it did not adequately protect European data from access by US authorities and secret services.

11/25/2020

Further consideration for Nord Stream 2?

The German-Russian gas pipeline Nord Stream 2, which is supposed to double the capacity of Russian deliveries through the Baltic Sea, could also cause some tension at the meeting. She wasn’t just a thorn in Trump’s side. Biden also rejects the almost finished project – but obviously does not want to jeopardize the transatlantic partnership, which has just recovered. The US fear that Moscow has a means of political leverage in the pipeline. The planned start of Nord Stream 2 was delayed by US sanctions under Trump. In a gesture to Berlin at the end of May, Biden’s government decided not to impose sanctions on the operating company Nord Stream 2 AG and its German managing director. Washington wanted to create space for talks with the federal government.

analysis 05/20/2021

Relations with China

As far as relations with China are concerned, things seem to have calmed down a bit. The fact that the EU reached an investment protection agreement with Beijing without waiting for Biden’s inauguration to coordinate with the new US president was clearly disapproved in Washington. There one expects more support from the Europeans against the Chinese rival. The EU has since put the deal with China on hold and is unequivocally opposed to unfair trade practices and human rights abuses. After the EU imposed sanctions on the situation of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Chinese province of Xinjiang, Beijing responded with sanctions against EU politicians and scientists. The European Parliament then refused to ratify the agreement. With information from Matthias Reiche, ARD-Studio Brussels

07/30/2020

Infringement Procedure How EU law is enforced

As of: 06/09/2021 4:21 p.m.

In order to enforce the law of the European Union in the EU states, there is the infringement procedure. It can lead to heavy fines. By Christoph Kehlbach, ARD legal editors The law of the European Union is to be implemented in the EU member states. There is a formal procedure to enforce this: the infringement procedure. In extreme cases, the European Court of Justice can impose very considerable penalties as a means of pressure.

Reason: breach of obligation under the EU treaties

As a rule, infringement proceedings are initiated by the EU Commission. And then when it comes to the conclusion that a member state of the European Union is not complying with EU law. This is where the EU Commission’s designation as the “guardian of the EU treaties” comes from. Specifically, it can mean that the respective state does not transpose an EU directive into national law. Such directives regulate, for example, EU-wide consumer protection. All member states are obliged to implement them. Or that a state enacts laws that run counter to an obligation under the EU treaties. For example, because they impermissibly restrict the free movement of goods and services. The commission then first contacts the state directly. If that doesn’t help, she can ultimately bring the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

As a rule, the EU Commission initiates infringement proceedings. Image: picture alliance / dpa / XinHua It is also possible that it is not the Commission but another EU country that initiates infringement proceedings. However, he must first contact the Commission. Only if this remains inactive can this state take legal action directly at the ECJ. That happens very rarely. A prominent example of such an exceptional case was the dispute over the car toll planned by the federal government for cars that are not registered in Germany: Austria saw this as discrimination and became active after the EU Commission had not acted. Ultimately, this is how the toll came before the ECJ. This overturned her in a spectacular decision in the summer of 2019 : The court came to the judgment that the toll discriminates against citizens and companies from other EU countries and thus restricts the freedom of goods and services.

Three-step process

In the vast majority of cases, however, it is the commission itself that takes action on its own initiative. The “normal” procedure is clearly regulated: If the EU Commission sees a violation, it demands one first step write to the state concerned to comment. The country must then respond within a specified period. Usually this period is two months. Now it is at least conceivable that Brussels will be persuaded by this response letter, i.e. that it will understand that there is no violation of EU law. Then the process ends at this point. However, if the Commission comes to the conclusion after an answer that there is indeed a violation of EU law, then it gives in one second step issued an official statement. In this, the Commission justifies its view and calls on the state to ensure that the situation that is contrary to EU law is ended. Within a further period (again it is usually two months) the state must then provide information about what it has done for this purpose. If the state does not meet its duty within this period, or does so insufficiently, the commission may in a third step bring the case to the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The judges in Luxembourg then give a judgment on the matter. Such a judgment against Germany there was, for example, the beginning of June 2021 : It was about the years Exceeding limit values ​​for nitrogen dioxide . If the ECJ is right to the Commission, i.e. if, as in this case, there has been a violation of the EU treaties, the state concerned must then take action to remedy this situation. Or prove that the illegal situation has already been eliminated.

In infringement proceedings, the European Court of Justice decides whether EU law has been violated – and can ultimately even impose high fines. Image: picture alliance / dpa

Financial sanctions possible after judgment

If a state still does not meet its obligations after such a ruling by the ECJ, the EU Commission can appeal to the ECJ again. This second court case is about financial sanctions. At the proposal of the Commission, the ECJ can then set a regular penalty payment against the state, or levy a lump sum – or combine both. The longer a state allows a violation of the EU treaties to persist, the more expensive it becomes. For example, due to data protection violations, lump-sum payments in the double-digit million range do occur – often combined with a daily penalty rate of tens of thousands of euros. Such penalties are always only the very last step.

Particularly delicate situation

The infringement procedure regarding the ECB judgment from Karlsruhe is particularly tricky: Because this is not simply a matter of Germany failing to transpose an EU legal norm into national law or failing to achieve certain benchmarks. Rather, the subject of the specific infringement proceedings is for the first time a judgment by the highest German court. To be more precise: A judgment in which the Federal Constitutional Court found that the European Central Bank (ECB) and also the ECJ have exceeded their competences . Ultimately, if the proceedings are not terminated beforehand, a curious situation could arise: the ECJ could decide whether a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court, which certifies that the ECJ has made a massive error, violates EU law.

Airbus logo at the factory in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo: AFP/VNA) European aircraft maker Airbus has welcomed a truce between the European Union (EU) and the US to ease transatlantic trade tensions over government subsidies for the two manufacturers. airplane export Boeing and Airbus . Speaking at a press conference on June 15, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer Christian Scherer said: “From an Airbus perspective, we warmly welcome that agreement.” Mr. Scherer stressed that anything that levels the playing field in this highly competitive industry and avoids a nasty tariff confrontation where neither side wins is good news. Earlier, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said that the EU and the US had come to an agreement to suspend retaliatory tariffs related to the dispute over subsidies for two aircraft manufacturers Airbus and Boeing in the past 5 years. year. Ms. Katherine Tai said Washington could re-impose punitive taxes if US companies cannot “ fair competition ” with European companies. This agreement is said to mark a diplomatic victory in the US President’s trip Joe Biden to Brussels. In March, the EU and the US also agreed to suspend for four months the imposition of retaliatory tariffs related to subsidies to Airbus and Boeing. The suspension will last until July 10, with tariffs re-imposed on July 11, if no solution is reached. Due to a trade dispute over government subsidies for two of the world’s top rival aircraft manufacturers, Airbus and Boeing, EU and US continuously roll out tariffs to punish each other. In March 2018, then US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tax on imported steel products and 10% on aluminum imported from the EU, Canada and Mexico. In response, the EU approved regulations to impose tariffs on $3.2 billion in US goods, including a 25% tax on American whiskey. In addition to the Airbus-Boeing issue, the two sides are currently arguing over France, Spain and some EU countries imposing digital taxes on major US technology firms.

Mr. Goosdeel affirmed that this situation shows that in order to be able to deal with future disasters, it is necessary to quickly change the perception that drugs are not a problem of only one person, but that it is affecting people. community at large in more ways. In the report, EMCDDA warned that drug addicts now have access to a wider range of drugs, with higher purity. In 2020 alone, 46 new drugs were discovered in the European Union (EU). In the context of many countries imposing restrictive measures to prevent and control the COVID-19 epidemic, whereby, discos and bars must close at night, reducing the drugs used on special occasions. parties such as ecstasy, consumption of some has increased significantly, especially the purchase and sale of the compound benzodiazepine, often prescribed for sedation. In addition, the EMCDDA report also noted that the authorities had seized a record amount of cocaine in 2019, with 213 tons, much higher than 177 tons in 2018, and the number of people who had to detox for the first time as well. Strongly increasing.

Besides, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed optimism that the two sides will reach an agreement as soon as possible. US and EU express cooperation on protection issues for Boeing and Airbus In March, the EU and the US also agreed to suspend counter-tariff actions for four months over a dispute related to protections for Airbus and Boeing. The US accused the EU of protecting aircraft maker Airbus to create a competitive advantage, while the EU also accused the US of taking similar measures against Boeing. The related lawsuits have dragged on for the past 17 years but have not come to an end. The dispute has led Brussels and Washington to repeatedly launch tariffs to punish each other. In March 2018, former US President Donald Trump imposed 25% tariffs on imported steel products and 10% on aluminum imports from the EU, Canada and Mexico. In response, the EU approved a regulation to impose tariffs on $3.2 billion in US goods, including a 25% tax on the country’s whiskey. In addition to the issue of Airbus-Boeing, the two sides are currently arguing about France, Spain and some EU countries imposing digital taxes on major US technology firms.

The US-EU reached a historic agreement to settle a 17-year dispute involving Airbus and Boeing. (Source: Getty Images) US officials confirmed that the country and the EU had reached an agreement to end a dispute over government subsidies to the world’s top commercial aircraft manufacturers at the US Summit- EU in Brussels. The two sides agreed to suspend the tariffs for a period of five years. US Trade Representative Katherine Tai said the deal “resolves a longstanding trade issue in the US-EU relationship”. “Instead of fighting one of our closest allies, we are ultimately fighting a common threat together,” Ms. Tai said. Under the agreement between Airbus-Boeing, any passenger aircraft built in the future will not be allowed to receive subsidies from the government. In addition, these two allies also pledged to settle another dispute related to imported aluminum and steel products. According to the CNN The fact that the EU and the US reached an agreement to end the dispute and impose a “eaten patty” tax for the past 17 years is a positive signal for bilateral cooperation under President Joe Biden. Immediately after the news was announced, shares of Airbus group rose 1.4% on the Paris exchange. Meanwhile, shares of Boeing have not changed much. (according to CNN)

Social network icon Facebook. Photo: AFP/VNA This is the first antitrust investigation that European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager has launched against the world’s number one social media provider and the latest she has launched into an American “tech giant”. Ms. Vestager had previously forced Alphabet – Google’s parent company to pay a fine of 8 billion euros (about 9.7 billion USD) and is conducting a similar investigation to Amazon and Apple. During the Facebook investigation, Ms. Vestager said she would review Facebook’s huge data warehouse collected from 7 million companies that have participated in advertising on this social network. The European Commission (EC) and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) are investigating the possibility of Facebook exploiting its dominant position in the social network or digital advertising by collecting collects and uses data, and examines Facebook’s “distortion” of the advertising market through service classification. Ms. Vestager stressed that in today’s digital economy, data should not be used in ways that undermine competition. This tech giant may have to change its business model with large fines. Reacting to the EU and UK’s decision, Facebook said it will fully cooperate with the authorities of both sides to demonstrate that Facebook’s integrated “Marketplace” and dating platform provides all people with more choices and all operate in a highly competitive environment. In the role of “gatekeeper”, Facebook as well as other social networking platforms have collected a large amount of personal private information of users based on privacy terms to develop an integrated platform. Marketplace aims to increase competitive advantage over competitors. In the past, the UK has rarely conducted independent antitrust investigations into US tech giants. Since withdrawing from the EU, the UK’s antitrust division has become an independent global regulator. Andrea Coscelli, CEO of the CMA, has pledged to tackle companies like Google and Facebook with a series of antitrust lawsuits, and said he is open to working alongside colleagues in Brussels.

Emissions from a factory in Scunthorpe, UK. Photo: AFP/VNA The UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme officially became operational two weeks ago, replacing the UK’s participation in the EU’s common system. The UK government has announced that the new CO2 trading scheme will make a significant contribution to achieving the goal of being CO2 neutral by 2050. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also plans to reduce emissions by 78%. pollutant emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. UK prices start at around £50 ($71) per tonne of CO2, slightly higher than European prices. Meanwhile, the average selling price in the world’s third largest market, California (USA) is about 20 USD/ton. Observers say the supply of CO2 credits is dwindling in the UK to meet the Government’s environmental targets. Therefore, CO2 prices in this market are expected to continue to rise. According to Tim Atkinson, director of sales and brokerage at CF Partners, CO2 trading is one of the cornerstones of climate change policy. He considers this the most important tool to cut emissions in the power sector and heavy industries. For example, the UK has largely phased out the use of coal, largely because CO2 quotas make it too expensive to produce electricity this way. Meanwhile, other tools such as subsidies have fueled the boom of wind farms in the country. The efforts come as the UK, host of the G7 summit this month, is urging the world’s richest nations to facilitate for the “green” global economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. London will also host the United Nations climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow in November.

Visitors who are granted a “Digital Certificate of Covid-19” can enter many European countries from July 1. After two weeks of consecutive declines in the number of new Covid-19 cases, Spain recently announced the relaxation of entry regulations for travelers from 10 countries, including the requirement to test negative for the virus. SARS-CoV-2. Meanwhile, North Macedonia also closed almost all Covid-19 treatment centers and makeshift hospitals after the number of cases dropped by 90%. Germany, Italy and Cyprus are also expected this week to allow food and beverage restaurants to open for service. In the recently approved border opening plan, the leaders of the European Union (EU) set out two main conditions. Firstly, the EU only reopens its borders to those countries that have controlled the Covid-19 epidemic well for a certain period of time, with indicators of the infection rate among the population equal to or lower than that of the EU. Second, only those who have been granted a “Covid-19 Digital Certificate” can travel freely. For Europeans, the “Digital Certification of Covid-19” is expected to take effect from July 1, and is expected to become the “key” to open the economy, especially. is the tourism industry. Because European countries have lost hundreds of billions of euros since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, closing their borders with the outside for nearly a year. According to statistics, the “smokeless industry” contributes about 14% of Spain’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), over 13% of Italy’s GDP, nearly 8% of France’s GDP and even up to 20% of GDP of Spain. Greek. Therefore, if this summer tourist season fails, the economies of countries such as Greece and Spain are at risk of not being able to recover. The emergence of medical certificates not only helps promote tourism within the EU countries, but also allows visitors from countries outside the union to enter, especially visitors from the US and UK, two countries. The country has the highest rate of vaccination against Covid-19 in the world today. Gloria Guevara of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) called the “Digital Certification of Covid-19” a big step towards the recovery of the tourism industry, helping EU countries in time. welcome a large number of visitors in the summer tourist season. Currently 46 per cent of the EU’s adult population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 300 million more will be delivered soon. The EU’s goal is to fully immunize 75% of adults by the end of July. If according to plan, EU countries can confidently reopen safely. Along with the tourism industry, many other business and manufacturing sectors will also recover. The European Commission (EC) predicts that the bloc’s economy will grow 4.2% this year. Although the “Digital certification of Covid-19” is considered the “key” for Europeans to regain their former rhythm, according to health experts, the opening of borders and the easing of controls epidemic still needs to be conducted with caution. European countries will have to closely monitor and make specific assessments in each phase. The World Health Organization (WHO) also recommends that the vaccine is considered a “light at the end of the tunnel”, but its effectiveness has not been fully evaluated while the strains of the SARS-CoV-2 virus continued to appear. Therefore, countries around the world need to choose safe steps. Step 1: Visit https://www.bluezone.gov.vn or download directly at App Store or CH Play. Step 2: Once downloaded, the application will ask for permission to use Bluetooth to record contact with other users who have installed Bluezone. If Bluetooth is not already on, drag the status bar and turn on Bluetooth; or go to Settings, select Bluetooth and turn it on. Step 3: Once the installation is done, click Scan Around. If someone near you less than 2m has used Bluezone, the application will automatically identify these users and put them in the contact list.

Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski (Image: Thefirstnews) According to Minister Niedzielski, in addition to the certificate using the software application, people will be able to request a hard copy at any medical facility or vaccination center. The official start of the Covid-19 certification system will take place on July 1. Fully vaccinated people with EU Covid-19 certificates will be exempt from travel-related restrictions such as testing or quarantine. The EU Covid-19 Digital Certificate was proposed by the European Commission in April to facilitate safe and free movement within the EU during the Covid-19 pandemic. Currently, in addition to Poland, there are 6 other EU countries that have issued Covid-19 certificates. It is expected that all EU countries will introduce this solution on July 1 (with a transition period of 6 weeks).

Diners enjoy coffee outdoors, when shops are allowed to reopen after a 7-month separation to fight the COVID-19 epidemic, in Brussels, Belgium on May 9, 2021. Photo: AFP/VNA According to European sources, during the meeting in Brussels, diplomats proposed that those who can present a certificate of having had a full dose of an EU-approved COVID-19 vaccine, can enter the bloc. . In addition, the limit for assessing a country on the list of entry restrictions has also been raised, whereby this list will include countries with a rate of new infections within two weeks of 75 cases per 100,000. population, instead of the current 25 cases. The recommendations are expected to be approved by EU ministers on May 20. Currently, the 27 EU member states still ban entry without a good reason, except for some countries considered safe with low rates of COVID-19 cases. However, business in Europe is also being resumed after the epidemic prevention restrictions are lifted. * On the same day, French people could not hide their joy when they were able to do old habits again such as sipping a cup of coffee outside a restaurant, preparing to go to the cinema or visit a museum. After more than 6 months of imposing measures to control the COVID-19 epidemic, France has relaxed restrictions, whereby cafes and restaurants with courtyards or rooftop gardens can serve guests to eat and drink. outdoors, while museums, cinemas and theaters will also reopen. This is part of phase 2 of the plan to lift the blockade. After that, restaurants will be allowed to serve indoors from June 9, and the French economy will fully reopen on June 30. Contrary to the deserted atmosphere, “doors closed, bolted” for many months, all over Paris, cafes and restaurants are busy preparing and arranging outdoor dining and drinking areas, while the first “gods” were enjoying their morning coffee. Mr. Pascal, manager of Saint Jean’s in the Montmartre district, is pleased to say that he has welcomed 3 customers to drink coffee. Meanwhile, one of the customers called it a big change from having to buy takeaway coffee. In the western city of Rennes, Patricia Marchand, manager of the cafe des Feuilles, confirmed that the whole city center is busier and full of excitement, although the meteorological agency predicts rain may occur in many places. . Also from May 19, the night curfew in France will also be shortened by 2 hours, starting at 21:00. Thus, people were able to have dinner together and chat longer, although eating and drinking still had to be limited to no more than 6 people/table. Not only enjoying a cup of coffee or drinking wine, many French people also look forward to going to the movies or watching exhibitions. In a statement posted on the webiste, the Louvre museum posted a status line expressing its joy when it was reopened to visitors. In order to boost the economy, France has also decided to reopen non-essential businesses but must implement social distancing regulations. Currently, the number of patients with COVID-19 in intensive care units in France has decreased to 4,250 cases, much lower than about 6,000 cases a month earlier. The weekly rate of new cases also fell to 142 cases per 100,000 people, much lower than 400 at the beginning of April.

Excited but still worried Authorities in the old continent gradually eased social distancing restrictions, as infection rates fell and the number of people vaccinated increased. In Italy, the original epicenter of the pandemic in Europe, a nationwide curfew will be lifted in the coming weeks; Germany is gradually easing tough restrictions imposed for a long time. In France, restaurants are allowed to serve guests outdoors starting May 19; Museums, including the famous Louvre, have plans to return visitors. The scene filled with breath of life at Paris’s famous Cafe de Flore on May 19. Photo: AFP. While cafes in Paris, including Ernest Hemingway’s familiar Les Deux Magots, are busy returning to their pre-pandemic rhythm, the famous nightclub Moulin Rouge is also starting to get excited, its dancers They took to the streets to promote their reopening in September with bold attention-grabbing styles. Although excitement is everywhere, there are still worries about the pandemic that has not passed. Because the new strain from India is spreading rapidly in many other parts of the world. Therefore, measures to prevent the disease will continue to be maintained. In Berlin, open-air restaurants will be trialled from May 21. Meanwhile, the rhythm of life in Paris cannot return to the way it was before the pandemic. Paolo Viglianisi, 66, owner of Paparazzi restaurant, located in a quiet square just behind Paris’ opera house, said: “We are very happy to reopen and are fortunate to have such a great location. great. But things will never go back to the way they were.” Before the crisis, his restaurant had 39 employees. Now, Viglianisi will open its doors with only about 15 employees on May 19. He aims to serve about 100 guests for lunch and another 100 for dinner, equivalent to two-thirds of pre-pandemic guests. Cautiously optimistic On May 19, the European Union (EU) decided to reopen its borders to people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. Europe’s leaders need to strike the right balance between economic recovery and public health protection, or face the ire of voters. Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives are battling the Greens to run Europe’s largest economy, while French President Emmanuel Macron, who has struggled in vain to avoid a third lockdown, will face the challenge of running for re-election next year. French President Emmanuel Macron (right) at an outdoor cafe in Paris on May 19. Photo: AFP. “It is a very rare new moment of freedom and the fruit of our joint efforts,” Macron said in a televised interview, while drinking coffee on the morning of May 19, at the cafe. Outdoor coffee in the heart of Paris. The current overarching sentiment is cautiously optimistic. Containment measures have significantly slowed the spread, vaccination work is being carried out rapidly. But with the threat of new strains like the one from India, the risk is still there. “We can be confident but not hasty,” said Steffen Seibert, Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesman. The infection rate is still much higher than it was a year ago, so no one has yet reached the scene of enjoying a comfortable summer like before. Authorities have been on high alert since last spring, when the outbreak was under control and flared up worse in the fall. The town near Düsseldorf, Germany has temporarily quarantined 189 people after discovering the only case of the Indian variant here. Concerns have prevented businesses such as the Chinesischer Turm beer garden in Munich, which have been reopened, to return to their former life. Normally, about 7,000 diners can enjoy hot dogs and drink beer here, but due to few foreign tourists and gloomy weather, the picture of the future is even darker. Maria Pinzger, representative of the beer garden, said: “As long as we can continue to open, we are happy. But there is still a risk from new Covid-19 strains, we cannot assess the situation right now.” In Spain, restaurants and theaters reopened about two weeks ago with other restrictions on numbers and early closing hours. Sergi Ferrer, president of Barceloneta’s beachfront shop owners association, said that in Barcelona, ​​demand from locals is not enough to displace millions of tourists. “If we don’t have tourists this summer, business is going to be very bad,” said Ferrer, who runs a restaurant on the city’s pier. In Rome, extending the curfew past 10 p.m. will create a breakthrough for businesses like Ripa 12 fish restaurant in the Trastevere district. Although open since late April, many outdoor tables are empty by early evening, suggesting a slow-going revival. People eat outdoors at a restaurant in Rome. Photo: Xinhua. “Our customers are businessmen who work late into the night, barely showing up before 9pm,” said Vincenzo Colao, the restaurant’s owner. Restaurant revenue is down about 70% from pre-pandemic levels. This situation is also happening in Paris, where the outdoor tables of Paparazzi restaurant are limited to 6 people and everyone must keep a safe distance.

International tourists returned to Venice after Italy lifted restrictions for EU countries, the UK and Israel. Source: Reuters “Vaccine passport” or “vaccination certificate” is a document that travelers use to prove that they are fully vaccinated, have recovered from Covid-19 or have a negative test result. These vaccine certificates are expected to be digitized for display on smartphones, however a paper version should still be available. In addition, visitors must also receive vaccines that have been recognized by the EU. If you come from a “safe” country according to the EU’s assessment and complete 2 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days before departure, you will be exempted from isolation or testing when you arrive in Europe. Currently, only seven non-EU countries are on this list, including Australia, Israel, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and China. However, this list will be added and published in a few days.

The European Commission is working on finalizing the digital green pass. This is a passport for people who have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and negative for nCoV. This card allows residents of the European Union and international visitors to travel more easily in the region. According to the AFP , the card can be issued in June. However, from mid-May, many European countries have begun to welcome guests. Each country has its own way of welcoming visitors. Malta The first 38,000 visitors to this country next summer will be given 200 euros per person. Accordingly, visitors must stay a minimum of 3 nights and spend all the money granted. In addition, tourists booking a room on the island of Gozo will receive an additional 20 Euros. Restaurant in Valletta, Malta is open to welcome guests. Photo: Reuters. From June 1, the regulations on distance and restrictions in this country will be lifted. Currently, visitors from all over the world can pre-book their summer vacation in Malta through local hotels to take advantage of the offer. According to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, the tourism industry accounts for more than 27% of the Maltese economy. From March 2020, the number of international visitors to Malta decreased by 80% because of the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic. France Before the pandemic, France was one of the world’s leading tourist destinations. In 2019, this country welcomed about 90 million visitors. In early May, the government launched a multi-million-euro campaign to attract tourists back this summer. Distance orders and travel restrictions are gradually being lifted nationwide. From May 19, coffee shops in France are allowed to reopen. Shops, museums, and theaters are also open to visitors at this time. People bathing in the sea in Marseilles, France. Photo: AP. In order to avoid a re-epidemic outbreak, the French government will continue to apply regulations, distance and restrict travel if the number of nCoV infections in this country exceeds the milestone of 400 cases / 100,000 people per day. Greek From April, visitors from the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Israel, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) do not need to be quarantined for seven days upon arrival in Greece. Currently, the government of this country is promoting a plan to vaccinate people on tourist islands. Greece’s goal is to turn these islands into Covid-free tourist destinations. Private beaches and museums also began to welcome visitors from the beginning of May. On May 21, cinemas will operate with a limited number of screenings to ensure distance. Cruise ships at seaports are also eager to welcome guests back. The Greek government is urgently revitalizing the tourism industry, which accounts for 20% of the country’s GDP. Spain In 2019, Spain welcomed 83.5 million visitors, the second largest in the world after France. The number of tourists visiting the country has dropped by 77% last year, since the global outbreak of Covid-19. From the beginning of May, people in the country are allowed to move outside the living area, the curfew in the Balearic Islands is also being considered to be lifted. Currently, travelers must present a negative test result for nCoV within 72 hours before departure. Each locality in this country has different epidemic prevention regulations. The tourism situation in the city of Palma, Spain is gradually recovering. Photo: DPA. From June 2020, the city of Madrid has opened its doors to tourists in the region. This place quickly became a tourist attraction in Europe amid the pandemic. Tourism typically accounts for 14.1% of Spain’s economic activity. Spain’s tourism minister said the country is expected to welcome 45 million international visitors in 2021. Italy The country plans to introduce the Covid-19 passport in May. The pass is issued to people who have been vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19. Tourism Minister Massimo Garavaglia said the pass was issued to visitors from outside the European Union. Currently, cruise operations at seaports in Italy have reopened. Bars and restaurants are allowed to serve guests sitting outdoors. According to data from the World Tourism Organization, the boot-shaped country welcomed about 64.5 million international visitors in 2019.

Icon of Tik Tok video sharing app on smartphone screen in Paris, France. Photo: AFP/VNA According to the European Commission, consumer protection authorities in several EU member states have expressed concern about the way TikTok runs hidden ads aimed at children and the contractual provisions of its policy. of this entertainment application. The agency said TikTok has a one-month deadline to respond. The TikTok application, owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, is facing many similar complaints around the world. Last month, the UK accused the company of illegally collecting the data of millions of children in Europe. Earlier, in February, the European Union for the Protection of Consumers (BEUC) complained TikTok to authorities in 15 EU countries, accusing TikTok of failing to protect children against inappropriate advertisements. cases, thereby violating the rights of consumers in the EU. In the US, some lawmakers accused TikTok of sharing user data with the Chinese government, although the company that owns the app, Bytedance, still denies this. TikTok insists that users’ data in the US is stored in the country itself and that China has no authority over content not stored in the country. TikTok continuously faces many complaints in the context that this application is gradually becoming more popular among young people due to limited activities from living to studying of this group during the COVID epidemic. -19.

The effectiveness of the vaccine so far cannot be denied. The United States, although not widely open to the world, has dragged down its number of infections in just the past few months. Based on data collected during vaccination, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that the effectiveness of major vaccines such as Pfizer or Moderna is up to 95%. even with new variants. This makes it possible for American people to comfortably go out without having to wear a mask, while the US Government considers lifting the ban on international movement. Similar effects have also been observed in Israel and Europe, where vaccination rates have reached 60% – that is, herd immunity can be generated. The “miracle” that brought life back to its normal rhythm seemed to be at last. Small doses of vaccines are becoming the hope of the whole world in the fight against COVID. However, at the same time, a new wave of infections broke out in India. Since mid-April, an additional 5 million new infections have been recorded in this South Asian country. The number of new infections continuously reached approximately 300 thousand cases per day, of which several thousand people died from the disease every day. The epidemic tsunami was so great that it knocked down India’s health system in just a few days, a real disaster. It is hard to believe, until the 4th wave of infections broke out, India was the country with the 3rd highest number of COVID vaccines in the world and was a hope for the whole world thanks to its huge vaccine supply. However, the number of nearly 100 million doses of vaccine administered out of a population of 1.3 billion is still too small to achieve a state of herd immunity, as epidemiologists hope. The government’s subjectivity then caused the contagion to erupt violently at a time when major religious ceremonies were held in this huge country. Consequences for the people and country of India so far have not been fully enumerated, but more dangerous, it is slowing down the whole world’s efforts to open up, when the supply of vaccines is mainly for people. Poor countries under the WHO COVAX program have stalled, because India has urgently applied a ban on vaccine exports to save itself first. In addition, the fourth wave of infections has also begun to spread around the world, from Asia, Africa to South America, where vaccination rates are far from reaching the thresholds that can create health problems. herd immunity. No one can stand alone The Indians cannot be blamed for the decision to close the vaccine supply at this time, because indeed the images and death figures every day in the newspaper make anyone horrified. Before that, it was India that took the lead in efforts to help the poorer people to have access to 66 million doses of vaccine in the first quarter of this year. Now that responsibility needs to be reinforced. In contrast, the US, UK, EU and Israel have come up with plans to reopen. Learning from India’s mistakes, these countries have been more cautious. From May 23, tourists can return to Israel and the EU if they comply with the mandatory conditions. The problem is that if that rule is followed, there are not many qualified guests. Because, in addition to having received the correct vaccines recognized by the EU, that traveler must also be from countries with the number of new infections below 25 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the previous 14 days. Those are the countries that the EU calls “safe”. However, there are currently only 7 countries outside the EU that meet this criterion, such as Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, etc., but that list does not include the US. That is, the invitation to travel to Europe is still only “give it up”. The door was opened but very few people could enter. The “Indian lesson” makes us realize that vaccination speed will determine the success or failure of a global vaccine strategy. As the United States and Israel quickly immunized the majority of the population, the SARS-CoV-2 virus was easily defeated. But, the drip vaccination rate will not be enough to create herd immunity and even allow the virus to mutate against the same old vaccines. Finding a vaccine for the poor is never easy. The fourth wave of contagion, therefore, has broken out in these very countries, with new variants that are more dangerous and could completely hit countries that already have high vaccination rates. Therefore, in order to solve the problem at the root, it is the rich countries that will have to take the lead in a new effort, to rescue the worldwide shortage of vaccines. Conflicts of interest A group of 13 countries has been identified by the World Bank (WB) as holding control and global distribution of vaccines. Among these, there are of course big countries like India, China, Russia, the G7 group and a few other European countries like Austria, Switzerland, Sweden. They are collectively known with a beautiful name, “The Club of Vaccine Producing Countries”. This club controls up to 88% of vaccines and 91% of vaccine companies in the world. Among them, mainly developed countries in the West. It is not surprising that the US and EU have achieved the highest vaccination rates in the world in a short time. Despite earlier claims to share vaccines with the world, “vaccine nationalism” prevailed initially. They have even started to have an oversupply of vaccine in their inventory after the last 3 months of intense vaccination. Therefore, when making the call for the rescue of vaccines in the world, both WHO and the United Nations are directly targeting this group of countries. Now it’s time for them to extend their hand to play the role of “saving the world”. However, this is also the time when the controversy broke out the most. The US has announced that it will deliver 70 million doses of its vaccine to developing countries between now and July. The EU will also contribute back to the COVAX program, after a temporary withdrawal to keep the vaccine for itself. But, even so, it’s still not enough. Because the most advanced vaccines being used by the US and EU require extremely complex preservation technologies that are not easy for poor or developing countries to meet. In Africa, hundreds of thousands of doses of vaccines have been destroyed, even though they still have their expiry date, because they cannot guarantee the storage conditions on the way to users. This situation may be even more serious, when the number of vaccines from the EU and the US is brought in in large numbers in the near future. And the cost of high-end vaccines like Pfizer or Moderna is never cheap, when Pfizer – BioNtech or Moderna apply the most advanced technologies that not even Russia or China have access to. A new call has been made, for rich countries to share vaccine copyrights with poor countries, in order to create a vaccine that suits them. However, advanced genetic technologies are copyrighted by major pharmaceutical companies, where they want to hold the secret not only for this COVID vaccine. As a result, the controversy has shifted from the states to the people of the vaccine-hungry poor countries, with the wealthy owners of the big pharmaceutical companies. Loss of motivation to research to find new products is the reason that big pharmaceutical companies rely on to protect their patents. Meanwhile, inequality in vaccine distribution has serious consequences for the lives of hundreds of millions of other people. Still, it wasn’t easy for those wealthy owners to give in. Therefore, before relying on the “kindness” of pharmaceutical companies, the most concrete thing that rich countries can do is probably just to try to fill this inequality by giving poor countries the opportunity to do so. access to their starting surplus vaccine resources. Saving people is actually saving yourself.
Tu Uyen

The above proposal is one of several to address a shortcoming in the Voluntary Code of Practice on Misinformation released in 2018 and signed by Google, Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, Mozilla and TikTok. this switch. Google and other big tech firms will have to commit to limiting ‘ad embedding’. The EC wants platforms to tighten eligibility requirements and content review processes for programs to monetize content and share advertising revenue on its service to prevent the participation of competitors. posting content that is systematically considered disinformation. In contrast, ad technology companies must define the criteria used to place ads and apply measures to verify ad placement. The EC also wants companies to clearly and specifically label advertisements (related to politics or other areas, etc.), and distinguish them as paid content. The newly updated code also provides for the first time key performance indicators to allow authorities to verify that these companies are living up to their commitments. The EC will publish the updated Code of Conduct on May 26.

Many European countries hope that the rate of Covid-19 will decrease, the gradual lifting of restrictions will help revive tourism. In Europe, the overall incidence of Covid-19 is decreasing along with increasing vaccination rates for the Covid-19 vaccine. As a result, many countries in the continent are gradually lifting travel restrictions, offering hope for a recovery to the tourism industry. European leaders are also discussing the technical requirements for the Digital Green Certificate, a vaccine passport, to be adopted across the region. On May 8, European Commission President Uraula von de Leyen said that the certificate would come into effect from June. In Austria, from May 19, restaurants, hotels, theaters and sports centers will reopen to welcome visitors with negative Covid-19 test results. These reopening plans will coincide with the removal of quarantine rules for incoming travelers, and facilitate entry for travelers who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, who have tested negative. as well as those who have recovered from Covid-19. The Polish government has allowed hotels to reopen at 50% occupancy. Outdoor dining will also be allowed starting May 15, and from May 29, guests will be able to dine in the restaurant. Foreign visitors to Poland are required to self-isolate for ten days upon arrival unless they present proof of a negative test result for Covid-19. Those who have been fully vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19 are not isolated. Portugal: After about five and a half months, the state of emergency was lifted on May 1. As a result, restaurants, cultural and entertainment centers are now allowed to stay open until 10:30pm. In addition, the border with Spain is reopened. However, travelers from countries with a 14-day Covid-19 incidence in excess of 150 are still barred from entering Portugal. In Croatia, hotels are allowed to host guests and restaurants can open for al fresco dining provided certain conditions are observed. To be admitted, visitors must present a negative PCR test result for Covid-19, or certify that they have recovered from Covid-19, or have been fully vaccinated with the Covid-19 vaccine. Denmark: Shops have reopened, but to dine indoors, guests must use the app to prove that they have tested negative, have been fully vaccinated or recovered from Covid- 19. Fully vaccinated people from EU and Schengen countries are allowed to enter Denmark provided their country is classified as “orange” or better, meaning there is a risk of infection. Covid-19 is lower. France is slowly opening up. Residents are now allowed to travel more than ten kilometers from home without giving a reason, and are allowed to make domestic trips. The curfew was applied starting at 7pm, but from May 19, the curfew was moved back from 9pm. After that, restaurants will be allowed to serve outdoor guests, and shops and cultural and arts centers will reopen. In Greece, outdoor areas of restaurants are allowed to reopen, but shops are required to close before 10:45 pm and a curfew is in place starting at 11 pm. Vacationers who wish to enter the country are required to update their personal data online, present a negative PCR test result for Covid-19 or a certificate of full vaccination against the Covid-10 vaccine. Greece does not require visitors to self-isolate. Italy is gradually lifting restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19. In areas with lower Covid-19 incidence, restaurants are allowed to serve guests outdoors even in the evening, but a curfew is in place starting at 10 p.m. Museums and cinemas in the “yellow zone” have reopened. Italy plans to welcome tourists back to the summer tourist season from June 2 to June, but has yet to put in place restrictions on visitors. The Covid-19 situation in Spain has eased considerably, with many restrictions lifted, but some regions still plan to maintain curfews for the time being. Residents and visitors are still required to wear masks in public. Spain has allowed to open its doors to visitors from EU and Schengen countries. But visitors from high-risk Covid-19 areas are still required to present a Covid-19 negative test certificate. To fly to Switzerland you will need to test negative for Covid-19, but this does not apply to arrivals by land. Only travelers arriving from high-risk areas are required to self-isolate. Hotels as well as museums, shops, theaters and theme parks will reopen. However, restaurants are only allowed to serve outdoor guests with a limit on the number of guests. Switzerland still maintains social distancing rules and wears masks.

The report calls for the development of legal requirements for the recycling and reuse of critical raw materials. (Source: voanews.com) A report by European Union The (EU)-backed study says the recovery of rare materials from e-waste is a security requirement for Europe and should be legislated. According to the EU-funded CEWASTE report, critical raw materials – including gold, silver and cobalt in many electronics – can be recycled and reused. This will protect raw material supply for consumer electronics, even Europe’s defense industry. Even these rare materials are essential for wind turbines and electric cars. They therefore play an important role in helping countries meet climate protection goals and ensure competitiveness in manufacturing. However, the report notes that while supplies of these essential materials are vulnerable to geopolitical fluctuations, Europe is still too dependent on foreign supplies with recycling rates “close to equals 0.” According to the report, the low and volatile prices of many of these raw materials make recycling them often seen as too costly for businesses. The report calls for the development of regulatory requirements for the recycling and reuse of critical raw materials, financial incentives to support the industry, and increased control over the amount of e-waste that is exported. leave the EU. The report highlights some types of e-waste that have large enough raw materials to be recovered. These include printed circuit board materials from discarded electrical equipment; batteries from e-waste and scrap cars; iron boron neodymium magnets from hard drives and motors of electric bicycles, scooters and scrap cars; and fluorescent powder from cathode ray tubes and lamps in television sets and displays. CEWASTE says these materials are often present in very small quantities in individual categories, so they are often overlooked. For example, the report estimates that by 2025, the waste of fluorescent lamps in Europe will contain 92 tons of critical raw materials, while printed circuit boards in electronic waste of this area can hold up to 41 tons of silver and 10 tons of gold. The report states that the amount of the above material will be equivalent to that used to produce new items. A United Nations (UN) report shows that the world generated more than 50 million tons of e-waste in 2019. Much of this ended up in landfills and scrap yards. With an estimated 17% of electronic products being recycled, the UN says more than $55 billion worth of materials are wasted each year as the world has to extract more materials to make products. new./.

Workers work at an e-waste collection center in Ploufragan, western France. Photo: AFP/VNA According to the European Union (EU) funded CEWASTE e-waste report, circuit boards, magnets in drives and electric vehicles, batteries and fluorescent lamps are among the items containing important raw materials. , including gold, silver and cobalt, can be recycled and reused. However, these rare materials often make up a very small percentage of each item thrown away, making them often overlooked. For example, the report estimates that by 2025, discarded fluorescent lamps in Europe will contain 92 tonnes of vital raw materials. Printed circuit boards in the region’s e-waste could contain up to 41 tons of silver and 10 tons of gold by 2025. Meanwhile, Europe’s supply chains have become “too vulnerable”, especially is the defense industry, as noted by Mr. Pascal Leroy – one of the authors of the report. The production of items in Europe, from computer systems to drones, is largely dependent on external supplies. As a result, the report highlights that recycling e-waste will help protect vital supplies for consumer electronics and even the European defense industry. In addition, with the materials needed to make wind turbines and electric cars, items that are discarded if recycled also play an important role in meeting climate change and environmental goals. improve the competitiveness of the manufacturing industry. The report also highlights some types of e-waste that are said to have sufficient raw materials to be recycled and recovered. These include printed circuit board materials obtained from discarded electronic equipment; batteries from e-waste and scrap cars; neodymium iron boron magnets from the hard drives and motors of electric bicycles and scooters, and fluorescent powder from lamps and cathode ray tubes found in televisions and television screens. The researchers found that many raw materials have low value and are volatile, meaning that recycling them is considered too expensive for businesses. The report therefore calls for legislation on the recycling and reuse of critical raw materials, financing to support the recycling industry, and better control of shipments of waste. e-waste is transported out of the EU. According to the “Global Electronic Waste Monitoring 2020” report published by the United Nations (UN) in July last year, in 2019, there were a total of 53.6 million tons of e-waste worldwide. , up 21% from 5 years ago. In which, Asia is the largest producer with about 24.9 million tons, followed by the Americas 13.1 million tons and Europe 12 million tons. Meanwhile, the amount of e-waste in Africa and Oceania is 2.9 and 0.7 million tons, respectively. Of the more than 53 million tons of e-waste generated, only 17% of the waste is recycled, with the rest going to landfills, incineration or simply not being treated. This means that an amount of rare materials such as gold, silver … worth up to 55 billion USD “presents” in e-waste that has been thrown away or burned instead of being collected for treatment. and reuse. Meanwhile, the exploitation of raw materials has been promoted in many countries to create new products, causing environmental concerns.

Amazon’s distribution center in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, April 25, 2020. Documentary photo: AFP/VNA The appeal comes after the LuxLeaks scandal exposed in 2014 revealed 500 tax agreements between Luxembourg and more than 350 international businesses, including many billion-dollar tax frauds and involving corporations. such as Apple, IKEA, Pepsi… These corporations have had tacit agreements with the tax authorities of Luxembourg to enjoy lower tax rates than prescribed. In the case of Amazon, in 2017 European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager accused Luxembourg of having an illegal arrangement with the online commerce giant to pay less tax than other businesses. other profession. Accordingly, Luxembourg has offered a preferential tax policy for Amazon, helping nearly three-quarters of the company’s profits not be taxed. At the heart of the EU’s allegations is Amazon’s violation of the so-called “market price principle”, which ensures that transactions between subsidiaries are based on prices that other independent companies in the market would charge. must return. At the time of the EU case, Amazon said it had not received any special treatment from Luxembourg, and insisted it had paid taxes in full in accordance with both Luxembourg and international tax law. However, analysts are not too optimistic about the ability of the EU’s requirements to be upheld. Less than a year ago, iPhone maker Apple won a spectacular victory in this same court against the European Commission’s request that Apple pay 13 billion euros in taxes to Ireland in 2016. But whether it wins or loses in the appeal, the European Commission will likely emphasize its goal of targeting corporate profits. The agency is also developing new rules to close tax loopholes, especially for tech giants. In recent weeks, the US side has gradually embraced the idea of ​​a global minimum corporate tax. Negotiations on cross-border corporate tax are underway at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). If successful, this tax policy will make special transactions for multinational companies a thing of the past.

European Commission (EC) spokesman Christian Wigand said the EU wants all citizens of the 27 EU member states to be able to receive a “digital passport”. This powerful card, also known as a “green certificate” or “digital passport”, certifies that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has tested negative for the SARS virus. -CoV-2 or have recovered from COVID-19. “To get ready for safe travel next summer, the use of the pass will be ready by the end of June,” Wigand said. With this card, Europeans can easily travel between member states. Another EU spokesman, Johannes Bahrke, said the 18 EU member states and Iceland will conduct a trial of the “digital passport” over the next two weeks to ensure there are no errors when it comes to travel. officially put into use. European tourism will revive thanks to the medical pass hành This digital pass is seen as a tool for countries that depend on tourists to kick-start the summer holidays for Europeans. This is also an “effective tool” that allows countries to revive their economies that have been exhausted by the epidemic. Mutual recognition of “Medical Passes” – the key to the border gate Currently, some countries around the world have also announced that they will apply the same form as the medical pass in the EU, for example Israel has a “green pass”, the UK will have an application from the National Health Service. (NHS) certificate of vaccination. The “Medical Pass” was initially used for intra-regional travel only. However, the European Commission (EC) is working with non-EU countries to jointly recognize each other’s vaccination certificates, especially with the US. So far, there has been no discussion between Brussels and London about the EU’s recognition of the UK’s NHS application. France, Malta and the Netherlands are among the countries that are piloting through EU certification. Countries are discussing to ensure that the digital passport used for authentication in this country is compatible with other countries’ applications or systems. In addition, the pass must be designed to be accessible via a smartphone app, but must also be able to obtain paper authentication. Technology experts said: “All member countries will connect to the system in June, the deadline is mid-June.” The European Commission believes that this Pass will soon come to life as negotiations on this scheme are underway. sea ​​oats ( according to AFP )

EUSPA headquarters in Prague. (Source: insidegnss.com) The Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Prague quoted the Czech news agency (ČTK) as saying that the European Union’s space program agency ( EUSPA ) officially operated in Prague from May 12. The EUSPA will centralize the operational management of the EU’s space programmes, while remaining responsible for managing the Galileo navigation system and other space programmes. It is the only EU agency based in the Czech Republic. In the announcement, CEO Rodrigo da Costa said: “EUSPA will play an important role in the implementation of the space program and the realization of the EU’s ambitions. This will be achieved primarily by using maximize the synergy between the various components of the program, especially navigation, Earth observation and secure communications, to stimulate innovation across multiple sectors.” In addition, EUSPA will provide European satellite navigation services, and will operate in the commercial use of data and services from Galileo, EGNOS and Copernic. Another objective of this body is to prepare the coordination of the EU satellite communications program within the public administration ( GOVSATCOM ). EUSPA, formerly the European Global Positioning Satellite System Agency, also known as GSA, has been headquartered in Prague since 2012. According to a representative of this agency, GSA has paid the Czech Republic budget nearly 130 million euros in 2020. After the expansion, the financial contribution is forecast to increase. The number of employees will increase from the current 200 to 600 employees, so the Czech Republic is looking for a new space for the agency, replacing the current headquarters on Janovského street in Holešovice of Prague which will not be enough in the future. future./.

Social network icons Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. Photo: Kyodo / VNA According to the Vietnam News Agency reporter in Germany, the Hamburg Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, where Facebook has a branch in Germany, has sent a ban to the social network that owns the popular messaging service WhatsApp. From the beginning of this year, when running the WhatsApp software, a window will automatically pop up. The first page states that WhatsApp is updating its terms of use and data protection regulations, in which the first statement: WhatsApp cannot read or listen to chats because they are encrypted, and second: WhatsApp are making adjustments to make it simpler to chat with businesses. Next, the second page said that WhatsApp is updating its terms of use and data protection regulations, which confirmed that WhatsApp does not change privacy in private chat, but added information on how to get it. chat with the business as desired and how the business can manage user chat sections. Especially at the bottom of page 2 there is only the “agree” button and the user cannot do otherwise. If you do not agree with the new update, starting May 15, using WhatsApp may experience problems, such as being unable to receive or send messages, even if the account is not deleted or disabled. In short, WhatsApp requires users to agree to their new policy in order to continue using the service after May 15, in which an update will allow more information from WhatsApp to be shared with Facebook. and other apps like Instagram and Messenger (such as contacts and profile data), except for encrypted chat content. According to a statement by the Hamburg’s Office of the Data Protection Commissioner, the terms of the above agreement will be invalidated in Germany for three months, and the office will refer the case to the European Data Protection Authority, The independent EU agency enforces the rules across the bloc. According to Hamburg State Data Protection Commissioner Johannes Caspar, Facebook’s data protection breaches in the past as well as the September general elections in Germany indicate the risk of “mass building user profiles”. can be taken advantage of. He emphasized the ruling was intended to protect the rights and freedoms of millions of users across Germany. The official is concerned not only about privacy, but that records could be used to “influence voter choices and manipulate democratic decisions”. Currently in Germany there are about 60 million WhatsApp users, the most popular chat application currently in the country. However, in response to the ban, a WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed that the ban was issued without a legitimate basis and is based on a “basic misunderstanding” of the purpose and effect of the update. Therefore, a ban will not affect further rollout of the update.

According to the news agency DW The final decision on whether or not to give up the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine will be decided by the 164-member World Trade Organization (WTO). Of these, more than 100 countries have supported negotiations towards the abolition of measures to protect intellectual property rights with the COVID-19 vaccine. However, as long as a country disagrees, the WTO cannot approve this proposal. However, there are still countries that oppose the US move. Press conference on this issue on May 6, a spokesman for the German government warned that this would make pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies lose motivation to research and develop vaccines, negatively impacting. the entire vaccine industry in general. Therefore “the protection of intellectual property is a resource for creativity and must be maintained in the future”. The waiver of the vaccine license does not help much in the goal of increasing world vaccination coverage. The reason, “the factors that limit the number of vaccines vaccinated are production capacity and quality standards, not the copyright story”. Protect effort and gi Oh degree ng l Ugh c research According to radio CNN In the current context, giving up intellectual property rights with vaccines is a very complicated problem. A vaccine that has been successfully researched and developed is a collection of a series of different ingredients and materials and each ingredient and ingredient is copyrighted by at least one company or researcher. wisdom. For example, inside the vaccine company Pfizer (USA) and Biotechnology Company BioNTech (Germany) produces 280 ingredients and materials are licensed from many parties from 19 countries. Once a waiver scenario occurs, anyone can freely access and use the ingredients and ingredients in this vaccine – causing significant damage to Pfizer, BioNTech and others. holding the copyrights of those ingredients and materials. Medical staff in the capital Berlin (Germany) prepare the vials of vaccines to be vaccinated in April. Photo: DW “A single dose of vaccine contains all intellectual property from licensing agreements, copyrights, industrial designs to trade secret protection laws, patent secrets. If the copyright for the COVID-19 vaccine is abandoned, how can this be enforced? ” – Intellectual property rights expert Achal Prabhala of the Shuttleworth Foundation (South Africa) analyzed. Mr. Prabhala also affirmed that intellectual copyright is the backbone of the entire pharmaceutical and medical industry because it is difficult and time-consuming to research and create a product that is safe to use in humans. The recognition and protection of copyright is a way of respecting the efforts of researchers. The risk of technology secrets disclosure Another equally important issue when it comes to vaccine licensing issues is the protection of vaccine technology and formulation. Currently, Pfizer, BioNTech and Moderna (USA) are the pharmaceutical companies and technology companies leading the use of new generation mRNA technology to significantly increase the effectiveness of vaccines. This technology is also evaluated to be highly applicable not only in the prevention of COVID-19 but also in other diseases in the future. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies in Russia or China have not fully applied this technology; Vaccines that these countries produce and put into use do not have mRNA technology, so the effectiveness level is also somewhat not as high. “Pfizer and Moderna took years of research to develop these vaccines. China and Russia and other countries both want to access it. Their goal is to possess the underlying technology to make vaccines not only to prevent COVID-19 but also for other diseases, ”said former US Ambassador to China Gary Locke. Reuters . In the event that the vaccine rights are abandoned, Beijing will likely force the above-mentioned pharmaceutical firms to hand over the technology if they want to operate in the Chinese market. On the other hand, Beijing may also ask other companies to generate income for such information without fear of being criticized for stealing foreign company secrets. If pharmaceutical companies refuse to provide information, they will face many legal consequences. Remember, intellectual property rights have been a big question between the US and China for many years now, and has been one of the main reasons for the outbreak of the US-China trade war in 2018. • EU completed a contract to buy 1.8 billion vaccine money Associated Reuters May 10 quoted Mr. Thierry Breton – Commissioner in charge of industry and domestic markets the European Union (EU) said that this bloc will not continue to buy vaccine COVID-19 by the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (UK-Switzerland). Swedish) production. The reason AstraZeneca has not met its commitment to supply vaccines to the EU. By the end of the first quarter of 2021, the EU received only 67 million doses of vaccine from AstraZeneca, although the initial target was 300 million doses. It is expected that in the second quarter, the EU will receive an additional 250 million doses. The remaining 280 million doses will be delivered to the EU by AstraZeneca during the last six months of 2021. In addition to legal disputes with the EU, AstraZeneca’s vaccine reputation has also deteriorated due to information related to adverse reactions. Some European countries such as Denmark have stopped using AstraZeneca’s vaccine, while in most other countries in the region, this vaccine is only used for people over 55 years old. After discontinuing the contract with AstraZeneca, the EU plans to order more vaccines using mRNA technology such as Pfizer / BioNTech or Moderna. In fact, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said over the weekend that the EU has officially completed a contract to buy up to 1.8 billion doses of Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine over the next two years.

Illustration. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn The cost of pollution in Europe has risen by more than 50% this year, signaling that climate policies need to be harsher, the region is also starting to make a difference. Futures in the carbon market of Europe, the largest market in the world, exceeded $ 60 / ton for the first time on May 4. Rising prices make it more expensive to release carbon dioxide into the air and force the industry to look for cleaner ways to run production. According to Ulf Ek, investment director at London’s Northlander Commodity Advisors LLP, the bulls have to go further. He hopes the futures contract will trade as high as $ 91 / ton by the end of the year, to boost his incentive to protect the environment. The rise in prices and industry concerns about its competitiveness, poised to put further strain on political discussions about the implementation of the “Green Agreement,” aimed at achieving neutrality. on climate by 2050 and strengthening emissions reduction targets by 2030. Some technologies to cut emissions, such as hydrogen generated without pollution, are still too expensive for steel and chemical manufacturers. But further price hikes could change that. Record carbon prices in Europe will strengthen the Government budget. EU leaders are arguing about enacting stricter pollution targets over the next decade at an extraordinary summit in Brussels, to be held on May 23. On July 14, the European Commission will propose a regulatory package to enact a new goal, by 2030, to cut greenhouse gases by at least 55% from 1990 levels. Agree by national governments and the European Parliament to become the binding rule. https://kinhtexaydung.petrotimes.vn

The EU proposes to strictly restrict the use of facial recognition The draft law adds that feature face recognition “Real-time”, using live tracking instead of past shots or photos in public spaces by authorities should only be used for a limited amount of time and it should be prior consent from a judge or a national authority. The document comes as privacy advocates, politicians and European citizens increasingly speak up about the use of direct facial recognition. Currently, there is no clear regulation on how and where technology can be used by the public, so the proposed law would be the first law to codify these restrictions into law. The introduction of stricter restrictions on the use of facial recognition technology will likely rekindle debate over whether this activity should be banned entirely, as scene experts report that it’s still risky. In a landmark ruling last August, the UK Court of Appeals found the use of facial recognition to be illegal by the South Wales Police and that it violates privacy, data protection law and equality law. The draft EU law also addresses a range of related issues such as algorithmic interference, the argument that technology used in recruitment and financial operations should be played out. development so as not to repeat “historical forms of discrimination” against ethnic minority groups. EU regulators have proposed a hefty fine of up to 6% of a company’s global revenue if found to abuse artificial intelligence in this way or with no prejudice detected when hiring workers or Service Provider. They added that so-called social scoring, which measures a person’s trustworthiness from behavioral data gathered about them, should also be banned. In China, for example, a system is being developed to calculate a person’s credit score using information about their online habits. “The social score obtained … can lead to the adverse or unfavorable treatment of a person or group of people … irrespective of the context in which the data was originally generated”, said the leak. These proposals will now be discussed by the European Parliament and member states until at least 2023 before becoming a formal law. Phan Van Hoa (According to Arstechnica)

Developed by a small group of the most talented vaccine scientists on the planet and industrially produced by the leading pharmaceutical giant with many prestigious certifications, Vaxzevria (the official new name for the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine in Europe) has been making hot headlines for many months. But not the kind that manufacturers have high expectations for. Months later, the manufacturer was not only caught in the political conflict between the EU and the UK, but also by the increasingly complicated conflicts. As a result, many governments around the world have recovered parts of Vaxzevria (some countries call it Covishield). Even when the third wave of outbreaks broke out in Germany and the EU, followed by a number of people claiming they wanted to be injected with any vaccine except for AstraZeneca. What’s wrong with that? The following survey by reporters Der Spiegel has reorganized the stories surrounding AstraZeneca in recent weeks to envision the disaster facing not only the pharmaceutical company but also many other countries. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (center) in an AstraZeneca vaccine factory. The Story of AstraZeneca The story of Vaxzevria begins at the Faculty of Medicine Nuffield, a research center on the eastern edge of the University of Oxford city. On January 30, 2020, a group of prominent researchers gathered there, just one day before the Brexit event and one day before the first two COVID-19 infections were announced in the UK, to be exact. is in York, 300 km away. For weeks, researchers continuously watched news about an outbreak of a virus in Wuhan (China), in a restless mood. As Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s governmental capacities are fully focused on leaving the EU, scientists at Oxford discuss how they can do to save the world. Among those present that day was Sarah Gilbert (a mediocre professor at the Jenner Institute) who was experimenting with yeast in a brewing research laboratory before becoming a world-renowned vaccine expert. Ms. Gilbert has researched on vaccines against malaria, Ebola and MERS, and is also preparing vaccines for “Disease X” – the next major pandemic that scientists are working on. . Ms. Gilbert (who has been studying the SARS-CoV-2 genetic code for weeks) has surprised colleagues by asserting that a vaccine will soon be available. At the time, Ms. Gilbert was working on phase 2 of Phase 1 clinical trials of a vaccine against MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) caused by a virus in the coronavirus family. By March 2020, Oxford experts have completed the first batch of new vaccines used to destroy SARS-CoV-2. The swine clinical trials in Surrey County have shown promising results. But obviously a huge amount of vaccine is needed, as much as possible. So Oxford started looking for partners in the pharmaceutical industry, and the first choice was pharmaceutical giant Merck (USA). But because Mr. Donald Trump’s “America First” thought made the British hesitant when working with Americans and the deal with Merck broke down. Speaking later on LBC radio, UK Health Minister Matt Hancock posted on the forum explaining that he did not want to enter into a contract that would allow the first batch of Oxford vaccine to be given to other countries. In April 2020, AstraZeneca’s Anglo-Swedish joint idea was born. Mr. Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca. Pascal Soriot and AstraZeneca When Pascal Soriot took over AstraZeneca in 2012, the company was at a bottom: stock prices plummeted, and the risk of losing its drug patents. Soriot is deep into AstraZeneca: instead of reducing costs, he invested in product development, bought more companies, and resisted Pfizer’s American acquisitions. Today, AstraZeneca is the 2nd largest company in the UK. At the age of 61, Mr. Soriot soon learned to build himself. Raised up in the Paris suburbs and his father passed away when his son Soriot turned 20 years old. Soriot then enrolled in the Paris Business School (HEC) and entered the pharmaceutical industry. In 2020, AstraZeneca’s CEO Soriot announced that his company was planning to tackle a very difficult public health problem: producing vaccines against COVID-19. AstraZeneca initially announced a partnership with Sarah Gilbert and other Oxford scientists. AstraZeneca plans to export vaccines globally at prices ranging from $ 2 to $ 5, and aims that poor countries will have access to vaccines as quickly and equally as possible. At the same time, Soriot also assured Prime Minister Boris Johnson that would provide the first and exclusive large quantity of vaccine to the UK. However, the AstraZeneca staff said that Soriot was subjective in not considering the possible consequences of failure. Without hesitation, Soriot approaches the vaccine strategy as it does with all of its projects. AstraZeneca is committed to producing 300 million doses of the vaccine for the EU by mid-2021, as well as another 100 million doses for the UK. AstraZeneca is producing Vaxzevria in at least four plants in Europe; Two of them are Oxford Biomedica and Cobra Biologics (both located in the UK); The other two facilities are Thermo Fisher and Halix (located in Belgium and the Netherlands). The four factories are operated by subcontractors, not by AstraZeneca. And at least two of them have had problems right from the start. At first, Thermo Fisher produced fewer vaccines than expected. And Cobra Biologics does not work synchronously. The Dutch health expert, Wilbert Bannenberg, was not surprised by AstraZeneca’s vaccine production glitch when it came to the hundreds of ingredients used in vaccines like Vaxzevria, even with small deviations in the ingredients. The raw material also causes the finished product to be discarded. By the end of 2020, it was clear that AstraZeneca was having difficulty in the contracts it had to make. Soriot is wondering whether to leave the UK or leave the EU. And the owner of Downing Street began to form a specialized vaccine force consisting of famous experts and scientists. Led by biochemist and venture capitalist Kate Bingham, the force not only created multipurpose vaccines for the British, but also built the UK vaccine industry. In other words, the UK offered vaccine developers an offer they could hardly turn down. Gambling customers’ trust Vaxzevria is the third vaccine to be approved in Europe, after BioNTech / Pfizer and Moderna. But by the fall of 2020 it appears that AstraZeneca’s pandemic studies have become inaccurate. For example, about 3,000 test subjects received half an injection for their first phase, and a full dose for the second injection. Both Oxford and AstraZeneca disagreed in the notion that half the dose was an attempt to act. good idea. AstraZeneca has been criticized because it basically ended up calculating the mean of the data for different groups of test subjects. An even bigger problem is the lack of seniors to include in the study. The Standing Committee on Immunization (STIKO) of the Robert Koch Institute (Germany’s center for disease control) initially recommended AstraZeneca only test 18 to 64 years old, and invisibly turned the island. Inoculation in Germany is wrong. With a feeling of discomfort from a congestion in the vaccine supply, and not yet on any scientific basis, but French President Emmanuel Macron has declared the AstraZeneca vaccine “does not budge at all for people over 65” . Since that time, the vaccine has been ranked 2 in every European country except the UK. In the US, the AstraZeneca vaccine has not even been approved even though President Trump ordered 300 million doses required by the end of May 2020. At first it seemed that AstraZeneca was not completely transparent with Americans when covering the truth about A test subject fell ill at an early stage of the trial. But that is not the last malfunction. In March 2021, AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine was 79% effective in preventing symptomatic infections. But US officials believe that the pharmaceutical company’s data is out of date and may falsify the results. In March 2021, news began to circulate threatening to destroy confidence in AstraZeneca. In some countries, people vaccinated with the Vaxzevria vaccine have developed an embolism caused by a blood clot in the brain, also known as sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT). On 29 March 2021, the Paul Ehrlich Institute (German institution of health management) recorded 31 cases of CSV out of 2.7 million vaccinated people in Germany. Most affected young women. 9 people died. Fearful, some countries have now ended contact with AstraZeneca. Until recently, the European Medicines Agency (EUMA) admitted for the first time that there is a link between thrombosis and Vaxzevria, but EUMA still recommends the Vaxzevria vaccine for all age groups. According to a survey, 23% of French people consider Vaxzevria safe, in Germany it is 32%. Norway and Denmark stopped using the vaccine Vaxzevria. Thrombosis and death were also seen in Britain for the first time. Oxford University has suspended a vaccine trial in children. Experts are on the verge of despair. Ms. Nina Gatter (a vaccinator from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany) criticized AstraZeneca when saying that the company did not properly display concerns from the skeptical psychology of public opinion. In Europe, there has been growing skepticism and has delayed the vaccination campaign. Many were vaccinated later than planned, while others used different vaccines. Consequences affect the chain elsewhere. The Covax initiative is currently heavily dependent on the AstraZeneca vaccine. The consequences of this lack of trust can be seen in South Africa. The government stopped vaccinating people after it discovered a mutation. The slow results of the COVID-19 vaccinations in South Africa, meaning substances created with the hope of saving the world, are now piled up in stock.

Google faces many legal challenges globally, especially in Europe. The European Commission (EC) fined this giant billions of dollars in three different lawsuits and were appealed by Google. In any case, the world’s largest search company denies misconduct and maintains a view that they make choices that benefit consumers. Since 2010, the EU has launched three different antitrust investigations against Google, involving Google Shopping, Google AdSense and Android, resulting in three fines of nearly tens of billions of dollars. At the same time, Google must adjust its behavior to comply with regulatory requirements. On October 10, 2010, the EC officially investigated Google’s behavior in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation 1/2003 after receiving complaints from ICOMP Organization and a number of other companies. They complain that Google changed its Universal Search algorithm to promote Google Shopping products on the search results page, lowering the ranking of competitors. Therefore, they believe that Google discriminates against, anticompetitive through presentation of search results, depriving users of the ability to choose products and services. On June 27, 2017, Google was found guilty and convicted a fine of EUR 2.4 billion (2.7 billion USD), is the largest penalty for an abuse of monopoly at that time. Google denies the accusations and claims their services have helped the region’s digital economy grow. The penalty is equivalent to 2.5% of Google’s 2016 revenue. Currently, the company in the appeals process wants to mitigate or overturn the penalty. In addition, the EU Competition Commission (EUCC) decided to oversee Google’s PageRank algorithm. Google is responsible for reporting to the EUCC every 4 months. After being penalized, Google split the Google Shopping shopping service into its own company, operating independently. A year later, the EC fined Google again for forcing Android device manufacturers (OEMs) to install Google Search and Android suite of apps. The EC investigates Google based on two lawsuits, one from FairSearch, and one from Aptoide. FairSearch is a consortium founded in 2010, initially consisting of travel-related websites such as Expedia, TripAdvisor, and then a number of big names such as Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle. In April 2013, they filed a lawsuit against the EU, denouncing Google’s behavior with its Android operating system in violation of the EU’s anti-competition law. Meanwhile, Aptoide was filed in June 2014. Aptoide is an Android app market, competing with Google’s Play Store. Aptoide emphasizes Google’s approach making it very difficult for services like them to be installed on users’ devices. In addition, some components that used to belong to the Android Open Source Project have been migrated to the Google service suite, including Gmail, Google Maps and Play Store. So, on April 15, 2015, the EC started an investigation into Google based on the above two lawsuits. Google argues that what it does with Android is no different from what Apple, Microsoft do with iOS and Windows Phone. Device manufacturers can still release an Android phone without the Google suite of apps. On July 19, 2018, the EU declared penalty Google 4.3 billion EUR (5 billion USD). Google appealed in October 2018. According to a company spokesperson, Android makes more options available to users. This is by far the largest penalty imposed by the EU for a company for its anti-competitive behavior. Google has changed the way apps are distributed in the EU, charging OEMs for Play Store access, and in return OEMs no longer have to install Google Search and Google Chrome. In March 2019, Google said European Android users can choose which browser and search engine they want to use on the device. Most recently, March 2019, EU Google penalty 1.49 billion EUR (1.7 billion USD) for preventing competition in the online advertising market. The commission said Google had an exclusive contract with website owners, preventing them from cooperating with Google’s competitors. The investigation involved Google search-mediated search boxes and display ads. These ads are provided by Google AdSense for Search. This is a division of Google that allows websites and apps to monetize search ads. Google’s terms for website owners change over time, from a 2006 monopoly to a “flexible monopoly” a few years later. But EU authorities still believe it hurts competition and allows Google to control how competitors display their search ads, including the size, colors and fonts they use. According to Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, this is a legal offense under EU law. That behavior lasted more than 10 years and deprived other brands of competitiveness, innovation as well as the interests of users. Google stopped using exclusive contract terms in 2016 only after the EC made a formal objection. In June 2019, the company announced an appeal. However, the three above-mentioned penalties do not seem to “disgrace” anything to Google. Shares of Alphabet, the parent company Google, are still growing close to 30% in 2020. Investors seem accustomed to the oversight of countries with Google. Not to mention, the prolonged legal process also makes the authorities tired. The effect that the punishment brings is not clear. For example, despite the change in Google Shopping, less than 1% of service traffic is diverted to other shopping websites. Therefore, the EC is about to overhaul digital regulations, related to the business models of companies like Google. They want Big Tech to be more accountable for content across platforms and ensure that competitors have a chance to compete with the big boys. It is expected to make a big change in business practices, even Big Tech’s business model. Law professor Ioannis Kokkoris from Queen Mary University said this is a move that shows the EU wants to strengthen its leadership position in the enforcement of the technology market. Many other national competition authorities will follow. Meanwhile, Alec Burnside – partner of the law firm Dechert – said that the new EU proposal reflects the increasingly recognized government must have new power to deal with technology giants. For its part, Google or another company may use legal process to highlight the negative impact of regulation on innovation and the overall economy, making the final regulation less stricter than the proposed ban. head. Other than lobbying, however, there is nothing they can do about it to discourage new regulation in the short term. Du Lam (Synthetic)

Thousands of emails and documents from the citizenship and citizenship consulting firm Henley & Partners have revealed an unprecedented “door” on the mechanism of the so-called “golden passport” program, in which countries are semi-national. citizenship for foreign giants. This revelation showed for the first time how some people buy Malta passports through a government investment program, allowing them to pretend they are “residing” in the country for a year by renting an apartment. then leave it blank. Two weeks to own a “golden passport” Officially known as the Individual Investor, this program is designed to attract wealthy investors and enrich the national budget. Eight years ago, Malta announced plans to “sell” passports making the European Union (EU) not satisfied. The EU authorities are concerned that “buyers” can travel freely within the EU and Schengen bloc as well as be able to travel to many countries without applying for a visa in advance. In January 2014, a spokesperson for the European Commission gave a speech contradicting the proposals and stressed that EU members should only provide passports to individuals with “real affiliation”. to their country. After two weeks, the issue was somewhat resolved when the Government of Malta released a joint statement announcing anyone “buying” Maltese citizenship would need to reside in the country for one year, while also demonstrating the authenticity of the relationship with their new home. However, Malta’s golden passport program does not specify “place of residence”. Government officials also eluded when asked about the ratio between those who applied for a 12-month period and those who would actually be present. Malta is a beautiful island nation located in the Mediterranean. Photo: Guardian. The vulnerability has allowed some customers, who pay more than 1 million euros under the program, to successfully confirm that they have an “authentic link” with Malta. What they need to do is just spend a few weeks there and do a few activities over the loudspeaker, such as yacht rental or donation to a local charity. Guardian reviewed 250 open letters clients sent to Henley explaining their intentions to Malta. Internal emails show customers constantly asking if they can spend less time here. In the case of a 2014 Middle East client, the representative even asked their manager if “would go to Malta in about 7-14 days (ie the minimum time period) to take a biometrics. study and register and receive card (residence) ”. “If it is not possible to visit for longer, opening a bank account, donating to local charities and becoming a member of a local club will help demonstrate the bond with the country,” the manager answer. This advice shows that instead of 12 months, it seems just two weeks is enough to get a “golden passport” here. “The applicant does not have to be present in that country,” advised a client. “However, in order to create an ‘authenticity link’, (the Malta government) would appreciate it with at least 14 days’ time.” Out of all 250 letters, the applicant’s average commitment to stay in Malta is 16 days. Two bedrooms for 12 people To demonstrate commitment to a new home, Malta “golden passport” applicants will be required to invest € 1.15 million in the country, including a purchase of at least a real estate. 350,000 euros or a 5-year rental for 80,000 euros. Passport of Malta. Photo: Loving Malta. Some properties are rented significantly smaller than the actual size required by the applicant’s family if they plan to live there. In one case, Chinese citizens even rented a two-bedroom apartment for 1,500 euros / month despite applying for citizenship for 12 people, including 6 children. A Maltese citizenship-seeking South African businessman refused to pay Henley an apartment management fee on the grounds that no one would visit it. “The apartment is not used, no one will be there in a year,” he complained in a letter to the company. Malta’s immigration regulatory loopholes have the potential to have serious consequences such as security risks, money laundering, tax evasion, corruption and the risk of escaping water criminals. outside of residence, traveling freely within the EU territory. The European Union Commission recently accused Malta of “selling” citizenship, allowing individuals with little or no connection to the EU. However, the Malta government denied any allegations that the country’s residency requirement was “fake”. It argued that “authentic links” are not defined in EU law and the government of Malta “sets the rules as well as makes the final decision on all citizenship applications”.

By Christoph Kehlbach, ARD legal editors “Next Generation EU”: This is the name that the European Union has given its development fund. After tough negotiations, the EU decided in July 2020 on a new budget of an unprecedented amount. A total of 1.8 trillion euros has been earmarked for the budget up to 2027. A very significant part of this huge amount, more precisely: 750 billion euros, is estimated as corona aid. The money is to be used to cushion the economic consequences of the pandemic in the member states of the EU. They should receive part of the money as grants and another part as loans.

Some of the money is to be borrowed from the financial market

In order to finance this sum, however, the EU broke new ground: The so-called “own funds decision” of December 2020 stipulates that the EU Commission should take on debts on the capital market on behalf of the international community. Up to 750 billion euros should be flushed into the coffers – exactly the amount that is earmarked for the Corona aid fund. The EU then wants to repay the money by the end of the budget period. The member states must, however, agree to this procedure. The EU Commission can therefore only start taking out the loans and making payments once all 27 EU countries have ratified the decision. The Bundestag and Bundesrat cleared the way for this at the end of March. After the new decision from Karlsruhe, the Federal President can now also sign the ratification law.

Urgent motion against German law

A group of economics professors around AfD founder Bernd Lucke wants to prevent German participation in the project. More than 2000 citizens have joined the constitutional complaint. They take the view that the EU should not take out loans. The plaintiffs want the Member States to take on debt on their own responsibility instead of the EU in order to get the consequences of the corona pandemic under control. Because whoever is allowed to spend the money of other countries, so the argument goes, tends to “waste, inefficiency and overuse”. This ultimately leads to a communitisation of the debts, that is, a “debt union”. Germany will therefore be made liable for billions in debts of other countries.

Legal background

From a legal point of view, the question arises time and again in EU projects of this kind whether Germany surrenders essential competencies in the event of participation. Because they must continue to lie with the federal German organs, especially the Bundestag. Parliament should not be overlooked and take the most important decisions on income and expenditure in the German federal budget. The organs of the EU must also act within the scope of their competences. From a constitutional point of view, Germany can only participate under this premise. This is also where the lawsuit against the Corona aid fund begins.

Urgent examination

Because it takes until a final judgment, the Federal Constitutional Court should now decide in an urgent procedure. Karlsruhe first checked whether the lawsuit would later have no chance of success. In this case, however, the judges expressly did not see it that way. It says: The objections “in any case do not make it seem impossible that the authorization of the European Commission to borrow 750 billion euros on the capital market goes beyond the (…) authorization”. The Constitutional Court then summarily examined whether there was an overwhelming probability that the plaintiffs would be right. Specifically, therefore, that the budgetary responsibility of the Bundestag is actually undermined. However, the Federal Constitutional Court does not see this high probability; for example, because Germany itself does not have to be directly liable as a result of the borrowing. Based on this, Karlsruhe looks at the possible consequences: What if the application were accepted – and that turns out to be wrong afterwards? This in turn compares the Constitutional Court with the opposite situation: The application is initially rejected – and that later turns out to be wrong. According to the court, this balancing act is to the detriment of the plaintiffs: a delay in the entry into force of the capital adequacy decision would have serious consequences for the entire EU. The economic objectives would be completely impaired and the necessary impulses undermined. That makes the difference. Today’s decision is considered decisive – also for the further behavior of the other EU states. Approval can now also be expected here.

Consequences of the decision

Four weeks ago, the Federal Constitutional Court temporarily prohibited Federal President Steinmeier from signing the German consent law. He can now do this. Then nothing would actually stand in the way of the EU fund, which is due to start in the summer, from the German side. However, Karlsruhe will of course still give a verdict in the main proceedings. It does not have to be exactly the same as the urgent decision. At several points in the decision it can be inferred that the court has at least “minor stomach aches” with the EU plans. So the matter is not quite decided yet. Az. 2 BvR 547/21

Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament have finally agreed to tighten the climate target for 2030. By then, the European Union’s greenhouse gases are to be reduced by at least 55 percent below the 1990 level. So far, the target has been minus 40 percent. The climate law will also make it legally binding that the EU will become climate neutral by 2050. From this point onwards, the international community wants to emit fewer greenhouse gases than it otherwise compensates.

Savings through lowering?

After more than 15 hours of negotiations, the negotiators of the European Parliament finally accepted the brand that the EU heads of state and government had set at the end of 2020. The EU Parliament actually wanted a lot more: a 60 percent reduction in greenhouse gases and a more rigorous calculation method. The MPs only reached concessions in details. In addition to the percentage, the main point of contention was the question of whether and to what extent the amounts of carbon dioxide stored by forests, plants and soils should be included. MEPs complain that including these so-called sinks weakens the savings target. Instead of 55 percent, the actual savings would only be 52.8 percent, complained the Greens, among others.

Climate council should watch over goals

The parliamentarians negotiated at least that the counting of the sinks will be limited to 225 million tons of carbon dioxide. The EU Commission is to increase the binding power of the forests to 300 million tons of carbon dioxide through afforestation, so that net greenhouse gases could be saved by more than 55 percent. Parliament was able to establish a climate council with 15 experts to support the implementation of the goals. In addition, a greenhouse gas budget is determined for the next few decades, from which a milestone for 2040 can be derived.

“Binding promise”

The details of the deal now leave room for interpretation. The agreement puts the EU “on the green path” for a generation, said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “It is our binding promise to our children and grandchildren.” Vice-President Frans Timmermans said that the EU was sending “a strong signal to the world”. The liberal chairman of the Environment Committee in the EU Parliament, Pascal Canfin, said that the compromise would enable a reduction of “close to 57 percent” by 2030 compared to 1990. The social democratic rapporteur Jytte Guteland made a similar statement. Parliament wanted more, but this was “a good first step towards climate neutrality,” she said.

Ambitious but necessary

The federal government praised the agreement as setting the course for new investments. Now the way is clear for an “ambitious European climate law”, said Economics Minister Peter Altmaier (CDU). “With clear, long-term objectives, we now have the unique opportunity to promote and reconcile climate protection and business together.” With investments in innovations and new clean technologies, jobs could be secured and new ones created, said Altmaier. Federal Research Minister Anja Karliczek also welcomed the EU decision. This was “ambitious, but absolutely necessary in view of the ongoing climate change,” said the CDU politician of the news agency dpa. Karliczek called for research in the field to be further strengthened. Without the further development of climate-friendly technologies, it will not be possible to limit the rise in temperature worldwide. “All over the world there will be more and more demand for climate-friendly technologies. The development of climate-friendly technologies will be a key issue for our country in the next few years,” emphasized Karliczek.

“Leadership lost”

The German CDU MP Peter Liese spoke of a “historic agreement”. If everything goes well, it is quite conceivable that the target for 2030 will be “overachieved” and that in the end there will be a “net 57 percent” reduction. The Federation of German Industries described the 55 percent target as “extremely ambitious”. The Greens were disappointed. “With this climate target and climate law, the European Union is losing its pioneering role in climate protection,” criticized MEP Michael Bloss. “The Paris climate agreement will hardly be able to be adhered to, climate change will not forgive us for that.” His group colleague Sven Giegold complained that the climate target had been reduced with a “computing trick”. This is a serious mistake, and the federal government has also contributed to it.

Biden invites you to the summit

The parliament and the council of the EU states still have to formally approve the outcome of the negotiations. Before US President Joe Biden’s virtual climate summit on Thursday and Friday, the political pressure was high to tie down a binding EU target and thus bring the EU climate law under wraps. The US is also expected to announce a more ambitious climate target for 2030. At the end of the year, all contractual partners are to sharpen their climate targets at a world climate conference in Glasgow. Otherwise the treaty target of stopping global warming below 2 degrees – and if possible only 1.5 degrees – would be missed.

Flag of the European Union at headquarters in Belgium. Photo: Reuters Reuters recently released a document showing that the European Union (EU) will introduce a series of conditions that force the transport, industry and construction industries to meet in order to be classified into the category. Sustainable investments in Europe. Besides, the EU has yet to decide whether to label gas and nuclear power as a “green” label. According to the document, the EU’s “sustainable financial classification” is a long list of economic activities and regulations that industries must meet in order to be labeled as a sustainable investment in the EU from 2022. This landmark regulation aims to make “green” activities more attractive to investors, while at the same time ensuring that a sustainable investment label is only granted to economic activities that comply. meeting the EU’s targets on reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas is not mentioned in the draft regulations. European nations are divided over whether gas-fired power plants should be considered “green”, and the European Commission (EC) plans to tackle the fuel issue, along with electricity. kernel, in a separate proposal later this year or not. Draft regulations on “green labeling” include detailed definitions of what is considered sustainable investment in different sectors including transportation, energy generation from sources such as wind. and hydroelectricity, building rehabilitation and manufacturing of cement, steel and batteries. For example, emissions at cement plants must be below 0.72 tons CO2 equivalent to each ton of gray cement produced. Meanwhile, car production from now until the end of 2025 will be considered a sustainable investment if these vehicles emit less than 50g of CO2 per km. After 2025, only the production of zero-emission cars will be green-labeled./.

AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine. (Photo: VNA broadcast) Regarding the issue of vaccine supplies of the European Union (EU), on April 18, the European Commissioner for the internal market Thierry Breton left open the possibility that the EU could decide not to continue ordering. vaccine of AstraZeneca due to a later than agreed upon delivery. The EU initially ordered 120 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine for 27 member countries in the first quarter of 2021 and 180 million doses in the second quarter of 2021. However, so far AstraZeneca has only delivered 30 million doses and is expected to have only 70 million more doses in the next quarter. Mr. Breton affirmed that there is currently no certainty and the EU is still negotiating with AstraZeneca. However, he stressed that no matter what the decision is not due to medical or epidemiological reasons, and affirms that the AstraZeneca vaccine brings more benefits than risks. U] Previously, on April 16, French Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher also mentioned the possibility that the EU will not renew the contract with AstraZeneca and both. Johnson & Johnson in the year 2022. Some EU countries have stopped using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about the risk of side effects occurring thrombosis. However, most countries have resumed their AstraZeneca vaccination program after the European Drug Administration (EMA) confirmed the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine.

Impressive export growth
Since the EVFTA officially took effect (August 1, 2020), Vietnam’s export turnover to the EU market has achieved impressive results. According to statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, by the end of December 2020, Vietnam’s export turnover to the EU market reached 15.62 billion USD, up 3.8% over the same period in 2019; the average export value per month is about 3.12 billion USD / month. Loading and unloading area for export at Dinh Vu port, Hai Phong. Photo: Victory In the first 2 months of 2021, Vietnam’s exports to the EU reached US $ 6.3 billion, an increase of 22.7% over the same period last year. Although the EU is a difficult market, Vietnamese enterprises quickly approached and took advantage of EVFTA’s opportunities, resulting in a trade surplus in the first 2 months of the year with the EU market being 4 billion USD, up 36.3% over the same period. period 2020. The items with the highest export growth to the EU include: Rubber products; computers, electronic products and components; iron and Steel; seafood, vegetables, rice … For example, rice, after EVFTA officially came into effect, some rice exporting enterprises signed fragrant rice export orders with higher value to the EU, even having shipments for the first time. are exported for over 1,000 USD / ton. This has spread a positive signal to Vietnam’s rice export situation in both volume and price. Along with rice, a series of shipments exported to the EU market have enjoyed 0% tax rate as committed in EVFTA such as passion fruit, tiger shrimp, pomelo, dragon fruit, suitcase, bag, shoes … seafood products have recorded significant export growth to the EU thanks to the impact of EVFTA earlier this year. Seafood export value in the first 2 months of 2021 reached USD 1.01 billion, an increase of 0.7% over the same period in 2020.
The Director of the Export and Import Department (Ministry of Industry and Trade) Tran Thanh Hai said that the growth figures of exports to the EU are evidences for the efficient exploitation of markets under EVFTA by enterprises. This is also a remarkable result of the industry and trade in promoting propaganda about EVFTA and guiding businesses to take advantage of incentives through the following channels: Free Trade Agreement (FTA Portal), internet , Facebook… In addition, the foreign trade system has captured market information and arising issues affecting Vietnam’s exports such as changes in importing countries’ policies, technical barriers, timely timely information for ministries, branches, associations and businesses to respond promptly.
Adhere to high standards of “rules of the game”
Experts say that EVFTA’s challenges have been creating reasonable pressure for Vietnamese enterprises to adjust and change their production methods and improve their competitiveness. In fact, over the past time, many businesses have made efforts to change, have preparedness, invest in new equipment to process and produce products in accordance with the requirements of the EU market.
For agricultural products, up to now, Vietnam has 39 sets of geographical indications that are recognized for protection in the EU without going through registration procedures, providing great opportunities for businesses and farmers in Vietnam. . This not only ensures the benefits for Vietnamese agricultural products, which have been in this market for a long time, but also opens up opportunities for many new agricultural products to access the market. In addition, many Vietnamese enterprises have the capacity to meet the requirements of EU importers for agricultural products and foodstuffs when more than 6,335 hectares of fruit have been applied VietGAP / GlobalGAP and have been issued with regional codes. Planting meets export standards; more than 5,000 hectares of aquaculture farms were recognized to apply VietGAP / GlobalGAP; 100% of export basa fish farms were issued with a code of origin; 100% of fishing boats commit to say no to illegal fishing …
For the textile and garment industry, enterprises have focused on new investment in yarn production – fabric weaving accounts for a high rate of localization. Many raw material production areas have been opened with an exceptionally large scale, including domestic and foreign enterprises such as: Thien Nam Yarn, Yarn – Nam Dinh Fabrics, Phu Bai Yarn, Yarn – Textile 8/3, Yarn Texhong … Besides, businesses also gradually shifted to import raw materials to markets with trade agreements with the EU, meeting the requirements of cumulative rules of origin that EVFTA offers such as Korea or Japan.
In other industries, businesses are also actively exploring to meet the conditions of origin certification (C / O) to take advantage of incentives and are constantly improving the quality of products and designs. , label packaging as well as focus on information traceability to develop products in the EU market right after EVFTA comes into effect.
Quality is the decisive factor
According to a survey by the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), in fact, not many businesses can catch up with the standards of this world’s most difficult market. Therefore, in the long term, businesses that want to access this market are forced to continue to change to meet the standards that the EU has specified. “Instead of trying to increase output and compete on prices, Vietnamese businesses need to improve their ability to meet market standards through technology investment, product quality control and improvement; upgrade the foundation of competitiveness in terms of business model, strategy, management, human resources, quality of goods and services according to EU standards ”- VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc recommended.
Offering recommendations for exporting enterprises, economist Nguyen Tri Hieu said that businesses must constantly improve product quality. Because European consumers do not care much about the price of the product, but focus on the quality of the product. In particular, the export consignments must ensure uniform quality, if not well maintained, enterprises will only step into the initial EU market, but it is difficult to compete and dominate this market in the long term. . “The tariff incentive is only an advantage for Vietnam to open the door to the EU, but it is difficult to keep market share in this difficult market if EU consumers do not see a quality advantage. Import tax reduction under EVFTA is not as important as whether Vietnamese products brought to the EU can be sold or not ”- Dr. Nguyen Tri Hieu emphasized.
Many experts and managers also believe that, to realize the great opportunities that EVFTA brings, businesses need to firmly, fully and accurately grasp the commitments in EVFTA related to the field and business activities. From that, they have the foundation, the basis for action, prepare resources, develop and implement business plans to exploit EVFTA’s advantages most effectively. According to the forecast of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, in 2021, Vietnam’s exports to the EU will grow positively in the context that the Covid-19 epidemic is expected to be better controlled, and measures to limit gradually. relax and EU economy is likely to gradually recover. This will be an important foundation for Vietnamese enterprises to take advantage of commitments in EVFTA more effectively and gradually dominate the EU market. “In order to protect Vietnam’s export industries from the risks of lawsuits against evasion of trade remedies, the Ministry of Industry and Trade continues to take measures against origin fraud. , enhancing post-inspection; proactively coordinating with competent agencies of the importing country in case verification of origin is required in order to detect and strictly handle cases of counterfeiting the origin of Vietnamese goods. ” – Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh “In the coming time, Vietnamese enterprises must learn and grasp information about the EU market, from consumer tastes to regulations and standards of rules of origin, food safety and hygiene. … in order to improve the quality of goods, conquer the market. In addition, build sustainable chains from production to consumption to easily apply technology to production to speed up the quantity. , export product quality control. ” – Chairman of Vietnam Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (VINASME) Nguyen Van Than

COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. Photo: AFP / VNA On April 13, US federal health authorities recommended to suspend the use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine for “cautious” reasons, awaiting the results of investigating the possible link between the vaccination. this with thrombotic side effect. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are reviewing six cases of thrombosis following the vaccination. Meanwhile, according to Reuters, on April 15, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci hopes that US regulators will soon make a quick decision on resuming Johnson & Johnson’s vaccination, bringing the vaccine back. immunization program. The day before, the US CDC advisory committee postponed at least a week to vote on whether to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to wait for more data on thrombotic risks. Mr. Fauci feared that the prolonged delay of the vaccine could affect people’s hesitancy. “I think we need to continue to emphasize that this is a very effective and usable vaccine that is very, very valuable in a global context,” he said. Following the US, some countries have made similar moves with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
On April 13, the South African Ministry of Health announced it had suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the country’s vaccination program, although South Africa has not received a report related to coagulation after 290,000 people in the country. has received the COVID-19 vaccine from the brands. Two weeks ago, South Africa licensed the use of vacicne Johnson & Johnson and so far only vaccinated this vaccine to health workers in the study framework. Before the above developments, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said that the country has not decided whether to launch the Johnson & Johnson vaccine injection this week or not. He stated that the Netherlands will wait for information from the European Pharmaceutical Authority (EMA) before making a decision. In contrast, some countries continue to use the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Belgium has said it will not stop the vaccination at this stage. Poland started to vaccinate Johnson & Johnson when the government confirmed that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks. Meanwhile, Spanish officials have not received the notice of stopping the Johnson & Johnson vaccination. For its part, the World Health Organization (WHO) says it is monitoring global data of various reports to see if similar cases occur elsewhere, and it will take time. Time to evaluate vaccine data from Johnson & Johnson. Denmark completely discontinues the AstraZaneca vaccine; Thailand is still considered the mainstay Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-O-Cha (middle) was vaccinated against COVID-19 by AstraZeneca company in Bangkok, on March 16, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA Before the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the AstraZeneca vaccine was also in the same situation. The AstraZeneca vaccine is suspected of causing thrombosis, causing a series of European countries to suspend use, despite WHO recommendations. Recently, on April 14, Denmark became the first European country to permanently stop using the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about rare blood clotting side effects. Denmark thinks that AstraZeneca’s vaccine may not be needed because it has managed the COVID-19 pandemic and may just depend on the vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Before that, from March 11, Denmark, along with Iceland and Norway, have suspended the use of this vaccine. Followed by a number of other European countries, including France, Germany and Italy. Federal Health Ministers and states in Germany unanimously recommend a second shot after getting the first shot with the AstraZeneca vaccine, under which one shot of the preparation is given to those under 60 years of age. This could be a second shot with another vaccine. In Bulgaria, Health Minister Kostadin Angelov also announced that the launch of AstraZeneca’s vaccine in the country could be stopped because people are not interested. The European Drug Administration – the European Union’s (EU) drug regulator – then recommended that countries continue to use vaccines as the benefits of vaccines far outweigh any potential risks. hidden from humans. Last week, the European pharmaceutical regulator listed clotting as an extremely rare side effect of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Some countries have started to re-use the vaccine after the suspension, but limited in the number of people vaccinated. As is the case in the UK, the country says it will offer another vaccine for people under the age of 30. While some countries are vaccinated with AstraZeneca, Thailand Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine will be the mainstay of the Southeast Asian country’s COVID-19 vaccination program. Mr. Anutin confirmed that Thailand has the expertise to closely monitor vaccine information and the decision is based on science. Thailand’s vaccination campaign mainly relies on domestically produced AstraZeneca vaccine and 2 million doses of Chinese vaccine to vaccinate about 35 million people, equivalent to 50% of the population – Thailand’s goal. must be reached by the end of 2021. Along with Thailand, Korea has decided to continue to vaccinate AstraZeneca for those who qualify. People younger than 30 years of age have not yet received the vaccine because the risk of blood clots outweighs the benefit of the vaccination. Continued reassurance and investigation of coagulation phenomenon after vaccination Health care workers give COVID-19 vaccine to people in Llanelli, South Wales (UK), April 9, 2021. Photo: AFP / VNA While countries are moving differently with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, WHO continues to assert the benefits of COVID-19 vaccination. On April 15, WHO Director in Europe Hans Kluge reaffirmed that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks. “Make it clear that there is no doubt that the AstraZeneca vaccine is effective in reducing hospital admissions for COVID-19 and preventing severe illness that leads to death. The WHO has recommended this vaccine as soon as possible,” he said. as possible for adults to increase resistance to the SARS-CoV-2 virus “. WHO officials also pointed out that out of the 200 million people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine, there are only a few rare cases of a blood clotting disorder. He emphasized that the risk of blood clots in patients with COVID-19 is much higher than in those receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine. A study by scientists at the University of Oxford UK showed that COVID-19 patients have a higher risk of developing blood clots in the brain than those vaccinated against the disease. Data from over 500,000 patients with COVID-19 show that blood clotting occurs at an incidence of 39 out of 1,000,000 patients. Of the more than 480,000 people who received the COVID-19 vaccine made by BioNTech / Pfizer or Moderna, the incidence of coagulation was 4 / 1,000,000, while the rate was slightly higher for those receiving the vaccine. AstraZeneca – about 5 / 1,000,000 after the first injection. After the coagulation incident with the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines, the researchers found that this rare side effect only occurs with vaccines using adeno virus vector technology (the virus that causes the common cold). There has been no record of coagulation in people who received the vaccine using other technologies from Pfizer and Moderna. However, the link between the technology using adeno virus vectors and coagulation is only a simple guess, there is no evidence. Russian vaccine has not caused any blood clotting cases and is increasingly “expensive”. Vaccine Sputnik V in Moscow, Russia. Photo: AFP / VNA When Western countries investigated blood clotting side effects, the Gamaleya Research Institute – which develops the Russian vaccine Sputnik V – said the vaccine has not caused any adverse reactions related to blood clotting. According to the Gamaleya Institute, there is no reason to equate the safety of the Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca vaccines with Sputnik V. All three of these vaccines are vector-based, using the adeno virus to deliver the protein of SARS-CoV- 2 into human cells, helping to stimulate the immune system’s response. However, all three manufacturers use different structures and technologies in vaccine formulation. Iran is the latest country to order Russian vaccines. Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali confirmed that the contract to buy 60 million doses of Sputnik V has been signed and completed, enough to give 2 doses to 30 million people. Ambassador Kazem Jalali also announced that Iran will receive the vaccine by the end of 2021. Russia is also transferring technology to produce this vaccine to a number of countries. Most recently, the Korean company ISU Abxis on April 15 announced an agreement with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) on the technology transfer and production of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine for Korean companies. . It is expected that the production of vaccine trials will soon be deployed at a facility in Yongin, south of Seoul. The Russian Sputnik V vaccine is the second most popular vaccine in the world approved for use by national pharmaceutical regulators.

These regulations are part of the EU’s effort to regulate the AI ​​sector and catch up with the US and China in an area that spans from voice recognition to insurance and law enforcement.

This draft provision would prohibit general supervision of citizens, as well as any technology used to manipulate citizens’ behavior, opinions or decisions. The application of AI in the military field is not within the scope of these regulations.

Violations of the aforementioned regulation, depending on the severity, can result in businesses being fined up to 4% of global revenue.

To encourage innovation, Brussels also wants to provide a clear legal framework for billionaires in all 27 member countries of the bloc.

To achieve this, the draft regulation states that companies will require a special validation of deemed “high-risk” applications before being allowed to hit the market.

High-risk systems are those that have “the function of identifying people in public places from a distance through biometric features”, as well as “factors of security in institutions. important public infrastructure ”.

In addition, applications not considered “high risk” will not be subject to any additional regulations other than the applicable ones.

Google and other major tech corporations are very interested in the EU’s AI strategy, as Europe is often the place that sets the standard for how technology is governed around the world.

Last year, Google warned the EU’s definition of AI was too broad and Brussels had to avoid excessive control over a key technology.

The above draft regulations must be ratified by member countries and get the approval of the European Parliament before they can be applied./.

US President Joe Biden is determined to improve relations with European allies. (Source: Reuters)

Former President Donald Trump changed America – less than his supporters wanted, but more than the opposition had hoped.

However, over the past four years, it’s not just America that has changed. America’s allies are also changing. This makes it impossible to return transatlantic relations back to an earlier period.

The unique relationship between the US and European countries is seen by observers as not going back to the way it once was, even though Mr. Biden has become President.

Former President Donald Trump is not alone.

The first reason that the relationship between the US and the European Union (EU) is difficult to return to the past originated from before Mr. Trump took office.

That’s Brexit. For decades, the UK was the first US partner to think of in Europe. London is also the most reliable and effective support partner on the “old continent”, sometimes even accepting against the bloc’s general policy.

Now that the UK leaves the EU, the United States needs to invest more time and resources in building relationships with EU politicians and institutions.

After all, defense and intelligence relations with Britain are still of great value to the United States, causing Washington to be concerned. Besides, the UK is still the closest partner to the US in terms of geopolitical issues such as Russia and China.

On the other hand, the administration of President Biden concurred with the assessment of the EU and Ireland on the challenges Brexit brought to Northern Ireland.

The impact of Brexit on UK-EU relations poses challenges for the US, especially when London and Brussels will have many disagreements in the coming period.

The second reason for the split between the US and EU is the common value system, affecting policy choices.

Economically, the presidency of President Trump has made American politicians “awaken”, realizing they need to work towards solving their own problems. Democrats demand increased support for workers, as well as for industry.

Although the EU also takes such measures, this could provoke the EU to oppose what it calls “unfair competition”.

In addition, EU priorities in the twenty-first century such as climate change or digital services could lead to new tariffs or regulations. With different approaches to digital privacy or freedom of speech, the common value systems between the US and Europe are increasingly distant.

However, the biggest difference lies in the geopolitics, namely the friend-foe perspective.

During the Cold War, when the Soviet Union was a common enemy, the transatlantic relationship was arguably the most sustainable.

Currently, some European countries and politicians have come closer to Moscow, considering it as an important energy partner. Others want to ignore acts of aggression, or actions that the EU deems a violation of Russian human rights.

But China is the real problem. The US sees China as a major competitor in both economic and security terms.

Meanwhile, while China can be viewed as a security threat, Europe still looks forward to economic cooperation with Beijing, reflected in the Comprehensive Agreement on Investment signed in December 2020.

America and Europe will find it difficult to cooperate with each other when it is impossible to even determine which are friends and enemies.

If not united by a common threat, the transatlantic relationship will split.

European leaders can breathe when a “traditional” President like Mr. Biden is elected. However, the departure of Mr. Trump does not create a solid foundation for this long-standing relationship.

The transatlantic alliance is on the decline, as is the Western-led world order. The two sides need to understand this soon to start building a new architecture, thereby forming a stronger bilateral relationship.

(According to Nikkei Asia)

Japan and Germany hold their first Diplomatic and Defense Strategic Dialogue (Dialogue 2+2) online, April 13. (Source: AP)

According to the sheet Nikkei (Japan), on April 13, Japan held its first Diplomatic and Defense Strategic Dialogue (Dialogue 2+2) with Germany online, a framework similar to that of other important European partners, Britain and France.

Clearly, Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide’s administration is increasingly urging key European partners to increase their intervention in the Indo-Pacific region, especially amid certain rifts in China’s relations with Europe recently regarding human rights democracy.

Attending the dialogue on the Japanese side were Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi, while on the German side were Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer.

At the dialogue, Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi criticized China for saying that “unilateral actions to change the status quo by force have lost the premises of peace and prosperity for the international community.”

Meanwhile, Secretary Maas stated that “security cooperation is extremely important in the context of various threats in the Indo-Pacific region.”

The German side said it would send a destroyer to the Indo-Pacific region next summer and planned joint training between Japan’s Maritime Defense Force and the German Navy.

It is unusual for a country without territory in the Asia-Pacific to send warships to the region, but it is also the first time germany has shown strong colours on security issues.

This Japan-Germany 2+2 Strategic Dialogue is an example that Germany is ready to participate in the race for sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region.

Basically the strategy of the Biden administration and its allies is to bring together a siege that restrains China, including European countries. It’s also a sign that the U.S. feels the difficulty of unilateral confrontation and arms race with China.

Other European countries are already aware of the threat from China.

Britain identified China as the biggest national threat to economic security, identified in a new security and diplomatic strategy announced in March.

Britain has left the European Union (EU) and does not want China to lead Asia, which is seen as its promising market. London has also expressed its intention to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an agreement that plays a role in creating a siege on China.

In the current context, the similarities between the UK and Japan are to promote the free trade system in the Indo-Pacific region, while curbing China’s expansion at sea.

Among European countries, Britain has pledged to send the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and France will send a nuclear-powered attack submarine to the Indo-Pacific region.

According to Professor Yuichi Morii of the University of Tokyo, recent moves by Britain, France and Germany have sent a message of cooperation to Japan as countries that share a common view of values.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel once said China was a “systemal competitor” with political differences. However, China is also a huge market with a size of 1.4 billion people and is an important trading partner of Germany.

On April 7, during a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Ms Merkel also stressed the importance of dialogue.

As European relations with China tend to cool and the region faces serious economic impact from the Covid-19 epidemic, the U.S. and Japan should work to promote diplomatic activities with European countries, in order to support maintaining a tough stance on security.