European Commission announces 2021 work programme

The Commission’s 2021 work programme, presented by EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic today, largely takes into account the corona recession that has hit hard the global economy. Sefcovic said that EU action and coordination were required in order to avoid turning an “economic crisis into a social crisis”. 

“The European Commission (EC) will continue its efforts to secure a future vaccine for Europeans and to help our economies recover, through the green and digital transition,” said Commission’s president Ursula von der Leyen.

Under its communication, the EC stated that “we have the investment to match the vision and the ambition” focussing on the NextGenerationEU recovery instrument along with a reinforced EU budget for 2021-2027. “Our economies need continued policy support and a delicate balance will need to be struck between providing financial support and ensuring fiscal sustainability,” it further reads the EC’s announcement.

 “In 2021, we plan to table 86 major initiatives, in 44 packages, defining for the entire decade,” shared Sefcovic on social media.

Carbon border adjustment and sustainable transport

The 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals as well as the Paris Agreement will stand as the guiding tools of the EC action. On this note, some of the new steps announced by the EU executive include a proposal on a carbon border adjustment mechanism to help motivate foreign producers and EU importers in order to reduce their carbon emissions as well as a series of measures on smart and sustainable transport, including a revision of the regulation on the trans-European transport network and of the directive on intelligent transport systems.

Circular economy

The Commission proposed to continue the implementation of the circular economy action plan, looking at eco-design and sustainable products, in particular circular electronics, including improving the collection, reuse and repair of mobile phones, laptops and other devices. The EU executive also set the intention of following up the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 and the farm to fork strategy. 

Digital transition

As for the digital transition, a roadmap will be tabled with clearly defined goals for 2030, such as for connectivity, skills and digital public services. With regards to Artificial Intelligence, the Commission will develop legislation covering its safety, liability, fundamental rights and data aspects. A new European digital identity is also on the EC’s agenda “to make it easier to do tasks and access services online across Europe”.

Taxation and Capital Markets

Moving towards taxation issues, the EU executive said it will continue working for an international agreement for a fair tax system that provides long-term sustainable revenues. In case this attempt fails, the Commission will propose a digital levy in the first half of next year. A revision of competition rules is also on the EU’s agenda in order to ensure they are fit for the changing market environment, including the accelerating digitalisation of the economy.

The Commission is also eager to make progress on the Capital Markets Union and the Banking Union. For this matter, the EC proposed to revise the framework for handling EU bank failures, take measures to boost cross-border investment in the EU and step up the fight against money laundering. This will come together with legislation on sustainable corporate governance in view of fostering long-term sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour. The notorious green bonds were also introduced to push for sustainable financing. 

Social measures

The European Pillar of Social Rights will be the compass of Europe’s recovery when it comes to social matters. This includes a new European child guarantee aimed at reducing child poverty and inequalities, by ensuring access to health and education for all children.

Also, a new communication will be tabled for a revamped EU’s humanitarian aid, which will focus on new ways of working with EU’s partners and other donors.

A new biomedical agency

The Commission is also set to update the new industrial strategy for Europe to take into account the impacts of the corona recession. Also, a new pharmaceutical strategy will look at the security of Europe’s supply chain and ensure citizens can rely on high quality medicines.

A revamped Schengen

Additionally, they will propose to establish a new agency for biomedical advanced research and development and a new strategy for the future of Schengen and stronger Schengen rules.

The new pact on migration and asylum will also be subject of assessment. In this context, the Commission will propose a number of measures on legal migration, which is set to include a “talent and skills” package.

EU toolbox to guide Member States on the ethical use of mobile apps to fight COVID-19

On April 15th, the e-Health Network branch of the European Commission published the EU toolbox: “Mobile applications to support contact tracing in the EU’s fight against COVID-19”. This communications aims at guiding Member States on how to best use mobile apps to tackle COVID-19 while safeguarding data privacy.

The common approach aims to exploit the latest privacy-enhancing technological solutions that enable at-risk individuals to be contacted and, if necessarily, to be tested as quickly as possible, regardless of where they are and the app they are using. It explains the essential requirements for national apps, namely that they be:

• voluntary;
• approved by the national health authority;
• privacy-preserving - personal data is securely encrypted; and
• dismantled as soon as no longer needed.

Mobile apps have potential to bolster contact tracing strategies to contain and reverse the spread of COVID-19. EU Member States are converging towards effective app solutions that minimise the processing of personal data, and recognise that interoperability between these apps can support public health authorities and support the reopening of the EU’s internal borders.

Member States agreed on April 16th that COVID-19 mobile applications should not process the location data of individuals, because "it is not necessary nor recommended for the purpose of contact tracing".

"Collecting an individual's movements in the context of contact tracing apps would create major security and privacy issues," states the EU toolbox adopted by EU countries and supported by the European Commission.

The EU toolbox was delivered following the European Commission’s recommendation, released on April 8th, on apps for contact tracing. This recommendation reflects on a common Union toolbox for the use of technology and data in order to combat and exit from the COVID-19 crisis, in particular concerning mobile applications and the use of anonymised mobility data.

The recommendation sets out a process towards the adoption with the Member States of a toolbox, focusing on two dimensions:

• A pan-European coordinated approach for the use of mobile applications for empowering citizens to take effective and more targeted social distancing measures and for warning, preventing and contact tracing; and
• A common approach for modelling and predicting the evolution of the virus through anonymised and aggregated mobile location data.

Additionally, on April 16th, the Commission published the EU approach for efficient contact tracing apps to support gradual lifting of confinement measures. Also on April 16th, the European Commission published guidance on the development of new apps that support the fight against coronavirus in relation to data protection. 

Since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, Member States, backed by the Commission, have been assessing the effectiveness, security, privacy, and data protection aspects of digital solutions to address the crisis. Contact tracing apps, if fully compliant with EU rules and well coordinated, can play a key role in all phases of crisis management, especially when time will be ripe to gradually lift social distancing measures.

The Commission guidance sets out features and requirements which apps should meet to ensure compliance with EU privacy and personal data protection legislation, in particular the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the ePrivacy Directive. However, the guidance is not legally binding. It is without prejudice to the role of the Court of Justice of the EU, which is the only institution that can give authoritative interpretation of EU law.

The present guidance addresses only voluntary apps supporting the fight against COVID 19 pandemic (apps downloaded, installed and used on a voluntary basis by individuals) with one or several of the following functionalities:

• Provide accurate information to individuals about the COVID-19 pandemic;
• Provide questionnaires for self-assessment and for guidance to individuals (symptom checker functionality);
• Alert persons who have been in proximity for a certain duration to an infected person, in order to provide information such as whether to self-quarantine and where to get tested (contact tracing and warning functionality);
• Provide a communication forum between patients and doctors in situation of self-isolation or where further diagnosis and treatment advice is provided (increased use of telemedicine).

This guidance does not cover apps aimed at enforcing quarantine requirements (including those which are mandatory).

By the end of April 2020: Member States with the Commission will seek clarifications on the solution proposed by Google and Apple with regard to contact tracing functionality on Android and iOS in order to ensure that their initiative is compatible with the EU common approach.

What if internet by satellite were to lead to congestion in orbit?

Internet satellite companies, such as Starlink, OneWeb and Blue Origin (Amazon), aim at providing global internet access via satellites. This will bring many benefits to citizens, isolated regions and the global economy, but what if internet satellites collide with other satellites? What if an internet satellite company becomes the next internet monopoly? What if satellite debris hits people on the ground?

Throughout history, humans have developed ways of communicating and transferring knowledge over long distances, from transmitting public information via smoke signals and sending private messages via homing pigeons to developing modern telecommunication technologies, with the internet at the top of the list. The internet is a global network of interconnected computers that communicate with each other by sending and receiving signals. Although the military used the internet as early asthe 1960s (ARPANET), it took until the 1990s to commercialise the network for the public. The internet is provided at local level by different organisations that serve limited geographical areas either via wire (fibre optic, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless connections. The organisations that connect end-users to the internet are known as internet service providers (ISPs).

Starlink aims at providing worldwide high-speed internet access via thousands of satellites. The project is run by an American aerospace company, SpaceX, which plans to serve North America by 2020 and the rest of the globe by 2021. In October 2019, paperwork for an additional 30 000 satellites was filed, on top of 12 000 that have already been approved by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Once approved, the FCC will submit these filings to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency that coordinates telecommunications at international level. Although launching a great number of satellites was hitherto considered an expensive option, SpaceX benefits from its relatively cheap launchers due to its success in developing reusable rockets. The revenue from Starlink will be invested in SpaceX and CEO Elon Musk's goal of colonising Mars. Europe has long been interested in Mars exploration, and the European Union supports missions to Mars via the European Space Agency (Aurora and ExoMars).

Potential impacts and developments

With the explosive spread of digital transformation, the internet has become a vital element of human life, from contacting people and shopping online to controlling internet-connected devices. Nevertheless, half of the world's population still has no internet access, and many areas in the world, including oceans and remote islands, are not easily accessible. Global internet access would therefore not only connect isolated regions of the planet to the internet but also provide dense cities with high-speed internet of low latency (the delay between sending a signal and receiving a response). This would have a positive impact in various sectors, including the following examples.

·    Every internet of things(IoT) device needs the internet to communicate. For example, medical devices could access the internet to contact an ambulance, and self-driving cars could access the internet to pick the best route.

·   Rural areas, which historically suffer from a lack of services, could accelerate their development. Moreover, children in these areas would have access to online education.

·      In the ocean, fishermen and sailors could access the internet easily, and the availability of the internet would help in ocean governance.

·    Internet coverage in farming would allow for more information transfer, and increase capabilities for planting, harvesting and other activities in the food cycle.

·      Global internet access would open new markets for internet technologies, as well as boost the creative industries. It is worth mentioning that internet satellites could be a cheaper solution for 5G deployment than replacing ground infrastructure. For example, it is estimated that shifting to 5G in the USA using fibre optics will cost US$130–150 billion, whereas the entire Starlink project will only cost around US$10 billion.

Some technical risks arise from the life cycle of satellites and the nature of satellite communications. Signals transferred in an open medium (air or space) are easier to interrupt and could be collected by unintended receivers, although decrypting the signal would have to take place before accessing useful information. At the end of its life, an internet satellite turns into uncontrolled space debris that contaminates space and can potentially cause collisions. While there are projects that aim at removing debris from space, such as RemoveDEBRIS and ESA ADR, Starlink satellites are designed to avoid contamination of space by burning up in Earth's atmosphere, which results, however, in fragments that could reach the ground. In addition, astronomers are concerned that the growing number of satellites obscures their view of the Universe.

Since covering the globe with internet via satellites implies no escape from exposure to electromagnetic waves, there are concerns about the health impacts of the radiation. Although the relation between cancer and telecommunication waves is controversial, it is agreed that the risks depend on the type of wave and the intensity of radiation. International standards, set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), define radiation exposure limits. The EU rules on electromagnetic fields are laid down in Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC, based on the ICNIRP guidelines.

Data has grown exponentially in recent years, and globalising internet connectivity would boost the already tremendous growth of data. However, storing massive amounts of data comes at a cost: it consumes energy, much of which contributes to carbon emissions. Moreover, the machine-learning industry is hungry to develop what can be sold as artificial intelligence by mining these data using intensive computing power. Having thousands of satellites in space would intersect with European space projects and would require coordination of satellites in order to avoid collisions between European and internet satellites. In September 2019, the European Space Agency performed an evasive manoeuvre to avoid a potential collision with SpaceX, demonstrating an urgent need for space traffic management with more intelligent control.

As internet infrastructure (cell towers or fibre optic cables) is expensive to build, it is not easy to break the monopoly of the current players in the market. If successful, internet satellites would break the present ISP monopoly, but might perhaps replace it with another monopoly. A global internet satellite service would also weaken the potential for internet censorship compared to the present situation, where local authorities control internet access by blocking websites or even shutting down the internet via national ISPs.

Anticipatory policy-making

As internet satellites are not deployed in air space, but in outer space, which according to international law, is free for use by all states and thus not subject to a claim of sovereignty. However, international space law enforces liability for any damage caused by space objects and obliges states to avoid harmful contamination.

It is advisable that future EU space policy consider the swift development of internet satellites. It is vital that EU legislation is reviewed with an eye on the potential risks such as the health impacts, the internet monopoly, signal disturbances by destructive interference, and the consequences of satellite debris. Some of these issues (i.e. signal disturbances and satellite debris) were addressed in the Commission's proposal for the Space Programme in 2018. A critical issue is the balance between the risks and gains, especially the tradeoff between the security of the European Union and catching up with competitive technological advances. The security aspects include ensuring the robustness of communications and the ISPs' compliance with the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Additionally, handling soft impacts is also needed, perhaps by pushing ICT industries towards cleaner energy.

This article was written by Science and Technology Options Assessment Committee of the European Parliament.

Veteran MD Drops Bombshell About 5G Technology Dangers At 5G Hearing

Dr Sharon Goldberg

The mainstream media gives away its corporate nature by simply ignoring the alleged harmful consequences of 5G.  It's a matter of extreme public interest and therefore deserves public debate. After all, what's more important than health? In Vienna, Austria, where 5G infrastructure has already been deployed, there have been reports of the noxious biological impact of such advanced wireless systems. 

According to Martin L. Pall, professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Basic Medical Sciences at Washington State University, four reasons support the argument on why radiation from the 5G network will be dangerous for humans: an extraordinary number of antennae are required, high outputs are needed for penetration, pulsation levels will be very high, and it will have an impact on the human body’s cellular electrical field. 

Also, the impact of 5G seemed to have a deadly impact on hundreds of birds who fell down from the sky after a trial in the Netherlands, in November 2018. Why was this extremely relevant indicator overlooked?

“Wireless radiation has biological effects. Period. This is no longer a subject for debate when you look at PubMed and the peer-review literature. These effects are seen in all life forms; plants, animals, insects, microbes. In humans, we have clear evidence of cancer now: there is no question We have evidence of DNA damage, cardiomyopathy, which is the precursor of congestive heart failure, neuropsychiatric effects…5G is an untested application of a technology that we know is harmful; we know it from the science. In academics, this is called human subjects research," says Dr Sharon Goldberg at the Legislation Hearing (video above).

Further research on the subject, this time from Investigate Europe, has revealed that "radiation authorities rely on controversial group for safety advice". Once again, the power of the lobbies seems to be mighty enough to muffle public concerns or even to dismiss them.

On 14 May 2018, Claire Edwards, United Nations (UN) Staff, addressed the UN Secretary General António Guterres about the swift spread of 5G without public consent, let alone knowledge of it. Early in January 2019, Edwards expressed frustration after her several attempts of unsuccessfully following-up with this major issue: 

Nevertheless, despite the heavily built portraying of 5G as a progressive step in society, the topic has managed to slowly take the public debate arena, even if only on the streets or on alternative media outlets. 

Below, sourced from "Take Back Your Power" is a list of countries who have expressed concerns at the 5G rollout:

Finland and Estonia pioneering cross-border health services

On January 21, digital exchange of prescriptions and patient summaries became a reality between Finland and Estonia, the first two countries pioneering the use of e-prescriptions across borders.  As such, the first EU patients will be able to use digital prescriptions issued by their home doctor when visiting a pharmacy in another EU country: Finnish patients are now able to go to a pharmacy in Estonia and retrieve medicine prescribed electronically by their doctor in Finland.

Movement of people across the EU is increasing more and more, reason why in 2011 the European institutions adopted the Cross-Border Healthcare Directive (2011/24/EU), ensuring the continuity of care for European citizens across borders. This gives Member States the possibility to exchange health data in a secure, efficient and interoperable way.

The following two electronic cross-border health services are currently progressively introduced in all European countries:

• ePrescription (and eDispensation) allows citizens in Europe to retrieve their medication in a pharmacy located in another European country, thanks to the online transfer of their electronic prescription from their country of affiliation (hereafter referred to as the country of residence) to their country of travel. Your country of residence is informed about the medicine you retrieve in the country of travel (eDispensation).

• Patient Summary provides information on important health related aspects such as your allergies, current medication, previous illness, surgeries, etc. It will form part of a larger collection of health data called European Health Record, whose implementation across Europe is planned at a later stage. The digital Patient Summary is meant to provide doctors with essential information in their own language concerning the patient, when the patient comes from another EU country and there may be a linguistic barrier. On a longer term, not only the basic medical information of the Patient Summary, but the full Health Record should become available across the EU.

The ePrescriptions and Patient Summaries can be exchanged between EU countries thanks to the new eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure, which connects the eHealth national services among them to exchange health data.

According to the European Commission, 22 Member States are part of the eHealth Digital Service Infrastructure and are expected to exchange ePrescriptions and Patient Summaries by the end of 2021. Additionally, 10 Member States (Finland, Estonia, Czechia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Croatia, Malta, Cyprus, Greece and Belgium) may start these exchanges by the end of 2019.

Single-use plastics: Commission welcomes ambitious agreement on new rules to reduce marine litter

The European Parliament and the Council of the European Union have reached a provisional political agreement on the ambitious new measures proposed by the Commission to tackle marine litter at its source, targeting the 10 plastic products most often found on our beaches as well as abandoned fishing gear.

Today's agreement is based on the Single-use plastics proposal presented in May by the Commission as part of the world's first comprehensive Plastics Strategy, adopted earlier this year, to protect citizens and the environment from plastic pollution whilst fostering growth and innovation. The new rules contribute to a broader effort of turning Europe into a more sustainable, circular economy, reflected in the Circular Economy Action Plan adopted in December 2015. They will place Europe's businesses and consumers ahead as a world leader in producing and using sustainable alternatives that avoid marine litter and oceans pollution, tackling a problem with global implications.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans, responsible for sustainable development said: "I warmly welcome today's ambitious agreement reached on our Commission proposal to reduce single use plastics. This agreement truly helps protect our people and our planet. Europeans are conscious that plastic waste is an enormous problem and the EU as a whole has shown true courage in addressing it, making us the global leader in tackling plastic marine litter. Equally important is, that with the solutions agreed upon today, we are also driving a new circular business model and showing the way forward to putting our economy on a more sustainable path."

Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness, added: "Tackling the plastics problem is a must. At the same time it brings new opportunities for innovation, competitiveness and job creation. We will discuss those thoroughly with industry within the Circular Plastics Alliance. With the agreement reached today we are showing that Europe is doing a smart economic and environmental choice and is advancing towards a new truly circular plastics economy." 

Commissioner for environment, maritime affairs and fisheries, Karmenu Vella said: "When we have a situation where one year you can bring your fish home in a plastic bag, and the next year you are bringing that bag home in a fish, we have to work hard and work fast. So I am happy that with the agreement of today between Parliament and Council. We have taken a big stride towards reducing the amount of single-use plastic items in our economy, our ocean and ultimately our bodies."

Different measures for different products

The new EU directive on Single-Use Plastics will be the most ambitious legal instrument at global level addressing marine litter. It envisages different measures to apply to different product categories. Where alternatives are easily available and affordable, single-use plastic products will be banned from the market, such as plastic cotton buds, cutlery, plates, straws, drink stirrers, sticks for balloons, products made of oxo-degradable plastic and food and beverage containers made of expanded polystyrene For other products, the focus is on limiting their use through a national reduction in consumption; on design and labelling requirements; and waste management/clean-up obligations for producers.

Next Steps

The provisional agreement reached today must now be formally approved by the European Parliament and the Council. Following its approval, the new Directive will be published in the EU's Official Journal and the Member States will have to transpose it after two years.

EC