Europe

A panel of South African judges have urged the EU to ban chemicals and pesticides which have already been banned within the bloc from being exported overseas, at a hearing of the European Parliament’s human rights committee on Wednesday (18 March).

The EU exports more than 120,000 tonnes of pesticides per year that were banned on European farms.

A small French town has won instant internet fame because its mayor – running for re-election in Sunday's municipal elections – goes by the name of Hittler.

Not just that. One of his two opponents is called Zielinski.

#note: reallife, but a bit eurotrash story.

Alvise Pérez

Pursuant to Rules 10 and 183 of the Rules of Procedure and to the Bureau decision on the rules governing access to and attendance in the Chamber and the conduct of debates, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, the President had decided to impose a penalty on Alvise Pérez for having recorded during a plenary session an interaction between a Member of the European Parliament and a member of the administration without their consent, and having subsequently disseminated the video on the social media accounts of his political party, along with derogatory comments.

His behaviour had harmed Parliament’s reputation and the principle of mutual respect among Members.

Leila Chaibi

Pursuant to Rules 10 and 183 of the Rules of Procedure and to the Bureau decision on the rules governing access to and attendance in the Chamber and the conduct of debates, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, the President had decided to impose a penalty on Leila Chaibi for having recorded herself and made inappropriate gestures during the speech by His Majesty King Felipe VI, King of Spain, during the formal sitting to mark the 40th anniversary of the accession of Spain and Portugal to the European Union. The video had subsequently been disseminated on her social media accounts.

Her behaviour had harmed Parliament’s reputation and the principle of mutual respect in Parliament, in particular with regard to the President as the host of invited dignitaries.

Rima Hassan

Pursuant to Rules 10 and 183 of the Rules of Procedure and to the Bureau decision on the rules governing access to and attendance in the Chamber and the conduct of debates, and after taking into account the observations of the Member concerned, the President had decided to impose a penalty on Rima Hassan for having recorded during a plenary session a Member of the European Parliament without his consent, and having subsequently disseminated the video on her social media accounts, accompanied by a personal comment.

Her behaviour had harmed Parliament’s reputation and the principle of mutual respect among Members.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/PV-10-2026-03-10-ITM-010_EN.html

https://www.ft.com/content/3fc262f9-2fbf-4d3e-9e2a-3d6995800ba3?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Peter Thiel, the billionaire venture capitalist and MAGA donor, is in Rome this week for a series of private lectures on the Antichrist. It’s an event that the Vatican, and the pope, are treating with caution.

We are all affected by this. Speak up.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.org/post/27227990

Original Link

French Finance Minister Roland Lescure told CNBC that France is willing to support the U.S. in securing the Strait of Hormuz — just not while the security situation remains highly dangerous and volatile.

The original (very generic) title):

Government to go "further and faster" in becoming energy secure

The Energy Secretary outlines measures to protect consumers and make Britain energy secure.

They are speaking of panels in the 800W range which you can just buy , mount in front of your balcony or on top of your carport, and plug into a wall socket.

These things are wildly popular in Germany. The do not generate a lot of power, but armotize in about three years and save real money. (Depending on how old the metering technology is, they can also make the power meter spin backwards, which I think is only fair considering how much households pay for kWh, compared to energy-hungry companies, which get most of the the massive cost savings from renewables but don't pay for the necessary upgrade of the grid).

Sweden’s V-Dem Institute warns that the US is no longer a liberal democracy. And autocracy is creeping across Europe too, says writer Martin Gelin

👉 Remark: The article is about the U.S. and Europe, despite the title.

Summary: Bloomberg: Renewables are also protecting Europe from Iran-crisis-related price shocks

Europe's electricity market is weathering the current Middle East crisis far better than it did the 2022 Russian gas shock, and the reason is the same as in Pakistan: rapid renewable deployment is decoupling power prices from fossil fuel volatility.

While gas prices have surged in response to Hormuz disruptions, German and French electricity contract prices actually fell last week. Rabobank estimates that without renewables and the seasonal demand drop, European power prices would already be around a third higher than they currently are. Electricity contracts remain a fraction of the extreme levels seen after the Nord Stream explosions in 2022, giving policymakers crucial breathing room on inflation — though the EU has warned overall inflation could still exceed 3% if the conflict drags on.

Several factors are converging favourably. Solar output is entering its seasonal ramp-up, with Germany's April solar generation forecast to rise 25% year-on-year and wind projected up 70%. France's nuclear fleet, which was severely underperforming during the last crisis, is now back to full strength. The combination has pushed prices negative during German daytime solar hours since mid-February — something not normally seen until April.

The structural shift is also reshaping market dynamics. As in Pakistan's case, domestically generated renewables are proving immune to the geopolitical disruptions affecting imported fuels — as RWE's CEO put it, "renewables are not affected." Solar is increasingly setting daytime prices, with gas plants pushed to evening peak hours only.

The resilience is not total, however. Evening prices, when solar fades and demand remains elevated, have spiked sharply — reaching above €400/MWh in the Netherlands — exposing the continuing vulnerability where fossil fuel dependency has not yet been displaced.

The crisis is nonetheless reinforcing the investment case for electrification across Europe, mirroring the dynamic seen in Pakistan where consumer-led solar adoption has quietly delivered the energy security that years of state policy could not.

German police on Tuesday launched a new wave of raids targeting The Last Wave of Defence, a far-right extremist cell believed to have been plotting attacks against migrants and political opponents.

Officers searched properties linked to 10 suspects, including a suspected ringleader, who are believed to have joined the group between April and December 2024.

They are accused of membership in a domestic terrorist organization, the federal public prosecutor's office in Karlsruhe said.

Police first moved against the group in May, arresting five male teenagers across several German states suspected of plotting violent attacks against migrants.

According to prosecutors, the group sees itself as defending the "German nation" and aimed to trigger a collapse of Germany’s democratic system through acts of violence, primarily targeting migrants and political opponents.

Eight suspects believed to be involved with the group, including the five arrested in May, went on trial in Hamburg earlier this month on charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and grievous bodily harm.

More specifically, they are accused of planning and carrying out arson and bomb attacks on asylum seekers' homes and facilities associated with left-wing groups.

No arrests were made during Tuesday's raids, which targeted properties in the states of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Schlewsig-Holstein, prosecutors said.

Two suspects are also being investigated over dangerous bodily harm related to attacks on suspected paedophiles.

Kiev has accepted technical and financial assistance from the European Union to repair a pipeline delivering Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, EU top officials announced.