Europe

Resident population held steady at around 59 million

Net immigration at 296,000 last year Without migrants, population would have shrunk by 297,000

Fertility rate down to 1.14 children ​per woman

The new EES system will be fully implemented from 10 April onwards and could help significantly modernise EU control systems – but not without a few initial hiccups along the way.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has convened an emergency meeting of the National Defence Council after explosives were found near a pipeline that transports Russian gas to Hungary.

The discovery in a border area of neighbouring Serbia comes as Orban's party is badly trailing in opinion polls ahead of crucial elections next Sunday.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar accused him of "panic-mongering" orchestrated by "Russian advisers", days after security experts warned of a possible "false flag" operation that could be blamed on Ukraine.

Orban, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has resisted EU calls to abandon Russian energy imports since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

A very leading question and probably a stupid one to ask on Lemmy.

Perhaps some of you might have seen me around before, or seen a glimpse of one of my creative projects as you scrolled through All/New. I am nowhere near as prolific with my posting on Lemmy as some of you. But I'm here lurking daily.

Don't think we don't notice you! Your herculean efforts to keep this corner of the internet alive is pivotal to the success and continued existence of the fediverse.

Posting my creative projects on the fediverse was how I got started with Lemmy when I was looking for a new home once I finally took the leap to leave the corporate platforms and their insidious algorithms.

Around five months ago there was a post about The free software foundation announcing a librephone initiative. I wrote a comment expressing some of my feelings and thoughts about the European citizens highly restricted options to participate in our digital society, and I was surprised by the huge amount of ⭡ I received. It caused me to take pause, and a seed was planted. Around the same time I had begun working on a long argumentative text in opposition to CC2(Chat Controll 2), when it made one of its million rounds in the EU parliament calendar, which I then sent to all "my" representatives, and some others. The seed was now germinating. I also realised when reading through all the proposed legislation in the CC2 bill, that there was two huge gaping loopholes written into the proposition that would essentially make it toothless. Namely, open source peer-to-peer software falling out side of its scope and the definition of organisation was so broad, that all of Lemmy could just decide that we are a non-profit organisation(some minor bureaucratic filings required) and all members would be exempt as long as the communication was within the "organisation". The sprout now broke the soil. We shouldn't be reactive we should be as aggressively active, as the organisations that are lobbying against our digital rights. We should organise... I want to organise!

So I started researching what was required to start a non-profit organisation, what you are allowed to do, what grants such an organisation might be able to apply for, how non-profits can earn revenue, how this revenue is allowed to be used while retaining the non-profit status. (Not to leach, but to sustain the organisation) what is required if the organisation were to take on salaried employees, etc.

Not long after this, the EU-Commission opened an Open call for Feedback on Open Source Software. So I figured this would be a great opportunity for me to dip my toes into the world of public consultation responses or submissions.

Since my late teens I have been a proponent of open source and digital rights and freedoms for individuals. My proselytising though, has been almost exclusively happening in the interpersonal sphere. To the annoyance of my friends. But now I was about to do it publicly, my apprehension turned into weeks of research and debates while writing my response. This research turned into a 3000 word argumentative paper( also posted here on Lemmy for the interested and gives a lot of insight on where I stand on the issue of sovereignty and OSS). All while I was still working on a Non-profit organisations Bylaws/constitution along with Policy documentation and a vision and strategy document. One big thing I took away from this research and reflection was that citizen/consumer digital rights, even if enshrined into law, will be impossible to uphold without digital sovereignty.

I might be slaughtering the English words for these documents. But it's in essence; The Bylaws are the legally binding document that outlines what we will do, how we will aim to do it, and our core mission. The Policy describes the internal structure, ethics, and operational guidelines. Vision and Strategy outlines where we are aiming to go.

What now?

Well I need driven individuals that share my passion for OSS(FOSS) , democratic values, EU- resilience and digital sovereignty. I have deliberately refrained from trying to stack the board with friends/personal contacts, because I don't want this to be just my project, my mission.

As of now it(Working name exists, but that's not important right now.) is a non-entity because the Bylaws need to be voted on by a board of at least 5 individuals.

What would be the core mission of this organisation?

• I envision it to be an organisation that actively lobbies for citizen digital rights and digital sovereignty.

• An organisation that on its own and in collaboration with like minded organisations engage in Educating the public and build awareness around digital rights and sovereignty(we have a word for this in Swedish that is so much more fitting -opinionsbildande).

• Actively engages in projects that seeks to address digital exclusion.

• Promotes OSS/FOSS solutions and consults about their implementations and advantages/benefits.

• Lobby for platform independent FOSS alternatives to access crucial governmental/banking services.

The list of priorities is extensive but.. with a little luck I have conveyed enough for those interested, to join my mission.

This is still early days, so no homepage yet, no social media handles. What I have created is a Fluxer.app Community for those interested in participating. https://fluxer.gg/Nf9hGtQq The Fluxer community is meant as a stepping stone, a place to start.

And for those few of you who has followed me for my creative content and has been wondering why I haven't updated in a while, this is what has kept me from working on creative projects.

//FoliumCreations

As EU citizens we want to live in a Union that truly embodies the values we defend and believe in. Across the world, countless lives are affected by human rights violations, and we expect our Union to uphold human rights firmly and fairly, everywhere and for everyone. But what if there is differential treatment of human rights violations?

In practice, the EU’s current approach to human rights suffers from double standards: it is incoherent, fragmented, and inconsistently applied across partner countries. As the EU acts differently depending on the country, this leads to uneven responses that weaken the universal nature of human rights.

This initiative calls on the European Commission to propose a regulation that establishes a standardised oversight of human rights across its areas of competence in its external action with third countries. The regulation should ensure that the Commission monitors, evaluates, and responds to human rights violations in a manner that is transparent, consistent, effective, proportionate and timely.

We propose a legal framework allowing the EU to improve its approach to human rights and reinforce its credibility in the world by better safeguarding international human rights law. Join us in calling for no more double standards on human rights!

Starting from Southeast Asia, people realize that a severe and probably long energy crisis lies ahead - and goverments act differently.

What happens will not only affect energy prices in Europe, but also vital global supply chains.

Regulation 2021/1232 expired at 23:59 CEST on 3 April 2026. This means that from now on any proactive scanning of private communications is prohibited for any reason.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/46954555

EU will require all member states to have digital profiles of citizens with birth certs and IDs

Ireland is getting a new, universal 'Digital Wallet' app that will collect info, including birth certs, driving licences and PPS numbers for individual citizens - as per European Union requirements for 2027.

And the Government is asking for volunteers to take part in testing and trial runs. The Digital wallet will be used to access a range of public services, including welfare support, such as the Working Family Payment. It could also store data such as health profiles, along the lines of the so called 'vaccine passports' that were in use during the Pandemic.

The digital wallet aims to allow people to securely access documents such as birth certificates or driving licences and register for key welfare support, such as the working family payment.
It has also been suggested as an age-verification tool by Tanaiste Simon Harris, who has said children under the age of 16 should not be on social media in the wake of the Grok AI controversy.
The Government is legally obliged, under EU regulations, to ensure there is a digital wallet for accessing public services by the end of the year, and for private services by the end of 2027.
The public testing phase of the wallet is to begin in early April and is seen as “critical” to ensure it is designed “to satisfy user needs and expectations”, the Department said.
The first stage, for which people can opt in, gives people the chance to view the design of the wallet, understand its proposed features, provide feedback and sign up for further testing.
The second stage allows people aged 16 or older to download the wallet and test limited functions.
People can register to be part of the testing phase at gov.ie/DigitalWallet.

Minister for Public Expenditure and Public Service Reform Jack Chambers said the app would “make it simpler” for people to verify their identity, apply for support and access entitlements, as he launched the public consultation on Friday.

He said: “The wallet is designed so that all personal data is fully protected, and the user stays in control of what information they put in the wallet and choose to share,” he said. "Only the details needed for a service will be shared, and nothing more. Big life events, such as having a baby, moving home, or starting a new job often require dealing with several different public service providers. The digital wallet aims to reduce that administrative burden, making it easier, faster and more secure to access the supports people need. This testing and consultation phase is an important step in building a digital wallet that genuinely works for people. We want to hear the public’s ideas, concerns and expectations. The public’s feedback will directly shape how the wallet looks, how it works, and how it supports everyday life.”

The 2024 report outlines several interconnected aspects influencing the situation of young people [15-29 yo] in the European Union (EU), encompassing demographics, employment, education, social inclusion, political engagement, environmental activism, and health. These topics are not isolated but are intricately related, with many factors influencing others, creating a complex landscape for policy makers and stakeholders.

#Note 1: Relevance with reference to this recent euronews Post and the many comments, I digged up a recent 2024 comparative study published by EU.

#Note 2: Summary of 90 page publication in the comments (via Le chat AI). Or check the original pub in pdf via the link.

#Note 3: This more elaborate eurofund 2025 study titled, 'The roots of Europe's mental health crisis run deep' , encompasses all big Europen crises since 2009 and their economic & mental health impact. Yes, there is a strong correlation, and there are no simple solutions.

cross-posted from : https://lemmy.zip/post/61926294

MEPs have sharply criticized the plan. “Our fear is that the implementation of our laws and standards will be called into question by American companies,” criticizes Green MEP Sergey Lagodinsky, for example. “If this is confirmed, it would be nothing less than a capitulation to the pressure and intimidation tactics of the Trump administration.” The EU Commission repeatedly emphasizes that it does not want to change its regulations due to US pressure. However, some of the recently proposed changes in digital legislation, particularly to the AI Act and the General Data Protection Regulation, primarily benefit US companies that are already dominant in the market.

Austria has denied the United States permission to use its airspace for military operations related to the war with Iran, citing the country’s long‑standing policy of neutrality, according to statements reported Thursday by Austrian public broadcaster ORF.

The futures price is “almost giving a false sense of security that things are not that stressed,” said Amrita Sen, founder of Energy Aspects, in an interview with CNBC’s “The Exchange.”

“You are seeing it but the financial market is almost masking the true tightness that everywhere else is showing up,” Sen said. The price for a barrel of diesel in Europe is almost $200 per barrel right now, she said.

If this goes on a bit longer, this is going to have profound and lasting effects. The political effects might be larger than the oil crisis of 1974, since at that time there were no ready alternatives for oil as an energy source in heating and transport.

I wish everyone happy and joyful holidays, especially in these turbulent times. May this season bring you moments of peace, warmth, and hope.