Day: July 28, 2022

Today, the European Commission, via its Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority, signed a framework contract for the joint procurement of Adjupanrix, a pandemic influenza vaccine, with the pharmaceutical company GSK. 12 Member States and other joint procurement countries are participating in the agreement, under which they can purchase up to 85,000,000 vaccine doses if necessary, in the event of an influenza pandemic.

Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Preparedness is key in a health emergency. COVID-19 has shown this beyond any doubt. Today we secure up to 85 million influenza pandemic vaccine doses through our Health Emergency and Preparedness Response Authority, to protect our citizens should such an emergency arise in the future. This is a true European Health Union in action.”

An influenza pandemic would be a global epidemic caused by a new influenza strain to which there is little to no pre-existing immunity in the human population. While it is difficult to predict an influenza pandemic, it is important to be prepared.

Background

The Commission is committed to build a stronger and active European Health Union that is prepared and able to respond to emerging health threats. The COVID-19 pandemic showed the importance of coordination among European countries and the added-value of a common response in face of cross-border health threats.

The EU’s Joint Procurement Agreement offers the 36 participating countries to jointly procure medical counter-measures as an alternative or complement to procurement at national level.

The aim of the joint procurement mechanism is to secure a more equitable access to specific medical countermeasures and to improve the security of supply, together with more balanced prices for the participating EU countries.

In order to be adequately prepared for an outbreak of a serious cross-border threat to health, the institutions of the EU, together with countries that have joined the JPA, may engage in a joint procurement procedure with a view to purchase vaccines, antivirals, and medical countermeasures for serious cross-border threats to health. HERA continues to work closely with the participating countries to identify and implement priorities, such as vaccines or therapeutics, for joint procurement.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The UN Security Council unanimously voted on a draft resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus for another six months, until January 31, 2023 and asking the General Secretary to submit a new report on January 3, 2023.

?ccording to Cypriot diplomatic sources, the final draft of the UN Secretary General’s resolution is satisfactory. Positive references according to the same sources include strong wording over Turkish actions in the fenced off city of Varosha and the fact that the Security Council encourages the Secretary General to appoint a special envoy on the Cyprus problem.

It should be noted that the resolution begins “Taking note of the report..” instead of “Welcoming the report..” because Russia did not want to welcome the report due to references within about the war in Ukraine.

The resolution recalls the status of Varosha as set out in relevant resolutions, including resolutions 550 (1984) and 789 (1992), and its Presidential Statement (S/PRST/2021/13) which condemns the 20 July 2021 announcement by Turkish and Turkish Cypriot leaders on the further reopening of a part of the fenced-off area of Varosha.

It expresses “deep regret regarding unilateral actions that run contrary to its previous resolutions and statements on Varosha and calls for the immediate reversal of this course of action and of all steps taken on Varosha since October 2020, deeply regrets that recent actions have not been in line with this call for immediate reversal, and reiterates once again that no actions should be carried out in relation to Varosha that are not in accordance with its resolutions and continues to stress the need to avoid any unilateral actions that could raise tensions on the island and undermine the prospects for a peaceful settlement.”

It further reiterates “its support for the Secretary-General’s proposal for dialogue between the parties and the Special Representative to explore a possible agreement on surveillance technology and the removal of positions adjacent to the no-fly zone, and regrets the lack of progress since this view until today.”

?ccording to diplomatic sources a point that Cyprus wished to strengthen but in the end remained unchanged is the wording about the missing persons in Cyprus.

The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to submit by 3 January 2023 a report on his Good Offices, in particular on progress towards reaching a consensus starting point for meaningful results-oriented negotiations leading to a settlement.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Numerous rounds of talks under the UN aegis to reunite the island under a federal roof failed to yield results.

UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. Resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha.

On October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. Both the UN Secretary-General and the EU expressed concern, while the UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The new GUESS Fall-Winter 2022 advertising campaign sees the brand off to explore the history-steeped streets of Granada, Spain.

GUESS Heads to Granada for the 2022 Fall/Winter Advertising Campaign (Photo: Business Wire)

The FW22 campaign is immortalized through the lens of fashion photographer Tatiana Gerusova, under the guidance of GUESS?, Inc.’s Chief Creative Officer, Paul Marciano. The new campaign features a sizzling lineup: German-born, Polish fashion model Kim Dammer, Serbian model Nina Kostic, Spanish model Lidia Santos, Italian model Mario Ermito, and French model Xavier Grey.

GUESS Women

The campaign showcases an enticing array of GUESS pieces, highlighting must-have accessories and elevated animal and botanical prints. The collection brings a fresh and youthful breeze of contemporary color and style to grey winter days.

Against the alluring continental backdrop of the Moorish Alhambra Palace and the ancient Arabic quarter of Albaicín, we see the GUESS woman enveloped in ravishing, cosmopolitan looks. The collection includes striking two-piece pant sets and flirty skirt suits, hour-glass sweater dresses, and shimmering, pleated gowns, all teamed with statement-making winter coats, cozy knits, waist-nipping belts, and sassy high-heel boots.

The FW22 GUESS Women’s collection and campaign work to showcase a modern yet timeless offering that embraces the female spirit of glamour and independence. Ranging from an assortment of warm-and-fuzzy color swatches including pretty pastels, bright blues, and autumnal reds, to time-honored neutrals, like beige, cream, brown, grey and khaki, the line offers a range of color for all season long.

GUESS Men

From boyishly causal to effortlessly smart, the GUESS man steps out in everything from ever-cool leather and denim to flashes of tie-dye, and boy-next-door checks. Rounding out the collection, the line incorporates camouflage pants, elegant sweaters, impeccably tailored coats, puffer jackets and rugged parkas. With the season’s eclectic range of footwear, accessories, and color tones, which range from classic blues, and earthy hues, to flashes of yellow, peach and pastel, the collection will appeal to both the elegant man-about-town and the eternal wanderer.

“I absolutely love this collection and location, it’s so spellbinding,” said Chief Creative Officer, Paul Marciano. “Granada’s mix of Baroque, Moorish, and Renaissance architecture creates a really striking contrast with the warm colors and contemporary look and feel of the Fall-Winter offering. It’s a place of unique and iconic beauty, where tradition, the past and present merge together, an element that really embodies the glamorous and timeless essence of GUESS.”

Look out for the 2022 GUESS Fall-Winter advertising campaign in leading international fashion and lifestyle magazines, GUESS stores and online.

About GUESS?, Inc.

Established in 1981, GUESS began as a jeans company and has since successfully grown into a global lifestyle brand. Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, eyewear, footwear and other related consumer products. Guess? products are distributed through branded Guess? stores as well as better department and specialty stores around the world. As of April 30, 2022, the Company directly operated 1,073 retail stores in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The Company’s partners and distributors operated 565 additional retail stores worldwide. As of April 30, 2022, the Company and its partners and distributors operated in approximately 100 countries worldwide. For more information about the Company,

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Expatriate organizations that participate in the World Conference of Cyprus Diaspora referred Thursday to the new difficulties they face in promoting aspects of the Cyprus issue, due to the new geopolitical developments.

They also stressed the need for further mobilisation of the Republic of Cyprus to raise awareness of the Cyprus issue abroad.

In his statements to journalists, the President of the International Coordination Committee “Justice for Cyprus”, (PSEKA), Philip Christopher, expressed the opinion that “we are in a difficult position, due to the upgraded position of Turkey after the war in Ukraine.”

However, he said that in the case of the F-16 fighter aircrafts, they managed to prove that there is a problem in US-Turkey relations and stressed that they will continue this fight. He added that there are economic, strategic, geopolitical interests that countries such as the US and the UK have with Turkey and that the country spends millions of dollars on propaganda in every country where there is diaspora.

He added that members of Cyprus diaspora, spend millions of their own money to promote the Cyprus problem and further relations with the government of the country they live.

At the same time Christopher expressed particular concern over Erdogan’s threats to annex the occupied areas of Cyprus, the situation in Varosha, and Turkey’s threats against Greece.

However, he also spoke about the opportunities that exist. “I think the United States want to hear a program that will benefit the country, as well as Cyprus and Greece by providing a solution to the Cyprus problem,” he said.

Invited to comments on how the governments of Cyprus and Greece could support and enhance the efforts of the diaspora, Christopher referred to the need for more awareness of the problem abroad.

“There is no doubt that after 48 years many MPs, political leaders, do not know the problem in Cyprus, they see it as an inter-communal problem”, he added.

During the conference, representatives from all countries where there are expatriate communities, referred to the challenges and opportunities that exist to promote Cyprus problem. New challenges such as the huge interests of the UK in Turkey after Brexit, or the islamization and the economic influence of Turkey in many African countries. Some opportunities were also pointed out, such the election of the new Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, a friend of Cyprus, or the election of Greek descent MPs in parliaments of some countries.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island’s northern third.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Ministry of Finance announced on Thursday the submission of the first payment request to the European Commission for a disbursement of €85 million from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism.

According to the Ministry’s press release, the first payment request submitted on 28 July relates to the achievement of 14 milestones by completing reforms and investments in the energy and circular economy sectors, the financial sector, digital transition, modernising the public administration, fighting corruption and strengthening the effectiveness of the monitoring and control system of the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan.

It is recalled that the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Plan was adopted by the EU Council on 28 July 2021 and subsequently the Financing and Loan Agreements between the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus were signed, with the amounts to be disbursed amounting to €900 million in grants and €200 million in loans. This was followed in September 2021 by the disbursement of €157 million from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (RRM) as pre-financing and the implementation and promotion of the measures and interventions included in the Plan started immediately.

It is also noted that the disbursement of European funds from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism, in addition to the pre-financing, is made per semester, based on payment requests and after all the milestones and objectives of the Plan corresponding to each tranche have been achieved, as defined in the relevant agreements. The disbursement will be made in a total of 10 tranches (in addition to the pre-financing of €157 million).

It is added that the submission of the first payment request was also subject to the signature of an Operational Arrangements Agreement between the European Commission and the Republic of Cyprus to define the framework for monitoring and controlling the fulfilment of the 271 total milestones and targets of the Plan to be achieved by 2026.

After extensive consultations of the coordination authority (Directorate General for Growth, Ministry of Finance) with both the EU and all the implementing agencies of the plan measures, this agreement has been finalised and already signed with the European Commission.

The Plan includes 133 Measures (58 reforms and 75 investment projects/grant schemes), with 13 grant schemes for enterprises and individuals already announced and a number of other investment projects being implemented, in addition to reforms promoted and bills passed with the contribution and close cooperation of all stakeholders, as well as parliamentary parties.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Archbishop Chrysostomos II is in Israel for specialised medical examinations related to his health, Bishop of Karpasia told CNA.

He also said that the health of the primate of the Greek orthodox church in Cyprus “remains stable and there is no negative development”, commenting press reports about the latter’s health.

The Archbishop is scheduled to return to Cyprus next week, the Bishop said.

He also told CNA that Archbishop Chrysostomos is in good spirits and was informed about the journalists’ concern over his health and conveyed the message that he is well and there is no cause for concern.

The reason no statement was released prior to the Archbishop’s trip was because no surgery would have been involved and it was a scheduled examination which the doctors had asked for, the Bishop added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Commission yesterday amended its December 2021 proposal, under discussion by the European Parliament and the Council, to revise the TEN-T Regulation. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has redefined the geopolitical landscape. The war’s impacts on global markets, supply chains, and food security have demonstrated how better connections with the EU’s neighbouring partner countries are critical more than ever before. Commissioner for Transport Adina Valean said: “By extending four European Transport Corridors to the territory of Ukraine and Moldova – including the ports of Mariupol and Odesa – our proposal will help improve transport connectivity between these two countries and the EU, facilitating economic exchanges and better connections for people and businesses alike. These corridors will also be a key priority in rebuilding the transport infrastructure of Ukraine once the war ends. Our efforts to facilitate the export of grain from Ukraine via the Solidarity Lanes have also demonstrated the importance of interoperability within the transport system, and reinforced the need to increase convergence within the EU network, making it more resilient and strengthening the internal market.” The Commission prepared the ground for this extension when it adopted revised maps for the TEN-T network in Ukraine earlier this month. Yesterday’s amended proposal removes Russia and Belarus from the TEN-T maps; in the current context, cooperation with these countries is neither appropriate nor in the interest of the Union. Finally, the proposal requires that new built lines in the EU Member States which share a land border with another Member State be built to the standard European gauge, and invites the Member States to plan the migration of existing railway lines, when economically justified, to the European standard track gauge. The amendment responds to the ‘Solidarity Lanes’ communication, which is designed to help Ukrainian agricultural produce and other goods to reach the EU and world markets

NextGenerationEU: Commission receives payment request from Cyprus for €85 million under the Recovery and Resilience Facility

The Commission has today received the first payment request from Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for a disbursement of €85 million in financial support (net of pre-financing). Cyprus’ overall recovery and resilience plan will be financed by €0.9 billion in grants and €0.2 billion in loans. Payments under the RRF are performance-based and contingent on Cyprus implementing the investments and reforms outlined in its recovery and resilience plan. This first payment request relates to 14 milestones and targets covering several investments and reforms in the areas of energy efficiency, electricity market, circular economy, anti-corruption and transparency, financial sector and public administration, digital skills and audit and controls. The Commission will now assess the request. Following that, the Commission will send its preliminary assessment of Cyprus’ fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee. More information on the process of the payment requests under the RRF is available in this Q&A.

State aid: Commission approves €80 million Irish scheme for fishery sector in the context of Brexit

The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a € 80 million Irish scheme to support the fishery sector affected by the effects of the withdrawal of the UK from the EU. The aim of the scheme is to incentivise vessel owners to cease commercial fishing activities by scrapping their vessels. The scheme will run until 31 December 2023. Under the scheme, aid will be granted to Irish-registered vessels owners in the form of a direct grant to compensate them for ceasing their fishing activities. The aid amount will be calculated on the basis of the gross tonnage of the scrapped vessel (i.e. €3,600 per gross tonnage). In addition, beneficiaries receive a catch incentive premium of up to €8,400 per gross tonnage, the actual amount of which depends on the impact of the reduced quotas for fish on the vessels. The higher the dependence of the vessel on the fish species for which quotas have been reduced, the higher the catch premium. The total aid amount will not exceed €12,000 per gross tonnage. The beneficiaries will have to pass on a part of the aid to their crew members. To incentivise participation in the scheme, vessel owners and crew members will also benefit from different tax reliefs that would normally be levied related to the aid. Under the scheme, the fishing capacity corresponding to the scrapped vessel will not be replaced by another vessel, and the fishing licenses and authorisations will be permanently withdrawn. The measure is planned to be partially financed under the Brexit Adjustment Reserve established to mitigate the economic and social impact of Brexit, subject to approval under the specific provisions governing funding from that instrument. The Commission assessed the measures under Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which allows Member States to support the development of certain economic activities or regions under certain conditions, and under the Guidelines for the examination of State aid to the fishery and aquaculture sector The Commission found that the scheme facilitates the development of an economic activity and does not adversely affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest. On this basis, the Commission approved the Irish measure under EU State aid rules. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number SA.102271 in the State aid register on the Commission’s competition website once any confidentiality issues have been resolved.

State aid: Commission approves €15 million Slovenian scheme to support the agricultural sector in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine

The European Commission has approved a €15 million Slovenian scheme to support primary producers of agricultural products in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The scheme was approved under the State Aid Temporary Crisis Framework, adopted by the Commission on 23 March 2022 and amended on 20 July 2022. Under the scheme, the aid will take the form of direct grants. The purpose of the scheme is to cover part of the additional costs that the eligible beneficiaries incurred due to the price increase of fertilizers due to the current geopolitical crisis. The Commission found that the Slovenian scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework. In particular, the aid (i) will not exceed €62,000 per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later than 31 December 2022. The Commission concluded that the scheme is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the conditions set out in the Temporary Crisis Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the scheme under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Crisis Framework .

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of Supreme Energy Muara Laboh by INPEX and Sumitomo

The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of PT Supreme Energy Muara Laboh (‘SEML’), of Indonesia, by INPEX Corporation (‘INPEX’) and Sumitomo Corporation (‘SC’), both of Japan. SEML owns and operates a geothermal power plant in Indonesia. INPEX is an oil, gas and mineral exploration and production company active in several countries, including Indonesia. SC is a trading, business management, and project development company, operating worldwide in various sectors, including metal products, transportation, construction, infrastructure, mineral resources, energy, chemicals and electronics. The Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, given SEML’s negligible actual and foreseen activities in the European Economic Area. The transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is available on the Commission’s competition

The European Commission is committed to personal data protection. Any personal data is processed in line with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. All personal information processed by the Directorate-General for Communication / European Commission Representations is treated accordingly.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Commission announced it received on Thursday the first payment request from Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for a disbursement of €85 million in financial support (net of pre-financing), adding that it will assess it and will send its preliminary assessment of milestones and targets fulfilment to the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee.

“Cyprus’ overall recovery and resilience plan will be financed by €0.9 billion in grants and €0.2 billion in loans,” the Commission says in a press release.

Payments under the RRF, it adds, “are performance-based and contingent on Cyprus implementing the investments and reforms outlined in its recovery and resilience plan.”

“This first payment request relates to 14 milestones and targets covering several investments and reforms in the areas of energy efficiency, electricity market, circular economy, anti-corruption and transparency, financial sector and public administration, digital skills and audit and controls,” the press release specifies.

The Commission, it says, “will now assess the request.”

“Following that, the Commission will send its preliminary assessment of Cyprus’ fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee,” the press release concludes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Commission has today received the first payment request from Cyprus under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) for a disbursement of €85 million in financial support (net of pre-financing). Cyprus’ overall recovery and resilience plan will be financed by €0.9 billion in grants and €0.2 billion in loans. Payments under the RRF are performance-based and contingent on Cyprus implementing the investments and reforms outlined in its recovery and resilience plan. This first payment request relates to 14 milestones and targets covering several investments and reforms in the areas of energy efficiency, electricity market, circular economy, anti-corruption and transparency, financial sector and public administration, digital skills and audit and controls. The Commission will now assess the request. Following that, the Commission will send its preliminary assessment of Cyprus’ fulfilment of the milestones and targets required for this payment to the Council’s Economic and Financial Committee.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A new €50 million package to support the society and businesses from electricity price increases for both residential, commercial and industrial users, amounting to €50 million, has been announced by the Government, which will cover from 50% up to 85% of the expected new increase in electricity tariffs, with coverage reaching 100% for the vulnerable groups.

As announced by the Minister of Finance, Constantinos Petrides, following a Cabinet meeting this grant will also cover the reintroduction of VAT on electricity at 19%. The Government will pay this money to the EAC, which will adjust the tariffs covering the July-August period accordingly, to be sent in September.

The new package comes in addition to the packages already implemented, the cost of which exceeded €300 million. Petrides said the subsidy would cover both residential, commercial and industrial users of bi-monthly tariffs, thus supporting 449,000 households and 111,500 businesses.

“In this way, the measures are both horizontal and very targeted and will serve mainly the middle class, but also the vulnerable groups of the population,” Petrides said in his remarks, adding that this measure also promotes savings, which he said is very important.

“From the first moment we did not hide the truth, electricity prices and energy prices will remain high. So, the permanent and long-term solution is focused on two factors, one is the savings factor and the second is the comprehensive planning of the Ministry of Energy and the government in terms of complete decoupling from fossil fuels,” he said.

The Minister of Finance said that VAT on electricity is being brought back to 19%, stressing however that this will be covered by the government’s sponsorship.

“The state sponsorship will cover two parts, the percentage of the increase and the VAT,” he said, explaining that the subsidy takes a different form.

“Instead of lowering the VAT, this difference will be subsidised by the state,” he said, adding that in the invoices sent out in September, there will be a 20% to 30% reduction depending on the tariff.

Responding to a question, Petrides explained that the subsidy will be paid to the EAC and therefore the invoice received by the citizen will record the original price, the state subsidy and the amount to be paid by the citizen.

In her own statements, Energy Minister Natasa Pilides, after recalling that saving and installing photovoltaic systems is the best method to permanently reduce the cost of electricity, stressed that in addition to these measures, the Ministry’s plans, which have a much larger budget, continue to be in force.

She pointed out that until 2020 €8 million per year were allocated to the subsidy plans, while the budget for 2021 will exceed €120 million. At the same time, plans for the installation of photovoltaic panels, roof insulation and the installation of water heaters are running, as well as specific plans for vulnerable groups.

The €40 million “Save – Upgrade” project for businesses is also running, which encourages savings and subsidises the installation of photovoltaic panels, “so that we achieve a permanent reduction in the cost of electricity”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency