Day: December 5, 2022

Cyprus’ President Nicos Anastasiades is in Tirana from Athens to participate in the EU-Western Balkans Summit which takes place on December 5 and 6.

In the framework of the Summit, he is to hold a meeting with President of the Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željka Cvijanovic, according to a statement released on Saturday by Director of the Press Office of the President of the Republic, Andreas Iosif.

On Friday, December 9, the President will attend the Summit of the nine Mediterranean states of the EU (EUMED-9), in Alicante, Spain, on the invitation of Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez. The leaders of Spain, Greece, France, Italy, Portugal, Malta, Croatia and Slovenia, will also attend the Summit, while the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission will also take part in some of the discussions, Iosif said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of Finance Constantinos Petrides will participate in the Eurogroup and the EU Economic and Financial Affairs Council (Ecofin) deliberations that will take place in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday.

According to a press release by the Ministry, during today’s Eurogroup meeting, EU Ministers will exchange views on the macroeconomic outlook and prospects, with a focus on the coordination efforts regarding the policy response to high energy prices and inflationary pressures.

The Eurogroup will discuss the overall budgetary situation and prospects in the euro area and review the economic and fiscal situation of the euro area member states.

Ministers will discuss euro area aspects of the Commission Communication on orientations for a reform of the EU economic governance framework.

In addition, Ministers will discuss post programme surveillance, where the institutions will be invited to present the main outcomes of the latest reports on four of the member states concerned, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. The IMF will also take part in the discussions.

The Eurogroup will discuss the first post programme surveillance report on Greece. The Eurogroup is also expected to discuss whether the necessary conditions are in place to confirm the release of the eighth and final tranche of policy-contingent debt measures as well as the abolition of the step-up interest rate margin from 2023. The Eurogroup will adopt a statement. The IMF will also take part in the discussion.

Ministers will elect the President of the Eurogroup.

The President of the Eurogroup will present the Eurogroup work programme for the first half of 2023, on which ministers will be invited to exchange views.

Petrides will also attend the deliberations of the Board of Directors of the European Stability Mechanism.

During Ecofin’s deliberations on Tuesday, Ministers will discuss the proposal for a Council implementing decision on measures for the protection of the Union budget against breaches of the principles of the rule of law in Hungary and take stock of the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, following a presentation by the Commission on the state of play. The Council will also discuss the Hungarian recovery and resilience plan

The Council will discuss a legislative package a financial support to Ukraine, the directive on ensuring a global minimum level of taxation for multinational groups in the Union, the EU 2023 budget, the economic governance review and will hold a policy debate on the revision of the energy taxation directive.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Unemployment in November recorded an increase on a monthly and annual basis.

According to the Statistical Service of Cyprus, the unemployed persons, registered at the District Labour Offices on the last day of November 2022, reached 15.309.

Based on the seasonally adjusted data that show the trend of unemployment, the number of registered unemployed for November 2022 increased to 14.121 persons in comparison to 13.768 in the previous month.

In comparison with November 2021, an increase of 1.332 persons or 9,5% was recorded, attributed mainly to the sectors of accommodation and food service activities (an increase of 889), financial and insurance activities (an increase of 397), transportation and storage (an increase of 81), public administration and defence (an increase of 80) and information and communication (an increase of 60).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The creation of the Euromed Tech Hub in Cyprus was unanimously decided last week by the Board of Directors of ANIMA Investment Network, a press release by Invest Cyprus says.

The development constitutes a significant success for Cyprus, as the Euromed Tech Hub will function as a regional centre for research and cooperation, concerning issues of business innovation, and the transfer of technological knowledge for the participants from the wider region of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The organization will be jointly operated by ANIMA’s international steering committees and Invest Cyprus, while all efforts will be focused on promoting technology and innovation solutions that will serve the social and “green” transition of the Mediterranean countries.

Emphasis will be placed on issues such as the optimal management of commodities, the mitigation of the consequences of climate change, the assurance of food sufficiency, and the smooth ecological transition of the regional economies.

The Euromed Tech Hub will be largely financed by European Union funds, in the context of the Euromed Clusters Forward project, with the aims to accelerate and connect innovative entrepreneurs to develop their projects, to help in the maturation, promotion, and utilization of innovation and technological solutions and to offer space and an engineering of cooperation for tech support organisations from the Euromed.

The Euromed Tech Hub will initially employ approximately ten people in Cyprus, supported by a team of five members from ANIMA’s headquarters in Marseille.

?????’s General Manager, Emmanuel Noutary, noted that this hub will also connect the vibrant innovation ecosystem we found in Cyprus with the tech community we are working with around the Mediterranean basin.

Deputy general manager of Invest Cyprus and member of the Board of Directors of ANIMA, Marios Tanousis said that this establishment constitutes a recognition of their efforts, but also the country’s development in the fields of Technology, Research, and Innovation.

“In collaboration with the Chief Scientist for Research and Innovation, our efforts were focused to convince that Cyprus meets all the guarantees to host this grandiose and highly beneficial project for all the countries of the region”, he said.

Dr Nikolas Mastroyiannopoulos, National Chief Scientist for Research & Innovation said that this Hub be an opportunity for Invest Cyprus to be active in the domestic ecosystem adding that as we are at a pivotal point in fostering a sustainable research and innovation ecosystem, the Euromed Tech Hub can only yield benefits.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou signed on Monday the book of condolences which opened in the Chinese Embassy in Nicosia for the death of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin.

In her message she notes that under the leadership of President Jiang the strong Chinese economy was formed and China emerged as one of the great powers internationally.

According to a press release by the Parliament, Demetriou expresses, on behalf of all members of the House of Representatives her sincere condolences to the political leadership and the friendly people of China.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Duravant LLC (“Duravant”), a global engineered equipment and automation solutions provider to the food processing, packaging and material handling sectors, announced today that it has acquired Marelec Food Technologies (“Marelec”), a leading manufacturer of intelligent portioning and customized weighing and grading solutions headquartered in Nieuwpoort, Belgium. Marelec serves the poultry, meat, seafood and marine sectors, designing and manufacturing innovative turnkey systems that ensure high-quality output and maximum yield for food processors around the world.

“Our new partnership further enhances Duravant’s front line position in the growing food processing segment,” said Mike Kachmer, President and CEO of Duravant. “Marelec’s intense focus on providing outstanding service and continuous innovation has been the foundation of their success, and their legacy of market leadership makes them a perfect addition to the Duravant family.”

Recognized globally as a high-tech solutions provider for secondary processing solutions, Marelec has been serving multi-national customers for nearly 40 years. Their team of engineers and food processing experts are driven by a customer-oriented design philosophy. Using innovative technologies, such as portioning software with intelligent cutting algorithms, their systems are built for high speed and precise performance, helping operators maximize yields and quality.

Marelec’s expansive capabilities are showcased at their manufacturing hub in Belgium which houses their R&D center and cooled demo room. Marelec has sales and service centers throughout Europe, the United States and Asia, along with a powerhouse network of distributors across six continents and in over 50 countries.

“We are excited to enter our next phase of growth with Duravant and to collaborate with their world-class brands,” said Piet Rommelaere, Founder and Executive Chairman of Marelec. “We share a culture of unwavering commitment to customers, and by joining forces, we are able to accelerate our innovation investments, leverage Duravant’s extensive service infrastructure, and deliver more solutions to our customers and partners.”

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Horizon Europe Young Observers: first 51 Master’s students selected

Today, the Commission announced the first 51 students selected to be Young Observers in the Horizon Europe evaluations. Master’s level students from universities across Europe have joined the initiative to witness the robust, impartial evaluation of proposals under the EU’s research and innovation programme, and the Research Fund for Coal and Steel.

Launched on 1 April 2022, this unique opportunity is offered under the Horizon Europe calls Youth 2022 initiative. It is one of the flagship initiatives of the European Year of Youth, which aims to support young people to engage in opportunities that can boost their personal and professional development.

Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Mariya Gabriel, said:

I am very pleased with the overwhelmingly positive feedback received from students to become Young Observers in Horizon Europe. This will enable them to build their research and innovation skills for their future and to witness how EU institutions function first hand. I would like to encourage more master’s students to apply and take advantage of this opportunity.

As observers, young students are given the opportunity to develop valuable skills – through the training they receive and the experience from the participation – that they may use later in their careers, for example as research and innovation experts and evaluators, researchers, innovators, entrepreneurs and engaged citizens.

Students currently enrolled in a master’s programme, in any discipline, at a university in an EU Member State can apply. Students from disadvantaged and diverse backgrounds or belonging to vunerable and marginalised groups are particularly encouraged to submit an application.

The evaluations cover many topics, such as mitigating the effects of the climate crisis, improving the lives of migrants in Europe, and increasing cybersecurity. The areas addressed feed into major EU policies such as the European Green Deal, the Digital Decade, and the EU Missions in Horizon Europe.

For twelve different evaluations in 2022, 51 Young Observers have been selected (59% female, 41% male). The Young Observers study at 47 different universities across the European Union (Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Portugal, Ireland, Romania, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Czechia, Croatia, Netherlands, Belgium, Cyprus, Greece).

The call for applications of Young Observers is open until 21 December 2022.

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

“Connectivity is the foundation stone for everything we do, whether it is by sea, land or by air”, Minister for Transport Yiannis Karousos said upon arrival to the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Transport configuration) of the European Union which is being held in Brussels on Monday.

“That is why we are very happy because today we managed, we have secured and succeeded, that Cyprus will be added to an extra TEN-T corridor (note: trans-European transport network), the Balkan – Black Sea – Aegean corridor, in addition to the Western Balkans corridor, which is very important for the connectivity of a country like Cyprus” he added.

Karousos underlined that Cyprus is an isolated member state due to being an island. “That is why we are working so hard in order to improve our connectivity,” Karousos continued, pointing out that the general approach on this issue adopted by the Council today “opens a lot of prospects for future exploitation and many advantages for Cyprus”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, arrived in Tirana on Monday, accompanied by his spouse Andri, to participate in the EU – Western Balkans Summit.

According to a press release issued by the Presidency, in statements to the media, Government Spokesman, Marios Pelekanos, who is escorting Anastasiades to Tirana said that the President will attend on Tuesday the EU-Western Balkans Summit, which is the first one taking place in a country of the region.

Pelekanos noted that the aim of the Summit is to reconfirm anew the significance of the strategic partnership between the EU and the Western Balkans, a region with a clearly European perspective.

The discussion will focus on addressing the repercussions of war of Russia against Ukraine, including the energy sector, and to building a sound economic basis in the Western Balkans countries, through the implementation of a Financial and Investment Plan.

During the second session beginning at 1215 local time, participating leaders will have the opportunity to exchange views on their political commitment and ways to enhance the resilience of the Western Balkans countries towards foreign interventions to address common challenges as the immigration issue, combating terrorism and organised crime and the resolution of regional conflicts.

On Monday evening the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, will host a dinner in honour of the leaders who will participate in the Summit and their spouses.

Pelekanos said that the President will have on the sidelines of the Summit a bilateral meeting with the head of the Presidential Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljka Cvijanovic.

President Anastasiades is also accompanied to Albania by the Deputy Minister to the President, Petros Demetriou, the Director of the President’s Office, Pantelis Pantelides and officers.

Source: Cyprus News Agency