Euractiv Talks

In recent decades, significant progress has been made in the fight against the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Europe has committed to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 and EU-wide progress has been made towards the UNAIDS goals.

However, many countries – including in Europe – are not on track to meet the global goals. HIV continues to pose a public health threat in the EU/EEA countries where an estimated 765 000 people are living with the virus and approximately 23 000 new cases are diagnosed every year. Advocates have been calling for stronger actions at EU and national levels to end the HIV epidemic in Europe.

A new report published by BCG (commissioned by Gilead Sciences), “Going the extra mile to end the HIV epidemic”, lays out the need for sustained funding and investment in HIV prevention, innovation, and other policy efforts such as adopting a range of testing options. The report also highlights the importance of coordination and commitment from a variety of stakeholders, including governments, public health leaders, healthcare providers, and community-led organisations and people living with HIV.

Significant progress has been made in the fight to end the HIV epidemic, but we are currently at risk of falling short of the 2030 targets. An extra effort is required to achieve the global goal. Just 5 years out from 2030, join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the actions needed to end the HIV epidemic in the EU. Questions to be addressed include:

- Considering the UN SDGs, what steps can the EU take to accelerate its efforts to end the HIV epidemic in Europe by 2030?
- To what extent can the EU support its Member States in their fight against HIV? How can the Commission coordinate initiatives at EU and national levels?
- What role do biomedical innovations play in ending HIV in Europe and worldwide? How can they be accelerated?
- How can the EU and its Member States contribute to sustained funding and guarantee access to innovative treatments?
- What are the best practices for HIV testing?
- What is the role of the new EU Institutions in this important fight and to maintain the political momentum for action?

Panel I: Meet the candidates

Discussion of the upcoming elections with representatives of Uzbekistan’s political groups and civil society.

Panel II: EU and Central Asia – What avenues for future cooperation?

In 2022 and 2023, the Central Asian Heads of State and the President of the European Council held their first-ever high-level meetings, resulting in the preparation of a further joint roadmap for deepening ties between the EU and Central Asia. An EU–Central Asia leaders' summit is due to take place in 2024 and will be an opportunity to match the EU's political relevance in the region with its status of major donor and investor.

This intensification of high-level relations reflects Central Asia's growing geostrategic importance in the light of recent global developments. These developments also provide further avenues for partnership and cooperation in areas such as energy, agrifood, raw materials and connectivity.

Energy remains a cornerstone of cooperation, as the region holds significant reserves of oil and natural gas. This could present potential for more energy partnerships, as well as investments in pipeline infrastructure, renewable energy projects, and the development of green hydrogen initiatives. Raw materials are another critical area of cooperation, with the EU's high-tech industries and green transition relying on these materials. Enhanced cooperation in mining and sustainable extraction technologies could be pivotal in meeting the EU’s industrial needs while promoting sustainable practices in Central Asia.

The launch of the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor Coordination Platform in Astana on 12 June marked a milestone in strategic integration. This transport corridor is aimed at connecting Europe and Central Asia within 15 days or less to improve trade and connectivity and follows the Global Gateway Investors Forum in January this year.

Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to learn more about the untapped opportunities in the Central Asian region and what the new avenues for cooperation with the EU are. Questions to be discussed include:

- What role can the EU's Global Gateway play in modernising Central Asian infrastructure and further integrating the region with European markets?
- What new market opportunities are there for agrifood trade and Central Asian produce within the EU?
- What are the opportunities for EU investment in the region?
- What will EU-Central Asia cooperation look like under the new EU mandate?

The last European Parliament mandate introduced the first-ever legal framework on artificial intelligence through the AI Act. This act addresses the risks associated with AI and positions Europe to play a leading role globally.

In line with this, the development of the new European AI Office ahead of the new mandate will centralise AI expertise across the EU and play a key role in implementing the AI Act.

Looking ahead, a shift to the right following the European Parliament elections may result in fewer regulatory initiatives in tech, a weaker push for market integration, but increased support for defence innovation, according to Euractiv.

Large-scale disinformation campaigns, particularly Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI), as defined by the European External Action Service (EEAS), pose a major challenge for Europe and could be a significant focus in the upcoming mandate.

Listen to this Euractiv Virtual Conference to discuss the new legislative agenda for 2024 to 2029 and explore the anticipated challenges and opportunities for the tech sector.

Questions to be discussed include:

- What will be the legislative priorities for the tech sector in the new Commission mandate, particularly regarding AI and disinformation?
- How will the new European Parliament formation impact tech policies in the next mandate?
- What will be the major challenges and opportunities for tech policy from 2024 – 2029?
- What are the key priorities for the tech industry in the coming years?

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe Programme under Grant Agreement no 101070190.

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

On 24 September, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) will unveil their new study showing the availability of community and biodiversity friendly land in Europe for achieving renewable energy targets. This study is a critical step toward balancing our energy needs with conservation efforts.

The revised Renewable Energy Directive mandates European countries to conduct national renewable energy spatial mapping within a year. By February 2026, they must designate Renewable Acceleration Areas. The timeline is tight, but it’s essential to approach this exercise mindfully, considering both the biodiversity and community values. But countries need to go smart to go fast.

TNC's new study "Land use and Europe’s renewable energy transition: identifying low-conflict areas for wind and solar development" reveals that Europe has enough low-conflict land to achieve 45% of renewables by 2030. However, it will not happen on its own – achieving this goal requires conscious adoption of smart siting practices as an imperative in the implementation. The launch event will bring together energy, biodiversity and social science experts. They will discuss how smart siting measures can accelerate sustainable and equitable renewable energy deployment, to achieve the required speed and scale of energy transition to tackle climate change.

Europe’s renewables potential can be unlocked through thoughtful planning, balancing energy needs with environmental stewardship. Smart siting is the key to achieving our renewable energy goals while safeguarding our natural heritage and communities.

Organised by: The Nature Conservancy
Media Partner: Euractiv

Climate change is increasingly causing environmental damage and disturbing biodiversity across Europe. This situation calls for greater initiatives to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and industry’s carbon footprint.

In this context, the European Commission approved a new legislation on environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings in February 2024. These scores serve as an informational tool for companies to assess their risks and impacts on people and the environment. The legislation aims to bolster investor’s confidence in sustainable products, while encouraging companies to explore carbon removal projects in Europe.

As such, carbon and biodiversity credits can also play a role in corporate environmental strategies. These credits can incentivise companies to compensate for their carbon footprint through carbon removal projects, such as forest conservation and ecosystem restoration projects.

Some stakeholders believe that ESG ratings can benefit carbon removal companies. However, some are concerned about companies claiming that they are reducing their carbon emissions by purchasing carbon credits, and about a lack of transparency on ESG ratings methodology and data sources. To address those inconsistencies, the Commission presented a new
‘Proposal for regulation on transparency and integrity of ESG rating activities.’

Listen to this Euractiv Virtual Conference to discuss the ESG legislation and its implications for carbon removal projects in Europe. Questions to be addressed include:

· How can the ESG legislation impact companies’ investment in carbon removal projects in Europe? What are the opportunities for companies specialised in carbon removal?
· How can corporations integrate carbon and biodiversity credits into their environmental strategies?
· What are the potential implications of higher carbon credits price on companies’ costs and their products?
· How effective is the new proposal on transparency and regulation on ESG ratings in ensuring companies reduce their carbon emissions?

Life Terra is co-financed by the European Commission through the LIFE Programme (LIFE19 CCM/NL/001200).

The content of this publication represents the views of the author only and is his/her sole responsibility. The Agency does not accept any responsibility for use that may be made of the information it contains.

To explain what the ENEFIRST Plus project is, the project’s senior expert Jean-Sébastien Broc starts by outlining what it isn’t: While it all revolves around promoting energy efficiency, that does not mean achieving efficiency at all costs.

Joined in this podcast by Managing Director and Chairperson Vlasios Oikonomou, the two colleagues discuss the main considerations that embody the spirit of the EU’s Energy Efficiency First principle. They also introduce a core part of their project which involves 8 case studies in four different EU countries – Italy, Poland, Greece, and Croatia.

Quantum technologies are one of the emerging technologies deemed by experts to have the potential to radically transform the world. Quantum opens possibilities to process data that are too complex for today’s fastest computers. As a result, quantum technologies have strategic importance for the scientific and industrial competitiveness of the EU, as well as for security and defence investments.

As quantum is a highly strategic field, all major world regions are investing in it. For example, China has committed to invest around $15 billion, while the US has pledged $5 billion in the next decade. On the other hand, the EU has so far committed around $8 billion (around €7.5 billion).

The EU’s Digital Decade strategy aims for Europe to have its first supercomputer with quantum acceleration by 2025, paving the way to being at the cutting edge of quantum capabilities by 2030.
The European Chips Act also includes measures to foster the low-cost, high-volume manufacturing of quantum chips in the EU, so that they can power a whole range of innovative quantum devices.
Aiming to put Europe at the forefront of developing quantum technologies, the EU has already invested €1 billion in its Quantum Technologies Flagship, a long-term research and innovation initiative launched in 2018.

However, quantum technologies can also pose threats without responsible and sensible governance.

Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the opportunities and challenges of quantum technologies for the EU. Questions to be addressed include:

- How can the EU compete at a global level when it comes to developing, deploying, and regulating quantum technologies responsibly?
- What role can quantum technologies play in tackling global challenges, including climate change, disease, poverty?
- What policy developments could be expected in the next EU mandate to ensure new technologies are deployed in the most efficient and secure manner?
- What is needed for sensible governance of quantum technologies, given the limited knowledge and understanding we have so far about quantum?

The offshore wind potential in the Baltic Sea region is estimated to be close to 100 GW by 2050. The first Baltic offshore projects will come online in the next few years and will gradually contribute to the decarbonisation of the Baltic energy systems. However, in order to take full advantage of the favourable geographical conditions in the Baltic Sea region and to meet the ambitious EU climate targets, it is important to keep pace with the next projects in the pipeline.

Two important documents adopted by the European Commission in the final phase of the last political term - the Grid Action Plan and the European Wind Power Package – can act as a tailwind for the offshore wind projects. However, both need to be translated into legislation and need to be fully implemented.

This conference will take stock of the current state of offshore wind development in the Baltic Sea region two years after the historic Marienborg Declaration. It will discuss how policy makers can help project developers to implement ambitious offshore plans in the region by addressing the following issues:

1. What kind of regulatory framework at EU and Member State level is needed for existing and new offshore projects?

2. What incentives are needed to enable new offshore investment and help the EU meet its targets?

3. How can European industry contribute to this task for the benefit of the European economy and citizens?

In this Policy Triangle, supported by Humane Society International/Europe, we delve into the state of farm animal welfare in the EU.

The European Commission proposed an overhaul of EU rules for protecting animals in transport and introduced new regulations on the welfare and traceability of dogs and cats in December 2023. However, the rules regarding the welfare of farm animals have not been updated in over 20 years.

We’re thrilled to host three experts and hear their thoughts on this topic: Frank Verdonck from the European Food Safety Authority, Ana Granados Chapatte from the European Forum of Farm Animal Breeders, and Dr Joanna Swabe from Humane Society International/Europe.

In recent years, the relationship between the EU and Kazakhstan has evolved significantly, marked by a growing emphasis on economic cooperation, political dialogue, and partnerships in various fields, including trade and agriculture.

Economic cooperation, focused on trade and investment, has been a longstanding cornerstone of EU-Kazakhstan relations. Kazakhstan's natural resources, particularly oil, gas, and minerals, have attracted European companies seeking access to energy markets and investment opportunities. The EU has also been an important market for Kazakh exports, notably oil, metals, and agricultural products.

With regards to agricultural products, EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski visited Kazakhstan from 27-31 May 2024, accompanied by a large business delegation of senior representatives from the EU agri-food sector. The purpose of the visit was to facilitate European agricultural food and beverage exports to Kazakhstan and expand their presence in the Central Asian markets.

Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss EU-Kazakh relations and the drivers for increased economic and trade cooperation.

Questions to be discussed include:
- Further to May's high-level EU delegation visit to Kazakhstan, what are the next steps in facilitating European agricultural trade with the country and the wider region?
- What will be the wider impact of the agri-led mission to Kazakhstan? Will it lead to an expansion of trade in other sectors?
- Will enhanced EU-Kazakh economic cooperation improve Kazakhstan's ability to trade more globally?
- How can the EU’s focus on sustainable development and green technologies create opportunities for further economic collaboration?
- What will the priorities of EU-Kazakh cooperation be following the June 2024 EU elections?