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Directorate General of Democracy
DG II DEMOCRACY NEWSLETTER
Issue 35 – 14 February 2022
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Observatory on History Teaching welcomes French Minister of Education, Youth and Sport during PACE plenary session
Observatory on History Teaching welcomes French Minister of Education, Youth and Sport during PACE plenary session

27 January 2022, on the occasion of the International Day of Commemoration of the victims of the Holocaust, Jean-Michel Blanquer, French Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, participated in the memorial ceremony organised on the margins of the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. During the ceremony, the speakers stressed the importance of history teaching in reinforcing common values and in helping young people to develop a critical understanding of the past.

It was in this context that the Observatory on History Teaching was established, and present on the day to acquaint the Assembly's parliamentarians with its work and to highlight its activities in the promotion of quality history teaching.

The Observatory was honoured to welcome Jean-Michel Blanquer to its stand and to present the work carried out since its creation in November 2020, and to thank the Minister for the unwavering support of France for the Observatory's activities.
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Director of Democratic Participation on the importance of history teaching

Director of Democratic Participation, Matjaž Gruden, gave an interview to EURACTIV on the importance of history teaching and the role played by the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe.

In the article ‘We need to know what happened in Europe in order to understand the Europe of today’, Director Gruden expresses concern that despite the importance of history teaching to understand our past and present, it is falling down the list of priorities in education across Europe.

More news from the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe: On 1 January 2022, Hungary joined the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (EPA) as Observer state.

DIRECTORATE OF DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
Education
Education

On 14 January, 400 participants attended a webinar presenting the Reference Guide on Literacy and Second Language Learning for the Linguistic Integration of Adult Migrants. This is a new reference guide developed by a group of experts and the Council of Europe Education Department to support high-quality learning environments for non- and low-literate migrants.

The ECML resource PluriMobil which provides learners, teachers and teacher educators with resources to ensure plurilingual and intercultural learning through mobility was showcased as an example of best practice at a conference entitled “Getting Europe moving”, organised by the French Ministry of Education within the framework of the French Presidency of the EU.

126 Albanian teachers of democratic citizenship education and human sciences were trained on social media as an educational tool for democracy and human rights in a series of interactive training sessions organised by the Sida funded project Strengthening Democratic Citizenship Education in Albania.

Volume 6 of the ETINED Project on Academic Integrity in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey has been published.

Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture: Teacher Reflection Tool
Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture: Teacher Reflection Tool
New publication

The Teacher Reflection Tool aims to support educators to develop their own competences relating to democratic culture and a “democratic professional ethos”. The tool can be used as a means of getting acquainted with the RFCDC but also as a companion to self-reflection on teaching and democratic competences.

Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture: Teacher Reflection Tool
Descriptors of Competences for Democratic Culture for Young Learners
New publication

The Descriptors of Competences for Democratic Culture for Young Learners complement the Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture by proposing a set of 166 descriptors validated for younger learners under the age of 10. Teachers and education practitioners can use this publication for the design, implementation and evaluation of effective curricula and learning activities for younger learners.

The Bureaux of the Youth sector statutory committees meet online
The Bureaux of the Youth sector statutory committees meet online

The Bureaux of the European Steering Committee for Youth (CDEJ) and of the Advisory Council on Youth (CCJ) held their first meetings of the year online on 20 and 21 January 2022. 

The Bureaux were informed about preparations for the 2022 youth campaign “Democracy Here.  Democracy Now” to be launched in March on the occasion of the first biannual statutory meetings of 2022. They were also informed that the current Italian, and the upcoming Irish, Icelandic and Latvian presidencies will also include youth in the priorities of their CM presidencies.

The Director of Democratic Participation discussed the progress of youth-related issues in the Committee of Ministers’ Rapporteur Group on Education, Culture, Sport, Youth and Environment. The Head of the Youth Department presented proposals for celebrating the 50th anniversary of the youth sector in 2022, including the creation of a new network of youth sector alumni.
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The grant Agreement 2022 with EYCA has just been signed

The Grant Agreement for 2022 between the Council of Europe and the European Youth Card Association (EYCA) has just been signed. In line with the priorities 2022-23 of the Council of Europe youth sector, the joint work programme aims to reinforce youth trust in public institutions and pluralistic democracies, to empower them as actors of peaceful and inclusive societies and to bring youth mobility back on the policy agenda, with a focus on access to learning mobility for disadvantaged young people.
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Partial Agreement on Youth Mobility Annual Report of Activities

The Partial Agreement (PA) work programme 2021 focused on:

- Supporting and encouraging innovation in youth work and youth services, especially in the context of COVID-19 challenges;

- Exploring how the European Youth Card can support resilience and participation of young people and access to their rights;

- Promoting the European Youth Card as a tool for young people’s social, economic and cultural inclusion. Read more

More from the Youth Sector: Partnership with ERYICA, new podcast, new publication

Partnership with ERYICA
The Grant Agreement for 2022 between the Council of Europe and the European Youth Information and Counselling Agency (ERYICA) has just been signed. Read more

New podcast: Youth work policy goals
What are the youth work policy goals of the European Commission and the Council of Europe? What are their similarities and differences? What tools are they going to use to reach these goals? Listen to the new episode of the Under 30' podcast of the EU-Council of Europe Youth Partnership.

New publication: Insights into youth knowledge networks and resources in Europe
What is youth research today and how is it developed? What European and national youth knowledge networks exist? What resources do they offer for knowledge-based youth policy and practice? Read the publication
Culture and Cultural Heritage: Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture
Culture and Cultural Heritage: Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture
At its 1422nd meeting of 19 January, the Committee of Ministers approved the holding of a Council of Europe Conference of Ministers of Culture: “Creating our future: creativity and cultural heritage as strategic resources for a diverse and democratic Europe”. Initiated by the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the event will take place in Strasbourg on 31 March -1 April in hybrid format. The conference will examine, inter alia, how the unique legal framework created by the Council of Europe’s conventions on culture, heritage and landscape can concretely support society in addressing the challenges of our time and explore what kind of complementary tools may be required to embrace the impact of digital technologies – including AI.
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The Faro Convention’s role in a changing society: building on a decade of advancement
The Faro Convention’s role in a changing society: building on a decade of advancement
The year 2021 marked the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of the Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society, also known as the Faro Convention. The new publication shows that what emerged back in 2005 as a truly innovative approach is still relevant today and can have an impact on issues beyond its narrower realm. This is illustrated through a set of articles that demonstrate the pertinence of the Faro Convention’s approach to cultural heritage in addressing aspects ranging from democratic participation to tourism rethinking.
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Council of Europe Landscape Convention
Council of Europe Landscape Convention

On 10 January 2022, the 8th session of the Council of Europe Landscape Award was launched. Open to Parties to the Convention, the Award aims to raise awareness in civil society of the value of landscapes, their role and their evolution. It rewards exemplary practical initiatives aimed at achieving landscape quality objectives. Read more

A Visio conference on the Council of Europe Landscape Convention was held on 20 January 2022, at the invitation of the Royal Commission for Monuments, Sites and Excavations of Wallonia, Belgium.

Council of Europe Landscape Convention
EUR-OPA Major Hazards Agreement
The Bureau of the Committee of Permanent Correspondents met virtually on 11 January for its first meeting of the year to prepare the forthcoming Joint Meeting of the Committee of Permanent Correspondents and the Directors of Specialised Centres, to be held on 10 and 11 February 2022. The Bureau members also discussed the priorities set out in the Medium-Term Plan 2021-2025 as well as the highlights of the 14th Ministerial Meeting, held on the occasion of the European Forum for Disaster Risk Reduction on 24 November 2021 in Matosinhos, Portugal. Read more
CULTURAL ROUTES
CULTURAL ROUTES

The Czech Republic becomes Observer with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes

As of 1 January 2022, the Czech Republic has been granted Observer status with the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe (EPA). The EPA counts today 35 Member States, 1 Observer State and 45 certified Cultural Routes. At present, there are 10 Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe with network members in the Country; the Czech Republic offers great potential for the further development of other certified Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe. Read more

Spain: Meeting with cultural routes crossing Spain, Ministry of Culture and Sports and Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe

The meeting "Cultural Routes: strengthening, consolidation, dissemination and alliances" was organized by the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Spain and brought together cultural routes managers crossing Spain, Ministry of Culture and Sports representatives, and the Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe secretariat in Madrid. Read more

EURIMAGES
EURIMAGES
The reform of the Eurimages Fund came into force on 1 January 2022. Seventy-seven applications for co-production support were submitted on 11 January 2022 during the first call for projects of this new governance. Following the analyses of the application by the Secretariat, these will be evaluated by working groups composed of international film industry experts.

Given the health situation in Germany and worldwide, it has been decided to hold European Film Market in Berlin online on the scheduled dates (10-17 February 2022). The Berlin Film Festival, the selection of which includes eleven films supported by the Eurimages Fund, will be held in person from 10 to 16 February 2022.

The Audentia Prize awarded this year during the Trieste Film Festival (21-30 January 2022) went to the Bulgarian directors Mina Mileva and Vesela Kazalova for their film Women Do Cry, supported by Eurimages and selected in competition at the last Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section.
More information

NORTH-SOUTH CENTRE
Portugal makes a voluntary contribution

The voluntary contribution of €150 000, signed by H.E. Professor Augusto Santos Silva, Portuguese Minister of State and Foreign Affairs, will support two projects starting this year:

 
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DIRECTORATE OF ANTI DISCRIMINATION
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: New Bureau of the Committee of Experts
European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: New Bureau of the Committee of Experts

On 1 January 2022, the new Bureau of the Committee of Experts of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages took up its functions. It is composed of Aleksandra Oszmianska-Pagett (Poland), as Chair, Jarmo Lainio (Sweden), as First Vice-Chair, and René De Groot (Netherlands), Second Vice-Chair. Read more

European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages: New Bureau of the Committee of Experts
Roma women’s access to justice: webinars on policing and Roma community development

On 14 and 21 January 2022, the EU/Council of Europe Joint Programme “Roma Women’s Access to Justice” (JUSTROM) organised webinars on “Good Practices on Improving Relations Between Police Representatives and the Roma Communities” and on “Roma mainstreaming in community development”. Read more

#aNecessaryJourney: Raising awareness of the values of interculturality for positive diversity management
#aNecessaryJourney: Raising awareness of the values of interculturality for positive diversity management
Intercultural Cities

On 5 January the ICC programme launched #aNecessaryJourney, a communication action aimed at raising awareness on the values of interculturality for positive diversity management. Developed by the working group on alternative narratives set up under the Spanish network of Intercultural Cities (RECI), the campaign seeks to foster a better understanding of interculturality and develop a positive appreciation of diversity by dismantling common prejudices and stereotypes that affect diverse groups. Find out more

#aNecessaryJourney: Raising awareness of the values of interculturality for positive diversity management
Diversitours: Designing intercultural guided tours
Intercultural Cities

On 18 January the ICC programme published a methodological guide to design intercultural guided tours as a way to promote sustainable tourism,  improve the image of far-to-reach or isolated areas and neighbourhoods in cities, provide opportunities for employment of migrants, and promote intercultural interaction.
The model was piloted in the cities of Bilbao and Valencia (Spain) and the interim evaluation of its implementation suggests that Diversitours have already contributed to the inclusive urban regeneration of the targeted neighbourhoods.
Diversitours methodological guide 
CHILDREN'S RIGHTS
Intergovernmental activities
Intergovernmental activities

The Bureau of the Steering Committee for the Rights of the Child (CDENF) met online on 19 January to co-ordinate the upcoming work under its new terms of reference. The Bureau was also informed of the ongoing preparation for the high-level conference to launch the Strategy for the Rights of the Child (2022-2027) to take place under the auspice of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers in Rome on 7-8 April 2022.

The CDENF Bureau also held an exchange of views that included listening to video presentations and speaking with four children having participated in the child consultation process towards the upcoming Strategy, together with the facilitators, on three of the strategy objectives (Access to and safe use of technologies for all children, Equal opportunities for all children, and Giving a voice to every child). Read more

Intergovernmental activities
Co-operation activities

In January 2022, the Council of Europe and European Union joint project “Supporting the implementation of Barnahus in Slovenia - Phase II” produced a child safeguarding policy and a child participation policy to be used by Barnahus staff from its opening in May 2022.

In January, the European Union/Council of Europe Joint Project “CP4EUROPE - Strengthening National Child Participation Frameworks and Action in Europe” met with experts from the CP4Europe experts’ pool to launch the work on a Child Participation Leadership Network, as well as a campaign on child participation.

The projects in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova on “Protecting Children against violence and sexual exploitation and abuse, including in the digital environment” have been renewed for successive phases until December 2023.

Human Rights and Sport: Meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies

Ambassador Giacomelli, Chair of the Ministers’ Deputies, hosted on 20 January an informal meeting of the Ministers’ Deputies on ‘Human Rights and Sport’ which highlighted the importance and potential of sport in the context of the promotion and safeguard of human rights. The event enabled a presentation of the main elements of the Council of Europe’s strategic priorities for sport (document SG/Inf(2022)2):

  • the Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sports (EPAS) and the recent adoption of the revised European Sports Charter;
  • our sport-related conventions (the Anti-Doping convention, the Macolin Convention on the manipulation of sports competitions and the Saint-Denis Convention on an integrated safety, security and service approach at football matches and other sports events);
  • Memoranda of Understanding with UEFA and FIFA;
  • the relevant case-law of the European Court of Human Rights; 
  • the work of the Parliamentary Assembly.
 
Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS): Meeting of the Governing Board Bureau
Conference on Integrity in Sport, Rome, 6-7 December 2021
Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS): Meeting of the Governing Board Bureau
At its 17 January meeting, the EPAS GB Bureau discussed amongst other subject areas: the role of the new Sport Division, key calendar dates for activities in 2022, the recent accession of the Slovak Republic, elections to be held within the Bureau (Regions 1 and 4), themes for discussion at the 17th Ministerial Conference to be held in Turkey on 25-27 October as well as an update on Conventions-related work and on all co-operation projects. Finally, the Bureau discussed the outcomes of a number of events organised at the end of 2021, including the Integrity Conference held in December 2021.
Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport (EPAS): Conference on Integrity in Sport
In the context of the Italian Presidency of the Committee of Ministers, EPAS and the Italian Department for Sport co-hosted a Conference on Integrity in Sport on 6-7 December 2021 in Rome, with a focus on three areas: integrity guidelines, combating the manipulation of sports competitions (the Macolin Convention), and ensuring good governance in sport. The conference brought together over 20 high-level international speakers including: Michele Sciscioli, Head of the Italian Department for Sports, an address by Valentina Vezzali, the Italian Sub-Secretary for Sport, and the Council of Europe’s Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge.
Anti-Doping Convention: Recommendation on the protection of whistleblowers; reports on the fight against doping in the Russian Federation, the Netherlands and Italy
Anti-Doping Convention: Recommendation on the protection of whistleblowers; reports on the fight against doping in the Russian Federation, the Netherlands and Italy

The Recommendation on the protection of whistleblowers in the context of the fight against doping by the Monitoring Group of the Anti-Doping Convention (T-DO) aims at reaffirming Council of Europe principles on the protection of whistleblowers and at adapting them to the sport and anti-doping reality.

The report of the evaluation visit to the Russian Federation (21-23 September 2021) analyses the measures taken by the Russian authorities to strengthen the fight against doping at the national level. It concludes that the Russian authorities comply with the requirements of the Anti-Doping Convention. The report also contains a number of recommendations to improve the current system, notably through the adoption of an anti-doping law regulating all aspects of the fight against doping.

Following the evaluation visit to the Netherlands (13-15 September 2021), the report concludes that the Dutch authorities comply with the Anti-Doping Convention and provides measures to be taken to reinforce the anti-doping system.

Lastly, the report of the evaluation visit to Italy (19-21 November 2019) was also released. The report outlines some recommendations, which the Italian authorities have already implemented since the evaluation visit. Further measures need to be taken in order to implement recommendations relating to improving national coordination and education programmes.

DIRECTORATE OF HUMAN DIGNITY, EQUALITY AND GOVERNANCE
GREVIO: Ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the Republic of Moldova
GREVIO: Ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the Republic of Moldova

The Republic of Moldova ratified, on Monday 31 January, the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, becoming the 35th State to ratify the Convention. The Convention will enter into force, as regards the Republic of Moldova, on the 1st of May 2022.
Read more

GREVIO: Ratification of the Istanbul Convention by the Republic of Moldova
Council of Europe Gender Equality Glossary

The updated version of the bilingual Council of Europe Gender Equality Glossary is available at the Gender Equality Division’s website. The document includes new definitions from the Council of Europe standards developed since the 2015 edition of the Glossary, such as the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec (2019) 1 on preventing and combating sexism and the Council of Europe Gender Equality Strategy 2018-2023.

Cooperation activities
New course on combatting violence against women for law enforcement professionals

The Council of Europe has developed a new online course on combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence targeting law enforcement. This course is based on the main European, indeed international, treaty: the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women (also known as the Istanbul Convention) and the monitoring work of the Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO). Importantly, the course developers drew on the experience of several European law enforcement services including those of Denmark, France, Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden.

New project to support the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova

The project “Supporting the implementation of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova” started in January 2022 and will run until December 2023, as part of the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Action Plan for the Republic of Moldova for 2021-2024. Theproject aims to raise awareness of the Istanbul Convention in the Republic of Moldova, to strengthen the capacity of key stakeholders involved in preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, in protecting the victims and prosecuting the perpetrators of violence, and to advance towards an effective multi-agency co-operation in line with the Istanbul Convention.

Call for projects to support women’s access to justice in Turkey

Within the framework of the European Union and Council of Europe joint programme “Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Turkey 2019-2022” and its action “Fostering women’s access to justice in Turkey”, the Council of Europe has launched a call for grants, open to applications from non-governmental organisations registered in Turkey. Prospective applications should focus on empowering women as right-holders and supporting them in their access to justice, especially women in vulnerable or disadvantaged situations, such as victims of gender-based violence, refugees, migrants, Roma women and girls, and women living in rural areas. 
More information 

Project on women’s access to Justice in Turkey holds first meeting with project partners
On 31 January 2022, the first Steering Committee Meeting of the European Union/Council of Europe joint project “Fostering Women’s Access to Justice in Turkey” was held in Ankara, Turkey, in a hybrid meeting format. Representatives from the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Delegation of the European Union to Turkey, as well as three civil society organisations, took part in fruitful discussions on how to ensure that this important project produces sustainable results.
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
ELoGE in Spain: Fourth Round of Awards for the Basque Municipalities
ELoGE in Spain: Fourth Round of Awards for the Basque Municipalities
Participation, Representation and Responsiveness are among the
12 Principles of Good Democratic Governance, they are crucial for establishing trust between the citizens and their local authorities. They are also the Principles against which the Basque municipalities scored higher in the fourth round of implementation of the European Label of Governance Excellence (ELoGE), which was concluded on 19 January 2022 with the official Award Ceremony. During the event, the municipalities of Andoain, Basauri, Bilbao, Eibar, Urnieta, and Vitoria-Gasteiz were awarded the crystal dodecahedrons, which symbolise the Label and compliance with the 12 Principles. Asier Iragorri Basaguren, Mayor of Basauri, stressed the importance of this process for his municipality, as the local council became more efficient, and it now provides better services to citizens, as a result of the ELoGE assessments.
Read more
Republic of Moldova: Improvement of the Central Electoral Commission’s internal record management
Elections and Participatory Democracy
The Council of Europe supported in January 2022 the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Moldova (CEC) to develop and implement its new internal record management application called “Antechamber” aiming at securing and improving the flow of data in preventing leakage of sensitive information. It also provides the possibility of auditing and logging the access to each institutional internal document by all registered users and offers the capability of generating audit reports on the logged events.
Policy Advice on Legal Personality at Local Level in Ukraine
Policy Advice on Legal Personality at Local Level in Ukraine
Democratic Governance

The issue of legal personality at local level has been largely debated by the Ukrainian stakeholders in connection with the preparation of the new fundamental changes to the legal framework relating to local self-government. On 26 January, the Council of Europe presented its Policy Advice on legal personality at local level in Ukraine to the international community, prepared within the Programme “Enhancing decentralisation and public administration reform in Ukraine“.
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Policy Advice on Legal Personality at Local Level in Ukraine
Strengthening the Regions: Policy Advice to the Slovak Republic
Democratic Governance

The Centre of Expertise for Good Governance (CEGG) is providing policy advice to the Slovak government on a number of governance issues in the framework of the Council of Europe – European Union Join Project “Delivering Good Governance in Slovakia – II phase".
The CEGG is supporting the authorities in Slovakia by preparing a Policy advice on the competences, powers, finances, and the coordinating role of the regions.
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Policy Advice on the Hotel Tax in Armenia

As a follow up to the recent Peer Review in Armenia on Increasing fiscal autonomy and fiscal capacity of local authorities in Armenia, the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance prepared a Policy Advice Document CEGG/PAD(2022)1 On the Hotel Tax which has informed preparations of a new draft law on the Hotel Tax. The new legislation will contribute to the strengthening of local governance, and especially the local finance.

Three New Projects to be implemented by the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance

Within the framework of the upcoming Technical Support Instrument Umbrella Agreement 2022 between the Council of Europe and the Directorate General for Structural Reform Support of the European Commission, three new projects have been adjudicated to the Centre of Expertise for Good Governance for implementation, focusing on good governance, regionalisation, and on fiscal decentralisation in Finland, Bulgaria, and Hungary. The projects are to be launched between May and September 2022.

COUNCIL OF EUROPE DEVELOPMENT BANK
CoE Secretary General and CEB Governor reaffirm strategic partnership
CoE Secretary General and CEB Governor reaffirm strategic partnership

On his first official visit as Governor of the Council of Europe Development Bank, Carlo Monticelli met with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe to discuss the strategic partnership to promote social inclusion in Europe. The Secretary General emphasized that “the Bank plays an important role in improving the living conditions of the most disadvantaged population groups, within the overall framework of our Organisation.”
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CEB reports strong results for 2021

In the second year of its Development Plan 2020-2022, the Bank encountered a strong demand for financing. After a historic high in activity in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, activities in 2021 transitioned back to the targets set out in the current Development Plan. In total, 57 projects worth €4.2 billion were approved, of which 16% were dedicated to COVID-19 loans. With a solid operational performance, the CEB strengthened its position within the European financial architecture.

CEB approves new loans to improve social cohesion across Europe

At its recent meeting, the Bank’s Administrative Council approved seven new loans totalling €624 million to improve healthcare and social infrastructure, energy efficiency measures, and to support micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in six European countries. One of the new projects will reduce overcrowding and improve living conditions and rehabilitation opportunities for inmates of two prisons in Serbia.

EDQM - THE EUROPEAN DIRECTORATE FOR THE QUALITY OF MEDICINES & HEALTHCARE
Popular webinar on requirements for particulate contamination in medicinal products attracts over 700 experts
Popular webinar on requirements for particulate contamination in medicinal products attracts over 700 experts
In 2021, the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Commission adopted a series of new and revised texts providing quality requirements and test methods for the control of particulate contamination (both visible and sub-visible) in medicinal products. To explain the new requirements, the EDQM organised a webinar during which members of the Ph. Eur. secretariat presented the changes already adopted and implemented in the Ph. Eur. over the past years but also covered possible changes to be incorporated in the future, since other related texts are currently in the pipeline. One of the key aims was to provide specific recommendations on what is to be understood by the new “practically-free from particles” requirement described for medicinal products in general, with the monoclonal antibody class dealt with separately. Highly successful, the webinar attracted over 700 registered participants from 56 countries across the globe and demonstrated how the Ph. Eur. Commission and its groups of experts are committed to ensuring that the methods and requirements described in the Ph. Eur. for the control of particulate contamination are state-of-the-art.

The clear and common mandatory requirements provided in these new and revised texts ensure that patients in the 38 member states of the Ph. Eur. Convention can trust in the quality of all the medicinal products they cover. The presentations given and a recording of the webinar itself have been published on the EDQM homepage.
EDQM OCCL study reports low compliance of “kids’ cosmetics”

A study by the European Network of Official Cosmetics Control Laboratories (OCCLs) indicates that “kids’ cosmetics” continue to fail to comply with European quality and safety regulations, finding that 25% of samples were non-compliant with legislative requirements. Decorative cosmetics, including temporary hair colour products (54% of the samples), nail varnishes (39%), body and face paints (25%), eye products (22%), lip products (21%) and perfumes (22%) were frequently rejected. This study was co-ordinated by the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) of the Council of Europe as part of its effort to enhance proper market surveillance in Europe.
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