The EEA report ‘The circular economy and the bioeconomy — Partners in sustainability‘ shows that the two policy agendas have similar objectives and areas of intervention, including food waste, biomass and bio-based products, and that they would benefit from stronger links, particularly in product and infrastructure design, and collaboration throughout the value chain.

According to the report, the increasing demand for food, feed, biomaterials and bioenergy resources could worsen the over-exploitation of natural resources. By extending the lifetime of products and recycling materials, a circular, bio-economy approach can help retain material value and functionality for longer time as well as avoid unrecycled biowaste.

Promising innovations and strategies for circular biomass use include biorefinery, 3D printing with bioplastics, multi-purpose crops, better use of residues and food waste, and biowaste treatment. Consumers can also contribute to bioeconomy’s sustainability, for example, by eating less animal-based protein, preventing food waste and separating biowaste from other waste streams, the report says.

The report argues that biobased approaches should be tailored to the specific use context in order to maximise the benefits of biobased and biodegradable products. The technological innovation, covering product and infrastructure design, should be embedded in a wider system innovation that also tackles consumer behaviour, product use and waste management.

‘The circular economy and the bioeconomy — Partners in sustainability‘ is the third EEA report on the circular economy that aims to support the framing, implementation and evaluation of European circular economy policy from an environmental perspective. The two previous reports were:

The bioeconomy encompasses the production of renewable biological resources and their conversion into food, feed, bio-based products and bioenergy. It includes agriculture, forestry, fisheries, food, and pulp and paper production, as well as parts of the chemical, biotechnological and energy industries.

• EUR 500 million EIB loan will be used to accelerate research and development of 5G tech
• Loan backed under European Fund for Strategic Investments, part of successful Juncker Plan

Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, software and services company Nokia today signed a EUR 500 million loan transaction with the European Investment Bank (EIB), supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), a key element of the Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the Juncker Plan. Nokia will use the loan to further accelerate its research and development of 5G technology, the next-generation mobile telecommunication standard.

The EFSI-supported loan from the EIB will support a key European technology provider that invests heavily in research, development and innovation (RDI) in an area which can produce enabling technologies for innovation and growth in Europe.

5G technology is expected to enable faster speeds, massive connectivity, decade-long battery life for sensors and super-responsive and reliable networks for customers. This could power on-demand virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiences, driverless vehicles, medical monitoring, advanced industrial automation services, and other applications – all requiring ubiquitous, low-latency connectivity.

Nokia’s end-to-end network proposition goes from the radio network to the internet protocol (IP) and optical networks for transmission, the packet core network, service platforms and all the software and services associated with the whole system. In essence, Nokia’s portfolio covers all the needs of a telecom operator that wishes to provide fully converged fixed-mobile communications services critical for the era of 5G.

EIB Vice-President Alexander Stubb, responsible for lending in Northern Europe, said: “5G is happening fast, faster than most people even expected. It’s anticipated that it will enable entirely new business cases, while dramatically enhancing existing wireless applications. I think bringing 5G to the market will definitely improve people’s lives, as the motto for the EIB’s 60^th anniversary states.”

Nokia CFO Kristian Pullola said: “We are pleased to land this financing commitment from the EIB, who shares our view of the revolutionary nature of 5G – and the realisation that this revolution is already underway. This financing bolsters our 5G research efforts and continues the broader momentum we have already seen this year in terms of customer wins and development firsts, supporting our relentless drive to be a true leader in 5G – end-to-end.”

European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen, responsible for jobs, growth, investment and competitiveness, said: “Ensuring that Europe embraces and benefits from new technologies requires sustained investment. That is where the Investment Plan for Europe can play a crucial role. I am delighted that, with today’s agreement, the Plan is contributing to Nokia’s research and development activities across multiple European countries to advance the development of 5G technology.”

The loan, which extends Nokia’s debt maturity profile, has an average maturity of approximately five years after disbursement, which can take place at any time during the next 18 months.

Organised crime group dismantled

Eurojust/Europol joint press release

The Hague, 24 August 2018

On 22 August 2018, from a coordination centre at Eurojust, in the context of an investigation of the Public Prosecution Office Munich I, searches and arrests were synchronised in Romania and Poland against an organised crime group (OCG), involved in recruiting and trafficking men and women from India and Nepal into the European Union. The illegal immigrants participated in sham marriages in order to obtain residence permits. The Federal Police of Munich, cooperating with Europol and Eurojust, as well as with the Romanian and Polish national authorities, carried out 17 houses searches and executed five European arrest warrants.

Each migrant paid approximately EUR 12 000 to the smugglers for the full range of services, including the journey to Europe, entry to Germany, application for a residence permit, as well as the arrangement of the wedding ceremony.

During the action day, the national authorities of Germany, Romania and Poland, with the support of Eurojust and Europol, seized a significant amount of evidence, such as marriage certificates, business cards of wedding planners, unused wedding rings, electronic storage devices, and EUR 14 000 in cash. Europol, through its European Migrant Smuggling Centre, manned a mobile office to coordinate the police actions.

The investigations revealed so far at least 15 persons that had been smuggled for the purpose of entering into sham marriages. The total number of sham marriages conducted with the involvement of the OCG is allegedly much higher.

The investigations as well as the analysis of the secured evidence are ongoing.