Commission takes stock of International Partnerships' strategy to enhance resilience at home and abroad Today, the European Commission has adopted a Communication on 'building sustainable international partnerships as a Team Europe,' taking stock of the progress achieved in the field of International Partnerships. Over the past five years, EU has revamped its model of cooperation in response to the evolving geopolitical and geoeconomic landscape and global challenges, notably the growing gap to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. The EU has moved away from donor-recipient dynamics towards mutually beneficial partnerships, which bring benefits to the local populations and strengthen resilience at home and abroad. This approach was embodied in the Global Gateway investment strategy launched in 2021. By investing in partnerships, the EU seeks to position itself in an increasingly contested international environment. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Union institutions, EU Member States, and Eu ropean development financial institutions first pushed for joint responses in a Team Europe spirit, which has since become an integral part of the EU's external action toolbox allowing the EU to increase the scale, impact, and visibility of its actions. Bringing on board also the private sector, Team Europe approach has been the main delivery mechanism of the EU's Global Gateway investment strategy. Global Gateway is expected to mobilise up to pound 300 billion is sustainable public and private investments by the year 2027. Between 2021-2023, pound 179 billion in investments have been mobilised in in our partner countries across the world, advancing 225 flagship projects. Out of these, pound 50 billion were supported by the European Commission and pound 129 billion were mobilised by EU Member States, the EIB and the EBRD. The Global Gateway strategy focuses on five priority areas, each backed by concrete projects across various regions. Some examples include: Climate and Energy: Global Gateway supports inv estments in renewable energy and infrastructure, such as the green hydrogen facilities in Namibia to harness wind and solar power, as well as rare earth resources. This partnership aims to make Namibia a leader in green energy, contributing to global climate goals. The EU is supporting Costa Rica's National Decarbonisation Plan, focusing on electrifying public transport and turning the harmful Sargassum alga into an economic resource through research and collaborations in sectors like cosmetics and biomass production in the Caribbean basin. Digital Transition: The EU has launched five Digital Economy Packages to foster human-centric digital growth. A key example is the Copernicus Earth Observation Programme in the Philippines, which uses satellite data for disaster risk management and improves connectivity infrastructure. The EU has also launched the EU Latin America and Caribbean Digital Alliance to boost comprehensive cooperation on digital transition, including policy dialogue on cybersecurity. Transport Connectivity: To improve infrastructure and regulatory frameworks, the EU has undertaken to support large-scale projects like the Trans-Caspian Transport Corridor andpound the Lobito Corridor to enhance trade routes between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The Lobito Corridor will improve the connection between Angola's Lobito Port to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Zambia, whilst the Trans-Caspian project will strengthen Central Asia's role as a connectivity hub. Health: The EU's Global Health Strategy, focuses on strengthening health systems and pharmaceutical supply chains, deliver better health and prevent health threats. For instance, the Team Europe Initiative on vaccines and medicines improves access to vaccines and healthcare in Africa, including the creation of local manufacturing capacities, which is vital for boosting resilience in the face of global health challenges. Education and Research: The EU has increased its investment in education from 7% to 13%, with a strong emphasis on gender equa lity and teacher training. The Regional Teachers Initiative for Africa addresses the teacher's gap of over 15 million additional teachers by 2030 to achieve universal primary and secondary education by then. The Communication also recounts the EU's engagement in fragile contexts and countries, where the primary objective is to address root causes of fragility and support the basic needs and livelihoods of populations, along the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus. The EU has scaled up work to provide a comprehensive response to address root causes of migration. The external dimension is an essential component of the Pact on Migration and Asylum, and in line with the Pact, the EU has increased engagement with countries of origin and transit. To further support SDGs, the EU has significantly strengthened its multilateral engagement with global institutions like the United Nations, the G7/G20, and International Financial Institutions to shape global policies. As part of its priorities, the EU has made substa ntial financial contributions to international initiatives that promote global health, education, and equality, including pound 700 million for the Global Partnership for Education (2021-2027), pound 427 million committed to the Pandemic Fund, and pound 300 million to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance to expand access to vaccines in poorer nations. Another key achievement is the Samoa Agreement, signed in November 2023, with African, Caribbean, and Pacific States to strengthen the EU's cooperation with these regions. This agreement helps the EU to maintain its role as a champion for youth, equality, gender, and human rights. For more information Join Communication Factsheet Quote(s) The past five years have brought unprecedented global crises that cannot be tackled by any single country alone. Now, more than ever, cooperation and partnerships are essential to effectively address today's challenges. Through Global Gateway, we have revitalised our cooperation with partner countries, and have seen firsthand the p ositive impact of our Team Europe approach. Together, we will continue to foster prosperity, safeguard people's well-being, and promote social equality. High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell In a time of multiple crises and global challenges, the EU needed to adapt its cooperation model to boost resilience against global shocks. Our Team Europe approach, supported by the Global Gateway investment strategy, has taken off and the results so far show the effectiveness of our new approach. I firmly believe that our intensified efforts with partners to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals will bear fruit. At the same time, the EU has remained engaged in fragile contexts like the Sahel and Afghanistan to support the most vulnerable populations. Jutta Urpilainen, Commissioner for International Partnerships Commission to distribute 35,500 free DiscoverEU travel passes to young people Starting next spring, thousands of 18-year-olds will have the opportunity to explore Europe at no cost. The Commis sion has just opened the applications for the latest round of the DiscoverEU initiative. A total of 35,500 travel passes are available. To qualify, young people born between 1 January and 31 December 2006 must first answer a quiz consisting of five questions about the EU, along with an additional question on the European Youth Portal. Candidates will be ranked based on their responses and travel passes will be distributed based on this ranking. The call is open to young people from the European Union and countries associated to the Erasmus+ programme including Iceland, Liechtenstein, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Trkiye. The call is open until 16 October at 12:00 CET. Successful applicants will have the opportunity to travel across Europe for up to 30 days between 1 March 2025 and 31 May 2026. They can either plan their own routes, or be inspired by existing ones such as the 'Feel Good Route' which focuses on physical and mental health while travelling. Participants can also get inspiration from the D iscoverEU Culture Route, an initiative of the 2022 European Year of Youth that connects various cultural destinations with a focus on architecture, music, fine art, theatre, fashion and design. They can visit the European Capitals of Culture, sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List, European Heritage Label sites or Access City Award label locations, which are cities focusing their efforts on becoming more accessible for people with disabilities. In addition to the free travel pass, participants will also receive a discount card with over 40,000 deals on public transport, culture, accommodation, food, sport and other services. Additionally, Erasmus+ National Agencies organise pre-departure information meetings and DiscoverEU Meet-ups, learning programmes lasting from one to three days. Special support is available for participants with disabilities or health conditions, in line with the Erasmus+ programme's focus on social inclusion. The DiscoverEU Inclusion Action enables organisations working with young pe ople with fewer opportunities to apply for grants, providing additional support to participants such as extra funding and the option to travel with accompanying persons. While DiscoverEU encourages sustainable travel by rail, special arrangements are available for young people from outermost regions, Overseas Counties and Territories, remote areas and islands. Background The Commission launched DiscoverEU in June 2018 following a preparatory action from the European Parliament. It is now integrated into the Erasmus+ programme 2021-2027. Since 2018, more than 1.3 million candidates have applied for 319,000 available travel passes. When asked about their experiences, 93% of respondents say that they are planning to travel more often by train following their experience with DiscoverEU. For many, it was the first time they travelled without parents or accompanying adults, and a majority said they felt an increased sense of independence. Over two-thirds said that they would not have been able to finance their t ravel pass without DiscoverEU. The DiscoverEU experience has given young people a better understanding of European cultures and history, while improving their language skills. Participants are invited to become DiscoverEU Ambassadors to champion the initiative. The #DiscoverEU Official Facebook group, where young travellers can connect and share experiences and tips, currently has more than 102,000 members. For More Information DiscoverEU European Youth Portal Quote(s) DiscoverEU is an incredible opportunity for young people to broaden their horizons, experience Europe's rich diversity and build connections across borders. By offering these free travel passes, we are fostering a deeper understanding of European cultures, values and history. I encourage all 18-year-olds to take advantage of this action under the Erasmus+ programme! Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth Commission sends requests for information to YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok on recommender systems under the Digital Services Act Today, the Commission has sent a request for information to YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok under the Digital Services Act (DSA), asking the platforms to provide more information on the design and functioning of their recommender systems. Under the DSA, platforms have to assess and adequately mitigate risks stemming from their recommender systems, including risks for the mental health of users and the dissemination of harmful content arising from the engagement-based design of these algorithms. YouTube and Snapchat are requested to provide detailed information on the parameters used by their algorithms to recommend content to users, as well as their role in amplifying certain systemic risks, including those related to the electoral process and civic discourse, users' mental well-being (e.g. addictive behaviour and content 'rabbit holes'), and the protection of minors. The questions also concern the platforms' measures to mitigate the potential influence of their recommen der systems on the spread of illegal content, such as promoting illegal drugs and hate speech. TikTok has been requested to provide more information on the measures it adopted to avoid the manipulation of the service by malicious actors and to mitigate risks related to elections, pluralism of media, and civic discourse, which may be amplified by certain recommender systems. YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok must provide the requested information by 15 November. Based on the assessment of the replies, the Commission will assess the next steps. This could entail the formal opening of proceedings pursuant to Article 66 of the DSA. Pursuant to Article 74 (2) of the DSA, the Commission can impose fines for incorrect, incomplete, or misleading information in response to RFIs. In case of failure to reply, the Commission may issue a formal request by decision. In this case, failure to reply by the deadline could lead to the imposition of periodic penalty payments. The Commission has focused on the compliance with the DSA provisions related to recommender systems since the DSA entered into force. Among other things, recommender systems are a core part of the formal non-compliance proceedings opened against TikTok, AliExpress, Facebook and Instagram. (For more information: Thomas Regnier - Tel.: + 32 2 299 10 99; Patricia Poropat - Tel.: + 32 2 298 04 85) Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson participate in the G7 Interior Ministerial meeting in Italy From today to Friday, 4th October, the Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, and the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, will be in Mirabella Eclano (Avellino), Italy, to participate in the G7 interior Ministers' Meeting on behalf of the European Union. Together with the Ministers for Home Affairs and Security, as well as senior officials from G7 countries, the Vice-President and the Commissioner will participate in the panel meetings on the following topics: threats from international crisis situations including the security threats stemming from Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine; cybersecurity and virtual assets; synthetic drugs; artificial intelligence, as well as migration, with a particular focus on migrant smuggling. In the margins of the Ministerial, Commissioner Johansson, together with the Canadian Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic Leblanc, is due to sign an agreement for the transfer of passenger name records (PNR) data. This agreement aims to strengthen the EU's security by allowing to safely share the data of passenger by carriers operating passenger flights between the EU and Canada. Vice-President Schinas and Commissioner Johansson will deliver statements on Thursday morning that will be transmitted on EbS. (For more information: Anitta Hipper - Tel.: + 32 229 85691; Yuliya Matsyk - Tel.: +32 229 13173) CALENDAR Monday 30 September Ms Stella Kyriakides receives representatives of the Health Committee of the Danish Parliament. Tuesday 01 October Ms Stella Kyriakides participates in the Parliament Magazine Flagship Health Summit 2024. Thursday 03 October Mr Margaritis Schinas in Mirabella Eclano, Italy (until 04/10): participates in the G7 Minister's meeting on Interior. Friday 04 October Ms Stella Kyriakides in Nicosia, Cyprus (until 05/10): delivers a lecture at Frederick University on the European Health Union. Saturday 05 October Ms Stella Kyriakides in Nicosia, Cyprus: participates in the Pink Silhouette Walk organised by Europa Donna Cyprus. 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. If you do not work for a media organisation, you are welcome to contact the EU through Europe Direct in writing or by calling 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11. Source: Cyprus News Agency