#EU legislation

[diagnozabam]

Apple retrage modelele iPhone 14 și iPhone SE din Europa: impactul legii USB-C și paradoxul încărcătorului

Începând cu 28 decembrie 2024, Apple a retras modelele de bază iPhone 14 și iPhone SE din magazinele oficiale din Uniunea Europeană, pentru a respecta noua legislație privind utilizarea porturilor USB-C pe toate dispozitivele electronice. Această măsură vizează modelele lansate în 2022, inclusiv iPhone 14 Plus și iPhone SE 3, în timp ce modelele Pro au fost deja înlocuite de seria iPhone…

[beeapartments]

I hate the fact that buttons are being removed from cars and the response I always get from salesmen is “we have voice controls”.

As though there is a voice control for everything (my husband has a 2019 tesla that still doesn’t have VCs for the fog lights), or people with problems speaking (mute/aphasia/stuttering etc) don’t exist.

[pappito]

EU & USB-C

A common charger for electronic devices Revision of the Radio Equipment Directive

BEUC – The European Consumer Organisation welcomes the European Commission’s initiative to standardise chargers for mobile phones and other similar devices.

Impact assessment study on common chargers of portable devices

Impact assessment study to assess unbundling of chargers

Standard chargers for mobile phones - Public Consultation

Impact assessment study on common chargers of portable devices

Technical supporting study to assess the status of wireless charging technologies used for mobile phones and similar portable equipment and next expected main technological developments

Living in the EU: Circular economy

Sustainable consumption: Helping consumers make eco-friendly choices

[calyssmarviss]

oh boy it’s bad

[notasapleasure]

A tale of two Georgias

Note: I wouldn't normally share subscriber-exclusive content from this news site, but I think Shota Kincha's opinions are too important to hide away in an exclusive email this time. If you're so minded, please consider supporting open journalism in the Caucasus anyway and sending some money OCMedia's way.

Highlighting is my own. Of course I support Georgia joining the EU, but absolutely not under conditions that ignore the recent rolling back of democratic freedoms.

---

By Shota Kincha, for OC Media.

On Wednesday, Georgians celebrated a long-awaited recommendation from the European Commission for their nation’s candidacy for EU membership, leaving the country’s candidacy pending just final approval from the heads of EU member states in mid-December. But the Commission’s assessment of the government’s ‘progress’ seemed to be based on wishful thinking, rather than its actions. 

On denying Georgia the status last year, the European Commission outlined 12 ‘priorities’ Georgia would need to address for the decision to be reconsidered — preconditions that largely reflected the spirit of the April 2021 agreement brokered by European Council President Charles Michel between the government and opposition groups.

When the unforeseen possibility for Georgia to formally apply for membership presented itself in early 2022, Georgia’s leadership had already failed on some of the key components of the previous year’s accord. 

Instead of addressing the ‘perception of politicised justice,’ an apparent euphemism for the imprisonment of opposition leaders, most notably Nika Melia in early 2021, the Georgian court imprisoned another prominent government critic, Nika Gvaramia, only five weeks before the European Commission was due to assess Georgia’s readiness for EU membership candidacy.

Instead of the ambitious judicial reform promised in the 2021 Michel deal and mentioned in the EU’s ‘12 priorities’ last year, the ruling Georgian Dream party has continued to shield corrupt judicial officials with a stranglehold on Georgian courts, resulting in more politicised administrative fines and criminal cases against civil activists, political leaders, media managers, or youth with ‘confused orientation’ who risked their freedom to defend Georgia’s pro-Western choice on the streets.

In the run-up to the European Commission’s latest decision on Georgia, the government and security services run by oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili’s goons artificially created an anti-Western parliamentary group, gifted them private channel PosTV, and made violent extremist pro-Russian Alt Info immune to obstruction or challenge. 

If the last five years under Georgian Dream rule had been a steady decline in democratic freedoms, the government’s actions in the months since it applied to join the European Union — including their recent initiatives to clamp down on Georgia’s civil society and constrain protest — far surpassed any and all negative predictions.

But listening to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, one could have assumed she was discussing an entirely different country. 

Despite Georgia’s government persecuting free media, parroting Russian propaganda against the West, refusing to undertake institutional reforms in a way that included other groups and stakeholders, and satisfying only three of the twelve conditions set last year, the European Commission complimented them with no substantial criticism.

I do not believe the EU should approve Georgian membership candidacy later this year, as the move looks set to validate and entrench the government’s precipitous lurch towards authoritarianism. 

The European Commission’s approach may be based on the belief that denying Georgia candidate status could lead to Georgians becoming disillusioned with the EU and the West. But Georgians have been staunchly pro-Western for decades, perhaps even centuries. 

The real danger to Georgians’ trust in the West comes from the West’s indifference to anti-democratic moves by Georgia’s government, which, if left unchecked, will continue to use state institutions to slowly but steadily shift popular mood and policies towards Russia. 

Even were we to allow that recommending EU candidacy status was a justified decision in Georgia’s best interests, doing so did not obligate the institution’s leaders to legitimise the country’s government in the way they did.

Listening to the widely televised announcement by the European Commission on Wednesday, Georgians could reasonably have concluded that democratic backsliding, state capture by big capital, and a politicised judiciary are consistent with Georgia’s pro-Western aspirations, or that related warnings from local activists and media have been baseless or overblown. 

The announcement could also have created the impression that the ruling party has been delivering on reforms demanded by the EU, a powerful notion less than a year before the country’s next general elections. 

The truth is, however, that in inviting Georgia to join the club while neglecting to call out the government’s shortcomings, the EU is playing a dangerous game, and one it has played before. The EU does not want another Orban, and the South Caucasus definitely does not need another Aliyev.

I may be wrong: perhaps granting Georgia candidate status will still be a wise choice on the EU’s part. But even in its recommendation, the European Commission could have sent a clear message that business as usual would no longer be tolerated. 

What Georgia’s leadership heard instead will become abundantly clear in the coming months. 

[pebblegalaxy]

European Union Court's Rulings on Headscarves: A Comprehensive Look at Bans on Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab in Europe and Other Parts of World

European Union Court's Rulings on Headscarves: A Comprehensive Look at Bans on Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab in Europe and Other Parts of World #EUCourt #HeadscarfBan #EuropeanLegislation #GenderEquality #Cultural Norms #Secularism

Embarking on a journey through the diverse landscape of headscarf bans in Europe unveils a complex tapestry of cultural dynamics, legal intricacies, and societal debates. The European Union’s top court, in a series of rulings, has shaped the narrative surrounding the wearing of headscarves, setting precedents that ripple across the continent. From Belgium’s landmark decision in 2011 to the…

[ajunicetryagain]

The average voter has a lot of power in American elections. Not as much as if we had a proper democratic voting system but still quite a lot.

One state can swing the Senate, a few districts can swing the House, and every single vote for president matters.

That's why we "scold" about voting third party or sitting out—those choices are what gave us Trump in the first place, they're what gave us George W. Bush.

Like Hilary Clinton is too centrist by far, way too hawkish, but she would've strengthened healthcare, not tried to repeal the Affordable Care Act 60+ times. She wouldn't have banned Muslims or stolen immigrant children from their parents or denied disaster aid because a certain state didn't vote for her.

But Trump did, and he'll do far worse if he gets a second chance because that's what terribly narcissistic, corrupt people do when they are threatened but manage to return to power—it's certainly what Benjamin Netanyahu's doing.

What's a little genocide and maybe starting a regional war if it keeps him out of jail? Trump had a nuclear dick-measuring contest with North Korea when he was safe, for fuck's sake. God only know what he'll do now.

Allowing him to come back to power—directly or indirectly—punishes the entire world. Nader voters thought they were "punishing" Gore for not being sufficiently pro-environment—and they succeeded in setting the climate fight back by decades.

Millions died in Bush's forever wars. How many have died because we elected him instead of the boring Democrat who is still obsessed with climate change? How many more will die if Trump gets his way on climate?

hey just want to remind my american followers that the US is still one of the most influential nations in the world and that one fascist in power makes everything worse everywhere for a long time. please don't fuck this up for the rest of us

[michellesanches]

Latest AI Regulatory Developments:

As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform industries, governments worldwide are responding with evolving regulatory frameworks. These regulatory advancements are shaping how businesses integrate and leverage AI technologies. Understanding these changes and preparing for them is crucial to remain compliant and competitive. Recent Developments in AI Regulation: United Kingdom: The…

[lacewise]

According to Harris Tweed themselves, it’s all handwoven in private houses (and according to other sources this is required by law). If that’s true it can’t be machine woven (machinery would be too bulky for a private residence). Any chance you’re thinking of the foot operated treadle looms as machinery or is there other reason to say the manufacturing method has changed?

(In case anyone is wondering the sources confirm they do use a variety of Scottish wool for the tweed.)

Also trademark protections for crafts in the European Union—including fabrics—will have an application process opening up in December next year.

I’m not surprised he didn’t know because, while the legislation was proposed in 2020, there was not a lot of media or professional coverage until November 2023, weeks after it passed. Hopefully, it finally puts to bed a contentious European discussion about “how and when to protect crafts”.

(I only know about the GICI rollout because I have been trying to research this topic since 2021 because a bunch of hinky things are going on around European craft conventions and consumerism.)

The answer to "What the h*ck goes on on those islands to the North and West of mainland Scotland?" by Derek Guy @/dieworkwear on twitter [x]

[osintelligence]

https://bit.ly/43izx6b - 📱 The U.S. House of Representatives has approved a bill proposing a TikTok ban due to concerns over data security and control by foreign adversaries, specifically targeting companies like TikTok's parent, ByteDance. This legislation, moving to the Senate, could significantly impact digital platform operations within the country. #TikTokBan #DataSecurity #Legislation 🔍 The bill, if passed by the Senate, would enforce ByteDance to divest TikTok to a U.S.-based entity within 180 days or face restrictions from U.S. app stores and web hosting services, along with potential fines for non-compliance. This step marks a significant governmental move to regulate social media platforms on grounds of national security. #ByteDance #USPolicy #SocialMediaRegulation 🌍 Beyond the U.S., TikTok's data privacy and storage practices have raised alarms in the UK and EU, leading to bans and fines for not protecting children's data. These international concerns highlight the global challenge of managing digital privacy and security in the age of social media. #GlobalPrivacy #EU #UK 💼 TikTok has responded to the scrutiny by investing $1.5 billion in restructuring for a U.S. subsidiary, amidst discussions on the platform's influence and the potential risks associated with its operation under foreign jurisdiction. Experts warn of the app's capacity to shape public opinion and misuse data. #TikTokResponse #DigitalInfluence #Restructuring 🛑 Security professionals highlight TikTok as a heightened threat due to its extensive data collection and potential for misuse, urging for better controls and oversight. The ongoing debate emphasizes the need for stringent regulations to safeguard user privacy and data security, particularly against foreign-controlled apps. #Cybersecurity #DataCollection #Regulation 💡 The economic impact of TikTok on small businesses is significant, with reports indicating billions in revenue and contributions to the U.S. GDP and job market. This economic footprint underscores the complex balance between national security interests and the economic benefits derived from global digital platforms. #EconomicImpact #SmallBusiness #GDP 🔏 While the potential TikTok ban raises questions about digital sovereignty and the effectiveness of such measures, it also reflects broader concerns about foreign influence and the challenge of enforcing digital boundaries. The situation underscores the need for comprehensive policies to manage the digital ecosystem while preserving economic interests.

[night-dark-woods]

it shouldnt be legal for printers to only take their branded cartridges like. fuck epson truly. just spent like 30 minutes trying to bypass the "cartridge not recognized" error message on my managers color printer to no fucking avail bc its a super new one with a touch screen (why!!!) and none of the usual tricks work and you cant dismiss the warning, it just straight up wont print.

[reasonsforhope]

Here's the top 2 stories from each of Fix The News's six categories:

1. A game-changing HIV drug was the biggest story of 2024

In what Science called the 'breakthrough of the year', researchers revealed in June that a twice-yearly drug called lenacapavir reduced HIV infections in a trial in Africa to zero—an astonishing 100% efficacy, and the closest thing to a vaccine in four decades of research. Things moved quick; by October, the maker of the drug, Gilead, had agreed to produce an affordable version for 120 resource-limited countries, and by December trials were underway for a version that could prevent infection with just a single shot per year. 'I got cold shivers. After all our years of sadness, particularly over vaccines, this truly is surreal.'

2. Another incredible year for disease elimination

Jordan became the first country to eliminate leprosy, Chad eliminated sleeping sickness, Guinea eliminated maternal and neonatal tetanus, Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent & the Grenadines eliminated mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, India achieved the WHO target for eliminating black fever, India, Viet Nam and Pakistan eliminated trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, and Brazil and Timor Leste eliminated elephantiasis.

15. The EU passed a landmark nature restoration law

When countries pass environmental legislation, it’s big news; when an entire continent mandates the protection of nature, it signals a profound shift. Under the new law, which passed on a knife-edge vote in June 2024, all 27 member states are legally required to restore at least 20% of land and sea by 2030, and degraded ecosystems by 2050. This is one of the world’s most ambitious pieces of legislation and it didn’t come easy; but the payoff will be huge - from tackling biodiversity loss and climate change to enhancing food security.

16. Deforestation in the Amazon halved in two years

Brazil’s space agency, INPE, confirmed a second consecutive year of declining deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. That means deforestation rates have roughly halved under Lula, and are now approaching all time lows. In Colombia, deforestation dropped by 36%, hitting a 23-year low. Bolivia created four new protected areas, a huge new new state park was created in Pará to protect some of the oldest and tallest tree species in the tropical Americas and a new study revealed that more of the Amazon is protected than we originally thought, with 62.4% of the rainforest now under some form of conservation management.

39. Millions more children got an education

Staggering statistics incoming: between 2000 and 2023, the number of children and adolescents not attending school fell by nearly 40%, and Eastern and Southern Africa, achieved gender parity in primary education, with 25 million more girls are enrolled in primary school today than in the early 2000s. Since 2015, an additional 110 million children have entered school worldwide, and 40 million more young people are completing secondary school.

40. We fed around a quarter of the world's kids at school

Around 480 million students are now getting fed at school, up from 319 million before the pandemic, and 104 countries have joined a global coalition to promote school meals, School feeding policies are now in place in 48 countries in Africa, and this year Nigeria announced plans to expand school meals to 20 million children by 2025, Kenya committed to expanding its program from two million to ten million children by the end of the decade, and Indonesia pledged to provide lunches to all 78 million of its students, in what will be the world's largest free school meals program.

50. Solar installations shattered all records

Global solar installations look set to reach an unprecedented 660GW in 2024, up 50% from 2023's previous record. The pace of deployment has become almost unfathomable - in 2010, it took a month to install a gigawatt, by 2016, a week, and in 2024, just 12 hours. Solar has become not just the cheapest form of new electricity in history, but the fastest-growing energy technology ever deployed, and the International Energy Agency said that the pace of deployment is now ahead of the trajectory required for net zero by 2050.  

51. Battery storage transformed the economics of renewables

Global battery storage capacity surged 76% in 2024, making investments in solar and wind energy much more attractive, and vice-versa. As with solar, the pace of change stunned even the most cynical observers. Price wars between the big Chinese manufacturers pushed battery costs to record lows, and global battery manufacturing capacity increased by 42%, setting the stage for future growth in both grid storage and electric vehicles - crucial for the clean flexibility required by a renewables-dominated electricity system. The world's first large-scale grid battery installation only went online seven years ago; by next year, global battery storage capacity will exceed that of pumped hydro.

65. Democracy proved remarkably resilient in a record year of elections

More than two billion people went to the polls this year, and democracy fared far better than most people expected, with solid voter turnout, limited election manipulation, and evidence of incumbent governments being tamed. It wasn't all good news, but Indonesia saw the world's biggest one day election, Indian voters rejected authoritarianism, South Korea's democratic institutions did the same, Bangladesh promised free and fair elections following a 'people's victory', Senegal, Sri Lanka and Botswana saw peaceful transfers of power to new leaders after decades of single party rule, and Syria saw the end of one of the world's most horrific authoritarian regimes.

66. Global leaders committed to ending violence against children

In early November, while the eyes of the world were on the US election, an event took place that may prove to be a far more consequential for humanity. Five countries pledged to end corporal punishment in all settings, two more pledged to end it in schools, and another 12, including Bangladesh and Nigeria, accepted recommendations earlier in the year to end corporal punishment of children in all settings. In total, in 2024 more than 100 countries made some kind of commitment to ending violence against children. Together, these countries are home to hundreds of millions of children, with the WHO calling the move a 'fundamental shift.'

73. Space exploration hit new milestones

NASA’s Europa Clipper began a 2.9 billion kilometre voyage to Jupiter to investigate a moon that may have conditions for life; astronomers identified an ice world with a possible atmosphere in the habitable zone; and the James Webb Telescope found the farthest known galaxy. Closer to Earth, China landed on the far side of the moon, the Polaris Dawn crew made a historic trip to orbit, and Starship moved closer to operational use – and maybe one day, to travel to Mars. 

74. Next-generation materials advanced

A mind-boggling year for material science. Artificial intelligence helped identify a solid-state electrolyte that could slash lithium use in batteries by 70%, and an Apple supplier announced a battery material that can deliver around 100 times better energy density. Researchers created an insulating synthetic sapphire material 1.25 nanometers thick, plus the world’s thinnest lens, just three atoms across. The world’s first functioning graphene-based semiconductor was unveiled (the long-awaited ‘wonder material’ may finally be coming of age!) and a team at Berkeley invented a fluffy yellow powder that could be a game changer for removing carbon from the atmosphere.

-via Fix The News, December 19, 2024

[kesarijournal]

The Great Green Rebellion: Farmers' Uprising Against the Quest for a 'Greener' Tomorrow

In a stunning turn of events that you might have missed (because let’s face it, it’s not on mainstream media, and who reads past the headlines these days?), farmers across Europe have decided they’ve had enough. No more Mr. Nice Farmer. From the picturesque fields of Germany to the romantic vineyards of France, the agricultural proletariat is rising against what they perceive as the tyrannical…

[mynqzo]

reposting this information to it's own post because asker was a racist.

What's going on right now in the Republic of Georgia / Sakartvelo? A new legislation just passed that official bans - human rights essentially, gay-marriage, gender-firming care and surgery, any 'promotion' of queer identity. Soon after this legislation passed, trans model Kesaria Abramidze was murdered as a direct consequence of this.

Why is this super extra bad? Besides the several many lives at stake, the safety of queer families and the lethality of hate crimes, Georgia's wish to enter the EU is falling to a complete simmer due to this, soon to be extinguished completely. Here is an article about the international reaction to this legislation:

What can you do to help? The biggest thing we currently rely on is international push back especially from the EU members and the possible overturn of this in the upcoming election. It does not help that this law is implemented due to greedy fucks and Russian puppets in Georgia who benefit from this. source:

You might hear many refer to this as 'Russian law' which is due to the fact that Georgia, under this puppet-leadership mimics Russian laws like the 'Foreign Agents Law' that was put into work only a few months prior the law assumes 'only receiving foreign funds makes an organization a foreign agent.' and I don't think I have to explain how horrendous that is.

We also rely on our president to veto the legislation before it goes into 'full effect' (though the consequences and effect have already begun) but even with this the political party which instated this legislation argue to over-ride her veto in parliament. source:

The most important thing right now is vocal pushback, and public support of the queer community. with what happened to Kesaria (may she rest in peace) a lot of trans people are fearing for their lives, and queer families no longer can remain in their own country if they want to continue to be themselves in any way.

Spread love, a lot of it like as much as you can offer to queer Georgians everywhere.

[pebblegalaxy]

European Union Court's Rulings on Headscarves: A Comprehensive Look at Bans on Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab in Europe and Other Parts of World

European Union Court's Rulings on Headscarves: A Comprehensive Look at Bans on Burqa, Hijab, and Niqab in Europe and Other Parts of World #EUCourt #HeadscarfBan #EuropeanLegislation #GenderEquality #Cultural Norms #Secularism

Embarking on a journey through the diverse landscape of headscarf bans in Europe unveils a complex tapestry of cultural dynamics, legal intricacies, and societal debates. The European Union’s top court, in a series of rulings, has shaped the narrative surrounding the wearing of headscarves, setting precedents that ripple across the continent. From Belgium’s landmark decision in 2011 to the…