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A major UN report recently warned that water supplies around the world are at increasing risk from vampiric overconsumption.

Europe has been in drought since 2018, according to a recent study from the Graz University of Technology in Austria. Researchers say the water situation is now very precarious.

Countries across the continent have been struggling with water even through winter. Low rain and snowfall mean already dwindling supplies havent been restored during this typically wet period.

In northern Italy, France and Spain, the situation raises concerns for water supply for human use, agriculture and energy production, according to the EU Joint Research Centres (JRC) latest report on droughts in Europe.

And, it says, Europe and the Mediterranean region could experience another extreme summer this year. The European Commission says that it could be an even drier summer than in previous years with the precipitation in the coming weeks crucial to determining what happens.

On 20 February this year, France broke a record by going 32 consecutive days without rain. The country experienced its driest winter in more than 60 years.

Snowfall in the French Alps, Pyrenees and other mountain ranges was also much lower than usual this year. This precipitation is vital for filling rivers and reservoirs, prompting concerns for supplies through the rest of the year.

Almost all French departments were affected by water restrictions in 2022 and 700 municipalities had difficulties with drinking water supplies.

Several authorities have already introduced restrictions this year. Drme and Ardche have been put on an early drought warning. They are encouraging residents to curb their water use.

The Pyrnes-Orientales, Ain, Bouches-du-Rhne, and Var are also on alert with people living in these areas forbidden from watering their lawns, filling swimming pools or watering crops.

French Environment Minister Christophe Bchu announced earlier this year that the government was working on an anti-drought plan in the face of the crisis. He said that the average water consumption of 150 litres per person a day wasnt sustainable and called on all industries to cut their usage.

One solution that France is looking at is recycling more wastewater. Just 77 of the total 33,000 treatment plants in the country are currently equipped with a recycling treatment system. Any plan to cut consumption needs to include ramping up the reprocessing of wastewater, Bchu said.

He also warned that the countrys 100 departmental prefects shouldnt hesitate to bring in local water restrictions this year given the current situation.

In northeastern Spain, drought has reached extraordinary proportions, according to the countrys weather service Aemet. The dire situation has been caused by high temperatures and low rainfall over the last three years.

Drinking water supplies for the six million people who live in Barcelonas metropolitan area are now at risk. The Sau reservoir is at around 9 per cent of its total capacity and officials have made the decision to remove fish to stop them from suffocating.

Water has been diverted to a different reservoir in the region to prevent what remains from becoming undrinkable.

Despite a slight recovery during winter, Amemet says, the dry spell has continued with all of Spain in drought conditions since January 2022.

The situation in Catalonia, however, is critical. Water levels in reservoirs in the region are well below average. Restrictions are already in place for agriculture and industrial water use while residents cant use drinking water to wash cars or fill swimming pools.

Italy was one of the European countries hit hardest by last years droughts with the government declaring a state of emergency in five regions.

The Po is the countrys longest river - crossing from the border with France and Switzerland to the Adriatic Sea. In 2022, the river basin suffered the worst drought in 70 years with water shortages affecting everything from agriculture to green energy generation.

Now millions of people in regions vulnerable to drought, like Lombardy and Piedmont, could face more restrictions this year after a dry winter. Lake Garda in the north of the country has already dried up and low water levels in Venices famous canals made it impossible for boats to pass through.

But a lack of rainfall and hot weather isnt the only problem.

Italy draws more drinking water from its lakes, rivers and reservoirs than any other country in the European Union, according to the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT).

ISTAT also recently revealed that Italys aqueducts lost 42 per cent of the water they carried in 2020. That is the highest proportion ever recorded. One out of every four towns lost more than 55 per cent of water to leaks and in five out of seven areas, these leaks are getting worse.

After last years unprecedented emergency, Italy cant afford to waste the water it does have.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni told parliament on 21 March that a national water plan was being worked on. It would include improvements to infrastructure and an awareness campaign about the need to save resources.

In a recent interview, Environment Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin said the government was readying a 7.8 billion package to help the country deal with the water crisis.

Read more here:
Very precarious: The European countries facing another year of ... - Euronews

Richard Hughes said the effect of Brexit on the economy is on the magnitude of the coronavirus pandemic and rising energy prices, and the country is seeing the biggest squeeze on living standards on record.

He told the BBCs Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme: But we do expect, as we get past this year and we go into the next three or four years, that real income starts to recover.

But its still the case that peoples real spending power doesnt get back to the level it was before the pandemic even after five years, even by the time we get to the late 2020s.

Mr Hughes said this is partly because the UKs growth has been held back by supply constraints on key drivers of growth.

He spoke of the country losing 500,000 workers, combined with stagnant investment since 2016 and slowing productivity.

Asked how much stronger the economy would be if the UK had remained in the EU, he said: We think that, in the long run, (Brexit) reduces our overall output by around 4% compared to had we remained in the EU.

Ive struggled to put it in any kind of sensible context.

Its a shock to the UK economy of the order of magnitude to other shocks that weve seen from the pandemic, from the energy crisis.

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'Economy 4% lower than if UK had remained in European Union' - Evening Standard

Less-developed regions have improved their performances, triggering significant economic advantages for their citizens, but big differences remain in particular between large urban areas and the rest

The 2022 edition of the Regional Competitiveness Index (RCI), presented at the European Committee of the Regions (CoR), crowns the Dutch region of Utrecht, followed by Zuid-Holland and the French capital region of le-de-France as the most competitive regions in the European Union. The comparison with previous editions shows that regions of eastern and southern Europe are catching up. However, in many countries the gap between the capital city region and the remaining territories is still particularly wide.

The RCI was developed by the European Commission to assist policy makers with the design of better policies and monitoring their effectiveness, and is of particular interest for national and local authorities responsible for regional development strategies. The 2022 edition, named Regional Competitiveness Index 2.0, was unveiled during an event hosted by the CoR, with the presence of Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms.

Opening the event, the Chair of the CoR Commission for Territorial Cohesion Policy and EU Budget (COTER) and Mayor of Cluj-Napoca, Emil Boc (RO/EPP) underlined that "on the one hand, the Regional Competitiveness Index is a tool that can help every region to assess its performance, compared with other regions and with itself over time. On the other hand, the RCI can be useful for national and local decision makers responsible for regional development strategies, in particular in the context of cohesion policy. The index will be a powerful tool to support the CoR's work on the future of cohesion policy as well as the #CohesionAlliance's campaign to reinforce social economic, and territorial cohesion in the EU."

Robert Strijk (NL/RE), Regional Minister of Economic and European Affairs of the province of Utrecht, said: "I am happy and grateful to find our ambitious region taking first place in the European RCI. First and foremost, Utrecht is the beating heart of a healthy society. As a region, we are on a mission to make significant and lasting improvements to the health and well-being of our inhabitants. We imagine and work towards a world in which people live better and more fulfilling lives, amidst an environment that entices them to do so.Working alongside businesses, institutions and governments, we have got the skills, resources and tenacity to deliver upon this vision."

Jakub Chestowski (PL/EPP), Marshal of the lskie Voivodeship, said: "A number of measures are being taken in my region to improve the economic situation and further enhance economic opportunities. These include projects involving the Upper Silesia Fund, which is dedicated to the economic promotion of the region and the creation of favourable conditions for investment and export. The aim is to increase the value of direct investment in the region, increase the level of exports, particularly from SMEs, and promote the region as an attractive place to live and work."

Despite the improvements recorded in the last decade, the RCI shows competitiveness disparities between regions that affect the economic, social and territorial cohesion in Europe. In order to advocate cohesion as a fundamental value of the EU and plead for a strong Cohesion Policy beyond 2027, the CoR and the leading European associations of regions and cities founded the #CohesionAlliance. On 16 March, the Alliance kicked off the reflection process on the future of cohesion policy launching two new calls for contributions:

To stay up to date with all the activities of the #CohesionAlliance and the latest development on cohesion policy, you can sign up to receive the new #CohesionAlliance newsletterhere.

Background:

The RCI is a composite indicator which provides a synthetic picture of territorial competitiveness (the ability of a region to offer an attractive environment for firms and residents to live and work) for each of the regions of the 27 EU Member States. It is based on thestatistical, NUTS 2 (Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics) regions, with NUTS 2 regions that are part of the same functional urban area combined. More information is available here.

The European Commission published the RCI for the first time in 2010 and updates it every three years, with slight modifications incorporated into each edition. This year is the fifth edition of the report, and it contains several changes in the methodology that nonetheless allow for meaningful comparisons with previous editions. The previous edition was presented during the European Week of regions and Cities 2019.

Contact:

Matteo Miglietta

Tel. +32 (0) 470 89 53 82

matteo.miglietta@cor.europa.eu

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Regional Competitiveness Index 2022: Europe needs strong ... - European Committee of the Regions

WASHINGTON The United States and Japan have reached an agreement over supplies of the critical minerals used to make car batteries, a deal that will likely put to rest a contentious issue in the relationship with Japan and could be a model for resolving similar disputes with other trading partners.

The agreement provides a potential workaround for the Biden administration in its disagreement not only with Japan, but with the European Union and other allies over the terms of its new climate legislation. The Inflation Reduction Act, which invests $370 billion to transition the United States to cleaner cars and energy sources, has angered some allies who were excluded from its benefits.

While the scope of the agreement is limited, the Biden administration has also promoted the deal as the beginning of a new framework that the United States and its allies hope to build with like-minded countries to develop more stable supply chains for electric vehicles that do not rely as heavily on China. American officials have argued that Chinas dominance of the global car battery industry, including the processing of the minerals needed to make the batteries, leaves the United States highly vulnerable.

According to a fact sheet distributed by the Office of the United States Trade Representative late Monday, the United States and Japan promised to encourage higher labor and environmental standards for minerals that are key to powering electric vehicles, like lithium, cobalt and nickel. The countries said they would also promote more efficient use of resources and confer on how they reviewed investments from foreign entities in the sector, among other pledges.

Katherine Tai, the United States trade representative, was expected to sign the agreement Tuesday alongside Koji Tomita, the Japanese ambassador to the United States. The United States and Europe are separately negotiating a similar agreement.

How Times reporters cover politics.We rely on our journalists to be independent observers. So while Times staff members may vote, they are not allowed to endorse or campaign for candidates or political causes. This includes participating in marches or rallies in support of a movement or giving money to, or raising money for, any political candidate or election cause.

Ms. Tai said the announcement was proof of President Bidens commitment to building resilient and secure supply chains. She added that Japan is one of our most valued trading partners, and this agreement will enable us to deepen our existing bilateral relationship.

The deal appears to be aimed at expanding certain provisions of the climate legislation, which offers generous tax incentives for electric vehicles that are built in North America or source the material for their batteries from the United States or countries with which the United States has a free-trade agreement. The United States has free-trade agreements with 20 countries but not the European Union or Japan, and foreign allies have complained that the legislation will disadvantage their companies and lure investment away from them.

But since the Inflation Reduction Act does not technically define what constitutes a free-trade agreement, American officials have found what they believe to be a workaround. They are arguing that countries will be able to meet the requirement by signing a more limited trade deal instead. Later this week, the Treasury Department is expected to issue a proposed rule clarifying the laws provisions.

President Biden and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced after a meeting earlier this month that their governments were pursuing a similar deal. But European officials said that arrangement could take more time to finalize, since the European Union must submit such agreements to its member states for their approval.

While the administration argued that key members of Congress always intended American allies to be included in the laws benefits, some lawmakers have protested these arrangements, saying the Biden administration is sidestepping Congresss authority over new trade deals.

The executive branch, in my view, has begun to embrace a go-it-alone trade policy, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said last week, as Ms. Tai testified before the committee. Congresss role in U.S. trade policy is black-letter law, colleagues, and its unacceptable to even offer the argument otherwise, he added.

Read the rest here:
U.S. and Japan Reach Deal on Battery Minerals - The New York Times

BRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) - Germany and the European Union are on a good path to solve a row over the bloc's planned 2035 phaseout of CO2-emitting cars, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on his arrival to an EU summit on Thursday.

The official summit agenda covers a broad range of issues from migration to sending ammunition to Ukraine, but last-minute opposition from Germany to one of Europe's biggest climate change policies is looming over the talks.

"If I understand correctly the talks between the Commission and the German government... everything is on a good path," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on his arrival to the summit.

Scholz did not specify when he expects a deal to be reached. Some leaders and EU officials suggested it would be a matter of days.

"I think we can get there, not today or tomorrow but over the coming days," Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

The car CO2 law is not on the summit's official agenda, nor is it mentioned in leaders' draft conclusions for the meeting - suggesting leaders will not attempt to take any decisions on the matter.

"We can talk about anything, but we have the [EU policymaking] institutions and we cannot be responsible for everything," Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel said.

Last-minute opposition from Germany's transport ministry has blocked the EU's law to end sales of new CO2-emitting cars in 2035, despite EU countries and lawmakers already agreeing a deal on it last year.

The dispute has raised concerns among some EU officials that political deals on other major laws could unravel.

"We have chosen a clear path to phase out CO2 emissions from cars, this is not the moment to waiver," said Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

The EU law is expected to make it impossible to sell new combustion engine cars in the EU after 2035. Germany's Transport Ministry wants assurances that new combustion engine cars can be sold beyond that date if they run on e-fuels - a request supported by parts of Germany's powerful car industry.

The Ministry and the European Commission, which drafts EU laws, are in talks. A draft EU Commission proposal, seen by Reuters this week, suggested allowing carmakers to register sales in a new type of vehicle category, for cars that can only run on carbon neutral fuels.

On the second day of the summit on Friday, EU heads of state and government will discuss a reform of the EU electricity market.

The European Commission proposed the reforms last week to attempt to avoid severe price spikes such as those experienced last year after Russia cut gas supplies to Europe.

A draft of the EU summit conclusions, seen by Reuters, showed leaders may agree to fast-track the power reforms to agree a deal with the European Parliament by the end of this year.

The draft also urged companies to take part in the EU's planned scheme to jointly buy gas, as it prepares for next winter with scarce Russian supplies.

Greece will also pitch an idea for an EU fund to "supercharge" investments in power grids, to speed the shift to clean energy and improve energy security, according to a document seen by Reuters.

Reporting by Kate Abnett, Philip Blenkinsop, Sabine Siebold, Bart Meijer; editing by Barbara Lewis and Benoit Van Overstraeten

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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EU, Germany edge towards solution on combustion engine row - Reuters