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In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
\"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
According to him: \u201cThe proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
Due to this rule many airline leaders are worried. According to Walsh airline, \u201cwe can't measure non-CO\u2082 emissions as precisely as we can measure CO\u2082\u201d. He also mentioned that the modern way to measure the other emissions is not reliable enough. Due to this problem it is very difficult to reduce or control emissions effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to him: \u201cThe proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
He suggested that the EU should make this new rule optional for airlines <\/a>and limit its focus to flights within the EU, instead of flights leaving Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to this rule many airline leaders are worried. According to Walsh airline, \u201cwe can't measure non-CO\u2082 emissions as precisely as we can measure CO\u2082\u201d. He also mentioned that the modern way to measure the other emissions is not reliable enough. Due to this problem it is very difficult to reduce or control emissions effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to him: \u201cThe proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The main leader of the airline industry group wrote a letter to the European Union. In this letter he expresses the industry's concern. He used to be in charge of British Airways and thinks the EU's new rule is too strict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He suggested that the EU should make this new rule optional for airlines <\/a>and limit its focus to flights within the EU, instead of flights leaving Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to this rule many airline leaders are worried. According to Walsh airline, \u201cwe can't measure non-CO\u2082 emissions as precisely as we can measure CO\u2082\u201d. He also mentioned that the modern way to measure the other emissions is not reliable enough. Due to this problem it is very difficult to reduce or control emissions effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to him: \u201cThe proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"Of course, some things could be further evaluated if this is the case and then certain lobbying happened or certain things were said by the French government,\" Zenner added. Microsoft and the French startup in collaboration Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are raising worries about Big Tech gaining control and uncertainty about who was aware of what during the negotiation of the EU AI Act, which is causing a political backlash in the EU due to Mistral AI. The European Commission declared that it will investigate the \u20ac15 million<\/a> investment in Mistral AI and Microsoft's \"small\" ownership of the company as part of a \"strategic partnership\" that was disclosed the day before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Dutch MEP from the Greens who worked closely on the AI Act, Kim van Sparrentak, told Euronews Next that \"Microsoft has been lobbying intensely since the start of negotiations.\" \"Mistral genuinely lobbied the European Council,\" she clarified, noting that she is not opposing the partnership's commercial choice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In November of last year, the EU AI Act negotiations got underway, and lobbying was underway. Along with a few other EU countries, France pushed to weaken the regulations protecting open source businesses like Mistral, claiming that European businesses would instead look to the US and China for funding. The head of the AI4People Institute, which was established in 2018 to influence the conversation on AI ethics in the EU, Michelangelo Baracchi Bonvicini, stated, \"No one can say if Mistral was in talks with Microsoft back in November.\" However, we can be certain that a cooperation with a major IT business of that caliber is unlikely to materialize in a month or less. With two weeks' notice, it is not even feasible to talk with Microsoft's chief technical officer,\" he informed <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although Arthur Mensch, the business's co-founder and CEO, stated on social media that there were \"creative interpretations\" of the purchase and that Mistral is \"an independent European company with global ambitions,\" Mistral has declined Euronews Next's requests for an interview. MEPs should also inquire as to whether the French government was aware of the agreement before the Act's discussions. Given that Cedric O, the former digital secretary of state of France, is a board member of Mistral and has extensive ties to the French government, Van Sparrentak said there are \"many levels\" to the tale.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Green MEPs call for EU probe into ethical implications of Mistral AI's Microsoft partnership","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"green-meps-call-for-eu-probe-into-ethical-implications-of-mistral-ais-microsoft-partnership","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:58","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6905","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6863,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_date_gmt":"2024-02-12 16:18:58","post_content":"\n The right to vote on the Nordic nation's application was forfeited by the ruling Fidesz party, which commands an absolute majority in parliament, on Monday during a session. Members of the party of Prime Minister Viktor Orb\u00e1n of Hungary did not show up for an emergency meeting of parliament on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The purpose of the meeting was to vote on adding Sweden's NATO bid to the legislative agenda, which has been delayed for 18 months and infuriated Hungary's allies. Since July 2022, Sweden's request has been stalled by the ruling Fidesz party, which has an absolute majority in parliament and claims that Swedish MPs have committed \"blatant lies\" about the state of Hungary's democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last month, Orb\u00e1n informed NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg that he would push for his party to approve the request \"as soon as possible.\" Six opposition parties came to the parliament on Monday, but the attempt to schedule a vote in the legislature was thwarted by the absence of Fidesz legislators. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the meeting on Monday, Orb\u00e1n's actions have \"put Hungary into a very humiliating position,\" according to liberal Democratic Coalition politician Agnes Vadai, who also added that his administration had \"no reason\" to have prevented Sweden from joining NATO. Hungary became the last of the military alliance's 31 members to vote against Sweden's accession after the parliament of Turkey approved it in January. <\/p>\n\n\n\n As a result, its allies put pressure on the nationalist administration to schedule a referendum as soon as possible. Orban, for his part, has never explicitly called on Hungary to abandon its delaying strategies. In March of last year, Swedish inclusion in the defense alliance was discussed by Hungarian lawmakers; but, Orban has not pressed the topic further with his parliamentary supermajority.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Hungarian authorities, unless Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson accepts Orb\u00e1n's offer to visit Budapest for negotiations, Fidesz legislators would not back a vote. Kristersson has stated that he will travel, but only if Hungary gives the go-ahead for his nation to join NATO. She told The Associated Press, \"I think that despite all the pressure that's coming, Orb\u00e1n is acting very irrationally and it's very personal.\" \"He himself should realize that the security and interests of Hungarian society will be served by (Sweden's membership).\" Ratifying Sweden's membership in NATO can happen during a regular session of parliament, according to a statement released by Fidesz on Monday. <\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the prime minister of Sweden is expected to visit Hungary first. \"The Swedish prime minister will undoubtedly travel to Budapest if this is a significant issue for the Swedes,\" the party declared. The next meeting of Hungary's parliament is set for February 26. However, legislator Vadai stated that there was no assurance that Orb\u00e1n's party would provide a prompt approval. \u201cUnfortunately, It is not sure if the opening session will begin with the Swedish ratification.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to disagreements concerning the existence of terrorists who identify as Kurdish in the Scandinavian nation and its intention to acquire F-16 fighter aircraft from the United States, Turkey has been slow to act. The decision last week put an end to three months of uncertainty following months of diplomatic negotiations, during which Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave a favorable appraisal of Sweden's case to the Turkish Parliament near the end of 2023. Shortly after Erdogan approved Sweden's NATO membership on Thursday, the US government in power announced its intention to sell Turkey the F-16s, contingent on Congress's consent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Congress received the official notice of the intended USD 23 billion<\/a> (EUR 21.2 billion) sale from the US State Department, which had apparently been in weekly communication with the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Orban, or any MP, may request the calling of a special parliamentary session in accordance with Hungarian legislation; just 20% of the House must vote in favor of this request. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A majority of MPs would then need to adopt the motion that the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) started to schedule the vote in the House. Rather, Orban has been dragging out the situation for months. He even extended an offer to the Swedish government to come to Hungary for negotiations, but it was turned down. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In conclusion, There's no assurance that the impasse will end quickly. \"It cannot be taken for granted that the Hungarian parliament will just ratify the NATO accession of Sweden automatically, very soon without any delay,\" tweeted Peter Kreko, the director of the regional research tank Political Capital. Orban's opposition to Sweden's membership has been completely illogical thus far, making it hard to forecast, based on any reasonable assessment... Hungary's requests cannot be fulfilled since they have not been made explicit.<\/p>\n","post_title":"Orb\u00e1n's Diplomatic Dance: Hungary's Approach To Sweden's NATO Bid","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"orbans-diplomatic-dance-hungarys-approach-to-swedens-nato-bid","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:59","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=6863","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":true,"total_page":3},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_3"};
The European Union introduced the new rule starting from January 2025. According to it, the European Union will require airlines to measure and report emissions from planes taking off within the EU, not just carbon dioxide but other emissions too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main leader of the airline industry group wrote a letter to the European Union. In this letter he expresses the industry's concern. He used to be in charge of British Airways and thinks the EU's new rule is too strict.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He suggested that the EU should make this new rule optional for airlines <\/a>and limit its focus to flights within the EU, instead of flights leaving Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Due to this rule many airline leaders are worried. According to Walsh airline, \u201cwe can't measure non-CO\u2082 emissions as precisely as we can measure CO\u2082\u201d. He also mentioned that the modern way to measure the other emissions is not reliable enough. Due to this problem it is very difficult to reduce or control emissions effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to him: \u201cThe proposal risks creating a regulatory burden that will require airlines to provide large amounts of data for all flights, with an insufficient potential for positive environmental impact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n European airlines are required to report how much CO\u2082 they emit, and they have to pay a fee for emissions from flights within Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The environmental group Transport & Environment said that the International Air Transport Association (Iata) is using the fact that science isn't 100% certain to avoid revealing the complete environmental impact of flying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some flights such as Long-haul are on top of the table that cause climate disasters. This is due to a larger number of emissions other than CO\u2082. So, leaving airlines out of the plan to fix the problem wouldn't make sense, the statement explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Jo Dardenne, aviation director of Transport & Environment \u201c Non-CO\u2082 emissions were recognised as a climate problem 25 years ago. But with delay tactics such as these, airlines are attempting to kill off any action that would allow them to address the issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The International Air Transport Association (IATA) issued a statement expressing its concern about the European Union's initiative to track non-CO\u2082 emissions from aircraft. IATA argued that the scientific understanding of these emissions and their impact on the environment is still uncertain and rapidly changing. They referred to a recent publication by the Royal Society of Chemistry, which suggested that more precise data is needed to understand the real effects of non-CO\u2082 emissions from aviation before definitive measures are put in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n IATA's position reflects the airline industry's caution in addressing the environmental impact of flying. The long-haul flights that produce substantial emissions should also be extra careful after the introduction of new rules. Now it is good for airline leaders to think about how to address emissions effectively while acknowledging the evolving nature of the underlying science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite these reservations, there is a growing push to tackle aviation's impact on climate change, with some calling for stronger measures to reduce emissions from flying. The EU's monitoring program could be a first step, but IATA's response indicates that airlines want more clarity and evidence before committing to significant changes in operations.<\/p>\n","post_title":"European Union introduce the new rule about to track Non-CO\u2082 Emissions","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"european-union-introduce-the-new-rule-about-to-track-non-co%e2%82%82-emissions","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7015","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7010,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-10 18:35:06","post_content":"\n The Wild West of artificial intelligence is this. Whether you agree or disagree with this metaphor, there is some validity to the idea that this rapidly developing and wealthy environment lacks a sound legal and ethical foundation. Frameworks that are moral, secure, and reliable are required both today and in the future in this ever changing industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first of its type, the European Union's AI Act was approved at the end of last year. It affects businesses, developers, and users equally and was, in my opinion, passed hurriedly. This legislation is now being implemented and will become operative in the current year as well as future ones. This measure will affect everyone, whether you're an entrepreneur, an AI enthusiast, or just a regular tech user located in Europe or somewhere else. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A legislative framework called the EU AI Act was created to control AI research and application within the EU. It presents a risk rating system for AI systems, with a prohibition for those ranked as high risk and equivalent rules for low risk. Its objective is to guarantee the safety, morality, and respect for basic human rights of AI technology. A lot of individuals, the European Union included, as well as other nations and organizations, have expressed worry about the way artificial intelligence is developing right now. The EU then sought to enact legislation in response to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Businesses such as Open AI will have to reveal how they utilize your information. Businesses are prohibited from using AI systems for social scoring, which assigns a person a score based on their behavior or other characteristics in an effort to identify and target particular demographics. Do you recall that episode of Black Mirror? The European Union does. More publicly available data on tech businesses and their AI operations, including energy use, will be made available so that you can decide which AI to support and which to avoid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your data will not be used by governments to categorize you into groups or scores that could be harmful to you. Live facial recognition technology will not be permitted for IT businesses. AI is not authorized to forecast your emotions or mood. Furthermore, it is prohibited for AI to infer someone's race, sexual orientation, or political views. Regulations like these are limiting this interruption of personal freedom and boosting technical transparency since, often, you don't even notice when this technology is being used on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This AI Act is expected to have a ripple effect on other countries and important institutions, similar to how the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in 2018 forced nations like Brazil to follow suit. It is a ground-breaking milestone in AI ethics and legislation. It should come as no surprise that OpenAI's Sam Altman opposed the EU AI Act when it was initially proposed in the spring of last year, threatening to halt operations in Europe on the grounds that his business would have to enhance ChatGPT-4's security protections. There's no need to fear, though, as ChatGPT will continue to function throughout Europe. The amount of energy used by foreign and European businesses to train their AI models will need to be disclosed. By requiring openness, we will be able to learn more about the energy use of a business that uses AI technologies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n European businesses, such as Siemens of Germany and Airbus of France, have already voiced protests and worries about the Act, claiming it is overly restrictive and would stunt innovation and economic progress in the continent. European IT firms are finding it difficult to compete with US giants like OpenAI,<\/a> which have aggressively opposed regulations as previously indicated. On the political front, the European Parliament argues that, despite the current restrictions, this legislative framework would eventually result in long-term, sustainable development in innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The EU AI Act is a necessary and promising beginning for AI legal frameworks, but it is not the end all be all. The future of artificial intelligence is yet ahead of us, ideally one that is more moral, open, and always inventive. The final language of the measure may not be seen for weeks or perhaps months. Before the legislation becomes law, it must still undergo technical revisions and get approval from the EU Parliament and member states of Europe. Tech businesses have two years to put the laws into effect after they become enforceable. The six-month restriction on AI usage will go into effect, and businesses creating foundation models will have a year to comply with the rules. <\/p>\n","post_title":"Insights on the EU's new AI act: Five key points","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"insights-on-the-eus-new-ai-act-five-key-points","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7010","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":7007,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_date_gmt":"2024-05-08 21:36:52","post_content":"\n The green deal of the European Union has taken a major hit. There is a lot of pressure due to increased lobbying and protests by farmers, Brussels has backed off from key environmental goals. It includes cutting of the pesticide plan to half, spreading eco-friendly farming, lessening the emission of livestock and also banning toxic \u201cforever\u201d chemicals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The main purpose of this retreat was likely to buy time, but it hasn't had the desired effect. The next law in the line is the EU's anti-deforestation law, with 20 agriculture ministers asking for it to be scaled back or suspended, citing \"administrative burdens.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now the question is: Why is all of this happening? One major reason behind it is that the centre-right parties are worried about the rise of far-right groups ahead of the European parliamentary elections in June. But some people also think that it may be a strategic move to set a business-friendly environment, or \"brown,\" agenda for the next European Commission, similar to how the Fridays for Future and Extinction Rebellion youth protests in 2018 shaped a greener direction for the current Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The key difference points out from Pieter de Pous, the independent climate think tank E3G: \u201cUnlike with the school strikes, the Commission and EU ministers didn\u2019t even wait for the election results to come in this time. They just gave in right away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n If all of this keeps moving forward, the next casualty might be the world\u2019s forests. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Losing the EU's anti-deforestation law would be a big deal globally. This law is one of the top environmental achievements of the European Commission's president Ursula von der Leyen, and it has earned recognition and inspired similar actions outside the EU. The law requires that certain products like beef, soy, coffee, and cocoa can be traced back to their sources, especially in areas where deforestation is a problem. If a product's origins can't be verified, it's banned. The EU's consumption of these products has caused around 10% of global forest loss, so this law is crucial for tackling deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the farmers that work on a small scale in the bloc should not be bound by those protection rules that apply in Amazon, according to Europe\u2019s agriculture ministers. If Europe makes exceptions to its deforestation law, it raises some tough questions. How can the EU ban products from other countries that contribute to deforestation while allowing similar practices within its own borders? Why should other countries respect Europe's rules on protecting forests if Europe itself doesn't follow them? And how can we protect our remaining old-growth forests from the same industries that are causing deforestation elsewhere?<\/p>\n\n\n\n If the European Commission scraps this important measure, what will remain of its green deal by 2030? Not much, except for emissions cuts. Julia Christian from the forest conservation group Fern says that if President von der Leyen gives in, it would wipe out her biggest achievement in land use from the past five years. She warns that \"almost nothing is left of the green deal.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n The story behind the EU's move away from green policies is often about \"farmers with pitchforks.\" But farmers have had many different reasons for protesting, mainly focusing on three issues. First, they face a financial squeeze because their product prices are set low by retailers. Second, high input costs, fueled by commodity speculation around the Ukraine war, are eating into their profits. Third, farmers are worried that the trade deal between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc will lead to more imports from countries with lower environmental and animal health standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The biggest agribusiness trade associations are on the focal point of policymakers. Just last week, over 20 agriculture ministers sent a letter together, warning that there could be \"serious disruptions in all commodity supply chains\" to Europe if the deforestation law isn't made simpler by cutting \"red tape\" and reducing \"administrative burden.\"<\/p>\n","post_title":"EU's Green Retreat: A Win for Far Right, Disaster for Rest","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"eus-green-retreat-a-win-for-far-right-disaster-for-rest","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_modified_gmt":"2025-02-02 08:34:27","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/dctransparency.com\/?p=7007","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":6905,"post_author":"7","post_date":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_date_gmt":"2024-03-05 17:22:42","post_content":"\n European lawmakers are \"furious\" over Microsoft's new \"strategic partnership\" with French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI, citing changes to the EU AI Act that were made in response to Mistral and other firms' requests. In a significant turnabout for the start-up, the French AI champion announced its new large language model (LLM) on Monday and made it available to Azure cloud users of Microsoft. Kai Zenner, head of office and digital policy adviser for Axel Voss, an MEP from the European People's Party (EPP), said, \"On a technical and a political level in the [European] Parliament, we are extremely furious because the French government for months was making this argument of European leadership, meaning that those companies should be able to scale up without help from Chinese or US companies.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n \"They consistently accused the Parliament of creating an impractical barrier that prevents those national champions, or unicorns, from trying to compete with their international rivals,\" he said in an interview with Euronews Next. The technical elements of the EU's AI Act were recently agreed with by member states, but only after extensive talks in which France, in particular, pressed for concessions for open source businesses like Mistral. Zenner added that Mistral AI was arguing that they would be compelled to work with organizations such as Microsoft if their desires were not met. He says that because of the compromises, the laws would be \"attacked in front of courts\" and that the final version of the EU AI Act was hurried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The European Union's competition watchdog, which also started looking into Microsoft's multibillion-dollar transaction with OpenAI last month, is also planning to investigate the alliance. Given that it's unknown if Mistral AI had discussions with Microsoft during the drafting of the EU AI Act, they may also come under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\nConclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sustainability and green tech<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Orb\u00e1n's Calculated Move<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Balancing Act <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Domestic Considerations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
Scope and definition of AI<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Regulatory framework and requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Transparency and accountability measures<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ethical and societal implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Enforcement and penalties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Concerns raised by green MEPs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Mistral AI-Microsoft partnership<\/h2>\n\n\n\n