Source: Republic of France in English The Republic of France has issued the following statement:
Meeting in Paris on 29 October 2025 for the eighth Paris Peace Forum, 29 States endorsed a political declaration reaffirming their commitment to enhanced multilateral action for information integrity and independent media, in the presence of President Emmanuel Macron, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, Ghanaian President John Mahama and Moldovan President Maia Sandu.
On the same day, true to its commitment to press freedom and an honest, free and regulated information space, France announced the renewal of its support for the International Fund For Public Interest Media (IFPIM) for the next three years. The Fund has already supported more than 100 media organizations in 30 countries.
The Paris Declaration on Multilateral Action for Information Integrity and Independent Media forms part of the High-level International Conference on Information Integrity and Independent Media, opened by M. Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Co-organized by the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM) and the Forum on Information and Democracy (FID), the event brought together a coalition of 31 representatives of States and international organizations.
In an international context marked by the return of war to Europe, where trust in the media is being eroded and the information space is saturated with fake news, the text is a joint response to attempts to polarize.
With a strategy to fight disinformation, the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs has helped train more than 2,000 journalists to counter information manipulation more effectively and has supported the creation of two hubs, in Paris and Bucharest, for hosting around 100 exiled journalists.
Audience with members of the “Organización de Universidades Católicas de América Latina y el Caribe” (ODUCAL), 31.10.2025
This morning, in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, the Holy Father Leo XIV received in audience the members of the “Organización de Universidades Católicas de América Latina y el Caribe” (ODUCAL) on the occasion of their pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Education.
The following is the Pope’s address to those present during the meeting:
Greeting of the Holy Father
In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Peace be with you!
Good morning to you all, and welcome. I will try to go a little quickly, because I would like to greet everyone personally. In this way, we can also share a moment of fraternity, in the context of this Jubilee, of your presence here in Rome.
I greet the President of the Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean, Father Anderson Antonio Pedroso, S.J. – welcome – and all the members of ODUCAL who, performing different roles, serve the educational mission of the Church.
Your pilgrimage to Rome for the Jubilee of the World of Education is a visible sign of the bonds of collaboration and affection that should characterize your Organization. You are aware that among the aims of this network of more than one hundred institutions is the advancement of Catholic higher education and service to society, creating spaces for encounter between faith and culture, in order to proclaim the Gospel in the university environment.
This pilgrimage together speaks volumes, because it expresses the very mission for which the university was born in the Catholic Church: to be an “incomparable centre of creativity and dissemination of knowledge for the good of humanity”,[1] in which “the united endeavour of intelligence and faith will enable people to come to the full measure of their humanity”.[2]
Nowadays, the Catholic university – as Pope Francis affirmed – continues to be one of the best tools the Church offers to our age, and it is the expression of the love that inspires every action of the Church: that is, God’s love for the human person.[3]
Since the very origins of university life in Latin America, the Church has been a driving force in education. The first universities of the continent – such as Santo Domingo, San Marcos de Lima, México, and many others – were established on the initiative of bishops, religious and missionaries convinced that proclaiming Jesus Christ, “the Way and the Truth and the Life” (Jn 14:6) “is an integral part of the Christian salvific message”.[4]
The universities you represent, moved by the same conviction, “are called to become ‘pathways of the mind towards God’”, thus embodying the Catholic identity that must distinguish them. The proposal of Catholic higher education is none other than to seek the integral development of the human person, forming minds with critical thinking skills, hearts of faith and citizens committed to the common good. And all this with excellence, competence and professionalism.
You are well aware of the challenges facing education today. With creativity, and in the knowledge that grace sustains us, advancing the mission entrusted to you by the Church.
I thank all of you for your efforts and your work in carrying out this major task, and I commend you to the Virgin Mary, Seat of Wisdom, so that, like her, you may always be docile to the action of Him who is Wisdom itself, Jesus Christ our Lord. May God bless you. Thank you very much.
Let us pray, as Jesus taught:
Our Father…
[Blessing]
[1] St. John Paul II, Apostolic Constitution Ex Corde Eclesiae, 1
[2] Ibid.,5.
[3] Francis, Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to a Delegation of the International Federation of Catholic Universitites, 19 January 2024.
[4] Francis. Address to Participants in the Plenary Assembly of the Congregation for Catholic Education (for Educational Institutions), 20 February 2020.
Question for oral answer O-000037/2025 to the Council Rule 142 João Oliveira, Rudi Kennes, Pernando Barrena Arza, Estrella Galán, Danilo Della Valle, Isabel Serra Sánchez, Irene Montero, Lynn Boylan, Martin Günther, Jonas Sjöstedt, Hanna Gedin on behalf of the The Left Group
On 4 October 2024, the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) were announced in Joined Cases C-778/21 P and C-798/21 P[1] and Joined Cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P[2]. The CJEU judgments dismissed the appeals brought by the Commission and the Council against the judgments of the General Court of 29 September 2021 (in Case T-279/19[3] and Joined Cases T-344/19 and T-356/19[4]) concerning the trade agreements between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco, which had declared the respective trade agreements to be null and void.
The judgments reiterate that the Polisario Front is ‘a privileged interlocutor in the process conducted under the auspices of the United Nations with a view to determining the future status of Western Sahara… the decisions of which are binding on all the EU Member States and institutions’.
They also state that the implementation of any agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco concerning the territory of Western Sahara must receive the consent of the people of Western Sahara and their legitimate representatives, as their right to self-determination would be violated otherwise.
Recent reports suggest that the Commission is preparing to apply an agreement that does not override the CJEU rulings, introducing the notion of ‘presumed consent’.
The agreements, concluded that disregard the CJEU rulings, have deprived the Sahrawi people of access to their resources, which have been illegally exploited by Morocco, creating losses for which they must be compensated.
In the light of the CJEU judgments, we ask the Council:
1.Has the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, participated in the trade negotiations, as required by CJEU rulings?
2.Does the Council plan to negotiate with the Polisario Front regarding compensation for the losses resulting from the trade agreements between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco?
3.What measures will be taken in order to respect and to fulfil the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, in line with UN resolutions?
Submitted: 29.10.2025
Lapses: 30.1.2026
[1] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 4⁰October 2024, European Commission and Council of the European Union v Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario), Joined Cases C-778/21 P and C-798/21 P, ECLI:EU:C:2024:833.
[2] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 4 October 2024, European Commission and Council of the European Union v Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario), Joined Cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P, ECLI:EU:C:2024:835.
[3] Judgment of the General Court of 29⁰September 2021, Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario) v Council of the European Union, Case T-279/19, ECLI:EU:T:2021:639.
[4] Judgment of the General Court of 29⁰September 2021, Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario) v Council of the European Union, Joined Cases T-344/19 and T-356/19, ECLI:EU:T:2021:640.
Question for oral answer O-000038/2025 to the Commission Rule 142 João Oliveira, Rudi Kennes, Pernando Barrena Arza, Estrella Galán, Danilo Della Valle, Isabel Serra Sánchez, Irene Montero, Lynn Boylan, Martin Günther, Jonas Sjöstedt, Hanna Gedin on behalf of the The Left Group
On 4 October 2024, the judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) were announced in Joined Cases C-778/21 P and C-798/21 P[1] and Joined Cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P[2]. The CJEU judgments dismissed the appeals brought by the Commission and the Council against the judgments of the General Court of 29 September 2021 (in Case T-279/19[3] and Joined Cases T-344/19 and T-356/19[4]) concerning the trade agreements between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco, which had declared the respective trade agreements to be null and void.
The judgments reiterate that the Polisario Front is ‘a privileged interlocutor in the process conducted under the auspices of the United Nations with a view to determining the future status of Western Sahara… the decisions of which are binding on all the EU Member States and institutions’.
They also state that the implementation of any agreement between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco concerning the territory of Western Sahara must receive the consent of the people of Western Sahara and their legitimate representatives, as their right to self-determination would be violated otherwise.
Recent reports suggest that the Commission is preparing to apply an agreement that does not override the CJEU rulings, introducing the notion of ‘presumed consent’.
The agreements, concluded that disregard the CJEU rulings, have deprived the Sahrawi people of access to their resources, which have been illegally exploited by Morocco, creating losses for which they must be compensated.
In the light of the CJEU judgments, we ask the Commission:
1.Has the Polisario Front, the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people, participated in the trade negotiations, as required by CJEU rulings?
2.Does the Commission plan to negotiate with the Polisario Front regarding compensation for the losses resulting from the trade agreements between the EU and the Kingdom of Morocco?
3.What measures will be taken in order to respect and to fulfil the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination, in line with UN resolutions?
Submitted: 29.10.2025
Lapses: 30.1.2026
[1] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 4 October 2024, European Commission and Council of the European Union v Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario), Joined Cases C-778/21 P and C-798/21 P, ECLI:EU:C:2024:833.
[2] Judgment of the Court of Justice of 4 October 2024, European Commission and Council of the European Union v Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario), Joined Cases C-779/21 P and C-799/21 P, ECLI:EU:C:2024:835.
[3] Judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021, Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario) v Council of the European Union, Case T-279/19, ECLI:EU:T:2021:639.
[4] Judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021, Front populaire pour la libération de la Saguia el-Hamra et du Rio de oro (Front Polisario) v Council of the European Union, Joined Cases T-344/19 and T-356/19, ECLI:EU:T:2021:640.
Question for written answer E-004188/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Dario Nardella (S&D)
In recent weeks, there have been reports in the press about an alleged financial and trade scandal involving the Tunisian company Bioliva Med Company – Tunisia’s main exporter of olive oil to the EU – and the Spanish group Borges Agricultural & Industrial Edible Oils. According to the investigations[1], Bioliva has accumulated debts of more than EUR 170 million and engaged in irregular speculative and payment practices, allowing goods to be exported at unusually low prices. These dynamics have triggered a steep drop in the price of Tunisian oil, which has fallen to EUR 2.8/kg, disrupting the market and undermining the stability of Europe’s olive sector. They have also eroded consumer protection as regards the origin and quality of the product.
In view of the above:
1.Is the Commission aware of these reports and, if so, what follow-up actions has it taken?
2.Does it intend to assess the impact of these practices on the European market and producers? If necessary, will it take measures to step up controls and increase transparency surrounding third-country imports?
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing PRECISIS GmbH with a venture loan of €20 million.
EIB financing to support the further development and international expansion of EASEE® – a minimally invasive neurostimulation therapy that is transforming the lives of people with drug-resistant epilepsy.
The EIB’s financing is backed under the European Commission’s InvestEU initiative
PRECISIS GmbH, a leading Heidelberg-based MedTech company specializing in neuromodulation, has secured €20 million in financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB). The venture debt loan will be used to advance clinical development and prepare for market expansion, as well as scaling up production and enabling greater market access across Europe.
“Innovative breakthroughs being delivered by PRECISIS’ therapy are transforming the lives of epilepsy patients and their families – offering new hope and real freedom where once there was uncertainty. With €20 million of EIB venture debt financing, we are pleased to back PRECISIS and this pioneering work developed in Heidelberg and across Europe. This partnership shows how targeted European innovation investment drives progress in medical research, that can help millions across Europe and the world to lead healthier, fuller lives.” said Nicola Beer, Vice President of the European Investment Bank.
“This financing from the European Investment Bank is a strong endorsement of our platform and vision. It marks a pivotal moment in our growth. With the first wave of funding secured, we are now actively engaging with investors to complete our series B round and accelerate our expansion first to other European countries and then the U.S. market. The opportunity for co-investors to join at this stage – ahead of global expansion – is extremely promising,” says Karl Stoklosa, CEO of PRECISIS.
Dr. med. Angela Liedler, founder of PRECISIS, adds: “The partnership with the European Investment Bank is a milestone not just for PRECISIS, but for the broader vision we’ve pursued since day one: to bring meaningful innovation to patients who need it most. I’m proud and grateful to see how it now empowers the next chapter of growth and international impact.”
From concept to market-ready technology
PRECISIS’ journey in neurostimulation started in 2014 led by Dr. med Angela Liedler in Heidelberg. Drawing from her clinical experience, she recognized that many people with focal epilepsy do not achieve sufficient seizure control despite medication. Together with an interdisciplinary team of neurologists, engineers, and physicists, she developed the concept of a precise, reversible, and patient-friendly neurostimulation – targeted and without touching the brain.
The result of this pioneering work is EASEE®, a novel, low-invasive implant placed under the scalp that delivers targeted electrical pulses to epileptogenic brain regions. Unlike traditional deep brain stimulation or vagus nerve stimulation, EASEE® stimulates affected areas from above the skull – customizable to each patient and with significantly lower risk.
Proven efficacy and European market success
Recent clinical data (Schulze-Bonhage A. et al., Epilepsia, 2025) demonstrate the high efficacy of the system: 65% of patients reduced their seizures by at least half, median seizure frequency decreased by 68%, and 81% continued therapy after two years.
EASEE® has been CE-certified since 2022 and is now actively used in six European countries, including Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Italy. Spain is set to follow shortly. With over 150 patients implanted to date, PRECISIS has crossed a key market threshold and laid the foundation for international rollout.
“Our ability to reach clinical centres and patients across Europe today is the result of years of research and close collaboration between medicine, technology, and industry – driven by an interdisciplinary team that not only develops innovation but successfully brings it into clinical practice,” says Stoklosa.
European financing strengthens MedTech innovation
The EIB venture debt loan has been designed to financing research-intensive companies with high societal and economic potential, including reinforcing the European MedTech sector in a globally competitive environment.
Earlier this year the EIB Group launched TechEU accelerate innovation, providing €70 billion in financing between 2025 and 2027. By leveraging this support, TechEU aims to unlock up to €250 billion in investment for high-impact sectors including life sciences, cleantech, and digital technologies across Europe.
The market for neurostimulation systems is considered one of the fastest-growing segments in the MedTech industry. Globally, around 15 million people are affected by focal epilepsy, with approximately one-third not responding adequately to medication. For these patients, EASEE® offers a new therapeutic perspective – and for Europe, a leading role in a multi-billion-dollar market.
Milestones and Future Perspectives
Since the birth of EASEE® in 2014, PRECISIS has achieved a number of significant milestones: CE certification in 2022, successful establishment in several European markets, the leadership transition to Karl Stoklosa in 2024, and the start of clinical expansion into the UK and Italy in 2025.
The company’s innovative strength has also been recognized with several high-profile awards – including the Shark Tank Prize from the American Epilepsy Foundation, the Innovation BW Award in 2023, and the Health-i Award in 2024. In addition, PRECISIS was selected to join the 2025 MedTech Accelerator cohort, further underscoring its potential for global impact and scalable innovation.
With the newly secured capital from Luxembourg, the company is now driving its growth strategy forward – with a clear focus on international regulatory approvals and access to the U.S. market.
Background information
PRECISIS GmbH
PRECISIS GmbH is an innovative medical technology company based in Heidelberg, specializing in neuromodulatory therapies for the treatment of neurological disorders. Since its founding in 2004, PRECISIS has combined engineering excellence with medical expertise and a deep understanding of the needs of both patients and physicians. With EASEE®, the first CE-certified, low invasive neurostimulation system for the treatment of drug-resistant focal epilepsy, PRECISIS is setting new standards in personalized neurotherapy.
European Investment Bank
Over the last 5 years the EIB Group has provided more than EUR 22 billion for life science and health investment. EIB backed investment enabled an estimated 14.9 million people to access better health services in 2024 alone.
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.
Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers.Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable economy. It helps generate additional investments in line with EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal, the digital transition and support for small and medium-sized enterprises. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient, and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. This guarantee increases their risk-bearing capacity, thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.
High-quality, up-to-date photos of the EIB’s headquarters for media use are available here.
Supporting materials for the press conference can be found here.
Question for written answer E-004179/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Eleonora Meleti (PPE)
On 18 October 2025, the British Museum organised a charity dinner in the hall where the Parthenon Marbles are exhibited. The use of the Marbles as a backdrop for a social event provoked a strong reaction from the Greek Ministry of Culture, which described the action as offensive to a world heritage site.
In accordance with Article 6 and Article 167(3) and (4) TFEU, the European Union shall encourage cooperation between Member States and contribute to the promotion of international cultural relations. The Council of the EU, in its conclusions of April 2019, highlighted the need to strengthen cultural cooperation with partner countries. At the same time, the dialogue between Greece and the United Kingdom on the return of the Parthenon Marbles has been rekindled within the framework of the relevant UNESCO procedures.
In view of the above:
1.Does the Commission intend to put pressure on the United Kingdom and/or the British Museum to prevent similar actions in the future?
2.What initiatives is the Commission considering to strengthen the EU’s role in the management, protection and possible return of cultural goods to the Member States from which they originate?
3.How does the Commission intend to use the ‘Cultural Compass’ to promote respect for and good management of European cultural heritage in relations with non-EU countries?
Question for written answer E-004160/2025/rev.1 to the Commission Rule 144 Tomáš Zdechovský (PPE)
Regulation (EU) 528/2012 concerning the making available on the market and use of biocidal products (Biocidal Products Regulation – BPR) was adopted with the aim of protecting human health and the environment from the harmful effects of biocidal substances. However, its current wording often fails to reflect rapid technological developments in filtration materials and technologies that do not use chemical biocides, but are nevertheless effective in capturing and inactivating microorganisms.
As a result, innovative companies developing safe and scientifically proven technologies with a physical effect (e.g., permanent electrostatic charge or ‘NanoFlashing’) face severe restrictions in their ability to market and advertise. Although these products can be sold legally as harmless to health, any mention of their effectiveness against microorganisms is considered a violation of the BPR, even though it does not rely on a chemical reaction, but a physical process.
In light of the above:
1.Is the Commission considering revising Regulation (EU) 528/2012 to take account of new scientific findings and allow innovative technologies with physical effects to be placed on the market without unnecessary legal restrictions?
2.Does the Commission plan to expand or clarify the definition of ‘biocidal effect’ so that the physical inactivation of microorganisms is clearly distinguished from the chemical action of biocides?
Question for written answer E-004185/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Milan Zver (PPE)
According to a judgment of the General Court of the EU of 18 June 2025, the Commission illegally concealed part of a memo drafted by Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová ahead of her visit to Slovenia in March 2023. The third point of the memo states that, at her meeting with the President of Slovenia’s Constitutional Court, Matej Accetto, Jourová should ‘seek an opportunity to verify [his] views on the new Radio-Television Slovenia Act’, which was still under review by the court at the time. Following that visit, the Constitutional Court suddenly changed its previous approach, contrary to established practice, and allowed the law to be implemented even before it had ruled on its constitutionality and without any intervening changes in circumstances.
Already at the time, a number of constitutional lawyers warned publicly that the decision raised serious procedural and substantive issues. This led to extensive staff changes at the public broadcaster RTV Slovenia, including the dismissal of journalists and editors and the appointment of individuals who were close to the government of the day.
In view of the above, I would like to ask the Commission:
1.Does it consider such an instruction to exceed the authority or be an abuse of the position of Vice-President of the Commission?
2.How does it intend to take action against an individual or former Commissioner in such cases?
3.What systemic measures will it take to prevent such political interference in Member States’ judicial proceedings in future?
Question for written answer E-004184/2025 to the Commission Rule 144 Benedetta Scuderi (Verts/ALE), Saskia Bricmont (Verts/ALE), Cristina Guarda (Verts/ALE), Lena Schilling (Verts/ALE), Majdouline Sbai (Verts/ALE), Nikos Pappas (The Left), Christine Singer (Renew), Giorgio Gori (S&D), Letizia Moratti (PPE), Sara Matthieu (Verts/ALE), Annalisa Corrado (S&D), Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (S&D), Sirpa Pietikäinen (PPE), David Cormand (Verts/ALE), Anthony Smith (The Left), Bas Eickhout (Verts/ALE), Marina Mesure (The Left), Damien Carême (The Left), Raphaël Glucksmann (S&D)
Under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR)[1], the Joint Research Centre is conducting a preparatory study on iron and steel products, in advance of a possible delegated act in the future. The study assesses the environmental performance of steelmaking to define its performance and information requirements, including methods for labelling embodied carbon and creating performance classes to promote low-carbon steel markets.
Meanwhile, the forthcoming industrial decarbonisation accelerator act is expected to introduce voluntary labels for intermediate products, starting with steel. Among the labelling methodologies that were evaluated, the sliding-scale approach has emerged as the preferred option. However, indexing performance thresholds to scrap content risks penalising scrap use and discouraging circularity in steelmaking.
1.What measures is the Commission taking to ensure coherence between the industrial decarbonisation accelerator act’s labelling framework and the ongoing standardisation of intermediate products under the ESPR?
2.Is the Commission aware that the sliding scale disproportionately and uncompetitively benefits primary steelmaking, discourages scrap use and is bound to increase production costs?
3.Does the Commission recognise that the sliding-scale approach undermines the competitiveness of EU secondary steelmakers, who already rely on scrap, by incentivising greater use of primary raw materials, thereby raising emissions and costs?