As the world economy emerges from the COVID-19 crisis, the consumption of coal is expected to recover from its sharp decline during the pandemic. Demand for coal remains strong and helps to fuel economic development in emerging markets. Yet many countries, seeking a more sustainable future, have been taking steps to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, especially coal. Obstacles to their efforts have proven difficult to overcome, not least because people who work in the coal industry depend on...

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Many of us take for granted the ability to withdraw money from our bank account, wire it to family in another country, and pay bills online.Amid the global pandemic, we’ve seen how much digital connection matters to our everyday life. But what if a cyberattack takes the bank down and a remittance doesn’t go through? As we become more reliant on digital banking and payments, the number of cyberattacks has tripled over the last decade, and financial services is the...

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The Council reaffirms the strategic importance of the European Union’s partnership with the United States of America as the world’s foremost and closest relationship, rooted in shared values and common interests, cultural and historic ties, as well as geopolitical reality. A strong transatlantic partnership is vital to ensure and to contribute to our common security, stability and prosperity. We also believe that transatlantic relations are the bedrock of the rules-based international order, reinforcing international peace and security, freedom,...

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Today the Commission adopted an Action Plan to support the recovery and transformation of the media and audiovisual sector. These sectors, particularly hit by the coronavirus crisis, are essential for democracy, Europe's cultural diversity and digital autonomy. The Action Plan focuses on three areas of activity and 10 concrete actions, to help the media sector recover from the crisis by facilitating and broadening access to finance, transform by stimulating investments to embrace the twin digital and green transitions while ensuring the sector's future resilience and empower European...

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November 26, 2020 | Governments should continue providing support to the philanthropic sector while taking steps to safeguard tax systems and ensure that the activities of philanthropic organisations continue to align with the public interest, according to a new report from the OECD. Taxation and Philanthropy reviews the tax treatment of philanthropic entities and charitable donations in 40 countries worldwide. The report points out the significant impact of philanthropy – the non-profit sector represents as much as 5% of GDP in many...

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