Latest news with #EuropeanParliament
Euractiv
4 hours ago
- Health
- Euractiv
A vaccine against cancer – but not for everyone
Some EU countries are beating HPV-related cancers, but others fail to provide life-saving measures. When Kim Hulscher sits upright at a table, her right leg swells. This is a lasting effect of lymphedema, a common cancer-related condition she developed after her cervical cancer treatment. 'I have to buy shoes that are twice my size because my foot won't fit into normal ones,' she says. Now, more than a decade after her diagnosis, she is speaking at the European Parliament during a conference titled 'Accelerating Progress Towards the EU's Goal of Eliminating HPV Cancers,' hosted by the European Cancer Organisation and the vice-chair of the Health Committee, Tilly Metz. Hulscher is there as co-chair of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology – and as a cancer survivor committed to helping spare others what she went through. Hulscher's cervical cancer, like many others, was caused by a type of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which can often be prevented through vaccination and detected early through screening. Far from elimination Yet Europe is still far from stopping these cancers. According to the World Health Organization, cervical cancer elimination means reducing incidence to fewer than four cases per 100,000 women. The most optimistic projections suggest that Europe could achieve this goal by 2050. In 2022, the ratio stood at 56 per 100,000 across the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Around 130,000 women were newly diagnosed, and 14,000 died. HPV-linked head and neck cancers also remain significant causes of mortality. In 2022, 86,000 people were diagnosed, 74% of them men. These cancers caused about 26,000 deaths across the region. Vaccination at a young age is the most effective way to prevent such deaths. Once sexually active, HPV infection is nearly unavoidable. 'It is as contagious as a cold,' said Hulscher. Another participant put it more vividly: 'HPV is like glitter – it gets everywhere: in your car, in your pockets. So it doesn't have to be penetrative sex to catch it.' Often, HPV infections clear up on their own without causing lasting damage, and only about a dozen of the over 200 known HPV types are cancer-causing. However, the only sure way to avoid infection with these is to live like a nun or a monk. Last year, the European Council adopted recommendations urging countries to fully vaccinate at least 90% of girls and significantly increase uptake among boys. All EU member states now offer gender-neutral vaccination. Only five EEA countries – Portugal, Sweden, Cyprus, Iceland, and Norway – have reached the 90% coverage target for girls. 'There is a lot of work to be done,' said Karam Adel, principal expert at the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. He also noted a 'huge disparity between West and East,' with some countries reporting female coverage well below 50%. The price of inaction According to conference participants, vaccine scepticism, limited registries, and underfunded national vaccination programmes remain major roadblocks. The benefits of prevention, however, are not only medical but also financial. In a study involving six European countries (Romania, Poland, France, Austria, the Netherlands, and Germany), Maarten J. Postma, professor of medical sciences and an expert in health economics, estimated potential savings of €2.75 billion between 2030 and 2060. All it would take is for these countries to reach the 90% HPV vaccination target by 2030, along with WHO-recommended screening and treatment goals. 'We should conceive vaccination – and prevention in general – not as a cost but rather as an investment,' said Postma. Still, awareness remains low. "Consistently, studies show that whether it's children, young adults, or parents, people are unaware of the consequences of HPV infections," said Adel. He also stressed the importance of ongoing screening, even for those who are vaccinated, as vaccines do not cover all high-risk HPV types. Metz echoed the call for stronger education. "To truly eliminate HPV, we need progressive, inclusive, and scientifically accurate education – because empowering young people with knowledge is one of the most effective forms of prevention," she said. (de)
Express Tribune
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
France's culture minister to be tried on corruption charges
France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of corruption and abuse of power while she was a European Parliament member, a judicial source told AFP on Tuesday. Dati, a high-profile minister who holds ambitions to become Paris mayor next year, was placed under investigation in 2019 on suspicion she lobbied for the Renault-Nissan car group while at the European Union institution. French investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chairman and chief executive, be tried, a judicial source said. Ghosn, 71, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has rejected the charges against him. Dati, 59, also denies the allegations, and lashed out at some of the investigating magistrates on her case, accusing them of "trampling" on her rights. "I condemn magistrates who refuse to do their job according to the code of procedure," she told news channel LCI, denouncing what she called a case "marred by incidents". "I will not give up, on anything," added Dati, who is mayor of the French capital's seventh district, home to most French ministries, the country's parliament and many foreign embassies. Dati is accused of accepting 900,000 euros ($1 million) in lawyer's fees between 2010 and 2012 from a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Renault-Nissan, but not working for them, while she was an MEP from 2009 to 2019. Her lawyers told AFP they would appeal the decision to place her on trial. Dati, a daughter of working-class North African immigrants, has accused enemies of "trying to attack me over my private life". A powerful political player who was justice minister under right-wing leader Nicolas Sarkozy from 2007 to 2009, Dati will remain in the government, said an associate of President Emmanuel Macron. "The president has taken note of the decision to refer Rachida Dati to the criminal court. As a referral is not a conviction, she will continue her work," said the associate, speaking on condition of anonymity. Investigations have sought to determine whether she carried out banned lobbying for the carmaker at the European Parliament. Initially placed under the more favourable status of assisted witness — a step before being indicted — in 2019, Dati was charged in 2021.
Ya Biladi
8 hours ago
- Business
- Ya Biladi
Rachida Dati and Carlos Ghosn to stand trial for corruption and influence peddling
After a six-year investigation, Rachida Dati and Carlos Ghosn will face trial. On Tuesday, July 22, two investigating judges ordered them to stand trial on charges of corruption, influence peddling, and breach of trust, according to Le Monde. At the time in question, Rachida Dati was serving as a Member of the European Parliament. Between 2010 and 2012, she received €900,000 in fees from Renault-Nissan, routed through its Dutch subsidiary. Dati maintains the payments were for legal services she provided to the group. However, investigators are questioning the legitimacy of the work she claims to have performed. France's financial prosecutor has described the payments as «disproportionate and undue», and considers the contract «a legal front used to conceal the corrupt arrangement». Carlos Ghosn, then CEO of Renault-Nissan, has defended the decision to hire Dati, calling her «an asset for Renault in brand promotion and business diplomacy efforts in Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, and Iran». He claims it was Dati who «offered her services» to the company. The former French justice minister denies any wrongdoing. She told investigators her work was legitimate: «I had a legal contract with Renault-Nissan for work in non-EU countries. My mission was in no way affected by debates in the European Parliament», she said, adding, «A lawyer cannot be a lobbyist». However, the judges found a clear conflict of interest, noting that Dati «never informed» the European Parliament of her private consultancy, despite speaking publicly on automotive-related topics during her term. Despite being referred for trial, Dati remains in her government post. A source close to President Emmanuel Macron stated, «A referral is not a conviction, she continues her duties». The first court hearing is scheduled for late September. Dati, who is also running for mayor of Paris, faces the possibility of a disqualification sentence. Carlos Ghosn, meanwhile, remains in Lebanon. Subject to international arrest warrants, he told Le Monde: «If I were allowed to leave Lebanese territory, any country would arrest me and hand me over to Japanese authorities». He added, «I'm the man they want to bring down».
NZ Herald
10 hours ago
- Politics
- NZ Herald
The charges date back to when Rachida Dati was a European MP and allege she accepted lawyer's fees
French Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of corruption and abuse of power while she was a European Parliament member. Photo / Mohammed Badra, pool, AFP Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. The charges date back to when Rachida Dati was a European MP and allege she accepted lawyer's fees French Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of corruption and abuse of power while she was a European Parliament member. Photo / Mohammed Badra, pool, AFP France's Culture Minister Rachida Dati is to go on trial accused of corruption and abuse of power while she was a European Parliament member, a judicial source told AFP. Dati, a high-profile minister who holds ambitions to become Paris mayor next year, was placed under investigation in 2019 on suspicion she lobbied for the Renault-Nissan car group while at the European Union institution. French investigating magistrates also ordered that Carlos Ghosn, the former Renault-Nissan chairman and chief executive, be tried, a judicial source said. Ghosn, 71, who has been living in Lebanon for years after escaping arrest in Japan, has rejected the charges against him. Dati, 59, also denies the allegations, and lashed out at some of the investigating magistrates on her case, accusing them of 'trampling' on her rights.
El Chorouk
10 hours ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Right Demands EU Halt Negotiations With Algeria!
European MP and second-in-command of France's right-wing 'Les Républicains' party, François-Xavier Bellamy, revealed that the silence surrounding Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau for weeks, as he stopped attacking Algeria, was a result of a request from French authorities, hoping for Sansal's release. He also revealed that Retailleau would meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to clarify matters regarding the management of the crisis with Algeria. François-Xavier Bellamy stated: 'The Interior Minister, and generally in the European Parliament (…), were asked to remain silent (regarding Algeria), otherwise the fate of Boualem Sansal's release would be risked, which we were informed was imminent.' This is the second such statement in less than a week from 'Les Républicains,' following the tense statements made by party leader Bruno Retailleau last weekend. The French Interior Minister had announced the end of the undeclared truce with Algeria last Friday, when he said in press statements: 'The diplomacy of good intentions has failed… We must change our tone and rely on the balance of power chosen by the Algerian government itself,' he claimed. As symbols of the French right freed themselves from the political constraints imposed on them in dealing with Algeria, the threads of the conspiracy against Algeria from within the European Parliament began to unravel. On Monday evening, the vice-president of 'Les Républicains' demanded, in a statement to Agence France-Presse (AFP), that the European Union make the release of French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal a 'fundamental condition' for the negotiations expected to begin soon between Algeria and Brussels. Like his party leader, the European MP strongly criticized his country's stance in dealing with the escalating crisis with Algeria, considering it 'negative,' noting that: 'What we are witnessing are the consequences of a form of submission (of France to Algeria),' while commenting on the positions of the Élysée Palace and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, saying that they preferred to return to 'a position of surrender and negativity, which will contribute to tarnishing France's reputation, not only before Algeria, but on the international stage in general.' It is known that Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot did not delay much in responding to Bruno Retailleau's demands. He expressed his complete rejection of what his government colleague said in a tweet on the 'X' platform, which read: 'There is no diplomacy of good feelings, nor diplomacy of resentment. There is only diplomacy.' Although he did not target Retailleau by name, the response was clear to the phrase 'the diplomacy of good intentions has failed.' Based on the statement by the European MP from 'Les Républicains,' Retailleau will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday to discuss the position the French government should adopt, given the Algerian side's adherence to the sovereignty of judicial decisions in Sansal's case, and thus its rejection of repeated French demands in this regard. The leader of 'Les Républicains,' who also holds the portfolio of the Ministry of Interior, demands the use of a balance of power logic with Algeria, due to the issue of migrants and the cancellation or revision of the 1968 agreement. These demands are rejected by the French President and the Foreign Minister, who consider them outside the Interior Minister's powers, which puts Retailleau's future in François Bayrou's government at a real test.
