The summer break is also making its presence felt in Brussels, which gives us a great opportunity to delve into the topic of blue hydrogen with a fresh perspective. This cleaner fuel is poised to play a crucial role in the EU’s transition towards a more climate-friendly industrial sector. Our energy expert, Manuel Berkel, breaks down what blue hydrogen is all about, outlining its key components and the challenges it faces. As it stands, there are concerns about potential dependencies.
Another pressing issue is whether Russian and Belarusian spies could potentially enter the EU through Hungary without much scrutiny. This concern has caught the attention of the European People’s Party (EPP). Some top Christian Democrat leaders have addressed this issue in a letter to European Council President Charles Michel. The trigger for this worry is Budapest’s decision to extend special labor rules to Russian and Belarusian citizens, allowing them to enter Hungary – and thus the EU – with just a job offer and health insurance. You’ll find the European Commission’s response to this matter in our News.
Additionally, we introduce you to Milad Tabesch from the “Ruhrpott for Europe” initiative. Together with his team, which includes both volunteers and full-time staff, he visits schools to bring the EU closer to students. This project particularly targets audiences outside of grammar schools.
To convert the industry to hydrogen, a large proportion will initially come from the reforming of natural gas with subsequent Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – i.e. from blue hydrogen. The EU Commission is currently working on a delegated act to precisely define low-carbon hydrogen. The report “Low-carbon hydrogen in the EU” by Agora Industrie and Agora Energiewende sheds light on which levers are crucial from a climate protection perspective. The results are summarized in four theses:
Thesis #1: Blue hydrogen is but a low-carbon fuel
In contrast to green hydrogen, the term blue hydrogen is often used. However, the EU Gas Market Directive regulates low-carbon fuels and, according to Agora, these include more than blue hydrogen and its derivatives:
Electricity-based fuels are a by-product from the electrolysis of green hydrogen (RFNBO = renewable fuels of non-biological origin). If the criteria for the production of RFNBO are not met at times – for example, concurrence with green electricity generation – this hydrogen cannot be marketed as green, but it can be marketed as low-carbon. Many Agora proposals are aimed at securing competitive advantages for these fuels.
Bio-based fuels: Like fossil methane, biogas and biomethane can serve as a starting product for hydrogen. Although the former are renewable energies, the H2 obtained from them is not based on electricity and is therefore not an RFNBO.
Pink hydrogen is also produced by electrolysis, but the electricity comes from nuclear power. It is not mentioned in the Agora study, but is being heavily promoted by France and like-minded EU countries.
According to the Gas Market Directive, a 70% reduction in CO2 compared to a reference value for fossil fuels is decisive for the designation “low-carbon”. The greenhouse gas effect over 100 years (GWP100) is taken into account.
Thesis #2: Blue hydrogen creates new dependencies
Which countries can supply blue hydrogen to the European Union depends above all on whether they can comply with the EU limit value for greenhouse gas emissions. “The main European suppliers of fossil gases – with the exception of Norway – are currently a long way from reducing methane and CO2 emissions to the point where the fossil gas supplied to Europe can be used to produce low-carbon hydrogen”, writes Agora.
The current policy for blue hydrogen poses a “significant risk to Europe’s future energy security“. Algeria and the USA, for example, are currently unable to supply low-carbon hydrogen.
For Agora, however, this is no reason to soften the limit value. The think tank even wants to tightenit by 2050 in order to stimulate the development of cleaner technologies. In the USA, two plants for Auto Thermal Reforming (ATR) of natural gas are being planned, which capture more than 95% of the CO2 instead of just 60% as is the case today. With new capture technologies, some countries could already comply with the EU limit value by 2030 – albeit at a higher cost.
Thesis #3: Blue hydrogen is not readily available
According to Agora, the bottleneck for low-carbon hydrogen from natural gas will be pipelines and storage facilities for CO2. Many projects are still at an early stage and the planning processes for CO2 infrastructure are still underdeveloped. “This suggests that fossil-based hydrogen production processes will not be able to fill the immediate gap created by the slower-than-expected uptake of renewable hydrogen”, the report states.
Instead, the EU should channel more investment into electrolysis. “By the mid-2030s, electrolyzers should be producing either renewable or low-carbon hydrogen in continuous operation almost everywhere in Europe”, says the report, describing the wishes of investors who do not just want to run their plants during those hours when there is a lot of wind and solar power in the grid.
However, because many countries will still generate a large proportion of their electricity from coal and natural gas in the coming years, Agora wants to introduce strict requirements for the electricity that can be used for electrolysis-based, low-carbon hydrogen. In its delegated act, the EU Commission should therefore focus solely on the CO2 emissions of the price-setting power plant and not on annual average values. Agora hopes that this will result in even more investment in renewable energies.
Thesis #4: Bio-based hydrogen is not a good alternative
According to Agora, hydrogen from biogas or biomethane is not competitive. In certain cases, however, it could still be attractive for producers to mixit with other low-carbon fuels. It would open up another option for the industry to produce sufficient quantities of low-carbon hydrogen in the first place.
However, the think tank speaks of “perverse incentives” if the EU were to allowthe blending of different fuels: “This would divert increasingly scarce bioenergy resources away from less subsidized, high-value uses (e.g. as a raw material in industrial value chains), which would run counter to the EU’s net-zero path.”
Only biogas from waste and residual materials should therefore be permitted for the production of low-carbon fuels. In addition, leakages for biogas and biomethane stillneed to be regulated.
Grüner Wasserstoff
Klima & Umwelt
Translation missing.
News
EPP raises security concerns about Hungarian entry regulations
Hungarian special rules for guest workers from Russia and Belarus are causing outrage in the EPP. In view of the geopolitical context of EU relations with Russia and Belarus, such a mechanism is highly questionable and raises very serious security concerns, wrote top representatives of the European Christian Democrats to EU Council President Charles Michel, including Manfred Weber.
The approach could create serious loopholes for espionage activities and allow a large number of Russians to enter Hungary and the border-free Schengen area with minimal surveillance. Specifically, the leading representatives of the EPP are calling on the EU Council President to examine the situation and have it discussed at the next EU summit.
The aim must be to take strict measures to protect the integrity of the Schengen area, to limit the security risk that has already arisen and to prevent other member states from taking similar initiatives in the future, according to the letter, which is available to the German Press Agency.
EU Commission announces review
Hungary has had special rules for guest workers for some time now. However, they previously only applied to Ukrainians and Serbs and were only extended this month to include people from Russia and its partner country Belarus. According to the regulation, guest workers can come for two years and then have their stay extended for three years at a time, as often as they wish. They are allowed to work in any profession they wish. However, in order to benefit from the regulation, they must prove that they have a job, accommodation, and health insurance in Hungary.
The EU Commission announced that it would seek contact with the Hungarian authorities in order to obtain further information on the special regulation. Russia is considered a security threat to the EU, said a spokeswoman in Brussels.
She emphasized that Hungary is obliged to always check whether persons entering from third countries meet all the conditions set out in Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code. This includes not only the possession of a visa or a valid residence permit, but also the condition that the person must not be the subject of an alertfor refusal of entry by other states in the Schengen Information System. dpa
EU-Gipfel
Russland
AI Act: How developers should shape the code of conduct for GPAI
The European Commission is launching a two-pronged process to develop the first Code of Conduct for general-purpose AI. The European AI Office is calling for expressions of interest in contributing to this code and is conducting a comprehensive consultation on trustworthygeneral-purpose AI (GPAI) models in parallel.
The code of conduct is intended to ensure that providers of general-purpose AI models meet the requirements of the new AI Act. The AI Act comes into force on Aug. 1, 2024. It regulates the use and development of AI to ensure safety, transparency and copyright protection. Providers must update technical documentation, provide information and comply with copyright guidelines.
Civil society and industry involved
Interested parties, including AI model providers, industry organizations and civil society groups, can expresstheir interest in participating in the Code of Conduct until Aug. 25, 2024 . This elaboration will take place in four working groups focusing on transparency, risk assessment, risk mitigation and internal risk management. A plenum will lead the process and coordinate the working groups’ drafts.
In parallel, a consultation is running to collect input from stakeholders on trustworthy AI models. This consultation is open until Sept. 10, 2024. It aims to include diverse perspectives in the Code of Conduct. The consultation results will feed directly into the drafting process of the working groups. Contributions can be submitted online and should answer specific questions on transparency, copyright and risk management.
The Code of Conduct is being developed in an iterative process and should be completed by April 2025. The EU Commission will evaluate the code and approve it if necessary. Otherwise, it will issue rules to implement the obligations. This two-pronged approach is intended to ensure that the Code of Conduct is comprehensive and practical. vis
Künstliche Intelligenz-Verordnung
New tool: How the digital check works for SMEs
The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) have published a digital maturity assessment tool. This tool is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises identify their strengths and weaknesses in the digital transformation of their business. According to the Commission, the tool is open to all companies and is available free of charge in 32 languages.
With the help of this information, SMEs could plantheir digital growth more efficiently and receive advice from their local EDIH, the Commission said. In addition, other stakeholders could use the digital maturity assessment tool to support SMEs in digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence.
According to the Commission, the Open DMAT should help to achieve the goal of the Digital Decade, according to which 75 percent of European companies should use AI, cloud and/or big data. The EDIH network, together with the European AI Office, will be a central point of contact for SMEs and public services seeking solutions for AI and digital transformation. vis
KMU
Translation missing.
IBM report: Why data leaks are causing ever greater costs
According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach rose to $4.88 million (around €4.5 million) in 2024. This is shown in the company’s Cost of Data Breach Report. This represents an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year. It is the largest annual increase since the pandemic. According to the report, this cost increase is primarily due to lost business and increased response costs following a breach.
IBM’s annual report on the cost of data breaches, based on data from 604 organizations across 16 countries and regions, examines the impact of data breaches on businesses. The report shows that 70 percent of affected companies experienced significant disruption, with recovery often taking more than 100 days.
AI can help with prevention
One of the most important findings of the IBM report is that companies that rely on artificial intelligence and automation for prevention were able to reduce their costs by an average of $2.2 million. The use of security AI also accelerated the detection and containment of incidents by an average of 98 days. However, many companies still struggle with significant security staffing shortages, which increased breach costs by an average of $1.76 million.
It is striking that the theft of intellectual property has increased sharply (by 27%) according to IBM. The cost per stolen data record rose to $173. Almost half of the data breaches involved customer information, which illustrates the high risk for affected companies.
Costs are particularly high in Germany
Germany has the highest average costs for data breaches in Europe, at €4.9 million in 2024. According to the report, this is an increase of 14% compared to the previous year. According to the report, Italy recorded the largest increase in the number of breached data records and the associated costs. In comparison, France has the lowest number of breached data records at 29,500, while the United Kingdom has the highest number at 30,100. vis
Daten
Lukashenko cancels death penalty for German citizen
The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko has overturned the death sentence against a German citizen. This was announced by the presidential office in Minsk, as reported by the state agency Belta. The German citizen had previously sent a plea for clemency to the president, according to the Belarusian secret service KGB.
The 29-year-old German was sentenced to death in June for alleged mercenary activities and terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian secret service SBU, among other things. Belarus is the last country in Europe to carry out the internationally controversial death penalty, which involves a shot to the neck. Belarusian state television recently showed the German citizen, a paramedic, in a video in which he pleads guilty and asks for clemency.
Presumably high price for a pardon
The Office of Foreign Affairs in Berlin had condemned the death penalty and announced that the German citizen was receiving consular assistance. The treatment of the man was “intolerable”. However, Berlin did not comment on information from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry that Minsk had made anegotiation proposal for a solution to the case.
The Belarusian opposition suspects that Lukashenko is demanding a high price for a pardon. Lukashenko could, for example, demand the release of a Russian convicted of murder in Berlin’s Tiergarten park on behalf of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, on whom he is politically and economically dependent. dpa
Justiz
Must Reads
Heads
How Milad Tabesch wants to reach young people with the ‘Ruhrpott für Europa’ initiative
Milad Tabesch from the “Ruhrpott für Europa” initiative.
It was sometime in the fall of 2022 when Milad Tabesch said to himself: “We have to do something now!” The 27-year-old from Bochum was doing his Master’s in New York at the time, but was following political developments in Germany very closely. “It was crass to see how popular the AfD was becoming, how right-wing extremism and anti-democratic sentiment were growing.” Even among young people, who were able to cast their vote for the first time in the summer.
For the 2024 European elections, 16-year-olds were allowed to vote nationwide for the first time. A total of around 1.4 million young people aged 16 and 17, explained the Federal Returning Officer. The European Studies student did not want to look away.
Back in Germany at the beginning of 2023, he looked for funding partners to found the “Ruhrpott für Europa” initiative – with the aim of motivating young people to vote and get involved with Europe. “My plan was to find a job after my studies, with regular working hours and a good salary, and to get involved in the initiative at the same time.”
Milad Tabesch gives young people a voice
In spring 2023, he received a funding commitment from JoinPolitics, a start-up that promotes political talent “who develop solutions for the big issues of our time with courage and passion”, as the website states.
“First of all, we wanted to find out what the young generation in the Ruhr region associates with Europe, what hopes they have with regard to the European elections, what they criticize and how they see a European future”, explains Tabesch. His team of four employees and several volunteers visited more than 20 schools and collected the pupils’ demands and wishes. They found access easily because many of the initiative’s members are barely older than the pupils, and many have a migrant background like them. The seminars in Bochum will continue after the European elections.
Katarina Barley also attended the presentation of the agenda
One result of the discussions with the young people was the “Young Ruhrpott Agenda for Europe”, which the initiative presented to the public in Bochum’s Jahrhunderthalle in January 2024. Prominent figures from Brussels were also present that day: Katarina Barley and other members of the European Parliament. It was a great moment for the pupils when the Vice-President read out their wishes.
Perhaps for the first time, the young people felt heard here. Tabesch experienced it as a bridge being built to Europe by the young generation of a supposedly left-behind generation. And the Ruhrpott für Europa initiative also sees itself as a bridge builder. “We see ourselves as a diverse, discrimination-sensitive European initiative“, he says.
The publication of the agenda brought the initiative a lot of attention. Tabesch and his team then held European workshops in schools with the support of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the NRW State Center for Political Education and Stadtwerke Bochum, where they provided information about the European elections and talked to young people about Europe.
‘Ruhrpott für Europa’ also wants to get involved after the election
They have also launched a series of discussions – “Auf einen Çay zu Europa” – in which they symbolically meet for tea in cafés or other locations in the Ruhr region with 20 or 30 guests to discuss the topics on the agenda in greater depth. One guest was the racism researcher Karim Fereidooni. It is important to Tabesch to continue the series after the European elections. “We would be crazy if we didn’t use the momentum we’ve built up now after the European elections.”
Tabesch, who isa member of the SPD, sees this as an important part of democracy education. From his point of view, this is neglected in schools, especially beyond grammar schools. The initiativetherefore focuses its commitment primarily on non-grammar schools. And the fact that the initiative is active in the Ruhr region is not only due to the fact that Tabesch himself lives in Bochum. “The Ruhr region is probably the most diverse place in Europe where the most languages are spoken – the Ruhrpott is Europe in a nutshell“, he says.
Europe became home for Tabesch
And above all, Europe is much more than the EU Parliament in Brussels. This is also an important message for Tabesch. It has a lot to do with his own life. His parents fled to Germany from Afghanistan in the early 1990s. Many relatives and friends came with them to Germany and many other European countries. Tabesch often visited them during the school vacations. In the Netherlands, Sweden, France or Austria – there were friends and family everywhere. Europe became his home.
He now wants to pass this idea on to young people: “You are part of this diverse Europe and can help shape it.” Annette Kuhn
The summer break is also making its presence felt in Brussels, which gives us a great opportunity to delve into the topic of blue hydrogen with a fresh perspective. This cleaner fuel is poised to play a crucial role in the EU’s transition towards a more climate-friendly industrial sector. Our energy expert, Manuel Berkel, breaks down what blue hydrogen is all about, outlining its key components and the challenges it faces. As it stands, there are concerns about potential dependencies.
Another pressing issue is whether Russian and Belarusian spies could potentially enter the EU through Hungary without much scrutiny. This concern has caught the attention of the European People’s Party (EPP). Some top Christian Democrat leaders have addressed this issue in a letter to European Council President Charles Michel. The trigger for this worry is Budapest’s decision to extend special labor rules to Russian and Belarusian citizens, allowing them to enter Hungary – and thus the EU – with just a job offer and health insurance. You’ll find the European Commission’s response to this matter in our News.
Additionally, we introduce you to Milad Tabesch from the “Ruhrpott for Europe” initiative. Together with his team, which includes both volunteers and full-time staff, he visits schools to bring the EU closer to students. This project particularly targets audiences outside of grammar schools.
To convert the industry to hydrogen, a large proportion will initially come from the reforming of natural gas with subsequent Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) – i.e. from blue hydrogen. The EU Commission is currently working on a delegated act to precisely define low-carbon hydrogen. The report “Low-carbon hydrogen in the EU” by Agora Industrie and Agora Energiewende sheds light on which levers are crucial from a climate protection perspective. The results are summarized in four theses:
Thesis #1: Blue hydrogen is but a low-carbon fuel
In contrast to green hydrogen, the term blue hydrogen is often used. However, the EU Gas Market Directive regulates low-carbon fuels and, according to Agora, these include more than blue hydrogen and its derivatives:
Electricity-based fuels are a by-product from the electrolysis of green hydrogen (RFNBO = renewable fuels of non-biological origin). If the criteria for the production of RFNBO are not met at times – for example, concurrence with green electricity generation – this hydrogen cannot be marketed as green, but it can be marketed as low-carbon. Many Agora proposals are aimed at securing competitive advantages for these fuels.
Bio-based fuels: Like fossil methane, biogas and biomethane can serve as a starting product for hydrogen. Although the former are renewable energies, the H2 obtained from them is not based on electricity and is therefore not an RFNBO.
Pink hydrogen is also produced by electrolysis, but the electricity comes from nuclear power. It is not mentioned in the Agora study, but is being heavily promoted by France and like-minded EU countries.
According to the Gas Market Directive, a 70% reduction in CO2 compared to a reference value for fossil fuels is decisive for the designation “low-carbon”. The greenhouse gas effect over 100 years (GWP100) is taken into account.
Thesis #2: Blue hydrogen creates new dependencies
Which countries can supply blue hydrogen to the European Union depends above all on whether they can comply with the EU limit value for greenhouse gas emissions. “The main European suppliers of fossil gases – with the exception of Norway – are currently a long way from reducing methane and CO2 emissions to the point where the fossil gas supplied to Europe can be used to produce low-carbon hydrogen”, writes Agora.
The current policy for blue hydrogen poses a “significant risk to Europe’s future energy security“. Algeria and the USA, for example, are currently unable to supply low-carbon hydrogen.
For Agora, however, this is no reason to soften the limit value. The think tank even wants to tightenit by 2050 in order to stimulate the development of cleaner technologies. In the USA, two plants for Auto Thermal Reforming (ATR) of natural gas are being planned, which capture more than 95% of the CO2 instead of just 60% as is the case today. With new capture technologies, some countries could already comply with the EU limit value by 2030 – albeit at a higher cost.
Thesis #3: Blue hydrogen is not readily available
According to Agora, the bottleneck for low-carbon hydrogen from natural gas will be pipelines and storage facilities for CO2. Many projects are still at an early stage and the planning processes for CO2 infrastructure are still underdeveloped. “This suggests that fossil-based hydrogen production processes will not be able to fill the immediate gap created by the slower-than-expected uptake of renewable hydrogen”, the report states.
Instead, the EU should channel more investment into electrolysis. “By the mid-2030s, electrolyzers should be producing either renewable or low-carbon hydrogen in continuous operation almost everywhere in Europe”, says the report, describing the wishes of investors who do not just want to run their plants during those hours when there is a lot of wind and solar power in the grid.
However, because many countries will still generate a large proportion of their electricity from coal and natural gas in the coming years, Agora wants to introduce strict requirements for the electricity that can be used for electrolysis-based, low-carbon hydrogen. In its delegated act, the EU Commission should therefore focus solely on the CO2 emissions of the price-setting power plant and not on annual average values. Agora hopes that this will result in even more investment in renewable energies.
Thesis #4: Bio-based hydrogen is not a good alternative
According to Agora, hydrogen from biogas or biomethane is not competitive. In certain cases, however, it could still be attractive for producers to mixit with other low-carbon fuels. It would open up another option for the industry to produce sufficient quantities of low-carbon hydrogen in the first place.
However, the think tank speaks of “perverse incentives” if the EU were to allowthe blending of different fuels: “This would divert increasingly scarce bioenergy resources away from less subsidized, high-value uses (e.g. as a raw material in industrial value chains), which would run counter to the EU’s net-zero path.”
Only biogas from waste and residual materials should therefore be permitted for the production of low-carbon fuels. In addition, leakages for biogas and biomethane stillneed to be regulated.
Grüner Wasserstoff
Klima & Umwelt
Translation missing.
News
EPP raises security concerns about Hungarian entry regulations
Hungarian special rules for guest workers from Russia and Belarus are causing outrage in the EPP. In view of the geopolitical context of EU relations with Russia and Belarus, such a mechanism is highly questionable and raises very serious security concerns, wrote top representatives of the European Christian Democrats to EU Council President Charles Michel, including Manfred Weber.
The approach could create serious loopholes for espionage activities and allow a large number of Russians to enter Hungary and the border-free Schengen area with minimal surveillance. Specifically, the leading representatives of the EPP are calling on the EU Council President to examine the situation and have it discussed at the next EU summit.
The aim must be to take strict measures to protect the integrity of the Schengen area, to limit the security risk that has already arisen and to prevent other member states from taking similar initiatives in the future, according to the letter, which is available to the German Press Agency.
EU Commission announces review
Hungary has had special rules for guest workers for some time now. However, they previously only applied to Ukrainians and Serbs and were only extended this month to include people from Russia and its partner country Belarus. According to the regulation, guest workers can come for two years and then have their stay extended for three years at a time, as often as they wish. They are allowed to work in any profession they wish. However, in order to benefit from the regulation, they must prove that they have a job, accommodation, and health insurance in Hungary.
The EU Commission announced that it would seek contact with the Hungarian authorities in order to obtain further information on the special regulation. Russia is considered a security threat to the EU, said a spokeswoman in Brussels.
She emphasized that Hungary is obliged to always check whether persons entering from third countries meet all the conditions set out in Article 6 of the Schengen Borders Code. This includes not only the possession of a visa or a valid residence permit, but also the condition that the person must not be the subject of an alertfor refusal of entry by other states in the Schengen Information System. dpa
EU-Gipfel
Russland
AI Act: How developers should shape the code of conduct for GPAI
The European Commission is launching a two-pronged process to develop the first Code of Conduct for general-purpose AI. The European AI Office is calling for expressions of interest in contributing to this code and is conducting a comprehensive consultation on trustworthygeneral-purpose AI (GPAI) models in parallel.
The code of conduct is intended to ensure that providers of general-purpose AI models meet the requirements of the new AI Act. The AI Act comes into force on Aug. 1, 2024. It regulates the use and development of AI to ensure safety, transparency and copyright protection. Providers must update technical documentation, provide information and comply with copyright guidelines.
Civil society and industry involved
Interested parties, including AI model providers, industry organizations and civil society groups, can expresstheir interest in participating in the Code of Conduct until Aug. 25, 2024 . This elaboration will take place in four working groups focusing on transparency, risk assessment, risk mitigation and internal risk management. A plenum will lead the process and coordinate the working groups’ drafts.
In parallel, a consultation is running to collect input from stakeholders on trustworthy AI models. This consultation is open until Sept. 10, 2024. It aims to include diverse perspectives in the Code of Conduct. The consultation results will feed directly into the drafting process of the working groups. Contributions can be submitted online and should answer specific questions on transparency, copyright and risk management.
The Code of Conduct is being developed in an iterative process and should be completed by April 2025. The EU Commission will evaluate the code and approve it if necessary. Otherwise, it will issue rules to implement the obligations. This two-pronged approach is intended to ensure that the Code of Conduct is comprehensive and practical. vis
Künstliche Intelligenz-Verordnung
New tool: How the digital check works for SMEs
The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) have published a digital maturity assessment tool. This tool is designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises identify their strengths and weaknesses in the digital transformation of their business. According to the Commission, the tool is open to all companies and is available free of charge in 32 languages.
With the help of this information, SMEs could plantheir digital growth more efficiently and receive advice from their local EDIH, the Commission said. In addition, other stakeholders could use the digital maturity assessment tool to support SMEs in digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence.
According to the Commission, the Open DMAT should help to achieve the goal of the Digital Decade, according to which 75 percent of European companies should use AI, cloud and/or big data. The EDIH network, together with the European AI Office, will be a central point of contact for SMEs and public services seeking solutions for AI and digital transformation. vis
KMU
Translation missing.
IBM report: Why data leaks are causing ever greater costs
According to IBM, the average cost of a data breach rose to $4.88 million (around €4.5 million) in 2024. This is shown in the company’s Cost of Data Breach Report. This represents an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year. It is the largest annual increase since the pandemic. According to the report, this cost increase is primarily due to lost business and increased response costs following a breach.
IBM’s annual report on the cost of data breaches, based on data from 604 organizations across 16 countries and regions, examines the impact of data breaches on businesses. The report shows that 70 percent of affected companies experienced significant disruption, with recovery often taking more than 100 days.
AI can help with prevention
One of the most important findings of the IBM report is that companies that rely on artificial intelligence and automation for prevention were able to reduce their costs by an average of $2.2 million. The use of security AI also accelerated the detection and containment of incidents by an average of 98 days. However, many companies still struggle with significant security staffing shortages, which increased breach costs by an average of $1.76 million.
It is striking that the theft of intellectual property has increased sharply (by 27%) according to IBM. The cost per stolen data record rose to $173. Almost half of the data breaches involved customer information, which illustrates the high risk for affected companies.
Costs are particularly high in Germany
Germany has the highest average costs for data breaches in Europe, at €4.9 million in 2024. According to the report, this is an increase of 14% compared to the previous year. According to the report, Italy recorded the largest increase in the number of breached data records and the associated costs. In comparison, France has the lowest number of breached data records at 29,500, while the United Kingdom has the highest number at 30,100. vis
Daten
Lukashenko cancels death penalty for German citizen
The Belarusian ruler Alexander Lukashenko has overturned the death sentence against a German citizen. This was announced by the presidential office in Minsk, as reported by the state agency Belta. The German citizen had previously sent a plea for clemency to the president, according to the Belarusian secret service KGB.
The 29-year-old German was sentenced to death in June for alleged mercenary activities and terrorism on behalf of the Ukrainian secret service SBU, among other things. Belarus is the last country in Europe to carry out the internationally controversial death penalty, which involves a shot to the neck. Belarusian state television recently showed the German citizen, a paramedic, in a video in which he pleads guilty and asks for clemency.
Presumably high price for a pardon
The Office of Foreign Affairs in Berlin had condemned the death penalty and announced that the German citizen was receiving consular assistance. The treatment of the man was “intolerable”. However, Berlin did not comment on information from the Belarusian Foreign Ministry that Minsk had made anegotiation proposal for a solution to the case.
The Belarusian opposition suspects that Lukashenko is demanding a high price for a pardon. Lukashenko could, for example, demand the release of a Russian convicted of murder in Berlin’s Tiergarten park on behalf of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin, on whom he is politically and economically dependent. dpa
Justiz
Must Reads
Heads
How Milad Tabesch wants to reach young people with the ‘Ruhrpott für Europa’ initiative
Milad Tabesch from the “Ruhrpott für Europa” initiative.
It was sometime in the fall of 2022 when Milad Tabesch said to himself: “We have to do something now!” The 27-year-old from Bochum was doing his Master’s in New York at the time, but was following political developments in Germany very closely. “It was crass to see how popular the AfD was becoming, how right-wing extremism and anti-democratic sentiment were growing.” Even among young people, who were able to cast their vote for the first time in the summer.
For the 2024 European elections, 16-year-olds were allowed to vote nationwide for the first time. A total of around 1.4 million young people aged 16 and 17, explained the Federal Returning Officer. The European Studies student did not want to look away.
Back in Germany at the beginning of 2023, he looked for funding partners to found the “Ruhrpott für Europa” initiative – with the aim of motivating young people to vote and get involved with Europe. “My plan was to find a job after my studies, with regular working hours and a good salary, and to get involved in the initiative at the same time.”
Milad Tabesch gives young people a voice
In spring 2023, he received a funding commitment from JoinPolitics, a start-up that promotes political talent “who develop solutions for the big issues of our time with courage and passion”, as the website states.
“First of all, we wanted to find out what the young generation in the Ruhr region associates with Europe, what hopes they have with regard to the European elections, what they criticize and how they see a European future”, explains Tabesch. His team of four employees and several volunteers visited more than 20 schools and collected the pupils’ demands and wishes. They found access easily because many of the initiative’s members are barely older than the pupils, and many have a migrant background like them. The seminars in Bochum will continue after the European elections.
Katarina Barley also attended the presentation of the agenda
One result of the discussions with the young people was the “Young Ruhrpott Agenda for Europe”, which the initiative presented to the public in Bochum’s Jahrhunderthalle in January 2024. Prominent figures from Brussels were also present that day: Katarina Barley and other members of the European Parliament. It was a great moment for the pupils when the Vice-President read out their wishes.
Perhaps for the first time, the young people felt heard here. Tabesch experienced it as a bridge being built to Europe by the young generation of a supposedly left-behind generation. And the Ruhrpott für Europa initiative also sees itself as a bridge builder. “We see ourselves as a diverse, discrimination-sensitive European initiative“, he says.
The publication of the agenda brought the initiative a lot of attention. Tabesch and his team then held European workshops in schools with the support of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, the NRW State Center for Political Education and Stadtwerke Bochum, where they provided information about the European elections and talked to young people about Europe.
‘Ruhrpott für Europa’ also wants to get involved after the election
They have also launched a series of discussions – “Auf einen Çay zu Europa” – in which they symbolically meet for tea in cafés or other locations in the Ruhr region with 20 or 30 guests to discuss the topics on the agenda in greater depth. One guest was the racism researcher Karim Fereidooni. It is important to Tabesch to continue the series after the European elections. “We would be crazy if we didn’t use the momentum we’ve built up now after the European elections.”
Tabesch, who isa member of the SPD, sees this as an important part of democracy education. From his point of view, this is neglected in schools, especially beyond grammar schools. The initiativetherefore focuses its commitment primarily on non-grammar schools. And the fact that the initiative is active in the Ruhr region is not only due to the fact that Tabesch himself lives in Bochum. “The Ruhr region is probably the most diverse place in Europe where the most languages are spoken – the Ruhrpott is Europe in a nutshell“, he says.
Europe became home for Tabesch
And above all, Europe is much more than the EU Parliament in Brussels. This is also an important message for Tabesch. It has a lot to do with his own life. His parents fled to Germany from Afghanistan in the early 1990s. Many relatives and friends came with them to Germany and many other European countries. Tabesch often visited them during the school vacations. In the Netherlands, Sweden, France or Austria – there were friends and family everywhere. Europe became his home.
He now wants to pass this idea on to young people: “You are part of this diverse Europe and can help shape it.” Annette Kuhn
