ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - September 6, 2024

ZeroFox Physical Security Intelligence Daily Brief - September 6, 2024

ZeroFox physical security experts collect, curate, and analyze information derived from open and proprietary sources for comprehensive context of the circumstances surrounding global events. Here is today’s daily roundup of major developments.

Brief Highlights

• EU Commission Releases Strategic Agriculture Plan amid Farmer Protests
• Mexican Lower House Passes Judicial Reform Bill
• Belarus Reportedly Arrested Japanese Citizen

EU Commission Releases Strategic Agriculture Plan amid Farmer Protests

On September 5, the EU Commission released a report titled The Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture. The report was commissioned after the EU parliamentary elections of June 2024, which were heavily influenced by months of farmer protests across Europe against EU agricultural policy. Around a third of the EU budget from 2021-2027 goes to its Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, there has been criticism by farmers that funds go to large industrialized farms, which do not need the funding and also have onerous environmental requirements that are reducing the competitiveness of European agricultural products compared to cheaper imports. The new measures include increasing direct payments to farmers linked to environmental measures and decreasing payments to larger industrialized farms. Other measures include an EU-wide benchmarking system for farm sustainability assessments and establishing a nature restoration fund to support farmers in making more sustainable farming choices.

Mexican Lower House Passes Judicial Reform Bill

Mexico's lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, has approved a judicial reform bill that, if passed, will make judges, including those on the Supreme Court, elected officials. The bill is the last major piece of legislation from outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) before he leaves office on October 1. Critics say the bill erodes the Supreme Court's checks and balances over the executive and makes judges more corruptible. However, AMLO supporters argue the bill makes judges more accountable to the local population. AMLO's Morena party has a majority in the lower house and was thus easily able to pass the bill, which now moves to the Senate, where Morena is one seat short of a majority. The bill is likely to pass.

Belarus Reportedly Arrested Japanese Citizen

On September 5, 2024, international media outlets reported that Belarusian authorities arrested a Japanese citizen on espionage charges on July 9. The Japanese Embassy in Belarus confirmed a Japanese man in his 50s was detained for allegedly violating Belarusian law.