e-zine nEUws, 41st edition

18 November 2004

• Dates to keep in mind
• New European Commission
• In short

Dates to keep in mind

World AIDS day is coming up:

December, 1st, 10.00 – 13.00 H:

Feminisation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic represents one of the major challenges facing the

world today, event organised by the Working Group on Population, Sustainable Development

and Reproductive Health

European Parliament, Eastman Building, EAS 300, 3rd floor, Rue Belliard 135, Brussels

New European Commission

On November, 18th 2004 the European Parliament (EP) approved by vote in its session in Strasbourg the new European Commission (EC). After an often tumultuous debate, especially when Nigel Farage MEP of the UK Independence Party accused Jacques Barrot, Vice President of the EC and Commissioner for transport, of financial wrong doing during his time in French politics, the Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) accepted the revamped team presented to them by José Manuel Barroso. Of 732 MEPs, 680 participated in the vote. 449 MEPs voted in favour, 149 against and 82 abstained. The European Commission will now take office on Monday, November, 22nd some 21 days later than originally planned.

This delay was caused by the highly controversial nominations submitted to the Parliament, most noted was the choice of Rocco Buttiglione of Italy as Commissioner for “justice, freedom and security” (see nEUws 40). He has now been replaced by the former Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini, who was welcomed by MEPs as an acceptable candidate for EU Commissioner. In addition to Italy's Commissioner having to be exchanged, President Barroso also asked Latvia to replace its candidate, as well as Hungary's socialist nominee Laszlo Kovacs being reshuffled to the taxation and customs job.

For further information on the new EU Commission, profiles of the Commissioners and the responsibilities they will hold, go to: http://europa.eu.int/comm/commissioners/newcomm_en.htm

In short

EC Report on MDGs

In September 2005, the UN General Assembly will take stock of the progress made by UN Members in the implementation of this

global development agenda. In preparation for this major event, the European Commission has compiled this following report (see link)

on the EC contribution towards achieving Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The report provides information on the extent to which the EC has focused its strategies, procedures and instruments on the implementation
of the Millennium Declaration and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. It outlines how the EC contributes to progress towards
the MDGs, and lists the further actions that are currently foreseen to promote the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.

For additional information, go to:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/development/body/tmp_docs/SEC_2004_1379_EN_DOCUMENTDETRAVAIL%20final.pdf#page=2&zoom=100

Access to Medicine for poor countries

The European Commission has proposed a Regulation to allow manufacturers of generic pharmaceuticals to produce patented medicines for export
to “countries in need” without sufficient capacity to produce them. The Regulation would implement within the EU a WTO decision of 30th August 2003
under which national authorities can grant “compulsory licences” for such production if certain conditions are fulfilled. One requirement is that the
destination country must have notified the WTO that it is seeking the medicine covered by the licence. The proposed Regulation puts no further
restriction on the medicines and diseases to be covered. To help ensure that medicines get to the patients who need them and to protect patent holders,
customs authorities will be able to prevent the re-importation into the EU of medicines produced under the system.

For additional information, go to:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/trade/issues/global/medecine/pr291004_en.htm