e-zine nEUws, 52nd edition

e-zine nEUws Issue 52 – Special Edition
07 September 2005

• EU Upcoming Events
• EU News
• Noteworthy EU Information
• Job Opportunities
• Funding Opportunities

EU Upcoming Events

While these dates and debates are subject to change, the following EU and noteworthy other dates are worth noting in your calendar for the coming months.

Note:  The new Financial Perspectives governing how the EC allocates funds for the coming years, 2007-2013, is tentatively on the General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC) Session on General Affairs meeting agenda for each meeting for the rest of the year.

September

12: European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights meets

13: European Parliament Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality meets

13-14: European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs meets

14: European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety meets

14-16: High Level (UN) Summit on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

26: European Parliament Development Committee meets in Strasbourg (19h00-21h00)

26-27: Annual Meeting of the World Bank & Group & International Monetary Fund

October

3: European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights meets

3: GAERC plans to review:

-          resolutions, opinions and decisions adopted by the European Parliament at its September 5-8 and 26-29 sessions in Strasbourg

-          approval of the draft EU Annual Report on human rights

3-4: European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety meets
 

4-5: European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs meets

4-5: European Parliament Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality meets

4-6: European Parliament Development Committee meets in Brussels

10: European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights meets

10-11: European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety meets

11: Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) possibly to discuss follow-up to the Millennium Summit.

11: Competitiveness (Internal Market, Industry and Research) Council

-          policy debate on Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the 7th Framework Progarmme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration (2007-2013)

-          possible policy debate on the commission Communication: “Third report on life sciences and biotechnology: A strategy for Europe”

12-13: Justice and Home Affairs Council possibly to discuss Council conclusions on external aspects of EU migration policy, including a Communication on migration and development.

17: Environment Council presentation by the Commission on EU Sustainable Development Strategy

17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

24-25: Informal meeting of Development Ministers possibly to discuss

-          Millennium Review Summit Follow-up

-          EU Strategy for Africa

November

7: GAERC plans to review:

-          the new Financial Perspectives governing how the EC allocates funds for the coming years, 2007-2013 – if not resolved in October

-          resolutions, opinions and decisions adopted by the European Parliament at its September 5-8 and 26-29 sessions in Strasbourg – if not resolved in October

8: ECOFIN to discuss Review of EU Sustainable Development Strategy

14-15: Education, Youth and Culture Council possible political agreement on Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council creating the “Youth in Action” programme for the period 2007-2013 (Interinstitutional File 2004/0152 COD)

21: European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Human Rights meets

21-22: GAERC will hold a “public debate” on:

-          the EU's Africa Strategy/Partnership with Africa

-          the Joint Council and Commission Development Policy Statement

21-22: Development Ministers take action on these two issues, plus:

-          Effectiveness of the EC's external assistance

-          Annual report on EC Development Policy and External Assistance

-          EDF, the European Development Fund (possibly)

-          HIV/AIDS/poverty diseases (possibly)

-          EU position for EU-ACP Ministerial meeting (possibly)

21-22:  European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety meets

23-24: European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs meets

28-29: Competitiveness Council

-          Council Conclusions: Commission Communication on the Implementation of the Action Plan “Investing in Research: An Action Plan for Europe”

-          policy debate on Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning the 7th Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration (2007-2013)

-          progress report on Health and Consumer Protection Strategy to include:

o        Commission Communication “Healthier, safer, more confident citizens: A Health and Consumer Protection Strategy”

o        Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Programme of Community action in the field of Health and Consumer Protection 2007-2013 (Interinstitutional File 2005/0042 COD)

29:  Barcelona + 10 event

December

1: World AIDS Day event

1-2:  Justice and Home Affairs Council to discuss

-          objectives/allocation criteria on the Framework Programme:  Fundamental Rights and Justice 2007-2013 (fundamental rights, violence and drugs, civil justice and criminal justice)

-          Council Conclusions on strategy to combat human trafficking

8-9: The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council will

-          hold a “public debate” on Demography and Human Capital in the EU

-          Exchange of views/progress report on the Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and the Council establishing a Programme of Community action in the field of Public Health and Consumer Protection (Interinstittutional File 2003/0262(COD)

-          Conclusions on EU Sustainable development strategy

-          Exchange of views on Commission communication on Corporate Social Responsibility

-          Council conclusions on the Annual follow-up to the Beijing Platform

-          Employment Committee Opinion on the Annual Commission report on Immigration and Integration

-          Information from the Luxembourg delegation on the conference on poverty held under the Luxembourg Presidency

-          Information from the UK Presidency on a Roundtable on poverty and social exclusion

-          Presidency conclusions on health inequalities and/or patient safety

-          (possibly) HIV/AIDS information from the Commission

-          (possibly) Social Protection Committee Opinion on the Commission communication on the sustainability of the European Social Model

-          (possibly) Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a European Institute for Gender Equality

12-13: GAERC possibly to discuss

-          EU-Africa Union

-          Report on “Strategic partnership with the Mediterranean and the Middle East”

-          Annual review of implementation of Human Rights policy

-          Biennial review of Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict

24: ECOFIN to review Draft EU Budget for 2006 as amended and accompanied by proposals for modifications by the European Parliament: second reading

EU News

British MEPs Call for Public Scrutiny of EU Debates

An influential group of British MEPs is urging the UK presidency to throw open member states' EU law-making debates to public scrutiny. The members want UK foreign minister Jack Straw to put the issue on the agenda of the next meeting of the general affairs council (GAC) in Luxembourg on 3 October.

Weblink: http://euobserver.com/?aid=19805&rk=1
 

Social inclusion programme makes it through Parliament

The European Parliament has adopted a major new programme that will cover the EU's activities on the field of social inclusion for a seven-year period from 2007 to 2013. EU activities in this field have until now been divided into five different programmes, dealing, respectively, with Employment; Social protection and inclusion; Working conditions; Anti-discrimination; Diversity and gender equality. In the future, these programmes will be merged into one, which will be called 'Progress'. More information.

European Parliament Development Committee meeting

29-30 August, 2005

Last week, the European Parliament Development Committee met and addressed 3 main topics of interest. 

. Revision of the declaration of the European Community's Development Policy

Remember the new Development Policy Statement (DPS) proposed by the Commission for the EU? If your memory needs refreshing after the summer break, click here.

MEP Anders Wijkman (Sweden), who is drafting the Development Committee's report on the DPS, pointed out that presently, each of the 25 EU Member States as well as the Commission, have different development projects, policies and priorities across the world. He considers fragmented development cooperation as unacceptable in the EU and called upon better coordination among all parties. MEP Wijkman is pleased that the issue of budget support is heavily weighted in the proposed DPS, as it ensures ownership in the recipient countries; however he cautioned that money would have to be spent according to the objectives. 

Bernard Petit, Director, Development Policy and Sectoral Issues for DG Development in the European Commissioner spoke, stressing 3 major themes underlying and justifying the DPS, the need:  (1) to reduce poverty on a global scale; (2) to coordinate development policy with other elements of foreign policy, and extending it to all developing countries, not just the ACP countries that were the primary focus of the 2000 DPS; and (3) to involve EU Member States in European Development Policy as part of a common vision of development policy.

At the end of November, the Council, the Commission and the Parliament will have to reach a three party agreement on the new Development Policy Statement. Brussels-based NGOs concerned about development policy have provided input into Wijkman's report and will continue to keep you posted on further opportunities for advocacy action.

· Development Strategy for Africa

Mr. Petit reported that a consultation process had begun on major themes for the EU's draft Development Strategy for Africa.  The consultation is being addressed to Africans themselves, namely the African Union and other African organizations. So far the Commission has received positive responses and the results of the consultation will be further discussed at a meeting to be held at the end of September. The Commission wants to hold a meeting between the two Commissions (EU and AU) with specific focus given to three areas: (1) policies improving support to special areas, enforce peace, security and economic growth and focus on the achievement of the MDGs; (2) reviewing the efficacy of the community approach and the European approach to Africa; and (3) funding, as new objectives set out by the Council and other donors as part of the G8 agreement. Furthermore, Mr. Petit acknowledged that even thought the AU has been a major contributor to progress, Sub-Saharan Africa remains a problem, as it continues to suffer from weak governments and lack of public services. The draft report is expected to be available in early October, after which it will be reviewed by the European Parliament.

· Meeting with Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Member of the Commission responsible for External Relations and the ENP

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, European Commissioner for External Relations and the European Neighborhood Policy was a guest speaker at the hearing. The Commissioner addressed rumors of conflict or competition between her Directorate General (DG) and that of DG Development, affirming that she has been working very closely together with Commissioner Louis Michel, e.g. on the document highlighting the EC Development Policy and External Assistance Annual Report (http://europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/reports/index_en.htm). She emphasized that it is vital to attach a growing importance to the policies of partner countries with regards to their poverty reduction strategies. She also clarified that even though a lot of progress has been made on the new EC financial instruments, further work is needed before the legislative package can be finalized.

Members of the EP Development Committee.

Noteworthy EU Information

The EC's Directorate for Development has published an Information and Communication Strategy for 2005 – 2009. 

Job Opportunities

The EU delegation offices have suffered from high turnover and a lack of professionals knowledgeable about the importance of sexual and reproductive health.  If you know anyone who would like to work in a European Commission delegation office, please share with them the following weblink:  http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/delegations/jobs/index.htm

Funding Opportunities

The EuropeAid website has interesting new bid opportunities for projects in Botswana, Belarus and Romania.

Belarus: The European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights (EIDHR) has issued a Call for Proposals for Awareness raising TV/Radio programs for Belarus. The project aim is to enhance the knowledge of the Belarusian population about democracy, pluralism, rule of law, freedom of the press and human rights. The deadline for applications is 11 October 2005. Weblink.

Romania: Resource Centre for countering trafficking in Human Beings. The aim is to strengthen the institutional and operational capacity of the General Directorate for Countering the Organised Crime and Anti-Drugs, within the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, through setting up a Resource Centre destined to elaborate studies and forecasts used in combating the trafficking in human beings and illegal migration. The deadline for applications is 31 October 2005.

Weblink.