Parliament Magazine

Issue 302 22 February 2010

Commissioner profiles Mandates

Cabinet contacts Parliament’s view

Pull-out photoguide

Guide to the European commission

The Parliament M

agazine – Issue 302 22 February 2010

INSIDE 120 page

commission guide

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Mobility is fundamental to social, economic and environmental wellbeing. As such, FIA calls for more pragmatic and realistic

understanding of citizens’ daily mobility challenges. Fairer treatment of motorists and more appropriate investment in a tailored mobility infrastructure must be top priorities.

The Eurocouncil of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile warmly welcomes the new European Commission. FIA is Europe’s leading consumer mobility organisation. FIA European member automobile clubs, defend the interests of more than 35 million citizens.

Ever cleaner, safer and sustainable mobility that is affordable remains the leitmotiv driving FIA’s actions. We are actively involved in developing policies aimed at improving mobility, consumer protection, vehicle and infrastructure safety and environmental protection.

In light of the Lisbon Treaty, FIA calls for placing mobile consumers at the heart of European policy making.

Mobile consumers must be confident, to reap the benefits of a vibrant and competitive internal market. They must be empowered with choice, quality, safety, information, fair treatment and respect of their rights and liberties.

Unequivocal remedies for the road fatality and injury epidemic that persists on Europe’s highways must be targeted with political will and leadership given by the European Union’s very highest executives. Further enlargements and increasing road traffic will bring ever more challenges to managing safety on Europe’s roads.

A technological revolution in individual mobility is imminent. Reduced dependency on oil, addressing key environmental challenges and improved energy efficiency will be the triggers. The Commission must foster this revolution by supporting sustained innovation that caters to users needs in a durable mobility framework.

Shaping our future mobility offers opportunities to create a people’s Europe. The Commission must embrace this crucial task by responding to citizens’ expectations. FIA clubs with their wealth of consumer oriented expertise in mobility stand ready to help.

Mobile consumers at the heart of Europe

“A technological revolution in individual mobility is imminent”

www.fiabrussels.com

Imagine a day when healthcare is centered around you. When you can access your health information whenever you need it, wherever you are. When you can easily develop and manage personalized care plans with your healthcare providers - from your home. This day is coming…

As countries around the world struggle to deliver high-quality healthcare at a reasonable cost, technology is increasingly seen as a significant piece of the solution. Healthcare is an industry that is driven by data - typically generated by numerous entities across a sprawling ecosystem and either stored in filing cabinets or in systems that don’t communicate with each other. In countries that have started to connect these systems, there is now a need to provide patients with access to a complete view of their health information, as custodians of their own health and wellness. With the right technology solutions in place, the data is not only connected, but people are connected to the data in a meaningful way.

Not having a view to a patient’s complete health history - or not being able to view it quickly - often has life and death consequences. Using the Internet for technologies such as online collaboration, data storage, and access to services and applications, is key to providing caregivers and citizens with a new breed of products and services that enable users to access information when they need it, from wherever they are.

Microsoft has developed a security-enhanced online platform called HealthVault, an example of “cloud computing” that allows consumers to store, share, and manage online their own health information and that of their families. Citizens can monitor and manage their health and wellness activities through “the cloud” using third-party applications, products, and services that work with HealthVault and share this and other health information with their healthcare providers if they choose.

Putting citizens in control of their health information is an important step in realizing change across the healthcare system. Many view citizen and patient engagement as a catalyst for driving broader innovation and transformation. Recently Siemens and Microsoft announced a collaboration to launch HealthVault within Germany. This partnership reflects the shared vision of giving people control of their health information in a secure environment and of enabling the sharing of that information with caregivers and people they trust to manage their care. Industry-leading partnerships such as this will help to spur growth across small and medium businesses, by providing a platform on which they can build and innovate.

The changing needs and roles of individuals across the health system must be supported by a foundation of effective privacy protection - built around transparency, control and security. As an industry, once we have earned trust across key stakeholders, we can embark on developing solutions that inspire adoption and improve the health and wellness of citizens across Europe and around the world.

For more information: www.microsoft.eu/health

CONNECTING HEALTH THROUGH CLOUD COMPUTING

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4 PARLIAMENTMAGAZINE 22 February 2010

Issue 302 22 February 2010

newsanalysis

128 Parliament newsA round-up of the latest goings-on in parlia-ment

130 Matters of the mindFrieda Brepoels is calling on the EU to invest more in mental health and wellbeing

131 A coordinated approachBrain diseases are not a high enough priority for policymakers, writes Celso Arango

133 waste not want notThe illegal shipping of unwanted electronics means a loss of secondary raw materials and an increase in overseas pollution levels, argues Karl-Heinz Florenz

134 show your mettleThe recast of the legislation on end-of-life electronic goods needs to better reflect market differences, writes Julie Girling

139 Divided we fallMarkos Kyprianou is cautiously optimistic about settling the Cyprus problem

8 The Go teamEija-Riitta Korhola says the new team must have citizens’ interests in mind from the offset

10 José Manuel BarrosoCommission president

16 Catherine AshtonHigh representative for foreign affairs and security policy

19 Viviane RedingJustice, fundamental rights and citizenship

23 Joaquín AlmuniaCompetition

27 siim KallasTransport

31 neelie KroesDigital agenda

35 Antonio TajaniIndustry and entrepreneurship

39 Maroš ŠefčovičInter-institutional relations and administration

43 Janez PotočnikEnvironment47 Olli RehnEconomic and monetary affairs51 Andris PiebalgsDevelopment55 Michel BarnierInternal market and services59 Androulla VassiliouEducation, culture, multilingualism and youth63 Algirdas ŠemetaTaxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud67 Karel De GuchtTrade71 John DalliHealth and consumer policy78 PhOTOGuIDe

83 Máire QuinnResearch, innovation and science

87 Janusz LewandowskiFinancial programming and budget

91 Maria Damanaki Maritime affairs and fisheries95 Kristalina GeorgievaInternational cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response100 Günther OettingerEnergy105 Johannes hahnRegional policy111 Connie hedegaardClimate action115 Štefan FüleEnlargement and European neighbourhood policy119 László AndorEmployment, social affairs and inclusion122 Cecilia MalmströmHome affairs

125 Dacian CioloşAgriculture and rural development

COMMIssIOn GuIDe

140 Looking backParliament’s longest-serving MEP reflects on her time as a European politician

141 hidden treasureLidia Geringer de Oedenberg wants MEPs to take notice of the spectacular artworks around parliament premises

InsIDeEUesKILLs weeK

143 An eskilled route to economic recoveryImproving digital literacy is crucial to Europe’s future, say Antonio Tajani, Neelie Kroes, Androulla Vassiliou

147 Invest for successEurope must exploit its digital potential or risk losing its competitive edge, writes Erkki Ormala

Johann Steszgal calls on policymakers to think small first when it comes to promoting eSkills

148 The IT crowdIT can help boost business innovation and secure Europe’s place in the global marketplace, writes Michael Gorriz

A European eSkills strategy is needed to pro-mote the digital agenda, says Jan Meuhlfeit

150 eskilled enough?Europe’s eSkills potential is not being realised, and more must be done to make the most of it, says Jonathan Liebenau

151 Beyond brainsBruno Lanvin discusses the role of higher edu-cation in meeting Europe’s needs

153 skills for lifeEdit Herczog thinks that eSkills have a crucial role to play in Europe’s competitiveness

154 Power to the peoplePolicymakers must help citizens take advantage of the opportunities of a digital society, writes Pilar del Castillo Vera

22 February 2010 PARLIAMENTMAGAZINE 5

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Like in any relationship, the early moments are always the most exciting. This is no different for the courtship between the European parliament and the new EU commission. The first encounter took just three hours through an intensive individual hearing process. In some hearings the mood was tense and the commissioner nervous and defensive. In others the conversation was informative, enjoyable

and at times entertaining. Perhaps three-hour hearings are not the best way to judge whether a partnership will last or not. However it did give a flavour of what was to come. In one way the parliament so far has been doing all the running – the meetings, the letters, the approval – but now the commission must take a lead in producing its long awaited work programme which is overdue. So what are the challenges facing the relationship between parliament and commission? Just last week we saw the first challenge in the rejection of the Swift agreement, the sharing of financial data from the EU to the US under anti-terrorism laws, which both the commission and the council wanted more time to negotiate, and ultimately wanted parliament to approve. This hastily drafted poor piece of legislation would have allowed the continuation of the bulk trans-fer of financial transaction data of EU citizens which could be kept by the Americans for up to 90 years. The questions which the rapporteur aptly asked was, “Would congress approve a deal which saw the bulk transfer of American citizens financial data to a foreign power?” The answer is no.

Parliament and the commission may have had some conflict in their otherwise amicable relationship, but the executive was approved by a large margin. The challenge in the coming months is to see the EU 2020 vision put into practice, and get the economy moving again with job creation and healthy balance sheets. The start of the year has been dominated by Greece’s economic woes. The ripple effect across the EU and the damaging consequences if Greece were to go bankrupt are very much in all finance ministers’ minds. The recent Ecofin meeting saw Greece being told to report back in mid-March to see whether the austerity measures are on their way to being delivered. For the Greek population this means slashed salaries, job cuts and tax increases. The target is a reduction in the deficit from around 12 per cent to eight per cent in one year. If you were a Greek public sector worker at the moment what would your reaction be? In polite terms, you would not be happy. Meanwhile, the rapporteurs in parliament who are scrutinising legislation on the new supervisory architecture of the EU financial system hastily published their reports at a press conference in Strasbourg. Parliamentary policymaking on the hoof does not bode well at any time, particularly on such an important topic. The courtship between the parliament and commission is over – let the legislative work begin.

Catherine Stihler is the Parliament Magazine’s MEP editor

courting controversy

In this issue we take an indepth look at the people and policies behind the Barroso II com-mission. From parliamentary hearings to five-year forecasts, we have everything you need to know as José Manuel Barroso’s new college gets up and running. Kicking off with a three page analysis of the Portugese commission president, we also bring you the low-down on the 26 portfolios that will be driving European policy forward over the coming five years. Elsewhere, we look ahead to eSkills week, as commissioners Antonio Tajani, Neelie Kroes and Androulla Vasilliou explain why ICT is crucial to Europe’s future success. Commission guide, p7

on the cover | Commission guide

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EPA_epf_210x270_ParliamentMag.indd 1 27.01.2010 12:36:36 Uhr

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ission guide

Welcome to the Parliament Magazine’s European commission guide, where we profile the 27 men and women who will play a central role in shaping EU policy for the next five years.

In the following pages you will find all you need to know about the commissioners – their responsibilities, which committees they are accountable to, and what MEPs think.

We give you the lowdown on how they fared at their parliamentary hearings, what their priorities for office are, and the policies we can expect them to pursue.

We also provide you with an indepth look at re-appointed president José Manuel Barroso, and outline the challenges facing him as he begins his second term at the commission’s helm.

Cabinet contact details and a pull-out photoguide complete our 120 page round-up of the Barroso II college.

This magazine is also available on our website: www.TheParliament.com

The Parliament magazine team


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ission guide Introduction

The Go teamThe EU has a rough road ahead as the Barroso II team gets down to work. It must have citizens’ interests in mind from the offset, writes eija-Riitta Korhola

It’s almost a year since the last par-liamentary mandate slipped into election mode. Yet we’ve only just approved our new commission. Such an inactive gap means we open our new account with an overdraft. We

have a difficult journey ahead with much to do but to quote that wonderful John Denver song: “All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go.”

MEPs do a lot of packing and unpack-ing and it does tend to get a bit automatic. Some stuff we must take with us but there are always items we could consider leaving behind, or exchanging for something more suitable. I think the same goes for new man-dates. The baggage we take with us is both heavy and of questionable value when one considers our destination. Global issues will dominate the coming years with terrorism, human rights, climate change and economic recession all demanding EU attention – and my attention too. Over the coming months, I hope to write about all these subjects but choosing first climate change, I’m asking if our bags are packed with the right things to tackle this most pressing of challenges.

At the end of 2008, the so-called climate package was interrupted in its codecision process and plunged into the dark world they call trialogue so as to give French president Nicolas Sarkozy the kudos for


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ission guide IntroductionThe start of a new five-year commission has seen significant changes to the executive’s structure. Two brand-new portfolios are created: climate

action (Connie Hedegaard, see p111) and home affairs (Cecilia Malmstrom, see p122).

Catherine Ashton (see p16) occupies the post of EU foreign affairs supremo, which was created under the Lisbon treaty and which the Briton will “share” with her role as one of seven

commission vice-presidents.

In an effort to freshen up his team and, supposedly, make it more efficient than the last one, commission president José Manuel Barroso has also reconfigured several other

commissioner posts. These include the portfolios of digital agenda (Neelie Kroes, see p31) which previously came under the title of information

society and media.

Other changes from Barroso I include the re-structured posts of international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response (Kristalina

Georgieva, see p95) and that of justice, fundamental rights and citizenship (Viviane

Reding, see p19). Algirdas Semeta (see p63), the controversial choice for the taxation and customs union portfolio, will now also include

the anti-fraud brief.

The single multilingualism portfolio no longer exists as such but will be included in the education and culture job given to

Androulla Vassiliou, (see p59). There have also been changes to some of the commission’s

directorates, or departments, including splitting the old DG for transport and energy. State aid issues in energy and transport, meanwhile, will

now be covered by the competition DG.

these planet-saving directives before the end of his EU presidency. We went to Copenhagen to show off these measures in the hope that the rest of the world would follow our ‘lead’. But nobody did. After all, it’s hard to follow the leader if he’s behind you because his baggage is too heavy.

One of the climate package directives is the revision of the EU emission trading scheme but it does not come into opera-

tion until 2013 – so why was it rushed? Moreover, given that no other large economy is set to adopt the same cap-and-trade system to cut harmful emissions, this system is a direct tax on EU energy-inten-sive industries that are exposed to global markets. Nothing against such systems, but if they are to encourage investment in emission reducing technologies, the

allocation of allowances must be sensitive to industrial, economic and employment needs. The result of the rushed approval, lacking anything one might call democracy, is already frightening EU industries facing competition by companies from countries where there is no cost on carbon and lower environmental norms – and we could still have three years to do something about it. If we take this baggage into the next mandate, it will increase unemployment, reduce our chances of economic recovery and weaken our global voice in the fight against climate change. It will also do nothing to reduce global emissions, they will simply move to another place.

How many times have we heard about the Lisbon treaty bringing greater democ-racy and transparency to our legislative work? Well, here’s a chance to demonstrate this institution’s will to our sceptical elec-torate – especially those fearful of losing their jobs and jeopardising their families’ futures. Wouldn’t it be great to consider our citizens from the first year of the mandate rather than only in the last one as selections and elections remind us who we serve? So let’s not just throw everything old back in the bags and set off as before. By the way, the last line of that song is “I hate to go.” How many industries will be singing that as they leave?

“ “Wouldn’t it be great to consider our citizens from the first year of the mandate rather than only in the last one as selections and elections remind us who we serve

FACTFiLe

Eija-Riitta Korhola is a member of the

Parliament Magazine’s editorial board and

the winner of the energy award in the

2009 MEP awards


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ission guide President

Take twoThe Barroso II commission will have to hit the ground running if it is to succeed in steering the EU’s future course

It took months to get his team approved but, finally, Barroso II has set to work. José Manuel Barroso was unanimously nominated by member states no less than eight months ago and was endorsed by parliament for

a second term as commission president back in September last year.

But it wasn’t until this month that MEPs finally backed the 26 members of his new team. During the interim period, Barroso’s critics, with parliament’s Greens/EFA group foremost among them, took delight in branding the former Portuguese premier a “lame duck” leader. It did not help his cause that Europe, along with much of the rest of the international com-munity, found itself gripped in the worst economic downturn since the 1930s, nor that the much-awaited climate change conference in Copenhagen in December was deemed a flop. It led to accusations that Barroso failed to demonstrate suffi-cient leadership at a time of crisis.

While the delayed parliamentary hear-ings took place, Barroso is generally perceived to have taken something of a back seat. Europe’s two other “presidents” – council president Herman Van Rompuy

and Spanish prime minister José Luis Zapatero, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency – have been taking centre-stage. Not to forget parliament’s very own president, Polish MEP Jerzy Buzek. Inevitably, the presence of up to four presidents on the scene has caused some confusion and, some say, an outbreak of turf warfare. It was even blamed for US president Barack Obama’s decision not to attend the now-cancelled EU-US summit in Madrid this spring. US offi-cials have expressed frustration that the Lisbon treaty, which was supposed to give the EU a single voice, has created several European presidents competing for Washington’s attention.

However, now that Barroso’s new execu-tive have been given the parliamentary green light, the question is: which way will he steer it? We were given a taster of what


may come when Barroso’s released his political guidelines for the new commis-sion last September. They were produced following MEP demands that Barroso come forward with a visionary idea and new initiatives as a condition for his re-appointment for a second term in office. In one key passage, Barroso states, “Europe is facing stark choices in today’s interde-pendent world. Either we work together to rise to the challenge or we condemn ourselves to irrelevance.”

Barroso’s first five-year term was spent overseeing legislation on everything from mobile phone rates to chemical regulation. Economic reform, in particular, and climate change are now among the pressing issues he faces. The EU’s annual €130bn budget and decisions on how much will in future go on agriculture and regional funds are other crunch issues, along with further EU expansion. Reducing the administra-tive burden on businesses and a review of EU agencies also figure prominently on the Barroso barometer.

Barroso will also be all too aware that, under Lisbon, parliament assumes sig-nificant new powers in a range of policy areas, including budgetary matters. When he appeared before parliament at its Strasbourg plenary in February, Barroso

pledged to “build a competitive and sus-tainable economy, tackle climate change and modernise the EU’s industrial base”.

In an effort to demonstrate his com-mitment to such objectives, Barroso has proposed the EU 2020 strategy, which is

“ “Europe is facing stark choices in today’s interdependent world. Either we work together to rise to the challenge or we condemn ourselves to irrelevanceJosé Manuel Barroso

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ission guide President

supposed to succeed the much-vaunted but failed Lisbon Agenda.

But Janis Emmanouilidis, a senior policy analyst at the European Policy Centre, a Brussels-based think tank, said, “In its current design, the 2020 project falls short as it concentrates almost exclu-sively on strengthening Europe’s economy. Considering the multitude and complexity of challenges inside and outside our con-tinent, 2020 should be extended to other areas, especially in the realm of security.”

He said Barroso’s new college needs to offer more than a “patchwork” of initia-tives and legislative proposals. “He and his team need to provide a new sense of orien-tation in an EU which has suffered from a multiple lack of leadership,” he added.

Part of Barroso’s “vision” for a second term was also to create two completely new portfolios – climate action (Connie Hedegaard) and home affairs (Cecilia Malmström). He has made it clear he wants the commission to take “charge” of


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ission guide Presidentclimate change policy as member states put in place an agreement on cutting their CO2 emissions to 20 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020. The key home affairs role occupied by Malmström, a former MEP, will be all-embracing, possibly covering such current thorny issues as the EU-US deal to share data about bank transfers and airport body scanners.

Barroso’s reappointment left some unimpressed, including Greens co-pres-ident Daniel Cohn-Bendit, who says he

politiCal prioritiesJosé Manuel Barroso wrote to parliament

president Jerzy Buzek last September setting out his political priorities over the next five years.

Barroso called for a “transformational agenda”, saying, “Either we collectively shape the new

order, or Europe will become irrelevant.” He said the enlarged EU “now gives us a springboard to

use our reach and strength to best effect” and set the groundwork for the EU 2020 strategy. This, he said, would focus on exiting the economic crisis, tackling climate change, developing sustainable growth, advancing social policies and Europe’s place in the world. To achieve these ambitions, Barroso said a “root and branch reform of the EU budget” was needed. At the heart of this is the need for a new partnership between the commission and parliament. “I want to work closely with the parliament for a prosperous, secure and sustainable Europe,” said Barroso.

CabinetHead: Johannes Laitenberger (02 296 5745)

deputy head: Fernando Frutuoso de Melo (02 299 3145)

advisors: António José Cabral(senior advisor, 02 299 4388), Clara Martinez Alberola (02 296

5730), Arianna Vannini

spokespeople: Koen Doens (head of service, 02 298 1566), Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen (commission spokeswoman, 02 295 3070), Leonor Ribeiro da

Silva (deputy spokeswoman, 02 298 8155)

members: Fernando Andresen Guimarães (02 298 8159), Olivier Dandoy (02 295 3022), Henning Klaus (02 299 4310), Ines Servulo Correia (02

298 8156), Hugo Sobral (02 296 8553), Michelle Sutton (02 296 0239), João Marques de Almeida

FaCtFile

“The European parliament has shown that it has teeth. The president for the first time presented

me with his written ‘political guidelines’. I welcome this as and trust it will be repeated.

This represents a new dawn for relations between parliament and commission.”

parliament president Jerzy buzek following José Manuel Barroso’s re-election in September 2009

View From parliament

doesn’t expect anything “truly positive” to come from it. Others say the team he has put together, which features nine women, including third-time commis-sioner Viviane Reding, is woefully short of personalities. But Barroso, the commis-sion’s 11th president, will care less about such criticism and more about his long-term personal legacy.

One thing is sure: having waited so long to get going, he will want his team to hit the ground running.

→ SPACE FOR EUROPE

The European Space Agency (ESA) is Europe’s gateway to space. Its mission is to shape the development of Europe’s space capability and ensure that investment in space continues to deliver benefits to the citizens of Europe and the world.

ESA is an international organisation with 18 Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxem-bourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom (Canada takes part in some projects under a Cooperation agree-ment). By coordinating the financial and intellectual resources of its members, ESA can undertake programmes and activities far beyond the scope of any single European country.

ESA has been dedicated to observing Earth from space since the launch of Meteosat, its first meteorological mission, in 1977. The subsequent series of Meteosat satellites, ERS-1, ERS-2 and Envisat have been providing us with a wealth of valuable data about Earth, its climate and changing environment. We still need to know more about our planet if we are to further understand the Earth system and its processes, especially within the context of global change. This will better equip us for predicting the effects of a changing climate.

For more information, visit our web site:www.esa.int

Michael VassiliadisChairmanMining, Chemical and Energy Industrial Union (IG BCE)

Dr. Utz TillmannDirector GeneralGerman Chemical Industry Association (VCI)

Hans Paul FreyDirector GeneralGerman Federation of Chemical Employers’ Associations (BAVC)

A strong industry for a sustainable European future.

With its 2020 EU Strategy document, the European Commission intends to redefine

the principles for a competitive and sustainable Europe.

Employees and employers in the German chemical industry endorse the Commission’s

goal of securing sustainable growth in Europe. Ecologically and socially responsible

action does not inhibit economic success. Since 1990, we have, for example, doubled

our energy efficiency. Industrial relations in the German chemical sector, the so-called

social partnership, provide an excellent example of both management and employees

working together for competitiveness and the achievement of social and ecological

goals.

We believe in:

Responsibility on the part of companies;

Innovation and technology for sustainable growth rather than constraints and

burdens that inhibit;

Competence of social partners at company and industry level rather than over-

regulating;

Long-term regulatory frameworks rather than direct market intervention.

We want to shape the future together with policymakers. To this end, industry needs

freedom for research and production.

This is where the social market economy provides the right setting.

EU Strategy 2020

More Information: IG BCE + 49 511 7631-0 BAVC + 32 2 290 89-70 VCI + 32 2 54806-90

VCI_10_06_AZ_Parliament_Magazine_RZ.indd 1 17.02.2010 10:04:08 Uhr

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Comm

ission guide High representative for foreign affairs and security policy

One vision, one voiceWhen it comes to foreign policy, Catherine Ashton must ensure the EU speaks with one voice if the bloc is to make its mark globally

Catherine Ashton’s task was never going to be an easy one. She was few people’s first choice for the job, and persuading parliament that she is a worthy EU foreign policy chief was always going

to be a big ask. And after a faltering start in front of parliament on only her second day in the job, it seemed the naysayers were about to be proved right.

Unsurprisingly, the Brit brushed up on her area before being subjected to a second parliamentary grilling at the start of the year, managing to do enough to convince most deputies she has what it takes to fulfil her “double-hatted” foreign policy role. Ashton, who has little previous experience in the field, managed to appease MEPs who ques-tioned her qualifications by pledging to work closely with parliament to make Europe “a stronger, more credible” international force. “Within the boundaries of what I am able to do, I am very keen and very pleased to be able to come to the parliament as often as possible,” she said, adding, “My commitment is genuine and real. There is a huge amount of expertise in this room. There is a huge amount of political will in this room, and you are democratically elected and I am not.”

As Ashton takes up the challenge of spearheading the EU’s foreign and security policy, her primary goal is to ensure coher-ence and consistency among the various institutions. “Whoever speaks, it should be with the same voice,” she said. But with three commissioners working alongside her – Štefan Füle (enlargement and European neighbourhood policy), Kristalina Georgieva (international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response), and Andris Piebalgs (development) – the risk of overlapping responsibilities was not lost on MEPs, who pressed her for explicit details of how she plans to operate.

“The purpose of bringing all this together was precisely to bring coherence into a system so that there was a common policy – common strategy – that brought the insti-tutions together,” she said. “Responsibility lies with my role to set out the strategic framework and the strategic direction of


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ission guide High representative for foreign affairs and security policy

mAndAte As foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton takes over the functions traditionally exercised by the six-monthly rotating presidency, the high

representative for CFSP and the commissioner for external relations. According to articles 18

and 27 of the treaty on the EU, she will conduct the EU’s common foreign and security policy, contributing to its development and ensuring

implementation of the decisions adopted in this field. She will preside over the foreign affairs council and will act as the commission’s first

vice-president. In this role, she is responsible for ensuring the consistency of the bloc’s external

action and is responsible within the commission for responsibilities incumbent on it in external

relations and for coordinating other aspects of the EU’s external action.

Ashton must represent the EU on matters relating to the common foreign and security policy,

conducting political dialogue with third parties on the bloc’s behalf and expressing the union’s position in international organisations and at international conferences. She will exercise

authority over the EEAS and over EU delegations in third countries and at international organisations.

CAbinetspokesperson: Lutz Güllner (02 296 4661)

Further cabinet members to be appointed

our policy with parliament, with the council and with the commission and, in doing that, for the commissioners to work with me to deliver that strategic direction. We are very clear and very comfortable about that.” Working collaboratively, Ashton insists, is key if the bloc’s voice is to be heard.

As both the high representative for foreign and security policy and a vice-president of the commission, the Brit must take the

lead in establishing the European exter-nal action service (EEAS). Created by the Lisbon treaty, the service hopes to provide the solution to the Kissinger question – “who do I call if I want to talk to Europe?” – estab-lishing a diplomatic corps that will oversee Europe’s aid and humanitarian budget as well as relations with countries around the world. Ashton sees the service as a “once in a generation opportunity” to bring together “all the elements of our engagement – political, economic and military – to implement one coherent strategy”.

With the organisation and functioning of the EEAS expected to go before the spring council for approval, MEPs repeat-edly pushed Ashton to commit high-ranking diplomats to parliamentary scrutiny. But Ashton “remains unconvinced” that Senate-style hearings are appropriate. “I always find it difficult to disappoint parliament but, occasionally, I am afraid, I do and I will,” she said.

Ashton, by her own admission, has an “enormous responsibility” ahead of her. From the Middle East to China and Latin America, non-proliferation, terrorism, energy and climate change, her portfolio covers a huge spectrum. So, can she pull it off despite her lack of experience?

Since she took her first tentative steps in the field of foreign and security policy last December, the Labour peer has already come under fire for the EU’s response to the Haiti earthquake, which devastated the country’s capital just hours after her parlia-mentary hearing. And it would be fair to say Ashton has left many underwhelmed with her credentials. But parliament’s foreign affairs committee believes she “has the potential to develop the required expertise and leadership” her role requires. The chal-lenge is great; time will tell whether Ashton can deliver.

“

“

Whoever speaks, it should be with the same voice

FACtFiLe

“She showed a genuine desire to work closely with parliament in elaborating a truly common

EU foreign policy and bringing coherence to the EU’s external action. Ms Ashton stated that she would provide, with parliament’s support,

strategic political guidance and ensure coherence in the delivery of EU assistance. Her fellow

commissioners would be in charge, within this strategic framework, of the implementation of their

respective policies. On other substantive issues raised during the debate, however, Ms Ashton

remained relatively vague. Her interventions were focused on the elements and issues which would need to be considered when elaborating an EU position rather than on expressing her view.”

gabriele Albertini chair of parliament’s foreign affairs committee

View From pArLiAment

AerospAce Low carbon, High value, Europe’s future

The aerospace industry is a crucial sector for europe. It contributes to the achievement of the EU’s key socio-economic goals, ensuring sustainable mobility, providing highly-skilled jobs and fostering Europe’s knowledge economy through massive R&D investments.

In Europe, the aerospace sector generates a turnover of €105 billion and employs half a million highly-skilled professionals.

It is a major contributor to the EU trade balance: around three-quarters

of Europe’s civil aviation output is exported outside of the EU.

Dynamic and innovative, it is a world leader in advanced engineering.

It is also one of the most R&D intensive sectors in Europe, dedicating more than 12% of its turnover to research and development.

20% of its employees work in R&D. Only in the pharmaceuticals sector (another fast-growing, R&D intensive industry) is the proportion higher.

Aerospace drives innovation in science and technology. It generates substantial technology transfers, and provides spill-over benefits to numerous other economic sectors.

Air transport represents some 2% of of all man-made CO2 emissions. Through constant technological innovation, the aerospace industry has managed to significantly improve aviation’s environmental performance. For example, fuel consumption levels - and corresponding CO2 emissions – from a jet aircraft have decreased by 70% over the last 50 years.

The European aerospace industry is determined to continue down that path of innovation to limit aviation’s impact on the environment. European aerospace companies are currently exploring all possible areas where substantial environmental gains can be obtained, includingaerodynamics, advanced materials, engines and alternative fuels.

The industry has come together to launch “clean sky”, a €1.6 billion programme based on a 50/50 partnership with the european commission. Clean Sky will develop and validate the technologies needed to meet the objectives set by ACARE, i.e. to reduce CO2 emissions and noise by 50% from 2000 levels.

sAve the dAte:Special Aerospace Week at the European Parliament, starting November 29th 2010

ASD – Aerospace & Defence Association of Europe • 270 Avenue de Tervuren – B-1150 Brussels • BelgiumTel. +32 2 775 8110 • Fax. +32 2 775 8112 • Email [email protected]

A key economic Asset Limiting AviAtion’s environmentAL impAct


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ission guide Justice, fundamental rights and citizenship

The right championEU citizens have a new champion as Viviane Reding takes on the commission’s justice and fundamental rights portfolio

Luxembourg’s Viviane Reding is certainly no stranger to the EU executive, as she embarks on her third consecutive stint as her coun-try’s chosen commissioner. What is new this time round is the brief

she has been appointed to – justice, funda-mental rights, and citizenship. Created by José Manuel Barroso in response to demands made by ALDE ahead of his reappointment last September, the portfolio gives greater prominence to citizens’ rights following the full ratification of the Lisbon treaty last December.

Having first arrived on the Brussels scene more than 20 years ago when she was elected to the European parliament, Reding believes the Lisbon treaty has finally realised “a vision-ary dream”, giving EU legislators the chance to revolutionise the entire justice and home affairs spectrum. “The treaty will mean a whole reorientation of our policies in the field of justice, fundamental rights and citizen-ship,” she told MEPs during her impressive performance in parliament last month.

Of all the European institutions, parlia-ment has long been considered the champion of rights, and MEPs recently flexed their new found muscles by rejecting an interim data sharing agreement with the US over the Swift money transfer system. And it seems they are likely to have a tenacious ally in Reding. According to the former communi-cations commissioner, security has too often trumped justice in recent years, but she insists EU policymaking “should never be driven by fear, but by the values on which the Union is founded”. “I wish to make it very clear that our need for security cannot justify every vio-lation of privacy. Our citizens are not objects, but human beings,” she said.

Reding will need to work closely with Sweden’s Cecilia Malmström, appointed to the home affairs brief, given the need to strike a balance between security and rights on issues such as the controversial use of airport body scanners, which is expected to go before parliament in coming months. And she is not one to be taken lightly. “You can be very sure


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ission guide Justice, fundamental rights and citizenship

mandate Reding will propose an action plan early this year to implement the Stockholm

programme, and is responsible for ensuring compliance by the EU and member states with fundamental rights. The fight against all forms of discrimination, protection of personal data and children’s rights are key priorities. Reding

must take the lead in promoting EU citizenship, ensuring free movement of people within the EU, consular protection abroad, and greater access to information on EU matters. She is responsible for developing an EU justice area where citizens,

consumers, and businesses can exercise their rights across borders without obstacles.

Directorates D and E of DG JLS, DG Comm and directorate G of DG EMPL is under Reding’s

authority. Consumer contract law and marketing is transferred to JLS, and the citizenship and visitors units move to DG Comm. Parliament’s civil liberties, legal affairs, and women’s rights committees are relevant to Reding’s portfolio.

CabinetHead: Martin Selmayr (02 298 1230)

deputy head: Viviane Hoffmann (02 296 0305) advisor: Bartho Pronk (02 298 1610)

Press officer: Mina Andreeva (02 299 1382)

members: Michael Shotter (02 296 4195), Telmo Baltazar (02 298 1384), Dana Trama-Zada (02 299 6979), Jan Ostoja-Ostaszewski (02 296

8193)

that... there will be negotiations which will be led among equals. We will not let ourselves be dictated to,” said Reding.

As might be expected of such an expe-rienced campaigner, Reding put in a near flawless performance at her confirmation hearing, and gave MEPs a clear indication of her intentions over the next five years. While some of her counterparts were reluctant to veer off script, the Luxembourger was confi-

dent throughout and provided what ALDE deputy Diana Wallis described as a “very impressive patchwork” of her plans.

Reding is clear on what needs to be done, and her priorities include protecting privacy, citizen mobility and ensuring the rights of the accused are respected. Citing the Lamassoure report, the former journalist says she intends to plug the gaps which hinder citizens’ ability to move around the EU, for example by

reducing the administrative burdens associ-ated with cross-border marriage or divorce. Here, she promises a green paper on free movement of civil documents early this year, to be followed by legislative initiatives.

Reding will also be campaigning to make sure citizens are informed about their rights. “There is no right if people do not know about the right,” she says. “We must throw all our weight behind communication, in order to tell citizens what their rights are and what the possibilities are if those rights are not taken seriously, so that those rights can be upheld,” adds Reding. “We have to work more on this in the future.”

As for the EU charter of fundamental rights, which became legally binding follow-ing Lisbon, Reding will be doing everything in her power to make sure citizens feel the benefit. “We have to put it into practice in all our decisions… I can tell you there will be a zero-tolerance policy as regards violations of the charter,” she says. And parliament must also play its part, with a proposed annual report on the application of the charter in the pipeline.

Reding admits that citizens have “very often been disappointed” when it comes to justice and fundamental rights, but as one of Barroso’s most senior commissioners, she will be fighting tooth and nail, alongside parlia-ment, to make sure the same cannot be said of her time at the helm.

“ “I wish to make it very clear that our need for security cannot justify every violation of privacy. Our citizens are not objects, but human beings

FaCtFiLe

“Viviane Reding is highly experienced, which is important as she is dealing with a complex

portfolio. As we saw in the way parliament struck down the flawed Swift interim agreement, the

balance between personal freedoms and security will be a constant theme. I am concerned that the split in portfolios may create conflicts. Every

issue we deal with in the justice and home affairs area, from asylum to anti-terrorism, addresses

both freedom and security. She will have to work closely and transparently with Cecilia Malmström, and both should remember Benjamin Franklin’s maxim, ‘he who puts security too far ahead of

fundamental freedoms deserves neither’.” Claude moraes S&D group coordinator in

parliament’s civil liberties committee

View FRom PaRLiament

Six Public Policy Aims for the New European CommissionAt Aviva we remain true to delivering our core purpose of bringing prosperity and peace of mind to our 50 million customers around the world.

We look forward to working together with the new Commission and Members of Parliament to drive real progress on the following six objectives that we believe should guide European fi nancial services policy over the next fi ve years:

achieving longer-term rewards

retirement ages

approach could inadvertently damage soundly performing businesses

For more information regarding Aviva and our thinking behind these policy

Aviva is the leading provider of life and pensions products in Europe. In 28 countries across the world, we’re sharing knowledge and expertise from 300 successful years of looking after customers.O

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At Aviva, our core purpose is to bring prosperity and peace of mind to EU citizens

OCOAG9790_83195_ADU.indd 1 12/2/10 17:09:45

About SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International)SEMI is a not-for-profit global industry association representing 2000 companies that provide Technology, R&D and Innovation. SEMI supports 200 member companies in Europe, SMEs representing 90% of its membership. SEMI members produce9 billion EUR in Europe and employ directly 105.000 people, 500.000 indirect jobs. Find out more on www.semi.org/europe

Join Europe’s leading semiconductor equipment and materials policy event. Register on www.semi.org/BrusselsForum

4-5 March 2010 - Brussels, Belgium4th SEMI Brussels Forum

Challenges and Opportunities for the European Semiconductor Industry as a Key Enabling Technology. Based on the recent EC Communication "Preparing for our future: Developing a common strategy for key enabling technologies in

the EU“ {SEC(2009) 1257}

Agenda and free registration onwww.semi.org/BrusselsForum

TheThe semiconductor industry is a key contributor to European economic growth and prosperity, and an important enabler of Europe’s success in many sectors such as communications, automotive, medical equipment, security and safety. Today, no industry sector is competitive without using advanced microelectronic devices, there is no innovation without semiconductors. Semiconductors are critical to the European industry and welfare and must therefore be further prioritized on the EU agenda.


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ission guide Competition

Competitive edgeCompetition is good for EU citizens, and Joaquín Almunia won’t be giving in to pressure or meting out special treatment as he takes up his latest challenge

After almost six years as a commis-sioner, Joaquín Almunia is now something of an old hand on the Brussels beat. The Spaniard first joined the Prodi commission in April 2004 as the successor

to Pedro Solbes, who had resigned to join the new Zapatero government, and was reappointed by José Manuel Barroso in November 2004.

Almunia told MEPs at his parliamentary hearing that the “absolute” priority in his new portfolio will be the same as at the end of the old mandate: “to overcome the crisis and ensure Europe comes out of it better equipped for balanced and sustainable growth”. He added, “Competition policy, like the euro and internal market, has a key role to play in this.”

Almunia, formerly economic and mon-etary affairs commissioner, has had little time to focus much on his new role. The well-publicised Greek public deficit and all its ramifications for other eurozone members kept Almunia in the headlines for weeks right up to the changeover of roles. But, as the anti-trust commissioner, Almunia now finds himself occupying another of the executive’s most powerful posts. He succeeds Neelie Kroes, who levied billions of euros in fines on companies like Intel and Microsoft.

At his hearing, Almunia said the level of recent high fines was “appropriate”. “For citi-zens, more competition means more ability to choose goods and services, better quality and lower prices,” he said. Almunia, a former minister of employment and social security in Spain, added, “The rigorous and strict application of merger control legislation is the most effective way of preventing the creation of dominant positions in the first place. We must not give in to any pressure or interests. We must not mete out special treatment to anyone.”

One of Barroso’s most trusted allies, Almunia will have the power to block government subsidies to companies if the commission deems that state funding would damage competition by favouring one


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ission guide Competition

company over rivals. He will face dozens of unresolved bank state cases following the global economic crisis and banks that have received support during the downturn will have to sell assets during the term of the new commission in return for state aid.

Competition policy under Almunia is expected to play a significant role in the EU 2020 strategy. He told the hearing, “Competition policy has a major role to play in the transition from an economy in crisis, that needs public support and aid, to a dynamic and sustainable economy.” He added, “As competition commissioner, I’m here to ensure that competition policy delivers for consumers and for businesses. To that end, I will focus on fighting against cartels, preventing dominant companies from abusing their market power in any sector or any country in Europe, and maintaining a rigorous scrutiny of proposed mergers.”

Almunia backed MEPs’ calls for par-liament to be included in the design of EU collective redress measures. Replying to a question from French deputy Jean-Paul Gauzès, Almunia said it will be important to develop effective coordination procedures and to avoid abuse, as has happened in

the US class action system. German EPP deputy Burkhard Balz asked whether col-lective redress falls entirely within Almunia’s remit or whether he will have to share this policy area with Viviane Reding. Almunia’s response was that “we need to be able to intervene through competition policies” in cases where anti-competitive practices have been identified.

Almunia will, in his new role, also come under pressure to pay close attention to concentration issues in the media, an issue raised in recent weeks by the Green group in parliament. A socialist, Almunia became leader of the PSOE party in Spain in 1997 after the resignation of Felipe González, a post he held for three years. Many believe his rich economic background and experience in policy development stand him in good stead and the new portfolio is in safe hands.

“

“

I’m here to ensure that competition policy delivers

mAndAte The portfolio includes overseeing the EU 2020

strategy, completing the single market and implementing EU competition rules to “ensure

that the internal market operates efficiently and without distortion”.

CAbinetHead: Carlos Martinez Mongay (02 296 1228) deputy head: Guillaume Loriot (02 298 4988)spokeswoman: Amelia Torres (02 295 4629)

members: Anna Jarosz-Friis (02 299 3733), Elisabetta Righini (02 299 6160), Sofia Alves (02 298 6316), Eliana Garcés TolÓn (02 298 6930),

Ignacio Perez Caldentey (02 299 6747)

“Joaquín Almunia has the experience and personal qualifications needed to become a new

commissioner and this was confirmed in the hearing. He proved to have strong communication

skills and sufficient knowledge in the area of competition.”

sharon bowles chair of parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee

FACtFiLe


annonceEUSEW 100128.indd 1 28/01/10 10:35


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ission guide Transport

Green light to goIt’s all systems go for siim Kallas as he takes on everything from body scanners to trans-European infrastructure in his role as transport commissioner

Siim Kallas has been vice-pres-ident of the commission since 2004, a post he keeps for the next five years. Having tackled the thorny and troublesome issue of transparency and

openness in the EU in his last mandate, as commissioner for administration, audit and anti-fraud, he might have expected to be rewarded with a high profile role in the new one.

In the end, he was given transport, an important portfolio but not one of the plum jobs in José Manuel Barroso’s new team. Even so, Kallas already found himself embroiled in one of the big current political debates gripping the EU when he appeared at his hearing: the use of body scanners at European airports. The issue has split opinion with only three member states – France, UK and the Netherlands – currently using the scanners.

But, in his three-hour hearing before parliament’s transport and tourism com-mittee, he left little doubt as to where he stands on the issue, saying that while he is in favour of a European body-scanner regulation it should only be done on an EU-wide basis. “It is very bad that some countries already use body scanners without any properly agreed standards. It’s even worse without any proper discus-sion,” said Kallas. He told the committee he will present a detailed report to parlia-ment in April, based on a regulation that will include an assessment of the key privacy aspects.

Kallas, a former Estonian prime min-ister, also referred to the importance of creating a “single European transport area” and the significance of “better-targeted” investment in infrastructure and trans-European networks. He told members that “de-carbonising” transport would be a pri-ority as would promoting the integration of systems for booking rail tickets.

Plans for the “Eurovignette” levy on lorries would be pushed forward by the commission, he said, but progress in nego-


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ission guide Transport

tiating them would probably have to wait until the Belgian EU presidency in the second half of this year.

Kallas also made clear his concern for business interests and stressed the need to strike the right balance between “green” regulation and profitability. “We must be careful not to have a compromise that leaves everyone unsatisfied,” he said.

German ALDE deputy Gesine Meissner asked Kallas about liberalisation and har-monisation of rail transport to which he replied, “I am in favour of open compe-tition. It brings benefits to all sectors.” He aims to “remove the obstacles” to the proper functioning of transport, including political and administrative hindrances and technical barriers, such as incompat-

ible signalling systems for trains. Kallas told his hearing he advocates making more use of EU regional and structural funds to improve rail networks. He also pro-

poses creating a “European infrastructure investments fund” and assured MEPs that he would heed their request for a commit-ment of 40 per cent of the EU transport budget to the rail sector.

“

“

I am in favour of open competition. It brings benefits to all sectors

mandate The transport role involves “delivering sustainable

mobility while ensuring competitiveness, cohesion and social welfare, safety and security

for the European citizens”. The portfolio also involves developing an integrated transport policy “combining increased mobility and

decarbonisation to promote economic growth and social progress”. One aim is to tackle the obstacles to the take-up of low carbon

technologies, promote efficient logistics, safety, security and user rights.

CabinetHead: Henrik Hololei (02 298 8764)

deputy head: Kristian Schmidt (02 298 8769) spokesperson: Helen Kearns (02 298 7638)

members: Keir Fitch (02 295 9316), Veronica Manfredi (02 295 3936), Desirée Oen (02 298

8184), Hanna Hinrikus (02 298 8770), Max Strotmann (02 298 8766), Marit Ruuda (02 295

7243), Ülle Lõhmus

“He displayed a high-level of European commitment, excellent communication skills

and a welcome degree of candour. While freely acknowledging that there were aspects of

transport policy on which he was not yet fully briefed, he responded to many detailed questions although some members would have appreciated more detailed commitments about his readiness

to work with the committee.” brian simpson chair of parliament’s transport

committee

“Kallas clearly has no doubt about the necessity of additional security measures such as body scanners. Implementation could start after the

conclusion of studies this year.” michael gahler German EPP member

FaCtFiLe

View From parLiament

www.turblog.eu

Urban freight represents typically between 20 to 25% of road space contributing to between 10 to 20% of urban road traffic. This is indispensable for the cities economy but at same time significantly

affect the attractiveness and quality of urban life.

At the EU level extremely relevant research and consolidation of knowledge was undertaken (i.e. project BESTUFS) and at national levels one assists to the promotion of different platforms and initiatives, being a key objective present in all those initiatives, and also reinforced by the Urban Mobility Action Plan, to accelerate the take-up of sustainable urban mobility plans covering freight and passenger transport in urban and peri-urban areas.

TURBLOG_WW is designed in line with those objectives. It will act as a coordination platform, gathering the experience to identify, generate and assess best practice solutions on urban freight initiatives, through the conduction of a set of case studies (which will be undertaken to identify best practices and to assess the lasting effects and impacts of previously projects and tools and to compare experiences between Europe, Latin America, Asia and Africa) and the promotion of workshops and site visits, based on which it is aimed to facilitate the exchange of information, raise awareness, disseminate and assess the potential to transfer and promote research results at the national, European and intercontinental levels.

The overall result of TURBLOG_WW and its role in EU research can be synthesised as to put together past urban logistics experiences, analyse them carefully, extract and disseminate valuable information, supporting ongoing and future related initiatives and contribute to its transferability to Brazilian and Peruvian contexts, which corresponds to the project overall mission

To confirm URBAN LOGISTICS as a scientific and technical domain •where knowledge and policy transfer are possible

To expand the influence of Europe to other parts of the World •through knowledge transfer

To support the internationalisation of the EU research area•

TURBLOG started on the 1st October 2009 and will be concluded by the 30th September 2011. The first EU workshop will take place in Lisbon in July 2010 together with the WCTR and PANAM conferences.

Project co-ordinatorTIS.PTProf Rosário MacárioTel: +351213504400e-mail: [email protected]

European CommissionAngel RODRIGUEZ LLERENADg RTD - Transport DirectorateTel: [email protected]

Contact details

New World of Work for Utrecht

The City of Utrecht is building a new office for its employees. In 2013, over 75 percent of the employees

will be working in a striking looking new building at the heart of Utrecht’s Station Area. The new office will not only be an eye catching landmark. It will also be a very accessible “home away from home” where businesses, citizens and other interested parties meet. It is evident telephone and the internet are important channels for communication between the city authorities and citizens. But besides these channels, face-to-face contact remains indispensable as a basis for cooperation and interaction.

The city authorities already work in a professional and modern manner. But to meet the challenges of the 21st century, the organization will modernize even more. The new building itself is not enough. The other major transition will be to develop a Utrecht New World of Work. Information Technology (IT) is important to create a virtual working environment for our employees. They will be able to shift towards relatively paperless working practices and have genuine freedom of choice in terms of working independently of set times and locations. IT will also reinforce the quality of our services by providing the opportunity to make it simpler for employees to work together and share their knowledge.

The challenge being met by the City of Utrecht is unprecedented in the Netherlands. Beyond construction and technology, it remains a very human endeavour. Utrecht is the fourth largest city in the Netherlands but in spite of its size it retains a keen eye for the human scale. That same human scale will therefore be a guiding principle for the organization on its way to the new office.

www.utrecht.nlTel: +31302860000

[email protected] of Utrecht

Utrecht’s Station AreaE.J. Bronda

PO Box 16200 3500 CE UtrechtThe Netherlands

© Jan Lankveld


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ission guide Digital agenda

Turn on, tune inneelie Kroes plans to champion a truly single online market during her stint as digital agenda commissioner

It took two parliamentary hearings but Neelie Kroes was eventually success-ful in winning the approval of MEPs for her new role as digital agenda commissioner. The inability of Kroes, a former Dutch government minister,

to negotiate her first hearing took many by surprise. This, after all, was the political heavyweight who spent much of the last five years taking on the likes of Microsoft and Intel as competition commissioner – a role she was deemed, in the main, to have been successful in. She even attracted acclaim for daring to take on such corporate giants.

It was suggested that the negative MEP response to her first parliamentary hearing was mere political “tit-for-tat” following the earlier forced withdrawal of the centre-right Bulgarian candidate Rumiana Jeleva. It seems appropriate that in her first appear-ance she wore a brooch in the shape of a question mark, apparently her way of saying the hearing was not a foregone conclusion. Clearly it was not.

Whatever the reason, the 68-year-old’s appearance left many MEPs so under-whelmed she was required to reappear at a second, private meeting a few days later. Despite the objections of commis-sion president José Manuel Barroso, she later appeared before the group coordina-tors of parliament’s industry, research and enterprise committee where she gave a commitment to developing a digital single market and addressing Europe’s online copyright laws.

Kroes gave a hint as to her future inten-tions when she told MEPs, “Our European online market is an uneven patchwork of national markets. They are divided by dif-fering regulation, creating a ‘strait-jacket’ that frustrates consumers and limits busi-nesses.” It is her intention, she declared, to work with parliament to “champion a truly single online market: for goods and for ser-vices not yet imagined”.

Given her formidable reputation, it should not come as a surprise to hear that she favours “tough responses” to those who breach or ignore EU law and implementa-


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tion deadlines. It was her ambition, she said, to work with industry and stakehold-ers to produce “consensual and innovative” contributions to the digital agenda. “But let me assure you,” she told MEPs, “if that does not produce solutions, the public authorities have to take their responsi-bilities in order to achieve our common objectives.” Under her watch, Kroes said she will try to develop Europe’s informa-tion society and press ahead with copyright reform.

Austrian EPP member Paul Rübig and German party colleague Angelika Niebler were keen to get more information on pos-sible new regulation which would further lower the prices of mobile roaming to which Kroes said that “it would be ideal if there would be a single EU roaming market without borders”, but wasn’t sure if that could happen by the end of her mandate. She concluded that her decisions about new legislation would be based on the interim review and follow-up report. If they were to show that the market does not work prop-erly, she would act. But in the first place it

should be “up to the market to do the job”, she said.

French Socialist member Catherine Trautmann asked about potential EU indus-trial policy in the sector. Kroes said, “If you call it industry, then I’m your friend. We need 100 per cent broadband availability because it will improve competitiveness and bring an

excellent opportunity to create jobs, higher productivity and economic growth.”

Despite an uncertain start, most expect her to quickly grow into her new brief and she told deputies the web streaming of the hearings was a “powerful symbol” of how “significant” ICT has become, adding that it is a “driver for growth, improves our lives and makes us more prosperous”.

“

“

Our European online market is an uneven patchwork of national markets

mandate Her role is to help turn Europe into a “real” digital area and exploit the potential of ICT as a major enabling technology for raising productivity and addressing long-term challenges such as energy efficiency. The role also involves promoting an

integrated ICT policy framework and addressing both supply and demand for digital services,

products and contents.

CabinetHead: Anthony Whelan (02 295 0941)

deputy head: Lorena Boix Alonso spokesperson: Jonathan Todd (02 299 4107)

members: Helmut Dupuy, Giuseppe Conte, Arnoud Bader, Thibault Kleiner

“I had expected her to be more challenging given her reputation”

malcolm Harbour Chair of parliament’s internal market and consumer affairs committee

“Kroes fared much better the second time around and gave solid opinions and proposals”

Pilar del Castillo Vera Member of parliament’s industry, research and energy committee

“We are positive about Kroes and know she is extremely competent but we just wanted to

confirm certain issues” Lena ek Member of parliament’s industry,

research and energy committee

FaCtFiLe

View From ParLiament

G-4 Europe

The G-4 cities Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Utrecht are the economic engine of the Netherlands and as a whole represent one of the strongest economic regions within the EU.

The G-4 have a joint EU representation office in Brussels. This EU office forms an integrated part of the national political and technical co-operation of the four cities aiming to promote their common interests.

The EU office monitors EU policy and legislative developments, engages with the EU institutions on behalf of the G-4 cities, raises G-4’s profile and promotes its best practices. Efforts focus on strengthening our network and intensifying effective relationships with Europe’s political representatives, administrators, and various interest groups, including other local and regional EU offices in Brussels.

Urban Europe - Why cities matter in EU policy

‘Prosperous cities’ equal a prospering Europe. The majority (some 75%) of European citizens live in urban areas. Urban areas are key centres of cultural and economic activity. They are the engines of economic growth and cultural vibrancy, providing benefits of agglomeration for businesses, and attract the most dynamic companies and fastest growing industries (cities are responsible for 80% of all economic activity). However, at the same time, cities face concentrations of social, environmental and economic problems.

The challenge is to harness the potential of deprived urban areas and their inhabitants, and offer opportunities to access the wider society. The EU has been very helpful with exploring ways in which these areas and their inhabitants can play their part in the creation of comprehensive, well-balanced and vital cities.

Urban agendas

The main objective of the G-4 is to monitor EU policy and legislative developments paying special attention to two urban agendas:

Urban Sustainable Development Agenda

Economic Agenda

It is crucial that future regulations and policy frameworks reflect the interests of the cities and their inhabitants; this includes a (pro)active response to European proposals and the agenda setting of G-4 priorities with an EU dimension.

For the latest G-4 publication

“Eight Examples of Successful Urban Economic Innovation - A contribution by the G-4 to the European strategy 2020”

please see our website www.G-4.eu

AMSTERDAM - THE HAGUE - ROTTERDAM - UTRECHT

G-4 Europe contact details:

G-4 EU OfficeSquare de Meeûs 1 (3rd floor)B-1000 BrusselsPhone: 00 32 (0)2 737 1030Fax: 00 32 (0)2 213 8340@mail: [email protected]: www.G-4.eu

For more information on the G-4 cities:

Amsterdam: www.amsterdam.nl

The Hague: www.denhaag.nl

Rotterdam: www.rotterdam.nl

Utrecht: www.utrecht.nl

Ever thought why your mobile phone works away from home?

Standards!

Now why do you need to carry a bag full of electrical adaptors when you travel abroad?

That’s right - a lack of standards!

European Standards provide harmonised technical rules and guidelines for the manufacture of products or provision of services. Under the New Approach to Technical Harmonisation and Standardisation, the European legislator restricts himself to define the essential health and safety requirements that a particular class of product, like a toy or a medical device, must meet to be sold on the EU market and leaves the technical solution to standards makers. Market players then come together in the three European Standards Organisations (ESOs) - CEN, CENELEC & ETSI - to define the standards.

The problem is that the ESOs are private associations and there is no fundamental reason why their work should take into account the public interest. To complement the business interest, which often dominates the standardisation process, it is crucial to ensure a strong consumer representation. How? Through ANEC, which brings together consumers from over 30 European countries and ensures the process is not driven by cost and profit alone.

ANEC fights everyday to ensure standards are well elaborated and applied in order to make our lives easier, the services and products we buy safer, interoperable and accessible, with a reduced environmental impact. ANEC also aims to shape the related European legislation.

With the New Legislative Framework for Goods having come into force on 1 January 2010, with the potential to extend the principles of the New Approach to almost all product classes, there has never been a greater need for ANEC and its efforts on behalf of 500 million European consumers.

ANEC looks forward to working with the new Commission to achieve a Europe that is not only good for business but which offers the highest levels of consumer protection and welfare practicable.

ANECRaising Standards for Consumers

For more information

Avenue de Tervueren 32,Box 27, B-1040 Brussels

Tel.: +32-2-743.24.70 Fax: +32-2-706.54.30

www.anec.eu http://companies.to/anec

Stephen Russell, ANEC Secretary General

ANEC has signed the European Commission’s Register of Interest Representatives with identification number 507800799-30 and accepted its Code of Conduct.


Comm

ission guide Industry and entrepreneurship

Green growthAntonio Tajani hopes that his plans to marry business and the environment within an integrated industrial policy will present an opportunity to transform Europe’s economy

In his letters outlining the political guidelines of the new college, José Manuel Barroso warned that he wanted his potential team to take the commission’s partnership with the European parliament to a new level.

“That will require an investment,” he said, “in terms of political attention and in terms of time, from every member of the com-mission.” Antonio Tajani certainly seemed to take these guidelines to heart, and spent much of his marathon appearance in front of parliament’s industry, research and energy committee massaging MEPs’ egos, praising the institution’s “full democratic legitimacy” and promising to set up camp in parliament at every opportunity. In between bouts of par-liament sweet talking, the former MEP found time to explain what exactly he plans to do to stimulate Europe’s ailing industries.

Outlining his plans for a new indus-trial policy, which he told deputies would be a key element of the commission’s much-vaunted EU 2020 strategy, Tajani said a more integrated approach would help Europe develop innovative technologies, manufactur-ing processes, new products and jobs. The Italian said he believed that the fight against climate change and his integrated indus-trial policy were “two sides of the same coin” and a “marriage of convenience” that would bolster Europe’s competitiveness and create high-quality green jobs. He said the EU insti-tutions “needed to get the message across” that greening the economy would be good for European businesses. “Combating climate change and effecting the transition to a low-carbon economy represent both a challenge and an opportunity,” he said. But he warned that this challenge “cannot be tackled without investing in innovation and new technolo-gies”. He said he would provide details on his new policy before the end of 2010.

A central pillar of Tajani’s policy will be support for innovation and small and medi-um-sized enterprises (SMEs). Arguing that innovation is vital to achieving the objectives of Europe 2020, Tajani said he would team up with new research and innovation commis-


Comm

ission guide Industry and entrepreneurship

mAndATe Tajani will be responsible for the modernisation

and the strengthening of the EU’s industrial base, by developing an integrated industrial policy that

puts the economy

On a dynamic growth path, develops new sources of sustainable growth and ensures that Europe remains an attractive industrial location as it moves to a lower carbon economy. It falls on

him to also foster the development of SMEs by implementing the Small Business Act, developing

a new culture for entrepreneurship, improving access to finance and supporting export growth potential. Tajani also under the Lisbon treaty has

competence for space policy.

CAbineTHead: Antonio Preto (02 298 1973)

deputy head: Diego Canga Fano (02 295 7252) spokesperson: Fabio Pirotta (02 296 7284)

members: Ruth Paserman (02 299 3638), Johann Friedrich Colsman (02 295 7344), Mattia Pellegrini (02 295 4138), Massimo Baldinato (02

295 7543), Silvia Bartolini (02 295 8026)

sioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn to draw up an action plan to shake up innovation policy. Bolstering support for SMEs features heavily in Tajani’s plans, particularly improving their access to finance. Support for export growth will also have to be urgently addressed to ensure that the economic difficulties affect-ing SMEs do not develop into a social crisis. “SMEs are the backbone of the economy,”

he said. Tajani promised to meet up with the president of the European Investment Bank to ensure that the €30bn in credit set aside for small businesses “will really get to SMEs”. He also urged MEPs to move quickly in adopting the late payments directive and to speed up the implementation of the small businesses act. He said he wanted to raise the profile of SMEs by incorporating a “think small first”

policy and by the application of an “SME test” to assess the impact of all new EU leg-islative plans. Tajani also vowed to make life easier for SMEs with simpler rules on stan-dardisation and public procurement.

Tajani called for a focus on implement-ing the REACH chemical safety legislation ahead of a 2012 deadline, and outlined the importance of tourism in boosting jobs and growth. He also argued in defence of a list of industrial sectors that should be exempt from paying for emissions trading alloca-tions, warning that jobs could be lost through carbon leakage. The Italian touched briefly on a wide range of issues during his hearing, from lobbyists to the EU’s automotive sector, space policy to EC quality labels. Several MEPs criticised him for not being specific enough, repeating previous replies to ques-tions and not outlining how he would deal with conflict within the college of commis-sioners, particularly on environmental issues that would arise as a result of his cross-cutting portfolio. This stung him into a lengthy speech listing the commitments he would undertake over the next five years. However his earlier flattery seemed to pay off, and despite overrunning his time by half an hour, he was warmly applauded by MEPs.

“ “Combating climate change and effecting the transition to a low-carbon economy represent both a challenge and an opportunity

FACTFiLe

“Overall, [Antonio Tajani’s] understanding of the issues and problems raised was appreciated. However certain political groups expressed

reservations on the perceived lack of depth in explaining how general political commitments will be transformed into actual policy instruments…Members liked Tajani’s strong political pledge to address the needs of SMEs and defend his

portfolio in conflicting with other commissioners’ spheres. His cooperative disposition to listen

to, consult and work closely with the European parliament was welcomed. He was perceived to have well supported his candidature by the professional competence and aptitude that he demonstrated during the hearing as a skilled

communicator and a dedicated European politician.”

Herbert Reul chair of parliament’s industry, research and energy committee

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Strengthening the Competitiveness of the European Automotive Manufacturers through

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EUCAR Mission“Strengthen the Competitiveness of the European Automotive Manufacturers through Strategic Collaborative R&D”, by:

• Identifying, formulating and prioritising the common R&D needs;• Interacting with the European Commission, national bodies and other key stakeholders in order to represent, promote and communicate these

R&D needs;• Initiating, supporting and monitoring impact studies, projects and programmes.

EUCAR’s six areas of focus in research

Electrification of the Vehicle

Safety Applications in Co-operative Systems

Ecological and Efficient Manufacturing

Urban Mobility and Transport

Alternative Fuels

Suitable Materials

Main current issues in EU research policy

Improving administrative & financial issues for participants in EU research programmes

Identifying the future transport research priorities

Promoting technologies for sustainable transport

7th Framework Programme review participation

8th Framework Programme set-up participation

EUCAR is the European Council for Automotive R&D from the major European passenger car and commercial vehicle manufacturers. EUCAR facilitates and coordinates pre-competitive research and development projects and participates in a wide range of collaborative European R&D programmes. The European automobile manufacturers are the largest private investors in R&D in Europe with around EUR 20 billion investments per annum, or 4% of turnover. EUCAR members are BMW, DAF, Daimler, Fiat, Ford Europe, GME/Opel, Porsche, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Renault, Scania, Volkswagen Group and Volvo. EUCAR is closely connected to ACEA, the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. EUCAR Contact: + 32 27387352 : www.eucar.be ; [email protected]

Safety applications in cooperative systems

Suitable materials

Alternative fuels

Ecological and efficient manufacturing

Electrification of the vehicle

Urban mobility and transport

EUCAR is supporting the EU 2020 Strategy through research for future sustainable transportation.A sustainable transport system and a sustainable industrial base in Europe depend on a strong research capability. Cooperative research leverages industry’s ability to innovate, creating new technologies and increasing the ability of industry to compete in the European and global market. The development of appropriate scientific and engineering skills is essential to ensure the long term competitiveness of European business and the dynamism of the entire research community. Improving the competitiveness, efficiency and safety of transport will make a substantial concrete contribution to economic growth and prosperity, which in turn provides a solid base for social progress and environmental protection. The benefits of EU research framework programmes will be enhanced by a structure which encourages industry to participate, by reducing administrative burdens to the minimum and directing EU support towards those activities which offer the greatest societal gain. Research both into new technologies and into continuous improvement of existing technologies must be pursued, to ensure progress is identified in all potential areas.EUCAR is currently chaired by Marc Duval-Destin, VP for Research & Advanced Engineering at PSA Peugeot Citroën. EUCAR and its members are working with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States, European Technology Platforms, suppliers and other research and policy stakeholders to support an effective framework for collaborative research to 2020 and beyond.


Comm

ission guide Inter-institutional relations and administration

Balancing actmaroš Šefčovič will spend the next five years juggling the sometimes difficult dynamic of the EU’s institutional family

Despite being a career dip-lomat, stepping before the European parliament was an almost unfriendly experience for new inter-institutional relations and administration

commissioner, Maroš Šefčovič.Right from the off he came under fire

from some members of the constitution-al affairs committee, with Spanish EPP deputy Íñigo Méndez De Vigo pushing him on derogatory comments he is reported to have made in 2005 about the Roma minor-ity group.

Possibly calling on his time spent negoti-ating the difficult paths of the Middle East as a Slovak ambassador, Šefčovič quickly fought back. “Please put this work on the same scale with this quote which is five years old… it is clearly taken out of context... I did not mean to offend anybody,” he said. “If I offended, I really regret it,” he added. “I never had anti-Roma sentiments. I am ready to work with those who want to work with this issue.” With first blood drawn, his only way was up.

Pushed on the role for parliament in the post-Lisbon framework, the Slovak said its new powers were “one of the major plusses” of the treaty – always a vote winner among MEPs.

He rallied again with discussion over the citizens’ initiative (which he will push the Spanish presidency to implement), the European external action service (for which his only goal is for it to be a “big success”), electoral reform for European elections (he supports anything that increases voter turnout), the seat of the parliament, and his concept of Europe.

The subject of the often mentioned but little used lobbying register also made it into the debating floor. The then com-missioner-designate seemed opposed to a mandatory arrangement explaining, “The voluntary approach has worked fairly well... The commission could not work with access badges like parliament.”

Today, with his appointment agreed, the dust of his grilling before the assembly


Comm

ission guide Inter-institutional relations and administration

mandate The commissioner for inter-institutional relations and administrative affairs is responsible for the

administration of the commission, including management of some of the commission’s internal services; in particular consolidation

of administrative reform, personnel and administration, European schools and security.

The commissioner is also responsible for the following departments; the directorate-

general for personnel and administration, the office for the administration and payment of

individual entitlement, the directorate-general for informatics, the office of infrastructure

and logistics, and relations with the European personnel selection office.

The commissioner is ccountable to the parliament’s constitutional affairs committee.

CabinetHead: Juraj Nociar (02 299 0176)

deputy head: Bernd Biervert (02 295 6887) spokesperson: Michael Mann (02 299 9780

members: Dora Correia (02 295 0101), Marie-Hélène Pradines (02 299 0167), Christian Linder

(02 298 6917), Gabriela Kečkéšová (02 296 2732), Zuzana Dutkova (02 296 2736)

settled, and his own access to parliament therefore secured, Šefčovič is setting out his priorities. “The EU has huge potential to act in the interest of Europe’s citizens,” he says. “But to do this, it needs to be built on the firm foundations of the EU’s institutions.”

He adds, “The lesson of recent years is that when the EU acts together – whether on climate change and energy, or on the

response to the financial, economic and social crisis – it can meet its ambitions.”

“My main priority as commissioner for inter-institutional relations is to ensure that inter-institutional relations bring about a true partnership. To make our policies effec-tive, we need a strong leadership from the European institutions together with the

involvement of all sectors of society: nation-al, regional and local authorities, business, trade unions and civil society.”

Looking to working with parliament, the new commissioner explains, “The Lisbon treaty has increased notably the role of the European parliament in the legisla-tive process, bolstering the importance of building consensus on future initiatives.” He continues, “With codecision becoming the ordinary legislative procedure, we need to ensure similar treatment in the commis-sion’s dealings with the institutions.”

Once again playing to the MEP rafters, the Slovakian told deputies that, as com-missioner in charge of inter-institutional relations, he will pay particular attention and meticulous care that these principles are respected and applied by the commission vis-à-vis the assembly.

Finishing with a diplomatic flourish, the seasoned negotiator added that excellent relations between the commissioners and the parliament, particularly in their con-tacts with the relevant committees, are primordial for rendering the cooperation between the two institutions successful for the benefit of the general public. With par-liament’s star rising, notions like that could get him everywhere.

“ “To make our policies effective, we need a strong leadership from the European institutions together with the involvement of all sectors of society

FaCtFiLe

“Šefčovič proved his thorough knowledge and good practical experience of the EU institutional set-up and administration. He was well-prepared

for the hearing, although sometimes he might have had more courage his personal views on the

issues in question.” Carlo Casini chair of the constitutional affairs

committee


100 million tonnes of CO2 is as much as one third of the EU target of 20% greater energy efficiency by 2020. If the EU is to succeed in cutting 300 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by saving energy wasted in buildings, then Europe’s buildings need new windows which incorporate advanced technologies such as solar-control and highly-insulating glass. State-of-the-Art glass is also an integral part of photovoltaic solar panels that help provide a source of renewable energy, while advanced technologies in windscreens and windows for vehicles provide safety, security, comfort and energy savings. At the end of its useful life, glass can be collected and recycled thus making it a sustainable and environmentally-friendly product.

With the right policies and legislation to support the uptake of energy-efficient glass, policy-makers can make sure the EU delivers on its commitment to tackle climate change.

Better use of high-performance glass in buildings could help reduce Europe’s CO2 emissions by 100 million tonnes annually.

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Comm

ission guide Environment

In the driving seatJanez Potočnik aims to make the EU a world leader on the environment while providing the impetus to kick-start Europe’s economic recovery

Driving economic recov-ery through the creation of green jobs, halting the loss of biodiversity and protecting Europe’s ecosystems are just some of the pressing in-tray

issues awaiting Janez Potočnik as he takes over as EU environment commissioner. This may seem a daunting task, but if his performance before MEPs during his con-firmation hearing is anything to go by, Potočnik will take on the job with diligence and skill.

With five years as science and research commissioner under his belt, Slovenia’s representative in the Barroso II college is no stranger to the workings of the EU execu-tive. This came across clearly in his hearing when confronted with tough questions on issues such as the REACH chemicals legislation and the failure of world leaders to reach a deal at the Copenhagen climate summit last December. Potočnik’s time as DG Research’s top dog has left him with a definitive results-driven approach and in his last blog entry as research commission-er he spoke of the need for environmental policy to be “grounded in evidence”.

During his hearing, the commissioner also promised to make the implementa-tion of environmental legislation a priority. Asked by UK Liberal Chris Davies if he would do more than “push paper round a desk”, Potočnik said it would be his role to ensure laws were enforced. “If we have adopted legislation then we have to imple-ment it,” he added. When Davies asked Potočnik if he “has what it takes” to oversee one of the EU’s most important portfo-lios, the commissioner responded with an unequivocal “yes”, adding that he would do everything in his power to make Europe a world leader on the environment.

One thing that came through very strongly in Potočnik’s opening speech was his commitment to driving forward policies to promote sustainable growth. “Preserving the environment makes such enormous economic, social and business sense,” he


Comm

ission guide Environment

said. “Maybe we don’t have a silver bullet to take us out of recession, but we have a green one.”

This is at the top of the agenda for José Manuel Barroso who, in his mission state-ment to Potočnik, said he would need to lead the commission’s efforts to ensure that environmental policy “makes an important contribution to a greener economy”. This will include developing eco-innovation, environmental technology and plans to make the EU more resource efficient. Other key areas will be water, waste, forests, air quality and noise, and biodiversity. On this Potočnik is confident, but he is by no means complacent, criticising failed efforts to halt biodiversity loss and describing the issue as “one hell of a question”.

Potočnik will not be responsible for climate change policy, which will go to Denmark’s Connie Hedegaard as the EU’s climate action commissioner. But he insisted he would work closely with

Hedegaard to help Europe cut emissions and protect the environment. The com-missioner responded frankly to questions about the Copenhagen summit, where he said the EU had become “sidelined”, and the climate leadership “a bit lost”. But he

dismissed claims from British EFD MEP Paul Nuttall over the legitimacy of research on climate change, saying it would be a “catastrophe” to fail to act on the environ-ment. “I hope we are politically responsible enough to respond on this issue well in advance,” he said.

“ “

Preserving the environment makes such enormous economic, social and business sense

mandate The environment commissioner is responsible for promoting the green economy and halting

the loss of biodiversity. Janez Potočnik is tasked with ensuring that environment policy contributes to a greener economy, presenting plans for eco-

innovation, environmental technology and the next phase of sustainable consumption and production

to make the EU more resource efficient.

He also contributes to the EU air, land and water management policies to increase the resilience of ecosystems. Biodiversity will also be high on the agenda in 2010, the international year for

biodiversity.

The environment commissioner is responsible to parliament’s environment, public health and food

safety committee.

CabinetHead: Kurt Vandenberghe (02 296 9207) deputy: Matjaž Malgaj (02 298 8674)

spokesperson: Joe Hennon (02 295 3593)

members: Vesna Valant (02 298 8675), Bénédicte Caremier (02 295 4037), William Neale (02 299 6710), Elena Višnar Malinovská (02 296 7055)

FaCtFiLe

“Mr Potočnik’s strong commitment to resource efficiency and green economy, for example creating jobs and stimulating our economy

through preserving the environment, was highly appreciated, as was his willingness to prepare a

potential seventh environment action programme. Members also welcomed his resolve to firmly

implement REACH and biodiversity legislation as it stands. Yet, some of the commissioner-designate’s

answers could have been more concrete, for instance in the field of water policy.”

Jo Leinen chair of parliament’s environment committee


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ALDE “EU 2020” STRATEGYThe Lisbon Strategy, approved in 2000 to create “the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world” by 2010, did not deliver what it promised.

The new 2020 strategy must learn the lessons of the past and ensure a strengthening of economic policy coordination, including incentives for good performance and reinforcement of compliance mechanisms.

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Comm

ission guide Economic and m

onetary affairs

Money talksolli Rehn will be looking to fine-tune Europe’s finances as economic and monetary affairs commissioner

Olli Rehn, who oversaw EU enlargement in the last com-mission, is now charged with the task of ensuring member states rein in spending and deal with big debts. And the

Finn will be hoping to make a bigger impres-sion in tackling Europe’s economic woes than he did with some deputies at his hearing before parliament’s committee for economic and monetary affairs.

Most still see Rehn, who has also served in the Finnish parliament and is a special-ist in political economy, as a key figure in José Manuel Barroso’s new college. It was under his watch that Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007 and the 47-year-old also generally managed to tread a fine line on the thorny issue of Turkey’s possible EU membership.

At Rehn’s hearing, Green MEP Sven Giegold challenged him to spell out some “concrete measures” to tackle imbalances within the EU and excessive public debt and to identify his three main priorities. Rehn replied, “The first and foremost prior-ity for me must be jobs and growth. It must be our joint overarching objective in the coming years.”

His second priority is to “work to ensure the sustainability of public finances in the EU” and, thirdly, to “strengthen” the EU’s role in international economic relations. On this, German ALDE member Wolf Klinz, who chairs parliament’s special committee on the economic crisis, asked about Rehn’s programme for dealing with the EU’s dif-ferences with the US, while French Greens MEP Pascal Canfin asked for his views on China’s proposal for reform of the mon-etary system.

Rehn said the EU has worked well with the US, particularly through the G20 and that more discussion is needed with the US but also with China on balancing the macro-economic situation. With regard to the monetary system proposal, Rehn found the fact that China is willing to engage in multilateral coordination “interesting


Comm

ission guide Economic and m

onetary affairs

and promising”. Many MEPs raised the issue of improved coordination and super-vision. Socialist member Udo Bullmann asked how Rehn envisaged ensuring better coordination among the member states on economic policy. The commissioner replied that he would use Lisbon treaty to step up coordination in the euro area and deepen preventive surveillance.

German EPP member Werner Langen asked about the suitability of the stability and growth pact and how it could be strength-ened. Rehn reiterated that the pact is the “right mechanism” to return to stability and that together with Lisbon, it would ensure that member states conform. He added that Greece will be the first test for these mecha-

nisms. British EFD member Godfrey Bloom asked what lessons Rehn would take on board from the crisis to which he replied the downturn had made clear that it will be “essential quickly to adopt the micro- and macro-prudential financial supervision package”. He also recommended stronger supervisory capacity at the EU level.

Rehn, who served a short spell as an MEP, also gave his full backing to the EU 2020 strategy, the successor to the much-vaunted Lisbon strategy while at the same time cautioning that its success will rely to a large extent on enforcement of the stability and growth pact (which sets a public debt thresh-old of three per cent of GDP). What Rehn made clear when questioned by MEPs is that he does not favour countries whose econo-mies (like Greece) rise above the threshold being required to leave the EU.

With Europe’s economy finally on the mend Rehn says that continued economic recovery also depends on greater fiscal coor-dination. A known lover of rock and jazz, Rehn will be hoping his prognosis hits the right note.

“

“

The first and foremost priority for me must be jobs and growth

mandate The post involves safeguarding “macro-economic

stability” and strengthening the coordination of member states’ economic policies. Rehn will have to take the lead in developing work on a

coordinated strategy for managing the exit from the downturn and contributing to bringing public

finances back to a sustainable path. The euro area and its gradual enlargement will be another focus

of his responsibilities.

CabinetHead: Timo Pesonen (02 295 7995)

deputy head: Stéphanie Riso (02 295 5062)advisor: Vesa Vihriälä

spokesperson: Amadeu Altafaj Tardio (02 295 2658)

members: Taneli Lahti (02 292 1201), Mandeep Bains (02 299 6280), Risto Artjoki (02 298 6790), Matti Maasikas (02 295 2295), Nina

Hyvärinen

“As a former commissioner, Olli Rehn has the experience and personal qualifications need. He has also shown, in particular through his past work, a commitment to European goals and willingness to cooperate with the parliament. However, ECON members expressed their wish

that at future meetings Mr Rehn would be more forthcoming with his views on matters that are

pertinent to his portfolio while paying due regard to the sensitivities and constraints outlines in the

treaty.” sharon bowles chair of parliament’s economic

and monetary affairs committee

FaCtFiLe

View FRom paRLiament

For more information visit: www.gavialliance.org E-mail: [email protected]

2000 Launch of GAVI Alliance at World Economic Forum in Davos

2001 First GAVI-funded vaccines reach Africa

2003 US$ 1 billion committed to GAVI’s immunisation programmes

2006 First vaccine bonds issued to raise funds for GAVI

2008 GAVI increases funding for health system strengthening to US$ 800 million

2009 GAVI recognised as international institution in Switzerland

The GAVI Alliance is a public-private partnership aimed at saving children’s lives and improving people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.

Immunisation is one of the most cost-effective ways to save lives, improve health, and ensure long-term prosperity.

In only 10 years, more than 250 million children have been vaccinated and 5 million premature deaths averted thanks to GAVI-funded programmes.

More than 70 % of GAVI’s support for immunisation and health programmes goes to African, Caribbean and Pacifi c nations.

Funding from the European Commission has been instrumental in supporting ACP countries to scale up immunisation programmes.

GAVI brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.

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5 million

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Saving lives through immunisation

“Immunisation is key to help reach Millennium Development

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The biggest vaccine-preventable killers of children under fi ve

are pneumococcal disease and rotavirus diarrhoea. With suffi cient funding,

GAVI could support developing countries in rolling out the vaccines against

pneumococcal and rotavirus that kill over 1.2 million children each year.”

Mary Robinson, GAVI Board Chair

Health worker Elisee Sansa records information about women and their children at the Barumbu mother and child centre in Kinshasa, DRC. Since 2005, innovative health system strengthening is made available in parallel with vaccine support.


Comm

ission guide Development

Developing potentialAndris Piebalgs will have his work cut out if he is to ensure development goals are not sidelined by competing considerations

The recently confirmed development commissioner may be new to his brief, but he is a familiar figure in Brussels. Andris Piebalgs, former energy commissioner, is the man José Manuel Barroso has charged

with maintaining “the EU’s role as a cham-pion of the developing world”. This, of course, will be no mean feat. So the question is, how exactly does the Latvian intend to go about achieving this, and is he up to the job?

Having gained wide respect from peers during his first stint in Barroso’s college, Piebalgs comfortably convinced MEPs that he has what it takes to ensure development is not cast aside as the bloc grapples to overcome the ongoing global financial and economic crises. “You should not be afraid that we will lose the development policy dimension. We will not lose it,” said Piebalgs during his confirmation hearing. “I will work hard to make sure that all EU policies really have a development component, whether they are trade, agriculture, fisheries, and many more. I am aware that this will not always be easy, but you can count on my determination.”

With the deadline for review of the mil-lennium development goals coinciding with Piebalgs’ scheduled departure date, this is one issue which is high on the former finance minister’s long-term agenda. Setting out his vision for his five-year stint to parliament’s development committee, Piebalgs said, “We have to succeed. I know that this will be difficult, but they are serious promises, not just vague aspirations.” And, when pressed on the risk that recently committed climate financing would cut into official develop-ment assistance, Piebalgs was firm in his rebuttal: these are two separate issues, and funding must reflect this. The 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product promised as official development aid by member states must be realised, irrespective of the current economic downturn or additional climate financing. “We should keep member states to what they have promised,” he said. “I will do everything I can to urge member states to keep the promises they have made. It is in our most basic interest to do so. I shall not hesitate to


Comm

ission guide Development

identify very clearly those member states that fail to meet their commitments.”

Piebalgs also admitted that aid effective-ness “is a big challenge” and says that there is an “agenda for action” on improving the situation at both EU and international level. “We have improved on it. Our aid is more accountable. It is also timelier, so it is more predicable,” he said. “But there are a lot of things that need to be done. So I believe that we will continue this aid effectiveness agenda inside the EU and globally.” Aside from the economic and climate crises Piebalgs has to contend with, the development dossier is one which also has to get to grips with the post-Lisbon EU and the new institutional set-up established by the treaty. This means that Piebalgs will be working closely with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, among others. As everyone finds their feet in their new roles, the ins and outs of the working relationship are yet to be ironed out. But Piebalgs is optimistic for the future part-nership and dismisses speculation of potential conflict. “I have no doubt that we will manage very well and that there will be no real battles on the ground between development goals and foreign policy. I can confirm this.”

Piebalgs is confident that his brief will not be overshadowed by foreign policy con-siderations. In fact, in the hands of a strong commissioner, the remodelled cooperation

structures could benefit the EU’s development policy. The new architecture, including the European external action service, is designed to give the EU a greater presence in the foreign policy field. And with the develop-ment commissioner taking one of the seats at the external affairs council, Piebalgs should be well placed to defend development policy goals in the foreign policy scheme. Piebalgs isn’t likely to shy away from his responsibili-ties. Quite the opposite, in fact. He looks as if

he is relishing the task ahead of him. Unlike some of his peers, Piebalgs rarely looked flus-tered as he faced MEPs. And his direct style went down well, with deputies applauding when he told them that he has no secrets. “I have nothing to hide,” he said. “I believe you know everything about my personality. I have no skeletons in my closet.” Piebalgs is an experienced European policymaker, but will have to work hard if the applause isn’t to dry out over the next five years.

“ “

I will work hard to make sure that all EU policies really have a development component

mAndAte Piebalgs has a key role in relation to the millennium development goals, as well as

challenges like food and water security, health and education. The relationship between the EU and Africa will be a focus in coming years. With responsibility for implementation, Piebalgs must drive forward the aid effectiveness agenda. The

new portfolio builds on the existing development portfolio, taking into account the Lisbon treaty. It requires close cooperation with Catherine Ashton, and Piebalgs will need to work closely with the

EEAS when it is up and running. He will represent the commission in the foreign affairs council.

DG development will be under Piebalgs’ authority. In relation to the foreign affairs council, Piebalgs

will be supported by the secretariat-general, as well as the EEAS. Parliament’s development

committee is relevant to Pieblags’ portfolio.

CAbinetHead: Christopher Jones (02 296 5030)

deputy head: Pēteris Ustubs (02 295 1325) spokesperson: Catherine Ray (02 296 9921)

members: Antti Karhunen (02 296 0281), Maud Arnould (02 296 6521), Philippe Latriche (02 299

3215), Stina Soewarta (02 294 6092)

FACtFiLe

“Andris Piebalgs seems to be the ideal candidate for the post of development commissioner. By nominating such a good candidate, president

Barroso has underscored the importance of the portfolio. Andris Piebalgs demonstrated a thorough

knowledge of the political aspects of his brief and was very well informed on the important

role that the development commissioner must play in ensuring the success of the millennium development goals. He assured MEPs on the

development committee that he will work closely with them to ensure delivery on a number of important objectives, from existing aid

commitments to improving land ownership rights.”

gay mitchell EPP group coordinator in the development committee

View From PArLiAment

For any further information, please contactKonstantinos Maragkakis, Head of Communications, Stanleybet International, Rue d’ Arlon 25, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium GSM: +32 472 28 07 42, Email: [email protected]

It is time to base sports betting policy on facts Stanleybet welcomes Commissioner Barnier’s willingness to drive a new EU approach towards sports betting based on hard facts.

We have always argued that the proper regulation of sports betting markets must be based on sound evidence and not on false allegations which are often motivated by vested interests and not what is best for the European consumers.

We also welcome Commissioner Barnier’s assertion that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ‘Santa Casa’ ruling1 will not fundamentally change the Commission’s approach towards infringement procedures. One cannot fail to notice that a number of Member States have abusively maintained their restrictions in the provision of sports betting services by openly disregarding the EU Treaty, using the fight against fraud and consumer protection as a pretext to protect their national incumbents, while providing no evidence whatsoever to show the existence of such issues.

The inconvenient truth is that whilst maintaining restrictive legislative environments on the grounds of consumer protection, certain Member States such as Greece have conducted literally no studies whatsoever to even assess such risks.

More importantly, a wide body of existing peer-reviewed academic research demonstrates that there is little if any correlation between the national level of gambling addiction and market restrictions, as it is the quality of consumer protection legislation itself that effectively combat gambling addiction, rather than arbitrary restrictions.

Recently denounced by the Petitions Committee of the European Parliament, the Greek case is particularly striking: Greece has not moved an inch since February 2008 when they were required by the European Commission to remove unlawful restrictions or face the ECJ. This is all the more unacceptable as the Greek regulatory framework for sports betting is based on exclusive rights granted to OPAP SA, a private for-profit Greek company listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.

It is now time to act. As a leading responsible sports betting operator, we are more than ready to contribute to the consultation announced by Commissioner Barnier so that the future policy outcome, whatever format it takes, is based on true facts, not myths.

John Whittaker Chief ExecutiveStanleybet

1ECJ Case C-42/07 (Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional and Baw International)

Protecting and Enforcing Trade Marks – a key challenge for the EU2020

With the Lisbon Treaty in place and a new Commission confirmed, the EU now faces a number of challenges when it comes to the protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights

in Europe and beyond its borders. The global fight against counterfeiting, the challenges posed by the Internet in terms of consumer protection and IP enforcement, and the need to modernise the European trade mark system are just a few.

The International Trademark Association (INTA) is a not-for-profit organisation of trademark owners and professionals. Headquartered in New York with offices in Brussels and Shanghai, our mission is to support and advance trade marks and related intellectual property as essential

tools of effective consumer protection and fair competition. We represent over 5600 trademark owners and service firms in over 190 countries, across all industry sectors.

Looking ahead, INTA urges the EU to move to a new phase of leadership and ambition in the following areas:

Fighting against counterfeiting:• Millions of European citizens, legitimate businesses and industries in all sectors are threatened by counterfeit goods on a daily basis, putting the health and safety of their customers and their own reputation and investment at risk. As a global leader in anticounterfeiting efforts, INTA believes that nations must work together to mobilise all sectors of society to eliminate the threat of counterfeiting. INTA supports the work of the European Observatory for Counterfeiting and Piracy and the negotiation of the Anticounterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). We call for the harmonisation of criminal sanctions for trademark counterfeiting as well as improvements in customs enforcement legislation as effective deterrents and tools within the EU, at its borders and at the international level to slow down the growth of this pernicious threat.

Protecting consumers and trade mark interests on the Internet:• Malicious conduct and trade mark abuse online affect businesses and consumers who rely on the Internet and other forms of electronic communication to conduct secure transactions. Cybersquatting, phising attacks, distribution of malware and spam are on the increase. INTA, a founding member of ICANN’s intellectual property constituency (IPC), calls on the EU to promote IP protection and enforcement as the Internet continues to grow and new business models emerge.

Improving the European Trade Mark System:• For the last twenty years, the Community Trade Mark System (CTM) has been effective in harmonising trade mark law across the EU. INTA welcomes the forthcoming review of the CTM and the national systems, and we look forward to proposals that build on past successes, benefit trade mark owners large and small, and ensure continued harmonisation, economic integration and growth in the Single Market.

“The protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights are essential tools to effective consumer protection and fair competition. INTA urges the EU to move to a new stage of leadership in this area, in the Internal Market and beyond.” Gerhard Bauer

Christina Sleszynska, Europe Representative [email protected] Gordhandas, Assistant Europe Representative [email protected] 11 Rue des Colonies, 1000 Brussels, BelgiumTel: +32-2-517-6103 • Fax: +32-2-517-6500

Chief Trademark Counsel, Daimler AG and President-Elect,

International Trademark Association

www.inta.org

INTA Europe Representative Office in Brussels


Comm

ission guide Internal market and services

In the Citymichel Barnier is well qualified for his job as financial services commissioner, despite British concerns that he could jeopardise London’s status as the financial capital of Europe

If there’s one new commissioner expected to hit the ground running it is Michel Barnier. France’s pow-erful new commissioner in charge of financial services secured broad support for his appointment at his

parliamentary hearing.As a former French foreign and agri-

culture minister and EU commissioner for regional affairs (plus sometime MEP), Barnier appears well qualified for his new job. Perhaps it is just as well, as the commis-sion has a formidable agenda of regulatory proposals ahead of it. Barnier, who will be in charge of bringing in legislation to regu-late hedge funds and deal with bankers’ bonuses, told MEPs he is clear on the need to regulate the derivatives market. There are also plans, he indicated, to create a crisis management system for banks that experi-ence fiscal problems, steps to combat insider dealing and a new regulation of the deriva-tives market.

He dropped a heavy hint about his support for reform of the whole financial sector when, during his three-hour hearing, he told MEPs, “We will not come out of the crisis as if nothing has happened. We must learn all its lessons.” He added, “Let us not get things wrong. The crisis may have ema-nated from the markets but our economy will always need functioning markets. We will make financial industry more competi-tive with the right rules that restore trust. Europe will have a competitive long-term advantage globally if it manages to agree for itself intelligent regulation.”

In his opening remarks, Barnier said that better living and working conditions and guaranteed access to high-quality public services would be among his priorities for re-launching the single market. “I will work to put the internal market at the service of human progress, fight social dumping and protect services of general interest,” Barnier said in reply to a number of questions on the social dimension of the common market.

“Europe is not doomed to be a sub-contractor of the American or Chinese


Comm

ission guide Internal market and services

economies. We will need a political Europe and a European defence dimension,” said Barnier responding to a question by French EPP member Philippe Juvin about the fragmentation of the European market in military equipment. “In an unstable, fragile and dangerous world, we must have a European defence dimension. But we will not advance against the member states with threats to their sovereignty – we’ll move forward with them,” he said.

Barnier’s relatively untroubled handling of his grilling at the hands of MEPs was something of a surprise given the storm of protest his nomination initially created, December when French president Nicolas Sarkozy boasted that his appointment represented a victory over “Anglo-Saxon capitalism”. This sparked British concern that Barnier might take actions to jeopar-dise London’s status as the financial capital of Europe.

But Barnier, a former special advisor to commission president José Manuel Barroso,

was quick to hit back, telling members of the internal market and consumer protec-tion committee that he believed in a “strong City”. He said, “I am not going to be taking orders from Paris or London or anywhere else. I can give you a cast-iron guarantee.”

Barnier will have one of the most closely watched portfolios in the commission but, uniquely, has experience serving in the three main EU institutions – the com-mission, parliament (he was elected in last June’s European elections) and council (as a former government minister).

“ “I will work to put the internal market at the service of human progress, fight social dumping and protect services of general interest

mandate Barnier is responsible for giving “new momentum”

to the single market while driving the commission’s initiatives in the field of financial services, public procurement, free movement of services, intellectual property and professional

qualifications. It falls to him to propose a major set of initiatives to tackle “missing links” and

restore confidence in the single market so that “it delivers its full potential” for citizens and small

businesses.

CaBinetHead: Olivier Guersent (02 296 5414)

deputy head: Kerstin Jorna (02 296 1326)spokesperson: Chantal Hughes (02 296 4450)

members: Francoise Arbault (02 299 1235), Paulina Dejmek (02 299 1553), Bertrand Dumont (02 298 1967), Georg Riekeles (02 298 1967),

Gregoire Scholler (02 295 1145)

“If Barnier puts into practice what he said at his hearing he will be making a break from his

predecessor, Charlie McCreevy. He showed himself willing to take action but we will judge him on

what he actually does.” evelyn gebhardt S&D spokeswoman on internal

market

“I want Barnier to back tough and robust rules for banks in order to avoid a future financial

crisis. With a new commission we have a golden opportunity for Europe to lead and we expect

Barnier to take up the challenge.” arlene mcCarthy deputy chair of parliament’s

economic and monetary affairs committee

FaCtFiLe


The Remote Gambling Association (RGA) represents most of the world’s largest licensed and stock market-listed remote gambling companies and provides the industry with a single voice on all the issues of importance to regulators, legislators and key decision makers around the world.

Against this background the RGA and our 28 members are committed to promoting a regulated and non-discriminatory environment for responsible licensed operators in global remote gambling markets.

In representing our members the RGA’s aims include:

Encouraging high standards of probity, integrity and social responsibility;

Working to develop viable regimes for the industry to operate in;

Offering a central source of information for those seeking to understand the industry; and

Providing a forum for the industry to agree policies and respond to common challenges.

Representing the global onlinegambling industry

www.rga.eu.com

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Comm

ission guide Education, culture, multilingualism

and youth

Courting successReturning commissioner Androulla Vassiliou believes the EU needs to build on the areas where it can make a difference in peoples’ lives, health and education

Already accustomed to the demands of sparring with MEPs, second-time commissioner Androulla Vassiliou always had a sporting chance going into her parlia-mentary hearing. And the former

first lady of Cyprus tackled multilingualism, training and mobility for teachers, the role of sport, and the preservation of cultural diver-sity as she went before deputies.

Kicking off her bid for a second term of office, she told members the ball is in their court. She says she plans to work closely with the assembly to define the content of new programmes dealing with culture and media as she has seen “first-hand the importance and the benefits of a structured dialogue with parliament”.

Proposals on how to implement the new provisions of the Lisbon treaty in the area of sport are also on the Cypriots agenda. Improving the participation of young people in the democratic life of Europe is another priority of the former health commissioner.

Sport is “a vehicle to achieve positive things”, such as good health and team spirit, Vassiliou told deputies, pointing out she will pay attention to all sports, and that develop-ing sport at grass-roots level will be at the heart of her policies.

Coaching young people is also key for the future success of Europe, believes Vassiliou, making teacher training another of her key concerns. She also promised to fight for an increase in education and training budgets for the same reason.

On other matters, asked whether current anti-doping measures were against privacy laws, Vassiliou said that World Anti-Doping Agency rules have been improved, but that every measure should be proportional.

Pushed on the issue of education for immigrant families she said, “We owe it to all children to provide them with a proper education and training... I will encourage member states to do this.”

On the Bologna process, she admitted the that “we have not reached the end of the road”. Factors such as teaching quality,


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ission guide Education, culture, multilingualism

and youth

mAndAte The portfolio is responsible for policies in education and training, youth, sport, civil

society, culture, translation, interpretation and relations with the office for official publications

of the European communities.

It is generally responsible to the culture and education committee but is also involved with employment and social affairs, and industry,

research and energy.

CAbinetHead: Philippe Brunet (02 295 4128)

deputy head: Despina Spanou (02 292 0807) spokesperson: Dennis Abbott (02 295 9258)

members: Zenon Severis (02 298 8704), Catherine Sustek (02 295 5816), Fabrice Comptour (02 295 5105), George Michael

Zissimos (02 295 1690), Jonathan Hill

university ranking, autonomy and financing “also need to be taken into consideration”, when looking at improving on current stan-dards, she said.

Trade also appeared on her policy team sheet. “I think we should be innovative in how we promote cultural diversity, and I believe that trade agreements are a good way of promoting respect for cultural diversity,” she said.

However, as commissioner her princi-pal concern will be to ensure that citizens flourish in an inclusive, competitive and sustainable Union grounded in knowledge, energised by creativity and innovation, and drawing strength from its diversity, says the Cypriot.

Vassiliou believes that her experience allows her to launch directly into the sub-stantial part of the work of her new portfolio, as she has had the opportunity to follow the commission’s work in recent years, but also the full historical context that has led to the new institutional framework.

Bearing in mind the new possibilities that the Lisbon treaty provides, Vassiliou believes “we need to build on those areas where we can make a difference in peoples’ lives... For instance in the areas of sport, but also the current context imposed by the crisis, where education and training are

vital”. The returning commissioner added, “We should make sure that every EU pro-gramme we apply has a direct impact on citizens’ lives.”

In the race to the finish line Vassiliou delivered a gold-medal performance to MEPs. Did Vassiliou and her team think it was all over? It is now.

“ “

We should make sure that every EU programme we apply has a direct impact on citizens’ lives

FACtFiLe

“The view of this committee is that Vassiliou’s answers were constructive and helpful. However, they were general rather than specific in nature,

and outlined few detailed commitments. She promised to press for more adequate

funding through the next multi-annual financial framework for Union programmes and activities

in the areas for which she is responsible.

The overall conclusion… reflecting the view of a large majority of members… is that the commissioner-designate gave a convincing

impression of her aptitude to be a member of the college of commissioners and to carry out

the specific tasks assigned to her.” doris Pack chair of parliament’s education and

culture committee


A Leonardo Da Vinci funded project - The Reducing Occupational Stress in Employment Project (ROSE) - led by Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland) aims to reduce

stress amongst managers and support staff working in the mental health and intellectual disability occupational support sector across the EU. Working in this area can be challenging for staff yet, there is very little accessible support in this sector.

The ROSE Project- Working to Reduce Occupational Stress and Burnout

ROSE aims to:Develop an online multi-model (environmental and individual) stress management intervention in order to improve well being of staff in these services.

Provide an accessible and user friendly online stress management programme, available to services and individuals 24 hours a day, seven days a week

ConsultationROSE consulted widely with sector managers and support workers to ascertain the nature of stress in the sector. ROSE also sought workers’ and managers’ views as to what they felt would help them to cope with such stress.

Findings to dateResults indicate a lack of uniformity in organisational approaches, staff education and support relating to workplace stress. Those working in the sector see a need for effective individual and organisational support in the management of stress, with a need to address work-related stress in an ongoing way.

Prospects for the futureThe ROSE project is significant at this time considering the current thrust of EU policy initiatives on mental health, workplace stress and employee well-being. The project will provide data and information to support European Commission initiatives’ on social inclusion, workplace support, policy harmonisation and mental health reflective of the priorities of the ‘European Pact on Mental Health and Well-being’.

Current workThe online stress management package is currently being piloted and the full package is due to be launched in May 2010. Further information on the ROSE project can be found at: www.roseproject.eu

For further information on the ROSE project contact:

Dr. John Wells Project CoordinatorDepartment of Nursing School of Health SciencesWaterford Institute of TechnologyCork Road Campus, Waterford , Ireland

00353 (0)51 [email protected]

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Bundesministeriumfür Verkehr, Bauund Stadtentwicklung

Close to Frankfurt– in the heart of Germany

www.grube-messel.de

New visitor center in 2010


Comm

ission guide Taxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud

A taxing taskAlgirdas Šemeta takes on the taxation portfolio but, with his remit poised to become more complicated, he says there is a way to keep things simple

Achallenging five years lie ahead of Algirdas Šemeta. The new-ly-appointed commissioner for taxation, customs, auditing and anti-fraud takes office with enlargement on the horizon.

His task, in an ever-expanding portfolio, is to try to simplify and harmonise financial regulation. The EU is likely to welcome at least one new member, Croatia, in the next few years, and with significant growth expected in renewable energy and environ-mental matters, Šemeta will have to cast his supervisory eye over a wide range of activities.

Addressing parliament’s budgetary control committee in his hearing as commission-er-designate, he acknowledged the perhaps slightly less glamorous nature of his work in comparison with other DGs, while high-lighting its relevance to European citizens.

“Tax and customs policy are not merely a set of fiscal measures,” he told MEPs. “They are a lever enabling us to carry out many processes that our society needs. Europe finds itself at a turning point today. We’re just coming out of a freefall. However, the situation is still fragile… Every decision we take on taxation affects every family, one way or another.”

With the increasingly broad and cross-cutting framework of the customs union, he moved to address concerns that the opportu-nities for fraud will multiply.

He praised the work of Olaf, the European anti-fraud office, saying, “I have no doubt that [it] has a very important role to play… During its first decade, it has gained a lot of experience and built up a solid reputa-tion.” He added, “There can be no excuse; no argument can justify any misuse or abuse of European money. Anti-fraud will be at the top of our agenda. We must not relent in our efforts to ensure that every euro is accounted for.”

Discussing the transparency initiative, he told deputies he puts “a great value” on its further development. In answering written questions from MEPs, Šemeta stated that his


Comm

ission guide Taxation and customs union, audit and anti-fraud

portfolio “is also about building confidence in the way taxpayers’ money is collected and spent”. “The reinforcement of the fight against tax and customs fraud and evasion, within the EU and at international level, will be at the centre of my policy,” he said. Among Šemeta’s other priorities are the internal market – “indisputably one of the greatest achievements of European integra-tion” – and the preparation of a strategic framework for customs for the period until

2020, including far-reaching reform and the development of eCustoms. He also wants to see the modernisation of energy taxation policy. “Green issues must be enshrined in our tax philosophy,” he said.

Šemeta, who graduated from university jointly qualified as an economist and math-ematician, has spent the last two decades helping to set up the financial institutions of state of the re-established republic of Lithuania.

Transferring to the taxation portfolio from six months as commissioner for finan-cial programming and budget, he is looking to draw on his background in statistics and national and EU governance in his new position. “[I have] the ability to see the broader picture, evaluating the intercon-nections between different economic and financial questions,” he said.

Šemeta, who wants to achieve a posi-tive statement of assurance from the court of auditors, demonstrated his willingness to work with parliament, and suggested strengthening the role of annual EU budget summaries as a policy tool. “I believe that the key to achieving success is a concerted effort from all the institutions. I believe that trust is an essential prerequisite to fruitful cooperation,” he said.

Indeed, for all his goals, such coop-eration is crucial. “It is the only true way towards strengthening accountability, effi-ciency, legitimacy and good governance of the EU decision-making process,” he said. Šemeta takes on an incredibly complex portfolio that affects every aspect of the EU’s work. He has his work cut out if he is to live up to his promise of clearing a path through the minefield of European tax legislation.

mAndAte The commissioner’s overall responsibility is to promote a pro-employment and pro-growth tax framework across the EU. The directorate

manages and develops the EU’s customs union, carries out internal audits, and fights tax fraud and evasion, at both EU and international level. In the context of a wide-ranging review for the

2020 strategy, it has, among other objectives, the goals of: identifying and tackling tax obstacles for citizens and business; reducing the administrative

burden; improving the effectiveness of the VAT system; exploiting the potential of eCustoms, and

preparing the establishment of Olaf as a fully independent service, outside the commission.

CAbinetHead: Stephen Quest (02 296 5897)

deputy head: Baudouin Baudru (02 295 1824)Adviser: Valère Moutarlier (02 296 2162)

spokesperson: Emer Traynor (02 292 1548)

members: Maria Elena Scoppio (02 295 4129), Elisabeth Kotthaus (02 296 7738), Kestutis

Sadauskas (02 295 1862)

FACtFiLe

“The hearing confirmed the committee’s doubts about the wisdom of combining audit and anti-

fraud with responsibilities for taxation, which might have merited a separate portfolio… The committee

expresses the wish that Mr Šemeta present to CONT a written outline of his plans, intiatives and

priorities for the coming years together with a timetable for the implementation. IMCO members particularly welcomed his promise of close and

open cooperation with parliament. Although in the first place [ECON members] considered that [his written answers] lacked detail… the

subsequent exchange… allowed [the members] to supplement this first impression with clarifications and commitments. The overall outcome is that the

committees represented at the hearing believe that they can work constructively with Mr Šemeta.” Luigi de magistris chair of parliament’s budgetary

control committee


“

“

Every decision we take on taxation affects every family, one way or another

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Comm

ission guide Trade

Trading upTrade commissioner Karel de gucht plans to use his new dossier as a tool to generate prosperity, stability and development

Karel De Gucht takes over the trade portfolio at a crucial time for Europe’s commercial relations. With the launch of the 2020 strategy and an ever-increasing number of global

goods and money transfers, the man who is the EU’s new voice in international trade negotiations has a quiet determina-tion about him.

Addressing parliament at his con-firmation hearing, he used his opening statement to highlight the importance of trade to the EU, the priorities he has for his term in office, and the experience and skills he brings to the position. Trade “has always been a powerful engine for growth and opportunity in Europe and elsewhere”, De Gucht told MEPs. “Even today, it is helping to pull us out of the difficult economic situation.”

He named five priorities for EU policy in the next five years: the development of the multilateral trading system, a deepening of regional and bilateral trade and invest-ment, increased economic cooperation with, notably, the US and China, a successful conclusion to economic partnership agree-ments, and a commitment to give European business every opportunity to expand under fair and free conditions.

The Belgian, who moves to his new office after six months as development commissioner, has other ideas as well. He sees an important overlap between his former and current roles, and hopes to be able to work to the benefit of both policy areas. Using his hearing to reiter-ate views outlined in written responses to questions from MEPs, he stated that free and open trade should not just be an objective in itself, but “put at the service” of the EU’s broader policy goals. “Free trade must be a tool to generate prosper-ity, stability and development,” he said. “When supported by the right rules and institutions, free trade delivers win-win outcomes… it is [capable of being] a potent lever promoting European values


Comm

ission guide Trade

abroad, like sustainable development and human rights.”

De Gucht is well placed to be able to implement his objectives. He has served in several positions in Belgium’s national government throughout a long career in politics, including as foreign minister, international trade minister and deputy prime minister. De Gucht was also an

MEP for 15 years, during the parliament’s formative years as a directly-elected body.

A lawyer by training, he intends to draw on the experience he has gained, “making alliances across political and ideological boundaries”, at the negotiating table. De Gucht has taken on an important role. He freely admits that his is a tough task, and

“represents a full agenda”. Indeed, he will need all his negotiating nous not just on the international stage, but the European one as well.

Acknowledging the inter-institutional arguments that can blight policy develop-ment, De Gucht has promised to work with the parliament, now a co-legislator in trade as a result of the Lisbon treaty. He told MEPs, “I need your help to deliver [my goals]. In the months to come we will put in place the building blocks enabling parliament to exercise its new competen-cies to the full.” He added, “I will work with you – here in your committees and in the plenary – in full transparency. We may not always agree, but you will find my door is always open and that I am ready to listen, learn and debate.”

De Gucht has a challenging task ahead of him. With his clearly-defined objec-tives, a willingness to embrace all actors in achieving them, and the confidence in his ability to make EU trade policy more than just the sum of its parts, he could be an influential figure in the next chapter of the EU’s history.

“ “

When supported by the right rules and institutions, free trade delivers win-win outcomes

mandateThe commissioner for trade is responsible for all aspects of the EU’s regional, global and bilateral trade agreements. Working broadly towards the

goal of free, fair and open markets, specific issues for the next five years include the development of Economic partnership agreements with ACP

countries, the deepening of ties with the US and China and the modernisation of EU trade defence agreements. All of these objectives are intended to be pursued with EU citizens in mind, allowing them

greater access to fairly-produced goods at the best prices possible, as well as promoting the EU’s

values abroad using all available policy means.

De Gucht is responsible to parliaments international trade, development, foreign affairs

committees.

CabinetHead: Marc Vanheukelen (02 299 8502)

deputy head: Frank Hoffmeister (02 299 3727) spokesperson: John Clancy (02 295 3773)

members: Damien Levie (02 298 4402), Marjut Hannonen, Gwendolyn Rutten, Elena Peresso (02

298 2532), Vincent Stuer (02 295 7098)

FaCtFiLe

“Members thought that his professional experience in trade matters… [and] his

negotiating skills and competence had been demonstrated, and that he had displayed a commitment to master, as soon as possible, the complexities of this important dossier.

Nevertheless, some members felt that in relation to a number of issues, more commitment could

have been provided” Vital moreira chair of parliament’s international

trade committee


The aim of the ENRIECO project is to advance our knowledge on the effect that specific environmental exposures

during pregnancy and early life may have on the health of newborns and children. Many epidemiological studies conducted in Europe have addressed these issues but the wealth of available information has only been partially exploited. The combination of existing data in Europe will help identify causal links between environmental exposures and health and provide recommendations for effective policy decisions.

ENRIECO has created an inventory of all existing birth cohorts (cohort: a study that follows-up prospectively a population, in this case mother-child cohorts) in Europe with data on environmental exposures (link in www.birthcohorts.net.) Working groups evaluate research in specific exposure areas such as air and water pollutants, heavy metals, pesticides, radiations, persistent organic pollutants, environmental tobacco smoke, occupation of the mother, chemicals of emerging concern such as phthalates, PFOS and other, and in specific outcome areas such as reproductive outcomes (e.g. low-birth weight, preterm babies), asthma and allergies, neurodevelopment, cancer, growth and obesity. Case studies examine areas in which pooling of data across cohorts may be feasible for example exposure during pregnancy to PCBs, a widespread persistent contaminant, and low birth weight. The project will make recommendations for data collection in the future to improve environment-health linkages and information. The ENRIECO project brings together over 30 cohorts and information on around 250,000 children from across Europe.

The ENRIECO Project: Environmental Health Risks in European Birth Cohortswww.enrieco.org

ENRIECO is committed to disseminating the project results to a wide user community, ensure an active dialogue, and provide opportunities for exchange of expertise and experience, and transfer of knowledge.

The 2nd ENRIECO workshop will be organized on 26-28 May 2010 at the Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht Universiteit, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

ENRIECO General Information

A project conducted within the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme[Theme 6, Environment (Including Climate Change)]Grant agreement no: 226285, Start date: 01/03/2009, Duration in months: 24

Project Coordinator Research Prof. M. J. Nieuwenhuijsen PhDCenter for Research in Environmental Epidemiology (CREAL)Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona - PRBB (office 183.05)C. Doctor Aiguader, 88, 08003 Barcelona, SPAIN Tel.: (+34) 93 316 0646, Fax: (++34) 93 316 05 75E-mail: [email protected] Dissemination Coordinator M. Vassilaki, MD, MPH, PhDDepartment of Social Medicine, Medical School, University of CreteP.O. Box 2208, 71003 Heraklion, Crete, Greece Tel.: +30 2810 394594, Fax: +30 2810 394606E-mail: [email protected]

Enrieco: Countries with Participating Cohorts

DearÊMEP

talkingalcohol.com

talkingalcohol.com | | | | | |


Comm

ission guide Health and consumer policy

Healthy appetiteJohn dalli plans to put Europe’s citizens at the heart of health and consumer policy for the next five years

John Dalli got straight to the point when he outlined his priorities as commissioner for health and con-sumer policy. “The underlying theme of my work will be patients first, con-sumers first,” he said. “The former

Maltese social policy minister’s vast experi-ence in domestic politics – more than three quarters of his time as an MP has been spent as a cabinet minister – served him well when he outlined to MEPs his plans to take the health and consumer portfolio forward.

In a three-hour committee hearing, par-liament’s environment, public health and food safety committee took the lead, with additional input from the internal market

and consumer protection and agriculture and rural development committees. Dalli said in his opening address to deputies, “We will be touching on various topics and issues… and exchanging many views. However this is all encapsulated in one theme, the people.”

Dalli promised that he would be “indepen-dent and objective” in his initial assessment of the “myriad of issues” that he had been made

aware of since his nomination, adding that he hoped to bring his “consensus building experience and operational expertise” to the various dossiers under his wing.

His vision, he said, was of citizens having “longer, healthier lives” by living healthier lifestyles while enjoying safe, nutritious and high quality food and having access to high quality medical advice and care. On cham-pioning consumer rights, he said his vision was of “well-informed consumers who can take educated decisions on the goods and services they consume”. Innovation will also be an underlying priority for the Maltese commissioner, who said, “Whether we speak of seeds and plant protection, human and animal health and food technology, health diagnostics and pharmaceuticals, we are speaking about the ability of innovation

“

“

The underlying theme of my work will be patients first, consumers first


Comm


to serve our consumers and our citizens.”According to Dalli, the key health chal-

lenges over the next five years are those related to the sustainability and accessibil-ity of health services. “Shrinking national budgets coupled with increased demands by citizens for better services bring to the fore the issue of the sustainability of our health systems,” he told MEPs at the start of the question and answer session. To secure sus-tainability, he warned that Europe has to focus more on prevention. “Alarmingly, 97 per cent of health spending across Europe goes on treatment, compared to only three per cent on prevention,” he said. Dalli added that he would seek support from the parliament on “redressing this imbalance”.

Sustainable health outcomes will also con-tinue to drive EU action on diseases such as cancer and Alzheimer’s and those affect-ing the elderly and young people. Further

action on the so-called determinants of heath and disease prevention, such as smoking, alcohol abuse, drugs and obesity, will also be “vigorously” pursued, he promised. To heavy applause he told deputies that key to his vision was the access for all EU citizens, “irrespec-tive of nationality and socioeconomic status”, to good and timely treatment and affordable medicines. “There is no reason why poor people should suffer from poor heath,” he said.

Responding to a question from German centre-right deputy Peter Liese on informa-tion to patients, Dalli said that now that pharmaceutical policy comes under his remit he will reassess the current infor-mation to patients proposals within the ongoing pharma package to inject a more patient focused perspective into the debate. He also suggested that the information to

““

I would not tell consumers what to eat, but I want to tell them what they are eating

Spot the difference? Neither do we.The EU has a major role in promoting health and well-being for all.

Whether the economy or the environment, internal market or innovation, EU policies can have a profound influence in shaping health.

Your work on EU policies can help achieve better health and well-being for all. To find out more, visit

www.equitychannel.net

“The Union’s aim is to promote peace, its values and the

well-being

of its people.”

(Title 1 Article 3 Lisbon Treaty 2009)

“Health is a state of complete mental, physical and social

well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.”

(WHO definition of health since 1948)

According to current estimates, 55 million people across the greater European region (6.2%) have diabetes and, if

present trends continue, this will rise to 66 million (7.4%) by 2030. Most of this is type 2 diabetes, and one factor in its inexorable rise is the increasing levels of obesity (in an obese person the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is 20-fold higher than in a lean individual). The current cost of treating diabetes in Europe is estimated at €76 billion annually, and this is expected to rise to €90 billion by 2030.

Is there anything that can be done about this epidemic? The partners in the EXGENESIS project, a 5 year Integrated Project in Framework Programme 6 of the European Commission that has just been completed, believe that the problem is caused by increasing adoption of an urban lifestyle, characterized by lack of physical activity and “fast foods”, with these harmful environmental influences interacting with underlying genetic factors. The consortium had 26 partners spread across 13 EU member states, and was co-ordinated by Professor Grahame Hardie of the University of Dundee, Scotland.

The project had three main aims:

to discover the mechanisms underlying the health benefits of exercise

to identify signalling pathways that cause metabolic changes during exercise

to identify genetic and environmental factors that increase the risk of developing diabetes, especially during periods of physical inactivity

OUTCOMES:The consortium identified some key signalling pathways that mediate the effects of exercise, including the AMP-activated protein kinase

THE EXGENESIS PROJECT WHY EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU

(AMPK). AMPK was shown to be responsible for many of the metabolic changes during a single bout of exercise (e.g. increased glucose uptake), as well as some of the longer-term adaptations that occur in response to repeated exercise (such as increased expression of mitochondria, the organelles that “burn” glucose and fats). Other studies established the mechanism by which AMPK is activated by AMP, the molecule that signals energy shortage during muscle contraction. The current first choice drug treatment for type 2 diabetes is metformin, which has been available for 50 years and is now prescribed to 120 million diabetics worldwide. However, it has only recently been realized that it acts by switching on AMPK. We showed that metformin does this in an indirect manner, and a new drug that more directly activated AMPK should avoid its side effects. A partial structure of AMPK in the presence of AMP (see Figure) should greatly assist in drug design.

One partner has been identifying “myokines”, molecules released by muscle during exercise that modulate metabolism in other organs. The

Prof. Grahame Hardie University of Dundee, Scotland

Molecular model of AMPK: two molecules of AMP are bound in the central cleft (courtesy of Dave Carling and Steve Gamblin)“A fervent

hope of the consortium is that their results will encourage governments to adopt policies that promote exercise”

THE EXGENESIS PROJECT WHY EXERCISE IS GOOD FOR YOU

health benefits of exercise may therefore not just be confined to the muscle itself. In support of this, another partner investigated the use of supervised exercise sessions in middle-aged people at risk of developing diabetes. This trial is continuing, but initial results suggest that regular exercise may have beneficial effects not only on metabolic profiles, but also on mental ability.

Insulin resistance, in which tissues become resistant to the hormone (causing reduced muscle glucose uptake and increased liver glucose production) can be regarded as a pre-diabetic state that can lead later to type 2 diabetes. Two studies examined the effects of physical inactivity on insulin resistance. In one, fit young volunteers reduced their activity level for 2 weeks from 10,000 steps per day (the recommended amount) to 1,500, by simply driving to work instead of cycling or walking, using lifts instead of stairs, and avoiding sporting activities. Even this modest reduction, to a level of physical activity typical of many modern city dwellers, caused recognizable insulin resistance. In another study, volunteers were confined to bed for nine days and then retrained afterwards. This provided valuable information about whether individuals with increased genetic or environmental risk of type 2 diabetes responded differently to periods of physical inactivity, and how rapidly the effects are reversed.

Finally, studies identified a number of novel genetic variants that increase the risk of

developing type 2 diabetes. It could be argued that exercise interventions should be particularly targeted at these at-risk individuals.

A fervent hope of the consortium is that their results will encourage individuals to take more exercise, and governments to adopt policies that promote exercise. Grahame Hardie puts it this way: “the first evidence for the link between smoking and cancer was published in the 1950s, but it took 50 years for most governments to ban smoking in public. We hope that by providing a more rational basis for the links between exercise and health, we will persuade governments not to wait that long before taking firm action on this issue.”

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Project web-site: www.dundee.ac.uk/lifesciences/exgenesis/

EURONEWS documentary on the project: www.euronews.net/2010/01/28/exercise-the-way-to-a-healthier-european-society/

Project co-ordinator: [email protected] and figures on diabetes: www.idf.org and www.diabetesatlas.org

A representa-tion of mouse chromosome 15, showing the location of two of the AMPK genes

How not to walk the dog

Examples of our studies with human volunteers

Escalator to Heaven?


Comm


patients proposals could be detached from the package leaving the other two proposals, counterfeiting and pharmacovigilance, which are relatively uncontroversial, to be separately fast-streamed through the legislative proce-dure. Centre-right deputy Christofer Fjellner wanted assurances that dividing the package would not “be an excuse to let the informa-tion to patients part slip, letting it drag on for longer than necessary”. Dalli responded saying, “This is not something which is going to frighten me or to derail me on whatever I believe would need to be done for consumers.” He said he doesn’t know what the outcome of the reassessment will be, but when further pressed said he will look to ensure that there may be a “harder demarcation” between information and advertising. “We don’t want to run the risk that people... are coerced into purchasing products that might not be good

for them,” he said. He added that he does not want people taking decisions without consulting their doctor.

On the need to maintain a balance between meeting the health needs of patients and the economic benefits of the pharmaceuti-cal industry, Dalli said that his ‘patients first’ theme does not mean the exclusion of a “very strong commitment to ensure that our pharma industry remains competitive”. Patients’ interests are “dependent on a strong and profitable industry” and therefore support for the pharma industry and patients’ interests “are not exclusive objectives”, he said. In fact I believe that the fact that it has been put into my portfolio gives us the opportunity to develop greater synergy between these two positions,” he added.

On consumer policy, Dalli said he will endeavour to maintain the high profile of

consumer issues, which had been built up over the past few years by his predecessor on this competence, former consumer protection commissioner Meglena Kuneva. Consumer issues “cut across the competencies” of the commissioners, said Dalli, adding that he sees his primary role as bringing the con-sumer dimension to the fore within college discussions. “We have to ensure that the single market properly serves the consumer through better access to products and ser-vices, both in availability and price,” he said. “We must keep a critical eye on how well markets serve consumers and on how the structures may need to change in order to do this better.” Dalli said he intended to continue the process of making regular enforcement sweeps to strengthen consumer rights, and may introduce an enhanced consumer score-

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board system. He also confirmed that he will continue Kuneva’s work on collective address for consumers.

German Socialist deputy Dagmar Roth-Behrendt raised the thorny question of member state resistance to EU legislation on health policy, asking Dalli how he would deal with recalcitrant health ministers in the council. “I will be strong,” said Dalli, adding that if members looked into his past they would see the way he had operated in his own country. “In fact sometimes I was criti-cised for being too strong, especially when I was pushing through reforms,” he said. “But this is the reality, and once we set out to do something worthwhile – and I will not be doing anything that is not worthwhile… I will put all my energy behind it.” On patients’ rights and cross-border healthcare, currently languishing with the council, Dalli said he agreed with MEPs that action was urgently needed to take the dossier forward. “My pre-decessor [Androulla Vassiliou] made a lot of effort to make sure that this European project comes through. I will likewise do my best to ensure that an understanding will be reached so we have an effective policy on patients’

rights and mobility.” Dalli said he plans to move quickly to meet up with Spanish health minister Trinidad Jiménez, “to chart out a way in which an understanding can be reached”.

During the debate on nutrition policy and food labelling, Dalli won applause from left-leaning deputies when he said, “I would not tell consumers what to eat, but I want to tell them what they are eating.” He reiterated his aim to empower consumers, saying, “I do not believe in telling people what is good for them and what is bad for them. I want people to decide themselves. But we must inform them of the contents of what they are eating.”

At the end of his hearing, environment committee chair Jo Leinen said it was evident from Dalli’s replies that he had more than 20 years of political experience and jokingly remarked that anyone that could get regular applause from German Socialist deputy Dagmar Roth-Behrendt must be doing well. Leinen’s comments were a fair refection of Dalli’s performance which, despite being a bit thin on concrete proposals, certainly for MEPs, pressed all the right buttons.

mandateJohn Dalli’s key role will be to promote high

standards of protection of human and animal health and the empowerment and safety of

consumers.

He will also be responsible for commission policy on pharmaceuticals and medical products.

Ensuring the safety of the EU food chain and safeguarding the EU against animal disease. He will also be responsible for helping consumers

exercise their cross-border rights. Dalli will also take the lead in the new Barroso college on

the development of a consistent framework for genetically modified organisms.

CabinetHead: Joanna Darmanin (02 298 8689)

deputy head: Nils Behrndt (02 295 3539) spokesperson: Frederic Vincent (02 298 7166)

members: Rossella Delfino (02 299 6084), Edward Demicoli (02 298 1368), Harry Vassallo (02 296 0398), Paula Duarte Gaspar (02 295

3554), Harald Kandolf

FaCtFiLe

“On balance, Mr Dalli made a positive and constructive impression and demonstrated firm

convictions on certain issues, while evading clear answers on others. He showed a pragmatic and open approach. He demonstrated a very good knowledge of the main issues regarding public

health and a reasonable grasp of all other issues. The committees concerned expect that the

promises to reassess pending legislative proposals will also be followed by the submission of new

legislation.

“As regards consumer policy, members agreed with the objectives expressed by the nominee and made a positive assessment of Mr Dalli’s

answers, considering that he had demonstrated a good understanding of these issues. Some

members, however, felt that his statements might have been more specific. We look forward to him demonstrating, by his deeds over the next five years, that the reservations expressed by some

were groundless.” Jo Leinen chair of parliament’s environment

public health and food safety committee


“Creating value by basing growth on knowledge”, “Empowering people in inclusive societies” and “Creating a competitive, connected and greener economy” are issues on which the EU Commission’s strategic planning for Europe in 2020 primarily focuses.

Areas of anthroposophic work – such as education in Waldorf schools, anthroposophic medicine with its preventive approach and biodynamic agriculture using natural resources for high-value nutritional produce – fall entirely within this remit.

Education in Waldorf schools focuses not only on the achievement of intellectual skills but also on the development of spiritual, psychological and emotional competences, thus creating a basis for creativity, a high level of flexibility and the capacity to cope in a changing world.(www.steinerwaldorfeurope.org).

Anthroposophic medicine as integrative, science-based medical system, practiced by qualified physicians, helps to facilitate a high level of patient empowerment, encouraging active involvement in the process of healing. It also supports education for a healthier lifestyle, thus preventing many diseases. In addition to, or sometimes as an alternative to conventional medicine, anthroposophic medicine uses anthroposophic medicinal products and a wide range of therapies, including art therapies and eurythmy therapy with the aim to enhance the patient’s equilibrium at all levels. (www.ivaa.info).

Biodynamic agriculture is recognized as one of the most sustainable ecological farming systems by emphasizing the holistic development and interrelationship of the soil, plants and animals as a self-

Biodynamic Agriculture, Waldorf Education, Anthroposophic Medicine – a Model for the Future Health of Europe

nourishing system. Demeter® products grown in biodynamic agriculture provide high nutritional value, a wealth of natural vitamins, trace elements and health-protective factors – thus helping to develop a healthy immune system, maintain health and redress imbalances in the body. (www.demeter.net)

These various areas of anthroposophic work, along with care of people with learning disabilities, social therapy and others, are the main issues highlighted by ELIANT, an NGO which so far has received support from over 900,000 citizens within the European Union (www.eliant.eu).

The European Union is founded on a tradition of human dignity, of individual development and freedom of choice in a pluralist society. These are also core values for the areas of anthroposophic work described here, which draw on the legacy of European thinkers. Thus their principles are firmly rooted in this European tradition.

Dr Peter Zimmermann, President IVAAAlways in balance

Demeter® products provide health

protective factors

Eurythmy therapy – essential in

anthroposophic medicine

Contact:

IVAA, International Federation of Anthroposophic Medical AssociationsRue du Trône 194B-1050 BruxellesPhone: +32 2 644 00 20E-mail: [email protected]


Comm

ission guide Research, innovation and science

Scientific inquiryInnovation must be at the core of Europe’s politics, says máire geoghegan-Quinn, as she seeks to transform and improve on the EU’s research structures and successes

Education, dedication, innovation. New research commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn puts her heart and soul into stress-ing her ideals, past, present and future.

“My political career has been intertwined with Ireland working at the heart of Europe, and of Europe transforming the hearts and minds of Irish people,” she told parliament during her confirmation hearing. “The EU must become a true innovation union,” said Geoghegan-Quinn. “My task will [now] be to put research, innovation and science at the heart of EU policies.”

Completing the European research area, (which she called “a glorious opportunity” to coordinate research in Europe), address-ing major challenges such as climate change, energy efficiency and ageing, and creating an innovation research culture were the three priorities she proposed for her term of office.

The revamped dossier for EU science policy means she will have “the over-arching role for cross-cutting, for putting innovation policy in place” in areas such as the digital economy, enterprise or employ-ment, she explained. She was also looking forward to the challenge of negotiating the research budget in the next financial perspective.

As a former member of the European Court of Auditors she told the hearing, “We cannot compromise sound financial management but we can simplify.” She added, “If we have fewer rules, we have fewer errors.”

In fact, her goals include not just careful cash decisions but also making things easier for struggling businesses, she says. With this in mind, the former teacher believes patents should be easier to acquire, as the “issue is a very serious obstacle”.

Again on the issue of aiding industry, the Irish commissioner said that another of her key goals was turning science into salaries. “If we want to take Europe out of the eco-nomic crisis in which it is at the moment,


Comm

ission guide Research, innovation and science

mandate The main priority for the research dossier is to

build the European research area which includes strengthening intra-EU cooperation, pooling

human and financial resources across the EU and promoting the free movement of knowledge, ideas

and researchers as well as providing attractive conditions and effective governance for carrying

out research in Europe.

As well as taking a cross-cutting approach to innovation, coordination of EU and

national research activities is a key issue. The commissioner also works towards specialisation based on recognised strengths and excellence

to exploit the advantages of scale offered by the EU. One of the main tasks for the next mandate

will be to increase the efficiency of EU support to scientific research by rationalising and simplifying the existing financing mechanisms and adapting

the current institutional and regulatory framework.

The primary committee on this dossier is industry, research and energy with some input from the

committee on culture and education.

CabinetHead: John Bell

deputy head: Ana Arana Antelo spokesperson: Mark English (02 296 2410)

members: Waldemar Kütt, David Harmon, Shane Sutherland, Patricia Reilly, Marion Dewar, Davinia

Wood

than we have to innovate,” she explained, “taking the research and transferring it into jobs at the end of the day.”

Furthermore, policies must be put in place that will ensure that there will be a greater level of participation by small and medium sized enterprises in research funding pro-grammes in the future, she says.

On the other pressing concern of Europe’s energy future she told the assem-bly, “Nuclear energy is no silver bullet that is going to resolve the climate change and energy problem… but [it] remains the

technology of choice in many member states.” She continued, “Research should be maintained and developed as an option for those member states that wish to pursue it.”

Looking ahead, Geoghegan-Quinn says she is “fully committed to engaging with the parliament” in the comprehensive mid term review of the most recent EU research framework programme (FP7) beginning this year.

She says we must “analyse closely how we can put in place more simplified proce-dures” and ensure “any changes that may be brought about in the context of this review process must be based around the following guiding principles: predictability, consis-tency, accessibility and accountability”.

If you are a research fan then surely worth watching in the coming months will be the European commission policy paper on innovation, laying out ideas for deliver-ing the EU 2020 strategy.

“ “

If we want to take Europe out of the economic crisis in which it is at the moment, than we have to innovate

FaCtFiLe

“The nominee’s understanding of the issues and problems raised during the questions were highly appreciated. The clear manifestation of her political will to tackle important barriers (for example, red tape, participation of SMEs

and small countries, gender balanced research policy, freedom of movement of researchers and

intellectual property rights) was positively received. Equally appreciated was her dynamic appearance, her clear willingness to work closely with the ITRE

committee and her approach as a robust, but collegial politician. Some concerns were raised on the availability of appropriate instruments to

implement her horizontal responsibility.” Herbert Reul chairman of parliament’s industry,

research and energy committee


Where Biomass Science Meets Industrial Application

[email protected] • www.conference-biomass.com

Lyon Convention Centre - Cité Internationale - FranceConference 3-7 May 2010 ● Exhibition 3-6 May 2010

18th European Biomass Conference and ExhibitionFrom Research to Industry and Markets

Copyright Nicolas Robin

ParliamentMagazine_adv_180x120mm.indd 1 18/01/2010 15.26.34

Medical innovations made in the past thirty years have substantially improved the lives

of all Europeans, and there is every reason to believe that the next thirty years will see even more breathtaking advances in the prevention and treatment of diseases.

Not only do In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) products facilitate earlier and more effective intervention, but they can also contribute to preventing unnecessary treatments and reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Today, nearly 70% of all clinical health decisions are influenced by diagnostic results, and yet, on average, spending on IVDs represents less than 1% of the European healthcare budget.

Looking ahead, new generations of diagnostic tests establishing disease susceptibility on a patient-by-patient basis should become a domi-nant trend of future healthcare technologies, thereby providing doctors with an even more accurate knowledge, together with a greater patient participation in medical treatment. This fundamental breakthrough marks the revolution of “knowledge in healthcare”.

Providing the right knowledge to patients so that they can take responsibility for the daily

Christine Tarrajat is Director General at the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association (EDMA)

The Revolution ofKnowledge in Healthcare

“The right knowledge in healthcare will help

the EU in addressing major challenges in

the coming years”

says Christine Tarrajat

management of their diseases will dramatically enhance medical outcomes, and lower the cost burden on healthcare systems by avoiding the emergence of complications.

To fulfil this vision, we are committed to creating objective sources of information on testing for the benefit of European citizens, which provide accurate, reliable and easy-to-understand information about the IVD tests used in disease diagnosis and treatment (www.LabTestsOnline.info).

Furthermore, innovative IVD technologies will increase the sophistication of medical treatment by bridging the gap between diagnosis and intervention, i.e. not only matching an accurate diagnosis with the correct treatment, but also predicting which drug and dosage will work best for each individual patient.

As the industry association representing major companies engaged in the research, development, manufacturing and distribution of IVD products in Europe, EDMA (www.edma-ivd.be) prides itself on its proven and long-standing commitment to promoting the value of laboratory testing in healthcare.

EDMAEuropean Diagnostic Manufacturers Association

Place des Maïeurs 2 B-1150 Brussels

www.edma-ivd.be


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ing and budget

Counting coppersJanusz Lewandowski will be counting the cost of budget reform as the man charged with managing the EU’s money

Discussion on taxes shouldn’t be taxing, says new EU budgets commissioner Janusz Lewandowski. More specifi-cally, the Polish commissioner believes the idea of a universal

European levy to bolster the Union’s funds is ill-advised. “Europe is not ready for a European tax; it could prove detrimental for our links with the citizens,” he said.

“We should respect the need for unanim-ity in the council when it comes to decisions on own resources,” the Polish commissioner told parliament at his confirmation hearing last month. “If we introduce this, it has to be in line with simplicity, fiscal neutrality and the cost of collecting. There are differ-ent ways of taxing with an aim of increasing resourses.”

Lewandowski was well received by MEPs, due to his economical attitude to both words and public spending. As a former chairman of parliament’s budgets committee, who helped shape the current spending framework, you would expect that to be the case.

A key area of interest was the upcoming review of the “financial perspective” – the EU’s multi-annual budget, currently cover-ing the years 2007-2013, also known as the MFF. Does the seasoned economist back parliament’s suggestion that this period be prolonged to 2015 or 2016, thereby match-ing it with the EU institutions? Perhaps. “A prolongation of the current financial perspective is one of many possible solutions to match the financial perspectives with the mandate of the parliament. But it is not the only one,” he said.

In fact, the structure of the MFF will soon be on his agenda as the commission exam-ines the functioning of the inter-institutional agreement, which sets out the grounds for cooperation between parliament, council and the commission on budgetary matters.

Furthermore, in his written answers jus-tifying his nomination, Lewandowski said he believes the outcome of the Copenhagen negotiations might require specific adjust-ment to the current MFF in order to enable


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the EU’s prompt, adequate and coordinat-ed action within the current programming period.

In terms of when this should happen, Lewandowski reiterated José Manuel Barroso’s view that it should come after the presentation of EU’s new 2020 strategy – intended to help the EU recover from the crisis and speed its transition towards a smart and green economy – scheduled for June.

Back to the finer points of his parlia-mentary hearing, and the Pole says the EU needs a “key orientation” or leitmotiv for the coming budget period, noting that earlier ones had focused on the single market, mon-etary union, EU enlargement and the Lisbon strategy. Lewandowski also told parliament that the EU’s key budget control problems are in cohesion and external policy.

“One lesson of the past is that the earlier we agree on a policy priority, the easier it is to equip it with financial means,” he said. Once again echoing the green theme (he also pushed for more spending on green growth) he explained, “We need a key orientation for the coming financial perspectives… Maybe it could be the environment or climate change.”

Another juicy titbit from his grilling saw him pushed on whether he would consider “naming and shaming” member states which breach EU spending rules. “This is very unpopular in the council. I am in between council and parliament on this,” he replied. The former Polish minister says his key plans will be to ensure a smooth adoption of the 2011 budget in accordance with the rules set out by the new institutional framework deriving from the Lisbon treaty, and facilitate an inter-institutional consensus on the smooth adoption of the next financial package.

Janusz Lewandowski is married with one child and served as an MEP (2004-2009) as well as a Polish member of parliament, and later a minister. Other achievements of note include his leading role in setting up the Warsaw stock exchange.

“ “We need a key orientation for the coming financial perspectives… Maybe it could be the environment or climate change

mandate This portfolio covers the management of the EU

budget and the post holder is called upon to help demonstrate the value added in supporting the

delivery of the commission’s policy objectives. The portfolio also covers ensuring sound day-to-day management of the EU’s finances in liaison with other institutional budgetary authorities. Finally, the commissioner is responsible for developing innovative concepts and ideas for reviewing the financial framework, and negotiating a new deal on the framework with the other institutions. This post is accountable to both parliament’s budget

and budgetary control committees.

Cabinetspokesperson: Patrizio Fiorilli (02 299 9780) Further cabinet members to be appointed

FaCtFiLe

“Given his political and professional background as a member of the Polish government and as a long-standing member of national parliament and the European parliament, and in particular, his experience in the field of his future portfolio, Mr Lewandowski is well-qualified to exercise the functions for which he is proposed. This was also demonstrated by his replies during the hearing. Members of the two committees also welcome his commitment to work independently in the

European interest. Mr Lewandowski’s integrity does not give rise to doubts.”

alain Lamassoure chair of parliament’s budgetary control committee


OLSZTYN IS BLOOMING THANKS TO THE EU FUNDS

Amphitheatre in Olsztyn- completely rebuilt in 2007-2008 (The Integrated Regional Operational Programme –IROP, total amount c.a. €3m, EU funding c.a. €1,4m)

Wastewater Treatment Plant “Łyna” in Olsztyn (2 phases project: I phase-ISPA funds, II phase- ISPA/Cohesion; total amount €69m, EU funding €38m)

The project has started in 2009 and is going to be finished in 2011. In the planned investment there will be a 50 metre Olympic swimming pool, 25 metre swimming pool, an aqua park, a recreation part and a scene for 1500 audience.

Visualization of Sport and Recreation Water Center (Regional Operational Programme Warmia and Mazury 2007-2013; total amount €18,3m, EU funding € 2,4m)

If you are looking for a place for reliable investments choose Olsztyn!

OLSZTYN is the capital city of Warmia and Mazury Region with a population of nearly 180 000 inhabitants.

Domestic and International Investors who have already invested in our city became convinced that OLSZTYN is a good place to invest.

I Phase - modernization of the mechanical-biological wastewater treatment plant "Lyna" (23 items were modernized e.g. 3 biological reactors, 2 primary sedimentation tanks and 29 new structures were completed including biological reactors, de-phosphation and de-nitrification chambers); realized 2002 - 2004;

II Phase - realized 2004 - 2010, including construction of the sludge drying plant and incinerator, modernization of the sewer and storm water system, Zachod water treatment plant and the expansion of the water supply network.

Crucial projects in progress since 2008:1. Modernization and Development of an Integrated Public Transport System in Olsztyn (total amount €105,3m, EU funding €89,5m)

2. Olsztyns’ Science and Technology Park (total amount €22,5m, EU funding €14,4m)

3. Modernization of the strategic transport street (total amount €40m, EU funding €24,5m )

Contact:Olsztyn City HallCity Development Strategy DepartmentJana Pawła II 1,10-101 Olsztyn, PolandPhone/Fax: +48 89 523 61 20www.olsztyn.eu

Engineered Immune cells target and ATTACK cancerWith 2 million new cancer diagnoses each year,

treatment of malignant disease clearly rep-resents an unmet need in the EU. The ATTACK (Adoptive engineered T cell Targeting to Activate Cancer Killing) project is a pre-clinical research project investigating methods of harnessing patient’s immune cells to target and attack tumour cells more efficiently. Researchers throughout the EU and Israel, involved in the ATTACK project, have devel-oped new methods of achieving this, and currently four clinical trials related to the ATTACK project are underway, with several more in the planning stages.

Metastatic cancer remains a disease with a gener-ally poor prognosis. T cells are part of the body’s natural immune machinery; they provide protection from invading pathogens and tumour cells. In aggressive malignant disease tumour cells are able to evade and paralyse the immune system. The ATTACK project has developed methods of genetically programming patient’s T cells to recognise tumour cells more efficiently. The treatment involves removal of patient’s T cells from their blood, engi-neering them to express a tumour targeting receptor, they are then grown in the laboratory to massively increase the numbers before being returned to the patient, boosting the immune system and enabling it to attack and kill the tumour cells.

ATTACK related and other clinical trials suggest that the therapy has great promise as a future strategy in the treatment of many cancers. The ATTACK project is entering its final year, but has made plans to continue the precedence set by ATTACK of progressing in a coor-

dinated, standardised way to bring successful treatments to the bedside in a timely and cost effective manner. These include plans for a European collaborative con-sortium or network to undertake clinical trials and deliver this form of therapy to cancer patients across Europe. In addition, an EC funded training network which began in October 2009, named ATTRACT (Advanced Teaching and TRaining for Adoptive Cell Therapy) has been secured by members of ATTACK, with the addition of new partners. Fellows employed under this scheme will be trained in clinical and research methods, related to T cell therapy, which will be vital for the continued progres-sion and key to the aim that this therapy is adopted as a reliable, effective and standard treatment for cancer in the EU.

Contact Details:Project Coordinator : Professor Robert [email protected] Manager: Dr Nicola [email protected]

RS39, Department of Medical Oncology, Paterson Institute of Cancer Research, The University of Manchester, Wilmslow Road, Manchester, M20 4BX

www.attack-cancer.org


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e affairs

Deep blue seamaria damanaki made few waves as she sailed through her parliamentary hearing promising blue growth and blue jobs

Unsurprisingly for a fisheries com-missioner, blue was the theme of Maria Damanaki’s appearance before parliament’s fisheries committee. During her hearing, the former Greek Socialist MP

spoke about wanting to contribute to “blue growth” and create “blue jobs”. The time has come, she said, to “give effect” to ideas in the commission’s “blue book” which sets out future integrated maritime policy for the EU. “Innovative maritime spatial planning can unleash the potential of unexploited maritime resources for alternative energy, low-carbon transport, trans-European energy networks and blue biotechnologies,” she said.

Damanaki made it clear that reform of the controversial common fisheries policy (CFP) would be “the central focus” of her work. Spanish centre-right MEP and committee chair Carmen Fraga Estévez opened the hearing on a critical note, telling Damanaki that in her written reply she had not been suf-ficiently detailed on plans for respecting the new powers conferred on parliament by the Lisbon treaty. Damanaki said she “warmly welcomed” the fact that fisheries policy is now subject to codecision under Lisbon. On CFP, she said the ongoing reform will look for more efficiency by “striking the right balance” between the interests of consumers, fisher-men, industry and tourism.

Ulrike Rodust, a German Socialist, ques-tioned the official about the new costs of CFP reform and any economic and social consequences. Damanaki said she advocated funding the new integrated maritime policy separately from CFP. Money could be saved by working with other commission services, such as research and transport, she said.

One of the Crete-born commissioner’s first overseas trips in her new role could be to Scotland to view the efforts of Scottish fishermen to conserve stocks. Greens/EFA MEP and SNP president Ian Hudghton, who extended the invitation, voiced concern that some of Damanaki’s statements “showed a lack of awareness as to the extent of the CFP’s failings”. He told her the Scottish gov-


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ernment and the country’s fishing industry had “pioneered ground-breaking” schemes to conserve stocks. Damanaki said she would involve regions and local stakeholders more extensively but also insisted that “renational-ising” fisheries policy “will not be an option”.

She agreed with members about overcapac-ity of the fishing fleet in EU waters, saying, “There is drastic overfishing.” To reduce it without striking a blow to fishing communi-ties, she said “resources should be directed to modernisation”. “We must enforce rules on fisheries and reverse the current trend of weak control and overfishing both in EU waters and internationally,” she said. Aside from the thorny issue of the CFP, Damanaki spoke of her commitment to issues ranging from the so-called Baltic cod management plan to fighting maritime piracy. On piracy, she said the EU “has to make sure that its vessels can fish securely, especially off the Somali coast” and pledged to have EU fishing vessels included in the EU Atlanta operation, which protects merchant vessels from pirates.

Damanaki, who was once imprisoned by Greece’s former military regime for six months in the mid-1970s for her role in an underground student opposition campaign, described her EU nomination as a “high-

point” in her life. She impressed many with her promise to “get straight down to work” to make a “real and positive” difference for those whose everyday lives depend on fishing.

Damanaki was just 25 in 1977, when she was first elected to the Greek parliament, making her the youngest-ever Greek MP.

She is also the first woman to be elected vice-president of the Greek parliament. It was, perhaps, little wonder then that she was generally perceived to have sailed through her grilling at the hands of MEPs. If some of her new colleagues in José Manuel Barroso’s 27-strong executive made waves for all the wrong reasons at their hearings, the same could not be said of Damanaki. She won almost unanimous approval from MEPs.

“ “We can focus on opportunities for blue growth. Innovative maritime spatial planning can unleash the potential of unexploited maritime resources

mandate The commissioner will be expected to “unleash” the maritime sector’s economic and employment potential and establish a culture of sustainability

in the fisheries industry. The role also involves steering a “clear course” towards economic, social

and environmental sustainability. Parliament’s fisheries committee is relevant to Damanaki’s

portfolio.

CabinetHead: Georgios Markopouliotis (02 299 2974) deputy head: Maja Kirchner (02 298 0508) spokesperson: Oliver Drewes (02 299 2421)

members: Andréas Papaconstantinou (02 298 2008), Yves Auffret (02 295 0931), Glykeria

Demataki (02 295 3334), Soultana Paschalidou (02 299 1389), Katerina Papadimitriou (02 298

1971)

FaCtFiLe

“She is well-qualified with the highest degree of independence. We are very confident about her

capacity to master all aspects of her portfolio and to cooperate loyally with our committee.”

Carmen Fraga estévez chair of parliament’s fisheries committee

“She was competent, well-briefed and seemed generally willing to engage in the debate on the future of fisheries management. Nevertheless, some of her comments merely reflect what the

commission has been saying for the last 25 years – that Brussels has all the power and that Brussels

must exercise that power in full.” ian Hudghton member of parliament’s fisheries

committee


O cean Noise Pollution (ONP) is a source of marine pollution in the form of

acoustic energy. Because sounds generated by anthropogenic activities in the oceans are capable of blanketing large areas, ONP is by now considered as a global problem for marine biodiversity conservation. It is a proven fact that ONP can deafen, disturb, injure and kill: many species of fish and marine mammals are highly sensitive to sound and often rely upon it to navigate, find food, locate mates, avoid predators and communicate. Scientific studies have demonstrated the negative effect of ONP on whales already and on fishing catch rates.

This latter issue has recently gained international momentum. During the 28th Committee on Fisheries session of the FAO, the International Ocean Noise Coalition (IONC) reported that the

relationship between ONP and an observed reduction in fish catch rates is worrying.

OceanCare, an NGO headquartered in Switzerland and a founding member of IONC, has focused on building public awareness and urging the international community to tackle ONP. As the absence of a legal instrument to regulate ONP is a lacuna in the current legal framework, OceanCare continues to advocate more comprehensive approaches.

Thus, OceanCare welcomes the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Directive 2008/56/EC), whose primary aim is to ensure the healthy environmental status of European waters. In order to reach this goal, this directive requires States to limit pollution, including ONP, to levels that do not adversely affect the marine environment. ONP is listed among existing pressures on the marine environment too. By

taking such an holistic approach, the directive will definitely provide a good basis for the regulation of ONP in European waters.

OceanCare, working together with other members of IONC, intends to support the goal set by Directive 2008/56/EC and actively contributes to the work of EU isntitutions. Its expertise and role within IONC will hopefully prove an asset to the EU’s efforts to minimize and/or eliminate the impact of ONP on marine biodiversity.

For more informationOceanCareP.O. Box 372CH-8820 WädenswilPhone +41-44-780 6688Fax +41-44-780 6808Slueber@oceancare.orgwww.oceancare.orgwww.oceannoisecoalition.org

DROWNING IN SOUNDOCEAN NOISE POLLUTION AND FISH

by Sigrid Lüber

WhyÊEuropeÊneedsÊtoÊsupportÊUNITAID

UNITAIDÊ wasÊ createdÊ inÊ 2006Ê asÊ anÊ experimentÊ inÊinnovativeÊ ÞnancingÊ forÊ healthÊ toÊ injectÊ extraÊ ÞnancesÊintoÊ effortsÊ toÊ achieveÊ theÊ UnitedÊ NationsÊ health-relatedÊMillenniumÊDevelopmentÊGoals.

SinceÊ then,Ê UNITAIDÊ hasÊ helpedÊ increaseÊ accessÊ toÊtreatmentÊ forÊ peopleÊ livingÊ withÊ HIV/AIDS,Ê malariaÊ andÊtuberculosisÊinÊdevelopingÊcountries.ÊÊ

UNITAIDÊ raisesÊ fundsÊ fromÊ long-termÊ sustainableÊ andÊpredictableÊ sources,Ê principallyÊ throughÊ aÊ taxÊ onÊ airlineÊtickets.Ê TheseÊ fundsÊ areÊ thenÊ disbursedÊ toÊ internationalÊpartnersÊworkingÊinÊglobalÊhealthÊandÊhealthÊcommoditiesÊprocurement,Ê suchÊ asÊ theÊ WilliamÊ J.Ê ClintonÊ HIV/AIDSÊInitiativeÊandÊUNICEF,ÊtoÊnameÊjustÊtwo.

AsÊ ofÊ today,ÊUNITAIDÊ hasÊ collectedÊ US$Ê 1.3Ê billionÊ andÊdisbursedÊ aboutÊ oneÊ billionÊ toÊ provideÊ overÊ 12Ê millionÊtreatmentsÊ inÊ 93Ê countries.ÊUNITAIDÊ providesÊmedicinesÊforÊthreeÊoutÊofÊfourÊchildrenÊtreatedÊforÊAIDSÊglobally.

ByÊÞnancingÊsustainedÊhigh-volumeÊpurchasesÊforÊquality-assuredÊ drugsÊ andÊ diagnostics,Ê UNITAIDÊ isÊ ableÊ toÊleverageÊ economiesÊ ofÊ scaleÊ toÊ driveÊ pricesÊ down.Ê ThisÊenablesÊUNITAIDÊandÊ itsÊpartnersÊ toÊprovideÊmoreÊdrugsÊandÊtreatmentsÊwithÊtheÊsameÊoutlay.ÊThusÊtheÊ60%ÊpriceÊreductionsÊ obtainedÊ forÊ keyÊ paediatricÊ AIDSÊ medicinesÊsinceÊNovemberÊ2006ÊhaveÊenabledÊthreeÊtimesÊasÊmanyÊHIV-positiveÊchildrenÊtoÊbeÊtreatedÊforÊtheÊsameÊamountÊofÊmoney.ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ

UNITAIDÊalsoÊusesÊ itsÊpurchasingÊpowerÊ toÊencourageÊtheÊdevelopmentÊofÊnewÊdrugsÊbetterÊadaptedÊtoÊpatientsÕÊneeds,ÊincludingÊpaediatricÊformulationsÊandÊÞxed-doseÊcombinationsÊthatÊcombineÊseveralÊingredients.ÊTheseÊenableÊpatientsÊtoÊtakeÊonlyÊoneÊpillÊaÊdayÊinsteadÊofÊseveral.

UNITAIDÊ isÊ theÊ ÞrstÊ exampleÊ ofÊ aÊ globalÊ healthÊ agencyÊ toÊ useÊ innovativeÊ ÞnancingÊ andÊmarketÊ impactÊ toÊachieveÊpublicÊhealthÊgoals;ÊandÊitÊmakesÊtheÊmoneyÊwork.

France,ÊtheÊUnitedÊKingdom,ÊSpainÊandÊCyprusÊareÊalreadyÊsupportingÊUNITAID.ÊMoreÊEuropeanÊcountriesÊneedÊtoÊjoinÊthisÊsuccessful,ÊvitalÊinitiative.

ForÊinformationÊonÊUNITAIDÊwww.unitaid.eu


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Speaking upKristalina georgieva plans to use her time in the commission to provide a voice for the voiceless

Whether it’s Burma or Bangladesh, Sudan or Somalia, the importance of Kristalina Georgieva’s new role is, unfortunately, all too evident. And while the

Bulgarian may not have been the original choice to take on the international coopera-tion, humanitarian aid and crisis response brief, she left few with any doubt that she is the right woman for the job.

With as many as 300 million people affected every year by either natural disasters or “man-made calamities”, Georgieva is well aware of the significance of her mandate. “For those most in need around the world, this is the most important portfolio of the commission,” she told MEPs ahead of her confirmation earlier this month, adding, “It gives a voice to the voiceless.”

In the wake of the devastating Haitian earthquake, the EU has been widely criti-cised over its response to the disaster. But with an ever increasing global population putting pressure on limited resources and the effects of climate change causing every-thing from widespread drought to flash floods and forest fires, the world is facing the inescapable prospect of ever more fre-quent emergency situations. With these disasters often striking the world’s poorest nations, Georgieva says the goal now is to work out what the bloc can do to ensure its response is “faster, more united, more visible” next time round.

Given the limited time Georgieva had to prepare for her grilling by parliament, she acquitted herself convincingly, persuading deputies that she is “particularly suited” for the role entrusted to her. Proving she was worth the wait as the last of José Manuel Barroso’s commissioners to face parliament, Georgieva provided a clear vision of how she sees her duties panning out.

One of the newly created portfolios in the Barroso II college, the Bulgarian plans to promote the priorities agreed on in the European consensus on humanitarian aid – more efficient aid, better response capacity


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and increased coordination within the EU. Here, the relationship between humani-tarian and military actors will form a key element of Georgieva’s mandate – an issue MEPs repeatedly quizzed her on – and she is under no illusions that the issue will be a very difficult one to contend with. Insisting that military intervention must be a last resort, Georgieva admits that in certain circumstances it will be inevitable. But she

warns that every case must be considered carefully. “Once you do it you cannot undo it. Once you are in, you are in,” she said.

Georgieva will be one of three commis-sioners working closely alongside foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton under the new Lisbon treaty machinery, but she says she is well used to working within such a collaborative framework. “I come from an organisation that for the last 10 years

lived within a matrix, so collective decision-making is something that I think now runs through my blood,” she said. But the Bulgarian will be nobody’s puppet. Assuring MEPs that she is prepared to stand up to the vested interests of the EU, she says she plans to use the “bridge” Ashton provides to “leverage” the full potential of the commis-sion when it comes to humanitarian aid.

Other issues on Georgieva’s radar include the accountability and transparency of NGOs, ensuring humanitarian aid is neutral and impartial, climate change, and the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war. She will also work towards ensuring the bloc has a more proactive approach to disaster preparedness, she told the chamber. “The evidence is overwhelming that prevention is critical; preparedness on the ground is criti-cal and actually pays for itself,” she says.

When she received the call from her prime minister Boyko Borisov, Georgieva was vice-president of the World Bank. But she had no hesitation in taking up his offer. “I really look forward to this work. Change is a good thing. Change forces you to step up and, hopefully, I will do that,” she said – a response that was warmly welcomed by the deputies she will be working alongside.

“

“

For those most in need around the world, this is the most important portfolio of the commission

mandate Georgieva’s portfolio brings together

the instruments for civil protection and emergency response, and is responsible for

the bloc’s humanitarian aid policy. The current responsibilities of the humanitarian aid DG (Echo) will be strengthened by the recognition of this task as a self-standing policy in the Lisbon treaty, with

an important political responsibility to respect the principles of neutrality, impartiality and non-

discrimination. This involves both the effective and swift delivery of aid, and the promotion of respect

for international humanitarian law.

The portfolio requires close cooperation between Georgieva and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, as well as home affairs commissioner

Cecilia Malmström who is responsible for crisis response inside the EU. To help Georgieva fulfil these responsibilities, the DG for Humanitarian Aid (Echo) will be under her authority, and will be supplemented by Units A3 and A4 from DG

environment.

Georgieva’s brief is relevant to parliament’s development, foreign affairs and environment

committees.

Cabinetinterim spokesperson: Ferran Tarradellas Espuny

(02 296 6293)


FaCtFiLe

“Kristalina Georgieva left no doubt that she is the right woman for the job. In her hearing, she demonstrated that she has the human

and professional qualities to be an excellent humanitarian aid commissioner. She also

showed a sensitivity to green issues, including the interconnection between development,

environmental degradation and humanitarian aid.” Judith sargentini Greens/EFA


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Westinghouse is focused on nuclear energy.

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Building additional advanced nuclear plants like the AP1000 will enhance our energy security and provide future generations with safe, clean and reliable electricity.

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ission guide Energy

Power politicsDiscussions on sustainable growth, energy security and solidarity lit up the room when new energy commissioner günther oettinger went to parliament

Energy independence was a key part of the policy platform German Günther Oettinger’s laid out to parliament. Unfortunately for him, the assembly’s members felt his own independence was

equally under the spotlight. Under pressure from MEPs, he denied claims it was an “open secret” he was too close to “certain private interests”, namely large energy com-panies. Oettinger told deputies he had no shares in any such undertakings, adding, “I am the commissioner proposed by Germany, but I have European obligations.”

Security of energy supply, energy effi-ciency, the role of nuclear power and energy poverty were among other matters of concern for members of parliament’s industry and environment committees. Oettinger’s goal for the next five years is the “Europeanisation” of energy policy. “We need a comprehensive paradigm shift in energy policy,” he said.

In his written answers justifying his nom-ination, he suggested that the EU “must fully utilise the potential of energy efficien-cy for sustainable growth”. He continued by saying he would “like to ensure that technologies with low or zero CO2 emis-sions, such as renewable forms of energy, low emission vehicles and CO2 separation and storage, are at the top of the decarboni-sation agenda.”

Better infrastructure is also key. “EU expenditure should be concentrated on measures which really add European value in terms of cross-border effects, economies of scale and combating market failures,” he said. “The commission should continue to coordinate strategically important proj-ects,” such as the plan to connect the Baltic energy networks and the Nabucco gas pipe-line, he added.

Expansion of the internal market for the benefit of consumers is next up in his priorities. Oettinger will promote the intro-duction of intelligent energy technologies, such as smart electricity meters, which he hopes will give consumers a better under-standing of energy use, and the impact of energy efficiency.


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ission guide Energy

mandate

The holder of the energy portfolio will drive forward the single market for energy and the EU policy on energy security, as well as designing

and building broad-based support for a long-term strategy to decarbonise energy outputs, including

reviewing energy efficiency and updating the 2006 action plan.

Oettinger will be in charge of the EU’s energy research budgets, and work to refocus research

on industry-driven applied technologies to create innovation and smart jobs. Energy infrastructures are also part of his remit, and strengthening the

EU framework for safety in nuclear power. He is also asked to give particular momentum to

meeting the 2020 targets for renewable energies.

Cabinetspokesperson: Marlene Holzner (02 296 0196)

Further cabinet members to be appointedThe external dimension of energy policy is also important, as the EU will need a considerable quantity of oil and gas imports for many years to come, according to the new energy guru. “Building on the experience gained from the 2009 gas crisis,

I would like to strengthen further the solidarity between member states and the Union’s ability to speak with one voice,” he explained.

As for nuclear energy, he speaks of “respect for national decision-making powers”, saying he sees himself as “a moderator, not

an ambassador for nuclear power”. The EU’s role, he believes, is in the areas of nuclear safety, atomic energy research and the disposal of radioactive waste.

Oettinger’s appointment to the com-mission is not the first time his name has featured heavily in the German press. In 2007 he was in the spotlight after giving a controversial eulogy for former German politician, Hans Filbinger, who was forced to resign after allegations surfaced about his role as a navy lawyer and judge in WWII.

Speaking at Filbinger’s memorial Oettinger pointed out that no-one lost their life as a result of his verdicts, and suggested he did not wield the power and freedom suggested by his critics. Subsequently accused by politicians (including chancellor Angel Merkel) and the media of playing down the significance of the Nazi dictatorship, Oettinger at first defended his speech, but later distanced himself from the comments.

A former prime minister of the land of Baden-Württemberg (2005-2010) the new commissioner’s professional background is in law, auditing and tax accountancy.

“ “Building on the experience gained from the 2009 gas crisis, I would like to strengthen further the solidarity between member states and the union’s ability to speak with one voice

FaCtFiLe

“The nominee’s understanding of the issues and problems raised during the questions were appreciated. It was particularly welcomed that

he is convinced of the European added value of energy policy as well as his commitment to defend

independently European interests. Members appreciated his long-standing experience and…

his clear willingness to work closely with the parliament… to fully exploit the potential of the new legal basis for energy policy provided by the

Lisbon treaty.

“Some members raised concerns over his independence vis-à-vis interests of the energy

sector as well as the interests of the country he knows best. He reassured a significant majority

of the committee about his independence. Some members, especially from the new member

states, expressed concerns over whether Oettinger will be able to fully act in accordance with the

solidarity principle in EU energy policy, particularly in the complex relationship with Russia’s state

monopoly.” Herbert Reul chairman of the industry, research

and energy committee


Local energy companies play an essential role in the European energy and climate policyCEDEC, the European federation of local energy companies, representsthe interests of electricity and gas companies at European level :

• 1500 companies, with local mainly public shareholders,

• total turnover of 100 billion euros,

• 250.000 employees.

Essential players in competitive energy markets : Local energy players are the only competitors already well established in the national markets. There can be no competition without competitors : large and small, private and public.

Active in every part of the value chain, striving for citizen’s value : Local generation (including cogeneration, district heating & renewables), distribution network operation, metering system and data management, supply and energy efficiency services.

Small and medium sized enterprises with local shareholders :Local energy companies are mainly small and medium sized : close to their local shareholders, they are key actors in the regional economic development and contribute to the creation of local investments and jobs.

Partners in the realization of environmental objectives :Local energy companies constitute an important partner for the realization of European environmental objectives, through investments in local sustainable electricity production, efficient and smart networks, and energy efficiency services.

Priority themes

• Unbundling: Current rules on legal and functional unbundling in distribution allow effective market functioning. The exemption for companies with less than 100.000 customers has been reconfirmed by the 3rd energy directive. Changes in these rules would result in even stronger concentration in generation and supply in the internal energy markets, with negative effects on prices and quality of service.

• Consumer rights: CEDEC strives for cost effective customer service and more transparency on their consumption and billing, giving special attention to vulnerable consumer groups.

• Environmental ambitions: CEDEC companies support European objectives on climate protection and will translate their experience in concrete measures to help realize the 20/20/20 objectives, through sustainable local generation and a wide variety of energy efficiency services.

• Smart grids: Distribution networks constitute 90% of all networks. The necessary investments in networks and metering systems will allow a better integration of sustainable local production and more energy efficient energy use by network operators and consumers.

• EU Consultation procedures: CEDEC insists that all stakeholders, in particularly local energy companies with their specific local community perspective, should be involved in future consultations organized by European institutions and the European energy regulator.

For more detailed information: www.cedec.com or contact CEDEC at 00 32 2 217 81 17

CEDEC Congress 28 and 29 April 2010 Hotel Renaissance in Brussels

From global challenges to Local answers : Strategic Perpectives for Local Energy Companies


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ission guide Regional policy

At street levelRegional policy chief Johannes Hahn will be working to make sure none of Europe’s 271 regions get left behind

Johannes Hahn is married with 271 children. He may only have one son, but the EU’s new regional policy commissioner sees himself as a “father of the regions”. And, with the reform of cohesion policy

post-2013 and recovery from the eco-nomic crisis among the items on his agenda, he will certainly have to work hard in guiding their development over the next five years. The biggest challenge for Hahn, Austria’s new commissioner and the country’s former science minister, will be negotiating the debate on Europe’s regional policy after 2013. He will also be charged with bringing regional policy in line with the EU 2020 strategy, taking forward the commission’s Danube strategy and piloting projects to promote urban development.

The commission’s draft proposals for the future of cohesion policy were strongly criticised last year, with Hahn’s predecessor Danuta Hübner joining regional organisa-tions in warning against the elimination of the objective two element, which applies to two-thirds of all European regions. Hübner, now chair of parliament’s region-al development committee, claimed such an approach “would result in a European policy absent in 200 regions out of 271 and 16 member states out of 27”. But Hahn sought to allay such concerns, saying, “I am opposed to re-nationalisa-tion. Cohesion policy is a policy for all the regions. Nobody should be left behind. Limiting it to the poorest parts of Europe would transform the policy into a simple mechanism for transferring funds from the rich to the poor.”

In a play-it-safe appearance before the regional development committee, the commissioner also signalled that he would focus on Europe’s towns and cities. Setting out plans for a consultation on the issue, he said, “We need a new urban policy for Europe. Towns and cities are the economic, cultural and social focus of our continent, and today they are in particular need of our attention.”

The rural border region of Carinthia is working closely with its Italian and Slovenian neighbours. Since

the accession of Austria to the EU in 1995, we have had access to European funding instruments. Carinthia’s successful regional development can be attributed, to a great extent, to the assistance provided by specific EU-funds.

Each year Carinthia receives about €85 million in EU development funds for rural development, to help competitiveness and employment or European territorial co-operation. The EU provincial government member Dr. Josef Martinz, who has been doing everything in his power to ensure the country continues to use the possibilities that have been offered by the EU effectively, confirmed “We are European champions when it comes to implementing European projects“.

Innovation and cross-border co-operation

To take one example, the Lakeside Science & Technology Park in Klagenfurt was given massive financial assistance through the EU Structural Funds programme. The LEADER and the INTERREG programmes have helped to implement hundreds of projects, which have now become an indispensable feature of a competitive Carinthia and which make it a worthwhile place to live in.

The equestrian centre of Carinthia

In this EU project, Carinthia has developed a tourist attraction, generated income and created new jobs.

As a result of the huge Carinthian commitment and EU funds, all the

activities involved in the equestrian economic sector and included in this EU project have been combined under the one roof. Also, one of the largest bridleway networks in Central Europe extending some 1,500 kilometres and the first digital long-distance bridleway map have been established. The marketing of the tourist facilities offered by the riding centres, hotels, guest houses, and farms which form a part of this operation is being carried out jointly. This will give a boost to our equestrian sector.

A nursery school where three languages are spoken

This EU project is able to provide our children with an important advantage in life: knowledge of languages, cultural awareness and qualifications for the employment market.

In a local authority area near the Italian and Slovenian border, the nursery school teachers from Austria, Slovenia and Italy go to work every day in one of the other three countries and teach the nursery school pupils there foreign languages using play as a medium. The experience gained from the cultural exchange at an early stage in their school life also helps the school pupils immensely. The skills of the young citizens will later on contribute significantly to the economic and cultural development of the region where the three countries meet. These skills will also improve the employment market and significantly help to support cross-border co-operation.

Carinthia successful in a strong Europe

Lake Weissensee

”As far as Austria‘s most southern province is concerned, membership of the EU is the only option“, according to the EU provincial government member Josef Martinz. Carinthia gains a lot in all respects from the opportunities and possibilities that a united Europe offers to its regions.

The Carinthian Region is represented to the European Union through the EU-Representation Office of Carinthia in Brussels since 1995.

Its main tasks are standing-in for Carinthian interests of EU-legislation especially EU-transport policy, EU-regional policy, EU-health policy, EU-information and communication technology policy, and EU-agriculture policy.

Since 2005 the EU-Representation Office of Carinthia is sharing the office building with Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Region, Istria Region and canton of Sarajevo.

Dr. Josef MartinzRegional Minister of Carinthia for European Affairs, Agriculture and Forestry

Member of the Committee of the Regions since 2004

Member of the Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)

Facts about Carinthia:

Carinthia is one of the 9 provinces in Austria

Area of Carinthia: 9,535.97km2 (includes 9,364 km2 land and 172km2 water )Population: 560,605 (59 inhabitants/km2 )

Capital: Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Area of Klagenfurt: 120.11km2 Population: 93,478 (779 inhabitants/km2)

Carinthia shares its border with Slovenia and Italy


Comm


And he referred to problems with the spending of regional aid, which have been flagged up by the Court of Auditors and subject to fraud allegations. While Hahn said he would have “zero tolerance” for errors, he insisted that the problems high-lighted by the Court of Auditors had not been cases of fraud.

The new commissioner will also need to work closely with the Committee of the Regions and organisations such as the Assembly of European Regions, Council of European Municipalities and Regions and Eurocities during the annual Open Days of Europe’s regions and cities. And, as with his fellow commissioners, he will also have to work under the Lisbon treaty’s new institu-tional framework.

The new commissioner does not plan to take up Hübner’s challenge of visiting every single one of Europe’s regions, but he seems to understand the need for a real presence at

street level, perhaps thanks to his background in regional politics. It will be up to Hahn to direct EU policy to help promote social equality, protect the environment and drive economic recovery. Time will tell if he is to the challenge.

“

“

Cohesion policy is a policy for all the regions. Nobody should be left behind

mandate The regional policy commissioner will work to strengthen territorial cohesion, as enshrined in the Lisbon treaty. Johannes Hahn will also

prepare the post-2013 cohesion policy, taking into account the aims of the 2020 strategy. He will be responsible for managing the European

regional development and cohesion funds, which take up a large chunk of the EU budget, including supervising expenditure in line with

financial regulation and ensuring sound financial management practices.

The commissioner is responsible to parliament’s regional development committee.

Cabinetspokesperson: Ton van Lierop (02 296 6565)


FaCtFiLe

“[Johannes Hahn] demonstrated that he possesses the experience, integrity and

professional capacity to assume the high responsibility of the position of commissioner.” danuta Hübner chair of parliament’s regional

development committee



Comm


At street levelRegional policy chief Johannes Hahn will be working to make sure none of Europe’s 271 regions get left behind

Johannes Hahn is married with 271 children. He may only have one son, but the EU’s new regional policy commissioner sees himself as a “father of the regions”. And, with the reform of cohesion policy

post-2013 and recovery from the eco-nomic crisis among the items on his agenda, he will certainly have to work hard in guiding their development over the next five years. The biggest challenge for Hahn, Austria’s new commissioner and the country’s former science minister, will be negotiating the debate on Europe’s regional policy after 2013. He will also be charged with bringing regional policy in line with the EU 2020 strategy, taking forward the commission’s Danube strategy and piloting projects to promote urban development.

The commission’s draft proposals for the future of cohesion policy were strongly criticised last year, with Hahn’s predecessor Danuta Hübner joining regional organisa-tions in warning against the elimination of the objective two element, which applies to two-thirds of all European regions. Hübner, now chair of parliament’s region-al development committee, claimed such an approach “would result in a European policy absent in 200 regions out of 271 and 16 member states out of 27”. But Hahn sought to allay such concerns, saying, “I am opposed to re-nationalisa-tion. Cohesion policy is a policy for all the regions. Nobody should be left behind. Limiting it to the poorest parts of Europe would transform the policy into a simple mechanism for transferring funds from the rich to the poor.”

In a play-it-safe appearance before the regional development committee, the commissioner also signalled that he would focus on Europe’s towns and cities. Setting out plans for a consultation on the issue, he said, “We need a new urban policy for Europe. Towns and cities are the economic, cultural and social focus of our continent, and today they are in particular need of our attention.”


Comm


And he referred to problems with the spending of regional aid, which have been flagged up by the Court of Auditors and subject to fraud allegations. While Hahn said he would have “zero tolerance” for errors, he insisted that the problems high-lighted by the Court of Auditors had not been cases of fraud.

The new commissioner will also need to work closely with the Committee of the Regions and organisations such as the Assembly of European Regions, Council of European Municipalities and Regions and Eurocities during the annual Open Days of Europe’s regions and cities. And, as with his fellow commissioners, he will also have to work under the Lisbon treaty’s new institu-tional framework.

The new commissioner does not plan to take up Hübner’s challenge of visiting every single one of Europe’s regions, but he seems to understand the need for a real presence at

street level, perhaps thanks to his background in regional politics. It will be up to Hahn to direct EU policy to help promote social equality, protect the environment and drive economic recovery. Time will tell if he is to the challenge.

“

“

Cohesion policy is a policy for all the regions. Nobody should be left behind

mandate The regional policy commissioner will work to strengthen territorial cohesion, as enshrined in the Lisbon treaty. Johannes Hahn will also

prepare the post-2013 cohesion policy, taking into account the aims of the 2020 strategy. He will be responsible for managing the European

regional development and cohesion funds, which take up a large chunk of the EU budget, including supervising expenditure in line with

financial regulation and ensuring sound financial management practices.

The commissioner is responsible to parliament’s regional development committee.

Cabinetspokesperson: Ton van Lierop (02 296 6565)


FaCtFiLe

“[Johannes Hahn] demonstrated that he possesses the experience, integrity and

professional capacity to assume the high responsibility of the position of commissioner.” danuta Hübner chair of parliament’s regional

development committee


The rural border region of Carinthia is working closely with its Italian and Slovenian neighbours. Since

the accession of Austria to the EU in 1995, we have had access to European funding instruments. Carinthia’s successful regional development can be attributed, to a great extent, to the assistance provided by specific EU-funds.

Each year Carinthia receives about €85 million in EU development funds for rural development, to help competitiveness and employment or European territorial co-operation. The EU provincial government member Dr. Josef Martinz, who has been doing everything in his power to ensure the country continues to use the possibilities that have been offered by the EU effectively, confirmed “We are European champions when it comes to implementing European projects“.

Innovation and cross-border co-operation

To take one example, the Lakeside Science & Technology Park in Klagenfurt was given massive financial assistance through the EU Structural Funds programme. The LEADER and the INTERREG programmes have helped to implement hundreds of projects, which have now become an indispensable feature of a competitive Carinthia and which make it a worthwhile place to live in.

The equestrian centre of Carinthia

In this EU project, Carinthia has developed a tourist attraction, generated income and created new jobs.

As a result of the huge Carinthian commitment and EU funds, all the

activities involved in the equestrian economic sector and included in this EU project have been combined under the one roof. Also, one of the largest bridleway networks in Central Europe extending some 1,500 kilometres and the first digital long-distance bridleway map have been established. The marketing of the tourist facilities offered by the riding centres, hotels, guest houses, and farms which form a part of this operation is being carried out jointly. This will give a boost to our equestrian sector.

A nursery school where three languages are spoken

This EU project is able to provide our children with an important advantage in life: knowledge of languages, cultural awareness and qualifications for the employment market.

In a local authority area near the Italian and Slovenian border, the nursery school teachers from Austria, Slovenia and Italy go to work every day in one of the other three countries and teach the nursery school pupils there foreign languages using play as a medium. The experience gained from the cultural exchange at an early stage in their school life also helps the school pupils immensely. The skills of the young citizens will later on contribute significantly to the economic and cultural development of the region where the three countries meet. These skills will also improve the employment market and significantly help to support cross-border co-operation.

Carinthia successful in a strong Europe

Lake Weissensee

”As far as Austria‘s most southern province is concerned, membership of the EU is the only option“, according to the EU provincial government member Josef Martinz. Carinthia gains a lot in all respects from the opportunities and possibilities that a united Europe offers to its regions.

The Carinthian Region is represented to the European Union through the EU-Representation Office of Carinthia in Brussels since 1995.

Its main tasks are standing-in for Carinthian interests of EU-legislation especially EU-transport policy, EU-regional policy, EU-health policy, EU-information and communication technology policy, and EU-agriculture policy.

Since 2005 the EU-Representation Office of Carinthia is sharing the office building with Friuli-Venezia-Giulia Region, Istria Region and canton of Sarajevo.

Dr. Josef MartinzRegional Minister of Carinthia for European Affairs, Agriculture and Forestry

Member of the Committee of the Regions since 2004

Member of the Commission for Economic and Social Policy (ECOS)

Facts about Carinthia:

Carinthia is one of the 9 provinces in Austria

Area of Carinthia: 9,535.97km2 (includes 9,364 km2 land and 172km2 water )Population: 560,605 (59 inhabitants/km2 )

Capital: Klagenfurt am Wörthersee Area of Klagenfurt: 120.11km2 Population: 93,478 (779 inhabitants/km2)

Carinthia shares its border with Slovenia and Italy

In recessionary times focus turns to Universities for understanding, explanation and insights into how futures may be improved. Perhaps it is no

coincidence that the Open Days University (October 2009) started when it did.

The Regional Studies Association, a society with global reach, acts as a conduit between the policy and practice and academic communities in regional policy and development issues.

Professor David Bailey, RSA Chair, explains, “It’s important that academics working in our field support policy makers and practitioner colleagues with well evidenced and sophisticated analysis of the difficult challenges that face them”.

With a diverse and international membership the Regional Studies Association offers a forum for the exchange of issues, ideas and best practice.

Coming up:

RSA hosts multiple sessions within the DG Regio, •Open Days University 2010, Brussels, including:

Place based and sectoral based policyo understanding territorial cohesiono migration, social mobility and urban o dynamicsplace leadership – urban and regional o development

International Conference in Pécs, Southern •Hungary, 24th – 26th May 2010 on “Regional Responses to Global Shifts”

Nobel Prize winner, Professor Paul Krugman will •deliver the Regional Studies Annual Lecture in Washington DC on the challenges to new economic geography (16th April 2010)

USA conference – “Regional Resilience” with •expert panel debates considering future scenarios for regional growth and strength

(15th April 2010, Washington DC)

Difficult times? Academic Solutions?

“The RSA leads in the field of knowledge transfer and our members are certainly passionate about this area of our work” Sally Hardy, Chief Executive

The current global economic crisis is having an impact on people, businesses and places across Europe. The academy of the RSA can actively support practitioners and policy makers in regions to develop and implement responses to this crisis, and help them prepare their regions for a more sustainable recovery.

Sally HardyChief Executive

Professor David BaileyRSA Chair

Visit http://www.regional-studies-assoc.ac.uk

The RSA is a registered charity in the UK.


Comm

ission guide Climate action

In it to win itClimate action commissioner Connie Hedegaard insists Europe must come together and speak with one voice if it is to have any chance of tackling global warming

A divided Europe is not an option for EU climate action com-missioner Connie Hedegaard. Denmark’s member of the exec-utive, who has taken over one of the EU’s newly-created portfo-

lios, made it clear during her parliamentary hearing that Europe must learn from the Copenhagen summit and speak with one voice if it is to make itself heard in the inter-national climate change debate. “Those last hours in Copenhagen, China, India, Japan, Russia, the US… each spoke with one voice, while Europe spoke with many different voices,” she said. “Sometimes we spend so much time agreeing with one another that when finally the EU comes to the interna-tional negotiations we are almost unable to negotiate. Here we must improve – in order to give Europe a stronger voice.”

Hedegaard is certainly well-equipped to take on her new role, having chaired most of the COP15 in December last year and with five years as environment and climate and energy minister under her belt. She sees her first priority as implementing the EU’s climate and energy package, working towards a green economy that can create jobs and promote growth. And she will no doubt have little time for the climate sceptics who claim that Europe’s crisis-hit economy lacks the resources to push for a sustainable future. “Some may say, we can’t afford it. Well, I say: Europe cannot afford not to,” she told MEPs.

Hedegaard gave an assured perfor-mance during her hearing, providing fluent responses to tough questions and appearing media savvy, something which may come as a result of her 14 years as a journalist. MEPs who knew her from her time as climate and environment minister, and as minister for the 2009 UN climate change conference in Copenhagen, seemed pleased to see her, but gave her no special treatment. During her opening speech, the commissioner said she was “disappointed” that world leaders did not agree to a binding deal in the Danish capital. When UK ALDE deputy Chris Davies asked why MEPs should approve


Comm

ission guide Climate action

a commissioner for climate action who had been “associated with such failure”, Hedegaard said it was unfair to criticise “those who spent years trying to mobil-ise the world”. She was also bold in her response to Danish Socialist Dan Jørgensen, who asked for a list of the “serious mistakes” that resulted in the “fiasco” of Copenhagen, offering a bottle of champagne to anyone able to find a previous COP president who had done more.

While unwilling to accept responsibil-ity for what went wrong in Copenhagen, Hedegaard will not rest on her laurels when it comes to coming up with an ambi-tious international climate deal, promising to offer concrete solutions to help the EU reach its 20 per cent emissions reduction target as soon as possible.

Climate action may appear a narrow portfolio but, with the 2020 targets, the emissions trading system and low carbon technologies among the issues in her remit, Hedegaard will certainly have her work cut out over the next five years. She will be

watched particularly closely in the run-up to the Mexico climate summit this year, and there will be great interest in her approach to carbon taxes and emissions trading schemes. Hedegaard promised to work with her fellow commissioners to ensure climate

“mainstreaming”. For Hedegaard, unity is key: she does not believe that a fractious Europe can boost employment or maintain its place in the globalised world. “Europe must pull itselftogether,” she said, “we must work together. If we don’t, we lose – if we do, we can win.”

“ “Those last hours in Copenhagen, China, India, Japan, Russia, the US… each spoke with one voice, while Europe spoke with many different voices

mandate As commissioner for climate action, Connie Hedegaard will lead the EU’s international

negotiations on climate policy. She will have a key role in helping Europe tackle and deal with the effects of climate change. She will also be responsible for helping the EU meet its targets for a 20 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions on 1990 levels by 2020, developing

and implementing the EU emissions trading system and promoting its links with other carbon trading schemes. She will also work with other commissioners to promote the low carbon and

adaptation technologies, and is expected to develop a strong science and economic base for

EU climate policy.

The climate action commissioner is responsible to parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee, and to the industry, research

and energy committee.

CabinetHead: Peter Vis (02 295 8900)

deputy head: Michael Starbaek Christensen (02 295 9545)

spokesperson: Maria Kokkonen (02 295 4203)

members: Anne Bergenfelt (02 295 0850), Caroline Lambert (02 299 2480), Jürgen Müller (02 299 4401), Lukasz Kolinski (02 295 1779)

FaCtFiLe

“Members would have wished the commissioner-designate to have demonstrated more open

acceptance that the [Copenhagen] conference outcome failed to meet the EU’s objectives” Jo Leinen chair of parliament’s environment

committee

“I liked a lot your statement that you want Europe to be the most climate-friendly area in the world” satu Hassi member of parliament’s environment

committee

“It is very nice to see a person devoted to climate action in this position, although I would sincerely welcome also more self-reflection on the mistakes

the Danish presidency made in Copenhagen” Kriton arsenis member of parliament’s

environment committee


Deep public concern over global warming and the energy crisis have made energy efficiency a top priority.

As buildings are the largest energy user, they also offer the highest savings potential. Millions of square meters in existing buildings consume 250 kWh/m² per year, and sometimes much more, while state-of-the-art construction methods for modern buildings show figures well below 100 kWh/m².a. Passive house technology is associated with figures like 15 kWh/m².a. This range of figures shows the massive challenge that is before us. New buildings should be ‘green’, old buildings should be renovated and the requirements of the EPBD are quite modest, compared to what industry can do.

Today’s standards of comfort make artificial cooling almost a necessity in most climates. That’s where solar shading comes in. Automated solar shading systems will cut energy demand for cooling by double-digit percentages, depending on the quality and amount of glass and, of course, the climate. In the heating season, automated solar shading will allow welcome, free solar energy into the building and relieve

Energy efficiency in buildings requires intelligent solar shading

the energy needed for heating. That’s why solar shading is not just necessary in summer.

ES-SO, the European Solar-Shading Organization, the umbrella organization of the solar shading industry, has commissioned a scientific study to quantify these energy savings. They are surprising.

Visit www.es-so.eu


Comm

ission guide Enlargement and European neighbourhood policy

An open doorNew enlargement and neighbourhood commissioner Štefan Füle says the EU’s door is always open, but he insists there is no fast track to membership

With three official candidate countries and others waiting in the wings, European enlargement is one hot-topic never far from the political radar. And Štefan

Füle’s new brief is one which has real implica-tions for the fabric of the EU. Coming from the Czech Republic, Füle bears personal witness to the possibilities enlargement offers in terms of economic growth, trade and investment, and increased mobility, with his own country admitted to the bloc just over five years ago. Addressing members during his confirmation hearing last month, the former EU affairs minister said enlargement is “more than a policy portfolio”. He said, “It has transformed my country and my own life. It has transformed Europe as a whole. It has restored hope and dignity to millions of people. This is why I am a strong believer in further reunification.”

As commissioner for enlargement and neighbourhood policy, Füle’s mandate covers everything from ongoing accession negotiations to visa liberalisation to rela-tions with eastern Europe. As such, there will inevitably be some overlap with the Catherine Ashton’s role who, as EU foreign policy chief, is charged with overall respon-sibility for EU external policy. When it comes to neighbourhood policy commission president José Manuel Barroso says Füle’s role is to “develop credible and attractive” alternatives for those countries that will not become EU members, working in “close cooperation” with Ashton. This means deep-ening relations with all the EU’s neighbours and developing tailor-made relations with individual countries.

But Füle, whose background lies largely in security and defence, has made it clear that there will be no automatic cross-over between neighbourhood policy and enlargement. “The rules are clear: there are not and there should be no short-cuts to membership,” he said, later adding that “it is not a free ticket”.

As Füle takes over his mandate, Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia all have candidate


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ission guide Enlargement and European neighbourhood policy

country status. There are also several other potential candidates in the western Balkans – who have been promised the prospect of joining the bloc depending on the progress of their reforms – not to mention Iceland, which submitted its official application for member-ship only last year.

The eventual accession of Turkey, in particular, has stoked fierce debate, with many concerned by the country’s lack of progress towards reform since negotiations began more than 10 years ago, as well as its failure to implement the Ankara protocol. Earlier this month, MEPs delivered a mixed reaction when they debated the country’s progress in plenary. But Füle is unequivocal in his belief that Turkish membership of the EU can be mutually beneficial, arguing that at the end of the process we will see “a new, modern and reformed” Turkey.

What, then, are the prospects for other countries harbouring aspirations to join the bloc? According to Füle, who says he is “pas-sionate” about enlargement, the EU’s door is very much open. Croatia, for example, is on track to conclude its negotiations this year, although the Czech is in no mood to construct politically driven timetables. “I very much hope that while we stick closely to the rules we will treat each country on its merit,” he says, adding that it is important not to leave any country “out in the cold”.

But if enlargement is to live up to the promise of greater democracy, stability and security across the continent, he must ensure the process doesn’t move too far too fast. Following the most recent accession of Bulgaria and Romania in 2007, concerns were raised that they were ill prepared for life as EU members – something Füle intends to eliminate in the future. “The pace of reforms determines progress towards membership. Being an EU member is a demanding task,

for which one must be properly prepared. I believe strongly it is our duty to assist these countries to pursue their reform agenda. And I will make maximum use of all instruments and resources at my disposal to do so,” he says. “It is important as my job will be to make sure that accession is proposed only to countries that can make full benefit from it and can bring their positive contribution to Europe.” Füle’s message is clear: Europe’s door is open, but only fools rush in.

“ “

The rules are clear: there are not and there should be no short-cuts to membership

mandateFüle is responsible for continuing negotiations

with EU candidate countries, in particular relations with Croatia and Turkey, as well as helping other

countries of the western Balkans and Iceland prepare for future membership. The programming and management of pre-accession assistance is also within his remit. European neighbourhood

policy covers those countries that will not become EU members. To help him fufil these

responsibilities, DG enlargement is under Füle’s authority, as well as the services of the EuropeAid-Cooperation office responsible for the European

neighbourhood and partnership instrument. Once the European external action service is up and running, under the authority of the Catherine

Ashton, the two will have to work closely with it to ensure coherence in EU external policy. Füle will

work with parliament’s foreign affairs committee in fulfilling his mandate.

CabinetHead: Simon Mordue (02 298 4970)

deputy head: Jana Šindelková (02 298 3076

spokesperson: Angela Filote (02 295 1968)

members: Gilles Bertrand (02 295 5512), Rudiger Boogert (02 299 2165), Claus Giering (02 296

0389), Iwona Piorko (02 298 4861), Alena Obrusníková (02 295 9458), Pavel Bouda (02

295 4666)

FaCtFiLe

“Štefan Füle has a very complex field of activity which is on the one side a big possibility because both enlargement and European neighbourhood

policy concern European perspective but use different types of tools. On the other side his

function contains the risk of new divided loyalties and responsibilities. A close coordination of his

actions with Catherine Ashton and the EEAS is also essential to guarantee more coherence and more capacity of action in order to reduce overlaps. A one-voice-policy must be the aim. Therefore Mr Füle should also work closely together with the

EP - especially concerning sensitive questions like Turkey, Bosnia Herzegovina, but also Syria, Libya

and Georgia.” elmar brok EPP group coordinator in parliament’s

foreign affairs committee


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CJ-270x210 16-02-2010 14:29 Pagina 1

HEALTHY WORKPLACESGOOD FOR YOU. GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

http://osha.europa.eu

Making EuropE a safEr, hEalthiEr and MorE productivE placE to work

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA)Set up in 1996 by the European Union and located in Bilbao, Spain, the main role of the Agency is to contribute to the improvement of working life in the European Union. The Agency anticipates new and emerging risks through its European Risk Observatory and identifies and shares information, good practice and advice with a wide range of audiences to promote a risk prevention culture.

EU-OSHA’s main awareness-raising activity is the Healthy Workplaces Campaign, the world’s largest occupational health and safety campaign.

The Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2010-2011 on Safe MaintenanceFor the next two years, the Agency will be campaigning to raise awareness of the importance of proper maintenance work. In fact, 15-20% of all workplace accidents are connected with maintenance and in some sectors over half of all accidents are maintenance-related.

The campaign will be launched by Commissioner László Andor on 28 April, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and has two main messages:

Raise awareness of the importance of maintenance for workers’ safety and healthHighlight the risks associated with maintenance and the need to carry it out safely

The campaign follows a network-based approach and is organised in all of the EU Member States and beyond. Our network of focal points and many other partners in Europe support a wide range of events and activities to promote safe maintenance, based on employers, employees and governments working together.

The European Week in week 43 of each year, the Good Practice Award ceremony in April 2011 and the Closing Event of the campaign in November 2011 are other milestones of this Healthy Workplaces Campaign.

The campaign is backed by the EU Council Presidencies of Spain and Belgium in 2010 and of Hungary and Poland in 2011, by the European Parliament and the European Commission, and by the European Social Partners.


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ission guide Employm

ent, social affairs and inclusion

Social EuropeTackling unemployment and developing Europe’s social model will be high on the agenda for new employment commissioner László Andor

It would be fair to say that employ-ment and social affairs commissioner László Andor failed to impress MEPs during his parliamentary hearing last month. French EPP deputy Elisabeth Morin-Chartier berated his “super-

ficial and unconvincing” performance, her Polish colleague Danuta Jazlowiecka said she did not see him “as a visionary”, while Danish Green Emilie Turunen implied he lacked the necessary “creativity” for the position.

Despite a somewhat uninspiring appear-ance before MEPs, the Hungarian Socialist took a play-it-safe approach and failed to ruffle any feathers on some of Europe’s political hot-potatoes. His dossier includes the controversial working time directive, the free movement of workers and manage-ment of the European social fund. With responsibility for employment, the new commissioner will also be charged with coming up with innovative solutions to help create new jobs and reduce the 10 per cent unemployment rate in the 16-country eurozone. Andor will seek to address the challenges facing older workers, young people, the disabled and ethnic minorities, and will attempt to dispel concerns over labour migration.

During his hearing, the commissioner highlighted the benefits of immigration, saying that it can often create “richer soci-eties”. “Immigrants can bring new policies, new capacities and, in the history of human-ity, there has always been immigration,” he said. “Sometimes, or at certain times, it has created tension. But it is very important to see that there is definitely a positive side and a human side to it.”

Andor, a former economist, sees his role as employment commissioner as central to developing Europe’s social model. Concrete ideas may have been thin on the ground during his hearing, but he will have a chance to set out his stall more fully, taking over his portfolio just months before the EU is expected to approve its 2020 strategy. EU 2020, the follow-up to the much-criticised


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ission guide Employm

ent, social affairs and inclusion Lisbon agenda for growth and jobs, aims to promote a greener economy and the better use of resources. In his opening speech, Andor said the programme “will be about getting the most out of the tools and part-nerships we have and building, over the next years, with the European parliament, the council, the social partners and my colleagues in the commission, a stronger social dimension of our European model – a Europe that is fairer, more sustainable and more participative”. The strategy will need to help Europe’s economic recov-ery “but also consolidate the employment dimension”, he added, stressing the need for significant changes in economic structures.

In his mission statement to Andor, José Manuel Barroso singled out “flexicurity” as a key area of focus for the new commis-sioner. Europe would be better placed to tackle the economic crisis by investing in a labour market policy of this kind, with companies and employers able to negotiate their relationship more effectively. “I am an economist, but I don’t see labour as a com-modity,” he said. “It is about the livelihood of people.”

On a practical level, Andor will need to look at unemployment issues with industry commissioner Antonio Tajani, job creation with economic and monetary affairs com-missioner Olli Rehn, and pension system

reform with internal market commissioner Michel Barnier. He will also need to address immigration issues with Cecilia Malmström, who holds the home affairs portfolio, and justice, fundamental rights and citizenship commissioner Viviane Reding.

Andor, who takes over as commissioner as the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion gets underway, will also work closely with parliament’s employment and social affairs committee. On this, he has

pledged to focus on tackling child poverty – particularly in the Roma population. Employment committee chair Pervenche Berès is optimistic about Andor’s ability, telling the Parliament Magazine recently that he had a “good background” for the job. However, the French Socialist warned that he would need to ensure he had the “strength and authority” to pressure his colleagues in a “quite conservative-minded commission”.

“ “

I am an economist, but I don’t see labour as a commodity. It is about the livelihood of people

mAndAte Top of László Andor’s agenda as employment, social affairs and inclusion commissioner is tackling unemployment, assisting those who have lost their jobs get back into the labour

market, and helping to prevent poverty and social exclusion. He is charged with developing Europe’s

modern social agenda, pursuing “flexicurity” as part of moves towards modern labour markets. He will also provide input to new legislation on the posted workers directive and working time

directive. Poverty, social protection systems and pensions also come under the employment

commissioner’s remit, and he will be responsible for financial instruments including the European

social fund, the European globalisation fund, the Progress programme and the forthcoming

microcredit facility.

László Andor is responsible to parliament’s employment and social affairs committee.

CAbinetHead: Anabela Gago (02 296 1022)

deputy head: Éva Török (02 295 3874) spokesperson: Cristina Arigho (02 298 1742)

Advisor: Csaba Káncz

members: Denis Genton (02 296 9965), Max Uebe (02 296 8272), Gyula Cserey (02 298

1742), Gyula Hegyi

FACtFiLe

“Mr Andor has given proof of integrity and independence and has demonstrated sufficient

specific knowledge of the domain and his professional aptitude to assume the high office of commissioner responsible for employment, social

affairs and inclusion… However, some coordinators noted that a number of MEPs regretted that his

answers were too general.” Pervenche berès chair of parliament’s

employment committee


European UnionEuropean Social FundInvesting in jobs and skills

European Social Fund www.esf.gov.uk

Investing £2.5 billion in jobs and skills in England in 2007-2013


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ission guide Home affairs

Balancing actCecilia malmström is aiming to strike a balance between upholding fundamental rights and safeguarding citizens’ security as she takes on the newly created post of home affairs commissioner

An “interesting” first day in the job, was new home affairs com-missioner Cecilia Malmström’s take on parliament’s rejection of the Swift EU-US data transfer deal. The Swede’s baptism of fire

may have ended in defeat, but she remained unbowed by the verdict. “I hope we will be able to agree a text in the near future that will give us greater security, more data protec-tion and a useful cooperation tool with US authorities,” she said.

The ebullient former ALDE MEP and Swedish EU affairs minister can look forward to many more tough battles. Her newly created position, which covers the tricky issues of security and migration, is seen as one of the college’s more ‘awkward’ portfolios, and one that EU member states are histori-cally wary of.

Weeks before the Swift vote, Malmström gave a convincing performance before MEPs as she highlighted the need for balance between fundamental rights and citizens’ security. After dispensing with the formalities of being a former deputy, Malmström set out her priorities, saying she planned “to ensure that Europe’s home affairs policies go hand-in-hand with our actions in standing up for and safeguarding fundamental rights”.

Malmström said that one of her first acts would be to present, alongside justice, fundamental rights and citizenship commis-sioner Viviane Reding, a communication and action plan for delivering the Stockholm pro-gramme. This covers EU police and customs cooperation, rescue services, criminal and civil law cooperation, asylum, migration and visa policy. She added that she wants “solidarity” to be the watchword across her portfolio.

Throughout her hearing, Malmström was questioned on how she was going to develop a more collective approach to the so-called disproportionate burden on the EU’s south-ern countries. She argued that migration was a global phenomenon that would never fully disappear, but agreed that more needed to be done to combat irregular migration, and organised trafficking. She promised to come forward, within months, with new proposals on the future role of Frontex, including provi-


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ission guide Home affairs

mandate Malmström will be responsible for developing the

newly created home affairs portfolio. Priorities include developing an action plan on the

multiannual Stockholm programme and delivery of the pact on immigration and asylum.

Her role will include protecting citizens through the development of a comprehensive internal

security strategy and supporting national work in preventing and deterring threats from terrorism and organised crime, while striking a balance between security and fundamental rights, including data protection. She will also be expected to play a major role in developing the border-free Schengen area, find a solution

to the operational implementation of SIS II and VIS II, and foster solidarity with those member

states that are most exposed at the EU’s external borders and coherence in EU visa policy.

Malmström will be responsible to parliament’s committees on liberties, justice and home affairs,

and women’s rights and gender equality

CabinetHead: Maria Asenius

deputy head: Laurent Muschel (02 299 4708) spokesperson: Michele Cercone (02 298 0963)

members: Karolina Kottova (02 298 7019), Søren Schønberg (02 299 3235), Ian Vollbracht (02

296 7708), Erik Windmar (02 299 8645), Love Berggren (02 298 6373)

sions for the border control agency to buy its own equipment. Although she thinks “each country should shoulder its responsibilities”, she admits it will be “impossible to force member states” to show solidarity.

Malmström said her priorities would include establishing a common asylum and immigration policy. She said that asylum reception conditions were the “backbone” of the whole package. “We must have equal systems on how we receive people, that are predictable, that are known and that member states can fulfil and respond to,” she said. Sticking to her liberal guns, Malmström argued that strict border controls were only part of the solution to Europe’s immigra-

tion problems. “One thing we need to do is make sure that there are legal ways to get into Europe. This is also a way of fighting irregu-lar immigration,” she said, adding that she would look at proposals on a seasonal workers directive, an inter-corporate directive and a trainees’ directive. Malmström said a lot of policies would be developed, including a revi-sion of the data protection directive, as well as legislation on tackling human trafficking and the sexual exploitation of children.

On internal security, Malmström said she will evaluate anti-terrorism legislation before coming up with plans for an internal security strategy. Criticised by centre-right deputy Manfred Weber for placing too much emphasis on fundamental rights, rather than security, Malmström was stung into a robust defence of her liberal values. “There is not a contradiction between defending funda-mental rights and fighting for the security of Europeans,” she said. “Those things go hand in hand.” Greeted by widespread applause, Malmström ended her hearing on a high note. MEPs were won over by her perfor-mance. Convincing EU member states will likely be a much harder task.

“ “There is not a contradiction between defending fundamental rights and fighting for the security of Europeans

FaCtFiLe

“The LIBE and FEMM delegation consider that Mrs Malmström showed, in her answers to the specific

questions raised, a very good knowledge of the issues and of the links her portfolio has with those of other commissioners and with the competences

of the member states. Mrs Malmström is a promising candidate who showed strong integrity,

commitment and openness and has all the qualities to take on the job as commissioner.”

Juan Fernando López aguilar chair of parliament’s civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee


Illicit drug use and trafficking are worldwide phenomena that threaten health and social stability. Statistics show that around one in three

young Europeans has tried an illicit drug, while one of the estimated 1.4 million problem heroin users dies every hour from a drug overdose. In the last reporting year, an estimated 9 tonnes of heroin, 76 tonnes of cocaine and 21 million ecstasy tablets were seized by law-enforcement agencies in Europe. Meanwhile, health services provided substitution treatment to over 650 000 heroin users.

Independent, science-based information is a vital resource to help Europe understand the nature of its drug problems and better respond to them. ‘Before the EMCDDA existed, there was no authoritative reference point capable of estimating the extent of Europe’s drugs problem’, says Director Wolfgang Götz.

‘Thanks to reliable and comparable information’, he adds, ‘we are now able to speak with confidence on the scale of the problem, and offer Member States and the Community a greater understanding of interventions that work. Today the EMCDDA provides policymakers with the data they need for drawing up informed drug laws and strategies and helps those working in the field pinpoint best practice’.

Strong mechanisms now exist in Europe to ensure regular and rapid drug monitoring. An extensive regional network (Reitox), created and steered by the EMCDDA, gathers comparable drug information from some 30 countries. And an EU early-warning system issues alerts on new and potentially threatening substances entering the illicit market, paving the way for the EU institutions and Member States to act on them.

Since the EMCDDA began its reporting, the nature of Europe’s drugs problem has evolved, with new challenges appearing in recent years. These include the growth in cocaine and polydrug use and, as suppliers circumvent controls, changes in the type and number of new and emerging illicit substances. The challenge ahead is to keep pace with such change and offer policymakers the most recent picture of the issues they now face. The agency’s yearly update on the European drug phenomenon is presented in its Annual report on the state of the drugs problem in Europe.

Keeping pace with Europe’s drugs problemAlmost two decades ago, European policymakers called for an independent reference point on drugs that could provide a reliable picture of Europe’s drug phenomenon. Since the early 1990s, the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) has been bringing them this evidence base to inform policy and support the drugs debate.

The EMCDDA and the EU institutions collaborate in a broad effort to develop common learning and coordination on drugs among the EU Member States. EU drug strategies and action plans have been adopted since the early 1990s, contributing to the convergence of national strategies and to the development of evidence-based policies. This is illustrated by the fact that almost all Member States now have a national drug strategy, which they evaluate and renew periodically, and by the rapid development of European drug research in fields such as cocaine treatment.

Wolfgang Götz EMCDDA Directorwww.emcdda.europa.eu/about/director

New EMCDDA premises, Lisbonwww.emcdda.europa.eu/contact

The EMCDDA provides technical assistance to the European Commission in its evaluation of EU drug strategies and actions plans.

‘The EMCDDA is a key information source for assessing the drug situation and responses to it at the level of the Member States.’Source: Final evaluation of the EU drugs action plan 2005–08

Identifying Europe’s information needs for effective drug policy www.emcdda.europa.eu/15years

EMCDDA work programmes www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/work-programmes


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ission guide Agriculture and rural development

CAP in handNew agriculture commissioner dacian Cioloş hopes to strike a balance between market liberalisation and EU intervention as reform of the common agricultural policy comes under the spotlight

Dacian Cioloş’ extensive farming credentials ensured that the 40 year old Romanian enjoyed a relatively pain-free con-firmation hearing. A former agriculture minister, Cioloş

clearly understood his audience, and during his opening remarks, underlined to MEPs, the message that as a farmer himself, he understood the needs, hopes and fears of Europe’s farming community. “I worked on farms, both in Romania and in other EU member states; I have worked on small family holdings and on large farms; I was in contact with farmers and professional organisations at local level, I have worked in national and European public administration and also at the decision-making, political level,” he said.

Having established that he was a farm-er’s farmer, someone who MEPs, with their new-found powers under the Lisbon treaty, could do business with, Cioloş grasped the thorny issue of the future reform of the common agricultural policy (CAP), saying “European farmers want stability and pre-dictability, European consumers expect safe and healthy food and European taxpayers need assurance that their money is spent in an efficient and transparent way.” Expect a bal-anced approach to CAP reform was Cioloş’ underlying message, an approach that can combine the role of the open market, with the need to protect farmers against market fail-ures. When pressed by Socialist deputy Luis Manuel Capoulas Santos on contradictions between Cioloş’ written comments to MEPs on the need for CAP reform and his com-ments to the press that the €55bn agricultural programme, needed “simple adjustments”, the Romanian laid his cards on the table. “I’m a reformer,” he said, “the CAP needs reformed.” But to the obvious relief of the majority of MEPs on the committee, he added, “reform does not mean reducing financial support, but adapting it to tackle the new challenges.”

Cioloş told deputies that structural reform of the CAP was necessary, but made it clear he is opposed to any deep cuts in the policy’s budget, as proposed in the commission’s leaked “non-paper” last year. “If it were just


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ission guide Agriculture and rural development

up to me, I can assure you we would have a lot more money,” he said, adding “We can’t build the new CAP without a commensurate budget.” His promise will have disappointed those seeking significant cuts to the CAP from 2014, but the desire to expose Europe’s farming to the vagaries of the open market has lost some of its lustre as EU member states struggle to pull themselves out of Europe’s worst recession since the 1930s. Last year’s protests by farmers over the collapse of milk prices, forced the commission to inter-vene in the market, though it did manage to stand firm on restoring milk quotas. Growing fears over market volatility and new threats such as food security are likely to ensure that the EU maintains a firm hand in the market. “The market has to continue to play its role,” said Cioloş. “But we cannot afford crisis that are irreversibly affecting the stability of entire sectors of European agriculture.” He said he did not want to return to “old market regula-tion mechanisms”, but that new mechanisms to prevent “price fluctuations” needed to be debated and implemented. “We need regula-tory measures not against the market, but to make it function better… in certain sectors, subsidies can be maintained,” he said.

No surprise then that Cioloş is a fan of direct payments to farmers, arguing they had

proven their worth and “had a role to play” in maintaining the stability of farmers’ income.

“The CAP needs to be reformed and reform does not mean reducing financial support, but adapting it to tackle new chal-lenges.” Cioloş has made a robust defence of direct payments, albeit in some new format

that achieves a fairer balance between old and new EU member states. This, along with modernisation and bureaucratic reform at member state level, will likely intensify fears in some EU capitals, such as London, that he is, as French president Nicolas Sarkozy described him, “France’s second commissioner”.

“ “European farmers want stability and predictability, European consumers expect safe and healthy food and European taxpayers need assurance that their money is spent in an efficient and transparent way

mandateThe key challenge of the agriculture portfolio will be developing proposals for the future of the CAP

post-2013. Strengthening rural development policy and improvements to the food supply chain

as well as food security, the environment and protection of the countryside as well as facing new

challenges such as climate change are also key issues within the portfolio. Also high on the agenda

will be the promotion of EU agriculture in the global trade environment

CabinetHead: Georg Haeusler (02 296 1082)

deputy head: Sorin Moisa (02 298 6401)spokesperson: Roger Waite (02 299 2421)

members: Yves Madre (02 295 1920), Ico Von Wedel (02 295 7327), Andrzej Dycha (02 298 9492), Alexandra Catalao (02 295 3291), Alina

Ujupan (02 299 6043)

FaCtFiLe

“Dacian Cioloş has the professional qualifications required to become a commissioner. His many

years of experience in agriculture and his responsibilities in the offices he held previously

in the Romanian government and in other public services in this field mean that he is particularly well qualified for the post of commissioner for Agriculture. The general outcome… is that the

commissioner-designate gave a very convincing impression of his aptitude to be a member of the

College of commissioners and to carry out the specific tasks assigned to him.”

Paolo de Castro chair of parliament’s agriculture committee


parliament neWS


Outcry over eU parliament’s rejection of Swift

Buzek set for rapprochement trip to Beijing

The European parliament has put itself on a potentially dam-aging collision course with the commission and member states after rejecting the EU-US data transfer deal. Three of the assem-bly’s main political groups joined forces earlier this month to vote

against the interim agreement. The Socialist, Liberal and Green groups voted against, with the EPP and ECR groups in favour. It followed last minute appeals by senior US officials, including secretary of state Hillary Clinton who had called parliament’s president Jerzy Buzek in a bid to secure MEP support. The outcome represents a setback to EU-US security links, with Simon Busuttil, EPP coordinator in the civil liberties, justice and home affairs committee, warning it leaves a “security gap in the intelligence services tracking terrorist activities”.

MEPs backed a report by Dutch Liberal MEP Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert by 378 votes to 196, which says the EU should shelve the deal and produce a new draft with improved privacy guarantees. The deal would have allowed US treasury officials access to European records of bank transfers via Swift, an international bank transfer consortium. It was intended to

Parliament’s president is to make a “groundbreak-ing” visit to China in the spring, it has been revealed. Jerzy Buzek will meet high-ranking Chinese officials and NGOs during the trip to Beijing in May. Details of his week-long visit, starting on 25 May, are still under wraps. But a source at China’s EU mission told the Parliament Magazine that it is seen as being “symbolically” important. “It is an opportunity to help build bridges between Beijing and the parliament,” said the source. Relations between Beijing and Brussels suffered a setback following MEP criticism of China’s military response to the uprising in Tibet. They deteriorated further when the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritial leader, was invited to address a plenary session. Buzek’s upcoming visit is seen as an effort to improve relations ahead of an EU-China summit in Beijing later this year. But Buzek will come under pressure from European NGOs and senior MEPs, such as Edward McMillan-Scott, to raise EU concerns about China’s record on human rights. A par-liamentary insider said, “This is a ground-breaking trip because it offers an opportunity for a senior parliament figure to speak

be an interim arrangement which would need renegotiating in nine months.

Many deputies were incensed over the perceived failure by the other EU institutions to consult parliament over the deal, amd they were quick to react to the vote in Strasbourg, with Maltese deputy Busuttil saying it was “deeply regrettable”. The EPP unsuccessfully sought a postponement to the vote which, he said, “would have ensured a strong mandate for negotiating the definitive agreement by adding further guarantees, thus striking a better balance for the safeguard of our citizens’ civil rights”.

New EU home affairs commissioner Cecilia Malmström said, “I remain convinced that the programme enhances the security of our citizens: it would be the role of the commission to make sure that all the relevant safeguards for EU citizens’ privacy and data protection are duly included in any possible future agree-ment.” Added Malmström, “In spite of this setback, I hope we will be able to agree a text in the near future that will give us greater security, more data protection and a useful cooperation tool with US authorities.” Socialist leader Martin Schulz was jubilant, saying, “Our opposition has always been construc-tively driven towards improving the current agreement. We now expect the US and EU governments to come to terms with our determination and call on the commission to immediately start

directly to his counterparts in China.” Parliament’s delegation for relations with China will exchange views with China’s EU ambassador Zhe Song this week. The news came after a leading human rights NGO voiced concern over speculation that the EU presidency is to call for a lifting of the arms embargo against China. The embargo was imposed in response to China’s suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. It is a divisive question in the EU with some countries keen on lifting the embargo and others opposed.

But a decision to lift the ban would require unanimity among the EU’s 27 members, something they achieved last year when they lifted an arms sales ban on Uzbekistan in spite of continuing concerns about human rights violations in that country. Willy Fautre, of the Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers International, has cautioned against lifting of the ban. He said, “We are seriously concerned about persistent rumours saying that Spain and France are ready to compromise on human rights in China for the sake of ‘business first’ and to persuade the EU to lift the arms embargo on China.”

Swift rapporteur Jeanine Hennis-plasschaert

neWSanalysis


eCr group ‘still concerned’ over new eU commissioners

epp group dominance ‘not reflected’ in eU parliament voting success

Ongoing concern over two EU commissioners lay behind the decision of parliament’s ECR group to abstain in the vote on the new commission, it has emerged. The group initially said that while it supported commission president José Manuel Barroso, it felt unable to endorse the new executive due to “con-cerns” over certain members of his team. It has now emerged that the two commissioners causing most concern are taxation and customs commissioner Algirdas Semeta and employment commissioner László Andor.A well-placed ECR source told the Parliament Magazine they were “the two main causes of concern which led to the group’s abstention” in the vote, saying, “There is a real belief that both remain unsuitable for their portfolios.” He said the ECR group will, in future, insist on a radical shake-up in how the commission is approved, saying MEPs should be able to vote on each commissioner-designate rather than the whole executive. “The shortcomings of the current nomination system was another reason why the group abstained,” he said. “It is

simply not acceptable to have to vote for the whole commission when there are such serious concerns about certain individu-als.” Socialist spokesman on budgetary control Jens Geier also described Semeta as “inadequate” following his hearing.

Mercedes Bresso has announced her priorities as new president of the Committee of the Regions (CoR). Bresso, president of the Piedmont region in Italy and the Socialist candidate for the post, was elected to the head of the body earlier this month. “I want us to be contributing at local level to getting the EU going again, following the long ratification process of the Lisbon treaty,” she said. “Hopefully the dialogue will open right away.”

Bresso, whose mandate lasts for two-and-a-half years, said her policy objectives would focus on the launch of an over-hauled Lisbon strategy, the fight against climate change and the improvement of Europe’s cohesion policy. “I hope that I can allay fears over the future of the cohesion policy,” she said. “By no means should it be re-nationalised.” Bresso highlighted the need to “unravel terminology” for EU citizens to help them under-stand how the EU influences their lives. She also criticised the

A survey of parliamentary voting records since last June’s European elections shows that the European People’s Party (EPP) does not always secure the result it wants. The VoteWatch poll says the group, once again parliament’s biggest, has found it harder to gain a winning majority despite increasing in size in the elections. Its record as a member of the winning coalition is, according to the independent website VoteWatch.eu par-ticularly poor in budget votes where it has been on the losing side in 21 per cent of the votes during the current term. In the last parliament, in contrast, the EPP lost in only 8.5 per cent of budget votes.

The EPP has also done worse than in the last legislature on civil liberties, but continues to win the most votes of all the groups on foreign and security policy issues (87.5 per cent). The survey of voting patterns in the first six months of this parlia-ment shows that ALDE have been on the winning side most frequently of all the political groups (90.7 per cent), replacing the EPP as the previous “winner” in voting outcomes.

The Socialist group, now down to 188 members, has improved its winning record, most significantly on budget votes, but also on agriculture and civil liberties. The Greens/EFA, parliament’s fourth biggest group, have improved their percentage of votes on the “winning side” on budget and civil liberties issues. A Votewatch spokesman said, “Although the EPP has increased its share of MEPs, it still finds it harder to make allies at the centre of the political spectrum and has lost slightly more votes (as a percentage) than in the previous legislature.”

new Cor president announces policy plansuse of jargon, saying it “can be a barrier to the external world”.

EPP member and president of the Spanish region of Murcia, Ramón Luis Siso, was elected as first vice-president. He will hold office until 2012 when, according to an agreement between the CoR’s PES and EPP groups, he will take over the presidency. Siso reiterated Bresso’s call for closer regional involvement at all levels, saying, “I liked what I heard this morning and this afternoon, and I hope it will continue in the CoR. We have an agreement with the com-mission which allows us to communicate more effectively with it.”

Outgoing Committee of the regions president luc Van den Brande congratulates his successor, mercedes Bresso


Mens sana in corpore sano. Though the Roman poet Juvenal already advocated a comprehen-sive understanding of “health”, until recent years, this has often been narrowed down to merely physical health. Alarming numbers, however, are forcing a change to this mindset.

In the EU, one in four people experience mental health prob-lems at least once in their lives, and many more are indirectly affected. With almost 60,000 deaths each year, suicide remains an important cause of premature death in Europe. By 2020, depression will be the most widespread illness in western societ-ies. Moreover, vulnerable groups like disabled citizens are more

Matters of the mindFrieda Brepoels is calling on the EU to invest more in mental health and wellbeing

Frieda Brepoels is vice-chair of the Alzheimer alliance in the European parliament and observer for the parliament in the platform on depression

at risk, and neurodegenerative disorders are on the rise due to demographic ageing in Europe.

Mental ill health indeed embodies various challenges for society: it causes deep human suffering for patients, families and carers. Furthermore, it puts an impor-tant economic burden on society, due to absence from work, incapacity for work and early retirement. Finally, mental illness also confronts Europe with an ethical challenge because it often leads to stigma-tisation and social exclusion of patients.

For the European parliament, the promotion of mental health has been a longstanding issue. For several years, members such as my former colleague John Bowis have been pushing hard to get mental health on the European political agenda. The mental health conference held under the Finnish presidency (1999) was an important breakthrough for the promotion and visibility of mental health in the EU. It paved the way for subsequent confer-ences, for the commission’s 2005 green paper and for the 2008 European pact. Though the pact is far from a legally binding document, it is correctly considered as an important achieve-ment. Clearly, we have come a long way: the discourse on mental health has shifted towards prevention, mental health promotion, de-institutionalisation and sharing best practices in order to overcome existing inequalities between member states.

We are at a crossroads. The main challenge ahead is putting theory into practice and ensuring that all European citizens confronted with mental health problems receive the best possible support at the right time. In the end, what is needed is strong political will from both member states and the EU to invest more in mental health. Despite the high prevalence of mental ill health and its large impact on society and the economy, recent numbers indicate that only very few countries spend a convincing amount of their health budgets on mental health.

In its 2009 resolution, parliament argued that the EU could do more to use the funding facilities of the seventh framework programme for mental health and wellbeing. In addition to more investment, we equally need to strive for a smarter and more efficient use of existing means, especially in the area of R&D, by pushing for a coordinated European approach. The largest share of public investment in research still occurs without European coordination, which inevitably leads to fragmentation and costly overlaps.

This year is the European year for combating poverty and social exclusion. In light of the current financial and economic crisis, when governments are more likely to cut down on mental health budgets, and in view of the discussion on the new 2020 strategy, parliament will remain vigilant to ensure that the actions of the pact are thoroughly implemented.

Mental health

“By 2020, depression will be the most widespread illness in western societies”


A coordinated approachBrain diseases are not a high enough priority for policymakers, writes Celso Arango

Dr Celso Arango is scientific director of the Mental Health Spanish Network, (CIBERSAM) and a member of the Spanish Brian Council

Despite the fact that brain diseases are responsible for a greater burden of disease than cancer or cardiovascular disorders, funding for research on the brain and its diseases in no way reflect the importance of this area of human health. Brain research funding in 2005 amounted to no

more than one per cent of the annual cost of these diseases to the European economy, and Europe lags far behind the US in recognising the need for more research.

Clearly brain diseases, of which mental illnesses are the most costly to European society, are not a high enough prior-ity for politicians, the media, or the general public. In addition, research in mental health is fragmented and schizophrenia research is unfortunately no exception. It is on this back-ground that the Spanish Brain Council and the European Brain Council co-organised the conference entitled ‘A focus on persons with schizophrenia and European society’, which takes place in Madrid this week.

European scientific experts on schizophrenia, along with patient and family associations and industry, will spend two days discussing what we know, what we need to know and how to acquire that knowledge in the field of schizophrenia. The forum will discuss the next steps in research, as well as the delineation of research programmes that integrate the basic and clinical neurosciences, and how public policy must respond in order to meet patient needs.

The annual forums of the European Brain Council have become an important and fruitful way to bring together patient organisations, the pharmaceutical industry and the scientific community to define future challenges. Previous forums have focussed on Parkinson’s disease and depression. It should be highlighted that mental disorders account for nearly one-fourth of all disease burden and premature death. About 27 per cent of the adult EU population, 18-65 years of

newsanalysis

“Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating and costly mental disorders in Europe in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure”

age, are or have been affected by at least one mental disorder in the past 12 months. Among those, more than four million suffer from schizophrenia. Schizophrenia represents around two per cent of all government healthcare expenditure in Europe, mainly due to unemployment. In addition to the direct burden, there is considerable burden on the relatives who care for the sufferers.

Schizophrenia is one of the most devastating and costly mental disorders in Europe in terms of human suffering and societal expenditure. Less than one-fifth of patients with schizophrenia work or marry. Schizophrenia decreases life expectancy by 15 years, some 50 per cent of patients try to commit suicide and 15 per cent succeed in killing themselves. The diagnosis of schizophrenia is associated with alterations in brain structure and neurotransmission, related to the presence of psychotic symptoms (hallucinations and delusions). Current treatments are effective in treating psychotic symptoms and preventing relapses but do not improve symptoms more related to function and quality of life, such as negative symptoms like a lack of social relationships, or cognitive problems, such as defi-cits in attention or processing speed. However, to make further progress in treatment, the need for a coordinated European approach to promote and integrate research in the biological, epidemiological, and social aspects of mental health, remains a matter of urgency.

For some reason, there ise-scrap that neverreaches us

So what we do get, we recycle to the maximum Umicore is the world’s largest recycler of precious metals: our group specialises in “above ground mining”, recovering some 17 precious and other non-ferrous metals from a wide range of complex industrial intermediate materials and from precious metals-bearing scrap from electronic and catalytic applications. Umicore’s feed is almost entirely made up of industrial by-products and end-of-life materials. Recycling involves significantly less energy use (and greenhouse gas emissions!) than primary production. We waste nothing: recycling all your electronic scrap, components, printed circuit boards, mobile phones, etc …to the maximum and putting the precious metals back in the cycle for a better life. A better life for you, future generations as well as the environment.

And recycling is only one part of Umicore’s offering of clean and energy-efficient technologies: we are one of the world’s biggest suppliers of automotive catalysts and key materials for rechargeable batter-ies as well as the world’s leading producer of germa-nium substrates, a building block for high-efficiency solar cells. Some 80 % of our R&D goes into this area of clean technologies.

www.umicore.com

ad210x270Einstein.indd 1 29-05-2009 11:41:56


Waste not want notThe illegal shipping of unwanted electronics means a loss of secondary raw materials and an increase in overseas pollution levels, argues Karl-Heinz Florenz

Karl-Heinz Florenz is parliament’s rapporteur on the recast of the WEEE directive

Waste of electric and electronic equipment is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the EU. Fast technical changes and even planned obso-lescence of products produced eight to nine million tonnes of waste. And this stream is growing. Some calculations expect more than

12 million tonnes of electronic waste by 2020. Take, for example, mobile phones: more than one billion were sold worldwide in 2006 and in 2008 this figure reached almost 1.2 billion. By the end of 2008 more than four billion mobile phone users existed worldwide. What implication does this have?

One million mobile phones contain 250kg of silver, 24kg of gold, 9kg of palladium and nine tonnes of copper. Recycling would therefore recover a lot of secondary raw materials. The collection of electric and electronic waste is not for its own sake but to handle our limited resources responsibly. This is the reason why I rather prefer to speak of “resources” rather than of “waste”.

Finally, the production of these devices has a bigger envi-ronmental burden than the production of other household materials. A UN study found that the manufacturing of a com-puter and its screen takes at least 240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of chemicals and 1.5 tonnes of water - more than the weight of a car. The illegal shipping of unwanted electronic products out of Europe leaves us losing out on this large amount of secondary raw materials. Most of this old equipment ends up in Africa, particularly Ghana and Nigeria. In 2005, 15,000 tonnes of colour televisions ended up there.

Once they reach Africa they are often treated in a way that is risky for human health and the environment, such as uncontrolled burning and disassembly in order to get hold of the precious metals inside. This results in atmospheric

pollution and groundwater contamination as well as serious health problems.

So, what can we do about this? The best answer is a high col-lection target. At the moment member states have to reach 4kg per inhabitant per year of separately collected waste electronic products. Some member states like Sweden, Germany and Austria have reached this target by far. Others have reported nothing, or an amount which is close to nothing. However, one has to note that these figures are from 2005 and 2006 when the target was not mandatory.

Nonetheless it is not a suitable measurement as every member state has a differing amount of electronic and electric products sold in their markets. Therefore, a European wide percent-age target, linked to the amount of sold products, seems to be more useful. Moreover, the target has to be challenging for the member state, as the only way to oblige them to control and monitor disposal routes.

The control of this lies solely within the competence of the member state, and the way they reach the target – either through giving incentives or setting up bans – should not be decided by the European legislator. Every nation has different habits in handling waste, and not every method would work effectively in every country.

This is the reason why a “one size fits all” solution does not seem right. However, in order to meet the final target – of avoid-ing the harm of human beings and the environment and at the same time preventing the waste of resources – member states have to be challenged to do more.

neWsanalysis

“A UN study found that the manufacturing of a computer and its screen takes at least 240kg of fossil fuels, 22kg of chemicals and 1.5 tonnes of water – more than the weight of a car”

The Weee man (shown above)is a robotic figure made of scrap electrical equipment. At over seven metres tall, he represents the average amount of eProducts a single person throws away over a lifetime

WEEE DIRECTIVE


This week, MEPs in parliament’s environment commit-tee will debate changes to the rules for how electronic waste is managed in the EU as we discuss the long-awaited report from rapporteur Karl-Heinz Florenz on the recast of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive.

The original directive, adopted in 2003, introduced a number of sweeping measures for managing waste items such as fridges, cookers and computers, including binding collection targets and free-of-charge collection facilities for consumers.

To date, the directive has achieved some notable successes: since 2005 two million tonnes of equipment have been diverted from disposal every year via the take-back schemes established by manufacturers. This has major economic and environmental benefits: the commission has estimated the value of raw materials such as platinum in equipment at €2bn per year.

Nevertheless, the legislation needs to be improved. Barely a third of waste electronic equipment is currently processed through producer take-back schemes. Worse, we have little idea as to how the majority of electrical waste is treated at all.

The commission’s proposals to change the system, released in December 2008, need adjustment in order to effectively manage the sophisticated and highly-segmented nature of the consumer

Show your mettleThe recast of the legislation on end-of-life electronic goods needs to better reflect market differences, writes Julie Girling

electronics market. The executive has taken a one-size-fits-all approach which some say fails to take into account, for example, the disparity in lifecycles between different product types.

DG Environment has proposed a collection target of 65 per cent of all electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market in the preceding two years. However this may not reflect the habits of consumers, which ultimately decide the type and quantities of the electrical waste collected; while consumers may change their mobile phone every year, they will use a washing machine for 10 years or more.

We also need to address the issue of who should pay for man-agement of waste electronic equipment. One proposal suggests that producers should cover the cost for collecting used appli-ances from households at end-of-life. The price for this service may have to be added to the original cost of the appliance and this is obviously causing concerns for manufacturers as well as consumers. However, we must also assess the costs that local authorities may face when striving to meet collection targets.

A number of potential solutions to the challenges exist. In terms of collection targets, it may be that a graded approach is needed, rather than the flat collection rate proposed by the commission. For example, experience shows that consumers are likely to simply throw a hairdryer into the household bin, when in fact even small hand-held electrical appliances must be dealt with properly. This needs to be addressed. We also need to assess the possibility of an obligation for anyone who handles waste electronics to register and adhere to require-ments for treating it responsibly.

Some of the proposals on the table will improve functioning, for example, creating a European definition of a producer will help correct some anomalies and lead to greater legal certainty.

Making national waste registers inter-operable is also a welcome effort to reduce the bureaucratic burden of the directive.

MEPs now have the chance to improve the situation. We should be looking to collect as much waste electronic equip-ment as possible; both for the good of the environment and to harness what could be a significant source of resource wealth for the EU.

Julie Girling is a member of parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee

“Barely a third of waste electronic equipment is currently processed through producer take-back schemes. Worse, we have little idea as to how the majority of electrical waste is treated at all”

Future is taking shape today. OSCE with its vast territory that stretches from Vancouver to Vladivostok has

to resolve the most complex and urgent global issues.

I consider our chairmanship in OSCE as our strategic national project and opportunity to give it a new breath, a new impetus and a new sparkle. Kazakhstan fully realizes that a twelve-month period is not enough to address whole range of issues that OSCE faces.

Today’s OSCE challenges include, among the others, modification of military and political balance in the Continent, ‘frozen’ and ‘protracted’ conflicts, the status of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe.

Global financial economic crisis highlighted the ongoing need for the OSCE and necessity to join efforts of all countries for creating of a new, fairer and more stable world order with G-8 and G-20 to reinforce such a positive message.

DESTINY AND PROSPECTS OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR SECURITY AND COOPERATION IN EUROPE (OSCE)

by Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan

Today OSCE is considered as one of the most authoritative platforms to represent a vast geographical and political space and to evolve through collaboration with new, ambitious and dynamically developing regional organizations.

Active collaboration with such organizations and projects as CIS, CSTO, EurAsEC, SCO, and CICA can give a new impulse to OSCE activity and open new horizons and map out new goals.

I firmly believe that chairmanship of Kazakhstan in OSCE can lay down a foundation for enhanced relationship between the East and the West whilst strengthening of mutual trust. OSCE is an optimal platform to bring the Corfu process to the fore whilst opening a forum for strategically important initiatives including the European Security Treaty.

As a trans-national organization that unites Europe, Asia and North America, OSCE is responsible to comprehend and offer support for cross-border security issues. We cannot treat security issues of our states separately from those of our neighbors and Kazakhstan cosponsors anti-terrorist projects for strengthening of the borders.

We strongly believe that stabilization in Afghanistan can be implemented through active involvement and closer cooperation of regional organizations. OSCE acts as a link to support humanitarian projects. We already allocated USD 50 million to teach 1,000 Afghans at primary Kazakhstani universities and colleges. Under auspices of the OSCE chairmanship, we will encourage the other OSCE member countries to develop similar programs.

During its chairmanship, Kazakhstan will focus on environmental security issues,

including the Aral Sea and the former Semipalatinsk nuclear test range issues. Development of the OSCE’s transport and communications potential will also be among the priorities of Kazakhstan’s chairmanship. Due to geographical, historical and economic juncture, Central Asian countries possess a huge trade and transit potential. Central Asia is a vast and promising region that can turn into a stable and secure bridge between the West and the East. Successful implementation of the Path to Europe state program to focus on urgent issues of transit, transportation and logistics, is of critical need.

Up to date, Kazakhstan has taken decisive steps to modernize its legislation on elections, political parties, mass media and local administration for securing of its commitment to adhere to democratic values; it adopted the National Human Rights Action Plan for 2009-2012, passed the law on Gender Equality; and raised awareness of domestic violence including protection of children’s rights.

Today, the issues of inter-ethnic and inter-faith relations as well as illegal labor migration stand high in the OSCE agenda. As a multi-national and multi-religious state Kazakhstan is fully committed to the ideas of inter-cultural and inter-civilization dialogue and intends to use the OSCE’s influence to overcome nationalism, religious intolerance, racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism. Kazakhstan aims to achieve these objectives in collaboration with CICA, SCO, EurAsEC, OIC and TURKSOI.

OSCE Summit provides member states with a unique opportunity to define the most important priorities of the Organization for the foreseeable future. Next OSCE summit in Astana will discuss development of common security architecture, implementation

For the first time in the history of OSCE, a former Soviet Union country with predominant Muslim population is at head of this regional institution.

All are wondering. What this country is going to do? Whether it will withstand high responsibility and can confront various challenges and threats? Could it instil a fresh blood into the veins of Organization?

The article «Destiny and Prospects of the OSCE» by the President Nazarbayev gives clear and sensible answers to all these questions.

I can only welcome aspiration of your country to give a new breath and new momentum to the OSCE.

In fact, a term of office for this huge activity is quite short, which obligates Kazakhstan to act dynamically and it has proved such capability in the last years.

The author of this publication, while turning to the OSCE history, has shown its achievements and vulnerable points, which could be strengthen by current and future presidencies.

There is no future without a history as well as there will be no success without collective work.

The economic and financial crisis that disturbed our life and disclosed our weaknesses was a proof to that.

This severe crisis is an addition to the other major challenges both old and quite new ones: occupational bias of terrorism, drug trafficking, interethnic and

interreligious conflicts … Neither state, even the largest and powerful, can never cope with it alone without a consensus and support of partners.

I fully agree with President Nazarbayev, who calls and urges the international community to consolidate forces for finding wise and fair solutions on all these issues.

I also share his opinion on necessity of strengthening interaction of various regional institutions and I welcome readiness of Astana to continue playing the role of a strong platform for the inter-institutional and super-regional dialogue.

I am confident that Kazakhstan, by using of its experience, achievements and multidimensional foreign policy, can contribute to strengthening of security in Europe in all aspects or ‘baskets’ if speaking in the OSCE language.

Moreover, I wish to put special focus on the issues of the second and the third dimensions of the OSCE, as they are part of my parliamentary activity.

I am speaking of interethnic and inter-confessional accord, about economic and environmental recovery.

In these areas, Kazakhstan has made enormous efforts and now time has come to use its experience as a model by the other participating states of the OSCE.

In addition to that, I wish that gradually implementing democratic reforms in Kazakhstan could be the example for its neighbors.

Paul WilleSenator of Belgium Vice-Chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

of the Corfu process, rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan. Kazakhstan proposes including of progress of the Action Program to ensure inter-ethnic and inter-faith harmony.

Kazakhstan has carefully appraised its ambitious goals and objectives, and considered them critical for achieving of more developed international and legal status of the OSCE.

Kazakhstan calls on all OSCE states to show their readiness to act in favor of common interests and for the sake of collective goals and priorities, implementation of which will support and strengthen the OSCE and foster trust and respect for the Organization.

The OSCE has emerged in the new world order as the world’s largest security organisation, positioned uniquely in the contemporary

global security environment.

President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, the country currently holding the rotating Chairmanship of the OSCE, noted wisely in his article “Destiny and Prospects of OSCE” that the Organization has lost some of its sparkle in recent years. President Nazarbayev regards Kazakhstan’s year in office as an opportunity to restore that sparkle and rekindle the dynamism of which the OSCE is capable.

Unquestionably, President Nazarbayev is the person ideally suited to this task. He is a builder. In under two decades he has built Kazakhstan into the most dynamic and buoyant nation in Central Asia. He has built a new, exciting capital city in Astana. And he has built an international reputation for his country as a multi-national and multi-religious state committed to inter-cultural and inter-ethnic harmony.

In this light, I fully agree that the Chairmanship of the OSCE by Kazakhstan offers an exceptional opportunity to tackle the global problems of economic recession, the fight against extremism and terrorism, the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan and the issues of freedom, democracy and human rights.

As the first Central Asian state to hold the OSCE Chairmanship, Kazakhstan is strategically placed and opens the window to engagement in new developments in Central Asia. In particular, Kazakhstan’s decision, despite the global economic meltdown, to allocate $50 million to educating

KAZAKHSTAN: PUTTING THE SPARKLE BACK INTO THE OSCE

Afghan students in leading Kazakh colleges and universities, is a classic example of President Nazarbayev’s core belief that the pen is mightier than the sword and that military intervention alone cannot resolve the smouldering conflict in Afghanistan.

As President Nazarbayev said in his article, the environment and ecology is a field where the impact of mismanaged natural resources may quickly spill over and exacerbate inter and even intra-state tensions. Nowhere is this more evident than Central Asia. From land degradation to water

management infrastructure, the ecological problems involving Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan are manifold.

We have seen the dramatic degradation of the Aral and Caspian Seas. But water use, trans-border supply issues and their impact on agriculture, industry and human consumption, are key issues which I will study in my role as Personal Representative on Ecology and Environment to the OSCE Chairman

in Office. I will also look at soil contamination and waste from uranium mining and the catastrophic legacy of the Soviet nuclear tests in the Polygon around Semipalatinsk in Eastern Kazakhstan.

As President Nazarbayev pointed out in his article, it is ten years since the last OSCE summit and the time is now ripe for another major summit meeting, bringing together the 56 member states of the OSCE to sum up the progress and discuss current global issues in Astana. President Nazarbayev has seized the torch of OSCE leadership with enthusiasm. Now is our chance to build on those solid foundations.

STRUAN STEVENSON, MEPConservative Euro MP for Scotland

Personal Representative on Ecology and Environment to the Chairman in Office of the OSCE

“As the first Central Asian state to hold the OSCE Chairmanship, Kazakhstan is strategically placed and opens the window to engagement in new developments in Central Asia”

newsanalysis


Divided we fallMarkos Kyprianou is cautiously optimistic about the prospects of reaching a settlement to the Cyprus problem, but says the EU has a key role to play

Markos Kyprianou is foreign affairs minister of the Republic of Cyprus

The two communities in Cyprus have been involved in reinvigorated direct talks for more than a year now with the aim of reaching a settlement to the Cyprus problem. The basis for a solution has been determined and provides for a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, as defined by the relevant UN

security council resolutions, with a single sovereignty, single citizenship and single international personality. Much hope and energy has been invested in the ongoing process and we cannot but remain cautiously optimistic over its prospects.

What is different from previous efforts is that both sides have committed to the Cypriot ownership of the process and the end product of the negotiations, and there will be no timeframe for the negotiations. These elements are vital to the people of Cyprus, given the negative experiences of when strict timeframes and arbitration led to the failure of prior attempts at settlement.

The concept of local ownership, however, is of essence due to another highly significant parameter. The people of Cyprus have been suffering as a result of foreign occupation and de facto partition for more than 35 years. In the post-settlement era they will be called upon to live with the solution and make it work for themselves and future generations. No-one is in a better position to know what is best for Cypriots than Cypriots themselves. It is true that negotiations where one party is trying to convince the other are time consuming and take longer to be achieved, but such a process, leading to an agreed negotiated solution, offers better prospects for the approval of the settlement by the Cypriot people.In this respect, the recent visit of the UN secretary general to Cyprus has given encouragement to the two negotiators and a boost to the process. At the same time, it re-confirmed the struc-ture and parameters of the process and repeated that nothing is considered to be agreed until everything is agreed.

However, one ought to keep in mind that Cyprus remains an international problem created by the invasion, military occu-pation and illegal settling by a foreign country of part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey is part of the problem and reaching a settlement presupposes her willingness to be part of the solution. A viable solution must provide for the reunifica-tion of the territory, the people, the economy and the society of Cyprus, the withdrawal of foreign troops from the island and the restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all

Cypriots alike. None of these is possible if Turkey does not alter its current stance.

The EU has been unanimous on this. The council last December underlined that it expects Turkey to actively support the ongoing negotiations while adding that Ankara’s commitment and contribution in concrete terms to such a comprehensive set-tlement is crucial. Turkey is called upon, therefore, to contribute in concrete terms to finding a settlement, not just to the creation of a climate conducive to reaching such a settlement. More recently, the European parliament also underlined the key role of Turkey in achieving a settlement to the Cyprus problem. What Turkey knows only too well is that its accession to the EU runs through the solution of the Cyprus problem. This should give an adequate motivation to Ankara. The role of the EU cannot be underestimated. Cyprus is an EU member state and, inevitably, a functional and viable settlement is in the interest of the EU as a whole. Cyprus needs to be in a position to function fully within the EU in the post-solution era, and the EU needs to ensure that the provisions of the settlement will not create difficulties to Europe’s decision making process. The viability and functionality of the agreement is of tremendous importance and it would be a grave mistake to just sweep the problem under the carpet. On our part, our priority is, of course, to find a just, functional and viable settlement to the Cyprus problem. Undoubtedly, this can only be the EU’s target as well.

Un secretary general Ban Ki-moon shakes hands with Cyprus' President Dimitris Christofias (L), and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat (R) on 1 February 2010 in nicosia, the divided capital of the ethnically split Cyprus

PARLIAMENTARY LIFE


When I entered into working life, in spring 1949, my first task for my then employer, the Socialist metalworkers and miners’ union, was to write a report on a meeting of

the inter-union committee for the interna-tionalisation of the Ruhr. A meeting which I had not attended.

It included trades unionists from France, Germany, Italy, the Benelux countries, the UK and the US. Most of its western European members had spent the second world war in exile, and most of those who did not escape the Nazi clutches died in concentration camps. Their collective personal experience created the unshake-able conviction that a third world war should be avoided at all costs.

I don’t know what it was that led to this shared faith, but, after another meeting of the inter-union committee in Aix-la-Chapelle, it was the Schuman declaration of 9 May 1950 that put an end to this initia-tive and launched another one. The voices of the unionists, however, continued to unite as one, to monitor and influence the negotiations which led to the treaty of Paris.

When Jean Monnet moved into his new office as president of the high authority of the European coal and steel com-munity (ESCS) in Luxembourg’s Place de Metz, we set up the ECSC miners’ and steelworkers’ liaison office nearby. I was going to stay until 1958, when, the treaty of Rome having come into force, the union’s European secretariat set itself up in Brussels.

Having watched European integration take shape since 1950, I had the chance to become a European deputy in 1965 within a parliament composed of national level MPs and senators. Of course, at the time, the parliamentary assembly did not have the same powers of codecision that it has today, 45 years later.

Looking backAstrid Lulling, parliament’s longest-serving MEP, reflects on her time at the cutting edge of European politics

But I have to say that the quality of parliamentary reports of old would have nothing to envy in

comparison with current legislation – quite the contrary. Being as we all were national level legislators, our experience, and keen sense of the concrete and achievable, were perhaps paid more attention than they would be today.

It was owing to the quality of the political staff of the time, but also due to the position of

strength they occupied relative to their national governments, who they were in control of.

Having been a part of the parliamen-tary assembly not elected by universal direct suffrage for nine years, and then the European parliament since 1989, I have to confess a certain nostalgia for the former assembly, of which I am the sole survivor. It has to be said that, for having started out as its youngest member in 1965, I am now, in 2010, the most senior.

Looking back in hindsight, and having lived through the drama of WWII, during which I lost two of my three brothers, I believe that despite all the problems of the EU in the form in which it exists today, European integration has

been a blessing for our continent.I remember, for example, drafting the first report on mater-

nity rights in 1966. It was number 69. I am pleased today at the existence of the veritable legal arsenal that is the European legislation on gender equality, developed since 1975. And if too many cases of discrimination still exist on a daily basis, the blame lies with the unequal application of juridicial texts and regulations, and not with the standard of the European legal framework.

Even without the peace, or the shot in the arm for equal rights for men and women, that it has brought us, I think what we owe Europe is even deeper. I have to say that I rejoice at having been able to contribute my small part, from when I was young to where I am now, at 80 years of age. My enthusiasm for public, and, in particular, European affairs, perhaps comes from this happiness.

Astrid Lulling is a member of parliament’s economic and monetary affiars committee, and parliament’s longest serving MEP

“Despite all the problems of the EU in the form in which it exists today, European integration has been a blessing for our continent”


Lidia Geringer de Oedenberg is quaestor with responsibility for artistic events in the European parliament and chair of the artistic committee

Not many people who are working in the European parliament premises in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg realise that paintings and sculptures – displayed in all three buildings – constitute parliament’s official collection. And as in every collection, there are some hidden pieces of art.

The tradition of purchasing and displaying contemporary artworks with a view to promoting the cultural output of the EU member states, was started by the president of the first directly elected parliament, Simone Veil. Following a proposal from the College of Quaestors in 1980, she sought to emulate national parliaments’ long-standing practice of displaying outstanding works of art. The first programme for the purchase of artworks ran from 1982 to 1989, and the second from 1989 to 1993. A third programme in 1997 brought the campaign of purchases from the then 15 member states to a close.

More recently, after the big enlargement of the EU in 2004, the parliament quaestor with responsibility for artistic events, the artistic committee and parliament president decided to broaden the collection and to add to it paintings and sculptures from 10 new member states. Thus, a new plan of acquisi-tions was set up for 2007-2010 and, each time, acquiring

Hidden treasuresLidia Geringer de Oedenberg wants MEPs to take notice of the spectacular artworks around parliament premises

new objects was followed by an exhibition in parliament. In February 2008, people working in parliament could admire artworks from the Czech Republic, Estonia and Cyprus. In April 2009, this was the case with pieces of art from Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary.

The latest exhibition of works – that took place on 25 January 2010 – by contemporary artists from the new EU member states focused on works from Poland which further enriched parliament’s already fine collection. The Polish works were chosen from a shortlist drawn up, under the supervi-sion of parliament’s information office in Warsaw, by a panel of Polish experts, parliament’s artistic committee and by the former parliament president. But what happens to the paint-ings and sculptures once the exhibition ends?

Most of the artworks are allocated in the three buildings in Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg. Some of the paintings and sculptures, on the other hand, are ‘hidden’ in parliament’s stock rooms because there is not enough exhibition space for them (the collection now comprises a total of 363 paintings and sculptures). Part of the collection can also be seen in par-liament’s information offices around Europe.

This is why I initiated the programme of relocation of the artworks. Soon, some new empty spaces in the Brussels JAN building will be filled with paintings. Furthermore, one will be able to visit the Polish corridor of art on the first floor in the ASP building and admire the paintings which could be seen at the exhibition in January. My aim – as the parliament’s quaestor with responsibility for artistic events – is to popularise the collection and make the parliament a real patron of art, in line with Simone Veil’s initial idea.

In 2010, the parliament’s collection of works by artists from the new member states, which already comprises 59 items, will be swelled by paintings and sculptures from Malta, Slovenia and Slovakia. Let us not miss the opportunity of familiarising ourselves with their cultural heritage during an exhibition in 2010 or 2011.

And, while moving between different floors and rooms in parliament, let us sometimes stop and have a look at the mag-nificent works that surround us every day.

newsanalysis

East of Brussels the gap is increasing between East and West Europe. This gap is defined

by the GDP, the civilisation, cultural and solidarity level of the society, the political

players' democratic commitment.

The recently accessed EU countries expected a sudden improvement in

their wealth, the continued democratisation of politics, and their integra-

tion into the Western culture. This did not happen, because the local pow-

ers were unable to attain the new civilisation level due to their cultural

traditions. Therefore the EU institutions should establish partnerships

not only with governments, but also with those non-governmental or-

ganisations, opinion leaders that are committed towards European val-

ues, Union efforts, and local progress.

In South and East Europe still the most important task would be the

realisation of a comprehensive information society and economy. The objec-

tives of the 2006 Ministerial Conference of Riga have not been achieved either,

the digital divide was not reduced by 50 per cent. The many "ageing well" calls

also remained without any echo in this region. Wideband regional access, awareness

raising campaigns, education and content service are all missing especially for the elderly (50+),

the poor, and the rural inhabitants. In the lack of money the national e-Inclusion programs have not

been completed, while the developed Europe is already ready to take the next step. In Hungary,

Inforum (Forum of the Hungarian IT Organizations for Information Society) a non governmental um-

brella organisation, initiated that the Hungarian Parliament should issue a Parliamentary Decree,

and uniquely in Europe it should establish a Parliamentary Committee for solving the problems of

e-Inclusion. Soon the Parliamentary Committee for eInclusion faced that only civil organisations

committed towards modernisation do hear its call, the state institutions do not. According to the

opinion of Inforum significant resources and European support for the local civil forces would be

required for modernisation, in order to achieve that the majority of all the classes of the society

should become users of the digital world. Fewer declaration and more direct contacts between

the competent DGs and the organisations would be needed, and an increasing number of Union

tenders could contribute to the success of the local initiatives.

What could be the real message of the e-skills week in the year of societal solidarity? e-Skills

is a part of the European e-Inclusion policy. For this reason it would be a mistake if the e-skills

week would only address the enterprises. The ultimate target is to win the consumers. It would be

important that service providers should not only care about the rich clients, but they should see the

market opportunity in people living with disadvantages, in the elderly and in people living in rural

regions. The enterprises have to participate in exploring the market and

training the consumers. NGOs represent an example with their responsi-

ble behaviour and actions as regards changing the attitude of the compa-

nies, achieving a more global governmental approach, and the training of

the consumers. Therefore NGOs are the key to the success of the European

programs and the e-skills week.

Gabor Dombi

e-Skills and NGOs:tools for common Europe

The European Commission

acknowledged the work of Inforum by awarding

it an eInclusion Gold Medal in 2008

About InforumInforum since 1997 considers it to be its task to achieve that IT be widely used by the society. Inforum in the interest of spreading digital literacy throughout the society through the publication of books, a series of intergeneration events (Grandchild-Grandparent IT Competitions: 2003 – …), by setting up a user protection office (Inforum-Infomediátor, 2004), a senior supporting portal (50plusz.NET, 2008) and the estab-lishment of a knowledge base (eInclusion.hu, 2007) assists the spreading of the information society and equal opportunities. In year 2007 Inforum initiated in Hungary the e-Inclusion Movement, and in year 2008 it launched the Digital Hungary Spring event series. Inforum actively participated in the establishment of the Office of the IT Commissioner (2000), the IT and Telecommunication Committee of the Hungarian Par-liament (2000), the Ministry of IT and Telecommunica-tion (2002), and the Special Parliamentary Committee for e-Inclusion (2008). In year 2009 Inforum prepared its first education film series, which introduces through 30 steps the use of computers, the internet and online services. Inforum recently published its new study: „Open points of view to new Strategy of Information Society: Standard of Living and Profit”. The European Commission acknowledged the work of Inforum by awarding it an eInclusion Gold Medal in 2008.

Forum of Hungarian IT Organisations for Information Society (INFORUM)

Address: 6. (2.em 3.) Juranyi u. 1027 Budapest, Hungary www.inforum.org.hue-mail: [email protected], [email protected]: +36 20 95 44 176, +36 30 63 50 171Phone/fax: +36 1 302 72 11


Europe is in the midst of the worst financial crisis for decades, but investment in the digital world could be the key to get us out of it. To make this happen, EU citizens need to be armed with the right eSkills to fully take part in the online world, and businesses need to be able to eLiterate their employees.

What business can compete internationally without tools like eCommerce and computerised inventories? And don’t we need professionals with world class eSkills to use these tools? These are challenges that will be on the agenda during the European eSkills week, which starts on 1 March 2010. The EU 2020 plan, unveiled by commission president José Manuel Barroso, sets out a blueprint for Europe’s recovery and for a

The route to recoveryImproving digital literacy is crucial to Europe’s future, say Antonio Tajani, Neelie Kroes and Androulla Vassiliou

sustainable social market economy that is competitive, innova-tive, and inclusive. ICT is an essential part of this.

We must invest in the eSkills of all EU citizens to make sure that no-one is left behind as the economy goes digital. Digital literacy and media literacy are crucial components of digital inclusion: people should be able to use computers and the internet, while understanding how the web actu-ally works and how to assess the online information.

Regular internet use in the EU has grown from 43 per cent in 2005 to 56 per cent in 2008, according to the EU’s digital literacy and digital competitive-ness reports. Some 43 per cent of the population now use the internet daily, with higher rates among the young. However, large gaps still remain. People aged 65-74, the economically inactive and those with the least education are the most digitally excluded.

EU governments said that ICT should be used to build a more inclusive society in their 2006 Riga declaration. Since then, the commission’s eInclusion initiative has raised awareness of the importance of eSkills and spread good approaches to this across Europe. For example, the award winning “Computer literacy basics for a Lithuanian” eCitizen initiative has coached and tutored over

INSIDEEU

In September 2007, the commission adopted a com-munication on eSkills for the 21st century presenting a long-term eSkills agenda and including five major action lines at EU level (2008-2010). The competitiveness council adopted conclusions on a long-term eSkills strategy in November 2007. The competitiveness of European industry and social cohesion are dependent on the availability and effective use of ICT and the knowledge and skills of the European workforce. Shortages and mismatches in the eSkills sector, as well as a persistent digital divide, will negatively affect productivity, competitiveness, employment and social cohesion. As ICT is developing rapidly, eSkills are becoming more important and need to be constantly updated. The development of eBusiness is increasing the demand for individuals with creativity and higher-level conceptual skills.

Improving the availability of eSkills involves actions at both European and national level, in areas ranging from education to immigration, taxation to research. The EU eSkills strategy has made good progress with several visible achievements. Foresight scenarios on the supply and demand (2010-2015), an analysis of the impact of global sourcing and a European eCompetences framework are now available as well as many multi-stakeholder partnerships. With a wide range of pan-European and national events organised, the European eSkills week (1-5 March 2010) will promote awareness of the demand for highly skilled ICT jobs and the importance of eSkills in today’s society.

eSKIllS wEEK


But our education and training systems have not kept up with the exploding demand for eSkills, leaving us with a shortage of home-grown computer scientists and advanced users. Facing competition from the US and Japan but also increasingly from India and China, Europe needs more highly eSkilled professionals of its own. Fewer young people have enrolled on computer science courses since 2003, leading to a decline in graduates. So far the breach is being made up by

50,400 Lithuanians to use computers since 2006. More than 85 per cent of these eCitizens (mainly 40-59 year-olds living in small towns) now use a PC at home and share their knowl-edge with family and friends. This is having a huge impact on individual lives and local economies: giving job seekers access to a wider job pool over the internet, not to mention long-distance training courses. It also provides new business opportunities: people can start to provide new services, or revive flagging businesses by, for example, having a website. Imagine how many more guests a small hotel, pension or bed and breakfast could reach when it is online.

Demand for eSkills has boomed in the last decades – there are almost four million ICT professionals in Europe, more than double the level of 1995. These experts increasingly work in fields like the automotive, banking, finance, graphic arts and media sectors – and other ICT user industries – (54.5 per cent) and less than half now work in the traditional ICT industry (45.5 per cent).

While these numbers are a good basis for building a com-petitive knowledge economy, they are not enough. With the eSkills required by industry varying constantly, employers complain now about eSkills shortages as well as an insufficient level of professionalism and expertise. Far from being an ICT sector issue, Europe’s growing eSkills shortage is affecting the productivity and the competitiveness of all types of organisa-tions, large and small, across society.

The Malta Information Technology Agency’s (Mita) objective for the eSkills strategy is to widen and deepen the range of skill sets available in Malta to completely cover the spectrum of requirements by increasing the volume of graduates and specialists who qualify in the required skills. Mita will be laying the foundations for the wide acceptance of an eSkills competence framework which will define the skills and competences required for the fulfilment of the various professions in the industry. The framework will provide the turf on which Malta has to play the eSkills match. Its absence would mean the perpetuation of fragmented efforts with possible small suc-cesses but no collective wins.

After a competence framework has been established, the next step is to create an eSkills taxonomy to standardise the method and interpretation of the skills required and available in Malta. The agency will then manage the operation of an eSkills demand and supply monitor to gauge the present and forecasted availability of skills vis-à-vis the anticipated demand in the industry. The Maltese ICT skills strategy also includes initiatives aimed at balancing the supply and demand sides of skills. Initiatives such as the already successful MyPotential scheme could entice students and employees to take up ICT specialisations and academic programmes. Mita will engage with the private training industry to explore various mechanisms through which the latter can contribute effectively towards the attainment of human capital goals. While Mita will lead this edu-cation impetus, the public education institutions will provide the platform for long-term growth. Private training providers will catalyse the challenges and employees will pursue the opportunities and translate them into quality jobs and economic growth.

“We must invest in the eSkills of all EU citizens to make

sure that no one is left behind as the economy goes digital”

Antonio Tajani is EU commissioner for industry and entrepreneurship

Neelie Kroes is EU commissioner for digital agenda

INSIDEEU


science, engineering or humanities graduates who are becom-ing ICT experts. In Denmark, for example, non-ICT graduates make up 70 per cent of the ICT workforce. A recent foresight study anticipates that the EU labour market may face an excess demand of 384,000 ICT practitioners by 2015. In addition, according to research, in five years time only 10 per cent of jobs in the EU will not require eSkills. No matter where ICT staff work, the consequences of these eSkills shortages are very real, forcing small and medium-sized companies especially to postpone ICT investments. The challenge now is to convert the broad consensus that eSkills are crucial for competitiveness and productivity into education action.

Addressing the very low and declining percentage of female students (less than 20 per cent) is a good place to start. Since 2006, the commission’s women in ICT initiative, has tried to readdress this balance. Some 29 organisations – ICT compa-nies, SMEs, consultancies, academic institutions, NGOs and telecoms regulators – have signed a code of best practices for women and ICT. Mentoring programmes, a commitment to flexible working conditions and shadowing exercises to give young women a taste of working for ICT companies, tackle the sector’s gender imbalance.

The commission set out a long term strategy on eSkills for the 21st century in its communication of September 2007, based on advice from stakeholders and governments in the European eSkills Forum. European eSkills week 2010 is our chance to show what the EU eSkills strategy has achieved, to share experiences, build links and mobilise stakeholders across

the EU. There will be a special focus on young people, ICT practitioners, SMEs and entrepreneurs.

The eSkills strategy is already showing results. For example, the European eCompetence framework has been developed, a European eSkills and careers portal is online and numerous multi-stakeholder partnerships have been launched, such as the European eSkills industry leadership board. Policymakers and businesses can plan more effectively thanks to new predictions on the supply and demand of eSkills in the next five years.

Most EU national ICT policies focus on developing basic ICT user skills. However, 10 countries – Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Spain, Portugal, Romania and the UK – also have policies to develop the eSkills of ICT practitioners. A large pool of highly skilled ICT practitioners will be essential to unlock Europe’s innovative potential. Both basic and continued eSkills education and training must adapt to avoid a mismatch between the skills provided by university courses and skills needed by employers.

As Europe faces a severe financial and economic crisis, a long term EU eSkills strategy is increasingly important. The EU 2020 strategy and the European digital agenda will propose both supply-side policies, like improving availability of high-speed internet across Europe, and demand-side actions, such as more targeted training in eSkills, to make European enterprises more competitive and innovative and to make sure that everybody can live an independent and sustainable digital lifestyle and fully participate in the knowledge society.

Using ICTs more, and using them in better ways, is crucial for Europe’s economy. This need means we must develop the eSkills of the EU’s 500 million citizens, and develop a new generation of ICT specialists.

Further information on eSkillseSkills for the 21st Century, European Commission, DG Enterprise and Industry http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/eSkills

European eSkills Week (1-5 March 2010) http://eskills-week.ec.europa.eu

European eSkills 2009 Conference (20 November 2009, Brussels) http://www.eskills-pro.eu

European eCompetences Framework http://www.ecompetences.eu

ESkills Industry Leadership Board http://www.eSkills-ilb.org

European eSkills and Careers portal http://eskills.eun.org

Digital Literacy Report http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/digital_literacy/index_en.htm

Europe's Digital Competitiveness Report 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/eeurope/i2010/key_documents/index_en.htm#EDCR

eInclusion policy: http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/einclusion/index_en.htm

Women and ICT initiative http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/itgirls/index_en.htm

Androulla Vassiliou is EU education, culture, multilingualism and youth commissioner


technology industry. However, as we move beyond simple con-nectivity, the Silicon Valley web ecosystem has produced the new global technology champions.

Europe needs to acknowledge the role of the digital in the economic recovery. There is a need for a clear framework and strategy, and for a trilateral commitment from government, industry and education.

The overarching eSkills focus should be two-pronged: ensure children acquire necessary and basic eSkills, and encour-

age broader interest in advanced technical eSkilling in areas such as software technologies for online service development. This in turn will naturally cultivate a digitally-innovative European society.

Digital industry is an enabling industry, providing growth opportunities for almost all other industries. It offers enor-mous opportunities for productivity gains in both public and private sectors. Europe will benefit greatly from funding and the provision of a regulatory framework that promotes the development of a digital single market. The social and eco-nomic benefits of a strong information society in Europe are well worth the investment.

our society. What remains subject to debate, however, is the most efficient way to do so.

PIN-SME, as the voice of ICT SMEs in Europe, wel-comes the commission’s repeated support to studies aimed at bringing solid ground to policy debates. eSkills are complex issues embedded in all layers of our society. ICT SMEs are widespread in Europe’s territory and regions; they are present in all local communities, where they have access to different societal levels, and are therefore the best vehicle to provide eSkills and ICT training to European citizens and businesses.

ICT micro enterprises represent 94 per cent of the total number of businesses and 30 per cent of total employment in the ICT services industry. Despite this, there is very little data available about them. Partly because of their evasiveness, the role of the smallest players has been greatly underesti-mated. It is high time to reach the common understanding that if we are to address the big issue, then we have to think small first.

Invest for successEurope must exploit its digital potential or risk losing its competitive edge, writes Erkki Ormala

Johann Steszgal calls on policymakers to think small first when it comes to promoting eSkills

By 2015, digital industry has the capacity to create 400,000 new jobs. Europe is suffering from a chronic shortage of digital skills in all sectors, especially those such as software and

computer industries. Consequently, there is the real threat of losing our competitive advantage to emerging and technically savvy countries.

While there has been considerable improvement in digital literacy in recent years, Europe has fallen behind its Lisbon objectives. In the words of commission president José Manuel Barroso, there is no reason why Europe cannot “exploit its full potential as the leading force for progress in a challenging world”. A digital single market is vital in securing Europe’s future economic competitiveness.

We should focus on shaping, attracting and retaining the best ICT talent from around the world, or we risk losing out.

For example, Europe has been the cradle of the mobile

ESkills drive competitiveness and innovation. Half of EU growth comes from the ICT sector. More and better qualified ICT practitioners, as well as eSkilled citizens and managers, to take full advan-tage of the strategic potential offered by a broader diffusion of eSkills.

The EU ICT taskforce has estimated that there is a growing eSkills gap, and a mismatch between supply and demand for specific eSkills. This gap can slow down the pace of adoption of new technologies and reduce the go-to-market skills needed to drive business growth, particularly in SMEs.

Policymakers and industry alike share the belief that eSkills are key to European competitiveness. It is well understood that for the good of our economy, public authorities and industry must join forces to accelerate the uptake of eSkills in

INSIDEEU

Erkki Ormala is president of the board of Digital Europe and vice-president of technology and trade policy at Nokia

Johann Steszgal is president of PIN-SME

eSkIllS wEEk

“A digital single market is vital in securing Europe’s future economic competitiveness”

eSkillS week


metres in the computer. Our cars are for three dimensionally designed, constructed and developed, including crash and endurance tests as well as driver simulations.

Another example of IT as an enabler for business innovation is Daimler’s completely new mobility concept. With car2go, customers can rent Smart Fortwo cars anywhere in town, at any time of day. Vehicles can be found, hired and booked in advance via mobile phones or the internet.

As a large organisation, we at Daimler are able to train our own employees, almost all of whom need either general skills or special training. Unfortunately, not only do we have a shortage in people studying IT and related studies, we notice too little attention for IT in general courses, and so a mismatch between what is taught at universities and what is needed in practice.

The possibility to acquire and develop eSkills should be available to all workers.

This is not only needed within business, but to help build and develop our society step by step towards an innovative, or knowledge, society.

holder partnerships such as eSkills week are critical to upscale the skill sets of Europeans. Europe can and must develop a digital agenda to deliver the EU 2020 goal of green growth based on knowledge and innovation – an inclusive, high employment society.

Microsoft is aware of the challenge and ready to help implementing the digital agenda. Our investments demonstrate that our support for a European eSkills strategy is a long-term engagement.

A wide variety of ICT competen-cies are needed. For this reason, and to provide specific training matching peoples’ needs, we have developed a range of programmes based on three mutually

reinforcing goals: innovation, education and inclusion. We invest over €65m annually on this topic in Europe alone. The fast pace of change and the economic slowdown have made it imperative for Europe to embrace the digital economy.

The iT crowdIT can help boost business innovation and secure Europe’s place in the global marketplace, writes Michael Gorriz

A European eSkills strategy is needed to promote the digital agenda, says Jan Meuhlfeit

Europe’s economic future is dependent on having a highly skilled workforce. In order to remain com-petitive in the global marketplace, Europe’s IT and service providers need to have ready access to an eSkills-proficient labour force.

There is sometimes the misunderstanding that IT people work only for IT companies. In fact, more than 50 per cent of all IT workers operate in other businesses, SMEs and government. People also think IT is very technical. The majority of IT workers use or apply IT within the context of their main professional occupation.

Within larger organisations like Daimler, IT plays an important role. Even before the first piece of metal is used, a new Mercedes-Benz has already driven millions of test kilo-

There was a time when eSkills were only relevant to those who worked in the ICT industry. Today, IT and eSkills matter to everyone. Europe cannot afford to undervalue their importance as the passport to the future.

Research shows that 60 per cent of European jobs require ICT proficiency. The employment rate for those with high skill levels across the EU is approximately 85 per cent, compared with 50 per cent for low-skilled jobs.

Never before has there been a more critical time for Europe to invest in developing and enhancing eSkills. Broad stake-

Michael Gorriz is chief information officer for Daimler

Jan Meuhlfeit is chair of Microsoft Europe

“Never before has there been a more critical time for Europe to invest in developing and enhancing eSkills”

“Even before the first piece of metal is used, a new Mercedes-Benz has already driven millions of test kilometres in the computer”


Europe’s eSkills problem is a management challenge. Corporations across Europe consistently report the need for eSkills among new employees, and research demonstrates the benefits businesses of all sizes can accrue from the effective use of ICT. Almost all areas of the public sector also now demand eSkills.

Business leaders, government personnel managers and market analysts continue to warn of an impending eSkills shortage, with between 41 per cent and 56 per cent of firms in all sectors reporting that they are regularly recruiting ICT specialists.

Despite this awareness of the need for skills in the work-place, there are a number of indicators that within Europe their capabilities are less effectively harnessed than they could be. US based firms in Europe are more successful in achieving IT-generated productivity gains than their local competitors. As this finding is the case for all firms, whether or not they source their labour locally, the clear implication is that the difference is explained by organisational, and in particular managerial, prac-tices and capabilities.

The management challenge is to ensure that skills embodied in individuals are applied to business functions. Indeed, aside from routine tasks associated with commoditised information handling, innovative activities are frequent and common in the use of ICT and they require flexibility on the part of the organisation as much as by the individual. Recent research at the LSE indicates that managerial practices differ significantly

eSkilled enough?Europe’s eSkills potential is not being realised, says Jonathan Liebenau, and making the most of it should be top of the agenda

with regard to their use of ICT, with European firms performing worse than their US competitors even within the same markets. For the most part these firms use identical technologies and source their manpower from the same pool. Wages and other incentives are greater in the USA for both high and medium-level ICT skills users, and we can hypothesise that the kinds of tasks they routinely undertake make better use of those skills.

In Europe, we need to see more of a focus on technology management and good general managerial practices. Managers need to apply their knowledge systematically, and governments should encourage poorly managed firms to acquire better skills.

This entails two elements: more managers need higher education, which should include instruction on the character of technology, and the ways in which eSkilled employees can best be utilised. Too often, skilled personnel are limited in their activities to narrowly technical functions and not given the opportunity to apply their abilities in innovative ways that would enhance productivity. The unfavourable pay differential between those with skills and those with seniority but fewer skills provide disincentives for younger workers to strive to enhance their skill level. While firms claim that they face unmet supply, there is little evidence of demand increasing wage levels in Europe for eSkilled workers in general. If more people are to be encouraged to acquire these skills, then they will need to be able to see that their employment conditions are commensurate-ly improved. eSkilled personnel are rarely encouraged to embark on the most attractive corporate careers in European firms.

Governments can do much to ensure that their usage of eSkills is promoted, that their eGovernment functions are top quality, and that they invest in experiments and best practice models that can influence organisational practices in the economy. More can be done to ensure that basic skills are of comparable quality across labour markets. Jobseekers will benefit from a clearer understanding of what potential employment requirements are through coordinated credentials and job descriptions. Growth through eSkills comes in two basic forms: managerial flexibility to adapt to new practices rapidly and cheaply, and innovation. The future eSkills agenda should focus on these capabilities and instil an enthusiasm for them in education, in government service, and in public awareness programs.

Johnathan Liebenau is a reader in technology management at the London School of Economics

eSkiLLS week

Denmark is in need of more students to decide on a career in ICT. Danish ICT companies are experiencing scarcity of labour and at the same time the universi-ties have a decrease in applicants for ICT-related programmes. The ICT industry needs to improve their image and broaden students’ perception of the industry and job opportunities. The two Danish ICT organisations – DI ITEK and IT-Branchen – organised the ICT night, a nationwide branding campaign to promote the industry. The night was first launched in Denmark in January 2007 and again in January 2008. The campaign aimed to provide Danish pupils and their teachers with a realis-tic and positive picture of the attractive opportunities that Danish ICT companies offer. The concept of the campaign was to pick up the students and their teachers at school and take them on a tour of three or four different companies. Some 1300 students participated, 100 companies opened their doors and there were 40 bus tours nationwide. Some 92 per cent of the students that participated said the night has given them a more positive attitude towards studying ICT. The experience gained from the ICT night will be re-used for the technology tour to four different cities that DI ITEK is organising as part of the European eSkills week 2010.


components, and multi-disciplinarity). In addition to efforts to build better brains, our education and societal systems will be called to produce new mindsets. This may very well be Europe’s main challenge (and opportunity) in the global economy of the 21st century.

As far as priorities for action are concerned, tertiary education is a central component in an edifice that remains largely to be built. This architectural and construction effort will only succeed if it involves and engages all major stake-holders (educators, students, industry, government) around a strong business-education partnership. With this objec-tive in mind, six major priorities should be jointly pursued: developing new curricula that generate eCompetencies, not just ICT skills, making life-long learning an incentive and a basis for performance ratings, engaging academia and busi-ness to educate each other, extending the life expectancy of the new curricula by making them both stable and flexible, making the new curricula a vivid illustration of what they are about, and making the whole project a true, inter-industry, Europe-wide effort.

Europe’s future will be innovation-intensive. To make it successful, it needs to address its eSkills gaps in a determined, imaginative and ambitious fashion. Tertiary education is the right place to start, because it is the right context to think of generating the minds that Europe needs and deserves.

Beyond brainsBruno Lanvin discusses the role of higher education in meeting Europe’s ICT needs

What knowledge was to Europe in the last 10 years, innovation will be for the next. How can the shortcomings of the Lisbon strategy be overcome in designing and implementing its (innovation) successor?

One roadblock will need to be acknowl-edged and addressed as a matter of urgency: eSkills. As recent studies have underlined, Europe’s ambitions to become a world leader in knowledge and innovation have been seri-ously hampered by a lack of appropriate ICT skills. Far from being only an ICT sector issue, Europe’s growing eSkills shortage is affecting the productivity of all types of organiza-tions, across all sectors. In such a context, higher education has a vital role to play. Yet, for appropriate action to be taken in this area, one needs to assess the proper dimension of the challenges to be faced by Europe in the near future.

eSkills are the locus of several paradoxes in today’s Europe. Paradox number one emerges from the remark-ably high level of unemployment that prevails across the union (which reached the symbolic milestone of 10 per cent unemployment at the end of 2009) on one hand, and the existence of unsatisfied demands from potential employers on the other. Paradox number two results from the level of expectations which European businesses and society as a whole have vis-à-vis their schools and universities, versus the growing recognition that what one learns at school is further and further away from the knowledge, skills and competen-cies people need in their professional lives.

Those two paradoxes can only be addressed through a series of efforts, namely: upgrading curricula to attract more students to knowledge and innovation courses in tertiary education, pursing an innovative, open-minded and engag-ing strategy of multi-stakeholder partnerships to ensure this, and taking advantage of best practice in Europe and beyond to build such curricula.

The major challenge ahead of Europe, however is of an intellectual and policy nature. It will consist of gearing up from Lisbon’s unfinished knowledge agenda to an even more ambitious innovation agenda. A necessary condition for such a shift to be successful is that eSkills be regarded by all as a combination of knowledge skills (which include ICT skills) and innovation skills (which require more ‘right brain’

INSIDEEU

Bruno Lanvin is executive director of Insead's eLab and chair of the global advisory council on the future of government at the world economic forum

The training programme for increased adaptability in the information society (Titan) provides an integrated approach to bridge eSkills gaps using EU funds for the digital training and retraining of more than 1.2 million Hungarians in the coming years. The key beneficiary of the programme would be the Hungarian SME sector, because the results of re-skilling and the changed mindsets will significantly increase employability and competitiveness, leading to a developed status for Hungary in the digital economy and information society. The program was initiated by the Hungarian EUGA Leadership Board, led by Microsoft in partnership with 17 ICT industry leaders and NGOs. The Titan memo-randum of understanding was signed in 2008 by all parliamentary parties and members of the government in the presence of Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Hungary’s prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsány, but it is still in the preparation phase.

László Drajkó, chairman of the Hungarian EUGA Leadership Board Foundation, said, “As representing the multi-stakeholder partnership (HELB Foundation) which drives Titan forward, we are convinced of the urgency to tackle Europe’s eSkills challenges to raise competitiveness and employability to conform with the rules and requirements of 21st century knowledge economy and the post-Lisbon agenda. In this matter an integrated approach putting SMEs in focus is needed to facilitate the training of their managers, their IT pros and their employees in general. A shared political will, dissemination of best practices, and rapid implementation are the keys for Europe to end up on the winning side of the competition awaiting us in the global digital economy.”

EUROPE’S LEADING E-HEALTH PLATFORM

15–18 MARCH 2010CCIB

CONVENTIONCENTRE

BARCELONA


The digital agenda is becoming a hot topic within the European institutions. This is commendable, but I feel many still fail to see beyond the sheer numbers. The growing absence of ICT experts, and the lack of eSkills among the general public, doesn’t exclusively affect the ICT sector, but Europe’s economy and competitiveness

as a whole. Figures show there will be 400,000 unfilled positions by 2015, which is distressing, but we must think of enterprises and SMEs in every sector. For example, carpenters have little to do with information technology, but which one would we hire

Skills for lifeEdit Herczog thinks that eSkills have a crucial role to play in Europe’s competitiveness

to design our kitchen? The one who shows 3D models on the computer of our future furniture or the one who doesn’t? The possibilities for deploying eSkills to boost competitiveness are endless – it only needs some creative thinking.

The same goes for individuals: eSkills can make life easier, help obtain information faster and provide new career opportunities and labour market viability. As such everyone has to be included, regardless of gender, age or social group. It is our duty to create the necessary background for this and inform people of the many possibilities, so every European – and the EU itself – can take full advantage of the digital paradigm shift.

Our aim for 100 per cent broadband coverage by 2013 is necessary, but we shouldn’t forget that creating hardware infra-structure alone is nothing but an expensive cluster. Through cooperation between member states and the private sector, up-to-date education programmes should be created to help kids develop their skills and acquire IT literacy from primary school. Possibly the way we teach maths and physics needs reviewing, with fewer young people in Europe continuing their ICT studies and most only leisure users. Even more so if we look at women and ICT (which is a whole subject on its own). So we have to find ways to encourage young people to pursue careers in the field and to take up their roles as digital natives.

ICT is usually the subject of over-mystification. So we should help adults and seniors – so-called ‘digital immigrants’ – under-stand that these are tools to acquire and exchange information, not all that different from radio or television. If we do not include all 500 million Europeans in the digital arena, we risk social injustice and a lot of public money wasted on infrastructure. This is something that we as policymakers must avoid by all means.

Last, but certainly not least, let’s turn back to SMEs. As the backbone of European economy, SMEs are key to enhancing the EU’s competitiveness and helping to take the lead in providing digital services. We need to help SMEs keep up with new tech-nological developments, and inform them of how ICT can, for example, cut costs and provide greener business solutions.

Idly waiting for things to develop and resolve themselves on their own is an option, but I doubt it’s the right one. We must strive to create the necessary frameworks, the digital single market and a well-balanced digital society, while not forgetting about the possible risks and ensuring that privacy is well pro-tected. Now is the time to act and take the lead.

Edit Herczog is a member of parliament’s industry, research and energy committee

INSIDEEUeSkIllS wEEk

Technology is at the heart of the modern economy, supporting all organisations in every sector. New research by eSkills UK shows that the IT sector contributes more than eight per cent of the UK’s gross value added (an important measure in the estimation of GDP), and that despite the recession, employment in the UK’s technology workforce has continued to grow. EU eSkills week is a timely reminder of this increasing demand for highly skilled ICT users and professionals to drive a competitive and innovative Europe.

UK programmes reflect the goals of EU eSkills week. They’re aimed at encouraging young people to consider education and careers in IT, developing the skills of IT profession-als, and helping the rest of the economy to maximise the benefits of technology. To support small businesses, eSkills UK is working with Google, BT and Enterprise UK on ‘Getting British business online’, which will launch ahead of EU eSkills week and aims to help 100,000 UK small firms create their first website easily and for free. As part of the programme, eSkills UK has developed a bespoke training course and qualification, the ITQ for doing business online, to help SMEs develop the skills to make the most of being online.

Encouraging digital participation is also high on eSkills UK’s agenda, with a national plan for digital participation created with the UK government, Ofcom and many other organisations nearing completion. As part of this, eSkills UK has contributed to the development of the online basics course, a short entry-level training programme aimed at providing those digitally excluded with the skills needed to use the internet and benefit from online services.


ICT now permeates virtually all aspects of our lives. It is inextricably linked with our desire for a prosperous and competitive economy, the preservation of our envi-ronment, and a more democratic and inclusive society. However this will only become a reality if all citizens are mobilised to participate fully in the new digital society.

Business as usual is not an option.To empower people in today’s digital world means a number

of fundamental things. Empowerment means that we have a certain number of rights as users and consumers in the new online environment and that we have access to reliable wired and wireless broadband networks. But above all, empowerment means eSkills – for everyone to have the competences and abil-ities to take advantage of the opportunities of the digital era.

Accordingly, the recent commission consultation on the EU 2020 strategy refers to the need for new skills and

Policymakers must help citizens take advantage of the opportunities of a digital society, writes Pilar del Castillo Vera

outlines innovation as the key priority for Europe’s future in areas such as eHealth, ICT for everyone and education. It is precisely in this context that the European parliament is now debating its own initiative report on defining a ‘new digital agenda for Europe: 2015.eu’. The main objective of parliament’s contribution is to identify strategic policy issues of a new ICT agenda for Europe, while contributing to the commission in its development of a comprehensive strategy.

The report highlights 10 policy areas which need to be immediately tackled and puts citizens at the core of the agenda, proposing a series of essential policy goals and actions to achieve the much needed empowerment of Europeans. Our proposed policy goals for eSkills include: halving the digital literacy and competence gaps by 2015; for all primary and secondary schools to have high speed internet connections by 2015; for all primary and secondary school students to receive training on internet risks by 2012; and for all adults to be offered ICT training opportunities.

Policies that will allow the achievement of the men-tioned goals would involve creating a digital literacy and competence action plan. This would comprise, for example, the development of digital training for groups at risk of exclusion, the promotion of public-private partnerships and incentives to private sector initiatives to provide training to all employed people.

It is a key question for Europe that the digital agenda delivers effective mechanisms to yield the intended results. A strategic agenda without strong instruments to monitor and regularly review progress is not more than a declaration of intentions. Consequently, parliament’s report calls for the establishment of two follow-up mechanisms.

First, the creation of a yearly ‘2015.eu’ scoreboard by which the commission, parliament and member states would systematically benchmark, evaluate and monitor progress. Secondly, the establishment of an annual digital agenda summit would review progress in the implementation of the shared agenda, while renewing political impetus and updat-ing the strategy.

Europe’s potential lies in the skills of its population, its workforce, and its organisations. Without pervasive infra-structure there can only be limited use of ICT and without skills there can only be limited economic and social value from that use. If ignored, the lack of ICT skills will be the bottleneck that prevents the EU from being competitive in the global economy.

Pilar del Castillo Vera is a member of parliament’s industry, research and energy committee

eSkillS week

“Empowerment means eSkills – for everyone to have the competences and abilities to take advantage of the opportunities of the digital era”

Power to the people

Dear Members of the European Parliament,

You say that climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our time.

We agree. Immediate action is needed.

Yet, new high-emitting coal-fired power plants are being built across Europe. No European law stops this from happening.

These investments push our climate goals out of reach.

We need economic and environmental certainty now.

Stand by your word.

Get dirty coal under controlIntroduce CO2 standards for new power plants in the Industrial Emissions Directive

[email protected]

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