European Union News - 13 March 2009

On Monday the European Commission will officially launch a guide on the hunting of wild birds to ensure the activity is carried out in accordance with EU nature legislation. It aims to clarify the hunting requirements of the EU's oldest nature law, the Wild Birds Directive, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on the 2nd of April 2009. This is one of the key tools in helping achieve the EU's objective of halting biodiversity loss. The guide on sustainable hunting be launched at an official ceremony in Paris by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and the Director General of the Commission's Directorate General for Environment, Karl Falkenberg.

Making Europe the world leader in ICT is the goal of the new strategy proposed on March 13th 2009 by the European Commission. In its Communication, the Commission proposes a strategy to establish Europe's industrial and technology leadership in information and communication technologies (ICT), to make Europe more attractive for ICT investments and skills, and to ensure that its economy and society benefit fully from ICT developments.

MEPs adopted a resolution on the occasion of the V World Water Forum to be held in Istanbul from 16 to March 22. MEPs call for the removal of global subsidies to the distribution of water, because they are leading to artificially low prices and to overexploitation of resources. Moreover, MEPs want the problem of water management and water resources to included in the agenda of the conference on climate change in Copenhagen.

The Official Journal of the European Union of March 13th 2009 has issued a Corrigendum to Call for Proposals EACEA/33/08, under EU-Canada Programme for cooperation in higher  education, training and youth. According to this publication, application deadline is extended until May 8th 2009.