European Union News - 21 September 2009

New navigation and layout make it easier to find what you’re looking for on the EU site’s main pages – in any official EU language. The new organization aims to distinguish more clearly the legislative contents from the current news about the European Union.

The Commission celebrates this year's European Day of Languages, 26 September, for almost a week. The centrepiece will be a conference on Early Language Learning. There will also be the inauguration of the Business Platform on Multilingualism, the premiere of a video "Interpréter pour l'Europe" on the theme of "French, a rare language?", a conference on "How technology can help translators", a panel debate on Multilingualism. There will also be multilingual activities aimed specifically at children in Brussels.

The first ever Music against poverty contest, organised by the European Commission to mobilize youth in the fight against poverty, has been a real success: 250 songs from more than 20 countries have been submitted. "Let's join together" the winning song by the Rome based group Ensemble pour la Paix won the contest. Apart from recording the track in a professional studio, the song will take them on stage during the European Development Days in Stockholm this October.

The European Commission has published a call for proposals which allows 2.6 million euros to individual mobility of students within the Comenius programme, within the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Union