European Union News - September 2009

Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, has been put before Parliament a series of measures in the campaign to help the dairy industry launched by Commission. The aim is that the milk producers of the European Union to emerge from the crisis plaguing the market.

More needs to be done to prevent future disruption and early-warning mechanisms (which proved ineffective in the 2009 Russia-Ukraine energy crisis) need to be reviewed, MEPs told the European Commission in a resolution. MEPs also say that gas storage capacity needs to be expanded and interconnections improved.

Since 2 May 2005, the European Union (EU) has been conducting a mission to provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The current mission statement is set out in Joint Action 2007/406/CFSP and ends on 30 September 2009. With the new Council Joint Action, the support to Security Sector Reform will go on until September 30th 2010.

EU Affairs ministers and representatives from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Investment Bank will meet at Stockholm City Hall to discuss the EU Baltic Sea Strategy as pilot project for future macro-regional strategies.

The latest developments in Iran and the situation in Afghanistan were the main topics discussed by EU foreign affairs ministers meeting at the Council on 14 and 15 September.

Over the past five years the Commission has supported the deployment of broadband networks, taking more than 40 individual decisions. The new guidelines are based on this experience and on comments received during public consultation in May and June 2008. They involve the application of the rules of EC Treaty state aid to public funding of broadband networks. They also contain specific provisions concerning the deployment of access networks, next generation, which allow public support to encourage investment in this sector.

After three months of a pandemic, the H1N1 virus is still contagious. To limit the continued spread, the Health Ministers of the European Union will meet in October to discuss the measures proposed by the Commission.

A new report published by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) predicts that European offshore wind projects - both existing and planned - could soon supply 10% of Europe's electricity. The report, entitled 'Oceans of opportunity', was presented at the European Offshore Wind 2009 conference in Stockholm, Sweden on 14 September.

The EP has called for a rapid release of EU aid funds to help victims of this summer's devastating forest fires in Southern Europe, especially in Greece. MEPs also want more cross-border European action in the fight against such disasters. Furthermore, they criticise some Member States for not having done enough to prevent the fires.

The European Parliament endorsed today the appointment of Portuguese Jose Manuel Barroso as president of the European Commission for the next five years. This will be his second term as head of the institution he leads since 2004.

Five new calls for proposals have been published in order to develop European observation network for territorial development and cohesion, an initiative to study the conditions for the development of areas of the EU.

EUCYS (European Union Contest for Young Scientists) is an annual European competition for young scientists (14 to 20 years old) coming from 40 countries (mainly from Europe but also USA, China and Japan. The 21st EUCYS finishes today. It is taking place for the first time in Paris at the Palais de la découverte which has been educating scientists for generations. Students have been competing for prizes totalling 51.500 € as well as some very attractive special donated prizes from Eiroforum and EPO.