European Union News - January 2011

Europe's network of protected natural areas Natura 2000 has been expanded by nearly 27,000 km2 covering now almost 18% of the EU's landmass and more than 130,000 km2 of its seas. The main countries involved in this latest expansion are the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Spain and Poland. Natura 2000 now represents the centrepiece of Europe's battle to halt biodiversity loss and safeguard ecosystem services.

The European Parliament's Special Committee on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis will visit Lisbon and Madrid between 11 and 13 January to assess the impact of the debt crisis and debate possible ways out with national politicians, economic stakeholders, industry and social partners. The delegation will meet political representatives and citizens to gather facts for the Committee's report on the Financial, Economic and Social Crisis (CRIS), to be completed in July 2011.

On 12 January 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake mainly destroyed the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas, striking government facilities, key infrastructure and the areas with the greatest concentration of population. This event, together with several other difficulties, have marked the last year making Haiti a unique case in complexity to deliver aid in an environment characterised by numerous logistical, infrastructure, social and political challenges.

New EU funded research findings on smoking and European measures to control it show quite clearly that the ban on smoking in public places helps to reduce tobacco consumption. However, the study also stresses that such measures are just a part of the public policies which have to be put in place and should be accompanied by other actions such as price hikes, banning advertising and promotion, as well as information and warnings for consumers and support for smokers leaving the habit.

The Comité des Sages set on the Digitisation of Europe's cultural heritage delivered on 10 January the results of the assessment made over the previous months, highlighting the need to step up efforts to put online the collections held by Member states in all their libraries, archives and museums. The report stresses the benefits of making Europe's culture and knowledge more easily accessible, also underlining its potential economic benefits for the development of innovative services in sectors like tourism, research and education.

Following the meeting of the European Commission with the Hungarian Presidency, President Barroso expressed Commission's readiness to work hand in hand with Hungary's presidency to make this semester a success for the European Union. In President Barroso's view there is an urgent need for serious and joint reforms to be taken, both at national level and at the European level. During this meeting Prime Minister Orban also expressed Hungary's commitment to take all the necessary efforts to work with the Commission and clear any legal issues regarding the new Hungary media law.

The European Commission launched in 7 January 2010 a public consultation on the Professional Qualifications Directive, an opportunity for stakeholders to highlight areas of the Directive they feel could be improved, seeking views on how to better integrate professionals working in the Single Market, and raises the option of a European Professional Card. The results of the Consultation will feed into an evaluation report and a Green Paper due this autumn prior to Commission's proposal for modernising the Directive in 2012.

According to the data released by the European Statistical Office Eurostat, the average unemployment rate registered in the Euro area reached 10.1% rate in November 2010, a percentage slightly higher than the average of the European Union as a whole, where the rate was 9.6%.

On 6 January 2011 took place the official ceremony where Hungary took the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union from Belgium. Yves Leterme, acting Prime Minister of Belgium, and Viktor Orbán, Prime Minister of Hungary attended the ceremonial event hosted in the Cupola Hall of the Houses of Parliament, where Hungarian MPs as well as the government seat. They both highlighted the turning point EU is facing and the need to face the challenges of current global situation.

Researchers from the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Spain and Sweden have developed a solution to give elderly and disabled people easier control over the various electronic appliances and services in their homes using their mobile phone or other devices. The "I2HOME" project, funded by the EU with 2.7 million Euro, has developed a personalised and simplified Universal Remote Console interface based on existing and evolving open standards.

The changeover to the Euro in Estonia is proceeding according to plan. By the end of Wednesday 5 January, an important milestone was passed as more than half of cash payments in shops were made in Euro only and virtually all customers were also getting their change in the currency they now share with some 330 million Europeans.

With this formal ratification, the European Union becomes for the first time in history a party to an international human rights treaty: the United Nation's Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, which aims to ensure that people with disabilities can enjoy their rights on an equal basis with all other citizens. This text is the first comprehensive human rights treaty to be ratified by the Union as a whole.