European Union News

The European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture “Mies van der Rohe Award” is awarded every two years to support excellence in the field of architecture. Between the two editions two exhibitions and the Prize catalogue travel around Europe allowing the European public to see exhibits on the winning buildings in their own cities.

Funding for childhood cancer research is too low and too dependent on short-term grants to maintain the improvements in survival rates seen in recent decades. This is the stark warning issued by EU-funded researchers who also highlight the steps needed to improve the way clinical trials for childhood cancer drugs are organised in Europe.

Following the public address of President Hosni Mubarak on 10 February 2010 where he said he will not step down, EU High Representative Catherine Ashton reaffirmed the European Union position that the demands and expectations of the Egyptian people must be met. It is for the Egyptian people to judge whether the steps announced by President Mubarak fulfil their expectations and aspirations.

The European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee addressed on 10 February some issues concerning the situation of both Turkey and Montenegro in their respective relations to the Union, and voted two resolutions . MEPs voted on a resolution welcoming Montenegro's candidate status, while also pointing out some issues which still remain to be addressed. Some of these issues, especially those related to media freedom, are also matter of concern for MEPs regarding Turkey's situation.

Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has announced the first 34 projects funded under the new MEDIA Mundus funding programme at the opening of the 61st Berlin International Film Festival on 10 February. The European Commission will also have a stand at the European Film Market of the Berlinale, encouraging access for smaller companies to the international market.

According a recent survey presented by the Assembly of the European Regions (AER), regions have recognised positive aspects, but there are unavoidable obstacles from the regional point of view regarding the effectiveness in EU funding. The results of this survey conducted within AER members was answered by 23 regions of 14 different countries.

European agencies have been set up in successive waves since the mid 1970s and today form an important part of the EU’s institutional landscape. Responding to needs identified by the EU and its Member States, they perform a variety of legal, technical and scientific tasks across a broad range of policy areas. In order to discuss over their future role in the European construction, experts and members from these organizations met in Brussels between 31 January and 3 February in the “EU Agencies: The way ahead” Exhibition.

The need to shift economies onto a lower carbon route and to acknowledge the direct links between the resilience of ecosystems and that of national economies were highlighted by the Prince of Wales at the opening of Parliament's Low Carbon Prosperity Summit held on 9 February. In his speech, the Prince of Wales stressed the need to move away from conventional economic models based on the production of high carbon intensity products, in line with the overall objective of the Summit which was to find a way for a new low-carbon economy in Europe.

The European Commission has launched on 9 February a public consultation about the improvements to be introduced in EU research and innovation funding in order to achieve higher level of participation, increase scientific and economic impact and improve value for money. The Green Paper put forward by the Commission covers all the “innovation chain” and aims to simplify procedures and rules in order to make it easier to access EU funding. Stakeholders will have until 20 May 2011 to send their points of view to the Commission.

Unconditional solidarity with the Tunisian people, more support for civil society, and a call for strong EU assistance in dealing with the many challenges of Tunisia's transition to democracy, were the key messages voiced by MEPs after the first European Parliament delegation visit to Tunisia between 3 and 6 February. These were the main conclusions presented at a joint meeting of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Human Rights Sub-committee.

It has been a certain tome from now that the European Commission has been promoting the idea to reach an agreement in order to deliver a common charger compatible with mobile phones of all brands. Thanks to the collaboration between fourteen manufacturers and the European Commission this objective has become reality, and Commissioner responsible for industry and entrepreneurship, Antonio Tajani, has received the first prototype of this new common mobile charger.

On 8 February 2011, EU ministers for Transport held an informal meeting in Gödöllő (Hungary), with the European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas and Chairman of the TRAN Committee of European Parliament Brian Simpson. Participants of the informal ministerial meeting held a policy debate on the review of the TEN-T trans-European transport network focusing on planning methodology and financing, and highlighting the crucial role played by transport infrastructures in social cohesion and economic growth.