European Union News

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and European Parliament President Jerzy Buzek will attend the celebrations in Luxembourg to mark the 25th anniversary of the Schengen Agreement.

The Spanish Presidency of the EU believes it necessary to conduct a thorough examination with a view to the upcoming United Nations summit on the Millennium Development Goals on 10 September.

From 9 to 11th June, experts in research and skateholders on Marie Curie Grants will meet in Barcelona to exchange views and to assess the progress of their projects.

The European Commission has presented its new vision for the future of vocational education and training. Vocational education and training is chosen by an average of around 50% of all students in upper secondary education. However, the sector needs to be modernised to make it a more attractive and high-quality option

The European Commission has today adopted a draft proposal amending the Staff Regulations in view of the establishment of the External Action Service. The changes, which were discussed intensively with the staff unions, are aimed at ensuring equal treatment between the Service’s three sources of staff – from the Council, the Commission and the national diplomatic services.

Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Maria Damanaki has warned EU member states around the Mediterranean that the measures adopted through the Mediterranean Regulation in December 2006 should be fully implemented at this stage, and they aren't. Over 54% of the Mediterranean fish stocks which have been analysed by scientists are found to be overfished.

MEPs and MPs form EU Member States have concluded in Brussels that the EU should accelerate the application of common energy policy rules, and the policy itself must aim to improve competitiveness and security of supply and sustainability.

The eleven countries belonging to the Northern Dimension Partnership for Transport and Logistics (NDPTL) have today endorsed setting up a secretariat for the partnership in the framework of the TEN-T Days conference in Zaragoza, Spain.

The EU’s health ministers backed the Spanish proposal on patient mobility within the Union, at the Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO) held in Luxembourg.

Three key European transport projects ranging from the Baltic countries to the Iberian Peninsula have today been given a boost by the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding. The signing of these documents demonstrates the commitment to carrying out these projects as fast and as efficiently as possible. The three projects are the Rail Baltica, running from Estonia to Poland, the high-speed lines linking France, Spain and Portugal and the key East–West railway axis Lyon–Turin–Trieste–Ljubljana–Budapest.

The final Employment and Social Policy Council held under the Spanish Presidency in Luxembourg has agreed to try to reduce the number of people at risk of poverty by at least 20 million in the coming decade

On 9th June 2010, PSI Meeting 2010 "Realising the value of Public Sector Information" will be held in Madrid. This is an international meeting aimed to evaluate the economic and social benefits of the policies for the reuse of public sector information.