European Union News

The MOLTO ('Multilingual on-line translation') project, which has received over EUR 2.3 million under the 'Information and communication technologies' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) to develop such reliable translation tool, aims to offer the european effective tools facilitating high-quality translation of texts between multiple languages is pivotal to this.

The Official Journal of the European Union has issued the Decision of the Council which officially declares 2011 as European Year of Volunteering to promoting active citizenship

In their extraordinary meeting last monday, EU ministers of Foreign Affairs agreed to channel over €130 million relief and rehabilitation efforts for Haiti. More will follow.

Linking six Member States over its 3,000 km course, the Danube River has seen a long history of co-operation projects but a comprehensive EU strategy is still lacking. MEPs want the Commission to promote co-operation around the Danube region with the aim of developing environmentally-friendly transport connections and energy infrastructures, as well as stimulating economic and social growth.

The informal meeting of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of the EU (JHA) that begins today in Toledo will devote most of the first day to analysing, jointly with the United States, the progress made and problems that exist in the fight against terrorism and organised crime.

The headquarters of the Information Society and Media DG host the Social Inclusion and Related Technologies Workshop, with a particular focus on social computing and inclusion.

One week after her hearing before MEPs, the candidate for the position of Commissioner of International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Rumiana Jeleva, has resigned from her appointment. European Parliament's vote on next commission unlikely before February.

Nikiforos Diamandouros has been re-elected European Ombudsman. Mr Diamandouros, who has held the position since 2003, was backed by 340 MEPs in a secret plenary vote.

The European Commission and the Spanish Presidency of the EU will tomorrow launch the 2010 European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Under the slogan “Stop Poverty Now!”, the campaign aims to put the fight against poverty – which directly affects one in six Europeans – centre stage across the EU during 2010. European Commission President José Manuel Durão Barroso and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero will inaugurate the Year at a launch event to be held tomorrow in Madrid.

The European Commission has approved 13 programmes in 11 Member States to promote milk and milk products in the European Union. The total budget of the programmes, running for a period of three years, is € 35.8 million of which the EU contributes € 17.9 million.

Members of the Europeoan Parliament urged that the EU deliver on its aid pledge as soon as possible and give a solid commitment to reconstruction. "Our goal is to ease suffering and our commitment to rebuild is long-term", said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Lady Ashton in her first statement to Parliament.