European Union News

The European Commission marked the opening of the International Year of Biodiversity with a paper setting out future options for biodiversity policy. Despite past efforts, species extinctions are continuing at alarming rates, and a new vision is required to halt these losses. The EU’s goal of stopping animal and plant extinctions by 2010 has not been reached. Now more action is planned – for proper long-term protection of biodiversity by 2020.

Until 30 November 2009, young people born after 1985 have submitted their designs for the poster competition of the day in Europe. Among the candidates, a jury comprising representatives of the European Commission and European experts in graphic design and communication has selected ten finalists. Now, all European citizens have the opportunity to vote for their favorite.

The next February will be held at the Auditorium City of León the International Conference "Trust in the Information Society", an event in the Spanish Presidency of the EU that aims to influence the security and confidence in ICT in the digital age .

The European Commissioner designate for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, pledged to move research, innovation and science 'to the heart of European policy' in her hearing at the European Parliament on 13 January.

The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union of 16 January 2010 the prior notification of concentration between Orange and T-Mobile in the UK.

After the catastrophic earthquacke that has devasted Haiti, the European Commission and its department of Humanitarian Aid have launched a new aid decision to provide assistance to victims.

European efforts to tackle the economic crisis need better coordination and faster implementation on the ground, was the message of a conference organised by the Spanish EU Presidency and the Committee of the Regions (CoR) in Palma de Mallorca today, the 5th Territorial Dialogue for Sustainable Growth and Jobs.

The European Commission launched on January 26th a Call for proposals to award grants to actions in support of the policy on integration of third-country nationals. Interested parties may present their proposals until March 3rd 2010.

The foreign ministers of the European Union are meeting today in Brussels at a special meeting to coordinate the actions of EU aid to Nicaragua after the severe earthquake last week.

This year for the third time the European Parliament Prize for Journalism will be awarded to journalists who have covered major European issues or promoted a better understanding of the EU institutions and/or EU policies. The deadline for applications begins January 15 and closes on March 31, 2010

EU Trade Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner will visit Central American countries from the 18 to 21 January on a trip that includes Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador. She visits Central America to drive forward the negotiation process for an EU-Central America Association Agreement and to hold discussions on bi-regional trade and investment issues.

How extreme weather impacts the EU transportation system is a question that weighs heavily on the minds of policymakers and the general public. Enter the EWENT ('Extreme weather impacts on European networks of transport') project which aims to identify and define these extreme weather phenomena and their effects.