European Union News

The official journal of the European Union of October 15, 2009 includes the publication of two calls for proposals to implement, in different ways, European education.

12 million scanned pages in more than 110 000 EU publications are available free of charge for download in the EU Bookshop Digital Library. Launched at the Frankfurt Book Fair on the 16 October, it offers all publications edited by the Publications Office on behalf of the EU institutions, agencies and other bodies since 1952.

Stavros Dimas will participate today between 14 and 17 hours in a digital interview in which he will answer the questions of the Europeans about climate change and the attitude of the Union ahead the Copenhagen summit

Diversity Days to celebrate diversity in Europe are being held in 4 Member States (Cyprus, Luxembourg, Portugal and Sweden) this autumn and they promise to interest and entertain the public while bringing the message of the benefits of diversity to as many as possible.

On 12 October, the Health Council endorsed a strategy for a coordinated EU approach to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. It addresses key issues such as vaccine availability, global cooperation and the continuity of essential services.

EIBURS provides grants to University Research Centres working on research topics and themes of major interest to the Bank. EIB sponsorships, of up to EUR 100 000 per year for a period of three years, are awarded through a competitive process to interested University Departments or Research Centres, associated with Universities of EU, Accession or Acceding Countries. Call is open until November 30th, and for the academic year 2009/2010, the EIBURS programme has selected a new line of research: Urban Development Funds in Europe: Opportunities, Structures, Operations

The European Parliament's second annual prize for excellence in journalism will be awarded on Thursday 15 October at 09.00h in Room JAN 4Q2. It goes to journalists who, in the view of the jury, have done most to enhance public understanding of European issues and debates. There are four prizes, for work in the print media, radio, TV and the internet. The winner in each category will receive €5,000.

The EU needs a stronger financial supervisory architecture with a single financial supervisory authority, said Parliament in a resolution on the Pittsburgh G20 summit. MEPs also stressed the need for long-term fiscal sustainability, so as to avoid imposing too heavy a burden on future generations. But the priorities now must be to create jobs and protect people from the impact of the crisis.

The European Research Area Board (ERAB) has released its first annual report, highlighting the need for a new spirit to be instilled in European research by 2030. The overriding message in the publication is the need for the kind of fervour for change that swept through Europe during the Renaissance period in the 15th and 16th centuries. Today, an equivalent revolution in thought, society and science is needed to deal with the undeniable challenges that confront the soon-to-be world population of nine billion people.

Europe needs to spend an extra €50bn on developing clean energy over the next 10 years, nearly triple its current investment, according to the EU's latest estimate. Solar energy and carbon capture and storage earmarked for lion's share of extra technology funding.

The European Commission has published a call for proposals under the work programme "People 2010" of the  Seventh Framework Programme, to finance with EUR 3.5 million the celebration of European Researchers' Night 2010, an initiative to approach science and citizens

The European Commission has adopted new rules to broaden the scope of its successful Marco Polo programme, which has been supporting sustainable transport projects since 2003. The programme gives financial support to the transport industry in order to reduce road freight on our congested roads or to shift it to other more sustainable transport modes, like shipping, rail or inland waterways. The conditions for participation have been improved to further increase its appeal to the industry, will apply to the next call for proposals due for the beginning of next year.