European Union News

Afghanistan is set to hold presidential and provincial council polls on August 20th 2009 and National Assembly and district elections in 2010. These elections present a formidable challenge because of the recent history of the country, the youth of the democratic institutions and the deteriorating security situation and the fractured political scene in the country, being the first ever Afghan-led elections in the country. This time the elections will be conducted under the sole stewardship of the Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) with the UN acting only in support.

The Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) published on August 18th  2009 the notice of prior notification of concentration concerning French pharmaceutical Sanofi-Aventis, which would acquire control over Merial. Interested parties may submit their observations to the Commission within ten days of this publication.

Following the mandate set out in Regulation (EC) Nº 450/2009 of May 29th 2009 on active and intelligent materials and articles intended to come into contact with food, the  European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the Guidelines on submission of a dossier for safety evaluation. Industry may submit their applications within 18 months from publication of these Guidelines.

In reaction to the verdict against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and given the gravity of the violation of her fundamental rights, the Council adopted on August 13th 2009 a Common Position imposing a new set of targeted measures against Burma/Myanmar. These measures, published in the OJEU on August 15th 2009, where announced by Swedish presidency on August 11th, after the verdict was published.

The implementation of the proposed organ donation and transplantation scheme requires the processing of personal data relating to health of the organs’ donors and receivers by the authorised organisations and healthcare professionals of the different Member States, which are deemed as sensitive and fall under the stricter rules of data protection. In his report, published in the OJEU on August 21st 2009, the ESPD sets some recommendations in order to ensure confidentiality and security in organ processing.

The European Commission has launched a photo contest within the framework of the project EDEN (European Destinations of Excellence). EDEN supports models of sustainable tourism development in the European Union. The project is based on national competitions that take place every year during which "destinations of excellence" are chosen by each participating country tour

The Official Journal of the European Union of 14 August 2009 contains the Regulation on the European Parliament and the Council  establishing an Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators.

The European Commission has allocated €9 million to safeguard access to food for vulnerable people affected by the breakdown of essential services in Zimbabwe. The funds will be channelled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department under the direct responsibility of the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid

The European Union offers young Europeans the opportunity to express their views and help build a sustainable world. On the eve of the tenth International Youth Day, the European Union has highlighted again that, if society is to make sustainable progress, young people must take a fuller part in social, economic and political life.

The EU-funded project SFERA ('Structural funds for European regional research advancement') and the Portuguese Innovation Agency (ADI) are organising a conference entitled 'ICT (information and communication technology) as a means of accelerating the economic recovery: strategies for regional development and use structural funds' on 17 September in Faro, Portugal.

The closing date for the pan-European photography competition organised by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is fast approaching. Based on safe and healthy workplaces, final entries can still be submitted up until 15th August 2009. The competition has so far attracted significant interest from citizens across the European Union with over 500 entries to date.

The Commission has published a communication to set the criteria for the analysis of the compatibility of State aid
for the employment of disadvantaged and disabled workers subject to individual notification.The aim is that companies of the member states increase the number of people with disabilities in the workforce.