European Union News

Only a 43.09% of the over 375 million Europeans summoned came between 4 and June 7 at his meeting with the polls. With the economic crisis as a backdrop, the conservatives have strengthened their presence in Parliament, while the socialists lost 58 seats and six points. The results also show a significant advance in the extreme right in some countries.

 The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards will be handed out on 5 June. The seven Grand Prizes and 21 Awards will be presented by Mr Ján Figel’, the European Commissioner responsible for Education, Training, Culture and Youth and Her Royal Highness The Infanta Doña Pilar de Borbón, President of Europa Nostra, during the official European Heritage Awards Ceremony in the Teatro Antico of Taormina, Sicily (Italy). Each Grand Prize winner will receive an amount of € 10,000.

On June 5th 2009, the Official Journal of the European Union has published the set of legal texts  implementing the measures adopted by the European Parliament on April 2009. These measures aim at putting the European Union on the forefront of action on climate and energy issues, contributing to reduce EU emissions by 20% in 2020.

 During the last meeting of the Competitiveness Council, held in Brussels on 28 and 29 May, EU research ministers have agreed to give a boost to Europe on their road to leadership in research. 

 The European Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) dated June 28, 2008 two calls for proposals for grants to foundations and political parties at European level. The total budget for both calls is 18.21 million. 

This group will aim to grant the Commission technical advice to decide on the authorisation of the use of products, substances and techniques in organic farming and processing, to develop or improve organic production rules and, more in general, for any other matter relating to the area of organic production.

As part of the efforts to clarify and simplify state aid rules, the European Commission has adopted two guidance papers setting out criteria for the in-depth assessment of large amounts of training aid and of aid to disadvantaged and disabled workers. The guidance outlines the kind of information required by the Commission for its assessment and the assessment methodology, and they are in line with the Commission's refined economic approach in state aid analysis.

The Commission, and in its name the Directorate-General Energy and Transport, intends to award a grant for actions aimed at improving the training of control officers responsible for the application of Community law concerning international road transport as announced in the DG TREN work programme for 2009.

The Netherlands and the United Kingdom are the first states to hold, from today, the elections which will form a new European Parliament. From today until June 7, the 27 EU countries will host an election in which the Union and national governments have put all their efforts

The Commission has published in the Official Journal of the European Union on June 4th an invitation to submit comments on the alleged aid to Fortis Bank Nederland and the ABN Asset, following the formal investigation procedure open on such operation. Interested parties may submit their comments to the Commission up to one month after the publication on the announcement.

The European Commission has decided today to propose that 2011 be designated as the "European Year of Volunteering". The Council and the European Parliament are expected to endorse this proposal by the beginning of next year.

Through the GMES  initiative, Europe is developing its own system to monitor the state and evolution of environment. This flagship project was one of the topics covered by European space policy ministers and European Space Agency (ESA) representatives meeting at the Sixth Space Council on 29 May.