European Union News

First estimate for the first quarter of 2008 Euro area and EU27 employment up by 0.3% +1.6% in both zones compared with the first quarter of 2007

On 16th June 2008 the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) will host in Brussels the launching conference of the research project “MOVE TOGETHER", financed under the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme for RTD.  “MOVE TOGETHER" aims to provide civil-society inputs to the European Commission Green Paper “Towards a new culture for urban mobility” and the action plan in preparation.

In the official Journal of the European Union, on the 13th June 2008, the Commission published a report on budgetary and financial management for the financial year 2007. This report presents the budgetary and financial management by the European Parliament during financial year 2007. The report outlines the financial situation and the events which have had a significant influence on activities during the year and gives a synthetic account of the achievement of the objectives for the year.

Access to basic education for African young people is a right and must therefore be guaranteed, stressed speakers at International Day of African Youth (IDAY), which was celebrated on Thursday at the European Parliament. The role of African diasporas in this context was the focus of debate between MEPs and their guests. IDAY, which was officially sponsored by EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering, is part of European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

Intense negotiations are ongoing in Bonn, Germany, during the 28th Sessions of Subsidiary bodies of the United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The aim is to move forward in the road towards a global agreement on a post-Kyoto climate change framework to be reached by December 2009. During the Bonn meeting scientists from the JRC Institute for Environment and Sustainability (IES) have contributed to two of the hottest topics on ground:

• future treatment of the “Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF)” sector.
• “Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation on developing countries (REDD)” issue.

On 5th June 2008, the Commission received a notification of a proposed concentration between Danfoss and Sauer-Danfoss by which the undertaking Danfoss A/S (‘Danfoss’, Denmark) acquires control of the whole of the undertaking Sauer-Danfoss Inc. (‘Sauer-Danfoss’, USA) by way of purchase of shares. Sauer-Danfoss is currently jointly controlled by Danfoss A/S and Sauer Holding GmbH.

The Emin-Gjiku complex of houses is one of the best examples of 18th century Kosovo architecture left in Prishtinë/Priština. Emin-Gjiku is an ancillary ethnographic and cultural centre of the Museum of Kosovo. The European Agency for Reconstruction has provided EC funds for the recently completed rehabilitation works which have restored one 18th century guesthouse building back to its original state. It is intended to give local and international visitors an idea of domestic lifestyle in Kosovo over two centuries ago.

The first meeting of the High Level Group (HLG) on the Competitiveness of the Agro-Food Industry held on the 12th June 2008, took the first step in paving the way to boosting the performance of this important sector in Europe. The group, chaired by European Commission Vice President Günter Verheugen, includes Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kuneva, Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou and senior policy makers from the public and private sector. Their task is to identify and address issues that determine the competitiveness of the Agro-Food industry and to formulate a set of recommendations to achieve predictable and stable framework conditions for years to come.

The European Commission today hosted a high-level conference on the relationship between soil and climate change, and the role of soil management in climate change mitigation and adaptation. Organic matter plays a fundamental role supporting soil fertility, retaining water, sustaining biodiversity and regulating the global carbon cycle. But organic matter is in decline, and the conference heard how large amounts of carbon have been lost to the atmosphere in recent years.

World Day Against Child Labour will this year be marked by thousands of events in scores of countries around the world on 12 June with a focus on the need to improve access of children to education as the right response to child labour.

On 11 June 2008, Once was screened in the European Parliament as part of the European Film Festival on Intercultural Dialogue. The film, written and directed by Irishman John Carney, was introduced by MEP Avril DOYLE (EPP-ED, IE) and was followed by a discussion with Grainne Humphreys, Director of the Dublin International Film Festival.

During the first week of operations companies have actively started to use the REACH-IT portal for making company sign-ups and for submitting pre-registrations. They have also sent notifications, inquiries and registrations using the temporary procedures. Almost 5,000 files were received.