European Union News

Parliament adopted a non-binding report on support schemes for farmers (support for cotton) which calls for a deeper revision of the aid system introduced in 2004 so as to allow more flexibility to Member States. MEPs say that policies to forecast, mitigate and combat the effects of climate change on cotton-producing regions may be funded under the national support programmes.

The European Commission and the West African Economic and Monetary Union (Senegal, Benin, Togo, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau and Ivory Coast) agreed to increase their collaboration in a number of sectors, including initiatives that can have a positive impact in food prices and regional integration. President of the Commission of the UEMOA, Soulaïma Cissé, met on the 7th and 8th of May, the Commissioner for Regional Policy, Danuta Hübner, and the Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, to discuss concrete initiatives to strengthen economic and political cooperation between UEMOA and the European Commission. President Cissé also met EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson, to discuss progress in the ongoing Economic Partnership Agreement between the EU and West Africa.

On the 9th May 2008, the European Commission published its decision to set up a group of experts on financial education. The Commission issued a communication on Financial Education, which among other initiatives announced the setting-up of a group of experts with practical experience in financial education matters. The Commission highlighted that financial knowledge is very important within education.

EU Member States and countries neighbouring the Union will at the ESPON seminar “Territorial Challenges and Cooperation in a Wider Europe” take further steps in understanding and cooperating on territorial development dynamics within Europe between the 2-3 June 2008 in Portorož (Slovenia). The policy focus is territorial cohesion and a sustainable and balanced development.

The European Parliament welcomed on the 8th May 2008,the first comprehensive initiative of the European Commission in the field of sport. In an extensive report, the Parliament supported the Commission's approach and most of the actions contained in the White Paper on Sport, which was adopted in July 2007.

In a recent impact study, practically everyone interviewed considered the programme as one of the most, if not the most, important instruments for supporting the reform of higher education in their country. With such overwhelming positive responses, the Commission considers the continuation of the programme important and has therefore launched the fourth phase spanning the period 2007-2013. The fourth phase of the Tempus programme was launched in January may receive up to 52.5 million euros of EU funding.

On the 9th May, the European Commission published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJ), a list of ships that were refused access to Community ports between 1 September 2007 and 31 March 2008, pursuant to Article 7b of Council Directive 95/21/EC on the port State control of ships.

EUROPE DIRECT Information Centres organise over 500 events to celebrate Europe Day on 9 May. The main theme this year is intercultural dialogue. Through the celebrations thousands of people will be able to explore the many faces of the EU.

As of the 8th of May 2008, the European Commission invites feedback by industry, consumers and other interested stakeholders to review the functioning and effectiveness of the EU Roaming Regulation, which entered into force on 30 June 2007.

As the EU celebrated the ten year aniversary of the the euro currency, adopted by the European Counil in 1998, Esolvakia received the go ahead to join the euro area in 2009.

On the 8th May 2008, the European Union published the council decision from the 4th March 2008 concerning the adoption of the SIRENE Manual and other implementing measures for the second generation Schengen Information System (SIS II). The manual will prove a useful handbook for operators of the SIS II system and for facilitating work by the SIRENE Bureau.

The European Commission has published two new Calls for Proposals within the support framework of the European audiovisual sector called MEDIA 2007. The calls have a total budget of 7.9 million euros. The calls are for Support to Video on Demand and Digital Cinema Distribution and Support for the implementation of Pilot Projects.