European Union News - European Union

After consulting the Economic and Financial Committee, the Council of the European Union has issued two opinions that analyze the situation in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria in the European convergence and serving as a revision to the programs that both countries must follow between 2008 and 2011

Representatives from more than one hundred European universities and other stakeholders in the training of translators gather in Brussels on 16 and March 17 to complete the program that has launched the European Master in Translation and agree on the criteria that the programs Training must meet to obtain a quality label common EMT.

On Monday the European Commission will officially launch a guide on the hunting of wild birds to ensure the activity is carried out in accordance with EU nature legislation. It aims to clarify the hunting requirements of the EU's oldest nature law, the Wild Birds Directive, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on the 2nd of April 2009. This is one of the key tools in helping achieve the EU's objective of halting biodiversity loss. The guide on sustainable hunting be launched at an official ceremony in Paris by the French Environment Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and the Director General of the Commission's Directorate General for Environment, Karl Falkenberg.

The Official Journal of the European Union of March 13th 2009 has issued a Corrigendum to Call for Proposals EACEA/33/08, under EU-Canada Programme for cooperation in higher  education, training and youth. According to this publication, application deadline is extended until May 8th 2009.

Policy makers and top managers of the most important transport operators, manufacturers and logistic companies meet in Brussels between March 9th and 10th at a conference chaired by Vice President Tajani. During these two days, experts will have the opportunity to discuss the future challenges for the transport sector and kick off the preparation of the 2010 White Paper on the Future of Transport Policy.

Following complaints received from companies, associations, NGOs, universities and other organisations involved in EU-funded projects and contracts, the European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has decided to open a new investigation into the timeliness of payments by the European Commission. The Ombudsman wants to find out which measures the Commission has taken recently to tackle late payment problems.

In its Report on ex ante verification of additionality in the regions eligible under the Convergence objective for the period 2007–2013, published on March 6th 2009, COM(2009) 112 final, the European Commission summarises the main findings of the verification of this principle at the ex ante stage for the period 2007-2013 along with an analysis from an economic perspective. In this Report, the Commission considers that there is clearly room to improve the information and the methodology for determining and verifying additionality, which is an important principle of cohesion policy. The Commission intends to engage in a more in-depth and permanent dialogue with Member States on how to overcome the shortcomings and improve the application of the principle.

The European Commission will provide nearly a quarter of a billion euro in humanitarian aid to vulnerable people in twelve African countries, with 8.5 additional M€ specifically allocated for ECHO Flight, a special humanitarian air service. All funds are channelled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the direct responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel.

The opinion adopted by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) on the Commission's proposal for a Directive on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation  welcomes the attention given in the proposal to the data protection needs arising both for the donors and the recipient of organs, especially as concerns the requirement for keeping their identities confidential, but it also points out the need to reinforce security procedures to protect personal data.

The European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO) took its first practical and very visible steps towards modernised and streamlined selection methods that are to become fully operational next year. EPSO is also launching a new, more intuitive layout of its website and a new brand and logo, under the slogan "EU career - smart choice". This emphasises the wide range of attractive opportunities on offer from the EU institutions.

The Commission has published the General Report on the activities of the European Union in 2008. Last year was marked in particular by the global financial crisis, climate change and international conflict, all of which brought rapid and effective European reaction that pushed the Union to the forefront of the world political stage. The key institutional event of the year was the process of ratifying the Lisbon Treaty, which faltered in spring with the 'no' vote in the Irish referendum, but was revived at the European Council in December.