9 January, 2009

Dear !*FIRST_NAME*!

Welcome to news@eu, the e-newsletter of the European Commission's Delegations to Australia and New Zealand.

Commission launches €3 million emergency funding for humanitarian aid in Gaza
Gas supplies to the European Union
Slovakia adopts the euro
Czech Presidency January to June 2009
2009 Year of Creativity and Innovation
European Film Festival in Canberra, Sydney and Brisbane
Roquefort cheese: memorandum of understanding signed
New Zealand New Years Honours list
New publication: New Zealand and the European Union
Call for applications: European Master's Program in Human Rights & Democratisation
Eurobarometer survey results

Commission launches €3 million emergency funding decision for humanitarian aid in Gaza

The European Commission will provide an extra €3 million relief assistance in the Gaza Strip.  The aid will be deployed as rapidly as possible to meet the basic needs of people affected by the Israeli airstrikes and by continuing access restrictions.  “One and a half million people are crammed into an area that is just over one percent the size of Belgium. They rely on supplies from outside for their survival and, with every day that passes, their situation becomes more desperate. The European Union's humanitarian aid goes impartially to those who are most in need, in line with the principles of international humanitarian law." said Louis Michel, the European Commissioner responsible for Development and Humanitarian Aid.

The funds are channelled through the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO) under the responsibility of Louis Michel. EU-funded humanitarian projects are implemented by international NGOs, specialised UN agencies and the Red Cross/Red Crescent movement.

Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), is visiting the Middle East from 4 to 8 January to discuss the extremely serious situation in Gaza and in southern Israel with the leaders in the region as part of the European Union’s efforts to secure a cease-fire and to facilitate humanitarian relief for the victims of the conflict. Mr Solana is travelling with the EU delegation, led by the Czech Presidency, to Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan. Mr Solana will then remain in the region for talks with leaders in Damascas and Beirut. link

Gas supplies to the European Union

A joint statement by the Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission on 6 January declared "Without prior warning and in clear contradiction with the reassurances given by the highest Russian and Ukrainian authorities to the European Union, gas supplies to some EU Member States have been substantially cut. This is completely unacceptable. The Czech EU Presidency and the European Commission demand that gas supplies be immediately restored to the EU and that the two parties resume at once negotiations with a view to a definitive settlement of their bilateral commercial dispute. The Czech Presidency and the Commission intend to continue in the dialogue with both parties so that they can reach an agreement immediately." The Presidency of the Council, on behalf of the European Union, called for an urgent solution to the commercial dispute on gas supplies from the Russian Federation to Ukraine, and for an immediate resumption of full deliveries of gas to the EU Member States.

Slovakia adopts the euro

Amid celebrations in Bratislava and across Europe, on 1 January Slovakia embraced the euro, joining 15 'eurozone' countries in celebrating 10 years of the European currency.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso said: "On this tenth anniversary of the euro, I congratulate Slovakia and warmly welcome all its citizens to the euro area. The euro will help Slovakia to take part in, and benefit from, Europe's collective effort to recover from the current economic crisis. By joining the euro area, Slovakia has enhanced its long-term potential to create growth and jobs and keep inflation under control. But the euro is more than just money. On this historic New Year's Day, Slovakia is a powerful symbol of economic and political progress and of European integration." link

Czech Presidency

The Czech Republic officially took over the Presidency of the EU Council on 1 January 2009. The website is the main means of communication for the Presidency during the first half of 2009 and is a pool of important information for the general public, experts and media representatives about the events taking place during the Czech Presidency, and about the European Union and its policies. The main priorities of the Czech Presidency can be summed up as “the 3 E's”: Economy, Energy and External Relations. The Czech Presidency logo created by a young Czech graphic designer, Tomás Pakosta, reflects both the Czech Presidency's motto 'Europe without Barriers' and the European Union's slogan 'United in Diversity'. link

2009 Year of Creativity and Innovation

The Czech Presidency of the EU and European Commission launched the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009 on 7 January, with the slogan “Imagine. Create. Innovate”. The aim of the Year is to promote creative and innovative approaches in different sectors of human activity and help equip the European Union for the challenges ahead in a globalised world.

The European Year of Innovation and Creativity aims to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation as key competences for personal, social and economic development. It has acquired a special meaning in the context of the current economic slowdown - the message it should convey is that Europe should not react to the crisis by reducing investment into skills and innovation. By emphasizing these priorities, the EU aims at shaping Europe's future in a global competition by fostering the creative and innovative potential in all of us. The EU will offer a framework for raising awareness of the issues concerned and promoting a policy debate on how to increase Europe's creative and innovative potential. As for previous European Years, measures will include promotion campaigns, events and initiatives at European, national, regional and local levels. link

Windows on Europe Film Festival 2009

The Windows on Europe film festival bring together a collection of films which draws on the diverse and rich culture of Europe. The festival is a window on the wonderful world of European cinema, and is brought to you by the European Union in Australia, sponsored by Dendy Cinemas with movies provided by the EU Member States. From paranoia in Belgium to betrayal in Romania, from rescuing wolf cubs in Finland to saving a horse called Mississippi in Germany, from murders in France to training for the Winter Olympics in Hungary, and everything imaginable in between, the Festival has something for all cinematic tastes. The films will be screened from 7 to 15 February during the National Multicultural Festival in Canberra, in Sydney from 14 to 22 February, and in Brisbane from 21 February to 1 March. More information on our website: Film Festival 2009

Roquefort cheese: a memorandum of understanding has now been signed, recognising France's system of sanitary inspection and certification

Signed on Monday 15 December 2008, in Paris, by French Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Michel Barnier, and his Australian counterpart, represented by Australian Ambassador to France, David Ritchie, the MoU makes official the opening of the Australian market to Roquefort cheese, which was granted in September 2005 after many years of negotiation. Furthermore, the addition of a clause to the text prepared in 2005 means that exporters of Roquefort cheese, so far the only soft raw-milk cheese allowed to be sold in Australia, will be able to rely in Australia on the results of E.coli tests performed by approved French laboratories.

Michel Barnier welcomed the trust shown by Australian authorities in France's system of sanitary inspection and certification and in the quality of Roquefort cheese production. This traditional product is a good example of how food safety can be ensured while retaining a gastronomic heritage of world renown.

New Zealand New Years Honours list

We congratulate not one, but two New Zealand European Union Centres Network (NZ EUCN) Board members who received awards in the New Years Honours List 2009: Hon Margaret Wilson at the University of Waikato and Prof. Caroline Saunders at the University of Lincoln.  Margaret Wilson was appointed a Distinguished Companion to the New Zealand Order of Merit (the DCNZM) for services as a Member of Parliament and as Speaker of the House of Representatives, while Caroline Saunders was appointed Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (the ONZM) for services to agricultural research.

The New Zealand European Union Centres Network is a network of seven New Zealand universities that aims to combine the three elements of research, teaching and outreach under a unique thematic umbrella focused on the impact, role and understanding of the European Union within New Zealand and the wider Pacific region. The Network is multidisciplinary in orientation and open to all New Zealand universities with an interest in European Union Studies. http://www.eucnetwork.org.nz/

New publication: New Zealand and the European Union

Britain's entry into the then European Economic Community was a major event for New Zealand and the biggest external economic shock of the 1970s. 'New Zealand and the European Union' offers a clear and concise analysis of New Zealand's relationship with the European Union and explores their evolving economic and political relationship. As New Zealand's second biggest economic partner after Australia, the European Union is critically important to New Zealand. This book will appeal to those interested in New Zealand's economic history and its relationship with the European Union as well as to students taking courses on Europe and the European Union. More information: book

Eurobarometer survey results

The results of the Eurobarometer Standard survey of Autumn 2008 published on 18 December show that 49% of Europeans believe that things have taken a turn for the worse in their country. Opinion is rather more divided with regard to the EU: 35% believe that the EU is going in the right direction, 34% the wrong one. In spite of the negative mood, support for the EU (53%), the perception of the advantages of belonging to the EU (56%) and confidence in the European institutions remain stable, even though the EU's image has suffered slightly (-3). However this survey reveals a trend to trust the EU more with regard to its support of Europeans during the economic crisis: 54% of Europeans want the EU to take decisions with regard to inflation and 51% with regard to the economy, although 57% of Europeans believe that the fight against unemployment should be undertaken on a national level. full report

Call for applications for European Master's Program in Human Rights and Democratisation

Applications are invited for the European Master's Programme in Human Rights and Democratisation (E.MA) 2009/2010 organised by the European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratisation (EIUC). E.MA is open to EU and non-EU citizens, and the deadline for application is 20 March 2009. Candidates for admission will find all useful information to apply on the E.MA website at http://www.emahumanrights.org and on the EIUC website at http://www.eiuc.org .

Gateway to the European Union in New Zealand

http://www.eu.org.nz/

Publications on our website (pdf downloads)

EU-Australia Partnership Framework
Partnership Framework Summary Leaflet (download 287 kbs)

If you would like hardcopies of these publications, please email delegation-australia@ec.europa.eu

Upcoming Events

Australia

New Zealand

EuroFest, 17 May 2009, TSB Bank Arena Wellington. EuroFest is a series of events organised by European Forum Inc showcasing all European things, ranging from cultural performances, arts, crafts and food through to European products and services. euroforum@gmail.com or http://www.eurofest.org.nz

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