23 January, 2009

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

President Barroso to visit Australia and New Zealand
President Barroso calls for stronger trans-Atlantic ties
Windows on Europe Film Festival 2009
Europe Street comes to Canberra
Louis Michel to undertake humanitarian mission to Gaza and Southern Israel
EU and Turkey look for ways to help in Gaza
President Barroso welcomes resolution of the gas dispute
Towards a European maritime transport area without barriers
A strategic milestone for the modernisation of air traffic management
.eu domain passes the 3 million mark
Migration plays a key role for population growth in European regions
Scientific Projects selected and funded under the FAST Program 2009
Jean Monnet Programme - Call for proposals 2009
Asia Europe Journal : Old Media or New Media?
New book: Europe and Asia : Regions in Flux
Interim forecasts for 2009-2010
Upcoming events

President Barroso to visit Australia and New Zealand

European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will visit Australia and New Zealand in February 2009 for meetings with Australian and New Zealand Ministers and officials. President Barroso will meet with Prime Minister Rudd and Cabinet Ministers, address the National Press Club in Canberra, open the Windows on Europe Film Festival in Sydney, and address the European Australian Business Council. In New Zealand, President Barroso will visit conservation projects, meet with Prime Minister John Key, Foreign Minister McCully and the Opposition in Auckland  and Wellington.

Windows on Europe Film Festival 2009

The Windows on Europe film festival brings 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.

Europe Street, Saturday 7 February

20 Member States and the European Commission Delegation will form Europe Street at the National Multicultural Festival on Saturday 7 February. Europe Street will again be located in Ainslie Avenue, Canberra, and will feature country information, information on travelling and studying as well as some giveaways. It's a great opportunity to come along see what Europe has to offer.

Louis Michel to undertake humanitarian mission to Gaza and Southern Israel

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, is to travel to Gaza and Israel on 25 and 26 January on a humanitarian mission amid the current ceasefire. Welcoming the ceasefire currently in place, Commissioner Michel stated, “Getting the humanitarian aid through to the people that need it most remains the top priority. My humanitarian mission will allow me to see for myself the suffering of the civilian populations in both Gaza and southern Israel. The meeting with Minister Sheetrit (pictured with Commissioner Michel at the EC) was very constructive in which there was a recognition that increased humanitarian access and delivery was needed urgently. In this respect, the setting up of fast-track procedures for humanitarian access and delivery should be considered a priority. I also hope my visit to the region can underscore the importance the European Commission gives to meeting the humanitarian needs of the civilian populations there.”

The Commission, as the main donor in Palestine, will continue to work closely with partners to address the most immediate needs of the population in Gaza in the weeks and months to come. Assessment missions by aid agencies are already on the ground and the Commission will liaise closely with them and in parallel proceed to undertake its own assessment with a view to prepare efforts of the donor community in the coming weeks to address the most pressing needs of the population.

In 2008, the European Commission provided more than €73 million in humanitarian assistance for victims of the ongoing crisis in the Palestinian Territories - of which 56% was for relief activities in the Gaza Strip. 10.4 million euros of humanitarian aid has been earmarked for food, emergency shelter repairs and further medical support since just ahead of the outbreak of the recent conflict.

"I welcome the calm that thanks to the announcement by Hamas of a ceasefire following Israel's unilateral ceasefire declaration will finally allow our aid partners to alleviate the suffering of the population after so many days of distress. I call on all the parties to facilitate movement and access of humanitarian staff and goods at this critical moment including through the opening of the crossings." stated Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner ahead of the EU Foreign Ministers meetings with Israeli and Arab counterparts.

EU and Turkey look for ways to help in Gaza

Javier Solana, European Union High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), had a meeting this week with Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey. The High Representative and the Turkish Prime Minister discussed the main topics on the international agenda, in particular the Middle East and the latest developments in Gaza following the ceasefires declared by Israel and Hamas. He discussed with Mr Erdogan ways in which Turkey and the European Union could work with the Palestinian Authority and Israel, as well as other parties, in order to help improve the humanitarian situation, contribute to the rapid reconstruction of Gaza and support the opening of Gaza's borders, with arrangements including the deployment of international observers. Mr Solana pointed to the presence of the EUBAM Rafah team on the ground, which was, he said, ready to redeploy in any way that could be helpful when an agreement on the border monitoring arrangements was reached.

President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso calls for stronger trans-Atlantic ties

President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso called on Europe and the United States of America to further deepen their transatlantic ties and join efforts to engage others in addressing the great challenges of our time. President Barroso said "We need together to promote a renewed politics of global engagement. The United States and the European Union should acknowledge their interdependence and the need for openness, while working closely together to shape multilateral responses to global challenges, from the financial and economic crises to peace and security, including in the Middle East, development challenges, and of course the defining struggle of our generation: to stop and reverse climate change."

"I look forward to working together with President Obama and his Administration to promote a politics of global engagement, that will support international institutions reformed to address effectively our global responsibilities, from climate change to development aid, trade, democracy and human rights, and sound financial systems. We look forward here in the European Commission to joining with the United States and our partners to rise and meet the challenges of globalisation. I personally believe that the election of President Obama was a defining, turning point for America. It may now also be an important turning point for the rest of the world." concluded President Barroso.

President Barroso welcomes the end of the gas dispute

José Manuel Durão Barroso, President of the European Commission, on 20 January announced "Today we can – finally – welcome the resumption of gas supplies to Europe. The Russian side opened the valves this morning and the Ukrainian side has allowed the gas to flow. Our monitors on the ground report that gas is flowing normally, pressure is building up in the system and gas is crossing the Ukrainian border into Slovakia. So we can now tell our citizens: the gas is finally on its way. We have worked night and day for three weeks to get to this point. In particular I have spoken in considerable detail and with great regularity to President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin on the Russian side and to President Yushenko and Prime Minister Tymoschenko on the Ukrainian side. I have made it very clear throughout that we insisted on the immediate resumption of gas supplies. read more

Towards a European maritime transport area without barriers

The European Commission this week presented a comprehensive ten year strategy plan to promote safe, secure, clean and efficient shipping. The long-term competitiveness of European shipping and related maritime industries in world markets, and the adaptation of the entire seaborne transport system to the challenges of the 21st century are at the heart of this strategy plan.

"The financial crisis and its impact on the maritime transport sector demands decisive action" said Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani responsible for transport "We need to look ahead and provide answers to the many challenges we face today, from keeping EU seamanship capacities, combating piracy and reducing the environmental impact of shipping ", he added.

The proposed strategic options are built on an all-inclusive approach, which are at the basis of the new European Integrated Maritime Policy, and reflect the core principles of sustainable development, economic growth and open markets in fair competition and high environmental and social standards. Over recent years, ever more globalised trade connections and the developments in terms of world trade, energy markets, climate change concerns or security threats have stressed the importance of seaborne transport. With over 80% of world trade being carried by sea, maritime transport remains the backbone of international trade.

Piracy

An additional topic for discussion at the seminar organised by the European Commission was the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery of maritime transport. Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs, said: "The EU is committed to doing all it can to play its part in deterring and stamping out acts of piracy. We need an integrated civilian/military approach where all concerned work together. The European Commission contributes to this through improving maritime surveillance and by helping to set up a firm international legal framework for ensuring security at sea and to establish stable public order on land." The seminar brings together leading figures from the European maritime sector, political representatives, high-level international officials, diplomats and military officials involved in and committed to combatting this phenomenon which increased considerably in 2008, notably along the Somali coast – a strategic passage for international shipping. read more

A strategic milestone for the modernisation of air traffic management

The European Commission agreed on new rules for the use of data link in air traffic management (ATM) systems in Europe. Data link technology revolutionizes communications between air traffic controllers and pilots through supplementing voice communications with an air-ground data link. The set of common technical and procedural rules adopted are essential to modernize air traffic management systems within the Single European Sky.

For further information on the Single European Sky: http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air/single_european_sky/single_european_sky_en.htm

.eu domain passes the 3 million mark

The third million .eu domain name was registered on 11 January 2009 by a German citizen. Two and a half years after its launch, this confirms the success of the .eu top-level internet domain. It is the fourth most popular internet domain among European country domains and the ninth worldwide. By promoting a distinctly European online identity .eu helps citizens and businesses to reap the full benefits of the single market. Multinational companies and SMEs, NGOs and think tanks as well as individual Europeans have all adopted .eu to mark their web presence.

"The three million .eu domains reflect the confidence of European internet users in .eu," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media. " This achievement, just a few months before its third anniversary, indicates how .eu has clearly won public favour: a growing number of internet users are embracing the opportunity to express their European character online. In particular, I am glad to see that an increasing number of small and medium-sized companies have adopted .eu as an integral part of their corporate identity and I am looking forward to seeing more companies taking advantage of .eu in the future." read more

Migration plays a key role for population growth in European regions

Migration plays a key role for population growth in Europe and has counterbalanced the impact of a negative natural population development in many regions. A trend of East-West polarisation of the pattern of demographic development is visible in 2001-2005, mostly due to negative migration balance in Eastern Europe. The ESPON Territorial Observation No.1 on dynamics of population development and migration in Europe and its regions, including 8 new European maps are available at the ESPON website www.espon.eu .

European Commission Jean Monnet Programme - Call for proposals 2009
The European Commission's Jean Monnet Programme is designed to increase knowledge and awareness about European integration by promoting teaching, research and debate on European Union matters at university-level institutions world-wide. Applications open for Jean Monnet Modules, Jean Monnet Chairs, Jean Monnet Centres of Excellence, Information and Research activities (such as Conferences and Seminars). Applications close: 13 February 2009.

Further information: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/ajm/2009/index_en.htm  and http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/ajm/2009/application_en.htm .

Scientific Projects selected and funded under the FAST Program 2009

The “FAST” program was created in 2003 and aims to reinforce and facilitate the scientific and technological collaboration between France and Australia. It is jointly run by the French Departments of Foreign and European Affairs (MAEE) and of Higher Education and Research (MESR) together with the Australian Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR). The funds allocated each year to this program represent 150,000 euros contributed by the French government and $250,000 AUD from the Australian government. A total of 14 French Australian Projects have been selected for their excellence in priority scientific fields such as the Environment, Energy and Life Sciences, with majority of the high quality selected projects linked to environmental topics : "This field of research is one of the most important for our society at the present time and it is true that France and Australia have all the assets in hand to be able to play a pioneering role in this research. I have no doubt that following previous examples in the field of Physics or Agronomy for example, the active collaboration of French and Australian researchers will lead to innovative and meaningful breakthroughs" said Ambassador of France to Australia , Michel Filhol.

For more details on projects please visit https://grants.innovation.gov.au/ISL/ or the FEAST website at http://www.feastfrance.org

New book: Europe and Asia : Regions in Flux

In bringing together scholars from three continents, the book, edited by Professor Philomena Murray of the University of Melbourne, aims not simply to provide an examination of EU-East Asia relations, but also to explore the idea that the EU might constitute a paradigm for East Asian regionalism. It examines EU links with East Asia in the Asia-Europe (ASEM) meetings, and the new wave of regionalism in Asia. Further information: www.cerc.unimelb.edu.au

Asia Europe Journal : ‘Old Media or New Media? Developments in the Media Landscape and Media Usage in Asia and Europe '

Asia Europe Journal is seeking papers that focus on developments in the media landscape, media usage and consumer behaviour in Asia and Europe. The papers could for example compare the evolution of Asian and European mass communication networks, explore how the rise of new communication technology influences community communication, deal with the challenges and dangers of a social-digital divide and analyse media policies and regulatory frameworks, etc.  Papers should be written in English and be preceded by a short abstract. The paper should not exceed 7000 words.

Papers due 31 January 2009 to asiaeuropejournal@asef.org Further information: http://.aej.asef.org or www.springer.com

Interim forecasts for 2009-2010: slowdown sharpens but growth will come back before the end of 2009

GDP growth in the European Union is expected to fall by 1.8 % in 2009 before recovering moderately to 0.5% in 2010. This is the result of the impact on the real economy of the intensified financial crisis, the ensuing global downturn manifested in the severe contraction of world trade and manufacturing output and, in some countries, housing-market corrections. Government consumption and public investment, however, will provide relief. The fact that inflationary pressures have eased also contributes to private consumption. The discretionary fiscal measures announced since August 2008 will limit the contraction in GDP growth by about ¾ pp. this year. The severity of the economic downturn will have a significant impact on employment and public finances over the forecast horizon.

"The measures to stabilise the financial market, the easing of monetary policies and the economic recovery plans will enable us to put a floor under the deterioration of the economy this year and create the conditions for a gradual recovery in the second part of 2009. The top priority is to make those measures work effectively: to improve the flows of credit at reasonable prices and to implement the fiscal stimulus packages quickly to stimulate investment and private consumption. To boost confidence, it is also crucial that Member States explicitly commit that they will reverse the deterioration of public finances as soon as we return to normal economic times so as to ensure the medium-to-long term sustainability of public finances", said Joaquín Almunia, Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner.

Economic growth is forecast to have dropped to about 1% in 2008 in both the EU and the euro area, from just below 3% in 2007, according to the advanced interim forecast released today. In 2009, real GDP is expected to fall sharply, by 1.8% in the EU and 1.9 in the euro area, before recovering by about ½% in 2010. A more detailed report is available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/thematic_articles/article13727_en.htm

In Brief

• EU prepares WTO action over US trade sanction law
• Breakthrough in EU-Japan aviation relations
• European Border Breaker Awards - Ting Tings and Lykke Li at Australia's Big Day Out concerts this weekend
• Europe needs to intensify and double cancer screening, concludes Commission report
• Meeting with Ministers on the Situation in the Automotive Sector Brussels, 16 January 2009
• December 2008 - Euro area annual inflation down to 1.6%- EU down to 2.2%
• November 2008 -Euro area external trade deficit 7.0 bn euro - 23.8 bn euro deficit for EU27
• Eurostat news releases on the Internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
• Selected Principal European Economic Indicators: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/euroindicators

Gateway to the European Union in New Zealand

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

Free to a good home!

If you're interested in the work of the EU - especially environment, trade, role in the world, candidate countries, statistics - and want to receive regular updates, let Wellington Delegation know [delegation-new-zealand@ec.europa.eu]. We have plenty of high-quality, accessible, pertinent material on these areas (and others) which may help if you work or teach or are interested in the subject. We're happy to give it away!

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

Serbs and Croats: Politics and Power 21 March 2009
Victoria University, Wellington, New Zealand
This one-day conference will explore political movements and their impact on the lands and peoples of the territory of former Yugoslavia. The conference will be held at the Kelburn Campus Wood Seminar Room (Old Kirk room 406). The conference is free and open to the public.
Further information: http://www.victoria.ac.nz/antipodean/
Questions to Alexander Maxwell,  alexander.maxwell@vuw.ac.nz

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

For more information on the items covered in news@eu, contact Roger Camilleri - PH: +61 2 6271 2744 or Jan Skorich +61 2 6271 2747. If you have not received this edition directly and would like to subscribe please go to http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/forms/newsletter_subscription.htm and complete the registration form. Feel free to forward news@eu on to anyone you think might be interested.

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