EU news you can use, 18 November 2010

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EU news you can use, 18 November 2010

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Statement by President Barroso on Ireland at the end of the ECOFIN meeting

Commission appeals to 14 Member States, including Ireland, to activate missing children hotline 116 000

Journalists Awards presented for highlighting poverty and social exclusion issues

European Commission adopts new strategy to empower people with disabilities

Launch of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure

News in brief

Agenda

Job Opportunities: Competition for Assistants in the EU institutions

Spotlight on: Lilou, the cat who took the Dart!

	Statement by President Barroso on Ireland at the end of the ECOFIN meeting “…I would really like to welcome the conclusions that have been reached in the ECOFIN Council. The Irish Prime Minister, Brian Cowen has set out the current situation. The Irish Government is indeed making enormous efforts. I feel confident that the four-year fiscal plan of the Irish Government will be presented soon and next year's budget will prove that 2014 target date for correcting excessive deficit is firm and credible. The Europgroup yesterday indeed welcomed the determination of the Irish authorities to stick to the Council recommendations. But Ireland is addressing a very specific problem as far as the banking sector is concerned. This must be done speedily and decisively to pave the way of full confidence to be restored. In this context, the Irish authorities are committed to working with the Commission, ECB and IMF, to determine the best way to deal with market risks, especially as regards the banking sector. That was the message we've got … in the Eurogroup. And indeed I welcome the clear will of the Eurogroup to take determined and coordinated action to safeguard the financial stability of the euro area. We have the necessary financial backstops to do so. Following the decision at the last European Council it is also important to reiterate our determination to achieve this goal. So let's see what are the conclusions of the technical work that is taking place."
	Commission appeals to 14 Member States, including Ireland, to activate missing children hotline 116 000 The European Commission this week made a final call to 14 EU Member States to make the Europe-wide 116 000 hotline for missing children operational as soon as possible. The hotline provides a single number for missing children and their parents to call for help anywhere in the EU. Having the same hotline will help children and parents in trouble get help when away from home, such as during family holidays. Ireland is one of 14 countries without an assigned EU hotline number. If countries persist in failing to assign and operate the hotline, the Commission wants to look at legislative measures to make sure they are put it in place. In a report adopted this week, the Commission takes stock of the situation in the Member States, proposes common minimum quality requirements for the service throughout the EU and gives Member States a last chance to make the hotline operational before considering legislative measures. See here for details.
	Journalists Awards presented for highlighting poverty and social exclusion issues RTE and Irish Times journalists were presented with awards at the closing ceremony in Ireland this week for the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion. Barbara Nolan, the Director of the European Commission Representation in Ireland, announced the national winners of the European Year Journalist Award 2010. The winners are Irish Times journalist Conor Lally who won the print category and Bill Hughes and Bernadine Carraher of Mind the Gap films who won the audio visual category. Both will now proceed to the European level of the competition where they will represent Ireland and be in with a chance of winning €4,500. Ms Nolan highly commended this year’s entrants: “The calibre of entries received for this award was fantastic, in most instances the articles provided a voice for the voiceless and discussed topics that are not always popular or easy to discuss. It can be difficult to address the issues of poverty and social inclusion in the media. The issues involved are multifaceted and complex, with those at the frontline often unwilling to talk or share their experiences, due to the stigma attached by the general public.” She added, "Mind the Gap films and Conor Lally both found interesting and compelling ways to highlight social issues within Irish society and they are worthy entries to the European level of the competition and we wish them continued success. It’s very fitting that we mark the end of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social exclusion in Ireland by acknowledging the work of some of Ireland’s finest journalists and thank them for helping to raise awareness and to broaden our understanding of these issues.” Each year, the European Union selects a theme of general interest aimed at raising public awareness and drawing national governments' attention to the related issues. Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion was chosen as the focus of the 2010 European Year to mark the 10-year Anniversary of the Lisbon Council when Heads of State and government committed to taking steps to make a decisive impact on the levels of poverty. For further details see www.eapn.ie
	European Commission adopts new strategy to empower people with disabilities Most people take it for granted that they can hop on a bus to go shopping, surf the Internet or enjoy a television series. But for the 80 million Europeans with a disability, there may be major obstacles that put these activities out of reach. The European Commission adopted a new strategy to break down these barriers. The plan outlines how the EU and national governments can empower people with disabilities so they can enjoy their rights. Specific measures over the next decade range from the mutual recognition of national disability cards, the promotion of standardisation to a more targeted use of public procurement and state aid rules. These measures will have substantial societal benefits, but should also produce a knock-on effect on Europe's economy. They could for example enhance the EU market for assisted devices and services, which already today has an estimated annual value of over €30 billion. See here for details.
	Launch of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure EU Research Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn participated in the launch of the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) in Brussels earlier this week. Other speakers at the launch included Holocaust survivor Sir Nathan Ramet, chairman of the Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance in Mechelen, Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Israeli Education Minister Gideon Saar. The European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) project aims to give researchers online access to a unique Holocaust database by combining the currently dispersed Holocaust archives around Europe, Israel and elsewhere into a cohesive corpus of research resources. The EHRI is funded by the European Union, with a financial contribution of €7 million over four years from the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7). Commissioner Geoghegan-Quinn said at the event that "the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure has a great responsibility to preserve the proof of the Holocaust for people in Europe and worldwide, for all of us today, and for future generations." See here for further details.
	News in brief Ireland's industrial production up strongly month on month While industrial production in the euro area fell by 0.9% in September 2010 compared with August, Ireland bucked the trend by showing the highest month on month rise by going up 7.9%. Ireland also showed the fifth highest rise year on year (September 09 / September 10). In September 2010 compared with August 2010, production of non-durable consumer goods fell by 0.6% in the euro area and by 0.3% in the EU27. Production of energy declined by 0.9% and 0.7% respectively. Intermediate goods decreased by 1.3% in the euro area and by 0.7% in the EU27. Capital goods dropped by 1.3% and 0.8% respectively. Durable consumer goods fell by 3.0% in the euro area and by 2.5% in the EU27. Among the Member States for which data are available, industrial production rose in ten, fell in ten and remained stable in France. The highest increases were registered in Ireland (+7.9%), Estonia (+3.6%) and Denmark (+2.7%), and the most significant decreases in Malta (-5.6%), Greece (-5.4%) and Portugal (-4.7%). See here for details. EU consumers not making full use of the savings opportunities of energy market liberalisation, study finds A European Commission study on the functioning of retail electricity markets for EU consumers published this week shows that EU consumers could save about €13 billion in total if they switched to the cheapest electricity tariff they could find. Mystery shoppers conducting the study have been able to find a less expensive tariff in more than six cases out of ten (62%). Individually, consumers could save about € 100 if they switched to the cheapest offer. But the study also shows that consumers are not making full use of the savings opportunities that market liberalisation has created, allowing them a choice of electricity suppliers. Consumer awareness is low: only one in three (32%) EU consumers have compared offers and almost half of them (47%) do not know how much electricity they consume at home. The Commission wants a series of actions that will facilitate consumer choice and empower EU consumers on the energy market, including easier price comparison, more effective complaint handling and better bills. The report also shows that the percentage of Irish households in arrears with utility bills in 2008 was the same as the EU average at about 8%. See here for details. Statement from Commissioner Lewandowski on the failure of the conciliation procedure on Budget 2011 EU Budget Commissioner Janusz Lewandowski issued a statement earlier this week regretting the that no agreement on budget 2011 was reached at this week's conciliation meeting. He said that "According to the Lisbon Treaty the Commission will now start working on a new draft budget 2011 (art 314). Once the Commission's new draft budget will be published, the Council and then the Parliament will have to adopt their position on it, and this will be followed by another conciliation procedure. It is likely that the whole process will take several months, therefore from January 2011 the EU Institutions will work under the system of the "provisional twelfth" as described in the Lisbon Treaty (art 315). According to that system, each chapter of the budget will be funded monthly up to a maximum of one twelfth of its appropriations in 2010." See here for further details. Ireland records lowest rate of inflation Ireland recorded the lowest annual rate of inflation (-0.8%) in October, new EU figures reveal. Latvia was next (0.9%) followed by Slovakia (1.0%) and the highest was recorded in Romania (7.9%), Greece (5.2%) and Estonia (4.5%). Compared with September 2010, annual inflation rose in fifteen Member States, remained stable in six and fell in five. The lowest 12-month averages up to October 2010 were registered in Ireland (-1.9%), Latvia (-1.8%) and Slovakia (0.5%) and the highest in Romania (5.5%), Hungary (4.9%) and Greece (4.3%). These figures come from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. See here for details. Ireland records second largest trade surplus with the US in the first half of 2010 Germany (+16 bn euro) recorded the largest surplus in trade with the USA in the first half of 2010, followed by Ireland (+5 bn), Italy and the United Kingdom (both +4 bn). The largest deficit was observed in the Netherlands2 (-5 bn), followed by Spain (-0.6 bn) and Greece (-0.5 bn). See here for details. Eleventh report on practical preparations for the euro: final countdown for Estonia With only one and a half month to go before the introduction of the euro in Estonia, the Commission last week assessed the state of its practical preparations for the changeover. The Commission concluded that Estonia's preparations are well advanced, while recommending further efforts in some areas during the final phase of the changeover. Estonia will be the 17th member of the euro area and will bring to 330 million the number of people in the European Union who share the single currency. See here for details.
	Agenda Details of all EU-related events happening in Ireland, or of interest to Ireland but happening elsewhere, as well as European institutional events and other EU-agenda activities can be found on www.eurodiary.ie - Monday 29 November: Coillte Exhibition - “Healthy Forests, Healthy People” The European Commission Representation will host the Coillte Exhibition "Healthy Forests, Healthy People" until Monday, 29 November at European Union House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. Coillte own approximately 445,000 hectares (1,000,000 acres) of land in Ireland. This exhibition show-cases the best of the environmental and social benefits of Coillte’s forests. See here for more about the exhibition. Saturday 20 to Sunday 28 November: European Week for Waste Reduction The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) is a 3 year project supported by the Life+ Programme of the European Commission until 2011. The EPA National Waste Prevention Programme (NWPP) is the national organiser for EWWR in Ireland. For information about the week go to: http://www.ewwr.eu/ Saturday 20 November: EU-US Summit, Lisbon, Portugal Saturday, November 20 - Sunday, November 21: Union for the Mediterranean Summit, Barcelona Monday 22 November - Thursday, 25 November: European Parliament Plenary Session, Strasbourg Monday, 22 November: General Affairs Council, Brussels Monday 22 November: Foreign Affairs Council, Brussels Wednesday 24 November: “Ireland and India: an historical perspective” by Dr Kate O'Malley The Ireland-India Council (IIC), in cooperation with the European Commission Representation in Ireland is organising a talk by Irish historian Dr Kate O’Malley titled “Ireland and India: an historical perspective”, on Wednesday 24 November 2010, at 3.00 p.m. in European Union House, 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2. The event is open to the public. There is no admission fee and all are welcome. For further details and RSVP, please e-mail: events@irelandindiacouncil.ie Tuesday 30 November: Talk on "European Union Finances - Income, Spending and Control" On Tuesday 30 November, Mr Eoin O'Shea, Irish Member of the European Court of Auditors, will give a talk on "European Union Finances - Income, Spending and Control". This event will take place from 11 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. at European Union House, 43 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. It is being organised by the European Court of Auditors, the European Parliament Office in Ireland and the Leinster Society of Chartered Accountants If you are interested in attending, please email epdublin@europarl.europa.eu or phone (01) 6057900. Wednesday 1 December: Conference on 'The Role of the EU in International Peace Mediation', Dublin The Centre for International Studies at Dublin City University will be hosting a one day conference on 'The Role of the EU in International Peace Mediation' on Wednesday 1st December 2010. This conference is being organised with the support of the Department of Foreign Affairs Conflict Resolution Unit and the Irish Research Council for Humanities and Social Sciences. The conference speakers will include EU and NGO representatives involved in mediation and also regional experts on Georgia and Cyprus. See here for further information regarding this conference. Wednesday 8 December: Public lecture on EU Careers – opportunities for interpreters and translators, Dublin Would you like to work as an interpreter or a translator with the EU institutions? On Wednesday 8 December, the European Commission Representation in Dublin will host a public lecture on careers with the EU institutions, with a particular focus on opportunities for interpreters and translators. The speaker, Helen Campbell, works in the interpreting service of the European Commission in Brussels. Ms Campbell's presentation will focus on the realities of working for the EU institutions and other international organisations such as the United Nations, and will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Admission to this event is free-of-charge and there is no need to register in advance. The European Commission Representation in Ireland is located at 18 Dawson Street, Dublin 2, on the corner of Dawson Street and Molesworth Street. Dé Céadaoin 8 Nollaig: Léacht phoilí: Gairmréimeanna san AE – deiseanna d'ateangairí is d'aistritheoirí, ar a 6 i.n. Teach an Aontais Eorpaigh, 18 Sráid Dawson, B.Á.C. 2 Ar mhaith leatsa bheith ag obair mar ateangaire nó mar aistritheoir le hinstitiúidí an AE? Dé Céadaoin an 8 Nollaig, beidh Ionadaíocht an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh i mBaile Átha Cliath mar óstach ar léacht phoiblí faoi ghairmréimeanna le hinstitiúidí an AE, ag díriú go háirithe ar dheiseanna d'ateangairí agus d'aistritheoirí. Tá an cainteoir, Helen Campbell, ag obair i seirbhís ateangaireachta an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh sa Bhruiséil. Díreoidh sí ar shaol laethúil na hoibre in institiúidí an AE agus in eagraíochtaí idirnáisiúnta eile amhail na Náisiúin Aontaithe, agus beidh seisiún ceist-is-freargra ina dhiaidh sin. Beidh cead isteach saor in aisce chuig an ócáid seo agus ní gá clárú roimhré. Is ag 18 Sráid Dawson, Baile Átha Cliath 2, ar chúinne Shráid Dawson agus Shráid Theach Laighean, atá Ionadaíocht an Choimisiúin Eorpaigh in Éirinn.
	Job Opportunities: Competition for Assistants in the EU institutions Assistants in the secretarial field (AST 1) A competition for Assistants in the secretarial field was launched on 17 November 2010 for the following main languages: Danish, German, English, Spanish, French, Maltese, Dutch, Portuguese and Swedish. Candidates must also have a satisfactory knowledge of a second language, which must be different from their main language. The second language must be either English, French or German. Information about the competition and how to apply can be found on the EPSO website at: http://europa.eu/epso/apply/today/ass_en.htm (scroll to the bottom of the page). The closing date for online registration is 16 December 2010 at 12.00 midday (Brussels time).
	Spotlight on: Lilou, the cat who took the Dart! A short viral video based on a true story of a cat who took a trip on the DART without the knowledge of her owner has won this year’s Darklight Film Festival award. The competition, which is part-sponsored by the EU Commission Representation in Ireland, had the theme this year of the environment. Hothouse media based their video on the story of Lilou, a North Dublin cat who got onto the DART in Malahide and made her way to Pearse Station before being brought to the attention of Iarnród Eireann by a passenger. The company took care of the cat while using social media Twitter to send out an appeal seeking information on the owners of Lilou. Staff used CCTV footage to find out where the travelling cat had boarded the DART. It turned out to be Malahide, home to her owner, French national Eric Bieci. Househouse media film makers Jennifer Griffin and Ruth Meehan saw the news item about the cat on RTE News and decided to make a film using the real life Lilou and her owner, Eric. The short video shows Lilou boarding the DART in Malahide and having a very pleasant trip while her owner finds himself gridlocked in Dublin’s traffic on his way to work. Lilou is befriended by many passengers before arriving at Bray station where she exits for a leisurely visit to the Sea World centre to view the many tempting fish on display. Later she returns home, again via the DART. The film beat off stiff completion from 40 competitors to win this year’s Darklight award which portrayed the preferred use of travelling by train in a humorous and innovative way. And just in case Lilou fancies another trip on the DART, Iaronród Eireann has issued the fearless feline with her own special railcard! For information on the Darklight film festival click here.