Press Releases
Education
European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Commission appoints 12 new board members
24/07/2012
Twelve new members of the governing board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) were appointed today by the European Commission. The new members (see curriculum vitae in annex) will officially take up their positions on July 31.
Special needs children and disabled adults still getting a raw deal from education, says report
10/07/2012
Despite commitments by Member States to promote inclusive education, children with special educational needs and disabled adults are still getting a raw deal, according to a report published today by the European Commission.
Commission launches new dialogue on higher education with Southern Mediterranean countries
02/07/2012
Brussels 2 July 2012 – The European Commission has launched a new dialogue with Southern Mediterranean countries on higher education policies and programmes as part of its roadmap for anchoring progress in the region following the 2011 'Arab Spring'. Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, is hosting a two-day event in Brussels (2-3 July) with Ministers and senior officials from Southern Mediterranean countries to assess the challenges they face in higher education and to see how the EU can strengthen its cooperation and support for them in the future.
EU-backed researchers in team behind Higgs boson 'God particle' discovery
01/07/2012
30 scientists supported by the European Union's Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions for research training and mobility were involved in the discovery of the Higgs Boson or so-called 'God Particle', the European Commission confirmed on Sunday. The sub-atomic particle, which experts believe is the basis for all matter in the Universe, was identified at CERN, the European nuclear research facility in Geneva, Switzerland. The discovery has been hailed as one of the most important breakthroughs in the history of science. The 30 scientists are part of two EU-backed initiatives, which have received €6.5 million in funding.
Culture
Visit by Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou to France, 12-14 July
11/07/2012
Androulla Vassiliou, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, is to visit Arles, Avignon and Aix-en-Provence in France from 12 to 14 July. During her visit, she will meet the French Minister for Culture, Aurélie Filippetti, and will take the opportunity to discuss what progress has been made in the institutional negotiations on "Creative Europe", the new programme proposed for the cultural and audiovisual sectors, and to discuss other current issues.
Sport
2012 London Olympic games – Statement by Androulla Vassiliou
27/07/2012
It gives me great pleasure to see the Olympic and Paralympic Games back in Europe. We all have the opportunity to celebrate sporting excellence at its best, as well as the shared values that unite us: respect, fair play, solidarity and equality.
London 2012: Reding and Vassiliou urge Olympic and Paralympic chiefs to press for better representation of women in sport
03/07/2012
More needs to be done to strengthen the representation of women in sport and in sport governing bodies, as well as the fight against discrimination and sexual harassment. This is the message in a letter from two leading European Commissioners to the Presidents of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC), ahead of the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games.
