The Week in Europe 07/01-07/02

12.07.2002 | Euroskop

EU news in brief

Start of the Danish Presidency

The EU Presidency rotates every six months, so that each Member State in turn holds the EU Presidency for six months. Denmark holds the Presidency during the second half of 2002 and hands over the Presidency to Greece on 1 January 2003.

The EU Presidency involves a very wide range of tasks, which demand sizable and highly professional efforts from all involved. The Danish Presidency has been under preparation for a long period, and the preparations have included politicians and officials at all levels and in all areas of government. The Danish Presidency will endeavour to be a Presidency that focuses its energy on the important issues that must be solved before the end of 2002, including first and foremost the issue of EU enlargement. The priority areas for the Danish Presidency are:

· Enlargement of the EU: from Copenhagen to Copenhagen

· Freedom, security and justice

· Sustainable development

· Food safety

· Global responsibility

15 quality indicators of lifelong learning performance in Europe

The first European report on quality indicators of lifelong learning is now available. It examines the quality of lifelong learning in 35 European countries in four central areas: skills, competencies and attitudes, access and participation, resources for lifelong learning and strategies and systems. The report shows that Europe is, as a whole, not performing adequately in the area of skills and competencies.

[Background paper IP/02/971]

Combating the Brain Drain: Commission devotes 1.580 billion euro to Human Resources in Science

The European Commission will allocate € 1.580 billion to help combat the brain drain of scientists from the EU to other parts of the world; an increase of almost 50% on the previous research programme. This amount represents almost 10% of the available budget. The European brain drain is difficult to measure, but it is a reality. Many of the best European researchers seem keen to move elsewhere, particularly to the United States. This loss of human and intellectual wealth robs European science of valuable resources. Higher salaries and better facilities outside the EU encourage researchers to extend their stay abroad beyond their normal training period, and, consequently, to carry out the most profitable part of their work in other parts of the world. Within its Sixth Research Framework Programme (FP6), the Commission is boosting the share of funds available for human resources by 50% up from € 1.1 bn to € 1.58 bn. This is the strongest single increase among all research priorities from the Fifth to the Sixth FP. Other Commission initiatives to combat the brain drain deal with the removal of legal and administrative obstacles to the mobility of researchers (as regards for instance entry conditions, social security, recognition of diplomas etc.), and the co-ordination of national policies in the research area.

For further information please visit :

http://www.cordis.lu/improving/

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/com/cnc/2001/com2001_0331en01.pdf

[Background paper IP/02/970]

Better representation of the EU: European Commission announces next steps in reform of its External Service

Following a radical reform of the way the European Commission programmes and implements external assistance projects, it is now taking a further step to improve the way its staff are trained and managed to deliver the best possible service. One of the key changes already carried out, is the transfer of management responsibility for external assistance projects to a local level: 21 Commission Delegation offices in third countries have already taken over management of projects, and by the end of the year the figure will be nearly 50. To support this process the Commission has approved a Memorandum proposing a new single department to manage Delegation staff, clearer definition of Delegation responsibilities, and a new career structure for those who will now serve in third countries to ensure speedier and more efficient delivery of EU assistance, and to perform a growing role under the evolving CFSP. For details see http://europa.eu.int/comm/external_relations/reform/intro/index.htm

[Background paper IP/02/987]

Improving environmental monitoring: European Commission launches new research network

Environmental impact assessment depends on solid measurement standards and monitoring tools. Science and technology can help explain what is happening to European water, soil, air and forests, undertake chemical and biological analyses, and inform policy makers and the public at large. European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin and European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström launched a new network of scientific institutes, universities and enterprises - the METROPOLIS network - which will monitor the environment across Europe. METROPOLIS aims to identify environmental standards and scientific assessment tools. It will facilitate better European co-operation in monitoring the environment and contribute to reinforcing Europe's science base for environmental policies. For further information please visit:

http://europa.eu.int/comm/research/growth/index.html

[Background paper IP/02/1005]

Eurostat News Releases

May 2002: Euro-zone unemployment stable at 8.3%, EU15 up to 7.6%

Euro-zone seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 8.3% in May 2002, unchanged compared to April, Eurostat reports. The EU15 unemployment rate was 7.6% in May compared to 7.5% in April. It was 7.3% in May 2001.

In May 2002, lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.3%), the Netherlands (2.6% in April), Austria (4.1%), Denmark (4.2%), Portugal (4.3%) and Ireland (4.4%). Spain's 11.4% remained the EU's highest rate. In the last twelve months, Luxembourg (1.9% to 2.3%), Ireland (3.7% to 4.4%), the Netherlands (2.2% in April 2001 to 2.6% in April 2002) and Austria (3.5% to 4.1%) recorded the most important relative increases. Italy's rate on the other hand, fell from 9.5% (in April 2001) to 9.0% (in April 2002) and Denmark's rate fell from 4.3% to 4.2%.

[Background paper STAT/02/78]

Enlargement news

Negotiations at end of Spanish presidency focus on agriculture

In the closing hours of the Spanish Presidency, all the candidates currently in negotiations, except Bulgaria held talks with the EU in Brussels on June 28 at what is termed deputy-level (that is, candidates' chief negotiators and the member states' ambassadors to the EU). The talks, which focused mainly on agriculture, offered a last-minute opportunity to clear some of the remaining details out of the way so that the incoming Danish Presidency can focus to the maximum on the sensitive finance-related issues of the agriculture chapter, and the equally delicate talks on structural funding, budgets, and institutions. In addition, a number of specific chapters were closed with three candidates, with Estonia closing the Taxation chapter; Malta closing Fisheries; and Romania, the Economic and Monetary Union chapter.- See here for an updated table of the situation in the negotiations.

Candidates welcome Seville conclusions

Most of the candidate countries expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the Seville summit in mid-June, focusing on the affirmation of EU commitment to push forward on the Laeken timetable of accession for up to ten new members in 2004. Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said he was "satisfied" with Seville. So too did Cyprus' Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides. Hungary's Foreign Affairs minister Laszlo Kovacs welcomed the Summit's suggestion that the accession treaty could be signed in the spring of 2003. And Poland's Prime Minister, Leszek Miller, said he was not afraid that there would be any delay: the incoming Danish Presidency's timetable is "fully satisfactory", he said. Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek also said he was "moderately satisfied". Outgoing Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman said he was "not worried". And Romanian President Ion Iliescu expressed delight at the prospect of perhaps being given an accelerated timetable for accession at the Copenhagen Summit.

Go-ahead for pre-accession farm aid for Poland

European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries Franz Fischler last week signed a decision to confer the management of EU agricultural aid on the Polish authorities, so that Poland can now start implementing the SAPARD programme - which will give Poland 171.6 million euro each year. Payment of the first advance of some 40 million euro will go ahead immediately. It covers projects in improving the processing and marketing of food and fishery products, investments in agriculture holdings, development of rural infrastructure, vocational training and technical assistance. "I am delighted that finally also Polish farmers will benefit from EU money to restructure and prepare for Poland's EU accession. I know the road to the SAPARD funds has been cumbersome. That is now history. What matters now is that the administration of the scheme, now in Polish hands, works efficiently. Poland should see the efforts made to properly manage and control the EU money as a down payment for enlargement. Upon accession, the SAPARD structures can be used for certain CAP policies", said Fischler. This decision means that Hungary and Romania are now the only two of the ten central and eastern European candidate countries yet to finalise their SAPARD programmes.