“Citizens for Europe” – building a Europe fo citizens?

On 6 April last, the European Commission adopted “Citizens for Europe” (2007-2013), a draft programme aimed at promoting active European citizenship. See http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/activecitizenship/new_programme/new_programme0042005_en.pdf

In accordance with the co-decision procedure, the programme still has to be endorsed by the Council and the European Parliament (EP) before official adoption by the EU. The disappointingly low turnout rates in the latest EP elections have shown just how wide the gap is between citizens and the European institutions. With this programme, the Commission intends to help reduce this gap. The aim is twofold: to increase citizens’ participation in the European construction process; and, hence, to strengthen cohesion among all Europeans.

The “Citizens for Europe” action programme was drawn up on the basis of a two-stage consultation. The first stage consisted of an on-line survey – launched at the end of 2004 – which elicited more than 1,000 contributions. See
http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/activecitizenship/consultresults/consultresults_en.pdf.

The second stage consisted of a Consultative Forum, which was held in Brussels on 3-4 February 2005. This event brought together some 350 participants from all over Europe, including members of NGOs and various think-tanks, local and regional elected representatives, and members of European networks, trade union organisations and European associations. See http://europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/education_culture/activecitizenship/consultresults/forumreport_en.pdf

It should be recalled in this connection that 2005 was designated “European Year of Citizenship Through Education” by the Council of Europe, which includes 43 European States as members (see Euclide No. 617). Within the framework of this initiative, the Council of Europe created a website providing comprehensive information on active citizenship initiatives. See  http://www.coe.int/T/F/Com/Dossiers/Themes/ECD/. Also as part of the “ European Year”, the Council of Europe is organising the “Active Young Citizens” award contest, which is being implemented through local and regional authorities. Deadline for submission of proposals: October 2005.

 

News from the institutions

Is migration good for Europe?

Most studies agree that, as a result of demographic ageing, an overall decline of employment can be expected in the European Union after 2010. The fall in the number of employed people between 2010 and 2030 could be of the order of 20 million workers for the EU-25. This in turn could lead to problems in terms of labour and skills shortages, which in fact are already noticeable in a number of economic sectors, while, paradoxically, unemployment rates are persistently high in many European countries. In this context, could an influx of skilled workers from outside the EU constitute a solution? If so, on what basis should economic immigrants be admitted? (As a reminder, on 1 January 2003 migrants represented around 3.5% of the total population of the EU-25.)

In January this year, the Commission presented a Green Paper on these issues in order to launch an in-depth debate, involving the other EU institutions, Member States and civil society, on the advisability and possible contents of a Community approach to managing economic migration. As part of this consultation procedure, the Commission subsequently organised a public hearing on the Green Paper on 14 June. Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, said at the hearing that “Economic migration is a reality and, with a view to the demographic changes in Europe, also a necessity.” See http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/05/724&format=HTML&aged=0&language=fr&guiLanguage=en

The hearing provided an opportunity for taking stock of the positions expressed by Member States in response to the Green Paper. The least that can be said is that opinions are very much divided. Some Member States, for example, insist on the need to first remove the obstacles to the free movement of workers – particularly those from the new Member States – within the European Union itself. It should be noted that, a few days before the hearing, a plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted an opinion on “managing economic migration”. In its opinion, the EESC states that “it is indeed necessary for the admission of economic migrants to be regulated at EU level” and, “to ensure this, there must be a high degree of legislative harmonisation”. See http://www.esc.eu.int /press/index_en.asp

Extension of PEACE Programme for Ireland

On 3 June 2005, the European Commissioner for regional policy signed the operational programme which extends EU support for the peace process in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland until 2006. The extension provides an additional EUR 144 million of funding to support the PEACE Programme for 2005 and 2006, bringing the total value of the Programme to EUR 852 million for the period 2000-2006. The EU Programme for Peace and Reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the Border Region of Ireland was established in 1995. The current programme aims to reinforce progress towards a peaceful and stable society and to promote reconciliation in the region. It is implemented through inclusive (cross-community), joint (North/South) and "bottom-up" delivery structures (locally-based partnerships). More than 5300 projects have been supported since 2000. Contact: Eddie McVeigh, European Commission Office in Northern Ireland, T: +44 28 9024 0708, Mobile: +44 7747142400, E-mail: eddie.mcveigh@cec.eu.int, website: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/index_en.htm.

 

News from the networks

UK local authorities to fight for gains offered under the Treaty

UK local government wants to keep the gains it was offered under Europe's constitutional Treaty, said Ken Bodfish, chair of the Local Government International Bureau (LGIB), on 1 June 2005. UK local authorities will urge the British government, who will take over the rotating Presidency of the European Union in July, to use its time at the EU helm to salvage some of the more technical aspects of the Treaty to improve governance within the EU. The Treaty imposed upon the EU new obligations to consult local authorities when drafting new law and obliged the European Commission to take into account the likely administrative and financial burden on local and regional authorities of planned new European laws. It also recognised the role of local government associations in EU decision making and gave the Committee of the Regions the right to take the European Commission to court in cases where it felt the EU was taking action better left to local authorities. More info at: http://www.lgib.gov.uk

 

Funding opportunities

Economic impact of providing accessible tourism facilities

The Enterprise and Industry DG has published a prior information notice concerning a study on “the economic impact of providing accessible tourism facilities on business opportunities for SMEs, service quality, macroeconomic growth and employment”. The study is to show “the tourism demand of people with activity limitations” and estimate its current impact in several Member States. It will be accompanied by a conference of experts and/or stakeholders. Estimated budget: €456,000. Contact: European Commission, ENTR / I1 Tourism, Attn. Franco Ianniello, Head of Unit, BREY 12/219, B-1049 Brussels. Fax (32-2) 295 69 69. E-mail: entr-tourism@cec.eu.int. URL: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/services/tourism/index_en.htm. Code: ENTR/05/48. OJ S 112 of 11 June 2005.

 

Forthcoming events

4 July 2005, Paris

The French association “Université Européenne du Travail” ( European Labour University – UET) and several of its partners are the initiators of a conference on recent developments in Europe in relation to the Constitutional Treaty. Entitled “Europe and the social dimension after the referendum”, the conference has been organised in cooperation with “Liaisons sociales Europe” and “Confrontations Europe”. Registration fee: €20 (€15 for members of the UET or “Confrontations Europe”, “friends of the UET”, students and unemployed people). The number of places is limited, so it is advisable to confirm participation as soon as possible by returning the completed registration form together with the appropriate fee. Contact: “Association pour le Développement de l'Université Européenne du Travail” (A.D.U.E.T.), 17 Rue des fillettes, F-75018 Paris. Tel. +33 1 42 05 56 56, E-mail: aduet@club-internet.fr, Website: http://www.uet.org

4-15 July 2005, Galway (IRL)

The Disability Discrimination Summer School is the first of its kind in Europe to focus on anti-discrimination legal issues on the ground of disability. Hosted by the National University of Ireland, it is organised in partnership with the University of Maastricht, with support from the Community Action Programme to combat discrimination.  The Summer School will focus on the practical potential of the European Union Framework Directive on Employment, in the context of disability.  It aims to give participants the necessary skills and knowledge to construct effective test case strategies under the Directive on behalf of persons with disabilities.  It is targeted at persons with disabilities, practising lawyers, judges, law students and disability non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as well as those more generally interested in public interest litigation.  For further information or to register, please visit the website: http://www.eusummerschool.info

5-6 December 2005, Cambridge ( UK)

The conference “e-Business: The Way Forward” will take stock of successful public policy initiatives for the promotion of e-business practices by European enterprises, in particular SMEs and discuss the way forward in the area of e-business policies. The results of the Conference will constitute the basis for establishing thematic priorities for policy action on e-business related issues, at both national and European level. This event is organised by the European Commission and is co-hosted by the East of England Development Agency. For more information, Contact: DG Enterprise and Industry, ICT Unit, E-mail: Entr-Ict-E-Commerce@cec.eu.int or surf: http://europa.eu.int/comm/enterprise/ict/conferences/cambridge.htm. Participants should register as soon as possible using the online form.

 

Publications

Best practice in regional development

The latest issue of the “Inforegio Panorama” magazine, published by the DG for Regional Policy, includes a “ central dossier” on best practice in Structural Fund implementation and management. The dossier comprises an analysis of the mid-term evaluations of Objective 1 and 2 programmes in Member States, a report from Ireland on the secrets behind the success of the “Celtic Tiger”, and contributions from practitioners on the ground in Spain, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. The thematic dossier will soon be available in 19 languages on: http://europa.eu.int/comm/regional_policy/sources/docgener/panora_en.htm.

Social Europe faced with the challenge of enlargement

Following the accession of ten new Member States and faced with new demands from its citizens, “social Europe” must adapt in order to be able, once again, to meet the expectations and reflect the values of all Europeans.  With the aim of gaining a better understanding of the challenges confronting “social Europe”, the study “L’Europe sociale à l’eupreuve de l’élargissement” (Social Europe faced with the challenge of enlargement), published by the association “Notre Europe”, examines the state of play from a legal, historical, political and sociological point of view. It analyses the causes of the “current crisis”, seeks to define the arguments advanced from different standpoints, and makes some suggestions for reform with a view to attuning the social dimension of the EU-27 more closely to European citizens’ expectations and values. Policy paper by Marjorie Jouen and Catherine Palpant, 16 June 2005, 25 pages. Downloadable from: http://www.notre-europe.asso.fr/article.php3?id_article=807

 Xplora: making science more interesting for young people

The “Xplora” portal, a new European gateway for science education, was launched on 9 June 2005. Xplora provides resources for primary and secondary education and is aimed at teachers, pupils, scientists, communication professionals and others involved in science education. Xplora has been developed with funds from the Science and Society action line of the EU’s Sixth Framework Programme for Research and Development. The aim of Xplora is to stimulate science education in order to make scientific subjects and careers more interesting for young people. To discover a wide range of resources – including a database, virtual activities, tools, novelties, etc. – visit: http://www.xplora.org.

 

Announcement

Internship opportunity in sustainable public procurement

The European Secretariat of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability - is offering an internship in the field of sustainable public procurement, based in its office in Germany. The intern will join a multidisciplinary team working on the use of environmental and other sustainability criteria in public procurement. The placement will last for six months and start in July 2005. The intern will have responsibility for: administration of a network of sustainable procurement professionals; market research on developments in renewable energy sources; research on sustainable procurement developments and green products in Europe; contributing towards the development of a sustainable procurement campaign; general office support, filing, communication with external partners, writing minutes and summaries. Applicants should speak fluent English and preferably another European language (particularly German), hold EU citizenship or a valid EU resident permit. Interns are paid €620 per month. Applications should be made in writing, including a CV and letter of motivation, indicating the availability of the candidate to start and end the internship, and e-mailed to: E-mail jobs@iclei-europe.org . For more information, visit ICLEI website:
http://www.iclei-europe.org/

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Responsible at Law: William Van Dingenen - Editor in Chief: Isabelle Mirambet - Editors: Monique Braem, Eirini Nikolaïdou, Maylis Campbell.