12 June, 2008

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

The EU and the US in a globalised economy: politics and priorities
2008 EU-US Summit – Joint Declaration Strong EU support for the protection of whales
EU welcomes the launch of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation
EU calls for the release of Morgan Tsvangirai
Donors Conference for Kosovo on 11 July
EU Energy Ministers reach agreement on the internal energy market
Climate change campaign aims to create virtual community of young 'changers'
Roadmap on visa free travel opens EU doors to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Commission proposes clearer and more risk-proportionate rules for animal by-products
EU to double its R&D investment in robotics
EU works to improve toy safety
Commission considers global film cooperation programme
Erasmus Mundus: more than 2,000 new Master's students to receive scholarships
Applications now open for German exchange program
Europe conference held at Monash University
Imagining Europe at Monash University
Annual Europe Essay Competition now open
Upcoming Events

The EU and the US in a globalised economy: politics and priorities

Churchill lecture by Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson

'A memo for the next US President'

Whoever moves into the Oval Office on 20 January 2009 will be the first US President whose foreign economic policy from day one will so clearly need to face up to a fundamental shift of global economic and political power from West to East.

In the annual Churchill lecture, delivered in New York on 9 June 2008, Peter Mandelson argued that this means rethinking some central assumptions about how power works in the global economy, and how American and European governments can best defend their people and their interests.

"The Atlantic world is no longer the centre of the economic world, because the economic world no longer has a centre," Commissioner Mandelson said. He also argued that the American and European responses to that fact could have immense consequences.

Mandelson set out why:

For the full transcript visit http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2008/june/tradoc_139101.pdf

2008 EU-US Summit – Joint Declaration

Leaders of the European Union and the United States of America, met in Brdo, Slovenia, on 10 June to further strengthen strategic partnerships. The two partners made the following declaration:

“We view this Summit , and the fact that it is being hosted by Slovenia in its role as Presidency of the Council of the EU, as symbolic of our endeavour to realise a free, democratic and united Europe . The process of unifying Europe is one of the outstanding historical legacies of our partnership over the past half century.

The strategic partnership between the EU and the US is firmly anchored in our common values and increasingly serves as a platform from which we can act in partnership to meet the most serious global challenges and to advance our shared values, freedom and prosperity around the globe. We seek a world based on international law, democracy, the rule of law and human rights, and strengthened by broad and sustainable market-based economic growth. The bond between the EU and the US has proven its resilience through times of difficulty, and we continue to demonstrate global leadership and effective transatlantic cooperation in the face of the most pressing challenges of our day.”

For the full statement visit http://www.consilium.europa.eu

Strong EU support for the protection of whales

The Commission welcomes the decision reached on 5 June by the Environment Council on a common position to protect whales in view of the meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) later this month in Santiago de Chile. The decision allows for a coordinated EU approach at the meeting and strengthens the European Union's voice at the IWC.

Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said, "With this decision the European Union can now take a strong role at the International Whaling Commission and use all its political, moral and economic weight to ensure a more effective protection of whales worldwide."

EU welcomes the launch of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation

Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, welcomed the Ministerial Declaration signed on 9 June by the Energy leaders of the G8 countries, China, India, South Korea and the European Community in view of the establishment of a new multilateral energy initiative: the "International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC)." The signature took place during the G8 Energy Ministerial Meeting organised by Japanese G8 Presidency in Aomori Prefecture.

"Given our collective dimension in both economic and demographic terms, representing over 65 per cent of the global energy consumption and global CO2 emissions, the G8 countries and the European Union, together with China, India and South Korea are in a privileged position to influence world energy trends, hence the importance of the agreement that has been reached for the establishment of IPEEC," Commissioner Piebalgs said.  

EU calls for the release of Morgan Tsvangirai

Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), condemned the arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai and called for his immediate release. Less than a month before the second round of the presidential election and with the violence continuing, Mr Tsvangirai's arrest will heighten further the fears of the Zimbabwean people and the international community about the conditions under which this poll, crucial for the future of Zimbabwe , will be held.

Donors Conference for Kosovo on 11 July

The European Commission will be hosting a Donors Conference for Kosovo, in Brussels, on 11 July. European Union Member States, key international donors, International Financial Institutions as well as international and UN agencies will be invited. The aim of the Conference will be to collect pledges from donors for Kosovo's socio-economic development, to create the conditions for growth, investment and jobs for all communities in one of the poorest parts of Europe .

"Kosovo is a profoundly European matter. The EU is ready to use all instruments to help Kosovo realise its European perspective. Organising the donors' conference is an important contribution of the Commission to mobilise funding for Kosovo's socio-economic development. Bringing growth and prosperity to the poorest part of Europe will help secure stability in the Western Balkans", said Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn, calling upon donors to contribute generously to Kosovo's development.

EU Energy Ministers reach agreement on the internal energy market

Speaking after the Energy Council completed its work in Luxembourg on 6 June, President Barroso strongly welcomed the broad Council agreement that has been reached on the internal energy market (next will be the Parliament's formal vote in July which will be important in shaping the final agreement).

President Barroso said, “This is a major step towards a truly integrated European energy market, and the right European Union response to the structural challenges we face. It is good news for business and citizens alike who need competitive prices and security of energy supply. The completion of the work on the internal market proposals will open the door for conclusion of the energy and climate change package during the second half of the year under the French Presidency."

Commissioner Piebalgs added, "All Member States have shown a great degree of goodwill to reach a compromise which is acceptable for all. The agreement covers a wide package of measures, including unbundling, real powers and independence of national energy regulators and the establishment of a new Agency that will be responsible for ensuring much more effective and easy cross-border trade in electricity and gas. Overall, the package will, I am sure, result in more effective competition, leading to real advantages to EU citizens. Today's political compromise is an essential step towards a final agreement on this package; next will be the Parliament's formal vote which will be important in shaping the final agreement."

Climate change campaign aims to create virtual community of young 'changers'

The public awareness raising campaign on climate change launched by the European Commission in May 2006 is moving into its final stage, focusing on five Member States – Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Bulgaria.

Launched on World Environment Day, this third phase of the “You control climate change” campaign aims to initiate pro-active dialogue on climate change in these five countries, where national campaigns have not yet been implemented. This stage of the campaign is centred around television advertising and a competition for young people that seeks to create a virtual community of ‘Changers' committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by adapting their daily habits.

European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said, “Young people have a strong vested interest in helping to bring climate change under control because they will otherwise have to live with its increasingly severe consequences over the coming decades. This successful campaign is raising young people's awareness of the climate change threat and showing them how they can contribute to fighting it by making 'green' choices in their daily lives."

For more information visit http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/campaign/

Roadmap on visa free travel opens EU doors to Bosnia and Herzegovina

European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot, in charge of Justice, Freedom and Security, welcomed the transmission of the Roadmap on visa liberalisation to Sven Alkalaj, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a ceremony which took place in Sarajevo on 5 June. The Roadmap gives clear indications to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the measures that need to be taken in order to grant visa free travel to all its citizens.

"I attach the greatest importance to facilitating people to people contacts in particular for the younger generation. I am convinced that easy travel conditions will increase mutual understanding and improve our relations in all fields. The roadmap on visa facilitation is certainly another important step towards the EU integration of Bosnia and Herzegovina .

"Yet, the roadmap offers more advantages to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it will encourage the country to continue implementing the relevant reforms and reinforcing cooperation at regional level and with the EU in areas such as strengthening the rule of law, fighting organised crime and corruption," Vice President Barrot said.

Commission proposes clearer and more risk-proportionate rules for animal by-products

The European Commission has adopted a proposal that will facilitate the efficient management of animal by-products, while preserving at the same time the current high levels of protection against risks to public and animal health and the environment.

Thousands of slaughterhouses, farms and dairy plants across the EU produce more than 15 million tonnes of animal by-products every year. The proposal for a revised Regulation on animal by-products introduces clearer rules and sets the general framework for more risk-proportionate requirements for these products.

European Commissioner for Health Androulla Vassiliou said, “This proposal updates our existing rules on animal by-products by removing unnecessary burdens and overlaps where possible, while clarifying when other related legislation applies. At the same time, key safeguards for animal and public health are maintained to protect the consumer."

EU to double its R&D investment in robotics

At the occasion of AUTOMATICA 2008, one of the leading international trade fairs in robotics and automation held this year in Munich/Germany, the European Commission has announced a policy to boost European robotics. The European Union will double its investments between 2007 and 2010 with almost € 400 million to support European robotics research. This ambitious programme aims to forge stronger links between academia and industry, and plans to fund a widespread experimentation by academic researchers and industry. The European Commission also calls on the industry to intensify its efforts in producing critical components in Europe, such as gears, in order to face competition from Asia and avoid strategic dependencies on other regions of the world.

"There is a clear window of opportunity for automation industries in Europe – in particular robotics – not just to maintain leadership, but to grow further and to move higher up the value chain. To achieve this, the industry has to intensify its efforts in several areas, " Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, said.

For more information visit http://cordis.europa.eu/ist/cognition/index.html

EU works to improve toy safety

European Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva has presented a report by independent experts entitled "Evaluating Business Safety Measures in the Toy Supply Chain” on 5 June. The Report was carried out at the initiative of the European Commission, as a follow up to the Commission's product safety Stocktaking review in autumn 2007. The stocktaking was undertaken after a series of high profile recalls, to review the strengths and weaknesses of the existing mechanisms to ensure product safety in Europe.

"Despite the many efforts undertaken by the various actors in the toy supply chain, the 2007 recalls and RAPEX notifications show that there are still too many unsafe toys appearing on the EU market. I am delighted to be able to draw on the specialist expertise that has gone into producing this report. I intend to present the key recommendations to the Chinese Authorities during my visit this month. There are recommendations addressed to all the actors involved in the supply chain. These will be analysed in detail by the Commission and discussed with each of the relevant stakeholder group in the coming months to assess how to move forwards," Commissioner Kuneva said.

For more information visit http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/citizen/my_safety/index_en.htm

Commission considers global film cooperation programme

The Commission is currently exploring the benefits of adding to the EU's MEDIA programme – created in 1991 to promote the development and the distribution of European films across borders – a new MEDIA MUNDUS programme to strengthen cultural and commercial relations between Europe 's film industry and film-makers of third countries.

This could help audiovisual professionals from Europe and equivalent film makers outside the EU to reciprocally improve their competitiveness by better exploiting the potential for joint projects such as the development, distribution and promotion of audiovisual works. A public-online consultation on the main features and priorities of a possible MEDIA MUNDUS programme is open until 15 June 2008 and a public hearing will be held in Brussels on 25 June.

"The cultural diversity of Europe's cinema and the attractiveness of our MEDIA programme have led to repeated requests from film-makers from South America, Asia, Russia and other continents to build bridges with Europe 's audiovisual ma rkets in order to mutually boost their potentials. In the same way that MEDIA pushes for fully exploiting the opportunity of Europe's s ingle market, a MEDIA MUNDUS programme would facilitate the circulation of our films worldwide and vice versa, the distribution in Europe of films from partner countries all over the world. This means more choice for citizens and more culturally diverse films – all this in the spirit of the UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity ," EU Media Commissioner Viviane Reding said .

For more information visit http://ec.europa.eu/avpolicy/m e d i a/i n dex/en.html

Erasmus Mundus: more than 2,000 new Master's students to receive scholarships

More than 2,000 students and 450 teaching staff from outside Europe have been selected to receive an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for the academic year 2008/09. Of the recipients, 24 Australian students and 25 Australian scholars were successful, and five New Zealand students and four New Zealand scholars were successful.

These scholarships will allow recipients to study in Europe for one or two years and obtain a Master's degree from one of the 103 top-quality Erasmus Mundus Masters Courses offered by consortia of European higher education institutions.

In 2008, a total number of 17 new partnerships of Erasmus Mundus Masters Consortia with higher education institutions in non-European countries were selected. Altogether, they encompass 62 universities from 28 different third countries. These 17 partnerships foresee an outgoing mobility of an estimated 477 European students and 192 European scholars over the next two years. The partnerships allow European higher education institutions, scholars and students to strengthen their ties with other higher education environments in the world.

For more information visit http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/mundus/index_en.html

Applications now open for German exchange program

Applications for the Group of Eight's research collaboration program with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are now open.

The DAAD is Germany's national agency for the support of international academic co-operation. It is one of the world's largest and most respected organisations in its field. Its mission is to advance Germany 's international engagement in the fields of education, science, culture and research.

The Go8–Germany Joint Research Co-operation Scheme was launched in Canberra in 2007 by the German Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Martin Lutz. Since then 26 projects from Go8 universities have each received an average of $20,000 over two years to support travel and living costs incurred while visiting research partners in Germany.

The scheme aims to foster research collaboration of the highest quality between Go8 and German researchers and result in research outcomes and the exchange of skills and knowledge of mutual benefit to Australia and Germany.

The 2008 application round will provide up to $250,000 from Go8 universities and the equivalent amount from the DAAD. Total funding for the scheme will reach $2 million in its first three years of operation 2008–2010.

In October 2008 in Berlin, the Go8 and the DAAD, together with the Australian Ambassador in Germany, will host an event to celebrate the outcomes of the scheme to date.

Full details for the application round for exchanges in 2009 are now available at www.go8.edu.au

Applications close on 22 August 2008.

Europe conference held at Monash University

On 20 May, Mr. Gregor Kozovinc, Chargé d'Affaires a.i. for the Republic of Slovenia, gave a presentation on “Slovenia, the European Union and Australia.”

Slovenia is the first of the new EU Member States to hold the Presidency of the Council of the EU (from January – June 2008). Every six months as part of its EU Presidency Public Lecture Series, the Monash European and EU Centre invites the country in charge of the presidency to deliver a lecture on its presidency and its priorities.

The Slovenian Presidency has chosen five priorities: The future of the Union and the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty; the successful launching of the new Lisbon Strategy cycle; climate change issues; the relations with the Western Balkans, and the promotion of the dialogue between cultures.

This lecture was held at the State Library of Victoria in conjunction with the Innovative Universities European Union Centre. Participants had the opportunity to take part in questions and discussions following the lecture with a cocktail reception concluding the evening.

Imagining Europe at Monash University

The Monash European and EU Centre based at Monash University in Melbourne took part again this year in the celebration of Europe Day.

Based on an idea of a French intern at the Centre (Aurélien Mazuy), students were asked to express their vision of Europe.

Paint, brushes and canvas were made available during lunch break at the Monash Caulfield campus. The nice weather helped to make it a real success and 19 paintings were made in less than two hours.

Each “artist of the day” was given a promotion bag from the Delegation of the European Commission to Australia and New Zealand.

It was also a convivial event during which people came to meet the members of the Monash European and EU Centre in order to get more information on the activities and courses offered by the centre.

Monash Abroad was also represented in order to promote the many partnerships of Monash University with European Universities.

The artworks are now decorating the Monash European and EU Centre. “Imagining Europe ” is to become an even more important event next year with the strong partnership of the Fine Arts Department of the University.

Annual Europe Essay Competition now open

CESAA is again holding its popular Europe Essay Competition.

Categories
Best essay by an undergraduate (2 - 3,000 words)
Best essay by an honours student (3 - 5,000 words)
Best essay by a postgraduate (4 - 6,000 words)

Prizes
Prizes will be awarded as gift vouchers to the value of:
Undergraduate: $150
Honours: $200
Postgraduate: $300

Winners will also receive a year's free membership of CESAA. Winning and highly commended essays will also be considered for publication in the new Australian and New Zealand Journal of European Studies.

Topics
Essays from any discipline - history, politics, law, economics, business, sociology, cultural studies, etc. – will be accepted so long as they deal with contemporary (post-war) Europe and/or the European Union.

How to Enter
Send an electronic version of your essay to: cesaa@cesaa.org.au
The essay should have on a separate page your name, full address, institution, category (undergraduate or Honours/post-graduate), a contact phone number and email address and the word count of your entry. Your name should not appear anywhere else on the essay.

Entries close Friday, 17 October 2008

Please contact Matt Killingsworth ( m.killingsworth@latrobe.edu.au ) for more information

Bloomsday in Melbourne : Joyce and the 21st Century

What does Bloom make of modernity and newfangledness then (1904) and now (2008)?

Melbourne Museum
11 Nicholson Street , Carlton
and Monties Restaurant and Bar, 347-351 Smith Street , Fitzroy

Monday 16 June 2008
1.00pm–3.00pm:  Brave New World?   ($30)
An arcade-show in which Bloom is shown various museum exhibits by a 21 st century relative.

3.00–3.45pm:  Afternoon tea
(Refreshments at Museum prices in Museum Café)
 
3.45–5.00pm:  Seminar: Joyce and the 21 st Century with Wolfgang Eubel, Barry Cleland and Philip Harvey ($15)

6.30 for 7.00pm–10.00pm:  Dinner and show at Monties Restaurant and Bar:
Dubble In It: A Roaratorio in Praise of the Progenitors of the Human Genome

For more information phone Bob on (03) 9898 2900

For more cultural events see: http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/pressandinformation/cultural/ .

For academic events in New Zealand: http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/newzealand/education/NCREevents.htm

For academic events in Australia: http://www.delaus.ec.europa.eu/education/cooperation/events.htm

For more information on the items covered in news@eu, contact Roger Camilleri - PH: +61 2 6271 2744 or Emma Collien +61 2 6271 2746. for technical issues, contact jan.skorich@ec.europa.eu

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updated June 12, 2008