European Commission calls for entries from across Member States
three senior appointments in European External Action Service
The European Commission selected today 43 major energy projects, which will significantly contribute to the economic recovery in the EU, while increasing our security of energy supply by creating cross-border infrastructure. With today’s decision, the Commission grants € 2.3 billion to 31 gas and 12 electricity projects. This is the second financial decision under the Economic Recovery Package which amounts to almost 4 billion Euros. It is the largest amount the EU has ever spent on energy infrastructure.
Comisia European? a selec?ionat ast?zi pentru finan?are 43 de proiecte energetice majore, a c?ror realizare va contribui substan?ial la redresarea economic? din UE, înt?rind totodat? securitatea aprovizion?rii cu energie prin crearea unor infrastructuri transfrontaliere. Prin decizia adoptat? ast?zi, Comisia aloc? 2,3 miliarde de euro pentru 31 de proiecte din domeniul gazelor ?i 12 din domeniul energiei electrice. Este cea de-a doua decizie financiar? din cadrul pachetului de redresare economic? în valoare de aproape 4 miliarde de euro. Este ?i cea mai mare sum? investit? vreodat? de UE în infrastructura energetic?.
The European Commission has today adopted two proposals for new rules to step up the fight against trafficking in human beings and child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and child pornography. These new proposals replace existing legislation which has been in place since respectively 2002 and 2004. The new proposals will guarantee full alignment with the highest European standards, provide better assistance for victims and tougher action against criminals responsible for child sexual abuse and trafficking. The proposals also deal with the rapidly changing technologies in the cyberspace
The present White Paper sets out a new Community health strategy until 2013, which is designed to confront the growing challenges to the health of Europe's citizens, such as population ageing, cross-border health threats or illnesses linked to unhealthy lifestyles. This strategy is also intended to strengthen, in a single strategic framework, Community cooperation in the areas in which the Member States cannot act alone, ensure that health is better understood at European level and worldwide, and secure a bigger role for health in all policies. To this end, the White Paper proposes four principles and three strategic objectives for the coming years.
Walk around a large map of the European Union, on display at the Champ de Mars, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, and learn to recognise each of the EU's 27 Member States.
The French Presidency of the Council of the European Union is holding a second summit on equality on 29 and 30 September 2008 in Paris.
A crumbling bridge built with EU money but substandard materials, plagiarism in an EU research project, tomato importers evading customs duties, a retired official trying to increase his pension by illegal means: these are only four examples demonstrating the large variety of cases in which the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) intervened in 2007. OLAF presented today in Brussels its new Annual Activity Report which illustrates its work inside and outside the EU in 15 case studies and numerous statistical tables. At the end of 2007, OLAF was investigating a total of 408 cases.
Leading stakeholders from across the EU met today with Consumer Commissioner, Meglena Kuneva, and Energy Commissioner, Andris Piebalgs, to reinforce and promote the rights of EU energy consumers. Stakeholders gave their support to the process launched by the Commission to better implement these rights and better inform consumers. The basis for this process will be the Citizens' Energy Forum, building on the measures proposed in the “Third Energy Package“.
Improved national self-confidence and economic stability are just two of the things MEPs from the EU's two newest states picked out as the results of a year of EU membership. As they mark their first year in the Union we spoke to some of the 35 Romanian and 18 Bulgarian MEPs who were elected last year. As well asking them about their work in the Parliament, we asked them to share their impressions of the first year of EU membership and also to look forward to the 2009 European elections.