Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
US airline Continental and five individuals have gone on trial in France over the crash of an Air France Concorde nearly 10 years ago.The jet took off in flames from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and crashed minutes later, killing 113 people. The presiding judge began the proceedings by reading out the names of all those who died. An official report said Concorde had hit a metal strip from a Continental plane that had taken off earlier. But Continental's lawyers say they can prove the supersonic jet caught fire before it struck the titanium strip.
US airline Continental and five individuals have gone on trial in France over the crash of an Air France Concorde nearly 10 years ago.
The jet took off in flames from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and crashed minutes later, killing 113 people.
The presiding judge began the proceedings by reading out the names of all those who died.
An official report said Concorde had hit a metal strip from a Continental plane that had taken off earlier.
But Continental's lawyers say they can prove the supersonic jet caught fire before it struck the titanium strip.
A Polish court has issued a European arrest warrant for a Swede alleged to be behind the theft of the Arbeit Macht Frei sign from Auschwitz.A court official in the southern city of Krakow said the warrant had been issued for Anders Hogstrom. The metal sign was stolen in December from above the entrance to the notorious Nazi death camp. It was later recovered, cut into three pieces. Five Polish men have already been arrested over the theft.
A Polish court has issued a European arrest warrant for a Swede alleged to be behind the theft of the Arbeit Macht Frei sign from Auschwitz.
A court official in the southern city of Krakow said the warrant had been issued for Anders Hogstrom.
The metal sign was stolen in December from above the entrance to the notorious Nazi death camp. It was later recovered, cut into three pieces.
Five Polish men have already been arrested over the theft.
US President Barack Obama is to stay away from a Spanish US-EU summit scheduled for May, in what some see as a blow to Europe's diplomatic prestige.The White House said Mr Obama had had no plans to attend the event, and aides pointed out he had visited Europe six times in 2009. Mr Obama attended US-EU summits in Prague and Washington last year. A Spanish official quoted by AP news agency said Madrid had assumed Mr Obama would be attending the May event.
US President Barack Obama is to stay away from a Spanish US-EU summit scheduled for May, in what some see as a blow to Europe's diplomatic prestige.
The White House said Mr Obama had had no plans to attend the event, and aides pointed out he had visited Europe six times in 2009.
Mr Obama attended US-EU summits in Prague and Washington last year.
A Spanish official quoted by AP news agency said Madrid had assumed Mr Obama would be attending the May event.
PARIS -- President Obama's decision to skip a United States-European Union summit meeting scheduled for Madrid in May has predictably upset European officials, who suggested on Tuesday that the summit itself will now be postponed, possibly to the autumn. Readers' Comments In addition to the palpable sense of insult among European officials, there was a growing concern that Europe is being taken for granted and losing importance in American eyes compared to the rise of a newly truculent China.European Union officials found out about the decision through the news media late on Monday, senior European officials said Tuesday morning. The Obama decision was first reported on the Web site of The Wall Street Journal.The Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is scheduled to arrive in Washington this week on a visit, was described as angry and embarrassed, and European officials said there was a set of high-level diplomatic exchanges overnight.
PARIS -- President Obama's decision to skip a United States-European Union summit meeting scheduled for Madrid in May has predictably upset European officials, who suggested on Tuesday that the summit itself will now be postponed, possibly to the autumn. Readers' Comments
In addition to the palpable sense of insult among European officials, there was a growing concern that Europe is being taken for granted and losing importance in American eyes compared to the rise of a newly truculent China.
European Union officials found out about the decision through the news media late on Monday, senior European officials said Tuesday morning. The Obama decision was first reported on the Web site of The Wall Street Journal.
The Spanish prime minister, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, who is scheduled to arrive in Washington this week on a visit, was described as angry and embarrassed, and European officials said there was a set of high-level diplomatic exchanges overnight.
i think it makes europe look a little foolish, not hat he skips it, but the reactions...why take it so personally, i doubt he has any desire to snub europe, but these over-reactions from europeans make us look a bit pathetic.
giving the yanks more power, in a way, than they are already abusing already.
a little more isolationasism would do them (and us) good, actually.
no offence to americans here either, it's the government and its expectations that the rest of the planet is some kind of rudderless ship without their gripping the helm that rubs me wrong... ~Government budget deficits are not nearly as dangerous as the deficits we have created in vital and complex natural systems.~ Naomi Klein.
Now that the eminently sensible and progressive new Leader of the Free World they have been fawning over for the last 18 months has shown himself to be no less of a problem, maybe European leaders will be cured of their Atlanticism. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
- Jake If you only spend 20 minutes of the rest of your life on economics, go spend them here.
But, really, after Copenhagen and now this, why on Earth should Europe continue fighting Obama's land war in Asia? En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Does it matter? One sometimes see Americans dismiss Pakistan as "small" or "unimportant." Think again. Pakistan is the world's sixth-largest country by population (170 million),just after Brazil (200 million). It is as big as California, Oregon and Washington state rolled together. Pakistan's 550,000-man military is among the best-trained and best-equipped in the global South. Pakistan has within it a middle class with a Western-style education and way of life (automobiles, access to internet and international media) of some 37 million-- roughly 5 million families. (Pakistan has over 5 million automobiles now and is an emerging auto producer and market, with auto production at 16 percent of its manufaturing sector). If we go by local purchasing power, it is the world's 27th largest economy. It is a nuclear power with a sophisticated if small scientific establishment, and produced a Nobelist in physics. Gates went to Pakistan to emphasize to Islamabad that the US was not again going to abandon it and Afghanistan, as it had in the past. Pakistan, he wanted to say, is now a very long-term ally of Washington. He hoped for cooperation against the Haqqani, Taliban and Hizb-i Islami guerrillas. He wanted to allay conspiracy theories about US mercenary armies crawling over Pakistan, occasionally blowing things up (and then blaming the explosions on Pakistanis) in order to destabilize the country and manipulate its policies. The message his mission inadvertently sent was that the US is now increasingly tilting to India and wants to put it in charge of Afghanistan security; that Pakistan is isolated; that he is pressuring Pakistan to take on further counter-insurgency operations against Taliban in the Northwest, which the country flatly lacks the resources to do; and that Pakistani conspiracy theories about Blackwater were perfectly correct and he had admitted it.
Gates went to Pakistan to emphasize to Islamabad that the US was not again going to abandon it and Afghanistan, as it had in the past. Pakistan, he wanted to say, is now a very long-term ally of Washington. He hoped for cooperation against the Haqqani, Taliban and Hizb-i Islami guerrillas. He wanted to allay conspiracy theories about US mercenary armies crawling over Pakistan, occasionally blowing things up (and then blaming the explosions on Pakistanis) in order to destabilize the country and manipulate its policies.
The message his mission inadvertently sent was that the US is now increasingly tilting to India and wants to put it in charge of Afghanistan security; that Pakistan is isolated; that he is pressuring Pakistan to take on further counter-insurgency operations against Taliban in the Northwest, which the country flatly lacks the resources to do; and that Pakistani conspiracy theories about Blackwater were perfectly correct and he had admitted it.
cutting military and police support.
The last generation of Latin American leaders haven't been noted for viewing the Big Northern Neighbour with particularly rose-tinted glasses.
Having the threat of a CIA assassination, a US-sponsored coup d'etat or the United State's ultimate instrument of diplomacy perpetually hanging over your head tends to clarify your thoughts on such matters.
US President Barack Obama intends to go ahead with plans to meet the Dalai Lama despite warnings from China not to, a White House spokesman has said.Mr Obama told China's leaders last year in Beijing that he would meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader, White House spokesman Bill Burton said. China has warned that ties with the US would be undermined if the meeting takes place. No date has been set but it is expected to take place later this month. "The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters. "The Dalai Lama is an internationally respected religious and cultural leader and the president will meet with him in that capacity," he said. The comments came after Communist Party official Zhu Weiqun said such a meeting would "threaten trust and co-operation" between Beijing and Washington.
US President Barack Obama intends to go ahead with plans to meet the Dalai Lama despite warnings from China not to, a White House spokesman has said.
Mr Obama told China's leaders last year in Beijing that he would meet with the Tibetan spiritual leader, White House spokesman Bill Burton said.
China has warned that ties with the US would be undermined if the meeting takes place.
No date has been set but it is expected to take place later this month.
"The president told China's leaders during his trip last year that he would meet with the Dalai Lama and he intends to do so," White House spokesman Bill Burton told reporters.
"The Dalai Lama is an internationally respected religious and cultural leader and the president will meet with him in that capacity," he said.
The comments came after Communist Party official Zhu Weiqun said such a meeting would "threaten trust and co-operation" between Beijing and Washington.
Obama's decision will hurt all the more because the EU is in the process, so it thinks, of beefing up its common foreign policy and the way it projects itself to the rest of the world. Now that the EU's Lisbon treaty is in force, the 27-nation bloc has a full-time president, Herman Van Rompuy of Belgium, and a foreign policy chief with enhanced powers, Britain's Baroness Catherine Ashton. Along with José Manuel Barroso, the European Commission president, and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Spain's prime minister, this pair would presumably have been in Madrid to greet Obama. But in a way this is precisely the EU's problem. Obama and other world leaders can't figure out who exactly speaks for Europe. So far, the main effect of the Lisbon treaty seems to have been simply to add one more European - Van Rompuy - to the party. Neither Barroso nor Zapatero is showing any inclination to step to one side and let Van Rompuy be Europe's main man. It hardly helps, of course, that virtually no one in Washington had heard of Van Rompuy or Ashton until EU leaders picked them in November for two of the bloc's highest jobs. However, the Obama decision is about more than US-EU relations. It is about the EU's obsolete practice of holding regular summits with third parties - Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the US and so on - that are usually almost completely empty of substance. I recall travelling to Bordeaux in July 2008, when France held the EU's presidency, to watch President Nicolas Sakozy host a summit for Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president. It was all over in a flash. Sarko even left early so that he could return to Paris to meet Obama, who at that point was a mere candidate for the presidency making a quick trip to Europe.
But in a way this is precisely the EU's problem. Obama and other world leaders can't figure out who exactly speaks for Europe. So far, the main effect of the Lisbon treaty seems to have been simply to add one more European - Van Rompuy - to the party. Neither Barroso nor Zapatero is showing any inclination to step to one side and let Van Rompuy be Europe's main man. It hardly helps, of course, that virtually no one in Washington had heard of Van Rompuy or Ashton until EU leaders picked them in November for two of the bloc's highest jobs.
However, the Obama decision is about more than US-EU relations. It is about the EU's obsolete practice of holding regular summits with third parties - Canada, China, India, Japan, Russia, South Africa, the US and so on - that are usually almost completely empty of substance. I recall travelling to Bordeaux in July 2008, when France held the EU's presidency, to watch President Nicolas Sakozy host a summit for Thabo Mbeki, South Africa's president. It was all over in a flash. Sarko even left early so that he could return to Paris to meet Obama, who at that point was a mere candidate for the presidency making a quick trip to Europe.
Nowadays, however, a name does not readily come to mind if we are to say who would answer Europe's phone when President Obama called!
And in this case Omaba has no need to call anyone. There's a multi-level bilateral summit hosted by the EU. The EU can suggest a number of events that will take place during the summit and the US can send whomever to each one. Obama is not going to show up at a meeting where he can send Geithner. Or Clinton. Obama is saying that he has no need to be at the summit. His underlings can do all that needs done except for the photo ops. Hopefully he will send Clinton.
As for phone calls, the Secretary of State's counterpart is the High Representative. In this case, Clinton calls Ashton.
That's the only clear-cut case, admittedly.
Van Rompuy's function is like that of the speaker of the Senate. It's probably Biden's job to meet with him. In that sense it's totally appropriate despite the derision of the sewious people that van Rompuy wants to hold an informal Council meeting in a library. The problem is that the position of Counci President was invented so that Blair could grandstand and steal the High Representative's attributions. See A-B-C, The Seven Dwarfs, And The Giant Bird by afew (October 20th, 2009).
Barroso is the head of the EU's executive. Obama should probably meet him. But that's from the point of view of managing the EU bureaucracy. The political direction is intergovernmental and lies with the Council, and that means the rotating President, in this case Zapatero. So Obama would have to meet with him, too. Which is only fair in any case since ZP is the head of government hosting the summit.
I understand Obama might prefer to just meet with Brown, Sarkozy or Merkel, but that's three people, too, right? En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Yeah, because the EU just does whatever the British Prime Minister tells them, right?
Just because the US president calls No.10 when he wants to speak to Europe doesn't mean that's what he should be doing. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Left to right: High Representative for the CSFP Javier Solana, US President Barack Obama, European Commission President José Barroso and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrick Reinfeldt.
Note also that Javier Solana was not only High Representative but also Council Secretary General - a job that has now been beefed up and given to van Rompuy.
But any excuse is good to sound the [Europe.Is.Doomed™ Alert] . En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Why put about this suggestion that the EU is a joke that can't get its act together? Perhaps because it suits American interests that Europe should not unify. What the US, as an imperial power, would prefer is Europe as a group of separate countries that each follows the American lead. Washington prefers bilateral relations with each European country, in which the power relationship of major to minor is evident, rather than with a bloc that could claim a more even power-share.
Oh, bilateral relations means picking up twenty-seven telephones... But we never hear that joke, do we?
...The transatlantic partnership does not need more summits, fora, or dialogues. The Prague summit at which President Obama was subjected to 27 interventions from the EU's assembled heads of state and government was an eye-opener for his administration: senior figures have made plain to us their dread that the Spanish initiative could lead to something called "the Madrid Process". What is needed instead is serious European discussion of which issues currently really matter in transatlantic terms - and on which of those issues Europeans can present a united position to the Americans......The continuing inadequacy of formal EU-US dialogue is particularly exposed by the annual EU-US summits. These meetings normally bring together the US president and relevant cabinet members with the president of the European Commission, the head of state and/or government of the country that holds the European Council's rotating presidency, the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, relevant European commissioners and their equivalents from the presidency government, and sometimes those of the next government in line. To Americans, these summits are all too typical of the European love of process over substance, and a European compulsion for everyone to crowd into the room regardless of efficiency.12 Bush was so dismayed by his first summit experience at Gothenburg in 2001 that he promptly halved the meetings' frequency to once a year; administration sources are frank that Obama's encounter with all 27 European heads of state and government at the Prague summit in April 2008 left him incredulous. As a result of this complex, compartmentalised relationship, Americans feel as if they are trying to deal with Proteus. The shape-shifting Europeans appear now as NATO allies; now as an EU that in turn sometimes appears as 27 states trying to act as one and sometimes one trying to act for 27; and now as individual states, each of whom expects its own relationship and access...
What is needed instead is serious European discussion of which issues currently really matter in transatlantic terms - and on which of those issues Europeans can present a united position to the Americans...
...
The continuing inadequacy of formal EU-US dialogue is particularly exposed by the annual EU-US summits. These meetings normally bring together the US president and relevant cabinet members with the president of the European Commission, the head of state and/or government of the country that holds the European Council's rotating presidency, the High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, relevant European commissioners and their equivalents from the presidency government, and sometimes those of the next government in line. To Americans, these summits are all too typical of the European love of process over substance, and a European compulsion for everyone to crowd into the room regardless of efficiency.12 Bush was so dismayed by his first summit experience at Gothenburg in 2001 that he promptly halved the meetings' frequency to once a year; administration sources are frank that Obama's encounter with all 27 European heads of state and government at the Prague summit in April 2008 left him incredulous.
As a result of this complex, compartmentalised relationship, Americans feel as if they are trying to deal with Proteus. The shape-shifting Europeans appear now as NATO allies; now as an EU that in turn sometimes appears as 27 states trying to act as one and sometimes one trying to act for 27; and now as individual states, each of whom expects its own relationship and access...
From a study highlighted by nanne in Power Void in Europe. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
The European Court of Human Rights has deferred its decision on whether an England fan should be extradited to Portugal to serve a jail term.Garry Mann, 51, of Faversham, Kent, was given a two-year term for his role in a riot in Albufeira during Euro 2004. Portugal is seeking extradition under a fast-track European Arrest Warrant because Mann did not serve his sentence in the UK after deportation. His lawyers claim he had an unfair trial under a fast-track procedure
The European Court of Human Rights has deferred its decision on whether an England fan should be extradited to Portugal to serve a jail term.
Garry Mann, 51, of Faversham, Kent, was given a two-year term for his role in a riot in Albufeira during Euro 2004.
Portugal is seeking extradition under a fast-track European Arrest Warrant because Mann did not serve his sentence in the UK after deportation.
His lawyers claim he had an unfair trial under a fast-track procedure
DUP leader Peter Robinson was faced with threats of resignations when he put a proposed justice deal to his assembly team, the BBC understands.After Monday's meeting, party sources said Mr Robinson was seeking unanimous support for a deal before moving ahead. It is believed the meeting was stormy, with a secret ballot ending in a 60/40 split in favour of the proposals. It is now thought talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein could go on until the end of the week.
DUP leader Peter Robinson was faced with threats of resignations when he put a proposed justice deal to his assembly team, the BBC understands.
After Monday's meeting, party sources said Mr Robinson was seeking unanimous support for a deal before moving ahead.
It is believed the meeting was stormy, with a secret ballot ending in a 60/40 split in favour of the proposals.
It is now thought talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein could go on until the end of the week.
A Welsh assembly vote next week could enable AMs to "trigger" the process for a referendum on further powers.The Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru leaders, Carwyn Jones and Ieuan Wyn Jones, have confirmed it will begin the process towards the referendum. The vote on Tuesday, 9 February will be drafted to facilitate the so-called "trigger," but the assembly government is not sure of the 40 votes it needs. Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they could abstain.
A Welsh assembly vote next week could enable AMs to "trigger" the process for a referendum on further powers.
The Welsh Labour and Plaid Cymru leaders, Carwyn Jones and Ieuan Wyn Jones, have confirmed it will begin the process towards the referendum.
The vote on Tuesday, 9 February will be drafted to facilitate the so-called "trigger," but the assembly government is not sure of the 40 votes it needs.
Both Conservatives and Liberal Democrats say they could abstain.
Plaid may advocate the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union and the Welsh Labour Party may also be on board, but I do not think that a referendum on further powers is among the priorities of Nick Bourne's Conservative Party. He seems to share David Cameron's position.
Britain's "first past the post" voting system could be scrapped if Labour wins the general election, under plans which have been outlined by Gordon Brown.The prime minister wants a referendum on changing to an "alternative vote" system, where candidates are ranked in order of voters' preference. MPs will vote next week on holding a referendum after the general election. The Tories accused the PM of wanting to "fiddle" the system while the Lib Dems said the plan did not go far enough.
Britain's "first past the post" voting system could be scrapped if Labour wins the general election, under plans which have been outlined by Gordon Brown.
The prime minister wants a referendum on changing to an "alternative vote" system, where candidates are ranked in order of voters' preference.
MPs will vote next week on holding a referendum after the general election.
The Tories accused the PM of wanting to "fiddle" the system while the Lib Dems said the plan did not go far enough.
I wonder,could this be a distraction from something else going on ? Such as an inquiry into the Iraq war that is providing bad headlines for Gordon. keep to the Fen Causeway
An attempt to delay a bid to provide free personal care at home for some 250,000 people in England has failed.The House of Lords voted against a motion tabled by former health minister Lord Warner. He had argued that the government's proposal was "unaffordable" and proper consultation had not taken place. The proposal was originally put forward by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Labour's conference and is expected to be a key part of its election campaign. The plan has attracted criticism from peers, local government and campaigners because a wider review of social care is also taking place.
An attempt to delay a bid to provide free personal care at home for some 250,000 people in England has failed.
The House of Lords voted against a motion tabled by former health minister Lord Warner.
He had argued that the government's proposal was "unaffordable" and proper consultation had not taken place.
The proposal was originally put forward by Prime Minister Gordon Brown at Labour's conference and is expected to be a key part of its election campaign.
The plan has attracted criticism from peers, local government and campaigners because a wider review of social care is also taking place.
Another example of the labour party legislating on the hoof without consideration of anything other than tomorrow's headline (and May's vote) keep to the Fen Causeway
Immigration Minister Eric Besson said Tuesday that French citizenship has been denied to a man for forcing his wife to wear the head-to-toe veil and for rejecting the principles of secularism and equality between men and women.AFP - A foreign national who forced his French wife to wear the full Islamic veil will be denied French citizenship, the immigration minister said Tuesday. Eric Besson said he had signed a decree rejecting the man's citizenship application after it emerged that he had ordered his wife to cover herself with the head-to-toe veil. "It emerged during the inquiry and the interview process that this person forced his wife to wear the full veil, deprived her of freedom of movement with her face exposed and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women," said Besson in a statement.
AFP - A foreign national who forced his French wife to wear the full Islamic veil will be denied French citizenship, the immigration minister said Tuesday.
Eric Besson said he had signed a decree rejecting the man's citizenship application after it emerged that he had ordered his wife to cover herself with the head-to-toe veil.
"It emerged during the inquiry and the interview process that this person forced his wife to wear the full veil, deprived her of freedom of movement with her face exposed and rejected the principles of secularism and equality between men and women," said Besson in a statement.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU's new president, Herman Van Rompuy, has opted to hold his first EU summit in an old library in order to create an informal atmosphere. The 11 February meeting is to take place in the 108-year-old Bibliotheque Solvay, situated in a small park between the EU member states' normal meeting venue, the Justus Lipsius building, and the European Parliament complex in Brussels. The 27 leaders will spend almost the whole day, from 9am until 6pm, alone in the library's wood-panneled and book-lined main room. Each leader will be allowed to bring along one advisor, but the 27 aides will be segregated in a separate chamber. European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the EU's foreign relations chief, Catherine Ashton, have also been invited.
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The EU's new president, Herman Van Rompuy, has opted to hold his first EU summit in an old library in order to create an informal atmosphere.
The 11 February meeting is to take place in the 108-year-old Bibliotheque Solvay, situated in a small park between the EU member states' normal meeting venue, the Justus Lipsius building, and the European Parliament complex in Brussels.
The 27 leaders will spend almost the whole day, from 9am until 6pm, alone in the library's wood-panneled and book-lined main room. Each leader will be allowed to bring along one advisor, but the 27 aides will be segregated in a separate chamber.
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and the EU's foreign relations chief, Catherine Ashton, have also been invited.
As the first President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy was always going to have a battle to carve out a distinct role for himself. He may not, however, have anticipated the furore over his efforts to find a new venue to host his inaugural summit. Mr Van Rompuy, the owlish Belgian who beat Tony Blair to the job, has spurned his Brussels headquarters in favour of a less formal spot -- a 108-year-old restored library -- for the meeting on February 11. The Bibliotheque Solvay is only a few hundred yards down the road but even such a small move has serious implications for the security of the 27 heads of state who will gather there. It has also raised eyebrows because the library's cosy wood-panelled surroundings hark back to the days of informal European summits unencumbered by officials, minute-takers and the media. This informal system of "fireside chats" was pioneered in the 1970s by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former President of France, with his opposite number in Germany, Helmut Schmidt, before the EU became too big to run as a gentlemen's club.
As the first President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy was always going to have a battle to carve out a distinct role for himself. He may not, however, have anticipated the furore over his efforts to find a new venue to host his inaugural summit.
Mr Van Rompuy, the owlish Belgian who beat Tony Blair to the job, has spurned his Brussels headquarters in favour of a less formal spot -- a 108-year-old restored library -- for the meeting on February 11. The Bibliotheque Solvay is only a few hundred yards down the road but even such a small move has serious implications for the security of the 27 heads of state who will gather there.
It has also raised eyebrows because the library's cosy wood-panelled surroundings hark back to the days of informal European summits unencumbered by officials, minute-takers and the media. This informal system of "fireside chats" was pioneered in the 1970s by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, the former President of France, with his opposite number in Germany, Helmut Schmidt, before the EU became too big to run as a gentlemen's club.
Committee meetings and political groups week - Brussels Hearing of Kristalina Georgieva. The new Bulgarian Commissioner-designate is scheduled to appear before the Development Committee for a three-hour hearing (Wednesday). SWIFT agreement. The Civil Liberties Committee is set to vote on the EU's agreement with the US on the sharing of bank transfer data (Thursday). EP President in France. Jerzy Buzek will be in Paris for an official visit to France. He will meet President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister François Fillon and others, including leaders of the French National Assembly and Senate. (Tuesday-Wednesday). EP/European Council. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, will attend a meeting of the political group leaders and the EP President (Thursday). Spanish Presidency. Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos will be at the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees (Thursday). EP/Mongolia. President Buzek will meet the President of Mongolia, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, after which the two leaders will give an informal press briefing (Monday). Ukrainian election. A delegation of MEPs will observe the second round of Ukraine's presidential election (Thursday- Monday). Preparations for the plenary. The political groups will devote most of the week to their plans for the 8-11 February plenary session. The key event is the scheduled vote on the new European Commission. The session also includes debates on the progress made by Croatia, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia towards EU membership and votes on Haiti, Iran and Yemen, as well as on the Copenhagen climate summit. Rules on EU support for improving social housing and a debate on needlestick injuries in hospitals area also on the agenda. Pre-session press briefing. Parliament's Press Service and the spokespeople of the main political groups will present the session agenda at the regular briefing on Friday (Anna Politkovskaya room PHS 0A050, 11am).
Hearing of Kristalina Georgieva. The new Bulgarian Commissioner-designate is scheduled to appear before the Development Committee for a three-hour hearing (Wednesday).
SWIFT agreement. The Civil Liberties Committee is set to vote on the EU's agreement with the US on the sharing of bank transfer data (Thursday).
EP President in France. Jerzy Buzek will be in Paris for an official visit to France. He will meet President Nicolas Sarkozy, Prime Minister François Fillon and others, including leaders of the French National Assembly and Senate. (Tuesday-Wednesday).
EP/European Council. Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, will attend a meeting of the political group leaders and the EP President (Thursday).
Spanish Presidency. Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos will be at the Foreign Affairs and Development Committees (Thursday).
EP/Mongolia. President Buzek will meet the President of Mongolia, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, after which the two leaders will give an informal press briefing (Monday).
Ukrainian election. A delegation of MEPs will observe the second round of Ukraine's presidential election (Thursday- Monday).
Preparations for the plenary. The political groups will devote most of the week to their plans for the 8-11 February plenary session. The key event is the scheduled vote on the new European Commission. The session also includes debates on the progress made by Croatia, Turkey and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia towards EU membership and votes on Haiti, Iran and Yemen, as well as on the Copenhagen climate summit. Rules on EU support for improving social housing and a debate on needlestick injuries in hospitals area also on the agenda.
Pre-session press briefing. Parliament's Press Service and the spokespeople of the main political groups will present the session agenda at the regular briefing on Friday (Anna Politkovskaya room PHS 0A050, 11am).
The Brussels bureaucracy is an authority that claims to want the best for us, he said. »But instead it sees us as helpless minors without consent, as subjects that have to be convinced,« he said in his acceptance speech - a biting satire against the attempts by eurocrats to sidetrack a better European democracy. »Every criticism of European institutions is conceived by these people as somehow anti-European,« Enzensberger said.
»But instead it sees us as helpless minors without consent, as subjects that have to be convinced,« he said in his acceptance speech - a biting satire against the attempts by eurocrats to sidetrack a better European democracy.
»Every criticism of European institutions is conceived by these people as somehow anti-European,« Enzensberger said.
[Full disclosure: I occasionally do some freelance accounting work for these guys (last year I should've charged percentages - I found € 250.000 that they were being scammed out of by the upper management - we got € 150.000 of them back ;-P).]
The mandate of the Barroso I European Commission ended 31 October 2009. Since then, it has continued as a "caretaker" Commission which must only fulfil its public service duty without making any new political or legislative initiatives. The European Parliament's role has been to monitor the Commission to make sure it acts in principle only as a caretaker. The European Parliament is due to vote on the election of a new Commission in Strasbourg 9 February 2010. This background note is a summary of the procedural issues concerning the appointment of the new Commission. Number of Commissioners Hearings Vote on the Commission College What happens after the vote ? Previous votes on the Commissions
The European Parliament is due to vote on the election of a new Commission in Strasbourg 9 February 2010. This background note is a summary of the procedural issues concerning the appointment of the new Commission.
EP President Jerzy Buzek has expressed his consternation at the detention of 2009 Sakharov Prize Winner Oleg Orlov and 100 others in Moscow. He said: "I call on the Russian authorities to cease this heavy-handed treatment of peaceful demonstrators." ... "On behalf of the European Parliament I have to express my consternation on hearing of the detention of some 100 people, including Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights Center, and Laureate of the Sakharov Prize 2009. They were arrested during a peaceful demonstration on Triumphalnaya Square, in Moscow on 31 January. It is the second time since the award of the 2009 Sakharov Prize in Strasbourg in December that one of our laureates has been arrested. On 31 December 2009, 82 year-old Lyudmila Alexeyeva faced similar action merely for defending the constitutional right to demonstrate freely and peacefully.
"On behalf of the European Parliament I have to express my consternation on hearing of the detention of some 100 people, including Oleg Orlov, head of the Memorial human rights Center, and Laureate of the Sakharov Prize 2009. They were arrested during a peaceful demonstration on Triumphalnaya Square, in Moscow on 31 January.
It is the second time since the award of the 2009 Sakharov Prize in Strasbourg in December that one of our laureates has been arrested. On 31 December 2009, 82 year-old Lyudmila Alexeyeva faced similar action merely for defending the constitutional right to demonstrate freely and peacefully.
In seinem Urteil vom 2. Oktober 2007, betreffend Nachbesteuerung von 1995 bis 2000, hielt das Schweizerische Bundesgericht in Lausanne die Nutzung dieser Daten - die laut Gericht auf der Basis einer "Verletzung des Geschäftsgeheimnisses" entstanden waren - durch die Steuer- und die Steuerstrafbehörden für zulässig.
Kristijan Golubovic (40) likes to compare himself to Robin Hood. "I never bothered poor fruit vendors," he said, speaking during an interview in his spacious home, located in Belgrade's outskirts. When he robbed an electronics store, it would be one carrying high-end brands for the rich. "I would steal 50 Bang & Olufsens that would end up with people unable to afford even a Sony." The famous Serbian criminal Golubovic was released from prison a year ago, and he claims to have since limited his activities to participating in so called `ultimate fighting' tournaments. His presence can draw a crowd to these events. He also doles out advice to his fans by email. "A lot of people ask if I want to godfather their child," he said.
Kristijan Golubovic (40) likes to compare himself to Robin Hood. "I never bothered poor fruit vendors," he said, speaking during an interview in his spacious home, located in Belgrade's outskirts. When he robbed an electronics store, it would be one carrying high-end brands for the rich. "I would steal 50 Bang & Olufsens that would end up with people unable to afford even a Sony."
The famous Serbian criminal Golubovic was released from prison a year ago, and he claims to have since limited his activities to participating in so called `ultimate fighting' tournaments. His presence can draw a crowd to these events. He also doles out advice to his fans by email. "A lot of people ask if I want to godfather their child," he said.
Brilliant reporting. Read to the end...
Dementia now costs the UK economy twice as much as cancer but gets a fraction of the funding to find causes and cures, a report seen by the BBC shows.For every one pound spent on dementia research, 12 times that sum goes on investigating cancer, figures from the Alzheimer's Research Trust indicate. Bridging this gap is urgent, it says, particularly given the numbers with dementia are much higher than thought. With 821,884 sufferers, dementia costs the UK £23bn annually, the report says.
Dementia now costs the UK economy twice as much as cancer but gets a fraction of the funding to find causes and cures, a report seen by the BBC shows.
For every one pound spent on dementia research, 12 times that sum goes on investigating cancer, figures from the Alzheimer's Research Trust indicate.
Bridging this gap is urgent, it says, particularly given the numbers with dementia are much higher than thought.
With 821,884 sufferers, dementia costs the UK £23bn annually, the report says.
