In support of Kyrgyzstan”The quick and generous reaction of our Member States shows that European Civil Protection can contribute in a coordinate and efficient way to the rescue and assistance activities of the United Nations”. These words were spoken by the European Commissioner for the environment Stavros Dimas, commenting the EU’s mobilization for Kyrgyzstan, which was in only a few days was hit twice by an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude in the Southern region, 30 km away from the city of Osh. The first seism occurred on December 26, the second New Year’s day. Approximately 500 families (3thousand people) were left with no shelter. Kyrgystan’s government thus launched an appeal to the international community, through the UN, asking for 500 winter tents and an equal number of heaters to protect the population from the harshly cold weather. The EU responded to the request of assistance through its Monitoring and Information Centre (Mic), in charge of the mobilization and coordination of the Civil Protection interventions of the Member States in emergency situations which established close cooperation with the Un-Ocha (UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance). Aid was given especially from Sweden, Austria, Slovakia and Bulgaria. The so-called “Community mechanism for civil protection” of which are part, in addition to the 27 also Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway, has already been active in a number of environmental disasters such as the 2003 eearthquake in Iran, the Tsunami of the year 2004 in South-East Aisa, the hurricane Kathrina (USA 2005) and the Lebanon crisis of 2006. Capitals of culture: Liverpool e Stavanger are getting readyLiverpool is presently preparing 350 events, “most of which will be at no cost”, and “will be centered on art, balet, movies, cuisine and theatre performance”. Stavanger’s spotlights will be architecture, literature, visual arts and music “bringing together artists from all backgrounds, present on the national and international scene”. The English city, “birthplace of pop music”, and the Norwegian one, “famous” accepted to be the testimonies of the “European cultural capital” for the year 2008 following in the wake of Luxembourg and Sibiu (Romania). Both cities will be inaugurating their events on January 12. Liverpool will start its festival with the show “Liverpool-The Musical”, with the participation of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, and of Dave Stewart, from the band Eurythmics. The event “will also mark the official opening of the new premises of the Liverpool Arena”. Stavanger will “bring the County Rogaland in the limelight by inviting all its villages to present a thematic activity”. The Year of Intercultural Dialogue, the art festivals”Artistic events have vital importance in promoting intercultural dialogue; they can be used to spread and give visibility to the European artistic and cultural currents, thereby offering a valuable opportunity for exchanges and mutual enrichment”. This was said in Ljubljana by the Commissioner for Education, Sports, Culture and Youth, Ján Figel, as he spoke at the meeting of the delegates of the most important artistic and cultural festivals of the continent, who, on the occasion of the launch of the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, signed a joint declaration. Promoted by EFA (European Festivals’ Association, with branches in 38 countries), the initiative, explains Darko Brlek, president of EFA and director of the Ljubljana Festival, “intends to make the objectives and the messge of the Year be reflected on music, dance and theatre festivals, on rock festivals as well as on literary and film festivals throughout 2008”.Lithuania , Latvia and Slovakia grow more “During the third quarter of 2007, the Gross Domestic Product of the euro-zone increased by 0.8% from the last quarter”: the growth rate in the second quarter had been 0.3% in the euro-zone and 0.5% across the EU. Eurostat announced in Brussels a few days ago the macroeconomic figures for the summer period, which still do not show the main problems that have come to the fore in the second part of the year due to the turbulence caused on the US financial markets by the sub-prime mortgage crisis, the rise in the price of crude oil and the slight rise in inflation. The quarterly figures, purged of seasonal fluctuations, seem to show a growth rate of 2.7% p.a. in the euro-zone and 3% across the Union. The best performance is again that of the Eastern countries, with Lithuania top of the GDP list (+5.2%), followed by Latvia and Slovakia. Among the main EU partners, the United States show a growth rate of 1.2% for the same quarter, while Japan is steady at 0.4%. Low growth rates can also be found in terms of consumption, foreign trade and investments.
