Disabled or elderly persons: more rights for those who flyThe new EU provisions that give disabled or elderly persons access to air transport “comparable with that enjoyed by other travellers in the airports of the European Union, without discrimination or surcharges”, came into force on 26 July. According to Commissioner for Transport Antonio Tajani, “the progressive introduction of these regulations will put a stop to discrimination and offer disabled or elderly passengers the assistance they need in their travels”. These measures – Tajani continued – “will provide an effective response to the needs of an important part of the population that continues to increase with the ageing of the population in Europe”. In Brussels, indeed, it is calculated that approximately a third of the EU population has problems of mobility. “Complete and free assistance is not available everywhere and with all airlines. EU regulation 1107/2006 tackles these problems and permits persons with reduced mobility to travel by air without difficulty”. There are three main areas of intervention: the fair treatment of persons with reduced mobility (obligation of airlines to accept bookings from and the boarding of passengers with difficulties of mobility); free assistance in all airports in EU territory (specific services from entry into the airport through to boarding, both in the airport of departure and in that of arrival); assistance on board. Support for organic farmingThe European Commission is launching a campaign to promote organic farming. The chosen venue for the launch was the Agricultural Fair at Libramont, in Belgium, and the slogan adopted for it – translated into the 23 official languages of the EU – is “Bio. Good for nature, good for us”. A dedicated multilingual website has also been created: www.organic-farming.europa.eu. The campaign “is aimed at informing consumers of the significance, recognizability and benefits of organic produce”. “The demand for organic produce is increasing”, points out Commissioner Mariann Fiscer Boel. “The campaign that has just been launched provides a good opportunity to further promote these farm products”. According to the figures of the European Commission, the bio sector is growing and comprises almost 200,000 operators in the EU, including cultivators, breeders, processors and importers. The retail market has grown in all member countries in recent years, with percentages comprised between 5 and 30%. The Commission is also promoting a competition for the creation of a new logo for organic farming in the EU.Television industry “made in Europe” “Over 63% of programme time of European television broadcasters is “made in Europe” and 36% is the work of independent European producers, points out the eighth report of the European Commission on the effectiveness of EU measures regarding the promotion of European TV programmes in the period 2005-2006. The report, which comes out every two years, “monitors the promotion of European programmes on television channels in the framework of the Television Without Frontiers directive”. The new report analyses, in particular, the activity of broadcasters in the new member states and “shows that the content of their programmes is as European as that registered in the 15-member EU”. According to Viviane Reding, Commissioner for the Information Society and the Media, “the data published today demonstrate the vitality of the EU audiovisual industry and the commitment of all member states, old and new, to cultural diversity”. “Of course – adds Reding – our audiovisual industry must continue its efforts and offer rich and innovative contents for the introduction of new services such as mobile television or video on demand”.Development: role of the EU and “local players”The third annual European Development Days 2008 will be held from 15 to 17 November. The 2006 event had been dedicated to “governance”, that in 2007 to “climate change”; this year the focal point will be the role of local players. “Local action and global action – explains Commissioner Louis Michel – are two dimensions of the same dynamic for development. This year’s Development Days will present new ideas, starting out from the fact that global action is an essential level to ensure the success” of development projects in the world. Some 3,000 participants per year, representing 1200 NGOs, associations and institutions, supported previous Development Days. The organization of the Days is entrusted to the EU, which remains – points out Commissioner Michel – the main international donor in the field of cooperation and aid for development, with 56% of the world total. In 2007 the EU figure in this field rose to 47.6 billion euro; the percentage is set to increase to 66 billion by 2010. For further information: www.eudevdays.eu.
