EU support to paralympic gamesA few days ago, European Commissioner Ján Figel’, whose brief includes Sport, and the president of the European Paralympic Committee (EPC), Enrique Sánchez-Guijo, signed a joint statement outlining EU support to the Committee aimed at fostering social inclusion of people with disabilities. The statement was drawn up on the occasion of the opening of the Paralympic Games in Bejing (6-17 September), attended by Commissioner Figel’. Co-operation envisages annual financial aid to EPC in the acknowledgement that “sport not only offers people with disabilities opportunities to develop their personal skills and talents, but it also helps with their integration in society, and increases their self-confidence and social inclusion”. For this year, EPC has been granted 110thousand euro, amounting to two thirds of the Committee’s total expenses. The same amount is earmarked for the year 2009. Migrations and integration in EU-27″Europe: migration and integration”. This is the title of the meeting promoted by the EU Parliament in cooperation with the French National Assembly, that will be held in Brussels’ hemicycle on September 10-11. The initiative aims at addressing the issue of migrations from a Community perspective – organizers explained – with special emphasis on financial, social and cultural aspects. MEPs and MPs from all Member States will be attending the meeting chaired by Euro-Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering, by the President of the French Senate Christian Poncelet, and by the President of the National Assembly Bernard Accoyer. Plenary meetings, workshops and lectures by political personalities will equally mark the event. Speakers include: Brice Hortefeux, Minister of immigration and of Paris’ national identity; Jacques Barrot, EU Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security; Ndioro Ndiaye, Deputy Director of the International Migrations Office; José Manuel Barroso, head of EU Executive. Participants are called to address three major topics: legal immigration and the best path leading to true EU integration; which European policy should be adopted vis à vis illegal immigration; Europe as asylum. Sars, “Avian influenza”. Joint responsePromoting “health security” within the Community. This is the objective outlined during the meeting of the 27 Member States’ Health Ministers, who convened on September 8-9 at the Congress Centre in Angers (France). The gathering was chaired by French Minister Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin. Health security is one of the priorities established by the EU French Presidency-In-Office in the field of health, in agreement with the two next six-month- presidencies chaired by the Czech Republic and Sweden. “During recent years – Bachelot-Narquin explained- there has been an increasing number of plagues such Sars or avian influenza. The Union voiced its wish that joint action will mark immediate response to similar future pandemics”. During the meeting in Angers, European authorities presented a “balance of the European health safety plan along with the minutes of the Europgrippe seminar (September 3-5 in Angers) devoted to the reduction of the critical gap between first-aid plans and an influenza pandemics”. Concrete cases have been studied in order to “draw a comparison between the different national practices pertaining to situations of health alert” and to define “joint EU action”.Betancourt to address the European ParliamentIngrid Betancourt will deliver her address to the European Parliament during a formal sitting on October 8 in Brussels. After having been proposed for presidential elections in Colombia, Ms. Betancourt had been kidnapped by FARC Revolutionary Armed Forces on February 23 2003 and released six and a half years later, past July 2, with Operation Jaque, along with other 14 hostages. Upon her release, Ms. Betancourt, who recently had a private audience with Pope Benedict XVI, worked for the release of the other prisoners and for her country’s pacification and democracy. European Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering said: “I am delighted that Ingrid Betancourt has accepted our invitation”. “We are proud of her courage and thrilled that the Parliament will have the opportunity to salute her”.
