Building on values

“The creation and strengthening of an area of freedom, security and justice for its citizens is one of the European Union’s main goals” and “migration and asylum policies are key elements” writes Alessandro Calcagno in the November issue of “Europe infos”, Comence (Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community) and Ocipe (Catholic office of information and initiatives in Europe) monthly magazine, which opens with a comment by Frank Turner on the European Parliament elections on June 2009.An important opportunity. The European Commission, Mr. Calagno points out, last September launched a public consultation on different issues: among them migration and asylum. “Contributions to this consultation – Mr. Calcagno explains- will be pondered in setting out EU’s new five year program (2010-2014) on freedom, security and justice”. The consultation document refers to three concerns: “EU’s role in managing legal immigration, migrants integration and European integration to limit illegal immigration”. The Commission hopes “more solidarity among Members Sates in helping Country’s whose asylum system is overburdened”, and poses some issues on topics, such as frontier protection and cooperation for Third countries. “The advisory document – a questionnaire (yes/no questions)- is for the citizens”, Mr. Calcagno added, “an opportunity they must not miss”.Finance for common good. Paul H. Dembinski, Director of the Observatoire de la Finance, talking about Europe’s role in the current financial crisis said that when invoking “a new Breton Woods” one must be aware “that it is impossible to recreate an international economic order without applying hierarchical values as a foundation”. Besides measures taken, in order to stay credible in the world the EU must – according to the economist- position scandals on lack or poor development in entire continents at the core of the new Breton Wood’s project”. In general, for Mr. Dembinski, “efficiency ethos” driver by “modern financial and economic theories” can no longer “be considered as the sole assessment criterion”, but must “return to a concept of common good based on ethics”, and apply long term criteria to economic and financial matters”.EU Climate and credibility. The “climate and energy package” has been adopted with a majority vote by the European Parliament’s Environment Commission, however, Thomas Pickartz pointed out,” Member States must also sign a political agreement ” that should be reached at the latest during the Environment Ministers’ meeting scheduled for December 4 and 5 in Brussels”. Thus, he marked, “European Union’s credibility at the Un Climate Conference in Poznan (Poland, from December 1 to 12) will be strongly enhanced”. For Mr. Pickartz, “Poznan’s negotiations could set the first pillar in the UN’s ambitious Climate change agreement, that is scheduled to end in Copenhagen in December 2009”. “The EU and other industrialized countries – the author of the article concluded- should set the example in order to spur large emerging countries such as China and India to commit themselves in concretely cutting their green-gas emissions”.Work-Family balance. “Europe needs children, but it is impossible to shorten and make pregnancy more simple, furthermore it is expensive” said Joanna Lopatowska analyzing the European Commission’s proposal to help women “find a balance between work and family” to guarantee, Mrs. Lopatowska points out, “gender equality”. “Improvements in maternity leaves, better social protection measures for self-employed women” are pivotal issues of two legislative initiatives to review two specific directives; the proposals were welcomed with great interest but cool reactions”. Recalling the recent statement of the European Commissioner for Employment, Vladimir Spidla: “Too often, having children costs women their income and their job prospects”, the author of the article concluded: “In the financial crisis Member Sates have shown the ability to ensure financial liquidity to its banks in the storm”. Why should they ” do less for family policies?”.