European Parliament: the finalists of the Sacharov Prize On October 10 will be disclosed the name of the winner of the 2013 Sacharov Prize, awarded every year by the European Parliament to individuals, associations or non-governmental organizations devoted to the promotion of the freedom of speech and the defence of human rights in the world. This year’s finalists are: the political activists against the Belarus regime Ales Bialatski, Eduard Lobau and Mykola Statkevich (chosen to represent all those engaged in the struggle for freedom and democracy in the Country); I.T. expert Edward Snowden (U.S.), formerly employed by CIA and by the Agency for National Security of the United States, who revealed details of classified surveillance programs adopted by the governments of the United States and Great Britain. Finally, 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan (considered the favourite for the awarding of the prize): she was 11 years old when she began her fight by writing a blog under a pseudonym to ensure the right to women’s education, freedom and self-determination in her country. Once announced, the laureate will be invited to Strasbourg on November 20 for the award ceremony consisting also in a 50 thousand euro prize. The ceremony will take place during the plenary session of the EU Parliament. Ombudsman: a woman in defence of EU citizens “Europe faces not only an economic crisis but also a crisis of political legitimacy. Negativity and division are rising across Europe, the trust of citizens in European institutions is declining, and many feel their voice simply does not count. This makes 2014 a crucial year for Europe and the future of the European Union”. Emily O’Reilly, from Ireland, begins work as European Ombudsman on 1 October 2013. The Ombudsman, points out O’Reilly, “follows P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, who retires after serving as European Ombudsman in Strasbourg for more than ten years. O’Reilly added: “One of my proactive roles as Ombudsman is to highlight citizens’ concerns and help bridge the wide gap between them and the EU institutions”. Twenty years after the Office of the European Ombudsman was created, “it is time to re-think its focus”. All the citizens and residents of the EU “must benefit from an effective administration completely focused on serving their needs. I will build on my predecessor’s fine achievements in making the EU administration more transparent and efficient. It is further my intention to cooperate with the European Parliament” on behalf of “citizens’ rights and interests”.Patents and innovation for economic development “About 39% of total economic activity in the EU” (worth some 4.7 trillion annually) is generated by IPR-intensive industries, and approximately 26% of all employment in the EU” (56 million jobs) is provided directly by these industries, while “a further 9% of jobs in the EU stems indirectly from IPR-intensive industries”. The findings are contained in the Report on “Intellectual Property Rights intensive industries: contribution to economic performance and employment in Europe”, compiled by the European Patent Office in cooperation with the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, presented a few days ago by the EU Commission. Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier said: “This study will help us to further underpin our evidence-based policy making. It shows us that the use of intellectual property rights in the economy is ubiquitous: from high-tech industries to manufacturers of sports goods, toys and computer games” including food products and clothing. Benoît Battistelli, President of the European Patent Office (EPO) said: “This report shows that the benefit of patents and other IPRs is not just economic theory. For innovative companies intangible assets have become extremely important, especially for SMEs. In order to remain competitive in the global economy, Europe needs to encourage even further the development and use of new technology and innovations”.
