Energy: necessary to complete the internal market "When it comes to gas and electricity, citizens and businesses are interested in two things security of supply at any time and affordable price. We will best achieve this with a functioning European energy market". Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger commissioner for energy, explains the EU Executive intends to regulate this market in all of Europe. The Commission intends to calls on Member States "to work with Member States to empower consumers and to reduce state interventions which distort markets". Efforts are focused on various areas: from tariffs, to infrastructures, from energy supply, from security to the environment. To complete the internal market by 2014, the Commission highlights various initiatives to assume, which include: the implementation of norms regarding the internal market and enforcing competition rules (twenty months after the transposition deadline of March 2011, some Member States have not yet fully transposed the "third energy market package"; the strengthening of consumers’ positions (including national legislation regulating retail prices for families and enterprises), ensuring "flexible" market design; as well as guidelines on support schemes for renewables.Blueprint to safeguard Europe’s water resourcesEurope’s waters "are not doing well"; drinking water scarcity is spreading in Europe and extreme events (like floods) are increasing. These are just some of the reasons that led the EU Commission to publish a "River Basin Management Plan" with the purpose of "ensuring that enough good quality water is available to meet the needs of people, the economy and the environment". The Water Blueprint time horizon is closely related to the EU’s 2020 Strategy and it is reposes on three plillars. First, improving implementation of current EU water policy by making full use of the opportunities provided by the current laws; for example, "increasing the take-up of natural water retention measures, such as the restoration of wetlands and floodplains or improving implementation of the "polluter pays" principle through metering, water-pricing and better economic analysis. Second, "increasing the integration of water policy objectives into other relevant policy areas such as agriculture, fisheries, renewable energy, transport and the Cohesion and Structural Funds". Third: "Filling the gaps of the current framework, particularly in relation to the tools needed to increase water efficiency". Nobel Prize: 4 youths at the ceremony in Oslo "The 2012 Nobel Peace prize is not only a recognition of the European Union’s past achievements: it also looks to the future. Our task is always to inspire the next generation of Europeans. That is why we want Europe’s youth, who are inheriting a continent of peace and who will be responsible for Europe’s future, with us in Oslo". The presidents of the three EU institutions, Parliament (Martin Schulz), Council (Herman Van Rompuy) and Commission (José Manuel Barroso), call upon the youth to take part in an online contest: four winners will be invited by the Presidents of the European Council, the European Commission and the European Parliament to be part of the official delegation of the European Union that will travel to Oslo to receive this year’s Peace Prize in December. The contest, organized in conjunction with European Youth Forum, is titled "Peace, Europe, Future: What does Peace in Europe mean to you?" Children aged 8 to 12 should express their answer in a drawing, young people aged 13 to 24 in a short text of maximum 120 characters, in any of the 23 EU official languages. The contest is ongoing until November 25. There will then be a national selection and a winner will be selected for three different age brackets 8-12; 13-17 and 18-24. Each winner will be invited to Oslo. he 16 pre-selected entries from the categories 18-24 will also be posted on Facebook for a vote by the public. The candidate with the most votes will be invited to Oslo. For further information log on: www.peaceuropefuture.eu.
