An intense plenary sitting

Equal treatment for temporary workers; green light to the association Agreement with Bosnia-Herzegovina; the tug of war in the Commission and the Council for the 2009 Budget. Last week’s plenary sitting in Strasbourg (October 20-23) was very intense, and among other things, the 27-Assembly approved the new Erasmu Mundus program 2009-2013.Foreing students and Sacharov Price. Erasmus Mundus is aimed at improving the formation of the youth in developing countries, focusing on the “quality of education offered by European universities”, on “reception opportunities” and on a “global scholarship system”. As explained by the French MEP, rapporteur Marielle De Sarnez. Its task is also “to foster understanding between peoples, to improve higher education preventing the brain-drain” from Africa, Asia and South America. In a different sector, the Euro-Parliament decided to award the Sacharov Prize 2008 to the Chinese political activist Hu Jia. The ceremony is scheduled on December 17 in Strasbourg, but it is most likely that the dissident will be unable to attend it. “Hu Jia – is written in the motivation- has been on the front lines for years to reaffirm human rights in China”. He is “committed in environmental defense and in the fight against AIDS”. Euro-Parliament president Hans-Gert Poettering, recalled that the prize, “established 20 years ago and awarded to outstanding personalities that make a mark in the realm of fundamental rights”, is “a powerful political sign in the defense of the Chinese people”. The recipient, who was arrested several times for his activity, will be awarded a diploma and a contribution of 50 thousand euro. Safer internet. The European Parliament gave its endorsement to a five-year plan in agreement with the EU Council. The plan is “aimed at protecting children when using the internet and other communication technologies, including mobile phones”, from child pornography, cyber-bullying and on-line abuse. “Safer Internet”, to be enforced on January 1st 2009, with a five-year budget of 55 million euro, will seek to step up prevention and investigation activities carried out by the postal police with “transnational cooperation”, explained rapporteur Roberta Angelilli. The second objective is to intervene at the level of information and training, sensitizing adults (families, schools, associations) on the risks linked to the new technologies “whose major potentials are accompanied by pits and perils”. According to the Italian MEP, other initiatives will focus on the “responsible use of these technologies”. This undertaking must be followed by the States’ concrete will to pursue the crimes perpetrated by means of these technologies, with strict legislation and by providing authorities and the judiciary with the appropriate tools. Too many minors at risk. The findings of the European Commission are reason for concern: in the past ten years – is written in the document approved by MEPs – there was a 1500% increase of websites with child pornographic contents; 500 thousand new child-pornography pictures are posted on-line every year. “Over 30% of the minors surfing the web declared they had experienced at least one negative encounter online” such as violent messages, sexual proposals, pornographic pictures or movies”. MEP Angelilli pointed out that “this new plan conveys the commitment of the European Parliament and of the Commission in the fight against illegal online contents: from cyber-bullying to grooming”, i.e. repeated hostile manipulative approaches by adults aimed at luring minors. Extra-national divorces. Clarifying regulations on the legal province of “extra-national” divorces, and “protecting children”. These are among the objectives of the Commission’s proposal on the cases of marriage break-up of spouses with differing nationalities, inside the EU as well as beyond community borders. The Parliament approved the initiatives (522 ayes, 89 noes, 35 abstentions), “paving the way – as German rapporteur Evelyne Gebhardt explained – to a clearer and exhaustive legislation”. Each year 170 thousand couples with “mixed passports” enter a marriage crisis. Often the situation is worsened by litigation over child custody. The Executive wishes to “ensure that the couples take a more responsible stand” in order to come to “a mutual agreement” regarding the place of jurisdiction, that can be either: The State of one of the two spouses, the one where they had their legal address, the one where the petition was filed or where the marriage was celebrated. The rapporteur recalled that, “as regards the proposal, the Parliament is only consulted while the unanimous vote of the Council is required”.