The Treaty of Lisbon: towards postponement? The October 1 meeting between the current president of the EU Nicolas Sarkozy of France, and the Premier of Dublin Brian Cowen, did not cast greater clarity on the future of the Treaty of Lisbon. The appointment concerned the October 15 and 16 Council of Europe meeting scheduled by the 27 specifically aimed at finding a solution to the impasse created by the “no” to the Treaty pronounced by Irish voters in last June’s referendum. Cowen stated that in the course of the summit he would present “the results of an in-depth analysis solicited by the Irish government, with regard to the reasons for the results of the June 12 referendum as well as the conclusions that could be drawn.” Sarkozy said “the process of ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon must continue, and the goal of the French presidency is to reach an agreement of the 27 on the occasion of the Council of Europe in December, regarding a common path to follow with respect to deadlines foreseen for 2009” – elections of the European Parliament and the renewal of the Commission. Thus it is obvious that the date that had been previously set for the launching of the Treaty, January 1, 2009, will certainly not be respected, while it seems ever more likely that the future Europarliament will be elected through the application of the old rules of the Treaty of Nice. “Group of experts” against discrimination The proposal of directives adopted by the EU Commission last July, aimed at “improving the legal protection of victims of discrimination” received explicit support from the Summit of Equality, held in Paris September 29 and 30. The final document of the encounter, in which 400 experts and politicians from 27 member states participated, holds that “the adoption of this text would considerably strengthen the commitment of the Union to equality and fundamental rights.” The Executive’s proposal, included in the so-called European Social Agenda, provides protection against all discrimination for reasons of age, religion, handicaps, race, sexual orientation. The summit emphasized “multiple discriminations”, that is, against persons with more than one type of “specificity” or “diversity.” The participants willingly accepted the proposal to create a European group of experts to reflect on two main themes: multiple discriminations and the integration of the questiono f equality in public policy (mainstreaming).The food crisis: “We must hurry” A more rapid and efficient action against the food crisis. “An immediate action to help the more vulnerable so that the produce of future years is preserved and sustainable improvements are made in future agricultural production to meet the needs of an increase in population and consumption” – this is the suggestion of the Ministers for Development of the EU, gathered together end of September together with exponents of the Commission and of the European Parliament. The top level meeting expressed concern for the situation emerging in the past months in which the financial crisis and recession in the West comes on top of the increase in food and energy prices, and the possibility of a decrease in international commercial trade. It is therefore “necessary to define long term collective strategies to combat the deeper causes of the crisis, relaunch food and family agricultures, support investments in the private sector” and help developing countries “to become less vulnerable to volatile prices and food shortages.” The EU plans to articulate a strategy within December, to be shared with the UN, the African Union, the World Bank, the European Bank for Investments “in the contest of a world partnership for agriculture and food”, launched by FAO and supported by the EU. Increased unemployment in the EU areaThe highest level of unemployment is registered in Spain (11,3%), followed by Slovakia (9,9) and France (8,0). An opposite, virtuous situation is that of the Netherlands (2,6%). Eurostat photographs the situation of the labour market in the European Union and shows how “in the Euro area the average rate of unemployment was stabilized in August 2008 at 7,5%, compared to 7,4% the preceding month”. The same data of 7,4% goes back to July 2007. In the EU27, instead, the data remains stable at 6,9%, exactly as in July. According to the estimates of the Office of Statistics of the Commission, “16 and a half million men and women were looking for work in August” in the entire European community, 11.5 million of whom in the sole area of the Euro (15 States). Also in August 2008, unemployment of youth, that is the under 25, rose up to 14,9% in the Euro zone as well as in the EU27.
