Eastern partnership: energy and securityDuring the “Eastern Partnership” summit, held in Prague on May 7, the 27 EU Member Countries along with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldavia and Ukraine, established “mutual interest” measures to be developed with stable political relations. Initiatives focus on free-trade agreements, financial support, energy security, and the possibility of a visa-free regime to citizens travelling from the six former Soviet republics. José Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission, said the partnership”, that lies within the framework of the European Neighbourhood Policy, “brings greater security and stability along the Eastern borders”. “The urgent need for this plan resulted from the conflict between Russia and Georgia past summer and the gas dispute in January involving Russia and Ukraine, while recent riots in Moldavia triggered uncertainties regarding the regions’ stability”. The six interested Countries will be the recipients “of financial aid for their political and economic reforms. The positive outcome of such reforms could pave the way to association agreements” with the EU.EU policies, the voice of citizens “Participation of citizens is the crucial tool of democracy”, declared Margot Wallstrom, EU Commission vice-president, during the “Citizens’ summit” held in Brussels on May 11. The event, promoted by 40 European organizations and coordinated by the King Baldwin Foundation (Belgium), was financed in the framework of the Programme “Debate Europe”. 150 citizens from across the EU, representing 250 thousand online users taking part in consultations on future EU policies, attended the meeting. Panellists included EU officers and ensuing debate led to the identification of priority areas such as economic recovery, targeted investments in the research sector, innovative interventions to boost sustainable energy and against poverty, initiatives in the area of education and to improve work-family balance. “All European citizens – ministers, plumbers or presidents alike – can influence European policies and contribute to its improvement”. The second phase of European civic consultations will focus on its findings and on the new members of the European Parliament.Euro-Parliament elections, TV and movie spotsA spot encouraging citizens to cast their vote and contribute to shaping the future of the EU; this is the message that will be broadcast across 100 television networks in 27 Member States and in one thousand movie theatres during the last weeks of the elections’ campaign of June 4-7, as agreed by EU Parliament and Commission. “The TV spot in 34 languages is part of a series of products of the communication campaign that includes radio ads, billboards, web pages and contributions on social networks such as Facebook, My Space, Flicker”. The spot is adapted to the audience of the 27 Countries, it has subtitles and is accessible to deaf and hearing-impaired people. It shows people announcing television news they would like to hear. “Although these news items aren’t true, citizens can shape tomorrow’s news by exerting their right to vote. This is the main message which we wish to convey”.Council of Europe: Slovenia’s 4 priorities Promoting the common values of the Council of Europe; stepping up citizens’ safety; creating a “more human and more open” Europe; cooperating with other supra-national, continental and international institutions: these are the four priorities of the CoE Slovenian Presidency for the next six months. On May 12 Lubiana’s government took office as rotating president of the Ministry Committee, the highest decisional body of the CoE, that was previously led by Spain. The passing of the baton took place in the framework of the Committee’s reunion in Madrid, which was also the venue of the ceremony for the CoE’s 60th anniversary. Samuel Zbogar, Slovenia’s Foreign Minister, delivered a speech before his colleagues from the 47 member countries, underlining that “the working priorities were defined in agreement with the commitments taken by the CoE in Warsaw during the 2005 summit”. Zbogar underlined other issues “that will be the object of further emphasis”: “Minors and education to the rights of the child, the situation of Roma people, bioethics and biomedicine, promotion of democracy and the rights of man in South-East Europe, in the Caucasus and in Belarus”.
