Slovakia adopts the Euro: “a successful deal””Euro currency was successfully introduced in Slovakia, which thus becomes the sixteenth Country of the Euro-zone”. The European Central Bank positively welcomed the news. Thus, on January 1st Bratislava adopted the common currency that replaced the national Crown. To date, 328 million out of 500 million EU citizens million have adopted the Euro. The exchange rate was 30.126 Crowns to one Euro. The old Crown will still be transacted until January 16 and the change will be given back in Euro. The monetary operation is the result of coordinated action between the ECB, Slovakia’s Central Bank and government, and the European Commission. “I’m very glad about the fact that the celebrations for the tenth anniversary of the Euro coincide with Slovakia’s” adhesion to the Euro-zone, declared José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. “This is a historical step for citizens and for Europe as a whole”, he remarked. “The adoption of the Euro will place Slovakia in the economic and political heart of Europe less than five years after its EU membership”, Barroso remarked. EU Council: the presidency seen from Paris EU’s rotating presidency, chaired by France in the second semester of 2008, concludes with a self-promotion. A balance of the French semester is posted on the official website: www.eu2008.fr, that states: “The six months under French leadership were marked by a series of international crises (the strife in Georgia along with the financial and economic crisis), during which the European Union played a crucial role, thanks to its ability to act in a concerted, quick and determined manner”. Furthermore, “despite the topical relevance of these issues, the presidency never lost track of the priorities it had set since the beginning of its mandate: the fight against climate changes (with the adoption of the climate/energy package), migration policy (Immigration and Asylum Agreement), the Common Agricultural Policy (adoption of the assessment of the “state of health” of the CAP and the introduction of a debate regarding its future development), the European Security and Defense Policy (that was given renewed impetus by a concrete plan)”. According to the government in Paris, which on January 1st passed the baton to the Czech Republic, “remarkable progress was made in all EU fields of action, especially as relates to the economic and financial, social, cultural and international realms, with eight summits between the EU and its major partners, that include the Paris Summit that launched the Union for the Mediterranean”. To the Czech and Swedish EU 2009 rotating presidencies Paris has given the task of “monitoring the implementation of the road map leading to the enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty by the end of 2009”. European Parliament, the last months of workThe forthcoming months will be the last months of activity of the European Parliament. Next June 4-7 are scheduled the elections for the 2009-2014 legislature. The Euro-Chamber will then be summoned in Strasbourg and Brussels for the remaining 8 sessions that will be concluded with the session of May 4-7. During this period, legislative processes under way will finally be concluded. After the period of rest for Christmas holidays, MEP will convene in plenary sitting January 12-15 in Strasbourg’s headquarters. On the agenda figures the meeting with the next rotating presidency of the EU Council, the vote on the report on human rights in the EU, two solemn sittings concerning the tenth anniversary of the euro along with Euro-Parliament address of the address of Latvia’s President. Hans-Gert Poettering, the President of the EU Parliament, in an address focused on the passage from the old to the new year, declared: “2008 was the year of intercultural dialogue and the Parliament made considerable effort to promote dialogue and tolerance between the various cultures and religions, making a special effort to establish cooperation and friendship across the Mediterranean”. The German politician pointed out that during the past year “the EU proved that it can play a major role in the fight against climate changes” and recalled the vote regarding “important measures” adopted by the European Parliament during December’s sitting. Finally, Poettering delved into this year’s Euro-Parliament direct elections: “In 2009 the European Parliament, that speaks on behalf of its 500 million citizens, will continue to act to promote and defend their joint values, in particular the respect of the dignity of every human being”, taking action for “a more peaceful and livable world for all”.
