Eurobarometer: discrimination by age and disabilityAdvanced age and disability are “growing” as factors that incite discrimination. The denunciation comes from the EU polling agency, Eurobarometer, which on 9 November published the findings of a survey on phenomena of discrimination in the member countries of the EU. According to Eurobarometer, “one person out of six in Europe declares that he/she has been a victim of some form of discrimination” (whether in relation to race, religion, age, disability or sexual orientation) during the past year. 58% of the interviewees “are convinced that discrimination of the basis of age is very widespread in their own country” (in contrast to only 42% in 2008); 53% denounce discrimination due to disability. “Discrimination is a problem throughout Europe”, comments Vladimír Spidla, Commissioner for Social Affairs. “These results demonstrate that, in spite of undeniable progress, there’s still a lot to do in the field of education in the rights to equality of treatment, especially at the national level, and to ensure that equality is not an empty word, but a reality”. The Eurobarometer report also shows there is a clear correlation with the current economic situation: 64% of those interviewed express the view that the recession is giving rise on the labour market “to more pronounced discrimination due to age”. Moreover, one European citizen out of three “declares himself/herself aware of his/her own rights if he/she should become the victim of discrimination or harassment”. But this proportion conceals sharp disparities between the various countries: awareness has increased, after the last survey in 2008, in the UK (+8 points), in France (+7), in Ireland and Sweden (each +6), but has decreased in Poland (-12) and in Portugal (-11). The survey findings will be presented at the third EU Equality Summit due to be held in Stockholm by the Swedish Presidency and European Commission on 16-17 November.Court of Auditors “passes” the EU budget “Globally, the rates of error have declined as a result of improved budget management, but the legal framework remains complex and problems remain in some systems of control”. The EU Court of Auditors expresses, in its latest budget report, an “unreserved judgement”, and a “positive” one, on the reliability of EU accounts for the 2008 financial year. The Court concludes that “the annual accounts of the European Communities” relating to the last financial year “faithfully present, in all significant aspects, the financial situation of the Communities and the results of their operations and cash flows”. The general budget of the EU is adopted each year by the European Council and Parliament; the implementation of the budget, on the other hand, is the competence of the Commission. The annual report of the Court of Auditors also provides a basis for the procedure of rendering of accounts, the last stage of the budgetary procedure. Vítor Caldeira, chairman of the Court, points out various kinds of “progress” in the management of EU funds, especially as regards the “agriculture and natural resources” sector, which “represents almost a half of the budget” of the EU. “For this group of policies the Court, for the first time, does not formulate a negative judgement, but a judgement with reservations. In substance, the rate of error for this group of policies considered as a whole is “below the critical threshold”. Despite that, warn the members of the Court, within this group of policies, the level of estimated error for the “rural development” sector “remains high, though lower than in past years”. “Cohesion”, which represents the second main group of policies in terms of scale and is equivalent to roughly a third of the budget, “continues to represent a problematic sector since it is the one most prone to errors”: the Court estimates that “at least 11 % of the total sum reimbursed ought not to have been paid”. The Court also warns that the recommendations to improve the systems of supervision and control expressed in the past “still remain valid and must be considered part of an ongoing process”. In many cases, points out Caldeira, “errors derive from the excessive complexity of EU norms and regulations; so simplification continues to be a priority”.Chairmanship of the Council of Europe: Switzerland succeeds SloveniaChange of guard at the Council of Europe: on 18 November, Switzerland will succeed Slovenia in holding the six months’ chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers, the highest political organ of the Council of Europe. Slovene Foreign Minister, Samuel Zbogar will sum up, at the Council’s headquarters in Strasbourg, the initiatives taken over the last six months and then pass the helm of the Committee to Micheline Calmy-Rey, Foreign Minister of the Swiss Confederation. She will address the representatives of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe and set out the priorities of the new chairmanship of the Council.
