Estonia progresses towards the euro area: Green light by the Commission Estonia is likely to become the seventeenth euro area State. The indication is contained in the Convergence Report 2010 issued by the Commission this wee. It assesses progress with convergence in countries with derogation from euro area membership. “Estonia is ready to adopt the euro on 1 January 2011”, said Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs. “We commend Estonia for its long-standing commitment to prudent policies as a result of determined and efficient efforts by the Estonian government and Estonian people”. According to the Commission, despite the ongoing global crisis, Estonia meets the four convergence criteria, namely inflation, public finances, interest rates and exchange rate. At a moment of major uncertainties in the euro area, triggered by the case of Greece, the Executive decided to support Estonia’s candidacy. The Council of EU finance ministers (ECOFIN) will take the final decision on the adoption of the euro in Estonia in July, after the Parliament has given its opinion and the EU Heads of State and Government have discussed the subject at their summit meeting in June. At the same time, Commissioner Rein calls upon the Estonian government “to remain vigilant” for signs of build-up of macroeconomic imbalances, in view of the adoption of the new currency. Estonia stands out from the group of 9 candidate Countries, having fulfilled the criteria. This was not the case for the remaining 8: namely, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Sweden.EESC, education to combat social exclusion “Social exclusion stops one person in four from exercising their fundamental rights: a quarter of Europeans are denied access to work, housing, healthcare, education, culture and sport”. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), an EU body representing the social and economic categories of the 27 EU Member States in Brussels, has decided to dedicate its biennial meeting, scheduled in Florence next May 20-22, to “Education to combat social exclusion”. The situation of marginalization of a considerable part of the Community’s population “is not just an outrageous injustice: it is also an unpardonable diseconomy for both the European economic system and the individual national systems. What country can do without a quarter of its population, especially at a time of economic crisis?” states the program of the event. Indeed, education “has everything it takes to tackle the issue and help integrate into society and the job market” that “proportion of Europeans who are currently excluded, provided that legislation which can address this key issue properly is introduced to enable the education systems in the 27 countries to play their new role”. EESC representatives will address these themes, – relaunched in the framework of 2020 Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion – with Commission President José Manuel Barroso, with national ministers of Education, with MEPs and with scholars in this field. Barroso will be also asked to draw up a Green Paper to promote debate, in the EU seats, on the role of education in combating poverty and to promote the full participation of citizens to the social and democratic life. Media Programme: twenty European films in Cannes film Twenty European films financed by the European Union’s MEDIA programme have been selected for screening at the Cannes Film Festival (France), including six films in competition for the Palme d’Or Award. These include: “Tournée” (director, Mathieu Amalric, French-German production); “Des hommes et des Dieux” (Xavier Beauvois, France); “Schastye Moe” (“My Joy”, director, Sergei Loznitsa, Germany and The Netherlands); “The Frankenstein Project” (Kornél Mundruczo, Hungary and Austria). 17 May is the ‘European Rendez-vous’, when the festival celebrates the best of European cinema. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou will announce the winner of the 2010 European Talent Prize, which is awarded to the best project for a film with a European dimension. Together with Festival President Gilles Jacob, she will also meet industry professionals and representatives of the European and international film institutions “to discuss funding for film-makers”. “I am delighted that European films once again feature strongly at Cannes,” said Commissioner Vassiliou, who is responsible for education and culture. The MEDIA programme is part of this success story as it helps to create and safeguard thousands of jobs in the sector”.
