European research: breakthrough in malaria treatmentDrugs originally designed to inhibit the growth of cancer cells can also kill the parasite that causes malaria. The discovery was made known by a pool of European researchers and if confirmed “it could open up a new strategy for combating this deadly disease”, which infected around 225 million and killed nearly 800 000 people worldwide in 2009. “Efforts to find a treatment have so far been hampered by the parasite’s ability to quickly develop drug resistance”. The research involved four projects funded by the EU (ANTIMAL, BIOMALPAR, MALSIG and EVIMALAR) and was led by laboratories in the UK, France and Switzerland with partners from Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden, “along with many developing nations severely affected by malaria”. Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said: “This discovery could lead to an effective anti-malaria treatment that would save millions of lives and transform countless others. This demonstrates yet again the added value both of EU-funded research and innovation in general and of collaboration with researchers in developing countries in particular. The ultimate goal is the complete eradication of the global scourge of malaria and collaborative work across many borders is the only way of confronting such global challenges effectively”.New rules for EU Parliament election?At the next elections for the EU Parliament, due to take place in 2014, citizens would cast two ballots in the European elections – one for a national or regional list of candidates and one for the election of 25 pan-European candidates proposed by the European political parties. It is the major innovation of EU27 elections that is at the heart of a proposal by Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee. “The purpose is to enhance the European dimension of the election campaigns”, said British MEP Andrew Duff, who drew up the report. “The introduction of transnational lists will turn the existing EU parties into real campaigning organisations. Their candidates will be seeking support and recruiting members even in those states where they lack national political affiliates”. The goal, Duff said, “is to boost EU democracy” by connecting EU institutions and citizens. According to the proposal 25 seats would be added to the current 751 seats voted from national lists thus the Eurochamber would have a total of 776 seats. The Duff report will be debated in the plenary session in June. If approved it will undergo debate by the EU Council. The intention is to introduce the proposed scheme “for the next European elections in 2014”. Parliament admits that national governments have expressed their contrariness. According to Duff the election date should also be brought forward from June to May thereby enabling Parliament to properly prepare for the election of the new Commission President which itself should ideally take place in July and to “avoid that elections take place during the holiday period in the North European countries. The Report calls for “finding a mathematical formula for the redistribution of the current 751 seats”. But the formula failed to be adopted and MEPs have proposed a dialogue with Member States to ascertain whether this criteria can be established.Commission, stricter rules for the CollegeClearer rules to reinforce the Commission’s credibility and boost its performance capacities while preventing public money squandering and conflicts of interests. On April 20 the Commission revised its code of conduct for Commissioners. “The changes made reinforce the ethical framework by strengthening and clarifying several of the previous provisions”, the Executive states in a release. The current Code of Conduct is already one of the most rigorous applied to holders of public office. The new revision of the Code of Conduct follows several studies carried out recently, by the European Commission and the European Parliament, and by the OECD. The changes include clearer rules on political activities, including Commissioners’ participation in electoral campaigns; stronger rules on activities after leaving the College; annual revision of the declarations of interests; the introduction “of a clear procedure to deal with any potential risk of conflict of interest during the mandate”; clearer rules on gifts and hospitality; “exclusion of spouses, partners and direct family members from the Cabinets of the members of the Commission; reinforcement of the remit of the Ad hoc Ethical Committee.
