Citizens’ initiative, another step forwardThe EU Council on February 14 adopted a regulation that will make it possible for EU citizens to call for legislative proposals on specific issues. The so-called “European citizens’ initiative”, one of the main innovations under the Treaty of Lisbon, will enable citizens to ask the Commission to bring forward legislative proposals if the supporters of an initiative number at least one million and come from at least one quarter number of EU member states, the Council pointed out after talks with the EP parliament (required minimum numbers vary according to national dimensions). In particular, a proposed initiative must fall within an area of EU competence and be consistent with the Union’s values. Support for a proposed initiative can be expressed in either paper form or electronically. The regulation contains provisions on the verification of signatures and in order to prevent potential abuses. “Once an initiative is registered, the organizers will have 12 months during which to collect the required one million signatures. They will also be required to submit information on funding and support”. The regulation will be applicable one year after entry into force in order to allow member states and the Commission to take the necessary measures to implement it.Croatia, Turkey and Montenegro under examinationDuring the plenary sitting in Strasbourg the European Parliament addressed the progress made by Croatia in EU membership negotiations (due to be debate and voted on February 16). MEPs gave a positive evaluation of Zagreb’s developments but did not refrain from conveying their criticism over ongoing negative aspects and called for further reforms in the country. In particular, Croatia is urged to continue the fight against corruption. The EP acknowledges “remarkable progress in the planned Constitution and judiciary reform” along with the developments aimed at “establishing stronger cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia”. The Foreign Affairs Commission of the EP on February 10 discussed Turkey and Montenegro’s EU aspirations (Iceland and Macedonia are also EU candidate countries). Ankara is asked to complete the constitutional reform, and to ensure the full respect of the freedom of the press, of the rights of women and the protection of religious minorities. MEPs demand that difficulties in the Country’s relations with Cyprus, as well as the conflict with Greece, be overcome. Similar general problems are acknowledged for Montenegro (democracy, individual and social rights, protection of minorities’ rights, corruption). For Croatia the dossier could be closed within the first six months of the year, while no deadline is yet envisaged for negotiations with other EU candidate countries, which could last several years. Media: EU funded films at the Berlin movie festivalEU funded films are meeting with remarkable success at the Berlin International Film Festival, ongoing until February 20. The Festival will feature 22 European films co-financed by the European Union’s Media Mundus programme. Among the films figure “La vie en rose”, “Slumdog Millionaire” and “The Counterfeiters”, films that were appreciated at the Academy Awards. The Commission’s MEDIA program will contribute 755 million in support of Europe’s film industry from 2007-2013, whose MEDIA Mundus program has a budget of 15 million over 3 years and will fund projects aimed at encouraging mobility and exchanges between European film-makers and their counterparts around the world. The idea is to improve access to international markets and to strengthen the distribution of European films in non-European markets.International phone calls still too expensive”The performance target set by the Digital Agenda for Europe is that the differences between roaming and national tariffs should approach zero by 2015″: EU Commissioner Neelie Kroes is working with the Barroso college to reduce roaming costs of mobile phones when traveling abroad. On February 14 Kroes presented a survey which shows that an increasing number of citizens use their mobile phone abroad, but “almost three quarters of Europeans are worried about the cost of using their mobile phone when travelling in the EU”. “72% of travellers still limit their roaming calls because of high charges even if a majority is aware that prices have fallen since 2006”, when the EU first introduced roaming rules. “Only 19% of people who use internet-related services on their mobile phones when abroad think the costs of data-roaming for (Internet surfing or checking e-mails) are fair”. The results of this survey, plus the public consultation on the future of the Roaming Regulation will feed into the Commission’s review of current EU roaming rules, due by June 2011.
