Redazione

Pursuing an active policy aimed at signing international fishing agreements of a commercial nature with the developing country: that’s the gist of a proposal presented by the Commission for fishing to the European Parliament, sitting in plenary session (Brussels, 8-9 October). These agreements, that permit EU fishing fleets to fish in the waters of third […]

A “concrete” expression of solidarity has been agreed by the European Union for the earthquake victims of Italy, Spain and Portugal. In particular, Italy and Spain will benefit from 56,250 million euros, Portugal 48,539 million euros. Italy will receive the aid to indemnify the damage caused by the recent earthquake in Molise and Apulia, as […]

The process towards the definition of the first real European common policy in the field of asylum and immigration continues. Taking on board the recommendations of the Salonica summit last June, the enlarged EU Council of Ministers of Justice and the Interior, meeting in Brussels in recent days, approved a package of measures, some of […]

European ministers of education and youth policies, meeting at San Patrignano (Italy) in recent days, fixed a new priority for the EU: halving by 2010 the rate of school drop outs, the European average of which has now reached 19%. A strategy of six guidelines was formulated at the meeting: prevention of the causes that […]

The unemployment rate in the EU remains stable. According to the data published in recent days by Eurostat – the Commission’s statistical office – the average for the 15 member states was 8%, compared with 7.7% in 2002. The percentage increases if we take into consideration the Euro area alone, where the rate rose from […]

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Timetable and methods. “We are condemned to success”. Pat Cox, the Irish President of the European Parliament, could not have been clearer or more decided in defining the main objective of the Intergovernmental Conference, inaugurated in Rome on Saturday 4 October. “We must achieve a constitutional Treaty for the Union. There is no alternative, unless […]

“If tolerating means accepting what cannot be prevented, dialoguing means going beyond tolerance: it means the recognition of the other person”: so said T. Houssam Sbat, Imam of Strasbourg, intervening at the second interreligious colloquium promoted in recent days by the Protestant Federation of France. In the view of Fabrice Midal, who was born Jewish […]

Syndesmos, the world federation of Orthodox youth (comprising 26 associations and schools of theology in 41 countries), held its 17th general assembly at Durres, in Albania, in recent weeks. This was an historic assembly: it marked the 50th anniversary of the federation’s foundation. It was attended by over 150 delegates, guests and observers from various […]

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An ecumenical celebration officiated by the local bishops, Msgr. Leo Nowak (Catholic) and by the Evangelical bishop Axel Noack, was held in the cathedral of Magdeburg on 3 October, to mark “German Unity Day”, the anniversary of Germany’s reunification. Also present at the service were the President of the Federal German Republic, Johannes Rau, German […]

A European Constitution that is not founded on the principles of peace? That is the doubt expressed in a document entitled “Peace, European Constitution and NATO”, signed to coincide with the opening of the Intergovernmental Conference on the European Constitution. Its signatories include Father Alex Zanotelli, Father Luigi Ciotti and Gino Strada, who head some […]