Euromed: competitivity and social cohesion

The Euromed summit of Economic and Social Councils and Similar Institutions took place last week in Athens. The Summit was organized by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) together with the Greek government and it was focused on 4 major themes: Civil society participation in implementing the European Neighbourhood Policy Action Plans; Competitiveness and […]

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Delayed energy efficiency

Twelve Member States are the target of the EU for not having presented their national Action Plan on energy efficiency. In conformity with the Directive 2006/32 on energy efficiency and services, on 10/17 the law offices in Brussels filed infraction procedures against Belgium, Eastonia, France, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Sweden, […]

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Uprooting poverty

On October 15-22 on the occasion of the World Day against Poverty, the EU Commission, in cooperation with National Governments, organized a series of parliamentary debates – held in the capital cities of new Member States – to sensitize citizens to the uprooting of poverty which figures among the pre-eminent Millennium Objectives established by the […]

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Inclusion of marginalized citizens

In the past few days the European Commission presented an integrated Plan aimed at the fight against poverty and for the inclusion of citizens marginalized from the job market. It is an “active inclusion”, a strategic initiative included in the provisions of Europe’s Social Agenda aimed at achieving greater results in the area of social […]

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EU AND TURKEY

Ever more distant

The EU and Turkey remain at a distance. The news of gunfights, air raids and kidnapping of soldiers coming from the Iraqi borders only worsens the picture. On November 6 the Commission will take a position on the progress made by Turkey, Croatia and Macedonia towards EU accession. Sweet-sour evaluations are expected for Turkey. In […]

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

There was a need for it

The Europe of the Treaties and the Europe of “results”: not two opposing visions, but two faces of the same coin. The European Parliament, meeting in Strasbourg for its plenary session from 22 to 25 October, held a debate on the results of the Lisbon summit, analysed on its first reading the EU budget for […]

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CHRISTIAN ROOTS

Three stories of freedom

Austria, Poland, Spain: these are the countries of the Servants of God due to be beatified between 26 and 28 October. Franz Jägerstätter, Austrian, martyr of the Nazi regime, will be proclaimed Blessed in the cathedral of the Immaculate in Linz (Austria, at 10.00 am) on 26 October. Celina Chludzi?ska, Polish nun, founder of the […]

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ECUMENISM

Tokens of friendship

“Those who use the name of God to hate their neighbour, to undertake acts of violence and to wage war, are cursing God’s name”. These words were pronounced in the appeal for peace which marked the conclusion of the Interreligious Peace Meeting held in Naples -Italy- on October 21-23 by initiative of the Community of […]

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Catholic workers’ meeting

“Common social standards in Europe”: that’s the request formulated during the 6th Central European Congress of the Catholic Workers’ Movement (KAB) held in Vienna in recent days with the slogan “Europe needs us all”. “Prevention, assistance and welfare must ensure people of a decent life”, says the final resolution drafted by some 150 activists of […]

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Right of asylum

The right of asylum is one thing: the duty of the State to regulate immigration with a view to the common good is quite another”, said Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, President of the Austrian Bishops’ Conference, during an interview with the Austrian magazine News . The cardinal was commenting on the recent “Arigona” case, the girl […]

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