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Midday Express of 2009-02-10
Reference: MEX/09/0210 Date: 10/02/2009

EXME09 / 10.02

MIDDAY EXPRESS

News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing

Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communication

10 / 02 / 09

17 leading web firms have signed for the first time a European agreement to improve the safety of under 18s who use social networking sites. These include Arto, Bebo, Dailymotion, Facebook, Giovani.it, Google/YouTube, Hyves, Microsoft Europe, Myspace, Nasza-klaza.pl, Netlog, One.lt, Skyrock, StudiVZ, Sulake/Habbo Hotel, Yahoo!Europe, and Zap.lu. Social networking sites are an emerging social and economic phenomenon, attracting 41.7 million regular users in Europe and changing the way we interact with each other on the Web. The use of social networks has grown over the past year by 35% in Europe and is expected to more than double to 107.4 million users by 2012. To make sure that social networks continue to grow, young users need to feel safe when expanding their networks or sharing any personal information. The agreement signed today in Luxembourg at the Safer Internet Day organised by the European Commission will empower teenagers to deal with potential risks they may face online, like cyberbullying or revealing personal information.

The European Commission has today approved an application from Spain for assistance under the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF). The application will now be sent to the European Parliament and the Council who have to approve the release of the funds. The application – for €1,694,300 – was submitted after 1,082 employees were made redundant from three car producers and nine car component manufacturers located in two neighbouring Spanish regions: Castilla y León and Aragón.

A l’occasion d’une réunion constructive qui s’est tenue hier à Bruxelles, la Commissaire des Relations Extérieures et de la Politique du Voisinage Benita Ferrero-Waldner et le Premier Vice Président et Ministre des Affaires Etrangères de Panama Samuel Lewis Navarro sont convenus d’allouer un montant de 18,5 millions d’euros (environ 25 millions de dollars) à un programme d’appui à des zones rurales isolées au Panama.

Le Vice-président de la Commission en charge des transports, Antonio Tajani, a rencontré aujourd'hui Monsieur Jean-Jacques Dordain, Directeur Général de l'Agence Spatiale Européenne afin de sceller et célébrer officiellement la continuation de leur coopération dans le programme Galileo. Cette rencontre fait suite à la signature le 19 décembre 2008 par la Commission européenne et l’Agence Spatiale Européenne (ESA) d'une convention de délégation couvrant la phase de déploiement de Galileo. – EMBARGO 15h45 CET

The European Commission has today published the third call for proposals for the creation and update of freight transport services under the second Marco Polo programme. Successful projects should fight congestion on European roads and improve the environmental performance of the freight transport system, two main objectives of the EU transport policy. Companies across the European Union and beyond are invited to submit proposals.

The winners of the third edition of the Sustainable Energy Europe Awards 2009 were announced at a ceremony in the Albert Hall in Brussels on February 10th, 2009. The awards are an integral part of the EU’s Sustainable Energy Week, and its overall Sustainable Energy Europe Campaign. They aim to showcase examples of the most outstanding, ambitious and innovative initiatives in sustainable energy, and reward those projects most worthy of recognition. They also seek to inspire the development of Europe’s newest energy initiatives. These awards can recognise EU projects but also include international both participants and beneficiaries. EMBARGO 19h30

In a solemn ceremony that has taken place today on in the Hemicycle of the European Parliament, more that 350 cities across Europe have committed, by signing the Covenant of Mayors, to go beyond the EU's energy objective of reducing 20% CO2 emissions by 2020. With this initiative of the European Commission in partnership with the Committee of Regions, the representatives of over 60 million citizens will work together to achieve the common goal of changing our environment and using energy more wisely.

  • Commissioner for Health, Ms Androulla Vassiliou meets Dr Hatem El-Gabali, Minister of Health and Population of Egypt

Today, in Brussels, European Commissioner for Health, Androulla Vassiliou will meet with the Egyptian Health and Population Minister Dr Hatem El-Gabali. Topics for discussion are: Egyptian health sector reforms, emergency medical services preparedness in the region, including pandemic preparedness, communicable diseases, and tobacco pictorials. The Commissioner will also discuss the outcomes and follow up of the EuroMed health ministers' conference, hosted and co-chaired by Egypt last November.

  • On 11 February 2009 Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner will participate in the EU-Russia Foreign Ministers’ Troika in Moscow.

The Russian side will be represented by Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov. Following on from last week's bilateral talk with the Foreign Minister in the margins of Commission's visit to Moscow the Troika will look at bilateral issues such as external security as well as a range of international topics such as the Middle East, South Caucasus and Afghanistan.

  • Commission decision on Austrian safeguard clauses regarding maize MON810 and T25

Today the Commission submitted to the Council two proposals addressed to Austria, asking it to repeal its safeguard measures on the cultivation of GM maize lines MON810 and T25. These measures were adopted by Austria in 1999 and 2000 for MON810 and T25 respectively. Austria initiated work to collect any relevant scientific evidence which in its view would justify provisionally the maintenance of the safeguard measure, in particular in reference to "the different agricultural structures and regional ecological characteristics" as indicated in recital 3 of the Council Decision of 18 December. In November 2007, Austria submitted to the Commission the scientific information that resulted out of its work. Subsequently, on 18 April 2008 the Commission requested EFSA to assess the information submitted by Austria to support its safeguard measures. On 4 December 2008, EFSA adopted its opinion (published on 11 December 2008) concluding that the scientific evidence currently available does not sustain the arguments provided by Austria, and that cultivation of maize lines MON810 and T25 is unlikely to have an adverse effect on human and animal health and the environment in Austria.Under these circumstances, Austria should repeal its safeguard measure with regards to the use and sale of seeds of maize lines MON810 and T25.

(for more information: B. Helfferich - Tel. 298 2010 - Fax. 296 3067)

  • Autre matériel diffusé

• Memo on Safer Internet Day 2009: Commission starts campaign against cyber-bullying

• Memo on What is the Covenant of Mayors?

• Speech by Commissioner Reding ' First European agreement of Social Networks – a Step Forward to child safety online', Luxembourg

• Speech by Commissioner Kroes 'Closing remarks at roundtable to discuss future of the Car Block Exemption Roundtable to discuss future of the Car Block Exemption', Brussels

• Memo on Antitrust: Commissioner Kroes hosts roundtable to discuss future of the Car Block Exemption Regulation