EU has an "enormous Potential" for on-line Media, and EU intends to make it "boom" by "targetting the whole (European) on-line Market, and not just a segment", in order to "sell better for consumers and businesses" by facilitating EU Citizens' access through the promotion of their Rights,  Multi-linguism, etc. including by facing the challenge of Better Networks and Technologic Innovations, replied in substance EU Commissioners Meglena Kuneva, Viviane Reding and Leonard Orban, to "EuroFora"'s questions.

Observing that "some previous attempts to create On-line Media, even in Big EU Countries, did not work enough for the moment, at least not as in the USA" etc., "EuroFora" asked EU Commissioners about their views on the new perspectives opened now, thanks also to "EU efforts to help", "for the developpement of new On-line Media, on the entire EU-level".

-  "The EU On-line Market has an enormous potential, that we don't utilize enough", replied from the outset Reding

- "We (EU) want to bring this Market to a Boom", EU Commissioner on Information Society and Media stressed in her reply to "EuroFora"'s question on the development of new European On-line Media.

F.ex. about 50% of EU households already have a broadmand access, but less than ...7% of them use it to buy on the Internet, so that the current 106 Billion € on-line EU market income, even if huge, in fact doesn't represent but only a small fraction of what is possible in the EU, Reding observed.

"That's why we have to inform both businesses and users", she concluded in reply.

EU Commissioner for Consumers' protection, Meglena Kuneva, also replied positively to "EuroFora"'s question on the current prospects for the development of On-line Media ;

- "It fits", Because "we (EU) are targetting the whole single on-line market" throughout all Europe. "As you can see, this is in the framework of our efforts : " "Digital Agenda for the entire On-line Market", as it's quite right written on screen".

 - So, "this is, indeed, our purpose  : To sell better to the On-line Market, both for Consumers and for Businesses", EU Commisioner Kuneva concluded in her reply to "EuroFora"'s question.

Statistics reveal that, until now, the main obstacle was the lack of "Trust" by consumers to trans-border transactions on-line, mainly because they were afraid that the good they bought might not be as shown in the screen, or not delivered at all, as she said earlier. But, even if Kuneva added to "EuroFora" that "we are not targetting one or another segment of the on-line market,...so that she "wouldn't outline just one sector", in fact, this problem should normally not affect the on-line Media : Because there, the "delivery" is made not physically, at a later Date, but immediately on-line. (Fex. simply by opening access to part or all the content of "News", interactive exchanges, etc).

Reding and Kuneva had just presentented in a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg the "EYouGuide", a Practical, easy to read and use, EU Guide to Citizens' Rights in order to "Trust" as tranOn-line consumers at the Internet, available both in Leaflets and at : ec.europa.eu/eyouguide

EU Commissioner for MultiLingualism, Leonard Orban, obviously was also Key-person for another main original characteristic behind "EuroFora" project, and any on-line Media that would target the entire EU, including also interactive content for its Readers with "Forums", etc.: The inevitable use of many Languages at the same time in parallel :

Questioned later by "EuroFora" on that precise point, EU Commissioner Orban said that "the challenge is huge, because EU has 23 official Languages to manage", and already the need for qualified interpretators is felt, particularly in many specialized fields, for qualified persons able to master even a scientific or legal terminology. Paradoxically, there is a problem for English speaking interpretors, but also others, since we face also the Competition of a Global Market, including fex. Afrika, Asia, etc.

- But Orban revealed to "EuroFora" that, recently, he had "brought together Scientists, Researchers, the Industry, Businesses, Experts, Politicians, Administrations, NGOs, etc. in order to find out all together what are the needs and the possibilities for the developpement of efficient New Technologies able to do Automatic Translations", including on-line.

Accurately multiply each sentence's automatic translation in 23 languages, as EU has to do, is obviously an immense task.

-"But we hope to arrive to an acceptable average level, mainly through Innovative technologies and organisation, in the following 5 Years", EU Commissioner Orban concluded to "EuroFora".

"EuroFora"'s members, users and readers would certainly urge EU Commission to try to do even better, and mainly faster, (even if it starts, at the beginning, at least in the main 3 or 5 EU Languages, to be followed later on by all the others). Because the practical needs for an easy, simple and efficient, on-line automatic translation is obviously vital for the free and good communication between EU Citizens, as well as for the development of a common European consciousnes.

    EU Rapporteur on Enlargment Strategy, maistream German MEP Elmar Brok, speaking to "EuroFora", welcomed the proposal made earlier this week by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the EU to"start Now Talks with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", instead of full Accession, at a period when Ankara looks more and more unfit and/or unwilling to respect EU conditions.

    - "For Europe to have strong Political will, it must stop dilutiing itself in an endless Enlargement. It must have borders...Diversities enrich, on the condition that they don't undermine European Cohesion, and don't weaken EU Unity", Sarkozy stressed.
    
    - "Countries like Turkey share a part of common destiny with Europe, with which they have a vocation to build a Privileged Relation, to be closely associated, but not to become Member of the EU"  : "Noone respects his friends by telling them lies. Noone respects his friends by making them promises that will be never kept", he added.

    That's why "we'd better start, from now, negotiating with Turkey to create a common Economic and Security area", Sarkozy proposed.

Significantly, the French President was repeatedly and largely applauded by EU citizens, 3 times, when he made the Turkey point, (strategically placed between Europe's "Political Will" and its cultural heritage, historically open to mutually enriching dialogue with all the World, but never diluted).

    - "We could propose such a great ambition also to Russia, which must not be percieved as an Adversary of Europe, but as a Partner. Thus, we'd create a wide area, of more than 800 Million inhabitants, sharing the same Security, the same Prosperity", he concluded.

    Sarkozy's move was anounced at the eve of a Franco-German Top meeting with Chancellor Angie Merkel in Berlin on Sunday, to jointly launch the EU Elections campain, after an EU Summit at nearby Prague, to launch a new kind of relations, called "Eastern Partnership", with neighboring countries such as Urkaine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, etc, (to which Russia, reportedly, is not - and does not want to be - included).

    As for Ukraine, which has already expressed her wish to join the EU in future, "Kiev will have a special place, and a very important role to play", replied earlier this week in Strasbourg, to an "EuroFora" question EU Chairman in office , Czech vice-Prime Minister Alexander Vodra.

    - "This direction is more Realistic for Turkey than Accession negotiations", reacted immediately EU Parliament's Rapporteur for Enlargment Strategy, mainstream German MEP Elmar Brok, commenting Sarkozy's idea for "EuroFora"

     Particularly "as far as it concerns the respect of EU Rules by both sides", he added, hinting at Turkey's now obvious inability and/or unwillingness to abide with EU Acquis, EU Commitments (fex. on Cyprus, etc), and European Democracy/Human Rights rules. (Comp. infra).

    Brok added that, in his view, a similar proposal might be made also to Ukraine and other neighbouring Countries, regardless if they have, or not, a "European vocation". This would not necessarily mean that there couldn't be any accession prospects at all." for all the countries that might be included in this area, according to Brok.  But it's preferable, particularly for Turkey, "because it's a more Realistic approach than full Membership".

    On this point, Sarkozy's proposal, (which he'll share with German Chancellor Merkel), seems more crystal-clear.

    - "Turkey does not fullfil EU Criteria, and will never fullfil EU Criteria" on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law. "Some have been lying to Ankara, but we must tell the Truth, and have honest and close relations with her", said meanwhile to "EuroFora" on the same issue also the President of EU Parliament's largest Group of MEPs (ChristianDemocrats/EPP), Joseph Daul.
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"Hot" Debate at EU Parliament reveals CHANGE of mood towards "Suspension" of EU - Tukey talks.
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    Earlier this week, many MEPs, and even some of those who were previously in favor of Turkey's controversial EU bid, strongly criticized the persistance and even aggravation of serious Human Rights violations in the country, that ECHR continues to "unanimously" condemn ":

      - "After winning a big victory in the latest Local Elections, the pro-Kurdish party DTP almost doubled its Elected Mayors from 52 to 98", but afterwards "more than 400 politicians were thrown to Prison and prosecuted" by the Turkish Authorities, denounced on behalf of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group, Belgian MEP Frieda Brepoels.

     At the same time, "more than 1.500 Children are closed in Turkish Prisons", she added. "What will the EU Commission do" against these facts ?

- "Turkey appears to be at greater Distance away from Copenhagen Criteria after 4 Years of accession Negotiations, than when they started !", denounced on behalf of the Liberal Group, German MEP Alexander Lambsdorf.    

"On the central issue of Press Freedom, Critical Journalists face obstacles for their accreditation, others are prosecuted, condemned, fined and/or jailed, Media blocked or closed", he denounced.   

 - "EU Made 2 grave Mistakes with Turkey : To start accession negotiations, and to continue them", despite everything, criticized Dutch MEP Bastian Belder, on behalf of the Ind/Dem group.

    "There is a growing need today to develop a European vision for Patients' Rights", to make them "real", said to "EuroFora", before MEP's key-debate on Health policy next week in Strasbourg, the French Minister of Health and Sport, Roselyne BACHELOT-NARQUIN, speaking in EU Parliament on the European day for Patients' Rights, (April 18, 2009), which will be honored each year in France from now on.  

 - "Because, at first place, there is a Mobility of Patients throughout the European area, and a number of Measures are currently discussed" by the EU : "F.ex. a Directive on Cross-Border Health Care", for EU Citizens "to be able to move inside the European area with a Social Security".     

"Moreover, we have many things to learn from eachother on Patients' Rights, via EU Citizens' exchanges of experiences, which is very interesting in Europe, in order to transform "Virtual" Rights into "Real" Rights !", she concluded.

    Bachelot gave as example "the discussions" on the Socially crucial issue of "how to organize Equal Access to first resort Health Care", in a Public Debate organized here  by the "National Health Conference" of France, which made a series of Recommendations to overcome "Financial, Socio-Cultural, or Organisational obstacles", pleading for a "crystal-clear" system, easy to understand and use, particularly by Citizens in need.

    F.ex. the "Political Will to really put an end to Discrimination" and "meet the needs of Poor People", in a New Draft Law on "Hospitals, Patients, Health and Territories", prepared by the French Government, must solve the problem presented by the fact that, despite Financial Help and even "free" treatments, access of Poor People to Health Care is lower than expected. Probably because of "Socio-Cultural" and other obstacles in practice, which go beyond the necessary "Information", and may need a kind of "Coaching", by someone able to assist and "stand by" the People in "fragile" situation, helping them to get through, proposed Rapporteur MP Yves BUR (himself a former Doctor).

    - "Every person should be able to have access to the same Quality of Health Care, regardless of where he/she lives, and of his/her financial means", stressed Roselyne Bachelot.

    In her Speech, earlier this morning, she said that "Equal Access to Health Care" was "an absolute Priority" for the Draft Law on Health Reform, including for the fight against "Territorial Inequalities", f.ex. between "Paris area's quota of 830 Doctors for 100.000 inhabitants, compared to only 198" in some "Rural areas", as well as in several Town "Suburbs".

    Territorial measures include boosting local University Education and staff, Funds to Students promising to start working in Poor areas, Regional Plans showing the local needs for Doctors, "Solidaity Contracts" proposed to Doctors undertaking to work in difficult areas, etc., monitored by the "Regional Health Agencies" which will be created with "a stronger participation by Patients' representatives".

    Social and Financial measures include strengthening Patients' Rights and Sanctions against the "unacceptable" practice of "Refusals to provide Health Care", or "Illegal or Abusive excess of Medical Costs", as well as an "important Financial effort to augment +25% to +35%  the Government's Help for Complementary Health Insurances for People aged more than 60 or 50 years, respectively", Popular "Health Education" and coaching of patients.

    All this will be stimulated by a 3rd series of measures to boost Citizens' role and "legitimate wish for Autonomy" in Health Care : F.ex. better Information, Patients' Access to their Medical Files, support for Associations and Training of 4.300 Patients' Representatives, participation in Public Debates, promotion of Patients' Rights each 18 of April starting from 2010, etc, anounced Bachelot, whose draft law, proposing a kind of Socio-Political instead of only Technocratic Direction of Hospitals, is reportedly criticized by some Doctors, but supported by Citizens' associations...

    "This couldn't be better expressed than here, at Strasbourg's Europan Court of Human Rights and EU Parliament, which will, precisely, discuss important Reports on Health Policy" during the next few days, added to "EuroFora" Bachelot, who is also an experienced MEP elected in 2004

    Spreading from "Patients Rights to Cross-Border Health Care", to "Patients' Safety", and "EU action" against "Rare Diseases", 3 Reports drafted by British, Italian and Greek MEPs John BOWIS, Amalia SARTORI and Antonis TRAKATELLIS respectively, provide a rare Panorama of obvious practical importance for EU Citizens, but also EU Science and Economy in the field of Human Health.

    All this can go parallel with boosting European Economic Development, in High Technology Medical Industries succesfully competing on a Global level world-wide, even at the present time of Crisis, as Strasbourg's capacity to facilitate EU-level Franco-German cooperation gave Bachelot an opportunity to highlight :     

Fex. "OctaPharma", a Swiss-based company founded 25 years ago by its German Chairman Wolfgang MARGUERRE, whose factory at Strasbourg's Lingolsheim outskirts more than tripled its staff (X 300%) the last 5 years, and will invest here some 20 million € in the next 3 to 6 years, after making a Record progres of + 18% Higher Sales in 2008 totalling 886 Million €.

(../..)

    EU Commissioner on Economy and Finance, Joachin Almunia, replying to 3 "EuroFora" questions in Strasbourg before next week's London Global Summit, made it clear that all EU Member States must, more or less, respect EU Rules on the Monetary Stability Pact when they draft their Economic Stimulus policies, unless they want to "Opt-out" of EuroZone, as the UK has already done...

  Several EU Countries must correct imbalances in rather strict Time deadlines, and this is not an  "impossible task", but "a very possible and attainable task", as Almunia told us. But it's only the UK which could practically ignore EU's calls, "because of the Opt-out they have"....                                                                                                                                           

       The issue got a larger, EU-wide and even Global Political dimension, one day later at EU Parliament, when USA's new President, Barack Obama's call on Europe to augment Spending against the Economic Crisis at the eve of G-20 Summit, was considered by some EU officials, (as EU chair, Czech Prime Minister Topolanek or EU Commission's President Baroso, etc), as partly deviant to Euro-Zone rules of the EU, whose priority now seems to be a new, multi-polar agreement on the Regulation of World's Financial Markets, to avoid similar abuses and crisis in the Future.  

 Even if he appeared as partly sparing for the moment some of EU's driving forces, as France or the UK, Spain, etc, who got more Time than others, Almunia stressed that, as a matter of principle, all EU Member States should comply with the same rules, applied according to the particular situation of each one of them.

        The results of EU Commission''s check on 5 EU Countries : France, the UK, Spain, Greece, Ireland and Cyprus, gave, at first, an impression to some that a "difference" was made "between EU Countries", as an Italian journalist said.

        F.ex. paradoxically, Greece seems to have, in comparison, some better indicators than other EU Countries checked this week :

    * Deficit in Greece, after reaching 3,7% of GDP in 2007, is estimated at 3,7% in 2008, over 3% in 2009, and exceeding 4% in 2010, according to EU Commission's forecast, (while the Greek Government tabled on just 3,2%). Only Cyprus does better, with a lower deficit than the threshhold of 3%.

    France comes next, whose deficit aims for 2009 and 2010 were revised upwards at 5,6% and 5,2%. In Spain, it's expected to arrive at 6,2% in 2009 and 5,7% in 2010.

    But in the UK, Deficit estimates mount at ..9,5% in 2009/10. In Ireland, the deficit already reached 6,3% in 2008, and is expected to rise up to 11% in 2009, and 13% in 2010 !

(../..)