newsitems

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/ - "I will be with you, at EU Parliament", told "EuroFora" for 2015, smiling, the experienced Press Director of EU Council, Nicolas Kerleroux, after being strongly applauded by a lot of Journalists, in the middle of the spectacular EU Heads of State/Government's Press Room in Brussels. From January 2015 he has been entrusted, indeed, by new EU Council's President, former Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, with the delicate and Crucial Mission to help broker Agreements between EU Member Countries' Heads of State/Government and MEPs in order to adopt very Fast : most of them until June 2015,  a Series of several Draft Legislative Bills necessary for the success of New EU Commission's President, and former long-time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, as well as €uroGroup's Head, Jean-Claude Juncker's Investments' Plan for the period of 2015-2017, on which German Chancellor Angie Merkel, speaking later ToNight to Journalists in Brussels, including "EuroFora", gave interesting insights, (See Infra).

- Juncker had Warned from the outset, aready while he presented, for the first time, his 2015-2017 Investments Plan to EU Parliament's Plenary last November 2014 in Strasbourg, that it's succes depends also on MEPs' and EU Council's capacity and willingness to adopt a series of related Legislative Reforms, due to make Public-Private Investments in Europe "much more Attractive", as well as considerably reduce Bureaucrasy and cut further Red Tape, deepen and extend the Common Market at certain Strategic Fields, etc., by advancing, exceptionaly, in a really Fast pace, given also the Urgency of the matter in terms of Growth and Employment.

+ But it was German Chancellor, Angie Merkel, who really explained,   after an exceptionaly Brief Conclusion of the December Brussel's EU Summit : one whole Day earlier then what it used to be done until now, in a unique Briefing that she gave to the Press, including "EuroFora", still present in Brussals at a late Hour, (but, comparatively, earlier than usual), some Key aspects of the considerable work that needs to be done in cooperation with EU Parliament, during the next few Months :

- Overall Success (of Juncker's "Investments" Plan) depends, in great part, also from EU Parliament's capacity to adopt, in agreement with EU Council, a Package of New Measures very much "Faster than usual",  almost in "Light's Speed", as Merkel warned from the outset.

+ In addition to Draft Legislation for anti-Bureaucracy, Simplification Reforms, deepening and/or extending the Common Market, creation of a New Fund and of a Mechanism for Selection of the Best Projects by Independent Experts, etc, it's of particular Importance for EU Investments' success also to adopt a supplementary set of Measures concering mainly the "Digital market", where Innovations are expected to unleash EU's huge potential vis a vis a strong Global Competition, the German Chancellor pointed out in substance.

- F.ex., our American friends, under the current, "Safe Harbour" status quo, use to extract and snatch a huge amount of "Data" from Europe's Internet Networks, create several "Products" based on that, and, afterwards, ..."Re-Sell them back to Europe !", she observed critically.

=> So, what we (EU's Digital Industry) need, includes to Reform f.ex. our own Legislation on (Personal a.o.) Data Protection, in order to make it possible also for European Digital Industries to create such new products based on our Data, while, at the same time, maintining still (and protection vis a vis new threats, which appeared more recently worldwide) a Good Standard of Human Rights' Protection for EU Citizens, Companies, States, and other actors.

>>> - "I really Hope that the Right Balance will be found !" in this regard, concluded Merkel, in substance, on this Delicate but very Topical issue, which obviously needs some very Delicate and Careful, as well as Innovative moves.

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+Tusk to charm EU Parliament with ... Polish Strawberries on 2015-2019, as he had already succeeded to do back on 2011 ?...
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Meanwhile, already, Kerleroux' forthcoming nomination as EU Council's man for EU Parliament, (where he's already quite Popular, at least among most Journalists' following EU issues since many years, as a spontaneous Mass Gathering and Laud Applause by a lot of Collegues, at EU Summit's main Press Work area, earlier Today, revealed), could certainly contribute to help obtain Juncker Investment Plan's Legislative aims (Comp. Supra), given also the long-time Experience of that EU Council's Senior Official, a strong Believer of European Integration, (after even a brief passage through Financial issues, where he was surprised by the Sharp Consequences that may have vis a vis this or that Stock Market, etc. the slightest Public Remark on certain "Hot" issues, as he told us), has already developed a strong Political feeling, particularly during his long-time previous work as former Press Attaché in charge of "Foreign and Security Policy" at EU Council, before taking over his current Duty as its Director for Press and Communications for many years, including during all EU Summits, with his usual Sober and crystal-clear, but also Friendly way to go right into the Heart of the matter, while also considering the best alternative choices concerning the best possible alternaties for eventual political compromises among Political Leaders.

+ Moreover, and even most important, the Political Head of EU Council, its New President, former Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, - who  has had an important 1st Experience in Chairing EU Council during the 2011 rotating Polish EU Presidency, where he became almost "immortal" also for his simple, but sympathetic idea to make a Gift of Fresh ... Strawberies to all participants (Journalists included...), when he inaugurated his presidency by a Speach at EU Parliament in Strasbourg - has already proved to be able to ..Charm MEPs, by adopting a Simple and Honest Language pleading in favour of EU Aspirations, (linked to Democracy and Human Rights, Scientific and Technological Development with strong Economic Perspectives), felt by many People in most former Central-Eastern European Countries, during the Historic era of Europe's ReUnification.

Inter alia, Tusk had, then, Symbolically turned Strawberries into a Communication's Arm against Euro-Sceptiscism, a Symbol of the reality that Europe, in fact, despite all the open, sometimes brutal, but often also hidden, hypocritical Sabotage that it might face, is, indeed, an Ideal as Fresh, Pretty, Tasty and full of Healthy Vitamins, as Red Strawberries just collected from Poland's Fields !...

But, Today, the Real  ... "Strawberry Statement" of New EU President Donald Tusk, and the most important key for success to Juncker's 2015-2017 Investment Plan, obviously stands at another Direction :

- That of the Best American tradition of the Popular, Cultural and Political Movement against the deadly horrors of Vietnam War, John and Robert Kennedies' Murders, (the latter having been Honoured also by Conservative former US President GWBush, when he personaly inaugurated in Post-9/11 New York a Memorial dedicated to the Murdered former Justice Secretary, who had notoriously fought hard against Corruption and Crime, but was murdered during his Popular Candicady as New US President, after his Brothers' earlier murder) , as well as that of Martin Luther King, historic head of the Civil Rights' movement, including at the Best Music, Books, Cinema, etc. of the famous "60ies", (closely followed by several more ArtWorks even during early Seventies, such as "Crosby-Still-Nash-and Young"s aftermath, Pink Floyd"'s emergence, etc):

=> In condensed matter, it's all put in a nutshell at the famous "Srtrawberry Statement" award-winning Film, published in the middle of the most Tragic moments of Vietnam War, and particularly (mutatis-mutandis) at its last sequence, with the also famous Song (sung by Young People closed inside an American University before being violently stormed by Armed Guards with Gas and Clubs, etc., themselves surrounded by "Helpless" (another "Hit" of that Historic Film, with the Good Music of unforgetable Crosby-Still-Nash-and Young, and their lyrics [*])  Friends and Families, and the whole National and/or World-wide Public Opinion eyeing a Dramatic reference to the Killing of a Young Student at Columbia University NY :

- Naturaly, (always Fresh in the Memory of the People as a Polish fields' Strawberry, and certainly speaking to the heart of a Democratic Politician who emerged from "Solidarnosc"' Popular Movement's values), it's the World famous :- "Give PEACE a Chance !" song, (which figures at the end of the "Strawberry Statement" Film and Book).

>>> Indeed, the most Crucial key for success to Juncker's 2015 - 2017 Investments' Plan, (as even OSCED's experienced Secretary General, Angel Guria, has recently said to "EuroFora", highlighting the Damage done a the detriment also of EU's Growth the Crisis vis a vis Russia, Comp.: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/oecdheadaskssolutionforukraine.html ), obviously is to urgently search and find a way to ensure Peace now at Ukraine.

And New EU Council's President, Donald Tusk, as Polish, seems ideally placed and Credible for such a move...

Something which, naturally, is not at all contadictory with Poland's expected full Accession, towards 2015-2016, in the Strasbourg's HeadQuarteres "EUROCORPS", i.e. a European Army's Heads of Staff International body, able to manage a Multi-modal Force in Land, at the Sea, and on the Air, which has already as Full Members : France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as several other EU Countries' "Liaison Officers" on the spot, and is strongly supported by several EU Parliament's Resolutions as a possible "Embryon" of the Tool that notoriously needs any full EU common Foreign and Security policy.

On the contrary, such moves might even Timely reinforce, in fact, an eventual Peaceful Deal between the EU and neighbouring Russia about Ukraine, etc., inter alia, f.ex., also by strengthening the Trust of all involved in a authentic European Security.

(../..)

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[*] CSNY's Lyrics : "...Blue Windows behind the Stars, Yellow Moon on the rise, Big Birds Flying across the Sky, Throwing Shadows on our eyes. Leave us Helpless,...")

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to "EuroFora" at the conclusion of the December 2014 EU Summit, the experienced Government Spokesman of Cyprus, Nicos Christodoulides, (who had already played an important role in Brussels during the 2012 Presidency of EU Council by Cyprus), clearly confirmed the Strategic EU Country's firm will to resolutely advance further towards the exploration and exploitation of its Exclusive Economic Zone's Natural Resources in Oil/Gas, as well as for their Future Transport towards the EU, (probably with Modern Technological means, as those eyed by the New EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's 2015-2017 more than 300 Billions € Investments plan, examined today by the EU Summit which expressed a strong support and set a series of Time Deadlines for its concrete implementation from the 1st half of 2015.

 - The Italian Company ENI, together with the South Korean Company KOGAS, are due to present the 1st Findings of their initial Searches undersea, "before the end of this year" (2014), Christodoulides told us.

+ Moreover, the French TOTAL Company has confirmed its intention to Start its own Explorations "in the First Quarter of 2015", he added.

++ Meanwhile, the President of the European Investments Bank, Werner Hoyer from Germany, already re-Visited Cyprus earlier this Month (December 2014), the Government's Spokesman confirmed, exactly as Hoyer had earlier anounced to "EuroFora" since November in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, just after the presentation of Juncker's Plan, (See : ....).

At any case, and as far as it  concerns also other, previous and/or future explorations by various Foreign, European and/or International Companies, (as also the American "Noble Energy", etc), even if anyone might, eventualy, try to exert pressure in some of them to Underestimate the quantity of the Findings and/or of Cyprus' potential, the Government is not at all going to delay, but, on the contrary, will pursue resolutely and efficiently the process of development of the island's natural resources, Christodoulides stressed to "EuroFora" on this occasion.

Greece, Cyprus and Egypt, united together at Heads of State/Governments level recently in Caire, agreed a "Strategic Partnership" between the 3 Countries, covering both Oil/Gas Exploration, Development and Transports, as well as Political and Security issues, and EU-related matters.

A similar move has been prepared also with Israel, for the soonest possible.

It's well known since 2001 at the latest, that the Geological formation of the Southern Mediterranean Sea, between EU Member Cyprus, Egypt, Israel, and Lebanon, etc., is strikingly similar to that of the Gulf of Mexico, (Comp. "EuroFora" co-Founder's relevant Publication, after a PanEuropan GeoScience Congress in Strasbourg, published in "TCWeekly" on 2001), which was found, later-on, to have enough Oil/Gas to cover more than 52% of USA's needs, as former US President GWBush had officialy anounced.

Meanwhile, according to EU Summit's official Conclusions, the EIB is due to Start Examining the first Projects for Investments, particularly in Energy and other Modern and Key Infrastructures, already from the next few Days, and at the beginning of January 2015 will present a Draft for the scheduled body of independent Experts due to study and select the Best Projects for EU Investments. A fast-track EU Parliament's Legislative process is also expected to adopt all necessary Legal Reforms until June 2014.

Last, but not least, Cyprus' President Nicos Anastassiades, who has just been operated at a New York Hospital, where he exceptionaly stayed even during this December 2014 EU Summit for repos, has now almost fully recovered all his forces, and "feels like a person aged only 35 !", his Spokesman told "EuroFora" smiling...

*Brussels/EPP Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", just before Starting to chair the 1st EU Heads of State/Government in Brussels ever organized by a Polish Euro-Politician, the New President of EU Council, former Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, launched the project to create Wilfried Martens' Fund, in the Memory of the long-time Chairman and co-Founder of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Party, also former Prime Minister of Belgium, strongly supported by the new EPP Party's President Joseph Daul, to whom Martens had personaly "entrusted the Baby" while he was still alive but fell ill, after cooperating closely together for quite a long time, during Daul's Chairmanship of EU Parliament's EPP Group of MEPs, as he reminded with emotion.

 - He was a man of courage and conviction, who played a crucial role mainly for the People of Central-Eastern Europe, President Tusk said for Martens, and stressed that, later Today, when he will Start Chairing the 1st EU Heads of State/Government in his life, he will see, not only the present EU Leaders, but also those who have played, in the recent Past, an Historic role for the ReUnification of Europe.

+ Moreover, when you come from there where I and others comme, you know how important it is for you to have Someone waiting and Ready to Help, at a crucial moment, Tusk added with emotion.

- Martens' Wife, Mrs Miet Smet-Martens, stressed from the outset that the main Aim of that New Fund is to Help Young People from Countries which are Not EU Members, to Study at the well known University of Leuven, on Europe-related issues  :

- Because, after all, "Europe is also made out of People !", underlined Mrs Martens in this regard.

- Daul explained, afterwards, that Wilfired Martens has played a very Important role in the History of Europe in the making, particularly on 2 Topical issues :

- First, he was the spiritual Father of the Idea which dominated the Latest EU Elections of May 2014 : that of a "Spitzen Kandidate", (i.e. a Top Candidate) for every European Political Party, presented for the 1st Time in History as a Candidate for the post of the New EU Commission's President : a Challenge won now by the experienced, former long-time Prime Minister of Luxembourg, and €uroGroup President, Jean-Claude Juncker, as Top Candidate of the Christian-Democrat/EPP Party, which won anew (as back on 2009) the greatest part of EU Citizens Votes also in  the 2014 EU Parliuament's Elections, despite a harsh Global situation and Competition by various EuroSceptics.

+ Second, Martens worked a lot also on the idea of EU's "Eastern Neighbourhood", helping many former Central-Eastern Countries to become EU Members, and several other Neighbouring Countries to create close relations and links with the EU, Daul added topically.

=> Last but not least,  all this logically points also towards the current Need to create a Real EU Security and Defense Policy, which should be one of our main Priorities in the foreseable Future, President Daul stressed evenmore.

- In fact, the main reason for the creation of this Fund, is not only to defend the Memory of Wilfried Marten's work, but also to promote that Kind of Political Leader that he was, simply because it's precisely what we Need now also for Europe's Future, explained further the competent Professor from KU Leuven University.

- When he had given a Lecture with 4 main Points, Martens had passed fast over the 1st and 2nd part, European Construction and Political Power, focusing rather on "Love", the 3rd Chapter, which started to exhaust him, and extending much further ahead on what apparently was the most Important for him : The 4rth, "Spirititual" Chapter on "God" and Moral Values, where he added, as he often used to do, also several mentions to various relevant Philosophers, etc, he reminded, (inevitably making think, also, of a similar heritage left by his contemporary from Strasbourg, former President of CoE's Parliamentary Assembly and of EU Parliament, as well as long-time Mayor of Strasbourg's City, after having served also as Prime Minister of France, Pierre Pflimlin : Comp.: ....).

=> At the conclusion, Daul gave to the University of Leuven a 1st Cheque, enough in order to pay at least the 2 first Professors dedicated at this project, expressing the hope for the Wilfried Martens' Fund to gather soon also various other Donors in order to become able to have tens or even hundreds of Professors availabkle for Young People, as he said smiling...

"EuroFora" remembers well Martens, boith as EPP Party's President chairing many poilitically important Summits throuighout Europe, but also as an Omni-Present Top EuroPolitician, who was closely following even CoE's and EU Parliuament' work, both in Bussels and in Strasboug, as well as in many other European Capitals, (mutatis-mutandis, almost as is doing recently his former close collaborator and afterwars successor, former EU Parliament EPP Group's Chairman and new EPP Party President, Joseph Daul, (together with whom they both have foughtg several Hard Political Fights some years ago, f.ex. in Romania, and many other EU or Neighbouring Countries).

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*Brussels/EPP Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- Despite a careful stance on the "Delicate" situation, at present, as far as the Ukranian Crisis and Russia - EU relations are concerned, EPP Party's President Joseph Daul from Strasbourg (France), replying to a Question raised by "EuroFora", expressed a "Hope" for all those involved to find soon themselves united around a Table for Nagotiations for "Real" Soltions.

- "Don't you think that the considerable Funds that EU is ready to prepare for Ukraine now, might, also, Help, at the same time, to Advance towards some Political Compromises able to broker Agreements for a Peaceful Solution to the Conflict ?", (f.ex. on the promised DeCentralisation, and/or something which might succeed to bring People Together, instead of Dividing them even further),"EuroFora" asked Daul.

      - "This is an issue which arrives at a very Delicate and Difficult Stage, now", including "with what is going on in Russia, (f.ex) concerning the Ruble, ", (i.e. particularly its value on Western Markets), "and what is going on" in Ukraine and elsewhere,  President Daul carefuly observed in Reply to "EuroFora"s Question.

    - Nevertheless, "I hope that we shall manage to Find a way to gather all those involved around a Table of Negotiations" soon, "in order to Find the Real Solutions", EPP's President, (who has recently been elected also vice-President of the International Democratic Party), concluded optimisticaly, or rather, with voluntarism.

    + Meanwhile, Daul wished, earlier, to all People involved and affected by the Tragic and protracted Eastern Ukranian Conflict, to spend "at least the 8 Christmas Days in real Peace", as he stressed, smiling, in front of a Bright Christmas Tree, placed at the Center of this 2014 EPP Summit, - where experienced Chairman of EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Elmar Brok from Germany, together with EPP Party's long-time Secretary General, and new MEP, Antonio Lopez - Isturiz from Spain, were discussing their next steps on Ukraine and Russia, Smiling to "EuroFora", at least as far as Daul's wish for Peace on Christmas and soon afterwards, was concerned...

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+ Later-on, his successor to the Chairmanship of EU Parliament's biggest Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, German MEP Manfred Weber, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", while entering the EPP Summit here, strongly supported the line that EU's High Represntative on External Relations, Federica Mogherini, had resumed yesterday at Kiev, in view of forthcoming Discussions and probably Decisions by the EU Heads of State/Government Summit later ToNight in Brussels, in reply to a Similar Question :

- While "we (the EU) are going to give now New Money to the Ukraine Government, we also want to have some clear Results on Reforms. How do you thing that  all this should go on  in orderf to be sure that Ukraine is, at last, engaged towards a Good Direction ?, he was asked in substance.

-"Absolutely. I Think that we have to do Both things : On the one Hand show a clear Support and Help for developments in Ukraine, and, on the other hand, we (EU) Ask for Concrete Steps :"

 - "These are opposed Sides of the one and Same Medal, and I think that now, after the recent Elections, Ukranians showed a Political Will to do what is Necessary. So that now, we, Europeans, have to show our Partnership and assist New Forces now in the (New Coalition) Government", Webetr concluded.

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