newsitems

*Brussels/EU Council/Angelo Marcopolo/-  This EU Heads of State/Government Summit seems to have been Hijacked by Internet Spying and other Network Attacks issues just after the  Revelations on what happened mainly during US President Obama's 2009-2013 period, including taping of German Chancelor Merkel and Hundreds of other Political Leaders in Europe and around the World, on North American NSA's scandal, going from EU Leadership's reactions, up to the focus of Press and Public's attention, including even an exceptional breakdown of EU's main Press Room Internet connections, of unknown origin !

Shortly after various Heads of States/Government and EU Top Officials started to express their indignation at the EPP's Summit together with Merkel, earlier this Afternoon, at a Castle in Meuse, a few kms out of the City, it was the turn of EU Parliament's President, experienced Socialist MEP Martin Schultz from Germany, speaking later-on to Journalists, including "EuroFora" in downtown Brussels' EU Council Headquarters, to take the unprecedented step to even "ensure that the EU Parliament does not intend to launch any Terrorist Attack in the USA !", after revelations that its recently inaugurated Washington DC. Office was included among  the Targets...

Everybody understood here the need for EU - USA Cooperation, including, particularly, in order to Fight Deadly Terrorism at a Global level, but not at all the Abuses reportedly committted between "Allies" (as Merkel had stressed), which were judges as "unacceptable", particularly when they share the same Democratic ansd Human Rights Values.

 Therefore, a Majority of MEPs has asked, earlier in Strasbourg, to postpone EU -USA Negotiations on "Swift" and on a Free Trade Agreement, etc., until things are clarified, and "Trust" (necessary even for People to use and boost any Digital Economy) can be re-build. 

The move came just a few years after another Secret Spying Scandal inside the US, had recently Targetted mainly Socio-Politicaly designated Victims, such as active "Tea Party" Militants, dissident Christian Organizations, and several US Republican Party"s Politicians, reportedly seeking Personal Data related to ther Financial Resources, etc., which had provoked a row throughout the US, where even Popular front-runner Candidate to GOP's Primaries before the 2008 US Presidential Elections, Santorum, had already felt the need to re-launch his Campaign with the Heading of "Freedom", and a Timely reference to America's Founding Fathers who had focused, in their World Famous "Independence" Resolution, since the 18th Century of the "Enlightnement", mainly on Human Rights, starting with the Historic words :- "We the People"..           

Questioned by "EuroFora", EU Council's Press Director, Nicolas Kerleroux, acknowledged that it was Difficult, if not impossible yet to find any known Normal Explanation of such incidents (felt  by many Journalists, desperately running to find, at the last minute, some fixed Internet Cables that we hadn't been obliged to use for years), since the Number of Press Workers was rather as usual until now, without any exceptional augmentation, (several Collegues, even among those who used to be always present there, having this time decided to come at the EU Summit only at its Conclusion, Tomorrow, Friday, as "EuroFora" witnessed), and, on the Contrary, EU's Internet Technical Services had even "Augmented" recently the Total Capacity of its Wifi Network, as he told us.

An Hypothesis that, perhaps, these incidents might have beenn caused, by an eventually exceptional augmentation of Audio-Visual Medias, specially this time, which use a lot of Broadband Width, should apparently be dismissed, after another, also very experienced EU Press Official told "EuroFora" that, in fact, many such Problems had already Started to suddenly Pop Up "since Yesterday Afternoon", (i.e. since Wednesday, Octo"ber 23), when most Media workers had not even arrived at Brussels' EU Council's Headquarters. He told us that, even until late Evening/Night, - "Our Technicians are in the process of Searching to find the Cause", which still remained rather a Mystery until now...  

Inevitably, "EuroFora"s co-Founder remembered of a much older, exceptional Incident, right in the middle of particularly "Hot" Political issues, which has occured even inside UNO's own Headquarters at New York (USA), on the sidelines of an exceptional Global Heads of State/Government World Summit and just before UNO's General Assembly's usual Annual Plenary Session starts, when suddenly the Lights wend down, many parts of the UN Building (surrounded by much Higher Skyscrapers, which, on the contrary, seemed to work just fine) falling into Deep Darkness, without any possibility to extend Computers' work, and apparently provoking such Security Problems that some Officials took the Exceptional Decision to Close and Empty many Areas and Floors, including at the main Press rooms, shortly after a particulaly "Hot"  Press Conference by a Head of State, together with the then sUNO's Director of Press and Communication, during which some specialy nasty issues had been raised :

- "UN are Powerless !", joked, laughing, (with an obvious "Gift"  for Press Headlines, but of Dubious Use), an American Collegue, when Lights went down, reportedly throwing then even UN SG Koffi Annan's Offices at another Floor, apparently making a hint to Past Controversies around the 2nd Iraq War, etc..

Well, at least as far as it concerns the apparent Mood now prevailing among EU Leaders and Officials inside Brussels' EU Council's Headquarters, on the Contrary, the Feeling seems going towards an absolutely Opposite Direction.

Particularly when, even symbolically, but also Timely, the brand New EU Council's Building, of an original Architectural Design, is, currently, fastly approaching Completion, just outside of key square Schuman, (hopefully also equiped with stronger Internet Wifi Defence for European Press communications : See Photo on the Top)..

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+Meanwhile, the Leader of "Green" MEPs in EU Parliament, German MEP Rebeka Harms, replying to an "EuroFora"'s question in Brussels, didn't exclude a possible Agreement, at least on some main points, with the ChristianDemocrats of Chancelor Angie Merkel, during the forthcoming Years or even Months, in one way or another : - "Our Party Congress' fundamental decision (last week-end in Berlin) was to be Open not only to SPD, but also to all other German Political Parties, naturally including also CDU/CSU, she simply reminded, as a matter of principle.

Comming particularly from Harms, who earler wasn't at all for a "Green"- "Black" Coalition, this appears to be at least a certainly notable development. A fortiori now that the issue of the Protection of EU Citizens and even EU Politicians and State Leaders from Internet Spying and/or various other Web Network Attacks, that some among the "Green" Leaders, older and more new, want to push forward, the move might have Timely repercussions in the foreseable Future...

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*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/-  Foreseen by EU Lisbon Treaty and backed now also by EU Parliament, the planned EU Public Prosecutor's Office is due to be a "Light" but Efficient Structure, mainly based on Coordination of simultaneous actions  by EU Member States' National Officials,  and this makes even more important the Training currently provided to National Officials from 27 EU Member States, as f.ex. that which starts this Month at the Strasbourg University's Faculty of Law, etc., EU Commission'' vice-President Viviane Reding, an experienced also former MEP from Luxembourg, pointed out in substance, speaking to "EuroFora" at EU Parliament, whose Plenary has just adopted Today an exceptionaly important Report on the Fight against Fraud, Corruption and Organized Crime, (See Infra).

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Considering that  by Protecting EU Budget, this practicaly means also protecting EU Citizens' Money, from Fraud, Corruption and/or other serious Crimes, EU Lisbon Treaty has provided for an "Enhanced Cooperation" between several willing EU Member States, and open to all others, should automatically start, if Unanimity lacks inside EU Council, at least as far as the creation of such a Public Prosecutor Office against Financial Crimes is concerned, Reding observed earlier.

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- But, "with what means ?" Are there already sufficient possibilities for the planned EU Prosecutor to be really efficient, or do we need much more to come ?", EuroFora had asked the  EU Commission's vice President, pointing as a concrete Example to Projects such as the new  Stasbourg's University "European College" CEFIAC,  strongly supported by EU Commission, due to organize EU Member States' Officials' training for "Financial Investigations and Analysis of Crimes" (Comp. Infra).
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- "Just to be very Clear about this : The EU Public Prosecutor's Office will be a very Small Office, which Coordinates the Work", Reding stresssd in her Reply to "EuroFora"s question.

- I.e., "which says, f.ex., : - "There is a Problem here, in 3 or 4 (EU Member) Countries, and we have to Act in order to catch the Criminals".

+ "And then, the "Delegated" Public Prosecutors, which are National Prosecutors, will, then, Act, on the scene, in these 4 or 5 (EU) Member States", each.

- "They will do that, with the National Police (of the concerned EU Member Countries), with the National Courts, and under the National Rules", (f.ex. on the protection of Citizens' elementary Rights, etc).

 - "But, they will do it in the Same Time", and in a "Coordinated" way, "so that there is No more Hidding for the Criminals, (f.ex.) to go to a Country where Nothing will happen to them : No !", the competent EU Commission's vice-President pointed out.

 - Because, thanks to that EU Public Prosecutor's role, "there will be the Same  Action, in all (these EU Member) Countries,  where Criminals are operating", she clarified.

 - "The Coordination will be done by the European Prosecutor. But that will be a Small, Efficient Office : It will Not be a Big Institution, because the Real Work will be done on the level of (EU) Member States, Coordinated by the European Prosecutor".

=> I.e., practically, by triggering a Mechanism which reminds, in substance, mutatis-mutandis, at another EU interest area : that of Economy, the way in which €uroZone's 17 Member Countries, for the 1st time in History, acting remarkably Fast, decided, in an Exceptional 1st Summit of €uroZone's Heads of State/Government, back on Sunday, October 10, 2008, at Paris' Elysee Palace, under the Chairmanship of then French President Sarkozy, together with €uroGroup's Head then Luxembourg's Prime Minister Juncker, to launch a series of unprecedented, Parallel and Coordinated Actions in order to Boost and Stimulate the European  Economy which faced then Recessionist pressures from the Global Economic Crisis which had just started in the USA : Next Monday, all the 17 concerned Capitals, plus the exceptionaly associated UK, (whose Prime Minister Gordon Brawn, had participated at the Beginning of that €uroZone's 1st Summit) had started to act, from next Monday Morning,

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+ Meanwhile, the EU Commission's v. President, practically agreed with "EuroFora", that relevant Small (EU) Programs, as f.ex. that of Training of Police Officers on finding Financial Information against Organized Crime,  in al EU Member States, would be Helpful for the protection of EU Funds, because the EU Public Prosecutor, before starting to do something, he must have been, previously, well and Timely Informed about that.

 - "That is something that we (EU Commission) are doing at any rate, because we are doing a lot of Trans-Border Training, be it for Law Enforcement, but be it also for National Prosecutors, National Judges and National Lawyers", Reding replied to an "EuroFora"s subsequent Question.

EU Lisbon Treaty provides for "Automatic" Enhanced Cooperation mechanisms, whenever Unanimity between the 27 EU Member States might lack, just in cases concering the protection of EU's Budget, as things stand now, Reding also explained. So that, all other cases, f.ex. Non-Financial aspects of Organzed Crime, etc., this also has to come, but as a 2nd step, she indicated previously.

- This Fits well, as a 1st step on EU Budget, f.ex. with the brand new "CEIFAC" EU program, (which stands for "European College of Financial Investigations and Analysis on Crime", in French)... that University Professor Chantal Cutajar, has just inaugurated last week in Strasbourg, in order to Train Officials from all over the 27 EU Member Countries, with the support mainly of EU Commission, (completed by Strasbourg's Region Alsace and the City, as well as French Gendarmerie), in cooperation also with various Experts' bodies from EuroPol, Switzerland, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg; Bulgaria, etc.

-Professor Cutajar, an experienced and motivated in the Fight against Crime Universitarian, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", noted the fact that, with the Completion of the 1st round of this kind of centralized EU Member States' Officials' Training on Financial Investigations and Analysis on Crime, scheduled in about 2 Years (2013-2015), the move comes just on Time in order to be ready to facilitate a fast and efficient functioning of a possible EU Prosecutor's office, initially focused on EU Budget-related frauds and other Financial Crimes, which is expected to be a very important and intereting development for Europe in the forseable Future, as she told us.

- Replying to another among "EuroFora"s Questions in a Press Conference organized for the EU "CEIFAC" program at Strasbourg's University earlier, together with EuroMP Catherine Trautman, the Commander of Alsace Region's Gedarmerie,  Colonel Thierry Thomas, the President of Strasbourg's Region, Alsace's, Economic and Innovation Committee, former Minister, Francois Loos, and other Officials, Cutajar also pointed at the fact that, even if  CEIFAC' main domain of action certainly is focused on Financial Investigations and Analysis, nevertheless, it can naturally Help, ipso facto, also in ord to Fight against Corruption as well as other various forms of Organized Crime,  by dealing with the Financial aspects of any Organized Crime.
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+ These moves came shortly before EU Parliament's Plenary adopts, Today, in Strasbourg, an exceptionaly crucial Resolution on "Organised Crime, Corruption and Money Laundering", containing a set of concrete "recommendations on action and initiatives to be taken", which is the "Final Report" of a "Special Committee" on these issues, drafted by Italian MEP Salvatore Iacolino, who stressed, at a Press Conference given on Tuesday here,  that "this will also be the International Day for the Memory of organized Crime's Victims".

"Green" and other MEPs, while supporting the main thrust of this Report, expressed, however, certain Minority Reserves, calling not to "ovesimplify" some "Threars" concerning "Surveillance", f.ex. inside EU "Systems" for "Passenger Name Records" and "Finance Tracking", even if it's due to focus on "Terrorist" activities, as they said.

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*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- EU Commissioner Tonio Borg, an experienced former Prime Minister, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions in a Press Conference together with French MEP Françoise Grossetete, (ChristianDemocrat/EPP), on EU Citizens' access to Trans-Border Health Care, made crystal-clear that the main Condition for their Right to benefit from a Medical Treatment at another EU Member Country, while still receiving their normal reimbursement in their Home Country, depended on the concrete circumstances of each case, as far as the existence of a real Need is concerned, when Care is not available "at a reasonable Time" limit at home, as well as in very simple, Easy and Short treatments, while also excluding any risk for "Medical Tourism", particularly if anyone attempts to get thus a treatment for which he/she is not entitled in his</her own Country on Legal or Ethical grounds.

Experienced MEP Grossetete had already explained, earlier, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", mainl that this Advantage for EU Citizens, offered by an EU Directive strongly supported by EU Parliament, which has already adopted her relevant Report, Guarantees and Simplifies a Faster Reimbursement, at the usual rate and  conditions of a Patient's Home Country, even if he/she found preferable, or even necessary, to seek Health Care at another, f.ex. Neighbouring EU Member Country, particularly when a similar Medical Treatment is not immediately available "at a reasonable Time" in the Home Country, (f.ex. in case of lack of sufficient Hospital Rooms and/or Doctors at a given period), on condition to take an Authorisation whenever required (See Infra), whose Refusaql can be succesfully Challenged to the Courts :  

An obvous Benefit both for EU Citizens themselves, and even for the Society as a whole, since such steps forward into "building the Europe of Health", could also help reduce risks of an Epidemy to spread if one EU Member State's Health Services become overloaded, (etc), as Grossetete observed, while, however, expressing her regrets that, at least for the moment, many EU Countries have Not yet Transposed in their National Legal Order, a relevant earlier EU Directive. Something that also EU Commissioner Borg strongly denounced, expressing the Hope that most EU Member States will hurry up soon to fil that gap, and Warning that, otherwise, the Commission will be deterlmined to act against such regretable delays, particulary in view of approaching Time Deadlines.

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-  In this regard, "EuroFora"'s 1st out of 2 Questions to EU Commissioner Borg, pointed at the Fact that, sometimes, EU Citizens' Need for TransBorder Health Care, may be a so Crucial and Vital issue for them, in cases, f.ex. of too long Delays in their own Country's Hospitals, that they might even Risk to face  Dangers of some more or less Damaging Consequences to the Detriment of their Health and/or Private/Family, Professional/Social Life, or even get them close to a Life-Threatening situation, because of the Provoked Delays.  At least in such extreme cases, couldn't EU Citizens contribute, f.ex. by bringing their demands to the Courts, etc., to help EU Commission convince some stil recalcitrant EU Member States to, at last, transpose and start really applying the relevant EU Directive, since, even according to CoE's PanEuropean Convention on Human Rights, eventually also under EU's Charter of Fundamental Freedoms and Rights, States have an Obligation to protect, and not endanger Citizens' Health and/or Lives, f.ex. by perpetuating undue Obstacles to an Urgently Needed Health Care Treatment at another, f.ex. Neighbouring EU Country, which can be of Vital Importance for the concerned person, who is already Legaly entitled to have such a Heath Treatment in his own Country ?

 

+ From the Other Side, "EuroFora" also asked Borg to confirm, on the contrary, whether, in cases of not serious Health problems, but for a specific Medical Treatment which depends mainly on a particular Patient's Free Choice, anyone might be able, or Not, to seek to obtain at another, neighbouring EU Country, a Treatment which is normally Illegal for him/her in his/her own Country of origin, f.ex. for Ethical reasons,  (f.ex. Homosexuals asking for a "Subrogate Mother" to get an "In Vitro Fertilisation" in order to get a Child in an Artificial way, which is considered Immoral and/or Illegal in their own Country, etc).

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Borg : No tresspassing  via Medical "Tourism" :
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 -  "You can only seek Treatment Abroad for a Service which is provided in your own Country", EU Health Commissoner Borg clarified, in reply to "EuroFora"s Second Question, (that he chose to deal with, at first).

 - "Even on Ethical Grounds, if it's Not Provided in Your Country, you can't go to another Country", he stressed. "Of course", to be precise, "you can go" de facto, "but you  have to Pay, and you shall Not be Reimbursed", he warned.

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Borg : "Reasonable Time" Condition depends on the Seriousness of concrete cases, but for People living close to internal EU Borders, this can Simplify Access to Health Care, which is also Easier for Simple and Short Medical Treatments.
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+ Replying afterwards to "EuroFora"s 1st Question (comp. Supra), the competent EU Commissioner focused mainly on the issue of "what does it really means : "Reasonable Time" (for the Home Country to provide a Health Care needed by one of its Citizen who asks to obtain it at another EU Country) ?"

- "In my view, it's Not an Absolute Term, (but) it is also Relative : Because, it depends :  - "Waiting", for what kind of (Medical) Operation ?", Borg wondered.

-"There are Serious, and Urgent ones,  and Others, which are Useful, Convenient, but Not Urgent. So, even in what is a Reasonable Time, it depends on what type of Treatment, for what type of Sickness, for what type of Condition, you are seeking", he clarified.
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+ And, Yes, this can be particularly Useful, f.ex. for People who actually live Close to the Borders" between EU Member States, Commissioner Bord went on to add.  

- In this regard, - "I give you an Example, - without, in any way, to interpretate that, as a kind of provocation, or an encouragment, in any particular direction" :  

>>> - For "someone living in the Czech Republic, it could be Easier for him to go to Austria, because the Nearest Hospital is, in his case, in Austria, rather than going to Prague ! That could be",  the competent EU Commissioner hinted.
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- "But, I repeat, you need, in most cases,   Authorisation.  We say In "most" cases, because there are cases, where you don't need Authorization", he observed :  

  - "When I say Authorisation, the cases where you do need Authorisation are :  - 1) In Complex Operations, and 2) when your Treatment requires an overNight Stay : So, even if you spend 1 Night in a Hospital, abroad, then, you need an Authorisation".  

=> -  "The only case where you don't need an Authorisation, is when you don't spend a Night Abroad, and when your Operation or your Intervention (Medical Treatment), is relatively Simple, and Not Complex. So : the 2 Conditions, together", he concluded, apparentlypointing to the Fact that there is No useless Bureaucracy for relatively Simple and Short Health Care cases, in which EU Citizens can more Easily prefer to cross internal borders between EU Member Countries.

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("DraftNews", as already sent, ealier, to "EuroFora"s Subscribers/Donors. A more accurate, full Final Version may be published asap).

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*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Poverty is not due to be reduced, during the next few years, but, on the contrary, it might deepen further, even if the European Economy could progressively ameliorate, and that's why the CoE decided to "place  the issue of Human Rghts in times of Crisis as its Priority during the next 2 Years, said CoE's Direct"or on Human Rights, Christos Giakoumopoulos, to "EuroFora", on the sidelines of a Conference of the "PanEuropean Organisation for Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law, dedicated to the Internatio"nal Day for the Eradication of Poverty, which is commemorated (since 1987) Today, i.e. on November "17, each year, providing an opportunity to measure the progress, or not, which might have been made "since last year, (11/2012), when all CoE's Top Political Bodies had adopted an immpressive series of Res"olutions, which remain, still, to be implemented in real practice, as the experienced CoE's Director o"n Social Charter, Regis Brillat, observed later-on to "EuroFora"...

    - In fact, , "since several years, we see a progressive Erosion of the efficiency of National, European and International Guarantees for Human Rights, as if it was about some Principles which don't matter so much", while, u"ntil now, "Poverty spreads, more and more, as cruel Statistics remind us, and ... an augmentation o"f Social Tensions, as well as Discriminatory and/or Xenophobic attitudes, vis a vis Vulnerable Groups", "denounced earlier the experienced CoE's Human Rights' Dirertor Giakoumopoulos, with "an unusual for him Bitter language. "We are in front of a Destruction of the Social Cohesion, and o"f a Weakening of Democratic Institutions and Human Rights - I'd even say  : a Weakening of the Ru"le of Law, and of the Law", in general, he denounced on this occasion.

    Significantly", CoE's workshop for this Highly Symbolic Day, was organized mainly by the President of the Conference of International NGOs' (CINGOS) Human Rights Committee, chaired by Annelise Oeschger", (experienced former President of the CINGOS) from nearby Germany, of the International Movement ATD "4rth World", which send Today to the Press, including "EuroFora", the results of a recen"t Enquiry revealing, inter alia, that "Discriminations" even in the Access to Work (f.ex. accodring to whether the Candidates, otherwise perfectly Equal in Qualifications, live in a Poor or Rich Neighborhood", etc), and/or to Health Care (f.ex. acccording to whether the suffering Patients are Poor, or not), etc., appear to be widespread and threatening to provoke serious damages even in big EU Countries, as", f.ex. France a.o..

    Not "surprisingly, at least one among the various Representatives of INGOs from many European Countries, "active in the field of Help to Poor People, (some of whom were Invited this time to speak personaly "of their feelings), strongly rejected any Stigmatisation of the Group of People on which he was working, as "Poor" : - "In fact, it's not Poverty itself, which provokes the problems that they face, but, on th"e contrary, it's mainly a Discrimination agaisnt them which provokes, maintains and threatens to aggravate the greatest part of the Poverty from which they suffer, he denounced in substance.

    However, even if this year's CoE's Conference on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was officially opened earlier by its Deputy Secretary General, Gabriella Battaini-Dragoni, together with the acting Chairman of CoE's Committee of Min"isters, Ambassador/Permanent Representative of Armenia to the COE, Armen Papikyan, and" other Top PanEuropean Officials, nevertheless, both "EuroFora" and other participants were inevitably Surprized by the Unusually Small Number of Persons who were gathered, according to a long Tradition, during a brief Ceremony, in front of the Famous Commemorative Stone, placed at CoE's entrance by the Founder of the "4rth World" Humanitarian Movement, Father Joseph Wresinski, with "its unforgetable main Moto : "Whenever People are Condemned in Misery, Human Rights are Violated. Unite in order to ensure their Respect, is a Sacred Duty", contrary to the exceptionaly Great Number of various Participants, Radio-TV Media and even .. a Musical Choir included, (etc), which had marked the same Date 1 Year Before :  on November 17, 2012, (i.e. the same Day that CoE's Top bodies had "adopted impressive Joint Declarations for the Fight against Poverty, during a much Bigger Conference), as if something might have changed or deceived, in this regard, on 2013, that nobody dared "name openly...

    - Precisely,  since Last Year, on 2012, when ""we had assisted to the adoption of an Important Joint Declaration of COE's Institutions (Committee of Ministers, Parliamentary Assembly, Congress of Local/Regional Authorities, INGO's Conference, etc), we are obliged to Ask ourselves What we have done together, during all this Year, against Miser"y, and for a Europe of Human Rights ?", critically observed the President of CoE's PanEuropean Committee for Social Rights, Luis Chimenez Quesada. As he had already stressed previously to "EuroFor"a", President Quesada stressed anew that "according to Newest Version of CoE's PanEuropean Charte"r on Social Rights (ECSR), Revised on 1996, the Protection against Poverty and Social Exclusion is a Fundamental Right (Article 30)".

(Dujardin, Oeshger, Quesada + Keiflin)

    However, a Problem apparently faced by the ECSR, as "EuroFora" had already discussed extensively with its President Quesada, ju"st after the experienced COE's Director on Social Rights, Brillat, is the fact that its main Tool : the relatively "New" Procedure for Collective Complaints, most of the times Trade Unions active in 1 or mo"re COE's Member States and Con-Federated at a PanEuropean level, are generally focused only on defending the Corporative Interests of Workers who are their Members, f.ex. private or, even more "often Public Sector Employees, without active Links, nor any Channels of Communication with really Poor People, seriously threatened by Misery and/or grave Discriminations, Social Exclusion, etc., such as f.ex. unemployed Youngsters hindered to find a 1st job for them, Seniors practically exclud"ed from the Labour Market, isolated Women, and/or sick/handicaped People, Political "Refugees/Foreign Dissidents really fleeing Oppression, etc.

    So that this Lacuna might risk to, involuntarily, not only Ignore, but even aggravate the situation of really Poor People, in practice : F.ex. in cases like Greece, where such Trade Union Procedures can be used mainly by all Civil Servan"ts, including those who might be among the notoriously Numerous counter-productive Cushy-Jo"b Holders and/or abusive Political Lackeys, often Corrupted or even otherwise Criminal, who ha"d Scandalously been Appointed by Clientelist/Nepotist former mainly PASOK Governments as ea"rly as since the 1980ies (i.e. most of them accaparating rare Public Funds for more than 30 Years !) unt"il their Excessive Number, compared to the relatively Small Productive Economy of the Country", inevitably provoked a Growing Public Debt, which, (after having been scandalously "Hidden"" on 1999-2001+ as part of a Deal, between the then "Socialist" Leaders of the biggest EU Countries," and USA, to accept Turkey's controversial and unpopular demand to become a "Candidate for the EU", in exchange with Greece entering the €urozone earlier than it should, i.e. even Before Athens mad"e the Necessary Reforms in order to Prepare its Economy, just in Time to let a weakened former "PASOK Government, then, to snatch the April 2000 Elections with a Small Difference of Votes, based o"nly on this, earlier than normal, acceptance in the €uroZone, which kept it in Power between 2000-2"004, until the Debt, barely covered up with USA'"s Goldman Sachs' SWAPS and other Statistical Manipulations, finally "Exploded" during the Global Financial Crisis since 2009, shaking even all EuroArea. "

    But, on the contrary, "the real and most serious Victims of the recent Greek Drama, i.e. both the productive Businesses, man"y Small and Medium Enterprises struggling hatrd to survive, and, particularly, the Poor People, Young or Old, Women, etc., who face, in fact, a Social and/or Political Exclusion, and are currently Suffering from the Most Serious Restrictions or Cuts of Public Funds even for basic Health, Housing," Electricity, Food, a.o. Human Needs, are widely Hindered to be Members of any Trade or other Profe"ssional Union, and, therefore, in principle, they have No Direct National Interlocutor who could" help them lodge a Collective Complaint to CoE's PanEuropean Committee on Social Rights in Stasbourg.

    So that an ev"entual Collective Complaint, f.ex., from some among the above-mentioned cushy-job holders and/or "political lackeys, scandalously appointed by former Clientelist/Nepotist Governments of th"e Past, after having already usurpated a lot of Public Funds during more than 30 Years now (1981-2011+ : "Comp. Supra), might threaten to even ... lodge a Collective Complaint to Strasbourg's ECSR just in order "to challenge f.ex. a necessary Reduction of at least some among their various "Primes" or "Bon"uses", paid Summer Holidays, Social Security advantages, Pensions, etc., which, if it's accepted by the" COE, risks to oblige, afterwards, the Greek Government to cancel such proportional Measures of Economies, with the Consequence, to inevitably push it to attempt to recuperate that Money, (badly" needed in order to Reimburse the Debts provoked by such Lazy and/or Political Lackeys), just by depriv"ing really Poor People from even more elementary Access to Basic Health Care, Education, Housing, Foo"d, etc., i.e. by Aggravating in fact a Dangerous and often Inhuman, Socio-Economic InJustice.. . "

    It's true that President Quesada, (as well as COE's competent Director Brillat, earlier), ha"ve replied to "EuroFora", that, in such cases, be it in Greece or elsewhere, (f.ex. in Portugal, Spain" or Italy, etc), Poor People could try to reach an INGO having a General Competence on Social and/or H"uman Rights, such as, f.ex. the International Federation for Human Rights, etc., which had a possibility to lodge a Collective Complaint directly to CoE's PanEuropean Committee for the Social Charter (comp. above). There is no precedent until now, but this should be legally and practically feasible, (on the condition, however, that such INGOs as f.ex. FIDH and others, really accept to play the game, by efficiently assisting any eventual such demand by any group of Poor People, who should, aaaalso , be widely Informed about the existence of such a Possibility...

    - All this implies that at least the main players in the Social field, are well Aware of the fact that, otherwise, i.e. if so Serious Social Exclusions persist even longer, then, a given Society is threaten to Destroy at least part of its own Potential Forces for a General Development of all its members, since many would be Hindered in fact to build and/or use their Capacities, as the President of the  European Network of Social Action (ESAN), Leon Dujardin, denounced. ... Unless some, simply do Not want at all, in fact, any such "General" Development "of all" in a given Society, as "EuroFora" critically warned, speaking with a surprized but realising the Real Danger, President Dujardin...

    + Indeed, another Risk of an exclusively "Social" approach of any Poverty, might be to, even involuntarily, .. practically Cover Up, sometimes even Serious Crimes against Basic Human Rights, particularly if it ommits to search and find out whether at least certain cases of Social Exclusion have been, more or less, provoked, and/or are still maintained, mainly by Grave Crimes and/or various Violations of elementary Human Rights of the Victims, such as, f.ex. Killings, Torture/Ill-Treatements, Destructions of Properties, Usurpation of Family Homes and/or Properties, Illegal Deprivation of Personal Liberty, Oppression of Freedom of Expression, illegal Discriminations, Unfair Trials, Interferences in Private/Family Life, War Crimes, etc. Particularly if some, limit themselves into merely "assisting" a bit several Poor People's social needs, without even raising any Question on the Real Cause which has provoked and/or maintains them in such a situation, contrary to what advised some among the particpants in Today's CoE's Workshop, who, in fact, urged all those responsible, to always ask to find the Causes which provoked their poverty.

 
    A "classic" example of that, is one of ECHR's First Decisions on Turkey, which dates as early as since 1995/1996  : "Akdivar", which concerned a Family of Kurds, brutaly Expulsed by the Turkish Army from its Home and Fields where it based its Livelihood, Destroyed all other Means of Subsistance (f.ex. Machines, Grains, Transport Cars, stocked Food, etc), and threw them to the Roads of internal but long Exile, by pursuing and harassing them with various Violent Threats : As a result, that Family had to walk up to far away ... Smyrne, where it was obliged to live in a very Poor Quarter : a Shanty Town surrounding the main City, almost at the Street, without any real Job, deprived of almost everything, even without basic Hygienic facilities, the Children practically Hindered to go and/or to attend and normally follow School lessons, biut suffering, together with the Adults, from lack of Food, etc. I.e., a specially Hard Situation of Misery, that, EuroJudges, instead of covring up, indirectly but surely, as a so-called "Social Case", on the contrary, clearly Denounced as a Blunt Result of a Series of Grave Violations of Fundamental Human Rights, while also being, in itself, something equivalent to ... Torture and/or Ill-Treatments, strictly punished by Article 3 of the PanEuropean Convention for Human Rights : The only Violation  which can Never be excused, not even in times of War, ...     

(Oeschger with Keiflin, an experienced Journalist, former DNA's Editor in Chief, artfuly stimulating Debate in Difficult issues)

    Perhaps it's not merely by a coincidence that INGO's Human Rights Committee's Chairwoman, Annelise Oeschger, speaking earlier Today to "EuroFora", anounced her intention to also organize a Side-line event, during the next CoE's Parliamentary Asseembly on January 2014 in Strasbourg, focused specially "on Torture".

    Meanwhile,  in a statement issued Today at UNO's Headquarters in New York, UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, observes that, at a Global stage, despite a reported "significant Decline of Poverty Levels", shortly before the 2015 Deadline for the realisation of the "Millenium Development Goals", nevertheless, still, "More than 1,2 Billion People "(i.e. almost as many as all the Chinese Population !), "still live in Extreme Poverty Worldwide", while "Too Many .. continue to be Denied Access to adequate Health Care and Sanitation, quality Education, and decent Housing, too many Young People lack Jobs and Skills that respond to Market demands", "the Impact of Climate Change .... hit the Poorest the Hardest", and, closer to Europe, "Rising Inequality in many Countries, - both Rich and Poor - is fueling Exclusion", not only "from Economic", but also "from Social and Political spheres", as he warned.

    This last remark was also, Symbolically but Timely reminded, Today in Strasbourg, by a sudden, rare common appearance of CoE's General Directors for Human Rights and Democracy, Philippe Boillat from Switzerland and Svetlana Samardjic-Markovic from Serbia, respectively, emerging from COE's Committee of Ministers while stll Discussung Together some Urgent matter, but briefly saluting and Smiling to a surprized "EuroFora", acting as a reminder of all those reciprocal links, which exist, particularly in some extremely important cases or moments in History, between certain Social situations, Human Rights and Democracy....