newsitems

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- At the same moment that EU focuses on Economic and Political Integration, as well as a Wider Neighbourhood policy and International Cooperation with Strategic Partners, PanEuropean CoE's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, a unique body interlinking a 48 Countries' wide area, from Portugal to Russia, and from Iceland to Cyprus, as well as from Sweden to Malta, and from England up to Azerbaidjan, etc., ambitions to launch, during the next 4 Years (2013-2016) comprehensive and systematic actions to boost TransBorder Cooperation and Integration, mainly through Regional but also other Multi-Levels groupings which can include also several key Cities, extending also to the Eastern and Southern 3rd Countries around Europe, from  Kazakstant until the South Mediterranean and Middle East Neighbouring Countries, his new, but experienced President, Dr. Herwig Van Staa, from Austria, replied in substance to "EuroFora"s questions at a Press Conference in  the CoE shortly after his landmark election.
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Van Staa holds a rare, exceptionaly long, deep and top Experience of CoE's activites in Regional and Local level throughout all the 47 Member States of Strasbourg's PanEuropean Organization, as well as of the Brussels' based EU's Committee of Regions, the AER, etc., (and is the 1st Euro-Politician who succeeded to be Elected Twice as Head of a PanEuropean body with growing prestige, as the CLRAE, which includes also Russia), while also succesively  serving both as elected Governor and as President of the Assembly of Tyrol's Region in that strategically located, key area of Austria, which allies some exceptionaly beautiful Mountains, Rivers, Fields and other Natural landscapes, as well as certain outstanding Cultural and Historic Towns and villages, from famous Innsbruck up to lesser known Alpbach, where UNO Secretary Generals, and even International Space University's and other exceptional World dimension encounters have been often held, making "Local meet Global" in strikingly simple and natiural ways).

Among other interelated Priorities for 2012-2016, the New CLRAE President has already stressed that he intends to include also the Fight Against Corruption at Local/Regional level, as he told earlier to "EuroFora", (See relevant "EuroFora"'s NewsReport...).

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"EuroFora" at first congratulated CLRAE's 2012-2016 President Van Staa and his two vice-Chairs, for having suceeded to represent not only most main Political Parties, as he had just observed himselmf from the outset, (Van Staa being a long-time Chairman of the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Frecon being a leading Sociaist representative and Romanova a keynote Liberal), but also to be "GeoPolitically" well balanced and ambitious, spreading from France up to Ukraine, with Austria naturally at the centre...
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 - Given that EU currently focuses on Economic and Political Integration closer to Citizens, i.e. even more Democratic, that Trans-Border Regional/Local groupings with more genuine Local/Regional Democracy can help develop, "EuroFora" asked President Van Staa how far and in which way he intends to realize his declared intention to act in this direction during the 4 Next Yearss of his Mandate (2012-2016).

The political and social will of the People involved to advance in this direction, but also the awareness of the technical and other problems which have to be overcome, was clearly illustrated, "f.ex. yesterday in Strasbourg, when Universitarians discussed here the ways to boost OberRhein (alias : "Superior Rhine") Transborder Regional grouping, between Strasbourg's Region Alsace, Germany's Länder of Baden Wurtemberg and Switzerland of Bale, etc., they were also searching practical ways to overcome certain obstacles such as the Linguistic one, "not only for the (indispensable) "People to People" relations, but also for Scientific cooperation, that is currently discussed" f.ex. at EU's core in Strasbourg's OberRhein (Superior Rhine) Euro-Region, between Alsace, Baden Wurtemberg and Bale, which are French, German and Swiss, respectively, F.ex., on the Linguistic issue, "EuroFora" has already proposed, since many years ago, to start systematically studying, in a Simplified way, all the 3 main languages : French, German and English, together, in a kind of "Trio", that really have many striking Similarities in the Vocabulary, which could be usefuly exploited in order to Simplify Language Learning by using some  useful Meta-Languages' Bridges between them, (f.ex. by publishing a Tri-Lingual "Wörterbuch"/Lexique regrouping together several "Families" of Words with similar roots in at least 2 or even all 3 concerned languages, etc).

+ In addition, "EuroFora" reminded the fact that there is also f.ex.  Austria with North Tyrol with Innsbruck, and Italy with South Tyrol at Brixen/Bressanone and Bolzano, etc., as well as Ukraine and Russia, and many other EU Countries, which are obviously concerned by the Trans-Border cooperation/integration prospects, including currently examined possibilited to extend also towards Kzakhstan etc. and South Mediterranean Countries, etc.
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- In general, "it's very important to work closer together between all main Political Groups, because our (CLRAE's) main Issues are Democracy's development, (also) on Local and Regional level, that we have to strenthen during the forthcoming Years", after having "already done a lot of work on it" recently,  but also to contribute to face the "Economic and Financial Crisis, which hits not only in Europe but extends also Worldwide".  It's in this (both Economic and Democratic) wider Framewxork, that the CLRAE "want(s) to develop the Trans-Border Cooperations, like in Macro-Regions, etc., (which) are open not only for EU Members but also to other CoE's Members, i.e. several other Neighbouring Countries, Member". In this regard, we (CLRAE) wish to support Multi-Level Governance, and may be create a Charter for Multi--Level Governance", CLRAE's new President anounced from the outset.    
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+ Replying in particular to "EuroFora"s Question, President Van Staa presented a Wide Spectrum of Important on-going or projected activities in this field throughout all Europe, already involving many Big and small CoE Member States, as well as various converging Organisations :

 - "There are efforts being made with regard to Macro-Regions, as, f.ex. in the Danube Strategy, which concerns both EU and Non-EU Member Countries, such as Germany, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, but also Moldova, Ukraine, and (EU) Candidate Countries as Serrbia, etc., which are all interested in the Danube Strategy, CLRAE's President noted at first.

+ "There are also efforts to create the (New) Macro-Region of the Alps, and this would concern Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland, Monaco and Lichtenstein, etc", Van Staa revealed.

+ "There are also "EuroRegions" such as of Tyrol in Austria, and the autonomous Region of South Tyrol in Italy (comp."EuroFora"s NewsReports from Brixen-Bressanone), which have already Offices in Brussels", as he pointed out.,

- But there are also several Other EGTCs, and f.ex. in Hungary, there is Trans-Border cooperation on Danube, with Slovakia, and also with Romania too, which has a lot of Hungarian a.o.Minorities, and that's important.
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 -  On the choice of Legal Forms, "a Trans-Border Institution, which exists since 2006, is the European Cross-Border grouping, i.e. the EGTC, which includes Municipalities cooperating accross borders". Indeed, "we already have, as a (Legal) Form of TransFrontier cooperation between Regions the EGTC, i.e. EU's "European Group for TransFrontier Cooperation, that now, EU will open also for institutions which are not located in an EU Member State, and that will go "not only for Eastern but also for Central States which are not EU Members, like  Switzerland, Lichtenstein, etc, or Northern States, like Norway and Iceland", as well as "the Smaller ones, like Monaco, San Marino, or Lichtenhstein, while we (CLRAE) look forward at the Nzext half year (November 2012 - May 2013), where Andora will have CoE's rotating Chairmanship, which are very much interested in working with CLRAE", he pointed out.

+ Moreover, "there are also Other  kinds of European Groupings : F.ex. there is also the (UK Headquartered) Council of Municipalities and Towns, and let's not forget the Assembly of European Regions (Headquartered in Strasbourg) as well, and we (CLRAE) are working very closely witrh them : There are, in fact, cooperation Agreements between CLRAE and the AER, and we want to Build on them", the experienced Van Staa anounced.
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>>> Naturally, all this goes also together with real Local and Regional Democracy, (CLRAE's main Mission, as he highlighted earlier), with regard to which, CLRAE's role has been Strengthened recently, under the guidance of its former President Keith Whitmore (from the Governing Conservatives-Liberals Coalition in the UK, former Head of the Liberal Group inside CLRAE), pointed out Van Staa in conclusion, (particularly after a landmark 2010 on the spot Investigation, and a March 2011 Report which found that Local and Regional Democracy in Turkey was threatened to be Destroyed particularly since the 2009 Mass Arrests and still continuing pre-Trial Detention of Thousands of recently Elected Mayors, Regional Counsillors and/or Region Presidents, experts, civil servants, etc. in the predominantly Kurdish regions of Turkey, which has now reached more than 3 Years in Jail, even without any Judgement)...
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    + But Local Democracy, at least as prescribed by its CoE's Charter, which is the only Legally Binding instrument in that field to be already applicaable throughout all Europe and beyond, including Russia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan or Turkey, etc, "must be really applied on the spot", stressed in reply to another "EuroFora"s Question, later Today, the re-elected  Chairman of CLRAE's Chamber of Local authorities, experienced French representative, Jean-Claude Frecon, speaking anew to "EuroFora" later this afternoon.

    At any case, meanwhile, CoE's Charter for Local Democracy and Autonomy must become Equally Applicable in full, 100% of CoE's 47 Member States, (including those few Countries  who haven't yet ratified it, such as the smallest, f.ex. San Marino, Monaco, etc), but also throughout all the territories belonging to CoE Member States which had previously tabled certain Territorial Restrictions, Frecon added, (apparently referring to various thorny Political Issues around the old Continent...
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    + Meanwhile, underlying even more the Topical importance of the issue raised by "EuroFora" to President Van Staa, and referring to CLRAE's "Priorities for the period 2012-2016",  the new Chairwome of its Chamber of Regions,  Natalya Romanova from Ukraine, stressed from the outset, at this same Press Conference, that, "as a (CLRAE's) Chamber of Regions, what we are going to get more interested into, is Trans-Boundary and Inter-Territorial  Cooperation Regional Cooperation".

    - In particular, "we (CLRAE's Chamber of Regions) will be studying Best Practices of Administrative Reforms that make it easier", Romanova anounced, "and it will be very important to ensure Good Synergy with EU Member States with those CoE's Countries which are not inside the EU" (such as Norway, Switzerland, Ukraine, Russia, Armenia, Azerbaidjan, Turkey, etc),

*Strasbourg/ECAM/Angelo Marcopolo/- After a key-note speech at the inauguration of a brand new, pioneer University for Tri-Lingual (French-German-English) High-Tech Engineers "ECAM-Strasbourg-Europe", focused on the development of Europe-World activities, the experienced President of the Constitutional Court of France, former Parliament's President, Jean-Luis Debré (2007-2016), speaking to "EuroFora", revealed that the Highest and recently strengthened Court, (able to check Laws now not only at 60 MPs' demand, but even whenever any Citizen raises a serious issue of Constitutional Law, including of the PanEuropean Convention on Human Rights, if higher civil or administrative Courts refer it to the CC's judges, who include all former Presidents of the Republic, i.e. Giscard d'Estaing, Chirac and Sarkozy), considers the nearby Karlsruhe'based German BundesVerfassungsGericht (Federal Constitutional Court) as "a Model" from which it can inspire itself, particularly on European Law cases.

Timely, the move came just after the German Constitutional Court dealt on September 2012 with some High-profile cases concerning the new €uroArea Treaty and the European Stability Mechanism, urgently needed as key tools in current efforts to tackle the Financial and Economic Global Crisis, as well as certain crucial BioEthics' affairs, including on controversial Pre-Natal Genetic Testing, (after EU's own Court of Justice, at nearby Luxembourg has recently outlawed Patents on Human Embryo Genetic Manipulations, as incompatible with the "Human Dignity" value protected by EU's Lisbon Treaty and its Charter of Fundamental Freedoms, etc),

but also while the New French Government of President Hollande (Socialist) notoriously plans to draft Laws on such controversial issues (quite unpopular both in France and in several other European Countries, even in the USA, etc), as Same Sex "Marriages" including Adoption of Children and even In Vitro Fertilisation (Artificial Births), Genetic "Testing" on Human Embryos, Non-EU residents' right not only to vote but also to be elected in not only Municipal but even Regional Elections -which choose the politicians who can participate also at the procedure of selection of Senators, key for any Constitutional Reform, and even of any new President of the Republic in France, etc.

- In particular, replying to an "EuroFora"s question whether he expects any important cases related to European issues to be referred at the French Constitutional Court, and what he thinks, in this regard, about the nearby Karlsruhe-based German Federal Constitutional Court's strong involvement in various such controversial issues, CC's President Jean-Luis Debré stressed that "we consider the German Constitutional Court as a Model, from which we can be inspired"...

 Both EU-related and ECHR main legal principles have already become, in practice, integral part of the norms applied by the Constitutional Court while checking draft and even adopted Laws' at the demand of 60 MPs/Senators or on a question raised in ordinary Courts and referred to it, according to recent legal developments in France.

+ French Highest Court's President went on to add, earlier, that, in general, "France's special relation to Germany is of fundamental importance", so that, whatever might happen, at any case, "Europe's Future implies" that France and Germany are closely linked together, since EU's and €uroArea's development is based on the Franco-German friendship.

Debré has already invited CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly in Paris, when he served as President of France's National Assembly, which invited him to speak at a Strasbourg's Plenary session, but it was the 1st time that he expressed so clearly his appreciation for a key institution of Germany.

These obviously Timely points are particularly welcome, "a fortiori", when it comes from a personality such as Debré's, (who is also son of De Gaulle's favorite former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Economy, Justice and Defense, as well as Prime Minister, and an active participant in the elaboration of the French Constitution : Michel Debré), whose "Family had been obliged to leave (Strasbourg's Region) Alsace at the end of the 19th Century in order to remain French", as he reminded.

After pointing at the fact that he is "independent" from any political pressure, as Head of France's Highest, Constitutional Court, where his Presidential mandate has "4 more Years" to run (up to 2016), J-L. Debré, also observed that, today, it's in the General Interest of the Country and of all the EU to find efficient ways to overcome the Global Crisis, and advised all involved to positively examine, for that purpose, any really useful ideas, projects, contributions or suggestions aiming at the general good of the society, without negative political discriminations.

Criticizing those who are sometimes pessimistic over the World Economy and particularly EU's chances to succesfully overcome the current Global Financial Crisis, President Debré's earlier speech at ECAM fustigated "inaction", stressed that we must not "wait" for something to happen, just out of the blue, nor loose precious Time in Pessimism and Nostalgy, but, on the contrary, activate adequate measures, "be Ambitious", even when facing strong Competition, with an open and fighting spirit, developing Competences and Critical/Innovative ways of thinking, with a feeling of Responsibilities inspired by optimistic Voluntarism for Europeans.

Significantly, a simple but Concrete example was the place and the time where Debré was invited to speak, just after the inauguration of an innovative Higher Education "ECAM-Strasbourg-Europe" brand new establishment at Strasbourg's European Business Area, where Students not only from the surrounding border region Alsace, but also from all-over France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Switzeland or Germany and Switzerland, (particularly nearby Baden-Wurtemberg and Bale, which are integral parts of the "OberRhein" - "Superior Rhine" EU Tri-National Trans-Border Region, legally established on 2010 : Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the Franco-Germano-Swiss gathering at nearby Offenburg), even from elsewhere in Europe or in the World, are due to be trained in order to become Engineers for a Wide Spectrum of High Tech Professional careers in Private and/or Public Businesses spreading from Air-Space, Naval and Rail Transports up to Electric Cars' Industry, Information Technologies and Consulting, but also Electronics and Materials, Telecoms, Energy and Buildings, Bio-Medical, Environmental and/or Food industries,  etc.,  (See relevant Graphics), pointed out to "EuroFora" ECAM's Director Sonia Wanner. 

 Wanner, after welcoming Président Debré, explained to "EuroFora" that ECAM-Strasbourg-Europe's Professors already have, principle, a useful Experience in how work is organized in various productive Enterprises, (herself comming from an organisation active in Environmental issues and Sustainable Development), while ECAM's Students, (educated here up to a Masters' degree), are destinated to work mainly destinated mainly in Real Economy, on innovative Production, (see relevant Graphics), open towards Europe and the whole World.

 
+ In a particularly useful addition, Inter-Cultural working relations, European History and Tri-Lingual (French-German-English) courses are systematically taught at all Students of the pioneer new Higher Education School for Engineers, said to "EuroFora" the Head of ECAM-Strasbourg-Europe's International department, Mrs Celine Poloce - Winter.

Willingly adopting with a smile a suggestion made by "EuroFora"s co-Founder since a long-time ago to various key interlocutors, she found indeed "interesting" to eventually "give a try" to test developin a kind of "Meta-Language", overall simplification in the systematic learning of Thousands of Words in each one among these 3 EU Languages, by organizing a systematic comparison, in a joint Vocabulary which would group Words according to the main idea that, in fact, the English Vocabulary stems, both Historically and Linguistically, partly from the French and partly from the German Languages, thus facilitating their joint learning in trio, (independently of Grammar and Pronunciation aspects, as well as, perhaps, of a few Scandinavian inputs).

In a surprising message sent to "EuroFora" this Saturday from Frankfurt by the Press Service of the European Central Bank, his President, Mario Draghi, exceptionally focused on stressing Education's "Crucial" role in Europe's efforts to overcome the Global Economic and Financial Crisis by boosting Competitiveness and Growth through accelerated Innovations obtained by Scientific and Technological research.

Topically, ECB's Head was speaking at a Video message for the Historic University of Venice "Ca' Foscari"'s inauguration of the New Academic Year 2012/2013 and the "Luca Pacioli" Prize Award, (in the 1st in History University on Business, which teaches today, in addition to Economics, also Languages, Sciences and Humanities), while EU Parliament in Brussels and in Strasbourg has just started to discuss the 2014-2020 "Horizon" EU Research Programm, at the same time that EU Commissioner in charge of Education, Androula Vassiliou, has launched a review of the European University system in relation with other main players in the World, such as China, Russia, USA, Japan, Australia, etc., (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport, with EU Commissioner Vassiliou's statements to "EuroFora" at the eve of that event : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/vassilioumodernizeuniversities.html).

 - "In order to grow, a country has to know how to innovate", ECB's President stressed today, as a matter of general principle in these times. In addition, "Innovation and Human Capital are all the more important the closer a country is to the Technological Frontier". Moreover, " It is vital to promote innovation, particularly in the European economies in which an Ageing population is tending to reduce the size of the working population", he doubly warned.

    
  - Indeed, while "in the 1950s and 1960s, growth meant learning how to use and replicate well-known technology", on the contrary, in the 21st Century,"this is no longer enough. We have to innovate,and to do this we need 2 things: Education and Competition", Mario Draghi explained.

- Because "Education improves the Quality of the Labour force, increasing the efficiency of a fundamental Factor in Production processes. Moreover, having highly-trained humancapital facilitates the Assimilation of technological progress and Innovative technology, increasing the overall Productivity of the economic system", ECB's Head clearly pointed out.

- In fact, " an economy's ability to be innovative depends in large part on its Human Capital. In this sense, improving human capital through High quality Education is Crucial in increasing productivity and, in this way, creating the necessary conditions for robust and sustainable economic development", he added.

- Already, "with the Rapid advances in Technology in recent years and the growing importance of emerging economies in international markets, human capital has played anincreasingly important role in guiding the Transformation of the productive structure found in Advanced countries which, although to varying degrees, have increasedtheir specialisation in activities requiring Higher levels of Knowledge", Draghi observed.

=> Therefore, " it is then clear that it is Vital for our economies that we exploit the skills and Capabilities of our Students in order to improve competitiveness and vigour of thefirms which offer these students work, or which the students themselves will go on to set up", the experienced ECB's President urged.

- Pointing to the Fundamentals, Draghi reminded that, "as economic theory teaches us, Growth is the result of Labour and Capital dynamics and of their Productivity", as he said particularly in a period where Fiscal Consolidation and the fight against Recessionist risks must notoriously advance hand by hand, everywhere in the World, but even more urgently  in Europe :


- "When devising new rules for public finances and financial Stability, it must not be forgotten that such matters are closely tied to issues of Competitiveness and employment. The issue of financial Stability in particular cannot be separated from that of Competitiveness and of economic development", Draghi noted.
That's precisely why Education, particularly in relation to Scientific and technological Innovation, was placed today by ECB's Head right at the heart of the topical  "issue of economic Structural Reform", particularly needed in EU Countries :

- "Within the European Monetary Union, progress needs to be made in 3 areas: budgetary policy, structural reforms and financial market regulation", he recalled :

"(1) With regard to budgetary policies and those aimed at strengthening the flexibility and productivity of the weakest economies, it is vital that there be real multilateral surveillance. The necessary solidarity between economies and countries which share the same monetary unit cannot be disassociated from a deep-rooted sense of joint responsibility. Economic policy decisions have in large part become collective decisions", he underlined.

"(2) With regard to financial markets, centralised authorities must be created in order to limit the excessive risks undertaken on the part of banks and increase the efficiency of common rules. Furthermore, a legal framework for managing and resolving banking crises, which safeguards public finances, needs to be put in place, as is happening in other countries. In this way, the EU Commission’s recent proposal for an EU Council Regulation which establishes a single Banking Supervision  Mechanism for the €uroArea – in which the ECB will play an important role – is a bold and necessary step towards creating a single financial market which ensures financial stability".

- Already, in "Europe, significant Progress has been made, but much still remains to be done, particularly in relation to devising a New Institutional Structure forthe €uroarea", Mario Draghi urged.

 - Because, in order for €urozone to soon become anew able to "create the necessary conditions for long-lasting prosperity for all countries in the area",  "it is clear ..  that we must move towards greater economic Integration" :  "No Union can be based on the assumption that a country can cause “externalities” and economic damage to other member countries by pursuing its own national economic policy priorities", he warned.

Similar conclusions are naturally useful even at a Worldwide level, as Europe's active involvement ina Globalized World extends further :  - "Major steps have been taken in Recent years to strengthen the financial system, both at the European and the Global level", Draghi reminded. "Both the G20 and the Financial Stability Board have taken on greater importance and have proven to constitute – together with the International Monetary Fund – a useful mechanism for brokering agreement on the launching of an agenda for necessary Reforms".

- Since "Today, the Consensus seems to be that if the Crisis that began in 2007 has taught us anything, it is that there was an extraordinary lack of Common Rules at the Global level, in particular in the field of Financial Stability", he added.

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In the recent past, it's during a Press Conference in Brussels' EU Summit (of December 2011, followed also by that of January 2012 : comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot), that former French President Nicolas Sarkozy had initialy hinted that, despite necessary Austerity in order to drastically reduce Public Debt, as scheduled in the New €uroArea Treaty's "Golden Rule"), nevertheless, "Education and Scientific Research" should be considered as main factors of Competitiveness, the development of which stands at the center of EU's Economic and Fiscal policies.

This issue was further clarified, confirmed and developed by German Chancellor Angie Merkel, in reply to a collegue Journalist's Question at a subsequent Brussels' EU Summit's Press Conference, on the occasion of the specific problems to solve on Greece's case, where the experienced former Scientist and Researcher in Physics (as well as wife of a University Professor in Chemistry), whole-heartedly agreed that Education and Scientific Research for innovation should be among the 1st to be even financially supported by EU Commission in order to try to boost Growth in Greece, able to create production, exports and Fiscal Revenues in the foreseable Future, despite necessary overall Economies on most other areas. A point on which, certainly, even the new French President François Hollande, who has explicitly spoken in favor of various measures to strengthen Education etc., wouldn't disagree at all.
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+ By an astonishing coincidence, this ECB's President Draghi's exceptional message was send the same Day that "EuroFora"s Scientific Advisor, Dr. Constantin Marcopoulos, a young PHD holder from Strasbourg University on Physics, (specializd in Materials and NanoTechnology used in Physics applied to Biology, etc., in a context of PluriDisciplinary Research cooperation between several teams of scientists, including in Chemistry, etc), has just started an exploration of China's fast growing Economy precisely from the point of view of Education open to International cooperation in Science, and aims to visit also the world-famous Shanghai International Universities' Ranking system at Minhang district's Jiao Tong University.

The move timely comes while EU Commission prepares to launch, for the first time on 2013, a European Raking System on Higher Education, which has just started to be systematically reviewed in all EU 27 Member Countries; in comparison with American, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian and other quality standards accross the World, in view of the necessary EU Universities' Modernization, as the competent EU Commissioner on Education, Androula Vasiliou, (former 1st Lady of Cyprus, the current EU rotating President for July - December 2012), had initially revealed to "EuroFora" at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, before the official anouncement, next week in Brussels, of EU's decision to create a High-level Group, chaired by former Irish President Mary McAleese, on Quality Teaching/Learning and Digital technologies, etc., with a 3 Years Mission (See : "EuroFora"s relevant, updated NewsReport : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/vassilioumodernizeuniversities.html )

Meanwhile, Strasbourg's region (Alsace) - which comes 1st in France for the Biggest Proportion of Foreign Students, even on Master/PHD levels, and is particularly strong recently on Natural Sciences - is holding, on Monday and Tuesday, October 15 and 16, a series of Debates and Hearings on Higher Education and Research, for proposals to EU's "Horizon 2020" draft Programme, (named "Assises de l' Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche" 2012, See : http://www.assises-esr.fr/ ) which will be finalized in a Report by World-famous Seismologist, Director of Earth Science Institute, and experienced, former long-time vice-President of Strasbourg's University in charge of Scientific Research, professor Michel Granet.

Granet had earlier highlighted with Marcopoulos inter alia also the symbolic importance of Strasbourg's 1st three Nobel Prizes  : the famous Albert Schweitzer, Kaestner, and Lehn, to whom was added in 2011 also Hoffman, (whose wife described to "EuroFora" how they were surprized to learn about the Swedish Academy's decision while visiting Shanghai for a lecture), while Westhoff became recently Academician.

The 2012 - 2013 expected EU moves on Research-oriented a.o. Higher Education might also offer interesting new possibilities for International Cooperation (f.ex. starting with EU - China's Shanghai pioneer system) on developing a more comprehensive and widely agreed Global University Ranking system, in the foreseeable Future, able to take into account all relevant factors, and not only some among them, as it's currently the case, provoking a just criticism by several countries whose real potential, reportedly, is not taken into account by the existing system.

This latter fact might also explain why many good quality Chinese High Schools and Lyceums have decided to  channel their students' towards USA's Universities only, even if there is a vivid interest and curiosity about the real situation in Europe. But, as our Scientific Adviser Dr. Marcopoulos' told us, Chinese Scientists prefer to deal also with someone who represents a State, a Federation or any other Public Authority, instead of negociating between Universities only.

But an equivalent, additional move by the EU might risk to add even another Interlocutor for European Universities, among too many already existing in a field where Bureaucratic complications are often criticized both by Scientists, Students and Businessmen, (as even Strasbourg University's on-going consultations among the Academic Community confirm these days). Therefore, the best solution might be rather to "Simplify", precisely by concentrating main European University/Research operations in a less bureaucratic, but more democratic and efficient EU mechanism, able to facilitate also International relations and cooperation with Russia, USA, China, Japan, Australia, and other interesting, emerging hubs of the 21st Century's Knowledge Society worldwide.

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- One of the most prestigious Members of the Governing Libya's National Transitional Council, and famous EU Parliament's "Zacharov" Prize 2011 Winner, Ahmed Al-Senussi, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReport from that Strasbourg Plenary's event : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/arabspringbouazizizacharovprize.html), who was also the No 1 Political Prisoner held in jail for the Longer Time ever under former colonel Kadhafi's regime during 31 Years (i.e. even more than world-famous South African former President Mandela : 25 Years in jail), but has been recently elected also as Leader of Cyrenia's region (or federated State), at Benghazi, where the 2011 succesful revolt had started, before being threatened by Kadhafi's Tanks, and saved thanks to People's struggles and an UNO-sponsored International Help which estabished a protective "Non-Fly" Zone, (comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Mars and September 2011 International EU-USA-Russia-Canada-Arab Ligue Summits at Elysee Palace in Paris, "to help the Libyan People" and for "New Libya", respectively: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/libyasummit.html+http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/sarkozynocivilisationsclash.html), speaking today to "EuroFora" at the CoE in Strasbourg, practicaly welcomed the prospect for the PanEuropean Organization's  Top Legal Experts to visit soon Libya, particularly in view of the possible drafting of a New Constitution, hopefuly able to safeguard, mutatis-mutandis, the Country's unity, as he pointed out.

Shortly after the Director of CoE's Constitutional Law watchdog, known as "Venice Commission" for "Democracy through Law", Thomas Markert, revealed to "EuroFora" that its Top Legal Experts plan to visit Libya later this Month (before the end of October 2012), hoping to agree with the Libyan Authorities on working together about Constitutional, Electoral and Human Rights' reforms, we asked El-Senussi if he thought that this would be effectively agreed :

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                - "I can't tell you, because I'm not authorized to give such an agreement", carefully started to reply to "EuroFora"s first question the famous Member of Libya's National Transitional Council.

 - "But I'm obviously Glad to see that happening", Al-Senussi went on immediately to add positively, apparently Welcoming in general CoE- Libyan cooperation in Democracy, Rule of Law and Human Rights matters.

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 - "It would naturally be interesting to create a (new) Constitution,
although we (Libyans) already have a(n old) Constitution, that of 1951, but we are talking about a (new) Constitution, and we'd (usefully) exchange views, added Ahmed Al-Senussi, (who is also a descedant of Libya's 1st King Idris' royal family, who established the country's independence).

 + And, at the same time, Libya is in an Urgent Need for (CoE's Top Legal Expert) objective People to advise, because there are, obviously, a lot of People who attempt to Change Constitutions in many Countries for their own interests", he warned, (speaking through a translator).

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 + Moreover, EuroFora" added an "Open" Question to Al-Senussi : - "What's the most important issue for your Country now, and how CoE, EU and UNO could help for things  to go well ?"

 - "Libya wants to succeed, it wants to have a succesful match", started El-Senoussi. - But, in order "to have Stability, you have to create a United Government, over all Regions", he observed.

- Therefore, the currently existing "3 Regions have to come together under a New Constitution", Libya's National Transitional Council's Member urged. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
- "Now we see, that Libya, even under the 1951 (Constitution), has got something like 3 States, and each State now is pretending to have the upper control" over the others, denounced Al-Senussi, who has recently been elected Leader of the Cyrenaic ("Barqua") region, headquartered at Benghazi, (i.e. there where Libya's independence was declared by his ancestor, former King Idris, .and from where started also late colonel Kadhafi's military putsch, as well as the 2011 revolt.

- "So that now that Libya has 3 Parts, we say that we have to Unite those 3 Regions in order to have success", (through Stability thanks to a United Government : See supra), Ahmed Al-Senussi concluded, apparently accepting CoE's "Venice" Committee's possible input on New Libya's New Constitution. 

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    Significant of the importance of the issue is also the fact that, earlier Today, Senussi was No 1 Speaker at a CoE/EU Parliament/UNO-sponsored Lunch-Debate, just after the official opening of the 1st World Forum for Democracy by the International Organization's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, (comp. other relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReports on the event).

    This event, specially dedicated to emerging "Arab Democracies" in general, gave a Timely opportunity for Al-Senussi to meet also with CoE's Secretary Genertal Jagland (from Norway), EU Parliament's vice-President Karras(from Austria), and PanEuropean "Venice" Commission's President Buquichio, as well as with Ban Ki Moon himself, just before speaking to "EuroFora", earlier this Monday at Noon.

    It's probably in this context that Ban Ki Moon had previously met in New York, at UNO's Headquarters, with his new Special Representative and Head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Tarek Mitri, last Friday, just before traveling to Strasbourg.

    Meanwhile, Ahmed Al-Senussi confirmed to "EuroFora" that he was due to visit EU Parliament's President Schultz and other EU Officials, including in a gathering related to current and future possible "Zacharov" Prize winners, Tomorrow, Tuesday, in Brussels.

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