newsitems

*Paris/G20/Angelo Marcopolo/- Various last-minute contacts, at the eve of G20 Finances Ministers and Central Banks Governors' 2011 Summit, starting officially tomorrow in Paris marked by a speech of G8 - G20 Chairman French President Sarkozy, before concluding on Saturday, appeared engaged in attempts to mark breakthroughs at controversial issues of Gobal Economy, among a growing echo of tensions, revolts and violent clashes in the surrounding Mediterranean and Middle East region, partly provoked or aggravated by a dangerous Mix of Democratic aspirations and Food Prices' rise, in proportions risking to get out of control, as European and International Organizations denounced these days, showing that the reported opposition of a few countries, as Brazil, to International Monitoring of Raw Materials' prices' volatility, (metals, oil and/or food), becomes more and more untenable.

- A Resolution just adopted by EU Parliament in Strasbourg on "Rising Foàd Prices", strongly denounces the fact that "food prices have peaked for the 7th consecutive month..., reaching the Highest levels since the FAO started measuring .. prices in 1990; ...became a destabilising factor in the global economy and sparked riots and unrest in a number of developing countries and most recently in Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt".

This might only be the tip of the iceberg, since "FAO estimates that the number of undernourished people in the world reached 925 million in 2010, and ...29 countries in the world face food supply difficulties and are in need of external food assistance". Moreover, "poverty and famine still exist in the EU, where  79 million people..live below the poverty line ..; and 16 million EU citizens received food aid through charities last winter" MEPs denounced.

+ Recently, it became also obvious that " food Production can be regularly undermined by ...extreme Weather events, such as floods and droughts", which appeared to be "increasing", (f.ex. the Historic Record Heatwaves which targetted France on 2003 and Russia -as well as Ukraine and Kazakhstan- on 2010 : See Summer 2010 "EuroFora"'s NewsReports).

++ Moreover, "the share of aid to the developing world going to agriculture and rural development has fallen dramatically over the past three decades'", and "investment in sustainable food systems in developing countries has declined", while 'large tracts of land, ...have been purchased by international companies', and 'this land is not always used for food production', and "such developments threaten the food production potential of developing countries"'.

When, f.ex., Oil prices dramatically fall from 145 $ down to only 36 $ per barrel during 2008, and afterwards grow up to 100 $ in 2011, while, in parallel, Wheat's Prices grow from 120 € to 300 € in a few Weeks, after some 2010 Summer's Extreme Weather Events, it's obvious that speculators and manipulators can becom too dangerous for producers and consumers..

Therefore, MEPs from 27 EU Member Countries conclude that "global Food Security is a question of the utmost Urgency for the EU and the Developing World", calling  for "immediate action" to ensure food security for EU citizens and at Global level : ...food should be available to consumers at reasonable prices, while at the same time a fair standard of living for farmers should be ensured", EU Parliament asked.

- In addition, "the Right to food is a basic and fundamental Human Right", implying ...physical and economic access to suitable, safe (from the point of view of health) and nutritious food ....for an active and healthy life", (i.e. excluding both Hunger and Obesity from malnutrition).

>>> Meanwhile, UNO's "Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food", from nearby Geneva, gave, "at the end of January 2011, "8 Recommendations".

In addition, UNO's General Assembly was due to be addressed at New York, by French Minister of Agricuture, Bruno Le Maire, after meeting with UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

But, even if the more particular aspects of the Food Prices' issue are due to be dealt with by a special Agricultural Ministers' gathering, in the middle of 2011, nevertheless, the necessary overall view on all Raw Materials, as well as Measures needed in order to set some elementary Rules of Law over a galoping Financiarisation of commodities' markets, can only be done by Ministers of Finances, currently hosted by Global affairs experienced French Minister for Finance and Economy, Christine Lagarde.

Naturally, Food prices' issue is just one among many Raw Materials and other Commodities' prices' Volatility, which represent only 1 among 5 Working Groups of the G20 in 2011, the other 4 being focused mainly to Growth, Monetary System, Financial Regulation,     and Development/Climate Change, (Comp. previous relevant "EuroFora" NewsReports). But it's currently the most obviously affecting People's lives in the most immediate terms today.
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A timely innovation at the 2011 Summit chaired by France is that Africa marks a notable entry inside what becomes rather a G-25 (according to the initial idea to progressively enlarge participation to all economically important actors of the Global Economy), by adding to South Africa, as "Guests", also the Chair of the African Union (currently Equatorial Guinea), and of the NEPAD (currently Ethiopia). The move extends also towards the Arab World, with the United Arab Emirates (currently representing Gulf's states). As if to equilibrate this, are added also Spain from Europe and Singapour from S/E Asia. It's true that previous choices to include in a  Global Economy body States whose exports are less than 1,5% of the Global Trade (such as Turkey, Indonesia, South Africa, Argentina), while at the same time excluding almost the whole African Continent (the biggest in the World) wasn't very convincing, as, inter alia, also a Developing Countries' International Conference, organized in 2009 in Strasbourg had clearly shown, given the frustrations of many other Countries, throughout the World, who also revendicated, for one reason or another, their right to be somehow represented....

At an absolutely differend but also Topical issue, observers of this 2011 G20 Finance Ministers and Centra Banks' Governors' Summit in Paris will certainly be interested to learn -or at least guess- more on what became recently one of the most confused matters : Who will become EuroZone's Central Bank's Governor, after France's Truchet's term of office expires, since the initially scheduled German candidate suddeny changed job ? Speculation seem going wide open, including other possible German candidates, a Luxembourgian or, rather an Italian one (from the 3rd Big Country in €uroZone), etc... At a moment when EuroZone Heads of State and Government have just decided (See "EuroFora"'s NewsReport from Brussels' February 4, 2011, EU Summit) to organize an exceptional March Summit on deepening €uroZone's integration and for more Competitivity, open also to other EU Countries, the question of ECB's new President is certainly an important matter.

Comparatively to ECB's succession imbroglio and its propably hidden stakes, USA Fed's Governor Bernanke's recent criticism by Republican Teaparters going against Public Debt after the 2010 Mid Term Congress' Elections, may appear to be more crystal clear...  

Meanwhile, by a symbolic coincidence, while Bankers and Financiers were trying to find a Monetary and/or Markets' coherence in Global affairs, CoE was, at the same time, organizing a debate, at another side of Paris, on Religions' contribution to Intercultural dialogue, as if it searched also a Spiritual Global Coherence...

EU should first "see where the Money goes", in order to be able to consciously judge on 2011 Strategic Political issues in EU's MultiAnnual Financial Perspectives 2013-2020, comparing f.ex. Activities and Geography, replied the next EU Council's President in office, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, to "EuroFora"s question on hard choices which apparently must be made between funding f.ex. Cohesion, Agriculture and High-Tech. Investments (as GALILEO, etc) Policies, or Turkey's notoriously controversial and impopoular EU bid, etc., while unquestionably European and developed Countries as Ukraine, a.o. are still waiting on the pipeline with legitimate hopes for perspectives to join the EU in the forthcoming Decade, as he acknowledged without taking anything for granted. carefully...

Sikorski, who was visiting EU Parliament for the 1st time in order to prepare the forthcoming Polish EU Chairmanship, from July to December 2011, met with several key MEPs, including its President, Jerzy Buzek, a former Prime Minister in Poland, with which the young Minister had started to serve in Government, as he reminded. Meanwhile, Polish MEP Jacek Saryuz-Wolski, experienced former President of EU Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, who hosted Sikorski's 1st venue to Strasbourg, had already stressed to "EuroFora" the particular importance for a good and solid, in depth Preparation of the forthcoming Polish EU Presidency, inter alia, also, precisely, because of the need to carefully examine the particularly thorny and delicate issue of EU's Multi-Annual Financial Perspectives, which imply several Strategic Political choices...

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 - "As you said, you shall have very difficult, but also passionate and "Ambitious" Tasks, inter alia also the  Financial Perspectives of the EU, which is very Political also", noted "EuroFora" in the 1st of our 2 Questions during the Polish Foreign Minister's Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.- "As you know, recently (12/2010) there was a Letter from British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameroon, which was agreed also by other (EU) Countries, such as France, Germany and Netherlands, etc., to try to have a Zero Growth" in EU's annual Budgets" in the foreseeable Future.

 - "But, you shall have the (EU) Cohesion (and Agricultural) policies to fund; which are very important, also the High-Tech investments as, f.ex. eventually GALILEO (Satellite Navigation System), etc., and you shall have also the Accession or Open-ended Negotiatons with Turkey, which take almost 1 Billion € each year, etc", we reminded.                                                                                                     

 => - "How do you think that you shall succeed to find Priorities to invest in what you think (that) it's best for EU's Development in Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.  

    + "And (in) a 2nd, only partly related Question", we reminded him that : "You spoke about the Eastern Partnership, EU Enlargement Perspectives, etc, while "You have an interesting Country, close to Poland, but also for all Europe, which is Ukraine", "EuroFora" noted

- "Independently of the Governments which come and go, what are your views about the perspectives for Ukraine ? They have "Antonov" Technology (on Airplanes), they have Raw Materials, (f.ex. Wheat, Uranium, etc), and, Culturally and Geographically, they are unquestionably an European Country", we observed. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

- "'Do you think that there might be perspectives (to join the EU), in one way or another, in the Future ?", "EuroFora" asked Sikorski.
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    Forthcoming EU Chairman's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions were Sharp on both points :

     - "You said that the Brittish PM Letter proposed Zero Growth. (But) my recollection is that it proposed the Cutting Down of the Budget of the EU to 0,85% of EU GDP, so, it was much Stricter than even what you suggest...", Sikorski bitterly but accurately observed, as a matter of fact, (citting the initial Cameroon move, compared to which the deal brokered with Merkel, Sarkozy and the Dutch was an upgraded compromise).

    - "As the EU incoming Presidency, we (Poland) are Guardians of the Procedures. Therefore, we believe that the MultiAnnual Financial framework should be proceeded on according to the (EU) Treaties", he stressed, as a matter of principle.

    => - "Namely : 1st the proposal by the EU Commission. Then, Negotiations. Then, a Full Fight. Then, a Deal", Sikorski, characteristically described.

    - "I.e., "Not the other way round : Not pre-Judging the Outcome, before the whole procedure", he pointed out.

     >>>"And, it's particularly important, because it's only on the basis of the Commission's proposals that we'll actually see where the Money would go, in terms of Areas of expenditure, and areas Geographically", he explained, obviously in relation to "EuroFora"s concrete examples (See supra).

    - "So, it's only on the basis of the (EU) Commission's proposals (that) we'll be able to see whether there is . Ambitious Project, or an Economy Budget. And (it is) in that Light that (EU) Countries will be able to make their Judgements"; he concluded.

 

    I.e. Sikorski spoke as if he didn't exclude a possibility for Funds to be re-allocated according to better choices focused on the main EU Priorities, so that, even if comparatively Secondary issues might be reduced, revised or droped somehow, at least during this period of financial Global Crisis, on the contrary, the most Important, key matters of Vital significance to EU's Future, are not only saveguarded, but, perhaps, even more Strengthened and developed, f.ex. by concentrating EU Funds on what is more substantial for the kind of Europe.which is politically desirable.

    - "So, it's in this sense, that "we (forthcoming Polish EU Presidency) will be Friends of the Community method, as I've already mentioned" earlier, he added, trying to get also EU Commission on his side.
    
    - This goes"particularly on such a Political issue as Money" for the next 1O Years, Sikorski undelined in fine, Smiling, in an obvious hint at "EuroFora"s introductory remarks on the "Political" importance of the choices to be made on the MultiAnnual EU's Financial Perspectives (See supra).
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    + Meanwhile, "as regards Ukraine, well, Poland is a Founding Member of "Friends of Ukraine Group", he reminded in reply to "EuroFora"s 2nd question (See supra).

       -  Therefore, "we'd be delighted if we were able to Sign the "Partnership and Cooperation Agreement with Ukraine, on our watch, including the Comprehendsive Free Trade Zone", i.e. between July and December 2011, he anounced.

    - "'But, it takes 2 to tangoe", Sikorski observed carefully...

    - "So, it needs to be Flexibility on both sides, both (EU) Commission and Ukraine, for it to happen", he warned.
 
    - "'I've personally been to Kiev several times, including together with my German collegue, my Swedish collegue (Foreign Ministers Westerwelle and Bildt), etc., the President of EU Commission (Barroso) has just been to Kiev, (and) we are Neighbours and have a close and intense relationship with Ukraine", he reminded.

    - So, "we are Aware of Ukraine's Strengths, and also of some of its Vulnerabilities", but "the relationship has to be a Legal one" , Sikorski pointed out smiling, in relation to "EuroFora"s earlier concrete remarks, (See supra).

    -" As regards Ukraine's European perspective, ... I know that the Ukranian Government would very much like to have that in the Partnership Agreement", he observed.

    - But, "I'm afraid (that) it's not in the mandate" given to Poland, he regretted, at least for the moment.

    - However, "let me remind you, that, when we (Poland) were a Candidate, we didn't have it either : We had only an one-sided Polish Declaration, that we have an "Aspiration" to join the EU. Yet, we are (EU) Members today !", Sikorski reminded, in an obviously Encouraging way.

     - "So, I think that the Lesson is that "You have to make it a National Obsession for a Decade" to join the EU, and, so, perhaps, you can eventually do it", he advised Ukraine and other interested European Countries, symbolically speaking the same day in Strasbourg that EU Parliament's Plenary voted with an exceptionally Strong Majority of 548 MEPs in favor, against 43 and 52 abstentions only, following the visit in Strasbourg also of the Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

    - "But nobody is going to guarantee you anything in advance", he warned everybody, (adding in the balance also his personal experience as former Journalist and husband of a Journalist).

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Concrete work on Economic Governance, (including Competitivity), and Immigration are the main EU "priorities", responding to present challenges, including on Food Prices, Democratic and Social Reforms currently desired by the People of several Neighbouring Mediterranean Countries, which can strenghen "de facto" the emergence of a European conscience among EU Citizens, even before starting, afterwards, to explicitly deal with other important EU matters, hierarchised the President of EU Parliament's biggest political Group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, French MEP Joseph Daul  to "EuroFora".          

- "We must work on the (Economic) Governance"     of the EU, "I've been saying that since several years, but today it's obvious that it's not possible to do otherwise", he reiterated, speaking to "EuroFora" just after his Press Conference in Strasbourg..

- On the series of Priorities,  "I think that we'd better settle, at first, the problem of Immigration, stabilize the Economy, really deal with all these issues", Daul stressed.

- "Apparently we shall have a lot to do on that, considering also what is currently going on around us, at the EU Countries of the Mediterranean region", he topically observed.

- "Afterwards, we can open (contribute to) all other files (matters)", he concluded, looking ahead, f.ex. on pre-anounced debates on EU's Future, etc. 

    In particular, we "hadn't anticipated what happened in several neighbouring Mediterranean Countries. We must help Democratic Reforms desired by their People, (as he said for regimes like Ben Alis and Mubarak's in Tunisia and Egypt, which "were members of the International Socialist"), and an efficient Economy able to have also a Social Dimension". And this is also for our (EU's) own sake, when we see what happens f.ex. in Lambadusa (Italy)", where Thousands of Immigrants started to arrive mainly from Tunisia, Daul said earlier. They are not so much fleeing a political regime as extremely difficult economic situations, considering, in particular the recent excessive augmentation of Food prices : As I warned several times in the Past, Food Prices risk to augment sharply, even provoking mass immigration and Popular revolts, and this is probably just starting, so that we must also help Social Cohesion and Middle Classes also in this area, he observed. Meanwhile, as far as it concerns the Shengen system, Romania and Bulgaria appear rather ready to fullfil soon the conditions, "even if Bulgaria has still to make progress particularly in its borders with Turkey".

    On the Economic Competitivity Pact (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from EU Brussels Summit, 4/2/2011), I salute the frank talk of the Franco-German couple, about what I've been saying since the beginning of the (Global) crisis : We (EU) can't have "Tabou" (untouchable) issues. F. ex. we can't talk about Pensions when one EU Country sticks to 60 Years of age while another Country moves up to 67, (See recent Daul's replies to "EuroFora"s Questions on 12/2010), etc. We (€uroZone) can't have enormous differences, if we live inside one and the same Monetary system. At any case, I believe in the force of proposal of the Frano-German couple, it's often necessary to have new ideas and advance forward, but we must also pay attention to the way in which we do it, preferably for all 27 EU Countries and in a Community method, Daul added earlier, exceptionaly reading his notes at this specific point.

EU Parliament's Plenary is also due to debate and vote on most of these issues during this week's EU Parliament's Plenary in Strasbourg, which topically convenes just before the 1st G8-G20 Financial Ministers meeting from Thursday to Saturday in Paris, topically at the eve of the opening of the 2011 Agricultural salon, with the participation of French President Sarkozy.

The move came in reaction to French Press News, earlier today, that Sarkozy reportedly proposed to start opening socio-political debates on multiculturalism- communautarism and integration from March 2011 and later-on, surfing on Merkel's and Cameroon's parallel statements in the 3 biggest EU Countries, particularly after his earlier public statements surprisingly found en unexpected echo even among some Leftist Intellectuals and Human Rights Defenders honored by UNESCO, CoE, etc, (See relevant recent "EuroFora"s NewsRepot).

- "Cameroon made a speech, you know, against MultiCulturalism (in fact : Communautarism : See infra), it was hard to mention, but it was the 1st time he said that MultiCulturalism failed, because we have particularly come out on People obliged to live in Suburbs-Prisons (Ghettos), in Separate Development, not integrating into the Mainstream, some of them even breaching Laws and respect for our own Country, our own Values, our own (Cultural) Concepts, etc".

- "That, clearly, is not acceptable for the Future !", the experieh MEP stressed.

- "If we don't do anything about it, (then) the Extreme Right will try to exploit that and start gaining more votes", he warned.

- In consequence, "Yes, there has to be a(n EU) Debate. The  British People know that we are on their side. Already, too many People are voting for Extremist Parties. (But) we don't want Extreme Parties to become succesful" in their attempts to exploit that.

=> - "(So, it's) the Mainstream (who) has to take ownership of these issues", he concluded.

- On EU level "I think that we (EU Parliament) should have a very full and frank debate about how to go on Immigration, particularly on the MultiCulturalism (more precisely : Communautarism : see supra), and the need for better Integration".

- Because otherwise it's playing the game of Extremist parties, and it's also provoking "huge problems on Social Cohesion in some of our (EU Member) Countries", he observed.

Experienced observers noted that this might be coordinated with, or at least pave the way towards an earlier promissed, and long overdew, Democratic EU Debate on Europe's Future, which includes EU Identity and values, etc.

On the contrary, some "Socialist" and other opposition politicians, f.ex. in France, started at the same time to ask for "Non-EU Foreign Immigrants' Vote in Local Elections", as if they might be feeling that they risk to lose the trust of EU Citizens. (Something that even the long-time former Socialist French President Mitterand never adopted, reportedly judging it unpopular among EU Citizens and/or risking to open dangerous doors against Socio-Cultural Cohesion and for risks of Foreign Interferences in EU Countries' internal affairs by some Foreign Governments notoriously organizing and exploiting their immigrants' separate communautarism, massively closing them into Cultural Ghettos).