newsitems

While France welcomed EU Commission's decision to prepare measures for strategic Raw Materials threatened by prices' instability worldwide, recent events at EU's neighborhood clearly indicated, at the eve of an important EU Summit on Energy and Innovation here in Brussels tomorrow, Friday, that the matter obviously is not only economic, but also political, and probably with strong foreign and security/defence policy aspects..

French Ministers of Economy, Industry, Agriculture and EU affairs, Lagarde, Besson, Le Maire and Wauquiez, respectively, in messages sent to the Press, including "EuroFora", hailed today EU Commission's latest move to start facing the challenge of raw materials' unstable prices, and called the EU to launch a wide and ambitious policy at a domain which is notoriously a key point in President Sarkozy's 2011 G8-G20 Priorities.

EU Commission's President Barroso focused this time on High-Tech Materials indispensable for any developed Industry, but similar issues of prices' abnormal instabilitry are notoriousy denounced recently also on Agricultural raw materias, which affect Food Production, as well as on Energy, etc.

In all such cases, the point is to find how to "secure supply of raw materials for the European industry for coming years, .. (and) ensure that supply of commodities and raw materials matches demand in a resource-efficient way, contributing to sustainable growth in the European Union", as Barroso added on this occasion.

But, in addition to socio-political turmoils, often triggered by basic Food products suddenly made expensive, and to Speculation on Industrial Raw Materials, or Oil/Gaz unstabe prices, etc., the recent events around the Eastern Mediteranea, in Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, etc, provoking suddeny sky-rocketing market prices for Oil etc., obviously reveal that the heart of the matter in such cases, (helas, more and more frequent) is not Economy, but Politics, and even Foreign and/or Security/Defence issues !...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          In front f.ex. of a Pro-Western Lebanese Prime Minister with links to Europe, who .. implodes suddeny when people start speaking openly about huge Gas deposits accross the Lebanese Mediterranean Coasts shared with Israel ; or a Stable Tunisian regime for Decades, which suddenly cracks down shortly after rumours about Strategic Pipeline links etc. become noisy ; and a   more than half of a Century stable Egyptian regime, all out of a sudden shaken up by big social unrest provoked by unknown groups, and foreign interventions asking the immediate resignation of the Country's President, (as f.ex. Turkey and the USA did, contrary to main EU Countries, which advised an orderly Democratic Change), just after growing Political Controversies on the vast and extending Oil/Gas fields' Discoveries at Nile river's Mediterranean Delta, added to growing nervousness, particularly of some Foreign circles (Comp. supra), against Egypt's serious, stable and responsible policy on friendy agreements to delimitate the various neighbouring Countries' Economic Zones over South-Eastern Mediterranean's Seabed, reportedly full of Oil/Gas deposits, as huge as that of Mexico's Gulf (See relevant earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReports), naturally, it's not only a better Economic policy that Europe needs, but much more an active and efficient Foreign and Security/Defence policy.

Interesting "cocktail" of Economico-Political matters linked to Global stakes, at tomorrow's Heads of State/Government EU Summit's working Lunch table for discussion, among interrelated Energy, Economy and Science-Technologic Innovation issues... An unexpectedly heavy and dense Agenda, just for less than 1 Day, even more than the December 2009 and 2010 official European Councils, which had been exceptionely emptied from most of their initially scheduled Poitical a.o. issues. Now, it's the opposite which apparently emerges..

Both CoE Parliamentary Assembly (PACE)'s new Secretary General, Sawicki from Poland, and the President of its Legal/Human Rights Committee, Pourgourides from Cyprus, speaking to "EuroFora", expressed their convergent wish to put Democracy and Human Rights "at the Top" of Heads of State/Government's Political Summits' Agenda.

 - "By a coindidence, the same Day (Jan. 26) that UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon was in Geneva for Cyprus' intercommunal Talks and other issues (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot), here, in Strasbourg, CoE's Assembly debated and voted on more than 3 Reports of Exceptional Importance on particularly serious Human Rights issues, in a kind of "overConcentration" never seen for many years : Your own, PluriAnnual Report on the execution of ECHR's judgements, another on Freedom of Press, as well as that of your friend (Swiss Liberal MEP) Dick Marty, on "Missing" Persons apparently submitted to atrocious Crimes against Humanity in Kosovo, Albania, etc., in addition to a supplementary (almost "concluding") Report on protection of Witnesses and Independent Investigations in cases of extremely Grave Violations of Human Rights, etc", while ECHR today (Jan. 27) also held its Annual Press Conference, "EuroFora" observed.

    - "What is your main Message, as President of the (CoE Parliamentary Assembly's) Legal and Human Rights Committee, with all these Reports, taken all together, practically at the same moment, on so grave violations ?", "EuroFora" asked the mainstream MEP Christos Pourgourides.

    - "My Message is that we must try to make the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE a much more Relevant organization. We must try to make the Assembly a body which, when it talks, everybody takes notice of it !", the experienced President of its Legal/Human Rights Committee ambitiously stressed from the outset, in reply to "EuroFora"s question.

    - "We (PACE) have shown that we can do a good work on very important matters, and we have shown that, in the (CoE's) Assembly, we have the ability to defend Human Rights in a most Effective way", he went on to claim, optimistically.

     - However, "despite our (PACE's) susbtantial and very important work", nevertheless, "many things (still) remain to be done", the experienced mainsream MEP from Cyprus acknowledged.

    - "But, if we continue our work with flair and with Devotion, I'm sure that, in a few years' time, the CoE would be Highly Respected by all Citizens for its efforts to i Human Rights", Pourgourides highlighted.

+     - "Practically" speaking, "EuroFora" observed that, in his Report, (meanwhile adopted by CoE Assembly's Plenary), the President of PACE's Legal/Human Rights Committee had suggested also a possibility to use the threat to suspend the rights to Vote and/or Speak concerning those MEPs whose Country persists to seriously violate Human Rights :  - "That's a kind of Sanction that you (PACE) can decide yourself", (i.e. without waiting for CoE's Committee of Ministers) :

    - "It's (indeed) a Sanction that we must ressort to, in case of Failure by Parliamentarians to do their job in an effective way, i.e. to push their Governments to implement ECHR's judgements in a Speedy manner", Purgurides agreed.

    + "It's not an idle threat, it's a Real Threat, to which we (PACE) will ressort if the problems are not met", Therefore, "we (PACE) hope that all Countries will start executing ECHR's Judgemets speedily, so that we don't resort to this measure", he warned.
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    Pourgourides move appeared to be well in line also with general expressed by the recently elected, new Secretary General of the PACE, the experienced Wojciech Sawicki from Poland :

    Speaking earlier at another occasion to "EuroFora", this key personality (already since the latest Heads of State/Government PanEuropean CoE's Summit on 2005 in Warsaw, which fixed CoE's activities' focus on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law, since then), went well beyond an old-fashioned contradiction between "Political" issues supposed to be the only ones which really interest CoE Member Countries' Heads of State and Government, and Human Rights, etc., traditionally supposed to be respectable, but rather at a simply "Ministerial" or "Legal Experts/Judges" level only...

    - "What would you say (as a European EU/CoE Journalist) if we (CoE) succeeded to attract Heads of State/Government's attention up to Summits with some core Human Rights/Democracy topical issues ?", a smiling Sawicki suggested to "EuroFora", presenting that Horizon as his main Strategy for the next 5 years...

    - Invited by "EuroFora" to react to Sawicki's ambition, Pourgourides replied, enlarging the scope wider,  that "it's our (PACE's) duty to motivate ...not only Governments, but also all other Organs which deal with Human Rights, in order to put Human Rights there where they should be : At the very Top of their Agenda !", he concluded.

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Replying to "EuroFora"s questions at the Annual 2011 Press Conference of the PanEuropean Court of Human Rights, one Day after UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon spoke on Cyprus' issue at Geneva (see "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot), EuroCourt's President, Professor Jean-Paul Costa, agreed, in substance, that its case law on Refugees/Displaced Persons' Human Rights in Turkish Occupied Cyprus might have to change, in order to be rectified and become anew as strong as it was initially, if there is no real progress for a Political Solution of the overall Cyprus' issue, particularly because of Turkish side's attempts to exploit a recent softening of some ECHR's rulings, which raise issues of "Coherence" with its traditionally protective case-law, at the same time that EU's Court of Justice at nearby Luxembourg starts growing in importance after Lisbon Treaty's entry into force, together with EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights, which overlaps also in this area, risking eventually to result in a 2-speeds Human Rights' level of protection, otherwise.

ECHR's President reacted particularly to UNO SG's statements at nearby Geneva, evoked by "EuroFora", and expressed the hope that his optimistic appreciation about a "Progress" in the ongoing Peace Talks for Cyprus' ReUnification will produce real effects, or else, ECHR might have to act :- "So, I hope that what BKMoon said yesterday in Geneva shows the right way .. I can't say more, Today" on that delicate issue, Costa stressed in conclusion, obviously reserving a possibility to react according to developments in the Future. In particular, "if the club is curbed at the extreme opposite, i.e., if the Turkish side denies so much G/C Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, that this might become an Ostacle to Peace", as "EuroFora" asked Costa, then, "we (ECHR) might Change our (recent) case-law" , ECHR's President warned.

Costa admitted, in substance, that ECHR had softened its traditional case-law on Refugees/Displaced persons in Cyprus practically hoping to facilitate a Political Solution of the overall Cyprus' issue, but did not deny "EuroFora"s warning that, if Turkey persists into excessively exploiting that by making intransigeant claims seriously and disproportionaly detrimental against Cyprus' Refugees/Displaced persons, provoking another obstacle to a political solution of the overall Cyprus' issue, then, ECHR would have to reconsider its recent controversial rulings and perhaps restore, in one way or another, the strong legal protection that IDPs of Cyprus had in ECHR's landmark traditional case-law, which had inspired also UNO's famous "Pinheiro Principles", according to an Official UNO Booklet destinated to all Refugees/IDPs around the world.
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- "Yesterday UNO SG Ban Ki Moon in Geneva, after opening World's Human Rights Council, dealt with Cyprus' issue, where,  independently of its Political aspects, one of the thorny points is that of Refugees/Displaced Persons' Human Rights", "EuroFora" observed from the outset in our 1st Question.        

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- "The Turkish side apparently considers ... that most of ECHR's traditionnal case-law on Refugees/Displaced persons, dating since 1994-1996, has been very much Pushed aside, despite landmark decisions of ECHR's Full Plenary taken by more than 20 or 30 EuroJudges" from all over Europe then, just "by a few recent, controversial rulings of only 6 or 7 EuroJudges. So that now, almost everything would have been pushed aside, in order to deal with it purely Politically, without even speaking about Human Rights", unless, perhaps, as simply .. "Technical" matters to be dealt with by "Experts", according to some expressions used yesterady in Geneva under Turkey's obvious pressure, which may be dangerous also on other cases"

- "Do you think that, as a matter of general principle, in these as well as in other cases, ECHR's Grand Chamber, (since ECHR's Historic "Plenary" doesn't exist no more), is Free ...to eventually reconfirm a crystal-clear support for Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, as ECHR's traditional case-law initially did, or are you now (ECHR) Blocked, and hindered to Rectify ?", "EuroFora" asked.

- Such a move might go "particularly if ECHR observes that one of those recent controversial rulings might become an "Obstacle to Peace, (because if such opposals to ECHR's traditional case-law were lifted, Peace Agreements would be Easier, at least for Greek Cypriots)", we noted in this regard.
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+ Meanwhile,  "at the same moment, (i.e. while Turkey tries to exploit on Cyprus some recent Deviations from ECHR's traditionally strong stance for Refugees/Displaced persons : See supra), EU's Lisbon Treaty" recently entered into force (12/2009) together with EU's Charter of Fundamental Rights. Thus, a Risk for a "2 Speeds" case-law on Human Rights might emerge, particularly if ECHR lowers its standards, while, on the contrary, EU's Court of Justice in Luxembourg, inspired both by ECHR's traditionally Higher standards, and EU's Charter on Fundamental Rights, may develop a Higher-level protection for EU Citizens' Rights, "EuroFora" warned.
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"EuroFora" also asked Costa to excuse us for the exceptional circumstances in which this question was raised, because of unprecedented harassments when we were trying to return urgently from Geneva to Strasbourg to be present at ECHR President Jean-Paul Costa's Annual 2011 Press &éConference, early next Morning in Strasbourg, after UN SG Ban Ki Moon's High Level meeting on Cyprus, (See Draft NewsReports from Geneva, already sent to "EuroFora"'s Subscribers/Donors), depriving us even from the elementary time for elementary sleep overnight, (threatening to hinder us to participate at ECHR's Annual 2011 Press Conference or, at least, undermining our participation by the provoked ill-treatments we suffered overnight)..
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  - "Cyprus' issue is extremely complicated, as You know, (and) the (enforced) separation of the island persists now since more than 36 Years (i.e. since the 1974 Turkish Military Invasion and on-going Occupation), and there are many Pending Applications at the ECHR, against Turkey, but also against Cyprus' Republic", Costa started to reply.

    - "I wouldn't like to enter into details on these affairs, because they are still Pending, and we don't know yet how these cases will conclude", ECHR's President carefully replied to "EuroFora"'s 1st Question, otbviously keeping the Future open to eventually differend, new developments...

    - At any case, indeed, "we are trying, inside ECHR to maintain the Coherence of our Case-Law", he acknowledged, in reply to "EuroFora"s observation on a few recent, controversial decisions of some simple 7-member Chambers, which gave the impression to lower ECHR's traditionally High Standards on Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, (See supra). s- This is a must "particularly as far as it may also concern all the other 47 CoE Member Countries", Costa admitted, apparently agreing with "EuroFora"s critical observation (See supra) that if ECHR gave any impression to lower its standards on Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, this might be "Dangerous also for other cases", throughout all Europe and beyond.

    - "But the beginning of Your Question makes me think at what I've already said, i.e. that Political Conflicts can be solved in an Easier and more Efficient way, by Political instead of Judicial means, f.ex. by applications to the ECHR" ... "And I've also heard from the various parties involved in the Cyprus' issue, several times, the estimation that it's not ECHR which might ever settle the situation existing at the island, nor even the situation of Human Rights' Violations committed at the island (of Cyprus), but a(n initially) bilateral and (afterwards endorsed by a) multilateral agreement" (at an International Conference).

 - However, even today, on 2011, ECHR still has to deal with "many cases of Human Rights Violations which are the direct result of Conflicts" as "in Turkey and Russia", even there where "the situations have ameliorated meanwhile", as well as with "2 InterState applications on conflicts between Russia and Georgia, where it's clear that the 2008 conflict provoked Human Rights violations, probably from both sides, even if we'll be fixed on that when a decision will be taken", asap., Costa observed earlier.
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    >>> Therefore, the main thrust of ECHR President's reply to "EuroFora"s question focused on another, more concrete and topical point, of great interest during the forthcoming Weeks/Months :

    - Specifically on Cyprus, "I read yesterday in the Press the statements made by (UNO's SG) Mr. Ban Ki Moon", (See "EuroFora's DraftNews, already sent earlier to Subscribers/Donors), Costa went on to add.

    - "He (UNO's Secretary General) is usually a Cautious man, but there he appeared Optimist, concerning the "Progress" made by the on-going (intercommunal) Talks in Geneva", ECHR's President observed.

    - "So, I Hope that what (UNO's SG) Mr. Ban Ki Moon said Yesterday in Geneva, shows the Right Way, and I can't say more, Today", Costa stressed in conclusion, for the Moment, obviously keeping his cards Open for the Future, by (indirectly but surely) indicating that EuroCourt's stance would change if it found, f.ex., that the Turkish side might obstruct a solution for Cyprus' reUnification, eventually by exploiting ECHR's current restrain on Greek Cypriot Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, as "EuroFora" denounced (See supra).

    - "If the club is curbed at the extreme opposite, i.e., if the Turkish side denies so much G/C Refugees/Displaced persons' Human Rights, that this might become an obstacle to Peace, can't you (ECHR) do something ?", "EuroFora" asked anew President Costa, Sspeaking off micro, after the end of ECHR's Press Conference,

    - "We shall see. If that's the case, we might Change our case-law" (revirement), ECHR's President made it clear in reply to "EuroFora"s explanatory question.
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    - "Concerning another part of your question, (See supra : on risks for a "2 Speeds" Human Rights case laws, if ECHR lowers its traditional standards, while ECJ develops stronger case-law with a "Higher" protection of EU Citizens' Rights after EU's Lisbon Treaty and Fundamental Rights' Charter's entry into force : See supra), "I don't think that there is a risk of  Diverging Interpretations between that of EU's Charter on Fundamental Rights and the PanEuropean Convention of Human Rights, but, precisely, one among the aims of EU's accession to the PanEuropean Convention on Human Rights, is to try to Harmonize up to the maximum, the interpretatuin of these 2 Documents, because, as I've just said, they overlap many times, almost at 90%", Costa told "EuroFora" earlier.     

    - "Now, on the question you raised, concerning particularly Cyprus' (Refugees/Displaced Persons' Human Rights) case, I don't see, for the moment, (for the Time being), a Risk of Diverging Interpretations. But we shall really see (what might happen) in the Future", ECHR's President concluded cautiously, i.e., without excluding anything in the forthcoming years...
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    - Meanwhile, indeed, "National Courts found it sometimes Difficult to follow ECHR' case-law's Changes", and that's why we organized now, in 2011, a Seminar dedicated to EuroCourt's  "Evolutive Interpretation",  another Key ECHR's Official told "EuroFora"  in addition, after "EuroFora"s criticism also the recent controversial "softening" of ECHR's case law, with less protection than before for Refugees/Displaced persons in Occupied Cyprus, etc., contrary to EuroCourt's traditionally "strong" initial case-law. (See supra).

Speaking at the eve of an important EU Summit on Energy, next week in Brussels, the experienced President of a Strategically located key Country for EU's Energetic Independence, Romanian President Traian Basescu, speaking to "EuroFora" at the CoE in Strasbourg, confirmed that the landmark, complementary Projects for Direct EU Energy Transport from the Caspian through the Black Sea, via Danube/Rhine Rivers and/or interconnected Gas networks, (See earlier EuroFora"'s relevant NewsReports), are both advancing "in Good Progress" :

- "We have discussed several times with (incoming 2011 EU Chairman, Hungary's) Prime Minister Victor Orban about these two Projects", on "AGRI" and Danube River Energy Transport, Basescu replied to "EuroFora"'s questions.

- "As you know, we convinced Victor Orban to become part of AGRI Projects", so that now "we are 4 Countries" together : "Azerbaidjan, Georgia, Romania and Hungary, which are (co-)Founders of these projects", he added.

- Thus, "the Company to develop these Projects was already Registrated Last Week", Basescu anounced.

- In consequence, "we hope in a Good Progress of these projects", the Romanian President declared.
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+ Moreover, "regarding Danube, I am very convinced that the (2011) Hungarian Presidency of the EU will be the opportunity of promoting very much this Project, which has as objective the Development, the Environment, and the Energy Transport", pointed out also Basescu, who was, as early as since 2001, as former Minister for Ship Transport, among the 1st to cross the Danube - Rhine interconnexion in grand gabarit Ships, which allows, thanks to New Technologies of Gas Liquefaction, to open a Direct EU Transport corridor from the Caucasus (Georgia and/or Russia, etc) straight into Europe's Industrial Franco-German core. (See MAP), in the Faster, Cheaper and Safer way.

The Romanian President spoke to "EuroFora" shortly before meeting with CoE's Secretary General Thornbjorn Jagland from Norway, followed by a Speech to CoE's PanEuropean Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg.

EU Commissioner on Energy, Gunther Oettering from Germany, has already declared several times to "EuroFora" his interest for the Danube/Rhine EU direct link to the Caspian area through the Black Sea, while EU Parliament has recently adopted crystal-clear Resolutions in Strasbourg strongly supporting EU Funds for the creation of Liquefied Gas Infrastructures' Networks.

The Strategic Move would be an Historic legitimation of EU's decision to enlarge to Romania and Bulgaria since 2007, so that EU can create a GeoPolitical extension directly towards the Caspian Energy Resources via the Black Sea new outlets, easily connected with EU's Franco-German Industria core etc.