newsitems

*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to "EuroFora" after a well-attented debate in EU Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer protection Committee in Strasbourg, Professor Monti, the experienced twice EU Commissioner in the past, and currently Advisor to the President of EU Commission, Jose Barroso, sad that E-networks, E-Trade and E-Media, "are an Important point" in order to give "a New Momentum" in EU Market's Integration, which will also take into account Social values.

As we approach 20 Years since EU's SIngle Market was initially launched, EU faces today "3 Challenges"  : "Economic Nationalism", "Missing links" in a "still fragmented market", and a 'Critical reconsideration" with "concerns about the Social dimension", particularly after the entry into force of Lisbon Treaty which aims at a "highly competitive Social Market Economy". "All this calls for a Fresh Look at how the Market and the Social dimension of an integrated European Economy can be mutually strengthened". In view of an "Initiative to relaunch the Single Market as a key Strategic Objective of the New (EU) Commission", a Barroso's official Letter to Monti entrusted him with the mission to prepare "a Report with Options and Recommendations".

Monti concluded his presentation to MEPs with a call "in favor of a New Momentum for Integration" :

Recently, we saw some movements trying to reverse previous dangerous tendencies, as f.ex. to Tax the Financial Market's Bonuses, etc. But, even if good, such measures stay at a superficial level, and don't go up to the heart of the problem, he observed.

- "What will be the Heart of the Problem during the next few years ?  - A Fiscal Crisis, where most States will tend to reduce Social Services", Monti warned.

Are they going to do it again, and again alone, seeking to have more Gowth than others ?, he wondered.

- But, "I urge you to use the Crisis positively, proactively" : I.e. to see how old stereotypes could be overcome, in favor of a New Momentum for Integration" at EU level, he concluded.

Monti confirmed to "EuroFora" that the aim is to produce his Report at about "April 2010".

But, "it depends on the President" of EU Commission, Barroso, "if, and how, that Report will be used, or not, in the framework of EU's imminent aim to define a New Economic Strategy for 2020", Monti replied to another "EuroFora"'s question.

Significantly, however, EU Parliament distributed to participants at the Hearing of Mario Monti 2 EU Commission's Studies on "Trends and key Policy issues in the area of Internal Market" and "Consumer Protection" for the period "2009-2019"..

- "I shall write it, but, ...I don't know if you shall read it : It all depends on President" Barroso, Monti also said about his future Report replying earlier to EU Parliament's competent Committee's President, Brittish Conservative MEP Malcolm Harbour, who had invited him to hear his "Initial Considerations on how (he) shall approach the task".

In EU Parliament Committee's debates, attended by numerous people at a room filled up until the end, assisted also the New EU Commissioner for the Single Market-designate, Michel Barnier, as Monti happily observed, who can bring a useful multifacet Experience as former EU Commissioner on Regional Funds, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Agriculture, as well as current Head of the French Governing Party UMP's Delegation to EU Parliament.

Barnier, speaking afterwards to "EuroFora", confirmed that he found Professor Monti's prospective and critical observations "very Interesting" for his future task.

Monti, founder of the prestigious "Bruegel" Economic Think Tank in Brussels, (named after the Historic Flamish painters and created in 2005 after a Franco-German initiative), and President of the famous Bocconi University at Milan, had made various statements to "EuroFora"s founder in the Past, when he was EU Commissioner initially for Market/Trade and afterwards of Competition, between 1994 and 2004.

In fact, one among the key issues that Monti -who stressed that he prefers to speak about a "Single" Market, instead of an "Internal" Market, in order to "avoid connotations of closeness and protectionism"- will have to tackle, is also how to safeguard EU"s "Cohesion" : A crucial question, that MEPs have raised to EU Commission, expecting an answer for the period of the next Financial Perspectives which start after 2013, in an EU Parliament's debate scheduled for next Thursday.

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Just before a Criminal Bloody Attack, Berlusconi had denounced in EU meetings attended by "EuroFora" a politically motivated "Harassment" with systematic Personal Aggressions from some in the "Left".

- " I condemn the attack against the Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi. Political Dialogue cannot be conducted in such a fashion, and this unacceptable incident should never have happened. We wish him a rapid recovery and return in full health", declared EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, from the start of this week's Plenary in Strasbourg, largely applauded.


-  "We may be political opponents, but no adversary is a physical enemy. "This is unacceptable", declared Gianni Pitella, an Italian "Socialist". Such Violence brings us "close to the edge of the Abyss", strongly denounced Mario Mauro, Head of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP delegation of Italy.

According to his doctor, Berlusconi lost 2 liters of blood, had 2 teeth destroyed, his neck broken and his mouth wounded, etc, obliged to stay in Hospital at least for 3 painful Days, after someone threw a heavy metallic object against his head.
Only a few days earlier, Berlusconi had denounced continuous "personal attacks" and systematic "Harassment" by some opponents of the "Left", during a Heads of State/Government Congress of the European People's Party/ChristianDemocrats, at Bonn, in Germany, (See other "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the events).

- Politically motivated opponents, instead of participating in a Democratic Dialogue on general issues, on the contrary multiplie Personal Attacks, by distording the truth and slandering me at some Media, while systematically launching accusations to the Courts, again and again, with the obvious aim to oblige me to waste Time continuously to defend myself to the judges, without leaving Time to act politically in favor of the majority of the People which elected us in the Government. They even pushed some judges to interpret the Constitution in a way which  circumvents its articles protecting Italy's Prime Ministers during their mandate, to the point that we are obliged to try to reform the Constitution in a way which could avoid such harassment, he said.

And, faithful to his personality, Silvio Berlusconi used Humour to describe the situation, even by citing one of the "bad jokes" among many systematically fabricated by his oponents against his person in order to present him as "Bad and Stupid", deserving to be hurt :

- "According to the latest anecdote against me, when an Airplane transporting Heads of State was damaged by an explosion, after they found that they had only 4 parachutes, Obama got the 1st, claiming that he was "the most Powerful man in the World". The Pilot got the 2nd one claiming that he was the most competent to decide what was going on in "his" airplane. While the 3rd one was "taken by Mr Berlusconi, who claimed that he was the most intelligent man in Europe". As for the 4rth parachute, it was given to the Pope, who declined the offer and gave it to his assistant, saying that he was "a Young man" who should be saved. But his assistant replied that he didn't need it : - "You can keep it, because we have not 1 but 2 parachutes left : Since the so-called "most intelligent man in Europe" (i.e. Berlusconi) has just jumbed out of the airplane with my sleeping bag !"...

"Berlu", as he's familiarly called, succeeded, thus, to make spontaneously laugh hundreds of People, even Heads of State and Government, (including German Chancellor Angie Merkel, French Prime Minister Fillon, EU Council's President Herman Van Rompuy, etc), even some .. "Leftist" journalists covering the events, who exceptionally found him Human and "Sympa"..

 

*Brussels/Angelo Marcopolo/- Prime Minister of Greece, Georges Papandreou, replying to "EuroFora"s questions on French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel's statements on the Economic problems of the country, stressed that he intends to struggle against deep-rooted issues, and welcomed their trust that Greece could succeed, with EU's help, to find its own ways to overcome problems steming from a long Past.

    "EuroFora"'s question to George Papandreou referred to the statements made by German Chancellor Merkel when we were in Bonn, (See "EuroFora" Newsreport :http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/merkelbonn.html), and now also by French President Sarkozy in our presence in Brussels, where they expressed their support to the first measures announced by the Prime Minister of Greece, and their trust in his promisses.   

 George Papandreou was asked by "EuroFora" to comment on the fact that important EU leaders of big EuroZone Countries, from another Political side than his, i.e. ChristianDemocrats du EPP, instead of Socialists, made such positive, in, principle, and supportive statements, , and whether he found that the crucial character of the issue pleaded in favor of a kind of national unity between all political tendencies in Greece who sincerely wished a better future for the country.

    On this occasion, "EuroFora" also asked him if he found useful, or even necessary, a kind of "concertation", at European level, together with Eurropean organisations and relevant Countries.
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    Earlier, Sarkozy, replying to a question during his final Press Conference at the conclusion of Brussels' EU Summit, observed, initially, that "it's true that Greece is in front of é major difficulty". So, "it's necessary that the Greek AUthorities prepare an Ambitious Strategy".

    He found that "the Measures anounced by the Greek" PM, "are a step in the good direction", while "waiting to prepare soon, in close cooperation with the (EU) Commission, all measures needed for a sustainable restoration of the Budgetary Statistics'" , and that "the Prime Minister assured us of his Will and Intentions".
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     The  Prime Minister of Greece replied to 2 our of 3 "EuroFora"s questions, and even reacted affirmatively to an earlier critical observation by "EuroFora", but either ommitted or forgot to reply on another (3rd) of our points :

    - "Leaders of other (EuroZone) Countries respect the will and the efforts of every Government, and of every People, to set a framework able to settle such problems. "EuroGroup" itself issued (earlier) a statement that the anounced measures are a step in the right direction, but that, of course, more is needed" We are trying to find Greek answers in a European context.

    "A real problem would be if we didn't recognize the problems, and we would have diffiiculties to convince if we simply said that we shall continue almost as usual, if we didn't have our own, concrete proposals";

    - "Our Credibility is linked to the fact that we want to tackle more Deep-rooted, more Crucial issues, and seek more Sustainable Solutions, which can advance much further on, for the amelioration of the Economy of Greece, and take more Radical measures than to simply cut today a Salary of Retirement benefits to some People : This wouldn't really help to make the Greek Economy sustainable, and wouldn't respond to the Monetay problems". In fact, there are also other problems in the Country, which are more important than that, and it's these, Harder and more Difficult problems, which play an Important role for the Future, that we must tackle". Such issues are, for me, a more Radical and more Deeply penetrating way to act, than to simply cut a salary or a retirement benefit", Papandreou's reply to "EuroFora" stressed.

    Significantly, the Prime Minister of Greece referred also explicitly to the manifold negatve consequences which were provoked to the detriment of the Country's Economy by a recurrent phenomenon of "'Clientelism", favoritism and nepotism, "Corruption and Bureaucracy", which had also anti-democratic, anti-social and counter-productive repercussions for several Decades, that "EuroFora" had, precisely denounced in our relevant Publication issued just 1 Day before Georges Papandreou reacts, as above, to our questions in a well-attended  Press Conference late after the conclusion of EU's Summit in Brussels.         (See :    )

    Had he (or someone among his assistants) read "EuroFora"s criticism, precisely, of what  he called himself the plague of "Clientelism" which had undermined EU and EuroZone member, contemporary Greece's potential ?

    Regardless of that, Papandreou at least told ys that he "remembers" well the Interviews and Publications that "EuroFora"'s main founder used to make in the Past out of his previous Political Statements, as simple former Minister for European affairs, more than a ...Decade earlier in Strasbourg, particularly when Greece had chaired the CoE (+ 1998)..

*Brussels/- Can forthcoming Copenhagen UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC), "be named ..Hopenhagen", as OECD's Secretary General, Angel Guria, advised "EuroFora" earlier in Strasbourg, after the successful outcome of Brussels' EU Summit ?

It seems too early to tell : EU Parliament's session, next week in Strasbourg, will provide a last opportunity for Public Debates and Transparent, Pluralist Votes in Europe on this evolving issue, of obvious importance for all Humankind, as UNO's Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, just stressed, while various critics and opponents still challenge the move.

 

Europe succeeded in Brussels to agree on the most ambitious offer in the World for UNO's Climate change Conference, accepting a 30% cut of its CO2 emissions by 2020, (compared to 1990 levels), and giving 2,4 Billions € annually to help mainly the most vulnerable Developing Countries to meet the targets, out of a Global amount of 7 Billions needed for the "fast start" funds for 2010-2012, to be followed by "innovative funding" sources, etc. in the long run.

This should ensure the target of keeping Global Warming under +2% from pre-industrial period, for which purpose, CO2 emmissions should be reduced by 25 to 49% until 2020, from 1990 levels, in order to avoid the worst threats against Natural Environment, according to Experts of the InterGovernemental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

The main Condition put on EU's offer, is that of reciprocity : Ie. that "other Developed Countries commit themselves to comparable CO2 emission reductions, and that developing countres contribute adequately, according to their responsibilities and... capabilities".

    - "The most Worrying" is that the Question whether other developed countries will respond as the EU to poor countries' financial needs to cope with UNO's CCC targets, remains still open, warned German Chancellor Angie Merkel. "Doubts exist when we see, fex. that our American friends are, for the moment, reasoning on a base of only 4% reductions, (which is already a progress, compared to the Past), while Europe speaks about 30%, Sarkozy also observed.

    To guarantee such a Deal at Copenhagen's Global Summit, an agreement with "transparent international Standards" has to be reached, "for Measurement, Reporting and Verification", to "ensure Transparency and Compliance of Commitments", "in the context" of "efforts towards enhancing International Environmental Governance", according to EU's Official Conclusions. Something which would need, sooner of later, also to create a kind of International Organization for the Environment, in one way or another, starting by the practical needs for Monitoring rules' respect, as French President Sarkozy highlghted. Because "we need a Binding Obligation", and, therefore, to "negociate in what extend this will be supervised by an International Institution, able to secure comparable" results, added later German Chancellor Merkel.

    Until now, UNO's various steps towards Global Governance on Environment were made in a separately : F.ex. UNEP (UNO's Environment Program) headquarted at Nairobi, ENMOD (UNO's Treaty against Hostile Modification of the Natural Environment), signed at Geneva since 1978, UNFCCC (UNO's Framework Conference on Climate Change), headquartered at Bonn since 1996, etc. But, now, after the Giant Killer Heatwave which killed more tahn 15.000 innocent People in France and other EU Countries in 2003, the massive catastrophes provoked in South Asia by a giant "Tsunami" in 2004, and the "Katrina" giant hurricane on 2005 in the US, as well as various other Extreme Weather Phenomena, together with the apparently progressing Global Climate Changes, obviously plead in favor of a coordination and unification of all UNO's Past and Future activities on Human Environment allowing rational use of resources and an overall view.

    Dismissing Thursday night's rumours claiming that EU might be divided on how to share the sums needed to support developing Countries' participation to CO2 reduction, at an early Friday joint Press Conference with French President Sarkozy, Brittish Prime Minister Gordon Brown anounced an "agreement" for "fast start" Funds of some 1,2 to 1,5 Billion € each among the biggest EU Countries, and moves to support Africa's and other developing areas' Forests.

    Both rejected criticism about the "Cost" of such aid, pointing at the stimulus for "a New Economy", able to "create Green Growth" jobs. - Only in the UK, "we estimate that we could create 5000 jobs during the next few years thanks to "Green" services and industries", observed Brown. This fits with OECD's Secretary General, Angel Guria from Mexico, remarks to "EuroFora" earlier in Strasbourg, that the International Economic Organization had just got a new mandate to focus on "Green Growth" during the "next 3 Years" (2010-1012).

    - And "Africa is only 12 km away from Europe : We can't just abandon them without any help", on the contrary, "Africa and Europe must advance together", in a kind of "Alliance" towards the Future, stressed Sarkozy.

    But, "the most important is that Europe is United" on UNO's CCC, stressed later French President Sarkozy, speaking after his final Press Conference to Journalists in Brussels, including "EuroFora". (PHOTO)

    - In particular, "for EU's efficiency, it's necessary that France and Germany work together, but not enough : If we want for European Values to prevail in the World, the UK must be actively present with all EU. Gordon Brown recently invited me to a Commonwealth's summit, and I'll invite him to a summit with 10 African countries".. Meanwhile, "I met also with Brazilian President Lule, and this was helpful .. Earlier this morning, we were together all 3 of us (i.e. Merkel, Sarkozy and Brown). And for inviting US President Obama to be with us in Copenhagen on December 18, both Mrs Merkel and myself used the same words, explained Sarkozy, who also observed that the German Chancellor was, at the same time, in parallel contacts in the same direction.

    During the next few days leading up to Copenhagen Conference's conclusion, scheduled for December 18, European leaders will be engaged in parallel Talks and various contacts with their counterparts mainly of Developing Countries : Fex. French President Sarkozy will host meetings with African leaders, together with British Prime Minister Brown, followed by the Indonesian President, and Ethopia's Prime Minister, Meles, Africa's Coordinator, at the same time that German Chancellor Merkel will meet with India's leaders, and incoming 2010 EU Chair, Spanish Prime Minister Zapatero with Latin American a.o. countries, etc. - "We decided to work all together, for the most ambitious possible deal" at UNO's CCC, stressed Sarkozy. This could be extended further at Copenhagen, where they plan to travel at the eve of US President Obama's arrival, due next Friday. When all 27 EU Leaders are really united, the group members' capacity to make in parallel many coordinated moves, can obviously augment the speed of EU's diplomacy in the World.
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    EU Leaders apparently gave such a Priority in Brussels to the Global Climate issue that they practically postponed for 2010 debates and decisions on EU's New Economic Strategy : An issue of obvious and topical importance, when everyone has to think how to shape the after-Crisis period and the new era at the "2020" Horizon.

    They only agreed from December 2009 Brussels that EU will need "more Coordination in Economic Policy", and fine-tuned practical details on the way EU Council will function during the next years, after the recent entry into force of Lisbon Treaty, which highly concentrates EU's Decision-making power, by bringing "Reinforced Cooperations" between willing EU Countries, extending Majority instead of Unanimity decision-making, and by the appointment, for the 1st time, of an EU President until 2012, starting with former Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy.

    Logical moves, since the results of UNO's Copenhagen Summit on Climate Change will influence worldwide, in one way or another, the role of "Green Growth" and related Technology and Innovation, which is expected to play an important role in the post-Crisis' Economy, where, defining a long-term Strategy will need a more unified leadership.