newsitems

Even if the sole body in charge of controling the vaccines is the London-based European Medicine Agency (EMA), which works on a virus' strain given by the only official American Labo, nevertheless, Strasbourg-based European "Pharmacopeia", a CoE's body, already intervned from the start, with preventive controls on the Virus' specimens affected to EMA, and will also inervene before mass distribution to ensure that the produced Vaccines will meet the standards, said to "EuroFora" EU Expet Antoon Di Santo.

 

- "Safety of Vaccines is the most important issue for us", replied EU Commissioner Vassiliou to "EuroFors"'s question. "So, when vaccines will be certified by the (EU) Comission, we shall be absolutely certain", she promissed. EU has enough Experts at its disposal in order to be able to ensure that, she added.

The move is expected to start "before the end of September". Meanwhile, EU Commission already anounced a series of practical measures from now in order to help several EU Member Countries (particularly among the "new", Central-Eastern European States) who don't seem to have enough means to cope alone, to get access to sufficient vaccines in the best possible conditions, thanks to "joint procurements", EU "coordination", etc. As well as in order to focus, at first, on the most exposed parts of the population, (such as Health and other essential public services' agents, pregnant women and children, people with relevant chronic diseases (such as cardio-vascular, diabetes, respiratory, etc), before enough vaccines for all will be produced later-on.

But Vassiliou is aware of a risk for the A H1N1 Virus to "mutate" into a different genetic mix during winter time. - "I hope this doesn't arrive", she said, because things will become much more difficult. It's already a genetic mutation, provoked by unknown causes, which seems to be at the origin of "new" Virus A H1N1 : A "mix" of swine and avian virus with human virus, similar to that of "Spanish Flu" which reportedly killed millions on the sidelines of the 1st World War,

This might explain why the 2009 Pandemics, which progressively stroke all the World, started "at the spot" of such an incident, (i.e. at US Borders between California and/or Texas and Mexico), said to "EuroFora" EU Expert Di Santo, who works at the same EU service which was also in charge of the fight against SARS epidemics in the recent past, which had notoriously originated at a Hong-Kong Labo. 

 

 - In fact, all flu viruses frequently mutate, more or less : That's why often vaccines are updated to such changes, he observed. But he waqs unable yet to explain why a kind of virus who had disappeared since the "Spanish Flu" at the beginning of the 20th Century, suddenly re-appeared in 2009  in a mutated version.. 

( See EU Commission's preparatory measures in detail at :  http://ec.europa.eu/avservices/player/streaming.cfm?type=ebs&sid=147317) 

    New Russian Ambassador to France, Alexander Orlov, who had recently the Historic experience of chairing the CoE during the 1st Russian presidency (2007), speaking to "EuroFora", warmly welcomed Nicolas Sarkozy's recent proposal (2009) to create a  common area between EU and Russia, (that the French President wanted also to include Turkey and other neighbouring countries), but strongly criticized the harassment by some other lobbies against Russia which also hinders the panEuropean CoE to realize iits potential :     

    - "Sarkozy fixed a target that Russia shares with him", stressed from the outset Orlov.

    I.e. "to create, between EU and Russia a common Economic and Human area".  "While for the "Economy", several things have already been said, on the contrary : "Human" is also very important", because it can facilitate Contacts between persons,  Visas,  (fex. for students, experts, businesmen, politicians, athlets, artists, etc), and "naturally Scientific and Technologic exchanges", etc.,"making of Europe a Common Home", he observed.      

    - "Despite of what some erroneously claim against Russia, we are united by the same Humanitarian Values which originate from the Century of Enlightenement, when Catherine the great had close contacts with Voltaire, Diderot, etc, in order to understand that the roots of this community of destiny between EU and Russia has a long History", Orlov added,

    Orlov spoke to "EuroFora" at a splendid classified Paris' monument, the "Hotel d'Estrée", ordered by the Duc d'Estrées during the 18th Century to brillant Architect Robert de Cotte, famous even accross Germany, which had become the Home of Russian Ambassadors in Paris since the 19th century, and was recently restorated, during the 2007 Russian CoE presidency, by Artistic Experts from Saint Petersburg's famous "Hermitage" museum.

    Significantly, the move came at the eve of an exceptional visit to Moscow by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, to meet Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, next Monday, to prepare a Franco-Russian inter-Governemental conference around November 2009 in Paris and a crossed "France-Russia" 2010 Year to be organized at the same period by both countries reciprocally.
-----------------------------------------------------
           Meanwhile, Orlov had organized a reception for participants to CoE's Paris Conference on the "Future of Human Rights" and of the PanEuropean Organization, which discussed also he new Report of the Head of France's Delegation to the CoE, MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, on CoE's Future, (See relevant "EuroFora"s publication), at the Russian Ambassador family's residence, the famous "Hotel d'Estrée", at Grenelle street, close to the also famous Hotel Matignon, of Prime Minister Fillon.

    - "We (Russia) always believe in CoE ! First of all, because it's the only PanEuropean organization, which gathers together all European countries, and focuses on important issues, such as Democracy, Human Rights and Rule of Law"; "We think that CoE could greatly contribute to build Europe's Unity, around common Values", Orlov told on this occasion "EuroFora".

    - "But, what we regret inside CoE, is that, instead of making a great policy, some limit it only in petty politics, and keep a permanent climat of confrontation, in which it's difficult to see anything positive", he denounced. "And this climate of confrontation paralyses CoE : precisely, this confrontational climate, this absolutely useless "war", hinders CoE from doing anything constructive, because it wastes its Time in this absurd conflict"...

    - "Instead of living always in the Past, trying to find sceletons in the cupboard, we'd better all turn towards the Future. "We want to always respect Human Rights, but some are making a bad process against Russia", he added.However, "an organization (as CoE) has a Future if it is looking towards the Future" :

    - "F.ex, "CoE being an organization which has a great deal to do with Law, it could work for the harmonisation of national legislations, to create a common Legal area in Europe". "It's certain that there are some European Countries which are not immediately due to become EU members, F.ex. "Russia is too big, has other priorities, and is auto-sufficient : it doesn't need to integrate the EU. "But if, thanks to CoE, we can harmonise our Legislations, this will create a common Legal area, this will greatly facilitate Economic, Humanitarian and Political exchanges between the two parts of Europe" ""There are still many things to do", in this direction, the experienced Orlov proposed.

    - "But, for that purpose, EU should recognize CoE, which has a larger representativity than the EU, a primary right to elaborate some fundamental rules". "Because what happens now, is that the EU adopts Directives, that it tries, afterwards, to impose upon all other CoE non-EU members"; "It happens almost everywhere : in Politics, etc, and it makes it more and more difficult for the CoE to elaborate new Conventions. Because, EU Law hinders CoE's members to elaborate new common rules : "This is a very important question of principle", he noted.

----------------------------------
+ Lukin denounces attempts to push Russia backwards, and asks more understanding by the CoE
-------------------------------------
    Meanwhile, the experienced Vladimir Lukin, Human Rights Ombudsman of the Russian Federation, and former Head of the Russian Delegation to CoE's Assembly, as well as to EU Parliament, speaking to "EuroFora", reacted to excessive criticism by a British Liberal MEP against even late Archibishop' Alexi II's religious statements in Strasbourg in the past, and strongly criticized  some lobby's attempts to manipulate CoE in order to push Russia away from Europe :

- "The problems do exist : some people in Russia believe that CoE is too much pro-Western", started to say the frank-speaking Lukin.

- But we would like from the CoE to better "take into account the real Aspirations, the "real Necessities, the real problems of such Countries as Russia,  which are to some extend third world counttries of Europe, and have problems in making socio-economic, political and legal progress, step by step, with special attention to Stability", he stressed.  

 - "Russia is very important for the EU, and EU is very important for Russia, but we feel that their is a trend to "use" Russia, and try to push it to return backwards", he denounced

  On the contrary, "we would like some more Equal distance (i.e. less Double Standards : comp. relevant "Eurofora" publication), more attention, and understanding to our special stage of development", Lukin advised.

 - Because "now, we (Russia) are in a situation, where either we make progress, including on Economic and Social issues, or, there will be very negative consequences, like some social upheavals, which may return Russia to go backwards", he warned.

 - "And this Government (i.e. of President Medvedev and Prime Minister Putin), would like to maintain some Democratic achievements, perhaps not full, but most of them, as Freedom of Press, Expression, Freedom of Travel, etc, But not, at the same time, produce a  situation of Chaos, as it was in Russia before, and is now in Ukraine"

- "We are pressed to go that way !"; But, "of course, Kremlin resists, and some increase their pressure to make our regime less democratic", Lukin denouinced.

At a crucial juncture for "CoE's Future", after "60 years of experience", "Double Standards" must stop", stressed to "Eurofora" CoE's Rapporteur, Head of France's Delegation, ChristianDemocrat MEP Jean-Claude Mignon ; -"My main message is that CoE must now turn towards the Future, modernize the organization, ..and stop dispersing our energy on various areas, without forgetting that our 1st mission is to defend Human Rights and Democracy". "EU has a differend mission : It's mainly an Economic organization, while our (CoE's) Values are about Human rights and Democracy".  

- That's why, "Leaders of several CoE Member states must undestand that all ECHR's Judgements must be applied, without any exception  : It's not up to us to judge, afterwards, if some judgements should be implemented, and others not", he added. As for "genuine Real-Politics", "it's not true that they are always opposed : In fact, intelligent Real-Politics in Europe should be combined with the use of Human Rights, Mignon concluded.

In the post-9/11 era, a pan-European Debate on Human Rights values would meet Europe 's vital need to boost Citizens' support, and can be more efficient even for "Real-Politic" aims, than anti-democratic and impopular, excessive and sometimes immoral oppressive measures, said in substance a PanEuropean Conference  on the "Future of Human Rights and Democracy in Europe", opened by CoE's acting Secretary General Mrs Maud de Boer-Buquicchio and Mignon in Paris.

 

Speaking on the Anniversary of the same Day that World Trade Center faced brutal deadly attacks and destruction at New York, back in 2001, the experienced "MBB", (who personally celebrated also in 2009 30 years of work at CoE's Human Rights sector since 1979), started by reminding that, after some 3.000 innocent people were killed "in one of the most massive and atrocious terrorist attacks in History", "there is the time before, and after 9/11... on our perception of Human Rights".    

Some of "post-September 11 approaches ...regarded Human Rights as a Nuisance and an Obstacle in the fight against Terrorism", she observed. While, on the conrtary, "respect for Human Rights .. is not only compatible with a robust response to the terrorist threat, but is actually indispensable for the success of anti-terrorist policies in the long run", MBB stressed.   

 - "The 1st option...lead to responses which blatantly violated Human Rights", with a "Hard-line, Guantanamo-like approach", which "was not only morally wrong, but also practically ineffective". This "swept aside many of the Fundamental Principles of a Society respecting Human Rights and the Rule of Law", and "left ..traces", which ...may reappear every time a new Crisis challenges our commitments, ...our proclaimed Values and Legally binding standards, which have served as a foundation for Stability in Europe", she denounced.    

While we must "look into some of these dilemmas - how and wheher to protect Human Rights and Democracy when we face a Security or Economic threat", in fact, "as to the CoE, ...that dilemma ...does not exist"; Because "for us, Human Righs ..are not a luxury affordable only in times of Stability and Peace", but "necessary to protect Society as a whole, and to fight against threats to its Stability", MBB concluded.

-------------------------------------------    

- "In fact, experience shows that, at the end of the day, Human Rights are more efficient, also from an Economic point of view, than Totalitarian Regimes", stressed from the outset former CoE's Secretary General, Catherine Lalumiere, current Director of "Europe's Home" foundation in Paris, refusing the opposition described by some people between Human Righs and Real-Politics"    

Unfortunately, some "forgot the fact that the very meaning of the European project was initially to create a model for Human Rights' respect", by establishing the CoE, while Economic issues, even if important, came only afterwards, when EU was established.  Thus, an extreme "Materialism", which followed after that, "is one of the causes of the profound desillusion that EU Citizens feel" recently.    But now, that we face a "New Context", with the galoping "Globalisation" and the recent "Crisis", "Europe needs to find anew its Identity", and to "modernise its Human Rights' values project", which is "a Social and Moral choice", she concluded.-

----------------------------------------      

 - "Initially, the European construction was driven by an aspiration for Peace" (with the establishment of CoE, in 1949). Later-on was added also a strive for Economic Prosperity (with the creation of what became recently the EU), reminded former President of Portugal, Jorge Branco de Sampajo, in a special video-message to Paris' CoE conference.

    - "But now, in order to avoid regressing, Europe needs a supplement of Soul", able "to win back EU Citizens' lost confiance" : This means to "reinforce real respect for Human Rights' values, and to develop Citizenship and Participative Democracy"; "Europe is strong if Human Rights are respected. But Europe is weak if there are obstacles to Democracy and Human Rights' values", he stressed.
---------------------------------------------------
    - "EU managed to fill up the floors of Europe's building, but it forgot its Foundations !", denounced Alvaro Gil Robles, former CoE Human Rights' Commissioner, and current Director of research in Valsain Foundation for Democracy in Spain. While now, Europe doesn't need "more protocols" and bureaucracy, but "to fight for the Essentials", he stressed.

    That's why, Gil Robles proposed "for CoE to launch a pan-European Debate, at a global stage, on where we are on Human Rights : are they respected, or not ?".  

    Lalumiere welcomed Gil-Robles' "idea", and added that such pan-European Debates should focus on the strength that we want to give to the essentals of Human Rights, as part of Europe's identity. rRobles' proposal was also endorsed by CoE Conference's official conclusions, which end by anouncing the possibility to prepare "a  Wide Debate... on fundamental Values, their relevance and implementation in current European Society".

    Speaking to "EuroFora", Gil Robles agreed that such a pan-European Debate should "actively involve also the European Civil Society", i.e. NGOs, journalists, experts, and interested Citizens.

    CoE's acting SG, Maud de Boer - Buquicchio, had anounced from the outset that she was "looking forward to the Debate", where she "expect(s) a Vigorous and Critical exchange of Arguments between People who have a lot to say about Human Rights - and are not afraid to say it".

    But, for the moment, unfortunately, someone had the bad idea to exceptionally isolate Journalists covering CoE's conference from the other Participants, by placing them at ..another Floor, where we were not even seen by -and could not see ourselves- a CoE's "moderator" who vainly asked us to "joint the debate"... one floor underneath, while we were practically hindered even to show her our willingness to speak in public, until it became too late !

    In despair, CoE's last moderator, after some vain calls, tried at least to show a part of a Video she had taken with some "EuroFora"'s observations on Europe's present need to urgently solve crucial problems which challenge the efficiency of its Human Rights' protection mechanism, (See relevant "EuroFora" publication on that point). But she was apparently hindered even to show any image, so that she limited herself merely into playing only an Audio transcript of part of our observations, without even showing who made them....
    
    Thus, the floor was, unfortunately taken mainly by a too long series of claims, by some British MEPs, on so-called "discriminations" against... "Gay and Lesbian pride parades", "Heterosexuals", etc, leaving aside the most tragic violations of core-Human Rights, such as Torture, Killings, "Disappearances", condemnation to Prison sentences, destruction of family homes, etc.

    Moreover, numerous attacks against only Russia, taking pretext from various incidents, (even against an erroneous presentation of late ArchiBishop Alexi II's statements at the CoE in Strasbourg), were observed, while, on the contrary, nobody even spoke about any among the numerous grave Violations of Human Rights for which ECHR has notoriously condemned Turkey .. A point which obviously made very glad the Head of the Turkish delegation to CoE's Assembly, MEP Cavusoglou, who was not used to this surprising and exceptional absence of any critocism...  

    Such unavoidable impressions of "Double Standards" were already denounced, earlier in Strasbourg, by Human Rights Watch's Director for Europe and Asia, Mrs Holly Cartner, in reply to an "EuroFora" question, even at a higher level inside CoE :

     - "..My understanding is that the (CoE's) Committee of Ministers is being clearly more forceful on the Tchechnyan judgements (against Russia) than it was in judgements on Turkey !", criticized Cartner, in reply to a question on "double standards". "So we need to do a lot more work in terms of Pressure ...on the Institution (CoE's Committee of Ministers), to make sure that it's not the case...", she concluded.

    Cartner said that in reply to our observation that, while Turkey still persists to fail to do any efficient investigation on the brutal murder of Turkish Cypriot dissident Journalist ADALI, in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, contrary to Ukrania, which has condemned 2 persons and recently arrested a 3rd for the brutal murder of dissident Journalist GONGADZE, CoE's Ministers have mainly criticized ..Ukraine's insufficient enquiry to find and punish those who ordered the murder, but didn't yet say anything on Turkey's total failure, despite the fact that on both these cases of dissident Journalists' murders (Adali and Gongadze) ECHR issued judgements condemning Turkey and Ukraine at the same year : 2005.

    - "The question is what use is made of the Judgements of the European Court", said on the same issue, of ADALI and GONGADZE's cases CoE's Rapporteur on the protection of Human Rights Defenders, German mainstream MEP Holger Haibach, of the ChristianDemocrate/EPP Group, speaking earlier to "EuroFora".- "All of us must try to treat all cases equally" : "If there is a Judgement, and it says that there is a breach of Human Rights, then, we (CoE) have to follow it, irrespective of the country or the region". "But, if I look at what gets in (CoE's Committee of Ministers) and what gets out, ..it has been Political skid !".. , he criticized. - "So, the question is to find a way to raise Public Awareness", concluded Haibach.

    + ""Russia is usually admitting that there are some problems to settle, and says that it tries to deal with them, f.ex. by searching to finding and/or prosecute some of those responsible for possible abuses in Tchechnya, while, on the contrary, Turkey mainly claims that all this concerns "terrorists" and/or that it has nothing more to do, etc", revealed to "EuroFora" an experienced Diplomat at the CoE. Including even on the ADALI murder case, where Ankara still claims that there was nothing more for her to do in order to find and punish those responsible..

 

     - "One key, highly sensitive issue question concerns a potentially very dangerous, worrying trend that has been evident for some time now..., namely a .. "Politicisation" of issues of ...fundamental Values, to their detriment. Some people even call this "Double Standards" or a lack of courage and political will... these criticisms cannot be ignored and must be discussed' stresses the landmark Report on "CoE's Future" drafted by the Head of the French Delegation, ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Jean-Claude Mignon, and unanimously welcomed by CoE's Political affairs committee on Thursday in Paris, as former Prime Minister of Portugal, MEP Joao Mote Amaral confirmed to "Eurofora";

 In this regard, "the Execution of the Court's Judgments", is '"cause for Concern", adds Mignon's Report, referring to MEP '"Pourgourides (who) is monitoring the situation", and will update CoE's Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights on Friday. - "Deficiencies in the execution of ...the judgements of the (panEuropean) Court" is one of the "difficulties" where resides the panEuropean "Court's real problem", Mignon denounces, citting a new "Report ..prepared by (Dutch MEP, Marie-Louise) Bemelmans-Videc  on "Guaranteeing the authority and effectiveness of the European Convention on Human Rights".       

 

Meanwhile, CoE Assembly's vice-President, and Chairman of CoE's Human Rights sub-Committee, MEP Christos Pourgourides, presented, debated with MEPs and issued his 2009 draft Report on ECHR Judgement's execution, Friday in Paris, revealing the extend to which some CoE member States fail to implement ECHR's rulings even "more than 5 years after their delivery", "raising important ...issues" :    

Turkey comes 1st among 47 CoE's Member States, with more than ...42  (!) such pending issues, including also on Hundreds of condemnations for exceptionally Grave Human Rights Violations, such as Torture and inhuman/degrading treatments, killings, "Missing" persons, Destruction of Family Homes, arbitrary deprivation of Liberty (imprisonment), oppression of Freedom of Speech, usurpation of Refugees' homes and land, etc.        

Russia comes 2nd with 19, (less than half of Turkey's 42 "issues" !), Romania and Bulgaria with 16, Italy with 14, the UK and Greece with 13, Poland and Moldova with 12, Ukraine with 10, (etc), most of them comparatively less grave.

 

- "E-Democracy" is "fully part" of what should be "at the Heart" of the new "Digital Society", said to "EuroFora" French Minister for Digital Economy, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet, including it at the "Basis of the Triangle : Networks-Tools and Content/services", which are "the real Aim of Infrastructures and Equipments" :

    - "Without any doubt, it's certainly part of our aims. All the social, Societal, including Political, dimensions of (Digital) Networks are fully and entirely part of the services. There are various possibilities for them to be included.  But it's also a service provided to Citizens, as well as to local and other Public Authorities, facilitating an active participation from the People", she replied to an "EuroFora" question on "E-Democracy, particularly at an European level".

    She was speaking on the sidelines of a Paris' Conference on "Digital Economy : Investing today for tomorrow's Growth" which gathered together thousands of participants, many Experts-speakers from Banks, Technology, Businesses, etc. from France, EU, USA, etc., 4 Ministers, 2 former Prime Ministers (both from the Left and the Right : Michel Rocard and  Alain Juppé), as well as the current Prime Minister Francois Fillon, in view also of larger investment projects due to be funded by a forthcoming "Great Loan" of several Billion euros decided by French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

    Fillon concluded a full Day's debates by launching a call to make of new Digital technologies, and mainly of very fast broad-band Internet, a new opportunity "for a Democratic and Human progress", as well as in order to boost Productivity, (See infra in extenso).

 

Looking graciously fragile, as a both physically and intellectually pregnant Mother ready to give Birth to a Child soon, (a good Symbol for the "New Digital Society" which should be born soon for all EU Citizens), but armed with strong Will and persuasive smart Speech, Nathaliie Kosiusko-Morizet succeeded to fill a large, double-level Auditorium, with participants and journalists whose interest was present from the start up to the end, despite some "hard" moments, as the pains which usually accompany, but don't hinder, every birth of something new : A baby, as well as a socio-economic change :     

 

A shock-wave unexpectedly came from Rocard, who often likes to show that he remains "Socialist" and "at the Opposition" to the French Government, (as he said and recently did, by endorsing a Report ordered by American Millionaire Soros to push Turkey's controversial EU-bid, despite French President Sarkozy, German Chancellor Merkel and other's crystal-clear refusal, strongly backed by EU Citizens at the June 2009 European Parliament Elections) : - Don't expect anything important from the "Great Loan" : Funds will be mainly focused on Environment and Universities, but not for the Internet, Rocard bluntly told the audience, even calling people "Masochists" (sic !), when they kindly applauded at the end of his short intervention... - "I personally don't use a Computer, and I leave the Internet etc. for my Secretary" (sic !), Rocard went on to colourfully add, (with the obvious risk to alienate many "Socialists").. But it's true that I was surprised to find out that .. Groenland, where people lived by fishing, was the 1st to connect them all by broad-band, he conceded...  

 - Even Environmental targets can be succesfully attained thanks also to Digital tools such as, f.ex., Tele-Work, which liberates people from the need to use polluting Car Transports, etc, rightfully observed in reply Juppé, who co-chairs with Rocard the "Great Loan" commission, ensuring the audience that "Digital Economy" projects can have a fair share. "Annualy, the French State spends 350 Billion €, but only 1,8 are invested. So, with the Great Loan we need to invest into stimulating New Growth, preferably in "Green" or "sober" activities, as well as to the "development of innovative SMEs", so that Digital economy has all its chances, said Juppé.  

 - "In Europe, Digital Technologies are at the origin of 40% of Productivity gains, and of 25% of EU's Growth", stressed from the outset Prime Minister Francois Fillon.

     Fillon reminded that he had started to be personally interested at the Internet as early as since 1993, when some "Experts" claimed that the Web "was only a mood that will vanish in a few monhs" (sic !), before taking over a Ministerial responsibility for its development in 1995. In fact, he was more right than he believed : Strasbourg's University had already entrusted to "EuroFora"s founder, Angelo Marcopolo, a pioneer Research Contract on the "Legal issues of Cable Video-Communication Networks" as early as since 1989 : i.e. 20 Years earlier (1989 - 2009) !...

    Meanwhile, "in only a Decade we passed from a few pioneers of Mobile Phones to more than 3 Billion users, and from some geeks to more than a Billion of Internet users", at the same time that Electronic Communication Networks represent the main infrastructure which irrigates and structures the entire Economic System", he added.

    But, still today, "the part of our businesses' productive Investment devoted to Digital assets is, in France and the entire EU, 50% less than that of USA's". And "our RD effort in this domain is only 0,3% of the GDP, while it's 2 times more in the US, and 3 times more in Japan !", he denounced. "In such conditions, it's not a suprise that the aggravation of the global Productivity Gap resulting from ITs between France and the US didn't stop during the last Decade, while the  Added Value's Growth produced by New Technologies was almost 2 times weaker in France than in the US", he observed.

    - "However, we have some real advantages  : Fex. broad-band offer is larger  today in France than in several other areas of the world, and households' equipment is now better than in USA", while "Mobile Internet is in full development", he noted.

    "But now, a new Revolution is on the way : that of very large and fast Broad-band. It has an astonishing Potential", that "we must grasp", for a "spectacular augmentation of the available broad-band flux" and therefore for the emergence of New services and uses". So that "the next 10 or 15 Years will be decisive", Fillon stressed.

    Despite that, at the same time, "9 Million households have not any Internet access in France", and 364 Villages have no mobile phone networks, he deplored as a "paradox".

    President Sarkozy "fixed an ambitious aim : To provide Internet Access, fixed or mobile, to 100% of citizens before 2012" To "avoid a Digital Development "Gap", extended even in Health, Education, Home Work, access to Public Administration information, etc., we must ensure large Internet access throughout all inhabited areas, without discrimination.

    But, since Optic Fiber at 100% of all Rural areas would be an unattainable illusion, because of its huge cost, it's better to ensure Internet access at least by "Alternative solutions", such as via Satellites, Hertzian waves, Mobiles, etc. That's why, a large part of analogic TV Frequences, which will be liberated before 2011 for Digital TV, will be reserved for Mobile broad-band Internet, thanks to the Technology called "LTE", which can offer similar capacities to optic fiber in less populated areas, Fillon" anounced.

    However, real challenges raised by the "Information Society" are much larger :  - "We must strive to make of it also a Democratic and Human progress", he stressed. Abuses of Technical progress here, may also provoke Alienations, (f.ex. Discrimination, exclusion, usurpation, interference in Private life, breaches in the protection of Minors and Children, abusive financial transactions, etc), instead of the creation of a new Dimension of Freedom for real Human Communication", he warned. Study and help to shape the future "Sociology of the Web", is a task ahead of us, Fillon concluded.

------------------------

 - In Europe, 10% of households with Internet broadband connections have access to more than 8 Megabits per second, 80% up to only 8 Mo, and 10% to even less than 2 Mo, while 7% of households have no access at all, observed Yves Gassot, Director of the Institute on Audiovisual and Telecommunications in Europe (IDATE).  

 On the contrary, the USA plan to invest 7,2 Billion $, while Australia plans 20 Billion € to provide to all its inhabitants access to 100 Mo ! In Europe, other countries already start to follow the move : f.ex. Greece invests more than 2 Billion €, Germany plans to cover more than 75% of its population with broad-band connections of more than 50 Mo before 2014, and similar moves are currently unfolding also at the UK, in Finland, etc. EU should deploy fast broad-band connections, at least at the big urban centers before 2015, public funds wtimulaing private invetment, while developing also the "Mobile" Internet (by Phones, mobile computers, etc), he concluded.

    - From 80% of Unemployed Workers searching for jobs at the Internet, to huge simplifications and economies in Administrative formerly bureaucratic procedures, up to a "New Generation of Digital Natives", i.e. youngsters using Computers, the Web, Mobile phones, SMS, etc, Digital Networks, Computer Software, and, above all, Cultural, Scientific or other contents and services can forge an important lever for the modernisation and the development of a new, more performant Economy, stressed key-Minister Kosiusko-Morizet.

    - 1,5 Million households in all the EU (out of 495 million inhabitants), and only 25.000 in France are equiped with Optic Fiber, while 25% of the population lives at Rural areas for which connections are a vital need, observed the Minister of Rural space and Territorial management, Michel Mercier, supporting a proposal at the French Senate to overcome any "Digital Gap" by extending Broad-band Networks throughout all inhabited areas.

    American expert Eli Noam, Professor at Columbia University''s Business school, said to "EuroFora", that, already since former US President George W. Bush's era, (2000-2008), the Federal government had adopted important measures to boost Digital Economy, including, f.ex. a Bill on Signs, with special decisions on Internet, etc. New US President Barack Obama, who notoriously used the Internet even during the Electoral campain, has made several promises, and established new Administrative bodies for that purpose, which have not unveiled yet their concrete potential, he addded in his speach.

    - "We must find anew a capacity to anticipate the Future", stressed Minister for Trade, Services, Tourism and SMEs, Hervé Novelli, observing that, today, even Corea decided to deploy Optic Fiber throughout all its territory for 17 Billion euros (5% public), while ICTs augment Productivity, reduce Bureaucracy, and boost SME's contacts, as proved also the fact that 80% of individual businesses were recently created in France through the Web. Any country with comparatively less productivity and/or a notable percentage of population "marginalized", should use Optic Fiber to desenclave marginalized people, while also simplifying administrative burdens, fex. by concentrating all activities on the creation of new businesses in one unique website.

    - "Networks are useless if they don't have interesting Contents to transmit", while today, it's also a question of prestige, efficiency and Social Equality to be able to promote People's access to French and European cultural and scientific heritage", stressed Frederick Mitterand, new Minister of Culture. After "Europeana" and "Galica" (with 830.000 documents) recently launched by Bibliotheque de France, and RMN, the best data base for Art in the World, CNC is ready to digitalise 13.000 Films and 70.000 hours of creative TV, while INA's archives will soon become available to all Medriterranean countries. I propose to accelerate the digitalisation of Printed texts, Cinema heritage, and to set up digital Movies and Radio, as well as personal, mobile TV, while also establishing a unique Internet Gateway to all Cultural contents, Mitterand said.
-------------------------
    For "Images and Networks" competitivity pole's President, Vincent Marcatte, France and the EU have strong cards to play on Images, Sounds and Video contents, and could become World leaders in this domain, adding also the 3D revolution. It's essential to build areas faclitating meetings between Creators of contents and actors of the digital Networks, as well as to test new business models for emerging creators, to set up an internet gateway for the future allowing access to all our cultural contents, etc;

    - The CEO of European company "Meetic" which succeeded to become equal to the American company "Match", Marc Simoncini, righfully pointed out that, perhaps, "the special difficulties that EU internet service providers have to overcome", as f.ex. the need to use many Languages instead of only one," may become, in future, Europe's strong points" at a World-wide competition :

    This topically reminds EU Commissioner on Multilinguism, Orban's recent statements to "EuroFora" in Strasbourg on current prospects for the development of Automatic Translation tools at the Internet, (see relevant interview).
-----------------------------------------------

    At a pan-European level, CoE has already launched a call to find ways to ensure at least an elementary but certain access for all People to the Internet and other modern Communication networks as part of Human Rights, since a Ministerial Conference in Thessaloniki as early as since 1998, i.e. already more than a Decade ago..

    Initially, some first steps for Citizens' participation thanks to Digital tools were made at a Local level, after Reports recently adopted by CoE's Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe (CLRAE), which organises a "Week of Local Democracy" in Strasbourg on October 2009.

    But it's for the 1st time in 2008 that CoE's Parliamentary Assembly voted in Strasbourg a Resolution favorable to the development of "E-Democracy", overcoming a long Past of MEPs' former hesitations against any form of "direct" democracy.

    The move was boosted further at various CoE's Conferences on a pan-European "Forum for Democracy" organized during CoE' Committee of Ministers' presidencies by Sweden and Spain :

    I.e. the current (7-12/2009) and future (1-6/2010) Presidencies of the EU !.. A fact obviously indicating probable EU developments on E-Democracy in the foreseeable future.    

In fact, "Eurofora"'s project strongly believes that European Citizens' thirst and right to actively engage in direct Debates on "hot" European issues before decisions affecting their lives, can serve both modern Democracy and New Technologies' development by becoming a Driving Force for the new "Digital Society".

***