newsitems EU Consumers Commissioner Mimica to EuroFora: Digital Networks to boost Economy via fex.+Travel-App.
EU Consumers Commissioner Mimica to EuroFora: Digital Networks to boost Economy via fex.+Travel-App.
*Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Experienced former vice-Prime Minister and EU Integration Minister from the newest EU Member : Croatia, replying to "EuroFora"s Questions, stressed, in substance, that it's an EU Priority to boost the Economy also by unfolding Digital Networks' potential, as f.ex. for a free and costless distribution of the 1st EU-wide "Travel" Application for Consumers' Rights, (readable even off-line, after being downlowded), just developed by the Franco-German EU Consumers' Centre headquartered at nearby Kehl, in cooperation with all ECCs' Network, thanks also to an EU Commission's financial support of some 90.000 €, which was presented Today in a Press Conference at EU Parliament :
Mainstream German ChristianDemocrat/EPP MEP Andreas Scwhab, President of the Franco-German EU Consumer's Centre at nearby Kehl, observed earlier, that, covering a Huge Area, - "From Iceland to Cyprus, and from Finland to Portugal", i.e. including Norway, Switzerland, Iceland, etc., with 25 Different Languages, could be downloaded for free from the Internet, and used even in a Mobile SmartPhone, f.ex. by Tourists who might need to know their Rights in case of an Air-Flight and/or Hotel cancellation, or have Legal advise on how to deal with various other such practical issues throughout all Europe, in addition to the Oral Information that they can always have simply by Phoning to an EU Consumers' Centre for a contact with a Legal Expert, (etc).
Topically, they both spoke just after a key Press Conference by EU Parliament's President Martin Schulz, and the out-going EU Chairman-in-office, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, where, focusing on how to Boost EU's Growth and Jobs, Schulz focused on "Real Economy" able to create New Jobs, while Samaras anounced that, after succesfully welcoming more than "10 Millions of Tourists" during last Year : 2013, now, from this Summer, Greece aims to welcome some 20 Millions of Tourists during 2014, "i.e. more than 2 Tourists for 1 Greek", as he had said, smiling, (given also the recently growing efforts of the €uroZone Member country to really face the Debt inherited from Past Governments since the 1980ies and the latest Global Crisis).
Significantly, Prime Minister Samaras friendly embraced earlier, in front of "EuroFora", the German MEP Schwab from nearby Baden-Wurtemberg, who had come forward to salute him at the end of his Press Conference with EU Parliament's President, after having closely worked together for years, since Samaras had served previously himself as a MEP in the recent Past, and always felt personaly as a Member of EU Parliament's "Family", as he reminded during his speech at the Plenary earlier Today with real emotion.
- "You spoke about the Press Conference of EU Parliament's President Schulz and out-going EU Chairman-in-office, Greek "Prime Minister Samaras, where they pointed also on "Real Economy", and particularly on Tourism", "as you said, while EU Commisioner (Mimica) also evoked (Mobile Telecom) "Roaming" charges' lowering, "that, as you know best from all, everybody wishes since many years", "EuroFora" observed in a subsequent Question to the participants, from the outset.
- But, "in real practice, when People will be with their Smart-Phones, Millions of them, even in a Small (EU-Member) Country like Greece, or in the Bigger ones, during Summer Holidays, soon, they will need, obiously, an Internet Connexion, either with their (Mobile) Phone, or on the spot, and a Good one, in order to Download" the Travel net ECC Application you spoke of. Certainly, even "in Greece, which was in the Past one of the Worst places" for Internet Access, "recently, there were some Reforms in order to put Free Wifi Access Hotspots at Railway or Tram Stations, Bus Stops, inside Public Transports, etc., but, probably, there might be some problems, perhaps there and/or in Other (EU) Countries, as, f.ex. Slovakia, and may be in the Bigger (EU) Countries also, France, etc., even in the Best (existing Internet) Networks, when Many People, at the Same Moment, try to Download" something like this.
=> - In such cases, "do you feel that we have in Europe enough Capacities for such Massive events, may be of Millions of People, when they come in 1 Month or so, f.ex. during Summer, almost at the same Time and/or Areas ? And could this be done in Good enough Prices ?", "EuroFora" asked.
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- President Schwab briefly "thanked" "EuroFora" for its "Question", that he found "welcome", and immediately passed over to the competent EU Commissioner Neven Mimica, for a Reply, who expressed the wish to make, at the beginning, - "Just a few Comments : On this overall, Access' Opening, Internet and Roaming issue, etc", as he said :
"- Yes, indeed there might be Problems of uneven Coverage and Access to Internet, accross the EU", European Commissioner Mimica acknowledged from the outset, (at least as things used to stand until recently).
- "But, in general, we (EU) Recognize this, in the EU Commission, as a one of the most Important Issues", he clearly stressed.
=> Therefore, it corresponds also to "and a most Important Priority that, when addressed properly, (it) could definitively contribute to the Development and accomplishment of the Single Market in general", (i.e. included on Digital Economy), the experienced Euro-Politician topically pointed out.
>> - "We (EU) speak now f.ex. of Tourism, of Travelling, on giving better Legal Knowledge to Travellers and (on how) to Assist them in their Language of port, by this (ECC Net Travel) Application. But, there is (also) Question whether they will be Able to Use it accross the EU", Neven Mimica observed, in concreto.
- "In this case, this ("ECC Travel-App.") can be Downloaded at Home, actually", (i.e. even just Before Travelling to a Summer Holiday area), since "this is an Off-line Devise and Application : So, this particular application (normaly) shouldN't face the Major Problems of the Internet Access", the competent EU Commissioner for Consumers' Protection advised, receiving President Schwab's agreement on this specific point.
+ "But, in general, what we (EU) would like to do is, as a 1st Step to Bring Down the Roaming Charges", so that, "in this way, we can Increase the Overall Mobile (Web) Traffic, when (People are) making Calls Abroad. And, then, (i.e. as a 2nd Step), we would like to have a quite Stimulating overall "Internet Package", that would actually Bring more Investments into this Telecom Sector in general, as well as to the Mobile Communications", he Highlighted for the foreseable Future.
- "This is the Final Word of the (EU Commission's) Telephone Package, that I do hope that with the New (EU) Parliament, with the (EU) Council, will be able to Agree on EU Commission's proposals for a Single Telecom Market in Europe", he wished in Conclusion.
+ This could be done in a period of Time f.ex. of "Half a Year", EU Commissioner Neven Mimica estimated later-on, in reply to another "EuroFora"s relevant question.
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Meanwhile, by a coincidence, at least as far as ECC's "Travel-App." is concerned, a 1st Test could Timely start in Greece's reknown ressort of Glyfada, located at a superb Seaside near Athens, where Schwab's former collegue, the Young former MEP Georges Papanicolaou, (from the same ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group), who has just been succesfully Elected as the New Mayor of that City, told earlier in Strasbourg to "EuroFora", while also declaring his wish to try to present for EU support through the Structural and/or Regional Funds, some Good Quality Projects for a Competitive and sustainable Development of that key Touristic area, (including f.ex. for Culture, Sport and/or European/International Conferences in some among the Best Hotels of the Country), in an area which extends from Mountain Hymettos to the Saronic Gulf, famous as Greece's "Riviera" or "Beverly Hills"...
By the way : Why not also a Pioneer, High-Tech Internet "Wifi" etc. Digital Network, f.ex. at the example of another World-Famous Top Touristic ressort in France ; Biarritz, which had notoriously been a Precursor also in Cabled Network TeleCommunication, including at Fiber Optics, etc , (in the constituency of experienced former Head of French Governing Party RPR, and many times Minister of Defense, Security and Foreign Affairs, now elected as New MEP : Michele Alliot-Marie)?...
(../..)
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Scientific innovation joined to Faith for Human Rights, Eastern Partnership and fight against the Crisis, but above all, the need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" from EU Citizens, are the main priorities for new EU Parliament's President, Polish Jerzy Buzek, that a 555-votes-strong majority of MEPs on July 14, Strasbourg made a living symbol of the fact that, 20 years after the fall of Berlin Wall (1989 - 2009) there is no more an Eastern or Western Europe, but only one Europe, as the head of the largest group of MEPs, ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul, stressed after the event.
Speaking later to a group of Strasbourg's Journalists, including "EuroFora", the new EU Parliament's President clarified his stance on concrete topical issues, as f.ex. that of Turkey's controversial EU bid, which was one of the main issues of the June 2009 Electoral campain, clearly won by his party of ChristianDemocrats/EPP : - "At present, Turkey does not fullfil none of EU conditions", he stressed, (See infra).
Buzek is well known in Strasbourg and to "EuroFora" as EU Rapporteur for the Framework Program of Scientific Research and Development of Technologies. A Natural Science Professor from the Historic and Religious landmark Polish City of Częstochowa, active in the famous Solidarnosk grass-roots social movement, he served 4 years as Prime Minister (1997-2001), before being elected as MEP in 2004 and 2009, after he brillantly won the latest EU Election at the head of his party (EPP) almost doubling the number of its MEPs from 15 to 28 !
- "Innovation" and "Energy safety", as well as fight against the "Cimat change", but also "Eastern Partnership", the "Mediterranean", "Strategic partnerships" with Russia, the USA, etc, and the search for "solutions to the Economic Crisis" that EU Citizens "expect" from us, will be his "priorities", announced from the outset the new EU Parliament's President, reminding also that the quest for "Human and Civic Rights" played an important role in his experience with the Solidarnosc grass-roots social movement in Poland's History
But, the most important of all, is the urgent need to overcome the "Crisis of Trust" between EU Institutions and the People he stressed : - EU "Citizens often don't understand us", denounced Buzek, launcing a call to "do anything for EU Citizens to understand our work" in EU Parliament : "We (MEPs) need to make EU Citizens involved" in "what we are doing every week, in Strasbourg and Brussels", he proposed. Pointing f.ex. to the hot "Debates" with "strong arguments" exchanged between MEPs during the preparation of their Legislative Decisions, in Committees, delivering often hard struggles between initially opposed points of view, long before forging a majority at the final vote, sometimes more than a year..
Therefore, EU Parliament will be "open to your criticism, for discussion and exchange of views", he promissed to Journalists in Strasbourg.
In this way, Buzek, in fact, highlighted "EuroFora"s main idea, that we strongly advocate since 1997-2007, to systematicaly and actively involve EU Citizens in public debates during the decision-making process of important EU measures, which affect their lives and the society in which they live, (and not only just a few weeks each 4 or 5 Years at the eve of EU Elections)...
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This is related also to the symbolic gift that Buzek chose to give to the out-going former EU Parliament's President, Hans Gert Poettering, (2007-2009), his collegue in the ChristianDemocrats/EPP, who brillantly won 2009 EU Elections in Germany : A genuine statute of sainte Barbara crafted in Silesia's black Coal by Polish Miners : Those simple but strong people who fought for social change against some technocrats and bureaucrats disguissed into so-called "real-socialists" of old times. (PHOTO).
It's enough to have seen a popular open air mass, at Warsaw's center, with many thousands of people, old and young, simple workers and intellectuals mixed together, with references to Poland's history and struggles for survival and liberty, through various ages, (as fex. that organized at the eve of CoE's 2005 panEuropean Heads of State and Government for the beatification of late Pope John-Paul II), in order to understand what such symbols mean..
But, overcoming the "Crisis of Trust" with EU Citizens obviously implies also to rectify any errors done in the past, fex. on Turkey's controversial EU bid, with controversial decisions taken in 1999 and 2004 to give a "candidate" status and to start EU negotiations, provoking an unprecedented series of 3 "No" to EuroReferenda and 3 Majoriy Abstentions in EU Parliament Elections : 1999, 2005 and 2009, (even if the latest one succeeded to decelerate and almost stop the drop of participation rates, opening hopes for vote's revival after an electoral campaign clearly critical to Turkey's claims in several mainstream EU countries)
Therefore, Buzek was faced with manifold critical Questions on EU Enlargement, most of them citting concrete examples of certain political problems : But his replies were almost always given as a matter of general principle :
F.ex. Questioned on the suspension of EU - Croatia talks because of a Border conflict with EU Member Slovenia, Buzek prefered to speak about principles :
- "We know that during Enlargement, the process can be blocked by failure to resolve this kind of issues", This concerns also other enlargments' cases", and "these rules are always in force" he warned.
But Buzek avoided to directly reply to a queston on "French and German EPP' calls to define the Borders of Europe", as a German journalist asked him by making a reference to French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor Angie Merkel's, critical statements on Turkey at the June 2009 Electoral campain.
- "Concerning Enlargement, there's always the same rules : There have to be Criteria, which have to be respected if a Country wants to join the EU", he started to simply reply.
- "For my country (Poland) it took us 15 Years to fullfil these Criteria", Buzek reminded, indicating, if proportions are kept, that Turkey, fex. would have to spend some 25 years before eventually joining the EU..
- "Countries wishing to join the EU need to Change their Systems", as we (Poland and other former Eastern European Countries) did, he stressed.
- "'For me, meeting the condition of Human Rights is one of the Key conditions for membership in the EU", preferring again to speak from the point of view of General Principles, on the occasion of an untimely question on Serbia (which is not even a candidate yet)...
- "Turkey" has, "first of all", to fullfil (EU) Copenhagen criteria". Bevause, currently, none of them is fullfiled by Turkey", New EU Parliament's President, denounced, speaking later to a group of Journalists, including "EuroFora".
In particular, on Human Rights : - "We (EU) can never forget Human Rights", because "this is at the very Foundations of the EU", Buzek added.
On the contrary, when he referred to EU Enlargment for the "Western Balkans Countries ", Buzek appeared upbeat, finding "promising situations", despite "difficulties" in the Past, since "Countries are queuing to become EU members", and this "generated changes", as he said.
As for Russia, Buzek observed that it was a "very important" country, located "in the same Continent", Europe, "close to our borders", and "we need eachother". "But Russia' has 'differend poblems : "They claim that their system is Democratic, but rules are differend", and we must be "aware of such differencies", fex. "on Human Rights", that we can't ignore, as he said;
Concerning China, where a journalist observed that the recipient of EU Parliament's latest "Sakharov prize" for freedom of thought is "still in prison", Buzek found that since the 1999 events in Tien Amin square, "we see differencies on Human Rights still today", and expressed his "support" for those who try to ameliorate the situation.
On the contrary, speaking recently to "EuroFora" he strongly supported the idea for an EU - Ukraine cooperation, fex. between Airbus and Antonov, in order to build a less costly but more performant than the old and problematic A400M, new Military Transport Airplane : - "They (Ukranian Antonov Company) can certainly do it. I'm sure they can. It's a good Idea, and I'd be glad if it was done", he told us. (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/airbusantonov.html )