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The agenda of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) plenary session of the 4th and 5th of May is extensive, with members set to discuss opinions relating to industrial policy, nuclear energy and employment. László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion will participate in the session, along with a French delegation from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of France, headed by its president Jean-Paul Delevoye.

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The agenda of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) plenary session of the 4th and 5th of May is extensive, with members set to discuss opinions relating to industrial policy, nuclear energy and employment. László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion will participate in the session, along with a French delegation from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of France, headed by its president Jean-Paul Delevoye.

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Thanks to EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table, which ended just yesterday in Brasilia, I have acquired a deeper insight into this vibrant nation. Brazil is a country to which we Europeans could start paying more attention and from which we have much to learn. As an emerging economic power and given the proven impact of civil society input into the country’s social inclusion policies, I feel Brazil deserves more credit for its increased involvement in the global political agenda. We had the opportunity to meet Brazilian civil society and discuss topics related to food security, inevitably linking it to agricultural production and resource management, and the need to make it sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms.

Our Committee will shortly report on the findings of the Round Table. I’d like to reflect a little more here on some aspects which impressed me most in Brazil, starting with its leadership. I admire the inclusive approach of the Brazilian president whom I met briefly yesterday. Dilma Rousseff is committed to economic and social growth so that millions of Brazilians can enjoy full rights as citizens. Her declared vision is to reach out for the first time to people who have been long excluded from the economy and financial systems and empower them to bring their values and hopes to bear in the future policies of their country. Brazil, as a new and thriving democracy, is thus fertile ground for expanding civil society involvement in the policymaking process.

As the fifth largest country in the world, with a very young population (around 60% of Brazilians are under 29) and an expanding economy, Brazil has become a stabile democracy. That said, it remains one of the most unequal countries in the world in various respects. This is an acknowledged fact – and is a state of affairs that the Brazilian government and civil society are working hard to change. The best proof of this is the election of a woman to the highest office in the land, at a time when gender equality in Brazil is still a major social issue.

Brazilians have also taken a very practical approach to food security. They have adopted a human-rights type framework and enshrined in law the right to food as a fundamental social right. Of course you may say that Brazil is still far removed from securing food for everyone and eradicating extreme poverty. But I was surprised to learn about the government's measures on these fronts, instigated and implemented in partnership with national and international NGOs, public and private companies and associations: the Zero Hunger Programme, the subsidised canteens, the food banks, the Family Allowance Programme (Bolsa Familia), the National School Meals Programme – to mention just a few.

You may of course wonder, as some of our members did, to what extent these initiatives are sustainable. We heard a very pragmatic argument on this question from a Brazilian civil society colleague: people are hungry NOW. For example, 45 million pupils receive school lunches and 30% of food has to be bought from family agriculture and local production. This convinced me that it is very likely possible to strike a balance between short-term solutions to eradicating extreme poverty, ensuring the right to food, and long-term sustainable and innovative growth schemes.

In our future discussions with Brazilian civil society representatives, we will go deeper into sustainable development issues. Our premise is that there is a need for a paradigm shift in order to foster sustainable development practices in all policies, and effect the move towards a green economy. Again, in all these changes, I believe it is civil society that will play the decisive role, as fundamental change always comes from the grassroots and is never decreed from the top down.

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Key project will receive EU funding
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Belgian project s step closer to reality thanks to EU funds
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Roads financed in Finland
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EU to contribute to key rail link
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Key project in the UK will be partly financed by EU
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Air traffic over Central Europe flying towards more integration by December 2012 thanks to EU-funded project
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Tunneling to start on key project
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UK and Ireland cooperate to improve air traffic management
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EU funds key infratsructure in the UK
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The Agency looking to recruit a Temporary Agent and two Contractual ones
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Key document analyses role of Agency in implementing the TEN-T Programme
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Agency enjoys central role in key event on TEN-T
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The agenda of the European Economic and Social Committee's (EESC) plenary session of the 4th and 5th of May is extensive, with members set to discuss opinions relating to industrial policy, nuclear energy and employment. László Andor, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion will participate in the session, along with a French delegation from the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of France, headed by its president Jean-Paul Delevoye.

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Corrigendum to Contract Notice & Tender Specifications related to framework contract for financial audits of EU funded programmes or actions. Modifications will be uploaded at the beginning of next week.
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This study was carried out by TNO (NL) in collaboration with the Photonics and Plastic Electronics Knowledge Transfer Network (UK) and Technologia (UK). The study concludes that the European photonics industry, with a share of 21% of the global photonics market and annual growth rates of around 10%, lies at the basis of significant business opportunities and value creation as well as highly qualified jobs in Europe.
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This year the Council’s Open Day is on Saturday 7 May from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. You will be able to explore its Justus Lipsius building, where the leaders and government ministers of the 27 Member States take decisions. As well as learning more about the activities of the European Council and the…
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Towards the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations (2012) Conference Brussels, 29 April 2011
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The euro area (EA17) seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate was 9.9% in March 2011, unchanged compared with February. It was 10.1% in March 2010. The EU27 unemployment rate was 9.5% in March 2011, also unchanged compared with February. It was 9.7% in March 2010.
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Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 2.8% in April 2011 according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. It was 2.7% in March.
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Thanks to EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table, which ended just yesterday in Brasilia, I have acquired a deeper insight into this vibrant nation. Brazil is a country to which we Europeans could start paying more attention and from which we have much to learn. As an emerging economic power and given the proven impact of civil society input into the country’s social inclusion policies, I feel Brazil deserves more credit for its increased involvement in the global political agenda. We had the opportunity to meet Brazilian civil society and discuss topics related to food security, inevitably linking it to agricultural production and resource management, and the need to make it sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms.

Our Committee will shortly report on the findings of the Round Table. I’d like to reflect a little more here on some aspects which impressed me most in Brazil, starting with its leadership. I admire the inclusive approach of the Brazilian president whom I met briefly yesterday. Dilma Rousseff is committed to economic and social growth so that millions of Brazilians can enjoy full rights as citizens. Her declared vision is to reach out for the first time to people who have been long excluded from the economy and financial systems and empower them to bring their values and hopes to bear in the future policies of their country. Brazil, as a new and thriving democracy, is thus fertile ground for expanding civil society involvement in the policymaking process.

As the fifth largest country in the world, with a very young population (around 60% of Brazilians are under 29) and an expanding economy, Brazil has become a stabile democracy. That said, it remains one of the most unequal countries in the world in various respects. This is an acknowledged fact – and is a state of affairs that the Brazilian government and civil society are working hard to change. The best proof of this is the election of a woman to the highest office in the land, at a time when gender equality in Brazil is still a major social issue.

Brazilians have also taken a very practical approach to food security. They have adopted a human-rights type framework and enshrined in law the right to food as a fundamental social right. Of course you may say that Brazil is still far removed from securing food for everyone and eradicating extreme poverty. But I was surprised to learn about the government's measures on these fronts, instigated and implemented in partnership with national and international NGOs, public and private companies and associations: the Zero Hunger Programme, the subsidised canteens, the food banks, the Family Allowance Programme (Bolsa Familia), the National School Meals Programme – to mention just a few.

You may of course wonder, as some of our members did, to what extent these initiatives are sustainable. We heard a very pragmatic argument on this question from a Brazilian civil society colleague: people are hungry NOW. For example, 45 million pupils receive school lunches and 30% of food has to be bought from family agriculture and local production. This convinced me that it is very likely possible to strike a balance between short-term solutions to eradicating extreme poverty, ensuring the right to food, and long-term sustainable and innovative growth schemes.

In our future discussions with Brazilian civil society representatives, we will go deeper into sustainable development issues. Our premise is that there is a need for a paradigm shift in order to foster sustainable development practices in all policies, and effect the move towards a green economy. Again, in all these changes, I believe it is civil society that will play the decisive role, as fundamental change always comes from the grassroots and is never decreed from the top down.

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The European day of solidarity between generations is celebrated each year on 29 April. Eurofound’s recent work on employment issues for young and older people is highlighted as particularly relevant on this day.
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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Identifier: SP1-JTI-CS-2011-02
Specific programme: Cooperation
Theme(s): Joint Technology Initiatives (Annex IV-SP1)
Type: Call for Proposal
Publication date: Thu, 28 Apr 2011
Deadline: Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:00:00 (Brussels local time)
Budget: 12,697,500 €
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On behalf of the European Commission, Technosite, NOVA and CNIPA are carrying out the “Monitoring eAccessibility” Study. This study will provide an overview of the status and progress of eAccessibility-related policies and technologies in 14 selected European countries and three non-European countries. The topic of this Study is “eAccessibility”, in other words the ways that people with disabilities and others (such as older people) overcome the technical barriers and difficulties they experience when trying to participate on equal terms in the information society. ICT is increasingly essential for daily life and work. ICT contributes to efficiency and quality of public services, business opportunities, workers’ productivity and overall competitiveness. The survey is open until 8 May.
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The main aim of Get online week 2011 campaign ( 28 February – 5 March 2011) was to bring online those people who had never accessed the internet before.
The campaign was successful: in only one week, it reached more than one hundred thousand Europeans in about 5,000 telecentres in 30 countries across Europe. The Europe-wide campaign was launched by Neelie Kroes, Vice President of the European Commission, in Brussels. The video shows highlights of the Brussels launch event and testimonials of some of the participants.
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The European Commission has approved under EU state aid rules the funding mechanism that was in place for Danish broadcaster TV2 between 1995 and 2002. In particular, the Commission has concluded that the compensation granted under this mechanism was proportionate to the costs of its public service mission and so did not give rise to any disproportionate distortion of competition. Since 2004, TV2 is only financed by advertising revenues and by income from its commercial channels. Subject to conditions ensuring that TV2 becomes viable without continued state support, the Commission has also authorised restructuring aid for TV2.
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Thanks to EU-Brazil Civil Society Round Table, which ended just yesterday in Brasilia, I have acquired a deeper insight into this vibrant nation. Brazil is a country to which we Europeans could start paying more attention and from which we have much to learn. As an emerging economic power and given the proven impact of civil society input into the country’s social inclusion policies, I feel Brazil deserves more credit for its increased involvement in the global political agenda. We had the opportunity to meet Brazilian civil society and discuss topics related to food security, inevitably linking it to agricultural production and resource management, and the need to make it sustainable in social, economic and environmental terms.

Our Committee will shortly report on the findings of the Round Table. I’d like to reflect a little more here on some aspects which impressed me most in Brazil, starting with its leadership. I admire the inclusive approach of the Brazilian president whom I met briefly yesterday. Dilma Rousseff is committed to economic and social growth so that millions of Brazilians can enjoy full rights as citizens. Her declared vision is to reach out for the first time to people who have been long excluded from the economy and financial systems and empower them to bring their values and hopes to bear in the future policies of their country. Brazil, as a new and thriving democracy, is thus fertile ground for expanding civil society involvement in the policymaking process.

As the fifth largest country in the world, with a very young population (around 60% of Brazilians are under 29) and an expanding economy, Brazil has become a stabile democracy. That said, it remains one of the most unequal countries in the world in various respects. This is an acknowledged fact – and is a state of affairs that the Brazilian government and civil society are working hard to change. The best proof of this is the election of a woman to the highest office in the land, at a time when gender equality in Brazil is still a major social issue.

Brazilians have also taken a very practical approach to food security. They have adopted a human-rights type framework and enshrined in law the right to food as a fundamental social right. Of course you may say that Brazil is still far removed from securing food for everyone and eradicating extreme poverty. But I was surprised to learn about the government's measures on these fronts, instigated and implemented in partnership with national and international NGOs, public and private companies and associations: the Zero Hunger Programme, the subsidised canteens, the food banks, the Family Allowance Programme (Bolsa Familia), the National School Meals Programme – to mention just a few.

You may of course wonder, as some of our members did, to what extent these initiatives are sustainable. We heard a very pragmatic argument on this question from a Brazilian civil society colleague: people are hungry NOW. For example, 45 million pupils receive school lunches and 30% of food has to be bought from family agriculture and local production. This convinced me that it is very likely possible to strike a balance between short-term solutions to eradicating extreme poverty, ensuring the right to food, and long-term sustainable and innovative growth schemes.

In our future discussions with Brazilian civil society representatives, we will go deeper into sustainable development issues. Our premise is that there is a need for a paradigm shift in order to foster sustainable development practices in all policies, and effect the move towards a green economy. Again, in all these changes, I believe it is civil society that will play the decisive role, as fundamental change always comes from the grassroots and is never decreed from the top down.

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