Allegation(s)

1) The decision to dismiss the complainant after his probationary period was unjustified.

2) EASA wrongly included statements in the complainant’s probationary report that were insulting, defamatory and criticised his personality.

3) EASA acted unfairly in dismissing the complainant after his probationary period.

4) EASA discriminated against the complainant.

Claim(s)

1) EASA should revise the unjustified probationary period report.

2) EASA should apologise for its wrongdoing.

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Comments

Let any discussion commence……………

http://witteringwitney.blogspot.com/2011/11/comments.html

Rumours Euro to be replacedThere are reports today that the Euro is unsustainable in its present form and will have to be replaced. The new currency will be known as the Fiasco, to be made up of 100 Débâcles. Well, lets face it.. it … Continue reading →http://www.parker-joseph.com/pjcjournal/2011/11/30/rumours-euro-to-be-replaced/

Hitler lives – albeit via a sex-change……..

“Obviously, there must be some connection between the subordination of actual individuals and the grotesque exaltation of symbolic ones like Kim Il Sung.“
Christopher Hitchens

“However, very much in the character of a mountain meeting an immovable object, there was a whisper, mid-month that Merkel was looking to overhaul the German constitution, with a view to emasculating the powers of the constitutional court. This story is now gathering momentum, if not substance, with a further report in Speigel, suggesting that the court is at risk of losing its jurisdiction over European issues.“

“Those whom the Gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.“

http://witteringwitney.blogspot.com/2011/11/hitler-lives-albeit-via-sex-change.html

Lies, damned lies and statistics (2)

“Statistics are like bikinis. What they reveal is suggestive, but what they conceal is vital.“
Aaron Levenstein

Just saying………………

http://witteringwitney.blogspot.com/2011/11/lies-damned-lies-and-statistics-2.html

Commissioner Füle leads detailed discussion on EU future of Western Balkans

Author: New Europe

Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Commissioner Štefan Füle addressed the European Policy Summit on the Western Balkans organised by Friends of Europe on 30 November.

http://www.neurope.eu/article/commissioner-fuele-leads-detailed-discussion-eu-future-western-balkans

Stock markets celebrate. Why?

Author: Dionyssis Kefalakos

Despite the fact that it was known even by early October that the six major central banks of the globe, namely the American Fed, the ECB, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank and the Bank of Canada were supposed to take co-ordinated action to secure dollar liquidity with the Eurozone banks, stock exchanges were nevertheless celebrating the fruition of this decision on 30 November.

http://www.neurope.eu/article/stock-markets-celebrate-why

Published on:

30 November 2011

Response to comments on the Scientific Opinion of the EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA) on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to beta-palmitate and increased calcium absorption pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

This one-day workshop is organised by the Committee for Advanced Therapies (CAT) as part of its effort to strengthen the dialogue with its stakeholders. The main aim of the workshop is to communicate the outcome of focus group meetings held in 2011. Attendees will have the opportunity to send questions to the organising committee in advance. Registration open until 03/01/2012.
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…EU Court of Justice says. See the Court’s press release No 128/2011.

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This includes mutual recognition of each others’ customs “secure traders” programmes. See also Commissioner Šemeta’s statement.

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The snowball becomes an avalanche

Author: Ralph T. Niemeyer

Conservatives usually uphold tradition, culture and values but, if Humanism and Classicismare really in their hearts, why could they allow such mega-scams run our economies and eventually drive us all over the cliff?

http://www.neurope.eu/blog/snowball-becomes-avalanche

The Commission proposal has allocated the EIT a budget of 2.8 billion € (3.2 billion € taking account of estimated inflation in 2014-2020) to enable it to build and consolidate its existing three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): Climate-KIC, EIT ICT Labs and KIC InnoEnergy that address climate change, ICT and sustainable energy respectively. In addition, the proposed budget also foresees new KICs to enable the EIT to further integrate the European knowledge triangle by tackling societal challenges in innovative ways. The SIA plans to set up the new KICs in two waves:

1. The first wave, to be launched in 2014, will address the following themes: innovation for healthy living and active ageing (improving the quality of life and well-being of citizens of all ages); food4future (sustainable food supply chain, from farm to fork); raw materials (sustainable exploration, extraction, processing, recycling and substitution of raw materials).

2. The next wave of KICs, to be established in 2018, will focus on: added value manufacturing (developing more competitive, sustainable and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes); smart secure societies (addressing Europe’s security gaps through the development and deployment of innovative ICT solutions); and urban mobility (delivering a greener, more inclusive, safer and smarter urban mobility system).

The European Commission also presented its proposal for Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014-2020), which is the new, integrated funding system that will bring together funding programmes for Research and Innovation and for Business Competitiveness and SMEs. As a pillar of the ‘tackling societal challenges’ objective, the EIT welcomes the Horizon 2020 proposal and looks forward to forging closer links with other initiatives in the European innovation landscape and to fully contribute to achieving the goals of Horizon 2020.

The European Commission’s Horizon 2020 proposal (including the EIT’s Strategic Innovation Agenda, the amended EIT Regulation and the European Commission’s Opinion on the Independent Evaluation of the EIT) will be adopted by the European Parliament and Council.

For more information: 

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to create more innovation hubs Press Release

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Strategic Innovation Agenda Frequently Asked Questions

Horizon 2020: Commission proposes €80 billion investment in research and innovation, to boost growth and jobs Press Release

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A Startup weekend is an intense 54 hour event that focuses on transforming high tech, design, web or mobile business idea into a prototype, market strategy or business case. The weekend brings together  people with different skills – primarily developers, creatives and entrepreneurs – to create prototypes  and develop commercial cases.

The Eindhoven Startup weekend gathered 60 partipants that formed 10 teams and pitched 32 ideas. At the end of the weekend five of the teams had working prototypes.

The jury, including EIT ICT Labs Eindhoven Node Director Patrick Strating, selected team Fairy Tale as the winner. Their application uses augmented reality to encourage children to play outdoors.

Read full news on eit.ictlabs.eu

View the pitch of Fairy Tale on YouTube

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The EIT conference Youth and Entrepreneurship - Drivers of innovation brought together 200 participants from diverse backgrounds ranging from KICs and their students, successful European and international entrepreneurs, business representatives, venture capitalists, business angels and European stakeholder organisations to discuss what is needed to further boost entrepreneurship in Europe, especially among young people.

The conference was a platform to present EIT and KIC activities on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education by putting students and young entrepreneurs at center stage to:

• learn from inspiring entrepreneurial role models
• receive practical advice for setting-up a business
• network to build a vibrant community around the EIT and KICs.

It was widely agreed that , in order to develop future entrepreneurs and to foster business creation, the focus should not only be on educating but also very much on learning by doing and some even believe that "Entrepreneurship cannot be taught at all, but can only be inspired."

This aspect is taken into account in the Master and PhD programmes developed by the KICs where students are involved in entrepreneurial projects and activities in the co-location centres, as well as internships in business, alongside attending  inspiring lectures and courses.

Another essential element underlined by entrepreneurs was the importance of trying and accepting failure as a learning experience: do – fail – do!

The atmosphere was dynamic and interactive. The comments and discussions clearly showed enthousiasm and a can-do spirit to boost entrepreneurship. Students were eager to show their projects and network to develop them further.

The discussions provided inputs for the further development of the role of the EIT in fostering entrepreneurship and in expanding its activities to support the communities of young entrepreneurs emerging from the KICs.
 
"In the end, we will all be judged by the results" – The vice-Chairman of the EIT Governing Board Anders Flodström concluded.

View a Storify including tweets and photos from the conference. Videos and photos will be released in the next weeks.

Read the impressions of Climate-KIC.

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The 2012 Entrepreneurship Awards will put the spotlight on and encourage entrepreneurial ventures within the Knowledge and Innovation Communities thematic areas (climate change adaptation and mitigation, the future of information and communication society and sustainable energy) and help them develop in a successful and sustainable way.

“Mentoring is key for emerging companies. The connection to powerful executives in European industry will give credibility to entrepreneurs. It will hopefully help them get access to new clients, markets and to think big! This is how the EIT wants to leverage its network and help expand companies, which were born in KICs: born-to-be-global” says Daria Tataj, Member of the EIT’s Governing Board’s Executive Committee.

The selection of the nominated ventures is driven by the three KICs and each KIC will put forward three ventures that will be invited to do a business pitch at a high-level conference, where the three EIT Entrepreneurship Award winners will be selected. The finalists will be given the opportunity to attend a training course on how to successfully present their businesses and will also be given the opportunity to meet with leading entrepreneurs who will provide them with guidance on how to prepare for the scaling up of their businesses.

The high-level conference where the three winners of the EIT Entrepreneurship awards will be selected, is the EIT Entrepreneurship Awards 2012 / ACES Academic Enterprise Awards and Conference organised in cooperation with Science|Business, that will be taking place in Brussels on 21 February 2012. The ACES awards, now in their fourth year, are a separate contest open to all university spin-outs across Europe, and are judged by the Science|Business Innovation Board AISBL, a Belgian non-profit association to promote innovation in Europe.

To give the opportunity to meet the finalists for the 2012 EIT Entrepreneurship Awards prior to the competition in February 2012, more information on the nine ventures selected by the three KICs will follow soon.

Find more information about Climate-KIC entrepreneurship,EIT ICT Labs entrepreneurship and KIC InnoEnergy entrepreneurship

Download the full press release (PDF)

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(JEL: F01, F10) Trade is measured on a gross sales basis while GDP is measured on a net sales basis, i.e. value added. The rapid internationalisation of production in the last two decades has meant that gross trade flows are increasingly unrepresentative of value added flows. This fact has important implications for the estimation of the gravity equation. We present empirical evidence that the standard gravity equation performs poorly by some measures when it is applied to bilateral flows where parts and components trade is important. We also provide a simple theoretical foundation for a modified gravity equation that is suited to explaining trade where international supply chains are important.
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(JEL: E25, J23, J24, O40) We examine the two-level nested Constant Elasticity of Substitution production function where both capital and labor are disaggregated in two classes. We propose a normalized system estimation method to retrieve estimates of the inter- and intra-class elasticities of substitution and factoraugmenting technical progress coefficients. The system is estimated for US data for the 1963-2006 period. Our findings reveal that skilled and unskilled labor classes are gross substitutes, capital structures and equipment are gross complements, and aggregate capital and aggregate labor are gross complements with an elasticity of substitution close to 0.5. We discuss the implications of our findings and methodology for the analysis of the causes of the increase in the skill premium and, by implication, inequality in a growing economy.
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(JEL: C10, C23, H11, H30, O40) We construct a growth model with an explicit government role, where more government resources reduce the optimal level of private consumption and of output per worker. In the empirical analysis, for a panel of 108 countries from 1970-2008, we use different proxies for government size and institutional quality. Our results, consistent with the presented growth model, show a negative effect of the size of government on growth. Similarly, institutional quality has a positive impact on real growth, and government consumption is consistently detrimental to growth. Moreover, the negative effect of government size on growth is stronger the lower institutional quality, and the positive effect of institutional quality on growth increases with smaller governments. The negative effect on growth of the government size variables is more mitigated for Scandinavian legal origins, and stronger at lower levels of civil liberties and political rights. Finally, for the EU, better overall fiscal and expenditure rules improve growth.
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(JEL: C32, E30, E44, E51, E52) I find that the Eurosystem can stimulate the economy beyond the policy rate by increasing the size of its balance sheet or the monetary base. The transmission mechanism turns out to be different compared to traditional interest rate innovations: (i) whilst the effects on economic activity and consumer prices reach a peak after about one year for an interest rate innovation, this is more than six months later for a shift in the monetary base that is orthogonal to the policy rate (ii) interest rate spreads charged by banks decline persistently after a rise in the monetary base, whereas the spreads increase significantly after a fall in the policy rate (iii) there is no significant short-run liquidity effect after an interest rate innovation, that is additional bank loans are generated by a greater credit multiplier. In contrast, the multiplier declines considerably after an expansion of the Eurosystem’s balance sheet.
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(JEL: G12, D83, D84) We study the dynamics of a Lucas-tree model with finitely lived agents who “learn from experience.” Individuals update expectations by Bayesian learning based on observations from their own lifetimes. In this model, the stock price exhibits stochastic boom-and-bust fluctuations around the rational expectations equilibrium. This heterogeneous-agents economy can be approximated by a representative-agent model with constant-gain learning, where the gain parameter is related to the survival rate.
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European Union funding for infrastructure projects has proved to be crucial.
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Iran resistance leaders urge EU to prevent massacre

Author: Jordan Shapiro

The National Council of Resistance of Iran along with MEPs are urging the EU foreign ministers to take action against Iraq's attempts to close an Iranian camp, home to more than 3,000 dissidents.

http://www.neurope.eu/article/iran-resistance-leaders-urge-eu-prevent-massacre

It is a commonly held view that the financial crisis is partly due to ineffective regulation of the financial markets. Paradoxically, although it is a matter of key public interest, civil society has not been given enough of a voice in financial regulation policymaking. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) organised a public hearing on November 28 to prepare an own initiative opinion on how to better involve civil society in financial regulation.
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Eurozone to bypass Brussels and rely on IMF-EFSF co-operation

Author: Dionyssis Kefalakos

On 29 November, the Eurogroup did not come up with any ground-breaking decisions on the Eurozone's debt problems, leaving this up to the European Council, namely the 27 EU leaders meeting on 9 December. Obviously in the meantime, Berlin and Paris will come up with their new plan for a definitive Eurozone solution.

http://www.neurope.eu/article/eurozone-bypass-brussels-and-rely-imf-efsf-co-operation

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Over 3,000 mayors teamed up yesterday (30 November) in efforts to demonstrate that energy efficiency targets could be implemented through a bottom-up approach, despite stagnating talks on a proposed EU energy efficiency directive. 

More »
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The European Commission proposal for the Strategic Innovation Agenda of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT): the contribution of the EIT to a more innovative Europe (SIA) is the Commission’s proposed framework strategy for the EIT in the years to come. The aim is to significantly enhance the EIT’s impact across Europe through the integration of the knowledge triangle (higher education, business and research) with entrepreneurship as the driver. 

The Commission proposal has allocated the EIT a budget of 2.8 billion € (3.2 billion € taking account of estimated inflation in 2014-2020) to enable it to build and consolidate its existing three Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs): Climate-KIC, EIT ICT Labs and KIC InnoEnergy that address climate change, ICT and sustainable energy respectively. In addition, the proposed budget also foresees new KICs to enable the EIT to further integrate the European knowledge triangle by tackling societal challenges in innovative ways. The SIA plans to set up the new KICs in two waves:

1. The first wave, to be launched in 2014, will address the following themes: innovation for healthy living and active ageing (improving the quality of life and well-being of citizens of all ages); food4future (sustainable food supply chain, from farm to fork); raw materials (sustainable exploration, extraction, processing, recycling and substitution of raw materials).

2. The next wave of KICs, to be established in 2018, will focus on: added value manufacturing (developing more competitive, sustainable and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes); smart secure societies (addressing Europe’s security gaps through the development and deployment of innovative ICT solutions); and urban mobility (delivering a greener, more inclusive, safer and smarter urban mobility system).

The European Commission’s Horizon 2020 proposal (including the EIT’s Strategic Innovation Agenda, the amended EIT Regulation and the European Commission’s Opinion on the Independent Evaluation of the EIT) will be adopted by the European Parliament and Council.

For more information: 

Horizon 2020: Commission proposes €80 billion investment in research and innovation, to boost growth and jobs Press Release

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to create more innovation hubs Press Release

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Strategic Innovation Agenda Frequently Asked Questions

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The European Commission presented today (30 November) its €80-billion research funding programme for the decade – Horizon 2020 – with the aim of boosting research, stimulating innovation and simplifying the way scientists and smaller businesses can get funding for EU-backed projects.

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The conference on the topic “The Day of Social Dialogue” jointly organised by the Polish Confederation of Private Employers Lewiatan and the European Social and Economic Committee (EESC), will be held on 14 December 2011, 09:00 – 14:00 at the EESC in the Van Maerlant Building (room VM3, rue Van Maerlant 2 – Brussels).
The event will be opened by Mr. Jacek P. Krawczyk, Vice-President of the EESC in charge of budget. It aims to gather representatives of employers and workers as well as high-level EU institutions’ representatives to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the social dialogue within the EU, and identify new challenges and new possibilities to further foster social dialogue throughout the EU.
You can find the programme and more information below. To register, please contact Mrs Agnieszka PAPAJ apapaj@pkpplewiatan.pl by 12 December 2011.
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The President of the Employers’ Group of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Mr. Henri Malosse, is hosting a conference entitled “The role of European investments for companies and employment in the future financial perspectives” on 12 December 2011, at the Jacques Delors building, between 14:30 and 18:00.

In the context of a financial crisis and austerity measures, what role can and should Europe play to revitalise its economy, support businesses and boost employment? How to promote the growth of SMEs, the main lever for the creation of youth employment? What is the role of European investments for companies and employment in the future European multiannual financial framework?

The conference will also address issues related to the role of business to support an ambitious political European project for Europe, its citizens and economic actors, as well as the means to contribute to the success of the 2020 Strategy. Finally, how to ensure that European efforts in innovation and R&D help to boost production in Europe? What can companies do to support an ambitious European education policy? This conference aims to send a political message in the negotiations, budget decisions and financial progress at the European and national levels. Participants will include EESC Employers’ Group Members, business representatives from EUROCHAMBRES, UEAPME, BUSINESSEUROPE and entrepreneurs.
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The current Competitiveness and Innovation Framework programme (and predecessor of the new Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs”, COSME) focuses on financial instruments for enterprises, the Enterprise Europe Network, Entrepreneurship and better framework conditions for enterprises in the EU. Other CIP actions, such as Innovation- and Energy-related actions, will be covered under the new Horizon 2020 Programme in the future.
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Promote access to finance and encouraging an entrepreneurial culture, including the creation of new enterprises are the core issues of the new financial support programme, tabled by the European Commission in Brussels today. With a budget of € 2.5 billions over the period 2014-2020, the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and SMEs, COSME is a funding instrument, which is largely continuing the activities under the current Competitiveness and Innovation programme (CIP). The new programme targets in particular: 1) entrepreneurs, in particular SMEs, which will benefit from easier access to funding for their business, 2) citizens who want to become self-employed and face difficulties in setting up or developing their own business, 3) Member States’ authorities, which will be better assisted in their efforts to elaborate and implement effective policy reform.
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The European Commission has presented an €80 billion package for research and innovation funding, as part of the drive to create sustainable growth and new jobs in Europe. The new programme, “Horizon 2020″ will make it easier for applicants to seek funding and is designed to help bring more good ideas to market. Horizon 2020 will run from 2014 to 2020.
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The European Commission has today presented a package of measures to boost research, innovation and competitiveness in Europe. Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn has announced Horizon 2020, an €80 billion programme for investment in research and innovation. Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has put forward a Strategic Innovation Agenda for the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which will receive €2.8 billion of funding under Horizon 2020. In parallel, Vice-President Antonio Tajani has announced a complementary new programme to boost competitiveness and innovation in SMEs, with an additional budget of €2.5 billion. The funding programmes run from 2014 to 2020.
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