Brussels, 18 February (9am to 5.30pm): Info day (open to all)
Registration online / Live webstreaming at:
http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/static/en/mundus/infoday_2009_en.htm
EU Commissioner for education, and culture, Jan Figel, launched here
Monday evening the new EU scholarship programme for non-EU countries,
Erasmus Mundus II, for the period 2009-2013.
The Earsmus Mundus programme offers the opportunity to third-country
students to obtain a degree in Europe, and to academics to share
know-how and to contribute to study programmes through teaching or
research activities whilst avoiding the brain drain and favouring
vulnerable groups
In 2009-13, the EU will increase its support to the most
highly-talented students and professors from countries outside the EU
with grants to take part in joint programmes in Europe.
It will also extend the scope of the programme to the doctoral level
and give more financial support to European students.
The expected budget for Erasmus Mundus II will be an indicative amount
of 950 million Euro.
The Erasmus Mundus I from 2004 - 2008 offered more than 10,000
scholarships to students and academics from all over the world, with a
combined budget of 609 million Euro.
It contributed 33 million Euro (2005-2009) for scholarships to Indian
post-graduate students .
Erasmus Mundus 2009-2013 is a cooperation and mobility programme in
the field of higher education that aims to enhance the quality of
European higher education and to promote dialogue and understanding
between people and cultures through cooperation with third countries.
The Erasmus Mundus programmes provides support to:
higher education institutions that wish to implement joint programmes
at postgraduate level (Action 1) or to set-up inter-institutional
cooperation partnerships between universities from Europe and targeted
Third-Countries;
individual students, researchers and university staff who wish to
spend a study / research / teaching period in the context of one of
the above mentioned joint programmes or cooperation partnerships;
any organisation active in the field of higher education that wishes
to develop projects aiming at enhancing the attractiveness, profile,
visibility and image of European higher education worldwide.
The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Agency Executive Agency (EACEA)
is responsible for the management of all actions of Erasmus Mundus
2009 - 2013, under the supervision of the Directorate-General for
Education and Culture (DG EAC of the European Commission) and
EuropeAid - Co-operation Office (DG AIDCO of the European Commission).
Information and guidance at national level can be obtained from the
Erasmus Mundus National Structures.
Showing posts with label Brussels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brussels. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, November 17, 2008
Migrants now under open skies in chilly Brussels
The media frenzy generated in Belgium with major media outlets carrying the story of a dawn raid on a Gurdwara (a worshipping place for Sikhs) obscured the real cause “human smuggling,” behind the police action in Brussels.
The police found in different houses nearly 200 people who are in Belgium illegally and living in inhuman conditions. In one house in Brussels 24 people were packed into a room of 12 meters-squares, according to Information provided by the government sources.
Culminating an investigation of almost a year, the Belgian authorities had found that a network of traffickers in humans have been operating in Belgium for the past year and a half. Hundreds of illegal immigrants from India and Pakistan have allegedly been smuggled through Belgium into the UK. The investigation into the network started after a couple of human traffickers operating from India were arrested.
Culminating an investigation of almost a year, the Belgian authorities had found that a network of traffickers in humans have been operating in Belgium for the past year and a half. Hundreds of illegal immigrants from India and Pakistan have allegedly been smuggled through Belgium into the UK. The investigation into the network started after a couple of human traffickers operating from India were arrested.
Belgium authorities in keeping with usual practice, released all the detained migrants except marked human smugglers, who were arrested after raids last month by the Belgian federal police on 19 houses in Brussels’s Vilvoorde regions including one gurdwara (Sikh Temple) and Tubize (just outside Brussels).
After taking their finger-prints and delivering a written order to leave the country, the illegals without any legal documents were released within eight to 12 hours after the initial arrests. With the safe houses raided and agents behind bars, the illegals were left to fend for themselves for now.
GREEN PARKS, OPEN SKIES
After taking their finger-prints and delivering a written order to leave the country, the illegals without any legal documents were released within eight to 12 hours after the initial arrests. With the safe houses raided and agents behind bars, the illegals were left to fend for themselves for now.
GREEN PARKS, OPEN SKIES
Catching up with them in many green local parks on the benches under the open skies, Tejinder Singh interviewed dozens of them finding a heart-rendering story of tears, desperation and clinging to survival with hope to move onto greener pastures in United Kingdom. With his hands in his jeans pockets and wearing all the clothes that he owns, Bittu from Indian Northern state of Haryana says in Haryanavi Hindi, “Now I regret leaving home. There was food and shelter there and love of parents.”
The open environs of Brussels parks have equated all and the sad expressions in the eyes say it all as Sukha from neighbouring state of Punjab nods in agreement adding in Punjabi, “These agents are to be blamed. They go and spread all these stories of how the legalisation papers have opened and how it’s very easy to get legal once one lands in England.” Contrary to earlier press reports, some of the migrants have been arrested more than once but released within a few hours after the usual procedure of finger-printing and issuance of written orders to leave the country.
ELUSIVE ROUTE TO UK
The open environs of Brussels parks have equated all and the sad expressions in the eyes say it all as Sukha from neighbouring state of Punjab nods in agreement adding in Punjabi, “These agents are to be blamed. They go and spread all these stories of how the legalisation papers have opened and how it’s very easy to get legal once one lands in England.” Contrary to earlier press reports, some of the migrants have been arrested more than once but released within a few hours after the usual procedure of finger-printing and issuance of written orders to leave the country.
ELUSIVE ROUTE TO UK
Moreover, there are two ways the migrants are trying to cross into the UK:
First and more costly one is when the agents on the main land Europe talk to a few drivers who take the risk and take one or two boys ready to pay up to 6000 Euro across the English Channel by hiding them in specially designed cabins around the driver’s cabin.
The other cheaper method is run by Albanian and Kurdish gangs who scout the highway rest places for trucks and are experts in opening the back of trucks to put migrants in without the knowledge of the resting drivers. These gangs charge anything between 1000 Euro to 2000 Euro on arrival at destination and the illegal migrants talked of the ruthlessness of smugglers in extracting money and professionalism in operating the hide and seek game with the drivers.
After the raids and arrests, Brussels assistant prosecutor Tim de Wolf had told journalists that two of those arrested were “the brains behind the trafficking operations ... They controlled a whole series of little groups. We hope we have broken up the core of the network.”
Kaka from Punjab told this journalist, “The main kingpin called Pahlwan, a jat from Punjab, was arrested a week before the raids and he along with another person named Baja are the master-minds of these operations.” “Pahlwan came to Belgium more than a year ago and is still illegal but operated this clandestine smuggling ring, successfully ferrying thousands across to England,” Kaka added in his Punjabi punctuated with English words.
ASIA TO EUROPE
After the raids and arrests, Brussels assistant prosecutor Tim de Wolf had told journalists that two of those arrested were “the brains behind the trafficking operations ... They controlled a whole series of little groups. We hope we have broken up the core of the network.”
Kaka from Punjab told this journalist, “The main kingpin called Pahlwan, a jat from Punjab, was arrested a week before the raids and he along with another person named Baja are the master-minds of these operations.” “Pahlwan came to Belgium more than a year ago and is still illegal but operated this clandestine smuggling ring, successfully ferrying thousands across to England,” Kaka added in his Punjabi punctuated with English words.
ASIA TO EUROPE
The migrants, mostly from Punjab, had been brought to Belgium through Moscow, De Wolf said. “We found 24 people crammed inside one windowless room, measuring around 12 sq m,” he said. Most of the migrants, I spoke to have come through the route Delhi (India) - Moscow (Russia) - Kiev (Ukraine) - Slovakia - Italy - Belgium. After arriving in Moscow on visas - about which they hardly want to talk, the migrants were moved by trucks most of the time in connivance of the drivers and agents, they disclosed. For this purpose, the well-organised smuggling rings provide seaman’s book for around Indian Rs 60,000 (about 900 Euro) and the person flies to a port city to join the ship as “crew.”
Sometimes there is no ship and the person is routed along the land routes. And if there is a ship, it is usually the ones operating with not much of sea-worthiness left in them and which transport illegal aliens to somewhere along the thousands of kilometres of unmanned Greek and Italian coastline. In all cases, the passports which have the airport stamps of departure from India and arrival at some transit destination are destroyed by the human smugglers as soon as the person finishes legal part of the journey.
NO DOCUMENTS, NO NATIONALITY
Sometimes there is no ship and the person is routed along the land routes. And if there is a ship, it is usually the ones operating with not much of sea-worthiness left in them and which transport illegal aliens to somewhere along the thousands of kilometres of unmanned Greek and Italian coastline. In all cases, the passports which have the airport stamps of departure from India and arrival at some transit destination are destroyed by the human smugglers as soon as the person finishes legal part of the journey.
NO DOCUMENTS, NO NATIONALITY
The documents are destroyed to make sure that the authorities cannot tie a person down to the country of his origin and in that case the authorities cannot immediately deport him. They need to establish his nationality, which is a time-consuming process.
Indian embassy in Brussels refused to comment on the fate of the migrants as embassy official R K Goel (First Secretary, Education and Culture with the responsibility to handle media) had told this journalist over the phone, “The ministry (Indian Foreign ministry) is looking into the matter so we can not comment on the subject.”
Resham Singh, President of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib, Vilvorde said, “There should be cooperation and programmes to educate people in Punjab about the futility to take these risks,” adding, “May be European Union and the European governments can cooperate with Punjab and Indian governments to take the message to masses there.”
Sunil Prasad, President of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin said, “One of the main reasons why economic mi gr ants from India want to migrate to UK is because UK is more fri endly than many countries in Europe with respect to giving asylum.”
“Also, because of a large Indian community in UK, it is natural that these immigrants want to come to UK and seek better life,” Prasad, who is also the Secretary General of the Brussels Europe India Chamber of Commerce (EICC) added.
Indian embassy in Brussels refused to comment on the fate of the migrants as embassy official R K Goel (First Secretary, Education and Culture with the responsibility to handle media) had told this journalist over the phone, “The ministry (Indian Foreign ministry) is looking into the matter so we can not comment on the subject.”
Resham Singh, President of Gurdwara Guru Nanak Sahib, Vilvorde said, “There should be cooperation and programmes to educate people in Punjab about the futility to take these risks,” adding, “May be European Union and the European governments can cooperate with Punjab and Indian governments to take the message to masses there.”
Sunil Prasad, President of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin said, “One of the main reasons why economic mi gr ants from India want to migrate to UK is because UK is more fri endly than many countries in Europe with respect to giving asylum.”
“Also, because of a large Indian community in UK, it is natural that these immigrants want to come to UK and seek better life,” Prasad, who is also the Secretary General of the Brussels Europe India Chamber of Commerce (EICC) added.
The dream lives on as is evident when speaking to Sucha, who was one of the few lucky ones to survive the clutches of law and order authorities. He shares an unhygienic dwelling with seven more. His eyes sparkle when questioned if he would make a dash to more promising lands. He replies, “I am looking for a good opportunity to go to England or maybe Canada.” (Names changed to hide identities)
Friday, November 14, 2008
Court of Auditors have hiccups as EU budget shadows lengthen
Time is running out for the European Commission’s vice-president Siim Kallas, responsible for administration, audit and fight against fraud, as the Commissioner had sworn to get the EU accounts a clean bill of health by the time the Commission’s mandate ended in 2009.
Presenting the report to the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament, the European Court of Auditors said on Monday (Nov 10) that although the accounts themselves have been approved without qualification, the same cannot be said of the "transactions underlying the accounts." The Court said that for the 14th year in a row it was not able to issue a "statement of assurance" that the EU money had been spent well and according to the rules in all policy areas.
The damaging report provided an indication of things to come as the budget moved through the labyrinth of the EU decision making process. The auditors concluded the accounts were a “fair presentation” of the Commission’s financial position but added there were unacceptable spending errors in all but two of the seven policy areas covered under the 114 billion Euro EU budget.
Commissioner Kallas said in a statement: “The Commission welcomes the auditors' constructive analysis and will continue efforts to improve its financial management to address the weaknesses identified. I do hope the report will also mobilise member states to do their job better so that errors on the ground are prevented and corrected.”
WHAT WILL ANDREASEN SAY NOW
On the other hand, financial experts and political pundits went down the memory lane to express sympathy for the former chief accountant Marta Andreasen, sacked by Kallas’ predecessor British Commissioner Neil Kinnock for going public with the Commission’s lax accounting in 2002.
Last week the Commission statement called the report, “a clean bill of health,” adding, “the Court also found that the majority of EU payments it checked were regular, though errors were still too frequent in some areas, particularly in spending on EU regions and to boost employment (cohesion policy), where grants are managed by national authorities.”
HUBNER CLARIFIES
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danita Hubner said her department which covers structural and cohesion funds, had reclaimed 843 million Euro in irregular payments this year, with 1.5 billion Euro more in the pipeline for recovery.
Commenting on the audit report, Hubner said, “Errors do not mean fraud. When the Court and the Commission's auditors talk about errors, they mean non-compliance with conditions for receiving EU funds. Where there are problems, in 99 percent of cases they are the result of errors which can be fixed and not a result of fraud,” adding, “and in all cases, the Commission always takes action to recover funds which have been misused.”
Citing that the report had found “the highest rates of error in structural funds, which are managed by the member states,” Commissioner Kallas said, “the Commission shall not hesitate to take a tough stance and suspend payments until all member states implement adequate corrective measures. And where errors have financial impact, we shall recover the money.”
Some examples are not only simple but glaring in nature as found in the Puglia region of southern Italy, certified organic olives were found to be growing in a waste dumpy while the owners of a charitable horse-riding school received 400,000 Euro in EU funds from the Lombardy region of Italy by providing inflated numbers.
CALDEIRA TALKS
Court of Auditors President Vítor Manuel Da Silva Caldeira told European Parliament’s Budget Control Committee that the Court is not a judicial authority and can only notify others, i.e. the EU fraud-fighting office OLAF, when it finds clear indications of possible fraud. This year, the Court had done so nine times. He also stressed that 80 percent of the EU budget is managed at the final beneficiary level by the member states.
Asked for suggestions to improve the situation, Caldeira advocated more on-the-spot checks, although it should be considered, he added, whether the cost of making such checks would outweigh the benefits. The budgetary authority - Parliament and the Council - should take a political decision on what would be a level of "appropriate tolerable risk.” Caldeira also called for a simplification of the regulatory framework.
MEPs CONTEMPLATE
Conservative budgetary control spokesman in Brussels, James Elles MEP, said the ongoing inability for national governments to take urgent and rigorous action to achieve a clean opinion from the Court of Auditors is unacceptable, and the European Commission should now 'name and shame' those countries failing to live up to their commitments.
Chris Davies MEP, a Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament’s Budget Control Committee, commented: "This report is very disappointing for the European Union, but we shouldn't forget that national governments are responsible for 80% of EU spending ... The public will again assume that fraud is widespread and the Brussels bureaucracy incompetent but in fact the EU administration is now subjected to greater scrutiny than that of any government in Europe."
POSITIVE FLASHES
Although the European Union last year paid out six billion Euro wrongfully, in the highest ever overclaims being reviewed by the European Court of Auditors, there were also some positive points to cheer for like expenditure on administration and for economic and financial affairs (enterprise, internal market, etc.) got a clean bill of health, as did the revenue side of the EU budget. There were improvements in internal policies and external actions, though not enough to affect the overall judgement.
However, the Court of Auditors was unable to state whether the EU accounts were clean for ''most spending areas.'' ''The court still finds that payments made to financial beneficiaries, such as farmers and project promoters running EU-funded projects, have a too high level of error,'' they said.
The Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament will now proceed to have a series of hearings of Commissioners while the final vote on the 2007 discharge is scheduled to take place at the April 2009 plenary session of the Parliament.
Presenting the report to the Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament, the European Court of Auditors said on Monday (Nov 10) that although the accounts themselves have been approved without qualification, the same cannot be said of the "transactions underlying the accounts." The Court said that for the 14th year in a row it was not able to issue a "statement of assurance" that the EU money had been spent well and according to the rules in all policy areas.
The damaging report provided an indication of things to come as the budget moved through the labyrinth of the EU decision making process. The auditors concluded the accounts were a “fair presentation” of the Commission’s financial position but added there were unacceptable spending errors in all but two of the seven policy areas covered under the 114 billion Euro EU budget.
Commissioner Kallas said in a statement: “The Commission welcomes the auditors' constructive analysis and will continue efforts to improve its financial management to address the weaknesses identified. I do hope the report will also mobilise member states to do their job better so that errors on the ground are prevented and corrected.”
WHAT WILL ANDREASEN SAY NOW
On the other hand, financial experts and political pundits went down the memory lane to express sympathy for the former chief accountant Marta Andreasen, sacked by Kallas’ predecessor British Commissioner Neil Kinnock for going public with the Commission’s lax accounting in 2002.
Last week the Commission statement called the report, “a clean bill of health,” adding, “the Court also found that the majority of EU payments it checked were regular, though errors were still too frequent in some areas, particularly in spending on EU regions and to boost employment (cohesion policy), where grants are managed by national authorities.”
HUBNER CLARIFIES
EU Commissioner for Regional Policy Danita Hubner said her department which covers structural and cohesion funds, had reclaimed 843 million Euro in irregular payments this year, with 1.5 billion Euro more in the pipeline for recovery.
Commenting on the audit report, Hubner said, “Errors do not mean fraud. When the Court and the Commission's auditors talk about errors, they mean non-compliance with conditions for receiving EU funds. Where there are problems, in 99 percent of cases they are the result of errors which can be fixed and not a result of fraud,” adding, “and in all cases, the Commission always takes action to recover funds which have been misused.”
Citing that the report had found “the highest rates of error in structural funds, which are managed by the member states,” Commissioner Kallas said, “the Commission shall not hesitate to take a tough stance and suspend payments until all member states implement adequate corrective measures. And where errors have financial impact, we shall recover the money.”
Some examples are not only simple but glaring in nature as found in the Puglia region of southern Italy, certified organic olives were found to be growing in a waste dumpy while the owners of a charitable horse-riding school received 400,000 Euro in EU funds from the Lombardy region of Italy by providing inflated numbers.
CALDEIRA TALKS
Court of Auditors President Vítor Manuel Da Silva Caldeira told European Parliament’s Budget Control Committee that the Court is not a judicial authority and can only notify others, i.e. the EU fraud-fighting office OLAF, when it finds clear indications of possible fraud. This year, the Court had done so nine times. He also stressed that 80 percent of the EU budget is managed at the final beneficiary level by the member states.
Asked for suggestions to improve the situation, Caldeira advocated more on-the-spot checks, although it should be considered, he added, whether the cost of making such checks would outweigh the benefits. The budgetary authority - Parliament and the Council - should take a political decision on what would be a level of "appropriate tolerable risk.” Caldeira also called for a simplification of the regulatory framework.
MEPs CONTEMPLATE
Conservative budgetary control spokesman in Brussels, James Elles MEP, said the ongoing inability for national governments to take urgent and rigorous action to achieve a clean opinion from the Court of Auditors is unacceptable, and the European Commission should now 'name and shame' those countries failing to live up to their commitments.
Chris Davies MEP, a Liberal Democrat member of the European Parliament’s Budget Control Committee, commented: "This report is very disappointing for the European Union, but we shouldn't forget that national governments are responsible for 80% of EU spending ... The public will again assume that fraud is widespread and the Brussels bureaucracy incompetent but in fact the EU administration is now subjected to greater scrutiny than that of any government in Europe."
POSITIVE FLASHES
Although the European Union last year paid out six billion Euro wrongfully, in the highest ever overclaims being reviewed by the European Court of Auditors, there were also some positive points to cheer for like expenditure on administration and for economic and financial affairs (enterprise, internal market, etc.) got a clean bill of health, as did the revenue side of the EU budget. There were improvements in internal policies and external actions, though not enough to affect the overall judgement.
However, the Court of Auditors was unable to state whether the EU accounts were clean for ''most spending areas.'' ''The court still finds that payments made to financial beneficiaries, such as farmers and project promoters running EU-funded projects, have a too high level of error,'' they said.
The Budgetary Control Committee of the European Parliament will now proceed to have a series of hearings of Commissioners while the final vote on the 2007 discharge is scheduled to take place at the April 2009 plenary session of the Parliament.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Commission proposals outline raw material policy
The European Commission today (Nov 4) launched a "long term sustained" approach to make sure that the raw material supplies to Europe do not suffer for different reasons.
Stressing that the EU industrial sector is facing a decline in the global supply of raw materials, Gunter Verheugen, the European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry said, "We must act, to ensure that access to raw materials for enterprises will not be hampered. We need fair play on external markets, a good framework to foster sustainable raw materials supply from EU sources as well as improved resource efficiency and more use of recycling."
Presenting the proposals to journalists in Brussels, Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission said, "It is our aim to make sure that Europe's industry will be able to continue to play a leading role in new technologies and innovation."
Talking to New Europe later after the press conference, Commissioner Verheugen said, "I stressed integrated approach from the beginning. As the there are two groups of the European Commission involved: External Relations group and Competitive group, we will need co-ordination structure."
Commissioner further said, "As the instruments needed to are not in my hands, there is a strong support I have from the other commissioners on the subject."
"I have agreed with my colleagues, notably Cathy Ashton, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Louis Michel and Stavros Dimas, to closely cooperate to implement the proposed strategy," Verheugen earlier told the press conference.
In his presentations, Commissioner Verheugen said, "Americans and Japanese have a stockpiling policy," adding that the Europeans, who lack such a policy, will have to develop it over the coming years. "We are committed to improve the conditions of access to raw materials, be it within Europe or by creating a level playing field in accessing such materials from abroad," the Commissioner said.
Moreover, the importance of recycling got due attention as the Commission said, "Recycling presents a huge opportunity to reduce import dependency for raw materials," lamenting that many end-of-life products are "illegally shipped outside the EU and are hence not recycled within the EU."
Outlining the three major pillars for its policy development, the Commission listed:
"Access to raw materials on world markets at undistorted conditions;
The right framework to foster sustainable supply of raw materials from EU sources;
Increase resource efficiency and promoting recycling in the EU."
Earlier presentation by the Commission of a "European strategy for the sustainable use of natural resources" had met with strong criticism in the European parliament and now the Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has the mandate from the Competitiveness Council of the EU to develop a "coherent political approach" to address the raw material problems in different sectors.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90399.php
Stressing that the EU industrial sector is facing a decline in the global supply of raw materials, Gunter Verheugen, the European Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry said, "We must act, to ensure that access to raw materials for enterprises will not be hampered. We need fair play on external markets, a good framework to foster sustainable raw materials supply from EU sources as well as improved resource efficiency and more use of recycling."
Presenting the proposals to journalists in Brussels, Verheugen, Vice President of the European Commission said, "It is our aim to make sure that Europe's industry will be able to continue to play a leading role in new technologies and innovation."
Talking to New Europe later after the press conference, Commissioner Verheugen said, "I stressed integrated approach from the beginning. As the there are two groups of the European Commission involved: External Relations group and Competitive group, we will need co-ordination structure."
Commissioner further said, "As the instruments needed to are not in my hands, there is a strong support I have from the other commissioners on the subject."
"I have agreed with my colleagues, notably Cathy Ashton, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Louis Michel and Stavros Dimas, to closely cooperate to implement the proposed strategy," Verheugen earlier told the press conference.
In his presentations, Commissioner Verheugen said, "Americans and Japanese have a stockpiling policy," adding that the Europeans, who lack such a policy, will have to develop it over the coming years. "We are committed to improve the conditions of access to raw materials, be it within Europe or by creating a level playing field in accessing such materials from abroad," the Commissioner said.
Moreover, the importance of recycling got due attention as the Commission said, "Recycling presents a huge opportunity to reduce import dependency for raw materials," lamenting that many end-of-life products are "illegally shipped outside the EU and are hence not recycled within the EU."
Outlining the three major pillars for its policy development, the Commission listed:
"Access to raw materials on world markets at undistorted conditions;
The right framework to foster sustainable supply of raw materials from EU sources;
Increase resource efficiency and promoting recycling in the EU."
Earlier presentation by the Commission of a "European strategy for the sustainable use of natural resources" had met with strong criticism in the European parliament and now the Commission, the executive arm of the EU, has the mandate from the Competitiveness Council of the EU to develop a "coherent political approach" to address the raw material problems in different sectors.
http://www.neurope.eu/articles/90399.php
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
European managers learn 'good guanxi' in China
The European Union (EU) has teamed up with China in a two-way partnership for training professionals and managers. The programme offers high-level training for EU managers and professionals interested in gaining China expertise, as well as Chinese managers with an ambition to train in Europe.
According to a survey published recently by the human resource consultancy Hewitt Associates, 55 percent of corporations with a presence in China plan to hire new staff in 2008.
For the EU-based companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Programme (METP), financed by the EU and China, offers the possibility to train their employees to become qualified experts in the Chinese market.
Stefan Hell, team leader in Beijing said: 'Despite the strong coverage China has received through the Beijing Olympics, the country and its business culture remain unknown to most European managers.'
"To be successful in China, one needs a profound knowledge of economy, culture and business ethics. And this is what METP offers applicants. At the same time, the programme functions as a platform where Europeans and Chinese meet and build long-term relationships - the basic foundation for successful business in China,' he added.
Julius Daujotas from Lithuania, who has already travelled to China and participated in the programme, told IANS: 'The company I am working for (Umega AB) manufactures heating equipment for industrial and laboratory purposes. Mainly it's heating furnaces up to 1,800 degrees Celcius.'
'Our company is selling quite a lot in Asian markets, for example Pakistan, India, Indonesia, but the Chinese market was still unexplored for us. So, one of the main objectives was to enter China with our production. To do that is a lot easier when you are able to speak Chinese, when you are familiar with local traditions and customs,' Daujotas explained.
'During the cultural training, we had a chance to meet each other more closely. For doing business in China, to have good 'guanxi' (relations) is very important,' he said.
'The most interesting experience during my stay was seeing the bargaining in markets - and the way salesmen try to attract your attention. Initially I was shocked, but then I understood the way of doing this and it became fun. Also it's a really good practice for your Chinese language,' Daujotas added.
According to a survey published recently by the human resource consultancy Hewitt Associates, 55 percent of corporations with a presence in China plan to hire new staff in 2008.
For the EU-based companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the EU-China Managers Exchange and Training Programme (METP), financed by the EU and China, offers the possibility to train their employees to become qualified experts in the Chinese market.
Stefan Hell, team leader in Beijing said: 'Despite the strong coverage China has received through the Beijing Olympics, the country and its business culture remain unknown to most European managers.'
"To be successful in China, one needs a profound knowledge of economy, culture and business ethics. And this is what METP offers applicants. At the same time, the programme functions as a platform where Europeans and Chinese meet and build long-term relationships - the basic foundation for successful business in China,' he added.
Julius Daujotas from Lithuania, who has already travelled to China and participated in the programme, told IANS: 'The company I am working for (Umega AB) manufactures heating equipment for industrial and laboratory purposes. Mainly it's heating furnaces up to 1,800 degrees Celcius.'
'Our company is selling quite a lot in Asian markets, for example Pakistan, India, Indonesia, but the Chinese market was still unexplored for us. So, one of the main objectives was to enter China with our production. To do that is a lot easier when you are able to speak Chinese, when you are familiar with local traditions and customs,' Daujotas explained.
'During the cultural training, we had a chance to meet each other more closely. For doing business in China, to have good 'guanxi' (relations) is very important,' he said.
'The most interesting experience during my stay was seeing the bargaining in markets - and the way salesmen try to attract your attention. Initially I was shocked, but then I understood the way of doing this and it became fun. Also it's a really good practice for your Chinese language,' Daujotas added.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
EU’s Blue Card visa scheme gets green light
The European Union Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs slated to meet on November 27-28 in Bru ssels is expected to rubber stamp the Blue Card, a fast-track work visa, a decision made at the ambassadors’ level. “As the decision was agreed at the ambassadors’ level, it’s not yet official but we do not foresee any further debates and the decision will be ratified by the EU ministers next month,” an EU official said. France holds the rotating EU Presidency for the second half of 2008 till the end of December. In addition, the EU leaders en dorsed an EU immigration package and put on hold the restart of frozen trade and partnership talks with Russia.
With major countries like Germany and United Kingdom pushing for competition to get the best talents, the EU states significantly weakened the Commission’s original plans by insisting that it is up to national governments to decide how many migrants should enter their countries and what qualifications they should have. With a fast track application process along with making it easier for workers to bring families along and get housing the Blue Card, with validity of four years falls way short of original proposal.
Moreover, the Blue Card would only be issued under strict income conditions, with migrants expected to be earning at least one- and-ahalf times the gross national average wage. The Blue Card, a brain child of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, was designed to be on par with Green Card system of the USA, the final version has lost much of its shine according to EU sources in Brussels.
Barroso had told journalists on September 29 in Marseille, France after the EU-India Summit: “We have made a proposal precisely to make it easier for qualified professionals to come to Europe because we want to remain open and in fact we want more people coming to Europe namely some migrants, qualified migrants and sometimes we find it’s difficult for them to come so we made a proposal and that proposal is being negotiated by the Council of member states and I think the final outcome will be a good one.”
Addressing a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and current EU Presidency holder French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Barroso had said, “I think it will a good outcome, a balanced proposals especially for the Indians to come to Europe and cooperate inside our member states.”
Asked to comment on the diluting of his proposals, Barroso told journalists, “of course sometimes we want more ambitious results but this is the way we work in the EU we have to understand we are 27 countries so at the end it has to be a compromise between all the countries because thats very much linked to their national sovereignty.”
Commenting on the upcoming proposals, Umesh Shenoy, an Indian software consultant working in Brussels, Belgium said, “Blue Card will greatly alleviate the problem of restrictive movement for non- EU employees within the EU countries. Hopefully will bring stability to otherwise chaotic procedure that comes with applying for work permit and residence cards. This will be useful for Multinational institutions which require workforce to be mobile and It is a win-win situation for both employer and employees alike in the longer term.”
With major countries like Germany and United Kingdom pushing for competition to get the best talents, the EU states significantly weakened the Commission’s original plans by insisting that it is up to national governments to decide how many migrants should enter their countries and what qualifications they should have. With a fast track application process along with making it easier for workers to bring families along and get housing the Blue Card, with validity of four years falls way short of original proposal.
Moreover, the Blue Card would only be issued under strict income conditions, with migrants expected to be earning at least one- and-ahalf times the gross national average wage. The Blue Card, a brain child of European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, was designed to be on par with Green Card system of the USA, the final version has lost much of its shine according to EU sources in Brussels.
Barroso had told journalists on September 29 in Marseille, France after the EU-India Summit: “We have made a proposal precisely to make it easier for qualified professionals to come to Europe because we want to remain open and in fact we want more people coming to Europe namely some migrants, qualified migrants and sometimes we find it’s difficult for them to come so we made a proposal and that proposal is being negotiated by the Council of member states and I think the final outcome will be a good one.”
Addressing a joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and current EU Presidency holder French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Barroso had said, “I think it will a good outcome, a balanced proposals especially for the Indians to come to Europe and cooperate inside our member states.”
Asked to comment on the diluting of his proposals, Barroso told journalists, “of course sometimes we want more ambitious results but this is the way we work in the EU we have to understand we are 27 countries so at the end it has to be a compromise between all the countries because thats very much linked to their national sovereignty.”
Commenting on the upcoming proposals, Umesh Shenoy, an Indian software consultant working in Brussels, Belgium said, “Blue Card will greatly alleviate the problem of restrictive movement for non- EU employees within the EU countries. Hopefully will bring stability to otherwise chaotic procedure that comes with applying for work permit and residence cards. This will be useful for Multinational institutions which require workforce to be mobile and It is a win-win situation for both employer and employees alike in the longer term.”
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
EU looks forward to taming Asian giants at ASEM Beijing Summit
French President Nicolas Sarkozy, the current holder of rotating EU Presidency on Tuesday (October 21) announced his intentions to bring China and India to the international negotiating table slated for next month to streamline global financial reforms aimed at international financial institutions including International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Addressing the Plenary Session of the European Parliament at its Strasbourg seat, Sarkozy said, “With (European Commission) President (Jose Manuel) Barroso, we are going to visit China, the aim being also to convince China and India to take part in this summit.”
Reiterating, “This is a global crisis so the response can only be global,’’ the EU Council President asked, “Who will take part in this summit?”
“There are a lot of different schools. I believe the most straightforward thing would be the G8, obviously with Russia. We need to add the G5 to that, obviously with China and India,’’ Sarkozy said answering his own question.
Beijing is hosting the 7th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) on October 24-25 and with the formal acceptance of six new members, Bulgaria, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Romania and the ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) Secretariat, the gathering is set to swell the membership to 45.
According to political pundits, with the presence of Asian economic heavy weights China and India along with arch-rivals Pakistan and India, the Summit will be more a testing ground for the new arrivals with agenda being overshadowed by ongoing global financial events.
Yeo Lay Hwee, senior research fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Relations and Associate Director of the EU Centre in Singapore warned, “we must not expect too much or we will be disappointed,” as ASEM is “not a venue for negotiations,” but “an ideal platform for testing new and evolving ideas.”
Addressing a select gathering of diplomats, academics and journalists at an event titled, “Injecting new momentum into ASEM, an uphill struggle?” organised by Brussels based think-tank “European Policy Centre,” (EPC) on Monday (October 20), Lay Hwee pointed that there was no doubt that China will deliver “a superbly organised and executed meeting.”
Quoting the theme of the Summit, “Vision and Action --Towards a Win-Win Solution,” she said, “Taking ASEM for what it is, an informal dialogue form, one should be realistic and not expect anything beyond a talk fest, the outcome of which will be more declarations noting the challenges ahead and stating common positions on some of the issues.”
Going down the memory lane, Lay Hwee said, “Ten years ago, the EU agreed to help (Asian) member states affected by the Asian financial crisis and today we have another financial crisis.” Citing, “crisis brings opportunity,” she added, “ASEM, not to look irrelevant, must make an impact.”
“We expect to consolidate progress made at the Helsinki (Summit) in 2006,” hoped Geoffrey Barret, senior advisor for Asia at the European Commission. Addressing the audience Barret said, “ASEM is based entirely on political will,” and outlined four building blocks of the ASEM platform:
Climate negotiations, Development co-operation on Millienuium Development Goals, Labour employment and social cohesion, Human rights.
BURMA IN, NO NORTH KOREA
On the question of Burma, Lay Hwee said, “the EU changed attitude saying better to engage than to leave them alone.”
Professor Xing Hua, senior researcher and director, Centre for EU studies, CIIS, added, “If we are patient and skillful, we can help Burma to seek solutions to their internal problems.”
No speaker on the panel responded to the question of participation of North Korea in ASEM as China, the mentor of North Korea was holding the Summit.
FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE
Moreover, Barret said he expected another declaration on international financial development adding that ASEM 7 will be the largest event ever hosted by the Chinese after the Olympic games representing 60 percent of the world population and 60 percent of global trade.
Founded in 1996, with 27 members, ASEM is going to be 45 members strong at Beijing and is looked at as the main multilateral channel for communication between Asia and Europe and six summits have taken place till date.
According to figures released on Monday (October 20) by the European Union’s statistics bureau Eurostat, the EU exports between 2000 and 2007, to the 16 Asian countries in ASEM rose from 146 billion Euro to 228 billion, while imports increased from 285 billion to 459 billion Euro.
The Asian countries accounted for more than a quarter of the EU's total external trade in goods in 2007. However, their trade with EU showed very different patterns between 2000 and 2007.
Among the 16 Asian countries, China was not only the leading destination for EU exports in 2007, accounting for 31 percent of the total, but also the leading source of EU imports, according to Eurostat.
Addressing the Plenary Session of the European Parliament at its Strasbourg seat, Sarkozy said, “With (European Commission) President (Jose Manuel) Barroso, we are going to visit China, the aim being also to convince China and India to take part in this summit.”
Reiterating, “This is a global crisis so the response can only be global,’’ the EU Council President asked, “Who will take part in this summit?”
“There are a lot of different schools. I believe the most straightforward thing would be the G8, obviously with Russia. We need to add the G5 to that, obviously with China and India,’’ Sarkozy said answering his own question.
Beijing is hosting the 7th ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) on October 24-25 and with the formal acceptance of six new members, Bulgaria, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Romania and the ASEAN (Association of the Southeast Asian Nations) Secretariat, the gathering is set to swell the membership to 45.
According to political pundits, with the presence of Asian economic heavy weights China and India along with arch-rivals Pakistan and India, the Summit will be more a testing ground for the new arrivals with agenda being overshadowed by ongoing global financial events.
Yeo Lay Hwee, senior research fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Relations and Associate Director of the EU Centre in Singapore warned, “we must not expect too much or we will be disappointed,” as ASEM is “not a venue for negotiations,” but “an ideal platform for testing new and evolving ideas.”
Addressing a select gathering of diplomats, academics and journalists at an event titled, “Injecting new momentum into ASEM, an uphill struggle?” organised by Brussels based think-tank “European Policy Centre,” (EPC) on Monday (October 20), Lay Hwee pointed that there was no doubt that China will deliver “a superbly organised and executed meeting.”
Quoting the theme of the Summit, “Vision and Action --Towards a Win-Win Solution,” she said, “Taking ASEM for what it is, an informal dialogue form, one should be realistic and not expect anything beyond a talk fest, the outcome of which will be more declarations noting the challenges ahead and stating common positions on some of the issues.”
Going down the memory lane, Lay Hwee said, “Ten years ago, the EU agreed to help (Asian) member states affected by the Asian financial crisis and today we have another financial crisis.” Citing, “crisis brings opportunity,” she added, “ASEM, not to look irrelevant, must make an impact.”
“We expect to consolidate progress made at the Helsinki (Summit) in 2006,” hoped Geoffrey Barret, senior advisor for Asia at the European Commission. Addressing the audience Barret said, “ASEM is based entirely on political will,” and outlined four building blocks of the ASEM platform:
Climate negotiations, Development co-operation on Millienuium Development Goals, Labour employment and social cohesion, Human rights.
BURMA IN, NO NORTH KOREA
On the question of Burma, Lay Hwee said, “the EU changed attitude saying better to engage than to leave them alone.”
Professor Xing Hua, senior researcher and director, Centre for EU studies, CIIS, added, “If we are patient and skillful, we can help Burma to seek solutions to their internal problems.”
No speaker on the panel responded to the question of participation of North Korea in ASEM as China, the mentor of North Korea was holding the Summit.
FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE
Moreover, Barret said he expected another declaration on international financial development adding that ASEM 7 will be the largest event ever hosted by the Chinese after the Olympic games representing 60 percent of the world population and 60 percent of global trade.
Founded in 1996, with 27 members, ASEM is going to be 45 members strong at Beijing and is looked at as the main multilateral channel for communication between Asia and Europe and six summits have taken place till date.
According to figures released on Monday (October 20) by the European Union’s statistics bureau Eurostat, the EU exports between 2000 and 2007, to the 16 Asian countries in ASEM rose from 146 billion Euro to 228 billion, while imports increased from 285 billion to 459 billion Euro.
The Asian countries accounted for more than a quarter of the EU's total external trade in goods in 2007. However, their trade with EU showed very different patterns between 2000 and 2007.
Among the 16 Asian countries, China was not only the leading destination for EU exports in 2007, accounting for 31 percent of the total, but also the leading source of EU imports, according to Eurostat.
Indian diplomatic presence in Brussels needs boost
The European Union and India at the recently concluded EU-India Summit (September 29) in Marseille, France failed to finalise the ongoing trade negotiations over Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the two sides remaining at loggerheads on key issues in the Doha talks on liberalising world trade. Political ties can not go far without financial bonds and a look at the trade figures from recent past show that its time to inject much needed momentum into an uninspiring trade relationship.
Reiterating the importance of trade and economic ties, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told journalists at a joint press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso: “We have agreed to achieve an annual bilateral trade turnover of 100 billion Euro within the next five years and to work towards the conclusion of the India- EU Broad- Based Trade and Investment Agreement by end-2009.” The 27-nation bloc’s trade with India amounted to just less than 56 billion Euro last year. Earlier, the trade statistics showed a jump from a meagre less than five billion Euro in 1980 to a respectable more than 45 billion Euro in 2006. Although trade with the EU is 20 percent of India’s import-export business, making the EU India’s largest trading partner in 2006, India’s share is only 1.8 percent of total EU trade. In the context of the ongoing negotiations in the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, there are some stumbling blocks that need to be addressed on both sides. According to reliable sources, the major hurdle is in the fields of agriculture which is a protected sector in the EU which earmarks 40 percent of its total budget to this sector where there are subsidies galore.
NO TIME TABLE
In May, Peter Power, spokesperson for EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson had told journalists in Brussels: “I can confirm that we have received the document from India. I can confirm that it is certainly a useful and worthwhile opening bid for negotiations will have to go further and deeper,” lamenting that the time-frame for the talks to conclude is “not solely in our hands.” “We would like to see this particular negotiation making progress as rapidly as possible. I think the opening bid is not bad, but a lot of work remains to be done to have an agreement that would be worthy of support by both sides,” he noted.
“I think at this stage it would be unwise of me to put a timetable, but certainly we should hope to see substantial movement in the next year to 18 months,” added Power. India formally launched negotiations in June 2007 with the EU for a comprehensive FTA aimed at removing barriers across all sectors including investment and services.
The EU has, in recent times, accepted the fact that Indian import tariffs have been substantially reduced but it complains they are still high by international standards. The EU calls it a “complex and non-transparent” system as it points at additional duties, taxes, and charges that are levied on top of the basic customs duties. Pointing to the “non-tariff” barriers, the EU lists quantitative restrictions, mandatory testing, import licensing, certification for a large number of products and a complicated procedural modus operandi as the major speed breakers for a smooth trade relationship.
SLUGGISH INDIAN MISSION
With Indians finding the EU institutions bewildering and complex, India has its own set of complaints, foremost being in recent times the frequent use of anti-dumping duties on its exports including footwear. This is the arena where the diplomatic mission in Brussels is failing Delhi in the Indian government’s renewed efforts to shift into higher gears cooperation in different fields with the European Union. India’s outgoing ambassador to the European Union, Dipak Chatterjee, last month was cited by EuAsiaNews as saying, “I don’t think India has fully woken up to the fact that the EU is more than an economic and trading partner. The EU is trying to build a political identity for itself. I think it will take some time for India to come to understand that.” “But India is realising that the EU is a force to reckon with. There is interest on both sides to develop relations,” he had added.
Reiterating the importance of trade and economic ties, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told journalists at a joint press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso: “We have agreed to achieve an annual bilateral trade turnover of 100 billion Euro within the next five years and to work towards the conclusion of the India- EU Broad- Based Trade and Investment Agreement by end-2009.” The 27-nation bloc’s trade with India amounted to just less than 56 billion Euro last year. Earlier, the trade statistics showed a jump from a meagre less than five billion Euro in 1980 to a respectable more than 45 billion Euro in 2006. Although trade with the EU is 20 percent of India’s import-export business, making the EU India’s largest trading partner in 2006, India’s share is only 1.8 percent of total EU trade. In the context of the ongoing negotiations in the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, there are some stumbling blocks that need to be addressed on both sides. According to reliable sources, the major hurdle is in the fields of agriculture which is a protected sector in the EU which earmarks 40 percent of its total budget to this sector where there are subsidies galore.
NO TIME TABLE
In May, Peter Power, spokesperson for EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson had told journalists in Brussels: “I can confirm that we have received the document from India. I can confirm that it is certainly a useful and worthwhile opening bid for negotiations will have to go further and deeper,” lamenting that the time-frame for the talks to conclude is “not solely in our hands.” “We would like to see this particular negotiation making progress as rapidly as possible. I think the opening bid is not bad, but a lot of work remains to be done to have an agreement that would be worthy of support by both sides,” he noted.
“I think at this stage it would be unwise of me to put a timetable, but certainly we should hope to see substantial movement in the next year to 18 months,” added Power. India formally launched negotiations in June 2007 with the EU for a comprehensive FTA aimed at removing barriers across all sectors including investment and services.
The EU has, in recent times, accepted the fact that Indian import tariffs have been substantially reduced but it complains they are still high by international standards. The EU calls it a “complex and non-transparent” system as it points at additional duties, taxes, and charges that are levied on top of the basic customs duties. Pointing to the “non-tariff” barriers, the EU lists quantitative restrictions, mandatory testing, import licensing, certification for a large number of products and a complicated procedural modus operandi as the major speed breakers for a smooth trade relationship.
SLUGGISH INDIAN MISSION
With Indians finding the EU institutions bewildering and complex, India has its own set of complaints, foremost being in recent times the frequent use of anti-dumping duties on its exports including footwear. This is the arena where the diplomatic mission in Brussels is failing Delhi in the Indian government’s renewed efforts to shift into higher gears cooperation in different fields with the European Union. India’s outgoing ambassador to the European Union, Dipak Chatterjee, last month was cited by EuAsiaNews as saying, “I don’t think India has fully woken up to the fact that the EU is more than an economic and trading partner. The EU is trying to build a political identity for itself. I think it will take some time for India to come to understand that.” “But India is realising that the EU is a force to reckon with. There is interest on both sides to develop relations,” he had added.
All the European journalists attending the Marseille Summit agreed that there was a complete lack of information from the Indian mission in Brussels where the EU is seated.
European journalists pointed to “no press release,” “no media briefing,” “no pertinent information on the Embassy website,” nor a “call back to provide information from the Indian Ambassador’s office in Brussels.”
European journalists pointed to “no press release,” “no media briefing,” “no pertinent information on the Embassy website,” nor a “call back to provide information from the Indian Ambassador’s office in Brussels.”
Add to the fact that with more than a month of arrival in Brussels, the new ambassador is yet to let the Brussels press corps know of his presence through either a press release or otherwise. According to political pundits here, its time for Delhi to rethink the Brussels diplomatic strategy to pump in a new impetus into EU-India relationship.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Brussels sees dawn raids to break human smuggling ring
The police raided 19 houses in Brussels's Vilvoorde region including Gurudwara (Sikh Temple) and Tubize (just outside Brussels).
The Sikh community expressed outrage at the handling of the affair at the Sikh Temple, alleging that the police went in with shoes on and forced the reader of the Holy Book to abandon the continued recital that was going on to observe 300 years anniversary of the Holy Book.
On the other hand, at other places the raids yielded some major suspects according to reliable sources.
The police also found at least 200 people who are in Belgium illegally and living in inhuman conditions. They were shacked up in safe houses, used as places of hiding for many illegals. In one house in Brussels 24 people were packed into a room of 12 meters-squared according to Information received by VRT television.
Today's roundup is the result of an investigation of almost a year. A network of traffickers in humans is thought to have been operating in Belgium for the past year and a half. Hundreds of illegal immigrants from India and Pakistan have allegedly been smuggled through Belgium into the UK. The traffickers allegedly made hundreds of thousands of Euro so far. The investigation into the network started after a couple of human traffickers operating from India were arrested. It became clear that there is a huge demand for illegal immigration from Asia.
People are willing to pay enormous amounts of money to the smugglers: and it ranges from 5000 Euro to 8000 Euro. The gangs in Belgium are operating from parking lots along the motorways.The candidate refugees are loaded on to lorries going into the UK. The lorry drivers are reportedly offered huge amounts of money to take the illegal migrants across the borders into the UK.
The Sikh community expressed outrage at the handling of the affair at the Sikh Temple, alleging that the police went in with shoes on and forced the reader of the Holy Book to abandon the continued recital that was going on to observe 300 years anniversary of the Holy Book.
On the other hand, at other places the raids yielded some major suspects according to reliable sources.
The police also found at least 200 people who are in Belgium illegally and living in inhuman conditions. They were shacked up in safe houses, used as places of hiding for many illegals. In one house in Brussels 24 people were packed into a room of 12 meters-squared according to Information received by VRT television.
Today's roundup is the result of an investigation of almost a year. A network of traffickers in humans is thought to have been operating in Belgium for the past year and a half. Hundreds of illegal immigrants from India and Pakistan have allegedly been smuggled through Belgium into the UK. The traffickers allegedly made hundreds of thousands of Euro so far. The investigation into the network started after a couple of human traffickers operating from India were arrested. It became clear that there is a huge demand for illegal immigration from Asia.
People are willing to pay enormous amounts of money to the smugglers: and it ranges from 5000 Euro to 8000 Euro. The gangs in Belgium are operating from parking lots along the motorways.The candidate refugees are loaded on to lorries going into the UK. The lorry drivers are reportedly offered huge amounts of money to take the illegal migrants across the borders into the UK.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Europe gears up for global financial overhaul at Brussels Summit
European Union leaders last week stayed on track of the expected policy of agreeing to nod the financial package through but postponed the final agreement on climate change policy to the December Summit.
With the global economic slowdown feeding the gathering clouds of recession over national finances, French President Nicolas Sarkozy goaded the EU leaders not only to endorse the emergency measures for now but also got the mandate to address the long-term reforms for the international financial institutions. France holds the rotating EU Presidency for the second half of 2008 till the end of December.
In addition, the EU leaders endorsed a EU immigration package and put on hold the restart of frozen trade and partnership talks with Russia.
FINANCIAL DEAL
The Council conclusions called for “rigorous implementation by financial institutions of recommendations on the transparency of their commitments and risks,” to maintain “confidence in the financial and banking system and protecting the interests of depositors and investors.”
After the Summit, Sarkozy told journalists that all 27 EU leaders had agreed to back a plan to shore up the banking sector agreed to earlier by non-Eurozone EU member United Kingdom and the 15 Eurozone EU countries that use the Euro. The measures include increasing a guarantee on European bank deposits to be implemented within the next 12 months.
Coming down heavily on the company executives in the financial system, “particularly the banking sector,” the Council emphasised, "The real performance of company executives should be reflected in their remuneration including their severance pay (“golden parachutes”), which should be in line with their actual contribution to the success of the company.”
The Council reiterated the call to save the common citizen, “(The European Council) calls for speedy decisions on the development of European rules on the security of deposits to ensure that savers are protected,” adding that the European Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposal are in the need for a “speedy examination.”
Making an explicit mention of the European car industry to be given EU support to develop cleaner technology, Sarkozy called on EU governments to forge a common economic policy, saying: "If we can find a coordinated response to the financial crisis, why not find a coordinated economic policy?"
Addressing journalists Sarkozy asked: “Does economic policy need the same coordination as the financial crisis? From this presidency’s point of view: yes, yes, yes. Is that unanimous? For the moment: No, no, no.”
His observations were reflected in the final conclusions as the EU leaders asked the European Commission to “make appropriate proposals by the end of the year, in particular to preserve the international competitiveness of European industry,” adding, “continued structural reform is more important than eve, to help restore growth and improve employment in Europe.”
WORLD FINANCIAL REFORMS
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pushed the Council to shift gears to the second stage of overhauling the global financial institutions and French President as the Chair got bestowed with admiration as Sarkozy was handed an EU mandate to press for a complete overhaul.
"We do not have the right to miss this opportunity for reconstructing our system of finance in the 21st century," Sarkozy said. "We have a mandate now to discuss this with the President of the United States."
Europe's proposed solutions will be discussed with US President George W Bush on Saturday (October 18) and with Group of Eight and Asian leaders in a special summit which Sarkozy said he hoped would take place some time in November.
IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM BLUES
The Summit formally approved a European Pact on Immigration and Asylum which was earlier adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of Ministers on September 25. The commitment came with the worsening situation in the Mediterranean Sea belt area especially on the shores of Malta, a small EU island member state where there is a regular influx of migrants from North Africa.
Defining the aim of the Pact, the conclusions said, “The Pact will henceforth form the basis, for the Union and its Member States, of a common immigration and asylum policy, guided by a spirit of solidarity between Member States and cooperation with third countries.”
Acknowledging that the burden of asylum-seekers entering the bloc should be shared out among member states, the EU leaders said in an annex to the Pact, “For those (EU) member states which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national asylum systems, due in particular to their geographical or demographic situation, solidarity shall also aim to promote, on a voluntary and coordinated basis, better reallocation of beneficiaries of international protection from such member states to others.”
"In accordance with those principles, the (European) Commission, in consultation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ... will facilitate such voluntary and coordinated reallocation," they added.
RUSSIAN TIES REMAIN FROZEN
British Premier Brown with the help of Poland, Sweden, Denmark, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic kept the lid on the frozen negotiations with Moscow on a the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). The EU had suspended talks in September after Russian military engagement with Georgia in August caused deep unease in some of the EU capitals especially ones that are former Soviet Union states.
"All 27 EU member states welcome the withdrawals, while recognizing that they do not completely finish Russia's commitment under the peace plan of August 12," said British Foreign Minister David Miliband.
The official conclusion document read, “The European Council is asking the Commission and the Council to continue a full in-depth evaluation of EU-Russia relations with a view to the forthcoming summit, scheduled to take place in Nice on 14 November,” adding, “it will be taken into account in the further negotiations for a new Partnership Agreement with Russia.”
According to French sources, Paris along with the tacit support of Rome and Berlin had hoped to announce the resumption of the talks at the Brussels Summit.
LISBON TREATY
The lingering question of Lisbon Treaty again came up for discussions. Speaking to journalists, Sarkozy announced a need for him to make another trip to Dublin adding that in December "I should be able to put on the table a proposal concerning Ireland."
As the Council took note of analysis presented by Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen over the rejection of the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty, Cowen told journalists that EU legal experts have now been drafted to help break the deadlock, saying, “The presidency has asked the (European) Council legal services to engage with us to see what can be achieved.”
Asked whether Dublin would eventually hold a second referendum on the ratification of the Treaty, Cowen replied, "you are asking me to anticipate the process that we are now engaged in." Recalling that Irish voters needed two referendums before finally approving the EU's preceding Nice Treaty in 2002, Cowen said, “We had a referendum on the last occasion obviously.”
In its conclusion, the Council, “agreed to return to this matter at its meeting in December 2008 with a view to defining the elements of a solution and a common path to be followed.”
REFLECTION GROUP
Last but not the least, the Council approved the composition of a twelve-member group with Chairman Felip Gonzalez Marquez, former Spanish Prime Minister and two vice-chair, Varika Vike-Freiberga and Jorma Ollila. Other nine members of the group are Lykke Friis, Rem Koolhaas, Richard Lambert, Mario Monti, Rainer Munz, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Nicole Notat, Wolfgang Schuster and Lech Walesa.
Conceived by Sarkozy, the reflection group is assigned the task to look into the EU future in the time zone of 2020-30 and is expected to submit its report in 2010, starting work in early 2009.
With the global economic slowdown feeding the gathering clouds of recession over national finances, French President Nicolas Sarkozy goaded the EU leaders not only to endorse the emergency measures for now but also got the mandate to address the long-term reforms for the international financial institutions. France holds the rotating EU Presidency for the second half of 2008 till the end of December.
In addition, the EU leaders endorsed a EU immigration package and put on hold the restart of frozen trade and partnership talks with Russia.
FINANCIAL DEAL
The Council conclusions called for “rigorous implementation by financial institutions of recommendations on the transparency of their commitments and risks,” to maintain “confidence in the financial and banking system and protecting the interests of depositors and investors.”
After the Summit, Sarkozy told journalists that all 27 EU leaders had agreed to back a plan to shore up the banking sector agreed to earlier by non-Eurozone EU member United Kingdom and the 15 Eurozone EU countries that use the Euro. The measures include increasing a guarantee on European bank deposits to be implemented within the next 12 months.
Coming down heavily on the company executives in the financial system, “particularly the banking sector,” the Council emphasised, "The real performance of company executives should be reflected in their remuneration including their severance pay (“golden parachutes”), which should be in line with their actual contribution to the success of the company.”
The Council reiterated the call to save the common citizen, “(The European Council) calls for speedy decisions on the development of European rules on the security of deposits to ensure that savers are protected,” adding that the European Commission’s forthcoming legislative proposal are in the need for a “speedy examination.”
Making an explicit mention of the European car industry to be given EU support to develop cleaner technology, Sarkozy called on EU governments to forge a common economic policy, saying: "If we can find a coordinated response to the financial crisis, why not find a coordinated economic policy?"
Addressing journalists Sarkozy asked: “Does economic policy need the same coordination as the financial crisis? From this presidency’s point of view: yes, yes, yes. Is that unanimous? For the moment: No, no, no.”
His observations were reflected in the final conclusions as the EU leaders asked the European Commission to “make appropriate proposals by the end of the year, in particular to preserve the international competitiveness of European industry,” adding, “continued structural reform is more important than eve, to help restore growth and improve employment in Europe.”
WORLD FINANCIAL REFORMS
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown pushed the Council to shift gears to the second stage of overhauling the global financial institutions and French President as the Chair got bestowed with admiration as Sarkozy was handed an EU mandate to press for a complete overhaul.
"We do not have the right to miss this opportunity for reconstructing our system of finance in the 21st century," Sarkozy said. "We have a mandate now to discuss this with the President of the United States."
Europe's proposed solutions will be discussed with US President George W Bush on Saturday (October 18) and with Group of Eight and Asian leaders in a special summit which Sarkozy said he hoped would take place some time in November.
IMMIGRATION AND ASYLUM BLUES
The Summit formally approved a European Pact on Immigration and Asylum which was earlier adopted by the Justice and Home Affairs Council of Ministers on September 25. The commitment came with the worsening situation in the Mediterranean Sea belt area especially on the shores of Malta, a small EU island member state where there is a regular influx of migrants from North Africa.
Defining the aim of the Pact, the conclusions said, “The Pact will henceforth form the basis, for the Union and its Member States, of a common immigration and asylum policy, guided by a spirit of solidarity between Member States and cooperation with third countries.”
Acknowledging that the burden of asylum-seekers entering the bloc should be shared out among member states, the EU leaders said in an annex to the Pact, “For those (EU) member states which are faced with specific and disproportionate pressures on their national asylum systems, due in particular to their geographical or demographic situation, solidarity shall also aim to promote, on a voluntary and coordinated basis, better reallocation of beneficiaries of international protection from such member states to others.”
"In accordance with those principles, the (European) Commission, in consultation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ... will facilitate such voluntary and coordinated reallocation," they added.
RUSSIAN TIES REMAIN FROZEN
British Premier Brown with the help of Poland, Sweden, Denmark, the Baltic states and the Czech Republic kept the lid on the frozen negotiations with Moscow on a the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA). The EU had suspended talks in September after Russian military engagement with Georgia in August caused deep unease in some of the EU capitals especially ones that are former Soviet Union states.
"All 27 EU member states welcome the withdrawals, while recognizing that they do not completely finish Russia's commitment under the peace plan of August 12," said British Foreign Minister David Miliband.
The official conclusion document read, “The European Council is asking the Commission and the Council to continue a full in-depth evaluation of EU-Russia relations with a view to the forthcoming summit, scheduled to take place in Nice on 14 November,” adding, “it will be taken into account in the further negotiations for a new Partnership Agreement with Russia.”
According to French sources, Paris along with the tacit support of Rome and Berlin had hoped to announce the resumption of the talks at the Brussels Summit.
LISBON TREATY
The lingering question of Lisbon Treaty again came up for discussions. Speaking to journalists, Sarkozy announced a need for him to make another trip to Dublin adding that in December "I should be able to put on the table a proposal concerning Ireland."
As the Council took note of analysis presented by Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen over the rejection of the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty, Cowen told journalists that EU legal experts have now been drafted to help break the deadlock, saying, “The presidency has asked the (European) Council legal services to engage with us to see what can be achieved.”
Asked whether Dublin would eventually hold a second referendum on the ratification of the Treaty, Cowen replied, "you are asking me to anticipate the process that we are now engaged in." Recalling that Irish voters needed two referendums before finally approving the EU's preceding Nice Treaty in 2002, Cowen said, “We had a referendum on the last occasion obviously.”
In its conclusion, the Council, “agreed to return to this matter at its meeting in December 2008 with a view to defining the elements of a solution and a common path to be followed.”
REFLECTION GROUP
Last but not the least, the Council approved the composition of a twelve-member group with Chairman Felip Gonzalez Marquez, former Spanish Prime Minister and two vice-chair, Varika Vike-Freiberga and Jorma Ollila. Other nine members of the group are Lykke Friis, Rem Koolhaas, Richard Lambert, Mario Monti, Rainer Munz, Kalypso Nicolaidis, Nicole Notat, Wolfgang Schuster and Lech Walesa.
Conceived by Sarkozy, the reflection group is assigned the task to look into the EU future in the time zone of 2020-30 and is expected to submit its report in 2010, starting work in early 2009.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Polish President Kaczynski gate-crashes at Brussels EU Summit
Poland was in the news at Brussels European Union Summit on Wednesday-Thursday (October 15-16) but for wrong reasons as the journalists waiting for press conferences (which were delayed as usual) were amused by Polish leaders doing their pranks abroad.
“Prime Minister Donald Tusk went to Brussels to defend important Polish interests while President Lech Kaczynski - as a troublemaker,” Polish media summed it all in one line.
There was serious discussion about future of capitalism at the emergency EU Summit while the former Communist regime of Poland was immersed in petty squabble of who will “officially” hijack “official aircraft” to Brussels.
Round one went to Premier Tusk as he commandeered the Government's sole available executive jet and then refused to let the aircraft fly back to Warsaw where President Kaczynski, the President, was waiting for a ride to Brussels.
Kaczynski, never easy to give up in his pursuits, chartered another aircraft, landed in Brussels but was aghast to find that the official chair was already occupied by arch-rival Tusk. Before the situation could boil down to fists in grand order, Jacek Rostowski, Polish finance minister, official occupant of second seat, acted in a gentleman way, giving his seat to the angry and tired President.
“We are gentlemen, we will not have a scuffle,” he said, conceding that the situation had become “serious and dangerous”.
Till last year, this was not a major issue as then the President's identical twin with near-identical conservative views, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was Prime Minister.
Finally came the blame game as Radoslaw Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister called it an “unprecedented situation,” lamenting, “The President has made our task much more difficult as our partners now have no clarity about our position.”
“Prime Minister Donald Tusk went to Brussels to defend important Polish interests while President Lech Kaczynski - as a troublemaker,” Polish media summed it all in one line.
There was serious discussion about future of capitalism at the emergency EU Summit while the former Communist regime of Poland was immersed in petty squabble of who will “officially” hijack “official aircraft” to Brussels.
Round one went to Premier Tusk as he commandeered the Government's sole available executive jet and then refused to let the aircraft fly back to Warsaw where President Kaczynski, the President, was waiting for a ride to Brussels.
Kaczynski, never easy to give up in his pursuits, chartered another aircraft, landed in Brussels but was aghast to find that the official chair was already occupied by arch-rival Tusk. Before the situation could boil down to fists in grand order, Jacek Rostowski, Polish finance minister, official occupant of second seat, acted in a gentleman way, giving his seat to the angry and tired President.
“We are gentlemen, we will not have a scuffle,” he said, conceding that the situation had become “serious and dangerous”.
Till last year, this was not a major issue as then the President's identical twin with near-identical conservative views, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, was Prime Minister.
Finally came the blame game as Radoslaw Sikorski, Polish Foreign Minister called it an “unprecedented situation,” lamenting, “The President has made our task much more difficult as our partners now have no clarity about our position.”
Sunday, October 5, 2008
EU proposes a month addition to maternity leave
The European Commission proposed last week to extend EU-wide mandatory maternity leave from 14 weeks to 18 weeks giving women “longer and better” maternity leave with full salary benefits. Today, maternity leave currently varies from 14 weeks in Germany to 18 months in Sweden, with many countries offering less than 18 weeks.
Aimed at improving the “work-life balance” of the Europeans, the proposals called for stronger protection against threat of dismissal and safeguards to make sure the person returns to the same job or an equivalent one after the maternity leave.
Presenting his social package in Brussels, Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities told journalists, “Our proposals to improve maternity leave will help women to combine work and family life, improving their and their family's quality of life.”
“Juggling work, family and private life is a huge challenge for millions of Europeans, men and women,” noted Spidla, adding, “But having children too often costs women their income and their job prospects. Only 65.5 percent of women with dependent children are in work, compared to 91.7 percent of men.”
Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, Conservative leader in the European Parliament, argued, “The best social policy for Europe is one that creates opportunities and jobs. Member states have a primary responsibility to address social issues, where what we need is more delivery and less rhetoric.”
Critics have said small businesses will struggle to meet the costs and that national governments should decide on such matters, not the EU.
Germany and the Czech Republic, the home state of Commissioner Spidla already issued statements undermining the proposals.
Media reports quoted German Family Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen as saying they (the proposals) would "increase financial risks for employers who hire young women." She added the conditions would have a "boomerang" effect and prove to be a handicap for young women looking for jobs.
CTK news agency in a report cited Petr Necas, Czech Labour Minister as saying, "I'm strongly convinced that it is an unrealistic attempt and it does not respect differing conditions in various member states.”
British MEP Bushill-Matthews said, “Small businesses will struggle to afford this extra cost,” warning, “Ultimately some of the smallest businesses may think twice about employing young women through fear of them going on maternity leave.”
“The EU cannot solve all the ills of society with more one-size-fits-all legislation as determined by big business and big Trade Unions,” the Conservative European lawmaker added.
Commissioner Spidla, however had the opinion, “(The proposals) should also help increase women’s participation in the labour market and help face up to the challenges of demographic ageing: indeed countries with more women in employment also have higher birth rates.”
In a separate report “Childcare services in the EU,” the Commission reported that only five Member States -- Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain, -- had reached 33 percent of coverage for kids aged under three, as providing the minimum number of certified daycare spaces for children. There were five more Member States - Portugal, United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia - approaching this target, it added.
While seven Member States (Finland, Italy, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia) had reached a coverage level of 16 to 26 percent, there were eight Member States (Greece, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Lithuania, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland) had less than 10 percent coverage.
The report concluded that with the ongoing “huge imbalance between men and women in the sharing of domestics and family responsibilities, leaving women - much more so than men - to opt for flexible working arrangements or even give up work altogether.”
At the end of the press conference, Katharina von Schnurbein, spokesperson for Commissioner Spidla announced that she was going on maternity leave from this Monday.
(Published in www.neurope.eu)
Aimed at improving the “work-life balance” of the Europeans, the proposals called for stronger protection against threat of dismissal and safeguards to make sure the person returns to the same job or an equivalent one after the maternity leave.
Presenting his social package in Brussels, Vladimir Spidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities told journalists, “Our proposals to improve maternity leave will help women to combine work and family life, improving their and their family's quality of life.”
“Juggling work, family and private life is a huge challenge for millions of Europeans, men and women,” noted Spidla, adding, “But having children too often costs women their income and their job prospects. Only 65.5 percent of women with dependent children are in work, compared to 91.7 percent of men.”
Philip Bushill-Matthews MEP, Conservative leader in the European Parliament, argued, “The best social policy for Europe is one that creates opportunities and jobs. Member states have a primary responsibility to address social issues, where what we need is more delivery and less rhetoric.”
Critics have said small businesses will struggle to meet the costs and that national governments should decide on such matters, not the EU.
Germany and the Czech Republic, the home state of Commissioner Spidla already issued statements undermining the proposals.
Media reports quoted German Family Affairs Minister Ursula von der Leyen as saying they (the proposals) would "increase financial risks for employers who hire young women." She added the conditions would have a "boomerang" effect and prove to be a handicap for young women looking for jobs.
CTK news agency in a report cited Petr Necas, Czech Labour Minister as saying, "I'm strongly convinced that it is an unrealistic attempt and it does not respect differing conditions in various member states.”
British MEP Bushill-Matthews said, “Small businesses will struggle to afford this extra cost,” warning, “Ultimately some of the smallest businesses may think twice about employing young women through fear of them going on maternity leave.”
“The EU cannot solve all the ills of society with more one-size-fits-all legislation as determined by big business and big Trade Unions,” the Conservative European lawmaker added.
Commissioner Spidla, however had the opinion, “(The proposals) should also help increase women’s participation in the labour market and help face up to the challenges of demographic ageing: indeed countries with more women in employment also have higher birth rates.”
In a separate report “Childcare services in the EU,” the Commission reported that only five Member States -- Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Spain, -- had reached 33 percent of coverage for kids aged under three, as providing the minimum number of certified daycare spaces for children. There were five more Member States - Portugal, United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Slovenia - approaching this target, it added.
While seven Member States (Finland, Italy, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Ireland, Latvia) had reached a coverage level of 16 to 26 percent, there were eight Member States (Greece, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Lithuania, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland) had less than 10 percent coverage.
The report concluded that with the ongoing “huge imbalance between men and women in the sharing of domestics and family responsibilities, leaving women - much more so than men - to opt for flexible working arrangements or even give up work altogether.”
At the end of the press conference, Katharina von Schnurbein, spokesperson for Commissioner Spidla announced that she was going on maternity leave from this Monday.
(Published in www.neurope.eu)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Focus on the rights of women in Islam
The Koran puts women on an equal footing with men but over the centuries the patriarchal culture distorted the “human rights and democracy of Islam” to suit their own needs giving the fairer sex an inferior status according to Azizah Y. al-Hibri, Professor of Law at the University of Richmond in the United States.
The changed conditions for the Muslim women in the Western societies were highlighted by the Lebanese-born US academician calling for interpreting the Koran with relevance to the new environs without forcing Islam to falsely conform to Western culture.
Speaking at a Brussels event chaired by Shada Islam, an eminent journalist, Professor al-Hibri called the Koran, a “seamless web of interconnected ideas” but warned that with the passage of time it has been distorted by culture.
Citing the Holy Book’s references, the learned speaker pointed the Koran said that men and women are created from the same nafs (soul), and the Prophet himself said that women are the split halves (i.e. the same) of men, with the same religious and ethnical duties.
The Prophet expected them to play a major role in both the family and the community, the speaker added. Stressing over and over again the equality of women and men in the eyes of Koran, the professor cited ancient jurists as recognising married Muslim women as fully independent legal and financial entities, entitled to the fruit of their labour, with the same financial thimmah (capacity) as men.
Throwing out the prevailing ideas of inequality, al- Hibri highlighted the recent initiative of Muslim jurists in Morocco with the revival of an ancient line of thinking about women’s personal status code - recognising that both men and women in marriage should draw up a financial agreement relating to how they dispose of their separate incomes, property allocations or joint investments.
Drawing a line of demarcation between culture and religion, the professor urged the Muslim women to adapt to the Western culture without sacrificing the religion.
Calling for adoption of a jurisprudence that is suitable to their culture, adding, “We do not have to invent the wheel,” she warned that Islam jurisprudence should not be distorted to conform to Western societies and cultures.
Citing the Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, al-Hibri reiterated that every human being is entitled to have his or her freedom of belief to be respected by the state as part of their human rights.
Reacting to a fallacious Western approach towards Islam of “false accommodation,” al-Hibri urged the Muslim women in the Western societies to borrow from the ancient Islamic tradition which gives women financial and legal independence. Al- Hibri expressed the opinion that these beliefs fit well with a Western culture that recognises the rights of women.
Commenting on the widespectrum of intra-Islamic sects, Professor al-Hibri said, “Everybody shares Koran but unfortunately there are difference in some parts of the Muslim world.”
Quoting from her personal experiences, al-Hibri discounted the role played by these.
Commenting on Ahmadias, al-Hibri said, “I know but I don’t know enough about Ahmadias,” but in the same vein, asked to comment on Wahhabism and Saudi Arabian influence, she said, “I do not want to comment. Instead of cursing the dark, I am going to light a candle.”
The changed conditions for the Muslim women in the Western societies were highlighted by the Lebanese-born US academician calling for interpreting the Koran with relevance to the new environs without forcing Islam to falsely conform to Western culture.
Speaking at a Brussels event chaired by Shada Islam, an eminent journalist, Professor al-Hibri called the Koran, a “seamless web of interconnected ideas” but warned that with the passage of time it has been distorted by culture.
Citing the Holy Book’s references, the learned speaker pointed the Koran said that men and women are created from the same nafs (soul), and the Prophet himself said that women are the split halves (i.e. the same) of men, with the same religious and ethnical duties.
The Prophet expected them to play a major role in both the family and the community, the speaker added. Stressing over and over again the equality of women and men in the eyes of Koran, the professor cited ancient jurists as recognising married Muslim women as fully independent legal and financial entities, entitled to the fruit of their labour, with the same financial thimmah (capacity) as men.
Throwing out the prevailing ideas of inequality, al- Hibri highlighted the recent initiative of Muslim jurists in Morocco with the revival of an ancient line of thinking about women’s personal status code - recognising that both men and women in marriage should draw up a financial agreement relating to how they dispose of their separate incomes, property allocations or joint investments.
Drawing a line of demarcation between culture and religion, the professor urged the Muslim women to adapt to the Western culture without sacrificing the religion.
Calling for adoption of a jurisprudence that is suitable to their culture, adding, “We do not have to invent the wheel,” she warned that Islam jurisprudence should not be distorted to conform to Western societies and cultures.
Citing the Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, al-Hibri reiterated that every human being is entitled to have his or her freedom of belief to be respected by the state as part of their human rights.
Reacting to a fallacious Western approach towards Islam of “false accommodation,” al-Hibri urged the Muslim women in the Western societies to borrow from the ancient Islamic tradition which gives women financial and legal independence. Al- Hibri expressed the opinion that these beliefs fit well with a Western culture that recognises the rights of women.
Commenting on the widespectrum of intra-Islamic sects, Professor al-Hibri said, “Everybody shares Koran but unfortunately there are difference in some parts of the Muslim world.”
Quoting from her personal experiences, al-Hibri discounted the role played by these.
Commenting on Ahmadias, al-Hibri said, “I know but I don’t know enough about Ahmadias,” but in the same vein, asked to comment on Wahhabism and Saudi Arabian influence, she said, “I do not want to comment. Instead of cursing the dark, I am going to light a candle.”
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Tymoshenko upbeat on EU integration
Welcoming international, and especially European business houses to Ukraine, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko said in Brussels that, “It is crucial for the Ukrainian authorities to make foreign business feel comfortable in our country.”
Addressing a galaxy of European industrialists, diplomats and other dignitaries brought together by EU Ukraine Business Council and EGMONT, the Royal Institute for International Relations based in Brussels, Tymoshenko said, “We aspire to be a favourable country for foreign investments.”
Comparing the problems faced by Ukraine with the biggest tsunami in the world, the prime minister said, “This is the tsunami of counteraction because the society is used to live in a half shadow economic situation”
Acknowledging that Kiev is facing tough opposition to the proposed reforms, Tymoshenko assured business community saying, “But our government team is able to accept all challenges and demonstrate results.” “We are confident of our power, unity of our democratic team, including consolidation of the Government and President’s team and of the fact that Ukraine will become a member of the European Union,” Tymoshenko added.
Answering questions from the audience, the prime minister gave a balancing act answer about relations with Russia and the European Union.
Pointing out that European integration is supported by main colours of political spectrum and vox populi in Ukraine, Tymoshenko said the country is taking “serious steps” to get closer to membership of the European Union.
But asked to give a timeline for membership, Tymoshenko said she would prefer not to give a specific date just in case success is not achieved by then. Outlining the roadmap for reaching the EU membership, Tymoshenko stressed the importance of economic integration, particularly freeing trade environment and letting relations develop without economic barriers.
Basing her prediction on current GDP levels, Tymoshenko said Ukraine “could be a serious economic partner,” as Kiev expects inflation to reach half of 2007 levels.
Highlighting the role of privatisation of key sectors, Tymoshenko said Kiev is planning to privatise its communications sector in the coming months, as well as its energy distribution network.
Accepting the fact that Ukraine is currently fully dependent on Russian energy networks, the premier said there is more close cooperation between Moscow and Kiev in different branches of industry, from outer space to machine-building. But this is important both to Ukraine and to Russia, underlined Tymoshenko.
Lamenting inefficient production and corruption as the stumbling blocks to utilising Ukraine’s own gas resources, the premier said, “Licenses are issued but there is no exploration and zero efficiency.” Tymoshenko promised that Kiev is set to float legislation which would enable investors in this sector to build a more secure relationship with the state on the basis of production-sharing agreements.
Tymoshenko negated the suggestion that Ukraine has to choose between building relations with the EU or Russia, saying, “Either, or is incorrect.” Blaming Ukrainian politicians before 2004, who she said had put national interests second to other interests, thus strengthening Kiev’s energy and political dependency on Russia, she stressed that Kiev is now set to build relations with Russia as equal partners, diminishing its energy dependency on the big neighbour.
Reiterating, “Integration is hopefully towards the EU. Ukraine decided that a long time ago,” Tymoshenko concluded, “We are not flirting anymore (but) we are seriously integrating.”
Addressing a galaxy of European industrialists, diplomats and other dignitaries brought together by EU Ukraine Business Council and EGMONT, the Royal Institute for International Relations based in Brussels, Tymoshenko said, “We aspire to be a favourable country for foreign investments.”
Comparing the problems faced by Ukraine with the biggest tsunami in the world, the prime minister said, “This is the tsunami of counteraction because the society is used to live in a half shadow economic situation”
Acknowledging that Kiev is facing tough opposition to the proposed reforms, Tymoshenko assured business community saying, “But our government team is able to accept all challenges and demonstrate results.” “We are confident of our power, unity of our democratic team, including consolidation of the Government and President’s team and of the fact that Ukraine will become a member of the European Union,” Tymoshenko added.
Answering questions from the audience, the prime minister gave a balancing act answer about relations with Russia and the European Union.
Pointing out that European integration is supported by main colours of political spectrum and vox populi in Ukraine, Tymoshenko said the country is taking “serious steps” to get closer to membership of the European Union.
But asked to give a timeline for membership, Tymoshenko said she would prefer not to give a specific date just in case success is not achieved by then. Outlining the roadmap for reaching the EU membership, Tymoshenko stressed the importance of economic integration, particularly freeing trade environment and letting relations develop without economic barriers.
Basing her prediction on current GDP levels, Tymoshenko said Ukraine “could be a serious economic partner,” as Kiev expects inflation to reach half of 2007 levels.
Highlighting the role of privatisation of key sectors, Tymoshenko said Kiev is planning to privatise its communications sector in the coming months, as well as its energy distribution network.
Accepting the fact that Ukraine is currently fully dependent on Russian energy networks, the premier said there is more close cooperation between Moscow and Kiev in different branches of industry, from outer space to machine-building. But this is important both to Ukraine and to Russia, underlined Tymoshenko.
Lamenting inefficient production and corruption as the stumbling blocks to utilising Ukraine’s own gas resources, the premier said, “Licenses are issued but there is no exploration and zero efficiency.” Tymoshenko promised that Kiev is set to float legislation which would enable investors in this sector to build a more secure relationship with the state on the basis of production-sharing agreements.
Tymoshenko negated the suggestion that Ukraine has to choose between building relations with the EU or Russia, saying, “Either, or is incorrect.” Blaming Ukrainian politicians before 2004, who she said had put national interests second to other interests, thus strengthening Kiev’s energy and political dependency on Russia, she stressed that Kiev is now set to build relations with Russia as equal partners, diminishing its energy dependency on the big neighbour.
Reiterating, “Integration is hopefully towards the EU. Ukraine decided that a long time ago,” Tymoshenko concluded, “We are not flirting anymore (but) we are seriously integrating.”
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Gas era set to dawn in India
Ships equipped with re-gasification gear an answer
Power shortages leading to blackouts are already taking their toll on production, and then the cumulative effect is filtering down to export markets. That’s the scene blurring grand visions of making India a manufacturing hub to alleviate poverty, which keeps more than two-thirds of the rural population engaged in a vicious cycle of an agricultural sector dependent on weather unpredictability.
With an economic boom touching nine percent over the last few years showing no sign of slowing down, India’s insatiable hunger for energy has not been matched by a proportionate increase in supply over the years. Estimates point that India’s energy needs are set to grow by 40 percent, moving it from sixth slot to fourth position in the world’s top consuming nations by 2012.
“Cleaner burning and more efficient than coal,” coupled with the fact that tonnes of stranded gas around the world are just looking for a market, natural gas seems to be the answer to the ever-increasing demand for power in the present Indian environs, where the ways and means to provide sustainable and reliable solutions are far from clear.
Government figures show that the country’s domestic gas supply is 65 million standard cubic metres per day, while demand stands at 231 mmscmd and the projections put it to rise to 313 mmscmd by 2011-2012. India’s Planning Commission in its approach paper to its 11th Five-Year Plan that an ongoing sequence since it was launched five decades ago identified that among other factors, “... above all, power supply are not comparable to those prevalent in our competitor countries.”
Warning that, “... this gap must be filled within the next five to 10 years if our enterprises are to compete effectively,” the paper stressed that, today, Indian companies are not asking for state protection but at least, “expect a level playing field.” It may be noted that although industrial units are savvy about their own power plants, the acute lack of feeding fuel remains a major stumbling block. With focus shifting to cleaner industrialisation, there is a gas era ready to come of age, but latest government figures show the country failed to import only a third of the gas it wanted in 2006-2007.
One of the major reasons is the inadequate infrastructure in the country to handle gas imports as only two of the planned four terminals for LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) re-gasification viz. Shell’s Hazira terminal and Petronet’s Dahej terminal, are operating while the Kochi terminal and the Dabhol are yet to get commissioned. These special terminals are needed as gas is shipped in liquid form and needs to be re-gasified when the ship berths. Lack of such specialised terminals left not only the power sector but also the fertilizer sector literally gasping for gas.
The geo-political situation around the world has cast its long dark shadows on the Indian government’s options to get international pipeline projects like the Iran-Pakistan-India, the Myanmar-India and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India to deliver.
According to tough-talking sector observers, the first one has an American negative influence on it, the second seems to be lost to Chinese efforts, while the third is losing to its preferred sister project moving toward Russia on its journey to the more lucrative market of Europe, giving leverage to Moscow over Brussels in energy matters.
Dashing any hopes of salvaging the Myanmar-India gas pipeline project, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, ONGC – Videsh Limited or OVL scrapped the project in the footsteps of the Gas Authority of India Limited, GAIL. R S Butola, Managing Director of OVL said in New Delhi on May 14: “Since Bangladesh has disagreed to our proposal, the project is now becoming a costly affair while China is trying hard to procure gas from Myanmar through a pipeline because the country has been suffering from a huge energy crisis for long.”
He ruled out any further bid to get back the pipeline project without a cost-benefit analysis. Such a delayed scenario for pipelines leaves the door wide open for imports of gas through ports. The Indian west coast is already dotted with ports which have emerged as leading container handlers with overstretched capacity and the time is ripe for the eastern ports of Kolkota, Haldia and Paradeep to take the initiative to grab this golden opportunity to become a hub of gas imports to meet the energy needs of the parent state, and for the onward transport to other parts of the country.
Usually, it will cost around USD 500 million to equip each port with a re-gasification terminal and a number of years of construction before gas starts flowing to consumers, but pundits offer a new pioneering working model showing a simple way out. With tailor-made delivery-driven solutions catering to exponentially increasing demands for gas, there are technologically advanced vessels which have the facility to re-gasify LNG onboard and discharge natural gas into the pipeline system through an “Energy Bridge” process. The time frame for opening the tap to consumers for this unique way of the re-gasification equipped vessels docking at the ports needs just a year from the time the final decision is taken to when work starts to install various discharge points like a buoy (deepwater port), a turret (shallow water port) or quayside.
Moreover, this also takes care of concerns of vocal environmentalists who have been campaigning against new terminals aimed to boosting imports of LNG. One market expert on India predicted that the move can lead to frenzied investment from abroad in Bengal for constructing short delivery pipelines to industrial units across the region. Calling it “the financial backbone of the future for Bengal (an eastern Indian state),” which is a state striving to transform its poor agro-economy into an industry powered financial giant in the coming years, the expert said in Brussels, “The state can contribute with tax rebates during high risk initial phases with applicant shipping companies committing to help in getting gas contracts at affordable prices.” Time will show if the industry and the state can take advantage of this opportunity to agree on terms of development of gas inlets and beyond.
Written for New Europe, the European Weekly on May 19, 2007 - Issue : 730
Power shortages leading to blackouts are already taking their toll on production, and then the cumulative effect is filtering down to export markets. That’s the scene blurring grand visions of making India a manufacturing hub to alleviate poverty, which keeps more than two-thirds of the rural population engaged in a vicious cycle of an agricultural sector dependent on weather unpredictability.
With an economic boom touching nine percent over the last few years showing no sign of slowing down, India’s insatiable hunger for energy has not been matched by a proportionate increase in supply over the years. Estimates point that India’s energy needs are set to grow by 40 percent, moving it from sixth slot to fourth position in the world’s top consuming nations by 2012.
“Cleaner burning and more efficient than coal,” coupled with the fact that tonnes of stranded gas around the world are just looking for a market, natural gas seems to be the answer to the ever-increasing demand for power in the present Indian environs, where the ways and means to provide sustainable and reliable solutions are far from clear.
Government figures show that the country’s domestic gas supply is 65 million standard cubic metres per day, while demand stands at 231 mmscmd and the projections put it to rise to 313 mmscmd by 2011-2012. India’s Planning Commission in its approach paper to its 11th Five-Year Plan that an ongoing sequence since it was launched five decades ago identified that among other factors, “... above all, power supply are not comparable to those prevalent in our competitor countries.”
Warning that, “... this gap must be filled within the next five to 10 years if our enterprises are to compete effectively,” the paper stressed that, today, Indian companies are not asking for state protection but at least, “expect a level playing field.” It may be noted that although industrial units are savvy about their own power plants, the acute lack of feeding fuel remains a major stumbling block. With focus shifting to cleaner industrialisation, there is a gas era ready to come of age, but latest government figures show the country failed to import only a third of the gas it wanted in 2006-2007.
One of the major reasons is the inadequate infrastructure in the country to handle gas imports as only two of the planned four terminals for LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) re-gasification viz. Shell’s Hazira terminal and Petronet’s Dahej terminal, are operating while the Kochi terminal and the Dabhol are yet to get commissioned. These special terminals are needed as gas is shipped in liquid form and needs to be re-gasified when the ship berths. Lack of such specialised terminals left not only the power sector but also the fertilizer sector literally gasping for gas.
The geo-political situation around the world has cast its long dark shadows on the Indian government’s options to get international pipeline projects like the Iran-Pakistan-India, the Myanmar-India and the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India to deliver.
According to tough-talking sector observers, the first one has an American negative influence on it, the second seems to be lost to Chinese efforts, while the third is losing to its preferred sister project moving toward Russia on its journey to the more lucrative market of Europe, giving leverage to Moscow over Brussels in energy matters.
Dashing any hopes of salvaging the Myanmar-India gas pipeline project, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, ONGC – Videsh Limited or OVL scrapped the project in the footsteps of the Gas Authority of India Limited, GAIL. R S Butola, Managing Director of OVL said in New Delhi on May 14: “Since Bangladesh has disagreed to our proposal, the project is now becoming a costly affair while China is trying hard to procure gas from Myanmar through a pipeline because the country has been suffering from a huge energy crisis for long.”
He ruled out any further bid to get back the pipeline project without a cost-benefit analysis. Such a delayed scenario for pipelines leaves the door wide open for imports of gas through ports. The Indian west coast is already dotted with ports which have emerged as leading container handlers with overstretched capacity and the time is ripe for the eastern ports of Kolkota, Haldia and Paradeep to take the initiative to grab this golden opportunity to become a hub of gas imports to meet the energy needs of the parent state, and for the onward transport to other parts of the country.
Usually, it will cost around USD 500 million to equip each port with a re-gasification terminal and a number of years of construction before gas starts flowing to consumers, but pundits offer a new pioneering working model showing a simple way out. With tailor-made delivery-driven solutions catering to exponentially increasing demands for gas, there are technologically advanced vessels which have the facility to re-gasify LNG onboard and discharge natural gas into the pipeline system through an “Energy Bridge” process. The time frame for opening the tap to consumers for this unique way of the re-gasification equipped vessels docking at the ports needs just a year from the time the final decision is taken to when work starts to install various discharge points like a buoy (deepwater port), a turret (shallow water port) or quayside.
Moreover, this also takes care of concerns of vocal environmentalists who have been campaigning against new terminals aimed to boosting imports of LNG. One market expert on India predicted that the move can lead to frenzied investment from abroad in Bengal for constructing short delivery pipelines to industrial units across the region. Calling it “the financial backbone of the future for Bengal (an eastern Indian state),” which is a state striving to transform its poor agro-economy into an industry powered financial giant in the coming years, the expert said in Brussels, “The state can contribute with tax rebates during high risk initial phases with applicant shipping companies committing to help in getting gas contracts at affordable prices.” Time will show if the industry and the state can take advantage of this opportunity to agree on terms of development of gas inlets and beyond.
Written for New Europe, the European Weekly on May 19, 2007 - Issue : 730
Monday, November 12, 2007
EU-India dialogue continues
Journalists lament news lost in bureaucratic labyrinth
The European Union, boasting 27 member states and with more lined up to join, has a lot of similarities with India, a federal democracy with 28 states and seven union territories. India was one of the first countries to initiate diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1962 and cemented it further with bilateral agreements in 1973 and 1981.
With the ongoing expansion of the EU, the largest financial giant in the world, and the booming economy of India, a nation of over a billion people, there has been no slowdown in the European Union’s role as India’s foremost trading partner and largest foreign internal investor.
The two nations declared on September 7, 2005 at their sixth summit in New Delhi, that they would enhance their ongoing co-operation with the creation of a pragmatic EU–India strategic partnership. According to the European commission declaration, “The action plan covers a wide range of issues grouped under five main chapters:
1. Strengthening dialogue and consultation mechanisms
2. Political dialogue and cooperation
3. Bringing people and cultures together
4. Economic policy dialogue and cooperation5. Developing trade and investment”
In view of these ambitious goals and commitments, it has come as a surprise to Brussels-based journalists that there appears to be a translucent wall shielding information from the media with regard to visits and discussions between these two strategic partners, with the exception of an odd commission press release after the visit is over.
In the latest episode of this ongoing saga, Brussels-based journalists later learned of an official visit to Brussels by an Indian delegation led by Indian Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. This information came from a post-visit commission press release, with more details emerging from media reports out of Delhi after the minister’s return to the Indian capital.
Speaking to New Europe, concerned journalists confirmed their lack of any prior knowledge of the visit. There are numerous dialogues, including a bilateral trade agreement and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round consultations that are being discussed between the European Union and India, and those in the media are voicing concerns of an apparent lack of transparency and availability of information to journalists.
Moreover, it has yet to be explained why the Indian permanent mission to the EU stays tight-lipped about such visits. A recent informal survey of journalists interested in EUIndia relations found that none of the respondents had received any recent emails or other forms of communication from the Indian diplomatic quarters in Brussels regarding the visits or any other ongoing bilateral discussions.
It has been the standard procedure of the European Commission whenever there is a visiting foreign minister from another country, that there is usually a VIP corner (where the commissioner concerned and the visiting dignitaries give a few minutes to the Brussels press corps), if not a full press briefing. Yet somehow, we have yet to see such an opportunity in the recent past when an Indian minister or delegation is visiting.
It seems that the visiting Indian aviation minister did have a fruitful discussion and that an agreement to allow European airlines flying to India to offer multi-modal transport facilities to passengers and vice-versa for Indian air-carriers, may be in the making.
Moreover, the European Commission has been looking forward to acquiring an umbrella agreement for open skies with India, instead of the present bilateral agreements which India has with various EU member states.
Such an agreement will benefit passengers and the citizens of Europe and India. By keeping the press out of the loop, there has been a virtual blackout of these discussions and it seems the press will come to know only when such agreements are finalised and announced in a press release, buried among a plethora of other subjects. Clearly this method provides no opportunity for cross-examination of the pros and cons of the agreement, nor does it allow for discussion to fine tune the negotiations. But the talk of transparency and openness to the European citizens from the European Commission will continue as usual.
There is concern as to the process by which the VIP corners or full press briefings are arranged in the European Commission for the visiting dignitaries. Moreover, there is a consensus among many members of the media that the permanent Indian delegation to the European Union also shoulders some of the responsibility about this lack of availability of information.
On its website, the European Commission announces, “The relationship between India and Europe pre-dates history. Most of Europe owes its linguistic heritage to India — and much of its cultural base … This symbolises the relationship between India and the EU, at one and the same time very old, yet dynamic and entirely modern. Besides the political, economic and trade dialogues which tend to dominate the vision of EU–India cooperation, there is a strong supporting cultural and social interrelationship encompassing many sectors and levels of both societies.”
In view of this statement, there should be a free and frank flow of information to the press corps in Brussels in order to carry the message to the European and Indian citizens, and to strengthen the bonds between the two nations which have existed for centuries, as confirmed by the European commission.
The first ever EU-India Summit was held in 2000 in Lisbon, Portugal and seven years later Portugal again has the EU Presidency, and the opportunity to rekindle these ties, hopefully with much more transparency so that European and Indian citizens can better understand each other’s culture and points of view.
The European Union, boasting 27 member states and with more lined up to join, has a lot of similarities with India, a federal democracy with 28 states and seven union territories. India was one of the first countries to initiate diplomatic relations with the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1962 and cemented it further with bilateral agreements in 1973 and 1981.
With the ongoing expansion of the EU, the largest financial giant in the world, and the booming economy of India, a nation of over a billion people, there has been no slowdown in the European Union’s role as India’s foremost trading partner and largest foreign internal investor.
The two nations declared on September 7, 2005 at their sixth summit in New Delhi, that they would enhance their ongoing co-operation with the creation of a pragmatic EU–India strategic partnership. According to the European commission declaration, “The action plan covers a wide range of issues grouped under five main chapters:
1. Strengthening dialogue and consultation mechanisms
2. Political dialogue and cooperation
3. Bringing people and cultures together
4. Economic policy dialogue and cooperation5. Developing trade and investment”
In view of these ambitious goals and commitments, it has come as a surprise to Brussels-based journalists that there appears to be a translucent wall shielding information from the media with regard to visits and discussions between these two strategic partners, with the exception of an odd commission press release after the visit is over.
In the latest episode of this ongoing saga, Brussels-based journalists later learned of an official visit to Brussels by an Indian delegation led by Indian Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. This information came from a post-visit commission press release, with more details emerging from media reports out of Delhi after the minister’s return to the Indian capital.
Speaking to New Europe, concerned journalists confirmed their lack of any prior knowledge of the visit. There are numerous dialogues, including a bilateral trade agreement and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Doha Round consultations that are being discussed between the European Union and India, and those in the media are voicing concerns of an apparent lack of transparency and availability of information to journalists.
Moreover, it has yet to be explained why the Indian permanent mission to the EU stays tight-lipped about such visits. A recent informal survey of journalists interested in EUIndia relations found that none of the respondents had received any recent emails or other forms of communication from the Indian diplomatic quarters in Brussels regarding the visits or any other ongoing bilateral discussions.
It has been the standard procedure of the European Commission whenever there is a visiting foreign minister from another country, that there is usually a VIP corner (where the commissioner concerned and the visiting dignitaries give a few minutes to the Brussels press corps), if not a full press briefing. Yet somehow, we have yet to see such an opportunity in the recent past when an Indian minister or delegation is visiting.
It seems that the visiting Indian aviation minister did have a fruitful discussion and that an agreement to allow European airlines flying to India to offer multi-modal transport facilities to passengers and vice-versa for Indian air-carriers, may be in the making.
Moreover, the European Commission has been looking forward to acquiring an umbrella agreement for open skies with India, instead of the present bilateral agreements which India has with various EU member states.
Such an agreement will benefit passengers and the citizens of Europe and India. By keeping the press out of the loop, there has been a virtual blackout of these discussions and it seems the press will come to know only when such agreements are finalised and announced in a press release, buried among a plethora of other subjects. Clearly this method provides no opportunity for cross-examination of the pros and cons of the agreement, nor does it allow for discussion to fine tune the negotiations. But the talk of transparency and openness to the European citizens from the European Commission will continue as usual.
There is concern as to the process by which the VIP corners or full press briefings are arranged in the European Commission for the visiting dignitaries. Moreover, there is a consensus among many members of the media that the permanent Indian delegation to the European Union also shoulders some of the responsibility about this lack of availability of information.
On its website, the European Commission announces, “The relationship between India and Europe pre-dates history. Most of Europe owes its linguistic heritage to India — and much of its cultural base … This symbolises the relationship between India and the EU, at one and the same time very old, yet dynamic and entirely modern. Besides the political, economic and trade dialogues which tend to dominate the vision of EU–India cooperation, there is a strong supporting cultural and social interrelationship encompassing many sectors and levels of both societies.”
In view of this statement, there should be a free and frank flow of information to the press corps in Brussels in order to carry the message to the European and Indian citizens, and to strengthen the bonds between the two nations which have existed for centuries, as confirmed by the European commission.
The first ever EU-India Summit was held in 2000 in Lisbon, Portugal and seven years later Portugal again has the EU Presidency, and the opportunity to rekindle these ties, hopefully with much more transparency so that European and Indian citizens can better understand each other’s culture and points of view.
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