EUROPA - Press Releases - Top News from the European Commission 7 January – 4 February 2011

EUROPA - Press Releases - Top News from the European Commission 7 January – 4 February 2011

Top News from the European Commission 7 January – 4 February 2011 Background notes from the Spokespersons' service for journalists. The European Commission reserves the right to make changes Saturday 8 January: Official Launch of the European Year of Volunteering 2011 in Budapest 2 Monday 10 January: Reflection group ("Comité des Sages") on Digitisation presents recommendations for bringing Europe's cultural heritage online 3 Tuesday 11 January: Launch of 2011 EU-China Year of Youth 5 Wednesday 12 January: Adoption of Annual Growth Survey 6 Wednesday, 26 January: Green Paper consultation on the Modernisation of EU Public Procurement Policy – towards a more efficient European Procurement Market 7 Wednesday 26 January: European Commission presents plans to reduce early school leaving in the EU 8 Tuesday 1 February: European Commission launches High-Level Group of experts in the field of literacy 9 Saturday 8 January: Official Launch of the European Year of Volunteering 2011 in Budapest The news: On 8 January, the European Commission, together with the Hungarian EU Presidency, will ceremonially launch the European Year of Volunteering 2011 (EYV2011). The event also sees the inauguration of the Hungarian stage of the EYV2011 Tour – a one-year travelling roadshow that will visit the capitals of each Member State to give volunteering organisations the opportunity to showcase their work and engage with policy makers and the general public. On the same day the Hungarian EU Presidency is also organising a conference on "Recognising the contribution of volunteering to economy, society and the individual – where are we now, and where do we want to go?" Several cultural activities will accompany the launch even and the conference. The background: 2011 is the European Year of Volunteering. It has four main objectives: to remove obstacles to volunteering in the EU; to improve the quality of volunteering; to reward and recognise volunteering activities; and to raise awareness of the importance of voluntary work as a means of promoting social cohesion and solidarity across Europe in an increasingly competitive and globalised economy. The events: At 10:00, in the Millenaris Theatre, located in the Millenaris Park, Budapest: Official opening ceremony of the European Year of Volunteering 2011 by the State President of Hungary, Pál Schmitt, and European Commission Vice-President Viviane Reding, responsible for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship. At 12:00, in the European Youth Centre, Budapest: European Commission Vice-President Reding will give a keynote speech at the beginning of the EU-level thematic conference accompanying the official launch. The sources: More on the European Year of Volunteering: IP/10/1640, www.europa.eu/volunteering The Alliance's web site: http://eyv2011.eu/ Vice-President Viviane Reding's website: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/reding/index_en.htm The contacts: Mathew Newman: +32 2 296 24 06 mathew.newman@ec.europa.eu Mina Andreeva +32 2 299 13 82 mina.andreeva@ec.europa.eu Monday 10 January: Reflection group ("Comité des Sages") on Digitisation presents recommendations for bringing Europe's cultural heritage online The news: The high level Reflection Group ("Comité des sages") on Digitisation of Europe's cultural heritage will present their recommendations on how to digitise, bring online and preserve the collections of all European libraries, archives and museums. Their report will consider innovative solutions, including public-private partnerships, and will address issues relating to copyright. It is expected that the recommendations will boost the development of Europeana, Europe's portal of digital libraries. The background: The Reflection Group ("Comité des sages") consists of Maurice Lévy (Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the French advertising and communications company Publicis), Elisabeth Niggemann (Director-General of the German National Library and chair of the Europeana Foundation) and Jacques De Decker (author and Permanent Secretary of the Royal Academy of French language and literature in Belgium). The Group was created by Vice-President Neelie Kroes and Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, following a suggestion from Frédéric Mitterrand, the French Minister of Culture and Communication at the Education, Youth and Culture Council of 27 November 2009 (MEMO/09/526). The report will feed into the Commission's broader strategy, under the Digital Agenda for Europe (see IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 and MEMO/10/200), to help cultural institutions make the transition to the digital age, including the search for new and effective business models and a fair remuneration for authors. The event: On 10 January, 11h00, at the Berlaymont VIP Corner, Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice President for the Digital Agenda and Androulla Vassiliou European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, will receive the report of the Comité des sages on behalf of the European Commission. A press release will be available on the day. The sources: Boosting cultural heritage online: the European Commission sets up a Reflection Group on digitisation IP/10/456 Digital Agenda: Reflection Group on digitisation seeks views on boosting cultural heritage online IP/10/1055 Digital Agenda: Europeana gives online access to over 14 million examples of Europe's cultural heritage IP/10/1524 Europeana – Europe's digital library: frequently asked questions MEMO/10/586 www.europeana.eu Vice President Neelie Kroes' website: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/ Commissionner Vassiliou's website http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou/index_en.htm Available on Ebs The contacts: Jonathan Todd (+ 32 2) 299 41 07 Jonathan.Todd@ec.europa.eu Dennis Abbott (+32 2) 295 92 58 Dennis.Abbott@ec.europa.eu Linda Cain (+ 32 2) 299 90 19 Linda.Cain@ec.europa.eu Dina Avraam (+32 2) 295 96 67 Dina.Avraam@ec.europa.eu Tuesday 11 January: Launch of 2011 EU-China Year of Youth The news: The 2011 EU-China Year of Youth will be officially launched by Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth, and Wang Xiao, President of the All-China Youth Federation, in the presence of German Olympic gold-medal winning fencer Britta Heidemann, Goodwill Ambassador of the Year, and 200 young people from the EU and China. The EU and Chinese leaders will sign a joint declaration on strengthening dialogue and cooperation on youth issues. The background: The youth representatives from the EU and China, who are gathering for the first time, will follow a two-and-a-half-day programme of exchanges and discussions on issues including volunteering, mobility, culture and creativity. The aim is also to develop ideas for joint youth projects, which could be supported through the EU's Youth in Action programme. Goodwill Ambassador Britta Heidemann is 28. She studied Chinese and now divides her time between Köln and Beijing. The launch ceremony will be the first of a series of events to be held throughout the Year in Europe and China. The event: 14.30: Official launch ceremony with Commissioner Vassiliou, Wang Xiao and Britta Heidemann 15.30: Signature of Joint Declaration on Youth, Alcide de Gasperi room, Charlemagne Building, Brussels The sources: European Commission's youth website: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/index_en.htm Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou's website: http://www.ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou/index_en.htm All-China Youth Federation: http://www.acyf.org.cn/index.htm EU-China Year of Youth Joint Action Plan: http://ec.europa.eu/youth/news/news1824_en.htm Available on EbS The contacts: Dennis Abbott +32 2 29 59 258 Dennis.Abbott@ec.europa.eu Dina Avraam +32 2 29 59 667 Dina.Avraam@ec.europa.eu Wednesday 12 January: Adoption of Annual Growth Survey The news: The adoption by the European Commission of the Annual Growth Survey will mark the beginning of the first cycle of coordination of the Member States' macro-economic, budgetary and structural reform policies, known as the "European semester". This is a real step forward for European economic governance. From now on, every year the Commission will present its "Growth Survey" – an evaluation of the economic situation and of the main challenges the EU must address, and its recommendations to the Member States. The background: The idea of a European semester, which was proposed by the Commission last spring to reinforce European economic governance, was validated by the Member States in September. It consists of a cycle of coordination of the Member States' macro-economic policies in the framework of both the Stability and Growth Pact and the Europe 2020 strategy. The Annual growth survey is a necessary policy monitoring and guidance tool for ensuring this coordination. In it, the Commission will set out its overall evaluation of the EU's economic situation and its recommendations to Member States. This Communication, which will be presented to Parliament and the Council, will serve as a basis for the guidelines and conclusions drawn up by the spring Council with a view to the medium-term budgetary strategies and national reform programmes to be adopted in April. The first Annual Growth Review will focus on the most urgent key messages and on those concerning sectoral or fiscal and macro-economic issues. The event: Press conference by President Barroso and Commissioners Rehn and Andor, Berlaymont press room A press release on the Communication and a Memo setting out the findings of the evaluation (impact of the crisis on the real economy, employment, public debt, growth prospects, etc.). An "off-the-record" briefing could be considered. The sources: Website of the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/president/index_en.htm The contacts: Pia Ahrenkilde Hansen +32 2 29 53 070 Pia.Ahrenkilde-Hansen@ec.europa.eu Cezary Lewanowicz +32 2 29 93 050 Cezary.Lewanowicz@ec.europa.eu Wednesday, 26 January: Green Paper consultation on the Modernisation of EU Public Procurement Policy – towards a more efficient European Procurement Market The news: On 26 January, the European Commission will launch a public consultation on the modernisation of the EU Public Procurement Policy. The Green Paper will open a general debate on European Public Procurement law with a view to simplifying and updating the existing legislation to make the award of public contracts easier and more flexible and to enable public contracts to be put to better use in support of other policies. The background: Goods and services procured by public authorities account for approximately 17% of the EU’s GDP. EU public procurement legislation seeks to create an open and competitive pan-European procurement market for large procurement contracts, saving taxpayers several billion euro each year. At the same time, public procurement can be an important source of support for innovation, environmental protection and employment - for example, office equipment made of environmentally-friendly sustainable material, buildings ensuring accessibility for persons with disabilities, innovative goods, etc. The Commission announced in the Single Market Act in October 2010 that it will make legislative proposals in 2012 at the latest to modernise EU public procurement rules. The Green Paper aims at ensuring that these proposals will be informed by the views expressed by a wide range of stakeholders. The event: Press conference with Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel BARNIER in the Berlaymont press room (time to be confirmed). IP and MEMO will be available on the day. The sources: European Commission website on Internal Market and Services: http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/index_en.htm Commissioner Barnier's website: http://ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/barnier/index_en.htm The contacts: Chantal Hughes +32 2 296 44 50 Chantal.Hughes@ec.europa.eu Carmel Dunne +32 2 299 88 94 Carmel.Dunne@ec.europa.eu Wednesday 26 January: European Commission presents plans to reduce early school leaving in the EU The news: The Commission will present a set of initiatives to reduce the number of young people in Europe who leave education or training with low-level qualifications. The background: More than six million young people – one in 7 in the EU – currently have only lower secondary education or less. This means they have insufficient qualifications, which is one of the main obstacles to the 'Europe 2020' goal of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Young people with only lower secondary education or less are more often affected by unemployment, more likely to be on social benefits and more at risk of social exclusion. Reducing early school leaving over the next decade to under 10% EU-wide – from the current level of 14.4% – is one of the headline targets of the Europe 2020 strategy. The Commission's Communication will outline the main causes for early school leaving and its risks for future economic and societal development. It will describe the impact that early school leaving has on individuals, society and economies, and will provide an overview of existing and forthcoming EU-level measures to tackle the problem. The Commission will also propose a Council Recommendation that would set out basic guidelines for coherent, comprehensive and evidence-based policies to address early school leaving. The Commission initiative is the part of its follow-up to the Europe 2020 flagship initiatives 'Youth on the Move' and 'Agenda for New Skills and Jobs'. The event: 12.30 Press Conference with Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, Berlaymont press room The sources: European Commission's website on early school leaving http://ec.europa.eu/education/school-education/doc2268_en.htm Mrs Androulla Vassiliou's website: http://www.ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/vassiliou/index_en.htm Available on EbS The contacts: Dennis Abbott +32 2 295 92 58 Dennis.Abbott@ec.europa.eu Dina Avraam +32 2 295 96 67 Dina.Avraam@ec.europa.eu Tuesday 1 February: European Commission launches High-Level Group of experts in the field of literacy The news: At the initiative of Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou, the European Commission will launch a new High-Level Expert Group on Literacy on 1 February. Her Royal Highness Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands will chair the group. The group is being set up in the context of the Europe 2020 strategy, where literacy has been acknowledged as a precondition for smart growth and sustainability. H.R.H Princess Laurentien has been nominated in view of her long track record in the field of literacy. She is Chair of the Dutch Reading & Writing Foundation and UNESCO Special Envoy on Literacy for Development. The full list of members of the group will be published on 1 February. The first meeting of the High-Level Group will take place on the same day. The group will conclude its work and publish its report in mid-2012. The background: At present 80 million adults in the EU have low levels of basic skills and the latest PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) results show that 20% of 15 year olds in the EU have poor reading skills (IP/10/1680). It is therefore essential that all EU countries redouble their efforts to reach the benchmark Ministers have set themselves to reduce the share of low performers in reading, maths and science to less than 15% by 2020. That is why the Commission proposed to launch a High-Level Group of experts in the field of Literacy as part of its 'Youth on the Move' initiative. A lot is already being done within the European Union to address literacy problems, with many examples of excellent practice, but more need the chance to learn from this and to spread innovation and accelerate the process of improvement. The mandate of the group is to examine the most effective and efficient ways to support literacy in the course of lifelong learning, to identify common success factors in literacy programmes and policy initiatives, and to make proposals on how to improve literacy among both school students and adults. The work of the group will reflect the changing nature of literacy requirements in the 21st century, and the nature of literacy as a social, economic and educational issue. The event: 12:30 Press Conference with Ms Vassiliou and H.R.H. Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, Berlaymont Press Room. A press release will be available the same day. The sources: Commission welcomes findings of international student survey (PISA) – European results improve IP/10/1680 Available on EbS Les contacts: Dennis Abbott +32 2 295 92 58 Dennis.Abbott@ec.europa.eu Dina Avraam +32 2 295 96 67 Dina.Avraam@ec.europa.eu