European Union

Length of video : 36'
You may manually download this video in WMV (431Mb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

To protect adopted children’s best interests, MEPs want the EU Commission to require all EU countries to recognise each other’s adoption certificates automatically. Their draft resolution proposes a European Certificate of Adoption to speed up automatic recognition process. The debate and vote will take place on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

To protect adopted children’s best interests, MEPs want the EU Commission to require all EU countries to recognise each other’s adoption certificates automatically. Their draft resolution proposes a European Certificate of Adoption to speed up automatic recognition process. The debate and vote will take place on Thursday.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Poland’s Lodz-based WZL-1 (Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr 1 S.A. (Military Aviation Works No. 1) has completed the modernisation, conducts maintenance, repair, overhaul of a Mil Mi-24V (6W-HCA) attack helicopter for the Senegal Air Force. The secondhand rotorcraft is understood to have been acquired from a former Soviet-era operator.

Acceptance flights were conducted on 12 January by a team of Polish and Senegalese personnel, and witnessed by the customer air force’s commander-in-chief, Brig Gen Birame Diop. This is the first Mi-24 to have been acquired by Senegal, and it is unclear whether the West African nation intends to field additional examples.
Flight Fleets Analyzer records the Senegal air force as already operating a pair of 11-year-old Mi-35s, which it acquired directly from Russia.

WZL-1 is one of the leading aviation companies in Europe. The company established its position on local, national and foreign market thanks to untypical activity which generally covers:
• overhaul, maintenance and modernization of the following helicopters: Mi-8, Mi-14, Mi-17, Mi-24, W-3 Sokół and SH-2G Kaman;
• general overhaul of SO-3/W aviation engines and TW3-117 (III s, M, MT, W) family engines.

Tag: SenegalMi-24Poland

Length of video : 120'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.4Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

DRAFT REPORT on Private Security Companies
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Hilde Vautmans

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Dear colleagues,

In order to best prepare our discussion in Malta about the future of the European Union of 27 member states, and in light of the conversations I have had with some of you, let me put forward a few reflections that I believe most of us share.

The challenges currently facing the European Union are more dangerous than ever before in the time since the signature of the Treaty of Rome. Today we are dealing with three threats, which have previously not occurred, at least not on such a scale.

The first threat, an external one, is related to the new geopolitical situation in the world and around Europe. An increasingly, let us call it, assertive China, especially on the seas, Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and its neighbours, wars, terror and anarchy in the Middle East and in Africa, with radical Islam playing a major role, as well as worrying declarations by the new American administration all make our future highly unpredictable. For the first time in our history, in an increasingly multipolar external world, so many are becoming openly anti-European, or Eurosceptic at best. Particularly the change in Washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation; with the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy.

The second threat, an internal one, is connected with the rise in anti-EU, nationalist, increasingly xenophobic sentiment in the EU itself. National egoism is also becoming an attractive alternative to integration. In addition, centrifugal tendencies feed on mistakes made by those, for whom ideology and institutions have become more important than the interests and emotions of the people.

The third threat is the state of mind of the pro-European elites. A decline of faith in political integration, submission to populist arguments as well as doubt in the fundamental values of liberal democracy are all increasingly visible.

In a world full of tension and confrontation, what is needed is courage, determination and political solidarity of Europeans. Without them we will not survive. If we do not believe in ourselves, in the deeper purpose of integration, why should anyone else? In Rome we should renew this declaration of faith. In today's world of states-continents with hundreds of millions of inhabitants, European countries taken separately have little weight. But the EU has demographic and economic potential, which makes it a partner equal to the largest powers. For this reason, the most important signal that should come out of Rome is that of readiness of the 27 to be united. A signal that we not only must, but we want to be united.

Let us show our European pride. If we pretend we cannot hear the words and we do not notice the decisions aimed against the EU and our future, people will stop treating Europe as their wider homeland. Equally dangerously, global partners will cease to respect us. Objectively speaking, there is no reason why Europe and its leaders should pander to external powers and their rulers. I know that in politics, the argument of dignity must not be overused, as it often leads to conflict and negative emotions. But today we must stand up very clearly for our dignity, the dignity of a united Europe - regardless of whether we are talking to Russia, China, the US or Turkey. Therefore, let us have the courage to be proud of our own achievements, which have made our continent the best place on Earth. Let us have the courage to oppose the rhetoric of demagogues, who claim that European integration is beneficial only to the elites, that ordinary people have only suffered as its result, and that countries will cope better on their own, rather than together.

We must look to the future - this was your most frequent request in our consultations over the past months. And there is no doubt about it. But we should never, under any circumstances, forget about the most important reasons why 60 years ago we decided to unite Europe. We often hear the argument that the memory of the past tragedies of a divided Europe is no longer an argument, that new generations do not remember the sources of our inspiration. But amnesia does not invalidate these inspirations, nor does it relieve us of our duty to continuously recall the tragic lessons of a divided Europe. In Rome, we should strongly reiterate these two basic, yet forgotten, truths: firstly, we have united in order to avoid another historic catastrophe, and secondly, that the times of European unity have been the best times in all of Europe's centuries-long history. It must be made crystal clear that the disintegration of the European Union will not lead to the restoration of some mythical, full sovereignty of its member states, but to their real and factual dependence on the great superpowers: the United States, Russia and China. Only together can we be fully independent.

We must therefore take assertive and spectacular steps that would change the collective emotions and revive the aspiration to raise European integration to the next level. In order to do this, we must restore the sense of external and internal security as well as socio-economic welfare for European citizens. This requires a definitive reinforcement of the EU external borders; improved cooperation of services responsible for combating terrorism and protecting order and peace within the border-free area; an increase in defence spending; strengthening the foreign policy of the EU as a whole as well as better coordinating individual member states' foreign policies; and last but not least fostering investment, social inclusion, growth, employment, reaping the benefits of technological change and convergence in both the euro area and the whole of Europe.

We should use the change in the trade strategy of the US to the EU's advantage by intensifying our talks with interested partners, while defending our interests at the same time. The European Union should not abandon its role as a trade superpower which is open to others, while protecting its own citizens and businesses, and remembering that free trade means fair trade. We should also firmly defend the international order based on the rule of law. We cannot surrender to those who want to weaken or invalidate the Transatlantic bond, without which global order and peace cannot survive. We should remind our American friends of their own motto: United we stand, divided we fall.

We will meet on Friday in Malta for an important informal meeting, hosted by Joseph.

We will first look at the external aspects of migration. This is very much part of the comprehensive strategy we have been developing over the past two years. After having stabilised the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean, our focus will this time be on operational measures to address the challenge of the massive flows of irregular migrants in the Central Mediterranean region. Flows are at a record level, too many people die while trying to reach Europe, and spring is approaching fast. We will continue our long term action with African partners through the Partnership framework and the Valletta Action Plan. But the situation on the ground requires immediate and urgent action, with and around Libya, where the vast majority of irregular migrants depart from. Efforts to stabilise Libya are now more important than ever. But we must at the same time protect our external border while helping the Libyan authorities provide decent reception facilities on their territory. The situation there is different and even more complex that in the east, and we have to be innovative while drawing on the principles that have guided our action over the past months. We will at the end of our discussion adopt an ambitious declaration setting out the way ahead in a clear and concrete way.

We will break at the end of the morning for a family photo outside, and will then move to our lunch venue, across the bay. Over lunch, we will have the opportunity to freely exchange views on other international challenges and the international situation. We will also talk briefly about the follow up and implementation of the conclusions we adopt after European Council meetings and about ways to better communicate about our action.

After lunch, we will meet the press and hold our respective press conferences.

After the press conference we will reconvene in the Grandmaster's Palace at 27 to discuss preparations for Rome, where Paolo will host us on 25 March for the 60th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. You have received a short concept paper prepared together with Italy that will serve as a basis for an open discussion about the future of the EU. I have also sent you a letter setting out my reflections on the future of the EU. Our discussion in Malta will help us subsequently to prepare a declaration in view of Rome. Rome must be a moment of celebration and unity and an opportunity to collectively set out a vision for the coming years.

I very much look forward to seeing you all in Malta on Friday.

Good afternoon. First I would like to thank Prime Minister Jüri Ratas for having invited me to Tallinn today to participate in my first meeting with the Baltic Council. It's a real honour and pleasure. 

Prime ministers Ratas, Kučinskis and Skvernelis and I discussed the informal summit later this week in Malta. The result of the Malta Summit should be a determined push to significantly reduce the number of irregular migrants coming from Libya to Italy, the so-called central Mediterranean route. After we have virtually closed the eastern Mediterranean route, from Turkey to Greece and to Central Europe, and through that brought the overall number of irregular migrants to EU down to a 1/3, the central Mediterranean route is today the biggest point of illegal entry into our continent. It is fatal for too many people. It is a dirty, profitable business for the smugglers. It is unsustainable for Italy and Europe. In short, it has to stop. That is why in Malta we need to agree on concrete operational measures.

We have also discussed the future of the EU of 27 member states, which is another topic of our summit in Malta. I just sent my remarks to EU leaders but let me make a few comments now.

The challenges currently facing the European Union are more dangerous than ever before in the time since the signature of the Treaty of Rome 60 years ago. Today we are dealing with threats, which have previously not occurred, at least not on such a scale. Being here in Estonia let me focus on the external threat, which is related to the new geopolitical situation in the world and around Europe. An increasingly - let's call it - assertive China, especially on the seas, Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine and its neighbours, wars, terror and anarchy in the Middle East and in Africa, with radical Islam playing a major role, as well as worrying declarations by the new American administration all make our future highly unpredictable. For the first time in our history, in an increasingly multipolar external world, so many are becoming openly anti-European, or Eurosceptic at best. Particularly the change in Washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation; with the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy.

In a world full of tension and confrontation, what is needed is courage, determination and political solidarity of Europeans. We must look to the future but we should never, under any circumstances, forget about the most important reasons why 60 years ago we decided to unite Europe. In Rome, we should strongly reiterate two basic, yet forgotten, truths: firstly, we have united in order to avoid another historic catastrophe, and secondly, that the times of European unity have been the best times in all of Europe's centuries-long history. It must be made crystal clear that the disintegration of the European Union will not lead to the restoration of some mythical, full sovereignty of its member states, but to their real and factual dependence on the great superpowers: the United States, Russia and China. Only together can we be fully independent.

We should use the change in the trade strategy of the US to the EU's advantage by intensifying our talks with interested partners, while defending our interests at the same time. The European Union should not abandon its role as a trade superpower which is open to others, while protecting its own citizens and businesses, and remembering that free trade means fair trade. We should also firmly defend the international order based on the rule of law. We cannot surrender to those who want to weaken or invalidate the Transatlantic bond, without which global order and peace cannot survive. We should remind today our American friends of their own motto: United we stand, divided we fall. Thank you.

Lounani
Area of Freedom, Security and Justice
An application for asylum can be rejected if the asylum seeker has participated in the activities of a terrorist network

Space activities are a crucial part of our everyday lives: they influence and enable many of the things we do and take for granted, be it using a mobile phone or checking the weather forecast, or the things we need urgently and reliably, such as disaster relief.

Space is instrumental for every country as it offers decision-makers the necessary information to deal with a variety of issues. Space is also a long-term driver for innovation and creates new opportunities to address global challenges.

In order to build resilient and sustainable societies we have to pay more attention to the peaceful uses of outer space. We also need to make sure that space remains sustainable so that it can be used by all – now and in the future.

There are two essential steps we need to take so that humanity benefits from everything that space offers us: increasing access to space technologies and promoting international cooperation. Achieving these goals will enable the international community to make space a driver for equality and for the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

“In order to build resilient and sustainable societies we have to pay more attention to the peaceful uses of outer space”

Having open access to space-derived data is a good example of how countries can benefit from space activities. This kind of accessible and transparent data contributes to equal distribution of opportunities, broadens economic gain, fosters research and innovation, and supports decision-making processes. The global challenges the world faces today, from the impact of climate change to the fair distribution of food resources, can only be collectively addressed if there is open and fair access to data. In this sense, access to space-based data can contribute directly to sustainable development.

Many countries cannot afford a standalone space programme, and increasing access to space depends on building international partnerships. The international community can help the many non-space-faring nations to enjoy the benefits of space by working together.

It is important to remember that this kind of cooperation is extremely beneficial to all those involved, since the current global issues we need to address, such as climate change, are transnational and can only be solved if nations work together and with the United Nations. At the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) we work hard to strengthen the ability of countries – especially developing countries – to access and use space.

In response to these issues, UNOOSA has been given the task of organising UNISPACE+50, a special segment of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space in June 2018 to mark fifty years since the first United Nations Conference on the Exploration and Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. UNISPACE+50 will serve as a platform for the international community to meet and consider the future of space. Our goal is to build, together with all stakeholders, a new concept of space governance in a new framework strategy called Space2030.

Space2030 will support the use of space as a tool for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We want to make sure that space technology and applications are used to bring concrete benefits to all humankind, paying special attention to the future space-faring and developing countries while also carefully considering the long-term sustainability of outer space activities for current and future generations.

“This kind of cooperation is extremely beneficial to all those involved: the current global issues can only be solved if nations work together”

The Space2030 framework will be built upon four pillars:

1. Space accessibility: all communities using and benefiting from space technologies;
2. Space diplomacy: building and strengthening international cooperation in space activities;
3. Space economy: development of space-derived economic benefits;
4. Space society: evolution of society and societal benefits stemming from space-related activities.

We expect the Space2030 framework to foster cooperation in the broader space community, including private actors, non-governmental organisations and others, so that we can work together towards building better lives on Earth. We believe that through this new perspective space will become an indispensable asset that improves the well-being of all people. It will also play a valuable role in the attainment of the global development agenda.

In preparation for UNISPACE+50 and Space2030, UNOOSA is organising a series of High Level Forums for stakeholders to identify ways to harness space technology and applications for socio-economic development and contribute to Space2030. The most recent Forum was held in Dubai in November 2016 and resulted in the Dubai Declaration, which underscored the need for greater cooperation in outer space activities.

The next Forum will be in November 2017, and UNOOSA encourages all interested parties in the broader space community to engage in this process to help us build Space2030 and the future of international space cooperation.

IMAGE CREDIT: CC/Flickr – NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

The post To Space2030 and beyond: space as a driver for sustainable development appeared first on Europe’s World.

Length of video : 148'
You may manually download this video in WMV (1.6Gb) format

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

To receive the Brussels Briefing in your inbox every morning, register for a free FT account here and then sign up here.

Offering the Brits (and the Brits alone) a loophole made things worse. While Mr Trump may be a novelty, it is easy to forget that testy relations between Washington and Brussels pre-Trump are nothing new.

Read more

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

https://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/b2b86cd8-e7a2-11e6-9636-bc764e092fac_37.41_thumb_169_1485859932_1485859932_129_97shar_c1.jpg

Donald TUSK, President of the European Council, attends the Meeting of the Baltic Prime Ministers taking place on 31 Januaty in Tallin, on the sidelines of the Baltic Council of Ministers. The meeting is focused on regional security, energy and transport links, and the future of the European Union.

Download this video here.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : Antonio Tajani made his first official visit to Italy as president of the European Parliament on 27-30 January. During the visit Tajani met Italian president Sergio Mattarella, prime minister Paolo Gentiloni,foreign minister Angelino Alfano and Pietro Grasso and Laura Boldrini, the presidents of the chambers of the Italian parliament . While visiting a soup kitchen in Rome Tajani said: “Our Europe is the Europe of citizens”.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : Antonio Tajani made his first official visit to Italy as president of the European Parliament on 27-30 January. During the visit Tajani met Italian president Sergio Mattarella, prime minister Paolo Gentiloni,foreign minister Angelino Alfano and Pietro Grasso and Laura Boldrini, the presidents of the chambers of the Italian parliament . While visiting a soup kitchen in Rome Tajani said: “Our Europe is the Europe of citizens”.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP

General : Young people who make a difference deserve recognition. That is why the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation award the Charlemagne Youth Prize every year. If you are between 16 and 30 years old and run a project with a European dimension, do not hesitate to apply for our competition. The winning projects will benefit from recognition and media coverage as well as prize money to further develop the initiative. You now have until 20 February to register.

Source : © European Union, 2017 - EP