Today, the European Women’s Lobby launched their 50-50 campaign for democracy, a Europe–wide initiative to increase the presence of women in the decision-making process and to encourage women to cast their votes in the next European elections that will be held in June 2009. The campaign launch will be followed by activities directed towards decision-makers [...]
I have returned from the summer holidays reinvigorated. There’s nothing quite like helping with the harvest to blow away the cobwebs gathered during ten long days of negotiation in Geneva. Following all the headlines we’ve seen about high food prices, I’m delighted to see that this year’s cereals harvest is estimated to be around 307 million tonnes, [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/time-to-roll-up-our-sleeves/
A day for sad memories…Five years ago Anna Lindh was murdered in Stockholm. Two years before that we saw the terrorist attacks in the US and “nine-eleven” came to mean so much more than two figures or a date. Fear has accompanied us since then. I admit to personally having lost my innocence when it [...]
Hi to all, I hope you enjoyed your holidays and came back relaxed and full of energy for this new “year”! Thinking about holidays makes us think about seas and oceans… Well, what I had on my plate when I came back to work helped me to enjoy a smooth transition: the launch of a European [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/potocnik/water-%e2%80%93-a-precious-resource/
2008 summer summary: lousy weather, hard renovation work on our house, great family activities (including water skiing), no diet food, a memorable “La Bohème” at Värmlands-operan, worries about Georgia, a silent night by the sea, reading books (Barack Obama’s “Dreams from my Father” is very well written), more worries also about Sri Lanka, picking cloudberries with [...]
The collapse of the recent ministerial meeting in the Doha Round of world trade talks was one of those occasions when most politicians want to keep out of the headlines. But the low profile of the EU in the blast of news coverage which followed the breakdown is particularly significant: it marks a sea [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/cap-reforms-have-transformed-the-
The Commission is holding a public consultation on the EU’s approach to a global climate change agreement up to and beyond 2012 when the current Kyoto Protocol targets will end. Everyone is invited to put forward their views on issues such as mid-term emission reduction targets for developed countries and emission reduction actions for developing countries, [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/wallstrom/eu-public-consultation-on-climate-ch
Two events occurred recently which caused me to reflect on the impact that individual people can have on the world around them – for good and bad. The first was the sad news that Bronislaw Geremek had died in a car crash at the age of 76. The other was that the Serbian authorities had [...]
[La version española estará disponible en breve] Farmers have always had a difficult relationship with water. It is perhaps one of their most indispensable business partners, but also one of the most unpredictable. Techniques for predicting whether and when the rains will turn up have become a little more sophisticated over the millennia, but remain inexact [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/water-management-far-from-a-dry-d
I said in my last blog that I would return to the subject of Gisèle Halimi and ‘La Clause de l’Européenne la plus favorisée’. One of the highlights of my visit to Paris for the launch of the French Presidency on 1st July was an “outside the official programme” meeting I had with Gisèle Halimi, [...]
There’s an old saying: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. In this spirit, on 8th July, we made good on our commitment to take concrete steps to fight the growing problem of obesity, particularly among the young. We are proposing a European Union-wide scheme to provide free fruit and vegetables to school children between the [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/fischer-boel/fruit-and-veg-for-better-health/
In the weeks following my Call for Action on Gender Equality (see here and here), I’m happy to see that a variety of people have responded favourably. Cassandra made an interesting comment to my second post: “Margot, I believe your initiative is not without value, but your call should not only be addressed to women [...]
Ich möchte jenen Landwirten aus Deutschland antworten, die große Mengen Milch an mein Büro gesandt haben, um auf ihre Lage hinzuweisen. Ich wurde während meines Besuches in Deutschland sowie durch den regelmäßigen Kontakt mit Ihren Vertretern und dem Bundesminister, Horst Seehofer, sehr gut über Ihre Anliegen informiert. Das Thema war tatsächlich unser wichtigster Gesprächspunkt während des [...]
Some good news on our TV screens at last, at a time when the news is becoming more and more dominated by disasters, wars, conflict and economic gloom. I raised a glass today to Ingrid Betancourt and the other 14 hostages rescued in dramatic fashion from the Colombian jungle. I must admit there were tears [...]
The first day of the French Presidency of the EU could not have been more beautiful in Paris: warm, sunny and a blue sky. The whole European Commission went there by train to meet the French government and experienced an overwhelming programme, including a ceremony which we will never forget at the Arc de Triomphe. [...]
EURAXESS: when you read it you think immediately of ‘access to Europe’, and when you pronounce it you feel the personalised aspect of such access. Researchers in Motion: you understand immediately we are talking about something for researchers and their movement across and within Europe. A movement - a motion- which also raises ‘emotions’: the emotion [...]
blogs.ec.europa.eu/potocnik/europe-to-make-researchers%e2%80%99-l
J’ai décidé aujourd’hui de prêter la plume à Pia Bucella, Directrice à la Commission, dans la Direction Générale de l’Environnement, et qui participe à une initiative de la future Présidence française de l’Union à laquelle j’aimerai apporter mon soutien. C’est une belle idée que d’amener 29 européennes au sommet de l’Union européenne le 1er juillet….J’espère [...]
