REPORTS FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL MEETING
DIJON, JUNE 2009
WORKSHOP I
VISION FOR THE FUTURE
SELF SUFFICIENCY IN RESOURCES:
ENERGY, WATER, CLIMATE CHANGE, WASTE, HEALTH
Resolution: WATER
We have to educate all generations the importance of saving, and understanding the value of water. EVERYONE HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE.
We ask governments to take responsibility for raising awareness in all ways of saving water.
Resolution: ENERGY
SPAM emails use the equivalent in energy of 2.1 million homes, according to the McAffee report. 80 % plus of all emails are spam using up to 33 billon kilowatt hours of electricity a year equal to the greenhouse gas emissions of 3.1 million cars.
We urgently ask governments to work on eliminating spam.
WORKSHOP N° 2
POLITICAL ROLE OF EUROPE IN THE WORLD
The recent European elections must encourage the European Union to renew and accentuate the role of Europe. One needs a pro-active Europe, must become more ambitious only political Europe will be able to act an the international scene.
Europe will count more in the world by building a foreign and security policy which is common to all its members.
The European Security and Defence policy (1998) is the birth certificate of Europe of Defence. Guardian European Security, is of safety in the face of crisis which occur in Africa, Balkans or Georgia. European Defence policy must become a reality.
Three big challenges towards success for European Defence policy are:
- it must be visible
- it must be more believable
- it must be better prepared for the future.
Atlanta is a naval operation by the European Union in which ten States take part to fight against maritime piracy off the horn of Africa. It is the first operation of the European Security and Defence policy.
The main causes of piracy can be found in Somalia, due to stagnation of the economy, violence and poverty. The fight against piracy will be crucial for its development.
European Defence policy will not replace NATO but is complementary. NATO is a military organization aiming to secure safety of its members and not a political organization of a mythical Occident. Europe and NATO must work together.
A common Foreign Policy
The European Union has a major role to provide peace and security.
After the Barcelona process in 1995, the Mediterranean states were brought closer to the European Union a multilateral co-operation in order to mark this area for peace, prosperity and dialogue. However, the UMP does not have the flexibility to manage the crises of the Near East, but must develop concrete plans between Europe and the southern bank of the Mediterranean. This is a political ambition. Europe must be a lever.
The European Union must act as the spokesperson for human rights and Democracy. In Iran, we must ask for democracy.
A European policy of immigration
In order to help the most exposed states with a surge of refugees (Malta, Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, France), the European Union will create an Office of assistance operational in 2010, but it will also be necessary to harmonize the procedures and the statute of the refugees. It would be desirable that E.U. Member States put a term limit on the many precarious statutes and refer only to Geneva Convention in order to offer the political refugees the same guarantees and the same legal protection to all E.U. Member States.
Of course in crisis periods of immigration, some countries announced the reduction of their quotas and are likely to become a focus of movements for the workers within the community.
The European pact of immigration is the demonstration of an overall vision with regards to immigration and to organize selected immigration according to economic needs and reinforce the fight against illegal immigration.
To secure the safety of the European immigration policy it requires E.U. legal cooperation.
The E.U. immigration policy should include measures against people trafficking and weapon trading.
The European Union of Women (EUW) calls for a political Europe which asserts its values and its vision for the world, avant garde for the construction of the future word.
Francoise Sème-Wallon
Irene Evans
Dijon, June 2009
WORKSHOP III
EUROPE: STAYING COMPETITIVE
Challenges in work and social life
(Education, best practices in the labour market and social security)
EDUCATION RESOLUTION
The EU needs programmes to encourage the increase of productivity, better employee commitment as well as involvement in their organization and improved employee morale.
HEALTH RESOLUTION
We call on Europe to work across borders to promote and ensure the correct use of antibiotics to reduce the incidence of infections both in hospitals and the community and prevent the increase of antibiotic-resistant infections. We further confirm our support for the European Platform on Diet, Health and Exercise to reduce the economic burden of morbid obesity, diabetes and heart disease. In view of the pivotal role of women in the family, we call on women across Europe to pressurize governments to support systems which would recognize and prevent the increasing violence towards children.
SOCIAL AFFAIRS RESOLUTION
The continuing decline in birth rates in Europe will not cover the costs of any future pension system. Therefore we call for more assistance for childcare. It is also necessary for governments to fiscally support families who care for two generations (children are not independent yet and their parents are getting older).
GENERAL CONCLUSIONS
Best practices produce solutions for the labour force of tomorrow. They help to develop the best brains for a future economy which is characterized by progressive competition. The EU/the EC must enforce the evaluation of the effects of all EU-funded programmes to guarantee transparency and sustainability.