Eurostep WeeklyRegular News Update from Eurostep, N° 514 30 June 2008 Launch of the EU-CIS Gender Watch reports on gender equality On Tuesday 24 June, the Polish Network of East-West Women (NEWW-Polska) launched a set of reports on gender equality in the European Commission's policies and in the ODA of new Member States. The launch included a press conference and a roundtable meeting facilitated by EEPA and Eurostep. The speakers expressed deep concern about the situation of women in Eastern Europe. "Although gender equality is a fundamental principle of the European Union enshrined in the EC Treaty, Europe does not live up to its own standards and values", said Zofia Lapniewska of NEWW-Polska, who has coordinated the reports. "Neither the new Member States, having been scrutinised in this report, nor the EU assistance within the framework of ENP forcefully address discrimination against women." The reports find that development aid budgets administered by the new Member States and EU neighbouring countries neglect the principle of gender equality, which is enshrined in both the EC Treaty and the Millennium Development Goals. In the development cooperation of countries such as the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Hungary, the report finds that only a small number of projects focusing specifically on women were administered, despite the inclusion of gender as a "cross-cutting issue" in key policy documents. The series of reports also examines the situation in several former Soviet countries, including Ukraine, Armenia and Georgia, which receive funds from the EU under the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI). It was found that only a very small part of EU aid is targeted at improving the situation of women in these countries. The European Commission, represented by officials from the EuropeAid Cooperation Office and DG External Relations, representatives from the European Parliament and the Czech Permanent Representation to the EU were also present at the roundtable to respond to the findings of the reports. Source: Ratification of the Lisbon Treaty continues but future still uncertain The past week saw the Lisbon Treaty overcome a legal obstacle in the UK and be approved by the Spanish Congress. However, the negative result of Irish referendum of 12 June has given force to Polish President Lech Kaczyński's resistance to the treaty. Meanwhile, the European Parliament discussed how the Irish ‘No' vote would affect EU foreign policy. On 25 June London's High Court rejected a legal challenge by millionaire Conservative Party donor Stuart Wheeler aimed at forcing a British referendum on the treaty, clearing the way for the UK to complete the ratification process. While the Spanish Congress became the twentieth national parliament to approve the Lisbon Treaty on 26 June, the Czech Republic will not continue its ratification process until a Constitutional Court ruling in September or October. It was also reported that Polish President Lech Kaczyński will only complete the ratification procedure of the Lisbon Treaty if a solution is found to the Irish ‘No' vote which means there is no doubt the text will enter into force. Discussion of the implications of Irelands ‘No' vote for the EU's foreign policy in the European Parliament (EP) focused on the need to move forward and understand the reasons behind the rejection, and to strengthen the EP's cooperation with national parliaments. Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, Chair of the EP's Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), told Parliament that although work would be suspended on the implementation of the Lisbon Treaty's changes in the area of foreign affairs for the time being, this did not imply the death of the treaty. Andrew Duff of the ALDE group noted that the EP's debate over the External Action Service (EAS) and the role of the High Representative established by the Lisbon Treaty will also be postponed until the October 2008 Council Meeting. He stated that the EP will work together with the Irish representatives to develop a consensual compromise packet if possible. Michael Woods, Chair of the Irish Foreign Affairs Committee, told Parliament that the no-vote was a serious disappointment for Irish MEPs, but that the verdict will be respected. He stressed that Ireland needs time and space to resolve this problem. Sources: France set to take over EU presidency On 1 July, France will take over the EU's rotating presidency from Slovenia, at a crucially difficult time in the history of the EU following the rejection of the Lisbon Treaty in the Irish referendum of June 12. President Nicolas Sarkozy has outlined four key priorities for the French presidency: immigration, defence, energy and the environment and agriculture - policies which France's Permanent Representative to the Union has insisted will not be derailed On immigration, France wants a new, tougher European immigration and asylum policy, reflecting Sarkozy's call for a "chosen immigration" centred on economic needs. France hopes to obtain a commitment from all Member States to ban blanket amnesties. On defence, France intends to review the European security strategy drafted in 2003 and take action to boost EU military capacity. Sarkozy supports proposals to create a 60,000-strong European force that could be deployed over a year in any combat theatre, and to set up an EU military headquarters in Brussels. Any such strengthening of EU defence policy is difficult to envisage without the Lisbon Treaty. On energy and the environment, France hopes to spearhead a new agreement on climate change ahead of the global conference in Copenhagen next year, but the details of this are still to be decided. On agriculture, France intends to push forward with the "Health Check" reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), but according to Pierre Sellal, France's Permanent Representative to the EU, the French approach may involve changes to the Commission's proposals. "Our aim is to adopt the necessary measures - not exactly in line with the Commission perhaps," he said. He commented that the current food crisis put a new obligation on Europe over farming policy and that France aimed to increase agricultural production. Sources: Meeting organised by the Euromed Platform in preparation for the Civil Forum 2008 Euromed Platform is to hold a meeting on 4-5 July in Casablanca, Morocco, as part of the preparation for the 2008 Civil Forum from 31 October to 2 November 2008 in Marseille. The meeting will involve around 25-30 participants, including civil society stakeholders, officials from the Institutions, and experts The meeting will discuss civil society responses to the Barcelona Process of Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, highlighting the need for civil society ownership and involvement in the Process. The key aim of the meeting is the elaboration of concrete recommendations and propositions to be presented to the attention of Heads of States at the Mediterranean Union Summit of 13 July 2008 in Paris. In particular, the meeting will question how the renewed Barcelona Process can tackle the objectives of developing democracy, good governance and human rights in the region, when no new proposal has been made regarding a greater involvement of Euro-Mediterranean civil society. Furthermore, the Platform will ask whether the Barcelona Process can have any credibility when a resolution to the Middle East peace crisis is still so remote. Source: Parliamentary briefing on human rights situation in Eritrea On 1 July 2008, a parliamentary briefing will be held in the European Parliament (EP) on the human rights situation in Eritrea. The event, hosted by MEP Glenys Kinnock, will take place from 15.00 - 16.00 in room A3H1 of the EP building. The parliamentary briefing will assess the ways in which the European Parliament could provide support to improve human rights in Eritrea. It will be attended by delegations of representatives from the Eritrean diaspora in South Africa, the United States and Europe. The briefing aims to increase awareness among policy makers of EU Member States and EU institutions of the human rights situation in Eritrea, where opposition parties are banned, thousands of dissidents have been arrested and detained without trial, and no elections have been held since 1993. The security situation in Eritrea is deteriorating, and earlier this month the U.N. Security Council condemned the country's military action against neighbouring Djibouti. It has become increasingly difficult for human rights and development organisations to operate in the country, and the UN Mission for Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) has withdrawn due to hostility from the government. Ms Kinnock hopes to achieve increased political will in the Parliament to push for change in Eritrea. Source: European Parliament assesses achievements under German, Portuguese and Slovenian troika of the EU presidencies As Slovenia prepares to hand over the EU presidency to France on 1 July, the European Parliament has discussed the achievements of the previous Troika of Presidencies: Slovenia (January - June 2008), Portugal (July - December 2007) and Germany (Jan - June 2007). In his presentation to Parliament, Slovenian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Andrej Šter noted that the negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with ACP countries had been a major focus of the Slovenian presidency. He also noted the adoption during his country's presidency of the Action Plan on Humanitarian Aid and the European Consensus on Humanitarian Aid. He regretted however that despite the efforts of the EU during the Slovenian presidency to give humanitarian assistance to Burma following the cyclone, the Burmese authorities have not still granted sufficient access. João Gomes Cravinho, Portuguese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, claimed that under the Portuguese presidency good progress was made on the Paris Declaration and the Code of Conduct for the Division of Labour. He also hailed the success of the EU-Africa Summit. However, he noted that there remains great concern for the future, due to the global food and fuel crises. A German representative for the German Development Minister, Ms Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, praised the Slovenian presidency for its contribution to EU progress towards achieving the MDGs, in particular the recent Council Conclusions on the subject. The German representative stressed that the Code of Conduct on the Division of Labour should be seen as a model for development cooperation and good practice. In the subsequent parliamentary debate, MEP Alain Hutchinson pointed out that although the Troika gave a positive view of the EPAs, they are still highly controversial and contested, while MEP Thijs Berman drew attention to the decline in aid by the Member States, despite promises made. Source:
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