newsitems

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- New EU Parliament's President, experienced, long-time MEP Martin Schulz, replying to an "EuroFora" question during the 1st EU Summit in Brussels focused mainly on Growth (in addition to Financial Stabilization, already decided last year, on 2011, as EU Council's President Van Rompoy observed), openly anounced his support for the creation of an EU Rating Agency :

- "I am in favour of a European Rating Agency !", stressed from the outset, in a crystal-clear way, the German SocialDemocrat MEP who has just started to chair EU Parliament for the period 2012-2à14 thanks to an interparty agreement (See infra).

 - "A dispassionate Observer might be led to conclude that Anonymous Rating Agencies in New York are more Powerful than Democratically Elected Governments and Parliaments", denounced earlier Schulz in his inaugural speech at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, shortly after his election, on the base of an overall political agreement with EPP's head, French MEP Joseph Daul, including the sharing of top EU jobs, such as at the head of EU Commission and Parliament, etc. (See previous "EuroFora"s NewsReports, already sent to Subscribers/Donors, on Schulz's election, earlier this month in Strasbourg).

The move followed, in particular a recent series of negative reports to the detriment of many EU Countries mainly by Standard and Pöors' USA Rating Agency, at least some of which were felt by many as unjust, while critical questions were also raised by the fact that Rating Agencies had reportedly postponed any next negative anouncement on American Economy (whose Debt is notoriously higher than €urozone's average), until 2013, i.e. after the Fall 2012 USA Presidential Elections, while, on the contrary, in Europe, S&P published immediately a controversial negative Rating, f.ex. for France, even just only 100 Days before the forthcoming Presidential Elections, (even if, finally, Paris succeeded to easily overcome that challenge, thanks also to ECB'"s support)...

Meanwhile, at least a European Businessman anounced, earlier, his intention to stat trying to build from scraps the first European Rataing Agency, based on an original concept of Responsibility vis a vis rated entities.

+ "That's good: That's the Right thing to do !", agreed on this point, shortly afterwards, the mainstreama, long-time MEP, Elmar Brok, President of EU Parliament's Foreign affairs Committee, speaking to "EuroFora" on, Schulz's stance about creating a brand new EU Rating Agency

Brok's positive stance vis a vis Schulz's view on the creation of an EU Rating Agency came in the context of EU Parliament new President's earlier plea, both to EU Heads of State/Government and speaking to Journalists in Brussels, including "EuroFora", to "combine" Financial Stability with Investment also for Growth, with a particular attention also for jobs, concerning mainly Young People.

Soon after Schulz ended his Press Conference, the area was literally covered by Flyers and a Printed Booklet, translated in many EU Languages, containing EU Commission's President, José Barroso's (a ChristianDemocrat/EPP from Portugal) Plan, precisely focused on "Growth and Jobs : Next Steps"...

The plan on Barroso's presentation to EU Summit was spectacularly distributed to the Press, immediately after inside big boxes Symbolically headed "for the Future".
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

As "EuroFora" witnessed, Barroso, apparently had, indeed, worked up to the last minute in order to prepare his contribution to the EU Summit on Growth and Competitivity, so that, exceptionally, he was the ... Last among the invited EU Heads of State/Government and othert personalities  (f.ex. ECB's new President Draghi, as well as Schulz himself for EU Parliament, etc) which arrived  today at EU Council's doorstep, one after the other.     

+ However, the  EPP - Socialists' agreement on main EU survival and Global rang didn't yet produce similar results : Schulz depicted as almost non-existent an initial EU Summit's draft, which cirsulated among ChristianDemocrat/EPP Heads of State/Government, and reiterated his preference for controversial "EuroBonds", etc., asking anew to be given a "full participation" inside EU Council, and threatening, indirrectly but surely, that EU Parliament might take its revenge in case of refusal by EU Council, when the moment will come for MEPs to vote for Legislative Measures according to EU Heads of State/Government's Plan to stimulate Growth.

But German ChristianDemocrat/EPP mainstream, long-time MEP, the experienced Elmar Brok, (EU Parliament'"s Political Commitee Chair, f. EU Enlargement Rapporteur, as well as former EU Parliament's representative to EU Institutional Reforms, etc), speaking shortly afterwards to "EuroFora" and other Journalists in Brussels, stressed that he prefered for EU Parliament and EU Council to cooperate, naturally, but while staying well Distinct and Differend, without making any Confusion possible in EU Citizen'"s views, almost "as Montesquieu's (famous) Distinction of Powers" Historically described as a landmark characteristic of Democracy.

Most important, in conclusion, Brok didn't believe, contrary to Schulz, that EU Parliament and Council should eventually quarel about institutional "participation" matters (Comp. supra).

- "What counts most is efficiency on substantial issues. EU Citizens simply want important things to be done, and they don't care so much about procedures, etc", he added.
                                

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- The 1st EU Summit starting to focus, after Financial Stability, now mainly on stimulating Growth, pointed at Digital  + Energy potential, while preparing Network industries for June, and redeployed some 83 Billions, mainly via SMEs and Young People, seeking the "fastest" possible consequences also   on Employment, but without losing from its sight the overal EU Growth Strategy, based on investment to Innovation, as German Chancellor Angie Merkel stressed, speaking to Journalists in Brussels, including "EuroFora".
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

      Since the "Fiscal Pact", decided in 2011, is now ready even earlier than initially scheduled, EU can and must  focus in 2012 on urgent action to stimulate Growth and Jobs, particularly for Young People, via SME's, etc., while also seeking to boost the Single Market's potential on  Digital, Energy and other Networks, mainly by better targetting unspend, surplus Money of the 2007-2013 pluriannual period to the fast producing results areas of SMES and Young People, in conformity with the 2020 EU Growth Strategy which focuses on investing in RST and Innovation. ---------------------------------- 

   "Digital Agenda" figures No 1 under the Headlines "Europe 2020 : EU's Growth Strategy", together with "Innovation", "Youth" and "New Skills", etc, topically reminds a presentation made by EU President José Barroso to the 1st EU Council of 2012, titled "Growth and Jobs : Next Steps".

    In particular, in "completing the Single Market", "by deploying the Full Potential of Digital Economy", "the Digital Single Market" constitutes "a clear Priority", as one "Key Driver for EU's Economic Growth", stress EU Council's conclusions, asking, in particular, for "Rapid Implementation of EU Commissiopn's Action Plan on "E-Coçmmerce", and "New Proposals" or "Agreements", until "June 2012" on "E-Signature", "On line Dispute resolution", and "Roaming", as well as to "modernize EU's CopyRight regime", "while Fighting Piracy",  etc. , and adding also "E-Governenment" etc.

    + Both 3 biggest €uro-Area Countries' leaders, new Italian Prime Minister Mario Prodi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, have played recently an exceptionaly important role in this direction :

    - Monti, since 2009, published as EU Expert a landmark Report on the potential of EU's Single Market, which gave a particularmly important role on the "New Sources" of Growth, made possible by Digital Economy and Media, as he had stressed since then in statements to "EuroFora" (See relevant 2009 NewsReport).

    - Sarkozy, (even while facing scepticissm by some quarters) decided to largely include Digital projects among those who can be funded by the "Great Loan"for long-term Iniitiatives of Excellence for the Future, consecrating many Billions €, as he anounced for the 1st time on 12/2009 near Strasbourg, the same Day that Merkel was giving a landmatrk speech at an International Conference on the Internet in Stuttgart, near Strasbourg, as part of Germany's "Excellence/Innovation Strategy for Growth".          
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    On "Energy", EU Council's conclusions call for an "agreement on Enerhy Efficiency", and ask to "rapidly implement EU Legislation on Energy Single Market", while EU Parliament's President, Schulz, is due to participate tomorrow morning, at the Economic and Social Council in an one Day-long Conference on the "EU on the road towards an Energy European Community", where "EuroFora" was invited.

    Including a participation by Union for the Mediterranean Secretyary Generalm, Amrani, in a 2nd part on Security of Supply and Foreign affairs' dimension, shortlyafter growing, huge Oil/Gas Findings at the South-Eastern Mediterranean, from Egypt and Israel up to Lebanon and EU Member Country Cyprus, which might be equivalent to the similar Geology of Mexico Gulf's Deep Sea recentt findings, able to coverr more than 52%  of USA's needs, according to former US President GWBush  (comp."EuroFora"s earlier NewsReports).
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    - "We all agreed (in the first 2012 EU Summit) that Today's Issue was a matter of Growth and Competitiveness, and no more a mere matter of Deficits' reduction, that we must continue in parallel, according to decisiopns already taken and the roadmap designed", stressed French President Sarkozy.

    The move comes, in particular, after, in the context of a Global Crisis, all over the World, even recent Predictions of Germany"s Growth for 2012 fell from + 2% initialy, down to just 0,75 %, and for France, from +1% initially, down to 0,5+, as he observed.

    - Sarkozy anounced, however, that this "doesn't change anything, in terms of France having  to respect its commitments (to the EU), since we have already succeeded to be in advance on the Deficit Reduction Agenda", (as the French President has anounced since January 9 in Berlin (See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReport from Berlin).

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 +Both Merkel and Sarkozy stressed that the most Innovative move among the present EU Commission's proposals, was the Decision to save and re-program some +83 Billions €, mainly from Structural Funds,

    in addition to more Youth Training, Mobility, etc, and EU's Recommendation to diminish Taxes currently supported by Employers on their workers' salaries, which should be rather transferred into Indirect taxation, such as "VAT"s, etc, (as the French Government has just started to do).

    - "+ Instead of disbursing a lot of not-used EU Funds, as we've done in the Past, (i.e. returning them back to National Governments which had paid that money, most of whom are rather Rich), on the contrary, now, we'll let those Countries in need, "Free to use them in the best targetted way for creating Growth and Jobs", f.ex. by investing into RST, etc, in order to become more competitive and productif, stressed German Chancellor Angie Merkel.

    => "Such Concrete Steps which make material Differe nce for those Countries who find it difficult to get loans, (f.ex. because their ratings habve been recently downgraded, so that borrowing has become more expensive for them"), observed German Chancellor Merkel.

    + And "the Fastest way" to create Jobs, is to support SME's and Young People's employment", Merkel explained.

    - It all goes in the Direction of aiming to create sustrainable and healthy Growth by investing in RST, Education and People, etc., so that Productivity augments, according to the main Strategy that we had proposed, as early as "since 2010", together with French President Sarkozy, she reminded,

    apparently speaking of the Franco-German strategic decision to start resolutely moving towards deeper EU "Integration", with a call for other willing EU Countries to join, (>Comp. "EuroFora"s relevant 2010 NewsReports, already from Elysee Palace 2/2010, but particularly from Freiburg, 12/2010).
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    At any case, French President Sarkozy, observing that Market and Growth Predictions should be always taken "Carefully", added that things could probably go much bettter, if the issues affecting Greece were soon settled

    (Comp. other NewStory, herewith)

*Brussels/EU Summit/Angelo Marcopolo/- The 17 Member Countries-strong €uroArea Governance's Attractive Force may augment considerably in the foreseeable future, among the 10 EU but not yet €uro Member States, if one judges both by the latest developments in Brussels, and by the statements of key-players' French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel's councillors to "EuroFora" :                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 
- The 1st revealed that many EU but not yet €uro Area Countries were anxious to search a way for their fullest possible Participation into the €uroArea Governance   Summits, even before their accession to €uroZone.

*- The 2nd lets suppose that nothing could hinder €uroArea's Heads of State/Government from discussing also other, various Urgent Political matters, when they meet between them, in €AG format. Should €uroArea's Political Leaders loose a rare chance to debate and eventually agree on key political, pressing issues, only for some merely bureaucratic formalities ?

  => Obviously, at least on a Medium-Longterm Future, this may practically lead towards far-reaching GeoPolitical consequences.   
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    Already from the outset, it became immediately obvious that something unusual or unexpected was probably going on inside the Justius Lipsius EU Council building :

    - Polish and Hungarian Prime Ministers, Donald Tusk and Victor Orban, werez First to rush in, even before the scheduled official Arrival Time-frame (about 15 m. earlier), followed by Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeld, and afterwards his Czech Republic's counterpart, etc., the latter being unusually long to speak to surprised Journalists waiting as usual at EU Council's doorstep... UK Prime Minister Cameron wasn't far away, and, all being EU but not yet €uroArea Members, it was obviousy easy to guess the direction towards which such movesd might indicate..

    Nevertheless, EU Countries were able to quasi-Unanimously confirm that they had agreed and were, indeed, Ready to Sign officially the full, detailed New Treaty creating the €uroArea's Governance in just 1 Month : As early as from the 1st of March.
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    Running energetically very Fast to enter afterwards as a Rocket the EU Council's building, French President Nicolas Sarkozy was also, unusually, the 1st to start giving his Press Conference earlier than others and earlier than expected by some Press collegues , who rushed to join the meeting afterwards...

    - Explaining in a crystal-clear way "the Architecture" of €uroArea's Governance, Sarkozy concluded that "there are 3 Levels of (EU Heads of State/Government) meetings :"

    a ) "When it's about the (EU's) Common Market, we'll sign all 27", he characteristically said.

    b) "When it's about the "€uro+ Pact", i.e. for all those who want to enter inside €uroArea or are already inside €uro, then, we'll be 25 or 26 (Countries) to meet", he added.

    c) But, "when it's about €uro-Issues, we'll meet between the 17" (€uro Member States), Sarkozy concluded.

    - "That's how things are going to work, from now on".

    => "It doesn'y mean that there ate many Speeds ; it doesn't mean that there will be People, Countries, which would be left aside", he denied.

    >>> Because, "on the contrary, it means that there will be INTEGRATION LEVELS, which are not the same (as he said by referring to the "Europea,j INTEGRATION concept, which started to be officially adopted as a Strategy for the Future by the Franco-German Summit of Freiburg, since December 2010 (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Offenburg and Freiburg)

    + "As well as that Everyone is free to choose", the French President stressed.

    - "The problem that was discussed" today, at EU Summit, "is that of €uroArea'"s= Governance's) meetings" :

    - I.e. "At what moment they should be among 17" €uroArea Members only ? From which point should they be Enlarged (also) to those (Countries) which are not yet €uroMembers, but would like to participate ? This was one of the issues under discussion, and we (EU Summit)=settled it according to the above mentioned Modalities", Sarkozy revealed.

    - "At any case, I think that it's much Better to have a Clarification, and that Europe gets out of any Ambiguity :"

" Those who agree for this New Treaty must say so, and put it into Practice with all due Energy. And those who disagree, or have Reserves, should say : - "We have some Reserves, we don't sign", and I think very serioury that this Clarification work is necessary", he pointed out.

    So, "from now on, it will be like this with the Czechs, at any case for the moment that we are speaking, because, even there, they explained to me that there would be some "Coinstituitional problems", but I'm absolutely ready to say also that Czechs are our Friends", as he observed.            
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    An impotant Innovation in €uroArea Governance Summits is that, In conformity with what was agreed by EU Council since December 9, 2011 (and the Franco-German proposal of December 5 ; See "EuroFora"s News Reports from Brussels and Elysee Palace in Paris, respectively), they are due to be held "at least Twice a Year", (i.e. as EU's official Councils), and "regularly", (f.ex. once each Month, as the original,

    + But it's also important to note that, questioned by "EuroFora" to clarify whether €uroArea Governance Summits would also discuss in the foreseable Futrure, at least in case of Urgency or Need, some topical Political issues, (or should they be for ever hindered from doing so), a Sarkozy's Counsellor did not deny...  

    A similar impression was given to "EuroFora" also from points of view close to German Chancellor Angie Merkel, shortly afterwards :

    - F.ex., Raising the same Question (See above) also to the experienced, long-time MEP , President of EU Parliament"s Foreign affairs Committee, German MEP Elmar Brok, (and EU Parliament's representative to Institutional EU Reforms, including vis a vis this one, about the €uroArea Governance), we didn't get any Negative answer at all.

    Naturally, Brok didn't gave any indication to refuse EU Heads of Satte/Governments' freedom to eventually discuss, f.ex, in case of Urgency, any Topical Political issue he might find useful or even urgently needed to submit to their attention, f.ex., also as President of EU Parliament's Political affairs Committee, etc., particularly when it might even be closely related to €uroArea's main aims, as to foster Growth, (f.ex. an urgent need to protect Enerhy findings in EU territory, etc.)..

    Indeed, it would obviously be a counter-productive waste to eventually hinder European Top Political Leaders, Heads of State/Government, even to speak between them and discuss an urgent, topical Political issue of relevance to €uroArea, (while they also represent a Majority even inside the EU), and consequently oblige them to postpone eveything for another, later meeting, after 1 or 2 or 3 or even more Months, just because of some Bureaucratic formalities...

    Efficiency and Simplification would certainly plead in favour of lettting Heads of State/Governmment Free to discuss and decide on any topical, at least Urgent issue, be it Political or Economic, of relevance to the €uroArea Countries' interests, (Even if they might, eventually, have to complete their Final Decisions, later-on, in an EU format)...  

    => Such possibilities for the Future should, normally, incite a large number of EU Countries to try to stick to their initial, December 2011, decision to join the €uroArea Governance already from the earliest possible moment, (i.e. practically from March the 1st) ....

 In one among his topical Replies to "EuroFora"s 2 Questions (See also other NewStory, hereby), ECHR's new President, Sir Nicolas Bratza, ensured,  concerning MEPs and Press' concerns about alleged risks against Citizens' Right to receive an Individual Judgement for each serious case about Human Rights' violations, (See infra), that, as a matter of general principle, ECHR must and will "give the necessary consideration" to all serious cases, as he stressed.

- "Otherwise, it should be corrected", the new ECHR's President promissed in the conclusion of his reply to this "'EuroFora"s question.

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    German governing coalition partner's, Liberal Party's Spokeswoman on Human Rights, PACE's MEP Ms Marina Schuster, speaking earlier to "EuroFora", explained that a relevant question that she had raised to the current British Presidency of the CoE, on the need to safeguard the respect of Citizens' Right to Individual "Decisions" by ECHR, and not merely "Applications", stem from concerns recently expressed in the German Press, (such as "Spiegel" and/or nearby "F.A.Z.", etc) about some alleged proposals from certain parts of the current Torry UK Government on the Reforms which, according to their views, should be made in the ECHR.

    + Moreover, at the same time, several other People related to Cyprus' issue, warned that some on going Political manoeuvers intend to push aside Greek Cypriot Refugees' Human Rights' cases, in an attempt to clear the way for a kind of an over-all Deal exchanging Refugees/Displaced Persons' Rights with Land controlled by this or that among the two future federated entities. If such a political deal is done, it cannot be excluded for the ECHR to be incited to massively reject many Individual applications just by repeating mechanically one and the same, identical formula, i.e. without any examination of the particular circumstances of each individual case.

    But,  ECHR's own case-law, has clearly stressed, in several other cases, that, even if, eventually, a restriction of an individual Right might, perhaps, be justified, in certain circumstances, by a General Interest, nevertheless, the damages thus provoked to the detriment of one or another particular person, among all those affected, must not be "disproportionate". And it's, precisely, impossible to examine whether a person has been affected, in fact, by more or less than the allowed degree of damages, without doing any concrete analysis of the particular situation of each person concerned..       

    For these and other such reasons, Schuster, speaking on behalf of all the Liberal Group in CoE's Paneuropean Assembly, asked earlier this week, the representative of the British chair of the CoE, Minister for European affairs Lidington, what iit intends to do about the "Right to Individual Decisions" from the ECHR, which is "just as important" as "the Right to Individual Petitions" itself, which, as all admitted, "was   .. Fundamental".

    Lidington replied, in substance, by rather mixing up the (different) Rights to individual "petition" with that to individual "decision", since he apparently focused on denying any intention to block the 1st, but making a distinction between "identically worded representations to the CoE", from one side, and "really important casesn which raise fundamental questions", from the other side, which should have priority inside the ECHR.
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    - "EuroFora", in the 1st among 2 questions raised to the new President of the ECHR, Sir Nicolas Bratza (See other NewStory, herewith, on our 2nd question), observed the fact that, "yesterday, during CoE Assembly's Debates,  many spoke about the (European Human Rigfhts) Court, even the new PACE President, (French MEP Jean-Claude Mignon), the (CoE's) Secretary General (Jagland), etc. and one of the concerns expressed was, not exactly on the (well known) worries about eventual risks in the future for the Right to Individual Petition, that you know very well, but, as they said, also, for the right to Individual Decision".

    - We made it clear that our question "didn't  mean about the cases which are a mere "copy - paste", a kind of "Class action", as the one that (Bratza had ealier)evoked, which are completely Identical from the Legal point of view. But cases that are, sometimes, similar, and, nevertheless, not identical : As, f.ex. when there are cases of Life and Death, under similar circumstances, but which cannot, obviously, be considered completely identical, Or cases of Refugees' (violent expulsion from their Family Homes, etc), or Torture, which, even if similar, cannot be considered completely identical".

    - "Do you have any concern about this, in the foreseable future ?", "EuroFora" invited ECHR's new President to take a stance.
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    Sir Bratza, carefully, asked more clarifications on this specific point only, (while, on the contrary, he replied immediately to our 2nd question, on another point : See other NewsReport, herewith) :

    - "I'm sorry, I'm not quite sure that I understood your 1st Question. Are you suggesting that we (ECHR) should give more, fuller reasons, or less full reasons, or what ?", he wondered.

   - "It was an intervention by a German MEP in the (CoE's) Assembly, when there was a Debate about the (EHR) Court, before (British) Prime Minister Cameron's (arrival), but in the same week", "EuroFora" explained in reply.

    - "And what was striking was the invitation to ECHR to try to be Careful in order  to protect, according to the MEP's view, (who was citting 2 Articles in German Newspapers about alleged aims of some UK politicians) People from a Risk against Individuals' Right not only to make an Individual Petition, but also to have an Individual Decision (by the ECHR), about the Concrete Cases",

    => - "(I.e.) that (ECHR) examines concretely the cases, in order not to have "copy and paste" decisions, (at least not) when it's not justified,   (Because) there are some cases where it might be justified, when they are completely Identical", we admitted. "But there are also others, (f.ex. concerning) Life or Death, or other issues, as Torture, etc.", including, f.ex. when a whole Family is brutally obliged to flee, abandoning its Home with all its private Belongings,  and afterwards violently hindered to return, (etc. : Comp. supra), which, normally, should not be automatically considered as identical, (i.e. without examining the particular circumstances of the case), "EuroFora" concluded in reply to Sir Bratza's demand for clarification (See supra).
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    >>> ECHR new President's reply to "EuroFora"s No 1 question (See supra) appeared crystal-clear :

    - "All I can say is that, I hope we (ECHR) give the Necessary Consideration to Every case which comes before us", Sir Nicolas Bratza expressed the wish, speaking as matter of principle.

      - Naturally, "if", on the contrary, "it's a "copy and paste" case", (as "EuroFora" had earlier depicted : See supra), " then, no doubt, you are likely to get a "copy and paste" decision" by the ECHR, he warned.
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    >>> "But If it isn't,  then (each Human Rights case) it will GET ITS OWN, INDIVIDUAL, REASONED DECISION" by the ECHR, its  new President clearly underlined.

    - Because, "This is, I think, the way it should be", (according to the legal rules for jurisdictional acts and "Fair Trials", particularly on Human Rights' cases), Sir Nicolas Bratza stressed.

    => - "And if it isn't happening, (as he promissed), then, I think that WE(ECHR) SHOULD CORRECT IT" !, ECHR's new President promissed, speaking as a matter of general principle.  

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       + Moreover, "from by knowledge and experience,  on the whole, if it's a Special, One-Off case, then, it's given a Special, One-Off treatment",  Bratza concluded in reply to "EuroFora"s 1st question (See supra), by adding even a 3rd, more important category of Human Rights Cases, needing Deeper than usual analysis.