newsitems

EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn (2010-2014), speaking to "EuroFora" after a Conference opened by EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek and organized by "Atomium Culture" EU permanent Platform linking Top Scientists, Industry and Media, whose honorary President is experienced former EU Conventiion and f. French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, expressed a crystal-clear interest, and her readiness to eventually participate to "EuroFora"s project to develop regular EU Citizens' debates with MEPs and other key EU Decision-makers before main EU Choices, particularly in the run up to October 2010 EU Heads of State and Government Summit which will define Europe's policy on Innovation as a Crucial, Strategic key-component of EU's roadmap to lead out of the current Global Crisis and shape Europe's Economic and Social Future up to the 2020 Horizon, due to be boosted by "a New Contract between Science and Society", as she highlighted.

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 - "Yes, Absolutely, absolutely, I do". "I do, indeed" believe that, positively stressed EU Commissioner for Innovation, Mrs Maire Goeghegan-Quinn in reply to "EuroFora"s Question if she thought that our project to boost European Forums to regularly debate with EU Citizens before EU Decisions are taken on Science, could be "helpful" to her general approach for a "New Deal" between Scientists and Society, where she just anounced inter alia her wish for "every Laboratory to become a Forum".   

 - "If there are such kind of Debates, Yes, why not", I would certainly consider Participating either physically or through Internet, EU Commissioner on Scientific Research, Maire Geoghegan - Quinn, also replied to another, and more concrete EuroFora"s Question on the Practical organization, for which "you can get on" her competent EU Commission's link, as she advised.

    - Today, EU "Citizens must ...better participate at the Policy Debate", and, therefore, they should "be better trained in Science and Technology so that they can  ..better evaluate the risks and the benefits of new technologies", Quinn stressed earlier in this regard.

    - And "Researchers must become better at explaining what they do. Universities ...must become a Forum for Debate and a Dialogue between Scientists and People", while, also "we must have responsible reporting of science in the Media".

    - In particular, "there must be a New Contract between Science and Society, a New level of Trust", she stressed. I.e. "Scientists must commit themselves to behaving Ethically. They have the right to intellectual Freedom, but they must also be Socially Responsible", the new EU Commissioner on Science, Research and Innovation underlined , to which "EufoFora"s question referred (See supra). Obviously opening new room also for crucial BioEthical and other current issues to find new ways to seriously deal with them by responding to People's concerns in ways which, instead to diminish, on the contrary could even give a new boost and develop further EU Science. (Comp. also  EU Parliament President Jerzy Buzek's reply to a relevant "EuroFora"s question, infra).

    - Because, for an "Ambitious approach" on EU Innovative Science to "succeed", EU needs "the large scale commitment of Civil Society and the Public at large", with "much better Communication between Science and Society to build support for our public Investment and Research", which is "necessary because" it "is the route to (Economic and Social) recovery" to overcome the Global Crisis heading towards People's "Future Well-being". For that purpose,"its Vital that the People can appreciate an understand the results of Research", because, otherwise, "that’s not easy", Quinn already observed in her speech to "Atomium Culture's Conference at EU Parliament.

    -  "I prefer to speak about "Responsible Science", also stressed to "EuroFora" EU Health Commissioner John Dalli,  after a Press Conference in EU Parliament on BioEthical issues and the way to organize Organ Donations with EU Parliament's decisions, (Comp. specific Draft News already sent to Donors/Subscribers). - "We must be careful in such issues, not to stir some recent "Anti-Science" movements",  the specialized EU Commissioner warned.
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    -  But, "Yeah, Yes. It could be ! I think so", Positively replied also EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek to "EuroFora"s Question on how f.ex. BioEthics may lead "Not to Less, but to More Scientific Research, if someone raises a legitimate BioEthical issue". (See also earlier "EuroFora"'s NewsReports about "Whistle-blowers" on BioEthic issues and CoE's April 2010 Resolution, as well as "EuroFora"s idea presented initially to an EU Commission's Representative at CoE's landmark November 2009 PanEuropean Conference on the 10th Anniverary of the International Convention on Bio-Medicine and Human Rights, known as the "Oviedo" treaty, signed in Spain).

    - "In some main EU Countries, there were draft proposals, f.ex. now in France, which provide, whenever there might be something seriously Controversial" on BioEthical or other Crucial Social concerns or stakes, "for Solutions which don't block all Research" on the controversial area, "but, on the contrary, Fund Precautionary Research, f.ex.. support Research aiming to find out if there might be real risks, or not, and, in that case, how to protect People and Society's elementay values. "Do you think that it might be interesting (also) for other EU Countries ?", "EuroFora" had asked Buzek before getting the above-mentioned, carefully Positive answer.

     - "But the most important is How we use EU Funds"  for Scientific Research and Innovation which, at least until recently, it's true, they "are not enough", Buzek, who is also an experienced former EU Rapporteur on the 7th Research/Development Framework Program added in reply to another "EuroFora"'s Question if he was satisfied by the current level of EU's investment in Schience/Technology.

    -  I.e. in particular, "If we try to change them into Innovations. Research is not enough, it's not the End of our Work. We (EU) should change (transform) all Research into Innovation", Buzek explained in his reply to "EuroFora". For that purpose, "It is necessary to involve our (EU's) Industry in this. Otherwise, it will not work" " in real practice. So, "it's absolutely necessary" to create better Science - Industry links for Innovation,  EU Parliament's President added.

    - "Times of Crisis, (are) the best moment to think about Research and Innovations, in order to be Cheaper and more Competitive; because more Innovative", he also noted earlier in his opening address to the Conference organised by "Atomium Culture", which, as Buzek observed, has already started to create relevant links between "1 million Students, Publications to Newspapers and 10 Million European Readers, the most Important", as well as to develop their "Contacts with Industry (which, currently) are not enough", as he noted.

    To put it in a nutshell, for Buzek, it's not enough for the EU to get today a new Aristoteles, because it also needs a kind of new Prometheus and Jules Verne :
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EU Commission's Director General on Communication, Sorensen, to "EuroFora" : - "Yes, EU Science needs a Prometheus or Jules Verne's Spirit !"
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    Claus Sorensen, Director General for Communication in EU Commission, speaking afterwards to "EuroFora" on its Project to develop regular EU Citizens Debates before main EU Decisions, applied in the Science - Innovation area, was even more specific : - "I think that they could be Interesting, You have to be sure that the Scientists can actually speak to Citizens, which is sometimes a problem. But there are many ways (in which) you can publicize these matters"

    Sorensen was replying to a Question about ""EuroFora"'s  Project' .(which)... is to create original EU News' sources by organizing Public Debates systematically, not only once, before important EU Decisions are taken", as we reminded. "Do you think that this could make an interesting contribution for Debates with EU Citizens and between Scientists, in order to create Links, also by Internet, between EU Citizens, Politicians, Scientists, and Businesses, to regularly exchange views before and after main (EU) Decisions on Science are taken : F.ex. before and after EU Heads of State/Government October Summit on Innovation ?"   

    - "Yes, yes of course"."Yes, I think that all that helps ...(in order to) have a Momentum" on Science and Innovation EU-wide.  - "But it should not come from me. It should come from the Scientists and the Journalists, etc.", Sorensen added in his reply, advising also "EuroFora" to get soon in touch with its Communication DG in EU Commission for practical aspects.

      - "To overSimplify things, do you think that we need a kind of .. Prometheus or Jules Verne's Spirit ?", "EuroFora", also asked EU Commission's Director General on Communication, about the way to advance in this direction.
    
    - "Yes, of course ! That's absolutely" what we (EU) need(s), Sorensen positively replied. to "EuroFora". For that purpose, many interesting "Stories" "are in the Drawers of the Researchers and of Labos, among a lot of similar settings", "if it's OK, .. if they get Results out".  But, "the Product which goes to the Newspapers should be very Differend.from what is in a Research Report : (We must) manage to get the Scientific Report and change it into a Product that Normal People can understand".  For a start, " if all the (interested, EU-wide) Media publish in August, and September (2010) Articles on Key (Science) issues, I think that it's good" for the October EU Innovation Summit, he observed.

    In fact, "the Good thing about EU Research, is that there are Thousands of Amazing Stories, that just are there, waiting to be brought to EU Citizens. But, somehow, we didn't manage to do so" yet. "This is a pitty !", Sorensen had denounced earlier at AC's Conference.
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    Both Quinn, Buzek and Sorensen, spoke after "Atomium Culture" Executive Director, Erika Widegren, presented, in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, the new EU permanent Platform's Report on its "Vision" for "what can the EU Civil Society Leading Institutions do for the European Research and Innovation 2020" strategy, which contains several Interesting points going largely in the direction of "EuroFora"s complementary project :é

    - "To radically change the mentality of Europeans towards Research and Innovation, there needs to be an attitude Shift", which could be greatly facilitated by "increasing European and interdisciplinary communication and interaction between researchers and universities", as well as "University - Business cooperation at a European level (to) transform research into innovation", while also "engaging the Public at large", because, "if we want to invest heavily in creating a knowledge society, (this) has to be understood and accepted by Society at large", "Atomium Culture"s 2010 Report stresses from the outset.

    In order to help "create this Consciousness", "Atomium Culture"'s "permanent Platform", among various other practical Measures,  also aims to support actions "making accessible comprehensive, intersectoral and interdisciplinary Debates on Topics of Public Concern", and to "create Links between Europe's leading Scientists and the Public at large". This includes, In particular, "the Accessibility of the latest and most forward-looking research results, by the Public at large, and the Interactions between Researchers and Society", "Informing and Engaging the Public at large regarding the activities supporting research and innovation created and supported by European Institutions", "Seminars on Innovation Journalism", and to "create comprehensive, intersectoral and interdisciplinary Debates to comme up with Perspectives shared by the differend participating sectors, and possible innovative Solutions", by "Transparent Forums for sharing Knowledge and coming up with innovative Ideas on how to concretely address the main Challenges of today", "on current Topics of Public Interest and .;Challenges Society needs to face", "bringing together the knowledge, expertise and interests of all the stakeholders, in order to create ..realistic and sustainable solution(s) pushed forward by society at large".
    
    But, at least for the moment, AC aims to do so by using as main Tools particularly "High Level Worskhops, in cooperation with Universities, Media and Businesses engaged in the Platform, and with the Government holding the EU Council's (rotating) Presidency", as well as the creation of the "ResearchBase.eu" ICT Netowork... for Researchers' online cooperation", and the development of a "Dissemination" Network between leading Newspapers and EU-wide Media "coming together to bring to their readers the most Interesting,  Innovative and Forward-looking Ideas",; on "today's challenges", "coming from the Best European Research".

    This obviously leaves a large space still Open for "EuroFora"'s Complementary approach, (which is obviously larger, encompassing potentially all main EU Decisions of interest to EU Citizens, but naturally includes key Science/Innovation issues of obvious Economic, Social and/or Ethical interest to all Europeans), concering EU Citizens Direct and interActive Participation to Regular EU-wide Debates areas before and after the most important EU Decisions affecting their Lives and Future, (Comp. supra, and "EuroFora/EIW"s 1997-2007 initial, original project, as already presented officially to EU Commission in Brussels as early as since a 1997 draft project submitted together with other experienced EU/CoE Journalists, ("EIW" initial project), that we highlighted also (after its revival became obviously Topical, and more Needed than ever, since the 1999-2004 Majority Abstentions to EU Elections, and the 2005-2007 "No" to 3 Euro-Referenda in France, the Netherlands and Ireland, etc), at a 2006 EU Parliament's Press Conference in Strasbourg, as well as in Letters send to main Political leaders since 2007, including "EuroFora"s 2007-2010 Website, etc.
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    Speaking later with "EuroFora", the Executive Director of "Atomium Culture", Erika Widegren, positively considered that, "if it's in line" with AC's declared aims, helping to "raise Awareness" on EU Science and Innovation potential, "we (AC)'d be Glad to collaborate" with "EuroFora"'s original News and Debates complementary project, particularlmy "to disseminate" such Ideas,  not only before, but also after the forthcoming October 2010 EU Innovation Summit. (+ Brief Updated Addition of 31/5/2010 : See brief specific Text on that particular point).
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    In fact, the best Analysis of current EU Needs on Science/Innovation and of a Strategy able to help find Efficient Solutions in the foreseeable Fuure, was presented in EU Parliament in Strasbourg by "Atomium Culture"s Honorary President, the experienced former EU Convention Chairman, former French EU President, the Academician Valery Giscard d' Estaing :     

After dressing a Critical but Positive overall view of EU's current Problems and Potential, often presented as a "Crisis" in Economic-Monetary EuroZone issues, amidst the Global Financial Crisis, but also in a Gap between EU Institutions and EU Citizens, (See other, relevant "EuroFora"'s NewStory, specifically consecrated to VGE's deeply penetrating observations on EU's Economy and Institutions), Giscard focused on today's challenges on the relations between EU Science, Economy and Society :   

 - "in this Wider Context, it's easy to understand that one of the great  Lacunas in the European System is that we didn't develop enough its "Internal Tissue", (internal Social Fabric).  

 -  "Social, Intellectual and Scientific fabrics continued to Co-Exist, side by side, somewhat better, but without creating a common tissue, VGE observed from the outset.     

- "And, if we don't make enough efforts there now, the Competition in the forthcoming Years or Decades will be totally won by those Countries who will pursue major Scientific and Technologic Developments", he warned.

 
     - "F. ex. at a recent meeting with a Chinese Think-Tank consulted by the Chinese Government, they warned me that EU risks to lose the race before 2040, if we look at the Proportion of what is devoted intellectually in (EU) Universities and Labos for the Progress of Science and Technology now, compared with what happens in other major players in the World, there is a risk to delay so much, that it could become very difficult to catch up later..

     - But, "Europe was, from its Origins, the Greatest Concentration of Cultural, Intellectual and Scientific Ideas in the History of Humanity"... "There are there, (in addition to EU's Greco-Roman, Judeo-Christian a.o. roots) also Polish, Italians,  Spanish, Dutch, (German), Brittish, French, etc.
"And this represents a considerable European Potential", Valery Giscard d'Estaign optimistically reminded.

    - "It's by taking all that in consideration, that ...I invite you to participate, encourage and cultivate ...exchanges of views ...in the Time and Space required by Intelligence"; VGE concluded, launching an appeal particularly to EU Parliament's President, Jerzy Buzek, and EU Commissioner on Science, Research and Innovation, Maire Geoghan-Quinn, but also to various other Top MEPs, University Experts, Business' Executives, National and EU-wide Media (including "El Pais", "EuroFora", etc), and other key participants to "Atomium Culture"s 2010 Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg.

    - In particular, "what is interesting in (the "Atomium Culture" Project) is that this concerns something which ignores (National) Borders, and extends throughout all the EU without any preference on these or those borders, but it points at the entire European System as such". So, "this Project corresponds to one of the major Lacunas of the situation (existing) in Europe today", VGE noted in his speech.

    - "Scientific Research and Innovation aren't among the issues often seen at most Mass Media headlines, but they certainly are the most important questions for Europe's Future, he stressed.

    - "Our aim is to make known the best achievements in Scientfic Research, mainly by Publications to the Media, in order to inform both EU Citizens and Enterprises". F.ex. creating also 2 on-line Networks, between the 120.000 Scientific Researchers of Partner Universities, Media and Enterprises.

    At the beginning, this doesn't have to disperse action to all European Universities, but to start by focusing on EU's Best Universities, from the point of view of Science, Research and Innovation. In parallel, we'd better focus also on serious Media, favorable to Publications on Science, and whose Readers are interested not only by Football, but have an Intellectual curiosity in European Science and Technology, adding also "Quality" to their influence : A Media Network which should be further completed.
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    + This should also include fex. research on Demography, still considered as "Tabu", because many problems of nowadays' World are, in fact, directly or indirectly, provoked by a Demographic Boom" in the 20th Century : F.ex. Raw Materials (including Energy) scarcity wouldn't emerge if the Population had been kept at the level of almost 1 Billion 600 Milions of People who lived at the begining of the 20th Century. The problem of natural Waste, which is proportional to the Population, is growing according to its augmentation. Moreover, there is a well-known relation between Economic Growth rate and Population Demographic growth : F.ex. in some big Countries, as China, the earlier restrictions on 1 Child have been recently watered down, while in the EU and elsewhere there is an opposite trend", (towards less kids), VGE added.
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    - In conclusion, Giscard praised the European Platform "Atomium Culture", which is destinated to work "in a purely European space, focusing on Excellence", with the "aim to help create a Network of direct links and relations between the Best Universities, Media and Innovative Enterprises, in a Trans-Border way".

    Significantly, VGE said that at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, in a meeting focused on the need to develop Europe's Historic Scientific, Cultural and Technologic Innovation Potential, as a New Fabric for European Society and the Winning recipe in the galoping World Competition in the next Years and Decades, while also expressing his belief that     EuroZone Countries have the capacity and the Responsibility now to launch the Economic Governance which was already expected since the Creation of Euro Currency. (See other, specific "EuroFora"s NewStory).
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      An Historic "Anecdote", described by "Atomium Culture"' President, Michelangelo Baracchi-Bonvicini, (who apparently inspired himself from today's discussions on Climate Change and Global Warming, etc), resumed its concrete approach : - Back in 1898, World's 1st Urban Planning Conference at New York, went desperate about problems of "Horse manure", denounced by London Times, which estimated that, "by 1950 every street in the city would be buried 9 feet deep in horse manure", with "s public health and sanitation crisis of almost unimaginable dimensions looming. And no possible solution could be devised", because "Horses were absolutely essential.. for transportation" then.   

 However, only 2 or 3 years larer, motorised "Cars started to be distributed at the beginning of the 20th century and eliminated that problem altogether... BUT ..it was not sufficient to invent it: First a Change in Mentality was needed", in order to change transport habits, and to convince the Banks to fund Cars : Even in the USA, back in 1907, the Morgan Bank ..refused to finance a man who, imagining the future, wanted to open a Car Factory: the man who requested the loan –and who subsequently after a lot of difficulty found another bank- was William Durant, founder of General Motors !", Bonvicini denounced.                    

 Today, for "a gradual Change in Mentality that Europe and the Europeans ..towards Research and its importance", EU needs "a stronger and more dynamic cooperation between the different sectors of the knowledge society and ...the leading institutions of civil society, without passing through the governments".  Thus "is only the Chance ..to begin to act starting ...with a different Mentality that goes beyond the national and sectoral interests for a common European good", he concluded.

Today, EU's most urgent Responsibility vis a vis our Citizens is, first of all, to set out properly our European House, so that it can function efficiently and make EU Citizens feel able to identify themselves with it, particularly by saving Jobs in front of the Global Crisis, instead of losing precious Time and Energy with controversial diversions about subjective claims for notoriously unpopular EU Enlargment to Turkey, replied in substance the President of EU Parliament's biggest Political Group of MEPs, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, Joseph Daul, to "EuroFora"s Question on a highly controversial view recently presented by an obscure Committee working behind closed doors, without any Public Debate, nor Democratic Vote, completely cut off from EU Citizens, and chaired by former Socialist PM Gonzalez, who reportedly concluded by claiming that EU "must" (sic !)accept troublesome Turkey's desiderata to enter inside the EU, but exclude Peaceful and unquestinably European Ukraine, etc...

The point might start to be discussed at the June 2010 Brussels' EU Summit, where the outgoing Spanish EU Chairmanship is due to formally present Gonzalez' text to the 27 EU Heads of State or Government, after EU Parliament's forthcoming wekly Plenary Session in Strasbourg.

This 2010 draft Report was an obviously inadequate, clumsy 1st reply to French President Sarkozy's 2007 Public, solemn Call to start an EU-wide serious and pluralist Reflexion and Debate on what kind of Europe People want to have in the Future, (f.ex. a Political Entity, able to decide, and democratically supported by its Citizens; or only a diluted and impopular common Market indefinitively extending even towards a controversial EU Enlargement to Turkey, notoriously rejected by an unprecedented Majority Abstenion in EU Elections since 1999, and 3 "No" to EuroReferenda between 2005-2007, as well as in more than 3 National and EU Elections recently, between 2007 and 2009. Sarkozy's proposal was clearly presented as one of 2 key Conditions in order to allow EU - Turkey Negotiations (and, therefrore, EU Funding for Ankara) to continue without using each EU Member States' Right to "Veto", despite (or, rather : "because of") crystal-clear Electoral commitments to put a stop to the unpopular Ankara's EU bid, in one way or another.

 - "On (EU) Enlargement, I said also to (EU Commission's President)  Barroso :

- "During at least the next 6 Months, let's put in order, at first, our EU House, and make it ready to function well".

 - "So that European Citizens, inside this House, can fully Identify themselves with it, and see how we can advance further", replied to "EuroFora" Top MEP Joseph Daul.

- "I don't think that by, waiting for 6 Months, or even 1 Year, in order to put EU back on track,  we might have any problems on Enlargment", he added.

- Meanwhile, at least "for the time being, we have Nothing Changed on our Positions at EU Parliament, that You know", Daul confirmed to "EuroFora", (obviously referring to at least 2 recent, 2009 and 2010 EU Parliament Resolutions, where a growing Majority of MEPs clearly rejected a minority's attempts to claim that "Accession" would be the aim of EU - Turkey Negotiations, preferring, on the contrary, to speak about an "Open-Ended Process", which may conclude with a "Privilged Partnership" or with anOther adequate Alternative : See previous "EuroFora"'s NewsReports).

- "But, Now, really, (we should tackle) One Thing, Each Time : Concerning our Citizens, let's, first, put in order our European House back on Track, and make it ready and able to work (function) properly !", President Daul stressed in Conclusion, (obviously Brushing away, today, any controversial subjective views about EU Enlargement to Turkey).


    This was Daul's Reply to "EuroFora"s Question, which had observed, "in relation with the "Crisis of Values", that (Daul had) evoked earlier, a Report was published by (former Socialist Spanish PM Gonjalez) on EU's Future, which raises certain questions for EU Citizens :"

    - "Despite some other interesting points, it also raises certain obviously Problematic Issues, because it seems that it might push towards some Controversial directions which are Opposite to the main Results of the June 2009 EU Parliament's Elections, as well as the May 2007 French Presidential Elections and the September 2009 German Elections, which were largely won by Political Parties clearly opposed to Turkey's controversial EU bid", as "EuroFora" had reminded.

    - "In particular, it contains a short but highly Controversial sentence, (on which, even inside the "Wisemen" Commitee, there were strong disagreemens and "hot" discussions, as Gonzalez acknowledged himself), which claims that, concerning EU Enlargement,  the EU "MUST" (according to an astonishing Vocabulary used in the draft) accept Turkey's Controversial aim to enter inside the EU, while, on the contrary, unequestionably European Countries as f.ex. Ukraine, would be obliged to indefinitively wait Outside the EU, which should propose to Kiev other, alternative links, and not EU accession", we observed.

    - "What do you think about this strange view, and, don't you think that EU Parliament should have an opportunity to express its stance on these issues, which obviously concern also the "Future of Europe", (as French President Sarkozy a.o. had already lnvited the EU to do, since 2007, and seems to have recently reiterated, apparently in agreement with EU Parliament's President Jerzy Buzek : See "EuroFora"s relevant Publication of February 2010).

        Significantly, Daul did not deny at all that the above mentioned controversial Gonjalez view on Turkey was opposed to EU Citiizens' Democratically expressed Popular Will, in many important Votes during the recent years (See supra).    

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                - "Our (EU) Citizens will judge us on such key issues", warned Daul earlier. In particular, "we (EU) must prevent any risk for a Moral Crisis of Values", he stressed.

 

    - At the same time, what is more Urgent Today, is that "we (EU) must resolutely strive to save Jobs in Europe, because the Global Financial Crisis, which has come from overseas, is threatening to provoke also a Social Crisis, and this could risk to become even a Moral Crisis, unless EU acts United and efficiently", as Daul said earlier, speaking to Journalists in Strasbourg, including "EuroFora".

    - "All EU Parliament's Political Groups of MEPs must strive to contribute for the EU to get out of the Global Crisis asap, and with Dignity", the President of the largest (EPP) Group advised. .

    - "We must manage to deal with this Crisis, give clear Expanations and take all Courageous Decisions, because People must be able to Believe in what EU is telling them", Daul concluded, as a matter of General Principle.

New, crucial issues on Europe, Human Righs, BioEthics, and their political conditions, marked the visit of German Chancellor Angie Merkel at the Constitutional Court in nearby Karlsruhe, together with President Horst Köhler, on the occasion of a "change of guard" between its former chair, professor Papier, and its new one, professor Fosskuhle, shortly after the Bundesverfassungsgericht (BVG) issued a judgement on EU funds lend to the Greek Government in order to protect EuroZone, and just a month before it deals with another thorny issue on Genetic Technology on June.

 The Key word, that resumes well the main substance of this event's exceptional character, not only for Germany, but also for Europe and perhaps for the World, was at the conclusion of Chancelor Merkel's speech, when she stressed that the common duty to protect "Human Dignity", (explicitly enschrined at the 1st Article of the German Constitution in a healthy reaction to the Nazi regime, based on the same inspiration as the European Convention of Human Rights), "must guide us also in the 21th Century".
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What is really at stake is much more than an implicit reference to the obviously interesting fact that a previous, controversial candidate for BVG's chair, initially proposed by the Socialist Party, Dr. Dreier, was reportedly refused by both the ChristianDemocrat CDU/CSU Majority and the "Greens", etc., after being strongly criticized for having taken in Public a dangerous stance which could apparently lead towards diminishing the protection of Human Embryo vis a vis Genetic a.o. Manipulations, while also allegedly opening a risky window even to "Torture" in certain cases, as it was hotly debated since 2008 in the German Press.

Such core Human Rights issues, which have a particularly large echo in modern Germany, whose People were the first to suffer from, and witness a Nazi regime's atrocities, are also topical today for all Europe and even the World, as it clearly results, f.ex. from the debates starting for the forthcoming 2010-2011 Review of  the French Law on BioEthics, or US President Obama's controversial 2009 decision to unfreeze funding for Genetic research manipulating Human Embryos, contrary to his predecessors' (both democrat party's Bill Clinton back in 1993, and republican party's George W. Bush on August 2001) earlier decisions to protect the Human Embryo from potentially dangerous and/or unethical Genetic interventions, as well as from the current, 2010 CoE's discussions on a probably Historic new Reform of the European Court of Human Rights after the February 2010 PanEuropean Conference at Interlaken, during the Swiss CoE presidency, (See "EuroFora"'s NewsReports from Interlaken).

 

So, after an overall introduction by BVG's longt-tme Member and new vice-President professor Kirchof, it wasn't a surprise that, during the Karlsruhe ceremony, German President Horst Koehler, hailed, inter alia, the Constitutional Court's contribution for the protection of "Freedom of Expression", etc., particularly in view of the special importance that takes in the present context its role to defend the main characteristics of "a Democratic Society" "in a Globalized World".

Experienced out-going BVG's former President, prof. Papier, pushed the move even further by stressing the 2 new parallel trends of "Globalization and Europanization", particularly "on Human Rights", where, after the "Interlaken" 2010 CoE's Ministerial Conference (See supra), "National Supreme Courts" are more and more entrusted with the task to "integrate" ECHR's case-law in their national area, after CoE decided to make a greater use of this principle of "Subsidiarity", by making a strong appeal to all CoE Member States' competent National Authorities to act for the respect of ECHR's principles, creating a New Challenge.

 

Already, as ECHR's German EuroJudge Renate Jaeger earlier told "EuroFora", the "secret" for the exceptionaly "low" percentage of German cases at ECHR, compared to other Countries, is largely due to the fact that the nearby Karlsruhe Constitutional Court provides a rather satisfying remedy for many applicants.

Seizing that ball on the air, new BVG's President, prof. FossKuhle anounced his wish to, indeed, "further intensify relations with the ECHR and EU's Court of Justice", located in nearby Strasbourg and Luxembourg respectively, and, for that purpose, to start also "translating (BVG's) Judgements in French, English and Spanish".

President Fosskuhle also stressed that BVG should judge "only on Legal arguments", without "any Political" motivation, and promissed that the body will work "Collectively", according to the spirit of its Headquarter Building's well known "Architecture (symbolizing) Efficiency and Transparency". (A particularly interesting promisse for the European Press, since even German Government's Press Officers at Berlin were surprised from the unusual fact that, as BVG's Spokeswoman, Anja Kesting, confirmed to "EuroFora", while kindly providing practical information on how to follow the event, there was "exceptioally no Press accreditation procedure" for this unquestionably European interest event at nearby Karlsruhe, just a few minutes' distance from Strasbourg's European Court of Human Rights)...   

 

 - "There is No Alternative to European Integration", sharply and topically stressed also German Chancellor Angie Merkel, adding references to EU's Lisbon Treaty, which has just entered into force since December 2009. together with EU's New "Charter on Fundamental Freedoms" for EU Citizens.

Moreover,  "based on the Principles enshrined in the Constitution", an harmonious "interaction and cooperation between all the Constitutional bodies : Government, President, Constituitional Court and Senate, ... provides the Stability which is at the Foundations of a Peaceful and Democratic living-together for our Society", she observed.

- "It's Wonderful that at this important Day, it's clear for all of us, that cooperation and Stability in our Country is shaped by our joint obligation to respect our Constitution, and particularly its 1st Article on Human Dignity : - This should guide us also in the 21st Century", Merkel stressed in conclusion.

"Human Dignity" is not only considered to be at the base of all Human Rights, but is also the main key-word frequently used to designate the protection of Human beings fboth from Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatments, and from dangerous Genetic a.o. Manipulations.

This obviously put the finger, indirectly but clearly, at what was mainly at stake from the choice that the Socialist party was finaly obliged to make for Prof. Fosskuhle from Bavaria, after ChristianDemocrats, Greens and other political and social forces refused to back the initial SPD's candidate, Dr. Dreier, reportedly because of his controversial statements on BioEthics and Torture (See supra).

A first, important "Test" for the new BVG's Chairman, prof. Fosskuhle, to show his sensitivity on BioEthic issues, will be shortly given on June 2010, when Germany's Federal Constitutional Court has already scheduled to deal, on Wednesday the 23th of June, with a "Law on Genetic Technology"...  

However, in case, eventually, that the new BVG's Chairman might prove to be, in fact, not really differend from Dr. Dreier's controversial views, then, it will become obviously interesting, if not necessary, for all those who opposed such dangerous claims on  BioEthics, Torture, etc. to consider opening new ways of political coalitions, particularly focusing on crucial BioEthics issues, as, f.ex.  that between ChristianDemocrats and "Greens", who have already met often together in various struggles against Genetic and other Manipulations of Human beings, both at National and at EU level, (fex. inside EU Parliament) until recent years, and have already started to build even some national or local coalition governments, as, f.ex. in certain Regions in Austria, etc.

Naturally, this shouldn't be confonded with some obviously Opportunist infiltrations of the German "Greens" movement, f.ex. by Turkish lobbyists coming and going in and out of the Socialist or even other Parties ("Left", CDU, etc) according to their own selfish interests. (As that businessman reportedly linked with a deadly Air crash in Turkey and a Kidnapping Scandal in Brussels, who had been initially elected by "Green" voters but betrayed them by passing over to the "Socialist" party. Or another former assistant of former Socialist Minister of Defence, Rudolf Sharping, who left for the "Greens" after Sharping had to quit, among various Scandals, and got a Top job, but almost failed to be re-elected at the latest, 9/2009 Elections !)

On the contrary, an eventually necessary to boost Christian-Democrat - true "Greens" cooperation, at least on certain Crucial key-points of exceptional importance, (f.ex. BioEthics and other Human Rights, development of Environment and Climate-friendly Technologies, Financial adjustment on "Carbon"- Dumping from Foreign Countries which don't respect Environmental Legislation at EU's External Borders, etc), could also include other political and social players, (f.ex. many Liberals, and even certain exceptional Socialists, such as f.ex. the current EU Parliament's Environment Committee's Chairman MEP Joe Leinen, apparently sensitive on BioEthic issues, etc), and might become interesting in the foreseeable Future, punctually or even structurally, according to developments, not only in Germany, but also, perhaps, in France and other Countries, in EU Parliament, etc.

 
While EU strives to diversify direct, safe and cheap Energy transport routes, forthcoming Hungarian 2011 EU Chairmanship plans to use Danube/Rhine links fit well Romania's recent move to start examining Black Sea ship transports of LNGas with coastal Countries, as Georgia and Azerbaidjan, key Foreign Ministers told "EuroFora", at the sidelines of CoE's PanEuropean Committee of Ministers' Annual Session yesterday in Strasbourg, after 2 recent positive EU Parliament's Resolutions calling to Fund LNG installations' Networks (2009) and to boost EU's Danube Strategy (2010).

Outgoing Hungarian Foreign Minister and former EU Commissioner Peter Balazs ensured "EuroFora" that Danube Strategy "will be one very High" and "one of the biggest Priorities" of the EU Jan.-June 2011 Chairmanship by Hungary which will be led by the new Foreign Minister, the experienced ChristianDemocrat/EPP prof. Janos Martonyi.

Prof. Martonyi was already MFA at the 1st Victor Urban Government, when Hungary was chairing the CoE, back in 1999, and "EuroFora"'s co-founder A.M. had been invited to cover CoE's PanEuropean Ministerial Summit at Budapest, and he was just confirmed also as new Foreign Minister at the beginning of May 2010 when Orban anounced his new Government after brillantly winning the recent Elections.

- Moreover, "Danube is naturally linked with Rhine and Mainz Rivers' connexions. It's a natural linkage", Balazs also agreed with a supplementary "EuroFora"'s question. In this context, "we (Hungary) are building inter-linkages with all neighbouring States, (Romania, Croatia,  in order to be able to transport Gas" from the Black Sea, "and also connexions with the Adriatic Sea (i.e. towards the Mediterranean Sea), for Liquefied Natural Gas" (LNG), he added.


Victor Urban's ChristianDemocrat New Hungarian Government could do even better in interlinking together Danube - Rhine Countries, since most of them come from the same Political Family : From Romania's President Basescu, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Borisov, Croatia's Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Swiss Federal Council's President Doris Leuthard, etc. up to Germany's Chancelor Merkel and France's President Sarkozy, until Netherlands' Prime Minister Balkenende, etc.

Thus, Janos Martonyi, Hungary's New Foreign Minister, who holds a rare PanEuropean Experience by having organized CoE's Top Political body, Committee of Ministers' Annual 1999 Session at Budapest, could usefully add also Political personal links inside a 2011EU Danube-Rhine Strategy, including also with new EU Energy Commissioner, German ChristianDemocrat Gunther Oettering, who has already stressed, initially at "EuroFora" (on the sidelines of EPP's December 2009 Summit at Bonn), and afterwards also at EU Parliament's Hearings (January 2010), his will to explore new possibilities for Energ Transports through Danube River and via Seas-Rivers' Ship transports of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG : See "EuroFora"'s earlier NewStories).
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    At another recent move, Oil and Gas producing Azerbaidjan's deputy Foreign Minister Mahmud Mammad-Guliyev, (an experienced former Diplomat who knows well Strasbourg and London since the 1990ies), reacting to "EuroFora"'s Question on Hungary's forthcoming Jan. 2011 EU Chairmanship's probable plans to boost  Direct EU links to the Black Sea, via Danube-Rhine Rivers, revealed that :  - "About the Baku (Azerbaidjan) - Georgia - Romania" link, "we have already a Memorandum of Understanding (recently) signed by the 3 Ministers of Energy, to study the possibility of delivering Azeri Gas throughout Georgia to (EU Member Country) Romania". - It concerns "Liquid Gas". And, right "now, the Experts are working on the Feasibility Study of this Project : From Baku to Georgian ports in Bratsi, then, through Bratsi, by special (Sea Ship) Tankers to Romania", Guliyev made it clear. "But, today, (May 2010), it's just the 1st phase : a Feasibility Study. This process started at the beginning of 2010", the Azeri Minister observed to "EuroFora".

- Actually, "we (Oil-Gas producing Azerbaidjan) have several Projects : F.ex. to (EU Member) Bulgaria, to Turkey (Nabucco), etc. but they concern Pipelines". On the contrary, "for this project with Romania (See supra) we are speaking about LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas)", stressed Guliyev, who was also interested at a May 2009 EU Parliament's Resolution on EU's Energy policy, which officially ask EU Commission to start Funding a Network of installations and New Technologies to liquefy, store and/or re-gasify natural gas.

- "If the (Central Asian) Gas arrives to Romania, then it can go (further) through (various EU) Pipelines, etc.", at least up to some big Gas storage facilities currently built by Germany and other core Eu Countries, so that "I don't speak (only) about Danube", the Azeri Minister added.

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But, meanwhile, the importance of Danube - Rhine's potential for LNGas' transports from the Black Sea/Central Asia to EU's industrial core, was also positively seen by the new Director of International affairs at "Gaz de France", experienced former Diplomat Dennis Simonneau, as he recently said to "EuroFora".

As for Romania's President Trajan Basescu, an experienced former Merchand Fleet Minister, (who "was the 1st to cross the Danube - Rhine" big gabarit new link for large ships as early as since 2001, as he has proudly told "EuroFora"), has repeatedly stressed his strong support for the Black Sea - Danube/Rhine Rivers Energy Transport link, in several long and well-argumented statements to "EuroFora" at various occasions earlier in Strasbourg.

 

His own daughter, Elena Basescu, a young and active new MEP, (who aims to develop a "Danube InterGroup" inside EU Parliament, as she has told "EuroFora"), was naturally among the first to support EU Parliament's recent Resolution for the development of EU's "Danube Strategy", adopted on March 2010 in Strasbourg, replying to which, EU Commission pointed, precisely, at the Priorities of the Jan. 2011 Hungarian EU Chairmanship.

Georgian President, Saakashvili, speaking twice earlier to "EuroFora" in Strasbourg, has also expressed his interest to examine such possibilities for Black Sea - Danube/Rhine River direct Energy links to the EU, even if he reserved his decision until he sees some concrete, "really existing projects", as he told us.

It goes without saying, that, when the Black Sea - Danube/Rhine Rivers' Energy transport PanEuropean Highway may become ready to start to function, both Ukraine (who has a Channel on Danube's Delta), and Russia itself (through the Russian Ports at the Black Sea, and since Russia is already a Member of the Budapest-based "Danube Committee") will start to be naturally interested in such projects which can obviously be useful to all Countries interested to have Direct Energy Transport links with the EU through the Black Sea.

Danube and Rhin rivers' Navigation flows are regulated by 2 special Committees headquartered in Budapest (Hungary) and Strasbourg (France), respectively, which have already started to create joint links, as a Senior Official told "EuroFora".