Last week ELEC’s Central Council gathered for the first time in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, ELEC’s newest member section. As always, this was the occasion for an internal brainstorming on internal ELEC and European affairs. But of course ELEC members also took the opportunity to get acquainted with this old but somewhat mysterious country and to network with its economic, political en business community. During a series or Round Tables on EU-Armenia relations, it became clear that Armenia shares a lot of European values that put it in pole position for a close association with the EU. The Armenians from their side yearn to become formally part of what they call “the rest of Europe”.

You find more information on our website by clicking Round Tables.

Jerry van Waterschoot

Secretary General

Parliamentarians, representatives of the national councils of the European Movement and of the independent regulatory bodies from the SEECP participating states took part at the Conference. The debate was divided into three topics: European Integration and Enlargement through the Cooperation of the Parliaments, the Civil Society and the Independent Regulatory Bodies in SEE; Democracy and Human Rights between Legislation and Reality; and The Economic Crisis - A Challenge for Solidarity of Parliaments, the Civil Society and the Independent Regulatory Bodies. The Conference was open for the public and was broadcasted on the Parliamentary TV Channel of the Macedonian Radio and Television.

The conference was organised in the framework of the Macedonian Chairmanship-in-Office of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

A joint statement was adopted by the participants. To download the statement, please click here

Europe on Track, a Spanish youth media project, was awarded first prize at the 2013 Charlemagne Youth Prize ceremony on 7 May in Aachen University. The second prize went to the photo contest Discover Europe from Poland and the third to the Youth exchange project "The Story of my Life" from Estonia. The Charlemagne Youth Prize is awarded annually to projects that foster a shared sense of European identity and integration among young people.

The first prize was awarded by EP President Martin Schulz, the second by former EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering and the third by Mayor of Aachen Marcel Philip.

Spain - Europe on Track

EP President Martin Schulz said: "The Spanish project seeks constructive solutions to current problems - the loss of confidence in the EU and the alarmingly high youth unemployment in many Member States.

Europe on Track connects young people throughout Europe both offline and online, giving them the opportunity to express their views and making an original contribution to European integration, especially to the growth of a feeling among young people that 'we are Europe'."

Europe on Track was conceived by members of the European Students' Forum AEGEE-Europe as an answer to the loss of faith in the European idea in the current financial and economic crisis. It aims to capture young people’s vision for Europe in 2020, though photography, videos, interviews and blogs, and to compile a short documentary presenting their opinions.

Europe on Track gives young people a platform to share their ideas and present the faces behind youth policy research and statistical data. In the first, 2012, edition, six ambassadors travelled almost 10,000 km by train in one month, asking more than 400 young people the following questions: Where is Europe heading? How can we sustain our present and preserve our future? What do young people expect from the Europe of tomorrow?

Poland - Discover Europe

In his speech on the runner-up, Discover Europe from Poland, German MEP and former EP President Hans-Gert Pöttering said: "With 'Discover Europe' you have managed to focus youthful creativity and imagination on our united Europe. You recognise the European Union as our home and show that, in the midst of diversity, it is our values that unite us. "

Discover Europe 2013 is the 10th edition of a photo contest which aims to select the best pictures submitted by students from European countries. The main idea of the contest is to show, through photography, the beauty of Europe, its culture, traditions, customs and citizens.

Estonia - The Story of My Life

"The Story of My Life" (Estonia), which won third prize, was initiated to celebrate and support the European Year of Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations. It brought young people from Estonia, Finland, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Slovenia and Germany together with active elderly people from two grass-root movements in Estonia.

Awarding the third prize, the Mayor of Aachen, Marcel Philipp, said that the participants "have developed a deeper understanding of cultural differences and also of what people have in common in Europe, and have learned to overcome prejudices - towards other generations and towards other peoples and cultures".

Prize

The three winning projects will receive funding of €5,000, €3,000 and €2,000 respectively. Their representatives will also be invited to visit the European Parliament in the coming months.

Representatives of the 27 projects which took part were invited to the award ceremony on 7 May in Aachen and were awarded a diploma and a medal.

The award ceremony was organised jointly by the European Parliament and the International Charlemagne Prize Foundation. It was hosted by Aachen University.

Welcome speeches were given by EP President Martin Schulz, International Charlemagne Prize Foundation Chairman Michael Jansen and Rector of Aachen University Ernst Schmachtenberg.

Audiovisual material from the ceremony is available on request and will be made available on the website below.

Follow on Twitter: @EUYouthPrize

Follow the event via #ECYP2013

In October 1968, the Member States agreed to allow European workers to enter their territory with a view to working, thus opening up the labour markets in the Member States to all EU citizens. This freedom was complemented by the right to equal treatment, an essential corollary to the right to free movement. On 26 April 2013, the European Commission launched a proposal for a new enforcement directive on measures facilitating the exercise of the rights conferred on workers in the context of the freedom of movement of workers. The proposal aims to make it easier for people to exercise their rights in practice, to overcome any obstacles and to help prevent discrimination against workers on the basis of nationality.

ALDE Party President Sir Graham Watson delivered a keynote speech on the “conditions of freedom, peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus” at a high level conference in Istanbul, Turkey. The conference was organised by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in cooperation with its partners from the South Caucasus, Turkey and Russia, gathered liberal leaders from these countries to discuss numerous issues crucial for further political, economic and social developments.

In an open atmosphere, Šefčovič gave an exclusive talk to a small circle of representatives from media and PR departments from EM Germany’s member organizations. Hosted by the Representation of the EU Commission in Germany and EM Germany, his tour d’horizon started with the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). Of 26 proposed intitiatives, 14 are currently ongoing with signatures being collected. Šefčovič admitted that there were some technical problems at the beginning and that there are some lessons to be learned after the first cycle will be completed in November: User friendliness and data protection needed to be balanced, Šefčovič said, but emphasized the potential of the ECI: “This could be the first Europe wide e-democracy instrument for consulting the citizens.” An ideal would be an easy e-ID-based opportunity for every EU citizen to politically participate: „Be one click away from the decision makers”, Šefčovič put his vision into a nutshell.

Another issue was the European Semester: End of May the EU Commission will issue the third Country Specific Recommendations (CSR) which Maroš Šefčovič considers an effective tool for reforms on a national level. „Constructive pressure from outside helps to tackle touchy issues”, Šefčovič said.

The former Slovak diplomat’s enthusiasm for the European project could be felt when he shared his childhood experience of cycling next to the Iron Curtain near Bratislava ever so often: “We thought this border would never disappear and we had this famous joke about it: Father and son in front of the Iron Curtain, the son asks: ,Who is behind the bars?’ – And the answer is: ,We are, my son!’ For most of my fellow countrymen being a EU-member is still like a dream come true”, Šefčovič said and called the Europeans to “global responsibility” concerning crisis management in the financial crisis: “We are responsible for the 2nd most important currency in the world – and sometimes you have to pay for it.”

by Charles Kennedy MP, President of the European Movement UK

The European Movement UK is Britain’s longest standing pro-European organization, campaigning for decades to inform the debate around the benefits of EU membership.
 
We are a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, funded exclusively by our members. Visit www.euromove.org.uk to see how you can join us and help keep Britain in the EU.

More information can be found at http://esn.org/

conference website

You can register via the following link:

http://www.coleurope.eu/businessconference

For queries, please contact Joanna Kulpa (Academic Assistant at the College of Europe) on +32-50-47.72.25 or joanna.kulpa@coleurope.eu.