http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/ The Brussels Connection was set up by a group of friends working in EU affairs. The intention is to exchange information, knowledge and experience to improve our business skills. nl-be 04, 4 Feb 2011 05:49:36 CST copyright The Brussels Connection 2011 http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/ 20 http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/img/header.gif http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/ Last year has been a difficult year for many of us, challenging us to become more creative, remain persistent and keep our sense of humour. Some have been forced to search for new jobs, others had to close their business. Governments had to adapt to reality by slashing their chronic overspending and reducing their budgets. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=637&cat=49 31, 31 Dec 2010 17:00:00 CST A People's Europe? On 20 July, the Commission published plans to reduce the number of road deaths on Europe's roads by half in the next 10 years. Initiatives proposed in a set of European Road Safety Policy Orientations 2011-2020 range from setting higher standards for vehicle safety, to improving the training of road users, and increasing the enforcement of road rules. The Commission will work closely with Member States to implement this programme. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=780&cat=49 28, 28 Jul 2010 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Since 1 January 2010, Eurostat says that the total population of the EU 27 has reached 501.1 million, compared to the 499.7 million we were in January 2009. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=773&cat=49 26, 26 Jul 2010 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? The General Affairs Council decided on Monday 26 July to officially start EU accession negotiations with Iceland. This should take around a year and allow Iceland to formally join in 2012. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=769&cat=49 25, 25 Jul 2010 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Following this year’s most unpleasant (and costly) discovery of the true financial situation in which Greece found itself, member states decided to put an end to the lack of financial disclosure by increasing the powers of Eurostat in verifying whether data submitted by a member state is reliable, complete and consistent, in the case of excessive deficits. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=774&cat=49 25, 25 Jul 2010 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Professor Joseph E. Stiglitz lambasts the financial sector and warns world governments wishing to reduce their deficits not to do so indiscriminately. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=775&cat=49 19, 19 Jul 2010 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Europeans are most often not aware that the European Union works hard to improve all sorts of aspects of their daily lives. Therefore, the Commission has created a page listing the three main issues it has addressed in 2009. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=757&cat=49 27, 27 Dec 2009 17:00:00 CST A People's Europe? The European Parliament's 2009 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought has been awarded to Russian civil rights defence organization Memorial, and their three representatives Oleg Orlov, Sergei Kovalev and Lyudmila Alexeyeva, as well as all other human rights defenders in Russia. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=755&cat=49 21, 21 Oct 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) charged with the dual mission of strengthening democracy in Europe and upholding its citizen’s fundamental rights celebrated its 60th birthday on 10 August. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=738&cat=49 11, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? The population of the EU27 grew by 2.1 million in 2008 to reach 488.8 million on 1 January 2009. During this year growing at an annual rate of +0.4%, it is set to cross the 500 million mark. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=737&cat=49 10, 10 Aug 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? During the previous week, the newly elected European Parliament seems to have reached an agreement on the Parliament president issue, and has also made some progress in the distribution of the EP committee president positions. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=735&cat=49 10, 10 Jul 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? After a very vocal public campaign to secure the EP’s top job the former leader of the ALDE group Graham Watson has withdrawn his candidacy. Mr. Watson’s decision has effectively confirmed ex-Polish Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek as the EP’s next president. This is in keeping with a time honoured power sharing agreement between the centre-right EPP and the socialist group under which the EP presidency is shared equally by the groups during the 5 year parliamentary term. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=731&cat=49 09, 9 Jul 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? The highest German court has approved the Lisbon Treaty, ruling that it is compatible with German Law, on the condition that the role of the national parliament in EU decision-making is strengthened. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=730&cat=49 02, 2 Jul 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? In the last couple of days, roaming charges (charges for placing phone calls using your mobile phone from another country) were reduced considerably to an equal level throughout all EU member states. On top of that, the 10 leading cell phone manufacturing companies agreed to the production on a harmonized cell phone charger for all brands, for users across Europe. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=729&cat=49 01, 1 Jul 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Sweden took over the presidency of the EU from the Czech Republic today. The European Commission President José Manuel Barroso and 25 EU Commissioners were present at the City Hall in Stockholm to discuss the agenda of the presidency during the next six months. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=728&cat=49 30, 30 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Common sense has prevailed. The curvy cucumber, often seen as the most popular symbol of Brussels’ disconnect with the average European is back. EU rules governing the size and shape of many fruit and vegetables cease to exist from 1 July. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=727&cat=49 29, 29 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Even though the Berlin Wall only fell in November 1989, 27 June 1989 marks the day of the first breach in the Iron Curtain, which divided Communist Central and Eastern Europe from the West for over decades. That day, just outside the Hungarian town of Sopron, Austrian Foreign Minister Alois Mock joined his Hungarian counterpart Gyula Horn in cutting the fence. It led to a stream of people heading west and climaxed in the fall of the Berlin Wall in November that year. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=725&cat=49 25, 25 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? It’s been three weeks since the people of the European Union cast their votes to re-elect a new European Parliament for a period of 5 years. It is safe to say that these three weeks have already caused quite some movement in the EU legislative body. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=724&cat=49 24, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? Keeping in line with its motto, ‘Unity in Diversity’ every year the European parliament awards the LUX Prize for cinema. Films which show the process of building Europe in a different light are shortlisted and a jury comprising of all the Members of the EP select the final winner. The prize is also awarded as a way of promoting European cinema and breaking cultural barriers within the EU. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=723&cat=49 22, 22 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe? In an unusual ceremony which was part of the United Islands Festival in Prague the Czech Republic symbolically "handed over" the Presidency of the EU Council to Sweden. http://www.thebrusselsconnection.be/tbc/?page=detail&id=722&cat=49 21, 21 Jun 2009 17:00:00 CDT A People's Europe?