The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was a major theme during the two-day plenary session in Brussels last Wednesday and Thursday.
The anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall was a major theme during the two-day plenary session in Brussels last Wednesday and Thursday. Václav Havel, the Czech dissident who became President addressed the House to mark the occasion. Among other issues, MEPs urged EU states to pool their research into Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. The new top jobs in the EU were discussed as was a forthcoming summit with Russia.
The Berlin wall in Brussels: While MEPs gathered, visitors to the area around the Parliament's buildings in Brussels had the chance to see fragments of the Berlin wall on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its fall on 9 November 1989.
Václav Havel at the EP: Former Czech President and dissident Václav Havel spoke to MEPs on at a formal sitting to mark the 20th anniversary of the democratic changes in central and eastern Europe. Mr Havel spoke about the sensitive issue of identity, stressing that "the fact that I feel myself to be a European doesn’t mean that I stop being a Czech. On the contrary: as a Czech I am also a European. Europe is the 'homeland of our homelands".
EU-Russia: As the weather in Europe turns colder and heating becomes import, MEPs turned their attention to Russia. They called for human rights to be on the agenda of the EU-Russia summit on 17-18 November in Stockholm. The meeting is expected to focus on climate change, energy security and a new general cooperation agreement between the two.
Joint EU research into Alzheimer's and Parkinson's: Approximately 7.3 million people suffer from Alzheimer's disease and associated dementias in Europe and this figure could double by 2020. On Thursday, Members called on EU countries to pools their research in the field of neurodegenerative diseases.
EU summit on new top EU jobs: Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt announced that the Swedish presidency will hold an informal meeting of EU leaders on 19 November to designate candidates for the top EU jobs created by the Lisbon Treaty. The aim is to come up with nominations for the President of the European Council and the High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy.
More visibility for work of European Ombudsman: If you are thinking of lodging a complaint with the Ombudsman, it may be easier in the future as MEPs called for the creation of a shared EU website that refers users directly to the institution competent to handle their complaint.
Lisbon Treaty - EP's new budget powers must be respected from day one, that is from the day the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, without waiting for detailed supplementary legislation, according to an EP resolution adopted last Thursday.
Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina must catch up on reforms in order to be added to the list of short stay visa-free countries, which already includes FYROM, Serbia and Montenegro, MEPs said on Thursday.