WorldThe collective solidarity that inspired cross-border rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of the May 2014 floods in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Croatia must be matched by EU aid and funding, said President Schulz, opening the July II session. The European Union on Friday, July 11th, slapped a travel ban and asset freeze on 11 people allegedly linked to separatist violence in eastern Ukraine. This week the Parliament's political groups had the opportunity to quiz president-designate of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker. Although the former Luxembourg prime minister was nominated for the Commission presidency by the European Council on 27 June, he still requires the Parliament's backing. The plenary vote on his candidacy will take place on 15 July. Lithuanian national television LRT will launch new channel broadcasting authentic news about Ukraine's struggle for the freedom of choice. On 14 July, the national television LRT will start broadcasting news shows News.Ukraine prepared by Ukrainian journalists. "Isn't it rather that Europe turns away from the people?" This question from a Danish woman during a debate on why people turn away from Europe got Martin Schulz thinking for months. "This sentence really touched me," he told us a few months later in an interview. "Maybe it isn't true, but we have to take this seriously, otherwise the European Union will fail." In Oslo, the capital of Norway, the Lithuanian-Norwegian business chamber has been established. It is the first and probably the major step towards creating even tighter business relations between the two countries. President Dalia Grybauskaitė extended congratulations on behalf of the people of Lithuania to U.S. President Barack Obama on the occasion of Independence Day. Strasbourg (2 July) – Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle met with prominent Belarusian human rights activist Ales Bialiatski in Strasbourg on Wednesday. Mr Bialiatski who is President of the Viasna Human Rights Centre of Belarus was released from prison 20 months ahead of schedule on 21 June after 1052 days of arbitrary detention in harsh conditions, including serving periods of solitary confinement. "If Europe was to take a selfie today, it would be a tired, resigned image," said Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi in a debate with MEPs on his country's priorities for the Council presidency for the next six months. He said European leaders should act with conviction and determination to keep Europe in the lead on global issues. The debate on 2 July touched upon a broad range of issues, from the Italian contribution to Europe through the ages to the place of Europe in a fast-changing world. MEPs re-elected Martin Schulz as President of the European Parliament on Tuesday morning for another two and a half year term. The 58-year old German MEP will lead Parliament until January 2017. He won 409 out of 612 valid votes cast in the first ballot. |
|
© 2013 All rights reserved to the public enterprise ‘L24plius’. |