EU Legislation, Initiatives, etc.
EU News: Where you live in Europe can strongly influence your education and prospects in life, according to a new European Commission report. The report, entitled 'Mind the Gap - education inequality across EU regions', highlights significant disparities in education opportunities and results across - and within - Member States.
There appears to be a North-South divide in educational attainment, with the highest rates of low-qualified people, with lower secondary education or less, chiefly found in southern European regions and especially in Portugal & Spain. In contrast, the regions with the lowest rates of low-qualified people are mostly found in the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.
EU News: How many plants can be found in the Alps that are not native to that region? Which animals were deliberately or accidently introduced to the Danube? How big a threat will they become to local wildlife?
EASIN, the European Alien Species Information Network, launched recently by the European Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), takes a first step towards answering these & other questions related to 16,000 alien species currently reported all over Europe.
This information network – the first of its kind in Europe – is an important step to deal with the threat of alien species that become invasive. Invasive species present a serious threat to biodiversity and natural resources, with an economic impact estimated at around €12bn per year.
This information network – the first of its kind in Europe – is an important step to deal with the threat of alien species that become invasive. Invasive species present a serious threat to biodiversity and natural resources, with an economic impact estimated at around €12bn per year.
EU News: The future of mobility in our cities was discussed last week at a conference where the European Commission also announced the launch of a public consultation, giving citizens and all interested parties the opportunity to contribute to the future development of the EU's urban transport policy. Consultation closes on 10 December 2012.
The conference also marked the tenth anniversary of the Civitas Initiative, which supports cities in implementing ambitious transport measures & policies fostering sustainable urban mobility. The Civitas Forum Network, involving over 200 cities, has provided the Commission with valuable guidance on how EU action can best support local action for better and more sustainable transport
EU News: The European Commission has released its annual financial report which describes how the 2011 budgetary cycle was managed. The financial report provides detailed information on the sources of EU financing and gives a basic overview of EU expenditure.
VSO: VSO has welcomed ‘EU Aid Volunteers’, a new European Commission initiative which will recruit 10,000 EU citizens to volunteer worldwide in humanitarian operations. The European Commission last week set out its plans for the new initiative, which will provide a path for Europeans who want to offer practical help in countries where it is most urgently needed.
BIS: Business and Enterprise Minister Michael Fallon has published a consultation on implementing European Union (EU) legislation to combat the problem of late payment to British businesses – See ‘Consultations’ section for more information.
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