EUReview & Call to Prayer (EURCP)- Nov. 2006

Newsletter publisher: Hugh & Norma Davis

WEB PAGES http://www.euprayer.com/

14 prayer walls in Europe  Emmanuel Duvieusart, Pasteur fondateur, “Sentinelles De Priere”   email info@sentinelles.info  http://ccea.sentinelles.free.fr/US/– [Monthly in five other languages]

 

GENERAL

Anaysis : One country, one language

http://www.euractiv.com/en/culture/anaysis-country-language/article-158323

Published: Thursday 28 September 2006 | Updated: Friday 29 September 2006 |Langues: [FR]

In ShortThis article, by Ramona Binder from cafebabel.com, stresses that despite the Commission's efforts to improve young Europeans' grasp, EU Member states find it difficult to implement concrete measures."Every citizen should have a good command of two foreign languages together with their mother tongue," claims the action plan for language teaching presented by the European Commission two years ago. This is a requirement for all citizens who want to live and work in Europe.However, only a few EU member states come close to this aim – many school children don’t even speak a single foreign language. Why is this? [See link for more]

 

Who is European? This is what we must define

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/core/Content/displayPrintable.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/10/08/do0809.xml&site=15&page=0

By Nicolas Sarkozy(Filed: 08/10/2006)

Next year's 50th anniversary of the EU's founding Rome treaty should be celebrated with pride, for it marks an historic achievement: half a century of reuniting a divided continent. But there is also cause for concern. The forces driving the union's political momentum have run out of steam and Europe's citizens are either doubtful or indifferent to its aims and lack any real collective hope for the future. [See link for more]

 

EU CONSTITUTION

Select group of politicians to tackle EU constitution

http://euobserver.com/18/22527

28.09.2006 - 17:42 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Work on the EU constitution is to begin again in an informal manner when a "wise" group of politicians and officials from across Europe meet this weekend to see if they can come up with solutions to pull Europe out of its institutional impasse. Italian former prime minister Giuliano Amato, who was vice-president of the 200-strong body that drew up the constitution six years ago, is the driver behind the group which will have its first meeting in Rome on Saturday (30 September).

 

Supported by the European Commission which is sending two commissioners - Danuta Hubner (regional policy) and Margot Wallstom (communications) - the group also includes British ex-commissioner Chris Patten, former French foreign minister Michel Barnier, ex-German justice minister Otto Schily, former prime ministers Paavo Lipponen and Wim Kok of Finland and the Netherlands. The group represents the first public attempt at resuscitating the document which has been languishing in the political hinterlands since it was rejected last year by French and Dutch voters. [See link for more]

 

Dutch PM in row with Kroes over EU constitution debate

http://euobserver.com/18/22625

12.10.2006 - 09:53 CET | By Mark Beunderman

EUOBSERVER/BRUSSELS - Dutch commissioner Neelie Kroes has clashed with her country's prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende after she blamed the Dutch government for not contributing to the debate on EU institutional [See link for more]

 

Duff’s Plan B to rescue Constitution

http://www.euractiv.com/en/constitution/duff-plan-rescue-constitution/article-158933?Source=RSS

Published: Thursday 19 October 2006 | Updated: Friday 20 October 2006 | Langues: [FR]

In Short:MEP Andrew Duff presented his proposal on how to “rescue” the Constitution. Communication Commissioner Margot Wallström welcomed his initiative, but also offered diverging views on certain issues.

[See link for more]

 

Brussels to defend 'core' of EU constitution in treaty talks

http://euobserver.com/18/22676

19.10.2006 - 09:25 CET | By Mark Beunderman

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission is starting to take a position in the expected re-negotiations of the EU constitution, with communication commissioner Margot Wallstrom saying the "core" of the current text should be the "departure point." Commissioner Wallstrom said on Wednesday (18 October) that "the commission would not like to depart too much from the constitutional treaty" amid a slowly re-emerging debate on the fate of the charter, after French and Dutch voters rejected it in 2005."The departure point should be keeping the core of the constitution," she said speaking at the presentation of a constitution revival plan by UK liberal MEP Andrew Duff. [See link for more]

 

Merkel says Germany 'will not solve' EU constitution limbo

30.10.2006 - 09:29  http://euobserver.com/9/22761/?rk=1

German chancellor Angela Merkel has said that her country's EU presidency in the first half of next year will "not solve the problem" of the shelved EU constitution, following discussions on the charter with Dutch leader Jan Peter Balkenende.

 

ENLARGEMENT

Report puts Turkey’s EU hopes in jeopardy

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4a8213dc-6849-11db-90ac-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=70662e7c-3027-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html

By Daniel Dombey in London and Fidelius Schmid in Brussels

Published: October 30 2006 22:03 | Last updated: October 30 2006 22:03

Turkey’s bid for European Union membership will be dealt a fresh blow next week when an official report will slate Ankara for failing to make enough progress on freedom of expression, curbing the use of torture and establishing civilian control over the military. The draft European Commission report, obtained by FT Deutschland, the FT’s sister paper, comes at a particularly sensitive time, with EU officials struggling to keep the accession talks alive. Some EU member states, including the UK, fear that the pro-European consensus within Turkey may be fragmenting, and that the debate within the union on future enlargement has had the effect of alienating Turks, rather than encouraged reform.

 

EU OPRERATIONS

Germany will lead the for six months at the start of 2007

The EU Commission is due to release a report next month on whether Turkey has made enough progress in reforms to qualify for EU entry amid warnings that membership negotiations may be suspended unless Turkey opens full trade relations with Cyprus, which joined the EU along with nine other countries in 2004. As for the stalled European constitution, the German leader said Europe needed a "constitutional contract that clarifies which responsibilities belong to Europe, and which to nation states." Last month, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said Germany would focus on creating a timetable to revive the European Constitution, which French and Dutch voters rejected by last summer.

"Many fear that everything should be directed by Europe," Merkel said, "and that should not be the case."

DW staff (sms) [See link for more]

 

Commission bureaucrats are getting too powerful, says Verheugen 

05.10.2006 - 09:39
http://euobserver.com/9/22572/?rk=1

European Commission vice-president Guenter Verheugen has spoken out strongly against the power of high-ranking civil servants within the commission who are able to influence decisions according to their personal whims. [See link for more]

Merkel unhappy with Barroso

 http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/Bulletins/PressReview/Items/200610/8d5710e3-67a9-47ec-8700-b71e7755f9f8.htm

Published: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 10:28:35 GMT+02

German chancellor Angela Merkel is unhappy with José Manuel Barroso, Die Welt reports as the commission president visits Berlin. The paper says Merkel finds Barroso lacking in leadership skills and assertiveness, particularly in his relations with commissioners and high-ranking officials. The chancellor is also said to be unhappy with EU industry commissioner Günter Verheugen, who lashed out last week at EU bureaucrats and criticised the EU for sending “negative signals” to Turkey. [See link for more]

 

RIGHTS & FREEDOMS

German reporter loses EU press freedom case –

 04.10.2006 - 09:59
http://euobserver.com/9/22562/?rk=1

German reporter Hans-Martin Tillack's claim that the European Commission punished him for exposing EU fraud by using the Belgian police to snatch his files has not been proved, EU courts in Luxembourg ruled on Wednesday morning. [See link for more]

Human rights agency

Subject: EUpolitix.com Morning Bulletin: Monday, 23 October 2006

Date: 10/23/2006 3:44:36 A.M. Eastern Standard Time

From: bulletins@eupolitix.com

The European parliament debates proposals to set up an EU fundamental rights agency in January 2007.

MEPs back the agency but the new body’s future is contested by national governments concerned over the legal base and scope for an EU rights watchdog  [See link for more]

 

Barroso sees ‘European Islam’

http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/Bulletins/PressReview/Items/200606/b147a7b1-d32e-42c9-823c-6a17f2ff70b9.htm

Published: Thu, 1 Jun 2006 10:14:53 GMT+02

European commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has said Islam should be seen as a European religion. He said after talks with religious leaders “We should talk about a European Islam,” adding it is increasingly inappropriate to talk about “Islam in Europe.” Barroso stated “Europe should be large enough to integrate different convictions.” [See link for more]

 

Germany blocks EU rights watchdog

 http://www.eupolitix.com/EN/News/200606/3d7e72c9-f7bb-4c87-a2fc-ebacbb5d79ee.htm

Published: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:23:38 GMT+02 Author: Bruno Waterfield

"Germany has asked to go back to Coreper for new discussions at the working level. The Finnish EU presidency will take up the issue in July." EU official Plans for a European fundamental rights agency have been sent back to the drawing board by Berlin amid German concerns over EU justice powers [See link for more]

 

Report puts Turkey’s EU hopes in jeopardy

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/4a8213dc-6849-11db-90ac-0000779e2340,dwp_uuid=70662e7c-3027-11da-ba9f-00000e2511c8.html

By Daniel Dombey in London and Fidelius Schmid in Brussels

Published: October 30 2006 22:03 | Last updated: October 30 2006 22:03

Turkey’s bid for European Union membership will be dealt a fresh blow next week when an official report will slate Ankara for failing to make enough progress on freedom of expression, curbing the use of torture and establishing civilian control over the military.

The draft European Commission report, obtained by FT Deutschland, the FT’s sister paper, comes at a particularly sensitive time, with EU officials struggling to keep the accession talks alive.

Some EU member states, including the UK, fear that the pro-European consensus within Turkey may be fragmenting, and that the debate within the union on future enlargement has had the effect of alienating Turks, rather than encouraged reform

 

Other Prayer Options:

• NightWatch For Europe Information:

For more information email admin@passion.org.uk  or see link www.passion.org.uk/announcemail

• Prayer for Calling all Nations  http://www.bonnen.info/can/
• European Prayer Letter June 2006

Touch the Nations Team Jun 26, 2006 Prayer e-mail for Europe From: office@touchthenations.org

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EUReview & Call to Prayer Ministries, Hugh and Norma Davis EURCP@aol.com , http://www.euprayer.com

Also contact http://ccea.sentinelles.free.fr/US/  Emmanuel Duvieusart, for Prayer Wall, email info@sentinelles.info 

 

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