European News Headlines

Germany took over the EU presidency on 1 January 2007. High on the agenda for their six-month position are the European constitution, freedom, justice, security and stability for all Europeans alongside growth and jobs, as well as tackling climate change.

The European Commission’s "You Control Climate Change" website is helping individuals to contribute to the fight against climate change:

http://www.climatechange.eu.com/

For the German Chancellor Angela Merkel it is also essential to agree a timetable for the European Constitution. It will help her that a new ‘triple presidency’ system has just been introduced, which means that Germany will consult Portugal and Slovenia, the countries that will take over the next two presidencies, in an attempt to improve consistent planning.

Consult the German Presidency website in English for further information:

http://www.eu2007.de/en/index.html

B) Europe at 50 - NAGTY Members Look to the Future of the EU

Members of the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth (NAGTY) from across the country recently travelled to the famous Chatham House in London to take part in a debate on Europe at 50. The event was designed to stimulate discussion and debate on the past 50 years of the European Union and examine its successes and failures whilst also looking toward the next 50 years and issues that the young generation will face in the future. With climate change, terrorism and the EU as a superpower up for discussion, you can imagine that everyone had lots to talk about!

Read the winning essays:

http://www.nagty.ac.uk/about/media_room/student/archive/2007/chatham_house_writing_competition_winners.aspx

C) Equal opportunities for all in education and employment

2007 was designated as 'European Year of Equal Opportunities for All' as part of an effort to promote equality and non-discrimination in the EU. Special conferences will mark the EU 50th anniversary and raise public awareness of the importance of equality in education and employment at the same time.

D) EU Internet Identity

In a bid to be more user-friendly, the EU launched a new Internet address to bring all EU institutions and agencies under one website address last year.

The new address EUROPA.eu will become the European Union’s single Internet “brand”. Margot Wallström, Vice-President of the European Commission, said about this historic step: “This new web identity is symbolic. The EU should focus less on “institutions” and more on “Europeans”. The “.eu” suffix will make the EU more visible on the Internet, also to its citizens.”

The “.eu” domain name had previously been launched for all residents on 7 April 2006 and has proved immensely popular.

For further information about getting an “.eu” web address, obtain a fact sheet:

http://europa.eu.int/information_society/doc/factsheets/055-doteu-en.pdf