Digital Europe: urgent action required
Digital Europe needs urgent action to become one and drive the economy
Datanews reports the Lobby group DigitalEurope calls out the clock is ticking to create the digital agenda, the action field of Commissioner Kroes. The Digital agenda, scheduled for May 18th, needs to be a strong message, to push agenda forward. "With a mere 7% of e-commerce across borders and each country still maintaining local rules, there is a lot of work to be done", says Erkki Ormala, President of Digital Europe in Brussels, where the lobby group presented ‘A Transformational Agenda for the Digital Age’. The association unites ICT-companies such as IBM, Intel, Apple, Nokia, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco en Siemens.
The world is at a turning point. So is Europe. These are no ordinary times. What Europe needs is a transformational agenda. José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission, "A Vision for EU 2020" October 2009
Digital agenda is urgent and important
Gerard De Graaf, Head of Unit, Strategic Objective Prosperity of the European Commission, admitted there was a ‘sense of urgency’ is, but says he doubted that Europe is fully aware of this. “The importance of broadband is still underestimated", he stated. Anthony Whelan, Head of Cabinet of Neelie Kroes confirmed that on May 18th the document on the ‘Digital Agenda’ as part of the ‘EU 2020’ vision would be ready. He added the key is not technology, but people.
Poke – poke back
The DigitalEurope document can be a supplementary source of inspiration, with a series of quick wins in varied sectors.This is a serious 'poke', as they say on Facebook, where friends give each other a little "push", to confirm they're still there and show they care. Barroso II clearly wants to make ICT a spearhead of policy for the years to come. And rightly so. The poke will be seen as welcome, and no doubt will receive a "poke back". ICT is one of the cards to play in the transformation of Europe, and true, the tide is high, with the Bric countries knocking ever louder at the door (and who knows soon after the world cup BricS, with South Africa joining the world growth leaders?)
EU International Aid: 12 steps to 2015
EU international Aid is a major link in the chain of worldwide poverty and aid programs.
Today the EU even is the first donor worldwide, providing more than half of development aid and a staggering € 49 billion in 2009.
The twelve point plan presented today aims to support the international community in delivering the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The action plan is a call to prepare an agreed and strong EU position ahead of the MDG Summit in September and define a set of actions to be implemented at national, regional and international scales.
'If I compare this (sum) with national budgets, this is not really big money. It's really the political will that is necessary to achieve this target,' the EU's commissioner for development aid, Andris Piebalgs, told journalists in Brussels.
The 12 points for EU international Aid
- Make verifiable annual action plans for reaching individual targets
- Improve aid efficiency at the EU scale (saving estimates around 3 to 6 billion a year)
- Do more and better for the poorest
- Target the key sectors for gender, education, health and food security
- Work in partnerships
- Act in coherence with other EU policies for Development from Trade to migration to food and climate change
- Help national fundings to work better
- Strengthen regional integration and trade for growth and jobs
- Support innovative financing with high revenue potential that can benefit the poorest
- Use "fast-start" funding for climate change as a test for aid effectiveness and coherence
- Make development and security work better together
- Support stronger weight of developing countries in the World Bank, IMF and the UN reform for more effective agencies
12 steps to 2015: a sign to act
The twelve point plan is not only an important signal to the world outside Europe, it is also a message to all EU member states to work together more closely and keep their commitments.
It is a major message to all governments: Solidarity and Development Goals are of key importance for the future of the planet, beyond the moral values Europe holds dear.
EU citizens’ initiative: E-Gov 2.0 in the making
Maros Sefcovic, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Youth today in the Guardian introduces
the European citizen's initiative. "Bringing Europe closer to its citizens" talks about opening a door to more participation
of EU citizens in policy.
With the digital tools available (and growing) throughout Europe, this initiative is an exciting step towards E-government 2.0.
It is an opportunity for citizens to claim 'their' Europe, instead of blaming Brussels for being self-centered and exclusive.
The EU Commissioner hopes for support of the European parliament and the member countries, to see the first
initiatives start early in 2011. Sounds like an excellent plan.
As mister Sefcovic states, the European citizens' initiative will challenge the complexity and detachment from its citizens
the EU is ofter accused of. But the idea can only work when it is embraced by the EU citizens. As often is the case in a
democratic system, new rules only have the effect on society that the people make of them.
Still, this is an exciting step forward in 'people power' in EU government.The proposal for the first time gives Eu citizens
the chance to call for new European laws.
As the new commissioner says:
It is a concrete example of what we talk about so often in Brussels: "bringing Europe closer to its citizens".
It is my conviction that fostering a lively cross-border debate about what we are doing in Brussels will lead
to better rule-making, inspired by the grass roots. I am very excited about this idea, which I believe represents
a real step forward in the democratic life of the union.
The process is simple: find 1 million signatures from at least 9 EU member states for your new law and Europe will
debate your proposal. People can sign up both on paper and online, making this a reasonable procedure.
The signatures will be verified and the idea checked to see if it falls within the powers of the EU. The next step then
is that the commission has four months to decide how to proceed. It can make a proposal for legislation, take other
measures such as a feasibility study, or can decide that it is not appropriate to take any action. But in the best
democratic tradition, the decision will have to be clarified and communicated in a report that is publicly available.
Lady Ashton gets a break (almost)
Some weeks ago, we posted a message with the title "Can Lady Aston get a break?" . It seems the Gods in the European Pantheon responded to the call and the lady gets her break. As Reuters announces today, Ashton would control three key aid areas, as the EU aims to boost its influence in world.
The Guardian claims the exclusive on a 13-page document, that puts Ashton in charge of regional and country strategy in development policy, loosening the European commission's grip in this key area. As the EU's new foreign policy chief, she has secured key powers over the world's biggest development budget, according to a blueprint for Europe's first common diplomatic service. Aston is to unveil her blueprint tomorrow for the ambitious diplomatic service which has been the object of a ferocious turf war in Brussels and EU capitals for weeks. That's a good gain for Cathy," said a Brussels diplomat in The Guardian. "She will be able to set the direction of how EU money is spent."
The commission endorsed Ashton's proposals today, meaning that Andris Piebalgs, the development commissioner,
has dropped his resistance to surrendering some of his powers over policy decisions.
Despite the boost for Ashton, the outlines of the new diplomatic structure confirm it will be heavily
dominated by the European commission, to the chagrin of Britain and other big EU governments.
Ashton's blueprint calls for a diplomatic corps that will be managed by a powerful secretary general and two deputies.
This model has been criticized by senior parliamentarians as being too closely modeled on the French diplomatic service.
The separate humanitarian aid budget, and assistance for the EU's eastern neighbours, would remain
in the hands of Piebalgs and enlargement chief Stefan Fuele, her colleagues at the executive European Commission.
Lady Ashton has been hoping to secure final approval for her plan by the deadline of end of April, but diplomats say it will be hard to meet the target because she could face resistance from some of the 27 member states and in the European Parliament. So the lady gets a break (almost, but not yet completely). Maybe learning French can be a good move, as France's EU Affairs Minister, Pierre Lellouche invited her to do, as the BBC says. French is traditionally the language of diplomacy and of EU business, so it will improve the British first Lady of foreign affairs' chances in making friends and gaining respect in the diplomatic corps.
Ashton gets support and criticism (again)
Is Europe looking for an EU wonder Woman to run its international affairs? In any case, Lady Ashton is under a lot of pressure. She is under fire (again) for the delay in the creation of the new EU diplomatic corps and for the presence and management of European foreign affairs in the international arena.
The deadline for creating her new diplomatic service was next month, but it will probably be summer before it is ready, the Telegraph announces, with as a key obstacle the appointment of heads of delegations and staff to the EU's 136 overseas missions. A meeting last Thursday with the Commission president Barroso failed to resolve outstanding issues surrounding the corps. To make things worse, several sources continue to criticize Ashton on some of her first decisions, her absence in Haiti and at some key EU rendezvous.
To be fair, even wonder woman, with a magic golden whip and the ability to fly at the speed of light could not be present in all the hot spots of the world. And if that Wonder Woman would have to set up a major new institutional organization at the same time in a complex and not always cooperative environment, she would need the support of a gang of superheroes.
Maybe this is what in some form is happening now. It is a good thing that the lady in distress will now receive aid from three Commissioner deputies, also called "Cluster Commissioners", as Euractiv indicates on its website today.
Štefan Füle, the Czech commissioner for enlargement, Andris Piebalgs, his Latvian colleague responsible for development, and Kristalina Georgieva, the Bulgarian commissioner for humanitarian aid, will assist Ashton, a Commission official said. National ministers from the 27-member states can also come to the rescue, on the basis of a preagreed mandate, to carry the EU's message, Euractiv says.
No doubt this is a logical and positive step. With better distribution of the workload and collaboration between the EU members, things should look up for the new foreign office to be.
EU recruitment ‘better faster stronger’
The European Commission says it is bringing EU recruitment in line with best practice in public administration worldwide.
The outdated procedures are boosted with a "Better, faster, stronger" theme, launched on Thursday by EPSO, the European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO). Are they secret Daft Punk fans?
In the new format, candidates who pass the initial computer-based selection tests – verbal, numerical and situational reasoning – will spend a day at an assessment center in Brussels.The assessment will be "more focused, professionalized – and there will be more use of human resources personnel,".
In a press release, Maroš Šefčovič, Commission Vice-President for Inter-Institutional Relations and Administration, explains.
"In an increasingly competitive jobs market, the European institutions have to be able to attract a diverse range of top quality applicants. It's also important that we hang on to these people, which we will only do if they have the prospect of finding an attractive post without undue delay. The new system is based on best practice across the public sector. It will provide the EU institutions with the right people at the right time, while remaining true to the principles of fair and open competition."
The BBC reports the exams will be more skills-based, rather than knowledge-based. Yet the tests may not be enough to attract more candidates from the UK. 5.2% of current staff is from the UK, while Germany reaches 8.3%, France 10.2% and Italy 10.3%.
Belgium, the host country, provides 19.8% of the staff. Belgium is arguably over-represented right across the grades.
A recent study by the Paris-based Robert Schuman Foundation, a think-tank, shows that Belgium also tops the list with 16.3% of EU staff in total, with France second, with 10.8%, and Italy third with 9.8%. and the UK only reaching 5.1%.
Good news for the candidates is also that the waiting period before you know if you're 'in' will be shortened to a maximum of one year. And all is done in a fresh web 2.0 bath, including twitter and an up to date web environment the EU deserves!
EU economy needs smart regulation and supervision, Barnier says
Michel Barnier, the new EU Commissioner for Internal Market and Services gave his medication to cure the effects of the "Great leap backwards" in the EU economy. He spoke at a dinner yesterday hosted by the British Bankers' Association in London.
The worst performance in GDP growth in Europe since the 1930's and 23 million unemployed require tough, smart measures. Restoring confidence in the markets is a must to achieve growth . And to do that, Barnier has ambitious plans for the relaunch of the Internal Market.
He has set himself 3 priorities for financial institutions:
1. better supervision (with a single rule book and real information sharing and trust)
2. better capitalization (more and better capital)
3. more responsibility (better corporate governance, competent directors, strong and independent risk management).
Barnier also stressed the need for global convergence and a global level playing field. With the EU as a leader by example on the G20 roadmap, yet without free riders.
EU hearing week is hot grill
The EU hearings in Brussels are in full motion and will continue until the 19th. Catherine Ashton and Karel De Gucht have passed the test successfully, a whole string of hopefuls are to follow. As it says on the hearings website, the candidates are invited to public hearings by the appropriate parliamentary committee(s). They answer questions from MEPs to assess their abilities, particularly to deal with the issues in their portfolios. The committees' evaluations are then examined by Parliament's President and political group leaders.
The candidate Commissioners face a three houre Q&A 'firing squad' with MEPs. Karel De Gucht commented after his experience that it is quite a test. You could also read the stress on miss Ashton's face after her grilling, where she remained strong and upright.
Imagine to be in one of these candidates' shoes. The tempo of one minute questions and replies is exhausting. The question content is vast, ranging from your CV to political views. And the questions come at you in a variety of languages, with a translation in your other ear. You have to keep up your energy for three hours. And not make a mistake. Best not have a blackout on any subject, any name, geographic data or a political issues. But not only do you have to think fast and make no errors, your answer must be a smart and well formulated résumé of what you think and feel, while remaining inside the lines of where the Commission is going to. To make things more complex, you have to reply using terms and expressions for which in many cases the jargon is only available in English, in most cases not your mother tongue. And to top it all, you are questioned by a group of representatives of varied political colours and opinions, who had the time to prepare their specific question well and and not necessarily like you…
So these Question and Answer sessions are not a pick-nick, more like a barbecue, where each candidate is on the grill. The last time this happened not all candidates passed the test. Would former US Vice President candidate miss Sarah Palin have passed this BBQ session?
Neelie Kroes to spice up European ICT
Kroes is held in high regard in Brussels for her work as competition commissioner in the outgoing Commission. She would have liked to continue in that capacity, but it is known that Commission president José Manuel Barroso is not in favour of commissioners succeeding themselves.
The NRC calls it a step down for this experienced liberal politician. We believe it will be an interesting challenge nevertheless, since there remain many monopolies in member states in the telecom domain. Her experience in the competition regulation will no doubt be of great value in tackling the issues ahead successfully.
Prime minister of the Netherlands Jan Peter Balkenende told public broadcaster NOS:
“She will have a portfolio that’s important for the future of Europe; she will be dealing with e-commerce, digitalisation, mobile telephony, broadband, all kinds of things that have to do with the new technological reality”.
Kroes (68) belongs to the right-wing liberal party VVD, which is currently in the opposition. Two weeks ago she complained that “party politics” were standing in the way of her being nominated for a second term as commissioner.