JEF JOINS MACEDONIAN STUDENTS TO PROTEST IN BRUSSELS FOR VISA LIBERALIZATION

A delegation of 50 students from (FYR) Macedonia will protest in front of the European Commission in Brussels on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd of January from 12.00 till 14.00, to demand from the European Union visa liberalization for their country.

The students representing the civil initiative 'Visa?! No Way!!!' will symbolically represent the visa regime in a theatrical manner, supported by other youth organizations that work in Brussels. Moreover, they have set up meetings with several Members of European Parliament, Slovenian MEPs Jelko Kacin and Alojz Peterle among others, to present their action and exchange opinions on the current state of affairs regarding this question.

JEF has organized a pan-European action against visas and has stayed committed in working towards a visa free continent. JEF-Europe President Samuele Pii stated:

'Europe is coming closer and closer to our dream of a united continent but still visa restrictions continue to prevent people from moving freely across Europe, often imposing costly and time consuming, even humiliating procedures.'

'In order to achieve our dream of a peaceful and united Europe we need to be able to meet, exchange and get-to-know each other and learn from each other. Having the right to move freely around the continent is a prerequisite and a starting point that must no longer be neglected nor negated to our friends in neighbouring countries of the EU.'

JEF-Macedonia president Admir Gjerlek explains what the initiative is all about:

'Visa?! No Way!!! is a group of youth non-governmental and university student organizations from Macedonia, united under the cause of expressing their disappointment with the current status of the visa liberalization process for (FYR) Macedonia. In the period from 2-12 December 2008 16.393 Macedonian students signed a petition against the visa regime, which was presented to several Ambassadors and representatives from European embassies in Macedonia on a roundtable, where the students and ambassadors discussed the issue.'

'We have come all the way from Skopje by bus in order to lobby European politicians, raise awareness about the fact that the current visa liberalisation for Macedonia is not working as promised therefore we demand to scarp them entirely and to create pressure in order to put the issue on the agenda of the next meeting of the European Council.'

Join us on Thursday and/or Friday from 12.00 to 14.00 at Schuman roundabout in front of the European Commission in Brussels.

Press contacts:

Admir Gjerlek | +389 75 203 345

President of JEF-Macedonia

Peter Matjašič | +32 495 501 383

Secretary-General of JEF-Europe

I post a part of the report of two peace activists, Kristin Anderson and Piergiorgio Rosetti that describes the children’s daily journey to and from school in at-Tuwani. It highlights infringements on the children’s rights to safety and education. The data demonstrate the Israeli military’s negligence of its Knesset-affirmed mandate to ensure the children’s safe passage.

Data in this report were collected during the 2007-08 school year,

A Dangerous Journey: Settler Violence Against Palestinian Schoolchildren Under Israeli Military Escort

'Sometimes the soldiers push us and we fall down. Because of that, we drop our bags and run away. The soldiers use bad language. The soldiers who have a kippa make us run fast. When we get home we are really tired. Sometimes we have a good escort, good soldiers. They walk slowly with us.

There is a woman settler. She is a bad woman. One time she met us and she caught us and grabbed my hands and squeezed. I asked for help from the soldiers, and they never helped. The soldiers never care. They are just driving. The soldiers come late.'

M., girl from Maghaer al-Abeed

...

Nearly four years after the Israeli military’s agreement to provide an escort, and the affirmation of this agreement by the Knesset Committee for Children’s Rights, the situation of the children of Tuba and Maghaer al-Abeed has worsened. The children continue to be harassed and attacked by Israeli settlers and soldiers during their travel to and from school. The Israeli military, which was given a mandate to ensure the safety of the children, has consistently failed to do so.

Military and settler violence and police and military complacency all contribute to the violation of the rights of the children, including rights to security, safety, and education. In addition to missing school classes due to the tardiness of the Israeli military, the children also suffer from nightmares about violent attacks and often express fear about their safety. Moreover, despite ongoing settler attacks on the children, the Israeli police have failed to prosecute settlers who use violence against children.

During the preparation of this report, the children’s 2008 summer camp was taking place. During the first ten days of summer camp, settlers attacked the children four times. On Sunday, 27 July, 2008, several settlers chased the children and threw rocks at them. One settler attacked a member of CPT, causing head injuries requiring hospital treatment. After this incident, one mother of the children said, “The beginning was worse, but after today it seems harder than the beginning. The settlers are still beating the kids.” This incident further demonstrates the fact that almost four years later, the involvement of the Israeli police, military and Knesset has not improved the children’s safety.

...

The whole report in is available in English or Italian from Humanity Together blog or below.

The picutres are taken from Kristin&Piergiorgio's Flickr page of those days.

80 Street Actions across Europe are taking place simultaneously at 12:00 tomorrow (12th December 2008) in towns and cities across the continent to demand CHANGE in Europe.

The Young European Federalists (JEF Europe) have mobilised activists in over 80 European cities to demand a true Federal Government for the citizens of Europe able to exercise and implement ambitious European wide policies to address global ecological, financial and security matters.

In Brussels activists will demonstrate outside the European Parliament at Place Luxembourg @12:00 with masks of major political figures who will appear to be sleeping and awakened by a giant EU clock.

Central to the Federalist campaign is a European Manifesto to be supported by the candidates to the European Parliament. The Manifesto can be read in full on the campaign website, also to be launched on 12th December – itstimeforeurope.eu.

JEF Europe President Samuele Pii stated:

“Europe needs leadership! We can’t have a union incapable of deciding its own future”.

“Cowen, the Irish Prime Minister, has set out the conditions for Ireland to hold a second referendum. A sign of leadership would be to accept those conditions and allow Ireland to hold a second referendum and allow Lisbon to enter into force in advance of the EP elections”.

“The EP elections without the Lisbon Treaty; without candidates to the presidency of the European Commission nominated by the European political parties; and without cross border public debates will be a victory for the nationalist forces and a defeat for the general will of European citizens”.

“The time for national solutions to supranational challenges is over. It’s TIME for Europe!”

Commenting on the campaign, JEF Europe Vice President and Co-ordinator of the action stated:

“The message is clear; either CHANGE or die”.

“This Union, in its current shape and form is not built to last. We need solid institutions and a reformed Government with real power, accountable to European citizens”.

“If things don’t CHANGE, confidence will never be restored in these institutions, voter turnout in EP elections will continue to lower and the purpose and role of the EU will start to be questioned. In the current global financial crisis there has never been a better TIME to act.”

List of current participating cities:

Albania: Tirana

Austria: Graz, Klagenfurt

Belgium: Brussels, Ghent and Leuven

Bosnia & Herzegovina: Sarajevo

Bulgaria: Sofia

Croatia: Zagreb

Czech Republic: Prague

Denmark: Copenhagen

England: London, Manchester and York

Finland: Oulu, Jyväskylä and Helsinki

France: Paris, Lille, Nîmes, Rennes, Caen, Strasbourg, Lyon, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Havre, Bordeaux and Versailles

Germany: Bonn, Berlin, Bremen, Freiburg, Trier, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Münster

Greece: Athens, Pireas, Crete and Komotini

Hungary: Budapest

Italy: Milan, Gorizia, La Spezia, Bologna, Pescara, Pavia, Erba and Prato

Ireland: Dublin

Kosovo: Pristina

Latvia: Riga

Lithuania: Vilnius

Luxembourg: Luxembourg

Macedonia: Bitola

Malta: La Valletta

Moldova: Chisinau

Montenegro: Podgorica

Netherlands: Amsterdam

Norway: Oslo, Bergen, Tromsø, Stavanger and Trondheim

Poland: Warsaw

Scotland: Edinburgh and Glasgow

Serbia: Nis and Novi Sad

Slovakia: Bratislava

Slovenia: Ljubljana

Spain: Madrid

Sweden: Stockholm and Uppsala

Switzerland: Zurich and Geneva

Wales: Cardiff

United States: New York

Press Contact:

Toni Giugliano (Pan European Action) +44 (0)7756663312

Samuele Pii (Brussels Action) +32 487214010

Email: sg@jef.eu

www.itstimeforeurope.eu

*Corporate Europe Observatory Press Release*

Supposed tough EU measures to tackle climate change have been dramatically weakened following a broad lobbying campaign by different sectors of industry, a new report from Corporate Europe Observatory released today (Monday 1^st December) reveals. The report is launched as international climate talks start in Poznań, Poland.

Ministers are expected to push for agreement on the Climate and Energy Package when they meet for a high level summit later this month, but analysis of the negotiations reveal that many of the original proposals put forward have been dramatically watered down in response to industry lobbying. The result is a weak and ineffective package, the campaign group says.

A separate report from Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO) also reveals how the aviation sector lobbied to water down the terms under which they are included in the EU-wide Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), with the likely result that emissions from aviation are still expected to increase by 78% by 2020.

The aviation industry body IATA (International Air Traffic Association) has been nominated for a Worst EU Lobbying Award because of the misleading nature of its lobbying activity.

Corporate Europe Observatory spokesman Olivier Hoedeman said:

“The European Union wants to be seen to be showing global leadership in tackling climate change but in reality it is pandering to the demands of industry and allowing business as usual by promoting false solutions that meet the needs of vested interests but which do not guarantee a sustainable climate’’.

Crucially, key sectors of industry such as oil refineries will be once again allocated free emissions permits under the third phase of the ETS, allowing them to make yet more windfall profits. Business is also pushing for weaker targets for renewable energy trying to blur the 20% by 2020 target.

Responding to heavy lobbying by industry, the EU has embraced nuclear energy and controversial unproven technology such as carbon capture and storage. And despite widespread recognition of the problems caused by growing agrofuels in developing countries, the EU looks set to keep its controversial target to obtain 10% of transport fuel from crops by 2020.

A new directive controlling carbon dioxide emissions from cars is also expected to have been significantly weakened following extensive lobbying from the car industry.

Yiorgos Vassalos, a researcher with Corporate Europe Observatory added:

“The EU is approaching the UN climate talks from a weak position. It has failed to grasp the urgency of securing genuine emissions reductions in Europe to reform the unsustainable economy. Instead it is committing itself to a future of continued high carbon dependence, combined with promoting very harmful false solutions such as agrofuels and a massive re-launch of nuclear energy.”

The report also highlights how BusinessEurope, an influential business lobby group, is calling for the EU not to sign up to an international climate deal (to be discussed in Poznań) unless developing countries such as China and Brazil agree to consider targets as well.

Under the Kyoto Protocol developed nations agreed they must take the first steps in tackling climate change because of their historical responsibility for the build up of carbon in the atmosphere.

Contact:

CEO - Corporate Europe Observatory (Brussels Office) Residence Palace - Rue de la Loi 155 Bloc C - Bureau 02256 Brussels 1040 Tel: +32 2 2352213

Olivier Hoedeman, CEO spokesman: + 31-20-6127023 and mobile +31-645460007

Yiorgos Vassalos, CEO researcher: + 32 484 675162

Altiero Spinelli

Author of the famous Manifesto of Ventotene and founder of European Federalist Movement, also Member of the European Parliament, who would have reached 100 years in 2007 and gave his name to one of the wings of the Brussels parliament building, was among the masterminds of a democratic and federal Europe.

The new TV of the European parliament dedicated a video to Altiero Spinelli, one the most famous Europeans. This is the link : http://www.europarltv.europa.eu/youngEurope.aspx?action=viewVideo&packageId=1921718f-4a8c-4422-b49b-8df94e21944c

El baile del chiki chiki: the new cool promo of next Euromayday.

What? JEF Europe promotes the symbols of the EU while they have been left out of the Reform Treaty When? 13th December 2007, on the same day as the signing of the Reform Treaty Where? In almost 50 cities across Europe (see below for details)

On the 13th December the Young European Federalists will take to the streets in a pan European Action to coincide with the official signing of the Reform Treaty. 'Europe will not be united through legal treaties alone' is the message that JEF Europe sends to Heads of Government who will convene in Lisbon to sign the downsized version of the Constitution, stripped of any constitutional or political dimension.

The document, to be branded "Treaty of Lisbon" makes no reference to the symbols of Europe that were present in Article IV-1 of the failed Constitution.

"In almost 50 cities across Europe , youth is taking to the streets to protest against a black and white Europe " stated Samuele Pii, President of JEF Europe. "Europe has symbols and they must be acknowledged. They represent the values of Europe throughout the world – values of peace, unity, solidarity, democracy and respect for human rights " continued Pii.

In both EU and non EU member states, activists will fly the flag up high on December 13th while holding the banner 'I want my flag back'. " As Margaret Thatcher demanded her money back in 1979, we now demand our symbols back" commented Toni Giugliano, Action co-ordinator and Vice President JEF Europe. "Europe will not be united by force but by conviction. Without a sense of belonging and attachment, a union of citizens will not advance" Giugliano expressed.

In a recent declaration – initiated by the German Government – 16 Member States have expressed their support for the inclusion of the symbols of Europe in the Reform Treaty. " JEF Europe fully supports this initiative and calls on all other Heads of Government, including France, to add their name to the declaration" concluded Samuele Pii.

The purpose of the action will be to promote the European symbols among civil society across the European continent and to give a strong message to national leaders – 'The symbols of the EU are central to the construction of a true political and united Europe'.

Belgium – Bruges, Brussels

Bulgaria – Sofia Croatia – Zagreb

Denmark – Copenhagen France - Paris, Nancy, Strasbourg, Bordeaux, Lyon, Cabourg, Nimes

Germany – Berlin, Augsburg, Bonn, Jena, Bremen Greece – Komotini, Heraklion, Athens Hungary –Budapest Italy – Rome, Milan, Verona, Prato, Padova, Pescara, Genoa Latvia – Riga

Lithuania – Vilnius Macedonia – Bitola, Skopje

Malta – Valletta Norway – Oslo

Portugal – Lisbon Serbia – Nis

Slovakia – Bratislava Slovenia – Ljubljana

Spain – Tarragona, Barcelona Sweden – Uppsala

Turkey – Istanbul UK – London Edinburgh, Durham, York, Cardiff, Aberystwyth

Press contact:

For an updated list of participating cities and local contacts: JEF-Europe Vice-President and action co-ordinator Toni Giugliano: toni.giugliano@jef.eu +44 (0)7756663312.))

After the French referendum and before the bad compromise on the Reform Treaty will be reached in Lisbon in next days the French president Nicolas Sarkozy proposed (*) to convoke a "wise people's committee" to reflect on the future of the E.U. in 2020 and to report back in the first half of 2009. This proposal is not democratic and shows us the new Reform Treaty is not able to solve the structural problems of the Union.

The Europefrombelow blog is very happy to award its third Carton rouge to Nicolas Sarkozy. The French President led a Bastille Day parade on Saturday along the Champs-Elysees that was joined for the first time by military contingents from all 27 countries of the European Union.

In these hours of bilateral meetings behind European Council's closed doors every leader underlines his conditions and indicates the 'national' red line. Under this red line every leader threatens he cannot go.