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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-03-21
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
21/03/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] A top-up funding for the Socrates programme
[02] On the International Day against Racism, Padraig Flynn highlights the
role of the social partners in fighting racism in the workplace
[03] Christos Papoutsis: "Renewable energy sources are, to a large extent,
our future"
[01] A top-up funding for the Socrates programme
The Socrates programme for cooperation in education will receive additional
funding under a proposal just put to the Council of Ministers and the
European Parliament by the European Commission. The five-year (1995-99)
programme, which has a budget of ECU 850 million, would be increased by ECU
50 million. It was agreed with the Council and Parliament that top-up
funding could be considered following a mid-term review. The review
confirms that demand for participation in the programme far outstrips its
financial resources. Requests for grants in 1996 totalled more than ECU
700 million, compared with the ECU 173 million available. The current
average grant to which a student eligible for approved Socrates-Erasmus
exchange schemes is entitled amounts only to ECU 750 for a full academic
year.
[02] On the International Day against Racism, Padraig Flynn highlights the
role of the social partners in fighting racism in the workplace
Speaking at a conference in Brussels on the International Day against
Racism, Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn said that trade unions
have a key role to play in stamping out racism, xenophobia and anti-
semitism in the workplace. Racial discrimination and inequality manifest
themselves in every respect of professional life, e.g. job interviews,
training, low numbers of people from ethnic minorities holding positions of
authority within unions or as employers or managers. The Commissioner
frankly acknowledged that the European institutions are no better than
others. "Our staff structure bears the marks of decades of quiet
discrimination. The leader of the Socialist Group in the European
Parliament recently referred to the European Institutions as a 'platinum-
plated white ghetto'. She has a point." Mr Flynn outlined the various
initiatives which will be taken in 1997 around the theme of racism in the
workplace to be supported in the context of the 1997 European Year Against
Racism.
[03] Christos Papoutsis: "Renewable energy sources are, to a large extent,
our future"
At a Conference on the future European Union (EU) strategy and action plan
for renewable energy sources, organised by the European Commission in
Brussels, Energy Commissioner Christos Papoutsis said that "we should not
underestimate" the contribution of renewables to the EU's energy balance
and the achievement of its energy and environmental objectives. He said
that "if the target, agreed recently by the Council of Ministers, to reduce
COČ emissions by 15% by 2010 is to be taken seriously, we urgently need,
among other things, a fully developed strategy for renewables at EU level".
The Commissioner questioned the hesitations expressed by different quarters
concerning the indicative target, proposed by the Commission, of doubling
the market share of renewables from 6% to 12% by 2010, and underlined that
"clear objectives are crucial for effective policies". The Commission's
Green Paper on renewable energy sources launched "an important and urgent
process, and we cannot afford to lean back and wait, because this would be
a wrong, expensive and potentially dangerous approach".
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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