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Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 EUbulletin Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 INTRODUCTION In this edition: CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION  News on Accession Negotiations between the Republic of Croatia and the European Union  The Celebration of Europe Week  EU bus Croatia 2009 Tour  Celebration of Europe Day in Zagreb  Night of EU Cultural Institutes  Conference “EU Enlargement: Five Years Later – Achievements and Experiences”  Exhibition “A Borderless Europe”  Days of European Union at the Faculty of Economy  Young Students from Baranja – Winners of “My Idea for European Tomorrow”  Winners of Robert Schuman Annual Journalist Award for 2009 Announced 2 Dear readers, This edition of the EU newsletter is primarily dedicated to the European week celebrations and the EU bus Croatia tour 2009, organised for the third consecutive year by the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia and its partners – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, embassies of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Finland, Sweden and United Kingdom, as well as the towns and counties that welcomed the EU bus on its tour. We want to express our gratitude to all those who have contributed to yet another successful EU week. In addition, we also bring you the usual overview of events, news and calls for applications. The Editorial Board NEWS FROM THE EU  European Commission called the citizens to turn out and vote on European Parliament election 7  European Commission Publishes eYouGuide – a Guide to Web Use and On-line Shopping Rights  Easier Purchase of New Vehicles in Other Member States  First European Week of Small and Medium-Size Entrepreneurship 2009  Life-Long Education Awards Presented  European Commission Launches Internet Pages with Press Articles Dealing with EU Subjects  New Website – South-eastern Europe: People and Culture  The Lorenzo Natali Prize Competition Opened  Cannes Palme d’Or and four more prizes to films Co-financed by EU Funds  Maribor and Guimaraes – European Capitals of Culture for 2012 TENDERS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT 10 11 DID YOU KNOW? Æ More than two million EU citizens have the possibility to enrol in studies outside their home country Æ Number 112 is ‘the uniform European emergency number’. In the event of an emergency where assistance is required, you can dial 112 free of charge in any EU Member State, including Croatia. Æ Between 2007 and 2011, the Western Balkan countries will receive assistance within the framework of IPA amounting to around 4 billion EUR. This is the largest amount of financial support given by the European Commission to any region in the world. EU PROJECTS IN CROATIA  NATURA 2000 Project Results Presented on Cvjetni Square  Results of «Human Resources Development within IPA Program» Twinning Project Presented  Results of CARDS 2004 “Development of National Metrology, Standardization, Conformity, Assessment and Accreditation System” Program Presented  Presentation of Results of “Building of Institutional Capacities and Support to SAPARD/IPA-RD Program Implementation in Croatia” Project  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Launches Information Campaign on IPARD Program NEWS IN PICTURES VISIT EU: THE KINGDOM OF SPAIN NEW PUBLICATIONS IN THE EU INFO CENTER CALENDAR OF EVENTS 12 13 14 14 1 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION News on Accession Negotiations between the Republic of Croatia and the EU On 8 May, the Croatian Parliament ratified the Draft Agreement on the solution of the border dispute with Slovenia, authorizing the Croatian Government to sign Commissioner Olli Rehn’s proposal. In this way, Croatia formally accepts Rehn’s final proposal in the form it was presented, without amendments. The Slovenian response to Rehn’s proposal was submitted on 18 May, albeit amended. On 27 May, Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn met the representatives of foreign ministers of Croatia and Slovenia in order to discuss the border issue and the continuation of Croatia’s negotiations on the EU membership. Rehn’s spokesperson, Krisztina Nagy confirmed at the meeting that Commissioner Rehn had received the Slovenian response to his final compromise proposal and that he welcomes both countries’ commitment to the process of facilitation of the EU, approved by the Presiding Trio and by the EU member states. Shortly, he will submit a report to the Presiding Trio in order to conclude this process. The DG for Enlargement has recently received a formal reply from Slovenia, which is currently being examined, although no official statements have yet to be released. EU bus Croatia 2009 Tour For the third consecutive year, the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia organized the EU bus Croatia Tour. During its visit to ten Croatian towns, the passengers of the EU bus, through direct interaction with citizens, provided information about the EU and Croatia’s accession process. The EU bus started its journey on 28 April from Supetar on the island of Brač and continued towards Knin, Opatija, Krapina, Karlovac, Čakovac, Koprivnica, Virovitica, Vinkovci and, finally, Zagreb, where Europe Day was celebrated. At info-stands around the bus, citizens could find brochures with information about the EU, its Member States, accession processes, and pose questions directly to the employees at the stands. There was also a play area for children, where they could engage in creative work or play with jigsaw puzzles, and everyone could take part in the EU Quiz with interesting daily prizes. In addition to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia, the partners of the project were embassies of the EU Member States and towns and counties that the bus visited on its journey. Despite the rain, the citizens of Supetar showed great interest in EU-related topics at the stands on the Supetar’s seafront, where the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia Vincent Degert, Hungarian Ambassador Peter Györkös, Czech Ambassador Karel Kühn and other distinguished guests greeted the citizens of Supetar. Subsequently, the EU bus passengers held a lecture at the City Library based on the European Union and Croatia’s progress towards the EU. The bus then continued its journey towards Knin; stands were installed on Ante Starčević Square, and the Knin klapa music band was an overture for the arrival of guests, who greeted and addressed the citizens, after which a lecture was held at the premises of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Knin. In Lovro Monti High School, the students were able to take part in simulated accession negotiations between Croatia and the EU organized by the Spanish Embassy. 2 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION On its way to Opatija, on Wednesday, 29 April, the EU bus stopped in Rijeka to attend the exhibition STREET by the Hungarian artist Schaár Erzsébet, which was opened by the Hungarian Ambassador Peter Györkös and town officials. The following day, the EU bus parked its wheels by the Opatija market. After the introductory speeches, the Opatija Kindergarten and Society “Our Children” from Opatija, implementing the EU-funded project Comenius – A Sense for Nature joined the event, and the students of the Food and Drink Service Industry High School prepared European specialties for all interested citizens. On 2 May, the EU bus made its next stop on Ljudevit Gaj Square in Krapina. The citizens were very interested in the stands, and various members of the French-Croatian society Amitie Coucy-le-Chateau celebrated the event through dancing and singing. In Karlovac, on 4 May, the EU bus made its way to the Franjo Tuđman Promenade. The program included several events. At the City Hall, the representatives of the European Commission and MFAEI held a lecture on the EU for high school students. In the Youth Library, the Dutch Ambassador Catharine Marie Trooster opened the exhibition “Croatia and Netherlands – joint future in Europe – the encounter of the two identities” by Dan Oki. In the Zilik Art Gallery, the Belgian Ambassador Marc de Schoutheete de Tervarent held an introductory speech and opened the exhibition of the International Ceramics Center – Janja Gora Atelier, containing works by Flemish artists created as a result of cooperation between Janja Gora Atelier and the ceramics centre “Het laatste huis” from the Belgian town of Boom. After visiting the first five cities, the bus continued its journey towards Čakovec, where distinguished guests greeted the citizens. The EU bus passengers then held a presentation “Croatia on its way towards the EU” at the Međimurje Polytechnic. They also visited the School for Civil Engineering and the EU-funded project REVETIS Centre. In the afternoon, an award ceremony for the competition “Seeing Europe through Imagination” and county EU Quiz was organized in Scheier Hall by the country authorities, and various prizes were awarded by David Hudson, the Deputy Head of the Delegation of the EC in Croatia. The celebration also included performances by the members of the Children’s Parliament, Tamburitza Band performing songs from Međimurje County, folklore groups and the “Žiga and bandisti” band. 3 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION Reaching the 7th day of the tour, on Wednesday, 6 May, the EU bus Croatia 2009 visited Koprivnica. In Fran Galović Library, the “Service for the Blind” project was presented, and an exhibition of posters named “Ortszeit” by Stefan Koppelkamm was opened in cooperation with the Goethe Institute. Also, the Local Development Agency and Croatian Chamber of Commerce organized the Conference for Small and Mediumsized Enterprises. A lecture was held for the students of Fran Galović High School, who expressed a keen interest for EU-related topics. The next stop was Virovitica, where stands with autochthonous products were presented around the bus. At the County Hall, the EU bus passengers held an interactive lecture on the EU, after which high-school students and citizens had an opportunity to pose questions about the process of Croatia’s accession to the European Union and other EU-related issues. The town of Vinkovci welcomed the EU bus and its passengers towards the end of the tour. Stands with indigenous Slavonian products and an extensive all-day program of events attracted a large number of citizens to the town center. After browsing through the stands with local products, guests visited an exhibition of students’ work from last year’s celebration of European Week in Vinkovci High School, after which they held a presentation on the topic of EU and Croatia for high-school students and other interested citizens. A special Euromagazine TV show, “Renewable energy sources and local community development: experiences from Great Britain” was also shown, which was produced by Croatian Television and Radio together with the UK Embassy. In the late afternoon, the EU bus passengers took part in a special Euromagazine show/Hrvatska uživo broadcast live to mark the European Week celebrations. For more information on visit to each city, visit the pages of the Delegation. 4 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION Celebration of Europe Day in Zagreb On Saturday, 9 May, the EU Bus Croatia 2009 ended this year’s Croatia tour in Zagreb. Citizens were greeted at the Flower Square by the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia, Vincent Degert, and the Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, Gordan Jandroković. The final celebration of Europe Day was complemented by a celebration at the Bundek Lake, which included a sportive themed program With Sport to EUrope which included a half-marathon race with roller-blading and running, and other sporting events. The Head of the Delegation of the EC to the Republic of Croatia, Mr. Vincent Degert, won the bronze medal in the half-marathon running race, and the winner of the gold medal was Goran Čegar from Serbia. As part of the Bundek Lake celebration, the CD “Fly Up To Europe, Song of Hope” was launched, which was produced by the Delegation of the European Commission. The concert included performances by Jacques Houdek, Lana Klingor, Ivana Radovniković, Žanamari Lalić and Branka Delić, with Kikići and Mali Sesvećani children choirs. On the main stage at Lake Bundek, the overall EU Quiz winner of the entire EU Bus Tour was announced. Young Luka Miškulin from Mirkovci, was awarded with a free foreign language course, lasting a term. Luka chose an English course and will start attending in September. In the evening of this European Saturday, at 8 p.m., the Head of the Delegation Vincent Degert opened the finals of the night streetball tournament at the Ban Jelačić Square by tossing the ball high into the air. The tournament was part of a project organised by SINEKI association that promotes good social values and encourages young people who live ‘street life’ to adopt such values. To download the songs from the album ´Fly Up To Europe, Song Of Hope´ visit the pages of the Delegation. Also, a copy of the CD can be obtained at the EU Information Centre on Trg žrtava fašizma 6. More info and photos from Zagreb events can be found at the Delegation website. Night of EU Cultural Institutes The Night of EU Cultural Institutes was organized at the Student Centre on 9 May as part of the Europe Day celebrations. The event included the presentation of works by artists from six EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) member countries: Austria, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Great Britain. Their common theme was questioning and examining the slogan of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation 2009: “Imagine. Create. Innovate.” The works involved various forms of artistic expression: performance, new media, video materials, video and lighting installations. For more information, visit the EUNIC website. Conference “EU Enlargement: Five Years Later – Achievements and Experiences” The conference “EU Enlargement: Five Years Later – Achievements and Experiences” was held on Thursday, 30 April, at the Sheraton Hotel. Organized by the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the conference was attended by numerous representatives of the business sector, public administration, non-governmental organizations and the media. The formal opening ceremony featured the President of the Republic of Croatia, Stjepan Mesić, and the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Croatia, Vincent Degert. In his speech, President Mesić said: “We are aware that we have entered this process voluntarily, we know that significant progress has been made and that changes are visible. We just have to make the final additional effort to successfully “jump over the bar”. I will repeat here something that I have always stressed – we are harmonizing the system and launching reforms for our own benefit, and not for the EU.” More information on the conference can be found on the Delegation website. 5 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CROATIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION Exhibition “A Borderless Europe” On 30 April, as part of the celebration of European Week, the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia organized an exhibition “A Borderless Europe” at the premises of the Croatian Society of Fine Artists in Zagreb. Through photographs and posters, the exhibition showed the evolution of the EU enlargement, starting from 1951 and the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community to today’s EU, consisting of 27 Member States: from the Treaties of Rome in 1957, which are considered to be the foundation of the European Community, to all subsequent enlargements, such as, for example, the creation of the Union in Maastricht in 1992, the introduction of the euro and the accession of 10 new Member States from Eastern Europe. More information on the exhibition can be found on the Delegation website. Days of European Union at the Faculty of Economy Within the framework of European Week, the Delegation of the European Commission joined the project “Days of European Union: 5 Years After Enlargement – Experiences of New EU Member States”, organized for the 10th time at the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb. The students had the opportunity to discuss EU-related issues with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration, the Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia, and representatives of the embassies of the EU Member States. For more information, visit the Faculty of Economics web pages. Young Students from Baranja – Winners of “My Idea for European Tomorrow” The winners of the “My Idea for Europe Tomorrow” competition organized by the Delegation of the European Commission within the framework of the European Year of Creativity and Innovation were three students in the 7th and 8th grade of the Popovac Elementary School from Popovac: Tena Mihajlović, Dina Mihajlović and Ana Savanović, with the help of their colleague Egzot Gaši. These four students from Popovac in Baranja presented in a sincere, playful and well-argumented manner their joint vision of the future of traffic and transport. Through an image of frustrations during a potential journey from Popovac to Zagreb and from thereon to Brussels and around Brussels, they have clearly portrayed the current problem of inadequate traffic infrastructure, particularly in larger cities. The winners of this competition, for which the Delegation received more than 70 works from almost all corners of Croatia, will be rewarded with a trip to Brussels and a visit to one of the EU Directorates-General. For more information, visit the Delegation website. Winners of Robert Schuman Annual Journalist Award for 2009 Announced The Delegation of the European Commission to the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Journalists’ Association, for the 4th consecutive year, selected the winners of the Annual Robert Schuman Awards for best journalistic items on EU-related issues and raising awareness of Croatia’s accession to the EU. This year’s winners are: Lada Stipić Niseteo (EUkonomist) for print journalism, Silvana Skočajić (Kapital Network) for TV journalism and Goran Vežić (STINA) for radio journalism. The award ceremony took place at the premises of the Croatian Journalists’ Association in Zagreb as part of the award ceremony for annual journalist awards of the Croatian Journalists’ Association. The EC Delegation awards were presented to journalists by His Excellency Mr. Vincent Degert. For more information, visit the Delegation website. 6 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 NEWS FROM THE EU European Commission called the citizens to turn out and vote on European Parliament election European Commission called the EU citizens to turn out and vote on European Parliament elections held between 4 and 7 June in 27 countries. 375 million citizens are called to the polls to elect the European Parliament. In a video message posted on his website, the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, urges people to turn out and vote. The video is available in six languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian) on Mr Barroso’s website and on the European Commission’s audiovisual portal. The written version of the message is also available in the other 17 EU languages. The Commission President says that although the Commission will continue to take the political initiative and make the necessary proposals to deliver concrete results for citizens it is the European Parliament that makes the laws, together with national governments. “You must choose the members of parliament that reflect your views on how to tackle the challenges we face, because what Europe does will affect you and your daily life.“ added Barroso. EU teams up with famous MTV on campaign „Can you hear me Europe?“ to encourage young people to vote. Whole speech can be seen or read on President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso website. More information on cooperation between EU and MTV is available at „Can you hear me Europe?“ website. European Commission Publishes eYouGuide – a Guide to Web Use and Online Shopping Rights The European Commission has published this guide for European consumers explaining their rights regarding web-use and on-line shopping. Although Internet shopping is gaining in popularity, many consumers still remain sceptical concerning money transactions carried on-line. EU regulations on the protection of consumers stipulate: easy-to-understand information about the prices and conditions before ordering; the consumers’ right to decide whether and how their personal data will be used; delivery of goods within 30 days from placing an order; the so-called “cooling-off period” of 7 days from the day of placing an order, during which they are allowed to change their mind about the purchase; a warranty period of no less than two years; protection against dishonest sellers, unfair contractual terms and dishonest commercial practices. All these rights are applied within the framework of any webpage ending with the “.eu” domain. For more details, visit the eYouGuide website. Easier Purchase of New Vehicles in Other Member States From 1 May, 2009, the easier purchasing of vehicles is provided to EU citizens in any Member State. The previous administrative restrictions discouraged cross-border vehicle purchases, but now the process has been made considerably easier through the Harmonization Certificate. The certificate is introduced through a new regulation passed by the European Commission, in accordance with the Directive 2007/46/EC, and will apply to all new vehicles from 29 April, 2009. This certificate will be mandatory for registration of all new vehicles in the EU Member States. More information is available at the website of The General Directorate for Entrepreneurship and Industry. 7 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 NEWS FROM THE EU First European Week of Small and Medium-Size Entrepreneurship 2009 The European Commission’s project “European SME Week 2009” took place from 6-14 May in 35 participating countries. The aim was to strengthen the entrepreneurial way of thinking, enhance the EU image among entrepreneurs and promote entrepreneurship in general. This European campaign is designed to facilitate access to information and advice for entrepreneurs and provide them with support and ideas in order to successfully develop their businesses, as well as to present entrepreneurship as a desirable career choice for young people. Within the scope of the European SME Week, more than 1000 events were held across Europe throughout the year. In Croatia, 41 events in almost all the counties took place within the framework of this project. The activities were organized by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, European Entrepreneurship Network, county-level Councils for European Integration, local development agencies, Croatian Employment Office and other organizations. This has brought Croatia among the first ten participating countries measured by the number of participants and quality of activities implemented. More information is available at the website of The General Directorate for Entrepreneurship and Industry. Life-Long Education Awards Presented At the Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Life-Long Education in Prague, 18 projects funded through the EU Education Program received the European life-long education awards for 2009. Six “gold winners” from Belgium, Finland, Italy, Spain and two from Sweden showed initiative in developing new materials and courses that help teachers become “life-long students”, an innovative trans-national research network, draft of an adult education program for the Roma minority, an educational project for students of circus skills, a language learning program for adults with learning difficulties and an online interactive informative forum for theatre arts. The conference presented the best ideas and also served as a forum to discuss how creativity and innovation can contribute to the Life-Long Education Program of Europe, as well as to identify mechanisms that would encourage entrepreneurship and cooperation between the education system and business sector. For more information, visit the Conference web pages. European Commission Launches Internet Pages with Press Articles Dealing with EU Subjects The European Commission has launched multilingual Internet pages www.presseurop.eu where press articles dealing with EU subjects in at least ten European languages will be published. In cooperation with the international consortium, Courrier International, the goal of the pages is to offer the choice of the best articles on EU issues published in the European and international press. The pages will include a selection taken from 250 newspapers, weekly publications and Internet portals, including Le Monde, Figaro, The Financial Times, The Economist, The Washington Post, Corriere della Serra and FAZ. The articles will be selected by a group of journalists. Besides translations into ten languages (English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portugese, Romanian and Czech), translations into 23 other official languages of the European Union will be ensured. The pages will be fully interactive, with topic forums, on-line questionnaires with the possibility to comment on the articles published. More information can be found on www.presseurop.eu. 8 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 NEWS FROM THE EU New Website – South-eastern Europe: People and Culture The EC Directorate-General for Enlargement launched a new website “South-eastern Europe: People and Culture”. The website is aimed at raising awareness of the cultural wealth of the EU, its candidates for accession and potential candidates, as well as eliminating prejudices against them. The website includes articles on the local music scene, film production, books, gastronomy and much more. More information is available at the Delegation website and http://www.southeast-europe.eu. The Lorenzo Natali Prize Competition Opened The Lorenzo Natali Prize is awarded annually to journalists for reporting on human rights and democracy in developing countries. Created in 1992 by the European Commission, it was named after Lorenzo Natali, former commissioner of the European Commission in charge of cooperation and development and a well-known human rights supporter. His work largely contributed to increasing the cooperation between the policies of the European Communities. The competition is open to TV, radio, print and on-line journalists. The deadline for applications is 30 June, 2009. For more details, visit the Delegation website and www.nataliprize2009.eu. Cannes Palme d’Or and four more prizes to films Co-financed by EU Funds “The White Ribbon” (Das weisse Band) Michael Hanekes film won Palme d’Or at the 62nd Cannes film festival. Three more films were awarded: “A Prophet” (Un prophète) directed by Jacques Audiard, “Fish tank” directed by Andrea Arnold, “Father of my children” (Le père de mes enfants) directed by Mia Hansen-Løve while Charlotte Gainsbourg got the best actress award for film “Antichrist” directed by Lars Von Trier. All this movies were Co-financed through the EU Media Mundus Program. At the festival, as many as 17 films were shown, out of which 10 nominated for awards were co-funded through the this program. These films received a total of more than 3 million EUR from the program fund. The Media Mundus Program provides financial support to filmmakers and helps promote European audio and visual works around the world. For more information, visit Delegation website and Cannes film festival website. Maribor and Guimaraes – European Capitals of Culture for 2012 The European Commission selected the Portuguese city of Guimaraes and the Slovenian town of Maribor as European Capitals of Culture for 2012. The French town of Marseille and Slovakian town of Košice have been selected for year 2013. This year’s European Capitals of Culture are Linz in Austria and Vilnius in Lithuania, and next year this title will be shared between the German town of Essen, the Hungarian town of Pécs and the Turkish city of Istanbul. For more details about the selection of Capitals of Culture, visit the European Commission website 9 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 CALLS FOR APPLICATIONS FOR FINANCIAL SUPPORT Supply of Equipment for the National Customs Laboratory Network The purpose of the project is to supply laboratory equipment in order to enhance the technical capacity of the Customs Laboratory to take care of examinations in connection with export and import control, customs and excise taxation, and other tasks performed by the Customs Laboratory in compliance with EU requirements. The deadline for applications is 8 June, 2009. For more details, click here. Support for Cluster Development This project will perform a detailed inventory of current cluster initiatives. Also, training for cluster managers and local/regional stakeholders will be implemented in order to increase the knowledge level providing for better development of current initiatives. Through this operation, a cluster establishment methodology will be drafted and tested on pilot clusters using a top-down approach. The deadline for applications is 15 June, 2009. For more details, click here. E-business Competitiveness Improvement Programme This project will contribute to the greater utilization of e-business and e-commerce opportunities by SMEs in the target regions through the delivery of quality information, training and advice to SMEs on ICT through Business Support Centres. The deadline for applications is 23 June, 2009. For more details, click here. Reinforcement of Institutional and Administrative Capacity for the Croatian Telecommunications Agency This project is focused on developing the operational capacity of the CTA and ensuring its ability to monitor enforcement of the acquis. As a follow up of CARDS, this project will continue to provide support to the Agency in the process of human resources development and with specific know-how in critical areas, with focus on the development and implementation of the cost accounting model, which has been recognized as a priority. The deadline for applications is 30 June, 2009. For more details, click here. Business Related Infrastructure Grant Scheme The Central Finance and Contracting Agency is seeking proposals for investment into business-related infrastructure, as well as investment into the accompanying services in Croatia’s counties designated within the Regional Competitiveness Operational Programme as “lagging behind regions” (Virovitica-Podravina, Vukovar-Srijem, Brod-Posavina, Sisak-Moslavina, Šibenik-Knin, Osijek-Baranja, Lika-Senj, Požega-Slavonia, Karlovac and Zadar) through financial assistance from the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). The deadline for applications is 1 September, 2009. For more details, click here. Supply of Equipment for Strenghtening the administrative capacity of the institutions related to work and safety at work The purpose of this project is supply of equipment which will be done through three LOTs. Equipment in LOT 1 will be used to ensure efficient IT working environment and easy communication on the field. Medical equipment in LOT 2 will ensure the quality of medical exams and LOT 3 for vehicles will ensure the mobility of the inspectors. The deadline for applications is 6 July, 2009. For more details, click here. 10 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 EU PROJECTS IN CROATIA NATURA 2000 Project Results Presented on Cvjetni Square Marking Nature Protection Day and International Biodiversity Day, the environmental network NATURA 2000 presented on Friday, 22 May the results of the NATURA 2000 Project in Croatia. It is the world’s largest coordinated nature protection network, intended for the preservation of rich European biodiversity which is becoming increasingly more endangered. This project creates new possibilities for rural areas in ecotourism, agriculture and forestry activities which are harmless to wildlife and plants, as well as recreation. Stands were also organized where visitors could obtain information on the project participants, including the EU Information Center. A choice of the autochthonous products of Croatian regions was equally available. The Head of the State Institute for Nature Protection Davorin Marković, the Head of EC Delegation to Croatia Vincent Degert and State Secretary of the Ministry of Culture Zoran Šikić all welcomed the crowd. In order to join the European network, Croatia, as an accession country, must declare its NATURA 2000 areas. The list of such potential areas of this environmental network has been in preparation over the past year in cooperation with numerous experts at the State Institute for Nature Protection. For more information, visit the pages of environmental network NATURA 2000. Results of “Human Resources Development within IPA Program” Twinning Project Presented The purpose of this twinning project is to provide support to Croatia in the implementation of IPA (Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance) Program – Component 4 (Human Resources Development), as well as preparations for successful implementation of the European Social Fund. Besides participation of both sides (Ministry of Economy, Labor and Entrepreneurship – for Croatia and RACINE – Agency for ESF program – for France), the project includes concrete support of the services implementing the IPA program. The launched activities were presented, such as: current situation analysis; the day of counselling for all the agencies involved; a workshop; a study trip to Estonia as a new member of the EU; a manual for possible users of funds (grants). The final event was opened by Mr. Oskar Benedikt, Counsellor at the European Commission Delegation to the Republic of Croatia and Marija Tufekčić, Head of Central Finance and Contracting Agency. For more information, visit the pages of the Delegation. Results of CARDS 2004 “Development of National Metrology, Standardization, Conformity, Assessment and Accreditation System” Program Presented On Wednesday, 20 May, 2009, World Measurement Day, a formal closing ceremony was held that marked the official completion of the project within European Union’s CARDS 2004 “Development of National Metrology, Standardization, Conformity, Assessment and Accreditation System” Program. The project’s goal was to strengthen the national system, improve technical expertise and raise public awareness of the importance of an adequate and functional national infrastructure of quality. The main beneficiaries of the project were the State Metrology Institute (DZM), Croatian Accreditation Agency (HAA) and Croatian Standardization Institute (HZN). The project is exceptionally important for Croatia in the context of the process of the country’s accession to the EU. Croatia and the EU are focused on the temporarily closed chapters in the area of free movement of goods – the internal market – on which the infrastructure of quality plays an important role. For more information, visit the pages of the Delegation. 11 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 EU PROJECTS IN CROATIA Presentation of Results of “Building of Institutional Capacities and Support to SAPARD/IPARD Program Implementation in Croatia” Project This EUR 4-million-worth project has achieved the following key results: completion and approval of Croatian IPARD program by the European Commission; certification that the Agency for IPARD meets the standards required for implementation of 3 measures of the measures from the IPARD program for Croatia financed by the EU with EUR 103 million (the preparation of two additional IPARD measures was completed, too); preparations for the pilot scheme providing farmers assistance in landscape and environment management; establishing of local action groups in order to implement the pilot application of LIDER approach in 3 selected areas and elaboration of Local Development Plans in these areas; preparation of guidelines in order to ensure compliance with specific goods regimes in the EU; more than 90 trainings and seminars and 6 study trips were completed. The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Mr. Božidar Pankretić and the Head of the EC Delegation to Croatia Mr. Vincent Degert addressed the crowd at the closing of the project. For more information, visit the pages of the Delegation. Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Launches Information Campaign on IPARD Program IPARD is a new EU pre-accession program between 2007 - 2013, replacing the earlier pre-accession program SAPARD. It is an integral part of the Component V (Rural Development) of the IPA (Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance). The IPARD Program will be implemented through three priorities: 1) Improvement of market efficiency and implementation of the Community standards; 2) Preparatory Activities for Implementation of Agriculture - and Environment-related Measures and Local Strategies of Rural Development; 3) Rural Economy Development. By 2010, potential users will have at their disposal approximately EUR 137 million for all IPARD program measures (with the EU funds accounting for 75 percent of the amount). For more information, visit the pages of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development. NEWS IN PICTURES Winners of the Halfmarathon Race from programme With Sport to EUrope celebrating the Europe Day The first three winners from the women’s and men’s categories from left to right: Vincent Degert - 3rd place, Marijana Lukić – 1st place, Goran Čegar – 1st place, Suzana Alberini – 2nd place, Smiljana Tomaš – 3rd place and Andrej Vištica – 2nd place. 12 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 VISIT EU The Kingdom of Spain With its culture and history, Spain has greatly influenced not only Europe, but also the world. The fact that more than 500 million people in the world speak Spanish, 400 million people as their mother tongue and 100 million people as a second language speaks for itself. The visitor is immediately confronted with a dilemma – to see the cities or to explore the nature. The two experiences are completely different, except in one aspect – they are fulfilling and exhilarating! The nature offers all the beauty of Europe in one place: from skiing on the Pyrenees, to swimming and bathing on the Mediterranean or Atlantic beaches, adventures in canyons and wild rivers and bird-watching in Navarra and much, much more. Numerous Spanish cities are included in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List, whereas the larger towns are infused with the harmony of tradition and modernity, although some visitors find this combination almost incredible. Just ask those who visited Barcelona! For those who travel the world primarily for shopping, Madrid is the place to be! It is considered the alternative fashion capital, where you can find the widest choice of something “different” in comparison to other world centers. It might be best to end with a slogan with which this country promotes itself in the world and invites tourists: “Spain – more than a country!” More information can be found on:: www.spain.info www.justspain.org www.iberianature.com It is a country of strong tradition, which implies a presence of a somewhat traditional spirit, but Spain is nevertheless in many aspects a vanguard in adopting new liberal paradigms, in both art and social life. Spain is a constitutional monarchy organized in the form of a parliamentary government and EU Member State since 1986. After a turbulent history, the 1978 Constitution declared the country a Western-type democracy. Spain was decentralized in 17 autonomous provinces and two autonomous cities, although with a strong central government. Spain is one of the biggest beneficiaries of EU membership. The country started out as one of the less developed countries in the EU, with a GDP per capita equal to 73% of the EU15 average (measured in purchasing power parities) but adding up both Structural and Cohesion Funds, Spain has received more than 91 billion euros (at 2004 prices) over the last 20 years. The capital of Spain is Madrid, and other larger cities are Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Bilbao, Zaragoza and Malaga. What should one do first when in Spain? What must be experienced at the beginning of your journey, and what to leave for later? Although the Spanish people are very different, they have one thing in common – pride and love for their part of the world! 13 Delegation of the european Commission to the republiC of Croatia EUbulletin - Information and news, No 18, May 2009 NEW PUBLICATIONS IN THE EU INFO CENTER Æ IPA Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance, European Commission Æ IPA L’ Instrument d’aide de preadheison, European Commission Æ L’impact de tempus III, European Commission Æ Willkommen beim Europaischen Parlament/ 2008, European Parliament Æ Welcome to the European Parliament, European Parliament Æ Phare Programme for Croatia - Implementacija-podrška menadžmentu Twinning /2009 Æ Phare 2005 - CUSTOMS - Twinning project – Taric, Ministry of Finance Æ Phare 2005 Jačanje carinske uprave - Twinning project – TARIC, Ministry of Finance Æ Učenjem pomoći zemljama u njihovom razvoju, European Training Foundation Æ Magazin Identitet - svibanj 2009., Serbian Democratic Forum An overview of other titles available in the EU Information Centre can be found in the electronic catalogue. CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2 June, 2009 Workshop Impact of Counterfeiting in Croatia (Pharmaceuticals) Exchange information with stakeholders of SSTA contract EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 10am - 5pm 3 June, 2009 Workshop Impact of Counterfeiting in Croatia (Health and Safety) – Exchange information with stakeholders of SSTA contract EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 10am - 5pm 4 June, 2009 Workshop Impact of Counterfeiting in Croatia (Organised Crime) Exchange information with stakeholders of SSTA contract EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 10am - 5pm 4 – 7 June, 2009 European Parliament Elections In all 27 Member States 8 June 2009 Closing visibility event PHARE 2005 “Improving access to education and employment opportunities for the Roma national minority in Croatia” EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 8.30am – 1.30pm 12 and 13 June, 2009 Conference on Agriculture and Enlargement Organized by the European Commission Directorate General for Agriculture Hotel Westin, Zagreb 15 June, 2009 Conference “Political system of the EU and Europeisation of the Croatian politics” Organized by the Center for European Studies at the Zagreb Faculty of Political Science EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 9.30am – 11am 17 June, 2009 Closing visibility event TWL PHARE 2006 “Preparation for the establishment of the SIRENE office” Organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) Ilica 335 (MUP premises) 17 June, 2009 Conference on the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Croatia, with regard to the persons with intellectual disabilities Organized by the Human Rights Center EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 10.30am – 2.30pm 18 and 19 June, 2009 The session of the European Council, Bruxelles 18 June, 2009 Closing visibility event of Business related infrastructure grant scheme EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 11am – 3pm 30 June, 2009 TW Project Market Surveillance System in the Field of Technical Products - Conference on cooperation between MSA and CABs (pilot public campaign 2) EU Information Centre, Zagreb * from 10am – 1pm Notice This e-mail was sent to you on your request to receive the bulletin from www.delhrv.ec.europa.eu. If you want to unsubscribe from receiving the bulleting, please sent an e-mail to euinfocentar@euic.hr. The EU-bulletin is prepared by the EC Delegation in Croatia. Editor: Avis Beneš, EU Information Centre Manager. New readers can order the bulletin here (http://www.euic.hr/). The bulletin is available in English and Croatian language. The Delegation accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard to the information in this bulletin. This information is of a general nature only and is not intended to address the specific circumstances of any particular individual or entity. EU Info Centre is open to visitors every day from 10:00 until 17:30. Send your inquiries regarding EU issues by e-mail to euinfocentar@euic.hr or call us on 01 450 0110. Feel free to forward this message to all those you think might be interested in this bulletin. 14