Author: Dale Simmmons

Présidence finlandaise de l’UE : Expert Conference on Health in All Policies (HIAP)

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Date:

20.9.2006

Date finale: Date: 20 Sep 2006 – 21 Sep 2006 Lieu: 

Kuopio

Type d’événement: Autres réunions
Domaine politique:  Emploi, politique sociale, santé et consommateurs

The purpose of the conference is to highlight ways in which population health can be improved through coherent action in sectors other than health sector. In practice this means that health arguments are taken into account in decision making with relevance to the determinants of health.

The meeting will serve as an opportunity to pool and exchange information, experiences and expertise on the principle of Health in All Policies. The best knowledge available at the current time will be presented – together with practical examples of good practices, including impact assessments.

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Finland’s EU Presidency : EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council – Joint press release

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Press release, Environment

10 Oct 2006, 12:30 en fr

A first ever meeting of the EU-Russia Permanent Partnership Council (PPC) in the environment ministers’ format convened in Helsinki on October 10. The PPC meeting confirmed the parties’ commitment to pursue priorities set out in the EU-Russia Common Economic Space roadmap, in order to foster sustainable development in Russia and the EU. The EU was represented by Minister Jan-Erik Enestam for the Presidency, Commissioner Stavros Dimas for the European Commission and State Secretary Matthias Machnig for the in-coming Presidency. The Russian Federation was represented by Mr Yuri Trutnev, Minister of Natural Resources, accompanied by senior directors representing various governmental institutions in Russia. Commissioner Dimas and Minister Trutnev signed terms of reference for establishing a Dialogue on Environment to implement the objectives and priorities indicated in the Road map of the EU-Russia Common Economic Space. These include respect for the environment, commitment to mutual international environmental agreements, fostering sustainable development and integrating environmental issues into all sectoral policies. The main items in the agenda of the meeting were the launch of the EU-Russia Dialogue on Environment, climate change, biodiversity and environment and economic development.The Environment Dialogue will focus on the following priority areas of cooperation: convergence of environmental policies, climate change, water and marine issues, biodiversity and nature protection, environmental impact assessment, forestry law enforcement, governance and conservation, cleaner production and pollution prevention. The EU and Russia emphasized the importance of climate change issues including Kyoto Protocol, Joint Implementation projects and post-2012 climate regime. The EU and Russia agreed to reinforce their cooperation in the Biodiversity Convention, nature protection and combating illegal logging. The PPC emphasized that environmental protection is an inseparable part of the increasing economic cooperation between EU and Russia, and underlined the importance of integrating environmental concerns in concrete economic projects. The EU and Russia welcomed the first meeting of the PPC on environment as reflecting the importance of environment in EU-Russia relations as a whole.

Terms of Reference for Establishing a Dialogue on Environmenment between The Ministry of Natural Resources of The Russian Federation and The Directorate General for Environment of The European Commission (pdf-file, 14 kb)

Background on co-operation between The EU and Russia (pdf-file, 17 kb)

A new basis for EU-Russian environmental co-operation

La première réunion du Conseil permanent de partenariat entre l’UE et la Russie, réunissant les ministres de l’environnement, s’est tenue le 10 octobre à Helsinki. La Réunion du CPP a permis de confirmer l’engagement des parties à poursuivre les priorités établies sur la feuille de route de l’Espace Economique Commun UE-Russie dans l’objectif de renforcer le développement durable en Russie et dans l’UE. L’UE était représentée par le Ministre Jan-Erik Enestam pour la Présidence, le Commissaire Stavros Dimas pour la Commission européenne et le Secrétaire d’Etat Matthias Machnig pour la Présidence suivante. La Fédération de Russie était représentée par M. Youri Trutnev, Ministre des ressources naturelles, accompagné de directeurs seniors représentant divers organismes publics russes. Le Commissaire Dimas et le Ministre Trutnev ont signé les termes de référence de l’établissement d’un Dialogue sur l’Environnement visant à mettre en application les objectifs et les priorités figurant sur la feuille de route de l’Espace économique européen commun UE-Russie. Ceux-ci comprennent le respect de l’environnement, l’engagement envers des accords environnementaux internationaux communs, le renforcement du développement durable et l’intégration des questions environnementales dans les politiques de tous les secteurs. Le lancement d’un Dialogue UE-Russie sur l’environnement, les changements climatiques, la biodiversité et l’environnement ainsi que le développement économique ont été les éléments principaux de l’ordre du jour de la réunion. Le Dialogue sur l’environnement sera centré sur les domaines de coopération prioritaires suivants: convergence des politiques environnementales, changements climatiques, questions relatives à l’eau et à la mer, biodiversité et la protection de la nature, évaluation de l’impact environnemental, mise en application des lois sur les forêts, gouvernance et préservation, une production plus propre et prévention de la pollution. L’UE et la Russie ont mis l’accent sur l’importance des questions liées aux changements climatiques, y compris le Protocole de Kyoto, la mise en uvre des projets conjoints et le régime relatif aux changements climatiques post 2012. L’UE et la Russie ont convenu de renforcer leur coopération dans le cadre de la Convention sur la biodiversité, la protection de la nature et la lutte contre l’abattage forestier illégal. Le CPP a souligné que la protection de l’environnement fait partie intégrante d’une coopération économique accrue entre l’UE et la Russie et a souligné l’importance de l’intégration des préoccupations environnementales dans les projets économiques concrets. L’UE et la Russie sont satisfaits de la tenue de la première réunion du CPP sur l’environnement, en ce qu’elle traduit l’importance de l’environnement dans les relations générales entre l’UE et la Russie.

Terms of Reference for Establishing a Dialogue on Environmenment between The Ministry of Natural Resources of The Russian Federation and The Directorate General for Environment of The European Commission (pdf-file, 14 kb)

Background on co-operation between The EU and Russia (pdf-file, 17 kb)

Nouvelles bases pour la coopération entre L’union Européenne et la Russie dans le domaine de l}environnement

Russian version: Background on co-operation between The EU and Russia (pdf-file, 64 kb)

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Informal tripartite Social Summit

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Date:

20.10.2006

End date: Date: 20 Oct 2006 Venue: 

Lahti

Type of event: Other meetings
Policy area:  Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs

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Finnische EU-Präsidentschaft : Informal tripartite Social Summit

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

[site.event.date]

20.10.2006

[site.event.enddate] [site.event.date] 20 Oct 2006 [site.event.place] 

Lahti

[site.event.typeof] [cms.siteDefault.event_type.othermeetings]
[site.event.policy]  Beschäftigung, Sozialpolitik, Gesundheit und Verbraucherschutz

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Role of Cohesion Policy programmes in promoting innovation and competitiveness

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Speech, General Affairs and External Relations

21 Nov 2006, 12:01 en

Informal meeting of Ministers for Regional Policy Brussels, 21 November 2006 Hannes Manninen, Minister of Regional and Municipal Affairs Dear colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen, This meeting of Ministers for Regional Policy will discuss how innovation and competitiveness can be promoted through EU Cohesion Policy programmes. I am planning to focus on three topics which are the synergy between EU Cohesion Policy and Lisbon Strategy, regional policies in support of innovations and the exchange of experience between regions. The preparations for the reform of EU Cohesion Policy reached an intensive phase in summer 2004 after the Commission adopted its proposals for the new regulations on Cohesion Policy. The Interinstitutional Agreement on the Financial Perspective was adopted this spring, and the legal framework for the next programming period came into force in late summer. Member States are currently finalising their national strategies and programmes. So everything indicates that we are right on schedule to start a new programming period. Three out of the five regulations governing Cohesion Policy were subject to the codecision procedure, and in fact, the whole process was carried out in close cooperation between the institutions. A broad consensus was reached on the regulations, and the outcome was a joint decision made by the institutions. Thanks to in-depth discussions, the regulations are now probably clearer for those implementing the programmes than during the previous programming periods. Before I go any further, I would like to thank all those who were involved in this constructive cooperation. I would especially like to thank the representatives of the European Commission, the Council’s Working Party on Structural Actions and the Committee on Regional Development of the European Parliament as they have assumed the main responsibility for the success of the reform and for its implementation as scheduled. Special thanks are also due to the previous Presidencies Austria, the United Kingdom, Luxemburg and the Netherlands for their significant contribution to this joint project. Ladies and gentlemen, In the forthcoming programming period, EU Cohesion Policy resources will be allocated more directly to promoting competitiveness, growth and employment in the Community as set out in the renewed Lisbon strategy. This link should be evident in the strategic priorities for the forthcoming programming period. Strengthening European competitiveness through innovation policy is a key priority for Finland during its Presidency. For this reason, we have invited you here today to discuss what promoting innovation and competitiveness through Cohesion Policy programmes means in practice. At our request, the Commission has produced an analysis for this meeting of how the promotion of innovation is reflected in the National Strategic Reference Frameworks which guide the preparation of the new generation of programmes. The Commission’s observations are encouraging. The promotion of innovation plays a stronger role in the Member States’ objectives when compared to the previous periods. The challenge now is to translate these strategic objectives into effective practical measures. As you all know, the resources of Cohesion Policy account for one third of the EU budget for the new financing period. Cohesion Policy programmes are thus the principal instrument for realising the Lisbon objectives in terms of their financial volume. Reports will be made on Cohesion Policy measures as part of monitoring progress on the Lisbon strategy, and this will raise a wider political interest in the use of these resources. The regulations on Cohesion Policy lay down provisions on the categorisation of measures taken to implement programmes. The categorisation is based on the type of measures. I would encourage you to make sure that your government contributes to producing this information. The categorisation of expenditure sounds like an administrative routine. Nevertheless, I want to draw attention to this fact because reliable monitoring information is important particularly to us political decision makers. We must have an EU-wide picture of how Cohesion Policy is implemented so that we can engage in a serious discussion on how EU resources could best be used to achieve the Lisbon strategy objectives. Ladies and gentlemen, We speak a lot about how important it is to promote innovation. But what is essential to the development of regions is to be able to transform new innovations into commercial products – products which are the best in their field with a large part of their value chain in the EU. Investing in research and development is simply not enough; there is also a clear need for close cooperation between enterprises, research and development organisations, and public sector actors. To illustrate my point, I would like to give you an example from my home region in northern Finland. In 1976, Seppo Säynäjäkangas, professor of electrical engineering at the University of Oulu, ran into a sportsman while out cross-country skiing. This man was worried whether he was training too hard because his heart was beating like a drum. He wondered whether it was possible to measure heart rate during exercise as easily as one looks at his watch. Professor Säynäjäkangas was fascinated by this idea, and the following year the first prototype of a wireless heart-rate monitor was being tested on the ski tracks of northern Finland. Nowadays, this innovation is popular among sports enthusiasts all over the world. The monitor developed by Professor Säynäjäkangas has thus become a global brand. I want to give the heads of delegations such a monitor as a present so that you can learn more about this innovation. You will find the device on the table in front of you. It will be interesting to see how high your heart rate will go during today’s debate. Distinguished audience, The example I just gave you proves that innovations arise when experts from different fields meet each other. However, new ideas alone are not enough; their development into commercial products calls for close cooperation between a large number of actors. This is the challenge in implementing innovation policy, but at the same time it is also an opportunity for us Europeans. By international standards, we have a well-educated labour force and functioning institutions. This makes it possible to carry out effective public policy measures aimed at promoting innovation. The commitment of private businesses in cooperation and funding is also necessary. National as well as EU policies related to research, education and technology define the framework for activities, but development and innovation require that actors are situated nearby and are in close interaction with each other. Regional level measures are crucial in achieving the EU’s competitiveness objectives. EU Cohesion Policy programmes can be used to support regional innovation policy measures. This way they give a significant boost to the EU’s competitiveness. In Finland, the most important instrument of regional innovation policy is the Centre of Expertise Programme, which has been implemented since the 1990s. Centres of expertise are a forum created in selected fields ofexpertise that key actors can use to build and strengthen mutual cooperation. The aim is to support, throughout the country, the development of expertise which helps us to maintain competitive advantage internationally. Relatively small public investments have made it possible to significantly promote cooperation between enterprises, research and development organisations, and the public sector. The good results are down to confidence and trust which have been borne out of close mutual cooperation between regional actors. Most enterprises participating in the Centre of Expertise Programme are primarily competing at the global markets. Thus there are no hinders for cooperation at regional level. The European Policies Research Centre has prepared a background paper for this meeting. The paper presents a series of case studies from EU Member States, illustrating how regional innovation policy is being promoted in selected countries. I hope this paper will inspire you when planning your own range of methods for the forthcoming programming period. Dear colleagues, With enlargement, the disparities within the EU have increased. There seems to be a broad consensus that all regions should be able to keep pace with development and that their competitiveness in the global economy must be supported. This requires that the exchange of knowledge and best practice between regions be further improved. The Commission has proposed that in the next programming period the new initiative called ’Regions for Economic Change’ be applied in programmes used to facilitate the exchange of experience. You received the Commission Communication on this initiative together with other meeting documents. Commissioner Hbner will later tell you more about this initiative so I will not go into any further detail. I hope that at this meeting you will express your opinion on the key principles included in the Commission’s initiative. However, we do not need to discuss technical details at this meeting as that is thetask of the Joint Programming Committee where both Member States and the Commission are represented. Ladies and gentlemen, As I have already mentioned, the theme of this meeting is the utilisation of Cohesion Policy programmes in promoting innovation and competitiveness. In my speech, I have tried to cover those themes on which I hope you focus in your contributions. These are synergy between Cohesion Policy and the Lisbon strategy, regional-level measures for promoting innovation and the exchange of experience between regions. At first, we will hear the contributions of the Commissioners responsible for Cohesion Policy, Professor Hbner and Doctor Spidla, followed by the comments of the Member States. In the afternoon, we will continue with the contributions on the same theme given by representatives of the Member States. After this we will give the floor to the European Parliament and the Committee of the Regions. There will be time for open debate both in the morning and afternoon. At the end of the meeting, I will summarise our discussion. In the afternoon, you will be given draft Presidency conclusions. I would like to underline, however, that this is an informal meeting where Council decisions are not made. Thus, the conclusions represent the Presidency’s views on the discussion. Finally, I would like to thank you for accepting my invitation to come here to discuss this topical issue. I am sure that we will have a fruitful meeting. Thank you for your attention. Back

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Pohjoisen ulottuvuuden virkamieskokous kokoontuu Imatralla

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Press release, General Affairs and External Relations

18 Sep 2006, 16:07 en fi sv

A Northern Dimension Senior Officials Meeting will take place in Imatra on 22 September. The topics on the agenda are: revision of the Northern Dimension policy so that it becomes a joint policy of the European Union, the Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland; and the effects of the policy reform on Northern Dimension cooperation. Negotiations on a framework document for the new Northern Dimension policy between the EU, the Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland are nearing conclusion. The intention is to gain approval for the framework document at the political level during the Finnish Presidency, in November 2006. The Senior Officials Meeting will be chaired by Under-Secretary of State Pekka Huhtaniemi of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The EU Member States and the Commission, the Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland as well as the observer countries, i.e. Canada and the United States, the Northern regional councils (the Council of Baltic Sea States, the Barents Euro-Arctic Council, the Arctic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers), international financial institutes active in the region and certain EU institutions will all be represented at the meeting. The Northern Dimension is an element of the EU’s external relations and cross-border policy. Its aim is to increase cooperation in Northern Europe between the EU, The Russian Federation and other countries in the region. The Northern Dimension Ministerial Meeting decided in November 2005 to open a new phase of this policy, developing it into a joint policy shared by the EU and the countries of the region. It was also agreed to bind the Northern Dimension as part of regional cooperation between the European Union and the The Russian Federation. In line with the Ministerial Meeting’s decisions, the EU, The Russian Federation, Norway and Iceland launched negotiations, in spring 2006, on a new joint framework document which is intended to enter into force at the start of 2007 when the current Northern Dimension Action Plan expires. The objective of the new joint policy is to strengthen all parties’ commitment to the Northern Dimension and to promote the cooperation in practice carried out within its sphere. Additional information: Maimo Henriksson, Director of the Unit for the Northern Dimension of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 6186, mobile tel. +358 40 527 3821; and Counsellor Marja-Leena Vuorenpää, tel. +358 9 1605 5627, mobile tel. + 358 40 861 7135 Pohjoisen ulottuvuuden (PU) virkamieskokous pidetään Imatralla 22. syyskuuta. Kokouksen aiheena ovat pohjoisen ulottuvuuden politiikan uudistuminen EU:n, Venäjän, Norjan ja Islannin yhteiseksi politiikaksi ja uudistuksen vaikutukset PU:n käytännön yhteistyöhön. EU:n, Venäjän, Norjan ja Islannin väliset uuden PU-kehysasiakirjan neuvottelut ovat loppusuoralla. Asiakirja on tarkoitus hyväksyä poliittisella tasolla Suomen EU-puheenjohtajakaudella marraskuussa 2006. Virkamieskokouksen puheenjohtajana toimii alivaltiosihteeri Pekka Huhtaniemi Suomen ulkoministeriöstä. Kokoukseen osallistuvat EU:n jäsenmaiden ja komission lisäksi Venäjä, Norja ja Islanti, tarkkailijamaat Kanada ja Yhdysvallat, pohjoiset alueneuvostot (Itämeren valtioiden neuvosto, Barentsin euroarktinen neuvosto, Arktinen neuvosto ja Pohjoismaiden ministerineuvosto), alueella toimivat kansainväliset rahoituslaitokset sekä eräät EU-instituutiot. Pohjoinen ulottuvuus on osa EU:n ulkosuhde- ja rajat ylittävää politiikkaa. Sen tavoitteena on lisätä EU:n, Venäjän ja muiden alueen maiden välistä yhteistyötä Pohjois-Euroopassa. Pohjoisen ulottuvuuden ministerikokous päätti marraskuussa 2005 pohjoisen ulottuvuuden kehittämisestä EU:n ja alueen maiden yhteiseksi politiikaksi. Samalla päätettiin pohjoisen ulottuvuuden kytkemisestä EU:n ja Venäjän välisen yhteistyön alueelliseksi osaksi. Ministerikokouksen päätösten pohjalta EU, Venäjä, Norja ja Islanti aloittivat keväällä 2006 neuvottelut pohjoisen ulottuvuuden uudesta yhteisestä kehysasiakirjasta, jonka on tarkoitus astua voimaan vuoden 2007 alussa nykyisen EU:n pohjoisen ulottuvuuden toimintaohjelman voimassaoloajan umpeuduttua. Uuden yhteisen politiikan tavoitteena on kaikkien osapuolten sitoutumisen vahvistaminen pohjoiseen ulottuvuuteen ja sen puitteissa tehtävän käytännön yhteistyön edistäminen. Lisätietoja: pohjoisen ulottuvuuden yksikön päällikkö Maimo Henriksson, puh. 09 1605 6186, ja lähetystöneuvos Marja-Leena Vuorenpää, puh. 09 1605 5627 Ett tjänstemannamöte om den nordliga dimensionen (ND) hålls i Imatra den 22 september. Mötets teman är reformeringen av den nordliga dimensionen till en gemensam politik för EU, Ryssland, Norge och Island samt reformeringens inverkan på det praktiska ND-samarbetet. Förhandlingarna mellan EU, Ryssland, Norge och Island om ett nytt ND-ramdokument är inne i slutskedet. Avsikten är att anta dokumentet på politisk nivå under Finlands EU-ordförandeskap i november 2006. Ordförande för tjänstemannamötet är understatssekreterare Pekka Huhtaniemi från Finlands utrikesministerium. I mötet deltar förutom EU:s medlemsländer och kommissionen även Ryssland, Norge och Island, observatörsländerna Kanada och USA, de nordliga regionala råden (Östersjöstaternas råd, Barentsrådet, Arktiska rådet och Nordiska ministerrådet), internationella finansinstitut med verksamhet i området och vissa EU-institutioner. Den nordliga dimensionen är en del av EU:s externa och gränsöverskridande politik. Dess syfte är att öka samarbetet mellan EU, Ryssland och övriga länder i Nordeuropa. Den nordliga dimensionens ministermöte beslutade i november 2005 att utveckla den nordliga dimensionen till en gemensam politik för EU och länderna i regionen. Samtidigt fattades beslut om att göra den nordliga dimensionen till en regional del av EU:s samarbete med Ryssland. På basis av ministermötets beslut inledde EU, Ryssland, Norge och Island våren 2006 förhandlingar om ett nytt gemensamt ramdokument för den nordliga dimensionen, som skall träda i kraft i början av 2007 då det nuvarande handlingsprogrammet för EU:s nordliga dimension löper ut. Syftet med den nya gemensamma politiken är att stärka alla parters engagemang i den nordliga dimensionen och främja det praktiska ND-samarbetet. Närmare upplysningar: chefen för enheten för den nordliga dimensionen Maimo Henriksson, tfn 09 1605 6186, och ambassadrådet Marja-Leena Vuorenpää, tfn 09 1605 5627 Back

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Informal ministerial meeting: Competitiveness

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Date:

10.7.2006

End date: Date: 10 Jul 2006 – 11 Jul 2006 Venue: 

Jyväskylä

Type of event: Informal ministerial meetings
Policy area:  Competitiveness (Internal market, Industry and Research)

The meeting will discuss how to turn innovations into commercially successful products.

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Eurooppalaisen televisiotoiminnan säännöt uudistuvat

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Press release, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy

13 Nov 2006, 17:16 en fi

The EU ministers responsible for audiovisual affairs agreed on the general approach of a new directive concerning audiovisual services at their Council meeting in Brussels on 13 November. Legal provisions concerning European television broadcasting activities will change substantially, if the European Parliament supports the general approach adopted by the Council. Ms Susanna Huovinen, Minister of Transport and Communications of Finland, presided over Council discussions about the directive. ”I am very pleased that after long and careful preparation we have found a solution to this important matter”, she said. ”The new directive will promote European content production and the free movement of services.” The Council meeting adopted a compromise proposal made by Finland, which presently holds the EU Presidency. The debate about the directive was mostly concerned with the ”country-of-origin” principle and product placement. Some Member States were critical of the proposal but a majority supported Finland’s proposal. Rules on advertising and product placement would change The new directive would change the present provisions regarding placement and quantity of advertising. The amount of advertising would remain at a maximum of 12 minutes per hour, but the frequency of programme interruptions would no longer be regulated. However, films and news broadcasts could be interrupted only once in 30 minutes. The same would apply to children’s programmes lasting more than 30 minutes. The directive would prohibit product placement, i.e. the featuring of a brand’s logo or a favourable mention, but Member States could allow it in films, series, sports programmes and light entertainment. The use of product placement should be clearly identified at the start and end of programmes and there should be no direct suggestions about buying the products. The basic rules of the new directive will also be applied to television-like services, such as services ordered through the Internet. For example, contents produced by private users and various games will fall outside the scope of application of the directive. Rules of the transmitting country will apply Member States are allowed to set stricter rules on operators than those set out in the directive. The directive follows the principle of country-of-origin, which means that the rules of the country where the service provider is located will be applied to audiovisual services. Situations in which broadcasts are mainly or entirely directed from one Member State to another call for cooperation between the transmitting and the receiving country. If it is evident that a television operator is located in another country in order to circumvent the rules of the receiving country, the receiving country may take measures against the television operator. The new directive will update the legal provisions of 1997 with regard to technological development. The European Parliament intends to vote on the draft directive in December. For further information please contact:Mr Perttu Puro, State Secretary, tel. +358 9 160 28325, +358 40 779 346Mr Ismo Kosonen, Director of Media Policy Unit, tel. +358 9 160 28462, +358 50 511 6601 EU:n audiovisuaalisista asioista vastaavat ministerit sopivat uuden audiovisuaalisten palveluiden direktiivin päälinjoista kokouksessaan Brysselissä 13. marraskuuta. Eurooppalaista televisiotoimintaa sääntelevät lakipykälät muuttuvat huomattavasti, jos Euroopan parlamentti tukee neuvoston saavuttamaa yleisnäkemystä. Suomen liikenne- ja viestintäministeri Susanna Huovinen johti asian käsittelyä neuvoston kokouksessa. – Olen erittäin tyytyväinen, että pääsimme pitkän ja huolellisen valmistelun jälkeen ratkaisuun tässä tärkeässä asiassa, liikenne- ja viestintäministeri Susanna Huovinen toteaa. – Uusi direktiivi edistää eurooppalaista sisällöntuotantoa ja palveluiden vapaata liikkumista. – Edistys tässä asiassa on tärkeää, koska audiovisuaalinen ala tarvitsee kiireesti teknisen kehityksen tasalla olevat säännöt, ministeri Huovinen korosti. Neuvoston kokouksessa hyväksyttiin puheenjohtajamaa Suomen kompromissiesitys. Kokouksessa keskusteltiin eniten direktiivin alkuperämaaperiaatteesta ja tuotesijoittelusta. Muutamat jäsenmaat suhtautuivat kriittisesti, mutta suurin osa tuki Suomen ehdotusta. Mainonnan ja tuotesijoittelunsäännöt muuttuvat Uusi direktiivi muuttaa säännöksiä mainonnan sijoittelusta ja määrästä. Mainoksia saa edelleen olla enintään 12 minuuttia tunnissa, mutta mainoskatkojen tiheyttä ei enää säädeltäisi. Elokuvissa ja uutisissa mainoskatko saisi kuitenkin olla vain kerran 30 minuutissa, samoin lastenohjelmissa, jos ne kestävät yli 30 minuuttia. Tuotemerkkien näyttäminen eli tuotesijoittelu on direktiivin mukaan kiellettyä, mutta EU- jäsenmaat voivat halutessaan sallia sen elokuvissa, sarjoissa, urheiluohjelmissa ja kevyissä viihdeohjelmissa. Tuotesijoittelusta olisi mainittava ohjelman alussa ja lopussa eikä se saisi sisältää suoria ostokehotuksia. Uuden direktiivin perussääntöjä sovelletaan perinteisten televisiopalveluiden lisäksi television kaltaisiin, esimerkiksi internetin kautta tilattaviin palveluihin. Soveltamisalan ulkopuolelle jäävät mm. yksityisten käyttäjien tuottama sisältö ja erilaiset pelit. Lähettävän maan säännöt voimassa Jäsenmaat voivat asettaa omille toimijoilleen direktiiviä tiukempiakin sääntöjä. Direktiivi noudattaa alkuperämaaperiaatetta, eli audiovisuaalisiin palveluihin sovelletaan sen maan lainsäädäntöä, johon palvelun tarjoaja on sijoittautunut. Lähettäjä- ja vastaanottajamaan pitäisi tehdä yhteistyötä tilanteissa, joissa toisesta EU-maasta suunnataan lähetyksiä pääsääntöisesti tai kokonaan toiseen jäsenvaltioon. Tietyissä tilanteissa vastaanottajamaa voi ryhtyä toimenpiteisiin televisiotoimijaa vastaan, jos on ilmeistä, että televisiotoimija on sijoittunut toiseen maahaan pyrkiäkseen kiertämään vastaanottavan maan sääntöjä. Direktiivi päivittää vuodelta 1997 olevan televisiodirektiivin lakipykälät teknisen kehityksen tasalle. Euroopan parlamentin on tarkoitus äänestää direktiiviehdotuksesta joulukuussa. Lisätietoja:valtiosihteeri Perttu Puro, puh. (09) 160 28325, 040 779 346viestintäneuvos Ismo Kosonen, puh. (09) 160 28462, 050 511 6601 Back

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Finland’s EU Presidency : Competitiveness

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Meetings of the Competitiveness Council are attended by European Affairs Ministers, Industry Ministers or Research Ministers, depending on the items on the agenda. The Competitiveness Council meets four to six times a year. Three official meetings of the Competitiveness Council are to be held during Finland’s EU Presidency. The meetings will be chaired by Minister of Trade and Industry, Mauri Pekkarinen.

Finland’s aim is to enhance European competitiveness so that the EU can take full advantage of the opportunities offered by globalisation and thus generate sustainable economic growth and employment. This will require development of the EU’s internal market, the creation of more favourable conditions for industry and the service sector, and promotion of research and innovation. In July, the informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council, to be held in Jyväskylä, Finland, will discuss how to turn innovations into commercially successful products.

Debate on innovation will continue throughout the Presidency. The aim is to promote innovation policy as a key component of the Lisbon strategy. The intention is to emphasise the importance of efficient markets and demand for innovation. A summary of innovation policy challenges, and a set of related recommendations, will be submitted to the December Competitiveness Council for discussion.

Main issues

Internal market
The Service Directive is currently the most important legislative project currently underway. It is also one of the priorities for Finland’s EU Presidency. The Directive sets out to establish a dynamic European market in services by removing barriers to the free movement of services and simplifying administrative procedures. Finland’s objective is to bring negotiations with the European Parliament to a successful conclusion so that the Directive can enter into force as soon as possible.

The Competitiveness Council will also discuss the Commission’s initiative to define a new internal market policy with a view to, e.g., improving the efficiency of the enforcement and implementation of the internal market rules, issues concerning public procurement (remedies to public procurement procedures), industrial property rights (e.g. protection of designs), technical harmonisation (e.g. pyrotechnics and pre-packaging), and consumer issues (e.g. Consumer Credit Directive). 

The aim is also to improve the European regulatory environment which has significant impact on growth and employment. This can be achieved by promoting initiatives on better legislation within the EU.

Industry
The EU Regulation on the registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals, REACH, is high on the Presidency’s agenda. Finland’s aim is to have the regulation adopted at the second reading, by the end of the year. The adoption of the Regulation is a prerequisite for the operation of the Chemicals Agency to be established in Helsinki.

Discussion will also continue on certain key factors contributing to companies’ operational environment, such as ways to finance growth, external factors affecting the EU’s competitiveness, market access and the report on competitiveness.

Research
As regards innovation policy, the Presidency’s main objective is to bring negotiations on the Seventh Framework Programme for Research 2007-2013 to a successful conclusion so that the programme can be launched at the beginning of 2007. The priorities of the framework programme are: (1) to create, through cooperation, a leading edge capability in the key areas of science and technology, (2) to consolidate expertise in Europe by increasing competition among researchers, (3) to improve education, mobility and career prospects for researchers, and (4) to develop and utilise the EU’s research capacity through, for example, existing research infrastructures, regional cooperation and innovative SMEs.

Meetings

In July, the informal meeting of the Competitiveness Council, to be held in Jyväskylä, Finland, will discuss ways to turn innovations into commercially successful products. The formal meetings of EU ministers responsible for competitiveness issues will be held in Brussels in September and December. The meeting of Euro-Mediterranean Ministers of Industry will be held in Rhodes, Greece and the 2006 European Tourism Forum will take place in Cyprus. 

In addition to the informal ministerial meeting, Finland will host four civil servant meetings, four conferences or seminars and four fringe events. In addition, a Conference on Corporate Social Responsibility will take place in Brussels.

More on this website:

Links:

Ministry of Trade and Industry 

Competitiveness Council

Cordis : Finnish Council Presidency

IST 2006: Strategies for leadership

IPR University center

Going Global 2006

EPC 2006 : European Productivity Conference

Manufuture-EU

Finland’s EU Presidency : A conference focusing on ways to improve European competitiveness bringing together 200 opinion leaders in Helsinki

Dale Simmmons Uutiset

Press release, Transport, Telecommunications and Energy, Finland´s EU Presidency

23 Oct 2006, 10:04 en fr de fi sv

Networked Business and Government – Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy – a two-day conference started on Monday 23 October in Helsinki. The main aim of the conference, which is part of the official programme of Finland’s EU Presidency, is to find concrete means to achieve the objectives set by the Lisbon Strategy. A total of about 200 specialists from the public sector, research institutes and businesses of various EU countries participate in the conference. The conference focuses on cooperation between public and private sectors, digitalisation of business, enhancing productivity, reform of the innovation system, and information society development in public administration. The speakers of the conference will also shed some light also concrete measures to boost European competitiveness. Among the Finnish key speakers are Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen, President of the Finnish National Fund of Research and Development, Sitra, Esko Aho and Governor of the Bank of Finland Erkki Liikanen. During the first day, Mr Esko Aho will speak about European competitiveness and challenges of innovation policy from the perspective of the Hampton Court report. Practical examples will introduce some public administration reforms in Europe. In his second day opening speech Prime Minister Vanhanen will emphasise that the strengthening of European competitiveness is our common challenge. Responding to this challenge requires investment in research and development, efficient utilisation of ICT, and broad-based cooperation in many areas. Attendants of the conference have an opportunity to affect the proceedings interactively through three online votes that utilise the Response system – a wireless audience response and voting system. The audience can choose their own favourites among the concrete measures to boost European competitiveness proposed by the speakers. The vote also contributes to the aim of the conference: finding concrete means and measures to achieve the Lisbon Strategy objectives. A panel discussion will be organised at the end of the conference to sum up the results of the conference and the vote. The discussion is central to the preparation of the conclusions of the conference which will form a Helsinki Manifest to be submitted to the forthcoming EU Presidencies, Germany and Portugal, and to the European Commission. The conference has been organised in cooperation with the Finnish Government Information Society Programme, the Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) of the Helsinki School of Economics, the European Commission and several businesses. Further information: Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, Programme Director, tel. +358 9 1602 2363 and Susanna Hyvärinen, Programme Coordinator, tel. +358 9 1602 3405 (practical arrangements), Office of the Government Information Society Programme, and Päivi Paasikoski (media arrangements), Government Communications Unit, tel. +358 9 1602 2082

Conference programme

Le lundi 23 octobre s’ouvrira à Helsinki, au Palais des États, une conférence de deux jours intitulée Networked Business and Government – Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy. Programmée dans le cadre de la Présidence finlandaise de l’Union européenne, cette conférence visera essentiellement à rechercher par quelles mesures concrètes atteindre les objectifs de la stratégie de Lisbonne. Elle réunira quelque 200 experts du secteur public, de la recherche et du monde des entreprises, issus des différents pays de l’Union européenne. Les thèmes inscrits à l’ordre du jour sont la coopération entre secteurs public et privé, le passage des entreprises à l’ère numérique, l’augmentation de la productivité, la réforme du régime d’innovation et le développement de la société de l’information dans les administrations publiques. À tour de rôle, les orateurs donneront aussi leur éclairage personnel sur les mesures concrètes qui permettraient de renforcer la compétitivité européenne. Le Premier ministre, Matti Vanhanen, le président du Fonds national finlandais pour la recherche et le développement (Sitra), Esko Aho, et le gouverneur de la Banque de Finlande, Erkki Liikanen, compteront parmi les personnalités qui interviendront pour la Finlande. Le premier jour, Esko Aho prendra la parole sur la compétitivité européenne et les défis de la politique d’innovation, à la lumière du rapport Hampton Court. Certaines réformes de l’administration publique mises en œuvre en Europe seront également présentées au moyen d’exemples concrets. Le deuxième jour, Matti Vanhanen soulignera, dans son discours d’ouverture, quel défi commun représente le renforcement de la compétitivité européenne. Le relever suppose de mettre l’accent sur la recherche et le développement, de tirer efficacement parti des technologies de l’information et de la communication et d’instaurer une coopération étendue dans de nombreux domaines. L’assistance aura la possibilité d’influer sur le cours de la conférence, grâce à trois dispositifs de vote en ligne utilisant le système Response – soit un système de participation interactive et de vote sans fil. Par leur vote, les participants pourront choisir celles des mesures proposées par les intervenants pour doper la compétitivité européenne qui leur semblent les plus appropriées. Ce vote contribuera ainsi à ce que la conférence atteigne son but : déterminer les mesures concrètes par lesquelles réaliser les objectifs de la stratégie de Lisbonne. La conférence se clôturera par un panel de discussion, où sera dressé un bilan des débats et des votes. Ce panel jouera un rôle fondamental dans la rédaction des conclusions, lesquelles seront rassemblées dans un «manifeste de Helsinki» qui sera ensuite communiqué aux prochaines Présidences de l’UE (allemande et portugaise), ainsi qu’à la Commission européenne. La conférence est une initiative commune du programme du gouvernement finlandais pour la société de l’information, du Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research de la Haute École de Commerce de Helsinki, de la Commission européenne et de différentes entreprises. Pour en savoir, plus veuillez contacter : Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, directrice de programme, tél. +358 9 1602 2363 (questions de fond) ou Susanna Hyvärinen, coordinatrice de programme, tél. +358 9 1602 3405 (modalités pratiques), au bureau du programme du gouvernement pour la société de l’information, ou Päivi Paasikoski (contact médias), à l’unité « Communication » du gouvernement, tél. +358 9 1602 2082.

L’ordre du jour de la conférence

Im Helsinkier Ständehaus begann am 23. Oktober ein zweitägiges Seminar unter dem Titel Networked Business and Government – Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy statt. Hauptziel des im Rahmen des Programms der finnischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft organisierten Seminars ist es, konkrete Maßnahmen zur Umsetzung der Lissabon-Strategie zu finden. An ihm nehmen rund 200 Sachverständige aus den EU-Staaten teil, Vertreter des öffentlichen Sektors, aus Forschung und Wirtschaft. Seminarthemen sind die Zusammenarbeit zwischen öffentlichem und privatem Sektor, die Digitalisierung von Geschäftsprozessen, die Verbesserung der Produktivität sowie die informationsgesellschaftliche Entwicklung der öffentlichen Verwaltung. Die Seminarredner tragen in ihren Beiträgen auch konkrete Ideen für die Förderung der europäischen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit vor. Zu den finnischen Rednern gehören Ministerpräsident Matti Vanhanen, Esko Aho, Präsident des Finnischen Nationalfonds für Forschung und Entwicklung (Sitra), und Erkki Liikanen, Generaldirektor der Bank von Finnland. Esko Aho referiert über die europäische Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und die Herausforderungen der Innovationspolitik aus der Perspektive des »Hampton Court«-Berichts. Außerdem werden anhand von konkreten Beispielen u.a. Reformen in den öffentlichen Verwaltungen europäischer Staaten vorgestellt. In seiner Rede am zweiten Seminartag streicht Ministerpräsident Vanhanen heraus, dass die Verbesserung der europäischen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit eine gemeinsame Herausforderung ist, die Investitionen in Forschung und Entwicklung, eine wirksame Nutzung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnik sowie eine breite und sektorenübergreifende Zusammenarbeit verlangt. Das Publikum hat die Möglichkeit, bei drei Online-Abstimmungen interaktiv Einfluss auf den Verlauf des Seminars zu nehmen. Dabei kommt das drahtlose Response™-Feedbacksystem zum Einsatz. Die Seminarteilnehmer wählen bei den Abstimmungen unter den vorgestellten Ideen zur Verbesserung der europäischen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit diejenigen aus, die sie am meisten überzeugen. Die Abstimmung dient somit auch dem Seminarziel, konkrete Instrumente und Maßnahmen zur Umsetzung der Lissabon-Strategie zu finden. Den Abschluss des Seminars bildet eine Podiumsdiskussion, bei der die Ergebnisse des Seminars und der Abstimmungen zusammengefasst werden. Die Diskussion stellt ein wesentliches Element in der Ausarbeitung der Schlussfolgerungen für das Seminar dar. Die Schlussfolgerungen werden zu einem »Helsinki-Manifest« zusammengefasst, das den Ratspräsidenten Deutschland und Portugal sowie der EU-Kommission ausgehändigt wird. Das Seminar wird in Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Programm Informationsgesellschaft der finnischen Regierung, des Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) der Helsinki School of Economics, der Europäischen Kommission und etlicher Unternehmen ausgerichtet. Nähere Information: Programmleiterin Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja (Fragen zum Inhalt), Tel. +358 9 1602 2363 und Planerin Susanna Hyvärinen (praktische Arrangements), Tel. +358 9 1602 3405, Büro des Programms Informationsgesellschaft, sowie Päivi Paasikoski (Pressearrangements), Leiterin Information und Kommunikation, Referat für Regierungskommunikation, Tel. +358 9 1602 2082

Das Seminarprogramm

Helsingin Säätytalossa alkoi maanantaina 23. lokakuuta kaksipäiväinen Networked Business and Government – Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy -konferenssi. Osana Suomen puheenjohtajakauden ohjelmaa järjestettävän konferenssin päätavoitteena on löytää konkreettisia toimenpiteitä Lissabonin strategian tavoitteiden toteuttamiseksi. Tilaisuuteen osallistuu noin 200 EU-maiden asiantuntijaa julkiselta sektorilta, tutkimuslaitoksista sekä yritysmaailmasta. Konferenssin teemoja ovat julkisen ja yksityisen sektorin yhteistyö, liiketoimintojen sähköistäminen, tuottavuuden lisääminen, innovaatiojärjestelmän uudistaminen ja julkishallinnon tietoyhteiskuntakehitys. Tilaisuuden alustajat valottavat puheenvuoroissaan myös sitä, miten Euroopan kilpailukykyä voitaisiin edistää konkreettisin toimenpitein. Tilaisuuden kotimaisia kärkipuhujia ovat pääministeri Matti Vanhanen, yliasiamies Esko Aho ja Suomen Pankin pääjohtaja Erkki Liikanen. Ensimmäisenä päivänä yliasiamies Aho esitelmöi Euroopan kilpailukyvystä ja innovaatiopolitiikan haasteista Hampton Court -raportin näkökulmasta. Lisäksi tutustutaan käytännön esimerkkien kautta muun muassa eurooppalaisiin julkishallinnon uudistuksiin. Toisen päivän avauspuheenvuorossaan pääministeri Vanhanen tulee kiinnittämään huomiota siihen, että Euroopan kilpailukyvyn vahvistaminen on yhteinen haasteemme. Siihen vastaaminen edellyttää tutkimus- ja kehitystoimintaan panostamista, tieto- ja viestintätekniikan tehokasta hyödyntämistä sekä laajapohjaista ja monialaista yhteistyötä. Kokouksen osanottajilla on mahdollisuus osallistua interaktiivisesti konferenssin kulkuun kolmessa online-äänestyksessä, joissa hyödynnetään langatonta Response-yleisöpalautejärjestelmää. Yleisö valitsee äänestyksissä omat suosikkinsa puhujien ehdottamista Euroopan kilpailukykyä edistävistä konkreettisista toimenpiteistä. Äänestys palvelee myös tapahtuman tavoitetta löytää konkreettisia keinoja ja toimia Lissabonin strategian toteuttamiseksi. Tapahtuman päätteeksi järjestetään paneelikeskustelu, joka kokoaa yhteen konferenssin ja yleisöäänestysten tulokset. Keskustelu on keskeinen osa tapahtuman loppupäätelmien valmistelua. Nämä loppupäätelmät kootaan Helsinki-manifestiin, joka toimitetaan tuleville puheenjohtajamaille Saksalle ja Portugalille sekä EU-komissiolle. Tapahtuma järjestetään Suomen hallituksen tietoyhteiskuntaohjelman, Helsingin kauppakorkeakoulun Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) -yksikön, Euroopan komission ja useiden yritysten yhteistyönä. Lisätietoja: ohjelmajohtaja Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, p. (09) 1602 2363 (sisältökysymykset) ja suunnittelija Susanna Hyvärinen, p. (09) 1602 3405 (käytännön järjestelyt), tietoyhteiskuntaohjelman toimisto sekä tiedotuspäällikkö Päivi Paasikoski (mediajärjestelyt), valtioneuvoston viestintäyksikkö, p. (09) 1602 2082

Konferenssin ohjelma

Konferensen Networked Business and Government – Something Real for the Lisbon Strategy inleddes på måndagen den 23 oktober i Ständerhuset i Helsingfors. Konferensen, som pågår i 2 dagar, arrangeras som en del av programmet under Finlands EU-ordförandeskap. Det huvudsakliga målet för konferensen är att finna konkreta åtgärder när det gäller att förverkliga målen för Lissabonstrategin. I konferensen deltar sakkunniga inom den offentliga sektorn, vid forskningsanstalter och inom företagsvärlden från cirka 200 EU-länder. Teman för konferensen är samarbetet mellan den offentliga och privata sektorn, övergången till elektronisk affärsverksamhet, ökad produktivitet, förnyandet av innovationssystemet och informationssamhällsutvecklingen inom den offentliga förvaltningen. Föreläsarna åskådliggör också i sina inlägg hur man genom konkreta åtgärder kan främja den europeiska konkurrenskraften. Konferensens inhemska toppföreläsare är statsminister Matti Vanhanen, överombudsman Esko Aho och chefdirektören för Finlands Bank Erkki Liikanen. Under konferensens första dag håller överombudsman Aho ett föredrag om Europas konkurrenskraft och innovationspolitikens utmaningar ur Hampton Court-rapportens perspektiv. Med hjälp av konkreta exempel informeras dessutom om bl.a. europeiska reformer inom den offentliga förvaltningen. I sitt öppningsanförande på konferensens andra dag kommer statsminister Vanhanen att fästa uppmärksamhet vid faktumet att stärkandet av den europeiska konkurrenskraften är en gemensam utmaning för oss alla. För att kunna svara på denna utmaning måste man satsa på forsknings- och utvecklingsverksamheten, utnyttja informations- och kommunikationstekniken effektivt samt bedriva ett omfattande samarbete som omspänner flera områden. Mötesdeltagarna har möjlighet att interaktivt delta i konferensen via tre online-omröstningar, där det trådlösa systemet för publikrespons, Response, utnyttjas. Vid omröstningarna väljer publiken sina egna favoriter bland de konkreta åtgärder för att stärka Europas konkurrenskraft som talarna föreslagit. Omröstningen tjänar också konferensen mål att finna konkreta metoder och åtgärder när det gäller att genomföra Lissabonstrategin. Konferensen avslutas med en paneldiskussion som sammanfattar resultaten av konferensen och publikomröstningarna. Diskussionen utgör en viktig del av beredningen av konferensens slutsatser. Slutsatserna sammanställs i ett Helsingforsmanifest, som tillställs de kommande ordförandeländerna Tyskland och Portugal samt EU-kommissionen. Konferensen arrangeras i samarbete mellan den finska regeringens informationssamhällsprogram, enheten Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research (CKIR) vid Helsingfors handelshögskola, Europeiska kommissionen och ett flertal företag. Ytterligare information: programdirektör Katrina Harjuhahto-Madetoja, tfn (09) 1602 2363 (innehållsfrågor), och planerare Susanna Hyvärinen, tfn (09) 1602 3405 (praktiska arrangemang), informationssamhällsprogrammets byrå, samt informationschef Päivi Paasikoski (mediearrangemangen), statsrådets kommunikationsenhet, tfn (09) 1602 2082

Programmet för konferensen

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