On 23rd March the Georgian President Mikhail Saakachvili announced that general elections would be held on 21st May 2008. The Constitution obliges him to announce the holding of the parliamentary vote at least 60 days prior to the chosen date. On 4th March Parliament adopted several amendments by 168 votes to 2. The number of members of parliament has been reduced, from 255 down to 150. 75 will be elected by majority vote in the 75 circumscriptions whilst 75 will be appointed by proportional representation within a single circumscription. A month before the general elections, and according to a poll published by the newspaper Resonansi on 21st April, 21.37% of voters intend to vote for the party in power, 17% for the National Council for the United Opposition, 6.2% for the Republican Party, 4.62% for the Labour Party, 4.37% for the Christian-Democrat party, 1% for the Right Wing Alliance and for Our Georgia/Traditionalist Union/Women's Party and 0.5% for the Christian Democrat Alliance.

On 6th May the Robert Schman Foundation is organising, in cooperation with the French Information Bureau at the European Parliament, a conference-debate with Alexandre Milinkievitch, leader of the democratic opposition in Belarus and winner of the European Parliament's Sakharov 2006 prize, on the situtation in Belarus. Registration is essential.

On 23rd April the Slovenian President, Danilo Türk, paid an official visit to the European Parliament. This was the first time that a president from one of the States that joined the EU in 2004 had addressed MEPs. He underlined the driving role that the EU must play on the world stage, particularly on global warming and the protection of Human Rights. With regard to environmental issues, he call on member States to show proof of cohesion. In terms of Human Rights, Europe must both act as an example in terms of the protection of the human rights of migrants and asylum-seekers and show itself to be a model of sustainable economic development.

On 24th and 25th April the 8th meeting of the Permanent EU-Russia Partnership Council was held in Saint Petersburg. Ministers addressed the question of the combat against drugs produced in Afghanistan planning for future possibilities for cooperation and the exchange of information in this area between the two parties. With regard to the combat against clandestine immigration and for the continuation of the dialogue on visas, the Ministers debated reinforcing cooperation between the Frontex agency (European Agency for the Managemeznt of Operational Cooperation at external borders of EU Member States) and the Federal Department for the Surveillance of borders with the Federal Security Department of the Russian Federation, initiated in 2006. The presidency supports intensive cross-border cooperation between EU Member States and Russia, on which depends correct management of European Union borders.

On 25th April, the Chinese authorities announced during the visit to Beijing of the president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, their intention to establish contact with a representative of the Dalai Lama. The Slovenian presidency congratulated itself on this announcement and the Slovenian Prime Minister Mr Janez Jansa, declared himself to be well satisfied with strengthening confidence in China amongst the international community, a factor which, in his opinion, "will contribute to respect for human rights and to the successful preparation and staging of the Olympic Games in Beijing."

The report by Anneli Jäätteenmäki (ADLE, FI) on the role of the European ombudsman was approved on 22nd April by Parliament with 620 votes in favour, 18 against and 18 abstaining. This report modifies the rules that define the Ombudsman's access to information held by EU bodies and evidence given by EU civil servants. By means of this report, MEPs are seeking to establish clearer rules and to boost citizens' confidence in the Ombudsman's work. They want every body and institution in the Union to be forced to provide information requested by the Ombudsman. The latter, together with his staff, will on the other hand be bound to comply with Community legislation in terms of the protection of personal data.

On 23rd April, the European Parliament gave the green light to Galileo, the European satellite radio-navigation system by voting 607 in favour, 36 against and 8 abstaining, the regulation that lays down security requirements for Galileo and the European Geostationary Satellite Navigation Service (EGNOS). The deployment phase for Galileo, which will be completed in 2013 will be entirely financed by the European Union thanks to an investment of 3.4 billion euros. MEPs pointed out that technical requirements with regard to control of access to technologies guaranteeing the security of Galileo and EGNOS must be defined by the European Commission. These security standards will be controlled by the Galileo Surveillance Authority (GSA). Finally, Galileo will benefit from an inter-institutional framework (Council, Parliament, Commission).

On 23rd April a debate was held between the Council, the Commission and MEPs on the question of the visa waiving policy. This was further to authorisation given by the Council on 18th April to the Commission for the opening of negotiations with a view to concluding an agreement with the United States on certain conditions of access to their visa waiving programme. The Commission is to negotiate with the United States the question of exclusive Community jurisdiction, whereas Member States can negotiate bilaterally on other major issues. The question of visa applications by Internet was also raised. The vice president of the Commission, Jacques Barrot, with responsibilty for these matters, hopes to see rapid progress towards a free visa for Europeans.

The President of the European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pöttering, went to Vilnius on 24th and 25th April. During this visit he gave a speech to the Saeima (parliament) in which he pleaded strongly, in the name of the European Parliament, for ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. He underlined the fact that ratification is an essential condition to ensure that the European Union can meet the challenges with which it will be confronted in the future. He also spoke with Belarusian students from the European Humanities Univeristy, exiled in Vilnius. Within the context of the European Year of intercultural dialogue, the President also met with representatives from the Polish minority.

Within the context of its communication strategy the Commission published on 24th April a proposal entitled "Communicating Europe through audiovisual media". The Commission thus aims to ensure greater coverage of EU affairs on TV and radio channels and multimedia platforms. It will encourage audiovisual media professionals to create and take part in European audiovisual networks. In particular, it will propose a network of TV stations to complement the network of radio stations already launched in April 2008. The Commission will also increase the amount of raw audiovisual material which it already provides free of charge to audiovisual media professionals and will increase its own production of videos to illustrate or explain EU policies.

On 24th and 25th April the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, accompanied by 9 commissioners, opened in China top level economic discussions with the Chinese government. He wishes to achieve concrete results on the trade deficit. It was also agreed that the Union should help China to develop clean energies and reduce its emissions of pollutants, as well as signing at the forthcoming EU-China summit a financing agreement for a centre for clean energies to be founded in Beijing. On the Tibet question, José Manuel Barroso obtained from the Chinese authorities agreement to a dialogue with the Dalai Lama to settle current disputes.

According to a report published by the European Commission, career and mobility, international cooperation, research infrastructures, joint planning and the sharing of knowledge are the main concerns of those involved in European research work. This report is based on numerous responses to the public consultation on the Green Paper entitled "European Research Space: new prospects" published in April 2007. These answers show that continuation of consolidation of the European Research Space through the implementation of new, more ambitious actions, at every level of the European Union - regional, national and transnational – enjoys widespread support.

On 25th April the European Commission published the results of a survey of electronic services in the health treatment sector (eHealth, health on line) undertaken on European scale. 87% of European General Practitioners use a computer, with broadband access in 48% of cases. Many European doctors have recourse to archiving and the electronic dispatch of data relating to their patients. The use of health applications on line by doctors and medical services has already meant improvements in health care in Europe, particularly by making administration more efficient and shortening waiting times for patients. The results of the survey show in which fields doctors could optimise this usage in order to promote services such as tele-surveillance, electronic prescriptions or cross-border medical services.

After the Italian general elections won by Silvio Berlusconi, the vice-president of the Commission with responsiblity for Justice, Franco Frattini, will resign from his position to enter the Italian government. The president of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, therefore announced on 22nd April that he would entrust the Justice portfolio to the vice-president for transport, Jacques Barrot, who has been replacing Frattini place for over a month. The new Commissioner designated by Italy will therefore be responsible for transport. He justifies this decision by the need to "ensure coherence and effectiveness in the complex work to be done in the field of Justice, Security and Freedom."

Considering education as essential for laying the foundations of democracy, the European Commission decided on 25th April to increase its financial support for young Belarusian students. It is providing the European Humanities University (EHU), in exile in Vilnius, with one million euros, through a trust fund grouping financial aid from the Commission and from other donors, particulary contributions from Member States of the European Union.

According to the Commission's economic forecasts published on 28th April, growth in the European Union is expected to reach 2% in 2008 and 1.8% in 2009 compared with 2.8% in 2007 (1.7% and 1.5% respectively in the euro area compared to 2.6% in 2007). The moderation in growth results from the persisting turmoil in the financial markets, the marked slowdown in the United States and soaring commodity prices. The EU economy is holding up relatively well thanks to sound fundamentals and is expected to create 3 million new jobs in 2008-2009 on top of the 7.5 million created in 2006-2007. But consumer price inflation is expected to surge temporarily to 3.6% this year in the EU compared with 2.4% in 2007 due to soaring energy and food prices, before coming down to an expected 2.4% in 2009 (for the euro area forecasts are 3.2% and 2.2% repsectively, compared with 2.1% in 2007).

On 16th April the Russian foreign minister announced his desire to strengthen cooperation, through a series of measures to help the population, with the Georgian separatist regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, without the consent of the Georgian government. The European Union said that it was worried by these unilateral decisions, which compromise the principles of sovereignity and territorial integrity. It also believes that this decision risks increasing tension and will have an adverse effect on efforts to achieve peace.

On 24th April the German Bundestag (lower house) ratified the Treaty of Lisbon by 514 in favour, 58 against and 1 abstaining. The Bundesrat, the upper house in Parliment, must now ratify this text, which should happen on 23rd May.

Xavier Darcos, French Minister for National Education and Klaus Wowereit, Mayor of Berlin, Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany for cultural relations with France, presented on 23rd April in Paris the second volume in the Franco-German history school book. Published by Nathan and Klett, this schoolbook, unique of its kind, is the result of intensive Franco-German cooperation in the educational field. After the volume that was published in summer 2006 for 18 year old pupils (final year at high school), this second volume, for 17 year old pupils, gives a cross-over view of the History of Europe and the world, from the Congress of Vienna (1814) to the end of the Second World War. A third book is planned for 2009 for 16 years old: this should address the period from Antiquity through to the beginning of the 19th century.

On 24th April the European Union Council was informed of the appointment by the Romanian government of Mihnea Motoc as permanent representative for Romania at the European Union. He took up his functions on 21st April.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 23rd April, industrial new orders were up by 0.6% in the euro zone in February compared to January. In the European Union they remained stable in February after a fall of 1.0% in January. Moreover, new orders in industry increased by 9.9% in the euro zone and by 9.2% in the EU in February. The textile and clothing industry grew by 1.7% in February and the Chemical industry was up by 1.1% in February in the euro zone and by 1.3% in the EU. Transport equipment was down by 0.2% in the euro zone but increased by 2.1% in the EU. With regard to the manufacturing industry, the largest increases were recorded in Latvia (+20.4%) and in Denmark (+17.7%) and the largest falls in Sweden (-3.4%) and in the Czech Republic (-1.2%).

The Security and Defence Agenda based in Brussels has published a study on relations between NATO and the European security and defence policy (ESDP). This study contains several articles by representatives of the defence industry and experts from both sides of the Atlantic. They analyse the challenges that both sides must face.

The Centre for European Reform has published a document entitled "The European Union, Israel and Hamas". Its author, Clara Marina O'Donnell, suggests that the European Union should contribute to freeing up the current situation and improving prospects for peace. The Union should also be working further to improve the economic crisis in the Palestinian territories and to lift Israeli suspicion.

Chatham House has published a report on market risks and the European economy. The author, Max Watson, questions the efficiency of economic policies and regulation. He is concerned about the European economic position, which the current American crisis could damage further still.