At the initiative of Jean-Dominique Giuliani, President of the Robert Schuman Foundation and Jérôme Bédier, President of the Medef Europe Commission, the Foundation is co-organising on 10th February, in partnership with Medef, a conference entitled "French influence in Brussels: the true and the false"

On 3rd February the Latvian Council of Minister approved the Action Plan for Economic Stabilisation of the country. Designed by the Finance Minister, Atis Slakteris, the plan provides for measures in the fiscal, financial, monetary and economic competitiveness fields. "The Plan includes important measures aimed at improving the competitiveness of companies and accelerating the absorption of European structural funds", said the Minister.

On 5th February, Michele Cercone, spokesman for the European Commission, declared that he wished to contact the Belgian authorities to obtain information regarding the refusal by several local authorities in the Brussels area to organise the forthcoming European elections. He stated that the fact of depriving some citizens of their voting rights was not in line with the principle of universality of the European elections. Three Flemish local authorities have currently decided to boycott the elections as a sign of protest against non-scission of the Brussels-Hal-Vilvorde (BHV) district. Scission of the district has been demanded by all Flemish parties seeking to ensure continuity of Flemish territory.

At a meeting held on 4th and 5th February, the 27 ministers for the family discussed the Barcelona objectives in terms of child care. These objectives, adopted in 2002, aim to establish between now and 2010, childcare structure of at least 90% of all children between the age of 3 and school age and for at least 33% of children aged under 3. The Czech minister, Petr Nečas, underlined the fact that these objectives were adopted before the entrance of new Member States, which may have different approaches, and that a quantitative objective is not necessarily appropriate if parents wish to care for their children at home. He suggested a re-assessment of unpaid work done by parents looking after their own children. The discussion confirmed that Member States have different positions on the subject. They agreed on the need to take account of the child's interest, the quality of care and freedom of choice for families.

On 4th February MEPs adopted the initiative report by Karl-Heinz Florenz (PPE-DE, DE) aiming to define a future integrated policy for the European Union on climate change. MEPs believe that climate change should be the top priority for the Union's forthcoming financial framework. They plead for a target reduction by 25 to 40% of greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2020. A certain number of recommendations have been put forward: making energy efficiency legally binding, creating a European Community of renewable energy, accentuating efforts in terms of research and development, encouraging citizens to reduce their emissions and finally the creation of a European climate fund.

Within the context of its strategy on tax evasion and tax fraud, the European Commission adopted on 2nd February two proposals for new directives aiming to improve mutual assistance between the tax authorities in Member States for the the establishment of the amount and recovery of taxes and duties. These two proposals set forth joint procedural rules, enabling officials to carry out enquiries in other Member States and to extend the scope of application of existing directives. The European Commission suggests abolishing banking secrecy in relations between tax authorities. This proposal is aimed particularly at Luxembourg, Austria and Belgium, the three States within the Union that retain banking secrecy. On 3rd February, the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, stated that his country was "open to discussion" with the European Commission.

The European Central Bank (ECB) and the American Federal Reserve decided on 3rd February to extend their temporary reciprocal currency lines (swap lines) until 30th October 2009 in place of 30th April. This system was set up in mid-October 2008. The extension was sought by the American Federal Reserve in order to deal with tension on the dollar on world money markets.

On 30th January the European Investment Bank and 9 other financial establishments signed a memorandum of agreement in Paris firming up the memorandum of intent signed last July in Paris, on the fringe of the Summit meeting of Heads of State and government creating the "Union for the Mediterranean". These 10 financial establishments will be joined in the near future by the African Development Bank. The memorandum provides for the implementation of 20 concrete projects involving financial transfers by migrants, banking, insurance and property products, small and medium businesses and the financing of major projects and infrastructure.

At the security conference held in Munich from 6th to 8th February, the American Vice-President Joe Biden undertook, on behalf of the Obama administration, to adopt a "new tone" with other countries after the Bush years, but warned his own allies that he would be making demands in return. "I have come to Europe in the name of a new administration that is determined to establish a new tone, not only in Washington, but also in America's relations with the rest of the world", he declared. To illustrate his words he suggested a new beginning with Iran and Russia. The French President Nicolas Sarkozy thought that "the time is coming" to explain to the French people that the alliance with the United States does not harm French independence, taking another step towards reintegration into NATO, left in 1966. He did set a "condition" however, in that "France wants to renew its relationship with NATO by being an independent ally, a free partner of the United States".

On 3rd February, the Spanish Employment and Immigration Ministry published its unemployment figures, which show an increase of almost 200,000 job seekers since January 2009 (+6.35%). With unemployment at over 3.3 million the unemployment rate in Spain reached 13.9% during the 4th quarter 2008, the highest in the European Union. The Spanish head of government, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, reiterated his call on banks to promote credit. He announced the creation of 300,000 jobs, planning for the creation of 32,000 new projects. The ministry's report indicates that unemployment is increasing more particularly in the building, industrial, service and agricultural sectors. It indicates that men and young people are particularly affected by this increase.

The Finnish President, Tarja Halonen, spoke on 4th February to the Eduskunta (Finnish parliament) for the opening of the parliamentary session. In her opinion Finland must be consensual in terms of security questions: a governmental report should be presented to Parliament in the near future. This report will raise the possibility for Finland of applying to join NATO and reaffirms Finland's participation in the international management of crises. With regard to the economic crisis, she believes that this should not divide the country and that measures must be taken to correct the system, specifically by means of international cooperation.

On 4th February the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel signed in "Le Monde" and "Süddeutsche Zeitung" an article on "Security, our joint task". Just a few weeks after the election of the American President, Barack Obama, and a few weeks before the 60th anniversary of the Atlantic Alliance, which will be celebrated in Strasbourg and Kehl on 3rd and 4th April, they consider that "faced with the world's uncertainties, a concerted policy is essential", "convinced that it is in our interest to make the building of Europe and the Atlantic partnership the two sides of the same security policy". The second part of the article is given over to military cooperation.

Jeannot Krecké, Luxembourg Minister for the Economy and Overseas Trade, and Jean-Louis Schiltz, Minister of Communications, presented on 3rd February the plan for investement in electronic communications infrastructures. "In view of the difficult economic situation, greater investment will mean support for Luxembourg companies facing difficulties in the current economic climate" believes the governement. With regard to mobile networks, 15.5 million € will be invested in 2009. This is above all investment in broad bank networks and in improvement of the UMTS network. For 2009, investments in I.T. amounted initially to 14 million € but have been increased to 22.8 million €.

At the request of the Dutch Prime Minister, Jan Peter Balkenende, an independent commission was created on 2nd February to look into the Netherlands' decision to take action in Iraq alongside the American army in 2003. The commission will be headed by Willibrord Davids, former President of the Supreme Court and its report should be published between now and 1st November 2009.

Poland is suspending its missions to Chad, Lebanon and on the Golan Heights, "because of budgetary cuts" due to the world crisis, annnounced the Polish Defence Mininster, Bogdan Klich, on 4th February. "These three missions are being cut, notably due to budget cuts, but also due to the fact that missions under the aegis of the United Nations (UN) are not a priority for Poland", declared Bogdan Klich to the all-day news channel Tvn 24. "NATO and EU (European Union) missions are Poland's priority", he added, the most important currently being in Afghanistan, where Warsaw has deployed 1,600 soldiers.

Members of the Czech parliament decided on 4th February to postpone to 17th February at the earliest their vote on the Lisbon Treaty. When debates opened on 3rd February, the Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek requested that the vote be postponed to give ad hoc parliamentary commissions time to submit their findings. Members of Parliament decided by 115 votes in favour, 73 against and 6 abstentions, to follow this advice. The vote had already been postponed once, from December to the beginning of February.

At a joint press conference held in London on 2nd February, the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed a series of agreements made between China and the United Kingdom, and specifically a protocol of agreements on the promotion of British trade in some Chinese cities, which should allow the United Kingdom to double its exports up to 10 billion pounds sterling between now and 2010. Like his Chinese opposite number, Wen Jiabao, Gordon Brown is convinced that protectionism is the "main threat" to resolution of the world economic crisis. He added that the two countries were favourable to reform of international financial institutions and the creation of an early warning system for the world economy. The two heads of government also referred to the matters of human rights and Tibet.

Further to adoption, by the European Council, of the Energy-Climate package, the Swedish government presented on 5th February a document entitled, "A sustainable energy and climate policy for the environment, competitiveness and long-term stability". The Swedish energy policy must be based on three pillars: ecological sustainability, competitiveness and security of supply. This document provides notably for a five-year programme to improve the country's energy efficiency. The Swedish government has also announced that it is going back on its decision to close its nuclear fleet within the next thirty years. Nuclear energy represents nearly half of all electricity generation in Sweden.

After her appointment to the head of the Icelandic government, the new Prime Minister, Johanna Sigurdardottir, declared on 4th February that Iceland's membership of the European Union and then of the euro zone seemed to her to be "the best option" to get her country out of the crisis. "In my opinion the best option is to join the European Union and adopt the euro", she said at a press conference.

On 4th February, Russian, Armenian, Belarus, Kazak, Uzbek, Tajik and Kyrgyz leaders decided to create a "collective rapid reaction armed force". This decision, deemed "urgent", is a response to possible "external threats", such as the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and organised crime. In parallel, Russia, Belorus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan decided, within the context of the Eurasian Economic Community Council, to create a joint fund of 10 billion $ to combat the consequences of the economic crisis. On 3rd February, Russia signed with Belarus an agreement on the creation of a unified anti-air defence system and obtained agreement from Kyrgyzstan for the closure of a major American military base set up on its territory in 2001.

At the end of a regional conference organised in Belgrade on 3rd February on the financial crisis, the Serbian deputy Prime Minister with responsibility for European integration, Bozidar Djelic, called on the European Union to provide economic aid to western Balkan countries to help them deal with the financial crisis and assist in the prospect of their membership of the European Union. He said that countries in the region wished to see the EU remove the visa obligation for their citizens in 2009. This conference included representatives from Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, Albania and Macedonia. The same day the first deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dacic met with representatives from the European Commission to discuss the integration process and specifically the policy on visas. The accent was put on progress made by Serbia. The European Commission is to present its report on Serbia in the spring.

On 8th February the Swiss people massively approved renewal and extension to Bulgaria and Romania of agreements on the free movement of workers with the European Union. According to official results, the Yes vote won 59.6% of votes cast in the Helvetian Confederation where 22 of the 26 cantons voted in favour of collaboration with Brussels, which has enabled 200,000 Europeans to work in Switzerlands since 2002. The No vote obtained 40.4% of votes cast. The Swiss authorities saluted the "choice for the future", which backs up the "bilateral route" between the Confederation and its leading economic partner. For its part Brussels has passed on its "congratulations" to the Swiss who have accepted to prolong a "key agreement" opening "the way to strengthening of the existing fabric", between the Confederation and its neighbours, explained the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso.

On 5th February the Turkish Parlimaent ratified the Kyoto protocol, the international treaty aimed at combatting climate change. The protocol currently commits 37 developed countries to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2012 by an average of 5% compared to 1990 levels. Just a few months ahead of the forthcoming international conference on climate change to be held in Copenhagen, this ratification represents an encouraging sign in terms of commitment by the international community to combat climate change.

On 3rd February the International Court of Justice handed down an order on delimitation of the Black Sea continental shelf between Romania and Ukraine, a case that was submitted to it in 2004. The decision, which is final and irrevocable, confirms that Serpents' Island, which is Ukrainian territory, does not give the island rights over the 12,000 nautical miles of the continential shelf that surround it. In its order, made unanimously, the Court set a delimitation line that goes from the intersection point between the territorial waters of Romania and the territorial waters of Serpents' Island, which belongs to Ukraine. The maritime boundary then follows the arc with a radius of 12 marine miles which surrounds Serpents' Island through to its intersection with the line equi-distant from the adjoining Romanian and Ukrainian coasts. It then continues along the length of a line that is equi-distant from facing Romanian and Ukrainian coasts. Representatives from both Ukraine and Romania declared that they were satisfied with the Court's decision.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 3rd February, industrial production prices fell by 1.3% in the euro zone and by 1.4% within the European Union during December 2008 compared to November 2008, even though, compared to 2007, the average industrial production price index increased in 2008 by 6.2% in the euro zone and by 8.1% in the European Union. This drop concerns mainly prices in the energy sector, which fell by 3.7% and 3.8% respectively.

The Bruegel Institute has published a study by Henrik Horn, Petros C. Mavroidis and André Sapir entitled "Beyond the WTO? An anatomy of EU and US preferential trade agreements." The authors analyse the provisions of the preferential trade agreements of the two powers, agreements that are often criticised for their inequality despite WTO rules. The authors believe that although the European Union and the United States have taken very different approaches concerning these agreements, they are both seeking to protect their priorities in world regulation.

The Center for European Studies (CES) and the Constantin Caramanlis Institute for Democracy (CKID) have published a book directed by Constantine Arvanitopoulos entitled "Turkey's Accession to the European Union – An Unusual Candidacy".

Bernd Neumann, government delegate for culture and media, announced on 29th January that a new monument would be built in Leipzig between now and 2014 to commemorate the peaceful revolution of former GDR in 1989. Leipzig was an important venue for demonstrations by human rights militants against the regime in former GDR. He indicated that the government was prepared to subsidise the building of a monument commemorating unity and liberty, in the amount of 5 million €.