The Chairman of the Robert Schuman Foundation, Jean-Dominique Giuliani is taking part in a conference organised in Loudun on 4th May entitled "France, Europe and the Crisis, what answers can be given, what are the perspectives?"

All of the events organised on the occasion of Europe Day on 9th May in France and across the EU are to be found on an internet site. So let's celebrate Europe!

Nane publishing has released another issue of "Expliquez-moi ... le Parlement européen" with a preface by European Parliament President, Hans-Gert Pöttering.

According to figures published on 29th April by the Hungarian Central Statistics Office industrial sales prices on the national market decreased by 0.7% in March 2009 in comparison with February and underwent an increase of 4.6% in comprison with March 2008, whilst industrial export sales prices increased by 1.7% in comparison with February and by 12.2% in comparison with March 2008. Industrial sales prices including those on the Hungarian domestic market and export prices increased by 0.7% in comparison with February 2009 and by 9.1% in comparison with data from last year.

Less than one month after joining the Atlantic Alliance, Albania officially delivered its candidature to join the EU on 28th April in Prague. "Albania still has to undertake a great deal of work," declared Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek, whose country is ensuring the six-monthly presidency of the EU after he received the official documents from his Albanian counterpart, Sali Berisha. The latter welcomed this "historic moment" that "heralds the return of his country into the European family of nations."

On 27th April the Civil Liberties Committee at the European Parliament approved an initial proposal supported by Antonio Masip Hidalgo's (PSE, ES)report, adopted 33 votes, one against and one abstention. This report aims to increase ayslum seekers' rights and improve reception facilities, defined by precise criteria in terms of lodgings, food, clothing, healthcare, financial allocations, freedom of movement and access to work. Specific measures are also planned for with regard to particularly vulnerable people (minors, unaccompanied minors, pregnant women, and victims of torture and violence). The four codecision reports are part of an "asylum package" and will be examined in plenary session in Strasbourg between 4th and 7th May.

On 27th April the Commission adopted a new EU strategy for youth policy for the coming decade. Entitled "Youth – Investing and Empowering", the new strategy acknowledges the fact that (1) young people are one of the most vulnerable groups in society, especially in the current economic and financial crisis, and (2) in our ageing society, young people are a precious resource. The new strategy is cross-sectoral, with both short and long-term actions, which involve key policy areas that affect Europe's young people, particularly youth education, employment, creativity and entrepreneurship, social inclusion, health and sport, civic participation, and volunteering. The new strategy also emphasises the importance of youth work and defines reinforced measures for a better implementation of youth policies at the EU level.

On 27th and 28th April the 27 Foreign Ministers discussed Croatia's EU membership negotiations. They spoke about the maritime zones regime and access to the sea. They also discussed the European neighbourhood policy and illegal immigration in the Mediterranean as well as the peace process in the Middle East and the situation in Burma. Finally they also adopted a common declaration with the European Commission and the Parliament on the funding of the European economic recovery plan of 5 billion euros and launched procedures for excessive deficit against France, Spain, Ireland and Greece whose public finances have worsened over the last few months due to the crisis.

The Court of Justice of the European Communities delivered a decision on 28th April on Meletis Apostolides/David Charles Orams and Linda Elizabeth Orams (case C-420/07) with regard to the restitution of hundreds of abandonned properties to Cypriots in the northern part of the island after division and which were then sold off to foreigners. The Court of Justice believes that even though the Cypriot government does not control the northern part of the island judgements given by Cypriot justice should be applied by all Member States including therefore the UK.

On 24th April the Bundestag concluded ten years of debate by adopting a law regulating the use of genetic analysis in Germany. The text aims to protect individuals against infringements in terms of genetic screening whether this be in the medical, professional areas or related to insurance or private life. It is prohibited for any employer or insurance company to demand that an employee or a client undergo a genetic screening test; they also cannot use a genetic test that has already been undertaken. The only exception to this involves the signature of an insurance contract to a total exceeding 300,000 euro. The new law provides genetic screening tests with a strict framework, together with major safeguards. For each person it establishes the "right to know" but also the "right not to knowe" and aims to prevent anyone be discriminated against or stigmatised because of genetic criteria.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Balasz travelled to Vienna on 28th April where he met his counterpart Michael Spindelegger. The two ministers discussed bilateral cooperation between the two countries which support the Balkans' accession to the EU, in order to extend the zone of peace and stability. They also discussed the enhancement of cooperation in the Danube region. For his part the Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann welcomed the new Hungarian Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai who chose Austria as the first destination for his first official visit, thereby bearing witness to the strong links between the two countries. They discussed the economic and financial crisis and notably the support of the economies of Central and Eastern Europe. They also planned a joint council of Ministers next autumn.

The French group BNP has received the greenlight to take over the biggest Belgian bank, Fortis Banque. Shareholders of Fortis Holding who met in a general assembly in Belgium and in the Netherlands on 28th and 29th April approved respectively by 73% and 78% the sale of 75% of the Fortis Banque to BNP Paribas. Believing that they had been robbed opponents of the purchase, notably in Belgium where they demonstrated their discontent violently. However the Belgian government and BNP Paribas showed their relief.

The general elections in Bulgaria will take place on 5th July less than one month after the European elections on 7th June according to a decision taken by President Gueorgui Parvanov that was published on 28th April. For the first time in the coutnry's history 31 of the 240 MPs will be elected by majority vote whilst the proportional system will remain the rule for the election of the others. For a party to be able to sit in the Bulgarian Parliament it has to win a miniumum of 4% of the vote. The outgoing Parliament also approved a rule establishing the minimum threshold for a party to be able to form a coalition - 8% - with another party within the assembly. This measure aims to prevent the present opposition from making alliances.

On 27th and 28th April French President Nicolas Sarkozy was received on a State visit to Spain by King Juan Carlos. On 28th April during the 21st Franco-Spanish summit the French president and Spanish head of government José luiz Zapatero signed a joint declaration on issues related to domestic security (terrorism, illegal immigration, drug trafficking) and to main community issues, both economic and diplomatic. In terms of the fight against terorrism and organised crime they announced the creation of a "Planning and Strategic Coordination Committe on Domestic Security" that will meet on a six-monthly basis. With regard to immigration issues, joint operations will be established and with regard to drug trafficking "joint anti-drug units" will be formed. On a European level the Spanish Prime Minister declared that real economic government would be one of the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the EU in the first half of 2010.

The Finnish National Statistics Office published new unemployment figures in Finland on 28th April. In March the unemployment figure reached 8.3% of the working population ie a rise of 1.6 points in comparison with the month of February. Men are particularly affected by this trend since in one year their employment rate has decreased by 2.2 points against a 0.4 point decrease for women over the same period. Finland, whose economy depends greatly on exports, has fallen victim to an international trade contraction in the wake of the economic and financial crisis.

The recruitment of candidates for the academic year 2009-2010 for the European Masters in Governance and Administration (MEGA) has now been launched. The deadline for applications is set for 15th June 2009. This Franco-German training programme in public administration is designed for young executives from the French and German administrations or other EU Member States or candidate countries; it is also open to executives from the European institutions or from the private sector. It is designed to provide a better understanding of administrative practices in France and Germany and to acquire the necessary tools for good governance and citizen administration from a nationally comparative, European and international point of view. This programme is the result of a partnership that rallies eleven universiies or ministerial institutions.

The Italian and American car manufacturers Fiat and Chrysler signed a final alliance agreement on 30th April. Company managers, economists, politicians and Italian analysts welcomed this alliance between the two companies unanimously; by doing this Fiat has opened up new opportunities on the American market. After Chrysler, Fiat would like a rapprochement with Opel. In an interview in the Corriere della Sera on 3rd May Fiat Chairman Luca Cordero de Montezemolo said that taking on the struggling German branch of American General Motors would make it possible to complete the link after the agreement made last week with Chrysler.

The Prime Ministers of the Baltic countries that met in Vilnius on 27th April (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) and signed a common declaration on the principles of the creation of a Common Baltic Energy Market and the implementation of some main energy projects. This involves the liberalisation of the energy market in the three countries by providing consumers with the choice of supplier. Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip insisted on the strategic dimension of this project that will lead to a strengthening in energy security in a region where this issue is of vital importance.

Austrian Justice Minister, Claudia Bandion-Ortner undertook a working visit on 28th and 29th April to Luxembourg. Discussions with the Luxembourg Justice Minister Luc Frieden focused on the future of the European judicial area and more particularly on the preparation of the next EU action plan in this area (Stockholm programme).

On 29th April in Warsaw the chairs of the German, French, Hungarian, Italian and Polish Parliaments, Norbert Lammert, Bernard Accoyer, Katalin Szili, Gianfranco Fini and Bronislaw Komorowski called on parliamentarians of the member countries to accelerate the ratification process of the Lisbon Treaty to provide a strong sign on the eve of the European elections and so that the Treaty can be applied by the end of the year. The Lisbon Treaty still has to be ratified in the Czech Republic (planned for on 6th May) and in Ireland. Ireland that rejected the text is to organise another referendum in the autumn. The Robert Schuman Foundation has published an interactive map explaining the ratification situation per country.

During a joint press conference in Warsaw on 28th April the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his Polish counterpart Donald Tusk accepted the enhancement of their cooperation in the domain of international security. They notably discussed the issue of nuclear disarmament and the situation in Afghanistan. Poland accepted the dispatch of 400 additional troops to strengthen NATO forces in Afghanistan. Finally the two heads of government discussed the economic and financial crisis and the upcoming Copenhagen summit on climate change. Donald Tusk told Gordon Brown of his projects that aim to protect the former concentration camp of Auschwitz-Birkenau as a permanent memorial.

The head of the Turkish government Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on May 1st that there would be a ministerial reshuffle; this notably saw the arrival of his influential diplomatic advisor, Ahmet Davutoglu at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. Ali Babacan, previously the head of diplomacy has become Economy Minister. Former Chair of Parliament, Bülent Arinc has become one of the three Deputy Prime Ministers. Eight ministers including the Justice, Education, Finance and Energy Ministers have lost their positions.

On May 5th the Council of Europe will be celebrating its 60th anniversary. Sixty years ago the leaders of 10 European states including Robert Schuman, met in London and promised to work closely together to defend human rights, to enhance democracy and the rule of law in their respective countries. At present the Council of Europe has 47 Member States on the European continent, extending from Iceland to Russia, from Norway to Malta via the Balkans and the Southern Caucasus. On the occasion of its 60th anniversary many events are being organised in Strasbourg and other major European cities.

On 29th April as part of the appointment procedure of the WTO Director General, present Director General Pascal Lamy provided the General Council with his vision of the WTO's work over the next four years. On 30th April the General Council decided to re-appoint Pascal Lamy for a second four year term in office as from 1st September 2009.

According to a Eurobarometer survey on inter-generational solidarity published on 28th April, 69% of those interviewed believe that young and old people find it hard to agree on what is best for society. 14% of those interviewed believe that old people are a burden whilst 85% do not share this opinion. As many people ask for an increase in pensions and better care for the elderly. On the other hand 46% deplore the fact that governments neglect young people and the education sector in favour of an ageing population. An overwhelming majority of those interviewed appreciate that the elderly susidise young adults, work voluntarily in associations and take care of their family.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 28th April in the EU the proportion of the population having completed higher education, i.e. tertiary level education of at least two years, has increased steadily through the generations. In 2007, 30% of those aged 25-34 had graduated from tertiary education, compared with 25% of those aged 35-44 and 19% of those aged 45-64. The proportion of tertiary education graduates was in 2007 higher in the youngest age group (25-34 years) than in the oldest (45-64 years) in all Member States, except Germany. The proportion of tertiary education graduates in the EU has increased more for women than for men through the generations.

On 28th April the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) published a report entitled "Towards sustainable but still adequate pensions in the EU : Theory, trends and simulations". The authors provide a statistical description of pensioners' material and social situation, a calculation of Member States' financial requirements to ensure pensions long term as well as a ranking of the various retirement systems in the EU. They reach the conclusion that the pensions of future generations are threatened everywhere in Europe, but there are promising opportunties for reform.

According to a study published on 28th April by the Soros Institute in Sofia the ten new Member States of Central and Eastern Europe support reform of the main European policies but do not have enough influence to undertake them. The study entitled "Not your Grandfather's Eastern Bloc" analyses the positions of the 10 new Member States in Central and Eastern Europe in seven key areas including energy, foreign policy and economy. The report reveals the changes Europe would undergo if these countries decided what was to be done in Europe.

From 17th April to 30th August the Kunst und Ausstellungshalle in Bonn is putting on an exhibition on Amedeo Modigliani. 40 paintings, 70 drawings and some sculptures follow the artists artistic development. The last major exhibition on Modigliani in Germany took place 17 years ago.