On the home stretch with ups and downs
The Japanese press – any in any case, the English-language press such as The Japan Times – has been giving massive coverage to the summit meeting. Among the stories published in The Japan Times there was one about the struggle for the preservation of a wild variety of azalea, the rhododendron boninense. This species, which is over a century old, grows on the Ogasawara islands in the Pacific Ocean. Japan would like to see the islands included on the UNESCO World Heritage List next year. They are full of rare indigenous plants that have adapted to the subtropical climate.
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All eyes on Japan and Harrison Ford
Wednesday 27 October - Today everyone was keeping an eye out for the American actor Harrison Ford – who is very popular in Japan, just like Tom Cruise. He was here on behalf of the ngo Conservation International to call on the US to ratify the 1993 UN Convention on Biological Diversity to combat the extinction of plants and animals.
Minister Schauvliege - 'A day at the races' in Nagoya
Tuesday – 26 10 2010
Tokyo with its 10 million inhabitants refers to Nagoya as “the countryside”. After all, only 2 million people live in Nagoya. The city is the fourth largest in Japan, after Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka.
Minister Schauvliege - In the nerve centre of the COP
Monday - 25 October
An eleven to twelve hour flight gives me time to examine several files and catch up on some overdue reading. I can’t sleep during the flight anyway. While we pass over several time zones, I read the weekend edition of the Volkskrant about … ‘the nightmare of many travellers: jetlag’. Jetlag messes up your sleeping-waking rhythm. Consequence: sleep disorders, fatigue, irritability and often also stomach and digestion complaints, but it apparently also effects concentration and memory.
Minister Schauvliege - I'm leaving for Nagoya with confidence
Sunday 24th of October. Today is the day. I’m leaving for Nagoya, Japan where I will be attending the International Biodiversity Summit on behalf of the Belgian delegation, and within the framework of the Belgian Presidency of European Union, I will also be defending the EU-position at the 10th COP (Conference of the Parties) on the Convention on Biological Diversity. It will certainly be no easy task, but I am leaving with a sense of confidence that by the end of next week, we will be able to reach a consistent agreement with the rest of the world about how to halt the loss of biodiversity and where possible, restore it. I am cautiously optimistic.
Plenary session of the European Parliament: big steps forward for the Belgian Presidency
On 21 and 22 September, I attended the plenary session of the European Parliament where I represented the Presidency of the Council of the EU. There were important topics on the agenda for the plenary session.
The President of the Council of Europe Herman Van Rompuy presented the conclusions of the extraordinary Council of Europe on 16 September devoted to relations with strategic partners, economic governance and the situation of the Roma in Europe.
Report of a thrilling session at the European Parliament
This week I went to Strasbourg to attend the plenary session of the European Parliament and represent the Council. This session was actually the first during which the Council occasionally had to take a stand, attend votes between noon and 1 p.m. and intervene on certain issues on the agenda, such as the situation of the Roma in Europe, guidelines for employment policies, arms exports,...
Meeting with the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament
On Thursday 24 June, the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament met with the upcoming Belgian Presidency. The Prime Minister, Yves Leterme, the Federal Ministers and a number of federal bodies presented the political and legislative priorities of the Presidency.
The citizen’s initiative : a project for all European citizens
Did you know that the European citizens soon will be able to participate in the politics of the European Union? One of the innovations of the Lisbon Treaty is the citizen’s initiative : 1 million citizens can ask the Commission to introduce a bill .
Preparation between friends
The Presidency began 12 days ago. For me, those days have been very full, on various occasions, notably meetings with the European Parliament or the international press to present the key outlines of our programme, but also with specific files, such as the launch of negotiations for the accession of Iceland.