Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The high level group, chaired by the European Commission, is made up of high representatives from gender equality authorities from the 27 Member States of the European Union to prepare initial work on gender equality dealt with during each presidency. 

The Ecofin Council, which is composed of the Ministers of the Economy and/or Finance of the EU Member States, meets once a month. The Ministers discuss issues including the coordination of economic policy, financial services, tax and the euro. The EU Budget Ministers also tackle the adoption of the EU budget within this Council.

Meeting Political and Security Committee

The week in Strasbourg will see Commission President José Manuel Barroso make his first "State of the European Union" speech. Also on the agenda is how to help Pakistan after the floods devastated the country. The controversy over the Roma deportations will also be discussed during talks between MEPs and the European Commission. There is also likely to be steps to limit the use of animals in scientific testing. All of these issues can be followed here on the Parliament's website. (source: European Parliament)

The aim of the Pacioli workshops is to bring people together who use data from agricultural accountancy networks or are involved in their management. The participants will discuss agricultural accounts and micro-economic information for policy support at the workshops.

In Brussels, almost 13.000 people work in the world of research. Who are they? What are they researching?

Artists' portraits is a collection started by the SmartBe Foundation. The Foundation decided to put together a collection of contemporary works of art in connection with the artist's portrait, a theme close to the mission and objectives of SMartBe.

Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, Liverpool, Linz, Madrid and Budapest linked by new technologies.

The building of the Council of the European Union in Brussels is being decorated in an original way for the occasion of the Belgian EU presidency. Famous fashion designers have designed silhouettes with clothing donated from the Spullenhulp/Petits Riens depot, a charity that collects old objects for the benefit of social projects. This initiative highlights the European Year 2010 for combating poverty and social exclusion. Alongside the silhouettes that can be admired throughout the whole Council Building, there is also a photography exhibition on "the making of" of the designs.

Series of 20 8-minute programmes.
Theme: introduction for citizens, associations and teachers to the history, institutions and cultural dimensions of Europe.

Photography exhibition with Alice Smeets (B), Willy Filz (B), Christian Roosen (B), Geneviève Biwer (L) & Thomas Brenner (D).

When the design world moves into to the power station, something must be afoot! 20 designers agreed to play the game, to reveal the mysterious and hazardous journey from creative idea to finished object, a design object intended for mass production to improve our lives; this conversation oscillates between art and technology, it is a constant - and sometimes strained - dialogue between the designer and the constraints of industrial manufacture. 

This summer, Africa explodes in colours and life to celebrate 50 years of independence in Congo and 16 other African countries. A festival with the finest in theatre arts and dedicated creators. The fascinating GEO-graphics exhibition constitutes the first part of a new vision of our relationship with Africa. All the festival artists are then encouraged to come join the discussion and the engagement for this visionary Africa during their 48 hours in Brussels.

Lively and complex, the work of Philippe Herbet is the fruit of a quest begun long ago by this artist from Liège. He unveils his colour photographs here, which were taken in Belarus. With its poetic and elegant form, his work immerses us in his journeys filled with beautiful objects, unusual monuments, and strange and disturbing women. Inspired by both literature and photography, he pairs his photographs with texts from his postcards.