Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

The Special Committee on Agriculture (SCA) is 50 years old and this is being celebrated. The Flemish chairman of the SCA is inviting current and former representatives of the member states and EU institutions for a combined lunch and musical event.

In 2010, the international community celebrates the tenth anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. The resolution acknowledged, for the first time, the importance of a gender dimension in the areas of peace building, peace keeping and conflict prevention.

From 8 to 10 September 2010 the expert conference “Europe de l’Enfance” takes place in Antwerp. On the initiative of the EU Presidency, the ministers and officials competent for childhood policy will meet biannually under the name “Europe de l’Enfance” (EE).

The communities of Belgium have decided to place this conference on the agenda of the EU Presidency – Youth for the first time. The presidency has chosen as a priority ‘Matching international agendas on children, youth and children's rights.’

The very dynamic culture sector, the cultural and creative industries in particular, generates and stimulates considerable potential for creativity which makes it an important actor for meeting the challenges with which the European Union is confronted today. Within the context of the implementation of the “EU 2020” strategy, the goal is to highlight and promote the considerable potential of the cultural and creative industries.

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)

On the occasion of the 2010 Belgian Presidency, the European Movement-Belgium (EBB) is realising a bilingual blog (FR and NL) with accessible and informal information about the EU and the Presidency, geared towards a young audience.

The “SOS Planet” exhibition is set to be the biggest exhibition ever created on the topic of climate change.

Throughout the Belgian Presidency of the EU, the Brussels-Capital Region will be offering tours of discovery in the canal area (guided, with a reservation, or unaccompanied) of projects cofinanced by the European Union.

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.