Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Meeting Permanent Representatives Committee II

How should the co-ordination of social policies be reinforced in a Europe of 27 member states? While the Union is launching a strategy for the next 10 years – EU 2020 – what are the processes already in place and what will their future be ? To answer these questions, experts and national delegations will present avenues of improvement based on the successes of the past. In order to ensure the commitment of the political actors, of the social partners and of civil society.

The Economy FPS is organising a seminar for businesses on 14 September 2010 with the theme "From knowledge to competitiveness". Its objective is to introduce and initiate a debate on three tools available to public authorities to support innovation. They are standardisation, intellectual property, and public procurement. The key points for attention from the various activities (presentations, panels, and workshops) will be recorded to serve as a basis for future discussion.

On 13^th and 14^th September 2010, the Presidency will hold a ministerial conference dedicated to quality and efficiency in the asylum process. The Belgian Presidency wishes to invite all of the Member States and the European Institutions as well as the High Commissioner for Refugees and civil society to take part in the conference. The meeting is primarily intended to inventory good practices that contribute to a more efficient asylum policy in the Member States, in compliance with defined quality standards.

The subjects of this meeting are a number of current themes from the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP).

In addition to the 3 round tables on the same issue scheduled by the DG SANCO in 2010, the European professional associations in the heart of the system (COPA-COGECA for livestock farmers, UECBV for slaughterhouses and FVE for veterinarians) are organizing a seminar with the aim of establishing a state of play of the strong points and the weak points of the current system in order to determine the possible bases of a risk-based inspection. This seminar is a follow-up of the seminar on veterinary inspection organized by the French Presidency in July 2008 in Lyon and is meant to deepen the dialogue between professionals but also the dialogue with the competent authorities and decision-makers.

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 new opera from Belgian composer Philippe Boesmans, based on the eponymous work by Witold Gombrowicz, has its Belgian premiere one year after it was written for the Opéra National de Paris.

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.

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.