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Causales - Gesellschaft für Kulturmarketing und Kultursponsoring mbH: Berlin (ots) - Am 29. Mai 2017 beginnt zum zwölften Mal die Ausschreibung des innovativsten Wettbewerbs für Kulturmanagement, -marketing und -sponsoring. Bis zum 31. August haben Kulturanbieter, Kultursponsoren und Kulturtourismusregionen die ...

IKEA Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG: Hofheim-Wallau (ots) - Die HEMGJORD Kollektion umfasst handbestickte Textilien wie Kissenbezüge, Stuhlkissen, Tischläufer und Mappen, außerdem handgeflochtene Taschen, Körbe und Schalen aus erneuerbaren Bananenfasern. Ziel der indischen ...

PFALZSOLAR GmbH: Ludwigshafen (ots) - In dieser Woche startet zum 26. Mal die Intersolar Europe, die führende Messe der Solarwirtschaft. Vom 31. Mai bis zum 02. Juni erwarten mehr als 1.000 Aussteller über 40.000 Fachbesucher aus aller Welt. Die PFALZSOLAR GmbH ...

die Bayerische: München (ots) - Die Versicherungsgruppe die Bayerische erweitert ihr Angebot in der Altersvorsorge und startet die neue Basis-Rente Aktiv. Kernpunkte dabei sind die Sicherheit bei der Ruhestandsplanung, Chancen auf eine hohe Rendite und eine bisher ...

SAT.1: Unterföhring (ots) - Vier Freunde müsst ihr sein: Wotan Wilke Möhring, Jan Josef Liefers, Fahri Yardim und Oliver Korittke in "Da muss Mann durch" am 30. Mai in SAT.1 Schon im Kino-Erfolg "Mann tut was Mann kann" hatten die vier Freunde Paul (Wotan ...

Le tout nouveau Parti animaliste, qui a investi 147 candidats, veut interdire la corrida, la chasse de loisir ou encore réduire la consommation de produits animaux.

The Council agreed on general approaches on two proposals of the "Services Package" to make the internal market more effective:

- a draft directive laying down rules on notification for authorisation requirements in the services sector, and

- a draft directive aimed at carrying out a proportionality test before adoption of new regulation of professions.

A Council general approach allows starting negotiations with the European Parliament.

“Businesses and professionals are still confronted with disproportionate regulation to provide services across borders. The Services Package is an essential tool to facilitate the movement of people and services. Companies, professionals and consumers will benefit greatly from better access to different professional activities and services”, said Chris Cardona, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business of Malta.

Notification procedure in the services sector

The draft directive seeks to ensure that new national measures approved in member states fulfil the necessary conditions to facilitate the competitiveness and integration of the single market in the services sector.

More specifically, it aims at improving the current notification procedure of the Services Directive (2006/123/EC). This procedure provides that member states must notify to the Commission new or changed authorisation schemes or requirements falling under the scope of the Services Directive in order to guarantee its correct implementation.

The Council's text takes into account the need to enhance the existing notification procedure and the need to respect the principles of proportionality and of subsidiarity, in particular the prerogatives of national parliaments and administrative authorities.

The objective of the Services Directive is to remove barriers to the establishment of service providers and the temporary provision of cross-border services.

Professions: tests before adoption of new national rules

The draft directive seeks to improve transparency on the way certain professions are regulated in the member states.

More specifically, it aims at ensuring that national measures are proportionate and do not unduly restrict access to professions or create unjustified burdens in the internal market.

When regulating professions, member states will have to make an assessment as to whether the new or amended rules are justified so as to appreciate their effect on stakeholders and businesses. The future directive will therefore harmonise the way in which these proportionality tests are carried out and the criteria that have to be applied, in accordance with the European Court of Justice rulings.

The obligation to carry out a proportionality test before introducing new regulation of professions will supplement provisions of the Professional Qualifications Directive (2013/55/EU).

The Services Package

The "Services Package", released on 10 January 2017, contains the following legislative proposals:

• Proposal for a services e-card
• Proposal for a services notification procedure
• Proposal for a proportionality test before adoption of new regulation of professions

It also includes guidance on reform recommendations for regulation in professional services.

Promoting the competitiveness of services markets is essential for the creation of jobs and growth in the EU, with the services sector accounting for around 70% of the EU's GDP.

Si on se réfère à la liste diffusée par l'organisateur, le salon du Bourget aura quelques belles pièces,
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On 29 May 2017, the Council adopted a decision authorising the signing of an agreement with the United States on insurance and reinsurance. 

The agreement will provide legal certainty for EU and US insurers and reinsurers in the application of regulatory frameworks. It will enable improved protection for policyholders and other consumers through cooperation between supervisors and the exchange of information. 

The text was negotiated by the Commission on the basis of a mandate approved by the Council in April 2015. It includes provisions on reinsurance, group supervision and the exchange of information. A joint committee will oversee its implementation. 

The Council's decision provides for provisional application of some of the agreement's provisions, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its conclusion. The Council also requested the consent of the European Parliament for conclusion of the agreement.

The decision was adopted at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council, without discussion.

The Council agreed on a general approach to reform the system of type-approval and market surveillance for motor vehicles.

This major reform will modernise the current system, adapt it to new technologies available on the market and improve control tests on car emissions data.

"Public health, air quality and innovation are at the core of this agreement. The only way to restore and increase trust in the European automobile industry is to help to develop clean and safety technologies. Reliable control tests for cars will be established so that emission irregularities that happened in the past cannot reappear in the future”, said Chris Cardona, Chair of the Council and Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business of Malta.

The aim of the reform is to achieve a high level of safety and environmental performance of motor vehicles and to address the main shortcomings identified in the existing type-approval system.

The Council general approach will have to be negotiated with the European Parliament before becoming law. The Parliament voted its position on 4 April.

Important changes will be introduced in three areas by strengthening:

• the quality of testing that allows a car to be placed on the market through improved technical services
• market surveillance to control the conformity of cars already available on the market, with the possibility for member states and the Commission to carry out spot-checks on vehicles in order to detect failures at an early stage
• the oversight of the type-approval process, in particular through the establishment of a Forum for the exchange of information on enforcement, made up of representatives of national approval and market surveillance authorities

All member states agreed to improve the harmonised implementation of the rules across the EU so as to reduce the possible differences in interpretation and application by national type-approval authorities and technical services. They also agreed that more effective market surveillance rules should apply to better detect non-compliance at an early stage.

A minimum number of cars to be checked

The new market surveillance obligations agreed by the Council would require every country to conduct a minimum number of checks on cars each year. This minimum number of checks will be 1 in every 50,000 new vehicles registered in that country the previous year.

The checks will include verification of emissions under real driving conditions.

The general approach foresees an obligation for member states to finance market surveillance activities. The fees for type-approval activities would be levied on manufacturers who have applied for type-approval.

Those countries with fewer resources to carry out the required tests will be able to ask other countries to carry out the tests on their behalf.

More robust oversight to detect failures

The Commission will be empowered to carry out tests and inspections of vehicles to verify compliance and react to irregularities immediately. This will increase the independence and quality of the EU type-approval system.

The Commission could also impose fines for infringements on manufacturers and importers of up to €30 000 per non-compliant vehicle.

An audit system based on peer reviews will be established. The type-approval authorities would be peer-reviewed by two type-approval authorities of other member states at least once every five years. The Commission will be able to participate in peer evaluation teams and should draw up a summary of the outcomes of peer evaluations and make them public.

Type-approval authorities however would not be subject to peer evaluation when they designate all their technical services on the basis of accreditation of internationally recognised standards.

Furthermore, an advisory Forum for exchange of information on enforcement measures would be established with the purpose to harmonise different interpretations and practises among the member states. This Forum should also examine the outcomes of peer evaluations.

In addition, the national authorities will have to submit each year to the Forum a comprehensive overview of their planned market surveillance checks.

As far as technical services are concerned, the Council text proposes the involvement of the national accreditation bodies in the assessment of the technical services and the establishment of joint assessment teams.

The position of technical services vis-à-vis manufacturers will be strengthened, and will include the right and duty to carry out unannounced factory inspections and to conduct physical or laboratory tests.

The technical services will carry out the tests for type-approval under the responsibility of type-approval authorities. The proper functioning of technical services is crucial for ensuring a high level of safety and environmental protection and so maintain consumer confidence in the system.

Background

The draft regulation to modernise the type-approval system of motor vehicles was presented by the Commission on 27 January 2016. It will replace the EU's current legal framework which is set out in directive 2007/46/EC.

It preserves the general purpose of directive 2007/46/EC to facilitate the free movement of motor vehicles in the internal market and apply the principle of mutual recognition by laying down harmonised type-approval requirements.

A fundamental overhaul of the existing system, which was designed ten years ago, was already foreseen in the EU's work programme.

However, irregularities discovered on the use of illegal defeat devices by certain car manufacturers have made public opinion, authorities and economic operators aware of the need to implement robust provisions on type-approval, as well as to improve testing methods with respect to pollutant emissions from vehicles, to prevent similar cases in the future.

L’ex-secrétaire d’Etat a déclaré avec retard ses revenus entre 2009 et 2013, omettant même ceux de 2012. Il est déclaré coupable, avec son épouse, de fraude fiscale.

The EU has taken a further step to prevent corporate tax avoidance, adopting rules to close down 'hybrid mismatches' with the tax systems of third countries. 

On 29 May 2017, the Council adopted a directive to prevent corporate groups from exploiting the disparities between two or more tax jurisdictions to reduce their overall tax liability. 

“Our aim here is to tackle one of the main practices that multinational companies have devised to reduce their tax bills”, said Edward Scicluna, minister for finance of Malta, which currently holds the Council presidency. “The directive adds to the rules we adopted last year to tackle the most common forms of tax avoidance. It will also ensure implementation of the OECD's recommendations.” 

The directive was adopted at a meeting of the Competitiveness Council, without discussion. This follows an agreement at a meeting on 21 February 2017. The European Parliament gave its opinion on 27 April 2017.

Member states will have until 1 January 2020 to transpose the directive into national laws and regulations (1 January 2022 for one specific provision).

May 28, 2017 (JUBA) - The Elders, a group of independent leaders, have condemned the political paralysis and failure of leadership at all levels in South Sudan in the face of worsening famine and humanitarian disaster.

People in conflict-affected areas of South Sudan collect food from WFP (WFP/eter Testuzza Photo)

The group, in a statement, also reiterated their view that all parties to the conflict, including the government of South Sudan and armed opposition groups, are directly contributing to the famine by leading military operations that destroy civilian homes and livelihoods.

South Sudan's situation, their statement stressed, is compounded by the brazen obstruction of humanitarian access to the conflicted-affected areas.

At the same time, they added, the international community has shown paralysis bordering on disinterest in regard to meaningful conflict resolution efforts and financial support to humanitarian aid.

“South Sudan is a young country, but its people have been consistently let down by their leaders who have been unable or unwilling to move away from conflict and personal enrichment at the expense of the nation,” said Kofi Annan, chair of The Elders.

He added, “Alleged war crimes and gross human rights violations committed by parties to the conflict, including the government and armed opposition groups, are prolonging the suffering of the people, and those who are responsible need to be held accountable.”

The Elders, in the statement, expressed particular outrage on the widespread use of sexual violence, including mass rape, as a tactic of war in South Sudan's crisis.
“All warring parties, including the state and other armed groups have a responsibility under international law to protect rather than violate the inviolable human rights of civilians,” adds the statement.

“The suffering in South Sudan should shame us all. It is an affront to civilised values, and the longer the international community allows the conflict and human rights abuses to persist, the weaker those values become. As Elders we stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan and will continue to press for peace and justice,” said Mary Robinson, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Founded by former South African president, late Nelson Mandela, the Elders are independent leaders using their collective experience and influence for peace, justice and human rights worldwide.

(ST)

C’était le début dimanche 28 mai de l'opération « révision » du fichier électoral dans la ville de Kinshasa, où l'on attend un peu plus de 5 millions d'électeurs. Le gouverneur de la capitale congolaise, André Kimbuta, a invité ses administrés à s'enrôler massivement. Les radicaux de l'opposition, notamment ceux de l'UDPS, ont lancé le même appel.

A zentai, a szolnoki és egy németországi Rotary Club együttműködésének köszönhetően egy teljes felszereléssel ellátott mentő került a zentai kórházba.

Les dernières infos • #réfugiés #balkans : violences policières à répétition sur des migrants à la frontière serbo-croate
Serbie : les réfugiés évacués des hangars ferroviaires pour la construction de Belgrade Waterfront
Réfugiés en Serbie : « de pire en pire », dénonce MSF
Crise des réfugiés : la longue marche des Afghans à travers les montagnes de Bulgarie
Réfugiés : à travers les Balkans, le drame des mineurs non accompagnés
Bulgarie : « The Good Postman », un film à la périphérie de l'Europe et au cœur de l'humanité

/ Courrier des Balkans, Populations, minorités et migrations, Migrants Balkans, Serbie

Macédoine : le président Ivanov charge enfin Zoran Zaev de former le nouveau gouvernement
Macédoine : le VMRO-DPMNE, colosse aux pieds d'argile
Macédoine : violences au Parlement, plusieurs députés blessés par des partisans du VMRO-DPMNE
Macédoine : après l'assaut du Parlement, les États-Unis mettent la pression
Macédoine : Nikola Gruevski inculpé dans deux graves affaires de corruption
Kosovo : un imam intégriste et misogyne sous enquête

/ Courrier des Balkans, Dérive autoritaire en Macédoine, Macédoine, Politique intérieure

Bonn, 29.05.2017. Es droht ein Trauerspiel. Während Regierungen in Bund und Ländern mit der Umsetzung der Agenda 2030 für nachhaltige Entwicklung beginnen, wirken die sie tragenden Parteien davon auffällig unberührt und bleiben spürbar hinter den Dynamiken in Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft zurück. Kein gutes Omen für die Koalitionsverhandlungen nach der Bundestagswahl und die nächsten vier Jahre. Nach dieser Legislaturperiode sind es dann nur noch neun Jahre bis 2030! Was läuft schief? In den bislang veröffentlichten Wahlprogrammen wird die Agenda 2030 mit ihren 17 Zielen nachhaltiger Entwicklung (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs) allenfalls als Referenzrahmen für Entwicklungspolitik und andere Außenbeziehungen erwähnt, nicht aber als übergreifendes Narrativ für Wirtschafts- und Gesellschaftspolitik im eigenen Land. Nicht anders sieht es übrigens vor der britischen Unterhauswahl in den manifestos von Konservativen, Labour und Liberalen Demokraten aus. In Berlin werden öffentliche Veranstaltungen mit Parteienvertretern zur Rolle der Agenda 2030 bislang von international ausgerichteten Organisationen der Zivilgesellschaft durchgeführt und vor allem durch entwicklungspolitische Themen und entsprechend fokussierende Sprecher der Parteien bestritten – auch wenn die Veranstalter die gesellschaftspolitische Dimension für die Menschen im eigenen Land versuchen mitzudenken. Der Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung hat den Vorsitzenden von sieben Parteien unter der Überschrift „Was heißt ‚Nachhaltigkeit‘ für die politischen Parteien?“ sechs Fragen vorgelegt. Die bislang fünf Antworten verbinden zwar die jeweilige Programmatik allgemein mit der Agenda 2030 und der Deutschen Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie sowie erfreulicherweise auch mit einem gewissen Blick auf innerstaatliche Umsetzung. Aber ein konkretes und explizites Aufgreifen der SDGs in einzelnen Politikbereichen erfolgt genauso wenig wie ein Bekenntnis, der Nachhaltigkeit Verfassungsrang zu geben oder die Agenda 2030 wie von SDSN Germany gefordert themenübergreifend in den Wahlprogrammen zu verankern. Politik hinter den Bühnen der Nachhaltigkeit Sicher, die Agenda 2030 wurde von Regierungen beschlossen. Auch die Deutsche Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie ist eine Strategie der Bundesregierung, nicht der Parteien, worauf gelegentlich süffisant hingewiesen wird. Gleichwohl spricht die Strategie vom „Gemeinschaftswerk Nachhaltige Entwicklung“, würdigt und ermuntert Akteure aus Zivilgesellschaft und Wirtschaft, aus Wissenschaft, Kunst und Kultur. Nicht jedoch die Parteien, die nach Artikel 21 des Grundgesetzes an der politischen Willensbildung des Volkes mitwirken. Daran ändert auch der Parlamentarische Beirat für nachhaltige Entwicklung im Bundestag nichts, der die SDGs als Impuls für die Arbeit in den Fraktionen nutzt. Das Ziel seiner dauerhaften Verankerung in der Geschäftsordnung aber hat der Beirat bislang genauso wenig erreicht wie sich im politischen Alltag bei den Fraktionsspitzen deutlich Gehör zu verschaffen. Die Fraktionen als parlamentarische Präsenz der Parteien müssten in erster Linie aus diesen heraus für die Umsetzung der SDGs mobilisiert werden. In den Parteien kommen aber vielfältige regionale und persönliche Interessen, die Anliegen von Strömungen und Interessengruppen zum Tragen. Das tägliche Ringen um Macht und Einfluss ist am Kurzfristigen orientiert. Nicht zuletzt deshalb hat sich die Nachhaltigkeitsbewegung vor allem außerparlamentarisch und jenseits der Parteien aufgestellt. Es gilt im öffentlichen Nachhaltigkeitsdiskurs schon fast als unanständig, über Parteien zu sprechen. Zu groß ist die Sorge, in Parteipolitik abzurutschen, zu nah der Vorwurf, man missbrauche den Diskurs für parteipolitische Zwecke. Diese Scheu muss überwunden werden, wenn Nachhaltigkeit in die Mitte der politischen Debatte kommen soll. Müssten nicht auch die Parteien im neuen Forum Nachhaltigkeit mitwirken, Rede und Antwort stehen und mit klaren Selbstverpflichtungen vorangehen? Öffentlich über die Wege zu den SDGs streiten Aber auch die Nachhaltigkeitsbewegten müssen umdenken und sollten die Parteien nicht mehr links liegen lassen. Zivilgesellschaft darf nicht nur Regierung und Wirtschaft, sie muss genauso die Parteien herausfordern. Auch die Nachhaltigkeitsforschung darf die Parteien nicht länger vernachlässigen, sondern muss deren Rolle zum Gegenstand politikwissenschaftlicher Analysen und Empfehlungen machen. Wahlkämpfe leben von Unterschieden und Unterscheidung. Nachhaltige Entwicklung ist eine gemeinsame Aufgabe, die vom öffentlichen Bekenntnis lebt. Auf beides ist unsere Demokratie angewiesen. Jetzt sind die Spitzen der Parteien gefragt! Dieselben Politiker, die sich in Geleitworten von Nachhaltigkeitsstrategien, in Bundestag oder Europarlament, bei den Vereinten Nationen oder bei G7 und G20 zur Universalität der Agenda 2030 bekannt haben, müssen dies nun kraftvoll auch auf ihren Parteitagen tun und in den Wahlprogrammen verbindlich ausdrücken.

La rencontre entre Emmanuel Macron et son homologue russe Vladimir Poutine à Versailles, la condamnation de Thomas Thévenoud, l’élection de Renaud Muselier à la tpete de la région PACA...

La Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations Unies pour la stabilisation en République centrafricaine (MINUSCA) a appelé lundi à une cessation immédiate des attaques des groupes et d'auto-défense armes contre la population civile, y compris contre les femmes et des enfants.