The conference on “Fundamental rights, non-discrimination and the protection of vulnerable groups, including LGBTI”, which took place in Albania on 20-21 November 2014, has shown that enlargement countries have improved legal and policy framework for fundamental rights, but that LGBTI citizens remain at risk of discrimination, marginalization or even violence.
Almost half (48.7 percent) of non-EU citizens aged 18 and over were at risk of poverty or social exclusion in the EU28 in 2013, while the levels for citizens of the reporting country, referred to as “nationals”, and for citizens of another EU Member State were much lower (22.8 percent and 28.1 percent respectively), latest Eurostat survey showed.
The EU expects Serbian authorities, local self-government and Civil Society Organisations (CSO) to help strengthening the role of Roma NGOs, but also to work together on all other elements of the project European Support for Roma Inclusion in order to fight against Roma marginalisation, Yolanda San Jose of the EU Delegation to Serbia told a project conference.
Reconstruction process on private houses for over 770 families in 24 municipalities mostly affected by the floods is well underway. This includes reconstruction works and construction of new homes which is funded by the European Union with 6.2 million euros. The construction process for 15 new houses started in Valjevo, Ub, Lajkovac and Bajina Bašta last week. Depending upon the weather conditions, the completion of this intervention is expected in December 2014 – January 2015.
The closing conference of the “Wise use of common natural resources – road to sustainability of the Serbia/BiH cross-border region” project, funded by the EU under Serbia – Bosnia and Herzegovina IPA Cross-Border Programme, held at the Special Nature Reserve Zasavica in Sremska Mitrovica, saw the presentation of Action Plan for sustainable use of natural resources that yielded over 90 project ideas regarding biodiversity, sustainable use of water, air, soil, forest and protected natural resources, as well as cultural and historical resources that should be developed and implemented in the coming period.
High Representative Federica Mogherini, Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica, Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management Christos Stylianides and Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova welcomed in a joint statement global support to the UN Convention on the rights of the child and recalled that children are at the heart of EU policy.
The EU is by far Serbia’s biggest donor regarding protection of all rights of the child and will continue supporting initiatives for support and protection based on child rights and in their best interest in the future,Yolanda San Jose, head of Operations 1 at the EU Delegation to Serbia, said at the public hearing of Serbia’s Parliamentary Committee on rights of the child.
In his first visit to Serbia as the European Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Johannes Hahn said his goal was to prepare the country for full EU membership, “not only to transpose the acquies into the national regulation” but “to push and promote its economy” and implement the laws. Serbia should see the European Commission as its partner, Hahn said, vowing to work hard towards “the final goal that Serbia joins the EU as soon as possible.”
In 2012, more than 800,000 persons acquired citizenship of an EU28 Member State, up by four percent compared to 2011, according to Statistical Office of the European Communities Eurostat.
In the process of EU accession, negotiations regarding Chapter 27, dealing with environment and climate change, are among most serious issues and least aligned chapters. Member of Team Europe Aleksandar Macura is one of the participants of debate on the impact of climate change on the pace of Serbia’s EU accession, organised by the weekly magazine Vreme and Heinrich Bel Foundation.
