Nýr sáttmáli ESB undirritaður - Treaty of Lisbon - Desember 2007

Leiðtogar aðildarríkja Evrópusambandsins undirrituðu í desembert nýjan sáttmála fyrir Evrópusambandið í Lissabon. Meðal nýmæla í sáttmálanum verða m.a. sett á laggirnar embætti forseta Evrópusambandsins og embætti utanríkismálastjóri ESB. Fylgist með fréttum af nýjum sáttmála 

http://www.eu2007.pt/UE/vEN/Reunioes_Eventos/ChefesEstado/20071023Tratado.htm 

"Bolkenstein" Tilskipun - II. hluti - EES

Bolkenstein/Frankstein Services Directive - Part II - EEA

This famous Services Directive finally arrives to the European Economic Area.

 In 2005 the proposal from the European Commission provoked strong protests in Germany and France.

In December 2006 it was finally approved by the  European institutions, after renouncing to the main principle that was so critical: the possibility to provide services in another country of the EU subject to the rules of home country (country of origin) and not the gest country (country where the services are provided by individuals or companies).

 It will enter into force in 2009 with a watered down version that only declares "the freedom to provide services" and does not mention this critical issue (labour law, for instance, that will be applicable to the provision of services in another country of the EU).

The Commissioner that proposed it, Mr. Bolkeistein, was referred as Frankestein by the protesters.

In a famous press conference, he welcomed the idea of enjoying the services of "Polish plumbers" in the North of France, where he complained he could not find a plumber for his secondary residence. French got furious.

After the protests in France against the idea of thousand of "Polish plumbers" emigrating to France, Poland made a public relation and massive advertising campaign in France where they showed a very handsome plumber (soviet-propaganda inspired) l stating:

"I stay in Poland, please come in big numbers"

Being related to the single market, this Directive had to be sent to the EEA for incorporation into the legal orders of the 3 countries.

 The question is now: will it provoke the same strong criticism in Norway, Liechstenstein and Iceland?

 For all people interested, I provide a link to the videos, photos, and documents relevant for this discussion. 

 

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DIRECTIVE BOLKESTEIN ON SERVICES = FRANKENSTEIN?

 EU Legislative Procedure – Summary

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/FindByProcnum.do?lang=2&procnum=COD/2004/0001

Council Deliberation - Public Debate: 2772nd meeting of the Transports, Telecommunications and Energy Council - TRANSPORTS SESSIONMonday 11th December 2006, 15:45 h - Videos

http://ceuweb.belbone.be/search.php

http://ceuweb.belbone.be/archivevideo.php?sessionno=521&lang=EN

http://ceuweb.belbone.be/archivevideo.php?sessionno=521&lang=EN&profilelang=en&currenttime=537#

NEWSDEUTSCHE WELLE

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2238146,00.html

BBC NEWS - Extensive report on bbc news: "EU agrees to reform services plan", march 23 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5028248.stm

LOBBY  - STOP BOLKESTEING ORGReport on euractive: "Bolkestein directive to stay, but will be watered down",

http://www.oeh.ac.at/politik_und_gesellschaft/education_not_profit_bildungsoekonomisierung/bolkestein/bolkestein_allgemein/neues_rund_um_bolkestein/

IN FRANCE – BIG PROTESTS –

http://www.dailymotion.com/videos/relevance/search/Bolkestein/1

http://www.dailymotion.com/related/1236008/video/xnbfj_bolkestein-ii-le-retour_news

http://www.dailymotion.com/related/50193/video/xqhpk_asi-directive-bolkestein_events

http://www.dailymotion.com/cluster/news/featured/tag/europe/video/x11u4_manif-bolkestein-14-fev-strg-peter

 Further link:

Article in the guardian: "Straw upbeat after EU summit", march 23 2005

http://www.guardian.co.uk/eu/story/0,,1444323,00.html

 

Nálgast endalok EES-samningsins?

ES 27 vs. EFTA-EES 3

European Union 27 - EFTA -EEA countries 3

Unfortunately we Icelanders seem to find ourselves in the position of "policy takers" and not "policy makers" at the European arena. I personally think we deserve better.

1) Of course the European Union has changed in the last 14 years since the EEA Agreement was signed. Now the EU has 27 countries and the EFTA- EEA countries are only 3. The balance has shifted. Our influence too.

2) Our participation in the EU decision-making procedures is still not good enough. This is agravated when the role of the European Parliament has increased in detriment of the Commission and the different Committees of Experts where we have been invited. Iceland cannot participate in the official EU legislative procedure when it starts formally.

3) But the question remains: is there any possibility of reforming the EEA Agreement? According to my sources, the EU might be not very interested. Should that mean that we should not even try it?

I let this political task for the Althingi. 

Ýmislegt í EES-samningnum endurspeglar ekki þróun síðustu ára

Islamic cell guilty - ETA not guilty - Respect for the victims please!

Madrid, Atocha killings, March 2004, judgment issued today

Contrary to the arguments of the Partido Popular (PP) who lost the elections in 2004 and always sustained that ETA was involved, the Spanish competent Court has decided today that the Islamic cell was guilty and that ETA was not involved. The association of victims is not entirely satisfied, they think the compensation for damages are ridiculous....

I ask politely all the bloggers and media to respect the Spanish Criminal Code and the judgment that decided that every one of the victims (who died or who was injured) deserves to be counted. Although the Spanish law says that it is contrary to the European Human Rights Convention to sit in prison more than 40 years, the thousand of years condemnation is still symbolic but very important for the families of the victims and for the whole society.

This has been the biggest massacre on European soil in the last decade. Almost 200 people died and 1400 were injured. Who are the victims who can be discounted from the judgment and not offered moral satisfaction and economic compensation? From the Spanish legal theory perspective, every victim, every life counts.... therefore the thousand of years. What is the price of an human life killed by a terrorist? Should there be a discount just because they killed a couple of hundred together?

I would appreciate less jokes on this point who only reflect ignorance about the Spanish legal system and a lack of respect for the victims. These news are extremely sensitive for Spanish nationals.

There are a lot of news and videos about the judgment today. For those interested in the news, please see the most important Spanish newspapers online:

www.elmundo.es

www.abc.es

www.elpais.com

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/espana/tribunal/culpa/celula/islamista/11-M/descarta/ETA/desmonta/todos/bulos/amparados/PP/elpepuesp/20071031elpepunac_7/Tes

 

Hryðjuverkamenn í Madrid dæmdir í 40 þúsund ára fangelsi

Og hvaða áætlanir skyldu vera í gangi hér í Reykjavík?

Það kemur varla á óvart að Danir skuli skjóta okkur ref fyrir rass í þessum málum. Á meðan kjörnir fulltrúar okkar í borgarstjórn rífast um REI og útrás orkufyrirtækja hinum megin á hnettinum erum við enn á hálfgerðu steinaldarstigi hér í gömlu góðu Reykjavík, mörg akandi um á olíuknúnum tvíbreiðum jeppum með nagladekk og tjöruryk í lungum.

Danir vonast til að rafbílar verði komnir í almenna notkun eftir 8 ár. Skyldu Íslendingar þá vera farnir að hugsa sinn gang?

Áætlanir uppi um að Kaupmannahöfn verði rafbílaborg

Honor to those who defended Thermopylae.

In the Battle of Thermopylae of 480 BC, an alliance of Greek-city states fought the invading Persian Empire at the pass of Thermopylae in central Greece. Vastly outnumbered, the Greeks held back the Persians for three days in one of history's most famous battles. A small force of 300 Spartans led by King Leonidas of Sparta blocked the only road through which the massive army of Medes (Persians) could pass. After three days of battle, a local resident named Efialtes betrayed the Greeks by revealing a mountain path that led behind the Greek lines. The Persians finally succeeded in taking the pass but sustained heavy losses, extremely disproportionate to those of the Greeks (See classic historian Herodoto and author Paul Cartledge, Thermopylae).

The performance of the defenders at the battle of Thermopylae is often used as a symbol of courage against overwhelming odds. Even more, both ancient and modern writers used it as an example of the superior power of a volunteer army of freemen defending native soil. The sacrifice of the Spartans has captured the minds of many throughout the ages and has given birth to many cultural references as a result, including some Hollywood films.

What matters about this legend has nothing to see with Sparta and the best documented history. It is a moral lesson. Paradox of the history, 300 Spartan men fought for a greater and more universal cause than the Sparta city they thought to be defending. What these 300 men showed was that  the freedom of a society, which majority is usually silent, unaware or complacently seduced by the "status quo" of a state, is saved almost always by the courage of a few who dare to fight against an overwhelming enemy, against something that seems unavoidable, against all odds, against what is predicted, against what seems advisable and wise for most men.

There are a lot of Thermopylae battles: as many as the times when the rights of the society need to be defended against the history, knowing that the battle one is greatly outnumbered. And the noble character of these battles is not achieved by the results but by the fact that a minority resisted.

It is almost a miracle to me that Íslandshreyfingin -Lifandi Land, a political party born 23 March 2007 could challenge, fight and resist with such an honor in the unequal battle that these elections have been. A small group of courageous people with no funding who fought hard against all predictions, betrayed before the public; in order to defend the rights of the whole society, the right of all Icelanders, including the future generations, to their unspoiled nature, to a different future.

Nothing better than the poem written by the Greek author Kavafis in 1903 on Thermopylae to honor those who fight against all odds...

"Honor to those who in their life
Have laid down and defend Thermopylae
Never moving away from this Cause;

And even more honor do they deserve when they foresee,
and many do foresee,
that Efialtes will appear in the end
and the Medes shall finally pass."

Discrimination is not just morally wrong - it is illegal in Europe

Discrimination is not just morally wrong – it is also illegal. European Directives oblige  all European Union (EU) countries to introduce or update their laws to make sure that all Europeans have the same protection against unfair treatment.

Action against discrimination on grounds of gender dates back to the beginning of the European Community in 1957. European legislation covering discrimination on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation was introduced by two new Directives in 2000.

The 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All is an initiative leading the way to a bolder strategy seeking to give momentum to the fight against discrimination in the EU, as the Commission explained in a document, published in June 2005, called ‘Framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all’.

It is illegal to deny someone a job or access to training for any of the six reasons outlined above. The laws also protect against harassment or victimisation on these grounds. The rules on gender and racial discrimination go further and additionally cover access to healthcare, education, goods and services and housing.

Discrimination can be direct or indirect. Advertising a job as being unavailable for disabled people would be direct discrimination. Forcing job applicants to do a language test, when it is unimportant for the work, would be an example of indirect discrimination. Both are prohibited.

If your rights have been violated, you are entitled to take action. All EU countries have judicial or administrative procedures to ensure that if a complaint is upheld, penalties are imposed against those who have discriminated.

See information about 2007 - European Year for Equal Opportunities for all

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/eyeq/index.cfm?cat_id=SPLASH 

2005 - European Union strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities 

http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/fundamental_rights/policy/strat_en.htm

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La discrimination n’est pas seulement immorale, c’est aussi une pratique illégale. Des Directives européennes obligent tous les Etats membres à introduire ou à moderniser leur législation, afin de garantir à tous les Européens la même protection contre les inégalités de traitement.

Les premières initiatives européennes dans le domaine de la lutte contre la discrimination fondée sur le sexe remontent aux origines de la Communauté européenne, en 1957. La législation interdisant la discrimination fondée sur la race ou l’origine ethnique, la religion ou les convictions, un handicap, l’âge ou l’orientation sexuelle date quant à elle de 2000, année de l’entrée en vigueur des deux nouvelles Directives antidiscrimination.

Refuser à une personne un emploi ou l’accès à la formation en invoquant l’un des six motifs énumérés ci-dessus est une pratique illégale. Les lois protègent également les individus contre le harcèlement et la rétorsion pour ces motifs. Les dispositions relatives à la discrimination fondée sur le sexe ou la race vont encore plus loin et couvrent l’accès aux soins de santé, à l’éducation, aux biens et aux services ainsi qu'au logement.

La discrimination peut être directe ou indirecte. Stipuler dans une offre d’emploi que celui-ci n’est pas accessible aux personnes handicapées relève de la discrimination directe. Obliger les candidats à un emploi à se soumettre à un test linguistique, alors que le travail ne le justifie pas, est un exemple de discrimination indirecte. Ces deux formes de discrimination sont interdites.

Si vos droits ont été violés, vous êtes habilité/e à porter plainte. Tous les pays de l’UE ont mis en place des procédures judiciaires ou administratives en vue de garantir que ceux qui discriminent se voient infliger des sanctions en cas de plainte pour discrimination.

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Eller etnisk oprindelse, religion eller tro, handicap, alder eller seksuel orientering blev indført med to nye direktiver i 2000.

Det er ulovligt at nægte nogen arbejde eller adgang til uddannelse på baggrund af de seks grunde, som er anført ovenfor. Lovene beskytter også mod mobning eller personlig forfølgelse på dette grundlag. Reglerne om køn og racediskrimination går udover dette og omfatter desuden adgang til lægehjælp, uddannelse, varer og tjenester og bolig.

Diskrimination kan være direkte eller indirekte. Når handicappede i et stillingsopslag direkte udelukkes fra at søge stillingen er der tale om direkte diskrimination. At tvinge ansøgere til at gennemføre en sprogtest, hvis det ikke er af betydning for udførelsen af arbejdet, er et eksempel på indirekte diskrimination. Begge dele er forbudt.

Hvis dine rettigheder er blevet krænket, har du ret til at gøre noget ved det. Alle EU-lande har retslige eller administrative procedurer, der sikrer, at de, der har udøvet diskrimination, straffes, hvis der rejses og opretholdes en klage.

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Dyskryminacja jest nie tylko naganna z moralnego punktu widzenia – jest również niezgodna z prawem. Europejskie dyrektywy zobowiązują wszystkie kraje członkowskie UE do wprowadzenia lub zmodyfikowania swojego prawodawstwa w celu zagwarantowania wszystkim mieszkańcom Europy ochrony przed niesprawiedliwym traktowaniem.

Pierwsze działania podjęte w walce z dyskryminacją z racji płci sięgają początków samej Unii Europejskiej, czyli 1957 roku. Prawodawstwo europejskie, dotyczące kwestii dyskryminacji z racji pochodzenia rasowego i etnicznego, religii lub wyznania, niepełnosprawności, wieku czy orientacji seksualnej, zostało wprowadzone poprzez dwie dyrektywy w 2000 roku.

Odmowa przyjęcia do pracy lub uczestnictwa w szkoleniu na podstawie jednego z sześciu wymienionych wyżej powodów jest niezgodna z prawem. Podobnie jak molestowanie i wiktymizacja. Ustawodawstwo, poruszające kwestie płci oraz dyskryminacji o charakterze rasowym, jest jeszcze bardziej rozbudowane i reguluje także dostęp do opieki zdrowotnej, edukacji, dóbr i usług oraz mieszkalnictwa.

Dyskryminacja może mieć charakter bezpośredni lub pośredni. Ogłoszenie o pracę, w którym wyraźnie zaznacza się, że nie jest ona dostępna dla osób niepełnosprawnych, jest dyskryminacją jawną. Zmuszanie kandydatów, ubiegających się o pracę, do napisania testu sprawdzającego zdolności językowe, w przypadku gdy taka wiedza nie jest na danym stanowisku wymagana, stanowi przykład dyskryminacji pośredniej. W obu przypadkach takie działania są zabronione.

Jeśli twoje prawa zostały pogwałcone, jesteś upoważniony do podjęcia działań. Wszystkie kraje członkowskie UE mają do dyspozycji procedury prawne i administracyjne, które w razie złożenia skargi gwarantują konsekwencje karne wobec tych, którzy dopuścili się dyskryminacji.

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La discriminación no solo es algo moralmente reprobable, también es ilegal. Las directivas europeas obligan a todos los países de la Unión Europea (UE) para introducir o actualizar sus leyes para asegurarse que todos los europeos tienen la misma protección contra el trato injusto.

La acción contra la discriminación en base al género se remonta a los principios de la Comunidad Europea en 1957. La legislación europea que trata la discriminación en base a la raza u origen étnico, religión o credo, discapacidad, edad u orientación sexual se presentó mediante dos nuevas Directivas en el año 2000.

El Año europeo de igualdad de oportunidades para todo el mundo 2007  es una iniciativa que dirige es camino a una estrategia más marcada que busca dar intensidad para luchar contra la discriminación en la UE, tal como explicó la Comisión en un documento, publicado en junio de 2005, llamado ‘Marco estratégico para la no discriminación y la igualdad de oportunidades para todo el mundo’.

Es ilegal denegar a alguien un trabajo o el acceso a formación por cualquiera de las seis razones indicadas anteriormente. Las leyes también protegen contra el acoso o la victimización en base a eso. Las normas sobre género y discriminación racial aún van más lejos y además hacen referencia el acceso a la atención sanitaria, educación, bienes y servicios y la vivienda.

La discriminación puede ser directa o indirecta. Anunciar un trabajo indicando que no está disponible para gente discapacitada sería discriminación directa. Obligar a los candidatos a hacer una prueba de idiomas, cuando es irrelevante para el trabajo, sería un ejemplo de discriminación indirecta. Ambos casos están prohibidos.

Si se han violado sus derechos, está en su derecho de tomar medidas. Todos los países de la UE disponen de procedimientos judiciales o administrativos para garantizar que se respalden sus demandas, se penalizará a aquellos que hayan discriminado.

Happy EUROPE DAY, 9 May!

Probably very few people in Europe know that on 9 May 1950 the first move was made towards the creation of what is now known as the European Union.

In Paris that day, against the background of the threat of a Third World War engulfing the whole of Europe, the French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman read to the international press a declaration calling France, Germany and other European countries to pool together their coal and steel production as "the first concrete foundation of a European federation".

What he proposed was the creation of a supranational European Institution, charged with the management of the coal and steel industry, the very sector which was, at that time, the basis of all military power. The countries which he called upon had almost destroyed each other in a dreadful conflict which had left after it a sense of material and moral desolation.

Everything, therefore, began that day. That is why during the Milan Summit of EU leaders in 1985 it was decided to celebrate 9 May as "Europe Day".

Every country which democratically chooses to accede to the European Union endorses its fundamental values of peace and solidarity.

These values find expression through economic and social development embracing environmental and regional dimensions which are the guarantees of a decent standard of living for all citizens.

While Europe as such has existed for centuries, the elements which united it, in the absence of rules and institutions, have in the past been insufficient to prevent the most appalling tragedies.

The integration of Europe will not come about in one day or even in a few decades. Deficiencies are still numerous and there are evident imperfections. The project which was begun just after the Second World War is still very new. In the past, efforts at European union were based on domination of one group over another. These attempts could not last, because those who had been conquered had only one aspiration: to regain their freedom.

Today's ambition is completely different: to build a Europe which respects freedom and the identity of all of the people which compose it.

The 9th of May has become a European symbol (Europe Day) which, along with the flag, the anthem, the motto and the single currency (the euro), identifies the political entity of the European Union.

Ísland a besta skilið. Vote for nature, vote for excellence, X - I

Fylgi Íslandshreyfingarinnar mælist í dag 2,9% en var 2% í gær.

Við erum bjartsýn. Allir þurfa að lesa þetta.

Morgunbladið a ekki rétt fyrir sér. Við erum einmitt að kjósa um nattúru 12. Mai.

Við erum að kjósa um Ísland.

Við erum að kjósa og velja nýja framtið.

Ísland á besta skilið.

Við viljum ekki storiðju. Við viljum ekki álver. Við viljum "excellence".

Meðalaldur á Islandi er 35 ára. Við viljum sjá nýja hugmyndir, nýja fólk. Þetta er okkar framtið.

________________

Islandia merece lo mejor.

Íslandshreyfingin propone un futuro de "crecimiento verde", de crecimiento económico y protección social compatible con la protección del medioambiente. Un futuro donde la naturaleza, la educación y la salud sean tan importantes como el Producto Nacional Bruto.

Tenemos en nuestras manos el arma más peligrosa de todas, el voto.

Recuerdalo! El 12 de Mayo puedes decir NO al aluminio.

Vota por un partido que respete el medioambiente.

Fylgi Samfylkingar og Framsóknarflokks eykst

Please rewind history 50 years. Luxembourg: Kál og stál vs. Bankarnir

Ál, kál og stál eru alveg eins....ég get sagt ykkur hvað gerist þegar rikistjórn hættar að borga....

Luxembourg, má ég tala um besta dæmi?

May I remind you that some other nations have gone through this before?

Alsace and Lorraine, located between France and Germany, were the main reason why the Coal and Steel European Community was founded in 1951. At that time coal and steel was the future. At that time they were also convinced that growth lied just there.

However the crisis came and hit them hard in the 80s and these sectors never fully recovered. I can tell you what happened next because I have seen it with my own eyes when I lived in Luxembourg.

Luxembourg itself is the best example in practice of the future that lies in front of us. What happened there should be a lesson for Iceland:

- the region in Luxembourg country that invested in coal and steel (under the national company ARBED) is now in big crisis, with importat unemployment figures, with villages that are empty like ghost towns, social problems, etc... then the State stopped subsidising those sectors, economic life died.

- the city of Luxembourg itself invested in banks and international organisations. Today they make the country the richest in Europe.

At least 5000 civil servants working for the European Union live there with their families, 60% of the inhabitants in the capital are foreigners. They have the EU Court, the EFTA Court, the European Investment Bank, the Secretary of the European Parliament, the European Court of Auditors, the Public Health Directorate of the European Commission, EUROSTAT and a long list of other European institutions.......

The bank businesses and financial institutions are the strongest in Europe and provide thousands of jobs for young bright people. Luxembourg is investing in white-collar jobs and getting the best educated people of Europe.

Approximately 400.000 people cross the frontier every day coming from France, Germany and Belgium to work in the city of Luxembourg, where unemployment figures are around 1%.

Luxembourg has preserved most of its countryside and landscape whereas the neighbour countries have already lost their nature.

Don´t we want a future for the best educated generation of Icelanders?

Don´t we want to invest in education, health, international institutions and projects?

Do we want to be Ísland or Ál-land?

Do we really only want to be Coca-Cola dós land? I do not think so. 60% of Icelanders do not want heavy industry, that is a fact.

Please pass this message around:

It is simply not true that preserving the environment will reduce our standard of living, in fact, it is precisely the opposite.

"Green-growth" is possible, we desserve the best. Let´s choose the politicians that make it happen next 12 May.

It will be too late if we wait 4 years.

See the program of www.islandshreyfinginn.is

Fjármálaráðherra: Stóriðja ekki forsenda framfara