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THE
PARLIAMENT WILL AGAIN FACE UP TO THE CHALLENGES OF EUROPE
It
is difficult to deny that the European Union is currently experiencing
one of the most complex moments in its history. A well-known
geopolitical review has even referred to the “European
bluff”. I do not share this point of view but it is obvious
that we are facing a huge crisis as regards the European ideal.
It is said that the first indication, one might even say the
cause, of this seemingly never-ending crisis was the rejection
of the Draft Constitution by France and the Netherlands. It
seems to me, however, that this view confuses cause and effect.
The dissatisfaction expressed by some of Europe’s citizens
actually results from an inability on the part of EU institutions
to take on a new purpose. After reaching its main aim, i.e.
guaranteeing peace and stability across a continent devastated
by war, the EU has only partially achieved its other objectives
viz. economic growth and competitiveness along with cohesion,
the coordination of economic policies, a role as a “global
player”, and the launch of Community policies in areas
such as security, justice or internal affairs. We must be honest
– by preferring enlargement to greater depth and by accepting
the “physiology of processes” (the free trade area
would have led to the single currency which, in turn, would
have led to the Single Market and this would then have led to
a political Europe), the results have been inadequate...
Gianni
Pittella
Member of the European Parliament
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TOWARDS
A STATE-REGION PARTNERSHIP
FOR 2007-2013
CPMR Seminar on Benchmarking, 31 May 2006, Brussels
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By
Philippe Cichowlaz
"On what shared observations can we establish the bases
of a sustainable regional policy after 2013?" might be
the sub-title for the benchmarking seminar that the CPMR is
hosting on 31st May in Brussels. The same sub-title could be
used for the final version of the EU's strategic guidelines
on cohesion if the Commission expressed a wish, this summer,
to give added importance to their timeline, going far beyond
the still burning issue of the latest budget negotiations...
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GIOVANNA
DEBONO MALTESE MINISTER LOOKS FOWARD TO THE MARITIME GREEN
PAPER
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Interview
by Enrico Mayrhofer
Giovanna
Debono, Maltese Minister for the island of Gozo, and Vice-President
of CPMR, expressed her great satisfaction as to the Green Paper
on maritime policy that will be published by the European Commission
next 7th June. Mrs Debono was the main organiser of the CPMR's
last Political Bureau meeting in Malta on 5th May, where maritime
policy had a key role in the discussions...
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REGIONAL
HEALTH AUTHORITIES IN THE HEART OF THE eTEN PROJECT OF
THE YEAR 2005
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By
Claudio Dario
HEALTH
OPTIMUM, HEALTHcare delivery OPTIMisation throUgh teleMedicine,
is a Market Validation Project funded by the European Union
under the eTEN Programme.
The Project aimed to demonstrate that when telemedicine services
are introduced in an existing healthcare context with a strategic
vision and they are seen by Regional Health Authorities as an
enabler for an in-depth organisational and process reengineering,
major benefits can be released for all the stakeholders (the
Regional Health Authorities themselves, Local Health Authority
and Trust Managers, health professionals and citizens)...
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