EUROPE DIRECT NI APRIL, 2016

Transcription

1 EUROPE DIRECT NI January 2017: Launch of CRANE Project, UK Ambassador to the EU resigns, Maltese Presidency, EU Public Health policy, 15yrs of Euro, ICT gender gap, Digital Assembly 2017 in Valletta, Erasmus+ Funding, Traineeships, Rights with faulty goods, The Single market APRIL, 2016 The CRANE: Citizens Role Agricultural Network Education project is funded for 2yrs through Erasmus+ strategic partners for adult education. The Rural Centre/ Europe Direct NI is the UK partner working with partners from from Italy, Spain and Malta The aim of the project is to provide farmers involved in multifunctional farms with the skills and competencies required to fulfill their role of promoting environmental protection and sustainability through non formal education. The partners will share existing training tools to create a common training programme which will be tested and shared to promote the development of Multifunctional farms. The first project meeting tool place in Bologna, Italy in December

2 The UK s ambassador to the EU, Sir Ivan Rogers, resigns 3 January 2017 Sir Ivan, appointed to the job by David Cameron in 2013, had been expected to play a key role in Brexit talks expected to start within months. The government said Sir Ivan had quit early so a successor could be in place before negotiations start. He had privately told ministers a UK-EU trade deal might take 10 years to finalise, sparking criticism from some MPs. The Maltese presidency of the Council of the EU: 1 January- 30 June 2017 The 1 January 2017 the rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union moves to Malta. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union is responsible for the functioning of the Council of the European Union, the upper house of the EU legislature. It rotates among the member states of the EU every six months. The presidency is not an individual, but rather the position is held by a national government.

3 Interested in public health policy & healthcare in Europe? The consultation forms part of the mid-term evaluation of the third programme for the Union s action in the field of health ( ). The objective of the consultation is to ensure that, in addition to the organisations and individuals directly involved in or benefitting from the activities of the Programme, wider stakeholder groups as well as the general public have a say in its performance and future priorities. Join the public consultation on EU Health Programme here: 1 January marks 15 years of the Euro banknotes and coins The introduction of the euro in 1999 was a major step in European integration. the eurozone consists of 19 of the 28 member states of the European Union: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain. The front of the each note features windows or gateways while the back has bridges, symbolising links between countries and with the future.

4 Women in digital a gap and an opportunity Despite evidence that allowing more women to enter the digital jobs market can create an annual 9 billion GDP boost in the EU area, there is still a very large ICT gender gap in Europe. Women are more reluctant to take up STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) studies, and only a fraction of female tech graduates actually go on to work in this dynamic sector. Moreover, women are still underrepresented among tech entrepreneurs in decision-making positions. The European Commission has been addressing these challenges through our policy and funding programmes such as Horizon 2020, European Network of Women Web Entrepreneurs Hubs which link women's organisations with entrepreneurs' organisations as well as investors and mentors; the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs which hosts pledges to increase the participation of girls and women in digital jobs. Digital Assembly 2017 in Valletta: Digital Europe: Investing in the Future The Digital Assembly 2017 is an opportunity for stakeholders to debate, take stock and look ahead at how Europe and how its partners around the world are preparing for this digital transformation. It will be an opportunity to have a dialogue on the benefits of the Digital Union for citizens with a focus on younger generations will be a key year to assess the progress made with the implementation of the Digital Single Market strategy ahead of the mid-term review, planned for May.

5 2 1 Erasmus for young Entrepreneurs: The European exchange programme for Entrepreneurs Erasmus for Young Entrepreneurs is a crossborder exchange programme which gives new or aspiring entrepreneurs the chance to learn from experienced entrepreneurs running small businesses in other Participating Countries. The exchange of experience takes place during a stay with the experienced entrepreneur, which helps the new entrepreneur acquire the skills needed to run a small firm. The host benefits from fresh perspectives on his/her business and gets the opportunities to cooperate with foreign partners or learn about new markets. Who can participate? New entrepreneurs, firmly planning to set up their own business or have already started one within the last three years Experienced entrepreneurs who own or manage a Small or Medium-Sized Enterprise in one of the Participating Countries Erasmus call for applications: find your training opportunity with the Course Catalogue The call for proposals under Erasmus funding has been published. This means it s time to apply for funding for your teacher professional development! The Course Catalogue can help you find the most suitable training opportunity. The deadlines to submit applications to your National Agency are for Key Action 1 (Mobility of individuals in the field of education and training) 2 February for Key Action 2 (Strategic partnerships in the field of education, training and youth) 29 March

6 Traineeships in the European Commission: Applications open! What is in it for you? 1 A paid traineeship of 5 months with the European Commission (or some executive bodies and agencies of the European Institutions like, for instance, the European External Action Service or Executive Agency for Competitiveness and Innovation), starting on either 1st March or 1st October. 2 You will receive a monthly grant of approximately 1,120 and reimbursement of travel expenses. Accident and health insurance can also be provided. Every year, there are about 1,300 places available. If you are one of the selected candidates you get hands-on experience in an international and multicultural environment. This can be an important enrichment for your further career. October 2017-February 2018 Traineeship APPLICATIONS: 4/01/2017 (12:00 noon, Brussels time) - 31/01/2017 (12:00 noon, Brussels time)

7 Guarantees for Faulty goods Under EU rules, a trader must repair, replace, reduce the price or give you a refund if goods you bought turn out to be faulty or do not look or work as advertised. If you bought a good or a service online or outside of a shop (by telephone, mail order, from a door-to-door salesperson), you also have the right to cancel and return your order within 14 days, for any reason and with no justification. What is the EU Customs Union? The customs union is a single trading area where all goods circulate freely, whether made in the EU or imported from outside. A Finnish mobile phone can be dispatched to Hungary without any duty or customs controls. Duty on goods from outside the EU say TVs from South Korea is generally paid when they first enter the EU, but after that there is nothing more to pay and no more checks. Despite this, customs work in the EU remains vital, given the sheer volume of incoming goods. EU customs services - handle nearly 16% of total world imports over 2 bn tonnes of goods yearly - process well over 270 million declarations annually.

8 Contact Details Europe Direct Northern Ireland Europe Direct NI is part of a European Commission Information Network with over 500 offices in each of the 28 Member States. Its role is to provide information on EU programmes and policies; provide a range of publications and resources and share best practice between regions. Europe Direct Northern Ireland supports cross border cooperation by sharing expertise and knowledge between regions through partnerships, seminars, conferences, study visits, exchanges and placements. Tel: +44 (0) EDNI Website: EDNI