The Robert Schuman Foundation and the CERI are organising a seminar on 12th April entitled "After the Crisis: what is the new economic approach in Europe?" The event will take place with Jean-François Jamet, economist, former consultant to the World Bank, teacher of political economy at Sciences Po. Jérôme Sgard, research director at the CERI-Sciences Po will join in the debate. It is obligatory to enrol.

According to figures published on 31st March by the National Statistics and Economic Studies Institute (INSEE) the French public debt rose to 77.6% of the GDP in 2009 totalling 1.489 billion euros. France's GDP rose by 0.6% in the fourth quarter of 2009 in comparison with the previous quarter said the INSEE on 30th March. Over 2009 as a whole the GDP did however fall by 2.2% ie the worst post-war recession.

On 29th March the 27 Agriculture Ministers set down the conclusions on the way to improve the food supply chain in the EU. They exchanged views on the future of the CAP and notably on its role in the new European Employment and Growth Strategy. Ministers also agreed on a common position that the EU will defend during the Euromed conference on water that will take place on 13th April in Barcelona. Finally the Commission informed the Council of its latest quarterly report on the dairy products market. Most recent figures show that average milk production prices rose to around 28 cents per litre which is close to the long term seasonal average.

On 31st March the European Commission presented its proposals that aim to enhance the EU's role in terms of healthcare worldwide. The aim is to strengthen the efficacy of European work and to help developing countries better in making up for lost time in achieving the millenium development goals with regard to healthcare. The Commission presents four areas for action to improve healthcare worldwide: the establishment of more democratic, better coordinated world governance; incentives for collective work towards universal healthcare and access for all to these services; increased coherence between the various Union policies that are linked to healthcare; better coordination of European research with regard to world healthcare and greater access on the part of developing countries with regard to new knowledge and new treatment.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel who was on an official journey to Turkey on 29th and 30th March defended her proposal for a privileged partnership as an alternative to this country's membership of the EU. Turkey has only opened 12 of the 35 "chapters" of the community acquis since the launch of accession negotiations in 2005. With regard to the Cypriot issue Ms Merkel asked Turkey to open its ports to Cypriot ships as part of the Customs Union which Turkey belongs to.

On 30th March the Cypriot and Turkish leaders said they were determined to reach agreement on the reunification of Cyprus. "We have been encouraged by the progress made to now with regard to chapters of governance, power sharing, issues relative to the EU and the economy," declared Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and the leader of the northern part of the island (TRNC - acknowledged by Ankara only), Mehmet Ali Talat. Both sides, who are still in conflict notably over issues such as security, property rights and territorial adjustments, hope to find an agreement before the end of the year.

On 29th March the Spanish government announced that its plan to prevent tax fraud had led to the recovery of 8.1 billion euros in 2009 and over 35.5 billion since it was established in 2005. This plan focuses on improved cooperation with organisations responsible for tax control in order to improve the efficacy of their work. In 2009 the tax office had to adapt to the financial crisis which led to an increase in "black" work and to a parallel economy. In all in 2009 control operations led to the collation of 7 billion euros to which can be added 1.1 billion in voluntary settlements.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy undertook a visit to the USA on 29th and 30th March. During a speech at the University of Columbia he asked the USA to work with Europe to enhance economic regulation and to establish a new world governance. The following day during a joint press conference at the White House the American and French Presidents spoke of the common firm position they would take with regard to the Iranian nuclear programme. Speaking on another less consensual subject, the supply tankers for the American army contract which EADS would like to win, the two leaders came to agreement. With regard to Afghanistan the French President said he supported the American president's strategy. Finally the French president asssured the American president of his "solidarity" in "condemning the Israeli colonisation process."

According to Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Droustas Greece may accept the name "Northern Macedonia" to settle the dispute that has brought it into conflict for the last 19 years with its neighbour which it does not want to allow the use of the name Macedonia. "The name 'Northern Macedonia' is in line with the settlement envisaged by Athens," he said according to a text distributed by his ministry on 5th April.

The unemployment rate rose to 8.5% of the working population in Italy in February remaining stable in comparison with the January level said the National Statistics Institute, Istat on 31st March. The first estimation for January recorded an unemployment rate of 8.6% but Istat revised this figure downwards. The unemployment rate is still at its highest rate since January 2004. In February the number of people looking for work rose to 2.127 million which means a slight rise of 0.2% in comparison with January and by 16.2% in comparison with February 2009, a month when the unemployment rate rose to 7.3%. The unemployment rate of the 15-24 year olds rose to 28.2% however in February in comparison with 27.4% in January.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister, Jean Asselborn travelled to Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan where he met his counterparts in view of increasing Luxembourg's relations with these countries and also to discuss regional issues.

The Polish Central Bank announced on 29th March in a press release that Poland's economic situation no longer required the extension of the flexible loan of 21.8 billion dollars granted to it by the IMF last year. This announcement comes at the same time as the visit by Dominique Strauss-Kahn in Warsaw. The IMF extended this loan by six months at the beginning of November - given originally to Poland in May as a safeguard - but which the country has never used.

Former Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek announced on 1st April that he was quitting as head of the ODS and that he was also retiring from political life. He announced that an executive council would meet on 12th April to appoint Petr Necas in his place. Mr Topolanek already announced in March his intention not to run in the elections and that he had already relinquished his place in the ODS's electoral campaign to Petr Necas.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that general elections would be held on 6th May - this will be the most closely fought battle in the last twenty years. "The Queen accepted the dissolution of Parliament and general elections will take place on 6th May," he said after meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace. In a brief speech given outside his office at 10 Downing Street the head of government again placed the economy at the heart of the campaign.

On 31st March the Pentagon said it was prepared to delay the closing date for the call for tender for its aerial refuelling tankers by 60 days - until 9th July on condition that the European group EADS formally showed its intention to compete against Boeing. The delay put forward by the Pentagon is less than the 90 days demanded by EADS to put an offer forward as the main contractor - for a contract that totals an estimated 35 billion dollars. This announcement came after the meeting between American President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy when Mr Obama promised that the selection process for the tankers would be "free and fair".

In the night of 30th to 31st March the Serb Parliament approved a resolution (127 votes out of 173) condemning the massacre of some 8000 muslims in Srebrenica in July 1995. This bloody chapter in the war in Bosnia is the only event that was qualified as genocide by the ICTY. The declaration adopted by the Serb parliament presents its "condolences and apologies to the families of the victims because not everything was done to prevent the tragedy." According to the declaration "Parliament entirely supports cooperation with the ICTY granting great importance to all work that will lead to the arrest of Ratko Mladic." His arrest is one of the main conditions set by the EU on Serbia for the continuation of the stabilisation and association agreement that will enable the country to pursue its rapprochement with the EU.

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research, the CERN, announced on 30th March that its particle accelerator, the LHC, based in Geneva had achieved its first proton collisions at an all time record speed of 7 teraelectonvolts, three and a half times the power used by the biggest American recorder. "It is the start of a new era," declared Paola Catapano, the CERN's spokesperson, since the data recorded by the LHC opens the way to new means of understanding physical phenomena that have been impossible to study to date.

On 29th March the European Court of Human Rights delivered a decision in the "Medvedyev and Others vs France" affair - condemning France for the detention of a ship's crew that was arrested as part of an anti-drugs operation on the high seas. However several observers were expecting the court to take a decision with regard to the magristrates status in the French court. Indeed the applicants had raised the issue that the State Prosecutor could not be considered "a judge or other officer authorised by law to exercise judicial power" because it was not independent with regard to the executive. The Court considered it adequate to recall the demands established in article 5§3 of the European Convention for Human Rights declaring that: "The magistrate must present the guarantees of independence with regrd to the executive and the parties involved which notably excludes action on its part as a consequence against the applicant in the criminal procedure..."

The Western European Union (WEU) a military alliance that was created during the Cold War, was dissolved on 31st March. The WEU, its interparliamentary assembly based in Paris and its Brussels based HQ with some 60 employees and an overall budget of 13 million euros will be phased out by the end of June 2011. This institution comprised 10 members (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, UK), more than 18 associate countries, observers and associate partners all members of the EU and NATO. In a joint declaration the 10 Member States associate the WEU's dissolution to the "entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty" in December which heralds the "start of a new phase for the security and defence of Europe." Given these conditions "from a budgetary point of view the upkeep of the WEU had become difficult to defend."

The Foreign Ministers of the G8 who met in Canada on 29th to 30th March raised pressure on two captials - Teheran, threatened with more sanctions, and Kaboul, treated with greater indulgence but which has been requested to assume its responsibilities. They called on the international community "to put pressure on Iran". With regard to Afghanistan G8 Ministers asked Kaboul to "clarify the Afghan government's vision for the country" on the occasion of an international conference in May and to guarantee that Afghanistan "would not become a haven for terrorists again". At the same time as these warnings the G8 announced "an initiative" to develop the economy in the border areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The G8 Ministers adopted a declaration providing their "unconditional support" to the Non-Proliferation Treaty on Nuclear Arms in view of a conference to look into this agreement in May as well as the creation of a nuclear free area in the Middle East.

On 31st March nearly 10 billion dollars were promised by donors at the Conference for Haiti which took place at the UN in New York to help reconstruct this country after the devastating earthquake that struck on 12th January. Haiti is due to receive 5.3 billion (around 4 billion euros) over the next two years. The EU took the lead becoming the most generous donor with a total commitment of 1.235 billion euros ie 1.6 billion dollars. The USA committed for a total of 1.15 billion dollars.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 31st March in the euro area the unemployment rate lay at 10% in February 2010 in comparison with 9.9% in January. It lay at 8.8% in February 2009. In the EU the unemployment rate rose to 9.6% in February 2010 in comparison with 9.5% in January. It lay at 8.3% in February 2009. This is the highest rate in the euro area since August 1998 and in the EU since the start of data collection in January 2000. Amongst the Member States the lowest unemployment rates were recorded in the Netherlands (4%) and in Austria (5%) and the highest in Latvia (21.7%) and in Spain (19%). Between February 2009 and February 2010 the male unemployment rate rose from 8.5% to 10% in the euro area and from 8.2% to 9.8% in the EU. The female unemployment rate rose from 9.2% to 10% in the euro area and from 8.4% to 9.3% in the EU.

According to a Eurobarometer survey devoted to citizens' attitudes with regard to agriculture and the Common Agricultural Policy, an overwhelming majority of European citizens believes that agriculture and rural areas are vital for the future of Europe (ranging from 96% in Greece to 80% in the UK). A great majority (82%) agree that the EU must help farmers to change their working methods in order to fight climate change. This acknowledgement of the vital role played by agriculture in our societies explains the strong support of those interviewed with regard to the upkeep of subsidies granted to farmers (83%). In addition to this most of those interviewed (68%) believe that the budget devoted to the CAP is sufficient or insufficient in comparison with only 12% who think it is too high.

According to a study published on 31st March European subsidies granted to fishermen have in part encouraged the overfishing of fish stocks and the upkeep of excessive fishing capacities in comparison with available resources. This study undertaken by the NGO Pew Environment Group and the British consultancy Poseidon in ten EU States focused on some 93% of 4.9 billion euros paid as part of the Financial Orientation Instrument for Fisheries between 2000 and 2006. "The link between subsidies and fishing and overfishing is clear," deems Tim Huntingdon, a consultant with Poseidon. Although more than half of the funds paid out (54%) had a neutral effect some 29% helped to increase fishing capacities (modernisation of ships and the construction of new ones in the main), whilst only 17% was effectively used to reduce capacities (scrap bonuses notably) says the study.

Unemployment in Central and Eastern Europe is due to rise above 10% of the working population this year although these countries were spared more than those in Western Europe before the economic crisis indicated the Viennese Institute for Comparative Economic Studies (WIIW). Before the economic and financial crisis the average unemployment rate in these countries lay at around 6.5% ie less than the rates recorded in Western Europe.

Until 19th July the National Museum of the Imperial Palace in Compiègne is devoting an exhibition to Marie-Louise, Empress of the French. This exhibition entitled "1810, Napoleon 1st and Marie-Louise's love policy in Compiègne" aims to celebrate the bicentenary of Napoleon 1st's second marriage with the young archduchess of Austria. Over 200 works have been brought together : paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, works of art, costumes, silks and jewellery ... The exhibition has been granted exceptional loans from national (Louvre, Versailles, Fontainebleau, Napoleon and Thiers Foundations)and international galleries (Italy, Switzerland, Germany ...).