In an editorial published on his site entitled "The Euro, Europe and the Markets", Jean-Dominique Giuliani looks into the crisis in Europe and the need for more assertive European integration.

Approved by the State by the decree on 18th January, 1992 published in the Journal Officiel on 21st February, 1992, the Robert Schuman Foundation can receive donations from private persons and companies. Tax payers benefit get tax back equal to 66% of the amount donated. It is limited to 20% of taxable income (art. 200-3 C.G.I). Companies liable to income tax or company tax benefit can get 60% of this back, limited to 0.5% of their turnover. (art. 238 bis 2 CGI). Private parties who pay solidarity tax on wealth can deduct 75% of the total of their donation up to a limit of 50,000 euro (art 885-0 V bis A C.G.I). You can make a secure, on-line donation on the Foundation's site.

Whilst the draft Citizens' Initiative created by the Lisbon Treaty has just been approved by the European Parliament the Robert Schuman Foundation is launching in 2011 with the support of the European Commission and in partnership with the Karamanlis Institute and the Polish Robert Schuman Foundation work to raise awareness of this new tool amongst women in Europe. The site will be improved in the coming weeks to allow the greatest number to take part. The European Citizens' Initiative will enable citizens to put forward new legislative measures directly to the Commission. To launch an iniative seven citizens from seven different countries rallied in a organisers' committee will be adequate. To be admissible the initiative will then have to collate, within one year, at least one million signatures from European citizens of voting age from at least one quarter of the 27 EU Member States.

According to a press release by the Danish Finance Minister on 13th December the Danish economy is recovering after the world economic recesssion. The ministry says that economic growth is returning and that - in comparison with other countries - the unemployment rate is still low. GDP growth in 2010 was reviewed upwards to 2%. It is due to continue with 1.7% in 2011 and 1.5% in 2012. The budgetary deficit in 2010 is estimated at 3.6% of the GDP - 4.7% in 2011 and 3.4% in 2012. In 2013 the ministry is forecasting a deficit below 3% of the GDP. According to a press release by the IMF on 16th December Denmark is recovering after a deep recession. Moreover world economic recovery as well as the stabilisation of the financial markets have stimulated exports and confidence.

The Spanish public administration's debt reached 611.19 billion euros in the third quarter ie 57.7% of the GDP, the highest proportion since 2000 according to figures published on 17th December by the Bank of Spain. In addition to this slow recovery started in Spain in the first half of 2010 but growth is due to remain "weak" because of the necessary adjustments to the housing sector and the high level of private debt said the OECD on 20th December. In its latest forecasts the organisation is reckoning on a rise in the Spanish GDP of 0.9% next year, after a decline of 0.2% this year and on an unemployment rate of 19.1% after 19.8% in 2010.

The Irish Parliament approved the EU and IMF's rescue plan 81 votes against 75 on 15th December - it totals 85 billion euros concluded last month. For its part on 16th December the IMF's executive bureau validated its contribution to the rescue plan to a total of 22.5 billion euros in the shape of a three year loan.

The European financial system is still weak and exposed to the danger of further crisis in spite of recent signs of recovery on the markets estimated the European Commission on 14th December in its quarterly report on the Euro Area. "Although the dangers are less systemic and are more focused on specific EU Member States, the possibility of it spreading to extremely interconnected markets means that the EU's financial system remains exposed as a whole." The Commission adds that economic recovery is more than ever before the condition to achieve maximum confidence on the European State debt market.

According to the latest data by the Economic Research Centre and the Research Centre on European Economy (ZEW), growth is due to continue in Germany in 2011. The ZEW spoke of positive economic development and stronger growth. Its six-monthly forecast index rose by 2.5 points to reach 4.3 points in December. According to Ifo the Germany economy will continue to recover at a strong pace and growth is due to lie at 2.4% in 2011. The unemployment rate is due to decline to 7%.

An OECD study published on 13th December concludes that the euro area is emerging at present from recession which it experienced after the financial and economic crisis and is forecasting growth of 1.5% and 2% over the next two years. However according to the same report major economic, budgetary and financial imbalance has emerged, making it necessary to implement coherent reform programmes. In addition to this the OECD report of 15th December stresses a worsening in youth unemployment (15-29 age group) in spite of economic recovery. This is due to remain at 18% in 2011 ie more than twice the average unemployment out of all age ranges. The report invites governments to take precise action by using existing examples and by giving priority to young unqualified people who are of immigrant origin living in poor areas.

The European Central Bank announced on 16th December the launch of the European Systemic Risk Committee, an independent body responsible for monitoring financial stability in the EU. It is chaired by Jean-Claude Trichet, President of the European Central Bank and its HQ will be in Frankfurt. Its Deputy Chairman Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England was appointed on 16th December by the General Council of the ECB. The creation of this financial surveillance committee was decided by the European Commission after the G20 summit in London last year. Its task is to step up 'macro-prudential' surveillance of the European financial system to try and avoid a financial crisis such as the one that occurred in 2008. The first general meeting of this committee will take place on 20th January during its inaugural ceremony.

On 15th December the Portuguese government announced a series of measures to improve the competitiveness of its economy and to enhance the control of its public accounts. Fifty measures were planned for to make the labour market more flexible, reduce company costs and to support exports.

On 17th December the International Monetary Fund (IMF)approved the release of around 2.5 billion euros as part of the aid plan to Greece. According to the IMF the programme started well but difficulties continue notably in the public sector and investors are still reticent about Greece. The plan has reached a crucial stage. The IMF therefore stressed that the next decisions that the Greek government takes will be decisive for the success of the aid programme.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) welcomed in its annual report on 13th December Estonia's success on its road to the euro which means that its moderate economic policy in application for the last two decades had been correct. Estonia's membership of the Euro Area planned for 1st January 2011 should not be a problem. On the contrary it will enable it to make more of investments, push aside the spectre of the devaluation of the Estonian currency and make the country more accessible to economic partners most of whom come from the Euro Area.

"Belgium's economic results in 2010 were better than expected," concluded the annual IMF report published on 13th December. The Belgian economy, with a growth rate higher than the European average continues to recover from the shock of the financial crisis and the global recession, but in order to succeed Belgium must "immediately" stabilise its economic situation" says the IMF report.

The International Monetary Fund and the European Commission asked Latvia to save more than planned in its draft budget 2011. The aim is to get below the 3% GDP mark in 2012. Sudden developments in the crisis in the euro area and delays in adopting the European curency by Latvia may threaten the recovery of the Latvian economy said the IMF. This is why the IMF and the European Commission have asked "for additional structural measures of at least 50 million lats (70 million euros)" which "are still necessary to achieve the right adjustment for 2011."

Cypriot MPs adopted the severest budget in the island's history on 16th December in order to bring its budgetary deficit below the 4.5% GDP mark as demanded by the European Union. Finance Minister Charilaos Stavrakis said that Cyprus was on the right road to reduce its 2011 deficit below the 4% GDP mark.

On 14th December the Hungarian Parliament adopted a law that nationalises private pensions funds - 250 votes in favour, 58 against and 43 abstentions; this should enable the country to improve significantly the state of its public finances. The law gives the three million Hungarians who have been contributing to a private pension until the end of February to decide whether they will join the state system with the money they have saved until now.

Italy's public debt is one of the highest in the world in total values reaching a new record in October of 1.867 billion euros against 1.844 billion in September, its previous record announced the Bank of Italy on 14th December. The Italian debt which reached 115.8% of the GDP in 2009 is due to rise to 118.5% this year according to government forecasts then to 119.2% in 2011 before dropping to 117.5% in 2012 and 115.2% in 2013.

The Diet, the lower Chamber in the Polish Parliament, adopted the finance law 2011 on 16th December - reckoning on GDP growth of 3.5% and on public finance deficit of 6.5%. The State budget was approved by 235 MPs, 187 against and three abstentions. Revenues are due to rise next year to 273.3 billion zlotys (68.33 billion euros) and spending to 313.5 billion zlotys (78.38 billion euros). The GDP in the third quarter of 2010 increased by 1.3% in comparison with the previous quarter and by 4.7% in comparison with the third quarter of 2009. The public finance deficit expected in 2010 was revised by the Finance Ministry to 7.9% of the GDP.

The Chamber of Czech Deputies adopted at third reading on 15th December an austerity budget for 2011, with a public finance deficit limited to 4.6% of the GDP. The text includes significant cuts in social spending as well as reductions in civil servants' salaries and in the State's bonus for holders of a savings account. The public deficit is expected to reach 5.3% in 2010. The government is hoping to bring it down to 2.9% in 2013.

On 16th December French Parliament adopted the draft finance law for 2011 that plans to bring the public deficit down to 7.7% of the GDP at the end of 2010 and to 6% at the end of 2013. The 2011 budget will involve an unprecedented effort to control spending.

Five European leaders Nicolas Sarkozy, Angela Merkel, David Cameron, Mark Rutte and Mari Kiviniemi addressed a letter on 18th December to the European Commission demanding a freeze in the EU budget in the name of austerity. "European public spending cannot be exempted from significant effort by the Member States which are aiming to bring their public spending under control," write the five European leaders. "The implementation of ambitious European policies at the service of its citizens is possible but with a stable amount of spending. It demands a better use of the funds available," they believe. In real terms the five leaders advise that "payment appropriations" do not increase "more than inflation ongoing during the period covered by the next multiannual financial framework."

The generalisation of the single payment system in the euro area - SEPA (Single Euro Payment Area) is to be stepped up said the European Commission on 16th December as it gave its draft regulation to the Member States and MEPs. The Commission wants to plan for the establishment of deadlines across the EU for the abolition of the present national systems of credit transfers and direct debits to replace them by the new tools of the Single Payments Area (SEPA). This system will enable the reduction of payment costs, enhancement of competition by making cross-border payments as simple as national ones (ie a delay of one working day for credit transfers in Europe for no charge at all). 20 million companies and more than 500 million of citizens would be concerned by this development that may become a reality in 2012.

With the adoption of new guidelines and two exemption regulations on 14th December the European Commission reviewed its rules for cooperation agreements between competing companies - the so-called "horizontal agreements". The Commission hopes to help competing companies to join forces to achieve synergy or to manufacture at lower prices. This authorisation is part of the Europe 2020 strategy which aims to improve innovation and competitiveness.

On 17th December the European Commission launched a new equal opportunities strategy for the period leading up to 2014. This strategy is based on three principles: developing a balanced labour force; promoting a more flexible working environment; ensuring the appropriation of the strategy at the highest level. New goals will be established with regard to the number of women within the intermediary and higher management sector and for the recruitment of women to adminstrator posts. Each Commission service will have to develop its own action plan to achieve these goals and regular reviews will be given by the human resources directorate general.

On 14th December the European Commission presented a proposal opening the way to an enhanced cooperation agreement between the greatest possible number of Member States in view of creating a single European patent. This system of unified protection will help Member States who so wish to create the vital patent by way of one request which will be valid in all participating countries. Obtaining a patent at present is more expensive in Europe than in the USA because of national validation and translation costs. This situation has been indeed dissuasive for European research, development, innovation and competitiveness.

On 20th December the Commission published a communication in which is lays out the most serious fiscal problems that Union citizens have to face in cross-border situations and announced its plans to remedy this. When individuals set up home, work and invest abroad they can be subject to double taxation and encounter other difficulties notably in requesting tax reimbursements or obtaining information about foreign tax rules. In its Communication the Commission plans for new measures to be taken both on an EU level as well as in the Member States so that citizens are no longer dissuaded in taking up cross-border activities.

European Parliament adopted the Citizens' Initiative by a wide majority on 15th December. Part of the Lisbon Treaty the Citizens' Initiative will enable European citizens to put forward new legislative measures for the EU directly to the European Commission. To launch this initiative it will be enough for seven citizens from seven different countries to come together in an organisers' committee. To be admissible the initiative will then have to collate in the space of one year at least a million signatures from European citizens who are old enough to vote from at least one quarter of the Union's 27 Member States. Safeguards designed to prevent abuses and fraud have been planned for such as the ban on demeaning "European values". The Council is due to adopt the new legislation formally in the next few weeks.

Consumers should be informed of new misleading, intrusive advertising techniques used on the internet according to a resolution adopted by the European Parliament on 15th December. MEPs also asked for special measures to be taken to protect vulnerable groups. The framework of this directive on unfair trading practices dating back to 2005 now appears to out of date in the opinion of the MEPs because new practices have developed since then on the internet. This resolution which was supported by Philippe Juvin (EPP, FR) asked for the insertion of the phrase "clearly legibile behavioural advertising" in on-line advertising as well as an information window explaining what this practice is.

In the ilk of the Nobel Peace Prize 2010 an empty chair also remained empty on 15th September at the European Parliament during the award of the Sakharov Prize given to Cuban regime opponent Guillermo Farinas. The latter however did send MEPs a pre-recorded message. Director of the illegal agency Cubanacan Press and member of the illegal movement "Cuban Democratic Alliance" Guillermo Farinas, 48, is the third Cuban opponent to win the Sakharov Prize after Oswaldo Paya in 2002, the Women in White, wives of political prisoners in 2005.

In virtue of the new regulation adopted by MEPs on 15th December international couples who divorce will soon be able to choose the legal regime of the EU which will govern their separation. These new rules will enable a Franco-German couple living in Belgium to choose which law - French, German or Belgian will apply to their divorce. Fourteen Member States (Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Austria, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia) which via an enhanced cooperation agreement between States have decided to implement these rules. Other Member States may join at any time.

In line with the Lisbon Treaty the European Parliament consolidated its role as co-legislator by approving a new control mechanism on 17th December which will give it the right of scrutiny over the European Commission's projects. If Parliament believes that a measure taken by the Commission goes beyond its competence it may oblige it to re-examine its text. This new mechanism will replace "comitology" (committees comprising representatives from the Member States) by two new procedures (advisory and examination procedures) that will apply when the Parliament and the Council intend to confer implementing powers on the Commission. This new mechanism is due to enter into force on March 1st 2011.

The 27 Foreign Affairs Ministers declared on 13th December that they were ready to acknowledge the State of Palestine and to provide vital European aid for the recovery and economic development of Gaza. They also congratulated Alassane Ouattara on his election as President of Côte d'Ivoire and called for calm. They welcomed the completion of the enrolment procedure for voters in Sudan which is a major stage in preparation work for the referendum on self-rule in South Sudan that will take place on 9th January. Finally the High Representative Catherine Ashton informed ministers of the negotiations she had undertakn on behalf of France, Germany, the UK, China, Russia and the USA with the negotiator of the Iranian nuclear question on 6th and 7th December last.

On 14th December European Ministers approved the 30th November agreement on the Citizens' Initiative with the European Parliament. In its next meeting the Council plans to adopt a draft regulation. They discussed the enlargement policy, encouraging Turkey to continue negotiations for membership to the European Union. The Council also said that Croatia had reached the last stage in negotiations for the membership treaty. Finally they re-iterated their commitment for the economic and political stabilisation of the Balkans in view of EU membership.

The European Union firmly condemned the repression organised by the Belarus authorities led by Lukashenko against the opposition that was the target of violence and who were almost all imprisoned (7 of the 9 other candidates).

The Heinrich Heine Prize awarded by the town of Düsseldorf was attributed this year to Simone Veil, former French Minister and former President of the European Parliament. "In line with Heinrich Heine's approach Ms Veil has helped to give a soul to Europe," explained the Jury. During the award ceremony on 13th December Simone Veil expressed her thanks stressing the importance of Franco-German friendship. The prize is one of the most prestigious awards in Germany rewarding writers or public personalities.

On the eve of the European Council, German Chancellor Angela Merkel gave a speech to the Bundestag in which she stressed "The euro is our joint goal and Europe is our joint future." She said she was confident that Member States would succeed in coming to agreement at the European Council over the adoption of a new crisis management mechanism in the Euro Area. In addition to this she also declared that the euro had resisted quite well to the crises and that the single currency was stable. "Europe is a community of responsibility," continued the Chancellor saying that it was necessary to assume this responsibility together.

The British government presented a series of proposals on the reform of the electricity market on 16th December. This should help the UK launch itself into the electricity investment competition, to facilitate the development of industries using clean energy and to offer the best possible compromise to consumers. With regard to this David Cameron recalled that he wanted his country "to have clean, reliable, cheap energy." He notably promised to offer consumers prices that are lower than those pracicised on the present market.

The number of people with employment remained stable in the euro area and in the EU in the third quarter of 2010 in comparison with the previous quarter according to provisional estimates published by Eurostat on 15th December. In the second quarter of 2010 employment increased by 0.1% in both areas. These figures have been adjusted to seasonal variations.

70% of European households now have access to internet. This figure was not above 50% in 2006; these are the revelations of the most recent Eurostat study published on 14th December with regard to the use of ICTs. Enormous disparity still remains. Hence although 91% of households in the Netherlands and 90% of households in Luxembourg have an internet access there are only 33% in Bulgaria, 42% in Romania and 46% in Greece. However says Eurostat if the 2010 data is compared with that of 2006 the level of internet access tripled in Romania and doubled in Bulgaria and Greece, likewise in the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia. The survey also covers other indicators such as on-line shopping, on-line administration, internet security and advanced communication and information services.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 17th December the Euro Area recorded an external trade surplus of 5.2 billion euros with the rest of the world compared with 4.8 billion more in October 2009. In October 2010 in comparison with September 2010 exports adjusted to seasonal variations decreased by 0.1% and imports by 1.3%.

116 million European citizens, ie nearly one quarter of the EU's population were threatened by poverty or social exclusion in 2008 according to a study published on 13th December by Eurostat. The European Commission has shown its aim via the EU2020 strategy to reduce the number of people facing the danger of poverty and social exclusion by ten million in ten years time. Amongst the Member States Bulgaria (45%), Romania (44%), Latvia (34%) and Poland (31%) have the greatest shares whilst the Netherlands, Sweden and the Czech Republic (15% each), Luxembourg and Denmark (16%) each have the lowest percentages.

According to figures published by Eurostat on 16th December the annual inflation rate in the Euro Area lay at 1.9% in November 2010, unchanged in comparison with October. One year ago it lay at 0.5%. The monthly inflation rate lay at 0.1% in November 2010. The EU's annual inflation rate lay at 2.3% in November 2010 unchanged against October. One year ago it lay at 1%. The monthly inflation rate lay at 0.2% in November 2010.

The draconian austerity decided upon by the British government will throw nearly one million people into total poverty said the Institute for Budgetary Studies on 17th December. By the end of 2014 900,000 people will be plunged into the "total poverty" category that includes families with a real revenue of less than 60% of the average 2010/11 revenue calculates the IFS.

New work on the EU's external action entitled "European Development Aid" has just been published. Its author Corinne Balleix describes the functioning of the European cooperation development policy and its articulation with the various cooperation policies of the various Member States. She also looks into the aid goals that transcend the issue of development alone, aid that helps to defend trade, political and geostratetgical interests of the Union.

The exhibition "Napoleon and Europe-the dream and Trauma" will be on show at the Centre of Art and Exhibitions of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn until 25th April before moving to the Military Museum in Paris in 2012. This exhibition comes under the high patronage of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkzoy.

The National Galleries of Scotland are offering an exhibition "The Young Vermeer" until 13th March. This exhibition brings together three of the 36 paintings that exist by the grand Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675). This artist created three of the works between 1653 and 1656: "Diane and her Nymphs", "Christ in the House of Martha and Mary" as well as the "Procuress".

The Farnèse Palace which is home to the Embassy of France in Rome is opening its doors to the public for four months to reveal the treasures of the Farnèse collection. This exceptional exhibition entitled "Palais Farnèse - De la Renaissance à l'Ambassade de France (Farnese Palace from the Renaissance to the Embassy of France) is showing around 150 works (drawings, sculptures, paintings and works of art)that belonged the Farnèse, a famous Roman family until 27th April.

The 68th Louis Delluc Prize was awarded on 17th December to the film "Mystères de Lisbonne" by Franco-Chilean film-maker Raoul Ruiz. Inspired by a novel by Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco - the feature film by Raoul Ruiz is particularly long since it lasts 4 hours 26 minutes. It looks into the fate of an orphan raised by a priest in Lisbon in 19th century.