The European association of Sciences Po in Lille, Visions d'Europe, together with the Robert Schuman Foundation is organising the fourth version of the Newrope competition on 8th April in Lille. This competition aims to promote the idea of Europe and to provide life to a tangible Europe in the areas of culture and eduction. By the creation and support of real projects it seeks to promote awareness of Europe. This year five projects designed to make Europe more tangible put forward by five university delegations will be running in the competition. The jury will be chaired by former French President Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.

According to final figures released by the National Accounts Institute on 31st March the state recorded a deficit of 4.1% of the GDP in 2010 whilst the outgoing government had forecast a deficit of 4.6% of the GDP. In 2009 the deficit rose to 5.9%. With regard to public debt it lay at 96.8% of the GDP at the end of 2010 ie +0.6% in comparison with the previous year. On 30th March the Economy Ministry announced that the consumer price index had increased by +0.5% in March reaching its highest level since October 2008. Hence the inflation rate rose to 3.52% in February. Finally inflation - except for energy - rose from 1.7% to 1.75%.

On the occasion of his visit to Norway on 30th March the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy met Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and took part in the annual conference on Europe entitled "A changing Europe in a changing world." He recalled that the adoption by Heads of State and government of the Euro Plus Pact on 25th March as part of macro-economic supervisory framework and of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) which will be implemented in 2013 must help to maintaining the EU's trade relations with Norway. The latter is an integral part of the EU's internal market on the basis of the European Economic Area agreement of 1992. He also stressed the importance of dialogue on energy and coordinating policies in this area emphasising that Norway is a key partner in the EU's energy security.

In an opinion on 25th March the European Data Protection Supervisor criticised the Commission's new proposal put forward on 2nd February last aiming to oblige air companies to provide EU Member States with passenger details (Passenger Name Record - PNR) on flights travelling towards or from the Union in the fight to counter major infringements and terrorism. The EDPS believes that the need and proportionality of the system have not be demonstrated adequatly whilst it is planned to collate PNR data en masse on all passengers for systematic assessment purposes.

On the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day on 8th March last the European Parliament published a brochure entitled "Women at the European Parliament." The study describes the representation of women in the parliament's various political and administrative bodies as well as the work undertaken by the Parliament to promote gender equality within its Secretariat. With regard to this subject the Robert Schuman Foundation has published three tables illustrating women's representation in Europe.

On 31st March the 27 Transport Ministers adopted various measures on the rules for access to the Public Regulated Service (PRS) provided by the European global navigation satellite system under the Galileo programme and on the regime applicable to maritime travellers' luggage. On this occasion the Commission confirmed that it wanted progressively to do away with the ban on liquids in air passengers' luggage. A great state of confusion is on the horizon as of 29th April 2011 the date when the Commission intends to lift the liquid ban on transit flights! Indeed most of the Member States demanding better control equipment, which is not yet on the market and an estimation of the risks being run have said they will maintain the present regime. This is a declaration that will extend the queues in the airports!

After the London conference on 29th March on Libya which brought together over 40 governments and international organisations, the High Representative Catherine Ashton said that the EU was prepared to support the rapid establishment of a democratic transition process in the country. After the meeting participants agreement for the establishment of an international contact group in which the UN, the Arab League, the African Union and the EU would take part in view of starting a political process as quickly as possible.

During a meeting in Berlin with the German Labour and Family Ministers, Ursula von der Leyen and Kristina Schröder, the first 30 companies listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange confirmed that they were prepared to set real goals very soon to promote women's access to posts of responsibility. The government wants to see the share of women within the management teams and on company boards of major companies triple by 2013. At present the boards of 30 DAX companies comprise 500 members only 67 of whom are women.

On 29th and 30th March Belgian King Albert II visited Germany where he met German President Christian Wulff. They exchanged views on immigration, European subjects as well as on the situation in Japan and Libya. Belgian Prime Minister Yves Leterme was also present. After the meeting the heads of State said they were pleased with their excellent bilateral relations and they stressed the responsibility held by both States in terms of promoting European integration. In addition to this King Albert II met German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Suffering because of the economic crisis and the austerity measures that have damaged his popularity the head of government José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero announced on 2nd April that he would not be standing again in the general elections in 2012. This announcement opens the way to the leadership of the Socialist Party (PSOE) with Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, followed by Defence Minister Carmen Chacon being quoted as potential successors.

From 28th March to 1st April the Finnish President Tarja Halonen travelled to Turkey and Serbia. During her visit to Turkey she met her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gül. They discussed bilateral relations, Turkey's EU membership perspectives as well as the transition process in the Middle East and North Africa. During her meeting with Serb President Boris Tadic on 31st March in Belgrade Ms Halonen stressed her support to Serbia's European integration. Moreover they discussed economic relations and cooperation possibilities, in the area of energy efficacy amongst others.

France, like the US, asked during a G20 meeting on 31st March in Nanjing in China for more flexible exchange rates and greater coordination against market volatility whilst China although accused of undervaluing the yuan showed a desire to cooperate. French President Nicolas Sarkozy took advantage of the seminar to outline the reform of the international monetary system that he would like to see the launch of; this notably involves a greater role and better means of intervention for the IMF. The French President then travelled to Japan where he expressed the G20's support of with regard to the Japanese authorities during the ongoing nuclear crisis. He suggested a meeting in May in Paris with the nuclear safety authorities of the G20 countries in order to lay down safety norms of installations across the world.

The refloating of the Irish banks will require an extra 24 billion euros announced the Central Bank of Ireland on 31st March - an extension which brings the rescue bill of a sector that almost plunged the country into bankruptcy up to 70 billion euros. This extension was decided after stress-tests on four of the country's establishments. Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan announced a "radical restructuring of the country's banking system" on the same day and did not rule out obliging private investors to help out.

Whilst the number of migrants from Libya and Tunisia landing on the Italian island of Lampedusa is increasing President Silvio Berlusconi committed on 30th March to evacuating the 6000 migrants to other regions of Italy. On the same day Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini repeated his appeal to his European colleagues for help. Finally the Italian Interior Minister Robert Maroni said that the situation on the island would soon be settled but that he deplored the lack of action on the part of the EU.

On 29th March President Dalia Grybauskaite hosted President of Croatia Ivo Josipovic who was on a working visit to Lithuania. During their meeting discussions focused on cooperation between Lithuania and Croatia within international organisations and on negotiations in view of Croatia's accession to the EU. The Lithuanian leader stressed that an effective bilateral partnership within international organisations was very important for both States.

Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves hosted his Polish counterpart Bronislaw Komorowski during a working visit on 28th and 29th March. The two presidents addressed bilateral and regional issues, energy security, the European agenda as well as the Presidency of the European Union to be ensured by Poland as of July 1st. Mr Komorowski also visited Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip.

Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva convened early general elections for 5th June 2011. The President took this opportunity to ask the political parties not to "sell illusions or utopias" to the Portuguese. "This electoral campaign must be one of truth and accuracy," he added.

The European Investment Bank is intending to grant loans of between 800 millon and one billion euros to Romania in 2011, notably for projects that aim to limit climate change said bank's Vice-President on 1st April in Bucharest. The EIB particularly wants to support projects that aim to reduce energy consumption in collective buildings by 50% but that also aim to develop public transport systems notably in Bucharest.

Prince Charles, the British heir to the throne travelled to Portugal on 28th and 29th March where he spoke with the President of the Portuguese Republic Anibal Cavaco Silva. He then travelled to Spain where he met King Juan Carlos and Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Zapatero on 30th and 31st March. This official visit was designed to strengthen links between the two States. The environment was discussed in the wake of the Japanse nuclear catastrophe. They spoke of the urgent need to define a new growth model that would be based on sustainable development and that would take future generations into account.

On 28th March the Constitutional Court of Kosovo presented its conclusions on the KO 29/11 affair. With this decision it unanimously condemned and declared the Assembly's decision unconstitutional with regard to the election of the President dating back to 22nd February. Indeed the decision reveals contradictions with article 86 of the Kosovar Constitution and the democratic principles that are included in it. Following this announcement President Behgjet Pacolli said on 30th March that he was ready to fall in line with the decision entirely and did not want to comment on this decision, explaining that the Assembly of Kosovo was the competent body to take any further measures.

The Minsk Offie of the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe (OSCE) finally closed its doors on 31st March since its mandate was not renewed by the Belarus authorities after the criticism it launched with regard to the running of the election in December 2010. "Regrettably the Belarus authorities have chosen not to fall in line with the consensus that aims to extend the OSCE's mandate in Minsk thereby leaving major initiatives and projects incomplete and Belarus civil society without an invaluable partner," said the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Audronius Azubalis whose country is ensuring the organisation's rotating presidency in a press release.

On 31st March the World Trade Organisation (WTO) condemned certain types of aid given by Washington to Boeing, some months after having condemned Brussels' subsidies to Airbus. In its report the WTO stresses that certain types of aid denounced by the EU are subsidies that go against world trade rules and totalled at least "5.3 billion dollars between 1989 and 2006. On 1st April the EU annonced that it was appealing against the WTO's decision condemning some of the American subsidies made to Boeing, in spite of the "victory" its believes to have won in this affair. "The EU's victory in this affair against Boeing is clear to us all. However the EU has chosen to appeal rapidly with regard to some technical details contained in the verdict, for strategic legal reasons, " said the Commission's Trade spokesperson John Clancy.

On 31st March Swedish Prime Minister Frederik Reinfeldt received NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. The meeting took place as part of regular meetings of the organisation with its partner States. Mssrs Reinfeldt and Rasmussen reviewed NATO's new security strategy, operations in Afghanistan, Kosovo and in Libya. On this occasion Mr Rasmussen declared that NATO was committing to Libya "in order to protect but not to arm the citizens." Finally he met Swedish Defence Minister Sten Tolgfors and HM King Karl XVI Gustav.

On April 1st the International Court of Justice declared that it was incompetent to judge the dispute between Georgia and Russia. This declaration follows the complaint lodged by Georgia in 2008 accusing Russia and the separatist militia of having undertaken ethnic cleansing in two separatist Georgian provinces provoking a five day war in 2008. In his decision the president of the ICJ Hisashi Owada, explained that the highest jurisdiction of the UN had declared itself incompetent ten votes against six in judging the complaint, since Russia and Georgia had not tried to negotiate an agreement before presenting a complaint to the court.

According to rapid estimate published on 31st March by Eurostat the annual inflation rate in the euro area rose to 2.6% in March 2011. The rate recorded in February lay at 2.4%.

A Eurobarometer survey entitled "European Attitudes to the Effective Use of Resources" published on 28th march revealed that nearly 60% of European citizens do not think that their household produces an excessive quantity of waste. But statistics indicate that EU citizens produce more than 500kg per year on average. In almost all Member States most citizens, 70%, agreed on the need to improve waste collection services whilst 63% of those interviewed said they supported the idea of manufacturers paying for the collection and recycling of waste. However only 38% supported the proposal to make households pay for the waste they produce, the most in favour being the Italians (65%) and the least being the Maltese (14%).

The Centre for Applied Policy Research of the University of Munich has published a study by Timo Behr on Europe and the Arab world entitled "Europe and the Arab World: Towards a Principled Partnership" in which the author looks, amongst other matters, into the proposal of the "Partnership for democracy and shared prosperity" set out by the European Commission.

Armand Colin publishing has released a book by Nicole Gnesotto entitled "Europe a-t-elle un avenir strategique?" The EU has still not become a powerful, respected player in the international arena. It has of course successfully adopted a nascent foreign policy and common defence but its political influence remains marginal, sporadic or invisible. But as shown by the author globalisation has now transformed security issues and revealed the limitations - and therefore the inefficacy - of national frameworks. We no longer have the choice : the response to challenges will be European.

Until 19th June the Cultural Centre ING and the Royal Fine Arts Museums of Belgium are presenting an exhibition entitled "Joan Miro. Painter Poet." The exhibition includes 120 paintings, engravings, sculptures and drawings that review the development of the Catalan artist's work.