Take a look at the Robert Schuman Foundation's new site that has been entirely redesigned and overhauled. This new site comprises six parts: "Who are we?", "Robert Schuman's Story and Work", "Our Publications" (organised according to five themes: Policy and Democracy, Economic Integration, Europe and Societies, Enlargements and Neighbourhood, The EU in the World), "Our Events" (conferences and debates ranked in geographical order), "Media" and "The Letter". This bilingual site (French-English) has been totally redesigned; our new search engine will enable you to find the information you require easily and quickly. Finally take a look at our information sheets which are free of access and easily printed.

Two regulations that aim to improve economic governance and strengthen budgetary supervision in the euro zone, called the "two-pack" entered into force on 30th May 2013. This legislations sets a budgetary calendar and rules on the countries of the euro zone. As of next year they will have to publish their mid-term budgetary plan before 30th April and publish their draft budget for the following year on 15th October. The Commission will look at each national draft budget and put forward an opinion for 30th November. The "two-pack" also steps up supervision of the States placed under an excessive deficit procedure: those involved will have to communicate information regularly to the Commission on the measures they have taken to correct this excessive deficit and the latter will be able to address them recommendations.

On 31st May 2013 the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy declared after his meeting with the President of the Italian Council Enrico Letta that four priorities should guide both European and Italian political action in the crisis: financial stability, economic resilience, strenghtening Economic and Monetary Union and above all the fight to counter unemployment. The fight to counter youth employment and the financing of SMEs will feature on the agenda of the next European Council in June.

On 29th May 2013 the European Commission delivered its recommendations to the Union's countries which should help them overcome the crisis and strengthen their growth bases. José-Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission declared that "the recommendations adopted are part of our global strategy to bring Europe out of the crisis. They are real, realistic and adapted to the situation in each of the Union's Member States." The Commission's analysis shows that a re-balancing is ongoing in the Union since most of the Member States are progressing in terms of budgetary consolidation and are introducing reforms that aim to strengthen competitiveness. However some of them must step up the pace of their reforms or implement them in a more intensive manner. The fight to counter unemployment particularly that of young people, is still the biggest challenge and implies an increased use of active policy on the labour market or even reforms of education and training systems.

On 29th and 30th May 2013 the 27 Competitiveness Ministers defined a political agreement on two regulations that aim to reform State aid. These texts should simplify procedures and the definition of categories of State aid. They also decided to step up measures for "intelligent legislation" to limit red-tape that weighs on businesses notably on SMEs. They also adopted new measures that facilitate international scientific cooperation. They finally pointed to the need to continue the European space policy so that it can rise to world challenges more easily.

For the very first time ever the French Constitutional Council decided to turn to the EU's Court of Justice regarding a preliminary question. In its decision delivered on 30th May 2013 the Court answers firstly that the framework-decision did not regulate the possibility for Member States to be able to suspend decisions on the European Arrest Warrant. However the lack of this regulation did not mean that the framework-decision prevents them from using this possibility or that it forces them to introduce it. The Court secondly says that although the framework-decision did not regulate a possible ruling to suspend decisions relative to the European Arrest Warrant some limits have to be set however regarding States' room to manoeuvre.

On 28th May 2013 the European Patents Office awarded the European Inventor Award to six people who "by searching for new ideas" have "fostered technological progress and economic growth, shaped society and improved our daily lives." Hence in the "Research" category the French bio-pharmacist of Belgian origin, Patrick Couvreur, professor at the University of Paris South has been awarded the prize of European Inventor for his research into nanomedicines. The European Patents Office awarded prizes to five other people for their achievements in the categories of "Industry", "SMEs", "Lifetime Achievement", "Non-European Inventor" and "Popular Prize".

On 29th May 2013 the German Chancellor Angela Merkel hosted Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius. Bilateral relations and also economic and European issues were the focus of their discussions. They also discussed the priorities of the Lithuanian presidency of the Council of the EU that will start on July 1st next. Finally the Germany Chancellor expressed her support of Lithuania on its accession to the euro zone by 2015 and to the OECD on condition that the country meets the criteria which this membership implies. Lithuania will be organising the next Eastern Partnership Summit in November.

On 29th May 2013 Plamen Orecharski, an economist without a political label, but who has the support of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, was sworn in as Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Parliament approved his investiture 120 votes in support by the socialists and MPs of the Liberal Party (MDL - Turkish minority). The 97 representatives of the GERB conservative party voted against, those in the ultra-nationalist and xenophobic party Ataka did not take part in the vote. On the same date the government of experts and politicians close to the socialists and MDL was also approved by parliament. It comprises 17 ministers and 6 women.

On 5th June 2013 former French Prime Minister Alain Juppé will be taking part in a debate entitled "What future for Europe?" hosted by Nicole Gnesotto, professor at the CNAM and author of many studies for the Robert Schuman Foundation. The debate is being organised as part of a wider context in a series of public conferences that aim to help decipher the new relationship between the EU and economic globalisation. It is obligatory to enrol.

On 30th May 2013 Andrus Ansip, Valdis Dombrovskis and Algirdas Butkevičius, respectively the Prime Ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, met in Jurmala to adopt several decisions concerning the introduction of cooperation projects in the energy and transport sectors. They notably planned for a "joint-venture" in the construction of a high speed train by the end of July to develop their transport network with Europe.

The Moldovan Parliament approved the appointment of a new government on 30th May 2013. It will be led by former Foreign Minister in a bid to end the country's political crisis. 58 of the 101 MPs voted in support of his appointment as Prime Minister backed by a new liberal coalition, however the communist opposition boycotted his appointment. On 31st May the new prime minister presented a programme that notably aims to "introduce European principles in the areas of democracy and rule of law," to liberalise the economy and to attract investors.

On 29th May 2013 another twelve countries including Austria, Luxembourg, Latvia and Estonia signed or committed to signing the Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters - a text that was drafted by the OECD. This confirms the international work undertaken to combat tax fraud. "It is an historic moment for the Convention and another victory in the fight to counter tax fraud," declared the OECD's Secretary General Angel Gurria when the signature took place in Paris.

In an article published by the IMF Christine Lagarde, the institution's General Manager speaks on the position of women in economic life across the world. Regretting the net slowing of progress in this area she recalls that women still only represent one third of the world's active population but also that - amongst the developed and emerging States which are OECD members - the average wage gap between men and women totals 16%. To remedy this situation and because "women's position in the economy is a pertinent question for the IMF", Ms Lagarde presents five factors that justify the need for greater female involvement in world economic life.

The goods trade between the EU and Russia increased sharply and reached record heights in 2012. EU exports towards Russia increased to culminate in 123 billion € in 2012; imports also reached record heights of 213 billion €. As a result the EU's trade deficit with Russia lay at 90 billion € in 2012. The deficit is mainly due to the EU's energy imports from Russia (163 billion €) since these are partly compensated for by the EU's export of manufactured goods (108 billion ). In 2012 Russia was the EU's third trading partner after the US and China, representing 7% of the EU's exports and 12% of its imports.

The Genshagen Foundation has published a study by Claire Demesmay, Martin Koopmann and Julien Thorel which analyses Franco-German cooperation in Europe addressing the following issues: "Which Franco-German cooperation mechanisms influence the decision making process in Europe?" "What role is played by the institutions and bilateral players?" "Which kind of obstacles does bilateralism encounter and how can it be modernised?" The study is entitled "Analysing, Rethinking, Reforming: Institutions and Processes in Franco-German Cooperation in the European Policy"; this study is available in both French and German.

In his essay entitled "Le temps des juristes", Paul Lignières, lawyer and public legal affairs specialist, assesses the end of the crisis and pinpoints the engines of growth that national and European public authorities have at their disposal. In the author's opinion the end of the crisis should be looked for the legal sphere and with renewed confidence in the private sector. He makes three practical suggestions to bring this situation to an end: the development of legal euro-compatible instruments that enable industrial volontarism, reciprocity in the opening of borders as an answer to protectionism and the recovery of confidence via legal means as a key to growth.

The Pompidou Centre is presenting a retrospective of Simon Hantaï until 2nd September 2013. It is the first in 35 years. Five years after the artist's death - deemed to be one of the major personalities in abstract art, the Pompidou Centre showed nearly 130 of his paintings undertaken between 1949 and 1990. This chronological exhibition reveals the multiple, artistic paths taken by Hantaï, from surrealism to paintings of writing, including what the painter called the "pliage as method", his best known work.