With an overall unemployment rate of 12.6% in Italy in January the women's employment index in Italy is declining. The National Statistics Institute recorded a 0.5% decline in unemployment for women against stable figures for men. The 2015 Manageritalia Report confirms this data. The number of women in work has increased (+ 6.2% over the last ten years against +3.9% for men).

European Commissioner for the Digital Economy Günther Oettinger, presented the EU's projects for 5G on 3rd March at the World Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (3rd-5th March). The overall vision and the standards regarding 5G, which cannot be designed on a national or European level alone, will be debated by international partners by 2016. Commissioner Oettinger believes that 5G will be the solution to increased use of WIFI internet and this is why the introduction of the single digital market in Europe is vital.

The European Parliament has just published two documents that round up the implementation of the Commission's recommendations by country. In 2014 the States fully implemented 12 of the 157 reforms requested by Brussels, i.e. 7.5%.

Questions regarding energy security, the completion of the internal energy market, energy competitiveness and decarbonisation were on the Energy Council's agenda on 5th March. Ministers notably addressed regional cooperation, energy linked infrastructure financing and measures to achieve 10% electricity interconnection by 2020. A regulation on the supervision and checking of CO2 emissions due to maritime transport was also adopted without debate.

Considering the downturn in the situation in Syria the Council decided to step up measures against those supporting the Syrian regime. Seven people and six entities providing support to the regime will be subject to a ban on entering the EU and will have their assets frozen. This brings the number of people under EU sanction to 218 in response to the repression undertaken against the Syrian people.

The European Union's Court of Justice annulled the Eurosystem Oversight Policy Framework on 4th March in support of the UK - this system includes the ECB and the central banks of the euro zone countries published by the ECB obliging central counterparties to be located in the euro zone. Indeed the ECB announced in 2011 the role of the Eurosystem in the oversight of "the systems of the payment, compensation and regulation." According the ECB the oversight of systems and infrastructures stems from Article 22 of the Eurosystem and the ECB statutes which provides that "the ECB may make regulations, to ensure efficient and sound clearing and payment systems within the Union and with other countries" as well as its task to promote the smooth functioning of the payment systems granted to it by the TFEU. The ECJ deemed that the demand for a set location within a Member State of central counterparties which are involved in the clearing of securities "would be beyond the framework of simple oversight and would intervene in the regulation of their activity." An appeal can be made to the Court but the ECB might also request a modification to article 22 of the Statutes.

On 5th March following a meeting of the ECB's Governing Board in Cyprus Mario Draghi announced that the ECB would start its debt purchase programme on 9th March. The massive quantitative easing programme (QE) totalling more than 1000 billion euro was announced by the ECB on 22nd January to revive lending and activity in Europe. Mario Draghi also said that the date set for the end of the programme, September 2016, was not a deadline and that the programme might be extended. His goal is still to bring Europe back to a "level close but not below" the 2% inflation rate, which lay at -0.3% in February. The ECB decided not to change its main interest rates.

On 4th March the college of European Commissioners hosted German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Discussions focused on the situation in Ukraine, migration, negotiations over the transatlantic agreement between the EU and the USA, which Ms Merkel hopes will be concluded by the end of 2015 as well as the single digital market. Regarding Ukraine Ms Merkel insisted that all of the points in the Minsk agreements be respected including Ukraine's territorial integrity otherwise Russia would be the focus of further sanctions. The Chancellor also welcomed Mr Juncker's investment plan for which participation on the part of other Member States is a vital prior condition.

"Spain should do more to take on board the environment in its recovery programme," concludes the most recent environmental assessment by the OECD that was published on 2nd March 2015. Spain has made a great deal of progress in terms of improving its environmental results since 2000 but the authors of the report do not hide the fact that economic recovery might place the environment under further pressure. According to the assessment Madrid should "use make better use of environment related taxes and reduce the fiscal burden that weighs on labour in order to stimulate economic growth."

In response to a request by the Greek authorities the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved investment in Greece until 2020. The aim is to promote the country's economic revival by providing financial support to reform and the recovery of growth. On 3rd March the EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti, explained to Brussels that the decision taken by the London based institution aims to bring the penury of capital amongst private Greek businesses to an end, particularly amongst SMEs.

On 3rd March Italian President Sergio Mattarella visited Brussels. He met the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Federica Mogherini and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. The issues addressed focused on the economy and foreign policy notably the situation in Libya and the humanitarian crisis in the Mediterranean. On 2nd February, together with Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Mr Mattarella travelled to Berlin for his first official visit. He met President Joachim Gauck before speaking with Chancellor Merkel. The Italian President insisted on the need for flexibility and growth in Europe. Finally, like his predecessors, the leitmotif of the Italian Presidency is the "need for more Europe."

On 6th March French President François Hollande travelled to Luxembourg. It was the first visit by a French head of State to the country in 23 years. He was guest to Grand-Duke Henri. During his visit two contracts were signed between the SES, the European satellite operator and Airbus Defence and Space for the construction of a satellite - a contract was also signed between SES and Arianespace for the launch of a rocket. The problem of reindustrialisation was addressed, an area in which Luxembourg has been successful. François Hollande's visit to Luxembourg has come just a few months before the Luxembourg Presidency of the Council of the European Union and after the tax ruling scandal "LuxLeaks". The French head of State's entourage welcomed the encouraging developments in Luxembourg since the scandal came to light. The country accepted to transfer over to the automatic exchange of fiscal information as of 2017.

Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski ratified the association agreement between the EU and Ukraine on 5th March. The 28 signed the political part of this agreement with Ukraine following the events in Maidan in March 2014. On 27th June 2014 the second part was signed in terms of free trade, economic cooperation and legal affairs, by the heads of State and government and President Poroshenko. The entry into force of the free trade agreement was delayed until 31st December 2015 and still requires the ratification of some Member States. A law enabling the signature of the agreement by the Polish President was approved on 17th December 2014 and Mr Komorowski finalised the ratification on 5th March.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies published a report on 4th March on British incomes. The study shows that the median revenue covering 2014-2015 was back to its 2007-2008 level. Recovery however has been slow with a rise of 1.8% per year since 2011-2012.

On 2nd March the Ukrainian Parliament started a round of debate on the economic reforms demanded by the IMF in exchange for a further loan of 15.5 billion euro. These reforms comprise measures to counter corruption, the restructuring of State businesses, the reform of the energy sector, the optimisation of State spending and a possible increase in gas prices for Ukrainian households. These measures may be unpopular but the economic collapse of Ukraine leaves little choice to the public authorities, which need this loan to try and reverse the trend. "As matters stand there are no simple or easy decisions to make" explained Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk. The IMF already granted 17 billion dollars in emergency aid to Ukraine last April but the downturn in the situation in the east coupled with the economic crisis meant that this loan was inadequate.

A high level conference on Ebola took place in Brussels on 3rd March. This conference co-chaired by the EU, the UN, the African Union and by the countries most affected by the virus aimed to review the measures taken and their effectiveness and also to lay out a long term strategy to support the development of the countries involved. The EU actively took part in the management of the crisis, via financial aid totalling 1.2 billion euro, humanitarian aid totalling 65 million euro (epidemiological monitoring, medication and medical material supplies), development aid totalling over 210 million euro and the financing of medical research into the virus totalling 24.4 million euro, to which we might add 215 million euro devoted to the new research programme "Ebola+".

The EU has appealed to the WTO to arbitrate in the conflict with Russia in terms of illegal import tariffs. Russia is said to have infringed the commitments it took in August 2012 when it joined the WTO by setting excessive excise duties on certain products such as paper, fridges and palm oil. This practice impacts European exports negatively in the said sectors and goes against the fundamental principles of the WTO.

The Europe 2020 strategy introduced in June 2010 aims to establish Europe as a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy in the economic, employment, sustainable development, energy, education and social cohesion sectors. A series of nine indicators provide an insight in the distance still to be covered by Europe to achieve these goals. The employment rate for example of 70.3% in 2008 dropped to total 68.4% in 2013 whilst it is due to rise to 75% by 2020. The number of people threatened with social exclusion or poverty which should decline to total 96.6 million by 2020, but increased from 116.6 million to 121.4 million between 2008 and 2013. Statistics are more positive however in the energy and education sectors: graduates in higher education amongst the 30-34 year olds increased from 31.2% to 36.9% between 2008 and 2013, and it is due to be over the 40% mark by 2020. Greenhouse gas emissions have decreased and the chances of achieving the 80% goal (1990=100) by 2020 are significant: from 90.4 in 2008, they already lay at 82.1 in 2012.

A Eurobarometer survey published on 3rd March reveals that European citizens are confident about the safety of maritime and river transport: 68% of them believe that cruise ships and ferries are safe means of travel. Two major problems continue however - 18% of those interviewed think that the problem of high prices affects these types of transport the most in the EU, followed by the problem of water pollution and the lack of connections between destinations (15% each). These major issues linked to maritime and river transport explain in part why these types of transport are not used very much by European citizens: nearly three people in four have never travelled either on a ship or on a ferry.

A report by the European Agency for the Environment published on 3rd March entitled "The Environment in Europe, State and Outlook 2015 (SOER 2015) draws a positive, encouraging review of the policies undertaken by the EU for the environment: the air is less polluted, water is of better quality, more citizens recycle their waste. Environmental policies also have positive effects on employment and growth. Although the impact of these policies have been positive over the last five years and although the goals set by the 7th Action Plan for the Environment by 2020 are due to be achieved, the 2050 goals (like reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 80 to 95%) are said to be much more compromised in view of the present policies.

The Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris is running an exhibition until 1st June "What is photography?" This is a question that has been asked since the beginnings of photography in 1839. A certain number of artists from Man Ray to Jeff Wall - who asked themselves this question at a moment in their career and tried to answer with an image or a series of photographs via practice rather than theory, are also on show.