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INTERNET AND BROADBANDMary Honeyball uses social networking sites to stay in touch with her constituentsAccess all areas Mary Honeyball sets out how broadband technology can help increase democratic accountabilityAMary Honeyball is an avid blogger, a London MEP and a member of parliament’s industry, research and energy committees an avid blogger talking about my daily life in European politics, musing feminism, religion and the world at large, I am part of the migration to the participative web or web 2.0. The diffusion of high-speed internet (broadband) across the UK encouraged me to open a blogger account and start producing my own content for the web to increase my interaction with a worldwide audience in both a professional and a personal capacity. This blog has expanded to a combined blog and website, Facebook page and Twitter account all of which I can update constantly via 3G on my mobile phone. For me, broadband has become fundamental to how I bring democracy and accountability to my role as an MEP, diminishing the distance between my job in Europe and my constituents. For Europe, and the world at large, broadband is making economic activity more efficient and is constantly extending the realms of social activity beyond all recognition. The European broadband market is developing rapidly and has already overtaken that of the United States. Twenty per cent of the European population has broadband access in their homes and almost half of Europeans can access speeds above two megabytes per second. Broadband is now available to 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in Europe, up seven percentage points from 2006. However, the growth in penetration is slowing down and there are increasing gaps between member states take-up, speed, price and coverage of broadband. To ensure the economic success of Europe there is a need to break down the conditions in member states which affect broadband access and compare them across Europe. High quality monitoring is crucial to designing an appropriate policy framework within Europe for the development of broadband across member states, enabling the expansion to be tied in with national regional development plans and policy targets. The commission has recently announced that it will undertake this high quality monitoring. In a project described as i2010, it will benchmark the member states’ overall broadband performance on broadband coverage, competition by coverage,speeds, prices, use of advanced services, and socio-economic context. Through doing this, the broadband performance index (BPI) will provide information on barriers to and drivers for growth across the EU. According to the BPI ‘indicators of success’, my interaction with the internet is bolstering the socio-economic context of the UK because I have at least basic internet skills, access to a computer, subscribe to 3G and spend a fair amount on ICT equipment each year. Under the commission’s broadband rankings, the UK is part of a second cluster of member states including Denmark, Norway and France which are characterised by a positive socio-economic environment for broadband usage, but are held back by speed and take up of advanced services. Sweden ranks the highest in the BPI followed by the Netherlands and Denmark. All these countries have a highly competitive environment which has driven the market for advanced services, reduced prices and ensured high speeds. At the bottom of the BPI are the final cluster of countries – Latvia, Hungary, Ireland and Estonia – which all suffer relatively high prices and low speeds of broadband, possibly as a result of limited competition. The bottom seven countries in the index, which includes the Baltic states and Cyprus, are all more variable in their results. But one shared factor is they are all limited by their socioeconomic context and high prices. The BPI highlights the socioeconomic context of member states, which in many instances leads to low skills and a correspondingly low interest in advanced services, as an important barrier to the further development of broadband services. This method of showing what is driving broadband take-up and what is holding it back, has created an invaluable tool for member states and the commission to design and implement more targeted action to improve Europe’s broadband access. I hope this will soon enable all European citizens to take part in the life changing, economic and social online global community. Visit Mary Honeyball’s blog at http://maryhoneyballmep34 PARLIAMENT MAGAZINE 2 March 2009 Issue 283 2 March 2009“WE HAVE A CLEAR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE EU IN FINDING SOLUTIONS TO CENTRAL ASIAN REGIONAL ISSUES AND THE STRUGGLE AGAINST MODERN THREATS AND CHALLENGES ”A stabilising role in central Asia? Mental Health Evangelia Tzampazi, Julien Mendlewicz Cross-border healthcare Election Watch L O C O M O T I V E S T H AT C O N S E R V E F U E L W H I L EREDUCING EMISSIONSON TRACKN O W. UPTURNHel p rem ing pe ople ain pro vidi compe com t n p effi cien g train itive b anies y t IT ing solu tion s.DOWNTURNMICROSOFT GROWTH AND INNOVATION DAY BRUSSELS, 5 TH MARCH 2009 IT enabling tomorrow’s economy today. For more information visit: www.euinnovationday.com Issue 283 2 March 2009NEWSANALYSIS 7 Away from the sidelines Nickolay E Mladenov urges the EU not to shy away from upgrading relations with Israel, while Proinsas De Rossa argues that Europe must move away from the political sidelines and help find a solution to the crisis in Gaza29-30 Anna Záborská catherinestihlerEditorial team Managing editor Brian Johnson Martin Banks Martha Moss International Press Centre Boulevard Charlemagne 1 Box 2 Brussels 1041 Tel +32 (0)2 285 0828 newsdesk@theparliament. www.theparliament.com Editorial board Editor Catherine Stihler MEP Editorial board Johannes Blokl ses t en clo : n ev tio arch bling tra gis 4th M /gam Re m d co We ent. .th ww w a ep rli amFAIR PLAY FOR GAMBLING DATE: Thursday 5th March LOCATION: European Parliament (Members Salon), Round Table with breakfast for delegates TIME: 08.00 09.30 FORMAT: Panel DebateOPENING UP THE EU’S MARKET IN GAMB newsanalysisAway from the sidelines Nickolay E Mladenov urges the EU not to shy away from upgrading relations with IsraelDuring the Gaza crisis, MEPs and national parliamentarians visited the region. We went to Sderot; met with Israel defence force (IDF) representatives and visited injured Palestini israel-palestineNickolay E Mladenov is a member of parliament’s delegation for relations with Israel and a member of the steering committee of the European friends of IsraelNobody likes war and occupation, least of all Israelis and Palestinians who have lived with both for more than half a century. newsanalysisPalestinians pray next to the rubble of houses destroyed in January’s Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip we do not demand that Israel make reparations to European taxpayers for the destruction of EU-funded infrastructure. Everyone we met had one basic demand: an end to the sieg Energy crisisPast, present and future? The prospect of further gas shortages from Russia suggests to Vladimir Urutchev that the EU should review its nuclear plant closure agreements with Bulgaria, Slovakia and Lithuania n January this year, when Vladimir Putin invited the head of Gazprom into his of newsanalysisHealth and safety is not negotiable Misinformation on parliament’s plans to end the individual ‘opt-out’ in the working time directive is clouding the fact that excessive working hours cause real problems, writes Stephen HughesThere is much scaremongering going on about the impact of the special olympicsMore than just sport Christopher-Heaton Harris calls on MEPs to back the parliament’s written declaration asking for EU support for the upcoming Special Olympics or many years, I have personally campaigned for EU support for Special Olympics. After many attempts, the EU budget for 20 Solvency II has the potential to be seen as a model for supervision worldwideAs the world’s fifth largest insurance group and the leading provider of pensions and long term savings products in Europe, Aviva has been a firm supporter of the Solvency II project, an EU framework Directive in the pipeli MENTAL HEALTHMental health in the EU • One in four people experience mental health problems at least once in their lives, and many more are indirectly affected • Last month, parliament’s environment, public health and food safety committee called on EU governments to develop awarenessraising campaig NEWSANALYSISRaising awareness Depression should not be a word to be thrown around lightly, argues Julien MendlewiczWhy did the European brain council (EBC) choose to focus its annual two-day forum last week in Brussels on depression? It’s a term used in everyday conversation and applied across the b NEWSANALYSISLiberal values ELDR president Annemie Neyts sets out the party’s key goals and objectives ahead of this summer’s European electionsLiberalism has been accused of being at the root of the current financial and economic crisis. We liberals don’t see the market as a wild west of supply and ELECTION WATCHinternational trade, arms control and disarmament, the fight against terrorism, organised crime, climate change, poverty and the violation of human rights. EU citizens expect the EU and its member states to stand together, to act together and to play an effective role in global affairs NEWSANALYSISA stabilising role in Central Asia? His recent official visit to Brussels has helped to open a new chapter in the development of bilateral relations between Tajikistan and the EU, writes Emomali RahmonTajikistan’s foreign policy is based on an ‘open door’ strategy and focuses on the crea TAJIKISTAN PRESIDENTTajikistan president calls on EU for more support During his visit to Brussels last month, the president of Tajikistan appealed to the EU to help his debt-ridden country survive the global financial meltdown. Speaking in the European parliament, Emomali Rahmon said the credit cru NEWSANALYSISrevolution and did not then cause any negative reaction in the west. I underlined that during several discussions with my Iranian counterparts I came to the conclusion that Iran intends to realise its ambitions in the nuclear sector purely for peaceful goals. I am convinced that they do ge.com MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY DESIGNED TO HELPPEOPLE IN EUROPE LEAD RICHER,FULLER LIVESN O W. SPECIALREPORTMedicine without frontiersI Ft is one of the most controversial and hotly-disputed legislative topics currently working its way through parliament. Indeed, the cross-border healthcare directive is so contentious that opinion has been sought by no less than seven parliamentary committees CROSS-BORDER HEALTHCAREHarald Ettl is parliament’s rapporteur for the opinion of the committee on economic and monetary affairsan EU-wide system of two-tier health care. The commission proposes that patients treated in another member state should pay for the service beforehand, effectively barring t SPECIALREPORTFailing to legislate on cross-border healthcare would be gross negligence to those needing treatment, says Diana WallisWhen we think of the many individuals across the EU that are in pain, or whose families are suffering distress as they wait for an operation or treatment that, for what CROSS-BORDER HEALTHCARE“The implementation of crossborder healthcare services represents a huge opportunity for interregional cooperation” Access to public health systems in the cross-border context may help to save lives of many women and mothers, and men and fathers, unknowingly affected by cancer EPAD EUROPEAN PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIRECTORYOne of the most comprehensive guides to names and addresses in Brussels, covering all the EU institutions, diplomatic and press corps, consultancies, trade associations and corporate headquarters.” Financial Times ... indispensable to specialists of European pub INSIDEEURight to roamFThe EU must intervene to ensure fair practice in telecommunications roaming, argues Adina-Ioana V?leanA man speaks on his mobile phone outside the EU commissionor years the European telecommunications roaming market has been plagued by uncompetitive practices, leading to excess INTERNET AND BROADBANDMary Honeyball uses social networking sites to stay in touch with her constituentsAccess all areas Mary Honeyball sets out how broadband technology can help increase democratic accountabilityAMary Honeyball is an avid blogger, a London MEP and a member of parliament’s industry, If anyone needs a level playing field, it’s us As the leading European cross-border retail sports betting operator, we advocate for regulated but open markets which provide the highest level of consumer protection. Principal party in the landmark Gambelli and Placanica ECJ rulings, Stanleybet Intern INTERNET AND BROADBANDOpportunity knocks It is web-users that are the driving force behind the development of the internet, says Lynn St AmourALynn St Amour is the president and chief executive of the internet societyt the start of this decade, who would have predicted that a free search engine crea PROLIGEN PROLIGEN is an FP6 project that aims to enhance the endogenous regenerative capacity of injured kidneys based on information derived from genomics/ proteomics and functional genomics. The new genetic functions and the new cellular therapies that are discovered in the project will provide cl UPDATING EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATIONIt is important to understand the functions of familiar technological objectshe UPDATE http://update.jyu.fi/ is an ongoing multinational European project, in which 16 partners from 11 European countries aim to improve science and technology teaching in order to INSIDEEUTackling gender bias Vladimír Špidla sets out what the EU is doing to close the pay gap between men and women and promote gender equality in decision-making rolesWhile the last few years have seen a general increase in the number of women in decisionmaking positions in Europe, they still rem INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAYPower to the people uring the past 15 years, almost 100 countries have introduced gender quotas aimed at increasing women’s political representation in politics. Evidence shows that a critical mass of women in parliament can make it possible to adopt a gender-sensitive persp INSIDEEUA state of justice The EU must do more to promote gender equality, argues Anna ZáborskáAt the start of the 21st century, with the west rejoining central and eastern Europe, would it appear that all policies to support equal opportunities and promote women have been a resounding success story EU EVENTSWomen in Business and Politics “Where are the women?” A panel debate at the European Business Summit 2009 Date: Thursday 26 March Location: European Business Summit Tour Taxis, Brussels Format: Panel debate Time: 15.45-17.00 Debate topics: ?? The role of the EU envoy ?? Women’s rights ?? N INSIDEEUEnergising EuropeUIndustry, researchers and governments all have a role to play in meeting the EU’s climate objectives, says Andris Piebalgsp to the late 1990s, low oil and energy prices without carbon constraints created the conditions for a European economy highly dependent on fossil fuels EUROPEAN WIND ENERGY CONFERENCEGreen thinking Graham Watson is calling for a radical new approach to the production and supply of Europe’s energyTGraham Watson is ALDE group leaderwelve months ago government, business and social enterprises were falling over themselves in the effort to be green, and INSIDEEUA green new deal? The Laperrouze report should have done more to shift the EU’s energy mix away from coal and nuclear and towards renewables, says Rebecca HarmsThe report of Anne Laperrouze on A coal fired plant near Selby, England the second strategic energy review totally fails in pushing 43% (8,484 MW) 35% (6,932 MW)New EU power capacity installed in 2008 Total new capacity: 19,651 MW13% (2,495 MW)4% (762 MW)2% (473 MW)1.7% (296 MW)0.9% (149 MW)0.4% (60 MW)WindGasFuel OilCoalHydroBiomassOtherNuclearSource: Platts/EWEAIn 2008, more wind power capacity was installed in the EU than any POLITICS, POLICYAND PEOPLE@ The medicine her doctor prescribes should be the medicine she receives.The proliferation of counterfeit medicines poses a real and growing threat to patients around the world. Over a two month period in 2008 customs from the EU Member States seized more than 34 million * illegal medicines. * Brussel