The European Parliament has endorsed the compromise deal reached with the Council concerning the draft Waste Directive. “Throughout the process Orgalime has been sensitive about the proposal that member states might be able, at a national level, to take measures to encourage the design of products with respect to waste: this just risked undermining the coherent approach adopted in the Eco Design of Energy Using Products Directive which cover all environmental aspects including energy use and not just waste.

Brussels/Ljubljana, 17 June 2008: CompTIA – the Computing Technology Industry Association – held its European Innovation Forum in Ljubljana on 16 June 2008. National government officials responsible for innovation policy and IT industry leaders addressed issues of intellectual property, technology standards and e-skills as drivers of economic growth in Europe, with a special emphasis on the crucial role of SMEs.

"With the Irish “no” the message has been out thrice that Europe has failed to listen to its citizen. The European policies are in desperate need of a stronger social aspect considering the rights of workers to be a key issue to its success. Europe can no longer shape its future solely on the aspects of economic growth, while cutting on peoples´ social rights.”

The CPME opposes to the political agreement reached by the EPSCO Council on 9 June 2008, as it jeopardises patients’ and doctors’ safety in Europe and would penalise European health services as a whole through the reduction in the level of protection of both patients and doctors.

The new EU Mental Health Pact was launched on 13 June at a high-level Mental Health Conference that was coorganized by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Slovenian EU Presidency and the European Comission, DG SANCO. The WHO Regional Director for Europe Marc Danzon joined the EU Health Commissioner A. Vassiliou, the Slovenian Health Minister Z. Mazej-Kukovic and the European Parliament Vice-President M.A.M. Martinez at the opening session of the conference that gathered all EU, and EU-realted and other European stakeholders working in the field of mental health.