Content
1. POSTAL SERVICES
2. NON DISCRIMINATION
3. INFORMATION SOCIETY
4. SINGLE MARKET
5. EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
6. TRANSPORT
7. OTHER ACTIONS OF INTEREST
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1. Postal Services
1.1 Actions
On 31 January the revision proposal of the Postal Services Directive was voted in the Plenary of the European Parliament. The Council's shared position was adopted without any amendments, in spite of the intense lobby work carried out by EBU Members, which seemed to have convinced MEPs in the previous days.Although one of the amendments on free services for blind and/or partially sighted people was almost approved, the others received little support as Speaker Markus Ferber (EPP, Germany) indicated in the debate on the previous day that his group would support the adoption without any amendments.
The main problem raised in the vote was that the majority of MEPs considered that it was not worth it jeopardizing the commitment reached with the Council only for this matter or for the social protection of workers which was included in other amendments presented prior to the Plenary Session.
MEPs decided not to break the previous agreement with the Council and avoid this way the risk of going to the conciliation process, which, in turn, could threaten the final adoption of the Directive's revision proposal.
On 27 February the Directive on Revision of Postal Services was published after being adopted by the Council on 20 February 2008.
2. Non-Discrimination
2. 1 Actions
a) European Economic and Social Committee
The European Economic and Social Committee's opinion on Harmonised
indicators in the field of disability as an instrument for monitoring
European policies was published in the EU Journal and the full text is
available through the following link:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:010:0080:0082:EN:PDF
b) European Agency for Fundamental Rights
The plenary session of the European Parliament adopted with a broad majority
the report on the Multiannual Framework for the European Union Agency for
Fundamental Rights for 2007-2012.
The report suggests that the European Agency should extend its scope of
activities to other areas such as extreme poverty and social exclusion, and
protection of ethnic minority rights, because at present it limits itself to
struggling against racism and xenophobia.
c) Council Resolution on the situation of persons with disabilities in the
European Union
The Council Resolution on the situation of persons with disabilities was
published in the Official Journal of the European Union and the full text is
available through the following link:
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:075:0001:0004:EN:PDF
d) Study on people with disabilities
The Commission has published a study on ways of improving care for people
with disabilities called: Deinstitutionalisation and community living
outcomes and costs.
The full text is available through the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/index/vol2_web_report_en.pdf
e) 112 - the single European emergency number
The European Commission has published a European survey on the emergency
number 112 available in the whole EU.
The survey shows that national authorities still need to improve the
information offered to citizens regarding this service, and that 9 out of 10
respondents thought that access to emergency services for people with
disabilities needs to be improved.
In December 2007, the Commission sent out a questionnaire to Member States
to obtain more details on the operation of the 112 number, including the
access for people with disabilities.
The Commission wants to publish the results of this research in the summer,
to offer the citizenship full information on the situation of the 112 number
in countries where they might travel to within the EU.
f) Sport and disability
The Committee on Culture and Education of the European Parliament organized
a Mini-hearing on Sport and Disability with the participation of Michael
Smith, Managing Director of Special Olympics Europe, an NGO focused on the
integration and education through sport of people with mental disabilities.
During the hearing various initiatives from this NGO were presented, such as
Special Olympics Global Football, the next Special Olympics World Games that
will take place in Athens in 2011 and the 2010 European Games in Warsaw.
Apart from requesting the European Union's active participation in
supporting this current initiative and also other carried out by Special
Olympics, Mr. Smith asked the setting up of a European budget line dedicated
to Sport and Disability, as well as more EU financing for organizations that
carry out activities similar to his organization's.
g) Parking cards
The Council of the European Union adopted a recommendation on parking cards
for people with disabilities. Its objective is to update the current
recommendation by extending its field of action to Member States that joined
the EU in 2004 and making sure that all Member States introduce a parking
card for people with disabilities according to a standardized Community
model.
This card will allow its holder to use parking places made available for
people with disabilities in any Member State in which he/she may be.
h) Two European Parliament's Written Declarations
1º 13 March was the deadline for signing the European Parliament's Written
Declaration on subtitling of all public-service television programmes in the
EU.
424 MEPs signed the Declaration and it will be put to the vote in the next
Parliament's Plenary Session for its adoption.
2º 13 March was also the deadline for signing the European Parliament's
Written Declaration on the UN Convention on the Rights of People with
Disabilities.
Unfortunately, this Declaration has not gathered enough signatures to be put
to the vote in the Plenary Session.
3. INFORMATION SOCIETY
a) Electronic communications
1º- Legislative package
The European Commission presented the legislative package on electronic
communications in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy of the
European Parliament, informing of its four most relevant aspects: increase
of consumer protection and transparency; spectrum management; reinforcing
competition and the need to have a more effective and balanced regulatory
activity.
The Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council plans to review this
legislative package on 12 June 2008, and the first lecture in the
Parliament's Plenary Session is scheduled for 21 October.
A first exchange of points of view on the electronic communications package
has also taken place in the Industry, Research and Energy Parliamentary
Committee.
The most debated items were the ones related to spectrum management,
functional separation and the new European Electronic Communications Market
Authority that the European Commission suggests establishing.
The speaker responsible for the opinion of the Parliamentary Committee on
Industry about the proposal of a directive on universal service and users
rights referred specifically to the importance to take into account the
needs of people with disabilities and ensure that they do not remain
excluded from the evolution of the information society.
He pointed out that the European Commission's proposal contains new
technical modalities, although it is not very precise as far as means are
concerned and he insisted that terminals and equipment must adjust
themselves to the needs of people with disabilities, taking into account all
types of disabilities, not only the physical ones, although he expressly
indicated that subtitled texts for deaf and deaf-mute people must be
improved.
A European Commission's representative, Mr. Colasanti, took part in the
debate, he clarified that, as a follow-up to the 2005 public consultation on
the universal service concept, the European Commission intends to re-examine
this concept and draft a report on its field of application in a near
future.
On 28 February, the first exchange of points of view took place in the
Parliamentary Committee on Interior Market and Consumer Protection (the
Committee in charge) on the electronic communications package, specifically
the Directive related to universal service, users rights and protection of
privacy in electronic communications.
The main speaker on the report, MEP Malcolm Harbour (EPP, UK) and MEPs
Cristian Silviu BUŞOI (ALDE, Rumania) and Bernadette Vergnaud (PSE, France),
referred repeatedly to accessibility and the need to protect the rights of
people with disabilities, pointing out that accessibility is one of the key
matters in the legislative reform.
The main controversy, at European Parliament's and Council of Ministers'
level, seems to be on the subject of establishing the future European
Electronic Communications Market Authority and its competences.
2º- 13th Report on Single Electronic Communications Market
The 13th Report on Single Electronic Communications Market for 2007 has been
published.
Among other things, the report points out that users with disabilities and
special needs still experience many limitations in their access to basic
services in social and economic life.
Even though the regulatory framework encourages Member States to take
decisions that facilitate the access of people with disabilities to services
enjoyed by the majority of users, the measures adopted and the results
obtained vary enormously from one EU country to another.
3º- Conference on the reform of the telecoms market
The Conference on Telecoms Market Reform Lower prices and better services
for users and companies took place in the European Parliament. It was
organized by the Socialist Group and the Information Society Commissioner,
Viviane Reding took part in it.
The debate concentrated on the role of the future European Electronic
Communications Authority, the new spectrum rules and the importance to
guarantee access to Internet at a suitable price.
No reference was made to accessibility of people with disabilities.
b) European Institute of Technology
The shared position on the regulation for the establishment of the European
Institute of Technology was adopted without any discussion.
The objective of the Institute is to contribute to sustainable economic
growth and competitivity by reinforcing the Member States' and the EU's
capacity. To do this, the EIT will provide and promote cooperation and
creation of synergies among knowledge and innovation communities in Europe.
The decision on the location of the Institute will be adopted one year after
this regulation has come into force.
Its main tasks will be:
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Awareness of potential collaborating organizations and promotion of their
participation in EIT activities
Selection of KICs
Exploration of private and public financing
Promotion of diplomas awarded by collaborating institutions of further
education
Guarantee of complementarity and synergies between EIT's activities and
other community programmes
Promotion of good practices for integration of knowledge triangle and
development of a shared innovation.
The Institute will have a two-level structure consisting of a Governing
Board and a series of Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).
The decision on the location for EIT headquarters will probably be taken
during the June Summit of EU Heads of State and Government. The Governing
Board's members will be designated in June.
During the next four months, the European Commission will deal with the
appointment of 18 experts who will constitute the Institute's Governing
Board. Later on, the Council of Ministers will have to decide upon its
headquarters. The Institute is hoped to come into operation by next summer.
c) Online contents
The European Commission adopted a communication on Creative Content Online
in the Single Market: Motivating the Content Online Sector which launches a
second stage of public consultation.
The Communication hopes to set the basis to enable the European Parliament
and the Council to adopt a Community Recommendation on this subject by mid
2008.
29 February was the deadline for answering this consultation in which the
EBU took part.
d) Programme to improve quality of life of elderly people
A European Parliament decision proposal has been published on the
participation of the Community in a research and development programme aimed
at improving the quality of life of elderly people through the use of new
Information and Communication Technology.
Amendment 22 mentions that the results of the Ambient Assisted Living
joint programme could be used also for the benefit of other groups and in
particular for people with disabilities.
It also recalls that elderly people and people with disabilities are at
greater risk of being rejected as far as access to digital technologies is
concerned, and therefore more efforts must be made to avoid social exclusion
of elderly people at work, in the community and at home.
e) Study on e-Governance
The European Commission's DG Information Society launched a study that will
help to create the European agenda to measure e-Governance and the
objectives of efficiency and effectiveness.
The results of this pilot study will be discussed in a workshop on 14
November 2008.
f) Copyright
The European press informed on the debate in the Permanent Committee on
Copyright and Related Rights of the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) related to a possible Treaty on copyright exceptions and limitations,
which is vital for people with disabilities and their access to information
which they would not secure otherwise.
The access to protected works by people with disabilities was mentioned
among the limitations and exceptions to be analysed with a view to their
inclusion in national laws as a public interest exception.
Although the European Union was opposed to the proposal to develop the
Treaty, the Committee requested the organization of an informative meeting
in its next session in order to prepare a work plan on the subject.
g) e-Inclusion
The summary report on the e-Inclusion: Users voice workshop that took
place in Brussels on 21 February has been published.
The full text is available through the following link:
http://www.epractice.eu/files/upload/workshop/1618-1205313511.pdf
4. SINGLE MARKET
4.1 ACTIONS
a) Social Services
1º The Commission launched a Web:
http://ec.europa.eu/services_general_interest/
(available in English, French and German, although the remaining languages
will be added in turn), in which clear and practical information is given on
Community legislation applicable to services of general interest.
Apart from including information on existing EU rules, it is an interactive
service through which interested parties will be able to obtain
individualized answers to their requests for information and/or
clarifications. The answers to the most frequent questions will be compiled
and published online.
2º On 28 January the French Collectif SSGI (Social Services of General
Interest) and the European Economic and Social Committee (EECS) presented in
Brussels a joint report on the future of social services of general interest
in the internal market of the 21st Century following the novelties
introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.
The report was presented during a conference in which the debate focused on
the protocol for services of general interest which is annexed to the Lisbon
Treaty and where the majority of interested parties indicated to the
Commission the need to legislate in this field.
All participants requested the future French Presidency to intervene in the
debate in order to relaunch the political process during the second half of
2008, and mention was made of a conference on social services of general
interest to take place in Paris on 28-29 October 2008.
b) Legislative package to ensure free circulation of goods in the EU
The Plenary Session of the European Parliament approved the new legislative
package to ensure circulation of goods in the EU.
The package contains a series of measures aimed at reducing technical
barriers in order to guarantee fee circulation of non harmonized products,
to reduce risks for manufacturers of products that do not have market access
in another Member State and to facilitate the application of the principle
of mutual recognition.
The legislative package needs the endorsement of the Council to be
officially approved.
c) Consultation on Pay-Audiovisual Services
The European Commission launched a consultation asking interested parties to
supply information on conditional access services, such as pay-TV and video
on demand.
The deadline for participation was 4 April 2008 and the EBU took part in it.
d) Consultation on Copyright Levies
Internal Market Commissioner, Charlie McCreevy, announced the opening of a
public consultation on levies to compensate losses produced by private
copies. The deadline to participate is 18 April.
A public hearing will take place next June on the subject to try and agree
on a common strategy with all affected parties.
This consultation is of special interest to all EBU Members, not only
because they may be affected by higher costs of electronic devices that
enable blind and/or partially sighted people to access the information
society, but also because the Commission has not contemplated at any moment
the situation of people with disabilities in this respect.
The European Commission already tried one year ago to legislate on levies,
but the enormous differences between Member States and implicated parties
led to drop out its proposal.
5. EMPLOYMENT AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS
5.1 ACTIONS
a) Slovene Presidency
The Minister of Labour, Family and Social Affairs, Marjeta Cotman, presented
in the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, the
priorities of the Slovene Presidency.
She pointed out to strengthening activities aimed at guaranteeing equal
opportunities and prevention of discrimination against people with
disabilities as one of the main objectives of the Presidency.
Special attention will be paid to the EU ratification of the UN Convention
on the Rights of People with Disabilities and there are plans to organize a
Conference on the situation and the rights of this group.
Other objectives in the field of employment and social affairs are the
implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, with special attention to the
preparation of the second 2008-2010 cycle and the Employment Guidelines, the
follow-up on the debate on demographic challenges in Europe and the combat
against poverty and social exclusion.
During the session, discussions took place also on the progress of the
transposition of EU legislation in the field of equal opportunities and non
discrimination (Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC), stressing the
convenience to set up a structure that would allow the European Commission
to carry out an active follow-up on the way this legislation is being
implemented in each Member State and the need to adopt as soon as possible a
coherent legislative framework that would cover non discrimination in all
the fields.
b) Decent work
The European Commission organized a conference to promote decent work for
all, with the presence of the main social partners at national and European
levels.
The conference results will serve as a basis for the future package of
proposals that the European Commission will present next September as
follow-up on its 2006 report on decent work.
c) Infringement procedures
The Commission has sent reasoned opinions to 11 Member States to fully apply
community rules that ban labour and professional discrimination on grounds
of religion or belief, age, disability or sexual orientation. Countries
concerned are: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland, Greece, France, Italy,
Hungary, Malta, The Netherlands, Finland and Sweden.
These countries will have to respond within two months. If not, the
Commission may decide whether to refer the case to the Court of Justice of
the European Communities.
d) Joint Report on Social Protection and Social Inclusion 2008
The Commission adopted the proposal related to the Joint Report on Social
Protection and Social Inclusion 2008 that examines more in-depth a set of
topics such as child poverty, privately managed pensions and health
inequalities.
e) Informal meeting of Employment Ministers
The informal meeting of the 27 Employment Ministers focused on youth,
elderly people and women integration in the labour market.
The Slovene Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Protection
Minister, Marjeta Cotman, pointed out that Every inhabitant of the European
Union should be given the possibility and the opportunity to enjoy dignified
high-quality life and work, and she emphasized that flexible labour market
arrangements have a considerable impact on disadvantaged groups, such as
women, migrants, young people, older workers and especially persons with
disabilities.
For the Minister, it is important to ensure the existence of a "Europe of
equal opportunities for all" and it is necessary to combat all
discriminatory practices against disadvantaged groups.
f) Integrated Employment guidelines
The draft parliamentary report on integrated guidelines for growth and jobs
and the strategic report on the renewed Lisbon Strategy: launching the new
cycle (2008-2010) has been published.
The report contains a mention of special interest in making a decisive
effort to strengthen social integration and in particular to promote
development of skills and competences in the labour environment of people
with disabilities and migrant workers.
The European Parliament's rapporteur on the guidelines for employment
policies, Anne van Lancker (PSE, Belgium), insisted on the need to include a
clause on active social inclusion and asked the European Commission to draft
a more ambitious social agenda by mid 2008 that will show a clear commitment
to strengthening the Community acquis in the social sector in order to
improve quality of employment and combat social exclusion, discrimination
and poverty.
g) Joint employment report
The European Commission has presented the joint employment report proposal,
scheduled to be adopted on 29 February by the Employment Ministers of the 27
State Members.
The report evaluates the application of national programmes of employment
reforms by State Members and points out that the expenses assigned for
active labour market policies have decreased since 2000.
h) Lisbon Strategy
The Plenary Session of the European Parliament adopted the new cycle
2008-2010 report by MEP Margarita Starkeviciute (ALDE, Lithuania) on general
economic policy guidelines (which are part of the integrated guidelines for
growth and jobs).
The report sets out a series of recommendations on stability and
macro-economic growth, the strengthening of investments in human resources,
etc. and supports the analysis carried out by the European Commission in its
strategic report on the Lisbon Strategy published in December 2007.
The Parliament has requested to the Commission a more ambitious social
agenda as the Lisbon Strategy has not been an advantage for all citizens.
i) Employment Council
The Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council (EPSCO)
met on 29 February, its main message was the strengthening of social
cohesion and the modernization of social protection.
Furthermore, a political agreement was reached on the Council Resolution
related to the situation of people with disabilities in the EU which could
not be formally adopted because Germany refused to do so as they had not
received the translated text. It is hoped that it will be finally adopted
without discussion in the next session of any of the Council's components.
The joint report on employment and the joint report on inclusion and social
protection, both for 2008, were adopted.
During the session, the Council expressed its approval on the joint opinion
of the Employment Committee and the Committee on Social Protection in
relation with Single Market Revision. In this respect, the Council insisted
that the revision will have to be complemented with an improved Social
Agenda by mid 2008. This agenda will have to set a work programme that would
include all available instruments and that would create means to take into
account political and social objectives in all European policies.
During his intervention in the Employment Council, the Second Vice President
and Economy "Conseller" of the Valencian Parliament (Generalitat Valenciana),
Gerardo Camps, asked for more time to be devoted to job placement of
community members who are facing extra difficulties, especially women and
young people, with the objective of increasing employment rates, and he
stated the need to increase the employment rates of older workers, young
people, people born abroad, people with disabilities and any person in a
situation or at risk of exclusion, he expressed the opinion that labour
policies should be combined with an active inclusion strategy.
j) Programme of the European Social Protection Committee
The 2008 work programme of the European Social Protection Committee on
modernization and improvement of social protection systems, published
recently, focuses on the follow-up of the second phase of the European
Commission's public consultation on active inclusion of people furthest from
the labour market and on the new 2007 social agenda.
k) Tripartite Social Summit
The Tripartite Social Summit took place on 13 March, with the presence of
high-representatives from the Slovene Presidency, the Commission, the social
partners and the next two EU Presidencies: France and the Czech Republic.
The debate revolved around priorities for the new cycle of the Lisbon
Strategy (2008-2010), social consequences of energy dependence and climatic
change and items to be dealt with in the social dialogue over the coming
months.
Marjeta Cotman, Slovene Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer
Protection Minister, pointed out that it is indispensable to invest in human
capital, modernize labour markets and strengthen social inclusion.
However, the social partners announced that they were going to negotiate an
autonomous agreement intended to facilitate access to the labour market of
disadvantaged groups and ensure their progress once inside.
6. TRANSPORT
6.1 ACTIONS
a) Conference on the Green Paper on Urban Transport
The Committee on Transport and Tourism held a Conference in the European
Parliament on the Green Paper on Urban Transport.
The report's main speaker, MEP Reinhard Rack (PPE, Austria), stressed the
importance of taking into account the needs of people with reduced mobility.
It is worth mentioning that the report requests, among other things, the
drafting of specific European regulations in the field of standardization
and harmonization of mobility of people with disabilities.
It demands also the promotion of exchange of good practices in relation with
accessibility, efficiency and organization of short distance passengers'
public transport.
b) Information on passengers rights in air transport
The European Commission has published a series of documents on passengers'
rights in air transport in a portal which centralizes all available
information on existing legislation, lists of competent national
authorities, posters, etc.
This information is available through the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air_portal/passenger_rights/information_en.htm
The summary report of the first joint meeting of the National Regulatory
Bodies and the industry in relation with the Regulation on Rights of people
with disabilities or reduced mobility in air transport, held in Brussels on
25 January, has been published.
c) Rights of bus and coach passengers and maritime transport
The press informed that European Commissioner for Transport, Jacques Barrot,
confirmed during his meeting with EDF President, Yannis Vardakastanis, his
intention to present proposals of regulations in 2008 on bus and coach
passengers rights and on maritime transport.
Commissioner Barrot announced that the proposals will be presented at the
end of 2008 and not in April or May 2008 as foreseen and it seems that
accessibility of people with reduced mobility will be taken into account in
both proposals.
7. OTHER ACTIONS OF INTEREST
7 1 Actions
a) Rules related to pedestrian crossings
The results of a survey on pedestrian crossings in Europe have been
published and they request the harmonization at European level of rules
related to pedestrian crossings in order to reduce the number of accidents.
Among other things, the study points out to the need to pay special
attention to security and needs of children, elderly people and people with
disabilities and visual disabilities.
The complete study is available through the following link:
http://www.fiafoundation.com/resources/documents/1372861009__eurotest_final_report_p_crossings_290108_v3.pdf
b) Consultation on European social reality
The deadline for participating in this consultation was 15 February 2008.
c) Consultation on social inclusion of people furthest from the labour
market
The deadline for participating in this consultation was 28 February 2008.
d) Spring summit
EU Heads of State and Government met on 13 and 14 March in Brussels mainly
to implement the new cycle of the Lisbon Strategy (2008-2010).
During the Summit, the EU Heads of State and Government confirmed the
validity of the Integrated Guidelines for Growth and Jobs and approved a
series of specific recommendations aimed at Member States. Furthermore, the
European Commission, the European Parliament and the EU Council were invited
to concentrate as soon as possible on the application of priorities set in
the Lisbon community programme.
The Heads of State confirmed the main areas of the Lisbon Strategy,
stressing the increasing interest towards citizens and social questions, in
response to the climatic change and in search for a more modern vision of
innovation and creativity. This way, the central focus of the Strategy's new
cycle will be the effective application of reforms, securing a better
balance between, on one side, the interest towards citizens and environment
and, on the other, the efforts towards building a competitive Europe with a
knowledge-based economy.
Furthermore, the European leaders requested the adoption of a new Social
Agenda. This should play a crucial role in the strengthening of the social
dimension of the Lisbon Strategy, taking into account Europe's new social
and labour realities and tackling also subjects such as youth, education,
migrations and demography, as well as the intercultural dialogue. In this
respect, the Summit's Conclusions give maximum importance to the struggle
against poverty and social exclusion, the promotion of active integration
and the increase of employment opportunities for people furthest from the
labour market. At the same time, they point out that attention must be paid
to the employment of people with disabilities.
On the other hand, the EU Heads of State and Government debated also the
stability of financial markets and confirmed the EU commitments in relation
with the struggle against climatic change and with the adoption schedule for
the legislative package on energy, planned for early 2009.
e) Report on the progress of the European Union
The General Affairs and External Relations Council adopted on 10 March the
European Council's report to the European Parliament on the progress of the
European Union in 2007.
The Report Project is available through the following link:
http://register.consilium.europa.eu/pdf/en/08/st07/st07233.en08.pdf
f) Calls for Tender
The European Commission has published the following calls for tender:
1º Projects including national awareness activities in the field of non
discrimination. The deadline for participation is 30 May 2008.
http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/emplweb/tenders/tenders_en.cfm?id=2885
2º New call from the e-Content Plus European programme addressed to the
promotion of a safer use of Internet and new technologies online.
Among other things, specific projects related with contents of digital
libraries and networks of good practice for their use and interoperability
will be financed through this initiative. The deadline for this call is 12
June 2008.
http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:074:0062:0063:EN:PDF
3º Calls to participate in the ICT 2008 Conference, which will take place in
Lyon from 25 to 27 November. Concretely, there is a call for the
organization of networking sessions and a call for participation in the
exhibition that will be organized at the same time as the conference.
The networking sessions will be dedicated to the way of facing existing
challenges in the field of Information and Communication Technology.
More information on ICT 2008 may be found through the following link:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict/2008/index_en.htm
For further information on the call in relation with networking sessions,
consult:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict/2008/networking/call/index_en.htm
For further information on how to take part in the ICT 2008 exhibition,
consult:
http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/events/ict/2008/exhibition/call/index_en.htm