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EU Member States are making progress in addressing imbalances in their economies.
They have also moved forward in carrying out the country-specific recommendations issued last year, although to varying degrees across countries and policy areas. These efforts are key in strengthening the European recovery and fostering convergence. They also reflect the focus of this year’s European Semester: re-launching investment, implementing structural reforms and pursuing responsible fiscal policies.
The Commission decided last November that 18 Member States merited in-depth reviews to assess whether they were experiencing economic imbalances, and if so, how serious these imbalances were. The Commission has concluded that six are not experiencing imbalances, and twelve are experiencing either imbalances or excessive imbalances.
Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, responsible for the Euro and Social Dialogue, said: “The EU economy is continuing its recovery and many Member States are making progress to address structural problems of their economies. Fewer Member States than last year are considered to have imbalances. Yet problems still persist and are a source of vulnerability for several countries. Structural reforms need to be stepped up to make our economies more competitive. Member States need to continue their efforts to reduce high public and private debt, address inefficiencies in the labour market, ensure sustainability of social systems and improve the business environment, amongst others.”Commissioner Marianne Thyssen, responsible for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, said: “Although the situation varies from country to country, Member States are making overall progress in bringing back unemployed people to the labour market, including young people. The European Semester continues to drive Member States’ reforms to help people back into jobs.”Commissioner Pierre Moscovici, responsible for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, said: “Today we can see clearly that those countries that have moved furthest and fastest in reforming their economies are reaping the rewards of those efforts. Others need to raise their game if they are to deliver more jobs and growth for their citizens. We have now put forward a detailed diagnosis of each country’s challenges and I look forward to discussing these with national authorities to support and encourage much-needed reforms.”
As anticipated in the October 2015Â Communication on steps towards completing the Economic and Monetary Union, the Commission has made the implementation of the economic imbalances procedure clearer and more transparent by reducing the number of categories for imbalances from six to four.
From now on, all Member States that are found to have imbalances will be subject to specific monitoring adapted to the degree and nature of the imbalances. This will enhance the surveillance of Member States’ policy responses through an intensified dialogue with the national authorities.
Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Italy and Portugal are found to be experiencing excessive imbalances.
Finland, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and Slovenia are found to be experiencing imbalances.
Austria and Estonia, which had in-depth reviews for the first time this year, are deemed not to be experiencing imbalances. Belgium, Hungary, Romania and the United Kingdom are found not to be experiencing imbalances.
Next Steps
The Council is expected to discuss the Commission’s findings emerging from the in-depth reviews carried out for 18 Member States’ economies.
In March and April, the Commission will hold further bilateral meetings with the Member States. These meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss the country reports with the national authorities.
In April, Member States are expected to present their national reform programmes and their stability programmes (for euro area countries) or convergence programmes (for non-euro area countries).
Based on all these sources, the Commission will present in spring its proposals for a new set of country-specific recommendations, targeting the key challenges to be addressed. The recommendations will also include fiscal guidance and be based on the Commission Spring Forecast which will incorporate final 2015 budgetary data validated by Eurostat.
Greece and Cyprus, which are currently under stability support programmes, are not covered by today’s package.
This revision translates a commitment of the Political Guidelines for this Commission to promote the principle that the same work at the same place should be remunerated in the same manner. The aim of this proposal is to facilitate the posting of workers within a climate of fair competition and respect for their rights, who are employed in one Member State and sent to work temporarily in another by their employer. More specifically, the initiative aims at ensuring fair wage conditions and a level playing field between posting and local companies in the host country.
The Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility, MarianneThyssen, said: “I have said from day one of my mandate that we need to facilitate labour mobility, but that it needs to happen in a fair way. Today’s proposal will create a legal framework for posting that is clear, fair and easy to enforce.”
The targeted revision will introduce changes in three main areas: remuneration of posted workers, including in situations of subcontracting, rules on temporary agency workers, and long-term posting.
The proposal sets out that posted workers will generally benefit from the same rules governing pay and working conditions as local workers. This will be done in full respect of the principle of subsidiarity and the way these conditions are set by the public authorities and/or social partners in the Member State in question. Currently, posted workers are already subject to the same rules as host Member State employees in certain fields, such as health and safety. However, the employer is not obliged to pay a posted worker more than the minimum rate of pay set by the host country. This can create wage differences between posted and local workers and potentially lead to unfair competition between companies. This means that posted workers are often remunerated less than other workers for the same job.
From now on, all the rules on remuneration that are applied generally to local workers will also have to be granted to posted workers. Remuneration will not only include the minimum rates of pay, but also other elements such as bonuses or allowances where applicable. Member States will be required to specify in a transparent way the different elements of how remuneration is composed on their territory. Rules set by law or universally applicable collective agreements become mandatory for posted workers in all economic sectors. The proposal also gives the possibility to Member States to provide that subcontractors need to grant their workers the same pay as the main contractor. Nevertheless this can only be done in a non-discriminatory way: the same rule must apply to national and cross-border subcontractors.
The proposal will also ensure that national rules on temporary agency work apply when agencies established abroad post workers.
Finally, if the duration of posting exceeds 24 months, the labour law conditions of the host Member States will have to be applied, where this is favourable to the posted worker.
These changes will provide better protection for workers, more transparency and legal certainty and ensure a level playing field between domestic and posting firms while in full respect of Member States’ wage-bargaining systems.
On International Women’s Day, the ICC calls for greater coordination in global efforts to end sexual and gender-based crimes. This International Women’s Day, 8 March 2016, the International Criminal Court, calls for greater coordination in global efforts to end sexual and gender-based crimes. Women bear the brunt of sexual and gender-based crimes during armed conflict; the sad reality is that rape and other forms of sexual violence are still used as a systematic tool of war in many conflicts around the world. These are serious crimes under international law and must be stopped.The ICC is committed to holding perpetrators accountable and thereby helping to prevent these crimes. Its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, includes sexual and gender-based crimes in the definitions of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. These include rape, sexual slavery, forced marriage, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, forcible prostitution and gender-based persecution. To date, charges of sexual and gender-based crimes have been brought in 70 percent of the cases at the ICC.In addition, the Court offers important protections for victims and witnesses, particularly those who suffered sexual or gender violence. The Rules of Procedure and Evidence are designed to shield victims of sexual violence from irrelevant and offensive questioning and intrusive attacks during court proceedings. The Rome Statute also has a number of requirements in order to ensure fair representation of women in the Court and the appointment of individuals with specific expertise on gender and sexual violence.In 2014, the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, in line with one of its key strategic goals, issued a comprehensive Policy Paper on Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes to ensure that charges for such crimes are systematically brought wherever there is sufficient evidence to support such charges. Investigating these crimes involve specific challenges, including the under- or non- reporting owing to societal, cultural, or religious factors; stigma for victims; limited domestic investigations, and the associated lack of readily available evidence; lack of forensic or other documentary evidence, owing, for instance, to the passage of time; and inadequate or limited support services at national level.In order to address these challenges, support from states and civil society is essential. Since the ICC complements national efforts to investigate and prosecute these crimes, increased cooperation will make efforts on both sides more efficient and effective. Strengthened coordination is also essential with civil society organizations that work with victims and document these crimes.On this International Women’s Day, the Court calls for global support for eradicating sexual and gender-based crimes. Only when we unite in this effort, can we prevent these crimes.Â
Galerie Patries van Dorst(exhibition prolonged until March 15, 2016)
Marjolein Loppies has been photographing for more than 30 years and for the past few years she has been focussing on abandoned objects in Belgium, Italy, (Eastern) Germany and Luxembourg amongst others, so called urbex-photography (a.k.a. urban exploration). By means of digital techniques she transforms her pictures in to works of art, life after people.
Marjolein, “Taking pictures of abandoned objects is much like traveling through time. You have no idea what happened but whilst taking pictures and soaking up the relics around you, you can fantasize and make up any (hi)story you want! When you walk through the empty hallways, the echoes of the once bustling voices are no more than a very distant memory. When you close your eyes you can almost hear them. Why did people leave these magnificent places behind, why was there no one to rescue these places from falling back into the hands of nature? All the love that man once invested in each rock and piece of marble is gone with the wind.If only I had a bag full of money -and more than one life-… Wouldn’t it be amazing to bring all these places back to life?Or should we just watch and be amazed how nature takes back what was once hers to begin with…”website Marjolein Loppies:http://www.loppies.nl Here you can find an overview and details of the available photographs. You can help Marjolein to publish her book with this crowdfunding project.
Galerie Patries van Dorst http://www.patriesvandorst.nl/
By Barend ter Haar.
The Global Go To Think Tank Index Report[1] has become a global affair. More than hundred think tanks participated this year in the launch of the Report, that ranks the world’s leading think tanks in 50 categories.
Think tanks are increasingly forced to finance their operations by “short term, project specific grants”. The report warns that this increases the danger that think tanks, by concentrating on the short term like most politicians do, will become part of the problem rather than part of the solution of today´s problems.
Although it is said that ideas know no boundaries and although most countries are confronted with largely the same problems, most think tanks still mainly target their home audiences. This might change when institutes are forced to compete on a regional or even global market, but so far, very few think tanks are internationalizing. The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is an exception with offices in Beijing, Beirut, Brussels, Moscow, Washington DC and (soon) India.
A different approach is taken by the OSCE Network of Think Tanks and Academic Institutions. This network was set up in 2013 by 16 think tanks (including Clingendael) and now encompasses 54 think tanks from 36 countries. It has so far produced three reports, inter alia on Threat Perceptions in the OSCE Area and on The Future of OSCE Field Operations. The Network contributes actively to the transboundary exchange of ideas, but funding remains a problem.
According to the Global-go-to-index, Dutch think tanks have been doing well in 2015. Fifteen Dutch think tanks are included in one or more of the lists, against twelve last year, and these were mentioned 34 times, against 20 times last year.
Clingendael remains the only Dutch think tank in the global top 100 (nr 46 in the global list, nr 24 when US think tanks are not taken into account). Clingendael was mentioned seven times, inter alia among the think tanks with the best external relations and the best use of media.
The Hague Institute for Global Justice and The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies did particularly well. Two years ago, neither of them was mentioned in the index. Now THIGJ was mentioned in no less than eight categories, inter alia for its support of the work of the Commission for Global Security, Justice, and Governance Report on Confronting the Crisis of Global Governance and HCSS was mentioned in five categories, including that of Top Energy and Resource Policy Think Tanks.
Three Dutch institutes are new on the index: the Institute of Social Studies, the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) and the Quid Novi Foundation.
However, the criteria for including an institute in the index remain mysterious. Why, for example, is the Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB) included, but are the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the Netherlands Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR) missing?
[1] See also my previous columns on the subject:https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2015/03/01/future-think-tanks/https://diplomatmagazine.eu/2014/04/06/ranking-think-tanks/
By Mr. Li Fei, Economic and Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of People’s Republic of  China in the Netherlands.
China and Europe started doing business with each other more than 2000 years ago. Silk made in China travelled over 6500 km through the vast land of Eurasia on camel back, to arrive at the hands of European admirers. Hence came the name of Silk Road. Four centuries ago, direct trade links between China and the Netherlands was established when the first Dutch ships arrived in China through the maritime Silk Road, and brought tea, porcelain and silk back to Europe. Silk Road has represented the spirit of cooperation, openness and mutual benefit.
After many centuries, trade and economic exchanges between China and the Netherlands has become ever more prosperous. In 2015, bilateral trade reached 68 billion US dollars, ranking top 3 among European countries. Every day, hundreds of thousands of containers arrive at the Rotterdam port or the Schipol airport with toys or smart phones, and leave for China with chemicals or machinery.
In 2015, Chinese companies invested 3.6 billion US dollars in the Netherlands in the form of non-financial direct investment. This figure accounts for half of China’s FDI in the EU in 2015. Presence of Chinese companies can now be found in a wide spectrum of sectors, from agriculture to logistics, from financial services to high-tech. Their investment has created decent jobs for local communities, offered quality products and services for Dutch consumers, and brought new vigor to the economy of the Netherlands.
Such achievements in bilateral exchanges do not come as a surprise. On one hand, the Netherlands is one the most open economies in the world. With its strong competitiveness in multiple industries and strategic position as the gateway to Europe, the Netherlands has always been among the most prominent traders and investors in the world.
On the other hand, China, after many decades of remarkable growth, has become the world’s second largest economy, the biggest trader and No. 3 investor. In 2015, China’s GDP growth contributed over 25% to the world’s economic growth. Its total trade accounted for over 13% of the global trade, and FDI inflow and outflow both exceeded 100 billion USD.
We are fully confident that China will continue to be a most important player in global trade and economy in the years to come. From the demand side, China has a huge market with unfathomable potential. As is widely known, China boasts the largest population in the world. Something not so widely known is that, China’s middle class has overtaken the US as the world’s largest and has been growing much faster, as revealed in a study by Credit Suisse. As the Chinese people gets richer, their immense consumption power is manifested in amazing numbers. For example, according to incomplete statistics, in 2015 Chinese tourists spent over 230 billion USD on traveling overseas, and at least half of the spending is on shopping.
From the supply side, China has what it needs to further boost competitiveness, and will do what it takes. China has a comprehensive industrial chain and a large pool of highly educated talents, which provide a wonderful platform for innovative companies to try out new ideas and scale up production capacity quickly. For instance, DJI, a technology company founded in 2006 and headquartered in Shenzhen, is now at the forefront of the civilian-drone industry. With advanced technology in flight control and cradle head, DJI’s products have dominated the global market with 70% market share. The Chinese government is also making every effort to create a better business climate through deepening reform. For example, the Shanghai Free Trade Zone was launched in 2013, followed by three more free trade zones in 2015. Bold measures of streamlining administration and liberalizing market are first tested in the free trade zones, and then rolled out all around the country.
We believe that the development of China will bring tremendous business opportunities for our partners all over the world, and thus bring better lives to their peoples. This is why China proposed the “Belt and Road” initiative – to carry on the spirit of cooperation, openness and mutual benefit. By connecting infrastructure and development strategies of countries along the “Belt and Road”, and by stepping up bilateral and regional cooperation, the time-honored Silk Road will upgrade into a highway for the exchanges of goods, services, technology, culture and friendship between East and West, and will be exuberant with new vitality.
The Netherlands is well-known as an open and pragmatic country, and always stands for free trade. China will maintain steady and healthy economic growth as it continues to deepen reform. As the two ends of “Belt and Road”, the Netherlands and China have huge cooperation potential. Now it is high time for us to work even closer together, to usher in a new golden age in the 21 century.
![da2dfc416d29d3f3e832e63f1af8017a_f1825[1]](https://i0.wp.com/diplomatmagazine.eu/wp-content/uploads/da2dfc416d29d3f3e832e63f1af8017a_f18251.jpg?fit=494%2C750&ssl=1)
Marjolein, “Taking pictures of abandoned objects is much like traveling through time.
You have no idea what happened but whilst taking pictures and soaking up the relics around you, you can fantasize and make up any (hi)story you want!
When you walk through the empty hallways, the echoes of the once bustling voices are no more than a very distant memory.
When you close your eyes you can almost hear them. Why did people leave these magnificent places behind, why was there no one to rescue these places from falling back into the hands of nature?
All the love that man once invested in each rock and piece of marble is gone with the wind.
If only I had a bag full of money -and more than one life-… Wouldn’t it be amazing to bring all these places back to life?
Or should we just watch and be amazed how nature takes back what was once hers to begin with…”
website Marjolein Loppies:http://www.loppies.nl Here you can find an overview and details of the available photographs. You can help Marjolein to publish her book with this crowdfunding project.
Galerie Patries van Dorst http://www.patriesvandorst.nl/
Furthermore, he said “ the Security Council requested that the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) carry out an evaluation with respect to the methods and work of the ICTY, in the context of the implementation of the Completion Strategy pursuant to resolution 1966 (2010), and to present its report by 1 June 2016. It also further requested for the Tribunal to report on the implementation of the OIOS recommendations in its next six-monthly report to the Council”. (See United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases 22 December, 2015 http://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc12177.doc.htm) President Agius said he looked forward to addressing the recommendations and being able to make the work of the Tribunal additionally efficient.
He thanked China for responding to requests made by the ICTY to the Security Council for experienced staff and for sending a team of academics and lawyers to assist with the drafting of judgements. He thanked Vice-President, Judge Liu Daqun for his work to make this happen. He also thanked the services of all the past and present talented staff of the Tribunal who had contributed to the success of the Tribunal.
The President stressed how important it was for ambassadors to assist the Tribunal’s continuing work with both domestic and international authorities with respect to creating information centres in the ex republics of Yugoslavia and an archival legacy for people of the region and scholars. He mentioned the significant contribution of the European Union (EU) to the outreach program.
In 2017 the Tribunal is planning conferences both in The Hague and the former Yugoslavia focusing on legacy issues. Exhibitions, some permanent, will also be created in the region and this activity will be continued by the MICT.
The Tribunal’s legacy is also its contribution to developing and enriching international criminal and international humanitarian law since the Nuremberg Trials. Universities have now introduced the study of international criminal law and the study of international humanitarian law didn’t exist in the past. The ICTY receives visitors who participate in proceedings. In total a 1,000 interns have been trained and 7,000 staff have worked at the ICTY.
The Registrar, John Hocking, pointed out that the Tribunal had downsized from 1300 staff, when it operated at full capacity, to 400 staff. Auditors had praised the Tribunal for its fairness and transparency in its downsizing operations of staff with no internal disputes.
The Registry, he reiterated, needs the support of its Member States and its Host State.  It is the engine of operations and generates, judicial, legal and external support.  To date all the accused had access to highly qualified defence lawyers; the detention centre met required standards and is monitored by the Red Cross; the Registry continues to provide support to victim and witnesses; and there is now an increased number of domestic courts in the former ex Yugoslavia.
 Last year the General Assembly had decreased the budget by half.  The ICTY will undertake liquidation proceedings and transfer its assets, functions as well as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to the MICT.
The Registrar also added that the immortal legacy of the ICTY is its best practice as an international criminal court and enriching the heritage of the Bosian, Serbian, Croatian (BSE) languages.  The Tribunal continues to welcome visitors and improve access to its records and outreach to the Balkans.
Internationals Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ICTY http://www.icty.org/en/about
 
