Brussels Agenda

Greens/European Free Alliance priorities and events for next week include:

Greens/EFA agenda priorities

All week: COP15 UN climate change conference, Copenhagen

Thursday-Friday: EU summit of heads of state and government, Brussels

Greens/EFA events

Press conference: Europe's water challenge
Monday, 7 December, 13.30-14.00
PHS0A50, European Parliament, Brussels
> Green MEP and EP Vice-President Isabelle Durant hosts this press conference to launch a European campaign on water conservation. Guest speakers include Riccardo Petrella, President of the European Institute of Research on Water Policy (IERPE).

European OpenSource and free software event
Wednesday, 9 December, 09.00-18.30
Room A1G3, European Parliament, Brussels
> This event, abbreviated as EOLE, aims to promote the sharing and dissemination of legal knowledge on Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) licences, as well as the development and promotion of good practices in the field. Greens/EFA Co-president Dany Cohn-Bendit will participate.
http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/default/dok/318/318233.the_european_opensource_free_software_la@en.htm

Conference: Tax and development in the fight against poverty
Wednesday, 9 December, 10.00-18.30
Room PHS3C50, European Parliament, Brussels
> It is estimated that developing countries suffer annual losses of around USD 285 billion due to inefficiencies in their tax systems. At a time when development financing sources are more critical than ever, this conference will put the spotlight on the tax revenue issue, with high-level participation from EP development committee chair Eva Joly, European Commissioners Karel De Gucht and László Kovács, as well as government representatives and tax experts.
http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/default/dok/317/317126.tax_and_development_to_fight_against_pov@en.htm

Public hearing: Natural resource curse in central Africa
Wednesday, 9 December, 14.00-16.00
Room PHS 5B001, European Parliament, Brussels
> Green MEP Isabelle Durant hosts this event, which counts on the participation of several civil society organisations. The event aims at examining the role the EU can play in combating the negative consequences that often result from resource riches. For further information, contact http://www.justicepaix.be/?article223

Public hearing: Imprisoned journalist Dawit Isaak
Wednesday, 9 December, 15.00-18.30
Room PHS7C050, European Parliament, Brussels
> This cross-party event, co-organised with the GUE/NGL, ALDE and S&D Group, will include the participation of Green MEP Isabella Lovin and Commissioner Louis Michel. It will highlight the case of Swedish-Eritrean journalist Dawit Isaak, who has been imprisoned without trial in Eritrea since 2001.

Conference: Afghan post-elections - civil society & international policy
Wednesday 9 (from 15.30) - Thursday 10 December
European Parliament, Brussels
> The European network of NGOs in Afghanistan (ENNA) hold their annual conference in the European Parliament, with the support of Green MEPs Judith Sargentini and Nicole Kiil-Nielsen. Speakers and participants from civil society, the European Commission and others will discuss the role of NGOs in reconstruction and state-building following Afghan elections.
http://www.ennanet.eu/news/index.html

Film screening: "Questions nationales"
Wednesday 9 December, 18.45
Room A1G3, European Parliament, Brussels
> European Free Alliance MEP Oriol Junqueras hosts the European Parliament premiere of the documentary film 'Questions Nationales' in the presence of its Director Jean-Pierre Roy. This critically acclaimed film discusses the theme of independence for stateless nations and looks at the situation in Catalonia and in Scotland from a Quebecois perspective.
www.questionsnationales-lefilm.net