| Page 451 | Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the European Union

PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY IN ROMANIA: WHAT MAY BE DONE?

Submitted by christian on Sat, 07/06/2013 - 17:11

Regulating public policy advocacy by a specific law is a decision that should be adopted based on a comprehensive evaluation of the local political, social and economic factors. A law in itself will not provide the necessary framework for exercising a professional, accountable public policy advocacy practice unless other conditions such as transparency at the decision-making level process and clear regulations about preventing conflicts of interest and corruption are also enforced in the country.

QUID THE FRENCH BIG BROTHER ?

Submitted by christian on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 16:45

Les services de renseignement français ont aussi des grandes oreilles qui fonctionnent à plein régime comme la NSA. D’après le journal Le Monde ce sont les SMS, Facebook, Twitter et télécommunications en général qui intéressent la Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE). La boulimie d’interceptions des données des espions "made in France" ne serait donc pas moins gargantuesque que celle de leurs homologues américains. Ce sont, en effet, des milliards de milliards de données qui sont stockées sur trois étages au siège de la DGSE, assure Le Monde.

2013 COUNTRY REPUTATION RANKING

Submitted by christian on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 16:14

The Reputation Institute has published a study that provides the ranking of 50 countries in terms of reputation. Over 27 000 consumers from G8 countries provided over 34 000 rating based on their own perception of 50 nations.

ROMANIA'S NEEDED REFORMS

Submitted by christian on Fri, 07/05/2013 - 13:15

Following Romania’s accession to the EU, several legal reforms have been implemented to strengthen the rule of law. However, the high level of corruption remains a major obstacle for Romania’s economic prosperity and growth, as it impacts the country’s political and social stability and discourages private investment. Both the public and the private sectors are affected by corruption and, as such, they should engage in a joint effort to effectively fight corruption.

EU MEDIA RELATIONS AND THE DRAMATIC DECLINE OF THE BRUSSELS PRESS CORPS

Submitted by christian on Thu, 07/04/2013 - 19:44

Registrations of Brussels-based journalists has been shrinking dramatically due to the economic crisis, a lack of public interest in EU affairs and the development of the Internet. From 1300 accredited journalists back in 2005, the number of journalists accredited to the EU is now less than 600 .With the continued economic crisis and the endless collapse of traditional media, this headcount reduction is likely to continue.

CROATIA'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN BRUSSELS

Submitted by christian on Thu, 07/04/2013 - 18:01

Croatia counts 1 Commissioneer and 12 Members of the European Parliament (6 S& D, 1 ECR, 5 EPP).

Mr. Neven MIMICA is the EU Commissioneer for Consumer Protection.

The twelve (12) Members of the European Parliament are the following:

EU MEMBER STATES SUPPORT TO UNESCO

Submitted by christian on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 19:04

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). UNESCO is a specialized agency of the U.N. system that promotes collaboration among its member countries in the fields of education, natural sciences, social and human sciences, culture, and communications and information. With an annual budget of approximately $326 million, it supports more than 2,000 staff members working at its headquarters in Paris and 65 field offices and institutes worldwide.

WHEN ALLIES AND PARTNERS SPY ON THE U.S. IS IT OK???

Submitted by christian on Tue, 07/02/2013 - 16:17

Foreign economic collection and industrial espionnage against the United States represent significant and growing threats to the nation's prosperity and security. Cyberspace where most business activity and development of newdeas now takes place amplifies these threats by making it possible for malicious actors,whether they are corrupted insiders or foreign intelligence services, to quickly steal and transfer massive quantities of data while remaining annonymous and hard to detect.

THE ALPHABET SOUP OF REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS IN LATIN AMERICA

Submitted by christian on Mon, 07/01/2013 - 17:26

When following current events in Latin America, it’s easy to confuse the jumble of acronyms and abbreviations of the region’s multilateral organizations. Given the proliferation of so many organizations, summits, and integration efforts over the past few decades, some have questioned which groups can have a real impact, especially those with conflicting or overlapping goals. With an eye on regional trade and tariffs, some groups hope to eventually expand their reach to achieve common markets in Latin America.

THE ROLE OF A SECURITY INTELLIGENCE SERVICE IN A DEMOCRACY

Submitted by christian on Sun, 06/30/2013 - 14:43

The idea that the U.S. is the only nation to perform internal and external intelligence activities is naïve. Every nation has its own intelligence agencies for the protection of its people and gathering of important secret information which can impact their interests. Intelligence agencies are a symbol of country’s defence strength and power.

Espionage and sabotage