// Newsletter //

No 142 - 06 April 2017

Towards a new partnership between the European Union and Pacific countries

Stefano Manservisi, the Director-General of DEVCO, visited the Pacific last week, taking in visits to Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Australia and New Zealand. With the EU's current partnership agreement with the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries expiring in 2020, they are working towards a new agreement. At a time of uncertainty about future levels of assistance to the Islands from some parts of the international community, Mr Manservisi says the EU has increased its support for Pacific partners in priority areas. He also underlined the EU's will to strengthen its co-operation with Australia and New Zealand in its development efforts around the region. H.E. Bernard Savage went along to Suva, Fiji, where was held a Regional Pacific Seminar, gathering officials from the European Union and EU Member States, Pacific countries (Fiji, Timor-Leste, Solomon Islands), Australia, New Zealand and the USA.
Read the full media articles here and here.

#SyriaConf17 agrees holistic approach, pledges €5.6 billion; condemns chemical weapons attack

Wednesday’s Brussels Conference on “Supporting the Future of Syria and the Region” agreed a holistic approach to handling the Syrian crisis, including massive financial assistance to respond to the humanitarian situation, backing for political work towards a resolution of the crisis, and a long-term vision to support a peaceful and stable future for Syria and the wider region. It also agreed pledges for this year of 5.6 billion euros. HR/VP Federica Mogherini, who hosted the conference, said in a joint press point with UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura: 'All (were) saddened ... by the news of a horrible attack in Idlib – chemical weapons as the worst of the war crimes - and whoever is responsible for that must be held accountable.'
Read more on the conference's outcome.

Foreign Affairs Council discusses Syria, Yemen, Libya

Foreign ministers addressed situations in Syria, Yemen and Libya in their April 3rd meeting. Ahead of the Brussels Conference on Syria, it adopted the EU strategy for Syria. The EU's strategic objectives in Syria are laid down in six key areas. As the conflict in Yemen enters its third year, the Council expressed its readiness to increase its efforts to support the United Nations in its search for a political settlement to the crisis, and to increase humanitarian assistance to the population across the country to meet the growing needs. The Council further discussed the situation in Libya. The High Representative debriefed ministers on the first Quartet meeting on Libya. In the discussion, ministers underlined the EU's commitment to supporting Libyans in finding unity and stability for their country within the framework of the Libyan Political Agreement.
Read HR/VP Mogherini's remarks following the Foreign Affairs Council.

The European Union condemns the acts of violence in Saint Petersburg metro

Following the explosion in Saint Petersburg metro, the High Representative/Vice-President, Federica Mogherini has sent condolences on behalf of the European Union to Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov. "Our thoughts go out to the people of Russia, and in particular to those who have lost loved ones in today's explosion in the Saint Petersburg metro. We wish a swift recovery to those who have been injured. The European Union condemns in the strongest possible terms all acts of violence."

Humanitarian crisis at the Horn of Africa

In a joint press point HR/VP Federica Mogherini and German Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasised the Horn of Africa region's need for lifesaving humanitarian assistance, in particular in Somalia and Sudan. The crisis has been triggered by man-made conflicts as well as by climate conditions in the form of severe droughts. Those two issues pose a serious threat to the overall stability of the entire region. Ongoing assistance will be scaled up with the EU providing additional support of €165 million. To ensure that the situation does not further escalate, the Union will work closely together with Germany, other EU Member States as well as with non-Member States.
You can watch the full statement here.

The European Parliament calls for clampdown on unsustainable palm oil

Palm oil is extensively used in food, cosmetics and biofuels; however the unsustainable production of the cheap vegetable oil leads to deforestation, loss of nature habitats and greenhouse gas emissions. To counter the impact of the unsustainable palm oil production, particularly in South-East Asia, the European Parliament voted on Tuesday a resolution stating that the EU should introduce a single certification scheme for palm oil entering the EU market and phase out the use of vegetable oils that drive deforestation by 2020.
Read the full press release here.

Share your European History

What does it mean to be a European? It’s not just the great leaders: all people are a part of this history and they have a valuable role to play in preserving this common heritage and identity of ours. So dig through your photos, your videos or even sound files, find digital content that you want to share with everyone and upload it to My House of European History, our collaborative platform that aims to become a virtual library of testimonials and stories from people across Europe.

Victoria Abroad – Student Exchange Fair

This year we are celebrating 30 years of ERASMUS +! Living in the Wellington area and want to find out more about your possibilities for studying abroad and receiving an ERASMUS+ grant? Visit the European Union Delegation to New Zealand's booth at the Victoria Abroad Student Exchange Fair at The Hub and McLaurin Foyer at Kelburn Campus in Wellington on 11 April 2017 from 11 am until 3 pm.
More information on ERASMUS+ can be found here.
More information on Victoria Abroad can be found here.

EU Delegation calls for New Zealand EUVP entries

Apply now for the European Union Visitors Programme and travel to Brussels in 2018! The EUVP enables young professionals from New Zealand to obtain first-hand impressions of the Union's policies, institutions and achievements. It aims at enhancing mutual understanding between young leaders from non-EU countries and their EU counterparts. The application period ends on 19 April 2017!
Find out more on the programme and the application process here.

More on Facebook & Twitter!
If you would like more information, you can like the EU Delegation's Facebook page. You can also follow the EU Ambassador on Twitter!

Europe House
Stay up to date on EU events organised in our antenna in Auckland by liking the Europe House's Facebook page!

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