On the migration and refugee crisis G20 leaders agreed on the need for global efforts to address the effects, protection needs and root causes of the crisis. They called for strengthening humanitarian assistance and refugee resettlement. At the press conference before the summit President Tusk stated that “In light of an unprecedented number of 65 million displaced people all over the world, the G20 community needs to scale up its share of responsibility. Only global efforts supporting refugees and their host communities will be able to bear fruit.”

On the fight against terrorism, leaders reaffirmed their solidarity and resolve and their commitment to tackle terrorist financing.

The summit also highlighted the importance of joining the Paris Agreement on climate change as soon as possible. Before the summit President Tusk recalled that “The G20 has an important role to play in this global struggle. With major emitters around the table we need to make sure that our common priority is to implement the Paris agreement early and in a robust manner. The EU is fully committed to this goal and we want to encourage all G20 members to do the same. ”

In the margins of the summit, Presidents Tusk and Juncker met with Recep Erdoğan, President of Turkey, to discuss EU-Turkey relations and continued cooperation on migration.

Photo: EU Newsroom / From left to right: Mr Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the European Commission; Mr Donald TUSK, President of the European Council; Mr Recep Tayyip ERDOGAN, Turkish President.

Parliament President Martin Schulz went on an official visit to to Ankara on 1 September where he met President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and İsmail Kahraman, the Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

“The European Parliament remains a committed supporter in advancing and deepening EU-Turkey relations,” said Schulz. He also paid tribute to “all the Turkish citizens who courageously took to the streets to defend democracy in the country” and called for the political dialogue to be set on the right footing once again: “We need to talk to each other rather than at each other.”

In a media briefing afterwards, the Parliament President said: “Essentially we largely agreed on the necessity to openly discuss our different point of views in order to develop common views from this open dialogue that bring us closer to each other again.”

On 30 August the foreign affairs committee discussed the results of the fact-finding mission to Ankara on 23- 25 of August.

MEPs expressed their concerns about the Turkish government response to the attempted coup. Thousands of people – including soldiers, judges and journalists – have been detained for questioning while some of them have also lost their job. Committee chair Elmar Brok, a German member of the EPP group, said: “Even before the coup d’état in Turkey, developments as regards the freedom of opinion were not acceptable and took Turkey farther away from EU.”

MEPs, including Dutch S&D member Kati Piri who wrote a progress report on Turkey’s efforts to become an EU member, agreed that that the attempted coup was an attack on Turkish democracy. However, they stressed that the way the country is handling the aftermath of the coup is a crucial test for the country´s democracy, especially when it comes to respecting human rights and the rule of law. MEPs also said that Turkey must meet all criteria in order to have visa restrictions lifted.

Photo: Official visit of President of the European Parliament to the Republic of Turkey.

We are treating the medical consequences of the journey, including hypothermia and dehydration, but also acute conditions requiring medical evacuation such as septic shock, pneumonia and wounds inflicted by abuse and violence. We are trying to improve living conditions for people stranded in Greece, Italy, FYROM and Serbia. But all of our work amounts to filling the gaps left by states unwilling or unable to fulfil their responsibilities.

Many people are fleeing war, oppression and torture. Others are fleeing poverty, persecution and human rights violations. All want a safer and better life. But their exit routes are growing scarcer, while refugee hosting countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan become more overburdened. The world is faced with the worst displacement crisis since World War II. The conflict in Syria shows no sign of abating. Yet Europe is closing its borders.

Categorisations of ’migrants; , ’refugees’ or ’asylum seekers’ do not adequately or fairly describe the reality that pushes people to embark on long and dangerous journeys. Every person has a story to tell about why they were forced to risk their lives to reach Europe. When people need medical care, food, water and shelter, they should receive this assistance regardless of their legal status.

When your ministers gather this Monday for yet another summit on the so-called ‘migration crisis’, bear in mind that the decisions adopted in previous summits have so far largely failed to improve the situation. Some measures have made the situation worse: fences and forced fingerprinting only push people to choose more clandestine and dangerous routes. Lives continue to be lost at sea, in the back of lorries and in make shift camps where people live in unacceptable conditions in the heart of the European Union. It is time to put an end to these policies of deterrence. They have turned a foreseeable and manageable influx of people fleeing for survival into a policy-made human tragedy on Europe’s beaches, borders, train platforms and motorways. They are jeopardising the right to seek asylum. The current approach of ’non-reception’ and closed borders is causing death, injury and chaos.

Europe is faced with an increasing number of people seeking assistance and protection. These people are only a small portion of the millions who are fleeing intolerable suffering. No matter the obstacles, they will continue to come. They have no other choice. The current policies are untenable in the face of this situation. The only way Europe can prevent a worsening crisis on its territory is to replace the smugglers by providing a safe, legal and free alternative. We ask you to provide safe passage. Legal crossing of sea and land borders must be authorised for asylum seekers into and inside the EU. All forms of legal avenues allowing refugees to reach Europe must be put in place urgently. Efficient solutions to relocate asylum seekers from one EU member state to another must be found. Effective access to coherent asylum procedures and assistance should be provided at entry points, throughout Europe and along migratory routes. Swift registration and access to temporary protection should be provided upon arrival. Legal migration pathways must be created. Dignified reception conditions must be offered to all.

Make this life vest redundant. Provide humane, dignified and safe alternatives.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joanne Liu

International President

Médecins Sans Frontières

In a statement, the Quartet members – the UN, the European Union, Russia and the United States – welcomed the announcement by US Secretary of State John Kerry that the talks between the two sides resumed in Washington yesterday.

The two lead negotiators at the US-brokered talks were Israeli justice minister Tzipi Livni and chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat.

“The Quartet commends both President Abbas and Prime Minister Netanyahu for taking this courageous decision in the interest of their peoples,” the statement said, adding that the group is determined to lend its effective support to the efforts of the parties and their shared commitment to achieve a negotiated two-State solution within the agreed timeframe of nine months.

Further to the statement, the Quartet reiterated its calls on all parties to take every possible step to promote conditions conducive to the success of the negotiating process and to refrain from actions that undermine trust.

“The Quartet expresses its appreciation for the efforts of President Obama and Secretary Kerry in helping the parties reach agreement to resume negotiations,” the statement said, also commending the Arab League for its constructive role in support of renewed negotiations, including its reaffirmation of the Arab Peace Initiative.

The Quartet also recognized many others in the international community for their important contributions, and expressed hope that such efforts will continue.

“While noting that much hard work lies ahead, the Quartet expresses its hope that renewed negotiations will be substantive and continuous and set a clear path towards a two-State solution, the end of conflict, and lasting peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians,” the diplomatic envoys said, expressing the intention to meet soon to discuss next steps.

The draft directive requires EU countries to set their maximum terms of imprisonment at not less than two years for the crimes of illegally accessing or interfering with information systems, illegally interfering with data, illegally intercepting communications or intentionally producing and selling tools used to commit these offences. “Minor” cases are excluded, but it is up to each country to determine what constitutes a “minor” case.

The text sets up a penalty of at least three years’ imprisonment for using “botnets”, i.e. establishing remote control over a significant number of computers by infecting them with malicious software.

Attacks against “critical infrastructure”, such as power plants, transport networks and government networks, can lead to a five-year prison sentence. The same applies if an attack is committed by a criminal organisation or if it causes serious damage.

Member states will be required to respond quickly to urgent requests for help in the event of cyber attacks, so as to render police cooperation more effective. They will have to make better use of the existing 24/7 network of contact points to respond to urgent requests within eight hours.

Legal persons, such as firms, would be liable for offences committed for their benefit (e.g. for hiring a hacker to get access to a competitor’s database). Penalties could include exclusion from entitlement to public benefits or closure of establishments.

The text, adopted by 541 votes to 91, with 9 abstentions, is expected to be formally adopted by the Council very shortly. The new directive builds on rules that have been in force since 2005. Once adopted, member states will have two years to transpose it into national law.

Photo: Neelie Kroes, Catherine Ashton and Cecilia Malmström (from left to right)

Theoretically, this is a trilateral agreement between the Council, the Commission and the European Parliament. Given however, that the first two bodies were the powerhouses behind the “Two Pack” affair, it was only the legislature’s agreement that was missing. That is what Rehn and Noonan celebrated yesterday.

On the other side of the fence, the Parliamentarians didn’t seem to celebrate much. Actually, the Parliament’s rapporteur for the rules dealing with countries in significant financial trouble, Jean-Paul Gauzès (EPP, FR) found the opportunity to tell the Commission and the Council that the needed measures are being decided with a three years delay. He stressed that, “This crisis has shown us that half-hearted actions will not stop a fire. With such rules in place three years ago we would have avoided the problems currently experienced by some countries and which have threatened the whole Eurozone since it would have been possible to take early, clear and quick actions”.

Both the Commission and the Council representatives, Rehn and Noonan, didn’t seem to have had seriously taken into account the MEP’s observations about the three year delay and both of them went on celebrating the approval of the Parliament. At his point, it must be noted that the Commission and the Council are exclusively responsible for those three years of delay.

The “two pack”

The economic crises of the recent years showed that while European countries shared a common currency, their economies were not sufficiently coordinated. The ‘Two Pack’ is the response, introducing new rules to enforce stabilisers on Eurozone countries budgets. In 2011, six new sets of rules, the so- called ‘Six Pack’, came into force to strengthen economic coordination among EU member states. The 17 Eurozone countries, however, needed further rules – these are in the “Two Pack”.

The “Two Pack” consists of two regulations: one with special measures for monitoring and assessing plans of countries with high, excessive government deficits; and another with special measures for countries experiencing severe financial difficulties, such as those emerging from an EU-ECB-IMF programme.

Brussels über alles

The main difference between the “two” and the “six” packs is nothing less than the national sovereignty. The first one has been designed especially for the Eurozone and briefly concedes the approval of the national state budgets to the Brussels’ Commission. In short, government budgets in the 17 Eurozone countries will be submitted to national Parliaments after the Commission has given its approval.

This most important law, however, that the 17 legislatures are debating every year will be submitted after the Commission has approved the text. There goes out of the window, any democratic accountability, given that the Commission as a body is not accountable to the people, nor the Commissioners are elected by the people and probably do not always work for the people.

The MEPs

The European Parliamentarians didn’t chew their words. Elisa Ferreira (S&D, PT), rapporteur on the budgetary reporting requirements for all Eurozone countries, argued that this legislation needed to address a broader political context than one focused on fiscal discipline.

“Austerity is not delivering the desired results so it cannot be the only component of our response to the crisis. We need to adapt the medicine. We need to rebalance our short term objectives to better address growth and the vicious spiral of high debt-financing interest rates. Countries now making superhuman sacrifices need to know that their efforts are recognised and will be rewarded. This is why we have pushed hard to adapt the Commission’s original proposals”, she said.

The question is though, if those amendments the European Parliamentarians agreed with the Commission, are enough to protect the Peoples of Eurozone from the Commission’s discretional powers? In reality the amendments brought about by the Parliament are of minor importance not changing the substance of the “two pack”, which is the loss of national sovereignty.

As a matter of fact, the EU Parliamentarians depend greatly for their election on their home political party chiefs and governments and, as a result, they rarely push their objections to the end. European Parliament voting procedures are open for everybody to see who votes for what and this is not at all democratic.

In this case, the press release issued by the European Parliament contains this deplorable paragraph: “Where countries are asked to make substantial cuts, their efforts must not harm investments in education and healthcare, particularly in countries in severe financial difficulty”. As if today’s problems in Greece, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Ireland were education and health care. It is a totally populist reference, to hide the real issue which is the huge income losses for tens of millions of people.

In short, the green light from the European Parliament for the “two pack”, without any changes in its basic provisions, opened a new era in the European Union, of less and less democratic accountability and more and more democratic deficits. And this without a new Treaty being signed or anything that could signal fundamental changes and attract the attention of the many. Everything was done away from the eyes of the people in a freezing Tuesday morning in central Brussels. In reality, the Peoples of the EU are now pushed into something quite different from what they knew so far, without much discussion or a referendum. Nobody in Brussels speaks any more about plebiscites.

From the Europeansting.com [by permission]

The Decision has two components. For the first, €60 million will be allocated to the PEGASE mechanism, which supports the Palestinian National Development Plan by helping the PA to finance its budget deficit and implement its reform agenda, meet its obligations towards civil employees, pensioners and most vulnerable citizens, and maintain the functioning of the administration and the provision of essential public services to the population. This amount will contribute to the Palestinian Authority’s payments of salaries and pensions for the first three months of 2013.

The Second component allocates an initial amount of €40 million to UNWRA’s 2013 regular budget (General Fund) in order to support the education, health, relief and social services programmes which UNWRA is responsible for providing for Palestine refugees in West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.

High Representative/Vice/President Catherine Ashton said: “The European Union is again doing its utmost to underpin the ability of the PA and UNRWA to deliver essential services to the Palestinian people without interruption. We are committed to continuing our support while urging other donors to follow suit. This year we are also earmarking a specific allocation for the Jerash refugee camp in Jordan, which is home to some of the most vulnerable Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.”

EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Štefan Füle, announcing the adoption of the package, said: “The Palestinian Authority has particular problems in obtaining donor funds early in the year. The EU is aware of this and, as a reliable donor, has taken steps to alleviate the problem. These funds for both the PA and UNWRA for early 2013 are vital for ensuring that there is no interruption in the provision of the basic health and education services which the Palestinian people need”.

In addition to the two components financed from the 2013 budget, a further amount of €2 million is allocated from 2012 funds to rebuild shelters for around 100 of the poorest Palestinian refugee families in Jordan’s Jerash Refugee Camp.

That was the general theme that ensued when I tried to explain over dinner with some Greek friends what my line of work was. Try as I might to explain what a refugee was, this dinner guest would not listen; he was sure he was right.

Then it hit me: The common person would not know what a refugee is. So, what is a refugee?

A refugee is someone who has fled their country out of fear of harm on account of their race, religion, nationality, group affiliation or political opinion, and, because of this, is unable to return.

So think about it for a moment – what would be so serious that would make you leave your life as you know it, your family, your friends, your stability and run away elsewhere?

Some have witnessed loved ones being killed in cold blood before their eyes. Others have had their businesses seized, their houses torched and their wife raped – just because of their ethnicity. The threat can come from one’s own government itself or from rebel groups.

Human rights defend equality between all peoples, all beliefs and the right to peacefully voice your political views. What people do not often realize is that human rights also defend your right to request asylum.

Greece is one of 142 countries signatories to the 1951 Geneva Convention which aims to protect refugees and their rights. Different countries implement the principles set out by the convention in different ways.

One of the obstacles the European Union is facing is standardising its laws and policies and this also applies to asylum procedures. The Dublin Regulation is a law that returns asylum-seekers to their entry point in the EU in order to process their requests for asylum. In many cases, and because of its geographical location, that entry point is Greece.

There has been a lot of criticism by prominent organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International to reform Greece’s asylum procedures. Some critics believe that these procedures often put asylum-seekers at risk and make their plight even more difficult. In some instances, many EU countries have stopped returns to Greece to avoid putting individuals in risk and, potentially, breaching the principles of protection set out by the 1951 Convention.

Panic over lack of jobs though is not what puts these asylum-seekers at harm. The Greek asylum procedure has been criticised of not being transparent, fair or efficient. In 2010, the United Nations Agency for Refugees, UNHCR, took an initiative with the Greek government to reform its asylum system however the fruits of this endeavour are yet to be seen.

The Arab world mostly does not have a fully mature asylum system and a lot of the responsibility falls on the UNHCR in the region. Although resources may be stretched in cases like this, the UNHCR is still able to maintain the principles set out by the 1951 Convention, an integral document of the organization’s statute.

The wheels of bureaucracy turn slow – most of us can attest to that when standing in line waiting for IKA or when we are hoping our government can change that one little thing in its policy. But the way we look at things can be the biggest step towards change. The Arab world is going through a democratic spring, but without cultural acceptance a lot of this sought-out freedom will be rendered dormant.

Change comes from within and maybe if we open the doors to our minds and hearts, we can allow exceptional individuals into our lives. So, what do a supermodel, scientist, and a former secretary of state have in common? They were refugees: Alek Wek, Einstein and Madeline Albright all offered a lot to society.

New digital technologies are opening up great opportunities for creators, consumers and businesses alike. Increased demand for online access to cultural content (e.g. music, films, books) does not recognise borders or national restrictions. Neither do the online services used to access them. This is where collecting societies come into play, in particular in the music sector, where they collectively manage the licensing of copyright-protected music tracks for online use on behalf of composers and lyricists and collect and redistribute to them corresponding royalties.

However, some collecting societies struggle to adapt to the requirements of the management of rights for online use of musical works, in particular in a cross-border context. As a result of today’s proposal, those collecting societies willing to engage in the multi-territorial licensing of their repertoire would therefore have to comply with European standards. This would make it easier for service providers to obtain the necessary licences for music to be distributed online across the EU and to ensure that revenue is correctly collected and fairly distributed to composers and lyricists.

More generally, collecting societies operating in all sectors would have to comply with new European standards providing for improved governance and greater transparency in the conduct of their activities. The need for a change of certain practices was highlighted by recent cases where royalties collected on behalf of rightholders were lost due to poor investment policies, but also by evidence of long-delayed payments of royalties to rightholders.

Commissioner for Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier said: “We need a European digital Single Market that works for creators, consumers and service providers. More efficient collecting societies would make it easier for service providers to roll out new services available across borders – something that serves both European consumers and cultural diversity.” He added “More generally, all collecting societies should ensure that creators are rewarded more quickly for their work and must operate with full transparency. This is paramount to sustaining investment in creativity and innovation which will in turn lead to additional growth and increased competitiveness.”

Today’s proposal pursues two complementary objectives: To promote greater transparency and improved governance of collecting societies through strengthened reporting obligations and rightholders’ control over their activities, so as to create incentives for more innovative and better quality services. Building upon this – and more specifically – to encourage and facilitate multi-territorial and multi-repertoire licensing of authors’ rights in musical works for online uses in the EU/EEA.

In practice:

- Rightholders would have a direct say in the management of their rights, be remunerated more quickly and their ability to choose the most efficient collecting society for their purposes would be enshrined in law. This would bring about better protection of rightholders’ interests, as well as increased access to cultural content for consumers.

- The new rules would change the way in which collecting societies work across Europe, with new requirements such as improved management of repertoire, quicker payments to members, clarity in revenue streams from exploitation of rights, an annual transparency report and additional information provided directly to rightholders and business partners (such as other collecting societies). Member States would need to have mechanisms for solving disputes between collecting societies and rightholders. Improved standards and processes should result in better functioning collecting societies and more confidence surrounding their activities.

- The multi-territorial licensing of authors’ rights for the use of music on the Internet across borders would be facilitated but also subjected to the demonstration of the technical capacity to perform this task efficiently. This would benefit authors, internet service providers and citizens alike.

Representatives of the EU included: Günther Oettinger, Commissioner for Energy, European Commission; Martin Lidegaard, President of the EU Energy Council, Minister for Climate and Energy, Denmark; and Neoklis Sylikiotis, Incoming President of the EU Energy Council, Minister for Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Cyprus.

Representatives of OPEC included: HE Hani Abdulaziz Hussain, Minister of Oil, Kuwait, heading the OPEC delegation and acting for the President of the OPEC Conference; Falah J. Alamri, Iraqi Governor for OPEC, on behalf of HE Abdul-Kareem Luaibi Bahedh, President of the OPEC Conference, Minister of Oil, Iraq; and Abdalla Salem El-Badri, Secretary General of OPEC.

Participants recognised the fact that this year’s meeting was taking place against the backdrop of very challenging economic developments in many regions of the world, with knock-on implications for the global energy sector and some oil-producing regions. All this continues to have a profound impact on the Member Countries of both parties to the dialogue. Significant oil price volatility, with prices trending higher in the first quarter of this year and then falling back more recently, reinforce the need for continuous market monitoring and for closer consumer-producer cooperation in the framework of energy dialogues, such as that between the EU and OPEC. The stable relations achieved via this dialogue have allowed both parties to remain focussed, particularly in challenging times, on constructive exchanges to foster market stability in the interests of both producers and consumers.

Since the Energy Dialogue’s inception, advances have been made in several areas to assess the drivers behind oil, gas and fuel market developments, as well as expected possible futures. This has involved more frequent contacts between the parties; encouraging greater awareness of the collective responsibility of all stakeholders when it comes to handling the industry’s evolving challenges and opportunities.

This is particularly important as changing patterns in supply, demand, trade and prices for both oil and gas emerge. It is essential to better understand the short-, medium- and long-term trends of these market fundamentals, which have an impact on appropriate and necessary investments to be made.

During his introductory keynote speech, the EC Commissioner for Energy, Günther Oettinger, stressed the negative impact that very high oil prices can have on the global economy, especially in times of a fragile recovery and cautioned against reduced investments in infrastructure and exploration and production capacities that may lead to future supply bottlenecks. The Commissioner commended OPEC’s proactive stance in responding to market needs and invited OPEC to join the EU in efforts to assess the impact of major events and policy changes, such as the recent developments of major North American shale plays, and the possibility of these spilling over to other regions. Commissioner Oettinger further emphasized the need for further transparency in oil and gas markets, the need for cooperation towards creating a broader energy base and the role technology and research can play in this as another area of possible useful joint cooperation.

Hani Abdulaziz Hussain, Minister of Oil, Kuwait, in his opening address, highlighted that uncertainty throughout the global economy, particularly in the Euro-zone, coupled with excessive speculation in global financial markets, was behind much of the recent price volatility. He said that he hoped for a solution soon to the Euro-zone’s current economic predicament, and in terms of speculation, he looked forward to a strengthening of financial regulation and increased oversight of the ‘paper markets’. The Secretary General of OPEC, Abdalla Salem El-Badri, highlighted the importance of a stable price, for both producers and consumers; one that is conducive for global economic growth and, at the same time allows producers to invest to meet future demand. He emphasised that low oil prices can break the momentum of investment in the oil industry, and in other forms of energy too. This then has a knock-on impact on future additional supply. He then reiterated OPEC’s commitment to supporting market stability in making sure consumers have secure and stable supplies, but emphasized the importance of understanding the other side of the equation: security of demand.

The market outlook was elaborated upon in the first session of the meeting, which looked at oil market developments, energy policies and the long-term outlook.

A presentation was given by the EU, providing an overview of the latest set of policies recently adopted by the Commission with a particular emphasis on the internal energy market and the Energy Roadmap 2050. On the latter, the need to move towards a broader energy base by 2050 was outlined, as well as the important role oil and gas will continue to play in that context. Based on these policies, energy demand projections for the EU-27, specifically oil demand, were also presented up to 2050.

OPEC then took the floor to highlight recent oil market developments and prospects, which featured the various uncertainties, such as debt burdens and high unemployment that still exist around the global economic recovery, albeit with varying effects across regions. The slowdown in a number of economies has become more visible with a notable deceleration through declining trade activity and financial instability. It was shown that oil demand in the world is set to witness steady growth, driven mainly by contributions from major developing countries, although policies aimed at alternative fuels, efficiency and higher taxes are viewed as a significant demand risk. On the supply side, the physical market continues to be supported by adequate growth in major producing regions, as well as appropriate stock levels. Additionally, OPEC spare capacity remains effective in lessening market pressures.

A presentation by the EU then followed, giving an overview of the recent economic and financial developments in the EU and Euro-zone area, based on the spring 2012 European Commission economic forecasts that were adopted in May. Key issues addressed were tensions in global sovereign-debt markets and high oil prices, both of which were said to contribute to a loss of confidence towards the end of 2011 and the EU’s subsequent output contraction. Advancements in the EU institutional framework to counter those developments were equally covered.

OPEC closed the session with an assessment of the long-term oil outlook, which underlined that oil will remain the leading fuel type in satisfying the world’s growing energy needs for the foreseeable future and that resources are clearly sufficient. Moreover, OPEC is investing in accordance with perceived demand for its crude. Nevertheless, great uncertainties remain, including the path of the global economic recovery; policy announcements that offer confusing signals to investors; industry costs; technology; and human resources.

Both parties agreed on the importance of sharing information and data covering all timeframes; historical, current, as well as possible future demand and supply scenarios. They also reiterated the benefits of continued participation in the Joint Organisations Data Initiative, especially as this moves into more transparent data for gas.

The second session focused on the conclusions of a recent joint study, as well as proposals for, and the status of, future joint activities.

OPEC underscored the final conclusions of a study on technological advances in the road transportation sector. The study covers conventional technologies, alternative technologies and fuels, possible bottlenecks, potential drivers (such as legislative requirements and consumer preferences) and expectations for alternatives penetrating both the light and heavy duty vehicle markets. The report also looked at how the impacts of these technology advances could translate into changes in oil demand, as well as the potential differences between the big economic blocks/regions.

A second presentation gave an update on preparations for a joint roundtable on offshore safety, which has been organised for the second half of 2012. Furthermore, an update on a proposed joint study to assess potential human resource bottlenecks in the oil industry was also put forward, with a presentation of the possible Terms of Reference for the study.

After thorough discussions and a review of the Dialogue’s overall progress, the two parties agreed with the following joint EU-OPEC activities proposed for the second half of this year and first half of 2013:

The organisation of an international roundtable on offshore safety in oil and gas exploration and production activities (November 2012); A study assessing potential human resource demand bottlenecks in the petroleum sector and a roundtable (1st half 2013); Conducting a study on energy efficiency and its potential impact on demand.