European House Skopje

Did you know that the EU got its own '. eu' internet domain on 7 December? On the eve of the registration day, about 100 000 '.eu' requests had already been registered If you want to know all about this new saga, pay a visit to the Information Society website of the European Commission! A general fact sheet , a technical fact sheet and the Frequently Asked Questions will keep you up-to-date with all the '.eu' news. The registration process will happen in three stages : during the first two months – called 'sunrise' period – the registration of '.eu' names will be reserved to trademark holders and public bodies. From 7 February to 6 April 2006 registration will be open to other applicants, f.i. company names, unregistered trademarks or works of art. Registration will be open to all from 7 April. How can you register? It is a piece of cake. You just need to get in touch with one of the 779 registration offices around the world, from the United

The enlargement strategy presented in November by the European Commission received strong endorsement from European Union foreign affairs ministers at their December 12 General Affairs and External Relations Council in Brussels. In its formal conclusions, the Council welcomed the Commission’s Communication on Enlargement presented on 9 November 2005, and the reports, recommendations and partnership proposals that accompanied it. At the request of several member states, the EU is planning a major reflection next year on the direction, speed and scope of enlargement, in the context of the broad reflections on the future of Europe. The Commission strategy is a good basis for "a necessary, further discussion on enlargement in 2006", the Council concluded. Meanwhile, careful attention was needed to anchor and develop support for the enlargement process across the EU, taking particular account of the views of EU citizens and the absorption capacity of the Union, the Council said.

Inclusion - Breaking the barriers of social and physical disadvantages through voluntary service: a contact making seminar to establish partnerships between the organisations from the EU, and Pre-Accession Countries, that will trigger new volunteer exchange projects, enhancing the young peoples' mobility and promoting their participation and inclusion in the development of civil society. Bulgaria 9-12 March 2006. Course Description Out! - summercamp 2006: Summercamp for young people, aged 16 to 25. The theme will be "Living in a group is not easy". This theme came up due to the many questions OUT! receives about it. Living in society can be difficult, especially when you are gayminded or face some other identity. This can raise even more questions when you are dealing with different cultures. Who am I within an intercultural group? The Netherlands 27 July-8 August 2006. http://www.outinfo.nl - summercamp@outweb.nl

No Offence , 3-10 April 2006, Belgium (Flanders) - A Training Course for youth workers (social workers, peer educators,...) working with young ex-offenders, offenders who are currently in prison or youth at risk of offending - about how to use the European YOUTH programme as a tool to create meaningful projects for this target group. This course will be organised according to the SALTO Inclusion Quality Charter for organising training courses - check them out online at www.SALTOYOUTH.net/InclusionQualityCharter/ . This way you know what you can expect when applying for a SALTO Inclusion Course, and maybe you can get inspired by this Quality Charter for the training activities that you are organising, to make them (even) better. The SALTO Inclusion Resource Centre organises this TC No Offence, within its strategy to promote the inclusion of a variety of specific target groups with fewer opportunties in the YOUTH programme. Read course description and apply now (www.salto-youth.net/appli

Early today, the European Council in Brussels decided to grant Republic of Macedonia candidate status for membership of EU. The Heads of States and Governments of EU Member States thus recognised the progress that Macedonia has made in meeting the Copenhagen criteria.Following this decision Macedonia has joined the candidate countries Croatia and Turkey.

01.02.2006 (up to 01.11.2006. Deadlines vary according to Action and National Agency.) Budget line / available budget 15.05.01 / 108.445.000 EUR Objectives and supported actions in the field of ENARґs work The YOUTH programme is the EU’s mobility and non-formal education programme targeting young people aged between 15 and 25 years. It offers young people opportunities for mobility and active participation in the construction of Europe. It aims to create a European arena for cooperation in the development of youth policy, based on non-formal education. It also encourages the concept of lifelong learning and the development of skills and competencies which promote active citizenship. The Programme pursues the following objectives: Facilitating the integration of young people into society at large and encouraging their spirit of initiative. Helping young people acquire knowledge, skills and competencies, and recognising the value of such experience. Allowing young people to give free exp

European liberal leaders have attacked plans to block Macedonia's EU candidate status if there is no budget deal, but showed optimism that a finance breakthrough is near. See more >

Macedonia, the EU budget, and the destabilisation of the Balkans Executive Summary France has declared that it is prepared to veto the approval of Macedonia’s candidate status, recommended last month by the European Commission. Instead, it has proposed a new debate as to whether there should be any further EU enlargement at all. The United Kingdom has proposed a new budget for the EU that would preclude any serious pre-accession assistance for the Western Balkans for the next 7-year budgetary period. The UK proposal could shut the door on further enlargement just as forcefully as a French veto. Between France and the UK, there is now a distinct possibility that the European Council meeting beginning on Thursday (15th December) will not just deny candidate status to Macedonia, but throw the entire European strategy in the Balkans into confusion. This would be a disastrous policy error. For this reason, ESI is calling on EU member states not to forget their commitments to the countries o

The aim is to promote tolerance under the banner “together for youth”. The EU will provide €900,000 over the next 18 months for the project, which is managed by the European Agency for Reconstruction. “Youth projects are very important for a country already on its way to reaching European standards and values,” said the country's prime minister, Vlado Buckovski, at the campaign launch in Skopje. “This campaign is an excellent opportunity to show the full potential of our young generation and to ‘Europeanise’ it in its way of thinking and acting.” The campaign will include television spots, billboards, posters, brochures and other materials, targeting people aged 15–24, and will spotlight the most pressing issues faced by the country’s youth. “This project will contribute to the improvement of inter-ethnic understanding and collaboration among young people throughout the country,” said the EU Special Representative and Head of the European Commission Delegation to the country, Erwin