Mit - Index

Mit - SINFO March 2008 No.5 - Index

WhATmakesThEnews
the agreement as a big step in confirming the EU's global lead in
fighting climate change. While efforts in fighting climate change
will not be cheap, the ≈cost of action will be substantially lower
than that of non-action,« Janša stressed. Barroso, who has warned
EU leaders against backtracking on commitments they agreed to a
year ago, said that, with the decision, the bloc had passed ≈a test
of reality«. He said the leaders confirmed that even risks associated
with global economic uncertainty could not derail the ambitious
plans. The Slovenian Prime Minister pointed to the importance of
cooperation at all levels of the EU in setting in motion measures to
tackle climate change. According to him, close cooperation with
the European Parliament will be required to get the package passed
before the end of the parliament's current term, another goal set by
the leaders. According to the conclusions of the summit, the final
package should take into account ≈the principles of transparency,
economic efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and fairness and
solidarity in the distribution of effort between the member states«.
Meanwhile, a key point of the conclusions states that the EU will
continue to strive for an international agreement on fighting
climate change, which the leaders said remained ≈the best way of
addressing« fears of ≈carbon leakage«. The fear that companies
will flee Europe to countries with less stringent environmental rules
- Germany was said to be among the most vocal in raising this issue
- was confirmed as being real. According to Janša, such a threat is
≈dual«, as carbon leakage could lead to both increased emissions
and a loss of European jobs. In order to deal with the issue and the
associated concerns, the leaders stressed that, in the absence of an
international agreement for the post-Kyoto period, the risk needed
to be addressed in the new Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which
would form the basis for further measures in acting against carbon
leakage. Barroso hailed the solution as a ≈very credible response
to the problem«. According to him, the important thing is ≈that
industry has been given assurance that their concerns will be
addressed«. Janša added that the final solution in this area was
≈not very different« to that discussed at lower levels. He thanked
the commission for its ≈strategic assistance« in finding a way to
address ≈both sides of the coin«. The conclusions also confirmed
the interconnected nature of measures related to tackling climate
change, additional liberalisation of the gas and electricity sectors
and stable energy supply. the best way of achieving this goal.
PHILHARMONICS PERfORM JUBILEE
CONCERT IN BRUSSELS
The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra marked its centenary with
a gala concert in Brussels on 12 March in a ceremony that the
Slovenian Presidency staged as a prelude to the spring EU summit.
Conducted by George Pehlivanian, the orchestra performed
Gustav Mahler's Symphony 2, ≈The Resurrection«. The composer
embarked on his career in Ljubljana as a conductor in a theatre.
The concert also featured the Slovenian Chamber Choir and the
sinfo february 08 10
Consortium Musicum Choir. The solos were preformed by soprano
Sabina Cvilak and mezzosoprano Bernarda Fink, both acclaimed
and award-winning musician Officials at the Brussels Palais des
Beaux Arts, where the concert was held, labelled Fink's voice as one
of the best mezzo-sopranos currently. The Slovenian Philharmonic
was founded on 23 October 1908 and performed its first concert
on 8 November that year, but its precursor was established two
hundred years earlier.
SLOvENIA dONATES PLE»NIK REPLICA
CLOCK TO EU
To permanently mark its 2008 EU Presidency, the Slovenian
government donated a replica of a long-case clock designed by
Slovenia's greatest architect Joæe PleËnik to the headquarters of
the Council of the European Union in Brussels. The Justus Lipsius
building, which has been the headquarters of the Council of the
European Union since 1995, will thus house a copy of the work
of this legendary Slovenian architect. Plecnik designed the longcase
clock in Vienna. The clock belongs to the late phase of Art
Nouveau, of which PleËnik was one of the pioneers. As the original
has been lost, the clock was carefully re-created by Slovenian master
clockmaker Jurij Huebscher. It is safe to say that it is therefore as
close to the lost original as possible, The Ljubljana-born PleËnik
(1872-1957) studied at the Vienna Art Academy and got his first
job in a bureau headed by Otto Wagner. He not only transformed
Ljubljana with his designs for new bridges, waterfronts, banks,
market buildings, kiosks and parks, but also made his mark in cities
such as Prague and Vienna.
EU LEAdERS dINING ON ©TRUKLJI ANd
WINING ON SLOvENIAN vINTAGES
Apart from its skills at coordinating varied opinions on key
European issues, Slovenia was also showcasing some of its culinary
delights at the first of two EU summits during its EU Presidency.
European leaders were dining on the Slovenian delicacy of πtruklji
(cottage cheese dumplings) with a wild mushroom duxelles as
part of their starter at Thursday's dinner. The sweet teeth among
the participants were not disappointed: mouthwatering walnut
parfait, peached pair and honey sauce rounded off the dinner
prepared by a Slovenian chef from the Vila Podroænik protocol
catering service. And the leaders were downing it all with some
of the most prestigious names in the Slovenian wine business:
Bric's 2004 Sladki Muπkat, Goriπka Brda's 2004 A Plus Belo and
SimËiË's 2005 Modri Pinot. For the teetotalers, a wide selection
of Slovenian juices and mineral water was available. The venue for
the summit has also been given a Slovenian touch with a creative
flower display. Thousands of white tulips and red carnations in blue
water - representing the colours of the Slovenian flag - are gracing
the European Council building for the event.