Sir, As president and chair of the International Confederation of Music Publishers, we wish to comment on DG Competition’s recent decision to adopt a pan-European approach to copyright. We welcome the fact that the Commission decision, as reported, broadly supports right holders’ choices and composers and their publishers will continue to be able to take [...]

Sir, After the Kourou meeting, it is evident that the European Union is trying to revitalise space policy as a common goal for all member states. Their intentions are noble and their arguments sound, but they will need to get Europe’s leading industry players involved if they want to progress beyond the words alone. Any [...]

Sir, I totally agree with Sonia Biserko’s analysis of Serbian civil society and her recommendations for its reform. The nationalist segment of Serbian society today is the most reactionary in the Balkan region. Unless Serbian society splits with the nationalists or right-wing extremists, it will never be in sync with the modern, progressive, forward-looking democratic [...]

Dear Sir, I have found that despite speaking several European languages, I have recently not being able to find work that uses my languages. I have also noticed that most employers are not willing to pay for languages as a key work skill. Check out the job adverts: despite people having spent years gaining language [...]

Sir, Regarding Christina Kaspar’s letter (‘Young people really shouldn’t come back to Bulgaria!‘). The author ends with the sentence “Who believes in statistics, anyway?”. I am glad this young woman is not going back to Bulgaria. It seems to me that anyone who does not understand the importance of numbers in the sciences (social and [...]

Sir, We welcome international discussion on the role of biofuels in meeting the world’s energy needs. While the Gallagher Review is specific to the United Kingdom’s own renewable fuels policies, it is fair to note that the research done by U.S. experts and the U.S. Department of Agriculture has shown that biofuels-related feedstock demand has [...]

Sir, The CEPS paper seems rather to be full of surprises than helpful: It is surprising to hear that it would make a difference to the current deadlock if the 26 non-Irish member states ratified the consolidated version of the Treaties as published on 9 May this year. This is not the case since the [...]

Sir, The CEPS paper on saving the Lisbon treaty is helpful and interesting but I have a problem about the political wisdom and especially the feasibility of their Plan B. The plan consists essentially of asking the Irish people to vote to stay in or leave an EU where the Lisbon Treaty applies, perhaps with [...]