europe Day is celebrated in New Delhi · 2009 ... members of the diplomatic corps attended the...

Vol 9No 2March-May 2009

www.delind.ec.europa.eu

Newsletter of the DelegatioN ofthe europeaN coMMissioN to iNDiaNewsletter of the DelegatioN ofthe europeaN coMMissioN to iNDia

curreNcy coNVersioN 1=rs 64.94 1=us$ 1.33

economic and financial reforms

Multilingualism

afforestation and social Development

country strategy review

eu film festival

economic incentives for climate change

eu energy co-operation with india

industry and climate change

eu india research on climate change

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in this issue

europe Day is celebrated in New Delhi

the Delegation of the European Commission to India celebrated Europe Day with a

glittering reception in New Delhi on 9th May. More than 800 guests representing all the different partners and friends of the European Union in New Delhi, Indian officials and members of the diplomatic corps attended the event.

On the 9th of May 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French Foreign Minister, presented his proposal on the creation of an organised Europe, indispensable to the maintenance of peaceful relations. This proposal, known as the "Schuman declaration", is considered to be the beginning of the creation of what is now the European Union. Today, the 9th of May has become a European symbol (Europe Day) which, along with the flag (12 golden stars on a blue background), the anthem (Ode to Joy, written by Freidrich von Schiller in 1785 and put to music by Ludwig Van Beethoven in the final movement of his 9th Symphony in 1823), the motto (United in Diversity) and the single currency (the Euro), identifies also the political

entity of the European Union. Europe Day is the occasion for activities and festivities that bring Europe closer to its citizens and to its partners.

On this occasion, the Delhi Chamber Choir, conducted by Gabriella Boda-Rechner sang the Anthems of India and Europe.

In addition to the reception, several other events were organised to mark Europe Day. These included a jazz concert by the French band Sangam, co-organised with the Embassy of France and the Alliance Française; a seminar on "The Challenge of Energy and Climate: The Role of Industry, co-organised with the European Business and Technology Centre, a workshop on "Market Based Instruments as a Tool for Addressing Climate Change, co-organised with the British High Commission; and an international workshop on "The Future of Water Resources in India Under a Changing Climate", which was funded by the European Union's 7th Research Framework programme. ■

the Delhi chamber choir sings the indian and european anthems

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economic and Financial Reforms

Decisive measures are taken to rectify structural faults in the global economic and financial system and put the world economy back on track.

together with other Major economic powers

the eu and india take action to tackle the world economic and financial crisis

the London summit of the G-20 (including, inter alia, the Commission, several EU

Member States and India) took place at a time when the world confronts the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Leaders faced an unprecedented range of challenges – from averting an even more severe downturn and restoring growth in the short term, to reshaping financial architecture, preserving the world trading system, and laying the foundations for a sustainable recovery. They rose to the occasion, and took measures to rebuild the confidence and credibility needed to put the world economy back on track, swiftly, and with unity.

First, Leaders agreed to do whatever it takes to restore confidence, growth, and jobs. In order to restore creditworthiness, they agreed on a list of priorities for dealing with impaired assets through a common framework of principles which correspond closely with the approach agreed at EU level.

They also agreed to implement economic stimulus measures without delay by making available an additional $1.1 trillion to help the world economy through the crisis. Taken together, the global actions to stimulate the economy represent the most comprehensive support programme in modern times.

The G 20 renewed its pledge to keep markets open, and called for an urgent conclusion of the Doha Round based on the progress already made. Leaders committed not to resort to protectionism, direct or indirect, to save jobs and incomes, and they put in place a transparent monitoring mechanism. Trade was recognised as an important part of the overall solution to the economic crisis and therefore they also agreed on a finance package worth $250bn. over two years to support global trade flows. India and the EU strongly pledged for such a strong commitment. Europe contributed substantially to the trade finance package.

An ambitious plan to reshape global financial regulation has been drawn up. There will now be a better and more credible system of surveillance and regulation to take account of financial risks and prevent excess leveraging, including (for the first time) regulation and oversight of large hedge funds and credit rating agencies. In future, regulations will apply to every bank, everywhere, and at every time. Thus, a first step has been made toward the global regulatory convergence that Europe has long been calling for.

Decisive action on offshore tax havens was agreed to ensure a level playing field. The OECD has published a list of countries that have not committed to the

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economic and Financial Reforms

international standard of exchange of tax information. The G-20 will monitor progress, and stands ready to deploy sanctions, if needed.

Leaders took important steps to fund and reform international financial institutions to overcome this crisis and prevent future ones. They agreed to make an additional $850 billion in resources available through international financial institutions like the IMF, World Bank, and other multilateral development banks to meet the needs of emerging markets and developing countries, and speed up reform of international financial institutions to ensure that national representation is in line with the changing balance of the world economy. All this was very much in line with India’s thinking.

Finally, Leaders committed to an inclusive, green, and sustainable recovery. They reaffirmed their commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals and made $50 billion available to low income countries, including through the proceeds of agreed IMF gold sales; agreed that the IMF would further support low income countries; and called on the UN to establish an effective mechanism to monitor the impact of the crisis on the poorest and most vulnerable.

This meeting has shown the relevance of the G-20 Leaders’ process. A global crisis requires global solutions. The collective effort undertaken in the context of the G-20 is the right way to move forward – with large emerging countries such as India and China now fully participating in the steering of the world economy.

The EU spoke with one voice in London, based on the approach put forward by the Commission. It took a leading role in obtaining global agreement on boosting financial regulation, strengthening the IMF and other international bodies, helping the poorest countries and reinforcing the fight against climate change. Key principles of global reform of financial markets have been largely based on European thinking and have contributed to making the London summit a success. The EU under the French Presidency has been, from the outset, at the heart of the G20 initiative, and it is fully committed to ensuring that decisions taken by Leaders are translated into action. India and the EU have a lot to do together to ensure that this major initiative delivers concrete results. ■

the eu response to the crisis

the European Union's priorities in tackling the crisis are to protect citizens from the worst effects

and to save and create jobs; to kick-start sustainable recovery; and to prevent future crises, including by restoring financial stability. To achieve this, a number of important measures have been taken:

1) In March the European Council endorsed the European Economic Recovery Plan proposed by the European Commission

To boost demand, save jobs and invest in a low-carbon future, a fiscal effort from EU and national budgets of at least € 500 billion, or 5% of GDP, is being made to support demand in the EU economy. The Recovery Plan also ensures that national action is taken within a European policy framework. However, EU rules allow state aids to be used where necessary to help viable companies through the crisis without damaging others. The European Commission is also working together with Member States to apply the Stability and Growth Pact, to maintain confidence in the euro and ensure that Europe has both a route out of recession and a route out of debt.

2) Financial regulation and supervisionThe European Commission has just presented to the European Council proposals to set up in 2010 a new European system of financial supervision including pan-European supervisory and crisis prevention authorities. Its proposals on deposit guarantees, credit ratings agencies, capital requirements and the insurance industry have been adopted by the European Parliament and Council or are near final agreement.

Proposals on hedge funds and private equity will rein in destructive speculation based on excessive leverage and help prevent future crises, while maintaining the competitiveness of European financial markets and the access of small business to the investment they need to create jobs. The European Commission also made recommendations for Member States on directors' and financial market remuneration. In June it will bring forward further binding measures to ensure that financial institutions hold enough capital to cover their risks – including risks created by remuneration policies that encourage excessive risk taking for short-term benefits. ■


the impacts of the retreat of Himalayan glaciers and the consequences of possible

changes of the Indian summer monsoon on the distribution of water resources will be studied by HighNoon, a research project launched recently in India. The project will also attempt to provide recommendations for appropriate and efficient adaptation strategies to extreme events of a hydrological nature. Eventually, it will provide policy makers, water managers and water users in the Ganga river basin with applicable strategies to cope with current and potential future water-related problems.

scientists to study changing rainfall and water availability in the himalayasMeasures for adaptation will also be proposed

leading european and indian researchers will map changing rainfall and weather in the sub himalayan region, and measures for adaptation will also be proposed

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eu energy co-operation with India

HighNoon grew out of the 1st EU-India Strategic Workshop on 'Climate Change Research Needs', organised in New Delhi in February 2007. The EU has earmarked € 3 million for this three-year project which brings together leading research institutions from Europe – Alterra from the Wageningen University and Research Centre in the Netherlands, The Met Office and the University of Salford in the UK, The University of Geneva in Switzerland – and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), the Indian Institutes of Technology at Delhi & Kharagpur from India. The participation of Nagoya University, Japan adds a further international dimension. To launch the project, an interactive seminar on the 'Future of Water Resources in India under a Changing Climate' was organised in New Delhi on 13th and 14 May by 'HighNoon' along with another EU funded project, WATCH, on Water and Global Change. The seminar provided a platform for establishing synergies amongst different research projects and initiatives


eu energy co-operation with India

dealing with the climate change impacts of glacier retreat in India. Speaking on this occasion the Head of the EU Delegation in India, Ambassador Danièle Smadja remarked that “this Seminar and the Project are very topical, as they deal with the subjects of two of the eight national missions drawn up to implement India's National Action Plan on Climate Change – The Water Mission and the Himalayan Ecosystem Mission.” She expressed her confidence that “the results of the Seminar and the project would contribute to the debate on these two missions”.

Some issues debated during the four science sessions of the seminar are briefly summarised below.

Glacier and snow melt in the Himalayas:n Temperatures are increasing across Nepal

(~0.5 degree per decade), with extremes increasing even faster. This is leading to widespread glacial retreat;

n Glaciers provide a very useful function in smoothing seasonal and inter-annual variations

in river flows and water availability;n How glaciers will respond to change will

depend on area/mass relationships which are uncertain.

For more information on HighNoon visit www.eu-highnoon.org

For more information on WATCH visit www.eu-watch.org

To learn more on the activities of the European Commission on environment issues visit http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/environment/index_en.htm To learn more on the research activities of the European Commission on environment-related research visit http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/environment/home_en.html

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}These projects are very topical as they deal with the subjects of two of the eight National Missions drawn up to implement India's National Action Plan on Climate Change.

- Ambassador Danièle Smadja

Predicted changes in Indian monsoon:n Monsoon and glacial melt interact – so

there is a need to know how both will change;

n Rainfall simulations for this area are poor and contradict each other;

n There is a lack of verification data.

Impacts on the hydrological cycle and water resources:n Prediction of the response of river flows

requires the modelling of interacting processes (e.g. timing of snow fall effecting melt) and needs to include human influences;

n There is a need for a regional approach to assess local changes;

n While local communities can adapt to changes more easily it is more difficult for larger institutions to respond flexibly.

Water resources: scenarios and adaptation:n Adaptation measures need to be

sustainable and thus not contradict mitigation efforts;

n A transdisciplinary approach is required for optimum results;

n Decision makers need the courage to tell people they need to change. ■


Due to higher oil and gas prices, underground coal gasification has again become cost competitive

underground coal gasification has great potential in india

Making Better use of coal reserves

a 2 day workshop on Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) was held in New Delhi,

India, under the auspices of the EU-India Working Group on Coal in March 2009. The workshop was co-chaired by Dr Rajiv Sharma, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal and Dr Derek Taylor, Directorate General for Energy and Transport, European Commission. The meeting attracted nearly 40 participants from leading Indian coal and energy companies.

The main aim of the workshop was to take stock of known factors related to UCG in India and share the outcome of research and development work recently undertaken in Europe – much of which has answered lingering concerns regarding UCG technology.

There were presentations by speakers from the UK and Poland on UCG including: the history of development; current industry practices, environmental issues, site selection criteria, analytical and predictive models; economics, and remaining challenges. The technical issues addressed included groundwater contamination, monitoring and control of what is happening underground, the amount of gas produced, costs of UCG plants and infrastructure, and skill requirements.

What is Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) Nearly 85% of known coal reserves are unmineable with surface mining techniques. UCG is a method of converting un-worked coal, while still in the ground, into a combustible gas which can be used for industrial heating, power generation or the manufacture of hydrogen, synthetic natural gas or diesel fuel. The basic UCG process, pioneered in the 1930s has two wells drilled into the coal, one for the injection of oxidants, and another to bring the product

turning coal into gas underground makes it easy and efficient to use.

gas to surface, where it is harnessed to turn turbines or produce chemicals. A power plant in Uzbekistan has been using the process for nearly 50 years. The practice was largely abandoned as increasing reserves of oil and natural gas were discovered, providing a cheaper alternative. Now, due to higher oil and gas prices, underground coal gasification has again become cost-competitive. Major advances in the technology, mostly due to the horizontal and directional drilling techniques pioneered in the Oil and Gas industry, make the practice safe and reliable, and the economics attractive. With dwindling energy reserves and security of supply issues, UCG becomes a potentially significant source for the meeting of global energy requirements.

India has an estimated 467 billion tonnes (bt) of possible reserves, nearly 66% is located at depths considered deep to intermediate, with a high ash content and low grade. Underground coal gasification (UCG) is an appropriate technology to access these unmineable coal seams and extract reserves economically.

In summary, UCG has several important economic and environmental benefits relevant to India’s energy goals:n It requires no purchase of surface gasifiers,

substantially reducing capital expense n It requires no ash management, n It reduces the cost of pollution management

and emits few black-carbon particulates.n It greatly reduces the cost of CO2

separation for greenhouse gas management, creating the potential for carbon crediting through the Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism.

n It greatly reduces the need to mine and transport coal, since coal is used in-situ. ■

eu india Dialogue on Energy


as a part of a series of events to mark this year’s annual celebration of Europe

Day on 9th of May, the European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC), established by the European Union, organized an interactive seminar on the role of industry in addressing the challenges of climate change and energy. The expected adverse impacts from climate change and associated risks underscore the need to engage the private sector. Industry needs to take urgent action through investments in clean technology and R&D as well as improved energy efficiency. Businesses have realised that focussing on environment friendly and innovative energy efficient technologies has an enormous economic impact as well. Huge opportunities are therefore available for industry to seize in the years to come.

In her inaugural address Ambassador Danièle Smadja remarked that “major efforts at all levels and by all segments of society are needed to initiate a new industrial revolution to get to the low-carbon economy”. Energy efficiency and energy

conservation, she said “are very important starting points on this journey, even if we hear more and more that they are relatively short-term solutions”. She declared that the EU and European industry were determined to lead by example, and invited India and Indian industry to participate in the journey to a more sustainable future.

Keynote addresses for this seminar were delivered by Mr Saurabh Kumar, Secretary, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and Mr Jörg Wolff, Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Paris and its former Resident Representative in India. The panel discussion included Mr Saurabh Kumar, Mr Jörg Wolff, Mr Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Corporate Services Ltd., Mr Mahesh Vipradas, Suzlon Energy, India, Mr Mark Runacres, European Business Group, India (EBG). Mr V. Subramanian, Former Secretary, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy, of the Government of India was the Moderator. ■

industry leaders and experts from the european union and india meet to evolve strategies for sustainable development

industry’s important role in tackling the challenges of climate change and energy

For more details, please visit the EBTC website- www.ebtc.eu

eu-india Dialogue on energy and climate change

industry and Climate Change


a workshop on Market based Mechanisms as a Tool to Address Climate Change:

Lessons Learned and Prospects for the Future was held in New Delhi on the 11th and 12th of May, 2009. It was organised jointly by the EU Delegation in India and the UK High Commission. The workshop forms part of the EU-India Joint Work Programme on Energy, Clean Development and Climate Change which was agreed at the EU-India Summit last September in Marseille. The Government of India was represented by Mr. J.M. Mauskar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests and Dr. Ajay Mathur, Director General of the Bureau for Energy Efficiency. Participants from the European Commission included Mr Stefan Agne, Mr. Damien Meadows and Mr. Julio Cardoso.

Inaugurating the workshop, Head of the EU Delegation in India Ambassador Danièle Smadja said that “market based mechanisms are important for the ambitious EU energy-climate policy which was adopted in December 2008. The EU Emissions Trading Scheme – an example of such an instrument - is a success story with a 99% compliance rate and a market value of credits traded in the range of 40-50 billion Euro in 2008”.

Speaking at the workshop, UK Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Creon Butler remarked that “if we can get the design right, trading can deliver on multiple benefits – notably securing defined objectives at least cost and, allowing business flexibility over investment decisions, and providing price transparency”. He went on to say that, starting in April 2010, the UK would have a new auction-based UK emissions trading scheme – the Carbon Reduction Commitment – which would be “a world first in targeting, on a mandatory basis, energy use emissions from around 5,000 large commercial and public sector organizations – like banks, telecoms firms, airports, water companies, hotel chains, local authorities, hospitals and Government departments”.

India is an important player in CDM trading with nearly 400 projects registered by the CDM Executive Board, and a further 700 in the pipeline. The scheme nevertheless needs improvements since it has been associated with high transaction costs (which make it uneconomical for small projects), and for its negligible impact on the transfer of technologies. The EU believes that sector-specific approaches should supplement more general schemes for greater impact. ■

the eu shares its experiences in the use of Market Mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions

climate change

india and the eu share experiences in emissions trading .

economic incentives for Climate Change

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}The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a success story, with a 99% compliance rate and a market value of credits traded in the range of 40-50 billion Euro in 2008.

- Ambassador Danièle Smadja


Multilingualism

the eu and india, Both with twenty-three official languages, sign Joint Declaration on Multilingualism

Multilingualism and cultural Dialogue in globalisation

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on the 6th of March, 2009 Mr Leonard Orban, Member of the European

Commission, signed a Joint Declaration on multilingualism with the Government of India, represented by the Hon. Minister of State Smt. D. Purandeshwari. With this Declaration the European Commission and the Government of India aim to reinforce their cooperation and dialogue on key issues, including linguistic diversity and intercultural dialogue; the impact of languages on employability, business competitiveness and social cohesion; lifelong language learning; new technologies for language learning; and terminology.

"India's experience in coping with linguistic diversity is unique in the world and I believe that the EU and India can learn from each other in this area" said Mr. Orban, European Commissioner for Multilingualism. Minister Purandeshwari said India "is essentially a multilingual country, where linguistic diversity is a part of our historical and cultural heritage, and an integral feature of its nation-building philosophy."

This Joint Declaration is a follow-up to the EU-India Summit in Marseille on 29 September 2008, where EU and Indian leaders committed themselves to developing a dialogue on the promotion of languages, intercultural dialogue and multilingualism.

A first step towards this dialogue was achieved in December 2008 with the conference on "Multilingualism and Cultural

Dialogue in Globalisation" which took place in New Delhi, India, in the context of the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue.

With a population of approximately 1.1 billion people, India represents a unique example of ethnic, socio-cultural and religious diversity that brings with it a very rich linguistic diversity. According to the 2001 Census Report, there are 29 languages spoken by more than a million native speakers, 122 languages with at least 10,000 speakers and another 234 languages spoken by a smaller number. India has 22 official regional languages, and the EU has 23 official languages making for a rich linguistic diversity and contributing to a great similarity in the linguistic landscape.'

This is also why the European Union considers India a privileged interlocutor for Europe in the field of multilingualism. This Joint Declaration makes provision for regular debate and exchange of good practices. ■

europe and india will share experiences on living with many languages and diverse cultures.

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}India's experience in coping with linguistic diversity is unique in the world and I believe that the EU and India can learn from each other in this area.

- Commissioner Leonard Orban

Minister of State Mrs Purandeswari and Commissioner Leonard Orban sign the Declaration on Multilingualism in Brussels


the first small scale afforestation cDM project in the world

an afforestation area of 370 hectares of sand dune land belonging to 227 farmers

in eight villages of Sirsa district in Haryana has been approved for a carbon trading project under the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) on March 23, 2009.

Background The CDM project is an offshoot of the nine-year long Haryana Community Forestry Project by the European Union. The western part of this state, bordering the Rajasthan desert, is semi-arid and largely covered by sand dunes. In the

haryana community forestry project

central plains the soils are affected by salinity, alkalinity and water logging. A significant portion of community land in the entire state is degraded due to population pressure, over-cutting and over-grazing of vegetation. To restore such degraded lands the EU allocated a grant of 23.3 million Euro in 1995 for the implementation of a community-based “Haryana Community Forestry Project” (HCFP) with supporting technical assistance. This was matched by a Government of Haryana contribution of 6.8 million Euro. The overall objective of the project was to develop a process for sustainable management of natural resources through the active participation of village communities in eleven districts of Haryana.

Innovative methods usedA participatory approach to community forestry has been used, from village entry to project exit. The role of Forest Guards has been

afforestation and Social Development

an eu-supported community forestry project changes the arid landscape of western haryana, and brings social change as well to 337 villages.

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changed from protecting forests against the people to working as service providers, thereby fostering a sense of people’s ownership of forest resources. Local “Link Workers”, one male and one female in each project village, have been deployed to serve as a link between the project and the village community. Full transparency has been promoted through display of all physical and financial project

to sand dunes, nearly 33,000 hectares have been planted with trees. Tree cover on common land has increased from 9% to 30-34%, with survival rates of 80% and above. Access to fuel wood from both common and private land has increased substantially for all economic groups.

Stabilisation of shifting sand dunes through tree plantation has substantially reduced the occurrence of dust storms and loss of crop land. Afforestation has reclaimed degraded river banks by narrowing water courses and enriching soil from leaf litter.

Nineteen earthen water harvesting dams have been constructed and 28 derelict village ponds rehabilitated. The dams have dramatically increased the potential for sustainable agriculture by providing year-round irrigation and allowing a shift to more profitable off-season crops. At the same time, they have stabilised the ecology of catchment areas and improved the water regime. Four and a half million paid workdays have been financed by EU funds to raise and maintain project plantations and construct water harvesting structures. Around 670 “Link Workers” have been deployed for a period of up to 8 years, half of them women and the others unemployed village youth.

180 Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have been formed and trained in 101 villages. Poor women have substantially increased their income through micro-enterprises financed from inter-lending of group savings in SHGs, helping them clear indebtedness to moneylenders. These women are also involved in action on social and community issues, like health and sanitation, support to widows and handicapped persons, access to drinking water, improvement of mid-day school meals and the quality of school teaching, actions against the sale and consumption of alcohol, and campaigns against girl foeticide. Thirty-three women from SHGs and VRMCs have been elected Sarpanch or Panch after they gained competence and confidence through the village institutions developed.

Approximately 8,400 energy-efficient smokeless cooking stoves have been provided by the project, two thirds of them being used daily as verified by surveys undertaken every

inputs on village monitoring boards, involving villagers in all village monitoring exercises and record keeping and through a comprehensive web site. Women have been involved in community forestry through Self-Help Groups; and there is a minimum one-third representation of women in Village Resource Management Committees. Vermi-composting and organic farming in Haryana have been introduced through the Self-Help Groups.

The project has transformed an entire regionThe project reaches out to 337 villages with a total population of around 700,000 - more than 110,000 households. Village Resource Management Committees (VRMCs) have been constituted and trained in all these villages, operating as sub-committees of the village Panchayat with the responsibility of managing natural common property resources. From village woodlots, farms and kitchen gardens

Women have been involved in community forestry through Self-Help Groups; and there is a minimum one-third representation of women in Village Resource Management Committees. Vermi-composting and organic farming in Haryana have been introduced through Womens' Self-Help Groups.

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year. Studies have established that each stove saves up to one tonne of fuel wood per year. Moreover, the incidence of lung obstruction and eye problems amongst women has come down by 35-40% after only six months’ use of the smokeless stoves. This is actually a major achievement since indoor air pollution from cooking stoves claims 500,000 lives each year in India, most of them women and children.

SustainabilitySince all sections of society – those owning land as well as disadvantaged groups like Scheduled Castes, landless and women – benefit from the project, a sense of togetherness and brotherhood between different groups has developed. Increased knowledge and awareness in the village communities has equipped them to undertake self-directed community development. Self-Help Groups have organised themselves into 13 Cluster Associations and a Federation, and registered themselves as societies under the Societies Act, with the ability to carry SHG initiatives forward on their own. Land based

activities like vermi-composting and dairying, with no market constraints, have provided a sustainable income source for SHG women.

Revenue from the eventual harvest of village woodlots at maturity may come to around Rs. 2000 million, which is 6½ times more than all the costs of raising and maintaining these plantations. The project has lobbied for a part of the sales proceeds of mature plantations on Panchayat land to be ploughed back for replanting, and the Government of Haryana has decided that 25% of sales proceeds will be used for replanting. Plantations raised by the project will, therefore, remain under forest cover.

Interestingly, village communities perceive that the main contributions of the project have been: reducing fodder problems (55%); tackling common land encroachment (39%); solving grazing problems (33%); tackling water problems (30%); and solving village disputes (21%). With these achievements to its credit, the project serves as a role model in the design of other externally funded projects and state-sponsored afforestation programmes in the future. ■


Mid Term Review of the EU Country Strategy document (2007-13) whose main objectives are to help India meet the Millenium Development Goals and to implement the wide-ranging EU-India Partnership through the instrument of a Joint Action Plan.

The EU’s strategy for India is backed by a grant envelope of € 260 million for the period 2007-10, of which 70% goes to the social sector, and supports the Government's centrally sponsored schemes in Health and Education - the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the National Rural Heath Mission/Reproductive and Child Health Programme. Programmes in these two sectors focus on best practices in good governance, decentralised decision-making for development, improved service delivery to address poverty, gender issues, institutional reforms and improved public sector management. The remaining 30% has been allocated to activities under the Joint Action Plan which supports India’s pro-poor sector

reform policies through dialogue at official and expert level on economic, civil society and culture, and academic areas of mutual interest. Governance has a ubiquitous role in service delivery, and plays a cross-cutting role in the Action Plan.

The 2-day consultation was articulated around a series of sessions on the social sectors including health, education and training, human rights, gender and local governance in the one hand; and on sustainable economic growth, environment and climate change, natural resources and disaster preparedness on the other. Three thematic sessions were organised to focus respectively on education, health, human rights, gender and local governance in the first group, and on environment/climate change, natural resources and disaster preparedness, and sustainable economic growth in the second group.

In the opening session, recalling the EU-India Strategic Partnership and the key results

The session on natural resources and disaster preparedness recommended that success stories of innovative and cost-effective projects implemented by civil society be brought to the notice of policy makers so that they could be replicated in large scale public programmes.

civil society organizations support the eu’s Development strategy for india

Mid-term review

country Strategy Review

atwo-day civil society consultation on the EU strategy for development cooperation with

India was held on the 26th and 27th of March 2009, gathering some 75 representatives from around 66 non governmental organizations from all over the country. This consultation, chaired by H.E.Mrs.Danièle Smadja, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to India, was the occasion for the EU to listen to civil society views and receive suggestions on the scope and methodology of future EU cooperation. The meeting was held in the context of the


of the 2008 Summit in Marseille, Ambassador Smadja highlighted the role of civil society as implementing partners in our on-going strategy and emphasised the “listening mode” of such consultations. The objective of the Mid Term Review, she observed, was to verify if the strategy was up to date with developments in India; take into account and implement new EU-India political initiatives and commitments; assess and performance of what we have been doing and draw lessons; and improve the quality of the strategy document.

The Feedback from Civil SocietyIn the area of education, participants wanted the EU to continue its support. They suggested that education should be seen as a continuum, from elementary to higher education. They strongly recommended vocational training (VT) as an additional area of intervention. Similarly, the meeting gave unanimous approval to sector support for the health sector programme on maternal and child heath and nutrition, but recommended that TB, malaria and HIV/AIDS should not be neglected. They saw a vital role for civil society in the planning, implementation, management and monitoring of Government schemes. In the area of human rights, recommendations included the strengthening of statutory human rights organisations in India. Social exclusion and caste-base discrimination were also noted as areas where to EU should be active. Gender

country Strategy Review

and local governance were perceived as cross-cutting issues that could be tackled through engagement in the social sectors.

In the discussion of present and potential interventions in environment, energy and climate change, a wide range of issues was discussed, including climate change mitigation and adaptation, promoting sustainable livelihoods, agriculture, rural development, water resources management, small scale industries in the most polluting sectors, sustainable consumption of environment-friendly products, and food safety and related sectors (such as biodiversity and bio-security). It was also suggested that the EU should support work at State and regional level in the poorest regions and tribal areas.

The session on natural resources and disaster preparedness recommended that success stories of innovative and cost-effective projects implemented by civil society be brought to the notice of policy makers so that they could be replicated in large scale public programmes.

The discussion on sustainable economic growth, provided an opportunity to inform participants about the Joint Action Plan; the successful completion of the trade-related capacity building project (Trade and Investment Development Programme) and its follow-up with the CITP (Capacity Building Initiative for Trade Development) from 2010. The European Business and Technology Centre, which was set up last year to promote links between Europe and India in the areas of energy, transport, environment and biotechnology, also presented its programme.

The EU’s work in India is validatedIt would appear from these consultations that non-governmental organisations, which are often closest to developments at the grass-root level, broadly support the EU's current strategy which focuses on the social sectors (health and education) on the one hand, and implementation of the Joint Action Plan on the other. ■


european film festival 2009

the european union film festival brings the rich diversity of modern european cinema to 6 cities in india.

showcasing european cultural Diversity

The Danish film "Fighter" portrayed an immigrant girl's struggle with the fact that the rules of life are not as simple as the rules of kung fu

In the Portuguese film "Julgamento", the concepts of justice and revenge begin to mix dangerously in a private trial with irreversible consequences

eu Film Festival

european Member States held the 14th EU Film Festival in India from March

5 to April 22, beginning at the Siri Fort in New Delhi. A very diverse package of 19 films was broadcast in the following 6 cities: New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune Chennai, Jamshedpur and Calicut.

The films were chosen for their broad range of subjects and portrayed emotions that may be aptly seen as a reflection of the diversity of the Member States from which they originate. From the experiences of a retired man who falls in love with his new housekeeper, to the identity struggle of a female Turkish immigrant and passionate kung fu fighter, from a brutal tale of justice and revenge, to a story about a magic


Published by Ambassador Danièle Smadja, Head of DelegationDelegation of the European Commission in India65 Golf Links, New Delhi 110 003; Telephone: + 91 11 24629237, 43674367; Fax: 24629206E-mail: [email protected]; Website: www.delind.ec.europa.eu

Date Event Place

June-July Media Seminars on the EU and Climate Change Hyderabad, Delhi

1 July Sweden takes over the presidency of the Council

September EU-India Macroeconomic Dialogue New Delhi

22-23 September Seminar on International Cooperation in Times of Global Crisis: New Delhi views from G20 countries: ICRIER New Delhi, CEPII (Paris) and Bruegel (Brussels) supported by European Union

October 4th EU-India Environment Forum Ahmedabad

October 6th meeting of the EU-India Joint Working Group on Environment Brussels

November EU-India Summit New Delhi

10 November European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) - India Forum New Delhi

eu-india calendar of events – 2009

eu Film Festival

The Slovenian film "Teah" shows how fiction and reality are inseparable in a magic forest

forest and the idea that miracles can happen to everyone, the EU Film Festival has provided many a viewpoint from the diverse cultures of the European Union.

This festive occasion was also an opportunity for all the different missions of the EU in India to come together to present a common cultural European event.

The Festival was widely acclaimed by the Indian media at a press conference held before the festival launch which over 50 journalists attended.

The Festival came to be thanks to the generous support of the Directorate of Film Festivals, New Delhi; Fun Cinemas, Mumbai; the National Film Archive of India, Pune; Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and the Corporation of Kozhikode (Calicut); ICA Foundation, Chennai and Kalamandir, Jamshedpur.

To present the 14th EU Film Festival in India, Mr. Carlos Bermejo Acosta, Acting Head of Delegation, Dr. E.N. Sajith, Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals and H.E. Hynek Kmonicek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to India, presided over a joint press conference on March 4 at the Press and Information Bureau. They also lit the ceremonial lamp at the inaugural ceremony.

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