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Trade:
An India-EU Free Trade Agreement, under negotiations for the past three years, is expected to be finalised by the end of this year, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said on Thursday. The two sides are keen to remove trade barriers in goods and services and investments across all sectors of the economy and have set an ambitious target of more than doubling their bilateral trade to $US200 billion in the next four years. A fresh series of talks will take place in Brussels during August aimed at concluding the deal.
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30/07/2010
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Eurozone:
The Economic Sentiment Indicator produced by the European Commission has demonstrated that confidence in the euro area is at its highest point in over two years. This boost in economic outlook comes on the back of rising demand for industry products, a surge in the German labour market and a dollar hampered by doubts about economic recovery in the USA.
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30/07/2010
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The Friends of Europe team manages the day-to-day running of events and other projects.
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Secretary General |
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A former Brussels Correspondent of the Financial Times, Giles is a journalist, author and broadcaster who has specialised in the study and analysis of European public policy issues since 1978. Since 1984, Merritt has been a columnist for the International Herald Tribune, and his articles range widely across EU political and economic issues. Merritt began his newspaper career in 1968, when he joined the Financial Times. From 1972 he was successively FT staff correspondent in Paris, Dublin/Belfast and Brussels, until leaving the newspaper in 1983. In 1982 he published "World Out of Work", an award-winning assessment of the unemployment crisis in industrialised countries, and in 1991 "Eastern Europe & the USSR: The Challenge of Freedom", published in four languages. Merritt also founded Forum Europe, established in 1989 as one of the leading EU issues specialists by creating a neutral platform for debate. |
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The Only EU-wide Policy Journal |
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Current issue includes:
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Co-Founder and Director |
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Geert Cami co-founded Friends of Europe in 1999. He is currently developing the network of partners and supporters of Friends of Europe both in the European Union and beyond. Geert is also working for Forum Europe, where he heads a team of experienced European Affairs and press specialists since May 1996. From 1993-96, Geert worked for in the Information and Communications Unit of the then newly set-up European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO), where he was responsible for the setting up of media events (exhibitions, seminars, press conferences, concerts, television debates, Humanitarian Days in Member States, etc). In the early nineties, Geert Cami also produced music programmes at the BRTN (Belgian Public Radio) as well as special television reports for international organisations as NATO and CSCE. |
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Director |
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Nathalie manages Friends of Europe’s experienced team and is responsible for the day-to-day functioning of Friends of Europe. She co-ordinates all the debates and publications, as well as other initiatives organised, co-organised or partnered by Friends of Europe. Additionally, she builds and maintains relationships with members, partners, and the press. Specialised in high quality event management, Nathalie has organised a series of high-level summits and transatlantic TV satellite debates throughout Europe and beyond on subjects ranging from climate change, EU-China relations, and financial markets to the media’s role in development. Nathalie graduated in Political Science from the University of Geneva and has a Masters in Communication from the Sorbonne in Paris. In addition to her native French, Nathalie Furrer is fluent in English and Italian and has a good knowledge of German. |
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Robert Cox:
Why, many ask, is Turkey asserting itself? Is it bloody mindedness towards Europe? A “neo-Ottoman” vocation?
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29/06/2010
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Project Development Manager |
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As Project Development Manager, Dominique Ostyn is currently responsible for partnership proposals, grant applications, and European Policy Summit partnership relations in general. Dominique joined Friends of Europe’s team in 2003 and organised Café Crossfire and European Policy Summit debates before taking over responsibility for project development. Dominique is an elected member of the board of the European Movement Belgium and has been President of the Cercle for International Affairs in Leuven. He holds an MSc in International Relations of the European Union from Loughborough University as well as an MA in International Business Economics and a Licentiaat (MA) in Business Studies from the Catholic University of Leuven.
Email Dominique at: dominique.ostyn (at) friendsofeurope.org |
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Membership and Database Manager |
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Nigel Olisa, Membership and Database Manager, holds an MSc in Business Information Systems from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and a degree in International Relations with a minor in Management Studies from the University of Maryland. Nigel has been working with Friends of Europe since 2003 and is responsible for the day-to-day marketing and management of the membership programme and maintenance of Friends of Europe’s extensive database.
Email Nigel at: nigel.olisa (at) friendsofeurope.org |
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Friends of Europe is privileged to be headquartered in the Bibliothèque Solvay in the Parc Léopold next to the European Parliament. |
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The building houses the Friends of Europe team and hosts almost all of the think-tank's events in Brussels. |
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Senior Project Manager |
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Ringailė Trakymaitė, Senior Project Manager, holds an MA in European linguistics, an MA in Scandinavian languages, a BA in Russian Philology from University of Lund, Sweden, and an MA in Scandinavian Philology from Vilnius University, Lithuania. She completed her linguistic studies with courses in business law, politics and sociology at University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. Ringailė manages the organisation of ‘Café Crosfire’ debates, Policymakers’ Dinner and Lunch debates and the organisation of international conferences such as the Development Policy Forum. Prior to joining Friends of Europe she worked for a Danish PCO – International Conference Services in Copenhagen and Public Policy and Management Institute in Vilnius.
Email Ringaile at: ringaile.trakymaite (at) friendsofeurope.org |
| Project Manager |
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Email Jacqueline at: jacqueline.hogue (at) friendsofeurope.org |
| Office Manager |
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Email Federica at: federica.torcoli (at) friendsofeurope.org |
| Project Executive |
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Email Maximilian at: Maximilian.Rech (at) friendsofeurope.org |
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