Slovakia to Join Eurozone on January 1st

Image via WikipediaOn January 1st the Slovak koruna will join the French Franc, the German Deutschmark and the Irish Punt in the history of Currencies as Slovakia will officially join the eurozone and begin to use the notes and coins as of January 1st. The fixed exchange rate is €1 = 30.1260SKK.

With Slovakia joining it will increase the Eurozone to 16 members of the EU. The number of people using the euro will increase by over 5 million. This will make travel and business between Slovakia and the other Eurozone members easier.

Under the accession treaties for Countries who acceded to the EU in 2004 and 2007 are compelled to join the Euro. Of the post 2004 member states, Slovenia was the first to join in 2007 with Malta and Cyprus following at the start of this year.

2010 will see no countries joining the Euro, but Estonia is aiming for a 2011 changeover. Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Latvia and Poland are all aiming for a 2012 date for joining the Euro. Poland will have a long road to the Euro as it must hold a referendum and change its Constitution and join ERM II in the first quarter of next year, it is looking unlikely.

Lithuania was hoping to join the Euro in 2007 but high inflation forced the Government to change its plans. Lithuania is currently hoping to join the Euro in 2013.


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Previous Articles:
# Ditching The Euro
# 6 days to E-Day for Slovenia and Bulgaria's and Romania's Big Day

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Lisbon Treaty, State of Play, May 9th "Europe Day"

Latvia and Lithuania are the latest countries to ratify the treaty. While the Czech Republic has joined Germany in waiting for the courts to decided before they can offically sign off on the treaty.

Austria - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 24/04/2008

Belgium - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. Has passed the Senate (6th March) and the Chamber of Representatives (10th April). The treaty still has to pass the Brussels Regional Parliament, Flemish Parliament, Walloon Parliament, French Community Parliament and the German-speaking Community Parliament all due Mid-July

Bulgaria - Parliamentary Vote. Approved 21/3/2008

Cyprus - Parliamentary Vote.

Czech Republic - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. The Czech Senate decided to postpone the vote on the treaty and asked the constitutional court for its opinion on the treaty to see whether it is in line with Czech law
Denmark - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 24/04/2008

Estonia - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. Vote due in May.

Finland - Parliamentary Vote. Vote due in the Autumn.

France - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 08/02/2008

Germany - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. The Bundestag is due to vote on the 25th of April and the Bundesrat is due to vote on the 23rd of May. There is also a pending case before the Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe which must be completed before the President will sign off on the treaty.

Greece - Parliamentary Vote. Vote due in Spring.

Hungary - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 17/12/2007

Republic of Ireland - Referendum. Referendum due on 12th June.

Italy - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. The vote will take place some time after the 29th of April.

Latvia - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 08/05/2008

Lithuania - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 08/05/2008

Luxembourg - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. Vote due in June.

Malta- Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 29/01/2008

Netherlands - Parliamentary Vote. Vote due in the Tweede Kamer der Staten-Generaal (Second Chamber) in the June and the Eerste Kamer (First Chamber) in Autumn.

Poland - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 02/04/2008

Portugal - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 23/04/2008

Romania- Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 04/02/2008

Slovakia - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 10/04/2008

Slovenia - Parliamentary Vote. Approved : 29/01/2008

Spain - Parliamentary Vote.

Sweden - Parliamentary Vote. Vote due in November.

United Kingdom - Parliamentary Vote. In Progress. Passed the House of Commons (11th March). House of Lords to vote in April. Date TBD for Gibraltar Parliament.

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Sources:
Europa
Wikipedia

Latvia Update (Mary Lou McDonald SF)

Okay i got a resonse from Mary Lou McDonald yesterday on this.

Stephen, a chara

Thank you for your email of June 19 2006, concerning the question of gay rights in Latvia.

I put down a formal written question to the Commission in response to your representations and I am now forwarding both question and answer for your attention.You will have noticed from the delay in responding to you, that the Commission moves very slowly.

I would be pleased to read your observations on the answer from the commission and please do not hesitate to contact me on any issues of concern to you in the future.

Le gach dea-mhéin

Mary Lou McDonald

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3425/06

by Mary McDonald (GUE/NGL)

to the Commission

Subject: Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation

Can the Commission say if Latvia has refused to include sexual orientation in its anti-discrimination policy and if this was a condition of EU entry?

Can the Commission say what it could do about this situation?

E-3425/06EN

Answer given by Mr. Spidla

on behalf of the Commission

(1.9.2006)


The Commission is concerned about the situation of sexual orientation as one of the potential goals in draft legislation discussed recently in the Latvian Parliament. The Latvian President Mrs Vike-Freiberga also criticised this version of the law and returned it to the Parliament for further review.

The Commission underlines that all Member States have to transpose all the provisions of Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation1. Member States that joined the European Union on 1 May 2004 were obliged to transpose the Directive by that time. The Commission is currently in the process of analysing the transposition measures in all Member States and will take the appropriate measures provided under Article 226 of the EC Treaty to ensure that all the provisions of the Directive are correctly transposed into national law.

Latvia

Remember all my post's about writing to MEP's on Latvia? Well ILGA Europe have put together a brilliant page here . facts, statements, images, personal stories, accounts of the court cases against the anti-gay hooligans and more. The page has been continually updated.

Thanks to Click Here on angypotato.net.

Latvia- Update (Kathy Sinnott)

I recieved this last week

Stephen

Sorry for the delay. I can ask one of the Latvian MEPs about this. However though everyone must follow eU non discrimination legislation. The wording of a constitution is still up to the people of a country. I would also like to see a specific antidiscrimination clause against discrimination or any violence against any human person regardless of any characteristic including age (conception to natural death) ability (regardless of extent of disability before or after birth), etc but it is up to people to work on this within their own countries.

Thank you for writing. Please keep in touch.

Kathy

I replied with the following:

Kathy,

The Latvians have refused to outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation which is part of the framework directive on discriimination. I emailed you as a constituent who is concerned about peoples rights and which to see all peoples right's upheld. I am asking you to do your best to ensure this

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Is Mise le Meas
Stephen Spillane

Latvia - Update

Recieved another letter from Pronsias De Rossa's (Lab) Office with a letter in french to the commission. Thank to a friend in France (Steven O'Riordan - Thanks hun) I have translated copy here for you!

The European Parliament debated in your presence Wednesday June 14 of the increasing violence against homosexuals in Europe and adopted Thursday June 15 a resolution denouncing the new wave of this type of violence.

I am shocked to learn that to date the Latvian Parliament has again rejected a provident legislative suggestion to include the ban of all based discrimination on the sexual orientation in the law of the work. In fact, this is a violation engraves item 13 of the Treaty instituting the European Community as well as Directive 2000/78/CE concerning the creation of a general framework in favor of treatment equality regarding employment and of work

This is all the more disturbing one since in December 2005 the Latvian Parliament equally amended its Constitution in order to impose a restrictive definition of the family.

I have asked consequently the Commissioner to fulfill his role of protector of the treaties and to take all the necessary measures, including to translate Latvian law in front of the Court of Justice in accordance with the item 226 TCE, in order to assure the effective application of the body of the European legislation and the fight against discrimination.

Accept Sir, my sincere regards.
Martine Roure

Latvia - me hassling MEP's

Lawmakers in Latvia have defied the European Union and refused to introduce a law banning discrimination at work on sexual orientation grounds.

Agreeing to introduce the law on employment discrimination was a condition for Latvia's accession to the European Union in 2004.

But MPs refused to implement it in full after a parliamentary debate where homosexuality was described as a sin.

Latvia recently made constitutional changes to prevent same-sex marriages.

'Degenerate' slur

Latvian politicians voted not to include specific reference to discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation after a long and heated debate, which included some stridently anti-homosexual language.

Story here (BBC)

Okay i read that on Angrypotato.net and decided to email all the Irish MEP's about it. This is what I've gotten back so far.

So far I have gotten responses from Marian Harkin's (ind) and Mairead McGuinness's (FG) Assistants sayin that they will bring it too their attention.

Jim Higgins (FG) sent me a Thank you and a hope that Latvia will comply (from an assistant) and a statement from the European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights.

Michael Cashman, President of the European Parliament's Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian rights has reacted angrily to yet another example of an EU Member State flagrantly defying its EU obligations.

The West Midlands Labour MEP was incensed to learn that Latvia's parliament had voted this week against the introduction of a law on employment discrimination. One of the entry conditions placed upon Latvia’s entry into the EU in 2004 was that country took measures against discrimination in the workplace.

Michael said:

"I intend to pursue this blatant disregard for EU laws with renewed vigour. Latvia must respect EU laws or she will be dragged kicking and screaming to the Court of Justice.”

"The values of the EU are based on the determination that we will never again allow one group or minority to be scapegoats. The history of the second world war teaches us that if we fail to defend one another then collectively we will perish.”

“The LGBT community has been an easy target. Aided and abetted by religion, our rights and our freedoms have been attacked, denied and washed away. No more", insisted Michael.

This week the EP once again sent a powerful signal to all Member States and to the Council of Ministers that homophobia and homophobic attacks must be brought to an end.

Michael concluded:

"Latvia has signed the Treaty of Accession to the European Union. If she fails to abide by that legally binding treaty then ultimately sanctions could follow.”

“However, I do not believe that these extremist politicians represent the decent civilised majority of Latvian citizens. Decency will prevail.”

Mary Lou McDonald (SF) responded to me personally saying she will lay a question to the commission on the subject to see what course of action they will take and will get back to me.

Got a second email from Marian Harkin's (Ind) Assistant, saying that she has heard from Latvian collegues that the Prime Minister has asked the Parliament to review the position they took.

Just got an email from Pronsias De Rossa (Lab) and hes going to raise it within the PSE to see what they can do to ensure Latvia complies with its membership commitments.

Pronsias De Rossa (Lab) assistant also emailed. He sent me the text of the resolution passed last week on racism and homophobia (which i posted here). Also the socialist group has written to the social affairs commissioner asking what the commission intends to do about Latvia's decision as it contravenes EC Treaty (art.13) and also the EC's equaltiy directive.

Im still waiting for: Simon Coveney (FG), Brian Crowley (FF), Avril Doyle (FG), Kathy Sinnott (Ind), Liam Aylward (FF), Eoin Ryan (FF) and Séan O'Neachtain (FF) to get back to me