"European Union seeks to strengthen partnership with Mercosur countries on information and communication technologies"

According to the EU Press Room, "The economic competitiveness and social inclusiveness of the Information Society in Europe and in Mercosur countries will be on the agenda of EU Commission talks with key ministers in Brazil and Argentina today and tomorrow. Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for Information Society and Media, is looking for ways to build on EU cooperation with Brazil and Argentina in research spheres such as mobile broadcasting, software, and satellite communications, and by developing practical applications of these technologies for Latin America. She will also discuss with the Brazilian and Argentine authorities the development of digital TV and the economic and social importance of choosing the right standard."

This Press Release is available in full text.

"CoR's online subsidiarity monitoring network passes"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "The Committee of the Regions (CoR) is to launch a second phase of its interactive online subsidiarity monitoring network, which enables local and regional authorities to give their views on proposed EU laws in the early stages of the legislative process.
The second phase is due to start in April following a successful pilot test involving 20 regional parliaments and assemblies, regional and local authority associations and cities."

This Press Release is available in full text.

Viviane Reding: "Europe at High Speed: Growth and the Information Economy"

The EU Press Room has published the Speech "Europe at High Speed: Growth and the Information Economy" delivered today by Viviane Reding, Member of the European Commission responsible for the Information Society and Media, at the FTTH Council Europe conference in Vienna, 2006.

"EU Commission says will study Microsoft offer"

Also according to Reuters, "The European Commission said on Wednesday it will carefully study an announcement by Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) that the U.S. software giant, seeking to avoid antitrust fines, would license some of its source code.
'The European Commission will study carefully the announcement made by Microsoft,' the European Union executive said in a statement.
The Commission added that it still expected to receive by Feb. 15 the company's reply to a Statement of Objections from December.
That charge sheet threatened fines of up to 2 million euros (€2.04 (€2.04 ($2.5)) million) daily because Microsoft failed to carry out sanctions against it for violating antitrust law by competing unfairly, the Commission said. (€0.82 (€0.82 ($1))=.8131 euro)"

"Microsoft license offer to avert EU fines"

According to Reuters, "Microsoft Corp. will license some of its secret software blueprints in an effort to avert fines of up to 2 million euros (€2.04 ($2.5) million) a day for failing to comply with European antitrust penalties, the U.S. company said on Wednesday.
'We are putting our most valuable intellectual property on the table, so we can put technical compliance issues to rest and move forward with a serious discussion about the substance of this case,' Microsoft (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) general counsel Brad Smith said."

This article is available in full text.

"eTwinning: conference in Linz to celebrate the achievements of the 'virtual' school partnerships"

As stated by the EU Press Room, "eTwinning, the European scheme to encourage school partnerships on the internet, was launched in January 2005 and has quickly established itself as a major instrument for school collaboration in Europe: over 11,300 schools have already registered. Today, in Linz, Austria, prizes will be awarded for the first time to the best eTwinning projects by Ján Figel’, European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism and Elisabeth Gehrer, the Austrian Federal Minister for Education. eTwinning is the main initiative of the European eLearning programme.".

This Press Release is also available in full text.

European "Innovation Scoreboard: Mixed results"

As reported by the EU Press Room, "The fifth edition of the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) reveals that Sweden, Finland Switzerland, Germany and Denmark are the European innovation leaders. Most of the new Member States are engaged in the catching-up process, however, their slow pace is unlikely to allow for short-term convergence in Europe. In addition, should trends for the 25 Member States continue, the innovation gap between Europe and the US will not close. The EIS includes innovation indicators and trend analyses for all 25 European Union (EU) Member States, as well as for Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, the United States and Japan. It assesses five key dimensions of innovation: innovation drivers, knowledge creation, innovation and entrepreneurship, applications, and intellectual property. In addition, it proposes new assessment of innovation efficiency and develops a specific sectoral approach."

This Press Release is available in full text, as well as the "Summaries of Member States results".

Mobile Learning

CALL FOR PAPERS - Deadline for submissions: 30 January 2006

The IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE MOBILE LEARNING 2006, 14–16 July 2006 - Dublin, IRELAND, co-located with the IADIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE e-SOCIETY 2006.

* Co-organised by Trinity College, Dublin.

News from the LEFIS coordinator

I would like to communicate several questions regarding LEFIS related with: 1) General Information, 2) Questionnaires, 3) General Conference in Firenze, and 4) Blogosphere .

1) General Information. - The LEFIS website <www.lefis.org>, especially the English version, is up-to-date. You can find in the website: a guide of the offer of courses of the LEFIS partners for the year 2005-2006, the questionnaires, work groups, news and blogs...
Please help to us to update the information sending new information or changing possible mistakes

2) Questionnaires. - I would thank that you and all the persons that you know have interest, to fulfill these LEFIS Questionnaires by the next 31st of January. As you can understand, this is the first "work" in LEFIS as point of departure for future activities (I put, first, the link to the english version of each questionnaire, and second, the link to the spanish version of the same questionnaire):

LEFIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR EMPLOYERS. - It must be answered only by non university LEFIS partners. It is open, as the other questionnaires, to be answered by non LEFIS partners also:
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=13
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=18

LEFIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR GRADUATES. - It must be answered only by graduates working or studying in the LEFIS organizations. It is open to be answered by graduates working or studying in non LEFIS organizations also. The idea is to contact by means of this questionnaire with all kind of workers or students in relation with the regulation of the Information and Communication Technologies, be graduate or postgraduate:
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=14
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=17

LEFIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FIRMS AND TEACHERS OF CONTINUING EDUCATION. - It must be answered only by all LEFIS partners that work in continuing education. Continuing education is the teaching in short time (week ends) or more broad period (one month, one week, one semester...) for judges, lawyers, civil servants, economist, technicians, managers, workers.... It is open to be answered by non LEFIS partners working in continuing education also:
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=12
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=19

LEFIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS OF UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES. - It must be answered only by teachers working in the LEFIS organizations in studies that conduct to obtain the title of graduate (Law and policy, or Business and Management, or Information and Communication Technologies). It is open to be answered by teachers of non LEFIS partners working in undergraduate studies also:
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=10
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=21

LEFIS QUESTIONNAIRE FOR TEACHERS OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES. - It must be answered only by teachers working in the LEFIS organizations in studies that conduct to obtain the title of postgraduate on a subject related with the regulation of the Information and Communication Technologies. It is open to be answered by teachers of non LEFIS partners working in postgraduate studies also:
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=11
http://www.lefis.org/phpsurveyor/index.php?sid=20

3) General Conferenze in Firenze <http://www.lefis.org/firenze/> is in preparation: I will tell you soon the concrete places of the meeting in Firenze (that is to say: the Universities and the ITTIG). I will give you information soon with reference to the european members and the new Members of LEFIS.

4) Blogosphere. Manuel Masseno, a LEFIS member from Beja, Portugal, is working an "Observatory of the Legal Blogsphere" <http://www.estig.ipbeja.pt/~obsblogjur/>. He would thank your help sending links on "Legal related Blogs" that you know to his email: masseno@netvisao.pt

Fernando Galindo, LEFIS coordinator.

Workshop “Dependability and Security in e-Government” (DeSeGov 2006)

You are all invited to the Workshop"Dependability and Security in e-Government" (DeSeGov 2006)

This Workshop will take place in Vienna, the 20th and 22nd April 2006, in conjunction with The First International Conference on Availability, Reliability and Security (ARES 2006).