Poland extends free visa issuance to Ukrainians
Polish visas will remain free for Ukrainians until December 1, 2007. This was announced by Boris Bazilevsky, director of the consular service department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.
As a result of two-day negotiations with the Polish side, a compromise was reached, postponing the introduction of fees for Polish visas, a representative of the foreign ministry said. During the two-day talks, two previously adopted agreements were discussed. First of all, it was about the 2003 agreement that simplified the visa regime for Ukraine. According to Bazilevsky, the sides exchanged positions on its modification before Poland's entry into the Schengen zone. One of the main positions voiced by the Ukrainian side was the extension of free visa issuance until January 1 or the simplification of the procedure for obtaining them.
The second document discussed by the Polish and Ukrainian sides was an agreement on small border traffic. It concerned providing a simplified visa procedure for citizens of Ukraine living within 30 km (in special cases - 50 km) of the Polish border.
According to the consular service department of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, last year about 1 million 300 thousand Polish visas were issued worldwide, of which 635 thousand were visas for Ukrainian citizens. The Polish Foreign Ministry plans to implement all possible simplifications in issuing visas to Ukrainian citizens provided for by the Schengen Agreement.
As previously reported, the introduction of fees for Polish visas was planned from November 1, 2007. Poland intended to charge €35 for a visa, and from January 1, 2008, to issue Schengen and national visas to Ukrainian citizens. In addition, from November 1, the procedure for issuing Polish visas was to become more complicated. The next negotiations are scheduled by the Polish and Ukrainian sides for the end of September.
UN adopts declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples
The UN General Assembly adopted a declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. The declaration, which is not binding, gives equal rights to all indigenous people, of whom there are more than 370 million worldwide. In addition, the document stipulates the right of aborigines to their own communities, culture and spiritual traditions. The declaration also provides for the protection of civil liberties of indigenous peoples, their rights to land and natural resources.
143 UN members voted in favor of the declaration, 11 abstained, and four countries - Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States - voted against. They stated that the document contradicts their legislation. In particular, Australia said it would not allow traditional Aboriginal laws to override national ones, and the Canadian government believes some provisions of the declaration are incompatible with the country's constitution.
A working group on the rights of indigenous peoples was established at the UN back in 1982. Three years later, the group began drafting the declaration, completing it by 1993. Since then, there have been numerous debates over the content of the document, but in June 2006, the UN Human Rights Council approved it and sent it to the General Assembly for approval.
Denmark and Sweden pay more for labor than other countries
Labor costs in Denmark and Sweden remain the highest in the European Union, reports Swedish business daily Dagens Industri, citing findings by economists at the German Institute for Macroeconomic and Business Cycle Research (IMK).
In their analysis, the researchers used data from the statistical agency Eurostat. Total labor costs in Sweden, which include direct wages and employer insurance contributions, are currently about €32.45 per hour. In Denmark, this figure is slightly higher - €32.49 per hour.
In the European Union, the average hourly wage of an employee is €25 per hour. The cheapest labor in the EU is considered to be in Poland. The hourly labor cost in this country is €6.03 for the employer.
The Scandinavian countries stand out in the EU with equally high labor costs in both the industrial sector and the service sector. Analysts at the German Institute for Macroeconomic and Business Cycle Research explain this by the fact that a large percentage of employees in these countries are members of various trade union organizations.
Studying in Switzerland is in increasing demand
Recently, citizens of CIS countries are increasingly preferring to educate their children in Switzerland. Currently, 45-50% of the total number of foreign students in Swiss schools are Russian-speaking children, and last summer some educational institutions were completely filled with children from Russia and CIS countries. These data were announced during a Swiss round table in Moscow.
The growing popularity of educational tours to Switzerland is due to the fact that while maintaining consistently high quality, they are becoming more accessible to many people. The greatest demand among our tourists is for summer educational programs on Swiss lakes, which allow combining language learning and cultural programs as well as sports, such as rafting or horseback riding. Parents choose courses lasting from two to six weeks for their children. The cost of such a program is up to 4,800 Swiss francs (about $4,000).
It should be noted that Swiss educational institutions are the main competitors of British schools. Education in Switzerland costs only slightly more than in British schools of comparable level. However, it is easier for children to obtain a student visa to Switzerland for a year or more. Also in favor of choosing Swiss schools are the country's safety, favorable ecology, and the opportunity to study various foreign languages in one place.
Britons defend right to pounds and ounces
The European Commission has abandoned attempts to ban the use of the traditional system of weights and measures in the UK - pounds, pints, ounces and miles, reports the BBC. European Commissioner for Industry Günter Verheugen admitted that the attempt to convert the UK to the metric system common in Europe caused sharp discontent among the population and a significant decline in the popularity of the EU among Britons.
It is expected that the decision on the future use of one or another system of weights and measures will be placed directly in the hands of the British government. Meanwhile, the EU had previously demanded an unconditional abandonment of the old, so-called 'imperial' system of measures. In particular, it provided for a deadline by which the use of old measures must cease. For example, replacing all road signs in miles with kilometer ones.
In addition, sellers were prosecuted if they indicated the quantity of goods in old units of measurement. In 2001, grocer Steve Thoburn was convicted and deprived of his scales, on which he weighed a pound of bananas for a customer. In response, Thoburn organized a movement against the introduction of the metric system in the UK. His members consider the current EU backtracking a simple obfuscation.
According to the head of the Association for the Protection of the Traditional System of Weights and Measures, John Gardner, the European Commission agreed to use the 'imperial' system only as a supplement. Using only pounds or ounces is illegal. Kilograms and meters must still remain the primary units.
For their part, representatives of the British Metric System Association said they regret the EU's decision to retain the old system of measures. Nevertheless, they believe that the transition to the metric system cannot be stopped. Many supermarkets have already abandoned the outdated 'imperial' system and the trend will continue.
Spain to tighten law banning smoking
In 2008, the Spanish government intends to tighten the law on restricting smoking in public catering establishments. It is expected that this will apply to bars and restaurants with an area of less than 100 square meters.
Currently, owners of establishments with an area of more than 100 square meters have a choice: either impose a total ban on smoking inside, or set up a separate smoking area, provided that tobacco smoke does not disturb other visitors. Owners of restaurants and eateries with a smaller area are free to do as they please. Statistics show that smoking is allowed in most small restaurants.
The current anti-tobacco law came into force on September 1, 2006. Since then, over 10,000 inspections of food establishments have been carried out in Catalonia. As a result, sanctions were applied against 200 establishments that violated the ban.