text:
Document 32002D1786
OJ L 271, 9.10.2002, p. 1–12 (ES, DA, DE, EL, EN, FR, IT, NL, PT, FI, SV)
Special edition in Czech: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Estonian: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Latvian: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Lithuanian: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Hungarian Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Maltese: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Polish: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Slovak: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Slovene: Chapter 15 Volume 007 P. 173 - 183
Special edition in Bulgarian: Chapter 15 Volume 009 P. 3 - 13
Special edition in Romanian: Chapter 15 Volume 009 P. 3 - 13
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2002/1786/oj
Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008) - Commission Statements
Official Journal L 271 , 09/10/2002 P. 0001 - 0012
Decision No 1786/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2002 adopting a programme of Community action in the field of public health (2003-2008) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 152 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission(1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(2), Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions(3), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 251 of the Treaty(4), in the light of the joint text approved by the Conciliation Committee on 15 May 2002, Whereas: (1) The Community is committed to promoting and improving health, preventing disease, and countering potential threats to health, with a view to reducing avoidable morbidity and premature mortality and activity-impairing disability. To contribute to the well-being of European citizens, the Community must address in a coordinated and coherent way the concerns of its people about risks to health and their expectations for a high level of health protection. Therefore, all health-related activities of the Community must have a high degree of visibility and transparency and allow consultation and participation of all stakeholders in a balanced way, in order to promote better knowledge and communication flows and thus enable a greater involvement of individuals in decisions that concern their health. In this framework, attention should be given to the right of the Community population to receive simple, clear and scientifically sound information about measures to protect health and prevent diseases, with a view to improving quality of life. (2) Health is a priority and a high level of health protection should be ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities. Under Article 152 of the Treaty, the Community is required to play an active role in this sector by taking measures which cannot be taken by individual States, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity. (3) In the context of the public health framework set out in the Commission communication of 24 November 1993 on the framework for action in the field of public health, eight action programmes were adopted, namely: - Decision No 645/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 March 1996 adopting a programme of Community action on health promotion, information, education and training within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)(5), - Decision No 646/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 March 1996 adopting an action plan to combat cancer within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)(6), - Decision No 647/96/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 March 1996 adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of AIDS and certain other communicable diseases within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)(7), - Decision No 102/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 1996 adopting a programme of Community action on the prevention of drug dependence within the framework for action in the field of public health (1996 to 2000)(8), - Decision No 1400/97/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 1997 adopting a programme of Community action on health monitoring within the framework for action in the field of public health (1997 to 2001)(9), - Decision No 372/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 February 1999 adopting a programme of Community action on injury prevention in the framework for action in the field of public health (1999 to 2003)(10), - Decision No 1295/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 1999 adopting a programme of Community action on rare diseases within the framework for action in the field of public health (1999 to 2003)(11), and - Decision No 1296/1999/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 1999 adopting a programme of Community action on pollution-related diseases in the context of the framework for action in the field of public health (1999 to 2001)(12). Furthermore, Decision No 2119/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 1998 on setting up a network for the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community(13) was adopted. Pursuant to that Decision, the Commission adopted on 22 December 1999 Decision No 2000/57/EC on the early warning and response system for the prevention and control of communicable diseases(14). (4) Other activities in the context of the public health framework included Council Recommendation 98/463/EC of 29 June 1998 on the suitability of blood and plasma donors and the screening of donated blood in the European Community(15) and Recommendation 1999/519/EC of 12 July 1999 on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields 0 Hz to 300 GHz(16). (5) The public health framework was reviewed in the Commission communication of 15 April 1998 on the development of public health policy in the European Community, which indicated that a new health strategy and programme were needed in view of the new Treaty provisions, new challenges and experience so far. (6) The Council in its Conclusions of 26 November 1998 on the future framework for Community action in the field of public health(17), and in its Resolution of 8 June 1999(18), the Economic and Social Committee, in its opinion of 9 September 1998(19), the Committee of the Regions, in its Opinion of 19 November 1998(20), and the European Parliament, in its Resolution A4-0082/99 of 12 March 1999(21), welcomed the Commission communication of 15 April 1998 and supported the view that actions at Community level should be set out in one overall programme to run for a period of at least five years and comprising three general objectives, namely improving information for the development of public health, reacting rapidly to health threats and tackling health determinants through health promotion and disease prevention, underpinned by inter-sectoral action and the use of all appropriate Treaty instruments. (7) In its Resolution of 29 June 2000 on the follow-up to the Evora conference on health determinants, the Council considered that the increasing differences in health status and health outcomes between and within Member States called for renewed and coordinated efforts at national and Community level; welcomed the Commission's commitment to submit a proposal for a new public health programme containing a specific strand of action aimed at addressing health determinants by means of health promotion and disease prevention underpinned by intersectoral policy and agreed that there was a need to develop the appropriate knowledge base for this and, therefore, that an efficacious health monitoring system should be established for this purpose; stressed the importance of the new Community public health strategy building upon the activities on specific determinants taken in the existing programmes, especially with respect to tobacco, nutrition and alcohol and that it was important not only to ensure continuity with existing actions, but also to take forward work on these issues in a fully coherent and systematic way. (8) The Council reaffirms its Conclusions on combating tobacco consumption of 18 November 1999, in which it underlined the necessity of developing an overall strategy, and invited the Commission, inter alia, to strengthen cooperation between health and other policy areas, with the aim of ensuring a high level of health protection in these areas. (9) The Council on 18 November 1999 agreed unanimously a Resolution on the Promotion of Mental Health. (10) According to the WHO World Health Report 2000 the five major burdens of disease (in disability-adjusted life years) are: 1. neuropsychiatric disorders, 2. cardiovascular diseases, 3. malignant neoplasms, 4. unintentional injuries and 5. respiratory diseases. Infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, and anti-microbial resistance are also becoming a threat to the health of all people in Europe. An important task of the programme would be to identify better the main burdens of disease in the Community and, in particular, the main health determinants. (11) The programme should contribute to the exchange of information on quality standards identified in the field of public health. (12) It is essential to collect, process and analyse data at Community level for the purpose of effective public health monitoring at Community level and in order to obtain objective, reliable and compatible and comparable information which could be exchanged and would enable the Commission and the Member States to improve information to the public and formulate appropriate strategies, policies and actions to achieve a high level of human health protection. Data from the private sector should also be taken into account for the completeness of the programme. All relevant statistics should be broken down and analysed by gender. (13) The Community and its Member States have at their disposal certain means and mechanisms in relation to information and monitoring in the field of public health. It is therefore necessary to ensure a high level of coordination between actions and initiatives taken by the Community and the Member States to implement the programme, to promote cooperation between Member States and to enhance the effectiveness of existing and future networks in the field of public health. (14) It is essential that the Commission ensure the effectiveness and the cohesion of measures and actions of the programme at both micro- and macro-level as well as the promotion of cooperation between the Member States. Any structural arrangements which would be established under the auspices of the Commission to this end should collect, monitor and evaluate data, and develop surveillance methods and a basis for rapid and coordinated responses to health threats. Such structural arrangements would consist of a strengthened central resource and closely involve the relevant institutions designated by the Member States. (15) There is in particular a need to ensure, relying on competent and relevant expertise, appropriate sustainable coordination, in the area of health information, of activities in relation to the following: definition of information needs, development of indicators, collection of data and information, comparability issues, exchange of data and information with and between Member States, continuing development of databases, analyses, and wider dissemination of information. Such coordination should also be ensured in the area of rapid reaction to health threats, of activities in relation to epidemiological surveillance, development of surveillance methods, exchange of information on guidelines and on prevention and control actions, mechanisms and procedures. (16) It is essential that the Commission, through appropriate structural arrangements, ensures the effectiveness and cohesion of measures and actions contained in the programme and promotes cooperation between the Member States. To enable such structural arrangements to operate smoothly and effectively, it is essential to establish sustained cooperation with the health authorities of the Member States, while respecting Member States' responsibilities. (17) The Commission should make, as appropriate, further proposals on the kind of structural arrangements needed for the implementation of the public health strategy, especially regarding health monitoring and rapid reaction to health threats. (18) The overall aim of the public health programme is to contribute towards the attainment of a high level of physical and mental health and well-being and greater equality in health matters throughout the Community, by directing action towards improving public health, preventing human diseases and disorders, and obviating sources of danger to health with a view to combating morbidity and premature mortality, while taking gender and age into consideration. To fulfil this aim, actions should be guided by the need to increase life expectancy without disability or sickness, promote quality of life and minimise the economic and social consequences of ill health, thus reducing health inequalities, while taking into account the regional approach to health issues. Priority should be given to health-promoting actions that address the major burdens of disease. The programme should support the development of an integrated intersectoral health strategy to ensure that Community policies and actions contribute to protecting and promoting health. (19) In order to achieve this, the programme should take into account the importance of education, training and networking. (20) The Treaty requires that a high level of human health protection is ensured in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities. A strong link is to be established between all Community policies having an impact on health and the Community strategy for public health. Within the public health programme, a priority task will be to develop criteria and methodologies for evaluating policy proposals and their implementation. In developing the measures under the programme, and joint strategies and actions with other relevant Community programmes and actions, it should be ensured that these other Community policies and actions incorporate the health aspect, and that they are underpinned by intersectoral policy. (21) Achieving the overall aim, and the general objectives of the programme requires effective cooperation of the Member States, their full commitment in the implementation of Community actions, and the involvement of institutions, associations, organisations and bodies in the health field as well as the public at large. To ensure sustainability and efficient use of existing Community investment and capacity, established Community and national networks should be used to pull together expertise and experience from Member States on effective methods for implementation of health promotional and preventive interventions and on quality criteria. A dialogue should be ensured with all key partners committed to improving public health and their expertise should be incorporated in an efficient and transparent Community knowledge base. Cooperation should be established with bodies and non-governmental organisations active in the field of health through appropriate mechanisms, such as health fora. (22) In accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality set out in Article 5 of the Treaty, Community action on matters which do not fall within the exclusive competence of the Community, such as public health, should be undertaken only if and in so far as, by reason of its scale or effects, its objective can be better achieved by the Community. The objectives of the programme cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States because of the complexity, transnational character and lack of complete control at Member State level over the factors affecting health, and therefore the programme should support and complement the Member States' actions and measures. The programme can provide a significant added value to health promotion and to health systems in the Community through the support of structures and programmes which enhance the capabilities of individuals, institutions, associations, organisations and bodies in the health field by facilitating the exchange of experience and best practices and by providing a basis for a common analysis of the factors affecting public health. Also, the programme may have added value in the event of threats to public health of a cross-border nature, such as infectious diseases, environmental pollution or food contamination, to the extent that they prompt joint strategies and actions. The programme will enable the Community to contribute towards fulfilling its Treaty obligations in the field of public health while fully respecting the responsibilities of the Member States for the organisation and delivery of health services and health care. This decision does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve those objectives. (23) The measures under the programme underpin the health strategy of the Community and will yield Community added value by responding to needs arising out of conditions and structures established through Community action in other fields, by addressing new developments, new threats and new problems for which the Community would be in a better position to act to protect its people, by bringing together activities undertaken in relative isolation and with limited impact at national level and by complementing them in order to achieve positive results for the people of the Community, and by contributing to the strengthening of solidarity and cohesion in the Community. The new health strategy and public health action programme should provide the opportunity to further develop the citizens' dimension of Community health policy. (24) In order to ensure that actions can address broad health issues and threats effectively in cooperation with other Community policies and activities, while avoiding duplication, the programme should provide for the possibility of undertaking joint actions with related Community programmes and actions. A proactive use of other Community policies, such as structural funds and social policy could influence health determinants in a positive way. (25) Effective implementation of the measures and actions and achievement of the desired impact of the programme require comparability of the data collected. Compatibility and interoperability of the systems and networks for exchanging information and data for the development of public health would also make a valuable contribution and further efforts towards these objectives should be pursued. It is of prime importance that information is exchanged on the basis of comparable and compatible data. (26) In general, the measures and actions under the programme should take account of the development of new technologies and IT applications and, in particular, there should be close coordination with the plans drawn up and implemented in the field of public health under the integrated action programme for an electronic Europe (e-Europe), and other relevant programmes, while avoiding overlapping, and taking particular care to ensure equal accessibility to health information. (27) The Feira European Council in June 2000 endorsed the "e-Europe 2002 Action Plan on an Information Society for All", which under Health Online urges Member States to develop an infrastructure of user-friendly, validated and interoperable systems for health education, disease prevention and medical care. It is essential that the new information technology is exploited to make health information as accessible as possible to citizens. (28) In the execution of the programme, full use should be made of the relevant results generated from the Community research programmes, which support research in areas covered by the programme. (29) The experience acquired from different charters in the field of public health should be taken into account. (30) In the implementation of the Community programme there must be compliance with all the relevant legal provisions in the field of protection of personal data, and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure the confidentiality and security of those data. (31) The programme should last six years in order to allow sufficient time to implement measures to achieve its objectives. (32) It is essential that the Commission should ensure implementation of the programme in close cooperation with the Member States. In order to obtain scientific information and advice to implement the programme, cooperation with scientists and experts of international standing is desirable. (33) Consistency and complementarity should be ensured between actions to be implemented under the programme and those envisaged or implemented under other policies and activities, in particular in the light of the requirement to ensure a high level of human health protection in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities. (34) Close cooperation and consultation will be expected with Community bodies responsible for risk assessment, monitoring and research in the fields of food and feed safety, environmental protection and product safety. (35) This decision lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure(22) for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure. The financial framework should correspond to the needs and objectives of the programme. (36) Funding from other Community policies earmarked for joint actions under the programme is additional to the financial framework laid down for the programme. (37) It is essential that there should be flexibility to allow redeployment of resources and adaptation of activities while respecting the need for transparency as well as the criteria for selecting and ordering priorities according to magnitude of risk or potential of effect, the outcome of evaluation, public concerns, availability of interventions or potential for their development, subsidiarity, added value and impact on other sectors. There is a need, however, to maintain a balance between the three objectives of the programme, allocating budget resources fairly between them. (38) Practical measures are essential in order to attain the objectives of the programme. Consequently, when implementing the programme and earmarking resources under it, the importance of practical measures should be emphasised. (39) The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission(23). (40) The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) provides for greater cooperation in the field of public health between the European Community and its Member States, on the one hand, and the countries of the European Free Trade Association participating in the European Economic Area (EFTA/EEA countries), on the other. Provision should also be made to open the programme to participation of the associated Central and Eastern European countries in accordance with the conditions established in the Europe Agreements, in their additional protocols and in the decisions of the respective Association Councils, of Cyprus, funded by additional appropriations in accordance with the procedures to be agreed with that country, as well as of Malta and Turkey, funded by additional appropriations, in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty. (41) The applicant countries should be actively involved in the development and implementation of the programme and consideration should be given to a strategic approach to health in those countries, and especially to their specific problems. (42) On the accession of new Member States, the Commission should report on the consequences of these accessions for the programme. (43) Cooperation with third countries and the competent international organisations in the sphere of health, such as the WHO, the Council of Europe and the OECD, should be fostered, not only in the field of collecting and analysing data (including indicators) but also in the field of intersectoral health promotion, in order to ensure cost effectiveness, avoid overlapping of activities and programmes and enforce synergy and interaction, taking particular account of specific arrangements for cooperation such as that between the WHO and the Commission. (44) In order to increase the value and impact of the programme there should be regular monitoring and evaluation, including independent external evaluations, of the measures taken. It should be possible to adjust or modify the programme in the light of these evaluations and of developments that may take place in the general context of Community action in health and health-related fields. The European Parliament should be informed of the annual work plans which will be drawn up by the Commission. (45) The programme of Community action in the field of public health builds on the activities and the eight programmes under the previous framework and on the work of the network for epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases in the Community, and pursues all the objectives and measures therein in the form of a global and integrated health strategy. The decisions concerning those eight programmes are covered by the new programme and should therefore be repealed with effect from 31 December 2002, HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 Establishment of the programme 1. This Decision establishes a programme of Community action in the field of public health, hereinafter referred to as "the programme". 2. The programme shall be implemented in the period starting on 1 January 2003 and ending on 31 December 2008. Article 2 Overall aim and general objectives 1. The programme, which shall complement national policies, shall aim to protect human health and improve public health. 2. The general objectives of the programme shall be: (a) to improve information and knowledge for the development of public health; (b) to enhance the capability of responding rapidly and in a coordinated fashion to threats to health; (c) to promote health and prevent disease through addressing health determinants across all policies and activities. 3. The programme shall thereby contribute to: (a) ensuring a high level of human health protection in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities, through the promotion of an integrated and intersectoral health strategy; (b) tackling inequalities in health; (c) encouraging cooperation between Member States in the areas covered by Article 152 of the Treaty. Article 3 Community actions and activities 1. The general objectives of the programme as set out in Article 2 shall be pursued by means of the actions listed in the Annex. 2. These actions shall be implemented in close cooperation with Member States through support to activities of a transversal nature, which may be used to implement all or part of the actions and which may, where appropriate, be combined. These activities are the following: (a) Activities related to the monitoring and rapid reaction systems (i) network activities operated through structures designated by Member States and other activities of Community interest for the purposes of public health monitoring and providing national information, as well as data at Community level, in furtherance of the objectives of the programme; (ii) activities to counter health threats, including major diseases, and react to unforeseen events, enable investigations and coordinate response; (iii) preparation, establishment and operation of appropriate structural arrangements coordinating and integrating networks for health monitoring and for rapid reaction to health threats; (iv) development of appropriate links between the actions concerning the monitoring and rapid reaction systems. (b) Activities on health determinants development and implementation of health promotion and disease prevention activities across all Community policies and involving, as appropriate, non-governmental organisations, innovative or pilot projects and networks between national institutions and activities. (c) Activities related to legislation (i) preparatory work for Community legislative instruments in the field of public health; (ii) health impact assessment of Community legislation; (iii) coordination of the position of the Community and its Member States in fora in which health-related matters are discussed. (d) Activities related to consultation, knowledge and information (i) development and dissemination to competent authorities in Member States, to health and other professionals and, where appropriate, to other stakeholders and the general public of health information, knowledge, including statistics, reports, reviews, analysis, and advice on issues of common interest to the Community and to Member States; (ii) information and consultation on health and health-related matters at the Community level, involving all stakeholders such as patients' organisations, health professionals, health care providers, trade unions, social partners and NGOs in the field of public health; (iii) sharing of experience and exchange of information on health-related matters between the Community and authorities and competent organisations of Member States; (iv) encouraging education and vocational training in the field of public health relevant to the objectives of the programme; (v) developing and maintaining networks for the exchange of information on best practice in public health and the effectiveness of health policies; (vi) obtaining scientific information and advice from high-level scientists and experts; (vii) supporting and promoting activities by the Community and the Member States with regard to good practice and to sound guidelines for public health based on scientific data. (e) Promotion of coordination at the European level of non-governmental organisations which are developing activities defined as priorities under the programme. They may be operating either singly or in the form of several coordinated associations. Article 4 Joint strategies and actions To ensure a high level of human health protection in the definition and implementation of all Community policies and activities, the objectives of the programme may be implemented as joint strategies and joint actions by creating links with relevant Community programmes and actions, notably in the areas of consumer protection, social protection, health and safety at work, employment, research and technological development, internal market, information society and information technology, statistics, agriculture, education, transport, industry and environment, and with actions undertaken by the Joint Research Centre and relevant Community bodies with which cooperation shall be fostered. Article 5 Implementation of the programme 1. The Commission shall ensure the implementation, in close cooperation with the Member States, of the actions set out in the programme, in accordance with the provisions of Article 9 and ensuring its harmonious and balanced development. 2. In order to assist implementation, the Commission shall ensure, through appropriate structural arrangements closely associating the Member States, the coordination and integration of networks for health monitoring and rapid reaction to health threats. 3. The Commission and Member States shall take appropriate action, within their respective areas of competence, to ensure the efficient running of the programme and to develop mechanisms at Community and Member State level to achieve the objectives of the programme. They shall ensure that appropriate information is provided about actions supported by the programme and that the widest possible participation is obtained in actions requiring implementation through local and regional authorities and non-governmental organisations. 4. The Commission shall, in close cooperation with the Member States, pursue the comparability of data and information and, where possible, the compatibility and interoperability of the systems and networks for exchange of data and information on health. 5. In implementing the programme the Commission, together with the Member States, shall ensure compliance with all relevant legal provisions regarding personal data protection and, where appropriate, the introduction of mechanisms to ensure the confidentiality and safety of such data. 6. The Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States, shall ensure the transition between those actions developed within the public health programmes adopted by the Decisions referred to in Article 13 which contribute to the priorities set out in this programme, and those to be implemented under this programme. Article 6 Consistency and complementarity The Commission shall ensure that there is consistency and complementarity between the actions to be implemented under the programme and those implemented under other Community policies and activities, including the policies mentioned in Article 4. In particular, the Commission shall identify those proposals of particular relevance to the objectives and actions of the programme, and inform the Committee referred to in Article 9 of how health considerations are taken into account in these proposals and of their expected health impact. Article 7 Funding 1. The financial framework for the implementation of the programme for the period specified in Article 1 is hereby set at EUR 312 million. Expenditure on technical and administrative assistance related to the structural arrangements referred to under Article 3(2)(a)(iii), and activities arising therefrom, shall be met from the overall budget of the programme. 2. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspective. Article 8 Implementation measures 1. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to the matters referred to below shall be adopted in accordance with the management procedure referred to in Article 9(2): (a) the annual plan of work for the implementation of the programme, setting out priorities and actions to be undertaken, including allocation of resources; (b) the arrangements, criteria and procedures for selecting and financing the actions of the programme; (c) the arrangements for implementing the joint strategies and actions referred to in Article 4; (d) the arrangements for evaluating the programme referred to in Article 12; (e) the arrangements for the preparation of any structural arrangements for the coordination of health monitoring and rapid reaction to health threats; (f) the arrangements for transmitting, exchanging and disseminating information and for rapid reaction on health threats under the programme, without prejudice to the implementation measures carried out under Decision 2119/98/EC. 2. The measures necessary for the implementation of this Decision relating to all other matters shall be adopted in accordance with the advisory procedure referred to in Article 9(3). Article 9 Committee 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 4 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. The period laid down in Article 4(3) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at two months. 3. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 3 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof. 4. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure. Article 10 Participation of the EFTA/EEA countries, the associated central and eastern European countries, Cyprus, Malta and Turkey The programme shall be open to the participation of: (a) the EFTA/EEA countries in accordance with the conditions established in the EEA Agreement; (b) the associated countries of central and eastern Europe, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Europe Agreements, in their Additional Protocols and in the Decisions of the respective Association Councils; (c) Cyprus, funded by additional appropriations in accordance with the procedures to be agreed with that country; (d) Malta and Turkey, funded by additional appropriations in accordance with the provisions of the Treaty. Article 11 International cooperation In the course of implementing the programme, cooperation with third countries and with international organisations competent in the sphere of public health, in particular the World Health Organisation, the Council of Europe and the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or able to have an impact on public health such as the World Trade Organisation and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation shall be encouraged in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 9(3). In particular, the health information system and the capacity to respond to health threats should be, where appropriate and possible, coordinated with the activities of the World Health Organisation. Article 12 Monitoring, evaluation and dissemination of results 1. The Commission, in close cooperation with the Member States, shall regularly monitor, where appropriate with the help of experts, the implementation of the actions of the programme in the light of the objectives. It shall report annually to the Committee. The Commission shall transmit a copy of its main findings to the European Parliament and to the Council. 2. At the request of the Commission, Member States shall submit information on the implementation and the impact of this programme. 3. By the end of the fourth year of the programme, the Commission shall have an external assessment conducted by independent qualified experts of the implementation and achievements during the three first years of the programme. It shall also assess the impact achieved on health and the efficiency of the use of resources, as well as the consistency and complementarity with other relevant programmes, actions and initiatives implemented under other Community policies and activities. The Commission shall communicate the conclusions thereof, accompanied by its comments, to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. The Commission shall also submit to those institutions and bodies a final report on the implementation of the programme by the end of the year which follows the end of the programme. 4. The Commission shall make the results of actions undertaken and the evaluation reports publicly available. Article 13 Repeal The following Decisions are hereby repealed on 31 December 2002: Decision No 645/96/EC, Decision No 646/96/EC, Decision No 647/96/EC, Decision No 102/97/EC, Decision No 1400/97/EC, Decision No 372/1999/EC, Decision No 1295/1999/EC, Decision No 1296/1999/EC. Article 14 Entry into force This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Done at Brussels, 23 September 2002. For the European Parliament The President P. Cox For the Council The President M. Fischer Boel (1) OJ C 337 E, 28.11.2000, p. 122 and C 240 E, 28.8.2001, p. 168. (2) OJ C 116, 20.4.2001, p. 75. (3) OJ C 144, 16.5.2001, p. 43. (4) Opinion of the European Parliament of 4 April 2001 (OJ C 21, 24.1.2002, p. 161), Council Common Position of 31 July 2001 (OJ C 307, 31.10.2001, p. 27) and Decision of the European Parliament of 12 December 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). Decision of the European Parliament of 3 July 2002 and Decision of the Council of 26 June 2002. (5) OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 1. Decision as last amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC (OJ L 79, 17.3.2001, p. 1). (6) OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 9. Decision as last amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC. (7) OJ L 95, 16.4.1996, p. 16. Decision as last amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC. (8) OJ L 19, 22.1.1997, p. 25. Decision as amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC. (9) OJ L 193, 22.7.1997, p. 1. Decision as amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC. (10) OJ L 46, 20.2.1999, p. 1. (11) OJ L 155, 22.6.1999, p. 1. (12) OJ L 155, 22.6.1999, p. 7. Decision as amended by Decision No 521/2001/EC. (13) OJ L 268, 3.10.1998, p. 1. (14) OJ L 21, 26.1.2000, p. 32. (15) OJ L 203, 21.7.1998, p. 14. (16) OJ L 199, 30.7.1999, p. 59. (17) OJ C 390, 15.12.1998, p. 1. (18) OJ C 200, 15.7.1999, p. 1. (19) OJ C 407, 28.12.1998, p. 21. (20) OJ C 51, 22.2.1999, p. 53. (21) OJ C 175, 21.6.1999, p. 135. (22) OJ C 172, 18.6.1999, p. 3. (23) OJ L 184, 17.7.1999, p. 23. ANNEX ACTIONS AND SUPPORT MEASURES 1. To improve health information and knowledge for the development of public health by: 1.1. developing and operating a sustainable health monitoring system to establish comparable quantitative and qualitative indicators at Community level on the basis of existing work and of accomplished results, and to collect, analyse and disseminate comparable and compatible age- and gender-specific information on human health at Community level concerning health status, health policies and health determinants, including demography, geography and socioeconomic situations, personal and biological factors, health behaviours such as substance abuse, nutrition, physical activity, sexual behaviour, and living, working and environmental conditions, paying special attention to inequalities in health; 1.2. developing an information system for the early warning, detection and surveillance of health threats, both on communicable diseases, including with regard to the danger of cross-border spread of diseases (including resistant pathogens), and on non-communicable diseases; 1.3. improving the system for the transfer and sharing of information and health data including public access; 1.4. developing and using mechanisms for analysis, advice, reporting, information and consultation with Member States and stakeholders on health issues relevant at Community level; 1.5. improving analysis and knowledge of the impact of health policy developments and of other Community policies and activities, such as the internal market as it affects health systems, in contributing to a high level of human health protection, including developing criteria and methodologies for assessing policies for their impact on health and developing other links between public health and other policies; 1.6. reviewing, analysing, and supporting the exchange of experiences on, health technologies, including new information technologies; 1.7. supporting the exchange of information and experiences on good practice; 1.8. developing and operating a joint action with the plans drawn up under e-Europe to improve availability to the general public on the Internet of information on health matters, and considering the possibilities for establishing a system of recognisable Community seals of approval for Internet sites. The existing data and the information provided by the system is to be easily accessible to the Community, relevant users in Member States and, as appropriate, international organisations. The statistical element of the system will be developed, in collaboration with Member States, using as necessary the Community Statistical Programme to promote synergy and avoid duplication. 2. To enhance the capability of responding rapidly and in a coordinated fashion to threats to health by: 2.1. enhancing the capacity to tackle communicable diseases by supporting the further implementation of Decision No 2119/98/EC on the Community network on the epidemiological surveillance and control of communicable diseases; 2.2. supporting the network's operation, in the Member States and the countries participating on the basis of Article 10 of this decision, in particular in relation to common investigations, training, continuous assessment, quality assurance and, where appropriate, in relation to its contribution to the actions described in the Annex, points 1.2 and 1.3; 2.3. developing strategies and mechanisms for preventing, exchanging information on and responding to non-communicable disease threats, including gender-specific health threats and rare diseases; 2.4. exchanging information concerning strategies in order to counter health threats from physical, chemical or biological sources in emergency situations, including those relating to terrorist acts, and developing or using, when appropriate, Community approaches and mechanisms; 2.5. exchanging information on vaccination and immunisation strategies; 2.6. enhancing the safety and quality of organs and substances of human origin, including blood, blood components and blood precursors by developing high standards of quality and safety for the collection, processing, storage and distribution and use of these substances; 2.7. implementing vigilance networks for human products, such as blood, blood components and blood precursors; 2.8. promoting strategies and measures concerning the protection of human health from possible adverse effects from environmental agents such as ionising and non-ionising radiation and noise; 2.9. developing strategies for reducing antibiotic resistance. 3. To promote health and prevent disease through action on health determinants across all Community policies and activities by: 3.1. preparing and implementing strategies and measures, including those related to public awareness, on life-style related health determinants, such as nutrition, physical activity, tobacco, alcohol, drugs and other substances and on mental health, including measures to take in all Community policies and age- and gender-specific strategies; 3.2. analysing the situation and developing strategies on social and economic health determinants, in order to identify and combat inequalities in health and to assess the impact of social and economic factors on health; 3.3. analysing the situation and developing strategies on health determinants related to the environment and contributing to the identification and assessment of the health consequences of environmental factors; 3.4. analysing the situation and exchange information on genetic determinants and the use of genetic screening; 3.5. developing methods to evaluate quality and efficiency of health promotion strategies and measures; 3.6. encouraging relevant training activities related to the above measures. 4. Support measures 4.1. Community assistance may be provided to support the actions and activities referred to in Article 3. 4.2. In carrying out the programme, the Commission may require additional resources, including recourse to experts, for instance for the monitoring system, the evaluation of the programme or the preparation of new legislation. It may also require experts to work for the Community structural arrangements for the coordination and integration of networks for health monitoring and for rapid reaction to health threats. The report referred to in Article 12(1) shall be accompanied, if need be, by any proposal regarding adjustment of the requirements. 4.3. The Commission may also undertake information, publication and dissemination of actions. It may also undertake evaluation studies and organise seminars, colloquia or other meetings of experts. Commission Statements Declaration on structural arrangements in order to ensure the effective implementation of the programme, in conformity with Article 5 of the Decision, the Commission intends to proceed as follows: 1. it will take the necessary steps to ensure the functioning of the Committee established under Articles 8 and 9 of the Decision. This Committee will be composed of representatives designated by the Member States, as laid down in Decision 1999/468/EC; 2. in full respect of the provisions of Article 218(2) of the EC treaty, it will operate its departments in the best way in order to facilitate attaining the three general objectives of the programme set out in Article 2 of the Decision; 3. in accordance with point 4 of the Annex to the Decision, the Commission will make use of scientific and technical experts to reinforce its capacity in the specific areas of action of the programme. Such experts will work with the Commission services in conformity with the relevant administrative rules; 4. the Commission also intends to make full use of the possibilities described in its Communication on externalisation (COM(2000) 788) and proposed regulation (COM(2001) 808). This may include examining the setting up of an executive agency in order to assist the Commission in implementing certain tasks of the programme once the proposed Regulation currently before the Council, is adopted. The Commission further declares that the actions envisaged in points 1 and 2 will be implemented not later than the beginning of 2003, when the programme comes into effect; point 3 will begin early in the programme as soon as the relevant arrangements can be made, and point 4 will be considered later in the programme once the proposed Regulation is adopted. Declaration on Article 7 The financial framework of the programme shall be reviewed in the context both of the accession of new Member States and the preparation for the revision of the financial perspective, taking account of the establishment of the structural arrangements, and of developments concerning key priorities; financial proposals will be made, if appropriate.


text:
A.I. Wasserman (Tony), president of IDE.
Although wasserman Schultz demurs, her husband says her eventual goal is to become speaker of the House.
The Republican caucus in the House is 89 percent white men, says wasserman.
"I think that choice of words was deliberate," wasserman Schultz told me.
First he told reporters, falsely, that he had apologized to wasserman Schultz.
In a phone interview, wasserman Schultz acknowledges fundraising is her forte.
The single order was given to wasserman Brothers because I thought it good strategy.
The wasserman test, however, is reliable only in the hands of a skilled operator.
The wasserman test is sometimes positive in the cerebro-spinal fluid, when it is negative in the blood.
Some army physicians now also give what is termed a provocative wasserman.
The most recent Serum investigations (the wasserman reaction) are the first to throw full light on this.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Selby Campground from Caliente Ridge Road | [ Sizes: Orig | Med | Small | Thumb ] | |||
That's Selby Campground and beyond it Selby Rocks, as viewed from the Caliente Ridge Road near the Caliente Peak Trailhead, Carrizo Plain National Monument, CA. February 2006. | Selby Rocks (Mountain/Rock) tarol's Image Gallery Carrizo Plain National Monument (Area/Range) Caliente Mountain (Mountain/Rock) Image Data
Image ID: 176842 Hits: 2543 Object Title: Selby Campground from Caliente Ridge Road |


text:
Welcome to IrishEnvy.com! Founded in September of 2004, IrishEnvy.com has grown into the premiere web portal on the Internet for mature and intelligent Notre Dame Fighting Irish athletics discussion! You are currently viewing our boards as a Guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions, articles and access our other FREE features. By joining our FREE online community, you will have access to post and respond to discussions, communicate privately with other members, and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely FREE, so join the IrishEnvy.com Community today! If you have any problems with the registration process, please contact support and we will assist you. If you already have an IrishEnvy.com membership account but forgot the username and/or password, use our password recovery tool to access your account information. |
| LinkBack | Thread Tools | Display Modes |
12-13-2012, 07:31 PM | #1 (permalink) |
Guest | '14 GA DE Kendall Baker Strong-Side Defensive End Atlanta, GA (Marist School) Ht: 6-6 | Wt: 275 Rankings: 247: 90 rating #22 OT Rivals: 5.8 #7 SDE #150 overall ESPN: 78 grade #35 DT Scout: #23 OT 247 Composite: 0.9077 #20 OT #235 overall Offers: Florida State Tennessee Vanderbilt Auburn Georgia Clemson Arkansas Boston College Duke Georgia Tech Ole Miss Texas Tech UCF Virginia Wake Forest Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Interests: Notre Dame Michigan Louisville Florida NC State Last edited by clashmore_mike; 06-15-2013 at 09:30 AM.. Reason: updated |
Sponsored Links | |
12-13-2012, 07:32 PM | #2 (permalink) |
Guest | Rivals $: Irish intrigued by Baker |
05-09-2013, 11:12 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Community Moderator Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 12,868
Cash: 201,497,510.24Bank: 0.00 Total Bankroll: 201,497,510.24 Donate | Booker was out to see him this week, per II. It's the second or third time he's been down to see him. Has a top 5 ( Georgia, auburn, Alabama, Clemson and FSU) but said it's not set in stone. This might be somebody to keep an eye on for the middle if the staff doesn't like the way Frazier is trending. 6'6 might be a little tall for NG but he is has good athleticism for his size. |


text:
Written on: 06/06/2013
We found our holiday choice on Travel Zoo. The contact was Broadway Travel. They were extremely helpful and all our documents arrived in a prompt manner. We requested documents that we were unable to print and they arrived the next day. The staff were very pleasant. The travel arrangements all fell into place very well.
Our holiday was perfect; the Vidamar Resort hotel was wonderful, with a large very comfortable room, very good food and delightful and helpful staff. There was a huge beautiful huge pool. Its location was two minutes from beautiful beaches and the weather was brilliant. We really did not want to leave.


text:
Harsk is a gruff and driven dwarf, following a vow of justice to avenge his brother's death at the hands of giants. He prefers tea to ale, wanting to keep his senses sharp.
XP 400 DEFENSEAC 16, touch 13, flat-footed 13 (+3 armor, +3 Dex) OFFENSESpeed 20 ft. TACTICSDuring Combat Harsk prefers fighting with his crossbow over his battleaxe. His hatred for giants often motivates him to target creatures of that subtype to the exclusion of others. STATISTICSStr 14, Dex 16, Con 15, Int 10, Wis 14, Cha 8 |


text:
Entire Elemental Storm Collection
Gone forever in:
Having a hard time picking which shirts you want from a collection? Well, you no longer have that problem because we're offering our entire collection at a reduced price! Just navigate to the menu, choose your collection, your size preference and we'll get it to your door. If you have color and/or size preferences, just mention it in the notes section of the checkout and we'll meet your specifications.
This collection includes the following designs:
- Air Storm
- Earth Storm
- Fire Storm
- Water Storm
Apparel Items from our Current Collection do not ship until the collection has ended. Click here to see our printing and shipping schedule. Home Decor and Accessories have a shorter processing time and ship in 2 to 4 business days.
Need something that will ship sooner? Shop in our Vault.
Domestic Shipping
Starting at $3.69
International Shipping
Starting at $3.99
All products are proudly printed in the USA and may ship separately.
The art that we feature is created and owned by independent artists from all over the world. We work with our artists directly to provide high quality prints and pay them for their work. We pride ourselves in the quality of our products.
For specific product specs and sizing, check our Product Info & Sizing guide.


text:
Style # 241769
High waist honey! 3-button jeans with welt and diagonal pockets at the yoke. Gorgeous V-cut style accentuates your curvature and kisses your hips. Just add pumps.
- 42% Lyocell, 33% cotton, 15% rayon, 9% polyester, 1% spandex
- Machine wash
- Made in USA
- Rise: 10" (25 cm), inseam: 29" (74 cm), leg opening: 10" (25 cm)
- Model is 5'10" and wears a US size 28
Corset Waist Skinny Jeans is rated
out of
5 by
Rated 5 out of
ladyAlexis from
This jean fits like a glove! The material is very soft and nice (comfortable). The high waist gives me the hour glass figure. I am 5' 4" and 105 lbs. and I wear a size 24. I paired this skinny jean with a crop top for a night out.
Date published: 2014-07-28


text:
ACM TechNews is published every week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
National Science Foundation-funded research conducted by a team of four University of California, Santa Cruz professors and one Fort Lewis College professor suggests that pair programming in introductory programming courses can aid the retention of female students in computer science (CS)-related majors and play a key role in closing the CS gender gap. Pair programming is a technique in which two programmers--a "driver" who enters program code and a "navigator" who looks for errors and provides advice--collaborate on a project, exchanging roles regularly. Traditional introductory programming courses generally require that students work by themselves, a situation that can give them the mistaken impression that software development is a field characterized by social isolation. Pair programming actually dovetails with the collaborative development of working-world, non-trivial software projects. The research team introduced pair programming to introductory CS courses with over 500 students, and concluded that participants exhibited greater confidence in the programming assignments and more enthusiasm in completing assignments than students who worked alone, and had a higher probability of finishing and passing the course. Paired students' performance on individually taken final exams matched that of solo students; paired students were equally likely to pass subsequent programming courses where pair programming was not used, and had a higher likelihood of registering as CS-related majors one year later. The researchers discovered that the percentage of paired programmers, both male and female, who went on to declare a CS-related major was significantly higher than the percentage of students who programmed alone. Click Here to View Full Article For information on ACM's Committee on Women and Computing, visit http://www.acm.org/women
A 2004 Grand Challenges conference yielded seven computing milestones that U.K. researchers would strive to realize in the next several decades, and these milestones were recently disclosed in the British Computer Society's Grand Challenges in Computing Research report. The milestones include science for global ubiquitous computing and scalable ubiquitous computing, which both dovetail with distributed systems that support expandable networks of multitudinous, pervasive sensors that draw power from the environment. BT Exact futurologist Ian Pearson says achieving this milestone will fundamentally change the telecom industry to the degree "where we will charge for individual calls and [go] to an 'all you can eat' model." Another milestone involves explorations into non-classical computation that deviate from the von Neumann model of sequential computing, examples of which include quantum computing and quantum cryptography. The dependable systems evolution milestone emphasizes verifiable systems that can mathematically confirm their security and reliability prior to operation, a challenge that will become more formidable as systems grow in complexity. An absolutely provable system, a Holy Grail of IT, may not be possible, says Eugene Spafford, chair of ACM's U.S. Public Policy Committee, especially when the human element is factored in. However, he says "there are many fields when appropriate stochastic measures let us make risk decisions." The in vivo-in silico milestone focuses on the simulation of organic systems, a key step toward bio-inspired computing that Pearson says could yield radical technologies such as self-growing computers. He envisions first-generation systems composed of neurons, and second-generation systems comprised of protein clusters built from self-assembling DNA. ACM President David Patterson cautions that biology should not take precedence over IT, which he calls the "foundation of all research." He says, "We have this ability to simulate rather than perform physical experiments and that is a pretty powerful notion." Click Here to View Full Article For more information on ACM's U.S. Public Policy Committee, visit http://www.acm.org/usacm.
Strict government regulation is more important for e-commerce security than technology solutions, says Counterpane Internet Security founder Bruce Schneier in an interview. Schneier's article in the April issue of Communications of the ACM argued that two-factor authentication and other end-user technology solutions will not be enough to thwart determined hackers. He says online fraud is becoming more active and immediate; multi-factor authentication is useless when Trojan programs monitor plain text and keystrokes or when man-in-the-middle attacks dupe users into entering information on fake Web sites. Two-factor authentication is useful in some applications, such as securing internal access to company servers, but not for e-commerce. Schneier says a more effective solution to e-commerce fraud is to make banks liable for financial fraud in the same way credit card companies face most of the cost of credit card fraud. After regulations in the credit card industry, those companies began tightening down on fraud through detection technology in their own databases instead of focusing on how customers use their cards; Schneier believes the banking industry will similarly take steps to identify and stop online fraud if their bottom line is threatened. In the battle against online fraud, absolute security is impossible because security is a continuum--the aim is to manage risk enough so that commerce can continue. Security tokens issued by U.S. Bancorp, e-Trade, and America Online will provide improved security against some e-commerce threats, but eventually the benefits from multi-factor security will diminish as hackers shift tactics, says Schneier. Click Here to View Full Article
The widely used GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) will receive new optimization capabilities that should boost performance of open-source software compiled using the tool, including Linux, Firefox, OpenOffice.org, and Apache. GCC 4.0 will add new optimization technologies that enable the compiler to not only optimize local portions of a program, but take the overall structure of the program into account; using technology called scalar replacement and aggregates, data structures spread over a large amount of source code could be broken up, allowing object components to be stored directly in on-chip memory instead of main memory, for instance. A framework called Tree SSA (static single assignment) is also available for optimization plug-ins written later, says CodeSourcery "chief sourcer" and GCC 4.0 release manager Mark Mitchell. The result of the upgrades should be more efficient and effective translation of codes from high-level languages such as C into binary code understood by computers; open-source programs that use GCC will also run faster. Mitchell says GCC, included in the original Gnu's Not Unix effort and launched in 1987, is becoming more professional and commercial, along with other open-source software. There are now about 10 GCC core programmers dedicated to GCC's development, while Intel, which offers its own high-quality compilers for x86-run software, also contributes to GCC development because so much GCC-compiled software runs on the x86 chip platform. Pathscale also offers a performance-oriented open-source compiler that is derived from Silicon Graphics' Open64 compiler for scientific programs. Pathscale's Len Rosenthal says the goal is to make Open64, which is compatible with GCC 3.3, the default compiler for the x86 platform. Click Here to View Full Article
A flaw in a "hash function" technique for encrypting online data has been uncovered by a team of Chinese researchers at Shandong University, and this has raised alarms in the computer security industry because it casts doubt on the so-called impenetrability of hash function-based cryptography. The researchers found the vulnerability using the SHA-1 hash algorithm, a federal standard circulated by the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is also considered to be cutting edge as well as the most popularly employed hash function. The Shandong team learned that "collisions," in which two different chunks of data yield the same hash, can be uncovered in SHA-1 far faster than previously thought. Cryptographers say the exploitation of the flaw, though seemingly impractical, could affect applications involving authentication, theoretically enabling a hacker to erect a bogus Web site with convincing security credentials and steal data sent to it by unsuspecting users. Counterpane Internet Security CTO Bruce Schneier confirms the existence of the SHA-1 flaw, which the Chinese researchers have not publicized. NIST is advising federal agencies to keep SHA-1 out of any new applications, and urging them to devise plans to eliminate SHA-1 from existing applications. Recently demonstrated vulnerabilities in other hash functions such as MD4 and MD5--which SHA-1 is based on--have also made cryptographers nervous. Concerns about information security are at an all-time high even without revelations about hash functions' vulnerability, most recently thanks to break-ins at data aggregators LexisNexis and ChoicePoint.
Stanford University law professor Lawrence Lessig's Creative Commons licensing scheme, which permits authors and artists to distribute their works online while retaining "some rights reserved" rather than "all rights reserved," has gained a substantial advocacy base. Lessig is concerned that creativity is being stifled because many works remain outside the public domain thanks to the extension of copyright laws, and he envisions the Creative Commons as a repository of universally accessible "artifacts of culture." Over 10 million works, including music, videos, and course materials, have thus far been released under Creative Commons licenses, and even hard-line opponents of unauthorized online file-sharing such as former Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) President Jack Valenti have been won over. "The Internet is a machine for making copies, and artists need to come to grips with that," argues author Cory Doctorow, who has distributed several novels under Creative Commons licenses. He adds that new distribution models have always provoked howls of outrage that they threaten art, and such fears are unfounded. Washington general counsel for the MPAA Fritz Attaway sees no reason why Creative Commons-licensed works and traditionally copyrighted works cannot exist together. However, he contends that major film studios or record labels already reap plenty of profits from works released under the traditional copyright system, which makes wide distribution of their content under a Creative Commons scheme highly unlikely. Click Here to View Full Article (Access to this site is free; however, first-time visitors must register.)
This week's Software Development Expo is an event where programmers can pick each other's brains on effective strategies for developing quality code, and selecting methodologies that work for developers and their team has been an overarching theme. Ronin International consultant Scott Ambler noted that most software development projects come in behind schedule, and every project participant is aware that the schedules are unworkable; he believes software methodologies such as Scrum, in which iterative development is funded in very brief time frames of no more than a month, is an effective solution, one that cuts bureaucracy and allows developers to learn what features are important to them upfront. Gerald Weinberg, a 50-year software development veteran and author of "The Psychology of Computer Programming," said developers' habit of misrepresenting the progress of projects to management has not changed in the last half century. "[Management doesn't] know what you're doing, so they reward the appearance of work," he remarked. Although the primary goal behind developers' acceptance of methodologies is a desire to produce quality code that does what customers want, they are also aware of the challenges to management; Sun Microsystems Java architect David Heskell said it is often mistakenly believed that methodologies that work well on one kind of system are universally applicable to all projects, an assumption negated by the reality of dynamic project needs, technical complexity, and people issues. Google principal engineer Joshua Bloch recommended in a panel discussion on agile methods that developers be especially cognizant of variable naming strategies. His advice was to try to make code read as close to English as possible. Click Here to View Full Article
Ten schools, including the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are involved in the Institute for Information Infrastructure Protection (I3P) consortium's two-year, $8.5 million program to identify security flaws in the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems that help manage America's electric power, water, and oil and gas infrastructure. University of Illinois electrical and computer engineering professor David Nicol and Information Trust Institute director Bill Sanders will participate in the effort, which is funded by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the Homeland Security Department. I3P assistant director for research and analysis Eric Goetz says Illinois researchers "are helping identify and evaluate vulnerabilities in existing SCADA designs, modeling and testing SCADA systems in order to develop more secure technologies in the future." Nicol says he and Sanders are well versed in system assessment, and have recently focused on the evaluation of security systems. He is confident that they can supply a formal mathematical foundation for determining a system's reliability under a series of threats. Nicol and Sanders will put in "people time" in upcoming weeks to gauge the data they will receive from members of their team, and that information will be applied to attempts to re-design SCADA systems so that they are more secure against both physical and online threats. Each institute participating in the I3P program will focus on different elements of the SCADA security problem. Click Here to View Full Article
A group of Arabic-speaking volunteers is working to create open source tools that will make computing more accessible to hundreds of millions of people who use Arabic lettering; the Arabeyes project aims to establish itself as the nexus of Arabization efforts, which previously have been initiated by overseas students and stopped when those students finished their studies. Besides Arabic, the effort will also benefit other South Asian scripts such as Urdu, Pashto, Farsi, and even Hindi. In all, volunteer Mohammed Sameer from Cairo estimates between 225 million and 400 million people will directly benefit from these efforts, and he sees the core group of about 13 daily contributors as the Arabic-speaking equivalents of Richard Stallman or Linus Torvalds. Top Arabeyes contributors include volunteers from Sudan, Algeria, Iraq, and Lebanon. So far, Arabeyes has produced translated versions of Gnome and KDE Linux desktops, the OpenOffice.org 1 suite, and multi-platform text editor Vim; ongoing projects include OpenOffice.org 2, the Firefox browser, and an all-new Akka software layer that allows Arabic to be used on text-based Linux and Unix consoles, while other Arabic-specific projects include the Duali Arabic spelling checker and the Web dictionary interface QaMoose. Arabeyes.org has more than 500 registered users and focuses on programs for Linux. Sameer welcomes people who want to help on localization projects, and suggests they first think about the language needs and look for places where they can fill the gaps. Sameer is also a member of the Egyptian Linux user group responsible for promoting Linux in that country. Click Here to View Full Article
Corporate programmers have for the most part supplanted volunteer programmers as developers of core open-source software. IBM committed $1 billion to the development and promotion of the open-source Linux operating system four years ago, and has since made over 500 software patents and 30 software applications freely accessible to open-source programmers. "As Linux goes mainstream, the market gets bigger and the dollars available around the world grow, it becomes a great business opportunity," notes Open Source Development Labs CEO Stuart Cohen. Many companies are devoting their developers' time to the improvement of Linux in the hopes of ensuring that the OS is compatible with their hardware and software, while Cohen says some firms are gambling that increasing demand for Linux will in turn raise sales of related products. Corporate involvement benefits Linux by enhancing the OS with industrial-grade features that volunteer programmers would take years to develop. Linux creator Linus Torvalds is not concerned about any company dominating the development of Linux so that it gains a competitive advantage over rival Linux firms, because open-source development follows a democratic model to guarantee that only the best ideas prevail. In addition, improvements to the software are available to anyone through Linux's open licensing scheme. Andrew Morton, a chief deputy of Torvalds', maintains that most programmers, even commercial ones, develop a sense of loyalty to Linux that is stronger than corporate fealty.
Pennsylvania State University scientists are working on a computer that allows people to pull together disparate pieces of data using gestures, voice input, cognitive engineering, natural language technology, and geographic information systems (GIS) into a coherent whole in order to facilitate better decision making in crisis management. Project investigator and Penn State School of Information Sciences and Technology professor Michael McNeese says the biggest problems crisis teams currently face are information overload and their inability to organize and study spatial data using GIS. Penn State's GeoCollaborative Crisis Management (GCCM) project focuses on developing technology that allows government crisis teams to amalgamate critical data without the need for extensive and costly GIS training through a three-year analysis of teams' collaborative crisis response tactics. At the heart of the project is the Dialogue Assisted Visual Environment for GeoInformation (DAVE_G), a multimodal interface that can interpret and carry out user commands by combining gesture and voice recognition. "This technology will make the information that's essential for crisis management more accessible to the people who need it," says Penn State geography professor Andrew MacEachren. GCCM is funded by a $400,000 Digital Government Research Program grant from the National Science Foundation. Penn State is pursuing the project with the help of federal agencies such as the Homeland Security Department, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and the EPA, as well as state partners such as the Florida Division of Emergency Management and Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection. Click Here to View Full Article
Sony Online Entertainment senior game designer Sheri Graner Ray is a crusader for increasing women's presence in the video game developer and game player communities, and was honored with the International Game Developers Association's Community Contribution award at last week's Game Developers Conference. Ray, whose contributions include the seminal textbook "Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market" and the Girls in Games volunteer organization, says in an interview that the game industry is now acknowledging the reality of female gamers and is more actively pursuing this market segment. Ray's advocacy began with her curiosity as to why most women--even those in the industry--are disinterested in video games, and she says the reasons for this disinterest will be better understood once females comprise half of all gamers as well as half of all developers. A lack of female characters or "avatars" to play is one barrier to women's participation in video games, and Ray believes this issue will be addressed. She says women want female avatars to exhibit heroic traits such as youth and strength, but without over-exaggerating their sexuality, as is usually the case. As a consultant for other game developers and software firms, Ray has often been confronted with the question, "How do we make games for girls?," but she thinks the question that should be asked is, "How do we get more women to play our games?" Ray observes that more women play massively multiplayer games than PC standalone or console titles partly because multiplayer games can accommodate a broader range of play styles. She also notes that women often play a key role in keeping multiplayer game communities together because of their tendency to internalize the game. Click Here to View Full Article To learn more about ACM's Committee on Women in Computing, visit http://www.acm.org/women.
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $400,000 Early Career Development grant to University of Texas at Austin electrical engineer and Wireless Networking and Communications Group professor Sriram Vishwanath, who will use the money to determine the maximum capacity of wireless networks. "The problem is there is a lack of appropriate tools within any one field to tackle the problem in its entirety," remarks Vishwanath, who plans to concoct a never-before-seen methodology for finding the maximum amount of information a wireless network can send by combining the fields of information theory, optimization theory, and coding theory. Vishwanath will start by modeling simple networks of connected multiple computers or phone systems, and then analyze how data is streamed through these systems using information theory. The next step will be to ascertain the maximum information flow capacity via optimization theory and mathematical optimization models, and the final step will apply coding theory to the interpretation of the results and the verification of real-network maximum capacity. Principles derived from the assessment of simple networks will be generalized to more complex networks with this method so that the transfer of data between network components can be easily accomplished. The resulting theory will enable any network participant to know their network's maximum information flow capacity, as well as the best way to maximize throughput. Vishwanath acknowledges that developing such a theory represents the most formidable challenge. Click Here to View Full Article
Experts at the CeBIT computer trade show in Germany said digital IDs, enabled by multi-factor authentication, would help boost flagging consumer confidence in e-commerce. Currently, rampant identity theft, spyware infections, and other cyberthreats are even causing some companies to scale back their Internet activities, said RSA Security CEO Art Coviello. At Credit Suisse, customers are asking more questions about online security, which shows that cybersecurity issues are starting to undermine the bank's trustworthiness, said IT security architecture head Beat Perjes. Digital IDs would increase e-commerce security and enable other applications, such as digital passports. Individuals would be given some information only they possess, possibly a security token or biometric measurement, which would have to be authenticated in addition to a password or other more standard identification component. Experts said digital IDs could be used across a number of processes, but warned against using a centralized data repository that could be pilfered by hackers. Sun Microsystems chief technology officer Hellmuth Broda touted the Liberty Alliance Project, which is a coalition of more than 150 companies seeking to create a federated identity system; vendors need to coordinate their efforts if they are going to solve common problems, he said. Coviello suggested that a federated system could institute privacy firewalls where companies could easily share customer data without revealing the specific identity of those individuals. Broda warned that no system would provide perfect protection, but that efforts could make it much more difficult for hackers to break. Click Here to View Full Article
At a plenary session of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), recently appointed chairman Brian Carpenter promised better outreach to competing standards bodies such as the World Wide Web Consortium and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), arguing that such cooperation is vital to maintaining the IETF's relevance as the leading Internet standards organization--especially when confronted with declining participation and network industry consolidation. Restructuring the task force's financial and administrative architecture has been the primary focus of IETF leaders for the last several years, and this effort will soon reach its conclusion. Shinkuro engineer Allison Mankin, a director of the IETF's Transport Area, says the agency's seven areas are attempting to inject new life into their individual efforts by "developing strategic plans not so much for bringing in attendance but for looking to the future of our areas." Carpenter admitted that the Applications Area in particular needs to reconsider its initiative, but repudiated suggestions of discord between the IETF and other standards bodies in Web services and other emergent areas. There has been ample evidence of cooperation between the task force and other standards organizations in recent weeks: The IETF and the Open Mobile Alliance convened at a March 9 meeting that participants hailed as a "breakthrough," while on March 10 the task force hosted a panel on Voice over IP developments that was transmitted as a live Webcast to the Spring 2005 VON Conference. A joint IETF-ITU workshop on next-generation Internet architecture is also planned for May. Click Here to View Full Article
Western companies are outsourcing product research and development to overseas centers, a trend underscored by an increasingly homogeneous feeling among CEOs that more innovation is critical, but that current R&D investments are not delivering sufficient returns. This is causing corporations to reconsider their structure, and has prompted most leading Western companies to adopt an innovation model that relies on global networks of design partners. The benefits of this model include an increase in production speed and volume, but the flipside is the cultivation of new rivals, an erosion of brand-name companies' incentive to sustain new technology investments, and waning investor confidence; to avoid such outcomes, executives say corporations must shield some sustainable competitive advantage. The continuance of the R&D outsourcing trend will likely strengthen the role of low-wage countries churning out engineering graduates as intellectual property providers. India's contract R&D revenues are expected to surge from $1 billion annually to $8 billion in three years with help from the country's software development sector. "A Whole New Mind" author Daniel Pink projects that Western nations such as America will retain their competitive edge from "right brain" work involving "artistry, creativity, and empathy with the customer that requires being physically close to the market." Flextronics CEO Michael Marks expects Western tech conglomerates to dramatically retool R&D; he observes that about 80 percent of tasks currently performed by product engineers can easily be exported overseas, the majority of core technologies in today's digital gadgets are universally available, and the growing incorporation of technologies into semiconductors is increasing the simplicity of circuit boards. Evidence suggests that the key to maintaining leadership in the face of R&D offshoring lies in organizing and managing global networks of innovation. Click Here to View Full Article
The complexity of today's IT infrastructures can be traced back to a build-to-order mindset that is traditional in most IT organizations, where the typical IT infrastructure is custom made for each organization, write McKinsey & Co.'s James M. Kaplan, Markus Loffler, and Roger P. Roberts. As the IT world shifts toward distributed computing and the use of Web-centered and client/server architectures, organizations are gaining the ability to replace this build-to-order approach with a more "off-the-shelf" model focusing on particular service requirements. Rather than specifying a particular set of hardware and a particular configuration to handle a business application, developers specify a service requirement and infrastructure groups respond with reusable services delivered by a streamlined, automated "factory." There are three main fronts on which organizations must act in order to create a next-generation infrastructure: They must segment user demand, create standardized and "productized" reusable services, and develop the shared factories that will provide streamlined delivery of these services. As CIOs work to build a new organization, the key roles are those of the product manager, who defines products and product portfolios, and the factory architect, who designs the shared processes needed to deliver them. IT leaders should concentrate on five key areas to ensure that new or improved infrastructure is working successfully: Demand forecasting and capacity planning; funding and budgeting; product-portfolio management; release management; and supply and vendor management. An example of a successful next-generation infrastructure is that used by Deutsche Telekom's fixed-network division T-Com, which outsources most IT operations to the sister company T-Systems. T-Com and T-Systems work together to manage supply and demand across applications, with T-Com paying only for the capacity it uses, which in turn puts pressure on T-Systems to make efficient use of capacity. Click Here to View Full Article (Access to this site is free; however, first-time visitors must register.)
The Task Force on the Future of American Innovation, which counts industrial, scientific, and academic groups among its members, released a set of benchmarks last month to convince Capitol Hill that "the U.S. government is falling behind in its commitment to basic physical sciences research, which is a critical part of our competitive future," according to task force industry member Doug Comer of Intel. Association of American Universities President Nick Hasselmo says the coalition's findings clearly indicate that fewer U.S. citizens are participating in science and technology, concurrent with increased overseas competition in the same fields. The benchmarks find that the U.S. portion of science and engineering papers worldwide fell from 38 percent in 1988 to 31 percent in 2001. U.S. funding for physical sciences has been in a three-decade decline, while China, Taiwan, and South Korea collectively boosted their gross R&D investments by roughly 140 percent from 1995 through 2001, compared to America's 34 percent increase. Meanwhile, far more European and Asian students than American students are earning science and engineering degrees, and the number of Chinese, Taiwanese, and South Korean students pursuing PhDs in their home countries dramatically overtook those pursuing PhDs at American universities between 1994 and 1998. The benchmarks also note that America is lagging behind other nations in its nanotechnology, fusion energy, and nuclear power research efforts. The release of the benchmarks followed the Bush administration's scaling back of government funding for basic research, as recommended in the fiscal year 2006 budget proposal. Nobel physicist Burton Richter blamed "bipartisan shortsightedness" for the funding crisis, warning that this policy will have a detrimental effect on America's economic leadership in the long run.
Collaborative open-source software development is attractive to corporate IT groups--particularly those in the financial community--as a vehicle for developing cleaner code and more innovative applications. However, open-source experts caution that protective measures must be incorporated to sufficiently shield intellectual property and prevent the unwitting distribution of destructive code. Jim Herbsleb, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's International School of Computer Science and a member of its Institute for Software Research, outlines the requirements for prosperous commercial open-source development: Among them is face-to-face communications between programmers; a consideration for what end-user needs the software must satisfy; and an autocratic development structure in which a small group or single individual dictates what code should be embedded in new releases. "I've found that most successful open-source projects are run with an iron fist," Herbsleb notes. For companies, this development model promises to deliver the advantages that come with high-quality, easily alterable code that is free of licensing fees. Vijay Gurbani with Lucent Technologies/Bell Labs says the software development process advocated by Herbsleb is not wholly autocratic; customers' needs are paramount, which makes the decision of what code to put in and what to leave out less of a technical and more of a management issue. Despite the lack of licensing fees, open-source software entails other costs in terms of responsibilities, reports Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein's global head of open-source initiatives Steve Howe. "Even when someone sends you a bug fix, you have to test to make sure there really is a bug, and, if there is, that the fix actually works," he explains. Click Here to View Full Article
About ACM | Membership | Publications | Media Center | Advertise with ACM Privacy Policy | Code of Ethics | Accessibility | Contact us Copyright © 2017, ACM, Inc.


text:
Thankfully for all of us, anyone can watch the trailer on youtube:
Saturday, May 18, 2013
DVDs FOR DICK: HOTEL VERY WELCOME
Thankfully for all of us, anyone can watch the trailer on youtube:
6 comments:
I'm sure you already know this, but there are various programmes available to unlock DVDs on a computer (AnyDVD, DVDGenie, etc)so you can watch it on a laptop. Us folks who live in Region 2 have long had to use these to watch the often much better Region 1 discs!
ReplyDeleteReplies- AnonymousMay 18, 2013 at 4:47 PM
There are also programs you can burn to a disc and run through your regular dvd player that will convert it to "all regions". I did it years ago to watch Some Voices(featuring a YOUNG Daniel Craig in the throes of a full frontal meltdown), which was only available PAL 2 at the time.
- AnonymousMay 19, 2013 at 3:23 PM
All DVD standalone players can be unlocked, regionwise. You'll need to google the specific codes for your specific player. You'll have to mess around with the remote and the root codes for your player, but while it's fiddly, it's actually straightforward. Please note this will invalidate your player's warranty.


text:
About RailsCasts
RailsCasts is produced by Ryan Bates (rbates on Twitter and ryanb on GitHub). A free episode will be released on the first Monday of each month featuring tips and tricks with Ruby on Rails. The screencasts are short and focus on one technique so you can quickly move on to applying it to your own project. The topics target the intermediate Rails developer, but beginners and experts will get something out of it as well. A Pro option is also available containing more screencasts each week.
If you prefer text over video, a text version (ASCIIcast) is available for most videos. Special thanks to Eifion Bedford and the translators for transcribing the majority of the episodes into textual form.
TextMate Theme
Do you like the TextMate theme used in these screencasts? It is custom made and based off of the theme by idlefingers. I am using the Bitstream Vera Sans Mono font.
A Vim Theme is also available.
If you have any comments, suggestions, questions, etc. I'd love to hear them! Please use the Feedback Page or send an email to .
Thank you to all moderators who help keep the site clean and up to date:
- Andy L
- Ben Woodward
- Eifion Bedford
- Joe Woodward
- Kieran P
- Mark Kremer
- Miles Forrest
- Noah Hendrix
- Seth Vargo
If you are interested in becoming a moderator, see the moderator guidelines.
Special Thanks
Special thanks to Digital Ocean for providing hosting for this site and SublimeVideo for providing the video player.
This Site
An older version of this site is available in open source. It is intended to be used as an example Rails app, so feel free to copy bits of it for your own project. If you would like to use it as a starting point for your own site please contact me.
Software and Hardware Used
- TextMate - the best text editor
- KeyCastr - visual keyboard shortcuts
- iShowU - older version records the screen
- Final Cut Pro - for putting it all together
- Motion - the intro animation
- Heil PR 40 - the microphone
All free RailsCasts episodes are under the Creative Commons license. You are free to distribute unedited versions of those episodes for non-commercial purposes. You are also free to translate them into any language. If you would like to edit the video please contact me. All pro and revised episodes are not licensed for redistribution.


text:
147 A Geodesic Greenhouse — Year-Round Gardening at 6000 Feet
Deprecated: preg_replace(): The /e modifier is deprecated, use preg_replace_callback instead in /home/lonebobcat/wordpress.peakmoment.tv/conversations/wp-includes/formatting.php on line 82
In Colorado it's cold for much of the year, but inside this cozy dome greenhouse, the plants are growing happily. Take a grand tour with Buckhorn Gardens manager and permaculturist Breigh Peterson: the greenhouse structure with its interplay of light and water, warmth and air; curving raised beds of vegetables and flowers; fish tanks moderating the temperature; vertical trellises and shelves to use vertical space. Outdoors a huge garden of row crops and a young orchard are complemented by free-roaming chickens and ducks. (buckhorngardens.blogspot.com)
The geodesic dome greenhouse kit can be found at Growing Spaces.


text:
La Alianza Hispana's Senior Social and Recreation Center offers Latino seniors a safe and culturally sensitive environment with programs designed to stabilize and improve participant's physical and emotional health.
Located in our Senior Center at 1000 Massachusetts Ave. Boston MA 02118, the Senior Social and Recreation Center provides seniors with companionship, networking with other Latino seniors, individual and group counseling, education, recreation, transportation, meals, social activities, and referral services.
Services and Activities
- Health and nutrition education workshops
- Exercise and physical activities (e.g. yoga, Tai Chi, and calisthenics)
- Support managing chronic illnesses through case management
- Arts & crafts workshops
- Games and group recreational projects
- Cultural celebrations
- Trips and outings (beaches, museums, parks, and cultural events)
La Alianza Hispana's Senior Social and Recreation center strongly encourages seniors to play an active role in the program's services and oversight. Seniors are encouraged to contribute to the design and development of current and future programs, and to work directly with La Alianza Hispana's staff to provide the best possible experience to the program's participants.
Interested participants should be 55 years or older.
If you have any questions, or if you would like additional material regarding any of La Alianza Hispana's Senior Services, please contact Sandra Rojas. Phone: 617-427-7175 Ext: 779 or Email:


text:
Description: In this scene, amateur girl Mariah walks in to a geeky guy's office and offers up a blowjob. She sucks his dick and titty fucks him until he blows his load in her mouth. Mariah swallows it all down. Tags: Amateur, Amateur Sex, Brunette, Big Boobs, Blowjob, BJ, Cock Sucking, Sucking, Suckjob, Knobjob, Office Sex, Dick Licking, Titty Fucking, Cum in Mouth, Cum Swallow Site: Raw Tube Category: Amateur Views Since The Last Update: 31916 Discuss: CommentsSpecial: Free Membership
Share Video: press ctrl+c to copy and ctrl+v to paste Embed Video: Link To Video:
Rating: 2.6/5 (72 votes cast)