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January 22, 2010 Member organisations of SAMARITAN INTERNATIONAL cooperate in the disaster response for Haiti and despatch emergency specialists |
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January 22, 2009 Meeting with Croix Blanche (CB) presidium at ASB Head Office Cologne |
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A meeting with the highest body of Croix Blanche, the French SAINT member organisation, took place on 13 and 14 January 2009 in Cologne where the possibilities of further cooperation in SAINT were discussed. Croix Blanche as one of the oldest first aid organisations in France will be permitted to use in future the European First Aid Certificate (EFAC). The EFAC confirms the completion of a first aid training course corresponding to the SAINT minimum standards. |
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Also agreed was future cooperation in the fields of ‚Youth International’, ‚Rescue Service’, ‚SAINT AID’ and the respective working groups, as well as joint actions with regard to the ‚European Year of Volunteering 2011’. Apart from that, Croix Blanche will send an own team to the European First Aid Competition ‘SAINT Contest’ 2010. Also agreed was a closer cooperation in respect of the joint publications ‚SAINTdirect’ and ‘SAINT website’. Croix Blanche
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June 11, 2008 New rules to regulate long working hours A directive governing on-call time and other forms of particularly long working hours was agreed by EU employment and social policy ministers, who met on 9 June. To protect workers from adverse health and safety risks, working long hours will continue to be regarded as an exception, and a 48-hour maximum working week will remain the general rule in the Union. The new directive establishes a definition of "inactive part of on-call time". This refers to the on-call time during which an employee has to be present in his workplace but is not required actually to carry out duties. It covers, for instance, the hours doctors spend on call in hospitals even if they are not treating patients. These inactive hours will not count as working time, unless national legislation or collective agreements decide otherwise. An opt-out provision allows hours to be worked in excess of the 48-hour maximum if the employee wishes to do so and if this possibility is expressly laid down by collective agreement or national law. Refusal to work more than the average working time must not entail any negative consequences. This directive will be adopted jointly by the two co-legislators, the Council and the European Parliament; the latter gave its opinion on 11 May 2005.
Press release of 9-10 June 2008, provisional version
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June 9, 2008 The emergency number 112 is available in 26 EU Member States The single European emergency number is now available in 26 out of 27 Member States. EU citizens can call 112 anywhere in the European Union, except Bulgaria, said EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding in Brussels. In some Member States, however, 112 cannot be called by foreign mobile phone users, criticized Reding. According to the Commission these countries are Belgium, Cyprus, Rumania, Great Britain, Italy and Latvia. The EU Commission launched the new ec.europa.eu/112 website to inform citizens about the functioning of 112 in the Member States and the response times to 112 calls. Germany achieved a rather poor result: It can take up to 60 seconds until an emergency call would be answered. Futher information on the EU website
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September 13, 2007 New composition of the SAINT Presidium On the occasion of the meeting of the SAINT Advisory Committee in Svendborg/Denmark, President Dr. Friedhelm Bartels was re-elected to the presidium for another two years. New members of the presidium are Dr. Yannik Leblois, President of the Fédération des Secouristes Francais-Croix Blanche, France, and Finn Erik Thoresen, Secretary General and designated chairman of the executive board of Norsk Folkehjelp, Norway. Vice-presidents Andris Berzins, Rigas Samariesu apvieniba, Latvia, Dr. Ivo Bonamico, Landesrettungsverein Weißes Kreuz (WK), South Tyrol (Italy), Klaus Nørlem, ASF-Dansk Folkehjaelp, Denmark and Dr. Manfred Novotny, Arbeiter Samariter-Bund Österreichs, Austria, were confirmed in their offices. The revisor Dr. Oskar Malfertheiner (WK) was also confirmed in his office. The re-elections to the presidium take place every two years at the meeting of the SAINT Advisory Board (SAINT members' meeting). Bodies and persons of SAINT
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September 13, 2007 5th International Samaritan Forum from 7th to 9th September 2007 in Svendborg/Denmark Once again, the 5th International Samaritan Forum attracted also this year interested people from all over Europe. More than 300 full time staff and volunteers working in the SAINT member organisations found their way to Svendborg in Denmark in order to attend the 5th Forum from 7th to 9th September 2007. Participants from Denmark, Norway, Austria Switzerland, Italy (South Tyrol), Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, France, Slovakia, Gambia and Germany took part in the event.
In addition to the highly popular continuing education seminars for rescue services, lectures and workshops covering the topics „Rescue service “, „Voluntary work“, „International partnerships “, „SAINT-AID“ (Assistance in Disaster) and „First Aid training “ were offered.
Apart from that, meetings of the internal SAINT working groups „EC First-Aid“, „SAINT-Aid“ and „Youth International“ took place. Already in September 2006, on the occasion of the SAINT presidium meeting in Riga/Latvia, the set up of another working group “Rescue service” had been decided. The constituent meeting of this new working group was held on 7th September 2007.
The working group should in future put the focus on current problems in the field of rescue service and disaster control in Europe (relating to the SAINT member countries). Chairman is Jürgen Grassl from the Workers’ Samaritan Federation Austria. The meetings of the SAINT organs „Presidium“ and „Advisory Committee“ completed the internal programme. At the re-elections of the board, President Dr. Friedhelm Bartels was confirmed in his office. Representatives of the new member organisations from France and Norway were also elected to the board.
We are looking forward to the the next Forum in 2009 in Germany on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Samaritan International.
Former SAINT Forums |
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As promised in the last mail service, we will provide you today with some information on the musical programme of 7 and 8 September 2007 in the festival tent in Svendborg/Denmark.
Friday, 7 Sep. 2007
Today, the famous Danish live band Schmidt & Co (5 persons) plays for us. This group will perform own arrangements as well as cover songs from Robbie Williams, Michael Jackson, the Eagles and Danish hits of the ‘80s. 22 years of experience in the range of music promise a diverting evening.
Saturday, 8. Sep. 2007
New Generation – live band – 3 persons – 17 years of experience! A great musical spectrum – from the hits of the ‘60s to this day – offers music for anyone’s taste. Old memories arise and it is a special pleasure for everyone when joining in an evergreen.
Don't hesitate and send us the registration for the 5th SAINT Forum.
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February 22, 2007 Romanian delegation visited Head Office of ASB Germany At the beginning of February 2007, representatives of the Romanian Samaritan organisation in Orastie visited the ASB Head Office in Cologne. The Samaritan organisation in Orastie (ASO) was founded in 2005 and is in close contact with the German local branch Helmstedt. In addition, Orastie and Helmstedt are twin towns. A partnership contract between the two Samaritan organisations has already been signed. Therein, both parties agree upon cooperation projects on a regular basis. The visit of the ASB Head Office and the Saint Secretary General primarily served the purpose of discussing the future development of ASO and the possible support on the part of ASB (KV Helmstedt and Head Office) as well as of Saint. A new project contract could also be signed. The objective is to provide at first 50 needy persons with warm meals until the end of this year. The ASO will carry out the project on site, ASB Helmstedt and ASB Head Office will be responsible for the start-up financing and the Orastie municipality will take a share in the current costs.
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September 7, 2006 SAINT Presidium meets Latvian Minister for Integration in Riga |
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On the occasion of their meeting in Riga from 4 to 6 September 2006, the members of the SAINT Presidium had the opportunity to inform Karina Petersone, Minister for Integration (4th on the left), responsible for the further development of the legal basis for non-government organisations, about the legal framework conditions for relief organisations in other European countries. At the same time, the meeting in Riga gave the members the opportunity to learn more about the work of the Latvian Samaritan organisation (RSA) which has been chosen the best Latvian non-government organisation. A further item on the agenda was the legal development in the EU, especially regarding the labour time and services directives. The forthcoming 5th SAINT Forum in Svenborg/Denmark in September 2007 and the 2dn SAINT-Contest in summer 2008 were also contents of the meeting. Apart from that, the presidium decided upon the set-up of a new permanent working group "Rescue Service" which should be concerned with the comparability and mutual national recognition of national rescue service training, the set-up of an exchange programme between the member organisations for full time rescue staff and voluntary rescue workers and legal developments at the EU level relating to the rescue service.
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May 2, 2006 EU-Commission addresses specificities of social services |
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The Communication presents for the first time a list of these services' specific characteristics. It also opens up a process of wide consultation, open to all actors of the sectors, Member States, Social Partners, NGOs and operators of social services, through which the Commission will better take into account the specificities of those services when implementing EU legislation. More social services of general interest (SSGI) are opening up and diversifying across the EU, meaning a growing proportion now fall under EU internal market and competition law. The legal clarification in this Communication deals not just with state aid to service providers in the SSGI sector, but also the application of internal market (especially the principle of freedom to provide services and freedom of establishment) and public procurement rules. Therefore the Communication is fully in line with the recently adopted revised proposal for the services Directive. It gives an important message: social services of general interest have specific characteristics distinguishing them from other services of general interest, such as telecommunications and transport. These characteristics include the services being personalised and their aims directly connected with access to fundamental social rights and to the achievement of social cohesion. To reach those aims, social services of general interest are based on solidarity and frequently require the voluntary participation of citizens and of not for profit organisations. This clarification had been requested by many interested parties. These include Member States, public service employers/employees representatives and non-governmental organisations, who hope that greater clarity will help services continue modernising.
Further information
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8 March 2006 Flight ticket fee as development aid Foreign Minister Douste-Blazy refers to the flight ticket contribution as something "totally new and revolutionary". The long-time plan of President Chirac has now been realized in cooperation with 13 countries. The duty on flight tickets should finance the struggle against diseases in poor countries, reports the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) (a leading aily newspaper in Switzerland), on 2 March 2006. France has already resolved upon the fee which should amount to 1 € to 40 € , depending on the length of the flight. With the expected revenues of about 200 million € a fund should be raised to which further 25 countries will contribute. The money is for the benefit of people in developing countries, suffering from aids, malaria or tuberculosis. Countries which will raise the fee are France, Great Britain, Norway, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Brazil, Chile, Nicaragua, Kongo, Côte d'Ivoire, Madagscar, Mauritius and Jordan. The contributing countries are among others Germany, Austria, Belgium, South Africa, South Korea and Mexico. |
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