CALENDAR.

* Informal EU Industry Council sessionThe informal meeting of EU industry Ministers in Manchester, United Kingdom, on 19 and 20 February, will be dominated by the goal of making Europe the world's most competitive region within ten years. Errki Liikanen, the Commissioner responsible for Enterprise and the Information Society, Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, and Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, have all be invited to attend the informal Council session, which will be Chaired by Sweden's Industry Minister Lars Rekke. The session falls within the context of the proclamation at the Lisbon European Council in March 2000 that the EU should aspire to being the most competitive region in the world, a goal to be achieved on the back of entrepreneurship. Various questions will be addressed, notably the simplification of regulations, risk approaches, innovation, electronic commerce, the use of information technologies and sustainable development. Mr Rekke has indicated that these themes are the Swedish Presidency's overriding priorities in this area. The Manchester Conference will provide Industry Ministers with an opportunity to secure agreement on concrete measures and a timetable for achieving this ambitious goal.* Informal Council of EU Research and Education MinistersEU Education and Research Ministers are to participate for the first time since 1994 in an informal Ministerial meeting on important questions for the future. The meeting, to be held in Uppsala from 1 to 3 March, will also prepare the ground for the Summit of EU Heads of State and Government in Stockholm on 23 and 24 March. The general conclusions to the Lisbon Summit in spring 2000 will serve as a basis for discussions at both these gatherings.The demographic changes anticipated in Europe imply that future action in support of full employment will probably give way to a situation where skilled labour is lacking. With strong demand on labour markets, it will be necessary to simultaneously stimulate interest in undertaking and completing higher education courses. For this reason, significant efforts will probably have to be made in EU Member States to increase the recruitment of students at all levels and to improve education systems, from primary schools to research training.In the majority of Member States, it is already proving difficult to recruit students in the science and technology sectors. These difficulties coincide with decisive scientific...