Patently Striking

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Patent examiners and other staff of the European Patent Office demonstrated today outside the European Commission offices, demanding a thorough re-examination of the EPO. They claim that the organisation is decentralising and focusing on granting as many patents as possible to gain financially from fees generated. In 2007 the national patent offices had an income of 300 million Euros from patents granted by the EPO.

The staff union, SUEPO, say that lowering the quality of patents will have a disastarous effect on innovation which will affect every consumer.. Their 'Save The EPO' campaign is not aimed at increasing wages but in reinforcing patent quality.

They held talks with Commission officials, requesting a general study on patent quality and a review of the administation of the EPO, highlighting the importance of inovation as a generator of employment in Europe.

Reflections of Berlaymont

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I went round Berlaymont, the HQ of the European Commission, looking for some good shots. I found this reflection of the building on the polished walls.

I also got some nice shots of Eurocrats wandering around talking into their mobiles.

I'm hoping to get inside the building soon as EC Vice-President Wallstrom has promised me an interview.

911 Protestors

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Around 250 conspiracy theorists and self-styled "Truth Seekers" gathered at Schuman to ask for a reopening of an inquiry into 9/11 and the dismantling of the New World Order. A wide variety of beliefs were expressed including theat planes weren't involved in 9/11, it was an inside job by Bush on behalf of the Jewish lobby and similar nonsense.

They then marched to the US embassy where they were going to deliver a letter.

Summiting in Brussels

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Before the main summit started I went to a meeting on the future of Georgia where the main speakers included State Minister of Georgia for Reintegration, Temuri Yakobashvili and Vladimir Chizov, Russian Ambassador to the European Union.

A lively meeting and one full of media. There were more cameras there than at Media Markt.

Water Sculpture

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I'm glad to see Brussels getting into art and installations, even if I don't like a particular piece, as they enliven the capital with their often quirky and eccentric presence.

This is a water fountain/sculpture at Schuman, possibly to celebrate EU Maritime Policy Month, or something similar that is causing spontaneous joy and dancing in the streets all the way to Parc.

It is easy to criticise such EU nonsense and modern art, but to be a bit more balanced I have to say that this is an inventive piece.

By using controllers to start and stop the water, often for micro-seconds, words and images appear in the falling water, such as 'maritime' in this picture. Clever stuff, but I suspect someone's been having fun as I kept seeing a shower of falling willies appearing.

Some may doubt the wisdom of such an installation in rain soaked Brussels, but if you stand in the right place on a clear morning as the Sun's first rays hit the falling water, one can see a golden shower raining over Berlaymont.

Sheer poetry.

EU Parliament

eu parliament

Or half of it as people still continue to trudge over to Strasbourg for no sane reason.

Well. I'm back from a week in Blighty and will carry on posting photos of Brussels.

But first I must gorge myself on waffles.

Traffic Cone

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This cone, marked 'New Zealand Embassy' is outside their office in Square de Meeûs.

Rumours that the Australian embassy, around the corner, have a larger cone has yet to be confirmed.

I wonder what drove them to write their name on it. could it be that those Ozzies are stealing them? Is there a covert Cone Ops team?

We shall probably never know. Brussels is full of mysteries.

Berlaymont

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I went around Schuman yesterday looking for a riot, but missed it completely. Europe's neo-nazis had been planning a protest 'Stop the Islamisation of Europe', tastefully to be held on 9/11.

200 people turned up, chanted about white flour and then ran away from the police. Some not quite fast enough.

The rest of Brussels went about their business undisturbed.

Behind the Commission

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As we finally get some Sun, the Eurocrats come out to play. This is behind the new EU building by Residence Palace. The one with a statue of a man in a nightshirt sticking his foot out.

I'd love to tell you whose building it was or what goes on in there, but their budget didn't appear to stretch to a sign outside.

European Parliament

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I'm at a conference in the parliament for the next couple of days, so here's a shot of the main hall. It's an interesting place, lots of people milling around, many groups here for meetings, looking around and so on.

The ground floor in the photo is a range of shops and there's a couple of not very good cafes at the far end. This is why everyone heads off to Place Lux at every opportunity.

Back in the Jungle

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Peering through the Brussels rainforest I was startled to see this huge building.

Is it some sign of an advanced civilisation I wonder?

Apologies for the title, but it's not often I can squeeze in a New York Dolls reference ;-)

Australian Embassy

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They're a really nice bunch of people in there, but the sign lets them down.

Comic Sans MS - such a dreadful typeface, you often see it on cheap flyers or notices for events at the infant school. It's meant to be 'fun' and 'informal'.

But an Embassy? What were they thinking?

DG Research, looking in at itself

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This is the EU Commission's DG Research building. The reflected glass is also echoed from neighbouring offices.

I'm not too hot on steel and glass buildings, but the copper coloured windows and late afternoon sunlight can produce something dazzling

Representation of Greenland to the EU

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Brussels is the diplomatic capital of the EU and I loved the logo of the polar bear for the Representative of Greenland to the EU. It's described as 'a polar bear sejant erect proper'. Apparently the left fore paw is raised because polar bears are naturally left handed. Greenland also has a cool flag.

The Faroe Islands (below) has a lovely historical look to it as well.

together banner

together banner

I do try to be positive about the EU, but I find it all exasperating sometimes. This banner is hung outside the European Parliament, celebrating 50 years of the EU.

The problem is that it is utterly unreadable. It looks like technicolour vomit, as though a heavenly hippie has just regurgitated on the wall.

The logo's a problem too. I utterly detest it, and if you look closely you can see that the red letter in it has a white halo effect - a sign of a bad photoshop.

It's absolutely horrid and is on public display at Place Lux where it is frightening small children and disconcerting the after work drunks.

Margot Wallstrom

Margot Wallstrom

Today, BBC staff in Brussels held a vigil to mark the fifth week that their Gaza reporter, Alan Johnston has been held hostage by an unknown group.

There were plenty of journalists present and Margot gave a short but impressive speech backing press freedom and the importance of allowing journalists to do their job.

Speaking on behalf of the BBC was their Brussels correspondent, Johnny Diamond who made a direct appeal to the kidnappers to release Alan. I managed to get a short interview with Johnny, listen to it here

Sightseeing

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I can really see the attraction of taking a sightseeing tour bus; it gives you a good run through of the main points of interest in a city, and ideas for further exploration.

That said, this bus it taking people through the EU district where they are shown a series of glass and steel monstrosities housing organisations with such long names that the drivers have to crawl along in order for the guides to explain who is in what building. Not that anyone leaves any the wiser as to how it all fits together.

Statues outside Charlemagne Building

Statues outside Charlemagne Building

I've always found these statues to be a little disconcerting. They look so organic in the sterile surroundings of stainless steel and glass. They certainly look suitably mischievous and playful as though they have suddenly arrived there from another world.

I've been googling around, but have failed to find out anything about them, can anyone tell me anything about them?

Congolese Protestor

demo- Congolese Protestor

There was a small demonstration by Schuman roundabout by a group of around 50 Congalese, protesting about the recent elections that returned Kabila to power and provoked violence.

These protestors gather quite often at Schuman, but this time they were put on a blocked off street and were outnumbered by police. There was no ill will and the police were relaxed.

Eventually they trundled off and One of the protest leaders thanked the police and said 'see you next time'.

The Wall that Was

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The European Headquarters and Parc Léopold, 1040 Brussels. You must have recognised Paul-Henry Spaak Building, also known as le Caprice des Dieux ("Gods' whim") because of its shape. Incidentally, this famous cheese is already 50 years old...

You may have passed by the European Parliament in rue Wiertz without ever noticing a tall and colourful rectangle hidden by the shrubs. Well, pay attention, you are looking at a piece of the Berlin Wall!

On a tri-lingual inscription (French, Dutch and German, Belgium's official languages), one can read the following: Berlin Wall – Genuine piece from Potsdamer Platz.

The Wall was Berlin's, Germany's and Europe's symbol of division from 1961 to 1989. Its fall on 9.11.1989 allowed the unification of eastern and western Europe within the EU on 1st May 2004.
Now I can’t help wondering... Is this a new EU symbol? Are we perhaps running into a brick wall?
This post and photo provided by MKWM.