Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-07-19

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greek prof. Kafatos named to prestigious new EU scientific council

[02] KYSEA approves new command structure for Greek Armed Forces

[03] Debate on shop opening hours bill begins amid protests

[01] Greek prof. Kafatos named to prestigious new EU scientific council

The brief resume on the Greek scientist presented by the Commission in its announcement says that Kafatos was born on the island of Crete, he has graduated from Cornell University and has completed his PHD in biology at Harvard University.

In 1969 Kafatos had already been the youngest professor at Harvard University, where he had taught until 1994, while in parallel he had been an assistant professor of biology at Athens University from 1972 until 1982.

Kafatos was also the founder and director of the Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Institute at the Research Centre of Crete from 1982 until 1993, and is director-general of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

The announcement released by the Commission is as follows:

"Today the European Commission is announcing the names of the 22 eminent men and women who will be the founding members of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council (ERC), a funding organisation for frontier research proposed by the European Commission under the Seventh Research Framework Programme (2007-2013). The Scientific Council will be an independent body whose role is to determine the ERC�s scientific strategy and ensure that its operations are conducted according to the requirements of scientific excellence. The 22 scientists were chosen by an independent panel of high-level scientists, chaired by Lord Patten of Barnes, Chancellor of Oxford and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Universities.

The 22 founding members of the Scientific Council are:

Dr. Claudio BORDIGNON (IT)

Professor Manuel CASTELLS (ES)

Prof. Dr. Paul J. CRUTZEN (NL),

Prof. Mathias DEWATRIPONT (BE)

Dr. Daniel ESTEVE (FR)

Prof. Pavel EXNER (CZ)

Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim FREUND (DE)

Prof. Wendy HALL (UK)

Prof. Dr. Carl-Henrik HELDIN (SE)

Prof. Dr. Fotis C. KAFATOS (GR)

Prof. Dr. Michal KLEIBER (PL)

Prof. Norbert KROO (HU)

Prof. Maria Teresa V.T. LAGO (PT)

Dr. Oscar MARIN PARRA (ES)

Prof Robert MAY (UK)

Prof. Helga NOWOTNY (AT),

Prof. Christiane N?SSLEIN-VOLHARD (DE)

Dr. Leena PELTONEN-PALOTIE (FI)

Prof. Alain PEYRAUBE (FR)

Dr. Jens R. ROSTRUP-NIELSEN (DK)

Prof. Salvatore SETTIS (IT)

Prof. Dr.med. Rolf M. ZINKERNAGEL (CH)

[02] KYSEA approves new command structure for Greek Armed Forces

According to national defence ministry sources, the new structure is expected to increase the capacity for rapid reaction, enhance interbranch cooperation and lower operational cost.

The Armed Forces General Staff remains the only headquarters of all the branches of the armed forces on an operational and strategic level, while all the interbranch commands are converted to operational commands. In addition, a developing interbranch formation is created for rapid reaction on a brigade level on a tactical level, answerable directly to the armed forces chief.

During the meeting, the government also selected the new heads for Greece's military justice system and approved the transfer of property from the National Defence Fund to the autonomous Officers' Construction Organisation in order to build more apartments in Thessaloniki for retired members of the military.

[03] Debate on shop opening hours bill begins amid protests

Unions began a series of symbolic blockades of major road networks around the country, including Nestos bridge, Corinth Canal, Rio-Antirrio bridge and the Promahona bridge.

On Monday, the parliament's scientific studies directorate published a report on the draft law underlining a series of recommendations aimed to improving a government-sponsored legislation.

On Wednesday, the government will table a draft law aiming to reform labour relations in the country with Parliament's Social Affairs Commission. Trade unions and opposition political parties have expressed their disagreement with the new bill, while GSEE - the country's largest trade union umbrella organisation - has annoucned a 24-hour panhellenic strike for July 27.

Trade unionists belonging to PAME, a trade union movement affiliated to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), staged a protest outside the employment ministry on Tuesday over the government's labour law bill, which effectively abolishes the eight-hour day and is expected to greatly the income of the workforce through overtime pay.

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