Kelly gears up for EU Move Week

IRISH towns, cities, sporting organisations, clubs, individuals and institutions are being encouraged to sign up to a new EU initiative aimed at getting people more physically active. European MOVE WEEK, which will take place during the first week of October, will build on the momentum of the Olympics as a large-scale celebration of sport and physical activity. The pilot project is part of a long-term campaign begun by MEPs last year to get 100 million more Europeans active by the year 2020. Irish MEP and former GAA President Sean Kelly, who is helping to drive the project, says that at least 20 European cities will be hosting 50 events this year during MOVE WEEK. The Fine Gael MEP says one of the aims of the campaign is to influence EU sports policy by shifting the emphasis from elite sports to grassroots activity. 'I'm afraid that too much of the funding available for sports might be gobbled up by big professional bodies, which is of no benefit to grassroots sporting activities,' he said. Mr Kelly warned that the use of the term 'sport' can sometimes turn people off, and that he and his colleagues are more keen to promote the more inclusive concept of 'physical activity'. 'We want to get people more aware of the invaluable health and social benefits that result from any kind of physical activity, whether individual or collective,' he added. Hair dye made safer with EU rules NEW rules drawn up in Brussels will ensure popular hair colouring products are made safer and less toxic. Since 2003, the EU has banned the use of about 180 potentially toxic substances in hair dye and restricted the use of a further 52 chemicals. However this month, a further 24 substances were restricted after scientists found them to be unsafe. At least 60 per cent of women and up to ten per cent of men colour their hair regularly, and the average frequency of use is six to eight times a year. However recent scientific evidence has suggested that long-term use of certain products could be associated with bladder cancer. Acting on this research, the European Commission is continuing to investigate hair dye ingredients, and a last batch of 45 substances are still waiting to be assessed. Irish MEP Nessa Childers welcomed the new hair dye rules as a sensible consumer safety measure. 'The many thousands of Irish people who dye their hair want to know that the substances they use are safe. This update in the EU Cosmetics Directive means people can be more confidence of the hair colouring products sold everywhere in Europe,' said the Labour MEP. Irish businesses need protection from online attacks AN EU proposal to set up coordinated European penal sanctions against perpetrators of cyber crime has been stalled after MEPs decided to boycott negotiations on a number of cross-border legislative packages. The report, which would have offered protection to the growing number of Irish businesses experiencing online data theft, was due to be voted on this summer. However the European Parliament decided to suspend the ballot until a satisfactory outcome is achieved on rules governing the EU borderless area, known as Schengen. Irish MEP Liam Aylward, who wants the proposal implemented as soon as possible, says the cross-border nature of cyber attacks means it is essential that the EU establishes a coordinated position to make such offences punishable by law. 'Given that over a third of the EU's 500 million citizens bank online and there is an estimated €6 trillion changing hands globally each year in e-commerce, it is essential that there is action at the EU level to ensure that large-scale and dangerous attacks against the information systems of companies, banks and the public sector are eliminated and penalised,' he said. A growing number of Irish businesses are being exposed to cyber crime, with most cases involving websites being hijacked by phishing scams whereby cardholder details are stolen in bulk. In 2011, over 440 Irish firms reported cyber attacks to Iriss-Cert, a non-profit volunteer computer security incident response team which shares information about online threats. And 15 per cent of all breaches against Irish companies were to steal data.