Europe-East articles from January 2003

Europe-East archives from January 2003

NO TIME FOR A BREATHER.(European Union)
January 16, 2003... After the historic climax of December's Copenhagen Summit, the enlargement saga's many protagonists and analysts may have been forgiven for thinking that they would have a chance to put their feet up for a well-earned break. But not a bit of...

SLOVAKIA SETS OUT ITS PLANS.
January 16, 2003... Slovakia has made great progress along the path towards a democratic constitutional system, civil rights guarantees, market economy and international status, says a policy statement from the Slovak government. Now it has presented "a...

HAVEL'S LAST NEW YEAR MESSAGE.(Vaclav Havel, president of Czech Republic)
January 16, 2003... Vaclav Havel, the outgoing President of the Czech Republic - the election of his successor is taking place in January - looked backwards as well as forwards in what was his final new year message to his nation. So not only did he greet the...

ESTONIA "ON THE BOUNDARY OF TIME".
January 16, 2003... In his new year address, the President of Estonia, Arnold Ruutel, spoke of himself and his countrymen "standing together on the boundary of time". He recalled how "the outgoing year has brought for Estonia the awaited invitation to NATO and the...

CLERIDES' SATISFACTION AT 2002 ACHIEVEMENTS.(Glafcos Clerides, president of Cyprus)
January 16, 2003... "The people and leadership of Cyprus justifiably feel joy and pride because after a long and difficult course, we managed to secure a decision for Cyprus to be granted accession to the European Union", said the President of the Republic of...

UK CONGRATULATIONS TO MALTA.
January 16, 2003... The United Kingdom government sent a message of congratulations to the Maltese prime minister, Eddie Fenech Adami, in the aftermath of the Copenhagen summit - at which Malta finalised its EU accession negotiations. It said: "The Government of...

GREEK SUPPORT FOR BALKANS RECONSTRUCTION.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... An example of Greece's commitment to the Balkans is its five-year (2002-2006) Hellenic Plan for Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans (HiPERB). The Euro 550 million available cover six countries - Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria,...

NEW LOAN FOR MOTORWAY REHABILITATION.
January 16, 2003... The European Investment Bank (EIB)has announced that is to provide a Euro 50 million loan to the state-owned Croatian Motorway Company (HAC) for the rehabilitation of a key motorway. The road links Croatia to Western Europe and provides a...

EU FUNDS STUDY ON BOSNIAN LANDMINES.(European Union)(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... The European Commission announced in December that it has cleared EU funding of up to Euro 800 000 to help finance a "Landmine Impact Survey" in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The total cost of the 14-month project, to be implemented by the...

EUROPEAN UNION GRANTS FUNDS FOR CHERNOBYL AND COMBATING TUBERCULOSIS.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... The European Commission has approved a Euro 20 million contribution to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to help make safe the site of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. The funds from the Chernobyl Shelter Fund in...

RUSSIA ACCUSES GERMANS OF MEDIA BIAS.(Brief Article)
January 16, 2003... The Russian government has sent a letter of complaint to German television channel ARD, accusing it of biased coverage of the hostage crisis in a Moscow theatre in October, in which scores of Chechen terrorists and over 100 hostages died -...

AZERBAIJAN CRITICISED OVER MEDIA FREEDOM.
January 16, 2003... Azerbaijini state authorities have intensified their ongoing campaign against opposition and independent media in the run up to presidential elections scheduled for October 2003 - according to International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights....

EU "CONCERN" OVER TURKMENISTAN CLAMPDOWN.(European Union)
January 16, 2003... The EU has said that it is "concerned" about what appears to be a heavy-handed and politically motivated investigation by the authorities in Turkmenistan into a reported assassination attempt against President Saparmurat Niyazov on November 25...

EU-CANADA JOINT STATEMENT ON NORTHERN DIMENSION.(European Union)
January 16, 2003... The EU and Canada face common challenges in our northern regions. In recognition of our mutual interest in this area, we agreed in 1999, through the Joint Statement on Northern Co-operation, to work together on northern issues. In 2001, we...

SEEING THE WOOD FOR THE TREES - FORESTRY AND EU ENLARGEMENT.(European Union)
January 16, 2003... Enlargement will entail changes for the EU's forestry sector - an important source of economic prosperity and provider of employment in much of the enlarged EU, and an important environmental factor. The area of commercially exploitable forest...

HELP FOR CANDIDATES TO FULFIL ENVIRONMENTAL OBLIGATIONS.(identification of stumbling blocks in accession negotiations covering environmental issues)
January 30, 2003... The European Commission and the candidate countries have identified as the following main stumbling blocks in the process of environmental integration currently under way: a lack of administrative capacity, a lack of funds, a shortage of...

PREPARATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN EDUCATION PROGRAMMES.(Turkey prepares to participate in European Union's Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programs)
January 30, 2003... The European Commission and the Turkish Government have signed a series of agreements in preparation for Turkey's participation in the Community's Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and Youth programmes from 2004. These agreements are accompanied by a...

NIGGLING TENSIONS BEHIND EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT PREPARATIONS.
January 30, 2003... Summit planning. EU sources reported that the chances are increasing that the May Summit could produce some form of streamlined format for political dialogue. There are, it seems, no concrete ideas at present, but a recognition on the part...

UKRAINE STEPS UP REGIONAL PROMOTION CAMPAIGN.(at European Parliament)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... Ukraine has been continuing its promotional assault on the European capital in January, with a special exhibition on the Donetsk region in the Brussels European Parliament advertising "ten reasons" to invest there. The opening ceremony and...

CHANGES TO GEORGIAN RECONSTRUCTION PLAN.(European Commission alters project in Georgian/Ossetian conflict zone)(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... The European Commission has decided to amend a Euro 2.5 million reconstruction project in the Georgian/Ossetian conflict zone in favour of a road rebuilding project and improved customs controls. Due to political difficulties, the necessary...

POLAND LENDS ITS WEIGHT TO "NEW NEIGHBOURS" DEBATE.(issues "non-report" about European Union's relationship)
January 30, 2003... The Poles are making themselves heard in the debate about how to define relations with what will be the European Union's "new neighbours" after Poland and seven other Central and Eastern European countries (plus Cyprus and Malta) join the EU as...

EBRD'S FIRST INVESTMENT IN KAZAKH INSURANCE.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it is making an equity investment in one of the leading insurance companies in Kazakhstan, Kazkommerts Policy (KPIC). The investment, the first in the country's...

STABILITY PACT CHIEF SIGNALS NEW STREAMLINED FOCUS.
January 30, 2003... New approach and working methods. The new approach would mean that beyond the "core objectives" set for 2003 and certain other issues, the Pact would be "looking to wind up" its involvement. In terms of working methods, Mr Busek has...

NEW STABILITY PACT CROSS-BORDER CRIME CHIEF.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... Turk Yalcin Cakici has taken over as Director of the Regional Centre for Combating Transborder Crime, under the aegis of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. Mr Cakici took over from Hungarian Ferenc Banfi from the start of the year....

EU LAUNCHES KALININGRAD WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... A new EU-funded project aimed at improving waste management and promoting environmental protection in Russia's Kaliningrad "exclave" has been launched by the European Commission on January 28. Worth Euro 2 million over two years, the "Support...

MINISTERS CLEAR THE WAY FOR EU'S FIRST MILITARY OPERATION.
January 30, 2003... According to Council sources, the Greek Presidency's intention to boost the EU perspective for these countries was broadly speaking well received. But several delegations reportedly echoed European External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten's...

SLOWDOWN IN EAST EUROPEAN MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS.
January 30, 2003... A depressed total value of global merger and acquisition deals in 2002 - 47% down on 2001 - has hit east Europe too, according to consultants KPMG. Total activity across Eastern Europe fell to USD4,136m during the last six months of 2002 from...

UNILEVER BOSS SETS OUT ENLARGEMENT VISION.
January 30, 2003... "The outcome of Copenhagen represents not the end of a process but rather the beginning of one - namely to make formal accession by May 2004 a reality and EU enlargement a long term success", according to Antony Burgmans, chairman of Unilever,...

EUROPEAN FOOD INDUSTRY FOCUSES ON IMPLEMENTATION OF ACQUIS IN CANDIDATES.
January 30, 2003... The European food industry - represented in Brussels by CIAA - has made clear its desiderata for the enlargement process. "Important difficulties in transposing parts of the acquis must be overcome before accession", it is insisting....

FITCH UPGRADES UKRAINE'S LIABILITIES RATING.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... Fitch Ratings has confirmed Ukraine's promotion from -B to B in the category long and short-term liabilities, the Ukraine Mission to the EU has reported. The move is based on positive liquidity rate, reasonable external state indebtedness,...

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR TACIS CIVIL SOCIETY PROJECT.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... The European Commission has launched in January a new call for proposals under the TACIS Institution Building Partnership Programme - Support to Civil Society and Local Initiatives. The programme is designed to support institution-building in...

UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR ENGINNEER EMPLOYED BY COMMISSION.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... Ihor Svetlov, a nuclear engineer, has become the first Ukrainian to be employed by the European Commission, taking up his post of scientific officer in the Commission's Dutch-based Joint Research Centre in December 2002. Mr Svetlov is working...

EU CONCERNS ON SLOVAK STERILISATION ALLEGATIONS.(Brief Article)
January 30, 2003... Reports from Slovakia of enforced sterilisation of Roma women have caused alarm in European Union. Jan Marinus Wiersma, Dutch PES Group Member and EP Rapporteur on the application of Slovakia to the EU, has reacted with outrage to a report...