Europe-East articles from May 2008

Europe-East archives from May 2008

AMNESTY WARNS EU ON UZBEKISTAN.(Amnesty International)(European Union)(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... Amnesty International has warned the European Union against further suspension of the travel sanctions on Uzbek high officials, including the defence minister and national security chief held directly responsible for the disproportionate use of...

EU/TURKEY : EP APPROVES 2007 COUNTRY REPORT, URGES ANKARA TO REFORM.
May 27, 2008... The European Parliament's plenary session adopted, on 21 May, by a large majority of 467 for, 62 against and 61 abstentions, a report on Turkey by MEP Ria Oomen-Ruijten (EPP-ED, Netherlands), calling on the country's government and the...

EU/FYROM : EP CHANGES STANCE ON MACEDONIA NAME DISPUTE.
May 27, 2008... Under strong pressure from Greek MEPs, the European Parliament has significantly changed its stance on the ongoing name dispute' between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece. The own-initiative report by Erik Meijer...

EU/BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA : EU ENVOY URGES MEMBER STATES TO QUICKLY SIGN SAA.(Stabilisation and Association Agreement )
May 27, 2008... The EU member states should do their "utmost to sign the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) on 26 May" to inject a new dose of "a positive pro-European atmosphere in the country," Miroslav Lajcak,...

EU/SERBIA : EU PRESENTS VISA-FREE ROAD MAP TO BELGRADE.
May 27, 2008... The European Union presented, on 7 May, a road map on visa liberalisation to Serbia. "The time of isolation for Serbia is over," the European Commission's Vice-President, Jacques Barrot, in charge of justice, freedom and security, said when...

EU/SERBIA : EU SIGNS PRE-MEMBERSHIP PACT WITH BELGRADE.
May 27, 2008... Luxembourg witnessed a historic breakthrough, on 29 April, when the European Union decided, following months of hesitation, to sign with Serbia the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA), seen as a first major step towards EU membership....

EU/RUSSIA : EU SLAMS MOSCOW FOR BOOSTING TROOPS IN ABKHAZIA AND SOUTH OSSETIA.
May 27, 2008... The European Union has sent a strong signal of disapproval of Russia's recent decision to dispatch extra peacekeepers to the breakaway Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. This move would not be a "wise measure," according to EU...

EU TO SIGN SAA WITH BOSNIA.(European Union)(Stabilisation and Association Agreement )(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... The Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between the European Union and Bosnia will be signed on 16 June in Luxembourg, on the sidelines of the External Relations Council. The decision was confirmed, on 21 May, by Austrian Foreign...

EU/CROATIA : FALSE CLAIM OVERSHADOWS ZAGREB'S "GOOD PROGRESS".(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... The EU praised Croatia, on 28 April, for good progress achieved in its EU accession talks, but it also urged Zagreb to step up reforms, especially in the area of judiciary and the fight against corruption. "Croatia will need to make further...

UNION FOR THE MEDITERRANEAN : FRANCE PUTS BRAVE FACE ON COMMISSION'S MED UNION PLANS.
May 27, 2008... France is ready to compromise with the European Commission in order to launch a scaled-down version of its Union for the Mediterranean (UM) initiative during a summit in Paris, on 13 July. Paris has put a brave face on the proposals made by...

EU/WESTERN BALKANS : FRESH FUNDING TO PROTECT CULTURAL HERITAGE.(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... New financing will be provided for the rehabilitation of key buildings and sites making up part of the historic and cultural heritage of the Western Balkans, thanks to the launch of the Ljubljana Process, on 13 May, at a conference in...

EU/SERBIA : KOSTUNICA CONDEMNS TADIC, THREATENS TO NULLIFY SAA.
May 27, 2008... The signing of the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) between the EU and Serbia, on 29 April, has further escalated tensions between former coalition partners: the pro-European Democratic Party (DS), led by President Boris Tadic, and...

EU/US/BOSNIA : LEADERS DIFFER ON TYPE OF INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT NEEDED.
May 27, 2008... Two of the most powerful political voices in Bosnia and Herzegovina have stressed how the EU and the US must stay focused on Bosnia to keep it on a road to peace and prosperity. "I support a continued international presence for some time [...]...

EU/RUSSIA : LITHUANIA GREEN LIGHTS EU TALKS WITH MOSCOW.
May 27, 2008... After an intensive diplomatic offensive conducted over recent weeks by EU foreign ministers in Vilnius, Lithuania finally agreed to lift its veto on the start of negotiations with Russia on a new enhanced agreement. The deal on the mandate for...

DEFENCE AND SECURITY MISSIONS : MEPS WOULD SEND EU STABILISATION FORCE TO GEORGIA.
May 27, 2008... "The EU should consider sending a stabilisation mission to Georgia under the European Security and Defence Policy," said Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, on behalf of the EPP-ED group during the European Parliament's plenary debate, on 7 May. That view is...

EULEX KOSOVO : MISSION DEPLOYMENT REMAINS SLOW AND COMPLICATED.(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... The EU's rule of law' mission (EULEX) in Kosovo is being deployed much more slowly than planned. According to the latest information, 200 international personnel (and 50-odd local agents) are currently in Kosovo. But not all are...

MONTENEGRO TO APPLY FOR CANDIDATE STATUS.(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... Montenegro wants to apply for EU candidate status in the next two months and open accession talks at the beginning of 2010, a senior official has said. "If we apply soon, Montenegro could become a candidate during 2009 and open accession...

NEIGHBOURHOOD INVESTMENT FACILITY : MORE FUNDS FOR INVESTMENT IN UNION'S NEIGHBOURHOOD.(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... The EU's Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) was formally launched, on 6 May, by Benita Ferrero-Waldner, the European commissioner for external relations and European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), representatives of EU member states and ENP...

ENERGY : NEARING CONCLUSIONS ON JOINING UP WITH FORMER SOVIET GRID.
May 27, 2008... A possible synchronous coupling of the power system in continental Europe (UCTE) with the former Soviet grid moved a step closer with the finalisation of feasibility research. Finally started back in April 2005, the coupling study, with input...

ENERGY : PIEBALGS IN MOSCOW: RUSSIANS COMPLAIN OF EU DISCRIMINATION.
May 27, 2008... Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko once again complained to Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs of EU discrimination due to the so-called Gazprom clause contained in the energy market liberalisation proposals put forward by the European...

EU/BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA : POLICE REFORM UNDER HEAVY FIRE IN SARAJEVO.
May 27, 2008... Although welcomed by the European Union "as a step into the right direction," the police reform adopted last month in Bosnia and Herzegovina is under heavy fire in Sarajevo. The Bosnian Ministry of Security, which is responsible for the...

EU/SERBIA : PRESIDENCY WELCOMES VICTORY OF PRO-EUROPEANS.
May 27, 2008... The EU Presidency has welcomed the clear victory of the pro-European forces in the legislative elections in Serbia, on 11 May, and "hopes for the speedy formation of a new government with an explicit European programme". A press release issued...

SARKOZY: REFERENDUM ON TURKEY.
May 27, 2008... French President Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirmed, on 24 April in a television interview, his opposition to Turkey's EU membership ("Turkey is not in Europe") and said he would call a referendum on Turkish accession if necessary. His comments came a...

SERBIAN ELECTIONS: FINAL RESULTS.
May 27, 2008... The Serbian state election commission formally announced, late on 20 May, the final results of the 11 May general elections. The distribution of seats in parliament was the same as preliminary results indicated. The coalition around Serbian...

EU/BALKANS : SUMMIT CONFIRMS EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE FOR WESTERN BALKANS.(Brief article)
May 27, 2008... Membership of the European Union is the only "viable political alternative" for the countries of the Western Balkans, concluded, on 3 May in Ohrid (Macedonia), a two-day summit of the leaders of 18 countries of Central, Eastern and Southern...

EU/TURKEY : TROIKA STRIVES TO REASSURE ANKARA.
May 27, 2008... The Slovenian EU Presidency hopes to open at least two new chapters at the Turkish accession conference, set for 17 June, announced Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, on 6 May in Ankara. He made the announcement at the European Union...

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY : UKRAINE COOL TO POLISH PARTNERSHIP PROPOSAL.
May 27, 2008... Although open to a new Polish initiative aimed at strengthening the European Neighbourhood Policy's eastern dimension, Ukraine is far from being convinced that the proposal will have any added value for its future relations with the EU, a...

EU/RUSSIA : VILNIUS LIFTS VETO ON PARTNERSHIP TALKS.
May 27, 2008... An agreement has been reached to respond to Lithuania's concerns with regard to the future EU-Russia partnership and cooperation agreement (PCA) and Vilnius will now lift its veto on the opening of negotiations. The mandate for negotiation will...

EU/ENP : WARSAW TO PRESENT EASTERN DIMENSION BLUEPRINT.
May 27, 2008... While French President Nicolas Sarkozy's idea to create the Union for the Mediterranean (UM) is about to materialise, the Polish government has intensified consultations within the EU and with interested non-EU countries on an initiative aimed...