Europe-East articles from November 2007

Europe-East archives from November 2007

EU/MEDITERRANEAN : COMMISSION CAUTIOUS OVER SARKOZY'S PROPOSED UNION.
November 28, 2007... The European Commission is cautiously examining the Mediterranean Union (MU) project proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy. On the day following a speech which was supposed to be fundamental, on 23 October in Tangier, when the president...

NATURAL GAS : PIEBALGS: NABUCCO IS A "NECESSITY".
November 28, 2007... Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs met with former Dutch Foreign Minister Jozias van Aartsen on 22 November. Van Aartsen was nominated by the European Commission on 12 September as coordinator for the troubled Nabucco gas pipeline project....

ENLARGEMENT : REHN EXPECTS BALKAN STATES AND TURKEY TO STEP UP REFORMS IN 2008.
November 28, 2007... The Western Balkan countries' progress towards membership of the EUa "was steady though uneven" in 2007 and the region "continues to face major challenges". Nevertheless, the European Commission expects all countries in the region to have...

HEALTH : SUBSIDIARITY, THE CORNERSTONE OF EU HEALTH ACTION *.
November 28, 2007... The EU's reform treaty has gone slightly further in addressing public health than the current legislation. However, member states have seized the opportunity to underline the subsidiarity principle, which characterises this field. That is to...

EU/TURKEY : ANKARA MOVES TO AMEND INFAMOUS ARTICLE 301.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... In response to the European Commission's decision to suspend opening negotiations with Turkey on one of the most important policy areas covering the judiciary and human rights, the government in Ankara has decided to change the controversial...

EU/RUSSIA : AVIATION SUMMIT POSTPONED.
November 28, 2007... The EU-Russia aviation summit, which was scheduled to take place in Moscow on 16 and 17 November, has now been postponed. Russian Transport Minister Igor Levitin and European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot decided, on the evening of 7...

MAFRA SUMMIT : BILATERAL TRADE: THORNY ISSUES REMAIN.
November 28, 2007... Despite the number of meetings held in recent months at political and expert level between the EU and Russia, the list of outstanding issues in bilateral relations remains long. The annual overview of unresolved problems between the EU and...

EU/BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA : COMMISSION BACKS LAJCAK'S ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS IN BOSNIA.
November 28, 2007... The EU's Enlargement Commissioner, Olli Rehn, expressed on 7 November "full support" for the efforts of the Union's Special Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Miroslav Lajcak, to overcome the political impasse which currently...

EU/SERBIA : COMMISSION INITIALS ASSOCIATION AGREEMENT WITH BELGRADE.(European Union)(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission initialled on 7 November the Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia. Full cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) remains the condition for the SAA to be...

EU/MOLDOVA : COMMISSION PROPOSES ADDITIONAL TRADE PREFERENCES FOR CHISINAU.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission adopted, on 14 November, a proposal for a regulation providing for additional autonomous trade preferences (ATPs) for imports to the EU from Moldova. If adopted, the regulation would open duty and quota-free access to...

EU/FYROM : COMMISSION URGES FYROM AND GREECE TO SETTLE NAME ISSUE.(Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission is concerned about the failure of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece to agree on whether or not FYROM can use the name Republic of Macedonia' in international relations.aGreece objects to the...

EU/RUSSIA : DRUGS AGENCIES AGREE TO COOPERATE.
November 28, 2007... Greater cooperation is expected between EU and Russian drugs trade experts, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding on 26 October. The memorandum is concerned with improving links between the European Monitoring Centre for...

EU/TURKEY : EIB OPENS REPRESENTATION OFFICES IN ANKARA AND ISTANBUL.(European Investment Bank )(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... An agreement on the establishment of two European Investment Bank (EIB) representative offices to be opened in Ankara and Istanbul was signed on 5 November, during a visit to Turkey by Matthias Kollatz-Ahnen, the vice-president of the EIB. The...

EP RATIFIES VISA DEAL WITH UKRAINE.(European Union. European Parliament )(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... On 13 November, the European Parliament ratified the EU's visa facilitation and readmission agreements with Ukraine. The agreements were signed by Brussels and Kiev in June 2007 and are expected to enter into force by the end of the year,...

EU/GEORGIA : EU BACKS MEDIATION MISSION TO GEORGIA.(European Union)
November 28, 2007... The European Union has backed a Polish initiative to send mediators to Georgia to defuse ongoing tensions between President Mikheil Saakashvili and the opposition media, Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told reporters at a press...

EU/RUSSIA : EU CONCERNED ABOUT RUSSIAN POLICE CRACKDOWN ON OPPOSITION.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso expressed concern, on 26 November, about a violent crackdown by Russian police on peaceful protests by opponents of President Vladimir Putin at the weekend. He urged the Russian authorities to...

EU/GEORGIA : EU EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT POLITICAL CRISIS IN GEORGIA.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission has expressed concern about recent developments in Georgia and called on both the Georgian authorities and the opposition to remain calm and avoid further violence. "The Commission is concerned about recent developments...

EU/RUSSIA : EU INCREASES RUSSIA'S STEEL QUOTA.
November 28, 2007... In the margins of the EU-Russia Summit on 26 October in Mafra (Portugal), Russia's Economic Minister Elvira Nabiullina and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson have signed a trade agreement on steel products, raising the quota for Russian...

EU/RUSSIA : EU LOOKS ASKANCE AT PUTIN'S HUMAN RIGHTS PUSH.
November 28, 2007... The EU-Russia institute for freedom, democracy and human rights, proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, would not be a joint enterprise as suggested by Portugal's Prime Minister Jose Socrates at a press conference following the EU-Russia...

EU/RUSSIA : EU NEEDS "NEW AND BETTER" RUSSIA STRATEGY, STUDY ARGUES.
November 28, 2007... The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) has called on the European Union member states to agree on a "new better approach" towards Russia in a bid to change the status quo, which works against their interests. According to the ECFR,...

EU/BOSNIA : EUROPE IS LEAVING US BEHIND, SAYS PRESIDENT SILAJDZIC.
November 28, 2007... The President of Bosnia has lambasted the European Commission's initialling on 7 November of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with Serbia - the first step on the road to EU membership. "I see the EU compensating Belgrade for a...

TRADE : EU-RUSSIA TRADE BOOMING.
November 28, 2007... Russia is the EU27's third most important trading partner, after the USA and China, accounting for 6.2% of EU exports and 10.4% of EU imports in 2006, compared to 2.7% and 6.4%, respectively, in 2000, indicated Eurostat on 25 October, on the...

ENERGY : EU SHARPENS ENERGY POLICY TOOLS AGAINST RUSSIA.
November 28, 2007... Since the Middle Ages, Russia has been a major purchaser of finished European products and an equally important supplier of raw materials. In many ways, the current economic relations reflect Russia's historical position, with the country...

EU SUSPENDS VISA RESTRICTION TO UZBEK OFFICIALS.(European Union)(Uzbekistan)(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The Economic and Financial Affairs Council adopted, on 13 November, a common position (14104/07) on the temporary six-month suspension of a visa ban imposed by the European Union on Uzbek officials held directly responsible for the...

ENLARGEMENT : EU TO SLAM TURKEY AND BALKAN STATES FOR SLOW POLITICAL REFORMS.
November 28, 2007... In several countries of the Western Balkans, the overall reform process "has been slowed down" over the last year and "limited progress" on political reforms has been achieved by Turkey in 2007, says the European Commission's annual report on...

WESTERN BALKANS : EU TO WAIT UNTIL 10 DECEMBER BEFORE DECIDING ON KOSOVO.
November 28, 2007... At the last meeting ahead of the 10 December deadline for direct talks between Kosovo and Serbia, EU foreign ministers agreed to support Wolfgang Ischinger, the EU representative to the troika mediators, "until the last moment" in his efforts...

EU/KOSOVO : EU URGES ELECTED KOSOVO LEADERS TO SWIFTLY FORM GOVERNMENT.
November 28, 2007... The European Union has welcomed the way the first direct elections for members of the Kosovo Assembly have been held and urged the elected politicians to work "smoothly" for the "rapid" formation of a new government. "I welcome that the...

ENERGY : EU WORRIED ABOUT KAZAKH PROTECTIONISM.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission is examining, notably under the Energy Charter Treaty, a proposed new Kazakh law granting greater powers to revise contracts with foreign energy companies. The proposed Law of Kazakhstan on subsoil and subsoil use was...

INTERVIEW WITH ERATO KOZAKOU-MARCOULLIS, FOREIGN MINISTER OF CYPRUS : "FOR US, INTERNATIONAL LEGALITY PREVAILS".
November 28, 2007... Cyprus belongs to the minority of the EU member states that are known to oppose any decision on Kosovo's status without the UN's blessing. Erato Kozakou-Marcoullis, the foreign minister of Cyprus, tells Europolitics how closely the Kosovo issue...

EU/KOSOVO : KOSOVO LEADERS REJECT HONG KONG MODEL'.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... With the UN-imposed 10 December deadline for a negotiated solution for Kosovo's future status fast approaching, the representatives of Serbia and Kosovo held another unsuccessful face-to-face meeting on 5 November in Vienna. Pristina's...

EU/MEDITERRANEAN : MEDITERRANEAN UNION WILL HAVE "VARIABLE GEOMETRY".
November 28, 2007... The Mediterranean Union (MU) proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy will be a light structure with "variable geometry" that will involve different partners and financing packages in terms of its different projects. This "great dream of...

EUROPEAN NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICY : MEPS SEEK STRONGER TIES WITH EASTERN NEIGHBOURS VIA EURO-NEST.
November 28, 2007... The European Parliament adopted, on 15 November, a report on the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), calling for the establishment of a new EU-Neighbourhood-East Parliamentary Assembly (EURO-NEST) to strengthen parliamentary cooperation...

EU/RUSSIA : MEPS VOICE "SERIOUS CONCERN" ABOUT KREMLIN'S DEMOCRATIC RECORD.(European Union. European Parliament)
November 28, 2007... The European Parliament adopted, on 14 November, a resolution on the recent EU-Russia summit held on 26 October in Mafra (Portugal), heavily criticising the Kremlin for its democratic record and controversial decision to pull out of the Treaty...

ENLARGEMENT : NEW TREATY GIVES MEMBER STATES AN EXIT CLAUSE FOR FIRST TIME.(European Union)
November 28, 2007... Despite growing enlargement fatigue' among EU citizens following the big bang' enlargement in May 2004 and the smaller scale enlargement in 2007, EU leaders have decided not to toughen up accession criteria for potential newcomers. But for...

OSCE CALLS OFF OBSERVER MISSION TO RUSSIA.(European Union. European Commission)(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... The European Commission expressed regret, on 16 November, at the OSCE's decision to cancel its mission to observe Russia's elections and called on President Vladimir Putin to ensure that the polls would be "democratic". "We expect Russia to...

EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT : PUTIN CALLS ON EU TO SHOW PATIENCE OVER KOSOVO STATUS PROCESS.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... Russia's President Vladimir Putin remains unmoved by calls from the EU and the US urging for progress on the issue of Kosovo's status. Instead, he says that the international community should show more patience. "Why is it necessary to further...

EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT : PUTIN PROPOSES CREATION OF JOINT HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTE IN EUROPE.
November 28, 2007... Courtesy towards outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin was the order of the day at the 20th EU-Russia Summit on 26 October in Mafra. Instead of speaking about the concrete results of the meeting, the leaders focused on sending...

ENLARGEMENT : REHN: EU TO OPEN TWO MORE CHAPTERS WITH TURKEY.
November 28, 2007... The European Commission expects Croatia to achieve substantial progress in accession negotiations in 2008, and expects the country to intensify reforms, especially in the most difficult areas such as competition policy and public procurement....

EU/CROATIA : RULING CROATIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION PARTY WINS GENERAL ELECTIONS.
November 28, 2007... After hours of uncertainty, the ruling centre-right Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party can finally celebrate its victory in Croatia's parliamentary elections on 25 November. The latest preliminary results released by Croatia's state-run...

INTERVIEW WITH AMBASSADOR VLADIMIR CHIZHOV, RUSSIA'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE EU : "RUSSIA AND EU ARE NOT TOO DISTANT TO BE PARTNERS".(Interview)
November 28, 2007... In an interview with Europolitics, Ambassador Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the EU, sets out his views on the upcoming EU-Russia summit on 26 October in Mafra (Portugal). He criticises the EU for the lack of a single,...

EU/POLAND/RUSSIA : RUSSIAN INSPECTORS TO CHECK POLISH PLANTS NOT RELATED TO CURRENT BAN.
November 28, 2007... Polish authorities confirmed on 8 November that Russian veterinary experts will arrive in Poland on 13 or 14 November to carry out a 14-day inspection of around 60 meat, dairy and grain processing factories across the country. Accompanied by...

EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT : RUSSIA RELUCTANT TO MAKE CONCESSIONS ON WTO ACCESSION.
November 28, 2007... Russia is determined to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO) but not at any price, says Russia's newly-appointed Economics Minister Elvira Nabiullina. "We have reached a stage in our WTO negotiations where only a few issues are left to be...

EU/SERBIA/KOSOVO : SERBIA OPPOSES EU MISSION PRIOR TO KOSOVO SETTLEMENT.(United Nations. Security Council)
November 28, 2007... The ruling Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) is against the deployment of an EU mission to Kosovo before the province's status is resolved by the UN Security Council. A mission to replace UNMIK, either civilian or military, can only be deployed...

SERBIA RATIFIES EU VISA AGREEMENT.(Brief article)
November 28, 2007... Serbia's parliament ratified on 7 November visa facilitation and readmission agreements with the EU. The ratification procedure in the EU is expected to conclude in the coming weeks, paving the way for the new agreements to come into force on 1...

EU-RUSSIA SUMMIT : SIDES AGREE TO CONTINUE TALKS ON ENERGY.(European Union)
November 28, 2007... There were few results of the on-going energy dialogue for leaders to boast of at the EU-Russia Summit in Mafra, Portugal. Both sides noted "continued mutually beneficial cooperation in the energy sector" and talked of their desire to continue...

EU/FYROM/GREECE : UN RE-LAUNCHES TALKS BETWEEN FYROM AND GREECE ON NAME ISSUE'.
November 28, 2007... The name issue' between the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Greece is back on the agenda of the United Nations. Matthew Nimetz, the United Nations special envoy charged with mediating between Skopje and Athens on the...

INTERVIEW WITH JANEZ LENARCIC, SLOVENIA'S STATE SECRETARY FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS : WE ARE AWARE OF THE CHALLENGE, BUT WE ARE NOT ALONE.(Interview)
November 28, 2007... The EU27 reached an agreement in Lisbon on a new EU treaty. Are you relieved ? To a certain extent. But we are not yet in the clear. After the signature in December, it will not be over. We are not at the beginning, but at the beginning of...