Europe-East articles from September 2003

Europe-East archives from September 2003

THEY THINK IT'S ALL OVER...(membership into European Union)
September 18, 2003... Well, not quite, but the most ambitious round of EU enlargement to date is tantalisingly close to being signed, sealed and delivered. Even as one nation just across the Baltic was saying an emphatic "No" to closer Euro integration, Estonians...

PREPARATION FOR EU BIRDS DIRECTIVE STILL A "HUGE CHALLENGE".(BirdLife International, environmental group; European Union Birds Directive)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... Environmental group BirdLife International has issued an urgent call for the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovenia to "hurry up" and classify their national network of Special Protection Areas (SPAs) under the EU Birds Directive (79/409/EEC) as...

NO HONEYMOON PERIOD FOR NEW KOSOVO CHIEF.(new United Nations Special Representative)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... Kosovo, the United Nations-administered ex-Yugoslav province, has a new boss. Former Finnish Prime Minister Harri Holkeri was named on July 25 by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as his new Special Representative, and the fourth head of the UN...

ROMANIAN ACCESSION MAKES SOLUTION TO TRANSDNIESTRIAN CONFLICT VITAL.(European Union membership)
September 18, 2003... Even though there is "no quick fix", a solution to the more than decade-long division between Moldova and its break-away Transdniestrian region is vital by 2007, according to a new report from the International Crisis Group (ICG) released on...

EBRD HELPS TURKISH FIRM MAKE BREWERY EXPANSION.(European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, loan to Efes Beverage Group)(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced that it is providing a $25 million loan to help Turkey's Efes Beverage Group (EBG) make its first regional acquisition in Russia and buy the Amstar brewery in Ufa, the...

FIGURES ON RUSSIAN INTERNET USE UNVEILED.(Brief Article)
September 18, 2003... The number of Internet users in Russia is up to 11.5 million (of a total population of some 150 million), making the country the fifth largest Internet community in the world. This is according to data from the "Public Opinion" fund, reported...

BULGARIA "COULD TAKE 100 YEARS TO CATCH UP WITH THE EU".(European Union, Bulgaria's economic policy)(Brief Article)
September 30, 2003... If Bulgaria is to catch up fast with the EU economically, rapid reforms will be needed in the Bulgarian government's economic policy; but if the current policy is maintained, development will be slower, according to the Bulgarian Institute for...

LATVIA AND THE IGC.(Intergovernmental Conference, Constitution for Europe)
September 30, 2003... Latvia has agreed its position for the Intergovernmental Conference. On 30 September, the Cabinet of Ministers approved Latvia's position paper on the Draft Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. Latvia endorses the draft Treaty, as it...

EBRD/BELARUS: FIRST INTERNATIONAL LOAN SYNDICATION AGREED.(European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, loan for Priorbank in Belarus)(Brief Article)
September 30, 2003... The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced on September 18 that it has arranged the first international loan syndication for a Belarussian borrower in a transaction that will provide $36 million to Priorbank, Belarus'...