European Express News Source - EENS Service

Pakistan makes troops threat over India standoff

2008-11-30T11:46:00.000-08:00

Seen on The Sunday Times 30/11/2008 images from Getty Images and Routers. Related articles from other sources at the bottom of this page.
Relations between India and Pakistan were on a knife edge today as Indian authorities combed through the wreckage of last week's attacks on Bombay and interrogated the one Pakistani militant captured.

A senior Pakistani security official has warned that Pakistan would pull back troops fighting Islamist militants on the Afghan frontier if India builds up its forces on Pakistan's border, as it did after an attack by Pakistani militants on India's parliament in 2001.

He said the next 48 hours would be crucial for the two nuclear-armed neighbours, which have fought three wars since winning independence from Britain in 1947, and almost went to a fourth after the Indian parliament attacks.

"If something happens on that front, the war on terror won't be our priority," the senior security officer told journalists at a briefing.

"We'll take out everything from the western border. We won't leave anything there."

His threat was clearly designed to encourage the United States and its allies to temper India's response to the attacks, which it has blamed on "elements" in Pakistan – most likely the militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

U.S. President George W. Bush has pledged his support for India, now considered a U.S. ally, but Washington also has close ties to Pakistan, its key Muslim partner in the War on Terror.

Pakistani troops are currently engaged in their biggest operation so far against al Qaeda and Taleban militants near the border with Afghanistan, where U.S. intelligence believes Osama bin Laden is hiding.

India's coalition government, led by the Congress Party, is under enormous political pressure to respond to the Bombay attacks so that it does not appear soft on terrorism in the run-up to national elections due by May.

It is convening an all-party meeting today to discuss the attacks and answer criticism of its response – particularly why it took seven hours for counter-terrorist National Security Guard commandos to arrive in Bombay.

Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned early today, in the wake of the brutal Islamist attacks in Mumbai according to Indian television reports.

Meanwhile, there were fears that more Britons may yet be found dead in the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Bombay, hours after India commandos killed the three gunmen who were still holed up in the building to end one of the bloodiest terror strikes to hit India.

The coordinated attacks began on Wednesday night, when terrorists struck ten sites including two luxury hotels, a backpacker bar, a Jewish community centre, and Bombay's main train station.

Police had put the death toll at 195, but revised it down this morning to 174, including one Briton, with 239 more injured.

This morning, security forces were still combing the Taj, searching for unexploded ordnance and corpses. The first pictures of the interior of the building showed a scene of smashed glass and splintered woodwork.

Unexploded grenades littered the floor beside the hotel pool.

National Security Guard commandos said they discovered 30 bodies in a single room after storming the Taj Mahal hotel.

The British Deputy High Commissioner in Mumbai, Vicki Treadell, said she could not rule out further British fatalities.

Asked if she could confirm whether all British nationals were accounted for, she said: "I can't confirm that because the picture has yet to be clarified.

Indian security forces now believes that ten or eleven terrorists were involved in the attack. They are working on the assumption that the men sailed from Karachi in Pakistan before hijacking a fishing boat and slaying its crew about halfway to Bombay.

That fishing vessel was found adrift off the city shore with the body of one dead man, his throat slit, and a satellite phone aboard.

That the number of terrorist suspects has been dramatically lowered since Wednesday, when it was thought that there were about 25 gunmen, has triggered fears among the Bombay public that some terrorists may yet be at large. In the chaos of Wednesday night, police sources had said that several had escaped.

Police sources have identified the one militant to be caught alive so far as Azam Amir Kasav, a 21-year-old from the town of Faridkot in the Pakistani province of Punjab.

He was caught after he opened fire with an automatic rifle at Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Bombay's main train station, to kill indiscriminately. According to reports, he later pleaded not to be allowed to die after being shot by police.

Indian officials are convinced that the attack on Bombay bears the hallmark of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was also blamed for the 2001 attack on the Indian Parliament, where terrorists stormed the building with guns and grenades, taking hostages as part of a suicidal mission.

They also believe that Lashkar-e-Taiba does not act without the sanction of some part of Pakistan's shadowy security services – though how far up the chain leads is a matter of intense debate.

Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan's President, made an unprecedented offer on Friday to send the head of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency to India to help with the investigation.

However, the ISI said it had not been consulted and Pakistan's government later reversed the decision and said it would send a lower-ranking official instead.

The u-turn will again raise questions over how much control Pakistan's civilian government has over the ISI.

Pakistan's civilian government has over the ISI.

Indian officials have denied reports that they had found evidence to suggest that two of the terrorists were British-born Pakistanis.

However, they have not yet ruled out the possibility of a British link.

A senior Indian intelligence source said that suggestions that British citizens of Pakistani origin had checked into the Taj Mahal Palace hotel some weeks before the attacks to reconnoitre the building were being taken seriously.

Credit card and passport details of thousands of guests will be pored over by forensic computer experts, he said.

Unconfirmed reports in the Indian media have suggested that the terrorists were able to stockpile explosives inside the hotel and intended to blow up the entire building.

A Foreign Office rapid deployment team, including members of the British Red Cross specialising in trauma, has flown to Bombay to provide assistance.

Seen on the Times

Mumbay Terrorist declares: I was ordered to kill until the last breath

Some among the dead

Seen on the Daily Telegraph

The planning of the attack

India raises security footing to the war level

Jihadists see invasion as a triumph

United States and the European Union announce final design for GPS-Galileo common civil signal

2007-07-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

European Comission, Brussels - July, 26 2007

On 26 July 2007, the United States and the European Union announced their agreement to jointly adopt and provide an improved design for their respective Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals. These signals will be implemented on the Galileo Open Service and the GPS IIIA new civil signal.

Building on the historic cooperative agreement on GPS and Galileo signed between the two parties in June 2004, a joint compatibility and interoperability working group overcame technical challenges to design interoperable optimized civil signals that will also protect common security interests.

The resulting GPS L1C signal and Galileo L1F signal have been optimized to use a multiplexed binary offset carrier (MBOC) waveform. Future receivers using the MBOC signal should be able to track the GPS and/or Galileo signals with higher accuracy in challenging environments that include multipath, noise, and interference.

The agreement to jointly use MBOC on these interoperable civil signals demonstrates the close U.S. and EU cooperation since 2004 to ensure GPS and Galileo are compatible and interoperable at the user level. Future civilian users will enjoy the benefits of multiple GNSS constellations providing greater signal availability and coverage around the world. Incorporating MBOC into both GPS and Galileo will enhance commercial opportunities for the development of new GNSS products and services. Manufacturers and product designers will have the benefit of adequate lead time to ensure products developed will meet the needs of users around the world.

EC Director General Matthias Ruete said, “Today’s announcement underscores Europe’s commitment to interoperability between Galileo and GPS and to managing the Galileo program in an innovative partnership with the United States. The international GNSS community, including the U.S., will have full and transparent access to information on how to access Galileo and GPS services. This should facilitate the rapid acceptance of Galileo in global markets side by side with GPS.”

U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Reno Harnish said, “We are pleased by the adoption of this key improvement to the common civil signal design. The U.S.-EU collaboration that produced this innovation and led to its joint adoption reflects the strong working relationships that we have developed on GPS and Galileo. This technical milestone represents the next step in our ongoing commitment to open standards and market-driven innovation that will benefit all users world wide. We look forward to continuing cooperation in our work with the European Union.”

Find out more information about Galileo by pressing here

European Commission welcomes abolition of the death penalty in Rwanda

2007-07-27T09:27:00.001-07:00

European Comission, Brussels - July, 26 2007

European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, and Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, today welcomed the formal abolition of the death penalty in Rwanda.

Commissioner Michel congratulated the Rwandan government and the Rwandan people on this important decision: "It is with great satisfaction that I have learnt that Rwanda has formally adopted the law abolishing the death penalty. This important decision confirms the political and democratic commitment of the country towards national reconciliation. This significant step sends an important signal to the international community, showing Rwanda's commitment and respect for human rights. I hope that this decision will encourage other countries in Africa to follow".

Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner said: "I warmly welcome Rwanda’s decision to join the ever-increasing number of abolitionist countries in the world. Rwanda’s remarkable decision makes a significant contribution towards the abolition of the death penalty on the African continent and in the world at large. When a country like Rwanda, with the terrible violence it has known in its recent past, has chosen to break the cycle of violence that the death penalty represents, it should be a compelling example to other countries around the world."

The European Union campaigns across the world for abolition of the death penalty. This stance is rooted in the belief in the inherent dignity of all human beings and the inviolability of the human person, regardless of the crime committed. The European Commission is an active advocate for abolition through all instruments at its disposal. Initiatives at the political level include formal demarches and declarations. In addition, the EU also provides support on a more practical level through projects funded under the European Initiative for Democracy and Human Rights.

Rwanda, a country marked by the legacy of genocide, has made impressive progress since 1994. National and local elections were held in 2003 and 2006 respectively. Basic human rights and fundamental freedoms are formally protected by the 2003 constitution, which also provides for institutions to monitor and protect these rights. Unity and reconciliation activities have increased with the nationwide roll-out of the Gacaca process in 2006 and the acceleration of the work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR). Both are scheduled for completion in 2008. Rwanda's improving governance environment is reflected in its recent African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) report, endorsed by African Heads of State in 2006.

EC co-operation with Rwanda has evolved significantly over the past 15 years in order to adapt to the country’s circumstances. In the pre-genocide period, the focus was on projects in the areas of rural development and transport. In the aftermath of the genocide and civil war, EC Cooperation took the form of humanitarian aid, emergency aid and physical rehabilitation, along with some support to the judicial system. The emphasis was on mobilising resources for discrete projects rather than building a coherent and structured programme.

Since 2000, Rwanda has been a partner in the European Development Fund (EDF). This has served as a transition between post-conflict relief/reconstruction and long term development aid focused on poverty reduction. Over the last 5 years, a total of over €215 million has been provided through the EDF, in close alignment with the Rwandan Government’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. In coordination with other donors, EC co-operation has focused on macroeconomic support linked with social sectors (health, education), rural development (including infrastructure) as well as some support to governance initiatives and regional integration. The EC will continue its co-operation with Rwanda under the 10th EDF for the period 2008-2013.

Human Rights Policy on the European Comission for more press here

UK expulsion of Russian diplomats political: Russia

2007-07-23T10:11:00.000-07:00

Britain is more interested in playing politics than solving the poisoning murder of ex-Russian agent Alexander Litvinenko, senior Russian prosecutors said on Monday.

The prosecutors hit back at British claims that Moscow was blocking efforts to solve the crime, saying the British investigation was flawed and had been too hasty in naming a Russian man as the chief suspect.

"I do not think our friends should criticize our justice system. I think their efforts would be better spent improving their own system," Alexander Zvyagintsev, Russia's deputy Prosecutor-General, told a news conference.

"Sometimes it seems to us that Britain is not so much interested in the supremacy of the law as it is in the ambitions of certain officials."

The murder of Litvinenko, who died from radioactive poisoning in a London hospital last November, has brought relations between Britain and Moscow to their lowest point since the end of the Cold War.

British prosecutors want to try Russian Andrei Lugovoy for the murder, but Moscow has refused to hand him over, citing a constitutional ban on the extradition of Russian citizens.

London earlier this month expelled four Russian diplomats in protest at Moscow's refusal to extradite Lugovoy. In a tit-for-tat response, Moscow threw out four British diplomats.

Britain's decision to expel the diplomats was "plainly groundless, inappropriate, unjustified and lies exclusively in a political framework," said Zvyagintsev. "We refused extradition on the basis of the law."

He said it was also "discourteous" of the British government to expect Russia would amend its constitution to clear the way for Lugovoy's extradition.

PEOPLE "PUT AT RISK"

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown denied his country was politicizing the Litvinenko case.

"We cannot tolerate a situation where all the evidence is that not only was one person assassinated but many other people were put at risk," he told a news conference in London.

"We want the Russian authorities even at this stage to recognize that it is their responsibility to extradite for trial the Russian citizen who has been identified by prosecuting authorities," Brown added.

The case is politically charged because Litvinenko's associates -- who include vocal critics of the Kremlin now living in London -- accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder. The Kremlin denies involvement.

Another senior prosecutor said British detectives investigating the Litvinenko murder seemed to have decided from the outset that Lugovoy was guilty.

Britain was displaying "a one-sided approach to the investigation and a desire not to see the contradictions," said Andrei Mayorov, deputy head of the Prosecutor-General's serious crimes department.

Russia was open to requests from Britain to try any suspect in Russia, but only if sufficient proof of guilt was provided, said Zvyagintsev.

"Unfortunately, without documentary material and expert testimony we do not have enough the information to open a prosecution here in Russia," he said.

REUTERS

Turkish Markets Rise After Erdogan Is Re-Elected

2007-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Turkey's benchmark stock index surged to a record and the lira hit a six-year high after voters re- elected Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, strengthening his mandate to pursue European Union talks and budget discipline.

The ISE National 100 Index rose as much as 5.6 percent, the lira increased 1.8 percent against the dollar and benchmark bond yields dropped 29 basis points to a 13-month low.

Turkish assets have been among the world's best performers this year on expectations that a victory for Erdogan would extend a record 21 consecutive quarters of economic growth that have helped double average income to $5,500, creating a boom in demand for loans and consumer goods. Erdogan won entry talks from the EU in 2005, which has helped fuel investor optimism.

``This is the most market-friendly outcome,'' said Peter Bodis, who manages $1.1 billion in emerging Europe equities at Pioneer Investments in Vienna. ``People voted about the economic direction. The Turkish population wants changes, and this government's reforms were very positively received.''

Erdogan's Justice and Development Party took 47 percent of the vote, up from 34 percent in 2002, according to the state-owned Anatolia News Agency. That's likely to give the party 340 lawmakers in the 550-seat parliament in Ankara, CNN Turk television said.

Fivefold Increase

The ISE index has surged fivefold since 2002, when Justice was first elected. The ISE National 100 Index today rose 5.1 percent, closing at 55,625.4. The lira traded at 1.250 to the dollar. Yields on lira-denominated bonds closed at 17.17 percent, according to ABN Amro benchmark prices. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point.

Leading today's stock market rally were lenders Akbank TAS and Turkiye Garanti Bankasi AS. Akbank rose 6.5 percent to 9.80 liras while Garanti climbed 7.9 percent to 9.55 liras.

``The election outcome portends a renewed effort to modernize the Turkish economy,'' Moody's analyst Kristen Lindow said in an e-mailed report today. ``Proceeding with stalled economic reforms could ultimately provide favorable ratings momentum.''

Turkish foreign debt is rated Ba3 by Moody's Investors Service and BB- by Standard & Poor's, three levels below investment grade.

Bond yields had fallen 3.7 percentage points since the start of the year and the lira had gained 11 percent against the dollar.

State Sales

Justice has pledged to overhaul Turkey's social security system, revive a sale of state-run electricity grids that was delayed until after the elections and seek buyers for state-owned lender TC Ziraat Bankasi AS, the country's highways and the national lottery.

Since taking power in 2002, Justice has found buyers for state-run companies such as phone operator Turk Telekomunikasyon AS that previous governments failed to sell. Inflation slowed to 8.6 percent in June from more than 70 percent at the start of 2002. The government cut the budget deficit to 0.7 percent of economic output last year from 14.7 percent in 2002 as part of a $10 billion International Monetary Fund accord designed to fight inflation.

Erdogan called the balloting after the secularist military and courts blocked the election of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as the party's candidate for president. Gul, like Erdogan, was a member of the Welfare Party, which was forced from power in 1997 and later banned for Islamic activities.

Presidential Compromise

Erdogan's second-term majority won't be enough for him to pick the next president, who is elected by parliament, without support from other parties, opening the way for a compromise that might defuse the dispute between the government and army.

The secularist Republican People's Party won 21 percent of the vote and is likely to take 112 seats in the assembly. The Nationalist Action Party drew 14 percent, which may translate into 71 seats. The remaining 27 lawmakers will be independents, most of them from the mainly Kurdish southeast of the country.

Justice ``may lose some of the trust they've been accumulating'' if the party fails to win broader support for its presidential nominee, said Jean-Dominique Butikofer, who helps manage about $725 million in emerging-market debt at Union Bancaire Privee in Zurich.

The process for electing the next president is likely to begin in mid-August and last for about a month.

Justice will seek ``consensus'' over the presidency, and will try to persuade opposition parties to support its candidate, which may still be Gul, Justice lawmaker and Erdogan adviser Egemen Bagis said in a telephone interview.

Army Influence

Under Justice, Turkey has taken steps to curb the influence of the army in politics and reduce human rights abuses, measures which were demanded by the EU.

Erdogan's victory may help the central bank cut its benchmark interest rate, which has held at 17.5 percent for a year.

Bank Governor Durmus Yilmaz said on June 28 he wouldn't cut interest rates until the slowdown in inflation is sustained and ``uncertainties'' surrounding the elections are resolved.

`There's an expectation in the market that interest rates are high and after there's stability they'll go down,' said Berrin Onder, chief executive of Istanbul-based brokerage Ak Yatirim, in a phone interview.

Lower rates may revive a boom in consumer borrowing that's slowed in the past year and boost profits at lenders such as Akbank and Garanti.

Turkey attracted $11 billion in foreign direct investment in the first five months, on course to surpass the record $19.8 billion that came in last year as companies such as Citigroup Inc. and Vodafone Group Plc bought into the $400 billion economy.

The country's gross domestic product expanded at annual 6.8 percent in the first quarter, driven by record exports to the EU and increased government spending on roads and water supplies. The economy has grown at an annual average pace of about 7 percent since 2002.

Bloomberg News

EU to observe Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in Sierra Leone

2007-07-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

The European Commission is deploying an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) for the Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Sierra Leone scheduled to take place on 11 August 2007. The EOM is a European Commission contribution to supporting peace and democracy in Sierra Leone.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood Policy, said: “The second post-conflict elections are crucial for sustaining peace and furthering democracy in Sierra Leone. In line with the UN Peace Building Commission, for which Sierra Leone is a priority country in its efforts to build sustainable peace in Africa, I believe that the country deserves every support contributing to genuine elections. I have therefore decided to deploy an EU EOM led by the Member of the European Parliament Marie Anne Isler Béguin.”

The EOM Core Team of seven people and 28 Long Term Observers (LTOs) will be deployed during July to assess the campaign period and pre-election preparations around the country and, in addition, 42 Short Term Observers (STOs) will be deployed over the election-day period to observe voting, counting and the tabulation of results. It is planned that the EU EOM will remain in country in case of a second round of the Presidential election. The EU EOM will continue its operations for a number of weeks after the election-day in order to assess the post-election period.

The European Commission is one of Sierra Leone’s most important development cooperation partners and is providing funds to assist the country in implementing its development and socio-economic reform agenda. The European Commission supports the organisation of Sierra Leone’s elections with €7.5 million. For additional information, see also:

For more information on this project, please visit EU Commission website http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/projects/eidhr/index_en.htm

Geneva's School of Diplomacy, president Murphy: "Somalia and Bosnia: Applying and Misapplying Lessons of the Past"

2007-03-08T12:38:00.000-08:00

The President of the Geneva School of Diplomacy, Mr. Colum de Sales Murphy, gave a talk at the School for International Training (SIT)entitled "Somalia and Bosnia: Applying and Misapplying Lessons of the Past".

Mr. Murphy talked of his own experience as former High Official of the United Nations Organization in the field of peace negotiation in Somalia and Bosnia Herzegovina. Amongst the many remarks he made, he talked of the invention of the "Mogadishu Line" concept in Somalia and how it was misused later on in Bosnia. Using the quotation from George Santayana, the Spanish-American poet and philosopher who said that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it", Mr. Murphy reiterated the need for the international community to not remake the same mistakes of the past.

If you want a short summary of Mr. Murphy's experience in Bosnia, please check the review by Stanley Hoffmann, on Foreign Affairs

Article Released by the GENEVA SCHOOL of DIPLOMACY

Spanish law firm GARRIGUES-AFFINITAS prices for good corporate governance in Latin America

2006-12-28T15:14:00.000-08:00

Net Serviços de Comunicação of Brazil and Desarrolladora Homex of Mexico are the winners of the first edition of the “Garrigues-Affinitas Prizes for Good Corporate Governance in Latin America.” The prizes were delivered this afternoon at the Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid during the 8th Latibex Forum, which has brought together more than 70 Latin American companies.

Net Serviços de Comunicação was the winner in the category “Latibex Company with the best corporate governance practices” and Desarrolladora Homex won in the category “Registered Latin American company (non-Latibex) with the best corporate governance practices”

Antonio Zoido, Chairman of the Madrid Stock Exchange, and Trinidad Jiménez, Secretary of State for Ibero-America, delivered the prizes. Trinidad Jiménez congratulated both prize-winners, “which succeeded in applying good rules of corporate governance, sometimes going beyond their own standards and those of their countries, which has even more merit.”

The purpose of the Garrigues-Affinitas Prizes for Good Corporate Governance in Latin America is to recognize the efforts made by Latin American companies in implementing good corporate governance and transparency policies.

The prizes will be awarded annually, and the winners will be announced during the Latibex Forum, an event organized by Latibex for Latin-American companies which trade in Euros on the Madrid Stock Exchange.

The jury for the first edition of the prizes was chaired by Antonio Garrigues, president of Garrigues law firm and Affinitas. In selecting the prize-winners, the jury considered shareholders’ rights, fair treatment, the role of interest groups, communication and the transparency and responsibility of the candidates’ boards of directors, among other factors.

Net Serviços de Comunicação is the largest cable television operator in Latin America. Founded in 1991, the company currently operates in 44 cities in Brazil, providing services to more than six million subscribers.

Net Serviços de Comunicação stands out for its high degree of social responsibility, which has led the company to promote many educational, cultural and environmental projects. “With this prize everyone in our company is a winner. We are proud to receive it because transparency and good corporate governance was the first decision we took in our company. We firmly believe that it is one of the necessities of our business,” affirmed Edgar Prado Lopes, Director of Treasury Services for Net Serviços de Comunicação.

Desarrolladora Homex, S.A. was founded in Mexico in 1989 and has focused on the design, construction and sale of affordable entry-level and middle-income housing. One of Mexico’s largest construction companies, in 2004 Desarrolladora received the “Socially-Responsible Business” award given by the Mexican Center for Philanthropy and Alliance for Corporate Social Responsibility in Mexico. “The prize was awarded to Homex, but I know that the investors are happiest of all, because it means that we are doing the right thing ethically,” said Eustaquio de Nicolás, chairman of Homex’s board of directors.

Along with the prize winners, the finalists for the Garrigues-Affinitas Prize were YPF Repsol and Molinos Río de la Plata (Argentina); Suzano Petroquímica (Brazil); Endesa Chile and CMPC (Chile); Bancolombia and Interconexión Eléctrica S.A. (Colombia); Bimbo (Mexico); Pro-Futuro AFP and Ferreyros S.A. (Peru). At the award ceremony, Antonio Garrigues encouraged all Latin American companies to follow the finalists’ example and make advances in the introduction of ethical practices: “No one can question that ethics are profitable. There is no future without good corporate governance.”

Affinitas was created on February 4, 2001 by four law firms: Garrigues, which promoted the alliance; Barbosa, Müssnich & Aragão Advogados (Brazil), Bruchou, Fernández Madero, Lombardi & Mitrani Abogados (Argentina) and Mijares, Angoitia, Cortés y Fuentes S.C. (Mexico). The law firms Garrigues Portugal, Barros & Errázuriz (Chile), Gómez-Pinzón Abogados (Colombia) and Miranda e Amado Abogados (Peru) have since joined the alliance. Currently, Affinitas unites 2500 professionals working in 40 offices throughout 12 countries.

Monaco elected to the UN Commission on Sustainable Development

2006-12-06T08:32:00.000-08:00

During the meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) that took place on 27 July 2006, the Principality of Monaco was elected, for the first time, to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development.

The Commission is composed of 53 Member States seating for a three year term. Every year, a third of the membership is renewed by the ECOSOC.

The function of the Commission is to monitor the application of Agenda 21 which was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Summit. During its next session, which will take place in New York from 30 April to 11 May 2007, the Commission will discuss the issues of air pollution, climate change and energy consumption with sustainable development.

The Mandate of the Principality of Monaco will begin at the end of that session.

- View the internet website on the Commission on Sustainable Development

London 2012 Olympics survey

2006-12-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

"Almost two thirds of Londoners think the capital's tax payers will end up footing the bill for the 2012 Olympics going over budget"
(According to BBC London poll)

Mayor Ken Livingstone said the Olympics would cost Londoners 38-pence a week - the same as the price of a walnut whip.

To review questions and answers go to BBC London 2012 Olympic Survey by clicking here

BENEDICT XVI: "MY TRIP IS NOT POLITICAL BUT PASTORAL"

2006-12-03T11:45:00.000-08:00

BENEDICT XVI, explained last week that he was not visiting Turkey for political reasons but for pastoral mission to catholic community at Islamic Country for the troubles that this community finds to go on with their lives whith less rights than "muslims".
He also explained that he doesn't disagree for Turkey to go in EU but also doesn't agree as much Spanish newspapers as "El Páis" said last week trying to make more people support "Alliance of Civilisations" project promoted by Mr Rodriguez the Spanish president.

For more details please press the following LINKS:
Nov, 26 Calls for trip
Nov, 28 1st trip release
Nov, 29 2nd trip release (4 releases)

European Schedule - December -

2006-12-03T11:36:00.000-08:00

Committee of the Regions

Committee of the Regions Group adopts recommendations on legal and illegal immigration policies for Europe

2006-12-03T11:20:00.000-08:00

Isidoro Gottardo, President of the EPP Group in the Committee of the Regions (CoR) believes that "the EU needs a more organised and coordinated European policy on migration and immigration, involving Member States and cooperating with local and regional authorities". In the framework of the EPP Group in CoR´s annual extraordinary meeting in Madrid on 27th October 2006, he also called for the sharing of responsibilities and financial burdens to be an integral part of any European approach. The EPP asks Commissioner Frattini to evaluate how to actively involve local and regional representatives in framing immigration policies, starting with the Tripoli Conference between the EU and the African Union scheduled for 22nd and 23rd November 2006. The declaration which was adopted in Madrid also recommends that based on a principle of solidarity, emergency financial instruments be created for areas poles identified as centres of strongest migration influxes. The EU and the Member States should also secure adequate financial means and reinforce specific programmes needed to integrate immigrants in the political and social life of the host country in the form of language training, cultural and civic training, and teaching programmes on European values.

PRESS to read full article

EU-US summit: transatlantic cooperation to be intensified

2006-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Meeting on 21 June at the Vienna EU-US summit, EU and US leaders committed themselves to strengthen their global partnership by adopting a common line towards global challenges.

"When America and the EU work together, we can accomplish big things," said President Bush. "Working together, the EU and the US may not be enough to solve the many challenges before us. But without the joint efforts of the EU and the US, these global challenges will be impossible to meet."

The leaders discussed key foreign policy issues, global security, strengthening trade and the transatlantic economy, and cooperating further on energy and climate change.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Council and Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President George W. Bush will meet at the EU-US Summit on 21 June in Vienna to discuss foreign policy co-operation, energy security, economy and trade, and other global challenges. On energy, leaders are expected to step up EU-US cooperation to a strategic level and to promote a set of principles for responsible energy policies worldwide. Iran, the Middle East and the promotion of democracy are expected to dominate the foreign policy agenda.
Other participants at the summit will be Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for Trade Mandelson, and Austrian Foreign Minister Plassnik as well as High Representative Javier Solana from the EU side and Secretary of State Rice from the US side.
President Barroso said: ”EU-US relations have strengthened considerably over the last year and we are working together systematically to address common economic, political and environmental challenges. With shared values and interests, the EU and the US are natural partners to take the lead. Our Summit meeting will confirm this productive year and look to strengthen further our global partnership.”

IssuesThe four main topics on the agenda are:
Foreign Policy – focusing on Iran, the Middle East and promotion of democracy.
Energy - strengthening EU-US strategic cooperation on energy and advancing principles of good practice in energy markets.
Economy and trade - moving towards conclusion of the Doha WTO round negotiations, maintaining open investment regimes, and adopting a strategy for the enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in third countries. The EU will also raise the need to extend the US Visa Waiver Programme to all citizens of EU Member States.
Global challenges - improving ways to meet the challenge of climate change.

In the margins of the Summit, Commissioner for External Relations and Neighborhood Policy Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Austrian Foreign Minister and Council President in office Ursula Plassnik and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will sign a Higher Education and Vocational Training Agreement aiming at stimulating further exchangesbetween the peoples of the EU and the US and improving the quality of human resource development
In the margins of the Summit Vice President Verheugen and Commissioner Peter Mandelson and US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez will also launch a joint EU - US Action Strategy on the global enforcement of intellectual property right. This ground-breaking agreement envisages closer customs co-operation, including more data sharing.
Timing
Leaders will meet for a working session in the morning of 21 June, followed by a working lunch. A Press conference by Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President George W. Bush is planned for 21 June at 14:30 hours.
-European Community Press Releases-

NEW EUROPA NEWS RELEASE: The renewed European Sustainable Development Strategy 2005-2010

2006-06-22T12:17:00.000-07:00

Following the review of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy 2001 launched by the Commission in 2004 and on the basis of contributions from the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee and others, the European Council adopted in June 2006 an ambitious and comprehensive renewed Sustainable Development Strategy for an enlarged European Union.

This document sets out a single, coherent strategy on how the EU will more effectively live up to its long-standing commitment to meet the challenges of sustainable development. It reaffirms the need for global solidarity and recognises the importance of working with partners outside the EU, including those rapidly developing countries which will have a significant impact on global sustainable development.

Supplement to the communication about the review of the Strategy :
ESTAT Publication : Sustainable Development Indicators

Iraq conflict could be devastating for rural economy

2006-06-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

Emergency appeal for $86 million launched

Conflict could be devastating for Iraq's rural economy with consequences on the country's capacity to produce food, FAO warned today in the wake of its recent launch of a $86 million appeal to help meet the emergency.

Close to two-thirds of Iraq's 24.5 million people rely entirely for their daily sustenance on food baskets provided under the UN's Oil-for-Food Programme, halted since the war began.

FAO, responsible for the Oil-for-Food Programme's agricultural component, said Iraq's farmers will require seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery, fuel, spare parts and other tools they need to plant, harvest and secure current and future crops.

Animal feed, vaccines and medicines are needed for the farmers' livestock.

Saving the "bread basket"

FAO's prime concern is the approaching harvest of the winter wheat and barley crop, expected to begin in late April and estimated at between 1.5 and 1.7 million tonnes of grain.

"Loss of the winter harvest, especially in Iraq's northern 'bread basket' provinces, which account for more than half of the country's entire cereal production, would further aggravate what is already a difficult situation," said Laurent Thomas, Chief, Special Emergency Programmes Service.

"All efforts have to be made to save this harvest throughout the country where access will be feasible, by making sure farmers are in position with their combine harvesters working, and fuel, spare parts and storage in place," said Thomas.

As compelling is the need to ensure that planting for the irrigated spring crop of vegetable, maize and rice proceeds on schedule.

The vegetable crop, a source of much-needed cash as well as an essential supply of the vitamins, proteins and micronutrients missing from the food-aid baskets, should be underway now.

FAO is appealing for more than $20 million for three emergency projects to secure the grain harvest and the spring and fall plantings.

There are six other projects in the $86 million appeal, all designed to:

protect harvest;
increase food production;
prevent outbreaks of animal diseases;
ensure water supplies in rural areas;
coordinate relief efforts.
FAO also needs funds to improve, plan and coordinate food security activities in collaboration with other UN agencies and NGO's and to monitor their impact on the nutritional status of the population.

Water a priority

Any disruption to the water supply, which provides both drinking water and irrigation, will damage crops and livestock production.

Provision has also been made in the FAO appeal for pipes, pumps, drills and technical expertise required to set-up emergency water supplies and repair damaged irrigation networks, if needed.

A $9.8 million project is designed to support the country's 4 000 poultry farms, another essential source of the animal proteins missing from the food basket.

Prior to the outbreak of the current conflict, Iraq was producing up to 155 000 metric tonnes of poultry meat and 2 billion eggs annually.

The lack of veterinary services, vaccines, drugs and quarantine controls could also result in the spread of animal diseases with serious economic impact in Iraq and possibly with impact on the whole region.

Veterinary checks on the border of neighbouring countries and vaccination campaigns will be required to prevent outbreaks of animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease and pestes des petits ruminants among the country's 1.5 million head of cattle and 18 million sheep and goats.

"These animals are the wealth of a large part of Iraq's rural population," said Thomas. "So if people move, they are going to take their animals with them, increasing the risk of animal diseases spreading within the country and possibly across borders."

IRS Plans Surveys to Improve Taxpayer Services

2006-06-18T07:59:00.000-07:00

The Internal Revenue Service will survey nearly 50,000 people this month to help the agency improve the way it provides taxpayer services.

An Opinion Survey of Taxpayer Resources and Services will be sent to 40,000 taxpayers as part of the Taxpayer Assistance Blueprint (TAB), a multi-year effort by the IRS to review its customer service operations and craft plans for continued improvements. Another survey of 10,000 taxpayers will help the IRS determine the effectiveness of its forms and publications.

“At the IRS, we are committed to providing a balanced program of quality service and equitable enforcement of the law. We strive to provide efficient and effective taxpayer services within available resources. This Blueprint will provide a solid foundation on which to base decisions about our taxpayer services portfolio,” said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson.

The IRS, the National Taxpayer Advocate and the IRS Oversight Board are collaborating on the TAB Project, which is intended to address questions about the taxpayers’ service preferences and needs. The IRS currently delivers services to taxpayers either electronically, through third parties such as tax practitioners or volunteer preparers, by mail, by telephone or through face-to-face assistance.

Taxpayers chosen at random will be asked 25 questions about how they use IRS services and how they would like to use IRS services. The questionnaire will be mailed to the taxpayers by an IRS-approved contractor. The survey to taxpayers does not ask for any financial or personal information nor should any be divulged. Individual responses will remain confidential.

Recognizing the importance of the clarity and effectiveness of forms, publications, and instructions to the delivery of quality taxpayer service, Media & Publications is at the same time surveying approximately 10,000 individual and business taxpayers, tax preparers and community-based partners to obtain their perspective on this aspect of IRS service.

The Media & Publications External Customer Satisfaction Survey will measure how satisfied respondents are with the information they get from the IRS and how well it equips them to understand and meet their obligations under federal tax laws. Questions will address the content, usefulness, format, graphics and delivery of IRS forms and publications. Customers will have the option of taking the survey by telephone or via the internet.

Both the TAB Opinion Survey of Taxpayer Resources and Services and the Media & Publications External Customer Satisfaction Survey are designed to provide IRS with greater and more accurate understanding of taxpayer service needs, preferences, and behavior. Both surveys will be repeated in future years, which will allow the IRS to continually refine and improve taxpayer services based on taxpayer preferences and needs.

Official News Release: Internal Revenue Services (US-IRS Department of Trasury)

DELAYS IN ISSUING SSNs TO MARSHALLESE LIVING IN THE U.S.

2006-06-18T07:51:00.000-07:00

Sometimes Marshallese living in the United States experience difficulties and delays in obtaining a Social Security number (SSN). Reasons for those delays and ways to address the problem were discussed in a recent meeting between Ambassador Banny deBrum and Social Security Administration (SSA) officials.

SSA procedures effective 9/30/2002 require that the SSA employees confirm the identity and immigration status of any applicant with the Department of Homeland Security’s USCIS office (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services – formerly INS). Marshall Islanders are experiencing delays because the electronic verification system at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently lacks a code corresponding to the CFA/MIS status indicator on the I-94 form that Marshallese receive on entering the United States. Without the code, requests for verification of the I-94s issued to Marshallese applicants for SSNs must be sent from the SSA to the Department of Homeland Security via a paper-based process that can take anywhere from two weeks to three months.

The Department of Homeland Security is aware of the need to add the necessary code to their systems. The Embassy is following up on the issue with various U.S. agencies in order to make this a priority item at DHS. In addition, the SSA is working with the Embassy to craft a clear process by which any Marshallese facing delays in obtaining an SSN can easily follow up on their application. The SSA will also provide an updated version of the letter from one of their high-level officials explaining Marshallese eligibility for an SSN.

For Marshallese who are having problems getting jobs due to delays in processing of their SSNs, it should be noted that employers may, if they wish, hire someone who has already applied for and is waiting for an SSN. Below are links to information issued by the SSA and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for employers regarding the regulations for such cases.

Ambassador deBrum thanked the SSA officials at the meeting for their willingness to work together to resolve SSN-related problems for Marshallese citizens. He said, “We are here to ensure that the way is clear for Marshallese who come to the United States under the Compact of Free Association to live, work and go to school. We will continue to work with U.S. Government agencies to resolve these problems as soon as possible. At the same time, I encourage any Marshallese who are experiencing difficulties to continue to contact the Embassy so that we can be as responsive as possible to the needs of our communities here in the U.S.”

Official Release of the Republic of Marshall Islands

Asian Development Bank Coordinating with Partners on Indonesia Earthquake Relief Assistance

2006-06-05T04:34:00.000-07:00

ADB is working closely with the Government of Indonesia and other development partners, including the World Bank, United Nations, and Japan Bank for International Cooperation, on assessing the most effective ways to assist people affected by the 27 May earthquake.

ADB has initially offered US$10 million in immediate grant assistance and $50 million in concessional loans, for a total of $60 million, to help meet the rehabilitation and reconstruction needs.

“ADB has a wealth of experience in implementing projects in disaster affected areas,” said Rajat Nag, Director General of ADB’s Southeast Asia Department, who visited central Java and Yogyakarta two days after the earthquake. “We will continue to assess the needs in the area and are already exploring how we can support the Government of Indonesia in the medium term.”

ADB has put together an immediate response team, comprising experts from various sectors, and will take part in a joint Government-donor mission to the affected areas on 6-7 June 2006.

The Government of Indonesia, through the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), will lead the damage and loss assessment process. The Indonesia government has convened a series of meetings since the earthquake, and the joint Government-donor teams are setting priorities and dividing responsibilities for assistance beyond the initial rescue and relief efforts, such as ensuring adequate provision of housing and utilities.

ADB has long experience in several sectors in the affected areas, including roads, flood management systems, and hospitals. ADB has an ongoing road rehabilitation project in the area, for example, as well as a project to provide housing and community infrastructure support.
-Asian Development Bank-

ONE MEGA MILLIONS TICKET WINS ESTIMATED $47 MILLION JACKPOT IN NEW JERSEY

2006-06-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

One ticket matched all six Mega Millions numbers in the Friday, June 2, 2006 drawing, and now players are checking their tickets to see who won the estimated $47 million jackpot. The jackpot-winning ticket, which was purchased in Middlesex County, New Jersey, matched the numbers 3-10-18-36-38 and the Mega Ball number 41.

But that certainly wasn’t the only winner in Friday’s drawing. A total of 444,412 tickets won Mega Millions prizes. Here is the complete breakdown of prizes:

1 ticket matched all 6 numbers for the JACKPOT!
3 tickets matched 5 numbers for $250,000
25 tickets matched 4 numbers + the Mega Ball for $10,000
1,343 tickets matched 4 numbers for $150
1,412 tickets matched 3 numbers + the Mega Ball for $150
21,798 tickets matched 2 numbers + the Mega Ball for $10
68,926 tickets matched 3 numbers for $7
124,382 tickets matched 1 number + the Mega Ball for $3
226,522 tickets matched the Mega Ball for $2

Three tickets came within just one number of winning it all. Each of them matched the first five numbers and only missed the Mega Ball number. Those tickets were purchased in California, New York and Texas.

The jackpot for the Tuesday, June 6, 2006 Mega Millions drawing is $12 million.

Mega Millions is played in 12 states: California, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

Mega Millions drawings are held Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 PM Eastern Time, 10:00 PM Central Time and 8:00 PM Pacific Time.

*California law restricts California Lottery games to pari-mutuel prizes. Prize amounts in California will differ from the fixed prize amounts shown here. Go to http://www.calottery.com/games/megamillions for the California Lottery Web site and prize amounts. Pari-mutuel prizes means that prize amounts vary with the number of tickets sold and the number of winning tickets in each prize category.

New e-Gobernment via phone in Germany

2006-06-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

The city of Essen, in the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, will soon be the first
in the region to launch a comprehensive, voice-operated information and
communication portal to communicate with businesses and citizens.
The city authorities are planning to simplify access to its administrative services through a
new ‘eGovernment via telephone’ system due to be launched this autumn. Thanks to the new
voice-operated portal, citizens will be able to access most of the regularly required information
from public services, 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
The Essen project team was selected from a group of four participating communes and
regions in North Rhine-Westfalia. Their six-month pilot phase will give them the opportunity to
test the latest voice-activated software and its applicability in the provision of eGovernment
services to citizens and businesses.

To access e-Government services of Germany click HERE (only in german)

Climate Change ¿What is the threat of Kyoto and how is the European Union commited in?

2006-05-18T12:32:00.000-07:00

The European Union and Kyoto

The European Union is committed to reducing its 1990 levels of greenhouse gas emissions by 8% between the years 2008-2012 under the Kyoto Protocol on climage change. Meeting this target without damaging European competitiveness poses a major challenge. The European Union is determined to take the lead in the fight against climate change and has ratified by 1 June 2002 the Kyoto Protocol - a first step in a longer-term global environmental effort to protect our planet.
The protocol stes limits on greenhouse gas emissions for industrialised countries and the transition economies of Russia and the EU applicants in central and eastern Europe for a five-year period beginning in 2008.
In 2001, the European Commission has tabled in its report on its European Climate Change Programme and in a Communication to Council and Parliament a series of actions for the next two years that will help to reduce green house gas emissions. These actions concern the energy sector, transport and industry as well as so called cross cutting issues, which will have effects on all sectors.

Emissions trading

The proposal for a Directive on emissions trading is currently the most prominent climate change action for the Community. Emission trading can minimise the costs of compliance with the Kyoto Protocol and the European Commission, after extensive consultation with industry and Member States is proposing that an emission trading scheme, mainly for large energy intensive installations, should be introduced in 2005.

The scheme would apply to between 4,000 and 5,000 individual energy-intensive plants ( above a certain size ). Between them, these account for nearly half of the Union's total carbon dioxide emissions.

The scheme would cover electricity generators and producers of iron and steel, glass, cement, pottery and bricks. For the time being, it would not include the chemical industry, which is responsible for barely 1% of all direct emissions, nor the waste and transport sectors. Small and medium-sized businesses would also be largely excluded.

Under the proposal, every large industrial and energy installations covered by the scheme would be issued with a permit certifying its annual CO2 emission levels. If it succeeds in emitting less, it may sell its surplus certificates to an operator that has gone above the permitted ceiling. Financial penalties would be imposed on plants whose emissions exceeded the allowances they had been allocated or purchased.

The system's value is that it uses market forces to transfer the ability to reduce emissions to those who can achieve this most cheaply, and, by requiring producers to pay for extra allowances that may be required, is consistent with the 'polluter pays' principle.

Kyoto and competitiveness

Reducing compliance costs in meeting the 8% Kyoto target is essential if the international competitiveness of European companies is not to be undermined. This is especially true since US withdrawal from the process suggests that American businesses may face few costs in implementing their climate change measures.

Competition may also come from Russia. The collapse of its economy in the past decade means that its current level of emissions is way below the 2008-2012 Kyoto target. This could give its industry a potential advantage and encourage the country either to sell its surplus allowances or use them to attract inward investment in some industrial sectors.

The fact that Kyoto commits only industrialised countries to quantitative emission reduction targets may give the developing world a competitive edge with regard to greenhouse gas emissions. This could encourage some companies based in Europe to consider moving their operations overseas. However, distance from the EU market, a different regulatory environment and smaller pool of qualified labour should offset any such tendencies.

Another factor influencing competitiveness is the possibility available under the Kyoto Protocol to offset tree planting efforts and forestry management against emission reduction targets. Countries such as Canada, Japan and Russia will benefit proportionately more than the EU from this opportunity.

Costs of Kyoto

Leadership in the fight against climate change does not come without a price, although this would have to be balanced against the effects of inaction if no measures are taken against greenhouses gases emisssions. Because of the many variables involved, such as energy inputs, growth of GDP and trade-offs with other policy areas, it is impossible to give firm figures for the costs of compliance.

However, estimates for the annual cost to the Union as a whole range from less than 0.1% to nearly 1% of GDP. The relative costs for individual sectors will depend on whether some are called on to make greater reductions than others or whether a flat rate target is set across the board.

Energy-intensive sectors such as steel, basic chemicals and pulp and paper, precisely because they have already made significant emission reduction efforts, and face trough international competition, could incur higher marginal reduction costs.

On the other hand, companies moving early to develop, patent and implement the necessary technology to reduce emissions or produce alternative forms of energy may gain a competitive advantage.

The overall economic effects of addressing climate change under the Kyoto Protocol are very difficult to quantify. It is clear that there are risks. However, there are also potential opportunities.

Everything is possible, from triggering relocation of some industry to outside the EU to winning a competitive advantage by creating a stimulus for the development of new leading-edge technology.

This is why it is so important to start off on the right foot and keep a proper balance between the environmental and economic dimensions of the problem. This is in the best spirit of the Union's commitment to the principle of sustainable development by taking into account the economic, social and environmental dimensions in its decision-making process.. This in turn requires the early development of performance structures to carry out reliable impact assessments.

The European Commission Enterprise and Industry, Reports and Estudies

China and India join Galileo

2006-05-17T12:12:00.000-07:00

China and India have decided to participate in Galileo, the EU’s satellite navigation system. This is a sign of Asian countries’ desire to move beyond mere trade relations with the European Union.

The Galileo system, to be operational in 2008, will provide a more accurate alternative to the US network of global positioning satellites (GPS). Galileo will primarily be used for the geographic positioning of vehicles and other transport modes, as well as for scientific research, land management and disaster monitoring. It will also have government applications accessible only to EU member states.

What is Galileo?

Galileo will be Europe’s own global navigation satellite system, providing a highly accurate, guaranteed global positioning service under civilian control. It will be inter-operable with GPS and GLONASS, the two other global satellite navigation systems.
A user will be able to take a position with the same receiver from any of the satellites in any combination. By offering dual frequencies as standard, however, Galileo will deliver real-time positioning accuracy down to the metre range, which is unprecedented for a publicly available system.
It will guarantee availability of the service under all but the most extreme circumstances and will inform users within seconds of a failure of any satellite. This will make it suitable for applications where safety is crucial, such as running trains, guiding cars and landing aircraft.
The first experimental satellite, part of the so-called Galileo System Test Bed (GSTB) will be launched in the second semester of 2005. The objective of this experimental satellite is to characterize the critical technologies, which are already under development under ESA contracts. Thereafter up to four operational satellites will be launched in the timeframe 2005-2006 to validate the basic Galileo space and related ground segment. Once this In-Orbit Validation (IOV) phase has been completed, the remaining satellites will be installed to reach the Full Operational Capability (FOC) in 2008.
The fully deployed Galileo system consists of 30 satellites (27 operational + 3 active spares), positioned in three circular Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) planes in 23616 km altitude above the Earth, and at an inclination of the orbital planes of 56 degrees with reference to the equatorial plane. Once this is achieved, the Galileo navigation signals will provide a good coverage even at latitudes up to 75 degrees north, which corresponds to the North Cape, and beyond. The large number of satellites together with the optimisation of the constellation, and the availability of the three active spare satellites, will ensure that the loss of one satellite has no discernible effect on the user.
Two Galileo Control Centres (GCC) will be implemented on European ground to provide for the control of the satellites and to perform the navigation mission management. The data provided by a global network of twenty Galileo Sensor Stations (GSS) will be sent to the Galileo Control Centres through a redundant communications network. The GCC’s will use the data of the Sensor Stations to compute the integrity information and to synchronize the time signal of all satellites and of the ground station clocks. The exchange of the data between the Control Centres and the satellites will be performed through so-called up-link stations. Five S-band up-link stations and 10 C-band up-link stations will be installed around the globe for this purpose.
As a further feature, Galileo will provide a global Search and Rescue (SAR) function, based on the operational Cospas-Sarsat system. To do so, each satellite will be equipped with a transponder, which is able to transfer the distress signals from the user transmitters to the Rescue Co-ordination Centre, which will then initiate the rescue operation. At the same time, the system will provide a signal to the user, informing him that his situation has been detected and that help is under way. This latter feature is new and is considered a major upgrade compared to the existing system, which does not provide a feedback to the user.

Sources: European Space Agency (ESA) and Europa Information Sources

Open European Community, Brussels on May 6 2006

2006-05-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

The European Community, allways close to citizens, will be opened on Saturday May 6 to all citizens with the democracy festival, where everybody will be wellcomed on its headquarters to explain how it works.
Germán Yáñez, European Express.

Europe is growing larger and will expand even further, opening up new horizons and deeper cooperation for its citizens. This is why the European Institutions have chosen worker and student mobility and Social Europe as the stars of its 2006 Festival of Europe.
European Comission press releases.

WTO Director-General PASCAL LAMY CALLS FOR “SHARED SENSE OF URGENCY” IN THE TRADE NEGOTIATIONS

2006-05-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

Director-General Pascal Lamy, in his introductory statement to the TradeNegotiations Committee on 1 May 2006, said that finding consensus in thenegotiations “remains doable, but only if a sense of urgency—which I feelis not always shared by all—starts appearing in each and every delegation”“We must now focus our efforts on working intensively, continuously andin an effective manner on a text-based negotiating process, which issolidly anchored in Geneva”, he added.
> More on the TNC

TravelEurope: The Channel Islands: Jersey and Guerney

2006-05-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

You will find the Channel Islands nestling in the Bay of Cherbourg, close to France, and indeed the French influence in all the islands is immediately obvious as soon as you step off the plane or boat.

The Channel Islands are constitutionally separate from the UK and France and to all intents and purposes are totally self-governing. The States of Jersey and The States of Guernsey (known as The States) are the effective legislators and government and 'run' the islands at a local level. There is also a link to the Privy Council and the Queen in the UK as the islands are ultimately a British Dependency.

Jersey is the largest, and perhaps the most well known, of the islands at 45 square miles and a population of some 90,000 inhabitants. Guernsey comes next with around 60,000 inhabitants in 25 square miles, and the likes of Alderney, Sark, Herm and other islands are much smaller, but all with their own indigenous population.

Transport links to the islands are extensive with air and sea links to both the UK and French mainlands and therefore hopping on to a plane or boat is as natural as boarding a train when attempting to get from A to B - and the travel time is very short being between 30 and 60 minutes depending on your destination.

An array of restaurants, hotels and pubs provide options for all tastes and budgets but generally all establishments are of a very high standard catering for both the high demands of the business sector as well as the discerning tourist. As such, you will find an incredible amount of options for leisure facilities to cope with the demands and interests of the very cosmopolitan populations in all the islands - not least of course the high quality golf courses and wide variety of water based activities.

IESE, The Business School of University of Navarra becames the Leading Distributor of Harvard Business Cases in Spanish

2006-05-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

Harvard Business School Publishing (HBSP) has become a new academic partner, adding more than 500 official case translations from this prestigious U.S. school to IESEP?s catalogue. The agreement between both distributors underscores IESE Publishing?s position as the distributor offering the largest number of business cases in Spanish in the world.The addition of Harvard cases brings the total number of documents and products on offer to 4,800. Read now, in Spanish, cases from Harvard Business School, focusing on companies all over the world and covering a wide range of topics.

European Commission Welcomes World Bank's Announcement of Africa Fund

2006-04-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

The European Commission has welcomed the World Bank Group’s recently announced Africa Catalytic Growth Fund, saying that both institutions are determined to support and to accelerate shared economic growth and to assist in the achievement of Millennium Development Goals that have proved difficult to attain in Africa.

The World Bank Group Trust Fund complements the European Trust Fund on Infrastructure, which was launched on February 9th by the Commission and the European Investment Bank (EIB) as a new tool to implement the Euro-Africa partnership on infrastructure. Both institutions are also key actors in development co-operation and have now new means to better respond to the African challenges.

"Last year, the international community has taken substantial commitments to raise more money for development aid and deliver it better and faster," said Louis Michel, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid. "This year we must deliver on these commitments."

Last December, the European Union adopted the European Consensus on Development and the EU Strategy for Africa. Today the EU has a joint strategy for development shared by all its Member States and by the Commission alike. The World Bank has equally adopted an Action Plan to support Africa in September 2005. To establish synergy and complementarity between the two strategies, both institutions are engaged in frequent consultations.

Development is a global effort, say the European Commission, and both the EU and the World Bank share the same objective of growth and poverty eradication in Africa. The two Trust Funds will allow the two institutions rapidly to channel additional resources from other partners to Africa with the aim of accelerating progress towards the Millennium Development Goals

EuropeanExpress Supports Fight Hunger

2006-04-23T11:53:00.000-07:00

We support fight hunger, the UN organisation to fight the hunguer, for this reason we are sending massive mailings to show the world the new campaign.
Damos apoyo a "fight hunger" el programa de UN para luchar contra el hambre en el mundo, por ello estamos difundiendo masivamente el link de su video para mejorar sus subvenciones.

Play video here http://www.fighthunger.org/files/energy_en.wmv

To view the places where you can walk >press here<

Este acto tendrá lugar el día 21 de Mayo a las 12:00 en la Plaza Colón y se dirigirá hasta la Puerta de Alcalá (Madrid). Hay la posibilidad de que se lleve a cabo en la ciudad de Vigo, para mantenerse informado presione >aquí<

UN Appeals For $426 Million To Aid Drought Victims In Horn Of Africa

2006-04-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

Launching an appeal for $426 million to support the urgent needs of people in the drought stricken Horn of Africa the UN's top humanitarian official said that more than 8 million were in mortal danger.

Speaking in the Kenyan capital Nairobi UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Jan Egeland said that the drought shows no sign of relenting. Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia have been suffering from water shortages and declining access to food following several years of successive rainfall failures and the rapid erosion of assets. Large numbers of people were dyingdue to preventable diseases and malnutrition related to the drought, Mr. Egeland said.

He went on to warn that Somalia, to which the bulk of the appeal, is targeted, is particularly vulnerable to the unfolding crisis. Intolerable levels of children are dying of malnutrition with "angry and hungry men with Kalashnikovs in search of food" poised to trigger furtherconflict.

“I know we launch many appeals, and there are many areas of the world needing assistance, but I cannot underline too much how important this is,” Kevin Kennedy, the Director of the Complex Emergency Division of the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said recently in New York.

“There are millions of people at risk, and predictions …that if things do not improve rapidly, if assistance is not provided, we could see a much, much worse situation three, four, five months out,” he warned.

Mr. Kennedy said the five or six year drought cycles of the past have become yearly or bi-yearly leaving some 15 million people at risk in addition to the 8 million in immediate danger.

These are people who rely on livestock for their livelihood and their whole way of life,” Mr. Kennedy said. “The rain has stopped falling. The waterholes have dried up. The crops have failed when they can do cropping and the livestock are dying.”

OCHA said the funds being sought will provide a comprehensive response, covering water and sanitation, health and nutrition, livestock and agriculture, livelihood security and education, as well as food aid, in order to save lives immediately and to also build resilience to futuredroughts.

“We have to break the cycle of drought in this region; it will affect and save the lives of literally hundreds of thousands of people over the long-term,” Mr. Kennedy said.

Palestinian Assistance: Humanitarian Assistance and Democracy Building

2006-04-08T07:26:00.000-07:00

The United States remains committed to President Bush’s vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is also our desire to help provide for the basic human needs of the Palestinian people.

Consistent with these principles, the United States will increase its humanitarian aid to help Palestinians in need. Basic humanitarian assistance – including health, food, and education – will increase by 57 percent, for a total of $245 million. The United States will also provide $42 million to strengthen civil society and independent institutions. Assistance will be administered through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and non-Palestinian Authority actors, including local and international NGOs.

Because the new Hamas-led Palestinian government has failed to accept the Quartet principles of non-violence, recognition of Israel and respect for previous agreements between the parties, the United States is suspending assistance to the Palestinian government’s cabinet and ministries.

The new Palestinian government must take responsibility for the consequences of its policies.

The path back to the Roadmap is clear – acceptance of the three principles. If it accepts the Quartet principles, or a new government comes to power that accepts them, funding can be restored.

Fact sheet of the U.S.Department of State_Spacial Briefing

U.S. & Europe Call for Release of Jailed Belarus Protesters

2006-03-26T06:47:00.000-08:00

The United States is calling on Belarus immediately to release protesters and opposition supporters detained or arrested in connection with the country’s "severely flawed" March 19 election, a U.S. diplomat told Europe’s leading human-rights group.

Hundreds of around-the-clock protesters spent their fifth day demonstrating in October Square in the Belarus capital city of Minsk. The sustained public demonstration is unprecedented in Belarus, a former Soviet republic that has used repressive measures to silence critics of the government.

More at U.S. Department of State>>>

European Business Summit

2006-03-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

Building a Europe of Excellence

Turning knowledge into growth

During two days the 4th European Business Submit had a record number of 2.686 attendees. EBS conferences and networking attracted 1.898 participants, including 100 keynote speakers. The various parallel sessions were visited by 520 people. Over 250 journalists covered this fourth EBS.
Both on numbers as on content, this was by far the biggest EBS, throughout 2 plenary sessions, 9 thematic workshops, 6 country groups, 15 parallel sessions and a Gala Dinner.

more at http://www.ebsummit.org/index.html?current=26&page=26&page2=26&lang=en

For any comments about our articles or others you'd like us to publish please mail us at europeanexpress@gmail.com

Edinburgh Excellence - From manufacturing to high-tech

2006-03-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

Jim McFarlane, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian: "To survive the threat of manufacturing industry moving to lower-cost locations, European countries must move up the value chain and add value thought innovation"

The Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian is engaged together with the cities of Copenhagen, Vienna, Veneto and Hamburg looking to internationalisation supporting growth and helps innovative projects for young companies.

Learn more at www.edinburghsciencetriangle.com

Germán Yáñez Márquez on the blog of Margot Wallström Vice-president of the EU Comission

2006-03-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

The US government has shown us how the government in a nation must be. The US government, doesn't mean what colour you are, doesn't mean which is the thank of the president has usually most admirable actions suporting free movement of persons and companies until, the terrorist attak of 11S, when all the citizens supported they governmen, as well as the political parties. Now we are taking the debate of an US representative, should I say that, some of the politicala and economical cases produced by, for example, the publicantion of faces of Mahoma, the intervention by the Spanish government to an Inter-European operation of ENDESA, or to finance a terrorist government, had never happened in the US. The United States is a great, free, and world-trusted Nation by it's conviction and because they all work to go ahead together. Why Europa doesn't? We should stay united and feel European, and of course if a terrorist group as ETA is decided to be named by the whole European Countries not to change the threat as "they are friends" because of the gun on back. To stay united is go ahead. Fights into the community makes us go back, this words are my contribution to Europe and I'm sure all who feel and trust in the "Great Community" will agree.

IMF - Last News

2006-03-15T13:20:00.000-08:00

1 De Rato and IMF Reform, A Letter to the Editor by Thomas Dawson, Director, External Relations Department,
IMFhttp://www.imf.org/external/np/vc/2006/030806.htm

2 Transcript of a Conference Call with Journalists on The Global Economic and Financial Impact of an Avian Flu Pandemic and the Role of the IMFhttp://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2006/tr060313.htm

IMF - Conferences and Seminars

1 IMF Seminars and Conferences -- IMF Book Forum: Is Globalization Here to Stay?, March 29, 2006http://www.imf.org/External/NP/EXR/BForums/2006/032906.htm

EPP supports to Partido Popular Español against Mr. Zapatero's coalition with Morales, Chaves, and terrorists Governments from the world over

2006-03-12T14:10:00.000-08:00

The President of the European People´s Party (EPP), Wilfried Martens, declared his support to the Spanish Partido Popular and its leader, Mariano Rajoy, during a "Convención", held last weekend in Madrid that was open to the public and to journalists.
"2005 was a difficult year for the European Union due to the results of the referenda on the Constitutional Treaty in France and the Netherlands; but the Partido Popular supported the European interests instead of partisan interests", Martens stated during his speech in the plenary session.

"The Partido Popular has a very good political project, a very good team of men and women and a prominent leader, Mariano Rajoy. You are the party of the citizens and this is the key to win the next Spanish elections," President Martens declared.
In the closing speech of the "Convención", Mariano Rajoy thanked Wilfried Martens for attending the meeting. The leaders of the UMP (France), Nicolas Sarkozy, and the PSD (Portugal), Luis Marques Mendes, also attended the "Convención".

CAA - aircraft register for Cayman Islands

2006-03-12T05:47:00.000-08:00

A Guide to registering aircraft in the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands provide a safe, stable and ‘friendly flag’ for registration of an aircraft and a developed system for perfecting a security interest over that aircraft.
The Cayman Islands enjoy a stable system of government, consisting of a 15 member Legislative Assembly elected by the people every 4 years, which enables the Cayman Islands largely to self-govern on local affairs, and a Governor who is formally appointed by the Queen every 3 years to act as a representative of the U.K. government and to exercise power over certain domestic issues (for example, controlling the Islands’ internal security matters, dissolving the legislature, assenting to laws and acting as a delegate between the Islands and the British government).

Press anywhere on the text to link the PDF article.

WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy

2006-03-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

Agenda: WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy

13–17 March 06

Monday 13 March 06 in Basel

• Bank for International Settlements

Tuesday 14 March 06 in Geneva

• Conference at the Graduate Institute of International Studies

To view official comunication from press office, please follow this link.

IMF - Speeches

2006-03-04T14:20:00.000-08:00

Evolution not Revolution: The Changing Role of the IMF in the Global Economy.

By Anne O. Krueger at Stanford University.

As a consequence of what we learned, the Fund has made important and far-reaching adjustments to the way it works. Now is an appropriate moment to assess what we have done and to consider what further changes need to be made. There will, of course, always be a need for change: the world is constantly evolving and so must we at the Fund if we are to continue to fulfill our central purpose: the maintenance of international financial stability. Indeed, the Fund's history, like that of the international economic policy community as a whole, is one of adapting to change. Success in meeting some challenges inevitably brings fresh ones in its wake. We are proud to be a learning institution.

Read more at: IMF Speeches

UNESCO - Report on children out of school

2006-03-04T13:37:00.000-08:00

Recomended Source by German Yañez:

UNESCO presents it's new report on children education. About one hundred and fifteen million children are out of school.
The objetive is school for all children by 2015.

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UNESCO, 1 March -Education News-

One hundred and fifteen million primary school-age children are out of school according to a joint UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS / UNICEF global estimate. This number equals 18% - or almost one in five - of the children worldwide in this age group. And many of the children who are in school may never complete their primary education or finish it without attaining even basic literacy skills.
The report will soon be available in French.

Download or View the report.

WHO - Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: why is it important?

2006-02-24T01:10:00.000-08:00

Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death in the world, with an estimated 4.9 million deaths a year. If current smoking patterns continue, the toll will nearly double by 2020. A high percentage of deaths (70%) will occur in developing countries. Tobacco kills people at the height of their productivity, depriving families of breadwinners and nations of a healthy workforce.

Increased trade, foreign investment, global marketing and other complex international phenomena have led to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. As the epidemic transcends national borders, its control requires international cooperation and multilateral regulation.

The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) was developed as a global response to the globalization of the tobacco epidemic. Adopted in June of 2003, the WHO FCTC quickly became one of the most widely embraced treaties in United Nations' history, becoming international binding law on 27 February 2005.

There is no doubt that reducing the rates of uptake and consumption of tobacco will save lives and that the WHO FCTC is the evidence-based tool with which to do it. It has been projected that with a progressive 50% reduction in uptake and consumption rates, as many as 200 million lives could be saved by the year 2050 ― and hundreds of millions more thereafter.

YOU can also visit Tobacco Free initiative from the WHO by clicking this text.

IMF - Reports & Publications

2006-02-24T00:59:00.000-08:00

Italy: Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes—
Fiscal Transparency Module—Update

The IMF presents Report on the Observance of Standards and Codes on Fiscal Transparency Module for Italy was prepared by a staff team of the International Monetary Fund as background documentation for the periodic consultation with the member country. It is based on the information available at the time it was completed on February 2, 2006.

To view this resource go to IMF.org (Adobe Acrobat or Reader required)

Europa Press Releases - Avian influenza confirmed in Europe

2006-02-21T12:03:00.000-08:00

-Brussels 21 February 2006- Avian Influenza: France and Netherlands present vaccination plans for poultry

French and Dutch plans to carry out targeted preventive vaccination campaigns on certain poultry, as a precautionary measure against highly pathogenic avian influenza, have been presented to Member States in the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) today. The presentations were followed by positive discussions in the Committee on the technical and scientific details of the plans, as these are the first such vaccination programmes against the H5N1 virus to be proposed in the EU. On the basis of today’s discussions, the Commission will now consider proposals to approve the plans and to lay down specific conditions that must be met in applying them. The discussions will continue in the Committee tomorrow morning.

The Dutch plan entails vaccinating hobby poultry and free-range laying hens throughout the whole country. The vaccination will be provided on a voluntary basis, as an alternative to the requirement that these birds be kept indoors.

The French plan foresees the vaccination of ducks and geese in the departments of Landes, Loire-Atlantique and Vendée, which are considered to be areas at high risk of avian influenza. The intention is to begin vaccination immediately and continue until April 1 2006, during which time around 900 000 birds are expected to be immunised. Both Member States outlined the monitoring and control measures that would be followed with regard to the vaccinated birds. These include the use of sentinel birds (i.e. unvaccinated control birds) to monitor for an avian influenza outbreak in the vaccinated flock, regular testing of the vaccinated and sentinel birds, and the continued application of bio-security provisions already in place.

-Brussels 21 February 2006- Avian influenza confirmed in two wild birds in Slovakia: Slovak authorities applying precautionary measures

The Slovak authorities informed the European Commission overnight of two confirmed cases of avian influenza virus H5 in wild birds, one tested in Bratislava city (mergus albellus, ‘smew’ in English, ‘Harle Piette’ in French, from the family of ducks, geese and swans) and one in Gabcikovo, district of Dunajska (a hawk). Samples will be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge for further tests to determine if this is the H5N1 virus.

The Slovak authorities have informed the European Commission that they are applying the precautionary measures set out in the Commission Decision on certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Community. This Decision was adopted by the Commission on 17 February, following a favourable opinion on 16 February by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Decision sets out the measures to be applied in any Member State of the European Union which detects a case of avian influenza H5 in wild birds which is suspected or confirmed to be the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus. The Slovak authorities are in close contact with their Hungarian and Austrian counterparts as the 10 km surveillance zones cross the Slovak-Austrian and Slovak-Hungarian borders.

The measures consist of the establishment of a high risk area (a 3 km protection zone) around each of the outbreaks and a surrounding surveillance zone of 10 km (which includes the protection zone). In the protection zone, poultry must be kept indoors, movement of poultry is banned except directly to the slaughterhouse and the dispatch of meat outside the zone is forbidden except where products have undergone the controls provided for in EU food controls legislation (i.e meat sourced from healthy animals in registered farms, subject to ante and post mortem checks by vets in the slaughterhouse). In both the protection zone and the surveillance zone, on-farm biosecurity measures must be strengthened, hunting of wild birds is banned and disease awareness of poultry owners and their families must be carried out.

-Brussels 17 February 2006- Avian influenza confirmed in wild duck in France: French authorities applying precautionary measures

The French authorities today informed the European Commission of a confirmed case of the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5 in a dead wild duck tested in Ain, near Lyon. A sample will be sent to the Community Reference Laboratory for avian influenza in Weybridge for further tests to determine if this is the H5N1 virus.

The French authorities have informed the European Commission that they will apply immediately the precautionary measures set out in the Commission Decision on certain protection measures in relation to highly pathogenic avian influenza in wild birds in the Community. This Decision was adopted by the Commission today, following a favourable opinion on 16 February by the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health. The Decision sets out the measures to be applied in any Member State of the European Union which detects a case of avian influenza H5 in wild birds which is suspected or confirmed to be the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus.

The measures consist of the establishment of a high risk area (a 3 km protection zone) around the outbreak and a surrounding surveillance zone of 10 km (which includes the protection zone). In the protection zone, poultry must be kept indoors, movement of poultry is banned except directly to the slaughterhouse and the dispatch of meat outside the zone is forbidden except where products have undergone the controls provided for in EU food controls legislation (i.e meat sourced from healthy animals in registered farms, subject to ante and post mortem checks by vets in the slaughterhouse). In both the protection zone and the surveillance zone, on-farm biosecurity measures must be strengthened, hunting of wild birds is banned and disease awareness of poultry owners and their families must be carried out.

Austrialian Development Gateway February

2006-02-21T11:57:00.000-08:00

"Ask the Sector Specialist": Clay O'Brien, answers your questions on microfinance and enterprise development and in the Asia Pacific region.

Follow this link to submit your questions http://www.developmentgateway.com.au/ask_the_specialist
He will be available to receive your questions on this very topical issue, from 10th - 24th February.

Clay is the General Manager, Special Projects for Opportunity International Australia, a global microfinance provider.

He is currently involved in the funding and development Opportunity International Australia's microfinance institutions in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe and has previously managed their indigenous Australian projects. He was also the chairman of the Australian committee for the Year of Microcredit (2005) set up by the UN.

Don't miss this opportunity to engage with a sector expert and learn more about this important issue.submit your questions now! http://www.developmentgateway.com.au/ask_the_specialist

Visit the new ADG Microfinance and Enterprise Development sector with 130+ resources http://www.developmentgateway.com.au/jahia/Jahia/pid/2699

WTO - Shedule for Meetings 20 to 24 February

2006-02-21T11:29:00.000-08:00

WTO MEETING SCHEDULE 20–24 FEBRUARY 2006

Tuesday 21 February 2006
10 am - Trade and environment negotiations (committee “special session”)
Wednesday 22 February 2006

10 am - Trade and environment negotiations (committee “special session”)
3 pm - Dispute settlement negotiations

>Tentative schedule of meetings for the rest of the year:http://www.wto.org/english/news_e/meets.pdf

> Director-General's schedule this week:http://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/dg_e/dg_agenda_e.pdf
(Click on the links or copy and paste them into your browser.
Alternatively, you can go to our home page http://www.wto.org and followthe links.)

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UNICEF - Lunches a new TV Show

2006-02-13T14:04:00.000-08:00

Last October, UNICEF strted telling the world about the UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS campaign – a five-year global initiative whose goal is to put children at the center of the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

Since then, the campaign has launched in dozens of countries around the world, and thousands of people like you have joined the effort via the campaign’s website.
Now the campaign has released the UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS Update – a fast-paced, nine- minute online television show that brings viewers the latest news from the campaign and the fight against HIV/AIDS.

To watch the show, visit: http://www.unicef.org/uniteforchildren/
The Update is a monthly programme featuring reports and human interest stories from every corner of the globe. UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Ralph Fiennes makes an appearance in the first episode, which also includes stories of the campaign’s expansion to Thailand, India, and Mozambique.

Please watch the show and to learn how the UNITE FOR CHILDREN UNITE AGAINST AIDS campaign – with the support of people like you – is working to transform the global fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Spain Herald - Terrorism in Basque county Negotiation

2006-02-13T13:59:00.000-08:00

Oreja: Zapatero negotiating Basque self-determination with ETA

PP Euro-MP Jaime Mayor Oreja said yesterday that he is "morally certain" that the Zapatero administration is negotiating the self-determination of the Basque Country, rather than a definitive peace, with ETA. Oreja reproached Zapatero for "committing an enormous error" in favoring such negotiations. Oreja said that Spain is going to cause "great concern" with this process of negotiating with terrorists because, so far, it has tried to convince the Europeans that it was facing down ETA with the law.

To watch full article link to: http://www.spainherald.com/2783.html

OECD Economics Working Papers

2006-02-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

New OECD working papers published today, press anywhere on the text to link directly to OECD Site.

Here there are some examples of the last papers published:

477 Projecting OECD health and long-term care expenditures: What are the main drivers?

476 Alternative measures of well-beingRomina Boarini, Åsa Johansson and Marco Mira D'Ercole

475 Recent house price developments: the role of fundamentalsNathalie Girouard, Mike Kennedy, Paul van den Noord and Christophe André

474 Reforming federal fiscal relations in AustriaAndrés Fuentes, Eckhard Wurzel and Andreas Wörgötter

473 Product market competition and economic performance in FranceJens Høj and Michael Wise

472 Product market reforms and employment in OECD countriesGiuseppe Nicoletti and Stefano Scarpetta

471 Fast-falling barriers and growing concentration: the emergence of a private economy in ChinaSean Dougherty and Richard Herd

470 Sustaining high growth through innovation: reforming the R&D and education systems in KoreaYongchun Baek and Randall S. Jones

469 The labour market in Korea: Enhancing flexibility and raising participationRandall S. Jones

468 Getting the most out of public-sector decentralisation in KoreaRandall S. Jones and Tadashi Yokoyama

467 Coping with the inevitable adjustment in the US current accountPeter Jarrett

Europa - Newsletter *Iran resumes uranium enrichment activities

2006-02-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Iran resumes uranium enrichment activities

After final negotiations at an extraordinary meeting in Vienna on 4 February, the Council of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) decided to transfer Iran's nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council 'for information'.
The resolution, adopted by 27 votes in favour, 3 against (Venezuela, Cuba and Syria) and 5 abstentions, calls on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment immediately, and to improve its cooperation with the IAEA.
"You can issue as many resolutions of this kind as you want, and play around with them, but you cannot stop Iran's progress," said Iran's President, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
To confirm its intentions, on 6 February Teheran announced its decision to resume its uranium enrichment activities, and to stop all 'voluntary' cooperation with the IAEA. The Iranian government added that it would no longer implement the additional protocol of non-proliferation, which has allowed UN inspectors to carry out investigations in Iran, for three years.
But Russian and Western leaders insisted that they are still open to negotiations. The next deadline is 6 March, when Mohamed El Baradei, the director of the IAEA, will re-submit a report to the Security Council on the Iranian nuclear programme.
If, by then, Iran does not comply with its obligations, the Security Council could "exert renewed pressure" on Teheran in order to reinforce the IAEA's authority.
Shortly after the decision made in Vienna, Russia reiterated its proposal for the partial relocation of Iran's uranium enrichment activities outside the country.
"This proposal may be key in obtaining a negotiated solution," said Franz-Walter Steinhmeier, the Head of German diplomacy, speaking on behalf of the EU-3 composed of France, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Published by UE-Newsletters, view more at

Europa - Newsletter Official communication about Cartoon Controversy

2006-02-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Cartoon controversy: EU condemns violence and calls for dialogue

Following the attacks on European diplomatic missions and other facilities in the context of the violent protests in the Middle East against certain cartoons published in European media, the Austrian Presidency, the Commission and the Member States condemned the violence perpetrated in the strongest possible terms. The Commission fully supported the European Union reactions and the solidarity with the Member States concerned coordinated by the Austrian Presidency on the basis of consultations with the Member States and the Commission. Vis-à-vis the threats of trade boycotts against Danish goods, the Commission recalled that a boycott of Danish goods is by definition a boycott of European goods. A boycott is not the appropriate way to address the issue. It is damaging to all parties.
The Commission said that it is aware that the publication of the cartoons in European media has aggrieved many Muslims all over the world. But no grievance, be it perceived or real, justifies acts of violence. The European Union and its Member States apply the principle of the freedom of speech which is part of their values and traditions. Governments or other public authorities do not prescribe or authorize the opinions expressed by individuals. Conversely, the opinions expressed by individuals engage these individuals, and only them. They do not engage a country, a people, a religion. The Commission recalled that the freedom of speech is the basis not only of the possibility to express an opinion, e.g. to publish said cartoons. It is also the basis of the possibility to rebut an opinion, e.g. to criticize said cartoons. Insofar as an opinion goes beyond what is legal under the freedom of speech, e.g. when incites hatred or violence, the legal systems of the Member States of the European Union offer all means of redress necessary and appropriate.
The Commission underlined that Muslim citizens of the Member States of the European Union and of other countries know that the European Union and its Member States respect Islam. All Member States of the European Union grant freedom of religion, allowing Muslim citizens to practise their faith in the same way as they allow the adherents of other religions and convictions to practise theirs. The European Union and its Member States have for a long time been engaged in dialogue with Europe’s Muslim communities, and are major trade partners, investors and aid donors of most Muslim countries.
The Commission acknowledged that the overwhelming majority of Muslims, whilst maintaining their criticism of the cartoons, have clearly distanced themselves from such violence. Incidentally, the violent nature of a protest suggests that such it is staged or exploited for political purposes other than the call for respect between cultures and religions, the call for respect and the use of violence being mutually exclusive.
The Commission emphasized that it is through a vigorous but peaceful dialogue of opinions under the protection of the freedom of expression that mutual understanding can be deepened and mutual respect can be built. It called on political and religious leaders to use their influence to bring a return to such a peaceful dialogue.

Europa Newsletter is an official publication from the E.U. and is available to all Citizens, Institutions, Bodies, from Europe and the world over.

OECD Newsletters II/13/2006

2006-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

Macroeconomic Policy in the Franc Zone: What can the European Central Bank Learn from Africa?
Tuesday 21 February 2006, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Room 4, OECD HQ, ParisSeminar organised by the OECD Development Centre and WIDER

The new study by the World Institute for Development Economics Research of the United Nations University (UNU-WIDER) focuses on some of the challenges facing the Franc Zone today:-> How close is the Franc Zone to being an ‘Optimum Currency Area’?-> How well do its institutions manage monetary policy in the area? -> How do its policies impact on the poorest and most disadvantaged communities?The study pays particular attention to the way in which this disparate group of countries exploits the advantages and manage the costs of adhering to a single currency.The plan by other African countries to form monetary unions in the next two years makes the discussion particularly timely, and parallels with the European situation cannot be avoided.The debate will be introduced by author David Fielding and Toulouse professor Jean-Paul Azam under the chairmanship of the OECD Development Centre’s Kenneth Ruffing, Co-ordinator of the African Economic Outlook.

For further information link to OECD Development Centre OECD.org

This data comes from OECD Newsletter

We are STARTING our non-official page of official comunications

2006-02-12T06:57:00.000-08:00

We are starting our non-official page of official comunications.
This page will start working at february 27, anyway we will start posting from now over!
Visit us to have all your essential, international organisations and government communications united in the same page.

To make easier to access to our site at http://europeanexpress.co.nr

2006-02-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

http://europeanexpress.co.nr/ this is the new direct-link to our site provided by: