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Turkey pressed to stop blocking EU-NATO meetings
14.11.2005 - 17:49 CET
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EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Turkey has come under increased
pressure to stop blocking strategic meetings between
the EU and NATO, with Ankara refusing to grant a
place to Cyprus at the transatlantic table.
Following the historic opening of accession talks
with Turkey on 3 October, EU diplomats are becoming
impatient with Ankara's continuing non-recognition
of Cyprus, which also hampers EU-NATO co-operation.
Greek, Austrian and EU diplomats recalled on Monday
(14 November) that because of Ankara's obstructionism,
the EU has so far not been able to hold strategic
talks with NATO on key issues such as terrorism,
Ukraine and Darfur.
The EU and NATO can only talk about so-called "Berlin
plus" issues, which involve practical co-operation
between the two blocs in EU peace missions using
NATO assets like intelligence.
Slovaks voting on design of euro coins
14.11.2005 - 17:43 CET
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EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Slovak citizens are voting
on the country's future eurocoin designs, with a
possibility to be the first nation to feature christian
symbols on the eurozone's money.
While the euro notes look the same in all the countries
with the single currency, design of one side of
the coins used in the area is left for individual
member states to decide on.
As part of the preparation to join the euro in 2009,
the National Bank of Slovakia has shortlisted ten
images and presented them to the Slovak public for
a week-long vote by phone or text message on Saturday
(12 November).
"The result of the vote - to be announced later
this week - will have a crucial impact on the formal
decision made by the governing board in mid-December,"
the bank's spokesman Igor Barat told EUobserver.
Bosnian leaders in Brussels for US-led constitution
talks
14.11.2005 - 09:48 CET
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Bosnian political leaders are meeting in Brussels
to discuss a reform of their country’s constitution,
on the basis of a draft text secretly prepared by
the Americans and guardedly backed by the EU.
The leaders of eight political parties of Bosnia
and Herzegovina started negotiations in Brussels
on Saturday (12 November) in a gathering which will
last until Monday, followed by a possible second
round of talks in Washington later this month.
The talks are being held on the basis of a blueprint,
revealed by the Guardian on Friday, which was developed
during seven months of secret negotiations between
US experts and officials and Bosnian politicians.
The text was drawn up by US administration officials,
according to news agency DDT-Net, and the Brussels
talks were held under the auspices of the Washington
Institute for peace, with EU enlargement commissioner
Olli Rehn on Saturday briefly addressing the gathering.
Polish government deepens eurosceptic ties
12.11.2005 - 13:37 CET
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The new Polish government secured parliamentary
backing on Thursday (10 November) but some fear
mounting tension with Brussels in store.
Prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz scooped 272
ayes against 187 nos in the confidence vote.
Eurosceptics Self-Defence and the League of Polish
Families backed his rightist Law and Justice party
to secure the result.
The two populist groups, which want to renegotiate
Poland's EU accession treaty, deny they have formed
a coalition with Law and Justice or agreed any major
concessions in return.
But Law and Justice party leader Jaroslaw Kaczynksi
spoke warmly of Self-Defence head Andrzej Lepper
after the vote.
"If [he] continues
to support Law and Justice projects and cooperate
in the creation of a new Poland, he can count on
a change of position on the political scene,"
Mr Kaczynski said, according to Polish daily Rzeczpospolita.
Donald Tusk, the head of the more liberal Civic
Platform opposition, put things bluntly.
"The Law and Justice, Self-Defence and League
of Polish Families coalition is - in the deepest
sense of the word - an anti-European coalition,"
he indicated, Polish news agency PAP reports.
Mr Marcinkiewicz spoke frankly about the value of
EU membership for Poland while presenting his government
programme.
"Integration in the structures
of the European Union is a guarantee of our development
and prosperity while the alliance with the US under
NATO is a guarantee of security," he said.
The prime minister stressed that economic growth
is more important to Poland than eurozone membership
and promised to cap the budget deficit at ˆ7.5 billion
(3.2 percent of GDP) in 2006.
He said privatisation will continue but some key
services, such as the post office, will remain in
public hands.
The government also promised to tackle Poland's
18 percent unemployment rate and take on corruption
with a new Central Anti-Corruption Office.
The European Commission congratulated the new regime
cooly on Friday.
"The Polish government
has been set up on the basis of democratic elections.
We are sure, it will continue a policy of integration
with the EU," spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail
said.
Other Polish opponents of the new government criticised
the programme for lack of detail though.
"This is not an expose that will go down in
history," socialist member Wojciech Olejniczak
said.
Estonian foreign minister denied entry visa
to Russia
11.11.2005 - 09:59 CET
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Russia has refused to give the Estonian foreign
minister an entry visa, sparking a diplomatic row
with Tallinn and putting relations with Brussels
to the test.
The Estonian minister, Urmas Paet, had received
an invitation to take part in a trilateral conference
between Estonia, Finland and Russia’s north western
regions two weeks ago, and was due to travel to
St Petersburg on Thursday (10 November).
The official Russian reason for not issuing the
travel document is that diplomatic procedures state
a foreign minister from another country cannot come
to Russia without an invitation from the Russian
foreign ministry or the Russian government.
According to the Estonian daily Postimees, however,
the Russian foreign ministry is on the list of organisers
of the conference.
Later on Thursday, a spokeswoman from the Russian
Embassy said the visa request from the Estonian
foreign ministry arrived only two days before the
roundtable conference, and therefore the visa "could
only have been issued in violation of all Russian
regulations concerning the reception of high-ranking
foreign officials."
Ex-commissioner Edith Cresson may lose EU
pension
10.11.2005 - 18:03 CET
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EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission
has called for the suspension of EU pension rights
for former French prime minister and EU commissioner,
Edith Cresson, suspected of fraud, forgery and abuse
of confidence during her time as commissioner in
the late nineties.
On Wednesday (9 November), Mrs Cresson appeared
before the Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice
(ECJ), in a first hearing about irregularities of
staff recruitments and payments during her 1994-1999
tenure as EU commissioner for education and research.
If found guilty, the European Commission is likely
to strip Cresson of her generous EU pension and
other benefits entitled to ex-commissioners.
A conclusion from the court is expected on 23 February
2006.
While in charge of the education and research portfolios
in the commission, Edith Cresson appointed her dentist
and friend Rene Berthelot as a highly-paid EU adviser
on HIV, a subject about which he apparently knew
little.
He received over ˆ150,000 for two years' work, during
which time he produced a total of 24 pages of notes.
Letters to commissioners to go public in
EU transparency drive
09.11.2005 - 11:16 CET
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EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission
has adopted today (9 November) a controversial "transparency
initiative."
The plan was postponed for several weeks, due to
concerns among some of the commissioners about its
suggestions.
The draft paper, seen by EUobserver, is proposing
better access to a wider range of documents, including
letters sent to commissioners and lists of EU fund
recipients.
The initiative, proposed by a group of commissioners
led by vice-president Siim Kallas, requires the
EU executive to take a number of immediate steps,
such as to "improve the coverage of the existing
commission register of documents."
The move should lead to commission's documents,
including mail to both the EU executive as such
and its individual members, being accessable for
public scrutiny through a better-developed database.
In view of publishing EU fund recipients, the commission
will "create a central web portal, acting as
a single entry point, which will establish links
to information on end beneficiaries of funds"
which are managed by directorates-general.
The commission's portal should then be interconnected
with the websites of member states and provide information
about EU beneficiaries, controlled at national level.
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Sources: Thousands of Turkish troops enter Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) -- Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who operate from bases there, Turkish security officials said.... |
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Could an al-Qaeda Attack Trigger War With Iran?
Following revelations of a George W. Bush administration policy to hold Iran responsible for any al-Qaeda attack on the U.S. that could be portrayed as planned on Iranian soil... |
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U.S. doubles air attacks in Iraq
BAGHDAD - Four years into the war that opened with "shock and awe," U.S. warplanes have again stepped up attacks in Iraq , dropping bombs at more than twice the rate of a year ago. ... |
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NPR interviews Dahr Jamail on State of Iraq Hospitals
The five minute interview with Michelle Norris is a good one. However, if the NPR show were true to its title, "All Things Considered"... |
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Bipartisan panel urges agencies to order civilians to Iraq
With the situation in Iraq "grave and deteriorating," the United States must begin the process of shifting troops out of the country, members of a bipartisan panel said Wednesday... |
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Sunnis Reject
Early Iraq Election Results, Calling for Inquiry
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 20 - Sunni Arab leaders angrily rejected early election
results on Tuesday, saying the vote had been fixed in... |
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Dispelling
Myths About Iraq
The
bruising debate over U.S. Iraq policy often seems to stray far from
the reality on the ground inside Iraq. Although Iraq’s progress
... |
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Iraqis Glad
2005 Over, Dim Hopes for 2006
*BAGHDAD,
Dec 20 (IPS) - Despite the parliamentary elections last week
and temporary ease in violence ... |
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Religious Groups
Take Early Lead in Iraqi Ballots
BAGHDAD,
Iraq, Dec. 19 - Early voting results announced by Iraqi electoral
officials on Monday, with nearly two-thirds of the ballots ... |
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David Brooks:
Taking a long view of the Iraq conflict
WASHINGTON
Over the past few years, the Iraq war has morphed from a war of liberation
against Saddam Hussein into a civil conflict between Sunnis and Shiites
... |
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Yosfiya: The
21st Century Nazis Are Here
Weary
of the overall failure of the US media to accurately report on the
realities of the war in Iraq for the Iraqi people and US soldiers,
Dahr Jamail went to Iraq to report on the war himself... |
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U.S. Is Said
to Pay to Plant Articles in Iraq Papers
WASHINGTON,
Nov. 30 - Titled "The Sands Are Blowing Toward a Democratic Iraq,"
an article written this week for publication in the Iraqi press was
scornful of outsiders' pessimism about the country's future... |
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N. Korea warns of nuclear war if attacked
North Korea will respond to a pre-emptive U.S. military attack with an "annihilating strike and a nuclear war," the state-run media said Monday, heightening its antagonistic rhetoric.... |
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Israel says no negotiations on soldier
Palestinian militants holding an Israeli soldier gave Israel less than 24 hours Monday to start releasing 1,500 Palestinian prisoners ... |
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In the Shadow
of Sharon
IT
is too early to assess Ariel Sharon's legacy. To be sure, he will
be remembered as one of Israel's great field commanders, the wily,
bulldozing general ... |
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The New Red,
White and Blue
As
we enter 2006, we find ourselves in trouble, at home and abroad. We
are in trouble because we are led by defeatists - wimps, actually... |
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Life After
Ariel Sharon
When
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced two months ago that he was leaving
the right-wing Likud Party, which he had embodied for three decades... |
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Administration
Cites War Vote in Spying Case
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 19 - President Bush and two of his most senior aides argued Monday
that the highly ... |
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Austrian presidency
will not press for EU constitution
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Austrian foreign minister Ursula Plassnik has indicated
that her country's incoming six-month EU... |
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DEFINING THE
AMERICAN INTEREST
The
American Interest (AI) is a new and independent voice devoted to the
broad theme of "America in the world." Our agenda is threefold.
The first is to analyze America's... |
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THE AMAZING
BUBBLE-MAN
Alan
Greenspan is the great guru of the American economy, the spell-master
over the fortunes of multitudes the world over. Chairman of... |
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US DEPARTMENT
OF STATE RELEASED A PRESS STATEMENT ABOUT U.S.-IZRAEL STRATEGIC DIALOGUE
On
November 28, 2005, the United States and Israel conducted a strategic
dialogue led by Under Secretary for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns
and Minister of Jerusalem... |
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An Offering
of Detail But No New Substance
Thirty-two
months after U.S. forces invaded Iraq, President Bush's advisers concluded
that his message of "stay the course" has been translated by a weary
American public as "stay forever." And so yesterday the president
tried to reassure the nation... |
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9/11 Commissioners
Fault Administration
WASHINGTON
-- Reviewing action on recommendations it made last year, the Sept.
11 commission on Monday criticized the Bush administration for not
adopting standards for treatment of captured terror suspects... |
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US
refuses to rule out use of torture
THE
White House has refused to rule out the use of torture in an effort
to prevent a major terrorist attack, arguing the war on terror could
present a "difficult dilemma" and the US administration
was duty-bound to protect the American people... |
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American
Majority Says Bush Misled on Iraq
(Angus
Reid Global Scan) – Many adults in the United States are questioning
their president’s motives to launch the coalition effort, according
to a poll by Hart/McInturff released by the Wall Street Journal... |
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EU opens door to hidden TV adverts
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – More frequent commercial breaks as well as product placements, ... |
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EU states under fire for red tape on foreign workers
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - The European Commission is set next week to present a report criticising ... |
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There is too much hyperbole over the EU consitutional treaty
EUOBSERVER / COMMENT - I am getting increasingly fed up with those who qualify the Constitutional Treaty as a "radical new departure" ... |
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Brussels asks Helsinki to push for stronger EU in criminal matters
The European Commission has renewed calls to boost EU powers in criminal matters as well as increase the role of ... |
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MEPs shelve prickly anti-fraud debate, again
The European Parliament has for the third time postponed a plenary debate on ... |
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Frattini calls for national search into CIA flights and prisons
EU justice comissioner Franco Frattini has urged national prosecutors and judges ... |
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EU praises Bush for wanting 'end' to Guantanamo
The EU has welcomed US president George W. Bush's statements on ending the Guantanamo ... |
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This WEEK in the European Union
EUOBSERVER / WEEKLY AGENDA (2-9 July) This week will be the first in office for the Finnish EU presidency. ... |
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EU troops kill
wife of Bosnian war crimes suspect
The
wife of Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Dragomir Abazovic was shot
to death in a gun battle as EU troops stormed the couple's house ... |
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Bird flu kills
third child in Turkey
Avian
influenza has cost the life of a third child in Eastern Turkey, raising
fears that the deadly strain of the so-called bird flu virus could
spread ... |
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EU draws up
Adriatic gas plan after Russia-Ukraine fiasco
The
EU might build a new gas pipeline on the Adriatic Sea coast in order... |
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Slovak-Vatican
abortion deal criticised by EU experts
Slovakia
has been challenged by EU legal experts over an agreement with the
Vatican... |
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Commissioner
proposes constitution cherry-picking
French
commissioner Jacques Barrot has proposed that single elements of the
EU constitution be taken out in a bid to save the charter... |
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Blair takes
hits on EU budget deal
British
prime minister Tony Blair, defending the deal on EU’s budget
in front of the House of Commons... |
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Italian bank
chief resigns
Italian
Central Bank governor Antonio Fazio resigned yesterday after the Italian
government had announced... |
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WTO fallout
expected
Polish
experts say the WTO deal could harm EU exporters of milk, sugar, beef
and grain leading to oversupply... |
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Austria to
revive constitution chat
Austria
plans to revive the EU constitution debate and plough ahead with Turkey
accession talks under its incoming... |
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EU threatens
to cut Palestine funds if Hamas wins
The
EU's exterior relations chief Javier Solana will stop EU funding for
Palestine if Hamas wins the Palestinian elections saying... |
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Ukraine snubbed
in Russia gas row
Ukraine
prime minister Yuri Yekhanourov flew to Moscow for gas price talks
but came back with nothing as Russia... |
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Serbian grip
on Kosovo weakening
Less
and less people in Serbia and on an international level support the
idea of a Serbian Kosovo, Le Figaro writes... |
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New Baltic
gas pipeline scheme
Finland
and Estonia are talking about building a gas pipeline linking... |
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Germany to
cooperate with Italy
German
chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday visited Italian prime minister
Silvio Berlusconi amid promises... |
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Turkey pressed
to stop blocking EU-NATO meetings
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Turkey has come under increased pressure to stop blocking
strategic meetings between the EU and NATO... |
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Slovaks
voting on design of euro coins
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - Slovak citizens are voting on the country's future eurocoin
designs, with a possibility... |
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Bosnian
leaders in Brussels for US-led constitution talks
Bosnian
political leaders are meeting in Brussels to discuss a reform of their
country’s constitution, on the basis of a draft... |
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Polish
government deepens eurosceptic ties
The
new Polish government secured parliamentary backing on Thursday (10
November) but some fear mounting tension with Brussels in store... |
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Estonian
foreign minister denied entry visa to Russia
Russia
has refused to give the Estonian foreign minister an entry visa, sparking
a diplomatic row with Tallinn... |
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Ex-commissioner
Edith Cresson may lose EU pension
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has called for the suspension
of EU pension rights for former French prime minister... |
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Letters
to commissioners to go public in EU transparency drive
EUOBSERVER
/ BRUSSELS - The European Commission has adopted today (9 November)
a controversial "transparency initiative."... |
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