New Europe News: The European News Source

New Year Present for CoCoBu

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:01:00 GMT

nbsp; The Special Report No.3/2004 of the Court of Auditors ldquo;on recovery of irregular payments under the Common Agricultural Policy together with Commissionrsquo;s repliesrdquo; speaks under point 41 ldquo;main reasons for low recoveryrdquo; among others of the 24.9 million Euro of Eximo. The other company is made reference to is another...

India back to ``normal``

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:01:00 GMT

India reacted in a typical Indian manner with the heads of Indian Home Affairs Minister Shivraj Patil and national security adviser MK Narayanan rolling and Delhi announcing the appointment of another National Investigative Agency NIA adding to a plethora of intelligence gathering agencies already in India. Home Affairs Minister Patil said...

India: A sitting duck for terrorists

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

India in the aftermath of the Mumbai attacks and the heightened tensions with Pakistan prompted Tejinder Singh along with his American wife Laurie Singh to travel to the area for an eyewitness report. The itinerary included Delhi Amritsar TarnTaran a town near the border the official flag lowering ceremony at...

Europe Running Out of Leaders

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

2009 has found Europe and the world with more problems than ever before. A key point being the socio-economic crisis which is spreading like the plague. The sensitive issue of this crisis is that the system we are using is obsolete as far as developments digitalization globalization and democratization go...

China under focus as EU bans trade in dog and cat furs

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

China in 2009 will have to curb its slaughter of millions of cats and dogs as the trade in cat and dog fur across Europe was outlawed following a nine-year campaign by Struan Stevenson Scottish Member of European Parliament. Chinese cat and dog fur is often used in coats boot...

Indias ONGC buys Imperial Energy for USD 1.9 bln

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Indiarsquo;s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation ONGC has acquired London Stock Exchange-listed Imperial Energy Plc for GBP 1.3 billion USD 1.88 billion a news report said on December 31. An overwhelming 97 percent of Imperialrsquo;s shareholders accepted the offer by state-run ONGCrsquo;s overseas investment arm ONGC Videsh Limited OVL the...

EU applauds as post-election Bangladesh emerges democratic

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The European Union applauded as 2009 brought a smooth emergence of democracy back on the rails in Bangladesh after the parliamentary elections and called on the countryrsquo;s political parties to seek new solutions to the challenges of its governance. Congratulating the people of Bangladesh for its peaceful participation in the parliamentary...

Finland extends Nord Streams permit

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

A consortium that plans to build an underwater Baltic Sea gas pipeline from Russia to Germany was on December 30 granted extended permission to investigate the sea bed in the Finnish economic zone. The current permit was due to have expired on December 31 but the Finnish government extended it...

EU turns up the heat on Electricite de France

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The European Commission on December 29 turned up the heat on French power giant Electricite de France EdF confirming that it suspected the former monopoly of breaking EU competition rules. The European Commission has sent a ldquo;statement of objectionsrdquo; to the French-based company calling for clarification on the details of...

Gas-OPEC may bring some benefits

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Seventh Ministerial Meeting of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum GECF adopted a charter with an agreement reached to set up an executive office and a Doha-based secretariat. A so-called Gas-OPEC will be created on the base of GECF which includes 16 states such as Algeria Iran Qatar Venezuela Indonesia...

Serbia strikes best energy deal with Russia

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Serbian President Boris Tadic in Moscow inked a multimillion-dollar energy deal with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev on December 24. Under the deal Serbia will sell a controlling stake in its stateowned oil company Naftna Industrija Srbije NIS to Russian gas monopoly Gazprom in exchange for a share in a...

KazMunaiGaz sets key priorities at a time of financial crisis

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

At a time of world financial crisis and plunging prices for oil Kazakhstanrsquo;s oilmen are trying to cut costs by setting their priorities straight. But they expect a certain support from the government. Some analysts believe that the oil price will fall below USD 40 per barrel regardless of the...

2009 vital for climate change clean energy

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Despite good progress in 2008 2009 will be even more crucial when it comes to tackling climate change UK Energy and climate change secretary Ed Miliband. He noted that the New Year will be an important one regarding moving forward on green issues. ldquo;We have seen significant progress during 2008...

Czech mate

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

2009 has already brought so many gifts; itrsquo;s barely been a couple of days and yet it seems to be the year that will keep on giving. Gazprom decided to go ahead and cut Ukraine off gas. The EU was concerned. ldquo;The Presidency and the Commission urge both sides and...

Europe has a lot to observe in 2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

With the arrival of 2009 the Old Continent is set to mark a series of major anniversaries this year defining moments both in terms of European as well as world history. Besides the 70th anniversary of the start of the Second World War which began when Hitlerlsquo;s troops marched into...

2008 financial crisis gives Euro new Europe-wide popularity

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Euro marks the 10th anniversary of its launch in January with Europersquo;s common currency enjoying a new-found appeal as a result of the financial firestorm that swept through world markets this year. From solid Sweden to ailing ex-communist Hungary the Euro is suddenly seen as potential protection in a...

Brussels hails Slovakias superb Euro entry

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Top European Union officials last week hailed Slovakia as a superb economic performer three days before the country becomes the 16th European state to adopt the single currency the Euro. Joining the Euro will place Slovakia at the economic and political heart of Europe. ... This is a superb achievement...

EUs concern at Azerbaijan radio ban

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The European Commission last Wednesday expressed serious concern at Azerbaijans decision not to extend the broadcasting licences of foreign agencies such as the BBC. The decision by the Azerbaijani National TV and Radio Council not to renew the broadcasting licences of several foreign broadcasters including the BBC Radio Liberty and...

Commission condemns LRA Congo massacres

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The European Union last Friday condemned the massacre of hundreds of Congolese civilians by members of the Ugandan Lords Resistance Army LRA demanding that the rebel group sign and stick to an earlier peace deal. The European Commission the EUs executive body strongly condemns the massacre in the Democratic Republic...

Israel launches ground offensive as EU troika visits

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The European Union leaders were hot in pursuit of the elusive cease-fire in the Middle East as Israeli ground forces moved in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday the eighth day of a massive Israeli offensive against Islamic group Hamas. The ground operation was preceded by an artillery barrage which...

Normalisation amidst recession

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The global financial slump has become an unexpected midwife for the rebirth of Germany as a normal state that puts selfinterests above other considerations in the conduct of foreign policy. Known for decades as a collegial team player that sublimates its narrow national calculations for the greater good of the...

EU demands end to row as gas flow slows

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Eastern European nations began tapping their natural gas stockpiles on January 3 as the flow from Russia slacked off amid a dispute between Russia and Ukraine about pricing and shipment of gas. Ukrainian gas company officials said they were sending their own supplies of natural gas to neighbours to make up...

Czech Republic takes over EU chair amid crisis

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Czech Republic assumed the sixmonth rotating presidency of the European Union on January 1 nearly two decades after communism collapsed in the central European country of 10 million. The second formerly communist nation after Slovenia to hold the presidency took over the EUrsquo;s helm at a time when the...

Slovak Roma await the Euro in poverty - and fear

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

Shouting each other down women hurl questions at a rare visitor to their hometown a destitute Roma ghetto amid picturesque hills of central Slovakia. ldquo;My father gets 3 500 koruny. How much is it in Euro?rdquo; blurted Magdalena Horvathova a chubby-cheeked 17-year-old with a baby in her arms. ldquo;Will there...

Expanded Eurozone set for more hiccups in 2009

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The expanded 16-member Eurozone with the addition of Slovakia in January 2009 is set to face an uncertain year as concerns mount that a protracted recession has been taking hold amid sharply rising layoffs falling exports contracting order books and slumping private consumption. The International Monetary Fund the Organization for...