http://www.neurope.eu European Presidency/Council News - New Europe en-us Copyright The Media Company S.A. info@neurope.eu (New Europe) kgougakis@neurope.eu (Kostas Gougakis) Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0200 Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0200 New Europe New Europe 5 http://www.neurope.eu/images/logo.jpg http://www.neurope.eu 100 35 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/99439.php Speaking to New Europe ahead of his meeting with Parliament President Jerzy Buzek the unrepentant EFD Leader spoke about being disciplined his contentious remarks his involvement in the controversial second pension scheme and on rumours that he is under investigation by OLAF the EU anti-fraud office. Asked how he felt... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/99439.php Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:29:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98627.php nbsp;Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero whose country holds the rotating European Union presidency has pledged to present a European-wide plan for the development of electric cars. The initiative is supposed to form part of a new economic strategy for 2020 that EU leaders are due to approve before... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98627.php Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:52:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98496.php With the whole world watching as Haiti tries to recover from the 7-richter earthquake that has reportedly killed 50 000 a figure which may escalate to 100 000 aid from the United States and the European Union are the biggest hope of the Haitian people but even the entertainment community... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98496.php Sat, 16 Jan 2010 14:36:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98328.php Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero whose country took over the rotating European Union presidency on January 1 ndash; at the same time that the EU has a new President - said he needs some guidance from Spanish experts on how to handle it and will create a group... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98328.php Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:50:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98322.php The new presidency got a shock yesterday morning to discover that their website had been hacked and a picture of Mr Bean added to the page. This was intended as a satire on President Zapatero who wags suggest is not to dissimilar in appearance. The attack is believed to have... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98322.php Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:06:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98323.php Kicking off the New Year with a glass of ldquo;Cavardquo; for those attending the Spanish Presidencyrsquo;s first event the Spanish Minister of Culture Angeles Gonzalez-Sinde set out what the Spaniards think has been missing from European Presidency calendars ndash; the heart i.e. Culture . ldquo;One out of 3 migratory moves in... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98323.php Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:36:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98063.php Now that the EU has a new Council President and High Representative who is Mr. Putin going to call? nbsp; Itrsquo;s a good question; maybe you can give me an answer because it is up to you I mean itrsquo;s up to the European Union to say what will be the duty... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98063.php Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:38:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97663.php The announcement of Baroness Cathy Ashton as the EUs first High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission marks a sea-change in how Europe will be perceived across the globe. This position which has already been analysed detailed and scrutinised almost to death for years... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97663.php Sun, 22 Nov 2009 00:41:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97626.php Le Roi des Belges; or perhaps not so royal but democratic although his new Foreign Minister is a Baroness sending a message to the world that the new European Council President and his High Representative Herman Von Rompuy and Baroness Catherine Ashton will not be so far from the old... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97626.php Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:18:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97236.php It has been a long time since the Brussels scene was so abuzz for nothing livens up the city more that a good session of gossip intrigue plotting and scheming for this is what the EU does best. The long running soap opera of choosing the President is made even... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/97236.php Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:49:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/96619.php The European Union welcomes the appointment of a government in Moldova said the office of the Swedish Presidency of the European Council on 25 September following the repeat parliamentary elections on 29 July. The Council added that the EU notes with satisfaction all political contributions to the democratic process following... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/96619.php Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:52:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/95517.php nbsp;Iceland: In from the cold Speculation on Icelandrsquo;s application to become the 28th Member State of the European Union had been rife the last month as the question was debated in the countryrsquo;s 1000 year old parliament. At the first press conference of the Swedish Presidency of the European Council Swedenrsquo;s Foreign... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/95517.php Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:12:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/95313.php In Ancient Greece more specifically in the bustling trading capital Athens of the all powerful state of Athens around the fourth century BC there lived a man who changed the course of history. He founded the first educational institution of the western world came up with a phrase to describe a... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/95313.php Sun, 05 Jul 2009 23:09:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94559.php Istvan Sertouml;-Radics from Hungary who is the Vice-President of the Committee of the Regions and rapporteur for the EUrsquo;s proposed Eastern Partnership to six eastern European countries including Belarus outlined during the panel what he thought the country needed to do to get closer to Europe and talked about it... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94559.php Sun, 31 May 2009 00:28:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94245.php The Assembly of European Regions which represents 260 regions onethird of them outside the European Union has just released the results of a four-year study into the economic effects of devolving decision making to the regions in a report entitled From Subsidiarity to Success. The conclusions are that decentralisation does... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94245.php Mon, 25 May 2009 10:07:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94240.php The European Union and China hoped to mend fences at their summit in Prague but deadlocked on virtually every major point of disagreement and wound up issuing a vague statement that they would continue to work together ndash; without saying how ndash; to fight climate change the worldrsquo;s financial crisis... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94240.php Mon, 25 May 2009 09:47:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94206.php Council of Europe ministers have agreed to accelerate the functioning of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos announced. He spoke at a press conference following a meeting of foreign ministers or representatives from the 47 Council of Europe countries who gathered in... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94206.php Mon, 18 May 2009 14:57:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94253.php The Swiss government always reluctant to open its borders in a country which has tough immigration rules has decided not to invoke a safeguard clause in the Schengen agreement which would have let the Alpine country limit the number of European workers allowed in. The conservative Justice Minister Evelyn Widmer-Schlumpf... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94253.php Mon, 18 May 2009 14:21:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94254.php Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika won re-election in polling his rival said was rigged but which European Union observers said were generally fair but fell far short of international standards including a biased media and unfair use of government trucks by the ruling party.Despite the flaws the EU election observation... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94254.php Mon, 18 May 2009 14:21:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94190.php Czech President Vaclav Klaus has proposed that Prime Minister Jan Fischer whose cabinet has a task of completing the Czech Republicrsquo;s presidency of the European Union chairs the blocrsquo;s June summit the presidentrsquo;s office said. ldquo;The president has full faith in the prime minister and does not doubt that he... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94190.php Mon, 18 May 2009 11:31:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94156.php Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko called The Last Dictator in Europe at the last moment skipped coming to Prague last week for the launch of the European Unionrsquo;s much-vaunted Eastern Partnership to woo former Soviet Republics into the EUrsquo;s corner but he wasnrsquo;t alone as most of the EUrsquo;s leaders stayed... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94156.php Mon, 11 May 2009 13:48:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94155.php You could almost hear the groans in Dublin where the Irish are now the lone hold-outs in approving the European Unionrsquo;s Lisbon Treaty after the Czech Republic ndash; whose president disdains the EU even though his country holds the rotating presidency until July 1 ndash; finally approved ratification of the... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94155.php Mon, 11 May 2009 13:23:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94154.php Greecersquo;s Minister of Economy and Finance Yiannis Papathanasiou was in Brussels last week to attend meetings and seminars of his peers and financial analysts and economists to explain how their countries are handling the recession and find ways out of it. Disputing the assertion of one moderator that Greece is... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94154.php Mon, 11 May 2009 13:01:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94104.php To the dismay of human rights supporters Czech officials defended their decision to invite Belarusian President Aleksander Luka - shenko whose undemocratic rule earned him the label of Europersquo;s last dictator to this weekrsquo;s summit aimed at tying six ex-Soviet states closer to the European Union. Outgoing Czech Foreign Minister... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94104.php Sun, 03 May 2009 23:37:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94121.php Czech President Vaclav Klaus whose country chairs the European Union until June 30 said he supports Turkeyrsquo;s aspirations to join the 27-member bloc although the process is dragging on a could take years more ndash; if it happens at all. ldquo;I would like to repeat and resolutely and loudly say... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94121.php Sun, 03 May 2009 13:33:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94120.php The European Union has ldquo;every reason to be worriedrdquo; about Ukrainersquo;s political deadlock and economic crisis EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg said and theyrsquo;re going to do something about it. The EU is to organise a fact-finding mission to Ukraine aimed at establishing how the EU can help the... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94120.php Sun, 03 May 2009 13:02:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94046.php Brussels is a key centre for diplomacy and a recent arrival to the scene is Independent Diplomat set up in 2004 by Carne Ross a British diplomat who resigned from government service after giving evidence to Butler inquiry on intelligence and weapons of mass destruction that contradicted British government claims.... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/94046.php Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:41:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93964.php The European Union would not be willing any time soon to accept into its ranks the six former Soviet countries that the 27- member bloc hopes to bring closer through its Eastern Partnership initiative an EU official said. ldquo;Letrsquo;s understand that the European Union is not ready to accept a... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93964.php Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:39:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93918.php Starting on July 1 the cost of calling texting and mobile Internet surfing while abroad in the European Union will be cheaper. The Industry Research and Energy committee of the European Parliament has voted in favour of lowering mobile-phone roaming charges endorsing a political agreement reached informally with the European... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93918.php Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:05:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93740.php German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the development of a new strategic concept for NATO would top the agenda at this weekrsquo;s summit of 26 NATO member states co-hosted by France and Germany. ldquo;NATO needs an adaptation of its strategy to new challenges rdquo; Merkel told the German parliament adding that... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93740.php Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:35:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93739.php When he was in Europe in 2008 as a candidate for the presidency of the United States Barack Obama drew adoring rock-star-like crowds especially in Germany and he was seen by many Europeans as the best chance for a fresh start in US-European Union relations. Now hersquo;s returning this week... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93739.php Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:21:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93734.php The European Policy Centre held an event to discuss their analysis of the European Council summit. Antonio Missiroli Director of Studies backed European Commission President Jose Manuel Barrosorsquo;s view that it had been ldquo;a summit of deliveryrdquo; and said that it had ldquo;managed to shape and show a united EU... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93734.php Mon, 30 Mar 2009 04:48:00 +0300 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93585.php German Chancellor Angela Merkel has again said that protectionism in the face of the global economic and financial downturn will backfire if governments persist around the world in circling the fences around their own industries and interests. ldquo;We will master the crisis together rdquo; she told parliament ahead of a... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93585.php Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:02:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93528.php Members of the European Parliament postponed on March 17 the approving of the Councilrsquo;s administrative spending for the year 2007. Members of the Budgetary Control Committee claimed that the spending had become increasingly operational and therefore the Parliament should have scrutiny over the Council budget. Moreover the Council has refused... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93528.php Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:19:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93200.php S ix months after breaking off talks with Russia after that countryrsquo;s conflict with NATO-aspirant Georgia the alliance has decided to resume relations in a move some critics said was a cave-in to Russian aggression. But NATO leaders said it was a sign of rapprochement between the West and Russia... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93200.php Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:57:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93192.php The new logo for the upcoming Swedish presidency was unveiled on March 2 by Swedenrsquo;s European minister Cecilia Malmstrom. ldquo;Openness and Nordic light rdquo; is how she described what will be dominating the EU agenda-setting for the second half of this year after Sweden will take up its rotation presidency... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93192.php Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:29:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93187.php The European Union Council Presidency is frequently associated only with the Presidency in country capital and top politics. Contrary is the case. The six months lasting term is a big opportunity both for the regions and non political events. Brno the Czech Republicrsquo;s second biggest city and strong base of... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93187.php Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:12:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93186.php The European Unionrsquo;s battle against righting countries crippled by the recession is being undermined by political infighting and insider clubs more concerned about national interests and excluding smaller members a group of diplomats and ministers have said complaining about what they called a ldquo;cliqueyrdquo; atmosphere that led to a failure... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93186.php Sun, 01 Mar 2009 12:08:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93161.php European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters in Damascus after meeting Syrian President Bashar al- Assad on February 25 that he hoped 2009 would be a year of peace talks although all such efforts including from the United Nations United States and the EU have proved futile so... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93161.php Sun, 01 Mar 2009 04:28:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93003.php nbsp;EU foreign ministers agreed on Valentin Inzko current Austrian ambassador to Slovenia as the new EU envoy to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inzko serving also as ambassador to Sarajevo from 1996 to 1999 is to replace the outgoing Slovak diplomat Miroslav Lajcak who accepted the position of Slovakiarsquo;s foreigh minister at... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/93003.php Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:45:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92983.php A meeting of the leaders of the crisis-hit countries of Central and Eastern Europe set for March 1 is not a sign of panic or a split within the European Union diplomats from the countries involved said. EU leaders are set to hold an emergency summit on the economic crisis... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92983.php Mon, 23 Feb 2009 05:29:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92962.php In a blistering diatribe against the European Union and the European Parliament itself ndash; where he was speaking ndash; Czech President Vaclav Klaus whose country holds the rotating EU presidency ndash; said the blocrsquo;s Lisbon Treaty would worsen its deficit compared the EU to the former Soviet Union which ruled... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92962.php Mon, 23 Feb 2009 03:19:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92647.php Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek last week toured energy-rich Kazakhstan Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan as part of his role as president of the EU council where he discussed cooperation particularly in the field of energy. The Caspian states which now mostly sell their gas to Russia are involved in planning for... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92647.php Mon, 16 Feb 2009 07:36:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92631.php Noted Eurosceptic Czech President Vaclav Klaus whose country currently holds the EU presidency was quoted by a French weekly as comparing the 27-member European Union with the former Soviet Union. ldquo;One thing is sure just as it was in the USSR very important decisions are not taken in the countries... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92631.php Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:56:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92617.php A number of international writers and economists mainly in English language media insist that some Eurozone member states such as Portugal Italy Greece Spain PIGS and probably Ireland may choose to abandon the Eurozone with its stiff rules or even be kicked out of it because they represent the weak... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92617.php Mon, 16 Feb 2009 05:22:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92606.php In the lingering aftermath of the worldwide economic crisis French President Nicolas Sarkozy said that the European Union has been too passive and must adopt a common position to reform the capitalist system that has nearly collapsed already taking scores of thousands of businesses and millions of jobs with it.... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92606.php Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:22:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92264.php After demanding for years that the US should close its terrorist suspect camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba ndash; and then getting its wish when new US President Barack Obama said he would do just that within a year ndash; the European Union now says it is split over whether to... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92264.php Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:39:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92235.php The European Union plans to increase its staff of legal and police advisers in Afghanistan in the coming months EU officials said after meeting with their Afghan counterparts in Prague. The current contingent of 180 advisers is expected to rise to 400 under the plan laid out by Czech Foreign... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92235.php Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:30:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92019.php The closure of the United States military detention centre at Guantanamo Bay seems at last in sight. President-elect Barack Obama has indicated that closing the camp is one of his priorities. But questions remain as to how this will be done. Europe should offer its help and accept a number... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/92019.php Mon, 19 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0200 http://www.neurope.eu/articles/91844.php MEPs from the GUE/NGL party meeting in the town of Ceske Budejovice in the Czech Republic held a series of seminars to discuss issues of importance for the left under the Czech presidency including the future of Europe and the Lisbon Treaty the global financial crisis international security and the... info@neurope.eu (New Europe) Presidency http://www.neurope.eu/articles/91844.php Mon, 12 Jan 2009 09:00:00 +0200