European Parliament votes to give Barroso 5 more years as European Commission presidentSeptember 16th, 2009 EU backs Barroso for another stint as EU chiefSTRASBOURG, France — The European Parliament has agreed to give Jose Manuel Barroso another five-year term as European Commission President. The EU assembly voted 382 to 219, with 117 abstentions, in backing the conservative Portuguese ex-premier for a second term at the EU's executive office.
Barroso likely to be reappointed European Commission president for second termSeptember 15th, 2009 Barroso likely to get 2nd European Commission termSTRASBOURG, France — Jose Manuel Barroso will likely be reappointed European Commission president for a second five-year term when lawmakers hold a vote Wednesday, after leaders backed him as the best person to help steer the EU out of recession. Under EU rules, the bloc's 27 government leaders pick a new president for the European Commission, the powerful executive that drafts EU-wide legislation and ensures governments obey them.
EU citizens to pay 15-bn-euro climate change billSeptember 10th, 2009 BRUSSELS - European taxpayers should be prepared to pay up to 15 billion euros ($21.9 billion) per year to help poorer nations confront climate change, officials in Brussels said Thursday. The European Union's executive, the European Commission, moved to take the lead in the world fight against global warming by being the first major player to quantify, at around 100 billion euros (around $146 billion) per year by 2020, the amount of funding that developing countries will need to cut their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to rising temperatures.
Australia-India Institute launchedSeptember 1st, 2009 NEW DELHI - Australian Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard Tuesday announced funding of $8.1 million for setting up the Australia-India Institute at the University of Melbourne. Gillard, who began her five-day visit to India Monday, said that Melbourne University, along with University of New South Wales and La Trobe University, will invest another $2 million to bring the total investment in the project to $10 million over the next three years.
German airline Lufthansa wants Austrian authorities to extend Austrian Airline merger deadlineJuly 28th, 2009 Lufthansa seeks Austrian merger deadline extensionFRANKFURT — German airline Deutsche Lufthansa AG said Tuesday it has applied for a month-long extension to the deadline to merge with Austrian Airlines in order to fulfill certain obligations for the deal. In a brief statement, the Cologne-based airline said it had applied to the Austrian Takeover Commission for the extension — to Aug.
UK is Europe's most violent crime capital: European CommissionJuly 2nd, 2009 LONDON - A European Commission research has revealed that the United Kingdom has one of the highest rates of violence in the world, making it the violent crime capital of Europe. The commission's research was based on combined crime statistics from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which took into account about 5.4 million crimes recorded in 2007.
British Special Forces asked to gear up for Mumbai-like attacksJune 30th, 2009 LONDON - Britain must strengthen its elite Special Forces to deal with a Mumbai-style terrorist attack, according to a sweeping independent review of British national security published Tuesday. The report of a commission chaired by former defence minister George Robinson and former leader of the Liberal Democrats party Paddy Ashdown said Special Forces should be increased "to deal with a Mumbai-style attack in the UK".
EU regulators approve loan guarantees for VolvoJune 5th, 2009 EU approves loans to VolvoBRUSSELS — The European Union has approved loan guarantees to Ford Motor Co.'s Volvo unit to help it build cleaner cars. The European Commission says Volvo is planning to use euro500 million ($708 million) from the European Investment Bank for its euro1.9 billion ($2.7 billion) project to develop more fuel-efficient low-emissions vehicles.
Renewables to create 410,000 extra jobs in EU, says studyJune 2nd, 2009 BRUSSELS - The renewable energy sector is expected to create an additional 410,000 jobs in the European Union (EU) by 2020, according to a European Commission report released Tuesday. That would bring the total number working in the sector to 2.8 million.
EU congratulates Manmohan SinghMay 16th, 2009 BRUSSELS - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroro Saturday congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi for the landslide victory of their party in the general elections. Barroso said in a statement that the victory 'acknowledged the achievements of the first United Progressive Alliance government under the leadership of PM Singh'.
EU slaps record $1.45 billion fine on IntelMay 13th, 2009 BRUSSELS - The European Commission Wednesday levied a record 1.06 billion-euro ($1.45-billion) fine on Intel after finding the US computer chipmaker guilty of using illegal practices to squeeze its main rival out of European markets. 'The commission found that Intel abused its dominant position in the computer chips market,' said EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes in announcing the decision.
Tata Motors 'to reject' Jaguar Land Rover dealMay 7th, 2009 LONDON - : Tata Motors, the parent company of Jaguar Land Rover, has said that it will reject a British Government loan guarantee needed to save the troubled British carmaker. A Sky News report said that Jaguar Land Rover received a final offer on a 450 million pound loan from the business department last week, but the Government wanted a 15 percent commission on the loan.
European Commission condemns racist attacks on Roma communityFebruary 27th, 2009 BRUSSELS - The European Commission Thursday expressed deep concern over reports of recent attacks against members of the Roma community in Europe. 'I am very worried by these incidents.
EU cheers Europeans with visa-free travel to exotic beachesFebruary 12th, 2009 BRUSSELS - Provided they have any money left, Europeans could soon escape the economic gloom with a holiday to the sunny Caribbean or Seychelles without the hassle of a tourist visa. The European Commission said Thursday it expected member states to approve by the end of March the abolition of short-term visas to four Caribbean destinations - Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Barbados - and Mauritius and Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
EU offers $17.3 mn in aid to Iraq, PalestineDecember 23rd, 2008 BRUSSELS - The the European Commission, executive arm of the European Union (EU), Tuesday pledged food aid totalling 12.4 million euros ($17.3 million) to vulnerable Iraqis and Palestinians hard hit by rising food prices. The pledge, which comes in response to an appeal from the UN, is intended to support up to 1.9 million poor and needy people in the two countries, a statement from the commission said.
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