The New Year has brought with it the lifting of restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers in Greece, Spain and Denmark, but a number of EU states will be keeping barriers to their labour markets for three more years. Greece on Wednesday (31 December) became the latest "old" EU member to lift restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers, following Spain and Denmark which set the example earlier in December. Thessaloniki - Greece and Spain are among the favourite destinations of Bulgarian workers "The Greek government has reached this decision after assessing all parameters. With this move, illegal work will diminish. The reasons [to work illegally] will be very much reduced, as workers from Bulgaria and Romania now become just as competitive as the Greek ones, if not more," the secretary general of the Greek labour ministry was quoted as saying by Bulgarian news agency Bgnes.
The New Year has brought with it the lifting of restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers in Greece, Spain and Denmark, but a number of EU states will be keeping barriers to their labour markets for three more years.
Greece on Wednesday (31 December) became the latest "old" EU member to lift restrictions for Bulgarian and Romanian workers, following Spain and Denmark which set the example earlier in December.
Thessaloniki - Greece and Spain are among the favourite destinations of Bulgarian workers
"The Greek government has reached this decision after assessing all parameters. With this move, illegal work will diminish. The reasons [to work illegally] will be very much reduced, as workers from Bulgaria and Romania now become just as competitive as the Greek ones, if not more," the secretary general of the Greek labour ministry was quoted as saying by Bulgarian news agency Bgnes.
The new Czech EU presidency and France will next week send two overlapping peace missions to the Middle East, amid sensitivities on Prague's capability to lead Europe. Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told national TV on Thursday (1 January) that an EU delegation will visit Egypt, Israel, Palestine's West Bank and Jordan early next week to try to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war. Sarkozy (l) and Topolanek discussed the overlap problem by telephone. Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg will lead the team, comprising French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, EU top diplomat Javier Solana and external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
The new Czech EU presidency and France will next week send two overlapping peace missions to the Middle East, amid sensitivities on Prague's capability to lead Europe.
Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek told national TV on Thursday (1 January) that an EU delegation will visit Egypt, Israel, Palestine's West Bank and Jordan early next week to try to broker a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war.
Sarkozy (l) and Topolanek discussed the overlap problem by telephone.
Czech foreign minister Karel Schwarzenberg will lead the team, comprising French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner, Swedish foreign minister Carl Bildt, EU top diplomat Javier Solana and external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
The EU and the US have voiced concern after Russia has cut gas supplies to Ukraine on 1 January due to a price dispute. But EU consumers are less likely to be hit by disruptions as in early 2006. Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine early on Thursday after talks on the new gas price for 2009 failed shortly before New Year's Eve. Without a valid contract, Gazprom said, it had no legal basis to continue supplying Ukraine. It takes 36 hours for the Russian gas to reach the EU borders through Ukraine and see if there are disruptions. Ukraine rejected a price increase, saying that falling oil prices did not justify the move. Kiev also claimed it has paid its outstanding debt of €1 billion to RosUkrEnergo, the gas-trading intermediary, while Gazprom maintained it had not received the money and also expected €432 million fines for late payment.
The EU and the US have voiced concern after Russia has cut gas supplies to Ukraine on 1 January due to a price dispute. But EU consumers are less likely to be hit by disruptions as in early 2006.
Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom cut off gas supplies to Ukraine early on Thursday after talks on the new gas price for 2009 failed shortly before New Year's Eve. Without a valid contract, Gazprom said, it had no legal basis to continue supplying Ukraine.
It takes 36 hours for the Russian gas to reach the EU borders through Ukraine and see if there are disruptions.
Ukraine rejected a price increase, saying that falling oil prices did not justify the move. Kiev also claimed it has paid its outstanding debt of €1 billion to RosUkrEnergo, the gas-trading intermediary, while Gazprom maintained it had not received the money and also expected €432 million fines for late payment.
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - European countries began to suffer from reduced gas supplies on Friday after Russia cut deliveries to Ukraine in a contract dispute. The Czech Presidency of the European Union said it would call a crisis meeting of envoys in Brussels on Monday to discuss the row, which both Russia and Ukraine had said would not affect other European countries. "We feel that the situation has now escalated to a point that substantiates an extraordinary meeting," Czech presidency spokesman Radek Honzak said. Talks will probably be called soon with Moscow, a second presidency spokesman in Prague said.
MOSCOW/KIEV (Reuters) - European countries began to suffer from reduced gas supplies on Friday after Russia cut deliveries to Ukraine in a contract dispute.
The Czech Presidency of the European Union said it would call a crisis meeting of envoys in Brussels on Monday to discuss the row, which both Russia and Ukraine had said would not affect other European countries.
"We feel that the situation has now escalated to a point that substantiates an extraordinary meeting," Czech presidency spokesman Radek Honzak said.
Talks will probably be called soon with Moscow, a second presidency spokesman in Prague said.
Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Russia and Ukraine prepared to resume talks in their dispute over natural gas prices after OAO Gazprom cut supplies to the former Soviet state for the second time in three years. Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement yesterday the two sides are near a compromise, urging state utility NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom, Russia's gas exporter, to meet again in the next one or two days. Gazprom also proposed talks.
Jan. 2 (Bloomberg) -- Russia and Ukraine prepared to resume talks in their dispute over natural gas prices after OAO Gazprom cut supplies to the former Soviet state for the second time in three years.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said in a statement yesterday the two sides are near a compromise, urging state utility NAK Naftogaz Ukrainy and Gazprom, Russia's gas exporter, to meet again in the next one or two days. Gazprom also proposed talks.
given that the ukraine also has a political leadership crisis right now (again) they aren't even in a position to sort it out by making nice cos there is nobody who can commit the ukraine to a decision that won't be counter-manded within a week.
I imagine it's not beyond imagination that the Rusians are exploiting this situation for amusement purposes, but I really don't see how this is benefiting Gazprom in the long term even if others see short term benefits. keep to the Fen Causeway
I hope to have a post on this tomorrow. In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
Russian gas giant Gazprom says it can no longer depend on Ukraine as a transit route to the EU and is looking to develop alternatives. In a BBC interview, the deputy chairman of Gazprom, Alexander Medvedev, said he hoped EU countries would back the move. Gazprom cut off Ukraine's gas supply on Thursday in a row over payment. The firm has since accused Ukraine of stealing gas, however Ukraine's state energy firm said Russia was not sending enough gas to ensure the EU supplies.
Russian gas giant Gazprom says it can no longer depend on Ukraine as a transit route to the EU and is looking to develop alternatives.
In a BBC interview, the deputy chairman of Gazprom, Alexander Medvedev, said he hoped EU countries would back the move.
Gazprom cut off Ukraine's gas supply on Thursday in a row over payment.
The firm has since accused Ukraine of stealing gas, however Ukraine's state energy firm said Russia was not sending enough gas to ensure the EU supplies.
New Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy has received the backing of parliament in a vote of confidence. Mr Van Rompuy was appointed on Wednesday and has assembled much the same cabinet that served under his predecessor Yves Leterme. Mr Leterme's government collapsed after he resigned on 19 December amid a scandal over the rescue of Fortis bank. The new government must deal with the fallout from that, as well as impending recession and a continuing ethnic rift.
New Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy has received the backing of parliament in a vote of confidence.
Mr Van Rompuy was appointed on Wednesday and has assembled much the same cabinet that served under his predecessor Yves Leterme.
Mr Leterme's government collapsed after he resigned on 19 December amid a scandal over the rescue of Fortis bank.
The new government must deal with the fallout from that, as well as impending recession and a continuing ethnic rift.
Business will be told it has to help pay for the government's plan for a £20bn bullet train line from London to Manchester, under plans to be published this year.Andrew Adonis, transport minister, wants the new 200mph line to be at the heart of a revamped rail system, putting the capital within 45 minutes of Birmingham and 75 minutes of Manchester. But Lord Adonis told the Financial Times that while there was "a very strong case" for the new line, it would have to be partly funded by business, which would benefit from improved transport links.
Andrew Adonis, transport minister, wants the new 200mph line to be at the heart of a revamped rail system, putting the capital within 45 minutes of Birmingham and 75 minutes of Manchester. But Lord Adonis told the Financial Times that while there was "a very strong case" for the new line, it would have to be partly funded by business, which would benefit from improved transport links.
Does he mean "taxes"? In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes
There's a campaign in Finland, repeated this year, nd supported by mass transit operators, mobile operators and communications officials, to make people more aware of the intrusion of mobile phone use in public space.
It doesn't bother me if people talk into their mobiles at normal conversation levels - but they don't!
The thing that really gets my goat is people answering mobiles in meetings. You can't be me, I'm taken
