Brief items for which space was lacking in earlier editions
*** Euro/Gulf/OECD: On a visit to Dubai, former Commission President (and now MEP) Jacques Santer called on the Gulf States to label their exports of crude oil in euro in order to stabilise the oil market. Furthermore, an OECD report on financial markets states that the weakness of the euro is in part due the success of the European currency on bonds markets in the Euro Zone, success that has contributed to the development of European investments in the United States.
*** EU/enlargement: At a conference organised in Athens on the EU's institutional reform, the leader of Nea Demonkratia (Greek opposition) said that further EU enlargement without Cyprus was inconceivable. "We will not accept enlargement without Cyprus, enlargement without Cyprus will not occur", he said.
*** United Kingdom/EU/United States: According to a BBC poll, 80% of the British believe that the United States would help them in a crisis, whereas only 49% agreed that the EU would. For 40% of those questioned, the EU and the United Kingdom do not share the same values, whereas 64% believe that both they themselves and the Americans share the same values. Finally, the percentage of Brits wanting to develop closer ties with the EU and those wanting to loosen ties is the same: 27%.
*** EU/British employers: Digby Jones, Director-General of the Confederation of British Industries (CBI) welcomed the speech Tony Blair made on the future of Europe, in Warsaw last Friday, stressing that "companies want politicians to be clear about what should be decided at national and European level", as they do not want to be restrained by " unnecessary EU-wide legislation".
*** WTO: David Hartridge, Director of the World Trade Organisation, rejected the accusations levelled by certain trade unions by which the WTO aims to dismantle public services. In WTO negotiations on the liberalisation of services, there is no question of tampering with fundamental services like health and education, he said.
*** PES/Bosnia: The members of the Socialist Group of the European Parliament, Jan Marinus Wiersma, Hannes Swoboda and Gary Titley took part in a round table in Sarajevo on the Stability Pat for South East Europe with, among others, the Prime minister of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, and the Vice-President of the Party of European Socialists (PES) Akis Tsohatzopoulos. On that occasion, announcement was made of the creation of a "PES Contact Group" for South East Europe, intended to become a "permanent forum for all Social-Democrats and Socialists in the Balkans".
*** EP/paedophilia: Cristiana Muscardini MEP (Alleanza Nazionale), has (with the group she belongs to in the EP, the Union for a Europe of Nations) launched a campaign against paedophilia, automatically making appear on the group's e-mail the phrase "Let's combat paedophilia together - Let me know of sites containing sexual violence against minors". Ms. Muscardini says that, following that message, Internet addresses have been sent in, accessible without restrictions, which advertise pornographic and paedophile material, including a site named http: //http://www.unioneeuropea.com (the latter was discovered by a mother seeking information on Europe for her son's homework, the MEP points out, asking the European Commission and Council what they intend to do to prevent the fraudulent use of the names European Union sites).
*** Serbia/trade unions: On the occasion of the confirmation of the election of the new Yugoslav President Kostunica, Bill Jordan, General Secretary of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), based in Brussels, congratulated the independent Serb trade union Nezvisnost, which is an affiliate member, for having "waged an unrelenting struggle to promote freedom and democracy in the country, despite ongoing repression and harassment".
*** Libya/women: When meeting Jordanian feminists, Colonel Gadafi rejected the clothing restrictions imposed on women in the name of Islam, says AFP. According to him, indeed, "clothes are not the main criteria for judging people or their respect of religion", as "a woman may wear shorts and be well behaved and another wear the veil and be a woman of easy virtues".
*** EU/United States/WTO: The World Trade Organisation (WTO) last week ratified the latest agreement between the European Union and the United States regarding the amendment to the American FSC Act, Foreign Sales Corporation. The United States had to amend its law, condemned by the WTO Dispute Settlement Body, by 1 October; but the EU agreed to allow Congress one additional month. The Euro-American agreement was to be ratified in Geneva. The dispute could, however, rebound, if the EU considers that the amended American law still does not comply with WTO rules.