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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8422

18 March 2003
Contents Publication in full By article 11 / 38
THE DAY IN POLITICS / (eu) eu/defence
Pessimism over outcome of Iraqi crisis - project groups set in place to fill EU military capabilities deficit - EU may take over from NATO in FYROM on 31 March

Athens, 17/03/2003 (Agence Europe) - During meetings and in the corridors, Iraq has been the main topic of conversation and was the key theme of the informal EU Defence Ministers' meeting held on Friday and Saturday at Vouliagmeni (Athens). On the eve of the Bush-Blair-Aznar summit in the Azores, there was no optimism about the outcome of the crisis. Ministers, moreover, discussed the EU's military capabilities and the creation of a European Armaments Agency and the takeover by the EU of the...

Contents

A LOOK BEHIND THE NEWS
: Europe prepares to reactivate ambitions as soon as current crisis is over, but Political and Defence Union will not be born among 25
TEXTS OF THE WEEK
:
THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EU/IRAQI CRISIS: European Commission calls for unity between Member States - Greek Presidency's one last effort
(EU) EU/EUROPEAN COUNCIL/EPP: Summit with Valéry Giscard d'Estaing on 20 March
(EU) EU/SERBIA: Discussion at Brussels summit
(EU) EU/MIDDLE EAST: Javier Solana welcomes George Bush's announcement on "road map"
(EU) COUNCIL OF EUROPE: Mr Schieder wants Serbia and Montenegro to accede at beginning of April
(EU) EU/CONVENTION: Valéry Giscard d'Estaing admits Iraqi crisis will impact upon Convention, which should continue its work and respond to citizens' expectations- warning to Member States
(EU) EU/CONVENTION: Final report for special summit not in Thessalonica - Meeting scheduled for this week's summit may not take place
(EU) EP/FINLAND/LIBERALS:
(EU) EU/DEFENCE: Pessimism over outcome of Iraqi crisis - project groups set in place to fill EU military capabilities deficit - EU may take over from NATO in FYROM on 31 March
(EU) EP/BURMA: EP for strengthening EU's common position
(EU) EP/CAMBODIA: Parliament requests free and fair elections
(EU) EP/NIGERIA: EP requests abolition of death penaly
(EU) EU/IRAQ/GERMANY:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/STABILITY PACT: Following Eurostat's verification of 2002 data, Commission confirms launch of excess deficit proceedings against France - 3.6% deficit in Germany, 2.7% in Portugal and 2.3% in Italy
(EU) EU/SOCIAL SUMMIT: Social Summit to focus on the Employment Task Force, updating the European social model and the Lisbon process - Same issues to be discussed by Spring European Council
(EU) EU/AGRICULTURE: No progress in CAP negotiations
(EU) EU/EMPLOYERS/ECONOMY: UNICE calls on Spring Summit to take immediate action to restore EU's competitiveness
(EU) EU/SOCIAL AFFAIRS:
(EU) EU/GENERAL AFFAIRS AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS COUNCIL: Iraq, EU mission in FYROM, Middle East, Russia, North Korea, WTO, and effectiveness of foreign policy on Council agenda on Tuesday and Wednesday
(EU) EU/UKRAINE/WTO: Conclusion of negotiations over market access at WTO
(EU) EU/WTO: Lamy and Fischler to brief College on Wednesday on Geneva negotiations
(EU) EP/TAIWAN: Chen Shui-Bian again refused visa for visit to EP in Brussels, this time by Belgium
(EU) EU/CONSUMERS: Commission proposes harmonisation of all maximum residue levels of pesticides in foods by 2005
(EU) EU/EIB: Loan for "green" energy in United Kingdom
(EU) EU/EIB:
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: Go ahead for joint acquisition of bingo and casino operator by Candover and Cinven
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Commission looks at public investment in Italian company "Wind"
(EU) EU/ECONOMY/ECB: France wants new ECB rate cut
(EU) EU/ECONOMY:
(EU) EU/SPRING SUMMIT/EMPLOYMENT: No future economy without strong participation by social partners, Anna Diamantopoulou says
(EU) EU/RESEARCH/EDUCATION: Impact of social, political and economic changes world-wide on and education and training
(EU) EU/RESEARCH/EQUALITY:
(EU) EU/CONVENTION/CCBE: CCBE wants substantial reform of "European legal architecture" and for independent lawyers to be present when judges nominated
(EU) EU/COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE: Austrian consumer association demands European Commission's files in "Club Lombard" (inter-bank agreement) case
WEEKLY SUPPLEMENT
European Library: No. 543
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 17/03/2003: