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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8901

4 March 2005
Contents Publication in full By article 21 / 37
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/transport
Green light given to SNCF restructuring plan - Gilles Savary denounces Commission decision

Brussels, 03/03/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission on Wednesday authorised financial aid for restructuring the freight section of the French national railway company Société nationale des chemins de fer français (SNCF). The capital injection, which comes as part of an overall restructuring plan, will entail 1.5 billion euros - 800 million from the French state and 700 million from SNCF - to modernise rolling stock and overhaul the financial structure of SNCF's freight section....

Contents

A LOOK BEHIND THE NEWS
A Look Behind The News, by Ferdinando Riccardi: It's Africa's time, as long as the commitment's mutual
THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EU/TURKEY: Commission calls on Turkey to initial protocol to customs union before Troika's visit - Turkey responds that initialling does not exist within its Constitution
(EU) EU/CROATIA: Stipe Mesic continues attempts to seduce EU - EU/Croatia parliamentary committee meets in Zagreb on Thursday and Friday
(EU) EP/LEBANON: ALDE and Green groups feel that Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon should be prerequisite of signing of association agreement
(EU) EU/IRAQ: EU mission “EUJUST LEX” to Iraq to start on 1 July at latest
(EU) EU/MOLDOVA: EU has concerns about electoral campaign
(EU) EU/EPP PARTY: European People's Party opens its doors to Moldovan Christian Democrats
(EU) EU/GEORGIA:
(EU) EU/MONTENEGRO:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/EUROGROUP/STABILITY PACT: Optimism in home straight of Pact negotiations at ministerial level - Definition of factors to be taken into account remains stumbling block
(EU) EU/ECOFIN COUNCIL: Ministers to continue preparations for European Council and likely to recommend that Hungary take new measures to reduce excessive deficit
(EU) EU/SOCIAL COUNCIL: Ministers adopt document for Spring Council - Germany, France and UK enter reservations on progress
(EU) EU /SERVICES: Commission will await outcome of Parliament's first reading of services directive before amending its proposal
(EU) EU/SOFTWARE PATENTS: Restarting the legislative procedure would create “chaos” according to Charlie McCreevy, who would like to see Council formalise its agreement of June 2004
(EU) EU/COMMISSION: Lisbon strategy, The Hague programme, constitution, 2007-13 budget and Doha Agenda on menu for 2006
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Commission calls on Germany, Ireland and Netherlands to clarify mission and funding of public broadcasting bodies
(EU) EP/SERVICES: CDU/CSU plead for “positive list” of services governed by principle of State of origin, FDP against - PES group welcomes Commissioner McCreevy's statements
(EU) EU/AIR TRANSPORT: Commission wants to develop EU external policy agenda and proposes negotiations with China and Russia
(EU) EU/ECB: Euro zone interest rates remain unchanged but ECB revises its quarterly growth forecasts downwards
(EU) EU/WORLD BANK: José Manuel Barroso and James Wolfensohn express Commission and World Bank's desire to further cooperation for fighting poverty
(EU) EU/TRANSPORT: Green light given to SNCF restructuring plan - Gilles Savary denounces Commission decision
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Further examination procedure on aid to Combus
(EU) EU/PATENTS: EPO information day
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Chemische Werke Piesteritz to return 6.7 million EUR in illegal aid to German government
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Commission wants to end tax breaks for mutual and provident societies for “non-health” insurance contracts
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Green light to British public subsidy for staff training at Ford factory
(EU) EU/INTERNAL MARKET: guidelines on payment card fraud prevention databases
(EU) EU/EIB: EIB provides loans of EUR 79 million for rehabilitation of health sector and cleaner environment
(EU) EU/INTERNAL MARKET:
(EU) EU/CUSTOMS:
(EU) EU/UNIONS/LISBON STRATEGY: John Monks stresses investments and reduction in unemployment - Demonstration on 19 March
(EU) EU/ECONOMY: Moderate rise in growth in fourth quarter of 2004, with 0.2% in euro zone and 0.3% in EU25
(EU) EU/UNIONS/SERVICES: European Federation of Retired and Elderly People opposes Bolkestein directive
(EU) EU/BISHOPS/LISBON STRATEGY: Bishops contribute to relaunch of Lisbon Strategy and to March Summit
(EU) EU/ECONOMY: Industrial production prices up 0.6% in euro zone and 0.5% in EU25
SUPPLEMENT
EUROPE/Documents N° 2401: Human rights: What the European Parliament expects from forthcoming session of United Nations commission
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