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Europe Daily Bulletin No. 9123

3 February 2006
Contents Publication in full By article 11 / 39
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/taxation
Poland lifts veto on reduced VAT rates - Interest groups express relief

Brussels, 02/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - After a meeting between the Austrian EU Council Presidency and the European Commission, Poland finally accepted, on Wednesday evening, to sign up to the agreement of 24 Member States on reduced VAT rates. The signing of a joint memorandum between the three parties favoured Poland's change in behaviour. The agreement of the last Ecofin Council will therefore take effect (EUROPE 9117), allowing nine Member States to continue applying reduced rates for...

Contents

THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EP/PALESTINE: Majority of MEPs, Council and Commission censure hasty decisions that could penalise Palestinian people while stressing Hamas must meet a number of conditions
(EU) EP/FOREIGN POLICY: EU must strengthen instruments and increase budget for ambitious CFSP (and Austrian Presidency agrees) - EP wants prior briefing on CFSP initiatives
(EU) EU/IRAN: IAEA Board of Governors to complain to UN Security Council for information on Iranian nuclear dossier
(EU) EU/GULF/DENMARK: Secretary General of GCC says Ferrero-Waldner and Solana expressed their solidarity after Danish publication of caricatures causes protest in Moslem world
(EU) EU/SERBIA: Progress in negotiations on stabilisation and association agreement go hand in hand with improved cooperation with ICTY from Belgrade, warns Rehn
(EU) EU/ISRAEL/PALESTINE:
(EU) EU/EP/ITALY: Romano Prodi will support series of commitments to Italy's European policy if he wins next elections
(EU) EU/SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL:
(EU) EU/FYROM:
(EU) EU/CFSP:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/TAXATION: Poland lifts veto on reduced VAT rates - Interest groups express relief
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES/WTO: Washington files further complaint against Airbus
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES/TRADE: Commission welcomes repeal of Byrd Amendment but does not envisage withdrawing sanctions in force
(EU) EU/WTO: Mandelson and Nath want talks to focus on services
(EU) EU/SOCIAL/COMPETITION: Juncker and Barroso agree on Commission authority should Mittal acquisition of Arcelor be notified to Commission
(EU) EP/COMMUNICATION: MEPs stress policy content should bring EU and citizens closer
(EU) EP/TRANSPORT: Better social conditions for lorry drivers soon to be applied to Community territory
(EU) EP/FISHERIES: Parliament calls for rapid adoption of Mediterranean fish stock management measures by Member States
(EU) EP/INTERNAL MARKET/CONSUMERS: Parliament gives green light on deregulation of packaging for wide range of products
(EU) EP/BUDGET: Member States called on to certify national management declarations
(EU) EP/INSURANCE: 1st inquiry meeting into Equitable Life
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: Microsoft reproaches Commission for not respecting its right of defence
(EU) EU/COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE: Court President Bo Vesterdorf refuses to suspend Spanish gas group Gas Natural's takeover of Endesa
(EU) EU COLLEGE OF EUROPE/LISBON STRATEGY/: 02/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - The College of Europe, in cooperation with Cera, is organising a conference on the theme “Adhering to the Lisbon Strategy - Which Creative Partnerships for Social Reforms in Europe? in Bruges on 14 February. Among those taking part in the conference, which will be opened by the Rector, Paul Demaret, are Jorma Karppinen, Director of the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living a nd Working Conditions, Dublin, Jackie Morin, from Directorate General Employment at the European Commission, Gilda Farrell, Directorate General of Social Cohesion, Council of Europe, Jean-Claude Javillier of the International Labour Organisation, Marie Helena André Deputy General Secretary of ETUC, Rik Donckels of Cera and Robert Picht, Director of the European Interdisciplinary Studies Department, College of Europe, Vice-Rector, College of Europe, Natolin, in Poland. (Applications before 3 February
(EU) EU MEDITERRANEAN/European MOVEMENT:
(EU) EU/HEALTH: New European health information initiative
(EU) EU/FISHERIES: Encouraging international decisions for protecting Mediterranean resources
(EU) EU/ECB: President Trichet repeats his message of last December that the bank would not move on interest rates at every meeting, but keeps its options open and insists too on the potential of integrated services market
(EU) EU/ENERGY: Bartenstein confirms growing importance of Middle East oil production for Union's supply security
(EU) EU/TRADE/AGRICULTURE: EU introduces measures to prevent massive imports of apples from southern hemisphere
(EU) EU/TRADE/AGRICULTURE: Opening of duty-free tariff quota of 615,000 tonnes for ACP countries
(EU) EU/AGRICULTURE: Planned reduction of 2006 sugar quotas
(EU) EU/ITALY/AGRICULTURE/ENVIRONMENT:
(EU) EU/COUNCIL/TRANSPARENCY: Calendar for first public debates at Council on co-decision legislative texts
(EU) EU/COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS: Extraordinary meeting of PES group likely to approve nomination of Michel Delebarre as President of the CoR - Margot Wallström to discuss Plan D
(EU) EU/INFRINGEMENTS:
(EU) EU/INFRINGEMENTS:
(EU) EU/REGIONS/ECONOMY:
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 02/02/2006: