Brussels - The European Commission on Wednesday approved a series of temporary guidelines designed to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to access funds during the credit squeeze.

Under the new rules, applicable until the end of 2010, European Union governments will be allowed to grant eligible SMEs up to 500,000 euros (687,000 dollars) in direct aid, without first having to seek the commission's approval.

Governments are also encouraged to provide subsidized loans to companies producing green products, while risk capital aid is increased from 1.5 million to 2.5 million euros per year.

Liege, Belgium  - The local history museum in Liege has reopened to the public after a four-year renovation.

Brussels - The population of the European Union increased to nearly half a billion in 2008, thanks largely to a rise in net migration, figures released Monday in Brussels show.

According to the bloc's statistical office, Eurostat, the 27 countries that form the EU will have a combined population of 499.7 million people on January 1, up 2.2 million from
2007. About a third of this rise is attributable to the number of immigrants entering the bloc.

And with the accession of Slovakia into the eurozone, 328.6 million people will be sharing the bloc's common currency, the euro, next year.

Brussels - Police in Belgium

Brussels - European Union leaders were Thursday expected to agree on keeping a rule allowing each member state to nominate a member of the European Commission in 2014, in a move designed to convince Ireland to approve the reforming Lisbon Treaty.

"The European Council agrees that provided the Lisbon Treaty enters into force, a decision will be taken, in accordance with the necessary legal procedures, to the effect that the commission shall continue to include one national of each member state," reads a draft statement seen by Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa, due to be discussed by EU leaders at a summit in Brussels.

Brussels - The French presidency of the European Union on Thursday proposed a watered-down set of laws on fighting climate change in a bid to win EU backing at a crucial end-of-year summit.

In Brussels, EU leaders are set to debate a series of proposals from the bloc's executive, the European Commission, aimed at cutting emissions of greenhouse gases to
20 per cent below 1990 levels, in line with a pledge made by heads of state and government in March 2007.