Brussels

Bulgaria squanders millions as EU corruption clampdown continues

BulgariaBrussels - Bulgaria has missed the chance to claim 220 million euros (280 million dollars) in European Union funds because of ongoing corruption problems, the first time an EU state has ever suffered such a loss, officials in Brussels said Tuesday.

The EU's executive, the European Commission, has decided that Bulgaria's authorities still cannot be trusted with the money, and it is therefore "too late" for the country to award the funds to contractors before a November 30 deadline, commission enlargement spokeswoman Krisztina Nagy told journalists.

Brussels gives green light to Latvian bank bail-out

Begium MapBrussels - The European Union's executive on Tuesday gave the green light to a Latvian state bail-out of the country's largest locally-based bank, Parex Banka, saying that it was "necessary to avoid a serious disturbance in the Latvian economy."

The 200-million-lats (350-million-dollar) bail-out is "limited in time and scope to the minimum necessary to restore the financing, require an adequate fee level and provide safeguards to minimize distortions of competition," a press release from the European Commission said.

EU should lead global efforts to protect the North Pole

EU should lead global efforts to protect the North Pole Brussels - The European Union should lead international efforts to protect the Arctic region from global warming and from the resulting increase in the exploitation by humans of its natural resources, officials in Brussels said Thursday.

In a document submitted to the European Parliament and to member states, the European Commission warned that the Arctic region was becoming "increasingly at risk from the combined effects of climate change and increased human activity."

World unions say 91 unionists murdered last year

Brussels - The International Trade Union Confederation ITUC said Thursday that 91 trade unionists were murdered around the world in 2007, with the most dangerous country continuing to be the Central American state of Colombia.

In its 2008 Annual Survey of Trade Union Rights Violations, the ITUC said that 39 unionists were killed in Colombia.

Second-worst was Guinea, the ITUC said, with its report accusing the regime of President Lansana Conte for being directly responsible for the killing of 30 unionists in a brutal repression of union- organised demonstrations against corruption and violations of fundamental rights.

Money makes you happy - but it's not the only factor, says EU survey

Brussels  - Money breeds contentment. But greater wealth does not automatically make people happier, according to a quality-of-life survey conducted in all 27 European Union member states.

The study, released on Wednesday, shows that other factors, such as social environment and health, also contribute greatly to levels of satisfaction.

The happiest Europeans are the Danes and Finns, according to the findings of a representative survey of 30,000 EU citizens. At the other end of the scale, Hungary and Bulgaria returned the lowest satisfaction rates.

NATO should step up anti-pirate efforts, says top commander

Nato LogoBrussels - The seizure by pirates of a Saudi Arabian oil tanker shows that NATO must step up its efforts to make the world's seas safe, the alliance's top military commander said Wednesday.

Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, head of NATO's military committee, said there was a "growing awareness" among allies on the need to increase maritime security.

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