Brussels

Sell Solidarity yards to repay aid, Brussels tells Poland

Poland flagBrussels  - The Polish government must sell off two shipyards which were the cradle of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement in order to claim back hundreds of millions of euros in illegal state aid, the European Union's executive ruled Thursday.

"State aid granted to the shipyards in Gdynia and Szczecin gives rise to disproportionate distortions of competition ... in breach of EC Treaty state aid rules, and must be repaid," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told journalists in Brussels.

Sell Solidarity yards to pay back aid, Brussels tells Poland

Belgian TV: Morocco terrorists targeted EU building in BrusselsBrussels- The Polish government must sell off two shipyards which were the cradle of the anti-Communist Solidarity movement in order to claim back hundreds of millions of euros in illegal state aid, the European Union's executive ruled Thursday.

"State aid granted to the shipyards in Gdynia and Szczecin gives rise to disproportionate distortions of competition ... in breach of EC Treaty state aid rules, and must be repaid ," EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes told journalists in Brussels.

Drugs consumption in Europe stable, report finds

Drugs consumption in Europe stable, report finds Brussels - Drugs consumption in Europe is generally stable or falling, but record opium production in Afghanistan may lead to a surge in the availability of heroin across the continent, the European Union's drugs monitoring agency said Thursday.

"Overall, for most forms of consumption, we are not seeing major increases, and, in some areas, trends appear to be downwards," said Wolfgang Goetz, head of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).

EU should re-open strategic talks with Russia, Brussels says

BrusselsBrussels - The European Union should re-open talks within days on a strategic deal with Russia which it froze following Russia's invasion of Georgia, the bloc's executive said Wednesday.

"It is the view of the (European) Commission that the next negotiating sessions should be scheduled now," a report on the EU's relationship with Russia from the Brussels-based body said.

Turkey must do better for membership, Brussels says

Turkey Brussels - Turkey has proven itself to be a reliable international partner and a key energy transit route, but it must work harder on political and human-rights reforms if it wants to join the European Union, the EU's executive said Wednesday.

EU should re-open strategic talks with Russia, Brussels says

European UnionBrussels- The European Union should re-open talks on a strategic deal with Russia which it froze following Russia's invasion of Georgia as soon as possible, the bloc's executive said Wednesday.

"It is the view of the (European) Commission that the next negotiating sessions should be scheduled now," a report from the Brussels-based body on the EU's relationship with Russia said.

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