Brussels - The European Commission announced Monday that it was providing 58 million euros (74.3 million dollars) in humanitarian aid to vulnerable Palestinians this year, as EU foreign ministers met to discuss ways of helping Israel counter arms smuggling destined for Hamas into the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, EU Aid Commissioner Louis Michel said around 32 million euros would be earmarked for Gaza, which suffered massive damage during a three-week bombing campaign by Israel.

Brussels - The European Union hopes to hold soon a summit with China which Beijing postponed in protest at a meeting between EU leaders and exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama, EU officials said Monday in Brussels ahead of a visit from China's premier.

Brussels - The European Union is ready to help the United States close the infamous Guantanamo detention centre by taking in some of its inmates, but it is up to individual member states to decide how many they welcome, EU foreign ministers said on Monday.

"I think we need to look at this from a humanitarian perspective, a human rights perspective. If there are people who are not tried, are let free but they can't go back to their own countries I think we in Europe should take our responsibility," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said in a meeting with EU counterparts.

Brussels - The European Union is ready to help the United States close the infamous Guantanamo detention centre by taking in some of its inmates, but it is up to individual member states to decide how many they welcome, EU foreign ministers said on Monday.

"I think we need to look at this from a humanitarian perspective, a human rights perspective. If there are people who are not tried, are let free but they can't go back to their own countries I think we in Europe should take our responsibility," Finnish Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb said in a meeting with EU counterparts.

Brussels - The notorious Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba epitomized for many Europeans the arrogance with which former president George W Bush trampled on basic civil rights in the name of his nebulous "war on terrorism."

Now that Barack Obama has announced his intention of shutting it down, European Union governments are being urged to lend a hand to their beloved new US president by hosting at least some Guantanamo inmates.

Brussels - The European Union is re-introducing export subsidies for dairy products to help farmers cope with tumbling prices, despite protests from rival producers abroad.

Officials in Brussels, however, insisted Thursday that there would not be a return to the infamous butter mountains and milk lakes of the 1980s.

"We are not anticipating a return to the old days of butter mountains and milk lakes," said Michael Mann, spokesman for the EU's agriculture commissioner, Mariann Fischer Boel.

"This is a temporary crisis situation on the market," Mann said.