No 253 - Weekly - 1 February 2008
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The European Commission has decided on 31 January to send a
reasoned opinion to the United Kingdom for failure to transpose the
Directive on the compulsory use of safety belts and child-restraint
systems in vehicles in Gibraltar, and to notify its implementing
measures. This Directive was adopted to increase safety for road users
and especially for children.
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The European Commission decided on 31 January to lodge a
case to the Court of Justice against Belgium and Estonia for failure to
respect EU legislation on better availability and use of port reception
facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues.
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Safety requirements for tunnels: Commission sends reasoned opinion to United Kingdom
The European Commission sent on 31 January a reasoned opinion to
the United Kingdom for failure to fulfil the reporting obligations under
Directive 2004/54 on minimum safety requirements for tunnels. This
Directive sets out technical requirements to reach a minimum level of
safety of tunnels and shall apply to all tunnels in the trans-European
road network, with lengths of over 500 metres.
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Commission approves Greek public financing of three
motorways concessions
The European Commission decided on 30 January not to raise
objections to certain measures adopted by the Greek authorities in
support of road infrastructure. The Commission considers that grants for
the construction and upgrading of such road infrastructure in Greece do
not constitute State aid.
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Commission authorises Czech State aid to support purchase of new railway rolling stock
The European Commission has decided on 30 January not to raise
any objections to the aid scheme proposed by the Czech Republic to
support its railway activities. The measure would contribute to the
development of railway transport and is compatible with the proper
functioning of the common market.
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Belarus: Commission experts in Minsk for technical talks on
energy, transport and environment Experts from the European Commission met their Belarusian counterparts on 28-30 January in Minsk to discuss technical matters relating to the energy and transport situation in the EU and Belarus. A technical meeting between environment experts will take place on 7 February in Brussels. Related items:
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/country-cooperation/belarus/belarus_en.htm
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EU and Iraq discuss ways of enhancing Energy Cooperation
On 31 January the European Commissioner for External Relations
and European Neighbourhood Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, and the
European Commissioner for Energy, Andris Piebalgs met with the Minister
of Oil of the Republic of Iraq, Hussain Al-Shahristani, to discuss
enhancing energy cooperation between the European Union and the Republic
of Iraq.
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The Commission asks Poland to correct its procedures for granting rights over oil and gas resources
Community legislation seeks to ensure non-discriminatory access to and
prospection, exploration and production of hydrocarbons. The Commission
has noted a number of shortcomings regarding the conformity of the
implementing measures adopted by the Republic of Poland. It is feared
these will have adverse effects on competition in this sector.
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The European Commission decided on 30 January to send a reasoned
opinion to the Czech Republic because of the country's failure to accede
to the Agreement between the European Atomic Energy Community, its non-nuclear
weapon Member States and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
regarding the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. If the
Czech Republic does not take the necessary measures to accede to this
agreement, the Commission will have to refer the matter to the Court of
Justice.
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European Commission recognizes outstanding sustainable energy projects On 29 January six winning projects from four EU member states - Italy, Austria, Hungary and France - were awarded trophies at the Sustainable Energy Europe Awards ceremony taking place under the umbrella of the second European Sustainable Energy Week. The European Commission initiative aims to raise public awareness on the use of renewable energy sources and energy-efficient methods. The winners were awarded for the exceptional work they have already accomplished but, above all, for the commitment they have made to the sustainable future.
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On 29 January the European Commission launched the Covenant of Mayors, the most ambitious initiative to date involving the citizens in the fight against global warming. It comes after an informal consultation with numerous cities across Europe, whose Mayors will join the Commission in launching the Covenant. The Covenant consists of the formal commitment of the adhering cities to go beyond the objectives of the EU in terms of reducing their CO2 emissions through energy efficiency and renewable energy actions. Almost 100 cities throughout Europe, including 15 capital cities, have expressed their early support for the Covenant.
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In this section you will find the newest calls for submissions to public consultations in fields of energy and transport.
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The internet service of the DG for Energy and Transport has developed a web page announcing the Calls for tenders & Calls for expression of interest concerning the Directorate General for Transport and Energy. In this new section you will find not only contract notices published in the Official Journal but also, prior information notices, calls for expressions of interest, and the list of contracting parties.
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| Please note that the announcement of technical reports and documents recently produced in specific energy and transport sectors can be found on the "What's New" pages of the corresponding chapters of Energy and Transport on the EUROPA website. |
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