European Union

May 13, 2008 -- LANSING - Lt. Governor John D. Cherry, Jr., representing Michigan Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, today announced that the city of Flint and alternative energy leader Swedish Biogas International (SBI) will undertake a project to produce alternative energy from waste removed from the city's wastewater treatment plant.

The plant will produce biogas - an alternative energy that can fuel vehicles and generate heat and electricity. Granholm called the announcement of the plant "a major building block in creating the state's alternative energy industry" and said that it will lay the groundwork for creating jobs in the industry.    » read more »

May 1, 2008 -- WASHINGTON - Today Senator Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Senator Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), and Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Chairman, Ranking Minority Member, and Member of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, introduced the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act to help law enforcement stop the misuse of U.S. corporations.    » read more »

Explores Challenges Policymakers Face in Seeking to Limit the Impact of Financial Turbulence

April 21, 2008 -- Europe is facing slower growth as a result of protracted financial turbulence, high inflation and spillovers from an expected mild recession in the United States.

IMF headquarters: Washington, D.C.

The IMF's Regional Outlook (REO) for Europe released today projects economic growth in advanced European economies to slow significantly over the next two years to 1.5 percent in 2008 and 1.4 percent in 2009, from 2.8 percent in 2007.

In Emerging Europe, growth is also expected to moderate, to 5.5 percent in 2008 and 5.2 percent in 2009, down from 6.9 percent in 2007.    » read more »

Business development mission pursues business leads around renewable energy and electric cars that will drive green collar jobs back home to Oregon

April 3, 2008 -- (Jerusalem, Israel) – Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski continued his business development mission in Israel today where he met with officials from ORMAT Technologies, Solel Solar Systems and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.

Solar cell in Pummer circuit: Photo by Greg Borenstein (CC)    » read more »

April 2, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, DC— Today, Senator Edward M. Kennedy released the following statement in response to the announcement that the Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern, will resign on May 6, 2008.

“Bertie Ahern has been a steady and effective leader of the Irish people. He has been a good friend of America and a good friend personally.

Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern banner: Photo by Johnny Hailstones (CC)

His skillful leadership in the search for peace in Northern Ireland was indispensable in finally achieving a successful resolution of that long-standing conflict.    » read more »

30 March 2008 -- Passport-free travel in Europe has expanded further as border checks at airports in nine mainly former Communist countries have disappeared. Sunday's move allows 400 million people unlimited travel in what is known as the "Schengen zone."

Starting Sunday, citizens of Europe's 24-country "Schengen zone" are no longer required to undergo passport checks at airports in Malta and eight other European Union countries that joined the EU in 2004. Among them are ex-communist Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Slovenia.    » read more »

MIESAU, Germany — Mar 20, 2008 -- MIESAU, Germany — For the Global War on Terror to be successful, it's going to take a worldwide effort. Therefore, warriors in this effort often interact as one fighting force.

Accordingly, Sgt. 1st Class Paul Adams, a certification authority for U.S. Army Europe kennels, takes every opportunity for his dog handlers to train alongside service members and law enforcement specialists from foreign countries.    » read more »

14 March 2008 -- European Union countries wrapped up a two-day summit in Brussels Friday agreeing to forge laws to meet climate change goals and create a new union that would group the European Union and Mediterranean countries outside the bloc. Lisa Bryant in Paris has more on the meeting.    » read more »

13 March 2008 -- Climate change and a proposed Mediterranean Union top the agenda of a two-day European Union summit opening Thursday in Brussels. Lisa Bryant has more from Paris about the issues involved.

Leaders from the 27-member European Union gathering in Brussels are expected to call on countries like the United States and China to commit to a new international agreement slashing heat-trapping carbon emissions.

The EU sees itself as a leader in the fight against global warming after member states agreed last year to slash emissions by 2020.    » read more »

March 5, 2008 -- “Yesterday, the 27 Finance Ministers of the European Union (EU) displayed renewed determination to crack down on tax havens that trade in secrecy and facilitate tax dodging at the expense of honest taxpayers around the world. The Ministers discussed measures to strengthen information exchange, limit secrecy, and increase pressure on countries like Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Singapore that too often help tax dodgers avoid paying their fair share.    » read more »

14 February 2008 -- In a Landmark decision, a three judge Court of Appeal panel, headed by the country's most senior judge, overturned Wednesday the convictions of five young British Muslim men who were jailed last July for having obtained information on terrorism from the internet.

The young men aged between 20 and 22 were serving sentences of two to three years for possessing articles for terrorist purposes under the British Terrorism Act of 2002.    » read more »

February 01, 2008 -- MADISON – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will lead a delegation of Wisconsin business and government leaders to the United Kingdom and Ireland from March 10-14, 2008. The trade mission will provide participants with opportunities to meet with distributors, potential customers, and key business and government officials. The Governor will also promote investment by European companies in Wisconsin. Organizations or individuals interested in seeking foreign companies to locate here are also welcome to participate on the mission.    » read more »

30 January 2008 -- The board of the French bank Societe Generale has decided to keep chairman Daniel Bouton in his post despite increasing pressure for his resignation following a $7 billion trading scandal at the institution.

The board of directors announced the unanimous decision after crisis talks Wednesday. The board had called the meeting to discuss a strategy to avoid further upheaval that could lead to a hostile takeover of the bank.    » read more »

29 January 2008 -- Italian President Giorgio Napolitano says he needs more time to decide the next step in resolving Italy's political crisis, following the resignation of Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Mr. Napolitano described the situation as complicated and difficult, after wrapping up four days of talks with political leaders. The Italian president met Tuesday in Rome with conservative opposition leader Silvio Berlusconi, who called for immediate parliamentary elections    » read more »

29 January 2008 -- Prosecutors filed preliminary charges Monday against a French trader accused of causing multi-billion dollars losses to France's second largest bank in allegedly illicit speculation.    » read more »