The whole framework of Armenia and EU relations was discussed during Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's working consultations, featuring members of the National Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, members of Government, heads of a number of interested agencies. The president says both Armenia and the European Union are interested to deepen mutual relations within the framework of the European Eastern Policy.

Global carmakers are demanding more from China's auto industry after the World Trade Organization's July ruling against the Chinese tariffs on auto-parts imports, said xinhuanet.com today.

The EU says partnership talks with Russia will be resumed, despite Lithuania's objections. The talks were suspended following Russia's war with Georgia. However, the day was not a total loss for Vilnius, which succeeded in getting the EU Presidency to restate its commitment to Georgia's territorial integrity.

Quality not quantity will be the most considered factor when biofuels are being considered for production and use, says a new report.

Sustainable energy is a keystone for local development. That is the central message Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, will deliver at a conference on energy in Bari, Southern Italy, today. The conference, organised to develop Italy's regional development policy for 2007-2013, is entitled 'Sustainable, Competitive and Safe Energy'.

Country profile:

Size: 43 098 km².
5.4 million inhabitants; 53% live in rural areas.
Unemployment rate of 3.5% is among the lowest by EU standards.

Region profile:

Includes the convergence programme for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland and the Competitiveness programme for lowland and upland Scotland.

It is been another testing night on global share markets, as investors worry about an economic slowdown.

Today the European Commission examined the updated stability programmes of Finland, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. All four have reached, maintained or exceeded the objective they have set themselves to have sound public finances. Luxembourg and the Netherlands have presented budgetary strategies that are in line with the sound principles established in the Stability and Growth Pact. In both countries, the trajectory seems sufficient to maintain, by a large margin, their medium-term objective (MTO).

Having examined its updated convergence programme[1], the European Commission finds that Sweden’s budgetary stance is a sound one as it has surpassed its medium-term objective, a surplus of 1% of GDP, by a large margin and plans for equally safe positions in the years ahead. The pace of fiscal consolidation in the United Kingdom appears insufficient and should be strengthened significantly.

SA of Belgium by Norddeutsche Affinerie AG (NA) of Germany. Both companies are active at several stages of the copper processing chain, in particular producing copper cathodes, copper rod and copper shapes. In September 2007 the Commission opened an in-depth investigation to check whether the proposed acquisition might significantly impede competition, in particular with regard to the European market for copper shapes.

The European Union's top economic official has blamed the current turmoil in global stock markets on major imbalances in the U.S. economy.