The European Union has announced it would delay a peacekeeping mission to Chad because of a new rebel offensive against N'Djamena's government. Meanwhile, Lisa Bryant reports from Paris the French government is dispatching troops to bolster its forces in the central African country.

Iraqi and European Union officials have discussed plans for Iraq to supply the EU with natural gas.

Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) has played a key role in five of the European Union’s eight BIODEVII projects, led by France, helping to create biometric solutions for border control in Austria, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain and the UK.

The European Commission has today approved an application from Portugal for assistance under the European Globalisation adjustment Fund (EGF). This will now be sent to the European Parliament and Council for decision. If approved, the €2.4 million requested will help 1,549 redundant workers in the automotive sector in Portugal to get back into employment.

The European Commission has decided not to raise any objections, under EU state aid rules, to a series of tax reductions introduced by Belgium as part of the reform of the tax paid by pharmaceutical companies on sales of reimbursed medicines.

The European Commission has approved under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of Kerling, the polymer division of the Norwegian company Norsk Hydro group, by the UK based company Ineos. Both companies are active, inter alia, in the production of PVC. After an in-depth investigation, the Commission concluded that the proposed operation would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or in a substantial part of it.

The European Commission can confirm that on 29th – 30th January 2008 Commission officials carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several providers of ship classification services and an association of such providers.

Gordon Brown welcomed fellow European leaders to Downing Street this evening to discuss global economic reform.

Russia has warned the European Union against plans for a police mission in Serbia's breakaway Kosovo province, saying such a move would first require United Nations' approval.

The European Union has officially launched a European peacekeeping force for Chad and the Central African Republic to protect hundreds of thousands of refugees who have fled violence in the region, including strife-torn Darfur. Tendai Maphosa has more in this report from London.

The Netherlands says it will refuse to back a major European Union trade and aid agreement with Serbia until Belgrade fully cooperates with the U.N. War Crimes Tribunal.

World trade ministers say they want to meet for a new round of global trade talks in April, as part of an effort to narrow disputes between developing nations and rich countries.