The European Parliament has just launched a new website under the slogan "457 million citizens @ one address". Available in 20 languages, this new site is a more dynamic and attractive information tool than its predecessor. It has been designed to facilitate navigation and access to information. Site content, geared mainly to the wider public, also includes more in-depth material for European affairs experts such as journalists, lobbyists and researchers.

Dear Prime Minister,

On behalf of the European commission, I want to congratulate you wholeheartedly on your appointment as Prime Minister of Ukraine.

Your country faces the challenge of continuing to promote an ambitious agenda of economic and political reforms for which the European Union- Ukraine Action Plan is an essential tool. I assure you that the European Commission is fully committed to supporting your country in this process. As Ukraine makes genuine progress in implementing reforms and adopting European standards, European Union-Ukraine relations will become deeper and stronger.

I wish you every success in your role as prime Minister of Ukraine. The european Commission looks forward to working with yourself and your government.

Please accept, dear Prime Minister, the assurance of my highest consideration.

José Manuel Barroso

The EC Project “Strengthening Civil Society”, the successor of the European Union “NGO Development Kyiv and selected regions” project, started its work on 13.06.2005 in Kyiv. The project partner is the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sport.

The project is implemented by an international Consortium consisting of 4 organisations: Transtec, ISAR Ednannia, ACE EUROPE and Deutsch- Russischer Austausch e.V.

Project “Improvement of logistic services and marketing channels for SMEs in agriculture” is pleased to announce the start of an -open training programme that will be implemented throughout the project operations in each of the project regions.

The training programme will commence in October with seminars in marketing and will be followed by business planning and credit application early next year. The following topics will be covered during a marketing seminar: marketing management, customer needs and customer service management, analysis of target groups, market segmentation, cost and value added, stakeholders needs in a supply chain, branding, its advantages and disadvantages, forms of distribution, etc.

The experience of the countries that already passed through healthcare reforms showed that one of the most challenging tasks facing the healthcare sector was the transition to effective management. Establishing autonomous healthcare units and implementing new managerial and financial models is the first step on the way of the reform in healthcare. Contracting, cost calculation for health services, effective use of available financial and other resources, health services quality improvement became the key aspects of healthcare reforms in all EU countries and most post-soviet republics.

On the fifth anniversary of the disappearance and murder of the journalist Georgiy Gongadze, the European Union wishes to express its concern that the investigation into the circumstances of his death is still not completed.

In the last year there have been positive developments in the sphere of media freedom in Ukraine. These should now be consolidated so that there can no longer be any question about the security and safety of media professionals or their freedom to report objectively on the situation in Ukraine. The EU therefore calls on the Ukrainian authorities to continue to do their utmost to complete the investigation of the murder of Georgiy Gongadze and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The proceedings of the Working Group were attended by Ukraine, Poland, Kazakhstan, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and the European Commission. United Kingdom, as EU presidency welcomed the participants.

The meeting of the Joint Experts Working Group exchanged views and analysis on the current situation of the international oil market and took notice of the fundamental changes which have recently taken place in them and their significance in the prospects for the commercial operation of the Odessa-Brody-Plock oil corridor.

“EU-Ukraine-Poland Working Group on the Odessa-Brody-Plock Oil Transportation Corridor”

The European Commission would like to inform the representatives of the mass media about the results of the trilateral technical meeting between the European Commission, Poland and Ukraine meant to review the work programme for the feasibility study for the extension of the Odesa-Brody oil pipeline, a project financed by the European Union, The trilateral working group will convene on 14-15 September 2005 in Kyiv.

The press conference will be held by Mr Faouzi Bensarsa, Policy Advisor to the European Commission’s Director-General for Transport and Energy, with the participation of Polish and Ukrainian counterparts.

When: 15 September 2005, 11:30

Where: Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine, Kruhlo-Universitetska 10

Accreditation with Irina Stadniychuk, Tel: 253.3020.

The “Söderköping Thematic Workshop” on “Registration Systems” and will take place in Bucharest, Romania on 29-30 September, 2005. The Workshop will draw together: asylum, migration, border guard officials and representatives of non-governmental organisations from Belarus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, and Ukraine, as well as representatives of the European Commission (EC), the Swedish Migration Board (SMB), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Project “Improvement of logistic services and marketing channels for SMEs in agriculture” is pleased to announce the successful completion of selection process to choose agricultural SMEs producing fruits and vegetables for participation in the project.

The project team will provide strategic advice to 16 agricultural private Ukrainian enterprises. This will result in real improvement in the performance of supported enterprises, measurable through objective indicators such as enhanced productivity, improved marketing and logistics functions, operational supply chains of fresh produce, etc. Full details of the participating enterprises are available on our website www.agrilogistics.com.ua.