Kyiv, 31 January 2007

The press conference on the results of the First Round of the ''EIDOS-2006/07'' Visual Arts International Competition will be held on Thursday, 1 February 2007 at 15:00 at the premises of UNIAN Agency (4 Khreschatyk Str., Kyiv).

During the press conference the Jury of the Competition will announce 21 out of 143 applications of artists from all over Ukraine which will further compete for the three best projects in each of the following categories: ''The design of a modern art museum'' – architecture/design, curatorial project, " The modern art project for a museum'' -painting graphics, sculpture/object/installation, performance and multimedia.

The Delegation of the European Commission gives its support to the first Visual Arts Competition in Ukraine which creates a base for development and promotion of Contemporary Art in the country and helps to integrate the Ukrainian art to the world space as well as encourages the participation of young people in the development of contemporary art forms.

For further information please contact:

Anton Poteha
PR manager ICF "EIDOS"
Adr.: 4 Prorizna str., of. 28
tel.: 044 278-33-36
e-mail.: poteha@eidosfund.org

Kyiv, 31 January 2007

On 2 February 2007 the ”Kick-off Meeting” of the EU funded project “Sustainable local development in Ukraine" will take place, which will be held under joint chairing of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus, the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Construction, Architecture and Municipal Economy.

The venue will take place in President Hotel Congress Hall, starting at 10h00. Address: 12 Hospitalna Str., Kiev, Ukraine. Registration starts at 9h30.

The project “Sustainable local development in Ukraine” is the main part of a chain of 4 projects devoted to local and regional development, and is assigned the mission of elaborating models for local sustainable development strategies in middle-sized areas of Ukraine.

It will concentrate on its direct specific purposes, which include upgrading municipal services infrastructure, increasing efficiency in the co-ordination of municipal socio-economic activities and improvement management capacity at local level, elaboration of a comprehensive sustainable local development strategy.

The project target groups are the rayon administrations; the municipal services of the selected towns; educational and health establishments; other relevant local public support organisations, the final beneficiaries will become the inhabitants of the selected towns, who consume municipal and other public services.

During 4 years, which are defined for its realization, the project has to implement a number of highly important tasks in 4 to 6 selected medium sized municipalities and attached areas of influence. These tasks will include renovation of essential municipal services infrastructure, delivery of management tools for efficient municipal services delivery and socio-economic development. And the most important task is ensuing sustainability of local development initiatives launched in coordination with other EU projects and potential international or national stake-holders (especially in education and training, SME development, local financing, energy, public health and social sectors.). In these activities the project relies on direct actual means – EUR 13 million.

For registration and further information, please, call (044) 234 6046.

Kyiv, 29 January 2007

The training seminar for journalists on quality and safety of decorative cosmetics and skin care products is organized by the Consumer Society and Citizen Networks (CSCN) projects, a joint initiative of the European Union and UNDP. The project’s goal is to increase civil society role in sound economic governance in Ukraine according to the European standards. Specifically CSCN aims at promoting access of citizens to information on product safety, consumer rights protection, and to results of independent testing, as well as promoting wide public discussion of challenges facing the consumer society in Ukraine. Journalists of general and specialized printed media, editors of appropriate sections of newspapers and magazines, representatives of regional mass media, television and radio journalists are invited.

The training seminar will take place in Kyiv at the Officer’s Club (26/1 Grushevskogo Str.) on February 12, 2007 from 9:30 to 16:00 with coffee and dinner breaks. Bus transportation to and from the Laboratory will be provided. Participation is free of charge. CSCN will cover transportation costs (train or bus tickets, copies of tickets are required).

The training participants will visit the Laboratory of Hygiene and Toxicology of Cosmetic, Antiseptic, and Disinfection Products of the Institute of Ecological Hygiene and Toxicology of the Ministry of Healthcare of Ukraine. There will be numerous photo and video opportunities, experts will be available for interview.

Specially invited experts will speak about the situation on the Ukrainian market of cosmetics and skin care products, explain existing mechanisms for their testing and certification, and cover various issues related to their quality and safety. The training seminar on decorative cosmetics and skin care products is second in a series of trainings covering quality and safety of goods available on the Ukrainian market. Future trainings will cover food products, clothes, etc.

The number of participants is limited, accreditation is required. To register, please call Anna Yerohina or Konstantin Golowinski at (044) 253-6705, 253-6732, 257-6679 or write to cscn@undp.org.ua. The registration ends on February 5.

Kyiv, 29 January 2007

Training center for multi sectoral management and cooperation starts working!

Training course on multi sectoral management and cooperation

Date: 31 January – 2 February 2007

Time: 10:00

Address: Regional Multi sectoral Training Center in Donetsk (pr. Mira, 10, 3^rd floor)

On January, 31 a series of trainings will be launched in Donetsk in the framework of training course on multi sectoral management and cooperation.

The training course is provided as a part of EU funded project “Strengthening Multi Sectoral Approaches for Healthy Life Style promotion and HIV/AIDS Prevention among Youth in Ukraine” with the support of Donetsk, Lugansk and Kharkiv regional authorities and Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

Training course for multi sectoral management and cooperation will be done in Donetsk for middle level decision makers from regional governmental offices in education, culture and tourism, health, social services, and services for minors, Department of finance. Also officers from youth and HIV-cervices NGO managers and best graduates of training course “Strategic planning in HLS promotion and HIV/AIDS prevention among youth” are invited to take part in the training.

The course goals are to train representatives from different service sectors (governmental and non-governmental) how to deal with constructive multi-sectoral partnership towards HIV/AIDS prevention and HLS promotion among youth, how to plan and manage activities, how to allocate resources – in short: how to join forces.

As a result of the training the participants will be able:

1 To create regional network of middle level professionals, to develop, realize and control multi sectoral programs on health which meet the felt needs of youth;

2 to present models of the best national and international practices in multi sectoral cooperation for HIV/AIDS prevention and HLS promotion;

3 to develop and present models of involving youth into the process of HIV/AIDS prevention and HLS promotion.

The training will be conducted by an international expert of the Project on multi sectoral cooperation and inter-organizational relations Luca Brusati and national expert Iryna Kurinna. Luca Brusati has been working in management for more than 15 years and his experience includes teaching on strategic planning and management of public sector services (including health, education and social services), public-private relations (both business and NGOs).

More information about the training course you can get from Svitlana Zakrevska, a media expert of project “Strengthening Multi Sectoral Approaches for Healthy Life promotion and HIV/AIDS Prevention among Youth in Ukraine” via e-mail Svetlana.zakrevska@gmail.com or tel. +38 050 4708817

Kyiv, 23 January 2007

 On 25 January, 2007, at 11:00, EU Commission and UNDP in Ukraine will hand a unique drug testing equipment tool - the Gas Chromatograph – Mass Spectrometer - to the Forensic Laboratory of the Security Service of Ukraine within the implementation of EU-funded Action on Drug Programme for Belarus, Ukraine and Moldova (BUMAD).

The official ceremony will take place at the office of the State Security Service of Ukraine (35, Volodymyrska Str., Kyiv).

The European Commission, as a main donor of the project, will be represented by Mr. Bernhard BOGENSPERGER, the EC Delegation’s Coordinator on issues of asylum, border control, organized crime and terrorism, and UNDP, being a project implementing partner, will be represented by Mr. Vladilen Litnovskiy, Regional BUMAD Programme Coordinator. Other participating parties will include representatives from the Security Service of Ukraine, UNDP and mass media.

During the official ceremony the participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the new piece of equipment – the Gas Chromatograph - Mass Spectrometer – which becomes a new addition to the Forensic Laboratory of the Security Service of Ukraine in its nationwide fight against drug trafficking. This chromatograph-spectrometer will make a considerable contribution into effective criminal investigations and strengthen the drug analysis methods and techniques currently used within the Laboratory.

Specifically, the new equipment is a highly efficient apparatus which cost 75,000 USD and will help perform the following:

• monitoring of methods of production of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors which are used at illegal drug laboratories;

• carrying out wide-ranging research works to form modern methods and techniques of drugs analysis;

• determining group, type and origin of narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursors by identifying one large supply using a small wholesale shipment;

• conducting specific research activities aimed at revealing new synthetic narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

For accreditation, please, contact the press service of the Security Service of Ukraine: tel/fax: 279-3040 or e-mail: pressinfo@ssu.gov.ua by 17:00 on 24 January 2007.

BUMAD Contact: Tatyana Yurchuk, tel.: 501-42-03

E-mail: tatyana.yurchuk@undp.org

Kiev, January 19, 2007

The EU-funded project “Ukraine: SME Support Services in Priority Regions” is currently developing a directory containing primary information on the different sources of financing available to Ukrainian Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs).

The Directory will be formulated as an on-line database, which will enable local entrepreneurs to seek for and gather information on financing tools and mechanisms made available to Ukrainian SMEs by financial institutions like banks, credit unions, insurance and leasing companies, investment funds.

As the Directory will have a special focus on the sources of financing available within the proejct’s priority regions, project experts have already been consulting with entrepreneurs, banks, credit unions as well as regional business support organisations in Zhytomyr, Chernigiv and Rivne during December, 2006 in order to gain prime information.

During the compilation process of the directory the project has also established contact with and obtained main information from international finance organisations that work in the sphere of finance in Ukraine.

The project has developed and forwarded to a large number of locally-operating banks, insurance and leasing companies, credit unions and investment funds a questionnaire, which seeks to obtain primary information on the type and kind of financial services offered by these organisations to local businesses. This questionnaire can also be accessed and filled in on-line through the project’s web site (www.ukraine-inform.org.ua).

It is anticipated that the Directory will be finalised late Spring, 2007.

For more information please contact:

Dmytro Myshovets (Project Finance Expert) +38 044 332 41 65

Victoria Tetyora (Project Training and Dissemination Expert) +38 (044) 332 41 64 Victoria.Tetyora@smeuk.org.ua

Odesa, 19 January 2007

“Cooperation with EUBAM is a practical demonstration of Ukraine's wish to establish closer relations with EU”, said Ferenc Banfi, Head of the Mission during a meeting with a group of Ukrainian parliamentarians on 18 January.

Vitaliy Shibko, Socialist Party, Leonid Kozhara, Party of Regions, Oleg Radkovskiy, Bloc of Julia Timoshenko, and Lev Biryuk, Bloc of Julia Timoshenko, visited EUBAM in order to acquaint themselves with the activities of the Mission and its results as well as to discuss prospectives for future cooperation.

General Banfi also described some other benefits for Ukraine from EUBAM’s presence. “Establishing European standards in trade and border management will contribute to the further development of economic relations between Ukraine and the EU. The EU is Ukraine’s biggest trading partner, accounting for 31% of its exports in the first six months of 2006. Aligned border standards will foster mutual confidence between EU member states and Ukraine and will contribute to implementing the EU-Ukraine visa facilitation and readmission agreements, once they have been ratified and entered into force.”

The Ukrainian parliamentarians also visited the EUBAM Field Office at Kuchurhan and participated in a press conference on 19 January.

Ambassador Ian Boag, Head of the EC Delegation to Ukraine and Belarus, commented during press conference the role of EUBAM and underlined that the most important result was the closer cooperation between the Border Guard and Customs Services of Moldova and Ukraine.

Ambassador Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged, EU Special Representative for Moldova; emphasised the importance of implementation of Joint Declaration between Moldova and Ukraine on customs regime for combating smuggling on a border.

Leonid Kozhara expressed the Party of Regions’ support for EUBAM and noted that the lessons learnt on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border could be usefully applied at other borders in Ukraine. He also expressed the hope that the Mission’s activities will contribute to the settlement of the conflict in the Transdniestrian region of Moldova.

For additional information please contact Anastasiya Trotska, PR Assistant, EUBAM by office tel./fax (+38 0482) 36-52-74, mob. +38 050 386 89 73 or e-mail: press@eubam.org and Rosemary Thomas, Communications Officer, EUBAM, tel. (+38 0482) 36 52 63.

Kyiv, 19 January 2007

On 19 January 2007, representatives of the European Commission and the Government of Ukraine initialled a new bilateral Steel Agreement.

Ian Boag, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus said: "We are very satisfied that the negotiations have been successful, and hope that the new agreement will be ratified as soon as possible by both parties. The new agreement creates important additional opportunities for Ukraine's steel industry. The Commission is looking forward to the full elimination of the European quotas on imports of Ukrainian steel, which should happen as soon as Ukraine joins the WTO".

Since the 1990s, bilateral trade in certain steel products is the subject of bilateral agreements with quantitative restrictions for imports of Ukrainian steel into the European Community. The new Agreement is the successor of the 2005-2006 Agreement and will replace, once ratified, the present autonomous Community quota.

While the 2006 quota was around 1 million tonnes, the negotiations resulted in a quota for 2007 of 1,32 million tonnes. This figure takes into account the enlargement of the European Union with Bulgaria and Romania. Another new element in the new initialled Agreement is the elimination from the quota regime of two products, known in the industry as "dog bones". Around one third of trade in all steel products is covered by the quota regime.

The new Agreement will enter into force upon signature which follows the completion of the internal procedures for ratification on both sides. For the European Union, the Council of Ministers willadopt the Agreement. Entry into force can be expected in May 2007.

The Agreement will be concluded for 2007 with automatic renewal for subsequent years. The Agreement will be terminated the day Ukraine will become member of the World Trade Organisation.

For further information, please, contact Ms Olha Korniychuk, Press Officer, Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus, tel.: (044) 390 80 10 or e-mail: olha.korniychuk@ec.europa.eu

Odesa, 18 January 2007

You are invited to a press conference on the occasion of the visit of deputies of the Verhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) to the European Union Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine which will take place on Friday, January 19, at 1530 at the EUBAM headquarters (13, Uyutna str., Odesa).

The press conference will be attended by:

• Leonid Kozhara, Party of Regions, Secretary of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Member of the Parliament EU-Ukraine Cooperation Committee;

• Oleg Radkovskiy, Bloc of Yulia Tymoshenko, member of the Transport and Communications Committee;

• Ambassador Ian Boag, the Head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Ukraine and Belarus;

• Ambassador Adriaan Jacobovits de Szeged, EU Special Representative for Moldova;

• Brigadier-General Ferenc Banfi, the Head of the EUBAM.

The main aim of a visit is to acquaint the Ukrainian deputies with the activities of the Mission and its results as well as to discuss prospectives for future cooperation. During the visit they will meet with representatives of the Border Guard and Customs Services, Delegation of European Commission to Moldova and to Ukraine and they will visit EUBAM’s Field Office at Kuchurhan.

Editor’s Note:

The EU Border Assistance Mission to Moldova and Ukraine was launched on 30 November 2005 following the joint request of the Presidents of Moldova and Ukraine for assistance.

Its aims are:

• to work with Moldova and Ukraine to harmonise their border management standards and procedures with those prevalent in EU member states;

• to help enhance the professional capacities of the Moldovan and Ukrainian customs and border guard services at operational level;

• to develop risk analysis capacities;

• to improve co-operation and complementarity between the border guard and customs services and with other law enforcement agencies;

• to promote cross-border co-operation.

Places are limited. To apply for accreditation or to bid for an interview with participants of the press conference please call on office tel. +38 0482 36-52-74 or mob. +38 050 386 89 73 or e-mail: press@eubam.org.

Contact: Anastasiya Trotska, PR Assistant, EUBAM.

The European Commission today proposes a comprehensive package of measures to establish a new Energy Policy for Europe to combat climate change and boost the EU's energy security and competitiveness. The package of proposals set a series of ambitious targets on greenhouse gas emissions and renewable energy and aim to create a true internal market for energy and strengthen effective regulation. The Commission believes that when an international agreement is reached on the post-2012 framework this should lead to a 30% cut in emissions from developed countries by 2020. To further underline its commitment the Commission proposes that the European Union commits now to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20% by 2020, in particular through energy measures.

Commission President José Manuel Barroso said: "Today marks a step change for the European Union. Energy policy was a core area at the start of the European project. We must now return it to centre stage. The challenges of climate change, increasing import dependence and higher energy prices are faced by all EU members. A common European response is necessary to deliver sustainable, secure and competitive energy. The proposals put forward by the Commission today demonstrate our commitment to leadership and a long-term vision for a new Energy Policy for Europe that responds to climate change. We must act now, to shape tomorrow's world".

Commissioner for Energy Policy, Andris Piebalgs said, "If we take the right decisions now, Europe can lead the world to a new industrial revolution: the development of a low carbon economy. Our ambition to create a working internal market, to promote a clean and efficient energy mix and to make the right choices in research and development will determine whether we lead this new scenario or we follow others."

Stavros Dimas, Commissioner for the Environment stated that "Climate change is one of the gravest threats to our planet. Acting against climate change is imperative. Today, we have agreed on a set of ambitious, but realistic targets which will support our global efforts to contain climate change and its most dire consequences. I urge the rest of the developed world to follow our lead, match our reductions and accelerate progress towards an international agreement on the global emission reductions".

Europe faces real challenges. There is a more than 50% chance that global temperatures will rise during this century by more than 5°C. On current projections, energy and transport policies would mean that rather than falling, EU emissions would increase by around 5% by 2030. With current trends and policies the EU's energy import dependence will jump from 50% of total EU energy consumption today to 65% in 2030. In addition, the internal energy market remains incomplete which prevents EU citizens and the EU economy from receiving the full benefits of energy liberalisation.

The package proposed by the Commission today seeks to provide solutions to these challenges based on three central pillars:

1. A true Internal Energy Market

The aim is to give real choice for EU energy users, whether citizens or businesses, and to trigger the huge investments needed in energy. The single market is good not just for competitiveness, but also sustainability and security.

The competition sector enquiry (see IP/07/26) and the internal market communication show that further action is required to deliver these aims through a clearer separation of energy production from energy distribution. It also calls for stronger independent regulatory control, taking into account the European market, as well as national measures to deliver on the European Union's target of 10% minimum interconnection levels, by identifying key bottlenecks and appointing coordinators.

2. Accelerating the shift to low carbon energy

The Commission proposes to maintain the EU's position as a world leader in renewable energy, by proposing a binding target of 20% of its overall energy mix will be sourced from renewable energy by 2020. This will require a massive growth in all three renewable energy sectors: electricity, biofuels and heating and cooling. This renewables target will be supplemented by a minimum target for biofuels of 10%. In addition, a 2007 renewables legislative package will include specific measures to facilitate the market penetration of both biofuels and heating and cooling.

Research is also crucial to lower the cost of clean energy and to put EU industry at the forefront of the rapidly growing low carbon technology sector. To meet these objectives, the Commission will propose a strategic European Energy Technology Plan. The European Union will also increase by at least 50% its annual spending on energy research for the next seven years.

At present, nuclear electricity makes up 14% of EU energy consumption and 30% of EU electricity. The Commission proposals underline that it is for each member state to decide whether or not to rely on nuclear electricity. The Commission recommends that where the level of nuclear energy reduces in the EU this must be offset by the introduction of other low-carbon energy sources otherwise the objective of cutting greenhouse gas emissions will become even more challenging.

3. Energy efficiency

The Commission reiterates the objective of saving 20% of total primary energy consumption by 2020. If successful, this would mean that by 2020 the EU would use approximately 13% less energy than today, saving 100 billion euro and around 780 tonnes of CO2 each year.

The Commission proposes that the use of fuel efficient vehicles for transport is accelerated; tougher standards and better labelling on appliances; improved energy performance of the EU's existing buildings and improved efficiency of heat and electricity generation, transmission and distribution. The Commission also proposes a new international agreement on energy efficiency.

The proposals centred on these three pillars will need to be underpinned by a coherent and credible external policy

An international Energy Policy where the EU speaks with one voice

The European Union cannot achieve its energy and climate change objectives on its own. It needs to work with both developed and developing countries and energy consumers and producers. The European Union will develop effective solidarity mechanisms to deal with any energy supply crisis and actively develop a common external energy policy to increasingly "speak with one voice" with third countries. It will endeavour to develop real energy partnerships with suppliers based on transparency, predictability and reciprocity.

Drawing on the consultation process on its Green Paper issued in 2006, the Commission has already made progress towards a more coherent external energy policy as demonstrated by the creation of a network of energy security correspondents. The Commission proposes a whole series of concrete measures to strengthen international agreements including the Energy Charter Treaty, post-Kyoto climate regime and extension of emissions trading to global partners and further extend bilateral agreements with third countries so that energy becomes an integral part of all external EU relations and especially of the European Neighbourhood Policy. As major new initiatives the Commission proposes to develop a comprehensive Africa-Europe partnership and an international agreement on energy efficiency.

Concrete action is required urgently. Taken together, the sector enquiry, strategic review and action plan represent the core of a proposed new European Energy Policy. This process seeks to move from principles into concrete legislative proposals. The Commission will seek endorsement of the energy and climate change proposals during the Spring European Council and will come forward with legislation in light of these discussions.

All the documents can be found at the following addresses:

http://europa.eu/press_room/presspacks/energy/index_en.htm

Kyiv, 10 January 2007

On 27 November – 1 December 2006 the EU-funded Project “Ukraine: SME Support Services in Priority Regions” organised a study tour on SME support and regulatory policy to the UK for representatives of the State Committee of Ukraine for Regulatory Policy and Entrepreneurship (SCURPE) and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The study tour on the one hand aimed at enhancing the capability of SCURPE in applying Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) as a business environment improvement policy tool and on the other hand intended to expose the Study Tour participants to particular SME support programmes and tools as implemented in the UK.

During the study tour the following UK-based organisations were visited:

• Essex Development and Regeneration Agency (Exdra)
• Small Business Service (SBS)
• Audit Commission
• Better Regulation Executive (BRE)
• Government of London (GoL)
• European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

During the trip the participants in particular got acquainted with the UK SME support programmes at a national and regional levels; learnt about the outsourcing of direct SME support delivery mechanisms to private companies; and compared and exchanged experiences with the Better Regulation Executive on the application of RIA on SME policy issues. All participants of the study tour were happy with the professional level of presentations experienced and thoroughly appreciated the time spent by each of the visited organisations whilst preparing these presentations.

The Study Tour and, at the forefront, the wide range of organisations met clearly provided an opportunity for the study tour participants to a) enlarge and nurture its international network of policy and SME support services organisations contacts and b) to incorporate some of the SME policy and SME business development tools and approaches experienced in their future working environment.

For more information please contact:

Alexander Markus (SME Regulatory Reform Expert) +380 44 285 66 65 e-mail: alexander.markus@smeuk.org.ua

Victoria Tetyora (Local Training and Dissemination Expert) +38 (044) 332 41 64 Victoria.Tetyora@smeuk.org.ua