UK News

IT R&D on the rise
(as reported in the British Midlands newsletter)

Total R&D of all UK companies has increased by £2.2bn to £19.2bn
by Tom Young, Computing, 31 Oct 2006

The UK IT industry's commitment to research and development (R&D) has increased again over the past year. The total investment in UK technology R&D was £1.88bn during the 2005/06 financial year, accounting for 9.8 per cent of all R&D in the UK, according to the Department of Trade and Industry's (DTI) annual R&D scoreboard report.
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EU NewsBrief - November 2006
(as reported in the European Union newsletter)

EU, U.S. Boost Judicial Cooperation

The European Union and the United States have concluded an agreement to facilitate cooperation between EU and U.S. prosecutors on terrorism and cross-border criminal cases. The arrangement between Eurojust, the EU's judicial coordination unit, and the U.S. Department of Justice will provide for the exchange of evidence in active cases and help increase judicial cooperation and information sharing between all 25 EU Member States and the U.S.
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Stronger Economic Growth in EU

The European Commission has raised economic growth forecasts for 2006 for EU Member States. Overall growth in the EU is expected to reach 2.8 percent, up from 1.7 percent in 2005, and figures also show falling unemployment and budget deficits.
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Belarus Opposition Leader Wins 2006 Sakharov Prize

The European Parliament has named Alexander Milinkevich, leader of the political opposition in Belarus, as the 2006 winner of the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, awarded annually to exceptional individuals or organizations fighting against oppression, intolerance and injustice. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner congratulated Milinkevich: "As the leader of the Belarus united democratic opposition forces, he engaged himself consistently for greater freedom of thought and expression...With this prize, the EU indicates its strong hope to see free and fair local elections in January 2007."
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EU Gathers International Development Community for European Development Days

The EU brings together the international development community in Brussels for the first European Development Days this week. The event will include an EU-Africa Business Forum to encourage European investment in Africa, a Governance Forum, and a wide range of activities designed to promote awareness of development issues.
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EU Moves Toward Nuclear Energy Agreement with Kazakhstan

The European Commission has recommended that the EU enter into an assistance agreement with Kazakhstan to help build a stable framework within which to develop EU-Kazakh trade in the nuclear energy sector. Kazakhstan has one-fifth of the world's known reserves of uranium and is the third-largest producer of uranium in the world, after Australia and Canada.
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