Commissioner-designate Catherine Ashton faced a hearing at the European Parliament on Monday. She has been nominated to replace Peter Mandelson as Trade Commissioner following his appointment to the British government. MEPs questioned Baroness Ashton on the future of the Doha Round, the financial crisis, bilateral trade negotiations - and on her own experience. The outcome will be considered on Tuesday by the Conference of Presidents, with the full Parliament due to vote on Wednesday.

At the beginning of first ever European Forestry Week, the European forest owners’ organisations call on decision makers, business leaders and the public to recognise forestry as a key sector in combating climate change.

In its 2002 Lisbon Agenda the European Union set out its goal of making Europe "the most dynamic competitive knowledge-based economy in the world". Oracle is deeply committed to supporting this goal, reflected in its significant and widespread contributions to the EU’s new Seventh Framework Programme initiatives .

As a major industry player and employer in Europe, Oracle has always been committed to helping the EU achieve its stated goal of making Europe the most dynamic, competitive, knowledge-based economy in the world by 2010.

The European Parliament Conference of Presidents has called on the authorities of Belarus to lift their entry ban on EU politicians. The leaders of the European Parliament's political groups demanded on Thursday that Belarus reciprocate the Council's decision earlier this week to lift travel restrictions imposed on certain leading Belarusian politicians for a trial period of six months.