STORMS SWEEP NORTHERN EUROPE

1-WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS. 2-Moderate quake shakes New Zealand Island. 3-Calif. hospitals won't meet deadline. 4-Snow in southern California as cold snap grips US. 5-Severe storms claim first victim in Germany. 6-Snow and ice heading to southern Plains feedlots. 7-Huge storms sweep northern Europe. 8-Comoros island shakes, volcano still a threat. 9-Rice will face expectations gap in Mideast. 10-EU wants boost to Mideast peace efforts.11-Israel to build bomb shelters near Gaza. 12-PM Eyes Winograd C´tee, Promises New IDF Chief Within Days. 13-France's Royal wants new EU constitution referendum. 14-Barroso lists top five values for EU birthday text.

EARTHQUAKES

MATTHEW 24:7-8
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

MARK 13:8
8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:(ETHNIC GROUP AGAINST ETHNIC GROUP) and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.

LUKE 21:11
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

WORLD QUAKES LAST 2 DAYS (USGS)

Update time = Fri Jan 19 12:02 AM EDT

FRI JAN 19 NO QUAKES YET

JAN 18,07
MAP 3.1 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.7 NEVADA
MAP 5.9 SOUTHWEST OF SUMATRA, INDONESIA
MAP 4.5 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 4.2 WESTERN TURKEY
MAP 4.1 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
MAP 2.5 UTAH
MAP 2.9 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 4.1 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.2 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
MAP 3.7 ALASKA PENINSULA

JAN 17,07
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 6.2 CARLSBERG RIDGE
MAP 2.9 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.3 DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGION
MAP 5.6 DRAKE PASSAGE
MAP 2.9 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.5 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.9 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
MAP 5.0 NEAR THE COAST OF SOUTHERN PERU
MAP 3.7 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 2.5 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 3.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.5 ROMANIA
MAP 2.8 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 ARKANSAS
MAP 5.4 EAST OF THE KURIL ISLANDS
MAP 2.5 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS., ALASKA
MAP 4.8 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA
MAP 2.5 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 6.0 PAPUA, INDONESIA
MAP 3.8 GULF OF ALASKA
MAP 2.9 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 2.5 SOUTHERN ALASKA
MAP 3.5 MONA PASSAGE, PUERTO RICO
MAP 3.5 PUERTO RICO REGION

Moderate quake shakes New Zealand Island Thu Jan 18, 12:58 AM ET

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook New Zealand's central North Island Thursday, seismologists said, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The temblor was centered near Taihape, 150 miles north of the capital, Wellington, at a depth of 30 miles, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences reported.New Zealand sits above an area of the Earth's crust where the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates are colliding and records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than 10 a year do any damage.

Calif. hospitals won't meet deadline By ALICIA CHANG, AP Science Writer
Thu Jan 18, 9:18 AM ET

LOS ANGELES - Nearly half of California hospital buildings in danger of collapsing during a major earthquake will not meet a state deadline for safety improvements, according to a study released Thursday.

Tough standards passed after the deadly 1994 Northridge earthquake required that vulnerable buildings be retrofitted or replaced by 2008, a deadline that was extended to 2013. By 2030, all hospitals must be able to stay open and treat patients after a disaster.The report projected that nearly half of some 900 hospital buildings statewide will not meet the retrofitting deadline, even by 2030. Complicating the matter is that the majority of weak buildings more than 80 percent are in the densely populated San Francisco Bay area and greater Los Angeles region. Hospitals that buckle during a quake in those areas would severely disrupt delivery of care and put patients at risk.The study, funded by the California HealthCare Foundation and conducted by Rand Corp., does not single out hospitals, but notes the buildings are on over 300 hospital campuses across the state.The study also projects that quake-proofing the hospital buildings by the deadlines would cost between $40 billion to $110 billion.

Although the law was well-intentioned, following through has proved to be a headache as half of the hospitals in the state are operating in the red, said Jan Emerson, spokeswoman for the California Hospital Association, which represents about 500 hospitals and health care systems.If policymakers stay the course, the state could be forced to close noncompliant hospitals. If the state loosens some of the requirements or provides money for hospitals to comply, it would put those that have spent millions of dollars in upgrades and construction costs at a disadvantage, the report noted.

STORMS HURRICANES-TORNADOES

LUKE 21:25-26
25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity;(MASS CONFUSION) the sea and the waves roaring;(FIERCE WINDS)
26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Snow in southern California as cold snap grips US JAN 18,2007

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Snow has fallen in normally balmy southern California, as Americans coped with a deadly nationwide cold snap that has left hundreds of thousands in the dark and caused billions in crop damage. More than 60 deaths across nine states were blamed on the harsh weather, US media reported Thursday, mostly in car accidents as drivers lost control of their vehicles on icy roads.A layer of snow on Wednesday blanketed hills in Malibu, a seaside town near Los Angeles popular with entertainment industry celebrities. The town is situated by the Pacific Ocean and is famous for its beaches and year-round sunshine.

Snow also fell on parts of metropolitan Los Angeles, with the upmarket neighborhood of Westwood receiving a dusting of flakes as the unseasonably low temperatures continued across California.The six-day regional cold snap took a surreal turn with the snow, the Los Angeles Times said, adding that chilly temperatures were forecast for Thursday.

The weather even forced transport authorities to close portions of a major California highway that links Los Angeles to the state capital Sacramento. The stretch remained close early Thursday.California's temperatures have plunged to near-record lows, prompting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to declare a state of emergency.The cold snap has devastated California's citrus fruit industry, with authorities forecasting losses of more than one billion dollars because of the damage to crops.Unusually low temperatures hit most of the southwestern state of Texas, with up to 7.6 centimeters (three inches) of snow accumulating in Dallas,
and ice and freezing rain forcing schools to close in San Antonio and Houston.A quarter of all flights from the busy Dallas airport were canceled Wednesday due to the low temperatures, local media reported, with service expected to resume normally on Thursday.Ice was the most dangerous regional culprit: accumulated snow and hail that melted during the day would freeze at night, creating treacherous roads.Low temperatures are expected to remain for the next days, weather forecasters said.

Meanwhile some 300,000 people in the midwest and northeastern US were without power, including about 100,000 in Missouri and 92,000 in Oklahoma, CNN reported.President George W. Bush declared an emergency in Oklahoma on Sunday and in Misouri on Monday, freeing up federal funding for recovery efforts.Oklahoma state governor Brad Henry toured areas hit by the ice storm, The Oklahoman newspaper reported Thursday.It looks like a war zone, Henry told the newspaper.It's hard to imagine ice could cause so much damage.Recovery is expected to last for weeks or months, the newspaper reported.Ice is expected to cause serious problems Thursday in South Carolina and as far south as Atlanta, forecasters said, with National Weather Service posting ice and freezing rain advisories across the region. In the northwestern states of Oregon and Washington, thousands stayed home on Wednesday after a heavy snowfall a day earlier but forecasts Thursday called for snow and freezing rain. Portland city crews worked around the clock plowing, sanding and de-icing streets, though most streets are expected to remain icy and snow-covered for days, the Portland Oregonian newspaper reported Thursday.

Severe storms claim first victim in Germany JAN 18,2007

BERLIN (AFP) - The violent storms lashing Germany claimed their first victim when a motorist was killed after his car collided with a fallen tree in the southwest of the country. The incident Thursday took place in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg where winds of up to 120 kilometres per hour (75 miles per hour) were recorded, the state interior ministry said.The storm was sweeping across the country from west to east, meteorologists said.It was set to be the most severe storm to hit Germany in four or five years and authorities warned people only to go outside in exceptional circumstances.Heavy rain was also falling on much of the country.

The conditions were causing flight cancellations at the country's busiest airport, Frankfurt, a spokesman for its operators Fraport said.At least 17 flights were cancelled by 1000 GMT.Forecasters also warned of severe flooding along the coast.The highest wind speed recorded was 169 kph (105 mph) on the Brocken mountain in the Harz range in the centre of the country, the national weather bureau in Offenbach said.The head of the German rescue services (THW), Albrecht Broemme, said tens of thousands of emergency workers were on standby.If this hits all of Germany, things could become pretty bad, he said.The stormy weather was expected to continue on Friday.Britain and other parts of northern Europe have also been affected.

Snow and ice heading to southern Plains feedlots JAN 18,07

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Snow and ice are headed to cattle feedlots in the U.S. southern Plains starting Friday, a private forecaster predicted Thursday. The storm should start in the west Texas feedlot areas then spread further north and into Kansas on Saturday.The heaviest amounts will be in west Texas 1/4 to 1.0 inch of precipitation. That could be worth 4 to 8 inches of snow depending on temperatures, said forecaster Mike Palmerino of DTN Meteorlogix.Further north into western Kansas, 0.10 to 0.50 inch of precipitation or 2 to 4 inches of snow should fall.It doesn't look good for west Texas areas. It could be quite stressful promoting sloppier conditions in the feedlots, Palmerino said.Further north it's just more moisture that they don't need right now, he added.

This weekend's expected ice and snow come on top of a series of storms that began in early December. While the dormant hard red winter wheat crop was soaking up all the moisture, it has turned feedlots muddy and added stress to animals.The six- to 10-day forecast offered some hope to livestock feeders as it was expected to turn drier and warmer, with the weather forecasting models in agreement on Thursday morning, Palmerino said.The Meteorlogix forecast for the U.S. Plains, Tuesday through Saturday, called for near to above-normal temperatures and normal to mostly below-normal precipitation.I don't have significant confidence in the forecast since it's a break from the past month and a half, Palmerino added.

Huge storms sweep northern Europe JAN 18,07

People in Germany have been advised to stay indoors.At least 15 people have been killed as violent storms lashed northern Europe, causing travel chaos across the region. Britain was the worst hit with seven people killed as heavy downpours and gales of up to 70mph swept the country. Hurricane-force winds battering Germany have claimed at least three lives. The other deaths were reported in the Netherlands and France. The severe weather has forced hundreds of flight and ferry cancellations and prompted road and school closures. The first fatality was reported in Shropshire, England, where a 54-year-old man died after his car was crushed by a falling branch. Three other people died on the roads in the UK. A two-year-old boy also died when a wall collapsed on him in the capital, London. One man was killed on a road in south-western Germany when he crashed into another vehicle as he tried to avoid a fallen tree, police said. In Bavaria, a 73-year-old man was killed when he was struck by debris. In Munich, an 18-month-old child died after being crushed by a door that blew off its hinges. Three people were killed by falling trees in the Netherlands, and one person was killed the same way in Roubaix, France. A 30-year-old man was also killed in a motoring accident in the Somme.

Stay indoors

The BBC's Steve Rosenberg in Berlin says schools have been shut and emergency services have mobilised extra staff. The weather system is moving across western German states. German radio says more than 40,000 volunteers are on standby, as widespread damage is expected.The crew of MSC Napoli abandoned ship in the English Channel Low-lying areas of northern Germany are preparing for possible flooding. In the Netherlands, as in Germany, people have been advised to stay indoors. Our country has not had a storm like this in years. We advise you to follow weather alarms and messages to the letter, the Netherlands Royal Weather Service said. Austria forecast winds of up to 170kph (105 mph) at higher altitudes in the Alps, and officials warned skiers to get off the mountains and seek shelter well before nightfall.

In other developments:

A British container ship is listing in the English Channel almost 50 miles (80km) off Cornwall - all 26 crew of the MSC Napoli abandoned ship.US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice cuts short her visit to Berlin in order to leave for London before weather worsened London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, cancels 123 flights. Other major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna report delays and cancellations Ferries are cancelled or delayed in Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland - where minor floods are reported near Helsinki Residents along the North Sea coast are warned to expect storm swells up to 3.5m (11.5ft) higher than normal Traffic on the Eurostar, the train service connecting Britain with continental Europe, is suspended after an electrical cable holder fell onto tracks near the French city of Lille

EARTH DESTROYED WITH THE EARTH

GENESIS 6:11-13
11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.(WORLD TERRORISM,MURDERS)
12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
13 And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence (TERRORISM) through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

Comoros island shakes, volcano still a threat JAN 18,2007

MORONI (Reuters) - Comoros' largest island shook twice on Thursday, residents said, and experts said there was still a threat of eruption from the Indian Ocean archipelago's Mount Karthala volcano despite the tremors weakening. Comorian authorities have made emergency plans to help as many as 30,000 people in case the 2,361 meter (7,746 ft) volcano, which dominates the main island of Grand Comore, blows.I felt very faint tremors in the morning and at three o'clock, resident Mounira Boba said. But I'm not so worried.The volcano seemed to have settled since the weekend when strong tremors thought to have been caused by lava trying to escape forced thousands of people to sleep outside for fear their homes might collapse.Mount Karthala, one of the world's largest active volcanoes, began glowing red and emitting fumes last week.Scientific equipment has continued to record more than a thousand small tremors every day, officials at the Karthala observation center said. Residents cannot feel such tremors.Patrick Bachelery, a vulcanologist and academic from the nearby island of Reunion, warned Grand Comore residents not to drop their guard.Even if activity quietens down, it could be a sign of eruption, he said.Karthala's eruptions have happened every 11 years on average, but have rarely caused a major disaster.In 1903, 17 people died when noxious fumes seeped from cracks in the mountain, and the last big eruption was in April 2005 when thousands fled in fear of poisonous gas and lava.

Wed, Jan. 17, 2007
Rice will face expectations gap in Mideast.She'll negotiate talks with Abbas and Olmert - BY RICHARD BOUDREAUX - Los Angeles Times

JERUSALEM /A day after agreeing with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on a way to move toward peace with the Palestinians, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert toured along the West Bank separation barrier Tuesday.His talking points demonstrated the gap of expectations Rice will face when she returns to the region next month for three-way talks with Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

The concrete barrier is reviled by Palestinians as a unilateral attempt by Israel to define its border with a future Palestinian state.Speaking at the wall's Ephraim crossing, Olmert ignored that explosive issue. Instead, he pressed Israeli inspectors to speed up scanning procedures so more cargo trucks could enter Israel from the West Bank.There is a large population whose quality of life will decide what kind of neighbors they will be, the prime minister said.During Rice's visit to Israel and the West Bank, Abbas had asked her to arrange the three-way meeting so he could start talking to Olmert about the core issues of a final settlement. These include the delineation of a new Palestinian state, the status of Jerusalem and the claims of Palestinian refugees to return to homes they abandoned in 1948 in what is now Israel.

In agreeing to Rice's proposal, Olmert made it clear he had a more modest agenda. His aides said he would approach the encounter as part of a pre-negotiation stage in which the two sides might build trust through initial steps, such as Israel's easing of cargo restrictions, a halt to Palestinian rocket attacks and an exchange of prisoners.We're still at the early stages of building the confidence necessary to open peace negotiations, said Miri Eisen, the prime minister's spokeswoman. We're not there yet, and we're not going to be cutting corners.Small deals between the two men have come to naught, including Olmert's December pledge to release $100 million in frozen funds to the Palestinian Authority and Abbas' November commitment to prevent militant groups from firing rockets from the Gaza Strip.Abbas most likely will not accept another round of confidence-building with Olmert unless there are tangible results, one of the Palestinian leader's aides said Tuesday. He wants to go beyond minor issues and sign an accord, along with the Israelis and the Americans, laying out a timetable for creating an independent Palestinian state.

Further complicating matters, the Palestinians are suspicious of the Bush administration's intentions as it wades deeper into Mideast diplomacy.If you look at the last six years, the only thing we see the Bush administration doing is trying to manage the conflict, not to resolve it, said Diana Buttu, a former legal adviser to the Palestinian Authority. You don't see any real pressure on Israel to live up to its agreements. Israel is allowed to use peace talks to buy time and is given carte blanche to torpedo any progress if it feels its security threatened.Rice's three-day visit, which ended Monday, marked the deepest U.S. engagement in the conflict in four years. Whether she can push both sides toward a resolution remains to be seen.

EU wants boost to Mideast peace efforts JAN 18,07

CAIRO (AFP) - European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana has said that Middle East diplomacy should move from crisis management to negotiations towards a final peace deal. If possible, the first months of 2007 can signify mobilisation, impulse in the dossiers which are important, especially the peace process, he told reporters in Cairo after meeting Arab League Secretary General Amr Mussa.He also met Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit.Solana kicked off a tour of the region days after US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice came for talks with regional leaders, in a bid to revive moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.My trip was started in Egypt to measure the temperature, see how people are feeling and see if we can put together some things that may push the process forward, Solana said.I think the peace process, the manner in which it has been handled, has been a crisis management type of tactic, he said.We can't forget that the standard of living of people has to change for the better. We have to begin to project those elements into the political process.

Embattled Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas' allies including Egypt and Jordan have also pushed for a jump to the so-called endgame, a resumption of final settlement talks between Israel and the Palestinians.We are trying to build around the consensus. We feel the Americans are understanding a need to reach a political process, Solana's spokeswoman Christina Gallach told reporters.There has been so much crisis management that we have not been able to concentrate on the real effort, she said.The Middle East quartet which groups the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations is due to meet in Washington on February 2, Gallach said.The quartet drew up the roadmap for peace in 2003 with the aim of establishing a viable Palestinian state living peacefully alongside Israel. But the blueprint has largely remained a dead letter.

1/18/2007 8:30:00 AM -0500
Israel to build bomb shelters near Gaza

TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 18 (UPI) Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced Thursday in Tel Aviv Israel will spend $70 million to build bomb shelters near the Gaza border. Olmert told a group of municipal leaders he made the decision after determining six years of rocket attacks by Palestinian militants in Gaza was threatening the inner balance of the communities, YNetNews reported. He said homes up to five miles away from the Gaza Strip will be eligible for bomb shelters in the near future. In the West Bank, Palestinian sources said Israeli soldiers had shot and killed a member of Fatah's armed-wing, the al-Aqsa Brigades, and three other militants were injured in a shootout near Nablus. The Israeli military also reported it had apprehended 13 wanted Palestinians before dawn Thursday.

PM Eyes Winograd C´tee, Promises New IDF Chief Within Days
By Ezra HaLevi (INN) JAN 18,07

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says a new IDF Chief of Staff will be appointed in the coming days. Defense Minister Amir Peretz has already begun meeting with prospective candidates. The country’s 19th Chief of Staff will either be Deputy Chief of Staff Maj.-Gen. Moshe Kaplinsky, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi or Ground Forces Commander Maj.-Gen. Benny Ganz, according to media reports.Peretz held meetings with both leading candidates, and others, on Wednesday.Ashkenazi is reported to be favored over Kaplinsky due to the likelihood that the latter will be criticized by the Winograd Commission once it publishes its findings on last summer’s war with Hizbullah in Lebanon. Northern Command OC Maj.-Gen. Benny Ganz is considered by others to be too young and inexperienced for the job.Ashkenazi was passed over for the post in favor of Halutz by former Defense Minister Sha'ul Mofaz in 2005. Halutz succeeded Moshe Yaalon, who was released to early retirement due to his opposition to the Disengagement Plan.

Prime Minister Olmert said that although it is Peretz’s job to make the decision, but Peretz said he intends to set up a clear process, in order to choose the best possible Chief of Staff.Olmert’s aides say the PM plans on consulting with the Winograd Commission, which he appointed, to see whether its conclusions might implicate any of the candidates.

Ganz, Kaplinsky and Ashkenazi all appeared, or are scheduled to appear, before the Commission.The government intended to keep the Commission’s findings under wraps, but the Supreme Court ordered the state on Wednesday to explain, within five days, why the hearings are not open to the public and the protocols of testimony not published.The Supreme Court petition was filed by Meretz MK Zahava Gal-On. Gal-On sought to add to the request a provision delaying the appointment of a new Chief of Staff, on the grounds that Olmert and Peretz are not ethically authorized to appoint one. The request was rejected on the grounds that it was not filed with the original petition.

France's Royal wants new EU constitution referendum
18.01.2007 - 09:22 CET | By Mark Beunderman (Eu Observer)

Segolene Royal, the socialist candidate to become France's next president, has said she is in favour of holding a new referendum on a revised EU constitution in 2009, proposing to make the treaty more attractive to the French by attaching a social declaration. I want the French people to be consulted once again in a referendum in 2009, Ms Royal said after meeting Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker on Wednesday (17 January), according to press reports. My idea is that this referendum would take place at the same time as the European elections, she indicated. Wednesday's remarks, made ahead of the French presidential elections with first and second rounds in April and May, distance Ms Royal from her main centre-right rival for the presidency, Nicolas Sarkozy. Mr Sarkozy has called for a simplified mini-treaty for the EU containing key elements of the constitution, which could be ratified by the French parliament without a referendum. By contrast, Ms Royal said a new version of the text should add a fresh social declaration on workers' rights and public services, in order to avoid a repetition of the 2005 referendum when almost 55 percent of French voters rejected the charter.

I do not want the French to punish the European countries which have already expressed themselves [on the constitution]. What I wish is that there is a social aspect and that the rights of workers are taken into consideration in Europe, she said. Without being specific about the content of the proposed declaration, she said that with this, I think that the French people will regain confidence and I will be able to bring them along, those who voted yes and those who voted no.

What they want is not less Europe, but a Europe which will better protect social rights, fundamental freedoms and progress for all.Luxembourg's Jean-Claude Juncker said he backed the idea of attaching a social declaration to the EU constitution, explaining that it could contain principles like a minimum wage - the level of which would be up to national governments - and minimum lay-off standards. The idea of a social declaration is likely to be viewed with scepticism by free market-oriented states like the UK, the Czech Republic and Poland which have put ratification of the constitution on ice.

Risky

But it is likely to be backed by German chancellor Angela Merkel who last year proposed to add a social declaration to the constitutional treaty herself, vowing to keep most of the charter's existing text unchanged. Ms Merkel is however likely to be less happy by Ms Royal's push for a second French referendum, which carries the risk of a second French no and which complicates Germany's main EU presidency goal of reaching a quick deal on a revised constitution. Ms Royal admitted that a new referendum is risky, saying I am prepared to take political risks in this matter...and explain to the French that if Europe wants to stand on its feet, we have the task of giving it the institutional means to function.

Barroso lists top five values for EU birthday text
17.01.2007 - 17:01 CET | By Honor Mahony

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said Brussels should be included in the preparation of a highly symbolic 50 year anniversary declaration on the future of Europe.The statement should look ahead to the next 50 years of the EU and must fully involve the Parliament and the Commission, Mr Barroso said before MEPs and in the presence of german chancellor Angela Merkel, currently heading the bloc.Talking animatedly, the Portuguese politician presented the statement as the next significant step in the EU's history, comparing it to when the founding fathers of the union, Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman, first considered their vision for the continent over half a century ago.I think today's leaders should stand on the shoulders of the founding fathers, and look ahead to the next 50 years. To the challenges which could not be imagined in 1957 but which Europe must face in 2007.The commission president went on to outline five points he thought should be covered in the statement, including: solidarity, accountability, security of European citizens and promoting European values in the world.

Green convert

A recent convert to the importance of fighting climate change - it is said because of the long-term economic benefits it will bring - Mr Barroso also put environmental matters in his five points to be included in the 50th anniversary declaration.The fight against climate change, through energy and other policies, should be a defining mission for Europe's future, said the commission president.

He has also asked for the climate change issue to be inserted into the EU's constitutional treaty with talks soon to start between member states on how to revive the document, in political limbo since it was rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005.The commission's sudden interest in matters green has seen it strike a unilateral note on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (proposing a 20% decrease for the bloc by 2020), tackling pollution emissions from all airplanes coming in to the EU from 2012 and making a strong commitment to biofuels.However, Mr Barroso's aim to put the climate change battle into the constitution raises it to a new status.It is reminiscent of a recent proposal by Liberal MEP Andrew Duff to include issues that specifically address citizens' concerns in the document, making it more accessible For her part, chancellor Merkel was supportive of Mr Barroso's ideas for the declaration.I can assure him [Mr Barroso] I will back him up on these points, she said.She added the declaration would be shaped by the parliament, commission and the council but did not say concretely how MEPs and the commission would be involved, with Berlin keen to keep the numbers of people directly working on the anniversary document at a minimum so the exercise does not become too unwieldy.