European Commission

Date: 15/02/1996

EUROPEAN Commission President Jacques Santer has condemned the IRA's bomb attack on London which killed two people and left over a hundred wounded. But he pleaded with all parties to keep the Northern Irish peace process on track. Regional Affairs Commissioner Monika Wulf-Mathies gave assurances that the 300-million-ecu package to help cement the peace process would not be withdrawn in the wake of the bombing. “Good progress has already been made at ground level and it is important that we keep the money flowing to further sustain it,” she said.

THE European Commission has expressed concern about the planned repatriation of some 250,000 Rwandan refugees currently housed in two camps in Zaïre. Though it has not received any confirmation of Kinshasa's intention to close these two refugee camps, the Commission said it was worried that rumours of rising tension in the areas would prove true. “I appeal to all parties concerned, especially the governments of Zaïre and Rwanda, to do their utmost to ensure that protection of human rights and respect of international conventions ... are fully adhered to,” said Humanitarian Affairs Commissioner Emma Bonino.

IN a move likely to delight pop singers around the bloc, the European Commission has told Japan to come into line with international copyright rules or face a dispute in the World Trade Organisation. All members of the WTO should have changed their laws by now to provide at least 50 years of protection for music recordings released after 1 January 1946. But Tokyo has failed to do so, giving protection only to those released after 1971.

THE Commission this week published its general report of the activities of the EU in 1995, reviewing the policies implemented in the past year. The 600-page report also contains a summary of the major events of the year and tables on everything from progress in legislation to third country agreements.