(Română) Numar record de pasageri pentru operatorul aerian polonez LOT Airlines

Posted in Airline / Tuesday May 15th, 2012

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Operatorul aerian polonez LOT Airlines controlat de stat a transportat un număr record de pasageri pentru luna aprilie, de 405.000 persoane, cu 5% mai mult decât în aceeaşi perioadă a anului trecut, scrie Warsaw Business Journal. “În aprilie am înregistrat un număr record de pasageri pentru toate zborurile, atât la clasa business, cât şi la cea economică, fiind ocupate 75% din numărul total de locuri”, a afirmat Leszek Chorzewski, purtătorul de cuvânt al companiei, . El a menţionat că şi zborurile interne au înregistrat o creştere a numărului de pasageri, rata de ocupare fiind de 75% faţă de 69% în acelaşi interval de timp din 2011. Această performanţă este rezultatul implementării unei strategii care are ca scop să crească profitabilitatea companiei. În prezent, discuţiile cu privire la preluarea LOT de către Turkish Airlines sunt într-un stadiu avansat.

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EURO match officials prepare in Poland

Posted in About Poland / Saturday April 28th, 2012

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The refereeing teams chosen for UEFA EURO 2012 take their next important steps towards this summer’s tournament in Poland and Ukraine next week when they travel to Warsaw for the latest final-round preparations.
The UEFA EURO 2012 Preparatory Workshop for Referees, Assistant Referees and Additional Assistant Referees will feature fitness work, as well as specific instructions from the UEFA Referees Committee on areas such as holding in the penalty area, offside, handball, simulation, free-kick management, injury protocol and dissent/mobbing.
Each of the 31 games in Poland and Ukraine will be handled by a full team of seven match officials, with the referee, two assistant referees and the fourth official being supplemented by two additional assistant referees as well as a reserve assistant referee. The complete list of officials can be found on UEFA.com.
A total of 80 match officials – the six officials named for each team, as well as the previously selected four fourth officials and four reserve assistant referees – will attend the UEFA EURO 2012 workshop in the Polish capital. During the course between 30 April and 3 May, all officials will undergo the FIFA fitness test and the final selection of quintets will follow that test. On Wednesday the media will be appraised of the refereeing guidelines for the tournament, which runs from 8 June to 1 July.
The additional assistant referees are being deployed at UEFA EURO 2012 as part of a continuing experiment authorised by football’s lawmakers, the International Football Association Board (IFAB). The additional assistants stand on the goal line and help the referee in the decision-making process, especially with regard to penalty-area incidents.
Ahead of UEFA EURO 2012, the match officials have been taking charge of games in the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, and their progress is being monitored by the UEFA Referees Committee – who are former international referees with vast experience of the profession, and chose the 12 main EURO referees last December.
The EURO referees joined the rest of the European refereeing elite and new international referees for the annual UEFA winter course in Antalya, Turkey, in February.
The referees are being given comprehensive fitness guidance by UEFA’s referee fitness team led by Belgian expert Werner Helsen. Off the field, they can also count on the experience gleaned by Pierluigi Collina, now UEFA’s chief refereeing officer after a career with the whistle which saw him officiate at the biggest matches on the planet. All with the aim of being at the peak of their powers in the most demanding of jobs.
“A tournament like the EURO, it’s a very short tournament where even one match can be decisive; so this is what is clear to the referees,” Collina told UEFA.com. “Everything is important, everything can be decisive. There is no match without any important interest, everything can mean a lot, not only for the teams but also for the referees. So [the referees] are very motivated and determined [to give] the best performance possible.”
The 12 referees have been picked for their know-how and the quality of their performances in the UEFA Champions League over the last two seasons. Only one referee remains from the team at UEFA EURO 2008 – England’s Howard Webb.
The referees nowadays have to be as supremely fit as the best athletes, and are nurtured accordingly. In additional, they have to be tactically aware – and try to anticipate what might happen amid the high pace of a top game.
“It is crucial, absolutely crucial,” Collina explained. “Today, the referee must absolutely know what can happen. This is the difference. The referee should know before what can happen. He has to predict, he has to be aware of what can happen maybe one second later. This is the best way to be ready to take a decision.
“If you are surprised by something, you are very probably wrong,” the Italian added. “If you know that something can happen, [if] you are ready, it’s very probable that you will be right. So this is the main difference.”
Click here to see UEFA.com’s interview with Pierluigi Collina.

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Gdansk delights in EURO trophy tour stop

Posted in About Poland / Saturday April 28th, 2012

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After kicking off in Poland’s capital city Warsaw, the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour has made the Baltic port of Gdansk its second destination.
The Henri Delaunay Cup arrived at the gleaming new terminal at Lech Walesa airport on Tuesday, and among those waiting for the silverware was UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Andrzej Szarmach. “As soon as you look at this trophy, you want to take to the pitch and fight for it,” the former Poland forward said. “As a member of the national team, I was close to winning the World Cup twice but never the European Championship.”
The trophy was then transported around the northern city, stopping at Gdansk Medical University, the Arena Gdansk – venue for four finals matches – as well as the famous port, from where it was taken on a short cruise through the Green Gate. A performance by the navy orchestra was followed by a colourful parade in the old town and a final stop at the Coal Market.
The trophy resided there for the next two days to allow the public and various celebrities – including ex-world champion boxer Dariusz Michalczewski – a photo opportunity with the much-coveted prize. In addition, various other activities took place as part of the trophy tour’s entertainment programme.
Szarmach added: “Gdansk is a special place for me because I was born here. I even played football close to the place where our fantastic new EURO arena stands. It was a beautiful city then and it is even more fantastic now. I am pretty sure those who come here for EURO will be keen to return.”
The Follow the Trophy roadshow, which began on 20 April, now rolls onto a third Polish host city, Poznan. It will set up camp at Liberty Square, where it opens on Saturday for three days before moving on again. In total, the tour will visit 14 cities across the two UEFA EURO 2012 co-host countries before finishing on the Black Sea coast at Odesa on 26 May.
EURO Follow the Trophy tour schedule

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EURO trophy tour sets off from Warsaw

Posted in About Poland / Saturday April 28th, 2012

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The Warsaw leg of the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour concluded on Sunday after a three-day festival of fun, fans and football.
After Friday’s launch events, the weekend action took place in the heart of the Polish capital on Plac Defilad in front of the Palace of Culture and Science, with the Henri Delaunay Cup as its centrepiece. Visitors queued for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to have their photo taken with the trophy, but there was much more activity away from the silverware with matches on mini-pitches and a shot speed test.
“There was a long wait to have a picture taken with the trophy but it was worth the wait,” said one visitor, Tomasz. “It’s amazing to be so close to a trophy that has been lifted by so many famous players. I am really looking forward to the EURO.”
There was another line of fans waiting to get autographs from former French international Christian Karembeu and EURO ambassador Andrzej Szarmach, even when – as in the case of one man – they already had Szarmach’s from his 1974 heyday. “It was a busy day for me,” said Szarmach, flexing his wrist. “But I am really happy to serve the enthusiastic Polish people.”
The roadshow now rolls on to Gdansk, setting up camp at the Coal Market, where it opens on Tuesday for three days before getting on the move again. It will visit 14 cities across the two UEFA EURO 2012 co-host countries before finishing on the Black Sea coast at Odesa on 26 May.
UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour schedule

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Follow the Trophy tour under way in Warsaw

Posted in About Poland / Saturday April 28th, 2012

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The UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour is up and running after the Henri Delaunay Cup was presented to the city of Warsaw on Friday at the start of a three-day stay in the Polish capital.
With Warsaw staging the opening game of UEFA EURO 2012 on 8 June, the city was the appropriate place to launch the Follow the Trophy tour, with a press conference, street parade and public display forming part of a busy agenda.
Warsawians caught their first glimpse of the coveted silverware at an event for local schoolchildren in the Ursus district, before the trophy was transported through the city in a colourful convoy which featured UEFA EURO 2012 mascots Slavek and Slavko. The parade took the cup past the new National Stadium Warsaw and included a stopover at the Children’s Hospital where gifts were distributed to young patients.
After the city parade, the EURO trophy was formally handed over to the deputy mayor of Warsaw, Jacek Wojciechowicz. The Henri Delaunay Cup will now go on public display at Plac Defilad on Saturday and Sunday, with visitors invited to come along and have their photo taken with the famous prize between 10.00 and 20.00CET each day.
Friday’s inaugural events also comprised a media conference at the Palace of Culture, attended by Warsaw mayor Hanna Gronkiewicz Waltz, UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Andrzej Szarmach, UEFA EURO 2000 winner Christian Karembeu, Friend of EURO Muniek Staszczyk as well as UEFA operations director Martin Kallen and tournament director for Poland, Adam Olkowicz.
Former Poland striker Andrzej Szarmach, who was present at all the curtain-raising activities, said: “Everywhere I go in Poland I can sense the growing excitement. I am sure the EURO will be a huge and fantastic event for Poland. This trophy tour is a sign that the tournament is very close, and people can see that the party is close to getting started.”
Christian Karembeu, who lifted the cup as a midfielder with France 12 years ago, said: “I am proud to be here. I am happy to see this trophy again because it is very important for me.”
Visitors to Plac Defilad this weekend can enjoy a full entertainment programme, with the attractions on offer including a film of highlights from past EURO tournaments, football games on a mini-pitch, skills competitions and freestyle footballers.
In addition, a limited number of tickets for finals matches can be won by fans through various football-related contests. Weather permitting, a 35m-high hot air balloon in the shape of the Henri Delaunay Cup will also be inflated close to the display location.
After its exciting kick-off in Warsaw, the trophy will then tour further Polish cities in Gdansk, Poznan, Wroclaw, Lodz, Krakow and Katowice, before embarking on a trip to seven Ukrainian venues.
Martin Kallen said: “It is something special to show the trophy to the public. Many famous footballers lifted it in the past and now everyone has the chance to get close to it and even to take a picture with it.”

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Gdansk delights in EURO trophy tour stop

Posted in About Poland / Friday April 27th, 2012

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After kicking off in Poland’s capital city Warsaw, the UEFA EURO 2012 Follow the Trophy tour has made the Baltic port of Gdansk its second destination.
The Henri Delaunay Cup arrived at the gleaming new terminal at Lech Walesa airport on Tuesday, and among those waiting for the silverware was UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Andrzej Szarmach. “As soon as you look at this trophy, you want to take to the pitch and fight for it,” the former Poland forward said. “As a member of the national team, I was close to winning the World Cup twice but never the European Championship.”
The trophy was then transported around the northern city, stopping at Gdansk Medical University, the Arena Gdansk – venue for four finals matches – as well as the famous port, from where it was taken on a short cruise through the Green Gate. A performance by the navy orchestra was followed by a colourful parade in the old town and a final stop at the Coal Market.
The trophy resided there for the next two days to allow the public and various celebrities – including ex-world champion boxer Dariusz Michalczewski – a photo opportunity with the much-coveted prize. In addition, various other activities took place as part of the trophy tour’s entertainment programme.
Szarmach added: “Gdansk is a special place for me because I was born here. I even played football close to the place where our fantastic new EURO arena stands. It was a beautiful city then and it is even more fantastic now. I am pretty sure those who come here for EURO will be keen to return.”
The Follow the Trophy roadshow, which began on 20 April, now rolls onto a third Polish host city, Poznan. It will set up camp at Liberty Square, where it opens on Saturday for three days before moving on again. In total, the tour will visit 14 cities across the two UEFA EURO 2012 co-host countries before finishing on the Black Sea coast at Odesa on 26 May.
EURO Follow the Trophy tour schedule

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EU president sees Romania, Bulgaria joining border pact soon

Posted in Business / Thursday April 26th, 2012

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(SOFIA) – An agreement allowing Bulgaria and Romania to join the European Union’s open-border Schengen treaty should be reached in September, European Union President Herman Van Rompuy said Wednesday.

Currently, the Schengen area spans 26 European nations and allows for free movement between member countries.

While France and Germany have supported Romania and Bulgaria’s entry into the zone, the Dutch government has opposed the move over corruption fears.

The Netherlands is currently gripped by a political crisis after its cabinet collapsed Monday.

“I have a strong conviction that in September we could find a solution on the accession of Romania and Bulgaria,” Van Rompuy said at a press conference in the Bulgarian capital Sofia.

The two nations have “agreed on some confidence-enhancing measures, they are implementing this, even increasing their credibility,” Van Rompuy said.

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Lithuania rejects CIA jail claim amid EU probe

Posted in Business / Thursday April 26th, 2012

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(VILNIUS) – Lithuanian prosecutors on Wednesday rejected claims the Baltic state had run a secret CIA jail for terror suspects, as a European Parliament delegation began a three-day visit.
Deputy prosecutor general Darius Raulusaitis said he assured EU lawmakers his office’s investigation had found no evidence of detentions, adding that the dropped probe could be relaunched should new information emerge.
“We have assured members of the European Parliament that our investigation was thorough, objective and that no evidence was received about alleged illegal detention in Lithuania,” Raulusaitis said.
“It was established that no such persons had been kept in custody,” he told journalists after the meeting.
In January 2011, Lithuanian prosecutors dropped a probe of three former Lithuanian secret service chiefs alleged to have hushed up a purported facility run by the US Central Intelligence Agency.
They cited insufficient evidence and the lapse of the statute of limitations.
“If new data emerge in the near future or some time later, such investigation could be reopened, of course,” Raulusaitis said.
In December 2009, a Lithuanian parliamentary probe identified two sites potentially used in 2003-2006.
It noted records showed two CIA-linked flights landed in the capital Vilnius in 2003 and 2005, and three in Palanga in western Lithuania in 2005 and 2006.
Despite that, the Lithuanian lawmakers said it was impossible to say if detainees were brought in Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO since 2004.
The EU delegation, headed by former Spanish justice minister Juan Fernando Lopez Aguilar, is set to visit one alleged so-called “black site” on Thursday.
The building in Antaviliai, some 20 kilometres from the capital Vilnius, currently is run by Lithuanian intelligence and has been identified by US media having served as a secret CIA lock-up.
“Visit to the Antaviliai so-called ‘black site’ that is possibly to be a hot spot of the purpose of our visit,” Aguilar told journalists.
“After having completed the visit, there will be an official report on the side of this European Parliament delegation,” he said, refraining from further comments.
The Council of Europe had earlier claimed other secret prisons were also set up in Romania and Lithuania’s neighbour Poland.

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EU opens state-aid probe into Romania energy contracts

Posted in Business / Thursday April 26th, 2012

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(BUCHAREST) – The European Commission said Wednesday it had launched a probe into preferential power tariffs granted by Romania’s Hidroelectrica to several firms in breach of state-aid rules.

“The European Commission has opened five distinct in-depth investigations to assess whether the Romanian state-controlled hydropower producer Hidroelectrica purchased or sold electricity at preferential tariffs to several electricity traders, industrial clients and electricity producers,” a statement read.

“Indirect subsidies that reduce the normal operating costs of companies can be just as distortive of competition as outright grants.

“We have to check whether the preferential tariffs granted by Hidroelectrica put the clients that benefitted from them on a better footing than their competitors in the internal market,” Commission vice-president in charge of competition policy Joaquin Almunia said.

Romania’s competition watchdog said it had assisted the EU in the preliminary procedures.

The investigation targets among others two bilateral contracts concluded in December 2009 and December 2010 by Hidroelectrica with steel producer ArcelorMittal, each for the supply of 1.75 TWh of electricity per year, “at prices which seem to be below market levels.”

ArcelorMittal denied having received any state aid from Hidroelectrica and promised to collaborate with the EU during the investigation, a press release quoted by Mediafax news agency said.

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Greece slams Turkey over illegal migrants

Posted in Business / Thursday April 26th, 2012

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(BRUSSELS) – Greece, under EU fire for failing to keep illegal migrants out of Europe, roundly shifted the blame on Turkey as it vowed Wednesday to gather and repatriate those trying to sneak in illegally.

Speaking as migration emerges as one of Europe’s most sensitive political issues, Greece’s Citizen’s Protection Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis called on the European Union to ensure Turkey respect agreements to repatriate illegals as he vowed Athens would tighten its own controls.

“Turkey our neighbour so far has made no effort to stop illegal migration flows.”

“This is a European problem,” he said at a European Parliament hearing where he vowed Greece was determined to clear its reputation for porous borders.

The minister, a Socialist veteran, said Athens would upgrade facilities for asylum seekers while opening “in three or four days” the first of a series of “closed” detention centres, enabling authorities to clear streets of undocumented foreigners.

“Now things will change,” he said as he pledged to tighten borders, improve policing and keep illegal workers out as austerity-hit Greeks point the finger at migrants in the run-up to the Greek election.

But repatriating illegal aliens remained a problem as long as Turkey failed to abide by a so-called “readmission” accord under which it agreed to take back migrants who slipped across its border with Greece.

Chryssohoidis said that in the decade since the accord was struck, Turkey had agreed to take back less than 4,000 people despite requests for tens of thousands of “readmissions”.

The EU also needed to make it an obligation for all third countries associated with migratory flows to agree to take back their nationals when they signed accords with Brussels, he said.

As war, chaos and poverty sends droves of people fleeing hot-spots from Iraq to Somalia, the situation was likely to worsen before it improved, he said.

“We cannot integrate all these people,” he said, many of them flying into Turkey on low-cost flights from hungry corners of Africa.

“We have a huge number of illegal migrants and it’s a huge burden. I would appeal to you for cooperation and solidarity.”

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