BONJOUR L'ESTONIE

Storm leaves more than 10,000 facilities in Estonia without electricity

TALLINN - Heavy storms across Estonia have left over 10,000 organizations and businesses without electricity.

"This makes more than 2% of all clients of the country's power grid," the company Eesti Energia told Interfax.

Consumers in the Harju district close to Tallinn were affected more than those in any other area, but emergency signals were coming virtually from all over the country. Eesti Energia employees together with its partner companies have started to repair the damages.

The wind is expected to subside on Saturday afternoon, the Estonian Hydrometeorology Institute said.

NATO Chief Seeks Closer Ties With Russia

By MARIA DANILOVA

MOSCOW - NATO's secretary general on Thursday called for a deeper relationship between Moscow and the Western alliance, saying Russian involvement in world affairs is key to resolving many conflicts.

``Russia carries great responsibility in world affairs,'' Jaap de Hoop Scheffer told President Vladimir Putin at the start of their Kremlin meeting. ``Russia's active participation for the solution of many conflicts is essential.''

Putin praised Russian-NATO cooperation in battling terrorism, citing Moscow's aid to NATO in Afghanistan and the Mediterranean.

``Our cooperation is developing and developing successfully according to our estimation,'' Putin told de Hoop Scheffer before journalists were ushered from the room.

Russia signed a partnership agreement with NATO in 2002 that outlined cooperation in counterterrorism, nonproliferation and peacekeeping. At the same time, Russia has raised concerns about the alliance's eastward expansion.

Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said NATO's plans to embrace other former Soviet nations would be raised during the talks with de Hoop Scheffer, Interfax news agency reported Wednesday.

Can Georgia follow Estonia's game plan ?

* Like other ex-Soviet dependents, the Caucasus country is trying to navigate a path to closer EU relations and assert its sovereignty to a domineering Russia.

"The more time I spend in Georgia, the more I'm overcome by a feeling of deja vu," a former Estonian prime minister says.

Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili recently said that his country's problems with Vladimir Putin's Kremlin will end when "Russia accepts us as we are. The way it accepted Poland and Estonia."

His choice of those two countries is revealing. Both Poland and Estonia very quickly and very successfully navigated their way out of Moscow's orbit and into NATO and the European Union. Neither has been shy about provoking Russia when it suits their needs - even at the risk of causing the occasional Kremlin temper tantrum.

Poland and Estonia have also been extremely generous in sharing their experience and know-how with other former Soviet vassals who are seeking to make similarly successful post-communist transformations. Poland has made advancing Ukraine's NATO and EU bids a cornerstone of its foreign policy. And Estonia is working closely with Tbilisi to bring Georgia into Europe's mainstream. Indeed, former Estonian prime minister Mart Laar is advising Saakashvili's government; and Georgian officials have often cited the tiny Baltic nation's experience as a model for its own development.

CSA passenger numbers up more than 4.2m

Prague - Czech national air carrier Czech Airlines (CSA) transported more than 4.2 million passengers in the first nine months of this year, up by nearly 5 percent on the year, spokeswoman Daniela Hupakova told CTK.

Nearly 3.6 million passengers were transported on regular flights, she said.

A total of 685,000 passengers travelled by charter flights in Q1-Q3, a rise of 15 percent year-on-year.

Charter flights make up 15 percent of CSA's flights.

"The transport results confirm the correctness of the decision to operate more flights, for instance, to Russia and other destinations in eastern Europe," CSA vice-president for marketing and sale Petr Rehak has said.

CSA wants to fly more frequently to Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Odessa, Tallinn, Sarajevo and Bucharest in the winter season, which begins on Oct 29.

Cargo and mail transport increased by 4.1 percent to 16,400 tonnes in Jan-Sept.

In H1, CSA sustained a CZK 800 million loss, with accumulated losses at CZK 1.1 billion.

CSA is going through restructuring to be in the black again.

Support for the European Union has further increased

Tallinn – According to a survey by TNS EMOR, in October 78% of Estonian citizens supported Estonia’s membership in the European Union. The high rate of support has remained stable, between 67–70%, since the beginning of the year. Support rose to 74% in September..

Previous surveys have shown that the positive attitude towards the European Union is related to people’s economic success. According to EMOR Division Manager Aivar Voog, the reasons for the rising support are largely economic: the positive media coverage of economic growth, the success of Estonian enterprises, the quick rise of wages, increased purchasing power and the resulting strengthening confidence. The fears related to the European Union have decreased.

In October, EMOR also studied the attitudes of the population towards EU enlargement. 50% of the population are in favour of enlargement, mainly because as newcomers we have no moral right to prevent others. Support is strongest, at 59%, among younger Estonians, under the age of 35.

Only one-third of Estonia’s residents have heard that the European Commission has recommended Bulgaria and Romania for enlargement. Nearly half of residents do not believe the accession of these countries will influence Estonia to any significant degree. One-third of respondents pointed out a negative effect, such as the influx of foreign workers or a reduction in the amount of EU financing for Estonia. One-fifth believes that the new member states will make a positive impact, as the EU’s internal market will expand and provide new possibilities for economic growth.

TNS Emor conducted an omnibus survey by telephone, from 3–5 October and 17–19 October 2006, among 1001 residents of Estonia aged 15–74. Out of these, 749 were Estonian citizens of voting age. The survey was commissioned by the State Chancellery.
The full survey is available at : http://www.riigikantselei.ee/?id=372 

EU Information Service
+372 693 5729
www.riigikantselei.ee/euroopa
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Government Communications Office Briefing Room
http://www.riik.ee/brf/
[email protected]

PokerNews launches websites in Estonia

* With the poker craze continuing to sweep the globe, PokerNews has recently launched a website in a growing market – PokerNews Estonia (http://ee.pokernews.com). The website will deliver the latest poker news from around the world, plus special promotions and information to the people of Estonia.

PokerNews CEO Damon Rasheed is upbeat about the newest additions to the PokerNews family, "I am delighted to welcome the Estonian language editions of Poker News to our extensive European language network of poker websites. I know from playing in some of the European online poker rooms that people in both these countries love to play poker so it is natural to think that they will also enjoy having a dedicated and local language resource."

The launch of PokerNews Estonia also received an added boost with co-editor Marek Kolk recently winning the 888 UK Poker Open and pocketing $250,000. For the tiny Baltic nation, it has been a huge boost to the poker scene there and Marek is hoping PokerNews Estonia can contribute as well, "There is only one casino in Estonia offering cash games so the online environment is important to the growth of poker in Estonia.

Probo Koala ... continued

Trafigura, the Dutch company that chartered the controversial ship the Probo Koala, has issued a letter to the Estonian media rejecting claims that it was to blame for the environmental catastrophe on the Ivory Coast. The company hired an Estonia public relations company to battle negative publicity over its ship, which recently departed Estonian waters. Trafigura said it did not refine gasoline onboard, but increased its octane level using accepted practices. The company stated that it was upset by the deaths and illnesses on the Ivory Coast, but said it had undertaken all procedures correctly.

Annual "Reporters without Borders" Worldwide Press Freedom index

Estonia has tied with Norway for sixth place in the annual Reporters Without Borders Worldwide Press Freedom Index, published on Oct. 24. The report analyzes 168 countries, evaluating the restrictions placed on the press. Estonia ranked 11th on the table in 2005, and moved up to share sixth place with Norway in 2006. Latvia placed 10th, alongside Hungary, Slovenia and Portugal, while Lithuania and Britain tied at 27th place.

Estonia 1,000th wireless internet zone

The nation will pass another connectivity milestone when its 1,000th wireless internet zone becomes active at the end of this year.

There are already 869 registered working WiFi areas across the country, and the WiMax.ee Web site said the number would pass 1,000 by December.

At the start of the year, the nation was covered by 680 areas, with 132 new connections coming online in the first half of 2006.

Estonia presents spa and city break options on Scandinavian television

* This week has seen the launch on Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian television channels and over the Internet of a campaign designed to entice people to take spa and city break holidays in Estonia. The campaign is being organised by Enterprise Estonia in association with the shipping company Tallink and Estonian Air.

“Our aim is to grab the attention of northern European culture enthusiasts and spa lovers in the 25-50 age bracket and to increase visitor numbers outside the peak tourist season,” explained Ülari Alamets, a member of the board of Enterprise Estonia.

“What we are dealing with here is the first big joint campaign between the state and private sector of its kind,” Alamets added. “We worked together very well, bolstering the campaign and yet also saving money. We will certainly think about doing the same again in future.”

The number of Finnish guests staying in Estonian accommodation facilities has decreased over the last two years, and given the fact that the majority of Finns have visited Estonia at least once, the critical factor is to motivate them to visit places they have not been to.

In Sweden and Norway, Estonia is considered to be most interesting as a travel destination to older people, and awareness of the country is limited. Nevertheless, the satisfaction of those who have visited Estonia with their experience is generally high, and the levels among these people who would look to travel more extensively in the country is three times higher than among those who have never visited. As the proportions of the segments of the population who have been to Estonia remain so small (just 12% of Swedish citizens older than 15 years of age and a mere 7% of Norwegians in the same category) the critical factor with these countries is expanding the customer base.
Spa and city break holidays are being advertised in separate clips, each lasting 20 seconds. These clips also promote the services of Estonian Air and Tallink.

Tarmo Mutso takes over running of Enterprise Estonia tourism develop centre

* Tarmo Mutso took up the position of director of Enterprise Estonia’s Tourism Development Centre on 16 October.
Mutso graduated from the Estonian Agricultural University before going on to further studies in foreign relations at the Estonian School of Diplomacy and in Germany.

Mutso has been with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for more than ten years, working in the Foreign Trade Policy Department, managing the export control office and being attached to the Estonian embassy in Germany as a financial officer.

In his last position, at the Estonian embassy in Vienna, Mutso was responsible in his role as a financial official and consul for relations not only with Austria, but also with Switzerland, Slovakia and Slovenia.

“It’s a big field,” said Mutso. “Enterprise Estonia’s foreign representations are expanding, and the funds we will have available to us for the promotion of tourism during the 2007 to 2013 EU budgetary period will be even greater than in the period that is now coming to an end. This will create the conditions we need to develop the Estonian tourism sector and harmonise the quality of services in cooperation with specialist associations and our other partners.”

Queen Elizabeth II has strained back

* Queen Elizabeth II canceled plans to attend the opening of a stadium on Thursday because of a strained back muscle, Buckingham Palace said.

The 80-year-old monarch had planned to attend the formal opening of Emirates Stadium, the home ground of Arsenal soccer club.

Doctors advised the queen "to reduce her workload today and will review her progress on a daily basis," a palace statement said.

The statement said the queen suffered the injury toward the end of her annual stay at Balmoral Castle in Scotland during the summer.

The queen has rarely canceled public appearances because of illness or injury, but did cancel three engagements in June 2005 because of a severe cold and sore throat.

She was also slowed in 2003 by surgery at different times on her knees.

Last week, she visited Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia in a four-day tour that required her to be on her feet for long periods, including inspecting honor guards in each nation.

Levadia lead the way in Estonia

* The manner of their final success may not have been ideal, but there is no doubting that FC Levadia Tallinn are worthy champions in Estonia.

Low-key finale
If coach Tarmo Rüütli had been given the choice of where to celebrate the fourth league title in his club's history, he would doubtless have selected somewhere more romantic than a half-empty stadium in the Tallinn suburbs - but that was where the last act of the championship race took place, as Levadia beat JK Tammeka Tartu 2-0.

Tiny crowd
With their Kadriorg Stadium hosting UEFA European Under-17 Championship qualifying games, Levadia were forced to play their decisive match in front of just 80 fans - which Rüütli was hardly delighted about. "The Estonian Football Association has some serious thinking to do if the Estonian champions are crowned under circumstances like this," he said.

Racing certainties
Levadia's triumph has come as no surprise to Estonian football watchers, and Rüütli's only disappointment was that it did not arrive earlier. "It has been a successful season but I would have been really overwhelmed if we had secured the title a couple of games before," he said. "We lost our focus and some defeats forced us to keep fighting almost until the end."

EU prepares environmental crime law after Africa tragedy

STRASBOURG - Pressure is mounting on the EU to criminalise violations of environmental laws as MEPs on Wednesday (25 October) voiced outrage over a recent incident in which EU toxic waste killed people on the Ivory Coast.

Twelve people died this summer in the neighbourhood of Abidjan and up to 85,000 needed medical treatment, the UN says, after a 50,000 tonne tanker, the Probo Koala, discharged 528 cubic metres of "chemical slops" in the region.
Netherlands-based commodities trader Trafigura had chartered the Greek-owned ship to carry gasoline from Estonia to Nigeria in a routine operation which ended in the tragedy and the arrest of two Trafigura staff in Abidjan.

"The tragic incident in the Ivory Coast is just the tip of the iceberg," EU environment commissioner Stavros Dimas said in Strasbourg ahead of a vote on Thursday on a parliamentary resolution saying the EU must close loopholes in environmental law.

The commissioner explained that 51 percent of EU waste shipments in 2005 were found to be illegal, with Brussels set to table new legislation by the end of the year on criminal penalties for illegal shipment of waste.

"[Environmental crimes] can pose a serious risk to the environment and human health," the Greek commissioner said. "And we are determined to take all measures to fight it."

"Africa is becoming the toxic dumping ground for developed countries," Danish green MEP Margrete Auken said in Wednesday's debate.

Pro Patria and Res Publica merging

* After wrangling over leadership questions, Estonia’s conservative parties Pro Patria and Res Publica have put aside their differences and finalized their merger. The new party, the Union of Pro Patria and Res Publica, submitted documents to the official party register as a merged center-right political party on Oct. 23. The two parties together hold 32 seats in the 101 seat Riigikogu (Estonia’s parliament) and are the main voice of opposition. Their official merger was delayed when members came to an impasse over who would lead the new party in the upcoming general election, scheduled for March 2007.

Government re-nationalizes Estonian Railway

TALLINN - when an Estonian passenger train hit a truck and ploughed off its tracks on Oct. 23, it was symbolic of the failed process of privatizing the nation’s railways. Ironically, the incident happened the same week the government announced that it would spend 2.4 billion kroons to buy back Estonian Railway (Eesti Raudtee), the transport company it sold a 66 percent stake in only five years ago. The comparison between the crash and the de-privatization is not entirely fair – the derailed train belonged to a different company.

Yet photos of the mangled locomotive alongside news of the buy-back made for startling symbolism.
Police have blamed an intoxicated train driver for the crash, in which no one was injured. Meanwhile, opposition parties have blamed the failed Estonian Railway sell-off on current and former economic ministers, who they said were uncooperative with Baltic Rail Services, the company that bought Estonian Railway for a total of around one billion kroons. The government has blamed Baltic Rail Services, claiming the investors failed to meet their obligations.

Economy Minister Edgar Savisaar signed an agreement on Oct. 18 to re-nationalize Estonian Railway by purchasing the remaining 66 percent of the company for 2.4 billion kroons.
The deal is expected to be passed by a Cabinet meeting on Oct. 26 and finalized by Parliament shortly after.
Savisaar said he believed that he negotiated a fair price for the purchase. The company had been buoyed by about two billion kroons’ worth of investment during its years in private hands.

Estonia's Baltika's 9 months net profit up 22% as compared to the previous year

TALLINN - Garment maker Baltika Group said sales in the first nine months of the year rose 26 pct from a year earlier to 618 mln kroons, or 39.5 mln eur, generating net profit of 56 mln kroons, a 22 pct rise, BNS news service reported, citing the company.

Chief executive Meelis Milder said 'In the first nine months of this year we have laid the foundation for achieving the group's strategic goals. With the rapid growth of retail space we expect to accelerate retail sales growth to over 40 percent in the next quarters.'

The Monton fashion brand accounted for 52 pct of nine-months retail sales, totaling 255 mln kroons or 24 pct more than during the same period last year.

Retail sales of the Mosaic brand soared 56 pct year-on-year to 162 mln kroons and sales of the Baltman brand surged 34 pct to 52 mln kroons.

Baltika's largest retail market in the first three quarters of 2006 was still Estonia, with sales amounting to 133 mln kroons, up by around 25 pct.

Retail sales in Lithuania rose 36 pct to 121 mln kroons, and were 31 pct higher in Ukraine at 89 mln kroons.

Non-citizens in Baltics to be put in Guinness book

* A representative of the Russian foreign ministry, Alexander Chepurin, told the Russian news agency Interfax that Estonia and Latvia have so many non-citizens that both countries could be put in the Guinness Book of World Records. Chepurin heads the department that organizes contact with Russians living abroad, and he said that the situation with the rights and social-economic status of Russians in the Baltic states and other CIS countries raises concern. "Russia must not stand on the sidelines, when the issue is about human rights and limitation of freedom. It is indeed our duty on behalf of our countrymen, the prestige of our country, and our national interest," he stressed.

Iranian hackers hack into an Estonian website

* The Estonian daily Postimees reported on Oct. 25 that the website of the Union of Sports Journalists in Estonia was attacked by Iranian hackers. As a result of the attack, the organization's start page showed a image of a black skull and swords with the text “Cyberstore”, and the text “This Web Site Hacked by Iranian Cyber Hackers” with a link to their forum. However, material on the site was still accessible. The head of the organization found about the attack as a result of the newspaper's report. “Since our site is not updated every day, we did not find out about it earlier,” Sven Sommer a representative of the organization, told the daily.

Estonia's Hansabank holds 8.4% of Állami Nyomda shares

* Hansabank of Estonia has held 8.4% of the shares of listed Hungarian printing company Állami Nyomda Nyrt since August 29, ING Bank Zrt, acting as a custodian for the bank, announced in capital market gazette Magyar Tőkepiac on Wednesday.

Hansabank already held 6.95% of Állami Nyomda shares at the end of March this year, but it sold part of them by the end of June, when it was not listed among shareholders with a stake of more than 5%. Other major shareholders of the company include EG Capital SA (14.4% of the shares or 15.3% of voting rights), Royalton Investors Three (11.3%, 11.9%) and Genesis Emerging Markets Opportunities Fund Limited (7.6%, 8%).
Állami Nyomda had after-tax profit of Ft 411 million on sales of Ft 6.64 billion in the first half of 2006, according to unaudited consolidated IFRS figures. Profits fell 17% while sales rose 13% from a year earlier. Net assets stood at Ft 3.39 billion at the end of June 2006.