Weather conditions endangering the safe operation of the ship should include, but not be limited to, strong winds, heavy seas, strong currents, difficult ice conditions and extremely high or low water levels, hurricanes, tornados and floods.

7. Considers that the current account imbalances within the EU-27 – countries with high current account deficits in southern and eastern Europe, countries with high current account surpluses such as Germany, Austria and the Netherlands – must be thoroughly addressed by EU economic governance; highlights that the surplus countries need to shift their economic development to strengthen internal demand and their domestic economy; proposes to establish a ‘clearing union’ mechanism within the EU-27 obliging the surplus countries to pay positive interest rates to the deficit countries, thus allowing those to invest in the modernisation of pr ...[+++]oduction, services and infrastructure, increase productivity and bring down current account deficits;

18. Considers that the current account imbalances within the EU-27 – countries with high current account deficits in southern and eastern Europe, countries with high current account surpluses such as Germany, Austria and the Netherlands – must be thoroughly addressed by EU economic governance; highlights that the surplus countries need to shift their economic development to strengthen internal demand and their domestic economy; proposes to establish a ‘clearing union’ mechanism within the EU-27 obliging the surplus countries to pay positive interest rates to the deficit countries, thus allowing those to invest in the modernisation of p ...[+++]roduction, services and infrastructure, increase productivity and bring down current account deficits;

Question No. 13 Ms. Dawn Black: With regard to Canada's commitments in Afghanistan: (a) what is the estimated cost of Canada's continuing commitments; (b) what is the current command structure of Canadian Forces in Afghanistan, particularly their relation to United States of America (USA) forces; (c) what is the total number of Canadian soldiers present in Afghanistan at the moment and how will this change over the next 12 months; (d) how will force levels change over the next decade; (e) how does the government see the mission in Afghanistan aligning with Canada's role in the world; (f) is the government aware of the conditions in USA-controlled and Afghanistan-controlled detention facilities in Afghanistan, and, if so, what has the g ...[+++]overnment determined about the conditions; (g) has the government sought assurances from the USA regarding the treatment of prisoners who are handed over to USA or Afghan forces; (h) does the government believe that the Prisoner Transfer Arrangement signed on December 18, 2005 by the Chief of Defence Staff prevents the onward transfer of prisoners to countries other than Canada and Afghanistan; (i) have foreign forces ever surrounded Canadian encampments or bases with anti-personnel land mines; (j) are Canadian bases surrounded by any anti-personnel landmines that have been left from previous conflicts in Afghanistan; (k) how long does the government expect the Canadian military presence in Afghanistan to last; (l) does the government have any plans for further debate in the House of Commons regarding the deployment in Afghanistan; (m) does the government have any plans for a vote in the House regarding new deployments in Afghanistan; (n) are Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan part of the American Operation Enduring Freedom; (o) will Canadian Forces in Afghanistan come under North Atlantic Treaty Organization command, and, if so, when will this happen; (p) does the government believe that the current mission has a United N ...

After bottoming out in early 1999 at 0.9 % (as measured by the harmonised index of consumer prices) higher energy prices and the depreciation of the euro put upward pressure on inflation which is expected to wane in the course of next year.

The trade figures show the results: a record merchandise trade surplus of $28.3 billion in 1995 and a current account deficit that fell to only 1.7 per cent of GDP, its lowest level in 10 years and an improvement even greater than that in the last quarter of last year.