73. Welcomes the work on RM and sustainability in the OECD, G8 and G20 and stresses the further need for a G20 dialogue on RM in order to develop a common perspective; further welcomes the will of G8 and G20 members to fight RM price volatility and calls for the development of concrete measures to curb speculation in that field; calls on the Commission to promote the work of the OECD on the impact of export restrictions and their use as a policy tool; supports the inclusion of non-OECD members in these discussions; calls for the creation of strategic cooperation between the EU, US and Japan on CRM towards a "global RM watch" by sharing demand and supply data, common forecasting, encouraging the exchange of ...[+++]best practice, technological know-how and patents, analysing supply chains, investigating the possibility for joint strategic stocks and the establishment of joint RD projects; takes the view that such issues should be part of the agenda of the next EU-US Summits; calls on the Commission to promote Track-II diplomacy on RM by supporting the exchange of non-governmental organisations, academia and think-tanks from the EU and other resource-relevant countries; calls on the Commission to organise regular events, such as JOGMEC's 'Metal Saloons' on RM with other resource-relevant countries; further asks the Commission to investigate the feasibility of an international statistics initiative on CRM based on the example of the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI), as well as whether an international covenant for metals might be a useful tool; calls on the European Defence Agency to contribute, in accordance with Article 42(3) of the TEU, to the identification of measures to strengthen the industrial and technological base of the defence sector with regard to RM;

73. Welcomes the work on RM and sustainability in the OECD, G8 and G20 and stresses the further need for a G20 dialogue on RM in order to develop a common perspective; further welcomes the will of G8 and G20 members to fight RM price volatility and calls for the development of concrete measures to curb speculation in that field; calls on the Commission to promote the work of the OECD on the impact of export restrictions and their use as a policy tool; supports the inclusion of non-OECD members in these discussions; calls for the creation of strategic cooperation between the EU, US and Japan on CRM towards a ‘global RM watch’ by sharing demand and supply data, common forecasting, encouraging the exchange of ...[+++]best practice, technological know-how and patents, analysing supply chains, investigating the possibility for joint strategic stocks and the establishment of joint RD projects; takes the view that such issues should be part of the agenda of the next EU-US Summits; calls on the Commission to promote Track-II diplomacy on RM by supporting the exchange of non-governmental organisations, academia and think-tanks from the EU and other resource-relevant countries; calls on the Commission to organise regular events, such as JOGMEC's ‘Metal Saloons’ on RM with other resource-relevant countries; further asks the Commission to investigate the feasibility of an international statistics initiative on CRM based on the example of the Joint Organisations Data Initiative (JODI), as well as whether an international covenant for metals might be a useful tool; calls on the European Defence Agency to contribute, in accordance with Article 42(3) of the TEU, to the identification of measures to strengthen the industrial and technological base of the defence sector with regard to RM;

34. Strongly supports the call by Commissioner Michel for a second conference on reconstruction and rehabilitation to be held in the near future in order to prompt rapid and effective rebuilding; strongly believes, however, that there is a need for a substantial increase in the EU assistance to the region's efforts to prevent future catastrophes; believes that the International Conference on Disaster Reduction, due to be held in Kobe this month, would be a suitable moment to launch new EU initiatives ...[+++] and demonstrate the Union's long-term commitment to disaster prevention in Asia and around the world;

In the vein of its opinion on the initial stability programme , the Council encourages the Belgian government, within the expenditure limits fixed by the programme, to give priority to government investment in order to improve infrastructure and the productive potential of the economy ; it invites the government to provide in future updates of its stability programme projections on main categories of government expenditure, notably government investment.

As in its opinion on the initial programme the Council acknowledges that the adoption of the cautious macroeconomic scenario as basis for the fiscal strategy of the government was made on grounds of prudence; the Council notes, however, that recent economic developments render unlikely the average GDP growth rates underlying the budgetary projections of the cautious scenario.

Our plan includes the following: a voluntary Canadian Wheat Board marketing system to give farmers the flexibility to price their grain to suit their individual business needs; a more efficient, competitive grain transportation system based on the complete Estey report; a national disaster assistance program to provide dependable, predictable safety nets; improvements to the NISA program, with particular emphasis on young farmers; improvements to crop insurance, including consideration of a private insurance program; pursuit of a zero for zero agreement on subsidies and trade-distorting mechanisms in the current ...[+++] round of World Trade Organization talks; tax relief on fuel, equipment and land; increasing the Canadian Wheat Board cash advance loan rate; food aid as a means to move grain through the system and improve farmers' cash flows; and facilitating farmer involvement in value-added processing initiatives.