In addition, seven pilot requests[36] were addressed to seven Member States (Belgium-Wallonia on NVZ, AP and controls; Bulgaria on monitoring and NVZ; Sweden on NVZ; Malta on AP; Cyprus on AP; Czech Republic on AP; Estonia on AP), with the objective to clarify issues linked to some aspects of their legislation implementing the Nitrates Directive.

Action for areas with a natural handicap, i.e. certain islands, mountainous areas and areas with a low population density, as well as for certain border areas of the Community following enlargement, should be strengthened to cope with their particular development difficulties.

Prosperity: key actions envisaged for 2007 Lisbon Strategy Annual assessment of progress and identification of areas for further action Start of new programmes for 2007-2013: 7th Research Framework Programme; Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme; Galileo; Trans European Networks; Marco Polo; Lifelong Learning; Customs and Fiscalis Actions to boost investment in research and innovation by Member States and the private sector, in particular through supporting markets for innovative goods and services, to strive for an attractive single market for researchers, and to enhance university-based research Launch of the Europe ...[+++]an Space Programme Employment Communication on “flexicurity”: aiming at a balance between flexibility and employment security Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) governance Enhanced monitoring of stability and convergence programmes and increase dialogue with the Member States likely to qualify for participation in the euro area Further development of the functioning of the euro area under the reformed Stability and Growth Pact and enhanced policy coordination Energy and Transport Preparing for the setting up of a European Observatory of energy markets Measures to support the completion of the internal market for electricity and gas Action Plan on intermodal transport logistics, aiming at alleviating traffic congestion and diminishing transport costs Measures foreseen by the NAIADES Action Plan to promote inland waterways transport and exploit its commercial potential Single Market Concessions (follow-up to the Green Paper on Public-Private Partnerships and EC public procurement and concessions) Payment services industry - to create a Single European Payment Area by 2010 Continued action to create a true internal market for financial services Proportionality of capital and control (one-share-one-vote) to enhance convergence between shareholders' financial contributions and their control rights in listed companies Promoting growth in wi ...

Quiet areas make a beneficial contribution to public health, particularly for people living in noisy city areas. As part of the action plans, Member States were required to introduce specific measures and draw up action plans to protect quiet areas in agglomerations against an increase in noise.

Quiet areas make a beneficial contribution to public health, particularly for people living in noisy city areas. As part of the action plans, Member States were required to introduce specific measures and draw up action plans to protect quiet areas in agglomerations against an increase in noise.

(15) Whereas, to ensure the Community nature of the operations of the Funds, the areas undergoing socio-economic change in the industrial sector and the declining rural areas should, as far as possible, be designated on the basis of objective indicators defined at Community level; whereas, furthermore, the population covered by this priority objective taken over the Community as a whole, for guidance, should constitute about 10 % of the population of the Community in the case of the industrial areas, 5 % in the case of the rural areas, 2 % in the case of the urban areas and 1 % in the case of the fisheries areas; whereas, in order to ensure that each Member State makes a fair contribution to the overall effort towards concentration, the maximum ...[+++] possible reduction in population covered by Obejctive 2 in 2006, set out in this Regulation, must not exceed one third compared to the coverage under Objectives 2 and 5b in 1999, set out in Regulation (EEC) No 2052/88;