Brussels - The European Union's executive on Thursday praised the Palestinian Authority (PA) for its efforts to reform its finances and security sector in 2008 despite its battles with Israel and Hamas.

The release of the bloc's annual report on relations with the PA "is an opportunity to praise progress made by the PA Government," EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner said in a statement.

Brussels - The European Union is to put pressure on Moldova not to demand visas from Romanian citizens following the two countries' row over Moldova's election violence, the EU's foreign affairs commissioner said Thursday.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, is "dismayed" by Moldova's decision to demand visas from Romanians, Benita Ferrero-Waldner told journalists in Brussels.

Brussels - The European Union and Ukraine could sign a new strategic deal by the end of the year, bringing Kiev and Brussels even closer on issues such as trade and travel, the EU's foreign-affairs commissioner said in Brussels on Thursday.

"If things do not slow down for political reasons, hopefully we will be done by the end of the year," Benita Ferrero-Waldner told journalists in Brussels.

Brussels/Frankfurt - A war of words erupted on Wednesday between the European Union's executive and the head of its largest member's central bank as officials accused one another of "surprising" acts and "misinformed" decisions.

Brussels - Europe's fish stocks are desperately over-fished, and the best solution is to scale back the continent's fishing fleets dramatically, the European Union's executive said Wednesday.

"We need to get out of the current situation, where too many fishing vessels are chasing too few fish," EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg told reporters in Brussels.

Brussels - The European Union's executive is to pledge at least 60 million euros (77.6 million dollars) to boost security and fight piracy in Somalia at a donor conference on Thursday, officials in Brussels said Wednesday.

"The European Commission will pledge at least 60 million euros to support Somalia's security institutions and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM)," a statement released in Brussels said.