Brussels - NATO's 26 member states on Wednesday called on Russia to reverse its recognition of the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions, warning Moscow that Georgia's security and stability were "important" to the alliance.

The North Atlantic Council, which brings together the ambassadors of NATO's 26 member states, "condemns the decision of the Russian Federation to extend recognition to the South Ossetia and Abkhazia regions of Georgia and calls upon Russia to reverse its decision," a statement from NATO's Brussels HQ said.

Brussels - The European Union's executive body stressed on Tuesday its support for Georgia's territorial integrity, just minutes before Russia recognized the independence of two breakaway Georgian regions in defiance of Western criticism.

"All previous UN security council resolutions supported the territorial integrity and full sovereignty of Georgia. This is and remains our position," a spokesman for the European Commission told journalists in Brussels.

On Monday EU heads of state and government are set to hold a crisis meeting to discuss how they should react to the recent war between Georgia and Russia over the breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.

Brussels - French car manufacturers are the closest to hitting proposed European Union targets for reducing their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, while Japanese makers are the furthest away, a study by a Brussels pressure group released Tuesday said.

But neither group managed to make substantial cuts in their new cars' emissions in 2007, leaving it open to question whether they would hit their targets, the study commissioned by Brussels-based environmental group Transport and Environment (T&E) said.

Brussels  - New Tang Dynasty TV (NTDTV), a Chinese television broadcaster critical of the authorities in Beijing, on Thursday urged Eutelsat, a French-based satellite provider, to resume its transmissions to China.

"We are all familiar with the stories that companies like Yahoo and Cisco are assisting the (Chinese) regime on their internet blockage. Now, it looks like Eutelsat is willing to follow suit," said Jenny Fang, NTDTV's director of corporate relations, at a press conference in Brussels.

Eutelsat stopped NTDTV's broadcasts to China on June 16 citing technical problems.

Brussels - The European Parliament has been forced to move its first session of the autumn to Brussels following the collapse of part of the roof of its home in the French town of Strasbourg, officials said Thursday.

Parliament President Hans-Gert Poettering decided on the move on the basis of expert reports, a statement from the parliament said.

On August 7, part of the suspended ceiling above the chamber of deputies in Strasbourg fell in. Nobody was injured in the collapse, which happened during the parliament's summer break.

The ceiling is now under repair "with a completely new suspension technique, already approved by independent experts and local construction authorities, being used," the statement said.