Brussels - The European Union gave a guarded response Thursday to the decision by Turkey's constitutional court not to ban the ruling AKP party, saying that it would keep a close eye on future developments.

The 27-member bloc, which Turkey's current government is keen to join, "takes due note" of the court decision and "invites all those involved in Turkish politics to resolve their differences in a spirit of dialogue and compromise, while respecting the rule of law and fundamental freedoms," a statement on behalf of the bloc said.

Brussels  - The European Union on Wednesday welcomed the transfer to the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.

The European Commission, the EU's executive, is "satisfied" that the transfer has taken place, a spokesman said.

It is "a significant step for international justice, first of all, it is a significant step for Serbia and also for EU-Serbia relations," he said.

Karadzic, who was arrested in Belgrade on July 21 after almost 13 years on the run, was transferred to the Dutch-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Brussels  - The European Commission late Tuesday expressed "profound disappointment" over the collapse of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks in Geneva on agriculture markets and called for renewed efforts to break the years-long stalemate.

Jose Manuel Barroso, commission president, said that the European Union had worked "for a fair and balanced deal that would have created a win-win situation."

"We did absolutely everything we could to reconcile the different views and find compromise," Barroso said in a statement.

Brussels - The public mass execution of 29 convicted criminals in Iran was an "affront to human dignity," the European Union said in a statement condemning the move on Tuesday.

The 27-member bloc "condemns in the strongest terms the 29 simultaneous executions which took place in Evin prison, Iran, on Sunday," a statement written by the French government, which currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, and approved by all EU member states, said.

The EU "considers that the Iranian regime's action of staging these executions and making them the focus of media attention is an affront to human dignity," the statement said.

Brussels  - European Union officials on Monday condemned as "despicable" the overnight double bombing in a crowded Istanbul street which left at least 17 people dead.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable bombing attack that took many innocent lives and injured dozens of people in Istanbul yesterday (Sunday) evening," Javier Solana, the EU's high representative for its common foreign policy, said in a statement.

"I express my deepest condolences and my heartfelt sympathy to the families of the victims and to the Turkish government ... In these difficult moments, Turkey can count on the support of the European Union," he said.

Brussels - NATO's top official on Monday condemned the night's double bomb attack in Istanbul which left at least 16 people dead and over 150 injured.

"I condemn in the strongest terms the bombings that occurred in Istanbul yesterday (Sunday) evening. These appalling terrorist attacks targeted innocent civilians in a deliberate and brutal way," NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said in a statement.

"On behalf of the (NATO) allies, I express my condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and my sympathies to those injured in the blasts. NATO will continue to stand firmly in solidarity with the Turkish people in the fight against terrorism," he said.