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Source: Elena Berton and Marja Novak, Reuters

LJUBLJANA/PARIS, April 20 (Reuters) - Slovenia has taken a step toward providing government loan guarantees that would enable completion of a controversial 1.3 billion euro ($1.7 billion) power plant upgrade awarded four years ago to French engineering company Alstom.

Source: Wojciech Koch, Business New Europe

Smaller cities across Poland are busy pumping millions into new airports, claiming that if they build it, passengers and investors will come. However, others worry these air hubs are no more than white elephants that will struggle to get off the ground.

Source: , ENDS Europe

One of the MEPs leading debate on the environmental earmarking of EU funds in the next budget will outline her views in the parliament's environment committee in early May. Rapporteur Jutta Haug issued three working documents last week.

Source: Ana-Maria Tolbaru, EurActiv

Earmarking too large a chunk of the European Union’s cohesion funds for environmental projects in the 2014-2020 budget could be "detrimental", MEPs said.

Source: Ana-Maria Tolbaru, EurActiv

Negotiations on the role regional funds will play in the EU’s next multi-annual budget are stagnating because talks are taking place in the context of the pre-crisis period, Fabian Zuleeg of the European Policy Centre told EurActiv in an interview.

Source: , ENDS Europe

More than half a million jobs could be created in Europe if 14% of the next EU budget for 2014-20 is invested in green sectors such as renewable energy and nature protection, a group of environmental groups has said.