Search Results for: Dominican Republic
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SUSTAINABILITY ACCOUNTING STANDARDS – IMPACT ON TEXTILES INDUSTRY
INTRODUCTION
ACCOUNTING used to be restricted to financially measurable matters of profit and loss; expenditure and revenue; taxes and subsidies; investment and liabilities. But the mathematical and statistical skills underpinning a solid set of books and filed accounts are today increasingly being used to measure the environmental and social sustainability of a product, input, production process and supply chain.…
UNIVERSITIES ARE MAGNET FOR INTERNATIONAL MONEY LAUNDERING – SPECIAL REPORT
Higher education institutions are being warned they could be a target for money laundering, with fees being financed by the proceeds of crime, including corruption, which might also buy property, cars and other items for students.
The problem has been highlighted in a series of reports.…
HONG KONG STRENGTHENS AML LAWS, ALTHOUGH POTENTIAL POLITICAL INTERFERENCE AND UBO WEAKNESSES CAUSE CONCERN
The new National Security Law imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong last June (2020) (1) has added a new dimension to money laundering requirements in the special administrative region (SAR), as banks and other institutions now find themselves required to flag cash movements by figures deemed as ‘secessionist’ under the new law.…
EU FRAUD ROUND UP – EPPO LAUNCH COMES AS EU INCREASES LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST FRAUD
European Union (EU) law enforcement, perhaps emboldened by the launch of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), has launched a series of cases and inquiries, including against high-ranking politicians accused of corruption. For example, Gabrijela Žalac, Croatia’s regional development and EU funds minister from 2016-9, and three accomplices, have been arrested, on EPPO orders, for alleged fraud regarding the purchase by her ministry of deliberately overpriced software for a public company.…
POLAND CAN MANUFACTURING AND FILLING SECTOR OFFERS STRENGTHS IN INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The Polish can manufacturing and filling industry continues to attract attention from major buyers and investors from around the world, aware that this strong and innovating national sector is able to rely on a strong, reliable workforce.
Global beverage giant PepsiCo, for example, has been drawn to the Polish can manufacturing industry.…
EL SALVADOR CLOTHING INDUSTRY BOSS PILOTS SALVADORAN TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRY OUT OF COVID CRISIS
The executive director of the Chamber of the Textile and Apparel Industry, of El Salvador (CAMTEX – Cámara de la Industria Textil) has told Just Style how her manufacturing hub is seizing market opportunities growing as Covid-19 ebbs.
Patricia Figueroa, who has been in her job since 2015, also highlighted the challenges the Salvadoran clothing and textile industry will tackle in 2021-22, with CAMTEX’s help.…
IMAGINATION AND INNOVATION PUSHES SMALL-SCALE RENEWABLES INTO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
Sub-Saharan Africa has natural resources that aids the development of renewable energy, it has lots of sun, plentiful wind, and much potentially sustainable biomass. With the development of small-scale affordable renewable energy technologies, such systems have been promoted by major aid agencies keen to prevent deforestation and excessive reliance on fossil fuels, that – even where they are plentiful, have not usually led to widespread economic development.
…PANDORA PAPERS SHOWS REPUTATIONAL AS WELL AS CRIMINAL RISKS OF USING OFFSHORE FINANCIAL SERVICES
The huge offshore finance leak unveiled last month (October 3) by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) has highlighted the risks major companies face when doing business in offshore jurisdictions. Keith Nuthall and Andreia Nogueira report.
Major companies undertaking international business must comply with increasingly tough beneficial ownership transparency laws, and risk reputational damage if they are associated with particularly elaborate devices to avoid tax, even if it is legal.…
ITALY’S FOOD CAN MARKET SHOWS RESILIENCE AMID CONTINUED SUPPLY CHAIN AND PANDEMIC DISRUPTION
Global supply chain delivery delays and price tensions continue to disrupt Italy’s otherwise robust food can production sector. With profit margins squeezed, food canners expect prices to rise across the board for these long shelf-life food staples
According to Italian can manufacturing industry association ANFIMA’s most recent data, Italy produced 698,523 tonnes of rigid metal packaging (tinplate and steel) and 24,745 tonnes of aluminium packaging in 2020, up 3.6% and 7% from the same period the previous year, respectively.…
THE HAND OF POLITICS AND THE HUMAN SOUL: COMRADES OR SERVANTS?
While the Arab world certainly has a political culture of its own, there are many universal human truths that its politics shares with the rest of the globe, even if – perhaps – tensions can be more intense in this region than others.…
MASSIVE PANDORA PAPERS LEAK REVEALS HOW BO LAWS ARE IMPACTING FILINGS BY OFFSHORE COMPANIES
The huge offshore finance leak unveiled yesterday (October 3) by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and its media partners has highlighted the pressures AML reporters face in complying with increasingly tough beneficial ownership transparency laws.
Reports generated from 2.94 terabytes of data within 12 million documents leaked to the ICIJ from the confidential records of 14 offshore service providers have been analysed by 600 journalists from 150 media outlets in 117 countries.…
THE ARAB COUNTRIES BETWEEN SOCIALISM AND ECONOMIC LIBERALISM
Many friends ask me why, as a businessman and investor controlling pioneering projects, why I am concerned with politics? I always answer that my experience has taught me that the key to progress lies in politics, and this is especially true in Arab countries, where, frankly, politics is everything. …
TWENTY YEARS SINCE THE EVENTS OF 9/11: WHICH IS WORSE, THE BEGINNING OR THE END?
Hubris comes in many forms, but surely the rushed exit of American forces from Afghanistan to meet an artificial political deadline of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks in the USA is a breathtaking example.
Rather than strengthening the agents of reform in Afghanistan, upon which the US and its allies have inefficiently spent trillions of dollars, this helter-skelter exit has undermined them, leaving at the mercy of a resurgent Taliban.…
VIRTUAL LAB IN USA HELPS TO CREATE AFRICAN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP LEADERS
African students have been benefiting from an informal innovative online initiative helping them find jobs after they graduate. The iDEASlab (1) has in particular enabled higher education students to launch business ideas after graduation.
The network’s academics are Angolans based in the USA, Russia and Angola, who, inspired by their time at university, decided to work together informally to create development in their places of birth.…
EU’S PROPOSAL FOR NEW TOBACCO LEGISLATION - A GAME-CHANGER FOR E-CIGARETTES
The European Union (EU) is currently considering reforming its excise duty rules for tobacco products, with the tobacco industry and commentators seeing the negotiation on the integration of e-cigarettes being one of the hottest topics. Today, e-cigarettes in the EU are treated just like any other product, falling under EU VAT rules, and are not subject to EU-excise laws that apply for conventional tobacco products or spirits for instance.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – ICCO POISED TO WEAVE SUSTAINABILITY INTO GLOBAL COCOA AGREEMENT
THE RULING council of the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) is preparing to agree major reforms to the International Cocoa Agreement, which should see the agreement increase its commitment to boost sustainability in the chocolate sector.
Council members are considering final changes committing the ICCO to ensuring that cocoa production, processing and manufacture is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN PAINT MANUFACTURERS RIDE THE COVID-19 DECORATION BOOM – BUT INDUSTRIAL COATINGS SALES WEAKEN
Eastern Europe is often a region of diversity when it comes to paint and coatings sector trends, but in the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted most sectors in a similar way. They experienced booms in DIY decorative sales, weaker industrial coating sales and are mow struggling with increased input costs.…
TUNISIAN STUDENT UNION CALLS FOR NATIONAL DIALOGUE
STUDENTS in Tunisia are playing a moderating role in the country’s ongoing political crisis which has seen the seizure of power and dismissal of parliament by the country’s President Kais Saied. A planned demonstration by student and other supporters of the move scheduled for Sunday was cancelled amidst concern about political violence and now moderate democratic Moslem-oriented union UGTE (Union Générale Tunisienne des Etudiants) and the left-leaning UGET (Union Generale Étudiantes Tunisien) are calling for calm.…
EU SINGLE MARKET FOR HEMP VAPES IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Last November (2020), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that cannabidiol (CBD) liquids for e-cigarettes that were lawfully produced in a European Union (EU) member state are not narcotics and can be sold in any other EU country. The ruling was welcomed by the EU CBD sector, which has said it helps open-up the European market to products that often fall into a legal grey zone due to their origins in hemp, or cannabis with little or no intoxication effects.…
GLOBAL MASK MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY AND MARKET WILL REMAIN ROBUST AFTER COVID-19
INTRODUCTION
THE MANUFACTURE of protective masks has been maybe the largest growth area in the international textile and non-wovens industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. Billions of people have donned masks as they seek to avoid catching a disease that by June 11 (2021) had killed 3.7 million people and infected 175 million [1].…
MONEYVAL MEMBER STATES AML/CFT CONTROLS STILL TOO WEAK, SAYS BODY’S ANNUAL REPORT
EUROPE’S FATF-style body Moneyval has raised serious concerns about AML/CFT standards among 19 of its members, with its 2020 annual report concluding their average compliance is “below satisfactory”. The jurisdictions assessed were Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Georgia, Gibraltar, Hungary, Israel, the Isle of Man, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine.…
EU COUNTRIES FAILING TO COMPLY WITH PUBLIC UBO REGISTER RULES
Long after the January 10, 2020, deadline set by the European Union’s (EU) 5th anti-money laundering directive (5AMLD) (1) for member states to establish public ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) registers, a Transparency International (TI) report (2) has alleged widespread non-compliance.…
CORRUPTION IN ALL EU COUNTRIES, SAYS TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
Corruption increased in 2020 across the 27 European Union (EU) countries according to 32% of participants in Transparency International’s latest survey of over 40,000 people, the ‘Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) – European Union 2021’ (1). As regards other respondents, 44% saw no change and only 16% a fall, year-on-year.…
LIE DETECTION TECH BEING DEVELOPED RAPIDLY, BUT EXPERTS WARN TRAINED HUMAN INTERROGATORS REMAIN ESSENTIAL
Lie detection is an emerging science, with technology being developed to help companies and law enforcement seek to detect fraudsters and other criminals. Artificial intelligence is a potential key development in enabling machines to screen subjects physical and audible response to questions to detect lies.…
DAIRY LEADERS EXPRESS SURPRISE AT BETTER-THAN-EXPECTED YEAR
Over the past year, the European Union’s (EU) dairy industry has weathered two storms: the departure of Great Britain from the EU single market and customs union, during the unprecedented lockdown measures adopted to contain Covid-19, all while EU lawmakers haggle over a major shakeup of agricultural regulations.…
MICROFACTORY GROWTH OFFERS MAJOR OPPORTUNITY FOR BOOM IN DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING
INTRODUCTION
The textile industry is one of the world’s oldest manufacturing sector, yet it is also one of the most dynamic, constantly reinventing itself. Today, the development of micro-factories might herald root-and-branch change in how the textile and clothing industry operates, a transformation driven by advances in digital textile printing.…
INTEGRATING TRADE SENSOR TECH INTO CUTTING EDGE INTELLIGENCE SYSTEMS WILL BETTER FIGHT TBML
CUSTOMS forces can benefit from new sensor kit, enabling them to scan containers to ensure contents are as declared on docket – but to use these techniques to fight trade-based money laundering, they need to be integrated with accurate financial intelligence.…
COMPANIES MUST BEWARE OF CONFLICTING NATIONAL PROTECTIONS FOR EMPLOYEES WHEN LAUNCHING ANTI-FRAUD PROBES
EMPLOYERS who fear they are being fleeced by a corrupt employee or being hacked externally do not just need to find the attacker, they must comply with data protection and privacy protections while they conduct their investigations. Breaching such laws can undermine any criminal or civil case brought against a fraudster or hacker or can weaken inside dismissal and disciplinary negotiations with the offender.…
THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL IDs OFFERS EXPANSION OF EFFECTIVE AML/CFT KYC CHECKS
The development of trusted digital identity systems, now being rolled out internationally, will strengthen anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) controls, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and AML technology vendors have argued.
Global AML body FATF is encouraging AML/CFT authorities to consider using regulatory ‘sandboxes’ to test how digital ID systems might interact with national AML/CFT laws and regulations.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUNDUP – EU CONFECTIONERY SECTOR FIGHTS MOVE TO REIMPOSE CONTROLS ON EUROPEAN SUGAR MARKETS
EUROPEAN confectionery and sugar processing associations have appealed to the European Parliament not to reimpose market controls on the European Union’s (EU) sugar sector. MEPs have pressed for new restrictions during the ongoing negotiations about reforming the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).…
COVID-19 HAS BEEN A MIXED BLESSING FOR CZECH DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING SECTOR
The Czech Republic’s digital textile printing business continued to thrive in 2020, with the Covid-19 pandemic’s e-commerce boom boosting trade rather than hampering the sector. Europe’s leading print-on-demand provider Spread Group, which was founded 18 years ago under the name Spreadshirt, and has a key plant in the Czech Republic, had a record year.…
SOYBEAN OIL - A COVID-19 SUCCESS STORY THAT MIGHT LAST
With global markets and daily consumer habits being disrupted for almost a year due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, some oils and fats sales have grown – and a key example is soybean oil. This is true worldwide, from North and South America, to Africa, Asia, and Europe.…
MYANMAR CLOTHING SECTOR LIKELY TO BE MAJOR LOSER FROM COUP, WARNS USA INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
The president of the United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) has warned that the military takeover in Myanmar could spark a significant shift in sourcing away from this south-east Asian country if democracy is not restored promptly. Julia Hughes told just-style: “If there is not a quick resolution, then yes we would expect a major shift to other Asian suppliers.”…
BREXIT TO SPELL COSTS AND DELAY FOR CAN MANUFACTURERS, SAY EXPERTS
THE UNITED Kingdom’s definitive exit from the European Union (EU) on December 31, 2020, after an 11-month transition period, will severely disrupt the UK and European can manufacturing industry, experts have told CanTech International. That said, industry figures acknowledge however that, by avoiding blanket tariffs and a ‘no-deal’ Brexit, the UK/EU Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA) (1) signed on Christmas Eve did head off economic disaster. …
ANGLO-CARIBBEAN OFFERS RIVAL CIGAR PRODUCTION TO CUBA, NICARAGUA AND DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
THE REPUTATION of the Caribbean’s major cigar production centres – Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua – has dominated global markets for years. But the entire region’s balmy and moist climate and rich soils are ideal for growing cigar wrapper and filler leaf.…
EU BUILDS MORE ANTI-FRAUD INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY AS FINANCIAL CRIME THREAT REMAINS
IMPORTANT building blocks of anti-fraud regulatory and law enforcement policies and programmes for the European Union (EU) have been introduced in the past two months, as the EU continues to grapple with endemically high levels of financial crime and corruption.…
NEW BREXIT DEAL DELIVERS FOOD AND DRINK FREE TRADE, BUT AT COST OF NEW RED TAPE
While the new European Union (EU)-UK trade deal delivering the post-Brexit trading relationship between Britain and the EU has preserved a good measure of free trade for food and drink, the agreement introduces fresh red tape that maybe costly.
The deal allows for quota and duty free trades in food and drink between the EU and the UK.…
EU AND UK ATTEMPT TO EASE DISRUPTION FROM BREXIT DIVORCE THROUGH DETAILED AVIATION COOPERATION AGREEMENTS
WHILE the UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) will bring significant change to civil aviation across Europe, extensive air industry provisions within the 1,256-page EU/UK trade and cooperation agreement agreed on Christmas Eve, means that significant disruption has been avoided.…
BREXIT AGREEMENT EASES WORST FEARS OF EU/UK DAIRY SECTORS, BUT TRADE RED TAPE STILL A CONCERN
THE EUROPEAN and British dairy sectors are holding their breath, waiting to see if their producers can cope with the rules of origin, plus sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) red tape requirements required for UK-European Union (EU) dairy trades under the new EU-UK trade agreement.…
EU ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICIES SHARPENED AS BRUSSELS ROLLS OUT ITS ‘GREEN DEAL’ PROGRAMME
WITH Brexit out of the way, as far forging as forging a trade agreement with the UK is concerned, the clear priority of the current European Commission is its European Green Deal policy, which will significantly impact Europe’s energy sector. One strand of this ambitious plan to deliver European sustainability and climate-change neutrality by 2050 is energy efficiency.…
GOLD IS IDEAL LAUNDERING VEHICLE, BUT AML OVERSIGHT CONTROLS ARE TOO WEAK ARGUE CRITICS
The international gold trade is worth over USD6 trillion a year, according to the World Gold Council (WGC), but oversight of the supply chain is considered weak by many critics, relying on self-regulation, making it vulnerable to money laundering.
Gold remains scarce and hence valuable: from antiquity until 2019, just 197,576 tonnes has been mined – equivalent to a 21.7 metre cube, according to the World Gold Council.…
EU COUNTRIES DRAGGING THEIR FEET OVER PUBLIC UBO REGISTERS
Many of European Union’s 27 member states appear to have been dragging their feet when implementing a key provision of the fifth anti-money laundering directive (5AMLD) (1), setting up a public ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) register. The registers should have gone live for the corporate world on January 10, 2020, and two months later on March 10 for trusts.…
EU COUNCIL AUTHORISES SANCTIONS LAW TARGETED AT TURKISH OIL AND GAS SECTOR
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has ramped up pressure on Turkey to stop exploratory oil and gas drilling in Mediterranean waters that EU member state Cyprus claims is within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Turkey’s state-owned oil company TPAO (Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı) has sent its drillship Yavuz south of Cyprus, notably testing areas close to Israel’s EEZ that have anticipated major gas deposits.…
REUSING ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERIES CAN HELP RENEWABLE ENERGY
WHILE projections for sales of electric vehicles (EV) vary, all predictions agree that this market will explode in size in the next few years. An International Energy Agency (IEA) model for instance has suggested 245 million EVs will be driven worldwide by 2030. …
NEW EU PUBLIC PROSECUTOR CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON EPPO
The European Chief Prosecutor (ECP) of the embryonic European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has challenged the 22 European Union (EU) states (1) that have signed up to an enhanced cooperation pact underpinning its existence to properly fund the new institution. Without enough money, the EPPO will not be effective, ECP Laura Codruţa Kövesi told Fraud Intelligence.…
ANNUAL EU CRIME REPORTS SHOW EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS STILL FAILING TO CRUSH ENDEMIC FRAUD
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) continues to struggle to clamp down on fraud within its revenue collection and spending programmes – making progress, but with major scams still emerging within the EU’s complex international decision-making systems.
In its latest annual ‘fight against fraud’ report (1) (2), covering 2019, the European Commission reports that 939 discovered irregularities were reported as fraudulent (8% of the number), involving EUR461.4 million in lost money (28% of that affected by irregularities).…
DRC UNIVERSITIES REOPEN, EVEN AS COVID-19 SPREADS AND HEALTH FEARS PERSIST
The government and higher education sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have succumbed to pressure from students and academics about avoiding further delays in the academic calendar, resuming classes despite Covid-19 continuing to spread.
Universities and colleges reopened on August 10, following more than four months of inactivity following a state of emergency declared by DRC President Félix Tshisekedi, crippling higher education institutions.…
ENERGY CONSORTIUM RELEASES EUROPEAN HYDROGEN NETWORK PLAN
A PLAN to build a dedicated hydrogen pipeline network of almost 23,000 km within nine European countries by 2040 has been released by 11 European gas infrastructure companies. Enagás, Energinet, Fluxys Belgium, Gasunie, GRTgaz, NET4GAS, OGE, ONTRAS, Snam, Swedegas (Nordion Energi), Teréga and a consultancy Guidehouse call their proposed network a ‘European Hydrogen Backbone’.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – UN FAO WANTS PERMANENT COCOA MARKET OBSERVATORY
THE UNITED Nations’ Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has proposed creating a permanent ‘observatory’ monitoring cocoa markets, assessing value and costs, to help chocolate sales revenues be more equitably distributed throughout supply chains.
In a report called a ‘Comparative study on the distribution of value in European chocolate chains’, the FAO said such “objectified and cross-checked data” would aid “a multi-stakeholder discussion” at national and global levels on revenue sharing.…
CROSS-BORDER POLICE COLLABORATION IS KEY TO CRACKING DOWN ON INTERNATIONAL DAIRY CRIME
DAIRY products are supposed to be healthy, tasty, clean and legal, but unfortunately, as with other industries, criminals seek to exploit demand created by honest suppliers through smuggling, mislabelling, adulterating and selling unsafe stock.
These concerns prompt regular action by police, for whom food fraud and related crime is an increasing risk worldwide, and given the international nature of today’s supply chains, cross-border collaboration between law enforcement forces is of special value.…
SOMALILAND EXPANDS TERTIARY EDUCATION SECTOR, BUT LACK OF INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION OF SELF-DECLARED STATE IMPEDES PROGRESS
Somaliland’s higher education capacity may have been growing, but a lack of financial and human resources and the continued lack of international recognition of its country’s self-declared independent status continue to impede progress, say local education leaders.
Ahmed Musa, director-general at the ministry of higher education of the Republic of Somaliland, said infrastructure weaknesses and a shortage of qualified teaching and non-teaching staff were to blame.…
EU ROUND UP - NEW EU TAX LAW DEMANDS DIGITAL SALES PLATFORMS SHARE TRANSACTION DATA
A MAJOR expansion in collecting sales information within the digital economy across the European Union (EU) and beyond has been proposed by the European Commission, to crack down on widescale tax evasion.
The EU executive has proposed reforms to an EU directive on administrative cooperation between tax authorities (see https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/sites/taxation/files/2020_tax_package_dac7_en.pdf)…
MOZAMBIQUE UNIVERSITIES HIT HARD BY COVID-19
The higher education sector of Mozambique has been thrown into disarray by the Covid-19 pandemic, with colleges and universities closed since April 1 when President Filipe Nyusi approved a state of emergency decree, imposing movement restrictions that has been extended to June 30.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CRACKS DOWN ON 5AMLD AND 4AMLD NON COMPLIANCE
The European Commission has launched a series of infringement procedures for shortcomings in national legislation implementing the European Union’s (EU) fourth and fifth anti-money laundering directives (4AMLD and 5AMLD), including one against Britain, even though it left the bloc on January 31 (but remains subject to EU law during a transitional period to December 31. …
HOME-GROWN CARIBBEAN BEAUTY PRODUCT MANUFACTURERS GROW INTO DOMESTIC MARKETS AND EYE EXPORT TRADES
Entrepreneurship abounds across the diverse island nations of the Caribbean where small, independently-owned beauty product businesses thrive and have been successfully vying for space alongside major international brands in pharmacies, boutiques and family-owned stores alike.
What many manufacturers lack in start-up capital, they make up for in innovation and close proximity to a wealth of organic, raw materials that are finding new favour with modern, discerning consumers at home, with an eye to developing export sales.…
UK AUDIT SYSTEM REVIEW COULD SHARPEN KEY INSTRUMENT FOR DETECTING COMMERCIAL CRIME
The fact that auditors are struggling to conduct due diligence at companies during the Covid-19 crisis, given a lack of access to documents, offices and staff, is highlighting a key debate that was launched before the pandemic hit – just what standard auditors should target when seeking to prove accounts do not hide wrong-doing or crime.…
EU OPENS PUPLIC FINANCING COFFERS TO HELP EUROPEAN SECTOR RECOVER FROM COVID-19 BATTERING
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and its member states are loosening their subsidy rules and reviewing environmental controls as they consider how to help Europe’s automobile sector recover from the beating delivered by the Covid-19 pandemic. With EU passenger car sales tumbling 76.3% year-on-year in April (these figures exclude Britain, with a 97% fall), EU automobile industry association ACEA, parts association CLEPA, repairers and dealers’ federation CECRA and tire makers organisation ETRMA have called on the EU to “consider temporary flexibilities in competition rules” restricting takeovers and subsidies.…
TRADE DATA ANALYSIS INDICATES WIDE SCOPE FOR TRADE-BASED MONEY LAUNDERING MAY INVOLVE THE SHIFT OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN VALUE
GIVEN the hundreds of billions of dollars spent by banks on fighting money laundering, fears that trade-based money laundering (TBML) remains widespread, as stressed by FATF, the APG (http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/methodsandtrends/documents/trade-basedmoneylaunderingtypologies.html), and most recently, the European Commission (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/supranational_risk_assessment_of_the_money_laundering_and_terrorist_financing_risks_affecting_the_union_-_annex.pdf), are of serous concern. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) said that in 2018, global merchandise exports were worth USD19.48 trillion, so there is plenty of place for laundered money to hide.…
EU MEMBER STATES HAVE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH 5AMLD ON CREATING OPEN UBO REGISTERS
Only five European Union (EU) member states out of the current 27 have fully and properly complied with a requirement to set up public ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) registers by January 10 (2020) under the fifth anti-money laundering directive (5AMLD), according to research by campaign group Global Witness.…
SOUTH KOREAN BEAUTY SECTOR IS STRONG, BUT WILL NEED TO INNOVATE TO COPE SUCCESSFULLY WITH COVID-19 CRISIS
With the Korea Cosmetic Industry Institute (KCII) estimating there were USD11.7 billion’s worth of South Korean-made personal care products (‘K-beauty’) sales in 2019, including nearly USD6.49 billion in exports, and more than 16,000 individuals and businesses officially licensed to provide cosmetic products and services, South Korea’s cosmetic industry has the innate strength it will need to cope with the Covid-19 crisis.…
AFRICA’S CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR GROWS, BUT FACES CHALLENGES TO BUILD SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL MARKET
AFRICA is commonly hailed as the world’s next big focus of economic growth, but for the civil aviation industry, this prospect will require significant investment in new intra-African routes and related airport and ATC infrastructure. It will also require governments to remove immigration barriers preventing African air travellers flying to other countries on their home continent.…
TURKISH TEXTILE COMPANY ENTERS INNOVATIVE RECYCLED POLYESTER FEEDSTOCK JOINT VENTURE WITH INDIAN RECYCLING MAJOR
A joint venture between Turkey’s Kıvanç Tekstil and India’s Reliance Industries involves the Turkish textile manufacturer producing textiles from supplies of 2,500 tonnes of recycled polyester feedstock received every year. Through an agreement inked in July 2019, Kıvanç Tekstil can manufacture and market Reliance’s R|ElanTM GreenGold fabrics under licence.…
GULF REGION BEAUTY CONSUMERS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR AFFORDABLE LUXURY WHILE LEVANT MARKETS STRUGGLE
In a market long dominated by well-established players, the success of ‘masstige’ beauty brands, which combine elements of mass and luxury products, is creating fierce competition in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. Consumers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman looking for skincare and cosmetics are increasingly shopping from South Korean brands such as Etude House, which opened a branch in Dubai Mall in 2018 and is known for its quirky kitsch products, and The Face Shop, which arrived in Dubai in 2008 and recently renovated its four concept stores in the city.…
SPAIN’S INNOVATIVE BEAUTY SECTOR BOOSTS EXPORTS AND GROWS BUSINESS IN AN INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED HOME MARKET
Like other European cities, the sheer number of cheap nail salons that have exploded in Barcelona in recent years has reached saturation point. There is one, however, that has a waiting list. Dvine creates the ‘art nails’ that have become the statement accessory of Rosalia, the Catalan singing sensation who swept the 2020 Grammy Awards.…
SLOVAKIA STRENGTHENS EFFORTS TO TACKLE MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORISM FINANCING – BUT WILL NEED TO FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT
SLOVAKIA may have been facing European Commission legal action over foot-dragging in implementing European Union EU AML/CFT legislation and has been striving to improve its AML/CFT weaknesses, but its general reputation in combating money laundering is solid. The Basel Institute of Governance AML Index 2019 ranked this central European country 109 out of 125 countries assessed, with the highest number being the top performer.…
MALAWI HOLDS TALKS WITH USA, AFTER CUSTOMS ORDER RESTRICTS TOBACCO IMPORTS OVER CHILD LABOUR CONCERNS
MALAWI’s government has said it has entered into talks with the USA government after the USA Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency issued an ‘withhold release order’ on imports of products containing Malawi tobacco over concerns that child labour continues in the southern African country’s leaf production and processing sector.…
UK VAPING COMPANIES EYE LIBERALISATION SHOULD BRITAIN QUIT THE EUROPEAN UNION
E-cigarette manufacturers in the United Kingdom pondering a Brexit from the European Union (EU) that is currently scheduled for January 31 are hoping to benefit from looser rules than currently apply in the EU, if the UK does quit the EU.…
NEW EU COMMISSION FACES MAJOR ANTI-FRAUD CHALLENGE
With a new European Commission about to take office (probably on December 1, one month late, with three proposed nominees being rejected by MEPs), one key challenge will be pushing fraud out of the European Union (EU). It is still a huge problem, with in 2018, 1,152 frauds detected and reported.…
IRELAND FARMERS SHOULD PREPARE CONTINGENCIES FOR UPCOMING CAP REFORM SAY IRISH AGRICULTURAL ACCOUNTANTS
IRISH farming accountants will not only be monitoring Brexit as a current important European Union (EU) policy change, they will be scrutinising potential reforms to the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), now under discussion for remaining member states, like Ireland. They will be advising their agricultural clients to be prepared for potential shifts in CAP subsidies.…
FORMER UNAOIL EXECUTIVES ADMIT OIL SECTOR BRIBERY IN USA PROCEEDINGS
The former CEO and chief operations officer (COO) of Monaco-based energy services company Unaoil have pleaded guilty to facilitating millions of US dollars in bribes to officials in multiple countries. Britons Cyrus Ahsani and Saman Ahsani accepted they made illicit payments in countries including Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya and Syria.…
ESTONIAN PLASTICS SECTOR INNOVATES AS IT TARGETS OVERSEAS MARKETS
Estonia, long known for developing its high-tech sector, innovation, and environment-friendly businesses, has seen its plastics sector gaining momentum. It has been expanding export sales, not only to neighbouring Nordic and Baltic countries, but as far east as China.
As regards volumes, regarding primary resins and plastics, 11,807.7 tonnes were produced by Estonian manufacturers this January-August (2019), an increase of 132.8% for the same period in the previous year.…
COPPER PRODUCTION BOUNCES BACK IN BOTSWANA
Botswana looks set to boost southern African copper supplies with Khoemacau Copper Mining Pty. (Ltd), a subsidiary of a US-based company, Cupric Canyon Capital, planning to open a mine in the country’s Kalahari copper belt.
The planned mine has an initial annual production of 62,000 tonnes of copper (and 1.9 million ounces of silver), with managers hoping to increase yearly production to over 100,000 tonnes of copper and three million ounces of silver.…
AROUND 56 MILLION PAID BRIBES FOR PUBLIC SERVICES IN LATIN AMERICA
More than one in five or around 56 million people who accessed public services in Latin America and the Caribbean last year paid a bribe, according to the latest 18-country survey from Transparency International. The police notched up the highest bribery rate (24%), followed by other public services such as utilities (19%). …
IRISH ACCOUNTANTS ARE BUSY ADVISING CLIENTS ON GROWING CHINESE INVESTMENT INTO IRELAND
IRISH accounting executives are busy advising clients on how to benefit from a new wave of Chinese investment that is moving into Ireland. At a party staged at the Convention Centre Dublin this September to mark 40 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Ambassador He Xiangdong said Chinese investors “are in a good mood” about Ireland, with Chinese foreign direct investment into the Republic exceeding EUR128 million from this January-June, up 75% year-on-year.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN PAINT AND COATINGS MARKET SHOW SOLID STABILITY AS ECONOMIES GROW STEADILY
FAR from being the zone of volatility of the 1990s, eastern and central Europe’s economies and hence their paint and coatings markets, are enjoying stability and steady growth. In Croatia, for instance, according to market researcher Euromonitor International data, the paint and coating industry posted revenues of USD147 million, USD 2 million more than in 2017.…
CHINA’S HUGE PAINT MARKET IS VULNERABLE IF GENERAL ECONOMIC GROWTH STARTS TO SLOW
China accounted for 38% of global paint output in 2018, according to the China National Coatings Industry Association (CNCIA), but its share of the global revenue was 33.4%, suggesting the pricing power of Chinese output is weaker. Industrial coatings accounted for 64.7% of the total output of 21.15 million tonnes (this figure is based on ‘enterprises of scale’ so does not count output by small, cottage companies) according to the CNCIA.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU-MERCOSUR TRADE DEAL OFFERS EU CONFECTIONERS EXTRA SALES, BUT SUGAR PRODUCERS ARE WORRIED
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) trade deal struck with South America’s Mercosur group of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, will open this emerging market to EU confectionery exporters, but Europe’s sugar sector fears increased Brazilian sugar exports. The agreement, which now needs to be ratified by both sides, will phase out Mercosur duties on EU exports of chocolate and sugar confectionery of 20%; biscuits (taxed at 20% to 35%); liquorice extract – 8%; and confectionery-making equipment – 14%.…
CHINA’S HUGE PAINT MARKET IS VULNERABLE IF GENERAL ECONOMIC GROWTH STARTS TO SLOW
China accounted for 38% of global paint output in 2018, according to the China National Coatings Industry Association (CNCIA), but its share of the global revenue was 33.4%, suggesting the pricing power of Chinese output is weaker. Industrial coatings accounted for 64.7% of the total output of 21.15 million tonnes (this figure is based on ‘enterprises of scale’ so does not count output by small, cottage companies) according to the CNCIA.…
CLOSURE OF TRINIDAD & TOBAGO REFINERY SHAKES UP TWIN ISLAND STATE’S OIL INDUSTRY
THE CLOSURE in November of the only oil refinery in Trinidad & Tobago, after 101 years of producing fuel in this Caribbean twin-island state, has cost thousands of jobs, impacting a large part of the nation’s economy. It means that this republic, which still possesses substantial oil and gas reserves, must now import gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel. …
WOLLASTONITE OFFERS GREAT POTENTIAL AS BASE FOR DEVELOPING CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
WOLLASTONITE has been described by a Canadian producer as “a white mineral for a greener world,” and it seems governments, businesses and industries agree – with wollastonite is set to see increased market growth in its traditional uses plus a new focus on its powerful qualities to help tackle climate change.…
WOLLASTONITE OFFERS GREAT POTENTIAL AS BASE FOR DEVELOPING CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
WOLLASTONITE has been described by a Canadian producer as “a white mineral for a greener world,” and it seems governments, businesses and industries agree – with wollastonite is set to see increased market growth in its traditional uses plus a new focus on its powerful qualities to help tackle climate change.…
SAE-A TRADING EYES BUILDING HIGH-TECH PLANT FOR POLYESTER YARN IN GUATEMALA
South Korea’s Sae-A Trading, one of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers and exporters, is considering building an estimated USD200 million high-tech industrial complex in Guatemala for making polyester yarns. Its goal – taking advantage of rising US demand for apparel made in Central America. …
EUROPE STILL HAS SIGNIFICANT WORK TO COMPLETE BEFORE HARMONISING ITS NATIONAL GRID
MARCH’S approval by the European Parliament of new European Union (EU) electricity market rules, designed to increase consumer choice, boost renewables access and cap power subsidies, were hailed by the European Commission as a new dawn for the creation of the EU’s much vaunted Energy Union.…
RUSSIA’S PAINT SECTOR GROWING SLOWLY – BUT UPCOMING ECO-RULES MAY HIT PRODUCTION
RUSSIA’S paint industry is slowly growing but upcoming chemical regulations could limit the output of some potentially hazardous products. There are two such laws in the pipeline. One is a technical regulation ‘On the safety of chemical products’. This was adopted and ratified by the Russian government in 2016, and will come into force in 2021 (on July 1), and bans the use of a range of hazardous chemicals, some used by Russian coatings manufacturers. …
BALTIC STATES AML/CFT OVERHAULS UNDER WAY AFTER BANKING SCANDALS DAMAGE FINANCIAL SECTORS’ REPUTATION
THE BALTIC States, being European Union (EU) member states adjacent to Russia and Belarus have been exploited by Russian criminals as a gateway for their illicit funds into the EU and beyond.
This is despite that as EU member states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania must implement EU anti-money laundering and anti-terror finance legislation.…
NEW EMISSIONS STANDARDS WILL PROMOTE SHIFT TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES, EXPERTS SAY
THE NEW CO2 standards approved by European Union (EU) legislators for cars, vans and trucks being driven in its territory will lead to more electric vehicles (EVs) and alternative drivetrains including hybrids and fuel cells, experts have told wardsauto.
On April 18, the European Union (EU)’s elected legislative body the European Parliament, approved the first EU regulation on emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles.…
EUROPEAN NONWOVENS SECTOR GROWS EXPORTS AS A HIGH QUALITY CENTRE OF INNOVATION
EXPORTS of nonwovens products from the European Union (EU) to the rest of the world are on the rise, with in 2018 such overseas sales of nonwovens (whether or not impregnated, coated, covered or laminated) within the 28 members of the European Union (EU) accounted for EUR4.33 billion, up from EUR4.19 billion in 2017.…
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA AIRPORT SECTOR EXPANDS AS AIR TRAFFIC PUSHES FACILITIES TOWARDS CAPACITY LIMITS
AFRICA is without doubt the continent to watch for airport and air traffic control investment in the future. It is the world’s second most populous continent (home to more than 1.2 billion people), and according to Airports Council International (World) – ACI World – Africa was the fastest growing region for air passenger traffic in 2017 and 2018, which rose 6.3% in 2017 year-on-year and 10.8% in 2018 to June year-to-date, year-on-year.…
MEAT HAZARD ALERTS ROSE FAST WORLDWIDE IN 2018 SAYS REPORT MONITOR
FOOD hazard reports relating to meat and meat products have been rising fast worldwide, according to data released by HorizonScan, a global food safety database which gathers food safety and inspection alerts from more than 115 sources in more than 70 countries.…
MEAT HAZARD ALERTS ROSE FAST WORLDWIDE IN 2018 SAYS REPORT MONITOR
FOOD hazard reports relating to meat and meat products have been rising fast worldwide, according to data released by HorizonScan, a global food safety database which gathers food safety and inspection alerts from more than 115 sources in more than 70 countries.…
RUSSIA LOOKS TO INCREASE PAINT AND COATING INGREDIENT PRODUCTION
THE RUSSIAN government has in the past decade has a policy priority of re-establishing it country’s industrial base, and reducing its reliance on imports, paid for by Russia’s energy exports.
These goals cover its paints and coatings sector, and by 2021 Sibur, a Russian petrochemical company, plans to launch production of key ingredient maleic anhydride, with a plant in Tobolsk, Siberia, producing up to 45,000 tonnes a year.…
MOTOR VEHICLES SECOND MOST COMMON SUBJECT OF CONSUMER SAFETY ALERTS CIRCULATED BY THE EU LAST YEAR
MOTOR vehicles and their parts were the second most common category of goods reported in safety warnings by consumer regulators in the European Union (EU) last year, according to a new annual report from the EU Safety Gate system. This involves European consumer regulators receiving safety warnings about products, including from auto manufacturers, and circulating these alerts via this central European portal.…
RELIGIOUS UNIVERSITIES IN MOZAMBIQUE OFFER ALTERNATIVE WAY TO CREATE INCLUSIVE HIGHER EDUCATION, SAY SUPPORTERS
Although religious universities educate only about 15% of all higher education students in Mozambique, they make a significant contribution to a country with very low levels of access to tertiary studies. Only 1% of the 29 million Mozambicans are currently attending attend higher education courses according to data provided by the country’s ministry of science and technology and higher education.…
GREEK MILITARY TO PROVIDE ATC SERVICES TO NORTHERN MACEDONIA AS FORMER ENEMIES MULL FUTURE AVIATION COOPERATION
GREECE and the newly renamed Republic of North Macedonia have struck a military agreement enabling Greece to help monitor its neighbour’s air space, including for civilian flights. During a visit to the North Macedonian capital Skopje, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras noted the deal between the two country’s defence ministers includes the Hellenic Air Force providing air traffic control services to Northern Macedonia, which it will monitor via radar.…
GREEK MILITARY TO PROVIDE ATC SERVICES TO NORTHERN MACEDONIA AS FORMER ENEMIES MULL FUTURE AVIATION COOPERATION
GREECE and the newly renamed Republic of North Macedonia have struck a military agreement enabling Greece to help monitor its neighbour’s air space, including for civilian flights. During a visit to the North Macedonian capital Skopje, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras noted the deal between the two country’s defence ministers includes the Hellenic Air Force providing air traffic control services to Northern Macedonia, which it will monitor via radar.…
CZECH REPUBLIC’S TRADITIONAL TEXTILE SECTOR MOVES TOWARDS DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING
The Czech textile industry has a long traditional presence in the country, and local textile printing firms are steadily adopting digital technologies. One of the key players is OP Tiger, which significantly increased its output after it moved last September (2018) to a new facility in Hrbovice, near the town of Ústí nad Labem in North Bohemia.…
ACCA QUALIFIED FD HAS FOUND HIS PROFESSIONAL HOME IN MAJOR CARIBBEAN CONGLOMERATE
THE ACCA-qualified group finance director for the largest conglomerate in Trinidad & Tobago and a key player in the Caribbean region – the ANSA McAL group – has aligned his personal professional ambitions with his company’s goal of sturdy sustained growth.…
UGANDA CFO EXPANDS BANK’S DIGITAL SERVICES THROUGH ETHICAL AND HOLISTIC LEADERSHIP
Digital disruption has been transforming banking services worldwide, and Africa, with its important m-commerce sector, has been in the frontline of this change – a fact not lost on established bank executives, such as Samuel Fredrick Mwogeza, the chief financial officer of Stanbic Bank Uganda Ltd.…
CO-CREATIVE INNOVATION MUST BE CORE MISSION OF UNIVERSITIES, EXPERTS SAY
EUROPEAN universities need to embrace change by continuing to forge alliances with innovative companies and independent research groups to use and develop their knowledge in cooperation with the outside world, experts agreed at the March 8 launch of the European University Association (EUA)’s new report ‘The role of universities in regional innovation ecosystems’.…
CHINA AND INDIA’S AML POLICIES CONTRAST BECAUSE OF SYSTEMIC POLITICAL DIFFERENCES
China and India as the world’s two most populous nations share a handful of similarities in their AML policies, but there are important contrasts, many springing from the fact that China is an authoritarian one-party state and India a sometimes chaotic multi-party democracy.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES TAKE OVER OF GATWICK AIR[ORT BY FRANCE’S VINCI AIRPORTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission today (March 18) gave competition law approval for France’s VINCI Airports to take over control of London Gatwick Airport from current owner Ivy Topco Ltd, a Cayman Islands registered company.
The European Union (EU) executive, acting as the EU’s senior competition authority, approved the deal which would see VINCI acquiring 50.01% of the issued share capital of Ivy Topco.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION GETS TOUGH OVER 4AMLD COMPLIANCE
THE EUROPEAN Commission is getting tough in enforcing compliance with the 4th anti-money laundering directive (2015/849), with a large majority of member states now facing infringement proceedings. The European Union (EU) executive said on March 7 that it had sent letters of formal notice opening legal proceedings to six EU countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden, and the UK) over their failure to apply its anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules.…
EU INVESTMENT BANK FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING NEW PLASTICS TO LIGHTWEIGHT E-CARS
WITH auto manufacturers looking for ways to light-weight electric and hybrid vehicles, to boost performance and battery life, the European Union (EU) is investing in a Spanish company that is seeking to develop recyclable thermo-plastic alternatives to rubber for auto parts.…
BRITAIN, GERMANY AND FRANCE CREATE CLEARING HOUSE FOR NON-USD TRADES WITH IRAN
BRITAIN, Germany and France have established a clearing house to facilitate non-USD trades with Iran, to help European companies to do business without falling foul of tightened American sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
Based in Paris, and headed by former Commerzbank director Per Fischer, a German, the Instrument In Support Of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) is owned by the three supporting governments.…
ADDITIONAL BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP INFORMATION
In Croatia, an ultimate beneficial owners register has been established, operated by the Croatian Financial Agency (FINA – Financijska Agencija). Persons demonstrating a legitimate interest in data will be able to obtain limited BO information, including companies and persons undertaking legally required due diligence.…
UK AND IRELAND SPEAK A COMMON LANGUAGE ON AML/CFT – BUT WILL BREXIT BRING DISCORD?
With their large financial services industries and open economies, the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland are conspicuously exposed to money laundering (ML) and terrorist financing (TF) risks.
Tough anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) policies are at the heart of their respective financial services regulations, yet both countries are regularly forced to fend off criticisms that they are not doing enough to tackle these problems.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – BREXIT SPARKS CONCERN OVER RELATED EU IMPORT QUOTA REDUCTIONS
TRADING partners with the European Union (EU) are concerned about the EU cutting the size of low duty import quotas once Britain quits the bloc, which it is scheduled to do on March 28.
The EU has released detailed plans to reduce the amount of some goods it allows into the EU, to take account of Britain exiting the single European market.…
EU COUNTRIES FALLING SHORT ON BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP MONITORING
EUROPEAN Union member states are dragging their feet implementing the fourth anti-money laundering directive’s (4AMLD 2015/849) beneficial ownership rules. Only five countries met the June 26, 2017, AMLD4 deadline for having an ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) register under national law – Britain, Denmark, France, Germany and Sweden- according to the European Commission. …
EASTERN EUROPE’S MARKET DIVERSITY POSES REAL CHALLENGE FOR BEAUTY MAJORS SEEKING HIGH REGIONAL PROFILE
EASTERN Europe remains a highly diverse market, where major beauty brands must think strategically to achieve economies of scale and a regional presence that really deliver profits. This is also a region where some markets are significantly bigger than others – with Russia and Poland being key targets.…
MALAWI’S TOBACCO LEAF SECTOR STILL FOCUS OF EFFORTS TO REDUCE CHILD LABOUR
WITH Malawi’s persistent cycle of poverty where half of its 18 million population (2017 World Bank data) live under the poverty line and nearly 1.5 million children employed as labourers, according to International Labour Organisation (ILO) data, including on tobacco farms – meaningful reforms to prevent these abuses have progressed slowly, experts say.…
ASIAN PAINT AND COATINGS REGULATORY ROUND UP – VIETNAM RAMPS UP ANTI-LEAD IN PAINTS EFFORTS
THE VIETNAM Chemicals Agency us ramping up efforts to remove lead from paints in Vietnam – officially requesting to be considered a partner in the Global Alliance to Eliminate Lead in Paint, a voluntary partnership formed by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).…
RUSSIA MONEY LAUNDERING CONVICTIONS OF CORRUPT OFFICIALS RISE – BUT ARE CASES POLITICAL?
THE ENFORCEMENT of Russian anti-money laundering laws is in the rise, although there are concerns that some AML cases have political motivations behind them, even if – ultimately – the evidence demonstrating ML offences took place stands up in court. Between 2012 and 2016, according to research of Russian press reports and official law enforcement agency statements, more than 30 Russian governors and state officials, former and serving, were accused of fraud or [and] corruption.…
LICIT ARMS TRADE LIGHTLY REGULATED BY AML RULES, DESPITE CONCERNS OVER UNETHICAL PRACTICES
The conventional arms trade has a reputation for using side payment sweeteners to secure multi-million dollar deals. But despite allegations of corruption in numerous jurisdictions, the legitimate arms trade is not on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) radar. Should it be?…
DIGITAL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR TECHNOLOGIES EMERGE IN EGYPT AND SOUTH AFRICA – BUT WILL THE REST OF AFRICA FOLLOW SUIT?
DIGITAL production technologies could help African manufacturers pick up business lost by Chinese rivals because of the trade war in the USA, with brands looking to take advantage of the free trade agreements that many African countries have with the USA and Europe.…
MEPS SLAM CASH FOR PASSPORT SCHEMES IN TAX CRIMES REPORT
Centre right members of the European Parliament’s special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance (TAX3) have hit out at the 18 EU member states, that offer citizenship or residence in exchange for investments. The MEPs, members of the European People’s Party (EPP), spoke out November 14 as the committee handed down a draft report*, with findings and recommendations, including phasing out such rights.…
NEW BREXIT WITHDRAWAL DEAL LIKELY TO COMMIT UK TO FOLLOW EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
THE DRAFT Brexit agreement that has caused political controversy in the UK, but which the European Union (EU) insists is its final offer, would – if approved – see many EU environmental regulations stay in force within Britain, for the foreseeable future.…
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC LEADERS HOPE CLOTHING EXPORTS CAN GROW, DESPITE END OF USA ALLOWANCE
THE IMPENDING December 1 expiration of the Dominican Republic Earned Import Allowance Program (DR 2-for-1 or EIAP) has been met with equanimity by the Caribbean country and its manufacturers who hope the trading relationships created by the system can expand.
With the CAFTA-DR (Central America-Dominican Republic-United States Free Trade Agreement) continuing, the Dominican deputy minister of foreign trade Yahaira Sosa said in a recent speech: “Although not everything has gone as planned, regarding… exports and attraction of foreign direct investment (FDI), there are points that deserve to be highlighted.”…
IRELAND’S DAIRY INDUSTRY GOES GLOBAL AND DIVERSIFIES, AS IT SEEKS INSULATION FROM BREXIT DISRUPTION
The recent sight of a Chinese internet celebrity in a milking parlour in Limerick could be a hint of what the future holds for Ireland’s increasingly international dairy industry. Xiao Lu Yu, one of the ‘influencers’ who monetise Chinese social media (see https://m.weibo.cn/status/4279583182420503…
IRISH DAIRY SECTOR HAS BECOME A BIG OVERSEAS EXPORTER
TIME was when dairy farming in Ireland was a family affair, with smallholdings and local dairies predominant. But those days are long gone. The Irish dairy sector is now big business, not just on Republic of Ireland’s 4.8 million population, but also overseas, with big brands targeting foreign markets.…
EGYPT MIGHT BE BOOSTING AML CONTROLS, BUT REFORMS UNDERMINED BY GROWING GOVERNMENT POWER AND EXEMPTIONS FOR MILITARY
Egypt’s anti-money laundering AML regime is being undermined by the lack of an independent judiciary and the economically-active military increasingly above the law, despite reforms to the law governing an Administrative Control Authority charged with curbing corruption.
Another concern voiced by AML experts is the weakening of Central Bank of Egypt’ independence under the government of strongman President Abdel-Fattah Al Sisi, a former field marshal.…
CINTE 2018 SHOWS HOW CHINA TECHNICAL TEXTILE AND NONWOVENS SECTOR IS GROWING IN IMPORTANCE
The latest edition of the biannual China International Trade Fair for Technical Textiles and Nonwovens (Cinte Techtextil China), held September 4-6, in Shanghai, showed how Chinese manufacturers are more than holding their own in these technically demanding markets.
The fair, a spin-off from the Techtextil show in Germany, attracted a diverse range of some 500 exhibitors from around 20 countries, covering 12 different application areas with protech, mobiltech and geotech, spanning wovens, knits and nonwovens, arguably being most prominent. …
ONLY 11 MAJOR EXPORTING COUNTRIES PUNISH COMPANIES FOR GRAFT
A new report from Transparency International has found that only 11 major exporting countries in the world significantly punish companies that pay bribes abroad. The report, called ‘Exporting Corruption’, also found that more than half of world exports come from at least 33 jurisdictions, including several European Union (EU) member states, where companies that export corruption along with their goods and services face weak consequences. …
EGYPT MIGHT BE BOOSTING AML CONTROLS, BUT REFORMS UNDERMINED BY GROWING GOVERNMENT POWER AND EXEMPTIONS FOR MILITARY
Egypt’s attempts to crack down on corruption, commercial crime and money laundering are real. But they are being undermined by low existing standards, government authoritarianism and blind-eyes turned to military wrong-doing, anti-crime experts argue. Paul Cochrane reports.
The Egyptian government talks a good game when it comes to fighting financial crime.…
ESTABLISHED EASTERN EUROPE PAINT MARKETS SETTLE WHILE EMERGING MARKETS STILL HAVE ROOM TO GROW
EASTERN Europe is always a tough market for major paint and coating manufacturers to crack, containing multiple national markets, some in the European Union (EU), some outside, and all with differing cultural and language requirements for marketers to master.
Poland, with its 38 million population and robust economy (projected by the World Bank to grow at 4.2% this year – 2018), remains the region’s most important market, with researcher Euromonitor International saying that Polish paint and coatings sales were worth Polish Zloty PLN1.29 billion (USD352.7 billion) in 2017, up slightly compared to the PLN1.25 billion (USD342.5 billion) sold in 2016.…
EXPANDED CENTRAL AMERICAN CUSTOMS UNION WILL BOOST HONDURAN CLOTHING AND TEXTILE LOGISTICS, EXPORTS
THE HONDURAS clothing sector industry association has welcomed the expansion of the Central American Customs Union into a three-country bloc, with El Salvador joining Guatemala and Honduras to forge a light border trading zone of more than 32 million people. El Salvador will officially accede to the union (see below for more information) in November, allowing 95% of products manufactured in its members to freely circulate in the region duty free through common customs, security, and other rules, strengthening local supply chains.…
SOUTH KOREA HEATWAVE PUSHES DEMAND FOR NEW INNOVATIVE SUN-STICKS SKIN PROTECTION
With a historic heat wave plaguing the Korean peninsula since the middle of July, killing at least 29 people and hospitalizing 2,300 others with heat-related illnesses, it is little surprising that suncare product sales have been booming in South Korea.
And while traditional sun protection products such as parasols and straw hats have sold well – July sales up 83% and 37% year-on-year respectively, according to local e-commerce website Auction, (www.auction.co.kr),…
DECARBONISATION POSSIBLE BEFORE 2050, SAYS HEAD OF EURELECTRIC
EUROPE can meet its goal of cleaning up the power sector several years earlier than by the European Union’s (EU) self-imposed deadline of 2050, according to Kristian Ruby, secretary general of the Union of the Electricity Industry – Eurelectric, the sector association representing the industry at pan-European level.…
IRELAND’S SERVICE STATION CHAINS ARE RADICALLY CHANGING THE RETAIL SCENE TO A US OUT-OF-TOWN ROAD STOPS
LARGE motorway service areas have become a recent feature of the Irish landscape, with plaza-type facilities incorporating fuel, food and grocery retailers under one roof. However, the key players in the forecourt market, which is increasingly held by Irish firms Maxol and Applegreen, along with Canadian newcomer Couche-Tard – are now racing to reposition themselves given the Irish government plans by 2030 to end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles.…
PLAIN PAPER PACKAGING RULES GROW – BUT INDUSTRY FAR FROM CONVINCED THAT THEY ARE EFFECTIVE
PLAIN packaging rules, or approximations, are growing around the world, but the tobacco sector still argues that these controls are over-reaches that do not reduce smoking and instead encourage counterfeiting and smuggling.
Since January 2017, French smokers have been buying non-branded packs of cigarettes, seeing only a warning picture with text about how tobacco consumption affects people’s health, along with the name of the manufacturer in a simple typeface.…
FRENCH PAINT MARKET SET TO PROFIT FROM BUOYANT CONSTRUCTION AND HOME IMPROVEMENT MARKET
THE FRENCH paint and varnishes industry saw sales decline for the third consecutive year in 2016, contracting by 1.6% year-on-year to EUR2.9 billion, according to market research company Euromonitor International. It believes, however, that business should pick up in the coming years due to rising construction of homes.…
KNITWEAR PRODUCTION GROWS IN THE CARIBBEAN – BUT STARTING FROM A LOW BASE
KNITWEAR is a key part of the growth in clothing manufacturing that is becoming an important part of the economies of several Caribbean countries, providing thousands of jobs and producing apparel worn not only in the region but in the USA, Canada, Europe and elsewhere.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – TRUMP METAL DUTIES SPARK RETALIATORY CONFECTIONARY TARIFFS
THE AMERICAN confectionery sector is facing tough tariffs in its key export market of Canada after the US government decided to impose punitive duties on Canadian exports of steel and aluminium.
Ottawa announced its own retaliatory duties, which it intends to impose from July 1, having consulted on a shortlist of products, including potential 10% duties on US-made maple sugar and syrup, liquorice, toffee, chocolate, sugar confectionery, strawberry jam, nut purées and pastes.…
BEAUTY AND PERSONAL CARE TAKES A BACK SEAT AS LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIES STRUGGLE OUT OF RECESSION
THE LATIN American personal care product market, buffeted in recent years by economic and political instability, looks back on track, with trouble-spots such as Venezuela being very much an exception to overall progress.
Data released by market researcher Euromonitor International has said that the region’s beauty and personal care product sales in 2017 topped USD65 billion in 2017, growing by 42.5% between 2012 and last year.…
ASIA INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – CHINA CUTS VAT
CHINA’S State Council has announced reductions in mainland VAT, with businesses being saved Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY400 billion (USD62.8 billion) in this year alone, it has said. Rates have been lowered (from May 1, 2018) from 17% to 16% for manufacturing and other industries, and 11% to 10% for transport, construction bills, standard telecommunications service, and direct farm output purchasers by consumers (12% when these goods are bought by manufacturers for onward processing).…
ARGENTINE AUTO SECTOR’S HOPES FOR STELLA 2018 DASHED BY PESO CURRENCY COLLAPSE
Argentina’s auto industry had expected a near record year in 2018, but unexpected financial problems that have hit the country in the past month could push the economy into recession and dampen local demand for cars.
These problems are a far cry from the optimism expressed on April 4, when the heads of three carmakers spoke bullishly about production and sales growth at a business conference staged in Buenos Aires by economic consultancy Invecq Consulting. …
SUPPLY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY MINERALS POSES MAJOR HEADACHE FOR POWER SUPPLIERS
Unlike the limited range of minerals used in fossil fuel production, many minerals, metallic and nonmetallic, are used in renewable energy technologies. However, production is often low and concentrated in a limited number of countries – creating potential strategic supply problems.…
HARD IRISH BORDER THREATENS TO DISRUPT DAIRY SUPPLY CHAINS
Dairy product manufacturers on both sides of the Irish border are becoming increasingly concerned about possible changes border arrangements between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which could interrupt ingredients supplies, once the UK leaves the European Union (EU).
According to Dairy Industry Ireland (DII), the body that represents the interests of the Republic of Ireland’s primary and secondary dairy processors, replacing the existing open border with a hard border after a planned Brexit transitional period to December 2020 could sever supply chains for some highly popular dairy-based exports: this could include Irish cream liqueur and Irish cheddar.…
IRISH EXPORTERS LOOK TO CIRCUMNAVIGATE BREXIT TRADE TAXES
The prospect of significant hikes in taxes and administrative red tape on Irish exports and imports travelling through the UK to and from the rest of Europe once Britain leaves the European Union (EU), has prompted Irish exporters to seek more options for direct maritime trade.…
ADULT INCONTINENCE TRIGGERED INNOVATION IN 2017 AND CONTINUES TO OFFER SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY FOR NONWOVENS
THE NONWOVEN adult incontinence market in Europe is offering hygiene product manufacturers and brands a chance to profit in a wider sanitary segment that has been and remains highly competitive.
Western Europe has a high per capita consumption in sanitary protection and a fiercely competitive retailing environment, according to Miles Agbanrin, an analyst for market researcher Euromonitor International.…
INDO INTERTEX AIMS TO BOOST GROWTH FOR INDONESIA'S TEXTILE INDUSTRY
The INDO Intertex textile machinery exhibition will be staged in the Indonesian capital Jakarta next month to boost investment in a textile and clothing sector that is growing, the show’s project manager Paul Kingsen said.
“The theme for this year INDO Intertex is investment growth acceleration.…
HARMONISED TAX APPROACH FOR NOVEL TOBACCO PRODUCTS WILL BECOME A REALITY ONCE THEY REACH THE MASS, EXPERTS SAY
THE DECISION of the European Commission not to propose a harmonised European Union (EU) approach for excise duty on e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco products has been welcomed by the tobacco sector for avoiding punitive taxation on a nascent segment.
But should such rules ultimately be introduced the tobacco sector may not oppose them if they reflect the lower health risks involved in consuming such products by enabling lower excise duty bands.…
TAIWAN SCRAMBLES TO GET AML HOUSE IN ORDER AHEAD OF APG REVIEW THIS YEAR
FACED with its anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) backlisting and a big USA fine of a major Taiwan bank, this island country has introduced AML/CFT reforms. Whether it has done enough will be assessed later this year when the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), of which the island is a member – as Chinese Taipei, a nod to China’s insistence that Taiwan not be treated as an independent country – undertakes a third round of APG mutual evaluations.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FACES FIGHT WITH EU COUNCIL OVER ELECTRICITY MARKET REFORM
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) current Bulgarian presidency (January-July 2018) will probably face a tough challenge, when tripartite talks between the European Parliament, member states and the European Commission on electricity market reform begin this spring.
“Since early March, we have been preparing for the ‘trilogues’ [EU jargon for talks between its three main bodies], comparing the [EU] member states’ general approach reached in December with Parliament’s position, so we have documents to work on when trilogues start,” a Council spokesperson told Modern Power Systems, adding “no dates have yet been fixed” for the negotiations.…
BATTERY MINERALS MAYBE IN SHORT SUPPLY, PDAC WARNED
INVESTORS at this year’s Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) convention have been voicing concerns that the supply of key minerals used to make batteries may not be able to keep pace with demand.
At an investors forum dealing with energy materials and technologies, a series of graphite, cobalt and manganese miners highlighted the increasing demand for the minerals, and the lack of sufficient supplies to meet future expectations.…
BRITISH AND IRISH MEAT INDUSTRIES CALL FOR MORE IDEAS ON POST-BREXIT TRADE
Meat producers and exporters in Britain and Ireland have called on policy makers to come up with more alternatives for a post-Brexit trade settlement between the UK, Northern Ireland and the EU.
The demands follow the publication by the European Commission on Wednesday (28 February) of a 120-page draft Brexit withdrawal agreement by the European Commission, which spelled out plans for Northern Ireland to remain within the EU’s customs union after December 31, 2020.…
INDUSTRY WELCOMES COMMISSION’S TESTS TO STOP DUAL QUALITY FOOD PRODUCT SALES
THE EUROPEAN food industry is supporting the European Commission’s bid to ensure food brands do not offer variable quality versions of the same product in different parts of the European Union (EU). Indeed, it is backing the introduction by the EU executive of new testing methods for regulators, that are due to be rolled out in April.…
INDUSTRY WELCOMES COMMISSION’S TESTS TO CURB DUAL QUALITY FOOD PRODUCT SALES
THE EUROPEAN confectionery industry will later this year face hard evidence about the veracity of claims that certain brands sell lower quality products in eastern Europe than they do in the richer west. These claims – dismissed by many manufacturers as urban myths – are widely believed in eastern Europe, promoting the European Commission to act and set up a testing system.…
UK AND EU FACE UP TO CRIME FIGHTING CHALLENGES IN POST-BREXIT WORLD
THE CHALLENGES facing Britain as it deals with the consequences of the June 2016 referendum vote to quit the European Union (EU) are manifold. However, unpicking British involvement in joint anti-crime arrangements with the EU maybe the toughest of all. Keith Nuthall reports.…
BRITISH AND IRISH MEAT INDUSTRIES CALL FOR MORE IDEAS ON POST-BREXIT TRADE
Meat producers and exporters in Britain and Ireland have called on policy makers to come up with more alternatives for a post-Brexit trade settlement between the UK, Northern Ireland and the EU.
The demands follow the publication by the European Commission on Wednesday (28 February) of a 120-page draft Brexit withdrawal agreement by the European Commission, which spelled out plans for Northern Ireland to remain within the EU’s customs union after December 31, 2020.…
INDUSTRY WELCOMES COMMISSION’S TESTS TO STOP DUAL QUALITY FOOD PRODUCT SALES
THE EUROPEAN food industry is supporting the European Commission’s bid to ensure food brands do not offer variable quality versions of the same product in different parts of the European Union (EU). Indeed, it is backing the introduction by the EU executive of new testing methods for regulators, that are due to be rolled out in April.…
INDUSTRY WELCOMES COMMISSION’S TESTS TO CURB DUAL QUALITY FOOD PRODUCT SALES
THE EUROPEAN confectionery industry will later this year face hard evidence about the veracity of claims that certain brands sell lower quality products in eastern Europe than they do in the richer west. These claims – dismissed by many manufacturers as urban myths – are widely believed in eastern Europe, promoting the European Commission to act and set up a testing system.…
NEW TEXTILE CLUSTER AIMS TO HALT ILLEGAL TRADE IN RUSSIAN CRIMEA PENINSULA
A NEW multi-million dollar textile and clothing manufacturing hub is set to be established within the Crimea as a pressing Russian government priority to halt the annexed region’s trade in illegal textile products, according to Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Boosting domestic textile production – initially in garment fabrics and subsequently technical textiles – is aimed in part to depress demand for illicit goods in the peninsular, predominantly from China and Turkey.…
MONGOLIA STILL UNDER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TO BOOST AML/CFT SYSTEMS
WHILE Mongolia is a low-income country, with an annual per capita income of approximately USD3,590 in 2016 (said the World Bank), its economy is heavily reliant on mining, so increasing foreign investment in the sector is boosting the risk of dirty money entering the country.…
DELTA GALIL - INNOVATION IS THE NAME OF THE GAME, SAYS CEO
IF there is a quality that gives many Israeli companies an edge internationally, it is innovation. And this trait can certainly be said to run through the work of Israeli apparel major Delta Galil, based in Caesarea, northern Israel.
“We could not succeed if we were not innovative” said Isaac Dabah, the company’s CEO of Delta Galil, in an exclusive interview with just-style, held at his office.…
BREXITING BRITAIN IS KEY BENEFICIARY OF EU MONEY TO FIGHT ANIMAL DISEASES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced its latest funding for helping European Union (EU) member states fight animal diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis, rabies, bovine brucellosis, African swine fever and lumpy skin disease, by allocating more than EUR140 million for 2018.…
FOOD COMPANIES TO STUDY NEW EU DRAFT BREXIT AGREEMENT
THE EUROPEAN Commission has told UK and European Union (EU) food companies that they will be able to trade food products freely across EU and UK markets into 2021, following Britain’s planned 2019 departure from the EU. A draft withdrawal agreement released yesterday (Wednesday Feb 28) gives reassurances over placing food on the EU market during and after the proposed transitional period – to December 2020.…
ACCA SEEKS CLARIFICATION ON REMAINING EU ROLE IN UK TAXATION POLICY, POST-BREXIT
ACCA is pressing for clarification on some key outstanding issues regarding Britain’s impending departure from the European Union (EU), as the European Commission consults on a draft withdrawal agreement released on February 28.
Of key interest to Chas Roy–Chowdhury, ACCA’s head of taxation, is the length of time that the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will retain jurisdiction over elements of British tax law, following the UK’s planned departure date on March 29, next year (2019).…
ILLEGAL CUT TOBACCO REACHES OVER 75% OF THE MARKET SHARE IN SOME EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
BULK tobacco smuggling is on the rise in eastern and south-eastern Europe, and cigarette manufacturers are calling for a better coordinated approach by law enforcers, as well as the passing of clearer and stricter rules to combat the menace. While regulation is in place in some countries (Montenegro and Romania insist on licensing and growers’ record keeping, for instance), the licencing and registration of tobacco growers are still not required in others (for example Poland and Greece), causing weak links that can be exploited by smugglers, according to the legitimate tobacco industry.…
NONWOVENS DEMAND GROWS ACROSS AFRICA AND MIDDLE EAST, BUT OVER AND UNDER-PRODUCTION PROBLEMS PERSIST
THE NONWOVENS market in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) is increasingly important to the global nonwovens industry, with rising consumer demand being generated by middle classes that are growing in size. Countries in the region are also comparatively young, with high birth rates, boosting demand for diapers and wipes.…
THE PHILIPPINES PUSHES AHEAD WITH AML CONTROLS, AS DUTERTE CONTINUES VIOLENT ANTI-DRUG CRUSADE
It is no secret that sources of illegal proceeds of crime are manifold in the Philippines – witness President Rodrigo Duterte’s notorious campaign of state-sponsored killings, aimed at what he has claimed is an active industry of selling and trafficking illegal narcotics.…
EU TO HELP AFRICAN ATC AGENCY WITH SATELLITE NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGY ASSISTANCE
A COOPERATION Agreement has been struck between the European Union (EU) and the Agency for Aerial Navigation Safety in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) over the mutual development of satellite navigation. The deal commits the EU to creating an autonomous satellite-based augmentation service (SBAS) to help ASECNA, which coordinates air navigation in 14 African countries and Madagascar.…
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER CASES ARE STILL COMMON IN RUSSIA AND THE REGION, AT-RISK EU COUNTRIES ARE TAKING MEASURES
Cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) are still very common in Russia, despite its continued ban on European Union (EU) pigmeat exports, imposed since January 2014 following a handful of cases in Poland and Lithuania. While outbreaks have continued in the EU, Russia – whose ban was imposed on live pigs, pork and pig products over fears importing ASF-infected meat and livestock, has from last July (2017) to today (January 30) notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) around 2,800 ASF cases of domestic pigs, and 90 cases in wild boars.…
EASTERN EUROPE’S INCREASINGLY MATURE MARKET POSTS MODEST GROWTH
AFTER years of slow growth since 2008, eastern Europe’s now mature cosmetics and personal care market has continued to show marginal gains in products sales in the past year, according to experts.
The region’s cosmetics and personal care products sales edged to USD23.67 billion in 2017 from USD21.74 billion in 2016, counting sales in Poland, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, Belarus, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, Macedonia and Georgia.…
CHINA’S GOVERNMENT FLEXES ITS MONEY TO FIGHT MONEY LAUNDERING FINANCE STILL FLOWS OVERSEAS
China appears to be stepping up a gear regarding its fight against money laundering, judging by the propaganda campaign ongoing across the country this winter. Uniformed staff of the Postal Savings Bank of China have, for instance, been out on the streets of the city of Jian in Jiangxi Province, handing out leaflets to pedestrians warning about the dangers of money laundering.…
TECHNICAL REGULATORY ROUND UP - OECD RELEASES TAX EXCHANGE DATA
OECD SAYS 49 JURISDICTIONS WILL AUTOMATICALLY EXCHANGE TAX INFORMATION THIS YEAR
THE IDENTITY of 49 jurisdictions that will automatically exchange tax information in 2017 under a global standard has been revealed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).…
THE DPRK, THE UNCONTESTED MASTER OF AML CONTROL EVASION
With its history of currency counterfeiting, drug trafficking, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and the laundering of related proceeds and payments, there is surely no state worldwide that has a worse money laundering track record than that of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK, North Korea).…
SOUTH KOREA’S AML RECORD CHALLENGED BY CORRUPTION AND RISE OF FIN-TECH
Money laundering in South Korea (formally the Republic of Korea – RoK) has been associated by law enforcers with domestic criminals, official corruption and ethnic Koreans living abroad – which is not particularly unusual.
But, South Korea has an additional exposure to money laundering – its close and difficult relationship with the world’s most isolated pariah state – North Korea.…
EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR TO BE ESTABLISHED
COMPANIES and citizens defrauding European Union (EU) revenue collection (including customs duties and cross-border VAT fraud) and spending programmes, may from 2020 face direct criminal proceedings brought by a European Public Prosecutor. The EU Council of Ministers has approved establishing this new institution in 20 of the 28 EU member states – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia.…
LOW LEVELS OF AFRICA TAX TAKE DEMONSTRATED BY OECD
DATA has been released by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) that shows how African governments collect less tax as a proportion of their countries’ wealth than in Latin America and the Caribbean. Africa’s average 2015 tax-to-GDP ratio was 19.1%; compared to 22.8% in Latin America/Caribbean and 34.3% for the 35 richer countries within the OECD.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR TO BE ESTABLISHED
COMPANIES and citizens defrauding European Union (EU) revenue collection (including
customs duties and cross-border VAT fraud) and spending programmes, may from 2020 face
direct criminal proceedings brought by a European Public Prosecutor (EPPO). The EU
Council of Ministers has approved establishing this new institution in 20 of the 28 EU
member states – Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia,
Germany, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal,
Romania, Slovenia and Slovakia.…
EUROPOL IN BIGGEST HIT EVER AGAINST ONLINE PIRACY
International police agency Interpol and its European Union (EU) counterpart Europol have
announced what they say is the biggest hit ever against online piracy with law enforcers
taking down more than 20,500 websites selling counterfeit goods seized in 26 countries.
Participating countries were Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Britain,
Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland,
Italy, Latvia, Moldova, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Ukraine, the USA
and China special administrative region Hong Kong.…
RUSSIA WIDENS MEAT IMPORT BAN FROM WESTERN EXPORTERS
THE RUSSIAN government has expanded the range of meat and livestock imports that it is blocking from the USA and the European Union (EU) and other associated countries who have been imposing sanctions on Moscow over its annexation of the Crimea and support for Ukraine separatists.…
LAOS OFF TO A LATE START TO ESTABLISH ADEQUATE AML CONTROLS
LAOS, or the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), with its population of just 7 million, is the least developed member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and a communist one-party state where corruption is rampant and transparency scarce. …
SINGAPORE ADOPTS WHOLE-GOVERNMENT APPROACH TO FIGHT MONEY LAUNDERING
IT is no surprise that Singapore has a significant exposure to money laundering and terrorist finance. It is one of the world’s largest financial centres, a major free-trade hub and has neighbours where corruption and Islamic extremist insurgent groups remain are real threats.…
NEW WAVE OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP GATHERING PACE WITH MONEY NO LONGER SOLE MOTIVATION FOR STAFF
COMMERCIAL motivation coupled with a desire to make a difference in people’s lives is driving a new wave of social entrepreneurs in Singapore.
While social enterprise start-ups in Asia have traditionally been non-profit non-government organisations (NGOs), the new trend is for tech-savvy millennials to launch innovative and profitable, but also socially-inclusive projects.…
SOMALIA’S INDUSTRIAL MINERALS SECTOR FACES HUGE CHALLENGES – BUT THE RESOURCE POTENTIAL IS SIGNIFICANT
Industrial minerals experts in Somalia are calling for the passage of laws to guide exploration and mining for the sector, now that the country is at last moving towards stability after decades of civil war.
There is a consensus that Somalia has huge potential for producing industrial minerals, that could help re-establish the country’s economy.…
PUTTING ON A BRAVE FACE – JAPAN’S COATINGS SECTOR INVESTS ABROAD AS DOMESTIC SALES FACE DECLINE
JAPAN’S paint and coatings sector is putting on a positive face and playing up overseas expansion efforts, as well as its traditional strength in innovation, but analysts are concerned about the longer-term outlook for domestic companies.
Sales of paint in Japan came to Japanese Yen JPY 675 billion (USD6.10 billion) in 2016, a marginal increase of around 1% on the previous year’s figure, according to the Japan Paint Manufacturers Association.…
NO END IN SIGN FOR PHILIPPINES’ STRUGGLE WITH AML
AFTER it was discovered in February 2016 that Chinese cybercriminals had used the Philippines banking system and local casinos to launder USD81 million of the USD101 million they had stolen from the Bangladesh central bank (the Bangladesh Bank), Filipino officials vowed to strengthen anti-money laundering (AML) controls.…
RUSSIA PLANS TO INCREASE TIN PRODUCTION BY 10 TIMES
RUSSIA plans to become one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of tin in the coming years, expected to take place through the investment of up to USD250 million developing some of the country’s largest tin fields.
According to officials at Russia’s energy ministry, some of these funds will be provided directly by the state, with the remainder allocated by private investors, who will be responsible for the implementation of the project.…
NO MAJOR EVIDENCE THAT FOOD AND DRINK COMPANIES SHIRT CHANGER EASTERN EUROPE ON TASTE – BUT REPUTATIONS ARE RISKED ANYWAY
EASTERN and central European food consumers have often complained that international branded food tastes worse in their countries than in western Europe – even when comparing the same brands in similar packaging.
But the question is whether these grumbles are effectively urban myths – or if there is evidence suggesting that these differences are real.…
END OF EU INQUIRY AGAINST JAGUAR LAND ROVER'S FACTORY IN SLOVAKIA STILL AWAITED
THE BURGEONING automotive manufacturing sector of central Europe’s Slovakia is paying close attention to an inquiry by the European Union (EU) executive, the European Commission, into how its government supports the sector. The upcoming decision by the Commission, which has powers to ensure national governments do not distort the EU’s single market by subsidising local industrial champions, could have significant implication for the future of Slovakia’s auto sector.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION SAYS NO CAUSE FOR ALARM OVER EASTERN EUROPE DOUBLE STANDARDS - FOR NOW
THE EUROPEAN Commission has concluded “for the moment” it has no evidence of any significant differences in quality of the same branded food products, including meat, dairy products and chocolate, sold in eastern European member states than those sold elsewhere in the European Union (EU).…
NEW SERBIA MEAT QUALITY LABEL WILL BOOST QUALITY AND SALES, SAYS INDUSTRY LEADER
THE PRESIDENT of a key Serbian meat industry association has told GlobalMeatNews that a new meat quality label will help raise standards among her country’s manufacturers and processors, boosting sales at home and abroad.
Tamara Penjić, the president of the Serbian Meat Quality Label Association, said the label will “contribute to the strengthening of export potential and the opening of new markets”.…
MIDDLE CLASS STILL DRIVING DEMAND FOR DEODORANTS IN KENYA
THE EVER-intensifying skyline of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital city, illustrates the rapid economic growth of this equatorial East African country, and its growing workforce is increasingly keen to buy deodorants to keep them dry and comfortable in the office and outside.
An increased focus on banking, industry, manufacturing and construction have raised the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 5.3% year-on-year in 2014 and 5.6% in 2015 (Deloitte Economic Outlook 2016).…
IRISH FARMERS MUST PREPARE CONTINGENCIES AGAINST MAJOR THREAT POSED BY BREXIT, SAY EXPERTS
WITH the UK having triggered Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, starting the two-year countdown to its exit from the EU, maybe no group outside the UK has more at stake than Irish farmers.
“Brexit presents the most serious threat to Irish farming and our agri-food sector in the history of the state.…
DUTCH POULTRY HATCHING FIRM PLOTS MOVE INTO RUSSIA
THE NETHERLANDS-based Hendrix Genetics plans to build a complex producing hatching eggs for turkey chicks in Russia this year, according to the Russian ministry of agriculture.
Ina report, it has said the new complex will be able to produce 6.5 million hatching eggs per year, and the potential to increase volumes in future.…
‘TAX INSPECTORS WITHOUT BORDERS’ SEND EXPERTS TO HELP DEVELOPING COUNTRIES BOOST TAX TAKES
Demand is growing for a major international programme designed to support developing countries build up their tax audit capacity and – critically – the funding is there to meet that need. Launched as a joint initiative of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in July 2015 after an initial pilot phase, Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) sees tax experts work side-by-side with local officials in developing and emerging markets.…
PROPOSED CHANGE IN TUNISIA EXAMS TO BE JUDGES ERUPTS INTO STUDENT UNREST
The Tunisian’s government decision to overhaul the system of educating and examining law students wishing to become judges has sparked widespread student dissent. Students have been boycotting exams and classes, while staging protests and demonstrations – actions that are ongoing, although a partial retreat by the government has mollified some protestors.…
DEMAND FOR NON-WOVENS INCREASING IN MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA, BUT LOCAL PRODUCTION CAN BE LACKING
THE MIDDLE East and Africa is certainly a promising regional market for nonwovens manufacturers, given the high level of economic growth in many countries and the rise of consumer-culture focused middle classes. But companies need to be sophisticated in their investment and sales tactics given the immense variety of economic and social fortunes experienced by countries in this most diverse region.…
RUSSIA GOVERNMENT PLOTS BOOST TO RARE EARTHS PRODUCTION
The Russian government has told Industrial Minerals of its plans to help boost rare earth element (REE) production across Russia in upcoming years.
The government is initially setting aside USD350 million for direct and indirect support for the sector, said an official at the ministry of industry and trade.…
RUSSIA PLANS TO RESUME DEVELOPMENT OF COUNTRY’S LARGEST TUNGSTEN FIELD NEXT YEAR
The volume of tungsten production in Russia will be significantly increased during the next several years, due the planned development of the Tyrnyauz field, Russia’s largest tungsten and molybdenum reserve, which is located in the Kabardino-Balkar Republic of the country, north of the border with Georgia.…
INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL ROUND UP – EUROPE ANTI-CARTEL POWERS BOOSTED
EU PROPOSES BOOSTING ANTICARTEL POWERS OF NATIONAL EUROPEAN COMPETITION AUTHORITIES
A DIRECTIVE has been proposed by the European Commission that would ensure that national competition authorities across the European Union (EU) have a minimum level of powers enabling them to enforce EU antitrust laws.…
REGULATORS START TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE CONTROLS FOR VIRTUAL CURRENCIES
With the value of Bitcoin skyrocketing over the past year, up from USD525 per Bitcoin last August to USD1,200 in mid-April, with one unit now being able to buy an ounce of gold, finding ways to efficiently regulate decentralised and independent virtual currencies (VCs) has become a top priority among governments and regulators worldwide.…
EUROPEAN WIPES MARKET COMPLEX – WITH GROWTH AND DECLINE AS ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS GROW
THE EUROPEAN wipes market is a complex affair. This is a varied segment, in itself, but wipe use varies between countries with contrasting consumer cultures – meaning that in some states, wipes sales are increasing; in others decreasing; and in others, the kinds of wipes being sold is changing.…
MEXICO REFORMS AML EFFORTS – BUT VAST SUMS OF DIRTY MONEY STILL SLIP THROUGH REGULATORY CONTROLS
DESPITE significant progress in tightening anti-money laundering (AML) controls within Mexico, and significant progress in fighting the country’s notoriously violent drug traffickers, the fact is that the amount of dirty money laundered in the country remains eye-wateringly high. Despite headline grabbing events such as the arrest and extradition to the USA (in January) of key players like Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán – leader of the Sinaloa cartel, underlying problems in Mexican AML policy remain, including budget cuts to AML-related law enforcement and concerns over a weakening of US-Mexico law enforcement cooperation following the election of President Donald Trump amidst anti-Mexican rhetoric.…
DIAMOND INDUSTRY REMAINS TOUGH SECTOR FOR MONEY LAUNDERING CONTROLS
THE DIAMOND trade is still one of money launderers’ best friends due the precious stone’s high value to mass ratio, akin to the highest value banknotes that can be obtained. Indeed, it is maybe harder to trace diamonds than numbered banknotes, there is no reliable means by which the point of origin of a particular diamond can be ascertained just by examining it.…
AUTOMAKERS ESCAPE MANDATORY EU CONFLICT MINERALS DUE DILIGENCE RULES
Europe’s automakers have escaped a mandatory European Union (EU) due diligence requirement for using so-called conflict minerals sourced from parts of the world that suffer from armed and civil strife. There had been significant concern about the impact on the auto sector of a law designed to prevent money raised from sales of tin, tungsten, tantalum and gold – the so-called 3TG minerals – from entering the pockets of warlords and violent rebels.…
THE EU AND GAZPROM ON THE WAY TO AGREE, AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
The European Commission and the Russian giant Gazprom have moved closer to striking a deal over the company’s competitive behavior in the European Union (EU). On Monday (March 13), the EU competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager invited all interested parties to comment on Gazprom commitments to address concerns that the company is breaking EU anti-trust rules.…
SMART NONWOVENS PRODUCERS WILL DIVERSIFY QUALITY PRODICT LINES, CONFERECE HEARS
THE MARKET for nonwovens for the automotive industry is forecast to continue to grow with China being the driving force, but clever producers will diversify their product lines to include filters, experts at a Nonwovens for High-performance Applications conference in Prague, have heard.…
EU TO REQUIRE DUE DILIGENCE CHECKS FOR CONFLICT MINERALS
The European Union (EU) is to require companies importing certain minerals to carry out ‘due diligence’ checks on their suppliers to ensure they are not funding conflict or human rights violations, under a draft regulation approved in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today (March 16). …
EU MEMBER STATES CLEAR WAY FORWARD TO CREATE EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR – BUT MAYBE JUST FOR 17 MEMBER STATES
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has taken a significant step towards the creation of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), but its chosen procedure may mean the powers of EU anti-fraud office OLAF will be undiminished, at least for some countries.
The latest European Council – the EU summit of heads of government – on March 9 agreed that the creation of the EPPO should be mandated through the EU’s ‘enhanced cooperation’ procedure.…
NEW EUROPEAN PERSONAL PENSION WILL OFFER EU CITIZENS PRIVATE FINANCE PORTABILITY, SAY EXPERTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s plans to create a pan-European personal pension (PEPP), on which a legislative proposal is expected by summer 2017, will help the self-employed and facilitate the growing mobility of workers across the European Union (EU), experts have told Accounting & Business.…
KENYA PAINT MARKET AND INDUSTRY GROWING INTI KEY EAST AFRICAN HUB
KENYA has long been regarded as east Africa’s economic powerhouse, with residential and industrial construction boosting sales of paints and coatings – and for now there seems to be no halt in this progress. Indeed, the last World Bank assessment of growth in this 45 million people country was that GDP rose by 5.6% in 2015.…
EUROPE’S TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR GROW THROUGH INNOVATION
THE CONTINUED success of Europe’ major technical textile fair, Techtextil, Frankfurt, (the next event runs from May 9 to 12) illustrates how the continent’s technical textile sector is thriving on its innovation.
“We don’t know what the future brings. We only know where it will be exhibited.…
AGEING NUCLEAR WORKFORCE CAN BE REJUVENATED SUSTAINABLY WITH HELP OF GETI DATE
KEY MESSAGES
*The nuclear industry has an ageing staff and needs to recruit new professionals as they retire
*Its strong health and retirement benefits packages could help it attract the new staff it needs
*The nuclear industry outside north America has a strong expat component, making it easier for recruit staff from abroad
INTRODUCTION
The nuclear industry sector is facing some significant human resources challenges, but new research carried out by Airswift and Energy Jobline indicates that the nuclear sector can still compete for talent.…
EXPERTS URGE MORE GULF STATE ACTION TO CURB TERRORIST FINANCING
Terrorist financing is continuing in the Middle East, highlighted by the devastating attack in Istanbul over the new year. Radical Islamic groups still operate in Iraq and Syria, notably the Islamic State and the Levant, or ISIL (also known as ISIS), and the source of funding for these terrorist groups is a contentious issue.…
CUBAN CIGAR SECTOR FACES POTENTIAL EXPORT BOOM TO THE USA, BUT SCALING-UP PRODUCTION MAY BE TOUGH
The gradual opening up of trade relations between Cuba and the United States has sparked a raft of bold predictions about how Cuban cigars are poised to sweep into the US premium cigar market. However, Cuban producers will have to navigate several serious obstacles if they are to lay claim to a significant market share, not the least the potential rolling back of détente by the Trump administration in Washington DC – at present a question being asked by many cigar traders.…
EXPERTS URGE MORE GULF STATE ACTION TO CURB TERRORIST FINANCING
Arab Gulf governments are repeatedly accused of aiding terrorist financing on and, more often, off the record. Calls to get tough on these states have been sidelined by political and economic expediency, while Gulf moves to curb terrorist financing have been lacklustre and there may be risks ahead, reports Paul Cochrane, in Beirut.…
EU XP-DITE PROJECT LEADS TO FIRST DUAL PRE-CLEARANCE AIRPORT CHECKPOINT
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) XP-DITE accelerated checkpoint design integration test and evaluation project has enabled the creation and approval of the world’s first combined EU and United States pre-clearance checkpoint. Its goal is to create a regulatory system that gives the designers and operators of airport checkpoints more freedom to choose how they build and run these systems, making them more effective and maybe cheaper, but at the same time guaranteeing a high level of security.…
EASTERN EUROPE’S SLOW BUT STEADY GROWTH A WORLD AWAY FROM POST-COMMUNIST GROWTH HEYDAY
MANY personal care product markets in eastern and central Europe are growing slowly, with incremental growth being tapped especially by major international brands who have squeezed out local players with their solid pricing and reliable quality.
But with natural cosmetics rising in popularity, there is still space for innovative smaller players with sufficient local roots and knowhow to appeal to consumers in what remains an extremely diverse region in terms of culture and consumer habits.…
EASTERN EUROPE’S SLOW BUT STEADY GROWTH A WORLD AWAY FROM POST-COMMUNIST GROWTH HEYDAY
MANY personal care product markets in eastern and central Europe are growing slowly, with incremental growth being tapped especially by major international brands who have squeezed out local players with their solid pricing and reliable quality.
But with natural cosmetics rising in popularity, there is still space for innovative smaller players with sufficient local roots and knowhow to appeal to consumers in what remains an extremely diverse region in terms of culture and consumer habits.…
EU MEMBER STATES BACK NEW PARTICULATES MEASURING RULES FOR PETROL CARS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) governments have agreed proposed regulations that will introduce, from September 2018, new real-world emissions (RWE) tests to measure the number of particles emitted from modern petrol engines under actual road driving conditions. The decision is the third in a series of technical test models approved by the EU, as it mandates how auto manufacturers move away from relying on laboratory tests of emissions, which sometimes do not reflect what pollution is emitted from tailpipes on roads.…
CLOTHING SECTOR GLOBAL REVIEW OF THE YEAR – 2016
2016 – Winners and losers
RETAILERS & BRANDS
WINNERS
US-based sportswear brand Under Armour delivered its 26th consecutive quarter of 20%-plus revenue growth in the third quarter of 2016, with sales increases across all divisions. Net sales were up 22% in the third quarter to USD1.47bn.…
EUROPE CONTINUES TO EXPAND ENERGY PRICE PLAN CHOICES
WHILE Japan has freed up its electricity market, in 2015, end-user price regulation was still applied to household electricity markets in 12 European Union (EU) member states (46% of electricity and 54% of gas price offers from different service providers), Europe’s electricity industry association Eurelectric spokesperson Anamaria Olaru told Energy World.…
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA SKINCARE MARKETS
ONE of the wealthiest countries in the world, Qatar’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita was estimated at USD73,653 in 2015, according to the World Bank. Close to 85% of the country’s 2.5 million population are expatriates and this has influenced the skincare products on offer, while high levels of disposable income continue to drive consumption.…
NATIVE CANADIAN COMMUNITIES LOOK TO HOME-GROWN TOBACCO REGULATION TO CONTEST CONTRABAND CLAIMS
TOBACCO has been grown, processed, smoked and traded within and between native Canadian and American communities for centuries, so it is no surprise that attempts to restrict how their reserves and reservations make and sell tobacco cause upset.
But in Canada, with tobacco control rules on health warnings, advertising and tobacco content in these First Nations jurisdictions often weak or non-existent, and tax and duty not collected on sales, there has been pressure on the federal and provincial government to crack down on what police and anti-tobacco campaigners regard as a legal free-for-all.…
EU PUSHES FOR MORE CONTROLS ON TATTOO INKS
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is investigating if European Union (EU)-wide controls are needed to protect consumers against substances used in tattoo inks and permanent make-up (PMU) – with one solution expanding the scope of the EU cosmetics directive.
While the printing ink industry has suffered a recession, the tattoo and PMU ink sectors are booming in the wake of a huge increase in purchases of tattoos EU-wide.…
IRAN’S ROSE WATER INDUSTRY EXPORT INDUSTRY SET TO GROW
IRAN’S rose water export sector is facing the potential for rapid expansion now that the country can trade freely globally after the bulk of international banking and economic sanctions imposed over the Iranian nuclear programme were lifted this January (2016).…
HEALTH OF TURKISH MARKET FOR PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS AND COSMETICS MARKET UNCLEAR AS POST-COUP ATTEMPT INSTABILITY CONTINUES
With the country in political turmoil following an attempted coup in the summer and a subsequent economic downturn, the current situation in Turkey is having a negative impact on spending, particularly on luxury items including personal care and pampering products. Consumers, instead, are tending to stock up on essential items such as basic foodstuffs as concerns about the present crisis continue, but personal care products, especially higher end lines, are a lower priority for consumers.…
IRELAND STILL STRUGGLE WITH PARAMILITARY-LINKED MONEY LAUNDERING
As the Northern Ireland government lurched from crisis to political crisis in recent years there has been less focus on the rivers of dirty money flowing through and out of the province, the results of criminal enterprises run by Ulster’s paramilitaries.…
MAJOR TELCOS UNHAPPY WITH NEW NET NEUTRALITY GUIDELINES, WHILE WEB CAMPAIGNERS HAIL BEREC GUIDANCE AS EFFECTIVE PROTECTION
JUDGING by the initial responses to the final guidance on net neutrality released on August 30 by European regulators group BEREC, these new rules are too restrictive for the taste of telecoms companies, and will hinder commercial progress. Free internet campaigners, however, are happy – regarding the new system as an effective protection against the privatisation and Balkanisation of the web.…
COMMISSION’S AID PACKAGE WILL NOT COMBAT DAIRY WOES, CHARGES INDUSTRY
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s latest EUR500 million support package for European farmers, finalised at an August 26 European Union (EU) committee in Brussels, will not ease the dairy crisis, European dairy groups have warned.
“Production cuts is the label used to describe the current package of measures,” said the EU farm lobby group European Milk Board (EMB)’s president Romuald Schaber following the initial announcement of the plans in July.…
IRELAND ACCOUNTANTS SHOULD PLAN FOR SUCCESSION AS MUCH AS TAX FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
With the Irish government focused on attracting multinationals to the Republic of Ireland, it is often overlooked that Irish family businesses remain resilient.
Indeed some of the best known names in Irish business started out small and private. Ryanair was launched by the Ryan family of county Tipperary.…
CAMEROON ACCOUNTANTS NEED TO GET CLOSELY INVOLVED WITH CLIENTS’ BUSINESSES TO SUCCEED
LAWRENCE Agbor Abunaw had set his sights on the banking sector as an economics undergraduate student at the UK’s University of Leicester more than two decades ago. But a career orientation fair and meeting a headhunter changed the Cameroonian’s goals and led to joining the accountancy profession in May 1993 with PwC France, before returning to his country of birth Cameroon for eight years.…
OEM SUPPLIERS INNOVATE TO REDUCE AUTO INTERIOR NOISE
SUPPLIERS to auto manufacturers are releasing increasingly innovative technology to help brands reduce interior noise in their vehicles.
Luxembourg-based automotive interiors supplier International Automotive Components (IAC) Group, for instance, is expanding its operations to produce lightweight injection molded inner dash insulation that enhances interior acoustical performance.…
USA LAUNCHES WTO PROCEEDINGS AGAINST CHINA OVER METAL EXPORT DUTIES
The United States has launched World Trade Organisation (WTO) disputes proceedings against China, alleging that it breaches global trading rules by imposing export duties on certain non-ferrous metals sold to America. The US claims these range between 5% and 20%, and are levied on exports of antimony, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesia, tantalum and tin.…
UK FOOD COMPANIES EXPORTING TO EU FACE RISKS OF PAYING DUTIES IF BREXIT FOLLOWED THROUGH
Branded food manufacturers based in Britain face a risk that their exports to the European Union (EU) will attract duties now the UK government has confirmed it will push ahead with leaving the EU following the June 23 Brexit referendum result.…
COSMETICS MARKET IN MYANMAR STARTING TO TAKE OFF
Liberalising Myanmar’s cosmetics market is expected to grow significantly in coming years as it has one of south-east Asia’s largest populations (53 million people) and a growing middle class. However, however consumer sophistication and spending power remains low compared with many countries in the region – its 2014 gross national income per head was USD1,280, according to the World Bank.…
CONFECTIONERY SECTOR PUSHES TO BOOST SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS
HAVING a strong reputation for sustainable practice is increasingly a strong marketing card, for the confectionery sector as much as any other consumer industry. But with its extended international supply chains, demonstrating a high regard for environmental good practice is not always easy for the confectionery sector.…
FRANCE COMPANY BOARDS TO SECURE MORE INDEPENDENCE FOLLOWING UPCOMING LABOUR REFORM
FRANCE is in the midst of reforming its often tough labour laws, in the teeth of opposition of unions who are usually backers of the country’s socialist government. The reform, commonly called the ‘El Khomri law‘ after the French labour minister Myriam El Khomri, will receive be debated and voted upon (and probably amended) at the National Assembly between July 5-8.…
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT COMPANIES EMPLOY CLARITY AND ORIGINAL ART WORK TO MAXIMISE DESIGN DIFFERENTIATION
COSMETICS and personal care product labelling and decoration continues to play a key role in differentiating brands on the shelf and creating an experience for the consumer. While many companies are moving towards more simple, clean looks, other higher-end brands still prefer eye-catching, metallic designs.…
EUROPE’S NONWOVENS SECTOR THRIVES AS CONTINENT’S ECONOMY STAGNATES
THE EUROPEAN nonwovens industry has been pushing ahead, maintaining consistent growth above increases in GDP for the whole economy, increasing its international collaboration, and the successfully exploring new markets. And while it is rarely prudent to make anything more than short-term predictions about cost and tariff problems, such difficulties faced by the European nonwovens sector seem have been pushed into the background. …
USTR REPORT COMPLAINS OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INFRINGEMENTS IN PHARMA SECTOR
THE UNITED States Trade Representative (USTR) has highlighted its continuing concern about intellectual property rights violations in the pharma sector, citing claims that 20% of medicines sold in India are fakes.
In its annual ‘Special 301 Report’, the USTR said it notes “its particular concern with the proliferation of counterfeit pharmaceuticals that are manufactured, sold, and distributed in trading partners such as Brazil, China, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Peru, and Russia.”…
ROMA GROUP CALLS ON EU TO END SUBSIDIES TO CONCENTRATION CAMP SITE PIG FARM
A CAMPAIGN group backing the rights of Roma people in the Czech Republic has called on the European Union (EU) to halt paying subsidies to a pig farm that operates on the site of a former Nazi concentration camp where Roma died during the Second World War.…
BREXIT COULD MEAN GREATER TAX COMPLEXITIES FOR IRELAND
SHOULD the United Kingdom (UK) elect to exit the European Union (EU) in the referendum on June 23rd [CHECKED], the tax impact on Ireland would be considerable, claimed managing director at Hughes Blake, a leading chartered accountants firm in Dublin.…
NORTH AMERICAN NONWOVENS SECTOR LEAPS AHEAD IN SALES AND PRODUCTION
In 2015, North America’s manufacturing capacity for nonwovens (regarding the United States, Canada and Mexico) grew from 2014 by 2.4% to reach about 2.77 million tonnes, according to a spokesperson for the US-based Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA). The United States dominates supplies in the region, making up 91% of capacity.…
EU SERVICES PASSPORT TO BE PROPOSED
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced that it will propose a ‘services passport’ system by December 31, designed to simplify administrative procedures for service providers, such as accountants, auditors and bookkeepers, who want to expand to foreign member states. EU internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “The cross-border provision of services in the EU is underdeveloped, in particular in the area of business services – such as accounting…” The passport system would give accountants more information, boosting legal certainty and clarity about relevant professional rules in another member state.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – INDONESIA AND EU WILL COMBINE EFFORTS TO MAKE PALM OIL SUSTAINABLE
EUROPEAN confectionery manufacturers and the Indonesian government have agreed that they need to work together to ensure that 100% of all palm oil is made sustainably in future. At an April debate hosted at the European Parliament by British conservative MEP Julie Girling, Indonesia’s ambassador to the European Union (EU) Yuri Thamrin said: “We are ready to consider good cooperation projects with our partners in Europe to attain 100% sustainable palm oil and overcome all impediments.”…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION COSTS POTENTIAL NUCLEAR ENERGY INVESTMENT; PROMISES TO PROTECT DIVERSITY IN FUEL SUPPLY
A COST of maintaining nuclear generation capacity of between 95 GWe and 105GWe in the European Union (EU) until 2050 and beyond will cost between EUR350 and EUR450 billion over the next 35 years, the European Commission has concluded. (That is between USD398 billion and USD511 billion at current exchange rates).…
CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE PAINT MARKET AND INDUSTRY POSTS UNEVEN PERFORMANCE AS ECONOMIC RECOVERY BEDS IN
MULTI-COUNTRY regions such as eastern Europe do not always follow the same script when it comes to market performance. Sometimes, when major events happen, such as the global financial crisis, it is difficult for national coatings markets to buck the trend, but with the recovery now established, weakening economic headwinds, the latent differences between national markets can become clear.…
BRUSSELS MAKES FIRST CONNECTING EUROPE CALL FOR PROPOSALS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has made its first formal call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), to help finance key European Union (EU) energy infrastructure projects. In this round of subsidies, EUR200 million will be made available for projects designed to eliminate structural bottlenecks impeding the flow of energy between EU countries.…
RUSSIAN ENERGY MERGERS PROCEED, BUT MOTIVES ARE SOMETIMES MURKY
The world of mergers and acquisitions in the Russian oil and gas sector can sometimes be as opaque as a matryoshka doll: political interference and considerations are often almost as important as business ones; and takeovers can fall through at the last moment, even as parts of the Russian state’s energy holdings discuss mergers with private national players.…
GRANTING MES TO CHINA WOULD CAUSE ECONOMIC DEVASTATION, WARNS STEEL INDUSTRY
The steel industry has again told European Union (EU) officials is opposes giving ‘market economy status’ (MES) to China, arguing this would weaken EU anti-dumping measures. Industry representatives raised their concerns at yesterday’s (April 5) public hearing at the EU European Economic and Social Committee, in Brussels.…
ŠKODA PLANS TO DOUBLE SALES IN CHINA WITH USD2 BILLION JOINT VENTURE INVESTMENT
Czech automobile manufacturer Škoda Auto, the subsidiary of Germany’s Volkswagen, plans to strengthen its position in the Chinese market, through a planned EUR2 billion investment over five years in the Shanghai-based SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd.
The manufacturer is betting on the Chinese market in the future, Škoda China president Andreas Hafemann told wardsauto, saying the company wanted to double its China sales following the deal.…
EU SECURITY STRATEGY BOOSTS SAFETY AT EUROPEAN AIRPORTS, INDUSTRY AND REGULATORS AGREE
The attack at Brussels Zaventem airport will spark new discussions on the security of landside facilities at European airports as the European Union rolls out reforms from its European Agenda on Security Strategy (EASS).
It was launched last April (2015), and was the latest in a series of security policy developments undertaken by the EU since the September 11 attacks on the USA.…
CENTRAL AMERICA MARKET REPORT
MEXICO and central America are often regarding as manufacturing centres for the USA, the world’s largest personal care product country. And while it remains true that brands take advantage of lower costs in these countries to make competitive exports, Mexico (population 122 million) and the seven countries of central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama – population 45 million) are significant markets in their own right.…
AIRLESS PACKAGING GIVES BRANDS CUTTING EDGE IN GLOBAL MARKET COMPETITIVENESS
Airless packaging producers around the world are increasingly giving brands a cutting edge in market competitiveness – the technology is spreading in North America, Asia and Europe, although it is struggling to find footholds in Latin America.
In the most mature airless packaging markets within north America and Europe, companies have introduced innovations combining airless technology’s protection of product with extra features that allow, for example, more precise application and help brands with customisation.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU SUGAR INDUSTRY WANTS GLOBAL AGREEMENT LIMITING SUBSIDIES
THE EUROPEAN Association of Sugar Producers (CEFS) and the European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors (EFFAT) have called for the European Union (EU) to push for a global agreement ending all subsidies and other trade-distorting policies affecting the sugar sector.…
CHINA’S ANTI-GRAFT CAMPAIGN NETS SENIOR LEADERS, BUT ‘RED ARISTOCRACY’ REMAINS UNSCATHED
China’s leaders are fond of aphorisms and extended metaphors, the pithier the better. Witness Mao Zedong’s ‘Hundred Flowers’ movement in 1956, which encouraged citizens to express their criticism of the communist party, and Deng Xiaoping’s much-quoted ‘To Get Rich is Glorious’.…
FRONTIER SOURCING – NEW MANUFACTURING HUBS OFFER INCREASINGLY RELIABLE SERVICE.
Regardless of the debate about whether China is losing its shine as a clothing source, brands will always be looking for a competitive edge in new manufacturing hubs.
Myanmar’s low wage garments sector, for instance, is poised for rapid growth. The country’s first democratically elected government in 50 years is set to assume power in April and several reforms have already been made to bolster the country’s appeal as a sourcing destination for international clothing brands.…
RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES RARE EARTH EXPANSION PROGRAMME
The Russian government has approved a proposed state programme targeting a significant increase in the domestic production of rare-earth elements (REE) by 2020. The news was announced by a spokesman for Denis Manturov, Russia’s minister of industry and trade, whose ministry oversees the development of REE.…
DEEP EU SPLITS OVER CONFLICT MINERAL MONITORING SCHEME
The European Union (EU) is struggling to resolve deep political divisions over whether a future diligence scheme to prevent conflict minerals hitting Europe’s shores should be mandatory or voluntary and over the influence that industry should have on the system’s operation. …
EUROPE’S ALUMINIUM SECTOR COULD BE KILLED OFF BY WEAKENING EU ANTI-DUMPING SYSTEM – CONFERENCE TOLD
A major European trade union executive has warned a European Commission conference that Europe’s aluminium and steel industries could disappear if the European Union (EU) gives China ‘market economy status’ (MES) within its anti-dumping calculations.
Bart Samyn, deputy secretary general of industriALL, gave a stark warning claiming that “if the EU grants MES to countries such as China, this could kill a number of industries we have here in Europe”.…
IRAN’S NON-FERROUS METAL SECTOR POISED FOR GROWTH AS SANCTIONS TUMBLE
The easing of international commercial sanctions against Iran is likely to boost both the country’s exports of non-ferrous metals and ores, well as foreign investment in the sector.
The Iranian Mines and Mining Industries Development and Renovation Organisation (IMIDRO) is the key government agency boosting this work and it announced on March 14 that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the China’s Sinosteel Corporation to establish an alumina production plant and aluminium factory in Iran, along with an associated power plant supplying on-site electricity.…
Nuclear deal may have swept away many sanctions, but Iran struggles to mesh with global financial system
The Islamic Republic of Iran has had to deal with financial sanctions imposed by the United States following the revolution in 1979, and then ramped up during the Bill Clinton and George W Bush administrations. But it was the multilateral financial sanctions imposed by United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs) and the European Union (EU) from 2007 onwards, and particularly in 2011, that hit Iran even harder, further narrowing an already limited window to operate financially in international terms.…
WILDLIFE CRIME INCREASINGLY RUN BY INTERNATIONAL ORGANISED CRIMINAL NETWORKS
An unprecedented spike in rhino poaching has not only threatened the existence of the charismatic species but also shone a spotlight on the highly organised criminal networks responsible. Wildlife crime is no longer seen as victimless or offering little reward but authorities are fighting back with some innovative tactics, reports Mark Rowe. …
DRC STUDENTS FOCUS OF POLITICAL OPPOSITION AS CRUCIAL PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION LOOMS
Activists in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are locked in a battle with President Joseph Kabila’s administration over what they are describing as an attempt to extend his mandate beyond the official end of his second – and final – term in November.…
NUCLEAR DEAL MAY HAVE SWEPT AWAY MANY SANCTIONS, BUT IRAN STRUGGLES TO MESH WITH GLOBAL FINANCIAL SYSTEM
Following the international agreement limiting its nuclear power ambitions, Iran is essentially open for business. However, certain US sanctions remain in place, adding to Western banks’ caution in dealing with Iran, long a pariah to global investors and bankers. Indeed, the biggest challenge will be reintegrating Iran’s financial institutions back into the international system after their years’ long experience of dealing with, and circumventing, sanctions.…
HONG KONG AND MACAO MAY BAN MONEY LAUNDERING, BUT ENFORCEMENT OF LAWS IS UNEVEN
Back in March 2014, a Hong Kong businessman named Joseph Lau Luen-hung was sentenced in absentia to five years and three months in prison by Macau’s Court of First Instance.
Lau had been found guilty, along with along with fellow businessman Steven Lo Kit-sing, of money laundering and paying a Hong Kong dollars HKD20 million (USD2.5 million) bribe to Macau’s former secretary of public works, Ao Man Long, who is himself serving a 27-year jail term (for bribery charges).…
IRAN DEVELOPS AIRPORT EXPANSION PLANS FOR A POST-SANCTIONS WORLD
With multilateral sanctions against Iran being eased as a result of its agreement over limiting its nuclear industry ambitions, the country is slated to invest up to USD10 billion on its airports, expecting a surge in tourists and passenger traffic. But while projects are being announced, no tenders have yet been inked, reflecting its government and potential bidders need for greater clarity in remaining sanctions regime.…
US PROSECUTERS SECURE FIRST CONVICTION FOR UN CORRUPTION
US prosecutors have secured their first conviction in a case involving widespread corruption at the United Nations. Last Thursday (January 14), Heidi Hong Piao, a Chinese-American national pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy, money laundering, bribery and failure to disclose foreign bank accounts to tax authorities.…
EU EYES WIDER REVERSE CHARGE MECHANISM TO BUST VAT FRAUD
The European Union (EU) could ease strict conditions allowing tax and customs authorities to use reverse charge mechanisms to collect VAT, whereby liability for payments is switched from customer to supplier, to prevent fraud. The EU Council of Ministers for finance (Ecofin) has called on the European Commission to pay due attention to such anti-fraud measures in preparing a policy paper (communication) on the future of the EU’s VAT system, due for publication in March.…
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR STRUGGLES TO MAINTAIN SALES IN UNSTABLE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
Five years since the start of the Arab uprisings in 2011, instability is still impacting cosmetics sales in the Levant and north Africa. Last year saw a slight improvement on overall sales in 2014, the year the Islamic State spread through northern Iraq and Syria, but figures are down on 2013, and the growth projected in 2010, according to figures from market researcher Euromonitor International and estimates from cosmetics companies.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR AND MARKET SHRUGS OFF STAGNATION
It has taken more than half a decade for the cosmetics markets of eastern Europe to finally shrug off a long-running period stagnation that has characterised the regional market. Two underlying features – the financial crisis of 2008 and the completion of multinational takeovers in the noughties that saturated these post-communist markets – lay behind the extended period of slow, low or non-existent growth.…
CHINA’S TWO-CHILD POLICY SHOULD BOOST BABY PERSONAL CARE SALES – BUT BY HOW MUCH?
PERSONAL care products expert are divided on the likely impact on the babycare and pregnancy market in China of the October decision by the Communist Party of China to replace the country’s 35-year-old one-child policy with a two-child policy.
The move effectively gives 90 million couples throughout the country the right to raise a second child, according to an estimation by the National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China.…
OPPOSITION GROWS IN EASTERN/CENTRAL EUROPE TO NORD STREAM EXPANSION PLAN
OPPOSITION is growing within eastern and central Europe to the plan to expand the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany. Gazprom, E.ON, BASF/Wintershall, OMV, ENGIE and Royal Dutch Shell have formed a consortium that would double the capacity of the current Nord Stream 1 and 2 line to 55 billion additional cubic metres of gas a year (bcm/y).…
UPDATE COPY - GAZPROM DROPS LITHUANIAN PRICE AFTER EU MARKET ABUSE CLAIMS
GAZPROM has agreed to drop gas prices charged to Lithuanian utility Lietuvos Dujos until the end of 2015 following European Commission charges of dominant position abuses in central and eastern European gas markets. The Russian giant is also now facing competition for cheaper liquid natural gas (LNG) supplies in Lithuania via the Klaipėda terminal on the Baltic Sea.…
ARGENTINA TAPS CHINA FOR NUCLEAR PLANTS – BUT DISCUSSIONS GO ON
A USD13 billion deal agreed by China to build two reactors for Argentina hinges entirely on the Chinese side putting up the financing, with a final arrangement on the cash deal to be inked in 2017. That’s according to sources in the Chinese nuclear industry.…
OECD REPORT COSTS HEALTH SPENDING IMPACT OF INCREASING ALCOHOL PRICES
AN ORGANISATION for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) report has said that increasing alcohol prices through taxes and minimum prices may help “tackle the heavy cost of harmful drinking”. The OECD’s ‘Tackling Harmful Alcohol Use Economics and Public Health Policy’ report added that initiatives tackling alcohol abuse promoted by the drinks industry may also be useful, but more independent evidence is needed before the OECD can make recommendations about their use.…
GAZPROM WILL FIGHT EU MARKET ABUSE CLAIMS
GAZPROM has declared that it will fight the European Commission inquiry into possible dominant position abuses, even though the Russian position could be weak. The European Commission sent Gazprom a ‘Statement of Objections’ on April 22, accusing the Russian energy giant of abusing its dominant position in central and eastern European gas markets, a charge the company denies.…
MATURE EUROPEAN NONWOVENS SECTOR GROWS THROUGH INNOVATION
THE ONWARD march of nonwovens production in Europe appears to be relentless, but the drivers behind it have changed in recent years. Early markets for disposable products have matured and levelled off in many countries and newer applications have taken up the slack.…
CENTRAL ASIAN REPUBLICS POSE CHALLENGES TO BEAUTY EXPORTERS, BUT MARKETS ARE GROWING
Of all the countries that made up the old Soviet Union, the central Asian republics have proved the slowest to open up to the outside world. For the personal care product industry, this represents opportunities, but also significant hurdles and barriers.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – BRUSSELS PROBES CARGILL-ADM CHOCOLATE DEAL
THE EUROPEAN Commission may block or impose conditions on a planned acquisition by US-based Cargill of the industrial chocolate business of its American rival Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). The European Union (EU) executive’s directorate general for competition has opened an in-depth investigation into the deal, to assess whether it could damage the availability of reasonably priced supplies of this key confectionery input.…
CHINESE AND MEXICAN MEAT SECTORS WELCOME NEW TRADE PERMITS RELEASED BY BEIJING
China’s approval of meat imports from eight Mexican production plants has been welcomed by the Mexican and Chinese meat sectors. According to reports from China’s ministry of commerce, six exporters given the green light produce pork meat: Sonora Agropecuaria, Frigorifico Agropecuaria Sonorense (slaughter facility), Frigorifico Agropecuaria Sonorense (packhouse), Frigorifico Kowi, Alimentos Grole, and Grupo Porcicola Mexicano.…
UK FAILING ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, FIDDLING THE COMPLIANCE FIGURES, NGO CLAIMS
The UK is lagging behind many other European Union (EU) member states when it comes to energy efficiency and is fiddling the figures to show it is making better progress than in reality, according to the latest report from the Brussels-based Coalition for Energy Savings.…
GERMAN-MADE CARS TOP THE EU CONSUMER DANGER LIST IN 2014
GERMAN-made automobiles were the largest source of reports regarding potentially dangerous motor vehicles made to the European Union’s (EU) RAPEX consumer alert network in 2014, analysis of its data shows.
There were 194 notifications to the system relating to automobiles and parts last year, the fourth largest category following toys (650), clothing and textiles (530) and electrical appliances (217).…
STRONG R&D FOCUS TO HELP TURKISH TECHNICAL TEXTILES REACH CENTENNIAL EXPORT GOALS
The Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporter Associations (ITKIB) told WTiN.com this week that research and development in high value technical textiles will be a key focus for the Turkish textile sector as it aims for an export target of USD 20 billion by 2023.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR BETTER EU FRAUD CHECKS
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s budgetary control committee has called for more thorough checks on European Union (EU) institution and budget spending. In a detailed resolution, it noted that while the value of EU frauds has been falling, the number of scams has been increasing.…
ITALY SEES LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL AS NATIONAL AIRPORT PLAN NEARS APPROVAL
Following 25 years of discussion and debate, the Italian government may soon agree a long-awaited National Plan on Airports, which will determine how and which airports will receive public funding for future infrastructure projects. The goal is to create a more integrated national airport network that will better connect Italy to major international and European air hubs.…
TAIPEI RETHINKS NEED FOR A DOWNTOWN AIRPORT
Right in the middle of Taiwan’s sprawling capital Taipei lies Taipei Songshan Airport, a 400-hectare facility launched by Taiwan’s erstwhile colonial master Japan in the 1930s. The airport is comprised of a civilian sector and an air force base, the civilian sector serving domestic flights, including to Taiwan’s outlying islands, as well as airports on several mainland Chinese cities, including Shanghai’s Pudong, in addition to Tokyo’s Haneda, Seoul’s Gimpo and Vietnam’s Tân Sơn Nhất airport, in Ho Chi Minh City.…
NEWLY APPROVED DAIMLER RUSSIAN TRUCK JOINT VENTURE SHOULD CUT COSTS IN TOUGH MARKET
DAIMLER has told wardsauto that its move to streamline its commercial vehicle operations in Russia will put the company on a sounder footing in this market that has been severely hit by the fall in oil prices and Western economic sanctions.…
SERBIAN TEXTILE EXPORTS TO RUSSIA RISE, AS EU TRADE RELATIONS WORSEN
TEXTILE exports from Serbia to Russia have been increasing, as European Union (EU) exports fall amidst the continuing diplomatic standoff between Brussels and Moscow over the Ukraine crisis. The Serbian government has also been working to prevent EU exporters using Serbia as a backdoor conduit for textile re-exports to Russian markets, taking advantage of the 2000 Serbo-Russian free trade agreement.…
CHINA FEARS WEAKENING OF ITS MONEY MOVEMENT CONTROLS WHILE IT PONDERS FINANCIAL LIBERALISATION
The Chinese government is tightening its controls on the movement of money abroad as the liberalisation of the Chinese Yuan Renminbi is expected to trigger a rush of money from the country, especially from China’s wealthy.
Some of China’s big spenders are reverting to big ticket purchases to get money out of the country.…
CHILE’S SKIN CARE MARKET ROARS AHEAD AS CONSUMERS DISCOVER VALUE OF FACE PRODUCTS
THE FACIAL skin care market in Chile has enjoyed double digit growth for over a decade, and is expected to continue expanding. Although this market is expected to grow at a slower rate this year, market research firm Canadean Ltd has forecast an average annual growth rate of 11% between 2013 and 2018.…
OBAMA’S OPENING TO CUBA OFFERS PROSPECT OF INCREASING TRADE IN BEAUTY SALES TO CUBA
THE PERSONAL care product industry will be hoping that US President Barack Obama’s “new chapter” in relations with Cuba, announced in December (2014), will revive sales and trade, amidst tightening rules on Cuban travellers from the US.
It is currently not certain just what specific changes in policy on either the US or Cuban side will occur, let alone when, but it is already clear that travel restrictions to Cuba will at least be lightened. …
ITALY’S BPC MARKET RESILIENT DESPITE CONSUMER SPENDING CRUNCH
The days of Italian consumer spending extra Euro on a high performing hydrating face cream or premium fragrance may be on hold as the majority of Italian consumers are currently seeking better value for money in their beauty and personal care (BPC) purchases.…
NEW CZECH FEE PRESIDENT WILL FOCUS ON EFFECTS OF NEW EU AUDIT REFORM
IN another sign that the economic and social divisions wrought by Europe’s 1945-1989 ideological division continue to ease, Czech accountant Petr Kříž will serve as president of the Federation of European Accountants (FEE) for the next two years. It is the first time in the history of this professional organisation that its president comes from a former eastern bloc country.…
RUSSIAN INDUSTRY SEES VALUE OF ONSITE POWER, BUT TECHNICAL CAPACITY WEAKNESSES RESTRICT ROLL-OUTS
Rising electricity prices and growing fears around security of supply are driving Russian industrial power users to construct their own onsite power and CHP (combined heat and power) plants. “On-site generation is known as a highly profitable option to improve industrial energy efficiency and for the industry to cover its own power supply needs,” said the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) in a 2013 report Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Industrial On-site Generation in Russia: “Russian industries are particularly attractive for combined heat and power production, since there are significant industrial heat loads available for CHP production.”…
CENTRAL AMERICA RAISES ITS AML/CFT GAME, BUT HAS MUCH WORK AHEAD
Central America’s increasing exposure to money laundering is at least being recognised by the governments on the region, who are working both individually and collectively to combat the problem.
The region has strengthened cooperation, for instance. A key initiative is the Central American Integration System (SICA), a regional political organisation which coordinates government actions for Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize and the Dominican Republic regarding certain policy development and programmes, notably improving law enforcement.…
RUSSIAN INDUSTRY SEES VALUE OF ONSITE POWER, BUT TECHNICAL CAPACITY WEAKNESSES RESTRICT ROLL-OUTS
Rising electricity prices and growing fears around security of supply are driving Russian industrial power users to construct their own onsite power and CHP (combined heat and power) plants. “On-site generation is known as a highly profitable option to improve industrial energy efficiency and for the industry to cover its own power supply needs,” said the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) in a 2013 report Unlocking Investment Opportunities in Industrial On-site Generation in Russia: “Russian industries are particularly attractive for combined heat and power production, since there are significant industrial heat loads available for CHP production.”…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES GROW, WHILE UKRAINE MARKET SUFFERS BECAUSE OF POLITICAL AND ARMED CONFLICT
While eastern Europe’s cosmetics sector seems in general to be emerging from its post-recession doldrums, the conflict in Ukraine has begun to significantly impact that country’s cosmetics industry. Analysts warn that tit-for-tat sanctions with Russia and uncertainty over the annexed Crimea and the future of the contested east of the country is halting investment.…
OPEN UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA OPENS NEW FRONTIERS ABROAD
The Open University of Tanzania (OUT) is reaching out to higher education institutions in other neighbouring countries to establish collaborations that will encourage more foreign students to enroll for distance learning.
University vice chancellor Professor Tolly Mbwette said the institution’s board hoped to spread its influence regionally: “We are now the largest distance learning university in the region and our plan is to take distance learning to most countries in East Africa and those under the Southern African Development Community [SADC] by 2016.”…
EUROPEAN CYBERCRIME CENTRE DELIVERS, BUT STILL FACES CHALLENGES
ALMOST two years since its establishment in January 2013, the European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) created as part of Europol, has delivered on its objectives, but still faces numerous resource challenges. Set up by the European Commission to support the 28 European Union (EU) countries in cybercrime investigations targeting online intrusion, fraud and child sexual abuse and to disrupt the operations of organised crime networks that commit a large share of cybercrimes, the EC3 is now receiving more requests for support that it can handle, its head, Troels Oerting, told Fraud Intelligence.…
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT MARKET IS KEY GLOBAL GROWTH ZONE
One of the biggest expanding markets for cosmetics and personal care products is sub-Saharan Africa. A key exporter to the region, L’Oréal has estimated that the overall African beauty and personal care market generated EUR6.93 billion (USD8.61 billion) in 2012, growing at between 8% and 10% annually, compared to a global market growth rate near 4%.…
CHINA CABINET DEMANDS INCREASE IN BEEF AND LAMB IMPORTS
China’s cabinet, the State Council has announced the country will increase imports of beef and lamb, according to a Chinese government communiqué. It said ministers at a meeting held on September 29 (last Monday). “[China] will reasonably increase imports of beef and lamb,” said the statement.…
CANADA-EU TRADE AGREEMENT LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN NURSING
THE COMPREHENSIVE Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU) will make it easier for both jurisdictions to recognise each other’s nursing certifications. Political leaders celebrated the end of negotiations in September in Ottawa, Canada (Sept 26).…
PROLIFERATION FINANCE COMPLIANCE FACES CHALLENGES
DESPITE the huge risks involved in states funding weapons of mass destruction in breach of international non-proliferation rules, this problem has not received the same attention as anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) in compliance regimes. Only over the past two years has world’s senior AML body the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) started to address shortcomings, while the United Nations is moving from a decade of awareness building to pushing implementation.…
IRAN STILL TRADING – BUT MAJOR AML VULNERABILITIES REMAIN
Multilateral talks over Iran’s nuclear power programme have partly and temporarily eased certain sanctions against the country. Yet while businesses worldwide are keen to get into the lucrative Iranian market to offer all kinds of good and services, the overarching sanctions regime put in place by the United States, the European Union (EU) and the United Nations still remains, as do the risks of doing business with Iran, considered one of the world’s riskiest jurisdictions.…
FATF GIVES IRAN FEBRUARY DEADLINE TO MAKE REFORMS, OR FACE TOUGHER AML/CFT CONTROLS
THE FINANCIAL Action Task Force (FATF) has warned Iran it faces tighter international scrutiny of its financial services and dealings, should it fail to criminalise terrorist financing and boost its suspicious transaction reporting (STR) requirements.
In its latest assessment of jurisdictions failing to comply with FATF anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) recommendations, the global AML body singled out the Islamic republic, giving Tehran until February (2015) to make reforms, or face the consequences.…
EU COMMISSION APPROVES TAKEOVER OF ALUMINIUM COMPANY CORIALIS
The European Commission today cleared the acquisition of the Corialis Group, a European supplier of aluminium extrusion services and aluminium doors and windows, by Advent International Corporation, a US investment firm. A Commission communiqué said the deal “would not raise competition concerns as Advent is not active in any market in which Corialis is active” at present, notably the aluminium sector.…
ASEAN COMMON MARKET LAUNCH UNLIKELY TO MEAN A BIG DEAL FOR TOBACCO INDUSTRY
By the end of next year, the increasingly wealthy 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc aims to establish its own European Union-style common market for its combined population of 600 million.
Experts say that the new ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) is expected to deepen cohesion and liberalisation within a regional market that has already made significant strides in removing trade barriers that can impact tobacco product sales.…
RUSSIA PREPARES POTENTIAL BAN ON CARS FROM EU AND UNITED STATES, IF ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS IMPOSED
Russia may ban imports of cars from the European Union (EU), the United States and maybe Japan if Brussels and Washington impose additional sanctions because of Moscow’s role in the Ukraine crisis.
An aide to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin told wardsauto that the Russian government would be especially monitoring a meeting of the EU Council of Ministers for foreign affairs on October 20.…
BRUSSELS GIVES EXTRA FINDS TO AIRCOP AIRPORT ANTI-DRUGS PROJECT
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it will pay an additional EUR3 million to the Airport Communication Project (AIRCOP), financing its work to 2016. AIRCOP is run by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Customs Organisation (WCO) and Interpol, and aims to strengthen anti-narcotic detection, interdiction and intelligence capacities in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. …
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSONERS NOMINATED
THE NEW team of European commissioners scheduled to take office on November 1, who will impact European Union policy affecting the cosmetics sector, was announced today.
The incoming president of the Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, nominated Vytenis Andriukaitis, of Lithuania, as EU health commissioner.…
FAST FASHION IN TRANSITION AS GLOBAL SOURCING DECISIONS ARE IN FLUX
Sourcing trends in fast fashion in Europe and north America are in flux, being affected by the economic downturn, changes in consumer behaviour and growing awareness of industry practices, especially in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh last year.…
TAIWAN TAOYUAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AWAITING AMBITIOUS UPGRADE
Taiwan’s main airport, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, is to undergo a major expansion, increasing its annual passenger capacity from 32 million to 60 million by 2030. Located halfway between the capital Taipei and the island’s industrial heartland along its western coast, the airport is planned to become the centerpiece of the government’s highly ambitious Taoyuan Aerotropolis project, which with an estimated investment of Taiwan New Dollar TWD600 billion (USD20 billion).…
CHINA CONSTRUCTION FIRMS GROW OVERSEAS BUSINESS, BUT NEED TO UPGRADE SKILLS
Chinese construction firms have cornered plenty of business in Africa and Latin America, but they need upskilling to consolidate their position. Anyone who observes the queues of nervous young men lining up in the early morning in Beijing’s tree-lined Sanlitun diplomatic district will be in no doubt of the intensity of Chinese activity in Africa and Latin America.…
ACCOUNTING SYSTEMS STRENGTHENING IN CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA – BUT MORE WORK NEEDED
IN the 1970s and 1980s, the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean did not have a comprehensively robust reputation for sound financial management. Many Caribbean island states had newly emerged from colonialism, finding their way as independent countries. And many Latin American countries were riven by social discord, even civil war, with many under military rule.…
JOHNSON & JOHNSON DEMONSTRATE GOOD PRACTICE IN PRAGUE SHARED SERVICE CENTRE
WHEN American personal care product giant Johnson & Johnson opened its shared-services centre in Prague during 2006, it employed 12 people and provided only in-group procure-to-pay services. Currently this Johnson & Johnson finance centre is the largest of the five centres the company operates worldwide in terms of staff numbers as well as the scope of services it provides to internal business partners.…
ACCOUNTING FIRMS HAVE WARY EYE ON CHINESE OVERSEAS COMPANY AUDIT PROPOSALSDONGXIA SU, in Shenzhen, KEITH NUTHALL, and KYLIE KENDALL
ACCOUNTING firms auditing overseas-listed Chinese companies are keeping a close eye on a draft regulation released by China’s finance ministry on April 29 which would restrict the roles that foreign auditors can play in this work.
This ‘Accounting Firms Cross-border Auditing Service Temporary Regulation’ would prevent accounting firms registered outside mainland China from carrying out audits alone for Chinese overseas-listed enterprises, including overseas listed enterprises with operations in China.…
WTO PANEL STARTS ASSESSMENT OF AUSTRALIA PLAIN TOBACCO PACKAGING LAWS
A DISPUTES panel has at last been formed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to consider whether Australia is breaking WTO rules by insisting since December 2012, under the Tobacco Plain Packaging Act 2011, that all tobacco products must be sold in plain packaging.…
EUROPEAN CONSUMER CENTRES NETWORK FLYER
HELPING AND ADVISING EUROPEAN CONSUMERS SHOPPING AND TRAVELLING ABROAD
WHEN CAN ECC-NET OFFICES HELP YOU?
- Air travel
So much can go wrong: flights can be delayed or cancelled; luggage can be lost or damaged; and hidden fees can be charged.…
EBRD FOCUSES INVESTMENT ATTENTION ON CRISIS-HIT UKRAINE AND NEIGHBOURS – FINANCING IN RUSSIA FALLS
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) is increasing its assistance to Ukraine, because of its ongoing political and military crisis, the development institution’s annual meeting has been told. The country is a core part of the EBRD’s eastern, central Europe and central Asia region of operation, along with Russia, which recently annexed Crimea, sparking a diplomatic firestorm.…
UKRAINE PONDERS CORRUPTION CLEAN UP FOLLOWING REVOLUTION
One of the main drivers of the Ukrainian revolution of February this year was the monumental levels of corruption within both the private and state sectors. Transparency International last year placed the country in 144th place on its ‘corruption perceptions index,’ at par with Papua New Guinea and the Central African Republic.…
EU COUNTRIES TO BE READY FOR EMERGENCY CALLS FROM CARS BY 2017
THE EUROPEAN Parliament, which represents the citizens of the European Union (EU) voted today (April 15) to introduce a mandatory system to handle emergency calls (eCalls) sent automatically by cars in case of a crash by 2017.
This decision was agreed in negotiations with the national governments back in March and endorsed today by MEPs (members of the European Parliament) in their last plenary meeting ahead of elections on May 22-25.…
CHRISTINE SAHADEO – FORMER TRINIDAD FINANCE MINISTER UNDERLINES IMPORTANCE OF MENTORING IN TRAINING
WHEN the Trinidad & Tobago government in 2003 decided to close down much of the Caribbean country’s 300-year old sugar cane industry, it was described by detractors as one of the most politically ambitious moves in the history of the twin-island republic.…
UKRAINE GAS SUPPLIES KEEP FLOWING – FOR NOW – DESPITE POLITICAL TURMOIL
Events in Ukraine continue to unfold in dramatic fashion: a government overthrown, Crimea annexed by Russia, pro-Russian separatists stoking unrest and grabbing government buildings in eastern Ukraine, and worries of a full-scale invasion. Weaved into these crises – and in many respects at the heart of them – is Ukraine’s oil and gas sector.…
NORWAY MAY PURSUE ENERGY COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA, DESPITE UKRAINE STAND OFF
NORWAY may have suspended military cooperation with its neighbour Russia over the Ukraine crisis, but it seems less keen to mothball its coordination on energy policy, notably in the high Arctic.
Norwegian and Russian energy companies have long been eyeing the potential hydrocarbon resources in the Barents Sea to the north of the Russo-Norwegian border, and both sides want to exploit them without causing major environmental problems.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – SUGAR SECTOR WANTS OUT OF TRANS-ATLANTIC TRADE DEAL
REPRESENTATIVES from Europe’s sugar industry want sugar to be excluded from the current free trade negotiations between the United States and the European Union (EU). Speaking at an EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) briefing in Brussels, Oscar Ruiz de Imaña – the deputy director general of the European Association of Sugar Producers (CEFS), warned of the uncertainties in the sugar markets on both sides of the Atlantic.…
UKRAINE CRISIS HEIGHTENS FOCUS ON POTENTIAL RUSSIA DIRTY MONEY FLOWS IN CYPRUS
THE INSTABILITY prompted by the crisis in Ukraine is increasing the risk of crime-tainted Russian assets being moved into new safe havens to avoid the effects of possible sanctions. With EU member state Cyprus long favoured by Russian investors, and likely to be covered by any sanctions, could the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) offer an attractive alternative?…
ECC-NET’S 2013 ANNUAL REPORT - NATIONAL UNIT ROUND UP
AUSTRIA
The location of ECC Austria in central Vienna means many consumers drop by to receive advice or lodge complaints in person with the ECC’s five staff members. A top priority in 2013 was increasing public awareness about e-commerce fraud; a brochure aimed at combatting the problem was published and more than 600,000 were distributed throughout Austria.…
BUDGET AIRLINES ARE LIFEBLOOD FOR MANY EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE AIRPORTS
BUDGET airlines have a major impact on airport expansion or contraction across Europe, but their importance can be particularly pronounced in countries towards the east, whose economies are still catching up with the west of the continent.
Even in Poland, which avoided recession since the financial collapse of 2008, some airports have asked city and regional governments for help when they cannot attract enough trade – in one recent instance following a decision by Ryanair to cut routes.…
REGULATORY ROUND UP – BRUSSELS HUNTS FOR HIDDEN HORSEMEAT IN SECOND SET OF DNA TESTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to coordinate a second set of DNA tests across the European Union (EU) this spring, similar to those conducted last year following the horsemeat mis-labelling scandal, with results being published by the end of this July.
It would be the second time the Commission has organised DNA tests across the EU to find out if horsemeat is being fraudulently added to products labelled as beef.…
COSMETICS AMONG THE TOP DANGEROUS PRODUCTS NOTIFIED IN THE EU LAST YEAR
COSMETICS was one of the top five categories of dangerous products notified through the European Union’s (EU) rapid alert system on dangerous consumer products (RAPEX) in 2013, according to a report published yesterday (25 March) by the European Commission.
Out of the 2,364 notifications received last year, 106 were related to cosmetics (including haircare products).…
COLOMBIA BOOSTS ITS INTERNATIONAL AML REPUTATION
Colombia has perhaps the strongest reputation in Latin America for playing host to powerful illicit drug cartels and their related money laundering. As a result, it is perhaps reassuring that over the past three years, the Colombian government, through the country’s Attorney General’s Office, seized between USD1 billion and USD1.2 billion, according Luis Edmundo Suárez, Colombia’s Unidad de Información y Análisis Financiero – financial information and analysis unit (UIAF).…
BRUSSELS PROPOSES SELF-REGULATORY SYSTEM TO CLEAN-UP CONFLICT MINERALS TRADE
The European Commission has chosen the path of self-regulation to push European Union (EU) metal and mining companies into a “responsible trading strategy” as regards minerals sourced from conflict zones.
As a prelude to next month’s EU-Africa Summit meeting on April 2-3 in Brussels, EU trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht today unveiled a three-point plan involving self-certification for importers.…
MOST EU COUNTRIES NOT CONVINCED OF ORIGIN LABELLING FOR MEAT AS INGREDIENT
MANY European Union (EU) countries are unsure whether imposing mandatory labelling requirements for the country of origin of meat used as ingredient in processed food products would bring benefits that justify the costs, a meeting of EU agriculture ministers in Brussels yesterday (24 March) revealed.…
NORDIC NONWOVENS REPORT FEATURE
NORDIC nonwoven companies Suominen, Ahlstrom and Fibertex are fast emerging from the post-2008 economic downturn fitter and leaner. This follows five years of cost-cutting and market re-alignment projects that included unit divestments, strategic acquisitions, and increased use of automation to reduce costs and strengthen profitability.…
SMALLER EU COUNTRIES WANT TO ENSURE 2030 CLIMATE AND ENERGY TARGETS DO NOT BURDEN STEEL INDUSTRY
Energy ministers of smaller European Union (EU) countries said yesterday (Tuesday March 4) that they will not sacrifice the competitiveness of energy intensive industries such as steel-making when meeting proposed EU 2030 carbon emission targets.
“Slovakia supports the aim of a single target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction,” said Dušan Petrík, state secretary in the country’s ministry of economy.…
AMBITIOUS RWE CFO IN CROATIA FORGES FINANCE CAREER AFTER FALL OF COMMUNISM
“WHAT I’m doing now really is a dream job for me.” CFO Juraj Drahovský, 36, from Košice, in eastern Slovakia, is relishing the challenge of helping the RWE Group, one of Europe’s largest energy companies, become a leading player in the Croatian market.…
MIDDLE EAST OILSEEDS SECTORS SHOW POTENTIAL BUT FACE REGIONAL INSTABILITY, ENERGY SUBSIDIES
IRAN and Turkey are regional giants within the Middle East oilseeds sector, and while their industries have been performing the threat of political instability and unstable energy subsidies threaten their profits.
According to Bill Baker, foreign agricultural service analyst at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Turkey and Iran constitute the two “major producers of oilseed crops in the Middle East.”…
EU HEALTH ALERT SERVICE WARNS OF BRAZIL E-COLI MEAT CONTAMINATION CASES
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) RASFF food safety alert service has warned of e-coli being detected in Brazilian meat cargoes exported to Europe. Dutch customs officials rejected three consignments of chilled beef from Brazil after discovering they had been contaminated with shigatoxin-producing Escherichia coli.…
TURKEY HAS AMBITIONS TO CREATE STRONG INNOVATIVE PHARMA SECTOR – BUT REGULATORY PROBLEMS STUNT ITS DEVELOPMENT
THE TURKISH pharmaceutical industry is aiming to undergo a fundamental shift over the coming years as it attempts to move from being a producer largely of generics to become an important global centre for the production of original medicines.
Its government has said that it wants Turkey to become one of the world’s top 10 economies in health services by 2023 – the centenary of the establishment of the Turkish Republic – and to become the Eurasian production base for medium- and high-level technology products.…
MIDDLE EAST OILSEEDS SECTORS SHOW POTENTIAL BUT FACE REGIONAL INSTABILITY, ENERGY SUBSIDIES
IRAN and Turkey are regional giants within the Middle East oilseeds sector, and while their industries have been performing the threat of political instability and unstable energy subsidies threaten their profits.
According to Bill Baker, foreign agricultural service analyst at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Turkey and Iran constitute the two “major producers of oilseed crops in the Middle East.”…
TURKEY’S PAINT AND COATINGS SECTOR COULD BECOME EUROPE’S THIRD LARGEST – INDUSTRY PREDICTS
TURKEY’S paints and coatings industry has set itself the target of becoming the third largest paints and coatings sector in Europe by 2023 as it seeks to become a key regional hub within the international industry as a whole.
According to data from Turkey’s Association of Paint Industry (Boya Sanayicileri Dernegi – BOSAD), the size of the Turkish paints and coatings market reached 840,000 tonnes in 2012, with a value of USD2 billion.…
WTO TRADE FACILITATION AGREEMENT WILL HELP MOVE LEAF AND MANUFACTURED PRODUCT WORLDWIDE
THE WORLD’S tobacco trade is not always a straightforward affair, being held up by export and import licence applications, port dues, quality checks, corruption and unusual red tape. A new World Trade Organisation (WTO) Agreement on Trade Facilitation, struck last December, is designed to ease some of these difficulties.…
BRAZIL TO HOST TEXTILE FAIRS FEATURING INNOVATIONS, LATEST TRENDS
BRAZIL-based textile industry conferences in 2014 will focus on innovation, with the country’s fabric sector seeking to trade up to higher end products.
Fairs such as Première Vision, have been growing in size. The bi-annual event was staged this month in São Paulo from January 21-22, with a follow up meeting from November 4 to 5.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES STILL SLUGGISH – WITH SALES TRENDS STARTING TO MIRROR WESTERN EUROPE
THE COUNTRIES of eastern and central Europe that came in from the cold in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall have felt the economic chill in recent years, with recession affecting the fortunes of the cosmetics industry.
Across a wide range of countries – for instance – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia – the retail value of the beauty and personal care products market has remained at around Euro EUR10.70 billion in both 2012 and (according to provisional data for these five countries by market analysts Euromonitor International) in 2013; and is forecast to grow to EUR10.85 billion in 2014.…
EASTERN EUROPE BIOCOSMETICS SUB-SECTOR IS KEY GROWTH AREA
EASTERN and central Europen markets for biocosmetics are a key growth area for personal care product companies, with some markets growing and others relatively untapped.
The region’s largest country, Poland (38 million people) is witnessing sales of bio-cosmetics surging at rates of 10% to 30% annually, according to producers and distributors.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES STILL SLUGGISH – WITH SALES TRENDS STARTING TO MIRROR WESTERN EUROPE
BY MARK ROWE; JONATHAN DYSON, in Zagreb; and ANDREW KURETH, in Warsaw
THE COUNTRIES of eastern and central Europe that came in from the cold in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall have felt the economic chill in recent years, with recession affecting the fortunes of the cosmetics industry.…
TURKEY STRUGGLES TO CURB MONEY LAUNDERING, TERRORIST FINANCING
SINCE 2007, Turkey has been on the receiving end of repeated warnings from Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to improve its combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) regime. While an anti-terrorism bill has now been passed, shortcomings still remain and new risks have emerged in Turkey’s difficult neighbourhood.…
EUROPE AND CHINA HOLD TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINES STANDARD SYMPOSIUM
THE COUNCIL of Europe-associated European directorate for the quality of medicines and healthcare (EDQM) and the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine [TCM] of the People’s Republic of China (SATCM) have jointly staged a symposium on scientific assessments of TCM. Staged in Strasbourg, France, the SATCM’s deputy director general for international co-operation Wu Zhen-dou and EDQM director Dr Susanne Keitel pledged at the meeting to “continue their fruitful co-operation and to strengthen scientific exchanges between the two organisations.”…
REVIEW OF 2013 CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
WINNERS AND LOSERS
RETAIL
WINNERS
ASOS
Fashion retailer ASOS showed online convenience and price are still a winning combination with shoppers. The UK-based online retailer continued its impressive trajectory this year, announcing pre-tax profit had reached GBP54.7m (US$88.3m) for the year ending 31 August, compared to GBP40m in the same period of last year, with retail sales jumping 40% to GBP753.8m, up from GBP537.9m last year. …
SINGLE TELECOM MARKET SHOULD NOT AFFECT COMPETITION BETWEEN TELCOS AND CABLE OPERATORS, CABLE EUROPE CHAIRMAN SAYS
THE CREATION of a single telecommunication market in the European Union (EU) should build on the foundation of existing liberalising legislation, promoting healthy competition between telecommunication companies and cable operators, says Matthias Kurth, executive chairman at Cable Europe.
Speaking to European Communications, in an interview at his Brussels office, he explained: “The new legislation should complement and not overturn the existing regulatory framework,” said Mr Kurth, noting that it should allow network providers to grow, compete and invest.…
LOCAL FIRMS SNAP UP CLIENTS, TALENT AS REGULATORY CHANGE BITES
ZHU Jiandi and Gu Wenxian could be the two most travelled accountants in China. The frequent flying duo – chairman and managing director, respectively, at BDO China Shu Lun Pan – were in the southwesterly megalopolis of Chongqing recently to rally local staff to a company goal of making the office a bridgehead for expansion throughout the southwest and west of China.…
EU BACKED BETITEX PROGRAM TO DEVELOP TICKS, BEDBUG RESISTANT TEXTILES
A EUROPEAN Union-funded ‘BETITEX’ research project has brought together a consortium of 10 partners to develop protective, biodegradable textiles that can kill ticks and bedbugs. The Euro EUR1.5 million (USD2.06 million) project will focus on developing personal protective equipment for small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and also “domestic use in the form of home linen,” according to a European Commission note.…
TURKEY’S ARSAN PONDERS QUALITY FINISHING INVESTMENTS TO PROTECT EXPORT SALES
The Arsan Textile Group, one of Turkey’s leading textile businesses, is to invest in its finishing department next year to help the company produce a more diverse range of fabrics. The company says it wants to meet growing demand for products with a variety of looks and textures from its clients, which include several major European brands.…
BOTSWANA’S FIRST PRIVATE UNIVERSITY EYES INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXPANSION
Botswana’s first private university, the Malaysian-owned Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (Limkokwing Botswana), has continued to flex its muscles in this diamond-rich Southern Africa nation, taking advantage of a fast growing tertiary education sector. Botswana’s college and university student (aged 18-24) enrollment has grown from 11.4% in 2007/08 to 16.4% in 2012, or 46,613 students.…
EU PUBLIC PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE TO GO FORWARD WITH A LIMITED NUMBER OF COUNTRIES
THE ESTABLISHMENT of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) will proceed with a limited number of countries, after 11 of them lodged disagreements about its establishment by an October 28 deadline. The countries which will not sign onto the EPPO are Britain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden.…
EU TO MOVE GOALPOSTS ON TAX EVASION, WHILE OECD EXPANDS GLOBAL TAX INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM
THE EUROPEAN Commission is attempting to move the legal boundary where tax avoidance becomes tax evasion, criminalising some aggressive tax planning that has caused controversy across Europe. The move is one a number of recent practical tax and anti-fraud law reforms that Brussels has been pushing to help tax authorities in the European Union (EU) collect reasonable levels of revenue.…
OLAF OPERATION HALTS ITALIAN INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT SCAM
AUTHORITIES in Italy have seized and frozen assets belonging to a Rome company that abused financing from the European Development Fund (EDF) destined for development projects in some of the poorest parts of Africa.
The action follows a joint investigation – Operazione Pioggia nel deserto, or Operation Rain in the Desert – by the European Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF and the Italian financial police the Guardia di Finanza, which together uncovered frauds depriving the EU of more than EUR9 million.…
SRI LANKA SEEKS GLOBAL NICHE AS QUALITY KNITWEAR PRODUCER
THE SRI Lanka knitwear industry Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) has been pushing the island’s government for reforms to help the sector continue its current growth. Tuli Cooray, secretary general of the Sri Lanka Joint Apparel Association Forum (JAAF) told Knitting International: “Last year from our total exports, the knitwear amounted to almost 47 per cent, a sharp increase from a share of 34 per cent in 2002.…
TURKEY’S KIVANC TEKSTIL EYES CHINA AND RUSSIA GROWTH
Turkish textile company Kivanc Tekstil, which recently secured a EUR3.7 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) to expand its weaving capacity and boost its energy efficiency, has told WTiN.com that it is targeting Russia and China as key growth markets.…
EU FOOD SAFETY NETWORK WARNS OF CONTINUED SALMONELLA MEAT CONTAMINATION
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) food and feed safety rapid alert network (RASFF) has warned of continued detections of salmonella contamination of imported meat and meat products across Europe. In most instances, consignments were exported from other EU member states. It reported six salmonella meat contamination cases between October 21 and 24 for instance.…
ICAO CONFERENCE DEBATES NEED FOR CAREFUL ROLL-OUT OF AUTOMATED BORDER CONTROL SYSTEMS
TECHNICAL and security experts have gathered at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to consider how to roll-out developing automated border control (ABC) systems, which offer hard-pressed airports the ability to better process surging passenger numbers.
Staged at ICAO’s headquarters, in Montréal, Canada, from October 22 to 24, the agency’s ninth symposium and exhibition on MRTDs [machine readable travel documents] biometrics and border security debated ABC developments such as newly-emerging technologies; trust issues; reliability; non-intrusiveness; biometrics; effective inspections tools; trusted traveller programmes; challenges to border integrity and ways to address them.…
SYRIA TURNS TO RUSSIA, IRAN IN FACE OF MULTILATERAL SANCTIONS
While Syria is mired in its bloody civil war, it remains targeted by multilateral sanctions. But despite being essentially cut off from the international banking system, Damascus is evading these sanctions by using Russian banks, and is being financially propped up by Iran.…
SHORTCOMINGS IN GAS INTERCONNECTORS
A EUROPEAN Commission-ordered report has highlighted significant
shortcomings in gas interconnectors crossing national European Union (EU)
borders that are restricting the development of an EU gas market.
This ‘Study on Entry-Exit Regimes in Gas’ by the Netherlands’ DNV KEMA and
COWI Belgium said the absence of virtual trading points or short-term capacity
products are “highly critical barriers for the development of a well-functioning
entry-exit system”.…
EU VAT EXEMPTIONS FOR TRAVEL AGENTS APPLY TO ALL CUSTOMERS SAY JUDGES
A SPECIAL European Union (EU) VAT scheme allowing travel agents to pay one VAT payment on the profits they make from selling services applies to all their customers, and not just travellers, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. The European Commission argued at the ECJ that the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Poland and Portugal should not allow travel agents to use this perk for non-travelling customers buying non-core services, but its case was rejected.…
MOLDOVA WORKING TO IMPROVE ITS ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING RECORD BY 2017
THE MOLDOVA government was quick to respond to the latest Moneyval assessment (December 2012) of its anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) policies, adopting a five-year strategy and action plan in June. This responded to Moneyval’s recommendations that Moldova improve its anti-money laundering legislation and law enforcement.…
ISLAMIC BANKING STARTS TO GROW IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
ISLAMIC banks are big business in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, but not thus far in sub-Saharan Africa. The World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), however, recently took a USD5 million, 15% equity stake in Kenya’s Gulf African Bank (GAB) to support corporate finance and lending to small and medium businesses – its first in the sub-Saharan Islamic bank sector.…
EU MINISTERS AGREE NEW ANTI-VAT FRAUD REFORMS – SCRAP METAL TARGETED
The number of European Union (EU) member states imposing reverse charge VAT mechanisms to prevent sales tax fraud in the scrap metal sector could rise, with EU ministers allowing governments to use these systems without permission from Brussels.
The EU Council of Ministers has approved amendments to the EU’s VAT directive 2006/112/EC, enabling member states to force suppliers to pay VAT, rather than final consumers, when faced with a sudden onset of large-scale VAT fraud.…
RASFF NETWORK WARNS OF SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION IN EU MEAT TRADES
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) food and feed safety rapid alert network (RASFF) has warned of a spate of problems involving salmonella contamination of imported meat and meat products. In some instances, consignments were exported from outside the EU, and others, within it.…
DEBATE ON EU AUDITORS’ ROTATION LAWS UNRESOLVED AND DEAL WILL BE DIFFICULT TO SECURE
A FINAL compromise on planned European Union (EU) laws on the timing of auditors’ rotation should be somewhere between the two proposed extremes of six years and 25 years, the EU internal market Commissioner Michel Barnier is arguing, as EU ministers and MEPs grope towards a deal on the issue.…
US PRODUCERS BENEFIT FROM WESTERN HEMISPHERE SOURCING
IT is common sense that for really fast fashion, sourcing should be made as close to a home market as costs will allow. And for the world’s two largest fast fashion markets – the European Union (EU) and the United States – geography does provide some useful neighbours able to offer lower cost out-sourcing, albeit not as cheap as in east and south Asia.…
MANUFACTURERS SEEK IMPROVEMENTS IN SPEED, PRESSURED BY FAST FASHION RETAIL
To meet apparel and textile brands’ desire to move into fast fashion, manufacturers have begun to embrace new production processes that improve efficiency and performance. Apparel and textile manufacturers have been slower than many other manufacturing industries to embrace supply chain improvements in speed, but are now succumbing to pressure from brands moving into fast fashion retail.…
EU-GEORGIA TRADE DEAL COULD PROMOTE GEORGIAN WINE EXPORTS
GEORGIA wine-makers could seize new European Union (EU) export sales through the agreement yesterday (Tuesday) of a ‘deep and comprehensive free trade area’ between the EU and the Caucasus republic. A European Commission official told just-drinks: “Wine imports from Georgia will have free access to the EU market: they will pay no more tariffs, and be imported without any quantitative restriction.”…
SPAIN FINDS SILVER LININGS AMID THE GLOOM
‘LA TORRE PUIG,’ the 22-storey Puig Tower now being fitted out in the Plaza de Europa, of the Catalan capital, Barcelona, for Puig SL, the family owned fragrances and fashion firm, will be yet another landmark building for one of Europe’s most beautiful cities.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE TOUGHENS TOBACCO PRODUCT DIRECTIVE
THE EUROPEAN Parliament (EP) public health and environment committee, which is handling the draft tobacco products directive (TPD), went a step further from the European Commission on July 10, when it voted to introduce a “positive list” of approved ingredients to be used in tobacco products.…
NABUCCO IS DEAD; LONG LIVE THE TRANS-ADRIATIC PIPELINE
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU)-favoured Nabucco pipeline carrying Azerbaijan gas to western Europe will now almost certainly never be built, after Azeri gas consortium Shah Deniz decided to sell its gas to the rival Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). The decision came after Greece announced it would sell its natural gas grid operator DESFA to Azeri state energy company SOCAR: the TAP pipeline would run through Greece to Italy, linking with pipelines in Turkey.…
BRUSSELS WANTS END TO AMERICAN ENERGY EXPORT RESTRICTIONS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released documents showing that it wants the US to ban future export restrictions on selling energy products raw materials to the European Union (EU), during negotiations for the planned Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. This would be the world’s largest bilateral trade deal.…
CROATIA PAINT SECTOR SEEKS MORE EUROPEAN EXPORTS NOW HOME COUNTRY IS EU MEMBER STATE
Croatia’s paint and coatings industry is aiming to capitalise on the benefits of the country’s recent July 1 accession to the European Union (EU), and is hoping that an economic recovery can also help the industry return to growth over the next year.…
EU REVISED NUCLEAR SAFETY RULES MAY UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF NATIONAL SAFETY REGULATORS
REVISED European Union (EU) nuclear safety rules proposed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, may undermine the authority of national safety regulators and complicate the work of nuclear operators, according to Foratom, the organisation representing the interests of the European nuclear industry.…
G8 PUSH FOR TRANSPARENCY IN EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES COULD PUT MORE MINERALS COMPANIES ON EQUAL FOOTING
A PUSH by the G8 group of the world’s seven most industrialised nations plus Russia to improve extractive industry transparency and openness can help industrial minerals companies manage the payments they make in developing counties, as they will only have to follow one set of rules, according to Rio Tinto chief executive Sam Walsh.…
EU MINERALS EXTRACTING COMPANIES WILL HAVE TO DISCLOSE GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS FROM 2015
Major European companies extracting industrial minerals worldwide will now have to disclose the payments they made to third countries governments if they are higher than EUR100,000 per year starting 2015, following a European Parliament vote this afternoon (Wednesday). The new rules are part of a reform of the European Union’s (EU) accounting directive, backed by an overwhelming majority of MEPs, sitting in Strasbourg.…
EU METAL ORE EXTRACTING COMPANIES FORCED TO DISCLOSE GOVERNMENT PAYMENTS FROM 2015
European companies extracting non-ferrous metal ores anywhere in the world will now be forced to disclose the payments they made to third countries governments if they are higher than EUR100,000 per year starting 2015, following a European Parliament vote this afternoon (Wednesday).…
EMERGING MARKETS GIVEN MORE TIME TO ADOPT WTO INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RULES
THE WORLD’S 49 least developed countries have been given another eight years to implement the intellectual property protection rules demanded by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). This means that their governments have the freedom to choose whether to protect trademarks, patents, copyright, industrial designs, geographical indications and other rights, potentially harming pharma companies.…
TURKMENISTAN’S GROWING TEXTILE INDUSTRY OFFERS INVESTMENT POTENTIAL SAYS EBRD
TURKMENISTAN’S growing textile sector may in future provide opportunities for foreign investment through the privatisation of state-owned manufacturing units, a spokesman from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Ashgabat told just-style.
But overseas investors needed to take care, he said, noting a lack of international best practice within the sector – warning investment in the central Asia republic was a “long shot in the mid-term if not further in the future”.…
TECHNICAL TEXTILES MAY OFFER SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR EASTERN EUROPE TEXTILE SECTOR
EASTERN European textile and clothing companies used to have a cost advantage in serving wealthy western European markets, but that has long been eclipsed by Asian competition – added value technical textiles may offer them a sustainable future.
In Poland’s hard-pressed textile industry, its fast-growing technical branch may constitute the future of the national industry, experts in the country’s industry say.…
CROATIA COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SECTOR CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EU ACCESSION
THE COMMERCIAL property sector in Croatia, which is to join the European Union (EU) on July 1, is anticipating a boost to several key sectors as a result of the country’s long-awaited accession. However, the industry remains understandably cautious given the continuing economic difficulties being faced by the EU.…
NIGERIA IS A TOUGH GIG FOR A FINANCE DIRECTOR – EVEN FOR A RUSSIAN
Although proper accounting is important for developing and emerging economies – for instance, informational transparency decreases transactional costs – obstacles remain, said Evgeny Buben, Gazprom Nigeria’s CFO: “There’s a lack of political will to start the process of harmonisation and control implementation; a lack of professionals capable of performing proper implementation; resistance from local accounting bodies and other local influential groups; resistance of local accountants and auditors to changes.”…
EU SUGAR QUOTAS AGREEMENT LOOMS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) negotiators are approaching the final decision over the future of EU sugar quotas, with a deal expected between the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers by the end of June. What is almost certain is the current phase-out date of 2015 is dead.…
EASTERN EUROPE SEEKS GAS INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA
Poland confirmed plans in 2012 to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with a view to importing supplies from Qatar, it seemed like the latest example of eastern European energy ministries trying to avoid energy dependence on Russia. Plans to develop shale gas in Poland and the Baltic States fall into the same category, along with policies to build energy infrastructure linking Poland and its Nordic and Baltic neighbours.…
AFTER NEW ROUNDS OF TPP TALKS, VIETNAMESE TEXTILE INDUSTRY STILL AWAITING CLARITY ON SHORT-SUPPLY LIST
Vietnam’s clothing and textile sector has failed to secure a comprehensive breakthrough settling disputes over the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) yarn-forward rule during negotiations held both in Vietnam (May 12 to 15) and in Singapore (May 19 to 20). There was no deal on the controversial “short-supply list” proposals regarding exceptions to the TPP’s yarn-forward provisions, which stipulate that textiles are made with materials from TPP member countries in order to receive tax-free import benefits in TPP markets.…
EX-CANADIAN PM PAUL MARTIN SAYS FINANCIAL REPORTING IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS – ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD
AT a time when the world seems increasingly led by lifelong politicians, it is perhaps refreshing to hear from a political leader who has a solid background in business, and such is former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Speaking to Accountancy Futures, he showed how more than half-a-century of business and public life can be brought to bear in financial and commercial mentorship.…
POLAND'S ECONOMIC 'MIRACLE' MAYBE NOT THAT SURPRISING
AMIDST the financial crises of various European Union (EU) member states in 2009, Poland was the only country that did not enter recession. In fact, Poland hasn’t posted negative growth in over 20 years. Although its economic progress has slowed in recent years, Poland is still the envy of much of the EU, which continues to struggle with economic stagnation and recession in some countries.…
CUBAN CIGAR PRODUCERS CHALLENGE PLAIN PAPER PACKAGING LEGISLATION AT WTO
CUBA turned tobacco enthusiasts’ and international observers’ heads earlier this month when it filed its first ever complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Australia’s tough tobacco plain-paper packaging restrictions.
The communist Caribbean island joined the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Ukraine in challenging Australia’s 2012 law which requires all tobacco products be placed in generic packages featuring graphic health warnings, but not brand logos.…
CONTINENTAL EUROPE OFFERS TECHNICAL GOOD PRACTICE FOR UK ROAD MAINTENANCE
THERE are many ways to maintain and repair a road, so it always makes sense to look widely at good practice examples. Here The Surveyor has used its foreign correspondent team to assess techniques in some diverse pars of continental Europe.…
EU ENERGY NETWORK PROJECT PRIORITIES TAKE SHAPE
SUMMER 2013 marks an important milestone in the evolution of the European Union (EU) regulatory framework and financial support for Trans-European Energy Networks (TEN-E) that will contribute towards the European Commission’s goal of a single-energy market for gas and electricity. Oil and carbon dioxide (CO2) transport from carbon capture and storage systems also figure in the picture.…
LEAD PAINTS STILL WIDESPREAD IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
IF there is one paint ingredient that marketers agree should be left off the label, it has to be lead. General and scientific opinion agrees this metal causes health problems and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), working with the UN Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) has embarked on plans to eliminate architectural and household lead paints in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2020.…
OAS’ CICAD IS KEY AML PLAYER IN THE AMERICAS
The Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD), a technical agency of the Organisation of American States (OAS), is playing an increasingly influential role in the Americas in terms of fighting drug-trade linked money laundering. Specifically, CICAD has a central role in the unfolding of the Hemispheric Plan of Action on Drugs 2011-2015 which was adopted by the OAS in 2011, and includes key anti-money launderingAML components.…
TO REDUCE EUROPEAN DEFICITS: STEP ONE - REDUCE CORRUPTION, SAY EXPERTS
CORRUPTION costs the European Union (EU) EUR323 billion a year, three times more than previous estimates, a study by the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany, and the Brussels office of Germany’s Bertelsmann Stiftung (Foundation) suggests. In an April 9 report to the European Parliament, Hertie and Bertelsmann Stiftung calculated that EU member states could increase annual tax revenues by roughly this much if they reduced corruption to levels found in Denmark, ranked by Bertelsmann Stiftung as the least corrupt in the EU.…
WESTERN COUNTRIES TURNING TO UZBEKISTAN FOR MINERAL RESOURCES
THE FORMER Soviet, Central Asian republic of Uzbekistan is being wooed by the West for its oil and gas reserves, but attention is increasingly turning to its solid mineral wealth. According to the country’s State Committee on Statistics, explored mineral reserves are put at USD3.27 trillion and from a key plank of the country’s economy: in 2012, according to the committee, metals processing accounted for 17% of all the country’s industrial output and was valued at Uzbekistani Som UZS8.6 trillion (USD4.2 billion), a rise of 12.4% on 2011.…
WESTERN BRANDS LOOK CLOSER TO HOME FOR SENSITIVE SOURCING
IT is a long way from China, east Asia and south Asia to the key developed world markets or Europe and America. And with fashion being so dynamic, demand for a line could have dampened in the months between placing an order and receiving delivery.…
OECD WORKING GROUP PUSHES AGAINST GRAFT – BUT MANY GOVERNMENTS TURN BLIND EYE TO FOREIGN BRIBERY
THE ORGANISATION for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has made a lot of noise about its anti-bribery convention. But some countries are failing to comply, and where others do – otherwise honest companies can lose trade. David Hayhurst and Keith Nuthall report.…
CYPRUS STRUGGLES TO RETAIN FINANCIAL SECTOR – BUT ITS CRISIS WAS NOT INEVITABLE
The latest financial crisis to hit the Eurozone – hitting the diplomatically-recognised portion of Cyprus – is perhaps a case study in how to mismanage a banking-reliant economy and of how the international community can err when applying a fix.
As Accounting & Business went to press, the divided Mediterranean island was faced with the prospect of having to stop all government payments unless fresh money pours in by April 24.…
IRELAND IS MOST EDUCATED COUNTRY IN EU, SAYS EUROSTAT
IRELAND has the most higher education graduates per head of population in all 27 countries of the European Union (EU), a report from EU statistical agency Eurostat has revealed.
Looking at the proportion of people aged 30-34 who had completed tertiary education, Eurostat said in 2012, 51.1% of Ireland residents had degrees.…
SINGAPORE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LAUNCH ALLIANCE TO TAP CHINESE STUDENT MARKET
THE SINGAPORE government’s much lauded change of gears from running an economy known for its efficiency to one where innovation also plays a key role has been illustrated in a new education services export initiative, targeted at China.
The city state’s trade promotion agency IE Singapore (IE for international enterprise) signed in January a memorandum of understanding with seven local leading training and educational institutes and universities to form what it calls a Singapore Talent Development Alliance (STDA).…
OECD ATTACKS DENMARK OVER FOREIGN BRIBERY FAILINGS
THE ORGANISATION for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has criticised Denmark – usually lauded over its clean and efficient government – for turning blind eyes to foreign bribery. In an assessment released in March, the OECD Working Group on Bribery noted that the country’s police had investigated only 13 foreign bribery cases and criminal penalties had been imposed in only one case.…
CHINA AIMS TO DEVELOP DOMESTIC HIGH-END TECHNICAL TEXTILES, BUT A LONG WAY TO GO
CHINA’S demonstrable skills in clothing and textile manufacture has yet to yield dividends in the technical textiles field, with the country still relying heavily on imports, especially for high-end products such as carbon fibre, high temperature fibre and medical textiles.
In 2011, China spent USD3.4 billion importing technical textiles, including woven and unwoven lines, mainly from the US and Japan – up 22.7% from USD2.77 billion during 2010, according to Beijing-based China Nonwovens and Industrial Textiles Associations (CNITA).…
US LAW ENFORCEMENT CRACK THE WHIP OVER COUNTERFEIT PARTS
AMERICAN auto makers have welcomed a judicial crackdown on selling counterfeit parts, accessories and diagnostic devices following a rapid succession of recent court cases in which China-based manufacturers and online sales have figured prominently.
“We support very stringent safeguards – the average vehicle on the road is 11 years old and has 30,000 components so the aftermarket parts business is so lucrative and there are an awful lot of ways to cheat the system,” said Dan Gage, director of communications and public affairs for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (Auto Alliance), the leading advocacy group for the industry, representing the makers of 77% of car and light truck sales in the US.…
POLAND AND BALTIC STATES PUSH AHEAD WITH FRACKING PLANS
As Poland’s shale gas rush ramps up in earnest, companies offering locally-sourced minerals used in hydraulic fracturing look set to profit. The industry, nascent as it is in Poland, comprises a hodgepodge of contractors and subcontractors, each sourcing different materials from different places.…
ZAMBIA'S AIRPORTS UNDERGO RENEWAL
CHANGE is coming to Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport, with the Zambian government embarking on an ambitious airports renewal programme, which will renovate Kenneth Kuanda International, along with three other international airports. These are Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport, in Livingstone; the Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport, in Ndola and the Mfuwe International Airport, in the country’s eastern province.…
THAILAND ACCEPTS EU BEEF IMPORTS – BUT BRUSSELS STILL HAS CONCERNS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed Thailand lifting its longstanding ban on bovine product imports from European Union (EU) member states, but has complained that Bangkok is insisting on expensive inspections for approved exporters.
Live cattle, beef, veal and other bovine products from Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia and Spain have been prevented from entering Thailand since 2001 over concerns about BSE.…
EMA PRIVATE-PUBLIC PROJECT RELEASES PHARMACEUTICAL DATABASES
PHARMACEUTICAL companies seeking pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology information from across the European Union (EU) can now consult two new databases. Created by the public-private partnership PROTECT project, they are the Drug Consumption Database and the PROTECT ADR [adverse drug reaction] database.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – MAJOR TRADE DEALS SOUGHT BY EU WITH USA AND JAPAN
EUROPEAN Union (EU) confectionery manufacturers and their suppliers stand to boost their export sales and reduce import costs with the launch of talks to forge the two largest bilateral trade deals ever sought by the EU – with the USA and Japan.…
EU SIMPLIFIED FINANCIAL RULES EXPECTED TO MAKE LIFE EASIER FOR ACCOUNTANTS
CHINESE auditors connected to big accountancy firms are facing a potential ban on them practicing before the US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC). This might happen if a judge confirms they willfuly withheld details of audits or interim reviews of nine unidentified Chinese firms whose principal operations are in China but whose shares are traded in the US and who are the subject of ongoing SEC fraud investigations.…
MULTI-MILLION EURO SCRAP METAL VAT SCAM DISCOVERED
European Union (EU) police agency Europol says it has broken a sophisticated value-added tax (VAT) fraud, involving trading scrap metal between Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The scam involves so-called ‘carousel’ or ‘missing-trader’ fraud where scrap has been sold in a chain or buyers, with VAT being charged on each sale.…
CZECH REPUBLIC’S TEMELÍN EXPANSION TENDER APPROACHES END GAME
THE BIDDING for a contract to expand Temelín nuclear power plant in the Czech Republic is approaching decision time, with the winner of the four-year long tender process to be chosen in 2013. Worth USD10 billion, the contract represents the largest public tender in the country’s history and has generated considerable debate, from safety issues and the distinctions between the various reactor designs and their technologies, to political and economic issues regarding everything from energy security to the deal’s transparency.…
NEWCASTLE DISEASE SPREADS IN EASTERN EUROPE
BULGARIAN authorities have reported more than 350 cases of Newcastle disease in flocks of backyard poultry. According to the World Animal Health Organisation, the Office International des Épizooties (OIE) all sick birds have died. The outbreak follows a report from the OIE earlier this month from Czech Republic, where backyard pigeons were killed by Newcastle disease. …
CYPRUS: MONEY LAUNDERING AND POLITICAL INTRIGUE ON A DIVIDED ISLAND
CYPRUS is under intense pressure to clean up its act – at least on the south of the island, controlled by the internationally recognised government- in battling what some foreign creditors, with Germany at the forefront, see as a widespread money laundering problem.…
US PROPOSES FLEXIBILITY TO TPP TRADE PACT
THE UNITED States government has unveiled details of proposed flexibilities it wants to introduce into the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement which will allow importers to buy scarce clothing, textiles and yarns from outside the bloc.
Speaking at a New York conference yesterday (Wed, Jan 9), Kim Glas, deputy assistant secretary for textiles and apparels of the US Department of Commerce stressed proposals that may appease concerns of US garment and clothing importers concerned about restrictive ‘yarn forward’ rules in the draft TPP.…
EASTERN EUROPE STAGNATES - BUT RUSSIA AND POLAND OFFER OPPORTUNITIES TO COSMETICS SECTOR
BY MARK ROWE
TO describe recent times as difficult for the eastern European cosmetics industry would be something of an understatement. Since 2010, some countries have experienced dizzying declines in production and sales that indicated the industry was more or less in tune with the wider economic mood across the region.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN COSMETIC MARKETS RECOVER UNEVENLY FROM THE RECESSION
BY MARK ROWE
ANYONE looking for straightforward conclusions about the impact of the recession on eastern Europe’s cosmetics market is likely to be disappointed. Some countries, such as Poland, fared relatively well in the crisis, while others such as Latvia faced punishing economic contraction, therefore signals coming from the region in these uncertain and ever-changing times, are hugely varied.…
SMALL UNRECOGNISED STATES CREATES HEADACHES FOR AIRPORT ADMINISTRATION
BY MARK ROWE, MICHAEL KOSMIDES, IN ATHENS, AND MOHAMMED YUSUF, IN NAIROBI
INTERNATIONAL civil aviation procedures are designed to create predictability. But they are not usually applicable for airports in territories that have declared independence, but have not achieved full international recognition, or a seat at the United Nations.…
INTERPOL AND EUROPOL RAIDS NET ILLEGAL MEAT PRODUCTS IN 29 COUNTRIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Counterfeit, mislabelled and substandard meat products have been seized in an international police operation spanning 29 countries, coordinated by Interpol and European police agency Europol. Sausages, ham, lamb, chicken and beef were seized, a Europol spokesman told globalmeatnews.com.…
COSMETICS IN CAMEROON: BOOMING AND UNREGULATED
BY TRICIA OBEN, IN DOUALA
THE GROWTH in the Cameroon personal care product sector in the past few years has been phenomenal. Imports of cosmetic products alone grew by more than Central African Franc XAF10 billion (United States Dollar USD19.1 million) in 2011, up from XAF31 billion (USD 62 million) in 2010, according to figures supplied by Cameroon customs.…
PAKISTAN AWAITS CZECH INVESTMENT FOR MAJOR PRIVATE STEELWORKS
BY MICHAEL STEIN, IN PRAGUE; AND RAHIMULLAH YUSUFZAI, IN PESHAWAR
Senior government officials in the Pakistan province of Sindh have told Steel First they are keenly awaiting the promised launch of a Czecho-Pakistani project to build a CZK6.1 billion (USD320 million) private steelworks facility in Pakistan.…
GOOD FINANCIAL REPORTING ESSENTIAL TO EMERGING MARKET BUSINESSES
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
FOR multinational businesses, comprehensive and precise financial reporting is critical for a company’s success, and such good practice is also essential for companies striving for profits within emerging markets.
Earlier this year, the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) released a report ‘Being the Change: Inspiring the Next Generation of Inclusive Business Entrepreneurs Impacting the Base of the Pyramid’, which highlights the IFC’s ‘inclusive business models’ strategy.…
WCO COORDINATES FAKE MEDICINE CRACKDOWN IN AFRICA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Customs Organisation (WCO) has launched a crack-down on illicit medicines in 16 African countries, which sparked the seizure of more than 82 million doses of illegal pharmaceuticals. The haul included antimalarial and anti-parasitic drugs, antibiotics, cough syrups, contraceptive pills and infertility treatments, worth more than USD40 million.…
PCC ASKS BRUSSELS PERMISSION TO ACQUIRE US TITANIUM METALS CORPORATION
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC), a worldwide US-based manufacturer of complex metal components sought approval from the European Commission yesterday (Nov 14) for its plan to acquire control of fellow American’s, Dallas-based Titanium Metals Corporation (Timet). It produces titanium melted and mill products, while Oregon-headquartered PCC manufactures structural investment castings, forged components, and airfoil castings for aircraft engines and other applications in various industries.…
WCO COORDINATES FAKE MEDICINE CRACKDOWN IN AFRICA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Customs Organisation (WCO) has launched a crack-down on fraudulent medicines in 16 African countries, seizing more than 82 million doses of illegal pharmaceuticals worth more than USD40 million. A WCO note said: "These results are alarming…" Its officers worked with the Institute of Research against Counterfeit Medicines (IRACM) and 16 national customs administrations in raids called VICE GRIPS 2, targeting seaport containers in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania and Togo.…
LEGAL CHALLENGE LAUNCHED AGAINST SEC CONFLICT MINERALS LAW
BY LEAH GERMAIN
THE USA Chamber of Commerce and America’s National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) have launched a legal challenge to a Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule requiring companies to list the use of "conflict-minerals" in their product supply-chain. Finalised by the SEC in August, the rule requires US-listed companies to disclose if their products contain minerals, such as tantalum, tin, gold or tungsten, originating from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country.…
REGULATORY ROUND UP - EU SUGAR QUOTAS COULD STAY AS CAP REFORM DEBATE HOTS UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PRESSURE is growing on European Union (EU) ministers to give the EU’s sugar production quota system a stay of execution. MEPs on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee have called for the retention of EU sugar quotas for beet farmers until 2020, rather than follow existing plans to phase them out in 2015.…
OBAMA AMENDS CAFTA-DR RULE THAT ENCOURAGED AMERICAN TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS TO IMPORT ASIAN THREAD
BY LEAH GERMAIN
US textile industry experts are predicting a boost to the country’s thread manufacturing sector following a reform to a loophole in the US-Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) that had left American producers vulnerable.
The new rule comes into force on Saturday (October 13) and corrects a definition that had encouraged the use of non-US (mainly Chinese and other east Asian) sewing threads in American, Central American and Dominican textiles and apparel production.…
A CONVERSATION ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM: IS THE MAGNA CHARTA UNIVERSITATUM STILL RELEVANT TO TODAY'S UNIVERSITIES?
BY LEE ADENDORFF, IN BOLOGNA
MORE than 110 academics and university administrators met in Bologna, Italy on September 21 for the twenty-fourth anniversary conference of the Magna Charta Universitatum – a declaration on fundamental university principles that has now been signed by over 750 universities worldwide.…
INTERNATIONAL REGLATORY ROUND UP - NESTLÉ BOSS HAILS VALUE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CEO of Nestlé has praised the role of international standards in managing his multi-national company, giving it a health-based legal framework within which its specialists can creatively develop new confectionery and other food products.
Speaking within an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) briefing, Paul Bulcke said: “Tastes may differ, but health requirements and minimum standards are the same the world over.…
MACEDONIA'S REVAMPED AIRPORTS SET TO BOOST TOURISM, ECONOMY
BY ZLATKO CONKAS
THE TURKS used to run the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia as colonial overlords – now with the country enjoying its independence since 1991, its government has shown its confidence in welcoming a Turkish company TAV Airports Holding to run its two international airports.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES GAZPROM PROBE
BY ROB STOKES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an anti-trust investigation into Russia’s Gazprom, suspecting it of stifling gas market competition in central and eastern European (CEE). The Commission is investigating whether the energy giant may have: divided gas markets by hindering free flow of gas across member states; prevented diversification of gas supply; and imposed unfair prices on customers by linking gas to oil prices.…
EUROPEAN COGENERATION TECHNOLOGY
COGENERATION, or rather trigeneration, units that cooled, heated and powered the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games won plaudits if no gold medals for the manufacturer – America’s GE – but neatly symbolised the spread of CHP into mainstream and niche applications.…
EUROPEAN CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY PONDERS DEVELOPING GREENER PACKAGING
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is consumer demand in Europe for making confectionery packaging more sustainable, but in the European Union (EU) manufacturers are motivated more in going green by EU legislation.
They are developing ways of reducing, reusing and recycling packaging, and changing its composition to help.…
LARGE SCALE COGEN
BY ROBERT STOKES
"We’re likely to see a growing trend towards toward biomass-based CHP over the next 10 years," said Daniella Muallem, senior research analyst at US-based IDC Energy Insights, EMEA division. This is already apparent in large cogen.
Case in point: an innovative 49.9MW biomass cogen plant – the largest of its kind in the United Kingdom – is on course to begin its commissioning phase in late 2012 before production starts in mid-2013.…
CROATIA KNITTING SECTOR COULD EXPLOIT EU ACCESSION - BUT THERE ARE RISKS
BY MARK ROWE
CROATIA has a strong tradition of knitting that features heavily in the traditions of the country’s rural hinterland and this could stand its knitwear sector in good stead for the country’s 2013 accession to the European Union (EU).…
CROATIA TEXTILE AND CLOTHING SECTOR COULD EXPLOIT EU ACCESSION - BUT THERE ARE RISKS
BY MARK ROWE
CROATIA will join the European Union (EU) in one year’s time (on July 1, 2013), and while the country’s low wages offer opportunities to sell local textiles and clothing into the EU, the Croatian sector could be in better shape.…
EU CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK WARNS OF MORE HYDROQUINONE ALERTS IN WHITENING PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer safety alert network Rapex has warned that illegal hydroquinone content is continuing to be discovered in skin whitening products across Europe. Portuguese customs, for instance, seized Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)-manufactured Angel Cosmetics lightening beauty soap with carrot oil for containing the chemical, banned under the EU cosmetics directive.…
EU REGULATORY ROUND UP - BRUSSELS MAKES BROADBAND ROLL OUT PRIORITY TARGET
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been flexing its regulatory muscles to push the roll-out of high-speed broadband networks – trying to fine-tune European Union (EU) competition rules to encourage this development. Brussels is using its current legal powers and consulting on creating new rules and policies, with action being driven by pro-free market Dutch digital agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes.…
OVERMATTER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
European Commission signs today agreement of cooperation with Greenland on raw materials
To improve access of EU industry to raw materials at an affordable price, the European Commission wishes to intensify cooperation with Greenland benefitting both sides, such as joint infrastructures and investments or capacity building in exploration and exploitation of raw materials.…
EU SEEKS MORE LEVERAGE OVER GREENLAND MINING PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission and Greenland have signed a letter of intent that could increase the role of European Union (EU) mining companies in the development of the autonomous territory’s considerable mineral resources.
EU industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani and development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs have struck a deal with Greenland Prime Minister Kuupik Kleis over future EU involvement in exploration and exploitation.…
GAZPROM SHORES UP POSITION IN PROMISING CZECH GAS MARKET
BY MIKE STEIN, IN PRAGUE
EASTERN and central Europeans often have mixed feelings about dealing with the Russians – and for good reason, given their 40-plus-year domination of the region after the Second World War. It has encouraged many governments to seek alternative energy supplies other than Russian gas, but – as the Cold War recedes into memory, old scars are healing and joint energy ventures with Russia’s energy giant Gazprom are increasingly being assessed on their merits.…
EU SEEKS MORE LEVERAGE OVER GREENLAND MINERAL PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission and Greenland have signed a letter of intent that could increase the role of European Union (EU) industrial mineral companies in the development of Greenlandic mineral resources, including rare earths.
EU industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani and development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs have struck a deal with Greenland Prime Minister Kuupik Kleis over future EU involvement in exploration and exploitation.…
DENMARK TIGHTENS AML LAWS, BUT DIRTY MONEY STILL FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS
BY GERARD O’DWYER
DENMARK’S government and financial regulators have been increasingly busy since 2005 reinforcing the country’s relatively relaxed anti-money laundering (AML) laws. Despite the introduction of the Danish Act on Measures to Prevent Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in March 2006, and legislative amendments since, reports of suspected money laundering incidences have continued to increase year-on-year in Denmark.…
EU SEEKS MORE LEVERAGE OVER GREENLAND METAL MINERAL PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission and Greenland have signed a letter of intent that could increase the role of European Union (EU) metal and mining companies in the development of Greenlandic metal and other mineral resources.
The autonomous north Atlantic territory has a wealth of deposits being explored.…
GAZPROM'S SOUTH STREAM: WHAT WILL THE TRANSIT OF THIS GAS PIPELINE MEAN FOR THE BALKANS?
BY ZLATKO CONKAS, IN SERBIA
AS Russian energy giant Gazprom begins construction work on the South Stream pipeline project by the end of this year for an operational launch in 2015, its final route across the Balkans has yet to be decided and governments are jostling for position.…
EASTERN EUROPE'S PAINTS AND COATINGS MARKET CONTINUES TO GROW AS THE WEST STAYS STAGNANT
BY E BLAKE BERRY, IN POLAND; MIKE STEIN, IN PRAGUE; MONIKA HANLEY, IN RIGA; AND MJ DESCHAMPS,
WHILE southern and western Europe’s economies falter, being mired in debt, eastern Europe’s coatings market is now growing solidly amidst economic performances that are recovering from a recession that hit the region hard.…
ACCOUNTING FIRMS SERVICE AFRICA'S ECONOMIC GROWTH
BY VILLEN ANGANAN, IN BEAU-BASSIN, MAURITIUS
INTERNATIONAL accounting firms are exploring opportunities within Africa, and are using the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius – a regional financial centre – as a stepping stone. All the Big Four: Ernst &Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), KPMG and Deloitte are already successfully offering their services to African clients.…
EU ROUND UP - CONFECTIONERY INDISTRY FIGHT PROPOSALS TO DELAY END OF EU SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPE’S confectionery industry is fighting rearguard moves at the European Parliament to delay the abolition of European Union (EU) quotas on EU sugar production. A report from French conservative MEP Michel Dantin on the new EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has proposed that the quotas stay until 2020 – they are currently to be phased out by 2015.…
MAURITIUS ACCA MINISTER'S INNOVATIVE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT POLICIES COULD PROMOTE WEALTH IN MAINLAND AFRICA
BY VILLEN ANGANAN, IN BEAU-BASSIN, MAURITIUS
ACCA fellows can be found in many influential positions worldwide and in Africa, they are often the backbone of financial and management best practice, in many jurisdictions. That is certainly the case on the Indian Ocean state of Mauritius, where environment and sustainable development minister and ACCA member Devanand Virahsawmy belongs to the inner circle of prime minister Navin Ramgoolam who secured a second mandate in May 2010 elections.…
SUGAR OFFERS AFRICAN BIOFUEL PRODUCERS A FEEDSTOCK - BUT DEVELOPMENT WILL BE CHALLENGING
BY BILL CORCORAN, IN CAPE TOWN; MOHAMMED YUSUF, IN NAIROBI; AND KEITH NUTHALL
A BOOK launched at last December’s Durban international climate change conference has focused on the growing potential for sugar to be a biofuel feedstock in Africa. ‘Bioenergy for Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness:
The Role of Sugar Cane in Africa’ was written by 44 authors representing 30 organisations in 16 countries and was published by Routledge.…
BRUSSELS NEGOTIATES RESTRICTIVE OPEN SKIES DEAL WITH SRI LANKA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A RESTRICTIVE open skies agreement has been negotiated between the European Commission and Sri Lanka that incorporates existing bilateral civil aviation agreements struck with individual European Union (EU) member states. The agreement includes deals previously struck by Sri Lanka with Austria, Belgium, Britain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.…
EU MOULDERS GET A BOUNCE FROM BILATERAL TRADE AGREEMENTS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
BILATERAL trade agreements between European Union (EU) and emerging economies have helped cushion EU plastics moulders and machinery suppliers as more important domestic markets have weakened in recession and the Eurozone crisis.
It is a two-way street: lower priced machinery from China and India has made inroads into EU markets for applications requiring less technologically sophisticated kit.…
SOUTH KOREA'S BOOMING SKINCARE BUSINESS CONTINUES TO THRIVE
BY KARRYN MILLER
A STROLL through Myeong-dong, one of Seoul’s busiest shopping districts, gives a good idea of the magnitude of the popularity of South Korea’s cosmetics and skincare industry: according to the Korea Tourism Organisation there are approximately 1,000 cosmetic shops and hundreds of skincare stores within this small quadrant, alone.…
EU MINISTERS MOVE TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON TRANSPARENCY RULES FOR MINING COMPANY PAYMENTS TO GOVERNMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have expressed broad support for tightening rules insisting EU mining companies declare payments made to governments who regulate their mines and processing facilities. EU officials now are confident that these rules will be agreed by a June 30 deadline imposed by heads of government in January.…
EU MINISTERS MOVE TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON TRANSPARENCY RULES FOR INDUSTRIAL MINERAL COMPANY PAYMENTS TO GOVERNMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have expressed broad support for tightening rules insisting EU industrial minerals companies declare payments made to governments who regulate their mines and processing facilities. EU officials now are confident that these rules will be agreed by a June 30 deadline imposed by heads of government in January.…
SUDAN SEPARATION FUELS STRIFE OVER OIL
BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT; AND MOHAMMED YUSUF, IN NAIROBI
IN late January, oil production and exports came to a halt in South Sudan over a transit pricing dispute with its former overlord north Sudan. With no compromise in sight, the newly independent Africa country is mulling other transport options, but, even if production were to resume, it will be months – at best – before its oil sector gets back on its feet.…
3441 - PORTUGAL GOVERNMENT RENEWS CRACKDOWN ON RISKY COSMETICS
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) consumer alert network RAPEX has reported that Portugal has relaunched tough action against imported cosmetics it deems a potential health risk. Last year saw a spate of filings from Portugal about seizures and sales bans and Lisbon has now redoubled its efforts this year, with eight products targeted by consumer protection authorities in February alone.…
IFC HELPS SIMPLIFY TAXES IN GEORGIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank has hailed as a success an initiative to simplify the taxation system of the Caucasus republic of Georgia. It is coordinating a Georgia Tax Simplification Project, which recently staged a workshop in the Black Sea town of Batumi, to help import-export companies, consulting firms and brokers exploit reforms in cross-border trade regulations and custom clearance zones.…
PIPELINE PROJECTS' COMPETITION TO BRING GAS TO EUROPE IS LIKE GAME OF DIPLOMATIC CHESS
BY MARK ROWE
ALTHOUGH it has been likened to a 21st century Silk Road, the southern gas corridor is currently making painstaking and troubled progress; inching its way through the political and economic strife that stands between the Caspian Sea and Western Europe.…
EU MINISTERS PLOT RUSSIA/BELARUS ELECTRICITY DEAL FOR BALTIC STATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers is seeking an agreement with Russia and Belarus that would better coordinate the operation of their electricity systems with those of the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The council’s working party on energy is drafting a proposal for EU ministers that – if approved – would "authorise the [European] Commission to negotiate an agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the European Union on electricity system operation of the Baltic States."…
INTERNATIONAL CADMIUM IN CHOCOLATE ROW SET TO RUN AND RUN
BY JAMES FULLER
IF evidence were needed to show how globalised the confectionery sector has become – then look at the row between Ecuador and the European Union (EU) over possible EU controls limiting levels of toxic metal cadmium in cocoa powder and chocolate.…
EASTERN EUROPE'S COSMETICS MARKET RECOVERS, BUT STILL TOUGH FOR SMALLER PLAYERS
BY MARK ROWE, IN LONDON; ZLATKO CONKAS, IN NOVI SAD, SERBIA; MIKE STEIN, IN PRAGUE; AND BLAKE BERRY, IN WARSAW
DURING the spring of 2011, the prevailing view throughout eastern Europe’s personal care and toiletries market was that while business was not exactly buoyant, the worst of the recession was over – then came the credit crises and the faltering Euro.…
CHINESE-AFRICAN COTTON AGREEMENT COULD HERALD NEW ERA FOR AFRICAN COTTON INDUSTRY
BY WANG FANGQING IN SHANGHAI
A RECENT Chinese-African cotton agreement could usher in a new era for the African cotton industry but not in the short-term, say industry experts.
Under the agreement, signed in December with four key cotton-producing African countries – Benin, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso (known as the C4) – China stated it would provide machinery, expertise and materials in a bid to increase and improve the quality of local production.…
INTERNATIONAL ROUND UP - EU SUGAR QUOTAS TO GO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has confirmed it is scrapping sugar production quotas across the European Union (EU) in 2015 when proposing a comprehensive reform of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). There have been calls from some member states and MEPs for the quota regime to be renewed, but the Commission has stuck to its guns and will continue with abolition.…
SOURCING - WINNERS AND LOSERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WINNERS
TUNISIA
Of all the countries disrupted by the Arab Spring revolts in 2011, Tunisia liberated itself in the swiftest and most business-friendly fashion. This key European supplier rid itself of despotic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January14, and one week later, its textile and clothing sector was back at work.…
OLD ATHENS AIRPORT IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS
BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES
THE GREEK government has launched an international multibillion Euro tender regenerating the old Athens airport area at Hellinikon. The 620 hectare site is more than twice the size of Hyde Park in London. It includes facilities used for the Athens 2004 Olympics and listed buildings such as the former ‘Athens East Terminal’, designed by the architect Eero Saarinen.…
2011 REVIEW OF THE YEAR - CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RETAIL – WINNERS AND LOSERS
WINNERS
MARKS & SPENCER
Times may still be tough in its home British market, but M&S showed forward-thinking foresight in 2011- on sourcing transparency and the environment: potential key issues for future consumers.…
PORTUGAL CONTINUES CRACK-DOWN ON POTENTIALLY HARMFUL COSMETICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PORTUGUESE authorities have clamped down on personal care products they regard as potentially harmful for a second month running, European Union (EU) consumer warning network RAPEX has reported. Action was taken against eight products in October, including customs seizures and sales ban.…
CANADIAN FIRM GIVES UK FINANCIER KEY ROLE IN AFGHAN IRON ORE MINING CONCESSION
BY LEAH GERMAN
DESPITE this week being awarded the mining rights for a major iron ore deposit in Afghanistan, Canadian company Kilo Goldmines Ltd has announced that it will step down as leaders on this project but retain a 20% interest in the venture.…
EU ROUND UP - EU PUBLISHES RIG SAFETY STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed its long-awaited package of measures designed to prevent major oil or gas rig accidents that could pollute European Union (EU) waters. They have been collated into a proposed regulation, which would have to be followed to the letter by member states, if the proposal is approved by MEPs and EU ministers.…
WILL CROATIA'S ASCENSION TO THE EU HAMPER THE COUNTRY'S TOBACCO INDUSTRY?
BY ZLATKO CONKAS
Will Croatia’s ascension to the EU hamper the country’s tobacco industry?
Croatia’s strong tobacco sector stands to benefit from selling into the European Union once the country joins the EU. However it could lose trade in neighbouring states because of duty changes.…
SAFETY WARNINGS RELEASED ON SKIN WHITENERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer safety network RAPEX has warned certain skin whiteners have been blocked from sale over health concerns. The main problem was illegal hydroquinone use, breaching the EU cosmetics directive. This was why Portugal customs blocked imports of Democratic Republic of the Congo-made imports of Angel Cosmetics’ Clairmen brand and ‘Caro White’ cream, plus Ivory Coast-made ‘Skin Light’ cream; Austrian shops withdrew Ivory Coast-made ‘Skin Light’ cream; while France warned about French-made ‘Fair & White’ cream.…
BIOFUELS FACE TOUGH CHALLENGES TO BE A VIABLE EUGREEN ENERGY ALTERNATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOUBTS are growing about the wisdom of encouraging biofuel use in the European Union (EU) as a cornerstone of environmental policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The EU has painted itself into a corner with its renewable energy directive.…
DIGITAL CRASH TEST DUMMY PROJECT USES DEAD BODIES AND COMPUTERS TO SAVE LIVES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project has been using donated dead bodies, elaborately constructed dummies and complex computer research to create a digital model of the thorax (the upper body between the head and abdomen) to help build safer cars.…
EASTERN EUROPE IS GROWING ITS BIOFUEL FEEDSTOCK CAPACITY
BY ZLATKO CONKAS, BLAKE BERRY, MONIKA HANLEY, MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
EASTERN Europe is often regarded as developing in the slipstream of richer western Europe – and so far the model seems to be fitting with biofuels. That said, significant biodiesel manufacturing capacity is in place in the region, according to the European Biodiesel Board.…
ILLEGAL URANIUM MINING CONTINUES IN THE DRC CLAIM RESEARCHERS
BY WACHIRA KIGOTHO
RESEARCHERS studying mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) are warning illegal uranium mining continues in a country still riven with political violence and weak government authority.
Indeed, militia groups and government soldiers continue to benefit from illegal uranium mining in the eastern DRC, claims Ms Nyambura Githaiga, a researcher with the Nairobi-based African Conflict Prevention Programme.…
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA PUSHES FORWARD WITH ATC IMPROVEMENTS
BY BILL CORCORAN, WACHIRA KIGOTHO, PAUL COCHRANE; and KEITH NUTHALL
SUB-SAHARAN Africa has always been regarded as a problem zone for air traffic control, with weak states struggling to provide the sophisticated and flexible communications required for state of the art ATC.…
STABLE POOR STATES HAVE ABILITY TO PASS LAWS AND CREATE FIU'S, BUT STRUGGLE WITH IMPLEMENTING SYSTEMS
BY MARIANNE BROWN
STABLE large developing countries have obvious advantages over small states and those facing civil conflict, in terms of creating effective anti-money laundering (AML) and combating the financing of terrorism (CFT) systems. But given many are today in the throes of rapid economic growth and transformation into consumer societies, their governments have a lot of priorities to juggle, and keeping close tabs on dirty money might not be one of them.…
KOSOVO NURSING ORGANISATIONS DENY COMPLICITY WITH ORGAN HARVESTING SCANDAL
BY MARK ROWE
IT has to be the worst nightmare for professional nursing ethics imaginable. You work in a private clinic. And an armed group is harvesting organs from corpses who have died at the clinic. You may suspect they were actually killed so those organs can be removed, which means your own life could be at risk if you kick up a fuss.…
CZECH POWER GIANT'S FORAY INTO HEAT PRODUCTION
BY LEE ADENDORFF, MARK ROWE, ALAN OSBORN, KATHERINE DUNN, MARTINA MARECKOVA, GERARD O’DWYER and MINDY RAN
The largest Czech Republic power company, ?EZ, has just made a decision to extend its footprint in heat production; announcing on July 28, 2011, that it plans to acquire Energotrans, the Czech company which supplies heat from the town of M?lník…
EU NETWORK REPORTS SEIZURES OF SKIN WHITENERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer protection information network RAPEX has reported a string of market withdrawals of potentially harmful skin whitening products in the Netherlands and Austria. The actions were taken largely because of excess hydroquinone content, breaching the EU’s cosmetics directive.…
UPCOMING WINTER OLYMPICS SPARKS CO-GEN PROJECTS IN RUSSIA
BY LEE ADENDORFF, MARK ROWE, ALAN OSBORN, KATHERINE DUNN, MARTINA MARECKOVA, GERARD O’DWYER and MINDY RAN
The Winter Olympics have proven to be something of a catalyst for funding and investment in co-generation in provincial Russia – right down to the 2014 venue itself: the Black Sea resort in the city of Sochi.…
THE COGENERATION MARKET
BY MONIKA HANLEY, LEE ADENDORFF, MARK ROWE, ALAN OSBORN, MINDY RAN, GERARD O’DWYER and MARTINA MARECKOVA
FOR an industry that generates energy, heat and maybe cooling, the European cogeneration sector has been operating on a decidedly low output in recent years.…
SERBIA AND KOSOVO STRIKE DEGREE RECOGNITION DEAL
BY ZLATKO ?ONKA?
EUROPE: Serbia and Kosovo strike deal over degree recognition
Zlatko ?onka?
The European University Association (EUA) has welcomed an agreement between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo that will pave the way for the mutual recognition of degrees issued by their universities.…
UAE'S FUJAIRAH AIRPORT TO IMPLEMENT FULLY AUTOMATED AIR CONTROL CENTRE
BY MATTHEW BRACE
The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) Fujairah International Airport has selected Czech Republic and Slovakia-based IT company ALES for the supply of an air traffic control system and ERA (part of American technology and systems company SRA International) for a wide area multilateration radar to fully automate the airport’s air control centre, and implement an advanced surveillance solution.…
DUBAI'S RAPID GROWTH PROMPTS LARGE-SCALE PASSENGER FLOW TRIAL
BY MATTHEW BRACE
DUBAI International Airport (DXB), in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is planning to launch a large-scale passenger flow measurement project to track the movement and activity of passengers from the second they enter the airport complex.
From the airport’s growth statistics, it appears the trial has not come a moment too soon; DXB is one of the fastest growing airports in the world and could become the busiest in the near future.…
BRUSSELS WILL NOT EXPAND OR TIGHTEN VOC DIRECTIVE FOLLOWING REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission review of the 2004 paints directive has led to Brussels concluding it will not propose expanding the products covered by its volatile organic compounds (VOC) emission limits or tightening them for vehicle refinishing products. Both topics were subjects of a mandatory assessment by Brussels.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TRIES TO BOOST INNOVATION IN EUROPEAN TEXTILE MACHINERY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project is trying to boost innovation in European-made textile machinery, helping small-and-medium sized companies fend off Asian competition. The NU-WAVE project has a Euro EUR2.5 million budget and ends this December.
Its aims to make EU companies’ machines "more flexible, productive and efficient to…cope with highly variable and functionalised textile products", reducing energy usage, noise and vibration, said the European Commission.…
HAITI AIRPORT FOCUS OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN POST-EARTHQUAKE FUTURE
BY GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE and KEITH NUTHALL
IT is more than 18 months since the earthquake that ravaged Haiti seriously damaged Toussaint L’Ouverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, notably its air traffic control tower, rendering it unusable. The airport suffered structural damage to its terminal building walls and there were some major electrical faults.…
NEW CENTRAL ASIA FATF PUSHES ANTI-MONEYLAUNDERING PROGRESS IN REGION
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
CENTRAL Asia is often in the news regarding political instability, and the complexity of the region’s borders and ethnicities make for an opacity that can encourage the growth of organised crime. Also, being far from the centres of anti-money laundering activities and standard setting – in Europe, north America and east Asia, the region’s often authoritarian governments have a poor reputation regarding the enforcement of law and judicial probity.…
LATIN AMERICAN COSMETICS MARKET SURGES IN GLOBAL IMPORTANCE
BY PACIFICA GODDARD
LATIN America is proving to be one of the most intriguing and exciting markets globally for beauty and personal care products. "The Latin American cosmetic market grew 20% in 2010, so now it is a market of US dollars USD64 million – almost as big as the north American market," said Mr Jaime Concha Prada, who recently served as president of CASIC, the Chamber of the Latin American Cosmetics Industry.…
NUMBER OF EU PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SAFETY ALERTS FALLS IN 2010
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NUMBER of personal care products reported last year through the European Union’s (EU) RAPEX consumer alert service as being potentially unsafe or breaching the EU cosmetics directive fell in 2010 – to 66, down from 86 in 2009.…
EU AND GEORGIA IN WINE AND SPIRIT TRADITIONAL NAME RECONITION DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Georgia have struck a deal over recognising each other’s protected geographical indications for wines and spirits. Caucasus republic Georgia has a long-established wine industry, and under the agreement, its traditional wine names will be recognised across the EU, preventing non-Georgian winemakers from using them in all member states.…
LAUNCH OF IRISH PROPERTY SELL-OFF PLANS PROMOTE JITTERS AMONGST IRELAND ESTATE AGENTS
BY NEIL CALLANAN
THE CHOICE of The Shelbourne Hotel on Dublin’s St Stephen’s Green for Ireland’s first major post-recession property auction could not have been better. The grand dame of Irish hotels in many ways serves as a microcosm of the boom and the bust of the Irish property market over the last decade.…
NEW GRANT TO BOOST DOMESTIC SILK INDUSTRY IN LAOS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Bank-administered Japan-fund is financing the development of a domestically-operated silk yarn industry in Laos, to help boost the country’s valued silk manufacturing sector. Despite making distinctive quality silks, the south-east Asian country’s silk sector imports 80-90% of its silk yarn, a problem to be tackled by a US dollar USD1.8 million Sustainable Silk Production Partnership in Rural Lao PDR [people’s democratic republic] grant.…
BRUSSELS PLOTS MAJOR WATER SCARCITY INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is undertaking a series of detailed studies on water scarcity, which will feed into a major policy initiative planned for 2012, almost certainly including legislative reform. The work follows growing concern that Europe is doing too little to conserve its drinking water resources, and that a firm hand from Brussels may be needed to secure future supplies.…
SLOW PROGRESS STARTS TO BE MADE ON SECURING KYRGYZSTAN'S URANIUM WASTE LEGACY
BY MARK ROWE
THE PROBLEM of what to do with Kyrgyzstan’s depleted uranium problem has been passed around the international community for more than two decades, but it now looks like some degree of remediation action is set to take place.…
MAJOR RETAILERS DELIGHTED WITH SPANISH HYPERMARKET PLANNING RULING
BY ALAN OSBORN
Big European food retailers have been delighted with a new ruling by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) slapping down regulations imposed by the Spanish government to restrict the location and operations of hypermarkets in Catalonia. The court, whose decisions are legal precedents throughout every country and region in the European Union (EU), said Spain had failed to fulfill obligations imposed by the "freedom of establishment" provision of the EU treaties.…
SARAJEVO AIRPORT FACES MAJOR UPGRADE AS TRAFFIC GROWS STEADILY
BY ZLATKO ?ONKA?
IF one European country exists that demonstrates the need for the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD), it is surely Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH), whose political and economic recovery from war has been halting. The EBRD has worked with the Bosnian government and its Serb and Bosniak/Croat sub-national entities for 15 years and its latest project could be the jewel in the crown of this cooperation – the revamping of Sarajevo International Airport.…
CZECH PAINTS SECTOR BACK ON TRACK
CZECH PAINTS SECTOR BACK ON TRACK
THE CZECH paints industry last year experienced a second difficult year in a row – although it was not as bad as in 2009. Sales fell 14% year-on-year compared to 2009, but market players believe that the worst is over.…
EMISSIONS TRADE THEFTS RISK MAJOR DAMAGE TO POLLUTION PERMIT MARKET'S REPUTATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN the offices of the Czech Republic’s registry for the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) received a fake bomb threat on January 18, it was an annoying interruption for some Prague office workers. But when returning to their desks, they realised their real bomb had gone off in their computer terminals.…
BRUSSELS PLOTS SECURING VULNERABLE EU EMISSIONS TRADING SYSTEM AGAINST FRAUD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission may this year release proposals to reduce the vulnerability of the European Union’s (EU) emissions trading system (ETS) to fraud. Cyber-criminals launched a lucrative attack on its systems in January. How open is this ground-breaking system to fraud?…
EBRD PLOTS INVESTMENT IN RUSSIA COBALT-COPPER DEPOSIT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR cobalt-copper deposit in Russia being eyed by an Isle of Man based company, which could soon be part-owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD). The bank has released plans for an equity investment of US$21 million in the Isle of Man-registered Imperial Mining Holding Limited, which aims to explore base metal and precious metal resources in Russia and Mongolia.…
EU ROUND UP - NEW CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS INFORMATION LAW WILL MAKE DEMANDS ON PAINT MANUFACTURERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PAINTS, coatings and other construction materials containing hazardous substances will have to be clearly labelled to protect the health and safety of builders and other users, under a new European Union (EU) regulation. Covering the EU-wide sale of construction products, the European Parliament and EU ministers have struck agreement on the final text, which insists every product is sold with a "declaration of performance" by manufacturers.…
GLOBAL OLIVE OIL PRODUCTION IS BOOMING
BY LEE ADENDOORF, ALYSSA MCMURTRY, MAKKI MARSEILLES, and KEITH NUTHALL
GLOBAL olive oil manufacturing is on a roll, with the International Olive Council (IOC) saying 2009-10 world production was 3.02 million tonnes, a season-on-season increase of 354,500 tonnes (+13%). This would be the second best olive oil production year ever, next only to the record of 3.17 million tonnes produced in 2003/04.…
RUSSIAN VISITORS FAVOUR LUXURY APPAREL MADE OF NATURAL MATERIALS
BY MARTINA MARECKOVA
WITH Russia’s economy booming again after a deep recession caused by the global financial crisis, its consumers are again indulging their strong taste for luxury clothing, especially of famous international marques. And Russians also like to travel, and when they do – they shop – with some assessments suggesting they set aside twice as much time for shopping as do American tourists.…
CHAOTIC SOMALIA MAY CONTAIN RICH GAS AND OIL RESERVES
BY WACHIRA KIGOTHO
CLASSIFIED as a failed state, Somalia is one of the world’s poorest countries, but oil production could change its fortune. Indeed, politically fractured Somalia is being touted as a potentially rich oil and gas producer. Given security, Somalia is increasingly regarded as economically strategically-located, a view fuelled by recent interest by Chinese and western nations’ oil and gas investment companies.…
POLITICAL WRANGLING AND RED TAPE OBSTRUCTS LEBANESE OIL AND GAS PRODUCTION
BY SAMI HALABI
BEFORE the county’s 1975-90 civil war Lebanon was an oil transit nation, with pipelines running through its territory from Saudi Arabia, and export terminals on its shores. Today, the country cannot even produce the electricity it needs to power its cities and is completely dependent on imports of oil and gas for energy.…
ITALIAN CRIME FIGHTERS STEP UP FIGHT AGAINST FAKE FASHION GOODS
BY JOSEPHINE MCKENNA, in Rome
ON the face of it the record is impressive. In the past 12 months Italian customs officials and other agents have carried out raids on counterfeiters from Milan in the north to Taranto in the south, seizing millions of euros’ worth fake fashion merchandise.…
CZECH GOVERNMENT PUSHES AGGRESSIVELY AGAINST HIGH SMOKING RATES
BY MARK ROWE
Czech government pushes aggressively against high smoking rates
The Czech government is using tax increases and smoking restrictions to reduce smoking. It has particular concern about high youth smoking rates. However, the Czech Republic remains a stable and high value market for tobacco majors.…
NEW HAITI UNIVERSITY TO BE BUILT AWAR FROM EARTHQUAKE DEVASTATED CAPITAL
BY GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE
HAITI: New university to be built away from earthquake devastation
Garry Pierre-Pierre
A completion date of January 2012 for a new university in Haiti has been announced by the president of the Dominican Republic Leonel Fernández. This new ‘University of Haiti’ will be built in the northern city of Cap Hatïen, costing US dollars USD30 million, fully funded by the neighbouring Dominican Republic’s government and business community.…
EBRD PLOTS INVESTMENT IN RUSSIA COBALT-COPPER DEPOSIT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PREPARATORY work for mining a major cobalt-copper deposit in Russia, could be funded by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD). The bank has released plans for an equity investment of US$21 million in Isle of Man-registered Imperial Mining Holding Limited, whose subsidiaries explore base and precious metal resources in Russia and Mongolia.…
EGYPT'S CLOTHING INDUSTRY POTENTIAL STARTING TO BLOOM
BY PAUL COCHRANE
OVER the past five years Egypt has cemented its position as a fashion hub for European and American high street brands, with average annual garment exports earning the country US dollars USD2 billion, yet domestic labels are generally not exported and high-end clothing manufacturing is still very niche.…
BYPASSING THE SANCTIONS: SYRIA-IRANIAN BANK FACING SCRUTINY
BY PAUL COCHRANE
SYRIA and Iran are both designated by the US state department as sponsors of terrorism, while the countries’ major state-run banks are blacklisted by the US Treasury Department, which places the banks under scrutiny and prevents them from dealing with the American financial system.…
RECESSION FORCED EASTERN EUROPEAN SMOKERS TO DITCH PREMIUM BRANDS FOR CHEAPER SMOKES
BY MARK ROWE
Recession forced eastern European smokers to ditch premium brands for cheaper smokes
Tobacco majors have long targeted eastern Europe as a soft emerging market for premium brands. But times got tough during the recession, when smokers swapped aspiration for economy.…
IEA LAUDS CZECH ENERGY REFORMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Energy Agency (IEA) has praised the Czech Republic for energy reforms made since a previous IEA assessment in 2005. The country had "strengthened its energy policy, further liberalised its electricity and gas markets and made laudable efforts to enhance oil and gas security," said the agency.…
OECD MONITORING SYSTEM TO PREVENT ARMED GROUPS BENEFITING FROM GREAT LAKES' MINERALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PRESSURE is being applied to non-ferrous metal mining companies to follow an Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) code of practice that prevents them fuelling armed conflicts in the Great Lakes region of Africa.
Its countries have been witness to come of the worst human rights abuses and violence of the last 50 years: the genocide in Rwanda and the bloody civil war of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).…
DIPLOMATIC WRANGLES OVER PACIFIC ISLETS COVER RIGHTS TO POTENTIALLY HUGE OIL AND GAS RESERVES
BY JULIAN RYALL
BEFORE September 8, few people anywhere had heard of Zhan Qixiong or his battered fishing boat. However, since the Chinese fisherman and his 14-strong crew were taken into custody by the Japan Coast Guard on September 8, Zhan has found himself at the centre of an escalating geopolitical row that has already put planned discussions over gas and oil deposits between Beijing and Tokyo on hold and is ratcheting up broader tensions in the region.…
UN PUSH ON SOAP USAGE IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
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A UNITED Nations campaign could – if successful – significantly increase worldwide demand for soap. Its Global Handwashing Day has highlighted how diarrhoeal and acute respiratory diseases kill 3.5 million children aged under five annually, and that washing their hands after using toilets and before handling food can reduce such deaths by 40% and 23% respectively.…
CZECH REPUBLIC: Finance threat to planned large campus
BY Cristina Muntean
The rector of the Czech Republic’s second largest university has told University World News he plans to fight to protect planned public investment into expanding its campus, while his country’s government plans severe austerity cuts.
The centre-right coalition government of prime minister Petr Ne?as…
BRUSSELS RELEASES DETAILS ON TOUGHENING EMISSIONS REGISTRY SECURITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released details of its plan to create a centralised registry for emissions trading permits by January 2013, and security will be a paramount consideration. Earlier this year, security controls were reviewed in existing national registries after a major theft of data from the Czech Republic’s register.…
EU FREE TRADE DEAL WITH SOUTH KOREA MAY GIVE FLEXIBILITY TO UK DEALERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL, WANG FANGQING
AUTO dealers in Britain will certainly see the affect of the European Union’s (EU) recent signature of a free trade deal with South Korea. Once ratification procedures have been cleared, the EU’s import duties on cars made in South Korea (mostly 10%) will disappear within 60 days.…
COMMISSION THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER MIXTURES LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening legal action at the European Court of Justice against Belgium, the Czech Republic and Greece, for not implementing European Union directive 2008/112/EC on the classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures. It mandates safety labelling and collating information to protect the environment and human health from chemical mixtures, including cosmetics, soaps and their ingredients.…
PORTUGUESE CONSUMER PROTECTION SERVICE BUSY WITH COSMETICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CONSUMER protection authorities of Portugal have been busy with unsafe cosmetics products in September, with five withdrawals reported by European Union consumer safety network RAPEX. Some covered Spanish made products – such as Isdruc ‘Crema despigmentante’ skin lightening cream; plus Tempting ‘Vitamine vital shampoo’ and ‘Live Mask repair’.…
SMOKING PREVALENCE/ILLICIT TRADE BOOST NORTHERN CYPRUS' TOBACCO MARKET
BY MAKKI MARSEILLES, PAUL COCHRANE
CYPRIOTS are Europe’s heaviest smokers, according to figures from European Union (EU) pollsters Eurobarometer. For those living in the internationally recognised predominantly Greek Republic of Cyprus (RoC) portion of the island, consumption of consumers aged 15 and above during 2009 averaged 21.7 cigarettes daily, and those in Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus 21.6.…
US-CANADA COMPANY ISSUES SHARES TO EXPLORE CONGO, NAMIBIA FIELDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HOUSTON, Texas, and Vancouver, British Columbia-based oil and gas company EnerGulf Resources is selling 10 million shares to raise Canadian dollar CAD4 million (USD3.89 million). This will finance hydrocarbon exploration of the onshore Lotshi Block (western Democratic Republic of Congo), the offshore ‘Block 1711’ (Namibia) and working capital.…
IRELAND'S DOUBLE DIP RECESSION COULD MAKE LIFE TOUGHER FOR NAMA
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IF those responsible for the numerous ‘ghost’ and unfinished estates in the Republic of Ireland had been hoping that overseas property companies might be tempted to take them on, following a slight recovery in the Irish market, the news that Ireland has once more sunk into recession makes that now very unlikely for the foreseeable future.…
ISO DEVELOPS NATURAL GAS VEHICLE FUELLING STATION STANDARD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Organisation for Standardization (ISO) is developing standards for natural gas fuelling stations to help promote vehicles using this alternative fuel. A new committee ISO/PC 252 will coordinate the work, developing two standards: on fuelling stations for compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquefied natural gas (LNG).…
EU ROUND UP - REACH RED TAPE REVIEW REQUESTED BY CEFIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN chemical industry federation CEFIC has called for a review of administration under European Union (EU) chemical control system REACH to help small-and-medium-sized paint and other chemical companies (SMEs) deal with its burden. As the first key REACH chemical deadline of November 30 approaches, CEFIC director general Hubert Mandery said REACH costs hit smaller firms hard, especially for the oncoming two REACH registrations, involving smaller tonnages of chemicals.…
EUROPE: Digital data preserved through CASPAR software programme
By Emma Jackson
Researchers say they have secured the future of Europe’s huge volumes of digital data, having created an open source software that will protect digital data from becoming unreadable or unusable because it is incompatible with newer technologies. This has been developed by the European Union (EU)-funded CASPAR (Cultural, Artistic and Scientific knowledge for Preservation, Access and Retrieval) programme.…
INTERNATIONAL CONFECTIONERY NEWS ROUND-UP - SUGAR FRAUDS UNCOVERED IN EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SUGAR has been at the centre of continuing concern about fraud draining European Union (EU) budgets of duty revenue. The latest operational report from EU anti-fraud unit OLAF (which reviewed 2009) recalled how fraudsters made millions of Euros from exporting 3,400 tonnes of sugar from the EU to neighbouring non-member state Croatia via the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.…
RECESSION FORCES CAR PRICES DOWN SHARPLY IN EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE
BY MONIKA HANLEY, ZLATKO ?ONKA?, CRISTINA MUNTEAN, KEITH NUTHALL
CAR prices in eastern and central Europe tumbled during the recession, significantly faster than in western Europe according to the latest data, impeding attempts to create a unified auto market that spans Europe.…
WORLD'S OLDEST REPUBLIC SAN MARINO STRUGGLES TO FIGHT MONEY LAUNDERING
BY LEE ADENDOORF
ON the border between Italy and the Most Serene Republic of San Marino, Italian Finance Police are a common sight.
Their vigil took a technological twist last year with the appearance of mobile ‘plurisensor’ cameras possessing infrared and thermal sensors with the capacity to cross-reference motor registry databases, and detect vehicles carrying large sums of cash or valuables across the border.…
CASE LAW CLARIFIES AML STATUTES WORLDWIDE
BY ALAN OSBORN, KEITH NUTHALL
THE PASSAGE of legislation by parliaments and assemblies worldwide has been the usual route by which anti-money laundering legislation becomes law in most jurisdictions. But to some degree, this is because such laws are relatively new and so have yet to face many legal challenges in court.…
Can a common history syllabus be developed for Africa?
By Keith Nuthall, International News Services
Historians are working with Unesco and educationalists to try to develop a common African history syllabus, including the teaching approach and pedagogical materials. The ambitious project will initially focus on helping primary and secondary schools and, this coming year, an assessment will consider how universities in Africa could benefit. But can history really be taught on a continent-wide basis?
Both projects draw on the eight volume Unesco-coordinated General History of Africa written from 1964 to 1999 which tried to create a standard for the continent written from an African rather than a colonial European perspective.
An evaluation study on using this general history in higher education throughout the continent will be written this year.…
WORLD BANK AND UK TO BOOST TRANSPARENCY IN CONGO METAL MINE ADMINISTRATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank is granting US dollars USD50 million grant to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to improve the efficiency and transparency by which this country’s government handles mineral exploitation concessions and contracts. The money will be combined with an additional USD42 million from the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID).…
IFC BACKS DOMINICAN REPUBLIC NATURAL GAS COMPANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, is helping reduce the Dominican Republic’s dependence on oil-based fuels by supporting a local gas distribution company. The IFC is investing US dollars USD in Linea Clave International, which began distributing LNG in January and plans to supply natural gas to hotels, power generation companies and transport businesses.…
SUSTAINABLE COCOA PRODUCTION MOVES INTO THE MAINSTREAM
BY ALYSHAH HASHAM
AS with many oils and fats industries, the cocoa sector has distinct elements: producers, processors, distributers, wholesalers and retailers. Their collective environmental impact can be reduced if they work together in the most efficient way possible. And it is partly for that reason that there is a growing trend towards pressing and grinding the cocoa near the source, particularly in Ghana and Ivory Coast (which together account for 60% of the world’s cocoa supply), as well as Indonesia.…
NEW CABOTAGE RULES WELCOME FOR UK RECYCLERS AND HAULIERS - BUT THEIR SUCCESS DEPENDS ON ENFORCEMENT
BY ALAN OSBORN and CRISTINA MUNTEAN
A SLEW of new European Union (EU) regulations laying down the precise conditions for road transport cabotage operations in the EU came into effect on May 14, and there are hopes they will encourage high quality and competitive haulage for materials.…
CANADA'S FLAVOURED TOBACCO BAN DRAWS GLOBAL CRITICISM
BY KEITH NUTHALL and ALYSHAH HASHAM
CANADA – long a difficult jurisdiction for the tobacco sector – became tougher still on July 5, when a national ban on manufacturing and selling most flavoured cigarettes, cigarillos and blunt wraps came into force.…
FORMER YUGOSLAVIA TRIES TO MOVE BEYOND THE DIRTY INEFFICIENT ENERGY SECTOR OF ITS PAST
BY ZLATKO CONKAS, and KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN imagining Europe’s greenest and most efficient energy systems, the countries of the former Yugoslavia do not readily spring to mind. The simple truth is Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, and even Slovenia have a reputation for having ageing energy dirty systems.…
Can a common history syllabus be developed for Africa?
By Keith Nuthall
Historians are working with Unesco and educationalists to try to develop a common African history syllabus, including the teaching approach and pedagogical materials. The ambitious project will initially focus on helping primary and secondary schools across the continent and, this coming year, an assessment will consider how universities in Africa could benefit from such work.…
COCOA PRODUCTION
BY ALYSHAH HASHAM
Africa produces 70% of the world’ s cocoa; Asia and Oceania (Pacific islands) provide 19%; and the remaining 11% is from the Americas, according to the International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO). There are 5-6 million farmers worldwide – most with farms that cover 2 to 5 hectares.…
EUROPEAN ORGANISATIONS PUSH RECYCLING GOOD PRACTICE IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENCOURAGEMENT from peers is always a good way to inspire the adoption of good practice. The British recycling sector is no different, especially local authorities, who are often members of networks, associations and federations. Also, given the UK remains an actively engaged member of the European Union (EU), its local and regional authorities receive advice and guidance on boosting their waste management strategies from European bodies as well as national ones.…
SOMALIA'S SHIFTING SANDS OBSCURE HEALTHY TOBACCO TRADE
BY WACHIRA KIGOTHO
TO say Somalia is a mixed bag for the tobacco industry is an understatement. On the one hand, there is a very weak formal government, whose writ does not run in much of the country. So no public place smoking bans, advertising restrictions and ingredient controls to worry about in this east African country: tobacco is sold freely through a thriving private sector.…
UNESCO PUSHES AHEAD WITH AMBITIOUS AFRICA HISTORY TEACHING PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HISTORIANS are working with Unesco (UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and educationalists to try and develop a common African history syllabus, teaching approach and pedagogical materials. The ambitious project will initially focus on helping primary and secondary schools across Africa, and this coming year an assessment will consider how universities in Africa could benefit from such work.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WARNS OF NON-FERROUS METAL SHORTAGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission expert group has warned of serious potential shortages in supplies of rare non-ferrous metals in the next 20 years, especially of those required by emerging technologies.
An ad hoc group of the European Union (EU) Raw Materials Supply Group has concluded that 16 non-ferrous metals should be placed on a "critical list" of concern.…
IFC BOOSTS ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN VIETNAM AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
VIETNAM’S Techcombank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, have created a joint US dollar USD50 million fund financing energy efficiency projects in the south-east Asian country. The IFC will also finance with USD20 million an energy efficiency finance programme in the Dominican Republic operated by the Caribbean country’s Banco BHD.…
HIGH NOON FOR THE FUTURE OF ASBESTOS IN A TOWN CALLED ASBESTOS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TOWN of Asbestos in French-speaking Québec, Canada – named after the mineral that underpins its economy – is waiting to see whether its provincial government will approve a Canadian dollar CAD58 million (US dollar USD56 million) loan enabling an underground mine to tap an immense deposit.…
EUROSTAT REPORTS WIDE DIVERGENCE OF FOOD PRICES ACROSS THE EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) may be legally a single market, food prices range widely across its 27 member states. The most recent survey of 500 comparable products by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, shows last year (2009) the price of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was more than twice as high in the most expensive EU country than the cheapest.…
NEW EU BODY TO COORDINATE NATIONAL FOOD RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW European Union (EU) body coordinating around Euro EUR1 billion in food-related research from 20 European countries has started work. The ‘scientific advisory board for the EU joint programming initiative (JPI) on agriculture, food security and climate change’ will plan and manage national food industry research securing future supplies and reducing climate emissions.…
EU FOOD SALES PROMOTION GOES GREEN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LATEST major food product promotion programme financed by the European Union (EU) is focusing heavily on healthy foodstuffs – with organic, fruit and vegetable products getting the lion’s share. The European Commission has approved 19 one-to-three year publicity programmes in 14 member states (Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain) which will promote sales in the EU.…
AUSTRALIA PREPARES TO BREAK GLOBAL GROUND WITH TOBACCO PLAIN PAPER PACKAGING LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL and EMMA JACKSON
AUSTRALIA’S tobacco industry can be expected to put up a strong fight against a federal government proposal to mandate plain paper packaging for its products. And it will doubtless have the support of the international tobacco industry because this planned legislation is a clear test case.…
INTERNATIONAL CONFECTIONERY NEWS ROUND-UP - EFSA SUGAR INTAKE PANEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) panel has refused to set an advisory limit for the intake of sugar by European Union (EU) consumers. EFSA’s panel on dietetic products, nutrition and allergies has concluded in a comprehensive assessment of dietary requirements for EU consumers “there was insufficient evidence to set an upper limit for sugars”.…
EU MEMBER STATES MUST DO BETTER IN DEALING WITH WATER SCARCITY, SAYS EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN a month highlighting that many European Union (EU) countries are living beyond their financial means, it was timely perhaps for the European Commission to note that member states also have unsustainable water policies.
In short, many EU governments are failing to prevent the abstraction of fresh water at rates exceeding nature’s ability to replenish supplies.…
ANGLO-GERMAN RAIDS TARGET EMISSIONS TRADING CAROUSEL SCAM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH and German customs and police officers have arrested 47 suspects in an alleged carousel fraud network exploiting the European Union’s (EU) emissions trading regime. UK authorities arrested 22; there were 25 arrests in Germany. Police in Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands and Portugal, plus non-EU Norway have assisted inquiries.…
EUROPE'S IN-CAR EMERGENCY SYSTEM SUPPORT APPROACHES CRITICAL MASS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ROLL-OUT of the European eCall in-car emergency system is approaching critical mass with 20 countries now committed to operating its supporting infrastructure. The European Commission today announced another five countries were implementing eCall services – Belgium, Denmark, Luxemburg, Malta and Romania.…
EU OFFICIALS REVEAL COUNTERFEIT DRINKS HAUL IN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
OFFICIALS from the European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF have revealed to just-drinks how an international EU customs operation seized 6,400 litres of counterfeit and smuggled alcohol. OLAF said the Matthew II operation was organised by the Czech Republic, working closely with Poland and OLAF: all EU countries were invited to participate.…
EU OFFICIALS REVEAL COUNTERFEIT CLOTHING AND ACCESSORY HAUL IN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
OFFICIALS from the European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF have revealed to just-drinks how an international EU customs operation seized counterfeit and smuggled coats and scarves. OLAF said the Matthew II operation was organised by the Czech Republic, working closely with Poland and OLAF: all EU countries were invited to participate.…
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO MOVES ON OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
BY GEORGE STONE
THE DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo (DRC) is moving towards giving permission to a consortium led by Irish independent Tullow Oil to develop oil and gas production on its side of Lake Albert, government officials have signalled. Kinshasa, DRC’s capital city, is currently a minnow in Africa’s oil producer’s league, pumping just 25,000 barrels per day (bpd) while the continent’s leading exporters Nigeria and Angola are hitting the 2 million bpd mark.…
IRAN FACES MAJOR TOBACCO SMUGGLING PROBLEM
BY PAUL COCHRANE, KARRYN MILLER and KEITH NUTHALL
IRAN may be a democratic theocracy, but it certainly does not take the moral high ground when it comes to tobacco smuggling. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has in the past identified Iran as being one of only two countries in the world where more than half the cigarette market share comprises contraband.…
TEXTILE AND APPAREL MARKETS A MIXED BAG IN LATIN AMERICA
BY PACIFICA GODDARD
INTRODUCTION
There are signs around the world that the textile market is beginning to recover from the global economic crisis, and developing markets will be leading that recovery. Asia is, of course, at the forefront, but many countries in Latin America have also weathered the crisis and have come out in a surprisingly decent position, with their dynamic textile and apparel industries well positioned for future expansion.…
EX-SOVIET STATES STRUGGLE TO COMBAT ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S near abroad appears to offer an A-Z of both money laundering activities – from low level corruption to more sinister opium-based profits – and of the wide spectrum of governmental attitudes towards tackling the problem.
"While Russian and Ukrainian gangs have a presence in a lot of the activity in the region, most money laundering is still done by indigenes," said Mark Galeotti, of the Centre for Global Affairs at New York University (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT).…
HAITI'S FORMAL PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR SHATTERED BY EARTHQUAKE
BY GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE, EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
THE DOORS of Little Europe and other high-end boutiques in Haiti’s ravaged capital city have not experienced much traffic since an earthquake with the magnitude of seven on the Richter scale struck in January.…
HAITI'S BRUISED TOBACCO SECTOR LIVES TO FIGHT AGAIN AFTER EARTHQUAKE
BY GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE
WHEN an earthquake of a magnitude of seven on the Richter scale struck Haiti in January, it destroyed most of this 9 million population Caribbean country’s infrastructure, including ports and airports. Many businesses have suffered, including the tobacco sector, with many retail outlets ruined, especially in the capital Port-au-Prince whose central business district was shattered by the quake.…
CHINA TIGHTENS ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING RULES
BY WANG FANGQING
CHINA will continue to crack down money on laundering in the next two years with a heavy hand, according to the nation’s central bank and financial intelligence unit, the People’s Bank of China (PBC). The bank announced a new five-year anti-money laundering strategy, beginning in 2008 and running to 2012, at a conference held in Beijing at the end of December 2009.…
EU MEMBERSHIP APPLICANTS HARBOUR USEFUL MARKETS, BUT ALSO POTENTIAL COMPETITORS
BY MARK ROWE
THE NEXT few years are likely to see several countries accede to the European Union (EU), with significant implications for the personal care sector. Local producers of toiletries, detergents and cosmetics, as well as multinationals in a number of countries, are closely following the negotiations conducted by their governments.…
IN NORTH KOREA, LEGITIMATE BUSINESS CONTINUES IN PARALLEL WITH MURKY GREY MARKET
BY ANDREW SALMON
TO assess the state of financial sanctions and how they are affecting Pyongyang, capital of North Korea, the first man to ask is an unassuming-looking Englishman named Nigel Cowie. "We have not been affected [by the latest sanctions] in terms of the need for increased compliance," said Cowie, CEO of Pyongyang-based Daedong Credit Bank.…
UK'S NEW CARBON TRADING SYSTEM A UNIQUE AND MISUNDERSTOOD PROGRAMME
BY EMMA JACKSON
THIS April, the long-awaited carbon reduction commitment (CRC) scheme will commence in the UK, bringing in the first phase of a carbon emissions trading programme unlike any other in Europe.
The programme covers virtually everything the European Union’s (EU) emissions trading scheme (ETS) does not: any corporation, company or business – including transport and agriculture – which consumes more than 6,000 megawatt hours (MWh) per year.…
RUSSIA WELCOMES NUCLEAR CO-OPERATION NEGOTIATIONS WITH EU
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
THE RUSSIAN government is welcoming anticipated talks with the European Union (EU) to negotiate a nuclear partnership agreement that would facilitate nuclear trade and exchange of knowledge on safety issues. The EU’s executive arm, the European Commission was given a mandate to begin talks just before Christmas, and the new college of commissioners taking office for five years this month (February) will be responsible for moving the process forward.…
HAITI'S TROUBLED FISHING INDUSTRY HIT HAD BY EARTHQUAKE
BY GARRY PIERRE-PIERRE
HAITI’S troubled fishing industry has been dealt a severe blow by the earthquake that devastated its capital Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. The destruction of the city’s port facilities, warehouses, and distribution systems means that fish, once plentiful in markets, have for the time become a rare commodity, said Michel Chancy, the undersecretary for food at Haiti’s ministry of agriculture, which is responsible for fishing and aquaculture.…
BRITISH MOTORISTS MAYBE BUYING BIGGER CARS - BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE GREENER: EU STATISTICS SAY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CO2 emissions statistics released by the European Commission show that while British motorists are ignoring government calls to buy smaller cars, their vehicles are at least getting greener. Across the European Union (EU) the CO2 emitted by passenger cars is falling fast: looking at 2008, a report said the average specific CO2 emissions from passenger cars were 153.5g CO2/km.…
EXPANSION INTO PERIPHERAL REGIONS A NEW PRIORITY FOR MARKET MAKERS
BY MARK GODFREY
A SLUMP in exports dented China’s economic growth in 2008, but a strong recovery which lifted GDP growth to 10% in the second half of 2009 appears to have ensured strong retail sales across all fronts. That is why growth of cosmetics sales in China remained strong at 10% in 2009, according to the China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI).…
WEST AFRICA BECOMES MAJOR SMUGGLING HUB FOR ILLICIT TOBACCO
BY EMMA JACKSON, KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN, PAUL COCHRANE and BILL CORCORAN
WEST Africa is becoming a key region in the booming trade of illicit cigarettes, counterfeit copies of premium brands and smuggled properly branded and manufactured sticks. So much money is being made by criminals using this often-chaotic region as a hub to receive illicit sticks and then distribute them throughout Africa that this trade is becoming a matter of serious concern to the United Nations and even NATO.…
MOLDOVA REMAINS FERTILE GROUND FOR TOBACCO SMUGGLING RINGS
BY MARK ROWE
MOLDOVA would appear to fit the description of a far away country about which the world knows nothing. But its location, adjacent to Romania, (one of the two most recent European Union (EU) member states, Ukraine, the Black Sea and the disputed, politically uncertain region of Transnistria (which remains formally part of Moldovan territory, while its government has little authority there), is extremely familiar, and favoured, by counterfeit cigarette producers and traffickers.…
GLOBAL ROUND UP OF 2009 CLOTHING AND TEXTILE NEWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A YEAR of struggle would be the best way to sum up 2009 as far as the global clothing and textile industry is concerned. The depth and severity of the worldwide recession left many clothing and textile companies reeling, even impacting upon China, which had previously been dominating global markets.…
AFRICA'S NEW OIL AND GAS LIONS: MAJORS ENTER THE REGION
BY GEORGE STONE
GHANA, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are Africa’s latest upstream hotspots as major energy firms seek new provinces outside of regional heavyweight oil producers Nigeria and Angola. But jockeying for position has already led to friction between governments and the industry.…
Should cultural clothing rules be imposed in age of globalisation?
By Paul Cochrane, in Beirut
In an age of mass migration on a global scale, is it possible for governments to impose on the public, particularly immigrants, what they can and cannot wear? Take the diktats on women's wear in France versus Iran. In the Islamic Republic, females above the age of nine are required to wear the hijab (veil) and cover up their bodies.
Conversely, in France the authorities have talked of banning the burka and succeeded several years ago in banning the hijab in public offices and schools. Turkey has also done the same in the name of secularism.
Many argue that the French and Turkish are right to do so, to stem the tide of Islamisation and, moreover, for women – in most cases girls – to have the individual choice as to whether they want to wear a hijab, not decided upon by parents or family.…
EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS AIM TO WIELD NANOTECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE ELECTRONIC CARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR European research project is to spend Euro 44 million on developing tiny components to help electric vehicles improve their performance, so that they can better compete with models powered with liquid fuels. The Fiat and Audi-backed E3CAR (Energy efficient electrical car) project will especially focus on emerging nanotechnologies as its researchers aim to boost electric cars’ often less than stellar driving abilities.…
NEW RAISED EU TOBACCO DUTY MINIMUMS LIKELY TO DEPRESS DEMAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates on tobacco products across the European Union (EU) are rising and at such rates that demand will almost certainly be depressed in many EU member states. The impact will be especially marked in eastern Europe, where governments have been given additional time to implement hikes in excise duty.…
Sanctions could make flying more dangerous
By Paul Cochrane, in Beirut
Sanctions are one of those political issues that can make amiable dinner conversation turn unpleasant, as the battle lines are drawn down the table between those for and against. They have certainly had mixed success, starting with the first recorded case of a trade embargo some 2,400 years ago between Athens and neighboring Megara. That embargo failed and sparked a war.
Some argue they have had a spotty record since, while others prefer to pick-and-mix examples from embargoes through the ages to argue their case. The more pragmatic approach would be not whether sanctions “work,” but when and under what circumstances.
On one hand, those that are meant to oust a dictator but result in the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians – in Iraq for instance – can be considered counter-productive.…
TOBACCO TRAVELLER - COLLECTION 2009 - EGYPT, TUNISIA, SYRIA AND IRAN
BY PAUL COCHRANE
EGYPT
Eastern Tobacco Company
450 Al Ahram Street, Giza
Tel : +20-18-5724711- 5724332 – 5724945
+20-23-5793326
www.easternegypt.com
British American Tobacco Egypt
City Stars Complex
Star Capital – Tower 4A
Omar Ebn El Khattab Street
Postal Code 11771
Heliopolis, Cairo
T: (+20) 2 480 1080
Japan Tobacco International (Regional)
2nd Floor, Lophitis Business Centre
249, 28th October Street & Emiliou Hourmouziou Corner
CY-3035, Lemesos
P.O.…
Should cultural clothing rules be imposed in age of globalisation?
By Paul Cochrane
In an age of mass migration on a global scale, is it possible for governments to impose on the public, particularly immigrants, what they can and cannot wear? Take the diktats on women’s wear in France versus Iran.…
GEORGIA AND EU NEGOTIATE COMMON AVIATION AREA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NEGOTIATIONS have begun to incorporate Georgia within the European Union’s (EU) aviation system, leading the Caucasus republic to adopt most EU civil aviation rules. The talks will inevitably cause some diplomatic issues with Russia, given its recognition of the two Georgian breakaway territories of South Ossetia and Abkhazia.…
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA TOBACCO MARKET AND INDUSTRY REPORT
BY MARK ROWE
The Republic of Bosnia & Herzegovina is a confusing place politically, and so understanding its tobacco market and industry is similarly difficult. Importantly, it comprises two entities, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Srpska and while there is also no domestic tobacco industry in the Republic of Srpska; there is within the Federation, the location of the vast majority of the country’s tobacco production.…
Smug satisfaction over Irish referendum result maybe premature
By David Haworth, in Brussels
By the time you read this, Ireland’s second attempt to ratify the Lisbon Treaty may have succeeded and thunderous pieties about the nation’s wisdom, maturity and farsightedness in reaching the “right” decision will be heard in all the continent’s chancelleries.
Thus the only European Union (EU) member to hold a referendum on this agreement will have been punched to the canvas by fear (the devastating recession) and loathing (the EU institutions and other capitals).
True, the Treaty’s legislative journey is not yet over.…
EU COUNTRIES TO REPAY MISSPENT AGRICULTURE FUNDING
BY EMMA JACKSON
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered 18 European Union (EU) member states to collectively repay Euro 214.6 million in misspent food production funding. France owes Euro 71 million for weak on-the-spot checks regarding environmental and animal welfare standards, ensuring ‘cross compliance’ commitments made by producers are followed.…
GLOBAL OILSEEDS BUSINESS HITS CRISIS OVER EU ZERO-TOLERANCE GM CONTAMINATION RULES
BY ALAN OSBORN
A NEW crisis over the presence of genetically modified (GM) ingredients in food and livestock feed has once more focused attention on the European Union’s (EU’s) controversial GM policies. It has especially raised the spectre of job losses, farm bankruptcies and higher consumer prices if a relaxation of the current de facto zero tolerance restriction applying to unauthorised GM products is not agreed soon.…
OIL AND GAS PROJECTS IN THE TIMOR SEA FINALLY GAIN MOMENTUM
BY KARRYN MILLER
IN 2004, Australia and its newly independent neighbour Timor-Leste’s (East Timor) failure to agree how to exploit the abundant hydrocarbons of the Timor Sea’s Greater Sunrise Fields has delayed this project for five years. However, according to a spokesperson from Australia’s department of foreign affairs and trade, "a decision about the preferred development method will be reached in the coming months."…
SOUTH KOREA COSMETICS - A BOOMING MARKET, BUT A LOCALLY-SPECIFIC ONE
BY ANDREW SALMON
AFTER passing the fortress-like medieval gate of Namdaemun, visitors enter central Seoul’s traditional shopping quarter: a jumbled maze of stalls and alleyways. A 15-minute walk through the raucous bustle of this 600-year old market, leads to its modern equivalent: The neon-lit, pedestrianised square mile of Myeong Dong.…
NORTH AMERICAN COMPANY WORKS WITH CHINESE IN ASSESSING CONGO HYDROCARBONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
US-CANADIAN company EnerGulf Resources Inc is working with the China National Administration of Research Institute of Coal Geophysical Exploration to conduct oil and gas seismic surveys in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Studies were scheduled for September in EnerGulf’s Lotshi Block concession off the DRC’s 37km west Africa coastline.…
CONTRACT PACKERS AND THEIR CLIENTS MUST WRESTLE WITH DETAILED AND COMPREHENSIVE EU LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GIVEN contract packing is often undertaken by larger businesses and of course, packers usually welcome economies of scale, cross-border trades within the European Union (EU) is commonplace within Europe.
And as a result, naturally, keeping on top of EU legislation is essential for contract packing clients and suppliers.…
EU AND CANADA PLOT UPGRADE OF NUCLEAR COOPERATION DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Canada are about to embark on detailed negotiations to upgrade their existing long-standing nuclear cooperation agreement. A key aim of the talks, European Commission and Canadian officials told World Nuclear News, was the authorisation of widespread nuclear technology transfers between the EU and Canada, which are currently tightly restricted.…
EU SIGNS OPEN SKIES DEAL WITH AZERBAIJAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has signed another open skies deal with a near neighbour, with the Caspian Sea republic of Azerbaijan. The deal follows the usual model, allowing all EU airlines access to Azeri airports and Azeri airlines access to airports in the EU.…
GREEN REGULATION OF AUTO SECTOR SPREADS AND DEEPENS WORLDWIDE
BY ALAN OSBORN, in London; RUSSELL BERMAN, in Washington DC; JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo; RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, in New Delhi; BY WANG FANGQING, in Shanghai; EMMA JACKSON, in Ottawa; KARRYN MILLER; and KEITH NUTHALL
THE AUTOMOBILE sector maybe one of the most globally integrated manufacturing industries on the planet, but national governments (or continental bodies in Europe) still hold sway regarding regulation.…
EU ROUND UP - UKRAINE SEEKS GAS FINANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INTERNATIONAL talks are underway to secure Ukraine funding to pay Russia for natural gas to ensure deliveries to Europe can be guaranteed this winter.
The European Commission, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have been meeting with Russian and Ukraine officials to head off a repeat of last winter’s supply crisis.…
UKRAINE SECURES FINANCING DEAL TO SHORE UP GAS TRANSMISSION TO EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UKRAINE government has secured a major loan package designed to secure its reliability as a winter suppler of gas to Europe through improving its gas storage and distribution. The European Commission welcomed the deal, which it helped broker.…
EU RESEARCHERS SEEK INTEGRATION OF NEW HIGH TECH AUTO PART MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project is trying to outmode traditional stamping of auto structure parts by integrating three new formation techniques in a seamless production system.
The Euro 6 million PROFORM project participants aim to unveil its technology at a conference next year.…
GLOBAL FOOD COMMODITY PRICE VOLATILITY HERE TO STAY
BY ANDREW CAVE
Food commodity prices are seldom out of the news nowadays, due to a mushrooming global population, the food-for-fuel controversy, an increasing focus on sustainability and the continued growth of the organic sector. However, beyond the generality of crop prices spiralling to new highs in 2007 and 2008 and then plummeting – in some cases – back to where they were before the boom, the picture is far from uniform.…
CARIBBEAN STATES LOOK TO GREEN POWER TO UNDERPIN THEIR ENERGY SECURITY
BY JAMES FULLER
SMALL island states are always vulnerable in energy sustainability terms, but the growth in renewable energy technologies is giving them a better shot at security of supply. The Caribbean is a case in point, where green energy technologies are being explored across the region.…
CLOTHING CULTURE: HAW FAR MUST INTERNATIONAL DESIGNERS CUT THEIR CLOTH TO SUIT LOCAL TASTES
BY PHILIPPA JONES, in Paris; LEE ADENDORFF, in Lucca, Italy; KARRYN MILLER, in Tokyo; and LUCY JONES, in Dallas
IT almost seems commonsense to say that an industry providing such a human product as clothing has to take account of cultural sensibilities in target markets.…
Middle east elections shake up region's peace diplomacy
By Paul Cochrane, in Beirut
June has been a month of elections in the Middle East. As happens every now and again in a region pretty thin on democracy and heavy on dynastic rule, there are elections that matter. The outcome of the Lebanese and Iranian elections fall in this rather rare category, with the Lebanese result retaining a status quo the West is happy with, while the Iranian 'result' is further souring relations with the US and Europe.
For despite being on either side of the Middle East, with Beirut and Tehran being as geographically far apart as London and Rome, the results play into the region’s fractious politics. The common ground is Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.…
Time to make the European elections matter
By Keith Nuthall, International News Services
This week, a small proportion of Europe’s electors (maybe less than 30%) will drift over to their polling station to do their European Union (EU) civic duty and vote for a European Parliament representative. That the proportion of EU citizens undertaking this easy task has dwindled is testimony to the failure of the parliament to do its job: to exercise power on behalf of the majority of the EU population.
Because, at the risk of sounding patronising, isn’t the point of participating in elections to win, and then use the levers of authority offered in a political system to shape society, the economy and culture?
And European Parliament elections just don’t deliver this.…
FURTHER EXPANSION OF EU EASTWARDS SEEN AS GENERALLY POSITIVE BY EU FOOD AND DRINK SECTORS
BY MARK ROWE
The expansion of the European Union (EU) continues eastwards – and the food and drink industry of the existing EU will inevitably be affected by the new competition, as will companies in the new member countries.
The next few years are likely to see several countries accede to the EU.…
FATF-CRITICISED TURKEY MAKES PROGRESS BOOSTING MONEY LAUNDERING CONTROLS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
TURKEY’S bid to become part of the European Union (EU) has resulted in tougher banking and financial regulations, in addition to a strengthened financial intelligence unit at the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey. But while the country has ramped up its counterterrorist financing initiatives to thwart funding to Kurdish separatist groups such as the PKK, Turkey’s position as a crossroads between the East and West has resulted in significant challenges to rein in the surge in narcotics trafficking and organised crime.…
Middle East elections shake up region's peace diplomacy
By Paul Cochrane
June has been a month of elections in the Middle East. As happens every now and again in a region pretty thin on democracy and heavy on dynastic rule, there are elections that matter. The outcome of the Lebanese and Iranian elections fall in this rather rare category, with the Lebanese result retaining a status quo the West is happy with, while the Iranian ‘result’ is further souring relations with the US and Europe.…
EU MINISTERS AVOID SLASHING DAIRY QUOTA LEVELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN dairy sector will be disappointed by the failure of the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers for agriculture (22-6) today not to restrict dairy quotas. Speaking after the meeting in Luxembourg, EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel said this year EU dairy production had not exceeded existing quotas – but there had been an April production spike, which the Commission was investigating.…
CZECH NURSE COMMITS TO PROFESSION DESPITE UNDERSTAFFING
BY MARTINA MARE?KOVÁ
V?RA Klime?ová, 33, a registered nurse at the University Hospital Hradec Králové, Hradec Králové, in eastern Bohemia, the Czech Republic, offers an insightful look at her country’s nursing profession.
Her hospital has a pleasant environment and even if it does not suffer from the same nursing shortages like many other hospitals in the country, its staff admits that the Czech healthcare system has serious flaws.…
CONGO FOREST HEALTH TARGET OF WORLD BANK PROGRAMME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THREATS from loggers to the rain forests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have long concerned environmentalists. The construction of roads by mining and logging companies, although promoters of economic growth, has also been seen as creating routes for the unsustainable stripping of forests of their trees, robbing Congolese of traditional sources of food, medicine, domestic energy, building materials and income.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN WINES AND SPIRITS GET PROTECTION IN WEALTHY SWISS MARKET
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REVISED food and drink trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland will provide wines and spirits from the 12 countries joining the EU since 2004 with key geographical indication protection in key Swiss export markets.…
KEY UNION CALLS FOR WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY REFORMS
BY SYMON ROSS
THE SIPTU (Services, Industrial, Professional and Technical Union) in Ireland expressed concern this month (May) the country’s Health and Safety Authority (HSA) has inadequate resources to carry out workplace inspections.
The union said with 200,000 workplaces in the Republic of Ireland and only around 14,000 workplace assessments annually, a business could wait more than 14 years for a safety check from an HSA inspector.…
ICELAND AND NORWAY ARE EFFICIENT MEMBERS OF SCHENGEN ZONE - DESPITE LACK OF INFLUENCE OVER ITS RULES
BY MARK ROWE
THE AIRPORTS of Norway and Iceland are well suited to dealing with the impact of border-free travel with each other and many member states of the European Union (EU), having joined the EU’s frontierless Schengen-zone in 1999, abolished all border checks for travel to member countries in December 2001.…
RUSSIAN FEARS MAKE EASTERN EUROPEANS INTO GAS LIBERALISERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DELICATE state of European Union (EU) and Russia diplomatic and energy relations has been illustrated starkly by the inclusion of eastern European gas interconnection projects within the European economic stimulus package. National governments of these new EU member states threatened to torpedo the entire agreement – seen as the lynchpin of European efforts to shake off the recession – if their gas schemes were not included.…
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING HIGHER EDUCATION STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH RENEWED DEMAND FOR ITS COURSES AND EXPERTISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL, EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
FEW things say more about the growing enthusiasm for nuclear power than the rush of young students eager to make a career in the industry. It is happening mainly in America but other countries are now beginning to see the same development.…
INTRODUCTION - NUCLEAR ENERGY ANSWERS ITS CRITICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL, EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
IN the early 1990s the nuclear power industry faced a bleak outlook. High profile accidents such as in Chernobyl and Three Mile Island in, Pennsylvania, the USA, had raised public concern about the safety of the industry to all time high.…
BRITAIN CAN LOOK TO THE CONTINENT FOR LESSONS ON DEVELOPING DISTRICT HEATING
BY MARK ROWE, ALAN OSBORN, CRISTINA MUNTEAN and KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has long been something of a laggard when it comes to district heating. The only significant growth was mainly oil-fired network in local authority housing during the 1960s and 70s.…
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION'S OPTIONS TO PROTECT US KNITTING INDUSTRY ARE LIMITED
BY LUCY JONES
KNITWEAR featuring Barack Obama’s image stole the limelight at the Paris fashion week last autumn but whether the love will be returned to the global knitwear industry has yet to be seen.
Indeed, there is cause for concern, because Obama used protectionist rhetoric on the campaign trail.…
PROFESSIONAL NURSING IN TRINIDAD CAN BE TOUGH, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THE BEACH
BY JAMES FULLER
THE TWIN island republic of Trinidad & Tobago is many people’s idea of a tropical idyll but Sunita Kissoon, senior nurse/midwife at the Gulf View Medical Centre in San Fernando, says medical care in her country is fundamentally lacking when compared to the UK.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS UNVEILS MAJOR GAS INTERCONNECTOR INVESTMENT PLAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it wants Euro 3.5 billion of the general European Union (EU) economic recovery plan it announced in November spent on energy investment. It has proposed spending Euro 1.75 billion on gas and electricity interconnection projects; Euro 500 million on offshore wind power; and Euro 1.25 billion on carbon capture and storage.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ALLOWS MORE RESTRICTIONS ON TOBACCO DUTY FREE IMPORTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MAXIMUM amount of duty-free or duty-paid tobacco that can be brought into the European Union (EU) from a non-EU country without paying EU excise duty can now be reduced to just 40 cigarettes. That is an option now offered to member states, which can maintain the previous 200 cigarette limit if they choose.…
WITH FUEL SALES DEPRESSED, EUROPE PETROL RETAILERS LOOK TO C-STORES TO MAKE UP TRADE
BY PHILIPPA JONES, in Paris; ANDREW CAVE, in Oxford; and SYMON ROSS, in Belfast
IT is a tough time in the European petrol retail market at present. High prices last year have been followed by a global recession. It is no wonder fuel sales are depressed.…
CONSUMER BAN ON CONGO SKIN WHITENER REPORTED BY BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer safety alert service RAPEX has reported the withdrawal from sale in Belgium of a Democratic Republic of the Congo-made whitening cream – Topclaire Plus. Its use of hydroquinone breaks the EU cosmetics directive. RAPEX has also reported a withdrawal from sale in Ireland of China-made ‘GIRLZ’ children’s cosmetics sets.…
ECJ IMPEDES ANHEUSER-BUSCH 'BUD' TRADEMARK PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) judges have erected a barrier impeding the plans of US brewer Anheuser-Busch to trademark the word ‘Bud’ across in all EU member states. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) Court of First Instance has underlined the right of Anheuser’s Czech rival Bud?jovický…
ECJ SAYS FOOD PRODUCTS REQUIRE NOVEL FOOD SCREENING EVEN IF INGREDIENTS ARE PROVEN SAFE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has clarified European Union (EU) rules saying how unusual new ‘novel’ food products must be screened to make sure they are safe for consumers. Judges have made two important rulings about the EU’s novel food regulation, which insists on particularly tough tests for foods deemed unusual.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES CZECH AIRPORT PUBLIC HANDOUT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved a Czech regional government subsidy of Euro 11.15 million for improving facilities at the Czech Republic’s Ostrava airport, serving the country’s third largest city. The money will be spent until 2013, helping fund the acquisition of new boarding bridges, self-propelled aircraft boarding stairs, a tractor for moving aircrafts, a self-propelled baggage conveyer and a de-icing unit.…
BRITAIN INTRODUCES WHO SURGICAL SAFETY CHECKLIST
BY ALAN OSBORN and MONICA DOBIE
A SIMPLE surgical checklist to be introduced by the National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA) for major operations in the UK from February 2010 has been welcomed by Diane Gilmour, president of the Association for Perioperative Practice (AFPP).…
GLOBAL: NUCLEAR ENGINEERING EDUCATION - BACK IN FASION AGAIN
By Alan Osborn
FEW things say more about the growing enthusiasm for nuclear power than the rush of young students eager to make a career in the industry. It is happening mainly in America but other countries are now beginning to see the same development.…
ENERGY SECURITY TALKS WILL DOMINATE THE CZECH EU AGENDA
BY CRISTINA MUNTEAN
THE SECURITY of energy supply, including oil and gas storage capacity, dominates the current energy agenda of the Czech Republic, which took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) from January 1, 2009.
This is no surprise: on July 10, 2008, Russian oil pipeline operator Transnieft cut monthly contracted oil deliveries by almost half from 500,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes via the Druzhba pipeline.…
TRADITIONAL NAMES DATABASE LAUNCHED BY EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS the European Commission considers simplifying its geographical indication protection system, it has launched a new database of protected quality names. Brussels last month announced plans to integrate its special register for wine and spirit traditional terms with that for other drink and food products, including beer, soft drinks and plant extract beverages.…
NEW EASTERN EUROPEAN EU MEMBER STATES HAVE SPENT EURO MILLIONS ON SCHENGEN BORDER TECHNOLOGY
BY MARK ROWE
ONE of the major elements of the 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU) was its intended expansion to these new member states of the Schengen agreement, which phases out checks at shared borders and allows free movement for all within the EU.…
WORLD BANK HELPS HYDRO-DEPENDENT KYRGYZ REPUBLIC ENERGY SECTOR DEAL WITH DROUGHT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank is granting US$11 million to the Kyrgyz Republic to help upgrade combined-heat-and-power plants in its major cities of Bishkek and Osh to help the hydro-power dependent country deal with poor rainfall and sub-zero temperatures. These urban plants consume natural gas, fuel oil and coal and need new equipment, materials and spare parts.…
FTA CHALLENGES BRUSSELS' ROSY CONCLUSIONS ABOUT EASTERN EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FREIGHT Transport Association (FTA) has challenged conclusions from the European Commission that the opening of Britain and other western European labour markets to workers from eastern European countries "has been positive on balance".
Brussels’ Employment in Europe 2008 report claims the influx of mobile labour from the 10 eastern European countries that have joined the EU "has not led to serious disturbances on the labour market."…
POLAND PROPOSES CO2 PRICE BAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has proposed to the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers that upper and lower limits for CO2 permits within the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme should be established. Supported by the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, Warsaw has argued that a price floor would allow renewable energy companies to continue investing without worrying about a collapse in carbon prices: under the current ETS, prices have fallen far from expectations.…
CZECHS READY TO DO BATTLE OVER CLIMATE CHANGE LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INCOMING early 2009 European Union (EU) presidency of the Czech Republic will push hard to secure agreement over the EU’s proposed climate change package, should the current French presidency fail to broker a deal in December. Prague’s climate change envoy James Hunt (NOTE – NAME IS CORRECT – NOT CZECH) has told a Paris conference that then "the Czech presidency [would] make every effort to achieve adoption in the early months of 2009."…
CZECH BEER NAME PROTECTED BY EU GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TRADITIONAL Czech beer has been added to the European Union’s (EU) geographical indication register, preventing beer makers from outside the Czech Republic using ‘?eské pivo’ (Czech beer) in their marketing.
Under the registration now approved by the European Commission, the special way that Czech beer is made is detailed – see http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2008:016:0014:0022:EN:PDF.…
COLLAPSE OF CHINA WASTE IMPORT MARKET COULD BE LONG TERM WARN EXPERTS
BY MARK GODFREY
TO the casual observer in Beijing there is plenty of proof that China’s market for recyclable waste has crashed. The army of waste collectors that normally patrols the city’s thoroughfares has visibly thinned over the past two month.…
IAEA REPORT SHOWS THAT WORLD IS THREATENED BY SLOW BUT STEADY TRICKLE OF NUCLEAR MATERIAL THEFTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
UPDATED reports on illicit trafficking of nuclear materials show that the recovery of these potentially dangerous items is becoming rarer. This rate fell to 25% of all reported incidents between 2004-2007 says the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).…
DRINKS PRODUCTION AND MARKETING RULES SEEK TO BALANCE PROTECTING EXCELLENCE WITH LIBERATING COMMERCE
BY ALAN OSBORN
INTRODUCTION
About 10 years ago the American distiller JB Wagoner decided to market a fiery liquor made from the cactus-like agave plants growing in the hills on his estate at Temecula in California. He called it "temequila." It soon became known as "the American tequila," proving indistinguishable in taste, texture and effect from the well-known Mexican drink.…
CZECH REPUBLIC: New explosives scanner wins EU research award
By Monica Dobie
A new explosives scanner, quick to use and able to probe tiny cracks, has won a European research award. The technology has been developed in a Euro 760,000 project by the Czech Republic Academy of Sciences; the Slovak Technical University, Bratislava; Czech high-tech company RS Dynamics with Spanish engineering company SENER Ingenieria y Sistemas.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their adhesive properties, amongst other benefits. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSES TIGHTENING ANTI-PROLIFERATION CONTROLS AGAINST IRAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TIGHTER financial and customs controls have been proposed by the European Commission, designed to prevent Iran’s nuclear industry from acquiring materials useful for their controversial nuclear programme. In a revised regulation proposed for approval by the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers, Brussels wants cargo aircraft and merchant vessels owned or controlled by Iran Air Cargo and the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line to submit pre-arrival or pre-departure information, for all goods brought into or out of the EU.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN ENERGY NEGOTIATIONS WITH RUSSIA FROZEN OVER GEORGIA CONFLICT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has frozen its partnership and cooperation negotiations with Russia over the Georgia conflict, just three months after the talks were launched following long delays. An emergency meeting of the EU Council of Ministers has ordered no meetings will take place with Moscow on the agreement until its "troops have withdrawn to the positions held prior to 7 August", prior to its short war with Georgia.…
CYBERCRIMINALS POSE RISK TO ESSENTIAL NUCLEAR PLANT COMPUTER NETWORKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL and ALAN OSBORN
ONE of the more colourful (and thankfully less deadly) aspects of Russia’s mini-war with Georgia in August was the simultaneous attach by hackers on Georgian Internet sites, especially those of its government.,
Ones of these were crashed by ‘denial of service’ attacks, where masses of data are sent to particular sites until they cannot handle the megabytes and closedown.…
EUROPE: Academics to discuss impact of Europe's sharp population decline
By Keith Nuthall
European academics are preparing to gather at a high level conference to discuss the problems being caused to higher education by a sharp decline in the European population. The debates at the European University Association (EUA) conference comes as the latest figures from European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat confirm the number of young people in European countries is already shrinking and will get smaller.…
NUCLEAR ENGINEERING HIGHER EDUCATION STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP WITH RENEWED DEMAND FOR ITS COURSES AND EXPERTISE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FEW things say more about the growing enthusiasm for nuclear power than the rush of young students eager to make a career in the industry. It is happening mainly in America but other countries are now beginning to see the same development.…
Europe:Young European scientists promise a bright future
By Alan Osborn
Three young researchers, from Poland, Slovakia and Britain, were awarded the top prizes in the EU Contest for Young Scientists in Copenhagen on September 25th against competition from national scientific prize-winners from 39 European countries plus Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand and the USA.…
CZECH REPUBLIC LORRY DRIVER SHORTAGE MADE WORSE BY LOW PAY
BY MARTINA MARE?KOVÁ
THE CZECH haulage industry is struggling to replace retiring drivers, and a planned government measure to ban motorway lorry driving on Friday afternoons between 3pm and 6pm could make the situation even worse.
This restriction, said Martin ?pry?ar,…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their printability, adhesive properties, impermeability and absorbance. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their impermeability, absorbance, printability and adhesive properties, amongst other benefits. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
INCREASINGLY MATURE EASTERN EUROPEAN MARKETS STILL OFF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFICIENT COSMETICS PLAYERS
BY MARK ROWE
FOLLOWING the extended frenzy that saw multinational companies move into eastern Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s, several markets in the region are approaching the maturity of western Europe. And while Russia lags behind in general terms, the micro-economies of Moscow and St Petersburg are similarly saturated by high-end brands and developed consumer choice and tastes.…
SMALL CARIBBEAN JURISDICTIONS STRUGGLE TO EFFECTIVELY REGULATE A CASINO SECTOR VULNERABLE TO MONEY LAUNDERERS
BY SUZANNE KOELEGA and JUHEL BROWNE
"CASINOS are an important part of the development of the Caribbean tourist sector, yet they hold a particular attraction to money launderers. Casinos provide the venues for large flows of cash, which launderers can utilise to disguise the true origins of their criminal proceeds."…
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS TAXES SHOULD COVER EUROPE SAYS EEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONSTRUCTION materials taxes, such as Britain’s aggregates tax, should be used widely to encourage the building sector to waste fewer materials, the European Environment Agency has said. In a new report, it claimed the British tax gave the construction sector confidence when purchasing materials, "since part of the levy revenues have been used to support the development of quality standards for recycled aggregates".…
EUROPE: European education good but more needed
By Alan Osborn
The 27 EU member states will have to speed up their educational progress if they are to meet a range of self-imposed targets deemed necessary if the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs is to be successful by 2010.…
EUROPE: Mediterranean university launch approved by Paris summit
By Keith Nuthall
The launch of a new Euro-Mediterranean University in Slovenia dedicated to higher education courses focused on issues of importance to European, African and Levantine countries bordering the sea has been given a formal seal of approval. The creation of the institution was welcomed within a joint declaration issued by heads of state and government from 43 countries at a Paris summit launching a Mediterranean Union organisation.…
GLOBAL: Higher education still tougher for women than men
By Keith Nuthall
It is almost a truism that women have a tougher time in most professions than men, and academia is no different. But it is worth considering the absurdity of this statement: that in the 21st century, it is still quite normal to assume that the success of an academic or student is likely to be affected by their gender.…
NEW EXPLOSIVES SCANNER WINS EU RESEARCH AWARD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW explosives scanner, quick to use and able to probe tiny cracks, has won a European research award. The technology has been developed in a Euro 760,000 project by Czech high-tech company RS Dynamics with Spanish engineering company SENER Ingenieria y Sistemas.…
CYBERCRIMINALS POSE RISK TO ESSENTIAL ENERGY COMPANY COMPUTER NETWORKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LAST May, a coordinated attack on essential computer networks in the tiny Baltic republic of Estonia set nerves upon edge amongst European Internet security specialists. Following the removal of a Russian war memorial from the centre of its capital Tallinn, a still unidentified group of computer users bombarded Estonian political, government, media and banking websites with so much data, they were forced offline.…
SOMETIMES WHATEVER THE POLLUTION, A DROP OF SUNSHINE OR OLIVE OIL KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers think they are helping keep people fit and well by reducing pollution and food disease. But maybe the best move the cold, rheumatism and asthma sufferers of Britain can make to be healthy is emigrate to a Greek island, sunbathe (moderately) and eat fish, vegetables and olive oil.…
FOREIGN EU MEMBER STATES CANNOT ISSUE REPLACEMENT LICENCES TO BANNED DRIVERS: ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LORRY drivers who have their licences confiscated by a court should not be able to apply for a driving permit in a foreign European Union (EU) country and get back to work, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.…
CYBERCRIMINALS POSE RISK TO ESSENTIAL UTILITY COMPUTER NETWORKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LAST May, a coordinated attack on essential computer networks in the tiny Baltic republic of Estonia set nerves upon edge amongst European Internet security specialists. Following the removal of a Russian war memorial from the centre of its capital Tallinn, a still unidentified group of computer users bombarded Estonian political, government, media and banking websites with so much data, they were forced offline.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES UNFAIR TRADING ACTIONS AGAINST UTILITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has made progress in a series of legal actions against European Union (EU) utilities alleging unfair trading. Notably, Brussels has launched anti-trust inquiries involving Germany’s E.ON (and E.ON Ruhrgas) plus Gaz de France (GDF), alleging illegal trust agreements to avoid supplying gas to each other’s home market following the liberalisation of the EU markets.…
EFSA FINDS BRITAIN HAS APPALLING SLAUGHTERED PIG SALMONELLA RATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has one of the European Union’s (EU) worst rates of salmonella contamination of slaughtered pigs, a new study from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found. Analysing data collected from 2006 to 2007, the EU agency has concluded that 21.2% of slaughtered pigs within the UK had contracted the disease, compared to an EU-wide average of 10.3%.…
FOREIGN EU MEMBER STATES CANNOT ISSUE REPLACEMENT LICENCES TO BANNED DRIVERS: ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MOTORISTS who have their licences confiscated by a court cannot apply for a driving permit in a foreign European Union (EU) country, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. Judges have closed a loophole being exploited by some German drivers losing their licence in German courts: they applied for and secured a replacement in the Czech Republic, enabling them to drive again in Germany because EU member states recognise each others’ driving permits.…
AUSTRALIA PUSHES AHEAD WITH COMPREHENSIVE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING REFORMS
BY KARRYN CARTELLE
AUSTRALIA is currently ranked as the eighth largest market in the world – third largest within the Asia-Pacific region after Japan and Hong Kong – in terms of its total stock market capitalisation of AUD$1.63 trillion (USD$1.53 trillion) in 2007 (World Federation of Exchanges figures).…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES SCANDINAVIAN TOBACCO FIRM TAKEOVER BY BAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PLANNED acquisition by British American Tobacco (BAT) of certain roll-you-own tobacco and snus sections of Denmark’s Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (STK) has been approved by the European Commission. To secure this agreement, BAT had to promise selling-off certain brands in Norway (notably Petterøe’s and Tiedemanns Rød), where the expanded company would have had a dominant position.…
Brussels mourns EU pioneer
Outside Ireland, the recent passing of at 85 of Dr. P.J. Hillery – “Paddy” to his friends -was little noticed yet his achievements as a statesman were huge.
The son of a country doctor, he became a general practitioner himself but slipped, unobtrusively at first, into Irish politics.…
ROAD TRANSPORT HAS BOOMED IN 10 NEW EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE EU MEMBER STATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ROAD transport has been booming in the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in 2004. Between 1995 and 2005, traffic volumes increased by 400%, compared to 16% in longer established EU member states such as Britain, a consultants report written for the European Commission has claimed.…
SMALLER EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES PREPARED TO CLUB TOGETHER TO ASSURE THEIR NUCLEAR FUTURES
BY MARK ROWE
NUCLEAR energy production costs a lot of money and so it makes some economic sense for smaller countries interested in this climate-change friendly power supply to combine forces on major projects. So it is in eastern Europe, where in February 2007, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland provisionally agreed to build a new nuclear plant at Lithuania’s existing Ignalina site, initially with 3,200 MWe.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ETHIOPIA COMMODITY EXCHANGE OPENS
ETHIOPIA has opened a commodity exchange, designed to bring order to the country’s often chaotic food markets. Their informality effectively forces farmers to sell locally to traders they know and trust. This prevents commodities moving from regions where there is abundance to those where there are shortages, intensifying the risk of famine and for prices to plummet in districts with a production glut.…
ALLIANCE OF EUROPEAN STATES SPIKE EUROJUST REFORM PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALLIANCE of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden have effectively blocked moves to create a European Public Prosecutor position. The European Commission has dropped draft proposals establishing the post within Eurojust, the European Union’s (EU) network of prosecution agencies.…
DELEK BREAKS THE MONOPOLY IN ISRAEL'S ENERGY MARKET BY BECOMING A DOMINANT IMPORTER
BY HELENA FLUSFEDER, in Jerusalem
FOR the fledgling state of Israel in 1951, being dependent on two foreign companies for its supply of petrol was hardly ideal, especially at a time of war when the companies had reduced their activities in the country.…
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SEEKS TO IMPROVE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS ON SMALL MINES WORLDWIDE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LARGE mining companies take the environment seriously today, maybe rather more than in times past. They are devoting significant resources to reducing or mitigating the environmental problems caused by mining. But what about the small and artisanal mines that pepper much of the developing world?…
AFGHANISTAN HAS PAPER AML/CFT CONTROLS IN PLACE, BUT WEAKNESS OF GOVERNMENT HAMPERS IMPLEMENTATION
BY PAUL COCHRANE
SINCE the USA-led military intervention in 2001 helped overthrow the Taliban region in Afghanistan, the country has made important steps to curb money laundering and terrorist financing. In 2004, anti-money laundering (AML) and combating terrorist financing (CTF) legislation was enacted, and a Financial Investigation Unit (FIU) established.…
SOUTH KOREA FISHING INDUSTRY STRUGGLES TO SUPPLY GROWING DOMESTIC MARKET
BY KARRYN CARTELLE
AS the world’s wild finfish and seafood stocks continue to dwindle and environmental pressure for sustainable fishing practices rises, South Korea’s fishing fleet is adjusting with the times.
South and North Korea’s combined expansive coastline spans 8,693 kilometres (South Korea’s mainland alone commands 2,413km).…
MIDDLE EAST DENIM MARKET DOMINATED BY LABELS IN RICH GULF AND ISRAEL, AND STYLE IN POORER LEVANT
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Damascus and Beirut, and HELENA FLUSFELDER, in Jerusalem
INTRODUCTION AND THE GULF
THE DENIM sector in the Middle East is as diverse as it is fragmented, with strong demand in the Gulf and Israel for major brand names and the latest trends, while in the less economically developed parts of the Levant international brands are of less importance than style.…
EU PUSHES FOR GAS SUPPLY ALTERNATIVE IN TURKMENISTAN, FOLLOWING SMALL HUMAN RIGHTS IMPROVEMENTS
BY MARK ROWE
WHEN the European Union’s (EU) energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, visited Turkmenistan last autumn it served notice that this central Asian ex-Soviet republic had come in from the cold. Once a pariah on the international stage, because of the activity of its crazed former president Sapamurat Niyazov (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT), Turkmenistan has become something more than a bit player in the international energy sector.…
TAIWAN MONEY LAUNDERING DEVELOPMENTS
BY DOMINIQUE PATTON, in Beijing
ALTHOUGH Taiwan’s tense relations with China does not help the necessary cooperation with the Chinese mainland that would help bring some of the island’s biggest economic criminals to book, it is nonetheless eager to co-operate with international authorities to fight money laundering.…
US ADDITIONAL SECURITY DEMANDS PROVOKE DIPLOMATIC ROWS IN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been angered by the United States has been demanding additional information on air passengers flying to American airports, beyond the existing agreement between the European Union (EU) and the USA. And furthermore, the US has been making such demands through bilateral supplementary agreements with EU member states, notably with the Czech Republic, Estonia and Latvia, while deals with Lithuania, Hungary and Slovakia are under discussion.…
GLOBAL - Universities offer research of commercial value to businesses worldwide
BY Keith Nuthall and Monica Dobie
Universities and colleges are constantly working with business and industry to undertake commercially valuable research. University World News will regularly feature a selection of these cutting edge developments in its business pages, which we hope will inspire businesses to contact researchers carrying out this valuable work.…
POTENTIAL POLITICAL CHANGE IN CUBA MAY SHAKE UP GLOBAL CIGAR SECTOR
BY ALAN OSBORN
CUBA has always been crucial in the cigar industry, but with the prospect of political change being almost tangible, the island is now the key focus of this premium tobacco sector. For the first time in many years there’s a sense that events could be moving towards a thaw in the 45-year long freeze in relations between the USA and Cuba and an end to the embargo on sales of Cuban cigars into America.…
DIESEL MINIMUM EXCISE RATES SHOULD INCREASE SAY MEPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s economics committee has called for the European Union’s (EU) minimum rate of excise duty on diesel to be raised to that for unleaded petrol: from the current Euro 302/1,000 litres to Euro 359/1,000 litres by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016.…
REGIONAL TRADE DEALS PROMOTE GLOBAL TRADE IN CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY LUCY JONES, in Dallas; ALAN OSBORN, in London; KARRYN CARTELLE, in Tokyo; BILL CORCORAN, in Johannesburg; PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut; RACHEL JONES, in Caracas; MARK ROWE; and KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Round being slow to proceed since its 2001 launch – and only this year approaching something resembling and end game – free traders wanting to encourage global commerce have looked to bilateral and regional trade deals.…
EUROPE INCHES TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW GENERATION OF NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
BY MARK ROWE
THE ANNOUNCEMENT by the UK government that it intends to build a new generation of nuclear power plants stands out, not just because of the scale of the proposals, but because it is the first such comprehensive initiative in Europe for some years.…
PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY COULD BE WIN REAL GLOBAL FREE TRADE AS WTO'S DOHA ROUND DRAWS TO A CLOSE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) seven-year-old Doha Development Round maybe drawing towards a close, the pharmaceutical industry might start to consider that a final deal could lead to the elimination of most import duties on drugs and medicines, traded worldwide.…
EU ACCIDENT RECORD GETTING WORSE IN SOME MEMBER STATES SAYS FIA
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE FÉDÉRATION Internationale de l’Automobile has warned road accident fatalities in 2007 rose in some European countries compared with 2006. These included the Czech Republic (up 17 %), Denmark (+33 %), Finland (+13 %), Slovenia (+12 %) and Sweden (+6%).…
CHINA STRUGGLES TO ERECT EFFECTIVE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING CONTROLS IN BOOMING ECONOMY AWASH WITH DIRTY MONEY
BY MARK GODFREY, in Beijing
A YEAR after China began enforcing its Law of the People’s Republic of China on Anti-Money Laundering – effective from January 2007 – observers are wary about the ability of the country’s understaffed enforcement agencies to keep pace with huge inflows of questionable funds into China’s booming economy.…
EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA OFFERS UNEVEN RICHES TO FUEL RETAILERS
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S booming economy means that those old images of grey queues for low-grade fuel to run Moskvich and other Soviet era cars are long gone. Instead, the country’s fuel retail sector has an incentive for dramatically overhauling the present state of affairs, which predominantly involves poorly established, locally run chains and Western chains fighting – sometimes unsuccessfully – for market share.…
EU EXPANSION OFFERS TOBACCO SECTOR BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND PROBLEMS IN BULGARIA AND CROATIA
BY MARK ROWE
THE EXPANSION of the European Union (EU) eastwards has been welcomed by most industries, and the tobacco market is no exception, although the EU enlargement has also created a series of problems for the industry to manage. The accession of Bulgaria to the EU club in 2007 brought a significant tobacco industry player into the fold.…
CZECHS FACE ECJ ACTION OVER IAEA NON-PROLIFERATION COMMITMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has been threatened with European Court of Justice legal action by the European Commission over Prague’s failure to accede to a EURATOM agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This covers commitments regarding the UN Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, preventing the diversion of nuclear materials and technology from the Czech Republic for producing nuclear weapons.…
EU RESEARCHERS TO CREATE MULTI-PROCESSOR CHIP FOR CAR SAFETY SYSTEMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EURO 3 million international research project is to create multi-processor micro-chips able to operate key in-car systems simultaneously, boosting their speed and efficiency. The European Union (EU) is funding Euro 2 million of the MERASA project, which includes Britain’s Rapita Systems Ltd; Honeywell in the Czech Republic; the Barcelona Supercomputing Centre; Augsburg University, Germany; and the Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse.…
GREENHOUSE GAS TRADING PROPOSALS WILL CREATE DIFFICULTIES AND HEADACHES FOR EU AUTO-MANUFACTURERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHILE most informed people now agree it is important that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced across the global economy, the question about which methods to choose for achieving this have generated far less consensus and nowhere is this truer than with the road transport sector.…
SOUTH AFRICA STRUGGLES TO ENSURE SECURITY OF OIL AND GAS SUPPLIES
BY BILL CORCORAN, in South Africa
SOUTH Africa is in a race against time to ensure the country’s
burgeoning economy is not crippled by fuel shortages, forcing its oil and gas companies to innovate to ensure security of supply, notably from neighbouring countries.…
RUSSIA AND EASTERN EUROPE OFFERS LUCRATIVE, YET DEMANDING CAR LEASING AND RENTAL MARKET
BY ALAN OSBORN
RUSSIA and eastern European countries will be eager consumers of car rental and company fleet leasing services in the next few years but would-be players in these markets should know that a slew of administrative problems, supply delays and tax complications may await them.…
UNRECOGNISED STATELET REMAINS HOTBED FOR FRAUD
BY DAVID ANDERSON, in Chisinau
AS the European Union (EU) expands its borders ever eastwards, the challenge of dealing with geopolitical and corruption issues grows larger. One such hotspot is Transdniestria, a mixed Russian, Ukrainean and Moldovan-speaking strip of land bordering Moldova, which is recognised by no other country as an independent state.…
IRAN PAINT INDUSTRY THRIVES, DESPITE THE THREAT OF NUCLEAR CONFRONTATION
BY MARK ROWE and PAUL COCHRANE
IT is something of an understatement to describe Iran as a peripheral player on the international paint scene. The country’s share of the world market in paints and varnishes in 2007 is, according to research analysts Gobi International, just 0.5%.…
AUSTRIA'S COMMERCIAL CRIME EXPOSURE RISES WITH EASTERN EUROPE FRONTIER CONTROLS FALLING
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Vienna
AUSTRIA boasts a relatively low commercial crime rate. However its position as one of Europe’s crossroads is threatening this good reputation. Today it’s geographically and politically wedged between some older and some more recent European Union (EU) member countries.…
EU ROUND UP - EU CONTINUES ATTEMPT TO WOO RUSSIA OVER ENERGY SUPPLIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is refusing to give up on Russia and its neighbours as stable energy partners for the future, despite the largely inconclusive summit between member states and Moscow last month (October) in Mafra, Portugal. It failed to make progress on the demands from the European Commission for reciprocal liberalisation in Russian energy markets, should the EU allow Russian companies – notably Gazprom – a free hand in member states gas sectors.…
SMOKING STATISTICS SHOW BRITONS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANTI-SMOKING MESSAGES THAN MANY CONTINENTALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers may think there are a lot of smokers in the UK – in 2005, 24% of adults aged 16 or over in Britain smoked cigarettes, but spare a thought for officials in Greece – home of Europe’s keenest smokers.…
MEPS ACCEPT LIBERALISATION OF VEHICLE PARTS DESIGN PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSED liberalisation of European Union (EU) design rights legislation, allowing car parts makers to copy and sell spares already made by vehicle manufacturers across the EU has been accepted by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee. It said: "The directive will allow suppliers to produce motor vehicle components which are identical to the original parts without infringing design protection."…
DEMAND FOR OILS AND FATS WITHIN PERSONAL CARE SECTOR DIVERGES WIDELY BETWEEN COUNTRIES, CONTINENTS
BY MARK ROWE, in London, JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo, and RACHEL JONES, in Caracas
PERSONAL care products – soaps, cosmetics, lotions and hair products – have always been important consumers of vegetable and animal-based oils and fats. Yet, this is a complex sub-sector of the global oils and fats industry.…
BRITAIN'S WASTE MANAGEMENT ON PAR WITH EASTERN EUROPE, EEA REPORT SHOWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LEVEL of incineration and recycling of municipal waste within Britain is as low as former communist countries in eastern Europe, a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report has concluded. In an assessment of the contrasting waste management practices in the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the EEA bracketed Britain with Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.…
SPANISH VINEYARDS SCORE MOST EU SUBSIDIES IN LATEST RESTRUCTURING GRANTS ROUND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SPANISH wine makers will receive the most money – Euro 162 million – for improving their vineyards, in the latest tranche of European Union (EU) grants earmarked for this purpose.
The European Commission will spend Euro 510 million across the EU on viticulture reform in 2007/8, with money allotted for variety conversion, relocation of vineyards and improvements to vineyard management techniques.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS STRUGGLE TO MAKE PROGRESS ON BALKANS MINING POLLUTION
BY MARK ROWE
ONE of the most perfidious environmental legacies of communism in eastern Europe was that of mining pollution. In particular, across a swathe of the Balkans, from Albania to Bosnia & Herzegovina, (the former Yugoslav Republic of) Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Kosovo, up to 150 mines have been identified by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as areas of concern.…
MEPS ACCEPT LIBERALISATION OF VEHICLE PARTS DESIGN PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSED liberalisation of European Union (EU) design rights legislation, allowing lorry parts makers to copy and sell spares already made by vehicle manufacturers across the EU has been accepted by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee. A committee communiqué said: "The directive will allow suppliers to produce motor vehicle components which are identical to the original parts without infringing design protection."…
EU PREPARES TO EXTEND BORDERLESS ZONE EASTWARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has cleared the path to extending the so-called ‘Schengen’ borderless zone within the EU to the eight former communist countries that joined the EU in 2004. Approving reforms made to the border controls these countries have with non-EU states, the council noted that a final Schengen expansion decision could come in December.…
CAR MAKERS WANT CLEARER VISION ON ECO-DRIVING, THAT GOES BEYOND TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS
BY CHRIS JONES, in Paris
AUTO manufacturers in Europe are calling for greater support from national governments and European Union (EU) institutions in promoting eco-driving – where good motoring styles are adopted which reduce the greenhouse gas and other polluting emissions from vehicles.…
BRITAIN'S WASTE MANAGEMENT ON PAR WITH EASTERN EUROPE, EEA REPORT SHOWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LEVEL of incineration and recycling of municipal waste within Britain is as low as former communist countries in eastern Europe, a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report has concluded. In an assessment the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the EEA bracketed Britain with Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.…
EU ROUND UP - EU AND RUSSIA CONSIDER REPAIRING STRAINED ENERGY RELATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CHINK of light has emerged in the perennially taut energy relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia: both sides have agreed to establish a committee to examine how a system of gas unbundling ‘reciprocity’ might work.…
GABON SHOULD SEIZE HIGH OIL PRICE OPPORTUNITIES TO BOOST GENERAL ECONOMY - WTO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Trade Organisation assessment of oil-rich central African republic Gabon claims it should exploit current wealth generated by high oil prices to boost its general infrastructure, improve governance and increase fair competition within its economy. "Oil resources could still be used, before reserves are depleted, to improve infrastructure and reduce production and transaction costs," it concluded.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION SHARPENS EU RESPONSE TO BLUETONGUE OUTBREAKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has secured approval for new European Union (EU) legislation that will force EU member states to improve their surveillance, monitoring and publicity regarding cases of bluetongue. With the disease rampaging across northwestern Europe, the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health have agreed to make monitoring compulsory in all infected countries, while bluetongue-free member states must undertake "surveillance proportionate to the risk".…
EU ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SAYS UK PARTICULATE MATTER EXPOSURE COMPARATIVELY LOW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN is comparatively free of particulate matter PM10 which can cause serious respiratory problems, the latest Europe-wide pollution survey from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has concluded. It said the "highest urban concentrations were observed in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain" plus western Balkan cities, with northern Italy’s Po Valley, parts of Belgium and the Netherlands, and southern Spain being the worst affected.…
NEW EU MEMBERS BULGARIA AND ROMANIA OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN COSMETICS PRODUCERS
BY MARK ROWE
OTHER member states of the European Union (EU) may have had reservations about the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the once-exclusive EU euroclub, but such sentiments are not shared by the international cosmetics industry. With western European markets reaching a plateau of maturity, the real expansion and investment opportunities lie further east.…
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WARNS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STILL BEDEVIL EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NEED to limit particulate matter in Britain and continental western Europe has been underlined by the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest assessment of pollution in Europe. In its fourth annual environmental health check of Europe, central Asia and Asiatic Russia, the agency concluded that much of western, central and south east Europe, especially urban areas, "experience daily average PM10 concentrations in excess of 50 ?g/m3…
BELGIUM: European and Asian researchers harness 40,000 computers to fight bird flu
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Brussels
A TEAM of European and Asian researchers has linked more than 40,000 computers across 45 countries to speed studies into developing an anti-viral drug that can defeat bird flu. Funded by the European Union’s (EU) Enabling Grids for E-sciencE (EGEE) project, the computing grid is analysing the potential of more than 500,000 drug-like molecules.…
BELGIUM: European Commission fumes at failures to launch researcher visa fast-track system
BY KEITH NUTHALL
European Commission officials are deciding whether to launch legal action against 22 member states of the European Union (EU) who have failed to implement key legislation allowing researchers to move between EU universities. Because non-EU researchers have faced burdensome immigration procedures when undertaking research projects involving working at different European universities, the EU approved a ‘researchers’ visa’ directive in 2005, ordering member states to introduce a fast-track immigration system.…
EUREKA DEVELOPS ANTIBACTERIAL FIBRE IMPANTS FOR SPORTS PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has developed inorganic antibacterial chemical additives that can be incorporated into polypropylene fibres, to improve the hygiene and comfort of people wearing artificial textiles. The invention has particularly been designed to help manufacturers of sports and protective clothing, and could also be used in textiles that are a mix of natural and polypropylene fibres.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WELCOMES UK-IRELAND COOPERATION TO END ILLEGAL WASTE SHIPMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed a cooperation agreement struck between the British and Irish governments to prevent illegal waste shipments across the land border between their two countries. Brussels was threatening legal action over the problem, because it broke European Union (EU) waste shipment rules, but with London and Dublin combining their forces, and tougher waste regulations being approved for Northern Ireland, the Commission has been satisfied.…
APPALLING DRINKING WATER PROBLEMS DAMAGE HEALTH OF EASTERN EUROPE - EEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
APPALLING drinking water quality problems still pose major health hazards for some south-eastern Europe countries wanting to join the European Union (EU), the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest assessment of European pollution has concluded. For example, Albania’s "urban water rarely has even preliminary treatment" through "the lack of adequate…facilities and the unreliable supply of chemicals."…
BRITAIN MUST CATCH UP OVER LOW SULPHUR FUELS - EU REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH road transport sector has to play catch up with many of its European Union (EU) competitors regarding the introduction of sulphur-free fuels, a report from the European Commission has shown. It shows that as long ago as 2005, member states such as Germany, Italy and Ireland were already selling this environmentally-friendly petrol and diesel, while Britain was still selling low sulphur fuel, of between 10 and 50 parts per million sulphur content.…
ECJ CENSURES IRELAND AND CZECH REPUBLIC OVER FAILING TO IMPLEMENT EU MEDICINE LAWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has censured the Czech Republic and Ireland for failing to implement key recent European Union (EU) regulations controlling the approval and testing of pharmaceuticals. The Czechs were found by the court failing to implement EU directive 2004/27/EC on the EU code relating to medicinal products for human use; and 2005/28/EC laying down principles and detailed guidelines for good clinical practice as regards investigational medicinal products for human use.…
EU MONEY LAUNDERING DIRECTIVES FORCES PATCHY PROGRESS IN AML CONTROLS FOR EU ACCOUNTANTS AND TAX ADVISORS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE MONEY Laundering Bulletin has found effects of the European Union’s (EU) second money laundering directive’s (2MLD) extension of EU anti-money laundering regulations to a range of businesses and professions are complicated by differences in the definition of the professions between the 27 member states.…
EU ROUND UP - EU INSTITUTIONS, GOVERNMENTS PREPARE FOR BATTLE OVER ENERGY LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states and the European Commission are squaring up ahead of a political battle this autumn over anticipated energy liberalisation proposals. A letter from France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Latvia, Luxembourg and Slovakia has been written to the Commission stating their firm opposition to comprehensive energy unbundling in anticipated proposed European Union (EU) legislation.…
EU RELEASES CAR PRICES REPORT - NATIONAL DIFFERENTIALS REMAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DIFFERENTIALS in car prices between the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) persist, the latest showroom survey by the European Commission reveals. While prices in the UK fell by 0.3% from January to July this year, fleet managers looking for bargains would still do well to look abroad, as British prices are often well above the EU average.…
CZECH REPUBLIC FACES MAJOR BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HEALTH officials have supervised the destruction of 27,528 broiler chickens at a poultry farm in the central Czech Republic, in a devastating outbreak of bird flu. Following confirmation of the disease at Norin, Usti nad Orlici, Pardubický province, movement controls were imposed on poultry farmed in the region, along with disinfection and quarantine of the birds on the affected farm.…
LATVIA JOINS EASTERN EUROPE ALLIANCE OVER EU EMISSIONS CAPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LATVIA has joined the growing alliance of eastern European countries taking the European Commission to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), challenging what they regard as miserly carbon allowances within the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Riga has joined Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Estonia in opposing their allocations by Brussels for emissions between 2008 and 2012.…
IRELAND'S BOOMING ECONOMY HAS GENERATED COMMERCIAL CRIME IN ITS WAKE
BY BILL CORCORAN, in Dublin
THE REPUBLIC of Ireland’s economic growth over the past 15 years has been hailed as one of the success stories of the western world economies; however, in tandem with its economic growth commercial crime has also surfaced at an alarming rate.…
MONEY SERVICE BUSINESSES AND BUREAUX DE CHANGE STRUGGLE WITH EU MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATIONS
BY ALAN OSBORN
ONE consequence of the growing sophistication of anti-money laundering procedures at the major banks in Europe in recent years is that criminals have turned increasingly to less regulated channels such as bureaux de change and money service businesses to hide criminal proceeds.…
CZECHS REPORT BIRD FLU OUTBREAK
BY MONICA DOBIE
ANOTHER outbreak of bird flu has been confirmed in Europe, this time on a turkey farm in the Pardubicky region, of the Czech Republic.
More than 1,800 birds are already dead on the farm containing 6,000 turkeys. Czech authorities have established a protection zone of 3 km radius and a surveillance zone of 10 km around the infected area.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RELENTS ON EXCISE DUTY STAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates for alcohol across the European Union (EU) look set to rise by 4.5%, with the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (Wednesday 27/6) backing a compromise deal negotiated with EU member states by EU taxation Commissioner Lázló Kovács.…
EU GENETIC OBESITY STUDY FOCUSES ON FULLNESS FEELINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE genetic research project aimed at reducing obesity launched by the European Union (EU) is examining the DNA of more than 13,000 individuals to devise a long-term dietary anti-obesity plan in eight European countries. The EU-funded DiOGenes (Diet, Obesity and Genes) project is studying the dietary, genetic, physiological and psychological factors behind obesity, so that more sophisticated food control policies can be developed.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RELENTS ON EXCISE DUTY STAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates for alcohol across the European Union (EU) look set to rise by 4.5%, with the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (Wednesday 27/6) backing a compromise deal negotiated with EU member states by EU taxation Commissioner Lázló Kovács.…
MONEY SERVICE BUSINESSES AND BUREAUX DE CHANGE STRUGGLE WITH EU MONEY LAUNDERING REGULATIONS
BY ALAN OSBORN
ONE consequence of the growing sophistication of anti-money laundering procedures at the major banks in Europe in recent years is that criminals have turned increasingly to less regulated channels such as bureaux de change and money service businesses to hide criminal proceeds.…
EU STUDIES GENES TO DEVELOP OBESITY PROGRAMMES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE genetic research project aimed at reducing obesity is examining the DNA of more than 13,000 individuals to devise a long-term dietary anti-obesity plan. The European Union (EU)-funded DiOGenes (Diet, Obesity and Genes) is devising a method of predicting weight change in response to different dietary nutrients and is examining how carbohydrate and high dietary protein enhances fullness feelings.…
EU GENETIC OBESITY STUDY FOCUSES ON FULLNESS FEELINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE genetic research project aimed at reducing obesity launched by the European Union (EU) is examining the DNA of more than 13,000 individuals to devise a long-term dietary anti-obesity plan in eight European countries. The EU-funded DiOGenes (Diet, Obesity and Genes) project is studying the dietary, genetic, physiological and psychological factors behind obesity, so that more sophisticated food control policies can be developed.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RELENTS ON EXCISE DUTY STAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates for alcohol across the European Union (EU) look set to rise by 4.5%, with the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (Wednesday 27/6) backing a compromise deal negotiated with EU member states by EU taxation Commissioner Lázló Kovács.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RELENTS ON EXCISE DUTY STAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates for alcohol across the European Union (EU) look set to rise by 4.5%, with the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (Wednesday 27/6) backing a compromise deal negotiated with EU member states by EU taxation Commissioner Lázló Kovács.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RELENTS ON EXCISE DUTY STAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates for alcohol across the European Union (EU) look set to rise by 4.5%, with the European Parliament’s economic and monetary affairs committee yesterday (Wednesday 27/6) backing a compromise deal negotiated with EU member states by EU taxation Commissioner Lázló Kovács.…
GERMAN TOBACCO INDUSTRY STRUGGLES TO OVERCOME HIGHER PRICES AND PUBLIC SMOKING RESTRICTIONS
BY ALAN OSBORN
GERMANY’S cigarette market in recent years has provided a classic illustration of the truth that faced by higher prices, consumers will try most things – except give up smoking. In the four years to late 2006 there were five German government-imposed excise tax and VAT increases affecting tobacco which had the combined effect of raising the price of most cigarettes by 30% o 40%.…
GERMAN GOVERNMENT PLANS FUEL EMISSIONS SUBSIDY DEAL FOR HAULIERS
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE GERMAN government is developing a compensation package with its national road haulage industry as the European Commission prepares to apply stricter fuel emission limits from 2009 under the Euro V programme.
Berlin has drafted several proposals to compensate road goods transport operators, two of which have already won Commission’s approval as an allowable subsidy under its usually strict state aid rules.…
BRITAIN AND IRELAND TERRORISM
BY ANDREW CAVE
THE UNITED Kingdom and Irish Republic governments had anti-terror finance frameworks long before this issue climbed global agendas in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the USA. The fight against terrorism in Northern Ireland over the past 40 years saw to that.…
BRITAIN AND IRELAND TERRORISM
BY ANDREW CAVE
THE UNITED Kingdom and Irish Republic governments had anti-terror finance frameworks long before this issue climbed global agendas in the wake of the September 11 attacks in the USA. The fight against terrorism in Northern Ireland over the past 40 years saw to that.…
GERMAN GOVERNMENT PLANS FUEL EMISSIONS SUBSIDY DEAL FOR HAULIERS
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE GERMAN government is developing a compensation package with its national road haulage industry as the European Commission prepares to apply stricter fuel emission limits from 2009 under the Euro V programme.
Berlin has drafted several proposals to compensate road goods transport operators, two of which have already won Commission’s approval as an allowable subsidy under its usually strict state aid rules.…
ECONOMIC COLLAPSE IN ZIMBABWE FUELS PUBIC SECTOR CORRUPTION
BY BILL CORCORAN, in Johannesburg
AS Zimbabwe descends further into economic and political meltdown the country’s ruling elite are continuing to enrich themselves through fraud, theft and bribery. Bill Corcoran reports from Johannesburg.
UNLIKE politically stable countries where large scale commercial crime is just as likely to occur in the private sector as it is in the public, troubled Zimbabwe’s major fraudsters and thieves are today predominantly found in state run companies or government departments.…
EASTERN EUROPE FINES OVER PRE-EU ACCESSION STOCKPILING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission fined Poland was also fined Euro 7.7 million and the Czech Republic Euro 6.2 million for hoarding excess meat stocks ahead of joining the European Union (EU) in 2004, allowing them to flood European markets once tariff barriers were removed.…
EUROSTAT FIGURES PROCLAIM CENTRAL EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION BOOM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LONGTIME sluggish continental construction market is now booming, according to European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat, with a year-on-year February increase in activity for the whole of the EU of 9.2%. What is especially noteworthy is that construction activity growth in the western European Eurozone was even higher – 10.4%.…
BRUSSELS FINES POLES, CZECHS OVER MEAT STOCKPILING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced heavy fines against the Polish government (Euro 7.7 million) and the Czech Republic (Euro 6.2 million) for the hoarding of excess meat stocks ahead of their countries joining the European Union (EU) in 2004.…
MEDICINE MANUFACTURERS CALL FOR PRESSURE ON GUATEMALA OVER PATENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CENTRAL American alliance of major international pharmaceutical manufacturers have called for Guatemala to be placed on a special United States watch list for allegedly breaking intellectual property commitments under the US-Central America-Dominican Republic free trade agreement (CAFTA-DR).…
PHILIP MORRIS RELEASES GLOBAL COUNTERFEITING INTELLIGENCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PHILIP Morris International (PMI) has released a detailed intelligence dossier on cigarette and other tobacco product counterfeiting, in a bid to encourage the international cooperation it deems necessary to effectively fight this crime. The report highlights 17 countries around the world where it thinks cigarette counterfeiting is a particular problem and where the cigarette company has specific advice: Latvia, the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Russia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Egypt, Belize, Panama, Uruguay, Paraguay, Brazil and Ghana.…
INTERNATIONAL COUNTERFEITING BODY WARNS OF TOBACCO FAKES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN AMERICAN anti-piracy group has welcomed a flood of arrests in China of cigarette counterfeiters, saying such tough action is crucial to clean up this intellectual property crime hotspot. A report from the International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition has hailed figures from China’s state tobacco monopoly that more than 1,700 cigarette counterfeiters were arrested during 2006.…
INTERPOL INVESTIGATES GLOBAL CAR THEFT RINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FLEET managers suffering from car thefts might think their vehicles are sold in a nearby city, or neighbouring region. No so, says global police agency Interpol – they could well end up on another continent. It recently coordinated controls of more than 8,000 vehicles in Africa’s Cameroon, Central African Republic, and Chad, and found 14 had been stolen “mostly from Europe and Japan.”…
EU ROUND UP- EU COUNCIL SETS RENEWABLES TARGET
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) summit has agreed a 10% binding minimum target for all 27 member states regarding the share of biofuels in overall EU transport petrol and diesel consumption by 2020. The agreement, which followed weeks of political manoeuvreing, has however been qualified in that biofuels must be “introduced in a cost-efficient way”.…
EFSA RELEASES FRESH DATA ON SALMONELLA IN BROILER FLOCKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has unveiled further data underlining the risk to human health posed by widespread contamination of broiler chicken flocks across Europe with the pathogen salmonella. In its latest figures, which back earlier alarming data about salmonella contamination within egg production systems, EFSA said that in 2005-6, almost a quarter – 23.7% – of EU broiler (meat) flocks were contaminated with salmonella.…
US GOLF CLOTHING CHAIN FAILS TO SECURE EU TRADEMARK RIGHTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR American golf clothing chain has failed to secure European Union (EU)-wide trademark rights to its name, because European Court of Justice (ECJ) judges found it insufficiently distinctive. Golf USA Inc franchises more than 100 golf clothing and equipment stores in 32 US states and 11 other countries: Belgium, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ireland, South Korea, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.…
USTR REPORTS WARN OF CONTINUING WORLDWIDE COUNTERFEITING THREATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States Trade Representative (USTR) has released a series of detailed reports outlining the threats posed by counterfeiters worldwide and the inability of many governments to fight the problem.
Its sheaf of intelligence includes comprehensive warnings from cigarette giant Philip Morris, a company that has adopted a high profile in fighting counterfeiters and smugglers.…
EU, UN LAUNCH EASTERN EUROPE FOOD QUALITY INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched a European Union (EU)-funded Euro 725,000 research aimed at improving health standards within the food industries of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The studies aim to suggest ways of promoting a “new decision-making culture on food quality and safety among managers and policy makers”.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HATCHES DIESEL EXCISE HARMONISATION PLAN
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
POLITICAL battle lines have been drawn within the European Union’s (EU) executive body over whether minimum excise duties paid on diesel should be imposed on motorists across the 27 nation bloc. The European Commission’s Laszlo Kovacs, who is the Commissioner responsible for tax policy, wants to hike tax levels to Euro 359 per 1,000 litres by 2012 and up to Euros 380 per 1,000 litres by 2014.…
UN LAUNCHES EAST EUROPE FOOD QUALITY INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched a European Union (EU)-funded Euro 725,000 research aimed at improving health standards within the food industries of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The studies aim to suggest ways of promoting a “new decision-making culture on food quality and safety among managers and policy makers”, for national sectors able to easily export foodstuffs to consumers in Britain and other EU countries.…
EU, UN LAUNCH EASTERN EUROPE FOOD QUALITY INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has launched a European Union (EU)-funded Euro 725,000 research aimed at improving health standards within the food industries of Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The studies aim to suggest ways of promoting a “new decision-making culture on food quality and safety among managers and policy makers”.…
IRISH SCIENTISTS DEVELOP BLOOD FUEL CELL TO POWER MEDICAL DEVICES
BY MONICA DOBIE
EVER wonder how Steve Austin aka the Six Million Dollar Man was able to run at lightning speeds, jump at abnormal heights, see incredible distances and hear whispers from miles away without recharging his bionic batteries?
Personally, I do not recall Steve plugging himself in anywhere and while – as a TV goggling youngster in the 70s – I was too distracted by Mr Austin’s heroic feats to care where he got his electricity from, a new EU funded project prompted me to consider this mystery.…
EUROPE CATCHING UP WITH USA ON INNOVATION SAYS REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is catching up with the United States in innovation, a European Commission-financed statistical report has claimed, although the US still has many significant advantages. This year’s European Innovation Scoreboard (2006) concludes: “The innovation gap between the EU [minus new members Bulgaria and Romania] and Japan, and in particular with the US is decreasing.”…
USA CLOTHING FEDERATIONS CALL FOR GLOBAL ANTI-COUNTERFEITING ACTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN AMERICAN anti-piracy group has warned that the Czech Republic and Costa Rica have joined the well-known major sources of counterfeit clothing such as China and Brazil. And in a report, the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition adds that the “vast majority” of pirated clothing exported from the Czech Republic was actually made in China.…
EASTERN EUROPE MAKES INCREASING PROGRESS ON NUCLEAR SAFETY - FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
EASTERN Europe, thanks mainly to the preponderance of Soviet-era facilities and Soviet-era standards of maintenance, has long been seen as a potential weak link for the nuclear power industry in safety terms. A vast group of international experts devotes time and resources to maintaining the industry’s record and the nuclear power industry has various arrangements for cooperation among utilities and internationally, among government and United Nations nuclear agencies.…
USA CLOTHING GROUPS RELEASE GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE ON PIRACY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN AMERICAN anti-piracy group has warned that the Czech Republic and Costa Rica have joined the well-known major sources of counterfeit clothing such as China and Brazil. And the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition adds that the “vast majority” of pirated clothing exported from the Czech Republic was actually made in China.…
CZECH TROUT DISEASE REPORTED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR outbreak of infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus has led to 27.8 tons of farmed trout being slaughtered in the Czech Republic, the Aquatic Animals Commission (of the Office International des Épizooties – OIE – animal health organisation) has reported.…
UNECE PUSHES TRANSBOUNDARY WATER QUALITY CONVENTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is pushing signatories to its new Protocol on Water and Health to its Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes to agree detailed targets on improving European water quality.…
IRISH WRITERS WELCOME ECJ ROYALTIES RULING
BY DEIRDRE MASON
WRITERS IN the Republic of Ireland are celebrating a victory at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that will ensure that Irish libraries pay them when their books are borrowed.
Ireland, the ECJ ruled on January 11, went too far from the spirit of the 1992 European directive on lending rights when, in its Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, it exempted all public libraries from the need to pay public lending rights.…
INTERNATIONAL BIODIESEL INDUSTRY REPORT
BY ALAN OSBORN and MARK ROWE
IN the space of some five years, biofuels have grown from almost total insignificance in the European Union (EU) to becoming the only practical alternative to petrol as a fuel for motor vehicles and much else – albeit still at a very low level.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL MONITOR POLISH AND CZECH STEEL PROGRESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE STEEL sectors of Poland and the Czech Republic will be under a microscope wielded by the European Commission in 2007, when Brussels decides whether state aid pumped into these industries was well spent or should be paid back.…
CONTACTS AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED
BY DEIRDRE MASON
*Nurses who wish to join the US forces wherever these are based MUST be a US citizen. Nurses working in the UK who hold US citizenship and who are interested in joining the US Army Nurse Corps can find details of career path and qualifications at: http://armynursecorps.amedd.army.mil…
EU MINISTERS ALLOW AUSTRIA TO PRESERVE NATIONAL GM BANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LEGAL experts are carefully studying the decision on Monday (18-12) of the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers that Austria should continue its national bans on two generically modified maize varieties. The European Commission, which wanted the bans abolished, is considering its options, because the maize – Zea Mays L.…
EU MINISTERS APPROVE RENEWED EURO ANTI-COUNTERFEITING PROGRAMME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN and other European Union (EU) countries which have yet to adopt the Euro are to be covered by a newly extended EU programme on fighting counterfeiting of Europe’s single currency. The EU Council of Ministers has approved a renewed ‘Pericles’ programme, which will spend Euro 1 million a year from 2007 to 2013.…
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA STRUGGLES TO IMPLEMENT DIRTY MONEY CONTROLS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE LATEST report on the fight against money laundering in Bosnia & Herzegovina (BiH) is a working document issued in November this year from the staff of the European Commission and it makes depressing reading. Reviewing the past year the report finds that "limited progress" has been made in this sector, at least partly because of a lack of qualified staff and because existing legislation is "inadequate".…
EBRD PLANS TO WEAN ARMENIA OFF NUCLEAR POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) has announced plans to wean Armenia off nuclear energy and onto renewables, rather than funding replacements for its ageing Soviet-era reactors. One unit at the former Soviet republic’s Metsamor plant currently supplies 40% of the country’s energy; a twin unit has been mothballed since a 1988 earthquake shook the power station, 75 km south of the epicentre.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES CZECH FLEET FUEL MANAGEMENT DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the takeover of Czech fuel payment management services company CCS ?eská spole?nost pro platební karty a.s. (CCS) by a US company in the same business – FleetCor Technologies Inc. The US firm currently operates in north America and in Britain through subsidiary CH Jones Holding Ltd; CCS in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.…
COMMISSION WILL PRESS ON IN DRINKS EXCISE ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has declared it will not give up on its plans to update minimum alcohol excise duty rates in the European Union (EU), despite the EU Council of Ministers failing to agree the changes yesterday (Tues).…
IRAN PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut
IRAN’S US$1 billion paint sector is going through a boom period: it is expected to grow by up to 20% this year on the back of strong decorative paint growth, an expanding automotive sector, and surging demand for specialised paints in the shipping and energy sectors.…
EU INTERNATIONAL FISHING ROUND UP - GUINEA BISSAU FISHING DEAL ETC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A FISHING access deal allowing European Union (EU) fishermen to exploit Guinea-Bissau’s Atlantic fish stocks until June next year has been approved by the EU Council of Ministers. The agreement was negotiated to run from this June, and includes fishing rights for:
*Shrimps: Italy boats of up to 1,776 gross registered tonnes (GRT), Spain to 1,421 GRT, Portugal 1,066 GRT, and Greece 137 GRT;
*Finfish and cephalopods: Spain 3,143 GRT, Italy 786 GRT, and Greece 471 GRT;
*Tuna seiners: Spain 20, France 19, and Italy 1; and
*Surface longliners and pole-and-line vessels: Spain 21, France 5, and Portugal 4.…
OIE WARNS OF ABALONE DISEASE OUTBREAK IN IRELAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IRISH food health officials have been fighting the first ever outbreak of Xenohaliotis Californiensis in the Republic of Ireland, which has been detected in four abalone growing sites in the country’s south-west. Tests confirmed the presence of the pathogen from this summer at Bere Island and Cape Clear – County Cork; Claddaghduff – Galway; and Castlegregory – Kerry.…
EC ANNOUNCES VINEYARD CONVERSION CASH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it will spend Euro 450 million on upgrading European Union (EU) vineyard production during 2006-7, helping EU wine producers fend off New World competitors. The money will go on varietal conversion, relocating vineyards and improving vineyard management, although not routine replanting.…
TIMBER AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CONCERN OVER BIOMASS ENERGY GROWTH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN UNLIKELY alliance linking the European timber industry and environmentalists has called for caution in increasing the role of biomass in Europe’s energy mix. The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and the Worldwide Find for Nature (WWF) have recommended that the energy sector’s exploitation of biomass grow sustainably.…
INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS CALL FOR CARE OVER KYRGYZ URANIUM DUMPS
BY MARK ROWE
OFFICIALS in the central Asian republic of Kyrgyzstan have called for urgent action to tackle the country’s uranium dumps, a legacy of the country’s role in the nuclear industry of the former Soviet Union. Their call has highlighted increasing concerns about how depleted uranium is stored, at a time when the United Kingdom and other governments look set to press ahead with a new generation of nuclear power stations.…
EU ROUND UP - EU MOVING TOWARDS BACKING GREEN ROAD TRANSPORT AS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY KEY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is moving towards supporting environment-friendly road transport, rather than dedicating resources to promoting public transport, a European Parliament debate organised by the Automobile and Society Forum, has heard. The European Commission is currently reviewing its 2001 transport white paper and its working papers have noted "disappointment" over the results of the EU’s pro-public transport policies.…
BALTIC STATES PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
WHEN it came to accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, the Baltic States were something of a special case. Though unable to compete on the same scale as their neighbours in Poland, or further south, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, the economies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia quickly gained a reputation for being micro economic powerhouses – and the same has applied to their paint industries.…
MONTENEGRO ESTABLISHES MONEY LAUNDERING PROTECTIONS AS IT DEVELOPS NEW STATEHOOD
BY ALAN OSBORN
LIKE other countries in the Balkans, Montenegro is anxious to shake off a reputation for financial corruption and political instability and, it has to be said, appears to be doing so with rather more success than some of its neighbours.…
EU EXCISE DUTY INCREASE PROPOSED
BY ALAN OSBORN
IN a long-expected move the European Commission is proposing to raise the minimum rate of excise duty on alcoholic drinks sold in the 25 EU countries by 31% in order to take account of inflation in the period since 1992 when the rates were last agreed.…
IRAN TOBACCO MARKET REPORT
BY PAUL COCHRANE
The Iranian tobacco market has been partly opened up to international players in the past five years and growth is expected to rise strongly, but development of the sector is beset by extraordinarily high rates of smuggling and governmental regulations.…
EU COMMISSION PROPOSES SALMONELLA CRACKDOWN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed a crackdown on salmonella contamination, setting reduction targets for member states, with the steepest falls demanded of countries with the worst problem. So, relatively clean Britain must reduce outbreaks by 10% in 2008; the salmonella-ridden Czech Republic, by 40%.…
IAEA NUCLEAR SOURCES SLEUTHS INVESTIGATE GEORGIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been helping former soviet republics hunt down radioactive sources that went astray in the economic dislocation following the fall of communism. Many of these countries have used nuclear technologies for many years, but with the closure of many factories amidst the ruin of the command economy, some nuclear materials they used went missing.…
EU COMMISSION PROPOSES SALMONELLA CRACKDOWN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
STATISTICS showing European Union (EU) laying hen flocks to be riddled with salmonella have had their effect, with the European Commission proposing a crackdown on salmonella contamination. It has laid down reduction targets for member states, with the steepest falls demanded of countries with the worst problem.…
EU COMMISSION TABLES VAT CONCESSIONS FOR HOUSE RESTORATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has asked European Union (EU) ministers to authorise until January 2011 the right of the Isle of Man and 13 foreign EU member states to levy low rates of VAT on certain building repair services.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
WHILE personal care product sales for the 15 countries that made up the European Union (EU) before 2003, plus Switzerland and Norway, increased by just 1% in 2005/2006 on the previous year – eastern Europe is a more enticing prospect for the industry, and has been singled out by major organisations and companies as a shining light for sales, investment and production.…
EU GAS PRICE RISES SHARPLY - EUROSTAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATURAL gas prices rose steeply in the European Union (EU) during 2005, a report from EU statistical agency Eurostat has confirmed: up 16% for domestic customers and 33% for industrial users. There were significant variations between member states: for instance for households, prices rose by 30% in Slovakia; 27% in Luxembourg and the Czech Republic; and 25% in Ireland, while prices remained nearly stable in Estonia and increased just 5% in Denmark and 8% in Italy.…
IFC LENDS ARGENTINA NETHERLANDS RUSSIA DOLLARS FOR OIL, KYOTO PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, will lend US$70 million over 10 years to independent Argentine oil producer Companias Asociadas Petroleras SA (CAPSA), which works within the southern province of Chubut. The money will finance capital expenditures, working capital requirements, and general corporate activities.…
EFSA SALMONELLA LAYING HENS REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALARMING 20.3% of European Union (EU) laying hen poultry flocks are infected with salmonella, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report has warned. The Czech Republic (62.5%), Poland (55.9%), Spain (51.6%), Lithuania (50%) and Portugal (47.7%) have the most serious problems.…
EU BEEF CATTLE PRODUCTION INCREASE PREDICTED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN is expected to help lead an increase in gross production of cattle in the European Union (EU), reversing a decline in slaughtered stock and live exports that has continued since 2003, says European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat.…
SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME RESEARCH BUDGET 7FP FOOD RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FOOD, biotechnology and agriculture research projects will command budgets of Euro 1.9 billion from 2007-13 under a draft rewritten European Union (EU) seventh framework programme (FP7). Other targeted research budgets under the Euro 54.5 billion scheme proposed by the European Commission of potential relevance to the food sector include Euro 5.9 billion on health, Euro 1.8 million on environmental research, plus Euro 3.4 billion on nanotechnology, materials, and manufacturing.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST SECOND-HAND CAR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched legal action against five member states of the European Union (EU) to stop them imposing restrictions on imports of second-hand autos from other EU countries. The Commission thinks these trade barriers are so serious, they break these countries’ constitutional obligations under the Treaty of European Union to allow goods and services to be provided freely and easily across EU national borders.…
KYRGYZ REPUBLIC URANIUM MINE WASTE OSCE
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ORGANISATION for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Kyrgyz Republic government are teaming up to assess the environmental danger posed by radioactive dumps left from closed uranium mines. The OSCE said it would secure funding to examine dumps in the country’s south-eastern Minkush region, created in Soviet times from 1958-1969.…
EFSA SALMONELLA LAYING HENS REPORT
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALARMING 20.3% of European Union (EU) laying hen poultry flocks are infected with salmonella, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report has warned. The Czech Republic (62.5%), Poland (55.9%), Spain (51.6%), Lithuania (50%) and Portugal (47.7%) have the most serious problems.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST SECOND-HAND CAR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched legal action against five member states of the European Union (EU) to stop them imposing special technical tests and extra administration on imports of second-hand autos from other EU countries. The Commission thinks these trade barriers break constitutional obligations to trade goods across EU national borders.…
GERMANY TOBACCO INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
IN the space of less than three years the German cigarette market has gone from being Europe’s most stable, profitable and legislation-free into one beset by obstacles almost everywhere you look. In the words of an independent report just issued by the market number two British American Tobacco, the industry has "overnight….found…
EASTERN EUROPE ELECTRICITY FEATURE -NUCLEAR POWER PHASE OUT CAPACITY REPLACEMENT
BY DEIRDRE MASON
A SIGNIFICANT boost in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will speed the challenging switchover from ageing nuclear power stations in central and eastern Europe (CEE) to a cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable energy scene in these new and aspiring entrants to European Union (EU) membership.…
EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OLIVE OIL SUPPLY ROW - MEXICO EU WTO OLIVE OIL ROW
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL struggle has broken out at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers between EU olive oil importing and exporting countries over the current level import tariffs for the product. On one side is a group led by Sweden, supported by Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania, complaining about what they call "high market prices of olive oil in the EU and low levels of stocks".…
EUROBAROMETER BAR SMOKING BAN PUBLIC OPINION POLL
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
OPPOSITION is being voiced within the European Union (EU) to the growing trend of banning smoking in bars and pubs, says an opinion poll by EU pollsters Eurobarometer. While across the EU, 61% of citizens polled support these bans, there were majorities against them in significant countries.…
EFSA SALMONELLA REPORT
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALARMING 20.3% of European Union (EU) laying hen poultry flocks are infected with salmonella, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report has warned. Britain cannot be complacent under the report, based on 2004-5 data, with 8% of flocks stricken with salmonella.…
EUROSTAT WIND POWER GROWTH SURVEY
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
WIND power is Europe’s big growth area for electricity generation, according to the latest comparative figures from European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat, with capacity growing by 154% between 2000 and 2004. Its report noted wind power "is responsible for more than half of the new generating capacity" in these years.…
TRADITIONAL MEDICINES FEATURE TAIWAN SOUTHERN AFRICA
BY STEVEN SWINDELLS, in Johannesburg, South Africa and DAVID HAWORTH, in Taiwan
TRADITIONAL health care systems do not always get a good press, being accused of incorporating superstition and poor medical practice. To some western public health advocates, they are akin to bringing back the leach.…
MENA FATF MIDDLE EAST MONEY LAUNDERING REGIONAL ORGANISATION
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut
OVER the last five years the Middle East and North Africa region has firmly joined the global effort to fight money laundering and terrorist financing by setting up national financial intelligence units and a regional watchdog, the Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force (MENA-FATF).…
CZECH REPUBLIC - CYPRUS EIB WATER LOANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has announced plans to help (Greek) Cyprus and the Czech Republic improve their water utility standards to ensure compliance with the European Union (EU) urban wastewater treatment directive. In the Czech Republic, the bank wants to funnel up to CZK 5,200 million (Euro 182 million) through the national agricultural ministry to improve rural water supply and disposal systems.…
BIRD FLU ROUND UP, BIRD FLU VACCINE, GERMANY FRANCE BRITAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MASS production of a vaccine to fight the H5N1 bird flu strain in humans could begin within a year, after pharmaceuticals giant GlaxoSmithKline launched clinical trials in Germany and Belgium.
The company is testing two vaccines: the first would be targeted at fighting a pandemic after an outbreak; the second aimed at advance inoculations.…
BRITAIN FLEXITIME - ECJ WORKING TIME LEAVE COMPENSATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN is more enlightened over flexi-time compared with the European Union’s (EU) other large economies, say new figures released by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The EU agency says only Sweden, Finland and Latvia practice more flexi-time, although Britain does not always perform well regarding the degree of flexibility allowed by employers.…
ICC EU COOPERATION AGREEMENT - AU ICC COOPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has promised that its institutions will cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC), even exchanging information with its investigators. The cooperation agreement that will come into force on May 1 involves creating a central EU contact point for the ICC.…
CZECH REPUBLIC CHICKEN IMPORT CONTROLS BIRD FLU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic is invoking emergency clauses in its accession agreement with the European Union (EU) to block poultry imports from other member states which have been hit by bird flu. Speaking on Radio Prague, agriculture minister Jan Mladek said his government had requested the necessary approval from the European Commission for waiving standard intra-EU free trade guarantees.…
ECJ LEGAL ACTION - RENEWABLES FAILURE, BIOFUELS, LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has underlined its determination to forge a European Union (EU) energy policy with substance by a slew of legal actions against member states over renewables, liberalisation and biofuels. Brussels has started proceedings against Britain, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic for failing to report progress under the 2001 directive promoting renewable energy sources.…
WORLD BANK ANTI-CORRUPTION INITIATIVE - TRANSPARENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FORMER Pentagon deputy Paul Wolfowitz has brought the zeal and energy he applied to invading Iraq to his new job as president of the World Bank. Only this time his target is corruption everywhere, rather than despotism in Iraq, and his weapons are legal and political, not bombs and missiles.…
OIL AND GAS NEWS - EU ROUND UP - EU MEDIUM-TERM BUDGET TENS FP7, EU ENERGY LIBERALISATION ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) political leaders have agreed medium-term (2007-13) budgets for crucial spending projects for the energy sector: Trans European Networks (TENs) and the EU seventh framework programme (FP7) for research. On TENs, the European Parliament, Commission, and EU Council of Ministers have agreed a Euro 7.2 billion budget, Euro 500 million above previous drafts, although this will have to be split with TENs transport projects.…
CZECH REPUBLIC SHOE INDUSTRY DECLINE CHINA IMPORT COMPETITION
BY MARK ROWE
THE ONWARD march of the Chinese economy and its cheap labour appears to be on the verge of claiming another high profile casualty: the Czech leather shoe manufacturing industry. The country that gave the world Bata shoes, and which in the inter-war years carved itself a proud niche as a highly respected manufacturer of shoes, has been overwhelmed by Asian shoe imports sold at prices with which venerable companies are unable to compete.…
PUTIN HUNGARY CZECH REPUBLIC VISIT ENERGY SUPPLY REASSURANCES - EU RUSSIA ENERGY EFFICIENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIAN president Vladimir Putin has sought to shore up Russia’s damaged reputation as a reliable energy partner for eastern Europe, by suggesting Hungary take part in the Blue Stream gas pipeline project. In a visit to Budapest, Putin said Russia and Turkey were considering an extension of the Black Sea project "into south Europe, and our partners in that area have shown interests."…
CZECH REPUBLIC SHOE INDUSTRY DECLINE CHINA IMPORT COMPETITION
BY MARK ROWE
CZECH shoemakers have warned that customers putting cost before style have left the country’s footwear industry unable to withstand an onslaught from Chinese shoe companies, despite the anti-dumping dutioes recently announced by the European Commission. According to the Czech Shoe and Leather Association, 71 million pairs of shoes were produced in the country in 1991 by an industry that employed 35,000 people: today just five million pairs a year are made by 3,000 workers.…
MIGA INVESTMENT GUARANTEES NON-FERROUS METAL SECTOR - WORLD BANK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency, or MIGA, is the international organisation companies turn to when they want to invest in a jurisdiction where their assets might not be that safe. Non-ferrous metal miners and processors use MIGA to cover risks that are too tough for the private insurance industry.…
MIGA INVESTMENT GUARANTEES OIL AND GAS SECTOR WORLD BANK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency, or MIGA, is the international organisation companies turn to when they want to invest in a jurisdiction where their assets might not be that safe. Oil and gas companies have long used MIGA to cover risks that are too tasty for the private insurance industry, and at December 2005, MIGA had supported 13 oil and gas projects, with guarantees totalling US$707 million, with a standard leverage of five-to-one, so investments covered are actually five times larger.…
SOUTHERN EASTERN AFRICA REGIONAL ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING BODY FEATURE - ESAAMLG
BY STEVEN SWINDELLS, in Johannesburg
THE FORTEEN countries of the Eastern and Southern Africa Anti-Money Laundering Group (ESAAMLG) have their AML/CFT work cut out. Under-funded, lacking resources, short of political will and working in a region that leaks money like a sieve…it is a demanding context for the group’s daunting tasks.…
RASFF CONSUMER WARNING FOOD POISONING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commissions rapid alert system for food and feed (RASFF) has warned of sales in the Czech Republic of Spanish fruit flavour confectionary containing excess colouring E124 and in Austria of foods containing unauthorised Indian ingredient betel nuts.…
APPLES FRANCE EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRANCE, the Czech Republic and Poland are encouraging the European Commission to obtain sufficiently detailed data on an alleged boom in European Union apple imports to allow temporary protective safeguard duties to be erected, in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.…
AFRICA MONEY LAUNDERING FEATURE LOOSE LEGAL CONTROLS CORRUPTION
BY STEVEN SWINDELLS, in Johannesburg
CENTRAL bankers, drug barons, warlords, corporate bosses and small town crooks in Africa are all washing their money despite attempts by governments and international law enforcement agencies to bring them to book. But financial crime has never been as lucrative as now on the world’s poorest continent.…
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO DRC DIKULUSHI COPPER SILVER MINE MIGA ETHICS ASSESSMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), of the World Bank, is to review its compliance procedures regarding the social impact of projects it supports, following a critical report from the Compliance Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) of the World Bank group about a Congo mine.…
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO DRC DIKULUSHI COPPER SILVER MINE MIGA ETHICS ASSESSMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE COMPLIANCE Advisor/Ombudsman (CAO) of the World Bank group has accused the international organisation’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of failing to ensure a Congo mining project’s security could not endanger local citizens. The ombudsman ruled in an investigation into assistance provided by Canada’s Anvil Mining in 2004 to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) army’s retaking from rebels a town used to ship copper and silver from its Dikulushi mine, in the southern DRC.…
CFATF - CARIBBEAN REGIONAL ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING ORGANISATION
BY WESLEY GIBBINGS, in Port of Spain, Trinidad
WITH its multiple small jurisdictions, offshore tax havens and proximity to both drug producing countries in Latin America and the United States, the Caribbean has always been a focus of global anti-money laundering efforts.…
DEVELOPMENT AID INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND UP, LEAD FREE PETROL, CULTURAL TRADE UNESCO, IFC ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
UNEP – RISK MANAGEMENT
A BOOK detailing practical ways in which governments can reduce the costs of dealing with major challenges such bird flu, terrorism and climate change has been released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).…
IRELAND GAS - LOUGH ALLEN NATURAL GAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IRISH natural gas company Finavera Ltd claims a technical evaluation of its Lough Allen natural gas field, in the northwest Irish Republic and Northern Ireland has revealed 9.4 trillion cubic feet gas reserves.
ENDS…
EXPORTING DELAYS - WORLD BANK REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ADMINISTRATIVE export delays in developing countries damage economic progress, says a World Bank report. An export container from Bangui, the Central African Republic, requires 116 days to be customs cleared and loaded on a ship at the nearest port; it takes 71 from Burkina Faso’s Ouagadougou; and 93 from Almaty, Kazakhstan.…
EUROBAROMETER FOOD POLL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN European Union (EU) consumers think of food, more associate it with "taste" – 31%, than with "pleasure" – 29%, "hunger" – 27%, "health" – 19% and "necessity" – 15%. As usual with culturally diverse Europe, however, there were wide national variations.…
EU ROUND UP - EU COMPETITION INQUIRY GAS CROSSBORDER TRANSMISSION BIOFUELS, BIOMASS, EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s competition directorate general has said it will launch legal action against restrictive business practices and abuses of dominant positions in European Union (EU) gas markets. In a long awaited report, it promised to act against long-term downstream contracts and restricted access to capacity on gas pipelines, storage and inter-connectors between member states.…
CZECH REPUBLIC AUSTRIA NUCLEAR CONTAMINATION ECJ CASE TEMELIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general has said European Union (EU) victims whose property is damaged by a foreign EU nuclear power operator should launch legal actions in their domestic courts. Miguel Poiares Maduro has advised the ECJ to rule that the 1968 Brussels Convention on jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters, effectively allows aggrieved property owners to choose between their home courts and those of a nuclear plant: "Both courts should….claim…
MOLDOVA RUSSIA UKRAINE GAS ROW AUSTRIA EU PRESIDENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The Austrian presidency of the EU is calling for a negotiated solution to the Russia /Moldova natural gas dispute reflecting deepening concern in Brussels about Europe’s increasing dependence on potentially unreliable outside energy sources. Russia supplies a third of the EU’s gas imports (a fifth of all gas used in the EU) with Germany, Italy and France the main buyers, though a number of EU countries are critically dependent on supplies sent by the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom through the Ukrainian pipeline: 100% for Slovakia, for instance, 92% for Greece and between 60 and 75% for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria.…
WTO PATIENT COSTS POVERTY REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that around 100 million people fall into poverty every year because of medical care payments they cannot afford. It adds that an additional 150 million people spend nearly half their incomes on medical expenses.…
IRELAND PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IRELAND’S Celtic Tiger economy may have lost a little of its bounce recently, with double-digit annual growth figures no longer predicted. However, the beast is still in fine fettle, as a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) observer report notes: “The economy has bounced back.…
MIGA INVESTMENT GUARANTEES MINING SECTOR WORLD BANK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency, or MIGA, is the international organisation companies turn to when they want to invest in a jurisdiction where their assets might not be that safe. Mining companies have long used MIGA to cover risks that are too tasty for the private insurance industry, and the agency has issued 58 guarantees for the sector since it was formed in 1988.…
IRELAND PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IRELAND’S Celtic Tiger economy may have lost a little of its bounce recently, with double-digit annual growth figures no longer predicted. However, the beast is still in fine fettle, as a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) observer report notes: “The economy has bounced back.…
WTO PATIENT COSTS POVERTY REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that around 100 million people fall into poverty every year because of medical care payments they cannot afford. It adds that an additional 150 million people spend nearly half their incomes on medical expenses.…
WTO PATIENT COSTS POVERTY REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that around 100 million people fall into poverty every year because of medical care payments they cannot afford. It adds that an additional 150 million people spend nearly half their incomes on medical expenses.…
HAGUE CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY - ARMED CONFLICT
BY MARK ROWE
IN times of conflict, cultural property, such as archaeological sites, works of art, museums and monuments, can also suffer grievously at the hands of opposing military and guerrilla forces. In recognition of this, such objects are accorded protection by the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.…
NORDSEE SEAFOOD DEAL - EUROPEAN COMMISSION
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of seafood firm Nordsee, of Germany, by a consortium involving the UK subsidiary of Japanese investment bank Nomura, a private investor Mr Heiner Kamps, and TML-Invest, of Switzerland, (owned by German food company the Müller Group).…
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL CORRUPTION STANDINGS
Keith Nuthall
A HEALTHY-DOSE of Nordic culture has been prescribed by the world’ premier anti-corruption organisation Transparency International, which has again hailed northern Europe as the region most free of graft, bribes and kickbacks. Such financial crime is rarest in Iceland, says the 2005 corruption rankings from the German group, with Finland and New Zealand tying at second place, Denmark, fourth, Sweden sixth, and Norway eighth.…
MONEYVAL FEATURE MONEY LAUNDERING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CRITICS of European political institutions have sometimes been unkind about the Council of Europe, which has been accused of being a powerless talking shop. And although the Council lacks the power to fine and cajole member governments enjoyed by the European Union (EU) – from which it is completely independent – it has some important roles.…
CZECH REPUBLIC EU COAL MINING SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved a planned payment by the Czech government of Euro 74 million to its coal industry, because it will cover liabilities arising from the closure of mines in the national sector, rather than operating remaining production.…
USTR SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States has expanded its low-duty special quota for raw cane sugar imports to 1.23 million metric tonnes for October 2005-September 2006, from 1.11 million metric tonnes the previous year. Key beneficiaries include the Dominican Republic 204,649 tonnes; Brazil 168,603; and Australia 96,511.…
EU CONSUMERS REPORT - CLOTHING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE report on the behaviour of European Union (EU) consumers has shown that Britain’s recent deflation of prices in retail clothing is far from typical, with only six other member states in the 25-country bloc having the same experience.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has pushed ahead with securing more overseas fishing access deals for EU fishing crews in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. Crucially EU ministers have been formally asked to approve a deal regarding the key Pacific grounds off the Solomon Islands.…
CZECH REPUBLIC - IEA ASSESSMENT
KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has been urged to improve its energy efficiency record, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) pointing out energy intensity fell just 17% from 1990 to 2002, compared with 23% in Hungary, 27% in Slovakia and 39% in Poland.…
EBRD - ARMENIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to give the growing non-life insurance sector in Armenia a shot in the arm by acquiring a 35 per cent stake in the country’s Cascade Insurance and Reinsurance Company (CIRCO).…
HONDURAS V DOMINICANS DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LONG-RUNNING dispute at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) between Honduras and the Dominican Republic over the Caribbean island state’s cigarette import red tape and taxes appears to have been solved, with both sides agreeing to suspend ongoing arbitration.…
EU WINDING-UP DIRECTIVE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is pressing ahead with legal action against Sweden and the Czech Republic over their failure to comply with the European Union’s (EU) insurance winding-up directive, as its officials consider whether Britain has now finally complied with its terms.…
HONDURAS V DOMINICANS DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Trade Organisation dispute between Honduras and the Dominican Republic over the Caribbean island state’s cigarette import red tape and taxes has been formally solved. Both sides agreed its system should be liberalised by May 2007, dispensing with an arbitrator.…
TOBACCO ADVERTISING DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) tobacco-advertising ban may have come into force on July 31, but it yet to be implemented in nine out of the 25 EU member states, the European Commission has admitted. Germany, Spain, Luxembourg, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Greece, Slovenia, Cyprus and Hungary have not notified Brussels with corresponding national prohibitions.…
AMERICAN SPIRITS PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States’ Distilled Spirits Council has congratulated the US Congress for approving the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) for opening central American markets to USA spirit exports. Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic will immediately abolish tariffs on US-produced whiskey and gin.…
CZECH/SLOVAK FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
IT is difficult to separate the present-day Czech paint industry from the industrial heritage of the country. While the rest of the world made jokes about Skoda cars during the Communist era, the Czechs fumed as they saw a once great engineering industry reduced to a laughing stock.…
TOBACCO ADVERTISING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) tobacco-advertising ban came into force on Sunday (July 31), prohibiting adverts in most print publications, radio and the Internet, although some countries – notably Germany – have not implemented the law. The 2003 tobacco-advertising directive would be, claimed EU health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou “one of the most effective ways of reducing smoking”.…
AUSTRIA/SWITZERLAND FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
IN both the Austrian and Swiss paint industries the European Union’s (EU) chemicals policy, and in particular next year’s introduction of the regulatory framework known as REACH, hang like a grim cloud over the near to mid term future.…
AVIATION FUEL
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IT may never equal the four-fold rise in the price of a barrel of crude oil that took place between 1973 and 1974, but this year’s hike to more than US$60 a barrel has given all those industries dependent on the stability of fuel prices a severe shock, and the aviation industry is one of those reeling from the increases.…
CAFTA DEAL
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE UNITED States’ Distilled Spirits Council has congratulated the US Congress for approving the Dominican Republic-Central American Free Trade Agreement (DR-CAFTA) for opening central American markets to USA spirit exports. Central American countries (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) and the Dominican Republic will immediately abolish tariffs on US-produced whiskey and gin.…
POLES AND CZECHS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission says “further efforts are still needed” to guarantee the future of privatised Polish steel producer Polskie Huty Stali. Assessing the Poland’s and the Czech Republic’s steel industries, it said “the Polish industry continues to show delays, sometimes significant, especially in relation to investments, which (for) some companies could affect their future viability (in) a significant market slowdown”.…
STATE AID CASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LEGAL action is being taken by the European Commission to force Sweden, Austria and the Czech Republic to implement European Union (EU) accounting rules regarding public spending. Brussels is particularly vexed with Sweden, sending it a formal complaint it has flouted a 2004 European Court of Justice (ECJ) order to properly implement directive 2000/52/EC on transparent relations between governments and other public bodies.…
OLAF REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SUPERVISION of embattled European Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF may increase after a highly critical report from the Court of Auditors – the EU’s financial watchdog. The court accused OLAF of failing to ensure its inquiries followed the law, noting: “There is no independent check on the legality of actions undertaken…and that the fundamental rights of persons under investigation are respected”.…
ONLINE PHARMACY FRAUD
BY MONICA DOBIE
A RECENT USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report has found many online pharmacies declaring they are based in Canada, selling cheap drugs under local liberal medicine sales laws, are actually based in the US or outside North America, in Vietnam and the Czech Republic, for instance.…
EMERGENCY SERVICES ANALYSIS
BY MARK ROWE
CAN insurers help reduce risk by funding initiatives for the emergency services? Companies are increasingly looking at how they can support emergency services and, thereby, lessen the impact of insurance claims. The thinking is by helping to improve the efficiency of emergency services, the impact of natural and manmade disasters, including terrorism, can be mitigated in terms of people making insurance claims.…
TAX/REGISTRATION CASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NETHERLANDS, Greece and Poland have come under legal pressure from the European Commission to reform their car taxation rules so that it is easier to move vehicles around the European Union (EU). It has sent their governments formal requests to reform their systems, which – if ignored – could lead to a referral to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).…
CZECH - LIGNITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved regional aid of Euro 5 million from the Czech government to Lignit Hodonín, which operates the Czech Republic’s last remaining lignite mine, to help open new lignite deposits, protecting 350 jobs. The mine had faced closure because of the working out of older lignite deposits.…
OLAF CRITICISM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN institutions as riddled with financial crime and mismanagement as the European Union (EU), an in-house anti-fraud unit was always going to have a tough time. But EU fraud-busters OLAF seem to be making a bad fist out of a dodgy job.…
OLAF REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SUPERVISION of embattled European Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF may increase after a highly critical report from the Court of Auditors – the EU’s financial watchdog. The court accused OLAF of failing to ensure its inquiries followed the law, noting: “There is no independent check on the legality of actions undertaken…and that the fundamental rights of persons under investigation are respected”.…
ONLINE PHARMACY FRAUD
BY MONICA DOBIE
A RECENT USA Food and Drug Administration (FDA) report has found many online pharmacies declaring they are based in Canada, selling cheap drugs under local liberal medicine sales laws, are actually based in the US or outside North America, in Vietnam and the Czech Republic, for instance.…
FRANCE - BROILER CHICKENS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FRENCH government has adopted delaying tactics in its opposition to a proposed European Union (EU) directive establishing welfare rules for broiler chickens, calling for additional studies into the legislation. It asked the EU Council of Ministers to refer a European Commission impact study on the directive to the council’s special agriculture committee.…
OLAF REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SUPERVISION of embattled European Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF may increase after a highly critical report from the Court of Auditors – the EU’s financial watchdog. The court accused OLAF of failing to ensure its inquiries followed the law, noting: “There is no independent check on the legality of actions undertaken…and that the fundamental rights of persons under investigation are respected”.…
EBRD ROMANIA/MOLDOVA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to lend Romania’s European Drinks Group Euro 195 million to fund a long-term investment and expansion programme. Its aim, said a bank memorandum, was to ensure the drinks and food producer changed from “a (large) family run entrepreneurial company into a well organised large corporate”.…
WTO: MEXICO v GUATEMALA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GUATEMALA government has launched the first stage of disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over complaints about 25.87% anti-dumping duties imposed by Mexico on imports of certain Guatemalan steel pipes and tubes. The small central American republic has logged 18 claims alleging its larger neighbour broke WTO rules when imposing the duties.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released details of a fishing agreement that will give 40 European Union (EU) tuna seiners and 17 surface longliners access to the Indian Ocean waters off the Comoros archipelago. Asking EU ministers to approve the deal, Brussels said it would cover an annual catch of 6,000 tonnes of tuna in Comoros waters until December 2010.…
UN CRIME CONGRESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD’S crime-fighting great and good met in Bangkok in April, at the United Nations’ 11th Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. They decided rich countries should better help the poor to fight organised crime. Keith Nuthall reports.…
EASTERN EUROPE/BRITAIN HOURS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WORKING hours in Britain exceed those in most new European Union (EU) member states from eastern and southern Europe says a report showing how western Europe workers generally work fewer hours. Britain’s usual weekly work hours, said the European Industrial Relations Observatory are 43.1, only exceeded in the expanded EU by Latvia’s 43.3.…
POLAND EMISSIONS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has conditionally approved the greenhouse gas pollution allocation plan of Poland and the Czech Republic, leaving the European Union (EU) just two countries shy of approving all national components of its emissions trading scheme. Now only Greece and Italy await approval.…
HONDURAS WTO FAILURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HONDURAS has failed to persuade the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to order the abolition of all Dominican Republic cigarette import red tape and tax measures it opposes. Despite winning a WTO dispute last year, forcing Dominican Republic reforms, Honduras asked an appeals body to specifically rule against a bond system and a consumption tax.…
BIO FUELS THREAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has accused nine European Union (EU) governments of dragging their feet over promoting biofuels in their countries. It has sent critical formal notices to Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia accusing them of failing to submit national reports framing 2005 targets for biofuel consumption, as required under the Biofuels Directive.…
KALLAS - TRANSPARENCY
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission is drafting an action plan to improve transparency in its infamously opaque accounting procedures, with resulting legislative reforms maybe demanding the public unveiling of the recipients of European Union (EU) funds. At a speech in Nottingham before European Foundation for Management Development the EU’s new Commissioner for anti-fraud Siim Kallas noted with disapproval: “At the moment, in most member states, data on end beneficiaries (of Brussels’ agricultural spending) are not publicly available”.…
NON-CUBA CIGARS AOInv106
BY ALAN OSBORN
PRESIDENT George W Bush’s re-election last November has pretty well ruled out any change in the US ban on Cuban cigars for the next four years – if anything, things are likely to get tougher. One of the last things the previous Bush administration did last October was to actually tighten the import ban by barring Americans travelling to Cuba from bringing back up to US$100 dollars worth of Cuban cigars.…
DOMINICAN V HONDURAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE HONDURAS government is seeking to improve its victory over the Dominican Republic in its disputes case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), where a panel ruled last December that the Caribbean island state had unfairly restricted the import of Honduran cigarettes.…
NETHERLANDS/BULGARIA
KEITH NUTHALL
THE NETHERLANDS government has shown how rich countries can fulfil their Kyoto Protocol commitments by promoting the overseas development of efficient green energy production, claimed the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). The Dutch are funding a Euro 5 million conversion of a Bulgarian paper mill from generating energy via oil and gas to biomass via the EBRD-managed Euro 32 million Netherlands Emissions Reduction Co-operation Fund.…
CONGO PLAGUE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) has reported an outbreak of pneumonic plague at a “very unsanitary (diamond) mine” in Zobia, Ituri district, in the northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Since late December, said the WHO, 61 diamond miners had died from the disease, which infects humans from the air they breathe.…
CONGO PLAGUE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) has reported the deaths of 61 diamond miners in the Democratic Republic of the Congo from pneumonic plague, which ravaged Middle Ages Europe as ‘the Black Death’. Today 98.7% of the three types of plague cases are found in Africa: worldwide, in 2003, nine countries reported 2,118 cases and 182 deaths, also in the ex-USSR, the Americas and Asia.…
IRELAND PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
IRELAND’S Celtic Tiger economy may have lost a little of its bounce recently, with double-digit annual growth figures no longer predicted. However, the beast is still in fine fettle, as a recent Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) observer report notes: "The economy has bounced back.…
KYOTO/EMISSIONS TRADING
KEITH NUTHALL
On the basis of existing policies and measures alone, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Sweden and the United Kingdom should reach their individual targets. The Netherlands and Luxembourg will achieve their targets with the help of credits from the project-based mechanisms.…
WTO PATIENT COSTS POVERTY REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that around 100 million people fall into poverty every year because of medical care payments they cannot afford. It adds that an additional 150 million people spend nearly half their incomes on medical expenses.…
WTO PATIENT COSTS POVERTY REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation (WHO) is warning that around 100 million people fall into poverty every year because of medical care payments they cannot afford. It adds that an additional 150 million people spend nearly half their incomes on medical expenses.…
EU TAXATION REPORT
Keith Nuthall
BRITISH taxation inched up from 2002 to 2003, but according to the latest comparative European Union (EU)-wide figures, the UK still has one of the lowest European tax burdens. As a proportion of GDP, Britain’s total taxes were 37.1% in 2003, compared with 37% in 2002, up from 36.7% in 1995, before the accession to power of the Labour government.…
MIGA INVESTMENT GUARANTEES MINING SECTOR WORLD BANK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency, or MIGA, is the international organisation companies turn to when they want to invest in a jurisdiction where their assets might not be that safe. Mining companies have long used MIGA to cover risks that are too tasty for the private insurance industry, and the agency has issued 58 guarantees for the sector since it was formed in 1988.…
CZECH STATE AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an in-depth inquiry into whether the Czech Republic paid illegal state aid to Czech steel producer Trinecké ?elezárny (TZ). Brussels will investigate whether the Czech government paid the proper market rate when it purchased in April a 10.54% stake in steel company ISPAT Nova Hut from TZ.…
EU-COMOROS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has approved a six-year fishing access deal struck between the European Commission and the Indian Ocean archipelago nation of the Comoros. Replacing a 1988 agreement with this Islamic republic, the new deal will come into force on New Years Day.…
WTO HONDURAS - DOMINICAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HONDURAS has won a disputes case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) with the Dominican Republic being ruled in breach of WTO rules by unfairly restricting the import of Honduran cigarettes. A disputes panel found fault with a special foreign exchange fee, an “economic stabilisation surcharge” and an insistence that importers physically fix within the Dominican Republic tax stamps to packs.…
EAT INSECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CONSUMPTION of insects such as caterpillars and grubs should be promoted as important protein sources, said the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) after a survey revealed 85% of Central African Republic citizens consume caterpillars.…
AZERBAIJAN - EBRD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to try and pump-prime the non-life insurance sector in the growing petro-economy of Azerbaijan. The bank thinks there is potential for significant growth in this market, given that non-life and life premiums together amount to less than 1% of GDP.…
SAN MARINO REPORT MONEY LAUNDERING
BY KEITH NUTHALL AND ALAN OSBORN
THE TOP selling guidebook Lonely Planet is rather dismissive of San Marino, calling the world’s oldest republic and Europe’s third smallest state “a silly place”. True, there is a touch of the comic opera about this Italian-speaking enclave, with it spiffily unformed ceremonial guards and its reliance on sales of colourful stamps, but San Marino does have a significant financial sector, and so is of interest to anti-money laundering professionals.…
URANIUM MINE - DRC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COBALT and uranium mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is too dangerous for workers and should remain closed, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment has concluded. UN officials have examined Shinkolobwe mine since a June collapse killing eight miners.…
DRUG REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ECSTASY has become Britain’s number two illicit drug, overtaking amphetamines, warns a new European Union (EU) narcotics report alerting public health professional across Europe to increasing abuse of most recreational drugs. The best news highlighted by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) is that heroin use and new HIV infections are falling in western Europe, although they are increasing in many eastern European countries, such as the Baltic States.…
URANIUM MINE - DRC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A URANIUM and cobalt mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is too dangerous for workers and should remain closed, a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) assessment has concluded. UN officials have examined Shinkolobwe mine since a June collapse killing eight miners.…
EMISSIONS TRADING
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is largely on track for a timely start to its emissions trading system on January 1, with the unconditional approval in late October of six more CO2 emission allocation plans, from Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Portugal.…
EASTERN EUROPE WATER
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is no doubt that water quality in eastern Europe has improved immeasurably since the break up of the Soviet Union and its related satellite states, a process reinforced by the wholesale privatisation now taking place. But while standards have improved, concerns about pollution, old pipes and outdated treatment works are likely to continue.…
EU VINEYARD SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SIX wine producing countries of the European Union’s (EU) intake of new member states in May have received their first allocations of EU vineyard restructuring aid. The European Commission has earmarked the largest sum to Hungary: Euro 10 million for 2004-5, followed by Slovenia at Euro 2.9 million, Slovakia 2.8 million, Cyprus nearly 2.4 million, the Czech Republic 1.7 million and Malta Euro 171,000.…
AFRICA TEST BED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MEETING of the AFI GNSS implementation task force of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) eastern and southern Africa office has been told of difficulties “establishing reliable communications” between the European satellite navigation system EGNOS and reference and integrity monitoring stations (RIMS) at Addis Ababa – Ethiopia, Bria – the Central African Republic and Nairobi – Kenya.…
WTO EMERGENCY MEETING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CHINA has resisted calls at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) by its developing country competitors for special efforts to protect them from economic dislocation caused by January’s end of textile import quotas. Mauritius, Bangladesh, the Dominican Republic, Fiji, Madagascar, Sri Lanka and Uganda pushed at a WTO Council on the Trade in Goods for a WTO secretariat study identifying the likely problems and recommending solutions.…
VINEYARD CONVERSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WINE producing countries amongst the European Union’s (EU) intake of new member states in May have received their first allocations of EU vineyard restructuring aid. The European Commission has earmarked the largest sum to Hungary, which receives Euro 10 million for 2004-5, followed by Slovenia at Euro 2.9 million, Slovakia Euro 2.8 million, Cyprus nearly Euro 2.4 million, the Czech Republic Euro 1.7 million and Malta Euro 171,000.…
ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT could be the most underestimated commercial crime in the world, the illegal trade in wildlife and their products. Some estimates put its value at US$5 billion-a-year, but governments do not really seem to care. Keith Nuthall reports.…
HEART DISEASE MAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S performance in reducing heart disease deaths could be much improved compared with many of its European Union (EU) partners, a new World Health Organisation heart disease atlas, has shown.
Dividing a country’s annual deaths from heart disease with its population, saturated fats and beer loving Britain had a comparative factor of 2, based on 120,530 deaths in 2002 amongst a population of 59 million.…
SERBIA FEATURE MONEY LAUNDERING
BY ALAN OSBORN
AS recently as 1989 Yugoslavia was the richest and most westernised country in eastern and central Europe and arguably among the more politically stable of them. But then came the collapse. The ethnic fighting of the early 1990s led to breakaways by Slovenia, Croatia, Macedonia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina as independent states in 1992, leaving Serbia and Montenegro as the “Federal Republic of Yugoslavia” under Slobodan Milosevic.…
EUROSTAT - EMPLOYMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S current strong performance in employing its citizens in general, and offering part-time jobs in particular, has been confirmed by a Eurostat report placing the UK above most other European countries. In a comparative study on employment rates, (rather than unemployment), the European Union (EU) statistical agency said 17.4% of Britons were in part-time employment, a larger proportion than in any other EU country, except in the Netherlands, where it is 32.8%.…
KAZAKHSTAN DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DETAILS of the expansion in European Union (EU) import quotas for Kazakhstan steel products because of May’s enlargement of the EU by 10 new member countries have been released by the European Commission. The central Asian republic had a pre-existing steel trade deal with Brussels, guaranteeing its access to EU markets for a range of products.…
NEW COMMISSIONER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE KEY European Commissioner for Europe’s personnel managers over the next four years will be the Czech Republic’s Vladimir ?pidla, who will become the new European Union (EU) commissioner for employment, social affairs and equal opportunities. Replacing current stand in commissioner Stavros Dimas, of Greece, (who has taken over temporarily from fellow Greek Anna Diamontopoulou), ?pidla…
SECOND EU DIRECTIVE MONEY LAUNDERING
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE LEGAL web being cast by the European Union (EU) in the fight against money laundering is being tightened still further. A third directive has now been proposed by the European Commission that, among other things, will broaden the definition of money laundering to include not only the concealment or disguise of the proceeds of serious crimes but also the financing of terrorism with either criminal or legally acquired money.…
TAJIKSTAN DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has provisionally agreed to help the central Asian republic of Tajikstan improve its safe handling of nuclear materials in a wide-ranging cooperation deal. The Tajik government also promised to reform its nuclear and radioactive material legislation so it reflects that in force in the EU.…
SUNSET REVIEW REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ANTI-DUMPING duties imposed since 1997 on certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel from Russia and Romania will probably be suspended because of concerns they were based on corrupted data. The European Commission has said their founding calculations could have been influenced by two cartels, (an European Union (EU)-Japan and a purely European network), that were formally unmasked last year.…
EU CAR PRICE REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITHIN the newly expanded European Union (EU), Poland is the cheapest country in which to buy a car, although under current trends that honour may not last long. According to the latest European Commission figures, Polish car prices are on average 9% cheaper than those in Finland, the cheapest country using the single European currency.…
EUROSTAT ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL work accident statistics are keenly examined by occupational health practitioners, but they do not enable the safety of British workplaces to be compared against other European countries; that is where Eurostat, the European Union’s (EU) statistical agency comes in.…
EU HEALTH CONCERNS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONFIDENCE in the durability of public health systems is not high amongst continental Europeans, a new Swedish report has claimed. Without reform 81% of 8,000 citizens in seven European Union (EU) member countries fear that the quality of their healthcare will decline or stagnate.…
AIDS LIFE EXPECTANCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HIV and AIDS are so-ravaging southern Africa that local life expectancy rates are tumbling to where 30-year-olds are considered old men. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reported cataclysmic falls in life expectancy in Zambia, where 32.7% HIV infection rates for adults aged 15-49 has cut average mortality ages from 47.4 in 1990 to 32.7 in 2002.…
EUROSTAT STUDY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S tax burden as a proportion of GDP fell sharply in 2002 to 35.8% from 37.3% in 2001, confirming the UK as among the lightest taxed jurisdictions in the European Union (EU). The contrast is especially marked with its key competitors Germany (40.2% in 2002), France (44.2%), and Italy (41.7%), according to the latest available comparative figures from EU statistical agency Eurostat.…
US SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DOMINICAN Republic heads the list of countries granted low rate tariff quotas by the USA for sugar and sugar-containing product imports made in 2004-5. It has been allocated a 185,335 tonne quota, followed by Brazil with 152,691 tonnes and Philippines, 142,160.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has moved towards creating an effective cross-border gas market in the newly expanded EU, striking political agreement over a regulation on gas networks. It harmonises the conditions for accessing gas transmission infrastructure, specifying third party access, rules on capacity allocation, congestion management and the release of transmission information required for gas providers to use foreign systems.…
EX ANTE CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REQUIREMENTS on national telecommunications regulators within the European Union (EU) to analyse a list of specific markets to see if controls are required on a dominant operator are to be frozen for 18 months. The European Commission had been due to review this so-called ‘ex ante’ recommendation last month, but has postponed this until December 2005.…
ART THEFTS - INTERPOL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Italy, the Czech Republic and the Russian Federation have suffered particularly serious thefts from museums and other cultural sites according to figures from Interpol. In a new table published by the international police organisation Italy reports a total of 18,715 thefts – far more than any other country – of which 2,875 represented liturgical objects.…
EASTERN EUROPE - ENLARGEMENT
BY MARK ROWE
IT is understandable to see how the cosmetics industries in the European Union’s (EU) newest members might view the recent expansion of the EU club with mixed feelings. On the one hand, new markets have opened up: if their products are good enough to sell at home, they can now sell them from the Baltic to the Atlantic.…
SOLIDARITY FUND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT is early days, but the European Union’s (EU) Solidarity Fund, subsidising the costs of large-scale disasters, shows every likelihood of being a permanent feature of the EU risk management scene. We’re not talking small beer here; the fund paid out Euro 104.7 million last year and Euro 728 million the year before that, easing the consequences of disasters such as floods, earthquakes and forest fires.…
TAX EVASION - HOTELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE HOTEL industry is Europe’s second largest source of tax evasion linked to undeclared work, a European Commission report has claimed. Only the construction industry is shier of tax collectors, (except in Germany, where – oddly – farmers and gardeners are even worse).…
GERMAN-BULGARIA CONTRACT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN consortium of RWE Nukem and GNB – Gesellschaft für Nuklearbehälter has been awarded the contract for constructing a spent fuel storage facility helping the decommissioning of Bulgaria’s Kozloduy plant. The Euro 49 million contract is being financed by Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund, which is managed and administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
ALCOHOL products are one of the major strengths that the new members of the recently enlarged European Union (EU) bring to its economic table. Of the 10 newcomers, six are wine-producing countries: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.…
CZECH PROBE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INVESTIGATIVE team was sent by the European Commission to the Czech Republic’s Temelin plant, to check for environmental dangers posed by the escape of three cubic metres of water from its cooling system. The Brussels team found all water was retained in a drain; radioactive material had remained inside the building and there had been no worker exposure.…
EBRD - RUSSIAN BAUXITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is expected next month to rubber stamp plans to lend two Russian SUAL group companies US$75 million to expand production at a bauxite mine and begin work on developing a related alumina refinery and aluminium smelter.…
EASTERN ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EASTERN and southern European countries who joined the European Union (EU) on May 1 have been granted requested stays of execution over the implementation of common EU minimum rates for solid fuel energy taxation. The EU Council of Ministers fears sharp increases would damage these new members’ energy markets.…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the EU on May 1 are “on course” to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. This masked problems however: temporary exemptions have given the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia between an additional three months and three years to ensure milk producers, slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should already have been in place.…
EBRD - RUSSIAN BAUXITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is expected next month to rubber stamp plans to lend two Russian SUAL group companies US$75 million to expand production at a bauxite mine and begin work on developing a related alumina refinery and aluminium smelter.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is bankrolling the development of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas reserves, a key alternative supply for the European Union (EU). It wants to lend Tasbulat Ltd Euro 60 million to help develop three medium-sized oil and gas fields in Mangistau region, western Kazakhstan, producing up to 8,000 barrels/day in 2006; Tasbulat is owned by SNP Petrom, Romania’s national oil company.…
EASTERN EUROPE WORKERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has codified and publicised the often complex set of rules controlling the migration of eastern and southern European workers from the 10 countries joining the EU on May 1. These transitional rules designed to ease the impact of their accession on the EU’s 15 established member states, have been posed online at the European Job Mobility Portal http://europa.eu.int/eures.…
BULGARIA POWER PLANT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BULGARIA has announced it will build a second nuclear power plant to replace the outdated Kozloduy power station, which the European Union (EU) insists should be closed by 2006. Construction will take place at Belene, in northern Bulgaria where work started on building a 1,000-megawatt plant in 1987, but ceased in 1991 following environmental campaigns.…
EASTERN ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EASTERN and southern European countries who have now joined the European Union (EU) have been granted requested stays of execution over the implementation of common rules on energy taxation that were agreed last year for the old EU.…
USA MONEY LAUNDERING REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NOBODY likes to be on a blacklist, especially one written by the American government. But every year, the US state department issues a comprehensive rogues gallery of countries involved in the narcotics trade and related criminal problems. One surprising entrant: the United States.…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) last weekend are on course to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. His confident declaration masks a series of problems, however, leading to many temporary exemptions and special measures, giving the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Malta, and Slovenia; the countries between three months and three years extra time to ensure slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should have been in place on May 1.…
EU-CARIBBEAN DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and 16 Caribbean countries have launched negotiations to strike a trade deal by 2008, that should boost Jamaican bauxite exports into Europe. The mineral is already the eastern Caribbean’s largest non-food export to the EU, (eight per cent of all the region’s foreign sales being aluminium-related products – worth around Euro 223 million in 2003).…
EUROMYTHS - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has scotched rumours the accession of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to the European Union in May will lead to their citizens being banned from privately slaughtering pigs for home consumption. Brussels says the rule only covers pork sold commercially, branding the claim a Euro-myth, such as EU laws insisting on straight cucumbers.…
WORK ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHILST Britain’s record on serious accidents at work is declining, the factories, building sites and offices of some eastern European countries joining the European Union (EU) this weekend (May 1) are becoming safer, according to EU statistical agency Eurostat.…
EUROMYTHS - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has moved to scotch a fresh round of so-called ‘Euro-myths’ falsely alleging that European Union (EU) legislation will ban treasured food traditions when 10 new member countries join the EU in May. Brussels officials are particularly sensitive to such stories, because of past bad publicity about – ultimately inaccurate – tales, such as EU laws insisting on straight cucumbers.…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
SEEN in the context of the past decade, the entry of 10 new member states to the European Union (EU) which took place on May 1 has proved nothing like the disaster for the nuclear industry that was once feared.…
EU-CARIBBEAN TALKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and 16 Caribbean countries have launched negotiations to strike a 2008 trade deal, that should boost rum exports into Europe. The spirit is already the eastern Caribbean’s largest export to the EU, (11 per cent of sales – worth around Euro 320 million in 2003), with import quota restrictions removed from 2000.…
E-BUSINESS EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
E-BUSINESS W@tch (NOTE – CORRECT SPELLING), an EU-funded monitoring organisation, is claiming that businesses in countries joining the European Union (EU) in May are embracing new Internet technologies rapidly – especially broadband – resulting in a smaller digital divide with existing members than expected.…
EUROSTAT ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TRADES Union Congress (TUC) has called on the British government to spend more on the Heath and Safety Executive and local government workplace inspectors, following the release of a report from EU statistical agency Eurostat showing Britain suffering increasing rates of serious work accidents.…
WORK ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RELIABLE statistics are of course vital to any insurance company’s assessment of risk, and nationally produced figures in countries such as Britain and the USA can usually be counted upon in actuarial calculations. But what about comparing countries when managing international policy portfolios?…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) last weekend are “on course” to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. His confident declaration masks some problems however, leading to temporary exemptions, giving the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia between an additional three months and three years to ensure milk producers, slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should have been in place on May 1.…
LAW TRANSLATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has raised fears that citizens of some countries joining the European Union (EU) in May could defy EU regulations because they may not all have been translated into their national language. News service Malta Media has reported concern from officials working for EU enlargement Commissioner Günter Verheugen that the translation of the 85,000 page ‘acquis communautaire’ was behind schedule, especially in small countries such as Malta and Estonia, where few specialist translators are available.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL and ALAN OSBORN
ACCESS rights to drive across ecologically-sensitive Alpine passes in Switzerland and Austria – plus to Bulgaria and Romania – are being granted to hauliers from the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in May.…
LIBERALISATION FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN and MARK ROWE
THE LIBERALISATION of electricity and gas supplies in the European Union (EU) was finally agreed in 2003 and will come into full effect this year for business customers and in 2007 for households and all others.…
WHO RATIFICATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Health Organisation has boasted that 100 countries have now signed its Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, although only nine countries have yet to ratify the treaty. Of these, the world’s major developed economies are conspicuously absent, the line up including Fiji, India, Malta, Mongolia, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Seychelles and Sri Lanka.…
FLOOD RISKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ASSOCIATION of British Insurers (ABI) is pressing the UK Government to maintain its raised level of spending on flood defences, as it works towards its next public spending round announcement in the summer. Following the spate of disastrous floods in 2000, Whitehall in 2002 increased its annual spending on the problem by Pounds 150 million.…
CHINA PACKAGING FEATURE
BY EDWARD PETERS
THE PAST decade has seen China grasp an increasing share of the world’s cosmetic packaging industry. Low production prices and international manufacturing standards — to say nothing of an increasing appreciation of the beauty business — have all contributed to the People’s Republic upping its packaging profile.…
TAIWAN FEATURE
BY EDWARD PETERS
DEPENDING on who you ask, Taiwan is either a renegade province or to all intents and purposes an independent nation, albeit one that currently lacks full international recognition. To suggest that it could be a fully functioning country in its own right to anyone in Beijing – the capital of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) – is tantamount to treason.…
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has been given a relatively clean bill of health in the latest Transparency International corruption rankings, being viewed as joint-11th least-corrupt country in the world, sharing its billing with Canada and Luxembourg. Finland was the most honest place in which to do business said the pressure group’s survey, followed by Iceland and the Denmark plus New Zealand at joint third.…
CZECH WATER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed the introduction of river basin management systems of water resources in the Czech Republic, a key requirement of the European Union’s (EU) water framework directive. This legislation has proved challenging for existing EU Member States, let alone countries joining the EU in May, such as the Czech Republic.…
RUSSIAN PHARMACY CHAIN EXPANDS
BY MARK ROWE
ONE of Russia’s leading health and beauty retailers, Pharmacy Chain 36.6, has acquired 73 regional outlets in the southern (Russian Federation) Republic of Bashkortostan. The purchases involve the takeover by 36.6 of the local Leko pharmacy chain in the republic, including 30 stores in the capital city of Ufa and stores in 17 other cities across Bashkortostan.…
KILOMOTO MINE
BY RICHARD HURST
THE HUNDRED-year-old Kilomoto gold mine in the north east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to resume its gold production this month. Cosma Balongelwa, managing director of the mine, said that it had recommissioned equipment in January and that its management were expecting to produce three to four kilogrammes of gold in the next two weeks.…
HYBRID WINES - EU
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FIRST step towards admitting “interspecific” vines, or hybrids, to the top wine classifications in Europe has been taken by the European Commission, which has ordered a study to see if such vines can produce quality wines to rival Bordeaux, Graves or Chianti.…
MACEDONIA
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union is to pay for a new software system, computers and other information technology equipment to improve the functioning of the judiciary in the former Yugoslavian republic of Macedonia. The EU aid – worth in total Euro 1.9 million – follows a report detailing serious inadequacies in the legal system in Macedonia, including the fact that judges there had to deal with about 800 cases annually compared to a maximum of 300 in the EU itself.…
ROMANIA TUBE DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RESERVE anti-dumping duties against two Romanian producers of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel are to be re-imposed, even though they had last year been declared illegal by the European Court of Justice.
Judges had ruled last January that the European Commission made administrative errors when fixing the level of protection required for European Union (EU) producers from exports made by Petrotub SA and Republica SA.…
EU ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SERIES of exemptions from the European Union’s (EU) new directive imposing minimum rates of energy taxation on coal have been proposed by the European Commission for seven of the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the EU in May.…
EAST EUROPE CONSUMPTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEAT consumption in eastern European countries joining the European Union (EU) this May generally fell by 10-20 per cent during the 1990s, falling significantly below per capita consumption in the existing EU, according to a European Commission report.…
UGANDA - ICC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) is a step closer to launching its first case, with Uganda President Yoweri Museveni referring the terror wrought by his county’s rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) to ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo.…
ENTERPRISE LIABILITY
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
HOSPITAL consultants began industrial action across the Irish Republic yesterday as part of an escalating protest against the imposition of a new state scheme for insuring medical malpractice. Senior doctors have withdrawn all administrative duties and will stop all other duties, except emergency work, if the dispute over the so-called ‘enterprise liability’ cover is not resolved within three weeks.…
EASTERN EUROPE RENEWABLES
KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD WIDE Fund for Nature (WWF) has warned that the eight eastern European countries joining the European Union in May are failing to exploit their potential renewable energy capacity, making it harder for some to comply with the EU’s renewable energy directive.…
GAP - GREENHOUSE GASES
BY PHILIP FINE
GAP Inc has joined a group of American corporations that have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The clothing retailer, which also owns the Banana Republic and Old Navy brands, last month signed on to the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Climate Leaders’, a group that now numbers 54.…
CZECH SUGAR DUTY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has announced that it is extending the life of its 80 per cent safeguard duty on sugar imports until December 2004, claiming that its producers would be flooded by imports (mostly from Poland and the EU), if it lifted the protection.…
DANUBE CANAL LINK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONCERNS have been raised by eastern and central European environmental groups about the possible worsening of drinking water quality that could be caused by the construction of the planned Danube-Oder-Elbe canal. The Czech Republic’s Friends of the Earth branch is leading green groups from Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia in pressing the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers to avoid including the project in its priority list for funding from the trans-European transport networks (TENs) scheme.…
WTO HONDURAS - DOMINICAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HONDURAS has formally requested that a World Trade Organisation disputes panel be created to settle a diplomatic row with the Dominican Republic over allegations of unfair restrictions on the import of Honduran cigarettes. The Dominican government has used procedural tactics to delay the establishment of a panel, but Honduras can insist on its creation.…
NIGER GOLD MINING
BY RICHARD HURST
JOHANNESBURG-based bulk materials handling and minerals processing specialist Osborn has been awarded a US$977,000 contract by Société des Mines du Liptako (SML) South Africa, which recently announced the start of the Samira Hill gold-mining project in Niger. Noel Bessler, sales manager at Osborn said: “Osborn’s participation in the project includes the refurbishment of an existing mill, the supply of proprietary screens, feeders and the plant’s conveyors”.…
ECJ - BUD V BUD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A RULING from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over the protracted row over the rights to the names Budweiser and Bud could weaken an attempt to prevent US-based Annheuser Busch from importing its beer into Austria. Its Czech Republic rival Budejovicky Budvar has been trying to block such imports – named ‘American Bud’ – on the grounds that a bilateral convention between Austria and the Czech Republic reserves the name “Bud” for Czech beer in Austrian markets.…
EASTERN EUROPE - TAX
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is piling pressure on the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the organisation next May to abolish tax laws that currently break EU regulations and directives. The EU Council of Ministers has drawn up a list of 30 tax measures deemed “harmful” to Europe’s internal market that apply in the countries planning to join the EU next year, namely Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta.…
CZECH REPUBLIC - EIB
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Investment bank (EIB) has drawn up plans to lend Euro 270 million to the Czech airport authority CSL to design and construct a new terminal (Terminal North II) at Prague Ruzyne International Airport. The new terminal would be dedicated to flights from countries in the Schengen area bloc.…
DRC COPPER-SILVER MINE
BY RICHARD HURST
THE US$5 million second phase of the Dikulushi copper-silver mine, in south-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is to start soon, by the second week in November, according to Bill Turner, managing director of Australia’s Anvil Mining. He said that the new phase would extend the life span of the mine by another five years allowing the mine to produce 42 million pounds of copper and 1.8 million ounces of silver.…
ECJ CAR REGISTRATION CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A RULING on car registration legislation at the European Court of Justice could remove red tape demands on European fleet managers whose companies’ employ workers living in more than one European Union country. Judges have stated national governments cannot insist a worker’s company car be registered in their home country, rather than where a company and its fleet management is based.…
USA - CHINA: WTO ANSWERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CHINA has played tit-for-tat in unusually public diplomatic spat over temporary’ safeguard duties that were imposed by Beijing last May on US exports of nine steel products. The United States had published a pointed set of questions about whether the duties had actually lapsed as planned by November and over exemptions from such tariffs for South Korea and Slovakia on the apparently dubious grounds that they were “developing countries”.…
DRINKS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL in Paris, ALAN OSBORN in London, MARK ROWE in Singapore, ED PETERS and DON GASPER in Hong Kong, RICHARD HURST in Johannesburg, MONICA DOBIE and PHILIP FINE in Montreal, MATTHEW BRACE in Brisbane and ALEX SMAILES in Port of Spain.…
EU ENLARGEMENT FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EASTERN and southern Europe countries slated to join the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2004, have worked small wonders in recent years to set up anti-money laundering regimes, not necessarily because they believe this is good in itself but partly at least because EU entry might not be possible otherwise.…
IRAQ ORGANISED CRIME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MAJORITY of Iraqis were delighted by the fall of Saddam Hussein, witness the banging of shoes on the heads of his fallen statues. But among the happiest were organised criminals who have exploited the lawlessness following the end of his regime.…
USA SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DOMINICAN Republic, Brazil and the Philippines are the key beneficiaries of the latest low tariff import quotas for sugar unveiled by the United States Trade Representative. Out of a total low duty quota for 2003-4 of 1,117,195 metric tonnes, the Dominican Republic commands 185,335 tonnes, Brazil 152,691 and the Philippines 142,160.…
WTO HONDURAS - DOMINICAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HONDURAS has launched disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation with the Dominican Republic, which it accuses of unfairly restricting the import of Honduran cigarettes through burdensome red tape, bond and taxation rules. It claims that, for instance, an insistence on fixing tax stamps to packs within the Dominican Republic breaks world trade rules.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENHANCED powers, responsibilities and resources are being proposed for the new European Maritime Safety Agency to enable it to fight tanker pollution. The European Commission has proposed that it should buy or lease specialist anti-pollution vessels. It also wants its work expanded to cover maritime security and seafarer training.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THERE has been a lot of talk about water in international meetings and organisations this year. Report after report has spelt out that we are all using too much water and if reforms do not make systems more sustainable, then a thirsty future beckons.…
USA SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DOMINICAN Republic, Brazil and the Philippines are the key beneficiaries of the latest low tariff import quotas for sugar unveiled by the United States Trade Representative. Out of a total low duty quota for 2003-4 of 1,117,195 metric tonnes, the Dominican Republic commands 185,335 tonnes, Brazil 152,691 and the Philippines 142,160.…
GERMANY PLASTIC CAPS
BY MARK ROWE
THE GERMAN plastic container caps producer Loeffler Kunststoffwerk has announced plans to open a new plant in Russia to create greater capacity for its major clients n the region, which include Proctor & Gamble. Loeffler Kunststoffwerk, a unit of US Seaquist, will open the new plant in Vladimir, just outside Moscow, in the late autumn.…
CZECH MDF
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to lend Euro 24.5 million to help wood panel company Kronospan to build a standard furniture grade MDF plant in the Czech Republic. The bank wants to consolidate the Czech wood-processing sector, which it says has “traditionally been unproductive.”…
EU ENLARGEMENT FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FOR the non ferrous metals industries, the formal enlargement of the EU next May will not be an overnight sensation but rather the end of a ten-year process during which producers in eastern and central Europe have progressively adapted themselves to the western European model.…
ICC CASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MASSACRES in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) civil war and the murky business dealings that have fuelled the conflict are to be the first focus of the International Criminal Court (ICC), its chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has said.…
OLD VERSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NON-FERROUS metal producers in the existing 15 European Union (EU) countries could see some lowering of labour costs after enlargement of the EU next year as low-paid Polish and other workers move into the higher wage countries like Germany, according to industry sources.…
KINROSS INVESTMENT
BY RICHARD HURST
THE DEMOCRATIC Republic of the Congo government has announced that it intends to increase the country’s falling copper production by refurbishing the Kamoto mine with assistance from Canada’s Kinross Gold Corporation.
Jean-Louis Nkulu Kitshunku, mining minister, said that the deal between the state-owned mining corporation Cecamines and Kinross would was nearing completion and would see the mine’s output increase to 50,000 tonnes of copper per annum in 2004.…
EEA WATER REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALY and Spain are living outside their means when it comes to fresh water abstraction, according to a new water report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). It brands these large European Union countries as being “water stressed,” exploiting more than 20 per cent of their annual fresh water supplies.…
EEA WATER REPORT - GREENWATCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EVERY year it seems, the international community has a pet topic in which it is fashionable to promote good behaviour, and this year the favoured cause seems to be water conservation. The World Bank, the UN Environment Programme and others have all produced weighty tomes on the need to conserve drinking water stocks.…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
IN the days of the Soviet Union, many millions of men and women had a choice of one state-manufactured brand of shampoo, toothpaste or soap. If anything, the authorities managed to limit even further access to such “indulgences” as perfume.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CREATION of an “audit culture” in the public administrations of the 10 eastern and southern European countries planning to join the European Union next May would help ease growing concerns in Brussels that would-be Member States are failing to meet EU financial probity standards, MEPs have heard.…
ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES - PIPES ETC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has agreed a complicated, but flexible, set of anti-dumping duties to be levied upon certain flat rolled products of iron or non-alloy steel from Bulgaria, South Africa, Serbia & Montenegro and Taiwan; plus certain iron and steel tube and pipe fittings from Thailand, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia and Slovakia.…
FOOD SAFETY THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NOW the arguing is over and the dye has been cast, it is time to start work on the practicalities of admitting 10 new countries to the European Union, making this long discussed enlargement work for British and western European farmers.…
EU ENLARGEMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMPENDING enlargement of the European Union, admitting countries that were once part of the communist eastern bloc, poses risks for the western European pharmaceutical sector, as well as benefits from the opening up of new markets, a senior industry figure has warned.…
UZBEKISTAN - EBRD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the OPEC Fund are teaming up to lend US$13 million and US$5 million respectively to finance the construction of a knitwear plant in Chirchik, Uzbekistan, to manufacture high-quality knitted cotton garments (underwear, nightgowns and t-shirts) for export.…
ZAMBIA COPPERBELT
BY RICHARD HURST
ZAMBIA’S Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), the supplier of electricity to the country’s mining industry, has embarked on a diversification growth programme, aimed at increasing its role in the Zambian and other southern African electricity markets through appropriate investments.…
ESTONIA PORK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ESTONIAN government has launched an inquiry that is expected to lead it to impose temporary safeguard duties on pigmeat imports. The Baltic republic told the World Trade Organisation it was concerned about the effect on domestic producers of a rise in imports of fresh, frozen or chilled carcasses, half carcasses, hams, shoulders and other cuts.…
POLES V CZECHS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government is launching a disputes case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), complaining about the Czech Republic’s imposition of 50 per cent additional duties on Polish pig-meat exports. Poland says that the duty is illegally discriminatory, as they have not been imposed on imports from other countries.…
MILLENNIUM EDUCATION GOALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS with many projects inspired by the start of the next 997 years and the last three, the framing of the United Nations’ (UN) Millennium Development Goals was an ambitious enterprise.
Imposing statistically measurable targets for international organisations and national governments in making improvements in global poverty, education, gender equality, health, the environment and education, they have proved tough to attain.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is granting 512 meat processing establishments in six eastern European countries additional time to bring their health standards in line with European Union law once their home states join the EU next May.
A memorandum released by the European Commission’s enlargement directorate general, says that 332 of these operations are in Poland, where the deadline for compliance has been extended to December 2007; 14 establishments in Lithuania have until January 2007.…
SAFE FOOD - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CITIZENS of eastern and southern European countries seeking to join the European Union (EU) consider improvements to the safety of the food they eat to be the top priority of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Of those polled by the Eurobarometer organisation, 88 per cent cited food safety as their top priority for the CAP, rather than improving the income of their local farmers.…
CZECH SUGAR DUTY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has announced that it is extending the life of its 80 per cent safeguard duty on sugar imports until December 2004, claiming that its producers would be flooded by imports (mostly from Poland and the EU), if it lifted the protection.…
IFC - TAJIKSTAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) has announced it will invest up to US$3 million in expanding a textile industry joint venture in Tajikstan, the poorest former Soviet republic. The money will be sunk into Tajik-Italian-American garment company Javoni, the largest foreign-local textile joint venture in the country; its local partner is part state owned Abreshim SA, the largest textile company in Tajikstan and it is majority owned by international garment company Carrera Group.…
CORRUPTION PAPERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PHD in rocket science is not required to understand that corruption is a problem worldwide. But such a qualification – and more – would be required to devise an effective plan to fight this financial plague. The United Nations’ (UN) is drafting an international convention on corruption and asked a string of experts to write reports to illuminate some issues.…
USA CIGAR FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
A LOT of people are saying that cigar smoking may be in serious long-term decline given the way things are going in America. World Tobacco is inclined to treat the figures a little more cautiously. It is true there has almost certainly been a sharp drop in American consumption in recent years but, as Chris Boon, the premium cigar manager at British American Tobacco, points out, there are no true figures: “you draw own conclusions and arrive at an estimate.”…
OECD TAX REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IF accountants want to give really useful advice to their clients that applies almost anywhere in the developed world, they should tell them to get married and have kids.
That would be the most logical conclusion that could be drawn from the latest Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) publication on tax, “Taxing Wages.”…
OLAF - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ESTABLISHMENT of special anti-fraud coordinators in all eastern and southern European countries applying to join the European Union (EU) has been welcomed by OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office.
In a memorandum on the fight against fraud in an enlarged EU, OLAF said: “By putting Anti Fraud Co-ordinating Service offices in place, the candidate countries have demonstrated in concrete terms their commitment to fighting fraud.…
CENTRAL AFRICA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank is developing a Regional Integration Assistance Strategy to remove obstacles to trade within six central African countries that would particularly promote commerce in the area’s rich metal reserves. Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon would benefit from five years of support, leading to road construction and improvement, the modernisation and integration of the financial sector, and by speeding ports and customs transactions.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
THE MOST important driver of reform in the institutions of the European Union today is the impending enlargement of the EU eastwards, to take in (Greek) Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.…
NUCLEAR SECURITY
BY MARK ROWE and ALAN OSBORN, in London, PHILIP FINE and MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal, and RICHARD HURST, in Johannesburg
RATCHETING up security has been a prime concern of the nuclear industry since the September 11 attacks, with all countries possessing commercial reactors addressing the issue to some extent.…
CHINA FEATURE
BY EDWARD PETERS
FOR a snapshot of the current state of the Chinese tobacco industry, casual observers need go no further than the massive adverts blanketing some of the main highways in Shanghai, which is generally considered to be the most go-ahead city in the People’s Republic (PRC).…
FLOODS PIECE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FLOODS in central Europe last August and September took a tragic toll of lives, disrupted local economies and devastated numerous museums with the irretrievable loss of cultural artefacts. In Dresden, the worst hit city, thousands of artworks had to be moved when both the Zwinger Palace, site of one of Europe’s great art museums, and the Albertinum Museum became victims of rising floodwater.…
FISH FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN and MARK ROWE, in London, MONICA DOBIE and PHILIP FINE in Montreal, MATTHEW BRACE in Brisbane, and RICHARD HURST in Johannesburg
Introduction
Europe
Cuts to EU catch quotas
New sources of fish
Affect on fish producers
Wild alternatives to cod
Farmed cod
North America
USA – Healthier local stocks
USA – Demand up
USA – Fish imports
Canada – Farmed fish exports
Canada – GM issues
Australasia
Australia – New wild sources
Australia – Aquaculture
Australia – Wild fish innovation
Australia and New Zealand – sustainability
South Africa – Export increase and conservation
Japan – Local and regional supply
Japan – Maintaining quality
Japan – Non-Asian sources
Introduction
ONCE it was said, cod was so abundant that fishermen in some parts of the world boasted they could walk on the backs of the fish to find their catch.…
PIPE DUTY REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has abandoned a review of European Union (EU) anti-dumping duties imposed on imports of threaded malleable cast-iron tube or pipe fittings from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Japan, China, South Korea and Thailand, after affected exporters failed to assist Brussels its investigators.…
NATIONAL FRAUDS FEATURE
BY MATTHEW BRACE, in Brisbane, EDWARD PETERS, in Hong Kong, RICHARD HURST, in Johannesburg, MARK ROWE, in London, SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA, in Columbo and MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal.
BRITAIN’S National Health Service (NHS) is exposed to an estimated annual fraud loss of pounds 2 billion each year.…
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union and its allies at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) negotiations over the creation of a global register for protected geographical indications in the wine and spirit trade have made a significant concession, which may be the basis for a future deal.…
CHINA V CHINA - WTO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE STAGE is being set at the World Trade Organisation for a formal dispute procedure over steel safeguard duties between two countries who do not formally recognise each other’s existence. The Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China, (also known as Taiwan), are arguing over duties erected by Communist China.…
DOUBLE CHECKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOUBLE checking systems introduced by the European Union to police steel trade systems struck with eastern European countries who now want to become Member States are to be indefinitely extended. The European Commission has proposed that these monitoring systems be maintained in place to guard against illicit steel exports from the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and Slovakia until they are finally accepted as formal members of the EU.…
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union and its allies at the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) negotiations over the creation of a global register for protected geographical indications in the wine and spirit trade have made a significant concession, which may be the basis for a future deal.…
CONGO ICJ CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE REPUBLIC of the Congo (Brazzaville) has launched a case at the International Court of Justice, in the Hague, which is trying to undermine the principle of extra-territoriality under which activist magistrates, for instance in Belgium and Spain, have been seeking to prosecute crimes committed abroad.…
OECD ROAD ACCIDENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MALE-MENOPAUSE ridden men buying powerful motorcycles that they cannot ride properly is one of two reasons for a levelling off in a 10-year decline in road accidents in rich countries, an OECD report claims. The other problem is an increase in illicit drug use by drivers.…
CONGO REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT is rare that an international organisation report on a scandal involving crime, corruption, war and environmental degradation names and shames high profile companies, but that is what is contained within the latest United Nations (UN) Security Council report on the Congo.…
FLOODS - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have formally approved the creation of an EU Solidarity Fund, helping Member States deal quickly with the effects of natural and man-made disasters; its funds will be mobilised immediately to assist regions affected by the floods of August and September 2002, which should help reduce the burden that has to be met by insurance companies.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
INNOVATION is important in the provision of water services, whether that be to prevent the contamination of supplies by a return of this summer’s floods, or to source drinking water for arid areas where ground reserves are running dry.…
GREAT APES - CONGO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONSERVATIONISTS have welcomed a controversial United Nations (UN) report identifying wealthy western companies allegedly involved in wartime projects in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) they say may endanger rare great apes.
It says Barclays Bank, diamonds giant De Beers, British mining corporation Anglo American, Belgian bankers Fortis, South African miners Iscor, and the United Arab Emirates’ Standard Chartered Bank and 79 other companies have broken OECD multinational good behaviour guidelines by their association with mining, logging or road building in the Congo.…
BALKANS POWER
BY ALAN OSBORN
OPPORTUNITIES for British and other European Union (EU) electricity power companies to participate in the reconstruction and development of war-damaged electricity systems in the Balkans have been opened up by the signing of an agreement to bring the systems into the EU’s regulatory orbit.…
SAND EXTRACTION - SRI LANKA
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
A SENIOR Sri Lankan government official has warned his country’s construction industry that it faces running out of sand unless it stops over-exploiting river deposits and fails to develop extraction from the seabed offshore.
Janapriya de Silva, Chairman of the island’s Geological Survey and Mines Bureau, has warned: “We could run short of sand in another two years’ time.”…
FLOODS - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have formally approved the creation of an EU Solidarity Fund, helping Member States deal quickly with the effects of natural and man-made disasters; its funds will be mobilised immediately to assist regions affected by the floods of August and September 2002.…
DRINKS SOFTWARE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
MOST businesses install computer software because it makes their operation more efficient and so helps them to keep abreast of, or outdo, the competition. However, the growth in national and international regulations affecting the drinks industry has opened up a lucrative business opportunity for companies producing industry-specific computer software.…
EU EXPANSION
KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Road Transport Union (IRU) has called on the European Union (EU) to take precautions in preparation for the admission of new Member States from the east, to make sure the EU road haulage market is not flooded with cut-priced cowboy hauliers from these former communist countries.…
SOUTHERN AFRICA FEATURE
BY RICHARD HURST
MONEY laundering is all about fake respectability, transforming the seedy and ill-gotten into the legitimate and well-earned; so in Africa, where better to launder criminal money than through the continent’s most developed economy, South Africa.
Mike Savage, partner at Ernst & Young South Africa, said that the biggest problem facing African governments wanting to seriously tackle money laundering is to pinpoint the movement of funds that are moved across porous borders in a bid to cover tracks and conceal sources.…
CONGO REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FINANCIAL restrictions should be imposed on companies, businessmen, ministers and soldiers charged with involvement in the shameless plundering of the mineral resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a United Nations (UN) committee established to investigate the problem has concluded.…
CYPRUS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is lending Euro 55 million to the (Greek) Republic of Cyprus to fund improvements to the efficiency, safety and capacity of air traffic control services in the Nicosia Flight Information Region.
Its loan will pay for buildings and equipment at the new Area Control Centre, Nicosia, replacing long-range primary and secondary surveillance radar, at Konia, and also replacing Larnaca’s instrument landing system.…
CZECH DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic’s Ministry of Industry and Trade has launched an investigation, which is expected to lead it to imposing temporary safeguard duties on a range of flat non-alloy steel and iron products, as well as bars, rods, angles, shapes, tubes and pipes.…
SERBIA PLANT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Agency for Reconstruction is spending Euro 50 million on rehabilitating the A3 block of Serbia’s Nikola Tesla A power station, the largest in the country. This project will involve 350 people working over the next eight months, and is the largest EU-funded initiative so far to improve the Yugoslav republic’s energy sector.…
IRISH CIGARETTES
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
TWO-THIRDS of the population of the Republic of Ireland are in favour of doubling the price of cigarettes, according to a new survey, which says the view is shared by 50 per cent of Irish smokers. The survey was carried out on behalf of the Irish Office of Tobacco Control, which was interviewing a “nationally representative sample of 1,500 people.”…
EU DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain welded tubes and pipes, or iron or non-alloy steel from Czech Republic, Poland, Thailand, Turkey and the Ukraine. The proposal follows the imposition of provisional duties in March.…
FLOODS - EU
Keith Nuthall
INSURANCE companies will be able to reduce their exposure to natural and technological disasters within the European Union and eastern Europe in the future, assuming EU ministers agree plans to establish a central contingency emergency aid fund commanding between Euro 500,000 and Euro 1 billion; it would be raided by Member States and eastern European countries wanting to join the EU that fall victim to such disasters.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has taken an important step towards giving EU water legislation more teeth, by moving against Belgium’s system of “tacit approvals” of pollution. Belgian law allows companies to assume that they have a right to pollute if they make an application to regulators and then receive no reply.…
CAR RETURN TREATIES
BY PHILIP FINE
THE UNITED States may have found an effective means to recover stolen vehicles. It has signed treaties that will provide a mechanism by which automobiles that have been driven out of the country by thieves can be retrieved.…
FLOOD FUND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed the creation of a central European Union aid fund commanding between Euro 500,000 and Euro 1 billion, which could be raided by Member States and eastern European countries wanting to join the EU that fall victim to natural disasters.…
SOUTH-EAST ASIA
BY MARK ROWE
MONEY launderers looking to process their criminal gains look favourably upon south-east Asia. Authorities in the region are under-funded and overworked, while cash-transactions are a cultural norm, making it easy to ensure that money you would prefer not to be traced can simply disappear, with little likelihood that anyone will have the time to investigate the transaction.…
HEALTH AND SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN unkind moments, critics of the insurance industry might say that the sector revels in misfortune, making money out of pessimism and encouraging its clients to prepare for the worst. Of course, like most unconditional statements about business, the truth is far off and is a lot more murky.…
CZECH COCOA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has warned it may impose temporary safeguard duties on cocoa powder imports, which it claims boomed following its imposition last year of protective duties on sugar substitutes.…
NORTHERN IRELAND
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved a scheme for the development of the natural gas infrastructure in Northern Ireland that will mean supplies from the Republic of Ireland being pumped into the north for the first time. The Commission said that eventually the infrastructure may be extended to north-westerly regions of Ireland, such as Donegal, which are not currently served by natural gas and it therefore “takes a big step towards the development of an all-island natural gas infrastructure.”…
IRELAND CHECKS
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
THE Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has claimed a boost in the number of Improvement Notices is helping it win its battle against the country’s unhygienic takeaways, cafes and restaurants.
The FSAI said that just fourteen Republic food outlets were closed down in the first six months of the year, ten less than in the same period last year and its food safety officials say the reason is an increase in the number of these Notices it has issued to proprietors.…
SAO TOME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has struck a fishing access deal with the west African island republic of Sao Tome and Principe, lasting from this summer until May 31, 2005. Assuming it is confirmed by EU ministers, access will be granted to Sao Tome waters for 36 freezer tuna seiners, (from France and Spain), two pole-and-line tuna vessels (from Portugal) and 25 surface longliners (from Spain and Portugal).…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WORK is a lot more dangerous and unhealthy in the countries that will join the European Union in 2004 and later, than it is in the existing EU. A study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions finds there is “nearly double the risk to health and safety at work in the candidate countries.”…
AMAZON
BY PHILIP FINE
AMAZON – the world’s largest online book retailer – could soon be selling clothes. The New York Times has reported several unnamed retail industry executives being approached by the on-line giant. Retailers Nordstrom, Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy are expected to be first on board for a launch in the coming months.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WORK is a lot more dangerous and unhealthy in the countries that will join the European Union in 2004 and later, than it is in the existing EU. A study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions finds there is “nearly double the risk to health and safety at work in the candidate countries.”…
CZECH COCOA
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
THE CZECH Republic has warned it may impose temporary safeguard duties on cocoa powder imports, which it claims have boomed following its imposition last year of protective duties on sugar substitutes. Current cocoa powder imports are 174.93 times higher than average, claims Prague.…
SIBERIA HEATING
KEITH NUTHALL
CONSULTANTS with expertise in district heating have been asked to bid for a Euro 299,700 contract to advise on improving the system warming the Siberian city of Ulan-Ude. Experts will be expected to identify a rehabilitation programme and compare it with alternative heating options to determine the long-term least-cost solution for heating the city, which is the capital of the Russian Federation republic of Buryatenergo.…
ILLICIT TRFFICKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REPRESENTATIVES from the governments of Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey have attended training courses staged by the EU’s Joint Research Centre, designed to improve their performance in combating the illicit trafficking of nuclear material.…
NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THOUSANDS of tonnes of mildly radioactive steel could come onto the European market because of pressure on countries waiting to join the European Union to dismantle their decrepit Russian-built nuclear power stations. Aware of the need to assuage public distrust of even the lowest levels of radioactivity, the European Union’s Joint Research Centre is investigating the levels of radiation likely to be involved in this steel, taken from buildings that do not house the reactor itself.…
SLOVAKIA/CZECH REPUBLIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the management of European Union ‘SAPARD’ agricultural development funds by the Czech Republic and Slovakia. This means that meat producers in the two countries will benefit from annual grants worth Euro 22.4 and 18.6 million respectively, payable until the countries join the EU, maybe by 2005.…
ECJ CASES
Keith Nuthall
THE REPUBLIC of Ireland has been sent a final legal warning note alleging that its government has failed to implement a EU scheme for monitoring CO2 emissions from new passenger cars. Under the scheme, Member States are supposed to send data to the European Commission annually, with the deadline for producing the first information report being July 1, 2001.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALMOST all eastern European countries applying to join the EU have asked for special transitional periods averaging three years to raise health standards at some of their food processing plants to meet EU regulations. Products from plants where improvements are still being made will not be able to circulate the EU.…
ZAMBIA COPPER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank has drawn up plans to lend First Quantum Minerals Ltd up to Euro 14 million to expand the Bwana Mkubwa hydrometallurgical copper production facility in Ndola, in the Zambian copper-belt.
Its aim is to boost its copper production from 10,000 tonnes per annum to 30,000 tonnes per annum, extending the useful life of the plant by at least six years.…
JUST AUTO
From Alan Osborn
The European Commission has opened a formal State aid investigation
procedure into a decision by the German government to give financial
assistance to BMW for the construction of a new car plant in Leipzig. Total
investment in the factory is around 1.2 billion euros (about pounds 720
million) of which some 418.6 million euros (pounds 250 million) is covered
by the planned aid.…
EU DRUG REPPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S health authorities provide fewer drug addicts with substitution treatment than do a majority of other European Union Member States, a statistical review by an EU drug-use agency has claimed.
The proportion of “problem drug users” given alternative medicines to wean them off their addiction ranges between six and 22 per cent in the UK, taking into account available data, estimates the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction.…
EU-LATIN AMERICA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN AGREEMENT supporting research into new technologies for food distribution has been signed by the EU, Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela.…
BRIBERY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PRACTICE of allowing companies to deduct bribes paid to secure contracts overseas from their domestic tax bills is still widespread, with a United Nations report saying it was allowed in 50 per cent of countries surveyed. The paper on how the organisation’s 1996 declaration against Corruption and Bribery in International Commercial Transactions said that it was however banned in Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Germany, Iceland, Nigeria, Norway, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.…
CZECH REPUBLIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has launched an investigation which may lead it to impose safeguard duties on citric acid imports, which Prague claims rose by 18.72 per cent in 2001, threatening domestic producers, who shed 11 per cent of their workers last year.…
CZECH REPUBLIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has launched an investigation into concerns about increases in imports of certain welded tubes and pipes, of iron or non-alloy steel and of circular or non-circular cross-section, which it claims are damaging its producer industry to such an extent that temporary safeguard duties may have to be imposed.…
LITHUANIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LITHUANIA has imposed safeguard duties on imports of non-dried pastry yeast. Special tariffs of 22 per cent will be imposed from March to December, and 16 per cent from next January to December. Lithuania has been particularly concerned about increased imports from Germany, France, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Italy and the Czech Republic.…
FUEL RODS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria are cooperating in a project to harmonise their licensing procedures for fuel rods; the four countries are being encouraged to work together by the European Union, as they are the only eastern European countries wanting to join the EU who are operating Russian pressurised water reactors.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
“SERIOUS concern” has been expressed by the European Commission over the failure of a number of Member States to set up telecommunications and IT networks to establish a New Computerised Transit System, which should seal an administrative loophole bleeding millions of Euro’s in defrauded revenue.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been given authority to negotiate a comprehensive “Governing International Fisheries Agreement” with the USA. EU ministers said Brussels officials should
Meanwhile, the EU Council of Ministers has agreed a regulation aiming at boosting cod stocks in the Irish Sea this year, protecting adult cod during the spawning season, notably enforcing an area closure from February.…
DOUBLE CHECKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers (general affairs) has extended the double-checking system on certain steel exports to the EU from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic until this December 31. The regime is designed to detect any abuses of the trade preferences enjoyed by these countries under association agreements with the EU.…
PHYTOSANITARY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FUTURE phytosanitary agreements between the EU and third countries should focus on “a limited number of products of undoubted importance to the parties,” said the European Commission following the emergence of a number of “practical problems” in existing deals.…
CZECH REPUBLIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has launched a trade investigation which may lead it to impose safeguard duties on imports of citric acid, which Prague claims have been booming, threatening domestic producers.…
UN - CORRUPTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BACK in the last century, it was easy to find economists who liked a little corruption, saying it oiled the wheels of government and commerce. Today, this complacency has gone, with most development specialists saying bribes weaken governments and shrink private investment.…
SAFETY INSPECTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GROWING thaw in relations between Spain and Britain over the future of Gibraltar and its airport, has prompted the European Commission to retable a long-standing proposal to establish a European Union regime on the safety inspection of aircraft from non-EU countries.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been given authority by European Union Council of Ministers (finance) to negotiate a comprehensive “Governing International Fisheries Agreement” with the USA. A Brussels official in the Commission’s directorate general for fisheries told Fishing News International that a future deal could lead to EU fishing crews being given access to fish US waters and for European factory ships to be allowed to buy stocks from American fishermen at sea.…
ENLARGEMENT THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS acts of international largesse go, the expansion of the European Union eastwards and southwards must rank as being one of the most generous in history. With research estimates claiming that the size of the EU budget will soar to accommodate the needs of the former communist republics, (plus Cyprus and Malta), we are talking Marshall Plan here; billions of Euro’s being transferred from national coffers in western Europe to the east, via Brussels.…
CONGO LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MORATORIUM in the trade of illegally exploited Congolese minerals has been proposed by a panel of experts, which has examined how the stripping of resources by foreign military forces has prolonged the ongoing war in the country.…
AFRICAN QUOTAS
BY RICHARD HURST
USA President George W. Bush has approved 35 African countries as eligible for tariff preferences regarding clothing and textile exports to America under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), with Zimbabwe and Gambia being notable sub-Saharan African pariahs from the move.…
TEMELIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has stated that the mass petition brought by Austria’s far right Freedom Party against the continued operation of the Temelin Nuclear Plant will not hinder negotiations on granting EU membership to its home country, the Czech Republic.…
PHYTOSANITARY DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHAT could be more straightforward or fairer, you might think, than the European Union’s veterinary and phytosanitary agreements with non-member countries?
The idea is that each party pledges that the food it exports to the other – be it derived from animals or plants – meets the requirements of its own food safety legislation and that this is then taken on trust by the receiving country.…
IRELAND - WINE
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
MORE people are drinking wine in the Irish Republic according to the latest figures from the Wine Development Board of Ireland.
The Board reported growth in the country’s wine market the first four months of 2002, with women driving up sales, consuming 57 per cent of all wine sold in Ireland.…
CZECH REPUBLIC
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
PROVISIONAL safeguard duties of 113 per cent have been applied by the Czech Republic to imports of cocoa powder containing 80 per cent or more by weight of sucrose, (including invert sugar), or isoglucose. These tariffs will apply until June 2002, pending the erection of definitive duties.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers (environment) have agreed in principle that sulphur-free petrol and diesel should be introduced in every Member State from January 1, 2005, making the use of cleaner petrol mandatory from January 1, 2009; ministers agreed that sulphur-free diesel fuel should also become mandatory from that date, although this will be confirmed by a Commission review which will be completed no later than December 31, 2005.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
INNOVATION is important in the provision of water services, whether that be to prevent the contamination of supplies by a return of this summer’s floods, or to source drinking water for arid areas where ground reserves are running dry.…
BELGIUM ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BELGIAN government has been put on legal notice by the European Commission that it could be heavily fined by the European Court of Justice for its failure to abide by rulings made in 1999 opposing Belgium’s cargo sharing shipping deals with five African countries, namely Togo, Mali, Senegal, the Ivory Coast and its former colony, the Democratic Republic of the Congo.…
CZECH MOTORWAYS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank is lending the Czech Republic Euro 170 million to help it upgrade and expand its motorway network, notably improving key routes within this central European country between Germany and eastern Europe. The money will support the construction of various sections of Czech motorways, totalling some 80 km.…
ECOCRIME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL crimes are in many ways the most damaging of offences, given that they can harm millions of people, whether through damaging the ozone layer, increasing pollution levels or damaging biodiversity. The United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, (UNICRI), has published a study on this modern scourge.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY MARK ROWE and BEATA PLONKA
THE CENTRAL European Air Traffic Services (CEATS) project, first tentatively suggested back in the early 1990s, is intended to radically redraw the aviation map of the region. The project aims to provide a significant boost to the airspace capacity of what many commentators call eastern Europe and address the main challenges facing aviation in the 21st century; safety, delays and rising volumes of traffic.…
OECD REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HEALTH experts have been discussing a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD), which has shown Britain performs poorly against its competitors in western Europe and north America, regarding the number of nurses employed per head of population in the late 1990’s.…
CRIME REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE THREAT of thefts of nuclear material in eastern Europe is declining, despite the recent upsurge in Islamic terrorism, the Milan-based United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, (UNICRI), has claimed, in a study on environmental crime.…
INTEGRATION
BY MIKE FOX
THE HISTORIC political changes, which swept across Europe in the previous decade, have also brought huge changes to the world of aviation; the European Civil Aviation Conference, (ECAC), has welcomed 16 countries from the region as members since 1990.…
WTO LATEST THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRANZ Fischler has been making a lot of speeches recently. It is not because he has time on his hands, he is in charge of the European Commission’s largest two budgets, agriculture and fisheries after all. Rather it is because he is cross with the Americans, whom he accuses of playing Janus at the WTO.…
EASTERN EUROPE THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CYNICS may look at the hastening political process of allowing eastern European countries, and their large agricultural sectors, into the European Union, and ask, ‘what’s in it for us?’
It’s a good question given that the 10 countries that are at the front of the membership queue, (with the tiny exceptions of Malta and Cyprus), are hardly wealthy.…
LITHUANIA
Keith Nuthall
LITHUANIA has informed the WTO how it will undertake its liberalisaton commitments under the Agreement on Textiles and Clothing. Because the Baltic republic has recently joined the world trade body, it is to implement the ATC’s first three stages at the same time.…
ECJ CASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HOLIDAYS and pregnancy leave are a serious business, both for the employees who take them and the employers who pay for them. Unfortunately for personnel departments who might want a little more flexibility over whether they should shell out or not, recent cases at the European Court of Justice have underlined the right of EU citizens to take paid leave, rather than erode them.…
LIVE TRANSPORTS
KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH hauliers may not in future find themselves at such a competitive disadvantage with eastern European competitors regarding the commercial transport of animals, because of a planned updating to a Council of Europe welfare convention.
Its commitments apply to countries both outside and within the European Union, where hauliers already have to comply with expensive rules on trailer standards, journey times, rest periods and the watering and feeding of livestock.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EASTERN European countries applying to join the European Union should be given transitional periods to align their excise duties on cigarettes with the laws loosely harmonising those of existing Member States, says the European Commission.
It has formally suggested that Poland, Romania and Slovenia should have two years from the time that they join the EU in which to amend their rates, and that Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia should have three years’ grace.…
NUCLEAR RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has been ordered to conclude wide-ranging research agreements on nuclear energy with the Russian Federation, focusing on general safety within the industry and fusion power generation. Brussels has also been told by EU ministers to strike a deal with Kazakhstan on fusion research.…
CHINA WTO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FOREIGN companies will be able to hold 100 per cent ownership in hotels in China by March 2005, under the trade deal which led to Chinese membership of the World Trade Organisation being approved last week. Until now, international hotel groups have had to work with a Chinese partner in formal joint-ventures, as a condition of being able to trade in China.…
ANTI-DUMPING - CABLES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has imposed definitive anti-dumping duties on imports into the EU of certain steel and iron cables from the Czech Republic, Russia, Turkey and Thailand.
Its decision – by the written procedure used during Brussels’ summer break – follows an inquiry, which “confirmed” concerns that the sale of cut-priced cables from these countries was harming EU producers.…
FAKE COUNTRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Commerce is claiming the credit for closing down an audacious cyber-scam, the creation of an entirely fictitious country that existed only on the Internet. The problem with the Republic of Port Maria, said the ICC, was that not only did it have its own website, it offered bogus offshore banking services to the unwary.…
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MULTILATERAL sea and river organisations are usually created to deal with existing problems that cross national borders, but a new body has been making progress on a shipping issue that has yet even to happen: the exploitation and transport of subterranean solid mineral deposits.…
VOLKSWAGEN AID
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE GERMAN government has been told that it must cut back its regional aid for the construction of a new Volkswagen car factory in Dresden to 85 per cent of the sum proposed. The revised aid of 145 million Deutschmarks, (about Pounds 47 million), is part of a total investment of DM 1,000 million for a so-called “transparent factory,” which would allow a customer to observe the final assembly of his vehicle on site.…
UNCTAD REPORT
KEITH NUTHALL
THE DISMANTLING of the Indonesian price regulator APKINDO and short-termist over-production in the south east Asian country has been blamed by the United Nations as the source of continual instability in world markets for this key timber product. Since the abolition of the organisation, said the new 2000-2001 World Commodity Survey from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, (UNCTAD), “the plywood market has witnessed extremely volatile prices.”…
ANTI-DUMPING - STEEL ROPES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that the EU Council of Ministers imposes definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain iron or steel ropes and cables from the Czech Republic, (47.1 per cent), Russia, (50.7 per cent), Thailand, (42.8 per cent), and Turkey, (31 per cent).…
IRELAND
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank has announced that it is providing a Euro 125 million loan for improvements at the three largest airports in the Republic of Ireland. The money will be lent to Aer Rianta Finance plc, wholly owned by Aer Rianta cpt, for work on passenger terminals, aircraft aprons and ancillary services at Dublin, Shannon and Cork airports.…
OECD - LIBERALISATION
Keith Nuthall
A REPORT from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) calling for liberalisation is a little like a report from the Pope suggesting more prayer, but the world’s premier international think tank has refined its arguments regarding utilities in a recent formal recommendation to its member governments.…
PORTUGAL
Keith Nuthall
THE PORTUGUESE government has been ordered to scrap its reduced five per cent rate of VAT on wine sales, with the European Court of Justice ruling that it contravened the EU’s Sixth VAT Directive, which attempts to harmonise the application of sales taxes.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMPORTANCE of European Union employment within the UK and other EU Member States is widely accepted and its authority is only going to grow over the next 10 years. This is because of the planned accession of eastern European countries to the European Union, meaning that EU employment directives will shape the law of their lands and that their national courts will become subject to the rulings and case law of the European Court of Justice, a key guardian of EU legislation.…
BSE ASSESSMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EU’s Scientific Steering Committee has advised that it is “likely” that BSE is present in cattle herds in Albania, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, that it is “unlikely” to be present in India, Pakistan, Colombia and Mauritius, and “highly unlikely” to be in the cattle of Brazil and Singapore.…
BAMFIELD PIECE
Keith Nuthall
THE MAN who launched ‘Sue-a-Shoplifter Ltd’ in Britain, perched on a settee in the meeting room of the Institute of Directors in London and told me that he was working for fun.
Not for Professor Joshua Bamfield the lure of lucre generated by the 45 per cent commission on damages or the mantle of the country’s greatest crime-buster, but instead academic curiosity, a project in his chosen subject, retail crime.…
TRANSIT REFORMS
KEITH NUTHALL
FREIGHT forwarders may be freed of the burden of guaranteeing the payment of duty during EU transit operations, where hauliers transport goods across national borders in Europe, without paying duties or dealing with import procedures, except for the country where the consignment is delivered.…