Search Results for: German
1752 results out of 1752 results found for 'German'.
UK-GERMANY NEUCONNECT INTERCONNECTOR COULD PROVIDE MODEL FOR CHEAP CLEAN ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
The investment to build the interconnector will amount to EUR2.8 billion, with the EIB set to contribute up to EUR400 million for the financing construction of the section within the European Union (EU). Other financiers include the UK Infrastructure Bank, which will focus on the stretch within UK maritime and land territory, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC).…
MATERNITY SUPPORT GARMENTS SECTOR IS MAJOR GROWTH SEGMENT THAT REQUIRES STANDARDISATION WORK
It is maybe surprising that maternity support garments (MSGs) are still a niche segment, even though women of childbearing age constitute approximately one-quarter of the populations of developed countries. Indeed, tubular bands made out of cotton and elastane are still commonly used instead of MSGs across the world. …
THE OUTSOURCING/NEARSOURCING/RESHORING STRUGGLE WITHIN THE PROTECTIVE AND PERFORMANCE TEXTILE SEGMENTS
INTRODUCTION
The Covid-19 pandemic has sparked a reassessment of the model of relying on one or two outsourcing locations. It has demonstrated that when there is a major disruption caused by an emergency as serious as a pandemic, shipping and industrial processing can be disrupted.…
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.…
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.…
CAP REFORM SHOULD AID DECLINING FARMING POPULATION, SAY EXPERTS
The European Union (EU) dairy industry is looking hard at the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms that were approved in June to see if they deliver enough help to rejuvenate what has become an ageing industry. Currently only 11% of EU farmers are less than 40 years old, the European Commission notes (1), a problem highlighted at this year’s European Milk Board general assembly.…
AML LAW ‘NOT GEARED UP’ FOR DECENTRALISED FINANCE
Decentralised finance – DeFi for short -is a growing variety of blockchain-based financial services, such as loans and insurance, that can operate without central control from an intermediary. While some say DeFi will democratise finance and liberate the under-banked, it is also an increasing area of interest for anti-money laundering (AML) authorities, who rely on the existence of intermediaries to enforce AML procedures.…
FATF CONSIDERS HOW TO IMPROVE EFFECTIVENESS WITHIN AML/CFT – BUT IS AML/CFT EFFECTIVE, PER SE?
While FATF’s mutual evaluation reports continue to show growing compliance with the organisation’s recommendations, concerns remain that the global AML/CFT system continues to fail in either preventing ML and TF or detecting and punishing such crimes after they are committed.
With FATF undertaking a strategic review since 2018, launched by the former China presidency and continued by the German presidency under Dr Marcus Pleyer, change in how the world fights ML and TF may emerge.…
HAULIER SHORTAGE POSES CHALLENGES FOR CAN INDUSTRY WORLDWIDE
The lorry driver shortage in the UK has grabbed headlines, with concerns raised that Britain’s Brexit from the European Union has worsened the problem. And while that is almost certainly true, the shortage of drivers willing and able to take on commercial haulage jobs is far from being a Britain-only challenge.…
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.…
SPLITS GROWING IN TUNISIAN UNIVERSITIES OVER PRESIDENTIAL POWER GRAB
Tunisia’s higher education system is split over whether to support the country’s President, now ruling by presidential decree without a suspended parliament, with earlier majority support for his summer takeover starting to ebb away.
When President Kais Saied took executive control of Tunisia in July, sacking the country’s former prime minister and freezing parliament, his actions were met with dancing in the streets, and attracted widespread student and academic support.…
NON-CHEMICAL FINISHING AIDED BY DIGITISATION – DEEP DIVE
INTRODUCTION
Textile and clothing companies are well aware of two major trends driving sales in the industry – sustainability and digitisation. One is driven by the need to adopt sustainable manufacturing processes and materials, to boost sales amongst environmentally conscious consumers and reduce financial and regulatory costs associated with pollution and carbon emissions.…
KNITWEAR INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION ROUND UP
With its complex supply and distribution chain, the international knitwear sector fosters innovation, with commercial partners cross-fertilising technical and design ideas that span digitisation and mechanical smarts, as well as consumer-focused creativity.
One key area of innovation in the past year has been warp knitting – for instance by leading northern Italian warp seamless knitwear manufacturer Cifra (1), which last December (2020) launched an innovative and sustainable garment concept for women, spanning beachwear, athleisure bodywear and lingerie.…
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.…
INDIA’S PACKAGED CAKE MARKET EXPANDS FAST – POSING LOGISTICS CHALLENGES FOR BRANDS AND RETAILERS
India’s packaged cake industry is enjoying a significant rise in sales, as the country’s economy and society stabilises amidst declining coronavirus infection rates. This growth has prompted companies to invest heavily in innovative products and capacity expansion.
Industrially manufactured packaged cakes, pastries and sweet pies are projected to command annual sales of USD453.1 million during 2021, up from USD423.4 million in Covid-19 hit 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of 5.9% projected for 2020-25, according to market researcher (and owner of Just Food) GlobalData.…
WILL CHINA PAY TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR THE CORONAVIRUS MISTAKES?
The Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11, 2020, by the World Health Organization (WHO) after it spread from Wuhan, China, across the globe. As yet, the world does not know for sure how and why the virus was released.…
GERMAN RAIDS ON FINANCE AND JUSTICE MINISTRIES MAY PAVE WAY FOR CRIMINAL CHARGES AT CRITICISED FIU
THE PROSECUTORS unit behind last Thursday’s (September 9) raids on Germany’s finance and justice ministries has underlined how it is prepared to file criminal charges against senior officials in these departments as well as within the country’s FIU.
A statement released by the Staatsanwaltschaft Osnabrück (Osnabrück public prosecutors’ office), which has been ordered to probe the FIU, said its inquiries since 2020 has shown how the unit had repeatedly failed to pass on suspicious transaction on to the police and the judiciary.…
CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SUPPLY CHAIN DIGITISATION – DEEP DIVE
INTRODUCTION
Without doubt, the world’s clothing and textile sector is undertaking a technical upgrade that is unprecedented in decades, with new digital systems offering automation and efficient internal controls. As these are worked into the businesses of brands, manufacturers and their suppliers, a new potential emerges, and that is linking these digital systems in a way that could revolutionise efficiencies within the supply chain.…
HOME TEXTILE MANUFACTURING CHARTING NEW PATHS WITH ALL-OUT DIGITISATION
The home textile sector is a strong growth segment for digital investments within the industry and the amount of innovation indicates this expansion has some way to go. There are good reasons why this segment is well suited to digitalisation. One is the rectangular form of most bed sheets, curtains and tablecloths – which aids fully automated cutting and sewing.…
REGULATION OF TRANSPORT OF BIO-BASED OILS AND FATS BY SEE GETS MORE COMPLEX – BUT COMMERCIAL REWARDS REMAIN HIGH
THE TRANSPORT of edible oils and fats by sea is not just big business – it has become increasingly regulated under international convention and controlled by industry standards, with a view to improving efficiencies and reducing the risk of pollution and contamination.…
COVID 19 CONTINUES TO SHAKE UP AML/CFT IN YEAR TWO OF PANDEMIC
AS COVID-19 batters the world into its second year of the most destructive global pandemic since the Spanish Flu of 1919, its impact on AML/CFT is becoming clearer. FATF released an updated assessment in December (2020) (1) highlighting an increase in certain predicate offences caused by the disease itself and the increased online activity it has generated: phishing scams, business compromise fraud; internet child sex exploitation; corruption and fraud related to medical supply contracts; and property thefts of vacant homes and offices.…
COMPRESSION GARMENT STANDARDS GUIDE MANUFACTURERS AS THEY INCREASE FUNCTION AND QUALITY
INTRODUCTION
In a highly technical textile sector segment such as the manufacture of compressed garments, the use of detailed standards to guide production is not just useful in guaranteeing quality output, it can help manufacturers and brands’ marketing. Where products are associated with international, regional, national and private standards, this builds confidence in consumers, promoting sales.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – TRANS-ATLANTIC KNITWEAR TRADES BENEFIT FROM END OF AIRBUS DISPUTE
A trade war over airplane manufacturing subsidies between the USA and UK, which has led to 25% additional duties being levied on British knitwear exports to America, appears to have been resolved. The EU and the USA have suspended for five years retaliatory duties that both sides have imposed on each other’s exports in the long-running ‘Airbus’ subsidy dispute.…
EGYPT BUILDS NEW EXPORT SEGMENT FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABLE AND ORGANIC BRANDS
Ethical clothing and textile brands and product lines are springing up in Egypt with an eye on export markets, with a newly formed Sustainable Fashion Alliance aiding the segment’s development by addressing potential problems in the supply chain and lobbying the government for assistance.…
G7 DEAL LIKELY TO FORCE CHANGE IN DRINKS MAJORS’ TAX PRACTICES
A novel global taxation system under discussion at the G7, G20 and the OECD will raise minimum tax thresholds for drinks multinationals. However, only a handful are large enough to fall under a rule forcing them to pay tax in all their major markets rather than tax havens or their parent company base.…
GERMAN CARMAKERS FINED OVER EUR875 MILLION FOR ADBLUE CARTEL
The European Commission has fined German carmakers BMW and Volkswagen (makers of the Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen marques) EUR875,189,000 for operating a cartel restricting competition in emission-cleaning technology for diesel cars for over five years. Another German carmaker, Daimler, escaped a fine for revealing the cartel existed to the Commission, under 2006 leniency notice provisions (1) that spare the first cartel member that comes clean about its existence. …
THE MERGING OF FUNCTION AND DESIGN IS RESHAPING THE GLOBAL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY
INTRODUCTION
The COVID-19 pandemic has had many profound social and economic impacts, but maybe one of the most important for the clothing and textile sector has been how it encouraged the meshing of design and function in products.
With consumers staying at home, they have looked for apparel to provide comfort as much as formal elegance, of more importance when working in an office or attending public evening events.…
TURKEY LOOKS TO BUILD BACK CAPACITY FOR QUALITY FABRIC MANUFACTURE
Turkey is struggling to recover its position as an important supplier of high-end and luxury fabrics, recouping sales lost on cost to Chinese rivals. The industry retains great potential strength, being the world’s fifth largest supplier of textiles selling USD12 billion exported annually, according to Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (İTHİB – İstanbul Tekstil ve Hammaddeleri İhracatcilari Birlig).…
US DOLLAR’S DOMINANCE BEING CHALLENGED BY CRYPTO – BUT WILL THIS WEAKEN AMERICAN SANCTIONS AND AML ENFORCEMENT?
AMERICA has long been the global policeman of international sanctions, including breaches of AML rules, but evidence suggests that the US dollar’s use in international transactions could be weakening and is having to compete with the rising power of crypto currencies.…
GOLDEN PASSPORTS RAISE INCREASING CONCERN OVER MONEY LAUNDERING VULNERABILITIES
THE EUROPEAN Commission in June (2021) signalled it was running out of patience with Malta and Cyprus over their ‘golden passport’ schemes which allow people investing in these small island nations to effectively buy citizenship. The European Union (EU) executive has long warned that such policies contain significant ML risks, releasing a detailed report in 2019 that highlighted concerns that governments failed to properly screen the source of funds used to gain golden passports.…
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.…
INDIA CLOTHING AND TEXTILE EXPORTERS MULL FLYING WORKERS BACK TO FACTORIES AS ORDERS ROLL IN
India’s apparel and textile exporters are under huge pressure from their western buyers to meet contracts as the country’s devastating second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic eases. As a result, manufacturers have been flying-in workers who had returned to their home while the virus ravaged India’s cities and towns, depressing production capacity.…
HIGH-TECH TURKEY EMBRACES INDUSTRY 4.0 DIGITALISATION IN ITS CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
The Turkish garment and textile industry is investing heavily in Industry 4.0 across the manufacturing spectrum, as digitalisation and e-commerce becomes increasingly common place in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic has changed everything, shaking the business from the top to the bottom.…
VENDORS OFFER TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS TO DATA ANALYSIS DEMANDS OF KYCC
Obliged entities following the risk-based approach of calibrating AML/CFT controls lodging suspicious transaction reports must rely on solid knowledge about their customers and partners. But to be comprehensive in assessing risk, obliged entities must know something about their customers’ customers.
That is the underpinning of ‘know your customers’ customers’ (KYCC) systems that are increasingly being touted by vendors.…
ROBOTICS POSE TOUGH CHOICES FOR TEXTILE SECTOR BUT ALSO OFFER MAJOR PRODUCTIVITY DIVIDENDS
INTRODUCTION
ROBOTICS are not new to the textile and clothing sector, and have driven productivity improvements for more than a decade. But these technologies are becoming increasingly more adaptable and more autonomous, offering the many stages in the textile and clothing and distribution chain the potential to increase margin.…
EU COMMISSION FINES THREE BANKS EUR371 MILLION OVER BOND CARTEL
The European Commission has fined three banks, UBS, Nomura and UniCredit a combined total of EUR371 million (USD452 million) over their role in a European government bond (EGB) cartel involving four other banks. All three deny wrongdoing and are considering or will appeal the fines before the European Court of Justice (ECJ).…
EU APPROVES SEVEN YEAR ANTI-FRAUD POLICY SPENDING PROGRAMME
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has authorised its EUR181 million anti-fraud programme for 2021-27, with a regulation mandating this spending coming into force on April 29. The new seven-year programme will see EUR114 million spent on preventing and combating fraud, corruption and other financial crimes that can damage the overall EU budget.…
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.…
HOW WOULD AML/CFT BE DESIGNED – IF BUILT FROM SCRATCH TODAY?
The world’s anti-money laundering/combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) system has come a long way since the G7 group of nations decided to launch the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in July 1989. But Australian researchers have claimed AML/CFT compliance costs USD300 billion and only nets USD3 billion of an estimated USD3 trillion in criminal funds generated annually (a 0.1% success rate).…
CHINA’S AMOS BETS ON NOVEL SWEETS
Amos Sweets, a veteran global confectionery supplier based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, aims to be the face of China’s new generation of candy maker through offering novel, nourishing, high quality sweets.
Investors have bought into the idea. In early 2021, the company received an investment of nearly Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY100 million (USD15.6 million) through a series A funding round.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUNDUP – CONFECTIONERS COULD BENEFIT FROM MAJOR NEW EU RESEARCH PROGRAMME
INNOVATIVE confectionery and sweet bakery companies will be able from next month (July) to explore applying for research funding from the European Union’s (EU) Horizon Europe programme, which has a budget of around EUR95.5 billion. This spending will last until 2027, with companies needing to form international consortia focused on food, ingredients and packaging projects to have the best chance of securing funding.…
CONCERNS RAISED IN CANADA ABOUT MONEY LAUNDERING AND AUTO SALES
A PUBLIC inquiry in British Columbia, Canada, has increased concerns about how auto dealers maybe exploited by criminal networks to launder dirty money. Purchasers can be prepared to pay high prices for vehicles in cash, with dealers struggling to identify the source of these funds.…
CHINESE KNITTING MACHINE SECTOR STEAMING OUT OF THE CRISIS
Demand for knitting machines in China has been recovering remarkably fast from the Covid-19 crisis, with Chinese textile factory owners growing bolder in investment decisions, and exports to south Asia growing too.
Chinese knitting machine-makers Suzhou ReHow Machinery Manufacturing and Fujian Taifan Industrial, which supply mainly T-shirt fabrics single jersey circular knitting machines, saw their sales dip in 2020 but not to a dramatically low level.…
CONFECTIONERY LEADERS SEE LONG ROAD AHEAD FOR POST-COVID RECOVERY
The confectionery industry has weathered Covid-19 lockdowns better than many sectors, even seeing a rise in consumer demand across Europe. But producers of fresh bakery products have been hit hard, as have baked goods and confectionery firms that focus on catering.…
FLOATING WIND POWER RAMPS-UP AS DEVELOPER PONDER REDUCING COSTS
Oil companies decarbonising their portfolios are getting out their cheque books for floating offshore wind projects.
Bottom-fixed offshore wind farms familiar in some places worldwide are generally limited to water no more than about 60 metres deep. Beyond that, it becomes economically unfeasible to connect the increasingly large turbine assemblies to the seafloor by either monopile or jacket foundations.…
CHINA FIVE YEAR PLAN ENVISAGES EXTRA PUSH TO MOVE TEXTILE PRODUCTION INTO WESTERN REGIONS
The world’s textile sector is focusing on China’s National People’s Congress, which congregated in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People last Friday (March 5) to start a ‘Two Sessions’ event to review and ratify the draft outline of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025).…
TUNISIA’S CLOTHING SECTOR LAUNCHES INDUSTRY REVIEW AS POLITICAL TURMOIL KEEPS BOILING
The Tunisian clothing industry association will this week launch a major review of the sector’s market positioning as it seeks to help manufacturers survive the ongoing political turmoil that is wracking the country.
Nafaa Ennaifer, vice president of the Fédération Tunisienne du Textile et de l’Habillement (FTTH), told just-style his organisation would on Friday (March 12) launch a new market study in partnership with the Global Textiles and Clothing Programme (GTEX) and its Middle East and North Africa arm MENATEX.…
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.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP - ECHA WARNS OF BREXIT LOSSES TO REACH REGISTRATIONS
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has warned that 3% of registrations of chemicals made under its REACH system have been lost through Brexit, with 2,900 UK registrations now void. This means their company registrants can no longer sell these chemicals on the EU market.…
LUXEMBOURG COMPANY REGISTER SCRAPE REVEALS CRIMINAL, DEAD AND CHILD OWNERS
The latest probe by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) into publicly accessible data held on Luxembourg’s ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) register – ‘OpenLux’ [1] – has alleged gaps in European Union (EU) requirements as well as the Grand Duchy’s own UBO provisions.…
EU BIOCIDE RULINGS HIT BRITISH TEXTILE FINISHING PRODUCT
THE EUROPEAN Commission has rejected a bid by the UK’s Contec Cleanroom (UK) Ltd to secure approval for the EU-wide use of a biocide categorised for use in textile finishing, for instance in wipes, under the EU biocidal products regulation.…
GOVERNMENT LARGESSE TO EASE COVID-19 IMPACT TARGETED BY FRAUDSTERS
THE ONSET of Covid-19 has caused many fraud problems, but a particular difficulty has been fraudsters exploiting the unprecedented government largesse released designed to prevent economic collapse at the hands of the pandemic. In the UK, for instance, the House of Commons public accounts committee issued a report in October (2020), saying that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) had reported 8,000 allegations from employees that their employers – supposed to pay a lower level of wages to staff to receive furlough payments under the UK Job Retention Scheme – had not actually made these payments, or paid less than they should.…
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES PUSH FORWARD WITH KNOTTY PROBLEM OF PHASING OUT THEIR NUCLEAR POWER SECTORS
WHILE investment into nuclear energy continues, especially in emerging market countries such as China, in Europe, this sector continues to dwindle in size, with some key countries sticking to plans to phase out the technology.
Concerns about safety and the environmental cost of its waste have encouraged Belgium, for example, to stick to its goal, as laid down in a January 2003 law (1), of stopping any nuclear energy production within the country by 2025, experts have told Energy World.…
CHINA SLOWS EXODUS OF FABRIC MANUFACTURERS TO SOUTH AND SOUTH-EAST ASIA – BUT REVERSAL MAY NOT LAST SAY EXPERTS
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic sparked predictions that the shift of textile industrial capacity from China to lower cost neighbouring countries could intensify, but analysts talking to Twist International say the trend may have stalled in the past year. While production capacity of China’s textile industry has indeed in recent years shifted to south and southeast Asia, some of these transfers have not run smoothly.…
LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES CAUSED BY COVID-19 POSE MAJOR SUPPLY CHAIN PROBLEMS TO EUROPEAN AND USA CLOTHING RETAILERS
Unprecedently severe bottlenecks in merchandise trades between Asia and the rest of the world caused by Covid-19 economic disruption is continuing to frustrate apparel retailers in Europe and the US. High levels of demand, port congestion and shortages of containers have been pushing up costs, with shipping rates for the Shanghai-Rotterdam and Shanghai-Los Angeles routes on January 21 being up 296% and 153% year-on-year respectively, according to UK-based maritime consultancy Drewry. …
DEUTSCHE BANK FINED OVER USD130 MILLION FOR FOREIGN GRAFT
German banking giant Deutsche Bank is to pay more than USD130 million in the USA for a string of bribes its “business development consultants (BDC)” paid out in Abu Dhabi, China, Italy and Saudi Arabia, in breach of America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU/UK CONFECTIONERS MUST ABIDE BY COMPLEX ORIGIN RULES TO SECURE BREXIT DUTY FREE TRADE
BRITISH and European Union (EU) confectioners must take care to ensure their products meet new origin rules if they want them covered by the duty free goods provisions of the new EU/UK trade agreement struck on Christmas Eve.
The 1,256-page deal includes complex and comprehensive origin rules, such as for chocolate, which can be deemed made in the EU and Britain if all dairy, eggs and honey used are sourced locally, as well as at least 40% of grains, malt, starches and wheat, (which must also not exceed 30% of costs).…
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.…
EU LAUNCHES FIRST ‘EUDAMED’ MODULE, BUT MDR/IVDR BOTTLENECK REMAINS
THE EUROPEAN Commission on Tuesday (December 1) launched the first component of its behind-schedule IT system for registering certified medical devices, but an ongoing regulatory bottleneck could render many products impossible to certify for some time.
The first of six modules of its EUDAMED system will assign a ‘single registration number’ (SRN) to each medical device manufacturer, producer of procedure kits, importer, and a European Union (EU)-based representative of non-EU manufacturers.…
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.…
EV ADHESIVES SECTOR SET FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN 2020s
The global electric vehicle (EV) adhesives market set to grow almost tenfold in the next four years, according to research analysts Markets and Markets, citing the increasing variety of bonding products offer “myriad of uses”.
In a report published last October (2019), it said annual global sales would reach USD223 million in 2019, growing to USD2.15 billion by 2024.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT-COMMISSIONED REPORTS CALL FOR INDEPENDENT EU ETHICS BODY
Two studies unveiled before members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on November 19 in a joint meeting of the constitutional affairs and legal affairs committees have concluded that the European Union (EU) needs an independent ethics body. In his EP commissioned study ‘Strengthening transparency and integrity in the EU institutions by setting up an independent EU ethics body’, (1) Austrian management professor Dr Markus Frischuut suggested the body should have around seven ruling members and 50 staff. …
DEFUNCT AIRLINE SERVICE COMPANY TO PAY OUT NEARLY GBP3 MILLION UNDER LUFTHANSA BRIBES DPA
Former aircraft refitting company, Airline Services Limited (ASL), is to pay out a total GBP2,979,685 (USD3.87 million) under a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) with the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO) over bribes paid to German national carrier Lufthansa. The pay-out consists of a GBP1,238,714 (USD1.6 million) fine, a GBP990,971 (USD1.29 million) disgorgement of profits gained from the criminal conduct and a GBP750,000 (USD974,359) contribution to the SFO’s costs.…
INTERNATIONAL TECHNICAL UPDATE –
The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) has released a white paper saying that the accounting profession needs to learn from the challenges of Covid-19, investing in boosting communication skills. This will enable accountants to be more effective pro-active trusted partners with their clients, able to adapt to flexible and remote working even after the pandemic subsides.…
UK GOVERNMENT NOVEL AML/CFT LEVY RAISES CONCERN AND MAY STRUGGLE TO SECURE INDUSTRY SUPPORT
THE QUESTION of whether governments should charge AML/CFT levies on designated professions and financial institutions to help fund public agencies fighting dirty and terror money flows is a sensitive topic, given STR designation already imposes operational costs on such businesses. Indeed, they may also have to pay for membership of bodies who assess their AML/CFT performance and of course fund government AML/CFT work through general taxation.…
EU ROUND UP - PAINTS AND COATINGS IMPORTED INTO THE EU LIKELY TO BREAK EUROPEAN SAFETY CONTROLS, CLAIMS ECHA
A SURVEY has concluded that 23% of inspected products imported into the European Union (EU) made with chemicals, including paints and coatings are breaking EU REACH and CLP (classification, labelling and packaging) rules. A European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) probe has concluded: “Some imports contained illegal amounts of hazardous substances that are restricted in the EU, while others had incorrect hazard labelling.”…
TURKISH DENIM MAJOR MAVI JEANS KEEPS GROWING WORLDWIDE, DESPITE COVID-19
Mavi, the Turkish denim giant, sold 9.7 million pairs of jeans worldwide in 2019, and, its chief executive has told just-style, has rebounded from the shuttering of the garment sector earlier this year with e-commerce sales doubling in its major markets.…
INDIAN FOOD MAJOR EXECUTIVES FOCUS ON FUTURE AS THEIR COMPANIES FIGHT THROUGH COVID-19
AMUL
The owner of India’s popular Amul dairy brand, will invest Indian Rupees INR10 billion (USD136 million) over the next two years in new dairy plants and bakeries, indicating optimism about Indian post-Covid 19 food markets. Rupinder Singh Sodhi, managing director of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), (which registered sales of USD7 billion in the financial year ending March 2020), told just-food that throughout the pandemic, the company’s sales have been growing consistently.…
DEUTSCHE BANK AMERICAN ARM PAYS PENALTIES TO OFAC FOR HANDLING PAYMENTS BREACHING CRIMEA-LINKED USA SANCTIONS
THE USA’S Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has settled two cases involving Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, accused of breaching US sanctions designed to impede companies and individuals aiding Russia’s contested annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
DB has agreed to pay USD425,600 and USD157,000 to the US Treasury to settle these cases, where OFAC found the German bank had not deliberately sought to flout these financial controls, but failed to apply correct legally-mandated due diligence.…
SWITZERLAND PAINT AND COATING INDUSTRY’S QUALITY HELPS IT PUSH THROUGH COVID-19 EPIDEMIC
Switzerland may be a small country of 8.5 million people, with an area of 41,285 km², 60% of which is mountainous, but its paint and varnish industry is substantial and growing, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Of course, it helps that Switzerland is rich.…
COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS NOT JUST FORCED AMLOs TO WORK FROM HOME, BUT INCREASED THEIR WORKLOAD TOO, SAY EXPERTS
A SHIFT towards home-based work during the Covid-19 epidemic has raised multiple challenges for AML/CFT regulatory compliance departments, from changes in consumer behaviour that affects transaction monitoring, to digitally onboarding new customers, and heightened risks of illicit crime and fraud.
The first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic and related lockdowns this spring especially stretched financial institutions’ regulatory compliance departments to their limits, said Patrick Gerard Dahill, head of AML and financial crime recruitment at Barclay Simpson, in London.…
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.…
NEW INTERNATIONAL GUIDANCE ON VEHICLE CYBER-SECURITY TARGETS GROWING HACKING RISKS FOR HI-TECH AUTOS
EUROPEAN, Japanese and South Korean automotive manufacturers are about to follow new international guidance ensuring increasingly-networked vehicles are protected from hacking by cyber-criminals.
This follows the release of two new UN regulations, adopted June 24 by the UN Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.…
EY FACING LEGAL ACTION OVER ALLEGED FAILURES TO DETECT WIRECARD SCAM
EY, (formerly Ernst & Young), the Big 4 accounting major accused of shortcomings over its audit of disgraced German card payments processor Wirecard, is rejecting blame for its failure to detect the fintech firm’s EUR1.9 billion (USD2.1 billion) fraud scandal before it expanded to such a size.…
ROMANIA AND IRELAND FINED OVER LATE 4AMLD IMPLEMENTATION IN FIRST ECJ DIRTY MONEY LAW FINE
Member states of the European Union (EU) have for the first time been fined by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for tardy implementation of European Union anti-money laundering legislation.
The ECJ has fined Romania EUR3 million (USD3.4 million) and Ireland EUR2 million (USD2.3 million) for implementing the European Union’s 4th anti-money laundering directive (4AMLD),more than two years past a June 26, 2017 deadline.…
GROWING RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR FEEDS SPECIALIST LUBRICANTS BUSINESS
Enormous forces act on renewable energy system’s mechanical parts when generating power from wind and water. Between the smooth operation and potential loss of multi-million-dollar investments stand gear lubricants. Lubricants are also needed for the hydraulics that pitch the blades a few degrees every time the wind, or the water current, changes. …
NEW FATF PRESIDENT WANTS TO EXPAND ORGANISATION’S ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME SCOPE WHILE BEEFING UP ITS AML FINTECH ADVICE
THE NEW president of FATF, who took office on July 1, is planning to expand the global AML’s current focus on wildlife trade offences to other environmental crime, such as illegal logging, slash-and-burn cultivation and unlawful waste disposal.
Speaking to the MLB on July 2 in his first media interview after taking on this new role, Dr Marcus Pleyer, from Germany, stressed that the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has said illicit proceeds from environmental crime could total USD259 billion annually worldwide.…
EUROPEAN AUTO SECTOR UNHAPPY WITH NEW EU DATA REGULATION GUIDANCE FOR VEHICLE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE
Automakers in the European Union (EU) are concerned the technologies used by their vehicles may have to comply with onerous personal data handling rules imposed by the EU. These fears have been sparked by draft guidelines released by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) on how the EU’s general data protection regulation (GDPR – 2016/679) should apply to the industry.…
CLOTHING AND TEXTILE FIRMS INNOVATE WITH ANTI-MICROBIAL FABRICS AND PRODUCTS, MEETING DEMAND FUELLED BY COVID-19
TEXTILE and fibre innovators worldwide are seeking to tap growing demand for antimicrobial, virus and bacteria killing fibres and fabrics generated by the Covid-19 pandemic, encouraging clothing and fabric-makers to develop groundbreaking new technology.
Indeed, for companies such as HeiQ Materials AG – a Switzerland based textile innovation specialist – the pandemic has “opened a whole new chapter for the development of antimicrobial surfaces and textiles”, its co-founder and CEO Carlo Centonze told just-style.…
MAJOR GERMAN FINANCIAL SERVICE EX-CEO ARRESTED IN ACCOUNTING SCNADAL
Munich, Germany, police have launched a criminal investigation into an EUR1.9 billion (USD2.1 billion) accounting fraud at payments processing company Wirecard, June 22, arresting former CEO Markus Braun, who was released on EUR5 million (USD5.6) bail the following day. Other board members are also under suspicion.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – CAOBISCO AND CIUS SOUND WARNING OVER BREXIT TALKS DELAYS
EUROPEAN sugar users’ association CIUS has warned about slow progress within the talks between the European Union (EU) and the UK over a permanent relationship after the current transitional Brexit period expires on December 31. The CIUS wants this period extended – a step that the British government is currently refusing to take.…
GROWING DESIRE FOR WELLNESS EXPANDS SALE OF NICHE BEAUTY PRODUCTS FOR EXERCISE AND ATHLETICS
Comprised of a dry shampoo, deodorant, face moisturiser, lip balm, and more recently, body lotion, the line is sold only in North America and available in gym or travel sizes. “For over 20 years, lululemon has been focused on solving athletes’ needs.…
RESEARCHERS EXPAND USE OF GRAPHENE IN INNOVATIVE ENERGY APPLICATIONS
USE of the so-called ‘wonder material’ graphene in the energy sector is growing fast, with its thin sheets of carbon atoms in a honeycomb shape, stronger than diamond yet flexible, offering excellent thermal and electronic conductive properties. Given it also offers an extremely high surface to material ratio, graphene energy storage and capture uses are being developed to make batteries, supercapacitors, and solar panels.…
AML ACTION PLAN FALLS SHORT ON EUROPEAN FINANCIAL CRIME POLICING SAYS MEP
The European Commission should go further in tackling financial crime than in the anti-money laundering action plan unveiled May 7, according to German Green member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sven Giegold. The politician, who has specialised on transparency and fraud issues, argues that when the European Union executive releases follow up legislative proposals at the beginning of next year, the package should include establishing a specialist European Union police force focusing on financial crime.…
GERMAN GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES CRACKDOWN ON MEAT PLANT CONTRACT STAFFING AND HEALTH RULES AMIDST COVID-19 OUTBREAKS
The cabinet of German Chancellor Angela Merkel today (May 20) announced a “work protection programme for the meat industry”, raising labour standards in a sector which has been criticised for poor health and safety amidst a rash of outbreaks of Covid-19 amongst temporary migrant workers.…
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.…
EU JUDGE ADVISES USD66 MILLION CROSS BORDER VOLKSWAGEN DIESELGATE CLASS ACTION CASES ARE LEGAL
In a case that could open the floodgates to multimillion dollar cross border lawsuits against auto makers involved in Europe’s 2015 ‘Dieselgate’ scandal, a senior European Union (EU) judge has advised that car buyers should be able to sue Germany-based Volkswagen from a court in neighboring Austria.…
GERMAN PAINT INDUSTRY HIT BY COVID-19 AFTER SUFFERING DECLINE IN SALES DURING 2019
GERMANY’S strong paint and coatings industry is facing a significant loss in sales because of the global Covid-19 pandemic – Germany expects a fall in economic output of up to 20% in 2020. Industry experts expect that the country’s coatings and paint industry will suffer accordingly.…
TOP 10 MONEY LAUNDERING CASES
- 1MDB SCANDAL IN MALAYSIA SEES USD BILLIONS STOLEN AND HIDDEN
Malaysia 1MDB scandal is one of the largest money laundering cases ever, worldwide, with Malaysian courts considering charges over how at least USD4.5 billion was stolen and then spent or laundered from Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad by former Prime Minister Najib Razak and his associates.…
GLOBAL ENERGY POLICIES TRANSFORM, ADOPTING SUSTAINABLE GOALS AS CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS GROW
SLOWLY, but steadily, the world’s energy policies are turning green, towards promoting a sustainable future, targeting an increasingly universal goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. With evidence mounting not only that climate change is accelerating, but potentially wreaking serious damage on the world’s economies and peoples, the Paris Agreement goal of holding the rise in global temperatures to well below 2C trying to limit it to 1.5C is being reflected in the plans of governments, regional and international organisations.…
EXTENDED REALITY TECH OFFERS GREAT BENEFITS TO TEXTILE COMPANIES – BUT THEY MUST ADDRESS THE SECURITY VULNERABILITIES
INTRODUCTION – SERIES
A series of reports from WTiN is exploring the need for the textile and clothing sector to protect itself against attacks from cybercriminals as it invests in new transformative Industry 4.0 technologies – extended reality, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUNDUP – GLOBAL SWEETENERS GROUP CONCERN OVER SHARING BIOMONITORING DATA WITH EU REGULATOR
THE INTERNATIONAL Sweeteners Association (ISA) has called for clear rules on how the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) may assess biomonitoring data in the agency’s planned review of authorisations for sweeteners that are allowed in the European Union (EU). The industry body said in a public consultation on this review that it “is critical to have clear and expert protocols issued by EFSA and/or OECD to appropriately respond to… interest in reviewing ‘biomonitoring’ data, if this is to be considered in the current re-evaluation of sweeteners.”…
EU JUDGES RULING ON EU GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS WILL PROMPT REVIEW OF PRODUCT NAMES BY SOME FOOD AND DRINK MANUFACTURERS
GEOGRAPHICAL indications can be controversial legal protections that some food manufacturers regard as being unjust restrictions on trade in quality food items that are inspired by traditional products.
Of course, for companies based in traditional production regions of goods such as Prosciutto ham and Irish whisky, they can be a Godsend – preventing illicit competition (as they see it) from banking on a reputation for taste that has been created by protected manufacturers in previous decades, even centuries.…
DEEP-FAKE TECH OFFERS FRAUDSTERS A NEW TOOL TO FOOL COMPANIES, GOVERNMENTS AND INDIVIDUALS
While most so-called ‘deep-fake’ technologies today have been used to spread fake images, videos and voice recordings of politicians, famous actresses and other public figures, a publicly-reported case emerged last year [2019] in which this advanced technology was leveraged to enhance cybercrimes such as financial fraud, identify theft, ransom and extortion requests, espionage and business email compromise scams.…
RESEARCHERS PUSH THE POTENTIAL OF DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING THROUGH CREATING NEW NANOPARTICLE INFUSED DYES
DIGITAL textile printers continue to seek for technological ways by which they can leverage the innate advantages their equipment has over conventional printing, and one is exploring the use of nanoparticles in finishing chemicals – delivering innovation that can sharpen the existing competitive advantage in design and sustainability enjoyed by digital printers.…
PRIVATE STORAGE AID ESSENTIAL TO COMBAT COVID-19, SAY EXPERTS
EUROPEAN policy makers and the dairy industry are working together to prevent a catastrophic collapse in dairy markets, as demand tanks during the Covid-19 crisis. “The market shock hit the ‘lactosphère’ all over Europe and beyond,” European Dairy Association (EDA) secretary general Alexander Anton told Dairy Industries International.…
CAN MANUFACTURERS WORK AT FULL SPEED DURING THE PANDEMIC, BUT RECYCLING AND DELIVERY ARE AT RISK
European aluminium cansheet and foilsheet rolling factories say they are trying hard to adapt to production under strict Covid-19 controls imposed by their national governments to satisfy the growing need for foodstuffs across Europe that are safe and have a long shelf life.…
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.…
DEMAND FOR CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVES INCREASE IN AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRONICS
With electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) set to account for an estimated 30% of all vehicle sales worldwide within five years according to investment bank JP Morgan, the demand for conductive adhesives, which can transmit thermal or electrical energy between two surfaces, as an alternative to solder and even wiring is set to soar, according to Lux Research Inc, based in Boston, USA.…
EUROPEAN INSTITUTIONS AND GOVERNMENTS WORK HARD TO PROMOTE HYDROGEN VEHICLES AND REFUELLING SYSTEMS, BUT ARE STILL STRUGGLING WITH HIGH COSTS
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is taking a hard look at hydrogen as a low carbon option to help make Europe a first climate-neutral continent by 2050, a key policy goal that is at the heart of policy-making within the new European Commission of its president Ursula von der Leyen – however he need to make H-vehicles and renewables-based H-fuel cheaper is a major challenge. …
EUROPEAN NONWOVENS INDUSTRY FOCUSES ON INNOVATION TO STRENGTHEN ITS INTERNATIONAL MARKET POSITION
WORRIES about the future of manufacturing in Europe are certainly not being applied to the continent’s nonwovens industry, which has been growing steadily in recent years. Indeed, last year, the overall production of nonwovens in Europe in 2018 grew by around 1.3% year-on-year to reach 2.76 million tonnes, (the most recent Europe wide figures released by industry association EDANA).…
EU NEEDS GREATER ENFORCEMENT OF AML LAWS
The European Union (EU) needs to step up enforcement of its anti-money laundering legislation, not just the fourth and fifth directives (AMLD 4 and 5), but earlier provisions from AMLD3 that are still not being applied in the member states, according to speakers at a February 19 breakfast event on ‘Money laundering and financial crime’ staged at the European Parliament in Brussels.…
KENYA STARTS GM COTTON PRODUCTION THIS YEAR IN BID TO KICKSTART ITS UNDERPERFORMING TEXTILE MANUFACTURING SECTOR
Kenya will start to grow genetically modified cotton this year, becoming the first country to do so in Eastern Africa. The move is significant as it is likely to inspire other counties in the region start to grow Bt cotton hybrids that are resistant to African bollworm and other pests.…
LEGAL ACTION AGAINST EIGHT COUNTRIES FOR 5AMLD NON-COMPLIANCE
The European Commission has launched infringement proceedings against eight countries over their failure to write the European Union’s (EU) fifth anti-money laundering directive (5AMLD) into national law by the January 10, 2020 deadline. The EU executive on February 12 sent letters of formal notice, the first stage in EU legal procedures, to Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain for not having notified any 5AMLD implementation measures.…
CONTAMINATION A MAJOR CHALLENGE FOR RECYCLING SAY EUROPEAN SUSTAINABLE PLASTICS INNOVATORS
WITH demand for plastic recycling soaring like never before, European plastics companies have told Sustainable Plastics how they use innovation and expertise to maximise are environmental efficiency and output yields. “You’d be amazed what dirt we find in pure product waste,” Jack Snijders, director of Germany’s CIFRA Recycling GmbH, told reporters during a plant visit.…
GERMANY DEVELOPS NUCLEAR DECOMMISSIONING GOOD PRACTICE – A CASE STUDY
Unterweser Nuclear Plant (KKU) in Northern Germany went into service in 1978 and with 1,425MW gross electricity output, the pressurised water reactor (PWR) plant was once world champion in terms of generated electricity.
Having booked an impressive lifetime total of 305 billion KWh, KKU went out of service in 2011 after the political leadership in Berlin reacted to Japan’s Fukushima disaster that year by ordering a nuclear phase-out before plants were due to end operations.…
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.…
NORTH AFRICA’S HOME-GROWN BEAUTY BUSINESSES CHALLENGE MAJORS FOR MARKET SHARE
NORTH Africa is a region where care for appearance, grooming and personal hygiene is integral to its cultural DNA, so while personal care product majors have a strong presence, it is maybe no surprise that local beauty manufacturers continue to bubble up with fresh ideas and products that capture the imagination of consumers.…
GROWING DESIRE FOR WELLNESS EXPANDS SALE OF NICHE BEAUTY PRODUCTS FOR EXERCISE AND ATHLETICS
The intersection between beauty products, fashion and sport has never been so mainstream. This was evident last year when popular yoga and athletic-apparel brand, Vancouver, Canada-based Lululemon Athletica Inc launched in June (2019) its own athleisure gender-neutral beauty and personal care line (BPC), called ‘lululemon selfcare’.…
GERMANY’S PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR’S INCREASING WELLNESS ORIENTATION IS UNDERPINNING FUTURE GROWTH
THE GERMAN personal care products market turned out to be an “element of stability” in an otherwise sluggish economy in 2019, according to the country’s cosmetics industry association Industrieverband Köperpflege- und Waschmittel (IKW). German consumers spent EUR14.04 billion (USD15.55 billion) on personal care products, including shampoo and decorative cosmetics in the past year, 1.8% more than in 2018.…
TRADITIONAL BATIK TO BE SCRUTINISED BY DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO PROVE AUTHENTICITY
THE INDONESIAN government is trying to integrate digital technologies into the country’s batik sector to differentiate and authenticate its products from other Asian competitors. The world’s largest batik exporter, Indonesia’s batik exports reached USD52.4 million in 2018 and USD17.99 million in the first quarter of 2019, according to data gathered by Indonesia’s Antara news agency.…
SAUDI PAINT SECTOR AWAITS POTENTIAL FUTURE GROWTH FROM GOVERNMENT-BACKED DEVELOPMENT MEGA-PROJECTS
THE SAUDI Arabian paint industry’s output grew comparatively slowly in 2019 according to some market data but is expected to experience more robust growth over the next few years as the government invests heavily in new development projects and infrastructure. India-based market researcher Mordor Intelligence said that the Saudi Arabia paints and coatings market generated USD1.164 billion in sales last year (2019), up from USD 1.142 billion in 2018 and USD1.120 in 2017.…
CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVES BEING WORLDWIDE DEVELOPED TO DELIVER AN EXPANDING ARRAY OF HIGH-TECH FUNCTIONS
From smartphones to space satellites, applications for conductive adhesives (transferring heat, electricity or both) are expanding rapidly and their innovative use and market size show little size of abating as new avenues reveal themselves through growth in sales and R&D programmes.…
EUROPEAN COUNTRIES PUSH AHEAD WITH BUILDING WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTIONS
WHISTLEBLOWER laws may not be new, but they are becoming stronger and being implemented in an increasing number of jurisdictions worldwide – with progress being notable in Europe. The European Union (EU) has ensured in a new directive, approved last October (2019), that all 28 member states within the union last year – ahead of Britain’s January 31 exit from the EU – acquire whistleblowing laws with teeth through a new directive approved by EU ministers last October (2019).…
RESEARCHERS, REGULATORS AND BRANDS KEEP PUSHIGN ADVANCES IN ARTIFICIAL SKIN MODEL TESTS TO MINIMISE ‘IN VIVO’ SAFETY CHECKS
THE DEVELOPMENT of life-like 3D models of human skin, so close to real life that they can accurately test the impact of personal care products, maybe better than by using live animals, is something of a holy grail for the cosmetics industry.…
BEAUTY PACKAGING INNOVATION AND DESIGN TODAY FOCUSING SQUARLEY ON FORGING SUSTAINABILITY
BEAUTY consumers worldwide are demanding more transparency in manufacturing processes and ingredients, less environmental impact, and simple and clean ingredients. So goes the product, so goes the packaging. The beauty industry is responding with brand packaging and labelling that transmits a marketing message that the beauty product inside may be healthy and full of goodness.…
UZBEKISTAN CLOTHING SECTOR EYES MAJOR INCREASE IN EXPORTS AS GOVERNMENT PUSHES AHEAD WITH LIBERALIZATION PROGRAMME
THE UZBEKISTAN clothing and textile industry is eyeing a major increase in clothing and textile imports as its government liberalises what was until three-years-ago a largely unreformed post-Soviet state. A key goal is swapping raw cotton exports for overseas sales of added value textiles and clothing.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES MAJOR LITHIUM ION SUBSIDY SCHEME – BENEFITING MINERS, PROCESSERS, MANUFACTURERS AND RECYCLERS
THE APPROVAL of a EUR3.2 billion set of subsidies by seven European Union (EU) member states could generate a major mineral supply and processing chain to manufacture lithium ion batteries within Europe. A decision announced yesterday (December 9) by the EU executive, the European Commission, loosening its usually tight control of national government support for industry, effectively greenlights a major collaborative project designed to strengthen European battery production.…
NASCENT HYDROGEN CAR MARKET STARTS TO DEVELOP IN EUROPE
THE DEVELOPMENT and use of hydrogen-fuelled automobiles is starting to gather pace in the European Union (EU), with the EU’s executive, the European Commission encouraging growth in this environment-friendly segment as it pursues a goal of achieving a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.…
GERMANY IS DOING WELL AS AN INVESTMENT LOCATION BUT COULD DO BETTER
Recent high-profile surveys on the attractiveness of Germany as an investment location paint a conflicting picture, but generally experts agree the country is a good place to invest. Professional services firm EY reported a 13% year-on-year drop in inbound foreign direct investment (FDI) deals in 2018, to 973, while the OECD recorded inbound FDI value January-July 2019 to reach USD22 billion, from just USD 1 billion in the previous semester. …
AUSTRALIA DAIRY SECTOR FEARS IT WILL LOSE OUT FROM EU TRADE DEAL MANDATING GI PROTECTION
A free trade deal between Europe and Australia is in the making but European Union (EU) trade negotiators have managed to generate some serious concerns among Australian dairy industry in the process. The EU wants Australia to recognise the exclusive rights of EU cheesemakers to the traditional names of almost 60 different types of cheeses through Australia recognising EU geographical indications (GI) within any agreement.…
HEALTHY COMPETITIVE MARKET FOR BEAUTY PACKAGING SEES INVESTOR CAPITAL DRIVE INCREASING MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
A highly competitive market combined with healthy sums of investor capital look set to drive forward an increase in merger/acquisition (M/A) activity in the cosmetic packaging sector, as companies seek to deliver added value to existing customer bases and extend their footprint into new territories, both geographic and product ranges.…
NATURAL AFRICAN LOOKS INCREASE IN PREDOMINANCE AS SUB-SAHARAN BEAUTY MARKETS BECOME MORE SOPHISTICATED
Beauty markets in sub-Saharan Africa are becoming more sophisticated, and with this comes an increasing desire by consumers to use cosmetics that better match their own skin and hair characteristics, rather than utilising products that of more universal appeal.
Nigeria’s personal care product industry continues to grow, and given its population is the largest in Africa – now estimated by the United Nations at 200 million – this market inevitably has the most potential in the continent.…
DIGITAL TEXTILE PRINTING GROWS IN EGYPT DESPITE STRUGGLE TO COMPETE AGAINST CHINESE SUPPLIERS
Digital textile printing is growing in Egypt with companies acquiring new machines and a major new player entering the market to take advantage of low labour costs and the country’s geographical proximity to buyers in Africa and Europe. Domestic demand for digitally printed textile products, however, has been sluggish, while exporters are struggling to remain price competitive compared to Chinese competitors.…
GERMANY TO PROD AUTOMAKERS INTO INVESTING IN BANGLADESH
THE GERMAN government has signalled that it could encourage its luxury carmakers to establish plants in Bangladesh, especially if the south Asian country invests in its energy, power and transport infrastructure.
“We agreed it would be great if a German carmaker would invest in Bangladesh,” Peter Fahrenholtz, German ambassador to Bangladesh tweeted, after a meeting with Bangladeshi finance minister AHM Mustafa Kamal in the capital Dhaka on September 9 (2019).…
ERASMUS+ SPENDING ON AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES IS RISING – WITH HOPE EXPANSION WILL CONTINUE
THE EUROPEAN Commission – the European Union (EU) executive – has claimed its Erasmus+ higher education exchange initiative is significantly boosting tertiary studies for African students and academics, with 8,500 Africans benefiting this year (2019).
In a report on the programme, which has been hailed as a flagship of the EU’s positive international impact, the Commission said that this figure was poised to keep growing, so that it will have helped more than 35,000 African students and academics by 2020.…
GERMAN STATE GOVERNMENT REGULATORS UNDER FIRE IN MEAT HEALTH SCANDAL
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Food and Agriculture (BMEL – Bundesministerium für Ernährung und Landwirtschaft) has summoned its state-level (länder) counterparts for crisis talks following revelations that listeria-infested meat products have killed three people and made another 37 sick. These were made by from Twistetal, Hesse-based Wilke Waldecker Fleisch- und Wurstwaren.…
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION PLANS TO INCREASE PRESSURE ON DAIRY SECTOR TO GREEN ITS PRODUCTION
THE EUROPEAN dairy industry will be looking closely at the policies of the new European Commission that is now expected to assume office on December 1 – it is likely to increase pressure on the sector to improve its environmental performance.…
RUSSIAN DAIRY INDUSTRY FOCUSES ON QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS WHILE PROTECTION STILL LASTS
RUSSIA’S dairy industry has been trying to develop its size and sales while its government’s restrictions on European Union (EU) dairy imports remain, but there are questions about how well producers would cope with imports once these sanctions are, eventually, lifted.…
FIFTH ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING DIRECTIVE AIMS TO PLUG CRITICAL CRYPTO REGULATORY GAPS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) fourth anti-money laundering directive had not even been implemented before Panama Papers revelations on massive tax evasion highlighted critical gaps in the bloc’s regulatory framework, especially regarding cryptocurrencies and prepaid cards. The result was directive (EU) 2018/843 of May 30, 2018 commonly known as the fifth anti-money laundering directive.…
US CLOTHING BRANDS MULLING SWITCH TO VIETNAM SOURCING OVER TRADE WAR BEWARE, SAY EXPERTS – THIS IS NOT CHINA
Clothing brands from the USA who are switching purchasing to Vietnam from China because of the trade war need to smarten up – and understand how business with Vietnamese trading partners differs from working with their old Chinese suppliers. “The main issue is that many US buyers expect to do business in Vietnam the way they have been doing in China, but the business culture is very different and many find it impossible to work in Vietnam because they do not understand or accept the differences,” said Frank Vossen, who runs Seditex, a Ho Chi Minh City-based based sourcing consultancy, focused on quality control. …
CUM-EX TAX FRAUD TRIAL BEGINS IN GERMANY
A EUR55 billion tax fraud case, in which two British investment bankers claimed capital gains refunds for taxes that had never been paid, is back in the spotlight as their trial kicked off in Germany. The Cum-Ex (with and without) tax loophole, where the traders claimed tax refunds twice on transactions when it had only been paid once, was closed in 2016, but not before it cost EU countries an estimated EUR55 billion.…
TURKISH PLASTICS MARKET FACES TOUGH TIMES, BUT HAS STRONG FUNDAMENTALS FOR SUSTAINABLE PROSPERITY
THE TURKISH plastics manufacturing sector has grown exponentially over the past decade, but growth has spluttered over the past year due to the country’s economic downturn and currency depreciation raising the cost of raw materials. Investment has also slowed, but manufacturers are optimistic the sector will rebound, with exports remaining strong.…
BOOM IN NATURAL SKIN CARE BOOSTS THE AUSTRALASIAN COSMETICS MARKET
THE BEAUTY and personal care sectors have performed healthily in Australia and New Zealand throughout the past year, with companies providing consumers with fulfilling experiences, skin care excellence and natural ingredients performing particularly strongly.
The continued growth of beauty and personal care in Australia in 2018 was also driven by the expansion of specialist retailers Mecca and Sephora in premium beauty.…
CONTINUOUS DYEING MACHINES OFFER CUTTING EDGE EFFICIENCY GAINS – BUT OUTSOURCE CENTRE FINISHERS MAY NEED SUBSIDIES TO AFFORD THEM
CONTINUOUS dyeing technology is being refined and improved and offering finishers worldwide the chance to improve their output efficiency, while reducing chemical, water and energy usage. However, emerging markets finishers can struggle to find the investment costs required to install this top-line cutting edge dyeing machinery.…
BEAUTY SECTORS IN BRITAIN AND GERMANY BANK ON REPUTATIONS FOR QUALITY MANUFACTURING AND SUSTAINABILITY
WHILE the spectre of Brexit looms over the British economy and hence its beauty markets, the fundamentals of its personal care product sector live on. As the UK ponders leaving the European Union (EU), maybe in October, commentators often cast a wary eye at Germany to see how this economic engine of the EU is performing – maybe to check whether Brexit is as big a business mistake as many experts warn.…
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS FORCE INDIAN COSMETICS PRODUCERS TO MAKE PRODUCTS MORE NATURAL, CONFERENCEES SAY
THE INDIAN cosmetics market is becoming increasingly focused on environmental issues and personal care product companies are being forced to adapt accordingly. “‘Water conservation’, ‘anti-pollution’, ‘plastic ban’ and ‘paraben free’ are the claims that more and more consumers like and brands are getting very savvy of,” Koyel Mukherjea, new business development specialist for the beauty and personal care sector, at market intelligence company, told Soap Perfumery and Cosmetics (SPC).…
BEAUTY EXPO AUSTRALIA SHOWS HOW ORGANIC BEAUTY IS STRENGTHENS ITS POSITION IN THIS MATURE MARKET
‘AUSTRALIAN-made’, ‘cruelty-free’ and ‘natural’ – these were the marketing buzz words most commonly cited during Australia’s leading beauty event – Beauty Expo Australia – staged in Sydney between August 24 and 25.
Although ‘Proudly Australian’ has become a slogan used by many beauty brands based in Australia, the conference actually demonstrated how Australian beauty retailers and consumers are open to trying more international lines, new treatments and innovative products.…
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%.…
EUROPE IN TWO-SPEED SHIFT TO ELECTRIC CARS
Europe’s transition to electric vehicle ownership is developing at two clear speeds, with richer countries headed for mass market penetration in the early to mid 2020s but poorer countries lagging.
This is posing a regulatory challenge for manufacturers – EV sales have to increase Europe-wide for carmakers to meet tough European Union (EU) CO2 emissions limits.…
NONWOVENS SECTOR IN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA STRUGGLES WITH OVERCAPACITY
THE NONWOVENS industry in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is still struggling with over-capacity, while declining purchasing power has hit the mid- and higher-tier segments, prompting global players to reconsider product offerings.
MENA economies have been impacted by low oil prices and regional instability, with growth forecast at 1.5% this year, down from 1.7% in 2018, according to investment bank JP Morgan.…
HIGH DEMAND FOR TRAINED AML PROFESSIONALS IS KEEPING PAY LEVELS HEALTHY
WITH anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) controls becoming ever more comprehensive, strategic and widespread, the demand for trained AML/CFT professionals is growing. Salaries are increasing, as a result. This good compensation reflects the fact that AML work is becoming increasingly demanding because of regulatory requirements, said Michael Harris, director, financial crime compliance, at LexisNexis Risk Solutions.…
SMALL SLOVENIA RETAINS DOUGHTY PLASTICS MANUFACTURING SECTOR WITH STRONG EXPORT FOCUS
Slovenia’s plastic industry has made a virtue out of the nation’s geographical position, located between the markets of central and western Europe and those of the Balkan states and the former Soviet Union.
Drawing on these geographical – and historical political ties – the sector is geared towards exports, with these accounting for 62% of the value of the plastics industry, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS).…
BULGARIA HAS USED LOW COSTS TO BUILD EXPORT SALES – AND LOOKS TO QUALITY TO MAINTAIN THEM
BULGARIA’S plastics industry has been making the most of the growing demand for supplies from major western markets. The sector has been particularly buoyant over the past five years, with Bulgaria’s comparatively low costs and occasional regulatory light touch making its plastics companies competitive with competitors in western Europe.…
EUROPEAN COSMETICS INDUSTRY UP IN ARMS OVER MICROPLASTICS LAW
THE EUROPEAN cosmetics sector will continue to maintain that the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA)’s microplastics restriction proposal is disproportionate, industry experts told European personal care association Cosmetics Europe’s annual conference 2019.
At the June 12-13 meeting in Brussels, they claimed ECHA’s January 2019 proposal should be proportionate, coherent, effective and enforceable – but, at present, looking at the existing proposal, this is not the case.…
GERMAN LINKS WITH TUNISIA UNIVERSITIES OF GREAT VALUE. AS LONG AS THEY AVOID PROMOTING BRAIN DRAIN
CLOSE links between Tunisian and German higher education systems are boosting Tunisia’s higher education system, but both sides agree importance of encouraging Tunisian graduates to return home after exchange studies.
The opening of a new German library at the faculty of arts, letters and humanities (FAHM), of the University of Manouba, in Tunis on May 29 is a key example of Tunisian-German collaboration in HE.…
ATTRACTING YOUNG PEOPLE TO EU CLOTHING SECTOR NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE, SAY EXPERTS
RECRUITING and retaining a skilled workforce in the European textile and clothing sector is today’s biggest challenge, speakers told the June 14 general assembly of Euratex, the European textile and clothing industry association.
In a sense, this is a positive problem with the sector experiencing positive growth.…
PRESSURES GROW ONTO CHINA’S GOVERNMENT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT PORK
AFRICAN swine fever (ASF) has been squeezing pork supplies in China to a point where the country’s political leadership fears upheaval, as reflected by the country’s government influenced social media restricting ASF-related discussion. Even academic articles, if ASF-themed, now require explicit regulatory approval before publishing, informed sources in China, who requested anonymity, told just-food. …
GERMAN FREIGHT FORWARDER HIT WITH USD1 BILLION FINE OVER ANGOLA BRIBES
Disgraced German-owned freight forwarding company, FH Bertling, was fined GBP850,000 (USD1 million) June 3 for an Angolan bribery scheme, in a case brought by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The four-year investigation and prosecution by the SFO into the company’s British wing revealed that senior executives had conspired to pay USD350,000 in bribes to an agent of the Angolan state oil company, Sonangol, to secure USD20 million worth of shipping contracts between January 2004 and December 2006.…
GERMAN FREIGHT FORWARDER HIT WITH USD1 BILLION FINE OVER ANGOLA BRIBES
Disgraced German-owned freight forwarding company, FH Bertling, was fined GBP850,000 (USD1 million) June 3 for an Angolan bribery scheme, in a case brought by the UK Serious Fraud Office (SFO). The four-year investigation and prosecution by the SFO into the company’s British wing revealed that senior executives had conspired to pay USD350,000 in bribes to an agent of the Angolan state oil company, Sonangol, to secure USD20 million worth of shipping contracts between January 2004 and December 2006.…
MONGOLIA LOOKS TO LEVERAGE DAIRY TRADITIONS TO CREATE SUSTAINABLE EXPORT SECTOR
MONGOLIA’S grassland ecology has always lent itself to livestock and hence milk production, so it is no surprise that the development of a dairy industry has been a priority for its government and international institutions.
A five-year loan worth USD12 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development via Mongolia’s XacBank announced in February (2019) is just one such related initiative.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – ISO LAUNCHES NEW COCOA SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS
THE INTERNATIONAL Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched a series of standards designed to help the cocoa industry ensure its products are both sustainably harvested and processed, but also traceable across their supply chains. Its ISO 34101 series is designed to promote good environmental and labour practices in a sector that involves sophisticated confectionery companies, global commodity traders and small farmers, often in poor countries, notably in west Africa.…
BEAUTY SECTOR RECEIVES DETAILED GUIDANCE FROM INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL BODIES
THE PERSONAL care product sector has an increasingly complex and global supply chain and as a result, international technical standards are growing in utility and importance. Where suppliers and retailers follow and require the use of international standards to guide their operations and products, there will be fewer nasty surprises, in orders and purchases.…
PLANNED EU RULING MAY REGULATE TATTOO INKS FOR THE FIRST TIME TO AVOID HEALTH RISKS
While today 12 out of every 100 Europeans are tattooed or have some sort of permanent cosmetic treatment, experts are increasingly concerned that these skin colouring agents may contain hazardous substances, known or suspected to have adverse health effects causing cancer, allergies or mutations.…
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.…
INDUSTRIAL MINERAL SECTOR HONES SKILLS THROUGH DETAILED INTERNATIONAL, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL STANDARDS
THE INDUSTRIAL minerals mining and processing sector and its customers has an increasingly complex and global supply chain and as a result, international technical standards are growing in utility and importance. Where suppliers and retailers follow and require the use of international standards to guide their operations and products, there will be fewer nasty surprises, in orders and purchases.…
BRITISH COLUMBIA GOVERNMENT LAUNCHES AML COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON MAJOR DIRTY MONEY PROBLEM
The Canadian province of British Columbia (BC) has announced a public inquiry [1] into how money laundering has distorted its economy after three independent reports noted how criminal funds have flooded into this Pacific coast region. BC Supreme Court Judge Austin Cullen has been appointed to head the inquiry, which BC attorney general David Eby said would have the power to force cooperation by “people and organisations who refuse to share what they know unless legally compelled to do so”.…
LEGALISATION OF CANNABIS-ASSOCIATED BEAUTY PRODUCTS ADVANCES UNEVENLY WORLDWIDE
THE LEGALISATION nationwide of recreational cannabis in Canada last October (2018) was a groundbreaking move – a first for a major western country – and from this coming October 17, at the latest, one that may have significant implications for the beauty business.…
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.…
BERMUDA AND LIECHTENSTEIN – TWO FINANCIAL SECTORS SEEKING TO EVADE AML/CFT CENSURES
Bermuda and Liechtenstein may be half a world apart, but these two financial centres are similarly attractive destinations for parking money, the former with a dominant insurance sector, the latter specialising in tending the assets of the German super-rich. While both jurisdictions have strong privacy laws, they have managed to avoid being labelled by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as having weak AML/CFT laws.…
GERMANY CHARGES EX VW CHIEF WITH FRAUD OVER DIESELGATE
German prosecutors have charged the former CEO of car giant, Volkswagen, and four other unnamed executives with fraud, unfair competition and breach of trust over their role in the dieselgate scandal that broke in September 2015. It involved European auto makers being caught out deliberately cheating polluting emissions tests.…
COATED, LAMINATED AND PADDED TEXTILES AT FOREFRONT OF INDUSTRY INNOVATION, CONFERENCE HEARS
Coated, laminated and padded textiles play key roles in a vast range of emerging products, with experts explaining at a Berlin conference how the technical textile sector has been continuously developing cutting edge technology to make such materials.
The International Conference on Textile Coating and Laminating (TCL2019), held in mid-March in Berlin, Germany, had a special focus on bedding developments.…
EUROPE’S FOOD BUSINESS STRUGGLES WITH EU GLUTEN-FREE LABELLING RULES
Gluten remains one of the most commonly reported allergens in European Union (EU), despite the existence of an EU regulation (EU) 828/2014) harmonising information provided to consumers on the absence or reduced presence of gluten in food.
While this might be expected to pressure manufacturers to provide low gluten or gluten free lines, the rules have proved burdensome and complex to implement, say industry experts – blunting the law’s impact.…
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.…
COSMOPACK AND COSMOPROF SEE INNOVATIONS PROVIDING GREEN BEAUTY IN A DIGITAL WORLD
This year’s edition of Italy’s premier beauty trade fair, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna (March 15-18) and its packaging “show within the show” Cosmopack have showcased innovations that will help pull the global personal care product sector towards a more sustainable future.
The 52nd edition of the successful B2B platform drew over 265,000 cosmetic beauty professionals, boasting an increase in visitors from abroad by 10% compared to the previous year.…
CHIEF OF NEW BANGLADESH FINANCIAL REPORTING REGULATOR RELISHES NEW ROLE
THE CHIEF of an incoming regulator charged with ensuring quality financial reporting and corporate governance in Bangladesh’s major companies is looking forward to the challenge.
CQK Mustaq Ahmed is chairman of the three-year-old Financial Reporting Council (FRC), an agency still being built and should start effective operations by September 30.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – CAOBISCO WARNS EU CONFECTIONERY EXPORTERS MAY STRUGGLE TO EXPLOIT JAPAN TRADE DEAL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industry association CAOBISCO has raised concerns that EU exporters will be unable to exploit the reduction of Japanese tariffs under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), in force since February 1. CAOBISCO is concerned about how the deal includes rules of origin forcing its members to demonstrate how they source specific volumes of ingredients from the EU, rather than their value, which would be easier to demonstrate.…
PLANNED EU RULING MAY REGULATE TATTOO INKS FOR THE FIRST TIME ACROSS EUROPE TO AVOID HEALTH RISKS
BODY artists in Europe may have to reconsider the pigments that they use in future, with the European Union (EU) drafting new rules that could regulate what chemicals can be used in tattoo inks. While today 12 out of every 100 Europeans are tattooed or have some sort of permanent cosmetic treatment, experts are increasingly concerned that these skin colouring agents may contain hazardous substances, known or suspected to have adverse health effects causing cancer, allergies or mutations.…
FRANCE AND GERMANY FACING LEGAL ACTION OVER AML FAILINGS
BOTH France and Germany are facing legal action by the European Commission over their failure to implement the European Union’s (EU) 2015 fourth anti-money laundering directive (AMLD – 2015/849) correctly.
While both countries have written the legislation into national law, the EU’s executive has concluded that certain provisions are missing.…
INDIAN TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR DEVELOPS DOMESTIC STANDARDS AS MILITARY OPENS UP TO PRIVATE SUPPLIERS
INDIA’S large military forces are to start sourcing a significant volumes of technical textile products from private companies from next year (2020), opening up a new market for local and international manufacturers, delegates at a recent conference were told in New Delhi.…
DEUTSCHE BANK MISSES CHANCE TO REGAIN PUBLIC TRUST, SAY MEPS
DEUTSCHE Bank’s AMLO has told a European Parliament hearing – to the dismay of MEPs – that the German major had no evidence that it was involved in misconduct surrounding the Danske Bank Estonia money laundering scandal.
Stephan Wilken, head of anti-financial crime and Deutsche Bank’s group anti-money laundering officer, told the EP’s special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance (TAX3) on Tuesday (Feb 4): “We have not identified any misconduct” in Danske case.…
FAST FASHION MAIN ACCELERATOR FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY DEMAND IN VIETNAM, SAYS LEADING DISTRIBUTOR
THE GROWTH in fast fashion contracts struck between brands and Vietnam’s burgeoning outsourcing will boost demand for machinery and equipment in the Vietnamese textile sector as much as the new trade deals that have been struck by Hanoi, according to industry insiders.…
EU AGENCY ECHA WIELDS SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE OVER EUROPEAN TOBACCO SECTOR’S USE OF CHEMICALS
THE TOBACCO industry in Europe needs to keep a close eye on the work of the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), the European Union’s (EU) chemical agency, which has a key role in banning or restricting the use of tobacco ingredients, by-products and manufacturing chemicals.…
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.…
DEUTSCHE BANK MISSES CHANCE TO REGAIN PUBLIC TRUST, SAY MEPS
DEUTSCHE Bank’s AMLO has told a European Parliament hearing – to the dismay of MEPs – that the German major had no evidence that it was involved in misconduct surrounding the Danske Bank Estonia money laundering scandal.
Stephan Wilken, head of anti-financial crime and Deutsche Bank’s group anti-money laundering officer, told the EP’s special committee on financial crimes, tax evasion and tax avoidance (TAX3) on Tuesday (Feb 4): “We have not identified any misconduct” in Danske case.…
CONCERN GROWS ABOUT DIRTY MONEY IN THE GLOBAL ART TRADE
THE GLOBAL art trade’s exposure to abuse by money launderers is to come under scrutiny as the European Union (EU) countries have started adopting the 5th EU anti-money laundering directive (EU 2018/843 – 5AMLD), which brings cultural artefacts trading under AML controls.…
GOVERNMENTS CAN PROVIDE ENERGY TO MAKE AIRPORT MEGA-PROJECTS HAPPEN – BUT THE RISKS OF MAJOR MISTAKES ARE REAL
GOVERNMENTS can play a huge role in determining how, when and whether an airport is built – and freed from the market constraints that limit most businesses, these decisions can have big consequences – for good and for ill. When dealing with mega-projects costing billions of dollars, government airport constructions decisions can also have a lot of unintended consequences.…
MEPS TO REVEAL DETAILS OF MEETINGS WITH LOBBYISTS
The European Parliament has voted for influential members of the European Parliament (MEPs) to come clean about their dealings with lobbyists. In a January 31 amendment to the European Union assembly’s rules of procedure, the parliament agreed that MEPs in special positions, notably committee chairs and those taking the lead on proposals as ‘rapporteurs’ as well as ‘shadow rapporteurs’ from other political groups involved in shaping parliamentary opinion, would have to disclose who they met on the issue.…
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.…
CANADIAN-PERUVIAN ORGANIC FIRM HOLDS THE LINE ON PRODUCING QUALITY ANDEAN SUPERFOODS
From top quality cacao that meets the new European Union (EU) regulation for minimum cadmium content in foods; to a camu camu fruit-based supplement line with stable shelf life and high vitamin C content; Sacha Inchi flour with over 60% protein content; and liquid high potency maca not found elsewhere, UHTCO Corporation, is expanding its portfolio and presence in the international market.…
RUSSIAN MONEY LAUNDERING CASES HIGHLIGHT URGENT NEED FOR ACTION, SAY EXPERTS
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) must create a central agency to supervise banks and non-banking institutions to combat rising risks posed by money laundering, a European Parliament hearing that focuses especially on the threat posed by Russian dirty money, has been told.…
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. …
EU/WTO REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU FOOD AND DRINKS SECTOR TO READY ITSELF FOR SINGLE USE PLASTICS BAN
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) food and drinks sector will have to prepare itself to find alternative materials to plastics, after the European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers struck a deal on approving European Commission proposals to ban single-use plastics. Under a new directive – now on track to receive formal approval by this summer (2019) – the EU will ban the use of such materials where alternatives are easily available and affordable.…
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.…
GERMAN BANKS COMING TO TERMS WITH BIOMETRICS TO FIGHT COMMERCIAL CRIME
GERMAN banks pride themselves on their reliability and safety, but they too are vulnerable to hacking and are exploring biometrics to boost their security. But ensuring these systems are truly safe will be no easy task. Jens Kastner reports.
Late last year (2018), Germany’s most-known hacker, Jan Krissler, aka Starbug, showed a video at December’s Chaos Communication Congress, in Leipzig, on how he has tricked vein matching scanners of Fujitsu and Hitachi as used in ATMs across Asia.…
GROWTH IN ECO-PAINTS BRIGHTEN SLUGGISH PERFORMANCE BY GERMAN PAINT SECTOR IN 2018
GERMANY’S paint and coatings sector seems set in stasis, with 2018 expected to be another year with a slight market downturn. That said, increased interest in sustainability continues to drive the demand for more ecologically friendly products.
Given the sluggishness of overall sales, the German industry has viewed with relief results from 2018’s third quarter, where the national coatings and printing ink sector saw a rise in exports.…
NEW INDIAN MEDICAL STOCKINGS MAKER PROSPERS FROM COMBINING QUALITY WITH LOWER COSTS
INDIA’S knitted medical stockings maker Ista Healthcare has been in business for only three years but has already been exporting products, has created backward integration and is now seeking venture capital for future expansion.
“Our product has been created right from scratch and is now accepted worldwide,” said Kumaraguru Muthuswamy, chief executive of Ista Healthcare LLP, based in the southern Indian city of Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu state.…
ATHLETIC APPAREL INDUSTRY MEETS TO DISCUSS CHALLENGES, OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FUTURE
With manufacturing technology advancing at an ever-faster pace, sports apparel companies need to constantly look for ways to embrace new techniques to compete in a constantly changing landscape, an international industry meeting has been told.
Sustainability, blockchain and Industry 4.0 are three of the most important trends being considered by brands and their suppliers, and they were focal points at the sixth World Manufacturers Forum (WMF), organised by the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from December 11-12.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP - RETALIATORY DUTIES ON USA CONFECTIONERY AND INGREDIENTS EXPORTS CHALLENGED AT WTO
THE WORLD Trade Organisation (WTO) Disputes Settlement Body (DSB) has approved establishing disputes settlement panels ruling sought by the USA on whether retaliatory duties imposed by the European Union (EU), Canada, China, and Mexico on US confectionery and sweet bakery and associated ingredient exports, imposed in response to America’s controversial steel and aluminium tariffs, break WTO rules.…
CUM-EX FRAUD SWINDLES EUROPE’S TREASURIES OUT OF BILLIONS
Taxpayers across Europe have lost some EUR55 billion (USD62 billion) in a massive stock trading fraud – called ‘cum-ex’ – that has hit at least 11 countries, according to a collaborative investigation by European media organisations. Cum-ex involved managers trading a company’s shares rapidly around a syndicate of banks, investors and hedge funds, creating the impression that there were several owners, each entitled to a tax rebate on capital gains tax.…
TEXTILE FINISHING CHEMICALS PART OF REVISED EU SAFETY ASSESSMENT PROGRAMME
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has released updated plans to assess the safety of chemicals, including those used in textile finishing, through its Community Rolling Action Plan (CoRAP) system for 2019-2021, with 96 chemicals being identified for investigation. These are subjected to studies by European Union (EU) member states, and should their experts conclude there is cause for concern about a chemical’ impact on human and environmental health, proposed EU controls may follow.…
GERMAN COMPANY MAKES FIBRE FROM ICELANDIC SEAWEED IMPARTING HEALTH BENEFITS
A GERMAN fibre company is seeking to demonstrate how the cleansing and nourishing properties of seaweed can protect the skin of people wearing garments made from fibres embedded with this abundant ocean resource.
Sustainably-produced wellness fibres produced by Rudolstadt, Thuringia-based smartfiber AG have powdered organic seaweed mixed in during the production phase, helping the company create soft fabrics used in the manufacture of underwear and loungewear, baby and children’s clothes, footwear, home textiles, bedding, sport and lifestyle clothing ranges.…
EU ROUND UP – ECHA SUGGESTS UK CHEMICAL COMPANIES SELL TO EU COMPANIES TO AVOID BREXIT-RELATED REACH PROBLEMS
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has recommended that British paints, coatings and other chemical companies consider transferring or selling their ownership to businesses in remaining European Union (EU) member states, assuming the UK quits the EU on March 29.
In its latest guidance to UK and other EU companies ahead of Brexit, the agency has given advice British companies wanting to continue suppyling chemical products to remaining EU customers after that deadline.…
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS AND PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING BOOSTS GEOTEXTILE SALES
WITH environmental concerns increasingly important worldwide as a key plank of sustainable development, the role that effective geo-textiles can play in ensuring infrastructure performs effectively in the longer term is underpinning demand for these products.
In June 2017, Global Market Insights released a report on geotextile market size by material, application, region, price, market share and forecasts for 2017–2024, which stated that “positive application outlook in construction, agriculture, erosion control, and drainage should drive geotextile market size” globally.…
TEN YEARS ON, IRELAND’S ECONOMY HAS RECOVERED BUT FACES RISKS
“Group think”, an “intolerance of dissent and difference” as well as an “inordinately high value on relationships rather than rules” have prevented a culture of whistleblowers from taking root in Ireland, boosting cronyism and weakening regulation, economists and regulators were warned earlier this month (October).…
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.…
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. …
REPORT SLAMS IMPACT OF EXCESSIVE CORPORATE LOBBYING AT EU LEVEL
Excessive corporate influence over policy-making remains a serious threat to the public interest across Europe and at European Union (EU) level, warns a new report published September 24 by the Alliance for Lobbying Transparency and Ethics Regulation in the EU (ALTER-EU).…
EU ROUND UP – EU FRAUD MAYBE DECLINING, BUT MILLIONS OF EUROS LOST TO SCAMS EVERY YEAR
THE CONTINUED vulnerability of European Union (EU) revenue collection and spending to fraud has been brought into sharp relief by a new European Commission statistical analysis on financial crime.
That said, a working paper noted that in terms of revenue through external import duties (called ‘own resources’ in EU jargon) detected fraud cases involving EUR10,000 or more alone in 2017 indicates losses have been falling – but still to EUR76 million.…
MEPs CALL FOR TIGHTENING COMMISSION’S SINGLE-USE PLASTICS PROPOSAL
ALL plastic bottle caps and lids put on the European Union (EU) market must contain at least 25% recycled content by 2025, Belgian Liberal MEP Frédérique Ries, has proposed as lead negotiator, for the European Parliament’s environment committee, on the European Commission’s controversial single-use plastics (SUP) proposal.…
SHIPPING SWITCHES ON TO BATTERY POWER
REGULATORY and other pressures are behind a recent international surge in construction of electric vessels.
Using battery-electric power instead of traditional fuels such as marine diesel to drive a ship’s propulsion and/or operate its equipment can reduce greenhouse gases and lessen health, safety and environmental risks, particularly when vessels are in or near port.…
PAKISTAN’S TEXTILE SECTOR MULLS OVER SHIFTING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY TO CUT COST OF DOING BUSINESS
PAKISTAN’s textile sector is gearing up to shift to solar and other renewable energy to combat the effects of escalating power costs which have rendered their businesses uncompetitive in the region.
Reon Energy, which is part of Dawood Hercules Group, based in Karachi, has recently completed the installation of a one megawatt solar project at Kohinoor Textile Mills Limited (KTML), in the Punjab province.…
HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE NORDIC’S PAINTS AND COATINGS INDUSTRY AND MARKET
CONSUMERS in Nordic countries commonly prefer quality environment-friendly products and the paint and coatings sector is no exception.
Denmark is a case in point, being home to major Hempel A/S, which launched its advanced water-based technology range of decorative paints under the Crown Trades brand in January 2017, group president and CEO Henrik Andersen told PPCJ.…
MUCH DELAYED BERLIN BRANDENBURG WILLY BRANDT (BER) AIRPORT IS RUNNING OUT OF MONEY
THE LONG-delayed Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport (BER) is still under construction and the project may need another EUR500. However, no decision has been made about where the money will be sourced and two of the airport’s major shareholders (the states of Berlin and Brandenburg – 37% each) do not want to use further public funds.…
EU SPLIT ON AIRLINE COMPETITION BILL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) parliamentarians and governments are split over an airline competition proposal ahead of crucial negotiations this autumn. The Council of Ministers, representing EU governments, and European Parliament go into three-way negotiations – known as ‘trilogues’ – with the executive European Commission that put forward the proposal on safeguarding competition in air transport in June 2017.…
BULGARIA'S DIGITAL PRINT INDUSTRY AIMING AT WORKING IT TOP BRANDS IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR
EASTERN Europe offers some significant advantages as regards digital fabric printing – it has a high skilled workforce, reliable utilities and transport, access to western European markets, and comparatively low wages.
Its fabric producers also look for technological niches that allow them to compete with Asian manufacturers on quality and western European companies on cost – and digital textile printing as a result is popular.…
DISTRIBUTED POWER GENERATION WITH STORAGE CAN ASSIST RENEWABLES GROWTH BUT FACES OBSTACLES
GROWTH of distributed renewable power generation with storage is set to pick up significantly in key global regions of demand for electricity. Quantifying its impact on the rate at which renewables will capture share in the energy mix is made difficult by its often-hidden nature, but some utilities and energy policy makers are starting to get to grips with the challenge – the eventual results will be of interest to oil and gas marketers.…
CO2 TARGET POLITICAL BATTLE LOOMS AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
A BATTLE is looming at the European Parliament over amendments to a proposed European Union (EU) regulation on CO2 targets for cars and vans, with left wingers calling for tougher limits, and the centre-right seeking to ease the auto sector’s burden.…
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.…
EU-MEXICO TRADE AGREEMENT WILL BOOST PORK EXPORTS TO MEXICO
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Mexico have agreed, on April 21 in Brussels, a momentous revised trade deal meaning 99% of products will be traded duty-free, and potentially substantially increasing the EU’s pork exports to Mexico. Under the agreement, which will replace a year 2000 trade deal – there will be duty-free trade for virtually all pork products, where customs duties now range up to 20%.…
BIOMETRICS TECH DEVELOPING FAST – BUT WILL IT BE SUFFICIENTLY SECURE, RELIABLE AND USER FRIENDLY?
When Apple Inc released its iPhone X in November 2017, it took about a week until news broke that Vietnamese security firm Bkav cracked the phone’s revolutionary facial recognition security lock, Face ID, with a composite mask of 3D-printed plastic, silicone, makeup and simple paper cut-outs.…
INNOVATION SHOWCASES THE KEY AS COSMOPROF KEEPS EXPANDING
THE ORGANISERS of Italy’s premier beauty trade fair, Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna, are claiming a record number of visitors and international buyers attending this year’s 51st edition of the event from March 15-19. Exceeding the 250,000 visitors from last year’s Cosmoprof, attending foreign buyers, distributors and retail representatives grew 11% in 2018, year-on-year.…
VIETNAM TEXTILE INDUSTRY SHOULD BUY NEW MACHINERY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF EU TRADE DEAL, SAY EXPERTS
VIETNAMESE textile manufacturers should invest in new machinery so they can take advantage of the incoming free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) say German trade and industry representatives.
Germany’s Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (Verband Deutscher Maschinen-und Anlagenbau (VDMA) expects the forthcoming EU-Vietnam free trade agreement (EVFTA) to lift Vietnamese garment exports to the EU with the help of more imported machinery to boost textile production.…
WILL BREXIT LOOSEN UK AML CONTROLS? EXPERTS ARE DIVIDED
WILL Brexit increase money laundering through the UK, or will the British government’s October 2017 Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill (SAMLB) and the UK money laundering regulations 2017 adequately replace the European Union’s (EU) anti-money laundering directives (AMLD)?
British Labour member of the European Parliament (MEP) Claude Moraes has his doubts.…
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.…
DEFERRED PROSECUTION AGREEMENTS GROW IN IMPORTANCE IN AML SECTOR
DEFERRED Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), that allow companies and individuals that admit to wrongdoing and cooperate with investigators and avoid prosecution, are becoming increasingly common worldwide, including for money laundering offences. The systems are particularly useful sticks to force erring financial and other corporate institutions to improve their anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism systems (AML/CFT), with prosecuting agencies deferring criminal cases on condition of sustained AML/CFT reforms.…
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.…
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.…
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ESSENTIAL BEFORE MAKING ADAS MANDATORY, SAY EXPERTS
AUTOMATIC driver assistance systems (ADAS) for vehicles should only be obligatory if they aid road safety, automobile experts told wardsauto this week, as the issue is considered during an ongoing review of European Union (EU) automobile safety rules.
The EU’s executive body, the European Commission, is currently revising the 28 country bloc’s regulation on type-approval requirements for the general safety of motor vehicles (EC No 661/2009).…
EU COUNCIL DECISION TO DROP EIGHT COUNTRIES FROM TAX HAVEN BLACKLIST UNDER FIRE
EUROPEAN UNION (EU) finance ministers have agreed to remove eight jurisdictions, including much-criticised Panama that gave the world the ‘Panama Papers’ scandal, from the bloc’s tax haven blacklist, only a month after it was created.
A EU Council of Ministers statement said this decision, which has now been slated by members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and environmentalists, followed “commitments made” by the listed jurisdictions “to remedy EU concerns”.…
DEMAND FOR INNOVATIVE AERONAUTICAL TEXTILES DRIVEN BY LIGHTWEIGHTING DEMAND TO REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS
THE FUTURE of materials in this carbon-averse world is all about lightweighting. But quality and safety must be maintained. Nowhere is this truer than with the aerospace textiles segment, where durability, toughness and flexibility is allied with low weights, of importance when civil aviation operators are under pressure to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.…
DAIRY SECTOR KEEPS BOOSTING CONTAMINATION CHECKS TO MINIMISE RISK OF FOOD HEALTH PROBLEMS
DAIRY products sold in Europe, a regional market where high standards of food safety apply, continue to be contaminated with plastics, glass, chemicals, biological matter and other materials. This is despite the fact that European food producers and authorities have zero risk as their ultimate goal, sector experts and the European Union (EU) regulators admit.…
NEW TECHNOLOGY TAPPING BUILDINGS FOR POWER GENERATION
COATINGS technologies are proving to be an effective way of boosting the energy efficiency of building as well as aiding renewable energy systems that are integrated into their fabric. Research and development on such technologies are inspiring innovation academia and industry, noted a paper from the Indian Institute of Technology, in Patna, where authors Anup Kumar Keshri and M. …
NEW TECHNOLOGY TAPPING BUILDINGS FOR POWER GENERATION
COATINGS technologies are proving to be an effective way of boosting the energy efficiency of building as well as aiding renewable energy systems that are integrated into their fabric. Research and development on such technologies are inspiring innovation academia and industry, noted a paper from the Indian Institute of Technology, in Patna, where authors Anup Kumar Keshri and M. …
CHINA INNER CITIES GET NEW LICK OF PAINT AS MIGRANT WORKERS FLUSHED OUT OF BEIJING
A ROBUST Chinese government-backed internal migration policy, forcing hundreds-of-thousands of migrant workers from Beijing through mass demolitions of buildings ruled to be unregulated or unsafe has – unexpectedly – boosted China’s provincial paint markets.
Many labourers who had been painting city apartments and offices have left – increasing decoration prices in the capital and pushing these services into smaller cities as migrants move home or move to cities where such population control policies are absent.…
NONWOVEN RESEARCHERS LOOK TO PROVIDE CLEANER AIR IN CARS, WHILE REDUCING EXHAUST EMISSIONS
THE AUTOMOTIVE sector is a hotbed of growth for industrial performance materials like nonwovens. And the global market for such materials have the potential to cross the EUR2 billion mark soon, according to Germany-based Freudenberg Performance Materials Holding SE & Co KG.…
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.…
MALTA’S FAILINGS ON MONEY LAUNDERING UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT
The murder of graft-busting journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta on October 16 focused the world’s attention on the tiny Mediterranean tax haven and its failure to combat money laundering and corruption.
But even before the murder, Malta was under fire for its shortcomings in tackling money laundering.…
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.…
OLIVER MIRZA, CEO DR OETKER INDIA, SAYS HIS COMPANY WILL MAINTAIN STRATEGY OF PROMOTING ENJOYABLE FOOD
High on the agenda of Dr Oetker India managing director and chief executive officer Oliver Mirza is making India a major production hub, not just for manufacturing packaged foods scoring sales in India’s growing markets, but also for exports.
In a wide-ranging interview with just-food on the sidelines of the India Food Forum, staged in Mumbai last month (January 17-19), Mirza said that by 2020, Dr Oetker India was targeting sales of Indian Rupees INR10 billion (USD155 million) of which its sub-brand FunFoods will account for INR5 billion (USD 77.50 million).…
FRAPORT ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT PLANS FOR KAVALA AIRPORT, GREECE
GERMAN airport operator Fraport has announced a new EUR10 million development plan for Kavala International Airport, which serves eastern Macedonia and Thrace in northern Greece. Fraport Greece CEO Alexander Zinell said Fraport would upgrade the existing terminal, expanding it by 2,000 square metres, installing a new baggage handling system while remodelling and expanding its fire station.…
WESTERN COUNTRIES INTRODUCING DPAS 25 YEARS AFTER USA – BUT CAUTION ABOUNDS IN ROLL-OUT
DEFERRED Prosecution Agreements (DPAs), that allow companies and individuals that admit to wrongdoing and cooperate with investigators to pay a fine and avoid prosecution, are becoming increasingly common worldwide. Enabling wrongdoers to avoid being debarred from bidding for many contracts and providing law enforcers with a commitment that companies and individual fraudsters will avoid fraud in future, DPAs offer benefits for police and suspects.…
NEW CONSUMER HABITS CONTINUE TO SHAKE UP ITALY’S BPC MARKET
MERGERS and acquisitions are always motors of change in the beauty and personal care product sector, and 2017 saw some significant shifts in the key Italian industry. Important acquisitions designed to extend product portfolios and boost market share included the move by Lombardy-based global leader in colour make-up and skincare Intercos to acquire leading contract manufacturer of skin-, hair- and body-care, Cosmint. …
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.…
PAKISTAN MICRO-FINANCE CORPORATION SPREADS GOOD BUSINESS PRACTICE AS WELL AS MONEY TO SMALL TRADERS
PAKISTAN’S economy is growing and becoming increasingly formal, with banking rates on the rise, so groundbreaking micro-finance is a key part of this economic modernisation.
The Pakistan Microfinance Investment Company (PMIC) is part of this change – it not a standard micro-finance lender: it finances other micro-finance organisations.…
CAP REFORM MUST NOT DAMAGE SINGLE MARKET, SAY DAIRY EXPERTS
REFORMS now under discussion for European Union (EU) dairy subsidies and controls under the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) must keep the internal market intact, dairy industry experts have told Dairy Industries International. Their comments follow the European Parliament giving a ‘first reading’ vote in principle on December 12, to EU agricultural financial spending rules within a so-called ‘omnibus’ finance regulation.…
EU COUNCIL ADOPTS CONTROVERSIAL MONEY LAUNDERING AND TAX FRAUD BLACKLIST
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers today (December 5) adopted a money laundering blacklist, bringing widespread criticism because the listing – designed to prevent tax fraud and evasion – only covers countries outside the 28-nation bloc. Despite the European Commission screening 92 jurisdictions worldwide, the final list of non-cooperative jurisdictions in taxation matters only contains 17 jurisdictions: American Samoa, Bahrain, Barbados, Grenada, Guam (another US territory), South Korea, Macau (a China special administrative region), the Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Namibia, Palau, Panama, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Trinidad & Tobago, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).…
SOUTH AFRICA’S DIVERSE BEAUTY MARKET BECOMES MORE SOPHISTICATED AND DEMANDING FOR BRANDS
WITH natural beauty product sales increasing in many countries of the world, it is maybe not a surprise to hear that this is happening in Africa’s most sophisticated market – South Africa. Research indicates that the use by South African personal care product companies of phytochemicals, naturally occurring biologically active compounds in plants and algae, in formulations and plastic packaging, is on the rise.…
PARADISE PAPERS WILL DECREASE ATTRACTIVENESS OF OFFSHORE ACCOUNTS, CLAIM EXPERTS
THE RECENT Paradise Papers scandal should lead to more regulation of the offshore sector and corporate secrecy, experts have told Commercial Crime International. This should make tax evasion harder, even if many of the embarrassing revelations in the leak were technically legal.…
WARNING CORRUPT COULD USE LOOPHOLES REVEALED IN PARADISE PAPERS
Transparency International and European Parliament members are warning that the latest tax dodge revelations unveiled by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists show where criminals could exploit loopholes for corruption and money laundering. Published November 5, the so-called ‘Paradise Papers’ stem from 13.4 million files leaked to German newspaper ‘Süddeutsche Zeitung’ and include financial data showing how the British monarchy, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton and rock star Bono, among others, have minimised their taxes through offshore tax gambits.…
METAL INDUSTRY GIVES CAUTIOUS WELCOME TO NEW ANTI-DUMPING RULES
THE EUROPEAN metals industry has reacted positively to the European Parliament’s endorsement, on November 15 at a Strasbourg plenary meeting, of new European Union (EU) anti-dumping rules which are scheduled to come into force early next year.
However, sector representatives cautioned this week that while the proposals, first presented by the European Commission in November 2016, were stronger and clearer than past rules for erecting such protective duties, “the proof is in the pudding”.…
QATAR STAND OFF HIGHLIGHTS GULF FAILINGS OVER COUNTER-TERROR FINANCE CONTROLS
THE FIVE month-long diplomatic and commercial dispute between Qatar and the so-called ‘anti-terror quartet – ATQ’ of Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Egypt) continues and revolves around Doha’s alleged financial support for terrorist groups.…
MINISTERS AND MEPS MAY SCRAP BRITISH-HELD ETS EMISSIONS PERMITS AHEAD OF BREXIT
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states and the European Parliament may decertify EU emissions trading system (ETS) allowances held by British companies from January 1, 2018, to protect the integrity of the ETS from a possible hard Brexit.
An amendment to ETS rules has been proposed by German Christian Democrat MEP Peter Liese, who is concerned UK energy, transport and other businesses will dump their allowances on the market, if it looks like the British government may fail to negotiate a transitional agreement over quitting the EU.…
TECHNOLOGIES TRANSFORM WASTED MILK INTO DRESSES AND UNDERWEAR
IT has now been six years since the German entrepreneur Anke Domaske has been turning waste cow milk into dresses. Her business, QMILK, is based on manufacturing textile fibre from milk protein, casein, transforming raw milk that while not suitable for human consumption, is also “100% natural and from verified suppliers.”…
GERMAN CARMAKERS FACE USD58.3 BILLION FINES OVER CARTEL
THE GERMAN car industry could be facing fines totalling EUR50 billion (USD58.3 billion) from European Union (EU) anti-trust authorities investigating allegations of a long-running cartel, experts fear. And with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz producer Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen all being investigated on allegations they were neck deep in a collusion deal dubbed ‘Das Kartell’, the resulting fines could prompt a permanent change in how the German auto industry works, said one specialist.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – CHINA SUGAR DUTIES CHALLENGED AT WTO
CHINA’S imposition of temporary safeguard duties to protect its sugar industry have been challenged at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), with sugar giant Brazil arguing Beijing’s tariffs break global commerce rules. In a signal that Brazil might be considering launching a disputes case against China, diplomats for the South American country told a WTO safeguards committee meeting that the duties broke the WTO agreement on safeguards and the general agreement on tariffs and trade (GATT). …
DEFENDING AGAINST HACKS STILL PREVALENT AS IoT POSES NEW THREAT WITH NEW TWISTS ON OLD RISKS
CONSIDER for a moment the long list of items hacked in spectacular fashion for the edification of those who descended on Las Vegas this summer for the annual BlackHat and DEFCON security events: voting machines, ‘smart’ safes, cars, guns, car washes, infusion pumps and radioactivity sensors.…
THREE SENTENCED IN USD20 MILLION BERTLING ANGOLA OIL CASE
Three former senior employees of German logistics giant the FH Bertling group were sentenced at London’s Southwark Crown Court on October 20 for their part in a USD20 million Angola oil corruption case. Joerg Blumberg, Dirk Juergensen and Marc Schweiger, respectively the former group CFO, managing director of the UK subsidiary and manager responsible for the Africa market, each received a 20-month sentence, suspended for two years; a GBP20,000 fine, payable within three months, with a one-year default sentence for non-payment; and were disqualified from being company directors for five years.…
GERMAN APPETITE GROWS FOR BEAUTY INDIVIDUALISATION AND NATURAL INGREDIENTS
Millennial consumers – the key driver of demand in today’s personal care product market – love personalisation, customisation and ‘do it yourself’ lines, and maybe nowhere more than in Germany. This ‘maker movement’ trend has inspired Cosnova, the Sulzbach, Hesse-based producer of cosmetic brands such as essence, Catrice and L.O.V.,…
VEGAN MAKEUP BECOMING MAINSTREAM IN THE UAE
THE UNITED Arab Emirates (UAE) has long been a fertile ground for colour cosmetics brands thanks to its large young population (its median age is just over 30) and the presence of image conscious consumers. Despite the pressure of rising costs and fierce competition among brands, the country’s colour cosmetics market experienced moderate growth in 2017 compared to 2016, increasing an estimated 4% in value terms to reach Emirati Dirham AED1.1 billion (USD299.4 million), according to market researcher Euromonitor International.…
MAJOR HACKING CONFERENCES HEAR WARNING ABOUT PROLIFERATION OF ACCESS PORTALS FOR CYBER ATTACKS
EVERY year, two major hacking conferences are staged in Las Vegas, USA – DEFCON and BlackHat – where cutting edge intelligence on cyber-risks are presented. This year, experts warned that net connectivity growing, the number of access points for hackers is growing.…
CHINESE MILLENNIALS FAVOUR COLOURS, EYEING HIGH PRICE TAGS
WHEN looking at the future of the mainland China beauty market, the key demographic for brands to look to are Chinese millennials. Not only are they young and so have years of shopping ahead of them, they are prepared to spend generously on high-end personal care products.…
SAUDI ARABIA’S SPA MARKET SPURRED BY HOSPITALITY BOOM
In a socially-reserved country such as Saudi Arabia where entertainment options are mostly limited to shopping and cafes – the opening of spas and beauty salons offer another avenue for leisure and recreation.
According to market research company Euromonitor International, Saudi Arabia’s spa market was valued at Saudi Arabian Riyals SAR275 million (USD73.3 million) in 2017, growing by 7% over 2016.…
MYANMAR-EU GARMENT EXPORTS MOUNTING
The European Union (EU) has become the largest importer of Myanmar garments, purchasing almost as much from the country in 2016 as the next two largest destinations combined, according to United Nations trade data.
“It’s been quite a swift development, but we had to work hard to earn it,” said Khine Khine Nwe, general secretary of the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers Association, noting that the EU was the third largest buyer in 2014 and second in 2015.…
CRIME AGENCY TO PROBE UK AZERBAIJANI LAUNDROMAT LINKS
British Prime Minister Theresa May is to ask the National Crime Agency (NCA) to investigate UK companies’ role in a USD2.9 billion Azerbaijan money laundering scandal, unveiled in a September 4 report from the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), based on data leaked to Danish newspaper ‘Berlingske’.…
UAE’S IMAGE-CONSCIOUS SOCIETY KEEPS COSMETIC SERVICE PROVIDERS BUSY
A YOUNG population with high disposable incomes coupled with a booming medical tourism sector has created an ongoing demand for cosmetic procedures in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Dubai especially dominates this important market, being a global luxury-centric city with world-class medical infrastructure.…
JAPAN FACES SPA EXPANSION CHALLENGES DUE TO SHRINKING POPULATION
JAPAN’S spa and beauty salon markets are well developed and established, undoubtedly a reflection of the country’s well-known traditions of cleanliness and looking good. Being well-established has arguably made further expansion and growth in the sectors more challenging, while Japan’s shrinking birth rate and population do not bode well for longer-term expansion.…
EXPERTS QUESTION THE CRITERIA FOR SELECTIVE DISTRIBUTION OF A COSMETICS' SUPPLIER
INTERNATIONAL US-based luxury cosmetics supplier Coty might have strengthened the rights of brands to control how third-party retailers sell and portray their products in a precedent-setting case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ).
An advocate general of the European Union’s (EU) top court has argued in a formal opinion that EU law allows brands authority over these sales, even being able to prevent purchases, if they dislike how online and traditional bricks-and-mortar stores present their image.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY NEWS ROUND UP – EU/CHINA GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS DEAL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and China have struck a geographical indications deal preventing the names of 100 traditional food and drink items from either jurisdiction being used by manufacturers based outside their historic production regions or following standardised production techniques. Without complaints from manufacturers, the agreement will be formalised later this year.…
INDIA’S HERITAGE FOODS CHOOSES FRENCH PARTNER FOR MAJOR YOGHURT PLANT
India’s Heritage Foods and France’s Novandie will be investing Indian Rupees INR160 million (USD2.5 million) in building a yoghurt manufacturing facility in Maharashtra as part of a 50-50 joint venture. “The plant would be set up in western region, in the vicinity of Mumbai or Pune and will start production next year (2018),” a company spokesperson told just-food.…
NETHERLANDS INCREASES CONTROLS ON FIPRONIL-TAINTED EGGS
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA – Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit) is acting to protect European consumers from buying Dutch-produced eggs contaminated with fipronil, a toxic insecticide, a spokesperson has told just-food. “We have printed a list of 137 egg codes from the 180 companies [a fifth of all Dutch poultry farms] investigated, so consumers can check if they have the right or wrong eggs in their fridge.”…
BANGLADESH GARMENT EXPORTERS FEEL THE PAIN OF EU CARGO BAN
BANGLADESH’S apparel makers have heaved a sigh of relief following a government announcement that it has received new explosives–detecting equipment for Dhaka airport, which the industry hopes will persuade the European Union (EU) to lift a direct flight air cargo ban. …
GERMANY’S PARTNERSHIP FOR SUSTAINABLE TEXTILES IS LOSING MEMBERS
A GERMAN initiative designed to boost sustainability in the clothing and textile sector has been losing members, but a senior manager has told just-style it will continue working hard to extend its influence and would fix operation problems.
The Partnership for Sustainable Textiles, set up in 2014 by Germany’s federal ministry for economic cooperation and development, has seen members fall from 188 at the beginning of this year to 148 at present.…
NETHERLANDS DENIES PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE OF FIPRONIL CONTAMINATION
CLAIMS by the Belgian authorities today (August 9) that the Netherlands knew about eggs contaminated with the toxic insecticide fipronil as early as last year are false, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA – Nederlandse Voedsel- en Warenautoriteit) has affirmed.…
EU HARMONISED RULES NEEDED TO ASSESS SAFETY OF COATINGS AND VARNISHES, EXPERTS SAY
THE EUROPEAN Commission should do more to ensure stricter safety rules for coatings and varnishes coming into contact with food, industry experts have told Polymers Paint Colour Journal (PPCJ), following MEPs’ calls for European Union (EU)-wide measures last October.
Indeed, the European Union (EU) industry group CEPE (the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colour Industry) has said: “An agreed harmonised protocol for risk assessment is urgently required,” agreed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Commission, EU member states and Europe’s paint and coatings industry.…
CHINA’S SAIC LOOKS ABROAD TO EXPAND SALES AS DOMESTIC MARKET GROWTH TAILS OFF
CHINESE customers bought 28 million vehicles in 2016, up 7.3% from 2015, which saw a year-on-year growth of 4.7%, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. However, such sales were largely stimulated by tax incentives released by the Chinese government in 2015 to encourage the sales of low-emission cars.…
EGYPT’S LOCAL PRODUCTION SUPPORT FAILS TO GAIN SUPPORT – AND IS NOW UNDER REVIEW
THE EGYPTIAN government has said it will use German consultants to fine tune a planned subsidy system benefiting Egypt-based assemblers who source parts domestically. The goal of the ministry of industry is to smooth concerns about the incentives at the European Commission, the European Union (EU) executive, which wants freer trade between the EU and Egypt and views Egyptian government plans to favour local parts sourcing as a trade barrier.…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS SUCCESSFULLY TEST BIOFUELS IN DISMOUNTED JET ENGINE
GERMAN researchers have been testing aviation biofuels on a dismounted CFM56 engine, used in Airbus and Boeing medium-haul aircraft, concluding they are both safe to use and reduce CO2 emissions compared to kerosene. They also tested 50/50 biofuel-kerosene blends at a test rig operated by airline research arm Lufthansa Technik, with similar positive results.…
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.…
GERMAN BANKS COMING TO TERMS WITH BIOMETRICS TO FIGHT COMMERCIAL CRIME TO FIGHT COMMERCIAL CRIME
Late last year (2018), Germany’s most-known hacker, Jan Krissler, aka Starbug, showed a video at December’s Chaos Communication Congress, in Leipzig, on how he has tricked vein matching scanners of Fujitsu and Hitachi as used in ATMs across Asia. The vulnerability was not sophisticated.…
PUSH ENGAGEMENT AND INNOVATION IN COMPANIES TO SUCCEED, CHINA CONFERENCE TOLD
A company without a solid corporate culture of employee engagement and innovation is not likely to achieve sustainable growth, an Asian human resources-focused conference in China has been told.
The conference ‘Leading into 2020’ held in Shanghai on June 22 by coaching service provider MindSpan heard from David Schoch, president of Ford Motor Company Asia Pacific: “A high engagement company is a vibrant company.…
EU AND JAPAN AUTO SECTORS WELCOME EUROPEAN-JAPANESE MAJOR TRADE DEAL, ALTHOUGH EUROPEAN CARMAKERS EXPRESS CAUTION
THE TRADE deal announced by the European Union (EU) and Japanese on July 6 that would cut tariffs and harmonise technical regulations has been welcomed by Japan and EU auto-makers – although the Europeans are expressing caution.
Brussels and Tokyo said they had stuck a “political agreement in principle” for an economic partnership agreement, that would phase out vehicle tariffs over seven years and bring regulatory convergence through a special auto annex. …
AML AI SYSTEMS NEED ACCESS TO BIG DATA TO BE REALLY EFFECTIVE, SAY EXPERTS
Greater collaboration between private sector organisations is the key to even greater use – and success – of artificial intelligence (AI) in combating money laundering, cross-sector experts believe.
Specialists from banking and finance, compliance, the legal profession, law enforcement and AI developers all concur that the most effective way forward in the ongoing anti-money laundering (AML) battle is to increase the amount of shared data.…
HONG KONG STARTUP AIMS TO BEAT TESLA ON EV
A Taiwan-listed, Hong Kong-based electric vehicle startup – Thunder Power – today (Friday) proclaimed an ambitious goal for the future – to make the most desirable EV in China.
“An obvious difference between us and Tesla is we have the key technologies before actually investing in manufacturing,” Wellen Sham, Thunder Power CEO, told wardsauto at a launch event in Shanghai.…
EU ORGANIC FARMING REGULATION
NEXT Monday (June 12) will see a meeting of European Union (EU) agriculture ministers in Luxembourg to decide if negotiations can continue on the much-debated reform of the EU organic farming regulation ((EC) No. 1235/2008).
Adopted by the European Commission in March 2014, the reform proposals aim to remove obstacles to organic production by introducing certificates to cut operators’ costs, to avoid fraud and to regain consumer confidence by restricting organic products containing forbidden substances.…
TÖNNIES AND IDAVANG INVESTMENT PLANS COULD SIGNAL FUTURE FOREIGN MEAT INVESTMENT IN RUSSIA, SAY OFFICIALS
Global meat majors including Germany’s Tönnies Denmark’s Danish Idavang are planning to invest in major Russian projects – government officials say the scale of Russia’s 144 million market could be overcoming reluctance by overseas players to develop Russian operations because of its economic recession and sanctions.…
EBRD BANKER JAILED FOR TAKING USD3.5 MILLION IN US BRIBES
A banker with the London-based European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) has been jailed for six years by London’s Old Bailey Central Criminal Court of England and Wales on June 20 for taking USD3.5 million in bribes from a consultant, plus two years for money laundering to run concurrently.…
CHINA OPENS UP FOR COACHING, BUT PRACTICE STILL LARGELY FOCUSED ON MULTINATIONALS
China may have more coaches than ever, with the majority of them serving multinationals only, the expansion of the profession is still limited, a Shanghai conference has been told.
“China’s coaching industry will only take off when local companies embrace coaching, Garry Wang, CEO of the coaching service provider MindSpan, said at a two–day leadership coaching conference entitled ‘Leading into 2020’ held in Shanghai on June 22-23.…
NEW ETHIOPIA MAJOR AIR CARGO CENTRE OPENS THIS SUMMER
Ethiopia airlines, the largest cargo carrier in Africa, is close to completing its cargo terminal expansion as part of a major infrastructure upgrade at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport, serving the Ethiopian capital.
Ethiopian Airlines, with its fleet of two Boeing 757Fs and six Boeing 777Fs, requested the new facility to accommodate increased volume growth and transit traffic.…
AIRBUS SETS UP PANEL TO PROBE CONSULTANT BRIBE CHARGES
Aerospace giant Airbus has announced (Monday, May 22) that it has set up a high-level Independent Compliance Review Panel (ICRP) to probe self-reported bribery and corruption charges involving consultants hired to win British subsidies for export contracts. The panel, which Airbus said “will have access to all levels of the company,” is composed of France’s Noëlle Lenoir, a member of the Conseil d’Etat (France’s highest constitutional court) since 1984, former German finance minister Theo Waigel and British Conservative peer Lord Gold, all “well-versed in compliance monitoring of large corporations.”…
EUROPE’S MILK PRODUCTION REDUCTION MIGHT HAVE BEEN REALISED WITHOUT EU SUPPORT SCHEME, SAYS INDUSTRY
THE EUROPEAN Commission has not been shy about claiming that its intervention in 2016 and this year into the European Union (EU) dairy sector has helped stabilise prices and brought balance to the market. However, EU dairy associations are more sceptical and wonder whether demand and supply was already moving in the right direction.…
SOUTH KOREA AUTOMOTIVE COATINGS SHED ENVIRONMENTAL FOOTPRINT
While South Korea has not yet ratified the UN’s Paris Agreement dealing with greenhouse gas emissions, its important automobile industry has been making serious commitments to green practices, including the transition from solvent-based to waterborne coatings.
According to New Jersey, US-based coatings consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, the South Korean passenger car and light vehicle coating market involved supplies of 60,000 tonnes in 2016, and these are becoming increasingly environment-friendly: about one-quarter of basecoats sold are now waterborne.…
EU MEMBER STATES VOTE TO RETAIN EUROPEAN TYPE APPROVAL POWERS IN HANDS OF NATIONAL REGULATORS
European Union (EU) member states have pushed back against more centralised control of type approvals by the bloc’s executive European Commission in a vote yesterday (Monday, May 29) in Brussels. The EU Council of Ministers, which represents EU governments, instead approved a “general approach” of principles, which would beef up cooperation between national authorities – but not give the Commission more power.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANNOUNCES FIVE INNOVATIVE GAS INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it is spending EUR17.3 million on five projects promoting innovative gas-related infrastructure projects in Europe. The money will come from the European Union’s (EU) Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), a funding programme designed to create economic growth, jobs and competitiveness through targeted infrastructure investment.…
EU REGULATORY ROUND UP – PAINTS AND COATINGS SELLERS FACE JUNE 1 EU LABELLING AND PACKAGING COMPLIANCE DEADLINE
EUROPEAN Union (EU) paint and coatings companies and their retailers have been warned products on sale from June 1 must be classified, labelled and packaged in line with the EU classification, labelling and packaging (CLP) regulation (1272/2008). If not, they will have to be reclassified, repackaged and labelled or withdrawn from the market, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has said, noting that this deadline “marks the end of the transitional period for labelling mixtures.”…
MEPS REJECT MONEY LAUNDERING BLACKLIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES
The European Parliament’s committee on economic and monetary affairs (ECON) and its committee on civil liberties, justice and home affairs (LIBE) have rejected a proposed blacklist of non-European Union (EU) jurisdictions deemed to be high risk locations for money laundering. In a joint vote on Wednesday (May 3), the committees asked the full European Parliament plenary to confirm their opposition to the list.…
EIB AND EBRD LEND EURO 467 MILLION TO FRAPORT CONSORTIUM TO IMPROVE 14 GREEK AIRPORTS
GREECE is to benefit from nearly EUR500 million’s worth of financing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) to finance regional airports whose concessions were approved as complying with European Union (EU) competition law in March.…
MEXICO FACES USA TRADING UNCERTAINTY – BUT PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR REMAINS OPTIMISTIC
THE DIFFICULTIES that have surged in the diplomatic relations between the Mexican government and the new US administration of President Donald Trump have increased uncertainty within the Mexican personal care product market and industry.
With Mexico facing US demands to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), with the risk of the US imposing temporary safeguard duties on Mexican exports to protect American manufacturers, companies in Mexico are seeking to boost domestic consumption.…
BULGARIA - CORRUPTION RIDDLES GOVERNMENT AND JUDICIARY, ACTIVISTS WARN
Investing and doing business in Bulgaria is not for the faint-hearted. Overseas companies are not only likely to encounter a few rotten and corrupt business partners, but rather systemic bribery, tough access to financing, policy instability, and an inefficient government and judicial system.…
BELGIAN AND ITALIAN CONSUMER ASSOCIATIONS CLAIM VW IS STILL FAILING ON EMISSIONS
German carmaker Volkswagen and one of its brands Audi both have downplayed allegations from two European consumer organisations that they still are cheating on nitrogen oxides (NOx) tailpipe emissions. Italy’s Altroconsumo and sister organisation Belgium’s Test-Achats, on April 11 published the same tests results, which both Volkswagen and Audi have rejected, claiming the organisations should release more test data to prove their cases.…
CAR PART SUPPLIERS WILL PROMOTE AUTOMATED DRIVING, EU INDUSTRY EVENT TOLD
EUROPEAN Union (EU) automotive suppliers are accelerating innovation in connected and automated driving (CAD), industry experts told the April 25 policy debate on ‘Safe, Sustainable, Smart Mobility’, organised by the European Association of Automotive Suppliers (CLEPA) in Brussels.
“Digitalisation is the most important transformation in the car industry,” said Violeta Bulc, the Commissioner for transport and mobility on the EU executive body, the European Commission.…
EU TEXTILE EXPORTS TO RUSSIA RISE, DESPITE DIPLOMATIC STANDOFF
EUROPEAN Union (EU) exports of textile products to Russia have stabilised, despite a sharp fall between 2014 and 2015, as diplomatic relations between Brussels and Moscow worsened amidst financial sanctions imposed on Russian companies and banks over the Ukraine crisis.
New figures passed to WTiN.com…
EU LAWMAKERS BACK REQUIREMENT TO TEST 20% OF ALL NEW MODELS FOR EMISSIONS RULE BREACHES
European Union (EU) lawmakers have voted for emission compliance checks on 20% of all new models already on EU roads to beat test cheats in type approval assessments. The European Parliament voted through the requirement on Tuesday (April 4) at its Strasbourg, France, plenary, in an amendment to proposals drafted by British Conservative MEP Daniel Dalton on a proposed law revamping the EU’s type approval system.…
OIL AND GAS SECTOR NOW WALKING THE TALK ON SUSTAINABILITY
The oil and gas industry is reshaping its strategies, practices and values as it responds to global agreements on climate change and sustainable development. The 2015 United Nations Paris Agreement on climate change and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – which came into effect in January 2016 – are prominent among global governance challenges driving change in the oil and gas industry, but pressure just keeps building.…
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.…
KINGPINS SHOW AMSTERDAM: MILLS AND CONSUMERS DRIVING INNOVATION AND DESIGN
This year’s Kingpins Show Amsterdam denim showcase heard that mills and consumers are driving technological innovation and design, rather than fashion houses. Recognition of the impact of social media on consumption; fabric wicking; as well as new blends and solutions devised to appeal to untapped consumer demands, were all highlighted.…
SOUTHERN INDIA FOOD MAJOR CONFIRMS GERMAN YOGHURT JOINT VENTURE PLAN
Hyderabad-based Heritage Foods plans to launch a German yogurt brand in India, the company has confirmed to just-food. “[Joint venture] negotiations are in an advance stage and [the formal] announcement will happen after one or one and a half months,” said a company spokesperson.…
VW CLOSE TO PAKISTAN TRUCK AND VAN ASSEMBLY DEAL, CLAIMS GOVERNMENT AGENCY
THE CHIEF executive of a major Pakistan government economic development agency has told wardsauto that Volkswagen has made significant progress in talks to establish new manufacturing production in this key south Asian market’s port city of Karachi. The latest fruit of the business-friendly policies pursued by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, “Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles is in final talks with Premier Systems Private Limited – the authorised importer of Audi vehicles in the country – to set up a manufacturing/assembly plant for its Amarok and T6 (transporter range) models and Volkswagen,” Tariq Ejaz Chaudhary, CEO of Pakistan’s Engineering Development Board told wardsauto.…
GERMAN COATINGS R&D CONTINUES TO LEAD THE WAY IN EUROPE
GERMANY’S paint and coatings companies, backed by the country’s formidable research organisation the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials (IFAM), are pushing forward with developing innovative environment-friendly products. They are developing water-based protective coatings, sustainable coatings, biocide-substituting microbial protection and radiation curing, among other initiatives in the search to develop new products. …
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). …
MEPs SAY COMMISSION MUST SET RULES ON DUE DILIGENCE FOR THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY
THE EUROPEAN Commission should bring forward legislation to enhance due diligence for supply chains in the garment sector, the European Parliament’s development committee said yesterday (March 21). MEPs backed a report by Spanish MEP Lola Sánchez Caldentey from the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) group which asked the Commission to propose a European Union (EU) law saying a binding reporting system should generate data linking each product to its respective producers.…
GREEN ENERGY EXPERTS PUSH TOWARDS HYDROGEN-POWERED COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS
DECARBONISING air travel is increasingly becoming a priority for the aviation sector. Indeed, the world’s first, fully hydrogen fuel cell-powered four-passenger aircraft with zero-emissions launched last October could be a game changer – as researchers now look to apply the technology to bigger planes.…
TECHNICAL TEXTILE DEVELOPMENT FAST-TRACKED BY PROACTIVE ASIAN GOVERNMENTS
ASIA’S technical textiles sectors continue to grow, fuelled by ready buyers in domestic and overseas markets, but governments can and do help too – keen to promote these sustainable high tech industries.
China is a case in point. Its industry and information technology ministry plus the National Development and Reform Commission in January (2017) jointly issued development guidance for technical textiles as part of China’s 13th Five-Year Plan, which runs from 2016-20.…
RETRIAL UPHOLDS LUXLEAKS WHISTLEBLOWER CONVICTIONS
The Luxembourg Court of Appeal has confirmed the June 2016 conviction of two whistleblowers in the infamous Luxleaks case that raised the lid on secret tax rulings between the grand duchy’s government and multinational companies. The court upheld the convictions of former PwC accounting firm employees Antoine Deltour and Raphaël Halet in the ruling on the two separate appeals, one brought by the two defendants, the other the Luxembourg prosecutor, which saw the original sentence as too lenient.…
COSMOPROF WOWS THE CROWDS WITH CELEBRATORY 50TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Italy’s premier beauty trade fair celebrated half a century this year in Bologna with a host of special events that ranged from an opening cocktail party on the fair grounds to a special dance performance held in the Bologna city centre.…
SOLAR COOKERS OFFER HIGHER LIVING STANDARDS FOR THE POOR AND MAJOR EMISSION REDUCTIONS
SOLAR power of course draws on a free renewable energy to create electricity, but a burgeoning sector is enabling the harnessing of heat for cooking, which can promote energy efficiency in all manner of climates – solar cookers.
Indian solar cooker innovator Deepak Gadhia and Julie Greene, executive director, Solar Cookers International (SCI), co-chaired a 6th SCI World Conference held in Gujarat, India, this January, that demonstrated how these technologies are entering the mainstream.…
CHINA ACCELERATING COATINGS R&D TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON FOREIGN PLAYERS
THE CHINESE coatings market has been dominated by foreign suppliers, especially in higher end and high-tech market segments, but this might well be changing gradually, as the country steps up its coatings research and development (R&D) efforts.
This new push reflects the national government’s shift in economic policy away from focusing on exports and wanting to generate an economy more based on domestic consumption.…
CORRESPONDENT BANK DERISKING IN THE MENA HEIGHTENS RISK OF FINANCIAL CRIME
DE-RISKING by US and European banks worried about falling foul of anti-money laundering (AML) laws has caused more than 80 Arab banks in the Middle East and North Africa to have lost their correspondent banking relationships over the past four years.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – CETA DEAL OFFERS BOOST TO EU FOOD AND DRINK EXPORTERS
EUROPEAN food and drink exporters will be preparing to boost exports through the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement between the European Union (EU) and Canada (CETA), which has been provisionally approved by the European Parliament.
The deal, whose duty reduction and quota expansion elements could apply from April (2017) will phase out nearly 99% of tariffs on all food and drink traded between the EU and Canada over the next seven years.…
RUSSIA INNOVATES TO SECURE NEW TEXTILE MACHINERY SUPPLIES
Deutsche Leasing Vostok, a member of German company Deutsche Leasing Group, has encouraged Russian textile manufacturers attending Russian Textile Week events, staged February 20-24 in Moscow, to lease rather than buy manufacturing equipment.
Deutsche Leasing Vostok representative Yulia Grukhanova told WTiN.com…
TECHNICIANS MOVE FORWARD IN HARNESSING AUTO ENGINE HEAT TO POWER ELECTRONICS
THE BENEFIT of thermoelectric materials (converting heat directly into electricity) is partly lost because of its low conversion yield, experts argue – meaning when thermoelectric generators try to capture waste heat from engines in vehicles to improve fuel economy – the gain is still minimal.…
TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR FACES UNCERTAIN TRADING TIMES AS TRUMP AND BREXIT REFORMS PLAY OUT
One month after staunch free-trade opponent Donald Trump became US President there are many policy decisions still to be confirmed and clarified to get a full idea of the impact his presidency will have on the trade in technical textiles. His accession comes during an unstable time for international trade – it is arguably even less clear how the UK’s planned exit from the EU will work out for the sector.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVED PUBLIC ASSISTANCE FOR GERMAN REGIONAL AIRPORTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved EUR35 million’s worth of regional investment aid to modernise Germany’s Saarbrücken Airport, whilst covering some operational expenses until 2019. Using its competition authority powers, Commission said the subsidies did not break European Union (EU) state aid rules because the investment would boost the local economy and Saarlanders’ mobility without unduly distorting competition.…
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.…
NEW CAP MUST GIVE DAIRY PRODUCERS ADEQUATE INCOME, EXPERTS AGREE
THE FUTURE Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) must ensure a fair price for primary producers, dairy experts told Dairy Industry International in initial comments following the European Commission’s launch of a 13-week public consultation on modernising and simplifying the CAP.…
SUNKISSED UAE IS GROWING MARKET FOR SUNCARE PRODUCTS
YEAR–round sunshine, a young population, and a large expatriate community have made the United Arab Emirates (UAE) a strategic destination for multinational suncare brands, which continue to dominate the local market.
According to London-based research company Euromonitor International, the UAE’s suncare market was valued at Emirati Dirham AED89.38 million (USD24.3 million) in 2016, up 4% compared to 2015.…
EU/WTO INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU CANADA CETA DEAL COULD BOOST TRANSATLANTIC CONFECTIONERY TRADE
THE TRADE in confectionery products between the European Union (EU) and Canada is likely to increase now the European Parliament has approved the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).
The vote – on February 15 (2017) – follows years of detailed negotiations and means that large sections of this trade deal can now come into force, maybe as early as April, as long as Canada stages its own vote in time.…
GERMAN PAINT AND COATINGS SECTOR SEES STEADY GROWTH AS AUTO INDUSTRY REMAINS STRONG
THE GERMAN paint and coatings industry is predicting that its sales will grow steadily in the coming year, as Europe’s largest economy continues its steady economic good fortunes.
The World Bank forecasts that 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth will be 1.6% and in 2018 it will be 1.5%.…
ICAO CLIMATE DEAL FOR AVIATION EMISSIONS FACING MAJOR CHALLENGES IN BRUSSELS AND WASHINGTON
Under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), which is voluntary from 2024 to 2026, then mandatory for all ICAO member states 2027 to 2035, apart from certain exemptions, airlines will buy emissions units representing 1 tonne of carbon dioxide (CO2) from green projects to offset excess CO2 above 2020 levels.…
CHINA’S STEADY DEMONSTRATES THE VALUE OF INVESTING IN R&D TO PRODUCE QUALITY WOOL FABRIC
AS many leading fashion brands are stepping up use of Australian Merino wool, Chinese fabric makers with a long track record of in-house research and development (R&D) into wool are finding themselves better positioned than latecomers to reap the fruits of this trend.…
NEW RECHARGING STATION COULD TRIGGER STEADY INCREASE IN HYBRID IMPORTS INTO PAKISTAN
PAKISTAN has launched its first public charging station for electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, paving the way for an anticipated increase in such eco-friendly cars on the country’s often crowded and polluted roads. The station, the first of its kind in south Asia, was inaugurated by Karachi-based auto importer and manufacturer Dewan Farooque Motors Ltd, (which also makes standard transmission Hyundai and Kia models), in conjunction with German auto maker BMW, which supplied the recharging technology.…
GERMAN PAINT AND COATINGS SECTOR SEES STEADY GROWTH AS AUTO INDUSTRY REMAINS STRONG
The German paint and coatings industry is predicting that its sales will grow steadily in the coming year, as Europe’s largest economy continues its steady economic good fortunes. The World Bank forecasts that 2017 gross domestic product (GDP) growth will be 1.6% and in 2018 it will be 1.5%.…
GEORGIAN BEER MAKER TO PRODUCE HEINEKEN UNDER LICENCE IN CAUCASUS
A GEORGIAN beer company is to make Dutch brands Heineken and Amstel under licence for its home market in the Caucasus at a new brewery, built and operated using a syndicated loan arranged by the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD).…
ICAO CLIMATE DEAL FOR AVIATION EMISSIONS FACING MAJOR CHALLENGES IN BRUSSELS AND WASHINGTON
October’s ground-breaking deal in the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to curb global aviation emissions growth after 2020 through a global market-based measure (GMBM) is facing major challenges in the months ahead to gain political acceptance in both the European Union (EU) and the United States.…
EMA SAYS RULES ON PHTHALATES IN MEDICINES WILL NOT BLOCK ESSENTIAL TREATMENTS
German pharma major Boehringer Ingelheim has called for and received reassurance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) that planned controls on the use of certain phthalates in pharmaceuticals will not lead to swift bans of products. It was commenting on draft EMA guidance on the use of phthalates as excipients in human medicines.…
TECHNICAL TEXTILE FIRMS BOOST COLD WEATHER-RELATED INNOVATION AS 2018 WINTER OLYMPICS APPROACHES
WINTER sportsmen and women are busy training for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, in South Korea, from next February 9 to 28 (2018), and part of their preparation will be securing the best clothing and footwear made from carefully drafted technical textiles.…
VW TO PAY USD2.8 BILLION FINE OVER DIESELGATE AS ITS EXECUTIVES ARE INDICTED BY AMERICAN COURTS
Volkswagen will plead guilty to three criminal charges in the USA, and pay a USD2.8 billion fine for selling around 590,000 diesel vehicles in America using a device to cheat emissions tests, while lying and obstructing justice to further the scheme.…
POLAND PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT MARKET GROWTH STILL ROBUST AND SUSTAINED
POLAND’S beauty and personal care market is fragmented, highly competitive and extremely price sensitive, but continues to grow faster than that of most other countries in central and eastern Europe. Poles spent about EUR3.6 billion (USD 3.85 billion) on cosmetics and personal care products in 2016, according to the latest estimates from London-based market research firm Euromonitor International.…
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.…
NIGERIA’S ESSENTIAL MALE GROOMING SALES GROW STEADILY, WITH NON-STAPLES BECOMING A NEW NICHE
NIGERIAN men are often pragmatic consumers who focus on essentials when buying grooming products, and indeed sales of daily staples such as toiletry, shaving and fragrance products have been growing phenomenally in west Africa’s economic powerhouse.
But personal care product companies should not ignore non-essential grooming products for men in Nigeria – it may be a niche, but market experts have told Cosmetics Business Markets that the potential of these sales should not be underestimated.…
CHINA BECOMES A HOTBED FOR COACHING
PROFESSIONAL coaching in China is starting to move into the mainstream, with the sector increasingly welcomed into businesses, whether foreign or locally-owned. Indeed, the Shanghai operation of the International Coach Federation witnessed a surge in coaching activities within mainland China’s most important commercial centre last year. …
SOUTH KOREAN COATINGS BUSINESS FACING INDUSTRY SEGMENT WEAKNESSES BUT GROWTH IN ECO-PAINTS
The South Korean coatings market, estimated by Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney Inc, a New Jersey, USA-based consulting firm for the polymer and chemical industries, at 840,000 tonnes worth USD3.5 billion in 2016, has been challenging for suppliers in 2016-17, as demand is affected by two opposite trends.…
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.…
CHINESE TEXTILE AND GARMENT SECTORS MOVING UP A GEAR THROUGH ‘MADE IN CHINA 2025’ POLICY
CHINA’S textile sector is feeling positive about the Chinese government’s ambitious ‘Made in China 2025’ national strategy, hoping it will guide producers towards sustainable growth.
The policy was unveiled in May 2015 by Chinese Premier Li Keqiang. It is designed to move the entire Chinese manufacturing sector away from low value-added activities to medium- and high-end operations in just 10 years’ time.…
VIETNAM TEXTILE AND GARMENT SECTORS STOMACHING TPP DISAPPOINTMENT
Textile and garment makers in Vietnam are overcoming the initial shock of US president-elect Donald Trump in late-October making clear he would issue an executive order to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) the day he takes office.
Vietnam, as one of the 12 TPP signatory countries, had been expected to gain greatly from the trade deal, as its garment exports would have earned 0% tariff treatment in the US market compared to a current average of 32%.…
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.…
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.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – SUGAR PRODUCERS WANT EU PROTECTION MAINTAINED, DESPITE TRADE DEAL TALKS
THE INTERNATIONAL Confederation of European Beet Growers (CIBE) and the European Association of Sugar Producers (CEFS-Comité Européen des Fabricants de Sucre) have jointly called on the European Union (EU) to continue protecting producers with import tariffs, even as the EU negotiates 12 trade deals affecting the food industry.…
TRUMPS PROMISE TO AXE TPP ON DAY ONE OF HIS PRESIDENCY PROMPTS WIDESPREAD NERVOUSNESS
THE PROMISE from US President-elect Donald Trump to withdraw the USA from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement on his first day of office has prompted widespread nervousness in auto-sectors around the world.
His rejection of the deal could scupper an agreement negotiated over five years by the United States; Australia; Brunei; Canada; Chile; Japan; Malaysia; Mexico; New Zealand; Peru; Singapore and Vietnam.…
COMPETENT CHINESE WOMEN SEEK LIFE-WORK ADVICES FROM COACHES
MAINLAND Chinese companies are mulling hiring female coaches to boost the productivity of their women staff.
China-based businesses are indeed hiring more female senior managers than in western countries. According to recruitment agency Hays, about 38% of senior managers in China are female, compared with 20% in the US and 16% in Germany. …
INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FOR AUDIT TO SURVIVE, EXPERTS TELL ACCA CONFERENCE
To keep pace with today’s global and interconnected world, auditors must move with the times, European experts told a high-level Brussels conference on November 16. Maggie McGhee, director of professional insights at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) – joint hosts of the ‘Future of Audit’ conference with assurance, tax and advisory services network Grant Thornton International, said: “Auditors need to adapt and constantly innovate.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT BACKS VAT ACTION PLAN TO TACKLE FRAUD
The European Parliament has backed a proposed value added tax (VAT) action plan in a November 24 vote, calling on European Union (EU) member states to fight the EUR50 billion-a-year lost within member states to VAT fraud “resolutely and jointly”. The report ‘Towards a definitive VAT system’ adopted last week calls for a better exchange of information between national tax authorities to avoid fraud and that the current 23-year-old EU VAT rules system (established as a preliminary system of collaboration between EU countries) to be simplified within a definitive permanent version.…
SOFTWARE SPECIALISTS OFFER CLOTHING BRANDS AND MANUFACTURERS POWERFUL SOFTWARE FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING AND OPERATIONS
Clothing brands and manufacturers wanting to maximise their financial performance are being offered an increasingly varied and sophisticated aware of software systems guiding their planning and operations.
US-based Centric Software Inc provided an update to its flagship PLM (product lifecycle management) solution in this summer, adding features to gain additional financial insight, perform deeper financial analyses and render information available offline, to further streamline planning, costing and quote management.…
DIESELGATE PROBE DRIVING EUROPEAN TYPE APPROVAL OVERHAUL
The year-long European Parliament investigation into the ‘dieselgate’ emissions fixing scandal, plus the shockwaves from the revelations themselves, are driving a sea-change in Europe’s type approval system. The European Union’s democratic assembly set up a Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) last December (2015) to probe EU compliance with emissions and type approval laws after it emerged that Volkswagen and probably other carmakers had used illegal defeat devices to cheat tests.…
GROWTH POTENTIAL IN NORTHERN GERMANY FOR DANISH ORGANIC MEAT
GERMANY is one of Denmark’s largest export markets for organic meat, but industry experts say there is still room for sales growth. A key target market is northern Germany, including the major city of Hamburg, given its close proximity to southern Denmark where the bulk of Danish organic farms are located. …
INDIA’S NEWLY GROWING WARP KNITTING INDUSTRY HAS GREAT POTENTIAL, SAY EXPERTS
INDIA’s domestic warp knitting sector is still small but the industry has “tremendous potential” to take global market share off China, an expert from the German textile machinery specialist, Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik GmbH told Knitting International.
In five years (2010-2015), India’s warp knitting machinery imports boomed – increasing “roughly 20 times more than the number imported in the preceding 16 years,” and are still growing, noted Ulrike Schlenker, head of corporate communication for Karl Mayer Textilmaschinenfabrik.…
EMPIC COMPUTERISES PILOT SCREENING IN GERMANY
AVIATION regulation software provider EMPIC has won a contract to provide an IT system operating and monitoring doctor assessments of civilian pilots. The German company has established a centralised database of medical checks, enabling regulators to ensure doctors are doing their jobs effectively, and preventing pilots who fail a check-up from living onto another medic to get a different result.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – ISO PLOTS COCOA SUSTAINABILITY STANDARD
THE INTERNATIONAL Organization for Standardization (ISO) has developed a series of standards designed to promote sustainability in the chocolate and cocoa sector, and wants industry input.
It has released drafts on the ISO 34101 series, on ‘sustainable and traceable cocoa beans’, and wants expert opinions on them, for submission by December 4.…
EUROPEAN BRANDS’ KNITTING MANUFACTURE LOOKS SET TO GO LOCAL IN FUTURE
KNITTING production is likely to move away from its long-time Chinese production base and move closer to “home”, Lutz Walter, secretary general of the European Technology Platform for the Future of Textiles and Clothing (ETP) – the largest European textiles research and innovations network – told Knitting International at the 12-13 October ‘European Textiles: Going Digital – Going High-Tech’ conference in Brussels.…
PEUGEOT ASSEMBLY PLANT LAUNCHED IN ETHIOPIA
An assembly line for French automotive company Peugeot (Groupe PSA) has opened in Ethiopia (July 1) in partnership with local firm, Mesfin Industrial Engineering (MIE). The new USD1.2 million facility is expected to assemble 1,200 vehicles-a-year for sale to Ethiopia’s growing car market and to neighboring countries Djibouti and Somalia.…
EU LAWMAKERS SPLIT OVER WAY FORWARD FOR TYPE APPROVAL
European Union (EU) lawmakers in a key European Parliament committee are split over how to amend proposed reforms to the 28 country bloc’s automotive type approval controls. These members of the parliament’s internal market and consumer protection committee discussed on Thursday (September 29) changes suggested by British Conservative MEP Dan Dalton on proposals from the EU executive, the European Commission, to overhaul EU type approval rules – its key goal is making them sufficiently tight to prevent a repeat of the Dieselgate scandal where emissions controls were circumvented.…
BRUSSELS PLANS LEGAL MOVES TO FORCE GOVERNMENT ACTION OVER DIESELGATE
The European Union’s (EU) executive, the European Commission, will next month file suit against EU member state governments over their failure to act on their response to the ‘dieselgate’ emissions cheating scandal. The EU internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs Commissioner Elzbieta Bienkowska told the European Parliament’s Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS) on Monday (September 12): “You will definitely see some infringement procedures next month.”…
EU ROUND UP – CEFIC ATTACKS NEW EU ENDOCRINE DISRUPTOR CHEMICALS CRITERIA
THE EUROPEAN chemical industry association Cefic has criticised the European Commission’s criteria for defining endocrine disrupting (hormone affecting) chemicals, saying resulting guidance could over-regulate harmless chemicals. “For the industry to ensure that people and the environment are properly protected, it is essential that the criteria enable the identification of harmful substances.…
MEAT INDUSTRY SET TO BENEFIT GREATLY FROM DIGITALISATION, SAYS COMMISSION
THE MEAT and livestock sector will see many advantages from robotics in future, a European Commission official said in a September 27 debate in Brussels on the digital future of farming.
The event was organised by the European agricultural machinery industry association CEMA.…
BRANDED FOOD MAJORS PUSH FORWARD WITH 3D PRINTERS, BUT TECHNICAL PROGRESS IS UNEVEN
THE CONCEPT of 3D printing in the food retail sector has been under serious consideration since 2014. And while major brands and innovators are still investigating the technology, they are yet to become an integral part of their production systems and business models.…
KAO LAUNCHES HIGH-TECH INTERACTIVE AND EMOTIONALLY-SENSITIVE RESEARCH FACILITY
COSMETICS giant the Kao Group has opened a state of the art research facility at its existing plant in Odawara city, around 80 km south-west of Tokyo. Its new Beauty Research & Innovation Centre includes laboratory space where the company’s scientists, developers and marketing experts are encouraged to interact through technology in the search for new products.…
EUROPEAN TECHNICAL TEXTILES RETAINS GROWING DEMAND AND EXPERTISE, BUT ASIAN RIVALS COULD THREATEN MARKET POSITIONS
BIG marketing stunts can boost sales of technical textiles and maybe one of the biggest examples in Europe this year was created by world renowned artists Christo. He created ‘The Floating Piers’ on Lake Iseo, near Brescia, in northern Italy.…
EU REGULATORY ROUND UP – UK FOOD AND DRINK MANUFACTURERS RISK PAYING EU DUTIES AFTER A BREXIT
FOOD and drink 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.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES ANOTHER EUR1.1 BILLION IN PUBLIC INVESTMENT FOR DELAYED BERLIN AIRPORT PROJECT
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved yet another financing injection for the troubled Berlin Brandenburg airport project, authorising EUR1.1 billion funding from the public shareholders of its operator FBB. These are the Berlin and Brandenburg länder (regions) and German government, so the Commission was assessing whether the financing broke EU state aid rules.…
CONFECTIONERY and sweet bakery industry chiefs have moved beyond their initial shock at the UK Brexit referendum vote to leave the European Union (EU) to consider their best case scenarios for a future with Britain outside the 28 country bloc.
As an immediate step, employers and industry associations have been trying to reassure staff who are non-UK EU nationals working in Britain about their status.…
IN VIETNAM, COATINGS DEMAND EASILY OUTPACING STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH
Vigorous expansion of export-oriented manufacturing and construction in 2015 spurred the fastest GDP growth in Vietnam in seven years, at 6.7% year-on-year, according to the Asian Development Bank. And although coatings consumption correlates generally well with economic growth, in Vietnam the 2015 year-on-year coatings production increase outpaced general economic expansion – it rose 11.1% year-on -year in 2015, to Vietnamese dong VND13 trillion (USD587 million), according to market researcher Euromonitor International.…
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.…
TOBACCO MARKETS IMPACTED BY SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS
WITH 4.8 million Syrian refugees registered by the UN, and many more displaced without registration, their impact on consumer markets outside their home country has been significant. The tobacco sector has been no exception. Indeed, even before the civil war, Syrians were keen smokers – with 2004 Syrian Centre for Tobacco Studies research indicating that 56.9% of men smoked cigarettes and 17% of women; 20.2% of men smoked waterpipes (shisha) and 4.8% of women; 29% smoked daily – 51.4% of men and 11.5% of women).…
EU STEEL SECTOR MAY COLLAPSE WITHOUT ACTION ON CHINA, BRUSSELS COMMITTEE WARNED
The chair of a European Union (EU) study group on the steel sector warned yesterday (Thursday) that without intervention to combat Chinese dumping on the EU market, plus other measures to boost the sector, Europe’s steel industry could fold. “The sector needs intervention or it will collapse,” Mihai Ivaşcu stressed in a July 14 debate at the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), the EU’s official consultative assembly of employers, workers and other interest groups.…
CANADA WELCOMES MOVE TOWARDS RATIFICATION OF TRADE DEAL THAT COULD EASE TRANSATLANTIC MINERALS COMMERCE
THE CANADIAN government has welcomed a European Commission ruling that should see the European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), negotiated in 2014, finally on its way to ratification. Brussels has agreed, after months of legal arguments, that CETA is a ‘mixed’ agreement, including trade and non-trade regulatory aspects.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROTECTS GERMAN BLOOD SAUSAGE WITH GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION
THE EUROPEAN Commission has protected the use of a German blood sausage product name, adding it to the list of European Union (EU) geographical indications. The spicy ‘Aachener Puttes,’ (or ‘Oecher Puttes’ in local dialect – both names will be protected) from Aachen city in north-west Germany is sold fresh, tinned or smoked.…
EU TO REQUIRE CYBERSECURITY MEASURES UNDER NEW DIRECTIVE
EUROPEAN Union (EU)-wide rules on cybersecurity are to boost anti-fraud defences in vital services after the European Parliament backed a new EU directive on security of network and information systems (NIS) in a July 6 Strasbourg vote. Under the so-called NIS directive, firms supplying essential services, such as banking, transport and energy as well as online markets, platforms and cloud services, will have to improve their ability to withstand cyber-attacks through risk management and by reporting major incidents to national Computer Security Incident Response Teams (CSIRTs).…
EU OCEAN ENERGY MOVES FORWARD, AHEAD OF NEW ROADMAP TO SPUR GROWTH
Europe in 2016 has been witness to significant milestones passed in deployment of new, full-scale demonstration and commercial tidal stream and wave energy projects.
This is encouraging for the European Union (EU), which wants clean, renewable ‘ocean energy’ to provide a tenth of its power by mid-century.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EUROPE CHOCOLATE SECTOR COULD SECURE DUTY-FREE ACCESS TO INDONESIAN COCOA
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) chocolate sector stands to access supplies from the world’s third largest cocoa producer – Indonesia – should new talks to forge an EU-Indonesia trade deal prove successful. The country produced around 400,000 tonnes of cocoa in 2015.…
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR TRAINING VITAL TO SERVE ON A ‘FOREIGN’ BOARD
Significant European Union (EU) company law changes are set to add to the training challenge for non-executive directors who are working on boards outside their home country. The difficulties are compounded where flexibility for member states or companies to implement directives, regulations and recommendations adds local nuances to the know-how required to serve on a board in a jurisdiction with which a director is not previously familiar.…
NON-EXECS FACE TOUGH CALLS ON POLICE DATA RELEASE DEMANDS
Non-executive board members will may be well advised to acquaint themselves with new European Union (EU) legislation that may force their companies to yield up data if law enforcement authorities think it may help prevent crime.
New legislation has been passed by the EU amidst continuing debate over the issue of mandatory ‘backdoors’ access to encrypted data – highlighted by the USA Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) request for information from Apple over the San Bernardino shootings.…
ASEAN AUTOMOTIVE TRADE DEAL COULD CONCENTRATE AUTO TRADE PRODUCTION IN SOUTH EAST ASIA
Asian paint and coatings manufacturers are set to benefit from the expansion of an existing automotive tariff-free zone spanning Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand to Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.…
EU OMBUDSMAN STRESSES ACCOUNTANTS CAN SPARK HER INQUIRIES, AS WELL AS PRIVATE CITIZENS
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has urged members of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) to remember that they are citizens too and can make complaints about maladministration, as well as their clients.
O’Reilly explained to Accounting & Business that as European Ombudsman since July 2013, she deals with complaints about maladministration in the EU institutions, bodies and agencies from any person, business or non-governmental organisation (NGO) in the EU.…
EUROPEAN DIRECTOR TRAINING VITAL TO SERVE ON A ‘FOREIGN’ BOARD
Significant European Union (EU) company law changes are set to add to the training challenge for non-executive directors who are working on boards outside their home country. The difficulties are compounded where flexibility for member states or companies to implement directives, regulations and recommendations adds local nuances to the know-how required to serve on a board in a jurisdiction with which a director is not previously familiar.…
DEALING WITH DIGITAL ESSENTIAL TO BOOST COSMETICS SALES, CONFERENCE HEARS
Delivering products that are present in everyday life to unknown markets across the globe, online sales are essential to boost the already booming EUR77 billion European cosmetics market, Cosmetics Europe director general John Chave told last week’s ‘Personal care in a changing world’ conference in Brussels (June 13-17).…
UK PERSONAL CARE SECTOR FACES MAJOR CHALLENGES AS BRITAIN VOTES TO QUIT EU
THE UK’s personal care and cosmetics industry faces uncertainty and potential future trade challenges with the European Union (EU) following the 52% to 48% June 23 referendum vote to leave the EU. “No longer being part of a single market for the free circulation of goods and no longer being a key player in the development of legislation governing those goods will be a major challenge to the cosmetics industry as it will be to all other sectors of the UK industry,” Chris Flower, director-general of the UK’s Cosmetic, Toiletry & Perfumery Association (CTPA), told Soap Perfumery and Cosmetics.…
US DEODORANT MARKET IN GOOD SHAPE
The US deodorant and antiperspirant market is in good shape, experiencing and projecting steady growth year after year in a largely saturated market where innovation is key to driving sales. Euromonitor International, the London-based market research firm, released a report in April 2016, which says the US deodorants market tends to grow “solidly” but “rarely dramatically”. …
SPANISH COSMETICS SECTOR PULLS PUT OF LONG RECESSION
MIRRORING how Spain is crawling out of its long recession, the country’s personal care product market is recovering. UK-based market researchers Euromonitor released a report last month concluding: “After years of decline in value terms, beauty and personal care finally saw a positive performance in Spain in 2015.”…
MEPS DEMAND URGENT MEASURES TO TACKLE DAIRY CRISIS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) dairy producers are suffering a prolonged crisis because of the April 2015 elimination of milk quotas; Russia’s food import ban – now extended until December 31, 2017 – and worldwide overproduction, the European Parliament has heard. Moreover, MEPs at a ‘New exceptional market measures limiting milk production’ hearing hosted by the European Parliament’s agriculture and rural development committee in Brussels on May 25 were not convinced the EU’s EUR500 million aid package agreed in September 2015 would give producers the help they need.…
FOOD FOR AGEING KEY GROWTH AREA FOR NESTLÉ, SAYS LUIS CANTARELL
Specialist health and nutritional foods are set to become more important in the European market in future, according to Nestlé executive vice president and head of EMENA zone (Europe, Middle East and North Africa), Luis Cantarell, who singled out foods for the ageing population as a key priority.…
MAJOR EU COMPANIES NOW UNDER OBLIGATION TO STAGE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AUDITS
LARGE European Union (EU) energy companies and their major customers are now required to undertake energy audits under the EU’s energy efficiency directive (directive 2012/27/EU). They were supposed to have started assessing their energy usage and output by last December (2015) and must now complete such a study every four years.…
JAPANESE INVESTMENTS AND MACHINERY SALES FITTING VIETNAM UP FOR TEXTILE RULE OF ORIGINS COMPLIANCE
Japanese engagement in Vietnam’s textile and garment sectors continues to strengthen discernibly, as the southeast Asian manufacturing centre is set to become a global clothing exporting powerhouse under the newly concluded free trade agreements. These include the Vietnam-European Union free trade deal (EVFTA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which will give Vietnamese exporters better access to American markets.…
PHILIPPINE TEXTILE AND GARMENT EXPORTS’ EU GSP+ STATUS IN PERIL OVER NEW LEADER’S HUMAN RIGHTS STANCE
The brutal anti-crime crackdown promised by the Philippines’ President-elect Rodrigo Duterte may result in the European Union (EU) withdrawing its Generalised System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) tariff-reduction scheme from the country, weakening Philippines textile and garment exports. Duterte had in early June been subject of scathing criticism from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for endorsing killings of journalists as well as for offering large bounties to security forces and the general public to eliminate drug traffickers in extrajudicial killings.…
DANISH CROWN WELCOMES ITS CONSOLIDATION OF CONTROL OVER PIG TRANSPORTER SPF-DANMARK
DENMARK-based meat producer Danish Crown has welcomed the strengthening of its distribution systems through its acquisition of sole control over transporter SPF-Danmark, buying Danish pork company Tican’s 10% stake.
“SPF Danmark is the largest player in the trade and transport of live pigs and accounts for a significant part of trade in piglets on both the Danish market and for export. …
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. …
EU TIGHTENS ANTI-TERROR FINANCE CONTROLS ON A BROAD FRONT
THE EUROPEAN Parliament is calling on the European Union (EU) to set up a watchdog to oversee transactions with virtual currencies such as Bitcoin to prevent their use to fund terrorism. The call, in a May 26 resolution, comes as the bloc goes all out to close off funding sources for terrorists, notably Islamic State (IS), following the Paris and Brussels terror attacks:
*A draft EU directive on combating terrorism – currently on the negotiating table – would make it a crime across the EU to fund terrorism directly or indirectly, including paying for fighters to travel;
*A November 2015 decision at the EU Council of Ministers for justice and home affairs ordered the establishment of a European Counter Terrorism Centre (ECTC) at Europol on January 1, to be “an enhanced central information hub” where member states car share information for operational coordination.…
EUROPEAN LAWMAKERS COULD CHALLENGE PLANS TO IMPOSE NATIONAL EU TYPE APPROVAL FEES
Plans to establish standardized European Union (EU) type approval fees, paid to national funds not individual test houses, could face a challenge from the European Parliament, the EU’s democratically elected co-legislature, wardsauto has learned. The proposals were made back in January by the EU executive, the European Commission, in a bid to revamp Europe’s type approval system, which were discredited after the ‘dieselgate’ scandal of crooked emissions measurement systems.…
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.”…
CHINA COSMETICS FIRM SEEK INVESTMENT AND AGGRESSIVE MARKETING TO BOOST DOMESTIC MARKET SHARE
Chinese consumers’ preference for foreign brand and the sparsity of internationally-recognised domestic brands helps explain why some of the country’s largest personal care product conglomerates have been eyeing foreign acquisitions.
For instance, Shanghai-based Fosun International Ltd purchased Israeli cosmetics maker Ahava this April (2016); while Shanghai Jahwa United Co snapped up UK-based Mayborn Group, manufacturer and distributor of Tommee Tippee baby and child products the same month.…
ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS GROW AS VIETNAM’S TEXTILE SECTOR SECURES INVESTMENT
CONCERN is growing that foreign direct investment (FDI) within Vietnam, including in the textile sector, needs to be tempered with efforts to deter unlimited environmental pollution. Public opinion in Vietnam – important even within this one party officially communist state – has been riled by mass fish deaths off Vietnam’s central coast, with environmentalists blaming a toxic leak from a steel mill in April receiving investment from Taiwan, a key investor in Vietnam’s textile sector.…
EU CLINCHES MEDICAL DEVICE DEAL WITH PHTHALATE RESTRICTIONS
Use of phthalates in medical devices could be restricted in the European Union (EU) under a deal stuck in Brussels on Thursday (May 26). European Parliament and EU Council of Ministers representatives clinched a compromise deal on a proposed revision of the EU medical devices and in vitro diagnostics directives, which would limit use of substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic, toxic for reproduction or have endocrine (hormone) disrupting properties.…
FOOD COMPANIES DEMAND COMPREHENSIVE TTIP DEAL
Limiting an agreement on the controversial Transatlantic Trade & Investment Partnership (TTIP) to cutting tariffs will not suffice, and could have negative consequences for some segments, major food manufacturers and their representatives in the European Union (EU) and United States have told just-food.com.…
MEPS VOTE TO CUT NUTRIENT PROFILES
The European Parliament has called on the European Commission to scrap its mandated use of nutrient profiles for types of food to help it decide whether certain health claims can be made by manufacturers. Commission officials have to gather and assess such data under the European Union (EU) nutrition and health claims regulation 1924/2006.…
BOEHRINGER INGELHEIM FIRST PHARMA GIANT BENEFITTING FROM CHINA’S POLICY BREAKTHROUGH ON CMO
After China’s National People’s Congress in late 2015 legalised biopharma contract manufacturing organisation (CMO) in mainland China, German pharmaceutical giant Boehringer Ingelheim has confirmed to the Manufacturing Chemist that its subsidy, Boehringer Ingelheim China, is working at China’s first biopharma CMO pilot project.…
SOLAR ENERGY IN CHINA GROWING AND EVOLVING, BOOSTING DECENTRALISED POWER
China has overtaken Germany to become the world’s number one producer of solar energy. Driven by the Chinese government’s urgent quests for energy security and the elimination of extreme urban air pollution, solar installations in China generated 43 gigawatts (GW) in 2015, exceeding German production, according to China’s National Energy Administration.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – EU CONFECTIONERS WARN OF EUROPEAN SUMMER SUGAR SHORTAGES
THE COMMITTEE of European Sugar Users (CIUS) has called on the European Union (EU) to take urgent action to prevent EU confectionery and sweet bakery manufacturers facing a sugar supply crunch this summer. In a strongly worded message, the industry group has said that duties and levies should not be imposed on supplies of beet and cane sugar and the EU’s cane sugar ‘CXL’ duty should be scrapped immediately.…
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.…
MEPS GRILL MULTINATIONALS OVER EU TAX RULINGS
A MEETING of the European Parliament’s special committee on tax rulings has grilled multinationals over European Union (EU) member state tax rulings. The European Commission fears they have been abused by governments giving companies low tax rates in return for registering businesses in their jurisdictions.…
EU PHARMA ASSOCIATIONS WANT ORPHAN DRUG REFORM TO ALLOW EFFECTIVE USE OF SYSTEM
PHARMACOS have called on the European Commission to ensure that a planned review of the European Union (EU) orphan drug regulation allows enough flexibility in the legal definition of such medicines to enable manufacturers to effectively use its fast-track market authorisation.…
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. …
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.…
BREXIT REFERENDUM PROMPTS UNCERTAINTY WITHIN NON-FERROUS METAL INDUSTRY
Uncertainty is growing within industry associations influencing the non-ferrous metals industry over the prospect of Britain leaving the European Union (EU) after a scheduled in-out referendum on June 23.
René van Sloten, executive director of industrial policy at The European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic), representing key suppliers to metal manufacturers, said: “If the result…is indeed that Britain would leave the EU, this would significantly impact on the way it trades with other European countries.…
ETHIOPIA AIRLINES TO OPERATE WORLD CLASS CARGO TERMINAL IN ADDIS ABABA
Africa’s largest carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, is to have a EUR110 million world-class cargo terminal built to boost its freight handling capacity by fourfold – a move that will confirm Ethiopia’s position as Africa’s main trans-shipment destination.
The new cargo hub, which is being designed by German engineering firm Unitechnik Group, will be the size of five football grounds and be able to shift 600,000 tonnes of freight a year at the Addis Ababa Bole International Airport.…
SCHENGEN ZONE CONTINUES TO FRAY UNDER PRESSURE OF REFUGEE CRISIS
THE BORDER-free European Union (EU) Schengen zone has continued to weaken, with the European Union (EU) telling the Greek government to boost its border controls or face additional checks on passengers travelling to and from Greece. Reporting on how Greece had dealt with migrants from Turkey, many escaping Syria’s war, the European Commission, concluded there was “no effective identification and registration of irregular migrants and that fingerprints are not being systematically entered into the system and travel documents are not being systematically checked for the authenticity or against crucial security databases, such as SIS, Interpol and national databases.”…
EIB PLOTS EUR400 MILLION LOAN FOR FRANKFURT AIRPORT
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has developed plans to lend EUR400 million to Frankfurt Airport, to finance the first phase of building a new terminal three at the German hub. This work would include a new terminal building, with two piers and 24 stands, a link to the airport’s existing baggage conveyor system, an additional SkyLine people-mover system and associated air and landside works.…
EU PROPOSES GOLD-PLATED BEPS IMPLEMENTATION PACKAGE
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed European Union (EU) legislation implementing the base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) principles tabled last October by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).
Indeed, its comprehensive package gold plates the BEPS rules in certain areas, adding new requirements that go beyond the OECD proposals, something that is of concern to Chas Roy-Chowdhury, head of taxation at ACCA.…
POLITICIANS CLASH OVER HOW DEEP EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DIESELGATE INQUIRY SHOULD PROBE
A European Parliament probe into the dieselgate scandal kicked off yesterday (March 2) with a row over how far the year-long probe should go in finger-pointing at the car industry. For the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the European Parliament’s largest political group, Latvian MEP Krišjānis Kariņš warned the new Committee of Inquiry into Emission Measurements in the Automotive Sector (EMIS): “The EPP will do its utmost to prevent this committee from becoming what could be termed as a witch hunt either against industry or against diesel technologies where Europe has a competitive advantage in the world.”…
PAKISTAN OFFERS IMPORT DUTY BREAKS TO LURE NEW FOREIGN AUTO MAKERS INTO ESTABLISHING NEW PLANTS
THE PAKISTAN government has unveiled a new five-year industrial plan aimed at growing the country’s automotive manufacturing sector. The government says it will waive import duties on materials and technology needed to establish new auto plants in Pakistan and also reduce import duties charged on auto parts once these factories are operational.…
EU LOOKING AT US-STYLE SECRET EMISSIONS TESTS TO BEAT THE CHEATS
The European Union (EU) is considering adopting methods used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through staging secret tests to check in service cars for type approval compliance. A hearing today (February 23) at the European Parliament’s (EP) key environment, public health and food safety committee learned that with test contents kept secret, automakers cannot design and fit cheat devices to subvert controls.…
EUROPEAN AUTO INDUSTRY PRESSES EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO PUSH AHEAD WITH ROLL-OUT OF INTEGRATED INTELLIGENT TRANSPORT SYSTEMS
THE EUROPEAN Commission is incorporating the latest guidance from the European auto industry into its plan for rolling-out connected cars across the European Union (EU), drawing on advice from manufacturers favouring swift, coordinated deployment. A key, stressed a report published in January by the Commission, the EU’s executive, is for the installation of ‘cooperative intelligent transport systems’ (C-ITS) allowing vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, other road users, traffic signals and roadside infrastructure.…
TAIWAN’S ECO-FRIENDLY TEXTILE MAKERS NOTING RIO OLYMPICS ORDER BOOST
TAIWAN’S sportswear and functional textile exports are to be boosted by the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in August this year, according to a forecast by the Taiwan Institute of Economic Research (TIER).
The think tank has observed that demand for sportswear and functional textiles remained strong, even while orders for other textile categories were being cut.…
EU CLINICAL TRIAL DATABASE NEEDS BACK-UP SYSTEM SAYS PHARMA INDUSTRY
THE EUROPEAN Confederation of Pharmaceutical Entrepreneurs (EUCOPE) has called for the creation of a backup system to the European Union’s (EU) clinical trial database and portal, in case of technical failures. In formal public consultation comments on the operation of the harmonised clinical trial data reporting system created under the EU’s 2014 clinical trial regulation (536/2014), EUCOPE asked: “…in case the portal breaks down…would it be perhaps be possible to submit via Eudralink in such an instance?”…
CHINA MOVES TO PREVENT AGAINST OFFICIALS’ JUDICIAL MEDDLING: WILL IT WORK?
This winter has been a bleak one for lawyers and rights activists in China as the country’s government cracks down yet further on advocates of free speech and political rights. Lawyers around the world will be dismayed by a UN Committee against Torture report which has claimed 200 lawyers had been detained between July and November in China.…
EUROPE NEEDS CARBON CAPTURE TO REDUCE ITS CO2 EMISSIONS – BUT IS SLOW TO ROLL-OUT THE TECHNOLOGY
The European Union’s (EU) Energy Roadmap 2050 project is certainly ambitious – looking to decarbonise Europe’s energy sector – and it anticipates that carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will play an important role. Yet, it is clear that this technology is far from ubiquitous and significant efforts will be required to enable CCS to play a key part in Europe’s CCS future.…
EU TELCOS FACE NEW EUROPEAN DATA PROTECTION LAWS, WITH TEETH
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) gave the telecoms sector a Christmas present, or a lump of coal, depending on the point of view, this past December 15: two major pieces of data protection legislation. A reform package was agreed in principle by the EU’s two legislators, the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, and the EU executive the European Commission.…
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.…
PRIVATE LABEL RETAILERS AND SUPPLIERS FOCUS ON QUALITY TO GET A HEAD-START OVER BIG BRANDS
PRIVATE label brands for cosmetics and personal care products are attracting consumers with an increasingly wide range of offerings that stress their value-added nature, as well as affordable prices. Reflecting private labels’ innate reliance on quality and function rather than image, manufacturers supplying these products have been especially focusing on using scents to add value, from traditional florals to more adventurous notes.…
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.…
BRUSSELS PROPOSES EU OVERSIGHT OVER TYPE APPROVAL, BUT IT MAY NOT SAVE REAL DRIVING EMISSIONS TEST PROPOSALS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) executive, the European Commission could fine automakers up to EUR30,000 per vehicle if found cheating on emissions or other tests under reformed type approval rules proposed on Wednesday (January 27). The proposals to revamp the EU’s type approval system aim to prevent a repeat of the Volkswagen ‘dieselgate’ scandal that have revealed major holes in EU regulatory oversight on vehicle performance, which is largely based on national government agencies among the EU’s 28 member states.…
MCDONALD'S LOSES BRANCHES IN FINLAND AS RIVALS PUSH FOR MARKET SHARE
COMPETING fastfood chains are snapping at McDonald’s heels in Finland as the global player closes branches. McDonald’s now has just 72 outlets after chopping 10 in 2015. The remainder largely consists of franchises (59) with the rest owned by the Finnish subsidiary (13).…
FACING WAGE HIKES IN 2016, ASEAN GARMENT MANUFACTURERS TRY LIFTING PRODUCTIVITY VIA AMBITIOUS TRAINING PROGRAMMES
MANY garment manufacturers in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) block will have to cope with raises to the minimum wages in 2016. The move comes as ASEAN launches its Economic Community (ASEAN EC) on December 31, easing labour movement across the region.…
JORDAN PHARMA SECTOR PUNCHES ABOVE ITS WEIGHT
Jordan maybe a small country – with a population of just 6.6 million people, but it is one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturers in the Middle East. A key reason is that production is export focused, particularly of generics. The country’s USD500 million-a-year turnover manufacturing sector had been steadily growing at 8% to 10% per year until 2012, according to the Jordanian Association of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Medical Appliances (JAPM).…
AUTO SECTOR AND SUPPORTERS URGE EU NOT TO RUSH INTO BACKING NEW TAILPIPE LIMITS
EUROPEAN automakers and influential supporters in the European Parliament are advising European Union (EU) politicians not to rush into imposing new tailpipe pollution limits in a proposal currently going through the EU legislative process.
The EU executive, the European Commission, has proposed an EU regulation ‘amending Regulations (EC) No 715/2007 and (EC) No 595/2009 as regards the reduction of pollutant emissions from road vehicles’.…
CARMAKERS ASSESSING POTENTIAL BENEFITS FROM EU-MEXICO UPGRADE
AUTOMAKERS in Europe are looking at what potential benefits they could draw from a future upgrade of a 15 years’ old free trade agreement (FTA) between the European Union (EU) and Mexico.
The two sides announced on Monday (May 11) that they are planning to start negotiations later this year, making it more comprehensive involving more regulatory harmonization than the existing deal that largely focused on tariff reduction: “We are aiming for an EU-Mexico deal that is comparable to the one with Canada and to the one to be concluded with the US”, the EU trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström said, speaking in Brussels.…
BANGLADESH WORKS HARD TO LOSE REPUTATION POLLUTION AND POOR SAFETY
Deadly accidents such as the Rana Plaza disaster may have earned the Bangladesh textile and clothing sector notoriety, but there is a new generation of firms trying to erase that spot on the industry’s reputation.
Smart entrepreneurs are now courting buyers through a new sales pitch: sustainable production.…
EU ROUND UP – EU RESEARCH CREATES ANTI-CORRUPTION POLICY ADVICE
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research into anti-corruption policies has concluded that projects spending EU funds are one-third more likely to be marred by corruption than those funded by EU national governments. The conclusion comes from the ANTICORRP project, whose researchers have been data mining hundreds of thousands of administrative records to find irregularities, where procurement has been un-transparent, inconsistent and/or seems to consistently benefit one or a group of companies or individuals.…
PAKISTAN CHALLENGES EU PET DUTIES
Pakistan has launched disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) signalling it wants to challenge countervailing duties imposed by the European Union (EU) on Pakistani exports of certain polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In an unusual case brought by Pakistan against the EU, Islamabad is arguing that the European Commission mishandled an investigation prompting EU ministers to impose protective measures, compensating European PET-makers for Pakistan government tax breaks and subsidies.…
SKepticism on claims South Korea trade pact boosted Eu exports
DESPITE a recent report from the European Commission claiming the European Union (EU) 2011 Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea was behind a 90% hike in car exports to the Asian nation by July 1, 2014, South Korean manufacturers consider the agreement beneficial to both parties.…
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.…
ECJ SAYS EU ANIMAL TRANSPORT WELFARE CONTROLS CAN APPLY FOR JOURNEYS OUTSIDE THE EU
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) animal welfare transport rules should apply even to live animals transported from the EU to a third country, according to a ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today (April 23).
Under EU regulation 1/2005, directives 64/432/EEC and 93/119/EC, and regulation 1255/97, for national regulators to authorise the transport of horses, cattle, pigs, sheep or goats, a haulier must provide a realistic journey log complying with EU welfare rules.…
NEW GENERATION OF KNITWEAR EXECUTIVES USHER IN NEW MANAGEMENT STYLE
Bangladesh’s knitting industry faces key changes in the next 20 years as the western-educated children of first-generation businessmen take over family-owned firms. Industry experts note that some second-generation entrepreneurs have already taken the reins of major knitwear companies and are introducing modern management practices and discovering new financing channels.…
STANDARDISATION BODIES DRIVE RATIONAL AND HARMONISED COLOUR COATING MANUFACTURING WORLDWIDE
STANDARDS on pigments and colour set by international organisations are helping paint manufacturers ensure quality and cut costs, and are expected to become increasingly important.
“The foremost aim of international standardisation is to facilitate the exchange of goods and services through the elimination of technical barriers to trade,” said a document provided to Polymers Paint Colour Journal by the International Standardization Organization (ISO) (NOTE – ISO USES AMERICAN SPELLING) detailing the work of its technical committee (TC) 256 on ‘pigments, dyestuffs and extenders.’…
GERMAN CONFECTIONERS OPPOSE SOCIAL DEMOCRAT PLAN FOR SUGAR TAX
Germany’s confectionery industry has sided with the federal government in a clash between the ruling parties in the country’s grand coalition over whether to impose stiffer taxes on sugar to boost public health. A proposal to raise the reduced VAT rate of 7% on confectionery and other sugar-based products to the standard VAT rate of 19% has been made by Elvira Drobinksi-Weiß, the consumer protection spokeswoman for the Social Democrat Party (SPD).…
EU MEMBER STATES RESPOND TO BRUSSELS’ DEMAND FOR ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT SERVICE NETWORKS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states are now developing national policies that the EU has required to ensure that they have an adequate number of alternative transport re-charging and re-fuelling stations by 2020. This is deemed necessary to boost demand for vehicles running on alternative fuels in Europe.…
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.…
BRAZIL’S LOOMING RECESSION NOT ENOUGH TO STOP ROBUST WOMEN’S FRAGRANCE SALES
Sales of women’s fragrances in Brazil already generate an impressive USD4 billion in retail value annually (in 2014), according to market researchers Euromonitor. But doubts on continued growth in the segment started to be voiced when the country’s economy started declining two years ago.…
GERMAN PAINT AND COATINGS INDUSTRY PLATEAUS AS POPULATION DECLINES
This year there will not be much to write home about for the German paint and coatings industries, with demand from the decorating and DIY sectors stuck in a bit of a rut and not a noticeably better outlook in the motor industry.…
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.…
AUSTRALIAN MEAT RETAIL MARKET REPORT
Australians have some of the highest meat per capita consumption rates in the world and consume 121.2kg of meat per capita/year according to data from the Food & Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO). This is nearly three times the global average of 42.2kg per capita/year and slightly higher than countries with similar demographics and culinary traditions like the United States, Canada and Britain.…
GLOBAL ENERGY MARKET VOLATILITY CHALLENGES EU BIOFUEL SECTOR
THE VOLATILITY of the global energy market is presenting several challenges to the European Union’s (EU) biofuel sector. Low oil prices, recession, slumps in demand and political uncertainty in key oil producing areas are all raising questions of an industry that was meant to mitigate or provide solutions to many of these issues.…
IMPENDING EU-US TRADE AGREEMENT HOLDS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PAINT MACHINERY SALES
THE TRADE agreement currently being negotiated between the European Union (EU) and the USA could bring significant opportunities for paint machinery manufacturers if the two parties agree to align their technical standards.
The European Commission, which is negotiating the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on behalf of the EU, has said it would like to close the gap between the two sides regarding technical regulations affecting the marketing, use and conformity assessment of machinery, as well as electrical and electronic products.…
RACE FOR GLOBAL CHASSIS MARKET SHARE SPARKED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION COMPETITION DECISION
The European Union’s (EU) executive, the European Commission has used its competition law powers to open up a multi-billion dollar race for the huge global market for intelligent chassis systems and advanced collision-avoidance technology. Its regulatory starter pistol has been the terms it has imposed on German firm ZF, of Friedrichshafen, for its planned acquisition of TRW, based in Detroit.…
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).…
VW INVESTS IN DESIGN AFTER LOSING MARKET SHARE IN BRAZIL
Volkswagen Brazil’s new EUR200 million from the European Investment Bank (EIB) may not be enough to help the German automaker recover its long-standing position in Latin America’s largest market, a senior auto expert has warned. VW’s Brazil market share dropped from 22% in 2004 to 17% last year, which puts them behind leaders Fiat and in a struggle with Chevrolet to keep the second position in South America’s key market, according to Brazil’s automotive industry association – Associação Nacional dos Fabricantes de Veículos Automotores (ANFAVEA).…
WHOLESALERS FACE UNCERTAINTY AS BRITAIN DIPS INTO DEFLATION
With Britain facing deflation for the first time since 1960, with the trend likely to affect the economy, to a greater or lesser extent for the remainder of the year at least, wholesalers are facing uncharted territory. It may be true, as the business information and research company Nielsen claims, that the long decline in sales in the UK retail food sector is over.…
NEW CHINESE INVESTMENT MAY HELP VIETNAM OVERCOME YARN DILEMMA
The Hong Kong unit of Luthai Textile Co Ltd, China’s leading producer of yarn-dyed fabric and shirts manufacturing, has informed its shareholders of a plan to invest USD150 million building a new Vietnam-based textile plant. The factory, whose location has yet to be disclosed, would have 60,000 spindles, with an annual output of 30 million metres of yarn-dyed fabric.…
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.…
EUROPEAN TECHNICAL TEXTILES STRONG AS GERMAN INNOVATION THRIVES
UNLIKE conventional textiles, demand for technical textiles (TT) in Europe follows a cyclical pattern, focused on end-markets, which is one reason why sales are now rising strongly on the back of demand from the transport and construction industries. The contrast here is with nonwovens, which enjoy stable sales growth mainly because of consistently solid demand from the medical and hygiene sectors.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS REJECT THE SALE OF CLONED ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN THE EU
MEMBERS of the European Parliament’s (MEPs) committees on agriculture and environment and food safety have demonstrated their continued strong opposition to the use of cloning for farm animals or for food purposes, a public hearing held today in Brussels confirmed.
Indicating that the European Commission’s 2013 draft proposals for a five year EU ban on cloning animals and producing meat and dairy products from such livestock could be amended and made more onerous, some MEPs said they want any use of cloning rejected or banned permanently.…
DANISH PIG SLAUGHTERING DECLINES IN 2014
Denmark slaughtered around 250,000 less pigs in 2014 compared to 2013, according to new data from the Danish Agriculture and Food Council (DAFC/ Landbrug & Fødevarer) based on figures supplied by the Danish Pig Producers association (DPP/ Danske Svineproducenter).
In total, Danish meat processing companies slaughtered 18.93 million pigs in 2014.…
PROPOSED FRACKING LAW IN GERMANY WELCOMED BY ENERGY SECTOR, DESPITE RENEWABLE ENERGY SECTOR CONCERN
A German government proposal to allow limited and conditional shale gas fracking has been welcomed by the energy industry but created unease among environmental groups who fear it may signal a return to fossil fuels. This, they argue, pay violate the spirit of Germany’s green energy policy, the Energiewende.…
ENERGY COMPANIES MAKING SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN DEVELOPING SYNFUEL TECHNOLOGY
The emergence of synthetic fuels continues to raise hopes that low-carbon alternatives to fossil fuels will be developed, offering the prospect of long-term sustainable production. And with synthetic liquid fuel and synthetic gas chemical composition reflecting fossil fuels’ conversion of hydrogen and atmospheric CO2 into methane, experts are openly enthused about their avoidance of intermittency associated with renewable energy.…
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.…
GERMAN WHOLESALERS AND CATERERS TACKLE NEW EU ALLERGEN RULES
GERMAN wholesalers are struggling to meet new European Union (EU) and national rules on communicating information about allergens in their products.
Germans rightfully enjoy a reputation for being mindful of the food they consume. Organic products and foods suitable for those suffering from food allergies have been readily available in many of the main food outlets for some time.…
BRUSSELS WEIGHING ON MEDICINES SUSPENSION FOLLOWING INDIAN CLINICAL DATA DOUBTS
THE RE-EXAMINATION of European Union (EU) market authorisations following concerns over clinical trials conducted by GVK Biosciences in Hyderabad, India, has sparked intense debate in Brussels.
A European Parliament hearing has heard comment and details about the recommendation from the European Medicine Agency’s committee for medicinal products for human use (CHMP) that some 800 forms and dosages of medicines approved in the EU be suspended.…
SECONDARY PACKAGING ADVANCES GIVING PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT COMPANIES A MARKETING EDGE
IN the highly competitive cosmetics and personal care market, producers of secondary packaging are creating ever more advanced, innovative shapes and decorations to attract consumers. Whether it conveys a message of sustainability, luxury, or simplicity – secondary packaging continues to play a crucial role, often communicating multiple ideas and emotions to consumers in an instant.…
COSMETICS INDUSTRY IN THE GULF REGION BOOMING DESPITE POLITICAL STRIFE
TOILETRIES sales in the Arab Gulf countries remain robust, an oasis of economic and political stability in a turbulent Middle East. Elsewhere in the region, the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Iraq, and the rise of the Islamic State, has seen toiletries sales plummet.…
UKRAINE CONFECTIONERY SECTOR STRUGGLES AS ‘CHOCOLATE KING’ PRESIDENT SELLS INDUSTRY ASSETS
In a country embroiled in an ugly armed conflict, the issue of confectionery may seem at first glance to be superfluous. In Ukraine, though, that is anything but the case.
Not only is confectionery a key industry for the country, but it is a highly politicised one.…
NEW FOOD LABELLING RULES BRING HARMONISATION, BUT ALSO CHALLENGES
THE NEW European Union (EU) food labelling rules that started applying from December 13 have brought harmonisation about how and what information should be given to EU consumers, representatives of the confectionery industry say. But upcoming changes that are still being discussed may pose some challenges for manufacturers and packagers alike.…
INDIAN AIRPORTS PUSH AHEAD WITH SOLAR POWER PROJECTS, DESPITE POTENTIAL LOSS OF SUBSIDIES
Projects are underway in India to install captive solar photovoltaic power systems in the country’s airports, exploiting innovative funding models and long term power purchase agreements. However, the country’s grid power operators are refusing to purchase any excess power.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is owned by the Indian government, plans to generate 50 megawatts (MW) of electric power from solar plants at 30 airports by the end of 2015.…
VIETNAM PAINT SECTOR GROWS, BUT NEED BACKWARD LINKAGES
With 685 million wet pounds of coatings sold for USD730 million in 2013, the Vietnam market consumed only a tiny fraction of Asia-Pacific region’s total of 36 billion wet pounds sold for USD50 billion that year, according to Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, Inc, a New Jersey, USA-based consulting firm for the polymer and chemical industries.…
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.…
BRAZIL’S NONWOVENS INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR FLAT 2015, BUT INVESTING FOR THE FUTURE
WHILE the global nonwovens industry maybe booming through investments, acquisition of new sites, expansion of capacity, more customers and exhibitions all over, the same optimism cannot be applied to emerging market former starlet Brazil. Despite its huge market with 200 million inhabitants, the nonwovens sector of South America’s economic powerhouse is looking for another deep loss of steam in 2015.…
FEARS GROW OVER IMPACT OF EU DAIRY QUOTA ABOLITION
SERIOUS concerns were raised today at the European Parliament over the impending abolition of European Union (EU) milk production quotas, as dairy prices continue to fall. A special hearing on the future of the industry heard (on Tuesday January 27) how the sector had been taken by surprise in the past year by production increases and export market losses through Russia’s embargo.…
OLAF CONTINUES TO TARGET PUBLIC PROCUREMENT RED FLAGS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) anti-fraud office (OLAF) is in many ways a unique body – a team of expert accountants, lawyers and law enforcement professionals looking for fraud in an annual budget approaching Euro 150 billion, spent by a 28-country international organisation.…
EU TRADE REGULATORS TO BRING IN USER-FRIENDLY RULES FOR TEXTILE IMPORTS FROM BELARUS AND NORTH KOREA
EUROPEAN Union (EU) regulations on certain textile products Belarus and North Korea should soon be clearer and more user-friendly, according to members of the European Parliament trade committee. At a meeting in Brussels this Wednesday (Dec 3), Jaroslaw Walesa, the Polish centre-right MEP in charge of negotiating these reforms for the parliament, backed the liberalisation proposals as “technical but not controversial”.…
BIRD FLU HINDERS ATTEMPTS TO OPEN CHINESE MARKET TO EUROPEAN POULTRY
THE OUTBREAKS of bird flu in Germany, Britain and the Netherlands is hampering efforts to create export markets in mainland China for these countries’ poultry and poultry products.
China’s Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on November 27 banned any poultry products and birds from entering China if they were produced and reared in North-Rhine Westphalia.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES NEW GERMAN METAL RECYCLING JOINT VENTURE
The European Commission has cleared the creation of a German joint venture collecting, processing and selling non-ferrous and iron-nickel alloy scrap. It will be called Noris Metallrecycling GmbH, and will be controlled by German recyclers Essingen-based Scholz Recycling and Munich-based Thyssen Alfa Rohstoffhandel München.…
BIRD FLU HINDERS ATTEMPTS TO OPEN CHINESE MARKET TO EUROPEAN POULTRY
THE OUTBREAKS of bird flu in Germany, Britain and the Netherlands is hampering efforts to create export markets in mainland China for these countries’ poultry and poultry products.
China’s Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) on November 27 banned any poultry products and birds from entering China if they were produced and reared in North-Rhine Westphalia.…
EMA TIGHTENS RULES ON USING PHTHALATES IN MEDICINE CAPSULES
THE EUROPEAN Medicines Agency (EMA) has released guidance on the maximum amount of three phthalates that should be allowed in pharmaceuticals, because of safety concerns. These plasticisers – diethyl phthalate (DEP), polyvinyl acetate phthalate (PVAP), and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) – can be used to make medicine capsules.…
EU PHARMA COMPANIES MAYBE REQUIRED TO DISCLOSE SIDE-EFFECTS DATA, ECJ RULES
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that European Union (EU) member states can insist pharma companies yield data of side-effects of their medicines, when demanded by a disgruntled patient. The ECJ was assessing whether member states could pass such laws under EU directive 85/374/EEC on consumer protection liability for defective products.…
DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD OF GROWTH AND INSTABILITY IN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA NONWOVENS SECTOR
The Middle East and North African nonwovens sector is in flux. At the same time as extra capacity has come online, regional demand has been affected by political instability, forcing manufacturers to focus on exports and diversify their offerings.
“It is showing clearly now that the Arab Spring and political consequences have definitely delayed investment decisions by potential customers.…
TRADE MEPS CALL EU PLANS ON CONFLICT MINERALS TOO WEAK
European parliamentarians debating European Commission proposals for the voluntary self-certification by European companies importing tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold from ‘conflict and high risk’ regions have called for more clarity about how the system would operate.
In the first exchange of views on the proposal in the European Parliament, centre-right Romanian MEP Iuliu Winkler told the institution’s international trade committee members.…
EUROMETAUX ASKS EUROPEAN COMMISSION NOT TO DROP ‘CIRCULAR ECONOMY PACKAGE’ RECYCLING REFORMS
European Union non-ferrous metals association Eurometaux has today (Friday Nov 28) written to the European Commission, urging it not to shelve its ‘circular economy package’ reforms designed to boost materials recycling and recovery.
It has acted following rumours that the Commission might not include the proposals in its 2015 work programme, and could potentially withdraw the proposals altogether.…
RANDOM TESTS FIND MRSA IN DANISH AND GERMAN PORK IN SWEDEN
Pork containing MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) has been detected during random checks by Sweden’s national veterinary institute (Statens veterinärmedicinska) inspectors. This follows random tests on a range of meat products being offered for sale in various grocery supermarket chains in the Stockholm area in mid-November.…
ACEA WELCOMES EUROPEAN CLIMATE DEAL AS WORKABLE WAY FORWARD
THE EUROPEAN automotive industry has declared that it is satisfied with the new greenhouse gas emissions policy agreed by the European Union (EU), which covers carbon controls up to the year 2030. Under the agreement set by heads of government within the European Council – the EU’s highest policy making body – industries such as auto-makers who are not included within the EU emissions trading system (ETS) must by 2030 reduce emissions by 30% compared to 2005 levels.…
DARJEELING TEA EXPORTS TO GERMANY HIT BY CANCER SCARE AS EU GI PROTECTION LOOMS
A controversy in Germany over potential carcinogens in tea is threatening the benefits offered by an incoming European Union (EU) geographical indication protection for Darjeeling Tea.
The claims made by a German consumer magazine Warentest have damaged confidence in Indian tea and hit sales.…
EU ROUND UP - PAKISTAN CHALLENGES EU PET DUTIES
Pakistan has launched disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) signalling it wants to challenge countervailing duties imposed by the European Union (EU) on Pakistani exports of certain polyethylene terephthalate (PET). In an unusual case brought by Pakistan against the EU, Islamabad is arguing that the European Commission mishandled an investigation prompting EU ministers to impose protective measures, compensating European PET-makers for Pakistan government tax breaks and subsidies.…
REACH REPLICAS IN ASIA SHOULD BE CLOSELY MONITORED, SAY EXPERTS
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) seems to have sparked a regulatory trend with its REACH chemical control system, with more and more countries in Asia adopting REACH-inspired chemical management laws. Thus textile finishing units, companies and suppliers will have to pay increasingly close attention to chemical regulations in Asia-Pacific countries such as China and South Korea.…
INDONESIAN GOVERNMENT TO BANKROLL TEXTILES TRAINING, SIGNALS EASING OF ECONOMIC NATIONALISM
THE INDONESIAN textiles association (API) is to partner with the Indonesian ministry of industry to set up free training courses for textiles workers, according to API chairman Ade Sudrajat. The initiative is seen as an early indicator of the investor-friendly credentials of the new administration, under President Joko Widodo, who took office last month.…
RUSSIAN VET AGENCY ACCUSES EU COUNTERPARTS OF COLLIDING WITH EUROPEAN MEAT SMUGGLERS
RUSSIA’S federal veterinary and phytosanitary surveillance service Rosselkhoznadzor has accused European Union (EU) regulators of collaborating with smugglers sneaking meat into Russia, breaching its EU import ban. An official spokesperson for the agency was speaking after 575 tonnes of meat and fat back pork in 26 refrigerated containers from the EU were confiscated by the Russian Federal Customs Service at the Kingisepp customs point, east of Estonia, near St Petersburg.…
GERMAN STEEL MAKERS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER REVISED EU EMISSIONS REGIME
German steel federation, WV Stahl, has expressed deep concern over the potential extra costs that will be placed on the country’s steel industry by the EU’s revised emissions trading system (ETS).
On Friday morning, EU heads of state agreed to support energy-intensive industries in Europe by extending the free allocation of emission certificates beyond 2020.…
STEEL INDUSTRY WANTS CLEAR SIGNAL FROM EUROPEAN SUMMIT ON EMISSIONS POLICIES
The European steel industry has asked for a signal from the European Council that it can keep on working in Europe and Germany especially, working with an emissions control system that enables it to compete globally. Speaking to Steel First ahead of the European summit which begins tomorrow (Oct 23), Bernd Overmaat, the compliance spokesperson for the world’s largest steel producer ThyssenKrupp AG, said emission certificates should be allocated free of charge under the EU’s emissions trading system.…
STEEL INDUSTRY CONCERN OVER EU EMISSIONS DEAL
European Union (EU) prime-ministers and presidents meeting last night in Brussels agreed a new emissions policy and tried to reassure high energy European industries that the free allocation of emission certificates will not expire after 2020.
The EU’s European Council, its leading policy-making body, agreed that “existing measures will continue after 2020 to prevent the risk of carbon leakage due to climate policy, as long as no comparable efforts are undertaken in other major economies, with the objective of providing appropriate levels of support for sectors at risk of losing international competitiveness.”…
BRUSSELS ASKS GERMANY TO CHANGE DISCRIMINATORY INHERITANCE TAX
The European Commission has asked Germany to stop allowing tax free legacies to Germany-based charities, if it does not offer the same rights for legacies to charities in foreign European Union (EU) member states. Brussels says this breaks EU capital movement rules.…
EUROPE INVESTS IN LIGNITE DESPITE CLIMATE CHANGE CONCERNS
LIGNITE power station units are still being built and modernised in the European Union (EU), raising warnings from environmentalists that this could negate EU emissions controls. There are lignite projects in various stages of approval, planning or construction in Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Greece, and Slovenia, for instance.…
OSBORNE WELCOMES GLOBAL TAX EXCHANGE AGREEMEN
BRITISH Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne has welcomed the striking of an Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) agreement to automatically share tax information on individuals by the year 2018. “Tax evasion can only be tackled with a global solution,” he told journalists at the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes meeting in Berlin.…
OECD STRIKES GLOBAL DEAL ON AUTOMATIC TAX INFORMATION SHARING
THE ORGANISATION for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has hailed the agreement today of an agreement to automatically share tax information on individuals by the year 2018. A press conference in Berlin, following a meeting of the OECD Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes, was told 92 countries had signed up, with 58 agreeing to put exchange systems in place by 2017.…
ANTIMICROBIAL PRODUCT DEVELOPERS WORK TO INCREASING NUMBER OF TECHNICAL STANDARDS
ANTIMICROBIAL textile manufacturers face an ever increasing number of mandatory and voluntary standards around the world that clarify and specify how they can ensure safety, quality, and proper testing of their products. With bacteria becoming more resistant to anti-microbial treatments, this is of special importance to cleanroom managers in hospitals, laboratories, food research, military and other sectors.…
GEORGIEVA PLEDGES BACKING FOR OLAF IN NEW EU ANTI-FRAUD COMMISSIONER JOB
THE INCOMING European Union (EU) commissioner for budgets and human resources has pledged support for the under-pressure EU anti-fraud office OLAF, assuming she is confirmed to serve a five year term from November 1. Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist and a former vice-president of the World Bank, has pledged to work closely with OLAF, for which she would be the responsible commissioner, and a vice-president under the new commission of Jean-Claude Juncker.…
GERMANY FACING EU FINES OVER ALLOWING OLD MOBILE AIR CONDITIONING GASES
THE EUROPEAN Union’s executive, the European Commission has threatened Germany with legal action unless it orders its automakers to comply with EU legislation covering mobile air conditioning systems in motor vehicles. If Berlin refuses and the case goes against it in the European Court of Justice (ECJ), Germany could end up paying massive recurring fines of thousands of Euros a day, until it complies.…
GERMANY STAGES APPARENT PNR DATA U-TURN
The German government believes that a Europe-wide system for the retention of passenger flight data “may have added value for counterterrorism” and is prepared to support an EU directive to this effect, a spokesperson for the German federal internal affairs ministry has told Jane’s Airport Review.…
AYKA ADDIS EXPECTS TO RIDE GROWTH IN OUTSOURCED BUSINESS IN ETHIOPIA
Ayka Addis Textile – the Ethiopian subsidiary of the Turkish textile and garment manufacturer Ayka Tekstil – has told just-style that it is anticipating strong growth in its sales over the coming years due to a growing number of European retailers looking to source from Ethiopia.…
USD 1 MILLION BOOST TO INCREASE ARMENIA’S TEXTILE AND GARMENT MARKET SHARE
ARMENIA is trying to increase its garment and textile market share locally and internationally, with the Russian government trying to help with a USD1 million grant. This will fund a project ‘Improving Competitiveness of Export-Oriented Industries in Armenia through Modernisation and Market Access’, which will be implemented by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).…
STATE AID APPROVED FOR GERMAN AND FRENCH AIRPORTS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved public subsidy investments into three airports in Germany (Dortmund, Leipzig/Halle and Niederrhein-Weeze) and three in France (Angoulême, Pau Pyrénées and Nîmes). In all cases, it found government-related financial injections were in line with European Union (EU) state aid rules.…
EUROPE MUST DIVERSITY ENERGY SOURCES TO AVOID SHIVERING IN A NEW ‘COLD WAR’, SAY EXPERTS
BRITAIN might not be reliant on Russian gas to keep warm, but British utilities are only too well aware that if Moscow turns off the taps this winter, there will be significantly increased demand for alternative gas supplies.
As a result, utility executives will have been keeping a close eye on talks in Berlin this weekend, where the European Union’s (EU) energy commissioner Günther Oettinger has been trying to broker a deal with Russia and Ukraine to head off a supply freeze.…
EU-FUNDED PROJECT AIMS TO BRING MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY PROCESSES TO THE MARKET
A RESEARCH project that has received EUR7 million in funding from the European Commission is working to bring more environmentally-friendly processes in the mainstream of the cosmetics industry in Europe. The OPTIBIOCAT (Optimised esterase biocatalysts for cost-effective industrial production) project, which began in 2013, wants to replace resource and energy-intensive chemical processes currently used in the cosmetics industry with less intensive ones, based on enzymes.…
NEW ZEALAND PUBLISHERS CAPITALISE ON 2012 GUEST OF HONOUR ROLE AT FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR
FOR all sceptics who say that the benefits of participating in international book fairs is hard to quantify, the New Zealand publishing sector says it can be very valuable. “Being ‘Guest of Honour’ at the Frankfurt Book Fair two years ago [in 2012] was a big success for us”, Paul Bateman, Managing Director at David Bateman Ltd told The Bookseller.…
NEW EU DIGITAL ECONOMY COMMISSIONER NOMINATED
GERMANY’S Günther Oettinger, who is currently the European Union’s energy commissioner, has been nominated to become the EU’s new digital economy commissioner. He would replace the current digital agenda commissioner, Neelie Kroes of the Netherlands, who will leave her job on Nov 1, when the new team of commissioners under incoming president Jean-Claude Juncker comes into office.…
OETTINGER PROMISES IMMEDIATE WORK ON DRAFTING NEW EU COPYRIGHT LAW
THE GERMAN politician nominated as the new digital economy and society Commissioner of the European Union (EU) has promised he will start work right away on drafting a new EU copyright law.
Günther Oettinger, who is currently EU energy commissioner, told MEPs at a European Parliament hearing in Brussels last night, that the law would take into account the challenges posed by digital technology while balancing the interests of creators and consumers.…
PAKISTANI LABOUR INSTITUTE TO TAKE KIK TO EUROPEAN COURT FOR BALDIA FACTORY TRAGEDY
THE PAKISTAN Institute of Labour Education & Research (PILER) says they intend to file a lawsuit in the European courts against a German firm, in relation to the death of over 250 people in a fire at the Ali Enterprises garment factory in Baldia, Karachi, on September 11, 2012.…
TECHNOLOGY SPEEDS UP FAST FASHION ORDERING AND DISTRIBUTION
Product lifecycle management (PLM) systems help apparel companies share information more efficiently and plan for future lines more accurately as time-to-market shrinks.
Software such as the WFX Cloud PLM helps speed up companies’ processes from product concept and design to delivery at stores, said Jatin Paul, CEO of WFX (World Fashion Exchange).…
CHINA’S TECHNICAL TEXTILES HARD ON HEELS OF EUROPEAN MANUFACTURERS
CHINA’S technical textile sector – producing everything from protective gear for steel workers to materials used in artificial kidneys – has enjoyed strong growth in recent years, and 2013 was no exception. According to the annual report of the Beijing-based China Nonwovens & Industrial Textiles Association (CNITA), the value of the technical textile sector and the fixed asset investments within it grew in 2013 by 12.9% and 28.7% respectively year-on-year.…
ADULT INCONTINENCE PRODUCT MARKET MAJOR GLOBAL GROWTH AREA FOR NONWOVENS
One consequence of the ageing population in many parts of the world is a significant increase in demand for nonwoven adult incontinence products, notably adult nappies. Indeed, in Japan, which has one of the most rapidly ageing populations, there have been reports of adult diaper sales exceeding those of babies for some manufacturers.…
SOUTH KOREAN PUBLISHERS LEAD RACE TO HARVEST CHINESE BUSINESS AT BEIJING BOOK FAIR
Tech-savvy South Korean publishers were out in force at the Beijing Book Fair this weekend hoping to strike sales and partnerships. South Korea’s e-book players looking for partnerships in China have an edge, said Kim Tae-won, head of ebook sales at Seoul-based Book n Book.…
AMERICAN POULTRY DRAWS CRITICISM AT TRADE TALKS
As European Union (EU) and US officials began their sixth round of negotiations on an ambitious EU-US free trade agreement in Brussels this week, American poultry practices threatened to become a lightning rod for European public unease about US food standards.…
GERMAN CLOTHING SECTOR SCEPTICAL ABOUT GOVERNMENT’S SOCIAL LABELLING PLANS
Germany’s textile and fashion industries are sceptical about proposals by the development minister Gerd Müller to establish minimum health, safety and social standards in outsourced manufacturing countries. The minister’s plans could mean that garments sold in German shops and on-line may have to introduce a form of “social labelling” to re-assure consumers that minimum labour conditions have been met by suppliers. …
MIDDLE EAST PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR PUSHES AHEAD, DESPITE INSTABILITY
THE MIDDLE East cosmetics market is weathering the region’s current political and economic instability in the region. While the markets in the Levant are experiencing tough times, Gulf sales continue to grow. Retailers and manufacturers are also offsetting the losses incurred in depressed and unstable countries by exporting to burgeoning African markets.…
INDUSTRY SHOULD BEWARE OF ‘FREE-OF’ CLAIMS, CONFERENCE HEARS
THE EUROPEAN cosmetics industry should steer away from claiming its products are ‘free-of’ preservatives and other similar ingredients, which could give consumers the wrong impression, the annual conference organised by Cosmetics Europe in Brussels on 10-11 June heard.
“All that preservatives-free claims do in the long term is to reinforce the stigmatisation of preservatives, since consumers believe they are wrong,” said Martin Seychell, deputy director-general for health and consumers at the European Commission.…
INTERNATIONAL RETAIL CHAINS ENTERING CHINESE SWEET BAKERY MARKET
AN INFLUX of big-brand café and convenience retail chains is whetting China’s appetite for sweet bakery, including in smaller cities. Brands are diversifying and moving upmarket, offering coffee and seating.
Take Beijing’s Beixinqiao, in the city’s older quarter, a busy intersection of residential blocks and a hub for restaurants and youth-focused fashion stores.…
INDONESIA ENERGY PUSH TO PROMOTE ONSITE POWER, COGENERATION AND SMALL PLANTS
Energy production and distribution is often the bedrock of sustainable economic development, and for an archipelago such as Indonesia, onsite power and small grids will always be the most sensible option. The government of south-east Asia’s most populous country has released a Masterplan for Acceleration and Expansion of Indonesia’s Economic Development (MP3EI) whose goal is developed economy status by 2025.…
ASIA PUSHES AHEAD ON GREEN TEXTILE PRODUCTION
Asia – the world’s textile and clothing workshop – is at the heart of many of the industry’s sustainability initiatives. The reason is that brands simply cannot afford not to care – their reputation can be seriously damaged if a supplier is responsible for a pollution spill or industrial accident.…
NONWOVENS COMPANIES OFFER LIGHTWEIGHT DURABLE MATERIALS TO AUTOMOBILE MAKERS
Nonwovens are taking on an increasingly important role in creating more sustainable vehicles, particularly in interiors, offering lightweight materials reducing fuel usage, recyclability, and the use of green feedstocks such as plant and waste food material.
The US-based global Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA) estimates there was about 560,000 tonnes of nonwovens in global automotive usage in 2013, said Dave Rousse, INDA’s president.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES SCHOLZ AND TOYOTA TSUSHO MERGER
The European Commission has approved the acquisition of a 39% stake in German scrap metal processing company Scholz AG by Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC), the trading arm of the Japanese industrial conglomerate Toyota.
A Commission note said that the move would not damage competition within the European Union (EU) scrap market, deeming it “compatible with the internal market” of the EU.…
EU’S RUSSIAN VAN ANTIDUMPING CASE HAS GEOPOLITICAL ROOTS, SAY EXPERTS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) launch of a disputes proceeding at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Russian anti-dumping duties on German and Italian van exports might seem like diplomatic overkill. But experts say there are good geo-political reasons behind the case brought by the EU executive, the European Commission.…
MOVES AGAINST FIAT SIGNAL BROADER TAX CLAMPDOWN
A European Commission investigation into Fiat’s tax arrangements in Luxembourg has put the spotlight on alleged backdoor subsidies received by Europe’s automobile manufacturers and comes at a difficult time for the sector.
At the heart of the probe is the suggestion that Luxembourg authorities gave Fiat finance and trade an unfair advantage over other companies in a 2012 “tax ruling” that calculated the company’s taxable profits.…
EU ACTS ON ORGANISED CRIME - BUT WILL IT WORK?
This year – 2014 – could be a watershed in the progress towards greater harmonisation of criminal justice measures throughout the European Union (EU) aimed at organised crime, corruption and money laundering.
A final report (2013/2107(INI)) last September (2013) by the European Parliament’s special committee on organised crime, corruption and money laundering (CRIM) provided detailed recommendations that were filtered and approved by the parliament’s plenary session late October.…
SOUTH AFRICA’S AUTO SECTOR STRUGGLES WITH INDUSTRIAL DISCORD, BUT MANUFACTURERS WILL STAY, SAY EXPERTS
Despite losing USD2 billion in sales during industrial action last year, and wage-related strikes being an annual specter, the lure of the sub-Saharan Africa market should ensure in South Africa car manufacturers do not divest from the country, according to industry experts.…
CHINA TACKLES PHARMA LOGISTICS AS REGULATORY PUSH FORCES CONSOLIDATION
Beijing’s traffic-clogged streets have in the past year become used to the sight of white vans emblazoned with the words ‘China Cold Chain Pharma’ and the website www.pharma56.com. The fleet of vans is one visible product of the China Pharmaceutical Cold Chain Alliance (CPCCA), an industry alliance founded in 2011 with the official goal of “achieving effective integration” of the cold chain logistics across the country’s fast-growing but very fragmented pharmaceuticals sector.…
BANGLADESH PM WANTS CLOTHING BUYERS TO PAY HIGHER PRICES
BANGLADESHI Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has told a meeting with the German confederation of trade unions (DGB) that she wants global clothing buyers to pay more so that her country can afford higher wages for garment workers.
Hasina told DGB president Michael Sommer that Bangladesh was making sincere efforts in improving garment factory safety while increasing wages, the head of Asia section at the international department of DGB head office, Frank Zach told just-style.…
NEPAL’S CHYANGRA PASHMINA SET TO GROW
NEPAL pashmina fibre is “exotically delicate, weightless and the finest natural insulation fibre of the world,” according to the Nepal Pashmina Industries Association’s (NPIA) general secretary Vijoy Kumar Dugar. This reputation has helped Nepal producers carve out a niche markets for pashmina knitwear and traditional shawl exports.…
GERMANY TEXTILES CONFORMITY CERTIFICATE PROPOSED
The German federal ministry for economic cooperation and development (BMZ), is to introduce a new sustainability certificate for companies in the textiles and clothing chain listing their compliance with set standards in the areas of social and environmental policy. A BMZ (Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung) spokesperson told just-style that there would be a “round table” with the industry and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) by the end of this month to discuss the certificate.…
TEXTILE FINISHING SECTOR RAISES CONCERNS OVER CoRAP PROCESS
A RISK assessment of additives and related chemicals – many of them used in the dyeing industry – is being conducted across the European Union (EU), amid concerns that several substances have yet to be properly tested against their potential hazards.…
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.…
GERMAN REFORMS OF GREEN ENERGY LAW COULD HIT CHP EXPANSION
Concerns are growing about the potential impact of reforms to Germany’s Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG – Erneuerbare Energien Gesetz) on the country’s cogeneration sector. On April 8, (2014) the German federal government proposed a bill amending the EEG, following the tabling of an initial plan about potential reforms in January.…
INNOVATIVE AND LOCAL AFRICA FINANCE CORPORATION RECEIVES HIGH CREDIT RATING
AFTER six years of financing some of the largest infrastructure projects across Africa, a groundbreaking multilateral development institution – the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) – has attained its investment grade international credit rating. Moody’s Investors Service assigned the corporation an A3 (long term) /P2 (short term) foreign currency debt rating, making the AFC, headquartered in Lagos, Nigeria the second highest investment grade rated financial institution based on the African continent, following the long-established Africa Development Bank (ADB).…
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.…
EMERGING MARKET COUNTRIES MOVING TOWARD MORE LOCAL VACCINE MANUFACTURE
ALTHOUGH two-thirds of vaccine research and development (R&D) globally is carried out by European firms, manufacturers in China, India and Brazil are becoming increasingly muscular and “moving from dependency to self-sufficiency” experts at a two-day conference in Brussels on vaccine research heard last week.…
FRANKFURT AIRPORT ADMITS TO SECURITY DELAYS
Germany’s Frankfurt Airport is addressing major difficulties with its security control process that have meant extensive wait times for passengers, leading to frequent complaints as well as passengers missing flights.
Many passengers at Frankfurt Airport have had to wait for more than 50 minutes during security controls, said Arina Freitag-Terpsma, senior vice president of aviation commercial affairs at Fraport – the German transport company that operates Frankfurt Airport.…
SMALLER EU COUNTRIES WANT TO ENSURE 2030 CLIMATE AND ENERGY TARGETS DO NOT BURDEN STEEL INDUSTRY
ENERGY ministers of smaller European Union (EU) member countries are worried about the potential impact the 2030 climate and energy targets proposed by the European Commission in January could have on energy-intensive industries such as minerals processing, an EU energy council meeting yesterday (Tues March 4) in Brussels revealed.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP – EU AGREES NEW FUEL EMISSIONS LIMIT – BUT PLANS TIGHTER CONTROLS
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has approved a new target for CO2 emissions from cars in the European Union (EU) of 95g CO2/km in 2021, but the European Commission is already plotting tighter controls. Welcoming MEP’s vote, European Union (EU) climate action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard said: “It is clear that long-term clarity is important for the car industry.…
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 KNITWEAR SECTOR OPTIMISTIC ABOUT 2014 – BUT CONCERNS ABOUT PRICING PRESSURES REMAIN
Turkey’s knitting industry performed strongly in 2013 and its senior figures are optimistic about further growth in the coming year. According to data from the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TCMA), exports of knitted apparel from Turkey grew by around 10% in 2013, reaching USD8.49 billion in the first 11 months of the year.…
DESPITE EU ENERGY TARGETS, INVESTMENT HOPES STILL LOW IN EUROPE
EVEN if the European Union (EU) has set energy targets for 2020 and the European Commission has proposed new ones for 2030, the investors still lack the confidence that they need to put their money into energy generation projects in Europe.…
COMPANIES SHOULD MONITOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN TO AVOID FRAUD, SAYS EU-ANTI FRAUD CHIEF
COMPANIES may be responsible to ensure their operations are not affected by fraud, but if such crimes harm the financial interests of the European Union (EU), they may also have to work with the EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF). Carmen Paun spoke to its director general Giovanni Kessler in Brussels.…
SUDAN’S AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL NETWORK BEING UPDATED BY CANADIAN-GERMAN VENTURE
CANADIAN aviation technology company PolarSat and Germany’s BAY-SAT have been working together to update Sudan’s air traffic control network using a PolarSat satellite IP communications network.
The companies are currently in Sudan, installing the network in 12 airports, as well as the country’s new central air navigation centre in the capital city of Khartoum.…
PROPOSED HIGHER EXPORT REBATES FOR INDIA TEXTILE EXPORTS ARE UNLIKELY TO BE APPROVED - EXPERTS
A call by India’s textiles minister for a higher rebate on duties paid on garment exports to the European Union (EU) will probably be refused by the country’s finance ministry, industry representatives have told just-style.
Darshan Lal Sharma, a member of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) National Committee on Textiles and a director of Vardhman Textiles, said it would be “really a challenge” to get an increased drawback approved when there was pressure to reduce the country’s fiscal deficit.…
FRANCE AND BELGIUM WELCOME DEAL OVER LOW GERMAN MEAT SECTOR WAGES
THE FRENCH government has welcomed an agreement between the German Food and Allied Workers Union (NGG) and the employers group ANG to introduce a minimum wage structure for the approximately 80,000 employees of the German meat industry.
French farm minister Stephane le Foll said that following the deal the expected the Germany good industry to return to “more balanced competition with its European partners.”…
RFID TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE FOOD AND DRINK SAFETY MONITORING
THE USE of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in the food and drink sector might have grown exponentially in the past 10 years, but the technology is likely to become even more ubiquitous worldwide. UK-based retailers and pioneers in the use of the technology Marks & Spencer and Tesco can now chalk up a decade of experience in the use of RFID, from distribution centre (DC) operations right through to retail floor item-level tagging.…
MALAYSIAN FINISHING INDUSTRY OUTLOOK OPTIMISTIC DESPITE CHALLENGING CLIMATE
A country famed for its beautiful traditional ‘batik,’ Malaysia is also home to a highly specialised textiles industry and these niche skills may prove vital for the country’s numerous finishing factories in what is shaping up to a challenging year. Economists are predicting a general slowing of the Malaysian economy, with average real gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the next five years estimated in Q4 2013 at 3.4%, revised down 0.2% from Q4 in 2012 (slightly slower than the Asian average of 3.7%), according to the Ifo Institute for Economic Research/International Chamber of Commerce’s World Economic Survey of business experts published in November last year.…
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.…
RFID TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE FOOD AND DRINK SAFETY MONITORING
BY LEE ADENDORFF
THE USE of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags in the food and drink sector might have grown exponentially in the past 10 years, but the technology is likely to become even more ubiquitous worldwide. UK-based retailers and pioneers in the use of the technology Marks & Spencer and Tesco can now chalk up a decade of experience in the use of RFID, from distribution centre (DC) operations right through to retail floor item-level tagging.…
MALAYSIAN FINISHING INDUSTRY OUTLOOK OPTIMISTIC DESPITE CHALLENGING CLIMATE
BY LEE ADENDORFF
A country famed for its beautiful traditional ‘batik,’ Malaysia is also home to a highly specialised textiles industry and these niche skills may prove vital for the country’s numerous finishing factories in what is shaping up to a challenging year.…
EUROPE’S COGENERATION MARKET NEEDS A BIG PUSH FROM GOVERNMENTS TO PROSPER IN THE LONG TERM
IT is a curious irony that for an industry as technical as cogeneration that maybe the biggest handicap to its sustained growth in Europe is actually emotional. Both commercial markets and governments are swayed by sentiment as well as hard cash – and currently both influences are failing to pull in co-gen’s favour.…
BRITISH REDUCTION IN SUSPICIOUS TRANSACTION REPORT RETENTION TIMES NOT FOLLOWED BY OTHER MAJOR JURISDICTIONS
WITH the UK’s Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) agreeing that all Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) it holds on its ELMER database will be deleted once they are older than six years, a long British debate balancing the needs of law enforcement and privacy has come to an end (at least temporarily).…
EUROPE’S COGENERATION MARKET NEEDS A BIG PUSH FROM GOVERNMENTS TO PROSPER IN THE LONG TERM
IT is a curious irony that for an industry as technical as cogeneration that maybe the biggest handicap to its sustained growth in Europe is actually emotional. Both commercial markets and governments are swayed by sentiment as well as hard cash – and currently both influences are failing to pull in co-gen’s favour.…
SWISS BANKING SECRECY: RIDDLED WITH HOLES
FOR years, Switzerland’s success as a global financial center has rested upon the rock-solid foundation of banking secrecy, a guarantee of discretion as solid at the Matterhorn. The Swiss proudly declared banking secrecy to be part of the country’s DNA, a practice formally established in the 1930s when Nazi Germany was on the rise and which helped shield individuals against abusive states. …
DEEP KNOWLEDGE OF THE NETWORK KEY IN EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT, CONFERENCE HEARS
HIGHWAY and transport officials in charge of network management need to deepen the knowledge of their local highways and rail systems to develop an efficient strategy to manage it, according to Daniel Van Motman, senior traffic management advisor at the City of Amsterdam.…
GCC PAINT MARKET AND INDUSTRY HEALTHY – BUT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT DELAYS MAKE GROWTH UNEVEN
PAINT manufacturers have been expecting a major boost to business following the economic stimulus and infrastructure investment projects launched by Gulf governments over the past few years. But projects have not materialised to the degree expected, and while the USD2.26 billion Gulf paint and coating market is still flourishing, it is not meeting expectations.…
PAINT manufacturers have been expecting a major boost to business following the economic stimulus and infrastructure investment projects launched by Gulf governments over the past few years. But projects have not materialised to the degree expected, and while the USD2.26 billion Gulf paint and coating market is still flourishing, it is not meeting expectations.…
NEW LABELLING RULES FOR PIG, SHEEP, GOATS AND POULTRY LEADING TO A RENATIONALISATION OF THE EU, INDUSTRY SAYS
NEW national origin labelling rules for pork, sheep, goat and poultry meat made in the European Union (EU) could reduce the trade in meat products between the 28 EU countries, EU senior meat industry figures have warned. In a joint statement, Jean-Luc Mériaux, secretary general of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union (UECBV) and Detlef Stachetzki, manager at the German meat industry federation (VDF – Verband der Fleischwirtschaft) said: “The rule gives rise to the belief of EU citizens that products produced in their own country are better/safer/healthier/ than the products from other countries.”…
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.…
Lebanon's car sector: the downward shift
Lump new car sales with the larger used car market, which accounts for around 60 percent of total sales, and overall sales are down 7 percent on last year, according to the Automobile Importers Association.
Yet while a drop in second-hand car sales is a boon to dealerships – and an environmental plus when it comes to the country’s carbon emissions, with fewer fuel-inefficient clunkers on the roads – the market has gone through a radical change in recent years that can be summed up in one word: downsizing.…
TRADE ASSOCIATION SAYS RUSSIAN WTO ENTRY BOOSTS EUROPEAN TEXTILE EXPORTS TO RUSSIA
A SENIOR official within an organisation charged with increasing European textile exports to Russia has told WTiN.com that Russia’s 2012 accession to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) has created real opportunities for European manufacturers to score Russian sales.
Igor Salomakhin, head of the Moscow liaison office of the Russia-Europe Textile Alliance (RETA), has told WTiN that it is helping a growing number of European textile businesses expand their sales in Russia by helping establish direct contact with new customers in Russia.…
INDIAN LUXURY CLOTHING MARKET IS DEVELOPING QUICKLY
INDIA’S luxury apparel market poses huge challenges for western brands due to a local preference for ethnic designs, especially for dresses, according to the latest market intelligence revealed last week at the ‘CII-ET Dialogue on Luxury’, a daylong conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and India’s Economic Times newspaper, in New Delhi.…
TRADE GROUP REBRANDING REFLECTS CHANGING US INDUSTRY, AS BIG TRADE DEALS MOVE AHEAD
THE RECENTLY rebranded United States Fashion Industry Association (USFIA) has re-launched itself at its annual meeting in New York, amidst predictions that the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement should be completed in early 2014.
Julia Hughes, the president of USFIA, and head of its predecessor the United States Association of Importers of Textiles and Apparel (USA-ITA) told the November 6 meeting: “We are definitely much further along in the TPP negotiations, but we think it’s likely to take into next year to really wrap it all up,” she said.…
BANK CUSTOMERS START TO BE ENLISTED IN FIGHT AGAINST FRAUD
CORPORATE and personal banking customers may well feel more than a tad uneasy if their bank suddenly asks them to scan accounts for evidence of fraud but it is happening more and more in America and appears to be paying off.…
MIXING TECHNOLOGY MAKES INCREMENTAL INNOVATIONS – KEEPING CORE PRINCIPLES INTACT
PRODUCERS of confectionery mixing machinery around the world continue to improve their machines, but generally opt for incremental improvements in sanitation and multi-purpose functions rather than creating entire new products.
Dutch confectionery equipment producer Tanis Confectionery, plans to unveil new mixing technology at Germany’s Interpack processes and packaging trade fair in May, Leo Tanis, CEO of Tanis Confectionery told Confectionery Production.…
MOOCS NOT A THREAT TO UNIVERSITIES, CONFERENCE HEARS
MASSIVE open online courses (MOOCs) are not a threat to bricks-and-mortar universities as some in Europe fear, a conference organised yesterday (Thursday) in Brussels by the Academic Cooperation Association (ACA) and the European University Association (EUA) heard.
One reason that should reassure universities is the difference between the students who study on campus and those who choose to study through MOOCs.…
GREEK DEANS ASK FOR EU SUPPORT OVER UNIVERSITY STAFF CUTS
DEANS of Greek universities have asked the European Parliament in Brussels today to put pressure on the Greek government not to implement an order that would see 1,349 administrative staff laid off in the months to come. “We think that there should be European pressure on the Greek government so they realize that the measures taken in higher education in Greece will have an impact on Europe itself,” said Helen Karamalengou, professor in the department of philology at the University of Athens, during a press briefing held in Brussels today (Thursday).…
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.…
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT RELEASES MEAT DETAILS OF NEW EU TRADE DEAL
THE SCALE of the European Union (EU) market access secured for Canadian meat exporters within the free trade agreement struck between the EU and Canada has been made clear by the the Canadian government. It yesterday (Wednesday) revealed details of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), announced October 18.…
SPORTSWEAR INNOVATORS SEEK HIGH PERFORMANCE ERGONOMIC DESIGNS THAT STAY WITHIN THE RULES
HIGH tech innovators in sportswear and outdoor equipment are developing fabrics and garments that do more and perform better, from health monitoring to slowing the effects of aging. Many inventions spring from unlikely source materials, for instance waste milk. And for sports, manufacturers have to be especially clever – ensuring their innovations avoid creating uncompetitive advantages that break sporting rules.…
NHA BE GARMENT CORPORATION FOCUS: A VIETNAM OUTSOURCER WITH COMPLEX SUPPLY LINES
IF further evidence was needed that Asian outsourcing is becoming increasingly mature, with a reliance on international supply chains, then the FOB division of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s Nha Be Garment Corporation Joint Stock Company (NBC) is a case in point.…
GERMANS, DUTCH AND FRENCH COMMENDED BULK OF NOW SCRAPPED EU BOVINE LIVESTOCK EXPORT REFUNDS
EXPORT refunds paid by the European Union (EU) to bovine livestock exporters, ahead of a suspension of these subsidies last September (2012), were dwindling and dominated by four countries, the latest data from the European Commission has revealed.
Brussels paid out Euro EUR5.7 million on such sales in 2012, said the Commission, down from EUR9.6 million in 2011, and around EUR10 million in 2008 and 2009 (EUR8.6 million was paid out in 2010).…
GLOBAL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE EXPERTS URGE CHANGES SO CHINA MANUFACTURING SECTOR CAN FACE NEW CHALLENGES
INTERNATIONAL clothing and textile experts gathered near Shanghai last week (September 23-7) to discuss solutions to China’s twin challenges – dealing with less foreign demand, while managing rising production costs.
Speaking at the 29th World Fashion Convention, Shanghai, staged in nearby Kunshan, Texhong CEO Hong Tianzhu told delegates it was time for Chinese manufacturers to upgrade their plant and processes, while moving some production outside China.…
UK POWER PILOT COULD UNLEASH NEW DEMAND FOR LITHIUM BATTERIES
THE DEMAND for lithium from large batteries designed to store and redistribute electricity from the grid could surge if a British pilot project proves a success. It involves building Europe’s largest lithium battery, at southern England’s Leighton Buzzard at a cost of British Pounds GBP13.2 million (USD20.4 million).…
GERMAN RESEARCH PROJECT DEVELOPS PLASMA STERILISATION TECHNIQUE
A GERMAN government Central SME Innovation Programme (ZIM) for small-and-medium-sized business research will help sterilise thermo labile flexible endoscopes using atmospheric pressure plasma. It is funding research involving US-based Plasmatreat and Germany’s Cleaning Technology Institute (wfk) which aims to replace existing heat-based sterilisation for medical devices.…
GERMAN PHARMA COMPANIES MAY HAVE TO REPAY TAX BREAK
GERMAN pharmaceutical companies facing financial difficulties may have to repay a special tax break designed to help them from going out of business, courtesy of the European Commission. It has opened a formal ‘state aid’ inquiry into these tax reductions. Brussels fears they break European Union (EU) government subsidy rules designed to prevent EU governments from giving unfair assistance to local companies operating in the borderless EU market.…
CROATIA'S KNITWEAR SECTOR EYES GROWTH WITH EU ACCESSION
CROATIA, which joined the European Union (EU) on July 1, aims to revive its knitting sector following a decline in recent years. While understandably cautious about the next few years, given the current economic troubles in Europe, Croatia plans to capitalise on the potential benefits and opportunities from being an EU member state, focusing on innovation and higher-value products in order to become more competitive.…
INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN RFID TECHNOLOGY
Although it has been the subject of intense speculation over recent years, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tagging has fulfilled many of the predictions made by industry forecasters more than 10 years ago, when pilots of wide scale deployment by giant department store retailers began.…
MAJOR BAVARIA GAS CO-GEN PROJECT WILL HELP GERMAN GOAL TO DITCH NUCLEAR ENERGY
The 9.5MW J920 FleXtra gas engine formally installed in May this year by the municipal utility Stadtwerke Rosenheim, in Bavaria, Germany, ticks off a number of important innovations. The largest gas engine yet developed by the Austrian company GE Jenbacher, the unit is seen by the company as an illustration of the role distributed energy is now playing in Germany’s ‘Energiewende’ – the country’s policy to halt all nuclear power by 2022 and replace it with natural gas, renewable energy, and greater use of energy efficient technologies.…
EUROPEAN COGENERATION PROSPERS IN SOME COUNTRIES, WHILE FIGHTING WEAK ECONOMIES AND UNHELPFUL POLICY IN OTHERS
WITH Europe’s economy still struggling to deal with the fall-out of the global financial crisis, its co-generation sector has had to fight to expand, or in some cases hold its position. Tightening national government budgets have meant that the co-gen industry has had to argue persuasively for public subsidies and tax breaks, or even the right to have equal treatment with renewable energies.…
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.…
MOSCOW AIRPORTS PLOT LIFT-OFF IN USD20 BILLION INVESTMENT
THE CAPACITY of Moscow airports will increase nearly threefold during the
next three to four years under a Russian Rubles RUB600 billion (USD18.7 billion) plan unveiled by the Russian ministry of transport at a June 15 meeting of the State Council, which advises President Vladimir Putin.…
BULGARIAN PROTESTORS FORCE OUT GOVERNMENT TAINTED WITH CORRUPTION
the fanfare that greeted Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union (EU), there was little expectation that membership would eradicate corruption overnight. Six years on, major corruption scrutiny bodies appear to have come to a predictable conclusion: that Bulgaria has made substantial efforts to clean out some of the worst elements of corruption, but there is plenty left to do.…
EU-AMERICAN TRADE DEAL MIGHT REMOVE BARRIERS TO PLASTICS COMMERCE
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) might accept American-made plastics as being safe enough to sell in the EU without them being subject to full-scale European chemical controls, under a planned EU-US Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. Negotiations for what would be the world’s largest bilateral trade deal are now underway and the European Commission has released its initial negotiating documents, which indicate that Brussels could be prepared to accept American standards under a mutual recognition formula with Washington in some cases, while on others agree a harmonisation or approximation of technical regulations.…
HOW KOREAN CARMAKERS HAVE CAPITALIZED ON THE EU-SOUTH KOREA FTA
WHILE the European Union’s (EU) auto sector is happy to see its trade imbalance with South Korea decreasing two years into the controversial free trade agreement (FTA) linking these two vehicle-making powerhouses, European car makers complain that they are still struggling to access the South Korean market.…
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.…
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.…
RUSSIA'S NONWOVENS PRODUCERS LOOK FOR GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AS SECTOR BOOMS
the Russian nonwovens market expanding, producers and industry experts say supportive government measures and decreased bureaucracy could help domestic companies increase their competitiveness against western rivals.
While the country’s domestic textile market is growing at a slow 1% to 2% annually, nonwovens have posted phenomenal growth of 74% over the three years since 2009, according to estimates of the US-based Discovery Research Group released last July (2012).…
DEAL STRUCK ON EU CO2 EMISSIONS LIMIT PLANS
AN AGREEMENT was struck last night in Brussels over plans to introduce a 95 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometer target for new automobiles sold in the European Union (EU) by 2020. Representatives from the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers thrashed out solutions to remaining disagreements about how these emissions are assessed, long term targets and special exemptions for auto-makers making ultra-low emission vehicles.…
CROATIA SCRAP METAL SECTOR TO EXPAND FOLLOWING JULY 1 EU ACCESSION
Zagreb-based CIOS, one of the leading scrap metal businesses in Southeast Europe, and Eurometrec, the European Metal Trade and Recycling Federation, have told Metal Bulletin that the scrap metal industry in Croatia, which is to join the EU on July 1, has the potential to expand significantly over the next few years.…
RAPEX REPORTS PRODUCT WITHDRAWALS OVER AZO DYE CONCERNS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s RAPEX consumer alert service has reported EU regulators continue to prevent sales of clothing products over dangerous azo dyes. For instance, Slovak authorities blocked sales of China-made Youjoy t-shirts because its azo dyes released the aromatic amine benzidine – breaking the EU’s REACH regulation.…
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.…
U-MULTIRANK FACING CHALLENGES REGARDING THE QUALITY OF THE INDICATORS
THE CONSORTIUM running the European Commission-backed U-Multirank is working to better ensure the quality and reliability of the indicators it will use to rank universities, University World News has been told. Speaking exclusively to University World News, Jordi Curell, director of higher education and international affairs at the Commission’s directorate general for education and culture, said assessments were weakened by universities failing to monitor the professional success of their graduates: “There is an issue because some of the indicators are difficult to obtain, especially when it comes to the tracking of students, because they don’t exist everywhere,” he said.…
CALL FOR RETENTION OF FULL EXPENSES CLAIM MODEL IN EU’S HORIZON 2020
THE GERMAN Christian Democrat MEP coordinating the European Parliament’s position on approving the European Union’s (EU) planned Horizon 2020 EUR70 billion research programme wants its rules to allow participants to reclaim full costs through detailed expenses claims. The European Commission prefers block grants handed out to research consortia, but Christian Ehler has joined the European University Association (EUA) in calling “for the retaining of a reimbursement model based on the recognition of full costs” for the 2014-20 programme.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT FINDS NEW PHARMA INGREDIENTS FROM MOROCCAN NATURE
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project has been researching the pharmaceutical applications of active ingredients extracted from herbs and aromatic plants found in Morocco. The Euro EUR442,000 MAP2ERA project has been coordinated by Morocco’s Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, working with the Institut de Chimie des Substances Naturelles (ICSN) in France, Spain’s University of Alicante and Giraf PM, a German project management company.…
GREECE FRAUD NEWS UPDATE
Greece – the Olympian challenge
Hercules may have succeeded in cleaning the Augean stables but the mythic hero would surely have shaken his head at the state of the Greek parliament, labouring to implement austerity measures against a backdrop of corrosive corruption and widespread tax evasion.…
URBANISATION, COMPETITION FOR LABOUR IN CHINA’S TOBACCO TOWN
PROMOTED in China’s press as the Richmond, Virginia of China, driving into Yuxi, in the southern Yunnun province, you get the impression of how a successful tobacco sector can generate all kinds of wealth. Yuxi is home to China’s largest tobacco company, Hongta, and this has helped fuel real estate speculation – construction is everywhere.…
EUROPEAN POWER PLAYERS COME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS MEDITERRANEAN ENERGY MARKET HOLY GRAIL
THE ARAB Spring may have increased short-term doubts about the political stability of Europe’s southern and eastern Mediterranean neighbours, but the long-term case for energy cooperation between these regions is surely unarguable.
Europe needs more energy than it can generate, and it has (for the time being at least) money to buy energy from north Africa and the Levant.…
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.…
EU FRAUD CHIEF REBUFFS NEW ‘RESIGN’ CALL
GIOVANNI Kessler, the embattled director general of European Union (EU) anti-fraud agency OLAF has rejected a fresh call to resign in the mounting furore over claims the agency used illegal wire taps in the case of former EU health Commissioner John Dalli who resigned over allegations of conflict of interest involving a tobacco firm.…
BAVARIAN GAME CASE SPARKS RULING ALLOWING REGULATORS TO IDENTIFY MANUFACTURERS OF RISKY MEAT PRODUCTS
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that government consumer protection agencies can identify meat companies selling products regulators consider unfit for human consumption, without being sued later. The owner of a former Bavarian game meat company Berger Wild GmbH, had sued the Bavarian government over warnings issued over its products.…
EFPIA CALLS FOR MORE ROBUST RULES ON PHARMACOVIGILANCE STUDIES
THE EUROPEAN Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA) has called on the European Union (EU) to solidify rules for staging post-authorisation efficacy studies, saying the pharma industry needs more clarity on when they are held and their potential consequences.
Commenting on a European Commission consultation paper on such pharmacovigilance assessments, the EFPIA called for new legislation.…
ECHA PLANS LIBERALISATION OF BLUE DYE UNDER EU SAFETY SYSTEM
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is consulting about the proposed removal of textile dye Direct Blue FC 57087 from the European Union’s (EU) harmonised safety list for potentially dangerous chemicals. The German government wants it de-listed as a chemical supposedly causing acute toxicity and specific target organ toxicity.…
BRUSSELS WANTS ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION DISCLOSED BY LARGE COMPANIES
JUST as the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) was launching its consultation on the draft International Integrated Reporting Framework in London, the European Commission was pushing in Brussels for large companies to disclose information on social and environmental matters.
The European Union’s internal market Commissioner Michel Barnier tabled on April 16 an amendment to the EU’s fourth (78/660/EEC) and seventh (83/349/EEC) directives on annual and consolidated accounts.…
AGROFERT ANTICIPATES GREENLIGHTS FROM BRUSSELS FOR PLANNED GERMAN BAKERY TAKE-OVER
THE CZECH group Agrofert Holding has told just-food it expects to get a green light from the European Commission for its planned takeover of German bakery group Lieken. “Considering the fact that Agrofert does not own any bakeries in Germany, we don’t expect complications,” said Agrofert Holding’s spokesman Karel Hanzelka.…
BRITISH ACCOUNTANT TELLS HOW HE HELPS RUN KAZAKHSTAN’S ECONOMY
IT seems for all the world like the setting for a Graham Greene novel: a British-trained chartered accountant in charge of an almost unfathomably wealthy state-owned holding corporation in a distant outpost.
Yet Greene would barely recognise the 21st century context in which Our Man in Kazakhstan operates.…
NEW BIOMASS BIOCOAL COULD OFFER CARBON NEUTRAL SOLID FUEL OPTION FOR THE FUTURE
A SLOW revolution in the use of biomass for firing or co-firing power generation is picking up pace this year as a number of competing technologies for the production of ‘biocoal’ move more convincingly towards full commercialisation.
Biocoal produced through torrefaction – in which dry biomass such as wood, paper, food waste and even sewerage waste is slow-heated anoxically (to avoid combustion) at 200C to 300C to reduce moisture and drive off low-energy volatile chemicals – offers slightly degraded fuel with lower emissions and carbon footprints (it is carbon neutral) than traditional biomass and, certainly, than coal.…
PLM SOFTWARE BECOMES EVER MORE SOPHISTICATED, FLEXIBLE AND CONNECTED
Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) software has also undergone a profound change over recent years, dominated by three catchwords: integration, cloud computing and social design.
Integration is perhaps the most significant, short-term trend in both PLM and ERP development for the clothing and textile sector, and others.…
TEXTILE COMPANIES INCREASINGLY SEEKING ERP, PLM SOLUTIONS
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions have become powerful and numerous, allowing apparel companies to manage vast amounts of complex data under one umbrella, from finance, stock and manufacturing processes to distribution. Driven by the need to leverage this information and obtain even greater precision and speed in time to market, in recent years many ERP packages have come to include modules specifically tailored for the clothing industry, either as an add-on package or an integration with a product lifecycle management (PLM) system.…
BRUSSELS PROPOSES LAW FORCING MAJOR EU COMPANIES TO DISCLOSE CYBER ATTACKS
MAJOR companies within the European Union (EU) suffering from major cybercrime attacks will have to inform regulators under a proposed EU directive on network and information security. If the legislation is approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers, it would assign that duty to operators of critical infrastructure in the financial, transport, energy and health sectors; IT services, such as app stores, e-commerce platforms, internet payment systems, cloud computing companies, search engines and social network; plus public administrations.…
WTO TELLS CHINA TO REFORM E-RAY SCANNER ANTIDUMPING DUTIES
THE CHINESE government has been told by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to reform anti-dumping duties imposed on exports into China of x-ray security inspection equipment made in the European Union (EU). A WTO disputes panel found that some calculations made by China’s commerce ministry when setting the duties breached the WTO’s anti-dumping agreement.…
ECJ REJECTS SWISS CASE AGAINST GERMANY OVER ZURICH FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has rejected a claim by the Swiss government that Germany had breached a 1999 European Union-Switzerland air transport agreement by restricting night and early morning flights to and from Zurich airport. Berlin insists on altitude minimums over German territory.…
SOPHISTICATED FAKE EUROPEAN TOBACCO SMUGGLING SYSTEM UNVEILED IN GERMANY COURT
A COMPLEX international supply web supporting an illicit business of tobacco counterfeiters, losing European Union (EU) governments Euro EUR50 million in duties, has been unveiled in a German court. Details were revealed in a case at the Berlin-Moabit criminal court convicting a German-Russian co-national to nine years jail.…
EU ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINISTERS DIVIDED OVER MEASURES TO COMBAT VAT FRAUD
EUROPEAN Union (EU) economy and finance ministers have blocked an attempt to grant the European Commission special powers to authorise emergency measures by member states wanting to fight a sudden outbreak of major VAT fraud, such as carousel frauds.
At present, if such steps breach the EU VAT directive, unanimous authorisation is required from the EU Council of Ministers.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT DEVELOPS NEW BIO-NYLON MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed progress being made by the European Union (EU)-funded Ambiocas research project, which is developing next generation chemical green manufacturing methods, notably identifying enzymes needed to produce a bio-nylon cascade process. In a note, Brussels said: “Compared to the current oil-based production, a bio-based nylon polymer would allow for a substantial reduction in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions during its synthesis.”…
BRUSSELS TO PROPOSE LEGISLATIVE MEASURES ON SHALE GAS EXPLORATION IN EUROPE
THE EUROPEAN Commission looks set to propose binding legislative standards for the 27 European Union (EU) member states to follow in exploring unconventional fossil fuel resources amid public concern over the environmental and social impact consequences of the main production method – hydraulic fracturing or fracking.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT WANTS A STRONGER TOBACCO PRODUCTS DIRECTIVE, BUT ECONOMIC CONCERNS MIGHT DERAIL PLANS
POLITICAL battle-lines are being drawn over the oncoming debates at the European Parliament and the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers on the shape of the revised tobacco products directive. While formal amendments have yet to be proposed, preliminary discussions are giving the industry a good idea of the challenges to be faced over the coming months.…
ETHIOPIA KNITWEAR SECTOR GROWS FAST – SEEKING EXPORT SALES AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT
IN recent years Ethiopia’s knitwear industry has experienced a boom. As well as several major companies, including Primark, Tesco, and H&M now sourcing knitwear from Ethiopia, some Asia-based factory owners have moved production to Ethiopia, and various domestically-owned plants are developing.…
BANGLADESH AND TURKEY: KNITTING EXPORT RIVALS WITH COMMON INTERESTS
BANGLADESH and Turkey are knitwear rivals, with differing levels of development. Bangladesh overtook Turkey in 2010 becoming the world’s second largest knitwear manufacturer (by output) in the year ending June 2010, pushing the Turks into third place.
In the year ending June 2010, Bangladesh exported 7.78 billion pieces of knitted items or USD 6.48 billion worth of knitwear, overtaking Turkey’s shipment of 7.74 billion pieces, according to BKMEA.…
ECJ REJECTS SWISS CASE AGAINST GERMANY OVER ZURICH FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has rejected a claim by the Swiss government that Germany had breached a 1999 European Union-Switzerland air transport agreement by restricting night and early morning flights to and from Zurich airport. Berlin insists on altitude minimums over German territory.…
MIDDLE EASTERN NON-WOVENS SECTOR STARTS TO GROW FROM ITS TURKISH AND SAUDI BASE
NONWOVENS manufacturing has grown fast in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with most of the major players less than two decades old. With a burgeoning population and strong export potential, MENA production has in general doubled over the past five years, especially in the region’s manufacturing hubs of Saudi Arabia and Turkey, which currently have the strongest nonwovens sectors.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE FEARS CUTS IN EU RURAL DEVELOPMENT BUDGET COULD HARM POORER MEAT PRODUCERS
MEMBERS of the European Parliament agriculture committee are worried about cuts made to the European Union (EU)’s rural development fund for the rest of the decade in the recent EU 2014-20 spending deal – warning it may especially hit farmers rearing livestock of sheep and goats in poor regions.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MEMBERS ASK FOR TOUGH PUNISHMENTS AGAINST FOOD PRODUCERS INVOLVED IN HORSEMEAT FRAUD
Members of the European Parliament committee on public health and food safety last night (Monday) demanded severe punishments for food manufacturers found guilty of mislabelling horsemeat as beef. During a heated debate in Brussels with representatives of the European Commission and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) German Christian Democrat MEP Renate Sommer said: “We need tough penalties,” said the.…
EU ROUND UP - EU COUNCIL BACKS NEW HORIZON 2020 RESEARCH PROGRAMME
SUBSTANTIAL European Union (EU) funding for research into plastics, polymers and related disciplines such as nanotechnology has been guaranteed until 2020, with an EU budget deal assuring the continuation of the planned Horizon 2020 research programme.
Heads of government agreed at a European Council ending February 8 that while the overall EU budget for 2014-20 should fall by 3%, Horizon 2020 should be protected because it is likely to promote economic growth.…
PROPOSED EU REFERENDUM RAISES COMMERCIAL PROPERTY UNCERTAINTY – BUT MARKET PLAYERS REMAIN CONFIDENT
WHAT impact could uncertainty in the run-up to a promised British referendum on continued membership of the European Union (EU) have on investment flows from the UK into commercial property and developments in the rest of the EU?
What might the impact be if a referendum did indeed take place and voters told their government loud and clear to quit the EU and free up the UK to make its own laws and regulations covering important aspects of finance, investment and tax?…
EUA PROJECT CALLS FOR TRANSPARENCY IN DOCTORAL PROGRAMMES
Universities should be more transparent about what their offer through their PhD programmes, to better allow students to compare doctoral studies across Europe, Thomas Jørgensen, the author of the recently concluded Accountable Research Environments for Doctoral Education (ARDE) project told University World News in Brussels today.…
NORD STREAM TO UK: PIPELINE OR PIPEDREAM?
IT is a long way to the UK from the German terminus of the Russian-dominated Nord Stream gas pipeline – but major energy companies are seriously considering building a fixed link to Britain. BP has been in talks with Gazprom, the UK and the Russian government.…
EUROPE RISKS LAGGING BEHIND IN HIGH-SPEED BROADBAND DUE TO EUROPEAN POLICY CHOICES, ECTA BOSS WARNS
EUROPE risks falling behind its international rivals in rolling out high-speed broadband technology because of European Union (EU) policies, warns Erzsébet Fitori, director of the European Competitive Telecommunications Association (ECTA), which represents new telco entrants. In an exclusive interview with European Communications at her Brussels office, Fitori said Europe will not have end-to-end fibre networks if the currently recommended policy approach, which rewards investment in partial network infrastructure upgrades such as VDSL, is endorsed.…
SURVEY FINDS 97 PERCENT OF CHINESE FIRMS WILL INCREASE INVESTMENT IN THE EU
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) offers a more favourable investment environment compared to north America or south-east Asia in the eyes of Chinese investors, according to a recently released study of Chinese companies investing in Europe. Africa however is seen as the most welcoming destination for Chinese investment, by 85% to 15%, according to the survey of 74 Chinese firms carried out by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China (EUCCC), in cooperation with KPMG and Roland Berger Strategy Consultants.…
ACCA-QUALIFIED VP SHOWS HOW ACCOUNTING SMARTS CAN WORK WITH NEW COMMS TECHNOLOGY TO BOOST PROFITS
IN the economic gloom that pervades most of Europe today, it is good to hear some success stories and Germany’s information technology and telecommunications sector is one: German exports from this sector amounted to Euro EUR22.2 billion for January-September 2012, an increase of 3.5% on the same period in 2011, according to the industry federation Bitkom.…
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.…
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.…
OPENING OF NEW BERLIN AIRPORT POSTPONED INDEFINITELY
THE OPENING of the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport has been postponed indefinitely, with the airport operator’s chief operating officer Horst Amann declaring that the latest (delayed) opening date October 27, this year, “is no longer viable”. An airport communiqué cited Mr Amann saying “it is too early to discuss…a new opening date”.…
MEGA-TRIAL COULD MAKE OR BREAK EURO FUEL CELL mCHP
BY ROBERT STOKES
ELCORE GmbH, a German maker of fuel cell micro-CHP (FC mCHP) units currently has only a few being put through their paces in homes in its domestic market. It has high hopes, though, of selling plenty on a fully commercial basis from late next year before spreading its wings into other European markets.…
ECOADDITIVES A POPULAR INGRIDIENT - BUT NOT AT ANY COST
BY CARMEN PAUN, RAGHAVENDRA VERMA AND KITTY SO
THE DEMAND for eco-friendly additives is growing and will continue to, as long as the paints and coatings incorporating them have a similar price and functionality those with regular additives, according to Carine Lefèvre, general manager at the Belgium-based Coatings Research Institute (CoRI).…
VIRTUAL FITTING ROOMS, COMPOSTABLE CLOTHES MAKE 2012 INNOVATIVE YEAR FOR CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
FROM toxic t-shirts to virtual fitting rooms, defamatory garments and compostable shoes, the clothing and textiles industry in 2012 was anything but dull.
The year started off with workers at Mexican textile firm Hilaturas Tejidos y Acabados Xtra ending a four-year strike in January after agreeing on a new wage deal with its owners – proving that sticking to your guns long enough can actually pay off.…
ETHIOPIAN PHARMA SECTOR GROWS - WOTH DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING TAKING OFF
BY JONATHAN DYSON, IN ADDIS ABABA
WITH Africa’s second largest population – around 85 million – and one of the world’s fastest growing economics, expanding annually at 7% over recent years, opportunities in Ethiopia for both domestic and overseas pharmaceutical manufacturers are increasing rapidly.…
EUROPEAN AUTO-MAKERS SOUNDS ALARM BELLS OVER EU-JAPAN TRADE TALKS
BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON, AND JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO
EUROPE’S automakers have reacted with ill-disguised dismay to the European Union’s (EU) decision (announced last Thursday) to begin negotiations with Japan for a free trade agreement (FTA). The motor industry’s trade association ACEA said "independent studies have shown that this deal is a one-way street as far as the automobile industry is concerned."…
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.…
AIRLESS PACKAGING BECOMES MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR COSMETICS BRANDS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WHILE oxygen is essential to human life, it can of course also be a cosmetic product’s worst enemy.
For most cosmetics manufacturers, prolonging the life of their products means creating packaging with as tight a seal as possible – hence, the industry’s growing demand for airless packaging, helping assure both a brand and its consumer that a cosmetics product will be good to the last drop.…
TERROR FINANCE - CAN THE EU BE AN EFFECTIVE COP?
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
AFTER two years from the entry into force of the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) between the European Union (EU) and the United States, the European Commission patted itself on the back, claiming the agreement is working.…
BRUSSELS CLEARS CREATION OF NEW MAJOR SLAUGHTERHOUSE WASTE JOINT VENTURE IN GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has today (Friday) cleared the creation of an international slaughterhouse waste disposal joint venture between Germany’s Tönnies and US-based international group OSI. Brussels approved the deal without conditions using its fast-tack competition approval procedures. Both companies produce, process and supply meat products and the new joint venture will be based in Germany – called Proteinunion GmbH.…
EU ROUND UP - PAINT SECTOR COULD BENEFIT AS EU AND JAPAN LAUNCH TRADE TALKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Japanese plastics exporters could benefit from a future free trade deal, with the European Commission announcing that formal trade talks between these two developed world giants will go ahead. Brussels’ directorate general for trade is stressing that Japan must make offers to remove its notoriously tough non-tariff barriers – such as trade licensing, declarations, inspections, labelling, certification, port clearance and other red tape and other red tape – for the talks to succeed.…
GREEECE: CORRUPTION IN THE MIDDLE OF A CRISIS
BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES, IN ATHENS
Greece is perhaps the best example of how a corrupt political and commercial system can undermine an economy and prevent it recovering from recession. The country has a patent and overwhelming corruption problem that weakens efforts to reduce its huge debt burden, expected to reach almost 190% of GDP in 2012.…
EU TO ASK CONSUMERS IF LABELLING SHOULD INCLUDE STUNNING METHOD
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
THE EUROPEAN Commission will launch a study next year to ask consumers whether they would like meat products labels to contain information about stunning methods used before the animal was slaughtered, said Denis Simonin, animal welfare chief at the European Commission’s health and consumer directorate general.…
EU BIOFUEL INDUSTRY GEARING UP FOR SURVIVAL FIGHT WITH POLICY-MAKERS
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
EVER since the European Commission announced last month that it would stop subsiding food-based biofuels from 2020 and support the production of secondary biofuels based on waste matter and algae, Europe’s biofuel sector has been preparing to fight for survival.…
NEW KANEBO PRESIDENT WANTS TO DEVELOP GLOBAL BRANDS
BY JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO
Masumi Natsusaka has global ambitions for Kanebo Cosmetics Inc., where he assumed the company’s presidency in June. And he has told Soap Perfumery & Cosmetics that he is impatient for brands that have previously only been for selected foreign and domestic markets to evolve into truly global brands developed to directly meet the needs of a new generation of consumers around the world.…
NORWAY MEAT TARIFFS ARE PROTECTIONIST SAY MEPS
BY KITTY SO
MEMBERS of the European Parliament have accused Norway of illicitly protecting its meat sector under the guise of reforming its tariffs system. Members of the EP’s committee on international trade said Oslo was increasing tariffs when shifting them from set values per amount of meat to percentage value ‘ad valorem’ tariffs.…
RANDOM HOUSE DEALS TEE UP SALES SURGE IN SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA
BY ROBERT STOKES, IN MALAGA
RANDOM House is bullish about selling more English and Spanish language titles in Spain and Latin America as a result of its planned merger with Penguin Books and outright purchase of Spain’s Random House Mondadori (RHM).…
OILS AND FATS INTERNATIONAL
BY BLAKE BERRY, IN WARSAW; JOHN PAGNI, IN HELSINKI; DAVID HAYHURST, IN PARIS; LEE ADENDOORF, IN LUCCA, ITALY; CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS; MJ DESCHAMPS; AND ALAN OSBORN
IF you are a biofuel manufacturer, you could be forgiven for being frustrated with the complexity of the market in Europe.…
AT TIMES OF CRISIS, ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING IN GREECE IS STILL A MATTER OF POLITICAL WILL
BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES, IN ATHENS
THE GREEK economic crisis may provide the perfect backdrop for money laundering. Dr Ioannis Filos, professor of Auditing at Panteion University in Athens and director of the Greek chapter of the European Business Ethics Network (EBEN) told the Money Laundering Bulletin that "it is obvious… that the financial stress is a big threat for someone to get involved in wrong actions/fraud/corruption."…
RANDOM HOUSE DEALS TEE UP SALES SURGE IN SPAIN & LATIN AMERICA
BY ROBERT STOKES, IN MALAGA
RANDOM House is bullish about selling more English and Spanish language titles in Spain and Latin America as a result of its planned merger with Penguin Books and outright purchase of Spain’s Random House Mondadori (RHM).…
STANDARDIZATION REMAINS THE MAIN BARRIER IN THE MARKET UPTAKE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN EUROPE
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS; ANDREW KURETH, IN WARSAW; LEE ADENDORFF, IN ITALY; DAVID HAYHURST, IN PARIS; AND ALAN OSBORN
STANDARDIZATION remains the main hurdle European Union (EU) countries will have to pass to see an increased uptake of electric vehicles, auto industry specialists at a recent conference in Brussels organized by the Public Policy Exchange has determined.…
COMARCH HELPS STREAMLINE MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN TELCOS AND ENTERPRISES WITH ITS SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WITH telecommunications operators across Europe increasingly seeing flat lined revenue growth from residential mobile customers, new sights currently are being set on cultivating and enhancing relationships with enterprise customers.
And while the transition towards offering comprehensive service bundles to enterprise customers can involve a lot of legwork on the telco side, companies like Poland-based Comarch offer software systems and solutions helping telcos better support enterprises.…
EU ENERGY REGULATORS CLAIM EUROPEAN POWER AND GAS PRICES ARE STARTING TO CONVERGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPORT released by the European Union’s (EU) umbrella groups for gas and electricity regulators has claimed wholesale energy prices within the EU are beginning to converge, as cross-border sales develop. Consumer prices still varied significantly between the EU’s 27 member states, however.…
SECONDARY PACKAGING SERVES PRIMARY PURPOSE FOR COSMETICS BRANDS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
DESPITE its name, secondary packaging undoubtedly plays a primary role in the cosmetics and personal care industry: aside from holding and protecting primary packaging during transportation and handling, these boxes, containers and bags all have the important first role of attracting consumers.…
NORTH KOREA KNITWEAR COULD BE HIDDEN STRENGTH OF COMMUNIST HERMIT KINGDOM
BY MARK ROWE
NORTH Korea, the world’s most secretive state and the focus of many international diplomatic headaches, has an unexpectedly burgeoning sector: the country’s knitwear industry.
As one might expect for this tightly and centrally planned economy, the knitting industry is controlled by the central communist government: all knitting mills and factories are controlled by the Knitting Industry Management Bureau.…
EU FUNDS FRAUD CO-OPERATION MOVES CLOSER
BY ROBERT STOKES
A LONGSTANDING wrangle over whether and how European Union (EU) member states should have to share with the EU anti-fraud office (OLAF) details of frauds involving EU funds has been resolved.
Just such an obligation is set to be included in a revised Regulation (EC) No 1073/99 (PART 3) after agreement was reached by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the EU Council of Ministers.…
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.…
EU LEGISLATION FORCES UK TO SHRINK ITS COAL POWER GENERATING SECTOR
BY ROBERT STOKES
THE SEPTEMBER 2012 announcement by utility RWE npower it would close the 2,000 megawatt (MW) coal-fired Didcot A power station in southern England has highlighted the scale and speed of large coal plant closures in Britain. European Union (EU) environmental laws are being identified as a key culprit behind this trend.…
CHINESE DEMAND FOR ECO COATINGS IS STRONG - BUT LOCAL CAPACITY GLUT MAKES LONG-TERM DEMAND UNCERTAIN
BY MARK GODFREY
FOR sellers of eco-friendly automotive coatings in China, the future is looking bright: sales of 10 million cars a year are predicted to 2030, the Chinese government’s current 12th Five-Year Plan has not only given auto coatings special attention, it marks new materials and green cars as two of seven emerging industries that are garnering government favourtism.…
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.…
GERMAN TAXATION LAWS MAY CHANGE THROUGH EU LEGAL CHALLENGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ACCOUNTANTS advising on German taxation rules will be monitoring two European Court of Justice (ECJ) cases brought by the European Commission, alleging that two taxes break EU laws on the freedom of movement of capital within the EU.…
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO FOSSIL FUEL SUBSIDIES?
BY DAVID HAYHURST, IN PARIS
THREE years ago, the Group of Twenty (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors stated the organisation’s intention was to "rationalise and phase out over the medium term inefficient fossil fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption".…
CHINESE DEMAND FOR ECO COATINGS IS STRONG - BUT LOCAL CAPACITY GLUT MAKES LONG-TERM DEMAND UNCERTAIN
BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING
FOR sellers of eco-friendly automotive coatings in China, the future is looking bright: sales of 10 million cars a year are predicted to 2030, the Chinese government’s current 12th Five-Year Plan has not only given auto coatings special attention, it marks new materials and green cars as two of seven emerging industries that are garnering government favourtism.…
LOLLIPOPS LOSING GROUND TO SOFT CONFECTIONARY AND CHOCOLATES
BY KITTY SO
Confectionery consumers worldwide are moving away from the traditional, sugary lollipop to other sweets, driven by health concerns and greater spending power. Market researchers say they are flocking to innovative, functional soft candies offering health benefits while consumers with more money turn to chocolates.…
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.…
EUROPE’S COGENERATION MARKET NEEDS A BIG PUSH FROM GOVERNMENTS TO PROSPER IN THE LONG TERM
IT is a curious irony that for an industry as technical as cogeneration that maybe the biggest handicap to its sustained growth in Europe is actually emotional. Both commercial markets and governments are swayed by sentiment as well as hard cash – and currently both influences are failing to pull in co-gen’s favour.…
EUROPE'S COGENERATION MARKET NEEDS A BIG PUSH FROM GOVERNMENTS TO PROSPER IN THE LONG TERM
BY MONIKA HANLEY, IN RIGA; ALICE TRUDELLE, IN WARSAW; CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS; EUGENE VOROTNIKOV, IN ST PETERSBURG; ROBERT STOKES, IN MALAGA; GERARD O’DWYER, IN HELSINKI; LEE ADENDOORF, IN LUCCA; ALAN OSBORN; MJ DESCHAMPS; AND KEITH NUTHALL
IT is a curious irony that for an industry as technical as cogeneration that maybe the biggest handicap to its sustained growth in Europe is actually emotional.…
DOUBTS OVER GERMAN EXPANSION
BY MONIKA HANLEY, IN RIGA; ALICE TRUDELLE, IN WARSAW; CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS; EUGENE VOROTNIKOV, IN ST PETERSBURG; ROBERT STOKES, IN MALAGA; GERARD O’DWYER, IN HELSINKI; LEE ADENDOORF, IN LUCCA; ALAN OSBORN; MJ DESCHAMPS; AND KEITH NUTHALL
And in Germany, the sector is gearing up for significant expansion, following a strong commitment from the government to use co-gen as a key part of the new power mix to replace nuclear power.…
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.…
CHINA'S HINTERLAND AIRPORTS ARE LOSING MONEY BUT A STRONGER NEW BREED MAY BE EMERGING
BY MARK GAO, IN BEIJING
More than two-thirds of Chinese airports, most in smaller regional centres rather than China’s mega-cities, last year lost a combined Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY2 billion (USD313 million). Yet there will be no let up in the construction of new regional airports in China, given government has dubbed the civil aviation sector as a "strategic industry".…
PART III: ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY POLICY
BY LEAH GERMAIN, CARMEN PAUN AND KEITH NUTHALL
EVEN with Europe mired in recession and financial crisis, an awful lot of lorries cross Switzerland moving goods between southern and northern Europe. According to Swiss road transport agency FEDRO, in 2010 the number of heavy goods vehicles transporting goods across the Alps increased 6.5% year-on-year.…
REACH HAS NOT DEALT DISASTER - BUT PROBLEMS LOOM AS SMALLER VOLUMES ARE CONTROLLED
BY ALAN OSBORN
IT won’t be certain for some time yet but signs are growing that the European Union’s (EU) massive and complex REACH policy to enforce the registration and control of chemicals is proving nothing like the disaster that the cosmetics and detergents industries might once have feared.…
PNR SYSTEMS: FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN PROTECTION AND BREACH OF PRIVACY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
INTERNATIONAL travel in the last decade has become exponentially more secure, with countries all around the globe having reformed their systems to cope with transnational crime in a post-9/11 world – largely, through the increased collection, processing and legislation of passenger information.…
NEW AUTO MANUFACTURING HUB EMERGING IN WESTERN RUSSIA
BY NICK HOLDSWORTH, IN KALUGA, RUSSIA
CARMAKERS were celebrating on July 4 when the first of four new models rolled off a state-of-the-art production line in a 145 hectare plant in Kaluga, western Russia. The latest in an ongoing expansion of Russia’s auto sector, a bright, clean, airy and surprisingly quiet car assembly plant is surrounded by fields and forests: Peugeot Citroen’s Russian joint venture with Mitsubishi, PCMA Rus has pressed the button to start full scale production that will deliver 125,000 a year vehicles specially designed for the Russian market.…
EU 2020 CO2 EMISSION TARGETS THE TOUGHEST IN THE WORLD, INDUSTRY SAYS
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
THE EUROPEAN automotive industry denounced the CO2 emissions targets for 2020 announced by Brussels yesterday as being too ambitious to be realistic. "These are tough targets – the toughest in the world", said Ivan Hodac, the secretary general of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA), reacting to the announcement of the European Commission, European Union’s (EU) executive body, that it would require new cars to emit on average 95g CO2 for each kilometer by 2020.…
KEROSENE STILL KING: HOW TRADITIONAL JET FUEL IS CONTINUING TO TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER BIOFUELS IN AVIATION
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
THE LAST decade has seen significant developments, initiatives and legislation towards integrating biofuels and other environmentally-friendly fuel alternatives into transport and the aviation sector. But while renewable fuels are projected to have a significant stake in fuelling aircrafts going into the future, traditional kerosene jet fuel still maintains a tight grip on the industry.…
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.…
ROMANIA: PRIME MINISTER PLAGIARISM ROW SNARES ACADEMICS
BY CARMEN PAUN
Senior Romanian professors have dismissed attacks on their integrity made after they were involved in analysing the accusation of academic plagiarism against the country’s Prime Minister Victor Ponta. The University of Bucharest’s Mircea Dumitru and Professor Marius Andruh have both come under fire from supporters of the prime minister, but have vigorously rejected the criticism levelled against them.…
INGREDIENT SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAMMES EXPANDING, DESPITE CONCERNS OVER INDONESIAN PALM OIL
BY MARK ROWE
FOR products that are marketed for their ability to sooth and generate the feel-good factor, the sustainable sourcing of cosmetics ingredients causes plenty of headaches for manufacturers and suppliers. The industry is in a period of transition, in which several of the world’s multinationals are engaging in a step change in how they go about sourcing the oils they need, and the public wants.…
RENEWABLES STILL NEED PUBLIC BACKING FOR RESEARCH, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MARKET ADAPTION: EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
BY backing a binding 2030 European Union (EU) target for renewable energy sources (RES), the EU’s energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger did not signal much faith in the ability of renewables to become competitive in the next 20 years.…
SOUTHEAST ASIA COSMETICS MARKET HAS MANU COMMON CHARACTERISTICS, DESPITE WIDE VARIATIONS IN CONSUMER WEALTH
BY KARRYN MILLER, IN HANOI
WITH similar tropical and sub-tropical climates giving personal care product consumers some similar requirements as regards skin care, the 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region could be regarded as one by lazy marketers.…
PERU'S CLOTHING AND TEXTILE PRODUCERS MOVE UPMARKET - A BOON FOR FINISHING CHEMICAL SUPPLYERS
BY JONATHAN DYSON, IN LIMA
PERU’S clothing and textile industry has been moving up market to carve out sales in a sector whose low end continues to be dominated by Asian suppliers, and the country’s dyeing and finishing sector is benefiting.…
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.…
PERU'S CLOTHING AND TEXTILE PRODUCERS MOVE UPMARKET - A BOON FOR FINISHING CHEMICAL SUPPLYERS
BY JONATHAN DYSON, IN LIMA
PERU’S clothing and textile industry has been moving up market to carve out sales in a sector whose low end continues to be dominated by Asian suppliers, and the country’s dyeing and finishing sector is benefiting.…
BATTLE LINES DRAWN OVER BARNIER
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS, AND ROB STOKES
CRITICS of European Commission proposals for sweeping changes to audit practice and market regulation probably have a year or so to influence the final outcome.
This emerged in The CA’s interview with Jonathan Faull, the Commission’s director general for internal markets & services, about the so-called ‘Barnier proposals’ put forward by the European Union’s (EU) internal market Commissioner Michel Barnier.…
EU FRAUD UNIT HAILS BUST OF STEEL TUBE AND PIPE DUTY EVASION RING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit has hailed the breaking of an international conspiracy to export China-made iron and steel tube and pipe fittings via other Asian countries to evade 58.6% EU anti-dumping duties usually levied on these products.…
GERMANY METAL ASSOCIATION CALLS ON BRUSSELS AND BERLIN TO ACT OVER ENERGY COST BURDEN
BY ALAN OSBORN
Germany’s metals association, the WirtschaftsVereinigung Metalle (WVM), has linked the recent announcement of bankruptcy at Voerde Aluminium (see http://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/3024029/Search/Voerde-Aluminium-declares-insolvency.html?PageId=196010) to the delay in implementing
European Union (EU) rules helping energy-intensive industries survive in Europe. Ulrich Grillo, WVM chairman, said non-ferrous metals companies were awaiting decisions from Brussels and Berlin on compensation for demonstrated CO2-related costs and for the shutdown regulation – both of which were still pending.…
SMART GARMENTS EDGE THEIR WAY INTO THE APPAREL INDUSTRY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WHILE the most common selling points for apparel used to be that that they would keep you warm (or cool) – and look good at the same time – rapid advancements in technology have been creating a whole new industry of ‘smart’ fabrics, which can offer all sorts of intelligent, functional properties to its wearers.…
EU FRAUD UNIT HAILS BUST OF STEEL TUBE AND PIPE DUTY EVASION RING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF has hailed the breaking of an international conspiracy to export China-made iron and steel tube and pipe fittings via other Asian countries to evade 58.6% EU anti-dumping duties. OLAF officials worked with national police and customs in Europe, Taiwan and India, recovering Euro EUR9 million duty.…
AUSTRIAN SCRAP METAL DEAL APPROVED BY EU
BY ALAN OSBORN
A takeover in the Austrian scrap metal sector now looks likely to go ahead after the deal secured competition approval from the European Commission. It has green-lighted without conditions the purchase by Scholz Austria of Recyclingpark Eisenerz (RPE), which operates a mechanical waste treatment plant in the mountainous Styria area of Austria; the Commission fast-tracked its decision under its ‘simplified procedure’.…
China introduces sex education in primary schools
By Wang Fangqing
China, a nation once so secretive about sex, is determined to introduce sex education as early as primary schools. On December 12, China’s Ministry of Education released a draft of the National Standard for Primary School Teachers that included a requirement that teachers “get the knowledge and methods of puberty and sexual education.”
Beijing and Shanghai, the two most developed cities in China, launched sex education programs in selected local primary schools months ago along with the textbooks: “Steps of Growth” in Beijing and “Boys and Girls” in Shanghai, both presented in manga style to appeal to the young students.
“How to Protect Myself” is a major topic in both books. In “Boys and Girls,” which is adapted from a German textbook, scenarios include a little girl being given candy by a stranger and a little boy being told by a male tennis coach to help him clean a locker room.…
China Introduces Sex Education in Primary Schools
By Wang Fangqing
China, a nation once so secretive about sex, is determined to introduce sex education as early as primary schools. On December 12, China’s Ministry of Education released a draft of the National Standard for Primary School Teachers that included a requirement that teachers “get the knowledge and methods of puberty and sexual education.”
Beijing and Shanghai, the two most developed cities in China, launched sex education programs in selected local primary schools months ago along with the textbooks: “Steps of Growth” in Beijing and “Boys and Girls” in Shanghai, both presented in manga style to appeal to the young students.
“How to Protect Myself” is a major topic in both books. In “Boys and Girls,” which is adapted from a German textbook, scenarios include a little girl being given candy by a stranger and a little boy being told by a male tennis coach to help him clean a locker room.…
GRAPHENE WONDERWORLD MOVES CLOSER - FLAT CARBON PROMISES ADVANCED PLASTICS, AND MATERIALS SUPPLIERS ARE STARTING TO INVEST IN THE VISION
BY ROBERT STOKES, IN EDINBURGH
TO listen to many researchers, the ‘wonder material’ graphene will metaphorically transform base metal into gold. But what is in it for plastics manufacturers and what does the road ahead hold in store?
On the face of it – the material is impressive: graphene is a sheet of carbon, just one atom thick, around one hundred-thousandth of the width of a human hair, 200 times stronger than steel, and with the atoms arranged in a honeycomb pattern.…
EUROPE'S EMISSION TRADING SCHEME HITS CHOPPY WATERS - BUT OTHER NATIONAL SCHEMES SHOW MORE PROMISE
BY MARK ROWE
WHEN the European Union (EU) set up the world’s first carbon trading market in 2001, the Emissions Trading System (ETS), advocates heralded a new dawn: carbon pollution could be brought under control in a way that benefited the environment while not damaging industrial interests.…
INTERNATIONAL DYER AND FUTURE MATERIALS - CONFERENCE HEARS HOW EU RESEARCH PROMOTES SMART TEXTILES AND HIGHLY CUSTOMISED CLOTHING IN EUROPE
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
PAOLO Canonico, the chairman of the European Technology Platform for the future of textiles and clothing has told researchers and textile businesses he sees enormous opportunities for textile research and innovation in the Horizon 2020 programme proposed in December by the European Commission.…
EUROPE: EU DEFENDS ITS RANKINGS SYSTEM AGAINST ITS CRITICS
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
The European Commission’s higher education chief has defended the European Union’s (EU) planned U-Multirank university rankings system against its critics. Speaking at the annual international symposium on university rankings and quality assurance which took place in Brussels on Thursday, Jordi Curell, the Commission directorate general (DG) for education and culture’s director of lifelong learning, higher education and international affairs, admitted: "When we started working on the project of U-Multirank, many people from the higher education community opposed to it".…
NEW DELAY HITS OL3 SCHEDULE
BY JOHN PAGNI , IN HELSINKI
FINLAND’S trouble-plagued nuclear reactor building site at Olkiluoto has encountered another problem which has caused certain installation work to be halted it was announced yesterday. Plant operator TVO and the Franco-German construction consortium Areva-Siemens said they are "investigating a quality non-conformity detected in their inspections" affecting 10,000 small pipes, staging "comprehensive quality inspections and analysis".…
BASF TO OPEN NEW INDIA CHEMICALS PLANT - TEXTILE CUSTOMERS WILL BENEFIT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN chemicals giant BASF is opening a new Euro EUR150 million chemical plant in Gujarat, India, by 2014, producing chemicals used by the textile sector. This Dahej factory will include care chemicals manufacturing, making surfactants for formulations used in textile and footwear manufacture, said a BASF communiqué.…
HAIR CARE BRANDS RIDE WAVE OF SALON CHAINS TO SALES GROWTH IN CHINA
BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING
BIG hair product brands are hitching wagons to hair-care salons sprouting up around the Chinese capital Beijing. With local incomes rising, local salon chains such as Shenmei and YesFashion are quickly expanding. Opened in 2011 as a redecoration of a former independent salon, the Shenmei is 400 metres from (in what was formerly a supermarket) a YesFashion outlet on shopping street Tuajiehu Lu.…
EUROPE'S EMISSION TRADING SCHEME HITS CHOPPY WATERS - BUT OTHER NATIONAL SCHEMES SHOW MORE PROMISE
BY MARK ROWE
WHEN the European Union (EU) set up the world’s first carbon trading market in 2001, the Emissions Trading System (ETS), advocates heralded a new dawn: carbon pollution could be brought under control in a way that benefited the environment while not damaging industrial interests.…
MODERN WHOLESALING COMES TO INDIA, BUT IT WILL BE A TOUGH CHALLENGE ESTABLISHING WIDESPREAD NETWORKS
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, IN NEW DELHI
BOOKER, Carrefour, Metro and Walmart are trying to persuade millions of small grocery stores in India – known as Kirana shops – to joint their organised wholesale networks, rather than continuing to source from traditional unorganised and fragmented merchandise supply chains.…
EU STILL WRESTLES WITH FRAUD AND IRREGULARITIES OVER FARM SUBSIDIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
IT is easy to think of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as a more or less total rip-off when you read that a majority of the 27 member countries were asked to pay back some Euro EUR578 million of farm subsidies provided by the European Commission in 2010 (the last year for which figures are available) because of irregularities in spending, including lack of adequate control.…
2012 3 CONFECTIONERY HEALTHLABELLINGEUFATSUGARCONTENTLABELS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
HEALTH is not really a priority for most confectionery consumers, but it is covered by ingredient labelling designed to promote well-being anyway – and the industry has to take note. The European Union (EU) is a case in point: it has been updating legislation on food labelling to promote consumer awareness about not-so-healthy ingredients in food products.…
ECJ CONCLUDES INSURERS CANNOT USE FRAUD TO JUSTIFY SERVICE PROVIDER INSURANCE POLICY PAYOUTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has concluded insurers cannot refuse to honour customer protection claims because a policy-holding service provider is guilty of fraud. This principle was established in a German case involving a package travel company.…
ECJ RULING LEAVES INTERMEDIARY SCRAP METAL DEALERS UNPROTECTED
BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES
Intermediary dealers of scrap metal have been dealt a blow by a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. It has said that intermediary dealers arranging a shipment of scrap metal have to disclose the names of waste sources to the buyer even if the suppliers wanted to remain anonymous, thereby protecting their business secrets.…
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.…
BRUSSELS PLOTS EURO 9.1 BILLION IN ENERGY INVESTMENT - BUT WILL IT GET ITS WAY?
BY KEITH NUTHALL AND CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s plans to lavish Euro EUR9.1 billion on developing energy transmission networks that link the energy systems of the European Union’s (EU) 27 member states go to the heart of the EU’s raison d’être: that Europe’s compact countries can achieve more in concert than in competition.…
JAPAN, US AND EU SET TO DISCUSS RARE EARTH STRATEGY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WEEKS after Japan, the United States and the European Union raised concerns to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that China was monopolising the global supply of rare earths, Japan has announced it will host a conference March 28 in Tokyo to discuss developing alternatives for sourcing 17 elements critical for the manufacture of high-tech products.…
OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY MOVES FAST FROM THE FRINGE TO THE MAINSTREAM
BY ALAN OSBORN
OFFSHORE wind energy has moved with astonishing speed from being little more than an environmentalist’s dream a few years ago to a vast industry set to provide 4% of Europe’s electricity by 2020 with commensurate growth in jobs, associated industries and port development.…
BRUSSELS HAILS RESEARCH PROJECT DEVELOPING MAGNESIUM ALLOYS FOR AVIATION SECTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released a report praising the benefits of a European Union (EU)-funded research project that has developed magnesium alloys for use in the air industry. The aim of the Euro 4.8 million IDEA research project was to substitute aluminium and other parts with cast magnesium, reducing aircraft weight, dampening noise, cutting pollution and lowering fuel consumption.…
BRUSSELS SLAPS EURO 85 MILLION FINES ON METAL PRODUCTS CARTEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission has fined nine key European Union (EU) metal consumers Euro EUR85.8 million for operating a cartel, allowing them to inflate profits from their purchases and sales between 1999 and 2007. The fines have been imposed on European (mostly German) producers of window mountings, metal parts used to open and close windows and window doors.…
SCIENTISTS AND COMEDIANS SAY BILINGUALS ARE BRANIER AND FUNNIER
BY KEITH NUTHALL AND KITTY SO, IN OTTAWA; AND CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
KNOWING how to speak two languages in a country where there are two official languages is always going to be a good bet. But as well as the delights of knowing you peanuts from your arachides and your gelée from your jelly, there are whole host of additional cognitive advantages to mastering two tongues rather than one.…
INTERNATIONAL FRAGRANCE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT TALKS TRADE SECRETS
BY DAVID HAWORTH, IN BRUSSELS
‘CELEBRITY’ fragrances have become such a huge industry that even the Pope now has his own eau de cologne – according to Italian perfumer Silvana Casoli, (whose clients include Madonna and the King of Spain), this unique blend reflects the German pontiff’s love of Bavarian forests and their flora and fauna, creating an aura of "peace and tranquility".…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP - EP PUSHES FOR COCOA CHILD LABOUR LABELLING LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is coming under pressure to act against child labour in the global cocoa sector, with proposals being debated at the European Parliament to track cocoa produced with the help of children. That could mean an EU law creating a monitoring system making it clear to consumers where cocoa products risked being tainted by child labour, maybe through the "possible introduction of ‘child-labour free’ product labelling," said a draft report from the EP’s international trade committee.…
HOLSTEIN HAM GETS EU PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has granted legal protection to a ham from the northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, preventing meat traders selling ‘Holsteiner Katenschinken’ unless made in its home area by traditional production. Brussels has added the ham to its register of protected designations of origin (PDO) and protected geographical indications (PGI).…
RFID AND LABELLING BRIEFING HIGH TECH LABELS BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AND MORE UBIQUITOUS
BY LEE ADENDORFF
BEING label conscious these days means more than consumers recognising brands or retailers and manufacturers complying with legislation at the point-of-sale. Labels – be they hangtags with mobile barcodes, labels directly printed onto a garment, or a chip sewn into a care label – now represent a fundamental piece of the production process that can be leveraged to save money and increase sales.…
RETAILERS HAIL BENEFITS OF NEW LABEL TECHNOLOGIES
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
MAJOR clothing retailers are benefiting in significant ways from the new data collection and management options offered by new technology in labels, especially regarding radio frequency identification (RFID) tags.
US department store giant Macy’s Inc is one example of a retailer already largely implementing RFID: the company is currently in the process of equipping all its Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s locations with item-level tags on garments by the end of 2012, according to senior vice-president of logistics and operations, Bill Connell.…
RIGID PLASTIC PACKAGING - CAN IT BE EFFECTIVE, COST-EFFECTIVE AND ECO-FRIENDLY?
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
RIGID plastic packaging is usually designed for optimum stiffness and impact performance, but its strict requirements for durability have traditionally ruled out the most eco-friendly materials in its manufacture – however, that is all about to change.
With global demand for it rising alongside increasing environmental awareness, many manufacturers and retailers are moving towards greater sustainability, integrating both effectiveness and environmentalism in their rigid plastic packaging.…
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.…
TEXTILE WASTE RECYCLING REGULATIONS
BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON
AS textile recycling continues to gain importance worldwide, and the number of companies dedicated to processing used apparel or scraps increases as well, governments and industry are working to establish textile waste legislation.…
CHINESE FOOD SECTOR USING ORGANIC AS MARKETING TOOL BUT CERTIFIED ORGANIC PRODUCT THIN ON THE GROUND
BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING AND XIAMEN
A GOOD sign that a branded food market is maturing is the growth of niches, and demand for certified-organic products in China is starting to rise. According to Euromonitor data, China’s organic food market has expanded from Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY214 million (USD33.9 million) in 2009 to CNY263 million in 2010.…
EU TO BETTER MANAGE E-WASTE UNDER WEEE LEGISLATION
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
MORE metal scraps from broken or end-of-life phones, appliances and other gadgets will soon be collected and recycled following the European Parliament’s approval today Thursday (January 19) of new tougher European Union (EU) e-waste targets
These had been previously agreed with the EU Council of Ministers and so the new minimum collection rates are expected to rubber stamped by a council meeting in the near future: both ministers and MEPs must agree on the proposals to pass them.…
CHINA'S LOCAL NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS FACE TOUGH OUTLOOK AS CHINA LOOKS TO 3G PLANTS
BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING
WEAKNESSES in China’s nuclear certification system are an obstacle for domestic equipment suppliers wanting to seize market share when the policy-setting National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) approves a new reactor building programme. This has been held up by the Fukushima disaster, but China’s local certification regime remains more geared to screening imported equipment rather than encouraging high standards among local equipment providers.…
GERMANY SHOWS SUBSIDIES WORK IN PROMOTING SOLAR POWER
BY ALAN OSBORN
FOLLOWING a remarkable expansion of solar energy output in Germany in 2011 the mood of this renewable energy industry in that country is firmly upbeat – in sharp contrast to that in the UK. In spite of a 13% cut in solar subsidies last year (to be followed by a further 24% reduction in 2012) German solar energy output rose 60% to more than 18 billion kilowatt hours.…
TOBACCO STOCKS SAFE HAVEN FOR SMALL INVESTORS - BUT INSUFFICIENTLY TASTY FOR HIGH ROLLERS
BY ALAN OSBORN
Tobacco stocks have long been regarded as a safe haven for small investors. But they are currently so stable, speculators shy away. In the long term, however, American investment advisors are warning that tobacco companies may not be such a great bet.…
DEADLINE FOR THE EU'S ANIMAL TESTING BAN LOOMS - BUT WILL COSMETIC INDUSTRY'S ALTERNATIVE METHODS MAKE THE CUT?
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WITH the European Union (EU) quickly approaching the deadline for a full marketing ban on animal-tested cosmetics products, researchers and scientists worldwide are scrambling to develop new validated alternative methods to sell their products in the EU post-March , 2013.…
RECYCLING ADVICE WIDELY AVAILABLE FOR CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON; JULIAN RYALL, IN TOKYO; AND LEAH GERMAIN, IN EDMONTON
TEXTILE recycling has come a long way since the days of the rag-and-bone man a generation or so ago, with particularly dramatic changes happening in some European countries over the past ten years.…
NEW EU NANOTECHNOLOGY REGULATION PROVOKES ASSESSMENTS IN PAINT SECTOR
BY MARK ROWE
NANOTECHNOLOGY may be producing opportunities for coatings and paint producers, but as regulation slowly catches up with the environmental health concerns surrounding the technology, it is also creating sizeable headaches for the industry.
Last year (2011), the European Commission finally settled on a definition of a nanoparticle.…
EU ROUND UP - EP WANTS TOUGHER ACTION ON ROAMING CHARGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is coming under pressure to toughen its action against high mobile roaming charges, as its latest proposals are debated at the European Parliament.
MEPs want the Commission to go further in its action to foist more competition on the roaming market while capping bills.…
SMART COATINGS PRODUCTION AND RESEARCH STARTING TO HAPPEN IN ASIA PACIFIC REGION
BY MARK ROWE
FOR the past decade, innovative paints and coatings manufacturers have been creating a buzz around sustainable, ‘smart’ coatings that self-clean, do not chip, and are more aerodynamic. Many of the claims for such materials were made while the inventions were still in the laboratory.…
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.…
BRUSSELS PROBE LIKELY TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS ON MAJOR EU SUGAR DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission could impose significant conditions on the planned purchase of a 25% stake by German sugar giant Sudzucker of Britain’s ED&F MAN (EDFM) because it regards it as a defacto takeover. Speaking about the Commission’s launch of a detailed inquiry into the deal, a spokeswoman told just-food that its officials were asked to approve it as a merger, noting: "Whether a company acquires ‘control’ is not determined only by…a majority shareholding, but… many other factors."…
RUSSIANS WILL NOT RACE TO FLOOD EU STEEL MARKETS, AFTER JOINING WTO
BY ALAN OSBORN and LENA SMIRNOVA
RUSSIAN steel makers have contested claims that their country’s planned entry to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) next year could precipitate a steep rise in competitively-priced Russian steel exports to the European Union (EU).
This is a key concern if EU producers given that these shipments are currently protected by an EU quota of 3.2 million metric tons which will lapse on accession.…
CHINA'S COOKING OIL CONSUMERS DEMAND DIVERSITY
BY WANG FANGQING
WHILE soybean oil still remains the main cooking oil of choice used in China, the country’s manufacturers have recently been experiencing a shift – with a growing demand for diversity in terms of cooking products in large and small cities.…
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.…
UPRISINGS CUT BOTH WAYS FOR LEBANESE PRINTERS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
UPRISINGS in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) this year have hit demand for printers in Lebanon, which has long been the printing hub of the region. Lebanese printers canvassed privately for Print Week MEA report that the upheavals have seen demand from Egypt and Syria decline, while transportation has been marginally affected from Lebanon due to the situation in neighbouring Syria.…
SIMPLIFIED MARKET APPROVAL SYSTEM AT LAST ON WAY FOR EU BIOCIDE MANUFACTURERS
BY ALAN OBSORN
A NUMBER of the bothersome procedures and technical hang-ups related to the use of biocides that have made life maddening for coatings manufacturers for many years now may at last be on the way out. It looks as if the European Union’s (EU) long-awaited and much-needed proposed biocidal product regulation will enter into force in September 2013 ushering in a new era of product authorisation at the EU level for many items and providing for effective mutual recognition of national marketing authorisations.…
AS DEMAND FOR COATINGS GROWS IN CHINA, DOMESTIC FIRMS COMPETE WITH INTERNATIONAL ONES
BY MARK GODFREY
CHINA’S surging auto market, rising mechanisation in rural areas and continuing market growth of major Chinese white goods and PC makers such as Haier and Lenovo are all proving to bode well for coatings makers, who continue to experience the great potential of the country’s burgeoning economy.…
WHAT GOOD IS RENEWABLE ENERGY IF IT GOES TO WASTE? GROWTH IN ENERGY GENERATION MEANS GREATER NEED FOR STORAGE
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WITH renewable energy continuing to grow worldwide, concerns about its limited production predictability are growing. That is why energy companies, researchers and engineers are concentrating on developing innovative electricity storage solutions – primarily geared at harnessing energy from renewables – so during periods of low solar irradiance or wind, backup systems can distribute power to the grid.…
EUROPEAN AIRPORTS BREAK AWAY FROM THE ENERGY GRID THROUGH AN INCREASING MOVE TOWARDS ON-SITE POWER PRODUCTION
BY MARK ROWE and MJ DESCHAMPS
FOR many environmentalists – and indeed many others who wonder just where our energy is going to come from in future decades – the aviation industry can seem to embody everything that is wasteful about our current fossil-fuel dependent world.…
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT CHEMICAL FIRM GETS MAJOR EIB BACKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is investing Euro EUR200 million into German specialty chemicals company Lanxess to help it research and develop sustainable products and production. The seven-year loan will help the personal care product company supplier optimise existing products’ quality and environmental impact; develop new products; and boost its energy efficiency.…
DR OETKER GETS ITS SPOON INTO INDIA'S BREAKFAST CEREAL MARKET
BY MINI PANT ZACHARIAH
GERMAN food giant Dr. Oetker entered India’s growing breakfast cereal market on Wednesday (September 21), with the launch of its muesli brand, Vitalis.
Now available in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore, Vitalis is imported from Germany and available in four crunchy variants, including raisins and honey and chocolate granola.…
MEPS SET TO CALL FOR URBAN MINING OF RAW MATERIALS IN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament is set to vote on Tuesday on a comprehensive strategy to enhance the European Union’s (EU) raw materials strategy. MEPs will be asked to back a policy of aggressively promoting so-called ‘urban mining’ the proactive collection of raw materials from unused buildings and industrial plant in towns and cities.…
MEPS BACK SUSTAINABLE RAW MATERIALS STRATEGY FOCUSED ON 'URBAN MINING'
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
A VOTE in the European Parliament last night (Tuesday 13-9) on the European Union’s (EU) planned raw material strategy has backed creating a more sustainable industry, with a strong focus on the potential of ‘urban mining’ – reclaiming raw materials from landfills, unused buildings and industrial plant in towns and cities.…
MARKET FOR HEAT STABILISERS PREDICTED TO SHOW MAJOR GROWTH AND GREENING
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
COMMONLY used in industrial and outdoor environments – and exposed to direct heat and ultraviolet light, PVC coatings can very easily be weathered; losing tensile properties, colour and durability. Coatings manufacturers and their clients are increasingly using heat stabiliser additives as a result.…
EU ROUND UP - PAINT AND COATING INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR REACH REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DESPITE only having completed the first of its three major deadlines for registering and risk assessing chemicals, the European Commission is now preparing to review the European Union’s (EU) chemical control system REACH, releasing proposals by next June (2012).…
URBAN MINING AN UNTAPPED RESOURCE - BUT CAN IT FILL EUROPE'S RAW MATERIALS VOID?
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
EUROPEAN manufacturers are increasingly turning to developing countries for the precious metals and minerals needed to make mobile phones, computers, electric cars and more. However, a European Parliament vote backing a raw materials strategy that highlights the potentials of ‘urban mining’ might help create a more self-sufficient European mining industry.…
CHINA'S RAPIDLY EXPANDING BAKERY CHAINS LURE CUSTOMERS WITH CAKES AND IMPORTED INGREDIENTS
BY MARK GODFREY
ANYONE who has eaten croissants and Danish-style pastries smothered with mayonnaise, chopped sausages and pork floss will appreciate that Beijing bakeries have a style all of their own. Yet the unorthodox approach is popular with local consumers, judging by how bakery chains are growing here: aside from locally-owned chains such as Holiland and Weiduomei and there has been an influx of regional chains, for instance Kiss n Bake from Taiwan and Singapore’s BreadTalk.…
INNOVATIONS IN DIGITAL PRINTING AND WASTE REDUCTION PROMOTE COMPETITIVE LABEL CONVERTING INDUSTRY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
BETWEEN rising costs for raw materials and a global push towards more environmentally-friendly production, label converters and equipment manufacturers are becoming increasingly focused on getting things done right the first time; and getting them done quickly, at that.…
EU ROUND UP - REACH INSPECTORS GET ONLINE HOTLINE TO COATING COMPANY DATA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PAINT and coatings companies and their suppliers are to face increased scrutiny by government inspectors charged with ensuring compliance with the European Union’s (EU) chemical control system REACH. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has launched a new online REACH Information Portal for Enforcement (RIPE), which gives inspectors Internet access to key information submitted by companies to ECHA.…
MEPS OPPOSE PLANNED REDUCTION IN EU FUNDS FOR BSE RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has said it is too early to relax European Union (EU) food health controls designed to protect consumers from BSE, despite recent sharp falls in the number of cases. In a formal motion, it has called on the European Commission to avoid recommending ending restrictions on the use of risk materials in animal feed, relaxing animal protein feed bans for ruminants, loosening rules on culling animals linked to infected livestock and raising the age limit for BSE testing.…
EUROPEAN COGEN POLICY - WAITING FOR THE BIG PUSH
BY KEITH NUTHALL, MARK ROWE, GERARD O’DWYER, ALAN OSBORN and MJ DESCHAMPS
COGENERATION has been something of a test-bed for European Union (EU) energy development policy, and like any experiment, some things have worked and others have not. Also, because other energy priorities have become the subject of more effective legislation recently, cogeneration has been left behind to some extent in the EU’s push for a cleaner, greener, sustainable and more liberal energy sector.…
EUROPEAN CO-GENERATION TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS
BY MARK ROWE
CO-GENERATION (or combined-heat and power – CHP) plants operate using a variety of technologies: gas turbines, fuel cells, Stirling engines, gas or diesel engines and combined cycle gas turbines. According to the Joint Research Centre (JRC) – the European Union’s (EU) scientific and technical research body – natural gas is currently the preferred fuel across Europe for co-gen, with combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) and gas turbine plants expected to become the predominant future technology for large-scale units.…
EBRD BACKS SERB COAL MINING PROJECT, DESPITE ENVIRONMENTALIST OBJECTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) will push ahead with its plan to lend Euro EUR80 million to help Serbia’s main electricity company expand its coal production, despite objections from environmentalists.
In fact said EBRD spokesman Sergiy Grytsenko, by helping Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) use more modern coal processing technology at its Kolubara mining basin, the loan would reduce the amount of carbon polluting the atmosphere through EPS’ coal-fired power stations, which consume the country’s extensive lignite deposits.…
MEPS STRENGTHEN EU REGULATORY BODY'S POWERS OVER EU ENERGY MARKET MANIPULATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
STRONG support for boosting the powers of the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) came this week at the European Parliament’s energy committee, through amendments tabled to a planned European Union (EU) regulation banning EU energy market manipulation.…
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.…
BRUSSELS CLEARS BRAZILIAN TAKEOVER OF GERMAN AND SPANISH STEEL FIRMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has today (July 15) approved without conditions the planned takeover by Brazilian steel and mining company CSN of one German and two Spanish steel companies. Following a fast-tracked inquiry by the Commission’s competition directorate general, Brussels approved CSN’s purchase of Stahlwerk Thüringen, which makes of semi-finished and long steel products; as well as semi-finished and long steel maker Corrugados Azpeitia; and Corrugados Lasao which manufactures steel electro welded mesh.…
EU APPROVES FINAL E-COLI COMPENSATION BUDGET FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE PRODUCERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
European Union (EU) member states have agreed a final package of aid to EU fruit and vegetable producers compensating them for lost sales following the German e-coli outbreak, with total subsidies Euro EUR226 million.
This is up from the EUR210 previously discussed and will see the EU pay for cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, courgettes, and sweet peppers withdrawn from sale between May 26 and June 30 over E-coli contamination concerns.…
AUSTRIA'S 'MARRIAGE WITH THE SKY' GAS-FIRED PLANT
BY LEE ADENDORFF, MARK ROWE, ALAN OSBORN, KATHERINE DUNN, MARTINA MARECKOVA, GERARD O’DWYER and MINDY RAN
Austria’s newest combined-cycle power plant (CCPP) – the 412-MWe/100 MWt Timelkam power plant in Vöcklabruck district, Upper Austria, which was handed over to its owners Energie AG Oberösterreich and the Swiss Groupe E at the end of 2008 – has introduced a number of technical refinements which are bringing about major advances in fuel efficiency, environmental control and cost savings to Austria.…
CRISIS HIT GREECE FOOD CONSUMERS ARE BUYING LESS, BUYING CHEAPER, AND BUYING GREEK.
BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES
Rocky times lie ahead for the food retail sector in Greece, as consumers are faced with increasing pressure in the debt-ridden country. With rising unemployment rates, which currently stand at about 16%; a 4.8% drop in the GDP for the first three months of 2011 alone; and price rises mainly due to two VAT increases last year – the spending power of Greek consumers has been reduced significantly, and the food industry is suffering because of it.…
HYPERMARKETS GEAR UP TO EXPAND IN CHINA'S EMERGING PROVINVIAL CITIES
BY WANG FANGQING
That China offers the international branded food sector huge opportunities has long been a cornerstone of corporate strategies, but new regional markets are developing, with smaller provincial cities becoming richer. This is helping to fuel an annual growth rate of 15.4% in the size of the China hypermarket sector, which expected to reach Chinese Yuan Renminbi CNY911.3 billion (USD141.4 billion) by 2015, predicts Euromonitor.…
MEPS AND EU MINISTERS STRIKE DEAL OVER FOOD LABELLING LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Representatives of European Union (EU) ministers and MEPs have agreed a final draft of new EU-wide food labelling regulations, after 10 weeks detailed negotiations. The leader of the European Parliament’s delegation, German Christian Democrat MEP Renate Sommer said: "This is a real breakthrough."…
INTERNATIONAL SIZING STANDARDS EXPAND: BUT THERE IS STILL ROOM TO GROW
BY KARRYN MILLER
WHILE the goal for many clothing manufacturers and brands is to gain an international presence, there is a key risk associated with selling the same designs in different global markets – the more far and wide that clothing designs go, the more shapes and sizes they must come in.…
CHINESE CLOTHING MANUFACTURERS STUCK BETWEEN LOSING CLIENTS AND PROFITS
By WANG FANGQING
FACING soaring wages and an appreciating local currency in the Yuan, Chinese clothing makers are being forced to make a hard choice – keep clients or make profits. So far, the answer seems to be clients.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, profits in the export sector (for all industries) fell to 1.44% in February 2011 from 1.47% in 2010.…
MEPS CLAIM CONFLICT OF INTEREST CRITICS ARE FRONT FOR ANTI-GLOBALISATION GROUP
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
MEMBERS of the European Parliament accused of having close links with key raw materials sector vested interests have dismissed the allegations and attacked their critic – campaign group Corporate Europe Observatory (CEO), saying its members are related to anti-globalisation group ATTAC International.…
RUSSIAN AND GERMAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP PLASMA-BASED RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL UNIT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded Russo-German research project has been developing a plasma neutron source using a so-called ‘Gas Dynamic Trap’ to incinerate radioactive waste. Scientists from Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, and the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics (BINP), Novosibirsk, Russia, have been investigating the coupling a sub-critical fission reactor and a DT-fusion plasma device to generate 14 MeV neutrons: the aim to burn and transmutate long-lived isotopes of nuclear waste, including plutonium, minor actinides and fission products.…
DESPITE MARKET PRESSURES, TRUE LUXURY BRANDS BELIEVE IN PROVENANCE VERSUS PROFIT
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
THE LORO Piana family started out as Italian merchants of wool and cashmere fabrics at the beginning of the 19th century, providing lush textiles for use in high-end garments. Almost 200 years later, the Quarona, northwest Italy-based Loro Piana brand is still family-owned and dedicated to providing the finest of luxury knitwear to customers, and has, despite market pressures, managed to succeed in the luxury sector without having to move production abroad.…
EUROPEAN BUSINESS LEADERS ATTACK GERMANY'S RETREAT FROM NUCLEAR POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A KEY European business organisation has warned that Germany’s planned abandoning of nuclear power could have consequences across Europe, wants the European Commission to assess how the decision could affect the whole European Union (EU).
Employers group BusinessEurope has written to EU energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger asking him to probe the "short- and medium-term impacts…on energy costs, such as for electricity or gas, energy security and CO2 prices in Europe."…
CAR SHARING ON RISE IN UK - WHILE GERMAN INNOVATION TARGETS BUSINESS USERS
BY DEIRDRE MASON
A new car-sharing model is being tried out in Germany, which links quality manufacturer BMW with an existing car club to attempt to offer business customers a new concept in fleet hire. Time will tell whether the idea catches on and moves to the UK.…
BRUSSELS BACKS INTERNATIONAL POLYESTER DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL commercial deal creating a global player in the polyester market has been given regulatory approval by the European Commission. It has allowed a takeover of German polyester producer Trevira by Thailand’s Indorama and Italy’s Sinterama. All three companies have different roles within the polyester sector: Trevira produces and supplies polyester textile chips, staple fibres and filament yarns; Indorama manufactures polyethylene terephthalate resins, preforms and bottles; while Sinterama manufactures polyester filament yarns for home textiles, apparel, the automotive and other manufacturing industries.…
FATF RISK BASED APPROACH REFORMS BROADLY WELCOMED, BUT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE WORLD’S financial institutions seem quietly happy with the work of the premier global anti-money laundering body the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in recent years, if the latest consultation on the proposed review of the FATF’s standards is any guide.…
FINLAND KEEPS FAITH WITH NUCLEAR POWER, DESPITE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE DISASTER
By John Pagni in Helsinki
The Areva/Siemens project to supply Finland’s TVO with the world’s first third generation EPR (European Pressurised water Reactor) at Olkiluoto on the Finnish west coast has suffered a number of problems but these have not shaken the faith of those concerned in the essential viability of the design.…
BRUSSELS SAYS HYDROGEN AND FUEL CELL PROJECT NEEDS MONEY - OR IT MAY CLOSE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPANIES and research institutes developing hydrogen fuel cells in the European Union (EU) have been put on notice by the European Commission – put serious money into fuel cell and hydrogen research, or a marquee EU-funded research project may close.…
THE SECRET WORLD OF CARTELS CAN COST CAR DEALERS AND CONSUMERS DEAR
BY KEITH NUTHALL, DEIRDRE MASON and MJ DESCHAMPS
Car dealers like a good deal – that’s a given. And they hate a bad deal. But when they are getting a bad deal, and the wool is being pulled over their eyes – well, that takes the biscuit.…
CONVERTERS LOOK FOR PRECISION AND HIGHER OUTPUT WHEN IT COMES TO COATING AND LAMINATION MACHINERY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
AS one of the final stages in the converting process, it is important that the coating and laminating of raw materials goes off without a hitch to produce the best possible end product for paper, plastic and textile packagers.…
TERRORIST FINANCE INFORMATION EXCHANGE SYSTEM REMAINS POLITICALLY CONTROVERSIAL
BY ALAN OSBORN
FEW transatlantic agreements have given rise to more friction and animosity than the Terrorist Finance Tracking Programme (TFTP) set up by the US Treasury in 2001 shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and in direct response to them.…
MAURITIAN FINISHING AND DYEING PLANTS UNDER PRESSURE WITH HIGH COTTON PRICES
BY VILLEN ANGANAN
THE FINISHING and dyeing plants of the Indian Ocean island state of Mauritius are feeling the pinch of high cotton yarn prices, putting profit margins under pressure.
"The order book of our dye house is relatively full as we have seen over recent months customers coming back to as they are looking for alternatives to Chinese producers.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND UP - BRUSSELS ADMITS FRAMING NANO-LAW WILL BE TOUGH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PLANNED attempt this year by the European Commission to table a nanotechnology regulation that gives legal controls to this emerging science will be a tough task, a senior official has admitted to a Brussels conference. Henrik Laursen, from the Commission’s environment directorate general told the fourth annual European Union (EU) ‘Nano’ conference there was no emerging consensus on framing a legal definition of nanoparticles and nanotechnology, which is increasingly used in the paints and coatings sector.…
PRINT INSPECTION NO LONGER AN AFTERTHOUGHT IN CONVERTING
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
IN print production, inspection has traditionally taken place at the very end of the converting chain, once an entire batch of processed material has come off the presses. Errors are commonly found at this final stage in the printing process, and because of this, printers have traditionally produced a surplus of printed material to deal with the inevitable erroneous products.…
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.…
INTERNATIONAL CONFECTIONERY NEWS ROUND-UP - EU FIGHTS SUGAR SHORTAGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HIGH sugar prices and tight supplies are a constant worry for confectionery manufacturers this year, and the European Union (EU) has been trying to keep these problems under control. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has estimated that global prices rose 81.4% from last July (2010) to this January (2011) and the EU has taken action.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT AIMS TO REDUCE AND RE-USE PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT PRODUCTION WASTE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
L’ORÉAL has teamed up with Britain’s University of Newcastle and German green energy company ACS-Umwelttechnik to find ways of reducing personal care product industry energy usage associated with manufacturing waste disposal. United within the European Union (EU)-funded ENERMIN project, the trio have noted in a project note that the personal care industry generates large amounts of waste residues from ingredients used in products.…
CONVERTING SECTOR SUPPLIERS DIVERSIFY SERVICE OPTIONS TO GET CLOSE TO BESPOKE SOLUTIONS
BY DEIRDRE MASON
A COMPANY’S reputation can be made or broken by the standard of its after-sales service to purchasers and this is as true for the manufacturers of converting machinery as for any other sector of manufacturing industry. As competitive pressure grows, customers are demanding after-sales care that keeps their machines running for longer and with fewer breakdowns.…
INCREASING SPEED IS THE CURRENT FOCUS OF BAG AND SACK CONVERTERS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
AS companies are constantly trying to appeal to consumers by offering attractive and practical new packaging innovations, bag and sack converters are also continually looking for new ways to make the converting process as seamless and state-of-the-art as possible.…
MINISTERS AUTHORISE STRESS TESTS ON EU NUCLEAR REACTORS, FOLLOWING JAPANESE EARTHQUAKE DISASTER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
European Union (EU) ministers today agreed to launch a safety assessment of Europe’s 143 nuclear reactors, re-checking their safety in the light of the Fukushima nuclear accidents. Speaking this afternoon following an emergency meeting of the EU Council of Ministers (energy), the meeting’s chair – Hungary’s national development minister Tamas Fellegi – said the assessment should be underway before the end of the year, and would, it was hoped, cover countries neighbouring the EU.…
ECJ SAYS ITALIAN OYSTER BRAND CANNOT BE EU TRADEMARK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GENERAL Court of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that Italy’s Oyster Cosmetics cannot secure European Union (EU)-wide trademark rights to its ‘Oyster Cosmetics’ brand. The court backed German rival Kadabell’s opposition because of potential confusion with its established ‘oystra’ cosmetics brand.…
EU-ROUND UP - MORE EFFORT NEEDED TO GREEN EUROPE'S ENERGY SECTOR - BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DESPITE having set a clear goal of ensuring 20% of the European Union’s (EU) energy consumption is drawn from green sources, such as biogas and biofuels, more money and resources must be wheeled into action. That is the claim of the European Commission, in a long-awaited policy paper from its energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, assessing the EU’s renewable energy directive.…
NANOPARTICLES RESIST ENCAPSULATION IN COATINGS - PATCHY FINISHES MAY FOLLOW
BY MARK ROWE
THE BENEFITS nanotechnology offers to the paint and coatings industry has excited paint technology experts and researchers for several years. These range from anti-corrosive paints, primers and finishes that are durable, UV-resistant high scratch and impact resistant, anti-bacterial and water-resistant, coatings that protect iPod screens from scratching or make paper products waterproof.…
GERMAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP CO2 DYE FIXING RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety and Energy Technology has been testing how carbon dioxide at 30.1 Celsius and a pressure of 73.8 bar can become an effective dye carrier. It then "goes into a supercritical state that gives the gas solvent-like properties," said an institute note, and can be introduced into polymers.…
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?…
ORIGIN LABELLING PROPOSAL COULD CAUSE MARKETING PROBLEMS FOR EU KNITWEAR SECTOR
BY LEE ADENDOORF, KEITH NUTHALL and MJ DESCHAMPS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) governments are facing a political crossroads on a key question whose answer will have an important impact on the EU knitwear sector – both manufacturers and retail. That is the issue of rules of origin and whether there should be an EU-wide law that says clothing and accessories (plus a wide range of other manufactured goods) should be sold with labels saying which country they are made in, if they are imported from outside the EU.…
GREEN-SOURCING OF OILS AND FATS IS A HEADACHE FOR THE PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR
BY MARK ROWE
FOR the cosmetics and personal care product sector, the provenance of their ingredients can be important for marketing, and this is particularly important for bio-based oil and fats. These can be the base of such products and with growing consciousness about the environmental impact of their production and feedstock cultivation, the personal care sector – a key client of the oils and fats industry – is looking hard at who supplies their ingredients.…
GLOBAL TERRORIST SANCTIONS LISTS CONTINUE TO POSE LEGAL PROBLEMS
BY ALAN OSBORN
ECONOMIC sanctions against al-Qaeda and the Taliban were agreed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 12 years ago (Resolution 1267) and at first enjoyed strong and uncritical support. It was a new kind of sanctions regime, targeting named individuals, businesses and organisations that supported al-Qaeda rather than focusing on countries, as before.…
AUTOMAKERS IN CHINA SHIFT FOCUS TOWARDS ENERGY EFFICIENCY
BY WANG FANGQING
THE CHINESE government this January gave a clear message to automobile manufacturers with plants in the country – it wants the industry to become more efficient, but also greener. Beijing showed it was prepared to use the power of the market to force manufacturers to compete on price rather than relying on consumer subsidies – scrapping a national auto replacement program and a special subsidy for vehicle sales for consumers.…
BMW LEADS RETURN TO WORK FOR EGYPT'S PROTEST DISRUPTED AUTO SECTOR
BY PAUL COCHRANE
EGYPT’S auto industry could be preparing to get back to work after the government protests beginning on January 25 led to its major assembly plant industry closing down. This morning, BMW confirmed to wardsauto that it had restarted production on Sunday (Feb 6) of CDK models – made by a local subsidiary BAMC (Bavarian Auto Manufacturing Company), itself owned by the BMW Importership BAG (Bavarian Auto Group).…
CIOLO? PREPARED TO FIGHT TO PRESERVE EU FOOD SPENDING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Union’s (EU) agriculture commissioner wants to preserve or even increase EU food spending beyond its current Euro EUR44 billion-a-year whileEU national governments implement austerity cuts. In a debate yesterday (January 13) at a European Parliament policy challenges committee meeting DacianCiolo?…
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.…
ECONOMIC CRUNCH INSPIRES MORE EFFICIENT PACKAGING MACHINERY
BY DEIRDRE MASON
WHEN manufacturers generally are feeling the squeeze, maximising the efficiency of packaging systems and their related costs can be an essential part of securing profits. That means increasing demands will be made of conveying, with companies on the look-out for new high-tech solutions.…
BRUSSELS BACKS COOP FULL TAKEOVER OF TRANSGOURMET
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Switzerland food manufacturer and retailer Coop has been given permission by the European Commission to assume full ownership of Germany-based food wholesaler transGourmet (NOTE – CORRECT SPELLING). Coop has shared control with German retailer REWE. transGourmet claims to be Europe’s second largest cash-and-carry and food service company – turning over Euro EUR5.8 billion in 2009, employing 21,000 staff.transGourmetwholesales…
BRUSSELS BACK DANISH CROWN TAKEOVER IN GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DENMARK’S meat major Danish Crown has been given permission by the European Commission to purchase German pig meat slaughtering company D&S Fleisch. Danish Crown, itself a pig meat specialist, saw the deal approved without conditions via a fast track, being "examined under the simplified merger review procedure", said the Commission – the European Union’s senior competition authority.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES FURTHER EXPANSION FOR AUTO-PARTS MAKER JOHNSON CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPETITION approval has been granted by the European Commission to the planned acquisition by US-based automotive systems and components manufacturer Johnson Controls Inc (JCI) of German car seat manufacturer CRH.
Brussels has imposed no conditions on its permission, having concluded in an investigation there are sufficiently strong rival auto-parts suppliers to provide strong competition to an expanded JCI.…
BRUSSELS OPENS EMERGENCY PIGMEAT STORAGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Concerns the German dioxin crisis could force European pigmeat producers into losses have pushed the European Union (EU) into offering emergency storage subsidies. Handouts will vary by products being stored and the European Commission is offering storage options of 90, 120 or 150 days.…
EUROPEAN UNION ROUND UP - EUROPEAN SUGAR REFORM FAILS SAYS WATCHDOG
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE REFORM of the European Union’s (EU) sector was supposed to be good news for its confectionery industry – lowering prices, while guaranteeing supplies. But it did not work out that way, said a report from the EU’s financial watchdog, the European Court of Auditors.…
FINNISH BIOFUELS ARE FUELS FOR THOUGHT
BY JOHN PAGNI
NORDICS take their global civic responsibilities seriously – paying more than mere lip-service to requests to cut global warming emissions especially. Finland is a case in point, putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to renewable fuels.…
EUROPEAN UNION ROUND UP - EUROPEAN SUGAR REFORM FAILS SAYS WATCHDOG
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE REFORM of the European Union’s (EU) sector was supposed to be good news for its confectionery industry – lowering prices, while guaranteeing supplies. But it did not work out that way, said a report from the EU’s financial watchdog, the European Court of Auditors.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION MAY BLOCK GERMAN NON-FERROUS ELECTRICITY SUBSIDY SCHEME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into a planned Germany subsidy scheme that would help German non-ferrous metals producers to meet their electricity costs. The German government has announced plans to grant operating aid totalling Euro EUR40 million to energy intensive non-ferrous metal companies, such as those making aluminium, copper and zinc).…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CHOOSES PRAGMATISM IN LATEST MAJOR ENERGY INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL, MJ DESCHAMPS
WHEN the European Commission heralds the oncoming launch of a major new energy initiative, it is usually wise to await the details with a healthy dose of scepticism. A master of hyperbole and repackaging old policies as new, the devil is always in the detail with grand European Union (EU) announcements.…
'MADE IN' LABELLING LEGISLATION DIVIDES MEMBER STATES
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
DESPITE split opinions within the European Union (EU), long-debated legislative proposals to introduce compulsory origin labelling in all EU member states are at last starting to look like becoming law.
All clothing, shoes and textile products imported into the European Union (EU) would have to carry origin labels under a harmonised EU-system under the proposal.…
EU BEEFS UP CYBER-CRIME DEFENCES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has been alarmed by coordinated ‘bot-net’ attacks on computer networks in Britain, Estonia, Georgia, France, and elsewhere, and is beefing up its cyber-defences. Keith Nuthall reports.
IT takes a lot to spark the lumbering bureaucratic behemoth known as the European Union (EU) into hasty action.…
URBANISATION, PACKAGING, AUTO DEMAND DRIVING GROWTH IN CHINA
BY MARK GODFREY
CHINA’S US dollar USD25 billion paint and coatings industry remains in sound health, buoyed by auto and home sales plus infrastructure programmes, all fuelled by a government-orchestrated lending spree. Data published by the Chinese Chemical Society shows China paints and coatings growing an average 10% a year since 2000.…
EMERGING MARKETS MAKE TYRE RECYCLING A BIG GLOBAL BUSINESS
BY DEIRDRE MASON
SALES of new cars are still holding up surprisingly well despite the global downturn, but within a few years of their purchase, how many of them will be running on retread tyres?
The signs are that the market for retread and recycled tyres will grow, as world demand for rubber grows, particularly in China.…
THE STRANGE AND UNUSUAL OF JUST-STYLE 2010
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
With the global textile and clothing industry this year emerging from a deep slump, it is perhaps understandable that there were going to be unexpected twists and turns in the sector during 2010. Of course, the fashion business is always colourful, and attracts characters and innovation.…
EU BOOK SECTOR WELCOMES APPROVAL OF EU ORPHAN WORKS DIRECTIVE
BY ALAN OSBORN
EUROPEAN booksellers and publishers have welcomed the decision by the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers to approve legislation improving access to orphan works, whose copyright holders cannot be found. By encouraging their digitisation, the move will potentially open up vast swathes of books to libraries, museums and similar non-commercial organisations across Europe.…
MANUFACTURING - WINNERS AND LOSERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WINNERS
PHILIPS-VAN HEUSEN
This was a Champagne year for Philips-Van Heusen, owner of Calvin Klein, Arrow, Bass and, since May, Tommy Hilfiger. Its acquisition of Netherlands-based Tommy Hilfiger helped it more than double sales for the third quarter – to $1.5bn, (although profits slipped year-on-year to $80.7m from $86.6m the previous year).…
RFID'S SLOW HISTORIC GROWTH COULD BE POISED TO ACCELERATE DRAMATICALLY
BY LEE ADENDOORF
NETWORKED clothing that can show you where it is at all times, talking to mirrors and shelves on the shop floor, is no longer the stuff of science fiction, but a reality developing rapidly in stores around the globe.…
RFID SIZES, SHAPES AND APPLICATIONS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIVERSE
BY LEE ADENDOORF
With the rapidly escalating use of RFID on all levels of the supply chain, there are literally hundreds of shapes and sizes of tags and readers – not to mention software and associated electronic systems – available on the market.…
GERMANY BOOSTS GENERIC MEDICINE PRODUCTION IN AFRICA AND ASIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government is giving Euro EUR1.2 million to a UN project expanding and upgrading small and medium-sized generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in Asia and Africa. It is run by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and aims to spread medicine manufacture across a continent where production is mainly concentrated in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.…
GERMANY BOOSTS GENERIC MEDICINE PRODUCTION IN AFRICA AND ASIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government is giving Euro EUR1.2 million to a UN project expanding and upgrading small and medium-sized generic pharmaceutical manufacturers in Asia and Africa. It is run by the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and aims to spread medicine manufacture across a continent where production is mainly concentrated in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya.…
EU ROUND UP - NEW PLAYERS EMERGE TO DELIVER CAUCASUS GAS TO EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NEW competitors for shipping gas to the European Union (EU) from the Caucasus are emerging, while Turkmenistan has announced a major new gas find. The Turkmen government is claiming guaranteed gas supplies to Europe, by quadrupling exports over the next 20 years, after unveiling a major new gas field.…
GALILEO'S ACCURATE POSITIONING CAPABILITIES WILL BOOST EMERGING FLEET NAVIGATION TECHNOLOGIES
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WHILE the launch of satellites for Europe’s very own, EUR20 billion global navigation satellite system on October 21 may not have been diaried by European fleet managers and operators, experts say the new, highly accurate global positioning service will eventually change the operating landscape for fleets.…
CAP PROPOSALS SO UNPOPULAR - BEGS QUESTION: SHOULD THE EU BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FARM SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The reform package for the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) released today has been so unpopular, it begs the question – is Europe really the best level of government to control food production subsidies?
The CAP has always been at the heart of the EU – part of the grand bargain that underpinned its launch in the 1950s between Germany and France.…
BIOFUELS ARE MAKING TRANSPORT MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, BUT DOES GOING GREEN SACRIFICE ENGINE PERFORMANCE?
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
ALTHOUGH the regulatory push towards the use of biofuels has largely been inspired by environmental motives – primarily aimed towards delivering carbon savings – many concerns have been raised around the idea that these eco-friendly fuels might be damaging engines and vehicle performance.…
RESEARCHERS WORLDWIDE PUSH AHEAD WITH MEAT BIOFUEL PRODUCTION
BY MJ DESCHAMPS and KARRYN MILLER
WHILE plant-based materials have long been the go-to ingredients for biofuel production, the industry is finding that taking crops away from the agricultural industry can cause unintended environmentally problems, including the indirect generation of carbon emissions.…
Liberal and wealthy Denmark has xenophobic streak
Katherine Dunn, International News Services
This summer in a characteristic feat of headline grabbing, the Danish People’s Party, or the Dansk Folkparti, announced their proposal to stem the flow of non-Western immigrants into the country. But such a pronouncement was nothing new. The party has made its name on an anti-immigration platform in this small, still culturally homogenous Scandinavian country.
And it spends much of its time trying to ban minarets and attempting to uphold its particular brand of nostalgic ‘Danishness’. As a result, alongside the Netherlands Freedom Party and the British National Party, the DF has become a poster child for a wave of xenophobic sentiment on the rise across Europe.…
NEW EU COMMISSION TEAM SPORTS MIXED RECORD AFTER FIRST SEVEN MONTHS IN OFFICE
BY DAVID HAWORTH
THE CONTINUING turmoil of the economic crisis finds some Brussels officials in a downbeat mood, as the new European Commission team, which took office in February, returns to work after the summer break. This was not improved by the reappointed Commission president José Manuel Barroso’s recent ‘State of the Union’ (as in European Union) speech to the European Parliament.…
GERMAN CONSUMER PROTECTION OFFICERS TARGET IVORY COAST PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN consumer protection officials have warned of sales restrictions on Ivory Coast skin whitening products – European Union (EU) alert service RAPEX has reported. These include the G&G brand Dynamiclair Lightening Beauty Crème; Body White brand body clearing gel and HP.3 body clearing oil; and Bio Claire lightening body cream.…
PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS STABILISING IN GULF COUNTRIES
BY PAUL COCHRANE
THE MULTI-BILLION dollar cosmetics and fragrances industry in the Middle East’s six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has had a mixed few years in the wake of the global financial crisis, made more unpredictable by demographic change and purchasing behaviour shifts.…
GLOBAL - DEMAND FOR 'NATURAL' DRINKS INGREDIENTS RISING IN MATURE DRINKS MARKETS
BY ALAN OSBORN, KARRYN MILLER, GAVIN BLAIR, KEITH NUTHALL
MOST drinks manufacturers would bridle at the accusation that they used anything unnatural to make their products: after all poisoning consumers is bad for business. But in the world of marketing, everything is relative, and some ingredients are so fresh and untainted with processing chemicals that they can, simply, be sold as being more ‘natural’ than standard inputs.…
GLOBAL: Universities Boosting Private Sector Partnerships as State Funding Dwindles
By Lawrence J. Speer
Shrinking state budgets and financial shortfalls linked to the global recession are forcing universities to devise new means of raising revenue, notably through increased interaction with the private sector, according to participants at an international conference at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).…
INDIAN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SECTOR CONTINUES TO BOOM
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA
INDIA continues to attract international cosmetic and perfume brands as its consumer base and their spending grow. According to the United States Trade Mission to India, the country’s USD2.68 billion beauty and wellness market is growing at 15-20% annually, almost twice as fast as the United States and European markets.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY A QUIET REVOLUTION IN CAR IMPROVEMENTS
BY MARK ROWE
SELLING a second-hand car to a customer has always required reassurance that the vehicle remains in fine shape. Selling a new car is always easier if a dealer can ensure long-life and durability. In future, such assurances will be eased by the introduction of longer-lasting, robust components based on nanomaterials.…
GLOBAL: High-tech sector cooperation with higher education must be genuine to succeed
BY Lawrence J. Speer
Joe Astroth wants to be a change agent. As chief education officer of US-based high-tech giant Autodesk, Astroth is playing a leading role in the company’s continuing bid to create stronger links between industry and academia. And it’s a role he relishes.…
IFC SAYS INVESTMENT IN RUSSIAN STEEL-MAKING WOULD PAY DIVIDENDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INVESTMENT and introducing good practice in the Russian steelmaking sector so it matches European Union (EU) standards in natural resources consumption could save the industry up to US dollar USD3.3 billion annually, a World Bank group report has claimed.…
GERMAN CONSUMER PROTECTION OFFICERS TARGET IVORY COAST PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN consumer protection officials have warned of sales restrictions on Ivory Coast skin whitening products – European Union (EU) alert service RAPEX has reported. These include the G&G brand Dynamiclair Lightening Beauty Crème; Body White brand body clearing gel and HP.3 body clearing oil; and Bio Claire lightening body cream.…
EU ROUND UP - MAJOR FINANCING INSTITUTIONS START NABUCCO DUE DILIGENCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THREE of the world’s major public financing institutions have started due diligence on the Nabucco gas pipeline project, work that could release billions of Euros into the troubled project. If they are happy, the European Investment Bank (EIB) could invest Euro EUR2 billion, the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) EUR1.2 billion and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, EUR800 million.…
TURKEY'S CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR REBOUNDS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
TURKEY’S clothing and textile sector has rebounded this year on the back of strong sales to Europe and emerging markets, with clothing exports up 11% to US dollar USD9.5 billion as of August 2010, and textile exports reaching USD4.1 billion, up 23% on 2009.…
MATURE MARKETS PROTECT CLOTHING AND TEXTILE CONSUMERS AGAINST HARM FROM INDUSTRY PRODUCTS
BY ALAN OSBORN, KARRYN MILLER, GAVIN BLAIR, KEITH NUTHALL
WEARING clothes is not the most dangerous of pastimes: it is not really up there with hang-gliding, off-piste skiing and single-handed ocean yachting. But there are risks associated with wearing clothes, from the contact consumers and workers’ skin has with the chemicals used in production; to potential for strangulation by drawstrings, choking on toggles, and the flammability of some artificial fibres.…
ORGANICS STANDARDS STREAMLINING, OPEN DOORS FOR DRINKS PRODUCERS
BY EMMA JACKSON
THE POPULARITY of drinks made from organically grown ingredients is on the rise, fostered in part by increasingly comprehensive regulations designed to ensure organically labelled products are indeed organic. Yet obstacles and limitations to the growth of this niche drinks sector remain, and combined with the economic downturn the organic industry still needs a push to reach its full potential.…
BRUSSELS CLEARS BERTELSMANN DIGITAL DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the creation of a joint-venture by German media companies Bertelsmann and Holtzbrinck to operate an online distribution platform to sell e-books. Called Premium Vertriebs GmbH, the new business will sell all kinds of books, but focus especially on German language digital products.…
REACH CHEMICAL SAFETY SYSTEM'S DEADLINES LOOM, MAKING WORK FOR TEXTILE AND CLOTHING COMPANIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FIRST deadline for registering key substances under the European Union’s (EU) REACH programme for chemical safety controls is looming on November 30 and though it is more than three years since the policy entered into force, a measure of confusion and even anxiety clearly exists in parts of the global textiles industry.…
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.…
EMERGING MARKETS PLAY CATCH UP ON GLOBAL CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SAFETY STANDARDS
BY WANG FANGQING, RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, KARRYN MILLER
CLOTHING manufacturers and associated regulators in emerging markets are often mindful that they need to meet the requirements of consumer safety rules in key developed world markets, but standards still need raising, and – crucially – enforcement.…
BRUSSELS TAKES RECESSION INTO ACCOUNT IN MEDIUM-TERM EU ENERGY PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN
The European Commission’s ‘stock taking document’ called Towards a new Energy Strategy for Europe 2011-2020, tries to take the recession and its effect into account when looking at EU energy policy for the next decade.
It warns that the economic crisis has temporarily depressed gas prices and created a gas supply glut and this could undermine political momentum towards making investments in infrastructure and supply sources.…
KIRIN TO START MANUFACTURING IN GERMANY
BY WANG FANGQING
JAPAN brewer Kirin Holdings will begin manufacturing and selling beer in Germany in October. Working with Bayerische Staatsbrauerei Weihenstephan, of Freising, Kirin hopes to lower logistics costs and improve quality for supplies to 23 countries in mainland Europe, including Germany, France and Italy.…
GERMAN COSMETICS WITHDRAWN FROM SALE SAYS RAPEX
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) consumer protection alert service RAPEX has warned two German cosmetic products have been withdrawn from sale in Europe. One was hand-washing paste ‘Der Spezialist Walter’, recalled by the distributor in Lithuania for posing "a microbiological risk because it has a total bacteria count of 8.2 x 106 CFU/g of Pseudomonas aeruginosa".…
PREMIUM SHAMPOO SALES EXPANDING IN CHINA
BY WANG FANGQING
THE BATTLE to prosper from China’s shampoo market is slowly shifting from the low-end market to the premium market, which holds huge potential for both domestic and foreign companies.
A key new entrant is the Paris-based L’Oréal Group, which launched a series of hair-care products in September 2009, targeting retailers in major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY STANDARDS DEVELOPING AS AUTO SECTOR USES MORE NANO-COMPONENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL and MARK ROWE
AS auto manufacturers start to realise the utility of incorporating parts and components using nanotechnology to improve their performance, the European Union (EU) is looking hard at special regulations to protect the public and the environment from nanoparticles.…
RESEARCHERS AND BIOTECH COMPANIES PROTEST AGAINST INNOVATIVE MEDICINE DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUP of researchers and biotechnology companies have protested to the European Commission against the European Union’s (EU) Innovative Medicines Joint Technology Initiative (IMI), claiming it insufficiently protects their intellectual property. A joint statement was released by the European University Association (EUA); research and technology organisation federation EARTO; German biotechnology association BIO Deutschland; and similar national associations from Belgium, Spain and Sweden.…
MEPS BACK EXTENSION OF MANDATORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPULSORY country-of-origin food labelling could become mandatory for all meat, poultry, dairy products and other single-ingredient products sold in the European Union (EU) after it was accepted by the European Parliament this afternoon. MEPs also approved country-of-origin labelling for meat, poultry and fish used as processed food ingredients, albeit subject to impact assessments protecting manufacturers from excessive administration.…
GERMAN DISTILLERY SUBSIDIES SHOULD BE PHASED OUT OVER SEVEN YEARS, SAYS EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ABILITY of the German government’s alcohol monopoly, the Branntweinmonopol, to subsidise farm distilleries producing spirits from crops such as cereals and potatoes must end by December 2013, the European Commission has proposed. From that date, the usual European Union (EU) restrictions on government handouts will apply: these generally ban operating subsidies.…
AMERICA LEADS THE WORLD IN CONVENIENCE STORE GOOD PRACTICE
BY KARRYN MILLER,EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
BY KARRYN MILLER, in Washington DC, EMMA JACKSON, in Ottawa, and ALAN OSBORN, in London
CONVENIENCE stores are a dynamic part of the food retail sector worldwide. In short, as consumers gain wealth, they lose time – making convenience retail increasingly attractive.…
MIXED ALCOHOLIC DRINKS SHOULD HAVE INFORMATIVE LABELLING SAY MEPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MIXED ingredient alcoholic drinks such as alcopops should always carry informative labelling making it clear they contain alcohol and stating other ingredients, under a new European Union (EU) labelling regulation. This has been approved today at the European Parliament, although further votes by MEPs and the EU Council of Ministers will be held later.…
MEPS BACK EXTENSION OF MANDATORY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN LABELLING TO MEAT PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPULSORY country-of-origin food labelling could become mandatory for all meat and poultry products sold in the European Union (EU) after it was accepted by the European Parliament. MEPs also approved country-of-origin labelling for meat and poultry used as processed food ingredients, albeit subject to impact assessments protecting manufacturers from excessive administration.…
ECJ BACKS VOLVO IN GERMAN DEALER CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) case involving Volvo looks likely to reduce the protection of sacked auto dealers recovering indemnity payments from their former auto maker suppliers. Court advocate general Yves Bot has formally advised that under EU directive 86/653/EEC on self-employed commercial agents, that auto manufacturers can withhold indemnities, even when the grounds for refusing repayment was a different contract infringement than the problem that sparked a dealer’s initial dismissal.…
MEPS AND MINISTERS STRIKE DEAL OVER EU POLLUTION DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
STEEL, aluminium and other metal plants maybe forced to reduce their pollution emissions next year under a deal struck between the European Parliament and the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over reforming the EU integrated pollution prevention and control directive.…
RAPEX REPORTS LITHUANIAN ACTION AGAINST GERMAN SKIN CREAM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LITHUANIAN government has blocked sales of some German Biller’s naturkosmetik skin creams because they contained a chemical preservative methyldibromo glutaronitrile banned under the European Union (EU) cosmetics directive. Ireland has withdrawn from sale the US-made Marcia Teixeira branded hair lotion ‘Brazilian Keratin Treatment’ because of formaldehyde content deemed excessive under the directive.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LEVIES HUGE FINES OVER STEEL CARTEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has fined 17 producers of prestressing steel Euro 518 million for operating a cartel that lasted 18 years until 2002 and covered all but three of the then 15 European Union (EU) member states – Britain, Ireland and Greece.…
GERMANY - C-STORES
BY ALAN OSBORN
By contrast, Germany has relatively few convenience stores on a per capita basis, largely because of German consumers’ enthusiasm for buying food at a discount. "The discounters have a higher market share here than in other countries. Their share of the total retail food market is around 49%," said Mr Kai Falk, spokesman for the Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE), the German retail federation representing about 310,000 companies with around 2.7 million employees.…
BIOFUELS PRODUCTION INCREASES IN EASTERN AFRICA
BY WACHIRA KIGOTHO
EAST Africa is developing as an important source of biofuels and biofuel feedstock, with governments keen to attract foreign direct investment for this potentially strategic rural development option.
Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, and Tanzania are countries where foreign companies are competing to acquire land for biofuel projects.…
COUNTRIES EDGE TOWARDS DEAL ON GLOBAL TREATY ON TRADE IN ILLICIT TOBACCO PRODUCTS
BY DANIEL PRUZIN
REPRESENTATIVES from around 160 countries are moving toward clinching a deal on new World Health Organisation (WHO) Protocol on Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products, which could be wrapped up within the next 12 months. Unlike its predecessor, the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (under whose authority this latest agreement is being negotiated), the protocol is something of a mixed blessing for the tobacco industry.…
AUTO SCIENTISTS USE MOTH EYES TO DEVELOP NON-REFLECTIVE WINDSCREENS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN scientists have developed a new anti-reflecting polymer-based windscreen coating using nanotechnology to mimic the stippled surface of moth eyes. The coated glass lets light through, without reflecting it back, reducing distortion from outside lights and illuminated signs for motorists inside.…
PACKAGING SECTOR CONVEYING A LOVE FOR INNOVATION
BY EMMA JACKSON
A PACKAGING system is only as strong as its conveyors, and they can come in all shapes, sizes and specifications. Indeed, countless types of conveyors exist to support every kind of application, yet in the last year – facing challenging economics – companies have been adding even more to the line-up, improving on old ideas and creating completely new ones to add innovative new conveyor options to the market for manufacturers across Europe.…
IS THE FUTURE OF ENERGY UNDER THE FROST?
BY MARK ROWE and GERARD O’DWYER
CONCERNS over climate change often refer to the potential thawing of the Arctic permafrost, where large-scale releases of methane could significantly accelerate global warming. Yet at the same time, governments and energy companies are weighing up the potentially lucrative reserves of methane lying below the permafrost that covers the Siberian continental shelf, and extends up to 1,000 kilometres into the Arctic Ocean.…
PARALLEL INVESTIGATIONS CAN HELP MONEY LAUNDERING AND PREDICATE CRIME INQUIRIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
BY its very nature, money laundering tells us that another crime is being, or has been committed. The detection of the act of money laundering itself is usually the handiwork of specialised Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) but these often do not have the resources or the responsibility to investigate the predicate crime.…
AUTO SCIENTISTS USE MOTH EYES TO DEVELOP NON-REFLECTIVE WINDSCREENS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN scientists have studied the nano-structure of moth eyes to develop a new anti-reflecting polymer-based windscreen coating that lets the light through, and does not reflect it back. Happy motorists get no glare from lights and illuminated signs outside, making their journeys much safer.…
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.…
AUTO SCIENTISTS USE MOTH EYES TO DEVELOP NON-REFLECTIVE WINDSHIELDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT’S tough being a moth. Searching for food as dusk, they are prey to greedy predators – birds, frogs, lizards, cats… So nature has designed their eyes so that they do not reflect light, giving away their position.…
DAIMLER EXPECTED TO GET EIB BACKING FOR MAJOR ELECTRIC CAR PROGRAMME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DAIMLER is lining up Euro 400 million in backing from the European Investment Bank (EIB) for a major research and development programme to develop new electric and hybrid vehicles. The German carmaker is planning to spend Euro 1.7 billion on creating new battery and fuel cell cars, and new electric power engine trains, including batteries for hybrids (and plug-in hybrids) with an extended driving range.…
EUROPEAN EXPERT GROUP WILL EXAMINE BOOK DIGITISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPE’S slow digitisation of its rich literary treasures should receive a boost this year, with the European Commission establishing a ‘reflection group’ charged with helping clear technical and legal road-blocks.
It is supposed to report by December – and a key goal will be increasing content on Europeana, Europe’s digital library, whose 7 million digitised items, noted the Commission "represent only a fraction of Europe’s complete works".…
CDM PROJECTS OFF TO A SLOW START IN AFRICA
BY GEORGE STONE
THE KYOTO Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has made slow progress in Africa, but schemes are slowly getting off the ground, led by programmes in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
Under the United Nations-backed CDM process, projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to sustainable development can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits.…
LATVIA'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PLANS TO EXPAND TO MEET NEW DEMAND
BY MONIKA HANLEY
RIGA International Airport, located 13 km from the bustling Latvian capital is on the brink of undergoing major infrastructure changes. Its profile is high given it won the best airport in Scandinavia and the Baltic region at the prestigious 2009 OAG [Official Airline Guide] -Routes Airport Marketing Awards, beating the competition in richer countries such as Sweden and Denmark.…
VOLCANO TESTS AIRPORT EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES
BY JULIAN RYALL, KARRYN MILLER and ALAN OSBORN
WITH the ongoing eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano has grounded airlines and stranded passengers across the world for nearly a week, airports have been scrambling to accommodate the millions of people blocked by an enormous plume of ash filling prime airspace.…
NEW INDIAN GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES RESTRICT FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN ORGANISED RETAIL
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA
UNEASE and uncertainty has been provoked amongst international food retailers by new restrictive guidelines issued by the Indian government, limiting foreign investment in the organised retail sector.
The move comes when the Indian retail sector generally was expecting a gradual liberalisation of rules on striking deals with foreign partners.…
BALTIC BIOFUEL ON THE CHEAP
BY MONIKA HANLEY
THE BALTIC States and their eastern neighbours have long been viewed as a cheap supply of labour and goods to the rich countries within the European Union (EU), but now local companies and governments are looking to expand biofuel production to satisfy both growing domestic and export demand.…
RAPEX WARNS OF EU-MADE COSMETICS DANGERS
BY LEAH GERMAIN
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) alert system for potentially dangerous consumer products, RAPEX has – unusually – warned of recalls for cosmetic products produced in the EU, rather than outside member states. German authorities have issued a sales ban on fingernail-modelling gel from Nail Scout, a German-based company.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS SILENT ON RUSSIA?UKRAINE GAS PIPELINES TAKEOVER DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has signalled it is unlikely to intervene to prevent the proposed takeover of Ukraine’s gas pipeline network by Russia’s Gazprom. Displaying his relatively relaxed attitude to closer energy links with Moscow, new German EU energy Commissioner Günter Oettinger told a press conference: "The decision has to come between Kiev and Moscow and not in Brussels."…
BRUSSELS APPROVES CREATION OF GERMAN PLANT EXHAUST TREATMENT JOINT VENTURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved without conditions the creation of a German joint venture manufacturing diesel exhaust treatment technology for plant. The company will be established and controlled by key engineering players Bosch, Deutz and Eberspächer. It will develop, produce and sell complete diesel exhaust-gas after-treatment systems for non-road mobile machinery such as excavators, wheel loaders and tractors; and special utility vehicles manufactured in small series, for instance cranes, road sweepers and waste collection vehicles.…
EU DIPLOMATIC SERVICE MANAGEMENT NEED CLARITY, LEST FRAUD THRIVES: MEPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CALL for clarity in the organisation of the European Union’s (EU) emerging diplomatic service has been made by MEPs fearing fraud could thrive amidst any fudge. The Green group of the European Parliament wants clear responsibility regarding European External Action Service projects outside the EU.…
FORMAL DRINKS INDUSTRY EDUCATION SYSTEMS GROWING WORLDWIDE
BY ALAN OSBORN, EMMA JACKSON, PAUL COCHRANE and JULIAN RYALL
INTRODUCTION
Professionalisation is a key trend in today’s drinks sector, particularly as export markets are growing fast in emerging markets. With brand loyalty up for grabs, it is critical for alcoholic drinks producers especially to maintain and raise quality.…
NAIROBI AIRPORT GETS EU CASH INJECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
JOMO Kenyatta International Airport is receiving Euro 68.8 million financing from the European Union (EU), mostly from the European Investment Bank (EIB). It is lending the Kenya Airports Authority Euro 63.8 million alone and granting Euro 5 million in conjunction with German development bank KfW.…
EMEA ISSUES EU ASSESSMENT PROCEDURE FOR CHILD IMMUNOTHERAPY PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Medicines Agency (EMA) has issued European Union (EU)-wide guidance on assessing child immunotherapy medicines. This follows a tightening of controls by the German government, which is demanding all such pharmaceuticals are subject to marketing authorisation applications by this December (2010).…
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.…
AFRICAN CARBON ASSET DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM LAUNCHED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL fund for backing carbon-reduction projects in Africa has been launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), South Africa’s Standard Bank and the German government. The Africa Carbon Asset Development (ACAD) Facility will fund technical assistance, investment advice and development grants, while helping carbon projects secure preferential access to corporate finance.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES SUBSIDY TO CREATE NEW CO2 RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY FOR STEEL MAKERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUNDBREAKING Germany fuel recycling project that will slash the use of coke in steel furnaces should receive Euro 30.18 million in German government subsidies. The European Commission has approved the handout as European Union (EU) state aid regulator.…
INTERNATIONAL CONFECTIONERY NEWS ROUND-UP - CIOLO? APPOINTMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ANCA GURZU and DAVID HAWORTH
THE CONFECTIONERY manufacturing sector in the European Union (EU) has a new political boss in the shape of Romania’s Dacian Ciolo?, who became the EU’s latest agriculture Commissioner on February 10. Appointed amidst pledges he would be willing to use EU money to guarantee food production, he has promised to undertake a swift review of the EU’s reformed sugar regime.…
ECJ REJECTS GERMAN COMPANY CLAIM OVER SILICON METAL PROCESSING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LEGAL clarity on the amount of processing that an imported metal must receive, to become a new product for the purposes or re-exporting has emerged from a European Court of Justice (ECJ) case regarding Chinese silicon metal.
Germany’s Hoesch Metals and Alloys GmbH was challenging a decision by the Aachem customs office over whether silicon metal it was importing from India should have been regarded ‘made in India’, where it has been separated, crushed, purified, sieved, sorted and packaged.…
GERMAN CONVERTING INDUSTRY BUSY INNOVATING DESPITE RECESSION
BY ANCA GURZU
ALTHOUGH the economic effects of recession can be felt in different sectors of the German converting industry, its companies have been busy launching new innovations, equipment and technologies aimed at energy-saving, waste-reduction and increased productivity. The printing sectors were notably active in 2009.…
SIEMENS SPENDS US$100 MILLION ON FIGHTING FRAUD AFTER SUBSIDIARY'S WORLD BANK BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN engineering giant Siemens has agreed to spend US$100 million over 15 years helping non-profit organisations worldwide promoting business integrity and fighting corruption, after falling short on ethics. The announcement is part of an agreement with the World Bank that will see Siemens "refrain from bidding" for the bank’s business until this coming December (2010).…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA, UKRAINE BURY HATCHET OVER OIL TRANSIT FEES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA and Ukraine appear to have headed off an oil transit dispute that could have created a repeat of last year’s major disruption of European natural gas supplies. Moscow and Kiev have signed an agreement increasing by 30% the fees Ukraine charges on transporting Russian oil to the European Union (EU) – this alters a 2004 contract and the change had sparked a diplomatic tussle.…
LIQUORICE REMAINS NORTHERN GERMAN FAVOURITE - SHUNNED BY SOUTHERN CO-PATRIOTS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE TASTE for liquorice is surprisingly well defined in geographical terms in Germany and its neighbouring countries. There seems to be a cut-off point at the Rhine Valley. "They don’t like the taste in the southern part of Germany and if you go south of the Rhine valley you don’t find liquorice products in the shops," said Jens Milt, head of the liquorice division at the leading German liquorice supplier Alfred L Wolff, based in Hamburg.…
USA, CHINA, STRIKE ANTI-SUBSIDY DEAL ON CHINESE 'MAJOR BRANDS' DISPUTE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States is claiming victory in a trade dispute with China, after Beijing announced it would scrap subsidies for products including body lotion, liquid detergent, soap and fancy soap. Washington had argued these China-christened ‘famous brands’ handouts were export subsidies banned by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).…
BREEZY FUTURE AHEAD FOR WIND ENERGY FINANCING
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE JUST-PUBLISHED review of 2009 and a forecast for the near and medium term future from the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) are providing cause for both satisfaction and unease where wind power financing is concerned.
On the first count, there is no doubt that the sector is growing rapidly.…
MEPS PRESS FOR OPT OUT FOR MICRO-BUSINESS ANNUAL ACCOUNTS FILING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN OPT-OUT allowing European Union (EU) small businesses turning over less than Euro 1 million per year to stop filing annual accounts has been proposed by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee. It has passed amendments to a proposed reshaped ‘directive on the annual accounts of certain types of companies as regards micro-entities’ which would allow member states to abandon these filing duties.…
INDUSTRY COMMISSIONER HOPEFUL WARNS OF ACTION ON CADMIUM AND LEAD
BY EMMA JACKSON AND KEITH NUTHALL
THE ITALIAN politician nominated to become the European Union’s (EU) new industry commissioner has said he would push for tougher restrictions on lead and cadmium in the EU, if a current review concludes they are necessary.…
OETTINGER SOOTHS CONCERNS ABOUT PRO-MOSCOW LEANINGS IN EU ENERGY POLICY
BY DAVID HAWORTH
A PLAN to support European Union (EU) countries whose energy supplies from Russia might be disrupted in future was promised by the EU energy Commissioner designate, Günther Oettinger, when he appeared for before a European Parliament confirmation hearing last week (Thursday Jan 14).…
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS STRONG PRO-RENEWABLE ENERGY LEANINGS
BY DAVID HAWORTH and KEITH NUTHALL
THE POWER industry has good reason to pay more attention than usual to the anticipated appointment of a new European Union (EU) energy Commissioner this February 10. Under the newly ratified Treaty of Lisbon, the EU has gained constitutional authority to frame energy policy in general for all 27 member states.…
LOBBYISTS DO BATTLE IN BRUSSELS OVER TOBACCO INDUSTRY'S FUTURE
BY DAVID HAWORTH and ALAN OSBORN
LINES are being drawn for another titanic battle in Brussels between the tobacco industry and anti-smoking activists. And the weapon of choice is lobbying.
The first phase, forcing cigarette companies to sell their product in plain, unbranded packets without logos, has already started following the 31-page document of non-binding recommendations (not a directive) published last year by the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers and which was briskly approved by the European Parliament.…
EU ROUND UP - NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PLANNED shape of a new European Commission for the next five years has been unveiled, and it includes recreating a new single directorate general (DG) for energy. Since 2000, the Commission has operated a joint directorate general for energy and transport, but with the growing importance of the energy brief to the European Union (EU), energy policy will receive a new separate directorate general.…
ITALIAN WINE SECTOR BOOSTS QUALITY TO SEIZE EXPORTS AMIDST DECLINING DOMESTIC MARKET
BY LEE ADENDORFF, ERIC LYMAN and KEITH NUTHALL
INTRODUCTION
THE ITALIAN wine industry hit rock bottom a generation ago, when thousands of bottles of Italian wine were found laced with deadly levels of methanol, a key ingredient in antifreeze that had been used to raise the alcohol content of the wine.…
UTILITIES FACING GREEN-TINGED NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSION FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SHIFT in European Union (EU) energy policy should become apparent from February 1, when Germany’s Günther Oettinger should become EU energy Commissioner. Replacing Latvia’s Andris Piebalgs for the next five years, the appointment of a German to this increasingly powerful position has been widely touted as shifting EU energy relations towards closer links with Russia.…
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.…
FINNISH LORRY DRIVERS JUST WANT A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD
BY JOHN PAGNI
HAILING from arguably Europe’s most egalitarian country, Finns take equality seriously. So when it appears that some are being treated differently from others, even the normally phlegmatic, taciturn Finnish trucker may be roused into voicing an opinion.
Being a large country with a small population and a good road network, congestion is rare.…
Lisbon treaty passed: now politicians must persuade citizens to think European
By Keith Nuthall, International News Services
So the Treaty of Lisbon has been ratified. With the Czech Constitutional Court backing its contents as legal and a new national opt-out from the Charter of Fundamental Rights portion of the treaty given to his country, Czech president Václav Klaus has at last signed the treaty.
It should now come into force by the end of the year. So we will see a permanent president of the European Council of Ministers (albeit probably low profile Belgian prime minister Herman van Rompuy rather than pushy ex-UK PM Tony Blair); an EU foreign minister; and more power for the European Parliament.…
EU/WTO ROUND UP - CONFECTIONERY COMPANIES BENEFIT FROM EU BILATERAL TRADE DEALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Round in the doldrums this year, the European Union (EU) has been focusing on bilateral trade deals and European confectionery producers will benefit.
The most important of recently struck agreements has been an EU-South Korea trade deal, which will create a virtual free trade zone between the signatories.…
ESCADA BECOMES A PART OF MITTAL'S FAMILY BUSINESS
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA
ESCADA, the bankrupt German luxury fashion brand, is ready to make a new beginning after being bought by Indian steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal’s daughter-in-law Megha Mittal for an undisclosed amount last week. Its future now rests in the hands of a 33-year old Indian lady who has no track record in fashion but possess a strong financial backing and a lot of enthusiasm.…
EU APPROVES MORE SUBSIDIES FOR EUROPEAN FARMERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TREND of the European Union (EU) loosening its purse-strings to help hard-pressed food producers has taken another two steps forward. The European Commission has approved a German government scheme that will earmark Euro 100 million for German farmers suffering from the recession in interest rate subsidies, subsidised loans and subsidised guarantees until December 2010.…
VAN CO2 EMISSIONS TO TIGHTEN - MODEL PRICES COULD RISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed reducing compulsory CO2 emission targets for vans by 14% to 175g/km, but relaxing an earlier draft compliance deadline from 2013 to 2016 (and phasing in reductions from 2014). Brussels’ easing of its proposals follows strong lobbying from the French and German governments for less ambitious targets.…
PAINT INDUSTRY AND HEALTH INTERESTS CLASH OVER NANOTECHNOLOGY AT BRUSSELS CONFERENCE
BY PHILIPPA JONES
THE ADDITION of nanoparticles to paint is the "best way forward" for the growth of the paints and coatings industry, according to Craig Barker, director of regulatory affairs at the Dutch chemical firm Akzo Nobel. However, environmentalists have questioned, at a recent conference debate, whether the oft-touted benefits actually outweigh the risks, given what they consider to be a continuing lack of data about the safety of these products.…
INDUSTRY AND HEALTH INTERESTS CLASH OVER NANOSILVER AT BRUSSELS CONFERENCE
BY PHILIPPA JONES
NANOTECHNOLOGY scientists remain excited by the advantages various industries can glean from the addition of nanosilver to textiles, but there is increasing opposition to its use in non-medical fields and growing concern that not enough is known about its health and environmental effects.…
VAN CO2 EMISSIONS TO TIGHTEN - MODEL PRICES COULD RISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed reducing compulsory CO2 emission targets for vans by 14% to 175g/km. But it delayed an earlier draft compliance deadline from 2013 to 2016 (phasing in reductions from 2014), following Franco-German pressure. Brussels still proposed a longer-term emission 2020 reduction target for vans of 175g/km, however.…
TEXTILE AND CLOTHING EU DUO COULD DISAPPOINT AS WELL AS SUCCEED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NOMINATION of an Italian to the important position of European Union (EU) industry Commissioner could be good news for the clothing and textile industry. Antonio Tajani would be replacing German socialist heavyweight Günter Verheugen who has vigorously pushed an activist agenda in Brussels, which has often favoured heavy industry, and the transport sector in particular (which is strong in Germany).…
New EU diplomatic service raises questions and confusion
By David Haworth, in Brussels
Next Monday, (19/10) Mrs. Catherine Day will deliver the most important speech of her life.
Who is she, you’ll probably ask. Indeed, for someone of immense influence this tall, blond middle-aged Irishwoman is a reclusive figure, shy – not writing very much, still less seeking out audiences.
But, as the secretary general of the European Commission, the lady is the power behind Commission president José Manuel Barroso’s throne.
She is the institution’s leaderene though hiding behind the good manners and discretion of a classic civil servant. Catherine Day is seldom heard and rarely seen.
In a few days, however, she will stand before a huge audience of colleagues to explain to them how the clumsily-titled ‘external action service’ is to be developed and how it will affect their working lives.…
New EU diplomatic service raises questions and confusion
By David Haworth, in Brussels
Next Monday, (19/10) Mrs. Catherine Day will deliver the most important speech of her life.
Who is she, you’ll probably ask. Indeed, for someone of immense influence this tall, blond middle-aged Irishwoman is a reclusive figure, shy – not writing very much, still less seeking out audiences.
But, as the secretary general of the European Commission, the lady is the power behind Commission president José Manuel Barroso’s throne.
She is the institution’s leaderene though hiding behind the good manners and discretion of a classic civil servant. Catherine Day is seldom heard and rarely seen.
In a few days, however, she will stand before a huge audience of colleagues to explain to them how the clumsily-titled ‘external action service’ is to be developed and how it will affect their working lives.…
MEP WARNS OF POTENTIAL INFORMATION OVERLOAD ON FOOD LABELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MEP who is coordinating the European Parliament’s votes on current proposals to reform European Union (EU) food labelling laws has warned consumers could be forced to read more information than they can absorb.
At a Brussels debate organised by EuroFIR (the European Food Information Resource Network) and the Parliament Magazine, German MEP Renate Sommer said there was a "danger of information overload" on labels.…
OXFAM ATTACKS EUROPEAN DRUG SEIZURES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SEIZURES of generic medicines in transit through German and Dutch ports (that prompted complaints from the Indian and Brazilian governments) have now sparked criticism from Oxfam. It and Health Action International Europe said in a report: "The EU’s [intellectual property] policies are increasing the cost of medicines.…
FOREIGN BRANDS DOMINATE CHINA'S PUSH FOR GREEN, HIGH TECH PAINT, COATINGS
BY MARK GODFREY
AS CHINA’S stimulus-primed economy rebounds, increased local emphasis on environmental and quality specifications is playing into the hands of foreign brands like PPG Industries and Akzo Nobel.
"The whole industry is facing consolidation, changing needs from customers, and stricter environmental requirements," said Mike Horton, head of architectural coatings and automotive refinish coatings for the Asia Pacific region at PPG.…
INDIAN PARTS MANUFACTURERS PREPARING TO TAP GLOBAL MARKETS
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA
INDIAN automobile component manufacturers, who have been catering to international car companies, are taking additional value out of the supply chain by getting involved in the designing of auto parts.
With strong engineering skills, design and development capability, Indian companies such as Tata AutoComp Systems, Sundram Fasteners and Bharat Forge, have established their own brand names and registered intellectual property rights for their products.…
BRUSSELS TO ALLOW GERMANS, FRENCH, POLISH AND SPANISH OFF BY-CATCH ADMIN HOOK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed letting fishing crews from Germany, France, Poland and Spain avoid detailed cod catch controls and potentially time-consuming statistical declarations for catches in the North Sea and off western Scotland. Brussels wants European Union (EU) ministers to allow selected groups of vessels to avoid following special fishing effort rules imposed by the EU’s 2008 regulation 1342/2008 on cod stock conservation.…
PARIS, BERLIN, ROME, GANG UP ON EUROPEAN COMMISSION OVER VAN EMISSION PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL alliance has been forged by the French, German and Italian governments to push the European Commission into delaying planned reductions of CO2 emissions from light vans – weighing less than 2610 kg. While the trio accepts Commission proposals to cut emissions from new vans by 14% to 175 g/km, they want a planned deadline delayed from July 2013 to 2017.…
EU ROUND UP - UKRAINE MAY GET US$3 BILLION HELP FROM EUROPE FOR GAS REFORMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SIZE of the planned international investment in Ukraine’s gas distribution system has been revealed in a European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) memorandum: up to US$3 billion maybe pumped in. Money would start flowing with a US$300 million working capital loan from the EBRD for purchasing gas, repayable after this winter heating season.…
FRENCH MEPS CALL FOR SCRAPPING EURO 500 NOTE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CROSS-PARTY group of French MEPs have called for the axing of the Euro 500 note, which they fear is easy prey for counterfeiters and money launderers. Deputies from the ruling UMP, the socialists and the communists released a report to France’s National Assembly demanding the note be withdrawn "at a European level".…
OPEL DEAL UNDER INTENSE POLITICAL PRESSURE OVER SUBSIDY CONCERNS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE SALE of General Motors’ European auto-manufacturing subsidiary Opel to a Canadian-Austrian-Russian consortium is developing into a bitter dispute over how job losses arising from the deal are allocated between European Union (EU) member countries and who provides the funds for Opel’s restructuring.…
OPEL DEAL UNDER FIRE FROM MANDELSON
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WHITE knight deal – sweetened by around Euro 4.5 billion (US$6.5 billion) in German government subsidies – to transfer control of Opel-Vauxhall to a Canadian-Russian consortium, is under fire. Britain’s business secretary Lord Mandelson has advised that alternative agreements are sought to save the ailing GM-controlled car maker, calling for a "commercially-based outcome rather than one determined by political intervention and subsidies".…
GLOBAL: New genes may lead to Alzheimer's disease treatment
By Leah Germain
A group of international scientists have pinpointed two genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a discovery that may lead to new treatments and possible cures for the progressive and degenerative disease of the brain.
Working with scientists from around the world, Professor Julie Williams, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine in Wales, the UK, was the head scientist for the largest-ever joint Alzheimer’s disease genome-wide association study (GWAS).…
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS EUROPEAN CAR MARKERS' UNEVEN PROGRESS ON IMPROVING CO2 EMISSIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ENVIRONMENTAL report is suggesting that auto manufacturers only make reductions to the greenhouse gas emissions from their models when ordered to by compulsory legislation. Europe’s Transport and Environment (T&E) group has released statistics showing that auto manufacturers who have done well in moving towards European Union (EU) emission standards slackened their anti-pollution technical innovation last year.…
RECESSION STILL HITTING DUTCH DRIVERS HARD
BY MINDY RAN
IT could be a workingman’s cafe just about anywhere: pool tables, basic food where everything is served with chips, TV permanently tuned to football. Except for one thing: this is one of two big truck stops in the Netherlands, nestled between the cross points of two main motorways in the centre of the country.…
EU ROUND UP - TURKEY TO JOIN ENERGY EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TURKEY – the lynchpin of European Union (EU) efforts to secure energy independence from Russia – has started negotiations to join the EU’s Energy Community. The organisation currently extends EU energy legislation to non-EU Balkans countries, but there are plans to add Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey to its membership.…
TWISTY MOUNTAIN ROADS AND COLD WINTERS ADD CHALLENGES FOR SWISS TRUCKING
BY SHABTAI GOLD
THE CREW over at Top Gear, the BBC petrol-lovers show, recently declared that the Switzerland part of the Alpine mountain range has some of the best roads in the world for driving. But they were in top sports cars, costing a fortune and hardly designed for bringing farmers’ produce to the supermarkets.…
RESEARCHERS MAKE COSMETICS OUT OF WINE PRODUCTION WASTE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN research project has developed cosmetics products from German wine-making waste. German chemical analysis company Spectral Service and Spanish natural cosmetics company Alfaverde Productos Naturales gently dried fermentation leftovers into powders containing many wine nutrients. These include proteins, B vitamins, minerals and polyphenols, preventing heart or circulation diseases.…
KROES WARNS GERMANY NOT TO ADD STRINGS TO OPEL DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has warned the German government it must not at string to its support of the planned Magna International and Sberbank takeover of Opel requiring the protection of German jobs and plant.
In a speech yesterday (Sept 14) to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, European Union (EU) competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that Berlin’s offer of Euro 4.5 billion to the planned New Opel company "cannot be subject – de jure or de facto – to additional conditions concerning the location of investments and/or the geographic distribution of restructuring efforts."…
FRANCO-GERMAN BLOC PUSH FOR MORE DAIRY SUPPORT AS QUOTAS PHASED OUT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ATTACK by France and Germany on the European Commission’s ‘health check’ reforms to phase out European Union (EU) dairy quotas by 2015 is gathering support, with 16 member states backing increased subsidies. Having failed to persuade the Commission to abandon quota liberalisation, a growing Franco-German-led alliance at the EU Council of Ministers is backing increased subsides while restrictive production quotas expand from 2010 and disappear in 2015.…
EU PROMISES TO RESOLVE INDIAN GENERIC DRUG SEIZURE PROBLEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) trade Commissioner has promised the Indian government to try resolving the problem of Indian generic pharmaceutical exports being seized at German and Dutch ports over alleged intellectual property problems. Baroness Catherine Ashton told journalists after a meeting in New Delhi: "We know that we have a problem and it has to be resolved.…
KROES WARNS GERMANY NOT TO ADD STRINGS TO OPEL DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH dealers of Vauxhall and Opel cars can draw comfort from a European Commission pledge to prevent the planned Magna International and Sberbank takeover of Opel/Vauxhall being framed to close UK plants ahead of those in Germany. Speaking to the European Parliament, European Union (EU) competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that the German government’s offer of Euro 4.5 billion to the planned New Opel company owned by Magna/Sberbank must not have strings.…
MARS LOSES ECJ BATTLE TO TRADEMARK CHOCOLATE BAR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MARS appears to have lost a long legal battle to claim European Union (EU) trademark rights to the colour and form of its celebrated confectionery – the Bounty Bar. The European Court of Justice’ (ECJ) Court of First Instance has rejected an appeal by the food company against the EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) refusal of registration.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CLAIMS US LABELLING RULES AND ECO-TAXATION ARE UNFAIR TO EURO-MANUFACTURERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THERE is much work required by the United States government and the European Union (EU) to disarm trade barriers impeding EU auto exports, a new European Commission report has claimed.
The EU executive highlights three particular grumbles with existing US legislation, it claims gives American (and Canadian) automakers unfair advantages over European rivals.…
ENERGY LOBBYING IS BIG BUSINESS AT THE EUROPEAN UNION
BY DAVID HAWORTH and KEITH NUTHALL
IT is an important symbol of the changing focus of the European Union (EU) that the EU’s energy lobby is today regarded as an equal, if not more important than, the once feared agriculture lobby in Brussels.…
RAPEX UNVEILS CONSUMER HEALTH PROBLEMS IN WESTERN EUROPE COSMETICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer safety alert service RAPEX has released warnings about western Europe-made cosmetics products. In July, it reported a Dutch market withdrawal of France-made Bio Claire lightening body cream over illegal glucocorticosteroid and clobetasolpropionate content. There was a Germany recall of German-made Siriderma skin cream, over silver chloride/titanium dioxide content – which should not be used near eyes under the EU cosmetics directive.…
Brussels burns billions of Euros on publicity – but citizens still can’t stand the EU
By David Haworth, in Brussels
The European Commission and the European Parliament are beginning to feel the rough edge of voter sentiment about them.
Neither institution is well regarded – and becoming less so all the time.
Of course European Union (EU) officials say nothing about the tsunami of complaint, criticism and contempt that the speed of emails exposes them to.
But the email blowback from voters is uncomfortably there.
One such bureaucrat “victim” commented on how informed and specific the abuse was. Personal even.
Print journalists use to say this kind of contact was from the “green ink brigade” because that was the colour of choice many critics used.
Although the delete button stands in for a waste paper basket these days, a public body finds it more difficult not to reply to unwanted correspondence.…
European IT policing plans raises privacy hackles
By David Haworth, in Brussels
On the basis that you only notice a door close if you’re on the wrong side of it, the next six months of Sweden’s European Union (EU) leadership will see the launching of a five year justice plan for more citizens’ rights and better law enforcement coordination.
“One of the first duties of the state is to protect its citizens. Without security, there can be no freedom for European citizens,” a Swedish government briefing letter blandly asserts.
“But neither can there be citizen security if protection is provided while disregarding certain rights,” it continues in an uncontroversial statement of the obvious.
The EU interior and justice ministers are already working to give practical effect to the Swedish ambition and hope to agree a package of measures – dubbed the Stockholm Programme – by the year’s end.…
PAINT AND COATINGS SECTOR WATCHES BRUSSELS NERVOUSLY FOR NEW EU INDOOR POLLUTION RULES
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THE POTENTIALLY tough issue of regulations on indoor air pollution and all the potential problems this could cause the paint and coatings industry just refuses to go away in Europe. This is despite the fact that 10 months after the groundbreaking EnVIE conference on indoor air quality, held in Brussels last September, there is still no sign of any new Green Paper that might mean a tough new regime for the paint industry.…
EU RESEARCHERS DEVELOP BEER WASTE POWER GENERATORS
BY LEAH GERMAIN
A BREAKTHROUGH energy project from EU research programme EUREKA is turning spent grain from beer production into renewable brewery-operating power. By harnessing its latest energy, German and Slovakian developers have created technology that can significantly reduce energy costs for brewers.…
GERMANY'S HANDLING OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY RECESSION DRAWS PRAISE IN EU REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE report from a European Union (EU) think-tank has indicated that Britain’s new Pounds 2,000 scrappage scheme may not work, because of high levels of UK personal indebtedness.
The paper ‘Recent restructuring trends and policies in the automotive sector’ by the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has shown how Germany’s scrappage scheme has been markedly successful – in contrast to those in other EU member states, such as France and Italy.…
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.…
INNOVATION ABOUNDS IN DEVELOPING SECOND GENERATION BIOFUELS
BY MARK ROWE and GAVIN BLAIR
THE ANSWER to the world’s future fuel needs may be literally all around us, and freely available in abundance, thanks to the throw-away society of the 21st century. Bioenergy, produced from all matter of waste products, from wood chips, to agricultural husks and slurry, has been steadily elevated up the list of potential sources of energy that will be required in a low-carbon world.…
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.…
GERMANY/SLOVAKIA: CREATING ENERGY FROM BEER WASTE
By Leah Germain
Making beer is a hot smelly process, as any home brewer will testify. But what is to be done with the steaming left-over grains from a brew: turn it into energy and biogas of course – say German and Slovakian researchers.…
UK CAR SCRAPPAGE SCHEME MAY NOT WORK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE report from a European Union (EU) think-tank has indicated that Britain’s new Pounds 2,000 old car scrappage scheme may not work, because of high levels of UK personal indebtedness.
The paper ‘Recent restructuring trends and policies in the automotive sector’ by the Dublin-based European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions has shown how Germany’s scrappage scheme has been markedly successful – in contrast to those in other EU member states, such as France and Italy.…
EU NANOTECHNOLOGY RISK DATABASE TO BE CREATED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALIAN, Dutch, Israeli and German researchers are creating a database that can advise businesses and others on the potential health, safety and environmental impact of nanoparticles. This NHECD (Nano health-environment commented database) database is being financed with Euro 1.45 million of European Union research funds.…
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.…
BRUSSELS CLEARS GERMAN METAL PAINT TAKEOVER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ACQUISITION of German metal surface coating producer Tinox GmbH by fellow German companies Almeco GmbH and MAGE Industrie Holding AG (MAGE) has been approved by the European Commission, without conditions. Brussels assessed the deal using its competition authority powers, because the companies trade outside Germany.…
Brussels burns billions of Euros on publicity - but citizens still can't stand the EU
By David Haworth
The European Commission and the European Parliament are beginning to feel the rough edge of voter sentiment about them.
Neither institution is well regarded – and becoming less so all the time.
Of course European Union (EU) officials say nothing about the tsunami of complaint, criticism and contempt that the speed of emails exposes them to.…
GERMANY DELAYS CCS PROJECT ROLL-OUT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PLANNED law authorising a series of carbon capture and storage projects across Germany has been postponed until after the next German federal elections, due September 27. The ruling Christian Democrats could not reach agreement over the legislation with their Social Democrat grand coalition partners.…
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.…
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.…
FISCHER BOEL RESISTS FRENCH AND GERMAN SIREN SONGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
YOU have to hand it to matronly white-haired European Union (EU) agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel. She really sticks to her guns over CAP (common agricultural policy) reform. While many of her colleagues are abandoning their Brussels posts as the current Commission’s mandate sputters to an end in October, this 66-year-old Dane is not only staying, but resisting Franco-German pressure to undo liberalisation reforms, especially on the dairy sector.…
GERMANY'S HANDLING OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY RECESSION DRAWS PRAISE IN EU REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE report from a European Union (EU) think-tank has highlighted the success of Germany in fighting recession within its domestic car market and preventing full-time lay-offs. The paper ‘Recent restructuring trends and policies in the automotive sector’, has been released by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, a Dublin-based EU agency.…
GERMAN CONFECTIONERY MACHINE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THE VALUE OF DEMONSTRATING PRODUCTION
BY ESTRID STROLL, in Leingarten, Germany, and KEITH NUTHALL
JAPAN and Germany are maybe the world’s top ranking electrical engineering companies, so it is no surprise that the Baden-Württemburg-based and Japanese-owned Hosokawa Bepex GmbH has a solid reputation for producing confectionary manufacturing machines.…
INDIA STARTS TO DEVELOP INTEGRATED FASHION SECTOR WITH GLOBAL PUNCH
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA
STANDFIRST
The Indian clothing sector is emerging from its traditional image as an outsourcing-hub image and establishing its own brands that sell modern design and high quality garments in the international market. A resurgent economy still growing during the current global economic downturn and the official encouragement of entrepreneurial freedom have brought forward talented designers to challenge established names in the business.…
RAPEX WARNS OF SPATE OF NORTH AMERICAN CARE PRODUCT ALERTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer alert network RAPEX has released a series of warnings about north American personal care products. Notably, it has told of seizures in Italy of a Canadian talcum powder called ‘Spring Fresh’ that contained arsenic, which is banned under the EU cosmetics directive.…
EU FOOD POLICY LIBERALISERS CAN EXPECT SWEDISH BACKING DURING PRESIDENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SUPPORTERS of liberalising the European Union’s (EU) common agriculture policy and other food subsidy regimes can expect a helping hand from the new Swedish presidency of the EU from July 1.
Sweden has traditionally allied itself with Britain, the Netherlands, and eastern European liberalisers in the EU Council of Ministers, which it will chair for six months until the end of this year.…
NEW BERLIN AIRPORT FINANCING APPROVED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FINANCING of the construction of a single major airport for Berlin has been approved by the European Commission. Under its powers to control government spending on large industrial investments, Brussels has accepted a Euro 2.4 billion 100% loan guarantee from the public shareholders of Flughafen Berlin Schönefeld GmbH.…
DIPLOMATIC ROW ERUPTS OVER EU GENERIC MEDICINE IMPORT CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUP of emerging market countries led by Brazil and India has complained at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) about allegations that the European Union (EU) has been unfairly detaining transit shipments of generic medicine exports. Speaking to the WTO’s trade related aspects of intellectual property rights (TRIPs) committee, Brazil and India (backed by China and others) said delays were common.…
EUROPEAN SCIENTISTS IDENTIFY CELL PROTEINS THAT INTERACT WITH BACTERIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POTENTIALLY important findings for developing anti-bacterial drugs have been discovered by German, Swiss and Irish scientists. They identified 39 proteins interacting with bacteria damaging and entering human cells. Until now, only a few proteins had been listed, said a Cell Host and Microbe journal note.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO PROBE GOOGLE LIBRARY PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to launch an inquiry into the digitalisation of millions of books by Google, without the permission of their rights holders, to see whether the European Union (EU) should protect authors and publishers.
This follows a request made yesterday (28-3) by the EU Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels.…
NEW CERAMIC BRAKE JOINT VENTURE LAUNCHED AFTER BRUSSELS APPROVAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW German-Italian joint venture making carbon-ceramic brake discs and systems has been launched, following the granting of competition approval by the European Commission. The deal will involve a 50-50 merger of SGL Carbon SE, of Germany, and Brembo SpA, of Italy.…
DRINKS INDUSTRY LOBBYISTS - A GLOBAL REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN, DAVID HAWORTH, RUSSELL BERMAN, MARK GODFREY and GAVIN BLAIR
INTRODUCTION
WHILE the drinks industry is undoubtedly an important sector in the global economy, the honest truth is that there are bigger players in town: the IT sector, steel making, and food, to name a handful.…
TURKEY RAMPS UP CAR SAFETY INSPECTIONS
BY PAUL COCHRANE
TURKEY is ramping up car safety inspections as part of its bid to join the European Union (EU). Last year, Turkey hired a consortium made up of a German inspection firm TUV-Sud; Turkish car importer and distributor Dogus Automotive; and Akfen, a Turkish construction company, to independently inspect motor vehicles.…
EU ROUND UP - ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE DEAL STRUCK BY EU HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOCUMENTS released by European Union (EU) heads of government detailing their approval of a Euro 3.9 billion in EU spending on energy investment projects includes a commitment to spend Euro 200 million on the Nabucco gas pipeline within Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and Romania.…
ECJ DECLARES ILLEGAL AUSTRIAN BOOK PRICE FIXING SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PRICE fixing system for German-language books imported into Austria has been declared illegal by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) today (April 30). Its judges have concluded that it breaks European Union (EU) treaty commitments on the freedom of movement of goods, which the Austrian government must apply.…
TOUGHER LAWS NEEDED TO FIGHT CONSTANTLY ADAPTING DRINKS COUNTERFEITERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL and EMMA JACKSON
COUNTERFEITERS often claim their crime is victimless – the only losers are rich corporations who enjoy healthy profits anyway. But tell that to the families of 1,069 duped Moscow consumers who died after becoming intoxicated by counterfeit alcoholic beverages in the city during 2008, according to the city’s board of health.…
INTRODUCTION - RENEWABLE ENERGIES FORGE AHEAD - BUT FROM A LOW BASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL, LEAH GERMAIN and MONICA DOBIE
MAYBE the best sign that renewable energies have hit the mainstream is that they now have their very own international organisation: the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Launched in Bonn, Germany, this January, with the support of 76 countries, including its host nation, Spain, Italy, France and Sweden, the roster of signatory nations has since been swollen by India and Belarus.…
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.…
BANGLADESH DYE MARKET GROWS - BUT LOCAL PRODUCTION LAGS BEHIND
BY MARK GODFREY
INVESTMENT in Bangladeshi dyeing capacity appears stalled as growth in the country’s garment exports slows. Prices for imported dyes are also dipping. Yet given long-term steady growth expected in the country’s apparel industry, there are opportunities for dye importers.…
BANGLADESH KNITWEAR SECTOR REMAINS STRONG DESPITE GLOBAL RECESSION'S CONTINUED PRESSURE
BY MARK GODFREY
WITH the global recession raging across most of the world, Bangladesh’s knitwear sector is maintaining a strong commercial position and looks better geared to survive the economic downturn than some of its regional competitors. Orders have only dipped marginally say local knitwear producers.…
GERMANY PUSHES AHEAD WITH CARBON CAPTURE LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY has proposed a draft national law promoting carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, which would see liability for CO2 leaks transferred to the German government after a facility had been in place for 80 years. The law includes detailed standards on operating CCS systems and should complement European Union legislation on this issue.…
RAPEX ALERTS CONSUMER PROTECTORS ABOUT DANGEROUS GLUE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) consumer alert service RAPEX has warned consumer protection authorities about an the import into the EU of an Japan-made fast super glue, deemed breaking the EU chemical restrictions directive by containing 30% chloroform. The problem Osaka-manufactured glue was spotted by German consumer authorities.…
SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA OFFERS ECONOMIC PROMISE, BUT FRAUD STILL A MAJOR PROBLEM
BY STEVEN SWINDELLS and BILL CORCORAN, in Johannesburg; and WACHIRA KIGOTHO, in Nairobi
WITH sub-Saharan Africa’s mobile telecommunications sector growing healthily and its offshore oil sector showing signs of great promise in the short and medium term, the region – usually regarded as the world’s poorest and least stable – could be a zone of stability during the global recession.…
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS BEING DEVELOPED AT BREAKNECK SPEED
BY MARK ROWE
THE PRINCIPLE of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is of course well established amongst energy suppliers: polluting industries, such as coal, would be able to continue to burn fossil fuels, but carbon dioxide, rather than being expelled into the atmosphere, would be harvested in the energy production cycle and securely locked away.…
GORDON BROWN HAS BIGGEST PERSONAL CARBON FOOTPRINT OF ALL EU LEADERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A FRENCH environmental charity has concluded Gordon Brown’s globetrotting made the senior European leader with the heaviest carbon footprint in 2008. Terra Eco said that although Brown made fewer journeys than France’s hyperactive President Nicolas Sarkozy, he pumped more carbon into the atmosphere using larger less fuel efficient planes.…
BASF PLEDGES UV FILTER LICENCE AGREEMENT TO SECURE CIBA TAKEOVER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSED acquisition of chemical producer Ciba, of Switzerland, by BASF SE of Germany, has been cleared by the European Commission, after the German chemicals giant agreed to allow to share certain UV filters owned by the Swiss firm.…
NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION HAS EXPERIENCED A ROLLER COASTER RIDE OF DEVELOPMENT AND DOUBT
BY KEITH NUTHALL, EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
Although today’s nuclear technology is used primarily to produce electricity, meeting about 14.2% of the world’s demand, the birth of nuclear power, like many technologies, was not intended for civilian use. Rather, it was used to harness a militaristic advantage at the onset of the Second World War.…
EUROPEAN INITIATIVE SEEKS TO PRESERVE OBSOLETE DIGITAL WRITTEN WORKS
BY MARK ROWE
AS book reading online enters the mainstream, one question that has plagued academic and cultural journals for years has re-emerged: digital obsolescence. Publishers are concerned about keeping pace with technological advances and preserving access to digital material.
No sooner, and at significant expense, is literature scanned and digitally secured in a given format, than it risks being overtaken by the latest storage versions.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPE 95% DEPENDENT ON OIL IMPORTS IN FUTURE WARN MEPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DEPENDENCE of the European Union (EU) on imports to meet oil supply needs will rise to 95% by 2030, a European Parliament report has claimed. This will expose the EU to strategic dangers through buying oil from unstable or potentially hostile countries in the Middle East and from Russia, it warned.…
NEW EU OLIVE OIL LABELLING RECEIVES MIXED REACTION FROM ITALIAN SECTOR
BY LEE ADENDORFF
ITALIAN agricultural associations and olive oil producers have greeted new compulsory European Union (EU) olive oil origin labelling regulations with mixed reactions. This is maybe no surprise. Olive oil forms the basis of the Italian diet and so is a touchy subject.…
FIRST BIOMASS WASTE-ONLY BIOGAS PLANT BUILT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN scientists claim to have built the world’s first biogas plant running only on biomass waste, without requiring any edible material. The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems in Dresden have developed an innovative process where straw, corn stalks and other waste is first broken down by enzymes before fermenting it into gas.…
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.…
LOW COUNTRY TRUCKERS BUCK EUROPEAN TREND - THEY REALLY LIKE THEIR JOBS
BY TONY MALLETT
GIVEN that they work in a country renowned for its knee-deep bureaucracy and fervent industrial action, Belgian truckers seem a surprisingly contented bunch. At least when taken individually.
Despite recent protests about the price of fuel – which resulted in their blockade of the Brussels inner ring road and demonstrations outside the headquarters of both the European Commission and the European Parliament – the pros riding way up high in the cabs of HGVs on Belgian roads seem generally happy with their lot.…
COSMETICS MAJORS MUST MARKET TO DISTINCT ISRAEL AND ARAB MARKETS IN MIDDLE EAST
BY PAUL COCHRANE
THE COSMETICS and personal care sector in the Middle East is one of the fastest growing in the industry worldwide, registering 12% annual growth in the three years to 2008, and valued at US$2.1 billion, according to trade experts Epoc Messe Frankfurt (EMF).…
CHINA WINE SECTOR PUSHING AHEAD AS GROWING MIDDLE CLASS DEVELOPS TASTE SOPHISTICATION
BY MARK GODFREY
BARRY Lee is probably typical of Chinese wine drinkers. The auto-sales accountant started off drinking a local Great Wall red at an office lunch, then got curious and went to a Beijing branch of the French Carrefour supermarket chain where he spent RMB78 (US$11.40) on a bottle of Chilean red.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FOOD LABELLING SPOKESMAN SLAMS COMMISSION'S REFORM PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FAILURE of the European Commission to propose a harmonised European Union (EU) food labelling scheme has been attacked. European Parliament spokeswomen German Christian Democrat MEP Renate Sommer said new food labelling legislation should not allow EU member states to insist upon additional information: "The proposal risks confronting manufacturers and retailers with 27 additional labelling systems…"
ENDS…
BIOFUELS POSE RISK TO BIO-BASED OILS AND FATS TREND IN COSMETICS SECTOR
BY MARK ROWE
FOR the past 10 years, the message from the environmental movement has been "biofuels good, fossil fuels bad". And the search for alternatives has exercised many industries, not least the cosmetics sector, which widely uses mineral oils, but has increasingly been looking for ways to use bio-based oils and fats.…
MEPS DEFEND RIGHTS OF CITIZENS TO DEMAND INFORMATION ABOUT MEAT AND DAIRY LIVESTOCK FEED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament claims to have struck a deal with European Union (EU) ministers over the rights of consumers (and hence environmental health officers) to demand information about feed consumed by meat and dairy farm animals. The issue is a contentious one, balancing health concerns about outbreaks of feed-linked disease such as BSE and dioxin poisoning with the rights of feed companies to protect the confidentiality of their ingredient formulae.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FOOD LABELLING SPOKESMAN SLAMS COMMISSION'S REFORM PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FAILURE of the European Commission to propose a harmonised European Union (EU) scheme for food labelling has been attacked by the European Parliament’s spokeswomen on the issue. Writing for her institution’s Parliament Magazine, German Christian Democrat MEP Renate Sommer said proposed new food labelling legislation should not allow EU member states to insist upon additional information on food packaging sold in their countries.…
EU PLOTS SUBSIDIES TO ENCOURAGE PURCHASE OF NEW CARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH presidency of the European Union (EU) has revealed a plan to offer subsidies to automobile consumers who want to replace their old models and buy new cars. It is the latest strand to emerge of the EU’s strategy to help the European auto industry through its current tough trading conditions.…
LACK OF EUROPEAN UNION PROSECUTION SERVICES UNDERMINES EFFICIENCY OF BRUSSELS ANTI-FRAUD CONTROLS
BY DAVID HAWORTH
A LITTLE noticed event took place in Brussels last month when the European Union (EU) Court of Auditors awarded the president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Pöttering its annual Gold Medal, citing "the co-operation between the two institutions in safeguarding the interests of the European taxpayers."…
TOUGH TIMES LOOM FOR SCANDINAVIAN TRUCKERS
BY LARS RUGAARD
CASH shortages, competition from abroad and cost rises threaten to remove one of every three of Denmark’s roughly 35,000 lorry drivers from their trade this year, haulage experts are warning. Speaking to Commercial Motor, a Danish truck driver sitting on the bunk of his Volvo truck sums up his industry’s gloom in one sentence: "Earlier things were better".…
EU RESEARCHERS TO DEVELOP DRUGS TO FIGHT HOSPITAL SUPERBUGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project commanding Euro 4.6 million in EU money is to develop antibiotics to combat highly drug-resistant bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa. This accounts for a significant percentage of hospital-acquired infections, noted the European Commission. The AEROPATH project includes university scientists in Britain and Sweden, working with German biotech companies Lionex and MFD Diagnostics.…
WHISTLEBLOWER MEP SLAMS 'ILL-CONCEIVED' EU FRAUD OFFICE
BY CHRIS JONES and DAVID HAWORTH
PAUL van Buitenen, the notorious Brussels whistleblower and sleaze-buster, has announced he will not stand for re-election as an MEP when his current term comes to an end in June.
There will be relief amongst the complacent and unworthy in all the European Union (EU) institutions that he has decided to chuck it after only five years as a parliamentarian.…
SWISS MEAT DEAL APPROVED DESPITE PRODUCT CLASH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ACQUISITION of sole control of German meat and sausage company Zimbo Fleisch- und Wurstwaren by Switzerland’s Bell Holding has been approved by the European Commission on competition grounds, despite the Swiss company also selling these products.
ENDS…
THE BEST STYLE MODEL? INTEGRATED TEXTILE AND CLOTHING COMPANIES, OR NETWORKS OF INDEPENDENT SUPPLIERS?
BY PHILIPPA JONES, DOMINIQUE PATTON and LUCY JONES
The growth in outsourcing within the clothing and textile sector worldwide has highlighted a key issue, and that is the relative merits of running an integrated company that handles basic production and design, or relying on a string of specialist suppliers to deliver the goods, from fibre supplies, to textile manufacture, design, clothing assembly and retail.…
EU PUSHES AHEAD WITH ADDITIVES AND LABELLING LEGISLATION FOR FOOD AND DRINKS SECTORS
BY ALAN OSBORN
IN today’s world of globalised and increasingly competitive markets Europe’s food and drink industries need enlightened regulation if they are to meet accepted international standards for safety, additives, labelling and environmental responsibility.
There can be too much of it of course.…
MEMBER STATES CAN REFUSE TO RECOGNISE SECOND EU FOREIGN DRIVING LICENCES AFTER A DRIVING BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DRIVING licence authorities within the European Union (EU) can refuse to recognise a pre-existing second foreign EU licence, if a driver had another home country licence issued by that authority withdrawn by a court: that is the formal opinion of European Court of Justice advocate general Yves Bot.…
MEMBER STATES SHOULD KEEP OLAF IN LOOP OVER INQUIRY FOLLOW UPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEMBER states of the European Union (EU) could be required to keep EU anti-fraud office OLAF informed about progress law enforcement teams make in response to its reports highlighting financial crimes. This proposal has been written by the European Parliament into OLAF’s founding EU regulation – currently under review.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION THREATENS FINES OVER GERMANY VW LAW ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has given Germany a legal final warning today that if it does not liberalise its Volkswagen liberalisation law it will probably ask the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to impose massive daily recurring fines of Euro 1,000s.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION RELEASES PLAN TO INCREASE EUROPEAN MATERIALS SECURITY - INCLUDING PLASTICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A 10-POINT plan to improve and secure the supply of materials such as plastics, rubber, and associated chemical inputs within the European Union (EU) has been released by the European Commission. The wide-ranging initiative has been devised as European governments become increasingly nervous about their ability to source the materials needed by their manufacturing industries.…
EUROPE: European digital library still on track after launch flop
By Alan Osborn
It lasted less than a day and it ended in apparent humiliation but believe it or not the launch of the European digital library Europeana has been hailed as a success story. The site collapsed on 20th November because the servers couldn’t cope with the torrent of demand but all being well it will be back before Christmas "bigger and better than ever" according to a spokesman for the European commission which is behind the idea.…
ECJ THROW OUT SWISS COSMETICS COMPANY TRADEMARK APPEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) Court of First Instance has dismissed an appeal brought by Swiss cosmetics firm Galderma against the European Union (EU)-wide registration by Tihomir Lelas, of Croatia, of the trademark Nanolat for soaps, cosmetics and hair lotions.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION NERVOUS ABOUT LAUNCHING INDOOR AIR QUALITY GREEN PAPER: LEGISLATION OPPOSED BY PLASTICS SECTOR
BY PATRICIA KELLY
THE EUROPEAN Commission is still debating when to launch a Green Paper that could spark new European Union (EU) laws on indoor air quality (IAQ), amidst strong pressure from the European Parliament for legislation and guidance on the issue which would affect plastics manufacturers.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION RELEASES PLAN TO INCREASE EUROPEAN RAW MATERIALS SECURITY - INCLUDING LEATHER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A 10-POINT plan to improve and secure the supply of raw materials such as leather within the European Union (EU) has been released by the European Commission. The wide-ranging initiative has been devised as European governments become increasingly nervous about their ability to source the raw materials needed by their manufacturing industries.…
ECJ REFUSES TO REINFORCE EU WASTE-TO-ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ignored European Commission calls for a legal precedent that waste-to-energy plants follow the same environmental impact assessment rules as simple waste incineration.
Brussels had called on judges to clarify the EU environmental impact assessment directive 85/37/EEC in a German case about authorising a wood gas firing combined heat-and-power plant.…
MINERAL OIL PRICE RISES LESS IMPORTANT FOR COSMETICS PRODUCERS THAN FORMULA FIT WHEN SWITCHING TO BIO-BASED OILS AND FATS
BY JAMES BURNS, PHILIPPA JONES, KARRYN MILLER and FRANCES WANG
IF anything would drive the cosmetics sector away from mineral oils into the arms of bio-based oils and fats suppliers, it is surely the high crude oil prices that punished buyers before they began to fall steeply in the summer.…
GEORGIAN WINEMAKERS RAISE THEIR GAME TO COPE WITH RUSSIAN EMBARGO
BY MARK GODFREY
RUSSIA may have invaded Georgia this August, but its wine industry seems almost gung-ho about the import embargo on Georgian wines that the Russian government has imposed since 2006. It has proven a "huge stimulus" to local winemakers to improve quality, according to the head of a project tasked with opening new markets for the country’s wines.…
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.…
GERMAN SCIENTISTS MAKE BREAKTHROUGH IN DEVELOPING T-RAY DETECTORS
BY MONICA DOBIE
GERMAN researchers have developed a method of accurately measuring terahertz radiation rays, so that this radiation can safely be used in new airport security detection machines. Scientists have long known the potential of using these so-called T-ray scanners: while metal or X-ray detectors usually identify just a few obviously dangerous materials, T-rays are far more sensitive and can identify many more illegal or dangerous substances.…
LUXEMBOURG: Professor stops publishers replicating public databases for commercial gain without permission
By Keith Nuthall
A German professor has won a precedent-setting case which will prevent European Union (EU) publishers from using university-collated compendiums of out-of-copyright materials to produce their own commercial collections of works. A ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), in Luxembourg, has said publishers can be blocked from selling these books, if they "transfer a substantial part" of the original source to their own publication.…
NORTH AMERICAN MEN'S DEMAND FOR COSMETICS HAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
BY MONICA DOBIE, JULIAN RYALL, and PHILIPPA JONES
COMPARED to their counterparts in Europe and Asia, North American men are at the bottom of the league tables for using beauty products, leaving male cosmetics marketers with both a lot of work, and a lot opportunity.…
CHINA'S BLOCK ON IMPORTED WASTE PLASTICS MAYBE LONG TERM
BY MARK GODFREY and ALAN OSBORN
MANUFACTURERS at China’s largest trade fair say falling orders mean China is unlikely to ease an effective moratorium on imports of recyclable plastics anytime soon. Producers of plastic-based household items at the bi-annual Canton Fair in Guangzhou, in China’s key southern manufacturing belt, told Plastics & Rubber Weekly that a dramatic decline in exports of toys and household goods had prompted the Chinese government to impede the import of waste plastic, and the market could remain closed for a year or more.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES GM SOYBEAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved for use in the European Union as a foodstuff a genetically modified soybean: A25704-12 developed by German biotechnology firm Bayer Cropscience.
ENDS…
PUBLISHERS CANNOT REPLICATE PUBLIC DATABASES FOR COMMERCIAL GAIN WITHOUT PERMISSION: ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PUBLISHERS using compendiums of out-of-copyright materials to produce their own collections of works can be blocked from selling these books, if they "transfer a substantial part" of the original source to their own publication. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that if undertaken in the European Union (EU), this breaks the EU database directive, even if the material was not electronically copied from the source.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES BOOTS' TAKEOVER OF GERMAN PHARMA WHOLESALER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PERMISSION has been granted for the acquisition of sole control of Germany pharmaceutical wholesaler Megapharm GmbH Pharmazeutische Erzeugnisse by British retail chemist chain Alliance Boots. The European Commission has cleared the deal acting as European Union (EU) competition regulator for cross-border EU takeovers.…
BANANA IMPORTERS CANNOT SUE EU OVER WTO ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BANANA and banana product importers cannot sue the European Union (EU) for its alleged failure to abide by its World Trade Organisation commitments through giving special EU market access to Caribbean and African producers, the European Court of Justice has ruled.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION FINES OIL MAJORS IN CARTEL RAISING AUTO INDUSTRY INPUT PRICES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SOME of Europe’s largest companies – including fuel majors – have been fined heavily for participating in a paraffin wax cartel, raising the cost of this key input for tyre and car component manufacturers. Sasol, Total, ExxonMobil and six others have been fined a total of Euro 676 million for participating in what has been branded the "paraffin wax mafia".…
BRUSSELS TO DEFY MERKEL OVER VW AND PUSH EUROPEAN JUDGES TO FINE GERMANY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has brushed aside opposition to removal of the so-called Volkswagen Law by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and plans to pursue the matter in the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Speaking to just-auto, Brussels internal market spokeswoman Catherine Bunyan said the Commission would be sending Germany a "legal final warning", (a "reasoned opinion") that it would be taken back to the ECJ if it did not comply with an earlier ruling that German government authority over VW broke European Union capital movement laws.…
GERMANY WOULD PROSPER FROM EXTENDED NUCLEAR OPERATIONS, SAY POWER GIANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S nuclear power operators are proposing their government abandons its 15-year phase out of plants and instead keep them operating for at least 25 years. RWE, E.ON and Vattenfall say the additional profits they would generate could be ploughed back into clean energy research or subsidise German domestic energy bills.…
EU AUTOMAKERS ANTICIPATING EU CO2 CAP NOW UNDER DISCUSSION
BY DEIRDRE MASON and KEITH NUTHALL
AUTOMAKERS at the European Union (EU) will be closely monitoring debates this autumn discussing the strictness of a planned cap on the CO2 emissions from automobiles running on EU roads, given they are busy developing low carbon technologies.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES CLASH OVER CO2 CAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE KEY European Parliament committees drafting the fine-print of the proposed European Union (EU) cap on carbon dioxide emissions for passenger cars are clashing over the obligations that should be imposed on the EU auto industry.
Members of the EP’s environment committee have now voted to make the cap’s rules tougher that that proposed by the European Commission.…
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.…
VULNERABILITY OF FOOD PRICES TO BEE HEALTH MADE CLEAR BY EU RESEARCHERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE VULNERABILITY of world food markets to the often fragile health of bees has been underlined by new European Union (EU)-funded research. It concluded pollination services provided by insects are worth Euro 153 billion-a-year. This figure – said a Franco-German scientific team coordinated by Germany’s Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research equals 9.5% of world agricultural food production value.…
CONFECTIONERY MANUFACTURES STRUGGLE TO SQUARE MARKETING CIRCLE OF HEALTH AND INDULGENCE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
CONSUMERS are getting fatter and more fitness conscious at the same time, prompting confectionery manufacturers to think hard about squaring the circle of health and indulgence when designing and marketing their products.
CAOBISCO, which represents the European Union’s (EU) chocolate, biscuit and confectionery industries, has traditionally taken a robust line about the benefits confectionery can bring to diets, signing up to the EU’s self-regulating plan for curbing obesity, announced last year.…
EUROPEAN COURT SAYS POLLUTION SUFFERERS CAN DEMAND ACTION FROM GOVERNMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has cleared the way for pollution campaigners to take legal action against governments and local authorities manifestly failing to restrict the amount of particulate matter pollution in the air to legal minimums.…
EIB LENDS EURO 125 MILLION TO GERMAN PHARMA PLAYER
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Investment Bank, the EU’s lending institution, has announced a loan of Euro 125 million to B. Braun Melsungen AG (BBM), a leading international supplier of pharmaceuticals and medical technologies to hospitals, based in Hessen, Germany. The EIB said the money would be used to expand BBM’s research infrastructure and to develop innovative pharmaceutical products and production processes over the period 2008 – 2010.…
BARROSO WOOS GERMANS OVER NUCLEAR POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission president José Manuel Barroso has tried to coax German public opinion into favouring nuclear energy. In an interview with the weekend newspaper Bild am Sonntag, Barroso said: "Nuclear energy is a delicate issue in Germany…on the other hand, more and more countries see in nuclear energy an at least temporary solution to stop climate change and to reduce our dependency on oil and gas."…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA ENERGY TALKS UNDERWAY AT LAST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FORMAL negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Russia over renewing the 1997 partnership and cooperation agreement between them are under way at last: formal talks started in Brussels on July 4, following a successful EU-Russia summit at the Siberian oil town of Khanty-Mansiysk..…
GERMAN CONFECTIONER LOSES ECJ TRADEMARK CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN confectionery manufacturer Paul Reber GmbH has lost a European Court of Justice bid to secure European Union trademark rights for the term ‘Mozart’ for selling chocolate-coated marzipan and praline balls. Because these are generally known as ‘Mozartkugel’, Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli successfully argued the proposed trademark was generic and not eligible for legal protection.…
EUROPEAN COURT SAYS POLLUTION SUFFERERS CAN DEMAND ACTION FROM GOVERNMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has cleared the way for fleet managers to take legal action against governments and local authorities manifestly failing to restrict the amount of particulate matter pollution in the air to legal minimums.…
AUDI TOLD IT CANNOT TRADEMARK VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN car giant Audi has been told by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) that it cannot trademark its noted slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ across the European Union (EU). Audi unsuccessfully appealed against a decision by the EU trademark regulator to refuse EU trademark rights for the slogan because it was "insufficiently distinctive".…
ECJ REDUCES PRESERVATIVES CARTEL FINE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has reduced from Euro 99 million to Euro 74.25 million a fine levied by the European Commission against German preservatives manufacturer Hoechst for its participation in a cartel. It was alleged Hoechst helped fix markets for preservative sorbates with Japanese firms Chisso, Daicel, Nippon Synthetic and Ueno.…
GERMAN CONFECTIONER LOSES ECJ TRADEMARK CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN confectionery manufacturer Paul Reber GmbH has lost a European Court of Justice (ECJ) bid to secure European Union trademark rights for the term ‘Mozart’ for selling chocolate-coated marzipan and praline balls. Because these are generally known in Germany and Austria as ‘Mozartkugel’, Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli successfully argued the proposed trademark was generic and not eligible for legal protection.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES MAJOR STATE AID SUBSIDY FOR GERMAN SOLAR POWER PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Balkans ministerial council has approved the rules of a dispute settlement mechanism for countries participating within the southeast Europe energy community. This links Balkans’ electricity and gas regulation with that of EU member states and ensures EU energy legislation is adopted in participating countries.…
GERMAN CHEMICAL GIANT SUES OVER EU GM POTATO DELAYS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN chemical giant BASF is taking the European Commission to court over what it regards as legally unjustified delays over deciding European Union (EU) market approval for a GM potato modified to supply industrial uses as well as food.…
AUDI TOLD IT CANNOT TRADEMARK 'VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK' FOR MANY NON-AUTOMOBILE PRODUCTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT has become an asset in itself: the popular Audi slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’. But the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that the German car giant cannot trademark this phrase for many products and services that only have a slight link with its core car-making business.…
EUROPE: Poor links between EU researchers and business holding back commecial innovation
By Alan Osborn
The European Union (EU) will have to achieve much greater progress in bridging the gap between research and industry if it is to make a success of its Lisbon Strategy for making the EU the world’s most competitive economy by 2010, a conference on Innovating for Competitiveness in ICT (information and communication technologies) was told in Brussels last week (May 28).…
BERLIN AND FRANCE BURY HATCHET OVER CO2 VEHICLE EMISSIONS ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FRENCH and German governments have struck agreement over the proposed compulsory 120g/km target for automobiles within the European Union, (EU), with Paris giving ground to Berlin in some key areas.
Germany has opposed the European Commission-proposed average emissions cap saying the burden on technological changes would fall unfairly on its own iconic auto industry, producing – as it does – high quality, powerful cars with comparatively intense CO2 emissions.…
TURKISH CLOTHING SECTOR GEARS UP FOR EU MEMBERSHIP
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut
TURKISH clothing and textile manufacturers are ramping up production of mid- to high-end garments for the European market in the face of strong competition from China and other apparel producing countries, while also preparing for Turkey’s eventual membership of the European Union (EU).…
ROMANIA FOOD RETAIL SECTOR IS BOOMING
BY MARK ROWE
THE FOOD retail sector in Romania has witnessed extraordinary growth in the past five years. Despite the fact that VAT in Romania is 19%, above the eastern European average, between 2002 and 2007, the grocery retail sector rose by 134.5% and is forecast to grow by a further 53.6% by 2012.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SAYS SMALL BUSINESSES COULD BE FORCED TO COMPLY WITH HACCP HAZARD CHECK RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has voted to give national food regulators authority to insist that some micro-enterprise food manufacturers follow HACCP hazard control point health procedures. MEPs have amended liberalising proposals from the European Commission that all micro-businesses in the food sector selling direct to the consumer should be exempted from EU legislation insisting on such checks.…
BRUSSELS GETS TOUGH OVER VW ILLEGAL GERMAN SHAREHOLDING LAWS - THREATENS FINES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has started legal proceedings against the German government, which could lead it to paying massive daily recurring fines of many Euro 1,000s over its failure to reform Volkswagen’s shareholding rules.
The Commission has already secured a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that the special position granted to public authorities within the privatised auto giant’s board and shareholdings break European Union (EU) law.…
EUROPE: New chairman of League of European Research Universities champions basic research
By Keith Nuthall
Basic academic research – freed from specific commercial or industrial goals – has a new champion in Europe: Bernd Huber, the new chairman of the League of European Research Universities (LERU). Huber, already president of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Munich), in Germany, has been appointed head of Europe’s elite research higher education institutions for the next three years.…
NOW GALILEO'S FUTURE IS SOLID, DISCUSSIONS ON SERVICES PROCEED APACE
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
WITH the launch of the long-debated Galileo orbiting satellite system now largely secure, attention is being turned to its varied applications and services. These were debated last week (Thurs June 12) at a half day conference for European Parliament members and European Commission officials.…
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.…
EUROPEAN PLANS FOR EU 'BLUE CARD' IMMIGRATION REFORM RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT FUELLING AFRICAN BRAIN DRAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MAJOR concerns have been raised about a draft European Union (EU) plan to attract highly qualified immigrants because of its ability to fuel an intense brain drain from Africa.
A hearing was staged last week in Brussels (June 26) at the European Parliament on the ‘blue card’ proposals now being designed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body.…
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.…
BELGIAN HYPERMARKET CHAIN BLOCKS GERMAN COSMETICS TRADEMARK BID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN cosmetics firm has failed to trademark the phrase ‘Mineral Spa’ to sell soaps, perfumes, hair care and other beauty products, after being challenged by Belgian supermarket chain Spa Monopole. The European Court of Justice backed the retailer’s concerns that consumers could be mislead into thinking Mülhens GmbH’s products are associated with Spa’s shops.…
LIGHTENING GEL BANNED IN GERMANY OVER CHEMICAL COMPOSITION CONCERNS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s consumer product alert service RAPEX has reported German authorities banning a 330ml tub of French lightening gel Miss Caroline Crème. This was because of concerns an ingredient proportion broke the 1976 European Union (EU) cosmetics directive: 4.76% of its content being hydroquinone, "the use of which is associated with harmful effects", said RAPEX.…
GROWTH IN NUCLEAR ENERGY IS UNSPOKEN KEY TO SQUARING POWER SECURITY-GLOBAL WARMING CIRCLE
BY ALAN OSBORN
HOW quickly events are moving in the energy sector at present, and how difficult this makes long-term planning by the power generation industry. One of the key documents for forecasters in Europe is the paper prepared by the National Technical University of Athens for the European Commission’s directorate-general for energy and transport on "Trends to 2030."…
GREEN MEPS PUSH FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY VERSION OF EURATOM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GREEN group of the European Parliament is pushing for the establishment of a separate European Union (EU) treaty that would commit EU institutions to promoting the development of renewable energies.
The MEPs have been inspired by the success of another separate EU treaty – albeit one they are not fond of – the Euratom treaty, which guarantees separate budgets to assist the operation of nuclear power plants.…
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.…
SOUTH ASIAN KNITWEAR INDUSTRY HAVING MIXED FORTUNES AS GLOBALISATION INTENSIFIES
BY RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, in New Delhi; SAEED AKHTAR BALOCH, in Lahore; and KEITH NOYAHR, in Colombo
THE SOUTH Asian knitwear industry is experienced mixed fortunes at present, with the impact of China’s production boom and the global liberalisation of the textile sector still changing sub-continental fortunes.…
EUROPEAN CARMAKERS GRIT THEIR TEETH TO MEET NEW PARTICULATE MATTER RULES
BY DEIRDRE MASON in London
AUTO manufacturers in the European Union (EU) will be under further pressure to produce cleaner vehicles now that the EU Council of Ministers has approved a new air quality directive setting strict limits for PM 2.5 particulate matter in air.…
CONCERNS ARE RAISED ABOUT THE WORLD'S TRIPARTITE ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING SYSTEM - BUT MAJOR REFORM UNLIKELY
BY ALAN OSBORN
AS the Money Laundering Bulletin discussed recently, essentially there are three international non-governmental organisations engaged in the fight against money laundering – the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) together with its sister regional organisations, plus the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.…
GERMANY'S BIGGEST VINEYARD TOLD TO REPAY EURO 500,000 IN ILLEGAL SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S largest vineyard has been ordered by the European Commission to repay Euro 541,859 in illegal subsidies handed out by its owner – the regional government of Hesse. Following a detailed investigation, Brussels has concluded that the writing off of losses made by Hessische Staatsweingüter until December 2002 broke European Union (EU) state aid rules and so must be repaid, with interest.…
ECJ SAYS GENERAL RULES BLOCKING ACCESS TO SMALL ELECTRICITY NETWORKS ARE ILLEGAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has backed its advocate general in ruling that national laws within the European Union (EU) may not generally block third party supplier access to self-contained electricity networks. The ECJ supported judge Jan Mazák in concluding such restrictions could not be justified "on the grounds that they are located on a geographically connected operation zone and…predominantly serve to supply the energy needs" of a business based there or "connected undertakings."…
EU MINISTERS AND MEPS STRIKE DEAL OVER ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH government and the other 26 member states of the European Union (EU) are to review their laws to ensure a wide range of misdeeds damaging the environment are listed as crimes, rather than civil misdemeanours. This follows a deal between the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament over a directive on environmental crime, which insists a number of wrongful actions be criminalised across the European Union.…
GERMANY: German researchers develop in-car computer navigation system to avoid red lights
By Keith Nuthall
Imagine an intelligent transport system so clever, that it could tell a motorist how fast to drive in a city to avoid all red lights in a given journey. And then also imagine a system that could also advise a driver how to motor at the most constant speed possible, avoiding unnecessary accelerations and braking, saving gallons of fuel and engine wear-and-tear to boot.…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP GUARANTEED GREEN LIGHT TRAFFIC ADVICE SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SCIENTISTS at the Technical University of Berlin have devised an intelligent transport system prototype so clever, it can tell a motorist how fast to drive in a city to avoid all red lights in a given journey. And it could also advise how to motor at the most constant speed possible, avoiding unnecessary accelerations and braking, saving gallons of fuel and engine wear-and-tear.…
FISCHER BOEL PRESSES FOR MORE LIBERALISATION OF EU DAIRY PRODUCTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DAIRY production quotas within the European Union (EU) – just raised by 2% – should be increased again and again prior to their complete abolition in 2015, EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has said. Speaking to a ‘Lacto Summit’ organised by German dairy industry federation the Milchindustrie Verband, in Brussels, she predicted from 2007 to 2014 that EU milk consumption (by manufacturers and milk consumers), will grow 8 million tonnes, (or nearly 6%), with "growing market opportunities in Asia" too.…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP GUARANTEED GREEN LIGHT TRAFFIC ADVICE SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IMAGINE an intelligent transport system so clever, that it could tell a motorist how fast to drive in a city to avoid all red lights in a given journey. And then also imagine a system that could also advise a driver how to motor at the most constant speed possible, avoiding unnecessary accelerations and braking, saving gallons of fuel and engine wear-and-tear to boot.…
ECJ RULING ALLOWS REDUCED VAT FOR CONNECTING PROPERTIES TO WATER MAINS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REDUCED rates of VAT can be charged for connecting properties to main water networks operated by utilities, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. In a German case, the court has decided that "since a mains connection is essential to make water available to the public…[it] forms part of the water supplies referred to" in the EU’s Sixth VAT Directive Annex H.…
FOREIGN QUALITY WINE TERMS ALLOWABLE ONLY IF THEY DO NOT MISLEAD, SAY EU JUDGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE USE of officially approved quality wine descriptors from foreign European Union (EU) member states by EU wine producers should be only allowed if there "is no risk that it will mislead" consumers about its origin or other issues, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.…
FISCHER BOEL PRESSES FOR MORE LIBERALISATION OF EU DAIRY PRODUCTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DAIRY production quotas within the European Union (EU) – just raised by 2% – should be increased again and again prior to complete abolition in 2015, EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has said. Speaking to a ‘Lacto Summit’ organised by German dairy industry federation, she predicted from 2007 to 2014 that EU milk consumption (by manufacturers and milk consumers), will grow 8 million tonnes, (or nearly 6%), with "growing market opportunities in Asia" too.…
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.…
FOREIGN QUALITY WINE TERMS ALLOWABLE ONLY IF THEY DO NOT MISLEAD, SAY EU JUDGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) wine producers should only use officially approved quality wine descriptors from foreign EU member states where there "is no risk that it will mislead" consumers the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. The same condition applies where a wine producer seeks to translate locally approved quality wine terms into a foreign language.…
ENVIRONMENT COMMISSIONER ACCEPTS LARGE CARS MAY HAVE LOWER CO2 CAPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN newspaper Handelsblatt has quoted European Union (EU) environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas accepting large car model manufacturers may enjoy lower CO2 reduction targets than companies making smaller cars. Dimas had resisted this idea – looking for more equal contributions to the EU target of 120 grammes per kilometre by 2012.…
TRADEMARK LABEL CASE GIVES GUIDANCE ON PACKAGING LOGO PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has ruled basic packaging logo designs (for instance Adidas’ three stripes) can be protected legally by their owners, only where such symbols do not indicate a general category of goods. Judges said in a case involving German sportswear maker Adidas and Dutch rivals Marca Mode, C&A, H&M and Vendex that Adidas’ three stripes had no obvious link to sportswear and so could be protected: its rivals use two stripes logos.…
GERMANY WANTS OPT-IN TO GREEN ENERGY CERTIFICATES OF ORIGIN SYSTEM - NOT OPT-OUT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government is pushing for changes to the European Union’s (EU) renewable energy package so that member states have to opt-into a guarantee of origin green energy trading system, rather than opt-out, as presently proposed. Berlin officials said they were concerned that red-tape required to secure opt-outs could be time consuming, which could create "damaging uncertainty" in the EU renewable energy sector.…
DUBAI PUSHES AHEAD WITH PLANS TO BUILD THE WORLD'S LARGEST AIRPORT
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut
IN a bid to become a major air industry capital of the world, Dubai is investing US$13 billion in civil aviation and aerospace projects as part of a master plan that extends to 2050. Dubai International Airport (DXB), the 10th busiest in the world in 2006 according to Airports Council International, is spending US$4.5 billion on terminals and other facilities that will triple its capacity by 2009 to 75 million passengers, while the US$33 billion Dubai World Central (DWC) business and residential city will be centred around what could be the world’s largest airport and cargo hub, the Al Maktoum International Airport (MIA).…
EU ROW BREWING OVER AUTO EMISSIONS
By Alan Osborn
A mighty battle is about to be fought out in Europe over something called "the slope of the curve" and no, it’s not a beauty contest and it has nothing to do with landscaping or geometry – this is all about curbing CO2 emissions from new automobiles.…
OLAF HAILS SUCCESSFUL CHINA COUNTERFEIT CIGARETTE RAID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF, with German and Polish police have broken an international cigarette smuggling ring, arresting 26 people and seizing millions of sticks. The arrests were made in Poland and Germany by the Polish Centralne Biuro ?ledcze…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS MAKE BREAKTHROUGH IN GENE TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RESEARCHERS from the Max Planck Institute, Germany, have developed a genetic tool which allows rice breeders to block the action of genes which confer unwanted traits. The discovery could help create speed the development of new genetic varieties of food crops.…
NABUCCO SUPPORTERS PUSH TO SOLVE TURKISH PROBLEMS WITH CRUCIAL EUROPE GAS PIPELINE
BY ALAN OSBORN
OF all the European Union’s (EU) flagship energy projects, maybe none is more central to the goal of ensuring security of supply and none more fraught with political and technical complexity than the proposed Nabucco pipeline designed to bring natural gas from the Caspian region, the Middle East and Egypt into Austria and then on to consumers in western Europe.…
EU JUDGES SAY SPAIN BROKE EU LAW OVER ENDESA DEAL
By Alan Osborn
The European Court of Justice has found that Spain broke EU regulations by failing to withdraw a number of conditions it had imposed on the acquisition of the Spanish energy company Endesa by the German company E.ON which was launched in February 2006.…
ECJ ORDERS THAT EU COUNTRY REGULATORS HAVE NO DUTY TO ENFORCE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION RULES FOR FOREIGN FOODS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) protected designation of origin (PDO) system that defends hundreds of EU traditional food products from being copied outside their home region has been weakened by a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. It stated that official consumer watchdogs have no legal duty to police these rules for imported products – only those made domestically.…
EP BACKS DAIRY QUOTA LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament backed its agriculture committee in yesterday (12-3) supporting an optional 2% increase in European Union (EU) dairy quotas from April 1. MEPs said the hike should not be made mandatory for member states, allowing countries with weaker dairy export potential to maintain higher prices.…
EU ROUND UP - EU UNBUNDLING COMPROMISE PROPOSED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SLOVENIAN government has tabled compromise proposals to break the current political logjam at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over gas supply unbundling. As current EU president, Slovenia has suggested for instance that some joint ownership of energy producing and transmission utilities could occur if there were "additional safeguards" preventing conflicts of interest, and guaranteeing the "structural independence of decision making" by distribution operators.…
EU HEADS OF GOVERNMENT GUN FOR AGREEMENT ON ENERGY PACKAGE THIS YEAR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) heads of government have committed their ministers to securing agreement this year over the European Commission’s recent renewable energy and climate change package proposals. The aim, said a communiqué from their annual Spring summit was formal approval for the legislation by early 2009.…
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.…
EU TO LIFT ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES ON EXPORTS OF CHINA PHARMACEUTICAL INPUTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed lifting a definitive antidumping duty of 34.9% imposed in 2006 on imports into the European Union (EU) of tartaric acid from China, for a special variant used in the pharmaceutical industry. This follows CU Chemie Uetikon, a German importer, claiming type D tartaric acid was substantially different from other tartaric acid, and used differently (for medicine manufacturing chemical synthesis), while most tartaric acids help make food, drink and plaster.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE TRIMS COMMISSION PUSH FOR RAISING EU DAIRY PRODUCTION QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s agriculture committee has backed a proposal to raise European Union (EU) milk production quotas by 2% on April 1, to allow producers to meet surging demand worldwide.
However, MEPs have suggested this be voluntary for member states – not compulsory as tabled by the Commission – to allow some governments to keep their national dairy prices high if necessary.…
ECJ WEAKENS ORIGIN RULES FOR EU TRADITIONAL FOODS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) protected designation of origin (PDO) system that defends hundreds of EU traditional food products from being copied outside their home region has been weakened by a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. It stated that official consumer watchdogs have no legal duty to police these rules for imported products – only those made domestically.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND-UP - EU AND MAURITANIA REOPEN FISHING ACCESS TALKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Mauritania have agreed to renegotiate and downsize their fishing agreement granting EU fishing boats the right to exploit the north African country’s fishing stocks. These talks follow the embarrassing news that EU fishing fleets have failed to avail themselves of the rights made available to them in the existing agreement, which had been hailed as a groundbreaking deal.…
GROWING AFFLUENT CLASS AND ASPIRATIONAL YOUTH MARKET SHAPING FUTURE COSMETICS DEMAND IN NORTH AFRICA
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Tripoli and Beirut
THE MARKET for cosmetics and toiletries in North Africa has been growing annually by a steady 5-6% over the last five years according to market participants and official data. Overall market value for the five countries – Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco – combined is more difficult to come by due to a dearth of data, but reasonable estimates put it slightly above US$1 billion, less than half the value of the Middle East and Gulf markets.…
ECJ ORDERS THAT EU COUNTRY REGULATORS HAVE NO DUTY TO ENFORCE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION RULES FOR FOREIGN DRINKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) protected designation of origin (PDO) system that defends EU traditional drinks from being copied outside their home region has been weakened. The European Court of Justice has ruled in a case involving German generic ‘Parmesan’ cheese, official consumer watchdogs to not have to enforce these rules for imported products.…
ECJ ORDERS THAT EU COUNTRY REGULATORS HAVE NO DUTY TO ENFORCE GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION RULES FOR FOREIGN DRINKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) protected designation of origin (PDO) system that defends scores of EU traditional drinks from being copied outside their home region has been weakened. The European Court of Justice has ruled official consumer watchdogs have no legal duty to police these rules for imported products.…
FRANCE'S CARREFOUR PUSHES AHEAD WITH ROMANIA EXPANSION
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FRENCH-OWNED Carrefour food retailer has announced major plans for expansion in Romania where it expects to achieve sales of exceeding Euro 1 billion in 2008. The company’s eleventh Romanian hypermarket was recently opened in Braila, with an investment of Euro 20 million, and nine more will be opened in 2008-2009, said a company spokeswoman.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S CLIMATE CHANGE PACKAGE FACES STORMY WATERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL and CHRIS JONES, in Brussels
INTENSE well-informed debates are likely to follow the release in January of a comprehensive package of legislation by the European Commission on fighting climate change through emissions trading, renewable energy, pollution caps, biofuels and environmental state aid.…
ECODRIVING OFFERS NEW NICHE BUSINESS FOR EUROPEAN FLEET SUPPLIERS
BY CHRIS JONES, in Paris
EUROPEAN vehicle rental companies are increasingly promoting themselves as the answer to the problem of tackling CO2 emissions, offering advice on eco-driving techniques to their customers and offering a wide range of ‘green’ vehicles with low emissions.…
EON SUFFERS CARTEL FINE OVER UNSEALING DOCUMENT OFFICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN energy giant E.ON has been fined Euro 38 million by the European Commission for unsealing an office where Brussels officials had been collating documents in a European Union (EU) anti-trust probe. The Commission said a broken seal meant E.ON…
EU ROUND UP - CO2 CAP FOR VEHICLES PROPOSED BY BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HEAVIER vehicles such as SUVs and luxury models will be able to breach a proposed European Union (EU) carbon dioxide cap, under formally proposed legislation now tabled by the European Commission. Pressure from German manufacturers forced Brussels into abandoning an absolute cap for all new models of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre.…
UNIVERSITIES EXPLORE NEW TEACHING OPTIONS IN VIRTUAL WORLDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EVERY decade or so comes a technology that is so new, comprehensive, interesting, and damned useful, that it changes the way that we learn, have fun and do business. Think commercial air travel, the mobile phone and the Internet…..these…
EU EMISSIONS CAP WILL HIT LUXURY CARS HARD, EUROPEAN COMMISSION OFFICIALS ADMIT
BY ALAN OSBORN
A scheme proposed by the European Commission to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from cars by a fifth by 2012 will hit hard at luxury vehicles made by the German firms Porsche and Mercedes Benz and the Japanese companies Mazda and Subaru, Commission officials have confirmed.…
2008 WILL BE CRUNCH YEAR FOR TURNING EU ENERGY POLICY A DEEPER SHADE OF GREEN
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE NEXT twelve months – say to Easter 2009 – could prove of fundamental significance for the development of European Union (EU) energy policy on several fronts. In January this year, the European Commission published its long-awaited proposals on renewable energies and CO2 saving, and history may well judge this to be the moment when the EU turned decisively green.…
MULTINATIONALS' GRIP ON CHINA'S COSMETICS INDUSTRY LIKELY TO BE STRENGTHENED BY OLYMPIC MARKETING CAMPAIGNS
BY MARK GODFREY, in Beijing
A WALK down the supermarket aisles in a Beijing residential area reveals much about the state of China’s cosmetics scene. Pick up a bottle of shampoo at the Jingkelong (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT) store on Gongti Bei Lu street (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT) and chances are the blue-aproned assistants will shuffle over to recommend another.…
ECJ THROWS OUT STATE AID APPEAL BROUGHT BY GERMAN NUCLEAR POWER OPERATORS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has effectively ruled that exempting financial contingency reserves created by nuclear power stations from taxation should not be considered illegal state aid. Judges threw out an appeal brought by Germany municipal suppliers against a judgement made by the ECJ’s Court of First Instance.…
COMMISSION ERRED IN BAVARIA BEER CASE SAY ECJ JUDGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has said that the European Commission broke European Union law when refusing to give UK-based German beer importer the Bavarian Beer Company names of people attending a legal meeting in Brussels. Bavarian had launched legal action claiming that by allowing pubs to effectively exclude its beers from the British market, UK law created an illegal restraint on trade.…
EU CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS MOVE TOWARDS CREATION OF EUROPEAN DIGITAL LIBRARY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN EXPERT group including the Federation of European Publishers is pressing towards the launch next November of a prototype European digital library, giving access online to records of Europe’s cultural treasures. The aim is to include digitised versions of at least 2 million digital books, photographs, maps, archival records, and film material from Europe’s libraries, archives and museums.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION RELEASES FORMAL CO2 CAP PROPOSALS FOR NEW CARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HEAVIER cars such as SUVs and luxury models will be able to breach a proposed European Union (EU) carbon dioxide cap, under legislation tabled this week (Wednesday) by the European Commission. Pressure from German manufacturers forced Brussels into abandoning an absolute cap for all new models of 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre.…
ECJ SAYS EU ROAD ACCIDENT VICTIMS SUING INSURERS CAN USE THEIR HOME COUNTRY COURTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has indicated that British fleet drivers who are victims of accidents in other European Union (EU) member states, can sue the insurer of responsible party in the UK. The ECJ precedent-making ruling came in a case where a German driver was injured in the Netherlands.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PREPARES TO RELEASE DETAILED CO2 CAP PLANS AHEAD OF CHRISTMAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission officials are working towards formally proposing before Christmas legislation that would maybe impose a CO2 cap for motor vehicles manufactured and imported into the European Union (EU). Previous reports to the European Parliament had suggested that the proposals would be released in 2008, but information released in a Brussels weekly newspaper the European Voice says a draft law may be tabled on December 19.…
ITALIAN WINE PRODUCERS SCORE MARKETING AID FROM EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALIAN wine producers are the biggest beneficiaries of the latest funding from the European Commission to promote sales of European Union (EU) wine outside the EU. The Italian Wine Union (UIV) will receive Euro 1.9 million over three years for marketing campaigns.…
OIL-RICH KUWAIT MOVES TO BAN SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Kuwait City
KUWAIT is set to follow Dubai by banning smoking in public places, a move that is expected to further hit local struggling non-premium tobacco distributors, who are still reeling from a hike in duty and advertising bans imposed five years ago.…
GERMAN SCIENTISTS SAY PESTICIDE INCREASE CAUSED BY BIOFUEL BOOM COULD UNDERMINE EU WATER CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN scientists have warned that European Union (EU) water pollution controls could be undermined by growing energy crop production, because of the resulting additional load of pesticides into watercourses. The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), of Leipzig, Halle and Magdeburg, has called for reforms to the EU’s water framework directive to help.…
GERMAN GEOTHERMAL CAPACITY RISING SAY LATEST STATISTICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S capacity to produce electricity from geothermal sources has surged ahead over the past two years the latest comparative statistics on this key renewable technology has shown. German geothermal power production capacity has risen from 0.2MWe to 8.4MWe between 2005 and this year.…
SHOULD RUSSIA EXPLOIT NORTH POLE MINERALS AND OIL, AND DAMAGE ITS PRISTINE ENVIRONMENT? RUSSIA VOX POP
BY NICK HOLDSWORTH, in Moscow
Russia’s recent submarine expedition beneath the polar icecap – and its subsequent controversial territorial claim to a large part of the North Pole – has sparked renewed debate over who has the right to explore for and extract the icy region’s oil and mineral reserves.…
GERMANY RULING AT ECJ COULD ALLOW GOVERNMENTS TO STRIP TRANSPORT COMPANIES OF CARBON CREDITS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has weakened the value of saleable CO2 emission permits which would be issued to company car fleets, should road transport be included in the European Union’s (EU) emissions trading regime. This issue is currently under consideration by the European Commission, which is drafting a green paper on which sectors should trade greenhouse gas emissions from 2013.…
BREAD, DAIRY, CEREALS SECTOR FACE NEW LIBERALISATION PUSH FROM EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released its long awaited ‘common agricultural policy’ (CAP) health check proposals, pushing for further reforms exposing key food production sectors to global market demand. The policy paper (a ‘Communication’) notably suggests immediately widening milk quotas, so that dairy product manufacturers are increasingly free to buy as much ingredients as they need.…
EU MINISTERS BACK PIGMEAT STORAGE REGIME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have backed the European Commission’s move to introduce private storage aid for pigmeat to fight current low prices. Under the programme, pigmeat producers can claim EU aid when storing meat for between three and five months.…
SECOND LIFE OFFERS COMMERCIAL CRIMINALS A NEW ARENA FOR FRAUD AND THEFT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
VIRTUAL worlds such as the popular ‘Second Life’ force established businesses to change the way they operate. But they offer commercial criminals new opportunities too. Keith Nuthall reports.
CELEBRATED hi tech guru Mitch Kapor, who founded Lotus 1-2-3, said in a recent speech that virtual worlds such as Second Life, Whyville and ActiveWorlds are "disruptive technologies" bringing commercial changes similar to those wrought by the personal computer or the Internet.…
GERMANY RULING AT ECJ COULD ALLOW GOVERNMENTS TO STRIP TRANSPORT COMPANIES OF CARBON CREDITS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY RULING AT ECJ COULD ALLOW GOVERNMENTS TO STRIP TRANSPORT COMPANIES OF CARBON CREDITS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) auto manufacturers may be offered a chance to make extra money in the future – by selling permits to pollute set amounts of carbon dioxide, but a recent ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has made this potentially lucrative scenario less attractive.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILS NEW PROTECTION FOR STAFFORDSHIRE CHEESE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced England’s Staffordshire cheese, Spanish cauliflower Coliflor de Calahorra; German grated horseradish Bayerischer Meerrettich and Bayerischer Kren; and German table carp Holsteiner Karpfen have been granted geographical indication protection within the European Union (EU).…
NANOTECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE REPORT SAYS NANO-INNOVATION SURGING AHEAD IN COSMETICS SECTOR
BY MARK ROWE
THE POTENTIAL and impending influence of nanotechnology on soap and perfumery products has been acknowledged with a detailed report on the dramatic changes that may lie in store for the cosmetics industry.
The report, Nanotechnologies for Household and Personal Care, which runs to 130 pages, has been produced for the Institute of Nanotechnology, a UK government-funded research unit based at the University of Stirling, Scotland.…
FRANCE AND GERMANY CLASH OVER FUTURE CO2 CAPS FOR EU LUXURY CARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS the European Commission continues drafting a carbon dioxide cap law for European Union (EU) cars, a rift is growing between Germany and France – usually dominant partners in EU politics – over the treatment of luxury cars.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PUSHES FOR GREEN BIOFUEL PRODUCTION STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s environment committee wants European Union (EU) rules to insist that biofuel production is environmentally sustainable, even an increase in this growing fuel sector reduces CO2 emissions. The call was made in amendments tabled to European Commission proposed reforms to the EU fuel quality directive to reduce CO2 production.…
THE EU CONTINUES TO WOO RUSSIA OVER ENERGY - BUT IS IT WORTH IT FOR ELECTRICITY?
BY KEITH NUTHALL and ALAN OSBORN
GEOGRAPHICALLY Russia is part of Europe. Moscow is 1,557 miles from London, but 3,456 miles from New York. The Russian capital is also just 760 miles from Stockholm, as the crow flies. These figures are worth considering when trying understanding the often fraught energy diplomacy between Russia and the European Union (EU).…
COMPREHENSIVE CONGESTION MANAGEMENT MODEL FOR CROSS-BORDER ELECTRICITY SUPPLIES PROPOSED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission-ordered report has suggested the drafting of comprehensive but flexible guidelines for the management of congestion regarding cross-border electricity supplies. With the European Commission keen to boost cross-border interconnection capacity to make the pan-EU power market more robust, Brussels asked German consultants Consentec for advice on managing energy bottlenecks.…
EU MEMBER STATES IMPOSE COSMETICS BANS OVER SAFETY CONCERNS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has circulated throughout the European Union (EU) series of consumer alerts made over potentially harmful nail polish receiving retail bans in member states. Using its RAPEX alert service, the Commission warned of a marketing ban in Estonia of US-made nail polish range Pinnacle.…
CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN DRIVERS CAUGHT BREAKING EU WORKING TIME RULES IN BRITAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TACOGRAPH spotchecks by British highways officials and police have revealed that continental lorry drivers are far more likely to break European Union (EU) working time rules on UK roads than Britons. Looking at newest available EU-wide comparative data 27,418 of offenders detected in 2003-4 on British highways were UK citizens, while 11,565 were from the much smaller pool of drivers from other EU member states.…
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.…
TESCO WITHDRAWS EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE CASE AGAINST GERMAN RIVAL METRO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Court of Justice spokesman confirmed to just-food.com this afternoon (Tues 23/10) that Tesco had "requested that its case be withdrawn" regarding a long-running trademark case against German rival Metro AG. Judges scrapped plans to hear an appeal tomorrow against an earlier ruling blocking its opposition to the German’s planned registration of the ‘Metro’ brand, also used by Tesco.…
EU: European court says EU grants for studying abroad in Europe cannot be tied to continuing courses started locally
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has declared illegal rules that insist European Union (EU) students wanting to study in a foreign EU state must continue a course subject they have already begun in their home country, if they want to receive a grant from the government of the country where they normally live.…
INTERNATIONAL FREIGHT FORWARDERS RAIDED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION IN CARTEL PROBE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has conformed it has raided a group of international freight forwarders in an anti-trust inquiry into price fixing allegations. European financial newspapers have since reported that Switzerland’s Kuehne & Nagel International and Panalpina Welttransport Holding have admitted being raided, as has the Zurich-based Schenker transport unit of German railway corporation Deutsche Bahn.…
WORLD BANK EXPLORES VIRTUAL WORDS AS MEANS TO PROMOTE DEVELOPMENT IN POORER COUNTRIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL and BELINDA BLESSED, a virtual reporter, on Second Life
IT was a curious experience – attending a World Bank press conference in an Internet virtual world, watching and listening proceedings through the eyes and ears of a pixellated female digital reporter….…
CONTINENTAL EUROPEAN DRIVERS CAUGHT BREAKING EU WORKING TIME RULES IN BRITAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TACOGRAPH spotchecks by British highways officials and police have revealed continental van and lorry drivers are far more likely to break European Union (EU) working time rules on UK roads than Britons. Looking at newest available EU-wide comparative data 27,418 of offenders detected in 2004-4 on British highways were UK citizens, while 11,565 were from the much smaller pool of drivers from other EU member states.…
BRUSSELS APPOINTS TROUBLE-SHOOTERS TO COMPLETE TOUGH CROSS-BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s decision to appoint ‘project co-ordinators’ to try to spark movement in four long-stalled cross-border energy projects in the European Union (EU) has drawn widespread cynicism from many in the industry. However, here and there, there is an admission that these high-level trouble-shooters might just get results where so many others have failed.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILS NEW PROTECTION FOR STAFFORDSHIRE CHEESE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has formally announced today (15-10) that England’s Staffordshire cheese, as well as traditional vegetable products from Germany and Spain, plus a German fish product, have been granted geographical indication protection within the European Union (EU).…
ECJ DECLARES ILLEGAL GERMAN PUBLIC CONTROLS OVER VW SHAREHOLDINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN luxury carmaker Porsche is expected to move to consolidate its planned control of mass manufacturer Volkswagen after the European Court of Justice declared illegal a 20% cap on shareholder voting rights within the company. The court said this broke EU freedom of movement of capital rules, along with rules allowing a 20% blocking minority over company decisions and the right of the federal and Lower Saxony regional governments to appoint VW board members.…
GERMANY DEVELOPS PROACTIVE STANCE ON CARBON DIOXIDE REDUCTION AND STORAGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY – once again the European Union’s economic powerhouse – is pushing ahead with innovative solutions to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, without damaging key automobile and other engineering industries. In an interview with the influential Berliner Zeitung newspaper, Germany’s deputy economy minister Joachim Wuermeling suggested automobile makers could be included in a revised "EU emissions trading scheme."…
ISO STANDARDS OF INCREASING RELEVANCE TO ASIA PACIFIC COATINGS SECTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the Asia Pacific paint industry being increasingly innovative in its development of paints and seeking specialist overseas markets for its products, the relevance of international standards for its manufacturing processes is becoming increasingly apparent.
Indeed, the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) (NOTE: ISO USES AMERICAN SPELLING FOR ITS NAME) last year picked the paint and coatings sector to launch its new collection of CD compilations of its standards.…
SECOND LIFE OFFERS VIRTUAL BUSINESS WORLD FOR ACCOUNTANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL, in the real world, and BELINDA BLESSED, in Second Life
EVERY decade or so comes a technology that is so new, comprehensive, interesting, and damn useful, that it completely changes the way that we have fun and do business.…
INFLUENTIAL EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE URGES CRACK DOWN ON PUBLIC SMOKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s influential environment committee has pushed for a formal European Union (EU)-wide ban on smoking in public places. Backing a report drafted by German Christian democrat MEP Karl-Heinz Florenz, MEPs called on all member states within two years to support an unrestricted smoking ban in all enclosed workplaces, catering establishments, public buildings and transport systems.…
DEUTSCHE POST FACES EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROBE OVER UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DEUTSCHE Post’s (DP) new chief financial officer John Allan is facing a European Commission inquiry into subsidies paid by the German government for making un-commercial deliveries in remote areas. Under European Union (EU) state aid rules, companies undertaking such ‘universal service’ obligations can receive public subsidies.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION TRIES TO DODGE BULLET OVER UNBUNDLING HOT POTATO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE OUTCOME of the political struggle about this month’s (Sept) release of a comprehensive proposed package of European Union (EU) energy directives and regulations insisting on some unbundling between power producers and transmitters will test the EU’s ability to threaten core interests of national governments.…
CHINA'S LARGEST SELLING CIGARETTE BRAND SHAPES UP FOR EXPORTS WITH LOW TAR AND BETTER PACKAGING
BY MARK GODFREY, in Yunnan province, China
"MEDIOCRITY and non-merit are wrong!" The resolute call to excellence in Chinese characters greets visitors the lobby of the twenty floor hemispherical office tower to which visitors to Yuxi Hongta cigarette plant.
Run by the state-owned Hongta group, the Yuxi plant hires a staff of 2,500 to produce an annual 2.5 million cases of cigarettes, including iconic local brands like Yuxi, Hongmei and Hongtashan, as well as Imperial Tobacco’s West brand.…
GERMANY APPROVES PROACTIVE STANCE ON CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has given the go ahead in principle for additional spending on research into carbon capture and storage, including – initially – three pilot plants sequestering CO2 from coal-fired power plants. Germany has a large coal sector, with many deposits being dirty-burning lignite.…
SECOND LIFE OPERATORS FIGHTS TO KEEP FRAUD OUT OF GROWING VIRTUAL WORLD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EVERY decade or so comes a technology that is so new, comprehensive, interesting, and damn useful, that it completely changes the way that we have fun and do business. Think commercial air travel, the mobile phone and the Internet…..these…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS ADVISE CUTTING RENEWABLES RED TAPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPORT from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for the European Commission has pressed for simplifying bureaucratic procedures demanded of renewable energy producers wishing to connect to national grids. Following a survey of generators, a majority of respondents "perceived the permission and the grid connection procedures they face in their countries as too complex and above all too lengthy," said the report.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CLEARS NEW INTERNATIONAL BIODIESEL JOINT VENTURE WITH FOOD COMPANY INVOLVEMENT
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the creation of a new joint venture, which is the latest example of food companies teaming up with energy companies in biofuel initiatives. The green light was given to the joint venture comprising of British petrochemical manufacturer Ineos Enterprises Limited, French food co-operative Champagne Céréales and the German oil seed crusher and food oil producer C.…
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 MINISTERS APPROVE NEW EU AUTO TYPE APPROVAL SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE COUNTDOWN is now on for European Union (EU) manufacturers of trucks, vans, buses, coaches, motor homes and trailers to ensure their models comply with revamped EU vehicle performance rules for automobile design. These so-called ‘type approval’ rules come into play when a manufacturer wants to get a vehicle model approved by a regulator for sale in a particular country.…
ISO OFFERS TOBACCO INDUSTRY GLOBAL QUALITY PRACTICE TEMPLATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TOBACCO sector has always been a worldwide business, relying on raw materials and products being shipped to and from all continents, and with the growth of new emerging markets, it is if anything becoming increasingly globalised. As a result, the need for common standards and practices, relevant to the industry, its suppliers and its customers is becoming more important.…
FOOD PRICES MAY RISE BECAUSE OF GLOBAL BIOFUEL BOOM
BY ANDREW CAVE
BIOFUELS have generated earnest debate ever since German inventor Rudolph Diesel ran the world’s first diesel engine on peanut oil back in 1894, but suddenly there is a biofuels boom that’s moving global markets.
World economies are in a race to find alternatives to fossil fuels and turning crops such as wheat and corn into ethanol or oilseed rape, soya, or palm oil into biodiesel is having an impact on farmers, manufacturer and industrial producers worldwide.…
ECJ TRADEMARK ROW TOSCA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has rejected a bid by German perfume and soaps manufacturer Mülhens GmbH & Co. to protect its TOSCA trademark. It wanted to prevent Italian clothing and leather goods company Minoronzoni from registering its TOSCA BLU brand as a European Union-trademark, claiming consumers would be confused.…
COMBINED FUEL AND ENGINE CHANGES WOULD BE MOST EFFECTIVE TO CAP CO2, AUTO INDUSTRY TOLD
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE PROPOSED European Union (EU) CO2 emissions target for automobiles of 130 (g/km) level by 2012 was damned as “unrealistic” at a Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) conference of manufacturers, legislators and transport interests.
As part of the “mix” to achieve hefty reductions in average emissions, alternative fuels and propulsions are welcome but not necessary, experts were told by an engineer from ADAC, the German automobile organisation.…
EU DATA PROTECTION COMMISSIONER CONCERN OVER EU USA PASSENGER INFORMATION DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE AGREEMENT between the European Union (EU) and the United States over the exchange of personal air passenger information was approved despite “serious doubts” aired by Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor. Writing to German interior minister Wolfgang Schaüble, representing the EU’s January-June president Germany, Hustinx warned: “Data on EU citizens will be readily accessible to a broad range of US agencies and there is no limitation to what US authorities are allowed to do with that data.”…
WASTE ELECTRONICS DIRECTIVE MAKING WAVES IN PLASTICS INDUSTRY SAY EXPERTS
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IT has taken the UK government so long to implement the European Union’s (EU) ‘waste electrical and electronic’ (WEEE) directive that plastics manufacturers are facing a review of the law in Brussels, before the ink on the British implementing legislation is dry.…
EU AUTO INDUSTRY FACES TOUGH FIGHT OVER CO2 EMISSIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL and DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE TOUGH fight facing the European Union (EU) auto industry to keep technically achievable, proposals for mandatory caps on CO2 emissions has become clearer this week. The European Parliament yesterday started debating proposed legislation to force carmakers to cut CO2 emissions from new models to an average of 130 grams per kilometer across the fleet by 2012, of which 120 grams per kilometer must be through improved engine technology.…
GERMANY'S GRETHER LOSES TRADEMARK APPEAL
BY PAUL COCHRANE
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice’s (ECJ) Court of First Instance of the European Communities has rejected a bid by German cosmetics manufacturer Grether to prevent the EU-wide registration of the ‘FENNEL’ trademark by Thailand’s Crisgo for compact powder, lipstick, eye-shadow, eye-liner, blusher, nail polish and mascara’.…
GERMANY NUCLEAR PHASE-OUT CRITICISED BY IEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris has called on Germany to reconsider its decision to phase-out nuclear power within 15 years, warning it could hit the country’s economy, its security of energy supply and its greenhouse gas emissions record.…
GERMANY'S GRETHER LOSES TRADEMARK APPEAL
BY PAUL COCHRANE
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice’s (ECJ) Court of First Instance of the European Communities has rejected a bid by German cosmetics manufacturer Grether to prevent the EU-wide registration of the ‘FENNEL’ trademark by Thailand’s Crisgo for compact powder, lipstick, eye-shadow, eye-liner, blusher, nail polish and mascara’.…
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.…
MINISTERS AND MEPS MOVE TOWARDS LONG AWAITED DEAL ON FULL EU POSTAL LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GOODS transport firms wanting to exploit full scale liberalisation of the European Union’s (EU) postal services may see swift progress this month, with the EU’s German presidency pushing reforms at the EU summit, June 21-22, in Brussels. This follows debates last week at the EU Council of Ministers, after which Germany’s economics minister Michael Glos said: “Clear progress is discernable on the path towards the liberalisation of the European postal services,” adding he was “very confident that a positive decision will be taken in the near future”.…
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.…
MINISTERS AND MEPS MOVE TOWARDS LONG AWAITED DEAL ON FULL EU POSTAL LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GOODS transport firms wanting to exploit full scale liberalisation of the European Union’s (EU) postal services may see swift progress this month, with the EU’s German presidency pushing reforms at the EU summit, June 21-22, in Brussels. This follows debates last week at the EU Council of Ministers, after which Germany’s economics minister Michael Glos said: “Clear progress is discernable on the path towards the liberalisation of the European postal services,” adding he was “very confident that a positive decision will be taken in the near future”.…
GERMANY NUCLEAR PHASE-OUT CRITICISED BY IEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Energy Agency (IEA) in Paris has called on Germany to reconsider its decision to phase-out nuclear power within 15 years, warning it could hit the country’s economy, its security of energy supply and its greenhouse gas emissions record.…
GERMANY REGENERATIVE MEDICINE NOT BEING COMMERCIALISED SAY EXPERTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALTHOUGH Germany is a leading player in developing regenerative medicine, it must do more to remove administrative and business barriers preventing useful research being commercialised a report published by the German Ministry for Education and Research has claimed.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY INNOVATIONS OFFER ADVANCES FOR POWER GENERATION
BY MARK ROWE, in London
NANOTECHNOLOGY has a range of significant implications for power generation, a series of leading UK and world experts have told a high-level conference at Britain’s Royal Society. From solar cells to battery storage and fuel cells, nanotechnology will change the way we produce energy, with some impacts already beginning to be rolled out and others expected to become mainstream and commercially viable within 10 years.…
EU ROUND UP - EU LAUNCHES ENERGY SECURITY MONITORING NETWORK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS concerns increase about the security of the European Union’s (EU) supplies of oil and gas, the European Commission has put in place a network of security experts charged with monitoring threats to the EU’s energy flows and raising alarms if necessary.…
BRUSSELS FEELS THE HEAT OVER UNBUNDLING PLAN
BY ALAN OSBORN
A LENGTHY row over European Union (EU) energy policy is shaping up following the publication in April of a detailed independent study sponsored by the European Commission of the electricity markets in six EU countries.
The study – Structure and Performance of Six European Wholesale Electricity Markets in 2003, 2004 and 2005 – was drawn up by the consultants London Economics in association with Global Energy Decisions and focuses on the electricity wholesale markets in Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, the Netherlands, and the UK excluding Northern Ireland.…
ISO OFFERS PAINT, COATINGS INDUSTRY DETAILED GOOD PRACTICE STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT was with sound reasoning that the International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) (NOTE: ISO USES AMERICAN SPELLING FOR ITS NAME) last year picked the paint and coatings sector to launch its new collection of CD compilations of its standards.…
EU FISHING DIRECTORS ENJOY LIGHT WORKLOAD AT GLOBAL WARMING CONFERENCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TWO-day meeting in Hamburg of European Union (EU) fisheries directors on the impact of global warming on fish stocks involved just over four hours of conferring, amidst a stay in a luxury hotel, a “sailing and feasting” cruise of the city harbour and a tour of an Airbus factory.…
MIDDLE EAST FEATURE - UAE BAHRAIN LEBANON SAUDI ARABIA
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut
SALES of cosmetics, perfumes and toiletries are surging in the Middle East, with sales reaching US$2.1 billion last year according to official statistics.
German cosmetics and toiletries manufacturing giant Beiersdorf estimated regional growth at 10% percent last year.…
SPANISH GOVERNMENT REBUFFED BY EU JUDGES AGAIN OVER FISHING RIGHTS ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SPANISH government claims that European Union (EU) Common Fisheries Policy conservation and monitoring controls agreed in 2003 were illegal because its representatives were not invited to a key committee meeting in the Spanish language have been rejected by the European Court of Justice.…
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 DRINKS PACKAGING SYSTEM GIVEN ALL CLEAR BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has dropped legal action against Germany’s strict deposit and return scheme for drinks packaging, concluding reforms stopped it being an illegal restriction of trade. Germany now allows bottles and cans to be returned to “every shop selling beverages in packaging of the same material type”, not the same brand as before.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES FRANCO-GERMAN CAR HIRE MERGER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition by Eurazeo, the French owner of the Europcar and Vanguard car rental services, of APCOA Parking Holdings – a German company that provides parking and other services to car hire companies.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MAY PUSH FOR AIR EMISSIONS TAX
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FORMAL proposal that aviation carbon dioxide be included within the European Union’s (EU) Kyoto Protocol-linked emissions trading scheme may spark amendments from the European Parliament calling for special air fuel taxes. German Christian Democrat MEP Peter Liese, who is coordinating the parliament’s response to the plan, told a Brussels press conference air industry CO2 trading would “not be enough”.…
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE HAS POTENTIAL TO BE MAJOR GLOBAL EMISSIONS MARKET PLAYER
BY ANDREW CAVE
THE THOUGHT of burying millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide underground is not for the risk-averse. If carbon dioxide is injected into pores in the earth’s crust that previously held oil and gas for thousands of years, will it stay there as long?…
GLOBAL DUAL-USE TECHNOLOGY NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION CONTROLS BECOME EVER MORE COMPREHENSIVE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
FIFTY years ago, the signing of the Euratom Treaty ushered in a system of European non-proliferation controls designed to prevent nuclear-associated technology being exploited for the illicit production of nuclear weaponry. And today, after the anniversary of the three agreements signed on March 25, 1957 that gave the European Communities – later the European Union (EU) – their legal basis, that ‘dual-use technology’ system continues to be refined.…
EU RUSSIA PREPARE TO SQUARE OFF OVER ENERGY DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN and PAUL COCHRANE
WITH the European Union (EU) securing around 25% of its gas from Russia and natural gas being an ever more important fuel for thermal power plants, the failure thus far of the European Union and Russia to agree a new long-term energy agreement has to be of concern to the electricity industry.…
EU RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NEW FLEXIBLE POLYMER SOLAR PANEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project has developed a thin polymer solar battery flexible enough for use in flat but bendable electronic objects such as smart cards and curved mobile phones. The EURO-PSB project has created a prototype battery weighing just two grams and less than one millimetre thick, producing 0.6 volts in charge, which can be increased by adding extra strips to a cell.…
GERMAN DRINKS PACKAGING SYSTEM GIVEN ALL CLEAR BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has dropped legal action against Germany’s deposit and return scheme for drinks packaging, concluding reforms stopped it being an illegal restriction of trade within the European Union (EU). The German government had initially said retailers should only accept returned bottles and cans of the exact type, shape and size in stock, while Euro 0.25 deposits were charged regardless.…
GULF AUTO MARKET EXPERIENCES STELLAR GROWTH
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Dubai and Manama, Bahrain
THE CAR market in the Arab Gulf, particularly in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), is experiencing stellar growth across the board, fuelled by a surge in population and strong economic growth.
In the last five years, the UAE market has grown by over 300% to reach 2.5 million cars on the road, said Guy Edmunds, General Manager of Honda.…
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.…
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.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES FRANCO-GERMAN CAR HIRE MERGER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition by Eurazeo, the French owner of the Europcar and Vanguard car rental services, of APCOA Parking Holdings – a German company that provides parking and other services to car hire companies.…
BRUSSELS' EU ENERGY POLICY IS LAUNCHED WITH A FANFARE - BUT WHERE'S THE BEEF?
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THERE was a wonderful anti-climactic moment for journalists attending the end of the recent European Union (EU) summit in Brussels where it was agreed to tackle climate change and start developing a common European energy policy.…
GERMANY ITALY TOBACCO ADVERTISING VAT CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN tobacco company Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken has won a long-running European Court of Justice (ECJ) bid to recover VAT paid after being invoiced in error by an Italian advertising agency, establishing an important legal principle in the process. Reemtsma had in 1994 handed over Italian Lira 175,022,025 (Euro 90,391), but subsequently discovered the services should have been invoiced without any demand for VAT.…
GERMAN DRINKS PACKAGING SYSTEM GIVEN ALL CLEAR BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has dropped legal action against Germany’s deposit and return scheme for drinks packaging, concluding reforms stopped it being an illegal restriction of trade within the European Union (EU). The German government had initially said retailers should only accept returned bottles and cans of the exact type, shape and size in stock, while Euro 0.25 deposits were charged regardless.…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES GERMANY AIRPORT STATE AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved state aid funding by the Bavarian government of two German regional airports. It has accepted Euro 7.3 million in subsidies paid to develop the former Allgäu military airbase into a civil airport, near Memmingen, and also the payment of Euro 8.85 million to redevelop Augsburg airport, in the Schwabia region, notably extending its short runway.…
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”.…
GERMAN CONFECTIONARY PRODUCER KAUL WINES ECJ TRADEMARK CASE AGAINST BAYER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN confectionary producer Kaul can re-challenge the European Union-wide registration of trademark ‘Arcol’, owned by chemicals giant Bayer for food preservatives. Kaul claimed potential confusion with its ‘Capol’ mark, and although losing a previous European Court of Justice case judges on appeal have now allowed a rehearing.…
EU HEADS OF GOVERNMENT BACK RENEWABLES TARGET EU PLANS
BY ALAN OSBORN
HEADS of government of the European Union (EU) have taken a significant step towards world leadership in the climate battle by pledging themselves to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020 (from 1990 levels) and raising the total share of energy produced by renewables to 20% by the same date.…
BULGARIA CENTRE OF FOOD, DRINK FRAUD ALLEGATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NEW European Union (EU) member state Bulgaria is at the centre of two food and drink fraud allegations. The Distilled Spirits Council of the United States wants further action over counterfeit spirits from Bulgaria. It has welcomed increased seizures – 1,296 cases of fake US whiskeys in 2006, compared with 284 in 2005, for instance.…
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.…
GERMAN SCIENTISTS LAUNCH CO2 BURIAL TRIAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN scientists have started drilling a test site to examine whether carbon dioxide can be injected underground without leaching to the surface, by dissolving into groundwater or other means. CO2 sequestration is something of a Holy Grail for energy companies seeking to prevent this greenhouse gas collecting in the atmosphere.…
ECJ SAYS SORTING USED CLOTHES MAY NOT CONFER ORIGIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
USED clothing handlers in the European Union (EU) will find it difficult to claim their sorting of old clothes for export to another EU country sufficiently changes the nature of these textile products to confer geographical origin. This follows a European Court of Justice (ECJ) case involving a German second-hand clothes handler Euro Tex Textilverwertung.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REVERSES SMOKING BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has reversed an in-house smoking ban, just six weeks after the institution’s leaders blocked MEPs from lighting up. Members were supposed to stop smoking in the parliament’s Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg premises from January 1, but the ban was widely ignored, with MEPs smoking in their own offices and corridors.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CLEARS OXO TAKEOVER DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the acquisition of German-American coatings, inks, lubricants and plasticisers producer Oxo from the USA’s Celanese Corporation and Germany’s Degussa AG, by American private equity fund Advent International Corporation. Brussels fast-tracked merger approval, considering it posed no risk to coatings competition within the European Union (EU).…
VODKA COMPROMISE LOOKS LIKELY AFTER EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT MOVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPROMISE over the vexed question of how vodka should be labelled in the European Union (EU) looks likelier after the European Parliament’s environment committee largely backed the approach pioneered by last year’s Finnish presidency of the EU.…
EU ROUND UP - EU MINISTERS SHY AWAY FROM COMMISSION ENERGY PACKAGE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states have given a cool reception to the European Commission’s January energy package on forging a tough EU-wide programme of boosting energy capacity in Europe. At a special EU Council of Ministers meeting, a majority of governments, including the UK, opposed a proposed binding 2020 target of sourcing 20% of all energy consumption from renewable sources.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT REVERSES SMOKING BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has reversed an in-house smoking ban, just six weeks after the institution’s leaders blocked MEPs from lighting up. Members were supposed to stop smoking in the parliament’s Brussels, Strasbourg and Luxembourg premises from January 1, but the ban was widely ignored, with MEPs smoking in their own offices and corridors.…
EU WARNS ON GERMAN SHOWER GEL SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has warned of a recall of certain German-made Soft & Gentle brand ‘Tropical Dream’ skin-neutral pH shower gels, because of concern about concentrations of the microbe pseudomonas aeruginosa. EU consumer alert service RAPEX said recalled consignments “may cause infection, especially when the skin is broken, leading to inflammation, suppuration and sepsis.”…
EU ESTATES AGENTS ARE SO DIVERSE - FOLLOWING EU RULES IS TOUGH
BY ALAN OSBORN
A CENTRAL purpose of the European Union’s (EU) second money laundering directive (sometimes called 2MLD amongst officials) that came into effect in 2003 was to extend to estate agents, along with other similar professions, the anti-money laundering (AML) controls until then had applied only to banks and one or two other financial institutions.…
PRO-FRENCH VIP GROUP PRESSES FOR FRENCH LANGUAGE PRIMACY IN EU LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN an initiative bound to irritate any lawyer practising in English, a highly connected Francophile international group is pressing for the French language to have precedence in any translation dispute regarding European law. Why? Well, it’s simple, secretary of the Academie Francaise Maurice Druon told the European Parliament this week: “The language of Montesquieu is unbeatable.”…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP MEAT STANDARD LASER MONITOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN researchers are developing a laser-based scanner, which can check the freshness of meat and meat products. The Euro 3 million FreshScan system involves semi-active radio frequency identification (RFID) tags with temperature sensors recording freshness and an RFID reader with a laser-based optical detector analysing and record this tag-documented data.…
OLAF BUSTS RULES OF ORIGIN FRAUDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud agency OLAF has helped uncover three rules-of-origin frauds costing EU coffers millions of Euros. In one case, an OLAF-German police inquiry has uncovered the loss of Euro 50 million in duties by the illicit rerouting of Chinese energy-saving lamps via Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka and Tunisia to evade 66.1% anti-dumping duties on China-made lamps; Euro 7 million of avoided taxation has been recovered.…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP MEAT STANDARD LASER MONITOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SCANDALOUS discovery last year of 110 tons of rotting meat in Germany warehouses has prompted German researchers to develop a laser-based scanner system, which can check the freshness of meat and meat products from the slaughterhouse, to processing plants and retailers.…
EU COMMISSIONERS CLASH OVER AUTO INDUSTRY CO2 CAP
BY ALAN OSBORN, in London
THE EUROPEAN auto industry is keeping a close eye on the European Commission at the moment, where a heavyweight political struggle is being staged over whether mandatory CO2 caps should be imposed on auto manufacturers. At the heart of this dispute is an argument over whether companies should shoulder the burden of reducing CO2 emissions from new vehicles or whether the job should also involve people like fuel suppliers, tire and other components suppliers and even consumers.…
GERMANY RAISES CONCERN OVER RUSSIA FOOD BLOCKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Europe’s food and drink companies have voiced “serious concern” to the German government – the new president of the EU – over new obstacles being placed by Russia to EU food exporters. IN a memorandum to Germany, the confederation of the food and drink industries of the EU (CIAA) says that since the EU enlargement in May 2004 there have arisen numerous non-tariff barriers “such as veterinary or sanitary certificates and other discriminatory procedures.”…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP MEAT STANDARD LASER MONITOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN researchers are developing a laser-based scanner, which can check the freshness of meat and meat products, from the slaughterhouse, to processing plants and retailers. The Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Micro-integration is coordinating the Euro 3 million FreshScan project, funded by the German research ministry.…
GERMAN SCIENTISTS DEVELOP NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR FOGGED WINDSHIELDS
By MARK ROWE
German scientists have developed a new hi-tech lacquer that they claim spells an end to fogged-up automobile windshields on damp mornings. The electrically conductive coating uses nanotechnology to heat the windshield across its entire surface.
Fogged-up auto windows are caused when moisture inside the car condenses and forms a layer on the cold window surface.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TARGETS CANCER PROTEIN IN DRUG THERAPY TESTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project is targeting a receptor molecule protein called CD40 commonly found on cancerous cells, in developing a drug stimulating immune systems into attacking tumours. The Apotherapy project includes German pharmaceutical company Novosom, the University of Crete Medical School, in Greece, and scientists from universities in Helsinki and Uppsala, Finland.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAS BITTER CAR EMISSIONS ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN UNUSUALLY tough political row between European commissioners has stalled plans to control the emission of carbon dioxide from cars, with intense disagreements erupting over whether limits should be voluntary or compulsory.
On one side is environmental Commissioner Stavros Dimas, of Greece, who wants to set compulsory CO2 emissions for European Union carmakers, because they are likely to break 2004 promises to reduce CO2 emissions to an industry average of 140 grammes per km, or 25% of 1995 levels by 2008.…
EU MINISTERS MAKE PROGRESS ON ORGANIC LABELLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has made significant progress on approving an EU-wide system for labelling organic foodstuffs, which should involve an ‘EU ORGANIC’ label for certified packaged products. Ministers said they could accept the proposals from the European Commission, but only if ‘organic’ products do not contain GMOs (except by unavoidable accidental contamination) and that all ingredients of a composite ‘organic’ product shall indeed be organic.…
GREECE REMAINS EXCELLENT MARKET FOR TOBACCO INDUSTRY, BUT PRODUCTION CHALLENGED BY CAP REFORM
BY DAVID HAWORTH
GREECE will be one of the last of the last countries in the European Union
(EU) to possess any common stigma in cigarette smoking – if it ever will.
There is a disdain and defiance of those who, for whatever reasons, disapprove of the habit.…
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 LAUNCHES EU ENERGY POLICY PACKAGE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FOLLOWING a year or more of advance razzmatazz, the European Union’s multi-pronged energy strategy was unveiled on January 10 and while history may not see it as the “new industrial revolution” that Brussels proclaimed, there’s enough in it to engage the minds of everybody in the energy industry for perhaps years to come.…
EU SCIENTISTS BREAK THROUGH OVER SALMONELLA RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH and German scientists have made a breakthrough in developing Europe’s most common food and animal based pathogen – salmonella – which is increasingly resistant to standard antibiotics.
Britain’s Institute of Food Research and the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, of Germany, have discovered how salmonella bacteria defends itself in hostile environments (such as stomachs and intestines) by continually inserting outer membrane proteins (OMPs) into its cell walls.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION UNVEILS ENERGY PACKAGE
BY ALAN OSBORN
The long-awaited energy policy package unveiled by the European Commission on January 10th will, as the EU’s competition commissioner Neelie Kroes says, “make uncomfortable reading for many energy companies.” This is not surprising. For the past year it’s been widely expected that, among other things, Brussels would be coming up with a plan for the enforced separation of power networks from suppliers.…
ISO STANDARDS BOOST ANTI-FRAUD CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FIGHTING fraud is a complex process, especially with increasing trade flows and international transactions. As a result, it is not only important that companies, public sector organisations and consumers have available detailed and comprehensive advice on how to protect themselves against fraud, but that these guidelines do not vary widely from country to country.…
INTERVIEW WITH FRANZ-HERMANN BRÜNER, OLAF Director-General
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels, and KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF has taken a lot of flack in recent years, accused of being slow, over-aggressive, secretive and even sloppy. But it has a tough job, made harder by the unwillingness of some EU member states to publicise their management of the EU funds they handle.…
ECJ RULES ON ALCOHOL LABEL LIABILITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that retailers can be held liable for selling alcohol bottles and cans misdeclaring their alcohol content – even when they are prepackaged and labelled in another EU member state. The precedent comes in a case involving supermarket giant Lidl selling a German spirit called ‘Amaro alle Erbe’ in Italy.…
EU MINISTERS AGREE ORGANIC LABELLING LAW IN PRINCIPAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers yesterday (19-12) made significant progress on approving an EU-wide system for labelling organic foodstuffs, which should involve an ‘EU ORGANIC’ label for certified products. Ministers said they could accept the proposals from the European Commission, but only if ‘organic’ products do not contain GMOs (except by unavoidable accidental contamination) and that all ingredients of a composite ‘organic’ product shall indeed be organic.…
INDUSTRY FRIENDLY REACH WILL STILL IMPOSE DEMANDS ON PLASTICS INDUSTRY SAY EXPERTS
BY ALAN OSBORN and DEIRDRE MASON
HEAVY lobbying, principally by the German chemical industry, has delivered a much more industry-friendly version of the European Union’s (EU) ambitious REACH chemical control legislation than had seemed likely at almost any time in recent years.…
ECJ REJECTS GERMAN BID TO OVERTURN TOBACCO ADVERTISING DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has thrown out Germany’s challenge to the European Union’s (EU) tobacco advertising directive, which means it will have to ban smoking-related ads from newspapers, magazines, radio and the Internet. Germany was supposed to have implemented the law by August 2005, but it has instead fought its legality, claiming Brussels had exceeded its powers by passing a law banning tobacco advertising using EU powers designed to improve trade rather than hinder it.…
EU ANNOUNCES AID FOR FOOD EXPORTS TO USA, JAPAN AND OTHER NON-EU MARKETS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it will spend around Euro 4.7 million in helping German, Greek, Italian and Polish food producers and processors export to the USA, Canada, Japan, China, India and other big non-European Union (EU) markets.…
MEPS AND EU MINISTERS APPROACH FINAL DEAL ON REACH
BY ALAN OSBORN
AFTER nearly five years of intense negotiation and an unprecedented degree of lobbying, the European Union’s (EU) REACH system (Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals) is close to final agreement by the EU institutions. The legislation, which will vitally affect the cost and availability of raw materials to the solvents and adhesive industries and – industry watchers fear – may potentially drive many smaller companies out of business, is strongly supported by health and environment organisations but fiercely opposed by industry.…
AUTO INDUSTRY'S NEW GENERATION OF BIOFUELS
BY MARK ROWE, in Bristol, England
A NEW generation of biofuels is set to radically overhaul the non-fossil fuel market, providing opportunities and challenges for the automotive manufacturing industry, with many innovations emerging from Europe. Until recently, the question of biofuels has been limited, mainly, to biodiesel and bioethanol made from crops such as cereals, soybean and palm oil.…
GERMAN INTELLIGENT EXHAUST RESEARCH FUNDED BY EIB
BY ALAN OSBORN
AN IMPORTANT step forward in the development of intelligent exhaust systems has been signalled by an announcement that the European Investment Bank (EIB) is to provide Euro 60 million (US$76 million) of finance to the German firm of Eberspächer GmbH, a world leader in the manufacture of exhaust systems for automobiles.…
DIESEL LOSES ECJ JEANS EXPORT CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has refused to block Polish company Montex from exporting Diesel-branded jeans from Poland to Ireland, where it has no trademark protection. Diesel argued it had the right to stop consignments crossing Germany, even though they were destined for Ireland, because it did control German trademark rights to the brand.…
DIESEL LOSES GENERIC JEANS EXPORT ECJ CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
JEANS company Diesel has lost a case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) where it was trying to block Polish company Montex from exporting Diesel-branded jeans from Poland to Ireland, where it has no trademark protection. Diesel argued it had the right to stop consignments crossing Germany, even though they were destined for Ireland, because it did control German trademark rights to the brand.…
EIB PUSHES HIGHER EDUCATION INVESTMENT THROUGH LOW INTEREST LOANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN academics think of European Union (EU) funding for their projects or institutions, they often consider the European Commission, with its high profile in education and research spending through its framework programmes. But there is another EU institution developing an increasingly important role as a financial fountainhead for European higher education: the European Investment Bank (EIB).…
EU MINISTERS DELAY DECISION ON MINIMUM EXCISE DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has today (Tue) delayed a decision on setting new raised minimum excise duties on alcohol for up to seven months and maybe longer, asking the European Commission to investigate the issue.…
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ADVANCES EUROPE JAPAN
BY JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo
IT may be in its infancy, but European scientists have high hopes for new research into more effective ways to store hydrogen, and particularly in how it can be applied to next-generation fuel cell systems for vehicles, research that could have global implications.…
GERMAN RESEARCHERS DESIGN DRY ADHESIVE FROM BEETLE FOOT PAD STRUCTURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE COMPLEX structure of beetle foot pads use to walk up smooth vertical surfaces has inspired German researchers at the Max Planck Society developing a new dry adhesive. They created a polymer whose external structure is 100 micrometres-high pillars, topped by a thin 40 micrometres wide discs, upon which tiny mushroom-shapes sit.…
GOVERNMENTS STRUGGLE TO CONTAIN CAROUSEL FRAUD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) VAT laws can be mightily complex, and offer plenty of opportunities for fraudsters revelling in regulations lacking in clarity and simplicity. Add high technology to the mix and carousel fraud was born. It’s a problem that has sparked tough police action and regulatory reform.…
BARROSO SAYS THE EIT COULD SOLVE GLOBAL WARMING
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels, and KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission president José Manuel Barroso has claimed the EIT could be an excellent vehicle for solving the problems posed by climate change. He told a press conference today in Brussels that this was the "most important global challenge of our times" and he thought — and hoped — the EIT would make a great contribution to solving it.…
MEPS AND MINISTERS STRIKE DEAL OVER EU GROUNDWATER DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has prevailed in negotiations with the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers in its aim of strengthening the proposed EU groundwater directive. MEPs in a special conciliation committee persuaded EU member states they should not only protect groundwater against pollution, but against "deterioration", forcing regulators to monitor groundwater quality, as well as potential contamination sources.…
BARROSO'S EU ENERGY LAW CALL SPARKS CRITICISM
BY ALAN OSBORN
A CALL by José Manuel Barroso, president of the European Commission, for new European Union (EU) legislation to control monopolies and promote competition in the energy sector has sparked widespread controversy in European energy circles. In a newspaper interview last week Mr Barroso said that one particular problem was that energy companies controlled both production and distribution and Brussels was considering whether they should be split.…
ECJ BACKS OLAF IN TILLACK RAID CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has effectively indemnified European Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF from legal responsibility for the response of national police forces to which it has passed information. In a case involving a German journalist Martin Tillack, the ECJ refused to condemn OLAF’s transfer of allegations regarding payments to his contacts and breaches of professional confidentiality during his investigations of financial scandals at the European Commission.…
BULK OIL PACKAGES MUST CARRY PROPER LABELS - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has banned selling olive oils via ‘bags in a box’, where consumers choose an amount of oil to be bagged and placed in a sturdy container. The court has ruled that under EU regulation 1019/2002, (of directive 2000/13/EC), olive oil must be sold in pre-packaged containers with appropriate labels, containing information on bulk and sell-by dates.…
ECJ SHOWS TEETH IN FOOD INDUSTRY CASE SPATE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has been flexing its judicial muscles as Europe’s most senior court in a spate of key food and drink rulings. Importantly, the court has been directed to rule that food retailers and distributors share with producers the responsibility for ensuring products they handle are correctly labelled.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DEMANDS EQUAL ORGANIC RIGHTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Parliament report has called on the European Commission to demand that organic food products be only imported into the European Union (EU), where the exporting country also allows imports of EU-made ‘organic’ marketed foodstuffs. "EU recognition of third countries…must be reciprocal," said the paper, which has been adopted at a parliamentary plenary session.…
EU MAY DELAY EURO5 EMISSIONS STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DELAYED timetable for introducing the new Euro 5 fuel consumption and emissions standard for many European Union (EU) vehicles, including cars, minibuses, vans, SUVs and light trucks, has been tabled by the European Parliament’s environment committee. Normally a keen supporter of robust environmental legislation, the committee has accused the EU’s executive authority – the European Commission – of wanting to rush into mandating Euro 5 by proposing the standard be in force by mid-2008.…
GM MATERIAL FOUND IN CHINESE RICE
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Commission has ordered the 25 EU member states to step up controls at borders following a disclosure that illegal genetically modified rice from China has found its way into the French, German and UK markets. Brussels said that traders who brought in the rice were "not doing enough" to check the food and were violating EU laws aimed at keeping out illegal GMOs.…
EUROPOL INTERPOL ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING WORK FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
ONE of the biggest problems faced by anti-money laundering forces in the European Union (EU) is that there are 25 (soon to be 27) different national law enforcement agencies and jurisdictions and most member states are reluctant to cede authority on law and order issues to central EU institutions.…
URANIUM MINING ECJ SAFEGUARDS CASE GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has confirmed that non-European Union (EU) nuclear operators do not have to ask the European Commission permission to export uranium enriched within the EU, backing the line taken by the court’s advocate general.…
BULK OIL PACKAGES MUST CARRY PROPER LABELS - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has declared illegal selling olive oils via ‘bags in a box’, where consumers choose oil quantities to be bagged. The court has ruled olive oil must be sold pre-packaged and labelled with information on bulk and sell-by dates.…
ROTTING MEAT IN GERMANY
by Alan Osborn
The European Commission has requested eight EU member countries to trace contaminated meat which may have been imported from Germany. This follows the suicide of a Munich meat wholesaler after his business had been raided by police who found more than 60 tonnes of rotting meat awaiting delivery to purchasers in Germany and other EU countries.…
GERMAN RESEARCH COULD BOOST HONEY NEUTRACEUTICALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SCIENTISTS from Bonn University, Germany, have staged medical trials proving that certain honeys have strong medicinal qualities. It has fused two special honeys to treat skin injuries on children whose immune systems have been weakened through cancer therapies.…
KALLAS INTERVIEW - EU ANTI-FRAUD COMMISSIONER SPEAKS ON EUROSTAT, OLAF AND MORE
BY KEITH NUTHALL and DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
SIIM Kallas is the first European Commission to have been appointed with the explicit job of fighting fraud in the European Union (EU). Every anti-fraud specialist knows that the complex and sometimes opaque procedures and administration of the EU can present a honeypot to fraudsters, and the EU has long had difficulty in nailing the problem.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY TO BOOST HYDROGEN FUEL CELL PERFORMANCE - GERMAN SCIENTISTS
BY MARK ROWE, in Munich
NANOTECHNOLOGY is on the verge of dramatically improving the efficiency of hydrogen fuels, according to scientists at a major European conference. The move could pave the way for commercially viable nanotechnology fuel-cell powered cars within 15 years, experts told the EuroScience [NOTE: CAP ‘E’ AND ‘S’] Open Forum conference in Munich.…
NORTHERN IRISH MEAT AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LIVESTOCK and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland will benefit from the latest European Commission grants for promoting food sales within the EU. Brussels will subsidise a Northern Irish meat marketing and information campaign with Euro 207,365 over one year.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES GERMAN-SWISS JOINT VENTURE AT CDG PARIS AIRPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared, using its competition authority powers, a proposed airline food catering joint venture at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport, between LSG – a subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa – and the Swiss company Gate Gourmet.…
LEBANON UNIVERSITIES CLOSED BY ISRAELI BOMBING CAMPAIGN
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Damascus
CLASSES at all of Lebanon’s universities have been cancelled and international students and faculty are being evacuated following Israel’s air and sea bombardment of the country.
The American University of Beirut’s (AUB) provost Peter Heath announced Sunday that all classes for the summer semester were cancelled until further notice.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY TO BOOST POWER GENERATION AND CONSERVATION, EU CONFERENCE TOLD
BY MARK ROWE, in Munich
NANOTECHNOLOGY is on the verge of transforming the way in which energy production takes place. The use of components such as carbon nanotubes is forcing scientists to reassess the potential yields and efficiency associated with traditional energy production.…
SOYBEANS USED IN MONEY LAUNDERING SCAM SAYS WORLD WATCHDOG
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SOYBEAN industry is being exploited by international criminals to hide their illicit profits, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the world’s premier anti-money laundering body, has warned. In its latest ‘typologies’ report explaining the methods of launderers, FATF has included a case study where an unnamed German company transferred funds to a Brazilian business partner as an advance payment for soybeans.…
BIO-FUELGROWTH PROMPTS FEARS OVER SUGAR SUPPLIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
EUROPEAN food manufacturers are increasingly concerned that western governments might turn to sugar beet as a source of bio-fuel in the next few years, with possibly serious consequences for the price and availability of sugar in the long-term.…
BIOFUELS DEMAND ERODES SUGAR PRICE FALL HOPES
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE CONFECTIONARY manufacturing industry in Europe has been banking on a fall in sugar prices from 2008 thanks to the new sugar regime brought in by the European Union (EU) last year, but this now looks a little less certain than it did.…
KALLAS INTERVIEW - EU ANTI-FRAUD COMMISSIONER SPEAKS ON EUROSTAT, OLAF AND MORE
BY KEITH NUTHALL and DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
SIIM Kallas is the first European Commission to have been appointed with the explicit job of fighting fraud in the European Union (EU). Every anti-fraud specialist knows that the complex and sometimes opaque procedures and administration of the EU can present a honeypot to fraudsters, and the EU has long had difficulty in nailing the problem.…
FOOD ALLERGIES SHOULD GET PAN-EU ATTENTION, SCIENTISTS TELL EU CONFERENCE
BY MARK ROWE, in Munich
FOOD allergies can only be truly understood if they are studied at a pan-European level, according to scientists at a key European science convention. Dr Sian Astley, of the Institute of Food Research (IFR), in Norwich, said that only by studying allergies across different countries could the scale of the problem be understood.…
ALUMINIUM COATING MAKES CARS LIGHTER SAY EU EXPERTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project has developed special technology to coat aluminum auto parts, making them tough enough to replace the steel that is usually employed, reducing vehicle weight and hence boosting fuel economy.
Automakers have long looked to use aluminum and related alloys where they can, but coating surfaces to make this non-ferrous metal sufficiently strong and durable to withstand the pressures exerted in a working auto has long been too expensive.…
EU COSMETIC INDUSTRY DATA PROVISION REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen has signaled a root-and-branch review of the 30-year-old EU cosmetics directive, which could force manufacturers into revealing more safety data.
Speaking at a recent ‘cosmetics business summit’ in Brussels, the German said: "We must ask ourselves a simple question: is the EU law for cosmetics today suited for the developments in this sector tomorrow?"…
EU COMMISSION LOSES VW ECJ RESTRICTED PRACTICES APPEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has lost an appeal at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against an earlier ruling by its sister Court of First Instance that erased a Euro 30.96 million fine on Volkswagen for pressuring its German dealers into refusing discounts.…
GERMANY OMBUDSMAN CAN RECYCLING CRITICISM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN an unusual intervention in a legal case involving a European Union (EU) member state, the European Ombudsman has criticised the European Commission for not taking action against a German packaging regulation. Nikiforos Diamandouros has accused the Commission of failing to uphold EU laws (one of its key roles) by not pushing Germany to implement a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling that it broke EU free trade rules through its former mandatory drinks packaging returns system.…
GERMANY SPIRITS COMPANY CLOSURE, DRINK AND FOOD
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE GERMAN company Fläminger Liquors, based in Zahna in the former East Germany, and best known for its Fläminger Jagd herbal liquor which has been a best-seller in recent years, has been placed under the control of a Berlin lawyer pending a possible declaration of bankruptcy.…
EU ROUND UP - OLAF, IP CRIME, ETC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF is always at the centre of Brussels’ efforts to suppress the torrents of financial crime that mar its well-intentioned efforts. OLAF’s old boss has been reappointed, but there’s still trouble afoot. Keith Nuthall reports.…
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.…
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…
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.…
NITRATES NITRITES ADDITIVE REGULATION
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has lowered the allowable levels of nitrates and nitrites added to meat products sold in the EU, boosting consumer health safety. Certain traditional products, such as certain cured Spanish and German meats will have special exemptions however, because the new limits would have prevented their manufacture
ENDS…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA EU ENERGY DIVERSIFICATION CALL - BIOFUEL PRODUCTION INCREASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN UNPRECEDENTED joint paper from the European Commission and European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana calls for the EU to diversify its energy sources beyond Russia. In particular, the paper suggests the EU looks closer to home: at Algeria and Turkey.…
POPULATION FALL HIGHER EDUCATION IMPACT - EU RESPONSE
BY ALAN OSBORN
A projected fall in population for a number of EU countries by 2050 has given rise to widespread concern in the EU institutions about the consequences for higher education. According to the EU statistical agency Eurostat, Germany’s population of 82.6 million will fall to 74.6 million in 2050 and Italy’s from 58.2 to 52.7 million with smaller falls for other countries.…
GERMANY ITALY TOBACCO ADVERTISING VAT CASE
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN tobacco company Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken could win a long-running attempt to recover VAT paid after being invoiced in error by an Italian advertising agency. Reemtsma had in 1994 handed over Italian Lira 175,022,025 (Euro 90,391), but subsequently discovered the services should have been invoiced without any demand for VAT.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT GROUNDWATER DIRECTIVE VOTE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has beefed up a proposed European Union (EU) directive on protecting groundwater, aiming, it claims, to remove some loopholes that could allow pollution to go unchecked. In a second reading vote, that could lead it into conflict with the EU Council of Ministers, MEPs notably insisted that member states prevent the “deterioration” of groundwater, as well as its pollution.…
BELGIUM COMMERCIAL CRIME FEATURE - CORRUPTION
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
WHEN asked about corruption in Belgium by Commercial Crime International, a government official held his nose in the time-honoured gesture. But was he being fair? Some recent high profile cases have brought the nation some lurid publicity.…
ECJ VAT ERRORS OPINION GERMANY ITALY
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states must ensure that foreign EU companies that wrongly pay them VAT, are able to reclaim that money after the mistake has been discovered, a European Court of Justice advocate general has said.…
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.…
NITRATES NITRITES ADDITIVE AMENDMENT REGULATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has approved seven new additives as safe to use in EU foodstuffs: erythritol, soybean hemicellulose, ethyl cellulose, hexylresorcinol, tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ), pullulan, and starch aluminium octenyl succinate. It has also lowered the allowable levels of nitrates and nitrites added to meat products sold in the EU, boosting consumer health safety, except for certain traditional products, such as some cured Spanish and German meats, whose manufacture would have been prevented by the new rules.…
ECJ VAT LOCAL AUTHORITY COMPETITORS TAX BREAKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TAX dispute between two German crematorium operators looks set to establish a legal precedent that local authority services cannot keep their tax affairs secret where they are in competition with private companies. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that when a business – here Halle crematorium Feuerbestattungsverein Halle – wants to prevent a council-owned competitor from enjoying tax breaks, it is entitled to information on whether these actually exist.…
EUROPE SCIENTISTS AGE PROFILE REPORT EU BRAIN DRAIN PAPER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
YOUNG adults in Germany – long seen as Europe’s technological powerhouse – are turning away from science and engineering, with just 16% of tertiary educated professionals in these fields being aged 25-34. The figures are the worst in the European Economic Area (EEA), and show that without change, Germany could face a shortage of engineers and scientists in the medium term.…
MEPS RECOMMEND POSTPONEMENT OF EU TURKMEN GAS DEAL
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MEP coordinating the European Parliament’s response to a proposed European Parliament trade agreement with natural gas-rich Turkmenistan is opposing its ratification over human rights concerns. Following a visit of conservative MEPs to the country, German Christian democrat MEP Daniel Caspary has said: "I am going to propose not to ratify the agreement now.…
CHINA TERRACOTTA MUSEUM FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE, in Xian, China
THE FACE that China’s museum sector presents to the world might have looked very different had a farm labourer chosen another part of a remote field near the city of Xian in 1974 to dig a well.…
URANIUM MINING ECJ SAFEGUARDS CASE GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NON-EUROPEAN Union (EU) nuclear operators do not have to ask the European Commission permission to export uranium enriched within the EU, a European Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general has concluded. Miguel Poiares Maduro was advising on a complex legal case focusing on the control of Brazilian-owned uranium transferred from Europe to the United States.…
SYNFUELS BIOFUEL PETROLEUM COMBINATIONS SYNTHETIC FUELS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE COMMERICAL introduction of the first synthetic fuels scheduled for later this year in Europe will signify the appearance of a possible new solution to growing concerns over the security, diversity and environmental acceptability of energy supply for local authorities and other major road transport users.…
MEPS VOTE TO DELAY EURO5 FUEL AND ENGINE EMISSIONS STANDARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DELAYED timetable for introducing the new Euro 5 fuel consumption and emissions standard for many European Union vehicles, including vans, light trucks and cars, has been tabled by the European Parliament’s environment committee. Normally a keen supporter of robust environmental legislation, the committee has accused the European Commission of wanting to rush into mandating Euro 5 by proposing the standard be in force by mid-2008.…
EU FOOD LEGISLATION REPORT
BY ALAN OSBORN
INTRODUCTION
WITH the approval in May of two key regulations covering respectively nutrition and health claims and the addition of vitamins and minerals to foods the EU has taken an important step forward in setting the legal framework for the food industry in Europe.…
POLAND ALUMINIUM EU IMPORT DUTIES ABOLITION CALL EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL battle is underway at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over whether EU import duties on unwrought aluminium should be retained or scrapped. The struggle pits Poland and eight other member states against Germany, which wants the current 6% duties retained.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HEARING ENERGY REFORM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SPECIAL European Parliament hearing on European Union (EU) energy liberalisation has heard concerns that cross-border supplies could actually raise prices in European countries currently enjoying cheap bills. The parliament’s industry, research and energy committee was told by Finnish green-left MEP Esco Seppänen that consumers in countries where energy prices have been low because of cheap nuclear and hydro power could rise: "We don’t want to have German or Dutch prices in Finland and our consumers don’t want to suffer because of the liberalisation of energy markets," he said.…
HYDROGEN FUEL CELL BUSES FEATURE - EU PILOT STUDY
BY DEIRDRE MASON
IS the fuel cell bus a runner? The question is key to any passenger transport executive’s decisions on how to meet increasingly stringent emission controls, and the continuing EU HyFLEET:CUTE trials of a fleet of hydrogen-powered fuel-cell Daimler-Benz Citaro buses in London will help UK transport planners to decide for themselves.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY-RELATED MINERAL MARKETS DEMAND INCREASE
BY MARK ROWE
NANOTECHNOLOGY appears set to push prices for nano-altered minerals into the range of thousands of US dollars a kilogram, according to a leading expert. He claims nanotechnology, which can offer greater strength and yield for less effort, may open up a new global market for the globing mining industry.…
GERMANY PHARMACEUTICAL INSURANCE DEAL
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has insisted that German insurer Talanx sells off some of its pharmaceutical industry insurance interests as a condition of being given permission to buy rival insurance group Gerling. Acting as an international competition regulator, the Commission found that both Talanx subsidiary HDI and Gerling have "a very strong position" in insuring German medicine manufacturers.…
EU DRINKS LEGISLATION REPORT
BY ALAN OSBORN
INTRODUCTION
WE’RE barely a third of the way through 2006 but it’s already clear that the year is going to be a hugely important one for European Union (EU) legislation affecting both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks industries.…
GERMANY DENMARK BEER CAN ROW - RECYCLING LEVIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DIPLOMATIC row between Germany and Denmark could have important implications for future drink can recycling levies that might be introduced anywhere in the European Union (EU). Denmark has formally requested that the European Commission force the German government to restrict an annual cross-border shopping trade involving Danish consumers buying around 400 million cans of beer in Germany.…
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.…
FERRERO CHOCOLATES TRADEMARK CASE ECJ GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN chocolate company Ferrero OHG has blocked a European Court of Justice bid by Greek food company Athinaiki Oikogeniaki Artopoiia AVEE to secure EU trademark rights to its brand ‘ferró’. Ferroro said this was too similar to its name.…
JAPAN SUMITOMO VOLKSWAGEN DEAL GERMANY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo
OSAKA, Japan-based Sumitomo Electrical Industries Ltd has got a foot in the door of the German automobile wiring harness market with its purchase of Volkswagen Bordnetze GmbH.
Approved by the European Commission, using its authority over international mergers affecting Europe, the cost of the deal is not being announced, but the Japanese company believes the acquisition will allow it to broaden its business throughout Europe.…
GERMANY COKING PLANT EIB LOAN - STEEL
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Investment Bank is providing EUR 137 million to the German steel company Huttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann for the extension of a coking plant at Duisburg-Huckingen. The EIB loan will cover about half the total cost of the project which will raise the plant’s capacity from 1.1 to 2.2 million tonnes a year in order to meet demand from the steel works.…
ECJ TRADEMARK CASE - OHIM - HAIRDRESSER PRODUCT SALES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COSMETICS products sold through hairdressers and beauty salons may have less trademark protection than those retailed over shop counters following a European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling. Judges have upheld on appeal a ruling that concluded that sales of beauty and hygiene products in such specialist locations "enable the relevant public to examine them visually" and as a result, are less likely to confuse similar trademarks.…
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.…
SIMPLIFIED EU PAYMENT PROCEDURE EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY ALAN OSBORN
LAWYERS settling cross-border financial disputes within the European Union (EU) will be offered a simplified EU system for receiving and sending payments, allowing them to bypass complicated national administrative rules. The EU Council of Ministers for justice and home affairs agreed in principle to establish this ‘European Order for Payment Procedure’, hastening the payment of compensation, debts or damages in uncontested cross-border cases.…
LIECHTENSTEIN UNIVERSITY RECTOR INTERVIEW - SMALL EUROPEAN COUNTRY UNIVERSITIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
FACT BOX
Population: approx. 35,000
Number of students at the university: about 840
Percentage of its students who are Liechtensteiners: about 85%
Percentage of Liechtensteiners who attend university: about 30%
INTERVIEW
IT says something about the University of Liechtenstein that most of its masters programmes are taught in English even though the inhabitants of this tiny Alpine principality speak German and the country itself is sandwiched between Switzerland and Austria.…
EU LAW IGNORED ECJ RULING AUSTRIA CASE UNAPPEALLED NATIONAL JUDGEMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL court judgments conflicting with European Union (EU) law should not be overturned when not subject to appeal, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. In a case referred by the Austrian courts, it said the need to respect EU legislation could be overridden by the requirements of judicial efficiency.…
EURO COIN COUNTERFEITING INCREASE REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NUMBER of counterfeit Euro coins in circulation increased last year to 96,000, an increase of about 29% from 2004, with 3,557 being seized before being circulated. Brussels said the fakes were mostly copper-nickel 2-euro coins with a German national side.…
DENMARK GERMANY BEER RECYCLING ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DENMARK wants the European Commission to force the German government to restrict an annual cross-border shopping trade of around 400 million cans of beer. By signing a declaration that the beer will be exported Danish consumers avoid a surcharge designed to fund recycling within Germany.…
EU OIL AND GAS ROUND UP - KROES COMPETITION, ESA SATELLITE, EFTA - GCC DEAL, FRANCE, SPAIN, ITALY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) competition commissioner has indicated she could push for regulatory reform to improve competition in EU energy markets, in parallel with legal enforcement action using existing rules. Neelie Kroes highlighted "bundling of generation, supply, pipelines, grids, and distribution (as) at the heart of the current EU energy market failure."…
EU FUEL CELL BUS TRIAL EXTENDED TRANSPORT FOR LONDON BRITAIN - LOW EMISSIONS PUBLIC TRANSPORT
BY DEIRDRE MASON, in London
THE EUROPEAN Union has extended Euro 18.5 million trial running fuel cell buses in seven out of nine European locations for a further year, to gain more data for developing hydrogen technology under its HyFLEET: CUTE (clean urban transport for Europe) project.…
DENMARK GERMANY BEER CAN RECYCLING ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DIPLOMATIC row between Germany and Denmark could have important implications for future drink can recycling levies that might be introduced in the UK. Denmark has formally requested the European Commission forces the German government to restrict an annual cross-border shopping trade involving Danish consumers buying around 400 million cans of beer in Germany.…
ECJ SUBSIDIARY TAXATION CASES - GERMANY, AUSTRIA, LUXEMBOURG
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TAXATION rules applying to the taxation of subsidiaries and parent companies based in different European Union (EU) member states must be the same as those that apply for subsidiaries and parents in the same country, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled in two cases.…
OLAF DIRECTOR GENERAL BRUNER REAPPOINTMENT SPEECH EU FRAUD AGENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE REAPPOINTED director-general of European Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF has promised to stick with the occasionally abrasive approach to his job that has led to past criticism, saying: "The only way to show my thanks for this trust is to continue my work."…
ECJ GERMANY NEGATIVE INCOME TAX RETURN CASE GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) tax authorities must take into account financial losses incurred by taxpayers in a foreign EU member state when assessing tax, if they recognise such losses generated in their home country, the European Court of Justice has ruled.…
OLAF DIRECTOR REAPPOINTMENT BRUNER FRAUD OFFICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN a surprise decision, the European Commission, European Union (EU) Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have reappointed Franz-Hermann Brüner as director-general of anti-fraud office OLAF for the next five years. The decision was unexpected because both the parliament and the council had previously announced they preferred alternative candidates and OLAF’s performance has been publicly criticised recently.…
GERMANY VOLKSWAGEN SPAIN TRADEMARK DISPUTE ECJ CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
VOLKSWAGEN has won a phyrric victory at the European Court of Justice (ECJ), which has granted it a limited right to use the trademark Variant in Spain, in the teeth of opposition from the country’s Nacional Motor SA.…
OLAF DIRECTOR REAPPOINTMENT BRUNER FRAUD OFFICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN a surprise decision, the European Commission, European Union (EU) Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have reappointed Franz-Hermann Brüner as director-general of anti-fraud office OLAF for the next five years. The decision was unexpected because both the parliament and the council had previously announced they preferred alternative candidates and OLAF’s performance has been publicly criticised recently.…
EU WORKING TIME NURSING FEATURE EU WORKING TIME DIRECTIVE BRITAIN IMPLEMENTATION
BY ALAN OSBORN
BRITISH nurses might be forgiven for thinking that the 25 eminent judges who make up the European Union’s (EU) top legal institution, the European Court of Justice (ECJ), have little in common with them, and they may well be right.…
MAGNA CAR PARTS DEAL PORSCHE ROOF TECHNOLOGY TAKEOVER EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PRESIDENT of Canadian auto manufacturer supplies giant Magna International has welcomed the European Commission’s approval of its purchase of German roof system manufacturer CTS Fahrzeug-Dachsysteme GmbH (CTS) from sports car maker Porsche. Brussels has imposed no conditions on the deal, which it concluded would not harm competition in the European Union (EU).…
OLAF DIRECTOR REAPPOINTMENT BRUNER FRAUD OFFICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN a surprise decision, the European Commission, European Union (EU) Council of Ministers and the European Parliament have reappointed Franz-Hermann Brüner as director-general of anti-fraud office OLAF for the next five years. The decision was unexpected because both the parliament and the council had previously announced they preferred alternative candidates and OLAF’s performance has been publicly criticised recently.…
ECJ GERMANY DUTY CASE GRIMM LEATHER HANDBAG COMPENSATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN leather handbag seller Medici Grimm has failed to secure damages from the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers in a marathon dispute over anti-dumping duties on Chinese imports. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) dismissed a claim that it be paid Euro 168,315 in damages, (or another sum if the judges had decided otherwise), for having been wrongly forced to pay more than DM (Deutschmark) 1.6 million in anti-dumping duties on imported handbags made by China’s Lucci Creation Ltd.…
CARGILL-DEGUSSA MERGER EU COMPETITION INVESTIGATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an in-depth competition investigation into the planned acquisition by US-based Cargill of the food ingredients business of German company Degussa. Brussels fears the deal may restrict competition in food emulsifier lecithin supplies.
ENDS…
FRUIT JUICE PACKAGING TRADEMARK CASE ECJ GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN fruit juice and fruit drink company has failed to persuade the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to allow the trademarking of its stand-up pouch packaging shapes. Deutsche SiSi-Werke GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG was appealing against a refusal by the ECJ Court of First Instance to permit trademark registration.…
EU STATE AID FOOD PRODUCTION IRELAND GERMANY WALES BRITAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the payment of three national subsidy schemes for the European Union (EU) food sector, using its powers to block or approve state aid schemes to ensure a level EU commercial playing field. It has allowed the payment of GBPounds 2.25 million by the UK government on the Meat Generic Advertising Scheme for Wales, from April 2006 to March 2007.…
ECJ GERMANY WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE LANDER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY has been officially condemned by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) for failing to ensure the timely implementation of the key EU water framework directive 2000/60/EC by important regions within its federal system. Judges ruled Germany had "failed to meet its obligations" under the law, and told it to pay the costs of a case brought by the European Commission.…
SUBSUBSIDIARY CAPITAL DUTY TAXATION NETHERLANDS GERMANY BRITAIN ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states should not levy capital duties on subsidiaries, when a parent company boosts the capital of a sub-subsidiary, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. It said that although such financial transfers might boost the share value of a subsidiary, this is merely "an automatic and incidental economic repercussion", not a "second separate contribution which could…be subject to tax".…
NEW OLAF DIRECTOR GENERAL EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS CHOICE BRUNER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is arranging a tripartite meeting with the European Parliament and the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers to agree a director to lead the EU’s anti-fraud unit OLAF over the next five years. A senior Brussels official said the meeting could be held this month, after the EU Council of Ministers chose as its top choice Alain Gillette, a Frenchman, of the UN Board of Auditors.…
LITHUANIAN BEER EXPORT BOOM
BY MARK ROWE
EXPORTS of Lithuanian beer rose by 51.4% in 2005, according to the Lithuanian Breweries Association, to 1.518 million dekalitres – exceeding the combined volumes of the neighbouring Estonian and Latvian beer markets. Domestic consumption was more modest but still saw a healthy growth of 4.5% – though according to a spokesman for brewer Gubernija, the domestic market is loyal, with up to 97% of the domestic market divided between Lithuanian breweries.…
CARGILL-DEGUSSA MERGER EU COMPETITION INVESTIGATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an in-depth competition investigation into the planned acquisition by the US-based Cargill group of the food ingredients business of German company Degussa AG. Brussels fears the deal may restrict competition in supplies of food emulsifier lecithin.…
BERTELSMANN EUROPEAN SEARCH ENGINE QUAERO GOOGLE RIVAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPE’S business newspapers are reporting that German publishing giant Bertelsmann will join the Quaero serach engine consortium that wants to create a European rival to Google. A spokeswoman for Bertelsmann’s information logistics arm Empolis however would only confirm to the Bookseller that "we are considering this", adding that there may be a formal announcement by the end of this week.…
GERMANY ECJ FOREIGN COMPANY STAFF NON-EU NATIONAL VISAS CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DETAILED checks on the immigration status required of non-European Union (EU) staff that EU companies want to post to another EU country are illegal, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. It has said immigration authorities should rely on a "simple declaration" from a company that its non-EU employees comply with the immigration rules of the EU country where it is based.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION EU MEAT MARKETING GRANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRENCH and German meat producers are being given an edge in Europe, receiving grants from the European Commission to help sell their products within the European Union (EU). Over two years, Brussels will spend Euro 600,000 promoting French "high quality" meat and Euro 2 million on marketing German meat products.…
GERMANY TAX EXEMPTION NUCLEAR WASTE ECJ CASE DECOMMISSIONING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) Court of First Instance has agreed that a challenged German tax exemption for nuclear operators to help them dispose of irradiated fuel and waste is legal under European Union (EU) law. Agreeing with the European Commission, judges said that financial reserves created to cover these disposal costs, and the permanent closure of outdated plants, could legally be counted amongst nuclear utilities’ liabilities in tax returns.…
AZO DYE CONTAMINATION CONSUMER BAN EU - RAPEX ALERT SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BANNED azo dyes are still turning up in clothing and textile products sold by European Union (EU) retailers, the European Commission’s consumer alert service RAPEX has warned. It reported that four products had recently been withdrawn from sale because of contamination with these prohibited chemicals.…
ECJ INSOLVENCY JURISDICTION CHOICE CASE - GERMANY, SPAIN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INSOLVENT businesses within the European Union (EU) may not transfer bankruptcy cases to a different member state, simply by the owner moving from their home country, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. Its EU-wide precedent followed a case involving a German businesswoman who closed a telecommunications business, and then launched insolvency proceedings regarding her assets in Wuppertal.…
EBRD KAZAKHSTAN FOOD PACKAGING LID LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending US$2.5 million to Kazakhstan’s Bericap Kazakhstan LLC to construct a new factory making plastic food container tops (or closures) for local and other central Asian markets. Part of the German plastic container company, the Bericap Holding Group, the Kazakhstan business plans to build purpose-built production facilities, allowing it to relocate its operations, optimising costs; providing space for future expansion; and improving environmental plus health and safety management.…
CHINA MUSEUMS FEATURE - BEIJING OLYMPICS GAMES -CURATING TRAINING DEMAND
BY TAMARA VANTROYEN, in Hong Kong
BEIJING’S museums have been hit by Olympic fever. China’s capital currently has 118 museums and by 2008 that figure is expected to have increased to 150. A total of US$854 million is expected to be spent on the building and renovating of museums prior to the Olympic Games.…
MIT BRAIN TUMOUR PATENT CASE - ECJ - GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MASSACHUSETTS Institute of Technology (MIT) has won crucial support at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in securing a supplementary protection certificate in Germany for brain tumour drug Gliadel. The MIT is appealing against the German Patent and Trade Mark Office’s blocking this protection, because the drug’s key active ingredient carmustine has been long established and Gliadel’s technological advance is combining it with biodegradable polifeprosan that regulates the release of this therapeutic material, rather than attacking tumours directly.…
REACH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTE - CHEMICAL CONTROL SYSTEM AUTOMOBILE MAKERS
BY ALAN OSBORN
IMPORTANT changes in the European auto manufacturing industry are expected next year following the introduction of a new crackdown on dangerous chemicals by the European Union (EU). The proposed legislation, known as REACH (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals), has been recently adopted by the European Parliament and now requires the assent of the 25 EU member countries and this is likely to be given – at least in principle – before the year-end.…
GERMANY DIRTY COAL-FIRED POWER STATION CLAIM - WWF REPORT
KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY – which until recently had a Green-Socialist government – is home to five of the 10 dirtiest electricity plants in the European Union (EU), a report from conservation group WWF claims. Its assessment of carbon-dioxide emissions from power stations found Germany’s lignite Frimmersdorf RWE plant second most polluting, behind Greece’s lignite plant at Agios Dimitrios.…
NORDSEE SEAFOOD DEAL - EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition of joint control of seafood firm Nordsee, of Germany, by 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).…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AFTER years of doing nothing, and then years of erecting complex bureaucratic controls, the European Union (EU) is at last starting to get its act together on controlling fraud. Keith Nuthall reports.
IN a filthy flat, not properly cleaned for years, moving the odd cupboard and shining a torch on the floor is sure to highlight a few cockroaches, scuttling for safety towards some Godforsaken corner.…
EU CONSUMER ALERT GERMANY SHAMPOO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s consumer alert service RAPEX has reported the voluntary withdrawal from distribution from German stores of a Turkey-made shampoo range ‘Hobby Collection Baby Shampoo’, both blue and pink bottles. RAPEX reported "presence of excessive quantities of pseudomonas aeruginosa", and non-compliance with the European Union cosmetic product directive.…
NICOTINE BEER - SMOKING DRINKING GERMANY
BY MONICA DOBIE
SMOKERS trying to quit their habit, particularly when surrounded by triggers such as alcohol and second hand-smoke in bars, may now be able to fight the cravings by drinking a new brand of beer that contains nicotine. The beer, known as NicoShot, has three milligrams of nicotine and a 6.3% alcohol content.…
BLOOD FLOW AERONAUTICS RESEARCH THROMBOSIS - ITALY, GERMANY, GREECE STUDY
BY ALAN OSBORN
AIR travel may give you thrombosis but sometimes it can also deliver real gains to medical science. A group of European scientists has discovered an odd fact: that air passing over an aircraft’s wing to give it lift behaves like blood circulating in a human body when it meets an implanted device.…
GERMANY NICOTINE BEER - QUITTING SMOKING
BY MONICA DOBIE
A GERMAN beer company has created a beer containing nicotine, designed for smokers trying to quit, especially as researchers have proved smokers have difficulty resisting a cigarette when drinking, because they associate the two pastimes. Its beer NicoShot, has three milligrams of nicotine and a 6.3% alcohol content.…
OLAF DIRECTOR APPOINTMENT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT HEARING
Keith Nuthall
THE CURRENT director of European Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF has been snubbed by an influential European Parliament committee, which has recommended another candidate to lead the embattled institution for five years. The budgetary control committee has nominated former Interpol president Björn Eriksson, of Sweden, as its top choice, ahead of German incumbent Franz-Hermann Brüner.…
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL GLOBAL CORRUPTION STANDINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD’S premier anti-corruption organisation Transparency International, 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.…
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).…
WTO DOHA DEVELOPMENT ROUND AGRICULTURAL TALKS THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CHAIRMAN of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) agricultural liberalisation talks revealed plans this week to run the Lausanne marathon, in a city neighbouring the WTO’s Geneva. And whilst there are many of us who think sport running is for heroes or lunatics (or both), we can at least admire their stamina.…
CARIBBEAN FEATURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ROLE of the Caribbean as a staging point for ill-gotten gains goes back to the trans-Atlantic misadventures of the first European ships over 400 years ago. It would appear some habits die hard. Wesley Gibbings reports from Port of Spain, Trinidad.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION - KUNERT DEAL - GERMANY CLOTHING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the acquisition of German clothing company Kunert by the Deutsche Bank, Britain’s Hardt Group Private Equity Partners I and Trafalgar Group, as well as Cayman Islands investor ECO Master Fund Ltd. Kunert manufactures socks, stockings, tights, underwear and outer clothing, under its own brand names Kunert and Hudson, with licensed brands Burlington, Bruno Banani, MEXX and Calvin Klein.…
GLOBAL TOBACCO ADVERTISING REGULATION FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
ON July 31 this year the European Union’s (EU) Tobacco Advertising Directive came into effect, making it illegal to advertise tobacco products in the print media, radio and over the Internet within the EU. Also banned was tobacco sponsorship of cross-border cultural and sporting events.…
REACH - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE - DYES
BY ALAN OSBORN
DYE manufacturers, like others in the European chemical industry, have reacted with ill-concealed dismay to the amendments approved by the environment committee of the European Parliament to the European Commission’s proposals for the REACH chemicals control programme. In a vote taken on October 4, the committee approved the original Brussels proposals for controlling the 10-100 tonne volume band, sharply breaking with the views of the industry and internal market committees, which had called for this to be relaxed.…
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.…
DEEPSEA MINING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations’ International Seabed Authority has delayed agreement of new regulations governing how metal ore mining companies would explore and exploit deep seawaters for hauls such as polymetallic sulphide nodules and cobalt-rich crusts. These mineral resources are rich in copper, iron, zinc, silver, gold and cobalt; sulphides are found around volcanic areas and crusts on oceanic ridges.…
GERMANY PORK HEALTH - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has censured the German government for failing to write directive EC/88/2001 on ensuring the health of pigmeat into its national legislation by the deadline of January 2003. The European Commission subsequently launched legal action at the ECJ, which has resulted in the censure.…
SARS STUDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TEAM of Chinese, German, Danish and Polish scientists claims to have found a cure for SARS in a compound called cinanserin, approved in the US during the 1960s to treat psychopathic diseases, such as schizophrenia. Their claim that cinanserin can halt the SARS virus from replicating has been published the international Journal of Virology, although animal tests or epidemiological testing are needed to produce an effective medicine.…
OLAF INVESTIGATIONS MANUAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF has published its detailed investigations manual, after a European Parliament hearing in July called for its work to be governed by an EU regulation. The aim of the manual, said an OLAF statement, is to make sure its investigations cannot be challenged in court, and in this regard, it clarifies the rights that should be respected regarding whistle blowers, witnesses and anyone else affected by an inquiry.…
GERMANY ELECTIONS - NUCLEAR POWER
BY ALAN OSBORN
DESPITE speculation of a reprieve for Germany’s condemned nuclear power sector, no swift change can be expected regarding the present phase-out following the inconclusive election. The German Atomic Forum has flatly told Utility Week it “remains bound by the agreement with the present government” on the nuclear wind-down.…
DAIMLERCHRYSLER - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EURO 15 million fine imposed by the European Commission on DaimlerChrysler for alleged illegal anti-competitive actions involving Spanish leasing companies has been lifted. The company had prevented German agents and Spanish dealers from supplying Mercedes-Benz cars to leasing companies before they secured customers, something Brussels said broke European Union (EU) competition laws.…
ECJ NETHERLANDS CIGARETTE CUSTOMS CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DUTCH cigarette wholesale trader hit by an illegal diversion of cargo involving corrupt customs officers should pay 2.2 million Dutch guilders customs debts (Euro 1 million), the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) Court of First Instance has ruled.…
DEEPSEA MINING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations’ International Seabed Authority has postponed agreement of new regulations governing how mining companies would explore and exploit deep seawaters for hauls such as polymetallic sulphide nodules and cobalt-rich crusts. These mineral resources are rich in copper, iron, zinc, silver, gold and cobalt, with the sulphides being found around volcanic areas and the crusts on oceanic ridges.…
MINIATURE SPIDER ROBOT SWARM - MEDICAL TREATMENT - GERMANY RESEARCH
BY ALAN OSBORN
HOW would you like the idea of a swarm of hundreds of tiny microscopic robots, each one smaller than an ant’s eye, charging through your body inspecting its defences against disease and injury and making repairs and improvements?…
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.…
VIETNAM LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend German retail giant Metro Euro 40 million to build five junior wholesale cash and carry stores in Vietnam. They would cover between 6,000 and 9,000 square metres in sales area and would mirror the small cash and carry format that has proved particularly successful for Metro in eastern and southern Europe.…
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.…
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”.…
MEPS COCAINE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CHAMPAGNE-swilling freeloaders that Eurosceptics claim populate the European Parliament have never had an image of hair-shirt monasticism, but a German television station has alleged many MEPs snort the odd line of cocaine. Tests on 46 toilets in the parliament’s Brussels building revealed traces of the controlled drug, said Germany TV magazine AKTE 05, which added that the quantities discovered implied regular use.…
POULTRY LABELLING - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) may dismiss an attempt by a German poultry producer to label products with the term “reared under controlled conditions”. Competitor Gebrüder Stolle GmbH had claimed Heidegold Geflügelspezialitäten GmbH thus enjoyed “an unlawfully acquired competitive advantage”.…
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”.…
FRUIT JUICE CASE
Keith Nuthall
AN ATTEMPT by a German fruit juice manufacturer to secure trademark rights to eight three dimensional images of the stand-up pouches that package its drinks is likely to be blocked by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Advocate general Dámaso Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer has recommended that the full court reject a final appeal by Deutsche SiSi-Werke GmbH & Co.…
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”.…
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”.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROACTIVE competition inquiry has been launched into the European Union’s (EU) natural gas sector, with the aim of rooting out anti-competitive practices. If the European Commission discovers instances of gas companies breaking existing EU competition law, legal action could follow.…
ECJ GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government is breaking European Union (EU) excise duty laws by allowing a self-assembled cigarette brand to be sold under tax rates for fine-cut tobacco, rather than higher rates levied on cigarettes, a European Court of Justice (ECJ) official has advised.…
AUTOMOTIVE PAINT - ASIA
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
CARMAKERS have experienced tremendous growth in the Asia Pacific region recently, as China and India in particular generate new sales and manufacturing opportunities. General Motors recently announced that its 2005 first quarter production figures for the region were up by around 14% compared with 2004, with Ford and other leading manufacturers predicting similar growth.…
ECJ - TURKISH POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has rejected an attempt by a German tobacco company to prevent the European Union (EU)-wide registration of the trademark ‘Turkish Power’ for cigarettes, smoking accessories and other products. Plus Warenhandelsgesellschaft mbH argued that the mark could be confused with its German mark POWER, which is already registered for “tobacco, smokers’ articles, (and) matches”.…
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.…
NOVARTIS DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SWISS pharmaceuticals giant Novartis’ acquisition of German generic medicine producer Hexal can go ahead, but only after a series of conditions imposed by the European Commission are met. Brussels has been concerned the takeover could cause competition problems regarding prescription calcitonins treating osteoporosis in Poland, over-the-counter topical anti-rheumatics in Germany and prescription anti-gout preparations in Denmark.…
ECJ GRAPHITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A HEAVY fine levied by the European Commission on Germany’s SGL Carbon for participating in a cartel on the speciality graphite market has been reduced from Euro 27.75 million to Euro 18.45 million. Following an appeal against the fine, the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) Court of First Instance has confirmed that SGL and three other companies should be fined for market fixing; however, it said Brussels’ “was manifestly incorrect” when calculating the German company’s fines.…
EU CANCER NETWORK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW group of specialists and academics forged by the European Commission will focus on the cancer risks associated with environmental and nutritional factors, as well as individual susceptibility. This ‘Network of Excellence’ ECNIS (environmental cancer, nutrition and individual susceptibility) is the latest group established to link experts from across the European Union (EU), under the European Research Area policy.…
EU CANCER NETWORK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW group of specialists and academics forged by the European Commission will focus on the cancer risks associated with environmental and nutritional factors, as well as individual susceptibility. This ‘Network of Excellence’ ECNIS (environmental cancer, nutrition and individual susceptibility) is the latest group established to link experts from across the European Union (EU), under the European Research Area policy.…
DRIVING LICENCE ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PLANS to create European Union (EU)-wide driving licences have received a set back, with the EU Council of Ministers failing to approve the directive that would bring them into being. The German government, supported by France, Austria, Poland and Denmark successfully blocked agreement of the proposal, which will now be pushed by the UK government, which took over the EU presidency on July 1.…
UKRAINE PERFUME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN EAU de Cologne, manufactured in the Ukraine and called Trojnoj, has been recalled from German shops and consumers because it contains banned nitromusk compounds outlawed by the European Union (EU) cosmetics directive. The European Commission rapid alert system for dangerous non-food products RAPEX has publicised the recall across Europe.…
BAKELITE PURCHASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved an acquisition involving two German companies manufacturing phenolic and epoxy resins after they offered to increase competition in these sectors. Brussels was concerned the merged company would be too dominant, maybe affecting prices.…
EIB GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has unveiled plans to lend German wastewater treatment operator Entsorgungsverband Saar (EVS) Euro 200 million to extend and modernise its wastewater treatment and sewerage system. The utility serves the ex-heavy industry state of Saarland, on the border with France.…
JOHNSON CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN branch of Johnson & Johnson has persuaded the European Court of Justice’s Court of First Instance to reject a bid by French firm Ampafrance to secure European Union trademark rights to market care products using the brand MonBeBé.…
REACH REFORMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPRESENTATIVE of the largest political group on the European Parliament has presented fresh reforms to the European Union’s (EU) proposed REACH chemical control system, that he says will make the system cheaper and less bureaucratic. German MEP Hartmut Nassauer, a member of the EP’s European People’s Party/European Democrats group, will make his proposals to the EP’s internal market committee, which is working with the environment committee to table amendments to the full parliament.…
NANOTECHNOLOGY PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN coatings giant BASF is heading a European Commission funded research project aiming to ensure the safe use of nanoparticles. Brussels is granting Euro 7 million from its ongoing Sixth Framework Programme for research to this Nanosafe2 project, which will examine the behaviour of tiny nanotechnology particles in all goods.…
REACH EXEMPTION PLAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPRESENTATIVE of the largest political group on the European Parliament (EP) has proposed that the cosmetics industry should be exempted from the European Union’s (EU) proposed REACH chemical control system. German MEP Hartmut Nassauer, a member of the EP’s European People’s Party/European Democrats group, has said including cosmetics could create conflicts with existing EU cosmetics legislation.…
REACH LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) controversial REACH chemical control package will not substantially affect EU downstream chemical users such as the dying industry, European Commission-ordered studies have concluded. EU industry Commissioner Günter Verheugen and environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said they showed “there is limited evidence that downstream users will be faced with a withdrawal of substances of greatest technical importance to them”.…
NOISE ABATEMENT ANALYSIS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE PROBLEM of excessive or nerve-shredding noise in factories and offices is to be highlighted by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EASHW) this year with an awareness campaign covering 31 countries and culminating in a European noise week in October.…
REACH AMENDMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPRESENTATIVE of the largest political group on the European Parliament has presented fresh reforms to the European Union’s proposed REACH chemical control system, aimed at making the system cheaper and simpler. German MEP Hartmut Nassauer’s proposed amendments will be debated in preparations for parliament’s first vote on the project.…
REACH EXEMPTION PLAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPRESENTATIVE of the largest political group on the European Parliament (EP) has proposed that certain metals and all alloys be exempted from the European Union’s (EU) proposed REACH chemical control system. German MEP Hartmut Nassauer, of the EP’s European People’s Party/European Democrats group, has said that many natural substances should be exempt from REACH, if they “may be used without intermediate treatment by means of chemical substances”.…
ECJ FETA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Court of Justice advocate general has advised the rejection of German and Danish government claims that the word ‘feta’ cheese is a generic term, that can be exploited for marketing purposes by manufacturers based outside the Greece region where it is traditionally made.…
SOUTH AFRICA FEATURE
BY RICHARD HURST
THE SOUTH African paint and coatings industry is in a state of change as a shift in focus towards overseas markets coupled with a need to protect local markets is pushing manufacturers to reassess their quality and production volume capabilities.…
AUTOMOTIVE PAINT - INNOVATION
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
ASK the average motorist to identify which automotive technologies have advanced the most in recent years, and very few would mention coatings and finishings. Certainly, when it comes to innovation, carmakers are eager to promote new developments in performance, economy and safety.…
GERMAN RESIN DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved an acquisition involving two German companies manufacturing key coating ingredients phenolic and epoxy resins after they offered to increase competition in these sectors. Brussels was concerned that the merged company would be too dominant, maybe affecting prices, but Bakelite AG and the Apollo Group offered to licence certain phenolic resins technology to their customers, allowing them to sublicense it to an alternative supplier if they wanted.…
GERMAN WHISTLE-BLOWER
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has told the European Ombudsman that a German chemist who protested about the “illegal transport and export of radioactive materials” from the Institute for Transuranium, a nuclear research institute in Karlsruhe, had left her protest too late for it to be acted on.…
SPOUSE VAT RULING
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) may force a change in British VAT regulations over goods purchased by a husband and wife that are later used for business purposes. Under existing British VAT regulations, capital goods used for business must be bought in the name of a sole trader or company for sales tax to be reclaimed.…
EU SUGAR POLITICS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DIVISIONS over the EU sugar regime reforms have been clarified at a European Union (EU) Council of Ministers (agriculture) meeting. British, Danish, German, Swedish, Latvian and Maltese delegations wanted “rapid reform, to make the sector more competitive”, though concerns of ex-European colonies in the African Pacific Caribbean (ACP) bloc “should be taken into account”.…
PIEBALGS SPEED LIMIT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN a political hair-and-tortoise move, a European Commissioner from a country where the Lada once reigned supreme has told speed-loving German motorists he will press for European Union (EU) speed limits of 90kmh (55.9 mph). Latvia’s Andris Piebalgs, energy Commissioner since last November, told the Die Welt newspaper “I personally support the idea”, which was originally proposed by the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA).…
EU WINE PUBLICITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission will spend the majority of a new Euro 5 million budget over the next three years promoting French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and Austrian wines in key foreign markets. Brussels noted that the main targets would be north America, China, Russia, India, Japan and non-European Union countries in central and eastern Europe.…
CRANE RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN consortium claims to have successfully developed a mobile and self-erecting crane, “to create a single crane that can do the work of five”. The six participating Belgian, German, Italian and Dutch companies – linked under the banner of European research network Eureka – say the crane “features an anti-sway device which makes it safer as well as more efficient”.…
ECJ - TRAINING EXPENSES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has declared illegal national rules denying trainee employees expenses payments for travel in a foreign European Union (EU) member country, which would be payable for journeys in their home state. Judges ruled that this would break Article 48 of the Treaty on European Union, guaranteeing the freedom of movement of workers.…
EU SERVICES DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN OPPORTUNITY for British accountants to work in other European Union (EU) countries under their own standards and professional bodies, appears to have been lost at last week’s (March 22-23) EU summit in Brussels. Heads of government agreed to rewrite a proposed services directive proposed last year by former internal market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, after pressure from Germany, France and others.…
GROUNDWATER - EP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s environment committee has signalled a move away from imposing European Union (EU)-wide environmental standards as a means to green the continent. It has agreed with the European Commission that a new EU directive on groundwater should let national governments set their own standards of cleanliness.…
TANNERY WASTE: COLLAGEN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka is developing a research project to extract pure collagen hydrolysates from solid leather production wastes. The study currently has a Euro 1.8 million budget, which should grow over its four-year life, until 2008.…
EU WINE PUBLICITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission will spend Euro millions over the next three years promoting French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German and Austrian wines in key foreign markets. Announcing the latest of a series of such grants, (matched by national funding), Brussels noted that the main targets would be north America, China, Russia, India, Japan and non-European Union countries in central and eastern Europe.…
RUSSIA CIGARETTES
BY MARK ROWE
IT is tempting to think that all is well in the Russian cigarette market. And, in fairness, in many ways this is the case. Filter and light cigarettes production is growing, while the manufacture of plain cigarettes and filterless papirossi is decreasing.…
GERMANY - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government is being taken to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) by the European Commission for insisting that hospitals may only be supplied medicines by pharmacies in the same or neighbouring districts. Brussels calls this an illegal obstacle to European Union (EU) free trade, because it blocks medicine imports.…
GERMANY EIB
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend around Euro 40 million to Germany’s Impfstoffwerk Dessau-Tornau to help it build a new research and development building and a new production facility for virus vaccines. The loan would also part-fund the reconstruction of a filling unit, the expansion of existing cooling, storage and vaccine production facilities plus investments in equipment.…
DOLE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN and Italian subsidiaries of US fruit giant Dole, (Dole Fresh Fruit Europe and Comafrica SpA) have lost European Court of Justice bids to secure damage against the European Commission over its assistance to Caribbean banana producers.…
GERMANY - COCA COLA
Keith Nuthall
Coca-Cola is to return to selling its drinks through supermarket outlets in Germany after a 2-year break which followed the introduction of a bottle and can deposit scheme at the beginning of 2003. The company said it would begin with 1.5-litre bottles for the German discount supermarket chain Lidl in mid March 2005, later moving to other drinks like Coca-Cola Light, Fanta, and Sprite.…
AFGHANISTAN SUGAR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will help Afghanistan to resume sugar production. In a German-funded project, the FAO will rehabilitate the country’s only sugar factory in Baghlan, which closed when the USSR invaded in 1979.…
ECJ GERMANY TRADEMARK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN sparkling wine producer has lost an attempt at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to overturn the European Union (EU) registration of the trademark Lindenhof by a rival company for “mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices”.…
DESIGN REGISTRATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALY and Germany dominate design innovation in the European Union (EU) textile sector, according to the figures from the EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) – OHIM. They show that in 2003 and 2004, Italy formally registered 2,899 textile designs with the office, gaining them legal protection against plagiarism.…
X-RAY LASER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN and eight other European countries have signed a memorandum of understanding about constructing a groundbreaking X-ray research laser, so acute it could measure chemical reactions in real time. The UK, France, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Germany have agreed to negotiate in detail an inter-governmental arrangement for building an approximately three-kilometre-long underground laser generator.…
DENMARK ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DENMARK may be ordered to liberalise rules restricting foreign registered company car use in Denmark by Danish residents. Francis Jacobs, an advocate general of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recommended that the full court finds these rules in breach of Denmark’s EU treaty obligations on freedom of movement across Europe.…
BIOFUELS FEATURE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THE WORLD is waking up to biofuels, increasingly produced from food crops and their waste by-products, and now one of the growing energy alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. As prices for traditional energy rise year on year, and energy watchers warn of oil production peaking around 2010, governments are looking towards food producers to grow the raw feedstock for the fuel of the twenty-first century.…
EU CONSUMER ALERT GERMANY SHAMPOO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s consumer alert service RAPEX has reported the voluntary withdrawal from distribution from German stores of a Turkey-made shampoo range ‘Hobby Collection Baby Shampoo’, both blue and pink bottles. RAPEX reported "presence of excessive quantities of pseudomonas aeruginosa", and non-compliance with the European Union cosmetic product directive.…
GERMANY AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the German government’s Euro 2.7 billion 2005 coal industry aid package, saying it complied with a previously agreed 2003-5 subsidy programme. More than half – Euro 1.49 billion – is for operating aid, Euro 597 million reducing production, Euro 617.5 million exceptional costs and Euro 21.6 million miners’ benefits.…
GERMANY FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
TO talk of the German paint industry – the largest in Europe – is to talk of a recession in construction that simply won’t go away. The overall paint market is mature, stable, highly competitive and characterised, at least in recent years, by virtually no growth.…
EBRD KAZAKHSTAN FOOD PACKAGING LID LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending US$2.5 million to Kazakhstan’s Bericap Kazakhstan LLC to construct a new factory making plastic food container tops (or closures) for local and other central Asian markets. Part of the German plastic container company, the Bericap Holding Group, the Kazakhstan business plans to build purpose-built production facilities, allowing it to relocate its operations, optimising costs; providing space for future expansion; and improving environmental plus health and safety management.…
REACH EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTE - CHEMICAL CONTROL SYSTEM AUTOMOBILE MAKERS
BY ALAN OSBORN
IMPORTANT changes in the European auto manufacturing industry are expected next year following the introduction of a new crackdown on dangerous chemicals by the European Union (EU). The proposed legislation, known as REACH (registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals), has been recently adopted by the European Parliament and now requires the assent of the 25 EU member countries and this is likely to be given – at least in principle – before the year-end.…
BIOMASS RESEARCH
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is hailing the success of a European Union (EU)-funded research project that has created new technology helping small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) plants to run on biomass fuels. Applicable for the power range of 200 – 1,000 kWel, its key innovation is using a screw-type steam engine.…
VITAMIN CARTEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has fined Akzo Nobel, BASF and UCB Euro 66.34 million for operating between 1992-8 a cartel for choline chloride (CORRECT SPELLING) cartel (poultry and pig feed additive vitamin B4). These Dutch, German and Belgium chemical companies set European prices and market shares.…
VITAMIN CARTEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has fined Akzo Nobel, BASF and UCB Euro 66.34 million for operating between 1992-8 a cartel for choline chloride (CORRECT SPELLING) cartel (poultry and pig feed additive vitamin B4). These Dutch, German and Belgium chemical companies set European prices and market shares with the USA’s DuCoa and Canada’s Chinook, escaping fines by leaving the cartel.…
HENKEL CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN liquid soap manufacturer has won a case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) enabling it to secure the European Union (EU)-wide registration of a diagrammatic trademark. Henkel KGaA, of Düsseldorf, was appealing against the refusal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) – OHIM – to register a three-dimensional symbol shaped as a translucent white bottle.…
ECJ - SNUS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has dismissed a bid by Swedish Match to overturn a European Union (EU) ban on oral tobacco products, such as the company’s ‘snus’. It and tobacco importer Arnold André launched an ECJ case alleging that the 1992 directive introducing the ban broke EU treaty provisions guaranteeing the freedom of movement of goods around the Union.…
HENKEL ECJ CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN plastic packaging material manufacturer has won a case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) enabling it to secure the European Union (EU)-wide registration of a diagrammatic trademark representing a bottle. Henkel KGaA, of Düsseldorf, was appealing against the refusal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) – OHIM – to register a three-dimensional symbol shaped as a translucent shampoo white bottle, standing upside-down.…
BIO FUELS THINK-PIECE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THE WORLD is waking up to biofuels, increasingly produced from food crops and their waste by-products and now one of the growing energy alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. As prices for traditional energy rise year on year, and energy watchers warn of oil production peaking around 2010, governments are looking towards food producers to grow the raw feedstock for the fuel of the twenty-first century.…
BAYER TRADEMARK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S Bayer has won an appeal at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) preventing fellow German company Kaul GmbH’s European Union registration of CAPOL as a trademark for a preservative especially used for confectionary. Bayer successfully claimed the mark is too similar to its ARCOL preservative brand.…
MICRO-FINANCE ANALYSIS
BY ALAN OSBORN
IS there a role for the insurance companies of rich countries to play in developing “micro finance” in the world’s very poorest regions? The question has become relevant following the launch earlier this month (November) of the International year of Microcredit 2005 by the UN’s Agricultural Fund for Development (IFAD).…
THERMOPLASTIC CARAVANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) research consortium that brought us fully-recyclable thermoplastic lampposts that bend on impact have adapted their technology to create fully recyclable plastic caravans, dispensing with plywood and other less sustainable materials. Also says companies participating in the Eureka network of technological research, the plastic has been adapted to make modular flooring in marquees, truck bodies, water barrier systems and scaffolding.…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURETTE
BY MARK ROWE
CHOCOLATE sells in eastern Europe. One of the curiosities of the old Soviet Empire was that, even in the darkest days of rule by Stalin and Brezhnev, the USSR imported vast amounts of cocoa, simply because the Kremlin thought it was good for the masses.…
BEEF HORMONE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EU has launched a WTO disputes case claiming the USA and Canada are breaking world trade rules by refusing to lift the duties worth US$128.1 million annually over Brussels’ import ban on certain beef treated with growth hormones.…
BIOMASS INVENTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is hailing the success of a European Union (EU)-funded research project that has created new technology allowing small-scale combined heat and power (CHP) plants to run on biomass fuels. Applicable for the power range of 200 – 1,000 kWel, its key innovation is using a screw-type steam engine.…
SALT MINE BACKFILL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE RIGHT of companies to export mineral waste around the European Union (EU) for storage in mine galleries has been strengthened by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Judges said a Belgian environmental regulator Institut Bruxellois pour la Gestion de l’Environnement (IBGE) should not have independently redesignated as waste for disposal salt residues destined for burial in salt mines at Teutschenthal, Germany.…
DIOXIN CONTAMINATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN clay producer Fuchs is at the centre of a row involving the contamination of animal feed with dioxin, after its kaolin – used by agricultural to separate potato peels from potatoes – was found to contain the cancer-causing chemical.…
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.…
BEEF HORMONE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has lost patience with the United States and Canada’s refusal to lift retaliatory tariffs targeting meat products, in place since 1999 because of Brussels’ import ban on certain beef treated with growth hormones. It has launched a World Trade Organisation (WTO) case claiming that Ottawa and Washington are breaking WTO rules by refusing to lift the duties on foodstuffs including Danish premium-quality hams French hams and goose liver pate, and German pork.…
DIOXIN CRISIS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DUTCH, Belgian and German governments have placed 162 cattle farms in quarantine after it was revealed they were feeding (partly dairy) livestock potato peels contaminated with dioxin. The carcinogenic chemical had been present in clay used by potato supplier McCain to separate potatoes of differing qualities.…
EIB GERMAN LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend up to Euro 175 million to help upgrade the breweries of a “leading family-owned German beverage group”. A bank official said the EIB would not reveal the borrower ahead of a final decision on the loan by its board, however.…
BRITAIN/GERMANY ADVICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH and German governments have agreed to combine their efforts to fight climate change, sharing expertise and holding high-level meetings on issues ranging from transport to energy efficient buildings. German and British scientists will also share research vessels and high-latitude long-range monitoring aircraft.…
FUCHS DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition by Germany’s Mannesmannröhren-Werke AG (MRW) of German company Fuchs. MRW produces and distributes steel tubes as well as steel and input stock for the production of tubes. Its parent company Salzgitter – also a German company – manufactures steel products, including large welded diameter tubes.…
NEW EU COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ISSUES of commercial crime have been moving up the European Union’s (EU) policy agenda in recent years. With the arrival of a 25-member European Commission under Jose Barroso, the subject has even greater prominence and involves the responsibilities of three new Commissioners.…
REACH LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) chemical control package REACH that has been causing metal companies serious concern is starting to move steadily towards the Brussels statute book, with the European Parliament preparing to start formal debates next month. Its responsible committee on the environment, public health and food safety stages its next meeting on November 23 and 24, following a session of the industry, research and energy committee, which has the right to propose its own amendments.…
LOW REACH COST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW study on proposed European Union (EU) chemical control scheme REACH has estimated its true cost to the sector and allied industries such as paints and coatings companies at just 0.06% of annual sales. Written by academics from Tufts University, Boston, USA, and commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers, the study says total direct costs from the current REACH proposals to Europe’s chemicals industry would be around Euro 3.5 billion within 11 years.…
BACKFILL MINE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE RIGHT of companies to export waste around the European Union (EU) for storage in disused mines has been strengthened by the European Court of Justice. Judges said a Belgian environmental regulator should not have independently redesignated as waste for disposal salt residues Siomab SA wanted to bury in salt mines at Teutschenthal, Germany.…
TRAVEL HEART ATTACKS
BY MONICA DOBIE
COMPANIES whose employees endure long stressful commutes to work are at a greater risk of losing their workers due to heart attacks according to German research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study said people are three times more likely to suffer a heart attack within an hour of driving a car or bicycle in a traffic jam than if they would be in activities away from traffic.…
URANIUM ENRICHMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved French nuclear group Areva and Anglo-German-Dutch outfit Urenco launching a joint venture where Areva acquires joint control over Urenco’s Enrichment Technology Company. It develops and manufactures centrifuges for uranium enrichment. Brussels backed the deal after Areva and Urenco promised to act independently, notably over future capacity decisions.…
GERMANY EIB
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN timber industry is to receive a major slice of a Euro 300 million rural development package being developed by the Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to fund Euro 150 million of this programme, which cites timber production, as one of four priorities (including the food industry, village rehabilitation and general economic development).…
REACH DEVELOPMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) chemical control package REACH that has been causing metal mineral mining companies some concern is moving steadily towards the Brussels statute book, with the European Parliament preparing to start formal debates this autumn. In the meantime, the European Commission is still fine tuning the proposals, which it has already formally tabled for agreement by ministers and MEPs.…
EP REACH ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A STUDY into the European Union’s (EU) proposed REACH system has been roundly criticised by members of the European Parliament committee that ordered it. Consultants Arthur D. Little’s report claimed REACH could cause “a 2.9% loss in GDP and a 24.7% loss in (chemical and related industry) production”.…
CARMEUSE LOAN
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE CARMEUSE Group of Liege, Belgium, one of the world’s largest producers of lime, is to strengthen its presence in eastern Europe with a major investment in Romania that is being supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).…
OSCE SOUTH-EAST EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ANTIMONY mine in Macedonia will be a focus of an international effort to prevent cross-border environmental threats in south-eastern Europe. The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) have agreed to cooperate on managing pollution risks from the Lojane Mine, which has also been a source of chromium.…
ENERGY PRIORITIES
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) current Dutch presidency has ruled out securing political approval for the EU’s proposed directive on energy efficiency and energy services in the remainder of its 2004 presidency. Speaking to the European Parliament’s energy committee, the Netherlands’ economic affairs Minister Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst said the proposed directive on the security of electricity supply would take priority.…
EP REACH ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A STUDY ordered into the effects of European Union (EU) chemical control system REACH has been roundly criticised by members of the European Parliament committee that ordered it. Wiesbaden-based company Arthur D. Little’s report claimed that REACH could cause “a 2.9% loss in GDP and a 24.7% loss in (chemical and related industry) production”.…
CAPTION FOR SPACE HOUSE
BY ALAN OSBORN
A house designed by the European Space Agency using spacecraft technology may become the basis for the new German Antarctic station, Neumayer-III. The favoured design (shown here) is a sphere using the same ultra-light CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic) composites used in spacecraft.…
PLEASE PICK UP NEW MATERIAL HERE
BY ALAN OSBORN
POCA also contains “freestanding” reporting obligations. At present, offences arising from failure to disclose apply only to a limited number of lawyers in the “regulated sector” who give advice on financial services.
Implementation of the second directive will mean that lawyers conducting any of the activities listed in the directive will fall within its reach.…
ALCOPOP FEATURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALCOPOPS have had a bad rap. They are viewed, whether correctly or accurately, as the drink that weans young people from Coca-Cola and 7-Up into the world of alcohol, without them learning how to drink sensibly. They are also the drinks industry’s key innovation of the last decade, creating a new sector that – before a recent decline in popularity – seemed on course to eclipse some established products.…
NEW COMMISSION ANALYSIS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE ANNOUNCEMENT of the policy portfolios commanded by the incoming European Commission from November generally spells good news for the European Union’s (EU) ferrous and non-ferrous sectors, senior industry figures have told Metal Bulletin. “In general … we are quite happy with the commissioners who will be responsible for industry”, said Gordon Moffat, director of the association of European iron and steel industries Eurofer.…
ALCOPOP FEATURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALCOPOPS have had a bad rap. They are viewed, whether correctly or accurately, as the drink that weans young people from Coca-Cola and 7-Up into the world of alcohol, without them learning how to drink sensibly. They are also the drinks industry’s key innovation of the last decade, creating a new sector that – before a recent decline in popularity – seemed on course to eclipse some established products.…
LIECHTENSTEIN FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
IT might be one of the world’s smallest countries but you could hardly ask for a more emphatic turnaround from villain to hero in the fight against money laundering than Liechtenstein has managed over the last five years.…
OFFSET - PACAKGING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN research network has developed a quality offset press that it claims is flexible enough to thrive in the plastic films, paper or aluminium packaging sectors. The independent EUREKA network’s ‘variable sleeve offset printing’ project had to reduce the cost of machine parts printing variable sizes “as there are no standard sizes in packaging applications”, said a project memorandum.…
FREAK WAVES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SCIENTISTS are studying European Space Agency (ESA) satellite data proving that huge waves of 25 metres height or more are an ever-present hazard to shipping on the high seas. Researchers in the international MaxWave project are examining images culled over three weeks of more than 10 such monster waves.…
HOLIDAY LEAGUE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the summer holiday season in full swing, hold those calls to Stockholm: the Swedes have more time off than other Europeans, Germany’s IW economic institute has claimed. In an international survey of holidays taken by workers in 2003 in 14 western European countries, the Cologne-based think tank said Sweden was closely followed by the Netherlands (31 days) and Denmark (30 days).…
DYSTAR DEAL
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by USA takeover and investment company Platinum Equity LLC of German textile dye manufacturer and international distributor Dystar Textilfarben GmBH & Co.…
WATER POLYSTYRENE
BY ALAN OSBORN
A NEW process for polystyrene production that sharply reduces the use of volatile organic compounds (VOC), including pentane, is to be developed commercially by the Dutch company Nova Chemicals and the German firm Teubert Maschinenbau. Stephen Long, Nova marketing manager, said it was “too early yet” to say what kind of investment would be required by manufacturers of polystyrene foam products, which include insulation and packaging materials, drinking cups and children’s toys.…
DYSTAR DEAL
BY KEITN NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by USA takeover, investment and strategic management company Platinum Equity LLC of German textile dye manufacturer and international distributor Dystar Textilfarben GmBH & Co. The deal was approved under the Commission’s simplified competition procedure and Brussels imposed no conditions on allowing the takeover.…
VB INTERVIEW
BY ALAN OSBORN, in Strasbourg
THE ELECTION of celebrated European Commission whistleblower Paul van Buitenen as an independent Dutch member of the European Parliament in June puts the former European Commission whistle-blower in a unique position to intensify and broaden his anti-fraud campaign.…
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.…
LUXEMBOURG CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SOME linguistic purists may sneer at Luxembourgish, calling it a mere dialect of German, but it is an official language of the European Union’s (EU) richest country and if you want to be a locally registered lawyer, you must learn it.…
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.…
EEA GLOBAL WARMING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has – for a change – some good news to crow about regarding greenhouse gases, with the European Environment Agency (EEA) saying the old 15 member EU’s emissions fell by 0.5% from 2001-2, following increases in the previous two years.…
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.…
VENDEX DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition of the Dutch retail company Vendex KBB by US investment fund KKR, ruling it would not create competition problems, despite the Americans already controlling Wincor Nixdorf, a German supplier of electronic retail systems.…
NEW EU AUDITOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has appointed an insider as its new Internal Auditor, replacing Jules Muis who has been highly critical of the organisation’s accounting practices since leaving his post. Walter Deffaa will now become director general of the Commission’s internal audit service (IAS).…
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.…
PVC STUDY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PVC or polymer materials for roofing generally have a lower environmental impact than using bitumen, because of their comparative lightness, a life cycle assessment on PVC written for the European Commission has claimed. Undertaken by a research consortium led by German consultancy PE Europe GmbH, the review added that for flooring, PVC is less useful in environmental terms, having a bigger impact that linoleum, for instance.…
CODEX MEETING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD’S food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius, has approved an international code of practice on ‘good animal feeding’, establishing a global feed safety system for livestock. It advises on maintaining animal health and reducing environmental problems associated with particular feeds, (such as antibiotics) “in order to minimise risks to the health of consumers.”…
VAN BUITENEN SLATE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HIGH-PROFILE European Commission whistleblower Paul van Buitenen has detailed the recent series of European Union (EU) scandals and corruption cases within a manifesto, issued to promote his campaign for election to the European Parliament on June 10. Exploiting rules that allow European Commission officials to stand for the parliament and make detailed election statements, van Buitenen’s manifesto is actually a German and Dutch language book ‘In the Trenches of Brussels’.…
DAIRY AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EURO 127.7 in German state aid – enabling Theo Müller GmbH & Co to expand a dairy plant in Leppersdorf, Saxony – has been approved by the European Commission.…
ECJ - DRIVING DISQUALIFICATION
BY ALAN OSBORN
PAN-EUROPEAN fleet managers and road transport companies will have to closely monitor disqualification histories of their drivers, because of their newly confirmed legal right to secure licences in other European Union (EU) countries after being banned in their home state.…
DAIRY AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EURO 127.7 in German state aid – enabling Theo Müller GmbH & Co to expand a dairy plant in Leppersdorf, Saxony – has been approved by the European Commission.…
MARATHON CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MARATHON by name and nature, the European Commission has closed a gas network access case involving the Norwegian subsidiary of American gas producer Marathon, after negotiations stretching from the 1990’s. The deal, involving French and German gas companies Gaz de France (GdF) and Ruhrgas, allows the Commission to close a competition file that has also sparked pipeline access deals with German companies BEB and Thyssengas, plus Dutch company Gasunie.…
CODE OF HONOUR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN and Austrian MEPs have signed a so-called ‘code of honour’ not to fiddle expenses by over-claiming for flights to Strasbourg and Brussels. Until now MEPs have been paid the costs of (often expensive) normal economy flight tickets.…
TOBACCO SMUGGLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CIGARETTE companies can reclaim customs debts created by the seizure in the European Union of smuggled tobacco products in operations involving undercover agents, the European Court of Justice has ruled. In a case brought by the Netherlands’ British American Tobacco Manufacturing BV (taking over from Rothmans in 2000), the court said the DM 1.4 million claimed by German customs on 11 million seized and destroyed Golden American cigarettes could be reclaimed “provided no deception or obvious negligence may be attributed” to Rothmans.…
GERMAN TIGHTS BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has banned the sale and distribution of a line of tights – “Strumpfhose Hilka – Passend für alle Größen” (Hilka tights – one size fits all), because of concerns that they contain potentially carcinogenic illegal azo-dyes.…
GERMAN TIGHTS BAN
Keith Nuthall
THE GERMAN government has banned the sale and distribution of a line of tights – “Strumpfhose Hilka – Passend für alle Größen” (Hilka tights – one size fits all), because of concerns that they contain potentially carcinogenic illegal azo-dyes, the European Commission has reported.…
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.…
GRAPHITE ELECTRODE CARTEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice’s Court of First Instance has cut by Euro 153 million the fines previously imposed by the European Commission on eight American, German and Japanese companies for operating an international cartel in the graphite electrode sector.…
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.…
GERMANY EMISSIONS TRADING
KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY has moved away from an aggressive approach towards cutting industrial greenhouse gas pollution, watering down planned commitments within a national allocation plan under the European Union’s (EU) emission trading scheme. Brokered by German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, the new agreement earmarks 503 million tonnes of carbon dioxide credits annually to its industry (including power generators) between 2005 and 2007, a minor reduction (0.4 per cent) to current emissions (505 million tonnes).…
ECJ GERMANY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has backed a political case brought by the European Commission against Germany, designed to demonstrate a zero tolerance attitude towards the implementation of European Union (EU) energy liberalisation legislation. Judges censured Germany for being three years late in implementing the natural gas single market liberalisation directive approved in August 1998 with an implementation deadline of August 2000.…
USTR TELECOMS REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY is at the centre of a lengthy critique of global restrictions on the telecommunications sector issued by the United States Trade Representative (USTR), which it warns may form the basis future World Trade Organisation disputes cases. Germany has been criticised regarding access to leased lines and high mobile termination rates, in particular, with the USTR attacking the German telecom regulator RegTP’s “lack of authority to impose certain measures (ie.,…
MAIN ARTICLE
BY ALAN OSBORN
PERSONNEL managers may well consider the European Court of Justice (ECJ) a somewhat austere body, constantly engaged in arcane institutional and corporate matters. Think again. It can well be argued that the ECJ has had a more direct impact on the lives and work of the European Union’s 380 million citizens, including of course those in Britain, than any other single organisation.…
GERMANY PET AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the payment by the German government of state aid worth Euro 28.13 million to DOW PET GmbH to extend its PET production site in Schopkau, Saxony, eastern Germany. The aid will be granted as investment premium via the country’s Investitionszulagengesetz scheme and will meet 23.44 per cent of the total Euro 120 million cost of the project.…
RAPEX ALERT SYSTEM
KEITH NUTHALL
LISTERIA monocytogenes contaminants have been found in Spanish sea bass and German smoked salmon, according to a recent bulletin from the European Commission’s rapid alert service on food safety. The system also publicises alerts on fish imported into the European Union, recently highlighting aerobic mesophiles in Indonesian shrimp, for instance.…
VAN BUITENEN SLATE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HIGH-PROFILE European Commission whistleblower Paul van Buitenen will reveal a litany of European Union (EU) scandals and corruption cases when he releases his programme this month for the oncoming European elections. Exploiting rules that allow European Commission officials to stand for the parliament and make detailed election statements, van Buitenen is publishing a book ‘In the Trenches of Brussels’ on April 28, which will officially be his election manifesto.…
MEDICAL EXPENSES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that a law governing the reimbursement of medical expenses paid by German civil servants breaks European Union (EU) fair trade treaty commitments because it insists that the prospect of success for such treatment must be higher when bought abroad than in Germany.…
SHEET RECALL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has warned the European Commission’s consumer product safety service RAPEX of a voluntary product recall by bedding supplier Espalma, because of the use of the toxin pentachlorophenol in some of its bed linen, duvet covers and pillows.…
COKE - FRANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the acquisition of French coking plant Cokerie de Carling, by German companies Dillinger Hütte and Saarstahl (SAG), through their iron-making joint venture Rogesa. Following a month-long review, the Commission has concluded the deal does not pose competition concerns – approving the sale unconditionally – because of the small scale of the Franco-German border plant’s production.…
ROADSIDE CHECKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MOVES to increase the amount of checks that have to be made on driver’s tachographs and working time records are being resisted by the European Parliament’s transport committee. The European Commission wants to increase these checks from covering at least one per cent to three per cent of days worked by drivers, however, MEPs have proposed amendments saying that two per cent is enough.…
LITHUANIA LORRIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LORRY drivers driving concealed cigarettes into the European Union are liable for duty, even when duped into smuggling, the European Court of Justice has ruled. The EU’s Community Customs Code requires drivers to declare all goods, “including those hidden in a secret compartment specially made for that purpose…even though the goods were hidden in the vehicle without their knowledge”.…
FLAVOURED CIGARS FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THEY’RE not to everybody’s taste, we quite agree, but there’s no doubt that flavoured cigars have a very devoted band of followers and can no longer be dismissed as a passing fancy. Indeed after speaking to a number of the big players it is easy to gain the impression that the flavoured, (or aromatic), segment has (along perhaps with filters) been the only one to buck the cigar sector’s trend of falling or stagnant sales in recent years.…
COKE - FRANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the acquisition of French coking plant Cokerie de Carling, by German companies Dillinger Hütte and Saarstahl (SAG), through their iron-making joint venture Rogesa. The Commission has approved the sale unconditionally because of the French state-owned plant’s small production.…
ECJ PRICE ROUNDING CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EURO-ZONE telephone utilities should check how they dealt with the transfer of prices from national to the European single currency for price-per-minute rates, according to a preliminary ruling from a European Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general. Miguel Poiares Maduro advised that under EU law, telecom operators were allowed to round converted rates to the nearest Euro cent, but – crucially – provided this “does not entail a systematic increase in the monetary amounts to be paid.”…
DEUTSCHE TELEKOM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DEUTSCHE Telekom has agreed to lower fees charged to competitors offering high-speed Internet services via its broadband networks, following pressure from the European Commission. It had accused DT of exploiting its dominant position on the German market, where following three years of retail broadband competition, it still commands 90 per cent of the market.…
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.…
GERMAN WINE AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a formal state aid inquiry in Germany, examining the waiver of Euro 5 million on loans paid to GfW (Palatinate Wine Marketing Company) by the Reconstruction Fund for the Rhineland-Palatinate winegrowing area (WAK).…
NAZI ART LOOT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FIFTY years after the turn of the tide in the Second World War, the European Parliament is calling for the creation of a comprehensive international legal system to identify the whereabouts of artworks looted by the Nazis, fairly settling ownership and compensation claims.…
SUBSTANCE ABUSE LEGISLATION: EU
BY ALAN OSBORN
ABUSE of drugs and alcohol in the workplace may be a growing concern in European Union (EU) countries but there seems little evidence that the relevant authorities are unduly alarmed by it. An informal survey by Occupational Health of organisations and government departments suggests that little attempt has been made so far to assess the scale of the problem, still less to devise legislation aimed at workers, as distinct from society in general.…
EU ADVANCED OPTICAL RESEARCH
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE MANIPULATION of atoms within materials by using optical devices, (such as 3D light field synthesis), is being developed by a consortium of European organisations with Britain paying a leading role. The ATOM3D project is one of a number of “visionary” sciences that the European Union (EU) is funding under its New and Emerging Science and Technology (NEST) scheme for 2004 and is slated to receive funding of around Euro 1 million.…
GERMAN STATE AID
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has begun a formal investigation into regional development assistance for the German wine marketing company Gesellschaft für Weinabsatz Pfalz (GfW) suspecting that the aid may breach EU rules for state aid.
Brussels said the Reconstruction Fund for the Rhineland-Palatinate winegrowing area (WAK) had decided to waive part of its outstanding claims on GfW exceeding Euro 5 million for 2001, did not claim interest on debts and had agreed to subordinate certain claims in favour of other creditors.…
GERMAN SAUSAGES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THREE German sausages have been added by the European Commission to the EU list of protected traditionally made products, ensuring meat manufacturers cannot sell Thuringer Leberwurst, Thuringer Rotwurst and Thuringer Rostbratwurst in the EU unless they are made in Thuringia, central Germany, by traditional sausage-making traditions.…
BAINS TAKEOVER
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE ACQUISITION by the international fund management group Bain Capital of Interfer, a German-based company active in the processing and trading of steel, metal, plastic and ferrous products, non-ferrous metals and alloys, has been approved by the European Commission.…
NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is investigating a proposed deal effectively allying the European Union’s (EU) two companies enriching uranium for the nuclear industry. Brussels fears the purchase by France’s Areva of a 50 per cent stake in the Enrichment Technology Company from German-Dutch-British Urenco could cut competition and raise nuclear fuel prices, given enrichment represents about 35 per cent of fuel production costs and seven per cent for nuclear electricity generally.…
EU DIRECT TAX
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission is developing plans for the European Union (EU) to directly tax the citizens of the EU, rather than relying on earmarked transfers of national revenues, for instance from customs duties. The moves were revealed in an interview with EU budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer in the German newspaper Handelsblatt.…
EURATOM LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SUPPORT has been secured within the European Parliament for a proposed increase in the borrowing ceiling for the European Union’s (EU) nuclear energy arm Euratom, raising it from the current Euro 400 million to 600 million. The approval did not come without strings however, with MEP’s calling for Euratom to be restricted in its spending of this money to projects improving safety, decommissioning plants or establishing storage and disposal facilities for radioactive waste and spent fuel.…
NUCLEAR SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SUPPORT has been secured within the European Parliament for a proposed increase in the borrowing ceiling for the European Union’s (EU) nuclear energy arm Euratom, raising it from the current Euro 400 million to 600 million. The approval did not come without strings however, with MEP’s calling for Euratom to be restricted in its spending of this money to projects improving safety, decommissioning plants or establishing storage and disposal facilities for radioactive waste and spent fuel.…
MAIL ORDER CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that any national ban on the Internet sale of non-prescription medicines would break European Union freedom of business laws. It has intervened in a bid by German pharmacies association Deutsche Apothekerverband to stop the operation of Dutch pharmacy DocMorris, which from June 2000 has sold medicines on the web to customers in Germany and the Netherlands.…
JACKSONVILLE AIRPORT
BY PHILIP FINE
A US airport is working on an agreement with a German company to jointly run a baggage-handling operation that they can market to local airlines. Jacksonville International Airport and Fraport AG – the Frankfurt-based company that owns and operates that city’s airport – would save airlines the expense of hiring workers and buying equipment needed to move bags to and from aircraft.…
BRITAIN VAT LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A BRITISH VAT regulation simplifying tax returns relating to company cars could effectively be declared illegal next year by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The rule involves Customs & Excise restricting to 50 per cent, the proportion of company car hiring or leasing charges that can be declared as a business expense on VAT returns, leading to a reduction in a business’ VAT bill.…
GERMANY - SWITZERLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has rebuffed a request from Switzerland for it to declare that night flight restrictions imposed by Germany on planes flying across its territory towards Zurich airport break a European Union-Swiss aviation agreement. Instead, the Commission has ruled the noise-related rules are legal.…
COMPANY CAR VAT: 100 words
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A BRITISH VAT regulation simplifying company car VAT returns could effectively be declared illegal next year by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The rule involves Customs & Excise restricting to 50 per cent the proportion of company car hiring or leasing charges that are declared as a business expense and freeing a businesses hiring or leasing cars from having to keep records of private mileage.…
CHINA-GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY’S Chancellor Gerhard Schroder has told television interviewers he would not oppose the sale of a German plutonium factory to China when the scheme is properly developed. He told the ZDF channel that Siemens had the “legitimate right” to export it to China, so long as the plant was used for civilian ends.…
PIPELINE INQUIRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission competition officials are examining whether the German, Dutch and Belgian governments are spending too much public money on a Euro 200 million chemical gas pipeline project linking Rotterdam, Antwerp and Germany. The carbon steel pipeline will carry industrial gases such as propylene, avoiding the need for them to be carried by road or inland waterway.…
GERMANY - DEPOSIT SYSTEM
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to make a formal inquiry into Germany’s ‘one-way’ drinks packaging deposit system on the grounds that it breaches European Union (EU) law by damaging trade between EU member countries. Under the system, introduced at the beginning of the year, retailers may only return deposits on empty cans and bottles when they have products of the same type, shape and size in stock.…
PIPELINE INQUIRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission competition officials are examining whether the German, Dutch and Belgian governments are spending too much public money on a Euro 200 million chemical gas pipeline project linking Rotterdam, Antwerp and Germany. The carbon steel pipeline will carry industrial gases such as propylene, avoiding the need for them to be carried by road or inland waterway.…
EXXON SHELL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATURAL gas giants ExxonMobil and Shell are to end cooperation over marketing supplies to customers in (largely north-western) Germany, removing this business from their 50/50 joint-venture BEB Erdgas und Erdöl GmbH (BEB). Instead, the two companies will split its custom between them and start competing through their respective subsidiaries: ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Deutschland GmbH and Shell Erdgasbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH.…
EXXON SHELL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATURAL gas giants ExxonMobil and Shell are to end cooperation over marketing supplies to customers in (largely north-western) Germany, removing this business from their 50/50 joint-venture BEB Erdgas und Erdöl GmbH (BEB). Instead, the two companies will split its custom between them and start competing through their respective subsidiaries: ExxonMobil Gas Marketing Deutschland GmbH and Shell Erdgasbeteiligungsgesellschaft mbH.…
CAR INSURANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL battle is brewing between the European Union (EU) insurance industry and the European Parliament over a safety net law defining the minimum cover that must be offered by insurers selling compulsory motoring policies, which are required by national laws.…
FINLAND - GERMANY DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition of full control of the Finnish pharmaceutical distributor Tamro Oyj by German pharmacist Phoenix International Beteiligungs GmbH. The decision followed a cursory examination of the potential competition problems. The Commission swiftly decided there were none and fast tracked the decision, after being notified about the deal on August 29.…
CAR INSURANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL battle is brewing between the European Union (EU) insurance industry and the European Parliament over a safety net law defining the minimum cover that must be offered by insurers selling compulsory motoring policies, which are required by national laws.…
NUCLEAR SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission proposals to boost nuclear energy safety in Europe have come under fire from the British and German governments as well as the European Parliament, making it highly unlikely that they will be approved unscathed. In an unusual joint letter to the Commission, UK prime minister Tony Blair and German chancellor Gerhard Schröder criticised Brussels’ proposed directive, claiming that it would not deal tangible benefits in nuclear security.…
ALLIANZ - SLOVAKIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has acquired a 15 per cent stake in insurance company Allianz-Slovenská poistovna from its German parent Allianz AG. Neither the bank nor the company are disclosing the money involved in the deal, but the Suddeutsche Zeitung newspaper has reported EBRD sources claiming it was Euro 50 million.…
SRI LANKA IRON ORE
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
A SRI Lanka university is talking to foreign mining investors after its geologists discovered a dense iron ore deposit in the south of the island country. Peradeniya University claims that the deposit, in Wellawaya district, has a purity exceeding 90 per cent and is estimated to be about 90 million tonnes in size.…
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.…
BALTIC SEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY, Sweden and Denmark must do more to prevent water run-off from their rivers and coasts adding excess nutrients to the western Baltic Sea, said an international research project into the deaths of marine wildlife in 2002. The Helsinki Commission – tasked with investigating the natural disaster – concluded higher levels of nutrients from agriculture, urban wastewater and air pollution poured into the sea after heavy rain and snow.…
US ENERGY COMPANY TO SELL EUROPEAN NATURAL GAS BUSINESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Duke Energy Corp, a diversified US energy company based in Charlotte, is in discussions with “several potential buyers” for its European natural gas business, the company has announced. It gave no details of the possible buyers or price.…
SPACE DRILL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN tunnelling company has developed a boring machine drawing on space technology to include a sophisticated sensor enabling operators to assess oncoming rock conditions whilst drilling continues. Herrenknecht AG, which drilled the Elbe tunnel, has been trialling its new sensor on a 9.8m-diameter TBM shield excavating the Pannerdensch Kanaal twin tunnel near Arnhem, the Netherlands.…
PRESS RELEASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A team from the Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald have designed an experimental fuel cell that generates electricity when bacteria, in this case Escherichia coli (E. coli), feed on sugar. The resulting output is enough to power a medical ventilator or similar appliance.…
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.…
GERMANY ALUMINIUM RECYCLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has asked Germany to suspend its system of charging consumers a deposit on (generally aluminium) metal cans, claiming that although it is designed to encourage recycling, it interferes with the right – enshrined in European law – guaranteeing the freedom of movement of goods around Europe.…
INSULATION GRANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GRANT scheme funneling money to German citizens wanting to buy environment-friendly insulation made from as flax, hemp fibre and sheep’s wool, rather than conventional fossil materials has been approved by the European Commission. Its decision, made under European Union state aid regulatory powers will signal to other EU Member States that such a scheme would be approved by Brussels across Europe.…
MONEY-OFF VOUCHERS VAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is asking the European Court of Justice to authorise daily-recurring fines against the German government, because it refuses to allow retail goods producers to reduce their VAT bill when issuing money-off vouchers. Germany insists that VAT is paid on their products’ full price, meaning manufacturers cannot recoup all owed sales taxes from consumers.…
INSULATION GRANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GRANT scheme funnelling money to German citizens wanting to buy environment-friendly insulation made from sheep’s wool, (as well as flax, hemp fibre), rather than conventional fossil materials has been approved by the European Commission. Its decision, made under European Union state aid regulatory powers will send a signal to other EU Member States that such schemes would be approved by Brussels across Europe.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE deal over third party access to gas pipelines has been agreed between German joint venture BEB and the European Commission, leading to Brussels closing its competition investigation into the company’s refusal to allow Norway’s Marathon to pump gas into its infrastructure.…
E COLI
KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN researchers have harnessed electricity from the aggressive bio-chemical reactions generated by the food poisoning bacteria E coli eating sugar. Scientists from Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald claim that generated ten times more electricity using microbial fuel cells using E coli than with previous designs, because of a newly designed anode and the voraciousness of the bacteria.…
E COLI POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN researchers have developed a method of harnessing electricity from bio-chemical reactions generated by the food poisoning bacteria E coli eating sugar. Scientists from Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald claim that they are able to generate ten times as much electricity using microbial fuel cells using E coli than with previous designs, because of a newly designed anode and the voraciousness of the bacteria.…
GERMANY TOBACCO ROLLS
BY ALAN OSBORN and KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening Germany with legal action at the European Court of Justice over its taxing of rolls of tobacco – inserted by smokers into separately-sold paper tubes with filters – at a lower rate than for standard cigarettes.…
E COLI POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN researchers have developed a method of harnessing electricity from bio-chemical reactions generated by the food poisoning bacteria E coli eating sugar. Scientists from Ernst Moritz Arndt University in Greifswald claim that they are able to generate ten times as much electricity using microbial fuel cells using E coli than with previous designs, because of a newly designed anode and the voraciousness of the bacteria.…
INDIA ALUMINIUM SMELTER
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
INDIA’S largest zinc and lead producer Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL) is planning to increase the annual capacity of its smelter in Chanderiya, Rajasthan, by 100,000 tonnes, up from its existing 70,000 tonnes per annum production.
Industry sources have been quoted in the Indian press saying that HZL has already raised US$75 million from overseas markets to finance the expansion, with the remainder being secured from Indian banks and lenders.…
OIL SLICK - ESA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL imaging from the European Space Agency’s ERS-2 satellite helped Swedish, German and Danish oil containment ships scoop up the bulk of an oil slick released from a sunken Chinese freighter that threatened the southern coast of Sweden this month.(June)…
OXO CHEMICALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CREATION of an international joint-venture, manufacturing oxo chemicals – which are a key ingredient of many paints, varnishes and plasticisers – has been agreed by the European Commission. It has approved the 50/50 initiative involving German chemical producers Celanese AG and Degussa AG; it will trade as European Oxo Chemicals (EOC).…
OXO CHEMICALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CREATION of an international joint-venture, manufacturing oxo chemicals – which are a key ingredient of many solvents – has been agreed by the European Commission. It has approved the 50/50 initiative involving German chemical producers Celanese AG and Degussa AG; it will trade as European Oxo Chemicals (EOC).…
OXO CHEMICALS
BY KEITHNUTHALL
THE CREATION of an international joint-venture, manufacturing oxo chemicals – which are a key ingredient of many synthetic fibres – has been agreed by the European Commission. It has approved the 50/50 initiative involving German chemical producers Celanese AG and Degussa AG; it will trade as European Oxo Chemicals (EOC).…
OIL SLICK - ESA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL imaging from the European Space Agency’s ERS-2 satellite helped Swedish, German and Danish oil containment ships scoop up the bulk of an oil slick released from a sunken Chinese freighter that threatened the southern coast of Sweden this month.(June)…
GERMANY ASIAN FLU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FEARS that avian flu may have spread from the Netherlands to poultry in Germany have sparked movement controls on live poultry, hatching eggs and fresh, unprocessed and non-heat-treated poultry manure or litter. They cannot be moved within the Lander of North Rhine-Westphalia because of an unconfirmed outbreak amongst chickens in Schwalmtal, near the Dutch border.…
FRANCE CASE THINK PIECE
BY ALAN OSBORN
AN UNUDUAL and significant announcement was made by the European Commission earlier this month (April 2nd) and it should be required reading for any-one who thinks that Brussels is frightened of France when it comes to farming matters.…
WTO SERVICES OFFER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has made its formal offer at the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Development Round to boost access to the European Union insurance market to non-EU players. However, following pressure from national European capitals, its services talks liberalisation package is hedged with a large number of exceptions protecting local interests.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AGREEMENT in principle over the proposed reforms to the European Union’s gas liberalisation directives has been secured at the European Parliament’s key industry committee, although it is proposing important changes. MEP’s called for amendments insisting upon close cooperation between the European Commission and national regulators regarding security of supply.…
HERLITZ INQUIRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is investigating state aid of Euro 1 million paid by the German government to stationary giant Herlitz, to prevent a subsidiary – Falken Office Products – from going insolvent. Brussels fears this payment may have broken European Union state aid rules.…
CROSS BORDER TAX
Keith Nuthall
A MODEL tax system for construction projects that cross national borders within Europe has been devised by the European Commission for work on a new bridge spanning the Rhine between Germany and Switzerland. The Commission has proposed that standard EU VAT laws are suspended, suggesting that all relevant good and services should attract German VAT and no Swiss VAT.…
GERMAN COLLIERY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has granted environmental approval to plans for extending the life of Germany’s Prosper Haniel Colliery, near near Bottrop in North-Rhine Westphalia, using its powers to protect the EU’s Natura 2000 conservation sites. Brussels said the potential ecological damage that may be caused by continued operations at Haniel was justified by “reasons of overriding public interest.”…
GERMANY AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the payment of more than Euro 3.3 billion to the German coal mining industry for this year, while also accepting a restructuring plan for the sector that will reduce subsidies and production until 2007.…
ANTI-TRUST RAID
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FIVE major European suppliers of chemicals to the cosmetics industry have been raided by the European Commission, which suspects them of price-fixing. Brussels says that its inspectors, along with national competition officials, carried out “simultaneous and unannounced inspections at the premises of the major European producers of the bleaching agent hydrogen peroxide, as well as softening agents, solvents and methacrylates.…
HAMBURG WATER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HAMBURG’S ageing and crumbling sewerage network is to be upgraded by a Euro 420 injection of funding, with the European Union’s (EU) European Investment Bank (EIB) planning to provide Euro 180 million of this money. The scheme involves a large number of small repair projects to improve the north German port’s waste water services, including the modernisation of its sewage treatment system and the reconstruction and upgrading of its sewerage networks.…
SINGLE MARKET DIRECTIVES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AGREEMENT in principle over the proposed reforms to the European Union’s gas and electricity liberalisation directives has been secured at the European Parliament’s key industry committee, although it is also holding out for some important changes. MEP’s backed a report from Luxembourg member Claude Turmes which called for amendments insisting upon close cooperation between the European Commission and national regulators to ensure a level playing field regarding security of supply.…
PREUSSAG ENERGIE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has given the go-ahead for the acquisition by Gaz de France (GDF) of the German oil and gas activities of Preussag Energie. Brussels has been examining the potential effect on competition in Germany’s upstream energy market and concluded that these were “only small.”…
CO-GENERATION CRITICISM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LONG awaited European Union legislation promoting the co-generation of heat and power (CHP) has been attacked in the European Parliament, where MEP’s have accused it of “lacking ambition.” Indeed, the parliament’s industry committee has supported a critical report by German socialist MEP Norbert Glante which lamented the absence in the proposals of future targets for cogeneration and EU rules on financial support.…
MICROBIOLOGISTS STUDY
BY PHILIP FINE
TEAMS of microbiologists have concluded that it is not just unsafe to swim in sewage infiltrated waters, but that the amount of sickness caused by such pollution is actually far more predictable than previously thought. The findings have prompted them to call for global health-based legislation on the quality of the world’s bathing waters.…
EU ANTI-TRUST RAIDS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE PREMISES of five major European chemical companies have been raided by the European Commission’s antitrust services in a search for evidence of price-fixing in solvents, and a small list of other products. Brussels said the investigation was at a “preliminary stage” and could lead to no evidence of wrong-doing.…
AZERBAIJAN LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has drawn up plans to lend US$6 million to an Azerbaijan company, which is to apply coatings to the Middle East country’s growing oil and gas pipeline network.
Baku-based EUPEC PipeCoatings Azerbaijan will receive this revolving loan facility; it is an Azeri-German joint venture between EUPEC PipeCoatings GmbH, of Germany, and Azertrans Ltd and Azinvest, of Azerbaijan.…
GERMAN RENEWABLES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has drawn up plans to finance renewable energy projects in Germany, marking a change in mood towards supporting such green schemes. Up to Euro 200 million would be invested, mainly in wind power plants, and to a lesser extent geothermal, small-scale hydro power, solar energy and biomass based energy projects.…
ECJ ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
STREAMLINING, multi-tasking and flexible posting of employees may be important weapons in the arsenal of a personnel team looking at getting the most efficiency out of their company, but managers had better make sure that their policies are legal, not only under national laws, but European law too.…
NUCLEAR ENERGY SECURITY
BY DEIRDRE MASON, ALAN OSBORN, PHILIP FINE and KEITH NUTHALL
IF there had been feelings bubbling under the surface of the British civil nuclear industry that the regulations governing its security were due for an overhaul, the events of September 11, 2001 – becoming universally known by its American shorthand 9/11 – certainly brought everybody to the table.…
REGULATION ASSESSMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FINNISH lawyers are the most lightly regulated in the European Union (EU), according to the surprising results of a European Commission-funded survey designed to promote the need for liberalisation in Europe’s liberal professions. Oddly, Greece, not known for its adherence to EU rules, has the union’s most heavily regulated legal profession; under a statistical indices developed by the Institute for Advanced Studies, Vienna, Greece has a regulation burden of 9.5, while the laissez-faire Finns score a tiny 0.3.…
EU ROUND UP ADD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
*The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending Euro 150 million to a special fund to counter the damage caused by the Prestige disaster in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. It will be operated by local savings banks and cover recovery project costs.…
GM AUTHORISATION ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MOVE by European Union (EU) health and consumer affairs Commissioner David Byrne to kick-start preparations to lift the five year de-facto moratorium on genetically modified organism imports into the EU has been blocked by Germany, France, Greece, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria.…
CELANESE DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REGULATORY approval for a proposed propylene-based oxo chemicals joint venture between German companies Celanese AG and Degussa AG could be held up by the European Commission, which has opened a detailed investigation into the deal. Both companies want to combine their production and sales activities regarding these chemicals, used as chemical intermediates, solvents and plasticisers.…
PREDICTIVE POWERTRAIN
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
RESEARCHERS at DaimlerChrysler are developing an automatic driving correction system that they like to call a “predictive powertrain;” DC claims the technology could reduce engine fuel consumption by as much as 10 per cent.
The German carmaker is planning to install “a range of sensors” into vehicles that can examine a driver’s individual style as well as road and traffic conditions.…
BAKU PIPELINE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation of the World Bank is heading up a groundbreaking aid deal that will try to foster key local companies who will be responsible for maintaining and managing piplelines sending natural gas and oil from central Asia to the European Union.…
LOTUS PAPER
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
GERMAN chemical company BASF is developing a new “self cleaning” coating from lotus plants that stops dirt clinging to rough surfaces, especially paper. The polymer spray that repels dust and grime exploits what is known as the “lotus effect” – the way water dropping on lotus leaves forms beads and simply rolls off.…
TAKEOVER BIDS - EU
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union’s revised take-over directive is facing new obstacles following an unexpected decision by Britain to side with Germany in opposing a number of key aspects of the proposal. Thus far Germany has been alone in rejecting provisions in the draft directive, which would limit national mechanisms to frustrate take-over bids.…
LOTUS EFFECT
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
SCIENTISTS have developed a spray that allows surfaces to become self-cleaning. German chemical company BASF is working on the coating to stop dirt clinging to leather, textiles and paper. The spray is based around the “lotus effect” – water on lotus leaves form beads which simply roll off.…
IFC LOANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank is leading an aid deal to encourage local companies to maintain and manage pipelines sending natural gas and oil from central Asia to the European Union. The IFC, (which is initially injecting US$250,000), BP, Norway’s Statoil, GTZ, (the German aid agency), and the Baku Enterprise Centre, Azerbaijan, will launch a programme to help local businesses benefit from petro- projects, notably the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey.…
GERMAN RENEWABLES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has drawn up plans to finance a range of renewable energy projects in Germany. Up to Euro 200 million would be invested, mainly in wind power plants, and to a lesser extent geothermal, small-scale hydro power, solar energy and biomass based energy projects.…
VENKATESH COKE & POWER
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
INDIA’S Venkatesh Coke and Power Ltd. has announced that it has secured a sales contract for selling coke to Germany’s RAG from its planned 110MW power station in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, which will import 1.2 million tonnes of coking coal per year, mostly low ash coal from Australia.…
TAKEOVER DIRECTIVE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union’s revised take-over directive is facing new obstacles following an unexpected decision by Britain to side with Germany in opposing a number of key aspects of the proposal. Thus far Germany has been alone in rejecting provisions in the draft directive, which would limit national mechanisms to frustrate take-over bids.…
GERMAN QUALITY MARK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has thrown doubt on the legality of national food quality marks within the European Union (EU), through a judgement ruling that a ‘Markenqualität aus deutschen Landen’ (quality label for produce made in Germany) scheme breaks EU freedom of trade rules by excluding products made out of its home country.…
CANADA FEATURE
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE CANADIAN government has stepped up to the baseball plate in response to calls from domestic and international law enforcement agencies that it raises its game in detecting, deterring and preventing money laundering, especially and terrorist financing. The result has been three new regulations that were brought into effect in January of this year.…
GERMAN QUALITY MARK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has thrown doubt on the legality of national food quality marks within the European Union (EU), through a judgement ruling that a ‘Markenqualität aus deutschen Landen’ (quality label for produce made in Germany) scheme breaks EU freedom of trade rules by excluding products made out of its home country.…
OLAF INQUIRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s anti-fraud unit OLAF has said it took part in preliminary investigations leading to the raids on Imperial Tobacco’s German subsidiary Reemtsma, which uncovered evidence involving allegations of cigarette smuggling. OLAF said it “welcomes the actions undertaken by the German judicial and Customs authorities to investigate the activities of a number of managers of a cigarette manufacturer in the regions of Hamburg and Stade,” adding it would “continue to make itself available to the German authorities for any further action that they consider necessary.”…
GENERAL EU ROUND-UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AGREEMENT on legislation lowering the maximum level of sulphur content in European Union (EU) diesel and petrol to 10 ppm has been struck by the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. They agreed these low sulphur fuels must be available throughout the EU from January 1, 2005, and mandatory from January 1, 2009.…
AUDI - BLOCK EXEMPTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has struck a deal with Audi over a system of choosing and authorising repair shops in its network that Brussels will use as a model for other manufacturers trying to follow the European Union’s new block exemption regime.…
GERMANY - ACRYLAMIDE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has called at the EU Council of Ministers for an EU-wide strategy to reduce the potential health risk from the production of acrylamide in certain categories of food, such as bread and chips.…
NEWCASTLE DISEASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is trying to persuade the European Union Council of Ministers to slap an import ban on poultry, poultry meat and eggs imports from California, where there is an outbreak of Newcastle Disease, while accepting these products from other parts of the United States.…
SPACE TECHNOLOGY
BY JONATHAN THOMSON, in Newcastle, England, PHILIP FINE and MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal, Canada
SPACE may be Star Trek’s final frontier, but in reality innovations used on rockets and satellites do not stay in orbit; they are often brought back to Earth where they have been used by auto-manufacturers to break their own technological boundaries.…
CELENESE & CLARIANT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has authorised the acquisition by German chemicals firm Celanese AG of the emulsions and emulsion powders business of Swiss company Clariant AG. Concluding that the deal does not raise any competition concerns within the European Union, Brussels cleared the takeover without conditions.…
EU EMISSIONS TRADING GREENWATCH
BY ALAN OSBORN
IT’S now official. Following agreement this week by its environment ministers, the European Union (EU) is to set up a market to trade pollution permits for carbon dioxide (CO2), the main so-called greenhouse gas, starting in 2005.
The European Commission is delighted, business is pleased, and while not all environmentalists are overjoyed, the balance of opinion among them is clearly favourable.…
STRESS AT WORK AWARDS
BY DENMARK FINCH AND FRITZ BRETT
INTRO
REDUCING stress amongst employees at work can make a major improvement to the bottom line of companies; indeed, so expensive is the problem, says the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work, it is thought to cost the EU at least Euro 20 billion a year in lost time and health costs and affect more than 40 million of its employees.…
WTO ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PROBLEM for farmers when considering how to influence international negotiations that are as long, complicated and important as the scheduled five years of discussions over updating the World Trade Organisation’s agriculture agreement, is knowing when to spend money on lobbyists to intervene.…
RAG DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition by Germany’s mining and technology group RAG of German speciality chemicals company Degussa AG, so long as RAG sells its Italian, Spanish and German plants making naphtalene sulfonate, an important concrete input.…
COMMUNITY PATENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) Council of Ministers is under pressure to agree proposals to set up a so-called ‘Community Patent’ that would give inventors the option of obtaining a single patent legally valid throughout the EU. Germany and Portugal are objecting to wording in the proposed texts and have succeeded in blocking the initiative, angering EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein who said the Commission “cannot accept that the proposed central and specialised EU jurisdiction should be watered down.”…
COMMUNITY PATENT
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) Council of Ministers for competitiveness has failed to agree legal proposals for setting up a so-called ‘Community Patent’ that would give inventors the option of obtaining a single patent legally valid throughout the EU.…
GERMANY PETROL
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has come down on the side of the European Commission in a dispute with Germany, (which has been supported by Britain in this case), over the payment of VAT when petrol suppliers redeem money-off vouchers they had distributed to retailers through a middle-man.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved Germany’s controversial Euro 647 million state aid injection to TotalFina Elf subsidiary Mitteldeutsche Erdöl Raffinerie for constructing the Leuna 2000 refinery in Saxony-Anhalt. Brussels had re-examined the project and has now cleared all aid, including Euro 61.4 million, which had been blocked pending the decision.…
AGRO-SATELLITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN company Rapid Eye AG is developing a new type of geographical survey satellite, specialising in agricultural data, with EU-approved Euro 37 million German government grants.…
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.…
CAPROLACTAM
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered a reduction in the state aid proposed by the German government to help the company Capro Schwedt to build a new plant for the production of caprolactam, the main input material for the production of synthetic fibres.…
GRAIN BRANDY CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a formal investigation into whether Germany’s spirits monopoly law regarding the production of grain brandy, (Kornbranntwein), involves the payment of illegal state subsidies. The Commission wants to prevent small agricultural producers being unfairly favoured with state production subsidies denied to producers from other Member States, and, from 2006, to larger German commercial producers.…
AIRLINE ALLIANCE
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has closed competition investigations threatening the future of two international aviation cooperation deals: the Star Alliance of Lufthansa, SAS and United Airlines; and the KLM-Northwest Airlines compact. Brussels halted inquiries into Star after its partners offered to surrender slots at Frankfurt airport to allow competing services on the Frankfurt to Chicago, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco routes.…
FIBRE BOARDS
KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN research group has been awarded an EU European Business Award for the Environment for developing technology to produce fibre-board from the residue wood of palm oil plantations. The Fraunhofe Institute for Wood Research’s system will help Malaysian producers create a marketable product from the 40 million tonnes of biomass waste produced annually, which is usually either burnt or stored in poor conditions.…
FINANCIAL TASK FORCE
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
THE FINANCIAL framework of state regulated air traffic management is often perceived by the more commercially orientated air transport industry as inflexible and driven by supply rather than demand. This perception remains despite the widespread corporatisation of ANSPs, (air navigation service providers), which has pulled them away from the firm embrace of government.…
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT - GERMANY
BY ALAN OSBORN
GERMANY is being threatened with legal action by the European Commission over the award of sewage water treatment and gas and electricity supply contracts by the city of Jever, Friesland, north Germany. Brussels says that the contracts were agreed without open tendering procedures legally required to ensure competition in public procurement.…
GOVERNMENT CAPACITY BUILDING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CONCEPT of nation building is not new. Powerful governments have for centuries sought to create pliant political administrations which would do their bidding, without being directly under their control. It is, after all, in noone’s interest for a territory to descent into chaos.…
VIKING - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ATTEMPT by German garden equipment group Viking-Umwelttechnik to have a symbol composed of two rectangles – one green, one grey – registered as an exclusive European Union (EU) trademark has been lost.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that consumers would have difficulty associating the shapes with the company’s products, which include garden choppers and shredders; rotary cultivators; lawn mowers; front mowers; ride-on mowers; lawn aerators; lawn trimmers; hedge clippers; sweeping machines; motor saws; and brush cutters.…
FIBRE BOARD AID
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the payment by the German government of Euro 25 million in investment aid to Kunz Faserplattenwerk Baruth to help it set up a new medium density fibreboard (MDF) mill, in Brandenburg, eastern Germany. The company is part of the Kunz Group, which develops, produces and markets timber-based material.…
BREWING AWARD
BY ALAN OSBORN
A GERMAN manufacturer of brewery equipment has joined with a Luxembourg beer brewer to commercialise a technique that they claim can save 55 per cent of the energy required for boiling wort, a major process in beer production.…
BY MONICA DOBIE and KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUND-breaking environmental initiative is being developed in Greece involving a desalination plant being powered wholly by the heat of the earth’s upper crust.
The plant’s electricity turbines will be driven by geothermal fluids pumped from deep underground fissures under the island, whose temperatures can reach 100°C.…
GERMAN WATER PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN insurance group Gerling is providing financial and managerial support to a ground-breaking environmental initiative in the hope that it will be copied and that the company will be asked to underwrite similar initiatives because of its expertise.…
WIPO BUILDING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Intellectual Property Organisation is moving ahead with its project to build a new administrative building at its Geneva headquarters, with Stuttgart architects Behnisch, Behnisch & Partner working to a SFr 157.5 million budget.
They have drawn up plans for a building with a minimum of 560 working places and 280 underground parking spaces.…
WINGAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN AGREEMENT involving UK-based EDF Trading supplying gas to German wholesale company Wingas for 10 years, with a possible five-year extension, have been approved retrospectively by the European Commission’s competition directorate general. Brussels approved the deal for the supplies, (which began in 1998), after the companies agreed to amend their contracts, to block restrictions on other wholesalers being supplied by EdF Trading.…
FIGARO LAUNCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COORDINATING centre for European digital publishers of academic texts has been launched with a public blitz on the traditional publishing sector, accusing it of being lethargic and vulnerable to unscrupulous reviewer academics who may exploit their contents prior to publication.…
ILLEGAL PLANT TRADE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE RICHES that can be made from the illegal ivory trade are well known, but what of illicit imports and exports of rare flowers. Shipping protected orchids to Europe, Japan and north America can make criminals a lot of money.…
EU ANIMAL TESTS LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Commission plans to postpone a ban on the marketing within the EU of cosmetic ingredients, that have been tested on animals after July 1 of this year, have sparked fury at the European Parliament, threatening the delicate negotiations over the final shape of Europe’s animal testing legislation.…
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.…
TAKEOVER DIRECTIVE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed a new directive to cover takeover bids in the EU that will allow, among other things, a majority shareholder to require minority holders to sell him their securities while empowering minority shareholders to require the majority holder to buy them out.…
EUROSTAMP
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank has drawn up plans to lend up to Euro 25 million to a German company Eurostamp Deutschland, to enable it to construct and install a production plant for stamped and assembled auto-body parts. The factory would be sited in one of the poorest areas of Saxony, in eastern Germany, which is labelled as an Objective 1 zone by the European Commission and hence eligible for generous EU development grants; the project would create 90 new jobs until 2005 and 150 until 2007.…
ITALIAN LEATHER - ECJ
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ITALIAN leather manufacturer appears to have lost an international legal struggle to prevent a former German company from using a trade name similar to its own to market furniture upholstered with leather bought from alternative suppliers. In a test case at the European Court of Justice, Italian Leather, of Bironto, Italy, has failed to establish that a ruling that it secured at Bari District Court should overrule a decision made earlier at the Regional Court, Koblenz, Germany.…
TRAVEL TRADES GAZETTE
From Alan Osborn
The German travel company TUI AG (formerly Preussag) has
acquired sole control of Nouvelles Frontières, a French company also
active in the holiday sector, under a deal approved today (Tuesday 27th)
by the European Commission.TUI currently holds around 30% of NF’s capital
and is now is exercising an exclusive option to buy shares from the NF
founder Jacques Maillot (who has 41.92 per cent) and a number of minority
shareholders.…
SAND DREDGING
BY ALAN OSBORN
WE know that irresponsible sea-sand dredging can led to coastal erosion, threatening beaches and ecological balance and even the livelihoods of whole sea-side or fishing communities. Yet there is today an unprecedented demand for sand as a building material.…
DECOMMISSIONING PIECE
BY DEIRDRE MASON
EASTERN European countries that built nuclear power plants while under the communist system never thought they would face deadlines for closing them down as a prerequisite for joining the European Union. Neither had they built in the next stage – decommissioning – into the prices charged for electricity in the way that the western European nuclear plant operators had done from the start.…
NETHERLANDS STATE AID
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered the Dutch government recover maritime transport aid it has paid out since 1996 to port and inland waterway towage operations, ruling that these payments broke EU state aid rules. Brussels approved subsidies from the Netherlands to towage operators, but had assumed that this money was for limited to ships working on the open seas.…
NITRATE ZONES
BY ALAN OSBORN
NOT many items of legislation from Brussels have provoked quite such anger among farmers over the years as the nitrates directive, which seeks to protect water from nitrate pollution caused by the application of organic and inorganic fertilisers to agricultural land.…
DOZING DRIVERS
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
BMW is developing a new high-tech system to prevent drivers falling asleep at the wheel, after research by the German Insurance Association (GdV) revealed that tiredness caused a quarter of all fatal accidents on autobahns.
BMW’s “driving alertness assistant” operates using a small camera fitted inside the car, which examines eye blinking patterns to assess how watchful or tired the driver is.…
BAT HISTORY
BY ALAN OSBORN
1902-1912
British American Tobacco was created on September 29th 1902 as a joint venture between Imperial Tobacco Company of the UK and the American Tobacco Company of the US following a fierce trade war. The parent companies agreed not to trade in each other’s domestic territory and to assign trademarks, export businesses and overseas subsidiaries to the joint venture.…
GERMAN BRANDY
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has called on Germany to reform its spirits monopoly law regarding the production of grain brandy, Kornbranntwein. It wants to prevent small agricultural producers being unfairly favoured with state production subsidies denied to producers from other Member States, and, from 2006, to larger German commercial producers.…
END OF LIFE VEHICLES
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
GERMANY is set to become the first European country to transpose the controversial EU End-of-Life Vehicle Directive (ELV), while Britain appears to be dragging its feet over implementation.
All 15 Member States failed to meet the ELV deadline of April 21, 2002, for introducing laws on the disposal and recycling of vehicles.…
END OF LIFE VEHICLES
BY JONATHAN THOMSON
FIVE YEARS since it was first proposed, the End-of-Life (ELV) Vehicle Directive has just about made it to the statute books of a handful of EU member states. A directive both controversial and complex, it was maybe surprising, if a little disappointing, that the deadline of April 21, 2002 for transposition went by without a single EU country passing legislation.…
GERMANY FEED IN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REVERSING its earlier position, the European Commission has agreed that the German grid feed-in laws on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources and from combined heat and power do not constitute state aid, that Brussels could, in theory, ban.…
GERMAN BRANDY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has called on Germany to reform its spirits monopoly law regarding the production of grain brandy, Kornbranntwein. It wants to prevent small agricultural producers being unfairly favoured with state production subsidies denied to producers from other Member States, and, from 2006, to larger German commercial producers.…
JUST DRINKS
From Alan Osborn
The European Commission has ordered Germany to stop blocking the
sale of the Austrian drink Original Schwedenbitter by claiming it to be a
medicinal product which requires special authorisation.
Original Schwedenbitter is sold in Austria without restriction as a
herb-based alcoholic beverage but is traditionally bought in Germany as a
cure for several illnesses.…
GERMANY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN government has launched an investigation after it was discovered that around 100 organic farms have been feeding chickens wheat containing the banned herbicide Nitrofen. The agriculture ministry in Lower Saxony, where the tainted wheat was first discovered, has claimed that contaminated meat and eggs have already been sold and consumed.…
DAIMLER SCAM
BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal
DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. has recently won a court judgment in New York to begin seizing assets to recover US$330 million from Castor Holdings Ltd., a defunct Montreal-based holding company and real estate lender formerly headed by Wolfgang Stolzenberg, a German-Canadian businessman suspected of orchestrating one of Canada’s most colossal fraud scams.…
CITES REFORM
KEITH NUTHALL
APPLICATIONS have been made by the Nicaraguan and German governments for the trade in two hardwood species to be controlled under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). These species are, respectively, big-leaf mahogany (also known as Brazilian mahogany) and the tree-of-life (also known as pockwood or sonora guaiacum).…
MINING SOCIETE ANONYME
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Commission has cleared a deal through which the French Société Anonyme d’Explosifs et de Produits Chimiques (EPC) will acquire a 50% stake in the German drilling and blasting company SAARMontan, a wholly- subsidiary of Deutsche Montan Technologie.…
TYRE NOISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union research project is about to be launched, which will create a new sophisticated model for reducing tyre noise. This ‘microscopic road traffic noise-modelling project,’ (ROTRANOMO), will consider the type of vehicle, tyre-road interaction, traffic management, driver behaviour, environmental planning and vehicle structure changes to develop a more effective noise calculation model.…
DAIMLERCHRYSLER
BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal
DaimlerChrysler Canada has announced it will close its trim plant in Ajax, Ontario, in December, 2003, as part of the company’s cost saving strategy. The closure will eliminate 650 jobs, adding to the thousands of jobs wiped out over the past 18 months at its light vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing plants.…
TYRE NOISE
Keith Nuthall
A EUROPEAN Union research project is about to be launched, which will create a new sophisticated model for reducing tyre noise. This ‘microscopic road traffic noise-modelling project,’ (ROTRANOMO), will consider the type of vehicle, tyre-road interaction, traffic management, driver behaviour, environmental planning and vehicle structure changes to develop a more effective noise calculation model.…
LEIPZIG PLANT
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank has drawn up plans to lend up to Euro 62 million to the City of Leipzig, in Germany, funding preparatory ground-works for an industrial park, which would include a new car manufacturing plant. The factory would be completed by 2004 in the north of the city on old farmland, renamed Industriepark Leipzig Nord.…
PRESSAUG - NEOS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the purchase of joint control of the Italian charter airline NEOS, (which has been wholly-owned by NHT New Holding for Tourism B.V.), by the German travel company Preussag AG. The Commission has not imposed any conditions on approving the deal, having carried out a streamlined review of the case.…
BOOK PRICING - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has called for a European Union book-pricing directive protecting existing national systems from being undermined by cross-border sales from Member States which have no such controls.
In a formal motion, it has called upon the European Commission to propose this law, although the EU bureaucracy can ignore the appeal if it chooses; under EU treaties, the parliament cannot itself table legislation.…
VW SWEDEN
BU ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has given clearance under the EU merger
regulations to the acquisition by the German carmaker Volkswagen AG of full
control of Svenska Volkswagen AB, its exclusive wholesale distributor for
the Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda motor vehicles as well as Porsche
motor vehicles in Sweden.…
GERMANY FEED IN
KEITH NUTHALL
IN a reversal of its earlier position, the European Commission has agreed that the German grid feed-in laws on the promotion of electricity from renewable energy sources and from combined heat and power are legal under EU state aid rules.…
JRC DDG
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ROLAND Schenkel, the German former director of the European Union’s Joint Research Centre’s Karlsruhe institute has been appointed the organisation’s Deputy Director-General with special responsibility for nuclear studies and decommissioning.…
SWINE FEVER LATEST
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has extended a ban on the export of all live pigs, together with porcine semen, ova and embryos, to parts of France, Germany and Luxembourg following new outbreaks of classical swine fever. At the same time it has ordered a one-month extension of controls in Spain until 30 June.…
LITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MISSPELT word ‘lite’ is not sufficiently descriptive to be a European Union trademark for food products, the European Court of Justice has ruled. It rejected an appeal by German company Rewe Zentral AG against a refusal by the EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade marks and Designs), to register ‘lite’ a ‘Community trademark.’…
MONTI SPEECH
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union Commissioner for competition policy, Mario Monti, has
stated his willingness to consider a postponement of the key location
clauses of the proposed reform of the block exemption system for new car
sales, with implementation being delayed beyond 2003.…
GERMAN WHOOPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN UNCHARACTERISTIC failure to be punctual is the reason why the German government lost a bid at the European Court of Justice to overturn last year’s European Union directive on tobacco manufacturing and labelling.
Berlin officials had until last October 11 to launch an appeal against the law, which had been published in the EU Official Journal on July 18.…
GERMAN CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A LONG-RUNNING German coal industry case involving the acquisition in 1998 of Saarbergwerke AG and Preussag Anthrazit GmbH by RAG Aktiengesellschaft (RAG) took another turn on Tuesday (May 7), when the European Commission approved the deal, nullifying a European Court of First Instance ruling.…
CFP REFORM LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s fish processing industry should become an integral concern of the EU Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), a European Parliament report has claimed, with Member States being directed to encourage its companies to become financially independent. MEP’s have voted to accept the report by German Christian Democrat Brigitte Langenhagen who said that state aid should only be paid out to processors in underdeveloped regions “which heavily depend on fisheries.”…
COMMUNITY PATENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEP’s are trying to water down a strongly centralised European Union “Community Patent” system, that would grant jurisdiction over disputes to a new EU intellectual property court; instead, the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee is calling for national courts to be given the job.…
MAIN PIECE
BY ALAN OSBORN
SLOWLY but surely, the world is becoming a little more open and honest in its business transactions. Bribery and corruption have existed as long as people have traded with each other and in some parts of the world remain as matter-of-fact as ever.…
KOSOVO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Agency for Reconstruction has awarded three new contracts to international consortiums to boost Kosovo’s electricity sector, which relies on the province’s coal mines. In particular, the agency has awarded a Euro 9 million contract to a SwedPower led group, to give training, management support and technical assistance to Kosovo electricity company KEK, notably so it can better manage its coal supplies.…
NOISE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GERMAN, Italian, Greek and Portuguese governments may soon be ordered to pass laws insisting that motorised outdoor gardening equipment used in their countries abide by European Union noise legislation.
Formal legal proceedings at the European Court of Justice has been threatened against all four governments by the European Commission, which claims that they failed to meet a July 2001 deadline to implement the directive 2000/14/EC on noise emissions from outdoor equipment.…
EP HEARING
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE CRUCIAL question of whether the European Commission’s new proposed directive on tobacco advertising will stand up legally is still unclear after a hearing on the subject in the European Parliament. Last year the measure was rejected on the grounds that it attempted to set health policy, an area where the EU has no constitutional role.…
BUITENEN BOTHER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission and OLAF are again deciding how to handle allegations about professional wrongdoing in Brussels by EU whistleblower Paul van Buitenen. This time, instead of being suspended, the official was given eight week’s grace from regular duties and a special office to compile his brief.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A RAFT of legal cases are being prepared by the European Commission against eight European Union Member States, to force them to monitor and restrict their production of the key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
In a bid to make the EU stick to its Kyoto Protocol commitments, the Commission has formally warned Britain, Luxembourg, Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece, Spain and Germany of potential legal actions at the European Court of Justice.…
BUITENEN BOTHER
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Union’s anti-fraud unit OLAF has reacted angrily to the leaking to German news magazine Stern of a confidential dossier of new EU corruption allegations compiled last year by Brussels whistle-blower Paul van Buitenen. Since he handed his report in August to OLAF and the Commission’s administration directorate, officials have been “analysing” its contents and discussing how to follow it up.…
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.…
QUALIFICATION RECOGNITION
Keith Nuthall
PROPOSALS that could streamline applications by foreign accountants to work in Britain must take account of their need to have sufficient English skills and knowledge of local taxes and law, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has said.
Director Mike Walsh told Accountancy Age said that proposals from the European Commission on the mutual recognition of professional qualifications needed careful scrutiny, so that standards are protected.…
GERMANY ECJ
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening Germany with legal action at the European Court of Justice because it claims labour protection laws designed to soften the effect of liberalising the country’s ground-handling services breaks EU legislation. Directive 96/67 orders the gradual introduction of free access to the groundhandling services market at EU airports by December 2003.…
WASTE SHIPMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL regulatory authorities have the power to refuse to allow waste shipments to leave EU ports or cross their territories via inland waterways, whether they represent the country sending a cargo, receiving it or being used for transshipment, the European Court of Justice has ruled.…
MUTUAL RECOGNITION CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The Directive is due to be implemented by 15 December 1999. Adoption by the Council follows adoption of the Directive by the European Parliament at its November plenary session.
“Adoption of this Directive marks an important step forward”, Mr Monti stated, “both for lawyers themselves, who will find it much easier to practice in other Member States, and for their clients, especially the many businesses and citizens who need a lawyer in another Member State.…
GERMANY - BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A DEAL has been struck between the European Commission and the German publishing industry which will lift the threat of legal action by Brussels to fight collective embargoes imposed on book sales from foreign websites.
Indeed, Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels e.V.…
BLOCK EXEMPTION FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FOLLOWING the publication by the European Commission on February 5th of its proposed far-reaching reforms to the current block exemption scheme for new car sales in the European Union, the continent’s motor industry is in ferment. Nobody can be quite sure whether the reforms will go through as they have been planned – or when.…
GERMANY STATE AID
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered the repayment of Euro 7.83 million, (Pounds 4.8 million), of aid from the German textile company Neue Erba Lautex GmbH (NEL) and its parent company, the bankrupt Erba Lautex GmbH following a formal inquiry launched last summer.…
DISTRICT HEATING CARTEL
KEITH NUTHALL
A BID by a group of district heating companies to overturn massive fines levied by the European Commission, which found they had been participating in an illegal cartel, has been thrown out by the European Court of Justice’ Court of First Instance.…
WASTE SHIPMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL regulatory authorities in the European Union have the power to decide whether the cross-border transport of waste to infill a disused mine is, in effect, underground landfilling, and so should be subject to tight EU rules regulating such shipments.…
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.…
WASTE SHIPMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL regulatory authorities have the power to block waste shipments from leaving EU ports or crossing their territories via road, rail or inland waterways, whether they represent the country sending a cargo, receiving it or being used for transshipment, the European Court of Justice has ruled.…
GERMAN-SWEDISH MERGER
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has authorised the takeover of Berlin district heating and electricity company Berliner Kraft-und Licht Aktiengesellschaft, (Bewag), by the diversified Swedish energy group Vattenfall AB, which also supplies heating services. Via the deal, Vattenfall will acquire full ownership and control over Bewag.…
GERMANY REACTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has asked EU ministers to extend until December 2009 special tax advantages offered by the German government to Hochtemperatur-Kernkraftwerk GmbH to enable the company to completely dismantle Uentrop nuclear power station, shut down since 1989.…
TRADE MARK SCAM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) has warned companies to avoid an offer from a German company ZDR-Datenregister to register their trademark in a so-called Central Data-Register Community Trade Marks, for payment of Euro 1,235.40.…
BOOK PRICING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IMPORTS of books into European Union Member States with fixed-price regimes should also be subject to the same controls as locally published books under a comprehensive, but very flexible, EU directive on book-pricing, the European Parliament’s legal committee has said.…
GERMAN TESTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY has admitted there were flaws in its testing for BSE in certain non-approved laboratories. The German agriculture minister Renate Kunast detailed “certain deficiencies” to other EU farm ministers this week, but said that measures had now been taken to correct matters on the advice of the European Commission.…
MOOI RIVER
BY RICHARD HURST, in Johannesburg
THE CUT, make and trim operation at South Africa’s Mooi River Textiles company is currently under review. German entrepreneur Claas Daun acquired the business from Anglo American a few years ago. A spokesman for Daun’s corporation in South Africa said that the factory, which employs 150 people, had continued to lose money and unfortunately a number of jobs in the area would be affected.…
AZOCOLOURANTS AGAIN
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to re-examine the safety of azocolourants, used for dyeing textile and leather materials, at the request of the German and Danish governments who argue that a ban agreed late last year by the EU Council of Ministers does not go far enough.…
CAPROLACTUM
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a formal investigation into proposals from the German government to grant Euro 92.71 million to a new company, Capro Schwedt GmbH, for the setting up of a plant in Schwedt, Brandenburg, to produce synthetic fibre production staple caprolactam.…
E.ON AND VERBUND
KEITH NUTHALL
THE CREATION of a hydro electricity joint venture by German electricity giant E.ON and Austrian electricity producer Verbund has been approved by the European Commission; European Hydro Power will produce electricity for its parents, which will continue to sell the power separately to their customers in Germany and Austria.…
EMEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Medicines Evaluation Agency has publicised a warning made by German pharmaceuticals company Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH that users of its product Metalyse have been incorrectly using the vial and pre-filled syringe used to administer the medicine.…
GERMANY AID
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered the repayment of part of an investment tax premium worth Euro 2 million, made out by the German government to sawmill company Klausner Nordic Timber GmbH, claiming that the subsidy broke EU state aid rules.…
BLOCK EXEMPTION
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission today (Wednesday) announced new plans for the distribution and sale of cars in the EU that will loosen the ties between manufacturers and dealers allowing greater competition and lower prices for consumers.
The new rules, which cannot be blocked by member governments or the European Parliament because the Commission has sole responsibility for competition policy, will come into force in October after a consultation process with the industry.…
AGRO-SATELLITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN company Rapid Eye AG is developing a new type of geographical survey satellite, specialising in agricultural data, with EU-approved Euro 37 million German government grants.…
HEALTH AND SAFETY GRANTS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THREE British projects have won grants from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for accident prevention schemes designed for small and medium-sized enterprises. The agency announced grants equivalent to pounds 2.7 million in total to 51 projects across the 15 EU countries.…
ECO-CRIME REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TRAFFICKING of endangered species, and other environmental crimes such as smuggling pollutants, is a billion dollar business says the Milan-based United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, (UNICRI), which has published a study on these modern scourges.…
KAHMA I/II
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has extended its formal investigation into state aid paid by the German regional government of Thuringia to eastern Germany porcelain companies Kahla Porzellan GmbH (Kahla I) and Kahla/Thüringen Porzellan GmbH (Kahla II). Brussels is to examine subsidies of Euro 14.9 million, which it thinks were probably unlawful under EU regulations.…
GERMANY TAX BREAKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ruled that tax breaks granted to German nuclear power operators, to help them build up reserves for the eventual decommissioning of their plants and the safe disposal of nuclear waste, do not actually constitute the payment of unfair and illegal state aid.…
2001 EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the insurance business being one of the most internationally sensitive of global economic sectors, it came as no surprise that the tragic events of September 11 had a dramatic effect on its fortunes, impacting seriously on the work of its regulators, especially in the European Union.…
LEGAL SERVICE
Keith Nuthall
AN INTERNET legal advice service for companies wishing to learn about European Union legislation affecting e-commerce, has been launched. The site, eLexPortal.com, will provide updated information on EU and national laws and regulations on the subject; it is free of charge, and allows users to e-mail queries to its online experts.…
RENEWABLES REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT is a curious fact that whilst Britain has a lot more wind than Germany, it has significantly less wind power electricity generation. Also, why has a country blessed with as much sun as Greece, failed to develop solar panels as quickly as its fellow southern Mediterranean EU Member State Spain?…
E COMMERCE LEGAL SERVICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNET legal advice service, providing information about European Union legislation affecting e-commerce, has been launched. The site, eLexPortal.com, will provide updated information on EU and national laws and regulations on the subject; it is free of charge, and allows users to e-mail queries to its online experts.…
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.…
COMMUNITY PATENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is likely to miss its New Years Day deadline for establishing a European Community patent, which would allow innovators to patent intellectual property far more swiftly and easily than they can at present. Unlike the existing European Patent, the European Commission has proposed that the Community Patent should be effective if translated into only one language out of English, French or German.…
WASTE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has ruled that an EU national government cannot insist that waste shipments to another Member State are disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way, as a condition of allowing a cargo to leave its territory.…
HAINDL TAKEOVER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the proposed take-over of Haindl, a German family-owned paper company, by Finland’s UPM-Kymmene and the subsequent sale of two of the Haindl mills to Norwegian paper manufacturer Norske Skog. Brussels concluded following an inquiry that the deal would not erode effective competition in European Union paper markets, notably in those for newsprint and wood-containing magazine paper.…
AVIATION SAFETY
BY JOHNATHAN THOMSON
DESPITE the general fears about air travel sparked by the World Trade Centre disaster, commercial aviation is not only incredibly safe, but is getting safer each decade despite the considerable rise in global traffic. Tens of thousands of passenger aircraft take to the skies every day across the world, yet during the 1990’s there were only 483 fatal air accidents globally.…
WATER PRICING
BY KEITH NUTHALL AND ALAN OSBORN
WATER pricing reform is on its way in the European Union. The water framework directive passed last year imposes a commitment on Member States by the year 2010 to ensure that their pricing policies “provide adequate incentives for users to use water resources efficiently.”…
FILTRAUTO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the takeover of Filtrauto S.A., the French manufacturer of automotive filters, by its Italian rival Sogefi S.p.a. Brussels cleared the deal on competition grounds, because the merged company will still have to fight for sales, facing opposition particularly from German manufacturers Mann & Hummel and Mahle.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INCREASING political pressure is being applied on eastern European governments to raise fuel prices, so as to improve their environmental performance and promote investment in energy efficient industries.
The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe recently addressed the issue, with its Committee on Sustainable Energy and the Committee on Environmental Policy agreeing to produce guidelines on price reform.…
GERMANY STATE AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN porcelain manufacturer Graf von Henneberg is facing an uncertain future, after the European Commission ruled that it must repay state aid of Euro 71.3 million, (DM 139.4 million), paid to it and a predecessor company, because it was paid in circumstances that break EU rules.…
REFUGEE BENEFITS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REFUGEES and stateless persons resident in a European Union Member State are not entitled to claim social security rights available to EU citizens, when they have arrived from outside the EU and have remained in their country of arrival, the European Court of Justice has ruled.…
OLAF REPORT ETC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PROCESS of transforming the European Union’s anti-fraud office OLAF into a truly independent operator, with enough investigative muscle and legislative teeth to make an impact in Brussels’ fight against financial crime, has proved to be a slow and difficult task, its latest report admits.…
OLAF REPORT ETC
Keith Nuthall
A GERMAN fraudster has fled the European Union after investigators unmasked his certificate of origin scam involving Malaysian textile products, mostly denim jeans. Acting as an importer, he fraudulently exploited preferential trade regimes for Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Lesotho, by claiming that its Malaysian products were from these countries, losing EU coffers at least Euro 4.5 million in duty.…
Just Drinks
From Alan Osborn
The British drink can manufacturer Rexam plc is to sell its beverage can
plants at Runcorn in the UK and its factory in France to the German company
Schmalbach-Lubeca under a deal approved today Tuesday by the European
Commission.…
HAIR DYES LABEL CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has cleared the way for German judges to order cosmetics giant Hans Schwarzkopf GmbH to label its hair dyes with health warnings about chemical ingredients that may be harmful to human health.
At present, Schwarzkopf includes these warnings for its Igora Royal range only on an enclosed leaflet, with its outer packaging and tube being printed with the note: “For commercial use only.…
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.…
BLOCK EXEMPTION
Keith Nuthall
SIR RICHARD Branson, speaking as chairman of the Internet car sales company VirginCars, has called for the end of the block exemption in car distribution in the EU, saying this would led to an average 5 per cent cut in new car prices and give “greater leverage to the consumer.”…
SSM/RHEINBRAUN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the proposed takeover of SSM Coal BV, of the Netherlands, by Germany’s Rheinbraun Brennstoff GmbH, concluding after an inquiry that the deal would not create competition problems in the EU petcoke market.
Rheinbraun, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the German RWE Group, distributes coal and other solid fuels.…
HILTEX
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered the German government to recover state aid of Euro 5.9 million, (DM 11.6 million), that was paid to a flax and textile spinning mill in Saxony, after an inquiry concluded that it had wrongfully claimed small business grants, while being covertly controlled by a larger group.…
GUINNESS NAMIBIA
Keith Nuthall
GUINNESS UDV is perfecting the brewing of Guinness and Kilkenny at Namibian Breweries with an eye to allowing the south west African brewer to offer these brands under licence to the regional markets of Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.…
FRANCE ECJ THINK PIECE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FRANCE has been stingingly rebuffed by a judge of the European Court of Justice over her refusal to let British beef back in after the export ban was lifted by the European Commission in 1999. An Advocate General of the Court – or adviser – says France was in the wrong.…
VIAGRA/BAYCOL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEP’s have called on the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA) to tighten its rules regarding the authorisation of drugs, because of concerns aired to the European Parliament’s environment committee about the deaths of patients taking Viagra and Baycol/Lipobay.…
SIEMANS-YAZAKI
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the creation of three joint ventures by the German company Siemens VDO Automotive AG and the Japanese company Yazaki Corporation, who want to combine their electronic electrical distribution systems operations for passenger cars. The deal would create two new companies handling the sale, programme management and development of these systems, for Siemens and Yazaki customers in Europe and the USA.…
FLOOD REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PRACTICAL advice on how local authorities can cope with the growing threats posed by floods and droughts have been included in a new report from the European Environment Agency, which claims that flooding is “the most common and most costly type of natural disaster in Europe.”…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMPETITION officials are examining a proposed German joint-venture merging the downstream and petrochemical operations of Deutsche Shell GmbH and its rival RWE-DEA. The German Competition Authority has been given the right to adjudicate on the downstream elements by the European Commission, which is itself handling the deal’s petrochemical implications.…
BERTELSMANN CASE
BY ALAN OSBORN
BOOK club companies must pay value added tax on the costs of delivering gifts in kind to existing customers as a reward for bringing in new business, the European Court of Justice has ruled. The judgement came in a case involving clubs operated by the German media giant Bertelsmann between 1985 and 1990 when books, records and bicycles were given to subscribers in return for the introduction of new members.…
GERMAN PRESSAUG
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE GERMAN travel firm Preussag has been cleared by the European
Commission to take full control of the Belgian subsidiary of the TUI
group which it had had previously shared with the Belgian firm Imobra. TUI Belgium controls the tour operator Jet Air.…
BASF
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMAN chemicals giant BASF has been frustrated in its bid to secure a new supplementary protection certificate for its longstanding pesticide ingredient chloridazon, which would have erected fresh legal barriers for rivals wanting to use the chemical.
The company had applied for the certificate at the Dutch Industrial Property Office, on the basis of a comparatively new market approval, secured for a chloridazon product in 1987, (the first had been issued in 1967).…
EU HEATLHCARE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WILL there come a day when a genuine European market in health care takes its place among the other landmark achievements of the European Union?
In terms of economic efficiency and the functioning of the internal market, does it make much sense for a million patients in Britain, say, to have to wait sometimes for a year or more for important operations while people in France or Luxembourg can book them for the next day and some German hospitals have barely half their beds filled?…
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.…
GERMANY STATE AID
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a formal state aid investigation into payments from the German government of Euro 7.83 million, which were paid to bankrupt Saxony textile company Erba Lautex GmbH and its successor Neue Erba Lautex GmbH.
Brussels is also taking Germany to the European Court of Justice, alleging that it ignored a previous order, banning the payment of Euro 61.36 million to Erba Lautex.…
IMS HEALTH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered American medicines information company IMS HEALTH (IMS) to abandon its refusal to allow rivals to copy its pharmaceutical sales and prescriptions data collection system in Germany.
In an unusual step, Brussels has used its powers as a competition authority to tell IMS to immediately licence the use of its 1860 brick structure method, over which it has copyright, “on commercial terms.”…
NON-ROAD MOBILE MACHINERY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEP’s have backed moves to introduce EU pollution controls for ‘non-road mobile machinery,’ such as lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, chain saws and forestry equipment, although the European Parliament’s environment committee has baulked at proposals to grant concessions to large manufacturers.…
GERMANY
BY ALAN OSBORN
GERMANY has been served notice by the European Commission that it may be taken to the European Court of Justice unless it brings in national legislation to implement the EU’s gas liberalisation directive. Brussels has given Germany two months to respond to a “reasoned opinion” over its failure to incorporate the directive within its national laws.…
INTERNET AGENCY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced an in-depth investigation into a planned online travel agency to be formed by the internet service
provider T-Online, and the travel companies TUI and C&N (Neckermann), which could lead to Brussels blocking the deal on competition grounds.…
LUFTHANSA - AUSTRIAN AIRLINES
KEITH NUTHALL
THE COOPERATION agreement signed between Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines is facing an uncertain future, with the European Commission threatening to withhold regulatory approval because of concerns that it would damage competition in the German and Austrian travel market.
In a statement, the Commission claimed that it has reached a preliminary conclusion that the deal “would eliminate competition on a large number of routes between Austria and Germany.”…
ICE WINE
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE EUROPEAN Commission has agreed to allow Canadian ice-wine, the specialised dessert wine made from frozen grapes, to be sold within the EU, after a long battle to have the designation of recognised by Brussels was finally won.…
TRUCK SITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INTERNET marketplaces are springing up for a variety of products and services, but two German companies hope to corner the market in an unlikely e-commerce supply, namely fork-lift and warehouse trucks. The European Commission has approved a proposal by German truck manufacturers Linde AG and Jungheinrich AG to set up a European Union Internet market place for second-hand industrial trucks.…
EU KYOTO REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE MEMBER States of the European Union reduced their emissions of the six key greenhouse gases by four per cent between 1990 and 1999, three per cent of which was achieved in 1998-9, according to a report from the European Environment Agency.…
SHELL-SIEMANS
KEITH NUTHALL
A DEAL whereby Shell Erneuerbare Energien GmbH will acquire joint control of an existing solar energy joint venture between Siemens AG and E.ONEnergie AG has been cleared by the European Commission, which has concluded that the deal will not harm competition in the sector.…
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.…
PALESTINE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has denied claims that it has been funding anti-Semitic textbooks used in the Palestinian Authority’s education service, even though the EU bankrolls 50 per cent of the nascent government’s budget.
MEP’s have been sent examples of Palestinian textbooks that include passages such as “Treachery and disloyalty are character traits of the Jews and therefore one should beware of them.”…
CHERNOBYL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union Tacis programme grants are to fund much of the Euro 33.3 million contract for the construction of a radioactive waste management facility near the Chernobyl power plant that has been signed by the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy (represented by Energoatom, the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company) and the German contractor NUKEM Nuclear GmbH.…
SOUTH ASIAN AIRPORTS
BY SWINEETHA WICKRAMANAYAKE AND ANNIE KEY
PROPOSALS are in the pipeline for airport construction projects, expansions and refurbishments throughout India and Sri Lanka. Over the next five years, there are plans to launch at least five new airports throughout the region, although it in anticipated that significant support from their respective governments will be required for them to be a fully fledged success.…
LEATHER HANDBAGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has reversed a decision that led to a German company paying DM 1.45 million in anti-dumping duties on imported leather handbags from China, which it should never have incurred and which it can now reclaim.…