Search Results for: International law

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.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE OFFICE International des Épizooties (OIE) has announced that outbreaks of bird flu amongst USA chicken flocks in Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey have been completely eradicated. A low pathogenic strain of avian influenza had been detected in one non-commercial and one commercial flock in Delaware, one commercial flock in Maryland and two live-bird markets in New Jersey.…

Keith Nuthall
EXISTING European Union (EU) legislation that allows member countries to maintain widely divergent rates of excise duty will not soon face formal proposals from the European Commission for reforms promoting greater harmonisation, Brussels has admitted. In a note released ahead of yesterday’s EU Council of Ministers for finance (ECOFIN), the Commission confirmed that a report on alcohol excise was under discussion amongst officials.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank will lend US$65 million to Turkey petrol importer and retailer Opet Petrolcülük, helping it build a marine terminal and tank storage facility, while buying another small terminal. This would help expand Opet’s retail distribution network.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation, of the World Bank, is lending US$40 million to Banco Internacional del Peru – Interbank, to help expand Peru’s nascent housing finance market, supporting mortgage lending and securitisation.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
UNITED Nations cultural organisation UNESCO’s international programme for the development of communication has granted more than US$1.5 million to 62 (print and electronic) media projects in developing and transition countries.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE GLOBAL food standards body Codex Alimentarius has asked its member countries for their comments on a number of proposed food risk assessment, dairy and additive standards which could become the basis for international food safety legislation. Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round in 1994 the Codex has become the reference point for international food law, laying down precise regulations for the composition of more than 200 specific food products.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Monetary Fund has approved a new Trade Integration Mechanism (TIM) financial facility easing balance of payments shortfalls resulting from multilateral trade liberalisation, especially the end of textile trade quotas this December. Some developing countries fear this World Trade Organisation measure will cause damage via “greater competition”.…

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.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
VINCOR International, Canada’s largest winery, has recently formed a partnership with north-American retail goliath Wal-Mart to sell its wines in its megastores. Three of Vincor’s own-brand wine boutiques (called Wine Rack) have appeared in Wal-Mart outlets in Ontario cities selling popular Canadian wine lines such as Jackson-Triggs and Inniskillin.…