Search Results for: Poland
964 results out of 964 results found for 'Poland'.
EU FRAUD ROUND UP – EPPO LAUNCH COMES AS EU INCREASES LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION AGAINST FRAUD
European Union (EU) law enforcement, perhaps emboldened by the launch of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), has launched a series of cases and inquiries, including against high-ranking politicians accused of corruption. For example, Gabrijela Žalac, Croatia’s regional development and EU funds minister from 2016-9, and three accomplices, have been arrested, on EPPO orders, for alleged fraud regarding the purchase by her ministry of deliberately overpriced software for a public company.…
POLAND CAN MANUFACTURING AND FILLING SECTOR OFFERS STRENGTHS IN INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY
The Polish can manufacturing and filling industry continues to attract attention from major buyers and investors from around the world, aware that this strong and innovating national sector is able to rely on a strong, reliable workforce.
Global beverage giant PepsiCo, for example, has been drawn to the Polish can manufacturing industry.…
GREECE COURT CASE UPSETS MUSLIM COMMUNITY BY BANNING NO-STUN SLAUGHTER
A recent verdict (judgement 1751/2021) by Greece’s top court, the Council of State, regarding the ritual slaughter of animals has raised significant concerns to the Muslim and the Jewish communities of Greece, potentially impeding growth in Greek halal exports. The ruling effectively withdraws a permit that has allowed the slaughter of animals without stunning them first, as (usually) required to produce halal and kosher meat.…
FINLAND CAN MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY BUOYED BY NATIONAL MARKET FAVOURING CANNED BEER
THE FINNISH can manufacturing industry has been growing, with new production coming online in the past 10 years to diversify a sector that is able to draw on effective access to raw materials and a highly skilled workforce.
Both Rexam (now part of Ball) and Poland-based Canpack operate efficient Finnish can-making plants.…
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.…
BANGLADESH PLANS TO TAP INTO UNTAPPED FANCY LINGERIE MARKETS OVERSEAS
The Bangladesh innerwear industry has been witnessing robust growth in the past decade and this outsourcing hub is now competing effectively with its major rival China. The production value of the country’s intimate wear jumped from US216 million in 2012 to US1.078 billion in 2021, according to a report from data service Statista (1).…
WHEN IS A LOBBYING SCANDAL REALLY CORRUPTION?
The question of when and whether lobbying is ethically questionable or even a criminal bribe is a complex issue, with rules varying according to jurisdictions. Often, actions that are politically embarrassing, are definitely not bribes, or indeed unlawful in anyway. For example, on September 15, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney survived a no-confidence vote in the Dáil Éireann over his handling of the appointment of former minister for children Katherine Zappone as his country’s ‘Special Envoy to the UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’.…
WHEN IS A LOBBYING SCANDAL REALLY CORRUPTION?
The question of when and whether lobbying is ethically questionable or even a criminal bribe is a complex issue, with rules varying according to jurisdictions. Often, actions that are politically embarrassing, are definitely not bribes, or indeed unlawful in anyway. For example, on September 15, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney survived a no-confidence vote in the Dáil Éireann over his handling of the appointment of former minister for children Katherine Zappone as his country’s ‘Special Envoy to the UN on Freedom of Opinion and Expression’.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN PAINT MANUFACTURERS RIDE THE COVID-19 DECORATION BOOM – BUT INDUSTRIAL COATINGS SALES WEAKEN
Eastern Europe is often a region of diversity when it comes to paint and coatings sector trends, but in the past year, the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted most sectors in a similar way. They experienced booms in DIY decorative sales, weaker industrial coating sales and are mow struggling with increased input costs.…
EU ENERGY TARGETS ACHIEVABLE SAY ENERGY ASSOCIATIONS – BUT MAJOR INVESTMENTS ARE REQUIRED
EUROPEAN energy experts say the European Union (EU)’s green energy targets within a new climate law to cut carbon emissions at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels will be challenging but achievable. It is a significant steepening of ambition compared to the EU’s existing legislation, reducing emissions by at least 32.5% by 2030 from 1990 levels.…
EU ROUND UP – OLAF AND EPPO STRIKE COOPERATION DEAL OVER FRAUD PROBES
The European anti-fraud office (OLAF) and European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) have struck a cooperation agreement to ensure their future work dovetails. They have agreed to exchange information; set guidelines on reporting and transferring potential cases; and deciding how to mutually support each other’s investigations.…
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.…
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.…
COVID-19 TOBACCO SMUGGLING AND COUNTERFEITING IS BOON FOR ORGANISED CRIME
Covid-19 has reshaped commercial crime, and one lucrative offence taking a real turn for the worse is tobacco smuggling and counterfeiting. Keith Nuthall reports.
The Covid-19 pandemic has depressed incomes worldwide and forced lower income smokers to look for cheap smokes, which has included counterfeits or smuggled goods.…
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.…
COVID-19 TOBACCO SMUGGLING AND COUNTERFEITING IS BOON FOR ORGANISED CRIME
There is no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has fuelled the black-market trade in illicit and smuggled licit tobacco products. The disease has depressed income and forced lower income smokers to look for cheap smokes, which has included counterfeits or smuggled goods.…
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 – CYPRUS PRESSED TO APPOINT FULL-TIME EPPO PROSECUTOR
CYPRUS is under pressure to appoint a full-time prosecutor working with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), with the EPPO’s chief prosecutor Laura Kövesi claiming 10% of the office’s 3,000 anticipated initial cases will involve this small island country.
Kövesi was addressing a joint meeting of the European Parliament’s committees on civil liberties, justice and home affairs and budgetary control, saying the claim was based on data received from the 22 European Union (EU) member states participating in the EPPO, which includes offshore banking centre Cyprus.…
SOYBEAN OIL - A COVID-19 SUCCESS STORY THAT MIGHT LAST
With global markets and daily consumer habits being disrupted for almost a year due to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, some oils and fats sales have grown – and a key example is soybean oil. This is true worldwide, from North and South America, to Africa, Asia, and Europe.…
SHIFTING AND VARIED LABELLING RULES ARE MAJOR COMPIANCE CHALLENGE FOR INTERNATIONAL BEAUTY BUSINESS
REGULATIONS affecting what information can, should and cannot be placed on personal care product packaging are among the most demanding of compliance issues facing beauty manufacturers.
One reason is that this is both a very international field and a dynamic one – rules change all the time and vary widely from market to market.…
FINALISING OF BREXIT AGREEMENT ALLOWS FOCUS TO TURN ON HOW USA EXPORTERS MAY TAP UK AND EU THROUGH NEW TRADE DEALS
THE STRIKING of a trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and a UK to pave Britain’s final and full exit from the EU from January 1 has offered US auto exporters opportunities to boost sales to the UK, but with some significant challenges, say experts.…
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. …
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).…
EDIT OF OP-ED PIECE ON SYRIAN DIPLOMATIC STRATEGY
ARAB COUNTRIES MUST JOIN WEST IN DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENT WITH SYRIA TO FORGE NEW PEACE
After a 10-year-old civil war in which an estimated 400,000 people have died, calls for restoring diplomatic relations with the ruthless government of Bashar al-Assad, now controlling around 75% of the country, sound like bitter medicine.…
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.…
NEW EU PUBLIC PROSECUTOR CALLS FOR GOVERNMENTS TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE ON EPPO
The European Chief Prosecutor (ECP) of the embryonic European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has challenged the 22 European Union (EU) states (1) that have signed up to an enhanced cooperation pact underpinning its existence to properly fund the new institution. Without enough money, the EPPO will not be effective, ECP Laura Codruţa Kövesi told Fraud Intelligence.…
ITALY PAINT INDUSTRY KEEPS POSITIVE AMID PANDEMIC GLOOM
ITALY’s paint industry is hopeful that the end of the country’s Covid-19 lockdown will herald a surge in business, interrupted by the pandemic. Gianni Martinetti, president of the Paints and Varnishes Group of AVISA, the adhesives and sealants, paints and varnishes and inks division of national chemicals industry association, Federchimica said: “The hope is that, after two very hard months of lockdown, we can start again with the same liveliness that was found in the first quarter of 2020.”…
EU PAINT AND COATING INDUSTRY OFFERED COVID-19 FINANCIAL LIFELINE BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION PANDEMIC ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUND
CONSTRUCTION projects likely to generate major purchases of paints and coatings are likely to be a focus of a new ‘Next Generation EU’ budget commanding EUR750 billion between 2021 and 2024, financed by borrowing through bond issues against European Union (EU) direct revenues from sources such as import duties.…
CANADIAN PARTS MAKERS ANTICIPATE BIG RISE IN ORDERS ONCE IMMINENT USMCA STARTS OPERATING
CANADA’S Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) is optimistic that the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will deliver more sustained work to the country’s supply chain once the deal comes into force on July 1. It replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), in place since 1994.…
TUNISIA’S GARMENT INDUSTRY DEVELOPS POST-COVID NEAR-SHORING STRATEGY
Tunisia’s textile and clothing industry association, the FTTH (Fédération tunisienne du textile-habillement) has commissioned a report on the impact of Covid-19 on this outsourcing centre, including policy options to enable its companies to recover. It will work with the Middle East and north African wing of the Global Textiles and Clothing Programme (GTEX/MENATEX) over two months to generate a post-pandemic plan.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CRACKS DOWN ON 5AMLD AND 4AMLD NON COMPLIANCE
The European Commission has launched a series of infringement procedures for shortcomings in national legislation implementing the European Union’s (EU) fourth and fifth anti-money laundering directives (4AMLD and 5AMLD), including one against Britain, even though it left the bloc on January 31 (but remains subject to EU law during a transitional period to December 31. …
ITALIAN FOOD MANUFACTURERS FEAR FALL IN DEMAND AFTTER CURRENT COVID-19 CRISIS RETAIL SPIKE ENDS
The president of Italian food industry association Federalimentare has told of his concern about the medium- to long-term effects of the drop in demand for Made in Italy foods caused by Covid-19 epidemic affecting the country.
Ivano Vacondio said that the current spike in domestic food demand is “atypical and fleeting”, noting that hoarding by Italian consumers has, until now, camouflaged problems that will soon emerge, he said in statements sent to just-food.…
TRADE DATA ANALYSIS INDICATES WIDE SCOPE FOR TRADE-BASED MONEY LAUNDERING MAY INVOLVE THE SHIFT OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN VALUE
GIVEN the hundreds of billions of dollars spent by banks on fighting money laundering, fears that trade-based money laundering (TBML) remains widespread, as stressed by FATF, the APG (http://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/methodsandtrends/documents/trade-basedmoneylaunderingtypologies.html), and most recently, the European Commission (https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/supranational_risk_assessment_of_the_money_laundering_and_terrorist_financing_risks_affecting_the_union_-_annex.pdf), are of serous concern. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) said that in 2018, global merchandise exports were worth USD19.48 trillion, so there is plenty of place for laundered money to hide.…
AML/CFT HIGHER LEARNING AND TRAINING STILL DEVELOPING AND MERGING - INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED MODELS YET TO COALESCE
ANTI-money laundering maybe a career that financial and legal professionals increasingly follow, but the training and qualification structure for AML/CFT is still emerging and solidifying, and there are doubts whether it will ever coalesce into a formal global structure, akin to FATF recommendations.…
EUROMONITOR INTERNATIONAL SAYS NICOTINE CONSUMPTION IS FALLING
Nicotine consumption is declining worldwide, with smokers are consuming less, as well as e-cigarette and heated tobacco users, according to market research provider Euromonitor International’s ‘Nicotine Survey, Exploring the Modern Nicotine Landscape’.
“Overall [the study] shows nicotine prevalence is declining not growing, and it is clear to see there isn’t much evidence that greater availability of nicotine formats is increasing smoking prevalence among adults,” said Shane MacGuill, head of tobacco research at Euromonitor International, in a webinar attended by TJI.…
EU MEMBER STATES HAVE FAILED TO COMPLY WITH 5AMLD ON CREATING OPEN UBO REGISTERS
Only five European Union (EU) member states out of the current 27 have fully and properly complied with a requirement to set up public ultimate beneficial ownership (UBO) registers by January 10 (2020) under the fifth anti-money laundering directive (5AMLD), according to research by campaign group Global Witness.…
POLISH FINISHING SECTOR LOOKS TO DIGITAL PRINTING TECHNOLOGY TO SHARPEN ITS COMPETITITVENESS AS EUROPEAN OUTSOURCING CENTRE
Digital printing is still a relatively new concept to Poland’s traditional fabric finishing sector – but national pride in the country’s well-established textile sector is sparking a desire to modernise so it can maintain its competitive edge. Much of the resulting investment has been focused on local and independent textile printers located throughout the country – but a significant number of these are based in Łódz, central Poland, a key textile manufacturing hub, with the port-town of Gdynia also being home to upgraded finishing plants.…
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 AND WTO REGULATORY ROUNDUP – BRUSSELS LOOKS TO FOOD AND DRINK FREE TRADE IN FINAL STATUS DEAL WITH UK
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has set out plans for a future trading relationship with the UK after the current transitional period, where Britain follows EU rules, expires on December 31 – it includes unfettered free trade in food and drink products, without tariffs and without restrictive quotas.…
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.…
EUROPEAN PAINT INDUSTRY HEAD RAISES CONCERN ABOUT ‘DO-IT-FOR-ME’ PAINTING CONSUMER TREND
In the 1980s, do-it-yourself (DIY) was all the rage. Now, young people’s reluctance to paint their own homes is damaging the sector, regrets the European Council of the Paint, Printing Ink and Artists’ Colours Industry (CEPE)’s managing director Jan van der Meulen – who joined the industry 40 years ago as a research chemist and has led CEPE since 2004.…
PAINTING AND COATING INDUSTRY FEARS BREXIT WILL MEAN DUPLICATE REGULATION
THE UK’s departure from the European Union (EU) on January 31 could lead to the development of a UK REACH, operating alongside the EU chemical control system, experts have predicted to Polymers Paint Colour Journal (PPCJ). Ongoing negotiations between the UK government and EU authorities would lay the groundwork for such a system whose goal would be to prevent disruption in a European chemical product market that is increasingly integrated.…
EU MINISTERS AGREE STRATEGY TO FIGHT FOOD FRAUD
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has called on EU member states and other EU institutions to work harder to fight the scourge of food fraud, which can damage the commercial health of legitimate manufacturers and risk consumer health. In a detailed policy statement (called ‘council conclusions’ in EU jargon), ministers said an EU “legal definition of food fraud” should be created that would underpin future regulatory actions fighting such wrongdoing, which can include deliberate mislabelling and the use of illicit ingredients.…
ITALY BEAUTY CONSUMERS START TO SPEND MORE AS COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC GROWTH INCHES FORWARD
ITALY’S cosmetic and personal care product market remained strong through 2019, with major players in the industry focused on strengthening digital retail and production strategies to further connect with consumers, while deepening their presence in foreign markets, particularly in Asia.
The year 2019 was also dynamic in terms of acquisitions, with a handful of Italian BPC (beauty and personal care) companies buying businesses that specialise in new and different products to extend their reach in new product categories, both domestically and abroad.…
SLOVAKIA STRENGTHENS EFFORTS TO TACKLE MONEY LAUNDERING AND TERRORISM FINANCING – BUT WILL NEED TO FOCUS ON ENFORCEMENT
SLOVAKIA may have been facing European Commission legal action over foot-dragging in implementing European Union EU AML/CFT legislation and has been striving to improve its AML/CFT weaknesses, but its general reputation in combating money laundering is solid. The Basel Institute of Governance AML Index 2019 ranked this central European country 109 out of 125 countries assessed, with the highest number being the top performer.…
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.…
EUROPEAN STEEL TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM WORKSHOP COPY
SUSTAINABLE EAF STEEL MAKING
Steel-making in Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) is already a good example of a waste-free circular economy since today more than half of global steel output is being recycled, even if higher-quality materials are still produced from virgin materials and fossil-fuelled processes, said Carl de Maré, president of the European Steel Technology Platform (ESTEP) at an ESTEP workshop staged in Bergamo, northern Italy.…
POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS INCREASE GREEN ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND INVESTMENT WORLDWIDE
As national, regional and international legislation nudges the world away from its reliance on fossil fuels, corporations are increasingly sourcing renewable energy through the mechanism of green power purchase agreements (PPAs), whereby companies (and also utilities) act as an off-taker, making commitments for future renewable energy payments.…
ESTONIAN PLASTICS SECTOR INNOVATES AS IT TARGETS OVERSEAS MARKETS
Estonia, long known for developing its high-tech sector, innovation, and environment-friendly businesses, has seen its plastics sector gaining momentum. It has been expanding export sales, not only to neighbouring Nordic and Baltic countries, but as far east as China.
As regards volumes, regarding primary resins and plastics, 11,807.7 tonnes were produced by Estonian manufacturers this January-August (2019), an increase of 132.8% for the same period in the previous year.…
BOOMING POLAND STILL FACING THE LEGAL MUSIC FROM EU OVER 4AMLD IMPLEMENTATION DELAYS
POLAND maybe eastern Europe’s most reliable economy – with uninterrupted growth since 1992 – but the European Commission has accused it of being a laggard in implementing European Union (EU) anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism legislation (AML/CFT).…
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.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN PAINT AND COATINGS MARKET SHOW SOLID STABILITY AS ECONOMIES GROW STEADILY
FAR from being the zone of volatility of the 1990s, eastern and central Europe’s economies and hence their paint and coatings markets, are enjoying stability and steady growth. In Croatia, for instance, according to market researcher Euromonitor International data, the paint and coating industry posted revenues of USD147 million, USD 2 million more than in 2017.…
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.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – REGULATORS BOOST GLOBAL COOPERATION TO FIGHT FRAUD
INTERNATIONAL, regional and national regulators are cooperating more widely as they create strategies and operations to fight fraud that is often conducted on a trans-national basis.
For instance, European Union (EU) police agency Europol has worked with financial intelligence units (FIUs), such as the USA’s FinCEN, and FIU umbrella organisation the Egmont Group to raise concern about business email compromise fraud (BEC).…
PAINT PRODUCERS FOCUS ON EXPORTS IN STILL STAGNANT ITALIAN ECONOMY
Industry forecasts for Italy’s paints and coatings market are expected to remain relatively stable through 2019, mainly sustained by stability in the domestic construction and automotive sectors and continuing sales growth in foreign markets. Data from market research provider Euromonitor International released last December (2018) projected production turnover in Italy to grow by 0.5% in the 2018-2019 period, with an estimated value of just over EUR6.1 billion in 2019.…
TOBACCO COMPANIES BID TO REDUCE THEIR CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT
EVERY manufacturing and agricultural industry has an impact on climate change – and the tobacco sector is no different. Faced with long-standing criticism of the health impact of its products, the tobacco industry is now facing attacks that its work generates carbon emissions and hence climate change.…
ANTI-FRAUD AWARENESS AND TRAINING IS A LYNCHPIN OF CORPORATE POLICIES FIGHTING GRAFT AND FINANCIAL SCAMS
ANTI-fraud experts understand that managers always need to be aware of the potential for their organisations to lose money to fraud and corruption. But the fact that the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/acfepublic/2018-report-to-the-nations.pdf
estimates an average 5% of public and private revenues are lost to fraud indicates that more awareness is needed.…
ANTI-FRAUD AWARENESS AND TRAINING IS A LYNCHPIN OF CORPORATE POLICIES FIGHTING GRAFT AND FINANCIAL SCAMS
ANTI-fraud experts understand that managers always need to be aware of the potential for their organisations to lose money to fraud and corruption. But the fact that the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/acfepublic/2018-report-to-the-nations.pdf
estimates an average 5% of public and private revenues are lost to fraud indicates that more awareness is needed.…
EUROPE STILL HAS SIGNIFICANT WORK TO COMPLETE BEFORE HARMONISING ITS NATIONAL GRID
MARCH’S approval by the European Parliament of new European Union (EU) electricity market rules, designed to increase consumer choice, boost renewables access and cap power subsidies, were hailed by the European Commission as a new dawn for the creation of the EU’s much vaunted Energy Union.…
TURNING MANURE INTO ENERGY: THE GROWTH OF MANURE-TO-BIOGAS SYSTEMS ON DAIRY FARMS
PROMISING a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, energy cost-savings, sustainable manure management and a diversified revenue stream, the number of anaerobic digestion (AD) plants producing renewable biogas on dairy farms is growing globally. When upgraded to natural gas it can be sold to local utilities companies and used as transportation fuel as well as generate on-farm combined heat and power (CHP) – this biogas can be an important source of income.…
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.…
RUSSIA’S PAINT SECTOR GROWING SLOWLY – BUT UPCOMING ECO-RULES MAY HIT PRODUCTION
RUSSIA’S paint industry is slowly growing but upcoming chemical regulations could limit the output of some potentially hazardous products. There are two such laws in the pipeline. One is a technical regulation ‘On the safety of chemical products’. This was adopted and ratified by the Russian government in 2016, and will come into force in 2021 (on July 1), and bans the use of a range of hazardous chemicals, some used by Russian coatings manufacturers. …
EU CLAIMS LNG COOPERATION WITH USA HAS SPARKED BOOMING TRADE
THE EUROPEAN Commission has hailed a 272% increase in liquified natural gas (LNG) exports from the United States to the European Union (EU) since a landmark meeting last July (2018) between President Donald Trump and Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker.
Releasing trade data at a High-Level Business-to-Business Energy Forum staged in Brussels, where LNG executives from Europe and America discussed increasing this trade, the Commission said EU imports of US LNG in March hit a record 1.4 billion cubic metres.…
MEAT HAZARD ALERTS ROSE FAST WORLDWIDE IN 2018 SAYS REPORT MONITOR
FOOD hazard reports relating to meat and meat products have been rising fast worldwide, according to data released by HorizonScan, a global food safety database which gathers food safety and inspection alerts from more than 115 sources in more than 70 countries.…
MEAT HAZARD ALERTS ROSE FAST WORLDWIDE IN 2018 SAYS REPORT MONITOR
FOOD hazard reports relating to meat and meat products have been rising fast worldwide, according to data released by HorizonScan, a global food safety database which gathers food safety and inspection alerts from more than 115 sources in more than 70 countries.…
RUSSIA LOOKS TO INCREASE PAINT AND COATING INGREDIENT PRODUCTION
THE RUSSIAN government has in the past decade has a policy priority of re-establishing it country’s industrial base, and reducing its reliance on imports, paid for by Russia’s energy exports.
These goals cover its paints and coatings sector, and by 2021 Sibur, a Russian petrochemical company, plans to launch production of key ingredient maleic anhydride, with a plant in Tobolsk, Siberia, producing up to 45,000 tonnes a year.…
GREECE’S COSMETICS MARKET RETURNS TO GROWTH
GREECE’S cosmetics sector showed significant resilience during the country’s long financial crisis and is currently expanding, as the country’s overall economy pulls ahead (1.9% GDP growth in 2018 and 2.1% projected for this year). However, problems afflicting the country’s personal care product regulations and a duty imposed on cosmetic producers might impact the sector going forward.…
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.…
STRONG PLASTICS SECTOR IN POLAND EYES CONTINUED GROWTH, DESPITE EU SINGLE USE PLASTICS LAW
THE PLASTICS industry in Poland is expected to continue to its recent strong growth in upcoming years according to market forecasts.
In 2018, the turnover for production of plastic products by Polish manufacturers reached Polish Zloty PLN83.5 billion (USD21.9 billion), up from PLN 76.7 billion (USD20.2 billion) in 2017 according to Euromonitor International.…
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.…
CO-CREATIVE INNOVATION MUST BE CORE MISSION OF UNIVERSITIES, EXPERTS SAY
EUROPEAN universities need to embrace change by continuing to forge alliances with innovative companies and independent research groups to use and develop their knowledge in cooperation with the outside world, experts agreed at the March 8 launch of the European University Association (EUA)’s new report ‘The role of universities in regional innovation ecosystems’.…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION GETS TOUGH OVER 4AMLD COMPLIANCE
THE EUROPEAN Commission is getting tough in enforcing compliance with the 4th anti-money laundering directive (2015/849), with a large majority of member states now facing infringement proceedings. The European Union (EU) executive said on March 7 that it had sent letters of formal notice opening legal proceedings to six EU countries (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovenia, Sweden, and the UK) over their failure to apply its anti-money laundering and terrorist financing rules.…
WELLNESS CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTS GROW PRESENCE AS CONSUMERS BECOME MORE HEALTH CONSCIOUS
While the confectionery industry is traditionally associated with high sugar levels and unhealthy indulgence, market research indicates that efforts to also appeal to consumers with a growing interest in health and wellness trends are paying off. According to UK-based market researcher GlobalData, in 2016 alone USD3.7 billion worth of confectionery with functional or fortified attributes was sold globally.…
MORE TECHNOLOGY, BETTER DATA AND INTERNAL CONTROLS ESSENTIAL TO FIGHT FRAUD, SAY EXPERTS
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) should make more use of forensic accountants to combat fraud within its institutions, experts have underlined to Accounting & Business. The cost of fraud to EU spending programmes and revenue collection is eye wateringly high – costing more than EUR9 billion (USD10 billion) between 2002-2017 according to a January 2019 Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project report).…
POLISH MEAT SECTOR CALLS FOR TIGHTER HEALTH CONTROLS AFTER SLAUGHTERHOUSE SCANDAL
THE SCANDAL that has erupted over a Polish TV documentary showed an abattoir killing sick cows, sending the meat on for human consumption, should be treated as an isolated incident, say industry bodies scrambling to mitigate harm to the sector’s reputation.…
IRELAND’S BEEF PLAN TO BOOST PRODUCER AUTONOMY IS FAST ATTRACTING SUPPORTERS
Beef Plan – a movement put together by Irish suckler and beef farmers to fetch them better prices and more autonomy – is gaining momentum, the group’s spokesperson has told GlobalMeatNews.
The project that kicked off last September (2018), outside the structures of traditional farming organisation, and projected to last until 2025, is all about “getting control back to farmers” from the big beef buyers, empowering them to make good business decisions, said Beef Plan spokesperson Eamon Corley.…
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. …
CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE SECTOR MATURES – BUT IT IS FAR FROM STOPPING CLIMATE CHANGE
A TECHNOLOGY entwined with fossil fuels that, by the of 2018, boasted 43 large-scale facilities, (18 in commercial operation, five in construction and 20 in development), and which processed almost 40 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of CO2, is clearly more than a passing fad.…
ITALIAN CONSUMERS’ PASSION FOR BEAUTY MEANS RETAILERS STILL WANT TO INVEST IN ITALY, DESPITE ITS SLUGGISH ECONOMY
Considerable investments continue to be made in Italy’s beauty and personal care market continue despite this being a stagnant market, according to sector-specific and general economic data and forecasts,
Despite this, global retailers in the beauty and personal care (BPC) industry continue to eye up what remains one of continental Europe’s largest domestic BPC markets, knowing that consumer demand remains solid, even if not growing.…
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.…
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.…
VOLVO RUSSIA CFO STRESSES NEED FOR EMPATHY AND FLEXIBILITY TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS
There are two displays in the Moscow office of the CFO of Volvo Car Russia, Vladimir Lagutin, that catches the attention, immediately: a large elegantly-framed poster of UK electronic music band Depeche Mode and a case of tennis balls.
“Those things – music and tennis – keep me from being stressed,” says Lagutin.…
RETALIATORY DUTIES ON USA MEAT EXPORTS CHALLENGED AT WTO
THE WORLD Trade Organisation (WTO) Disputes Settlement Body (DSB) has agreed to establish disputes settlement panels to rule on whether retaliatory duties imposed by Canada, China, and Mexico on US meat exports, imposed in response to America’s controversial steel and aluminium tariffs, break WTO rules.…
ONLY 11 MAJOR EXPORTING COUNTRIES PUNISH COMPANIES FOR GRAFT
A new report from Transparency International has found that only 11 major exporting countries in the world significantly punish companies that pay bribes abroad. The report, called ‘Exporting Corruption’, also found that more than half of world exports come from at least 33 jurisdictions, including several European Union (EU) member states, where companies that export corruption along with their goods and services face weak consequences. …
ENERGY CLUSTERS ARE THE WAY FORWARD IN EU INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, EXPERTS SAY
SUPPORTERS of the European Union (EU) as a political concept stress how it has the vision, and the money, to promote energy projects of common interest (PCIs) between its (for now) 28 member states. Their goal is to promote an effective continent-wide energy market that offers European citizens more security in their supply of gas, electricity and to a lesser extent oil.…
ESTABLISHED EASTERN EUROPE PAINT MARKETS SETTLE WHILE EMERGING MARKETS STILL HAVE ROOM TO GROW
EASTERN Europe is always a tough market for major paint and coating manufacturers to crack, containing multiple national markets, some in the European Union (EU), some outside, and all with differing cultural and language requirements for marketers to master.
Poland, with its 38 million population and robust economy (projected by the World Bank to grow at 4.2% this year – 2018), remains the region’s most important market, with researcher Euromonitor International saying that Polish paint and coatings sales were worth Polish Zloty PLN1.29 billion (USD352.7 billion) in 2017, up slightly compared to the PLN1.25 billion (USD342.5 billion) sold in 2016.…
DECARBONISATION POSSIBLE BEFORE 2050, SAYS HEAD OF EURELECTRIC
EUROPE can meet its goal of cleaning up the power sector several years earlier than by the European Union’s (EU) self-imposed deadline of 2050, according to Kristian Ruby, secretary general of the Union of the Electricity Industry – Eurelectric, the sector association representing the industry at pan-European level.…
ITALIAN PAINT PRODUCERS LOOK ABROAD, INNOVATE TO BOOST SALES
THE SCALE of Italy’s paints and varnishes sector remained relatively unchanged through 2017, according to AVISA, a division of Federchimica, the national chemicals industry association. Werther Colonna, president of AVISA, told Polymers Paint Colour Journal (PPCJ) that the sector suffered a difficult year in 2017, marked by a succession of ups and downs, which translated into fluctuating monthly sales.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – TRADE WARS THREATEN CONFECTIONERY AND SWEET BAKERY SECTOR
THE INTERNATIONAL Cocoa Organisation (ICCO) has released an ambitious policy plan designed to steer the industry towards sustainability. Called the Berlin Declaration, having been released at the fourth World Cocoa Conference, of governments, farmers, traders, grinders, processors, manufacturers, researchers, trade unions, civil society organisations, trade unions, consumer organisations, it says higher farm gate prices should be paid.…
CANADIAN FUR SECTOR INNOVATES TO SURVIVE AS MILLENNIALS LOOK FOR TRIM AND FUR YARNS
THE CANADIAN fur industry is adapting to changes in consumer demand by looking to new uses of pelts, including fur yarns that can be knitted or weaved, as well as the use of fur for trimming. The resulting product lines are intended for a broader target market, including clothing and accessories that will appeal to a new generation.…
BRAZIL AND CHINA TOP LIST OF MOST FCPA INVESTIGATIONS
Brazil is by far the country most-named in American investigations for crimes against the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), with China trailing behind in second place, according to the latest listing from a blog, FCPA Tracker. It says industries cited in the different FCPA probes tied to Brazil include power generation, waste management, oil and gas services, food production, steel manufacturing and telecommunications.…
POLAND’S WALL TO TACKLE SWINE FEVER SHOULD HAVE BEEN BUILT 4 YEARS AGO, MEAT EXPERTS SAY
THE DECISION of the Polish government to build a 1,200-kilometre-long fence along the country’s eastern border as a tool to fight African Swine Fever (ASF) by blocking the migration of infected wild boars has been condemned as too-little-too-late by Poland’s meat sector.…
EU FINANCIAL WATCHDOG TO ASSESS IF SESAR IS VALUE FOR MONEY
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) financial watchdog, the European Court of Auditors, is auditing the deployment of SESAR, the EU’s technological modernisation programme for air traffic management. The assessment will examine whether it is well managed and will contribute to the Single European Sky (SES) initiative.…
HARMONISED TAX APPROACH FOR NOVEL TOBACCO PRODUCTS WILL BECOME A REALITY ONCE THEY REACH THE MASS, EXPERTS SAY
THE DECISION of the European Commission not to propose a harmonised European Union (EU) approach for excise duty on e-cigarettes and other novel tobacco products has been welcomed by the tobacco sector for avoiding punitive taxation on a nascent segment.
But should such rules ultimately be introduced the tobacco sector may not oppose them if they reflect the lower health risks involved in consuming such products by enabling lower excise duty bands.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT FACES FIGHT WITH EU COUNCIL OVER ELECTRICITY MARKET REFORM
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) current Bulgarian presidency (January-July 2018) will probably face a tough challenge, when tripartite talks between the European Parliament, member states and the European Commission on electricity market reform begin this spring.
“Since early March, we have been preparing for the ‘trilogues’ [EU jargon for talks between its three main bodies], comparing the [EU] member states’ general approach reached in December with Parliament’s position, so we have documents to work on when trilogues start,” a Council spokesperson told Modern Power Systems, adding “no dates have yet been fixed” for the negotiations.…
HONG KONG BUDGET INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT PROFIT AND SALARY TAX CUTS
THE HONG Kong financial secretary has proposed a 75% reduction of profits tax, salaries tax and tax under personal assessment for the 2017-18 assessment year, up to Hong Kong dollars HKD30,000 (USD3,820) per case. In his annual budget speech, Paul Chan also proposed widening tax bands, adding one more (HKD150,000 to HKD200,000); adjusting marginal tax rates for salaries tax; introducing a personal disability allowance; increasing basic, additional child allowances, dependent parent/grandparent allowance and additional allowance.…
BREXITING BRITAIN IS KEY BENEFICIARY OF EU MONEY TO FIGHT ANIMAL DISEASES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced its latest funding for helping European Union (EU) member states fight animal diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis, rabies, bovine brucellosis, African swine fever and lumpy skin disease, by allocating more than EUR140 million for 2018.…
ILLEGAL CUT TOBACCO REACHES OVER 75% OF THE MARKET SHARE IN SOME EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
BULK tobacco smuggling is on the rise in eastern and south-eastern Europe, and cigarette manufacturers are calling for a better coordinated approach by law enforcers, as well as the passing of clearer and stricter rules to combat the menace. While regulation is in place in some countries (Montenegro and Romania insist on licensing and growers’ record keeping, for instance), the licencing and registration of tobacco growers are still not required in others (for example Poland and Greece), causing weak links that can be exploited by smugglers, according to the legitimate tobacco industry.…
EU POLICY PLANS TO SECURE EUROPE’S GAS – BUT NATIONAL ENERGY SOVEREIGNTY CONCERNS ARE BUBBLING UP
Efforts to safeguard the security of supply of gas to the European Union (EU) and its countries are gathering pace after recent EU regulatory changes. Gas transmission system operators (TSOs) are now developing a new, collaborative system for managing supply crises.…
AMLD COMPLIANCE LACKING AS EU STRIKES DEAL ON NEW RULES
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) fourth anti-money laundering directive (4AMLD – 2015/849) was hailed as major step forward in combatting money laundering when it was adopted in May 2015, but member states are dragging their feet on compliance, just as the bloc moves towards adopting its fifth update.…
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER CASES ARE STILL COMMON IN RUSSIA AND THE REGION, AT-RISK EU COUNTRIES ARE TAKING MEASURES
Cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) are still very common in Russia, despite its continued ban on European Union (EU) pigmeat exports, imposed since January 2014 following a handful of cases in Poland and Lithuania. While outbreaks have continued in the EU, Russia – whose ban was imposed on live pigs, pork and pig products over fears importing ASF-infected meat and livestock, has from last July (2017) to today (January 30) notified to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) around 2,800 ASF cases of domestic pigs, and 90 cases in wild boars.…
EU FINANCIAL WATCHDOG WILL ASSESS IF EUROPEAN ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY IS EFFECTIVE
A DETAILED review of whether the European Union’s (EU) comprehensive animal welfare efforts are proving effective is to be staged by the EU’s financial watchdog, the Court of Auditors, this year.
The court has announced it will be sending experts to Romania, Poland, France, Italy and Germany, as part of its policy audit, with a report expected to be released by December (2018).…
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.…
TECHNICAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – BEPS CONVENTION SOON T BE IN FORCE
*The Multilateral Convention to Implement Tax Treaty Related Measures to Prevent Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) is closer to being in effect, with Barbados, Côte d’Ivoire, Jamaica, Malaysia, Panama and Tunisia signing. Now 78 jurisdictions have signed the convention, with Algeria, Kazakhstan, Oman and Swaziland to sign soon.…
CHINA MOVES TO WORLD’S NUMBER POSITION IN PERSONAL CARE PRODUCT SALES
China will boast the world’s number one cosmetics market in 2018 according to global financial services firm Morgan Stanley: it will account for 20% of total sales, compared to 17% for the second-placed USA and 10% for third placed Japan – overtaking America for the first time, it said.…
VATICAN STILL FACES WORK TO REDUCE ITS AML EXPOSURE
WHILE the Vatican City State and Holy See’s acceptance that their financial institutions could be exploited by money launderers is far more realistic than the denials of 10 years ago, a much-anticipated Italian court ruling has shown much work is needed to clear dirty money from these hallowed accounts.…
EGYPT – YOUNG CONSUMER BASE KEEPS COSMETICS SAKES VIBRANT AMIDST WEAK ECONOMY AND STIFLING RED TAPE
The Egyptian Pounds EGP1.6 billion (USD90.5 million) Egyptian colour cosmetics market has had steady growth over the past year despite the downturn in the economy, the depreciation of the Egyptian pound and some serious regulatory challenges.
According to market researcher Euromonitor International, in 2016, this market grew by 18% in value terms, year-on-year, mainly influenced by the positive performance of lip care products, primarily lipsticks.…
VIETNAM TEXTILE EXPORTERS LOOK TO ASIA TO BOOST SALES
VIETNAM’S textile and clothing and textile sector is looking to sell more product into Asian markets such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Japan, while solidifying its traditional export bases like the US and EU, the latest trade data indicates.
Last year, Vietnam exported USD2.28 billion’s worth of clothing and textiles to South Korea – a 7.45% gain compared with 2015, according to Vietnam customs data analysed by the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). …
GLOBAL NUCLEAR NEWBUILD INSPIRED BY UAE PROGRESS
THE UNITED Arab Emirates (UAE) may hold an enviable portion of the world’s oil and gas reserves, at 4% and 3.5% respectively. But this has not stopped the country diversifying its long-term energy sources through developing nuclear power. With generation imminent, nuclear energy regulators and companies are watching closely how this rare event – a country embarking on a new civilian nuclear programme – rolls out.…
POLISH SALMONELLA CRISIS MIGHT UNDERCUT PLANNED EU BAN ON FORMALDEHYDE USAGE
Poland is facing a Salmonella crisis this summer but its poultry sector is unhappy that the European Commission is opposing the use of formaldehyde – an efficient tool to fight against the bacteria in animal feed. The European Union (EU) executive has drafted a regulation preventing its use because the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) fears its possible inhalation might cause cancer in farm workers.…
EU MINISTERS WILL HAVE AN EXTRAORDINARY MEETING AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER TO DISCUSS THE EGG CRISIS
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to hold a special meeting with European Union (EU) ministers and food safety authorities over the ongoing scandal about fipronil-contaminated eggs to gather information on how to manage such crises in future. The EU executive will stage the meeting on September 26, it told just-food today, allowing time for more information to emerge.…
DEMAND FOR MEN’S COSMETICS GROWS IN RUSSIA AS MEN SLOWLY BANISH OLD STEREOTYPES
DEMAND for men’s personal care products is growing in Russia – a stark change for a country where men’s grooming was traditionally limited to the bare hygiene essentials, with any additional attention to physical appearance spurring fears of appearing too effeminate.…
TRUMP’S QUITTING PARIS DEAL WILL NOT PREVENT RENEWABLES GROWTH AND CARBON EMISSIONS’ DECLINE, SAY EXPERTS
Donald Trump’s decision to pull the United States out of the 2015 Paris Climate Treaty will not halt moves to cut fossil fuels or reduce decarbonisation requirements on the non-energy minerals sector and other industries, say experts.
Trump called for a new “fair” deal that would not disadvantage US businesses and workers and claimed that China and India had “no meaningful obligations” placed on them by the agreement.…
CHIPITA SAYS REPORTED SLOVAK DEAL IS NOT FOR SURE
Greek savoury snacks specialist company Chipita has refused to confirm or deny reports that it plans to build a new plant for its products in Slovakia. The company told just-food.com that “it is interested in many markets (including Slovakia) and is constantly looking for opportunities.…
TWENTY COUNTRIES SET UP EPPO AFTER EU FAILS TO AGREE AS BLOC
TWENTY European member states agreed to set up a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) under an ‘enhanced cooperation’ regulation agreed at the June 8 Justice Council after the EU as a bloc failed to gain the necessary unanimity on a European Commission proposal. …
DUTCH POULTRY HATCHING FIRM PLOTS MOVE INTO RUSSIA
THE NETHERLANDS-based Hendrix Genetics plans to build a complex producing hatching eggs for turkey chicks in Russia this year, according to the Russian ministry of agriculture.
Ina report, it has said the new complex will be able to produce 6.5 million hatching eggs per year, and the potential to increase volumes in future.…
EUROPE COAL SECTOR DECLINES AS POWER SOURCE - BUT PROCESS IS UNEVEN
EUROPEAN electricity industry federation Eurelectric hews closely to the views of its national associations, so when all but two of its members made a commitment in April (2017) not to fund investments in new-build coal-fired power plants after 2020, the energy sector can be sure this is a solid promise.…
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.…
THE BIG BOOST IN EU PIG MEAT EXPORT MIGHT NOT LAST FOR LONG
EUROPEAN Union (EU) pig meat producers were big winners in boosting export sales over between last March (2016) and February (2017), according to the European Commission, with receipts rising by more than 33% compared to the same period last year. The EU pigmeat sector earned EUR5.4 billion in export earnings from March 2016 to February 2017, EUR1.35 billion more than the same period in the previous year, leading the United States and Canada as the second and third most important pigmeat exporters, reported EU statistical agency Eurostat.…
POLISH PROSECUTORS BLAME RUSSIAN TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS FOR SMOLENSK CRASH DEATH OF PRESIDENT
RUSSIAN air traffic controllers in Smolensk have been blamed by Poland’s Deputy Prosecutor, Marek Pasionek, for the 2010 air crash in Russia that killed Poland’s president Lech Kaczynski and 95 other senior Polish politicians. Speaking at a press conference on April 3, Pasionek said that a detailed investigation had revealed “evidence that has allowed prosecutors to formulate new charges against air traffic controllers, citizens of the Russian Federation”.…
POLAND ECONOMIC GROWTH CONTINUES, DESPITE GOVERNMENT’S SHARP CHANGES IN SPENDING POLICIES
For nearly 10 years now, Poland has been Europe’s most surprising economic growth story. It even avoided recession during the 2009 financial crisis, and its gross domestic product (GDP) has continued to rise since, increasing by 2.8% in 2016. Unemployment has been dropping steadily since 2013, reaching 8.5% in February 2017 – lower than pre-crisis levels. …
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.…
EU CONSUMER HEALTH WARNING DATABASE REPORT INDICATES RISE IN REPORTS ON AUTOS AND PARTS DURING 2016
AUTOMOTIVE parts and vehicles have become the second most dangerous category of goods in the European Union (EU) in 2016, according to the most recent annual report of the EU’s ‘Rapid Alert System for non-food dangerous products’, or RAPEX.
The system routes safety alerts about consumer products within the 28 member states of the EU.…
THE EU AND GAZPROM ON THE WAY TO AGREE, AT LEAST UNTIL THE NEXT FEW WEEKS
The European Commission and the Russian giant Gazprom have moved closer to striking a deal over the company’s competitive behavior in the European Union (EU). On Monday (March 13), the EU competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager invited all interested parties to comment on Gazprom commitments to address concerns that the company is breaking EU anti-trust rules.…
NONWOVENS FINISHERS COMBINING COLOURING AESTHETICS WITH SUSTAINABILITY
AN APPRECIATION of interior design along with environmental concerns appear to be driving innovation when it comes to the colouring of nonwovens.
Often used in functional or ‘behind the scenes’ capacities in industrial applications, colour is not always top of the list when consideration is given to nonwovens finishing processes.…
INTERPOL PROBE INDICATES ENDEMIC FRAUD ATTACKS ON BRAZIL MEAT SECTOR
INTERPOL is seeking international assistance in its own investigation into alleged frauds against the Brazilian poultry and pork industry, with a key industry association admitting the sector has been suffering from external attacks by fraudsters, GlobalMeatNews can reveal.
The international police agency has issued a ‘Purple Notice’ which means its 190 member countries are asked “to seek or provide information on modus operandi, objects, devices and concealment methods used by criminals”.…
EU MEMBER STATES CLEAR WAY FORWARD TO CREATE EUROPEAN PUBLIC PROSECUTOR – BUT MAYBE JUST FOR 17 MEMBER STATES
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has taken a significant step towards the creation of a European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), but its chosen procedure may mean the powers of EU anti-fraud office OLAF will be undiminished, at least for some countries.
The latest European Council – the EU summit of heads of government – on March 9 agreed that the creation of the EPPO should be mandated through the EU’s ‘enhanced cooperation’ procedure.…
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.…
EUROPE’S TECHNICAL TEXTILE SECTOR GROW THROUGH INNOVATION
THE CONTINUED success of Europe’ major technical textile fair, Techtextil, Frankfurt, (the next event runs from May 9 to 12) illustrates how the continent’s technical textile sector is thriving on its innovation.
“We don’t know what the future brings. We only know where it will be exhibited.…
AGEING NUCLEAR WORKFORCE CAN BE REJUVENATED SUSTAINABLY WITH HELP OF GETI DATE
KEY MESSAGES
*The nuclear industry has an ageing staff and needs to recruit new professionals as they retire
*Its strong health and retirement benefits packages could help it attract the new staff it needs
*The nuclear industry outside north America has a strong expat component, making it easier for recruit staff from abroad
INTRODUCTION
The nuclear industry sector is facing some significant human resources challenges, but new research carried out by Airswift and Energy Jobline indicates that the nuclear sector can still compete for talent.…
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.…
ITALY’S COSMETICS PRODUCERS GROW FAST THANKS TO ROBUST EXPORT PERFORMANCE
The Italian beauty and personal care industry has headed into 2017 with optimism, on the heels of a still slow yet solid recovery in the domestic market and the strengthening of its competitive edge in foreign markets. Although the most recent confirmed data goes back only to 2015, industry association Cosmetica Italia’s latest forecast for the sector, released in July 2016 and entitled, ‘Economic Forecasts, Trends and Investments in the Cosmetics Sector – July 2016’, gives a good idea on the 2016 year-end results we can expect from the Italian cosmetics industry.…
FINLAND’S VALMET GOING STRONG AS IT EXPANDS ITS MERCEDES RELATIONSHIP IN 2017
FINLAND’S independent contract car maker Valmet Automotive (VA) is experiencing a remarkable renaissance thanks to orders from Germany’s Mercedes-Benz, growth that is expected to continue with support from the European Investment Bank (EIB).
VA’s breakthrough came when it signed a deal with Daimler in July 2012 to make more than 100,000 Mercedes Series A models between 2013 and 2017.…
EUROPE CONTINUES TO EXPAND ENERGY PRICE PLAN CHOICES
WHILE Japan has freed up its electricity market, in 2015, end-user price regulation was still applied to household electricity markets in 12 European Union (EU) member states (46% of electricity and 54% of gas price offers from different service providers), Europe’s electricity industry association Eurelectric spokesperson Anamaria Olaru told Energy World.…
POULTRY IMPORT BAN AMID AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK IN DENMARK
SINGAPORE, Japan and South Korea have stopped poultry imports from Denmark after an Avian Influenza virus (H5N8) outbreak affected the country’s entire poultry sector. This is the first outbreak of the virus in Denmark since 2006, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration, (Fødevarestyrelsen – FVST) told GlobalMeatNews.…
EU PUSHES FOR MORE CONTROLS ON TATTOO INKS
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is investigating if European Union (EU)-wide controls are needed to protect consumers against substances used in tattoo inks and permanent make-up (PMU) – with one solution expanding the scope of the EU cosmetics directive.
While the printing ink industry has suffered a recession, the tattoo and PMU ink sectors are booming in the wake of a huge increase in purchases of tattoos EU-wide.…
CHINA/USA PEER REVIEW DETAILS UPCOMING COP21-RELATED FOSSIL FUEL REFORMS
THE UNITED States and China have released detailed plans for reducing their governments’ support for fossil fuel, production and use, as they announced their ratification of the COP21 climate change deal struck in Paris last December.
These policy promises from Washington and Beijing have emerged from voluntary peer reviews chaired by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD).…
JAPAN’S KEWPIE CONFIRMS POLISH TAKEOVER BID
Japan’s Kewpie Corp is acquiring Polish food maker Mosso Kwasniewscy Sp.J as part of its overseas expansion efforts, the company confirmed to just-food.com.
Mosso will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tokyo company, renowned for its mayonnaise products, and will be known as Mosso Kewpie Poland Sp.…
EU/WTO REGULATORY ROUND UP – MEPS CALL FOR BROADER EU RULES ON FOOD CONTACT MATERIALS
EUROPEAN Union (EU)-safety rules are needed for more materials in contact with food, such as those used in packaging, kitchen utensils and tableware, a European Parliament motion has said. MEPs said that only some of these materials, such as plastics and ceramics, have been fully tested for safety for human health.…
EU PUSHES AHEAD WITH DEVELOPING EASTERN EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL GAS PIPELINE LINKS
MILLIONS of Euros have been released by the European Union (EU) to fund projects deepening the international gas pipeline network in eastern Europe, a key element of EU plans for forge an ‘energy union’.
One major project is a EUR179 million plan to create the Bulgaria–Romania–Hungary–Austria (BRUA) system of gas lines.…
RUSSIA MAY APPEAL WTO RULING ON EU PIG EXPORTS BY END OF MONTH
The Russian government will by the end of this month (September) appeal the recent ruling of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) opposing Russia’s swine fever-related ban on European Union (EU) exports of pigs, pigmeat and related products by the end of September, according to the Russian government.…
INCREASINGLY COMPLEX BALTIC INTERCONNECTOR NETWORK GROWS NORTH-EAST EUROPE POWER MARKET
THE DEVELOPMENT of electricity interconnectors crossing national borders is simultaneously a technical and geo-political act, requiring careful planning and skilled installation of technology, along with an eye towards promoting security of power supplies.
Such investments are a priority of the European Union (EU) and its member states under its Energy Union programme.…
RUSSIA’S EU SWINE FEVER BANS BREAK GLOBAL TRADE LAWS, SAYS WTO
A key element of Russia’s bans on European Union (EU) food exports was challenged today, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) saying the country’s bans on European Union (EU) exports of pigs, pigmeat and related products, imposed over African swine fever (ASF) cases, breach global trade laws.…
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.…
COMMISSION’S AID PACKAGE WILL NOT COMBAT DAIRY WOES, CHARGES INDUSTRY
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s latest EUR500 million support package for European farmers, finalised at an August 26 European Union (EU) committee in Brussels, will not ease the dairy crisis, European dairy groups have warned.
“Production cuts is the label used to describe the current package of measures,” said the EU farm lobby group European Milk Board (EMB)’s president Romuald Schaber following the initial announcement of the plans in July.…
ORGANIC WOOL OFFERS ADDITIONAL NICHE VALUE FOR PRODUCERS
ORGANIC wool can pose various challenges to producers and apparel and textile manufacturers, including added costs and more complicated logistics. But for niche markets, these products can attract customers willing to pay more for softer, chemical-free woollen goods.
Dalena White, secretary general of the Brussels-based International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), told Twist International: “Wool farmers have lovely stories to tell, including the heritage of their sheep, the natural pastures they graze on and the love they have for their animals and their native land.…
ENERGY DIPLOMACY GIVES EU THE MEANS TO FORGE SECURE SUPPLIES, BUT IT IS NO SURE BET
IN an ever more interconnected world, where reliable energy flows are of critical importance to sophisticated developed economies, the role of diplomacy in helping keep oil and gas flowing is perhaps more important than ever before.
Of course, oil and gas has always been an international business.…
RUSSIA’S EU SWINE FEVER BANS BREAK GLOBAL TRADE LAWS, SAYS WTO
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed Friday’s (Aug 19) ruling from the World Trade Organisation (WTO) opposing Russia’s bans on European Union (EU) exports of pigs, pigmeat and related products, imposed during 2014 because of outbreaks of African swine fever (ASF).
Russia, meanwhile, has said it is studying the ruling and may yet appeal.…
SWINE FEVER CASES IN POLAND, LITHUANIA, RUSSIA AND UKRAINE COULD ENTRENCH RUSSIA’S PIGMEAT IMPORT BAN
CASES of African swine fever (ASF) continue to be reported in Poland, Lithuania, Russia, the Ukraine and elsewhere in Europe, making it tough for an agreement to be reached between Moscow and Brussels on lifting trade controls sparked by the disease.…
BRUSSELS CALLS ON EU MEMBER STATES TO DETECT AND DECLARE MORE EU FRAUD
THE EUROPEAN Commission has accused six European Union (EU) member states of failing to detect enough fraud in EU spending programmes where their governments have a significant management role. In its latest annual report on the ‘Protection of the European Union’s financial interests – Fight against fraud 2015’, the Commission said Austria, Britain and Finland had reported “a very low number of fraudulent irregularities, in particular in relation to the amount of frauds allocated to them” for EU agricultural spending.…
CONFECTIONERY SECTOR PUSHES TO BOOST SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS
HAVING a strong reputation for sustainable practice is increasingly a strong marketing card, for the confectionery sector as much as any other consumer industry. But with its extended international supply chains, demonstrating a high regard for environmental good practice is not always easy for the confectionery sector.…
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.…
MEAT INDUSTRY REBUKES RUSSIA’S PLAN TO EXTEND IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
Russia’s decision to extend its import ban on a wide range of European Union (EU), US, Canadian, Australian and Norwegian food exports until December 31, 2017 has met with widespread disapproval from the EU meat industry. “Overall I can say we are very disappointed,” EU farm body Copa & Cogeca spokesperson Amanda Cheesley told GlobalMeatNews.…
ROMA GROUP CALLS ON EU TO END SUBSIDIES TO CONCENTRATION CAMP SITE PIG FARM
A CAMPAIGN group backing the rights of Roma people in the Czech Republic has called on the European Union (EU) to halt paying subsidies to a pig farm that operates on the site of a former Nazi concentration camp where Roma died during the Second World War.…
EU SERVICES PASSPORT TO BE PROPOSED
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced that it will propose a ‘services passport’ system by December 31, designed to simplify administrative procedures for service providers, such as accountants, auditors and bookkeepers, who want to expand to foreign member states. EU internal market, industry, entrepreneurship and SMEs Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska said: “The cross-border provision of services in the EU is underdeveloped, in particular in the area of business services – such as accounting…” The passport system would give accountants more information, boosting legal certainty and clarity about relevant professional rules in another member state.…
EU STEPS UP SUPPORT FOR EUROPEAN DAIRY SECTOR AS OPTIMISM GROWS ABOUT END TO RUSSIAN BAN
As the European Union (EU) dairy industry continues to face challenges, it is calling for EU institutions and member governments to have a greater focus on resolving Russia’s ban on EU agricultural goods, while continuing to open up new markets. In the meantime, the Russian ban has not helped an oversupply problem that is depressing prices.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION COSTS POTENTIAL NUCLEAR ENERGY INVESTMENT; PROMISES TO PROTECT DIVERSITY IN FUEL SUPPLY
A COST of maintaining nuclear generation capacity of between 95 GWe and 105GWe in the European Union (EU) until 2050 and beyond will cost between EUR350 and EUR450 billion over the next 35 years, the European Commission has concluded. (That is between USD398 billion and USD511 billion at current exchange rates).…
CENTRAL/EASTERN EUROPE PAINT MARKET AND INDUSTRY POSTS UNEVEN PERFORMANCE AS ECONOMIC RECOVERY BEDS IN
MULTI-COUNTRY regions such as eastern Europe do not always follow the same script when it comes to market performance. Sometimes, when major events happen, such as the global financial crisis, it is difficult for national coatings markets to buck the trend, but with the recovery now established, weakening economic headwinds, the latent differences between national markets can become clear.…
BRUSSELS MAKES FIRST CONNECTING EUROPE CALL FOR PROPOSALS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has made its first formal call for proposals under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), to help finance key European Union (EU) energy infrastructure projects. In this round of subsidies, EUR200 million will be made available for projects designed to eliminate structural bottlenecks impeding the flow of energy between EU countries.…
EU COMMISSION THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER AIRPORT CHARGING IN BELGIUM AND POLAND
THE EUROPEAN Commission has threatened European Court of Justice (ECJ) legal action against Belgium and Poland over claims they have broken the European Union (EU) airport charges directive (2009/12/EC). The Commission says Belgium has failed to establish an independent supervisory authority to settle charge disputes between airports and airlines, as required by the law.…
POLISH GOVERNMENT PUSHES EU FOR CONCERTED ACTION TO HELP PIGMEAT TRADE
Poland has requested measures to help boost its struggling pigmeat sector at an European Council of Minsters’ agriculture and fisheries meeting, expressing “deep concern at the development of the situation in the pigmeat market.
A document circulated to EU ministers by the Polish delegation to the council said additional financial resources, or “exceptional support”, from the EU for the pigmeat sector to compensate for producers’ continuing losses resulting from Russia’s embargo and a drought in 2015.…
RUSSIA CRISIS OVERSHADOWS KEY TURKISH YARN FAIR, BUT ORGANISERS BULLISH ABOUT ITS IMPACT
Organisers of the 13th annual Istanbul Yarn Fair remain optimistic about the future of Turkey’s yarn segment, despite the country’s recent diplomatic crisis with Russia depressing this year’s turnout.
“Although the recent political issues have affected the number of Russian buyers who come to the fair, the relationship between Turkey and Russia is very strong and [built on a long history],” said Gülbin Bozkurt, project group director of Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc, which organised the fair.…
OECD SAYS GREEN REGULATIONS CAN OFFER ADVANTAGES TO TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS
A report released yesterday (Mar 10) by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development (OECD) has advised textile manufacturers to support government efforts to tighten environmental rules, saying they are unlikely to cause a loss of business.
The report is an attempt to dispel the widely-held view that tighter environmental rules increase costs and damages business – especially in emerging market manufacturing hubs.…
GERMANY SEEKS TO SOOTH POLAND OVER NORD STREAM EXPANSION
GERMANY has been trying to soothe opposition to plans to double the capacity of the current Nord Stream 1 and 2 lines. The country’s Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel travelled to Warsaw to mollify Poland’s new conservative government, which has been upset by the proposal.…
RUSSIA CRISIS OVERSHADOWS KEY TURKISH YARN FAIR, BUT ORGANISERS BULLISH ABOUT ITS IMPACT
Organisers of the 13th annual Istanbul Yarn Fair remain optimistic about the future of Turkey’s yarn segment, despite the country’s recent diplomatic crisis with Russia depressing this year’s turnout.
“Although the recent political issues have affected the number of Russian buyers who come to the fair, the relationship between Turkey and Russia is very strong and [built on a long history],” said Gülbin Bozkurt, project group director of Tüyap Fairs and Exhibitions Organization Inc, which organised the fair.…
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.…
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.…
ITALY’S BEAUTY MARKET RETURNS TO GROWTH
The beauty and personal care (BPC) market in Italy ended 2015 on a positive note, recording marginal growth in market sales, production and exports, according to a December 2015 report ‘Trends and Investments in the Cosmetics Sector’, released by the national cosmetics trade association, Associazione Italiana delle Imprese Cosmetiche (Cosmetica Italia).…
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.…
RUSSIA TEXTILE SECTOR ABANDONS EXPENSIVE FUR TRIM
RUSSIAN textile producers abandoning the use of fur trim on their fabrics, especially more expensive fur, according to Andrey Razbrodin, president of the Association is known as the Russian Union of Entrepreneurs of Textile and Light Industry, which includes Russia’s leading textile producers.…
OPPOSITION GROWS IN EASTERN/CENTRAL EUROPE TO NORD STREAM EXPANSION PLAN
OPPOSITION is growing within eastern and central Europe to the plan to expand the Nord Stream pipeline from Russia to Germany. Gazprom, E.ON, BASF/Wintershall, OMV, ENGIE and Royal Dutch Shell have formed a consortium that would double the capacity of the current Nord Stream 1 and 2 line to 55 billion additional cubic metres of gas a year (bcm/y).…
MEPS GIVE FAIR WIND TO ENERGY UNION PROJECT FOR 2016 AND 2017
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has given its political support for strong action by the European Commission in the coming year to propose and implement concrete actions to create an ambitious Energy Union. Its goal is to freely trading power between the European Union’s (EU) 28 member states.…
BIOFUELS INDUSTRY WELCOMES DEAL OVER ILUC – BUT WANTS A MORE RATIONAL DEBATE OVER SUBSIDIES IN FUTURE
After more than four years of protracted negotiations that included bursts of occasional intense lobbying, the biofuels standards and subsidies saga in Europe has been settled with a compromise that allows both the industry and environmental groups to draw some satisfaction.…
UPDATE COPY - GAZPROM DROPS LITHUANIAN PRICE AFTER EU MARKET ABUSE CLAIMS
GAZPROM has agreed to drop gas prices charged to Lithuanian utility Lietuvos Dujos until the end of 2015 following European Commission charges of dominant position abuses in central and eastern European gas markets. The Russian giant is also now facing competition for cheaper liquid natural gas (LNG) supplies in Lithuania via the Klaipėda terminal on the Baltic Sea.…
BRUSSELS REVIEWS ALL ELECTRICITY CAPACITY SUBSIDIES, AND BRITAIN MAY HAVE TO REVISE ITS SYSTEM
The European Commission has launched a review of whether subsidies promoting electricity generating and distributing capacity breaks European Union (EU) state aid rules. These are designed to make sure member states do not give their industries an unfair advantage in the EU’s single market.…
ARGENTINA TAPS CHINA FOR NUCLEAR PLANTS – BUT DISCUSSIONS GO ON
A USD13 billion deal agreed by China to build two reactors for Argentina hinges entirely on the Chinese side putting up the financing, with a final arrangement on the cash deal to be inked in 2017. That’s according to sources in the Chinese nuclear industry.…
EU MEAT EXPORTS TO VIETNAM SURGE
VIETNAM’S beef and pork product imports from the European Union (EU) have increased 70 times in 2014 when compared with 2012, industry experts have said. The unprecedented rise comes ahead of an upcoming EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which may increase imports further once it is finalised.…
TECHNICAL ROUND UP – BRUSSELS DETAILS UPCOMING EU VAT REFORMS
BRUSSELS DETAILS UPCOMING EU VAT REFORMS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released a statement outlining the subject of planned VAT legislative proposals to be made next year (2016). These will reduce the administrative burden on businesses through VAT regimes varying between European Union (EU) member states.…
IMPACT OF RUSSIA FOOD IMPORT BANS VARY ACROSS EU
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states have suffered unevenly from Russia’s ban on EU food exports from last August, according to European Commission data.
While Finnish and Estonian extra-EU food and drink exports fell sharply in August-November 2014 compared to the same period in 2013 (32% and 22% down respectively), other EU food exporters saw only moderate falls in such sales, or even gains.…
GAZPROM WILL FIGHT EU MARKET ABUSE CLAIMS
GAZPROM has declared that it will fight the European Commission inquiry into possible dominant position abuses, even though the Russian position could be weak. The European Commission sent Gazprom a ‘Statement of Objections’ on April 22, accusing the Russian energy giant of abusing its dominant position in central and eastern European gas markets, a charge the company denies.…
DENMARK’S meat industry sector
DENMARK’S meat industry sector anticipates the streamlining of production and possible closure of at least one slaughtering house in the wake of Danish Crown’s acquisition and merger with Tican. The deal was approved by 91% of Tican’s owners on March 26.…
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.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP – BRUSSELS DRAFTS CHANGES TO VOC DEFINITION FOR EU PAINT ECO-LABEL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has drafted revisions to the definition of volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds (VOCs and SVOCs) used within the guidelines for awarding the EU ecolabel for paints and varnishes. In a new text, it has defined VOCs as “any organic compounds having an initial boiling point less than or equal to 250C measured at a standard pressure of 101.3kPa…and which, in a capillary column, are eluting up to and including n-Tetradecane (C14H30)”.…
UK FAILING ON ENERGY EFFICIENCY, FIDDLING THE COMPLIANCE FIGURES, NGO CLAIMS
The UK is lagging behind many other European Union (EU) member states when it comes to energy efficiency and is fiddling the figures to show it is making better progress than in reality, according to the latest report from the Brussels-based Coalition for Energy Savings.…
GERMAN-MADE CARS TOP THE EU CONSUMER DANGER LIST IN 2014
GERMAN-made automobiles were the largest source of reports regarding potentially dangerous motor vehicles made to the European Union’s (EU) RAPEX consumer alert network in 2014, analysis of its data shows.
There were 194 notifications to the system relating to automobiles and parts last year, the fourth largest category following toys (650), clothing and textiles (530) and electrical appliances (217).…
BANGLADESH COTTON IMPORTS TO DOUBLE IN SIX YEARS – CONFERENCE TOLD
With Bangladesh’S economy set to continue growing and local cotton production expected to remain insignificant, cotton imports are set to double by 2021, said industry players and experts attending the country’s first Global Cotton Summit. The two-day event (March 20-21) in Dhaka, was jointly organised by the Bangladesh Cotton Association (BCA) and Bangladesh Textile Mills Association (BTMA).…
DAIRY PRODUCERS FEELING EFFECTS OF RUSSIA’S CHEESE BANS
In the latest in a string of bans on cheese products entering Russia, the Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights and Protection and Human Wellbeing (Rospotrebnadzor) has banned cheese products made by Poland’s Ostrowia.
But this latest dairy ban is not all it seems, and Milkiland, the Netherlands-based dairy products producer owning Ostrowia, has called for “dialogue” with Russian authorities because its banned ‘Wesola Krowka’ (‘Jolly Cow’) is made from vegetable fats.…
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.…
POLISH NON-DAIRY CHEESE MAKER BEFUDDLED BY RUSSIAN BAN
Milkiland, a Netherlands-based dairy products producer with operations in Poland, has called for “dialogue” with Russian authorities after Moscow’s consumer rights agency put an embargo on all non-dairy cheese imports from Poland, after examining one of its products.
The Russian agency, Rospotrebnadzor, released a statement in late February declaring that it had found that the ‘Wesola Krowka’ (‘Jolly Cow’) imitation cheese product did not meet Russian requirements for dairy products.…
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.…
ACCA FELLOW IN POLAND DEVELOPS CAREER THROUGH VARIED AND TOUGH CHALLENGES
Climbing the career ladder in finance and accounting takes a willingness to take on new, difficult challenges, acquiring varied experience and clear long-term goals. No one knows this better than Grzegorz Mączyński, an ACCA fellow and the financial director and member of the board of Alstom Konstal, Alstom Transport’s branch in Poland.…
BRUSSELS RELEASES DETAILS OF ENERGY PROJECTS WITHIN MAJOR COMMISSION INVESTMENT PLAN
NATURAL gas projects are a key part of the Euro EUR315 billion development plan released before Christmas by the European Commission. A keystone of the pro-growth policies of new Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, the plan involves the EU, especially the European Investment Bank (EIB), leveraging public funds to generate private capital.…
EUROPE STUTTERS TOWARDS LIMITED SHALE GAS PRODUCTION
As they looks at the rewards of shale gas production seen over recent years in the US, European producers are edging closer to commercial shale gas production. However, it faces a wide range of challenges, and the debate within Europe over shale gas is intensifying.…
BRUSSELS SAYS EU UNITED IN FOOD BAN TALKS WITH RUSSIA
THE EUROPEAN Commission stood by its position on Friday (January 30) that the European Union (EU) member states were united regarding talks with Russia about the possible lifting of the latter’s ban on EU food products such as pork meat.
A Russian official said last week that his country was ready to resume inspections with the goal of lifting the ban on pork meat from France, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands.…
BIOMETRICS BECOME INCREASINGLY SOPHISTICATED AND COMMONPLACE ANTIFRAUD DEVICES
AS concerns continue to emerge about the extent to which common security measures such as passwords can be breached, biometrics are gaining attention across a range of services and law enforcement teams preventing fraud.
Isabelle Moeller, CEO of the London and Sydney-based Biometrics Institute, stressed to Fraud Intelligence that “biometric authentication has the potential to ease the burden of security given its simplicity and usability, particularly when compared to username and password.…
ITALY’S BPC MARKET RESILIENT DESPITE CONSUMER SPENDING CRUNCH
The days of Italian consumer spending extra Euro on a high performing hydrating face cream or premium fragrance may be on hold as the majority of Italian consumers are currently seeking better value for money in their beauty and personal care (BPC) purchases.…
TURKEY’S NONWOVENS INDUSTRY POISED TO SEE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH
Turkey’s rapidly growing nonwovens industry is a rising star that everyone should be paying attention to. This was the general consensus at the second Turkish Nonwovens Symposium in Istanbul on November 10-11, held by EDANA, the leading global association of nonwovens and related industries.…
FINLAND AND ESTONIA REACH AGREEMENT ON LNG PIPELINE
AFTER two years of talks, Finland and Estonia have reached an agreement (on November 17) to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) Balticconnector pipeline under the Gulf of Finland between the two countries by 2019.
“There are no negatives in this investment.…
MILK IS TOPS, BUT WHEY AHEAD EVEN BETTER, SAYS EU CRYSTAL BALL
MILK will remain “white gold” for Europe’s food sector during the next 10 years, despite the current market difficulties, according to the European Commission’s annual assessment of the industry’s prospects. The report was launched at a one-day conference in Brussels on Friday, December 5.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES GROW, WHILE UKRAINE MARKET SUFFERS BECAUSE OF POLITICAL AND ARMED CONFLICT
While eastern Europe’s cosmetics sector seems in general to be emerging from its post-recession doldrums, the conflict in Ukraine has begun to significantly impact that country’s cosmetics industry. Analysts warn that tit-for-tat sanctions with Russia and uncertainty over the annexed Crimea and the future of the contested east of the country is halting investment.…
EUROPEAN CFO’S URGED TO THINK OUT OF THE BOX AS EUROPE FACES GLOOMY ECONOMIC PROSPECTS
Given today’s uncertain global economic environment, it is up to CFOs to manage expectations and push for their companies’ long-term growth through clear planning and a responsible corporate culture. Business leaders from across the globe discussed how to navigate these issues at the seventh ACCA Poland CFO European Summit, staged in Warsaw, on November 19.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – RUSSIA TRADE RESTRICTIONS BLOCK CONFECTIONERY AND INGREDIENT TRADES
DOCUMENTS obtained by Confectionery Production from the European Union (EU) indicate that Ukraine has lost up to USD126 million’s worth of confectionery export sales to Russia this year, because of Russian trade restrictions.
EU briefing papers note that Ukraine has been complaining to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) since October 2013 about alleged “unjustified barriers to trade caused by the measures of the Russian Federation, in particular, on Ukrainian confectionery products.”…
EU INDUSTRY COMMISSIONER-DESIGNATE SAYS SHE CAN HANDLE MEDICINE PORTFOLIO
ELŻBIETA Bieńkowska, the European Union (EU) commissioner-designate for industry and the internal market has defended the move of the pharmaceutical portfolio and of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) oversight from the Commission’s health to her industry directorate.
“Putting the pharma industry together with other branches of industry is justified,” she told members of the European Parliament (MEPs) during a confirmation hearing in Brussels yesterday (October 2).…
CONCERNED MEPS ASK COMMISSION TO DO MORE TO STOP THE SPREAD OF ASF
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s response to Europe’s African swine fever (ASF) crisis was criticised at the European Parliament yesterday (Tuesday Oct 7) for being too weak. The disease has brought about considerable economic damage to Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, members of the parliament’s agriculture and rural development committee warned in Brussels.…
IRISH HARDEST HIT BY RUSSIAN BAN ON BOVINE OFFAL AND FATS
IRELAND has been especially hard hit by the latest expansion of Russia’s ban on European Union (EU) meat exports, figures released today by the European Commission reveal.
Moscow has expanded its existing import restrictions to cover beef offal and beef fats.…
EU LAUNCHES NEW MEAT SALES PROMOTION PROGRAMMES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced a further four European Union (EU)-funded marketing programmes promoting sales of EU-produced meat, within member states and abroad. These are in addition to the Euro EUR7.7 million programme promoting lamb sales run by British beef and lamb levy body Eblex, Ireland’s Bord Bía, France’s Interbev, announced earlier this week.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP – ECHA REVISES PROPOSED CADMIUM IN PAINT BAN
THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has proposed revised restrictions on the use of cadmium and its compounds in paints, allowing trace elements under certain circumstances.
The revised proposal also bans cadmium where it is more than 0.01% by weight of a paint, (0.1% for paints with a zinc content of more than 10% by weight), while the earlier proposal had no maximum, simply saying that cadmium “shall not be used in paints”.…
CANADA-EU TRADE AGREEMENT LAYS GROUNDWORK FOR MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF QUALIFICATIONS IN NURSING
THE COMPREHENSIVE Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and the European Union (EU) will make it easier for both jurisdictions to recognise each other’s nursing certifications. Political leaders celebrated the end of negotiations in September in Ottawa, Canada (Sept 26).…
EU COMMISSION APPROVES TAKEOVER OF ALUMINIUM COMPANY CORIALIS
The European Commission today cleared the acquisition of the Corialis Group, a European supplier of aluminium extrusion services and aluminium doors and windows, by Advent International Corporation, a US investment firm. A Commission communiqué said the deal “would not raise competition concerns as Advent is not active in any market in which Corialis is active” at present, notably the aluminium sector.…
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.…
ENERGY AND CLIMATE JOINED IN ONE PORTFOLIO IN JUNCKER COMMISSION
THE INCOMING president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker has united the Commission’s portfolios of energy and climate action, nominating Spain’s Miguel Arias Cañete as energy and climate commissioner. If confirmed by the European Parliament, he will serve for the next five years.…
EU ROUND UP – FOUR NEW COMMISSIONERS SHARE EU POLICY RESPONSIBILITIES FOR PLASTICS
THE PLASTICS industry will be especially influenced over the next five years by four new European Union (EU) commissioners who have been nominated to serve in the new European Commission of its incoming president Jean-Claude Juncker. Assuming they are confirmed in their positions and begin work on November 1, a key figure will be new health Commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis, a former Lithuanian health minister who will be responsible for food contact materials and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).…
EU/WTO ROUND UP – AMERICAN CONCERN OVER CLAIMED EU BIOTECH FOOT-DRAGGING
THE AMERICAN government has complained of delays by the outgoing European Commission that leaves office on November 1 regarding the authorisation of new bio-tech food products and ingredients for use in the European Union (EU). In a strongly worded message to the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) disputes settlement body, the US said that the EU had failed to leave decisions to regulatory committees acting on European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) advice.…
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.…
NEW AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER PREPARES FOR DAIRY LIBERALISATION
THE NEW European Union (EU) agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has promised to start preparing to abolish milk production constraints as a matter of urgency when he takes up his post on November 1. At a confirmation hearing in Brussels on October 2, he promised European Parliament agriculture committee members that small farmers with limited incomes would be particular beneficiaries of the planned end of the dairy quota regime from March 2015.…
INCOMING CUSTOMS COMMISSIONER PROMISES TO REVAMP CUSTOMS CODE
EVERY five years, a new European Commission is appointed with the supposed aim of renewing the energy and impetus of the European Union (EU). What are the implications for the fight against commercial crime? Keith Nuthall and Méabh Mc Mahon report from Brussels.…
EU BACKERS OF FINANCIAL TRANSACTION TAX MOVE TOWARDS DECEMBER AGREEMENT OF DETAILS
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) finance ministers agreed at an EU economic and finance ministers (ECOFIN) meeting on the scope of the long-threatened ‘financial transaction tax’, and 11 governments pledged to reach an agreement on its details by the end of the year.…
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS NOMINATED
THE IDENTITY of the new European Union trade commissioner charged with bringing the planned Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) to conclusion was unveiled today. Cecilia Malmström of Sweden, who is currently the EU’s home affairs commissioner, has been nominated to hold this sensitive position from November 1.…
DANISH PORK SECTOR TO LOSE DKK1.6 BILLION IN EXPORTS TO RUSSIA THROUGH MOSCOW BAN
Danish meat industry organisations estimate that Russia’s meat embargo will cost the country’s pig farming industry around Danish Krone DKK 1.6 billion (USD282 million/EUR215 million) in 2014. The industry is becoming increasingly concerned that lost revenue could potentially deepen should the existing trade sanctions escalate in to a full-force trade war in the event of a further deterioration in political relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia over Ukraine.…
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS NOMINATED
THE IDENTITY of a new European Union environment commissioner, who would be charged with handling the next round of REACH registration (until 2018), was revealed today. It will be Malta’s Karmenu Vella, who has been a Maltese tourism minister.
Another important nomination is Poland’s Elżbieta Bieńkowska, who will become a new powerful internal market and entrepreneurship commissioner.…
NEW EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS NOMINATED
A NEW team of European Union commissioners, impacting on metal industry-related policies for the next five years, was unveiled today in Brussels. The incoming Commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, announced his team, who will be charged especially with promoting job creation and economic growth across the EU.…
NEW EU COMMISSION STRUCTURE SIGNALS UNITY ON ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE FILES
UTILITY executives will have been carefully analysing the unveiling on Wednesday (September 10) of a new European Commission team to take office from November 1. As well as new personnel, a key initial move with potentially important implications for European Union (EU) energy policy was the uniting of the current energy and climate portfolios.…
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.…
BALTICS AND POLAND UNITS TO BATTLE ASFV
FOUR Baltic-rim states have reached an agreement on a programme of joint measures to combat the outbreak of the fatal African swine fever virus (ASFV) in the region. Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia established a Baltic-Polish taskforce on July 30, to eliminate the spread of the disease, which was detected at a piggery in Eastern Lithuania on July 22.…
ALSTOM UK BRIBERY HEARING SET FOR SEPTEMBER
EDITOR’s NOTE: Proceedings area active and Contempt of Court applies. This version is safe.
A JUDICIAL hearing is scheduled for September 9 in London after the United Kingdom’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) charged the UK subsidiary of French engineering group Alstom with fraud and conspiracy to corrupt.…
RUSSIAN DAIRY EMBARGO TO CAUSE DISTURBANCES IN GLOBAL MARKETS, INDUSTRY SAYS
THE BAN imposed by Russia at the beginning of August on dairy products from the European Union (EU), US, Canada, Norway and Australia will cause disturbances on the European and world markets, the European Dairy Association (EDA) warned the European Commission on August 13.…
INTERNATIONAL REGULATORY ROUND UP – ECUADOR TRADE DEAL OFFERS NEW COCOA SOURCE
ECUADOR, an important confectionery exporter to the European Union (EU), has struck a new bilateral free trade agreement with the EU, which will eliminate tariffs on imports to Europe. The new trade deal is supposed to take effect in late 2016, and until then a system of preferential tariffs will be in place.…
AFRICAN SWINE FEVER SPREADS TO COMMERCIAL HOLDING IN LITHUANIA
A STATE of emergency was declared on 28 July in the Ignalina district of Lithuania after African Swine Fever was discovered in a Danish-owned pig complex, bordering Latvia. This is the first outbreak of African Swine Fever (ASF) in a commercial holding in the European Union.…
EU MEAT PRODUCTION STARTS TO GROW – BUT EXPORTS MAY TUMBLE, SAYS BRUSSELS REPORT
European Union (EU) meat production is projected to start growing in 2014, according to the European Commission, as Europe’s economic recovery solidifies. This could be up 0.7% year-on-year for beef, veal, pigmeat, poultry, sheep and goat meat. However, exports might fall for pigmeat and poultry, with Russian import bans especially causing problems for pigmeat.…
BRUSSELS WILL FORCE CREATION OF WTO PANEL OVER PIGMEAT DISPUTE WITH RUSSIA
THE EUROPEAN Commission will renew its request for a World Trade Organisation (WTO) disputes panel to investigate Russia’s ban on European pigmeat imports later this month, after Moscow blocked an inquiry on Thursday. The requests for a WTO panel come after talks between both sides aimed at ending the import ban broke down in April without resolution and signals an escalation of the dispute.…
EU SECURES WTO PANEL AGAINST RUSSIA PIGMEAT BAN
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has today forced the creation of a disputes panel at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) which will examine the legality under world trade law of Russia’s ban on imports of EU live pigs, pork and other pig products.…
STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN LATVIA AFTER AFRICAN SWINE FEVER OUTBREAK
Latvia became the third EU state to report instances of African swine fever after 13 wild boar and four farmed pigs tested positive for the disease. This is the first instance of the African swine fever in the country following outbreaks in nearby Poland and Lithuania in January. …
INTERVIEW WITH AARTI HOLLA-MAINI, SECRETARY GENERAL, EUROPEAN SATELLITE OPERATORS' ASSOCIATION (ESOA)
Satellite telecommunications are part of the mix for Europe’s plans to boost high speed broadband – but how important are these space-based services. Aarti Holla-Maini, Secretary General, European Satellite Operators’ Association (ESOA) explained to European Communications.
Q.1 The EU reached its target for 100% access to satellite broadband in May, but European Union (EU) digital agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said that there is still a “digital skills gap.”…
JOHNSON & JOHNSON DEMONSTRATE GOOD PRACTICE IN PRAGUE SHARED SERVICE CENTRE
WHEN American personal care product giant Johnson & Johnson opened its shared-services centre in Prague during 2006, it employed 12 people and provided only in-group procure-to-pay services. Currently this Johnson & Johnson finance centre is the largest of the five centres the company operates worldwide in terms of staff numbers as well as the scope of services it provides to internal business partners.…
BRUSSELS SEEKS WTO PANEL OVER RUSSIAN PORK AND PIG EXPORT BAN
THE EUROPEAN Union has decided to ask a World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel to rule on the legality of Russia’s ban on its exports of live pigs, pork and other pig products. The European Commission claims formal talks with Moscow over two days (April 30 and May 1) failed to resolve the issue.…
EUROPOL HAILS SUCCESS OF EU SCRAP METAL CRIME OPERATION
European Union (EU) police agency Europol has hailed as a success a two-day operation against illicit scrap dealers, which yielded 271 arrests and identified 146 cases of theft across Europe. Law enforcement teams, backed by the EU unit, checked 8,300 scrap metal dealers in 20 European countries.…
EU REPORT SAYS GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER MORE PROPERTY SEIZURES TO PUNISH MONEY LAUNDERERS
A EUROPEAN Commission-financed report on money laundering punishments within the European Union (EU) has called on EU governments to consider using more administrative penalties, including property seizures, to punish hiding criminal proceeds.
Noting that money laundering is “visibly under-prosecuted” in the EU, it said using article 3 of the EU’s fourth money laundering directive authorising the use of non-criminal proceedings “should be further explored and developed.”…
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.…
EUROPEAN CONSUMER CENTRES NETWORK FLYER
HELPING AND ADVISING EUROPEAN CONSUMERS SHOPPING AND TRAVELLING ABROAD
WHEN CAN ECC-NET OFFICES HELP YOU?
- Air travel
So much can go wrong: flights can be delayed or cancelled; luggage can be lost or damaged; and hidden fees can be charged.…
EBRD FOCUSES INVESTMENT ATTENTION ON CRISIS-HIT UKRAINE AND NEIGHBOURS – FINANCING IN RUSSIA FALLS
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) is increasing its assistance to Ukraine, because of its ongoing political and military crisis, the development institution’s annual meeting has been told. The country is a core part of the EBRD’s eastern, central Europe and central Asia region of operation, along with Russia, which recently annexed Crimea, sparking a diplomatic firestorm.…
DANISH CROWN STRAINS RELATIONS WITH DENMARK GOVERNMENT WITH OVERSEAS EXPANSION PLANS
DANISH Crown’s decision to locate capacity-based facility investments outside Denmark carries the risk of straining relations with the government in Copenhagen when the company continues to solicit state measures to reduce operating costs at local plants.
The meat company’s group-wide cost-reduction plan calls for a cost efficiency review and re-organisation of factory capacity in Denmark.…
DENMARK MAY PURSUE BILATERAL SOLUTION WITH RUSSIA
The Danish government is considering breaking ranks with the European Union (EU) and striking a bilateral trade deal with Russia to protect its pork exports. These have been hit while Russia blocks EU pigmeat exports over a handful of African swine fever cases in Poland and Lithuania.…
EU ROUND UP – RUSSIA CHALLENGES WTO THIRD PACKAGE AT WTO
RUSSIA is challenging the European Union’s (EU) third energy package at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), claiming its requirements for market access and unbundling break EU WTO commitments for open trading with other countries. Moscow is concerned the law will, for instance, allow competitors access to infrastructure such as the South Stream pipeline it wants to build across the Black Sea.…
UKRAINE GAS SUPPLIES KEEP FLOWING – FOR NOW – DESPITE POLITICAL TURMOIL
Events in Ukraine continue to unfold in dramatic fashion: a government overthrown, Crimea annexed by Russia, pro-Russian separatists stoking unrest and grabbing government buildings in eastern Ukraine, and worries of a full-scale invasion. Weaved into these crises – and in many respects at the heart of them – is Ukraine’s oil and gas sector.…
NORDIC PAINTS AND COATINGS MARKET COMPETITIVE AND GROWING
The Nordic paints and coating market is competitive and growing, being dominated by a handful of strong players headed by Tikkurila and Teknos in Finland and Jotun in Norway. In Dyrup, the region could boast a fourth major local player, although American corporation PPG Industries paid the Danish firm’s parent, Monberg & Thorsen, EUR115 million for the company in 2011.…
RUSSIA EXTENDS BAN TO PROCESSED PORK PRODUCTS FROM POLAND, LITHUANIA
RUSSIA has today (Monday April 7) effectively extended its African Swine Fever (ASF)-justified ban to include processed pork meat products from Poland and Lithuania, two Polish members of the European Parliament (MEP) have revealed.
Speaking during a meeting of the European Parliament’s committee on agriculture held today in Brussels, the Polish centre-right MEP Czesław Adam Siekierski said that last week the Russian Veterinary Office released an order saying it would ban processed pork meat products coming from Lithuania and Poland as of April 7, extending the existing Russian ban on fresh pigmeat products from the whole European Union (EU).…
DANISH CROWN TO FOCUS CAPACITY INVESTMENTS ABROAD
MEAT processing grant Danish Crown has warned meat industry unions that the pressure to pay higher wages in Denmark at its Danish meat processing plants means most future fixed capital plant expansion and capacity investments will take place outside its home country.…
EU CHALLENGES RUSSIAN PORK IMPORT BAN AT THE WTO
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has filed a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Russia’s import ban on pigs and porkmeat sourced from across the EU, following four cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) detected in Lithuania and Poland.
“We are forced to take this matter to the WTO because we have exhausted all diplomatic avenues to try and find a solution,” the European Commission’s trade spokesman John Clancy told journalists in Brussels today.…
NORWAY INDUSTRY FEDERATION FEARS SUMMER BEEF SHORTAGE
NORWAY’S meat and poultry industry federation meat (KLF – Kjøtt- og fjørfebransjens Landsforbund) has requested urgent talks with the country’s ministry of agriculture amid fears that the government’s present policy to charge full duty on imported meat may provoke a beef shortage in Norway.…
DANISH MINISTRY PRESENTS PROPOSALS TO CUT PIG MEAT PLANT COSTS
Denmark’s ministry of food, agriculture and fisheries has presented proposals which its minister Dan Jørgensen claims can help pig meat exporters reduce processing plant costs and bolster competitiveness.
These are based on research conducted by the London-based PA Consulting Group, which compared the export controls cost base of Danish pig meat plants with those in nearby states, including Poland, Germany and Ukraine.…
RUSSIA SHRUGS OFF EU WTO CHALLENGE OVER PORK IMPORT BAN
THE RUSSIAN government has criticised the European Union (EU) for filing a complaint with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Russia’s import ban on EU pigmeat and pigs. The Russians have imposed the ban following four cases of African Swine Fever (ASF) detected in Lithuania and Poland, but the EU claims Moscow’s actions are not based on science, as required by WTO rules.…
ECC-NET’S 2013 ANNUAL REPORT - NATIONAL UNIT ROUND UP
AUSTRIA
The location of ECC Austria in central Vienna means many consumers drop by to receive advice or lodge complaints in person with the ECC’s five staff members. A top priority in 2013 was increasing public awareness about e-commerce fraud; a brochure aimed at combatting the problem was published and more than 600,000 were distributed throughout Austria.…
BUDGET AIRLINES ARE LIFEBLOOD FOR MANY EASTERN AND CENTRAL EUROPE AIRPORTS
BUDGET airlines have a major impact on airport expansion or contraction across Europe, but their importance can be particularly pronounced in countries towards the east, whose economies are still catching up with the west of the continent.
Even in Poland, which avoided recession since the financial collapse of 2008, some airports have asked city and regional governments for help when they cannot attract enough trade – in one recent instance following a decision by Ryanair to cut routes.…
REGULATORY ROUND UP - FOODDRINKEUROPE WARY OF TECHNICAL TRADE BARRIERS IN TTIP TALKS
REPRESENTATIVES from Europe’s food and drinks industry have backed an “ambitious and comprehensive” Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the European Union (EU) and the USA However, they have asked negotiators to find creative ways to deal with technical trade barriers restricting EU-US food and drink commerce, including sanitary and phytosanitary rules.…
DANISH MEAT PLANTS REACT NERVOUSLY TO SIX PER CENT WAGE RISE
Leading Danish meat processing companies fear that a recently negotiated three-year wage agreement for workers in the industry threatens to erode producers’ already low margins. Major players, such as Danish Crown, can be expected to respond to the 6% wage hike (an average of 2% a year over three years) by pursuing further cost-reduction programmes at plants in Denmark in a bid to maintain margins at existing levels.…
EUROPE’S MEAT PRODUCTION AND DEMAND SHOULD RECOVER FROM PAST DECLINE IN 2014, SAYS BRUSSELS REPORT
EUROPEAN Union (EU) meat demand and production are expected to recover this year, after two years of decline in EU pork and beef supplies, the European Commission predicted yesterday (March 5). In its Winter 2014 Short-Term Agricultural Outlook, the Commission said: “Meat consumption is expected to increase in the short run, thanks to improvements in the economy and of meat availability.”…
EU MEMBER STATES PASS NEW SWINE FEVER CONTROLS
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states yesterday (Wednesday) approved detailed restrictions on the handling of pigs and pigmeat in border areas of Poland and Lithuania to try and prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). Veterinary officials have this year confirmed four cases in districts close to Belarus, sparking a Russian pigmeat import ban that has been roundly criticised as an overreaction by the EU.…
EFSA PROBES WILD BOAR HUNTING AS SWINE FEVER CONTROL METHOD
THE EUROPEAN Commission and the Lithuanian government are considering backing significant hunting and trapping campaigns to reduce wild boar numbers in regions where these animals have contracted African Swine Fever.
They have asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to investigate the idea, with Lithuania also asking for advice on using fencing and organised feeding to control boar movements.…
SWEDISH PIG FARMERS CALL FOR STATE SUPPORT
The Swedish government is to discuss “practical” initiatives to support Sweden’s high cost pig farming sector which is struggling to compete with cheaper imported pigmeat products. The promise of “strategic support” followed meetings between the rural affairs minister Eskil Erlandsson and agri-organisations the Swedish animal farmers association (Sveriges Djurbönder) and the Federation of Swedish Farmers (FSA/Förbundet Sveriges Arbetsterapeuter) in Stockholm on Tuesday (February 25).…
BRUSSELS TIGHTENS CONTROLS ON RUSSIAN AND BELARUS LIVESTOCK LORRIES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has intensified its diplomatic struggle with Russia over Moscow’s import ban on European Union (EU) pigmeat exports, tightening health controls on Russian and Belarus livestock lorries entering the EU.
It has passed a regulation, using its own powers, insisting on “appropriate cleansing and disinfection of all ‘livestock vehicles’ which have transported live animals and feed and which enter the Union from Russia and Belarus…” And the new law insists that “such cleansing and disinfection is to be properly documented.”…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WARNS OF SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES OF RUSSIAN BAN ON EUROPEAN PORK IMPORTS
A RUSSIAN ban on European pork imports is having serious consequences, the European Union (EU) health Commissioner Tonio Borg warned last night (Monday) in Brussels. “The price of meat in Europe is going down and the price of meat in Russia is going up”, he told journalists after an EU Council of Ministers agricultural meeting.…
EUROPEAN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY WANTS A SINGLE SIMPLE 2030 ENERGY TARGET
THE REPRESENTATIVES of the European oil and gas industry would like to see one single target to be achieved by the energy sector until 2030 to fight climate change, going against the two targets proposed by the European Commission.
In a major policy paper looking to reduce carbon emission beyond 2020, the European Commission said on January 22 that it would like to set a mandatory GHG emissions reduction target of 40% by 2030, an increase of 20% from the current 2020 target.…
CIGARETTE FRAUD OPERATION HAILED AS NEW EU FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE FOR ANTI-FRAUD PROFESSIONALS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released details of the first joint anti-smuggling operation involving law enforcement and customs officials from all 28 European Union (EU) member states. Coordinated by Lithuania’s customs service and tax inspectorate, which was working with EU anti-fraud office OLAF, the ‘Warehouse’ operation was also the first such EU operation to target excise and VAT fraud specifically, as well as customs fraud.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES STILL SLUGGISH – WITH SALES TRENDS STARTING TO MIRROR WESTERN EUROPE
THE COUNTRIES of eastern and central Europe that came in from the cold in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall have felt the economic chill in recent years, with recession affecting the fortunes of the cosmetics industry.
Across a wide range of countries – for instance – Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia – the retail value of the beauty and personal care products market has remained at around Euro EUR10.70 billion in both 2012 and (according to provisional data for these five countries by market analysts Euromonitor International) in 2013; and is forecast to grow to EUR10.85 billion in 2014.…
EASTERN EUROPE BIOCOSMETICS SUB-SECTOR IS KEY GROWTH AREA
EASTERN and central Europen markets for biocosmetics are a key growth area for personal care product companies, with some markets growing and others relatively untapped.
The region’s largest country, Poland (38 million people) is witnessing sales of bio-cosmetics surging at rates of 10% to 30% annually, according to producers and distributors.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS SALES STILL SLUGGISH – WITH SALES TRENDS STARTING TO MIRROR WESTERN EUROPE
BY MARK ROWE; JONATHAN DYSON, in Zagreb; and ANDREW KURETH, in Warsaw
THE COUNTRIES of eastern and central Europe that came in from the cold in 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall have felt the economic chill in recent years, with recession affecting the fortunes of the cosmetics industry.…
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
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.…
2013 PRICES CHEER SPANISH BEEF AND PORK PRODUCERS
SPANISH meat producers secured increasingly healthy prices in 2013 as the country crept out of recession in the second half, figures from its ministry of agriculture, food and the environment (MAGRAMA) show.
Category E pork (55% – 59% leanness) rose by 11.4% on 2012 to average EUR1.936 per kilo, 10.3% greater than the European Union (EU) average, peaking at EUR2.171/Kg.…
BRUSSELS THREATENS LEGAL ACTION OVER FAKE MEDICINE DIRECTIVE FAILURES
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening to take legal action against Italy, Poland, Slovenia and Finland unless they demonstrate by January 20 how they will comply with the European Union’s (EU) falsified medicine directive. They were supposed to have implemented written the law (directive 2011/62/EU) into their national legislation by January 2 earlier this year (2012).…
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.…
TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP COULD HARM VIETNAMESE TEXTILE PRODUCERS, EXECUTIVE CLAIMS
WHILE American textile producers fear the potential impact of the planned Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) regional free trade agreement, it is smaller and medium-sized Vietnamese producers who really need to be worried. That is the view of
Chris Walker, marketing manager for Thai Son S.P.…
POLAND NUCLEAR POWER PLAN FACES KEY DECEMBER DECISION DEADLINE
THE POLISH energy sector is assessing the appointment of a new environment minister in Poland, as a year-end deadline for deciding whether to green-light two nuclear power plant approaches.
Optimism surrounding these plans has risen this week, with a government reshuffle appointing Maciej Grabowski, an economist, in place of a lawyer Marcin Korolec, as environment minister.…
MYANMAR’S TOBACCO INDUSTRY RIPE FOR GROWTH
ANTICIPATED market liberalisation in democratising Burma is enticing global tobacco companies such as British American Tobacco (BAT) to sell and manufacture cigarettes in Myanmar. However, rampant smuggling of duty-free cigarettes into the country and the dominance of low-end local brands pose a challenge to legitimate business ventures.…
EU FOOD LABELLING REGULATION PROMPTS CONCERN IN PALM OIL SECTOR
Battle lines have been drawn across the international palm oil industry as its companies prepare to comply with the incoming European Union (EU) food information regulation No 1169/2011, which comes into force from December 13, 2014, and requires product labels to list types of vegetable oil used in food.…
OIL EXPORTERS TO BENEFIT FROM EU-CANADA TRADE DEAL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Canadian oil exporters are to benefit from a new free trade deal struck between the EU and Canada. Once the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) has been ratified (probably in 2015), it will lead to all existing non-food duties imposed on goods traded between the parties being scrapped.…
STABILITY, GROWTH MAKE POLAND A TOP EUROPEAN INVESTMENT DESTINATION FOR COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
POLAND has become one of the hottest destinations in Europe for commercial real estate investment as investors look to capitalise on the country’s continued economic stability and potential for growth. Given the financial fragility of many other European Union (EU) states, this 38 million population country, which avoided recession during the credit crunch, is increasingly regarded as a key commercial property market.…
OLAF SAYS EU AIRPORT RUNWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS RIDDLED WITH CORRUPTION
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud agency OLAF has concluded EU airport runway construction projects maybe riddled with corruption. The conclusion comes in a report it commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) into EU public procurement. It concluded between 37%–53% of airport runway construction works contracts were probably dirty in some way – the highest proportion in the six sectors it examined.…
ECJ SAYS POLAND MUST REFORM ITS OPEN SKIES RULES
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled Poland needs to reform its airport access legislation to ensure airlines have an equal chance of securing slots through its administration of European Union (EU) open skies deals. The court agreed with the European Commission that Poland’s competition system for choosing between two airlines who want the same access, could lead to unfair discrimination.…
BOTSWANA: AFRICA’S POSTER-CHILD FOR FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE
The southern African nation of Botswana has a glittering reputation for its gem diamonds, of which it is largest producer in the world. But on a continent where widespread corruption and poor governance have until recently inhibited foreign investment, Botswana – with a population of only two million people in a landlocked area larger than France – has acquired a reputation as a poster child for financial probity.…
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT COULD BE NEW EU FORENSIC AUDITING TARGET
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF could have opened the way to a new focus of EU forensic accounting, unveiled a study that claimed in 2010 alone, between Euro EUR1.4 and 2.7 billion was lost to corruption in public procurement tenders within just five sectors in eight EU member states.…
EUROPE: OECD REPORT EXPOSES SERIOUS EDUCATION GAPS IN EU
A major international survey of education standards has found serious weaknesses in the EU countries when compared to levels in other parts of the world. In spite of the heavy investment in higher education in recent years in the EU, the study suggests that a fifth of the working age population has worrying low literacy and numeracy skills and a quarter of adults lack the digital skills needed to effectively use ICT.…
NEW VAT RULES ON STEEL PRODUCTS CAUSE CONFUSION IN POLAND
Poland’s new reverse-charge VAT law on certain steel products is causing confusion within the Polish steel industry. Introduced on October 1 to curb growing tax frauds, some producers and distributors fear they are unsure how to implement the new rules and that an incorrect interpretation could even spark bankruptcy.…
MEPS BACK RETREAT ON BIOFUEL EXPANSION
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has voted to reduce the support the European Union (EU) gives to the traditional biofuel sector, backing European Commission proposals to amend the renewable energy directive (2009/28/EC). MEPs agreed that the law should insist that first-generation biofuels (from long-standing sources, notably food crops) should not exceed 6% of EU energy consumption in transport by 2020, compared to the 10% target for all biofuels in the existing legislation.…
UK MEAT BOSS SAYS CONTINUED CONTAMINATION SHOWS WHY EU MEAT INSPECTION NEEDS REFORM
THE DIRECTOR of the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has said continued pathogen contamination involving meat traded across Europe underlines the need to fight opposition to European Commission proposals to modernise meat inspection systems.
Stephen Rossides called on meat inspectors not to block future progress: “The current meat inspection system is focused on old risks,” Rossides said.…
GREECE BUSINESS LEADER UPSET AT SPRIDER COLLAPSE
The leader of Greece’s business community has told just-style that the collapse of the Sprider Stores chain highlights why the Greek government needs “to restart growth”. Georgios Karanikas, general secretary of the National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (NCHC) told just-style that the “bankruptcy and eventual closure of Sprider is another sign of the dire circumstances [of] the commercial enterprises of the country…”
Sprider suspended operations last week (Tuesday 1/10).…
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.…
RUSSIA RAISES MORE OBJECTIONS TO POLISH MEAT - AGRICULTURE MINISTERS HOLD TALKS
The Russian government has once again questioned the quality of Polish meat imported into its territory, raising concerns in Poland that Russia might impose import restrictions or a ban. On October 4 Russia’s meat inspectorate, Rosselkhoznadzor, said laboratory tests had turned up pathogenic bacteria in poultry and frozen pork from two plants in Poland.…
OLAF REPORT REVEALS HUGE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LOSSES TO CORRUPTION
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF has unveiled a study that signals huge losses directly caused by corruption in public procurement. It identified how in 2010, between Euro EUR1.4 and 2.2 billion was lost in tenders within just five sectors in eight EU member states.…
OLAF REPORT REVEALS HUGE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LOSSES TO CORRUPTION
IT has been regarded as a hidden commercial crime – the losses to governments caused by corruption in public procurement. An OLAF report suggests its scale in Europe could be huge. Keith Nuthall reports.
THERE is no sugar coating these numbers: the European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF has unveiled a study that claimed in 2010 alone, between Euro EUR1.4 and 2.7 billion was lost to corruption in public procurement tenders within just five sectors in eight EU member states.…
BALTIC STATES WANT MORE TO FIGHT AFRICAN SWINE FEVER
POLAND, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will collectively receive EUR2.5 million from the European Commission to prevent spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) from Russia and Belarus.
The Commission said the money is for “preventive measures which include cleansing and disinfection of vehicles, surveillance and laboratory testing, awareness campaigns and even the use of wild boar repellents and preventive early slaughter of pigs in risk backyard farms”.…
POLAND VAT LAWS CHALLENGED
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has been asked to rule on whether Poland’s levying of a reduced VAT rate to medical equipment and pharmaceuticals is legal under European Union (EU) VAT law. The European Commission argues it says such products must exclusively help disabled people to attract low VAT, but Poland allows this exemption for general medical equipment and non-medicinal pharmaceutical products such as disinfectants and spa products.…
EU VAT EXEMPTIONS FOR TRAVEL AGENTS APPLY TO ALL CUSTOMERS SAY JUDGES
A SPECIAL European Union (EU) VAT scheme allowing travel agents to pay one VAT payment on the profits they make from selling services applies to all their customers, and not just travellers, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled. The European Commission argued at the ECJ that the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Poland and Portugal should not allow travel agents to use this perk for non-travelling customers buying non-core services, but its case was rejected.…
POLAND INTRODUCES REVERSE-CHARGE VAT FOR STEEL PRODUCTS
The Polish government has introduced reverse-charge VAT mechanisms for the steel sector, to crack down on tax evasion in Poland’s steel market.
This means steel consumers rather than producers will pay VAT to the government. Warsaw acted using new powers granted by the EU in July, which allow national governments to impose reverse charges without asking the EU Council of Ministers permission, as in the past.…
RASFF NETWORK WARNS OF SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION IN EU MEAT TRADES
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) food and feed safety rapid alert network (RASFF) has warned of a spate of problems involving salmonella contamination of imported meat and meat products. In some instances, consignments were exported from outside the EU, and others, within it.…
EU SCRAPS REMAINING MEAT EXPORT REFUND
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) will scrap the last remaining export refund available for meat exporters, following a 20 year liberalisation process.
Yesterday, (Thursday) the EU’s ‘management committee for the common organisation of agricultural markets: animal products’ agreed to scrap refunds payable for exports of frozen whole chickens (65-70%) to certain destinations, notably in the Middle East and the Commonwealth of Independent States (ex-USSR countries).…
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.…
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.…
EP APPROVED OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS SAFETY LAW
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has now formally approved a new European Union (EU) offshore oil and gas drilling directive, designed to prevent accidents such as the Deepwater Horizon spill happening in coastal EU sea waters.
These new rules will require oil and gas firms to prove they can cover potential liabilities from accidents and submit major hazard reports and emergency response plans to regulators before drilling operations start.…
EU REVISED NUCLEAR SAFETY RULES MAY UNDERMINE THE AUTHORITY OF NATIONAL SAFETY REGULATORS
REVISED European Union (EU) nuclear safety rules proposed by the European Commission, the EU’s executive body, may undermine the authority of national safety regulators and complicate the work of nuclear operators, according to Foratom, the organisation representing the interests of the European nuclear industry.…
TECHNICAL TEXTILES MAY OFFER SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR EASTERN EUROPE TEXTILE SECTOR
EASTERN European textile and clothing companies used to have a cost advantage in serving wealthy western European markets, but that has long been eclipsed by Asian competition – added value technical textiles may offer them a sustainable future.
In Poland’s hard-pressed textile industry, its fast-growing technical branch may constitute the future of the national industry, experts in the country’s industry say.…
CROATIA COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SECTOR CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT EU ACCESSION
THE COMMERCIAL property sector in Croatia, which is to join the European Union (EU) on July 1, is anticipating a boost to several key sectors as a result of the country’s long-awaited accession. However, the industry remains understandably cautious given the continuing economic difficulties being faced by the EU.…
EASTERN EUROPE SEEKS GAS INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA
Poland confirmed plans in 2012 to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant with a view to importing supplies from Qatar, it seemed like the latest example of eastern European energy ministries trying to avoid energy dependence on Russia. Plans to develop shale gas in Poland and the Baltic States fall into the same category, along with policies to build energy infrastructure linking Poland and its Nordic and Baltic neighbours.…
BRUSSELS BACKS TAKEOVER OF POLISH PERSONAL CARE PRODUCTS COMPANY POLBITA
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the acquisition of Polish personal care products retailer Polbita by Austrian banking group Erste and the Italian-owned Polish bank Alior Bank. Brussels waved through the deal imposing no conditions using its fast-track simplified merger review procedure.…
ROMANIA STILL FACING SERIOUS CORRUPTION CONTROL ALLEGATIONS
ROMANIA might have been a European Union (EU) member state since 2007, but it is still dogged by allegations that it is a home for corruption and its performance in fighting graft continues to be formally monitored by the European Commission.…
POLAND'S ECONOMIC 'MIRACLE' MAYBE NOT THAT SURPRISING
AMIDST the financial crises of various European Union (EU) member states in 2009, Poland was the only country that did not enter recession. In fact, Poland hasn’t posted negative growth in over 20 years. Although its economic progress has slowed in recent years, Poland is still the envy of much of the EU, which continues to struggle with economic stagnation and recession in some countries.…
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.…
ARCTIC COUNTRIES JOSTLE FOR POSITION OVER OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION CONTROLS
WHEN a titanium Russian flag was audaciously planted on the seabed 4,200m below the North Pole in 2007, it took the world by surprise, suggesting Russia was serious in its claims to the Arctic.
Russia is not alone. In all five Arctic coastal nations – the USA, Canada, Norway, Russia and Denmark (through Greenland) have laid claims to a slice of the Arctic.…
TO REDUCE EUROPEAN DEFICITS: STEP ONE - REDUCE CORRUPTION, SAY EXPERTS
CORRUPTION costs the European Union (EU) EUR323 billion a year, three times more than previous estimates, a study by the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, Germany, and the Brussels office of Germany’s Bertelsmann Stiftung (Foundation) suggests. In an April 9 report to the European Parliament, Hertie and Bertelsmann Stiftung calculated that EU member states could increase annual tax revenues by roughly this much if they reduced corruption to levels found in Denmark, ranked by Bertelsmann Stiftung as the least corrupt in the EU.…
BRUSSELS SPENDS EUR 9 MILLION PROMOTING EU MEAT SALES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced a series of three-year spending programmes helping meat producers from around the European Union (EU) sell their products at home and abroad. The money funds “public relations, promotional or publicity campaigns” said Brussels, with spending being augmented by matching funding sourced from industry groups and national governments.…
IRELAND IS MOST EDUCATED COUNTRY IN EU, SAYS EUROSTAT
IRELAND has the most higher education graduates per head of population in all 27 countries of the European Union (EU), a report from EU statistical agency Eurostat has revealed.
Looking at the proportion of people aged 30-34 who had completed tertiary education, Eurostat said in 2012, 51.1% of Ireland residents had degrees.…
REGULATORY ROUND UP - IMPACT OF RUSSIA FOOD IMPORT BANS VARY ACROSS EU
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states have suffered unevenly from Russia’s ban on EU food exports from last August, according to European Commission data.
While Finnish and Estonian extra-EU food and drink exports fell sharply in August-November 2014 compared to the same period in 2013 (32% and 22% down respectively), other EU food exporters saw only moderate falls in such sales, or even gains.…
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.…
ROMANIA’S ACCOUNTING AND TAX RULES TO COME UNDER INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
ROMANIA’S accounting and tax processes are about to come under spotlight after the country joined the Organisation for European Cooperation & Development (OECD) global forum on transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes at the end of January. It could be a rough rise for a country whose corruption failings are still being assessed by a special European Commission review, even though it joined the European Union (EU) as long ago as 2007.…
BRIBERY GOES THIRD PARTY TO AVOID LAW ENFORCEMENT SQUEEZE
IS the suitcase or manila envelope full of cash still a favoured means of exchange between briber and bribed, or has bribery become so sophisticated that such basic methods are now foresworn? It would appear so – at least, third parties are now readily employed to obscure a bribe trail.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION PLANS ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORT REFUELLING AND CHARGING NETWORKS: WILL VEHICLE SALES FOLLOW?
THE QUESTION of whether publicly-supported refuelling and recharging stations are needed to jump-start demand for electric, hydrogen and other alternatively-powered vehicles seems almost as old as the conundrum about the chicken and the egg. Yet, a clear answer has yet to be supplied – and with green vehicle sales still generally weak – the European Commission has decided that for Europe, it might as well push ahead with proactively creating refuelling/charging networks anyway.…
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.…
POLAND AND BALTIC STATES PUSH AHEAD WITH FRACKING PLANS
As Poland’s shale gas rush ramps up in earnest, companies offering locally-sourced minerals used in hydraulic fracturing look set to profit. The industry, nascent as it is in Poland, comprises a hodgepodge of contractors and subcontractors, each sourcing different materials from different places.…
BRUSSELS PREDICTS HALT TO GROWTH OF EU POULTRY SECTOR
A EUROPEAN Commission food market data report has predicted that the long-running growth on European Union (EU) poultry meat production will finally end next year (2014), registering an anticipated dip of 0.7%.
Brussels noted that higher feed prices have forced up poultry meat prices, to reach Euro EUR196/100 kg in January 2013, up 9% against a five year average.…
OUTLOOK UNCERTAIN FOR LITHUANIA’S NUCLEAR FUTURE
LITHUANIA’S plans to build the Visaginas nuclear power plant, hailed the first modern nuclear alternative to Russian energy in the Baltic States, have been stalled since Lithuanian voters opposed the idea in an October 2012 referendum.
However, a general election held the same day as the referendum and the resulting newly elected Social Democrat-led government has formed a commission within the energy ministry to recalculate the project’s cost estimates, reporting in March.…
THAILAND ACCEPTS EU BEEF IMPORTS – BUT BRUSSELS STILL HAS CONCERNS
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed Thailand lifting its longstanding ban on bovine product imports from European Union (EU) member states, but has complained that Bangkok is insisting on expensive inspections for approved exporters.
Live cattle, beef, veal and other bovine products from Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia and Spain have been prevented from entering Thailand since 2001 over concerns about BSE.…
BRUSSELS LOSES PATIENCE OVER SOW STALL WELFARE RULES FAILURES
THE FAILURE of nine European Union (EU) member states to properly protect the welfare pregnant sows – breaking an EU law agreed 12 years ago – has caused the European Commission to threaten legal action over the issue.
It has given the governments of Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland and Portugal two months to say how they will resolve the problem or face a possible case at the European Court of Justice (ECJ).…
BRUSSELS TO ASK ALL EU COUNTRIES TO TEST BEEF PRODUCTS FOR THE PRESENCE OF HORSEMEAT
THE EUROPEAN Commission will ask all 27 European Union (EU) member countries to test representative samples of beef meet products to see if they contain any horsemeat, following the recent frozen food scandal.
“The idea is to have the DNA testing over the month of March and to publish the results on April 15,” EU health and consumer policy commissioner Tonio Borg said during a press conference in Brussels last night (Wednesday) after an emergency meeting with agriculture ministers of the seven EU countries affected by the horsemeat scam – the UK, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Romania, Sweden and France.…
EFSA READY TO DELIVER SCIENTIFIC GUIDANCE ON HORSEMEAT SCAM
THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has declared it is ready to investigate the contamination of beef products with horsemeat, because it raises issues of false labelling, food quality and traceability in the European Union (EU) food chain. Although there is no evidence at the moment of any food safety issues, risk managers from EU countries are already conducting extensive tests of meat products to assess their components.…
EMA PRIVATE-PUBLIC PROJECT RELEASES PHARMACEUTICAL DATABASES
PHARMACEUTICAL companies seeking pharmacovigilance and pharmacoepidemiology information from across the European Union (EU) can now consult two new databases. Created by the public-private partnership PROTECT project, they are the Drug Consumption Database and the PROTECT ADR [adverse drug reaction] database.…
NORWAY is on course to become the latest European country to roll-out full body scanners at its airports, following a ministry of transport and communications decision, authorising the country’s airports to purchase and employ 360 degree full body scan technologies and equipment.…
RUSSIA TO BECOME NUMBER ONE WORLD MARKET FOR SUPER PREMIUM FRAGRANCES
RUSSIA is now the world’s highest value market for super premium fragrances, in a development that appears to reflect the fabulous wealth of the burgeoning Russian middle and upper class.
The price of premium fragrances ranges wildly. At the top end, the latest super premium fragrance from Giorgio Armani (Armani Prive La Femme Bleue) is limited to only 1,000 bottles, and retails in Moscow with a price tag of around USD600 for a 100ml bottle.…
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.…
NEW COMPANIES BILL MEANS STRICTER REGULATIONS FOR INDIA AUDITORS
INDIA’s auditors have had a difficult time in the court of public opinion since the revelations of the USD1 billion Satyam Computer Services scandal. A new Companies Bill might change that – although it will also inflict some pain on India’s auditors.…
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.…
BRUSSELS PRESENTS TAX EVASION AND AVOIDANCE ACTION PLAN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has released formal guidance to European Union (EU) member states on fighting tax evasion and avoidance. In one of two ‘recommendations’ the Commission has advised member states to identify tax havens and place them on national blacklists, suggesting national governments take measures to pressure such non-EU jurisdictions to “apply EU governance standards” regarding tax transparency and payment.…
KYOTO PROTOCOL EXTENDED AND ALL EYES ON 2015 FOR NEW GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE DEAL
THE ENERGY sector has been left guessing whether there will be a robust future international climate change agreement after the latest global diplomatic meeting on the subject in Doha, Qatar. Delegates attending the 18th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change were tasked from November 26 to December 7 with solving two key issues: devising a post-Kyoto Protocol agreement that will kick in from 2020; and also devising a holding agreement for countries wanting to reduce emissions from the expiry of the Kyoto Protocol this December until the new agreement comes into force.…
PROGRESS IN POLISH NUCLEAR PROGRAM, FOLLOWING A DIFFICULT 2012
AFTER months of speculation about the future of Poland’s nuclear program, the New Year has brought an encouraging sign of progress.
On January 9, PGE EJ 1, the special purpose vehicle handling the construction of Poland’s first of two planned nuclear power plants, announced the result of a public tender to select a contractor to assess possible sites, looking at a shortlist of three.…
ELI LILLY PAYS MORE THAN USD29 MILLION IN SEC SETTLEMENT
THE USA’s Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) has settled a bribery case with Indiana-based pharmaceutical Eli Lilly & Company, where the company has agreed to pay more than USD29 million in fees, penalties and charges. Lilly was charged with violations of America’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) over alleged bribes by its subsidiaries to foreign government officials in Russia, Brazil, China, and Poland, in return for business.…
INTERNATIONAL FRAUD NEWS ROUND UP – CHINA ANTI-GRAFT PLAN DRAFTED
THE CHINESE government is drafting a new five-year anti-corruption plan for 2013 to 2017, which is expected to increase supervision of lower-ranking Communist party cadres. To be finalised and published before June, the new plan, said a Politburo statement is likely to “intensify supervision of officials’ adherence to various disciplines…” The statement backed more “limits and supervision of officials’ power and campaigns to promote a clean work style at grassroots levels…”
Other recent international fraud news:
*Global law enforcement representatives and football executives have met for the first time at a conference held to combat match fixing frauds, which generate millions of dollars of illicit gambling revenue for organised crime syndicates.…
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.…
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.…
THE EU SET TO DEFEND ITS CAR MANUFACTURERS FROM ARGENTINA'S IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
BY JONATHAN GILBERT, IN BUENOS AIRES; AND CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) dispute settlement body discussed today in Geneva a complaint lodged by the European Union (EU) against Argentine import restrictions which is harming EU auto and auto-part exports.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN COSMETIC MARKETS RECOVER UNEVENLY FROM THE RECESSION
BY MARK ROWE
ANYONE looking for straightforward conclusions about the impact of the recession on eastern Europe’s cosmetics market is likely to be disappointed. Some countries, such as Poland, fared relatively well in the crisis, while others such as Latvia faced punishing economic contraction, therefore signals coming from the region in these uncertain and ever-changing times, are hugely varied.…
CAPMAN AND RUUKKI'S CREATION OF FORTACO SHOULD HELP RUUKKI RATIONALISE ITS STEEL BUSINESS
BY GERARD O’DWYER, IN HELSINKI
Finnish semi-state industrial group Ruukki will have been helped in its plans to streamline its steel and engineering businesses by the European Commission’s approval of a new joint venture Fortaco, a senior manager involved in the deal told Steel First.…
ROMANIA AND BULGARIA STILL STRUGGLE WITH FRAUD AND ORGANISED CRIME
BY MARK ROWE AND CARMEN PAUN
AMIDST the fanfare that greeted Romania and Bulgaria’s accession to the European Union, there was little expectation that membership would eradicate corruption overnight. There were, though, reasonable grounds for anticipating tangible progress. Five years on, major corruption scrutiny bodies appear to have come to just such a conclusion: that Bulgaria at least has made substantial efforts to clean out some of the worst elements of corruption, but has plenty left to do.…
EU ROUND UP - PAINT SECTOR COULD BENEFIT AS EU AND JAPAN LAUNCH TRADE TALKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Japanese paint and coatings 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 and other red tape – for the talks to succeed.…
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.…
EU ENERGY REGULATORS CLAIM EUROPEAN 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.…
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.…
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.…
MICRO-CHP OFFERS POTENTIAL TO POWER EUROPE IN AN EFFICIENT, MORE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY WAY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS, ALAN OSBORN, IN LONDON, LEE ADENDORFF, IN LUCCA, ITALY; MICHAEL KOSMIDES, IN ATHENS; DAVID HAYHURST, IN PARIS; ANDREW KURETH, IN WARSAW; AND JOHN PAGNI, IN HELSINKI
THE POTENTIAL of micro-CHP (combined heat-and-power) for industrial businesses, residential complexes and individual homes is becoming increasingly clear across Europe.…
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.…
CONFUSION ABOUNDS OVER POLISH NUCLEAR PLANS
BY ANDREW KURETH, IN WARSAW
ONE day after Poland’s treasury minister said Poland would delay decisions over pushing ahead with its plans to build two nuclear power plants, the country’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk insisted that the country’s nuclear program was still on the table.…
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 ROUND UP - EP APPROACHES CRUCIAL VOTE ON EU DRILLING LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s energy committee has rejected attempts to introduce a moratorium on offshore gas drilling in the Arctic, overruling a contrary vote by the EP’s environment committee last month. Instead, the committee proposed new amendments to a proposed law on European Union (EU) oil and gas exploration, ensuring that companies have ‘adequate financial security’ to cover liabilities from any drilling accidents in all EU waters.…
UKRAINE MOVE TO RAISE IMPORT TARIFF WOULD HIT EU PORK EXPORT, UEBCV BOSS SAYS
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
A proposal from the Ukraine government to raise its import tariffs on all kinds of meat and poultry (and another 349 categories of goods) would hit European Union (EU) pork meat exports to the country, claims Jean-Luc Mériaux, secretary general of the European Livestock and Meat Trading Union (UECBV).…
EFSA SAYS NO NEED TO TEST HEALTHY STOCK FOR BSE IN EIGHT EU MEMBER STATES
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
THERE is no more need to test healthy livestock in Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands and Spain to be 95% sure they are not affected by Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), a scientific report from by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended.…
INNOVATIVE RESEARCH FUNDING ALLIANCE SPEND MONEY ON PHARMA PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CONSORTIUM involving two European biotech companies has secured a Euro EUR4.55 million grant from the EU’s Eurostars funding programme to develop ground-breaking anti-infection medicine. Eurostars is a joint programme between EU research network EUREKA and the European Commission, and the first European research funding programme dedicated to small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).…
MOBILE BROADBAND TRAFFIC JAM PROMPTS NEED FOR SELF-ORGANIZING NETWORKS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
THE INCREASING use of broadband-connected devices has led to exponential growth in mobile subscriptions and data traffic, and has also challenged operators, especially in providing improved customer experience regarding speed, coverage and availability.
So, with operators now moving beyond 2G and 3G networks, and towards 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems -to keep up with the scale of capacity and coverage – the trend towards implementing self-organising networks (SON) is also growing, with promises to speed up network deployment dramatically, while reducing operational efforts.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP - EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES GAZPROM PROBE
BY ROB STOKES
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched an anti-trust investigation into Russia’s Gazprom, suspecting it of stifling gas market competition in central and eastern European (CEE). The Commission is investigating whether the energy giant may have: divided gas markets by hindering free flow of gas across member states; prevented diversification of gas supply; and imposed unfair prices on customers by linking gas to oil prices.…
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.…
EUROPEAN CONFECTIONERY INDUSTRY PONDERS DEVELOPING GREENER PACKAGING
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is consumer demand in Europe for making confectionery packaging more sustainable, but in the European Union (EU) manufacturers are motivated more in going green by EU legislation.
They are developing ways of reducing, reusing and recycling packaging, and changing its composition to help.…
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.…
EASTERN EUROPE STILL A BASTION OF CHP
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
In eastern Europe, with its Soviet-era reliance on communal heating systems, co-generation continues to have strength.…
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.…
SLUGGISH ECONOMY DRIVES SPANISH CONSUMERS FROM PREMIUM TO PRIVATE LABEL SKINCARE
BY ROBERT STOKES IN MÁLAGA
THIS year I have abandoned my premium brand sun screen in favour of a Deliplus private label product sold by the Spanish supermarket group Mercadona for around EUR 5.00, saving around EUR 12.00 into the bargain.…
CROATIA TEXTILE AND CLOTHING SECTOR COULD EXPLOIT EU ACCESSION - BUT THERE ARE RISKS
BY MARK ROWE
CROATIA will join the European Union (EU) in one year’s time (on July 1, 2013), and while the country’s low wages offer opportunities to sell local textiles and clothing into the EU, the Croatian sector could be in better shape.…
EU 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.…
CROATIA KNITTING SECTOR COULD EXPLOIT EU ACCESSION - BUT THERE ARE RISKS
BY MARK ROWE
CROATIA has a strong tradition of knitting that features heavily in the traditions of the country’s rural hinterland and this could stand its knitwear sector in good stead for the country’s 2013 accession to the European Union (EU).…
NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS JOSTLE FOR POSITION AS POLISH NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TENDER IS AWAITED
BY ANDREW KURETH, IN WARSAW
MAJOR international nuclear-energy technology providers are signing a wave of agreements with Polish energy companies and research institutes to curry political favour as they compete in the race for the tender to supply Poland’s first nuclear power plant, set to come on line in 2023.…
EU SEEKS MORE LEVERAGE OVER GREENLAND MINING PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission and Greenland have signed a letter of intent that could increase the role of European Union (EU) mining companies in the development of the autonomous territory’s considerable mineral resources.
EU industry Commissioner Antonio Tajani and development Commissioner Andris Piebalgs have struck a deal with Greenland Prime Minister Kuupik Kleis over future EU involvement in exploration and exploitation.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP - CONFECTIONERY INDISTRY FIGHT PROPOSALS TO DELAY END OF EU SUGAR QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPE’S confectionery industry is fighting rearguard moves at the European Parliament to delay the abolition of European Union (EU) quotas on EU sugar production. A report from French conservative MEP Michel Dantin on the new EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has proposed that the quotas stay until 2020 – they are currently to be phased out by 2015.…
MEMBER STATES FACE LEGAL ACTION OVER E-MONEY RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening legal action against Belgium, Spain, France, Cyprus, Poland and Portugal over alleged failures to bring their national electronic money regulations in line with European Union (EU) law, notably the e-money directive 2009/110/EC. The legislation tries to harmonise market entry conditions amidst a common level of prudential supervision.…
ITALIAN CRIME FIGHTERS TACKLE NEW WAVE OF CONTRABAND TOBACCO WITH EU AND PRODUCERS
BY JOSEPHINE MCKENNA, IN ROME
Italy may not have the strongest tobacco black market, but it is a key portal into Europe for smuggling. This is fuelled by Italy’s long-coastline and strong organised crime organisations. Italian law enforcement has been fighting the problem, making seizures.…
BRUSSELS NEGOTIATES RESTRICTIVE OPEN SKIES DEAL WITH SRI LANKA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A RESTRICTIVE open skies agreement has been negotiated between the European Commission and Sri Lanka that incorporates existing bilateral civil aviation agreements struck with individual European Union (EU) member states. The agreement includes deals previously struck by Sri Lanka with Austria, Belgium, Britain, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Sweden.…
FINAL BATTLE OVER THE EUROPEAN EFFICIENCY DIRECTIVE TO BE FOUGHT ARTICLE BY ARTICLE
BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS
THE FINAL battle over the proposed European Union (EU) energy efficiency directive will be fought article by article over the next weeks in Brussels, Martin Lidegaard, Denmark’s climate and energy minister said on Thursday. "There’s still a lot of work to be done, a lot of compromises that should be achieved and it will need flexibility from our side, but also from the [European] Parliament and the Commission’s side if we shall succeed in ending [the negotiations for] this directive," Lidegaard told a press conference.…
DESPITE GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES AND SUBSIDIES, FUEL POVERTY CONTINUES TO TAKE A TOLL ACROSS EUROPE
BY ROBERT STOKES, IN MÁLAGA; DAVID HAYHURST, IN PARIS; LEE ADENDORFF, IN LUCCA; BLAKE BERRY, IN WARSAW; AND ALAN OSBORN
RISING energy prices and Europe’s continuing economic malaise has increased fuel poverty across the continent. The UK government defines fuel poverty as where to heat a home to an adequate standard of warmth, a household must spend more than 10% of its income.…
ECJ TELLS POLAND TO TIGHTEN UP CONTROLS ON MEDICINE AUTHORISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has told the Polish government to stop allowing sales of imported medicines that are similar to those approved within Poland, but cheaper. Polish law allows sales of foreign medicines with the same active substances, dosage and form as medicines carrying marketing authorisation in Poland, if the imported drugs’ price is "competitive".…
EU CASH CONTROLS CATCH UNWARY - BUT IMPLEMENTATION HAS BEEN SLOW
BY ALAN OSBORN
A 2010 report by the European Commission on the early operation of the European Union’s (EU) cash control regulation (1889/2005) which came into force in 2007 said implementation of the measure had been "generally satisfactory" but the jury is still out regarding its usefulness as an anti-money laundering (AML) tool.…
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.…
BIOFUEL INDUSTRY CLAIMS SHALE GAS BOOM WILL NOT DENT DEMAND FOR BIO-BASSED LIQUID FUELS
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is a scenario that environmentalists, climate change experts and the renewable oils industry have quietly dreaded for some time: what if – as you painstakingly push for a shift away from fossil fuels – another source of fossil fuels, a new kid on the carbon block, fronts up?…
EU PROJECT DEVELOPS NOVEL MINI-SPHERE MEDICINE DELIVERY SYSTEM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed the development by a European Union (EU)-funded research project of a novel drug delivery method based on mini-spheres in capsules. These contain active pharmaceutical ingredients that are solubilised as an emulsion, microemulsion or suspension and coated either by conventional or novel coating technologies.…
EU SOUTH KOREAN SUMMIT TO INTENSIFY RESEARCH COOPERATION
BY DAVID HAWORTH, IN BRUSSELS
Improving research cooperation between South Korea and the European Union (EU) was a key focus of a summit in Seoul this week (Wednesday, 28 March). In a speech in South Korea, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso noted higher education links between both sides were weak: "There are fewer researchers from South Korea participating in EU research programmes than researchers from many other countries."…
EU GIVES FIRST ORIGIN PROTECTION TO TRADITIONAL FOOD MADE IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has for the first time protected a traditional food product from being copied outside its home region which has historically been made in two countries. This groundbreaking protected designation of origin (PDO) and geographical indication has been awarded to a honey made in Poland and Lithuania: called Miód z Sejne?szczyny/?o?dziejszczyzny…
EU MINISTERS PLOT RUSSIA/BELARUS ELECTRICITY DEAL FOR BALTIC STATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers is seeking an agreement with Russia and Belarus that would better coordinate the operation of their electricity systems with those of the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The council’s working party on energy is drafting a proposal for EU ministers that – if approved – would "authorise the [European] Commission to negotiate an agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the European Union on electricity system operation of the Baltic States."…
PIPELINE PROJECTS' COMPETITION TO BRING GAS TO EUROPE IS LIKE GAME OF DIPLOMATIC CHESS
BY MARK ROWE
ALTHOUGH it has been likened to a 21st century Silk Road, the southern gas corridor is currently making painstaking and troubled progress; inching its way through the political and economic strife that stands between the Caspian Sea and Western Europe.…
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.…
BRUSSELS PLOTS LEGAL ACTION OVER LAYING HEN WELFARE ABUSES
BY LEAH GERMAIN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is taking legal action against 14 European Union (EU) member states, it thinks are failing to protect egg laying hens against animal welfare abuses. According to the Commission, the countries have failed to comply with EU legislation that prohibits farmers from keeping egg-laying hens in confined, tiny cages smaller than 750 square centimetres.…
EU ROUND UP - NATURAL GAS HERE TO STAY - AT LEAST TO 2050 SAYS BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FUTURE of the natural gas sector is guaranteed in any viable European Union (EU) energy mix, the European Commission has said in a major policy paper. In its ‘Energy Road Map 2050’, Brussels argues that gas is the relatively clean fuel that will buy the EU time to adopt new energy technologies.…
EASTERN EUROPE'S COSMETICS MARKET RECOVERS, BUT STILL TOUGH FOR SMALLER PLAYERS
BY MARK ROWE, IN LONDON; ZLATKO CONKAS, IN NOVI SAD, SERBIA; MIKE STEIN, IN PRAGUE; AND BLAKE BERRY, IN WARSAW
DURING the spring of 2011, the prevailing view throughout eastern Europe’s personal care and toiletries market was that while business was not exactly buoyant, the worst of the recession was over – then came the credit crises and the faltering Euro.…
2011 REVIEW OF THE YEAR - CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RETAIL – WINNERS AND LOSERS
WINNERS
MARKS & SPENCER
Times may still be tough in its home British market, but M&S showed forward-thinking foresight in 2011- on sourcing transparency and the environment: potential key issues for future consumers.…
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.…
ENERGY MINISTERS REQUIRE MORE 'FLEXIBILITY' WITH EFFICIENCY TARGETS
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
EUROPEAN energy ministers meeting in Brussels have declared they were less than satisfied with rigid efficiency targets contained within the European Commission’s proposed energy efficiency directive.
Poland, which currently holds the EU presidency, presented a progress report at the meeting of the EU Council of Ministers (Nov 27) for energy on the work done over the past several months on a draft directive concerning energy efficiency.…
GDANSK SHIPYARD HELPS BUILD 'GREEN' ENERGY FUTURE
BY MARK ROWE and MJ DESCHAMPS
POLAND’S historic Gdansk Shipyard, which has long been the site of construction of solid steel structures and shipbuilding, is now working towards becoming the leading steel structure solutions supplier for onshore and offshore wind projects in Europe.…
AUSTRALIA'S DEVELOPS BOOMING LNG INDUSTRY
BY MATTHEW BRACE
AUSTRALIA is fast developing into a global force for natural gas, cementing its reputation as a source of valuable materials, such as iron ore, coal, gold, silver, uranium, aluminium, nickel, lead and zinc. In 2010, Australia became the fourth largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) gas – trading 18.38 million tonnes (Mt) in total – according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy 2011.…
MINING ROBOTICS MOVES AHEAD - BUT INVESTMENT LAGS BEHIND AVAILABLE TECHNOLOGY
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
IN the event of a mining accident, first responders trying to rescue trapped miners are usually thrown into dangerous – and sometimes deadly – situations. With this in mind, robotics engineers worldwide are beginning to develop both remotely controlled and autonomous machines to help eliminate some of the dangers of mining operations and rescues.…
EASTERN EUROPE IS GROWING ITS BIOFUEL FEEDSTOCK CAPACITY
BY ZLATKO CONKAS, BLAKE BERRY, MONIKA HANLEY, MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
EASTERN Europe is often regarded as developing in the slipstream of richer western Europe – and so far the model seems to be fitting with biofuels. That said, significant biodiesel manufacturing capacity is in place in the region, according to the European Biodiesel Board.…
NUCLEAR DISASTER REINFORCES TALKS ON EU-WIDE ENERGY GRID
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
GERMANY’s recent announcement that it will be phasing out all atomic plants in the country by 2022 following the Fukushima disaster has encouraged efforts to create a truly effective European Union (EU)-wide energy grid.
A new, unreleased – but confirmed – ‘non paper’ (a discussion paper) from the European Commission has also made the case for strengthening electricity interconnections in the face of Germany’s nuclear phase-out.…
DIGITAL CRASH TEST DUMMY PROJECT USES DEAD BODIES AND COMPUTERS TO SAVE LIVES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project has been using donated dead bodies, elaborately constructed dummies and complex computer research to create a digital model of the thorax (the upper body between the head and abdomen) to help build safer cars.…
NUCLEAR DISASTER REINFORCES TALKS ON EU-WDE ENERGY GRID
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
GERMANY’s recent announcement that it will be phasing out all atomic plants in the country by 2022 following the Fukushima disaster has encouraged efforts to create a truly effective European Union (EU)-wide energy grid, according to some industry experts.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS FOCUSES BIOFUEL SUPPORT ON GREENER FUELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has taken another step towards focusing the European Union’s (EU) support for biofuel production on those fuels that create at least 35% less carbon emissions than fossil fuels. A key part of this process is using certification schemes to ensure that biofuels are green, taking account of the environmental impact of their production as well as use, and the Commission has now recognised seven of these systems.…
JOINING THE EU - DOES IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO NURSING ETHICS AND STANDARDS?
BY E BLAKE BERRY and MARK ROWE
NURSES working in Britain, and western Europe like to think their professional standards are high. And largely this is true. But what of nurses working in eastern Europe? With most countries in the region in the European Union (EU), it had been hoped EU nursing training and practice rules would raise professional standards.…
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.…
BRUSSELS LAUNCHES PROBE OF COST OF EU ANIMAL WELFARE RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a Euro EUR1.5 million study into concerns that European Union (EU) animal welfare and food safety rules could harm the global competitiveness of EU meat and other livestock sectors.
Brussels has asked research teams to bid for a major study comparing compliance costs for EU and non-EU country meat producers.…
GOOD COP...ROBO COP? INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS WANT AUTONOMOUS ROBOTS TO INCREASE SECURITY MEASURES
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
IT might sound like science fiction, but airport managers really are exploring the use of robots to boost security at airports. Partly this is because for some potentially extreme events, it is better to put a robot in harm’s way, rather than humans.…
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.…
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.…
CONTROLLED VERSUS FREE MARKETS
BY MARGUERITE-JEANNE DESCHAMPS, MINI PANT ZACHARIAH and WANG FANGQING
All over the world, when, where and what kind of alcohol consumers can purchase varies between each country’s national – and, occasionally, regional – laws. One would understand if alcoholic beverage manufacturers would prefer operating in markets where retailers are free to sell alcohol, versus those were a limited number of agents can make sales.…
BRUSSELS' DOMINANT POSITION PENALTY ON POLISH TELCO COULD OPEN DOOR TO COMPENSATION CLAIMS
BY ANDREW KURETH
POLISH telecommunications specialists predict that the European Commission anti-trust fine levied last week against Poland’s dominant telecom operator, Telekomunikacja Polska S.A. (TPSA), could open the door to compensation claims from competitors.
Brussels hit TPSA with a Euro EU127.5 million penalty, saying it had illegally stymied competitors’ access to its network.…
NEW CENTRAL ASIA FATF PUSHES ANTI-MONEYLAUNDERING PROGRESS IN REGION
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
CENTRAL Asia is often in the news regarding political instability, and the complexity of the region’s borders and ethnicities make for an opacity that can encourage the growth of organised crime. Also, being far from the centres of anti-money laundering activities and standard setting – in Europe, north America and east Asia, the region’s often authoritarian governments have a poor reputation regarding the enforcement of law and judicial probity.…
BRUSSELS THREATENS FOUR EU COUNTRIES WITH LEGAL ACTION OVER AVIATION EMISSIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE GOVERNMENTS of Germany, Poland, Cyprus and Estonia have been threatened with legal action at the European Court of Justice over their alleged failure to include aviation pollution in their laws implementing the European emissions trading system. This was supposed to have happened by last February, but the European Commission says these four countries have failed to meet their legal commitments, even though they claim to be trying to set up the necessary controls.…
NANO-TEXTILES THAT CAN KILL SUPERBUGS, WITHOUT HEALTH PROBLEMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POP science reports have been raving about how towels, clothes and sheets impregnated with tiny nanoparticles can kill germs and wipe out body odour. A good example is nano-socks, containing nano-silver, which apparently stop feet smelling, no matter how sweaty.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT PRODUCES NANO-TEXTILES THAT CAN KILL SUPERBUGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research team claims to have developed fabric incorporating nano-materials that can kill super-bugs such as methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), without the safety concerns associated with nano-silver. Its migration into the environment has sparked health fears, but the BioElectricSurface consortium involving the universities of Limerick, in Ireland; Wroclaw, in Poland; and Comenius University, in Slovakia; claims to have solved this problem.…
INTERNATIONAL TOBACCO CRIME FIGHTERS COMBINE THEIR MUSCLE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
International tobacco crime fighters combine their muscle
Criminals make a fortune out of smuggling and counterfeiting tobacco products. The USA and the European Union have specialist crime-fighting bodies charged with fighting this crime. They are increasingly cooperating with each other and using smarter tactics and tougher laws to make a difference.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS WANTS TO BAN PETROL FROM EU CITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has laid down the gauntlet to the fossil fuel sector, releasing a comprehensive long-term strategy that would halve the use of ‘conventionally-fuelled’ cars in urban transport by 2030, phasing them out in cities by 2050.…
EU ADMITS FAILINGS IN ORGANISED CRIME FIGHT
BY DAVID HAWORTH
HUNGARY, which currently holds the European Union’s (EU’s) rotating presidency, made a little noticed promise in January to put organised crime well and truly on the EU agenda. Commercial Crime International attended a Brussels conference where senior figures admitted the EU’s response has been far too weak.…
EMISSIONS TRADE THEFTS RISK MAJOR DAMAGE TO POLLUTION PERMIT MARKET'S REPUTATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN the offices of the Czech Republic’s registry for the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading System (ETS) received a fake bomb threat on January 18, it was an annoying interruption for some Prague office workers. But when returning to their desks, they realised their real bomb had gone off in their computer terminals.…
EU CARBON RULES MAY HINDER POLAND'S PLANS FOR NEW COAL POWER STATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND may struggle to issue free emissions trading permits for planned new coal-fired power stations, with the European Commission releasing rules saying only projects with construction projects under way before January 2009 could receive them.
The guidelines come in Brussels’ latest set of rules on releasing permits under the European Union (EU) emissions trading system for 2013-20.…
IEA PRAISES POLAND FOR GAS GROWTH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Energy Agency (IEA) has welcomed the expansion of Poland’s gas sector. Assessing its energy sector, the IEA praised Poland for building an LNG terminal, expanding underground storage, extending gas transmission and distribution, increasing domestic gas production and exploring possible resources of unconventional gas.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT PREPARES INTERACTIVE CONSUMER DRIVEN E-CLOTHING BUSINESS MODEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project is developing an innovative business model which can allow consumers to design and choose their own clothing online, with manufacturers shipping remotely-controlled bespoke work. The Euro 5.17 million Open Garments project aims to create a secure and practical electronic communications system delivering customer requirements to manufacturers, who can act on them swiftly.…
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?…
POLAND STANDARDS SUBPAR FOR ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING
BY MARK ROWE and E BLAKE BERRY
GIVEN Poland’s reputation as a reliable member of the international community, it is perhaps surprising Poland was (until 2009 at least) reckoned by the European Commission and the US Department of State to have one of the EU’s poorest records for tackling money laundering.…
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 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…
RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT IS A GREAT IDEA - BUT EU GOVERNMENTS HAVE DRAGGED THEIR FEET OVER IMPLEMENTATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN, MJ DESCHAMPS, MARK ROWE, RENDAN DE BEER, MAKKI MARSEILLES
IT has been a real slog – persuading the European Union’s (EU) 27 member states to implement detailed plans to manage their water resources on a river basin basis, rather than artificial political boundaries bearing little relation to hydrology.…
RIVER BASIN MANAGEMENT IS A GREAT IDEA - BUT EU GOVERNMENTS HAVE DRAGGED THEIR FEET OVER IMPLEMENTATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL, ALAN OSBORN, MJ DESCHAMPS, MARK ROWE, BRENDAN DE BEER and MAKKI MARSEILLES
IT has been a real slog – persuading the European Union’s (EU) 27 member states to implement detailed plans to manage their water resources on a river basin basis, rather than artificial political boundaries bearing little relation to hydrology.…
ASBESTOS EXPERT ACCUSES JAPAN OF PUSHING FAULTY ASBESTOS TEST
BY JULIAN RYALL
JAPAN is being accused of trying to write its own official asbestos testing system into an international standard, because it knows it does not work and so will get its government off the hook for asbestos exposure cases.…
NEW EU GAS LAW AIMS TO SOOTH WINTER-TIME SUPPLY FEARS
BY ALAN OSBORN
WINTER always beings jitters to European utilities. Will Russia cut off gas to a neighbouring country because of a payment row? Until major new pipeline routes are in place, such as Nord Stream or Nabucco, this concern will continue.…
EU ROUND UP - ECHA WARNS OF FAKE SMALL CHEMICAL BUSINESS FEE PROBE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEDIUM-sized and large paint and coating coatings companies and their suppliers have wrongly claimed low administrative charges for small businesses under the European Union’s (EU) REACH chemical control system, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has warned. After the first November 30 deadline for registering chemicals under REACH has passed, ECHA officials will screen claims for the small business administration rate of Euro EUR8,300 and EUR2,070 for micro businesses, assessing whether these claimants were actually small.…
LOTTE TO EXPAND IN EASTERN EUROPE
BY WANG FANGQING
Japan’s Lotte Group’s new Polish subsidiary the Warsaw-based chocolate maker E.Wedel has confirmed the company is planning to expand in eastern Europe, following reports that it is to build five new plants in Poland. "With the acquisition of Wedel, the Lotte Group gained a toehold to secure production base in the European market for the future development and intends to expand this business throughout European market," Wedel’s spokesperson Marta Pokutycka-M?drala…
RECESSION FORCED EASTERN EUROPEAN SMOKERS TO DITCH PREMIUM BRANDS FOR CHEAPER SMOKES
BY MARK ROWE
Recession forced eastern European smokers to ditch premium brands for cheaper smokes
Tobacco majors have long targeted eastern Europe as a soft emerging market for premium brands. But times got tough during the recession, when smokers swapped aspiration for economy.…
NURSING VIOLENCE: A CALL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGE?
BY MJ DESCHAMPS
WHILE cuts and bruises from angry patients are nothing new to nurses, there are growing concerns that there is a link between physical assaults and long-term musculoskeletal symptoms.
The mental and emotional consequences of nursing violence have been on the radar of health institutions for a long time, but a recent study published in the UK-based international academic journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine is the first to make the connection between physical violence and chronic health problems.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS LAUNCHES LATEST MAJOR '2020' ENERGY STRATEGY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TARGETED investments aimed at improving energy self-sufficiency and efficiency maybe the key result of a grand European Union (EU) ‘Energy 2020’ strategy, released this month (November 10) by the European Commission. Building on existing reforms to liberalise and green EU energy production and delivery, the policy paper proposes ensuring energy efficiency is a criteria of public procurement by member states, and also that energy efficiency certificates are created to encourage sustainable energy investment by industry.…
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 RESEARCHERS PROBE THE DEEPS FOR MEDICINES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EURO EUR6million research project will see scientists collect, isolate and classify marine organisms, including sea anemones, tunicates and micro and macroalgae, from the world’s seas and oceans, and look for active biochemicals with potential medical uses. The 2010-1014 MAREX project is coordinated by the University of Helsinki, Finland, working with researchers from Belgium, Britain, Chile, Finland, France, India, Italy, Lebanon, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Turkey.…
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.…
GEORGIA BOOSTS WINE QUALITY TO FIND NEW NON-RUSSIAN MARKETS
BY MARK GODFREY
GEORGIA’S wine industry took every opportunity to bask in the limelight when the 2010 International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV) Congress was staged in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi. Opening the June congress, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT) even took the opportunity to praise local product as a "freedom wine", boasting that Russia’s four-year ban on Georgian wine has only improved its quality.…
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.…
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.…
SPEED AND EFFICIENCY ARE WATCHWORDS FOR SLITTERS AND REWINDERS
BY ALYSHAH HASHAM
TO MAXIMISE the performance of slitting and rewinding, speed is of course essential. But efficiency and lack of mistakes are equally crucial. And so, said David Annoni, of Italy-based Ghezzi & Annoni, it is not just the speed of the slitter-rewinder, but the speed of the whole production process that matters: one must complement the other.…
INNOVATIVE PACKAGING TRANSFORMING GLOBAL DRINKS PACKAGING INDUSTRY
BY MARK ROWE
INNOVATIVE packaging is transforming the drinks industry. Heavy tins and bottles are being replaced by lighter composite and biodegradeable materials; hi-tech cartons are being manufactured that tell consumers if the milk’s gone off; and RFID (radio frequency identification) tags are being embedded with temperature sensors.…
UNBUNDLING ENERGY IN THE EU HAS A LONG WAY TO GO
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE PROCESS of ‘unbundling’ in the European Union (EU) gas industry as called for under the EU’s third energy package, notably the gas directive 2009/73/EC, adopted in 2009, has come to a bit of a standstill. This will not last.…
INNOVATIVE PACKAGING TRANSFORMING GLOBAL DRINKS PACKAGING INDUSTRY
BY MARK ROWE
INNOVATIVE packaging is transforming the drinks industry. Heavy tins and bottles are being replaced by lighter composite and biodegradeable materials; hi-tech cartons are being manufactured that tell consumers if the milk’s gone off; and RFID (radio frequency identification) tags are being embedded with temperature sensors.…
USA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY WARNS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS OVER SHALE GAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A US Geological Survey expert has warned environmental difficulties could prevent Europe harvesting significant reserves of shale gas maybe in Britain, Germany, Sweden, Poland, France, Hungary and Austria. Research geologist Don Gauthier told a French Institute for Foreign Relations conference in Brussels the "high density" of wells required, including horizontal wells, could anger urbanised Europe.…
EU ROUND UP - OPEC AND EU COMBINE FORCES ON OFFSHORE INSTALLATION SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is to combine forces with the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in the coming year to examine offshore oil and gas safety in the light of the Gulf of Mexico spill.
At an ‘Energy Dialogue’ meeting in Brussels, senior OPEC and EU officials agreed to organise an international roundtable on minimising offshore safety risks early 2011, which could spark new regulations.…
IT'S EASY TO GET IN TROUBLE IN EUROPE'S WATER SECTOR
BY DAVID HAWORTH,PAUL RIGG,LEE ADENDOORF,MAKKI MARSEILLES,E BLAKE BERRY,FLORENCE LABEDAYS,SYMON ROSS and KEITH NUTHALL
WATER utilities are maybe used to getting bad press. After all, we all need water, and we need and want it to be clean. When a water supplier fails, it is easy to make complaints and see them amplified in newspapers, television, radio and the Internet.…
IT'S EASY TO GET IN TROUBLE IN EUROPE'S WATER SECTOR
BY DAVID HAWORTH,PAUL RIGG,LEE ADENDOORF,MAKKI MARSEILLES,E BLAKE BERRY,FLORENCE LABEDAYS,SYMON ROSS and KEITH NUTHALL
WATER utilities are maybe used to getting bad press. After all, we all need water, and we need and want it to be clean. When a water supplier fails, it is easy to make complaints and see them amplified in newspapers, television, radio and the Internet.…
EUROSTAT REPORTS WIDE DIVERGENCE OF FOOD PRICES ACROSS THE EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) may be legally a single market, food prices range widely across its 27 member states. The most recent survey of 500 comparable products by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency, shows last year (2009) the price of a comparable basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages was more than twice as high in the most expensive EU country than the cheapest.…
EU ROUND UP - EU HELPS USA IN GULF OF MEXICO OIL SPILL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is helping the USA deal with the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Coordinated by the EU emergency response group, the Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), the EU will send oil skimmers and oil spill experts.…
HIGH NOON FOR THE FUTURE OF ASBESTOS IN A TOWN CALLED ASBESTOS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TOWN of Asbestos in French-speaking Québec, Canada – named after the mineral that underpins its economy – is waiting to see whether its provincial government will approve a Canadian dollar CAD58 million (US dollar USD56 million) loan enabling an underground mine to tap an immense deposit.…
DENMARK PLANS MAJOR TOBACCO TAXATION INCREASES
BY GERARD O’DWYER
COMPARED to its more health-conscious neighbours, Denmark has for many years been a comparatively lethargic member of the Nordic club when it comes to imposing controls and legislative restrictions on the sale and use of tobacco products.
However, Denmark’s perceived neutrality towards the tobacco sector may be about to change under Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT) ambitious targets, set down on April 5 under his centre-right government’s Vision 2020 strategy.…
EU FOOD SALES PROMOTION GOES GREEN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LATEST major food product promotion programme financed by the European Union (EU) is focusing heavily on healthy foodstuffs – with organic, fruit and vegetable products getting the lion’s share. The European Commission has approved 19 one-to-three year publicity programmes in 14 member states (Austria, Belgium, Britain, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, France, Greece, Italy, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain) which will promote sales in the EU.…
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.…
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.…
POLES FACE ECJ ACTION OVER PHARMACEUTICAL CONTROLS
BY LEAH GERMAIN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is planning to take the Polish government to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) claiming it is breaking key European Union (EU) pharmaceutical market approval controls. Brussels is upset that Poland allows non-authorised medicinal products to be sold that are similar to an approved product, just because they are cheaper.…
BRUSSELS REPORTS EU UNSAFE AUTO CONSUMER ALERTS REMAIN HIGH
BY KEITH NUTHALL and EMMA JACKSON
THE EUROPEAN Commission has reported the number of notifications of potentially unsafe automobiles though the European Union (EU) consumer warning system remains high – being the third most common product category receiving withdrawals and sales bans in 2009.…
EU OFFICIALS REVEAL COUNTERFEIT CLOTHING AND ACCESSORY HAUL IN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ROMANIAN customs officers participating in an international anti-smuggling action have seized 20 tonnes of undocumented perfume from a lorry – containing scents in Gucci, Versace, Calvin Klein, Chanel and other packaging. The raid was coordinated with other actions across Europe by European Union anti-fraud unit OLAF.…
EU OFFICIALS REVEAL COUNTERFEIT DRINKS HAUL IN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
OFFICIALS from the European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF have revealed to just-drinks how an international EU customs operation seized 6,400 litres of counterfeit and smuggled alcohol. OLAF said the Matthew II operation was organised by the Czech Republic, working closely with Poland and OLAF: all EU countries were invited to participate.…
EU 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."…
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.…
EU OFFICIALS REVEAL COUNTERFEIT CLOTHING AND ACCESSORY HAUL IN INTERNATIONAL OPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
OFFICIALS from the European Union’s (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF have revealed to just-drinks how an international EU customs operation seized counterfeit and smuggled coats and scarves. OLAF said the Matthew II operation was organised by the Czech Republic, working closely with Poland and OLAF: all EU countries were invited to participate.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS PUSHES AHEAD WITH MAJOR EUROPEAN ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH a new European Commission in office, major decisions can now be made on pushing ahead with European Union (EU) energy policy priorities: Brussels has released a Euro 4 billion package of 31 gas infrastructure (and 12 electricity) projects.…
POLISH AIRPORT GETS EIB FUNDING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is lending Euro 52.8 million to the operator of Poland’s Wroclaw airport to build a new terminal and make other improvements, expanding annual capacity to 3.1 million passengers. Port Lotniczy Wroclaw SA will also use the money to extend and modify terminal one; improve aprons, taxiways, de-icing facilities, drainage and navigation systems; and boost car parking and access roads.…
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.…
EUROPE MOVES SLOWLY TOWARDS PUBLIC PLACE-SMOKING BANS AND EU COMPULSORY LEGISLATION IS UNLIKELY
BY ALAN OSBORN
JUST six years ago, in March 2004, Ireland was the first country in the world to impose an outright ban on smoking in workplaces. A lot of European governments have followed its lead though Ireland (plus the UK and, surprisingly, Turkey) remain the only countries in Europe where the ban is total – that is it applies to smoking in all enclosed public and workplaces without exceptions.…
BRITISH MOTORISTS MAYBE BUYING BIGGER CARS - BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE GREENER: EU STATISTICS SAY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CO2 emissions statistics released by the European Commission show that while British motorists are ignoring government calls to buy smaller cars, their vehicles are at least getting greener. Across the European Union (EU) the CO2 emitted by passenger cars is falling fast: looking at 2008, a report said the average specific CO2 emissions from passenger cars were 153.5g CO2/km.…
ILLICIT TOBACCO TRADE BOOMING - GENERATING SWATHES OF ILLEGAL FUNDS
BY ALAN OSBORN,ANCA GURZU and KEITH NUTHALL
THE GLOBAL trade in illicit tobacco is huge and growing and a significant source of dirty money worldwide. Tobacco multinational British American Tobacco (BAT) estimates that 6.3% of cigarettes worldwide are illicit products (either counterfeit, smuggled or sold domestically on the black market), which makes 332 billion sticks, and that is a lot of cigarettes.…
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.…
FEED IN TARIFFS PROVING POPULAR WAY TO PROMOTE GREEN ENERGY
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
THIS April, the UK will launch a feed-in tariff for electricity, which the government said will accelerate take-up of green energy among the general public. According to the European Commission’s energy directorate-general, the European Union (EU) already uses at least 20% more energy than is justified, which has led to twin concerns – the need to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to encourage consumers to switch to green energy tariffs and sources.…
LPG AND CNG - MEDIUM-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR GREENHOUSE GAS REDUCTIONS
BY ANCA GURZU
INFRASTRUCTURE and technology costs are the two important factors when talking about promoting intermediate alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG), the Center for Automotive Research, a US-based non-profit organisation, has told wardsauto.…
TOBACCO TRAVELLER - COLLECTION 2009 - GREECE
BY MAKKI MARSEILLES
TOBACCO manufacturing in Greece is alive and well and the industry is looking forward to a very fine future. A ban on smoking in public places introduced this April 1 has had very little effect so far and a reported 6% drop in sales alleged by some retailers has not been substantiated, stressed the Association of Greek Tobacco Industries.…
NEW RAISED EU TOBACCO DUTY MINIMUMS LIKELY TO DEPRESS DEMAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MINIMUM excise duty rates on tobacco products across the European Union (EU) are rising and at such rates that demand will almost certainly be depressed in many EU member states. The impact will be especially marked in eastern Europe, where governments have been given additional time to implement hikes in excise duty.…
TOBACCO TRAVELLER - COLLECTION 2009 - VENEZUELA
BY PACIFICA GODDARD
The Venezuelan cigarette market experienced an overall decline in 2008 and the first half of 2009. In 2008, 11.95 billion sticks were sold, an 8.6% drop from the 13.07 billion sticks sold in 2007, according to the United Nations Statistics Division.…
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.…
POLISH BEER SALES SUFFER FIRST DROP SINCE END OF COMMUNISM
BY E BLAKE BERRY
THE POLISH beer market saw a 12.5% fall in sales during the first half of this year, according to data recently released by the Union of the Brewing Industry Employers in Poland (ZPPP). That’s the first drop since before the Iron Curtain fell.…
ECJ IS LEGAL WATCHDOG FOR MAKING SURE EU ANTI-MONEY LAUNDERING LAWS ARE ENFORCED
BY ALAN OSBORN
BOTH the strengths and the weaknesses of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in the anti-money laundering field derive from its role as the supreme interpreter of European Union (EU) law and its responsibility for applying that law consistently through the Union.…
EUROPE'S UTILITY CUSTOMER SERVICE IS AS DIVERSE AS THE CONTINENT ITSELF
BY PHILIPPA JONES, LEE ADENDOORF, E. BLAKE BERRY, SYMON ROSS, MONICA DOBIE and KEITH NUTHALL
CONSUMER issues have been a key focus of European Union (EU) initiatives regarding utilities of late. The European Commission’s Citizens’ Energy Forum has been busy, recently focusing on improving billing practices, promoting good practice and calling for "clearer, more understandable and accurate bills".…
Smug satisfaction over Irish referendum result maybe premature
By David Haworth, in Brussels
By the time you read this, Ireland’s second attempt to ratify the Lisbon Treaty may have succeeded and thunderous pieties about the nation’s wisdom, maturity and farsightedness in reaching the “right” decision will be heard in all the continent’s chancelleries.
Thus the only European Union (EU) member to hold a referendum on this agreement will have been punched to the canvas by fear (the devastating recession) and loathing (the EU institutions and other capitals).
True, the Treaty’s legislative journey is not yet over.…
EUROPE: Brussels backs new standard for latest wireless technology
By Alan Osborn
Technology researchers will benefit from a new research investment of ?18 million from the European Commission, designed to reinforce its support for the LTE (Long Term Evolution) standard for the fourth generation of wireless telecommunications, in preference to the alternative WiMax technology.…
EU COUNTRIES TO REPAY MISSPENT AGRICULTURE FUNDING
BY EMMA JACKSON
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered 18 European Union (EU) member states to collectively repay Euro 214.6 million in misspent food production funding. France owes Euro 71 million for weak on-the-spot checks regarding environmental and animal welfare standards, ensuring ‘cross compliance’ commitments made by producers are followed.…
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.…
HACHETTE IRELAND MAKES FIRST EUROPEAN AUTHOR AWARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HACHETTE Ireland was one of 12 publishers honoured this week at the first awards of the new European Union Prize for Literature (Monday Sept 28). The Dublin-based branch of the Hachette publishing empire was praised for producing one of 12 award winning books: ‘Longshore Drift’ (2006), by Karen Gillece.…
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.…
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.…
POLISH CONFECTIONERS PUSH FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR SUGAR PURCHASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH confectionery industry is pushing the European Commission for a loosening of the rules allowing national European Union (EU) governments to give confectionery manufacturers financial assistance when buying sugar inputs.
A letter obtained by Confectionery Production from Polbisco – the Association of Polish Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturers – has warned that last year’s abolition of EU export refunds for its products has been damaging overseas sales.…
NORDIC FOOD MARKETS MOVE TOWARDS FUNCTIONAL HEALTH AND ORGANIC FOODS, BUT OBESITY IS STILL ON THE RISE
BY GERARD O’DWYER
FOR those seduced by the idea that Nordic countries are full of healthy statuesque blond super-beings eating perfect diets and exercising regularly, it may come as something of a surprise to learn that obesity is on the rise in the region.…
CONTRACT PACKERS AND THEIR CLIENTS MUST WRESTLE WITH DETAILED AND COMPREHENSIVE EU LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
GIVEN contract packing is often undertaken by larger businesses and of course, packers usually welcome economies of scale, cross-border trades within the European Union (EU) is commonplace within Europe.
And as a result, naturally, keeping on top of EU legislation is essential for contract packing clients and suppliers.…
POLISH AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT AID APPROVED BY BRUSSELS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MAJOR development works, which should see Poland’s airports improved for visitors to the Euro 2012 football championship it is hosting with Ukraine, have received a major boost. The European Commission has approved Euro 500 million in public development aid to 10 airports across the country.…
OLAF PROBES FLOOD OF FRAUD TIP-OFFS FROM BULGARIA AND ROMANIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud office OLAF probed a flood of fraud allegations about Bulgaria and Romania in 2008, worsening these new EU member states’ reputation as graft centres. There were 142 tips of financial fraud and misdemeanours about Bulgaria made to OLAF last year, and 87 on Romania – way above other countries (Germany, Italy and Poland being the subject of the most tips amongst remaining member states).…
EASTERN EUROPE OILS AND FATS SECTOR BEING OPENED TO WESTERN EUROPE THROUGH EU TRADE DEALS
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA’S belligerent approach to its neighbours in recent years has ranged from military conflict with Georgia to energy disputes with Ukraine and a string of commodity-based stand-offs, such as rows with Norway over fish products, Poland over meat supplies and Belarus over sugar.…
GLOBAL FOOD COMMODITY PRICE VOLATILITY HERE TO STAY
BY ANDREW CAVE
Food commodity prices are seldom out of the news nowadays, due to a mushrooming global population, the food-for-fuel controversy, an increasing focus on sustainability and the continued growth of the organic sector. However, beyond the generality of crop prices spiralling to new highs in 2007 and 2008 and then plummeting – in some cases – back to where they were before the boom, the picture is far from uniform.…
BRUSSELS LAUNCHES BARRAGE OF LEGAL ACTIONS OVER ACCOUNTING RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has opened nine case files as it attempts to force European Union (EU) member states to comply with EU accounting and auditing directives. Brussels is taking four briefs to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding Austria, Ireland, Italy and Spain, which it accuses of failing to comply with the 2006 statutory audit directive (2006/43/EC).…
FURTHER EXPANSION OF EU EASTWARDS SEEN AS GENERALLY POSITIVE BY EU FOOD AND DRINK SECTORS
BY MARK ROWE
The expansion of the European Union (EU) continues eastwards – and the food and drink industry of the existing EU will inevitably be affected by the new competition, as will companies in the new member countries.
The next few years are likely to see several countries accede to the EU.…
EUROPE: Technology researchers to benefit from Euro 250 million loan
By Leah Germain
Telecommunications giant Nokia Siemens Networks has just received a Euro 250 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to support the research and development of cutting edge Radio Access Network technology (RAN).
The company is a global joint venture is run by Finland’s Nokia Corp with Germany’s Siemens AG.…
ARSENIC IN SUGAR BEET WARNS EU AUTHORITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ARSENIC and lead has been discovered by UK authorities in unmolassed sugar beet pulp pellets exported from Austria, the European Union’s RASFF food product consumer safety alert system has warned. Meanwhile, Finnish health authorities have reported the presence of norovirus in frozen raspberries from Poland.…
EASTERN EUROPEAN WINES AND SPIRITS GET PROTECTION IN WEALTHY SWISS MARKET
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REVISED food and drink trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Switzerland will provide wines and spirits from the 12 countries joining the EU since 2004 with key geographical indication protection in key Swiss export markets.…
BRUSSELS ADMINISTERS COUP DE GRACE TO MOTHBALLED POLISH AUTO PARTS PRODUCER
BY E. BLAKE BERRY
IT looks as though Buczek Automotive’s fate is sealed. The firm, a Polish producer of pipes for the auto industry, has been little more than a husk since June of last year, and industry experts say there is now no hope that it will return to the market.…
EU AND USA BURY HATCHET OVER BEEF HORMONE ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMMINENT threat of heavy USA tariffs on many European Union (EU) processed food exports has been lifted, after Washington and Brussels struck a preliminary deal over the long-running beef hormone dispute. Retaliatory duties such as a 300% duty on French cheese Roquefort were to be levied from this week, but have now been suspended.…
EU CONFECTIONERY ESCAPE DUTY AXE THROUGH ELEVENTH HOUR DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMMINENT threat of heavy USA tariffs on many European Union (EU) confectionery exports has been lifted, after Washington and Brussels struck a preliminary deal over the long-running beef hormone dispute. Retaliatory duties such as 100% duties on filled chocolate, chewing gum, raspberry and lingonberry jams were to have been levied this month (May), but have now been suspended, along with other EU food products earmarked for new tariffs, such as fruit juices from Austria, Cyprus, France and Poland.…
EFSA STUDY MARRED BY STATISTICAL ANOMALIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEW system of gathering food health data across the European Union (EU) appears to have marred an annual comparative study from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with Britain’s data collection being indirectly criticised.
While the UK appears to have received a relative clean bill of health regarding food-related illnesses, statistical anomalies probably explain the results, with Britain supplying insufficient information.…
BRUSSELS GRANTS PROTECTION TO POLISH BISCUITS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has granted European Union (EU) geographical indication protection to the traditional Polish biscuits ‘Andruty kaliskie’. In future these sweet bakery products cannot be sold under this name in the EU unless they are made by specific traditional methods within their historic home region – the central Poland city of Kalisz.…
ICELAND AND NORWAY ARE EFFICIENT MEMBERS OF SCHENGEN ZONE - DESPITE LACK OF INFLUENCE OVER ITS RULES
BY MARK ROWE
THE AIRPORTS of Norway and Iceland are well suited to dealing with the impact of border-free travel with each other and many member states of the European Union (EU), having joined the EU’s frontierless Schengen-zone in 1999, abolished all border checks for travel to member countries in December 2001.…
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.…
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.…
EU SUGAR RESTRUCTURING FUNDS WILL BE HELD OVER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MONEY left unspent from a temporary restructuring fund for the European Union sugar sector after its fourth and final year of operation (financial year 2009-10) will be transferred to future EU budgets, earmarked for sugar-related investments, the European Commission has confirmed.…
SEVEN MACRO TRENDS IN THE TEXTILES AND APPAREL INDUSTRY 2008
BY LEE ADENDORFF
IF there was a year when long-term textile and clothing market forecasters missed by a mile, 2008 was it. Forecasts made in 2007 were dominated by looming concerns about trade restrictions, investment in technology, a potential slow-down of production and a consolidation of business investment but no one predicted what devastating effects an unexpected recession would have on the textiles and apparel sector.…
EU STEPS FORWARD TO HELP ELECTRICITY SECTOR THROUGH RECESSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EVERY recession has a silver lining: inefficient competitors are unmasked and forced out of business; and governments usually spend freely to pump prime an ailing economy. And for major essential industries such as the power sector, economic slumps can be good times.…
ITER STARTS WORK IN EARNEST: MILLIONS OF EUROS AVAILABLE FOR ITS NUCLEAR FUSION RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL, EMMA JACKSON and ALAN OSBORN
DESPITE widespread initial scepticism about its viability, the ITER project to build the world’s first commercial nuclear fusion reactor is now under way. It is employing specialists (nearly 300 staff and rising at the end of 2008); releasing Euro millions in research and procurement funding; and in November of last year moved into its headquarters, in Cadarache, southern France, which is where the first nuclear fusion reactor will be built on a 180 hectare site.…
EU MINISTERS EXTEND LOW RATE VAT TO LEATHER REPAIRS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have voted to allow all 27 EU member states to charge low rate VAT on leather goods repair services in future. Although this formal right should be introduced from January 2011, the vote makes it unlikely that the European Commission would prevent earlier VAT rate reductions.…
US DELAYS EXPANDED RETALIATORY HORMONE BEEF SANCTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMPLEMENTATION of new retaliatory USA tariffs against European Union (EU) food exports such as a 300% duty on French cheese Roquefort has been delayed one month from March 23 to April 23, the US Trade Representative (USTR) office has announced.…
ENERGY INVESTMENT PROJECTS APPROVED BY EU HEADS OF GOVERNMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) heads of government have approved Euro 3.9 billion in EU spending on energy investment projects, after they finally finished wrangling over the detail of this keystone of their economic stimulus package.
As expected, the final programme has more projects in southern and eastern Europe than in previous drafts.…
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.…
BEER SALES SUFFERING SAYS EU BREWERS FEDERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PRESIDENT of the Brewers of Europe organisation Alberto da Ponte has warned of a "sharp decline in the beer market" across Europe. He told a Brussels symposium: "The recession…taken with other events, such as widespread and recently-introduced smoking bans in pubs and restaurants, is having a very negative impact."…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HAILS SUGAR REFORMS AS A SUCCESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is claiming its reform of the European Union (EU) sugar and isoglucose sector has been a success, lowering prices for confectionery manufacturers. Brussels also claims that a planned contraction of EU sugar production over the past three years has left a sustainable industry based on efficient producers.…
EU RESEARCHERS DEVELOPING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE QUALITY ADVICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INNOVATIVE recommendations are being developed to boost fruit and vegetable consumption by Euro 13.8 million European Union research project ISAFRUIT. It says consumers in Greece, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands, eat the most fruit in Europe (70- 100 kg per person), followed by Germany, Poland and Britain at 40-60 kg, but that consumption is not rising.…
EU RESEARCHERS DEVELOPING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE QUALITY ADVICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
INNOVATIVE recommendations are being developed for fruit and vegetable producers by a Euro 13.8 million European Union (EU) research project to increase consumption of their products. The ISAFRUIT scheme wants more Europeans to eat their recommended minimum five portions of fresh fruits and vegetables.…
New Kyoto Protocol talks will be key 2009 focus
By Eric Lyman, in Poznan, Poland, for ISN Security Watch
As countries battle to come up with a plan to limit greenhouse gas emissions in 2009, attention will almost surely begin to focus on two main players that hold the fate of the international process in their hands: the US and China.
December’s United Nations negotiations on climate change in Poznan, Poland, concluded with relatively little progress. Delegates voted to activate a fund to help poor countries adapt to the changing climate, for example, but they did not approve a mechanism to put cash in the fund.…
EU ROUND UP - BRUSSELS UNVEILS MAJOR GAS INTERCONNECTOR INVESTMENT PLAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it wants Euro 3.5 billion of the general European Union (EU) economic recovery plan it announced in November spent on energy investment. It has proposed spending Euro 1.75 billion on gas and electricity interconnection projects; Euro 500 million on offshore wind power; and Euro 1.25 billion on carbon capture and storage.…
ENERGY SPECIALISTS TO DECIDE WHETHER CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE SHOULD HAVE SPECIAL STATUS WITHIN REVISED KYOTO PROTOCOL
BY ERIC LYMAN
THE OIL and gas industry worldwide will closely follow a technical debate to be staged throughout 2009 over whether or not to include carbon capture and storage technologies in the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The issue was tabled at December’s 14th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP-14) in Poznan, Poland, and may not be resolved until January 2010.…
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".…
EFSA FUNDS STUDY INTO COLONY COLLAPSE THREAT TO EUROPEAN HONEY PRODUCTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EURO 100,000 European food Safety Authority (EFSA) grant has been awarded to a consortium of European Union (EU) science consortia to investigate the impact of the so-called bee ‘colony collapse disorder’ on honey production.
Since 2003, there have been reports of serious losses of bees from beehives in Europe, with the cause being unknown, although possible factors include starvation, viruses, mites, pesticide exposure and climate change.…
EIB PLANS GDANSK AIRPORT CASH INJECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to inject Euro 66 million into developing Gdansk airport, which serves northern Poland. The money would meet just under half the cost of a planned Euro 132.47 million expansion involving the construction of a new passenger terminal building; extending its apron; a new parallel taxiway; a de-icing platform; a new drainage system and other associated airside infrastructure.…
ENERGY SECURITY TALKS WILL DOMINATE THE CZECH EU AGENDA
BY CRISTINA MUNTEAN
THE SECURITY of energy supply, including oil and gas storage capacity, dominates the current energy agenda of the Czech Republic, which took over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union (EU) from January 1, 2009.
This is no surprise: on July 10, 2008, Russian oil pipeline operator Transnieft cut monthly contracted oil deliveries by almost half from 500,000 tonnes to 300,000 tonnes via the Druzhba pipeline.…
EU MINISTERS AND MEPS STRIKE DEAL OVERCO2 CAP FOR EUROPEAN CARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT appears the long debate over strictness of a planned carbon emission cap for cars in the European Union (EU) may at last be ending, with a compromise being framed for agreement ahead of Christmas.
An informal deal has been struck between representatives of the EU’s representative assembly the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers, which is made up of the union’s 27 member states.…
POLICY BATTLE LINES FOCUS ON CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE IN POST-KYOTO TALKS
BY ERIC LYMAN
BATTLE lines have been drawn in negotiations to renew the Kyoto Protocol over the future shape of energy policy within future United Nations efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At December’s climate change summit, in Poznan, Poland, a key power industry issue has emerged as a primary point of discord: whether or not carbon capture and storage technologies should be allowed in a revised Kyoto Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).…
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION COULD PUSH POWER TRANSMISSION INVESTMENT AND A DASH TO GAS
BY MICHAEL ROSTON
ENERGY policy has been at the front and center of American politics, and played a major role in the 2008 presidential election. The candidates, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, skirmished often on the best ways to deal with the cost of energy and global climate change, with Obama making the creation of millions of green jobs a centerpiece of his appeal to American voters.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND-UP - ARCTIC FISHERIES INITIATIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CONTROLLED opening of Arctic fisheries made more accessible because of the steady retreat of polar ice through climate change has been called for in a European Commission policy paper.
It wants "a regulatory framework for [those] Arctic high seas not yet covered by an international conservation and management regime before new fishing opportunities arise," saying no fisheries should be opened for any country until such controls are established.…
POLAND PROPOSES CO2 PRICE BAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has proposed to the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers that upper and lower limits for CO2 permits within the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme should be established. Supported by the Baltic States, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia, Warsaw has argued that a price floor would allow renewable energy companies to continue investing without worrying about a collapse in carbon prices: under the current ETS, prices have fallen far from expectations.…
POLAND FACES EU LEGAL ACTION OVER CHILDREN'S CLOTHES VAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SALE of children’s clothes, shoes and accessories in Poland with a low 7% VAT rate could be under threat because of a case being launched by the European Commission at the European Court of Justice (ECJ). Brussels accuses Warsaw of breaking the European Union (EU) VAT directive because although this allows a limited list of items to attract a reduced rate of VAT, these do not include children’s clothes, shoes and accessories.…
SPANISH DRIVERS PREFER TO DRIVE AT HOME, DESPITE RISING CONCERNS ABOUT MOTORWAY ROBBERIES
BY PAUL RIGG
ROBBERIES, competition from immigrants and the state of the economy are the issues of most pressing concern for Spanish hauliers, according to drivers interviewed in truck stops on the outskirts of Madrid by Commercial Motor.
"I woke up with my kidneys and head hurting like I’d drunk a bottle of whisky," said Elias Calyo, 46, from Andalucia in the south of Spain.…
ELECTION OF BARACK OBAMA AS PRESIDENT HERALDS MAJOR OVERHAUL OF US ENERGY POLICY
BY RUSSELL BERMAN
THE US president-elect, Barack Obama, will take office later this month (Jan 20) having promised sweeping changes to America’s energy policy. This includes aggressive regulations on carbon emissions to combat climate change and substantially increased government funding for alternative energy with the aim of creating a new "green" sector of the American economy devoted to the development of renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean coal and other sources.…
LATVIA CLOTHING AND TEXTILES INDUSTRY STRUGGLES AMIDST ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
BY MONIKA HANLEY
LATVIA’S textile and clothing industry is being hit hard in the recent reversal of the country’s economic fortunes, as competitors in the labour-intensive industry either close down or move production to cheaper locations.
In the first 10 months of 2008, the output of Latvian textile and clothing companies declined by approximately 7%-10%, most of it in the last few months, said the Latvian Association of Textile and Clothing Industry.…
NEW EASTERN EUROPEAN EU MEMBER STATES HAVE SPENT EURO MILLIONS ON SCHENGEN BORDER TECHNOLOGY
BY MARK ROWE
ONE of the major elements of the 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU) was its intended expansion to these new member states of the Schengen agreement, which phases out checks at shared borders and allows free movement for all within the EU.…
CLIMATE CHANGE CHIEF SAYS ENERGY MAJORS MUST NOT LET RECESSION DENT EMISSION REDUCTION PLANS
BY ERIC LYMAN
SPEAKING to the Petroleum Review, the United Nations’ top climate change official has urged oil and gas companies to stay focused on sustainability despite the world economic turmoil, and predicted that the coming years will reward efficiency more than ever.…
FTA CHALLENGES BRUSSELS' ROSY CONCLUSIONS ABOUT EASTERN EUROPEAN IMMIGRATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FREIGHT Transport Association (FTA) has challenged conclusions from the European Commission that the opening of Britain and other western European labour markets to workers from eastern European countries "has been positive on balance".
Brussels’ Employment in Europe 2008 report claims the influx of mobile labour from the 10 eastern European countries that have joined the EU "has not led to serious disturbances on the labour market."…
EP CLIMATE CHANGE LAW DEBATE SIGNALS LOOMING DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LIKELIHOOD of agreement over the European Union’s (EU) climate change package at this week’s EU summit has been made clear at a European Parliament debate. With heads of government being asked to cut a deal in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (11-12 Dec), MEPs debated last Thursday the narrowing of options their leaders would face.…
UKRAINE'S CREAKING REFINERIES IN NEED OF SERIOUS INVESTMENT
BY MARK ROWE
THE UKRAINE is a key player in any effective plan for guaranteeing European Union (EU) energy security without tugging forelocks in Moscow’s direction. And while the country actually has 395 million barrels of proven oil reserves (the majority located in the eastern Dnieper-Donetsk basin), attention has recently focussed on the potential and actual role of the country’s six refineries as a reliable source of product internationally.…
ITER STARTS WORK IN EARNEST: MILLIONS OF EUROS AVAILABLE FOR ITS NUCLEAR FUSION RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DESPITE widespread scepticism about its viability, the ITER project to build the world’s first commercial nuclear fusion reactor is now under way. It is employing specialists (nearly 300 staff and rising at the end of 2008); releasing Euro millions in research and procurement funding; and in November moved into its headquarters, in Cadarache, southern France, which is where the first nuclear fusion reactor will be built on a 180 hectare site.…
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.…
EUROPE: Academics to discuss impact of Europe's sharp population decline
By Keith Nuthall
European academics are preparing to gather at a high level conference to discuss the problems being caused to higher education by a sharp decline in the European population. The debates at the European University Association (EUA) conference comes as the latest figures from European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat confirm the number of young people in European countries is already shrinking and will get smaller.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their impermeability, absorbance, printability and adhesive properties, amongst other benefits. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their printability, adhesive properties, impermeability and absorbance. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
BRUSSELS WANTS EU POLYESTER FIBRE ANTI-DUMPING DUTIES RETAINED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed re-erecting anti-dumping duties on imports of polyester staple fibres from Belarus, China, Saudi Arabia and South Korea after concluding that lifting them would lead to further dumping of this yarn on European Union (EU) markets.…
Europe:Young European scientists promise a bright future
By Alan Osborn
Three young researchers, from Poland, Slovakia and Britain, were awarded the top prizes in the EU Contest for Young Scientists in Copenhagen on September 25th against competition from national scientific prize-winners from 39 European countries plus Brazil, Canada, China, Mexico, New Zealand and the USA.…
EU RESEARCH PROJECT TO DEVELOP PLASMA PROCESSING OF TEXTILES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka has launched an innovative research project developing the plasma (ionised heated gas) treatment of textiles, which can improve their adhesive properties, amongst other benefits. The Czech Republic’s Spolsin Spol and Sintex, are planning to work with Poland’s University Of Bilsko-Biala; and Wroclaw University Of Technology; along with the Slovak University Of Technology, in a Euro 1.14 million project lasting three years.…
POLISH DRIVERS RETURNING HOME FACE TOUGH CONDITIONS
BY E BLAKE BERRY
IT is common knowledge that the flood of Polish workers moving to Britain for well-paid work has started turning, as Poles are lured home by a stronger domestic currency and family ties – many of these returnees are transport workers.…
BUMPY PROGRESS IN BALTIC STATES ROAD HAULAGE INDUSTRY
BY MONIKA HANLEY
GONE are the days of the disgruntled, Soviet style Baltic States truck driver, more interested in taking time off than pushing for more deliveries. Since the fall off communism and the coming of independence to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, a new breed of truckers has come on to the scene, with new trucks and more ambitious attitudes, including the desire to drive west.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND-UP - DEEP-SEA FISHING CODE APPROVED BY FAO
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEMBER governments of the UN’s Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have adopted international guidelines designed to limit the impact of deep-sea fishing on species at risk of being over-fished. The rules would apply for fishing vessels working in international waters and they call on international fishery organisations to ensure deep sea fisheries are "rigorously managed".…
UKRAINE PLANT EXPANSION GUARANTEED BY MIGA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank multilateral loan guarantee agency MIGA has guaranteed investment totaling US$21.04 million to Can-Pack SA of Poland covering its equity investment, shareholder loan, and management contract with subsidiary Can-Pack (Ukraine) Ltd. The coverage will protect the company against the risks of transfer restriction, expropriation, and war and civil disturbance in Ukraine over 10 years while it expands an aluminum beverage can production plant in Vyshgorod.…
THAI TOBACCO MONOPOLY SETS SIGHTS ON EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE THAILAND Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) has sets its sights on securing export markets in eastern Europe, planning to launch new brands in the region, with a special focus on Poland and Russia. Looking to offset declines in sales in the Thai domestic market, the state-owned trading company noted that cigarette trading restrictions were weaker in parts of eastern Europe than in Thailand.…
AFTER MARKET WANTS BLOCK EXEMPTION TO SURVIVE CURRENT EU REVIEW
BY ANDREW CAVE
ONE might suppose that scrapping the European Union’s (EU) restrictive block exemption legislation that helps big car manufacturers and hinders thousands of independent suppliers and garages wanting to repair their automobiles would be welcomed in the after-sales market.…
INCREASINGLY MATURE EASTERN EUROPEAN MARKETS STILL OFF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EFFICIENT COSMETICS PLAYERS
BY MARK ROWE
FOLLOWING the extended frenzy that saw multinational companies move into eastern Europe in the 1990s and early 2000s, several markets in the region are approaching the maturity of western Europe. And while Russia lags behind in general terms, the micro-economies of Moscow and St Petersburg are similarly saturated by high-end brands and developed consumer choice and tastes.…
REDUCED VAT RATES RIGHTS FOR EU MEMBER STATES FOR CLOTHING REPAIRS TO BE PERMANENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TEMPORARY right of European Union (EU) member states to levy reduced rates of VAT on clothing and footwear repair services could become permanent. The European Commission has proposed governments henceforth always can reduce VAT on such services by up to 5% from their standard rate.…
EUROPE: European education good but more needed
By Alan Osborn
The 27 EU member states will have to speed up their educational progress if they are to meet a range of self-imposed targets deemed necessary if the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs is to be successful by 2010.…
EU ENERGY DEPENDENCE INCREASES SAYS EUROSTAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE INCREASING dependence of the European Union (EU) on energy imports has been made crystal clear in the latest Eurostat report on the subject. The EU’s statistical agency said net imports into the EU increased by 2.4% in 2006, with overall energy dependence from non-EU sources rising to 54% from 53% in 2005.…
GLOBAL: Facebook for researchers promotes online collaboration
By Keith Nuthall
WE all know about Facebook, LinkedIn and MySpace. These social utility websites allow us all to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, exchange messages, post pictures and play silly games – such as throwing a digital sheep at someone or giving them a pixellated hellraiser cocktail.…
EUROPE: Budapest is choice for new EU innovation body
By Alan Osborn
Budapest has been chosen as the site of the new European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), beating four other contenders (Wroclaw in Poland, Sant Cugat del Vallès near Barcelona in Spain, Jena in Germany, and Bratislava/Vienna) for the prize.…
GLOBAL: Project unlocking the sun's energy secrets will be major research funding source
By Keith Nuthall
Research funding for a global project that seeks to harness the thermodynamics of the stars to create a sustainable and safe nuclear fusion reactor is starting to be released. A consortium of 14 research teams from across Europe has been formed to create a computer simulation of the international ITER fusion reactor, to model the technology required to operate it safely.…
OECD WARNS OF MAJOR BURDEN TO WATER UTILITIES CAUSED BY AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPORT from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has revealed that almost a half of OECD member countries (including many in Europe) have potentially dangerous nutrient and pesticide concentrations in drinking water sources.
Tests carried out in recent years (NOTE: CALLED MID-2000’S IN THE REPORT) on surface water and groundwater monitoring sites in agricultural areas show these pollutants often "exceed national drinking water recommended limits" said a new OECD report on the environmental impact of farming.…
EUROPEAN RESEARCH CONSORTIUM STARTS DEVELOPING ITER COMPUTER SYSTEMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CONSORTIUM of 14 research teams from across Europe has been formed to create a computer simulation of the international ITER fusion reactor, to model the technology required to operate it safely. The European Union (EU)-funded Euro 3.65 million EUFORIA project will forge a network of high-powered computers with sufficient capacity to undertake this modelling, which will involve massive amounts of data.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES SCANDINAVIAN TOBACCO FIRM TAKEOVER BY BAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PLANNED acquisition by British American Tobacco (BAT) of certain roll-you-own tobacco and snus sections of Denmark’s Skandinavisk Tobakskompagni (STK) has been approved by the European Commission. To secure this agreement, BAT had to promise selling-off certain brands in Norway (notably Petterøe’s and Tiedemanns Rød), where the expanded company would have had a dominant position.…
EFSA FINDS BRITAIN HAS APPALLING SLAUGHTERED PIG SALMONELLA RATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has one of the European Union’s (EU) worst rates of salmonella contamination of slaughtered pigs, a new study from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found. Analysing data collected from 2006 to 2007, the EU agency has concluded that 21.2% of slaughtered pigs within the UK had contracted the disease, compared to an EU-wide average of 10.3%.…
UN AGENCY PLANS GUARANTEE FOR UKRAINE CAN PLANT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) is planning to issue a US$21.04 million guarantee to underwrite a major expansion of capacity in the Ukraine beverage can sector. The money would cover Can-Pack, of Poland against risks of transfer restriction, expropriation, war and civil disturbance regarding its increasing the annual capacity of an existing aluminium can plant in Vyshgorod, Ukraine, from 650 million to 950 million cans.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES FINANCING FOR POLISH AIRPORTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved Euro 84.1 million subsidies from the Polish government for constructing a new airport at Lublin, eastern Poland. The state aid – deemed legal by Brussels June 4 on regional development grounds – will help purchase the airport site, then build a terminal, runway and aircraft taxiways.…
SOMETIMES WHATEVER THE POLLUTION, A DROP OF SUNSHINE OR OLIVE OIL KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers think they are helping keep people fit and well by reducing pollution and food disease. But maybe the best move the cold, rheumatism and asthma sufferers of Britain can make to be healthy is emigrate to a Greek island, sunbathe (moderately) and eat fish, vegetables and olive oil.…
RICH EUROPEAN COUNTRIES SPEND MORE ON TRANSPORT THAN POOR NATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RICH European countries spend more on transport than poor countries, the latest comparative figures from European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat show. The average proportion of all household spending devoted to transport in 2005 was 13.5% in Britain and 15.7% in Finland, but just 5% in Bulgaria and 8.1% in Poland.…
ROAD TRANSPORT HAS BOOMED IN 10 NEW EASTERN AND SOUTHERN EUROPE EU MEMBER STATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ROAD transport has been booming in the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in 2004. Between 1995 and 2005, traffic volumes increased by 400%, compared to 16% in longer established EU member states such as Britain, a consultants report written for the European Commission has claimed.…
SMALLER EASTERN EUROPE COUNTRIES PREPARED TO CLUB TOGETHER TO ASSURE THEIR NUCLEAR FUTURES
BY MARK ROWE
NUCLEAR energy production costs a lot of money and so it makes some economic sense for smaller countries interested in this climate-change friendly power supply to combine forces on major projects. So it is in eastern Europe, where in February 2007, Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland provisionally agreed to build a new nuclear plant at Lithuania’s existing Ignalina site, initially with 3,200 MWe.…
BRITISH TURKEY FLOCKS RIDDLED WITH SALMONELLA, EFSA WARNS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALMOST one third of British turkey flocks being fattened for the food industry are contaminated with salmonella, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has warned. In a comprehensive study of the problem across the European Union (EU), EFSA concluded that Britain has one of the poorer records within Europe, having a contamination rate above the EU average of 30.7%.…
ALLIANCE OF EUROPEAN STATES SPIKE EUROJUST REFORM PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALLIANCE of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden have effectively blocked moves to create a European Public Prosecutor position. The European Commission has dropped draft proposals establishing the post within Eurojust, the European Union’s (EU) network of prosecution agencies.…
COUNTERFEIT CIGARETTE SEIZURES FELL IN 2007, EUROPEAN COMMISSION CONCLUDES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NUMBER of counterfeit cigarettes seized at the external borders of the European Union (EU) fell 63% in 2007 compared to the previous year, the European Commission has concluded. Brussels said 27.1 million packets worth (20 stick equivalent) of counterfeit cigarettes were seized.…
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATION ROUND-UP - RUSSIAN AND EU BOOST FISHING COOPERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IMPROVED cooperation between fisheries authorities in the European Union (EU) and Russia is to be established, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Brussels and Moscow. The deal covers fishing grounds in the Baltic and the north Atlantic and involves better contacts between the European Commission and Russia’s state committee for fisheries.…
EIB PLANS MAJOR LOAN TO IMPROVE SAFETY ON POLAND'S DANGEROUS ROADS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend Euro 130 million to Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure to fund traffic calming installations within Polish cities, where urban driving is amongst the most dangerous in Europe. An EIB note said Polish roads "have among the highest accident rates in the EU, with more than 50,000 accidents a year."…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVES MORE FUNDING FOR POLAND'S LODZ AIRPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved a further Polish government subsidy for the development of Poland’s ?ód? regional airport. This time, Euro 11.3 million (Zloty 40.1 million) will improve safety standards, notably air traffic control services. The decision follows last year’s Brussels-approved Euro 2.5 million (Zloty 9.7 million) grant improving security and fire fighting services.…
GLOBAL - UN-sponsored responsible business education initiative takes off
By Keith Nuthall
A UNITED Nations-sponsored global initiative to encourage business schools to teach and promote social and environmentally responsible commercial practices has gathered a critical mass of support. More than 100 business schools worldwide have now signed up to the Principles for Responsible Management Initiative.…
COMMISSION GOES TO COURT TO FORCE REFORM TO MALTESE SECOND HAND CAR LAWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission may take another tilt at allegedly discriminatory car taxation policies, this time launching legal action at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) against Malta. Brussels considers the Maltese registration tax system unfairly penalises second hand vehicles, charging more tax than on vehicles registered initially in Malta.…
RUSSIA'S BANS ON FISH IMPORTS PROVOKE DISBELIEF AMONGST EXPORTING NATIONS
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S new-found belligerence and confidence is not confined to the political and military sphere: in recent years Russia has adopted an aggressive, take-it-or-leave it stance when it comes to fish, seafood and other food products.
The country has imposed a number of bans on fish products from its European neighbours, including salmon and other fresh fish from Norway, fishmeal, frozen fish and canned smoked sprats from Poland and a range of fish products from Latvia.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SAYS DIESEL DUTY SHOULD RISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has backed European Commission proposals to increase the current European Union (EU) minimum excise tax rate on diesel to match that for unleaded petrol. However, MEPs have proposed phasing the increase from diesel’s current Euro 302/1,000 litres rate to unleaded petrol’s Euro 359/1,000 by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016, but Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Greece acting immediately.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT SAYS DIESEL DUTY SHOULD RISE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has backed proposals to increase the current EU minimum excise tax rate on diesel to match that for unleaded petrol. However, MEPs want to phase the increase from Euro 302/1,000 litres to Euro 359 by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016 – Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Greece acting immediately.…
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.…
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…
VAT ON CAR TAXATION CHALLENGED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has taken another step to prevent the levying of VAT on car registration taxes charged within a package price by automobile dealers, telling Austria, Finland and Malta to stop this double taxation. It has threatened legal action if it is not obeyed.…
EU ROUND UP - EU RELEASES COMPREHENSIVE EMISSIONS TRADING AND RENEWABLES PROPOSALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVE raft of new legislation designed to force the European Union (EU) into further reducing its greenhouse gas emissions has been tabled by the European Commission. As expected, it has proposed targets that biofuels command 10% of the EU’s liquid fuel consumption by 2020.…
REGIONAL TRADE DEALS PROMOTE GLOBAL TRADE IN CLOTHING AND TEXTILE SECTOR
BY LUCY JONES, in Dallas; ALAN OSBORN, in London; KARRYN CARTELLE, in Tokyo; BILL CORCORAN, in Johannesburg; PAUL COCHRANE, in Beirut; RACHEL JONES, in Caracas; MARK ROWE; and KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Doha Development Round being slow to proceed since its 2001 launch – and only this year approaching something resembling and end game – free traders wanting to encourage global commerce have looked to bilateral and regional trade deals.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE WANTS MORE EXCISE DUTY FOR DIESEL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s economics committee wants the European Union’s (EU) minimum rate of excise duty on diesel raised to the level for unleaded petrol: from the current Euro 302/1,000 litres to the petrol level of Euro 359/1,000 litres by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016.…
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.…
DIESEL MINIMUM EXCISE RATES SHOULD INCREASE SAY MEPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament’s economics committee has called for the European Union’s (EU) minimum rate of excise duty on diesel to be raised to that for unleaded petrol: from the current Euro 302/1,000 litres to Euro 359/1,000 litres by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016.…
POLAND FACES COURT ACTION OVER LOW CHILDREN'S CLOTHES VAT RATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has formally threatened legal action against Poland over its charging of a reduced 7% VAT rate on children’s clothes, accessories and shoes which Brussels says breaks European Union (EU) law. Under the EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, member states are bound to levy standard rate VAT of at least 15% on most products and services.…
GREENHOUSE GAS TRADING PROPOSALS WILL CREATE DIFFICULTIES AND HEADACHES FOR EU AUTO-MANUFACTURERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHILE most informed people now agree it is important that greenhouse gas emissions are reduced across the global economy, the question about which methods to choose for achieving this have generated far less consensus and nowhere is this truer than with the road transport sector.…
EU EXPANSION OFFERS TOBACCO SECTOR BOTH OPPORTUNITIES AND PROBLEMS IN BULGARIA AND CROATIA
BY MARK ROWE
THE EXPANSION of the European Union (EU) eastwards has been welcomed by most industries, and the tobacco market is no exception, although the EU enlargement has also created a series of problems for the industry to manage. The accession of Bulgaria to the EU club in 2007 brought a significant tobacco industry player into the fold.…
RUSSIA PUSHING ENERGY RELATIONS TO BREAKING POINT WITH NEIGHBOURING STATES
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA has engaged in a series of political and economic spats with its former Soviet satellites and the European Union (EU) in the first years of the 21st century. And while stand-offs over Belarus sugar and Moldovan wine might raise eyebrows in the West, disputes over the vast energy resources in Russia and its Central Asian neighbours carry an altogether darker shade, mainly because Russia supplies 25% of the EU’s oil and 25% of its gas.…
POLAND FACES ECJ ACTION OVER GAS EXPLORATION RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening Poland with legal action at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over its system for awarding prospecting, exploring and producing rights for natural gas within its territory. Brussels claims the Polish system is insufficiently transparent and open to all interested parties as regards standards mandated by European Union directive 94/22/EC.…
RUSSIA AND POLAND STRIKE MEAT DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA has agreed to lift its import ban on Polish meat exports, which it has maintained for two years because of health concerns. The agreement could unblock attempts to forge a European Union-Russia trade and energy deal.
ENDS…
SKY HIGH METAL PRICES PROMPT CATALYTIC CONVERTER THEFTS
BY MARK ROWE
SKY high prices for precious metals have prompted a rise in thefts of catalytic converters from a wide range of motor vehicles; the problem is so serious that the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) has linked up with the Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland (ACPO) to tackle the issue.…
RUSSIA AND EASTERN EUROPE OFFERS LUCRATIVE, YET DEMANDING CAR LEASING AND RENTAL MARKET
BY ALAN OSBORN
RUSSIA and eastern European countries will be eager consumers of car rental and company fleet leasing services in the next few years but would-be players in these markets should know that a slew of administrative problems, supply delays and tax complications may await them.…
EIB FUNDS NEW BOTTLE AROMATICS PLANT IN POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND’S Polski Koncern Naftowy (PKN) Orlen SA will construct two new aromatics plants that will produce chemical intermediates for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins used in the packaging industry, following a Euro 300 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB).…
EASTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA OFFERS UNEVEN RICHES TO FUEL RETAILERS
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S booming economy means that those old images of grey queues for low-grade fuel to run Moskvich and other Soviet era cars are long gone. Instead, the country’s fuel retail sector has an incentive for dramatically overhauling the present state of affairs, which predominantly involves poorly established, locally run chains and Western chains fighting – sometimes unsuccessfully – for market share.…
POLAND FACES COURT ACTION OVER LOW CHILDREN'S CLOTHES VAT RATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has formally threatened legal action against Poland over its charging of a reduced 7% VAT rate on children’s clothes, accessories and shoes which Brussels says breaks European Union (EU) law. Under the EU VAT directive 2006/112/EC, member states are bound to levy standard rate VAT of at least 15% on all products and services, unless they have been given special permission to lower taxes.…
OPENING OF LIBYA'S OIL SECTOR A BOON FOR ENERGY COMPANIES SEEKING NEW CRUDE SOURCES
BY PAUL COCHRANE, in Tripoli and Beirut
THE OPENING up of Libya’s economy could not have come at a better time for international oil companies, which have been beset in recent years by dwindling easily accessible oil reserves, tighter controls over exploration rights and extraction, and heightened security concerns.…
EU MINISTERS AGREE SPIRITS LABELLING LAW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has formally approved a new regulation on labelling spirits drinks. Sweden and Poland opposed the law, because it allows for drinks labelled ‘vodka’ to be made from non-traditional ingredients.
ENDS…
DEMAND FOR OILS AND FATS WITHIN PERSONAL CARE SECTOR DIVERGES WIDELY BETWEEN COUNTRIES, CONTINENTS
BY MARK ROWE, in London, JULIAN RYALL, in Tokyo, and RACHEL JONES, in Caracas
PERSONAL care products – soaps, cosmetics, lotions and hair products – have always been important consumers of vegetable and animal-based oils and fats. Yet, this is a complex sub-sector of the global oils and fats industry.…
EU PREPARES TO EXTEND BORDERLESS ZONE EASTWARDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has cleared the path to extending the so-called ‘Schengen’ borderless zone within the EU to the eight former communist countries that joined the EU in 2004. Approving reforms made to the border controls these countries have with non-EU states, the council noted that a final Schengen expansion decision could come in December.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION COMPLAINS OF SLOW PROGRESS OVER END OF LIFE VEHICLES DIRECTIVE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the European Commission waiting for due data by June 2008 on the performance of member states regarding the recycling and reuse of materials taken from end-of-life vehicles, a Brussels interim reports has stressed progress is still lacking.…
BRITAIN'S WASTE MANAGEMENT ON PAR WITH EASTERN EUROPE, EEA REPORT SHOWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LEVEL of incineration and recycling of municipal waste within Britain is as low as former communist countries in eastern Europe, a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report has concluded. In an assessment of the contrasting waste management practices in the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the EEA bracketed Britain with Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.…
SMOKING STATISTICS SHOW BRITONS MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO ANTI-SMOKING MESSAGES THAN MANY CONTINENTALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers may think there are a lot of smokers in the UK – in 2005, 24% of adults aged 16 or over in Britain smoked cigarettes, but spare a thought for officials in Greece – home of Europe’s keenest smokers.…
MEPS ACCEPT LIBERALISATION OF VEHICLE PARTS DESIGN PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSED liberalisation of European Union (EU) design rights legislation, allowing car parts makers to copy and sell spares already made by vehicle manufacturers across the EU has been accepted by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee. It said: "The directive will allow suppliers to produce motor vehicle components which are identical to the original parts without infringing design protection."…
CAR MAKERS WANT CLEARER VISION ON ECO-DRIVING, THAT GOES BEYOND TECHNICAL IMPROVEMENTS
BY CHRIS JONES, in Paris
AUTO manufacturers in Europe are calling for greater support from national governments and European Union (EU) institutions in promoting eco-driving – where good motoring styles are adopted which reduce the greenhouse gas and other polluting emissions from vehicles.…
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).…
BRITAIN'S WASTE MANAGEMENT ON PAR WITH EASTERN EUROPE, EEA REPORT SHOWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LEVEL of incineration and recycling of municipal waste within Britain is as low as former communist countries in eastern Europe, a new European Environment Agency (EEA) report has concluded. In an assessment the 27 European Union (EU) member states, the EEA bracketed Britain with Portugal, Greece, Cyprus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.…
MEPS ACCEPT LIBERALISATION OF VEHICLE PARTS DESIGN PROTECTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSED liberalisation of European Union (EU) design rights legislation, allowing lorry parts makers to copy and sell spares already made by vehicle manufacturers across the EU has been accepted by the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee. A committee communiqué said: "The directive will allow suppliers to produce motor vehicle components which are identical to the original parts without infringing design protection."…
EU 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.…
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY WARNS ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS STILL BEDEVIL EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NEED to limit particulate matter in Britain and continental western Europe has been underlined by the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest assessment of pollution in Europe. In its fourth annual environmental health check of Europe, central Asia and Asiatic Russia, the agency concluded that much of western, central and south east Europe, especially urban areas, "experience daily average PM10 concentrations in excess of 50 ?g/m3…
BRITAIN MUST CATCH UP OVER LOW SULPHUR FUELS - EU REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH road transport sector has to play catch up with many of its European Union (EU) competitors regarding the introduction of sulphur-free fuels, a report from the European Commission has shown. It shows that as long ago as 2005, member states such as Germany, Italy and Ireland were already selling this environmentally-friendly petrol and diesel, while Britain was still selling low sulphur fuel, of between 10 and 50 parts per million sulphur content.…
EU ENVIRONMENT AGENCY SAYS UK PARTICULATE MATTER EXPOSURE COMPARATIVELY LOW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN is comparatively free of particulate matter PM10 which can cause serious respiratory problems, the latest Europe-wide pollution survey from the European Environment Agency (EEA) has concluded. It said the "highest urban concentrations were observed in Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain" plus western Balkan cities, with northern Italy’s Po Valley, parts of Belgium and the Netherlands, and southern Spain being the worst affected.…
ROAD HAULIERS FACE NEW THEFT RISK - STEALING LORRIES FOR SCRAP VALUE
BY MARK ROWE
LORRIES are increasingly being stolen for their value as scrap and recycled materials, UK authorities have warned the road haulage industry. The rise in thefts of lorries has been blamed partly on the high prices now paid for scrap metal on the international markets – driven in part by China’s insatiable demand for metal – and on thieves who have realized that almost any part of a lorry, from wheel hubs to side panels, axles, catalytic converters, a plastic chair or the gold in the wiring looms has a recyclable value.…
CHANGE IN POLISH GOVERNMENT COULD LOOSEN RUSSIA MEAT BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA’S food inspection agency hopes this weekend’s change in government in Poland will improve relations so that Moscow’s long-standing ban on Polish meat exports can be lifted. In a general election, the business-friendly Civic Platform party beat the outgoing insular nationalist government of the Law and Justice party, prompting a spokesman for Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Inspection (Rosselkhoznadzor) to tell the ltar-Tass news agency: "If Poland’s new government makes a move toward constructive settlement of the problem of livestock products supply, we are ready to reciprocate."…
APPALLING DRINKING WATER PROBLEMS DAMAGE HEALTH OF EASTERN EUROPE - EEA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
APPALLING drinking water quality problems still pose major health hazards for some south-eastern Europe countries wanting to join the European Union (EU), the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) latest assessment of European pollution has concluded. For example, Albania’s "urban water rarely has even preliminary treatment" through "the lack of adequate…facilities and the unreliable supply of chemicals."…
BRITAIN MUST CATCH UP OVER LOW SULPHUR FUELS - EU REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH road transport sector has to play catch up with many of its European Union (EU) competitors regarding the introduction of sulphur-free fuels, a report from the European Commission has shown. Although the UK Petroleum Industry Association has indicated it expects Britain to switch to sulphur-free fuels by a 2009 deadline imposed by the European Union (EU), in June the government admitted the issue was complicated because "the UK fuel distribution network can only accommodate a single grade of diesel", preventing small introductory sales of sulphur-free diesel.…
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.…
NEW EU MEMBERS BULGARIA AND ROMANIA OFFER NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR WESTERN EUROPEAN COSMETICS PRODUCERS
BY MARK ROWE
OTHER member states of the European Union (EU) may have had reservations about the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the once-exclusive EU euroclub, but such sentiments are not shared by the international cosmetics industry. With western European markets reaching a plateau of maturity, the real expansion and investment opportunities lie further east.…
EU MONEY LAUNDERING DIRECTIVES FORCES PATCHY PROGRESS IN AML CONTROLS FOR EU ACCOUNTANTS AND TAX ADVISORS
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE MONEY Laundering Bulletin has found effects of the European Union’s (EU) second money laundering directive’s (2MLD) extension of EU anti-money laundering regulations to a range of businesses and professions are complicated by differences in the definition of the professions between the 27 member states.…
BRITAIN IS FERTILE GROUND FOR EU INSTITUTION FRAUDS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IT is common currency amongst extreme British Eurosceptics that business and government on the continent of Europe is a cesspit of dishonesty and corruption, against which Britain shines like a beacon of virtue and decency.
Allowing "Europeans" who lack Britain’s traditional sense of fair play and transparency control over the laws and regulations mandated by the "Mother of Parliaments" is heresy to such folk.…
RUSSIA DAIRY PRODUCT IMPORT RESTRICTIONS HITS EASTERN EUROPEAN PRODUCERS HARD
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIA’S new-found belligerence and confidence is not confined to the political and military sphere: in the past four years – and increasingly so in the past 12 months – Russia has adopted an aggressive, take-it-or-leave it stance when it comes to imports of dairy and other food products.…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION CLEARS BABY FOOD DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has the proposed acquisition of Novartis’s Gerber baby-food business by Switzerland’s Nestlé. Although the merging businesses offer some similar manufactured baby food in Poland, Cyprus, Iceland and Portugal, Brussels concluded there was no serious competition risk.…
BRITAIN AND IRELAND CHALLENGE SCANDINAVIA OVER FOOD COSTS SAYS EUROSTAT
BY MONICA DOBIE
FOOD prices in the UK and Ireland have reached Scandinavian levels according to the European Union’s (EU) statistics agency, Eurostat.
In 2006, Ireland-sold milk, cheese and eggs, for instance, cost 126% of the EU average, and they were 115% in the UK, compared with 104% in Sweden and 110% in Finland.…
EU PASSENGERS APPROVE OF EU AIRPORT SECURITY SAYS BRUSSELS OPINION POLL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) air passengers are generally supportive of today’s increased airport security measures, a European Commission-funded Gallup opinion poll has revealed. Across all 27 member states, a majority of informed respondents (61%) consider airport security controls appropriate, one quarter (24%) insufficient and only 16% excessive.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ANNOUNCES SALES AID FOR EU FOOD PRODUCERS
BY MONICA DOBIE
THE EUROPEAN Commission is giving food companies from 10 European Union (EU) member states Euro 38.8 million over three years to promote food product sales within the EU, with a large share going toward organic lines. France’s organic products agency Agence Bio and other French organic players, will receive Euro 3.6 million in EU funding, while Austria’s organic food producers, AMA Marketing GesmbH, will receive Euro 1.5million.…
LATVIA JOINS EASTERN EUROPE ALLIANCE OVER EU EMISSIONS CAPS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LATVIA has joined the growing alliance of eastern European countries taking the European Commission to the European Court of Justice (ECJ), challenging what they regard as miserly carbon allowances within the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Riga has joined Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Estonia in opposing their allocations by Brussels for emissions between 2008 and 2012.…
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”.…
LIBERALISERS WIN VODKA DEFINITION VOTE AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LARGE drinks companies such as Diageo will be able to continue making vodka from non-traditional ingredients such as grapes, without having to label their products vodka-style drinks, following a European Parliament vote today (Tuesday 19/6). Furthermore, proposals from the parliament’s environment committee that ingredients other than grain, potatoes or sugar beet molasses be listed on large labels, with lettering two-thirds as large as the word ‘Vodka’, were voted down.…
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”.…
LIBERALISERS WIN VODKA DEFINITION VOTE AT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LARGE drinks companies such as Diageo will be able to continue making vodka from non-traditional ingredients such as grapes, without having to label their products vodka-style drinks, following a European Parliament vote today (Tuesday 19/6). Furthermore, proposals from the parliament’s environment committee that ingredients other than grain, potatoes or sugar beet molasses be listed on large labels, with lettering two-thirds as large as the word ‘Vodka’, were voted down.…
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%.…
BRUSSELS APPROVES POLAND'S LODZ AIRPORT SUBSIDIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLISH government plans to subsidise the development of Lodz airport with Euro 2.5 million (Zloty 9.7 million) have been approved by the European Commission. Warsaw wants to expand the state-owned regional airport’s capacity, increasing its infrastructure, (for instance installing a fire fighting team) while improving security systems.…
ESA SNOW MET DATA OFFERED TO WATER UTILITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Space Agency (ESA) is offering detailed snow melt data to countries surrounding the Baltic Sea, information that can aid hydrological modelling, flood forecasting and water resources management. ESA satellites are already providing snow melt data from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, parts of western Russia and Belarus from the beginning of March until the end of May, and next year will also cover parts of Poland.…
EASTERN EUROPE FINES OVER PRE-EU ACCESSION STOCKPILING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission fined Poland was also fined Euro 7.7 million and the Czech Republic Euro 6.2 million for hoarding excess meat stocks ahead of joining the European Union (EU) in 2004, allowing them to flood European markets once tariff barriers were removed.…
EU MINISTERS AUTHORISE FROZEN STRAWBERRY ANTIDUMPING DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has approved imposing definitive anti-dumping duties on exports into the European Union (EU) of strawberries from China. The protective tariffs would range from Euro 169.90 per tonne to Euro 204.50 per tonne, and would cover cooked, uncooked and frozen tomatoes, with or without added sugar or other sweeteners.…
EU ROUND UP - EU SEEKS ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SUPPLIES AS RUSSIA SUMMIT APPROACHES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WITH the key May 18 European Union (EU)-Russia summit in Samara, Russia, looming, the European Commission is continuing efforts to find suitable alternative energy partners to Moscow. Russia and the EU want to start tough negotiations on forging a new energy agreement, with both sides firming up their positions.…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES BATTLE AGAINST SALMONELLA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR fight against salmonella contamination of food production has been launched by the European Commission, which has secured approval for a regulation forcing member states to reduce the prevalence of the disease amongst their broiler (poultry meat) flocks to 1% or less by 2011.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ORDERS CHICKEN SALMONELLA CLEAN UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A MAJOR fight against salmonella contamination of food production has been launched by the European Commission, which has secured approval for a regulation forcing member states to reduce the prevalence of the disease amongst their broiler (poultry meat) flocks to 1% or less by 2011.…
FRENCH FOOD RETAILING GIANT CARREFOUR COULD VIOLATE POLISH COMPETITION LAWS SAYS BRUSSELS
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Commission has implicitly recognised that the proposed take-over of the Polish food supermarket chain Ahold Polska by the French food retailing giant Carrefour could violate Polish competition laws. Carrefour operates internationally and has 42 hypermarkets and 83 supermarkets in Poland.…
POLAND, LATVIA FACE EUROPEAN COMMISSION FINES OVER WINE STOCKPILING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced heavy fines against the Polish government (Euro 473,000) and Latvia (Euro 204,000) for the hoarding of excess wine stocks ahead of their countries joining the European Union (EU) in 2004. Accession deals for new member states always insist that new member countries do not import or produce excess supplies of drinks or food products ahead of joining the EU.…
OLAF CLAIMS MAJOR SUCCESS OVER CLOTHING COUNTERFEITERS IN MASS SEIZURES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has revealed the seizure of many thousands of items of counterfeit clothing and accessories in a coordinated February customs swoop on illicit cargoes in European Union (EU) international ports. Brussels said EU anti-fraud office OLAF coordinated the raids which involved 300 customs officials and police from national customs units of the EU’s 27 member states, EU police agency Europol, Interpol and the World Customs Organisation.…
POLES PROTEST OVER VODKA DEFINITION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND is fighting a rearguard action to ensure a deal over the labelling and definition of ‘vodka’ drinks in the European Union (EU) gives only limited rights to producers using non-traditional ingredients. In a paper tabled at a recent EU Council of Ministers meeting (April 16) it called for negotiations to “take account of the best interest of consumers” so “information on untypical raw materials” should be included in the product description “or placed directly next to it in the same size [and] font.”…
EUROSTAT FIGURES PROCLAIM CENTRAL EUROPEAN CONSTRUCTION BOOM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LONGTIME sluggish continental construction market is now booming, according to European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat, with a year-on-year February increase in activity for the whole of the EU of 9.2%. What is especially noteworthy is that construction activity growth in the western European Eurozone was even higher – 10.4%.…
EFSA RELEASES FRESH DATA ON SALMONELLA IN BROILER FLOCKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has unveiled further data underlining the risk to human health posed by widespread contamination of broiler chicken flocks across Europe with the pathogen salmonella. In its latest figures, which back earlier alarming data about salmonella contamination within egg production systems, EFSA said that in 2005-6, almost a quarter – 23.7% – of EU broiler (meat) flocks were contaminated with salmonella.…
EFSA OFFERS SEAFOOD INDUSTRY EXPERT HEALTH, SAFETY GUIDANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SEAFOOD species are often the ocean’s dustbins, finding nutrients in the particles and waste that filter down to the seabed, and as result they are very sensitive to contamination. This is of course a bigger issue in regions where coasts are heavily populated, causing municipal and industrial pollution, and so it is of little surprise that the European Union’s (EU) news agency the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is concerned with contamination of foodstuffs, including those harvested from the sea.…
EASTERN EUROPE MEMBERSHIP OF EU SHAKES UP REGIONAL DRINKS INDUSTRIES
BY MARK ROWE
FOLLOWING the ‘big bang’ of European Union (EU) expansion in May 2004, when 10 countries acceded to the EU, followed by Romania and Bulgaria this year, analysts were curious to see how those new members with well-regarded drinks industries would cope in the new pan-EU family.…
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”.…
EU PUSHED FOR FLEXIBILITY OVER TETHERED ORGANIC CATTLE RULE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is being pushed by 13 of its 27 member states for postponement of a rule that says for beef cattle to be labelled organic, they must not be tethered. Under the existing regulation EEC/2092/91 on organic production of agricultural products, organic labelled beef must be from untethered cattle from 2010.…
USTR REPORTS WARN OF CONTINUING WORLDWIDE COUNTERFEITING THREATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States Trade Representative (USTR) has released a series of detailed reports outlining the threats posed by counterfeiters worldwide and the inability of many governments to fight the problem.
Its sheaf of intelligence includes comprehensive warnings from cigarette giant Philip Morris, a company that has adopted a high profile in fighting counterfeiters and smugglers.…
EU 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.…
BRITISH FISHING CATCHS FALLS IN ATLANTIC, NORTH SEA, BALTIC, STEEPER THAN EUROPEAN RIVALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE STEEPNESS in the decline of British commercial fishing catches from 1995 until 2005 has been highlighted in a new report from European Union (EU) statistical agency Eurostat. It shows that for the north-east Atlantic, North Sea and the Baltic, total British commercial catches fell from 905,678 tonnes in 1995 to 658,802 in 2005, a fall of 28%.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION HATCHES DIESEL EXCISE HARMONISATION PLAN
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
POLITICAL battle lines have been drawn within the European Union’s (EU) executive body over whether minimum excise duties paid on diesel should be imposed on motorists across the 27 nation bloc. The European Commission’s Laszlo Kovacs, who is the Commissioner responsible for tax policy, wants to hike tax levels to Euro 359 per 1,000 litres by 2012 and up to Euros 380 per 1,000 litres by 2014.…
EUROPE CATCHING UP WITH USA ON INNOVATION SAYS REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is catching up with the United States in innovation, a European Commission-financed statistical report has claimed, although the US still has many significant advantages. This year’s European Innovation Scoreboard (2006) concludes: “The innovation gap between the EU [minus new members Bulgaria and Romania] and Japan, and in particular with the US is decreasing.”…
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.…
EUROSTAT REPORT WARNS OF EASTERN EUROPE ACCIDENT RISKS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DRIVE into eastern Europe and your chance of being killed in a road accident rise steeply say the latest European Union (EU)-wide comparative accident figures from EU statistical agency Eurostat. The EU’s worst blackspots are Latvia at 752 road accident deaths per million car registrations; Romania 749; Lithuania 571; Slovakia 507 and Poland 476.…
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.…
UNECE PUSHES TRANSBOUNDARY WATER QUALITY CONVENTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is pushing signatories to its new Protocol on Water and Health to its Convention on Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes to agree detailed targets on improving European water quality.…
ECJ TELLS POLAND TO LIBERALISE USED CARS IMPORT RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has told Poland to harmonise its excise duty for used cars imported from other European Union (EU) countries with that paid on cars initially sold in Poland. The court ruled that the fact excise charged on imported used cars rose according to their age up to a maximum of 65% (depending on engine size), discriminated against imported used cars, because excise duty is only charged on cars originally used in Poland when they are new, and at a lower rate.…
RUSSIA EU MEAT BAN THREAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA is threatening to impose an import ban on all European Union (EU) meat products from January 1. Moscow has written to the European Commission warning of a potential embargo because of the admission that day of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU – Russia claims safety concerns over these country’s meat products, which would henceforth have free circulation in the EU.…
RUSSIA THREATENS TO DEEPEN MEAT ROW WITH EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA is threatening to impose an import ban on all European Union (EU) meat products from January 1. Moscow has written to the European Commission warning of a potential embargo because of the admission that day of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU – Russia claims safety concerns over these country’s meat products, which would henceforth have free circulation in the EU.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION WILL MONITOR POLISH AND CZECH STEEL PROGRESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE STEEL sectors of Poland and the Czech Republic will be under a microscope wielded by the European Commission in 2007, when Brussels decides whether state aid pumped into these industries was well spent or should be paid back.…
RUSSIA THREATENS TO DEEPEN MEAT ROW WITH EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA is threatening to impose an import ban on all European Union (EU) meat products from January 1. Moscow has written to the European Commission warning of a potential embargo because of the admission that day of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU – Russia claims safety concerns over these country’s meat products, which would henceforth have free circulation in the EU.…
EU ROUND UP - EU STRUGGLES TO MAKE DEAL WITH RUSSIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA President Vladimir Putin has signalled a tough fight with the European Union (EU) over a future energy deal as December 1 negotiations approach on renewing the existing EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.
Speaking after an informal EU heads of government summit, Putin stressed an agreement would not involve Russia accepting the terms of the unratified 1991 multilateral Energy Charter Treaty, agreed by Boris Yeltsin in 1991, and involving EU firms breaking Gazprom’s monopoly on Russian and Central Asian gas supplies and accessing Russia energy networks.…
EU MINISTERS APPROVE RENEWED EURO ANTI-COUNTERFEITING PROGRAMME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN and other European Union (EU) countries which have yet to adopt the Euro are to be covered by a newly extended EU programme on fighting counterfeiting of Europe’s single currency. The EU Council of Ministers has approved a renewed ‘Pericles’ programme, which will spend Euro 1 million a year from 2007 to 2013.…
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.…
GREECE FACES TOUGH STRUGGLE TO FIGHT RESURGENT ORGANISED CRIME
BY DAVID HAWORTH
GREECE has usually been at the better end of any crime statistic league table, but the picture has darkened recently, writes David Haworth. The country is the European Union’s second most corrupt (after Poland), while money laundering and drugs have also made their ugly marks.…
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.…
VODKA DEFINITION DEAL GETS SUPPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have moved towards finalising a deal over the vexed question of what ingredients are allowed in an EU-sold drink labeled ‘vodka’, although this would discriminate against vodka-style drinks made from non-traditional products.
The Finnish presidency of the council said there was "a broad majority within the council" which could support its "general approach" regarding a hotly contested "proposal for a regulation on the definition, description, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks…" This is a significant advance on previous council meetings, where there has been no agreement.…
BELGIUM LEADS PUSH FOR GM FRAUD CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BELGIUM and an alliance of six other European Union (EU) member states are pushing for the EU’s food control committees to develop monitoring systems to prevent unauthorised GM food imports into Europe. Its move at the EU Council of Ministers follows the illicit import of unapproved GM American rice.…
POLAND FACES EU LEGAL ACTION OVER UNFAIR LOTTERY TAX
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has been formally threatened with legal action by the European Commission at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) because Poland-based lottery winners of foreign lotteries are stung for what Brussels regards as unfair taxes.
Poland exempts from taxation winners’ prizes paid by Polish lotteries or subjects them to a flat rate tax of 10%.…
TIMBER AND ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS CONCERN OVER BIOMASS ENERGY GROWTH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN UNLIKELY alliance linking the European timber industry and environmentalists has called for caution in increasing the role of biomass in Europe’s energy mix. The Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and the Worldwide Find for Nature (WWF) have recommended that the energy sector’s exploitation of biomass grow sustainably.…
EFSA BOSS PROMISES EXCELLENCE AT BRUSSELS BREAKFAST MEETING
BY DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels
THE EUROPEAN Food Safety Agency (EFSA) has reached cruising speed as the foremost authority regarding food safety, according to its newly appointed executive director Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle, who was speaking in Brussels this morning (Wed 18-10).
She noted that the EFSA was established in 2002 at a time when consumer confidence in European Union (EU) food safety arrangements was weak.…
EU ROUND UP - EU MOVING TOWARDS BACKING GREEN ROAD TRANSPORT AS ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY KEY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is moving towards supporting environment-friendly road transport, rather than dedicating resources to promoting public transport, a European Parliament debate organised by the Automobile and Society Forum, has heard. The European Commission is currently reviewing its 2001 transport white paper and its working papers have noted "disappointment" over the results of the EU’s pro-public transport policies.…
VODKA LABELLING RULES DEAL STRUCK BY EU COUNCIL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have bowed to the political pressure by traditional vodka making countries such as Poland in approving a compromise over the vexed question of what is allowed in a drink labeled ‘vodka’. Under a political agreement thrashed out yesterday (Wed) at the EU Council of Ministers, there would be two categories of vodka sold in the EU:
*’Vodka’, which would have to be made from traditional ingredients "cereals, potatoes and/or molasses from sugar beet…"; and
*’Vodka made/distilled from (add ingredient used)’, for a vodka-style drink made from anything else.…
UKRAINE PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
IN the years that followed the turn of the century, the Ukrainian economy was an optimistic place. Even two years ago there was a political certainty that encouraged investment from abroad and galvanised domestic paint companies to venture their capital on medium-term plans and encouraged the wave of acquisitions that snapped up several of Ukraine’s brand-name paint groups.…
BALTIC STATES PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
WHEN it came to accession to the European Union (EU) in 2004, the Baltic States were something of a special case. Though unable to compete on the same scale as their neighbours in Poland, or further south, Ukraine and the Czech Republic, the economies of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia quickly gained a reputation for being micro economic powerhouses – and the same has applied to their paint industries.…
EU WARNS OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) food safety consumer alert service RASFF has warned of a series of aflatoxin contaminations in a variety of imported and EU-produced foodstuffs. Aflatoxins have been discovered within: Polish roasted and salted peanuts in Slovenia; Ethiopian mixed spices in Italy; Chinese, Ivory Coast and Ghanaian peanut butter in Britain; American almonds in Italy; Turkish hazelnuts, kernels and paste in France, Germany and Italy; Nigerian ogbono groundnuts in Britain; and Iranian pistachio nuts in Germany, Spain and Poland, among others.…
EASTERN EUROPE COSMETICS AND PERSONAL CARE INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
WHILE personal care product sales for the 15 countries that made up the European Union (EU) before 2003, plus Switzerland and Norway, increased by just 1% in 2005/2006 on the previous year – eastern Europe is a more enticing prospect for the industry, and has been singled out by major organisations and companies as a shining light for sales, investment and production.…
POLAND PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE - SECTOR STRUGGLES WITH EU RULES
BY MARK ROWE
ACCESSION to the European Union (EU), with its attendant necessity to comply with environmental directives, along with a surprising surge in water-based coatings, have combined to make the past year an eventful one for the Polish paint industry.…
EU COMMISSION TABLES VAT CONCESSIONS FOR HOUSE RESTORATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has asked European Union (EU) ministers to authorise until January 2011 the right of the Isle of Man and 13 foreign EU member states to levy low rates of VAT on certain building repair services.…
RASFF WARNS OF AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) food safety consumer alert service RASFF has warned of aflatoxin contaminations in imported confectionary ingredients: American almonds in Italy; Turkish hazelnuts, kernels and paste in France, Germany and Italy; and Iranian pistachio nuts in Germany, Spain and Poland, among others.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION ACTS AGAINST 'DISCRIMINATORY' POLISH CAR REGISTRATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has demanded that the Polish government reforms a sliding scale determining the cost of original registration fees for cars, that hinders fleet managers’ sale of used vehicles. This rate depends on the age of the car, so new cars – made in or imported immediately into Poland – attract the lowest fees, and cars imported into the country when old incur the highest fees.…
EU ROUND UP - MAURITANIA, KIRIBATI, MOROCCO FISHING ACCESS DEALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has renewed its European Union (EU) fishing access deal with Mauritania, initialling a new six year deal that involves a two-year protocol, but which should be renewed twice automatically, unless serious political problems emerge.
Brussels is being bullish about the deal, claiming: "It is the most important fisheries agreement concluded by the EU with a third country both in financial terms and as regards fishing opportunities for EU vessels"
And the agreement does will provide fishing rights for about 200 EU vessels on crustaceans (mainly shrimps), hake and other demersal species), cepaholopods, small pelagics and tuna.…
EFSA SALMONELLA LAYING HENS REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALARMING 20.3% of European Union (EU) laying hen poultry flocks are infected with salmonella, a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) report has warned. The Czech Republic (62.5%), Poland (55.9%), Spain (51.6%), Lithuania (50%) and Portugal (47.7%) have the most serious problems.…
NORTHERN IRISH MEAT BENEFITS FROM EU FOOD MARKETING AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LIVESTOCK and Meat Commission for Northern Ireland is to benefit from the latest batch of European Commission grants for promoting meat and other foodstuff sales within the European Union (EU). Brussels will subsidise a Northern Irish meat marketing and information campaign with Euro 207,365 over one year, with matching money being demanded from the UK government and local meat producers, the usual condition of such grants.…
EFTA COURT TO RULE ON ICELAND STUDENT LOAN RESTRICTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ICELAND government is facing a legal challenge to its restrictive student loans regulations, which the European Free Trade Area (EFTA) Surveillance Authority considers breaks European Union (EU) freedom of movement rules. These have to be applied in Iceland for EU and EFTA members, because Iceland is in the European Economic Area (EEA), where many EU laws apply.…
EASTERN EUROPE ELECTRICITY FEATURE -NUCLEAR POWER PHASE OUT CAPACITY REPLACEMENT
BY DEIRDRE MASON
A SIGNIFICANT boost in funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will speed the challenging switchover from ageing nuclear power stations in central and eastern Europe (CEE) to a cleaner, more efficient and more sustainable energy scene in these new and aspiring entrants to European Union (EU) membership.…
SEWAGE SLUDGE HEAT GENERATOR
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WELSH sustainable energy firm has proved ‘where there’s muck there’s brass’ by helping build a heat generator for Polish cities, running on sewage sludge. Sustainable energy consultancy ETP Ltd, of Cardiff, worked with Polish manufacturer ABM Solid, of Tarnow, to build a ‘fluidised bed boiler’ heating a wastewater treatment plant at Poland’s Niepolomice.…
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.…
FINLAND VODKA INGREDIENTS PURITY MOVE EU PRESIDENCY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE FINNISH government is to challenge the European Commission’s proposals for a broad definition of vodka under the proposed new European Union (EU) spirit labelling regulations, exploiting its oncoming strong position as EU president. Finland will use its control over EU Council of Ministers business to try and secure agreement that only drinks made from cereals or potatoes can be labelled ‘vodka’.…
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.…
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.…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST SECOND-HAND CAR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched legal action against five member states of the European Union (EU) to stop them imposing restrictions on imports of second-hand autos from other EU countries. The Commission thinks these trade barriers are so serious, they break these countries’ constitutional obligations under the Treaty of European Union to allow goods and services to be provided freely and easily across EU national borders.…
EU RAPEX CONSUMER PROTECTION INFORMATION NETWORK - VOLVO RENUALT TOYOTA WARNINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s consumer protection information service RAPEX has warned of four alerts involving car models in the European Union (EU) this week.
In one case, the Greek authorities have reported a recall of 2004-6 Volvo S40/V50 sedan or station wagon cars, because of a potential "risk for driver’s life".…
EUROPEAN COMMISSION LAUNCHES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST SECOND-HAND CAR IMPORT RESTRICTIONS
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched legal action against five member states of the European Union (EU) to stop them imposing special technical tests and extra administration on imports of second-hand autos from other EU countries. The Commission thinks these trade barriers break constitutional obligations to trade goods across EU national borders.…
GERMANY TOBACCO INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
IN the space of less than three years the German cigarette market has gone from being Europe’s most stable, profitable and legislation-free into one beset by obstacles almost everywhere you look. In the words of an independent report just issued by the market number two British American Tobacco, the industry has "overnight….found…
STEM CELL FP7 CONCERNS - ITALY U-TURN ERASMUS MUNDUS FUNDING EU LIFELONG LEARNING FUNDING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ISSUE of whether public money should fund stem cell research is set to become a controversial topic again, with funding restrictions being tabled by MEPs for the European Union’s (EU) oncoming seventh framework programme (FP7). These include banning "research activities intended to create human embryos solely for the purpose of research or for the purpose of stem cell procurement".…
EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS OLIVE OIL SUPPLY ROW - MEXICO EU WTO OLIVE OIL ROW
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
A POLITICAL struggle has broken out at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers between EU olive oil importing and exporting countries over the current level import tariffs for the product. On one side is a group led by Sweden, supported by Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania, complaining about what they call "high market prices of olive oil in the EU and low levels of stocks".…
FINLAND PAINT INDUSTRY FEATURE
BY DAVID HAWORTH
THE PAINT and coatings industry is a small but brightly shining star in the Finnish economy’s firmament, and one, which, as might be expected, has all the virtues of specialised Nordic industrial sectors.
These include a mature market, a great familiarity between manufacturers and customers in a society of little more than five million and harsh winter conditions, which dictate the high consumption of paints.…
EEA REPORT ROAD FREIGHT TRANSPORT GROWTH EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Environment Agency (EEA) report has explained exactly why market forces are propelling road transport into an ever-strengthening position in the European Union (EU) freight market, to the dismay of environmentalists.
Lorries and vans are "generally faster, cheaper, more reliable and flexible when compared to other modes", such as trains and boats.…
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.…
EU ROUND-UP - MOROCCO, MAURITANIA, QUOTA TIMETABLE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers and the European Parliament have approved a new fishing agreement with Morocco, despite controversy over its covering waters off the disputed territory of the Western Sahara. The Polisario Liberation Front has since 1975 been fighting Morocco for self-determination over the largely desert territory.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA EU GAS SUPPLIES EU REGIONAL GAS REGULATION LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA has sent another threat to Europe over gas supplies, undermining its reputation as a potential reliable energy partner for its western neighbours. Semyon Vainshtok, the president of Russia pipeline monopoly Transneft has told the daily newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that Russia has "overfed Europe with crude".…
WTO EU CHINA STRAWBERRY DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EU has abandoned plans to impose protective safeguard duties on imports from China of frozen strawberries. This follows the withdrawal of a complaint by Poland. Chinese strawberry producers however could now face an EU anti-dumping duty instead, following a replacement investigation.…
POLAND BALTIC STATES NUCLEAR COOPERATION
STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE PRESIDENT of Poland’s National Atomic Energy Agency Jerzy Niewodniczanski has told Polish paper Zycie Warszawy that his government was interested in cooperating in building and operating a multi-national nuclear power plant with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA EU GAS SUPPLIES EU REGIONAL GAS REGULATION LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA has sent another threat to Europe over gas supplies, undermining its reputation as a potential reliable energy partner for its western neighbours. Semyon Vainshtok, the president of Russia pipeline monopoly Transneft has told the daily newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that Russia has "overfed Europe with crude".…
POLAND NAIL VARNISH BAN CONSUMER SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has banned sales of Chinese ‘ZhenLiPin’ nail varnish art and striper pens, because they contains dibutyl phthalate (DBP), classified "toxic to reproduction" under European Union (EU) directive 67/548/EEC on dangerous substances. It is also prohibited in cosmetics under the EU cosmetics directive 76/768/EEC.…
WTO EU CHINA STRAWBERRY DUTIES NORWAY POTATO FLAKES SAFEGUARD DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has abandoned plans to impose protective safeguard duties on imports from China of frozen strawberries. This follows the withdrawal of a complaint by Poland, the member state that had been pressing for protection. Chinese strawberry producers however could now face an EU anti-dumping duty instead, as an investigation into establishing this potentially permanent tariff barrier has been launched by the European Commission.…
BRITAIN FLEXITIME - ECJ WORKING TIME LEAVE COMPENSATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN is more enlightened over flexi-time compared with the European Union’s (EU) other large economies, say new figures released by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The EU agency says only Sweden, Finland and Latvia practice more flexi-time, although Britain does not always perform well regarding the degree of flexibility allowed by employers.…
ECJ LEGAL ACTION - RENEWABLES FAILURE, BIOFUELS, LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has underlined its determination to forge a European Union (EU) energy policy with substance by a slew of legal actions against member states over renewables, liberalisation and biofuels. Brussels has started proceedings against Britain, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic for failing to report progress under the 2001 directive promoting renewable energy sources.…
EU CHINA STRAWBERRY DUTY - POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union has abandoned plans to impose protective safeguard duties on imports from China of frozen strawberries, but has started investigating a potentially permanent anti-dumping duty instead.
ENDS…
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.…
UKRAINE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY FEATURE - CHERNOBYL, NEW REACTORS, RUSSIA
BY MARK ROWE
THIS year marks the 20th anniversary of the catastrophic steam explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station, when a plume of radioactive fallout from Chernobyl-4 drifted over the western parts of the former Soviet Union, Poland, Scandinavia, Britain and the east coast of the United States.…
LOW VAT CLOTHING REPAIRS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) member states have been authorised to levy until January 2011 low rates of VAT on clothing and household linen repair services. The decision continues for four years an experiment that has thus far been renewed annually and which has been exploited by Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands – who have charged 6% VAT on these services and – Greece, which has charged 8%.…
POLAND VODKA DEFINITION EU COUNCIL OFMINISTERS ROW
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has ordered its committees of national officials to stage a "thorough examination" of the official EU definition of vodka, because of a row between member states over its terms. Poland, supported by Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden, is resisting a European Commission proposal to allow vodka to continue being sold in the EU using non-traditional ingredients.…
APPLES FRANCE EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRANCE, the Czech Republic and Poland are encouraging the European Commission to obtain sufficiently detailed data on an alleged boom in European Union apple imports to allow temporary protective safeguard duties to be erected, in line with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules.…
EU RISING ROAD DEATH STATISTICS
BY ALAN OSBORN
There were about 41,600 road deaths in the 25 EU countries in 2005, down from around 50,000 in 2001 reports the European Commission. This is progress "but not enough" says Brussels which wants member states to halve the rate to 25,000 by 2010 under the EU’s Road Safety Action Programme.…
BIRD FLU RESPONSES - VACCINATION - BACKYARD FLOCKS CONTROL - DOMESTIC CATS AND DOGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DEBATES are continuing in European Union (EU) institutions over whether general vaccination is a safe response to Europe’s growing bird flu problem. With Germany, France, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Greece, Switzerland, Slovenia, Italy all reporting new cases, the EU’s Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has approved the first vaccination campaigns.…
POLAND EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS VODKA INGREDIENTS ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND, supported by Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden are resisting a European Commission proposal to allow vodka to be sold in the European Union (EU) using non-traditional ingredients. Poland and its allies want vodka-labelled drinks to be based only on cereals and potatoes.…
EUROBAROMETER FOOD POLL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHEN European Union (EU) consumers think of food, more associate it with "taste" – 31%, than with "pleasure" – 29%, "hunger" – 27%, "health" – 19% and "necessity" – 15%. As usual with culturally diverse Europe, however, there were wide national variations.…
EU WTO ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NEW EFSA BOSS BUDGET ROW – LATEST ADVICE
THE FRENCHWOMAN appointed to take the vacant top executive director job at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will need all her political skills to solve a potential budget crisis facing the agency.…
EU ROUND UP - EU COMPETITION INQUIRY GAS CROSSBORDER TRANSMISSION BIOFUELS, BIOMASS, EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s competition directorate general has said it will launch legal action against restrictive business practices and abuses of dominant positions in European Union (EU) gas markets. In a long awaited report, it promised to act against long-term downstream contracts and restricted access to capacity on gas pipelines, storage and inter-connectors between member states.…
EU VODKA LABELLING ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND, supported by Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden are resisting a European Commission proposal to allow vodka drinks to be sold in the European Union, even if some ingredients are non-traditional. Poland and its allies want vodka-labelled drinks to be based only on cereals and potatoes.…
CHP VAT DISCOUNT EU COUNCIL OF MINISTERS - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CHP RENEWABLE ENERGY COMBINATION CALL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) finance ministers have agreed to add district heating to the list of sectors for which member states can levy an optional reduced 5.5% VAT rate until 2010. The agreement was struck after Poland lifted its opposition to a deal following a dispute over social housing VAT.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT EU SERVICES DIRECTIVE VOTE, SOCIAL CARE, HEALTH CARE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ROYAL College of Nursing (RCN) has called for further changes to the European Union’s (EU) proposed services directive, after the European Parliament voted for social care to be covered by the legislation. This would allow nursing agencies established for an (undefined) temporary period in a foreign EU member state – say Poland or Latvia – to provide nurses to children’s or old people’s homes in the UK.…
EBRD POLAND COAL POWER GENERATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to invest Euro 70 million in Poland’s Dolna Odra coal-fired power station, buying a minority stake from Spain’s Endesa, which is buying its three plants. Endesa will revise coal purchases – currently shipped from Upper Silesia, and spend Euro 200 million on desulphurisation and other environmental equipment.…
EU ENERGY POLICY, BIOMASS, EMISSIONS TRADING, GLOBAL WARMING, SECURITY OF SUPPLY
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THE MEDIA rush to pick up on the revival of nuclear energy as a serious UK option, made plain in the Department of Trade and Industry’s recent Energy Review consultation document, has diverted attention from which tail will, in practice, be wagging the UK energy dog over the coming months.…
IMO ICS SUBSTANDARD SHIPPING CONTROLS ERIKA UNSAFE SHIPS
BY DEIRDRE MASON
THE LATEST round of European Union (EU) proposals to tighten up laws fighting the use of illegally unsafe commercial shipping, announced on November 23, 2005, will place shippers who want to continue operating in EU-controlled waters under closer scrutiny than ever, says the European Commission.…
MOLDOVA RUSSIA UKRAINE GAS ROW AUSTRIA EU PRESIDENCY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The Austrian presidency of the EU is calling for a negotiated solution to the Russia /Moldova natural gas dispute reflecting deepening concern in Brussels about Europe’s increasing dependence on potentially unreliable outside energy sources. Russia supplies a third of the EU’s gas imports (a fifth of all gas used in the EU) with Germany, Italy and France the main buyers, though a number of EU countries are critically dependent on supplies sent by the Russian gas monopoly Gazprom through the Ukrainian pipeline: 100% for Slovakia, for instance, 92% for Greece and between 60 and 75% for the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Austria.…
EU SPIRITS DIRECTIVE PROPOSAL VODKA INGREDIENTS ROW SOLUTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission official has warned the Drinks Bulletin that there could be a tough fight ahead over agreeing proposals made before Christmas on reforming European Union (EU) rules on selling spirits. The senior official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that although a political deal within the Commission had been struck to overcome concerns in Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden about allowing vodka to be made with ingredients other than the traditional grain, potato, sugar beat and molasses, this was far from the final result.…
EU SPIRITS DIRECTIVE PROPOSAL VODKA INGREDIENTS ROW SOLUTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission official has warned the Drinks Bulletin that there could be a tough fight ahead over agreeing proposals made before Christmas on reforming European Union (EU) rules on selling spirits. The senior official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that although a political deal within the Commission had been struck to overcome concerns in Estonia, Finland, Poland and Sweden about allowing vodka to be made with ingredients other than the traditional grain, potato, sugar beat and molasses, this was far from the final result.…
BIRD FLU POULTRY PRODUCTION PRICE FALL FEARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALY, Belgium, Greece, Malta, France, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Portugal have called on the European Commission to support poultry producers hit by low prices because of bird flu outbreaks in Turkey and Romania.
ENDS…
BIRD FLU POULTRY PRODUCTION PRICE FALL FEARS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ITALY, Belgium, Greece, Malta, France, Spain, Hungary, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Portugal have called on the European Commission to support poultry producers hit by low prices because of bird flu outbreaks in Turkey and Romania.
ENDS…
EU SUGAR REFORM MARKET REPORT - CAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DECEMBER 2005’s semi-successful World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong means that the sacrifice forced upon the European Union’s (EU) well protected sugar sector the month before will – largely – be worth the pain. Unlike the previous big WTO meeting, in Cancun, Mexico, trade ministers did not leave in rancour having achieved little.…
EU SUGAR REFORM MARKET REPORT - CAP
EU SUGAR REFORM MARKET REPORT – CAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DECEMBER 2005’s semi-successful World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong means that the sacrifice forced upon the European Union’s (EU) well protected sugar sector the month before will – largely – be worth the pain.…
EIB POLAND LORRY FACTORY LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend truck and lorry manufacturer MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG up to Euro 110 million to construct an assembly plant in Poland. The loan would cover half of the cost of building the factory, on a greenfield site near Cracow, which will produce 15,000 vehicles annually.…
EU SUGAR REFORM MARKET REPORT - CAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DECEMBER 2005’s semi-successful World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong means that the sacrifice forced upon the European Union’s (EU) well protected sugar sector the month before will – largely – be worth the pain. Unlike the previous big WTO meeting, in Cancun, Mexico, trade ministers did not leave in rancour having achieved little.…
SPIRITS LABELLING EU SIMPLIFICATION PROPOSAL - VODKA LABELLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN EUROPEAN Commission official has told just-drinks.com that Brussels needed to overcome a political battle with vodka producing countries over ingredients, before it was able to formally table reforms to European Union (EU) spirit labelling rules yesterday (WED 21/12).…
HAGUE CONVENTION ON THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL PROPERTY - ARMED CONFLICT
BY MARK ROWE
IN times of conflict, cultural property, such as archaeological sites, works of art, museums and monuments, can also suffer grievously at the hands of opposing military and guerrilla forces. In recognition of this, such objects are accorded protection by the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.…
VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATORS - HEAVY PLANT CRANES DIGGERS - CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT REDUCTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has launched a research project developing a virtual-reality unit, training construction workers in using potentially dangerous heavy plant, without the risk of injuring their co-workers. Researchers from Spain, Germany, France, Slovakia, Poland, Portugal and Italy are designing a computer-aided training programme, involving a virtual-reality platform or cabin with controls mirroring those on real-life equipment plant.…
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.…
EUROPEAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY URBAN WASTEWATER ASSESSMENT REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SPAIN has been singled out for criticism by a European Environment Agency (EEA) report on urban wastewater treatment, noting that despite Euro 3.8 billion in targeted subsidies, it does not comply with relevant European Union (EU) laws. The EEA said only 55% of the population is connected to public sewage treatment plants, “and advanced treatment remains an exception”.…
POLAND GAZPROM CONTRACT RENEGOTIATION CONCERN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has been alarmed by a call from Russia’s Gazprom to renegotiate its long-term natural gas supply contract, which is supposed to expire in 2022. Poland’s freshly-appointed prime minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz said he was baffled by the move: “It’s hard to understand this step.…
FAKE CIGARETTES HAUL - EU COUNTERFEITS 'OPERATION FAKE'
BY DEIRDRE MASON
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-wide customs initiative has netted two huge hauls of fake branded cigarettes smuggled in from China. The consignments, totalling more than 17,203,000 cigarettes, were seized at Belgium’s major port, Antwerp, during a two-week exercise involving customs authorities, the EU anti-fraud office, OLAF, and the European Commission’s taxation and customs directorate.…
POLAND EU COMPETITION INQUIRY POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has opened another formal state aid investigation into long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), this time those struck by Polish state-owned network operator Polskie Sieci Energetyczne (PSE) with power generators. The inquiry follows the launch of a similar probe into purchase agreements in Hungary.…
EU STATE AID APPROVAL MUSEUMS DENMARK POLAND HUNGARY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is not only concerned with trade and to underline this point the European Commission acted this summer to authorise national government subsidies for museums and other cultural organisations in Hungary, Poland and Denmark. The sums involved were not enormous – the total subsidies and tax breaks was only around Euro 30 million – but such decisions are politically sensitive and care has been taken by the Commission to avoid being accused of allowing one country’s cultural organisations to have better treatment than another.…
VIRTUAL REALITY SIMULATORS - HEAVY PLANT CRANES DIGGERS - CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT REDUCTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has launched a research project aimed at developing a virtual-reality unit, training construction workers in using potentially dangerous heavy plant, without the risk of injuring their co-workers. Researchers are currently designing a computer-aided training programme, an electronic simulator, and even a virtual-reality platform or cabin allowing workers to use controls mirroring those on a piece of plant.…
EU OVERSEAS SALES PROMOTION WINE SPIRITS LITHUANIA FRANCE SPAIN - POLAND CARROT JUICE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced its latest tranche of funding to help European Union (EU) drinks producers sell products outside the EU. Maybe the most significant grant is Euro 1.43 million being paid over three years by Brussels to Lithuania to boost exports of wines and spirits.…
ORAL MEDICINE DELIVERY DEVICE RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project IntelliDrug is developing an oral drug delivery device placed next to a patient’s teeth, allowing them to eat and speak without impediment. The kit even looks similar to natural teeth and would be installed in the dental arch, said a European Commission note.…
MONEYVAL FEATURE MONEY LAUNDERING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CRITICS of European political institutions have sometimes been unkind about the Council of Europe, which has been accused of being a powerless talking shop. And although the Council lacks the power to fine and cajole member governments enjoyed by the European Union (EU) – from which it is completely independent – it has some important roles.…
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.…
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.…
POLAND LIGNITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planning to lend Euro 100 million to help a Euro 1.6 billion project for building an 833 MW generator at Europe’s largest lignite fuelled power plant, in Belchatow, Poland. The project will allow operator BOT Elektrownia Belchatow SA to maintain 4,440 MW capacity when closing two generators by 2016.…
CZECH REPUBLIC - IEA ASSESSMENT
KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has been urged to improve its energy efficiency record, with the International Energy Agency (IEA) pointing out energy intensity fell just 17% from 1990 to 2002, compared with 23% in Hungary, 27% in Slovakia and 39% in Poland.…
FRANCE DIGITAL LIBRARY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is being pressed to fund France’s plan to establish a European Digital Library as a rival to US-based Internet search engines such as Google, which wants to scan 15 million books. A second meeting of the library’s advisory council also heard that Germany, Spain, Poland, Hungary and Italy have formally agreed to be involved in the project.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NEW fuel quality standards for vehicles sold in the European Union (EU) from 2008 have been published by the European Commission, which will stop sports utility vehicles (SUVs) operating under laxer emissions rules applying to commercial vans. Instead, under the so-called Euro 5 plan, they would follow tougher regulations for cars.…
FROZEN STRAWBERRIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
TEMPORARY EU safeguard duties can be expected on imports of frozen strawberries, after the European Commission concluded that “there have been recent sharp increases in imports”. These depressed EU prices and local producers’ profitability, especially in Poland, said a note to the WTO.…
POLES AND CZECHS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission says “further efforts are still needed” to guarantee the future of privatised Polish steel producer Polskie Huty Stali. Assessing the Poland’s and the Czech Republic’s steel industries, it said “the Polish industry continues to show delays, sometimes significant, especially in relation to investments, which (for) some companies could affect their future viability (in) a significant market slowdown”.…
TAX/REGISTRATION CASES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NETHERLANDS, Greece and Poland have come under legal pressure from the European Commission to reform their car taxation rules so that it is easier to move vehicles around the European Union (EU). It has sent their governments formal requests to reform their systems, which – if ignored – could lead to a referral to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).…
EU POLAND DECISION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has effectively cleared the sale of Polish steel producer Huta Czestochowa to Ukrainian steel producer Donbass by declaring its ongoing restructuring and privatisation does not involve illegal state aid. If Brussels had made a negative decision, it could have halted this process.…
REGISTRATION TAXES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed the abolition of registration taxes that it says impede the transfer of vehicles to the 16 European Union (EU) member states that impose them. Britain is not among the countries concerned, but they include Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Netherlands, Austria and Poland.…
INDUSTRIAL ACTION - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN still suffers from comparatively high rates of industrial action compared with its European Union (EU) competitors, according to the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions. The EU agency says that whilst the UK lost 904,900 working days through strikes in 2004, Germany lost just 50,673, and the Netherlands 15,000 (in 2003).…
EMERGENCY SERVICES ANALYSIS
BY MARK ROWE
CAN insurers help reduce risk by funding initiatives for the emergency services? Companies are increasingly looking at how they can support emergency services and, thereby, lessen the impact of insurance claims. The thinking is by helping to improve the efficiency of emergency services, the impact of natural and manmade disasters, including terrorism, can be mitigated in terms of people making insurance claims.…
AUSTRIA/POLAND/FRANCE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening legal action against France, Poland and Austria for allegedly breaking European Union (EU) freedom of trade laws by impeding the import of cars into their territories. Brussels objects to Austria’s double-checking of European certificates of conformity, which are designed to ease cross-border car registration.…
EASTERN EUROPE AID
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved state aid payments planned until the year 2010 by the Polish and Hungarian governments to their countries’ shrinking coal mine sectors. Regarding Poland, Brussels approved its spending of Polish Zloty 6.2 billion (Euro 1.4 billion) in restructuring its coal industry from 2004-6, mainly “financing inherited liabilities”.…
WORKING TIME LATEST
BY ALAN OSBORN
THERE was much optimism earlier this year that the European Union’s (EU) revamped working time directive might be finally agreed this summer but it all fizzled out in June and to all intents and purposes we’re back to deadlock again.…
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.…
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.…
EASTERN EUROPE REFORM
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A WORLD Bank report has called on governments in central/eastern Europe and central Asia to improve the efficiency of their judicial systems, improving the enforcement of decisions and making judges more accountable. It also calls for a reduction in case backlogs and judicial corruption.…
EIB LIGNITE - POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is lending Euro 220 million to modernise Europe’s largest lignite fuelled power plant, in Belchatow, central Poland, making it more efficient and reducing its polluting emissions. The loan will upgrade four out of the 12 electricity generation units of the BOT-Belchatow Power Plant, which generates about 20% of Poland’s electricity production.…
FOOD PROMOTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission will spend Euro 26.1 million on 26 programmes promoting the sale within the EU of organic food products, olive oil, milk and cheese, ham, fruit and vegetables, plus some drinks products. There will be matching funding from participating countries Britain, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Finland, Hungary, Poland and Cyprus.…
PLASTIC LIGHT DEVICES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A HEAVYWEIGHT European international consortium will spend Euro 20 million on trying to develop commercially-viable flat plastic light sources, that could be moulded to fit spaces in homes and offices. The OLLA project (‘high brightness Organic Light-emitting diodes for information technology and Lighting Applications’) aims to build on basic research into these materials.…
FUSION - POLAND/SLOVENIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FUSION energy research cooperation agreements have been signed between EURATOM, the European Atomic Energy Community, and new European Union members Poland and Slovenia. The deals will see special fusion research units being created in both countries: Poland’s unit will develop plasma diagnostics for fusion devices including Britain’s MAST, Germany’s TEXTOR and France’s TORE-SUPRA; Slovenia’s will conduct plasma-wall interaction field and activation calculations.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament and the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers have compromised on the final shape of a directive reducing sulphur content in marine fuels. The result is legislation that permits higher sulphur usage than the parliament wanted, cutting its marine fuels content to 1.5% by 2007, for all vessels in the Baltic, the North Sea, and the English Channel, and passenger ships in all EU seas and oceans.…
EASTERN EUROPE/BRITAIN HOURS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WORKING hours in Britain exceed those in most new European Union (EU) member states from eastern and southern Europe says a report showing how western Europe workers generally work fewer hours. Britain’s usual weekly work hours, said the European Industrial Relations Observatory are 43.1, only exceeded in the expanded EU by Latvia’s 43.3.…
POLAND EMISSIONS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has conditionally approved the greenhouse gas pollution allocation plan of Poland and the Czech Republic, leaving the European Union (EU) just two countries shy of approving all national components of its emissions trading scheme. Now only Greece and Italy await approval.…
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COLLECTIVE bargaining remains dominant for settling pay and working time conditions in European workplaces, covering around two-thirds of workers in the European Union (EU). This contrasts with one-fifth of the Japanese workers and only one-eighth of American workers, said a report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has moved to extend its control of fishing in the Baltic Sea, following the accession of four Baltic eastern European states to the EU last year. With Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania becoming member states, the Baltic is largely an EU zone, excluding small stretches of Russian territorial waters – off Kaliningrad and St Petersburg.…
BIO FUELS THREAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has accused nine European Union (EU) governments of dragging their feet over promoting biofuels in their countries. It has sent critical formal notices to Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovenia accusing them of failing to submit national reports framing 2005 targets for biofuel consumption, as required under the Biofuels Directive.…
TAIWAN & POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND and Taiwan have remained on a United States government watch list on counterfeiting and fraud, largely because Washington thinks they can do more to fight pharmaceuticals piracy. The US Trade Representative (USTR) office said it would push Taiwan to pass a law preventing unfair commercial use of pharmaceutical test data.…
SPAIN REPORT
BY LIZ HALL
SPAIN’S paint and coating industry has every right to be self-congratulatory at present: the widespread investment and business improvements of recent years have paid off with the sector securing a well-earned place alongside its counterparts elsewhere in the developed world.…
GAMMA DETECTOR
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) research network Eureka is developing a quality control device for lignite and brown coal, measuring its purity and calorific content by measuring its natural gamma radiation. Poland’s EMAG Research and Development Centre for Electrical Engineering and Automation in Mining is currently coordinating the project, with potential partners from Greece, its Institute for Solid Fuels Technology and Applications (Isfta) and company Aspo Technology.…
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.…
ANTI-BIOTICS REPLACEMENT
KEITH NUTHALL
A SUCCESSFUL European Union (EU) research project, which has developed plant-based health treatment alternatives to antibiotics in feed for cows and goats, is being expanded into the fish-farming sector. The RUMEN-UP project found 23 out of 500 samples of plant materials with beneficial health effects on ruminants, especially cattle.…
EBRD POLAND
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is planning to lend up to Euro 55 million to Poland’s Dalkia Polska to help finance its acquisition of ZEC Lodz, a district heating and cogeneration utility for the Polish city of Lodz.…
BULGARIA - BELVEDERE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRENCH drinks group Belvédère is to sink Euro 30 million into the Bulgarian wine industry, as the country prepares to become a European Union (EU) member state in 2007. The company is planning to invest in local vineyards to be able to provide approximately 30% of its grape supplies for its Bulgarian production, which is owned by subsidiary Belvédère Capital Management Ltd.…
EU SUGAR REFORM MARKET REPORT - CAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DECEMBER 2005’s semi-successful World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Hong Kong means that the sacrifice forced upon the European Union’s (EU) well protected sugar sector the month before will – largely – be worth the pain. Unlike the previous big WTO meeting, in Cancun, Mexico, trade ministers did not leave in rancour having achieved little.…
EU TAXATION REPORT
Keith Nuthall
BRITISH taxation inched up from 2002 to 2003, but according to the latest comparative European Union (EU)-wide figures, the UK still has one of the lowest European tax burdens. As a proportion of GDP, Britain’s total taxes were 37.1% in 2003, compared with 37% in 2002, up from 36.7% in 1995, before the accession to power of the Labour government.…
EU ROUND UP - RUSSIA EU GAS SUPPLIES EU REGIONAL GAS REGULATION LIBERALISATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RUSSIA has sent another threat to Europe over gas supplies, undermining its reputation as a potential reliable energy partner for its western neighbours. Semyon Vainshtok, the president of Russia pipeline monopoly Transneft has told the daily newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta that Russia has "overfed Europe with crude".…
SPIRITS LABELLING EU SIMPLIFICATION PROPOSAL - VODKA LABELLING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN EUROPEAN Commission official has told just-drinks.com that Brussels needed to overcome a political battle with vodka producing countries over ingredients, before it was able to formally table reforms to European Union (EU) spirit labelling rules yesterday (WED 21/12).…
EIB POLAND LORRY FACTORY LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend truck and lorry manufacturer MAN Nutzfahrzeuge AG up to Euro 110 million to construct an assembly plant in Poland. The loan would cover half of the cost of building the factory, on a greenfield site near Cracow, which will produce 15,000 vehicles annually.…
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.…
POLAND BULBS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE GLOBAL Environment Facility (GEF), an independent international funding organisation, is claiming to have converted Polish power consumers to using low energy compact fluorescent lamps. The GEF’s Poland Efficient Lighting Project claims when it started work in 1995, only 10% of Polish homes used such lights, by 1998 this was 33% and now it is 50%.…
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.…
KYOTO/EMISSIONS TRADING
KEITH NUTHALL
On the basis of existing policies and measures alone, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Sweden and the United Kingdom should reach their individual targets. The Netherlands and Luxembourg will achieve their targets with the help of credits from the project-based mechanisms.…
EMISSIONS TRADING
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is largely on track for a timely start to its emissions trading system on January 1, with the unconditional approval in late October of six more CO2 emission allocation plans, from Belgium, Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, Slovakia and Portugal.…
POLAND - EIB
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to create a Euro 50 million fund run by BNP Parisbas Polska, which will feed money into small and medium-sized projects in Poland, promoting energy rationalisation and diversification. Funding would be available from the Polish bank for public and private projects.…
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.…
EASTERN EUROPE WATER
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is no doubt that water quality in eastern Europe has improved immeasurably since the break up of the Soviet Union and its related satellite states, a process reinforced by the wholesale privatisation now taking place. But while standards have improved, concerns about pollution, old pipes and outdated treatment works are likely to continue.…
EASTERN EUROPE QUOTAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DEEP-SEA northeast Atlantic fishing quotas for vessels from the eastern European countries which joined the European Union (EU) in May, have been announced by the European Commission. Initially covering 2004, but also a base for future years, these quotas are in some cases quite substantial, despite the concern about the need to conserve the stocks of these deep water species.…
EU SOFTWARE PIRACY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPORT from market analysts IDC has revealed 37% of business programmes used in the EU are pirated. The study, involving 5,600 interviews, identified Greece as having the worst problem, with 63% of business software being pirated, followed by Poland and Lithuania (58%), Latvia (57%) and Estonia 54%.…
POLAND CHP
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EFFICIENCY of a combined heat and power plant in Poznan, one of Poland’s largest companies, should receive a boost when it is privatised this year. France’s Dalkia and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) are buying an 85% stake in the plant operator Zespol Elektrocieplowni Poznan (ZEC) for Euro 74 million via their jointly-owned subsidiaries Dalkia Termika and PEC Poznan.…
EUROSTAT - EMPLOYMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S current strong performance in employing its citizens in general, and offering part-time jobs in particular, has been confirmed by a Eurostat report placing the UK above most other European countries. In a comparative study on employment rates, (rather than unemployment), the European Union (EU) statistical agency said 17.4% of Britons were in part-time employment, a larger proportion than in any other EU country, except in the Netherlands, where it is 32.8%.…
HEART DISEASE MAP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN’S performance in reducing heart disease deaths could be much improved compared with many of its European Union (EU) partners, a new World Health Organisation heart disease atlas, has shown.
Dividing a country’s annual deaths from heart disease with its population, saturated fats and beer loving Britain had a comparative factor of 2, based on 120,530 deaths in 2002 amongst a population of 59 million.…
KAZAKHSTAN DEAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DETAILS of the expansion in European Union (EU) import quotas for Kazakhstan steel products because of May’s enlargement of the EU by 10 new member countries have been released by the European Commission. The central Asian republic had a pre-existing steel trade deal with Brussels, guaranteeing its access to EU markets for a range of products.…
SECOND EU DIRECTIVE MONEY LAUNDERING
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE LEGAL web being cast by the European Union (EU) in the fight against money laundering is being tightened still further. A third directive has now been proposed by the European Commission that, among other things, will broaden the definition of money laundering to include not only the concealment or disguise of the proceeds of serious crimes but also the financing of terrorism with either criminal or legally acquired money.…
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.…
EX ANTE CONTROLS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REQUIREMENTS on national telecommunications regulators within the European Union (EU) to analyse a list of specific markets to see if controls are required on a dominant operator are to be frozen for 18 months. The European Commission had been due to review this so-called ‘ex ante’ recommendation last month, but has postponed this until December 2005.…
EUROSTAT ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NATIONAL work accident statistics are keenly examined by occupational health practitioners, but they do not enable the safety of British workplaces to be compared against other European countries; that is where Eurostat, the European Union’s (EU) statistical agency comes in.…
SUNSET REVIEW REVIEW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ANTI-DUMPING duties imposed since 1997 on certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel from Russia and Romania will probably be suspended because of concerns they were based on corrupted data. The European Commission has said their founding calculations could have been influenced by two cartels, (an European Union (EU)-Japan and a purely European network), that were formally unmasked last year.…
SOUTHEAST EUROPE
Keith Nuthall
GOVERNMENTS in south-eastern Europe have agreed it is “fundamentally important to increase and intensify interregional cooperation in air transport.” Such work, which would cover airport operations and air traffic control will be written into a detailed memorandum of understanding, with a detailed and timetabled work programme.…
ITALY CIGARETTES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CHARGES have been laid against alleged fraudsters in an Italy-based cigarette smuggling scam costing European treasuries Euro 31.6 million in duty. The public prosecutor of Asti, Italy, released details of the alleged con, involving 287,884 kg of cigarettes being smuggled with forged customs stamps being presented to Italian customs officials.…
EU SOFTWARE PATENTS
BY ALAN OSBORN
FEVERISH efforts are being made to rescue the European Union’s (EU) software patent directive after suggestions that a number of member states voted for it “by mistake” in May and now seeking ways of reversing their positions. One of those seeking to change its vote – the Netherlands – said it mistakenly thought the measure incorporated amendments approved by the European Parliament which excluded patents for pure software.…
DEPRESSION PROJECT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A NEWLY launched European Union (EU)-funded research project will uncover genetic factors linked to depression, helping to develop new drug treatments over the next five years. The NEWMOOD project has received Euro 7.2 million in EU funding. It will help researchers “revolutionise antidepressant drugs, which have not changed much over the past 30 years,” claimed the European Commission.…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
ALCOHOL products are one of the major strengths that the new members of the recently enlarged European Union (EU) bring to its economic table. Of the 10 newcomers, six are wine-producing countries: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia and Slovenia.…
UNDECLARED WORK
Keith Nuthall
THE GREEKS may be champions in European football, but they are bottom of the league for tax honesty, a European Commission report has concluded, with more than 20% of work by value being undeclared. The paper ‘Undeclared work in an enlarged Union’ shows that Britain is much more honest, with only 2% of its GDP being concealed from the tax authorities, second only to Austria (1.5%).…
EU ROUND-UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DOMINANCE of fossil fuels in energy production is set to continue for the next 30 years, even growing a little, the European Environment Agency (EEA)’s latest ‘environmental signals’ report has predicted. Despite the European Union’s (EU) efforts to promote renewable energy, it is “not expected to raise its share significantly” of energy production sources, while “nuclear energy is projected to decline”, it predicted.…
EASTERN EUROPE - ENLARGEMENT
BY MARK ROWE
IT is understandable to see how the cosmetics industries in the European Union’s (EU) newest members might view the recent expansion of the EU club with mixed feelings. On the one hand, new markets have opened up: if their products are good enough to sell at home, they can now sell them from the Baltic to the Atlantic.…
SMILE/CIVITAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LOCAL authorities in Camden and Nottingham have been held up as good practice examples in the promotion of environmentally sustainable transport by the European Union’s (EU) SMILE project, which concluded last week at a conference in La Rochelle, France (27-28 May).…
POLAND STEEL AID INQUIRY
BY ALAN OSBORN
The European Commission has launched an in-depth investigation into the restructuring of the Polish steel company Huta Czestochowa saying it doubted that this was being achieved without state aid which is banned under Poland’s treaty of accession into the EU.…
POLAND - EBRD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has drawn up plans to lend Spanish steel group Celsa Euro 40 million to help restructure Polish steel mill Huta Ostrowiec (HO), which was liquidated in Summer 2003 having been placed in receivership.…
EASTERN ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EASTERN and southern European countries who have now joined the European Union (EU) have been granted requested stays of execution over the implementation of common rules on energy taxation that were agreed last year for the old EU.…
RAPID ALERT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s rapid alert system of food health scare notifications has warned of salmonella contamination in meat from four EU countries: boneless pork collar from Denmark, pigmeat and chicken from the Netherlands, and frozen chicken fillet from Poland.…
EASTERN EUROPE WORKERS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) has codified and publicised the often complex set of rules controlling the migration of eastern and southern European workers from the 10 countries joining the EU on May 1. These transitional rules designed to ease the impact of their accession on the EU’s 15 established member states, have been posed online at the European Job Mobility Portal http://europa.eu.int/eures.…
PRO-EU OPINION PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
SITTING in a comfortable flybe. seat, maybe flying home from a colourful continental European destination, you will already know how Britain’s European Union (EU) membership improves your life.
Those simple passport control procedures at continental airports – if there were are any at all – are a direct result of the demolition of national borders by Brussels.…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the EU on May 1 are “on course” to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. This masked problems however: temporary exemptions have given the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia between an additional three months and three years to ensure milk producers, slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should already have been in place.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is bankrolling the development of Kazakhstan’s oil and gas reserves, a key alternative supply for the European Union (EU). It wants to lend Tasbulat Ltd Euro 60 million to help develop three medium-sized oil and gas fields in Mangistau region, western Kazakhstan, producing up to 8,000 barrels/day in 2006; Tasbulat is owned by SNP Petrom, Romania’s national oil company.…
EASTERN ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EASTERN and southern European countries who joined the European Union (EU) on May 1 have been granted requested stays of execution over the implementation of common EU minimum rates for solid fuel energy taxation. The EU Council of Ministers fears sharp increases would damage these new members’ energy markets.…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) last weekend are “on course” to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. His confident declaration masks some problems however, leading to temporary exemptions, giving the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia between an additional three months and three years to ensure milk producers, slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should have been in place on May 1.…
EUROMYTHS - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has moved to scotch a fresh round of so-called ‘Euro-myths’ falsely alleging that European Union (EU) legislation will ban treasured food traditions when 10 new member countries join the EU in May. Brussels officials are particularly sensitive to such stories, because of past bad publicity about – ultimately inaccurate – tales, such as EU laws insisting on straight cucumbers.…
POLAND - LOW DUTY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND has formally asked the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers if it can lower the VAT rate it charges on shoe repairs, taking advantage of a right extended to all member states, following its accession to the EU on May 1.…
WORK ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WHILST Britain’s record on serious accidents at work is declining, the factories, building sites and offices of some eastern European countries joining the European Union (EU) this weekend (May 1) are becoming safer, according to EU statistical agency Eurostat.…
MINE WASTE MANAGEMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DISASTERS caused by the tailings pond disasters at Baia Mare, Romania, and Aznalcóllar, Spain, have generated a major rethink in Brussels about the suitability of regulating potentially toxic mining waste under general European Union (EU) waste and landfill legislation.…
EUROSTAT ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE TRADES Union Congress (TUC) has called on the British government to spend more on the Heath and Safety Executive and local government workplace inspectors, following the release of a report from EU statistical agency Eurostat showing Britain suffering increasing rates of serious work accidents.…
EUROMYTHS - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has scotched rumours the accession of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to the European Union in May will lead to their citizens being banned from privately slaughtering pigs for home consumption. Brussels says the rule only covers pork sold commercially, branding the claim a Euro-myth, such as EU laws insisting on straight cucumbers.…
POLAND - CHINA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government has withdrawn its complaint against China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that an increase in imports of Chinese footwear was of such a level to break China’s WTO’s accession agreement. It means scheduled formal talks will not take place in Geneva.…
WORK ACCIDENT STATS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RELIABLE statistics are of course vital to any insurance company’s assessment of risk, and nationally produced figures in countries such as Britain and the USA can usually be counted upon in actuarial calculations. But what about comparing countries when managing international policy portfolios?…
DENMARK - DIOXIN
KEITH NUTHALL
THE DANISH government has alerted the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers to the discovery of dioxin contamination in Baltic salmon that exceeds EU safety standards, sparking alerts in former communist countries which have just become member states. The problem has led Denmark to impose its own fishing and marketing ban on Baltic salmon.…
ROAD SAFETY - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has reduced the proposed minimum level of cover written into the EU’s draft motor insurance directive to Euro one million per person injured, a move welcomed by the Comité Européen des Assurances (CEA).…
ENLARGEMENT - BYRNE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE 10 EASTERN and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) last weekend are on course to meeting its food health standards, Brussels’ health and consumer protection Commissioner David Byrne has claimed. His confident declaration masks a series of problems, however, leading to many temporary exemptions and special measures, giving the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Malta, and Slovenia; the countries between three months and three years extra time to ensure slaughterhouses and food processing plants meet standards that should have been in place on May 1.…
WORLD BANK - POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank has released Euro 160 million in loans to Poland to help it restructure its coal mining industry, meeting demands from the European Union (EU) that it shrink operating subsidies upon becoming a member state in May.…
WHEY PLASTIC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union-funded research consortium is developing an industrial system for producing biodegradable plastics from whey, separated from milk curd during cheese-making. Around 30 per cent of the 50 million tonnes of whey produced in Europe annually is currently discarded, and the Euro 1.6 million WHEYPOL project is creating process to synthesise polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) generated from whey into plastic.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL and ALAN OSBORN
ACCESS rights to drive across ecologically-sensitive Alpine passes in Switzerland and Austria – plus to Bulgaria and Romania – are being granted to hauliers from the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in May.…
BORDER INSPECTIONS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WESTERN European animal health specialists will help man the new external border posts of the European Union (EU) while 10 eastern and southern European countries join the continental bloc in May. These veterinary experts will advise their new member country counterparts on administering EU animal and animal product health laws in the weeks before and after accession.…
TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has been given a relatively clean bill of health in the latest Transparency International corruption rankings, being viewed as joint-11th least-corrupt country in the world, sharing its billing with Canada and Luxembourg. Finland was the most honest place in which to do business said the pressure group’s survey, followed by Iceland and the Denmark plus New Zealand at joint third.…
POLAND DELAYS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND is pressing the European Commission for at least three months grace in implementing European Union (EU) food hygiene standards after joining the EU in May. Agriculture minister Wojciech Olejniczak has asked EU health commissioner David Byrne to allow around 300 food processing plants – many handling meat – to continue operating while implementing health reforms.…
POLAND INQUIRY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched its first stranded costs inquiry into the energy sector of an eastern European country joining the European Union (EU) in May. Brussels thinks subsidies paid to Polish power operators by Poland’s government, compensating for the cancellation of long-term supply agreements with the Polish Power Grid Company, could break EU state aid rules.…
US BIRD FLU
BY PHILIP FINE
HONG Kong, China, Poland, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Korea are among 18 countries restricting US poultry imports, after four American states – Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas – discovered cases of a new variant of bird flu.…
EU COAL REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMPREHENSIVELY gloomy forecast for the future of the European Union (EU) coal industry has been issued by the European Commission, underlining its determination to press for closures of most unprofitable mines to trim Brussels’ and Member States’ state aid budgets.…
RUSSIAN SMOKERS JOIN THE REVOLUTION
BY MARK ROWE
RUSSIAN smokers have undergone a quantum leap in the past 10 years. From smoking the notorious unfiltered Soviet-era papirossi, they now have a wide choice of international brands, for whom this liberalisation has been commercially significant. Russia remains one of the more appealing markets for tobacco companies, with fewer barriers and, for the time being, a fairly laissez faire approach to advertising, as well as a burgeoning middle class with the disposable incomes to afford premium cigarettes.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEPs are heading off a move by European Union (EU) ministers to agree without consultation pared-back legislation on guaranteeing the security of gas supplies during a European crisis. The European Parliament’s industry committee has voted narrowly to refuse a EU Council of Ministers bid to approve the heavily amended legislation without further input from MEPs.…
EAST EUROPE CONSUMPTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MEAT consumption in eastern European countries joining the European Union (EU) this May generally fell by 10-20 per cent during the 1990s, falling significantly below per capita consumption in the existing EU, according to a European Commission report.…
EU ENERGY TAXATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SERIES of exemptions from the European Union’s (EU) new directive imposing minimum rates of energy taxation on coal have been proposed by the European Commission for seven of the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the EU in May.…
POLAND PATENTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government may apply for an especially long transitional period from new European legislation extending patent production for new medicines from generic copies. With the European Parliament having approved extending this protection from the existing six to between eight and 11 years and the Council of Ministers poised to approve the regulation, eastern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in May have called for the status quo to apply to them.…
ROMANIA TUBE DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
RESERVE anti-dumping duties against two Romanian producers of certain seamless pipes and tubes of iron or non-alloy steel are to be re-imposed, even though they had last year been declared illegal by the European Court of Justice.
Judges had ruled last January that the European Commission made administrative errors when fixing the level of protection required for European Union (EU) producers from exports made by Petrotub SA and Republica SA.…
EASTERN EUROPE RENEWABLES
KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD WIDE Fund for Nature (WWF) has warned that the eight eastern European countries joining the European Union in May are failing to exploit their potential renewable energy capacity, making it harder for some to comply with the EU’s renewable energy directive.…
UNITED UTILITIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A COMBINED investment of around Euro 50 million in United Utilities Europe (UUE) by the United Utilities group and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will allow the subsidiary to increase its ownership of three eastern European water and wastewater companies.…
POLAND v CHINA: WTO - 100 words
Keith Nuthall
POLAND has called for formal talks with China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because of concerns that its local footwear industry is being damaged by cheap Chinese imports. In a note to the WTO about a selected range of footwear products, Warsaw said: “In 2001, as compared to 2000, imports increased by 31.3 per cent and in 2002 as compared to 2001 by 18.8 per cent.…
POLAND v CHINA: WTO
BY PHILIP FINE
POLAND has called for formal talks with China at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), because of concerns that its local footwear industry is being damaged by cheap Chinese imports. In a note to the WTO about a selected range of footwear products, Warsaw said: "In 2001, as compared to 2000, imports increased by 31.3 per cent and in 2002 as compared to 2001 by 18.8 per cent.…
DANUBE CANAL LINK
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONCERNS have been raised by eastern and central European environmental groups about the possible worsening of drinking water quality that could be caused by the construction of the planned Danube-Oder-Elbe canal. The Czech Republic’s Friends of the Earth branch is leading green groups from Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia in pressing the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers to avoid including the project in its priority list for funding from the trans-European transport networks (TENs) scheme.…
CZECH SUGAR DUTY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has announced that it is extending the life of its 80 per cent safeguard duty on sugar imports until December 2004, claiming that its producers would be flooded by imports (mostly from Poland and the EU), if it lifted the protection.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AFTER a long period of consultation, a comprehensive directive protecting the European Union’s (EU) groundwater reserves has been proposed by the European Commission, which would force Member States to establish and police locally sensitive pollution limits. The legislation would insist that national governments carefully monitor groundwater quality and take steps to reverse its pollution, where it has exceeded these self-imposed thresholds.…
WROCKLAW WATER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending Miejskie Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow i Kanalizacji (the Wroclaw Water Supply and Sewerage Company) Euro 18 million to help it improve its water supply systems in Poland’s fourth largest city. The money will help upgrade a water-treatment plant, extend the sewerage network and make improvements to company management.…
WROCKLAW WATER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending Miejskie Przedsiebiorstwo Wodociagow i Kanalizacji (the Wroclaw Water Supply and Sewerage Company) Euro 18 million to help it improve its water supply systems in Poland’s fourth largest city. The money will help upgrade a water-treatment plant, extend the sewerage network and make improvements to company management.…
COMMS INVESTMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ORGANISATION for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report says that the Netherlands, out of all EU countries, has received the largest economic boost from investment in communications and information technology. Much of the resulting labour productivity growth has been concentrated in knowledge intensive activities, notably high technology and medium high technology manufacturing, said the developed world think tank.…
EASTERN EUROPE - TAX
BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is piling pressure on the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the organisation next May to abolish tax laws that currently break EU regulations and directives. The EU Council of Ministers has drawn up a list of 30 tax measures deemed “harmful” to Europe’s internal market that apply in the countries planning to join the EU next year, namely Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Cyprus and Malta.…
TOBACCO SUBSIDIES FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s (EC) proposals for the EU tobacco regime, published in detail last month (September), essentially recognise that subsidised tobacco growing in Europe on any significant scale is now coming to an end. If these plans are put in place it seems likely that in little more than three years’ time the only tobacco grown in the EU will be to serve small niche markets.…
POLAND - EIB
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has drawn up plans to lend the Polish Electrabel subsidiary Elektrownia im. Tadeusza Kosciuszki SA (NOTE: SPELLING CORRECT) up to Euro 35 million to invest in its eight coal-fired power plants, boosting its competitiveness.…
UKRAINE - POLAND FOLLOW UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has imposed anti-dumping duties on two (Polish and Ukraine) exporters of steel ropes and cables, backing European Commission claims they had broken undertakings made to legitimately avoid paying such tariffs. Poland’s Drumet and the Ukraine’s Silur will now pay anti-dumping duties of 27.9 per cent and 51.8 per cent respectively.…
UKRAINE - POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to impose anti-dumping duties on two (Polish and Ukraine) exporters of steel ropes and cables after the European Commission concluded that they had broken undertakings made to legitimately avoid paying such tariffs.…
EU ENLARGEMENT FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EASTERN and southern Europe countries slated to join the European Union (EU) on May 1, 2004, have worked small wonders in recent years to set up anti-money laundering regimes, not necessarily because they believe this is good in itself but partly at least because EU entry might not be possible otherwise.…
COUNTERFEITING FEATURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COUNTERFEITING is considered by many to be a victimless crime, the only losses being suffered by large trademark holders who have plenty of money anyway. The reality, of course, is quite different. Keith Nuthall reviews the latest international developments.…
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.…
POLAND RAIL POWER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE DEDICATED supplier distributor of electricity used by Poland’s national railway industry is likely to receive a European Bank for Reconstruction and Development loan to help it exploit the liberalisation of the Polish electricity industry. Bank officials are drawing up plans to lend Euro 15 million to PKP Energetyka, which it wants to spend on installing two control and metering centres.…
EU ENLARGEMENT FEATURE
BY ALAN OSBORN
FOR the non ferrous metals industries, the formal enlargement of the EU next May will not be an overnight sensation but rather the end of a ten-year process during which producers in eastern and central Europe have progressively adapted themselves to the western European model.…
POLAND TRADE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to officially sanction previously agreed trade concessions for Polish confectionary exporters, until the eastern European country becomes a Member State next year. The European Commission has proposed that concessions – widening low or zero-rated import quotas for many Polish confectionary products and ingredients or removing quantitative restrictions altogether – are written into the existing EU-Poland association agreement.…
OLD VERSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NON-FERROUS metal producers in the existing 15 European Union (EU) countries could see some lowering of labour costs after enlargement of the EU next year as low-paid Polish and other workers move into the higher wage countries like Germany, according to industry sources.…
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).…
EASTERN EUROPE FEATURE
BY MARK ROWE
IN the days of the Soviet Union, many millions of men and women had a choice of one state-manufactured brand of shampoo, toothpaste or soap. If anything, the authorities managed to limit even further access to such “indulgences” as perfume.…
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).…
FOOD SAFETY THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
NOW the arguing is over and the dye has been cast, it is time to start work on the practicalities of admitting 10 new countries to the European Union, making this long discussed enlargement work for British and western European farmers.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CREATION of an “audit culture” in the public administrations of the 10 eastern and southern European countries planning to join the European Union next May would help ease growing concerns in Brussels that would-be Member States are failing to meet EU financial probity standards, MEPs have heard.…
WORKING HOURS STUDY
Keith Nuthall
BRITONS work the longest hours in the European Union (EU), even though working time agreed in collectively agreements is below the EU average, according to a survey by the European Union’s European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions.…
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s funding institutions are increasingly financially assisting the former USSR’s oil industry. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending US$80 million loan to a key subsidiary of Russia’s Lukoil group – CSJC Lukoil-Perm – to help it cut gas flaring to 20 per cent by 2005, compared with 52 per cent at typical Russian oilfields.…
POLES V CZECHS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLISH government is launching a disputes case at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), complaining about the Czech Republic’s imposition of 50 per cent additional duties on Polish pig-meat exports. Poland says that the duty is illegally discriminatory, as they have not been imposed on imports from other countries.…
EU ENLARGEMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE IMPENDING enlargement of the European Union, admitting countries that were once part of the communist eastern bloc, poses risks for the western European pharmaceutical sector, as well as benefits from the opening up of new markets, a senior industry figure has warned.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is granting 512 meat processing establishments in six eastern European countries additional time to bring their health standards in line with European Union law once their home states join the EU next May.
A memorandum released by the European Commission’s enlargement directorate general, says that 332 of these operations are in Poland, where the deadline for compliance has been extended to December 2007; 14 establishments in Lithuania have until January 2007.…
SAFE FOOD - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CITIZENS of eastern and southern European countries seeking to join the European Union (EU) consider improvements to the safety of the food they eat to be the top priority of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy. Of those polled by the Eurobarometer organisation, 88 per cent cited food safety as their top priority for the CAP, rather than improving the income of their local farmers.…
CZECH SUGAR DUTY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE CZECH Republic has announced that it is extending the life of its 80 per cent safeguard duty on sugar imports until December 2004, claiming that its producers would be flooded by imports (mostly from Poland and the EU), if it lifted the protection.…
BREWING ENERGY LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is lending Euro 10 million to Denmark’s Danfoss Solutions, who will finance investment in energy-efficiency projects in the eastern European brewery sector, particularly in Poland and Russia, where energy consumption by industrial companies is significantly higher than in western plants.…
POLAND - EBRD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is investing Euro 7 million of new equity into in Dalkia Termika, the Polish subsidiary of France-based Dalkia International, which will make a further investment as a result. Its Polish business will develop energy installations in Poland, especially district heating projects, making them more efficient.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
THE MOST important driver of reform in the institutions of the European Union today is the impending enlargement of the EU eastwards, to take in (Greek) Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia.…
OLAF - EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE ESTABLISHMENT of special anti-fraud coordinators in all eastern and southern European countries applying to join the European Union (EU) has been welcomed by OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud office.
In a memorandum on the fight against fraud in an enlarged EU, OLAF said: “By putting Anti Fraud Co-ordinating Service offices in place, the candidate countries have demonstrated in concrete terms their commitment to fighting fraud.…
IMO SECURITY CODE IMPLEMENTATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
WAY back when….last December….the International Maritime Organisation agreed a compulsory maritime security code for its member countries, covering ships and ports involved in international trade. Governments have to write the code into their laws by December 31 and shipping companies and port authorities are supposed to comply by June 2004.…
EASTERN EUROPE THINK PIECE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WE are not inclined to disagree with those who say the enlargement of the European Union from 15 to 25 countries in 2004 is to be done on terms much less damaging to present EU farmers, and conversely much less favourable to incoming farmers, than seemed probable a year ago.…
POLAND - EBRD
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Bank for Reconstruction and Development is planning to lend Euro 52.5 million in Polish Zloty to Poland’s El-Viv Telecom Sp. z o.o., to provide acquisition finance to its planned new owners, a consortium of private equity investors including Hicks Muse Tate and Furst, Emerging Markets Partnership (Europe) and Argus Capital Partners.…
POLAND - EU
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
A TRADE deal smoothing Poland’s planned 2004 entry into the European Union has been agreed, where the EU introduces duty free quotas for products including chocolate, biscuits and confectionery and Poland cuts its import duties for chocolate, biscuits and confectionery by 30 per cent.…
POLAND - EU
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TRADE deal smoothing Poland’s 2004 entry into the EU has been agreed, where the EU introduces duty free quotas for products including chocolate, biscuits and confectionery and Poland cuts its import duties for chocolate, biscuits and confectionery by 30 per cent.…
DOUBLE CHECKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOUBLE checking systems introduced by the European Union to police steel trade systems struck with eastern European countries who now want to become Member States are to be indefinitely extended. The European Commission has proposed that these monitoring systems be maintained in place to guard against illicit steel exports from the Czech Republic, Romania, Poland and Slovakia until they are finally accepted as formal members of the EU.…
POLAND - EU DEAL
BY ALAN OSBORN
POLAND has agreed to reduce by 30 per cent its preferential duties on spirits and by 50 per cent the duties on vermouths under a deal reached with the European Commission. The agreement, initialled in Warsaw in October, was formally adopted by the Commission today (Friday) and if accepted by EU ministers will come into effect early next year.…
POLAND/CYPRUS - EIB
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has unveiled plans to lend the Polish Airports State Enterprise, (Przedsiebiorstwo Panstwowe Porty Lotnicze) Euro 200 million to construct a second terminal at Warsaw International Airport, Poland. The project should enable the airport to accommodate existing and rapidly rising demand for air transport in Poland, and, said an EIB note “contribute to Poland’s integration into the EU, and to strengthening transport links between the EU and Poland.”…
EIB GRANTS
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has lent Euro 30 million to Frantschach Swiecie SA, Poland’s second largest pulp and paper producer, so it can modernise its combined heat and power plant, supplying steam and electricity. The money will help it construct a new fluidised bed boiler, which will use biomass and coal as a fuel, overhaul existing coal-fired boilers and upgrade other electricity generating equipment.…
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.…
EU EXPANSION
KEITH NUTHALL
THE INTERNATIONAL Road Transport Union (IRU) has called on the European Union (EU) to take precautions in preparation for the admission of new Member States from the east, to make sure the EU road haulage market is not flooded with cut-priced cowboy hauliers from these former communist countries.…
E DEVELOPMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GROUNDBREAKING development aid scheme has been launched with the support of the European Commission, which specifically promotes the development of Internet networks and related e-commerce in poorer areas of Europe. The Euro 4.35 million e-MINDER scheme will target Cyprus, Galicia, (Spain), and Pomerania, (Poland), pump-priming small and medium-sized businesses to develop e-commerce projects, boosting regional economies.…
POLAND - EU
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
A TRADE deal smoothing Poland’s planned 2004 entry into the European Union has been agreed, where the EU introduces duty free quotas for products including chocolate, biscuits and confectionery and Poland cuts its import duties for chocolate, biscuits and confectionery by 30 per cent.…
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.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has taken an important step towards giving EU water legislation more teeth, by moving against Belgium’s system of “tacit approvals” of pollution. Belgian law allows companies to assume that they have a right to pollute if they make an application to regulators and then receive no reply.…
EU DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to impose definitive anti-dumping duties on imports of certain welded tubes and pipes, or iron or non-alloy steel from Czech Republic, Poland, Thailand, Turkey and the Ukraine. The proposal follows the imposition of provisional duties in March.…
HEALTH AND SAFETY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN unkind moments, critics of the insurance industry might say that the sector revels in misfortune, making money out of pessimism and encouraging its clients to prepare for the worst. Of course, like most unconditional statements about business, the truth is far off and is a lot more murky.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WORK is a lot more dangerous and unhealthy in the countries that will join the European Union in 2004 and later, than it is in the existing EU. A study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions finds there is “nearly double the risk to health and safety at work in the candidate countries.”…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY ALAN OSBORN
WORK is a lot more dangerous and unhealthy in the countries that will join the European Union in 2004 and later, than it is in the existing EU. A study by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions finds there is “nearly double the risk to health and safety at work in the candidate countries.”…
ANIMAL WELFARE
BY MARK ROWE
THERE is clearly something wrong with a law that allows a rare snake from Costa Rica to be sold in a church hall or for a reptile to be kept in a garage on a housing estate. But Britain’s animal welfare laws are, by the common agreement of just about every interested party, out-dated, confusing and, crucially, can actually cause more harm than good to animals.…
ILLICIT TRFFICKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
REPRESENTATIVES from the governments of Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Turkey have attended training courses staged by the EU’s Joint Research Centre, designed to improve their performance in combating the illicit trafficking of nuclear material.…
POLAND - SLOVAKIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union has agreed to exempt Poland until 2009 from new rules setting higher levels of minimum excise rates on cigarettes when it becomes a Member State, maybe in 2004. A current proposal would raise the minimum threshold to Euro 60 per 1,000 cigarettes from July, maybe doubling cigarette prices in Poland, damaging legitimate sales and reducing tax revenues.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ALMOST all eastern European countries applying to join the EU have asked for special transitional periods averaging three years to raise health standards at some of their food processing plants to meet EU regulations. Products from plants where improvements are still being made will not be able to circulate the EU.…
FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A LETTER signed by 108 scientists and researchers has been sent to the European Commission, calling for a greater priority to be given to biomedical studies in the oncoming Euro 16.2 billion Sixth Framework Programme for research. The experts, from the EU, the USA, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Poland, the Ukraine and Israel, claimed that although the preceding fourth and fifth programmes earmarked significant sums of money for their subject, the new scheme “offers little or nothing for them.”…
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.…
LITHUANIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LITHUANIA has imposed safeguard duties on imports of non-dried pastry yeast. Special tariffs of 22 per cent will be imposed from March to December, and 16 per cent from next January to December. Lithuania has been particularly concerned about increased imports from Germany, France, Poland, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Turkey, Italy and the Czech Republic.…
ENLARGEMENT THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS acts of international largesse go, the expansion of the European Union eastwards and southwards must rank as being one of the most generous in history. With research estimates claiming that the size of the EU budget will soar to accommodate the needs of the former communist republics, (plus Cyprus and Malta), we are talking Marshall Plan here; billions of Euro’s being transferred from national coffers in western Europe to the east, via Brussels.…
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.…
DOUBLE CHECKING
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers (general affairs) has extended the double-checking system on certain steel exports to the EU from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic until this December 31. The regime is designed to detect any abuses of the trade preferences enjoyed by these countries under association agreements with the EU.…
THAILAND V POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ANTI-DUMPING duties imposed by Thailand on imports from Poland of angles, shapes and sections of iron or non-alloy steel and H-beams are to be maintained, despite Bangkok losing a World Trade Organisation disputes appeal earlier this year.
It had stated that Thailand should amend its duties, finding their imposition to be “inconsistent” with the rules of the WTO anti-dumping agreement.…
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.…
WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The following communication, dated 6 December 2001, from the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the Chairman of the Dispute Settlement Body, is circulated pursuant to Article 21.6 of the DSU.
Status Report on the Implementation of the Recommendations and Rulings in the Dispute “Thailand – Anti-Dumping Duties on Angles, Shapes and Sections of Iron or Non-Alloy Steel and H-Beams from Poland” (WT/DS122) On 5 April 2001, the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) adopted1 the Appellate Body Report and the Panel Report, as modified by the Appellate Body Report, (the Reports) in the dispute Thailand – Anti-Dumping Duties on Angles, Shapes and Sections of Iron or Non-Alloy Steel and H-Beams from Poland (WT/DS122), recommending that the DSB request that Thailand bring its anti-dumping measure found in the Reports to be inconsistent with the Agreement on the Implementation of Article VI of the GATT 1994 (Anti-Dumping Agreement), into conformity with its obligations under that Agreement.…
WTO LATEST THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FRANZ Fischler has been making a lot of speeches recently. It is not because he has time on his hands, he is in charge of the European Commission’s largest two budgets, agriculture and fisheries after all. Rather it is because he is cross with the Americans, whom he accuses of playing Janus at the WTO.…
POLAND-ROMANIA
Keith Nuthall
POLAND has refused to accept a recommendation from the Textiles Monitoring Bureau of the World Trade Organisation that it lift transitional safeguard duties imposed on imports of acrylic/modacrylic staple yarn, pure or mixed with wool or fine animal hair, from Romania.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY MARK ROWE and BEATA PLONKA
THE CENTRAL European Air Traffic Services (CEATS) project, first tentatively suggested back in the early 1990s, is intended to radically redraw the aviation map of the region. The project aims to provide a significant boost to the airspace capacity of what many commentators call eastern Europe and address the main challenges facing aviation in the 21st century; safety, delays and rising volumes of traffic.…
OECD REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
HEALTH experts have been discussing a report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, (OECD), which has shown Britain performs poorly against its competitors in western Europe and north America, regarding the number of nurses employed per head of population in the late 1990’s.…
EASTERN EUROPE THINK PIECE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
CYNICS may look at the hastening political process of allowing eastern European countries, and their large agricultural sectors, into the European Union, and ask, ‘what’s in it for us?’
It’s a good question given that the 10 countries that are at the front of the membership queue, (with the tiny exceptions of Malta and Cyprus), are hardly wealthy.…
POLAND TERRORISM
BY BEATA PLONKA, in Cracow, Poland
THE POLISH Ministry of Defence has banned irregular civilian flights from the airspace above the capital Warsaw. Only controlled regular traffic has been allowed in from October 15, along with aircraft owned by the military and emergency services.…
LIVE TRANSPORTS
KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH hauliers may not in future find themselves at such a competitive disadvantage with eastern European competitors regarding the commercial transport of animals, because of a planned updating to a Council of Europe welfare convention.
Its commitments apply to countries both outside and within the European Union, where hauliers already have to comply with expensive rules on trailer standards, journey times, rest periods and the watering and feeding of livestock.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EASTERN European countries applying to join the European Union should be given transitional periods to align their excise duties on cigarettes with the laws loosely harmonising those of existing Member States, says the European Commission.
It has formally suggested that Poland, Romania and Slovenia should have two years from the time that they join the EU in which to amend their rates, and that Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Slovakia should have three years’ grace.…
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.…
CLEAN COAL GRANTS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has appealed for proposals for EU grants, which would fund technological initiatives boosting the clean and efficient use of solid fuels, notably the use of clean coal technologies by power plants to limit emissions such as carbon dioxide.…
POLISH CONFECTIONARY
BY BEATA PLONKA
POLAND’S two key domestic confectionary players have started negotiations to launch a joint-venture, which would between them control 10 per cent of the country’s robust confectionary market, one of the largest in Europe. The companies Jutrzenka and Mieszko want to compete more effectively with multinational competitors Nestle, Cadbury and Jacobs Suchard, which control 80 per cent of Poland’s confectionary market.…
POLAND INVESTMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE BRITISH American Tobacco Company is this year’s third new largest investor in Poland, after the French Credit Agricole, and the Casino supermarket company, according to a Polish government report. The company, present on the Polish market since 1991, is the now third largest tobacco producer in the country.…
EASTERN EUROPE SUBSIDIES
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE THREE important central European tobacco-growing countries of Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary will be able to claim production subsidies from Brussels when they join the European Union on the same basis as existing EU producers, European Commission officials have confirmed.…
EU ROUND UP
KEITH NUTHALL
IT is common knowledge that the European Union is becoming increasingly involved in public water policy, legislating to control the environmental quality of water supplies and watercourses. Brussels ambitions to improve water services do not, however, end at the external borders of the EU.…
POLAND-ROMANIA
KEITH NUTHALL
THE TEXTILES Monitoring Bureau of the World Trade Organisation has recommended that Poland lifts transitional safeguard duties that it has imposed on imports of acrylic/modacrylic staple yarn, pure or mixed with wool or fine animal hair, from Romania. In a report, it has claimed that Poland should not have concluded that its domesrtic production industry suffered “serious damage” from the imports in 2000.…
POLISH GRANT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LARGEST meat processing company in Poland could receive a Euro 12.5 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Its board has been asked to approve plans to lend money to finance the transfer of best practice know-how to Sokolow SA, to expand its poultry business and promote exports.…
ECJ FERRO-SILICON
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LIAISON committee of the European Union ferro-alloy industry Euroalliages has lost a case at the European Court of Justice, where it was trying to force the European Commission to reconsider its decision not to re-impose anti-dumping duties on imports into the EU of ferro-silicon from Poland and Egypt.…
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.…
POLAND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank is to loan the Polish government Euro 112.8 million to support its Revised Hard Coal Sector Reform Programme, which is aimed at helping the country transform its coal industry into a “competitive and profitable sector.”…
POLAND PALLETS
KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to punish five Polish pallet producers who the European Commission alleges have failed to abide by promises not to dump cheap products on the EU market, thereby escaping anti-dumping duties of up to 10.6 per cent agreed established in 1997.…
INTERNATIONAL SEABED AUTHORITY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
MULTILATERAL sea and river organisations are usually created to deal with existing problems that cross national borders, but a new body has been making progress on a shipping issue that has yet even to happen: the exploitation and transport of subterranean solid mineral deposits.…
POLAND v SLOVAKIA
BY KEITH NUTHALL
POLAND has announced that it intends to impose retaliatory restrictions on Slovakian food exports, in response to the safeguard duties imposed on imports of sugar by its east European neighbour, which Warsaw claims were erected in a way that breaks world trade laws.…
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.…
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ETC
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has claimed that agreement of proposals to create a European Public Prosecutor to coordinate investigations and prosecutions regarding EU fraud, is essential. Without this, it said in a wide-ranging report on EU fraud, “the fight against fraud will remain a half measure and is doomed to failure.”…
BSE ASSESSMENT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EU’s Scientific Steering Committee has advised that it is “likely” that BSE is present in cattle herds in Albania, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, that it is “unlikely” to be present in India, Pakistan, Colombia and Mauritius, and “highly unlikely” to be in the cattle of Brazil and Singapore.…
POLAND
KEITH NUTHALL
A post-apocalypse sports tourism facility is being developed in an old, deserted and environmentally destroyed mining area. A car-racing track has been set up for adventurous tourists who want a Mad Max 2/races in Chernobyl style experienced. We have a writer in Cracow.…
TRANSIT REFORMS
KEITH NUTHALL
FREIGHT forwarders may be freed of the burden of guaranteeing the payment of duty during EU transit operations, where hauliers transport goods across national borders in Europe, without paying duties or dealing with import procedures, except for the country where the consignment is delivered.…