Archive

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) organisation tasked with reviving the war-damaged south-eastern Balkans has released a plan to move Macedonia’s wine industry from a bulk producer of cheap wine towards a higher-end standards, tapping western export markets. The country has a wine-making tradition, but since the rise (and fall) of communism, it has been characterised by a command economy inspired indifference to quality.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE SCOTCH Whisky Association (SWA) has welcomed the passage into European Union (EU) law of a newly approved directive on fighting counterfeiting and piracy, which will strengthen the hand of established drinks producers in suppressing fakes. The legislation widens powers available to EU customs and trading officials to seize fake goods and also for rights holders to secure the destruction and recall of illegal goods, plus financial compensation, injunctions and damages.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
SWEDISH government lawyers are drafting a new national law on alcohol advertising that would allow alcohol advertising in the country, but would impose restrictions, such as banning images of drinkers in publicity material. Instead, only bottles, cans, glasses, grapes and other ‘still life’ images could be used, and advertisements would also have to carry warning or information messages about alcohol consumption.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A BRITISH company Norske Veritas Certification and the Japanese Quality Assurance Organisation have been given authority to approve technologies as generating tradeable credits under the Kyoto Protocol clean development mechanism. They would check for compliance with approved Kyoto greenhouse gas emission reduction methodologies, such as oil field gas recovery and utilisation.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AMERICAN scientists at Purdue Univrsity, Indiana, have developed a blend of soya-based fuel and traditional aviation fuel that freezes only at minus 40C, overcoming the problem that vegetable oils usually used in biofuels freeze at around 0C, New Scientist has reported.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) is planning to lend Spanish utility Enagás SA up to Euro 450 million to reinforce and extend the country’s gas transmission network and reserve facilities. These improvements would cover most of the country and are included in the 2002-2011 Spanish National Energy Plan.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s opposition to restrictions on personal alcohol imports between European Union (EU) member states, such as between France and Britain, could intensify after a new team of Commissioners takes office in November. Answering a European Parliament questionnaire, Latvia’s Ingrida Udre promised a strong line, assuming she is confirmed as taxation and customs union Commissioner.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GERMANY has been formally asked by the European Commission to reform its ‘one-way’ drinks packaging deposit system. Brussels claims breaches of European Union freedom of trade rules through Berlin not introducing an effective collection system for non-reusable bottles and cans on which mandatory deposits of between Euro 0.25 and 0.50 are charged and which retailers are bound to return.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED Nations officials have launched an “immediate and detailed probe” in allegations that a Ukrainian peacekeeper serving in Sierra Leone has used mining equipment “for unauthorised reasons” in a region rich in diamond deposits. The UN said it was acting on reports that the soldier “has been assisting the licensed Sierra Rus mining company to remove spoil material from a mining site” in Kenema district, Eastern Province.…

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.…