Archive
International News Services archives articles supplied to clients one year or more after initial publication. These articles are protected by a password and not made available to readers without permission from clients. They are used as a background resource by agency journalists. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.
ECJ TRADEMARK CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOES ‘sir’ sound that different to ‘zirh’? Maybe it depends on the accent used, but whatever, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that these words are sufficiently contrasting to allow both to be registered as a verbal trademark.…
BUILDING MATERIALS COATINGS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) joint research centre (JRC) is testing innovative construction materials designed to fight against air pollution. In a joint scheme with academic institutes, building supply and chemical companies the JRC’s PICADA project (photo-catalytic innovative coverings applications for de-pollution assessment) is examining special plaster, mortar, architectural concrete and anti-pollution coatings.…
POP BAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has moved to swiftly approve legislation banning persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from use in the European Union (EU) by the end of 2007, agreeing the terms of a new regulation with the EU Council of Ministers.…
DE PALACIO ROW
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU energy Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has fuelled an ongoing row with environment Commissioner Margot Wallstrom over whether the EU should abide by the Kyoto Protocol. She told the Financial Times that the EU should examine alternative ways of dealing with climate change, while Russia dithers over ratification.…
INSECT CURTAIN
BY MONICA DOBIE
AMERICAN researchers have developed a ‘curtain of air’ system that could keep disease-carrying insects from boarding civil aeroplanes. The technology, created by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in the United States, is a high velocity fan system used in passenger walkways that excludes 99 per cent of mosquitoes and flies.…
FAO - MEAT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AROUND one-third of global meat exports – 6 million tonnes – are currently being restricted by animal disease outbreaks, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has claimed. This could amount to world trade losses of up to US$10 billion (GBP 5.57 billion), if import bans extend throughout 2004, it said.…
EU SCIENCE COMMITTEES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has created three new scientific advisory committees that will inform it about a series of non-food environmental health issues. The committees have been established to replace some old Brussels scientific committees whose food duties have been transferred to the European Food Safety Authority.…
KYOTO PROTOCOL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE REMAINING treaty requirements under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol on global warming have now become legally binding across the European Union (EU); they cover the way in which greenhouse gas emissions have to be monitored and reported. The EU’s emission reduction targets became binding in 2002, along with those for its Member States…
IEA REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD’S increasing reliance on cars is threatening efforts to combat climate change, according to a report published by the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA). Although its report ‘Oil Crises and Climate Challenges’ found that oil consumption has been declining since 1973 in every other industrial and service sector, soaring transport demands meant overall levels have not declined.…
EUROSTAT - ILLNESS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BELGIUM is the European Union’s (EU) salmonellosis hotspot according the latest comparative figures collated by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical agency. In 2001, 104 cases were recorded in Belgium per 100,000 people, with other high figures being recorded in Germany (94 cases), Luxembourg (83) and Austria (81).…