Archive

BY KEITH NUTHALL
JANUARY sales figures collated from across the European Union (EU) have shown trade picking up compared with 2003, with a 2.2 per cent increase showing a market improvement over weaker pre-Christmas sales, where a 0.4 per cent rise was recorded.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
CONSUMERS may be given less time in which to cancel a credit agreement without offering a reason, if amendments to a new European Union directive are approved. The European Parliament’s legal affairs committee has proposed shortening the mandatory grace-period written into the legislation from 14 to seven days.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has generated fears of increased alcohol and tobacco smuggling by proposing the abolition of indicative limits guiding European Union (EU) customs officials deciding whether quantities imported from other EU countries are for personal use. Bolkestein’s proposals would also liberalise the delivery of alcohol (but not tobacco) imports by an intermediary, such as foreign Internet drinks sites, abolishing the rule forcing such businesses to pay excise duty in the destination country.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
ASYLUM seekers applying for refugee status in the European Union (EU) will probably be divided into two classes in the future, depending on the risks they face in their home countries. That principle was adopted by an EU Council of Ministers (justice and home affairs) last week, which agreed refugee rights should go to people fearing persecution because of their religion, nationality, race, political views or social status, who think they cannot be protected by their own government.…

BY MONICA DOBIE, ALAN OSBORN and MARK ROWE
SENDING employees abroad or setting up overseas branches always take some preparation and maybe the most important job is taking care of workers’ health needs. Not only must local employment laws be followed, but companies must ensure that they can manage the alien health risks faced abroad.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AMONGST all European Union (EU) countries, Finland has the highest number of nurses and midwives per head of population, – 2,181 per 100,000 inhabitants – according to the recently released and latest available comparative figures. EU statistical agency Eurostat said that these 1998-2000 figures showed Portugal as having the least nurses and midwives (379 per 100,000) and Greece the second worst performer (391).…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH nurses admitting foreign patients into hospitals and clinics will have to watch out for a new European Union (EU) health insurance card that will be introduced from June, which will grant EU citizens an automatic right to care on the National Health Service.…

BY MATTHEW BRACE
A NEW volcanic gas and ash detector created by Australian scientists could enable the airport and airline industries to save both money and lives. The ‘Ground-based Infra-Red Detection’ (G-bIRD) system is being developed by Australia’s CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) and the country’s Tenix Defence Electronic Systems division.…

BY MONICA DOBIE
A PRIVACY dispute with airlines has delayed US government plans to implement a modern security system used to pick out suspicious passengers in airports. The Department of Homeland Security has stopped testing the system because airlines were reticent to volunteer sample data on passengers, fearing their customers would be offended.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union ministers have been asked to approve new rules laying down minimum rest periods and other safety-related personnel regulations for civil aviation crews. The European Commission has proposed a regulation that would set maximum flight times for pilots and cabin crew to 13 hours per day, (11 hours, 45 minutes for night flights).…