Archive

KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States has requested formal consultations with Egypt at the World Trade Organisation over duties imposed on some textile and clothing products in December 2001. These range from 141 to 51,296 per cent, well above bound rates agreed by Cairo in the WTO’s last general (Uruguay round) agreement.…

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.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FINAL details of an agreement to install an interconnector linking the gas networks of Greece and Turkey – historically hostile enemies – have been struck, a move welcomed by the European Commission. The deal involves a Euro 250 million, 285 kilometre, gas pipeline being built between Komotini in Greek Thrace, with Karacabey, in Turkey, near Istanbul, through cooperation between Greek Natural Gas Company (DEPA) and Turkish gas company BOTAS.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission investigation has decided that the transfer of pension obligations for Belgian telecommunications company Belgacom’s statutory employees to the Belgian government does not involve the payment of an illegal subsidy. In a state aid inquiry, the Commission found that the transfer is financially neutral because in exchange for transferring its pension obligations, Belgacom pays the Belgian government funds that match their costs.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Parliament has taken issue with the European Commission by insisting that responsibility for the safety of nuclear installations should remain under the control of the various national safety authorities. Brussels had sought to extend its own authority in this area which has assumed new significance because of the entry into the EU in May of several countries with ageing nuclear plants.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has drawn up plans to lend up to Euro 125 million to water authority Hoogheemraadschap van Delfland for building and operating a new wastewater treatment plant and upgrading an existing plant in the Netherlands’ the Hague region.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is taking six national governments to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) because of allegations that they have failed to implement the large combustion plants directive that seeks to cut air pollution through strict limits on sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions.…

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.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SERIES of exemptions from the European Union’s (EU) new energy taxation directive have been proposed by the European Commission for the eastern and southern European countries joining the EU in May (barring Cyprus).

They would be added to the already long list of exemptions negotiated by existing Member States, which prompted EU internal market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein to liken the legislation to a “piece of Gruyere cheese”.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has given final approval to the proposed EU co-generation directive, adopting all amendments passed by the European Parliament at its second reading. A council note said the directive, which promotes co-generation, was a “key component of the EU’s strategy for energy efficiency and energy savings and reducing CO2 emissions.”…