Archive

KEITH NUTHALL
THE REFORM of the European Union’s common agricultural policy regarding cotton growing is a priority of the EU’s Italian presidency until (December), said Italy’s agriculture minister Giovanni Alemanno. He told the EU Council of Ministers that Italy would push reform “on the basis of in-depth studies of the impact of the planned measures on the markets concerned.”…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union-funded PANATEX project will hold a workshop in Copenhagen on September 18-19, bringing researchers from the textile, textile and pulp and paper industries to discuss solutions to their respective environmental problems, especially regarding water. *More information – http://www.patantex.net/…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GRANT scheme funnelling money to German citizens wanting to buy environment-friendly insulation made from sheep’s wool, (as well as flax, hemp fibre), rather than conventional fossil materials has been approved by the European Commission. Its decision, made under European Union state aid regulatory powers will send a signal to other EU Member States that such schemes would be approved by Brussels across Europe.…

BY MARK ROWE
THAILAND’S shoemakers have been told they must create a niche market of intricately designed products or rise losing their global market share to China and Vietnam where costs are lower. The Thai Footwear Association said the country should make a virtue of the fact its shoemakers had greater skills than their Asian counterparts.…

Keith Nuthall
THE CONTINUED threat posed by Chinese shoe exporters willing to fraudulently exploit trade concessions in European Union markets enjoyed by its east Asian neighbours has led to the likely extension of surveillance measures designed to crack down on the problem.…

KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSAL from the European Commission to end Britain and Irelands’ practice of zero-rating VAT on children’s shoes has been rejected by London and Dublin. The British government made clear it would use the national veto available against European financial legislation to prevent the proposal becoming law.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission wants to scrap the experiment allowing shoe and leather repairers in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands to charge lower rates to their customers. Its aim was to promote labour intensive industries such as shoe repairing, but following an analysis of the pilot project, the Commission has concluded that “the reduced rate had very little, if any, impact on prices or job creation.”…

KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission-ordered consultants report on reducing emissions of hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride has suggested the phasing-out of fluorinated gases in sports footwear sole cushions. It calls for the practice to be banned by June 2006 for all fluorinated gases.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s foreign ministers have warned in a tough joint statement that the EU’s relationship and cooperation with Iran would be “reviewed” if its government did not agree to an enhanced nuclear inspections protocol as required by the International Atomic Energy Agency.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU ministers have approved new regulations improving the public the right of access to documents held by Euratom, especially where material is at least 30 years old. Changes to a 2001 regulation on access to EU documents and should widen public access to information on contracts concluded by the Euratom Supply Agency and European Court of Justice case records.…