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.
SCANDINAVIAN FEATURE
BY SIGRÚN DAVÍDSDOTTIR
THE FOUR Scandinavian language-speaking countries, Denmark, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, all pass with flying colours on Transparency International’s Corruption Index when considering their exposure to money laundering. Though the use criminal proceeds is not a serious issue in this friendly part of the world, their vicinity to countries in the former communist eastern bloc and the increasingly pervasive nature of international terrorism means that no one can afford to be caught sleeping on the post, especially not after 9/11.…
SMALL AIRCRAFT PREMIUMS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
Lower insurance premiums for operators of smaller aircraft have been approved by a committee of the European Parliament which says that proposals put forward by the European Commission would spell “bankruptcy” unless changed.
The European Commission has published a draft regulation seeking to re-establish equilibrium in the aviation insurance market in Europe following the events of September 11th 2001 but MEPs said this would impose “intolerable” burdens on the smaller aircraft sector because it did not differentiate between aircraft with a MTOW (maximum take off weight) of less than 25,000 kg.…
DESIGNS PUBLISHED
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FIRST successful applications for a special intellectual property right protection in the European Union, focusing on designs rather than inventions, have been published by the EU’s Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market.
Companies who have sunk investment into producing innovative designs – such as a new line of car, a shape of a mineral water bottle, or a new texture of textile – have been able to apply for these innovations to be places on a protected EU register since January 1.…
ABN AMRO JOINT VENTURE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
The European Commission has approved a “full-function joint venture” between two Dutch companies: ABN AMRO Bank which is active in the provision of financial services, and Delta Lloyd, part of the Aviva group, an underwriter and distributor of insurance products with other financial services activities.…
MARPOL CONVENTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is pushing for an acceleration of the phasing out of single hull tankers worldwide in the wake of the Prestige accident. Indeed, in an unusual move, all of its 15 Member States have simultaneously proposed amendments to the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) MARPOL Convention, which would hasten their scrapping and replacement with safer double hull vessels.…
ILO REPORT
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL Labour Organisation (ILO) report published to mark this week’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work has claimed that every year around two million lives and US$1.25 trillion of global economic earnings are lost to work-related accidents and illnesses.…
COLUMBIA LOAN
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank has approved a US$150 million loan to the Columbian government to help it strengthen its financial institutions – including the insurance sector – against exploitation by criminals and also to boost its capacity to make further investments in the national economy.…
MOTOR INSURANCE CASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN and Greece have escaped from being taken to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission over allegations that they had failed to implement the European Union’s (EU) Fourth Motor Insurance Directive.
The European Commission reported that the two governments had responded to a legal final warning letter by writing the directive into their national laws, having missed a deadline of July 20 last year.…
WTO SERVICES OFFER
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has made its formal offer at the World Trade Organisation’s Doha Development Round to boost access to the European Union insurance market to non-EU players. However, following pressure from national European capitals, its services talks liberalisation package is hedged with a large number of exceptions protecting local interests.…
WTO SERVICES ROUND
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has offered to open up the European Union’s market in IT services to suppliers based outside the EU, as part of the ongoing Doha Development Round at the World Trade Organisation.
If its trading partners offer adequate concessions in return, Brussels is offering to remove regulatory restrictions preventing non-EU computing companies from offering services in Europe.…