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.
EU ROUND UP
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved Germany’s controversial Euro 647 million state aid injection to TotalFina Elf subsidiary Mitteldeutsche Erdöl Raffinerie for constructing the Leuna 2000 refinery in Saxony-Anhalt. Brussels had re-examined the project and has now cleared all aid, including Euro 61.4 million, which had been blocked pending the decision.…
AGRO-SATELLITE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A GERMAN company Rapid Eye AG is developing a new type of geographical survey satellite, specialising in agricultural data, with EU-approved Euro 37 million German government grants.…
GMO RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
COMMON EU technical rules for declaring information and making market approval applications for GM food products have been approved by the Council of Ministers.…
FLORIDA TAX
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WTO has established a disputes settlement panel to examine Brazil’s complaint about Florida’s “equalizing tax” on imported processed orange and grapefruit products.…
EU RESEARCH
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU research Commissioner Philippe Busquin has called for a European organisation spreading expertise on plant science to be created. He has also stressed that the oncoming 2003-2006 EU Sixth Framework Programme for research has earmarked Euro 685 million for food quality and safety studies.…
CEREALS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is negotiating with EU trading partners to introduce protection for its cereals industry, involving import tariffs. Brussels is worried about price falls caused by the US Farm Bill.…
BANANAS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU banana production, (mostly in Guadeloupe, Martinique and the Canaries), is likely to remain at current levels, with the EU Court of Auditors saying producers are not tapping special aid to convert to other crops.…
OLIVE OIL
BY KEITH NUTHALL
PORTUGAL has called for the resumption of EU funding of the International Olive Oil Council’s promotion of olive oil in non-EU countries with low demand, (including the USA, Australia and Japan). Payments were suspended over council tendering concerns.…
EASTERN EUROPE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU ministers have given the European Commission a mandate to negotiate further liberalisation of trade between the existing EU and eastern and southern European countries wanting to become Member States.…
USDA DATABASE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States Department of Agriculture has made its National Nutrient Database adaptable to handheld Personal Digital Assistants; the database lists more than 6,000 food items. See http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp.…