Archive

BY ALAN OSBORN
A CONTROVERSIAL revision of the EU’s directive on airport landing and take-off slots which would reduce historic rights and open the market to new entrants has received broad approval from the European Parliament’s transport committee. The Association of European Airlines has expressed “grave concern” about aspects of the legislation.…

BY MARK ROWE
THE MALAYSIAN government is to launch a new and powerful autonomous civil aviation authority in an attempt to kick start plans to transform the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport into a regional hub to rival Singapore. The new agency will have a remit to negotiate air service agreements with international airlines.…

BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKA
Japan’s Nissan Motor Ltd has begun exporting vehicles from plants in Thailand to Indonesia as part of a plan to make the south-east Asian kingdom its main supplier of vehicles in the region. Nissan plans to take advantage of the fact that the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) is lowering duties on locally made vehicles to increase shipments in the region of passenger cars and pickup trucks from Thailand, and commercial vehicles from Indonesia.…

MARK ROWE
MALAYSIA is calling for a review of plans to cut tariffs across south-east Asia, claiming that lower tariffs will affect its car production, particular the Proton series. The south-east Asian country has been given until 2005 to bring tariffs on imported cars down to between zero and five per cent, two years later than other key members of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA).…

BY MONICA DOBIE
Tyre producer, Pirelli Pneus SA, a subsidiary of Italy’s Pirelli SpA, is likely to receive financial assistance from the European Investment Bank to help the company flourish in the South American market.

The bank has drawn up plans to lend the company Euro 44 million to modernise and extend an existing plant in Feira de Santana, in Bahia Brazil, to produce radial tyres for light vehicles.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE ASSOCIATION of Travel Agents and Tour Operators in the EU

(ECTAA) is advising its members to seek advice from lawyers over their

potential exposure to claims arising out of so-called tailor-made holidays.

Until now most agents have taken the view that tailor-made holidays are not

covered by EU package holiday legislation but this now has to be revised in

the light of a judgement by the European Court of Justice.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the purchase of joint control of the Italian charter airline NEOS, (which has been wholly-owned by NHT New Holding for Tourism B.V.), by the German travel company Preussag AG. The Commission has not imposed any conditions on approving the deal, having carried out a streamlined review of the case.…

KEITH NUTHALL
A PROPOSAL that biofuels should be made exempt from excise duty within the European Union has been made in Brussels. The idea has been suggested by the Committee of the Regions, which represents powerful sub-national administrations, such as those for Scotland, Wales, Catalonia and Bavaria.…

KEITH NUTHALL
HAULIERS who are forced to lay up for a weekend or during a public holiday, because of a proposed European directive limiting the right of EU Member States to introduce driving bans at sensitive times, should be provided with adequate rest facilities, a European Parliament committee has said.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union Commissioner for competition policy, Mario Monti, has

stated his willingness to consider a postponement of the key location

clauses of the proposed reform of the block exemption system for new car

sales, with implementation being delayed beyond 2003.…