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.
PUBLIC PROCUREMENT LATEST
BY KEITH NUTHALL
LOCAL authorities will have to use common legal terminology in public procurement procedures, matching that used in every Member State of the European Union, if a proposed regulation from the European Commission is agreed by EU ministers. Brussels wants its Common Procurement Vocabulary – currently just one of several systems in use – to be made mandatory for contracts and tender documents.…
LEADER PLUS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the spending of Euro 119.2 million, (Pounds 74.71 million), of EU grants on rural development programmes in England from 2001 to 2006. Money is to be funnelled from the EU’s Leader Plus initiative via 23 Local Action Groups, which are to be selected by the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.…
AIRLINE PROMISES
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has welcomed voluntary commitments to improve passenger services that have been made by the Association of European Airlines. In a meeting with the AEA, transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio said that she welcomed the promises, which include notifying passengers promptly about delays and cancellation and delivering luggage “as quickly as possible.”…
AVIATION SAFETY
Keith Nuthall
THE CREATION of a European Aviation Safety Agency has moved closer following a “broad preliminary agreement” by EU transport ministers on common rules for civil aviation safety between the EU’s 15 Member States. The European Commission has been given 12 months to draw up “adequate proposals” on how the proposed regulation could be applied to third country aircraft.…
FRANCE
Keith Nuthall
FRANCE has been formally requested by the European Commission to scrap safety regulations that force pilots of small aircraft on flights from other EU countries to land at an airport with a customs office or give at least 24 hours notice before take-off.…
SCHIPHOL
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has moved to end tax exemptions enjoyed by Schiphol airport, Amsterdam, which currently is exempt from paying Corporation Tax. Brussels has claimed that in an increasingly liberalised air market, this concession cannot be justified and is illegal state aid from the Dutch government.…
PORTUGAL
Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has dismissed a claim by Portugal that its system of landing fee discounts for some domestic flights is justified under EU law. In one of the last legal disputes on this issue, judges ruled that the fees for Lisbon, Oporto and Faro airports illegally discriminated against foreign carriers and so broke EU fair trade regulations.…
FED-EX - JAPAN
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
FED-EX has announced that it has integrated its import/export facilities at Kansai International Airport, Japan, opening a new centre with 3,580 square meters floor space and employing 144 employees; it is 1.3 times the combined size of previous
import and export facilities, a FedEx statement said.…
VIETNAM GRANT
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
JAPAN is to grant Vietnam loans totalling US$220 million, to help it expand Ho Chi Minh City’s international airport, which should enable the government to postpone its relocation
for at least 10 years, state media reports have said.…
CHINA
BY SWINEETHA DIAS WICKRAMANAYAKE
BEIJING Capital International Airport (BCIA) is holding talks with provincial Chinese airports, with a view to securing stakes in them, which could transform the Hong Kong stock exchange listed company into a key nationwide player. Although Chinese press reports have quoted the company as dismissing rumours that it has struck deals to buy into Xian, Chengdu and Shenyang airports, it has confirmed that investmant talks are underway with their owners.…