Archive

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has formally proposed its anticipated list of maximum dioxin contamination limits for food products. The levels for fish are as predicted last week in Environmental Health News. For dairy products, beef and sheep-meat it is three nanograms per kilogram of fat, for example.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced that it is taking Ireland, Italy and Greece to the European Court of Justice, for failing to abide by EU directives on the transport of dangerous goods. Ireland has already been censured by the court for ignoring EU rules regarding their road transport rules and the Commission’s action could lead to Dublin being ordered to pay massive fines.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
NEW labelling requirements that will spell out in some detail the presence and history of genetically modified organisms, (GMO’s), in food sold in the 15 EU countries have been proposed by the European Commission. The regulation, which requires approval by the European Parliament and the EU national governments, extends present legislation, removes loopholes and brings in a new comprehensive traceability requirement.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
BRITAIN has been sent a second warning by the European Commission over its failure to comply with the EU’s Waste Framework Directive which sets out obligations over the treatment of waste. Brussels is objecting to the scope of exemptions permitted in the UK and to inadequate transport controls for Gibraltar and Northern Ireland.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE KYOTO protocol on climate change was adopted by 186 nations in Bonn, but without the participation of the US, which is responsible for 25 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.

President Bush is now likely to come under intense international pressure to produce an American plan to tackle climate change.…

BY KATE REW
CHEMICAL window cleaning agents could soon be redundant thanks to a new product soon to be introduced by Pilkington North America. Its Pilkington Aktiv glass is the first in the world to have self-cleaning properties.

The glass uses a so-called ‘photocatalytic effect,’ where the sun’s rays gradually and continuously break down organic dirt which then dissolves.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UNITED States has formally lifted its retaliatory 100 per cent duties on EU exports of bath preparations, other than bath salts, following the solution of the years-long row with the European Union over its import procedures for Caribbean bananas.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
A SLEW of new measures tightening up the labelling and composition of soaps, detergents and possibly the perfumes used in them, has been suggested by the European Commission. Its ideas are only at the “working document” stage, but are being put up for consultation with the industry, consumers associations and others and could form the basis for legislation later in the year.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
EUROPEAN and Japanese carmakers have struck an agreement with the European Commission on the voluntary introduction of measures to protect pedestrians and cyclists.

All new vehicles sold in the EU from 2003 would carry daytime running lights and anti-lock brake systems.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
EUROPE’S direct marketing organisations have expressed delight at a vote in a European Parliament committee to agree an opt-out system for electronic messaging in the EU Member States.

What the MEP’s are saying is that companies should not have to seek permission from consumers before sending them unsolicited commercial e-mails, or “spam,” (the so-called “opt-in” approach), but can operate on the basis that if the messages are unwanted the recipients can opt out.…