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.
COMMISSION V PHILIP MORRIS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is considering its legal options, after the dismissal of its case brought in New York against Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds, alleging that they had helped promote tobacco smuggling within the EU.
U.S. District Judge Nicholas G.…
PERU-CHILE
BY KEITH NUTHALL
FORMAL disputes proceedings at the World Trade Organisation between Chile and Peru over a new Peruvian tax regime for cigarettes have been shelved, following the striking down of the tax by the Constitutional Court of Peru.
In a ruling with no appeal, Peruvian judges backed an application by the British American Tobacco Co, which claimed that the tax “granted preferential treatment to a category of cigarettes.”…
ITALY - ECJ
Keith Nuthall
ITALY is being taken to the European Court of Justice by the European Commission, which claims that it is maintaining illegal obstacles to the import of energy drinks from other EU countries.
By limiting the amount of caffeine in energy drinks to 125mg per litre, Italian legislation effectively prohibits the marketing of imported products as the majority of energy drinks on the EU market contain significantly more than this, said Brussels.…
PORTUGAL DUTY
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that Portugal be allowed to apply a lower rate of excise duty levied in its two Atlantic island autonomous regions on locally produced and consumed spirits: rum and liqueurs in Madeira, and liqueurs and eaux-de-vie in the Azores.…
HOPS
Keith Nuthall
THE EU Council of Ministers has formally approved a three-year extension of the current flat-rate aid of Euro 480/hectare paid to European hops producers, up to and including the 2003 harvest. A Council statement has said that this would “allow decisions on providing aid to producers to be taken at the same time as decisions on special aid measures relating to temporary set-aside or permanent grubbing-up.”…
HEINEKEN
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE DUTCH brewer Heineken is to join forces with Bayerische BrauHolding of Germany under a deal approved today (Friday) by the European Commission.
Heineken is active throughout the 15 EU countries in the brewing and distribution of beer and other beverages.…
FRENCH ADVERITISING CASE
BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission said today (Wednesday) it was taking France to the European Court of Justice over restrictions preventing alcoholic drinks producers from participating in the cross-border provision of television broadcasting services, sports sponsorship and advertising services.
Brussels said that the French Loi Evin “disproportionately restricts the cross-border media sales services by sports events organisers in other Member States” and restricted alcoholic drink producers from buying advertising and sponsorship services from sports events organised in other EU countries.…
COKE MACHINE
BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal
THE PARENTS of a 19-year old university student who was crushed to death by a Coca-Cola vending machine have filed a CAN$1-million lawsuit in a court in Quebec, accusing the soft drink giant and the vending machine manufacturer of “gross carelessness.”…
CANADA STATISTICS
BY MONICA DOBIE, in Montreal, Canada
CANADIANS are drinking more and better beer, according to figures published by Statistics Canada, that indicate sales of imported beers have increased their market share by 25 per cent last year, capturing nine per cent of the total market.…