Search Results for: European Court of Justice

KEITH NUTHALL
A BID by a group of district heating companies to overturn massive fines levied by the European Commission, which found they had been participating in an illegal cartel, has been thrown out by the European Court of Justice’ Court of First Instance.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has refused to abandon its American lawsuit against Phillip Morris, Japan Tobacco and R.J. Reynolds Nabisco, despite its case being thrown out by the New York District Court. Brussels has announced that it will not only appeal, but will prepare a new case focusing on money laundering allegations.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE NETHERLANDS Shipbuilding Industry Association (VNSI) has welcomed the oncoming agreement of the Euro 16.2 billion EU Sixth Framework Programme for research as giving the European industry a chance to compete effectively against far East suppliers, such as those from South Korea.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has authorised Germany to pay Euro 1 million, (Pounds 610,000), in national aid to beef farmers in North Rhine-Westphalia as compensation for losses arising out of the BSE crisis. Aid will be in the form of subsidised loans worth some Pounds 15 per animal and will cover up to 500 farmers.…

KEITH NUTHALL
A STRING of cases have been launched by the European Commission against Member States of the European Union to try and force them to comply with EU water legislation; under existing rules, failure to abide by the court’s rulings can see national governments being hit with huge daily recurring fines of up to Euro 100,000.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Free Trade Area Court has ordered Norway to scrap its discriminatory beer retail system, where mostly domestically-produced brands of between 2.5% and 4.75% abv, can be sold outside the state alcohol monopoly Vinmonopolet, while other largely imported pre-packaged alcoholic drinks, with the same strength, must be sold through the government system.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
IN an increasingly borderless world, the power of international intellectual property conventions is growing ever stronger and agriculture is being affected by this trend as much as mining and IT.

Take new crop varieties. In the EU, since 1995 Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) has been established.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is to order tests on all imports of shrimps from Vietnam, Thailand and Myanmar, (Burma), to ensure antibiotic residues do not exceed EU health limits, following concerns raised by spot-checks on cargoes from these countries.

Results showed unsatisfactory contamination of shrimps from Vietnam and Thailand by Nitrofuran, veterinary drugs banned for food producing fish and animals in the EU on health grounds, including a possible increased cancer risks through long-term consumption.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FIRST stage of legal proceedings that could lead to Carlsberg and Heineken being fined heavily by the European Commission because of allegations of market fixing have been launched in Brussels.

Formal statements of objections were sent to both drinks giants by the Commission, claiming that they have been in breach of EU competition rules, notably Article 81 of the EU treaty, which bans cartels and other “damaging” concerted business practices.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union’s ambitious Galileo satellite navigation project was strongly backed by EU government leaders at their summit meeting in Barcelona and a decision to go ahead is now fairly certain to be taken by EU transport ministers at their Council on March 26th.…