Search Results for: european union

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.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
FOLLOWING the publication by the European Commission on February 5th of its proposed far-reaching reforms to the current block exemption scheme for new car sales in the European Union, the continent’s motor industry is in ferment. Nobody can be quite sure whether the reforms will go through as they have been planned – or when.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
RADIO navigation is to be improved in the Gulf of Finland, notably in Russian waters, because of a planned European Bank for Reconstruction and Development-funded project. The Maritime Port Authority of St Petersburg has formally applied for a loan from the bank for a US$5.4 million project to set up three radio towers on the islands of Gogland, Sommers and Skar, part of a regional navigational safety project.…

Keith Nuthall
The use of cadmium batteries in electric vehicles is to be banned

in the EU from 2005, the European Commission has announced. Cadmium is a

heavy metal that pollutes the environment and can cause kidney damage in

humans. The Commission said alternative power sources for electric vehicles

such as nickel metal hydride batteries were now available and lithium-ion

batteries would be on the market later..…

Keith Nuthall
MEMBER governments of the World Trade Organisation have agreed to embark on two-phase talks to meet the 2003 deadline for completing negotiations on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications of wines and spirits.

The WTO’s TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property rights) council has broadly agreed that a single draft document should be written by early next year, even if this included alternative options.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has hailed the entry into force of the first set of the European Union’s new so-called farm-to-fork food legislation that will underpin the work of the new European Food Safety Authority. The new laws include the start of the reinforced rapid alert system for feed and food risks, involving obligatory notification of any direct or indirect risk to human health, animal health or the environment to an network linking national authorities, the EFSA and the European Commission;

*New emergency powers for the European Commission to suspend or control sales when a feed or food constitute a serious health risk and where a national government cannot control the situation acting alone or where non-EU food is involved.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A TAX break approved by the European Commission in 1995 benefiting Italy-based insurance companies operating in eastern Europe is likely to be withdrawn, following the launch of a state aid inquiry by Brussels which is expected to criticise the scheme.…

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.…

Keith Nuthall
MEMBER governments of the World Trade Organisation have agreed to embark on two-phase talks to meet the 2003 deadline for completing negotiations on a multilateral registration system for geographical indications of wines and spirits.

The WTO’s TRIPS (trade related aspects of intellectual property rights) council has broadly agreed that a single draft document should be written by early next year, even if this included alternative options.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
The Directive is due to be implemented by 15 December 1999. Adoption by the Council follows adoption of the Directive by the European Parliament at its November plenary session.

“Adoption of this Directive marks an important step forward”, Mr Monti stated, “both for lawyers themselves, who will find it much easier to practice in other Member States, and for their clients, especially the many businesses and citizens who need a lawyer in another Member State.…