Search Results for: Italian

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SIX year fishing agreement struck between the European Commission and the Seychelles has reduced access for European Union (EU) tuna boats to answer criticism that similar past deals have been emptying developing world waters of fish. The new agreement with the Seychelles – lasting from January 2005 to 2011 – cuts fishing opportunities for tuna long-liners by 15% by 2006.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE TAXATION and customs portfolio in the new European Commission is to be held by a one-time communist and leader of the socialist party in Hungary, its former foreign minister Laszlo Kovacs. Mr Kovacs, who is 65, replaces Ingrida Udre of Latvia who was criticised by the European Parliament for failing to rebut allegations concerning financial irregularities in the funding of her political party and was subsequently withdrawn by her country at the request of the new Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
FORMER Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini has been appointed as the new European Union (EU) Commissioner for justice, freedom and security, following the removal of his co-patriot Rocco Buttiglione because of opposition from the European Parliament. Whilst catholic right-winger Buttiglione upset MEPs with his conservative views on homosexuality, Frattini made soothing remarks on morality at his hearing in front of the parliament.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITISH holding company Candover has welcomed the European Commission clearing its sale of French and Italian frozen food chain Picard to another investment vehicle BC Partners for more than Euro 1.3 billion. The sale brings Candover a 2.7-times return on its 2001 acquisition of Picard in 2001, when it bought the chain from French retailer Carrefour in 2001 for Euro 920 million.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN research project has developed a packing system for large items such as furniture and stone flooring that uses recyclable plastic and which is designed to boost its recovery. Companies from Italy, Spain and Turkey have created this environment-friendly robotic system under the umbrella of Eureka, a pan-European research network.…

Keith Nuthall
A LEAKED European Commission document has revealed Brussels’ doubts that the Italian government will fulfil it pledge to reduce its 62% ownership of Alitalia to less than 40% within 12 months. If the Commission’s fears are conformed, it could block the rescue plan for the troubled airline.…

Keith Nuthall
THE ITALIAN government is likely to come under pressure from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) to increase the liberalisation of its groundhandling services market. In a formal opinion to the court, which are usually followed by judges, ECJ advocate general Philippe LÃ(c)ger has ruled that by protecting the social rights of existing groundhandling services and their staff, Italy is breaking directive 96/67/EC, the European Union’s first attempt to open up this airport sector.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE LIKELIHOOD of Italy’s nominee as the new European Union (EU) Commissioner for justice, freedom and security taking up his post has become extremely unlikely, with the European Parliament forcing a withdrawal of the entire new Commission due to start work on November 1.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
ISSUES of commercial crime have been moving up the European Union’s (EU) policy agenda in recent years. With the arrival of a 25-member European Commission under Jose Barroso, the subject has even greater prominence and involves the responsibilities of three new Commissioners.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
CHANGES made by Italy’s prime minister Silvio Berlusconi to his country’s accounting laws, helping him fight charges of false accounting in his many businesses, break European Union (EU) law a senior European Court of Justice (ECJ) official has advised.…