Search Results for: Belgium

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE ATTACK by France and Germany on the European Commission’s ‘health check’ reforms to phase out European Union (EU) dairy quotas by 2015 is gathering support, with 16 member states backing increased subsidies. Having failed to persuade the Commission to abandon quota liberalisation, a growing Franco-German-led alliance at the EU Council of Ministers is backing increased subsides while restrictive production quotas expand from 2010 and disappear in 2015.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

TURKEY – the lynchpin of European Union (EU) efforts to secure energy independence from Russia – has started negotiations to join the EU’s Energy Community. The organisation currently extends EU energy legislation to non-EU Balkans countries, but there are plans to add Moldova, Ukraine and Turkey to its membership.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission will spend Euro 96,670 promoting sales of Belgium and Luxembourg honey within the European Union over three years. The money will finance marketing and information campaigns across Europe already planned by relevant industry organisations: Apaq-W, of Belgium; and FUAL, of Luxembourg.…

BY JULIAN RYALL

THE CONFIRMATION on Monday that Japan’s two largest drinks companies – Kirin and Suntory – are in discussions on merging their operations may have caught the industry by surprise, but the reasons for the move have quickly become apparent.…

BY MARK ROWE and GAVIN BLAIR

THE ANSWER to the world’s future fuel needs may be literally all around us, and freely available in abundance, thanks to the throw-away society of the 21st century. Bioenergy, produced from all matter of waste products, from wood chips, to agricultural husks and slurry, has been steadily elevated up the list of potential sources of energy that will be required in a low-carbon world.…

BY MARK ROWE

ACCORDING to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), today’s world aircraft fleet is about 65% more fuel-efficient than in 1970. Between 1990 and 2000, fuel efficiency improved by 17%. Furthermore, the clean technology of modern aircraft engines has almost eliminated emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended its first marketing authorisation for an advanced therapy medicinal product – ChondroCelect, developed by Belgium’s TiGenix NV. It is a cell-based medicine, used to repair defects in the cartilage of the femoral condyle.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

BELGIUM – the host of Europe’s de facto capital – has long been regarded as being flawed as regards corruption – but now the Council of Europe’s GRECO watchdog is on its case. Keith Nuthall reports.

GRECO – the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption – acts like its MONEYVAL committee does as regards money laundering.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

FACED with a global recession caused partly by commercial financial crime, governments have been pushed into taking action against tax evasion in recent months by ending the practice of banking secrecy. Is it the end of the road for tax havens as protected jurisdictions where illicit transactions can hide?…

BY ALAN OSBORN, LUCY JONES, RAGHAVENDRA VERMA, JULIAN RYALL, and KARRYN MILLER

THERE are 108 recognised Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) throughout the world and more are being created every year as the fight against international money laundering becomes ever more global.…