Search Results for: Belgium

BY DAVID HAWORTH

THE EUROPEAN Smoking Tobacco Association (ESTA) represents the interests of the European manufacturers, distributors and importers of fine-cut (rolling) tobacco, pipe tobacco, chewing tobacco and nasal snuff tobacco. The members of ESTA are mainly small and medium sized companies (SMEs) as well as member associations from the vast majority of the European Union Member States from Norway and Switzerland.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers are debating an urgent rescue package for a European fishing sector that is being buffeted by high fuel prices. European Commission officials are drafting formal proposals, which would suspend certain European Fisheries Fund subsidy controls for two years.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

AGREEMENT has been secured on a new European Union (EU) directive reducing or banning 33 pollutants – mainly pesticides and heavy metals – found in EU rivers, lakes and coastal waters. By 2018, member states will have to reduce pollution from "priority substances", while blocking or phasing out emissions, discharges and losses of "priority hazardous substances".…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

ENVIRONMENTAL health officers think they are helping keep people fit and well by reducing pollution and food disease. But maybe the best move the cold, rheumatism and asthma sufferers of Britain can make to be healthy is emigrate to a Greek island, sunbathe (moderately) and eat fish, vegetables and olive oil.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A REPORT from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has revealed that almost a half of OECD member countries (including many in Europe) have potentially dangerous nutrient and pesticide concentrations in drinking water sources.

Tests carried out in recent years (NOTE: CALLED MID-2000’S IN THE REPORT) on surface water and groundwater monitoring sites in agricultural areas show these pollutants often "exceed national drinking water recommended limits" said a new OECD report on the environmental impact of farming.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A DEAL has been struck at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over unbundling of gas (and electricity) networks, which will allow formal ownership of production and distribution operations.

However, this compromise option will insist on transmission systems being managed by an independent operator.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE NUMBER of counterfeit cigarettes seized at the external borders of the European Union (EU) fell 63% in 2007 compared to the previous year, the European Commission has concluded. Brussels said 27.1 million packets worth (20 stick equivalent) of counterfeit cigarettes were seized.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission yesterday (Tues 20 May) proposed ending a long-established link between paying fibre crop producers’ subsidies and the amount of flax and hemp that they grow. Brussels wants these grants rolled into the EU’s single payment system, where farming subsidies are not governed by harvest levels.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

AN ALLIANCE of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden have effectively blocked moves to create a European Public Prosecutor position. The European Commission has dropped draft proposals establishing the post within Eurojust, the European Union’s (EU) network of prosecution agencies.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

ROAD transport has been booming in the 10 eastern and southern European countries joining the European Union (EU) in 2004. Between 1995 and 2005, traffic volumes increased by 400%, compared to 16% in longer established EU member states such as Britain, a consultants report written for the European Commission has claimed.…