Search Results for: Belgium

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A GROUNDBREAKING starter motor-alternator, enabling cars to automatically and smoothly stop and start when in congested traffic, has been developed by European companies involved in the Eureka research network. The i-StARS (NOTE – SPELLING IS CORRECT) project, coordinated by France’s Valeo Electrical Systems, spent Euro 9.85 million on developing this second-generation technology, whose aim is to create significant environmental improvements to auto performance without forcing car makers to make radical changes to engine design.…

By Monica Dobie

A European Union (EU)-funded research project called SonoDrugs is developing tiny, image-guided medicine capsules conveying doses through blood vessels to the centre of an infection or disease, after which the drugs are activated by ultrasound pulses. This new technology is initially being developed for cardiovascular disease and cancer by the Euro 15.9 million project, which includes Dutch electronics giant Philips; Nanobiotix, of France; and Lipoid, of Germany; as well as academics from the University of Cyprus, University of Gent (Belgium), University of Helsinki, University of London, University of Tours (France), University Victor Segalen Bordeaux (France), University of Technology Eindhoven (the Netherlands), and the University of Udine (Italy).…

BY ALAN OSBORN, LUCY JONES and KEITH NUTHALL

INTRODUCTION

CLOTHING and textile production and trade subsidies are under pressure today, as they have not been for many years. There has been a steady trend towards liberalisation in the sector worldwide, stemming from the abolition of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) Agreement on Textiles and Clothing (ATC) in January 2005 and with it, then end of restrictive quotas for imports for the WTO’s 152 member countries.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Union (EU)-funded research project called SonoDrugs has united universities and high-tech businesses in developing tiny, image-guided medicine capsules which could target medicines to where they are needed in a patient’s body. The aim of the innovation is conveying doses through blood vessels to the centre of an infection or disease, after which the drugs are activated by ultrasound pulses.…

BY MONICA DOBIE

DOGS may provide some answers to the mystery of genetic illnesses in people through a new European Union (EU) project called LUPA that will try to pinpoint such disorders in canines. The work could prove to be valuable as humans share many of the same diseases.…

By Monica Dobie

Universities examining pedigree dogs may provide some answers to the mystery of genetic illnesses in people through a new European Union (EU)-funded project called LUPA. It will try to pinpoint such disorders in pure bred canines. The work could prove to be valuable as humans share many of the same diseases.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE MAXIMUM amount of duty-free or duty-paid tobacco that can be brought into the European Union (EU) from a non-EU country without paying EU excise duty can now be reduced to just 40 cigarettes. That is an option now offered to member states, which can maintain the previous 200 cigarette limit if they choose.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the acquisition of sole control of Belgian gas and electricity company Segebel by Centrica Overseas Holdings Ltd, part of Britain’s gas and electricity company Centrica plc. Brussels’ ruling follows an inquiry into the deal by its officials who concluded it would not cause competition problems in the European energy sector.…

By Alan Osborn

The failure of business to invest significantly in innovation projects remains the major weakness in the European Union’s (EU) research picture, says the European Commission. While there is "substantial progress" in some aspects of the EU’s innovation performance, investments by business in R&D and IT projects "are still relatively weak, especially if compared to the US and Japan," claims Brussels.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A DETAILED report from the European Environment Agency (EEA), which highlights signals of environmental problems within Europe, says England and Wales can be labelled "water stressed", along with only eight other European countries. They are Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Malta and Spain.…