Search Results for: Belgium

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has moved to protect four traditionally made European food products from being copied by food manufacturers based outside the regions where they have historically been made. Brussels has added these products to its protected geographical indication lists preventing such copies being sold in the European Union (EU):

*Slovenská parenica, a steamed, lightly smoked Slovak sheep milk cheese wound into two rolls 6-8 cm in diameter and 5-8 cm high, connected in an ‘S’-shape;

*Vlaams-Brabantse tafeldruif (Belgium’s Flemish-Brabant table grape) – both white and black varieties;

*An Italian onion Cipollotto Nocerino, grown near Naples; and

*A Czech camomile Chamomilla Bohemica.…

By Alan Osborn

The 27 EU member states will have to speed up their educational progress if they are to meet a range of self-imposed targets deemed necessary if the Lisbon strategy for growth and jobs is to be successful by 2010.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE TEMPORARY right of European Union (EU) member states to levy reduced rates of VAT on clothing and footwear repair services could become permanent. The European Commission has proposed governments henceforth always can reduce VAT on such services by up to 5% from their standard rate.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

FORMAL negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Russia over renewing the 1997 partnership and cooperation agreement between them are under way at last: formal talks started in Brussels on July 4, following a successful EU-Russia summit at the Siberian oil town of Khanty-Mansiysk..…

By Keith Nuthall

It is almost a truism that women have a tougher time in most professions than men, and academia is no different. But it is worth considering the absurdity of this statement: that in the 21st century, it is still quite normal to assume that the success of an academic or student is likely to be affected by their gender.…

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 ALAN OSBORN

FEW people would challenge the European Commission’s assertion earlier this year that, in practice, market integration in the gas market in the European Union (EU) "is still far from a success."

In its report Progress in Creating the Internal Gas and Electricity Market published in April, Brussels said that major barriers to the efficient functioning of the market still existed largely because of "insufficient implementation of European legislation."…

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.…