Search Results for: Czech Republic

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT; AND MOHAMMED YUSUF, IN NAIROBI

IN late January, oil production and exports came to a halt in South Sudan over a transit pricing dispute with its former overlord north Sudan. With no compromise in sight, the newly independent Africa country is mulling other transport options, but, even if production were to resume, it will be months – at best – before its oil sector gets back on its feet.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have expressed broad support for tightening rules insisting EU mining companies declare payments made to governments who regulate their mines and processing facilities. EU officials now are confident that these rules will be agreed by a June 30 deadline imposed by heads of government in January.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers is seeking an agreement with Russia and Belarus that would better coordinate the operation of their electricity systems with those of the three Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The council’s working party on energy is drafting a proposal for EU ministers that – if approved – would "authorise the [European] Commission to negotiate an agreement between the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus and the European Union on electricity system operation of the Baltic States."…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE INTERNATIONAL Finance Corporation (IFC) of the World Bank has hailed as a success an initiative to simplify the taxation system of the Caucasus republic of Georgia. It is coordinating a Georgia Tax Simplification Project, which recently staged a workshop in the Black Sea town of Batumi, to help import-export companies, consulting firms and brokers exploit reforms in cross-border trade regulations and custom clearance zones.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) consumer alert network RAPEX has reported that Portugal has relaunched tough action against imported cosmetics it deems a potential health risk. Last year saw a spate of filings from Portugal about seizures and sales bans and Lisbon has now redoubled its efforts this year, with eight products targeted by consumer protection authorities in February alone.…

BY MARK ROWE, IN LONDON; ZLATKO CONKAS, IN NOVI SAD, SERBIA; MIKE STEIN, IN PRAGUE; AND BLAKE BERRY, IN WARSAW

DURING the spring of 2011, the prevailing view throughout eastern Europe’s personal care and toiletries market was that while business was not exactly buoyant, the worst of the recession was over – then came the credit crises and the faltering Euro.…

BY JAMES FULLER

IF evidence were needed to show how globalised the confectionery sector has become – then look at the row between Ecuador and the European Union (EU) over possible EU controls limiting levels of toxic metal cadmium in cocoa powder and chocolate.…

BY WANG FANGQING IN SHANGHAI

A RECENT Chinese-African cotton agreement could usher in a new era for the African cotton industry but not in the short-term, say industry experts.

Under the agreement, signed in December with four key cotton-producing African countries – Benin, Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso (known as the C4) – China stated it would provide machinery, expertise and materials in a bid to increase and improve the quality of local production.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

WINNERS

TUNISIA

Of all the countries disrupted by the Arab Spring revolts in 2011, Tunisia liberated itself in the swiftest and most business-friendly fashion. This key European supplier rid itself of despotic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on January14, and one week later, its textile and clothing sector was back at work.…

BY MICHAEL KOSMIDES

THE GREEK government has launched an international multibillion Euro tender regenerating the old Athens airport area at Hellinikon. The 620 hectare site is more than twice the size of Hyde Park in London. It includes facilities used for the Athens 2004 Olympics and listed buildings such as the former ‘Athens East Terminal’, designed by the architect Eero Saarinen.…