Search Results for: Dutch

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A BID to use the principle of client-lawyer confidentiality to annul fines levied on Dutch chemical group Akzo over its involvement in plastics additives cartel looks likely to fail. An advocate general of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has advised the court to reject a claim that a European Commission probe into the cartel was legally flawed because officials read emails sent between Akzo’s in-house legal team and the general manager of UK-based group member Akros Chemicals.…

BY WACHIRA KIGOTHO

EAST Africa is developing as an important source of biofuels and biofuel feedstock, with governments keen to attract foreign direct investment for this potentially strategic rural development option.

Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Sudan, and Tanzania are countries where foreign companies are competing to acquire land for biofuel projects.…

BY GEORGE STONE

THE KYOTO Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has made slow progress in Africa, but schemes are slowly getting off the ground, led by programmes in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.

Under the United Nations-backed CDM process, projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and contribute to sustainable development can earn saleable certified emission reduction (CER) credits.…

BY MARK ROWE

CROATIA is certainly talking a good game when it comes to cracking down on fraud as its European Union (EU) membership negotiations continue apace. The promised land of a seat at Brussels was sufficient to help Social Democrat law professor and classical music composer Ivo Josipovi?…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

MOVES have been made to delay a vote by the European Parliament on the European Union’s (EU) agreement with the United States on passenger name record (PNR) data handovers. The parliament’s civil liberties committee is concerned a ‘no’ vote, which would scrap the system, could spark serious restrictions on EU citizens entering the USA.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE MULTILATERAL Investment Guarantee Agency of the World Bank is considering guaranteeing US$260 million investment into a Ghana offshore oil and gas project. It would back Jubilee Ghana MV21 BV, a special-purpose Dutch company owning a floating production storage and offloading facility at the Jubilee Field, 60 kilometres offshore, operated by a subsidiary of Japan’s MODEC Inc.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE NEW European Union (EU) energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger has been installed for five years, along with his environment Commissioner Janez Poto?nik and climate action Commissioner Connie Hedegaard. And so utilities executives might be forgiven for thinking that the key political changes in Brussels have now been made regarding the appointment of a new European Commission.…

BY GAVIN BLAIR, FRANCES WANG, RAGHAVENDRA VERMA and KARRYN MILLER

The Asian beer market, having overtaken Europe, is now the largest in the world, according to Japanese brewery Kirin. The region accounts for 31.7% of global consumption, compared to 30.8% for Europe, claims the annual report from the Kirin Institute of Food and Lifestyle.…

BY DAVID HAWORTH

THE EXPERIENCED Dutch politician nominated to serve for the next five years as European Union (EU) digital agenda Commissioner in charge of publishing issues, should face an unusual second European Parliament confirmation hearing. Neelie Kroes, currently serving as competition Commissioner, underwhelmed MEPs with weak answers at a hearing in Brussels on Thursday.…

BY DAVID HAWORTH

DUTCH liberal politician Neelie Kroes was assured of confirmation as the European Union’s (EU) digital agenda Commissioner, with responsibility for publishing industry affairs, after an unusual second hearing at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Her one-hour closed-door session with EP party leaders followed complaints that her answers at a first conformation hearing last week were "lacklustre and somewhat vague."…