Search Results for: Environmental health

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has clarified its plans to propose a directive on environmental liability this year; Brussels is inviting comments on a new working paper, which could see chemical companies being forced to pay for the removal of serious pollution.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has approved a new EU-wide temporary protection system to cope with an influx of refugees, such as that created by the conflicts in former Yugoslavia.

Ministers can now order that the European Refugee Fund assists Member States prepared to accept displaced persons; they would be granted certain rights to residence and work permits, appropriate information, accommodation, social assistance, health care, and education.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has launched a series of legal proceedings against EU Member States, which it claims have broken oil-related directives.

It has decided to take Italy to the European Court of Justice over its special tax on engine lubrication oils, which Brussels claims contravenes EU excise duty laws.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU consumer affairs and health Commissioner David Byrne has revealed details of a planned new European directive on food and drink labelling, which could lead to a dramatic expansion of the ingredient information that must be printed. If it is approved by the European Parliament and the EU Council of Ministers, the directive would order the listing of all ingredients of foodstuffs and potential allergens.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is considering introducing a series of dioxin contamination limits for fish products. They include: 6 nanograms/kg for fish oil, 4 nanograms/kg for farmed and wild fish, 1.25 nanogram/kg for fish meal and 2.25 nanogram/kg for fish feed.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission said today (Wednesday) it was taking France to the European Court of Justice over restrictions preventing alcoholic drinks producers from participating in the cross-border provision of television broadcasting services, sports sponsorship and advertising services.

Brussels said that the French Loi Evin “disproportionately restricts the cross-border media sales services by sports events organisers in other Member States” and restricted alcoholic drink producers from buying advertising and sponsorship services from sports events organised in other EU countries.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union has been pressing its trading partners to loosen the emergency import restrictions that they imposed on EU meat products at the height of the foot and mouth crisis, because of the clear evidence that the outbreak is under control.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s deadline of evaluating by July 2003 the safety of the 800-plus active substances used in EU pesticides will be missed, with Brussels asking ministers and MEPs to extend the completion date to 2008.

Health and consumer affairs Commissioner David Byrne has admitted that when the EU agreed Directive 91/414 on the authorisation, use and control of plant protection products – insecticides, fungicides, herbicides etc.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is developing a set of common statistical indicators that will enable the EU and national governments to accurately assess where there are particular problems of poverty and social exclusion within the European Union. A statement from the Commission said that although progress was being made on this work, further development is “urgent” in two key areas: the development of non-monetary indicators and also improved measurement tools in relation to health, housing and education.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice has damaged Monsanto’s case at the High Court, in London, where it is claiming that UK regulations break European law by failing to insist that rival firms provide up-do-date information about the effect of glyphosate herbicides, when applying for market approvals.…