Search Results for: European Court of Justice

BY KEITH NUTHALL
SIMPLICITY is not one the virtues that is readily associated with the institutions of the European Union, so it is refreshing to note that the European Parliament has recently taken a straightforward step to boost its accountability to the citizens of the continent that it serves.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that strict dioxin contamination limits are introduced from January 2002, covering foodstuffs including fish and fish feed.

Products with dioxin contaminants exceeding these levels would be considered “unsuitable for consumption.”

The following maximum levels for fish dioxins have been tabled:

*Fish oil: 6 nanogram/kg;

*Fish meal: 1.25 nanogram/kg;

*Fish feed: 2.25 nanogram/kg;

*Fish meat (farmed and wild): 4 nanogram/kg.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that Portugal be allowed to apply a lower rate of excise duty levied in its two Atlantic island autonomous regions on locally produced and consumed spirits: rum and liqueurs in Madeira, and liqueurs and eaux-de-vie in the Azores.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU consumer affairs Commissioner David Byrne has revealed details of a planned new European directive on food labelling to a round table on food quality, safety and production, that could lead to a dramatic expansion of the ingredient information that must be printed.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE BEEF market in the European Union has worsened since the spring when “promising” signs of recovery had been detected, the European agriculture commissioner Franz Fischler has said, in a reversal of recent previously optimistic comments. The positive trend at that time “seems to have stopped and prices have somewhat worsened,” Mr Fischler told ministers at the agriculture council this week (24th July).…

KEITH NUTHALL
A CONSORTIUM of key European Union players in the solar energy market has launched an ambitious scheme to install 15 million square meters of solar collectors in Europe by 2004, a project for which it hopes to get support from the European Commission.…

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 BELGIAN government has committed its tenure of the EU presidency over the next six months to securing formal approval for the creation of a new research fund, pumping millions of Euro’s into steel industry research. This would replace the work carried out via the soon-to-be-defunct European Coal and Steel Community.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has asked for electronics research teams – from both the private and public sector – to bid for money from a budget to promote studies and demonstration projects, regarding innovative computing-related technologies.

Using some of the last money still available from the outgoing Fifth Framework Programme of research, which will be wound up by the end of this year, the Commission has announced that it has earmarked Euro 450 million for grants, with a deadline for applications for the bulk of the projects of October 17.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is distributing 1.2 million leaflets this summer – many via EU hotel and tourism federations – which aims to educate holiday-makers on how to use the single European currency, the Euro.

With its notes and coins due to be launched in January, “Don’t forget to Pack the Euro” encourages tourists to get used to the concept of the single currency whilst vacationing abroad this summer.…