Search Results for: European Parliament

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EU ministers have been asked to approve a formal plan to computerise and coordinate the European Union’s customs procedures controlling the movement and surveillance of excisable products, such as tobacco. The EU Decision establishes a Euro 35 million budget to set up the system within five years.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission is proposing an outright ban on the use of the chemical product hexachloroethane (HCE) in the manufacture of non-ferrous metals because, it says, it “poses an unacceptable environmental risk, in particular to aquatic organisms.” The ban is to begin on June 30, 2003.…

KEITH NUTHALL
FROM the beginning of next year exporters of medicinal products will find it easier to sell in Japan following completion of a Mutual Recognition Agreement between that country and the EU.

The deal includes a Good Manufacturing Practice agreement under which both sides will agree to honour each other’s testing, certification and approval of products.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared the proposed merger between steel producers Usinor S.A. of France, Luxembourg-based Arbed S.A. and Aceralia Corporación Siderúrgica S.A. of Spain, a deal which would create the world’s biggest steel company. To secure regulatory approval, the companies have agreed to sell off steel production and distribution operations in France, Spain, Luxembourg, Belgium, Italy and Portugal.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has approved the takeover of Filtrauto S.A., the French manufacturer of automotive filters, by its Italian rival Sogefi S.p.a. Brussels cleared the deal on competition grounds, because the merged company will still have to fight for sales, facing opposition particularly from German manufacturers Mann & Hummel and Mahle.…

Keith Nuthall
FISCAL concessions developed to encourage unregistered gray market Italian businesses declare themselves officially and start paying tax have been approved by the European Commission as fair way in which to boost the regularisation of the Italy’s economy.

Rome has offered businesses in the country’s underground economy a range of discounts in tax and social security to persuade them to establish themselves legitimately.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AS the world’s environment ministers meet in Marrakesh, Morocco, to agree detailed rules on the operation of the Kyoto Protocol, the European Commission has formally proposed that the EU should ratify the convention and has also tabled legislation that will bring it to life in Europe.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GOOD practice regarding the prevention of mercury pollution, during the production of the metal, and its emission as an unwanted by-product, has been collected in a Position Paper on Mercury, released by the European Commission.

It tries to measure the effect of the metal on the EU environment and human health and makes recommendations on how to limit its impact.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
GUIDELINES have been issued by the European Commission, advising local authorities on how they can promote social concerns by incorporating them in their public procurement procedures. Brussels’ Communication explains how this can be done without breaking EU laws on the subject, which are manly designed to ensure fairness and openness in bidding for public contracts.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Union is to strengthen its research into defences against bio-terrorism by stepping up collaboration between countries, EU ministers agreed this week (Tuesday 30th). A new expert group will make an inventory of existing research, identify gaps and establish methods for harmonisation of definitions and exchange of knowledge.…