Search Results for: European Union

BY KEITH NUTHALL
CLASSICAL swine fever has been detected at three locations in Luxembourg and the export of all live pigs and porcine semen, ova and embryos, as well as the shipment of pigs through the tiny country, has been banned by the European commission.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that the international Cartegena protocol on the safe transfer, handling and use of genetically modified organisms is incorporated into EU law. Its suggested regulation would oblige exporters to notify authorities about GM consignments, which would have to be labelled.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A HIGH Court bid by British Sugar to recoup UK Pounds 6.6 million production levies, demanded by the UK’s Intervention Board, could have been damaged by the European Court of Justice. Its judges have ruled that the board had the authority to refuse paying export subsidies to British Sugar on 16,600 tonnes of sugar exported under a special ‘c’ quota.…

KEITH NUTHALL
HAULIERS are likely to escape the full burden of an energy taxation directive imposing minimum duty levels on petrol and diesel because of an about turn performed by European Union heads of government. A short but significant clause in the communiqué drawn up at the recent summit in Barcelona not only commits Member States to approving an energy tax law by this December, but crucially says that they should “bear in mind the needs of professionals in the road haulage industry.”…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Free Trade Area Court has ordered Norway to scrap its discriminatory beer retail system, where mostly domestically-produced brands of between 2.5% and 4.75% abv, can be sold outside the state alcohol monopoly Vinmonopolet, while other largely imported pre-packaged alcoholic drinks, with the same strength, must be sold through the government system.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission announced today (Wednesday) that under the EU Merger Regulation it has approved the acquisition of the whole of the insurance business of the Deutsche Bank of Germany by the Zurich Financial Services Group of Switzerland.…

Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission is threatening Germany with legal action at the European Court of Justice because it claims labour protection laws designed to soften the effect of liberalising the country’s ground-handling services breaks EU legislation. Directive 96/67 orders the gradual introduction of free access to the groundhandling services market at EU airports by December 2003.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE FIRST stage of legal proceedings that could lead to Carlsberg and Heineken being fined heavily by the European Commission because of allegations of market fixing have been launched in Brussels.

Formal statements of objections were sent to both drinks giants by the Commission, claiming that they have been in breach of EU competition rules, notably Article 81 of the EU treaty, which bans cartels and other “damaging” concerted business practices.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has ordered the repayment of Euro 7.83 million, (Pounds 4.8 million), of aid from the German textile company Neue Erba Lautex GmbH (NEL) and its parent company, the bankrupt Erba Lautex GmbH following a formal inquiry launched last summer.…

Keith Nuthall
THE UNITED States government has informed the disputes settlement body of the World Trade Organisation that it “intended to comply” with the final Havana Club ruling issued at the start of this year, although it warned diplomats that it “would require for that purpose a reasonable period of time.”…