Search Results for: European Union

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE POLLUTION of rivers and lakes used for tourism in the UK has been rising sharply, according to the latest bathing water report from the European Commission. It claims that for the year 2000, compliance with EU cleanliness standards for fresh water sites has fallen to 81.8 per cent, compared with 90.9 per cent in 1999 and 100 per cent in 1998.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
PROPOSED European legislation for shipping using European Union ports or sailing in waters under the jurisdiction of EU Member States has been toughened up by the European Parliament, though the changes still have to be accepted by national government ministers.…

Keith Nuthall
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced that it is to fund a Euro 120,000 research project examining ways of further reducing carbon dioxide emissions from light commercial vehicles. Brussels has called on companies and think tanks to bid for the contract to carry out the studies.…

BY KATE REW
THE NEW edition of the global code, which sets the standard for imports and exports of healthy fish has just been released. The third version of the International Aquatic Animal Health Code published by Office International des Epizooties (corr), lists the diseases that would stop the import or export of fish, molluscs and crustaceans, under international trade laws.…

KEITH NUTHALL
ITALIAN textile houses have welcomed US Congress’ adoption of reforms to America’s rules of origin for textile products, which they claimed discriminated against European Union exports and broke World Trade Organisation rules.

When implementing the Uruguay Round GATT agreement, the United States had passed a law that insisted that cotton, silk and man-made fibres fabrics entering the EU at loom state to be dyed and printed, no longer qualified as EU products when they were exported.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced an in-depth investigation into a planned online travel agency to be formed by the internet service

provider T-Online, and the travel companies TUI and C&N (Neckermann), which could lead to Brussels blocking the deal on competition grounds.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has proposed that sulphur should be banned from petrol in the EU by 2011, and has proposed that sulphur-free petrol and diesel should be made available in every Member States from January 1, 2005.

Brussels thinks sulphur elimination is important, because the chemical damages catalytic converters and makes them less efficient.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN heads of government will be asked to back a work programme to integrate environmental concerns at the heart of EU energy policy. The resolution, to be tabled at the next EU summit, in Göteborg, Sweden, on June 15-16, was approved by the latest meeting of the Council of Ministers for energy and industry.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
CIGARETTE packets sold in the European Union could be graced with gory medical images designed to shock smokers into quitting, as a result of a compromise deal struck between the EU Council of Ministers and the European Parliament over the final form of the new European tobacco directive.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s long running bid at the European Court of Justice to undermine the series of bilateral ‘open skies’ agreements struck between individual EU Member States, and the USA has taken a further step forward, with the opening of oral proceedings.…