Search Results for: European Parliament

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union Council of Ministers has trimmed Euro 25 million from a planned new Intelligent Energy for Europe programme, which extends existing EU programmes promoting energy conservation and renewables.

Ministers agreed that Euro 190 million should be spent on the 2003-6 programme, which must be jointly agreed with the European Parliament.…

KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has lent Euro 30 million to Frantschach Swiecie SA, Poland’s second largest pulp and paper producer, so it can modernise its combined heat and power plant, supplying steam and electricity. The money will help it construct a new fluidised bed boiler, which will use biomass and coal as a fuel, overhaul existing coal-fired boilers and upgrade other electricity generating equipment.…

BY ALAN OSBORN
NEW rules affecting the operations and supervision of multi-national groups of companies in the EU will come into force shortly following agreement by the European Parliament today (Wednesday) of the Financial Conglomerates Directive; MEP’s accepted the latest draft approved by EU ministers, clearing the last hurdle preventing it becoming European law.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union is toasting a victory over India at the World Trade Organisation in the long-running bed-linen anti-dumping duties case; a disputes panel rejected India’s claims that the EU had failed to implement an order made last year by another panel that it should reform its protection against Indian linen.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A CALL has been made at the European Parliament for European Union (EU) Member States to phase out tobacco vending machines and ban promotional items such as lighters, ashtrays and free cigarettes. The key aim would be to discourage smoking by children and teenagers, said a report approved by the parliament’s environment committee.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have formally approved the creation of an EU Solidarity Fund, helping Member States deal quickly with the effects of natural and man-made disasters; its funds will be mobilised immediately to assist regions affected by the floods of August and September 2002, which should help reduce the burden that has to be met by insurance companies.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Union (EU) commissioner has called on EU governments to reconsider the phasing out of nuclear energy, which he says has been approved on the basis of “the moral high ground and….of often unjustified emotions.”

Internal market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein (CORRECT SPELLING) said that technological advances were tackling the environmental difficulties surrounding nuclear energy and although problems still exist, “they do not justify the total phasing out of nuclear energy now carried out by a number of Member States.”…

Keith Nuthall
EUROPEAN Union (EU) ministers have been asked to approve definitive anti-dumping and countervailing duties for Indian exports of polyester textured filament yarn into Europe, after European Commission investigations concluded that under-priced consignments were damaging EU producers.

Brussels has formally proposed that Indian exports are saddled with a 7.9% anti-dumping duty, with lower duties being levied on products from companies that cooperated with Commission inquiries into the problem.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A FINAL report has been issued by the European Union’s (EU) High-Level Group of Company Law Experts which recommends reforms to EU company law. The group’s mandate had been extended this April, to consider the lessons on the Enron affair and other accounting scandals in the United States.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AWARDS have been made to 20 companies across Europe by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work for groundbreaking schemes that have effectively reduced workplace stress, reducing the risk of psychological problems developing in employees. Hans-Horst Konkolewsky, the agency’s director, said the schemes were examples of good practice that should be followed across the European Union.…