Search Results for: France

BY KEITH NUTHALL

AFTER the disappointment of the Copenhagen summit on climate change, it is perhaps encouraging to note that the auto industry – so often painted as the bad boy of the climate change issue – really is reducing its vehicles’ carbon dioxide emissions.…

BY EMMA JACKSON

With a new EU research Commissioner about to be appointed and lobbying expected to be underway soon over the shape of the next eighth EU framework programme on research, the League of European Research Universities (LERU) has released a major report "Harvesting talent: strengthening research careers in Europe."…

BY PHILIPPA JONES

FRANCE’S nominee as the next European Union (EU) internal market Commissioner has said he will press ahead with plans to impose regulatory controls on Europe’s financial sector, at a European Parliament hearing last night.

Questioning Michel Barnier during a three-hour grilling in Brussels, Godfrey Bloom UK Independence Party (UKIP) MEP for Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire pleaded for the City of London and its financial institutions to be left alone.…

BY DEIRDRE MASON, PACIFICA GODDARD, GAVIN BLAIR and KEITH NUTHALL

NEW technologies devour new resources and the move towards hybrid and electric vehicles could make some currently impoverished countries rich. As the world moves away from fossil fuels, the soft metal lithium will become increasingly in demand as a critical component of auto batteries for green cars.…

BY MARK ROWE and KEITH NUTHALL

THIS April, the UK will launch a feed-in tariff for electricity, which the government said will accelerate take-up of green energy among the general public. According to the European Commission’s energy directorate-general, the European Union (EU) already uses at least 20% more energy than is justified, which has led to twin concerns – the need to reduce consumption of fossil fuels and to encourage consumers to switch to green energy tariffs and sources.…

BY DAVID HAWORTH

EFFORTS to boost food producers in their frequent quarrels with big-time retail chains have been promised by the European Union’s (EU) agriculture Commissioner-designate Dacian Ciolo? when he appeared before European Parliament lawmakers.

Speaking in a confirmation hearing in Brussels, he said he wanted "to improve the negotiating position" of food producers when dealing with large retailers: "I want to see a better dialogue between the various actors in the food chain.…

BY PHILIPPA JONES

WITH so much competition in design and price within the apparel and textile sector, manufacturers are always looking for an edge. One way in which they can steal a march on competitors is with fibre innovation. And with new technology allowing the incorporation of increasingly complex arrays of chemicals and particles, even on the nano-scale, the opportunities to develop a revolutionary new fibre or mix of fibres are maybe greater today than ever before.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

FRANCE’S appointee as European Union (EU) internal market Commissioner could face tough questioning this Wednesday appearing before a panel of MEPs at the European Parliament in Brussels. The nomination of Michel Barnier, a close ally of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, has raised criticism in the UK especially, over fears that he could burden The City of London and its financial institutions with red tape.…

BY MARK GODFREY

A SLUMP in exports dented China’s economic growth in 2008, but a strong recovery which lifted GDP growth to 10% in the second half of 2009 appears to have ensured strong retail sales across all fronts. That is why growth of cosmetics sales in China remained strong at 10% in 2009, according to the China Association of Fragrance Flavour and Cosmetic Industries (CAFFCI).…

BY EMMA JACKSON

MUCH like the rest of the world, the cosmetics industry has been swept up in the push to provide green packaging, and the global recession does not appear to have stopped this market segment from performing healthily. In 2009 alone, environmentally responsible packaging sales were worth more than US$88 billion dollars globally, 20% of the total packaging market, according to US-based clean technology analyst Pike Research.…