Search Results for: France

BY ALAN OSBORN

CONTRARY to expectations earlier this year, the drinks industry has been let off relatively lightly in the long-awaited ‘communication’ (policy paper) from the European Commission on alcohol. The paper sets out five policy priorities, emphasising the protection of young people and children and on the reduction of alcohol-related traffic accidents.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced Euro 450 million spending upgrading European Union (EU) vineyard production 2006-7, as ministers discuss overhauling the EU’s wine market organisation. These subsidies will be unaffected by the talks, funding varietal conversion, relocating vineyards and improving management, although not routine replanting.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

IT’S COMMONLY acknowledged that, whatever its merits, the globalisation of world trade and commerce brings with it vastly enhanced opportunities for money laundering. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) points out, in an online report explaining its work, the world-wide spread of inter-connected financial markets greatly extends the range of countries where anti-money laundering (AML) controls are absent or embryonic and enforcement is weak "and unfortunately, many countries particularly those classified as emerging markets, fall into this category."…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Commission audits into failures of European Union (EU) member states to recover agricultural subsidies paid after faulty applications involving financial irregularities or outright fraud have sparked charges of Euro 317.3 million from Brussels. It is penalising governments for "negligence" in pursuing guilty claimants.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

INNOVATIVE recycling projects are to prosper from European Union (EU) grants under the Euro 66 million EU LIFE-Environment programme this coming year, the European Commission has announced. Although they are not based in the UK, these recycling projects will develop new technology and systems that can be applied freely in Britain.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL and DAVID HAWORTH, in Brussels

THE DETAILED guts and sinews of the European Research Area have been revealed in the shape of 35 large-scale research projects that will involve the swapping and analysing of data on a major scale.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared France gas and petroleum company Total’s takeover of Spain-based gas, oil and petrochemical production firm Compañía Española de Petróleos (Cepsa), which focuses on the Spanish and Portuguese markets. Brussels fast-tracked the merger approval, as it considers the deal does not pose competition problems for the European Union’s energy sector.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE COST to Britain’s exchequer of refusing to participate in the European Union’s legal agreement with Philip Morris over illicit cigarette trades has become clearer with the European Commission dividing up the spoils. PMI has promised to pay US$1 billion over 12 years to the European Commission and 10 European Union (EU) member states who have participated in the deal, with the cigarette giant already handing over US$325 million.…

BY ALAN OSBORN

THE LONG-AWAITED communication from the European Commission on alcohol has been predictably well received by a drinks industry, which had feared Brussels would burden them with marketing restrictions. At times in recent months producers had frankly feared they would be forced to print health warnings on labels, to restrict or censor advertising and possibly even to accept higher taxes to reduce consumption.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it will spend Euro 450 million on upgrading European Union (EU) vineyard production during 2006-7, helping EU wine producers fend off New World competitors. The money will go on varietal conversion, relocating vineyards and improving vineyard management, although not routine replanting.…