Search Results for: Greece

BY MARK ROWE, in Munich

THE NOTION that people with phobias or who have been involved in traumatic events should confront their demons has become accepted psychological practice in recent years.

Now, however, this treatment is going a step further, in the form of a virtual reality simulator.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has renewed its European Union (EU) fishing access deal with Mauritania, initialling a new six year deal that involves a two-year protocol, but which should be renewed twice automatically, unless serious political problems emerge.

Brussels is being bullish about the deal, claiming: "It is the most important fisheries agreement concluded by the EU with a third country both in financial terms and as regards fishing opportunities for EU vessels"

And the agreement does will provide fishing rights for about 200 EU vessels on crustaceans (mainly shrimps), hake and other demersal species), cepaholopods, small pelagics and tuna.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

NURSING organisations have been asked to join European Commission public consultation on whether there should be a European Union (EU) directive encouraging the transfer of organs across EU national borders. There are wide differences between the number of donors in European countries, from 34.6 donors per million population (ppm) in Spain to 13.8 ppm in Britain, 6 ppm in Greece and 0.5ppm in Romania.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) wine management committee has recommended that the European Commission spends up to Euro 131 million on another round of compulsory distillation for French and Italian wine producers. EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel branded the decision "depressing" – the Commission’s oncoming wine reform proposals are expected to suggest phasing out such overproduction subsidies.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission is taking Greece to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over alleged failures to properly treat wastewater in 24 towns and cities. Brussels claims that the Greek government has failed to uphold standards that should have been in place by 2000 because of the urban wastewater treatment directive.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has attacked another decision by the EU’s Wine Management Committee to fund vast amounts of crisis distillation for unsold European wine – this time in Spain and Greece. The committee has approved distilling up to 300,000 hectolitres of Spanish quality wine; 370,000 hl of Greek table wine; and 130,000 hl of Greek quality wine: total cost – Euro 22.2 million.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

A POLITICAL struggle has broken out at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers between EU olive oil importing and exporting countries over the current level import tariffs for the product. On one side is a group led by Sweden, supported by Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania, complaining about what they call "high market prices of olive oil in the EU and low levels of stocks".…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has issued a highly critical report on the European Union’s (EU) continued failing to contain fraud and the weaknesses of anti-fraud unit OLAF. The paper calls for rationalisation of OLAF’s powers, even now split amongst different laws: these should "be grouped together in a single regulation," said the parliament.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) anti-fraud unit OLAF is always at the centre of Brussels’ efforts to suppress the torrents of financial crime that mar its well-intentioned efforts. OLAF’s old boss has been reappointed, but there’s still trouble afoot. Keith Nuthall reports.…

BY ALAN OSBORN and KEITH NUTHALL

CONSTRUCTION companies who have put up new buildings or extensions in some European Union (EU) countries since January 4 without proper energy performance certificates and standards may have to make additional investments. The European Commission has begun legal proceedings against Cyprus, Greece, Hungary, Malta and Sweden for failing to bring in national laws implementing the EU’s 2002 ‘energy performance of buildings’ directive which sets minimum energy standards, affecting construction standards on insulation, ventilation and others.…