Search Results for: International law

KEITH NUTHALL
A WORKSHOP staged by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the vexed question of improving international market access for African cotton has agreed a checklist of priorities for development aid targeted at this goal. These included commodity price risk management strategies, export subsidisation and diversification into local clothing manufacture, along with cotton production improvements and promoting liberalisation in the sector.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
DOES ‘sir’ sound that different to ‘zirh’? Maybe it depends on the accent used, but whatever, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that these words are sufficiently contrasting to allow both to be registered as a verbal trademark.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ADVOCATE General of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recommended that bans imposed by France on the broadcast of alcoholic drinks advertising, especially those on hoardings at foreign international sports events, are legal under European law.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
PAY rises awarded to pregnant workers must be taken into account when working out their maternity leave pay, even if the increase took place just before they stop work to have a baby, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Parliament has approved the proposed directive limiting emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from organic solvents in paints, varnishes and vehicle-refinishing products, accepting changes made by the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers in January. Because the parliament refrained from any further amendments in this second reading of the legislation, it will now be rubber stamped by ministers and become EU law.…

Keith Nuthall
THE INTERNATIONAL Chamber of Commerce is assembling a crack anti-fraud team called Fraudnet, tasked with offering advice to victims of commercial deception, money laundering and cybercrime. The chamber’s commercial crime department said it was now identifying and inviting suitable law firms to participate.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A SPECIALIST ferrous metal United States government committee has criticised the recent free trade agreement struck between the US and Australia that will remove tariffs on iron, steel and related products traded between the two countries. The federal inter-sector advisory committee on ferrous ores and metals has concluded the although the deal itself does promote US interests, there are a number of elements that fail to cover concerns “which certainly affect our sector’s economic interests and the equity and reciprocity for the US overall that we seek in US trade agreements.”…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
EURO-ZONE telephone utilities should check how they dealt with the transfer of prices from national to the European single currency for price-per-minute rates, according to a preliminary ruling from a European Court of Justice (ECJ) advocate general. Miguel Poiares Maduro advised that under EU law, telecom operators were allowed to round converted rates to the nearest Euro cent, but – crucially – provided this “does not entail a systematic increase in the monetary amounts to be paid.”…

BY KEITH NUTHALL, in Paris
THE WORLD’S premier anti-money laundering operation has released a detailed report detailing how corrupt accountants are increasingly using their expertise to help criminals clean dirty money. The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that accountants are not only advising criminals on money laundering, but arranging paperwork and even conducting illicit transactions themselves.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission’s proposed regulation reforming European Union (EU) food and feed controls is close to final approval, with the acceptance of the reform package by the European Parliament. Crucially, MEPs agreed amendments informally agreed with the EU Council of Ministers, so a swift final rubber-stamping is now anticipated, with the law coming into force January 1, 2006.…