Search Results for: International law

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UKRAINE’S Gostomel Glass Factory is borrowing US$17 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to build a new plant, enabling it to produce 600,000 beer bottles a day. Existing Gostomel clients include Coca Cola, Sun Interbrew, BBH and the St Petersburg-based breweries Baltika and Vena.…

BY PHILIP FINE

PATRICK Graham has been elected chairman of the 2004 Board of Directors of Airports Council International-North America (ACI-NA). Graham, who will oversee a 22-member board, is executive director of the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport.

ENDS…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A EUROPEAN Commission investigation has decided that the transfer of pension obligations for Belgian telecommunications company Belgacom’s statutory employees to the Belgian government does not involve the payment of an illegal subsidy. In a state aid inquiry, the Commission found that the transfer is financially neutral because in exchange for transferring its pension obligations, Belgacom pays the Belgian government funds that match their costs.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE WORLD Bank is to administer an Iraq Trust Fund, which will finance emergency projects and technical assistance, supported by international donors. The scheme will also fund economic and sectoral work, as foundations for a future expanded development assistance programme.…

Keith Nuthall
THE ESTABLISHMENT of an International Foundation for the Law of the Sea has taken place at Hamburg, 21 years after the agreement of the United Nations Convention on the Law for the Sea. The Foundation will promote research, training and publications on maritime law, supporting the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, also based in Hamburg.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
A BRITISH VAT regulation simplifying tax returns relating to company cars could effectively be declared illegal next year by the European Court of Justice (ECJ). The rule involves Customs & Excise restricting to 50 per cent, the proportion of company car hiring or leasing charges that can be declared as a business expense on VAT returns, leading to a reduction in a business’ VAT bill.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL Expert Group on Nuclear Liability (INLEX) has started work for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), tasked with creating effective and globally accepted rules on responsibility for nuclear accidents. IAEA chief Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei said the group “will serve as a forum of expertise to advise on nuclear liability issues, with a view to promoting an effective and global nuclear liability regime.”…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN INTERNATIONAL accord providing for joint-research projects on transport air pollution has been struck by the European Union (EU), the United States, Japan and China. Aimed at creating a global system to measure such emissions, the deal will provide for joint vehicle testing and should lead to the next generation of European emission standards for passenger cars and light vans.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has launched a Euro 1.9 million Train-for-Trade project, creating expertise in international trade and investment within Laos and Cambodia via courses (some distance learning); training trainers and teaching networks.…

KEITH NUTHALL
A REGIONAL Asia, far east and Pacific conference of the Office International des Épizooties (OIE) – the world animal health organisation – has called for improvements in the regions’ veterinary services for fish farming. Said an agreed communiqué from the meeting in Noumea, New Caledonia: “While aquaculture has been growing rapidly in many countries, there has been no matching expansion of a supporting aquatic animal health infrastructure.…