Search Results for: Portugal
10 results out of 835 results found for 'Portugal'.
OECD WARNS OF MAJOR BURDEN TO WATER UTILITIES CAUSED BY AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
A REPORT from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has revealed that almost a half of OECD member countries (including many in Europe) have potentially dangerous nutrient and pesticide concentrations in drinking water sources.
Tests carried out in recent years (NOTE: CALLED MID-2000’S IN THE REPORT) on surface water and groundwater monitoring sites in agricultural areas show these pollutants often "exceed national drinking water recommended limits" said a new OECD report on the environmental impact of farming.…
SOMETIMES WHATEVER THE POLLUTION, A DROP OF SUNSHINE OR OLIVE OIL KEEPS THE DOCTOR AWAY
BY KEITH NUTHALL
ENVIRONMENTAL health officers think they are helping keep people fit and well by reducing pollution and food disease. But maybe the best move the cold, rheumatism and asthma sufferers of Britain can make to be healthy is emigrate to a Greek island, sunbathe (moderately) and eat fish, vegetables and olive oil.…
EFSA FINDS BRITAIN HAS APPALLING SLAUGHTERED PIG SALMONELLA RATES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
BRITAIN has one of the European Union’s (EU) worst rates of salmonella contamination of slaughtered pigs, a new study from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found. Analysing data collected from 2006 to 2007, the EU agency has concluded that 21.2% of slaughtered pigs within the UK had contracted the disease, compared to an EU-wide average of 10.3%.…
EU MINISTERS APPROVE SLASHING MADEIRA BEER DUTIES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) Council of Ministers has authorised Portugal to halve the excise duty on beer produced in Madeira, even where breweries’ production exceed the maximum capacity allowed under EU rules for such reductions. Under the EU’s excise directive 92/83/EEC, small breweries can have excise duties halved, when producing under 200,000 hectolitres-per-annum.…
IT TEXTILE TRAINING IN PORTUGAL PRAISED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has hailed as a model a Portuguese scheme that retrained 1,700 unemployed workers in computer, Internet and telecommunications skills after losing jobs from the country’s textile and clothing sector.
Vladimir Spidla, the European Union’s (EU) social affars Commissioner praised the system at a conference staged near Porto by CITEVE, a private hi-technology textiles and clothing group.…
IT TEXTILE TRAINING IN PORTUGAL PRAISED BY EUROPEAN COMMISSION
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission has hailed as a model a Portuguese scheme that retrained 1,700 unemployed workers in computer, Internet and telecommunications skills after losing jobs from the country’s textile and clothing sector.
Vladimir Spidla, the European Union’s (EU) social affars Commissioner praised the system at a conference staged near Porto by CITEVE, a private high-technology textiles and clothing group.…
ALLIANCE OF EUROPEAN STATES SPIKE EUROJUST REFORM PLANS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
AN ALLIANCE of Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden have effectively blocked moves to create a European Public Prosecutor position. The European Commission has dropped draft proposals establishing the post within Eurojust, the European Union’s (EU) network of prosecution agencies.…
PORTUGAL TOLD TO STOP BANNING TINTING OF CAR WINDOWS
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice (ECJ) has told Portugal to stop banning fixing tinted film on motor vehicle windows, as an illegal restriction of European Union (EU) free trade. The court noted that EU vehicle manufacturing standards allow tinted glazing blocking up to 30% of light (more in rear windows with two exterior rear-view mirrors fitted).…
PORTUGAL: OECD opposes following short-term commercial pressures in devising research priorities
By Keith Nuthall
EFFECTIVE tertiary education is a sure fire way to achieve economic growth, a new report from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has stressed. But universities should avoid striving for quick fixes such as swift commercialisation of studies and funnelling research resources into the latest scientific hotspot, such as nanotechnology or IT.…
EU LEGAL CASE MAY PREVENT UTILITY UMBRELLA GROUPS ESCAPING PUBLIC PROCUREMENT RULES
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Commission is pushing for umbrella organisations controlled by an alliance of local municipalities to be subject to public procurement procedures when awarding contracts for joint water services. It is threatening European Court of Justice legal action against a consortium of Italian local governments called Autorità d’Ambito Territoriale Ottimale n.2 – Marche Centro Ancona (ATO 2), which has awarded a water services contract to a company Multiservizi, itself owned by the municipalities.…