Search Results for: Portugal

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has opened a detailed merger probe into the proposed acquisition of certain parts of the Netherlands’ GBI by Britain-based Associated British Foods (ABF). Both companies produce dry, compressed and liquid baker’s yeast and Brussels fears competition problems in Portugal, Spain and France.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

PORTUGUESE auto workers who recently lost their jobs in layoffs are to receive Euro 2.42 million from the European Union (EU) in social assistance and retraining packages. The money will come from the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, designed to help Europe cope with economic change brought by worldwide economic change.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Pesticides Action Network (PAN) pressure group has claimed independent tests have revealed wines sold in the European Union (EU) may contain residues of 10 potentially harmful pesticides. It examined 40 EU-purchased bottles from Bordeaux, Burgundy, Austria, Germany, Italy, Portugal, South Africa, Australia and Chile – 34 conventional and six organic: the conventional wines contained 148 pesticide residues in total, having one to 10 pesticides each – an average-per-bottle exceeding four.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission is taking Portugal to the European Court of Justice alleging illegally excess red tape regarding exporting excisable goods – notably alcohol. Lisbon insists an administrative document is sent to customs officials six working hours before their release by exporting Portuguese warehouses.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

LEGAL restrictions that are limiting the availability of motor vehicle inspection centres in Portugal are to be challenged at the European Court of Justice, which may order that they be removed. The European Commission thinks the Portuguese government is breaking European Union freedom of trade restrictions by maintaining the rules, maybe preventing the operation of a sufficient number of inspection centres.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has backed European Commission proposals to increase the current European Union (EU) minimum excise tax rate on diesel to match that for unleaded petrol. However, MEPs have proposed phasing the increase from diesel’s current Euro 302/1,000 litres rate to unleaded petrol’s Euro 359/1,000 by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016, but Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Greece acting immediately.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A NEW fishing agreement has been negotiated between the European Commission and Mauritania, slashing maximum catch allowances, after an earlier deal was poorly exploited by European Union (EU) fishermen. Under the replacement agreement – which should run from this August to July 2012 – catch quotas for EU vessels in Mauritania waters will fall by 25% for cephalopods; by between 10% and 50% for demersal species (mainly shrimp and hake); and by 43% for small pelagic fish.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission is taking Portugal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ) alleging illegally excess red tape regarding the export of excisable products – including tobacco goods. Lisbon insists an administrative document is sent to customs officials six working hours before their release by exporting Portuguese warehouses.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has backed proposals to increase the current EU minimum excise tax rate on diesel to match that for unleaded petrol. However, MEPs want to phase the increase from Euro 302/1,000 litres to Euro 359 by 2015, with Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Bulgaria and Romania having until 2016 – Spain, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal and Greece acting immediately.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE SLOVENIAN government has tabled compromise proposals to break the current political logjam at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers over gas supply unbundling. As current EU president, Slovenia has suggested for instance that some joint ownership of energy producing and transmission utilities could occur if there were "additional safeguards" preventing conflicts of interest, and guaranteeing the "structural independence of decision making" by distribution operators.…