Search Results for: Russia

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has warned of a boom in counterfeits of food and drink products entering the European Union, with more than 5 million fake items seized by customs officials last year. This is 118% compared with the numbers of seizures in 2004 – the first time the food/drink category has exceeded 5 million.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A PRELIMINARY deal brokered by the European Commission in Moscow covering meat hygiene controls has headed off the immediate threat of Russia banning all imports of European Union (EU) meat and meat products from January 1. The Russian government had warned of an import blockade, because of concerns over the health and safety of meat from Bulgaria and Romania, who join the EU that day and henceforth benefit from pan-EU export rights.…

BY DEIRDRE MASON

IF there are those who doubt whether the time, effort and resources invested in tracking down lost or orphaned sources of nuclear radiation is well spent, the tragic case of Alexander Litvinenko demonstrates only too clearly why this work is crucial.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) and Russia have shown there is scope for constructive cooperation over energy policy by working up detailed plans on cooperation over energy efficiency. Officials and ministers have staged meetings this year, and a resulting policy paper from the EU-Russia Energy Dialogue thematic group on energy efficiency has been released.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

RUSSIA is threatening to impose an import ban on all European Union (EU) meat products from January 1. Moscow has written to the European Commission warning of a potential embargo because of the admission that day of Bulgaria and Romania to the EU – Russia claims safety concerns over these country’s meat products, which would henceforth have free circulation in the EU.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is casting around for a coherent policy on securing its external energy supplies, and while it is unsure of securing a solid deal with Russia, it is making ever more strident overtures to north Africa, the Caucasus and central Asia.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

CANADA, with Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, has successfully scuppered plans to place chrysotile asbestos on the ‘watch list’ of the United Nations’ Rotterdam Convention, which would have allowed importing countries to insist on prior consent before admitting any cargoes.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

RUSSIA President Vladimir Putin has signalled a tough fight with the European Union (EU) over a future energy deal as December 1 negotiations approach on renewing the existing EU-Russia Partnership and Cooperation Agreement.

Speaking after an informal EU heads of government summit, Putin stressed an agreement would not involve Russia accepting the terms of the unratified 1991 multilateral Energy Charter Treaty, agreed by Boris Yeltsin in 1991, and involving EU firms breaking Gazprom’s monopoly on Russian and Central Asian gas supplies and accessing Russia energy networks.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A JOINT European Union (EU)-Russia report on energy trading has said potential future obstacles preventing further development of their mutual trade in coal should be dealt with now. An EU-Russia energy dialogue thematic group paper said the Russian exports of coal to the EU remained healthy, with 32 million tonnes being supplied in 2004.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE RUSSIAN government has rejected claims in a NATO economic committee report it is constructing a gas cartel from north Africa to central Asia to lever further concessions from Europe. NATO is warning Russian could form an alliance with Algeria, Libya, Qatar, central Asia and maybe Iran.…