Search Results for: Spain

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE UNITED Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) has been successfully pushing the adoption of a 1968 convention harmonising road signs and signals into the former Soviet Union. Widely supported in western Europe, Kyrgyzstan has become the 54th contracting party to its Convention on Road Signs and Signals, leaving only Armenia and Azerbaijan to sign up in the ex-USSR.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

UNIVERSITY of Navarre researchers, Spain have identified an edible coating made from mesquite gum that bars moisture while maintaining food consistency. They say it would be well suited to high value confectionary lines, are examining how to wrap the coating around Navarre nougat.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced Euro 450 million spending upgrading European Union (EU) vineyard production 2006-7, as ministers discuss overhauling the EU’s wine market organisation. These subsidies will be unaffected by the talks, funding varietal conversion, relocating vineyards and improving management, although not routine replanting.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Investment Bank (EIB) has announced spending and spending plans worth Euro 230 million to three major water utility projects. The bank has signed a deal to lend Euro 100 million to Cyprus’ Sewerage Board of Limassol-Amathus (SBLA), and is supplying a first tranche of Euro 70 million immediately, to enable its southern coast area to comply with the EU urban wastewater directive.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has cleared France gas and petroleum company Total’s takeover of Spain-based gas, oil and petrochemical production firm Compañía Española de Petróleos (Cepsa), which focuses on the Spanish and Portuguese markets. Brussels fast-tracked the merger approval, as it considers the deal does not pose competition problems for the European Union’s energy sector.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is moving towards supporting environment-friendly road transport, rather than dedicating resources to promoting public transport, a European Parliament debate organised by the Automobile and Society Forum, has heard. The European Commission is currently reviewing its 2001 transport white paper and its working papers have noted "disappointment" over the results of the EU’s pro-public transport policies.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A FISHING access deal allowing European Union (EU) fishermen to exploit Guinea-Bissau’s Atlantic fish stocks until June next year has been approved by the EU Council of Ministers. The agreement was negotiated to run from this June, and includes fishing rights for:

*Shrimps: Italy boats of up to 1,776 gross registered tonnes (GRT), Spain to 1,421 GRT, Portugal 1,066 GRT, and Greece 137 GRT;

*Finfish and cephalopods: Spain 3,143 GRT, Italy 786 GRT, and Greece 471 GRT;

*Tuna seiners: Spain 20, France 19, and Italy 1; and

*Surface longliners and pole-and-line vessels: Spain 21, France 5, and Portugal 4.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE COST to Britain’s exchequer of refusing to participate in the European Union’s legal agreement with Philip Morris over illicit cigarette trades has become clearer with the European Commission dividing up the spoils. PMI has promised to pay US$1 billion over 12 years to the European Commission and 10 European Union (EU) member states who have participated in the deal, with the cigarette giant already handing over US$325 million.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has announced it will spend Euro 450 million on upgrading European Union (EU) vineyard production during 2006-7, helping EU wine producers fend off New World competitors. The money will go on varietal conversion, relocating vineyards and improving vineyard management, although not routine replanting.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Commission audits into failures of European Union (EU) member states to recover agricultural subsidies paid after faulty applications involving financial irregularities or outright fraud have sparked charges of Euro 317.3 million from Brussels. It is penalising governments for "negligence" in pursuing guilty claimants.…