Search Results for: Spain

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

A POLITICAL struggle has broken out at the European Union (EU) Council of Ministers between EU olive oil importing and exporting countries over the current level import tariffs for the product. On one side is a group led by Sweden, supported by Britain, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland and Lithuania, complaining about what they call "high market prices of olive oil in the EU and low levels of stocks".…

BY ALAN OSBORN

DRASTIC reform of the European Commission’s troubled wine sector has been proposed by the European Commission, whose officials are "reasonably confident" the plan will not be unduly delayed or watered down by European Union (EU) member governments. The heart of the reform announced June 22 by the EU agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel is grubbing up scheme costing Euro 2.4 billion over five years that would take 400,000 hectares of the present 3.4 million hectares out of wine production.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union (EU) is taking another serious step towards developing viable transport systems running on hydrogen, whose only emission is water. Following the success of its CUTE trials of hydrogen buses in large cities such as London, the EU is launching two more projects.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

LEGAL action launched by the European Commission against the French and Spanish governments could force them to slash motorway toll-reductions available to frequent users of these roads. The Commission has sent both administrations final warning letters saying it may take them to the European Court of Justice, because these reductions are so steep (up to 50% in Spain and 30% in France), they discriminate against occasional motorway users.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A POLITICAL struggle has broken out at the EU Council of Ministers between olive oil importing and exporting countries over the current level import tariffs for the product. Sweden, Britain and others want lower tariffs, alleging high prices and low stocks.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

EUROPEAN Union (EU) agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has attacked another decision by the EU’s Wine Management Committee to fund vast amounts of crisis distillation for unsold European wine – this time in Spain and Greece. The committee has approved distilling up to 300,000 hectolitres of Spanish quality wine; 370,000 hl of Greek table wine; and 130,000 hl of Greek quality wine: total cost – Euro 22.2 million.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

YOUNG adults in Germany – long seen as Europe’s technological powerhouse – are turning away from science and engineering, with just 16% of tertiary educated professionals in these fields being aged 25-34. The figures are the worst in the European Economic Area (EEA), and show that without change, Germany could face a shortage of engineers and scientists in the medium term.…

STORIES BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has issued a highly critical report on the European Union’s (EU) continued failing to contain fraud and the weaknesses of anti-fraud unit OLAF. The paper calls for rationalisation of OLAF’s powers, even now split amongst different laws: these should "be grouped together in a single regulation," said the parliament.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE BANK of Spain has launched an inquiry into the concentration of Euro 500 banknotes in its country, something it fears is due to money laundering, maybe by criminals living in the notorious Costa del Crime, in the south.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Union’s (EU) wine management committee has recommended that the European Commission spends up to Euro 131 million on another round of compulsory distillation for French and Italian wine producers. EU agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel branded the decision "depressing" – the Commission’s oncoming wine reform proposals are expected to suggest phasing out such overproduction subsidies.…