Search Results for: Spain

BY KEITH NUTHALL

MAJOR investments in renewable energy are being plotted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) as the European Union (EU) tries to make good on its renewable energy directive targets.

The latest project memoranda at the EIB show plans to lend up to Euro EUR300 million to leading Italian banking group Intesa Sanpaolo (and subsidiaries Mediocredito Italiano and Leasint) for on-lending to renewable and energy efficiency projects.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission is undertaking a series of detailed studies on water scarcity, which will feed into a major policy initiative planned for 2012, almost certainly including legislative reform. The work follows growing concern that Europe is doing too little to conserve its drinking water resources, and that a firm hand from Brussels may be needed to secure future supplies.…

BY KACI RACELMA

THE MOROCCAN textile and clothing industry has been recovering energetically from the 2009 recession, with North Africa’s recent political turmoil yet to significantly impact on its fortunes, although it has prompted concerns in the industry.

Exports to Europe are of critical importance to Morocco’s clothing manufacturers, with the government and industry groups combining efforts to improve standards, promote sales abroad and create a nascent design hub for the sector within this north African kingdom.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE SLOVENIAN government has received Euro EUR2.2 million from the European Union’s (EU) European Globalisation Adjustment Fund to help 2,554 former employees of clothing company ‘Mura, European Fashion Design, Proizvodjna obla?il’ find new work. The European Commission, which operates the fund, has noted the company shed these staff members during the recession, after losing contracts from major customers including Hugo Boss, Escada and René Lezard: "The shortfall of orders due to the economic and financial crisis are at the base of these redundancies," it noted.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

A EUROPEAN Union (EU) research project is developing an innovative business model which can allow consumers to design and choose their own clothing online, with manufacturers shipping remotely-controlled bespoke work. The Euro 5.17 million Open Garments project aims to create a secure and practical electronic communications system delivering customer requirements to manufacturers, who can act on them swiftly.…

BY LEE ADENDORFF

For some it was a total disaster, for others a bump in the road, but the recession left no part of the clothing and textile retail sector unscathed. World Trade Organisation (WTO) statistics from 2009 show that while globally important manufacturing jurisdictions such as China and the European Union (EU) suffered 11% and 15% drops respectively in clothing exports, countries such as India, Vietnam and Bangladesh lost just a couple of percentage points and in India’s case, exports remained stable.…

BY GERARD O’DWYER

UPPSALA Ärna Airport, which currently operates as one of Sweden’s 20 military airports, has encountered a setback in its plans to launch commercial flight services by low-fare airlines in June 2011. The airport’s board blames unexpected bureaucratic holdups, with the planned development awaiting a number of clearance permits from Swedish government transport departments.…

BY MARK ROWE

LEAKED NATO documents have indicated that the prime minister and senior officials in Kosovo have close links to organised crime. That presents a daunting challenge to law enforcement officials, but their task is made more problematic by the pervasive nature of corruption in the country.…

BY KELLY WETHERILLE and ALAN OSBORN

OIL refining in Japan suffered a major hit from the recent earthquake and resulting tsunami, with Tokyo-based Cosmo Oil taking 10 days after the March 11 quake Cosmo Oil to extinguish a fire at its Chiba refinery, and is still saying it is unsure when the plant would be able to resume operations.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

THE EUROPEAN Commission has today (February 24) suspended the emergency storage aid it has offered to pigmeat producers since late January, when prices were reeling following Germany’s dioxin contamination crisis. Brussels says markets are now stabilising and will not accept any requests for assistance made after this Monday (February 21).…