Search Results for: United Nations

BY KEITH NUTHALL AND CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS

THE EUROPEAN Chemicals Agency (ECHA) is rolling out its special assessment system for chemicals products using nanotechnology, including special paints and coatings exploiting the special characteristics of tiny nano-particles.

Working with the European Commission definition of nanomaterials as being particles sized from 1 nanometre (nm) to 100 nm, ECHA specialists are broadening this guidance to "provide clarity on the physico-chemical characteristics of nanomaterials", said a note from the agency.…

BY CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS

European Union (EU) environment ministers meeting yesterday (June 11) in Luxembourg agreed they wanted the UN’s Global Environment Facility (GEF) to finance a future binding global mercury control treaty to be established by the end of 2013.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL AND CARMEN PAUN, IN BRUSSELS

THE EUROPEAN Parliament has been toughening EU legislation controlling the export of potentially toxic chemicals and chemical waste, including those used by the plastics sector. MEPs amended proposals from the European Commission that would erase a loophole allowing exports without the permission of the importing country’s regulators, if they did not respond within 60 days.…

BY PAUL COCHRANE, IN BEIRUT; AND MARK GAO, IN ISTANBUL

MOST states in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) have mulled developing nuclear power over the past decade, from Morocco to Egypt, and Jordan to Saudi Arabia, but only the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is coming close to embarking on the nuclear option thus far.…

BY KEITH NUTHALL

European Commission signs today agreement of cooperation with Greenland on raw materials

To improve access of EU industry to raw materials at an affordable price, the European Commission wishes to intensify cooperation with Greenland benefitting both sides, such as joint infrastructures and investments or capacity building in exploration and exploitation of raw materials.…

BY MARK GODFREY, IN BEIJING

WHILE delegates at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) annual general meeting in Beijing remained concerned about the impact of the European Union’s (EU) emissions trading scheme (ETS) on global aviation, there was general consensus that the industry is growing healthily.…

BY LEAH GERMAIN

BRAZILIAN airport officials are meeting with US trade and development representatives to discuss a new partnership designed to create new export opportunities for US businesses while helping improve Brazil’s civil aviation infrastructure.

The US-Brazil Aviation Partnership was launched in April and focuses on familiarising Brazilian aviation officials with US technologies, best practice and regulatory approaches regarding airport modernisation.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

EUROPEAN meat producers looking to ship their organic products to the United States will be put at a disadvantage under the new European Union (EU)-US organic equivalence agreement – which comes into effect today (June 1) – according to one British organic expert.…

BY CARMEN PAUN, IN RIO DE JANEIRO

The executive coordinator of this week’s United Nations Rio de Janeiro conference on global sustainability has told University World News why she has placed higher education at the centre of the international strategy she hopes will flow from agreements made at the event.…

BY MJ DESCHAMPS

WHILE cities such as Milan, Paris, New York City, and London have historically been seen as the global ‘fashion hubs’ – acting as meeting spots for high-end designers, fashion shows, luxury retail outlets and fashionistas – the rise of fast fashion has been diffusing that concentration a bit; making cutting-edge trends more accessible to the rest of the world.…