archnewsoct06

EU slashes cod fishing quotas , EU Business Week, 22 December 2006

European Union ministers on Thursday slashed fishing quotas for extinction-threatened cod by up to 20 per cent after marathon talks.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Fisheries/cod-fishing-quotas.21-12-06

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EU proposes CO2 emission quotas for airlines , EU Business Week, 22 December 2006

The European Commission proposed on Wednesday to set carbon dioxide emission quotas for airlines from 2011.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/airlines-emissions.21-12-06

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EU nations agree trade measures against Belarus , EU Business Week, 22 December 2006

EU nations have agreed to withdraw trading privileges from Belarus unless it takes action to redress violations of workers' rights there.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/belarus-trade-21-12-06

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Chinese shoemakers sue EU over anti-dumping measures , EU Business Week, 22 December 2006

Chinese shoemakers began legal action against the European Union on Thursday over anti-dumping duties imposed on their products.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/chinese-shoemakers.21-12-06

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Ryanair puts Aer Lingus bid on hold after EU probe , EU Business Week, 22 December 2006

Low-cost Irish airline Ryanair is retracting its hostile takeover bid for Aer Lingus because of a European Commission probe into the bid.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/ryanair-aer-lingus.21-12-06

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DUAL USE

European Commission proposes new measures on export of Dual Use goods and technologies , EU Trade News, 21 December 2006

These proposals have a triple objective:
- to improve security by making export controls more effective
- to provide a more balanced regulatory environment for business in order to promote their international competitiveness,
- to promote greater coordination of export controls at international level.
Duel use goods are civil items that can be used for military purposes including for the production of weapons of mass destruction.

-> Read the Press Release

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BALKANS

EU welcomes signing of new Central European Free Trade Agreement , EU Trade News, 21 December 2006

The agreement creates a regional free trade area, based on the existing bilateral agreements which liberalise more than 90% of trade and almost all trade in industrial goods.

-> Read the Press Release

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Trade and Climate Change: Mandelson calls for WTO zero tariff agreement on key green goods , EU Trade News, 15 December 2006

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has called for a WTO zero tariff agreement on key green goods and rejected the idea of a Kyoto tax as the wrong political approach to securing global agreement on the need to act on climate change. In an audiocast to the 45000 subscribers to the EU‘s Trade Policy Website, Mandelson argued that trade policy needs to seek to widen and open global markets in the key technologies for addressing climate change. Mandelson called for action at the WTO level and said that all new EU bilateral trade agreements would tackle restrictions to green trade and investment.

-> Listen to or download the full speech

-> Read Peter Mandelson‘s article on trade and climate change

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EU requests a panel against Mexico on duties on olive oil imports from the European Union, EU Trade News, 15 December 2006

On 1 August 2005 Mexico imposed definitive countervailing measures on imports of olive oil from the EU. These measures are in particular targeted at Italian and Spanish exporters of olive oil. The EU has on many occasions raised concerns about deficiencies in the Mexican investigation.

-> Read the Press Release

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Next Monday Mandelson will give his analysis of a relevant Kyoto strategy , EU Trade News, 15 December 2006

Arguing that trade policy needs to seek to widen and open global markets in the key technologies for addressing climate change, he will call for action at the WTO level and say that all new EU bilateral trade agreements would have to tackle restrictions to green trade and investment. He will offer his assessment of the viability of a Kyoto tariff on good imported from countries that have not ratified this protocol.

Next Monday, come to the External Trade web site services and discover Peter Mandelson‘s analysis and its podcast that shall be then available

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Turkey makes offer to salvage EU accession talks EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

Turkey, a possible freeze of its EU accession talks just days away, made a last-minute offer on Thursday to ease a trade row with Cyprus, but its proposals were quickly rejected by Nicosia.

http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/061207180323.eeg8976d

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EU makes whistleblowing against cartels easier EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

The Commission has sought to make life easier for cartel members who blow the whistle by giving greater certainty about what information regulators need and what terms to get leniency and exemption from fines.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/061207171328.93d9cv4z

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EU, ECB say euro hopefuls still not ready EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

EU countries hoping to adopt the euro are not yet ready to cash in on the benefits of the shared currency and need to make further efforts to join, two official EU reports said.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Finance/061205110347.7z13wjkh

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EU seeks tougher competition in defence market EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

The Commission is seeking to boost competition in the EU's vast defence procurement market by limiting use of a special exemption from rules on competitive bidding for contracts.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/061207142323.sy98zibl

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Germany to seek deal on opening up EU postal services EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

Germany is to try to broker an agreement in June on the highly sensitive issue of breaking open the monopolies of national postal services for letter delivery in the EU.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Competition/061207152028.d5nbs5ee

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Court rules hotels must pay copyright fees for TV EU Business Week, 8 December 2006

The European Court of Justice ruled Thursday that hotels that have television sets in their rooms must respect copyright rules, making them liable to pay fees.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Media/061207103454.dwibm307

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Commission deals blow to Turkey's EU ambitions EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

The Commission on Wednesday dealt a blow to Turkey's EU membership ambitions, recommending a partial freezing of the talks process over Ankara's hardline stance on Cyprus.
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/061129130350.c1bq53q8

Only credible position' says Barroso
http://www.eubusiness.com/East_Europe/061130154135.r714x3vh

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Tougher pollution plans to bolster emissions trade EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

The Commission told 10 EU members on Wednesday to impose more demanding pollution quotas on their energy-intensive industries to ensure the smooth functioning of the EU's innovative emissions trading scheme.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Environ/061129121544.cn2q4rax

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European economic confidence at highest level since 2001 EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

Economic optimism in Europe kept soaring in November at the highest level since the beginning of 2001, driven by firm confidence across nearly all sectors.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Factsfig/061130105002.ozhcl54s

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EU to take Canada to WTO over wine, beer tax break EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

The Commission said on Wednesday that it would take the first step towards legal action against Canada at the WTO because of tax breaks for Canadian beer and wine that Brussels says puts EU products at a disadvantage.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Trade/061129121243.ydbr7ehv

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EU boost to consular protection for nationals abroad EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

The Commission has published proposals for boosting consular protection for EU passport holders abroad, including the introduction of joint offices where national embassies are unavailable.

http://www.eubusiness.com/Institutions/061128122504.t1bi3rvj

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New report finds widespread racism in Europe EU Business Week, 1 December 2006

Migrants and ethnic minorities, in particular gypsies, continue to face discrimination across the EU in employment, education and housing, according to a report published by the EU's racism monitoring centre.
http://www.eubusiness.com/Living_in_EU/061128124255.h7jhgy38