Europe Intelligence Wire articles from November 2005

Europe Intelligence Wire archives from November 2005

RARE CHILD MUSCULAR DISORDER AMONG GBP7M LOTTERY SHARE-OUT.
November 30, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] BIG LOTTERY FUND 05-11-72 30 November 2005 RARE CHILD MUSCULAR DISORDER AMONG GBP7 MILLION LOTTERY SHARE-OUT Children affected by a rare muscle-wasting condition...

LOTTERY MILLION SHARE OUT TO OPEN NEW DOORS FOR DISABLED.
November 30, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] BIG LOTTERY FUND 05-11-73 30 November 2005 LOTTERY MILLION SHARE OUT TO OPEN NEW DOORS FOR DISABLED A million pound lottery cash injection will lift the efforts...

IMPROVE LIFE CHANCES FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DISABILITIES.
November 30, 2005... (From Government News Network (Was Hermes-Government Press Releases)) ] DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 2005/0419 30 November 2005 NEW GUIDE WILL IMPROVE LIFE CHANCES FOR CHILDREN WITH COMPLEX DISABILITIES The inequalities faced by disabled...

Virtual Freedom of Speech.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The Internet like the traditional media of the press, television and radio serves to disseminate information. The only difference being the interactive nature of the World Wide Web and its sheer size (and...

Under-utilised Tax Preferences.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Impracticality describes certain tax concessions offered to entrepreneurs, but which are nevertheless rarely utilised. Legislators are mainly guided by the intent to stimulate the economy or curb unemployment....

Dubious Tax Cuts.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Election campaign promises of tax cuts by the now ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party are coming into doubt as the government settles into power. In particular, speculation among political observers is rife over...

Notebook Dispute.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) A leading office articles supplier has lost a dispute with fiscal authorities in connection with classification of notebooks for tax purposes. The Supreme Administrative Court (NSA) in Warsaw upheld a lower...

Safety First.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The Provincial Administrative Court (WSA) in Warsaw declared that the appropriate authorities have the right to restrict freedom of business and enterprise if they feel that it is a danger to the public...

Price of Government.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The ruling Law and Justice party (PiS) realises the fact that it needs to begin paying off its political debts. The party's unofficial - yet thinly veiled - coalition partners are beginning to call in their...

Equality ? a Dirty Word?
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) After seeing the love parade of Lodz cancelled and Warsaw's 'March of Equality' banned, the young people of Poland ask themselves if Poland is a democratic country. All of Poland's largest cities have seen an...

Improving Courts.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) One simple yet effective method of improving the efficiency of the courts in Poland is not to reform the legislative system but to hire more referendaries or court assistants and make better use of them. The...

Investment-Stimulating Amendment.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The lack of local zoning plans has proven to be a formidable investment barrier in recent years. For this reason, the Ministry of Transport and Construction is seeking to amend legislation such that building...

Hooligans Roam Free.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) In the aftermath of bans, counter-bans, cries of the erosion of free speech and a lack of public morality, it may be worthwhile looking at one of the roots of hooliganism, which is fast becoming endemic to...

Data Disclosure.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) A publicly listed company from Olsztyn has lost its legal battle with the Securities and Exchange Commission (KPWiG) over the publication of information on remuneration for management board members. The...

Belated Euro.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) As reported in the domestic press recently, the business community in Poland is somewhat weary of the new government's slow approach toward adoption of the Euro. At the earliest the Euro may be introduced in...

Copyright Law.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) For some time now, both artists, musicians and legal experts have been querying the copyright law and regulations concerning it. According to art. 108 of Act 3 of copyright law, the commission of copyright law...

Super Supra-Institutions?
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The new government's plans to create new "super-institutions" to combat corruption, terrorism and other "pathological" behaviour are coming under scrutiny as to their ultimate effectiveness. The question is...

VAT Problems.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) There is no possibility that we will avoid yet more changes to VAT laws. The main hurdle and controversy seems to be whether to introduce further amendment to the existing law, which is the wish of most legal...

Both Tax Payer and Authority are Right.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The right to revise and adjust the valuation of a deed of gift is vested in not only the taxing authority but also the tax payer. Two people signed a deed of gift contract in August 2002. The subject of the...

Court Review.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) The Common Court Department at the Ministry of Justice has announced its intention to review court decisions relating to accounting errors. According to its director, the ministry will response vigorously to...

Entrepreneurial Freedom.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) A District Council in Swidnik has failed in an attempt to control store hours. In May it issued a controversial resolution setting the time during which various retail outlets could operate. Councillors based...

New Car Tax?
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Marek Belka's government had already planned to dispose of excise duty on cars in 2006. PM Marcinkiewicz has made it a priority to introduce a new method of taxing drivers. The current system, which sees...

Higher Social Insurance Premiums.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Businesses will pay higher social security (ZUS) and health insurance premiums in December. The Central Statistical Office (GUS) has announced average remuneration levels upon which these premiums are based....

Banks Violate Constitution.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Professor Andrzej Zoll, the Commissioner for Civil Rights Protection has written to the Polish Bank Association seeking immediate clarification. He believes Polish banks are in violation of the Polish...

Presidential Powers.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) Almost 60% of Poles support an increase in the powers of the President, as revealed in a recent survey conducted by the CBOS polling group. This opinion is in line with an election slogan of the victorious Law...

Physicians' Handicap.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) A new report by the Supreme Audit Chamber (NIK) reveals that wide disparities exist between physical evaluation procedures conducted by the Social Security Administration (ZUS) and county boards that determine...

Citizens Advice Bureau to the Rescue.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) A network of citizens advice bureaus is set to take shape in Poland for people who are not able to afford a solicitor or lawyer. Work has already begun on the bill that will provide legal aid to the...

NEWLY BINDING LAWS.
November 30, 2005... (From Polish News Bulletin) 25 November: DESIGNATION OF FOOD PRODUCTS Executive regulation dated 26 August of the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development on the designation of food products and allowed supplemental...

Education reform 'could undermine child welfare'.
November 30, 2005... (From Guardian Unlimited) Vulnerable children could be further disadvantaged by the government's latest schools reforms, a coalition of children's charities and local government leaders warned MPs today. The education white paper...

What else can I do?
November 30, 2005... (From Guardian Unlimited) 1 Experience with a variety of public and private sector organisations makes Lucy an attractive candidate for a management post with a district council - such as a business development team leader, earning up to...

Lancaster opens centre for contemporary thought.
November 30, 2005... (From Guardian Unlimited) Lancaster University has launched an Institute for Advanced Studies (IAS) to bring together scholars from different disciplines to tackle crucial contemporary issues. Modelled on the famous Institute of...

"Rath's man" in conflict of interests - press.
November 30, 2005... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Nov 30 (CTK) - Health Minister David Rath faces another problem as his adviser for medicine policy runs business in the same field, the daily Lidove noviny writes today. Jindrich Graf, Rath's official...

Czech press survey.
November 30, 2005... (From Czech News Agency) PRAGUE, Nov 30 (CTK) - A Time Bomb Named David Rath, reads the headline of a piece of opinion in today's Lidove noviny, in which Pavel Masa reacts to suspicious circumstances around the new health minister and...

The biggest extra-time beatings.
November 30, 2005... (From Guardian Unlimited) Guffen Helleve writes: "In the Norwegian women's Cup final earlier this month, the score between Asker and StrAmmen was 0-0 after 90 minutes, but finished 4-0 to Asker after extra-time. Has any team won by a...

Beslan Inquiry Criticizes Agencies.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) VLADIKAVKAZ -- A North Ossetian parliamentary inquiry on Tuesday criticized federal law enforcement agencies over their role during last year's Beslan school attack, but found they did not provoke the...

Putin Spells Out Purpose of Social Plan.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on Tuesday that increases in federal spending designed to improve living standards were part of an attempt to win people's trust and keep the current leadership in power. ...

Antitrust Service Faces Biggest Challenge Yet.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) The country's anti-monopoly watchdog is set to face the toughest challenge to its authority yet when it squares off in court against Russia's biggest cement maker in the coming months. The dispute is...

Basic Decency as a Form of Heroism.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) In 1937, the Soviet Union celebrated test pilot Valery Chkalov's record-setting, nonstop flight from Moscow to Vancouver, Washington, via the North Pole. To Our ReadersHas something you've read here startled...

Anger as Russia Snubbed for Japan 2006 Wild Card Berth.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) The Russian men's national basketball team will not compete in next year's world championships in Japan after it failed to receive a wild-card spot from the International Basketball Federation, or FIBA. FIBA...

Alkhanov Plans Talks With Rebels.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) Chechen President Alu Alkhanov said he planned to meet soon with supporters of the late separatist leader Aslan Maskhadov in Brussels to convince them to "return to a peaceful life" in Chechnya. He insisted,...

UES Warns Power Cuts Likely.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) Moscow businesses could face electricity shutdowns as early as this winter due to the overloaded energy system, Unified Energy Systems head Anatoly Chubais warned Tuesday. To avoid power outages, the...

Study Puts Price Tag on Economic Crime.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) Fraud and other economic crimes cost large Russian companies on average $3.1 million over the past two years, according to a report published by PricewaterhouseCoopers on Tuesday. The consultancy's biannual...

Magic Puppetry Gives Children Hope.
November 30, 2005... (From The Moscow Times) Last Tuesday, in a darkened playroom at the Speransky Children's Hospital, a small boy with large blue eyes gazed up at the puppet show being performed in front of him. He wore pajamas, slippers and a neatly tied...

Singapore terrorism expert says maritime threat is overplayed.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Marcus Hand in Singapore THE threat of maritime terrorism in Southeast Asia has been over-stated and the chances of an attack are very low, according to terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna. In what will...

DP World GBP3.3bn takeover ushers in new era for P'O.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Landmark bid recommended to shareholders and expected to succeed, writes Tony Gray DUBAI Ports World has accompanied a landmark GBP3.3bn ($5.6bn) bid for P'O, the most prestigious name in the UK's...

Golar LNG frustration sparks Korea Line bid hint.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Rajesh Joshi in New York JOHN Fredriksen's Golar LNG has hinted at a possible takeover of Korea Line in order to salve the frustration of 'not so far being in a position to develop any joint business' with...

Emsa reveals winners of oil spill tenders.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Justin Stares in Brussels THE European Maritime Safety Agency yesterday announced the winners of its emergency oil spill pollution response tenders. French company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs will provide...

Focus on gas brings significant third quarter profits for Bergesen.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Oslo company releases its first figures since relisting last month, writes Jerry Frank OSLO bors returnee Bergesen Worldwide Gas yesterday opened its first financial window since relisting last month, with...

OMI stays with timecharters.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Rajesh Joshi in New York OMI Corp has opted for its tried and tested route of securing timecharters for its product tankers, fixing two modern units for three years apiece. The Connecticut company said...

Report says Chinese yards lack strategies.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Katrin Berkenkopf in Cologne A LACK of clear business strategies, logistics and financing problems, insufficient quality management and limited power supply are the major challenges to Chinese shipyards,...

Santa Linea in rescue on way to naming ceremony.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE latest containership to join the Claus-Peter Offen fleet, and the world's largest, was involved in a dramatic rescue on its maiden voyage that almost made the ship late for its own naming ceremony, writes Janet...

Offen's fleet expansion set to continue.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: More ships to be ordered for 2009 and 2010 that will be chartered long term, writes Janet Porter in Hamburg GERMAN shipowner Claus-Peter Offen plans to add to his already vast newbuilding programme with...

EC mulls 'one-stop shop' transport agency.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Justin Stares in Brussels THE European Commission is looking to set up a new transport agency, an internal document shows. Feasibility studies point to the need for a separate agency for overseeing the...

Huangpu cruises face Expo revamp.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) LEISURE cruises on Shanghai's Huangpu river are about to get a shake-up prior to the 2010 World Expo, according to the China Daily, writes Mike Grinter in Hong Kong. Yu Zhicheng, vice-president of the department...

Taca to push for rate rises.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE six remaining members of the Trans-Atlantic Conference Agreement have reconfirmed plans to press for both eastbound and westbound freight rate rises at the start of next year, with further quarterly adjustments...

Dreyfus to modify vessel for oil recovery.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Ile de Brehat will one of four ships to operate in EMSA-designated zones, writes Andrew Spurrier in Paris FRANCE'S Louis Dreyfus Armateurs has won a three-year contract from the European Maritime Safety...

DB hits buffers in plan for move to Hamburg.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Germany's federal government has sidelined plans by railway operator Deutsche Bahn to relocate its headquarters from Berlin to Hamburg, writes B'lent Erdogan in Cologne . State-owned DB wants to relocate from the...

Irish Ferries in tactical withdrawal.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: David Osler IRISH Ferries yesterday afternoon withdrew security personnel from two vessels, generating hopes for a breakthrough in the dispute that has seen officers on the ships barricade themselves in the...

Dry Bulk Fixtures.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) ORE Port Walcott to Qingdao Anangel Splendour, 150,000t, $11.80 per tonne, fio scale' 25,000sc, Dec 1-10. (Spot On ) Ponta da Madeira to Taranto York, 140,000t, $13.50 per tonne, fio scale'40,000sc, Dec 1-10....

Plexus to go for alternative listing.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) ABERDEEN-based oilfield service firm Plexus is planning to list on London's Alternative Investment Market in the first week of December, writes Martyn Wingrove. Plexus is looking to raise up to GBP11m ($19m) in the...

Transocean in $385m deal to supply drill rig to Chevron in Brazil.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) TRANSOCEAN has clinched a $385m contract from Chevron for a Sedco 700 series semi-submersible rig, which will need to be upgraded for deepwater drilling, writes Martyn Wingrove. The US contractor will spend about...

Tanker Fixtures.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) DIRTY Mina al Ahmadi to East Jag Leher, 90,000t, W350, Dec 11. (Alpine) Kharg to Spain Summer Sky, 140,000t, W300, Dec 12. (Repsol) Kharg to Mangalore vessel to be nominated, 90,000t, W220, Dec 14. (MRPL)...

Tonnage glut weakens aframax rates.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Nigel Lowry in Athens Tankers LAST week's Thanksgiving holiday in the US appears to have had little dramatic effect on aframax rates in the Caribbean trade, brokers are saying this week. Recent...

BP forms alternative energy division.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Oil major to double investment in developing low-carbon power sources in UK and US, writes Martyn Wingrove BRITISH oil major BP has formed an alternative energy division and plans to double investment in...

Restructuring put P'O into takeover spotlight.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Dubai Ports deal was almost inevitable, writes Tony Gray P'O's loss of independence has for several years seemed a question of when, rather than if. It could be argued that this kind of outcome was...

Few signs of recovery for ailing panamaxes.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Dry Trade PANAMAX business in the Atlantic basin is showing few signs of recovering its spark, even though there has been more activity in the long-suffering Pacific, writes Nigel Lowry in Athens. 'There has...

Specialist trio add more expertise to Simmons ' Simmons team.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Helen Hill Following continuous growth of its practice, Simmons ' Simmons has extended its customs and trade team with three lawyers, Tim Hesselink, Marc Gorter and Martine Oldenziel. Martine Oldenziel...

Time for the UN to take military action against the pirates.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: From Geoffry Lucas Letters To The Editor SIR, I refer to your story 'UN Security Council urged to act on Somalia piracy' on November 25. For Mr Mukundan of the International Maritime Bureau to say...

People only notice piracy when passengerships are attacked.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: From Capt PM Cheek Letters To The Editor SIR, The attack on a passenger vessel near the Horn of Africa and countless less recent ones since the scourge was resurrected post-Second World War, 30 years...

Poor training led to tug accident.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) LACK of training and an unfamiliar tug caused a docking manoeuvre on the Mersey to go badly wrong, leading to an injury and serious damage to the tug, a UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch report has noted, writes...

Policy year poser over hull damage has insurers on toes.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Long dry dock intervals lead to quandary over who pays, writes James Brewer INSURERS are increasingly likely to fight between themselves about who pays for long-term marine hull damage should they abandon...

Dear Santa, please help us brighten up our business this year.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Sam Ignarski Quarterpoints THIS year, the marine insurance industry waits expectantly to understand the implications of the horrific storm season of 2005. Some of the pattern to come is fairly easy to...

Building starts on NYK-TDG academy.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) NYK, Japan's largest shipping line, and its business partner, Transnational Diversified Group, held a cornerstone-laying ceremony for their new maritime college in the Philppines, writes Mike Grinter in Hong Kong. ...

MTL throughput up in Hong Kong.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) WHARF-controlled Modern Terminals (MTL) said yesterday that it expects to handle 414,000 teu at its Kwai Chung terminal during November, writes Mike Grinter in Hong Kong. The figure represents a 6% increase on the...

US bank helps shore up Advent's losses.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) ADVENT Capital, one of the Lloyd's vehicles that took a battering from hurricane exposures, has taken a big step to shore up its balance sheet, writes James Brewer. The insurer announced a new $26m unsecured senior...

Talanx takeover of Gerling fuels fears that capacity will suffer.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Move provokes widespread scepticism, writes Herbert Fromme in Cologne THE takeover of the Gerling insurance companies by the Talanx group is being met with scepticism in German industry after all, Gerling...

BUNKER QUALITY REPORT.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BUNKER QUALITY REPORT U'F = unfilterable This Bunker Quality Report is based on samples analysed by DNV Petroleum Services and is an abstract from their more detailed fuel quality statistics publication which...

Marrying local concerns with the application of international law.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: This year's Donald O'May lecture looked at how US courts seek uniformity, writes Sandra Speares US courts deciding admiralty cases show 'a strong respect for the laws of other maritime nations and strive...

History of an insurer that has always been 'somewhat different'.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE takeover of Gerling by rival Talanx'HDI ends the proud history of an insurer which always was 'somewhat different', writes Valerie Tadesse in Cologne. In May 1904, Robert Gerling set up the Bureau f'r...

BUNKER MARKET REPORT November 22, 2005.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) BUNKER MARKET REPORT November 22, 2005 Compiled for Lloyd's List by Egil Bjorn-Hansen, Oslo CONTINENT: Firm. AFRICA'MIDDLE EAST: Firm. FAR EAST : Firm USA: Generally small changes. ...

Holman's hopeful that Dubai merger will boost Middle East business.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) THE transfer of Hill Taylor Dickinson's Dubai office to Holman Fenwick ' Willan plugs an 'obvious gap' in Holman's coverage and the firm is looking to grow its Middle East business further, according to senior partner...

'Perfect' timing for Intertek buy-up of Lintec.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Byline: Neville Smith BUNKER fuel analysis and testing company Lintec has been acquired by Intertek Caleb Brett, which has also bought the LQS lubricant testing service from Lloyd's Register. Intertek already...

Baumgartl known as ruthless operator and tough negotiator.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) Wolf-Dieter Baumgartl, head of the Talanx group, has arrived back on the scene with a bang, writes Herbert Fromme in Cologne. Shortly before his planned retirement from the business, the 62-year-old can announce...

Strong dayrates see North Sea rigs remobilised.
November 30, 2005... (From Lloyds List) STACKED drilling rigs around the North Sea will soon be back to work as contractors remobilise their units to make the most of strong dayrates and high demand, writes Martyn Wingrove . Despite the increase in...