27.04.2012

EU Plans to Block Fake Drugs Spark Industry Row

A European Union plan to tighten drug packaging rules in a bid to stamp out counterfeits has triggered a row between makers of big name medicines and those producing cheap generics, who argue the costs will be crippling. Bogus drugs are rare in Western markets but a spate of high-profile cases in Europe, including the recent discovery of fake versions of Roche's injectable cancer drug Avastin en route to the United States, have fuelled concerns. more22.12.2011

EU Puts Squeeze On Drug Supplies For U.S. Executions

The European Union on Tuesday strengthened export controls on drugs that can be used to administer the death penalty, putting a further squeeze on a supply shortage that has slowed executions in the United States. more27.04.2011

Germany Opens To Newer EU Workers, Impact Seen Limited

  Germany's opening of its doors next month to a potential influx of hundreds of thousands of workers from newer EU states is unlikely to have much impact on growth or wages except for the lowest earners. Germany, like neighboring Austria, had opted to protect its job market as long as the European Union allowed, and the two countries will be the last to grant unrestricted entry to workers from newer EU members in Europe's east. more28.03.2011

EU To Enforce 'Highest Standards' Of Nuclear Safety

European leaders agreed on Friday to set the "highest standards" of safety for the nuclear industry to guard against events like those unfolding at Japan's stricken Fukushima plant. They also called for Europe's neighbors to follow suit. "We need to ensure that the highest nuclear safety standards are respected," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said after a meeting of EU leaders in Brussels. more16.03.2011

EU Should Consider Nuclear Stress Tests

European Union governments should consider the possibility of "stress tests" on European nuclear power stations to check they meet safety requirements, the EU's Executive Commission said on Tuesday. "This is an idea that needs to be considered and it should be debated," Commission energy spokeswoman Marlene Holzner told a regular news briefing. more18.01.2011

EU Presses Pharma Companies for More Info on Patent Deals

EU regulators said on Monday they were pressing pharmaceutical companies for more information on their patent deals with generic companies to make sure there is no delay in cheaper drugs coming to market. The move is the latest in a series of EU crackdowns on possible anti-competitive practices in the pharmaceutical sector after a 2009 patents enquiry pointed to significant risks for European consumers, the Commission said. more22.12.2010

European Medicines Agency Doesn't Expect Number of New Drug Filings to Grow in 2011

The European Medicines Agency expects roughly the same number of new drug applications in 2011 as in 2010, suggesting the pharmaceuticals industry has as yet done little to improve its productivity. Setting out its work program for the year ahead, Europe's healthcare watchdog predicted there would be 40 applications for new medicines for human use -- an increase of just two on the number of filings received in 2010. In total 97 applications are expected in 2011, including new "orphan" medicines for rare diseases and generic applications, against 95 last year. more13.10.2010

EU Clears €146 Million Voestalpine Clean-Up Aid

The European Commission has approved state aid of €146.27 million for Voestalpine Stahl to clean up a site in Austria contaminated during World War Two. The Commission said in a statement the funding support met EU rules on financial support for environmental protection. "The EU generally welcomes aid for the remediation of contaminated sites as an important contribution to environmental protection, provided it is in line with our state aid rules," the EC's competition chief Joaquin Almunia said in a statement. more22.09.2010

The Persistence of Time

Forgotten Regulation - Walking in the footsteps of Reach the 2008 EU Classification, Labeling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation (Regulation (EC) 1272/2008) has received less attention than it deserves from authorities, supply chains and senior management, who are still trying to cope with the massive resource and business implications of Reach. Andrew Fasey explains why despite the pain, businesses stand to gain from putting in place comprehensive compliance strategies for the EU regulation on classification, labeling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP). more03.08.2010

EU Raids Polyurethane Companies in Cartel Probe

European Union antitrust regulators have raided several companies in the polyurethane foam industry on suspicion of breaching EU rules, the European Commission said on Tuesday. The raids were launched on July 27, the EU competition enforcer said. "The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated European antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," the EU executive said. more