The European Parliament and the Construction of Europe [Part 1]
On September 3rd 1939, Nazi Germany rejects the Allied ultimatum. France, UK, along with India, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, declare war on Germany. Germany #39;s official surrender...
By: European Union
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The European Parliament and the Construction of Europe [Part 1] - Video
Sanctions on Russia based on fraud: Sara Flounders
Press TV has interviewed Sara Flounders, co-director at the International Action Center from New York, to discuss the European Union set of expanded sanctions against Russian individuals in...
By: PressTV News Videos
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Sanctions on Russia based on fraud: Sara Flounders - Video
LONDON: The 28-member European Union has temporarily banned the import of Alphonso mangoes, the king of fruits, and four vegetables from India from May 1, sparking protests from the Indian community, lawmakers and traders.
The recent decision by the grouping's Standing Committee on Plant Health came after 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India imported into the EU in 2013 were found to be contaminated by pests such as fruit flies and other quarantine pests.
The temporary ban, proposed by the European Commission, includes mangoes, eggplant, the taro plant, bitter gourd and snake gourd, and prohibits the import to tackle the "significant shortcomings in the phytosanitary certification system of such products exported to the EU".
Though the prohibited commodities represent less than 5 per cent of the total fresh fruits and vegetables imported into the EU from India, the potential introduction of new pests could pose a threat to EU agriculture and production, the committee noted.
UK's Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) that is backing the ban said it was necessary due to pests which could threaten the country's 321 million pound salad crop industry of tomato and cucumber.
The UK imports nearly 16 million mangoes from India and the market for the fruit is worth nearly 6 million pounds a year.
A revision of the ban will take place before December 31, 2015. Businesses claimed they will lose hundreds of thousands of pounds due to the ban.
Wholesalers and retailers in Indian-dominated regions of the UK have opposed the ban, which comes into effect on May 1, saying it will hit them hard.
"This is Euro-nonsense and bureaucracy gone mad. Indian mangoes have been imported to Britain for centuries. I am furious with the lack of consultation with those who will be affected by the ban," said Indian-origin MP Keith Vaz, who has written to the European Commission president after his constituents in the city of Leicester made a plea.
He has also written to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to ascertain if the Indian government was consulted on the matter.
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European Union bans Indian Alphonso mangoes, veggies from May 1
Seeking to broaden sanctions on Russia, European Union (EU) leaders will meet to decide on adding more names to a list of proscribed Russian individuals alleged to have links to separatist actions in Ukraine, a media report said Monday.
According to official reports, 15 names will be added to the existing list of Russian individuals on whom sanctions have already been imposed, BBC reported.
Along with the EU, the US and the Group of Seven or G7 (US, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan) industrialised countries have also planned to take further steps against Russia in their meeting in Brussels.
The EU and the US have already frozen assets of Russian individuals accused of involvement in the annexation of Crimea and issued travel bans on them.
The US has said that it would Monday add names of people close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and firms to the sanctions list and will also impose new restrictions on high tech exports.
Pentagon spokesman Col. Steven Warren had last week disclosed that Russian aircraft had entered Ukrainian airspace several times and asked Moscow to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation.
Eight foreign observers from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), taken hostage Friday, were led to the Sloviansk town hall in east Ukraine by masked gunmen and shown to the media Sunday.
One of them was freed later in the day.
Self-declared Sloviansk Mayor Vyacheslav Ponomaryov said there was a possibility of exchanging the monitors for militia members held by the Kiev government.
Russia, an OSCE member, has pledged to take all possible steps to secure the release of the observers.
Apr.28 (GMM) The European Union is "monitoring" the controversial new system of decision-making within Formula One, it has emerged.
Earlier this month, we reported that F1's four smallest teams - Marussia, Caterham, Force India and Sauber - had written a letter complaining about the new and rule-influential Strategy Group.
The Group is made up of the grid's powerful 'big five' teams and, for historic reasons, Williams, who recently vetoed FIA president Jean Todt's plans for a 2015 budget cap.
Force India deputy Bob Fernley told the Guardian that the big teams also receive the lion's share of the commercial revenue distributed by Bernie Ecclestone.
"We have a situation where we have enriched and empowered five teams and disenfranchised six," he said.
Germany's Sport Bild suggested that the letter, described as "explosive" by one team insider, made clear the small teams' belief that the Strategy Group could be contrary to European competition law.
Now, the London newspaper The Times claims that European Union officials, specifically the competition authority, are "monitoring" the situation.
"A full (EU) investigation would throw F1 into turmoil, potentially wrecking agreements and finishing any prospect that the sport could be floated on the Singapore Stock Exchange", correspondent Kevin Eason said.
Eason revealed that "two people close to the sport" have already been interviewed by European officials, who are "said to be showing concern".
They are reportedly also concerned about the FIA's current role, after a previous EU investigation ruled that the governing body not be involved in F1's commercial matters.
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European Union could investigate F1 group - report