BRUSSELS, July 8 (Reuters) - The European Commission opened on Friday two investigations into whether tax exemptions for Belgian and French ports breach EU state aid rules. In France, the EU executive cited full corporate income tax exemptions for 11 ports, including Marseilles, Nantes and le Havre, while, in Belgium, a number of ports also enjoy privileged tax regimes, … [Read more...]
EU to Accept Antitrust Offer from Maersk, MSC, and 13 Others, Sources Say
By Foo Yun Chee BRUSSELS, June 28 (Reuters) - World No.1 container liner Maersk, Swiss peer MSC and 13 other shipping firms are set to escape possible penalties as EU antitrust regulators plan to accept their offer to end a five-year probe, three people familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The European Commission is likely to announce its decision next month, which … [Read more...]
France Wants Coordinated EU Patrols in South China Sea
By David Roman (Bloomberg) -- France will urge European Union nations to coordinate navy patrols to ensure a “regular and visible” presence in the disputed South China Sea, in the latest sign of international push back to China’s expanded military clout in the area. The French government views the protection of freedom of the seas as critical from an economic standpoint … [Read more...]
EU Adopts Law to Require Ships to Measure CO2 Emissions
By Barbara Lewis BRUSSELS, Nov 26 (Reuters) - The shipping sector will for the first time have to monitor its carbon emissions under a law agreed by the European Union on Wednesday, intended as a step towards tackling a growing source of pollutants linked to climate change. International shipping accounts for around 3 percent of the world's emissions of carbon dioxide, a … [Read more...]
EU to Launch Mission to Help Italy Cope With Boat Migrants
By Julia Fioretti and Francesco Guarascio BRUSSELS, Aug 27 (Reuters) - The European Commission said on Wednesday it would launch an EU version of Italy's sea rescue operation to help it deal with the droves of migrants crossing the Mediterranean in crowded boats from North Africa, something Italy has repeatedly called for. Europe's border control agency Frontex will take … [Read more...]
Norway Oil Services Risking Arctic Chances on Russian Sanctions
By Mikael Holter Aug. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Aker Solutions ASA, the offshore engineering company controlled by billionaire Kjell Inge Roekke, could miss opportunities to expand into Russia’s Arctic region if Europe and the U.S. uphold sanctions on the country. “If the political situation continues and the sanctions are long-term, they will mean lost market opportunities,” … [Read more...]
EU Opens Investigation Into Tax Exemptions for Dutch Ports
By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS, July 9 (Reuters) - The European Union's competition watchdog on Wednesday opened an investigation into tax exemptions granted to ports in the Netherlands and warned France and Belgium their taxation of ports may breach EU state aid rules. The EU will look into whether corporate tax exemptions for some Dutch public companies - including the … [Read more...]