login
login

Europe Daily Bulletin No. 8457

8 May 2003
Contents Publication in full By article 29 / 38
GENERAL NEWS / (eu) eu/fraud
Ten members of cigarette smuggling ring arrested in the Netherlands and Germany

Brussels, 07/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EU's anti-fraud office OLAF announced on Tuesday announced that the Dutch, German and Belgian investigations services have arrested ten people (seven in the Netherlands and three in Germany) for involvement in a cigarette smuggling network based in the Baltic States. Several tonnes of illicit tobacco was seized.

OLAF outlines the history of the investigations into the cigarette smuggling operation:

In August 2001 the Belgian customs services asked...

Contents

A LOOK BEHIND THE NEWS
: According to the United Kingdom, the Convention must remain modest and present a package of proposals that all governments find acceptable
THE DAY IN POLITICS
(EU) EP/CONVENTION: The Spinelli group for the new federalism proposes "coalitions of progress" on economic and social fields in follow-up to defence initiative and priority on citizens
(EU) EU/COLOMBIA: EU condemns assassination of ten Colombian citizens
(EU) EP/HUMAN RIGHTS: Passport for freedom for Moroccan prisoner
(EU) EU/CONVENTION: VGE proposes public debate and vote - Remarks by Simitis and Prodi on Council Presidency and signing of the Treaty
(EU) EP/CONVENTION/RELIGION:
(EU) EU/GERMANY/CONSTITUTION:
GENERAL NEWS
(EU) EU/UNITED STATES/WTO: WTO allows EU to apply Foreign Sales Corporation counter measures
(EU) EU/EMU: Commission says France should take action before October to bring its public deficit back below the 3% GDP threshold by 2004 at the latest
(EU) EU/ENVIRONMENT/INDUSTRY: Commission launches 8 week consultation exercise on its draft new chemicals legislation - NGOs say this means it won't be possible to pass the legislation in 2004
(EU) EU/INTERNAL MARKET: 2003-2006 strategy for internal market envisages opening up water to competition and setting up of national monitoring mechanisms for application of Community law - horizonal directive on services
(EU) EU/STATE AID: Commission proposes regulation to simplify granting of state aid for research and development for SMEs
(EU) EU/ENERGY: Authorisation for Germany to grant aid to its coal industry
(EU) EU/EPIDEMIC: Extension to 16 May for measures to fight against avian influenza in Netherlands and Belgium
(EU) EU/AFGHANISTAN: On Thursday, Commission is to approve framework needed for launching European Return Plan for Afghan refugees
(EU) EU/JHA COUNCIL: Discussion on Thursday of derogations requested by Switzerland for joining Schengen - Details about the agenda
(EU) EU/REFUGEES: Amnesty International calls on EU to stop, for now, all programmes for repatriation of Afghan refugees
(EU) EU/ENERGY: Three-party exchange on legislative package relating to the liberalisation of electricity and gas markets
(EU) EU/TOURISM: Informal Council calls for tourism to be included in new EU Treaty - Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Erkki Liikanen are confident tourism will pick up in 2003
(EU) EU/EESC/MERCOSUR:
(EU) EU/HEALTH: Council to review Sars at the beginning of June - COREPER to prepare a statement along with Germany giving details of ban on tobacco advertising in WHO Framework Convention
(EU) EU/CULTURE COUNCIL/BROADCASTING: Final outcome
(EU) EU/PALESTINE: MR PATTEN HOPES EU CAN OPEN UP ITS MARKETS TO PALESTINIAN AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS
(EU) EU/LATIN AMERICA: EU and Andean community begin negotiations for new cooperation agreement
(EU) EU/AIR TRANSPORT: Commission re-launches recruitment procedure for director of European Aviation Safety Agency
(EU) EU/SPORT: Athens Ministerial conference scrutinises positive effects of major sports events at a local level
(EU) EP/TRANSPORT: US Administration is unable to convince European Parliament's Committee on Citizens' Freedoms of the justification for its new policy on access to passenger data
(EU) EU/TRANSPORT: Presentation of first hydrogen buses
(EU) EU/FRAUD: Ten members of cigarette smuggling ring arrested in the Netherlands and Germany
(EU) EU/COMPETITION: Green light for Compass and Cremonini joint venture
(EU) EU/COMPETITION:
(EU) EP/BUDGET: Neena Gill's report gives estimates of revenue and expenditure of Parliament for the financial year 2004, marked by enlargement and a new statute for MEPs
(EU) EU/ECONOMY: Euro-zone unemployment up to 8.7%
(EU) EU/ECONOMY: Industrial producer prices up by 0.2% in euro-zone and EU15
(EU) EP/PATENTS/SOFTWARE:
(EU) EP/ENLARGEMENT:
SUPPLEMENT
EUROPE/Document No. 1108: European Convention: contribution by the Spinelli Group on the new federalism
€ VALUE IN DIFFERENT CURRENCIES ON 07/05/2003: