Ministers have been told to watch out for delays writing new EU rules and regulations into national law, to avoid getting an embarrassing rap on the knuckles from Brussels when Ireland holds the EU presidency. The Government is keen to avoid any “political damage” that could follow the European Commission pursuing new legal cases or […]
Continue ReadingUK consumers are paying more for chocolate eggs this Easter even as global cocoa prices tumble, as manufacturers try to recoup losses from a recent surge in the price of the raw material that analysts say will leave lasting marks on the confectionery industry. Prices for cocoa in New York and London have plunged more […]
Continue ReadingThe threat of strike action from hauliers continues to be on hold following a “positive” meeting on Friday with Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien. The Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA), which is the representative body of the licensed road haulage industry in Ireland, is due to meet the minister again next week but is hopeful […]
Continue ReadingSupporting Ukraine will be a central priority of Ireland’s EU presidency this year, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee is expected to emphasise during her visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. She is also to say that Ireland will continue to offer assistance to Ukraine and ensure it has sustained financial support “to defend itself against […]
Continue ReadingThe European Union may have to take another look at whether alumina should be included in the sanctions regime against Russia, according to the bloc’s sanctions envoy. David O’Sullivan said this might have to be considered if alumina from a plant in Limerick is being used to make aluminium that ends up “finding its way, […]
Continue ReadingThe revelations in The Irish Times about Aughinish Alumina in Limerick came a day after Russia launched a wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine that killed four people and injured dozens more. While the Government has refused to arm Ukraine’s military, a plant in Ireland has exported vast amounts of alumina via its […]
Continue ReadingThe European Union is pulling its funding of a Rwandan military operation that helps to protect a huge natural gas project in Mozambique. It’s a murky story. The high price of gas in Cabo Delgado Rwanda warned last weekend it will withdraw its forces from northern Mozambique, where they have been fighting an insurgency led […]
Continue ReadingNot many politicians’ hearts are sent racing by the prospect of a debate on structural reforms of the European Union’s single market. A summit of the EU’s 27 leaders in Brussels on Thursday had been arranged to give momentum to internal tweaks that might give Europe more of an economic edge. All that has been […]
Continue ReadingThe US has launched new investigations into trading partners including the EU, Japan and Korea, as Donald Trump looks to shore up his tariff wall after the Supreme Court struck down many of his previous levies. The US trade representative’s office on Wednesday unveiled an investigation into what it said was “excess capacity and production […]
Continue ReadingA drawn-out war in Iran that chokes the supply of oil from the Gulf could create a “substantial” economic shock to Europe, the European Union’s economy commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis has warned. Long-term disruption to global oil supply and the key shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz would continue to drive up energy prices, leading […]
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