Features

Fixed price opportunities? Will the UK Energy Bill supply?The energy market may have served the UK well for many years, but energy security and climate change objectives have spurred a review which has resulted in the proposed Electricity Market Reforms. These may prove to be beneficial to the extractive industry, Sonya Bedford of Stephens Scown Solicitors paints the current and future pictures of the UK and European landscapes with this in mind.

European Union Water Framework Directive's ambitious targets for 2015The EU Water Framework Directive's ambitious targets for 2015 are approaching. What are the likely impacts on aggregates businesses? Simon Trahair-Davies of Stephens Scown LLP reviews the legislation...
Tackling liability after major mining accidentsThe European Commission is conducting a feasibility study into the creation of a fund to cover environmental liabilities for industrial accidents. If introduced, this could have a major impact on...
Developments dependent on Habitats DirectiveEuropean Commission opinions on the application of Article 6(4) of the Habitats Directive highlight the possibilities of development in the public interest. Aggregates and minerals companies have...
Anglo American/Lafarge jv deadlineThe UK's Competition Commission is expected to publish its final report on the the proposed UK joint venture between Anglo American and Lafarge in late April. However, the CC has already decided...
Anglo American/Lafarge jv 'threatens competition'The Competition Commission (CC) has decided provisionally that the proposed UK joint venture between Anglo American and Lafarge could damage competition in certain markets for construction materials....
Go-ahead for ash facilityCovanta Energy, one of the world's leading energy-from-waste (EfW) providers, has been awarded planning permission from Cheshire West and Chester Council to build an incinerator bottom ash aggregate...
Court snub to GSM open-air quarryGSM has had permission to operate an open-air quarry in south-west France withdrawn due to an impact study's perceived failure to sufficiently consider animals of protected status. The cement company...
OFT's aggregates, cement, ready-mix investigationThe UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has referred the aggregates, cement and ready-mix concrete markets in Great Britain to the Competition Commission. The decision to make a market investigation...
Court considers ZhBI bankruptcy petitionsThe Volgograd region's Arbitration Court is hearing claims from plaintiffs including Sberbank Head Office in the Volgograd region (South), which filed a petition for settling a RUB 2.20billion...
EC to initiate formal proceedings over possible anti-competitive practices against HeidelbergCement and other companiesHeidelbergCement has been informed by the European Commission about the decision to initiate formal proceedings in respect of possible anti-competitive practices in the markets of cement and related...