Category: Europe Business Review

Euroland: Living dangerously Majella Anning MAJELLA ANNING [*] Brussels – Europe expected 1999 to be the year of the euro – but history will label it a year of living dangerously. It was always going to be a momentous year for Europe, but a series of crises and conflicts betrayed hopes for reasons to celebrate […]

europe.com The use and concept of e-commerce is growing rapidly in Europe and Australia, following the American lead. According to a new report by analyst Datamonitor of London, American transactional web sites now receive average annual revenues of US$50,000 – while European sites generate US$11,000. Online shopping is more mature in the US, and on […]

Euro worth confidence The euro is expected to appreciate during 2000, according to James Shugg, the senior economist (London) of Westpac Bank of Australia. Europe’s single currency had its first birthday on New Year’s Day and entered the new century with hope. The euro was on a downward trend from the day it was born […]

High-speed exports to Europe John Shaw More export successes for Australian-built high-speed ferries have been delivered by Austal Ships of Western Australia and Incat of Tasmania. The Irish Continental Ferry Group has purchased an “Auto Express 86” vehicle-passenger catamaran from Austal to enter its service in the 1999 European summer. The 39-knot aluminium catamaran will […]

“From boomerang to bionic ear” Australia will have a spectacular pavilion at Expo 2000, to be held in Hannover, Germany, from 1 June to 31 October next year. The theme of the $10m pavilion will be “From boomerangs to the bionic ear”. The slogan links the best known symbol of indigenous Australia with one of […]

European Stars For Sydney European performers and exhibits will star in the Olympic Arts festival which Australia will present with the 2000 Games. Music, dance, opera, cabaret and art from Europe will be presented in the six-week cultural programme accompanying the Olympic Games in Sydney. Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Greece, Holland and Finland will be […]

Europe bids for KIWIS’ CUP European companies are investing heavily in sponsorship and support of a sports event which as a spectacle has been described as sometimes no more exciting than watching grass grow. It is the America’s Cup, ocean yachting’s holy grail, held since 1995 by New Zealand which will defend it next February […]

Check the wine list! John Shaw Australia is waging a quiet war of words with Europe about wine words – and no truce is yet in sight. This drawn-out diplomacy will continue until some sort of compromise is reached between Australian and European winemakers and traders. The negotiations between the European Commission and Australian wine […]

TNT flies higher under new pilot TNT, the Dutch multi-national fast-freight company with Australian origins, is planning to travel faster. The company’s new purpose-built express freight centre at Liege, Belgium, is the most advanced of its kind in Europe and designed to meet the rapid growth of express freight in Europe’s single currency economies. The […]

EU grocers go global Napoleon derided the English as “a nation of shopkeepers”, words he borrowed from the economist Adam Smith. There might have been some truth in the phrase when first used two centuries ago – but it now fits the French better. France’s two largest retail chains are combining to create Europe’s largest […]