Using resources from the European Union and the Nicaraguan government, a program will be financed which focuses on the transformation of the cattle value chain and the implementation of a sustainable production model.
The institutions promoting the program reported that "... through this program, the European Union (EU) is making available to the GRUN a total of €20 million, which will be administered by the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for the Development (AECID), which is also contributing 500 thousand euros, and there will also be a counterpart contribution from the Government of €1.2 million."
In October 2017 production limits and the "out of -quota" production concept will eliminate for the manufacture of biofuel and industrial non-food products.
The current production quota for sugar according to the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which applies to the 28 countries in the bloc, is 13.5 million tons per year.The production capacity of sugar producers in the European bloc is higher than the quota, therefore eliminating production limits will lead to a lowering of prices due to excess supply, similar to what has already happened in the milk market following the elimination of production quotas.
In Europe an amendment has been approved to protect banana producing countries in the bloc from Latin American competition.
The commission voted to "automatically activate a safeguard clause" for bananas from European overseas territories, said the French lawmaker Younous Omarjee from the Socialist Party, in a statement.
With $80 million from the IDB and the European Union modernization works will be undertaken at five land border crossings.
According to Jose Adan Aguerri, president of the Superior Council of Private Enterprise (COSEP), "...'First there was an IDB contribution of approximately US $60 million and we have managed to negotiate, according to what was reported at the Roatan summit, a week ago, the EU providing another US $20 million'. "
The bill presented to Congress creates the Superintendency of Competition which will be able to investigate business practices in order to punish them if they are anti-competitive.
From a statement issued by the Ministry of Economy:
The Minister of Economy, Ruben Morales, presented the draft Competition Act to Congress, to regulate Articles 43, 119 and 130 of the Constitution of the Republic, in order to promote economic efficiency and fulfill the commitment made in the Association Agreement with the European Union.
A drinking water distribution network measuring more than 125 kilometers will carry drinking water to the Miskito indigenous communities in the northern plain of Sising, Kuakuil, Boom Sirpi and Yulu Tingni.
From a statement issued by the EU Delegation in Nicaragua and Panama:
First stage completed to ensure drinking water for more than 160 thousand inhabitants of Bilwi
The authorities have until November 31, 2016 to approve a law for the promotion and defence of competition.
The European Union needed to demand a Competition Law in the Association Agreement with Central America in order for Guatemala, the only country in the region not to have rules in this area, to bring the country up to date in this area.
Alejandro Williams, Deputy Minister of Investment and Competition, told Diario de Centroamerica that the initiative will be handed over to the authorities who assume office on January 14, and then it will be forwarded to Congress. The Law on the Promotion and Protection of Competition, as the project will be known, must be approved before the November 31, a deadline established in the trade agreement.
Food entering the European Union will now be overseen by a new system of health inspections to verify compliance.
From a statement issued by the Foreign Trade Office of Costa Rica:
On November 17, a new system comes into force to control health alerts according to Decision 2015/1918 of the European Commission, published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) on 24 October.
This new list of tax havens is a collection of countries considered as such in at least 10 member countries of the European Union.
Despite some steps taken to establish international agreements on tax information and the adoption of other measures to avoid being considered a tax haven, Panama has been included in the list of 30 non-cooperative countries or territories on these issues by the European Commission.
It is increasingly clear that the European welfare state is not sustainable and it is imperative to make reforms in order to create capitalization systems.
EDITORIAL
Latin America has made progress in these reforms, although in many of its countries, including in Central America, private pension systems are simply younger siblings to the state systems operating under the concept of intergenerational solidarity, suffering not only from limitations on the freedom of all contributors to deposit their savings in the pension fund of their choice, but also the powers of managers of these funds to invest in securities other than government ones.
Central American exports destined for the EU in the first quarter of 2014 totaled $1,021,600,000, down 10.5% compared to the same period in 2013.
From a report entitled "Central America's Bilateral trade with the EU: Evaluation of the first quarter of 2014" by SIECA:
Part IV of the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union (EU-CA) took effect for each of the Republics of the Central American side in 2013.
Soybeans, corn and cotton are the main GM crops in Brazil, a country that accepts and promotes genetically modified foods.
In Brazil the number of hectares planted with genetically modified soybeans, corn and cotton amounts to 36.6 million, varieties of crops which according to producers reduce costs, increase production and generate higher profits.
During the event, which will take place 1 and 2 October in Panama, there will be discussion of the benefits associated with renewable energy projects in the region.
From a press release issued by the National Environmental Authority (ANAM):
The Energy and Environment Partnership with Central America (EEP) will hold the XXII Regional Sustainable Energy Forum on 1 and 2 October in Panama.
The Association Agreement with the EU was approved with no negative votes by the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly.
From a press release from the Legislative Assembly of El Salvador:
The Legislative Assembly of El Salvador in plenary session, affirmed on Thursday with 82 votes, the Association Agreement between Central America and the European Union (AA), which will enter into force on August 1.
The European Union has announced contributions for social and electoral programs, as well as infrastructure improvements.
The nonrefundable collaborative agreements signed are for projects for rural roads, community development, poverty reduction, and assistance to those affected by the recent rains among others schemes.
"The $64.4 million will go to El Salvador’s Caring Community Support Program (PACSES in Spanish), who will seek to "reduce poverty and economic and social inequality, primarily in rural areas, according to the chancellor", reads an article from Reuters.