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26-05-2006 hyundai

Faulty economic studies to serve as basis for granting investment incentives to Hyundai

CzechInvest has ordered two economic studies on the potential impact of Hyundai´s planned car plant on the Czech economy. [1] According to an analysis developed by ELS lawyers working under the GARDE - Global Responsibility program in partnership with the Trust for Economy and Society, however, the document is not much of a study but rather a promo material, an essay of questionable quality lacking in content and substance. Nevertheless, the investment contract recently signed with Hyundai indicates that this very study is to be used to defend the project at the European Commission that is expected to discuss ;public support; [3], i.e. the billions worth of investment incentives provided by the Czech Republic.

 

20-02-2006 hyundai

Licensing procedure for the Hyundai investment tarnished by breaches of EU law

Although Hyundai Motor Company has not yet completed its negotiations with representatives of the Czech Republic regarding the conditions under which it would be willing to build a production plant in Moravia three procedures assessing the project´s environmental impact are already under way (under Act no. 100/2001 Coll., on environmental impact assessment). However, not one of EIA notices for the proposed plant has been filed by Hyundai M.C. but the Region of Moravia-Silesia (Nošovice industrial zone), the Statutory City of Ostrava (Mošnov industrial zone) and the ZLín Region (Holešov industrial zone). All three notices have been developed by the state´s Czechinvest agency and although they often require very expensive and time-consuming work the related cost has been covered from public budgets.

 

07-02-2006 danone

Danone, a. s. finally apologises for using the BIO mark

Based on an order granted by the Prague High Court, Danone, a. s. issued a public apology yesterday for using the BIO mark on its products (yoghurts) that were not made using produce of environment-friendly farming (see www.danone.cz a www.ctk.cz ) and thus might have misled consumers. The apology is part of an amicable settlement procedure proposed by Danone, a.s. during the appeal hearing in the Prague High Court against a sentence previously delivered by the Prague Municipal Court that required Danone, a. s. to apologise for its illegal actions stemming from its use of the "bio" mark on yoghurts that are currently marketed under the name "ACTIVIA".

 

03-02-2006 čsa

SOS and ELS filed a legal complaint against Czech Airlines

On January 31, 2006, the SOS (Consumer Defence Association) and lawyers of the GARDE-ELS filed a legal complaint at the Prague 6 District Court seeking a restraining order against the Czech Airlines (ČSA). We believe that the ČSA is in direct breach of the law when it prevents its customers from exchanging gift vouchers sold as part of the Christmas 2005 special offer for tickets unless they do so before the end of June 2006.
 

27-06-2005 nemak

NEMAK allowed to expand ten times in size - The Ústí nad Labem Regional Office has completely ignored the decisions of the Supreme Administrative Court

At the beginning of April 2005, the Supreme Administrative Court clearly indicated that the Environmental Law Service lawyers from the GARDE - Global Responsibility program were right (the ELS is a non-governmental association of lawyers advocating human rights and working to protect the environment through legal means) and that the Rajter family were right, too. The Court reversed five decisions by the Ústí nad Labem Regional Court in the NEMAK case (the zoning decision and the building permit for the first phase, as well as two building permits for a communication in the Joseph industrial zone where the new plant is being built.)

 

26-05-2005 nemak

A press conference informing about the latest developments in the NEMAK case to be held on the farm of Mr. Rajter in Moravěves on May 27, 2005, at 10.30 am

It seems the Regional Office is not going to respect the Supreme Administrative Court´s decisions: "the Supreme Court has cancelled the decision of the Regional Court, not that of the Regional Office, meaning that at this point of time, we are not concerned," said Romana Žatecká, spokesperson of the Regional Office, in an interview for MF DNES, published May 24, 2005.

 
02-05-2005 philips

The court has cancelled the integrated permission for the LG. Philips Displays plant in Hranice

Jiří Nezhyba, an ELS lawyer, comments: "Philips received several billions in investment incentives and the government has since been kindly turning a blind eye on the fact that, from the very start, its operation in the Czech Republic has been illegal. The court agrees with our abjections. At present, we are considering further legal steps."

 

11-04-2005 nemak

The Ústí nad Labem Regional Court has confirmed that the police violated the law in the NEMAK case

The information was requested by ELS lawyers from the GARDE - Global Responsibility Program (ELS-GARDE) in April 2004. The Most District Directorate of the Police of the Czech Republic ignored this application. The North-Bohemian Regional Administration failed to rectify this unlawful conduct and failed to make the requested information available. A lawsuit filed in July 2004 was pronounced legitimate by the Ústí nad Labem Regional Court only a few days ago. The court has ordered the Police to review the ELS-GARDE application and to proceed according to the law when doing so.

 

05-04-2005 nemak

The Supreme Administrative Court has cancelled four decision of lower courts, proving right the adversaries of the NEMAK foreign investment case

These are important decisions which could bring about a U-turn in the case development. "We hope that the NEMAK multinational company will be finally forced to face the consequences of its ruthless behaviour in the Czech Republic," says Pavel Franc, lawyer with the GARDE - ELS program, commenting on the Supreme Administrative Court decision.

 

31-01-2005  tpca

Meeting with Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech, s.r.o. scheduled for tomorrow

A legal analysis by the Environmental Law Service and its GARDE- Global Responsibility program has found bias, conflict of interests and an insufficient assessment of the negative impact on the environment which have occurred in the process of materializing the largest foreign investment activity in the Czech Republic, i.e. the car plant of Toyota M. C. and PSA Peugeot Citroën in Ovčáry u Kolína. ELS - GARDE lawyers have written a proposal outlining what the company needs to do in order to comply with the rules both Toyota and PSA have publicly proclaimed to cherish and volunteered to follow. So far, their words have not been matched by deeds

press releases - nové

Breaking News:

26.05.06 13:55

Faulty economic studies to serve as basis for granting investment incentives to Hyundai

CzechInvest has ordered two economic studies on the potential impact of Hyundai´s planned car...


Press releases, Cases, Hyundai
20.02.06 10:25

Licensing procedure for the Hyundai investment tarnished by breaches of EU law

Although Hyundai Motor Company has not yet completed its negotiations with representatives of the...


Press releases, Cases, Hyundai
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