Shabla Wants To Ban Use Of Secondhand Wind Turbines 20/03/2008
Bulgarian coastal Shabla municipality has asked the energy ministry to update the regulations for the construction of wind power facilities, allowing local authorities to have the first look when it comes to new investment proposals for wind generators, Dnevnik daily reported on March 19. The town hals wants to prevent the use of second-hand wind turbines, which have a shorter lifespan and are less environment-friendly. Greek, Spanish and Portuguese investors have all been reported as interested in wind-power generation opportunities in the Shabla area. German utility company E.ON is also among the potential investors in the municipality. The company plans to build a 990ha wind farm with a capacity of 75 to 130MW, according to Shabla mayor Krasimir Krustev. The German company is also... more

Inner London Eus Richest Region, Poorest In Bulgaria, Romania And Poland 14/03/2008
The EU's richest people live in Inner London, while the poorest live in Bulgaria, Romania and Poland, the Daily Telegraph reports, quoting Eurostat latest research. The three leading regions (figures are based on 271 regions' GDP in EU 27 countries) in the ranking of regional GDP per inhabitant in 2005 were Inner London (303 per cent of the average), the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg (264 per cent) and Brussels (241 per cent), the Daily Telegraph reports. The fifteen lowest regions in the rankings were all in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania, with the lowest figures recorded in the North-East of Romania (24 per cent of the average), followed by Severozapaden and Yuzhen tsentralen in Bulgaria (both 27 per cent). Among the 69 regions below the 75 per cent level, fifteen were in Poland,... more

Marks and spencer To Invest 50m Euro In Expansion On The Balkans 14/03/2008
The largest British clothing retailer Marks&Spencer Group Plc set up a joint venture with the Greek Marinopoulos Group to expand its business in Eastern Europe, Bloomberg reported on February 29. The British company acquired 50 per cent of Marks&Spencer Marinopoulos BV, which manages 38 outlets under franchise in Greece, Romania, Bulgaria and Switzerland, for  50 million euro. Marks&Spencer plans to open 50 new outlets on the Balkans in the coming years, Bloomberg said. The acquisition is a part of Marks&Spencer's expansion and investment strategy, which includes boosting the share of international revenues to between 15 and 20 per cent over the next five years. "Our joint venture with Marinopoulos will mean we can really put M&S on the map in this part of the world,''... more