Tag: Free Content
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South Korea Bets Big on Petrochemicals
While much of the global petrochemical industry is struggling with overcapacity and weak margins, South Korea is making a remarkably bold industrial bet.
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The Human Cost of the Bio-on Affair: A Personal Reflection
Looking back at the Bio-on affair today, there is one aspect of the story that deserves more attention: the human cost. After the report by Quintessential Capital Management, Bio-on’s collapse was extraordinarily rapid. The company, its technology and, above all, its chairman Marco Astorri became the subject of intense public scrutiny. What followed was not…
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Italy’s “Eco” Bags: Who Is Protecting Competition?
The €32 Million Question: Who Protects Competition in Italy’s Bioplastics Market?
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US Builds the Next Oil Route While Europe Destroys the Old One
Sometimes the difference between American and European strategic thinking can be summed up in a pipeline.
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How EU PPWR Bureaucracy Crushes Small Businesses
The EU’s Sustainable Trap: Treating Grandma’s Hobby Shop Like Amazon. Why the New PPWR is the Ultimate Death Blow for Micro-Businesse
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Trump Administration Targets Packaging Chemicals
The Trump administration is closing the GRAS loophole to require public disclosure of all food packaging chemicals.
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EU Hits Net-Zero Goals by Exploding Refineries
A satirical critique of the European Union funding infrastructure strikes that trigger global energy spikes, hilariously punishing its own taxpayers with soaring inflation and freezing winter heating bills.
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The EU Apologizes (Sort Of) for Decades of Legal Poisoning
A satirical double-feature exposing the absurdity of EU regulations, from decades of legally permitting toxic “forever chemicals” in fast-food packaging to the loophole-ridden ban arriving this August [Regulation (EU) 2025/40].
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The Waste Shipment Regulation fairy tale
After decades of treating developing nations as Europe’s personal plastic landfills, a new EU law finally kicked in this May to ensure our trash is handled “sustainably.” It turns out shipping millions of tons of plastic scrap across the ocean only for it to be dumped in someone else’s backyard wasn’t the eco-friendly triumph Brussels…
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PPWR: And They All Recycled Happily Ever After
A European fairy tale in which every plastic package finds the correct bin, every recycling plant works perfectly, compostable plastic magically becomes compost, and nobody asks inconvenient questions.
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You Can’t Stop Plastic With A Law. Bangladesh Shows Us That We Need To Change The Material
Written by Marco Astorri, founder of Bio-on, this article argues that banning conventional plastics is not enough. Using Bangladesh’s struggle to replace plastic with jute, Astorri makes the case for PHA: biodegradable polymers that could preserve plastic’s functionality while avoiding its long-term environmental persistence.
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Compostable Plastics: Where Do the Failed Ecotoxicity Tests Go?
This article examines how compostable plastics are tested for ecotoxicity in Europe, who performs these tests, what regulators receive, and raises a simple question: what happens to the ecotoxicity tests that fail?
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The Albanian oil scandal
Albania produces oil. So why are Albanians paying more than €2 a litre at the pump—and where does the country’s oil money actually go?
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Has the EU Turned Mass Balance into a Fraud Magnet?
EU Biodiesel Market Becomes Increasingly Vulnerable to Fraud
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China’s Fuel Export Strategy Gains Speed
China Reinforces Its Position as Asia’s Refining Powerhouse
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European Oil Companies Continue to Outperform Chemical Industry
European oil companies continue to thrive, while the continent’s chemical industry faces mounting challenges. A look at how different policy priorities in the US and Europe are shaping the future of the oil and chemical industries.
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UK Considers Legal Action Over Benzene Emissions
UK Regulator Considers Legal Action Against Huntsman Over Benzene Emissions
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Trump blasts Exxon, Chevron for making ‘too much money,’ demands lower gasoline prices
Trump Tells Big Oil to Cut Gasoline Prices, Singles Out Chevron CEO
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Germany Needs an Oil Champion
Did Germany make a strategic mistake by never building a global oil and gas champion? This article explores the history of Germany’s energy strategy and argues that Europe should rethink its approach to energy sovereignty—with a satirical twist at the end.
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BIOME CEO is Bioplastics Most Consistent Communicator
Play the video (LinkedIn Post) BIOME’s CEO has been one of the most consistent voices in the bioplastics industry. Whether you agree with his views or not, he has communicated his vision with consistency over the years. In that sense, he truly walks the walk. That said, I don’t fully share his emphasis on climate…
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Dow’s €1.1 Billion Lawsuit Could Change Competition Law in Petrochemical Industry
Dow’s €1.1 billion damages claim over the European ethylene buyers’ cartel may prove to be far more significant than the lawsuit itself.
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Zelensky’s position on EU tethered bottle cap (Video)
Zelensky just did the unthinkable: he ripped off the famous EU tethered bottle cap… the one we’re constantly told can’t be ripped off without consequences. Yet somehow, civilization survived.
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Is the World’s Biggest Cartel Hiding in Plain Sight?
How Does an Oil Cartel Fit Into a Free Trade Environment?
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Chemical Recycling Bubble Begins to Burst
Chemical Recycling Faces a Reality Check as Projects Stall Across Europe and the US
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Italy says it Recycled more than 75% of Packaging
Italy Recycles Record 77.3% of Packaging, Strengthening Its Circular Economy Credentials
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Is DG COMP Trying to Block Compostable Plastics in Europe?
The European Commission has once again found itself at the centre of the debate over compostable plastics.
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How China Took One for the Team to Keep Oil Markets Stable
China’s Lower Oil Imports Helped Stabilize the Global Market
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India Signals a New Era in Global Crude Procurement
India’s state-owned Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (MRPL) has become the country’s first refiner to formally instruct crude oil suppliers to avoid shipments transiting the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz in a spot crude tender.
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EU Sanctions: Ordinary Russians are Paying the Price
After several years of sanctions, one question deserves to be asked: who is really paying the highest price?
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Ursula von der Leyen Explains EU’s Relationship with OPEC
Exclusive Interview with Bioplastics News: Ursula von der Leyen Explains Europe’s Relationship with OPEC
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US and OPEC: A Relationship of Contradictions
For decades, the United States has criticized OPEC for coordinating oil production and influencing global prices, arguing that free markets—not producer cartels—should determine the price of crude. Yet Washington has never seriously sought to dismantle the organization.
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Germany’s Chemical Industry Takes Another Hit
Germany’s chemical industry is facing another major challenge as exceptionally low water levels on the Rhine disrupt the transport of key petrochemical feedstocks.
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ENI acting responsibly in Mozambique
Not every story about the oil industry has to be a negative one. When an energy company promotes policies that can genuinely benefit local communities, those initiatives deserve recognition—even when the company in question is ENI.
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Is the UK Subsidising the Destruction of Canadian Forests for Bioenergy?
Watch the video
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Italian biofuel cartel: appeals move to Italy’s highest court
The legal battle over Italy’s €936 million biofuel cartel decision is entering its next phase.
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EU targets construction chemicals cartel
The European Commission has stepped up its crackdown on alleged cartels by issuing a Statement of Objections to ten construction chemicals manufacturers and three national trade associations over suspected price-fixing.
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Did the EU Ban Textile Waste—or Simply Export It?
The EU has banned the destruction of unsold clothing. From now on, large fashion companies can no longer incinerate or landfill new, unsold garments.
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Dow demands €1.1 billion over EU ethylene cartel
The legal fallout from Europe’s ethylene cartel is far from over.
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PPWR: The Quiet Demotion of Compostable Plastics
For years, compostable plastics were presented as one of the key solutions to Europe’s packaging waste problem. Policymakers, industry associations and manufacturers promoted them as an important pillar of the transition towards a circular economy. The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), however, tells a different story.
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Is Italy’s Waste Management System Collapsing?
Italy managed to convince EU officials that its waste management system was a best-in-class example. Watch the video
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Novamont Lost €70 Million in 2025
According to Eni’s 2025 Annual Report, Novamont recorded a net loss of approximately €70 million in 2025. That’s a €110 million loss in two years
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NL Prosecutors open criminal inquiry into Sabic PFAS pollution
Dutch prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into plastics manufacturer Sabic over the suspected illegal discharge of the PFAS chemical PFBS into the Westerschelde estuary in the Netherlands. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), Sabic’s plant in Bergen op Zoom is suspected of releasing PFBS—a so-called “forever chemical”—into the Westerschelde and the nearby Theodorushaven…
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EU Basic Chemicals Production is collapsing
What are basic Chemicals Basic chemicals (also called commodity chemicals, upstream petrochemicals or building-block chemicals) are the fundamental molecules from which thousands of other chemicals and plastics are made. Basic chemical Used to make Ethylene Polyethylene (PE), PVC, antifreeze, detergents Propylene Polypropylene (PP), acrylics, solvents Butadiene Synthetic rubber (tires) Benzene Polystyrene, nylon, detergents Chlorine PVC,…
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EU agricultural subsidies for Royal UAE family
Talking about misallocation of EU funding.
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Facing 2 years of prison for cleaning a UK river
An environmental lawyer and campaigner in the UK is facing up to two years in prison and could potentially lose his job for the “crime” of… cleaning up a highly polluted local river.
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The Fall of Rome and the EU
I’m a big fan of Roman history, and one question has always fascinated me: How was it possible for the Roman Empire to collapse? I think I found an answer.
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The Free Movement of Goods: EU and US Perspectives
The EU often promotes the free movement of goods as one of the cornerstones of European integration. Yet, when you look at the United States, it seems that the “Made in USA” label carries far more weight than the unrestricted flow of products across state lines.
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Chinese insights on whether oil is a fossil ressource
One of the most persistent conspiracy theories surrounding the fossil oil industry is the claim that oil isn’t a fossil resource at all. Now, China appears to be jumping on that bandwagon.
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EU Justice Fairy Tale
The EU promotes the rule of law and the protection of citizens’ rights. Unfortunately, my personal experience has been very different from what is being marketed.
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EU China PBAT Anti dumping Investigation
The European Commission on June 4 opened an anti-dumping investigation into Chinese imports of polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) and related copolyesters, following a complaint from EU producers led by BASF.
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Infringement by DG JUST – Failure to Respond Regarding ENI SLAPP Case
I wrote to the DG JUST Anti-SLAPP Expert Group on 21 April 2026 regarding my ENI SLAPP case. As I have not yet received a response, I am sending this reminder.
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Exxon warns for increasing oil prices
Exxon warns oil inventories will hit dangerously low levels in weeks, forcing prices to shoot higher
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US Policy to reduce microplastics
The US policy to reduce microplastics seem better than the usual EU bullshit.
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To Solve the conflict in Ukraine
Europe is drifting without a clear roadmap for peace, locked into a cycle of escalation, rhetoric, and reconstruction promises that never quite arrive. This essay challenges that trajectory and asks a difficult question: what would a realistic path toward de-escalation and long-term stability actually look like for Ukraine, Russia, and Europe itself?
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My Statement Regarding the Legal Dispute Involving Me, Eni, Novamont, and the European Commission
Please read my statement regarding the legal dispute involving me, Eni, Novamont, and the European Commission.
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ENI and The European Commission vs Axel Barrett
Freedom of Speech: ENI and The European Commission vs Axel Barrett
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The Governance Risk Inside ENI’s Versalis Strategy and the Novamont Deal
ENI, Versalis and the Governance Questions Behind the Novamont Deal
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Marco Astorri, the Golden Boy of Bioplastics
Marco Astorri had it all: groundbreaking technology, growing markets, and a strong corporate structure. Contracts were pouring in, and Bio-on seemed years ahead of the competition in the race to commercialize PHA bioplastics.
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The Curious Economics of Novamont’s €195 Million Loan
A Loss-Making Novamont Borrowed at 2.46% During Europe’s Rate Shock
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The Bioplastics News UFOFiles
From everything I’ve seen on Instagram, these are what I personally consider to be the best AI generated UFO images released so far. Otherwise, find also my final message on … my personal epithome for the one and only …. Bioplastics news … one of the most independent media in Europe …
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The Versalis–Eni Governance Question: When Auditor Rotation Isn’t Really Rotation
The Versalis Case and the Failure of Europe’s Audit Rotation Rules
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Five Article 2446 Triggers at Versalis Raise Questions About ENI’s Disclosure Practices
Five Article 2446 Triggers at Versalis Raise Questions About ENI’s Disclosure Practices
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Who should pay for the removal of microplastics?
Who should pay for the removal of microplastics?
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Free advertising for US Bioplastics Companies
I would like to support American bioplastics companies. These are challenging times, and if I can contribute in any meaningful way, I’m happy to do so.
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Essay on US Oil Diplomacy and Influence Channels in Europe
A Hypothetical Examination of US Oil Diplomacy and Channels of Influence in Europe
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Why Is ENI Receiving Major EU Financing Amid Legal and Antitrust Scrutiny? (Updated)
The €1.2 Billion Question: Why Is ENI Receiving Major EU Financing Amid Legal and Antitrust Scrutiny?
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ENI vs Microsoft: Does the EU Apply a Double Standard in Competition Law?
Microsoft vs ENI in EU competition enforcement. A comparative analysis of enforcement approaches in digital and energy markets. Hard enforcement versus negotiated remedies in EU antitrust cases.
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Belgian MEP calls out European Parliament for failing its mandate
Belgian MEP calls out European Parliament for failing its mandate
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Greenpeace blames US companies for sabotaging EU plastic law
McDonald’s and Coca-Cola caught trying to gut Europe’s landmark plastics law months before it takes effect
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UK’s inconvenient plastic waste management
Household rubbish weighing 30,000 tonnes (mostly plastics) has been dumped at a protected site and covered with soil. The same is happening overall in Europe.
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The Novamont Takeover: How Losses, Litigation and Strategic Control Ended in Eni’s Hands
The Novamont Takeover: How Losses, Litigation and Strategic Control Ended in Eni’s Hands
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The Fall of Versalis? How €7 Billion in Losses Came Before a €2 Billion Rescue
Eni says Europe’s chemicals sector is in “structural and irreversible decline.” Investors now face a fresh €2 billion turnaround gamble.
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EU to Phase Out Soy-based Biofuels
European Union to Phase Out the Use of Soy-based Biofuels
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The Strait of Hormuz Blockade and American Strategic Interests
The recurring instability in the Strait of Hormuz often appears to harm global markets, but it can also create strategic advantages for the United States. As one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, any tension in the region immediately raises energy prices, increases uncertainty, and reminds allies of the importance of maritime security. In…
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European Economic and Social Committee in the middle of corruption scandal
The secretary general has been accused of misappropriating public funds and channeling contracts to her friends and family.
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Germany is loosing patience with the European Commission
One of the proposed measure includes “cutting staff numbers in the European institutions.”
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BASF to increase prices for additives in plastic applications
Source BASF to further increase prices for additives in plastic applications
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Why the Italian Court Upheld the Antitrust Ruling Against Novamont and Eni
The Italian administrative court TAR Lazio has upheld the decision of the Italian antitrust authority, confirming that Novamont engaged in an abuse of dominant position and that Eni can be held liable as the parent company.
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Regional Administrative Court rejects Novamont’s appeal against the AGCM fine
The company and its parent company, ENI, were found guilty by the antitrust authority of abusing their dominant position in bioplastics for produce bags. An appeal to the Council of State has been announced.
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EU plastic trends: prepare for the worse
What briefing should you give to your corporate EU affairs department?
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Biden’s stake in the Russian Ukraine conflict (Video Doc)
Watch View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kapitol.ai (@kapitolai) Personal Remarks Some politicians from the old guard, such as Joe Biden, seemed comfortable returning to a Cold War–style geopolitical framework. For them, it was familiar territory — almost a kind of comfort zone. It also shifted attention away from difficult domestic issues,…
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Canada wins the prestigious plastics circus award
Canada wins the prestigious plastics circus award
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Public Money for Big Oil? EIB Responds to ENI Financing questions
Earlier this month, Bioplastics News published a series of questions addressed to the European Investment Bank (EIB) regarding its financing relationship with the Italian energy company Eni S.p.A. and its subsidiaries, particularly in connection with bio-refinery and biofuel projects in Italy.
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An Essay in US oil Diplomacy
This essay examines U.S. oil diplomacy in the current context of tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, exploring how energy logistics, supply security, and strategic infrastructure could shape geopolitical influence in a period of maritime instability.
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ENI Slapp Video Diary (Latest videos)
Here are all the video diaries about the ENI SLAPP lawsuit. Please feel free to share them to help raise awareness.
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Public Money for Big Oil? Questions Sent to the EIB About Its Financing of ENI
Public Money for Big Oil? Questions Sent to the European Investment Bank About Its Financing of ENI
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EU is losing the global competition by betting on Bio-economy
Here’s a summary of global competition based on McKinsey insights.
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The dark side of ENI’s biofuel promise
Italian state-owned oil giant Eni presents its Kenyan biofuel project as a model for sustainable air travel. Many small farmers say it’s failed them.
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EU policies have destroyed french sugar industry
Source Sorry, the social media post is in French. EU policies have effectively dismantled France’s last family-owned sugar company. By allowing tariff-free Ukrainian sugar imports to support the war effort, the EU has favored massive agro-industrial corporations over small-scale family players. Our politicians are complicit in this destruction of the European food supply. View this…
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