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EU News Flashes and Events for 96-10-16
From: HR-Net News Distribution Manager <dist@hri.org>
CONTENTS
[01] ECOFIN rejects Santer's jobs plan
[02] No Council decision on substance
[03] Fast decision on corn/Bjerregaard
[04] Draft car pollution curbs
[05] EU efforts to set fur trap rules
[06] EMU bank regulation
[07] Single currency plans
[08] Airport ground-handling rules
[09] EU-southern Africa trade talks
[10] Huge subsidies for East opposed
[11] Aid guidelines to be adopted
[12] U.S. rice quota arrangements
[13] Plans for Schengen new members
[14] Thyssen Stahl/Boehler deal
[15] Beer, oil sales rules extension
[16] Germany state subsidies
[17] New plan to rescue Germany's Sket
[18] 124 sign nuclear test ban treaty
[19] Main EU events for October 16
[01] ECOFIN rejects Santer's jobs plan
LUXEMBOURG - To the frustration of European Commission President Jacques
Santer, the ECOFIN Council on Monday again rejected a proposal to spend more
than $1 billion on trans-European rail and roadways to boost jobs.
[02] No Council decision on substance
LUXEMBOURG - Environment Ministers discussed a series of issues ranging from
leg-hold traps to climate change on Tuesday but took no decisions on any
substantive legal texts.
[03] Fast decision on corn/Bjerregaard
LUXEMBOURG - Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard will push on Wednesday
for scientists to report before the end of October on the safety of Ciba
Geigy's genetically modified maize, a Commission spokesman said on Tuesday.
[04] Draft car pollution curbs
LUXEMBOURG - The Environment Council gave a mixed reception on Tuesday to
plans for tighter fuel quality and vehicle emission rules intended to slash
the bloc's road transport emissions by up to 70 percent by 2010.
[05] EU efforts to set fur trap rules
LUXEMBOURG - European Union environment ministers were met by an eight-metre
high inflatable beaver on Tuesday as they met to discuss how to avert a trade
row over a planned import ban on fur from animals caught in leg-hold traps.
[06] EMU bank regulation
BRUSSELS - The regulation and safeguarding of banks under a common European
currency remains an unresolved issue, and some are starting to worry that the
powers of a European Central Bank may be insufficient.
[07] Single currency plans
BRUSSELS - In an attempt to solidify the gathering momentum behind a common
European currency, the European Commission on Wednesday will put forward its
views on three critical areas of economic and monetary unio
[08] Airport ground-handling rules
LUXEMBOURG - The Council of Ministers agreed on Tuesday to liberalise ground-
handling services at airports in the Union, confirming a decision transport
ministers made last December.
[09] EU-southern Africa trade talks
WINDHOEK - European Union and southern African foreign ministers ended two
days of talks on political and economic cooperation on Tuesday with few new
words and little promise of action to end conflicts in Africa.
[10] Huge subsidies for East opposed
PRAGUE - The European Union's budget commissioner Erkki Liikanen spoke out on
Tuesday against showering new members from post-communist Europe with
subsidies, saying this would distort their economies and breed a dependency
culture.
[11] Aid guidelines to be adopted
LUXEMBOURG - The European Court of Justice said on Tuesday the European
Commission has the authority to adopt mandatory guidelines for examining state
aids in the fisheries sector even without express Council authorisation.
[12] U.S. rice quota arrangements
BRUSSELS - The European Union's rice management committee may decide on
Thursday details of export certificates that are needed to import U.S. rice
under GATT quota arrangements, an EU official said on Tuesday.
[13] Plans for Schengen new members
BRUSSELS - Ministers from the Schengen border-free pact meet in Luxembourg on
Thursday in a bid to push forward plans to bring new countries into the
alliance.
[14] Thyssen Stahl/Boehler deal
BRUSSELS - The European Commission said on Tuesday it had approved a joint
venture between Thyssen Stahl AG and Boehler Uddeholm AG.
[15] Beer, oil sales rules extension
BRUSSELS - The European Commission is expected to extend rules exempting
exclusive supply and distribution agreements in the beer and oil industries
from fair competition rules, Commission and industry sources said on Tuesday.
[16] Germany state subsidies
BRUSSELS - The European Commission, determined to curb German subsidies to
businesses, has indicated it will not allow Germany to implement a new
regional aid plan if support to the rich west is not reduced.
[17] New plan to rescue Germany's Sket
BRUSSELS - The European Commission will study a plan to split German machinery
firm SKET GmbH, but it will not close its eyes to subsidies paid to the
embattled company, a Commission official said on Tuesday.
[18] 124 sign nuclear test ban treaty
UNITED NATIONS - A total of 124 states have signed the nuclear test ban treaty
over the past three weeks and Fiji has become the first to ratify the pact,
the United Nations said on Monday.
[19] Main EU events for October 16
BRUSSELS - European Commission regular weekly meeting begins at 0730 GMT;
European Commission President Santer and European Commissioner de Silguy hold
joint news conference on third phase of EMU at 1015 GMT; European
Commissioners Bangemann and Oreja hold joint news conference on protection of
minors and criminal aspects of the internet at 1045 GMT.
GENEVA - WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) meets; main discussions focus on
the U.S. Helms-Burton Cuban investment law.
BRUSSELS - Lithuanian President Algirdas Brazauskas meets NATO Secretary
General Javier Solana at 0740 GMT; also meets European Commissioner van den
Broek.
BRUSSELS - EP President Klaus Haensch meets Slovak President Michal Kovac at
1000 GMT.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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