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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 96-10-04
From: HR-Net News Distribution Manager <dist@hri.org>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
04 / 10 / 1996
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Imperial audience ends Jacques Santer's visit to Japan
[02] Japanese liquor tax - statement by the European Commission
[03] 52 millions d'Ecus pour la coopération transfrontalière de la Corse avec la
Sardaigne et la Toscane
[04] First European week on safety and health - making Europe a better place
to work
[05] Producers must respect animal welfare
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard: "We need an integrated EU policy on urban environmental
issues"
[01] Imperial audience ends Jacques Santer's visit to Japan
An official audience by Emperor Akihito in Tokyo' Imperial Palace today marked
the final event in Jacques Santer's official five-day visit to Japan. Earlier the
President of the European Commission made a speech at Tokyo's Keio
University in which he outlined his vision of EU/Japan relations based on "shared
challenges and common interests". He called for a closer relationship in a wide
range of areas from political and diplomatic joint action to cooperation on fighting
unemployment and facing problems of ageing populations, alongside with
increased economic, industrial and trade exchanges. "Europe and Japan can
learn from each other, can help each other, can achieve more in partnership than
separately", Jacques Santer said. "We have come a long way from ten or only
five years ago but we need to go further".
[02] Japanese liquor tax - statement by the European Commission
Following the EU's complaint to the WTO against the Japanese liquor tax system
and the subsequent Panel report which found in favour of the EU, the WTO's
Appellate Body has now ruled that Japan's tax regime does discriminate against
imports from abroad. Reacting to the news, Trade Commissioner Sir Leon Brittan
made the following statement: "I am very pleased that the Appellate Body of the
World Trade Organisation has confirmed the EU's long-held view that the
Japanese tax system discriminates against imports. This result is very good
news for European drinks exporters and for Japanese consumers alike. Japan
is a major potential market for whisky, cognac, vodka and other European spirits.
I welcome the statement from the Japanese government that they will look into
their tax system in the light of the results of the appeal, and urge them to reform
their tax regime in next year's budget in a way that will create a fair and open
market for the sale of spirits, in the interest of Japanese consumers. I know that
Japan shares the EU's commitment to the multilateral trading system and to the
resolution of trade disputes by its Disputes Settlement Mechanism. I am
therefore confident that Japan will want to change its tax system to conform with
today's ruling as soon as possible."
[03] 52 millions d'Ecus pour la coopération transfrontalière de la Corse avec la
Sardaigne et la Toscane
La Commission européenne a accordé une aide de 52 millions d'Ecus provenant
des Fonds structurels pour soutenir des programmes de coopération
transfrontalière entre la Corse et la Sardaigne et la Toscane. Ces programmes,
qui font partie de l'Initiative Communautaire INTERREG et viennent à échéance
en 1999, visent entre autres à améliorer les infrastructures portuaires et routières,
à appuyer le tourisme et à développer des échanges transfrontaliers dans les
domaines universitaire, culturel, économique et scientifique.
[04] First European week on safety and health - making Europe a better place
to work
On Monday, 7 October, Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn will launch the
first European Week on Safety and Health at Work. The principal aims of the
Week are to emphasise the economic benefits as well as the social importance
of health and safety at work and to raise awareness amongst workers and
employers about hazards in the work place, encourage effective management of
safety and health, promote actions to tackle specific problems and reduce risks
and promote all Community measures in this field. Many events are being
organised at Member State level, from a series of meetings between labour
inspectors and youth in Swedish schools to half-day events organised in Helsinki
around the slogan "In a good workplace, it is easy to breath". Linked to the
Week but taking place in November, three major international conferences are
planned. 8,000 workers are killed and 10 million injured every year in the
workplace, in the European Union.
[05] Producers must respect animal welfare
On the occasion of the International Day for animal welfare, Agriculture and Rural
Development Commissioner Franz Fischler said that it is imperative that
producers recognise and respect society's views regarding animal welfare. It is
quite clear, he said, that consumers are becoming more and more sensitive as
to the production methods used by producers in particular regarding livestock and
livestock products. Farmers, he said, can ignore this trend at their peril or take
advantage of it by providing consumers with high quality products produced in a
way which respects animal welfare requirements. Mr Fischler went on to say that
farmers in general are often presented as people who have no respect for the
welfare of their animals. This, he said, is far from the truth as the vast majority
of farmers treat their animals properly and indeed apply production methods
which respect animal welfare as normal animal husbandry practices.
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard: "We need an integrated EU policy on urban environmental
issues"
( !!! embargo 06/10 - 10 am
) On Sunday, 6 October, at the Second Conference
on Sustainable Towns and Cities in Lisbon, Environment Commissioner Ritt
Bjerregaard will outline her thinking on how the European Commission and the
EU can assist towns and cities in EU to address and resolve the growing urban
environmental problems. The fact that over 80% of the European population is
living in cities brings the problems of how to ensure a clean and healthy urban
environment in sharp focus and demands urgent and substantive action. A new
model for EU environmental framework legislation, which can support and
complement action at local and regional level is needed to ensure a better air
quality and efficient waste and water management. Commissioner Bjerregaard
intends to submit to the Commission a joint Communication with Commissioner
Wulf-Mathies on how to raise the profile urban sustainability in all areas of
Community policy, recognising its fundamental relationship with social and
economic issues. ( !!! embargo 06/10 - 10 am
)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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