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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 96-11-07
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
07 / 11 / 1996
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Launch of high level expert group on worker involvement
[02] ECU 29 million for Urban renewal in the United Kingdom
[03] L'Union européenne va conclure un accord de coopération douanière et
d'assistance mutuelle en matière douanière avec les Etats-Unis
[04] Infractions Grèce: mesures d'application du régime fiscal TVA/accises
[05] Infractions France: mauvaise application du régime fiscal TVA
[06] Infraction Italie: restriction du droit à déduction de la TVA
[07] EU outlines priorities for key meeting with European and American
businessmen in Chicago
[08] UE-Cambodge: paraphe de l'accord de coopération
[09] Commission takes senior European businessmen to Beijing
[10] Hans van den Broek takes part in troïka visit to Moscow
[11] Padraig Flynn says that the information society must be "inclusive and
equitable"
[12] Sir Leon Brittan: time to work together for reform in Cuba
[13] Franz Fischler: Europe and its Rural Areas in the Year 2000: Integrated
Rural Development as a Challenge for Policy Making
[14] Yves-Thibault de Silguy: "Le système monétaire international doit être
équilibré"
[01] Launch of high level expert group on worker involvement
Padraig Flynn and Mario Monti, European Commissioners respectively in charge
of Social Affairs and Internal Market, have launched a High Level Expert Group
on worker involvement, in an attempt to break the deadlock in the Council of
Ministers on the European Company Statute. The Group will be chaired by Mr
Etienne Davignon, former Vice-President of the European Commission and
President of Société Générale de Belgique. The Group has been asked to
submit its report quickly, i.e. within 3 or 4 months.
[02] ECU 29 million for Urban renewal in the United Kingdom
The cities of London, Birmingham and Swansea are to receive ECU 29.3 million
from the EU‘s structural funds for the regeneration of urban areas. The aid
comes under the Community Initiative URBAN and is designed to enhance the
employment prospects and skills of local people and attract investment. Overall,
the funding will help to create or preserve more than 1,800 jobs and contribute
to the training or counselling of another 7,800 people. The URBAN-programmes
approved for these cities complete the series of URBAN-programmes for Great
Britain and bring the total EU-financing for urban regeneration in the United
Kingdom to ECU 79.3 million.
[03] L'Union européenne va conclure un accord de coopération douanière et
d'assistance mutuelle en matière douanière avec les Etats-Unis
Ce jeudi 7 novembre 1996, à Washington, un accord de coopération douanière
et d'assistance mutuelle en matière douanière entre l'Union européenne et les
Etats-Unis a été paraphé par M. Alfred Komaz, Directeur au sein de la
Commission européenne, et M. Douglas Browning, Assistant Commissioner des
douanes américaines.
[04] Infractions Grèce: mesures d'application du régime fiscal TVA/accises
*
La Commission européenne vient de décider d'émettre un avis motivé dans
le cadre d‘une procédure d‘infraction au droit communautaire engagée à
l'encontre de la République hellénique concernant la TVA sur les entreprises
de taxis. L‘administration grecque perçoit, sur l‘activité exercée par les
entreprises de taxis, un montant forfaitaire de TVA de 40.000 à 60.000
drachmes. Ce montant correspond à des recettes considérablement
inférieures aux recettes réelles. Cette méthode de taxation, non seulement
s‘avère incompatible avec les dispositions régissant le fonctionnement du
régime normal de la TVA et ses régimes particuliers, mais est aussi
susceptible d‘entraîner une incidence négative sur les ressources propres de
la Communauté.
*
En outre, la Commission a décidé d'adresser à la République hellénique un
avis motivé dans le cadre d'une procédure d'infraction concernant l'application
de la directive relative aux accices sur les tabacs manufacturés. La
législation hellénique laisse au Ministre des Finances la compétence de
déterminer le prix minimum des tabacs manufacturés. Or, la directive
concernée (72/464/CEE) prévoit expressément que le prix maximal de vente
au détail est à fixer librement par les fabricants ou importateurs de ces
produits.
[05] Infractions France: mauvaise application du régime fiscal TVA
*
La Commission européenne a décidé de saisir la Cour de Justice à l‘encontre
de la France pour violation de l‘art. 2 de la 8ème directive du 6 décembre
1969, relative au remboursement de la TVA aux assujettis établis dans un
autre Etat membre. La France refuse de rembourser la TVA à ces assujettis
lorsque ceux-ci, en tant que titulaires d‘un contrat d‘élimination de déchets,
ont sous-traité une partie de leur travail à un assujetti établi en France. *
En outre, la Commission a décidé d‘adresser un avis motivé à la France au
sujet du régime de TVA appliqué aux échantillons. La France maintient un
plafond de 200 francs français pour l‘exonération de l'impôt des échantillons
à l‘intérieur du pays et provenant d‘autres Etats membres, contrairement à
l‘article 5, paragraphe 6 de la 6ème directive TVA, qui ne prévoit pas
l'exonération sans fixer de valeur maximale.
[06] Infraction Italie: restriction du droit à déduction de la TVA
La Commission européenne a décidé de saisir la Cour de Justice à l‘encontre de
l‘Italie pour violation de la 6ème directive relative au système commun de taxe
sur la valeur ajoutée, notamment l‘art. 17-2-a concernant le droit à déduction. En
Italie, l‘assujetti n‘est pas autorisé à déduire la TVA ayant grevé l‘acquisition
d‘immeubles lorsque cette acquisition a été effectuée en communauté avec des
non-assujettis, tels que le conjoint.
[07] EU outlines priorities for key meeting with European and American
businessmen in Chicago
European Commissioners Martin Bangemann (Industry) and Sir Leon Brittan
(External Relations) travel to Chicago tomorrow for the two-day Transatlantic
Business Dialogue Conference (TABD). The TABD gives European and
American business people the chance to influence policy-makers on the future
of transatlantic relations. The European Commission intends to use the TABD
to spur on developments in several key areas: it is determined to reach ambitious
Mutual Recognition Agreements covering pharmaceuticals and medical devices
as well as telecoms and Telecoms and Information Technology products.
Furthermore, an Information Technology Agreement, itself an initiative of the
TABD, should be completed in time for the Ministerial meeting of the World Trade
Organisation (WTO) in Singapore on 9-13 December 1996. Finally, US and the
EU business communities are united in condemning the Helms-Burton and
D'Amato acts and this message will be transmitted to the US administration.
[08] UE-Cambodge: paraphe de l'accord de coopération
Le 7 novembre 1996, les représentants de la Commission européenne et du
Royaume du Cambodge ont procédé au paraphe d'un accord-cadre de
coopération portant sur la coopération au développement, la coopération
commerciale et la coopération économique. Il s'agit du premier accord entre
l'Union européenne et le Royaume du Cambodge.
[09] Commission takes senior European businessmen to Beijing
On the eve of a visit by Sir Leon Brittan to Beijing with a top-level delegation of
European businessmen, the European Commission has unveiled four new
programmes in China, one to promote electoral practices in Chinese villages, one
to train young EU managers to do business in China, one to boost investment in
China and the fourth one to smooth over technical barriers to trade. While in
Beijing Sir Leon will attend the annual EU-China Ministerial meeting. The aim of
the trip is to promote ties, improve prospects for Chinese membership of the
WTO and present the case for the removal or trade and investment barriers that
hinder European access to the Chinese market.
[10] Hans van den Broek takes part in troïka visit to Moscow
External Relations Commissioner Hans van den Broek will take part to the Troika
mission to Moscow on 8-9 November. The EU delegation will meet the members
of the Russian government and the Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov. EU-Russia relations will be discussed as well as European security matters. In
addition to this Troika programme, Mr van den Broek will have an encounter with
Mr Anatoly Chubais, the Head of the Presidential Administration to discuss i.a.
the implementation of the TACIS programme.
[11] Padraig Flynn says that the information society must be "inclusive and
equitable"
Speaking today in Copenhagen at a Conference entitled "An Information Society
for Everybody," Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn said that we must
ensure that everyone has access to the jobs that the Information Society creates
and the benefits it provides. The Commissioner said that "we have to be aware
of the impact of the new technologies in all areas of our lives, and ensure that it
has a positive, not negative effect. The Internet, for example, with 50 million
users world-wide, offers us amazing possibilities. But it is also open to abuse.
In the same way, the connection of individual households to computer networks
could be a blessing or a curse. The advent of shopping via a home computer link
could mean, if we let it, people having less and less personal contact with the
outside world. On the other hand, the electronic linking of homes, schools and
universities could bring higher education into every home in the Union. This is
a very important point. The same technology. Different impact. Its up to us.
The Information and Communication Technologies offer us extraordinary
opportunity. Opportunity for improved productivity and competitiveness, strong
economic growth and the creation of jobs. Yet it will depend very much on how
we go about it."
[12] Sir Leon Brittan: time to work together for reform in Cuba
The United States must understand two clear messages if transatlantic
differences over Cuba are to be solved: firstly, Europe will never back away from
its opposition to extraterritorial laws, and secondly Europe is every bit as
determined as America to improve democracy and human rights in Cuba.
Speaking in New York today, Sir Leon Brittan argues that the time is ripe for
Europe and the US to begin working together to promote democratic reform and
human rights in Cuba. The Helms-Burton law makes it harder for the EU, which
cannot act under duress. But fortunately Europe's own independent policy
towards Cuba has the same objective as that of the US, even if pursued by
different means. If the Helms-Burton problem can be resolved then Europe and
America can work together to achieve their shared objectives in Cuba.
[13] Franz Fischler: Europe and its Rural Areas in the Year 2000: Integrated
Rural Development as a Challenge for Policy Making
Addressing the European Conference on Rural Development, "Rural Europe -
Future Perspectives", in Cork today, Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler
stressed the need to equip the EU's rural areas for the challenges of the next
century. The indisputable importance of rural Europe - more than 80% of the
area of the EU is rural, over a quarter of the EU's population lives and works in
the countryside, and rural Europe provides a wide range of services to the
economy, society and the environment - calls for an integrated, multisectoral
approach to help rural areas find the strength and dynamism they need to sustain
their role. At present, structural weaknesses are destroying the prospects of rural
areas: they are dwindling away because of gaps in the infrastructure, too few
jobs, inadequate services, and not enough opprtunitites for basic or further
training. Mr Fischler stated: "We do not have the right to sit back and watch this
happening.... It is no longer logical to restrict our rural development policy to a
selected number of areas." The task of the gathering of specialists at Cork is to
provide a future-oriented redefinition of a Community framework for an effective
rural development policy.
[14] Yves-Thibault de Silguy: "Le système monétaire international doit être
équilibré"
A l'occasion d'un colloque en l'honneur de Jacques Rueff à Paris, Yves-Thibault
de Silguy, Commissaire européen chargé des affaires économiques, monétaires
et financières, a lancé un appel de rééquilibrage du système monétaire
international. Il a notamment déclaré : "le système monétaire international ne
peut fonctionner de manière satisfaisante en asseyant ses bases sur la position
hégémonique d'une monnaie". "Les grandes tendances financières naissent aux
Etats-Unis. Nous vivons toujours dans un monde monétaire dominé par le
dollar". "Le rééquilibrage du monde monétaire sera une incitation supplémentaire
à la bonne gestion économique". Ceci "suppose une coopération étroite entre
politiques macroéconomiques au niveau mondial". "La création de l'euro fournira
l'opportunité d'approfondir cettre approche plus concertée".
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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