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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 96-11-15

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>

MIDDAY EXPRESS

News from the Spokesman's midday briefing

Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb

15/11/1996


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Visit of South Africa's Deputy-President Thabo Mbeki to the Commission
  • [02] Commission joins the search to find Europe's Young Driver of the Year
  • [03] Petites et moyennes entreprises : Des services plus efficaces pour les entreprises
  • [04] La Commission adresse un avis motivé à la Belgique concernant une directive sur la teneur en soufre de certains combustibles liquides
  • [05] Commission sends reasoned opinions to Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal on non-implementation of GMO directive
  • [06] Franz Fischler: Partnerships against hunger and malnutrition
  • [07] Christos Papoutsis: "We do not lack entrepreneurs nor dynamism, but we must exploit the opportunities and talents available in the Union"
  • [08] Mario Monti at the Money Laundering Conference
  • [09] Ritt Bjerregaard on biodiversity: "We must now deliver the results of what we have already decided"
  • [10] Anita Gradin: The fight against organized crime in Europe

  • [01] Visit of South Africa's Deputy-President Thabo Mbeki to the Commission

    South Africa's Deputy-President Thabo Mbeki visited the European Commission yesterday, and had in-depth exchanges of views with President Jacques Santer and External Relations Commissioner João de Deus Pinheiro. Talks between the European Commission and the Deputy-President covered a wide range of issues of mutual interest encompassing : the socio-economic and political transition underway in South Africa, EU-South Africa development cooperation, the current negotiations for a long-term agreement, regional cooperation in Southern Africa, conflict prevention and crisis situations in Africa with particular attention to the Great Lakes region, the Information Society, and longer-term relations between the EU and Africa beyond the year 2000.

    [02] Commission joins the search to find Europe's Young Driver of the Year

    As the grande finale of a six-week European road show to promote safer driving standards, the European Commission will on Sunday November 17th announce the winner of the search for the European Young Driver of the Year and present the prize - a 10-day holiday for two in Europe. Every year some 44,000 Europeans die on the road - the equivalent of a medium-sized passenger jet crashing every day. Drivers under 25 - most especially males - are the most at risk. Some two million young people qualify to drive every year. Statistically, approximately 2,000 of them are destined to be killed in a road accident in the first 12 months of their driving experience. It was these stark facts that prompted the Commission to join other sponsors in supporting the "Say 'Yes' to Safer Driving" campaign aimed at encouraging Europe's newest drivers to take road safety seriously.

    [03] Petites et moyennes entreprises : Des services plus efficaces pour les entreprises

    Accroître la visibilité et l'efficacité des services de soutien aux petites et moyennes entreprises comme stratégie fondamentale pour atteindre un niveau de compétitivité adéquat par est le thème principal du forum qui se tient ces 18 et 19 novembre à Dublin. Le forum donnera l'occasion aux autorités et organismes qui s'occupent de petites et moyennes entreprises de s'informer sur les meilleurs pratiques en matière de services offerts à ces entreprises, afin d'identifier les plus efficaces d'entre elles.

    [04] La Commission adresse un avis motivé à la Belgique concernant une directive sur la teneur en soufre de certains combustibles liquides

    La Commission européenne a décidé d'adresser à la Belgique un avis motivé pour non-communication des mesures de transposition de la directive 93/12/CEE du 23 mars 1993 concernant la teneur en soufre de certains combustibles liquides.

    [05] Commission sends reasoned opinions to Belgium, Ireland, Luxembourg, Spain and Portugal on non-implementation of GMO directive

    The European Commission, has decided to send reasoned opinions to five Member States with a view to take them to court for failing to adopt national legislation to give effect to Commission Directive 94/51/EC, which updates and modifies Council Directive 90/219/EEC on the contained use of genetically modified micro-organisms.

    [06] Franz Fischler: Partnerships against hunger and malnutrition

    Addressing the World Food Summit in Rome today, Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Franz Fischler hailed the Political Declaration and the Action Plan on World Food Security as a great achievement. He stated that there are two temptations the world community faces regarding hunger and food security: the first is to find a scapegoat; why should we take the lead to combat hunger if others are responsible for it? The second is to disagree about the causes of malnutrition; as long as we disagree on its causes, how can we agree on the means best suited to eradicate it? "The moral thing to do", Mr Fischler stressed, "is therefore not to apportion blame, but to enter into hundreds, not to say thousands of partnerships against malnutrition and hunger." He added that the Commission offered its full support to the FAO Committee on World Food Security in monitoring the Plan of Action. "If - as this Plan says - all parties at local, national, regional and international levels make determined and sustained efforts, then the overall goal of food for all, at all times, will be achieved.".

    [07] Christos Papoutsis: "We do not lack entrepreneurs nor dynamism, but we must exploit the opportunities and talents available in the Union"

    Addressing the annual Conference of "Europe's 500", the European Union's 500 fastest growing companies, organised today in Brussels, Commissioner Christos Papoutsis, responsible for Enterprise Policy, said that "Europe's 500" are "not the biggest, not the subject of speculation on the Stock Exchanges, they are simply the most dynamic and most enterprising". He further said that in Europe the concept of enterprise is still "regrettably undersold and maybe even undervalued" and he emphasized that in the Union "we do not lack entrepreneurs nor the dynamism to develop the skills which enterprise demands, we seem only to lack an appreciation of how to exploit to our own best advantage the opportunities and talents available in the Union." Mr. Papoutsis emphasized that, in this context, education plays a crucial role in order to give a high priority to the attractions of being an entrepreneur in relation to other career preferences, and that the European Commission will examine "what possibilities are available to stimulate and raise awareness of the challenges and rewards from successful entrepreneurship."

    [08] Mario Monti at the Money Laundering Conference

    A successful and democratic market economy needs honest and sound financial institutions. The fight against drug trafficking, organised crime and money laundering is of crucial importance to meeting this requirement. This was the message of the speech given by Financial Services Commissioner Mario Monti at the Money Laundering Conference in Riga, Latvia on 14 November. The EU‘s money laundering Directive has proved to be effective at preventing criminals from enjoying their ill-gotten gains, from making their dirty money respectable and from infiltrating legitimate business. As the Baltic States try to establish successful and democratic market economies, they need to put in place the necessary structures to combat against organised crime and money laundering. Through the Phare programme, the European Commission will continue to support the efforts already under way, and, in this respect, this Conference shows the joint committment. The twin principles on which the EU Directive is based, "know your customer" and "report your suspicions", represent an investment by banks and other financial institutions to preserve their good reputation and standing. However, the situation is far from perfect. In its first report, in March 1995, on the functioning of the Directive, the Commission pointed to the crucial need for increased coordination and cooperation between Member States in the administrative, police and judicial fields and the need to face the problems raised by the technological developments of the Information Society.

    [09] Ritt Bjerregaard on biodiversity: "We must now deliver the results of what we have already decided"

    Addressing the Third Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Buenos Aires, Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard urged all parties to the Convention to maximise efforts to move forward and agree on a common strategy for action in favour of biodiversity. "Every Party must now elaborate and implement the biodiversity strategy foreseen under the Convention. Sectoral action in favour of biodiversity is important but cannot replace the elaboration and implementation of a comprehensive and cross-sectoral strategy." The Commissioner underlined the strong attachment of the European Community to this Convention, characterising it as one of the most important global environmental agreements to date. "The European Community is deeply committed to working together with all other Parties to find the best solutions to the complex problems raised by the threefold objectives of the Convention : the conservation of biological diversity, its sustainable use and the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources".

    [10] Anita Gradin: The fight against organized crime in Europe

    The European Commission will present a communication on trafficking in women for sexual purposes in a few days. The Commission is also working hard for the protection of sexually abused children. "The slave trade with women and the exploitation of children are now high on the political agenda", said Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Anita Gradin in an intervention at the Conference on Women and the Future of Europe in Vienna on Thursday.

    MIDDAY EXPRESS


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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