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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-01-21
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
01/21/97 12:13
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Douanes: la Commission définit un système uniforme de contrôle aux
importations de bananes des pays tiers
[02] La Commission annonce une aide de 200 millions d'Ecus pour le
Guatemala
[03] Environment Commissioner Bjerregaard presents the 1997 Commission Work
Programme to the Parliament's Environment Committee
[04] Commission communication to Council recommends further support for the
International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) through the TACIS
programme
[05] Neil Kinnock: "Investing in sustainable mobility"
[06] Anita Gradin announces new proposals for increased cooperation in
Justice and Home Affairs
[01] Douanes: la Commission définit un système uniforme de contrôle aux
importations de bananes des pays tiers
La Commission européenne vient d'adopter un règlement fixant les méthodes
de détermination du poids et du contrôle des déclarations en douane lors de
l'importation de bananes des pays tiers. A l'état actuel, les Etats
membres basent la gestion des contingents d'importation sur des critères
différents, ce qui provoque le dépassement des quantités fixées à
l'importation. Ce règlement, applicable à partir du 1er février 1997,
permettra d'assurer un traitement homogène entre tous les importateurs de
bananes dans l'Union européenne.
[02] La Commission annonce une aide de 200 millions d'Ecus pour le
Guatemala
Dans son discours d'ouverture du Groupe Consultatif pour l'assistance au
Guatemala (Conférence des donateurs, le Vice-Président de la Commission
européenne, Manuel Marin, a annoncé aujourd'hui à Bruxelles, que la
Commission européenne soutiendra le "Programme pour la Paix" du
gouvernement guatémaltèque. La contribution de la Commission à ce programme
sera de 200 millions d'Ecus étalé sur la période 1997-2000. Avec cette
enveloppe, la Commission européenne disposera d'une moyenne de 50 millions
d'Ecus par an consacrés en priorité: aux projets de réinsertion des
personnes démobilisées de l'URNG (Unión Revolucionaria Nacional de
Guatemala) et de l'armée; aux programmes de réforme du secteur de la
justice; aux programmes de formation d'un nouveau corps de police civile; à
la création d'un nouveau cadastre; à la décentralisation de l'administration
publique et au renforcement des municipalités; aux programmes visant à la
modernisation de l'administration de l'Etat et plus particulièrement la
mise à niveau de l'administration fiscale.
[03] Environment Commissioner Bjerregaard presents the 1997 Commission Work
Programme to the Parliament's Environment Committee
(!!! embargo 3.30.pm !!!) On 21 January Mrs Bjerregaard presented to the
Environment Committee of the Parliament the European Commission's plans for
1997 on the environment. She also spoke about the considerable progress
that had been achieved in 1996. She stressed the importance she attached
to the Commission and Parliament working together to keep environment
policy at the European level moving forward. Summing up developments in
1996 Mrs Bjerregaard said the overall picture was a good one. The
Commission had produced a number of very important proposals for decision
or discussion which would help the Union move towards the high levels of
environmental protection foreseen in the Treaty and which the public quite
rightly expects. (!!! embargo 3.30 pm !!!)
[04] Commission communication to Council recommends further support for the
International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) through the TACIS
programme
The European Commission has sent a Communication to the Council of
Ministers and the European Parliament, to inform them on the achievements
of the International Science and Technology Centre (ISTC) in Moscow during
its first two years of operation. The Communication calls for, among other
things, sustained funding under the Tacis Programme, co-operation between
potential EU industrial partners and the civilian and former military
industries of the Russian Federation and the New Independent States (NIS),
as well as the deployment of further human resources for involvement in the
Programme. Figures in October 1996 showed that after two and a half years
of operation, the ISTC had provided ECU 96 million to fund 324 projects
benefiting some 15,000 scientists directly, of which 3000 had been hard
core military researchers. The average size of an ISTC project is ECU 300,
000, most of which goes directly towards paying the research teams'
salaries in hard currency. The ISTC finances and monitors science and
technology projects involving scientists from the NIS, especially those
with expertise in developing weapons of mass destruction, giving them
opportunities to adapt their skills and redirect their talents to civilian
activities, thus encourageing them to stay in the NIS.
[05] Neil Kinnock: "Investing in sustainable mobility"
Europe needs a transport system that is effectively interconnected within
and between modes, that provides the reliability and efficiency needed for
business and leisure, and that does so in ways that are safe, efficient,
affordable and environmentally responsible - in a word, sustainable.
Addressing a conference in Brussels entitled "Berlin, centre of competence
for transport systems", Neil Kinnock, European Commissioner for Transport,
said that Europe's mission "is to make a Network out of a patchwork".
Achieving this objective requires huge investment, worth some ECU 400
billion by 2010. "The sums required in the time available are unlikely to
be met solely from public sources which are severely restrained" said Mr
Kinnock, adding that he is working to foster public-private investment
partnerships. However, a successful trans-European networks strategy
supposes not only to build new infrastructure, but also make existing
infrastructure work better. Pursuing this objective means investing in
transport telematics to create intelligent transport systems, bringing down
administrative and other barriers to cross-border traffic flows, and
getting better performance from the existing infrastructure by means of
investing in the upgrading of that infrastructure.
[06] Anita Gradin announces new proposals for increased cooperation in
Justice and Home Affairs
Speaking to the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties and
Internal Affairs today, Commissioner Anita Gradin announced that she will
soon present a proposal on how to fight chemical drugs. She plans a
proposal on a Joint Action for temporary protection of refugees and one on
a convention on immigration. There will also be proposals on new
multiannual exchange and training programmes for officials. The fight
against trafficking in women and sexual abuse of children will be followed
up, Mrs Gradin said.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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