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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-04-04

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

04/04/97


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] EU and Japon discuss harbour practices
  • [02] Humanitarian crisis in Zaire: joint appeal from Emma Bonino, Sadako Ogata, Carol Bellamy and Catherine Bertini
  • [03] Food safety: first meeting of the renewed Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee

  • [01] EU and Japon discuss harbour practices

    A second round of consultations between the European Union (Eu) and Japan on the Japanese Harbour Practices took place in Brussels on 2 April 1997. The representatives of the Government of Japan manifested a clear willingness to actively participate in the process aiming at improvements in the present system of prior consultation. The Japanese Harbour Transport Association (JHTA shipping lines) and Japanese Ministry of Transport (MoT) have reached an interim agreement to stabilize the situation until 31 July 1997, and on a schedule for discussions on improvements to be agreed upon by that time. Even though formally this is only a procedural agreement it is considered as a step in the right direction. Both sides agreed to have close contacts in the weeks to come and a third round of consultations when needed. The Commission expects concrete results to emerge in time for the needed changes to the present system to be agreed upon by the end of July.

    [02] Humanitarian crisis in Zaire: joint appeal from Emma Bonino, Sadako Ogata, Carol Bellamy and Catherine Bertini

    Emma Bonino, European Union Commissioner for Humanitarian aid, Mrs Sadako Ogata,UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Ms Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, UNICEF, Ms Catherine Bertini, Executive Director WFP, appealed to the representatives of the Zairian government and the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, meeting tomorrow in South Africa, to fully consider the urgent humanitarian needs of hundreds of thousands of refugees and displaced Zairians stranded in the war zone. They called on the parties to respect humanitarian principles and the Geneva Conventions, to allow aid agencies free access to refugees and displaced persons, among whom are thousands of children, and to enable aid workers to reach and assist them. They also appealed to the international community for urgent assistance to help reach these people, provide them with emergency aid and - eventually - repatriate those who wish to return home and provide asylum for bona fide refugees who continue to need it.

    [03] Food safety: first meeting of the renewed Multidisciplinary Scientific Committee

    The Multidisciplinary Committee of the European Commission met in Brussels on April 3 for the first time in the new structure recently agreed by the Commission. The Committee definitively stressed that the technical treatment conditions set out in Commission Decision 96/362/EC of 11 June 1996 do not adequately guarantee the inactivation of the BSE agent. In such circumstances the Committee underlined that only non-infected primary bovine material can ensure a totally safe gelatine. Commissioner Emma Bonino, responsible for Consumer Policy and Consumer Health Protection, declared that she would "draw the attention of the Commission to the necessity of taking into account this advice in reexamining its decision of 11 June 1996 concerning the partial and conditional lifting of the ban on gelatine exports derived from British bovine products". The Committee also agreed on the necessity to establish a specific Scientific Committee to advise the Commission on the use and commercialisation of genetically modified organisms and of products containing genetically modified organisms.

    MIDDAY EXPRESS


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


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