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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-05-22
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
22/05/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 21 mai 1997 - Outcome of Commission's
meeting of 21 May 1997
[01] La Commission nomme son nouveau Secrétaire Général
[02] Aid in favour of SKET Schwermaschinenbau Magdeburg GmbH (SMM), Saxony-
Anhalt, Germany
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Wildlife trade: Ritt Bjerregaard welcomes information campaign
[04] Avocats: Mario Monti se félicite de l'accord politique du Conseil
concernant la directive
[05] Dairy sector - situation and outlook
[06] Programme Kaléidoscope 1997: Soutien à des projets de coopération
culturelle dans l'Union européenne
[07] EU to join North Korea nuclear security body
[08] Ritt Bjerregaard highlights importance of sustainable management of
forests
[09] Padraig Flynn says that the safety net inherent in the European Social
Model is not functioning
[I] Résultats de la Commission du 21 mai 1997 - Outcome of Commission's
meeting of 21 May 1997
(see also - voir aussi Midday Express of 21/05)
[01] La Commission nomme son nouveau Secrétaire Général
La Commission européenne a nommé M. Carlo Trojan comme son nouveau
Secrétaire Général. M. Trojan, licencié en droit, né en 1942, de
nationalité néerlandaise, est actuellement Secrétaire Général adjoint,
fonction qu'il a exercée depuis octobre 1987. Il prendra ses nouvelles
fonctions le 1er août 1997 lorsque le Secrétaire Général actuel, M. David
Williamson, prendra sa retraite. Avant d'être nommé en 1987 comme
Secrétaire Général adjoint, M. Trojan avait servi la Commission depuis 1973,
successivement comme membre, Chef de Cabinet adjoint et Chef de Cabinet des
Membres de la Commission Pierre Lardinois, Henk Vredeling et Frans
Andriessen.
[02] Aid in favour of SKET Schwermaschinenbau Magdeburg GmbH (SMM), Saxony-
Anhalt, Germany
The European Commission has decided to take a final negative decision
against aid given by the BvS to SKET SMM before its bankruptcy. The total
amount of aid involved is worth about ECU 300 million. The German
Authorities are requested to recover the aid from the company. The
decision does not affect the subsidiaries ETM and DZM. SKET was founded in
Magdeburg in the middle of the 19th century. Until the German unification,
SKET was the largest producer and exporter of heavy machinery in the
COMECON countries. With unification of Germany, SKET was transformed into
limited companies by the holding for east-German state property and
privatisation agency THA. In its decisions of 10/06/1993 and 13/10/1993,
the Commission has approved aid of DM 427.6 million awarded in 1992 and
1993 by the Treuhand to SKET AG. The Treuhand and later the BvS have
undertaken various attempts to privatise the company, but several
restructuring efforts also failed and the company went bankrupt.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[03] Wildlife trade: Ritt Bjerregaard welcomes information campaign
Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard today called for increased
awareness of the problems caused by illegal trade in wildlife. At Brussels
Zaventem airport she announced the launch of an European Union-wide
information campaign to be undertaken jointly with the Wordwide Fund for
Nature (WWF). A new EU law ("the CITES Regulation"), coming into effect on
1 June will impose strict controls on the importation and sale of
endangered species. The campaign focuses on the requirements of this new
law and will involve the production of airport displays, leaflets,
brochures, videos and a professional guide.
[04] Avocats: Mario Monti se félicite de l'accord politique du Conseil
concernant la directive
Mario Monti, membre de la Commission européenne, responsable pour le marché
unique, s'est félicité de l'accord politique dégagé au Conseil Marché
Intérieur du 21 mai sur une position commune concernant la proposition de
directive relative à l'établissement des avocats. La directive permettrait
aux avocats d'exercer sur une base permanente dans un autre Etat membre
sous leur titre professionnel d'origine les mêmes activités que les avocats
de l'Etat membre d'acceuil. Les avocats pleinement qualifiés dans un Etat
membre devraient simplement s'inscrire auprès du barreau ou autre autorité
compétente de l'Etat membre d'accueil sur base de leur inscription dans
l'Etat membre d'origine. La directive faciliterait aussi l'obtention du
titre professionnel de l'Etat membre d'accueil, qui serait tenu de prendre
en considération l'expérience professionnelle acquise sur son territoire.
M. Monti a émis l'espoir que le Parlement européen puisse accepter
l'essentiel de cette position commune, qui reprend la plupart des
amendements du Parlement, ce qui permettrait l'adoption finale de la
directive avant la fin de cette année.
[05] Dairy sector - situation and outlook
In the context of the examination of the future of the Common Agricultural
Policy, the Directorate General of Agriculture of the European Commission
has carried out a detailed analysis of the situation and outlook for the
dairy sector. This analysis will be presented to the Informal Agricultural
Council next week by Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Franz
Fischler. In summary, the report finds that dairy market prices in the
European Union (EU) will remain under pressure, due to the internal surplus
situation, increasing access to EU markets and difficult conditions for
participating in the favourable development of world markets. Certainly,
competitive producers have a margin and the tendency towards larger dairy
holdings, in order to benefit from economies of scale, will continue to
characterise the evolution of the EU dairy sector in the future. However,
within the current regulatory framework, quota availability will be a major
problem for new entrants and those wishing to expand their production.
Purchase, leasing or rent of quota implies higher costs and, therefore, a
reduction in competitive advantage. This issue will become more and more
important over time as, due to the expected structural change towards
larger dairy holdings, increasing volumes of milk will be affected.
[06] Programme Kaléidoscope 1997: Soutien à des projets de coopération
culturelle dans l'Union européenne
Sur base des propositions d'un groupe d'experts indépendants, M. Marcelino
Oreja, Membre de la Commission européenne chargé des Affaires culturelles,
a désigné les 128 projets culturels qui bénéficieront d'une aide financière
de l'Union européenne dans le cadre du programme Kaléidoscope pour l'année
1997. Le budget global alloué à ce programme pour 1997 était
d'approximativement 8 millions d'Ecus. Le programme Kaléidoscope a pour
objectif d'encourager, par le biais de la coopération, la création
artistique et culturelle en Europe. Il vise à soutenir des projets de
dimension européenne, c'est-à-dire réalisés en partenariat par des
organismes d'au moins trois Etats membres, afin de promouvoir la
connaissance et la diffusion de la culture et de la vie culturelle des
peuples européens, de contribuer au perfectionnement des artistes et autres
opérateurs culturels et de faciliter l'accès de tous les citoyens à la
culture.
[07] EU to join North Korea nuclear security body
The European Union (EU) looks set to play a key political and economic role
in Korea following today's initialling of the terms of entry into the
Korean Peninsula Energy Development Organisation (KEDO), the body set up
two years ago to increase nuclear safety and reduce the threat of
proliferation in North Korea. After formal agreement by the European
Commission, the texts will be sent to the Council of Ministers for
approval. Under the terms of the Accession Agreement, the EU, through the
Euratom Treaty, will work towards KEDO's objectives as a full member of the
Executive Board, on the same terms as the original members (South Korea,
Japan and the USA). The EU envisages contributing ECU 75 million to KEDO
over a five year period, broadly comparable to the USA's contribution.
[08] Ritt Bjerregaard highlights importance of sustainable management of
forests
Speaking in Brussels at the Conference "Sustainable Management of Forests
and Derivative Products in Europe and the rest of the World", organised by
the Club de Bruxelles, Environment Commissioner Ritt Bjerregaard called for
a comprehensive European Union (EU) strategy on the sustainable management
of forests. She said: "As a Commissioner responsible for the environment,
I think it is necessary to place a special emphasis on the sustainable
management of forests. My message to you today is that what we need is a
global, holistic approach to forest issues, in order to facilitate
effective actions at local level. In other words, what we need is a solid
framework to support the conservation and sustainable management and
development of all types of forests, taking into account the ecological,
economic, social, and cultural aspects. We need a solid framework to
ensure coherence of global, regional, national, and local initiatives. I
am convinced that this is the best way forward, and I believe that we need
a comprehensive strategy at the EU level to promote this goal."
[09] Padraig Flynn says that the safety net inherent in the European Social
Model is not functioning
Speaking in Washington today at a joint EU/US Workshop on "Employment
Policy and the Promotion of Employability Security," Employment and Social
Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn said: "the present form of the safety
net inherent in the European Social Model is plainly not functioning in the
interests of either State or individual. What we offer now - too often in
Europe - is a one - way ticket out of employment." The Commissioner went
on to explain: "that is why we are looking hard at ways in which
unemployment insurance can be transformed into employability insurance. It
is why we must focus on how we can develop a passport back to the labour
market." Mr Flynn said that to achieve this in the European context, "we
must move beyond the old, sterile, debate of regulation versus
deregulation. The new debate must focus on finding a new balance between
flexibility and security. We must reconcile the flexibility, which firms
need, with the security which workers require. This is the key to the new
shape of working life and to bringing our success as productive economies
and societies into the new century."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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