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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-09-29
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
29/09/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Jacques Santer: "La coopération au développement permet de réduire les
risques et d'exploiter les potentialités de la mondialisation"
[02] João de Deus Pinheiro: "Future EU/ACP relations will be more political
and more differentiated"
[03] Commission clears acquisition of Polish packaging company by
Frantschach and MMP
[04] Commission intends to clear Whitbread's standard pub leases
[05] A balanced and sustainable development of tourism at the service of
employment
[06] Padraig Flynn says that racism in the workplace is on the increase
[07] Sir Leon Brittan calls for a global partnership between the EU and
Japan
[01] Jacques Santer: "La coopération au développement permet de réduire les
risques et d'exploiter les potentialités de la mondialisation"
Le Président de la Commission européenne, Jacques Santer, a souligné
aujourd'hui à Bruxelles que la coopération au développement devient, dans
le nouveau contexte mondial, "un moyen de gérer dans une relation de
partenariat la mondialisation, d'en réduire les risques et d'en exploiter
les potentialités". S'adressant aux participants à une conférence sur le
Livre vert sur l'avenir des relations entre l'Union européenne et les pays
ACP, M. Santer a ajouté que "le système de régulation internationale ne
progresse que lentement, alors que la globalisation, aidée par la
révolution technologique, est extrêmement rapide. Les ajustements
nécessaires sont souvent politiquement difficiles et socialement
douloureux. (...) Un véritable partenariat fondé sur des engagements
mutuels doit permettre d'aborder ces questions en toute franchise et dans
la transparence."
[02] João de Deus Pinheiro: "Future EU/ACP relations will be more political
and more differentiated"
The European Development Commissioner, João de Deus Pinheiro, today said
that consultations on the future of European Union and ACP countries'
relations have shown the need to give it "a more marked political dimension
by conducting a more effective and more detailed dialogue on political
matters". He also stressed the need to introduce the principle of
differentiation and to support actively the regional integration efforts in
Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. Mr Pinheiro was speaking in
Brussels at the opening of a two-day conference on the future of EU/ACP
relations. He announced that, on the basis of the consultations held so
far, the European Commission would present to the EU Member States by
November 1997 political guidelines for the future relations with the ACP
countries. Negotiations between EU and ACP should start before the end of
1998.
[03] Commission clears acquisition of Polish packaging company by
Frantschach and MMP
The European Commission has authorised the acquisition of the Polish based
company Zaklady Celulozy i Papieru w Swiecie "Celuloza" S.A. ("Swiecie") by
Frantschach AG ("Frantschach") and Mondi Minorco Paper SA ("MMP").
Frantschach, which is partly owned by Anglo American Corporation of South
Africa Ltd. ("Anglo American") is active in the production of cellulose,
paper and carton, as well as the wholesaling of paper and wood. MMP is the
holding company for the participations of Anlgo American in the cellulose
and paper industry outside of South Africa. Swiecie produces cellulose,
sack paper, packaging materials, carton. The operation does not create or
strengthen a dominant position.
[04] Commission intends to clear Whitbread's standard pub leases
The European Commission intends to grant a retroactive - back to 1990 -
exemption to the standard pub leases used by Whitbread PLC (Whitbread), the
UK's third biggest brewer. Through the publication of its initial views
(see OJ C 294 of 27 September), the Commission however invites all
interested third parties within one months time to submit their
observations before deciding on the issue. This provisional conclusion
follows an examination by the Commission services of the way in which
Whitbread has operated the contractual agreements with its lessees. The
Commission has found that, on average, the lessees which are tied to
Whitbread pay more for their beer purchases than individual operators who
buy the same beer from the same brewer (so-called free traders). However,
the Whitbread lessees benefit, inter alia, from lower rents, professional
assistance, capital investment and bulk purchasing rebates that are not
readily available to these free traders and that compensate more or less
for the price differential. In those circumstances, the Commission
considers that the tied lessees can compete on a level-playing field with
their "free trading" competitors, and that an exemption consequently seems
acceptable.
[05] A balanced and sustainable development of tourism at the service of
employment
In a message on "World Tourism Day 1997", Commissioner Christos Papoutsis,
responsible for Tourism, says that "the further expansion of tourism and
its contribution to growth and employment will be boosted by the social,
cultural and industrial changes which are affecting our society". He
further says that "tourism merits broader recognition on the political
agenda", which could be achieved through "improved cooperation between the
private and the public sectors at the various administrative levels of
competence". Mr Papoutsis underlines that "we should be conscious of the
social recognition which tourism can get if we can exploit its full
potential for job creation". He finally stresses that "the challenges of
quality and competitiveness which tourism has to face must be addressed
urgently" and that the European Commission "will continue working in order
to promote the competitiveness of Europe's tourism industry which is a
necessary precondition to create new and sustainable jobs across the
European Union."
[06] Padraig Flynn says that racism in the workplace is on the increase
Speaking today at a conference in Lyon, Employment and Social Affairs
Commissioner Padraig Flynn, said that ethnic minority communities still
face disproportionately high levels of unemployment. "Large numbers of
people continue to face discrimination even when they get to the interview
stage... When people from the ethnic minority communities do gain
employment, they are often markedly under-represented in positions of
responsibility." The Commissioner's message to business is that diversity
makes good business sense. "By recruiting and promoting employees from
different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, companies draw on the broad and
diverse skills base demanded by today's fast-changing, highly-competitive
global markets. Respecting and nurturing the people within your company is
the way to get the skilled, flexible and creative workforce that you need."
Mr Flynn said that we should not forget that "equal access to employment
and to promotion within a job is a right to everyone, not a privilege to be
given to the token few."
[07] Sir Leon Brittan calls for a global partnership between the EU and
Japan
The European Union (EU) and Japan should build on their present good
relations to establish a more dynamic, global partnership, said Sir Leon
Brittan, Vice President of the European Commission, in a speech in Tokyo
today. Speaking at the National Press Club, at the start of the EU-Japan
Cooperation Week, Sir Leon argued that the EU and Japan share wide ranging
common interests and should work more closely together internationally in
both political and economic affairs.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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