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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 97-10-17
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
17/10/97
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission decides legal action against several Member States for
failing obligations under the Habitats Directive
[02] Netd@ys Europe : premières journées pour le multimédia à l'école
[03] Health and safety at work: second European week, 20-25 October 1997
[04] La Commission décide de poursuivre treize États membres pour non
respect de la législation relative aux plans de gestion des déchets
[05] Padraig Flynn calls upon business to be socially responsible
[06] Yves-Thibault de Silguy: "Les collectivités locales doivent se
préparer à l'euro"
[07] Hans van den Broek: "There are no 'ins and outs" but "ins and pre-
ins'"
[01] Commission decides legal action against several Member States for
failing obligations under the Habitats Directive
The European Commission has decided to notify Reasoned Opinions to France,
Finland, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Ireland,
Spain and Italy for non-respect of the European Union's (EU) Habitats
Directive. These Commission decisions relate to the establishment of Natura
2000, a EU network of sites for the protection of endangered European
animal and plant species and habitats. More than two years after the date
required by the Directive the above Member States have not notified their
complete list of sites which they propose to include in the network.
Natura 2000 represents one of the most ambitious environmental initiatives
yet undertaken by the EU. Once fully established, it should ensure that
the best examples of the EU's endangered natural habitats (such as lagoons,
sand dune systems and native woodlands) as well as the habitats of some of
the EU's endangered plant and animal species (such as certain orchids,
otters and wolves) are properly conserved and protected. As such, it is the
EU's flagship contribution to safeguarding global biodiversity.
[02] Netd@ys Europe : premières journées pour le multimédia à l'école
Du 18 au 25 octobre, les Netd@ys Europe permettront aux écoles de dialoguer
via internet à travers toute l'Europe: un forum est mis à leur disposition
par la Commission européenne à l'adresse http://netdays.eun.org. Les 300
projets éducatifs Netd@ys seront présentés sur le même site et plus de 300
événements, impliquant 10.000 écoles, se dérouleront dans les 15 pays de
l'Union européenne pendant cette semaine. Aider les écoles à découvrir et
maîtriser les nouvelles technologies, donner à chaque enfant l'accès aux
ressources pédagogiques et culturelles sur Internet, tel est l'objectif de
la Commission qui lance pour la première fois à l'échelle européenne
l'opération Netd@ys. Trois idées clés fédèrent cette initiative: mettre en
réseau, échanger et coopérer.
[03] Health and safety at work: second European week, 20-25 October 1997
The second European Week of Health and Safety at Work will take place from
20 to 25 October 1997. The focus of this European Week will be on the
assessment of workplace risks with particular emphasis on small and medium-
sized enterprises. The European Union (EU) has been active in this field,
adopting directives laying down minimum standards for each activity or area
in which risks exist. Every employer and every employee must make a
contribution towards implementing this legislation, starting with a risk
assessment. The principal objective of this campaign is to reinforce the
efforts to reduce risks and improve the quality of life at work by: making
employees and employers more aware of hazards at the workplace; encouraging
effective safety and health management in companies; promoting measures
designed to solve specific problems and reduce risks; and promoting all EU
measures in this field.
[04] La Commission décide de poursuivre treize États membres pour non
respect de la législation relative aux plans de gestion des déchets
La Commission européenne a décidé d'engager officiellement une procédure
d'infraction concernant treize Etats membres qui n'ont pas adopté ou pas
communiqué à la Commission de plans relatifs à la gestion des déchets en
général, mais aussi des déchets dangereux et des déchets d'emballage. Les
treize Etats membres en question sont la Grèce, les Pays-Bas, le Royaume-
Uni, la Suède, la Finlande, l'Italie, l'Irlande, l'Espagne, le Luxembourg,
la France, l'Allemagne, la Belgique et le Danemark. Par cette décision, la
Commission montre l'importance qu'elle attache à l'établissement, dans
toute l'Union européenne, de plans de gestion des déchets, qui sont une des
principales exigences de la législation communautaire en la matière et qui
devront constituer le cadre dans lequel s'inscrira une stratégie
rationnelle et appropriée de gestion des déchets. De plus, cette décision
illustre l'approche de la Commission en matière d'infractions à la
législation environnementale, qui consiste à aborder les problèmes majeurs
de mise en oeuvre au niveau européen.
[05] Padraig Flynn calls upon business to be socially responsible
Speaking today at a Conference in Copenhagen, Employment and Social Affairs
Commissioner Padraig Flynn said: "More and more businesses see that
competitiveness and social responsibility can - and indeed, should - go
together. They see that getting a balance between successful, profitable,
business practices and giving a company's employees a sense of value and
self-respect is something that matters." The Commissioner outlined the
results of a European Union-wide research on how local partnerships can
combat the problems of social exclusion. This research suggests that
employers could adopt a more representative stance on behalf of the
business community. "It also suggests that employers could better promote
local development and address the problem of unemployment, for instance
through financial and technical support and through recruitment and
employment policies which give greater priority to those disadvantaged in
the labour market."
[06] Yves-Thibault de Silguy: "Les collectivités locales doivent se
préparer à l'euro"
S'exprimant devant l'Association des Maires de Grandes villes de France à
Lyon, Yves-Thibault de Silguy, Commissaire chargé des affaires économiques,
monétaires et financières, a lancé un appel aux administrations locales à
se préparer à l'euro. Il a notamment déclaré: "il peut être utile de créer
des cellules "euro" dans vos municipalités, afin d'élaborer le plan de
basculement de la commune. Outre les services municipaux concernés, ces
cellules peuvent comprendre les représentants des commerçants, des usagers,
des industriels, des banques locales, des personnalités du monde éducatif,
etc. L'ensemble des acteurs de la ville doivent être impliqués dans la
préparation du passage à l'euro". "Le basculement vers la monnaie
européenne est indéniablement une tâche importante. Mais elle est à la
hauteur de l'enjeu. L'euro renforcera la croissance et contribuera à la
stabilité de notre continent. Il matérialisera l'Europe dans le
portefeuille de chacun de nos concitoyens et il permettra à l'Union de
faire, enfin, entendre sa voix sur la scène internationale".
[07] Hans van den Broek: "There are no 'ins and outs" but "ins and pre-
ins'"
(!!! embargo 2.10 pm !!!) At a speech today in Bucharest, Hans van den
Broek, European Commissioner responsible for External Relations with
Central and Eastern Europe, said: "One thing that is true for all
applicants, regardless of the progress they have made to date, is the
Commission's resolve to support wholeheartedly their preparations for
membership until the day they join the European Union (EU). When we speak
about the accession process, we do not differentiate between "ins and outs"
but rather between "ins and pre-ins". All the applicants will be brought
progressively into the EU's activities. All will become members of the EU.
Nothing could be farther from the Commission's intentions than to draw new
dividing lines across Europe. Differentiation in no way implies
discrimination. Enlargement is in the interest both of the applicants and
of the EU itself. The benefits to the EU will be enormous, not only in
terms of stability and security, crucial though this is, but also in terms
of prosperity. The applicant countries are important partners, in terms of
trade and investment. A hundred million consumers with rising incomes are
already giving a major boost to economic growth and development throughout
Europe." (! embargo 2.10 pm!)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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