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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-01-26
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
26/01/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Successful discussions on transport arrangements with Switzerland
should open the door to EU-Swiss accord
[02] La Commission autorise la prise de contrôle de Banque Bruxelles
Lambert/Bank Brussel Lambert par ING Groep
[03] Commission supports initiative for sustainable disposal of offshore
oil platforms
[04] Helios II programme: Commission adopts evaluation report
[05] Meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) - 22/23 January
1998
[06] Mario Monti sera en Pologne les 26 et 27 janvier
[07] Forum culturel de l'Union européenne (programme de la réunion 29 et 30
janvier 1998 à Bruxelles)
[08] Joint European Commission and European Parliament session on the
employment guidelines
[01] Successful discussions on transport arrangements with Switzerland
should open the door to EU-Swiss accord
The result of discussions on Friday, January 23, between Neil Kinnock, the
European Commissioner responsible for Transport, and Swiss Federal Minister
Moritz Leuenberger should open the door to the successful completion of a
European Union (EU)-Swiss accord establishing formal relations between the
two countries, providing it wins the approval of the Council of Ministers.
Neil Kinnock welcomed what he described as "very substantial progress" and
said : "Today's discussions have produced figures for charges and details
of transport conditions that I can firmly recommend to EU Transport
Ministers for their conclusive consideration." He continued : "We have
obtained what Member States asked us to negotiate : an agreement that is
beneficial to the economies of both Switzerland and the EU while
guaranteeing environmental protection for the Alps. It will represent a
further deepening in the political relationship between the EU and
Switzerland. Transport is, of course, only one of the several broad
chapters that comprise the EU/Swiss agreement, but I hope that our success
today will win the Council approval that will help bring talks in other
areas to a speedy conclusion." Any eventual EU/Swiss agreement should cover
transport, free movement of people, public procurement, research, mutual
recognition of standards and agriculture.
[02] La Commission autorise la prise de contrôle de Banque Bruxelles
Lambert/Bank Brussel Lambert par ING Groep
La Commission européenne vient d'autoriser la prise de contrôle de la
société belge BBL (Banque Bruxelles Lambert S.A./Bank Brussel Lambert N.V.)
par la société néerlandaise ING Groep N.V. Cette opération est effectuée
par une offre d'achat publique, par laquelle ING a obtenu la majorité des
actions BBL. Les activités de BBL et ING se trouvent majoritairement dans
les secteurs bancaire et de l'assurance. Les activités des deux
entreprises sont plutôt complémentaires, étant donné qu'elles sont
principalement présentes dans leurs pays respectifs. Les chevauchements
sont très réduits. Sur aucun des marchés considérés ces entreprises
détiennent actuellement une position dominante.
[03] Commission supports initiative for sustainable disposal of offshore
oil platforms
How can we ensure that sustainable disposal methods for offshore oil
platforms are applied when dumping them in the sea is not longer permitted
? This is the main question that will be put to all European stakeholders
in the ongoing debate on how to dispose of oil platforms and other
installation when they are no longer in use. The European Commissioners
for the environment and for energy, Mrs Ritt Bjerregaard and Mr Christos
Papoutsis, intend to ensure funding from the European Union for a
stakeholder consultation project (developed by the London based consultant
SustainAbility, who has specialised in greening of industries and public
bodies). The consultation is planned to take place in the spring of 1998.
Apart from the obvious environmental benefits, sustainable land disposal of
platforms contributes to creating much needed extra jobs and industry in
the North Sea region.
[04] Helios II programme: Commission adopts evaluation report
The European Commission has adopted the final evaluation report of the
activities undertaken as part of Helios II, the European Union's (EU) third
action programme to assist disabled people (1993-96). Based on an
independent evaluation carried out by the Tavistock Institute (UK) in
cooperation with three other research institutes, the report presents and
analyses the evaluation's findings and their implications for future action
in the field of disability. It highlights in particular the innovative
approach to EU intervention in the field of integration of the disabled
that Helios II introduced notably by abandoning traditional welfare-
oriented measures in favour of a strategy based on equal opportunities and
integration, and by promoting change through the dissemination of learning
and good practice and the provision of a structure for cooperation between
organisations at national and European levels. "Helios II has opened many
doors, identified many options, and begun important processes of promoting
a European dialogue on disability" said Employment and Social Affairs
Commissioner Padraig Flynn. "The need now is to continue the process of
dialogue, build upon what has been achieved, and take forward the more
promising elements identified within the programme."
[05] Meeting of the Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) - 22/23 January
1998
On its third plenary meeting held on 22-23 January the Scientific Steering
Committee (SSC) discussed if and how the risk can be estimated that BSE
infected cattle from a given geographical area enters the food and feed
chains. The opinion of the SSC is that it can be estimated by taking into
account two risk elements: (1) the probability that an infectious animal
enters the food and/or feed chains and (2) the probability that an initial
infection is transfered via the feed chain to other animals. In order to
be able to estimate the risk in a given country or geographical area, the
SSC has defined a list of eight factors which are regarded to contribute to
the incident and propagation risks in a geographical area and on which data
are required : 1. Structure and dynamics of the cattle, sheep and goat
populations; 2. Animal trade; 3. Animal feed; 4. Meat and bone meal (MBM)
bans; 5. Specified bovine offals (SBO) and specified risk materials (SRM)
bans; 6. The surveillance of Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE),
with particular reference to BSE and scrapie; 7. Rendering and feed
processing; 8. BSE and scrapie related culling. The SSC proposes to
request this information from all Member States and also any third country
which claims a certain BSE status. On the other points of the Agenda no
formal opinion was adopted. The next meeting of the SSC will be held on 19-
20 February 1998.
[06] Mario Monti sera en Pologne les 26 et 27 janvier
Mario Monti, membre de la Commission européenne chargé du marché intérieur,
sera les 26 et 27 janvier en Pologne, où il rencontrera le Président de la
République, M. Alexander Kwasniewski, le Ministre des Affaires étrangères,
M. Bronislaw Geremek, le vice-premier Ministre et Ministre des Finances, M.
Leszek Balcerowicz, le Ministre des Affaires européennes, M. Ryszard
Czarnecki, le Secrétaire Général de l'Episcopat polonais, Mgr. Tadeusz
Pieronek, la Présidente de la Banque Nationale, Mme Gronkiewicz-Waltz, et
le Comité Sejm pour l'intégration européenne. Il examinera les progrès
réalisés par la Pologne en matière de transposition et de mise en oeuvre de
la législation relative au marché unique, dans l'optique de la préparation
de ce pays à son adhésion à l'Union européenne. Son principal message lors
de cette visite sera que "la Pologne a pris un bon départ en ce qui
concerne sa préparation à l'adhésion en arrêtant des programmes législatifs
ambitieux pour la reprise de la législation relative au marché unique. Il
reste aux autorités polonaises à se conformer à ces programmes et à veiller
à l'application correcte des lois prévues dès qu'elles auront été
adoptées."
[07] Forum culturel de l'Union européenne (programme de la réunion 29 et 30
janvier 1998 à Bruxelles)
Afin de clôturer le débat ouvert depuis 1997 sur l'avenir de la politique
culturelle communautaire, la Commission européenne organise un "Forum
culturel de l'Union européenne" qui se tiendra à Bruxelles, au centre
Borschette, les 29 et 30 janvier prochains. En prévision de l'échéance des
programmes culturels, les Institutions européennes (Parlement européen,
Conseil des Ministres de la Culture) ont marqué préalablement leur accord
pour un "programme cadre unique" qui couvrira la période 2000 - 2005 et qui
succède à ces différentes actions (les programmes Kaléidoscope, Ariane et
Raphaël). Ainsi le Forum servira comme plate-forme pour l'élaboration de
ce futur "programme cadre" culturel que la Commission s'est engagée à
adopter avant le 1er mai 1998.
[08] Joint European Commission and European Parliament session on the
employment guidelines
Following the adoption of the 1998 employment guidelines by the Social
Affairs Council last December, the European Commission and the European
Parliament (EP) are organising a one-day seminar on the theme "Employment
after the Luxembourg summit : The follow-up actions". This will take place
on Tuesday 27 January, starting at 10.00 hrs., at the European Parliament
in Brussels (Room Leo 0/A02). The colloquium will be formally opened by
Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn and by Stephen
Hughes, MEP, chairman of the EP Committee on Employment and Social Affairs.
The debate will focus on the requirements for a successful implementation
of the guidelines. There will be four discussion panels, one for each
pillar of the new European employment strategy : employability,
entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities. Panelists include
representatives of the Commission, the EP, the EU Employment and Labour
Market Committee and the social partners. Journalists are welcome to
attend.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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