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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-04-21
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
21/04/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Wienerberger and Cremer & Breuer withdraw their notification of
creation of a joint venture
[02] Pourquoi il faut améliorer les conditions de transmission des petites
et moyennes entreprises
[03] New ESF web-site goes on-line
[04] Karel Van Miert : "We need global agreement on competition policy"
[01] Wienerberger and Cremer & Breuer withdraw their notification of
creation of a joint venture
On 4 December 1997 the companies Wienerberger Baustoffindustrie AG and
Deutsche Steinzeug Cremer & Breuer notified to the European Commission,
under the Merger Regulation, the proposed creation of a joint venture. The
parties to the notification intended to combine their activities in the
area of clay sewage pipes. On 20 March 1998 the parties informed the
Commission that they annulled the agreement of the proposed joint venture
and consequently withdrew their notification.
[02] Pourquoi il faut améliorer les conditions de transmission des petites
et moyennes entreprises
La Commission européenne a adopté une communication sur la transmission des
petites et moyennes entreprises (PME) qui souligne le fait qu'un
environnement législatif, fiscal et financier inapproprié a de graves
répercussions pour l'ensemble des entreprises européennes et notamment pour
les PME dont les faiblesses spécifiques les empêchent souvent de poursuivre
normalement leurs activités au moment de leur transmission. La
communication montre qu'un certain nombre d'Etats membres ont pris des
mesures en vue d'améliorer la situation tandis que d'autres n'en n'ont pris
aucune. Elle invite en conséquence toutes les parties intéressées ainsi
que les chefs d'entreprise eux-mêmes à mettre tout en oeuvre pour que la
transmission d'une entreprise soit menée à bonne fin.
[03] New ESF web-site goes on-line
The European Commission has recently gone on-line with a totally new web-
site dedicated to the European Social Fund (ESF). This is destined to
become a "one-stop shop" for all information queries concerning the Fund.
Located on the EUROPA web-server, the new site represents one half of a
joint "Employment and ESF" site, linking the Fund with the new European
Employment Strategy (EES). With a foreword from the Commissioner for
Employment and Social Affairs, Padraig Flynn, the site features a
"Layperson's Guide" to the new draft ESF Regulation. It also provides full
details on the forthcoming ESF Congress due to take place in Birmingham
(UK) from 26-28 May. The site also includes a summary of the aims and
objectives of the ESF; a historical overview covering 40 years of the Fund;
legal texts relating to the ESF; information on the operation of the Fund
in the different Member States; a compendium of all ESF publications
produced by the Commission; and an ESF event guide. The other half of the
new site, devoted to the EES, is currently being prepared. The new
"Employment and ESF" web-site can be accessed at www.europa.eu.int/en/comm/dg05/esf.
[04] Karel Van Miert : "We need global agreement on competition policy"
( ! embargo 5 pm !) The European Commissioner for Competition, Karel Van
Miert, addressed ambassadors to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in
Geneva today. Mr Van Miert described the European Union's initiative to
reach a multilateral agreement on harmonised competition rules which he
called both necessary to address procedure requirements in an increasingly
global marketplace and useful as a complement to the existing trade
framework. Such multilateral competition agreement would cover information
sharing between national authorities and an effective dispute settlement
instrument mirrored on the existing WTO system to ensure compliance. Mr
Van Miert said he was heartened by progress made by the current WTO working
group.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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