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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-07-07
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
07/07/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission clears acquisition by British Aerospace of a stake in Saab
[02] L'UE participe aux dépenses des Etats membres pour la surveillance et
le contrôle dans le domaine de la pêche
[03] Business and Consumer surveys for June 1998 : investment in industry
expected to pick-up in 1998
[04] Commission acts against the Netherlands and Austria on bathing water
[05] La Commission poursuit l'Allemagne, la Belgique et le Luxembourg pour
leur manquement persistant à l'obligation de réduire la pollution des eaux
par les nitrates
[06] Commission decides Court application against Ireland for failure to
fully implement Directive on groundwater
[07] Employment : Padraig Flynn outlines the run-up to the Vienna Summit
[08] Padraig Flynn says that Europe's immigrant and ethnic minority groups
help provide skill, talent, innovation and diversity in the labour market
[01] Commission clears acquisition by British Aerospace of a stake in Saab
The European Commission has approved the acquisition by British Aerospace
plc (BAe) of 35% of Saab AB (Saab) from Investor AB. The transaction will
strengthen BAe and Saab's position within the European defence industry but
does not cause any serious competition concerns given the existence of
strong competitors from the European Union and the United States, powerful
buyers (i.e. ministries of defence) and the insignificant overlap between
BAe and Saab on their respective home markets.
[02] L'UE participe aux dépenses des Etats membres pour la surveillance et
le contrôle dans le domaine de la pêche
La Commission européenne, afin d'assurer que des moyens adéquats soient
mobilisés pour garantir le respect de la réglementation communautaire en
matière de gestion des ressources et d'effort de pêche, a décidé quelles
dépenses prévues par les Etats membres pour la mise en oeuvre des régimes
de contrôle et de surveillance dans le cadre de la politique commune de la
pêche (PCP) seraient admissibles pour un financement communautaire en 1998.
La décision, adoptée sur la base des demandes des Etats membres, porte sur
un montant global de 39,4 millions d'Ecus.
[03] Business and Consumer surveys for June 1998 : investment in industry
expected to pick-up in 1998
The latest results from the business and consumer surveys conducted by the
European Commission's Directorate General for economic and financial
affairs are published today. Plans for industrial investment in
manufacturing industry for 1998 were revised upwards in March/April 1998
compared with the autumn 1997. Investment is now expected to increase
strongly by 9% in real terms in 1998, compared with a forecast of 5% made
in autumn 1997. Economic sentiment in the European Union rose in June,
according to the latest survey results. Production expectations in
manufacturing industry improved compared with last month, whereas
industrialists' views on the current levels of order-books fell back
further, leaving the industrial confidence indicator unchanged. In the
euro-zone (€-11), on the other hand, there was an increase in the
industrial confidence indicator. Consumer confidence remained on the same
high level as last month. There was a marked improvements with respect to
the attitude towards making majors purchases.
[04] Commission acts against the Netherlands and Austria on bathing water
The European Commission has decided to notify Reasoned Opinions to the
Netherlands and Austria for non-respect of the European Union's Bathing
Waters Directive (Council Directive 76/160/EEC concerning the quality of
bathing water). The Commission's decision concerning the Netherlands was
prompted by the Netherlands' failure to comply with quality standards for
certain coastal and inland bathing waters, and by its failure to
sufficiently monitor certain inland bathing waters. Its decision
concerning Austria relates to the incompleteness of the Austrian
legislation used to give effect to the directive.
[05] La Commission poursuit l'Allemagne, la Belgique et le Luxembourg pour
leur manquement persistant à l'obligation de réduire la pollution des eaux
par les nitrates
La Commission européenne a décidé de notifier à l'Allemagne, à la Belgique
et au Luxembourg des avis motivés pour non-respect de la directive
communautaire sur les nitrates (Directive 91/676/CEE du Conseil, du 12
décembre 1991, concernant la protection des eaux contre la pollution par
les nitrates à partir de sources agricoles).
[06] Commission decides Court application against Ireland for failure to
fully implement Directive on groundwater
The European Commission has decided to make an application to the European
Court of Justice against Ireland for failing to adopt all the necessary
legislation to give effect to the European Union's Groundwater Directive
(Council Directive 80/68/EEC on the protection of groundwater against
pollution caused by certain dangerous substances).
[07] Employment : Padraig Flynn outlines the run-up to the Vienna Summit
Speaking today in Brussels at a conference on "New Perspectives for
Employment in Europe", European Commissioner for Employment and Social
Affairs, Padraig Flynn, mapped out the steps to be taken concerning
employment prior to the Vienna Summit. Throughout the summer and early
autumn, the Commission and Council of Ministers will be preparing a Joint
Employment Report for Vienna. It will contain a country-by-country
examination of the implementation ot the National Action Plans as well as
assessing their relevance to the employment problems of each Member State.
The Commission will also prepare the draft employment guidelines for 1999
with a view to adoption on 14 October. The Commissioner said : "These will
not change the basic four-pillar structure or the priorities we have all
agreed on. But they will identify a few areas of policy that need more
attention, including those identified in the conclusions of the Cardiff
Summit. My expectation is that the Vienna Summit will adopt the 1999
Employment Guidelines and that Member States will then review and adapt
their National Action Plans accordingly."
[08] Padraig Flynn says that Europe's immigrant and ethnic minority groups
help provide skill, talent, innovation and diversity in the labour market
Speaking today at a conference concerning 'European and North American
approaches to employment integration of immigrants and ethnic minorities',
European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs, Padraig Flynn,
said that "investment in the whole of the active population is essential to
Europe's continued economic success … This means they inclusion of
immigrants and ethnic minorities." The Commissioner said that his message
for the business community was crystal clear : "It is profitable to have an
ethnically diverse workforce." Mr Flynn thanked the Migration Policy Group
for organising the conference and said he looked forward to further
developing the rich potential of transatlantic exchange of ideas on these
issues.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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