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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-10-28
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
28/10/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Financial services : Commission proposes framework for action
[02] La Commission adopte des mesures de protection contre l'ESB au
Portugal
[03] Commission adopts banana import licencing regime
[04] La Commission propose une action pour les villes européennes
[05] TransEuropean Transport Network making progress, but extra efforts
needed
[06] La Commission clôt la procédure et autorise une aide en faveur de
Tubos Europa S.A.
[07] Commission terminates proceedings on planned aid for Dörries Scharmann
Technologies GmbH
[08] La Commission ordonne le recouvrement de l'aide versée illégalement à
Sniace S.A.
[09] Commission authorises aid for Neptun Industrie Rostock GmbH
[10] Aides à l'entreprise Hijos de Andres Molina S.A. (HAMSA)
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[11] Martin Bangemann, Edith Cresson and Neil Kinnock meet the European
Space Industry
[12] Typhoon Babs : Commission responds to Philippines' international
appeal
[13] A new EU initiative for rural development
[14] Emma Bonino stresses the importance of keeping a prudent and
forthcoming approach with regard to GMO
[15] Padraig Flynn says the EU has no desire to intervene in national
health matters
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Financial services : Commission proposes framework for action
A series of measures to ensure the European Union's (EU) financial services
sector realises its full potential, notably with the introduction of the
euro, has been outlined in a Communication just adopted by the European
Commission. "Financial Services: Building a Framework for Action"
concentrates on ensuring deep and liquid European capital markets, which
serve both issuers and investors better and the removal of remaining
barriers to cross-border provision of retail financial services in order to
ensure consumer choice while maintaining consumer confidence and a high
level of consumer protection. The Commission concludes that EU financial
services legislation needs to be enforced effectively but does not require
radical surgery. However, new more flexible methods are required to adapt
the rules to evolving market conditions and additional legislation is
required in a few targeted areas including pension funds and consumer
redress. The Framework for Action was requested by the June 1998 Cardiff
European Council and will be presented to the Council of Finance Ministers,
the European Parliament and the Vienna European Council. The Communication
takes account of extensive consultations with users, providers and
supervisors of financial services.
[02] La Commission adopte des mesures de protection contre l'ESB au
Portugal
La Commission européenne a adopté un projet de proposition concernant une
série de mesures urgentes en vue de lutter contre les risques liés à
l'encéphalopathie spongiforme bovine (ESB) pour l'homme et les animaux au
Portugal et à l'extérieur du Portugal. Ces mesures comprennent un
programme de mise en oeuvre de l'ensemble des mesures nationales et
communautaires, notamment l'enlèvement des matériels à risques spécifiés
(MRS) et une interdiction totale de l'utilisation des farines de viande et
d'os dans l'alimentation des animaux. Une interdiction des exportations de
viande et des produits à base de viande qui expire dans neuf mois et une
interdiction des exportations des animaux vivants qui sera révisée dans les
18 mois sont aussi proposées. Les restrictions ne s'appliquent pas à la
région des Açores. La Commission fournira une aide financière pour les
mesures prises par le Portugal dans le contexte de la lutte contre l'ESB.
Ce projet de proposition sera présenté au comité vétérinaire permanent le
vendredi 30 et sera adopté par la Commission après avis du comité.
[03] Commission adopts banana import licencing regime
The European Commission has adopted the licencing arrangements which will
apply on imports of bananas into the European Union (EU) from 1 January
1999. The arrangements are based on the principles agreed by the Council of
Ministers in June this year. In adopting this regulation the EU has
fulfilled its obligation to reform its banana licencing regime before the
1st January 1999 in conformity with the World Trade Organisation (WTO)
panel ruling. Rights to import will be given to those operators who
effectively imported during a reference period (which is 1994/95/96 for
licences in 1999) i.e. excluding those who merely traded in licences. All
imports will be taken into account and in consequence operators will be
able to use their licences to import from any origin. In accordance with
WTO rules quota allocations are given to all substantial banana suppliers
to the EU : Ecuador (26,17%), Costa Rica (25,61%), Colombia (23,03%) and
Panama (15,76%). With the aim of having a more open market for banana
imports the share of the tariff quota reserved for the "newcomers" will be
increased to 8% (3,5% under the present arrangements). The requirements to
qualify as a "newcomer" are reinforced in order to avoid speculative
requests. Generally speaking, the new licence system on bananas will be
much simpler since the former distinction between categories of operators
and market functions will disappear.
[04] La Commission propose une action pour les villes européennes
La Commission européenne a adopté un cadre d'action concernant le
développement urbain durable. Pour aider les villes européennes dans leur
lutte contre le chômage, les problèmes de circulation et d'environnement,
il propose une application plus efficace des politiques et instruments
communautaires afin d'intégrer davantage la dimension urbaine.
Parallèlement, il prévoit l'adaptation des politiques, de la législation et
du financement européens aux fins de la poursuite d'objectifs communs. Il
englobe également une série d'exemples d'activités novatrices, de mise en
réseaux et d'étalonnage qui contribueront au développement d'actions
locales et de bonnes pratiques. Il donnera lieu à un débat auquel
participera un ensemble varié de personnes occupant des fonctions dans le
domaine de la politique urbaine, lors du forum urbain européen organisé par
la Commission, à Vienne, les 26 et 27 novembre 1998.
[05] TransEuropean Transport Network making progress, but extra efforts
needed
The European Commission published its first report on the implementation of
trans-European transport networks (TEN-T) showing that the projects,
designed to promote a better integrated European transport system, are
making significant progress. The network, once it is fully operational,
will ensure better transport links and hence a more efficient system to
serve the single market, creating in turn the improvements in economic
growth and competitiveness that can help to generate new job opportunities.
Although the combination of low growth and fiscal consolidation has meant
that infrastructure spending overall has been below the long-term trend,
many TEN-T projects have advanced well. For the 14 projects singled out by
the 1994 Essen European Council as in 1994 for priority development, three
are close to completion and eight are under construction or at a very
advanced stage of preparation and most likely to be completed by around
2005. The report also launches a broad consultation on the next stage of
development of the transport TEN policy.
[06] La Commission clôt la procédure et autorise une aide en faveur de
Tubos Europa S.A.
La Commission européenne a décidé que l'aide de 1,175 million de pesetas (7,
07 millions d'Ecus) que l'Etat espagnol a l'intention d'accorder à Tubos
Europa, Estrémadure, Espagne, était compatible avec le marché commun au
motif que l'entreprise fabriquera des profilés creux de construction d'un
diamètre supérieur à 406 mm, pour lesquels il n'y a pas de surcapacité et
qui, dès lors, n'ont pas d'incidence sur la concurrence. D'ailleurs, les
premières inquiétudes éprouvées par la Commission à propos d'un
détournement de l'aide au profit des entreprises du groupe dont la
production relève du traité CECA ("Les filiales CECA") n'étaient pas
fondées.
[07] Commission terminates proceedings on planned aid for Dörries Scharmann
Technologies GmbH
The European Commission has decided to terminate the Article 93(2)
proceedings initiated on aid for Dörries Scharmann Technologies GmbH
following the German Government's decision not to grant the aid.
[08] La Commission ordonne le recouvrement de l'aide versée illégalement à
Sniace S.A.
La Commission européenne a terminé l'enquête qu'elle avait ouverte en
octobre 1997 sur plusieurs aides présumées en faveur de Sniace S.A.,
producteur de fibres synthétiques et de fibres de viscose implanté à
Torrelavega, dans la communauté autonome de Cantabrie, en Espagne. La
Commission a conclu que deux des mesures en cause constituaient des aides
illégales, à savoir des accords sur le rééchelonnement de cotisations
sociales non versées, assorti de taux d'intérêt qui ne correspondaient pas
à ceux du marché et un accord de remboursement conclu avec le Fondo de
garantía salarial, le FOGASA, également à des taux d'intérêt plus
avantageux que ceux du marché.
[09] Commission authorises aid for Neptun Industrie Rostock GmbH
The European Commission decided to close the proceedings under Article 93
(2) of the EC Treaty in respect of various measures notified and not
notified for an amount of DM 60 million (ECU 30.6 million), taken for the
rescue and restructuring of Neptun Industrie Rostock (NIR) GmbH, situated
in Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, finding that it is compatible with
the common market.
[10] Aides à l'entreprise Hijos de Andres Molina S.A. (HAMSA)
La Commission européenne a adopté une décision négative avec demande de
récupération à l'égard des aides octroyées à l'entreprise de Jaen Hijos de
Andres Molina S.A. (HAMSA). Cette entreprise, qui comprend cinq unités de
production (produits à base de viande, abattoirs, fermes d'élevage porcin,
fromage et aliments pour animaux) et occupe 450 travailleurs, connaît des
difficultés financières depuis 1993. L'Instituto de Fomento de Andalucia
(IFA) l'a contrôlée à partir de 1995 et est devenu propriétaire de 80% de
ses actions en 1997. HAMSA bénéficie d'aides octroyées par l'Espagne sous
forme de garanties et de prêts par l'IFA ainsi que d'annulation de dettes
par des organismes d'Etat. La Commission considère que ces aides sont
illégales et incompatibles avec le marché commun aux termes de la
législation sur les aides et ne répondent pas aux conditions de dérogation,
notamment parce qu'elles ne sont pas conformes aux critères pour les aides
d'Etat au sauvetage et à la restructuration des entreprises en difficultés.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[11] Martin Bangemann, Edith Cresson and Neil Kinnock meet the European
Space Industry
Yesterday in Brussels, Martin Bangemann, Edith Cresson and Neil Kinnock,
Members of the European Commission, met the heads of a number of leading
European space companies and backed the creation of a high level Space
Industry Forum to structure the dialogue between the space industry and the
Commission. The Forum will be industry-led and will focus on priorities
identified by all economic operators directly or indirectly linked to the
space business. Its objectives will be to promote discussion and a common
understanding of industry's views on the development and structure of the
space business in Europe, the possible role for policies of the European
Union and the priorities for action to be taken by European Institutions,
governments, agencies and the companies themselves. Participation will
include operators, service-providers and users. Small and medium-sized
enterprises will also be represented. The Commissioners pointed out that
the space industry plays a key role in creating the infrastructure of the
information society through the integration of communication, navigation
and observation applications.
[12] Typhoon Babs : Commission responds to Philippines' international
appeal
The European Commission is clearing humanitarian aid worth ECU 500,000 for
victims of Typhoon Babs, which hit the Philippines last week. Manila
authorities have appealed today for international aid for two million
people made homeless, injured or cut off by the typhoon which killed nearly
200 people. The aid, managed by the European Community Humanitarian Office
(ECHO), will enable non-governmental organisations to carry out emergency
relief over the next three months. Ten provinces have been declared
disaster zones. Most victims were killed by landslides, or by flooding
that came in the wake of the typhoon. Babs is the most devastating typhoon
to have hit the islands since 1995, and came a week after an earlier
typhoon battered the north of the country. The provinces affected are
Catanduanes province, Camarines (north and south), Albay province in the
Bicol region, Quezon in southern Tagalog, Samar in the east of Visayas, and
the Island of Luzon. The funding will be used for medicines and medical
supplies, drinking water and emergency relief items such as blankets and
jerry cans. It will be channelled through the Spanish Red Cross, working
in close cooperation with the Philippine Red Cross. The disaster areas can
only be reached by air at present because of damage to the infrastructure.
[13] A new EU initiative for rural development
Speaking at the opening of an exhibition on rural development projects in
the European Parliament building in Brussels, yesterday evening, Franz
Fischler, European Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural
development, has explained his ideas on the new European Union (EU)
initiative focusing on rural development, one of the three Initiatives
announced in Agenda 2000. The new initiative will take up central features
of its predecessors LEADER I and II, in particular the bottom-up approach
and the networking of local action groups. Emphasis will be put on the
quality of the integrated development strategies. There will be no
guarantee to continue co-financing all Local Action Groups currently
supported, but in some cases solutions may be sought within the new EAGGF
rural development programmes. The objective is to support pilot activities
in Objectives 1 and 2 but also in other rural areas. Concentration will be
achieved on thematic rather than on territorial criteria. Transparency and
efficiency of its administration should be improved mainly by stringent
common criteria for the selection of local action groups, by a mono-fund
approach, and by returning to global grants where possible.
[14] Emma Bonino stresses the importance of keeping a prudent and
forthcoming approach with regard to GMO
In her intervention at the opening ceremony of annual conference of
biotechnology industries EuropaBio on 27 October in Brussels, European
Commissioner for Consumer Policy and Health Protection, Emma Bonino,
stressed the importance of keeping a prudent and forthcoming approach with
regard to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). "Prudent approach, she
said, for this reason the Commission has proposed changes introduced into
the Proposal for amending the directive on deliberate release of GMOs into
the environment : such as compulsory consultation of a scientific committee,
monitoring GMOs and their effects once they are on the market and are
circulating free in the environment, re-evaluation of authorisations after
seven years. These are amendments which industry should totally support as
they can contribute to restore confidence of those consumers who continue
to believe that these new GMO products will create irreversible changes.
Only when scientists have given a complete green light we could
successfully convince our population that all necessary health guarantees
are in place. Forthcoming approach and for this I have asked that a GMO
free line of food production be established. This is a line of products
which, following the example of organic farming, would contain no
genetically modified organisms. The failure to offer such a "GMO-free
line" would run counter to the basic right of consumers to chose which
products they buy and would increase the hostility of certain consumers
which fear that GMO will soon be present everywhere in their food and that
they will be force-fed with GMO".
[15] Padraig Flynn says the EU has no desire to intervene in national
health matters
(! embargo 6 pm !) Speaking in the European Parliament at a hearing on the
future of public health policy, European Commissioner for Employment and
Social Affairs, Padraig Flynn, explained the new thinking behind the
Commission's Communication on this subject (adopted last April). He
explained why it is essential to target the limited resources available to
particular areas where the European Union (EU) can provide real value
added. He said : "We have learnt an important lesson : that having a
variety of small programmes each pursuing its own goals is costly,
inefficient and not the best way to utilise limited resources." Mr Flynn
explained that the EU's interest in health systems is not a threat to
extend competence into territory reserved for Member States. "The EU has
neither the desire nor the ability to run national health systems." The EU
can provide Member States with information and help them to identify best
practice in many areas - e.g. the new EU network on surveillance and
control of communicable diseases. The Commissioner launched the idea of
establishing a "European Health Forum" to bring together the whole health
community (NGOs, health professionals and health authorities) to help
develop its agenda in this area.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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