|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-01-25
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
25/01/99
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission launches "One Stop Internet Shop for Business"
[02] L'UE a perçu des pays tiers des revenus d'investissements directs
étrangers de 12,4 milliards d'euros en 1996
[03] Commission acts against United Kingdom for its continuing failure to
fully curb water pollution by nitrates
[04] La Commission décide de poursuivre la France à propos de plans de
gestion des déchets
[05] Franz Fischler : "A retreat from international markets is the wrong
path to go down"
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard : "Environment must be integrated in other policy
areas"
[01] Commission launches "One Stop Internet Shop for Business"
A One Stop Internet Shop for Business wishing to know more about the
business framework and opportunities in the Single Market has been created
by the European Commission on the internet (http://europa.eu.int/business).
This practical and accessible tool for businesses (especially small and
medium-sized enterprises) can be used, free of charge, to answer many
practical questions as it offers a gateway to data, information and advice
from many existing sources. For example, the Internet Shop offers direct
access to over 230 Euro Info Centres (EICs - the Commission's largest
business advice network). It also gives free, direct access to public
procurement tender notices published on the Tenders Electronic Daily (TED)
data base and to Contact Points for Citizens and Business in Member States'
administrations for resolving Single Market problems. The One Stop
Internet Shop, available in the eleven languages of the European Union, is
part of the Commission's "Dialogue with Citizens and Business" set up under
the Single Market Action Plan.
[02] L'UE a perçu des pays tiers des revenus d'investissements directs
étrangers de 12,4 milliards d'euros en 1996
(! embargo 12h !) L'Union européenne (UE) a perçu des pays tiers des
revenus nets d'investissements directs étrangers (IDE) s'élevant à 12,4
milliards d'euros en 1996. Ce chiffre correspond au solde entre les 44,4
milliards perçus sur des actifs d'IDE et les 32,1 milliards versés à des
pays non membres de l'UE sur des actifs investis dans l'UE, selon un
rapport publié aujourd'hui par Eurostat, l'Office statistique des
Communautés européennes à Luxembourg. Les flux de revenus nets ont été
positifs avec la plupart des pays et régions partenaires. Les principales
exceptions ont été les Etats-Unis et la Suisse : dans ces deux cas, les
paiements de revenus d'IDE effectués par l'UE ont dépassé d'un tiers
environ les recettes correspondantes. Plus de la moitié des revenus d'IDE
perçus par l'UE (24,4 milliards) résultait d'investissements en Amérique
(Amérique du Nord, du Sud et centrale). La plus grande part de ce montant,
à savoir 17,6 milliards, provenait des Etats-Unis. Les investisseurs de
l'UE ont perçu des revenus nets de plus de 7,6 milliards d'euros sur leurs
IDE en Asie, ce qui correspond à 62% de la valeur totale de ces revenus.
L'Asie occupe ainsi le premier rang au niveau mondial et sa part s'est
accrue d'un cinquième par rapport à 1995. Le Japon fait exception dans ce
contexte, les revenus d'IDE nets de l'UE en provenance de ce pays ayant
diminué de 25% entre 1995 et 1996. En ce qui concerne les pays d'Europe
non membres de l'UE, les revenus nets en provenance de la Norvège ont
doublé en 1996 et dépassé 0,8 milliard d'euros, tandis que ceux provenant
de la Hongrie se sont multipliés par dix entre 1995 et 1996, totalisant
plus de 0,5 milliard d'euros. Les revenus nets en provenance de la
République tchèque ont également connu un accroissement rapide, atteignant
0,25 milliard d'euros.
[03] Commission acts against United Kingdom for its continuing failure to
fully curb water pollution by nitrates
The European Commission has decided to make an application to the European
Court of Justice against the United Kingdom for non-respect of the European
Union's (EU) Nitrates Directive (Council Directive 91/676/EEC concerning
the protection of waters against pollution caused by nitrates from
agricultural sources). The Nitrates Directive aims to reduce water
pollution caused by agricultural sources and to prevent further such
pollution. It requires Member States to carry out monitoring of surface
waters and groundwater, and to identify and designate vulnerable zones (ie
zones affected by nitrate-related pollution) by 20 December 1993. Action
programmes for such zones should be established by 20 December 1995 in
order to control nitrate pollution from agricultural sources. Member
States have the option of applying these action programmes throughout their
territory. They must also adopt codes of good agricultural practice ; these
are a binding part of action programmes.
[04] La Commission décide de poursuivre la France à propos de plans de
gestion des déchets
La Commission européenne a décidé d'intenter auprès de la Cour de Justice
européenne une action contre la France pour non-adoption et non-
communication à la Commission de plans de gestion des déchets en
application de trois Directives européennes : la Directive-cadre sur les
déchets, la Directive sur les déchets dangereux et la Directive sur les
déchets d'emballages. Les plans de gestion des déchets constituent un des
éléments clés de l'approche communautaire en ce qui concerne les déchets,
car ils doivent aider à atteindre les objectifs concernant la prévention ou
la réduction de la production de déchets, la valorisation des déchets, leur
élimination d'une manière non polluante et la mise en place d'un réseau
intégré adéquat d'installations d'élimination dans toute l'Union
européenne. Ces plans doivent couvrir le type, la quantité et l'origine
des déchets à valoriser ou à éliminer, des exigences techniques générales,
les arrangements spéciaux concernant certains déchets et les sites ou
installations d'élimination adéquats.
[05] Franz Fischler : "A retreat from international markets is the wrong
path to go down"
In the view of European Commission for Agriculture, Franz Fischler, a
positive outcome of the "Agenda 2000" reforms to the common agricultural
policy is the best precondition for the European Union to enter the
forthcoming round of World Trade Organisation (WTO) trade talks with self-
confidence. Speaking at the sixth East-West Agriculture Forum during the
annual Green Week trade fair in Berlin on Saturday 23 January, Mr Fischler
defended the Commission's strategy for the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP)
and called for a positive stance in the WTO negotiations. He said it was
important not to overlook the fact that the most important motive for
thinking about the future direction of the CAP came from inside and not
outside. The Commissioner emphasised the need to strengthen European
agriculture's multiple functions.
[06] Ritt Bjerregaard : "Environment must be integrated in other policy
areas"
At a seminar today in Brussels on Environment and Employment, European
Commissioner for the Environment, Ritt Bjerregaard, said that "there is
increasing recognition that environmental improvements can only be achieved
if the environment is integrated in other policy areas". The Commissioner
mentioned a number of environmental sectors with an important job potential
: "The achievement of the ambitious Kyoto agreement to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions by 8% by the 2010 will lead to a creation of additional jobs
of 1-2 million by the year 2010. The improvement of our cities will be an
important element in our strategy to create job opportunities and a good
quality of life. Environmental degradation is equally wide spread in rural
areas where soil erosion and biodiversity pose major problems. We see in
this area an increased use of organic farming. Furthermore, we can note a
higher awareness with regard to protection of landscapes and protected
habitats and sustainable forestry methods. The use of clean and integrated
technologies enables companies to save costs because they avoid pollution
and decrease the use of natural resources such as energy and water.
Companies using such innovative solutions often gain a competitive
advantage. They are therefore able to expand which leads indirectly to job
creation. Today at least 3.5 million people in the European Union work in
jobs related to the environment and there is room for improvement." The
Commissioner concluded by saying that "we have to concretise the employment
guidelines and to make different actors contribute to a successful
implementation of them. Progress report on the employment guidelines by
all Member States will be sent to the European Summit in June this year".
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
