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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-01-26
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
26/01/99
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Crash test programme drives car makers to higher safety standards
[02] Colombia : Commission makes available emergency aid worth 1 million
euro for earthquake victims
[03] Ritt Bjerregaard : "We must put focus on the development of cleaner
and recycable products"
[04] Franz Fischler : "Globalisation provides advantages for European
farmers"
[01] Crash test programme drives car makers to higher safety standards
The European Commission, together with its partners in the European New Car
Assessment programme (EuroNCAP), today announced the results of the latest
phase of crash testing covering the best-selling small family cars. Of the
models tested (Ford Focus, Mercedes A Class, Opel Astra, Renault Megane,
Ford Escort and the Nissan Almera), the first four scored the maximum four-
star rating in terms of the protection that they offer in accidents
involving front and side impact. The results complement earlier tests on
other models of small family cars as well as executive and family cars and
they show that, through its support of EuroNCAP, the Commission has helped
to create a market for safety and, consequently, encouraged a quantum
change in the car manufacturing industry's attitude to designing for
vehicle occupant safety. EuroNCAP is backed by the Commission, the Dutch,
Swedish and British governments and motoring and consumer organisations
across Europe.
[02] Colombia : Commission makes available emergency aid worth 1 million
euro for earthquake victims
The European Commission is making available humanitarian aid worth 1
million euro for Colombia struck by an earthquake measured six on the
Richter scale. The aid, managed by the European Community Humanitarian
Office (ECHO), is for victims of the earthquake in the provinces of Quindío,
Risaralda and Tolima. At least 500 people were killed and another 650
injured in the province of Quindío. Armenia, the capital of Quindío high in
the Andes mountains, was worst hit in a disaster zone that spanned five
provinces and wrecked some 20 cities and towns. More than 60 people were
reported to have died in Pereira, capital of Risaralda. The funding will
cover food aid, essential relief items, temporary shelter and medical
inputs. The aid will enable members of the Red Cross family already on the
spot to carry out emergency actions. Jacques Santer, President of the
European Commission, has sent a message of condolence to Andres Pastrana,
President of the Republic of Colombia.
[03] Ritt Bjerregaard : "We must put focus on the development of cleaner
and recycable products"
Speaking today in Brussels at the first meeting of the Recycling Forum,
European Commissioner for the Environment, Ritt Bjerregaard, said : "In
1990 the total amount of municipal waste in Europe amounted to 81 million
tons. In 1995 this amount has risen to 104 million tons. The amount of
waste which was landfilled was, in both 1990 and 1995, 65% of the total
waste. Recycling grew from 4% in 1990 to 10% in 1995. But even though
this share has risen, the need for action is bigger than ever." She
underlined that "recycling in the form of material recovery is a key
priority in the European Union waste strategy". "The increased use of
advanced combinations of materials and substances have made environmentally
sound waste management more difficult, more demanding and more expensive."
She stressed it was "essential to develop a sound market for recycled
products". "This will allow for the production of environmentally sound
products, made from recycled waste." "But most important is to put focus
on the development of cleaner and recyclable products. We must aim to
reduce the generation of hazardous waste, by limiting or banning certain
heavy metals and other dangerous substances in both processes and
products."
[04] Franz Fischler : "Globalisation provides advantages for European
farmers"
(! embargo 3.30 pm !) "The idea of a European training programme for
young farmers is excellent, particulary as the programme's main elements
reflect the agro-political challenges of the next years", said Mr Franz
Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, in
his speech at the occasion of the 40th anniversary - celebration of the
CEJA (Conseil Européen des Jeunes Agriculteurs) in Brussels. Focussing on
the main tasks of the reform of the common agriculture policy (CAP), Mr
Fischler pointed to the need for improving the competitiveness of European
agriculture on both the domestic and international levels and promoting and
improving the degree of familiarity of European agricultural products to
raise the sales. "For the agricultural sector liberalisation and
globalisation provide enormous advantages for the agricultural sector which
we must make use of. Orientation towards markets provides more
entrepreneurial freedom and less dependance on political price-decisions in
the Council of Ministers for European farmers and their families.
Accordingly farmers will have to face a higher entrepreneurial risk.
However, it is up to policy to correct undesirable trends in the general
development", said Mr Fischler. Even in future ensuring farmers' income
will be the central task of agricultural policy based on agricultural and
rural development policy, in accordance with the multifunctional aspect of
the European agriculture-model. Commissioner Fischler stressed that the
proposal for the CAP-reform aims to pay farmers for their social functions
and to compensate them for additional environmental measures.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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