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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 99-11-25
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-Parole 25/11/1999b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission ouvre la voie à un transport ferroviaire plus compétitif
et plus sûr
[02] Propositions de la Commission pour le développement du transport
ferroviaire conventionnel : assurer l'interopérabilité et résoudre le
problème des goulots d'étranglement
[03] Commission : a step forward for the EU - empowering victims of
discrimination
[04] Commission endorses measures on BSE and TSE in relation to Specified
Risk Material
[05] Agence nationale Socrates II, Leonardo II et Jeunesse
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] Commission receives the OLAF report (Berthelot case) - statement by
Neil Kinnock
[07] Commission approves joint venture between Gruner+Jahr and DEKRA
[08] Commission authorises acquisition by Industri Kapital of Superfos A/S
[09] La Commission autorise Dupont et Sabanci à créer une entreprise
commune concernant des produits en polyester
[10] Commission clears polyester film joint venture between Dupont and
Teijin
[11] La Commission envisage des mesures particulières sur les produits
agricoles transformés
[12] Final report on inadvertent shipment of reference material containing
plutonium from Belgium to United Kingdom
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission ouvre la voie à un transport ferroviaire plus compétitif
et plus sûr
La Commission européenne a adopté un paquet révisé des propositions de
Directive sur le transport ferroviaire, renforçant les mesures précédentes
et prenant en considération la déclaration des Etats membres au Conseil
"Transports" du 6 octobre et les propositions d'amendement du Parlement
européen.
[02] Propositions de la Commission pour le développement du transport
ferroviaire conventionnel : assurer l'interopérabilité et résoudre le
problème des goulots d'étranglement
En complément du paquet ferroviaire, la Commission européenne a adopté une
Communication et un projet de Directive sur l'interopérabilité du réseau
ferroviaire conventionnel, complément indispensable de l'intégration des
systèmes de transport ferroviaire. Un document de travail sur les goulots
d'étranglement sera également soumis au Conseil Transports du 9 décembre
prochain.
[03] Commission : a step forward for the EU - empowering victims of
discrimination
The European Commission has adopted a Communication and three proposals to
combat discrimination in the European Union. Based on Article 13 of the EC
Treaty, which gives the EU new powers in this field, the move fulfils the
Commission's undertaking to table measures implementing the Article as
early as possible and responds to the invitation from the European
Parliament and Member States - and most recently from EU leaders at their
meeting in Tampere. The package, which seeks to support and build upon
existing national provisions and to fill the gaps identified during the
long consultation process prior to adoption, consists of : (i) a Directive
prohibiting discrimination in employment. This proposal outlaws
discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or
belief, disability, age or sexual orientation ; (ii) a Directive
prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin in a
wider range of areas - employment, education, the provision of goods and
services, social protection ; (iii) an action programme designed to support
and complement implementation of the Directives through the exchange of
information and experience and the dissemination of best practices in both
legislative and non-legislative areas.
[04] Commission endorses measures on BSE and TSE in relation to Specified
Risk Material
The European Commission has endorsed a proposal for a Commission Decision
in relation to harmonised European Union rules on removal of Specified Risk
Material (SRM). It is designed to stay in place until such time as the
framework proposal on TSE proposed by the Commission in November 1998 is
adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers. The
proposal provisionally classifies countries in four categories on the basis
of the recommendations of the International Office of Epizootics (OIE).
This organisation has more than 120 Member Countries and functions as the
reference organisation under the WTO/Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary Agreement.
[05] Agence nationale Socrates II, Leonardo II et Jeunesse
Pour ces trois programmes qui couvriront la période 2000-2006, plus des ¾
des crédits devraient être gérés par l'intermédiaire d'Agences nationales.
La Commission européenne a pris acte aujourd'hui d'une communication
l'informant sur le dispositif envisagé concernant les droits et obligations
de ces Agences. Les Agences sont choisies par les Etats membres, mais
doivent répondre à des conditions minimales posées par la Commission. Celle-
ci approuvera leur programme de travail et conclura avec elles une
"Convention de fonctionnement". Le nouveau dispositif permettra un
renforcement du contrôle des Agences par la Commission.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] Commission receives the OLAF report (Berthelot case) - statement by
Neil Kinnock
"Late on Tuesday evening the Director General of Personnel and
Administration received the OLAF Report on the 'Berthelot Case' in his
capacity as the Representative of the employing authority. A copy of that
Report was simultaneously sent by OLAF to the Belgian judicial authorities.
I have seen this report in my capacity as the employing authority for
senior officials. It relates to matters which justify serious concern and
it specifically recommends that the Commission opens disciplinary
proceedings against five officials, three of whom are Temporary Agents
whose contracts expire on the 15th December 1999, and two of whom are
permanent officials. The OLAF Report does not state that the permanent
officials are responsible for conduct which would warrant suspension from
their current posts. The College has therefore decided not to take such
action at this juncture. Disciplinary proceedings are, however, justified
and necessary. They have been initiated and among other things they will
enable the Commission to establish the responsibility of the officials
concerned with precision. The opening of proceedings makes further comment
on this case inappropriate.
[07] Commission approves joint venture between Gruner+Jahr and DEKRA
The European Commission has approved plans by Gruner+Jahr AG&Co., Hamburg,
and Dekra Holding AG, Stuttgart, to set up a 50/50 joint venture in on-line
services for the used car business. Gruner+Jahr, a member of the
Bertelsmann media group, deals in newspapers and magazines and the
operation of related on-line services. Dekra's main business is in vehicle
testing and vehicle reports.
[08] Commission authorises acquisition by Industri Kapital of Superfos A/S
The European Commission has authorised the acquisition by Industri Kapital
1997 Ltd of the Danish company Superfos A/S, belonging to the Superfos
Group. The acquisition will not lead to the creation or strengthening of a
dominant position and consequently does not raise any competitive concerns.
[09] La Commission autorise Dupont et Sabanci à créer une entreprise
commune concernant des produits en polyester
La Commission européenne a autorisé la création d'une entreprise commune
entre DuPont (Etats-Unis), une société de dimension mondiale, et Sabanci
(Turquie) en ce qui concerne des produits en polyester. DuPont restructure
actuellement son activité "polyester" et l'opération, conjointement avec la
constitution d'autres entreprises communes, fait partie de ce processus.
L'opération porte sur la création d'une entreprise commune chargée de
fabriquer et de commercialiser différents produits en polyester
[10] Commission clears polyester film joint venture between Dupont and
Teijin
The European Commission has cleared the polyester film joint venture
between the DuPont company (USA) and the Teijin company (Japan). DuPont is
currently restructuring its polyester business and the transaction together
with the formation of other joint ventures forms part of this process. The
transaction concerns the formation of a global joint venture to manufacture
and sell two types of polyester film (PET and PEN film).
[11] La Commission envisage des mesures particulières sur les produits
agricoles transformés
La Commission européenne a adopté une Communication au Conseil des
Ministres proposant, pour les produits agricoles transformés, une approche
globale permettant le respect, à la fois, de nos engagements internationaux
en matière de restitutions à l'exportation, et des décisions de discipline
budgétaire prises par le Conseil européen de Berlin sauvegardant la
vocation exportatrice de l'agro-industrie européenne.
[12] Final report on inadvertent shipment of reference material containing
plutonium from Belgium to United Kingdom
An audit has been carried out into the causes of a mistaken shipment from
Belgium to the UK of a reference material containing plutonium, following a
request by President Romano Prodi, Vice-president Loyola de Palacio and
Commissioner Philippe Busquin. The audit has established what exactly took
place from the preparation of the material in the Institute for Reference
Material and Measuring, Geel, to its discovery at Croft Associates,
Abingdon, as well as the reasons for the incident. Furthermore, it was
reported that human error, internal communication and organisational
problems as well as internal procedures are at the origin of the incident.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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