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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-03-06
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 06/03/2000b
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Financial services: Commission sends reasoned opinion to Belgium over
discriminatory tax regime
[02] Access to environmental information: Commission takes Belgium and
France to Court
[03] Commission moves to simplify single market legislation
[04] Economic confidence indicator reaches a new record high in the euro-
area in February 2000
[05] Other information distributed:
[06] SPEECH/00/68 Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU
[07] SPEECH/00/70 Pascal LAMY
[08] SPEECH/00/69 Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU
[09] SPEECH/00/71 Pascal LAMY
[01] Financial services: Commission sends reasoned opinion to Belgium over
discriminatory tax regime
The European Commission has sent a reasoned opinion to Belgium concerning
tax rules which restrict income tax reductions for mortgage repayments to
loans insured by Belgian-based firms. The reasoned opinion is the second
stage of formal infringement procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
In the absence of a satisfactory response within two months following
receipt of the reasoned opinion, the Commission may refer Belgium to the
Court of Justice
[02] Access to environmental information: Commission takes Belgium and
France to Court
The European Commission has decided to bring Belgium and France before the
European Court of Justice for failing properly to transpose the Access to
Environmental Information Directive into their national legislation. The
case against Belgium concerns a clause in the Belgian legislation which
allows the authorities to reject requests for environmental information
without giving reasons. This is contradictory to the Directive. The French
legislation also falls short of the Directive's provision on this issue, as
well as on several other issues.
[03] Commission moves to simplify single market legislation
A series of recommendations to simplify national and EC legislation
affecting the Internal Market have been made by the European Commission in
a review of the SLIM initiative Simpler Legislation for the Internal
Market. SLIM has resulted in clearer rules but more could be done to target
complex sectors and enhance transparency, according to the report. The
report recommends that the Commission should set itself a target of coming
forward with proposals within six months of a SLIM report.. SLIM is a
cornerstone of EU efforts to simplify and improve Internal Market rules to
make cross-border transactions easier and improve competitiveness. The
importance of simplified legislation for market integration and economic
growth was clearly identified in the Commission's most recent report on
product and capital markets and in the Commission's submission to the
special Lisbon European Council to be held March 23-24. Regulatory costs
and red tape, mostly due to national and regional regulation rather than EC
rules, are estimated at 3-5 % of the European Union's Gross Domestic
Product.
[04] Economic confidence indicator reaches a new record high in the euro-
area in February 2000
In February 2000 the economic sentiment indicator advanced 0.4 points to
106.0 in the euro area establishing a new record level. It advanced 0.1
points to 105.8 in the EU. Denmark and Finland registered the biggest
increases, 1.2 and 0.9 points respectively, while the largest decrease was
for Austria, 1.6 points. Industrial confidence rose one point in the EU and
two points in the euro area; industrialists are more optimistic in twelve
member states. The construction confidence indicator lost part of the
previous month gains, although it remains at a higher level than that at
the end of 1999. Consumer confidence increased slightly in the euro-area
after having remained steady over the last three months, while it edged
down to its December 1999 level in the EU following a record in January
2000.
[05] Other information distributed:
A disposition au secrétariat de Beate Gminder (BREY 06/37): BIO sur le
résultat de la rèunion du comité scientifique directeur du 2-3 Mars 2000 A
disposition au secrétariat de Pia Ahrenkilde-Hansen (BREY 06/116): BIO on
The now established Baia Mare Task Force
[06] SPEECH/00/68 Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU
New Employment Strategies in the EU and Japan Adaptability and
Entrepreneuship. to the Eighth EU-Japan Symposium, Tokyo, Japan
[07] SPEECH/00/70 Pascal LAMY
India- Europe Relations in the Age of Globalisation: The Challenges and
Opportunities Ahead to the Indian Institute for Foreign Affairs, New Delhi,
India
[08] SPEECH/00/69 Anna DIAMANTOPOULOU
Competiveness and Cohesion: the Core Counterpoint to the Japanese Diet :
Labour Affairs Committee, Tokyo, Japan
[09] SPEECH/00/71 Pascal LAMY
Strengthening the multilateral trade system: How can the EU and India co-
operate?
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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