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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-04-04
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 Service Presse et Communicationb
04/04/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission authorises NEC and Mitsubishi to set up a JV company in the
field of PC monitors
[02] La Commission autorise la création d'une entreprise commune entre
Voith et Siemens dans le secteur de l'hydroélectricité
[03] Euro-zone unemployment stays at 9.5% in February 2000 - EU15 unchanged
at 8.8%
[04] Two opinions of Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal
Welfare published today on the internet
[05] Directive 'Habitats' : la Commission met en demeure le Portugal de
proposer un nombre suffisant d'habitats à conserver
[06] Commission acts against Finland on hunting
[07] Water pollution by nitrates : Commission takes further legal steps
against Luxembourg, Finland, Portugal and United Kingdom
[08] Anna Diamantopoulou welcomes agreement to extend the working time
Directive
[09] Statement by Chris Patten on the arrest of Momcilo Krajisnik in Bosnia
[01] Commission authorises NEC and Mitsubishi to set up a JV company in the
field of PC monitors
The European Commission has authorised the creation of a joint venture
company between the two Japanese companies NEC and Mitsubishi which will
operate in the field of PC monitors under the name of "NEC-Mitsubishi
Electric Visual Systems Corporation". In Europe the JV will operate through
a subsidiary located in Munich (Germany). The combined market shares of NEC
and Mitsubishi in the overall market of PC monitors is below 15%. In the
segment of CRT (Catholic Ray Tubes) monitors it is very small although for
LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)monitors taken alone it is currently above 15%.
However this is an embryonic market with other major players. The vertical
links between the parties and the JV will not lead to a foreclosure of the
market given the small combined market shares.
[02] La Commission autorise la création d'une entreprise commune entre
Voith et Siemens dans le secteur de l'hydroélectricité
La Commission européenne a approuvé le regroupement des activités
hydroélectriques de Voith et Siemens au sein d'une entreprise commune
autonome. La société allemande Voith AG (Voith) apportera au sein de
l'entreprise commune les activités de production, d'entretien et de vente
de la partie mécanique des centrales hydroélectriques (turbines
hydrauliques), et Siemens AG, la production, l'entretien et la vente de la
partie électrique (générateurs).
[03] Euro-zone unemployment stays at 9.5% in February 2000 - EU15 unchanged
at 8.8%
(! embargo 12 am !) Euro-zone seasonally-adjusted unemployment stayed at
9.5% in February 2000, the same as the revised rate for January 2000,
Eurostat - Statistical Office of the European Communities in Luxembourg -
reports today. This compares to 10.3% in February last year. The EU15 rate
was 8.8% in February 2000, same as the rate for January 2000. In February a
year before it was 9.5%. Lowest rates were registered in Luxembourg (2.2%)
and in the Netherlands (2.7% in January 2000) followed by Austria (3.5%),
Portugal (4.2%) and Denmark (4.9%). Spain's 15.2% was still the EU's
highest rate. In the last twelve months, unemployment decreased in all
Member States ; notable relative falls were recorded in the Netherlands
(from 3.8% to 2.7% in January), and in Ireland (from 6.4% to 5.1%).
[04] Two opinions of Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal
Welfare published today on the internet
Two recent opinions of the EU's Scientific Committee on Animal Health and
Animal Welfare that were adopted on 21 March 2000 will be made available
throughout today on the internet : (1) "The welfare of chickens kept for
meat production (Broilers)" and (2) "Possible link between Crohn's disease
and paratuberculosis". They are available at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/dg24/health/
sc/scah/outcome_en.html
[05] Directive 'Habitats' : la Commission met en demeure le Portugal de
proposer un nombre suffisant d'habitats à conserver
La Commission européenne a décidé d'envoyer une lettre de mise en demeure
au Portugal (première lettre de mise en garde conformément à l'article 226
du traité CE) pour n'avoir pas proposé un nombre suffisant de sites à
protéger dans le réseau communautaire des sites naturels 'Natura 2000'. La
Commission a engagé des procédures de même nature contre plusieurs autres
Etats membres. Le réseau aurait dû voir le jour en juin 1998.
[06] Commission acts against Finland on hunting
The European Commission has decided to take Finland to the European Court
of Justice for non-respect of the European Union's Wild Birds Directive. In
particular, the Commission considers that Finnish hunting legislation
infringes the obligation to protect wild birds during their rearing season.
In addition, the Finnish legislation fails to ensure respect for all the
conditions that must be met where exceptions are proposed to a general rule
of strict protection.
[07] Water pollution by nitrates : Commission takes further legal steps
against Luxembourg, Finland, Portugal and United Kingdom
The European Commission is to take further legal action against Luxembourg,
Finland, Portugal and the United Kingdom for non-respect of the European
Union's Nitrates Directive. These steps are the latest in the Commission's
concerted efforts to reduce water pollution from agriculture. The
Commission will take Luxembourg to the European Court of Justice, Finland
and Portugal will receive a first warning letter, and the UK will be sent a
second warning letter.
[08] Anna Diamantopoulou welcomes agreement to extend the working time
Directive
Commenting on the agreement reached late yesterday between the European
Parliament and the Council of Ministers to extend the working time
Directive to workers in all the sectors and activities currently excluded
from the Directive, European Commissioner for Social Affairs, Anna
Diamantopoulou, said : "Some 5 million workers in the EU are not protected
by the working time Directive. The Commission's patience and persistence in
seeking to find a pragmatic solution to this problem have been rewarded".
On the key issue of doctors in training, Mrs Diamantopoulou recognised that
the agreed transitional period is longer than she would have liked. But she
emphasised that once the Directive is implemented by Member States, its
provisions with regard to daily and weekly rest, breaks, annual leave and
night work will apply straightaway to doctors in training. There will also
be a limit on working time, where at present there is none.
[09] Statement by Chris Patten on the arrest of Momcilo Krajisnik in Bosnia
European Commissioner for External Relations, Chris Patten, on a tour to
the Middle East, yesterday made the following statement from Gaza. "I
welcome the arrest by SFOR forces in Bosnia of Momcilo Krajisnik and his
transfer to The Hague to stand trial. Peace in South East Europe can only
be built on freedom and justice for all. Over four years since the
Dayton/Paris agreement, this arrest is a timely reminder to the whole
region that justice has a long memory - a memory that becomes, if anything,
sharper over time. After the recent extradition of Mladen Naletilic, 'Tuta',
from Croatia, this arrest demonstrates once again that the International
Criminal Tribunal is ethnically blind - targeting not one ethnic group or
another, but those individuals, whatever their ethnicity, whatever their
status, who have a case to answer in law."
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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