|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-05-16
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
16/05/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Commission shakes up management of external assistance
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] 155 million Europeans with a job in 1999 - net increase of 3.2 million
jobs compared to 1998
[03] Euro-zone volume of retail trade up by 2.7% in February 2000 ; up 3.2%
in EU 15
[04] L'institut de Florence présente une étude sur la réorganisation des
traités
[05] Commission allocates a further euro 3.29 million in emergency
humanitarian assistance to drought stricken Ethiopia
[06] Namibia, Zambia : humanitarian aid worth euro 1 million for the
Angolan refugees
[07] Galileo : Mme de Palacio plaide en faveur de la demande européenne de
fréquences
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] Commission shakes up management of external assistance
(! embargo 2.30 pm !) The European Commission has launched an ambitious
reform to overhaul the management of external assistance programmes. The
main objectives of the Commission's far reaching programme are to reduce
substantially the time taken to implement approved projects ; to make
significant improvements in the quality and responsiveness of project
management ; to ensure robust management procedures in line with best
international standards; and to improve the impact and visibility of EU
aid. The reform covers the following main areas : (1) a radical overhaul of
programming to better reflect the EU's policy objectives and priorities ;
(2) integration of the project cycle from identification of projects
through their full implementation ; (3) creation of a single body in charge
of project implementation ; (4) extensive devolution of project management
to the Commission's external delegations and, where possible, to
authorities in third countries ; and (5) urgent measures to eliminate old
and dormant commitments.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[02] 155 million Europeans with a job in 1999 - net increase of 3.2 million
jobs compared to 1998
(! embargo 12 am !) According to the EU labour force survey carried out in
1999 and published today by Eurostat, 3.2 million new jobs were created in
1999 bringing the total of EU15 citizens with a job to 155 million. This
represents an employment rate of 62% up from 61.0% reported in 1998. The
employment rate went up in every Member State. The highest rate was
registered in Denmark (76.5%) and the lowest in Spain (52.3%). Throughout
EU15 the employment rate registered for men increased from 70.8% to 71.6%,
and for women from 51.2% to 52.6%. The biggest rises were in Finland (up by
4 percentage points), Ireland (+2.8), Spain (+2.6) and Sweden (+2.0).
[03] Euro-zone volume of retail trade up by 2.7% in February 2000 ; up 3.2%
in EU 15
(! embargo 12 am !) In February 2000 and compared to the same month one
year ago the volume of retail trade rose by 2.7% in the euro-zone and by
3.2% in the EU15, Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European
Communities in Luxembourg, estimates today. This is an increase from the
annual increase of 2.0% and 2.8% respectively reported for January 2000.
Increases were significant in the "textiles" sector (+6.5% in the euro zone,
+6.8% in the EU15) and in the "household goods" sector (+4.8% in the euro
zone and +5.4% in the EU15). Sales in the "food" sector rose by 1.8% in the
euro zone and by 2.1% in the EU15. Compared to January 2000, sales rose by
0.4% in both the euro-zone and the EU15.
[04] L'institut de Florence présente une étude sur la réorganisation des
traités
Le Président de la Commission européenne, Romano Prodi, et Michel Barnier,
Commissaire responsable ad personam pour la réforme des institutions, ont
reçu le rapport du Centre Robert Schuman de l'Institut Universitaire
Européen de Florence sur la réorganisation des traités européens. Cette
étude, effectuée à la demande de la Commission, propose de réunir dans un
traité de base, de manière cohérente et lisible pour le citoyen, les
éléments essentiels constitutifs de l'UE. L'Institut de Florence a élaboré
un projet de "traité fondamental de l'Union européenne", qui rassemble, en
moins de cent articles, les dispositions relatives au cadre institutionnel
et au fonctionnement de l'UE, ainsi que les objectifs des politiques de
l'UE, sans modifier l'état actuel du droit. Le Président a confié l'examen
de ce rapport aux services de la Commission. La Commission présentera
ensuite ses conclusions à la Conférence intergouvernementale.
[05] Commission allocates a further euro 3.29 million in emergency
humanitarian assistance to drought stricken Ethiopia
In response to the severe drought affecting Ethiopia, the European
Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), has allocated an
additional euro 3.29 million in humanitarian assistance to the most
vulnerable drought-affected populations in South East Ethiopia. This amount
comes on top of the euro 2 million already allocated to Ethiopia in April,
bringing the total in emergency humanitarian aid in the current crisis to
euro 5.29 million. The object of this decision is to provide relief for the
suffering of the affected populations by providing funding for the
provision of drinking water, basic health infrastructure and the
distribution of complementary food rations (targeted therapeutic and
supplementary feeding) and non-food items. This intervention focuses on
complementary programmes in the seven areas most affected by the drought
(Gode, Korahi, Afdheer, Jigjiga, Imi, Liben, and Fik). ECHO's implementing
partners will be the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC),
Action Contre la Faim (ACF) and Save the Children NL and UK. This funding
is separate from the EU food aid operation which will send 432,500 metric
tonnes of cereals to Ethiopia this year.
[06] Namibia, Zambia : humanitarian aid worth euro 1 million for the
Angolan refugees
The European Commission has approved euro 1 million in funding for
humanitarian aid to provide care and assistance for populations fleeing to
Namibia and Zambia from the fighting in Angola. The aid, channelled via the
European Commission Humanitarian Office (ECHO), will fund projects over the
next nine months. In Namibia, the funding covers the provision of shelter,
water and other essential services in Osire camp and in two transit
centres. The estimated number of refugees in Namibia is between 10,000 and
15,000. About 97% of the refugees in the Osire camp are from Angola with
the remainder coming from Congo, Burundi and Rwanda. In Zambia, the money
will serve to provide registration, transport, sanitation and health care.
The existing refugee population in Zambia is 200,000 and the figure for new
arrivals from Angola is between 22,000 and 25,000. The Commission's aid
will be channelled via the UNHCR, the International Organisation for
Migration (IOM), Médécins Sans Frontières (NL) and the Belgian Red Cross.
The UNHCR will cover registration and assistance together with transport
and shelter at Osire camp while the Red Cross funding will be for the water
supply. At Nangweshi camp in Zambia, the UNHCR will provide shelter,
sanitation and camp management ; IOM will be responsible for the transport
of refugees and MSF/NL will provide health care.
[07] Galileo : Mme de Palacio plaide en faveur de la demande européenne de
fréquences
Mme Loyola de Palacio, vice-présidente de la Commission européenne en
charge des transports et de l'énergie, s'est adressée, le 15 mai, à
Istanbul, aux délégués de la conférence de radiocommunications mondiales
(WRC 2000). Cette conférence est organisée par l'UIT (l'Union
Internationale des Télécommunications), une agence des Nations unies. Dans
son intervention, Mme de Palacio a demandé le soutien des participants aux
demandes européennes de fréquences, notamment pour le projet Galileo de
navigation par satellite. Elle a précisé que l'Union européenne est ouverte
à la coopération avec toutes les autres parties afin de permettre un
développement indépendant et complémentaire de Galileo à côté d'autres
systèmes mondiaux, comme le GPS américain et le Glonass russe. "L'accord
récent entre la conférence européenne des administrations des postes et des
télécommunications (CEPT) et l'Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT) montre
l'importance de la coopération internationale dans ce domaine", a-t-elle
souligné.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
