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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-06-26

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

26/06/2000


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Loyola de Palacio dénonce la désinformation et la manipulation derrière la grève en France du syndicat national des contrôleurs aériens
  • [02] Philippe Busquin welcomes the release into the public domain of a draft of the complete human genome sequence
  • [03] Structural Funds : Commission approves four single programming documents for objective 1 in UK during the period 2000-2006
  • [04] April 2000 - Industrial production up 0.7% in euro-zone ; plus 0.6% in EU15
  • [05] Commission regrets Brenner blockade, while sharing environmental concerns
  • [06] Poul Nielson signs ACP-EC Partnership Agreement in Cotonou, Benin

  • [01] Loyola de Palacio dénonce la désinformation et la manipulation derrière la grève en France du syndicat national des contrôleurs aériens

    Loyola de Palacio, vice-présidente de la Commission européenne en charge des transports et de l'énergie, a fait part de sa grande surprise face aux arguments avancés par le Syndicat National des Contrôleurs aériens pour justifier leur action de grève du 26 juin 2000. Elle considère que les assertions qui apparaissent dans certains tracts étaient dénuées de fondement et a vigoureusement dénoncé la manipulation des faits dans les justifications données à cette action. "Je trouve incompréhensible qu'après le soutien unanime des chefs d'Etat et de gouvernement à l'initiative de création du ciel unique, qui vise à mettre fin aux graves problèmes des retards aériens en Europe, surtout liés à la gestion du trafic aérien, on soit confronté à une action infondée, qui va de surcroît aggraver la situation et provoquer des problèmes sérieux pour les citoyens en ce début d'été", a déclaré Mme de Palacio.

    [02] Philippe Busquin welcomes the release into the public domain of a draft of the complete human genome sequence

    Philippe Busquin, European Commissioner for Research, welcomes the completion of a working draft of the human genome sequence and acknowledges the leading role that Europe has played in this historic scientific achievement. He stated : "I particularly welcome the release of this sequence into the public domain and its free accessibility to all researchers. A concerted effort is now required to unlock its enormous medical, social and economic potential. I am convinced that Europe will only fully benefit of this new knowledge if a large public debate on how, why and for which purposes this discovery is used. To help the debate I have launched in April 2000 a high-level group on life sciences with the mandate to foster this debate. Moreover, an international dialogue has to take place on related issues such as patenting, a dialogue which has begun at the G8 research minister level last Friday. The European Union, through successive European research programmes, has been actively supporting work in the field and continues to do so in the current Quality of Life programme. It is my intention to reinforce and further encourage the EU activities in genome research, for the benefit of society."

    [03] Structural Funds : Commission approves four single programming documents for objective 1 in UK during the period 2000-2006

    The European Commission has approved a seven-year programme for regional development in the United Kingdom worth euro 4857 million of EU financing. The "draft single programming document" approved today concern four "Objective 1" areas in the UK : Merseyside, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, South Yorkshire and West Wales and the Valleys. Altogether, this EU funding will mobilise over euro 11,454 million in investment, of which about 20% will be co-financed from the private sector. Together, it is estimated that they will bring the equivalent of 154,000 new jobs and provide training in new skills for 420,000 people. They are only the first in a series of development programmes for UK regions that will be decided by the Commission over the coming weeks.

    [04] April 2000 - Industrial production up 0.7% in euro-zone ; plus 0.6% in EU15

    (! embargo 12 am !) Seasonally adjusted industrial production rose 0.7% in the euro-zone in April, when compared to March, Eurostat estimates today. Production in the EU15 advanced by 0.6%. After a decline in March, April output rebounded in Germany (0.6%) and Belgium (1.3%). After two months of growth, the index declined in Spain (-0.9%), France (-0.2%) and the Netherlands (-0.8%). The index in Italy (-0.9%) was also lower in April. Denmark, UK and Finland recorded a positive rate. Compared with April 1999, output in April 2000 increased by 6.5% in the euro-zone and by 6.0% in the EU15. Durable consumer goods and capital goods led the increase with growth rates of 13.1% and 9.9% in the euro-zone respectively (12.6% and 8.4% in EU15). The rate for non-durable consumer goods increased from less than 1% in March to 2.9% in April for euro-zone and to 2.7% for EU15.

    [05] Commission regrets Brenner blockade, while sharing environmental concerns

    A blockade of the Brenner highway began last Friday by an ecological movement called the "Transitforum Austria Tirol" in protest at the rise in traffic there. The European Commission regrets that this action is taking place just as it currently acting to protect the environment while ensuring the free movement of goods throughout the EU's internal market. Loyola de Palacio, Commission vice-president in charge of Transport and Energy, said : "I regret this action, particularly as we have made a realistic proposal to the Council which should reconcile the different point of views and which we hope will be agreed upon by Member States". She added : "We must also develop a better integrated strategy to tackle the issue of reconciling transport and the environment. We will be making new proposals on sustainable mobility in the autumn."

    [06] Poul Nielson signs ACP-EC Partnership Agreement in Cotonou, Benin

    In his speech at the signing ceremony of the new EC-ACP partnership agreement (also known as the Cotonou Agreement), the European Commissioner for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Poul Nielson, hailed the moment as a major historical and political event. He underlined how the 20 year trade, aid and political agreement will give a new momentum to the relationship between the European Union and 77 African, Carribean and Pacific countries in the 21st century. The Cotonou Agreement sets out a comprehensive strategy for reducing and eradicating poverty with the objectives of sustainable development and the gradual integration of the ACP countries in the world economy. For the first 5 years (2000-2005), the agreement is worth euro 13.5 billion in aid. This is boosted by euro 1.7 billion in loans from the European Investment Bank and euro 9.5 billion in uncommitted monies from previous programmes.

    MIDDAY EXPRESS


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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