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