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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-11-06
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 Service Presse et Communicationb
06/11/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Statement by European Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer on civil
action against two US tobacco companies
[02] Philippe Busquin lance un débat public sur l'utilisation responsable
de l'information génétique
[03] Structural Funds (INTERREG IIIC) - Commission adopts a Communication
on the implementation of interregional co-operation projects
[04] Systèmes de paiement : la Commission convoque une table ronde pour
s'attaquer aux problèmes des paiements transfrontaliers
[05] Conference on "Europe - superpower of the future ?"
[06] Anna Diamantopoulou opens Employment Week Conference on November 7
[01] Statement by European Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer on civil
action against two US tobacco companies
"Four months ago the European Commission decided on a legal action against
a number of US tobacco companies in relation to cigarette smuggling. Since
then, the President and I have been actively working with our legal
experts. The time has come to proceed. The Commission has now filed a civil
action in New York against the Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds corporations
for their alleged involvement in smuggling cigarettes into the EU. This
civil action alleges breaches by these corporations of the US Racketeering
Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO). The Commission seeks
compensation for financial losses the EU has suffered and injunctive relief
in order to prevent further smuggling. The protection of the financial
interests of the EU is a high priority of the Commission. The present case
is a new step in our strategy to fight against fraud and financial
irregularities."
[02] Philippe Busquin lance un débat public sur l'utilisation responsable
de l'information génétique
La conférence 'La génétique et le futur de l'Europe' qui se tiendra les 6
et 7 novembre à Bruxelles sera le premier événement du genre. Elle sera
l'une des actions mises en œuvre par la Commission européenne pour conduire
les scientifiques à mieux communiquer vers la société, représentée à la
conférence par des représentants politiques, des industriels et des acteurs
sociaux. L'objectif est d'initier un débat sur l'utilisation responsable
des informations génétiques, notamment dans les domaines de la santé, de
l'alimentation et de l'environnement. Pour Philippe Busquin, Commissaire à
la Recherche, qui présentera cette initiative à la presse le 7 novembre, :
"Les développements des sciences de la vie ont de plus en plus un impact
profond sur nos vies mais nous n'en connaissons pas toujours les tenants et
les aboutissants. C'est pourquoi j'ai demandé à un groupe de scientifiques
européens de haut niveau de m'aider à organiser cet événement et à engager
un dialogue avec le public sur l'impact des sciences de la vie sur la
société."
[03] Structural Funds (INTERREG IIIC) - Commission adopts a Communication
on the implementation of interregional co-operation projects
The European Commission has adopted a Communication on the implementation
of strand C of the INTERREG III Community Initiative. It provides detailed
guidelines in order to help the Member States and regions to prepare
proposals for European support for actions in the field of interregional
cooperation during the period 2000-2006. The aim of INTERREG IIIC is to
promote the development of networks between actors in different regions and
in that way to promote a pooling of ideas and exchanges of experience and
best practices on all matters relating to regional development. Cooperation
involving regions in third countries, especially in candidate countries for
membership of the Union, is included. The total EU contribution to INTERREG
IIIC for 2000-2006 is set at euro 295 million (1999 prices).
[04] Systèmes de paiement : la Commission convoque une table ronde pour
s'attaquer aux problèmes des paiements transfrontaliers
Quatorze mois avant l'introduction des pièces et billets en euro, la
Commission européenne convoque une table ronde le 9 novembre 2000 à
Bruxelles pour faire le point sur la création de l'espace unique de
paiement et s'attaque aux problèmes des paiements transfrontaliers. Frits
Bolkestein, Commissaire en charge du marché intérieur, expliquera tout
d'abord l'objectif de la Commission : à terme il ne doit plus y avoir de
différence entre un paiement domestique (sur le territoire national) et un
paiement transfrontalier. Pour cela, il faut améliorer l'efficacité des
systèmes de paiement et plusieurs interlocuteurs discuteront comment
atteindre cet objectif au mieux.
[05] Conference on "Europe - superpower of the future ?"
Four weeks before the EU reform Summit in Nice, high-level participants of
the Europa Forum conference in Brussels on 7-8 November will discuss the
state and future of the European Union. Speakers include European
Commissioners for Enlargement, Gunter Verheugen, Trade, Pascal Lamy, and
Education and Culture, Viviane Reding, as well as the Prime Minister of
Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, and German Defence Minister Rudolf
Scharping. German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer will deliver a video
statement. Other participants include Ingo Friedrich and Gerhard Schmid,
Vice-Presidents of the EP, MEPs Daniel Cohn-Bendit and Karin Junker,
Bronislaw Geremek, Chairman of the Polish Parliamentary Committee for
European law, Angela Merkel, Chairwoman of the German CDU, Nikolaus van der
Pas, Director-General of DG EAC, and senior journalists from several
European countries. The two-day conference is jointly organised by the
Commission's Representation in Germany and German public broadcaster
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). A press conference for Brussels-based
journalists will take place on Tuesday, 7 November, at 11.00 am. The
location is the European Parliament building, entrance Paul Henri Spaak
Building (1st Floor, Room 42, near Sally Polyvalente), rue Wiertz, B-1047
Brussels. The WDR also created a website: http://europa-forum.wdr.de
[06] Anna Diamantopoulou opens Employment Week Conference on November 7
Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner responsible for Employment and
Social Affairs, will be formally opening Employment Week 2000 on the first
day of the event which will take place on 7-9 November at the Palais des
Congrès in Brussels. The Conference attracts speakers at the highest level
from the Commission, European Parliament, International Labour Organisation
and OECD among others. This year, over 1,500 delegates from across Europe
will gather to address the challenges to employment in the new economy and
how public policy might be framed.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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