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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-11-14
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
14/11/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] "Berlin is Berlin" Franz Fischler meets French President Jacques
Chirac
[02] Le Groupe Européen d'Ethique rend public son avis sur les aspects
éthiques de la recherche sur les cellules souches humaines et leur
utilisation
[03] Mergers approved under the simplified procedure
[04] Boues d'épuration : la Commission décide d'envoyer une lettre de mise
en demeure à la Suède, à la Belgique, à l'Irlande, à l'Italie et au
Portugal
[05] Insurance and pension funds in Europe - a booming life insurance
market
[06] Liikanen and Lamy participate at Transatlantic Business Dialogue in
Cincinnati on 16-18 November 2000
[07] Poul Nielson underlines Commission's commitment to helping developing
countries integrate the world economy
[01] "Berlin is Berlin" Franz Fischler meets French President Jacques
Chirac
In their two-hour meeting held yesterday evening in the Elysée Palace in
Paris, President Chirac and European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural
Development and Fisheries, Franz Fischle,r addressed the future of the CAP,
food-safety issues and specific agriculture questions to be tackled under
the French Presidency. As to the question of possible further CAP-reforms
raised by President Chirac, Mr Fischler said : "Our basis is Berlin and
nothing else than Berlin. The Commission will stick to the decision the
Heads of States have taken in Berlin, namely that the Commission has to
table reports on oilseeds, cereals, milk and the development of agriculture
expenditure - accompanied, if necessary, by appropriate proposals."
Regarding the concerns about the rising number of BSE cases in France, Mr
Fischler stressed the importance to restore the consumer confidence in beef
meat. "Testing is key to achieve that. The Commission initiative to test
all slaughtered cattle over a certain age goes exactly in this direction.
One should also put the French situation in perspective. Seven cases per
one million cattle is still well below the 100 cases established for high
incidence countries." On the possible consequences of a feeding ban for
meat and bone meal for all animals on the oilseeds sector, Mr Fischler
declared : "Agenda 2000 was designed to get rid of Blair-House, the
straightjacket for EU oilseed production. From 2002 on there will not be a
crop-specific aid for oilseeds any more. Consequently, Blair-House will
have become irrelevant by then."
[02] Le Groupe Européen d'Ethique rend public son avis sur les aspects
éthiques de la recherche sur les cellules souches humaines et leur
utilisation
Aujourd'hui, à Paris, le Groupe Européen d'Ethique rend public son avis sur
la recherche sur les cellules souches humaines pendant une conférence de
presse dans les locaux de la représentation de la Commission européenne, à
12h30. Le texte intégral de l'avis sera disponible sur les pages Internet
de la Commission http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/ethics/en/index.htm
Les membres du groupe sont : Noëlle Lenoir (présidente, FR), Quintana Trias,
vice-Président du Groupe (Espagne), Anne Mc Laren (Royaume Uni), Gilbert
Hottois (Belgique), Dietmar Mieth (Allemagne), Paula Martinho da Silva
(Portugal), Marja Sorsa (Finlande), Ina Wagner (Autriche), Goran Hermeren
(Suède), Egbert Schroten (Pays-Bas), Peter Whittaker (Irlande), Stefano
Rodota (Italie). L'avis est d'intérêt particulier pour la recherche
scientifique qui est à la charge du Commissaire Philippe Busquin au niveau
européen.
[03] Mergers approved under the simplified procedure
- British Telecommunications plc. / Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.
/ JV - Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. / Laporte plc.
[04] Boues d'épuration : la Commission décide d'envoyer une lettre de mise
en demeure à la Suède, à la Belgique, à l'Irlande, à l'Italie et au
Portugal
La Commission européenne a décidé d'envoyer une lettre de mise en demeure
(première lettre d'avertissement) à la Suède, à la Belgique, à l'Irlande, à
l'Italie et au Portugal pour non-respect de la directive communautaire sur
les boues d'épuration. Cette directive prévoit des contrôles de la qualité
des boues utilisées en agriculture, qui visent notamment à éviter
l'accumulation de métaux lourds dans le sol. Elle prévoit également la
tenue de registres pour faciliter les contrôles. La décision prise concerne
la non-communication par les Etats membres susmentionnés d'informations
suffisantes concernant l'élimination des boues d'épuration, et/ou leur
manquement à l'obligation de mettre en place un système adéquat de
registres. S'exprimant au sujet de cette décision, Mme Margot Wallström,
Commissaire à l'Environnement, a déclaré : "Il est capital de préserver et
d'améliorer la qualité de notre alimentation. Nous devons être certains de
disposer des informations adéquates sur les boues d'épuration utilisées en
agriculture, et avoir l'assurance que des contrôles efficaces sont
effectués. Certains Etats membres doivent manifestement améliorer les
informations qu'ils rassemblent et transmettent à la Commission".
[05] Insurance and pension funds in Europe - a booming life insurance
market
(! embargo 12 am !) Eurostat published today a third report on insurance
and pension funds in Europe which also includes for the first time
statistics on autonomous pension funds. The first part of the publication
describes the position of EU insurance within the major world insurance
markets. It also presents the general trends and the structure of the
European insurance markets, as well as financial indicators, information on
products and internationalisation of insurance enterprises. The second part
of the publication refers to pension funds trends. Data covers the EU
Member States, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
[06] Liikanen and Lamy participate at Transatlantic Business Dialogue in
Cincinnati on 16-18 November 2000
Erkki Liikanen, European Commissioner responsible for Enterprise and
Information Society, and Pascal Lamy, Commissioner responsible for Trade,
will participate at the annual meeting of the Transatlantic Business
Dialogue Conference in Cincinnati in the United States on 16-18 November
2000. The Transatlantic Business Dialogue (TABD) offers a framework for
enhanced cooperation between the transatlantic business community and the
governments of the European Union and the United States. The US
Administration will be represented by L. Summers and S. Eizenstat
(Treasury) and S. Essermann (USTR). It is an informal process whereby
European and American companies and business associations develop joint EU-
US trade policy recommendations, working together with the Commission and
US Administration. A TABD CEO conference is held each year to bring
together business leaders and senior level government representatives to
make constructive recommendations and measure progress on existing trade
impediments. In addition to CEOs and senior Administration representatives,
the attendees will also include a delegation from the US Congress and the
European Parliament. Main issues for the conference: Globalization and the
role of business as well as the Digital Economy. Other specific subjects :
WTO New Round, EU-US Trade Disputes, Implementation of EU-US Mutual
Recognition Agreement, regulatory cooperation, taxation and customs. For
more background, including a full list of TABD trade recommendations,
please consult www.tabd.com
[07] Poul Nielson underlines Commission's commitment to helping developing
countries integrate the world economy
In an address to African Trade Ministers meeting at the WTO Ministerial
meeting in Libreville, Gabon, today, the European Commissioner for
Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, Mr Poul Nielson reiterated
the Commission's short, medium and long term commitment to aid developing
countries integrate the world economy. Speaking at the closing session of
the two day conference aimed at promoting a more active participation of
developing countries in the multilateral trading system, Mr Nielson stated
: "I wish to assure you of the Commission's conviction that your efforts in
pursuing your objectives of full participation in the world economy is a
vital strategy in the struggle against poverty and in favour of the
sustainable development of your economies". The Cotonou Agreement signed in
June of this year between the EU and the 77 countries of the Africa
Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) group identifies integration into the world
economy as a fundamental strategy in the fight against poverty. This
strategy is also emphasised in the Commission's statement of development
policy which identifies trade, development and regional integration as
priority areas. The Commission will shortly present a euro 20 million
financing proposal to fund technical assistance to improve the capacity of
developing countries in trade negotiation techniques and to support ACP
regional economic groupings, a fundamental part of the Cotonou Agreement.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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