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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 00-12-13
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
13/12/2000
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission réadopte trois décisions infligeant des amendes à Solvay
et ICI dans l'affaire Carbonate de Soude
[02] Commission authorises acquisition of control of Rexroth by Robert
Bosch GmbH subject to conditions
[03] Des normes élevées de qualité et de sécurité du sang humain et des
composants sanguins
[04] Chornobyl closure : Commission approves Euratom loan for the
completion of two replacement nuclear units
[05] La Commission autorise un régime d'aides aux énergies renouvelables
mis en œuvre par la France
[06] La Commission autorise un régime d'aides à la gestion des déchets mis
en œuvre par la France
[07] Commission decides that State aid in favour of Dutch manure processing
companies is not compatible with the EU Treaty
[08] Commission approves Dutch development aid for two shipbuilding
contracts for Indonesia
[09] Commission approves State aid to Sket Walzwerkstechnik (Germany)
[10] La Commission autorise une intervention financière de l'Espagne en
faveur de l'industrie houillère
[11] La Commission autorise le Royaume-Uni à octroyer une aide de 17,5
millions £ au siège d'extraction houiller "Longannet Mine"
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[12] Beef : Commission will formally adopt exceptional BSE-measures
[13] Aker Maritime withdraws takeover of Kvaerner as Commission opens
proceedings
[14] Europe funds a scientific world-first : breakthrough in sequencing the
plant genome
[15] Commission statement on the trial of the Egyptian democracy activist
Professor Saad Ibrahim
[16] Experts prioritize urgent needs for FRY : energy, health and social
protection
[17] Frits Bolkestein calls on European Parliament to endorse Commission's
post liberalisation proposals
[18] Autre matériel diffusé
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission
meeting
[01] La Commission réadopte trois décisions infligeant des amendes à Solvay
et ICI dans l'affaire Carbonate de Soude
La Commission européenne a réadopté trois décisions infligeant des amendes
aux compagnies Solvay, leader mondial sur le marché du carbonate de soude,
et ICI pour avoir violé les règles européennes de la concurrence dans les
années 80. Les décisions avaient été annulées par la Cour de Justice
européenne pour simples motifs de procédure. Les amendes restent inchangées
à 23 millions d'euros pour la compagnie belge Solvay et 10 millions d'euros
pour la britannique ICI.
[02] Commission authorises acquisition of control of Rexroth by Robert
Bosch GmbH subject to conditions
The European Commission has authorised the acquisition by Robert Bosch GmbH
of Rexroth, a subsidiary of Mannesmann. The authorisation is conditional
upon the sale of Bosch's radial piston pumps business to prevent a dominant
position in the market for hydraulic piston pumps. To address Commission
concerns that the business to be sold was not weakened in the meantime and
that a strong buyer be found, Bosch agreed to find an 'upfront buyer' which
is US company Moog. This is the first time the Commission imposes the
finding of an "upfront buyer" for divestments linked to merger regulatory
approval.
[03] Des normes élevées de qualité et de sécurité du sang humain et des
composants sanguins
La Commission européenne a adopté une proposition de directive fixant des
normes élevées concernant le sang et les produits sanguins dans toute
l'Union européenne. Le but de cette mesure est de mettre en place un
ensemble complet de règles contraignantes pour le sang et les produits
sanguins, du donneur au patient. Elle garantit également l'application de
normes claires quelle que soit l'utilisation finale du sang, y compris les
applications médicales qui y sont liées. Elle est conforme à l'obligation
spécifique prévue par le traité d'Amsterdam d'assurer un niveau élevé de
protection de la santé publique dans la filière du sang.
[04] Chornobyl closure : Commission approves Euratom loan for the
completion of two replacement nuclear units
On behalf of Euratom, the European Commission has approved a loan to the
Ukrainian National Nuclear Power Company Energoatom for the euro equivalent
of USD 585 million. This loan is to part finance a project for the
completion, modernisation and commissioning of unit 2 at Khmelnitsky and
unit 4 at Rivne nuclear power plants in Ukraine, the so-called K2R4
project. The project features in the Memorandum of Understanding signed in
1995 between the G7 countries and the Commission and Ukraine on the
permanent closure of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, now scheduled for
15 December. It will provide Ukraine with replacement power from two
nuclear units of the VVER 1000 type upgraded to a safety level acceptable
under Western-type licensing practices. The European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development has recently approved a loan of USD 215
million for the same project.
[05] La Commission autorise un régime d'aides aux énergies renouvelables
mis en œuvre par la France
La Commission européenne a approuvé le régime français d'aides à la gestion
des énergies renouvelables mis en œuvre par l'agence de l'environnement et
de la maîtrise de l'énergie (ADEME). Son budget annuel est de l'ordre de 50
millions d'euros. Le régime prévoit des aides pour les investissements dans
des dispositifs utilisant des sources d'énergies renouvelables. Les
intensités d'aides dépendent du degré de maturité des technologies
concernées et de la valeur environnementale des projets. Elles peuvent
atteindre 40% en France métropolitaine et 60% dans les départements d'outre-
mer. Un bonus de 10% est applicable aux PME. La Commission a examiné ce
régime sur la base de l'encadrement communautaire des aides d'Etat pour la
protection de l'environnement. Cet examen a permis de conclure que le
régime est compatible avec le traité CE.
[06] La Commission autorise un régime d'aides à la gestion des déchets mis
en œuvre par la France
La Commission européenne a approuvé le régime français d'aides à la gestion
des déchets municipaux et des déchets d'entreprises mis en œuvre par
l'agence de l'environnement et de la maîtrise de l'énergie (ADEME). Son
budget annuel est de l'ordre de 120 millions d'euros. Le régime prévoit des
aides pour les investissements dans des dispositifs de collecte, tri et
valorisation des déchets municipaux et des déchets industriels banals. Les
aides ne s'appliquent qu'aux types de déchets dont aucune législation
nationale ou communautaire contraignante n'impose le retraitement.
L'intensité maximale de ces aides est de 30%. Est également prévue une aide
au recrutement par les Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie de "chargés de
mission déchets" dont la fonction sera d'informer et de sensibiliser les
entreprises dans le domaine de la gestion des déchets. La Commission a
examiné ce régime sur la base de l'encadrement communautaire des aides
d'Etat pour la protection de l'environnement. Cet examen a permis de
conclure que le régime est compatible avec le traité CE.
[07] Commission decides that State aid in favour of Dutch manure processing
companies is not compatible with the EU Treaty
The European Commission has decided that the unnotified State aid amounting
to euro 2.5 million implemented by the Netherlands for investment into six
manure processing projects is incompatible with the common market. The
Netherlands shall take all necessary measures to recover the aid unlawfully
made available to the beneficiaries.
[08] Commission approves Dutch development aid for two shipbuilding
contracts for Indonesia
The European Commission has decided not to raise objections to development
aid that the Netherlands plans to grant for two general cargo vessels and
two pulp and paper carriers destined for Indonesia. The aid will be used by
the Indonesian buyers for the purchase of the ships from Bodewes/Pattje
Shipyards bv. The decision follows a formal investigation procedure that
the Commission had opened earlier this year in view of the doubts it had at
that stage whether the aid was compatible with the rules on State aids to
shipbuilding. These doubts have now been allayed and the Commission
therefore decided to close the proceedings with a final positive decision.
[09] Commission approves State aid to Sket Walzwerkstechnik (Germany)
The European Commission has decided to close with a final positive decision
the formal investigation procedure in respect of State aid measures
amounting to DM 143.5 million awarded to Sket WalzwerkstechnikGmbH (Sket
WT), an engineering company designing and arrranging manufacture and
installation of steel rolling mills worldwide which is located in Magdeburg
(Land of Sachsen-Anhalt). The investigation showed that the return to long-
term viability of the company is likely to be guaranteed by the
implementation of the restructuring plan. In addition, the distortion of
competition is limited considering that the relevant market seems not to
suffer from overcapacity and that the beneficiary is reducing capacity.
Finally, the private investor involved is making a substantial contribution
to Sket WT's restructuring. Therefore the conditions of the "Guidelines for
Rescue and Restructuring of companies in difficulties" are fulfilled.
[10] La Commission autorise une intervention financière de l'Espagne en
faveur de l'industrie houillère
La Commission européenne autorise l'Espagne à verser une intervention
financière de 186.541 millions de pesetas (1.121 millions d'euros) en
faveur de l'industrie houillère pour l'année 2000. Compte tenu de
l'importance des bassins houillers espagnols en termes sociaux et régionaux,
la Commission a notamment pris en compte dans sa décision la nécessité de
faciliter l'adoption de mesures de reconversion de l'industrie houillère en
Espagne.
[11] La Commission autorise le Royaume-Uni à octroyer une aide de 17,5
millions £ au siège d'extraction houiller "Longannet Mine"
Le Royaume-Uni est autorisé à accorder près de 29 millions d'euros d'aides
au fonctionnement à "Longannet Mine", unité de production appartenant à
"Mining (Scotland) Ltd". Cette aide, qui couvre des pertes d'exploitation
relatives à l'année 2000, est octroyée dans le cadre du plan de
modernisation, de rationalisation et de restructuration de l'industrie
houillère britannique approuvé par la Commission européenne le 15 novembre
2000. Ce plan, qui prévoit l'octroi d'aides d'Etat pour un montant maximal
de 180 millions d'euros entre le 17 avril 2000 et le 31 décembre 2002, est
destiné à soutenir temporairement, pendant leur période de restructuration,
des unités de production économiquement viables à long terme. L'aide en
faveur de Longannet Mine - près de 29 millions d'euros - est la première
aide notifiée à la Commission dans le cadre de ce plan de restructuration.
Elle a pour objectif de couvrir des pertes d'exploitation sur la période du
17 avril au 31 décembre 2000 en compensant l'écart entre le coût de
production et le prix de vente de la houille sur le marché mondial. Cette
aide devrait permettre à Longannet Mine d'améliorer sa viabilité économique
en réduisant ses coûts de production. Suivant les informations communiquées
par les autorités britanniques, cette réduction des coûts de production
devrait permettre à Longannet Mine de poursuivre ses activités, dès l'année
2002, sans aucun soutien financier des pouvoirs publics.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[12] Beef : Commission will formally adopt exceptional BSE-measures
Following the discussion in the EU's Management Committee for Beef and Veal,
the European Commission will now formally adopt the different support
measures for the beef sector : the "purchase for destruction" scheme, the
modalities for public intervention and the increase of the advances for the
beef premia. In a bid to restore consumer confidence in beef and to tackle
oversupply on the EU beef market as a result of reduced consumption the
Commission will decide to start the "purchase for destruction scheme" for
cattle older than 30 months, unless they tested BSE-negative, from 1
January 2001. The price paid to farmers for these animals, that will no
longer be made available for human consumption, will be fixed on the basis
of the market price in the Member States, according to the quality category
of the meat concerned. In any case, the prices must be set at a level which
guarantees the proper functioning of the destruction scheme. The EU budget
will co-fund the expenditure at a flat-rate of 70%. In order to ensure that
the animals concerned are not used for human consumption, animal feed or
medical products, the carcasses will have to be stained and separately
stored. The Commission will carry out spot-checks to ensure that the scheme
is properly applied and controlled in the Member States. Following the
decision of 4 December 2000 of the EU's Council of Farm Ministers, the low
BSE-risk countries, namely Finland, Austria and Sweden, have the option of
allowing animals aged over 30 months to be slaughtered for their national
market without a BSE test. All the meat exports have to be BSE-tested. The
scheme will now be formally adopted by the Commission.
[13] Aker Maritime withdraws takeover of Kvaerner as Commission opens
proceedings
Aker Maritime has informed the European Commission that it has agreed to
limit its stake in Kvaerner and taken a number of measures so the notified
transaction will no longer constitute a concentration. This means that Aker
Maritime will not acquire control over Kvaerner and that its notification
has been withdrawn. Consequently, the Commission will not take any further
action with regard to this transaction.
[14] Europe funds a scientific world-first : breakthrough in sequencing the
plant genome
The first full sequencing of a plant genome has today been completed with
the help of a euro 26 million European research grant. This scientific
breakthrough is the longest and most complete sequencing of a genome yet
achieved. 15 laboratories from the European Union, the United States and
Japan sequenced 115 million 'base pairs', encoding nearly 26,000 genes -
more than any other genome to be completely sequenced so far. This
represents a major breakthrough in scientific understanding of plants,
including how they cope with pests and diseases and how they interact with
their environment. It opens up exciting opportunities for future
applications in the medical, agricultural, environmental and industrial
fields. European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin said : "This is a
great result for European research funding. Once again it proves the value
of organised, pan-European scientific cooperation. The success of this
project also underlines the importance of creating a European Research Area,
as European leaders acknowledged in Nice last weekend."
[15] Commission statement on the trial of the Egyptian democracy activist
Professor Saad Ibrahim
A trial of the Egyptian democracy activist Professor Saad Ibrahim opened in
Cairo on 18th November 2000. Three of the four charges against Professor
Ibrahim make reference to the alleged misuse of European Commission funding
of programmes administered by the Ibn Khaldoun Centre and by HODA (League
of Egyptian women voters). Because there have been often inaccurate - press
coverage of these projects, the Commission feels obliged to issue this
statement to explain the nature of the Commission's support for these two
Egyptian non-governmental organisations.
[16] Experts prioritize urgent needs for FRY : energy, health and social
protection
High level officials from 41 donor countries and 19 international
organizations meeting in Brussels yesterday for a Donor Coordination
Meeting for the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), heard from UN and
government experts about the current urgent needs of the FRY economy. These
needs focus on several key areas - with the first priorities being energy,
health and social protection. This meeting was convened by the European
Commission and the World Bank in the context of their overall donor
coordination responsibilities for Southeast Europe. Participants welcomed
this first international donor meeting for FRY since the important changes
of government two months ago. Further information on the meeting can be
found on the Joint EC/WB website Economic Reconstruction and Development in
South East Europe : http://www.seerecon.org/Calendar/2000/Events/DCM/1114dcm.htm
[17] Frits Bolkestein calls on European Parliament to endorse Commission's
post liberalisation proposals
Frits Bolkestein, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, has
appealed to the European Parliament to endorse the Commission's postal
services proposals and to reject amendments that would undermine the Lisbon
Summit's objective of accelerated liberalisation of postal services.
Speaking in the 13 December plenary session debate in Strasbourg, Mr
Bolkestein underlined that "If the European Union wants to have the most
competitive, knowledge-based and dynamic economy in ten years time, it
needs a modern postal sector". While supporting amendments to emphasise the
importance of the universal service and rural post offices, Mr Bolkestein
regretted that "with regard to most amendments, very little is left of the
original proposal which the Commission presented in May. The degree of
market opening as now proposed by the amendments before Parliament reduces
the 20% proposed by the Commission from the start of 2003 to only 6% from
the start of 2005, without any perspective of completion of the Internal
Market in the postal sector. This does not comply with the conclusions of
the Lisbon European Council nor would it meet the needs and expectations of
postal clients, both business users and individual households. It would
also not meet the interests of employees in the postal sector who want to
look ahead. In short, it would be too little, too late and would bring to a
sudden halt the much-needed momentum for further change, gravely harming
the incumbent operators' adaptation and threatening long-term employment."
[18] Autre matériel diffusé
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Pêche
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Santé
Discours de M. Nielson à la Conférence des Donateurs pour le Burundi (11/12,
Paris)
Discours de M. Vitorino : "Towards a European judicial area" (Palerme)
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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