|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 01-11-09
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
Midday Express 09/11/2001
[01] Franz Fischler : "Realism and flexibility are the name of the game"
Speaking at the EU's opening press conference in Doha today, European
Commissioner for Agriculture Franz Fischler, the EU's chief negotiator for
the WTO agriculture talks, said : "I can assure you that in Doha the
European Union will play a constructive role in the agriculture talks. We
have already proven that when we say 'constructive', we mean business. Let
me give you some examples. The EU is ready to further roll back the trade-
distorting elements of EU farm subsidies and to afford special treatment to
the developing countries. We are prepared to open up our agricultural
markets further and to further reduce import duties. Today the end game
starts. The EU has laid its cards on the table. Now bluffs will be called,
realism and flexibility is the name of the game. We are ready for a deal,
we are prepared for give and take. If our partners play the same game, we
will succeed in launching a trade round where everyone wins."
[02] Commission expresses its concerns regarding the US support to its
airlines and suggests adopting a code of conduct
Francois Lamoureux, the European Commission's Director General for
Transport and Energy, met November 8 in Washington DC with US Deputy
Secretary of Transportation Michael P. Jackson to discuss matters of common
interest in the area of aviation. The meeting follows expressions of
concern by Transport Commissioner, Vice President Loyola de Palacio, to US
Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta about the effect of recent US
measures on the functioning of the transatlantic aviation market.
[03] G7+ agreed plan to coordinate responses to bioterrorism globally
G7+ Health Ministers and Secretaries meeting in Ottawa Wednesday night
agreed on a joint "Plan for improving health security". Health Ministers
from Canada, the US, Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Italy, Mexico and the
European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne met to
discuss a joint response to potential threats of bioterrorism. The G7+
emphasized the strong need to immediately upgrade emergency preparedness in
all countries concerned and to effectively improve common response and
alert mechanisms. Mr Byrne welcomed the plan as complementary to European
efforts and stressed the fact that terrorism, particularly bioterrorism, is
an international issue which needs an international response.
[04] La Commission adopte de nouvelles normes en faveur du bien-être des
porcs
La Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui une directive qui modifie
l'annexe de la directive du Conseil de 1991 établissant les normes
minimales relatives à la protection des porcs. Cette annexe définit
certaines exigences techniques pour l'élevage des porcs. Les modifications
apportées à la directive amélioreront les conditions générales d'élevage
des porcs, notamment le niveau de bruit, l'exposition à la lumière et la
mise à disposition d'eau fraîche, ainsi que les dispositions particulières
applicables aux différentes catégories de porcs.
[05] Commission clears Nordea acquisition of Postgirot
The European Commission has approved, subject to conditions, the
acquisition by Scandinavian banking group Nordea of sole control of
Sweden's Postgirot Bank AB, a financial services provider currently owned
by Posten AB, the Swedish Post Office. The deal initially posed competition
concerns as Nordea would have controlled both Postgirot and Bankgirot, the
two main bank payments systems used by Swedish households to pay
electricity, telephone and other bills. However, Nordea undertook to reduce
its stake in Bankgirot to 10%, a level which will no longer give it
decisive influence over the company, and to withdraw from Privatgirot, a
company which competes with Postgirot in giro-related technical services.
[06] Enlargement : Commission proposes to delay access to the national
markets of Member States in the road haulage sector after accession
The European Commission yesterday proposed transitional arrangements
delaying the free access to the national markets of Member States by non-
resident hauliers ('cabotage') from current candidate countries after their
accession. Operational costs of road goods transport by operators from most
candidate countries are still significantly below the EU average and these
existing cost differentials could lead to damaging disruption in the
national markets of current Member States in the case of sudden cabotage
market opening. Such disruption would not be in the interest of the Union.
This proposal is now transmitted to the Member States who are supposed to
adopt an EU common position before negotiating with the candidate
countries.
[07] Michel Barnier en Hongrie (09-10/11)
Dans le cadre de ses visites dans les pays candidats, M. Michel Barnier,
membre de la Commission européenne responsable de la politique régionale et
de la réforme institutionnelle, effectue un déplacement en Hongrie les 9 et
10 novembre. A cette occasion, il rencontrera le Premier ministre, M.
Viktor Orbán, le ministre des affaires étrangères, Dr János Martonyi, et
les ministres en charge des programmes d'aide à la pré-adhésion et à la
préparation à la future mise en œuvre des fonds structurels et de cohésion.
Le Commissaire participera également à une conférence sur le futur de la
cohésion dans le cadre de l'élargissement. Enfin, il visitera des projets
cofinancés par les instruments de pré-adhésion Phare et Ispa.
[08] Dopage, spécificité du sport et Année européenne de l'éducation par le
sport à l'ordre du jour de la réunion des ministres du Sport de l'UE
(12/11)
"Alors que, jusqu'à 2006, la plupart des grands événements sportifs vont se
dérouler sur le sol européen, je souhaite que la rencontre ministérielle de
lundi permette de dégager un large accord parmi les Quinze sur la lutte
contre le dopage, au niveau européen et au sein de l'Agence mondiale
antidopage, et sur les moyens de renforcer les liens entre éducation et
sport", a déclaré Viviane Reding, membre de la Commission européenne
responsable des Sports.
[09] Chris Patten signs six Financing Agreements with Butan, Cambodia, Laos,
Nepal, the Philippines and Thailand
Chris Patten, European Commissioner for External Relations, has signed six
new Financing Agreements to support the "EU-Asian Civil Aviation
Cooperation" project. These new Agreements are with Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos,
Nepal, the Philippines and Thailand. The "EU-Asian Civil Aviation
Cooperation" project, which amounts to euro 30 million, aims to increase
the Asian awareness of the EU industry practices in Airworthiness, safety
regulations and standards, Air Traffic Management and Air Traffic Control,
as well as Product Maintenance and Customer Support practices. The overall
objective of the project is to contribute to improved aviation safety and
enable full growth potential to be met by the Asian aviation and aerospace
industries.
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Discours de M. Prodi : "La richesse de la diversité : la force de l'Union"
à la Conférence des maires européens (Innsbruck)
Speech by Pascal Lamy : "Making globalisation work for people : development
and workers' rights" at the 4th WTO Conference (08/11, Doha)
Speech by Pascal Lamy at the opening press conference of the WTO
ministerial conference (Doha)
Speech by Erkki Liikanen : "The future of European business support
networks" at the Euro Info Centres (EIC) Conference (08/11)
Calendrier du 12 au 17 novembre
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
|
