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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 02-02-13
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission propose des actions concrètes pour un développement
durable et un monde plus juste
[02] Barcelona : Commission sets 2005 target to deliver EU worker mobility
[03] La Commission propose un modèle européen de curriculum vitae
[04] Commission adopts new leniency policy for companies which give
information on cartels
[05] La Commission examine de près certains aspects des aides à
l'investissement dans les régions défavorisées de l'Italie
[06] Commission gives go ahead to Universal Banking Services in the UK,
including the establishment of the UK Post Office Card Account bank
[07] Commission opens enquiry into UK aid planned for Ford's Bridgend plant
[08] Commission approves prolongation of tax reductions from the German
Ecotax after 31 March 2002
[09] Maintien des règles strictes qui s'appliquent à l'industrie
sidérurgique en matière d'aides d'Etat à l'expiration du traité CECA
[10] Commission approves overhaul of rules on large investment aid,
including in automobile and synthetic fibres sectors
[11] Certified beef quality : Commission authorises aid for advertising a
new quality label in Bavaria (Germany)
[12] Beef : Commission authorises €8.94 million income aid for farmers in
Austria and other aid measures in Belgium and Germany to protect consumers
against BSE
[13] Commission approves aid to Railtrack Plc in Administration
[14] Euro-Mediterranean Partnership : Commission proposes new initiatives
and urges Member States and Partner Countries to reaffirm political
commitment
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[15] World No Smoking Day
[16] Biotech : Franz Fischler calls for end of "muddling-through policy"
[17] Poul Nielson to visit Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles from 15-
23 February
[18] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 13/02/2002
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 13/02/2002[I] Résultats de la Commission
de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission meeting
[01] La Commission propose des actions concrètes pour un développement
durable et un monde plus juste
Comment lutter contre la pauvreté ? Comment gérer au mieux les ressources
naturelles et l'environnement ? Comment financer le développement ? En vue
des prochains grands rendez-vous internationaux qui traiteront de ces
questions Conférence de Monterrey sur le financement du développement (mars
2002), Sommet mondial pour le développement durable (septembre 2002), mise
en œuvre de l'agenda pour le développement adopté à Doha en novembre 2001
la Commission européenne propose des premiers éléments de réponse et
réaffirme avec force que le multilatéralisme est la seule méthode efficace
pour traiter de ces défis planétaires. Les trois communications qu'elle a
adoptées aujourd'hui à l'initiative de son Président Romano Prodi, des
Commissaire aux Affaires économiques et monétaires Pedro Solbes et au
Développement et à l'Aide humanitaire Poul Nielson, feront l'objet de
larges consultations auprès des acteurs publics et de la société civile.
[02] Barcelona : Commission sets 2005 target to deliver EU worker mobility
The European Commission has adopted an action plan to remove obstacles to
EU workers' mobility between jobs and between countries by 2005. The
Commission called upon government, business and workers themselves to do
more, urgently, to equip workers for occupational mobility and better jobs
and to accelerate efforts to ensure geographical mobility and a high-
performance labour market. A key, visible initiative for the EU citizen is
a plan to introduce an EU health insurance card. Job mobility data show
that, in 2000, only 16.4% of EU workers had been with their employer for
less than one year, compared with 30% in the US. As for geographical
mobility, 1.2% of the EU population changed region to live in 1999,
compared with 5.9% who moved from one county to another in the US. The
action plan draws upon the recommendations of the high-level task force on
skills and mobility set up by the Commission last year to identify concrete
obstacles to labour mobility in the EU. The action plan is scheduled to be
presented to the Barcelona summit in March as a follow-up to the
Commission's spring report 'Making change work'.
[03] La Commission propose un modèle européen de curriculum vitae
A un mois du Conseil européen de Barcelone, qui fera le point sur les
progrès réalisés par l'Union européenne pour atteindre son objectif de
devenir l'économie de la connaissance la plus compétitive du monde, la
Commission européenne répond à l'une des invitations du Conseil européen de
Lisbonne de mars 2000 en présentant une recommandation relative à un modèle
européen de curriculum vitae (CV). Cet outil, qui sera utilisé sur une base
volontaire, doit permettre à chaque citoyen européen de présenter de
manière plus efficace ses qualifications, facilitant ainsi l'accès à des
offres de formation ou d'emploi en Europe.
[04] Commission adopts new leniency policy for companies which give
information on cartels
The European Commission has taken another important step to uncover and
suppress price-fixing pacts and other hard-core cartels. The Commission
unanimously adopted a new leniency policy that creates greater incentives
for companies to blow the whistle on the most serious violations of
antitrust rules. Under the new rules the Commission will grant total
immunity from fines to the first company to submit evidence on a cartel
unknown to, or unproved by the Commission. The leniency policy updates a
previous 1996 document. "Detection and prosecution of cartels is one of my
top priorities", Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said, adding : "The
1996 leniency policy played an important role in uncovering and punishing
secret cartels in the last five years. The new policy will create even
greater incentives to denounce this scourge of the economy which has
companies making illicit profits at consumers' expense".
[05] La Commission examine de près certains aspects des aides à
l'investissement dans les régions défavorisées de l'Italie
La Commission européenne a ouvert la procédure formelle d'examen en matière
d'aides d'Etat à l'encontre d'un régime italien de soutien aux
investissements sous forme de crédits d'impôt. Fin mars 2001, les autorités
italiennes avaient notifiés des modifications à ce régime, approuvé peu de
temps avant par la Commission (cf. IP/01/353). Or, la Commission a des
doutes quant à la compatibilité de ces changements avec les Lignes
directrices en matière d'aides à finalité régionale pour ce qui est des
zones d'application de l'aide d'une part, et de la notion d'investissement
éligible, d'autre part. L'Italie est invitée à répondre aux questions de la
Commission dans un délai d'un mois.
[06] Commission gives go ahead to Universal Banking Services in the UK,
including the establishment of the UK Post Office Card Account bank
The European Commission has decided not to raise objections to the
Universal Banking Services (UBS) proposals notified by the UK as all the
measures involved are compatible with the common market. UBS are aimed both
at enabling the compulsory migration, decided by the UK Government, of
social benefits from cash payments to automated credit transfer and at
developing current account ownership. They involve the delivery of basic
and standard bank accounts through the post office network and the
establishment of a Post Office Bank dedicated to the provision and delivery
of simplified current accounts for those "un-banked" benefit recipients who
do not want current accounts provided by banks.
[07] Commission opens enquiry into UK aid planned for Ford's Bridgend plant
The European Commission has decided to initiate detailed investigation
proceedings concerning aid amounting to £17.4 million earmarked for the
Ford plant in Bridgend (South Wales). At this stage the Commission has not
been able to establish that the planned aid meets the criteria of the
Community framework for state aid to the motor vehicle industry and has
asked the UK to forward any comments within one month.
[08] Commission approves prolongation of tax reductions from the German
Ecotax after 31 March 2002
The European Commission has approved, under the State aid rules, the
prolongation beyond 31 March 2002 of several partial exemptions from the
German energy taxation on electricity and mineraloils. The tax reductions
will benefit the productive sector, the production of electricity from
Combined Heat and Power installations, rail transport, local public
passenger transport, agriculture, forestry and fishery.
[09] Maintien des règles strictes qui s'appliquent à l'industrie
sidérurgique en matière d'aides d'Etat à l'expiration du traité CECA
La Commission européenne a adopté des lignes directrices pour le maintien
de l'interdiction des aides régionales à l'investissement et des aides au
sauvetage et à la restructuration en faveur de l'industrie sidérurgique à
l'expiration du traité CECA, le 23 juillet 2002. Le traité interdit les
aides à la sidérurgie octroyées par les Etats membres sous quelque forme
que ce soit. L'actuel code des aides à la sidérurgie autorise cependant les
aides d'Etat dans certains cas limités : aides à la recherche et au
développement, aides en faveur de la protection de l'environnement et aides
destinées à encourager la fermeture complète ou partielle d'installations
ou à financer la cessation définitive de toute activité CECA.
[10] Commission approves overhaul of rules on large investment aid,
including in automobile and synthetic fibres sectors
The European Commission has approved a major reform to establish a faster,
simpler and more accountable control system of Government support to large
investments in the EU. The so-called "Multisectoral Framework on regional
aid for large investment projects" will, in future, include a limited
notification requirement for large projects balanced by a significant
reduction in allowable aid levels. The new Framework will enter into force
on 1 January 2004 ; for the motor vehicle and the synthetic fibres sector
it will enter into force already on 1 January 2003. Both aspects, i.e.
increased transparency and a significant aid reduction, are in line with
the conclusions of the European Council in Stockholm, which requested
Member States to reduce State aid. The reform will increase the
responsibility of Member States in the implementation of State aid rules.
At the same time, the rules will guarantee the effective control of State
aid levels in a larger and more heterogeneous Community.
[11] Certified beef quality : Commission authorises aid for advertising a
new quality label in Bavaria (Germany)
The European Commission has authorised Germany (Bavaria) to pay aid worth a
total of €3.5 million in the year 2002 for the introduction of a new
quality label. For the years 2003 and 2004, an annual budget of more than
€2 million has been approved. "I support this initiative. This quality
label is part of an extensive quality assurance and control programme,
which has been introduced in order to recover consumer confidence after a
significant drop of beef sales following the BSE-crisis", Franz Fischler,
Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries said. Access
to the quality label is open for all enterprises in the European Union, if
they comply with the program requirements.
[12] Beef : Commission authorises €8.94 million income aid for farmers in
Austria and other aid measures in Belgium and Germany to protect consumers
against BSE
The European Commission has authorised Austria to pay income aid worth a
total of some €8.94 million to beef farmers who have suffered losses
between January and June 2001 because of the consequences of the BSE
crisis. Normally, Member States may not pay such income aid. However, the
Commission recognises that the current crisis in the beef market is
exceptional, and therefore justifies such aid. The Commission has also
authorised other BSE-related State aids in Belgium and Germany, like BSE
tests and the destruction of risk material. For Germany these State aids
amount to around €51 million. The Belgian measure is a fee, which partially
covers the costs of BSE-tests.
[13] Commission approves aid to Railtrack Plc in Administration
The European Commission has decided not to raise any objections to the
financial aid made available by the UK Government to Railtrack Plc (Public
limited company) in Administration, the purpose of which is to ensure the
continued provision of rail infrastructure services in Great Britain.
[14] Euro-Mediterranean Partnership : Commission proposes new initiatives
and urges Member States and Partner Countries to reaffirm political
commitment
Six years after the launching in Barcelona of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership, the European Commission today urged EU Member States and the
countries of the Mediterranean region to reaffirm their political
commitment to their partnership. Cooperation is all the more relevant in
the light of the need for a common response to the events of 11 September
and the fight against terrorism. The Commission proposes measures to
promote investment in the region alongside the further development of free
trade both North-South and among the partners themselves. The Commission
also recommends a series of actions to promote mutual understanding and
dialogue among civilisations. This will involve the establishment of a new
Euro-Mediterranean Foundation.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[15] World No Smoking Day
European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne today
spoke out in support of the World No Smoking Day initiative. Smoking
represents the largest single determinant of avoidable deaths. About 90% of
lung cancers, 80% of chronic obstructive lung disease and 25% of heart
disease deaths are associated with smoking. Mr David Byrne welcomed the
World No Smoking Day : "World No Smoking Day reminds us that we have a
choice. To realise that we can break free from the hold of the addiction
industry. Every year more and more smokers remember the taste of freedom on
this day and break free. I wholeheartedly support this initiative. And I
hope that the young people and women who are now being targeted by the
addiction industry as profit fodder, can use today to think twice about
their choices. You can be a number on today's balance sheet and tomorrows
casualty list. Or you can choose to taste freedom. The World Health
Organisation estimates that over half a million deaths in the EU each year
can be attributed to smoking. This is a crisis and needs to be addressed as
such. There is an increased awareness of the extent of the dangers of
smoking. And we have a duty at all levels to bring home the extent of these
dangers to the public and to young people in particular. The EU is in
favour of imposing appropriate international restrictions on advertising,
marketing, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, without prejudice
to stricter national rules, with the aim in particular of reducing the
appeal of these products to children and adolescents. Prevention is central
to tackling this major cause of premature deaths in Europe. As part of our
tobacco control strategy we will shortly launch a major advertising
campaign to increase awareness among teenagers of the negative effects of
tobacco consumption."
[16] Biotech : Franz Fischler calls for end of "muddling-through policy"
(! embargo 3 pm !) Speaking on biotechnology at the Agribex Food Fair in
Brussels today, Franz Fischler, European Commissioner for Agriculture,
Rural Development and Fisheries, warned that Europe could be left behind on
new technologies. "Europe lacks a shared vision and a common objective
regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Currently, our response to
the challenges of GMOs is "muddling-through". We have to stop making
decisions on such a difficult issue as biotechnology on a purely emotional
basis. It is high time that Europe finds a way to address questions, such
as : "Can we eat food that has been genetically modified?", "Do GMOs
represent a threat to the environment?", "Could the use of GM seeds have a
negative impact on other plants?". This is reflected in the recently
presented Life Science and Biotechnology Strategy of the Commission (see
IP/02/122). Mr Fischler labelled the consumers role in this context as
"absolutely paramount". "Agriculture today is demand driven, and we will
not be able to sell our products if we do not win the confidence of the
consumers." Mr Fischler called for a policy which protects farmers who grow
conventional or organic crops from accidental GMO-contamination. "In the
future, the conventional farms will have to follow the example of organic
farming. Farms will have to segregate production and marketing chains,
introduce minimum distances but also different sowing dates between GM and
non-GM crop varieties", he said.
[17] Poul Nielson to visit Mozambique, Mauritius and the Seychelles from 15-
23 February
The European Commissioner in charge of development and humanitarian aid, Mr
Poul Nielson, will carry out an official visit to Mozambique, Mauritius and
Seychelles from 15-23 February. On an economic and political fact-finding
mission, he will be travelling extensively to see, first hand, Commission
funded development activities and to discuss EU-funded activities under
preparation. One highlight of the trip will be the signature of the country
strategy document for Mozambique worth €329 million from 2001-2006. Mr
Nielson travels to Mozambique almost two years after the devastating floods
that hit the country. He then continues to Mauritius and Seychelles in his
first visit to the Indian Ocean in his capacity as Commissioner. In these
countries, he will concentrate on regional issues, in particular the
question of Economic Partnership Agreements where negotiations between the
EU and ACP side are expected to start later this year. In all three
countries, Mr Nielson will hold high-level discussions with members of
Government and the opposition, and will meet public authorities, non-
governmental organisations, representatives of EU Member States and other
partners.
[18] Autre matériel diffusé
Note sur les résultats du Conseil Ecofin aspects fiscalité
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Education et Jeunesse (14/02)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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