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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 02-02-21
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission évalue la mise en oeuvre des grandes orientations de
politique économique pour 2001
[02] Commission assesses the updated Danish convergence programme (2001-
2005)
[03] Commission clears Haniel's purchase of Fels, Germany still
investigating
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] Sécurité alimentaire : entrée en vigueur du premier train de mesures
en matière de sécurité alimentaire de la ferme à la table
[05] Commission takes step towards the next generation Internet
[06] Entreprises en phase de démarrage : les procédures peuvent encore être
simplifiées
[07] Commission launches consultation on benchmarking e-Business policies
for SMEs
[08] Euro-denominated bond issuance in January 2002 almost twice the level
in December 2001
[09] Peste porcine classique au Luxembourg : interdiction d'exportation des
porcs
[10] Foot-and-mouth disease : Botswana and Argentina
[11] Hormone free beef from the USA : additional testing requirements
lifted
[12] Commission gives a further €1.6 million in humanitarian aid to
vulnerable refugees in Serbia
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 21/02/2002
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 21/02/2002[I] Résultats de la Commission
de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission meeting
[01] La Commission évalue la mise en oeuvre des grandes orientations de
politique économique pour 2001
La Commission européenne a adopté un rapport comportant une évaluation
globale de la mise en oeuvre des grandes orientations de politique
économique pour 2001 (GOPE). Les principales conclusions de ce rapport sont
que les politiques macroéconomiques ont été adaptées de manière appropriée
à la dégradation de l'environnement macroéconomique observée en 2001.
Malgré l'impact du ralentissement sur les finances publiques des Etats
membres, les positions budgétaires structurelles ne se sont généralement
pas aggravées. De nouveaux progrès dans la promotion du potentiel de
croissance économique et de l'emploi ont été accomplis dans le cadre du
processus de réforme économique et du passage progressif à une société
fondée sur la connaissance. Le dynamisme du processus de réforme
structurelle semble toutefois s'être ralenti en 2001 et il conviendra donc
de donner un élan renouvelé à la réforme structurelle pour pouvoir combler
les retards et être en mesure d'atteindre les objectifs ambitieux que la
stratégie de Lisbonne avait fixés pour l'économie européenne.
[02] Commission assesses the updated Danish convergence programme (2001-
2005)
The European Commission has adopted a recommendation to the Council of
Ministers on the 2001 update of the Danish convergence programme (2001-
2005). Denmark has continued to fulfil the convergence criteria on
inflation, long term interest rate and on the exchange rate. GDP growth is
projected to be 1.1 % in 2001, 1.4% in 2002, 2.4% in 2003 and then level
off to 1.9% in 2004 and 2005. The general government budget balance is
expected to show surpluses of around 2% of GDP for the entire period 2001-
2005, thus being in full compliance with the requirements of the Stability
and Growth Pact. The targeted surpluses of 1½-2½% of GDP are also justified
to achieve long-term sustainability of public finances in light of the
ageing population. The general government debt to GDP ratio is expected to
fall substantially to some 35% in 2005. On the basis of the Commission's
recommendation, the Ecofin Council is expected to adopt a formal opinion on
the updated Danish convergence programme on 5 March 2002.
[03] Commission clears Haniel's purchase of Fels, Germany still
investigating
The European Commission has cleared the proposed acquisition by Haniel
Baustoff-Industrie Zuschlagstoffe GmbH of Fels-Werke GmbH, two German
companies active in the building materials sector. The Commission examined
carefully the deal's impact in the Dutch market for wall building materials,
but concluded to the absence of serious competition concerns. The
acquisition is still being reviewed by the German competition authority in
so far as the German market is concerned.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[04] Sécurité alimentaire : entrée en vigueur du premier train de mesures
en matière de sécurité alimentaire de la ferme à la table
Le Commissaire européen à la Santé et la Protection des Consommateurs David
Byrne a déclaré que la journée d'aujourd'hui était à marquer d'une pierre
blanche pour la sécurité alimentaire grâce à l'entrée en vigueur du premier
train de mesures globales en matière de sécurité alimentaire de la ferme à
la table dans le cadre du nouveau règlement clé relatif à la législation
alimentaire de l'UE. Au nombre de ces mesures figurent le lancement du
nouveau système d'alerte rapide renforcé pour les risques de l'alimentation
humaine et animale et de nouveaux pouvoirs d'intervention d'urgence de la
Commission lorsqu'une denrée alimentaire ou un aliment pour animaux est
susceptible de présenter un risque grave. Dans le même temps, les comités
réglementaires existants sont réorganisés en un seul comité permanent de la
chaîne alimentaire et de la santé animale et les principes généraux de la
législation alimentaire et de la transparence du processus législatif dans
ce domaine entrent en application.
[05] Commission takes step towards the next generation Internet
Today the European Commission has adopted the Communication entitled "IPv6
Priorities for Action". The Communication calls for a European action plan
to accelerate the rollout of Internet Protocol version 6 (Ipv6) - a key
technology for the Next Generation Internet. Unless action is taken, space
on the current generation of the internet is projected to be exhausted by
around 2005. IPv6 will provide a quantum leap in the number of Internet
addresses available for the foreseeable future. "IPv6 is a critical
technology for enabling the convergence of the Internet with mobile
communications, an area where Europe leads the world", said Erkki Liikanen,
Commissioner for Enterprise and the Information Society. "The importance of
IPv6 to European competitiveness in general can not be overestimated.
Europe needs to match its first-class research with political commitment to
make IPv6 happen."
[06] Entreprises en phase de démarrage : les procédures peuvent encore être
simplifiées
En dépit d'une certaine rationalisation, la complexité intrinsèque des
procédures à accomplir pour constituer une société décourage toujours les
candidats chefs d'entreprise en Europe : c'est ce qui ressort d'une
nouvelle analyse comparative de la Commission européenne sur les procédures
de démarrage. Les domaines où des progrès peuvent encore être accomplis
concernent le délai nécessaire pour constituer une société anonyme, les
exigences de capital minimum et les outils d'immatriculation en ligne. Le
Conseil européen de Lisbonne de mars 2001 a cité l'évaluation comparative
des délais et des coûts exigés par la constitution d'une société comme un
domaine où les Etats membres peuvent coopérer pour renforcer la
compétitivité de l'Europe. Sur la base d'informations fournies par des
experts des Etats membres, l'analyse comparative présente quelques
résultats frappants, qui seront examinés lors de la réunion informelle des
ministres de l'industrie qui aura lieu à Aranjuez (Madrid) le 23 février
2002.
[07] Commission launches consultation on benchmarking e-Business policies
for SMEs
The European Commission has launched a wide-ranging consultation on
benchmarking of national and regional e-business policies in support of
SMEs. This consultation should help both to sharpen the focus of e-business
policy making on the real needs of small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) across Europe, and to define yardsticks against which success can be
measured.
[08] Euro-denominated bond issuance in January 2002 almost twice the level
in December 2001
According to the last monthly note on the euro-denominated bond markets
published today by the European Commission, issuance conditions remained
generally favourable in January 2002, amid revised expectations of an early
recovery in the global economy; however, the Enron bankruptcy has resulted
in reduced demand for lower graded bonds. In line with the normal seasonal
pattern, total bond issuance in January 2002 was almost twice the level in
December 2001, reaching about €150 billion. A year-on-year comparison of
issuance volumes since January 1999 confirms a sustained growth trend of
euro-denominated issuance. The composition of issuance in January 2002
reflected a strong rebound in central government issuance. The normal trend
toward front-loading of government issuance has been reinforced by
increased financing needs as budgetary performance among the euro-area
Member States has deteriorated. In contrast, the trend in private sector
issuance was relatively weak in January 2002. Financial and corporate
issuance was subdued, as the collapse of Enron weighed heavily on
investors' risk appetite. Pfandbriefe issuance resumed strongly, amid front-
loading before expiry of the grandfathering clause in the draft EU taxation
of savings directive on March 2002. The full document will be available at
13.00 hrs. on this address : http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/publications/bondmarkets_en.htm
[09] Peste porcine classique au Luxembourg : interdiction d'exportation des
porcs
Le Comité vétérinaire permanent a rendu hier un avis favorable à une
proposition de la Commission européenne visant à interdire l'exportation de
porcs vivants et de sperme, d'ovules et d'embryons de porcs en provenance
du Luxembourg ainsi que la traversée de ce pays par les transports de porcs
vivants suite à l'apparition de foyers de peste porcine classique (PPC) au
Luxembourg. La PPC est une maladie virale hautement infectieuse des porcins,
qui ne présente toutefois aucun danger pour l'homme. Des restrictions
semblables ont été adoptées par le passé après l'apparition de foyers dans
plusieurs autres Etats membres. La proposition va être adoptée par la
Commission et la décision restera en vigueur jusqu'au 15 mars. La situation
sera réexaminée lors de la prochaine réunion du comité, prévue pour les 5
et 6 mars.
[10] Foot-and-mouth disease : Botswana and Argentina
An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease has been reported on 7 February 2002
in the east of the non-vaccinating region in Botswana (just at the border
with Zimbabwe) authorised to export deboned and matured meat to the
Community. The Botswanian authorities have immediately suspended the export
of such meat to the EU, took all measures to prevent the spread of the
disease and gave the Commission the necessary guarantees to apply
regionalisation. Due to this situation, the European Commission proposed
and the Standing Veterinary Committee (SVC) agreed to re-authorise the
import of deboned fresh meat from non-affected areas (the south-west of
Botswana) from 7 March onwards. The import from the affected area and from
a buffer zone between affected and non-affected areas will remain
prohibited. The import of deboned fresh meat from animals slaughtered
before 7 February is still authorised. The SVC also supported a Commission
proposal to lift the measures still applied in three provinces of
Argentina. The import of fresh deboned and maturated bovine meat from the
provinces of La Pampa and Santiago del Estero from animals slaughtered
after 8 March 2002 and from the province of Cordoba from animals
slaughtered after 26 March 2002 will be authorised.
[11] Hormone free beef from the USA : additional testing requirements
lifted
The imports of non-hormone treated US beef to the EU have been subject to
increased testing requirements since September 99. The latest results of
this testing programme carried out for hormones on US beef imports have not
identified any positive findings of hormones in fresh beef or offal. In the
light of these encouraging results, the Standing Veterinary committee (SVC)
has given a favourable opinion to a proposal of the European Commission to
repeal the requirement for 20% of consignments of meat imported from the
USA to be tested for the possible presence of hormones. As soon as this
decision is adopted by the Commission and comes into force, non-hormone
treated cattle products from the US will be tested for presence of any
residues on a random basis like any other meat imports from third
countries.
[12] Commission gives a further €1.6 million in humanitarian aid to
vulnerable refugees in Serbia
The European Commission, through its Humanitarian Aid Office -ECHO- has
allocated €1.6 million to alleviate the difficult living conditions of the
most vulnerable refugees in Serbia. The beneficiaries will be those
vulnerable refugees hosted in private accommodation and in collective
centres. This assistance will focus on a quarterly distribution of hygiene
parcels. The parcels will be supplied to refugees through international
NGOs, in two distributions over the next six months. The Federal Republic
of Yugoslavia (Serbia) is still host to the largest refugee population in
Europe, with over 375,000 refugees according to 2001 UNHCR figures.
Employment prospects for the refugees are very bleak, and most survive
thanks to humanitarian assistance and to seasonal jobs in the informal
economy. Today, only 6% of the refugee population have declared a firm
intention to return to Croatia and Bosnia while the living conditions of
the poor in Serbia have worsened. In 2001, ECHO assistance to Serbia
amounted to almost €48 million, and was concentrated mainly on the
provision of basic assistance to refugees, IDPs and vulnerable people among
the local population, support to the health sector, shelter, repatriation
and psycho-social support. The present decision will be complemented by a
global plan for Serbia to be adopted later in the year.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Chris Patten : "Reconstructing Afghanistan" at the Foreign
Affairs and Development Committees of the European Parliament (20/02)
Speech by Chris Patten : "Sovereignty and the National Interest Old
Concepts, New Meanings" - The Newman Lecture University College (Dublin, !
embargo 8 pm !)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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