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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 02-12-13
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Lutte contre le terrorisme : davantage de sûreté dans les transports
aériens de l'UE
[02] Commission welcomes agreement on Directive providing for public
participation in environmental decision-making
[03] Fonds de solidarité : 21 millions d'€ transférés à la France pour les
inondations dans le Gard
[04] Solidarity Fund : €444 million for the regions in Germany hit by the
disastrous flooding earlier this year
[05] Solidarity Fund : €134 million for the regions in Austria hit by the
disastrous flooding earlier this year
[06] Pensions : first Commission evaluation of national strategies for
adequate and sustainable pensions
[07] First estimates for the third quarter of 2002 : EU15 current account
surplus €14.7 billion ; €5.9 billion surplus on trade in services
[08] EU-funded research leads to new effective malaria drug
[09] Commission and Poland agree to open up trade in processed food and
drink products
[10] Mission accomplished : Commission winds up humanitarian operations in
Albania
[11] Commission grants €2 million in humanitarian aid for victims of
landmines in Sri Lanka
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 13/12/2002
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 13/12/2002
[01] Lutte contre le terrorisme : davantage de sûreté dans les transports
aériens de l'UE
Loyola de Palacio, vice-présidente de la Commission européenne chargée des
transports et de l'énergie, a salué aujourd'hui l'adoption définitive de la
proposition relative à la sûreté dans l'aviation civile, premier élément
essentiel d'une législation européenne dans ce domaine. L'objectif des
nouvelles règles est de garantir un niveau élevé de sûreté dans l'aviation
civile dans l'UE toute entière grâce à des prescriptions communes
harmonisées obligatoires. Mme de Palacio a expliqué que "la sûreté des
citoyens européens doit être garantie : seule l'application uniforme et
efficace de ces mesures permettra à tous les Européens de garder confiance
dans le transport aérien et les aéroports de l'UE." "Nous devons maintenant
mettre en œuvre rapidement ce règlement, et, s'il y a lieu, le compléter
afin d'y incorporer tout nouvel accord international sur la sûreté", a-t-
elle ajouté.
[02] Commission welcomes agreement on Directive providing for public
participation in environmental decision-making
European Environment Commissioner Margot Wallström today welcomed the
agreement between the European Parliament and the Council on a new
Directive on public participation in environmental decision-making. The
Directive provides for public participation in the preparation of
environmental plans and programmes, in the sectors of waste management, air
pollution and protection of water against nitrate pollution, and of
projects with significant environmental impact. The Directive implements a
part of the UN-ECE Aarhus Convention into EU legislation.
[03] Fonds de solidarité : 21 millions d'€ transférés à la France pour les
inondations dans le Gard
Michel Barnier, membre de la Commission européenne, responsable de la
politique régionale, et Dominique Galouzeau de Villepin, ministre français
des Affaires étrangères, ont signé le 12 décembre, à Copenhague, l'accord
de mise en oeuvre d'une subvention de 21 millions d'€ du Fonds de
Solidarité de l'Union européenne (FSUE) aux régions françaises affectées
par les fortes inondations de l'été dernier. Il s'agit là de l'une des
quatre premières opérations du FSUE. Ce fonds, proposé par la Commission en
septembre dernier, a été créé en trois mois afin de permettre l'octroi
d'une assistance financière rapide en cas de catastrophe majeure. La
subvention accordée à la France sera essentiellement consacrée au
remboursement des frais liés à la remise en fonction immédiate des
infrastructures touchées, à l'établissement de mesures d'hébergement
provisoire, à la consolidation des infrastructures préventives, à la
protection du patrimoine culturel ainsi qu'au nettoyage des zones
sinistrées.
[04] Solidarity Fund : €444 million for the regions in Germany hit by the
disastrous flooding earlier this year
Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy, and Joschka
Fischer, the German Foreign Minister, signed in Copenhagen on 12 December
an agreement involving €444 million in assistance for the regions affected
by the floods last August. This is one of the first four aid packages paid
for out of the European Union Solidarity Fund. This Fund, proposed by the
Commission in September, has been set up within three months with a view to
providing quick and unbureaucratic EU assistance after major disasters. The
sums being allocated to Germany are to serve, among other things, for
reimbursing expenditure on aid operations, immediately securing flood-
protection facilities, repairing waste-water treatment plants and restoring
energy supplies, welfare infrastructure such as kindergartens and hospitals,
and drinking-water supplies.
[05] Solidarity Fund : €134 million for the regions in Austria hit by the
disastrous flooding earlier this year
Michel Barnier, European Commissioner for regional policy, and Benita
Ferrero-Waldner, the Austrian Foreign Minister, signed in Copenhagen on 12
December an agreement involving €134 million in assistance for the regions
affected by the floods last August. This is one of the first four aid
packages paid for out of the European Union Solidarity Fund. This Fund,
proposed by the Commission in September, has been set up within three
months with a view to providing quick and unbureaucratic EU assistance
after major disasters, in particular natural disasters. The sums being
allocated to Austria are to serve, among other things, for reimbursing some
of its expenditure on the short-term repair of damaged transport
infrastructure and water-supply plant, the securing of river-management
facilities, essential supplies to the stricken populations, safeguarding of
cultural heritage and the general clean-up in the affected areas.
[06] Pensions : first Commission evaluation of national strategies for
adequate and sustainable pensions
Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social
Affairs, will next week seek the Commission's agreement to the first ever
comprehensive, political analysis of EU pension systems and their ability
to face the challenge of demographic ageing. This review of pensions in the
Member States, which takes the form of a draft joint report of the
Commission and of the Council, will show that all EU countries have, to a
greater or lesser degree, launched reforms designed to ensure adequate
incomes to older people in the future without jeopardising sound public
finances and without overburdening future generations. However, the
Commission's conclusion will be that most Member States still have to make
further reform efforts in order to guarantee adequate and sustainable
pensions in an ageing society. Once adopted jointly by the Commission and
Council, the draft report is scheduled to go forward to the 2003 Spring
summit of EU leaders in Brussels. Today, there are four people of working
age for each person over 65 years in the EU. In 2050, it will only be two.
In most Member States, pensions expenditure is expected to rise
significantly from about 2015 onwards, giving rise to concern about the
capacity of future pensions to ensure decent living standards for the
retired and financial sustainability of pension systems. Projecting on the
basis of legislation in force in 2000, public expenditure on pensions in
EU15 is set to rise from 10.4% of GDP in 2000 to 13.3% in 2050.
[07] First estimates for the third quarter of 2002 : EU15 current account
surplus €14.7 billion ; €5.9 billion surplus on trade in services
According to provisional data issued today by Eurostat, the EU15 external
current account recorded a surplus of €14.7 billion in the third quarter of
2002, as compared with a deficit of €0.5 billion in the third quarter of
2001 and a surplus of €7.0 billion in the second quarter of 2002. In the
third quarter of 2002 the EU15 external balance of trade in services
recorded a surplus of €5.9 billion as compared with a surplus of €0.9
billion in the third quarter of 2001 and a surplus of €5.0 billion in the
second quarter of 2002.
[08] EU-funded research leads to new effective malaria drug
In an article published today in the scientific magazine "The Lancet", an
international consortium funded by a €1,8 million European Commission
research grant reports on the initially positive efficacy trials of a new
malaria drug. If the initial positive results are confirmed, the new drug
could be available within the next three years. This raises new hope for
the fight against poverty-linked diseases, in particular in the face of the
resurgence of drug-resistant forms of malaria in areas where it was thought
to have been eradicated.
[09] Commission and Poland agree to open up trade in processed food and
drink products
An agreement to facilitate EU-Poland trade in food and drink products,
initialled by the European Commission and the Polish authorities in Warsaw
in October, has been adopted by the Commission. This agreement, which will
help boost trade with Poland in the run-up to EU enlargement, covers food
and drink products made from agricultural raw materials listed in Protocol
3 to the Europe Association Agreement with Poland, including chocolates and
cocoa paste, biscuits and confectionery, pasta, spirits and vermouths, tea
and coffee extracts etc. Following a decision by the EU Council of
Ministers, this agreement will come into effect early next year.
[10] Mission accomplished : Commission winds up humanitarian operations in
Albania
The Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Commission (ECHO) will tomorrow
(14 December) end its activities in Albania after 10 years of activity.
Between 1992 and 2002, Albania has benefited from over €142 million in
humanitarian aid spent in sectors such as health, water and sanitation, and
local infrastructure rehabilitation. "Thankfully the humanitarian situation
has now passed the stage of being an emergency. With the assistance
provided by the Humanitarian Aid Office, people in Albania, both nationals
and refugees, have been able to overcome enormous difficulties", declared
Poul Nielson, Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian aid. ECHO has
accomplished its mission and it is now up to the national authorities to
ensure the appropriate follow up to achieve long term sustainable
development in the country. The Commission will continue to support this
process in many fields through other available instruments of assistance,
including the CARDS programme for reconstruction, development and
stabilisation.
[11] Commission grants €2 million in humanitarian aid for victims of
landmines in Sri Lanka
The European Commission has adopted a humanitarian aid decision worth €2
million to help victims of landmines in the war-affected areas of Sri
Lanka. The aid is being channelled through ECHO, the Humanitarian Aid
Office of the European Commission, which comes under the responsibility of
Commissioner Poul Nielson.
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Agriculture / Pêche
Discours de M. Busquin : "Science et télévision : pour une approche
européenne" à la seconde journée Science et Télévision 'La République et
ses savants' (Paris)
EU Presidency and Commission joint press release on the opening of the
negotiations with Iran
Calendrier du 16 au 20 décembre
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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