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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-03-19
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Public consultation confirms need for action by the Convention to
establish European Public Prosecutor
[02] Free movement of capital : Commission asks Germany to justify its
Volkswagen law
[03] Commission approves rescue aid to BBP Service GmbH
[04] Commission finds that subsidy for German company Linde AG did not
constitute aid
[05] Commission authorises "Temporary Defensive Mechanisms" for the German
shipbuilding industry
[06] Commission partially approves a proposed UK aid scheme that promotes
waste recycling
[07] Commission authorises aid for the restructuring of the German airline
LTU
[08] Les compagnies maritimes belges bénéficieront d'un régime fiscal plus
favorable
[09] La Commission accepte le régime français de compensations aux
compagnies aériennes suite au 11 septembre
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[10] Pneumonia/SARS : EU's communicable disease network regularly updates
health authorities on latest developments
[11] No avian influenza in Belgium
[12] Fourth quarter 2002 : production in the construction sector down by
0.8% in euro-zone; down by 0.2% in EU15
[13] Quatrième trimestre 2002 par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2001 : les
coûts de la main-d'oeuvre ont augmenté de 3,7% dans la zone euro ; hausse
de 3,6% dans l'UE15
[14] L'attestation de conducteur permettra désormais de combattre l'emploi
irrégulier de chauffeurs routiers
[15] WTO agriculture talks : Harbinson 2 does not bring WTO members closer
[16] Customs : Commission welcomes Council authorisation to negotiate with
US on transport security cooperation
[17] Les tensions mondiales mettent en lumière la nécessité de recherches
avancées sur la sécurité au niveau de l'Union européenne
[18] Anna Diamantopoulou opens the mid-term review of the EU's Social
Policy Agenda
[19] Anna Diamantopoulou launches high level conference on Inter-Cultural
Dialogue
[20] Social Summit : Greek Presidency and Commission launch first
'Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment'
[21] 21 mars 2003 : une journée sur l'avenir de l'UE dans les écoles
[22] EU and Russia advance space cooperation agenda
[23] EU contribution to the spring 2003 vaccination campaign against foot-
and-mouth disease in Turkish Thrace
[24] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 19/03/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 19/03/2003[I] Résultats de la Commission
de ce jour - Outcome of today's Commission meeting
[01] Public consultation confirms need for action by the Convention to
establish European Public Prosecutor
The European Commission has adopted the follow-up report on the public
consultation conducted during 2002 on the Green Paper on the establishment
of a European Public Prosecutor for the protection of the financial
interests of the European Union. The protection of the EU's financial
interests is a top priority for the Commission, especially with the
forthcoming discussion on a constitutional Treaty. Michaele Schreyer,
Commissioner responsible for budget and the fight against fraud, stressed
that with the revision of the Treaty, the moment has come to strengthen the
protection of the EU's financial interests and to guarantee that an area of
freedom and justice is also free of fraud and corruption involving the EU
budget. She called on the Convention to be open to an ambitious solution in
the new treaty.
[02] Free movement of capital : Commission asks Germany to justify its
Volkswagen law
The European Commission has decided to send a formal request to Germany to
provide justification concerning certain provisions of the 1960 Volkswagen
law (VW-law), as subsequently modified and reflected in the company's
statutes. This state measure, based on a 1959 agreement between the Bund
and the Land of Lower Saxony, de facto today reserves some special rights
to the Land of Lower Saxony which with share voting rights of roughly 21%
has over the past years traditionally been the biggest single shareholder
of the German carmaker. The Commission is concerned that certain provisions
of that law could act as a disincentive on investment from other Member
States, in violation of EC Treaty rules on the free movement of capital
(Article 56) and the right of establishment (Article 43). The Commission's
request takes the form of a letter of formal notice, the first stage of
infringement procedures under Article 226 of the EC Treaty. In the absence
of a satisfactory reply within two months, the Commission may decide to
issue a formal request to the German Government to amend the law in the
form of a so-called 'reasoned opinion'.
[03] Commission approves rescue aid to BBP Service GmbH
The European Commission has approved rescue aid in favour of BBP Service
GmbH, Oberhausen, Germany. The notified aid, a 90% State guarantee for two
credit lines of a total of € 52.5 million, will allow BBP Service GmbH to
continue its operations for six months giving the company time to decide on
its future.
[04] Commission finds that subsidy for German company Linde AG did not
constitute aid
The European Commission has decided that a subsidy of €4.6 million given by
Germany to Linde AG in 1997 did not constitute aid within the scope of the
EU Treaty. This decision follows the judgment of the Court of First
Instance of 17 October 2002 in Case T-98/00.
[05] Commission authorises "Temporary Defensive Mechanisms" for the German
shipbuilding industry
In accordance with the Council Regulation establishing a "Temporary
Defensive Mechanism" (TDM) to shipbuilding, the European Commission has
authorised Germany's aid scheme in favour of its shipbuilding industry. In
line with the TDM, the scheme's aim is to offset the effects of unfair
competition from Korea in the shipbuilding sector. The scheme will allow
subsidies of up to 6% of a ship's contract price. These funds may be
granted to German shipyards in case there has been unfair competition from
Koran yards offering a lower price.
[06] Commission partially approves a proposed UK aid scheme that promotes
waste recycling
The European Commission has granted partial approval to an aid programme
called the Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP). This programme
comprises several aid measures, the objective of which is to promote the
recycling of waste in the United Kingdom. The Commission took a positive
decision with respect to the aid measures that are directed at small and
medium sized enterprises, which are located in assisted areas. However, the
Commission, at this stage, has doubts on whether the other aspects of the
WRAP Environmental Scheme, according to which investments by private
companies in recycling facilities outside assisted areas can be approved.
[07] Commission authorises aid for the restructuring of the German airline
LTU
The European Commission has authorised aid for the restructuring of the
Germany airline LTU (Lufttransport Unternehmen GmbH). This aid will make it
possible for the company to contribute to the financing of a restructuring
plan intended to return it to viability by 2004. Funds totalling €100
million, guaranteed to the extent of 80% by North Rhine-Westphalia, can now
be released by the two lending banks. They must be totally repaid by 2009
at the latest. The situation of LTU had become critical since the
announcement of the bankruptcy of its main shareholder, Swissair, at the
beginning of October 2001, against the background of the repercussions on
the air transport sector of the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001.
[08] Les compagnies maritimes belges bénéficieront d'un régime fiscal plus
favorable
La Commission européenne a décidé d'approuver une grande partie des mesures
fiscales que la Belgique envisageait de mettre en œuvre pour le secteur de
transport maritime.
[09] La Commission accepte le régime français de compensations aux
compagnies aériennes suite au 11 septembre
La Commission européenne a considéré que le régime de compensation
temporaire des coûts additionnels de sûreté encourus par les compagnies
aériennes communautaires après le 11 septembre 2001 ne constituait pas une
aide d'Etat.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[10] Pneumonia/SARS : EU's communicable disease network regularly updates
health authorities on latest developments
The first two cases of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in the
European Union were confirmed by German health authorities yesterday.
Several suspected cases of SARS have been reported by several EU Member
States and accession country Slovenia. Scientists in Hong Kong claim to
have identified the virus which is causing this atypical pneumonia. The
Commission is monitoring the situation closely through the early warning
and response system (EWRS) of the EU's network for the epidemiological
surveillance and control of communicable diseases and is also in permanent
contact with the World Health Organisation (WHO). To coordinate national
measures, the Commission convened an extraordinary meeting of the EU's
communicable disease network in Luxembourg on Tuesday. The main conclusions
of the meeting are : the surveillance system has been working efficiently ;
SARS is spread from person to person only through close contact, people
most at risk are therefore healthcare workers and family members of SARS
cases ; special guidance has been given to airlines and medical
professionals ; Member States continue to update regularly on the situation
through the EWRS. Putting the issue in a broader public health perspective,
Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner David Byrne said : "Cases like
SARS demonstrate only too clearly that contagious diseases require a high
level of preparedness across borders. Imagine if it had been an influenza
pandemic which, in the past, had a devastating impact on humans. In order
to meet the contemporary public health threat of communicable diseases, we
must strengthen coordination and surveillance at EU level. The most
effective way to do so is by setting up a European centre for disease
control."
[11] No avian influenza in Belgium
As the suspicion of avian influenza in Belgium has been ruled out by
laboratory testing, the protective measures put in place by the European
Commission have now been lifted. In the Netherlands, the existing measures
have been prolonged until 27 March with some changes in the possible
movements of poultry within the country.
[12] Fourth quarter 2002 : production in the construction sector down by
0.8% in euro-zone; down by 0.2% in EU15
According to Eurostat, seasonally adjusted production in the construction
sector decreased by 0.8% in the euro-zone and by 0.2% in the EU15 in the
fourth quarter of 2002, compared to the third quarter of 2002. In the third
quarter, production was stable in the euro-zone and increased by 0.4% in
the EU15, after a decrease of 1.2% in both zones in the second quarter.
[13] Quatrième trimestre 2002 par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2001 : les
coûts de la main-d'oeuvre ont augmenté de 3,7% dans la zone euro ; hausse
de 3,6% dans l'UE15
D'après Eurostat, dans l'ensemble de l'économie, le coût horaire total de
la main-d'œuvre dans la zone euro a augmenté de 3,7% en termes nominaux, au
cours du quatrième trimestre 2002 par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2001.
L'augmentation était de 3,5% au troisième trimestre 2002. Dans l'UE15, la
hausse a été de 3,6% au cours du quatrième trimestre 2002, contre 3,5% au
trimestre précédent. Parmi les pays pour lesquels les données sont
disponibles, le Portugal (2,3%) a enregistré la plus faible hausse annuelle
et les Pays-Bas (4,4%) la plus forte.
[14] L'attestation de conducteur permettra désormais de combattre l'emploi
irrégulier de chauffeurs routiers
Ce 19 mars 2003 entrera en application le règlement (CE) N° 484/2002 qui
instaure l'attestation de conducteur. Cette mesure fait partie du "paquet
social" proposé par la Commission en novembre 2000 pour renforcer la
compétitivité et la qualité du marché intérieur du transport par route. Les
abus qui ont conduit des entreprises de l'Union à employer un nombre
croissant de chauffeurs non communautaires dans des conditions ne
respectant pas les législations nationales et communautaires du travail,
devraient être désormais circonscrits grâce à ces mesures qui représentent
une avancée significative dans la lutte contre le dumping social.
[15] WTO agriculture talks : Harbinson 2 does not bring WTO members closer
Yesterday, Mr Harbinson, Chair of the WTO agriculture negotiations, tabled
a slightly revised draft for modalities. In a first reaction, European
Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler and Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy
said : "We fully appreciate Mr Harbinson's efforts. But we do not see this
draft as bringing the WTO Members closer. Harbinson 2 is largely identical
to the first draft. Severe imbalances remain. We have tabled substantial
and ambitious proposals on all items under the Doha mandate (domestic
support, export support, market access). We have moved our domestic
policies in the right direction, and we should continue to do so in the
future. We do hope that realism will also prevail over unrealistic
expectations in Geneva. As Mr Harbinson himself proposes, technical work on
export credits, food aid, special safeguard for developing countries or non-
trade concerns must now continue to maintain the dynamic process of the
negotiations. We also believe that tariff preferences, crucial to many
developing countries, and the rationale of the domestic support
classification (the 'boxes') have to be further examined. The EU remains
fully committed to a substantial outcome of the negotiations on agriculture
within the parameters of the Doha Declaration."
[16] Customs : Commission welcomes Council authorisation to negotiate with
US on transport security cooperation
The European Commission has welcomed the agreement on 18 March by the EU's
Council of Ministers on a mandate for the Commission to negotiate with the
United States (US) on mutually acceptable customs controls of goods,
particularly of goods transported in containers, so as to address the
threat of terrorist attacks. The customs control arrangements which the
Commission will negotiate with the US on behalf of the EU will complement
US initiatives launched after the attacks of 11th September 2001 to
establish international co-operation so as to integrate security checks in
normal customs controls before goods leave a country. The Commission fully
shares the concerns of the US about improving security and considers that
the most effective means to meet these concerns is by cooperation at EU
level with the US. This EU-level approach would also prevent differential
treatment of Member States and trade diversion within the EU. Another
objective of the negotiations is to ensure that legitimate transatlantic
trade is not hindered by the increased security arrangements and that
controls standards are equalised for US and EU operators. Preliminary talks
with the US have already taken place and formal negotiations will begin as
soon as possible.
[17] Les tensions mondiales mettent en lumière la nécessité de recherches
avancées sur la sécurité au niveau de l'Union européenne
Les tensions actuelles et les menaces qui pèsent sur la sécurité au niveau
mondial renforcent la nécessité d'un véritable engagement politique en
faveur d'un programme spatial européen susceptible de préserver les
intérêts européens et d'améliorer la sécurité de la population européenne,
a déclaré aujourd'hui Philippe Busquin, Commissaire européen chargé de la
Recherche, lors d'une conférence sur le thème "Sécurité européenne et
espace". Il a insisté sur l'importance de prévoir une composante
sécuritaire dans toute politique spatiale européenne future. Le 21 janvier,
la Commission a adopté un livre vert sur la politique spatiale européenne,
dans lequel elle préconise la mise en œuvre d'une politique spatiale
d'envergure mondiale pour l'UE qu'il conviendra aussi d'intégrer dans le
futur traité de l'Union. Des informations publiées cette semaine montrent
que la non-coordination et la dispersion des efforts de recherche et de
développement nuisent à l'efficacité de la recherche de l'UE dans le
domaine de la défense. Pour donner suite à sa communication intitulée "Vers
une politique de l'Union européenne en matière d'équipements de défense"
présentée le 11 mars 2003, la Commission invitera les Etats membres, les
entreprises et la communauté scientifique à dresser la liste des besoins
communs dans les domaines de la recherche liés à la sécurité planétaire.
Elle lancera aussi des initiatives en vue de coordonner ces recherches à
l'échelon de l'UE, en se concentrant sur un nombre limité de technologies
clés comprenant éventuellement des applications spatiales.
[18] Anna Diamantopoulou opens the mid-term review of the EU's Social
Policy Agenda
Anna Diamantopoulou, European Commissioner for Employment and Social
Affairs, today opens a two-day conference in Brussels on the mid-term
review of the EU's Social Policy Agenda agreed by the Nice summit in
December 2000. The conference, also addressed by European Parliament
President Pat Cox and Greek President of the Employment and Social Affairs
Council Dimitrios Reppas, will discuss four themes : full employment,
quality in work and mobility ; modernising social protection and promoting
social inclusion ; managing change and quality in industrial relations ;
equal opportunities and non-discrimination. The conference will analyse
progress to date and explore any necessary refocusing of the Social Policy
Agenda. Key factors in this analysis will be the challenge of EU
enlargement and a sharpening of the notion of 'the cost of non-social
policy'.
[19] Anna Diamantopoulou launches high level conference on Inter-Cultural
Dialogue
Dialogue and cooperation between ethnic and religious groups is the theme
of the high level round table meeting which will be held in Brussels
tomorrow, on the initiative of European Commissioner for Employment and
Social Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou. The meeting, which takes place on the
eve of the International Day against Racism, will bring together leading
experts from around Europe to look at practical ways of combating
discrimination and encouraging dialogue and action between communities.
This meeting is the third and final in a series of Round Tables which have
been organised by the Commission in cooperation with the Vienna-based
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia.
[20] Social Summit : Greek Presidency and Commission launch first
'Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment'
The first meeting of the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment
will take place tomorrow morning 20 March 2003 on the eve of the European
Council's Spring Summit in Brussels. The summit, to be chaired by Greek
President of the EU Costas Simitis and European Commission President Romano
Prodi, will exchange views on implementation of the Lisbon strategy and the
contribution of the social partners to achieving the goals of the strategy.
The summit will also be attended by Greek Minister for Employment and
Social Affairs, Dimitrios Reppas, Italian Minister Roberto Maroni, Irish
Minister Frank Fahey and Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Anna
Diamantopoulou. The objective of the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth
and Employment is to strengthen contacts between the social partners and
the European institutions on economic and social policies and to send a
strong political signal about the importance of tripartite concertation in
boosting the involvement of the social partners in the achievement of the
Lisbon objectives. The Nice European Council of December 2000 invited the
social partners to play a full role in the implementation of the EU's
Social Policy Agenda and the achievement of the objectives set by the
European Council in Lisbon. It also called upon the social partners to
present their contributions at an annual meeting to take place before each
Spring Summit. Informal social summits at the highest level have taken
place since the Nice summit. At these meetings, at Stockholm in March 2001
and Barcelona in March 2002, the 'troika', the Commission President and a
restricted delegation of social partners have discussed the social
partners' contribution to the Lisbon strategy.
[21] 21 mars 2003 : une journée sur l'avenir de l'UE dans les écoles
Déjà 200 personnalités se sont inscrites au "Printemps de l'Europe",
initiative de débat sur l'avenir de l'Union Européenne dans les écoles. Il
s'agit de plusieurs membres de la Commission européenne, de la Convention,
du Parlement européen et des institutions nationales qui animeront un débat
avec les élèves et les enseignants le 21 mars prochain, jour du "Printemps
de l'Europe".
[22] EU and Russia advance space cooperation agenda
Today in Brussels European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin met Mr
Yuri Koptev, Director-General of Rosaviakosmos, the Russian Space Agency.
They discussed current and future progress in Euro-Russian cooperation in
space, within the "Space Partnership". They addressed the need for common
research on the EU Global Monitoring for the Environment and Security
(GMES) satellite programme, on launchers and on the satellite positioning
systems Galileo and Glonass. The Green Paper on European Space Policy,
elaborated jointly by the European Commission and the European Space Agency,
was also on the agenda. Moreover, Russia can now participate in EU projects
as a full and equal partner under the EU 6th Research Framework Programme
(2003-2006). Commissioner Busquin and Mr Koptev discussed opportunities for
joint research projects in the space field. They exchanged views on long-
term issues such as the joint exploration of the solar system and new
spaceship engines.
[23] EU contribution to the spring 2003 vaccination campaign against foot-
and-mouth disease in Turkish Thrace
The European Commission has supplied 500,000 doses of trivalent vaccine
against foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) for use in the Thrace region of
Turkey. More vaccines will be delivered through EU-sponsored co-operation
with the FAO-based European Commission for the Control of FMD (EUFMD). In
order to maintain the necessary level of disease preparedness, sufficient
quantities of vaccine will be kept in store for possible emergency use in
Europe until the antigen stocks are replenished. The EU has been supporting
Turkey for many years in the attempt to control FMD in the whole of Turkey
and to eradicate it in the Thrace region. To this end the EU has not only
supplied vaccines in emergency cases in 1998, 2000 and 2001, but also
provided technical assistance to monitor the efficiency of the vaccination.
Recently the EU arranged for independent quality control of the vaccines
produced in Turkey for the 2003 campaign. According to the initial and a
repeat test, the potency of two of the antigens included in the trivalent
Turkish vaccine was found to be too low to ensure a protective level of
immunisation. The Commission therefore used the European Antigen Bank for
immediate formulation into vaccine of a part of the appropriate EU antigen
stocks and the delivery of the ready-to-use vaccines to Turkey. The antigen
bank once more met the established benchmarks in close cooperation with the
Commission, the manufacturer and the competent authorities in Turkey. The
Commission will follow up the success of the vaccination campaign in Turkey
by providing necessary reagents and equipment to monitor the level of
immune response in vaccinated animals in Thrace and parts of Anatolia.
[24] Autre matériel diffusé
Note sur les résultats du Conseil Agriculture et Pêche (parties 'sécurité
alimentaire' et 'pêche')
Discours de Mme de Palacio : "Galileo va de l'avant" à la journée
d'information Galileo (18/03)
Speech by Anna Diamantopoulou : "The fight against anti-semitism and
islamaphobia: bringing communities together" at roundtable organised by
European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (! embargo 20/03 10 am
!)
Speech by Anna Diamantopoulou : "he social partners and the Lisbon
strategy" at the Tripartite Social Summit for Growth and Employment (!
embargo 20/03 10.30 !)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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