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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-06-13
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission welcomes final adoption of new Regulation on the
transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms
[02] Commission clears Barclays takeover bid for Banco Zaragozano
[03] Commission clears ING acquisition of Germany's Entrium Direct Bankers
[04] Premières estimations pour le premier trimestre 2003 : l'UE15 a
enregistré un déficit des échanges courants de 4,4 milliards d'€ ; excédent
de 5,6 milliards d'€ pour la balance des services
[05] Taxation in the EU from 1995 to 2001 : a modest decline in the EU
overall tax burden since 1999 ; EU tax burden on labour started to ease
[06] Galileo : Loyola de Palacio welcomes the nomination of the Joint
Undertaking's Executive Director
[07] EU requests WTO dispute settlement consultations over US anti-dumping
practices
[08] Chris Patten calls for more funds for the Afghan Government Budget
[09] Frits Bolkestein speaks in London on capital markets and corporate
governance
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 13/06/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 13/06/2003
[01] Commission welcomes final adoption of new Regulation on the
transboundary movements of genetically modified organisms
The European Commission welcomed the formal adoption by EU Environment
Ministers today of the Regulation on the transboundary movements of
genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This agreement marks an important
step towards the full implementation into EU legislation of the provisions
of the UN Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, which aims to ensure, on a
global scale, the protection of biodiversity and of human health.
[02] Commission clears Barclays takeover bid for Banco Zaragozano
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of Spanish retail and corporate bank Banco Zaragozano by
Barclays Bank S.A., the Spanish subsidiary of the Barclays Group. The
operation, notified on 12 May 2003, was examined under the simplified
merger review procedure).
[03] Commission clears ING acquisition of Germany's Entrium Direct Bankers
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of Entrium Direct Bankers AG, an online retail bank that
operates in Germany, by ING Groep N.V. of the Netherlands. (The operation,
notified on 12 May 2003, was examined under the simplified merger review
procedure).
[04] Premières estimations pour le premier trimestre 2003 : l'UE15 a
enregistré un déficit des échanges courants de 4,4 milliards d'€ ; excédent
de 5,6 milliards d'€ pour la balance des services
Selon les données provisoires publiées aujourd'hui par Eurostat, la balance
des opérations courantes de l'UE15 avec les pays tiers a enregistré un
déficit de 4,4 milliards d'€ durant le premier trimestre 2003, comparé à un
excédent de 0,9 milliard d'€ au premier trimestre 2002 et à un excédent de
15,8 milliards d'€ au quatrième trimestre 2002. Au cours du premier
trimestre 2003, la balance des services extra-UE15 a enregistré un excédent
de 5,6 milliards d'€, comparé à un déficit de 0,8 milliard d'€ durant le
premier trimestre 2002 et à un excédent de 8,8 milliards d'€ durant le
quatrième trimestre 2002.
[05] Taxation in the EU from 1995 to 2001 : a modest decline in the EU
overall tax burden since 1999 ; EU tax burden on labour started to ease
According to a publication issued today by Eurostat, in 2001, the overall
tax burden (i.e. the total amount of taxes and social security
contributions) stood at 41.1% of GDP in the EU, decreasing compared to
41.8% in 1999 and almost stable compared to 40.8% in 1995. Among the Member
States, Sweden recorded the highest tax-to-GDP ratio (54.1% in 2001),
followed by Denmark (49.8%), Finland and Belgium (46.0% each). At 31.2%,
Ireland had the lowest tax-to-GDP ratio, followed by Spain (35.6%),
Portugal (35.9%) and Greece (36.8%).
[06] Galileo : Loyola de Palacio welcomes the nomination of the Joint
Undertaking's Executive Director
The Supervisory Board of the Galileo's Joint Undertaking has decided on 12
June to design Mr Rainer Grohe as Executive Director. "This is a new step
ahead for the project Galileo", said Loyola de Palacio, vice-president of
the European Commission in charge of Transport and Energy. "The Joint
Undertaking can now start immediately its work to build the system and
develop one of the main European technological projects." The Executive
Director of the Joint Undertaking is the person primarily responsible for
the success of Galileo, the European satellite positioning and navigation
system. Galileo, a project developed in cooperation with the European Space
Agency, will enable users to determine their exact position in time and
space at any moment : the system has many practical applications, ranging
from radio navigation in private cars to transport safety in general, with
knock-on effects in various commercial sectors (banking, geological
applications, public works, energy, etc).
[07] EU requests WTO dispute settlement consultations over US anti-dumping
practices
The European Commission has requested the World Trade Organisation to set
up formal consultations under its Dispute Settlement Mechanism over the
United States use of "zeroing" when performing dumping calculations.
"Zeroing" is a method of calculating dumping which consists of ignoring
negative margins of dumping and therefore results in an unfair increase of
the dumping liability of EU exporters. Consultations are the first step in
the WTO dispute settlement process and if they prove unsuccessful, they
entitle the EU to ask for a WTO Panel to be set up to rule on the legality
of the US practice. Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy commented : "Zeroing as
practised by the US is contrary to WTO rules and causes damage to many EU
exporters. The EU has already abandoned this practice and has several times
asked the US to do likewise, in order to ensure a level playing field.
Unfortunately, the US refuses to move on this issue, and regrettably we are
left with no choice but to refer the matter to the WTO."
[08] Chris Patten calls for more funds for the Afghan Government Budget
In letters to all 15 EU Member States and 13 other countries, European
Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten has urged the
international donor community to allocate more money to the recurrent
budget of the Afghan Transitional Authority (ATA). He has also asked them
to consider increasing overall contributions to Afghan reconstruction. The
letters were sent to the Foreign Ministers of Australia, China, India, Iran,
Japan, Malaysia, Norway, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore,
Switzerland, Turkey, as well as the 15 EU Member States. In the letter
Commissioner Patten says : "Afghanistan is now at a critical juncture, and
it is essential that the Afghan government is able to cover its operating
expenses. To date, the response of the international community to
Afghanistan has been impressive, and the Tokyo commitments have been
honoured fully. Looking to the future, we must build on this success. (…) I
would therefore urge your government to consider whether it is able to
allocate more resources to Afghan reconstruction, and in particular more
funds to the ordinary budget."
[09] Frits Bolkestein speaks in London on capital markets and corporate
governance
Concerning the proposed Takeovers Directive, "Frankly, the positions taken
by some Member State governments are astonishing", said Internal Market
Commissioner Frits Bolkestein in a speech in London today (! embargo 1.30
pm!) on an integrated European capital market. "Some are protectionist and
defensive. Others are even backtracking on what they were previously
willing to sign up to. This measure or our inability to agree it will be
taken as a symbol of whether Europe is ready to reform. Or not. Whether it
is outward-looking. Or not. Whether Europe is open for business. Or not. I
sincerely hope that we can break the current impasse. Because an integrated
financial market can only really work when all the major barriers are
removed. When the good can take over and improve the bad." Mr Bolkestein
also expressed his disappointment at the current US position on allowing
European securities markets to have trading screens in the United States.
Company board members' pay was one of the issues addressed by Mr Bolkestein
in his corporate governance speech (! embargo 4 pm !). "The remuneration
for top dogs (and fat cats) in industry is out of all proportion". He
argued in favour of disclosure in the annual accounts of both remuneration
policy and details of remuneration of individual directors, prior approval
by the shareholder meeting of share and share option schemes in which
directors participate, and proper recognition in the annual accounts of the
costs of such schemes for the company. He concluded that : "A sound
corporate governance framework will be achieved neither by the markets
acting on their own only, nor by the introduction of an overly prescriptive
legal infrastructure. By increasing transparency and generating shareholder
power we will help to restore confidence in the markets. This is the
European way forward, different from the United States Sarbanes-Oxley Act,
but with the same objectives. It is up to corporate Europe to shape up. The
quicker it does, the faster confidence will return."
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Convention : déclaration de la Commission sur le projet de traité
constitutionnel
Note sur les résultats du Conseil Agriculture et Pêche
Discours de M. Busquin à la remise du titre du Dr. Honoris Causa de
l'université de Ferrara
Calendrier du 16 au 21 juin
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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