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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-07-11
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Romano Prodi in Maputo to attend the African Union Summit
[02] USA-Steel : full victory for the co-complainants in the WTO Panel
against the US steel safeguards (Press statement by the European Commission,
Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and Brazil)
[03] La Commission renforce la sûreté pour les aéroports des Etats membres
[04] Energie nucléaire : la Commission approuve le renforcement de la
couverture internationale du risque atomique
[05] Avian influenza : crisis over
[06] Commission clears Diageo and Heineken stakes in Namibian brewer
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Minimax by Investcorp
[08] Commission grants regulatory approval to takeover of Buderus by Robert
Bosch
[09] Commission approves acquisition of Alstom's gas and steam turbine
business by Siemens
[10] Arrêt de la Cour de Justice dans les cas Commission européenne contre
Banque centrale européenne et Banque européenne d'investissement
[11] Cableway safety rules : Commission to refer four Member States to the
Court of Justice
[12] Retard de paiement : la Commission va faire citer deux Etats membres
devant la Cour de justice
[13] Mario Monti welcomes signature of EU-Japan agreement in the
competition field
[14] Renewal of the fisheries protocol between the EU and the Republic of
Guinea
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 11/07/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 11/07/2003
[01] Romano Prodi in Maputo to attend the African Union Summit
The President of the European Commission, Romano Prodi, is in Maputo today
to attend the African Union Summit on invitation of the President of the
Republic of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano. President Prodi will address the
Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU). The presence of
Romano Prodi at the AU Summit in Maputo is proof of the importance the
Commission gives to the process of African integration, which has been
inspired in a certain way, by the process of European integration itself.
The Commission has been supporting various initiatives of the AU,
especially the development of capacities in the areas of conflict
resolution and peacekeeping.
[02] USA-Steel : full victory for the co-complainants in the WTO Panel
against the US steel safeguards (Press statement by the European Commission,
Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and Brazil)
(! embargo 4 pm !) Today, the WTO Panel requested by the European
Commission, Japan, Korea, China, Switzerland, Norway, New Zealand and
Brazil (co-complainants) ruled that each of the US safeguard measures
imposed on 10 steel product groupings was in breach of WTO rules. The co-
complainants welcome the Panel's decision which upheld their main arguments
and call upon the US to terminate its WTO incompatible safeguard measures
without delay. Should the US appeal this Panel's decision, the co-
complainants will continue to work together to ensure that the WTO
Appellate Body confirms that the US steel safeguard measures violate WTO
rules.
[03] La Commission renforce la sûreté pour les aéroports des Etats membres
La Commission européenne a adopté les exigences que doivent satisfaire les
programmes nationaux de contrôle de la qualité de la sûreté dans les
aéroports européens. Ces mesures sont destinées à donner plein effet au
règlement sur la sûreté aérienne qui doit être d'application dans les
aéroports au 19 juillet 2003. La Vice-Présidente en charge des transports
et de l'énergie, Loyola de Palacio, a déclaré à cette occasion : "Suite aux
événements du 11 septembre, l'Union a considérablement renforcé les règles
européennes de sûreté dans les aéroports. Le nouveau règlement adopté
aujourd'hui parachève le dispositif fixant les exigences relatives du
contrôle de qualité des règles mises en place par les Etats membres. La
sûreté dans les aéroports européens sera donc encore renforcée."
[04] Energie nucléaire : la Commission approuve le renforcement de la
couverture internationale du risque atomique
La Commission européenne a donné son feu vert à l'extension de la
couverture internationale du risque nucléaire. Pour ce faire, elle a adopté
deux propositions de décisions autorisant les Etats membres parties à la
Convention de Paris à signer et à ratifier, dans l'intérêt de l'UE, le
Protocole d'amendement à la convention de Paris sur la responsabilité
civile nucléaire. Cette convention conclue en 1960 détermine les conditions
de la responsabilité civile de l'exploitant nucléaire et les règles
d'indemnisation des victimes en cas d'accident. Le nouveau Protocole
permettra d'accroître l'indemnisation des victimes en cas d'accident
nucléaire et d'élargir le champ d'application de la convention. Il
complètera le régime communautaire de responsabilité environnementale en
cours d'adoption.
[05] Avian influenza : crisis over
Today all restrictions imposed after outbreaks of avian influenza in the
Netherlands will expire except in the surveillance zones around the
outbreaks. Starting from tomorrow, exports of live poultry, hatching eggs
and fresh, unprocessed poultry manure and litter can restart from the whole
country. Repopulation of the affected holdings is now taking place after
"sentinel birds" demonstrate that the virus is not longer present in the
holding. Restrictions in Belgium and the Land of North-Rhine Westphalia in
Germany were already lifted in June. The avian influenza crisis, that
started at the end of February with outbreaks in the Netherlands, can now
be considered as over.
[06] Commission clears Diageo and Heineken stakes in Namibian brewer
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of joint control of Namibia Breweries Limited, active in
brewing, marketing and distribution of beer, by the British beverages
company Diageo plc, Dutch brewer Heineken International BV, acting together,
and the Namibian undertaking Ohlthaver & List Finance and Trading
Corporation Limited. (The operation, notified on 6 June 2003, was examined
under the simplified merger review procedure)
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Minimax by Investcorp
The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of sole control of the German fire detection systems
maker Minimax Holding GmbH by Swiss financial services company Investcorp
Financial and Investment Services S.A. (The operation, notified on 16 June
2003, was examined under the simplified merger review procedure)
[08] Commission grants regulatory approval to takeover of Buderus by Robert
Bosch
The European Commission has approved the proposed acquisition of the German
heating equipment manufacturer Buderus AG by Robert Bosch GmbH, another
German company also supplying heating appliances. The transaction
strengthens Bosch's position in the boilers market in a number of European
countries. However, the Commission's investigation has shown that there
would be sufficient competition even after the acquisition.
[09] Commission approves acquisition of Alstom's gas and steam turbine
business by Siemens
The European Commission has cleared an operation by which Siemens AG
acquires Alstom's small/medium gas turbines and industrial steam turbines.
Such turbines are used for mechanical drive applications and power
generation. The Commission has concluded that the acquisition does not
raise any competition concerns in Europe.
[10] Arrêt de la Cour de Justice dans les cas Commission européenne contre
Banque centrale européenne et Banque européenne d'investissement
Sur proposition de la commissaire européenne au Budget Michaele Schreyer,
la Commission avait introduit en janvier 2000 un recours en annulation
contre la BCE et la BEI pour leurs décisions de ne pas reconnaitre les
droits d'enquête de l'OLAF dans leurs institutions. Le 10 juillet, la Cour
de Justice a confirmé pleinement la position de la Commission. L'OLAF peut
conduire des enquêtes administratives en cas de suspicion de fraude dans
ces deux banqes.
[11] Cableway safety rules : Commission to refer four Member States to the
Court of Justice
The European Commission has decided to take Germany, Greece, Ireland and
Italy to the European Court of Justice for failure to notify measures
transposing Directive 2000/9/EC on cableway installations designed to carry
persons into their national laws. The Commission has decided to bring this
matter before the Court of Justice in the absence of notifications
following the reasoned opinions and earlier formal notices which it
addressed to the four Member States in question.
[12] Retard de paiement : la Commission va faire citer deux Etats membres
devant la Cour de justice
L'absence de notification par l'Espagne et le Luxembourg à la Commission de
mesures transposant la directive communautaire concernant le retard de
paiement (2000/35/CE) dans leur droit national a conduit la Commission à
porter l'affaire devant la Cour de justice pour obtenir un arrêt constatant
que l'Espagne et le Luxembourg ne se sont pas conformés à leurs obligations
au regard du traité. Cette procédure d'infraction a été ouverte le 30
septembre 2002 et la deuxième étape a été entamée le 6 février 2003,
lorsque la Commission a envoyé un avis motivé aux Etats membres en
infraction.
[13] Mario Monti welcomes signature of EU-Japan agreement in the
competition field
ON 10 July, the European Union and Japan signed an agreement that will
strengthen cooperation between their competition authorities to the benefit
of companies and consumers in both jurisdictions. This is the third such
agreement signed by the EU after agreements concluded with the United
States and with Canada. "This agreement marks an important milestone in the
cooperation between the EU and Japan", said European Competition
Commissioner Mario Monti. "We look forward with enthusiasm to a new era of
enhanced cooperation with the Japan Fair Trade Commission as this will be
beneficial for companies doing business in both markets and for consumers."
The Commission in 1999 proposed the agreement, on the EU side.
[14] Renewal of the fisheries protocol between the EU and the Republic of
Guinea
The European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and the Republic
of Guinea have initialled a new 5-year protocol to the fisheries agreement
between the two parties for the period 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2008.
This protocol includes a number of innovative elements aimed, among other
things, at protecting the local artisanal fishing sector, contributing to
food security by reducing discards and developing an effective fisheries
surveillance and control system in Guinean waters. These innovations
include the exclusion of all industrial fisheries from the currently
overfished 12-mile coastal band or to depths over 20 metres thus
restricting this area to local small-scale vessels. EU vessels will have to
retain on board by-catches beyond a set level and land them to supply the
local market. An exclusivity clause has been introduced banning EU vessels
not operating under the protocol from Guinea's waters. Depending on
scientific evidence, additional fishing possibilities may be made available
for fish and cephalopod trawlers. Currently these possibilities stand at 2,
500 GRT (gross registered tonnes) for fish/cephalopods and 1,500 GRT for
shrimps. Tuna fishing possibilities have been slightly reduced from 68
vessels at present to 57 vessels. The EU financial compensation has been
increased and will amount to a total of €19,975,000 over the five-year
period. Almost half of this amount (€8,875,000) will be used for measures
aiming, among other things, to improve scientific research into fish stocks
in Guinean waters and €2.5 million to support surveillance of fisheries
activities and for fisheries management in these waters. Licences paid by
trawler owners will increase. Vessels operating under this agreement come
from France, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Opening address by Margot Wallström at Stakeholders conference on European
Environment and Health Strategy
Calendrier du 14 au 19 juillet 2003
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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