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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-11-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission se félicite de l'accord trouvé par le Conseil concernant
la modernisation des directives sur l'assurance automobile
[02] Review of capital requirements for banks and investment firms
[03] Emploi : la Commission examine les progrès accomplis dans
l'amélioration quantitative et qualitative de l'emploi
[04] Estimation rapide - novembre 2003 : l'inflation de la zone euro
estimée à 2,2%
[05] November 2003 : biggest rise in economic sentiment indicator since
turnaround in summer
[06] November 2003 : strong improvement for the euro area business climate
indicator
[07] La Commission salue l'accord sur le nouveau Règlement Fusions
[08] Antibiotics : €13 million to step up EU research on antibiotic
resistance
[09] L'agriculture et la Méditerranée : la conférence de Venise plante le
décor pour une coopération plus étroite
[10] Boosting the participation of acceding and candidate countries in EU
research
[11] Global earth observation plan takes critical step forward - Italy
hosts second follow-up meeting to Earth Observation Summit
[12] Sixth Euro-Med Ministerial Conference : reinforcing and bringing the
Partnership forward
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 28/11/2003
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 28/11/2003
[01] La Commission se félicite de l'accord trouvé par le Conseil concernant
la modernisation des directives sur l'assurance automobile
La Commission européenne a salué l'accord politique relatif à la
proposition de cinquième directive sur l'assurance automobile auquel est
parvenu le Conseil des ministres européens chargés de la concurrence à sa
réunion du 26 novembre 2003. Cette directive vise, en effet, à moderniser
et à améliorer les dispositions des directives sur l'assurance automobile
aujourd'hui en vigueur, en facilitant l'accès des conducteurs à l'assurance
et en renforçant la protection offerte aux victimes. La Commission avait
présenté sa proposition en juin 2002 (voir IP/02/838 et MEMO/02/133).
L'accord politique trouvé doit, à présent, se concrétiser par l'adoption
formelle d'une position commune du Conseil, après quoi le texte retournera
au Parlement européen pour une seconde lecture.
[02] Review of capital requirements for banks and investment firms
A consultation note on the revised proposals of the Basel Committee on
Banking Supervision concerning the treatment of expected and unexpected
losses in the proposed new capital requirements framework has been
published on the European Commission's Europa website (see http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/regcapital/index_en.htm).
Under the modified Basel proposals, credit institutions and investment
firms would be required to hold capital only against unexpected losses. The
Commission is seeking comments from interested parties on the proposed new
rules on the treatment of expected losses and the recognition of provisions
by 31 December 2003.
[03] Emploi : la Commission examine les progrès accomplis dans
l'amélioration quantitative et qualitative de l'emploi
L'Union européenne progresse sur la voie de l'amélioration de la qualité de
l'emploi mais un rapport récent de la Commission indique que cela ne suffit
pas encore. Le rapport passe en revue les mesures prises pour améliorer la
qualité de l'emploi conformément à la demande formulée par le Conseil
européen réuni à Bruxelles au printemps 2003, souligne le besoin de mettre
en œuvre des mesures pour renforcer cette dimension et relève les
différences de performances entre Etats membres.
[04] Estimation rapide - novembre 2003 : l'inflation de la zone euro
estimée à 2,2%
Selon une estimation rapide publiée aujourd'hui par Eurostat, le taux
d'inflation annuel de la zone euro s'établirait à 2,2% en novembre 2003. En
octobre 2003, le taux était de 2,0%.
[05] November 2003 : biggest rise in economic sentiment indicator since
turnaround in summer
The economic sentiment indicator (ESI) in the EU made a strong showing in
November, increasing by 0.6 percentage points, the biggest rise of the
indicator since its turnaround in summer. It has now reached a level of
96.5 compared to 95.9 for the euro area, where the indicator rose by 0.4
percentage points in November. In both the EU and the euro area, the
indicator is now at its highest level since mid-2002. The main factor
behind the stronger improvement in the EU in comparison with the euro area
is the development in the industry sector, where the EU confidence
indicator grew strongly from -10 to -7, while progress of the euro area
indicator was more muted (from -8 to -7). The developments of the other
components of the ESI were broadly similar in the EU and the euro area,
with construction and consumer confidence supporting the general upward
trend in the two areas while retail trade, following its improvements in
previous months, saw a small decline in November in both the EU and the
euro area. The service sector, which is not included in the ESI, continued
its steady improvement in the EU and in the euro area.
[06] November 2003 : strong improvement for the euro area business climate
indicator
The Business Climate Indicator (BCI) for the euro area increased by 0.23
points between October and November, continuing the upward trend since
August. The BCI reached a value of 0.02, its first positive value since May
2001. The BCI combines the responses of managers in industry to the
questions regarding production trend in the recent past, production
expectations, total order books, export order books and stocks of finished
products. Its increase in November was driven by positive developments in
all components of the indicator.
[07] La Commission salue l'accord sur le nouveau Règlement Fusions
Le Commissaire européen à la Concurrence Mario Monti a tenu à saluer
l'adoption le 27 novembre par le Conseil Compétitivité de la proposition de
révision du Règlement sur le contrôle des concentrations ("Règlement
Fusions"). "Le nouveau règlement ainsi que les changements intervenus
depuis l'année dernière donneront, j'en suis convaincu, à l'Union
européenne un régime hors pair pour examiner les fusions et acquisitions
dans une Union à 25 membres", a indiqué M. Monti.
[08] Antibiotics : €13 million to step up EU research on antibiotic
resistance
Today 200 scientists meet in Rome at the EU conference on "The Role of
Research in Combating Antibiotic Resistance". It was organised by the
European Commission together with the European Society of Clinical
Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID). Antibiotics, once hailed as
a panacea to combat bacterial infections, seem to be more and more
ineffective. The human body is responding less and less to antibiotics. New,
more dangerous diseases, stubbornly resisting their power, are developing.
The aim of the conference is to identify future research priorities to
tackle the problem of anti-bacterial resistance and human health,
addressing both basic and clinical research. At the same time, the
Commission is announcing that it will invest €6 million to support two
major research projects in this field, with a total project budget of €12.6
million from the first call for proposals in the Sixth Research Framework
Programme (2002-2006). One of these projects looks into resistance to the
major class of antibiotics in clinical use, while the other project
investigates basic molecular mechanisms of resistance. The projects are
being negotiated and will start in a few weeks after signing of contracts.
[09] L'agriculture et la Méditerranée : la conférence de Venise plante le
décor pour une coopération plus étroite
S'exprimant le 27 novembre à Venise devant la conférence Euromed, M. Franz
Fischler, membre de la Commission européenne chargé de l'agriculture, du
développement rural et de la pêche, a souligné que les régions
méditerranéennes doivent relever un certain nombre de défis qui leurs sont
communs. "A cet égard, il ne fait aucun doute qu'une approche
transfrontalière unifiée constituerait un précieux facteur de durabilité.
La conférence de Venise, me semble-t-il, a montré que nous devons renforcer
les partenariats existants et favoriser de nouvelles ouvertures. Le
processus de Barcelone prévoyait pour l'horizon 2010 une libéralisation
totale des échanges entre l'Union européenne et nos voisins méditerranéens,
objectif qui devrait être à notre portée. L'agriculture est un élément
important de l'intégration régionale dans le contexte de ce processus. Je
suis attaché au renforcement des liens qui nous unissent à nos partenaires
méditerranéens dans le domaine de l'agriculture et je pense que la création
d'une plate-forme commune, relativement à certains aspects de notre
politique agricole, contribuera à la réalisation de cet objectif."
[10] Boosting the participation of acceding and candidate countries in EU
research
Today in Brussels European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin will meet
ministers and high level representatives of the 13 acceding and candidate
countries. They will discuss their participation in the EU's Sixth
Framework Programme for research 2002-2006 (FP6) and, more specifically,
their response to the first calls for proposals. Data available shows that
the participation of acceding/candidate countries in FP6 could be improved.
Out of more than 100,000 applications for participation in FP6, only 13,000
are from acceding/candidate countries barely 12.7%. And only 1500
organisations were eventually retained for funding, mostly in
nanotechnology, information society, energy and transport projects. Earlier
this year the Commission launched €13 million worth of "specific support
actions" to stimulate, encourage and facilitate the participation in FP6 of
the 13 acceding/candidate countries : Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia,
Slovenia and Turkey.
[11] Global earth observation plan takes critical step forward - Italy
hosts second follow-up meeting to Earth Observation Summit
The ad hoc intergovernmental Group on Earth Observations (GEO) will hold
its second meeting on November 28-29 in Baveno, Italy. The meeting aims to
give direction to the continued development of a 10-year plan to implement
a comprehensive, coordinated, and sustained Earth observation system or set
of systems. The first meeting took place in August 2003 in Washington, DC,
immediately after the first Earth Observation Summit, which established the
group. In Baveno, the Group will review the first draft of the GEO
Framework Document that will lead to a 10-year implementation plan to be
presented at the next ministerial meeting to be held in Tokyo next spring.
The Plan will direct the coordination of observing systems that link
thousands of individual technological assets into a comprehensive Earth
observation effort and provide critical information needed to address
important global economic, social and scientific challenges. This
information will help policy-makers around the world make more informed
decisions regarding climate, the environment, and a host of other economic
and social issues that are affected by Earth and climate systems.
[12] Sixth Euro-Med Ministerial Conference : reinforcing and bringing the
Partnership forward
The sixth Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Foreign Affairs Ministers takes
place in Naples on 2 and 3 December. It will be the last ministerial
meeting before the enlargement of the EU in May. Ministers will discuss the
political and economic prospects for the region offered by the EU's Wider
Europe policy. This initiative offers the EU's neighbouring partners, in
exchange for tangible political and economic reforms, gradual integration
into the expanded European internal market and the possibility of
ultimately reaching the EU's four fundamental freedoms : free movement of
goods, services, capital and people. Ministers are also expected to back
the Commission's proposal to set up a Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for the
Dialogue of Cultures, a Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly and a
reinforced European Investment Bank (EIB) lending facility to encourage
private sector investment in the region. The Naples meeting is particularly
important in light of the stagnation of the Middle East Peace Process, the
struggle to win peace in Iraq and the deadly terrorist attacks in Istanbul,
Saudi Arabia and Morocco, all of which highlight the threats to stability
in the region and underline more than ever the urgent need for Europe to
support political and economic reform in the region.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Erkki Liikanen : "The Central role of the Competitiveness Council
as engine for Economic growth and prosperity in Europe" at Competitiveness
Council (27/11)
Speech by Viviane Reding : "Sportpolitiek der EU : Welche Perspektiven ?"
at the Conference of Ministers responsible for Sport (Magdeburg)
Speech by David Byrne : "Consumer aspects of mortgage lending" at European
Mortgage Federation Conference
Note sur les résultats du Conseil Compétitivité (aspects marché intérieur)
Note sur la préparation du Conseil Emploi et Affaires sociales, Santé et
Protection des Consommateurs (01/12)
Calendrier du 1er au 7 décembre 2003
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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