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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 03-12-04

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Quotas de pêche : la Commission souhaite renforcer la protection des stocks halieutiques afin d'éviter la fermeture de certaines pêcheries en 2004
  • [02] Business related services : better performance is crucial for growth and competitiveness
  • [03] Commission clears acquisition of Kumba Resources by Anglo American
  • [04] Commission clears RBSG acquisition of Irish bank First Active
  • [05] Court of Auditors annual report 2002 : support for the Commission's reform
  • [06] Solar energy : Europe aims to lead the world in Photovoltaic technologies
  • [07] La Commission consacre 25 millions d'€ au soutien d'opérations de maintien de la paix menées par les Africains au Burundi
  • [08] Commission adopts €2 million humanitarian aid decision for forgotten crisis in Uganda
  • [09] Septembre 2003 par rapport à septembre 2002 : ventes du commerce de détail en baisse de 0,6% dans la zone euro ; hausse de 0,5% dans l'UE15
  • [10] Rising sun for EU Research : Commissioner Busquin to visit Japan
  • [11] Séminaire de communication sur l'Euro et l'UEM
  • [12] Autre matériel diffusé Midday Express 04/12/2003 TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 04/12/2003

  • [01] Quotas de pêche : la Commission souhaite renforcer la protection des stocks halieutiques afin d'éviter la fermeture de certaines pêcheries en 2004

    La Commission européenne a proposé aujourd'hui d'éviter la fermeture complète de certaines pêcheries : (1) en consolidant les mesures existantes pour certains stocks de cabillaud ; (2) en étendant ces mesures à d'autres stocks menacés et (3) en proposant une réduction substantielle des possibilités de pêche pour les stocks nouvellement identifiés comme menacés.€? Ces mesures garantiraient la continuité de l'activité économique dans les pêcheries concernées tout en fournissant aux stocks épuisés une possibilité raisonnable de reconstitution et en protégeant ceux dont l'état est moins préoccupant. Dans l'attente de la mise en œuvre de plans de reconstitution à long terme, il convient d'appliquer des mesures à court terme plus strictes comprenant notamment des totaux admissibles de captures (TAC) très réduits, des restrictions directes de l'activité de pêche (nombre de jours de sortie en mer autorisés) et des mesures de contrôle visant à garantir le respect des quotas. La Commission présentera de nouvelles mesures de contrôle au cours des prochains mois. En ce qui concerne les stocks pour lesquels le Conseil international pour l'exploration de la mer (CIEM) recommande un niveau de captures zéro, la Commission propose des réductions substantielles des TAC et de l'effort de pêche variant entre 50 et 65%, y compris une réduction de 50% pour le merlu austral et la sole de la Manche occidentale. Pour les stocks dont les TAC ont déjà été sensiblement réduits, tels que le cabillaud de la mer du Nord, la Commission propose de maintenir le quota fixé pour cette année. Les nouvelles sont toutefois meilleures en ce qui concerne par exemple le lieu noir et certains stocks de cardine ou de lotte pour lesquels la Commission propose une augmentation de l'ordre de 15%.

    [02] Business related services : better performance is crucial for growth and competitiveness

    Low productivity in business-related services is a serious threat to the competitiveness of European enterprises and the EU's overall potential for growth, says a Commission communication issued today. This communication sets out measures complementing the forthcoming proposal for a Directive to remove legal and administrative obstacles in the internal market for services. They aim to promote competition among service suppliers and help customers to compare prices and the nature of services offered. This, combined with better statistics to inform decision-taking, will help to make the markets more transparent. The measures include promoting service quality indicators, voluntary standards for the cross-border supply of services, and rules on reporting intangible assets such as training and software investment. Business-related services are inextricably linked to manufacturing industry, and are crucial to its competitiveness. The Commission will set up a new European Forum on business-related services to identify ways of moving forward on these different measures. The forum's work will help to shape an action plan that it will propose in the first half of 2005.

    [03] Commission clears acquisition of Kumba Resources by Anglo American

    The European Commission has decided not to oppose, under the Merger Regulation, Anglo American's takeover bid for the whole of the South- African mining company Kumba Resource. The proposed operation does not raise any competitive concern given that in the areas where the companies have overlapping activities -- in zircon and titanium dioxide used in the pigment industry -- the addition of market shares is minimal and there will remain sufficient competition.

    [04] Commission clears RBSG acquisition of Irish bank First Active

    The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation to the acquisition of full control in the Irish retail banking services sector of First Active Plc by Royal Bank of Scotland Group, through its subsidiary Ulster Bank Ireland Limited. (The operation, notified on 31 October 2003, was examined under the simplified merger review procedure)

    [05] Court of Auditors annual report 2002 : support for the Commission's reform

    At the occasion of its presentation by the president of the Court to the plenary of the European Parliament, European Budget Commissioner Michaele Schreyer today welcomed the Court's positive appreciation of the reform progress in the Commission. As in previous years, the Court declared that the consolidated accounts faithfully reflect the Community's revenues and expenditures as well as the financial situation at the end of the year with four observations. Total expenditure in 2002 amounted to €85 billion. The Court did declare that the revenues, commitments, administrative expenditure and, for the first time, pre-accession aid were overall regular and legal. However, while the Court could not give the same assurance on agriculture, structural funds, internal and external expenditure, over 80% of which are managed by the Member States, it stressed improvements at the level of the Commission. But the budget responsibility shared between Commission and Member States is an area where more cooperation effort from Member States is needed. Overall the Court proceeded to a more qualitative assessment by evaluating the control systems and structures in place. Commissioner Schreyer praised the recommendations by the Court as valuable input for follow-up in the annual activity reports of the services and thanked the Court for its continued support of the reform process.

    [06] Solar energy : Europe aims to lead the world in Photovoltaic technologies

    The recently created "Photovoltaics Technology Research Advisory Council" will meet for the first time today in Brussels. The initiative of Loyola de Palacio, European Commission Vice President in charge of Energy and Transport, and of European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin, involves 18 members representing all the major players in this technology. Europe is now the world's second largest manufacturer of photovoltaics, accounting for more than 24% of overall production, behind Japan (44%) and ahead of the USA (22%). Current forecasts show large potential for solar electricity production, for which Europe has seen an average growth rate of 30% per year over the last decade. Nevertheless, photovoltaics are currently under- utilised in the European Union, despite the active support of the Commission for research, development and demonstration projects in this area, with over €200 million of funding for almost 200 projects over the last 10 years. To find the best way forward, the Advisory Council's objective is to develop a Foresight Report and a Strategic Research Agenda, in order to address the remaining barriers to maximising the potential of this clean energy source.

    [07] La Commission consacre 25 millions d'€ au soutien d'opérations de maintien de la paix menées par les Africains au Burundi

    La Commission européenne a salué ce jour l'approbation par les Etats membres de l'UE de l'octroi, sur les ressources du Fonds européen de développement, d'une subvention de 25 millions d'€ au soutien des opérations de maintien de la paix actuellement menées au Burundi sous les auspices de l'Union africaine (UA). Ce soutien a pour objet (i) d'apporter une aide d'urgence à la mise en œuvre d'un processus de paix fragile qui a montré récemment des signes d'évolution positive; et (ii) de susciter un retour à la stabilité et à la réconciliation nationale, au profit des populations burundaises qui ont souffert atrocement de dix années de guerre civile.

    [08] Commission adopts €2 million humanitarian aid decision for forgotten crisis in Uganda

    The European Commission, through its humanitarian aid office ECHO, has approved €2 million in humanitarian aid to help the victims of the deplorable humanitarian situation in northern, central and eastern Uganda. The people of northern Uganda have suffered from guerrilla warfare carried out by rebel groups since the late 1970s, and attacks by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have increased in number and intensity in recent months. More than a million people are displaced and almost 2 million people (abducted children, night commuters, Internally Displaced People (IDPs) and refugees) are affected by the crisis. This decision will target priority needs including health, nutrition, water, sanitation and food security. Health services will include monitoring and treatment for child malnutrition. Reintegration programmes for former child soldiers will continue to be funded. ECHO also plans to tackle the issue of schooling for children displaced by the crisis. ECHO has allocated a total of €8 million for the humanitarian crisis in Uganda in 2003.

    [09] Septembre 2003 par rapport à septembre 2002 : ventes du commerce de détail en baisse de 0,6% dans la zone euro ; hausse de 0,5% dans l'UE15

    En septembre 2003, par rapport à septembre 2002, le volume des ventes du commerce de détail a diminué de 0,6% dans la zone euro et s'est accru de 0, 5% dans l'UE15, selon les estimations publiées aujourd'hui par Eurostat. Par rapport au mois d'août 2003, les ventes sont restées stables dans la zone euro, mais ont augmenté de 0,2% dans l'UE15.

    [10] Rising sun for EU Research : Commissioner Busquin to visit Japan

    European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin will visit Japan from December 5-9 to participate in the G8 Carnegie Group conference, the meeting of G8 research ministers, to promote future scientific cooperation between Japan and the EU. Topics on the agenda will include nanotechnology, hydrogen and fuel cell technology, nuclear energy including ITER, and biotechnology research. He will open the first Biotech forum, under the EU- Japan roundtable of industrialists. The Commissioner will meet with top Japanese government representatives and hold a series of meetings with Japanese business executives. He will also discuss the possibility of starting negotiations for an EU-Japan scientific cooperation agreement.

    [11] Séminaire de communication sur l'Euro et l'UEM

    Le premier séminaire sur la "Stratégie de Communication pour l'Union Economique et Monétaire (UEM) et l'Euro", réunissant les Directeurs de Communication des 25 actuels et futurs Etats membres, aura lieu à Bruxelles les 4 et 5 décembre. Le séminaire est organisé par la Commission européenne avec la participation de la Banque Centrale Européenne.

    [12] Autre matériel diffusé

    Présentation par le Président Romano Prodi du Conseil européen de décembre à Bruxelles : "Un projet ambitieux pour l'Europe" au Parlement européen (03/12)

    Speech by Pedro Solbes : "Economic governance" at the plenary session of the European Parliament (03/12)

    Speech by David Byrne : "Irrational Fears or Legitimate Concerns" at the Risk Perception: Science, Public Debate and Policy Making Conference

    Note sur la préparation du Conseil Transports


    From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
    © ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996


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