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