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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-04-30
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission welcomes Council's agreement on common European asylum
system
[02] La Commission règle l'affaire Marathon avec Gaz de France et Ruhrgas
[03] La Commission clôture l'enquête concernant les pratiques d'Interbrew
envers les grossistes belges de bière
[04] EU improves controls on the transfer of explosives
[05] La Commission préconise des actions pour stimuler la compétitivité du
secteur des équipements hertziens et de télécommunications
[06] Energy taxation : Commission welcomes adoption of Directives granting
transitional periods for new Member States
[07] EPSO launches competitions for middle-managers from the new Member
States
[08] Commission clears joint acquisition of Grundig by Turkey's Beko and
Britain's Alba
[09] April 2004 : economic sentiment in the EU and in the euro area sees
strong improvement
[10] April 2004 : strong increase in the euro area Business Climate
Indicator
[11] Estimation rapide - avril 2004 : l'inflation de la zone euro estimée à
2,0%
[12] EU concludes new Cooperation Agreement with the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan
[13] EU-Mexico : adaptation of the Association Agreement in view of
enlargement
[14] "Big prize on offer for Argentina in WTO and Mercosur farm talks",
Franz Fischler says
[15] "Agriculture and Enlargement" goes on line
[16] Enlargement What's in it for trade ?
[17] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 30/04/2004
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 30/04/2004
[01] Commission welcomes Council's agreement on common European asylum
system
The Council formally adopted on 29 April the Directive on a common
definition of who is a refugee or otherwise requires international
protection and the rights and benefits which attach to each status (the
Qualification Directive). The Council also reached political agreement on
the Asylum Procedures Directive, in which Member States take a common
approach to processing asylum applications in the EU. These Directives,
together with the other legislative instruments on asylum already adopted
by the Council guarantee a minimum level of protection and procedural
safeguards in all Member States for those who are genuinely in need of
international protection, whilst preventing abuses of asylum applications
which undermine the credibility of the system.
[02] La Commission règle l'affaire Marathon avec Gaz de France et Ruhrgas
La DG Concurrence de la Commission européenne a décidé de clore son enquête
concernant le refus présumé des sociétés gazières française et allemande
Gaz de France et Ruhrgas d'accorder l'accès à leurs réseaux de gazoducs à
la filiale norvégienne du producteur de gaz américain Marathon. Les deux
sociétés ont proposé des engagements destinés à améliorer l'accès des tiers
à leurs réseaux de transport de gaz et à permettre aux clients en France et
en Allemagne de bénéficier plus effectivement de l'ouverture des marchés
gaziers à la concurrence.
[03] La Commission clôture l'enquête concernant les pratiques d'Interbrew
envers les grossistes belges de bière
La Commission européenne a clôturé son enquête sur les pratiques
d'Interbrew envers les grossistes belges de bière. Interbrew a proposé une
série d'engagements pour modifier ces pratiques de façon à ce qu'elles ne
soient plus anticoncurrentielles. L'enquête de la Commission s'était
concentrée sur les pratiques d'Interbrew de vente aux grossistes, incluant
une politique de rabais, ainsi que sur un accord de distribution entre
Interbrew et un concurrent. Le présent accord fait suite à un arrangement
intervenu l'année dernière et portant sur des contrats de fourniture de
bière, passés entre Interbrew et des débits de boisson belges comme des
cafés ou des restaurants (voir IP/03/545.)
[04] EU improves controls on the transfer of explosives
The European Commission has just adopted improved controls on the transfer
of explosives between Member States. The controls are contained in a
Commission Decision harmonising the information required, and procedures to
be followed, when a company is seeking to move explosives between Member
States. It should make it easier to trace explosives and to check that
their movement has been approved by national authorities.
[05] La Commission préconise des actions pour stimuler la compétitivité du
secteur des équipements hertziens et de télécommunications
Un nouveau rapport de la Commission européenne confirme que la directive
concernant les équipements hertziens et les équipements terminaux de
télécommunications (directive R&TTE) a bien atteint ses objectifs. Ce texte
de 1999 contenait des règles harmonisées pour le secteur des équipements
terminaux, qui regroupe de multiples produits allant des téléphones
portables aux télécommandes de voiture. La directive poursuivait un double
objectif : supprimer des réglementations nationales divergentes qui
empêchaient la création d'un marché unique européen et assurer un niveau
élevé de sécurité et de protection de la santé. Toutefois, afin de
consolider la position bien établie dont jouissent les fabricants européens
dans le domaine des infrastructures de réseau et de la téléphonie mobile,
la Commission recommande aujourd'hui une analyse technique de la
législation. Celle-ci est nécessaire pour déterminer si des modifications
sont à apporter aux règles en vigueur afin de tenir compte de l'évolution
technologique et d'une concurrence internationale croissante.
[06] Energy taxation : Commission welcomes adoption of Directives granting
transitional periods for new Member States
The European Commission has welcomed the adoption by the EU's Council of
Ministers of amendments to the Energy Tax Directive (see IP/03/1456) so as
to allow the new Member States temporarily to apply excise duty exemptions
or lower rates of duty than the EU-wide minimum rates normally required on
all energy products (mineral oils, coal, natural gas) and electricity. The
transitional arrangements agreed are along the lines of those allowed to
existing Member States. In particular, they are strictly limited in time
and none will last longer than 2012 ; they are proportionate to the
effective problems that they are designed to address ; and, where relevant,
they include a progressive alignment towards the relevant EU minimum rates.
The exemptions will come into force on 1 May 2004, the date by which the
accession countries will be required to apply the Energy Tax Directive.
[07] EPSO launches competitions for middle-managers from the new Member
States
Four competitions have been launched today aimed at finding 160 successful
candidates to fill posts as Heads of Unit in the European Institutions.
Apart from one earlier competition for Heads of Linguistic Divisions, these
are the first middle-management competitions in the current EU enlargement
programme and are aimed at graduates with professional experience. For the
first time in EU open competitions, assessment centres will be used to help
the Selection Boards evaluate the management skills of candidates, over and
above their specialised qualifications and knowledge of EU policies.
[08] Commission clears joint acquisition of Grundig by Turkey's Beko and
Britain's Alba
The European Commission has approved, under the Merger Regulation, the
creation of a joint venture between Turkish television maker Beko
Elektronik and Alba Plc to acquire Grundig's business involved in the
development and marketing of consumer electronics products. The notified
deal, which does not concern Grundig's production assets, does not raise
any competition problems in the European television market.
[09] April 2004 : economic sentiment in the EU and in the euro area sees
strong improvement
Following its small increase in March, the economic sentiment indicator
(ESI) for the EU rose by a solid 0.4 points in April, reaching a level of
97.2. The increase was even stronger in the euro area, where the indicator
went up by 0.5 points and reached a level of 96.6. For both areas, the
indicators are now above their long-term averages of 96.4 and 96.2,
respectively.
[10] April 2004 : strong increase in the euro area Business Climate
Indicator
Following its decline in the previous two months, in April the Business
Climate Indicator for the euro area climbed by 0.45 points, the highest
month-to-month increase ever recorded since 1985. The indicator reached a
value of 0.38, which is the highest level in three years. 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 April
was driven by positive developments in most components of the indicator.
[11] Estimation rapide - avril 2004 : l'inflation de la zone euro estimée à
2,0%
Selon une estimation rapide publiée aujourd'hui par Eurostat, l'Office
statistique des Communautés européennes, le taux d'inflation annuel de la
zone euro s'établirait à 2,0% en avril 2004. En mars 2004, le taux était de
1,7%.
[12] EU concludes new Cooperation Agreement with the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan
The European Commission welcomes the conclusion of a new Cooperation
Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan on 29 April 2004 following approval by the European Parliament on
22 April 2004. This Agreement will lead to a significant deepening in
relations between Pakistan and the European Community.
[13] EU-Mexico : adaptation of the Association Agreement in view of
enlargement
The European Union and Mexico signed on Thursday 29 April a protocol
adapting the EU-Mexico Association Agreement to the new reality of an
enlarged Union of 25 members. The new EU Member States will be incorporated
as parties to the EU-Mexico Agreement as from 1 May, from when new Member
States and Mexico will grant each other the reciprocal trade preferences
established as part of the EU-Mexico free trade area. The protocol was
signed by Mr Peter Gunning, Deputy Permanent Representative of Ireland to
the EU, and by H.E. Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, Ambassador of Mexico. The European
Commission, responsible for the negotiation of the protocol, was
represented by Mr Duplá Del Moral, Director for Latin America in the
Directorate General for External Relations.
[14] "Big prize on offer for Argentina in WTO and Mercosur farm talks",
Franz Fischler says
Speaking at a press conference in Buenos Aires on 28 April, Franz Fischler,
European Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development and Fisheries made
clear that he wanted to push both, the WTO agriculture talks and the EU-
Mercosur negotiations. "Both represent a huge trade opportunity for both
sides, both will offer Argentina opener markets for agriculture goods, both
will create a win-win situation for Europe and Argentina. Contrary to what
some believe, one does not exclude the other. On the EU-Mercosur talks, Mr
Fischler showed himself confident that improved offers could be exchanged
soon. "Europe's ambitions are high, we want an ambitious, substantial and
comprehensive agreement with Mercosur. We are prepared to significantly
beef up our offer on agriculture. But there is no such a thing as a free
lunch. We can only hand over our improved offer if the Mercosur group
matches our high level of ambition and puts forward an equally ambitious
offer at the same time. Opening up trade is a two way street", he stressed.
Regarding the ongoing WTO talks on agriculture, the Commissioner said that
there was "a big prize on offer for Argentina". "The EU has offered a
considerable improvement of market access for farm goods and substantial
cuts in trade-distorting farm support. We are now open to talk about a
phasing out of ALL forms of unfair export subsidy tools for products of
interest of developing countries, but we are not ready to go it alone", he
underlined.
[15] "Agriculture and Enlargement" goes on line
Enlargement of the European Union on the 1st of May 2004 with the accession
of 10 new Member States will bring a further 4 million farmers into Europe
to join forces with the existing 7 million, catering for an internal market
without tariff restrictions, export quotas or trade barriers. This
enlargement is a historic milestone in the remaking of Europe after
centuries of destructive divisions engendered by war and ideological
conflict. Europe as a whole will gain from an assured political stability
and security, as well as from the expansion of the internal EU market from
380 to 454 million consumers. This larger market will also offer new and
important opportunities for the development of European agriculture and of
the EU's common agricultural policy (CAP). Two new papers on "Agriculture
and Enlargement" and the CAP, along with a broad range of information on
the acceding countries' agricultural situation, as well as studies and
reports on specific topics and documents relating to the pre-accession
period, can be found at the DG Agriculture's website at: http://europa.eu.int/comm/agriculture/eu25/index_en.htm
[16] Enlargement What's in it for trade ?
On 1st May 2004 the European Union welcomes 10 new countries. This historic
integration marks the reunification of Western and Eastern Europe and an
extension of the EU towards Southern Europe. But, beyond these symbolic
achievements, what benefits will enlargement bring as far as trade is
concerned ? Give your opinion, ask questions to European Trade Commissioner
Pascal Lamy and Commissioner Danuta Hübner and confront other people's
point of view on our online forum.
[17] Autre matériel diffusé
Déclaration du Président Prodi à l'occasion de l'élargissement (pour
publication le 1er mai)
Discours du Président Prodi : "Allargamento dell'Unione e prospettive di
crescita" (Trieste)
Discours du Président Prodi : "Allargamento e lingue" à la Scuola Superiore
per Interpreti e Traduttori (Trieste, ! embargo 14h30 !)
Calendrier du 2 au 9 mai 2004
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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