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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-05-18
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] VAT: public consultation on One-Stop-Shop project
[02] La Commission autorise une concentration entre UPC et Noos
[03] First Summit between the enlarged EU and Russia, Moscow 21 May
[04] Northern Caucasus: Commission allocates €16.5 million for victims of
conflict in Chechnya
[05] Le Prix « Nouveaux Talents MEDIA de l'Union européenne » attribué au
jeune auteur britannique Duane Hopkins
[06] Fisheries: new agreement between the EU and the Federated States of
Micronesia
[07] April 2004 - Euro-zone annual inflation up to 2.0%; EU25 up to 1.9%
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express 18/05/2004
TXT: FR ENPDF:DOC:Midday Express 18/05/2004
[01] VAT: public consultation on One-Stop-Shop project
The European Commission has launched an open consultation for views on a
one-stop shop system, whereby a trader could fulfil his Value Added Tax
(VAT) obligations for his EU-wide activities solely in the Member State in
which he is established. The consultation, which runs until 31st July, is
based on a paper that considers the idea of allowing a trader to use a
single VAT number for all supplies made throughout the EU and to make VAT
declarations to one single electronic portal that would then be submitted
automatically to the different Member States into which the trader supplies
goods or services. Studies have concluded that VAT obligations are at
present extremely burdensome for cross-border traders who are often
unfamiliar with the tax procedures and arrangements in countries other than
their country of establishment and often also encounter language
difficulties. The opinions expressed during the present public consultation
would be taken into account in a proposal on this subject, due to be
presented by the Commission at the end of this year, according to the new
VAT strategy as updated in October 2003 (see IP/03/1447). More information,
including the consultation document, is available on the Europa website at:
http://europa.eu.int/comm/taxation_customs/consultations_en.htm
[02] La Commission autorise une concentration entre UPC et Noos
La Commission européenne a autorisé ce jour le projet de rachat du câblo-
opérateur français Noos par UPC, câblo-opérateur dont le propriétaire
ultime est Liberty Media. L'opération ne soulève pas de problème de
concurrence.
[03] First Summit between the enlarged EU and Russia, Moscow 21 May
The first Summit between the enlarged European Union of 25 Member States
and Russia, on 21 May in Moscow, is also the first high-level meeting
following the successful conclusion of negotiations between the European
Commission and Russia on the extension of the EU-Russia Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement (PCA) to the ten new EU Member States. The Summit
will call for the reinforcement of EU-Russia relations via the creation of
four 'common spaces': a common economic space (with specific reference to
environment and energy); a space of freedom, security and justice, a space
of cooperation in the field of external security; as well as a space of
research and education, including culture. The Summit could mark the
conclusion of the EU-Russia bilateral deal for Russia's entry into the
World Trade Organisation (WTO).
[04] Northern Caucasus: Commission allocates €16.5 million for victims of
conflict in Chechnya
The European Commission has approved a €16.5 million humanitarian aid
package to support victims of the ongoing conflict in Chechnya. The
recipients will include internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable
groups in central and southern Chechnya as well as IDPs in Ingushetia and
Daghestan. Funds are being allocated via the Humanitarian Aid Office, ECHO,
a service of the European Commission under the responsibility of
Commissioner Poul Nielson. Assistance to vulnerable groups will be provided
in the following sectors: food and non-food items, medical support, shelter
and water/sanitation, education, psychological assistance, mine awareness
and protection. Programmes will be implemented by international agencies
operating in the region. Since the beginning of the current crisis in
autumn 1999, ECHO has allocated approximately €120 million to the victims,
making the EU the largest donor in the region.
[05] Le Prix « Nouveaux Talents MEDIA de l'Union européenne » attribué au
jeune auteur britannique Duane Hopkins
Viviane Reding, commissaire européenne à la Culture et à l'Audiovisuel, a
remis aujourd'hui à Cannes, en point d'orgue de la Journée de l'Europe (Cf.
IP/04/625 du 11 mai 2004) le Prix « Nouveaux Talents MEDIA de l'Union
européenne » au jeune auteur britannique Duane Hopkins pour son projet
intitulé « Better Things ». Attribué pour la première fois, ce prix
récompense un projet qui a été développé au sein d'une formation MEDIA.
Coaché par un professionnel, le lauréat pourra défendre et présenter son
scénario sur le Marché du Film cannois, avec des chances supplémentaires de
trouver des partenaires pour mener à terme son projet un film.
[06] Fisheries: new agreement between the EU and the Federated States of
Micronesia
The European Commission, on behalf, of the European Union, and the
Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM) have initialled a new bilateral tuna
fisheries agreement in Pohnpei. The three-year protocol to this agreement,
which provides fishing possibilities for 6 tuna seiners and 12 surface long-
liners, meets the provisions of the Palau arrangement on the management of
seine fisheries in the western central Pacific. The annual financial
compensation amounts to € 559,000 for an annual tuna catch of 8,600 tonnes.
EU ship owners will pay an advance licence fee of € 15,000 per tuna seiner
and € 4,200 per long-liner. Part of the financial compensation (18%) has
been earmarked for measures to ensure sustainable fisheries in the waters
of the FSM. The two Parties have agreed on the conditions governing the
fishing activities of the EU vessels such as limits of the fishing zones,
catch reporting, employment of local seamen on board EU vessels, observers
on board, control activities and protection of the environment. The
agreement and protocol will become applicable once the adoption procedures
have been completed both in the EU and the FSM, and in any case not before
1 January 2005. This is the third agreement that the EU has concluded in
the western central Pacific, the other two being with Kiribati and the
Solomon Islands. Recently, the Council of Ministers agreed to the accession
of the EU to the Convention on the conservation and management of highly
migratory fish stocks (i.e. tuna stocks) in the western central Pacific
Ocean (WCPTC).
[07] April 2004 - Euro-zone annual inflation up to 2.0%; EU25 up to 1.9%
Euro-zone annual inflation rose from 1.7% in March to 2.0% in April 2004,
Eurostat reports today. A year earlier the rate was 2.1%. Monthly inflation
was 0.4% in April 2004. EU25 annual inflation was 1.9% in April 2004, up
from 1.7% in March. A year earlier the rate was 1.9%. Monthly inflation was
0.4% in April 2004.
[08] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Margot Wallstrom : « Climate change, Emission trading and
National Allocation Plans
Questions and Answers on Emission Trading and National Allocation Plans
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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