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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-07-05
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Short Sea Shipping : Commission details progress over the past five
years
[02] Poul Nielson to visit Namibia and South Africa (05-13/07)
[03] Janez Potočnik to visit Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia (05-08/07)
[04] Forum UE-Afrique sur le coton : Pascal Lamy prône une stratégie
commune en faveur des pays africains
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-07-05
Reference: MEX/04/0705
Date: 05/07/2004
EXME04 / 5.7
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Général Presse etb
Communication
05/07/04
[01] Short Sea Shipping : Commission details progress over the past five
years
In a new Communication adopted on 2nd July 2004, the European Commission
reports on the results of Short Sea Shipping. Over the last five years,
this mode of transport has showed comparable growth trends for freight to
that of road. Vice-President Loyola de Palacio stated that : "Short Sea
Shipping has an obvious role to play in curbing the growth of road
transport and providing cohesion, sustainability and safety in European
transport. The new communication clearly shows that this mode is developing
rapidly. Improving its framework conditions and making it simpler to use
are necessities."
[02] Poul Nielson to visit Namibia and South Africa (05-13/07)
Mr Poul Nielson, European Commissioner for Development Cooperation and
Humanitarian Aid, will visit Namibia and South Africa from 5 to 13 July
2004. Namibia is preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections
later this year, the Commission and Namibia are currently in the process of
reviewing aid delivered from the European Development Fund (EDF) and before
the end of the year the EU-South Africa Agreement (TDCA) will be reviewed.
The visit will be shaped by all these events and will not only provide an
opportunity to get a first hand appreciation of development activities
financed by the EC but will offer a good opportunity to reflect on the
future cooperation with South Africa and Namibia. Commissioner Nielson will
use the opportunity to recall the EC's firm intention of remaining a
reliable and close partner not only of these two countries but of the
Southern African region as a whole. On 8 July Commissioner Nielson will
join Commissioner Danuta Hübner for the launch of the EU-SADC negotiations
on an Economic Partnership Agreement.
[03] Janez Potočnik to visit Georgia, Azerbaijan and Armenia (05-08/07)
European Commissioner Janez Potočnik will visit Georgia on 5-6 July,
Azerbaijan on 6-7 July and Armenia on 7-8 July. The visits follow the
decision by the Council on 14 June to include the three Southern Caucasian
countries in the European Neighbourhood Policy. Mr Potočnik will welcome
the countries into the European Neighbourhood Policy and explain the
significance of the initiative to his counterparts.
[04] Forum UE-Afrique sur le coton : Pascal Lamy prône une stratégie
commune en faveur des pays africains
Réuni aujourd'hui Paris, le Forum UE-Afrique sur le coton vise mettre
en œuvre une stratégie commune pour soutenir les pays africains
producteurs de coton. Lors de son intervention au Forum, le Commissaire
européen chargé du commerce international Pascal Lamy a déclaré : "Nous
sommes parfaitement conscients que le coton joue un rôle essentiel pour le
développement économique de pays africains qui sont parmi les plus
pauvres du monde. Nous sommes conscients également que cette diminution du
prix du coton a directement affecté et appauvri des millions de petits
producteurs. Il était primordial de commencer par un cas test. Nous voyons
donc dans le cas du coton une dimension d'urgence dans le cadre d'une
stratégie générale concernant les matières premières agricoles. C'est
aussi la raison de la mise en place de ce partenariat UE-Afrique pour le
coton."
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Dalia Grybauskaité : "Europe : a common place for 75 million
young people" at the annual Conference of the Organising Bureau of European
School Student Unions (OBESSU) (Vilnius)
Speech by Franz Fischler : "Der Wein und die EU Qualitätspolitik" at the
Weltweinkongress in Austria (Vienna)
Speech by David Byrne : "Consumers as economic agents in a competitive EU"
at Consumers' Association Conference (London)
Discours de M. Lamy : "Pour un partenariat UE-Afrique sur le coton" au
Forum UE-Afrique sur le coton (Paris)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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