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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-07-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission to provide €4.35 million for flood relief
[02] Commission clears acquisition of NRW.BANK by Land Nordrhein-Westfalen
[03] Bon résultat de la directive "Télévision sans frontières" : les
sociétés de télévision consacrent en moyenne les deux tiers de leur
temps de diffusion à des oeuvres européennes
[04] Monthly note on the euro-denominated bond markets (June 2004)
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2004-07-28
Reference: MEX/04/0728
Date: 28/07/2004
EXME04 / 28.7
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
28/07/04
[01] Commission to provide €4.35 million for flood relief
The European Commission is launching two emergency humanitarian aid
decisions in response to growing needs in flood-hit south Asia and
Tajikistan. The funds are being channelled through the Humanitarian Aid
Office (ECHO) under the responsibility of Commissioner Poul Nielson. €4
million has been earmarked for a range of activities in Bangladesh and the
northern Indian states of Assam and Bihar including the provision of food,
medicines, oral rehydration salts and essential household items for flood
victims. 800,000 highly vulnerable people in rural areas will be assisted.
€350,000 is being deployed around the Tajikistan capital, Dushanbe where
torrential rains have left a trail of destruction. The focus here is on
water, sanitation and health actions benefiting around 600,000 people.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of NRW.BANK by Land Nordrhein-Westfalen
The European Commission has cleared, under the Merger Regulation, the
acquisition of NRW.BANK (Germany) by the German federal State Nordrhein-
Westfalen by way of increase in voting rights. NRW.BANK is a public bank
active in development projects of Nordrhein-Westfalen and controls WestLB
AG (Germany), a commercial bank with international activities. The
operation is part of the restructuring of publicly owned banks in Nordrhein-
Westfalen. (The operation, which was notified on 28 June, was reviewed
under a simplified procedure for unproblematic mergers)
[03] Bon résultat de la directive "Télévision sans frontières" : les
sociétés de télévision consacrent en moyenne les deux tiers de leur
temps de diffusion à des oeuvres européennes
La Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui une communication relative
à la mise en oeuvre des articles 4 et 5 de la directive "Télévision sans
frontières" pour la promotion de la diffusion d'oeuvres européennes, y
compris de producteurs indépendants. Le temps de diffusion moyen réservé
à des oeuvres européennes dans l'Europe des Quinze s'élevait à 66,95%
en 2001 et à 66,10% en 2002. La proportion des oeuvres de producteurs
indépendants diffusées sur l'ensemble des chaînes européennes dans tous
les Etats membres était de 37,75% en 2001 et de 34,03% en 2002. Celle des
œuvres européennes récentes de producteurs indépendants était de 23,
32% en 2001 et de 21,10% en 2002.
[04] Monthly note on the euro-denominated bond markets (June 2004)
Although the position of the euro yield curve was barely changed in June,
the anticipation of a US monetary policy tightening (by 25 basis points at
the end of the month) resulted in a significant flattening of the curve.
The 2-year/10-year spread fell from 175 to about 155 basis points over the
month. Total issuance of euro-denominated bonds amounted to €164 billion
in June, up from €147 billion in May, and broadly in line with issuance
in June 2003. While issuance from the public sector remained broadly stable,
the expansion in private-sector issuance, which begun in April, has
continued. The composition of issuance in June was characterised by a
reduced share of central government bonds (43% of total). Other main
characteristic of issuance in June were a shift to shorter maturities and
an increased share of bonds form outside of the euro area, notably from the
United States and other EU countries, including an inaugural €1.5 billion
10-year bond from the Czech Republic. This series of notes, and a
statistical annex, are available from the European Commission website at :
<a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/publications/bondmarkets_en.htm">http://europa.eu.int/comm/economy_finance/publications/bondmarkets_en.htm
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Sixth Communication on the application of Articles 4 and 5 of Directive
89/552/EEC "Television without Frontiers"
La politique de recherche et l'espace dans le Traité constitutionnel
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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