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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-09-01

Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>


CONTENTS / CONTENU

  • [01] Matériel diffusé
  • [02] Une meilleure coopération entre États membres est indispensable pour renforcer la défense des intérêts financiers de l’Union européenne
  • [03] The Commission pursues its improvements in the protection of the EU’s financial interests
  • [04] US Byrd Amendment – WTO says eight WTO Members may retaliate against the US – Joint Press statement by Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, and Mexico
  • [05] Juillet 2004 - Le chômage dans la zone euro stable 9,0% ; l’UE25 en baisse 9,0%
  • [06] 20% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil lifted
  • [07] Commission clears CVC/Francisco Partners buy of Hynix Semiconductor unit Midday Express of 2004-09-01 Reference: MEX/04/0901 Date: 01/09/2004 EXME04 /01.09

    MIDDAY EXPRESS

    News from the Press and Communication Directorate General's midday briefing

    Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Presse etb

    Communication

    01/09/04


  • [01] Matériel diffusé

    [02] Une meilleure coopération entre États membres est indispensable pour renforcer la défense des intérêts financiers de l’Union européenne

    La Commission a adopté un projet de règlement visant renforcer l’efficacité de la lutte contre la fraude par une coopération administrative accrue avec les États membres et entre ces derniers. Les autorités nationales compétentes des divers États membres auront l'obligation de se fournir mutuellement, la demande, des informations et une assistance en matière de surveillance. La Commission aura accès ces informations, afin de faciliter et de coordonner les activités antifraude des États membres par les analyses de risque pertinentes. Ce règlement relatif l’assistance administrative mutuelle couvre la fraude transnationale la TVA grande échelle, le blanchiment des produits de la fraude communautaire, de la fraude au détriment des Fonds structurels et des autres subventions issues du budget de l'UE. Cette coopération sera axée sur les affaires transnationales importantes concernant un préjudice fiscal d’au moins 500 000 euros en cas de fraude la TVA et de 100 000 euros dans les autres cas.

    [03] The Commission pursues its improvements in the protection of the EU’s financial interests

    The 2003 report recently issued by the Commission illustrates the continued efforts to improve the fight against fraud, in terms of structures and procedures, both within the European institutions and at national level. The report highlights the significant efforts undertaken to audit the structural funds following recommendations by the Court of Auditors, develop information sharing with the Member states and improve recovery in the area of direct expenditure such as agriculture. The Commission remains concerned that Member States do not notify irregularities on a sufficiently consistent basis and that their efforts to safeguard the Communities financial interests and claw-back funds are not always adequate, although organisational improvements are progressively bringing about an improvement of the situation. The report also reveals a decrease in the overall number of cases and amounts of irregularity reported in the fields of own resources, CAP and structural funds. Likewise, the Commission is continuing its own efforts through the final stage of implementation of its 2000-2005 strategy, through further improvements in OLAF’s regulatory and organisational environment; enhanced information flows with Member States; and the preparations for the future establishment of an European Public Prosecutor.

    [04] US Byrd Amendment – WTO says eight WTO Members may retaliate against the US – Joint Press statement by Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, and Mexico

    The WTO arbitrators have today given a green light for eight WTO Members to retaliate up to more than $150 million against the U.S. for failing to comply with its international trade obligations. In January 2003, the WTO ruled as illegal a piece of U.S. legislation commonly known as the “Byrd Amendment”, under which anti-dumping and countervailing duties are distributed to the domestic companies that had requested or supported the imposition of those duties. The WTO gave the U.S. until December 2003 to comply with the WTO ruling but the U.S. missed this deadline. The failure by the U.S. to bring its measure into conformity with WTO rules prompted eight WTO members - Brazil, Canada, Chile, the EU, India, Korea, Japan and Mexico – to request authorisation from the WTO to impose additional import duties on US products or to suspend other obligations to the US. Further to today’s award, the co-complainants may exercise their retaliatory rights, at any time deemed appropriate, in accordance with the award and the requirements of the WTO rules on the settlement of trade disputes. The award of the Arbitrators cannot be appealed. The eight WTO Members strongly urge the US to act immediately to repeal the illegal “Byrd Amendment”. EU Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy said: “The Byrd amendment has raised widespread concerns from the outset as evidenced by the large number of complainants in this case. Trade defence instruments are a legitimate tool, but they have to follow WTO rules. It is clear that the Byrd Amendment is a WTO-incompatible response to dumping and subsidisation and must therefore go. I hope the US will now take action to remove this measure, thus avoiding the risk of sanctions. "

    [05] Juillet 2004 - Le chômage dans la zone euro stable 9,0% ; l’UE25 en baisse 9,0%

    Le taux de chômage de la zone euro, corrigé des variations saisonnières, s'est élevé 9,0% en juillet 2004, inchangé par rapport au mois de juin, selon les données publiées aujourd'hui par Eurostat. Il était de 8,9% en juillet 2003. Le taux de chômage de l’UE25 a atteint 9,0% en juillet 2004, en baisse par rapport juin où il s’élevait 9,1%. Il était également de 9,1% en juillet 2003. En juillet 2004, les taux les plus bas ont été enregistrés en Autriche (4,2%), au Luxembourg (4,3%), en Irlande et Chypre (4,5% chacun) et au Royaume-Uni (4,7% en mai). Les taux de chômage les plus élevés ont été observés en Pologne (18,8%), en Slovaquie (15,9%), en Lituanie (11,3%) et en Espagne (11,0%).

    [06] 20% testing requirement for imports of poultry meat from Brazil lifted

    The European Commission has adopted a decision lifting the remaining 20% testing requirement on poultry meat from Brazil. Since October 2002, all consignments of poultry meat and poultry meat products from Brazil had to be tested for the presence of residues of nitrofurane, since this substance had been detected in imported products from this country (see <a href="http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/02/1351&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/02/1351). On the basis of the guarantees offered by the Brazilian authorities, the results of the tests carried out by the Member States and the results of a mission of the Food and Veterinary Office, the requirement to test all consignments was reduced from 100% to 20% on 2 March 2004. No further notifications of nitrofurans in poultry from Brazil have been received through the EU rapid alert system since this reduction of testing. Therefore, the Commission considers that no further specific measures are necessary for imports of Brazilian poultry meat and adopted, with the agreement of the Member States through the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health, the decision to return to normal routine testing.

    [07] Commission clears CVC/Francisco Partners buy of Hynix Semiconductor unit

    The European Commission has granted regulatory clearance, under the Merger Regulation, to a proposed concentration whereby several funds belonging to Citicorp Venture Capital (CVC, USA), itself controlled by Citigroup, Inc., and US investment fund Francisco Partners (USA) acquire control of the System IC Business of Hynix Semiconductor, Inc. of South Korea by way of purchase of shares (the deal was notified on July 30 and examined under a simplified procedure). From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/

    Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
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