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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 04-12-23
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] New Common Agricultural Policy in place on 1 January 2005
[02] Radon gas in homes increases lung cancer risk
[03] Commission opens in-depth investigation into Bertelsmann/Springer
rotogravure joint venture
[04] La Commission approuve l'acquisition de SNECMA par SAGEM
[05] Commission clears Carlyle's and Advent's joint acquisition of HT
Troplast
[06] Commission clears ECT and P&O Nedlloyd joint venture to create new
Rotterdam container terminal
[07] Commission approves acquisition of Sovereign by Henkel
[08] Commission clears acquisition of NAI by Codan, Tryg, Topdanmark, Nemi,
Trygginga and Converium
[09] Commission clears acquisition of STMicroelectronics by CDP, Areva and
France Telecom
[10] La Commission propose un accord avec le Chili dans le domaine de
l'aviation
[11] Annual EU report on US trade barriers shows potential for resolving
outstanding trade disputes
Midday Express of 2004-12-23
Reference: MEX/04/1223
Date: 23/12/2004
EXME04 / 23.12
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
23/12/04
[01] New Common Agricultural Policy in place on 1 January 2005
From 1 January 2005, 10 Member States will introduce the fundamental reform
of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) agreed in June 2003. The reform
completely changes the way the EU supports its farm sector, offering EU
farmers the freedom to produce what the market wants. In future, most
subsidies will be paid independently from the volume of production. These
new "single farm payments" will be closely linked to the respect of
environmental, food safety and animal welfare standards. Severing the link
between subsidies and production will make EU farmers more competitive and
market orientated, while providing the necessary income stability. More
money will be available to farmers for environmental, quality or animal
welfare programmes by reducing direct payments for bigger farms. The
changes will give consumers what they want, offer taxpayers more
transparency and contribute towards more market-orientated world farm
trade.
[02] Radon gas in homes increases lung cancer risk
A new study of the risk from exposure to radon gas in homes has been
published in the British Medical Journal. The results confirm that domestic
exposure to radon leads to an increased risk of lung cancer, in particular
among smokers. This increased risk is proportional to the concentration of
radon gas in the home and is apparent at concentrations below current
remedial action levels used in most European countries. The results show
that radon in homes is responsible for about 20,000 lung cancer deaths in
the EU each year. This is about 9% of the total lung cancer deaths in the
EU and about 2% of cancer deaths overall.
[03] Commission opens in-depth investigation into Bertelsmann/Springer
rotogravure joint venture
The European Commission has decided to launch a full investigation under
the EU Merger Regulation into a proposed rotogravure joint venture between
the German companies Bertelsmann, Gruner + Jahr and Springer. After an
initial examination, the Commission found indications that the proposed
transaction might significantly impede effective competition, in particular
on the German market for high volume printing of magazines. Since the
transaction also has a considerable cross-border impact, the Commission has
decided not to refer the case to the German competition authorities.
[04] La Commission approuve l'acquisition de SNECMA par SAGEM
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
européen sur les concentrations, le projet d'acquisition du groupe SNECMA
("Snecma"), la société française de composants aérospatiaux, par SAGEM
S.A. ("Sagem"). Après avoir soigneusement examiné l’opération, la
Commission est parvenue à la conclusion qu'elle n’entraverait pas de
façon significative une concurrence effective dans l'EEE ou dans une
partie substantielle de celui-ci, et elle a donc approuvé la
concentration.
[05] Commission clears Carlyle's and Advent's joint acquisition of HT
Troplast
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the proposed acquisition of joint control of HT Troplast AG
(Germany) by Advent International Corporation (Advent) of the US and
Carlyle Europe Partners II, L.P. (Cayman Islands) which belongs to the
Carlyle Group (Carlyle) of the US. Both Advent and Carlyle are private
equity investors and not involved in the manufacturing sector in which
Troplast is active. The Commission has concluded that the transaction would
not significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any
substantial part of it and has therefore approved the concentration.
[06] Commission clears ECT and P&O Nedlloyd joint venture to create new
Rotterdam container terminal
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
creation of Euromax, a joint venture between Europe Container Terminals
("ECT"), the main operator of terminals in the port of Rotterdam, and the
container liner shipping company P&O Nedlloyd ("PONL"). Euromax will
develop and operate a new deep-sea container terminal in the Port of
Rotterdam. The Commission has concluded that the transaction would not
significantly impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial
part of it and has therefore approved the concentration.
[07] Commission approves acquisition of Sovereign by Henkel
The European Commission has cleared, under the EU Merger Regulation, the
proposed acquisition by Germany's Henkel KGaA ("Henkel") of the US-based
company Sovereign Specialty Chemicals, Inc. ("Sovereign"). Despite
overlapping activities of both parties in industrial adhesives in Europe,
the Commission concluded that the transaction would not significantly
impede effective competition in the EEA or any substantial part of it and
has therefore approved the concentration.
[08] Commission clears acquisition of NAI by Codan, Tryg, Topdanmark, Nemi,
Trygginga and Converium
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of newly created undertaking
Nordic Aviation Insurance (NAI) of Denmark by Codan, Tryg, Topdanmark, Nemi,
Trygginga and Converium. Codan, Tryg and Topdanmark are Danish general
insurance companies. Converium is a Swiss based company active in the full
range of reinsurance, life and non-life insurance. Nemi is a Norwegian
insurance company specialising in insurance for hydro energy providers,
marine insurance and insurance for fish farming. Trygginga is an Icelandic
insurance company offering a comprehensive range of non-life products. The
operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[09] Commission clears acquisition of STMicroelectronics by CDP, Areva and
France Telecom
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition by CDP of Italy of joint control of
STMicroelectronics of the Netherlands (STM). STM will now be de facto
jointly controlled by CDP,on the one hand, and , Areva of France and France
Telecom (FT), on the other hand. STM is active on a world-wide scale in the
high-tech sector, specifically in the production of semiconductors and
other electronic devices. CDP is controlled by the Italian Ministry of
Economics and Finance, which currently holds 70% of its shares, the
remaining 30% belonging to sixty-five Italian banks. It is in charge of
promoting the development of public investment and infrastructure for the
provision of services of general economic interest. It is not currently
active in any high-tech or related markets. Areva is a French holding
company active in the production and transport of nuclear energy as well as
in the transmission systems in the sectors of telecommunications, cars and
informatics. FT is the leader in the telecommunications sector in France.
The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[10] La Commission propose un accord avec le Chili dans le domaine de
l'aviation
La Commission européenne a proposé aujourd'hui un accord d'une grande
portée avec le Chili dans le domaine de l'aviation. Cet accord a pour
principal objectif de mettre fin aux dispositions discriminatoires qui
interdisent aux compagnies aériennes européennes d'opérer au Chili Ã
partir d'un Etat membre de l'UE autre que leur pays d'origine.
[11] Annual EU report on US trade barriers shows potential for resolving
outstanding trade disputes
The European Commission's twentieth annual report on barriers to trade and
investment in the US, released today, underlines the importance of the 2004
EU-US Summit decision to define a new strategy to strengthen the
transatlantic economic relationship to add new impetus to efforts to
resolve these trade problems. The report includes details of the obstacles
that EU exporters and investors face in the United States market.
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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