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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 05-04-05
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Aider les gens Ă faire face au changement : la Commission propose plus
de 11 milliards d'€ pour aider les travailleurs de l'UE et les régions
affectées par les restructurations
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Edinfor by EDP and LogicaCMG
[03] EU-Canada veterinary agreement paves the way for more trade
[04] Commission commends UNDP on latest Arab Human Development report
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2005-04-05
Reference: MEX/05/0405
Date: 05/04/2005
EXME05 / 5.4
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
05/04/05
[01] Aider les gens Ă faire face au changement : la Commission propose plus
de 11 milliards d'€ pour aider les travailleurs de l'UE et les régions
affectées par les restructurations
La Commission européenne envisage d'allouer jusqu'à 11,3 milliards d'€
aux personnes et régions touchées par les changements économiques.
Face Ă un futur augurant une concurrence globale intense, l'Union
européenne a besoin de politiques efficaces en place pour aider les
personnes à gérer les changements, pour favoriser les nouvelles
entreprises dans les secteurs affectés par les changements économiques et
pour anticiper les restructurations. La Commission a formulé une
proposition pour renforcer le dialogue social, améliorer les politiques
existantes, augmenter les aides financières et recibler les aides
existantes.
[02] Commission clears acquisition of Edinfor by EDP and LogicaCMG
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Edinfor Sistemas
Informáticos, S.A. (Edinfor) of Portugal by LogicaCMG Corporate Holdings
Ltd, controlled by LogicaCMG plc of the UK and Energias de Portugal, S.A.
(EDP) of Portugal. EDP is a major European utility and one of Portugal's
largest business groups. EDP's core business is the generation,
distribution and supply of electricity. The EDP group is also active in
telecommunications and information technology. EDP's information technology
requirements are provided by its wholly owned subsidiary, Edinfor, which,
post-transaction will no longer be solely controlled by EDP but jointly
controlled by LogicaCMG and EDP. LogicaCMG is a UK company resulting from
the merger of Logica plc and CMG plc in December 2002. The principal
activity of the LogicaCMG group is the provision of IT services to clients
on a worldwide basis. Its services include IT consultancy, systems
integration and outsourcing services to a number of business sectors
including telecommunications, financial, energy and utilities, distribution,
transport and the public sector. The group has a presence in 34 countries.
Edinfor is the Information Technology arm of the EDP group. Edinfor is also
active in finance and insurance sectors, operating through its subsidiaries
: Applications Outsourcing, Maintenance and Integration (ACE Holdings), a
Software House and SAP implementation and integration service (Case
Edinfor) and Strategic Consulting services for the electricity and rail
industries (No Limits Consulting). Edinfor is also active in Geographic
Information and Cartography systems (IT-Geo). The operation was examined
under the simplified merger review procedure.
[03] EU-Canada veterinary agreement paves the way for more trade
The European Commission yesterday adopted a decision on new simplified
import rules for pork products and bovine semen from Canada. The EU and
Canada have recently made significant advances under the EU-Canada
Veterinary Agreement (agreement on sanitary measures to protect public and
animal health in respect of trade in live animals and animal products,
signed in 1998). For the first time ever, the two trading partners have
agreed to mutually recognise the production standards of the other by
virtue of the establishment of equivalence agreements. Based on this, both
sides have adopted simplified import certificates for these products, which
will reduce production, inspection and certification costs and should
increase trade. A new simplified listing procedure has created much shorter
time frames for authorising EU establishments for export to Canada. The EU
and Canada are now working on equivalence arrangements for dairy products,
fisheries and live bivalve molluscs like mussels and clams. On the basis of
the EU-Canada Veterinary Agreement regionalisation measures are taken,
which make it possible for both sides to limit import restrictions to the
regions affected by a disease outbreak. The EU's Health and Consumer
Protection Directorate (SANCO) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
(CFIA), which are responsible for the implementation and administration of
the EU-Canada Veterinary Agreement have also concluded an arrangement on
sharing non public information in order to facilitate a rapid response in
situations where there is a risk to human, animal or plant health.
[04] Commission commends UNDP on latest Arab Human Development report
The European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, today congratulated the UN Development
Programme (UNDP) on its 2004 Arab Human Development report, Towards Freedom
in the Arab World. The report, written by Arab authors for an Arab audience,
highlights a lack of individual and civil liberties. Speaking to Arab
Foreign Ministers at the EU-GCC meeting in Bahrain, the Commissioner said :
"I fully endorse the findings of this report. Supporting Arab countries'
own reforms, particularly in promoting freedom of thought, expression and
association, is a key priority for the EU in the region. I intend to work
closely with the UNDP and with Arab partners towards these goals."
[05] Autre matériel diffusé
Questions & answers on the Commission's Communication on "restructuring and
employment"
Speech by Charlie McCreevy : "Regulation - Right and Wrong" at annual
Conference on Financial Service Action Plan (Dublin)
Speech by Mariann Fischer Boel : "Zukunftsaussichten für die Europäische
Landwirtschaft" at Agrarkongress der FDP-Bundestagsfraktion (04/04,
MĂĽnster)
Speech by Stavros Dimas : "State of play on REACH" at annual meeting of
chairpersons of the CDU and CSU Groups in the German Bundestag, Laender
Parliament and the EPP-ED Group of the EP (04/04)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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