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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-02-14
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] José Manuel Barroso and Olli Rehn in the Western Balkans (15-18/02)
[02] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to visit South Caucasus (16-17/02)
[03] EU-Russia Foreign Ministers Troika meeting
[04] Commission provides emergency aid for Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria
[05] La Commission consacrera €6 millions à la préparation aux
catastrophes naturelles en Asie du Sud
[06] La Commission approuve l'acquisition conjointe d'Erdemir par Arcelor
et par le fonds turc Oyak
[07] WTO condemns US tax subsidies ; EU calls on US to end illegal tax
breaks for Boeing ; others
[08] Estimations rapides pour le quatrième trimestre 2005 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,3% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,4% ; +1,7% et +1,8%
respectivement par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2004
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-02-14
Reference: MEX/06/0214
Date: 14/02/2006
EXME06 / 14.2
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
14/02/06
[01] José Manuel Barroso and Olli Rehn in the Western Balkans (15-18/02)
The European Commission President José Manuel Barroso will make his first
official visit to the Western Balkans on 15-18 February 2006, accompanied
by Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn. They will travel to Croatia, Serbia
and Montenegro (including Kosovo), the former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia, Albania, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
[02] Benita Ferrero-Waldner to visit South Caucasus (16-17/02)
The European Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighbourhood
Policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will make her first bilateral visit to the
three countries of the South Caucasus on 16 and 17 February. Her visits to
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia demonstrate the Commission's commitment to
lay the foundations for a deeper relationship between the EU and the South
Caucasus, through the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) and to support
these partner countries’ own reform programmes. While visiting the
capitals Yerevan, Baku and Tbilisi, Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner will meet
with the Heads of State of all three countries (Presidents Kocharian,
Aliyev and Saakashvili) as well as with leading politicians, including the
respective Ministers for Foreign Affairs and the Speakers of Parliament in
all three countries. She will discuss current consultations preparing ENP
Action Plans with each country, the "frozen conflicts" in the region, and
topical issues related to energy security.
[03] EU-Russia Foreign Ministers Troika meeting
The European Commissioner for External Relations and Neighbourhood Policy,
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, will participate in an EU-Russia Foreign Ministers
Troika in Vienna on 15 February, together with Austrian Foreign Minister
Ursula Plassnik and Finnish Foreign Minister Erkki Tuomioja. The Russian
side will be represented by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Nearly a year
after the EU and Russia agreed road maps for four "common spaces", the
Troika meeting is an opportunity to give new impetus to the implementation
of the spaces before the Russia Summit in Sochi in May. Discussions are
also expected to focus on international issues such as Ukraine, Moldova,
South Caucasus, the Middle East, Iran, the Western Balkans and Belarus.
[04] Commission provides emergency aid for Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria
The European Commission grants €900,000 of emergency humanitarian aid to
the Sahrawi refugees in the camps in the region of Tindouf (Algeria). Three
of the four camps were devastated end of last week by heavy rains and
floods.
[05] La Commission consacrera €6 millions à la préparation aux
catastrophes naturelles en Asie du Sud
La Commission européenne a débloqué une enveloppe d'aide humanitaire de
€6 millions pour poursuivre et développer ses activités de
préparation aux catastrophes naturelles en Asie du Sud. Ces fonds sont
alloués par l'intermédiaire du service d'aide humanitaire de la
Commission européenne (ECHO), sous la responsabilité du commissaire Louis
Michel. L'assistance fournie par ce troisième plan d'action DIPECHO vise Ã
renforcer la capacité de réponse des populations vulnérables vivant dans
une des régions du monde les plus exposées aux risques de catastrophes
naturelles.
[06] La Commission approuve l'acquisition conjointe d'Erdemir par Arcelor
et par le fonds turc Oyak
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement communautaire
sur les concentrations, le projet d'acquisition de la société turque
Eregli Demir ve Celik Fabrikalari T.A.S (Erdemir) par la société
luxembourgeoise Arcelor AS (Arcelor) et le fonds turc Ordu Yardimlasma
Kurumu (Oyak). La Commission a estimé que le projet d'opération
n'entraverait pas de façon significative une concurrence effective dans
l'Espace Economique Européen ou dans une partie substantielle de celui-ci.
[07] WTO condemns US tax subsidies ; EU calls on US to end illegal tax
breaks for Boeing ; others
The WTO Appellate Body backed on 13 February EU condemnation of US federal
tax subsidies for exporters in the FSC dispute. A WTO Panel had previously
found in favour of the EU by concluding that despite some changes to its
domestic legislation the US has yet to abide by earlier rulings and
recommendations of the WTO Dispute Settlement Body on its payments of
export tax subsidies preserved in the "transition" and "grand-fathering"
provisions of the revised Jobs Act that have been judged to violate WTO
rules. Once the Appellate Body report has been adopted by the WTO in thirty
days time the US will have 60 days to bring its legislation into line with
its WTO obligations. After that time EU retaliatory measures will be re-
imposed, unless the US has complied in the meantime.
[08] Estimations rapides pour le quatrième trimestre 2005 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,3% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,4% ; +1,7% et +1,8%
respectivement par rapport au quatrième trimestre 2004
Au cours du quatrième trimestre 2005, le PIB de la zone euro a augmenté
de 0,3% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,4% par rapport au trimestre précédent,
selon les estimations rapides publiées par Eurostat. Au cours du
troisième trimestre 2005, la croissance avait été de 0,6% dans les deux
zones.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Vladimir Å pidla : "Together in Europe, together in North Rhine-
Westphalia - Equality and diversity in businesses, associations and public
administration" at the European Symposium organised by the Land of North
Rhine-Westphalia (13/02)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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