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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-06-01
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] L'UE affectera €22 milliards à l'aide à l'Afrique, aux Caraïbes et
aux îles du Pacifique
[02] Commission provides €5 million humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups
in Tajikistan
[03] Commission acts to address gaps in the Timeshare Directive
[04] Politique portuaire : la Commission lance une réflexion globale et
une consultation
[05] La Commission se félicite de la suppression progressive des
incitations fiscales accordées par l'Espagne aux investissements Ã
l'étranger
[06] La Commission autorise le rachat de The Body Shop par L'Oréal
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Orefi by Investcorp
[08] 2007 commence aujourd'hui avec le feu vert donné à l' "Année
européenne de l'égalité des chances pour tous"
[09] Quarterly euro-area GDP growth projections in the range of 0.5% to
0.9% for the second and third quarters of 2006 and 0.4% to 1.0% for the
fourth quarter
[10] April 2006 : Euro area unemployment unchanged at 8.0% ; EU25 stable at
8.3%
[11] Premières estimations pour le premier trimestre 2006 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,6% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,7% - +1,9% et +2,2%
respectivement par rapport au premier trimestre 2005
[12] "Cooperation between cities and regions crucial for jobs and growth",
Danuta Hübner tells Barcelona conference
[13] Joe Borg visits Spain
[14] Taxation : Commission welcomes the OECD survey on tax transparency
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-06-01
Reference: MEX/06/0601
Date: 01/06/2006
EXME06 / 1.6
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
01/06/06
[01] L'UE affectera €22 milliards à l'aide à l'Afrique, aux Caraïbes et
aux îles du Pacifique
Le Conseil des ministres ACP-CE tient sa réunion annuelle les 1er et 2
juin à Port Moresby (Papouasie-Nouvelle-Guinée). Les participants se
mettront d'accord sur une enveloppe d'aide d'un montant de €22 milliards
octroyée au titre du 10ème Fonds européen de développement (FED) pour
la période 2008 à 2013. Ils examineront également les questions des
migrations et du développement, du commerce, des changements climatiques
ainsi que les stratégies récemment approuvées par l'UE en faveur de
l'Afrique, des Caraïbes et des îles du Pacifique.
[02] Commission provides €5 million humanitarian aid to vulnerable groups
in Tajikistan
The European Commission has granted a €5 million humanitarian aid package
to continue meeting the needs of vulnerable groups in Tajikistan. The aid
provided will focus on improving the health and living conditions of
vulnerable communities and facilitate the establishment and functioning of
a national medicine procurement system in order to reinforce local
capacities. The emphasis in this final planned funding decision will be on
linking relief to rehabilitation and development. The funding is channelled
through the Commission's Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO),
under the responsibility of Commissioner Louis Michel, and distributed to
the local population through humanitarian NGOs and international agencies
operating in Tajikistan.
[03] Commission acts to address gaps in the Timeshare Directive
The European Commission is today launching a wide public consultation on
the Timeshare Directive (94/47/EC). Timeshare contracts entitle consumers
to spend a period of time (at least one week) in a holiday property for at
least three years. The Timeshare Directive sets minimum standards for
consumer protection throughout the EU, such as ensuring that consumers
receive adequate information on the property. The legislation also seeks to
prevent "pressure selling" by allowing for a cooling-off period where
withdrawal is possible and money deposits are not allowed. However, some
operators have introduced new timeshare-like products which take advantage
of regulatory loopholes, leading to a number of complaints by consumers.
"Consumers should have every confidence that they will not be taken for a
ride if they opt for a timeshare formula or similar products", said Health
and Consumer Protection Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou. "I want to make
sure that unscrupulous traders do not take advantage of potential clients
– many of whom sign up to these products after falling in love with a
holiday resort."
[04] Politique portuaire : la Commission lance une réflexion globale et
une consultation
La Commission européenne participera à la conférence de l'Organisation
des ports maritimes européens (European Sea Ports Organisation - ESPO),
intitulée "A European Policy for Seaports – Suggestions on the way
forward", qui se tient à Stockholm les 1er et 2 juin. La Commission désire
qu'une réflexion globale et une large consultation soient engagées pour
redéfinir les fondements de la future politique portuaire européenne.
Cette politique devra prévoir l'achèvement du marché intérieur dans ce
domaine, encourager des investissements transparents et non discriminatoires
et renforcer le rôle des ports dans la chaîne de transport.
[05] La Commission se félicite de la suppression progressive des
incitations fiscales accordées par l'Espagne aux investissements Ã
l'étranger
La Commission européenne a salué la notification par le gouvernement
espagnol de son acceptation officielle de la recommandation de la
Commission du 22 mars 2006 (voir IP/06/355) lui enjoignant d'abolir
progressivement, au plus tard avant la fin de l'année 2010, les avantages
fiscaux accordés aux sociétés espagnoles qui investissent à l'étranger,
parce qu'ils faussent la concurrence et les échanges au sein du Marché
unique. L'acceptation de l'Espagne rend l'abolition de ces incitations
juridiquement contraignante conformément aux règles du traité CE en
matière d'aides d'Etat et mettra fin à un système d'aide au
fonctionnement en vigueur de longue date en Espagne.
[06] La Commission autorise le rachat de The Body Shop par L'Oréal
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement sur les
concentrations le projet d'acquisition de la société britannique The Body
Shop International plc par le groupe français L'Oréal SA. Après l'avoir
examinée, la Commission a conclu que l'opération n'entraînerait pas de
hausse des prix des cosmétiques au détriment des consommateurs européens
ni n'entraverait significativement d'une autre manière une concurrence
effective dans l'Espace économique européen ou une partie substantielle
de celui-ci.
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Orefi by Investcorp
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Orefi Participation
(Orefi) of France by Investcorp Investment Holding Limited (Investcorp) of
the UK. Investcorp is an international financial institution acting as a
principal and as an intermediary in international investment transactions.
Orefi is a distributor of industrial supplies, operating 99 sales branches
and eight warehouses in France and the Netherlands. The operation was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[08] 2007 commence aujourd'hui avec le feu vert donné à l' "Année
européenne de l'égalité des chances pour tous"
La Commission européenne a aujourd'hui accueilli avec satisfaction la
décision du Conseil et du Parlement de proclamer 2007 "Année européenne
de l'égalité des chances pour tous". Celle-ci aura pour objectif de
sensibiliser les Européens à leur droit de ne pas faire l'objet de
discriminations, de promouvoir l'égalité des chances dans des domaines
tels que l'emploi et les soins de santé, et de montrer à quel point la
diversité renforce l'UE. Elle s'articulera autour de quatre thèmes: les
droits, la représentation, la reconnaissance et le respect et sera doté
d'un budget total de €15 millions pour les douze mois d'activités.
[09] Quarterly euro-area GDP growth projections in the range of 0.5% to
0.9% for the second and third quarters of 2006 and 0.4% to 1.0% for the
fourth quarter
The dynamic factor model for quarterly GDP growth in the euro area,
developed by the European Commission's Directorate General for Economic and
Financial Affairs, projects a range of 0.5% to 0.9% for GDP growth in the
second and third quarters of 2006, slightly higher than the previous
release (12 April). The projected range for GDP growth in the fourth
quarter is 0.4% to 1.0%. The projections support the outcome of the
Commission's spring economic forecasts published earlier in May.
[10] April 2006 : Euro area unemployment unchanged at 8.0% ; EU25 stable at
8.3%
Euro area seasonally-adjusted unemployment stood at 8.0% in April 2006,
unchanged compared to March 2006. It was 8.7% in April 2005. The EU25
unemployment rate was 8.3% in April 2006, unchanged compared to March. It
was 8.9% in April 2005. In April 2006, the lowest rates were registered in
the Netherlands (3.8%), Denmark (4.3% in March), Ireland (4.3%), Luxembourg
(4.8%) and Austria (4.9%). Unemployment rates were highest in Poland
(16.5%), Slovakia (15.5%), Greece (9.6% in the fourth quarter 2005), France
(8.9%) and Malta (8.5%). These figures come from Eurostat.
[11] Premières estimations pour le premier trimestre 2006 : le PIB de la
zone euro en hausse de 0,6% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,7% - +1,9% et +2,2%
respectivement par rapport au premier trimestre 2005
Au cours du premier trimestre 2006, le PIB de la zone euro a augmenté de 0,
6% et celui de l'UE25 de 0,7% par rapport au trimestre précédent, selon
les premières estimations publiées par Eurostat. Au cours du
quatrième trimestre 2005, les taux avaient été de +0,3% pour la zone
euro et de +0,4% pour l'UE25. En comparaison avec le premier trimestre 2005,
le PIB de la zone euro a enregistré une croissance de 1,9% et celui de
l'UE25 de 2,2%, contre respectivement +1,7% et +1,9% au trimestre
précédent.
[12] "Cooperation between cities and regions crucial for jobs and growth",
Danuta Hübner tells Barcelona conference
The new Cohesion policy means growth and quality jobs for those towns and
cities which will establish partnerships with their regions, said European
Regional policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner, today, at the Conference
"Preparing Urban Actions in the Future Structural Fund Programmes 2007-
2013", in Barcelona. During her opening speech the Commissioner noted that
new tools and new funding methods will become available for towns and
cities in the coming days and urged them to take full advantage of the
opportunity. The Commissioner is also meeting with Pascual Maragall,
President of the government of Catalonia, Joan Clos i Mathe, mayor of
Barcelona, and visiting La Mina district, the urban regeneration plan of
which is benefiting from EU funding.
[13] Joe Borg visits Spain
Today, Joe Borg, European Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs,
begins a three-day visit to Spain. His first engagement will be to address
the 14th High Level Conference of the Alliance of Maritime Regional
Interests in Europe (AMRIE) which is being held in Gijon. Mr Borg will
outline the approach adopted by the Commission in its Green Paper on a
European Maritime Policy due to be published next Wednesday. Commissioner
Borg will then go to Barcelona, where he will meet with the Catalonian
authorities before meeting with representatives of the fishing industry
from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. On Friday, he Borg will travel to
Murcia where he will have meetings with industry representatives from
Murcia and Valencia before travelling to Almeria where he will meet with
local stakeholders. Topics to be discussed during the various meetings will
include the proposed Mediterranean regulation, the economic difficulties of
the fleets, the proposed European Fisheries Fund on which Council failed to
reach agreement recently, tuna fisheries and the fisheries agreement with
Morocco. On Saturday morning, the Spanish fisheries minister Ms Elena
Espinosa Mangana will join the Commissioner on a tour of the Maritime
Reserve at Cabo de Gata. Later, their discussions will cover issues of
concern to the Spanish fishing industry - those raised during the
Commissioner's visit as well as others such as the anchovy fishery in the
Bay of Biscay and long distance fisheries. Throughout his meetings with the
sector, Commissioner Borg will encourage stakeholders to take part in the
setting up of the Mediterranean Regional Advisory Council (RAC). RACs
enable stakeholders to participate in the management of the fisheries of
interest to them.
[14] Taxation : Commission welcomes the OECD survey on tax transparency
European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union László Kovács
welcomes the OECD progress report on international tax cooperation issued
on 29 May. This report is in line with Commission's policy to promote good
governance in tax matters by enhancing transparency of tax systems and
exchange of information. The Commission is of the opinion that cooperation
must take place on a geographical basis as wide as possible with third
countries and in particular with significant financial centres. The OECD
survey includes 82 OECD and non-OECD countries and jurisdictions. It shows
that many countries have enhanced transparency by introducing rules on
customer due diligence, information gathering powers and the immobilisation
of bearer shares. Many countries have also entered into tax information
exchange agreements. It shows, at the same time, that further progress is
still needed in a number of countries. Online survey :
<a href="http://www.oecd.org/document/28/0,2340,en_2649_37427_36789980_1_1_1_37427,
00.html">http://www.oecd.org/document/28/0,2340,en_2649_37427_36789980_1_1_1_37427,
00.html
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Jacques Barrot : "Keep Europe Moving" at Conference of the
European Sea Ports Organisation (Stockholm, ! embargo 02/06, 10h00 !)
Speech by Benita Ferrero-Waldner : "Situation of prisoners in Guantanamo"
at European Parliament's plenary session (31/05)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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