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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-06-09Midday Express: News from the EU Commission Spokesman's Briefings Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>CONTENTS / CONTENU
MIDDAY EXPRESSNews from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefingNouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb09/06/06[01] Marché unique des transports aériens entre l'Union européenne et SingapourLe vice-président de la Commission européenne, Jacques Barrot, le vice chancelier autrichien, Hubert Gorbach, et le sécrétaire d’Etat aux finances et aux transports de Singapour, Yeo Cheow Tong, ont signé aujourd'hui un accord dans le domaine de l'aviation qui permettra au compagnies aériennes communautaires d'exploiter des services aériens entre Singapour et les États membres de l'Union européenne. Singapour est le premier pays asiatique signer un accord «horizontal» avec la Communauté européenne dans ce domaine.[02] EU & South East Europe: first steps towards an extended Single Aviation MarketThe European Union and Transport Ministers of South-East European partners (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and the United Nations Mission in Kosovo), Iceland and Norway have opened for signature the agreement to create a European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) in Luxembourg today. The ECAA Agreement is the first comprehensive aviation agreement accomplished since the adoption of a roadmap to develop the Union’s external aviation policy. A fundamental aim of this policy is to create a wider Common Aviation Area with neighbouring countries by 2010, starting with the integration of South East-Europe into the single European aviation market and continuing with the expansion of the common aviation area to the whole neighbourhood of the EU.[03] Accord pour un corridor de fret ferroviaire haut débitLes Ministres de Belgique, du Luxembourg, de Suisse et de France ont signé aujourd’hui en présence de Jacques Barrot, Vice-président de la Commission en charge des transports, une lettre d’intention portant sur la réalisation d’une corridor de fret ferroviaire interopérable reliant Anvers, Bâle et Lyon grâce au système européen de signalisation ERTMS.[04] L´axe ferroviaire Paris-Strasbourg-Stuttgart-Vienne-Bratislava progresse grande vitesseLes Ministres d’Allemagne, d’ Autriche de Slovaquie et de France, ont signé une déclaration d´intention, s´engageant réaliser l´axe ferroviaire grande vitesse « Paris-Strasbourg-Stuttgart-Vienne- Bratislava » dans les meilleurs délais possible.[05] Bathing Water: Large majority of beaches continues to meet EU standardsA large majority of bathing sites across the EU-25 continued to meet EU cleanliness standards in 2005, according to the annual bathing water report presented by the European Commission today. However, the proportion of compliant sites decreased slightly in coastal areas and more significantly at inland bathing sites like lakes and rivers. Coming just before the bathing season begins, the report provides useful water quality information for the millions of people who visit Europe's beaches each summer. While 96% of coastal bathing sites met the mandatory standards of the EU bathing water directive last year, the proportion of inland waters in compliance continued to fall, decreasing by almost four percentage points to 86%. These falls were mainly due to insufficient sampling of water quality which counts as non compliance.[06] “An external EU energy policy cannot work without strong commitment to the internal market”, says Energy Commissioner PiebalgsAt the World Gas Conference in Amsterdam, Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs addressed the growing role of gas in both EU and world energy supply. He underlined the increasing importance of LNG (liquefied natural gas), the need for a stable regulatory framework for infrastructure investment and the compatibility of supply security and competition. The EU is currently developing a new energy policy, which for gas is based on three pillars: encouraging investment, a coordinated EU approach and international cooperation.[07] EU and Greenland initial new fisheries partnership agreementThe European Commission, on behalf of the European Union, and Greenland have recently initialled a Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) for a period of six years, from 1 January 2007. This fisheries agreement will replace the current one, which has been in force since 1985. The new Protocol under the FPA provides fishing opportunities on several species in Greenland waters. Part will go to the EU fleet and another part will be used for exchange of quotas with third countries to balance the EU fisheries agreements in the North Atlantic. The annual EU financial contribution will be € 15,847,244, of which 25% is earmarked for support to the Greenlandic fisheries policy. In addition to the EU financial contribution, a payment of € 2,000,000 is expected from ship owners in the form of licence fees. Greenland will also receive € 25 million from the EU for cooperation in areas other than fisheries. This means that, in all, Greenland will receive the same amount as it does under the current fisheries protocol.[08] Energy savings: Cooperation with the USA on promoting energy efficient office equipmentThe European Commission and the US Environmental Protection Agency have successfully finalized the negotiations on a new EU-US Agreement on the ENERGY STAR for office equipment. The new Agreement is expected to be concluded in autumn. It provides the framework for continuing EU-US cooperation on fostering the energy efficiency of computers, monitors, copiers, printers, scanners and fax machines and contains new demanding and innovative energy efficiency criteria. These cover the energy consumption both in the standby and in the use phase, and will be further developed and adapted to future technology and market evolution. New criteria for computers are currently under development and will be added soon. ENERGY STAR is part of the Community strategy to better manage energy demand, contribute to security of energy supply and mitigate climate change. Further information on the programme is available at <a href="http://www.eu- energystar.org">www.eu-energystar.org.[09] European Commission and the Government of Timor-Leste sign strategic document on their cooperation for the period 2006-2007The European Commission and the Government of Timor-Leste have signed today the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) for 2006-2007. Timor-Leste ratified the Cotonou Agreement in December 2005. The CSP foresees an envelope of € 18 million and is accompanied by a National Indicative Programme (NIP) that identifies sustainable rural development and institutional capacity building as the main areas for the EC cooperation in the next two years.[10] Commission supports Ukraine to becom 37th Member Country of EUREKAThe European Commission has decided to support Ukraine’s request to join EUREKA, a pan-European network for market-oriented, industrial research and development. Its aim is to reinforce Europe’s competitiveness by promoting collaborative projects which address market needs. EUREKA is open to all European countries which accept the terms of the Declaration of Principles, set out when EUREKA was established. The Conference of Ministers must then give the green light to the accession, after which a Memorandum of Understanding is signed. The European Commission, which represents the EU in EUREKA, has therefore signalled its intention to support Ukraine’s membership at the Conference of Ministers. For more information on EUREKA - www.eureka.be .[11] EU guarantees access to air travel for people with reduced mobilityThe Transport Council adopted a Regulation which will guarantee people with reduced mobility the same access to air transport as any other passenger when flying out of European Union airports (COM(2005)47 – IP/05/182). “These rules will enable the elderly and people with reduced mobility to travel in Europe under the best possible conditions", said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the European Commission responsible for transport. Around 10% of the European Union’s population have reduced mobility – primarily disabled and elderly people. The Regulation now adopted by the Council, which applies to EU and third country carriers alike, prohibits operators from denying reservation or boarding to persons because of their disability or age. It also guarantees them the right to receive assistance free of charge in airports and on board aircraft. The Regulation will apply in all Member States with effect from two years following the date of its publication in the Official Journal, except Articles 3 (prevention of refusal of carriage) and 4 (derogations for safety reasons), which will apply with effect from one year following the date of publication in the Official Journal.[12] First quarter 2006 compared to fourth quarter 2005 - Production in the construction sector down by 1.3% in the euro area - Down by 0.8% in the EU25In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production fell by 1.3% in the euro area and by 0.8% in the EU25 in the first quarter of 2006, compared to the previous quarter. In the fourth quarter of 20054, production decreased by 0.2% in the euro area and remained stable in the EU25. Compared to the first quarter of 2005, output in the first quarter of 2006 rose by 0.4% in both the euro area and EU25, after increases of 0.6% and 1.1% respectively in the fourth quarter of 20054. These first estimates are released by Eurostat.[13] Animal Welfare in Transport: Navigation systems up for discussionThe European Commission is hosting a conference on satellite navigation systems for road vehicles used to transport animals on long journeys, in Varese, Italy on 12-13 June. Under the new Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, which will enter into force in January 2007, newly built vehicles transporting animals for 8 hours or more will be required to have satellite navigation systems installed. This will be mandatory for all vehicles used for transporting animals on long journeys from January 2009. The satellite navigation systems will allow Member States to improve their animal inspections and ensure that the new animal transport legislation is being fully and properly applied. Before the new Regulation enters into force, the Commission will propose specific requirements for this navigation system. The aim of the conference in Varese is to receive broad input into the technical aspects of such systems and how they can be further developed. A wide range of stakeholders, including European livestock traders and transporters, animal welfare organisations and navigation system developers will participate in these discussions. The Commission then will use the input from the conference, as well as feedback from a previous questionnaire which was circulated to stakeholders on this issue, to draw up a proposal on the technical requirements for satellite navigation systems. This proposal will be voted on by Member States through the Comitology procedure, with a view to the requirements being established before the end of the year. For more information, see: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/transport/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/welfare/transport/index_en.htm[14] Rédiffusion[15] Energy Council takes steps forward in developing a European Energy PolicyEnergy Commissioner Piebalgs stated: “Today’s Energy Council took important steps towards formulating an integrated European Energy Policy, as requested by Hampton Court European Council and builds on the Commission’s Green Paper for a Sustainable, Competitive and Secure European Energy Policy. In particular, the discussions on international energy policy, the internal electricity and gas market and sustainable energy policy showed clear determination to reach concrete conclusions providing for real progress by the end of this year.”[16] Ministers hail largest energy internal market in the world – Energy Community TreatyThe signatories of the Energy Community Treaty have today welcomed its coming into force on 1 July this year, at the Ministerial meeting of the Energy Community held in Luxembourg. The Energy Community Treaty creates the largest internal energy market in the world, bringing together the 25 Member States of the European Union with 9 close European states and territories into a single trading block. Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs who participated in the meeting welcomed this achievement. “The Energy Community is becoming a central plank of our external energy policy, providing a means to spread EU standards and a way for non-EU countries to access the EU market; the Treaty is a success for all concerned”, he said.[17] Autre matériel diffuséSpeech by Stavros Dimas on “Maritime Policy at the Heart of Marine Protection” at the Conference on the Green Paper on Maritime Policy at the committee of the RegionSpeech by Marianne Fischer-Boel on “The view of the European Region on the role of FAO as provider of public goods” at the 25th Conference of the FAO in Riga Speech by Margot Wallström on “Europe: where you set the agenda”at the Plan D visit to Poland in Krakow Speech by Charlie McCreevy on “The Island economy in a European Context” in Newry Bathing water : overview of the situation in Member States Calendrier hebdomadaire du 12 au 18 juin 2006
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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