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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-06-13
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Horn of Africa: Commission earmarks further €10 million to improve
drought preparedness
[02] Mergers: Commission authorises joint venture between Sonae Indústria
and Tarkett
[03] Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Athlon by De Lage Landen
[04] La Commission organise une consultation en vue de la révision et de
l'extension de la nouvelle approche
[05] European Union observes the upcoming polls in Bolivia
[06] La Commission autorise l’acquisition de Nextiraone Europe par ABN
Amro
[07] Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: towards an action plan on gender
equality
[08] First estimate for the first quarter of 2006 - EU25 current account
deficit 34.3 bn euro - 11.2 bn euro surplus on trade in services
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Remarks by Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Enlargement, at the signing
ceremony of the EU- Albania Stabilisation and Association Agreement and its
Interim Agreement.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-06-13
Reference: MEX/06/0613
Date: 13/06/2006
EXME06 / 13.6
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
13/06/06
[01] Horn of Africa: Commission earmarks further €10 million to improve
drought preparedness
The European Commission is giving a further €10 million in humanitarian
aid to improve drought preparedness in the Greater Horn of Africa. The
lives and livelihoods of around 12 million people are at risk in the region
because of the drought. The Commission's aim is to reduce their
vulnerability through three kinds of measures: preparing communities to
deal with droughts, contingency planning, and strengthening existing early
warning systems. Nomadic and semi-nomadic pastoralists in seven countries
will benefit from the additional assistance (Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia,
Kenya, Somalia, Sudan and Uganda). Today's donation brings the Commission's
total response to the drought in the Greater Horn of Africa to €88
million since 2005, including €27 million in humanitarian assistance.
[02] Mergers: Commission authorises joint venture between Sonae Indústria
and Tarkett
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed joint venture between Sonae Indústria of Portugal and the German
company Tarkett, both active in manufacturing and selling of laminate
floorings. The proposed concentration would result in Sonae Indústria and
Tarkett combining their respective laminate flooring production and sales
operations based in Germany and Luxembourg. The Commission concluded that
the deal would not significantly impede effective competition in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[03] Mergers: Commission approves acquisition of Athlon by De Lage Landen
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of sole control of Athlon, an international provider
of car leasing and car body repair, by De Lage Landen, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Rabobank. De Lage Landen will acquire sole control by way of
a public bid. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not
significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area
(EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[04] La Commission organise une consultation en vue de la révision et de
l'extension de la nouvelle approche
La Commission a lancé une consultation publique sollicitant les avis de
toutes les parties intéressées sur l'amélioration de la "nouvelle
approche", en particulier dans les domaines de l'évaluation de la
conformité, de l'accréditation, du marquage CE et de la surveillance du
marché. La "nouvelle approche", dont l'initiative a été prise il y a
vingt ans, donne d'excellents résultats en permettant aux fabricants de
vendre leurs produits partout dans l'UE, pour autant qu'ils répondent aux
niveaux de sécurité requis. L'expérience a toutefois montré que son
efficacité et sa mise en œuvre peuvent encore être améliorées. Dans le
cadre de cette consultation, une enquête est également réalisée sur les
travaux actuels de la Commission relatifs à la simplification législative
dans le domaine des produits. La Commission envisage de fixer des règles
communes tant pour la nouvelle approche que pour la méthode traditionnelle
d'harmonisation technique (appelée "ancienne approche", en vertu de
laquelle un ensemble complet de spécifications techniques est exigé,
comme dans le secteur des tracteurs). La consultation est aujourd'hui
complétée par un questionnaire auquel toutes les parties intéressées
sont invitées à répondre.
[05] European Union observes the upcoming polls in Bolivia
Following an invitation from the Bolivian Foreign Ministry, the European
Commission has deployed an EU Election Observation Mission (EOM) to the
Constituent Assembly Elections and to the Referendum on Regional Autonomy
elections in Bolivia, both scheduled to take place on 2 July. Bolivian
voters are being invited to designate their representatives to a
Constituent Assembly, which will be charged with drafting a new
Constitution for the country; and to express their view on providing for
regional autonomy within the new Constitution. The EU EOM will be led by
Monica Frassoni, Member of the European Parliament.
[06] La Commission autorise l’acquisition de Nextiraone Europe par ABN
Amro
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition par lequel les fonds AAC France
2005 A et AAC France 2005 B, représentés à cet effet par leur société
de gestion, ABN Amro Capital France, et la société AAC BO Funds BV du
Pays Bas, acquièrent le contrôle du groupe Nextiraone Europe du Pays Bas.
ABN Amro Capital France SA est une société de gestion de portefeuilles
dans le domaine du capital-investissement. AAC BO Funds BV est
principalement actif dans la prise de participations directes ou indirectes
dans des entreprises. Nextiraone Europe fournit des solutions de
télécommunications pour clients professionnels. Il ressort de l'enquête
menée par la Commission européenne que l'opération envisagée
n'entravera pas de manière significative la concurrence dans le marché
commun. Cette affaire a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure
simplifiée.
[07] Euro-Mediterranean Partnership: towards an action plan on gender
equality
More than 100 civil society, government, academic and media representatives
and parliamentarians from the Euro-Mediterranean region will come together
to propose a 5 year action plan for strengthening the role of women in
societies across the region. The work will be done during a Conference on
Women that will take place in the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean
Partnership in Rabat, Morocco, from 14-16 June. The participants will
specifically address the protection and the promotion of women’s rights
as a prerequisite of deepening democracy; women’s participation in
economy; and the role of culture and media, specifically, as instruments
for changing perceptions of gender. The Rabat conference builds on the
women’s conference that took place in Barcelona in November 2005 and will
pave the way for the Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on equality
between men and women that will take place in November this year in
Istanbul.
[08] First estimate for the first quarter of 2006 - EU25 current account
deficit 34.3 bn euro - 11.2 bn euro surplus on trade in services
The EU25 external current account recorded a deficit of 34.3 billion euro
in the first quarter of 2006, as compared to a deficit of 17.9 billion euro
in the first quarter of 2005 and a deficit of 32.0 billion euro in the
fourth quarter of 2005. In the first quarter of 2006 the EU25 external
balance of trade in services recorded a surplus of 11.2 billion euro as
compared to a surplus of 8.8 billion euro in the first quarter of 2005 and
a surplus of 14.4 billion euro in the fourth quarter of 2005. These
provisional data, issued by Eurostat.
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Remarks by Olli Rehn, Commissioner for Enlargement, at the signing
ceremony of the EU- Albania Stabilisation and Association Agreement and its
Interim Agreement.
Prime Minister, on the behalf of the European Commission I warmly
congratulate Albania on today’s signature of the Stabilisation and
Association Agreement and its Interim Agreement. It marks the start of a
new and critical phase on Albania’s EU path. The SAA is the fruit of
several years’ negotiation. This is the first stepping stone towards the
European Union. The SAA is enormously important for Albania’s future and
in particular for its EU perspective. It will foster mutually beneficial
economic and political relations between Albania and the EU. We welcome
Albania’s continued progress in the reforms including on fighting
corruption and organised crime. Nonetheless Albania still faces difficult
reform challenges. The Stabilisation and Association Agreement indeed
provides a solid framework for Albania to address these challenges and for
the EU to support it doing so. A sustained record of successful
implementation of the SAA is essential and critical before considering
further formal steps towards the EU. Dear Prime Minister, we now look to
Albania to show determination in fulfilling the commitments it has made in
the context of this Agreement.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Günter Verheugen on « Sustainibility and Competitiveness »
at the meeting of Vice-President Verheugen with the ENVI Committee in
Strasbourg
Speech by Janez Potocnik on « Why is hydrogen so important for Europe?Â
» at the 16th World Hydrogen Energy Conference in Lyon
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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