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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-07-17Midday 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 Communicationb17/07/06[01] At the heart of business : Commission sends its staff to SMEs to gain in-house experienceInstead of drafting EU legislation, 350 senior EU officials will be baking bread, working in carpentry or repairing oil and gas pipelines – and Vice President Verheugen and his private office are no exception. Under the so- called 'Enterprise Experience' programme kicked-off today, the European Commission will send out all of its senior staff (administrators) from the Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry to work for one week in a small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). This unique programme is designed to enhance the knowledge of all 350 senior civil servants in the Commission's Directorate General for Enterprise and Industry about the environment in which enterprises, and in particular SMEs, operate. 'Enterprise Experience' will help Commission officials to better understand the needs of SMEs and to better appreciate business-specific problems. This will also facilitate the Commission's objective to improve the quality of its lawmaking under its Better Regulation drive. Commission officials going local to gain hands-on business experience, to listen and explain the EU is part of the Commission's intention to reach out to Europe's citizens.[02] De nouvelles mesures européennes renforceront la sécurité juridique dans les procédures de divorce transfrontalièresLa Commission européenne a adopté aujourd'hui deux initiatives visant à définir des règles claires qui simplifient la vie des couples dans l'Union européenne. Du fait de la mobilité croissante des citoyens, les couples de nationalités différentes et les couples vivant dans un autre Etat membre que leur pays d'origine sont en effet en constante augmentation. La Commission a donc présenté deux séries de mesures destinées à aplanir les obstacles que ces couples rencontrent actuellement lorsqu'ils divorcent et doivent partager leur patrimoine. Grâce à la première initiative, il devrait être plus facile aux citoyens de prévoir le droit qui régira leur divorce et d'avoir accès à la justice pour cette procédure. La seconde initiative lance une consultation publique sur le droit applicable, la compétence et la reconnaissance en matière de droits patrimoniaux des couples mariés et non mariés. Ces deux initiatives s'inscrivent dans le cadre des travaux actuellement menés par l'UE pour créer un espace judiciaire commun.[03] Commission holds public hearing on competition in retail bankingThe European Commission is holding a public hearing in Brussels on 17th July to discuss the preliminary findings of its sector inquiry into competition in retail banking. The sector inquiry is looking at the markets for payment cards and for core retail banking services in the EU. In its interim report on payment cards, published in April (see IP/06/496 and MEMO/06/164), the Commission highlighted significant market barriers which pushed up prices for firms and consumers. The Commission has now published its interim report on core retail banking services, including current accounts and related services, which shows clear evidence of fragmented markets and of areas where markets are not working as well as they should. The Commission is keen to learn the views of all stakeholders as to the causes of these problems, before reaching final conclusions.[04] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de MAN Roland par ACPLa Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition de l'entreprise MAN Roland Druckmaschinen Aktiengesellschaft Offenbach (MAN Roland, Allemagne) par ACP Vermögensverwaltung GmbH & Co. KG Nr. 4a (ACP, Allemagne), contrôlée par Allianz AG (Allianz, Allemagne). ACP est actif dans l'investissement. MAN Roland est spécialisé dans les opérations de finance, assurance et gestion d'actifs. Il ressort de l'enquête menée par la Commission que l'opération envisagée n'entravera pas de manière significative la concurrence dans le marché commun. Cette affaire a été traitée selon la procédure simplifiée.[05] Commission clears acquisition of Limoni by BridgepointThe European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Limoni Holdings S.p.A and its subsidiaries (Limoni) of Italy by Bridgepoint Europe III belonging to the Bridgepoint Capital Group Ltd. (Bridgepoint) of the UK. Bridgepoint is a private equity company investing in a wide range of sectors through the EU and beyond. Limoni is mainly active in the retail sale of perfumes and cosmetics in Italy, Croatia and Slovenia. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.[06] Commission clears acquisition of telent by FortressThe European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of UK company telent plc by Fortress Investment Group LLC (Fortress) of the US. Fortress is a private investment firm providing alternative investment and asset management for a diverse group of institutional and private investors. telent supplies a broad range of communications support services to telecommunications operators, large companies and the public sector. The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.[07] Money laundering and terrorist financing : Commission adopts 'level 2' implementing measures to Third DirectiveThe European Commission has adopted technical measures implementing the Third Directive on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. The Directive was adopted in October 2005 (IP/05/682) and is to be implemented at the latest in December 2007. These technical measures were previously endorsed under the comitology procedure by the Committee for the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (IP/06/605) - a regulatory committee composed of Member States and chaired by the Commission - and by the European Parliament. The measures are based on extensive stakeholder consultation and address the following: (a) a definition of what should be understood by the term 'Politically Exposed Person' ; (b) technical criteria allowing the extension of situations in which the procedures for customer due diligence may be simplified ; and (c) technical criteria allowing Member States to exclude from the scope of the application of the Directive those persons/entities conducting financial activities on an occasional or very limited basis.Further information is available at: <a href="http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/company/financial- crime/index_en.htm">http://europa.eu.int/comm/internal_market/company/financial- crime/index_en.htm [08] Accounting : new Commission expert group to ensure balanced advice on accounting standardsThe European Commission has established a Standards Advice Review Group in the area of accounting to ensure objectivity and proper balance of the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group's (EFRAG) opinions. The Group will be composed of independent experts and high-level representatives from National Standard Setters whose experience and competence in accounting are widely recognised. The Group's task will be to assess whether the endorsement advice given by the EFRAG is well balanced and objective. The group will deliver its advice normally within three weeks. The final advice will be published on the Commission's website.[09] Juin 2006 : le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro stable à 2,5% ; l'UE25 stable à 2,4%Le taux d'inflation annuel de la zone euro a été de 2,5% en juin 2006, inchangé par rapport à mai. Un an auparavant, il était de 2,1%. Le taux d'inflation mensuel a été de 0,1% en juin 2006. Le taux d'inflation annuel de l'UE25 a été de 2,4% en juin 2006, inchangé par rapport à mai. Un an auparavant, il était de 2,0%. Le taux d'inflation mensuel a été de 0,1% en juin 2006. Le taux d'inflation annuel de l'IPCE a été de 2,4% en juin 2006. Ces chiffres sont publiés par Eurostat.[10] May 2006 compared to April 2006 : industrial production up by 1.6% in euro area ; up by 1.2% in EU25Seasonally adjusted industrial production rose by 1.6% in the euro area in May 2006 compared to April. Production fell by 0.7% in April3 and rose by 0.8% in March. Output in the EU25 gained 1.2% in May, after a decrease of 0.2% in April and an increase of 0.6% in March. In May 2006 compared to May 2005, industrial production rose by 4.9% in the euro area and by 4.7% in the EU25. These estimates are released by Eurostat.[11] Enseignement supérieur : la Commission soutient les réformes universitaires dans les pays voisinsLe programme Tempus soutient les réformes de l'enseignement supérieur dans les pays voisins de l'UE. Par les projets de coopération universitaire et les mesures structurelles relevant du programme Tempus, l'UE apporte sa contribution à la modernisation des systèmes d'enseignement supérieur dans les pays partenaires qui entourent l'Europe. La Commission a approuvé aujourd'hui 110 nouveaux projets de coopération universitaire et 61 mesures structurelles dans le cadre du programme Tempus.[12] Commission provides €20 million food aid to the PalestiniansThe European Commission is providing a €20 million aid package to bring food assistance to the most vulnerable Palestinians. The package includes €15 million, channelled through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to provide food and cash subsidies to the Palestinian refugees registered as special hardship cases. Another €5 million, via the UN's World Food Programme (WFP), will help to meet basic food requirements for those non-refugee vulnerable people who have been deprived of their main source of livelihood. This aid is separate from the €105 million which the Commission recently announced for the Temporary International Mechanism, and brings the total made available to the Palestinian population so far this year to €329 million, considerably above the average annual provision made by the Commission.[13] Water for Gaza : Commission brings further relief under the Temporary International MechanismThe European Commission is taking further action under the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) to alleviate the conditions in Gaza. In the coming days, deliveries of fuel will be made to water pumping stations and water treatment plants, to power emergency generators. These plants, essential to public health and hygiene, have been relying on generators for much of each day, since the destruction by the Israeli Defence Force of the 6 transformers of the Gaza Power Plant two weeks ago. The Commission's distribution plan will cover 109 water supply stations and 27 waste water plants located in the Gaza strip. This new initiative is in addition to action already taken to provide fuel for hospitals in Gaza. Through the TIM the Commission has already distributed over 120,000 liters of fuel to power the generators of eight public hospitals. The Commission is enlarging the fuel distribution plan to cover 25 health care centres that have generators. The Commission has allocated €105 million to the TIM. Taken together with new allocations of humanitarian and food aid announced in recent days, this brings the total made available from the Community Budget so far this year to the Palestinians to €329 million, considerably above the average annual provision made by the Commission.[14] Iraq : Commission appoints first Head of DelegationThe European Commission has appointed the Head of its newly-established Commission Delegation in Iraq. This decision paves the way for a reinforcement of the Commission's presence in the country and will contribute to the deepening of EU-Iraq relations. Ilkka Uusitalo is an experienced Finnish member of the Commission staff, who has most recently served as Head of Delegation in Pakistan. He and his team will work to support Iraq in its transition to political stability and economic prosperity.[15] Autre matériel diffuséEnterprise Experience – example(s) and how it worksNew Community rules on applicable law and jurisdiction in divorce matters to increase legal certainty and flexibility and ensure access to court in "international" divorce proceedings Livre vert sur le règlement des conflits de lois en matière de régime matrimonial, traitant notamment de la question de la compétence judiciaire et de la reconnaissance mutuelle Opening remarks by Neelie Kroes at public hearing on preliminary findings of retail banking sector inquiry Preparation Agriculture/Fisheries Council of July 2006 Summary note on the joint report by Javier Solana, EU High Representative for the CFSP, and Olli Rehn, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, on the future EU Role and Contribution in Kosovo Speech by Mariann Fischer Boel : "Time for Transparency on CAP Payments" at Transparency event organised by Farmsubsidy.org Speech by Siim Kallas at Farmsubsidy.org - Transparency event
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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