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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 06-09-19
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] La Commission solidaire de l'Espagne, de l'Italie et de Malte dans
l'accueil des immigrés clandestins
[02] EU-wide biometric database Eurodac continues to ensure effective
management of the Common European Asylum System
[03] Commission proposes to introduce definition of driftnets in three
regulations
[04] Création d'une industrie textile compétitive : la Commission se
félicite des recommandations du groupe de haut niveau
[05] Commission clears acquisition of Caudwell by Providence
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Caudwell Group Mobile Distribution
Business by Doughty Hanson
[07] Commission clears acquisition of FBG by BC Partners and Buziol
[08] Commission pushes forward cooperation with China on food and product
safety
[09] Customs cooperation : Commission and China strengthen cooperation on
supply chain security
[10] Journée sans voiture 2006 : près d'une voiture pour deux habitants
dans l'UE25 en 2004 ; le nombre de voitures a augmenté de près de 40%
entre 1990 et 2004
[11] First meeting of Banking expert group
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2006-09-19
Reference: MEX/06/0919
Date: 19/09/2006
EXME06 / 19.6
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
19/09/06
[01] La Commission solidaire de l'Espagne, de l'Italie et de Malte dans
l'accueil des immigrés clandestins
La Commission européenne a décidé aujourd'hui le cofinancement de six
actions spécifiques dédiées à des situations d'urgence au titre de
son programme ARGO 2005/2006, qui seront mises en Å“uvre en Espagne, Ã
Malte et en Italie. Cette décision est la concrétisation de l'engagement
de la Commission de mettre rapidement en œuvre des actions prévues afin
d'aider immédiatement et efficacement les Etats membres confrontés au
problème de l'immigration clandestine par voie maritime et d'éviter de
nouvelles pertes de vies humaines.
[02] EU-wide biometric database Eurodac continues to ensure effective
management of the Common European Asylum System
The third annual report on the activities of Eurodac was published today by
the European Commission. The report gives essential information on patterns
of asylum seeking and illegal entry in the EU and shows that 16% of all
applications in 2005 were 'multiple applications' - asylum claims where the
same person has already made an application in the same country or in
another Member State.
[03] Commission proposes to introduce definition of driftnets in three
regulations
The European Commission adopted today a proposal to amend three Regulations
that relate to the use of drift nets by introducing a definition of these
nets. The Commission believes that this single definition will simplify and
increase transparency in the EU legislation on this fishing gear. In
today's proposal, the Commission's definition is as follows "drift net
means any gillnet held on the sea surface or at a certain distance below it
by floating devices, drifting with the current either independently or with
the boat to which it may be attached. It may be equipped with devices
aiming to stabilise the net and/or to limit its drifting." The Regulations
concerned by this proposal are: the 1997 Regulation on technical measures
for the conservation of fisheries resources (No894/97) as amended by
Regulation 1239/98, the Regulation on the protection of small cetaceans
(No812/2004; IP/04/ 378) and the Regulation on technical measures in the
Baltic Sea (No2187/2005). Legislation has to evolve with fishing methods
and the extension of the zones it covers as well as with changes in the
governance of the Common Fisheries Policy such as the establishment of the
Regional Advisory Councils. The initial phasing out of driftnets in
fisheries for highly migratory species such as tuna and swordfish leading
to the complete ban from 1 January 2002 was made necessary by the
incidental catches of protected species such as small cetaceans. In 2004,
the Council decided to extend this protection to the Baltic Sea through the
introduction of a gradual ban on driftnets, from 1 January 2005 until
complete prohibition by January 2008.
[04] Création d'une industrie textile compétitive : la Commission se
félicite des recommandations du groupe de haut niveau
La Commission européenne s'est félicitée des résultats de la réunion
du groupe de haut niveau "Textile et habillement" organisée hier, qui a
permis l'adoption de recommandations sur la future compétitivité du
secteur. Le groupe de haut niveau brosse également un tableau prospectif
du secteur du textile et de l'habillement jusqu'en 2020. Dans ses
principales recommandations, le groupe de haut niveau appelle notamment le
secteur à rationaliser ses structures et à devenir plus coopératif, tout
en augmentant sa compétitivité et en consacrant une part quelque peu
supérieure de son chiffre d'affaires aux exportations. Le tableau
esquissé par le groupe de haut niveau reprend les principes de politique
industrielle établis dans la communication de la Commission sur la
politique industrielle du 5 octobre 2005.
[05] Commission clears acquisition of Caudwell by Providence
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Caudwell Holdings Limited
(Caudwell Group) of the UK by Providence Equity Offshore Partners V, LP
(Providence) of the Cayman Islands. Providence is a private investment fund
of Providence Equity Partners Inc., a global private investment company
specialising in equity investments in media and communications. Caudwell
Group is active in the sale of mobile phones and related services, mobile
handset distribution and repair services, insurance products and
recruitment of personnel. Following completion of the transaction,
Providence intends to sell the Mobile Distribution Business of Caudwell to
Doughty Hanson & Co, a UK-based private equity fund manager unrelated to
Providence. The Commission has also granted clearance to this deal. Both
operations were examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Caudwell Group Mobile Distribution
Business by Doughty Hanson
he European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger Regulation
to the acquisition of sole control of Caudwell Group Mobile Distribution
Business (Mobile Distribution Business) of the UK by Doughty Hanson & Co.
Limited (Doughty Hanson) also of the UK. Doughty Hanson manages private
equity funds. Mobile Distribution Business distributes and repairs mobile
handsets and accessories and provides ancillary services, such as
customisation/kitting of mobile phones and packaging. The operation was
examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[07] Commission clears acquisition of FBG by BC Partners and Buziol
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Fashion Box Group S.p.A.
(FBG) of Italy by. Canal Investment SA, controlled by BC Partners Holdings
Limited (BC Partners) of Guernsey, the Channel Islands and Buziol
Investment Soparfi SA (Buziol) of Italy. BC Partners is a private equity
funds company. Buziol is active in real estate. FBG designs, manufactures
and markets casual men's and women's wear and accessories. The operation
was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[08] Commission pushes forward cooperation with China on food and product
safety
Today European Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markos Kyprianou,
and People's Republic of China Minister Li Changjiang, in charge of AQSIQ
(Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine) signed
a "Roadmap for safer toys". The agreement aims at ensuring toys imported to
the EU are safe. Commissioner Kyprianou and Minister Li Changjiang also
signed an agreement to fight the trade of "illegal food products", based on
a better exchange of information and enhanced coordination. Tomorrow EU and
Chinese officials will hold a joint seminar on market surveillance for
industrial products, to properly enforce product safety legislation.
[09] Customs cooperation : Commission and China strengthen cooperation on
supply chain security
The European Commission and China have agreed to strengthen cooperation in
order to increase security and trade facilitation throughout the supply
chain. As a first step, they are going to run a pilot project with the aim
of creating smart and secure trade lanes between the European Community and
China. The pilot project would initially involve the European Commission,
the Customs Administration of China and of the United Kingdom and the
Netherlands. Once successful, the cooperation could be expanded step by
step to the whole of the European Community. This initiative takes place in
the framework of the EU-China Agreement on Customs Cooperation and is the
outcome of today's meeting between Taxation and Customs Union Commissioner
László Kovács and Chinese Customs Minister Mu Xinsheng.
[10] Journée sans voiture 2006 : près d'une voiture pour deux habitants
dans l'UE25 en 2004 ; le nombre de voitures a augmenté de près de 40%
entre 1990 et 2004
La journée sans voiture, qui aura lieu le 22 septembre 2006, est le point
d'orgue de la semaine européenne de la mobilité, consacrée à la
mobilité durable. L'objectif de cette semaine est de faciliter le débat
sur la nécessité de changer les comportements en matière de mobilité,
et plus particulièrement en ce qui concerne l'usage de la voiture
particulière. A cette occasion, Eurostat publie des statistiques sur les
voitures particulières et sur les décès dus aux accidents de la route
dans l'UE25 et les Etats membres, ainsi que dans les pays de l'AELE.
[11] First meeting of Banking expert group
The first meeting of the Banking expert on customer mobility in relation to
bank accounts takes place today in Brussels. The expert group will identify
legal, administrative or other obstacles that customers encounter when
switching bank accounts at both domestic and cross-border level and will
advise the Commission on how those obstacles can be addressed. The creation
of this expert group is a follow-up action to the White Paper on Financial
Services Policy 2005-2010 (IP/05/1529) and is part of the Better Regulation
agenda. The group will meet up to eight times and issue a report with
concrete recommendations. The expert group was selected following an open
call for applications (IP/06/619) and is composed of representatives of the
banking industry, consumers and the academic world. The expert group report
is expected to be to be available in the first half of 2007. The list of
appointed experts, as well as the Commission's decision establishing the
group and the terms of reference for the group's constitution and operation
can be found at:
<a href="http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/finservices-retail/baeg_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/finservices-
retail/baeg_en.htm
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Le programme ARGO (2002-2006)
Eurodac: a EU-wide electronic system for the identification of asylum-
seekers
Andris Piebalgs reacts to announcement of the cancellation of an
environmental permit for the Sakhalin-2 project led by Shell
Dot eu: Viviane Reding pays first visit to managers of Europe's new
internet domain (18/09)
Discours de M. Michel : "Vers une approche harmonisée de la Gouvernance" Ã
la réunion ministérielle du Comité de Développement, réunions
annuelles de la Banques Mondiale/FMI (18/09, Singapour)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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