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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-03-20
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] 116 : la Commission lance une consultation publique pour dresser la
liste des services téléphoniques gratuits à l'échelle de l'Europe
[02] La Commission autorise la participation de Thales dans DCN
[03] La Commission ouvre une enquête approfondie concernant le projet
d'acquisition de Télé2 France par SFR
[04] Commission clears acquisition of ASSC Slovakia by Gonvarri and ASSC
[05] Commission clears acquisition of CapitalLeben by SwissLife
[06] La Commission lance deux études sur les transports durables
[07] Working towards more, better, and faster aid : Commission presents its
results for 2006
[08] Taxation in the EU from 1995 to 2005 : in 2005, tax revenue at 40.8%
of GDP in the EU27 and 41.2% in the euro area
[09] Janvier 2007 comparé à décembre 2006 : la production dans le secteur
de la construction en hausse de 0,6% dans la zone euro ; hausse de 1,1%
dans l'UE27
[10] Taking on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis : Markos Kyprianou discusses
priorities for action with ECDC
[11] Avian Influenza : international conference to discuss vaccination as a
means of control
[12] Celebrations of EU 50 : from Lublin to Dublin
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-03-20
Reference: MEX/07/0320
Date: 20/03/2007
EXME07 / 20.3
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
20/03/07
[01] 116 : la Commission lance une consultation publique pour dresser la
liste des services téléphoniques gratuits à l'échelle de l'Europe
La Commission européenne a lancé aujourd'hui une consultation publique
pour dresser la liste des services téléphoniques communs à valeur sociale
qui pourraient bénéficier, à l'échelle de l'Europe, de numéros d'appel
gratuits uniques commençant par 116. Cette consultation se déroulera
jusqu'au 20 mai 2007.
[02] La Commission autorise la participation de Thales dans DCN
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en application du règlement de
l'UE sur les concentrations, la prise de contrôle en commun du chantier
naval militaire français DCN par le fournisseur français de matériel de
défense et maître d'œuvre naval, Thales, et l'Etat français. L'enquête
menée par la Commission sur le marché a révélé que cette opération
n'entraverait pas de manière significative l'exercice d'une concurrence
effective dans l'Espace économique européen ou dans une partie
substantielle de celui-ci.
[03] La Commission ouvre une enquête approfondie concernant le projet
d'acquisition de Télé2 France par SFR
La Commission européenne a ouvert, en application du règlement sur les
concentrations de l'UE, une enquête approfondie concernant le projet
d'acquisition par SFR France des activités de téléphonie fixe et
d'accès à Internet de Télé2 France. L'enquête approfondie permettra Ã
la Commission d'examiner en détail les effets anti concurrentiels qui
pourraient résulter de cette opération sur les marchés de la
télévision payante en France et de s'assurer que les intérêts des
consommateurs ne seraient pas négativement affectés. La Commission
dispose de 90 jours ouvrables soit jusqu'au 2 août 2007 pour déterminer
si la concentration entravera de manière significative une concurrence
effective dans l'espace économique européen ou une partie substantielle
de celui-ci. Une décision d'ouvrir une enquête approfondie ne préjuge
pas du résultat final de la procédure.
[04] Commission clears acquisition of ASSC Slovakia by Gonvarri and ASSC
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Arcelor SSC Slovakia
s.r.o (ASSC Slovakia) by Holding Gonvarri S.L. (Gonvarri) of Spain and
Arcelor Steel Service Centres SaS (ASSC) of France. Gonvarri is an
international group operating steel service centres in Spain, Portugal,
Italy, Germany, Poland, Mexico and Brazil. ASSC Slovakia is currently
solely controlled by ASSC and operates a steel service centre with sales in
Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. ASSC is controlled by Arcelor, a
global steel company. The operation was examined under the simplified
merger review procedure.
[05] Commission clears acquisition of CapitalLeben by SwissLife
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of CapitalLeben Versicherung
AG (CapitalLeben) of Liechtenstein by Swiss Life Holding AG (SwissLife) of
Switzerland. SwissLife and CapitalLeben are both life insurance companies.
The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[06] La Commission lance deux études sur les transports durables
La Commission européenne lance aujourd'hui deux nouveaux projets de
recherche portant sur la question transports durables. Le premier,
intitulé TRAENVIA, évaluera et comparera les incidences environnementales
et socio-économiques des différents modes de transport dans le corridor
transeuropéen V, allant de Lisbonne à Kiev. Le deuxième est intitulé
"Projet de recherche conjointe sur la réduction de la pollution
atmosphérique en Lombardie" qui sera axé sur les moyens possibles de
corriger le problème des particules et des émissions dans cette région
d'Italie. Les deux projets sont coordonnés par le service scientifique
propre de la Commission, la DG Centre commun de recherche et s'inscrivent
dans le cadre des efforts déployés par la Commission pour contribuer Ã
l'amélioration de la qualité de l'air et à la diminution des émissions
de gaz à effet de serre. Les deux projets seront lancés lors d'une
conférence sur le thème "Transports et environnement: Un défi mondial -
Solutions techniques et politiques" qui se tient à Milan du 19 au 21 mars.
[07] Working towards more, better, and faster aid : Commission presents its
results for 2006
The European Commission today presented its results for external assistance
and development aid in 2006. Figures show that the Commission implemented
more projects and programmes than ever before continuing the upward trend
started in 2001, when it launched far-reaching reforms in this area. In
2006, the Commission, through EuropeAid, its department implementing
external assistance and development aid, committed a record €7.6 billion
and disbursed €6.5 billion. This is 55% and 58% more than in 2001
respectively. The Commission has focused on delivering aid more effectively,
responding faster to unexpected events and striving to find better ways to
reach those most in need.
[08] Taxation in the EU from 1995 to 2005 : in 2005, tax revenue at 40.8%
of GDP in the EU27 and 41.2% in the euro area
In 2005, tax revenue (i.e. the total amount of taxes and social
contributions) in the EU27 stood at 40.8% of GDP, compared with 40.4% in
2004. In the euro area (EA13) tax revenue was 41.2% of GDP in 2005,
compared to 40.9% in 2004. Over a longer period, tax revenue as a
percentage of GDP in both the EU25 and the euro area were in 2005 slightly
below the levels recorded in 1995. These figures come from a publication3
issued by Eurostat. This report gives additional information on the
evolution of tax revenue in the EU and the Member States between 1995 and
2005, and on the breakdown of tax revenue across Member States by main tax
category.
[09] Janvier 2007 comparé à décembre 2006 : la production dans le secteur
de la construction en hausse de 0,6% dans la zone euro ; hausse de 1,1%
dans l'UE27
Dans le secteur de la construction, la production corrigée des variations
saisonnières a progressé de 0,6% dans la zone euro (ZE13) et de 1,1% dans
l'UE27 en janvier 2007 par rapport au mois précédent. En décembre 2006,
la production avait augmenté de 0,9% dans la zone euro et de 0,7% dans
l'UE27. Par rapport à janvier 2006, la production a enregistré en janvier
2007 une hausse de 10,4% dans la zone euro et de 7,3% dans l'UE27, après
des hausses de 8,8% dans la zone euro et de 2,3% dans l'UE27 en décembre
2006. Ces premières estimations sont diffusées par Eurostat.
[10] Taking on HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis : Markos Kyprianou discusses
priorities for action with ECDC
European Commissioner for Health, Markos Kyprianou, will call today for
more EU level action against HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) at a meeting
with senior officials from Member State health authorities and the European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Commissioner Kyprianou
will also call on ECDC to ensure comprehensive surveillance of HIV/AIDS in
the entire EU. ECDC would be expected to detect best practice in HIV
prevention in Member States and elsewhere, share it in order to help
improve national AIDS programmes and report back to the Commissioner on
progress achieved and on areas where Member States may need more support.
Speaking in the run up to World TB Day (24 March), Commissioner Kyprianou
will also call on Member States to take more action on TB and on ECDC to
develop an EU action plan to assist Member States in the fight against TB.
[11] Avian Influenza : international conference to discuss vaccination as a
means of control
International scientific and veterinary experts will meet in Verona from 20-
22 March 2007, to discuss the use of vaccination as a tool to control avian
influenza. Around 400 participants will attend the conference, which is
organised by the International Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), the UN
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the Istituto Zooprofilattico
Sperimentale delle Venezie (IZSVe) and the European Commission, Up to now,
vaccination has not been widely used in the EU as a control measure against
avian flu, due to a number of difficulties linked to its use (see
MEMO/06/92). However, in certain situations, the strategic use of
vaccination as part of an overall control strategy can greatly help to
minimise infection rates. It can also reduce the level to which the virus
is shed and spread. Moreover, the availability of better vaccines to
control avian influenza could offer a preferable alternative to the mass
culling of birds in an outbreak, which raises ethical concerns. So far, the
worldwide spread of the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has required about 300
million of poultry around the world to be a killed and destroyed – a
practice which may not be sustainable in many developing countries.
Therefore, given the current global avian flu situation, more and more
countries are now considering using vaccination as part of their control
strategy. Indeed the EU is financially supporting vaccination programmes in
third countries, as well as several research programmes. The conference
will provide an opportunity for participants to share experiences and
scientific information on the development and use of avian influenza
vaccines and to review current methods of their application. Regulatory and
trade aspects linked to the vaccination of birds will also be considered,
and the conference will look at the possibility of developing global
guidelines on avian influenza vaccination. For more information, see: <a
href="http://www.avianfluvaccine2007.org/">http://www.avianfluvaccine2007.org/
[12] Celebrations of EU 50 : from Lublin to Dublin
50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome is celebrated also locally in
hundreds of regions where Europe Direct relays help to organize exhibitions,
discussions, contests, publications and performances. EU50-related
exhibitions vary from posters (Finland) and EU50 logos which made it to the
final selection process (Slovenia) to philatelist exhibition "European
Cultural Heritage" in Bielsko-Biala (Poland), on occasion of which a
special date stamp, commemorating the 50th anniversary (May), will be
issued. ED Direct Plymouth Library Services (UK) has organized a photo
competition for children and in Bulgarian national library collection of
photographs and publications since 1950 will be presented. The Italian ED
infopoint in Genova has produced a 12-minute film with the support of the
Representation that will be promoted by the whole national ED network.
Quizz-games are especially popular in the new Member States, in the
Lithuanian Alytus region peoples EU-knowledge is tested during radio
programmes, internet-friendly Estonians arrange online-quiz "History of the
European Union" and Slovakians have launched a competition between schools.
In Austria, Tiroler Landeszeitung will distribute EU-quizz in 251,000
copies with appealing prizes: from a language course to a trip to Brussels.
In Greece, regional newspapers have decided to reprint their front pages 50
years ago. Festivities with musicians, quizzes, etc will be arranged in the
Hungarian cities of Boconád and Szolnok. In Spanish Balearic island stands
for distributing brochures and performances of musicians will be arranged
on the streets of the regional capital.
[13] Autre matériel diffusé
Research into air quality at the European Commission
Commission confirms sending a Statement of Objections against alleged
participants in a cartel for professional videotape
Speech by Joe Borg : "The future challenges of co-ordinating a European
maritime policy" at International Maritime Law Institute (Malta)
Speech by Charlie McCreevy at the European Parliament's Legal Affairs
Committee
Speech by Olli Rehn : "Europe's frontiers: a dynamic concept" at EPC / LES/
King Baudouin Foundation (19/03)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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