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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-09-28
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] European Commission encourages investments in the Energy community
[02] September 2007: Economic sentiment weakens in both the EU and the euro
area
[03] September 2007: Business Climate Indicator for the euro area declines
in September
[04] Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of Actebis by Arques
[05] Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner visits Central America and announces aid
packages
[06] Commission clears acquisition of NSR by ELG Haniel and Metal One
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Fondsdepot Bank by Xchanging and
Allianz
[08] Euro area inflation estimated at 2.1%
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of Hamilton by Aviva
[11] Cohesion policy 2007-2013: green light for first Bulgarian programme
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-09-28
Reference: MEX/07/0928
Date: 28/09/2007
EXME07 / 28.9
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
28/09/07
[01] European Commission encourages investments in the Energy community
Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs is attending today, in Athens, a high
level conference on Investments for the Energy community. The conference is
organised by the Energy community secretariat, based in Vienna, in
cooperation with the European Commission.
[02] September 2007: Economic sentiment weakens in both the EU and the euro
area
In September, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) continued to decrease
in both the EU and the euro area. It dropped by 2.3 points in the EU and by
2.8 points in the euro area, to 110.8 and 107.1 respectively. However,
despite the declines observed in the third quarter, the indicator remains
well above its long-term average in both areas.
[03] September 2007: Business Climate Indicator for the euro area declines
in September
Following a slight increase in August, the Business Climate Indicator (BCI)
for the euro area fell significantly in September. Nevertheless, the still-
high level of the indicator, following the pick-up in industrial production
in July, suggests that economic activity in the industry sector grew at a
solid pace in the third quarter of this year. The decrease in the BCI is
largely due to a pronounced worsening of industry managers' assessments of
their order books and of the production trend observed in recent months.
Their production expectations and views of both export order books and
stocks of finished products also deteriorated somewhat.
[04] Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of Actebis by Arques
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of the Actebis group, which is mainly active in the
wholesale of Information Technology products, by Arques Industries AG of
Germany. The Commission concluded that the transaction would not
significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area
(EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[05] Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner visits Central America and announces aid
packages
The European Commissioner for external relations and European neighbourhood
policy, Benita Ferrero-Waldner, is to tour Central America from 30
September to 4 October, where she will visit, for the first time as a
Commissioner, Panama (30 September to 1 October), El Salvador (1-2 October),
Honduras (3 October) and Nicaragua (3-4 October). Three weeks before the
first round of negotiations on an Association Agreement between the EU and
Central America to be held in Costa Rica at the end of October, Ms Ferrero-
Waldner wishes to send a strong signal to the region of the importance the
EU accords to this agreement. The Commissioner will meet the President and
Foreign Affairs Minister of each country. She will also visit projects
financed by the European Union and meet representatives of the press and
civic society. In each country she will present the European Commission's
proposed new aid programmes for 2007-2013.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of NSR by ELG Haniel and Metal One
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of ELG Nippon Stainless
Resources (NSR) of Japan by ELG Haniel GmbH of Germany and Metal One
Corporation of Japan. ELG Haniel is active in the global trade of primary
and secondary raw materials for the steel industry. Metal One produces and
trades steel products and trades primary and secondary raw material for the
steel industry, mainly in Asia. NSR trades secondary raw material for the
steel industry in Japan and Asia. The operation was examined under the
simplified merger review procedure.
[07] Commission clears acquisition of Fondsdepot Bank by Xchanging and
Allianz
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Fondsdepot Bank GmbH of
Germany by Xchanging Transaction Bank GmbH of Germany and Allianz Global
Investors Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH (Allianz GI) also of Germany.
Xchanging Transaction is a securities transaction processing services for
banks and financial service companies. Allianz GI manages and distributes
investment funds. Fondsdepot Bank administers investment fund accounts. The
operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[08] Euro area inflation estimated at 2.1%
Euro area annual inflation is expected to be 2.1% in September 2007
according to a flash estimate issued by Eurostat. It was 1.7% in August.
Euro area inflation is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer
Prices (MUICP). To compute the MUICP flash estimates, Eurostat uses early
price information relating to the reference month from Member States for
which data are available4 as well as early information about energy prices.
[09] Rédiffusion
[10] Mergers: Commission approves proposed acquisition of Hamilton by Aviva
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of Hamilton Life and Hamilton General (Hamilton), the
insurance branch of HSBC Bank of the UK, by Aviva also of the UK. After
examining the proposed operation the Commission concluded that the
transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it.
[11] Cohesion policy 2007-2013: green light for first Bulgarian programme
Bulgaria's first Operational Programme (OP) for investment from the
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) gets the green light today in
Brussels. The programme, worth a total of € 988 million, is the first of
seven. The rest should be adopted before the end of the year. Regional
Policy Commissioner Danuta Hübner and Bulgarian Prime Minister Mr Sergei
Stanishev will sign the programme, entitled Development of the
competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy, at a ceremony that marks the
official start of Cohesion Policy in Bulgaria for the years 2007-2013.
[12] Autre matériel diffusé
Speech by Charlie McCreevy on the "Current issues in the EU banking sector
at the dinner with BEF board Members in Brussels
Speech by Neelie Kroes on "Improving competition in European energy markets
through effective unbundling at the Fordham Corporate Law Institute's
Annual Seminar 2007
Speech by President José Manuel Barroso on the "Future of the Cohesion
Policy in Europe at the 4th Cohesion Forum in Brussels
Speech by Vice-President Margot Wallström on "the Reform Treaty and
Europe's Future: the Communication Challenge" at the European and Social
Committee Conference in Brussels
Calendrier hebdomadaire du 1er au 7 octobre 2007
Top News from the European Commission (1 October to 28 October 2007)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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