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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-10-03
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome
of today's Commission meeting
[01] A confident, open, reforming Europe, actively promoting the European
interest, can ensure the well-being of its citizens in the age of
globalisation, says Commission paper for EU summit
[02] Margot Wallström : "Let's end the Blame Game!"
[03] Commission confirms approval of recorded music joint venture between
Sony and Bertelsmann after re-assessment subsequent to Court decision
[04] La Commission inflige des amendes d'un montant total de €183
millions pour des accords de partage du marché et de coordination des prix
en Espagne
[05] Commission fines Visa €10.2 million for refusing to admit Morgan
Stanley as a member
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] Commission to recover €145.2 million of CAP expenditure from the
Member States
[07] La lenteur des réformes en matière d'éducation et de formation
menace la compétitivité européenne à long terme
[08] EU-Canada : towards increasing cooperation in higher education,
training and youth
[09] La Commission autorise le projet d'acquisition d'Alcan par Rio Tinto
[10] Commission clears joint venture between Wacker and Schott Solar
[11] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de Connexxion Holding par
Transdev
[12] Commission clears acquisition of Archstone-Smith by Tishman Speyer and
Lehman Brothers
[13] Commission urges to resolve the open gas payment issue
[14] Volume of retail trade up by 0.1% in euro area
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2007-10-03
Reference: MEX/07/1003
Date: 03/10/2007
EXME07 / 3.10
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
03/10/07
[I] Résultats de la Commission de ce jour - Outcome
of today's Commission meeting
[01] A confident, open, reforming Europe, actively promoting the European
interest, can ensure the well-being of its citizens in the age of
globalisation, says Commission paper for EU summit
The Lisbon Strategy for Growth and Jobs is the right backbone for the
European response to globalisation. Its further deepening is the way to
create the wealth that can give practical meaning to core European values
of social inclusion and of European and international solidarity. This
means increasing the EU's adaptability to provide for the sustainable well-
being of its citizens. The above are the main themes of a European
Commission discussion paper for EU Heads of State and Government at the
Lisbon informal summit on 18-19 October, adopted by the Commission today.
The paper fulfils the request of this year's Spring European Council for an
interim report on the Lisbon Strategy. It argues that Europe is already
achieving notable successes in shaping globalisation, under the broad
approach agreed at the Hampton Court summit in October 2005 and centred on
the Lisbon Growth and Jobs Strategy, renewed in the spring of 2005 after
its original launch in 2000. But globalisation is constantly evolving. So
Europe must ensure that its external and internal policies are mutually
reinforcing and be ready to refine them in the light of events, such as
changes in energy markets or the recent financial instability. The paper is
entitled: "The European Interest: succeeding in the age of globalisation".
[02] Margot Wallström : "Let's end the Blame Game!"
The European Commission has presented proposals for "Communicating Europe
in Partnership". Building on its own earlier initiatives, the Commission
proposes, among other things, an agreement on communication priorities with
other EU institutions and voluntary management partnerships with Member
States.
[03] Commission confirms approval of recorded music joint venture between
Sony and Bertelsmann after re-assessment subsequent to Court decision
The European Commission has confirmed clearance under EU merger control
rules for the creation of Sony BMG, a joint venture combining the recorded
music businesses of Sony and Bertelsmann after concluding that the
transaction would not create or strengthen a dominant or collectively
dominant position in the music markets in the EEA (restricted to the 15
countries who were Member States of the EU before 1 May 2004). The merger
had first been approved by the Commission in 2004 (see IP/04/959).
Following the annulment of this approval by the Court of First Instance in
2006, the Commission has conducted an in-depth re-assessment of the merger.
[04] La Commission inflige des amendes d'un montant total de €183
millions pour des accords de partage du marché et de coordination des prix
en Espagne
La Commission européenne a infligé des amendes d’un montant total de
€ 183.651.000 aux sociétés BP, Repsol, Cepsa, Nynäs et Galp pour
avoir participé à une entente sur le marché du bitume en Espagne, en
violation de l'interdiction des pratiques commerciales restrictives prévue
par le traité CE (article 81). De 1991 à 2002, ces sociétés se sont
partagé le marché du bitume utilisé dans la construction routière et en
ont coordonné les prix. BP a été la première société
à divulguer des informations concernant l'entente dans le cadre de la
communication sur la clémence de la Commission de 2002 et a bénéficié,
à ce titre, d’une immunité de l’amende.
[05] Commission fines Visa €10.2 million for refusing to admit Morgan
Stanley as a member
The European Commission has fined Visa €10,200,000 for a serious
infringement of the EC Treaty and EEA Agreement rules on restrictive
business practices (Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA
Agreement). From March 2000 to September 2006, Visa refused to admit Morgan
Stanley as a member without an objective justification. The Commission
found that the exclusion of Morgan Stanley from Visa membership restricted
competition in the provision of credit card acceptance services to
merchants in the United Kingdom. Morgan Stanley had concrete plans and
expertise to contribute to more efficient competition and generate positive
effects on prices and the quality of service in a highly concentrated
market.
[II] Other news - Autres nouvelles
[06] Commission to recover €145.2 million of CAP expenditure from the
Member States
A total of €145.2 million of EU farm money unduly spent by Member States
is claimed back as a result of a decision adopted by the European
Commission. The money returns to the Community budget because of inadequate
control procedures or non-compliance with EU rules on agricultural
expenditure. Member States are responsible for paying out and checking
expenditure under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and the Commission
is required to ensure that Member States have made correct use of the
funds.
[07] La lenteur des réformes en matière d'éducation et de formation
menace la compétitivité européenne à long terme
Les systèmes européens d'éducation et de formation ne progressent pas
suffisamment, d'une manière générale, sur la voie des objectifs fixés
dans la stratégie de Lisbonne pour la croissance et l'emploi : telle est
la principale conclusion de l'édition 2007, publiée aujourd'hui, du
rapport annuel de la Commission européenne sur les progrès accomplis en
direction des objectifs de Lisbonne dans le domaine de l'éducation et de
la formation. Le rapport retrace les progrès réalisés depuis 2000 à la
lumière de certains indicateurs clés et met l'accent sur cinq critères
de référence en matière d'éducation arrêtés conjointement par les
Etats membres. Du côté positif, le nombre de diplômés de troisième
cycle dans les filières mathématiques, scientifiques et technologiques
continue d'augmenter. En revanche, les progrès accomplis au regard des
autres critères ont été limités.
[08] EU-Canada : towards increasing cooperation in higher education,
training and youth
Less than a year after the signature of a new eight-year EU-Canada
agreement in higher education, vocational training and youth, the European
Commission and the Canadian authorities are launching 11 new transatlantic
cooperation projects as of October 2007. These three-year projects will be
financed to develop joint study programmes as well as mobility schemes for
650 European and Canadian students and academic staff members. The amount
of €1.4 million invested by the Commission in the European part of the
consortium will be matched by the Canadian government for the transatlantic
partners.
[09] La Commission autorise le projet d'acquisition d'Alcan par Rio Tinto
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement CE sur les
concentrations, l'acquisition du contrôle d'Alcan (Canada) par Rio Tinto
(Royaume-Uni). Ces deux sociétés produisent de l'aluminium au niveau
mondial. Après examen, la Commission a conclu que l'opération envisagée
n'entraverait pas de façon significative l'exercice d'une concurrence
effective dans l'Espace économique européen (EEE) ou dans une partie
substantielle de celui-ci.
[10] Commission clears joint venture between Wacker and Schott Solar
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of a newly created joint
venture (JV) in Germany by Wacker Chemie AG (Wacker) of Germany, controlled
by the Dr. Alexander Wacker Familiengesellschaft (Germany), and Schott
Solar GmbH also of Germany, controlled by Schott AG, belonging to the
German Carl Zeiss Group. Wacker is active in silicone and polymer chemicals,
special and fine chemicals, semiconductor industry and silicon production.
Schott Solar produces and distributes solar wafers, solar cells and solar
modules, as well as photovoltaic systems. The JV will develop, produce and
distribute crystalline solar wafers. The operation was examined under the
simplified merger review procedure.
[11] La Commission autorise l'acquisition de Connexxion Holding par
Transdev
La Commission européenne a autorisé, en vertu du règlement
Concentrations, le projet d'acquisition de l'entreprise Connexxion Holding
N.V. (Connexxion, Pays-Bas) par l'entreprise française Transdev S.A.,
contrôlée par la Caisse des Dépôts (France). La Caisse des Dépôts est
active dans les services bancaires, fonds d'épargne, financement du
développement, assurance, immobilier et les participations privées.
Transdev effectue des services de transport et services connexes en France,
Italie, Portugal, Espagne, Allemagne, Royaume-Uni, Canada et Australie.
Connexxion a des services de transport et services connexes aux Pays-Bas.
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.
[12] Commission clears acquisition of Archstone-Smith by Tishman Speyer and
Lehman Brothers
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of joint control of Archstone-Smith Trust and
Archstone-Smith Operating Trust (together Archstone-Smith) of the US by
Tishman Speyer Properties L.P. (Tishman Speyer) and Lehman Brothers
Holdings Inc. (Lehman Brothers), both of the US. Tishman Speyer is the
owner, developer, fund manager and operator of commercial and residential
real estate. Lehman Brothers is an investment bank. Archstone-Smith is
active in residential real estate. The operation was examined under the
simplified merger review procedure.
[13] Commission urges to resolve the open gas payment issue
ON 2 October, the European Commission was informed by Gazprom about a
problem of payments for gas delivered to Ukraine and a possibility to
reduce gas deliveries to Ukraine if no satisfactory solution was found. At
the same time, Gazprom committed itself to honour all existing gas supply
commitments to European companies, which were informed about intended
measures vis-a-vis Ukraine. The Commission urges to find a speedy
settlement for this issue.
[14] Volume of retail trade up by 0.1% in euro area
In August 2007, compared to July 2007, the volume of retail trade grew by
0.1% in the euro area (EA13) and by 0.3% in the EU27. In July retail trade
increased by 0.4% and 0.3% respectively. In August 2007, compared with
August 2006, the retail sales index gained 1.0% in the euro area and 2.6%
in the EU27. These first estimates come from Eurostat.
[15] Autre matériel diffusé
Communiquer sur l'Europe en partenariat
FAQs on Communicating Europe in partnership
Commission fines Visa for refusing to admit Morgan Stanley as a member –
frequently asked questions
Commission action against cartels – Questions and answers
Réunion informelle des ministres en charge de l'égalité hommes-femmes
(04/10, Lisbonne)
Speech by Leonard Orban : "Europe's culture a reversible fabric" at
European Parliament - Cultural Committee (! embargo 15h00 !)
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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