|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 07-10-15
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Haut débit à deux vitesses: l’Europe répondra par des propositions
de réforme
[02] Commission confirms UK-list of major events to be televised free-to-
air
[03] Services financiers : la Commission appelle à un accès public plus
aisé aux informations financières concernant les sociétés cotées en
bourse
[04] Financial services : Inter-Institutional Monitoring Group publishes
final report on Lamfalussy process
[05] Services financiers : une consultation confirme que les divergences
nationales entravent les placements privés transfrontaliers
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Atlet by Nissan
[07] Enregistrement de quatre dénominations de produits agricoles
[08] Joe Borg : "Signs of stock recovery vindicate our gradual and
sustained approach to fish stock recovery"
[09] Commission welcomes action against illegal fishing in South East
Atlantic
[10] Commission informed of Bluetongue in Denmark
[11] EUtube reaches one million hits
Midday Express of 2007-10-15
Reference: MEX/07/1015
Date: 15/10/2007
EXME07 / 15.10
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
15/10/07
[01] Haut débit à deux vitesses: l’Europe répondra par des propositions
de réforme
Si certains pays européens occupent les premières places mondiales en
matière d’accès au haut débit, l’écart a grandi entre les
premiers et les derniers à l’intérieur de l’UE. C’est ce
qu’indique un rapport présenté aujourd’hui par la Commission
européenne, qui mentionne le manque de concurrence et les lacunes
réglementaires comme les principaux obstacles au développement du haut
débit. Les propositions de réforme de la réglementation communautaire en
matière de télécommunications, qui seront présentées par la Commission
le 13 novembre prochain, ont pour objectif de remédier à ces
défaillances.
[02] Commission confirms UK-list of major events to be televised free-to-
air
Today the European Commission adopted a decision on the UK list of events
of major importance for society to be broadcast free to air, either live or
with a slight delay. The list covers not only international events like the
Rugby World Cup Final, the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup Finals but
also more specific national events like Cricket matches, the Grand National,
the Derby, the Ryder Cup and the Commonwealth Games.
[03] Services financiers : la Commission appelle à un accès public plus
aisé aux informations financières concernant les sociétés cotées en
bourse
La Commission européenne encourage les Etats membres à créer un réseau
Ă©lectronique interconnectant les fichiers nationaux d'informations
financières concernant les sociétés cotées en bourse. La mise en œuvre
de cette recommandation facilitera l'accès des investisseurs aux données
historiques sur les performances des entreprises et leur position
financière, ainsi que sur l'évolution des principales participations.
[04] Financial services : Inter-Institutional Monitoring Group publishes
final report on Lamfalussy process
The Inter-Institutional Monitoring Group (IIMG) has published its third and
final report on the "Lamfalussy process", a four-level regulatory approach
for the adoption and implementation of financial services regulation which
allows the EU to respond rapidly and flexibly to developments in financial
markets. With the termination of its mandate, the Group provides a general
assessment of the Lamfalussy framework, an evaluation of its ability to
deliver results and proposes concrete recommendations for improving the
overall process. The Group observes that the Lamfalussy process has
significantly contributed to the integration of European financial markets.
This has however resulted in new challenges for the present institutional
arrangements and, in particular, for the Level 3 of the Lamfalussy
structure. The Group's final report focuses therefore on the functioning of
the Level 3 Committees and identifies the areas where more progress is
necessary to keep pace with the development of the markets.
[05] Services financiers : une consultation confirme que les divergences
nationales entravent les placements privés transfrontaliers
La Commission européenne a publié un résumé des 38
réponses qu'elle a reçues à un appel à contribution concernant le
fonctionnement des régimes de placement privé dans les Etats membres de
l'UE (IP/07/523). Dans le cadre des placements privés, des titres peuvent
être vendus à titre privé à des investisseurs avertis sans que
s’appliquent les règles relatives Ă la protection de l’investisseur, Ă
la présentation de rapports et à la divulgation d’informations, qui sont
à observer lorsque ces produits sont vendus à la clientèle de détail. Les
répondants font état de graves problèmes dans la distribution
transfrontalière de certains types de produits d'investissement, notamment
les fonds d'investissement non harmonisés. Ils constatent que les mesures
mises en place au titre de la directive "prospectus" fonctionnent bien pour
les valeurs mobilières et les fonds de type fermé. Ils suggèrent que
l’on élargisse ces dispositions aux fonds ouverts non harmonisés, tels
que les fonds institutionnels et les fonds spéculatifs. La Commission
devra évaluer, au printemps 2008, la nécessité d’un régime européen
de placement privé et les scénarios envisageables à cet égard, et les
réponses reçues constituent une contribution précieuse dans cette
perspective.
[06] Commission clears acquisition of Atlet by Nissan
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of Atlet Aktiebolag (Atlet)
of Sweden by Nissan Forklift Europe B.V. (Nissan) of The Netherlands,
controlled by Nissan Motor Co Ltd. of Japan. Nissan manufactures forklift
trucks and warehouse equipment. Atlet produces warehouse equipment. The
operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
[07] Enregistrement de quatre dénominations de produits agricoles
La Commission européenne a ajouté quatre dénominations de produits
agricoles et alimentaires à la liste des appellations d'origine protégées
(AOP) et indications géographiques protégées (IGP). Il s'agit.du fromage
"Staffordshire Cheese" (AOP – Royaume-Uni), des légumes "Coliflor de
Calahorra" (IGP – Espagne) et "Bayerischer Meerrettich" ou "Bayerischer
Kren" (IGP – Allemagne) et du poisson "Holsteiner Karpfen" (IGP -
Allemagne). Les quatre dénominations s'ajoutent à la liste d'environ 800
produits déjà protégés en vertu de la législation sur la protection des
indications géographiques, des appellations d'origine et des spécialités
traditionnelles . Des renseignements sur les produits de qualité ainsi que
la liste des dĂ©nominations protĂ©gĂ©es sont disponibles sur l'internet Ă
l'adresse: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/foodqual/quali1_fr.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/foodqual/quali1_fr.htm
[08] Joe Borg : "Signs of stock recovery vindicate our gradual and
sustained approach to fish stock recovery"
"The first indications from ICES on the state of North Sea cod, herring and
Norway pout confirm that our efforts and sacrifices are paying off with
certain stocks. This shows clearly that when implemented correctly reduced
quotas and fishing effort translate directly into lower fishing pressure
which in turn contributes greatly to the rebuilding of depleted fish
stocks. We must be heartened by these developments which strengthen last
year's indications (with regard to Northern hake, for example), that our
long-term management approach is working. This reinforces our determination
to see the whole stock rebuilding process through until all our fisheries
truly sustainable. The worse thing we could do at this stage would be to
slacken our efforts by trying to cash-in immediately on the first positive
signs. This would be the quickest road to ruin. I want to continue to work
with Member States, scientists and stakeholders, who have a crucial role to
play, to strengthen our approach and to widen it so that all depleted
stocks can also be rebuilt." commented Joe Borg, European Commissioner for
Fisheries and Maritime Affairs. Commissioner Borg was reacting to the first
preliminary indications from the Advisory Committee on Fisheries Management
of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) which
provides independent scientific advice on fisheries management. ICES will
finalise and make its full advice public on Friday 19 October at noon.
ICES: http://www.ices.dk/indexfla.asp
ICES: <a href="http://www.ices.dk/indexfla.asp">http://www.ices.dk/indexfla.asp
[09] Commission welcomes action against illegal fishing in South East
Atlantic
The European Commission has welcomed the decisions taken by the South East
Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (SEAFO), at its annual meeting last week in
Windhoek, Namibia. The Parties agreed to a considerable strengthening of
measures against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing through
a reinforced port state control system, including enhanced procedures for
in-port inspection of vessels fishing in the SEAFO area, the implementation,
on a quasi-automatic basis, of black lists of IUU vessels established by
CCAMLR, NAFO and NEAFC, thus prohibiting such vessels from operating in
SEAFO waters. Commissioner for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Joe Borg
commented, " SEAFO's decision to close the ports of its members to pirate
vessels will make it more and more difficult for those involved to conduct
their unlawful operations. All Regional Fisheries Management Organisations
(RFMOs) must be encouraged to adopt similar measures, so that market access
on which these criminal operators depend is effectively cut off." SEAFO
took further steps to protect vulnerable marine habitats by setting the
conditions to be met before any or all of the 10 closed areas, agreed in
2006, to protect vulnerable seamounts may be reopened. Moreover, on the
basis of a report from the Scientific Committee, SEAFO was also able for
the first time to adopt measures fixing catch limits for two of the main
species in the Convention area, namely Red Crab and Patagonian toothfish.
The European Commission will, next week, propose a raft of measures to
fight IUU fishing including substantial strengthening of port state control
measures within the EU. SEAFO: <a href="http://www.intfish.net/orgs/fisheries/seafo.htm">http://www.intfish.net/orgs/fisheries/seafo.htm;
CCAMLR: http://www.ccamlr.org/; NAFO: <a href="http://www.nafo.int/">http://www.nafo.int/;
NEAFC: <a href="http://www.neafc.org/">http://www.neafc.org/
[10] Commission informed of Bluetongue in Denmark
The European Commission was informed on 13 October by the Danish veterinary
authorities of an outbreak of bluetongue in sheep in Denmark, in a sheep
herd near Sakskøbing on the island of Lolland (south of Zealand). Clinical
symptoms of bluetongue were identified in a sheep that died less than 48
hours after the clinical signs were observed. The outbreak has been
confirmed on the basis laboratory tests with positive results to antibody
ELISA and PCR. The BTV serotype is not yet known. Samples will be sent to
the bluetongue Community Reference Laboratory for typing today. Bluetongue
is an insect-borne viral disease (transmitted by by Culicoides midges)
which affects domestic and wild ruminants. It does not affect humans and
there is no risk of the disease being contracted or spread through meat or
milk. Bluetongue was frequently reported in southern Europe (several
strains circulating) and in 2006 and 2007 serious epidemic waves of a
different strain of bluetongue (BTV8) have occurred also in Centre-Northern
Europe with more than 25.000 outbreaks recorded in 2007 (Belgium, the
Netherlands, France, Luxembourg, Germany and UK). The Danish authorities
are taking the necessary measures, including the demarcation of an amended
restricted zone. Neighbour Member States such as Sweden and Germany will
likely demarcate new restricted zone in its territory.
Bluetongue can be found on the Commission website at this page: <a
href="http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/bluetongue_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/food/animal/diseases/controlmeasures/bluetongue_en.htm
[11] EUtube reaches one million hits
EUtube, the European Commission's channel on YouTube, has received over one
million hits on its homepage and almost 7 million video views since its
launch less than 3 months ago. Discover what's on EU Tube: <a
href="http://www.youtube.com/eutube">www.youtube.com/eutube
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
|
