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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-04-16
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] I. Résultats de la Commission du 16 avril 2008 – Outcome of
Commission meeting of 16 April 2008
[02] State aid: Commission orders recovery of €2.75 million illegal aid
from Italian furniture producer New Interline
[03] State aid: Commission opens investigation into misuse of rescue aid to
Italian press manufacturer Sandretto
[04] State aid: Commission endorses €180 million aid to Digital Display
Devices (DDD) for large investment project in Campania, Italy
[05] State aid: Commission endorses €11 million (£8.7 million) training
aid to Vauxhall Motors on Merseyside
[06] Banking: Commission consults on amendments to the Banking Directives
[07] Aide d'État: la Commission ouvre une procédure formelle d'examen
concernant des compensations accordées à des exploitants tchèques de
services d'autobus dans la région d'Usti nad Labem
[08] La Commission approuve une aide publique de la Grèce pour une
concession autoroutière
[09] Transports propres: la Commission approuve une aide à l’investissement
en faveur des autobus peu polluants utilisés à des fins de service public
en République tchèque
[10] Aides d'État: La Commission ouvre une procédure formelle concernant
les aides octroyées aux exploitants de ferrys écossais
[11] II. Other news - Autres Nouvelles
[12] Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of OTP Garancia by Groupama
[13] L’UE et le Brésil engagent un dialogue sur l'amélioration de la
cohésion sociale – EMBARGO 15h00 -
[14] Fees and charges payable under REACH adopted
[15] Euro area annual inflation up to 3.6%
[16] Commissioner Dimas attends Paris Major Economies Meeting on climate
change 17-18 April
[17] Major civil protection exercise in Sardinia
[18] European Commission offers sympathy to victims of Goma airplane crash
[19] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2008-04-16
Reference: MEX/08/0416
Date: 16/04/2008
EXME08 / 16.04
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
16/04/08
[01] I. Résultats de la Commission du 16 avril 2008 – Outcome of
Commission meeting of 16 April 2008
[02] State aid: Commission orders recovery of €2.75 million illegal aid
from Italian furniture producer New Interline
The European Commission has ordered Italy to recover aid amounting to
€2.75 million from New Interline, an Italian producer of chairs, located
in the region of Basilicata. Following a formal investigation under EC
Treaty state aid rules, the Commission concluded that the aid, in the form
of a guarantee for a bank loan for rescuing the firm from financial
difficulties, was incompatible with the Single Market. Italy now has four
months to implement the Commission's decision.
[03] State aid: Commission opens investigation into misuse of rescue aid to
Italian press manufacturer Sandretto
The European Commission has launched under EC Treaty state aid rules an in-
depth investigation into the illegal prolongation of a €5 million rescue
aid guarantee to Sandretto, an Italian manufacturer of press equipment. The
Commission approved the state guarantee in January 2007 on the grounds of
serious social difficulties at the company. However, the approval was
limited to maximum six months, in conformity with the EU guidelines on
rescue aid. The Commission needs to investigate whether the prolongation
beyond six months constitutes a misuse of the aid. The opening of a formal
investigation will provide interested parties with an opportunity to
comment on the measure. It does not prejudge the final outcome of the
procedure.
[04] State aid: Commission endorses €180 million aid to Digital Display
Devices (DDD) for large investment project in Campania, Italy
The European Commission has authorised, under EC Treaty state aid rules,
€180 million of aid granted by the Italian authorities to Digital Display
Devices (DDD) for a new plant for the production of Thin Film Transistor-
Liquid Crystal Display (TFT-LCD) panels and partial assembly into TFT-LCD
modules for flat screens for TV sets and computer monitors. DDD will be the
first producer of LCD panels in Europe, as currently all TFT-LCD panels are
produced outside the European Economic Area (EEA), mainly in the Far East.
The project will create about 1000 new jobs in Campania, one of the poorest
regions in Italy. The Commission found the measure to be compatible with
the requirements of the applicable Regional Aid Guidelines of 1998 and the
rules for regional aid for large investment projects of 2002 (see <a
href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/02/242&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/02/242)
because it respects the relevant thresholds on market share and production
capacity.
[05] State aid: Commission endorses €11 million (£8.7 million) training
aid to Vauxhall Motors on Merseyside
The European Commission has authorised under EC Treaty state aid rules a UK
grant of £8.7 million (€11 million) for a staff training programme at
the Vauxhall car plant at Ellesmere Port, Merseyside, UK. Following an in-
depth investigation, opened in July 2007 (see <a
href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1057&format=HTML&aged=1&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/07/1057),
the Commission is satisfied that the aid will be used for additional
training and will not simply subsidise training that Vauxhall would have
provided in any case without any aid.
[06] Banking: Commission consults on amendments to the Banking Directives
The European Commission has launched a public consultation on possible
changes to the Capital Requirements Directive (2006/48/EC and 2006/49/EC).
The purpose of this consultation is to collect comments of the industry and
other stakeholders on these modifications. The Commission is also
conducting an impact assessment related to the modification of certain
provisions. Stakeholders are invited to give the Commission their views on
the issues by 15 June 2008.
[07] Aide d'État: la Commission ouvre une procédure formelle d'examen
concernant des compensations accordées à des exploitants tchèques de
services d'autobus dans la région d'Usti nad Labem
Suite à des plaintes, la Commission européenne a décidé
aujourd'hui d'ouvrir une procédure formelle d'examen concernant des
contrats conclus par les autorités tchèques prévoyant le versement d'une
compensation pour des obligations de service public de transport à des
exploitants d'autobus de la région d'Usti nad Labem.
[08] La Commission approuve une aide publique de la Grèce pour une
concession autoroutière
La Commission européenne a décidé aujourd'hui de ne pas soulever
d'objections concernant certaines mesures adoptées par les autorités
grecques en faveur d'infrastructures routières. La Commission considère
que les aides pour la construction et la rénovation de ces infrastructures
en Grèce ne constituent pas des aides d'État.
[09] Transports propres: la Commission approuve une aide à l’investissement
en faveur des autobus peu polluants utilisés à des fins de service public
en République tchèque
La Commission européenne a approuvé aujourd’hui une aide Ã
l’investissement en faveur des entreprises qui achèteront de nouveaux
autobus pour exécuter des contrats de service public en République
tchèque.
[10] Aides d'État: La Commission ouvre une procédure formelle concernant
les aides octroyées aux exploitants de ferrys écossais
La Commission européenne a décidé aujourd'hui d'ouvrir une procédure
formelle d'examen afin d'étudier les plaintes concernant les subventions
versées par le gouvernement écossais aux compagnies de ferrys écossaises
NorthLink et CalMac.
[11] II. Other news - Autres Nouvelles
[12] Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of OTP Garancia by Groupama
The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the
proposed acquisition of the Hungarian insurance company OTP Garancia by the
French insurance and banking group Groupama. The Commission concluded that
the operation would not significantly impede effective competition in the
European Economic Area (EEA) or in any substantial part of it.
[13] L’UE et le Brésil engagent un dialogue sur l'amélioration de la
cohésion sociale – EMBARGO 15h00 -
La Commission européenne a entamé aujourd’hui un nouveau processus
structuré de dialogue avec le Brésil, consacré aux politiques sociales.
Les deux parties mettront en commun leur savoir dans les domaines de la
législation et des politiques et programmes à réaliser afin de parvenir Ã
une meilleure cohésion sociale. Les modalités de ce processus sont
inscrites dans un protocole d'accord signé à Bruxelles aujourd'hui par le
commissaire européen aux affaires sociales, VladimÃr `pidla, et le
ministre brésilien du développement social et de la lutte contre la faim,
Patrus Ananias.
[14] Fees and charges payable under REACH adopted
The fees and charges that will be charged for registration, evaluation and
authorisation of chemicals under the new REACH registration procedures have
been published today in the Official Journal. The fees and charges will
apply with the start of registrations of chemical substances on 1st June
2008 (<a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/08/564&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en">IP/08/564).
The basic registration fee will range from €1600 for substances produced
in volumes below ten tonnes, to €31000 for those above 1000 tonnes. There
will be up to 90% discounts for smaller firms and 25% reduction for firms
that cooperate together on registrations. The fees payable to European
Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki, which will manage these operational
processes, was approved by the Committee of Member State representatives in
December.
[15] Euro area annual inflation up to 3.6%
Euro area annual inflation was 3.6% in March 2008, up from 3.3% in
February. A year earlier the rate was 1.9%. Monthly inflation was 1.0% in
March 2008. EU annual inflation was 3.8% in March 2008, up from 3.5% in
February. A year earlier the rate was 2.3%. Monthly inflation was 0.8% in
March 2008. These figures come from Eurostat.
[16] Commissioner Dimas attends Paris Major Economies Meeting on climate
change 17-18 April
Commissioner Dimas is attending the third Major Economies Meeting taking
place in Paris today and tomorrow 18 April. After Washington DC and
Honolulu the aim of this meeting is to explore approaches to achieving the
different contributions that major economies can make to tackling climate
change and how the leaders of the world's major economies can contribute to
achieving a global post-2012 climate agreement in 2009 under the auspices
of the United Nations. The Major Economies Meetings bring together 17
parties which represent economies responsible for 80% of worldwide
greenhouse gas emission. These include the United States, the European
Union (United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, and the Commission), Russia,
China, India, Brazil, Indonesia, South Korea, South Africa, Canada,
Australia, Mexico, and Japan. MEM Paris meeting:
<a href="http://www.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=3049">http://www.developpement-
durable.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=3049
[17] Major civil protection exercise in Sardinia
Sardinia ARsons DIrect NIxing Action (SARDINIA 2008), a large-scale civil
protection exercise simulating the conditions of a Mediterranean forest
fire, will begin in Olbia, Sardinia, on April 16. The three-day exercise
will involve fire-fighting teams from Italy, France, Greece, Portugal and
Spain, who will battle blazes as part of a lessons learnt exercise in the
wake of last year's unusually fierce forest fire season. The teams will be
supported by the EU's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), located in
DG Environment's Civil Protection Unit in Brussels. The exercise, which
will be attended by observers from and inside and outside the EU, will end
on the 19 April with an aerial display. SARDINIA 2008 is being held within
the framework of the EU's "FIRE 5" project.
Rediffusion
[18] European Commission offers sympathy to victims of Goma airplane crash
The European Commission has expressed its deepest sympathy to the families
of the victims from today's airplane crash in Goma in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
[19] Autre matériel diffusé
• Speech by President Barroso on 'Democracy: A European Invention
Patented 25 Centuries Ago In Athens', Brussels
A disposition au secrétariat de Jonathan Todd (BERL 03/315):
Notification préalable d'une opération de concentration :
Rewe/Fegro-Selgros
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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