|
|
|
European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-06-02
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] «EU WINDOW» : le programme d’échange linguistique entre la Chine
et l’Union européenne
[02] Stakeholders discuss how to put the European Qualifications Framework
into practice
[03] European network set to boost women in power
[04] Bathing water quality in the EU remains high
[05] Climate change: Commission launches public consultation on revision of
car labelling directive
[06] La diversité de l’UE vue travers les statistiques
[07] EU food prices up by 7.1% year-on-year in April 2008
[08] Commission welcomes treaty to ban cluster munitions
[09] Landmark decisions at biodiversity conference are a big step forward
in protecting global biodiversity
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2008-06-02
Reference: MEX/08/0602
Date: 02/06/2008
EXME08 / 02.06
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
02/06/08
[01] «EU WINDOW» : le programme d’échange linguistique entre la Chine
et l’Union européenne
Le 2 juin, le commissaire au multilinguisme, M. Leonard Orban, et le vice-
ministre chinois de l’éducation, M. Zhang Xinsheng, lanceront
officiellement le programme d’échange linguistique Chine-UE, intitulé
«EU Window». La cérémonie de lancement aura lieu ce même jour 17 h
au Berlaymont, dans la Galerie des Présidents. «EU Window» est un
projet quadriennal (2009-2013), présenté l’occasion du dixième
sommet Chine-UE (novembre 2007) et parrainé par le gouvernement chinois.
Il doit permettre 200 professeurs européens enseignant le chinois dans
les écoles ainsi qu’ 400 directeurs d’école dans les États membres
d’améliorer leurs compétences en chinois et leur connaissance de la
culture chinoise.
[02] Stakeholders discuss how to put the European Qualifications Framework
into practice
The European Qualifications Framework was recently adopted formally by the
European Parliament and the Council as a Recommendation. Now, stakeholders
from across the EU are set to discuss how to best implement this new scheme,
which aims to enhance mobility by facilitating the transparency of
qualifications across the EU. The first EQF implementation conference will
gather some 230 representatives of national authorities, social partners,
industry sectors and stakeholders' organisations in Brussels on 3-4 June
2008.
[03] European network set to boost women in power
Female decision-makers from around Europe will today meet for the launch of
a new EU-level network of women in power. The group aims to promote women
in decision-making positions in politics and the economy across Europe. The
inaugural meeting will be opened by Equal Opportunities Commissioner
Vladimír pidla and by Zita Gurmai, Vice-Chairwoman of the European
Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. Commission
Vice-President Margot Wallström and Budget Commissioner Dalia
Grybauskaité will join the network for a discussion over lunch.
[04] Bathing water quality in the EU remains high
The annual bathing water report presented today by the European Commission
reveals that the large majority of bathing sites across the European Union
met EU hygiene standards in 2007. Some 95% of coastal bathing areas and 89%
of bathing sites in rivers and lakes comply with the mandatory standards.
The report provides useful water quality information for the millions of
people who visit Europe's beaches every summer.
[05] Climate change: Commission launches public consultation on revision of
car labelling directive
The European Commission today launched a public consultation on information
provided to consumers about the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of new
cars. Stakeholders and the general public are invited to submit their views
on how such information can be made clearer and more consistent. Studies
have shown that the CO2 labelling directive in force is not working as well
as it could and needs to be amended. The results of this consultation will
be used to help shape a Commission proposal to revise the directive.
[06] La diversité de l’UE vue travers les statistiques
Quelle a été la croissance de la population de l'UE27 au cours des dix
dernières années? Dans quel État membre est-il le plus courant d'être
propriétaire de son logement? Dans quel pays le coût horaire de la main-
d’œuvre est-il le plus élevé? Parmi les États membres, quelles sont
les destinations touristiques les plus recherchées? Les réponses ces
questions et bien d'autres se trouvent dans la 12ème édition de
l'annuaire statistique, publiée par Eurostat. L'Europe en chiffres –
Annuaire Eurostat 2008 donne aux utilisateurs de statistiques officielles
un aperçu de la richesse des informations disponibles sur le site web et
dans les bases de données en ligne d'Eurostat. Il présente l'évolution
d'indicateurs clés au cours des onze dernières années dans l'UE27, la
zone euro, les États membres et les pays candidats. Les données pour les
pays de l'AELE, les États-Unis et le Japon figurent aussi lorsqu'elles
sont disponibles.
[07] EU food prices up by 7.1% year-on-year in April 2008
Since the end of 2006, but particularly since July 2007, food prices in the
EU have increased more rapidly than overall inflation. The same pattern was
observed for the euro area. In April 2008, the annual increase in food
prices in the EU was 7.1%, compared with 3.6% for overall inflation, as
measured by the all-items HICP. In the euro area, the annual increase in
food prices was 6.2%, compared with 3.3% for overall inflation. March and
April 2008 recorded the highest annual increases in food prices in both the
EU and the euro area since the beginning of the series in 1996. However,
between 1996 and April 2008, food prices have risen in total at a similar
rate to overall inflation: +31% and +27% respectively in the EU, and +30%
and +27% respectively in the euro area. These figures come from Eurostat.
Rediffusion
[08] Commission welcomes treaty to ban cluster munitions
The European Commission welcomes the adoption in Dublin on Wednesday 28 May
of a multilateral convention to ban all cluster munitions within eight
years. Benita Ferrero-Waldner, Commissioner for External Relations and
Neighbourhood Policy, commented: “The convention banning cluster
munitions is an important step towards enhancing the security of victims of
conflicts in many regions across the world. I hope that many countries will
sign and ratify it. When entering into force, it will be an important
contribution to the “Human Security Agenda”. The European Commission
stands ready to assist in implementing the Convention."
[09] Landmark decisions at biodiversity conference are a big step forward
in protecting global biodiversity
191 countries have agreed today to take far reaching action in order to
address the current unprecedented loss of biodiversity across the globe. At
the 9th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
which has been meeting for the past two weeks in Bonn Germany, consensus
was reached on decisions, which will pave the way to ensuring that the
increasing production of biofuels is sustainable and to finalising an
international regime on access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources.
These decisions will also lead to protecting vulnerable biodiversity in the
high seas and to ensuring that concerns relating to biodiversity and
forests are taken up in the ongoing climate change negotiations. As a
result of today's agreement, governments will take concrete actions towards
reaching the global target of significantly reducing the current rate of
biodiversity loss by 2010.
[10] Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on Antitrust: Commission welcomes RWE proposals for structural
remedies to increase competition in German gas market
• Memo on Bathing Water: Overview of the situation in Member States
• Memo on Antitrust: Commission opens formal proceedings against sanofi-
aventis for possible procedural infringement
• Discours du Commissaire pidla sur Le réseau européen de femmes dans
les postes décisionnels dans la politique et l'économie, Bruxelles
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
|
