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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-08-14
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Georgia – the EU sends assistance
[02] Euro area GDP down by 0.2% and EU27 down by 0.1%
[03] Euro area annual inflation stable at 4.0%
[04] Commission clears acquisition of D&M by Bain Capital
Midday Express of 2008-08-14
Reference: MEX/08/0814
Date: 14/08/2008
EXME08 / 14.08
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
14/08/08
[01] Georgia – the EU sends assistance
In the face of an armed conflict that may have claimed numerous lives and
has displaced thousands of people, Georgia has called on the international
community for assistance. Contacts have been good with the Georgian
government, and the European Union is providing help through its Civil
Protection Mechanism, which was activated on 12 August 2008. Eleven EU
Member States – Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
France, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden – are providing
assistance, including medical supplies, blankets, shelter and food. Austria
has provided sufficient basic medical equipment to cover 10000 persons for
3 months. Experts from the Commission's Humanitarian Aid department (ECHO)
are in the region and are monitoring the humanitarian situation closely. As
the situation on the ground seems to be improving, the EU Monitoring and
Information Centre is considering the possibility of dispatching of an
assessment and coordination team to Tbilisi. For more information: Civil
Protection Unit: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/environment/civil/index.htm
[02] Euro area GDP down by 0.2% and EU27 down by 0.1%
GDP declined by 0.2% in the euro area (EA15) and by 0.1% in the EU27 during
the second quarter of 2008, compared with the previous quarter, according
to flash estimates published by Eurostat. In the first quarter of 2008,
growth rates were +0.7% in both the euro area and the EU27. Compared with
the same quarter of the previous year, seasonally adjusted GDP grew by 1.5%
in the euro area and by 1.7% in the EU27 in the second quarter of 2008,
after +2.1% and +2.3% respectively in the previous quarter. During the
second quarter of 2008, US GDP increased by 0.5% compared with the previous
quarter, after +0.2% in the first quarter. In Japan GDP decreased by 0.6%
in the second quarter of 2008 (+0.8% in the previous quarter). Compared
with the same quarter of the previous year, GDP rose by 1.8% in the US
(+2.5% in the previous quarter) and by 1.0% in Japan (+1.2% in the previous
quarter).
[03] Euro area annual inflation stable at 4.0%
Euro area annual inflation was 4.0% in July 2008, unchanged compared with
June. A year earlier the rate was 1.8%. Monthly inflation was -0.2% in July
2008. EU annual inflation was 4.4% in July 2008, up from 4.3% in June. A
year earlier the rate was 2.0%. Monthly inflation was -0.1% in July 2008.
These figures come from Eurostat. In July 2008, the lowest annual rates
were observed in the Netherlands (3.0%), Portugal (3.1%) and Germany (3.5%),
and the highest in Latvia (16.5%), Bulgaria (14.4%) and Lithuania (12.4%).
Compared with June 2008, annual inflation rose in fifteen Member States,
remained stable in five and fell in seven. The lowest 12-month averages up
to July 2008 were registered in the Netherlands (1.8%), the United Kingdom
(2.6%) and Portugal (2.7%), and the highest in Latvia (15.1%), Bulgaria
(12.3%) and Estonia (10.1%).
[04] Commission clears acquisition of D&M by Bain Capital
The European Commission has granted clearance under the EU Merger
Regulation to the acquisition of sole control of D&M Holdings Inc. of Japan
by Bain Capital Investors LLC of the USA. Bain Capital Investors LLC is a
private equity investment firm. D&M Holdings Inc. is active in design,
production, marketing and distribution of audio visual electronic products.
The operation was examined under the simplified merger review procedure.
A disposition au secrétariat de Jonathan Todd (BERL 03/315):
Notification préalable d'une opération de concentration :
CENTREX/ZMB/ENIA/JV
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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