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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-09-08
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Sport: la Commission renforce sa coopération avec le Comité
paralympique européen pour promouvoir l’intégration sociale des
personnes handicapées
[02] EU funds for Research: Lost in translation? New guide to help better
use of European research, innovation and cohesion funding
[03] Hübner to see state-of-art impacts of EU investment in Greece
[04] African Union Commission and European Commission launch an ambitious
Africa-EU Energy Partnership
[05] Commission proposes fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea for 2009
[06] Joe Borg at an Artic conference in Greenland
[07] Commissioner Vassiliou visits Community Plant Variety Office in Angers
[08] Commission authorises GM soybean A2704-12
[09] Mr Janez POTOČNIK today in Zaragoza to participate in the European
Water Research Day
[10] Forest fire in Bulgaria
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2008-09-08
Reference: MEX/08/0908
Date: 08/09/2008
EXME08 / 08.09
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
08/09/08
[01] Sport: la Commission renforce sa coopération avec le Comité
paralympique européen pour promouvoir l’intégration sociale des
personnes handicapées
À l’occasion de sa visite officielle Pékin en vue
d’assister aux Jeux paralympiques, Ján Figel', le commissaire européen
responsable des sports, a signé aujourd’hui une déclaration commune
avec le président du Comité paralympique européen (EPC), M. Enrique
Sánchez-Guijo. Cette déclaration célèbre l’attribution d’une aide
financière l’EPC dans le cadre du programme «L'Europe pour les
citoyens» de l’Union européenne. En accord avec les valeurs
paralympiques défendues par l'EPC, cette aide financière marque la
reconnaissance du rôle que joue le sport dans le renforcement de
l’intégration sociale et dans la promotion d’une participation active
de tous les citoyens la construction européenne.
[02] EU funds for Research: Lost in translation? New guide to help better
use of European research, innovation and cohesion funding
The Commission today launched the 'Practical Guide to EU funding
opportunities for Research and Innovation' to help all stakeholders to find
their way into the different existing EU funding. Central to the
realisation of the goals of the Lisbon Agenda is the need to promote the
knowledge economy, in particular through research, technological
development and innovation (RTDI). EU support for RTDI is provided mainly
through the 7th Research Framework Programme, the Competitiveness and
Innovation Framework Programme and the Structural & Cohesion Funds. If
their impact is to be maximised, it is essential that these sources of
funding are used in a coherent way.
[03] Hübner to see state-of-art impacts of EU investment in Greece
Danuta Hübner, Commissioner for Regional Policy, will see projects showing
state-of-the-art impacts of EU investment transforming Western Greece and
Continental Greece on her visit to these regions 7-9 September. She will
visit projects in transport infrastructure, tourism, environment and new
technologies. On 8 September in Athens, she will take part in an informal
ministerial working group on Economic integration of South-Eastern Europe
along with ministers from Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Romania and Slovenia.
Entrepreneurship is the theme of a conference at which she will give a
keynote speech in Athens on 9 September. The event, entitled
'Entrepreneurship with a human face', is the European Economic and Social
Committee's biennial conference.
[04] African Union Commission and European Commission launch an ambitious
Africa-EU Energy Partnership
Today high-level discussions on the implementation of the Africa-EU energy
partnership took place at the premises of the African Union Commission in
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to establish the Africa-EU Energy Partnership as part
of the EU-Africa Joint Strategy. Dr. Elham Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim, African
Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, Louis Michel, European
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid and Andris Piebalgs,
European Commissioner for Energy signed a “Joint statement on the
implementation of the first Action Plan of the Africa-EU Energy
Partnership” and agreed on actions to be taken in order to speed up the
implementation of the Partnership.
[05] Commission proposes fishing opportunities for the Baltic Sea for 2009
The European Commission has tabled its proposal on fishing possibilities
for a number of fish stocks in the Baltic Sea for 2009. The proposal
follows scientific advice that most stocks in the Baltic Sea should be
subject to reduced catches in 2009. This is especially true of the Western
cod stock, and of the Western herring stock, both of which require serious
attention to prevent their further decline. In the case of the Western cod
stock, the Commission is proposing a 15% reduction in fishing opportunities
while in the case of Western herring stock, a 63% reduction is being
proposed. For the Eastern cod stock however the Commission is proposing a
15% increase in the EU quota as the situation of this stock has improved in
recent years. This increase is in line with the multi-annual recovery plan
for cod in the Baltic Sea. The present proposal for fishing possibilities
shall be discussed at the October Fisheries Council.
[06] Joe Borg at an Artic conference in Greenland
European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Joe Borg will
travel to Greenland tomorrow to participate in the Arctic conference hosted
in Ilulissat by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Commissioner Borg will
give a keynote speech at the meeting's opening session, alongside the
Presidency of the European Union, and Dr Hans-Gert Pöttering, President of
the European Parliament. In his address, the Commissioner will discuss the
place of the Arctic region in European policy, with reference to both the
'Northern Dimension' policy and the EU's new integrated Maritime Policy. In
this latter context, the Commission will be publishing a Communication on
the Arctic later in 2008 which will examine issues ranging from climate
change to governance. The aim of this communication is to assess how Europe
can best contribute towards sustainable development of the region and the
global economy while protecting the Arctic from environmental changes
resulting from the increasing human activity that this development will
entail. This Arctic Conference has been organised by the Swedish presidency
of the Nordic Council of Ministers in order to raise awareness of the new
challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic region as a result of
changing environmental, economic and social conditions. Conference
participants will include ministers, politicians, senior representatives
from EU bodies and member states of the EU, the Arctic Council, the Barents
Euro-Arctic Council, the Nordic Council of Ministers and the partners of
the Northern Dimension as well as experts on Arctic issues and
representatives of indigenous peoples’ organisations and relevant NGOs.
[07] Commissioner Vassiliou visits Community Plant Variety Office in Angers
European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou will make today her first
visit to the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) in Angers (France), in
order to meet the staff of the CPVO and be briefed by CPVO President Bart
Kiewiet on the EU system for Community plant variety rights. The CPVO is
the European agency responsible for implementing and applying the system
for the protection of plant variety rights, as established under EU
legislation (Regulation 2100/94). This system allows intellectual property
rights, valid throughout the EU, to be granted for plant varieties. Since
June 1995, the CPVO has processed more than 30.300 applications, resulting
in over 21.500 plant variety rights being granted. The EU system for plant
variety rights is now the largest in the world, and the scale of the work
done by the EU agency reflects the value breeders place on having a solid
system through which they can commercialize their varieties throughout the
EU. For more information, see : <a href="http://www.cpvo.europa.eu/">http://www.cpvo.europa.eu/
[08] Commission authorises GM soybean A2704-12
The European Commission adopted today a Decision authorising GM soybean
A2704-12 for feed and food uses and for import and processing. A2704-12
soybean received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA) and underwent the full authorisation procedure set out in
the EU legislation. Member States did not reach a qualified majority
decision for or against this authorisation in the Standing Committee on the
Food Chain and Animal Health (SCoFCAH), and then in the Council, the
dossier was sent back to the Commission for decision. The authorisation is
valid for 10 years, and any products produced from this GM soybean will be
subject to the EU's strict labelling and traceability rules. For more
information, see: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/food/food/biotechnology/index_en.htm
[09] Mr Janez POTOČNIK today in Zaragoza to participate in the European
Water Research Day
Today, EU Science and Research Commission, Janez Potocnik, is attending the
European Water Research Day at the Zaragoza EXPO 2008, an international
exposition, open from 14 June to 14 September 2008, that is dedicated to
"Water and Sustainable Development". He will discuss how science and
research can contribute to address the growing global and regional
pressures on water resources. EU-funded water research will be presented
and its future perspectives will be discussed. About €800 million had
been provided in the last 10 years by the European Union to fund research
in water related projects, helping to manage and protect water resources,
in the EU and abroad.
[10] Forest fire in Bulgaria
A forest fire started on Wednesday 3/9/2008 at 16:37 in the mountainous
area of the national park “Rila” - region Blagoevgrad of Bulgaria,
affecting an area of 130 hectares. National authorities did seek assistance
through the European Union’s Community Mechanism for Civil Protection
(MIC) on 6/09/2008.The European Union reacted within a few hours after this
request for help. In response, France dispatched one forest fire fighting
module composed of two fire-fighting aircraft (Canadairs) which arrived on
site on Sunday 7/9. Fire-fighting operations are ongoing. Thanks to the
rapid intervention by France the situation is rapidly improving and no
further requests for assistance are expected. The Community Mechanism aims
to facilitate reinforced cooperation in civil protection assistance
interventions. It ensures the coordination of assistance intervention in
order to provide prompt support and to assist a country - inside and
outside the European Union - in need of help. The main objective is to
provide the best possible response and preparedness when a major emergency
situation arises.
[11] Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on African Union Commission and European Commission launch
ambitious Africa-EU Energy Partnership
• Discours du Vice-Président Barrot 'Le futur de la politique d'asile
européenne: Vers un véritable espace de protection', Paris
• Speech by Commissioner Potočnik 'European Water Research Day –
Making a bigger splash', Zaragoza
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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