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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 08-11-18
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] European Union to observe the parliamentary election in Bangladesh
[02] State aid: latest Scoreboard shows Member States moving towards better
targeted aid
[03] Cabinets d’audit: comment augmenter le nombre d’acteurs sur le
marché?
[04] 40% of immigrants who settled in the EU27 were citizens of EU27 Member
States
[05] First European Antibiotic Awareness Day - Cold? Flu? – Take care,
not antibiotics
[06] EU competition rules – part of the solution for Europe's economy
[07] Les enjeux «développement» du niveau global au niveau local, au
cœur des 3ème Journées européennes du Développement
[08] Fisheries: ICCAT meeting is “make-or-break” for bluefin tuna
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
Midday Express of 2008-11-18
Reference: MEX/08/1118
Date: 18/11/2008
EXME08 / 18.11
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Communication Directorate General's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi de la Direction Générale Communicationb
18/11/08
[01] European Union to observe the parliamentary election in Bangladesh
The European Commission has decided to re-deploy a full EU Election
Observation Mission (EOM), which was suspended in January 2007, for the
parliamentary elections in Bangladesh scheduled to take place on 18
December 2008. A number of experts on election assessment, who will form
the Core Team of the Mission, arrived in the country on 7 November. The re-
deployed EU EOM will be led by Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Member of the
European Parliament.
[02] State aid: latest Scoreboard shows Member States moving towards better
targeted aid
The European Commission's latest State Aid Scoreboard shows that Member
States are increasingly using the possibilities offered by the recently
revised EU state aid rules to better target their aid. Member States
awarded on average 80% of their aid to horizontal objectives in 2007,
compared with around 50% in the mid-1990s with increased spending on R&D
and environmental aid. Faced with the current financial crisis, coordinated
action by Member States and the Commission has ensured that support schemes
for the financial sector could be implemented quickly in compliance with EU
state aid rules.
[03] Cabinets d’audit: comment augmenter le nombre d’acteurs sur le
marché?
La Commission européenne a lancé une consultation publique sur les
structures de contrôle des cabinets d’audit et sur les évolutions
envisageables dans ce domaine. Cette consultation fait suite une étude
indépendante sur les règles de propriété des cabinets d’audit et
leurs conséquences quant la concentration sur le marché de
l’audit (voir <a href="http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1570&format=HTML&aged=1&language=FR&guiLanguage=en">IP/07/1570).
Elle a pour but d’examiner les moyens susceptibles de favoriser
l’émergence de nouveaux acteurs sur le marché international de
l’audit. Il est notamment envisagé de déréguler la propriété des
cabinets d’audit et d’agir sur d’autres facteurs en rapport avec le
capital humain de ces cabinets. La Commission invite les parties
intéressées exprimer leur avis sur ces questions d’ici au 28 février
2009.
[04] 40% of immigrants who settled in the EU27 were citizens of EU27 Member
States
In 2006, about three million foreign immigrants settled in a country in the
EU27. These immigrants can be divided into two groups based on their
citizenship: citizens of EU27 Member states (1.2 million persons) and non-
EU27 citizens (1.8 million). EU27 citizens migrating to a Member State, of
which they were not citizens, accounted for 40% of foreign immigrants. The
remaining 60% of foreign immigrants were almost equally divided between
citizens of countries in Europe outside the EU27, Asia, America and Africa,
with each accounting for about 15%. In 2006, the largest foreign immigrant
groups in the EU27 were citizens of Poland (about 290 000 persons), Romania
(about 230 000), Morocco (about 140 000), the United Kingdom, Ukraine and
China (each about 100 000) and Germany (about 90 000). These figures are
extracted from a report issued by Eurostat. The immigration data are
compiled from available national sources, completed by Eurostat estimates
where necessary. Due to differences in coverage and definitions, the data
are not fully comparable and must be interpreted with care. The report also
includes information about the gender and age composition of immigrants.
[05] First European Antibiotic Awareness Day - Cold? Flu? – Take care,
not antibiotics
Today, in Strasbourg, Commissioner for Health, Androullla Vassiliou
launches the first European Antibiotic Awareness Day. This will be an
annual event designed to raise awareness about the risks associated with
inappropriate use of antibiotics and to provide information on the
responsible use of antibiotics. Activities and events are planned across
Europe in over 30 countries. New surveillance data released today shows
that bacteria resistance to antibiotic treatments is increasing. However,
national programmes in a number of countries are also making significant
progress in reducing resistance to antibiotics. The European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), an EU agency, is the main organiser
of the event in collaboration with many stakeholders such as health
professionals and scientists. The European Commission recognises the
serious challenge that antimicrobial resistance poses for public health and
works closely with Member States to address this issue. The control of
antimicrobial resistance involves an inter-sectoral approach; working
closely with human medicine, veterinary medicine and agricultural sector.
To see Commissioner Vassiliou's video message about European Antibiotic
Awareness Day: <a href="http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/vassiliou/media_en.htm">http://ec.europa.eu/commission_barroso/vassiliou/media_en.htm
For more information on surveillance data and activities across Europe: The
ECDC dedicated to Antibiotic Awareness Day: <a href="http://antibiotic.ecdc.europa.eu/">http://antibiotic.ecdc.europa.eu/.
[06] EU competition rules – part of the solution for Europe's economy
In a speech at the Paris Competition Day, Competition Commissioner Neelie
Kroes set out the positive impact, running into billions of euros a year,
that competition policy has on the European economy. In addition to direct
and indirect benefits of cartel and merger enforcement, the state aid rules
provide fair rules for all Member States to follow to in getting out of the
financial crisis. The Single Market envisioned by Jean Monnet, and the
single market and competition rules that make it work are the best way out
of the current economic difficulties. “We need a clear level playing
field for European consumers and businesses, and the competition rules
deliver that time and time again.”
Rediffusion
[07] Les enjeux «développement» du niveau global au niveau local, au
cœur des 3ème Journées européennes du Développement
Les Journées européennes du Développement ont réuni toute la famille du
développement : des chefs d’Etats aux ONGs et experts. Les débats et
propositions ont porté sur les enjeux globaux comme la crise financière
et le G20, la crise alimentaire. Mais cet événement a aussi traité des
enjeux locaux comme l’importance des autorités locales pour avancer
contre la pauvreté.
[08] Fisheries: ICCAT meeting is “make-or-break” for bluefin tuna
Today sees the opening of the 16th Annual Meeting of the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in Marrakech,
Morocco. Key issues on the table for the EU are how to accelerate the
recovery of the Eastern bluefin tuna stock by strengthening the multi-
annual plan agreed in 2006, and the organisation’s record on compliance.
[09] Autre matériel diffusé
• Memo on State aid: Overview of national rescue measures and guarantee
schemes
• Memo Belgique: programme opérationnel «Fonds européen pour la
pêche» 2007-2013
• Speech by Commissioner Kroes 'EU competition rules – part of the
solution for Europe's economy', Paris
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
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